Rotary District 6440 Newsletter
Mike Yesner, District GovernorNovember, 2012
In This Issue
-- Governor's Message
-- Lisbon Convention Discounts
-- Video of Dist. Disaster Relief Efforts
-- Leadership Opportunity for Kids Thru RYLA
-- Reflections on Fall Seminar
-- A Short List of Noteworthy Things
-- Marketing and Communicating Rotaryand Service
-- Celebrating 50 Years of Interact
-- Using Vocational Training Grantsning
-- Welcome to Our New Members!
-- Seasonal Wishes
Quick Event Information
 See additional information about these events in this newsletter and on the District website at: www.rotary6440.org
(Click Link for Info)
Allstate Arena  
Feb 24, 2013 03:00 PM
(Click Link for Info)
Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca  
Mar 08, 2013 - Mar 10, 2013
(click link for info)
Apr 18, 2013 - Aprr 21, 2013 
(click link for info)
June 23, 2013 - June 26, 2013  (Also click here to go to related newsletter article)   
Quick Contact Links
 
The Rotary District 6440 Newsletter is filled with announcements, articles, and links to announcements, stories, and information about our clubs, our members and making a difference through Rotary.
  Governor's Message
 RI 2012/13 Theme Logo

              As I write this    

 

A couple of weeks have passed since our Fall Seminar Day Tailgate, and I'm still pumped about the day. According to the registration information, all 72 clubs were in attendance, and all 72 completed The Grant Management Seminar. If that was all that was accomplished, I would have been happy. But, it wasn't.  

 

Former Ambassadorial Scholar Jean Irwin gave a great keynote. But, there was more. Our Rotarians filled a truck to bursting with materials for the Hurricane Sandy victims in New York and New Jersey. And, when it became clear that truck was nowhere near large enough, chipped in $3,200+ to make it possible to have a larger truck, and have enough left over to make a donation. And, when it started to rain, went running to get the second truck filled.  

 

I haven't even mentioned the great job Mary Beth Growney Selene did (Rotary International Director-Elect, click to see her bio) facilitating the ABCs of Rotary. Or, Rodney Adams (District Governor Nominee Designate) and Jim Uzler did putting on a membership seminar. Or, the work of Rich Lalley on social media. Or, Past District Governors Pam Kerr, Mike Ericksen, and Bruce Baumberger, plus Walter Reed, Narayan Muraka and others responsible for the GMS. Or,  Sarah Oliver (District Governor Elect) for a fantastic Pre-President Elects Training  session (PETS). Or, Kristina Laib who made check-in run flawlessly. And, I specially have to mention Event Chair Julie Clark. It was her super effort that made the entire day. Thanks to each of the people I named, apologies to any I missed, and another thanks to everyone who attended.

 

By the end of November there will be even more highs. We're celebrating the Charter Night of The Rotary Club of Fox Valley Sunset on the 29th. By month end, 71 out of 72 visits will have been completed. I think we will have applications which will exhaust our District Simplified Grant (DSG) budget, meaning the widest participation we've ever had. Registration is closed for our two missions to Guatemala, with both trips at capacity. Registration is under way for The National Immunization Day in Nigeria. Click the picture on the left side of our web site (www.rotary6440.org  ).

 

What else is going on? Well, we're up 32 members since July 1. Plans are being made for District Conference, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and an End Polio Now event at a Chicago Wolves game, the Rotary International convention in Lisbon, The Group Study Exchange inbound and outbound trips to India, the potential organization of our 73rd Club, and Midwest President Elects Training Seminar.


In my first Newsletter, I talked about how much fun I was having. I still am. This Thanksgiving I had so much to be thankful for. My health, and the healt
Gov. Mike Yesnerh of my family. My wife, and her tolerance of the time I give to Rotary. Our District, for the opportunity to serve as Governor. And, to each of you for being engaged Rotarians, part of the magic of 6440.

 

Yours in Rotary Service, 

  

Gov. Mike

  


Lisbon Convention - Reserve Rooms Before 12/6: the Rates Will Go Up, Availability Will Go Down

The RI Convention this Rotary Year is in Lisbon, Portugal, from June 23-26. Our District Hotel will be The Radisson Blu Lisboa. Make your room reservation with Stan Sherman using the flyer you can get by clicking here. Lisbon Convention Logo   Click the Lisboa Logo (right) for information on the convention and convention registration.  

