District 7780 Newsletter - September 2022 update (Sep 04, 2022)

District Governor's Message: September 2022

Photo: DG Claudia with Dr. Olha Palichuk from Ukraine at Rotary International Conference on June 6, 2022. (Click here for the link to General Session on June 6 - Dr. Olha Palichuck.)

Saying Goodbye to Summer!

Saying goodbye to August 2022. Rotary designates different focus months for clubs and strangely, August is Membership and New Club Development Month. If you knew that, give yourself a pat on the back. If you added new members or started a new club, brag about it and also give yourself a pat on the back. Our beautiful and distracting summer weather in New England and the friends and relatives that flock to us, often distract us from Rotary recruiting.

The important part of our monthly themes is that we address the topics sometime during the year. Here is the list:

July - Changeover

August - Membership

September - Education/Literacy

October - Community economics

November - Foundation

December - Disease Prevention

January - Vocational service

February - Peace-building

March - Water/Sanitation

April - Maternal & child health

May - Youth Services

June - Rotary Friendship

District 7780 honors some of these themes:

September - District Governor Official Visits begin/Recovery Conference 9/8/22

October 24 - World Polio Day

November 4 - Foundation Donor appreciation dinner

February 14 (placeholder) Mid-year dinner and Peace Concert

April - International trip to Zambia - Healthy Learners (may be at the end of February)

May - RYLA plans, Youth Exchange

June - Changeover/District Celebration June 10

As we swing into fall, it is an excellent time to renew our commitment to the service of Rotary. Whether you decide to offer a ride to a meeting, join a club committee, or look for an opportunity for service in or out of Rotary, a good intention followed by action will uplift you as well as the world. Try it!

Peace,

Claudia Frost

District Governor

Rotary Club of Brunswick

September is Education and Literacy Month

By: Carolyn Johnson, PDG

BELRAG Chair, RC of Yarmouth

September is Education and Literacy Month, an opportunity for Rotarians to focus awareness on the literacy and education needs in our own communities and internationally. BELRAG (Basic Education and Literacy Rotary Action Group) and Save the Children are pleased to announce a funding opportunity to support clubs’ innovative approaches to early childhood education in rural America. Projects may support Kindergarten Readiness, 3rd Grade Reading proficiency, and/or 5th-grade math proficiency.

Have You Thanked a Health Care Worker Lately?

Rotary's COVID-19 Task Force designated August 21-27, 2022 as Health Care Workers Week. It’s always a good time to recognize the work of health care professionals in our clubs and in our communities.

There are many ways to show your appreciation, but a great way to start is by talking to local health care professionals directly to learn what type of support they want and need — and how we in Rotary can best respond.

On your own or with your club, you can also:

Send letters of appreciation to health care facilities or health departments
Volunteer at a health care facility or at an event
Raise awareness by sending letters highlighting health workers to local media outlets
Post about your appreciation for health care workers on social media
Honor club members who are health care workers at a meeting or event
Ask nearby medical centers if you can donate meals or baked goods

The COVID-19 Task Force has templates you can use to support this effort. For more information, click here.

District Team Updates

District to Host Strategic Planning Session and International Café

Emma Bodwell, Chair of the District International Services Committee (DISC), announced that on Thursday evening, September 8 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Michele Bois-Gilbody will help facilitate committee members and guests in a Strategic Planning and Visioning workshop. This will be an in-person get-together in Westbrook. If you are interested in helping to set the direction of DISC, please contact Emma at ebodwell@icloud.com for more information, including location.

The first International Café of the 2022-23 Rotary Year will be on Saturday, September 10 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. via Zoom. At the top of the agenda will be an Introduction of the District 7780 International Outreach to Zambia in 2023. If you are interested in international travel with a purpose, this will be a chance to hear about the first post-pandemic journey. We also expect other interesting projects to be discussed at the Café, including Rotaplast, projects in Nepal and India, and a grant update by Carolyn Johnson.

Crutches 4 Africa

Due to shipping issues, the container loading has been postponed until September 17 at 9:00 a.m. The shipment, going to Nigeria, It will contain crutches, wheelchairs, walkers, rollators canes, and walking boots. If you want more information or would like to participate, contact Dennis Robillard at risc@maine.rr.com or 207-468-0443.

Global Grant Update from Kenya Rising

John Chisholm of Kenya Rising (formerly Kakamega Orphan Care Center) will be speaking in person with a Zoom link at the Freeport Rotary Club at the Freeport Community Services on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:00 a.m. For more information or for the Zoom link, contact Tom Wilbur at tom@wilburs.com or 207-749-3726. This Global Grant is a direct outgrowth of the District Outreach journey to Kenya in 2017. Members of that team included: Joan Correll, Hampton Club; Claudia Frost, Brunswick Club; Carol Madsen, Bridgton-Lake Region Club; Steve Wight, Bethel Club; and Tom and Catherine Wilbur of the Freeport Club. For those who are interested, a 5-minute video update about this GG can be found by clicking here.

Save the Date: October 24, 2022, is World Polio Day!

Watch for communication from the District with ideas of ways to promote polio awareness in your own community, fundraising events and more. As a District, we've set a new goal for raising funds for Polio Plus. Click here to see that challenge.

What is "EVERY ROTARIAN, EVERY YEAR" All About?

By: Jeffrey R. Slaton

District 7780 Annual Fund Chairperson 2022-25

Rotary Club of Saco Bay

Happy September 2022 District 7780 Rotarians.

 Every Rotarian, Every Year is an initiative by the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation which encourages “every Rotarian, every year” to:

  1. Participate in a Foundation program that is making a difference in the world;

2. Contribute to the Foundation’s Annual Fund at a sustainable amount.

The Rotary Foundation even has banners for clubs where every member contributes at least $25 to the Annual Fund with $100 per capita during the Rotary year.

Today, around one-third of Rotarians participate in this initiative. In 2021-22, The Rotary Foundation was able to award 1,197 global grants for large-scale sustainable projects due to the generosity of these Rotarians. Think about how much more Rotary could accomplish in the world if all our 1.4 million members worldwide each gave at least $25 to our Foundation’s Annual Fund.

If you are a part of the “Every Rotarian, Every Year” initiative – I personally thank you for your support of The Rotary Foundation and its work.

Would you like to make a small contribution today? Just log into your account at rotary.org and follow the prompts.... don’t hesitate to ask me for help!!! My email address and phone number are below.

Click here for help.

Here’s my story: with a simple request from my friend Dennis Robillard of the Saco Bay Sunset Rotary Club many years ago, I made the personal decision to give. At first, I was giving $25.00 a month and after a couple of years, I realized it was not going to make a difference in my way of life to give a little more. I could help meet the needs of others less fortunate, and it could make all the difference in the world. So, I have steadily upped my giving to $85.00 a month, which makes me a Paul Harris Society Member and checks off all the boxes for Every Rotarian, Every Year. Don’t forget your pledge is a tax-deductible donation and, plus, it is just a cool thing to do. You may never know the person you help but rest assured you are helping those who need it the most. Thank you for everything you do every day. Be well!

Jeffrey Slaton

207-608-3131

slatonjeffrey@yahoo.com