"Imagine What We Can Do!"

DG Handover Great Success!

Golden Trowel Nominations Now Accepted

The Rotary District 6360 Foundation Board requests Nominations for the annually awarded Golden Trowel Awards. The Golden Trowel Award was established several years ago with the understanding that many individuals, institutions and businesses have helped District 6360 Rotarians make a difference in the lives of thousands of people both at home and abroad. The recipients of the Golden Trowel Award have make a significant contribution to a club’s project and are not a Rotarian.

Nominations are due by the third Saturday in September. Nomination forms can be obtained online and when completed, should be sent to Gene Svebakken, Chair of the Golden Trowel Committee, at 215 E Ash, Three Oaks, MI 49128. The four awards will be announced in October. Members of the District 6360 Foundation Board will present the Award to the Awardee at a meeting of the Nominating Club.  If there are questions, please contact Gene Svebakken at 

gsveb@comcast.net or call 312 972 7359.

Launch Your Legacy!

Only Two Weeks Away!

The Place To Be: Jackson Breakfast Club

From DG Mark Odland:

“The energy, excitement and laser like focus on membership growth is incredible in District 6360. My visits to clubs in July have been uplifting and give me great confidence in our ability to achieve growth the likes of which we have never experienced.

During my visit to the Jackson Breakfast Club, President Al Mellinger shared a video he produced titled:

The Place To Be: Jackson Breakfast Club

I asked Al if I could share it with the entire District as it really focuses on the value proposition of Rotary. Here is the video. Thanks Al."

Stronger With DEI?

Here are Three Reasons Why!

The Four Way test is intentional!

At every meeting we examine whether our actions are fair, beneficial to everyone concerned, and conducted in a manner that will promote goodwill and friendships. Practicing DEI helps each club evaluate its own ways of ensuring everyone's voice is at the table and heard fairly. More than an ideal, it is a template to build goodwill and provide equitable opportunities for fellowship, service, and leadership.

Rotary has international diversity! But every club is different and there are no one-size fits all solutions in DEI. Each club can find its own right way to conduct its efforts in ways that establish open, welcoming environments that generate friendships with people who share our motto of “Service Above Self.” 

We are all on a journey. The Rotary DEI lights a path to inclusion that is critical to strengthening our human infrastructure to pursue our humanitarian goals. It is never about blame, shame, or politics. “Curiosity with Compassion” is how DEI’s intentional learning frames our understanding of different perspectives with dignity and respect and reveals barriers to inclusion that we can dismantle for a stronger future.

Raj Wiener raj@rickandraj.com & Tom Rosenbluth tbrosenbluth@gmail.com

District 6360 DEI Committee Co- Chairs

DEI meetings are monthly on the first Friday, starting September 6, from 11 AM-12 PM via Zoom and every club is welcome to send a representative. Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87908311853?pwd=pvkDbIwetQBkKSkxUX5UOYeOTDRzFx.1

Rotary Action Group:

Mental Health Initiatives

Peace Pole Reinforces

Mental and Emotional Wellbeing  

Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick is taking Past-RI President Gordon McInally’s Mental Health platform to another level - by waging Peace. As you read in the July 2024 Rotary Magazine, Rotary Peace Poles are now available as part of President Stephanie’s “peace push”.  The white, eight-foot pole stamped with the Rotary logo reads: “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. How beautiful that President Stephanie includes Peace as one of her leadership platforms, and has made it a Rotary priority! 

You realize that as a member of Rotary, you are automatically an ambassador for peace - by living the Four-Way Test, keeping a positive club culture, and incorporating DEI into all that you do.  

Peace and Mental Health go hand-in-hand. Holding a relaxed, peaceful state of mind encourages creativity and inspiration – which are healthy mental qualities.  We all want that.  We all want to live creatively. We all want inspired thinking. We all want – and deserve, a peaceful life that flows.  And when we have that, we attract others who are looking for same thing. Ahem … think membership!

Keep making inner peace a personal priority, and you will have positive mental and emotional wellbeing.  Keep being a peace-maker, and you will attract those who want peace. Then … watch the magic of Rotary!

Jacquie Blackwell MA Psy chairs the D6360 Mental Health Committee. 