 

Full payment for the rooms, starting at approximately $200 US per night, is due December 6th. The price includes all taxes, service fees, breakfast each day, and Wi-Fi. Our District Reception will be on June 22 (for Info/sign up, click here). The Zones 28-29 Sunday Luncheon Cruise information is at http://www.zones28-29.org/ .

 

 

 

Video of Our Rotary Disaster Relief - the Collecting, Loading, and the Rain


Said Gov. Mike, "It's hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, the idea of sending a truck to New York and New Jersey hadn't come up, and that now the truck is been back.  

Chicagoland Rotary Clubs Help Hurricane Sandy Victims
Chicagoland Rotary Clubs Help Hurricane Sandy Victims

 

"I, for one, will never forget Rotarians, Group Study Exchange Team Members and Interactors running out of Medinah Banquets to make sure the cargo got safely loaded as the rain poured down. Or, the pile of money you gave to pay for the larger truck. From time to time, I'm asked why I joined Rotary.  

 

"I give the same kinds of answers you probably do. To provide service. To give back. For the fellowship. I think I have a new answer, and maybe a new 'elevator speech'. My deepest thanks to everyone who was involved in the magical day when Northern Illinois Rotary was at its best."

 

Do You Know High School Students Who Could Benefit from Developing Their Leadership Skills? 

If so, encourage them to apply for sponsorship by your Rotary Club for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) retreats being held March 7 - 10 and April 4 - 7.  Applications are now being accepted.  Student feedback on this experience is always outstanding.  Take a look at this video to experience RYLA.

 

Camp RYLA March 2012
Camp RYLA March 2012
   

 For more information, click here

 

Fall Seminar - Reflections on Its Success
 

Gov. Mike said, "This year's Fall Seminar Day was a great success. Supplies were loaded for Hurricane Sandy relief. All 72 clubs attended Future Vision Grant Management Training. We were PhotoReliefSuppliesTruck inspired by a former Ambassadorial Scholar doing great good in the world. Everyone enjoyed meeting new Rotary friends and seeing old buddies from across the district."

 

The Schaumburg AM Club has provided a great recap of the day: click here.

 

 

 

 

A Short List...of Noteworthy Things:

 

  • Try the Rotary Access feature on the International website (www.rotary.org) -- Rotarians are improving lives in communities around the world every day through thousands of service projects. Browse projects to explore the good work that Rotary clubs are doing locally and globally. Join a project, or share your own with the Rotary community and your Facebook friends.  To see the feature, click here.      

      

  • End of Tax Year Giving  - contact your President or Foundation Chair to find out about On-Line Contributions or Contributing Monthly.  Remember that District Designated Funds three years from now are a portion of what we give this year.  

  • Calendar Year End - is a good time to get/add a Paul Harris award.  There's still are funds from the anonymous donor who will match $500 cash contributions with points.  Doing so will help your club be a 100% Paul Harris Club.  Ask your Foundation Chair.
  • December is Election Month - for your club's new officers.
  • And December is Rotary Family Month - As we enter the holiday season, we all probably think more about our families than at other times of the year.  Let's involve Rotarian families in our events and festivities, and include family members of deceased Rotarians.
  • New "End Polio Now" Video - it's only 4 1/2 minutes, but it's moving and informative.  If you haven't seen it or need it to tell others about what Rotary does, you can find it at http://vimeo.com/49343906
    • Rotary Fights to End Polio Now (EN)
      New "End Polio" Video
      A tip - if you're going to use it in a presentation, consider downloading it rather than trying to make an internet connection. 
  • Missing Blackhawks Hockey?  There's an opportunity to have iced fun and help bring an end to polio: on February 24, the Rockford Ice Hogs (Black Hawks farm team) will be playing the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena. Lower Level seats are available at $25.00 each, with a portion going to End Polio Now (EPN).  Go as a group!  For information/sign up, click here.

  • Rotary is holding Peace Forums, two- and three-day programs that will help inspire Rotarians and community leaders to champion President Sakuji Tanaka's RI theme, Peace Through Service. The first of three will be in Berlin from November 30 to December 2. A Honolulu Peace Forum is January 25-27, for which one of the keynote speakers is pro-democracy icon, Nobel Peace laureate, and Myanmar parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi. At the event, she'll receive the prestigious Hawaii Rotary Global Peace Award. For more information or to register, click here.

