Welcome to a new Rotary Year, with a new Rotary International President – Gordon McInally of Scotland; with a new Rotary Theme – Create Hope in the World; and with new leaders in our District and Clubs! As one of 519 brand new Rotary District Governors from over 200 countries, I am thrilled beyond belief to be here with you this year – ready to serve, celebrate and generate more amazing GOOD in the world through Rotary!

I celebrate our 52 OUTSTANDING Club Presidents and their Leadership Teams, as well as our OUTSTANDING District Leadership Team of experts who guide and support our clubs.

Ultimately, I celebrate that Rotary gives us the gift of a lifetime – the opportunity to

·      Dream together and imagine a better world

·      Ignite our hearts and leverage our talents

·      Bravely and boldly take action

·      Realize unimaginable GOOD IN THE WORLD

·      Transform and enrich the lives of our fellow humans and the earth we share!

Our new President Gordon asks us to remember what drew us to Rotary in the first place and what we continue to love about it. When we make our attachment to Rotary personal, and share it with the world, we and our clubs become irresistible to other like-minded souls!

My Rotary story began 20 years ago when I was invited to attend a Rotary meeting while serving on schoolboard. My mission at the time was to foster a more positive, compassionate and supportive approach to student education. I was also working as a Music Therapist at the VA Medical Center, using creative arts to open hearts, afford creative expression, and restore health. The Rotary theme the year I joined “Sow the Seeds of Love” confirmed that Rotary was a perfect fit with my values and heart for service. I’ve since traveled to over 30 countries performing music, building dams, installing water filters, and teaching music, with Rotary and several other organizations. I have witnessed a wealth of Rotary projects that are improving lives on those trips and always feel proud!

Rotary International President Gordon plans to continue previous leaders’ initiatives this year: Polio eradication, growing Rotaract, environmental action, clean water, empowering girls, DEI, international exchanges, impactful service, peace and conflict resolution. He is also placing special emphasis on Mental Health, noting that the isolation many experienced during Covid has created vulnerabilities in our communities. He is asking Rotarians to take action.

A District Mental Health task force is being activated to examine MH resource ideas for clubs. A District Artist task force is exploring innovative arts service projects to help clubs expand their reach. Clubs are being encouraged to follow The Rotary Action Plan to adapt to change, increase impact, expand their reach, and enhance member engagement. Our District offers Club Visioning to help clubs with this process. Clubs that Vision every 3 years are best positioned to thrive, grow and sustain.

Several Rotary-specific educational sessions on Zoom are planned! A Fall Membership Summit is in the works! Kalamazoo Radisson, May 3-4, 2024, hosts the next Inspirational District Conference with an International, Mental Health, Peace, Service, and Arts Heart of Rotary flair! The Rotary International Convention in Singapore May 25-29, 2024 promises to be life changing!

What a great time to celebrate Rotary with friends, family, community and with each other this year! I’m grateful to be sharing this exciting journey with you!

Cheers, and LOVE! Sharalyn Davis, Rotary District 6360 Governor ‘23-24

Rotary Youth Exchange – We are looking for students to apply for the Outbound Program for school year 2024-25!

Rotary Youth Exchange is the most economical foreign exchange program! The program costs are approximately $7,000 – $8,000 including airfare! 

Rotary Youth Exchange is one of the best experiences for youth interested in personal growth, developing leadership skills, and becoming an ambassador for the USA. 

Interested students need to contact their local club to apply. The club will interview all interested students and their parents/guardian to screen them for maturity, academic achievement, responsibility, social confidence, and flexibility. The club interview deadline is September 30, 2023. All club recommendations will be forwarded to Rotary District 6360 Outbound Coordinator who will send the “Central States Rotary Youth Exchange” application packet to the student for completion by October 31, 2023. 

All students that have completed the Central States Rotary Youth Exchange packet will be interviewed by the District Rotary Youth Exchange team on November 11, 2023 to determine selection. (The interview location is to be determined.)

For more information, please contact Margie Haas at haasmargie@gmail.com or cell phone: 269-838-3392.  

• Teaching life skills to high school students in Portage.
• Exercise equipment for the Okemos Senior Center.
• Beautifying and upgrading a park in Plainwell.
• Teacher supplies purchased by the Saugatuck-Douglas Rotary Club for a new school in the Dominican Republic.
• Conducting of home safety audits for seniors in the Vicksburg area.

And many, many more.

These projects are examples of Rotarians helping others.

How are these projects funded? One-half of the funds came from Rotarians just like you through the purchase of District 6360 Foundation Raffle tickets; and the other half of the funds came from the Rotary Clubs undertaking the individual projects. Nearly all the funds the District 6360 Foundation contributes to these projects originate from the sale of Annual Raffle tickets.

Since the creation of the Foundation’s Annual Raffle, over 260 thousand dollars has been contributed for funding more than 130 projects undertaken by our District’s Clubs.

Three quarters of the Rotary Clubs in District 6360 have received at least one grant from the District 6360 Foundation. In addition to the awarding of the grants to Clubs for their projects, the Annual Raffle has made it possible to send hundreds of high school students to the RYLA Leadership Camp. And most recently, your District 6360 Foundation made nearly $50,000 available for 24 special grants to address food and nutrition issues that occurred as a result of the COVID pandemic in the various Clubs’ communities.

Rotary Clubs in District 6360 have a long history of supporting the District 6360 Foundation’s Annual Raffle. Last year (2022), thirty-seven (37) Clubs became a “One Hundred Percent Club.” To be part of this prestigious group, a Club must sell 100% of the Raffle tickets allocated to them. Many of these Clubs have a long history of being a “One Hundred Percent Club.” Last year we had eleven (11) Clubs became part of the “Elite One Hundred Percent Club." To achieve this status, these Clubs (Cereal City Sunrise, Haslett-Okemos, Jackson Breakfast, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Sunrise, Lakeshore, Oshtemo, Plainwell, Saugatuck-Douglas, South Lansing-Holt and Union City) sold at least one ticket for each member of their Club.                          

The 2023 Annual Raffle will begin in early July and will close with the Raffle drawing on Tuesday, October 24^th. We will again be using the new process for selling tickets. Instead of actual tickets, Raffle Sales Tracking Sheets will be used to record ticket sales. Based on the feedback, this process is embraced by nearly all of the Clubs.

Rotary Club Presidents will receive a Raffle Information Packet by US mail. It will contain information on the Raffle process and the Raffle Sales Tracking Sheets that are unique to their Club. The sheets list the actual ticket numbers of the Raffle tickets that will be placed in the Raffle drawing. Shortly after receiving the information packet, the Club President will be contacted by a District Foundation Board Member to answer any questions or address any concerns related to the raffle and to offer assistance, if needed.

The motto of the District 6360 Foundation is “Helping Rotarians Help Others.” Raffle ticket sales make the pursuit of this mission possible.

It’s that time of year so…get your Club ready to R.A.F.F.L.E!

District Foundation Corner

For general questions about your District 6360 Foundation and how it can help your Club, please contact Foundation President

 Gary Campbell, campbellgary929@gmail.com

Any correspondence should be sent c/o Rotary District 6360

to 741 Wolverine Road, Mason, MI, 48854

Connect with us

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

RotaryDistrict6360