She was 2021 Lakeshore Rotarian of the year.  

What's UP With Youth Services?

Youth Programs = Your Club Young and Vibrant!!

OPPORTUNITIES: Through Youth Programs, students become more confident, experienced, college and career ready! 

District 6360 Rotary Youth Programs

• Interact Clubs
• Rotary Student Program
• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp
• Youth Exchange

MEET YOUR NEW INTERACT DISTRICT CHAIR

EMILY QUIGGLE!

Emily is your new District Interact Chair serving your clubs and Interact Clubs! 

She is second generation Rotarian, following her father, Judge Bill Doherty. She was an Interact member at Hastings High School and attended RYLA Camp and Advanced RYLA Camp. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from MSU, she returned home to Hastings and joined the Hastings Rotary Club in 2015. She has served on the District RYLA Camp team since 2018. Emily became Hastings Rotary Club’s youngest president in 2018, serving in 2018-2019. 

When living at home, Emily was host sister to youth exchange students. She is the Hastings High School Interact Advisor and has attended the past two District Interact Conferences. She has served on the District RYLA Camp team since 2018. She brings a wealth of ideas and experience to this position.

If your club has an Interact Club, please contact Emily at emily.quiggle@hassk12.org or cell: 269-986-5588. 

LET’S GET READY TO WELCOME OUR NEW YOUTH EXCHANGE STUDENTS!

Our new youth exchange students for 2024-25 will be arriving by mid-August! They are:

Lulu from Belgium – living in Eaton Rapids, hosted by Eaton Rapids Rotary Club

Stefan from Poland – living in East Lansing, hosted by Haslett-Okemos Rotary Club

Ondrej from Czech Republic – living in Centreville, hosted by Sturgis Rotary Club

Alston from Taiwan – living in Jackson, hosted by Jackson-Breakfast Rotary Club

Please wish Natalia from Portage, sponsored by the Portage Rotary Club best wishes as she will be leaving for Germany in early August for her year-long exchange!

LET’S GO! NOW IS THE TIME TO Connect with your high school to seek applicants for Outbound students for 2025-26 school year. Connect with:

·        Foreign language and/or English teachers 

·        4-H groups

·        Interact clubs

·        Faith based youth groups

·        Your RYLA Camp attendees

The student application process will be available on the District Website. It starts with students completing an application to your Rotary Club. Your Rotary club then interviews the student and their parents to see if they are a good fit for the exchange program. This application and interview must be completed by September 30!! 

After the Rotary Club interview and approval, the student and parents are referred to the District Rotary Outbound Coordinator, Marsha Bassett for the formal Central States Rotary Youth Exchange Application. We will interview all students and their parents that have been referred to the District Outbound Coordinator on Saturday, November 9. 

Rotary Youth Exchange is a rewarding “Scholarship” program. Students receive full room, board, education, and stipend when on exchange.  Average cost per student including airfare is approximately $8,000.00. It’s the cheapest exchange program available, because all of the personnel are Rotarian volunteers!!!

For More Information on promoting Outbound Students, contact:

• Marsha Bassett, Outbound District Chair,

email: bassett@msu.edu; Cell: 269-998-2829, or

• Margie Haas, District RYE Chair, email: haasmargie@gmail.com;

Cell: 269-838-3392

RYLA Camp

"Growing Leaders" 2024 a Success!

Another outstanding RYLA camp is in the books!  51 campers and 11 staff members enjoyed a beautiful weekend at the Battle Creek Outdoor Education Center. Lessons included ethics and integrity, based on the Rotary 4-Way Test, and a program on mental health presented by our partners at NAMI. Campers faced obstacles on the team challenge course, the high-ropes, and canoeing on Clear Lake.  Campers participated in a Service Learning Project, Operation Pollination, planting a pollinator garden on the camp grounds.  As always, the teams competed in the team project, which was presented to an audience of families, school officials, and Rotarians, during the Sunday afternoon picnic.

The RYLA team wants to thank all Rotarians and clubs that helped with camp and sponsored campers!

Planning is already underway for RYLA 2025!