  • Win a camera in Rotary Photo Contest.  For more information, click here

      

    Sample Photo

       

Ideas: In this Digital World, Choose, Mix and Use the The Many Mediums Available to Benefit Our Communities, Rotary, and Rotarians.
Developments in the digital world have given more ways for reaching those who want to build and belong.  Our challenge as clubs is to choose and use these tools to "get the word out".   
  • In Addition to Sharing Rotary with "Friends" and a Younger Audience, Facebook Can Also Promote Service Projects: On Wednesday 11/21, the Des Plaines Rotary Club hosted a Art of Turkey Ready to Eat turkey lunch for senior citizens, staffed by volunteers from 5 clubs.  The event was a success due in part to the Facebook group "Chicagoland Rotarians and Friends Volunteer."  To read more, click here, and to see the group's Facebook page click Facebook.   
  • Traditional media offer more ways to inform:  Channel 9 and CLTV provided coverage of the Hurricane Sandy truck packing.  To see the coverage, click here.  To see the press release ready to localize for your club (to which you could add couple of pictures), click here.  By the way, releases were sent re. Sandy to the Trib, SunTimes and Daily Herald.  Get in touch with your local reporters, too, to promote your efforts.  

         

    In addition, media like the Trib,/Trib Local, SunTimes/Pioneer Press and the Daily Herald have functions and applications on their websites to take reader-written stories and captioned photos.

  • Reference the District and club Websites to find and post information.  For example, the menu bar on the district site contains "pull-down" menus including Forums in which we can share ideas and information about Community Service, Fundraising, Programs, International Service Projects, and Vocational Service Projects.
  • Let the Public Know You're Rotary when you're doing a service project -- "Consider wearing a Rotary shirt and placing Rotary signs (for example: " Rotarians at Work") when engaging in a community service projects. Involve family members, friends and co-workers in your community service projects", says Cynthia Tomusiak, Fox Lake/Round Lake Area Rotary.
Fifty Years of Interact -- Rotary International's service Club for Young People ages 12 to 18.

Interact clubs around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the program. You can find out about and participate in World Interact Week celebrations by (click links) entering the video contest or postcard contests, see how clubs are celebrating, or read a blog about the first club .  Congratulations to the several Rotary clubs which fostered Interactors in our district !  

 

 

Group of Interactors

Vocational Training

Under the Foundation's new grant model, vocational training teams (VTTs) allow Rotarians to share their professional skills with  people in another part of the world, using their talents to make a lasting impact. 

 Rotarian VTT Worker

Click to: 

Watch  Rotarians talk about VTTs
Read about a  VTT in Thailand
Download a  fact sheet about VTTs
Read the  president's blog  

 

Welcome, New Members...to the Best Service Organization in the World

 

Barrington BreakfastJamesQuigley
Buffalo GroveNeilZweiban
Crystal Lake DawnbreakersSeanNelson
DeerfieldWilliamNapp
 ArlynTratt
ElginSethHanford
Elk Grove VillageFrankGriseta
EvanstonStephanieMurray
Fox Valley SunsetLouiseBerger
 BrianBeringer
 KathyBeringer
 BillBroman
 EllenBruning
 GlenDavis
 WalterGiletta
 TiffanyHenderson
 DirkHowell
 LauraSinnaeve
 MikeSmith
 ClaudiaSwarthout
 SteveWhitecotton
Glenview-SunriseJohnSelzer
GurneeJohnForker
Highland Park-HighwoodDawnLoCascio
 IrwinSegal
Lake ZurichTraceyGasparian
 DebraVander Weit
North ChicagoJohnHillary
 ArmandoHuitron
 MaricelaHuitron
 KevinStevens
 LaDwyinaTolar-Slater
WheatonCherylArmstrong
Winnetka-NorthfieldRandyReeves
 BeataWasilewicz

 


   

How We Celebrated Thanksgiving and Gave Service This 2012 Holiday Season

Giving Thanks was especially poignant this year in our District
6440, and perhaps in your club too.  Hurricane Sandy reminded us of our good fortune...and it gave many of us a opportunity to share some of it with those affected, expanding the meaning of Fellowship and Service! 

 

In Rotary, joy and meaning can be found in Service, especially this holiday season.  Your club's newsletter, ClubRunner's e-mail Invitations, and other resources give us opportunities to enrich our lives while serving others.  

 

May your holidays be busy enough to energize, organized enough to make time for service, and yet peaceful enough to permit appreciation of their meaning.  

 

Bob Paddock
Editor