Thanks to the District 6360 Grants Subcommittee Members

Last month a list was published in this newsletter of the 25 TRF grants approved for the 2024-25 year. This is to recognize and thank the members of the District 6360 Grants Subcommittee who serve on the subcommittee. They are: Kathy Gallagher (Battle Creek), Darlene Heemstra (Harbor Country, SW Berrien County), Lisa Smith (Lansing) and Patty Woods (Hastings). And we were greatly supported by the District Rotary Foundation Chair, Nathan Triplett.

This was a particularly difficult year and extra work for the subcommittee because the District received total requests of nearly $60,000 but only around $30,000 to distribute. We appreciate the subcommittee’s willingness to review all of the applications and make difficult decisions.

The Subcommittee sends its appreciation to all of the Clubs which applied and much success to the Clubs which received grants. We are pleased to announce that outgoing Foundation Chair Nathan Triplett has agreed to join the Grants Subcommittee next year.

Remember that a portion of RI Annual Fund giving makes its way back to the District to support our grant program. 

You're Invited!

Registration NOW Open for 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary!

Membership

Zoom Webinar August 12

Looking for Tips and Techniques to Help Your Club Grow?

DG Mark Odland has never met a Rotarian who didn’t want their club to become more vibrant and attractive to every member and appealing to new members. Every Rotary Club wants their club to succeed, grow, become more irresistible and have a bigger impact on the well-being of their community. After all, we are a membership driven organization that does service in our communities and around the world. The more members we have, the bigger the impact we have in our towns and beyond. And, with more members comes even more people sharing the load and helping with our service projects.

Membership growth continues to be our biggest challenge and our greatest opportunity not only here in our District but around the world. We are making progress, but there is much more to be done. Your District team will soon launch several new initiatives to help every club that wants to grow achieve that goal. I am pleased to share a great resource from our Zone that will help.

This session will offer interesting, timely, short and to the point tips and techniques designed to help make your club irresistible and growing. Just 45 minutes of interactive learning designed for every Rotary member who wants to see their club grow offered monthly over the next 12 months. Just show up and see if there is something for you. 

The fourth meeting is on Monday, August 12 from 7:30- 8:15 PM. The theme that week will be 'Ask the Expert!' You won't want to miss! 

Here is the link to the ZOOM meetings:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86755780910?pwd=pOP9Y2J6g78EkCgPLFnDT4kH5OOgfc.1

Rotary Citation Achievment

Congratulations to the following clubs that have earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2023-24. These clubs demonstrated a commitment to achieve their goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

Rotary Clubs & Presidents:

Battle Creek - Jill Anderson 

Coldwater Township - Joseph Hughes 

Delta Township - Mike Bowler 

Gull Lake Area - Donna Tellam 

Kalamazoo - Martin Velten 

Mason - Leslie Behm 

St. Joseph & Benton Harbor - Cathy Kreter 

Sturgis - Amy Lee 

Union City - James Owens 

Williamston - Chris Lewis 

Come Join the District

Environmental Committee

Hi, I am Kalamazoo Rotarian Sandy Bliesener, the 2024 District Environmental Committee Chairperson. I’m excited to dive into the new year with a few ideas on how to support Rotary Clubs in District 6360 with their environmental goals.

My vision for the District Environmental Committee is to provide a model, resources, and inspiration to clubs to stimulate action on the ground. This will be accomplished by:

• Keeping tabs on environmental projects that are happening throughout the District.
• Sharing information about what other clubs in other districts are doing.
• Making clubs aware of available grants and potential project partners.
• Being ambassadors for Rotary environmental goals.

The primary method of communicating this information, at least initially, will be via the District newsletter. My goal is to contribute to the District newsletter regularly so keep an eye out for more information in each edition.

Longer term goals for the committee include lining up several speakers with relevant and interesting environmentally oriented topics that are available for Rotary programs and encouraging Rotarians to travel throughout the District to support other clubs’ projects.

As this vision continues to take shape I am looking for others interested in joining the committee. I welcome input, feedback, and am a firm believer in the synergy of thinking together, so am hoping to have a lot of help in building this committee! Please email me at sbliesener@ocba.com if you are interested in serving on the 2024 District Environmental Committee.