From District Governor Karen White
I am honored to be your District Governor. For those that do not know me, I moved here from Connecticut 14 years ago. Within a few months, I got involved with Plymouth Rotary because someone got their ‘ASK’ in gear. I encourage you to do the same. I look forward to my club visits to meet all of you and hear what you have to say. We will be adding a section on the district home page for the Assistant Governors to tell us what is going on in their areas. This is something new so we can expand what’s happening in our district.
This year’s theme is “Be a Gift to the World.” Gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Some are elegantly wrapped while others are the handiwork of a child – so proud of the beautiful job they did. Gifts come from the heart. We give them to celebrate occasions or because someone can use a surprise. This year please consider your gifts to the world. Wouldn’t it be a terrific gift if this is the year of no new cases of Polio? Or that more people have clean water, know how to read, have healthier babies or have better medical and vision care? These things and many more are possible through the Rotary Foundation. I would like to see every member of every club do a minimum of $100 this year. It is $2 a week and what a gift it is!
This year will see some changes in a few areas. First will be the Rotary monthly themes. You can find them on our website at http://www.rotary6270.org/ on the right column titled " Site Pages" under RI Monthly Themes (or in our district directory). I encourage you to get speakers during the months that relate to the themes. Not only does this open your club to others in your community and possibly new members, it helps us learn what Rotary stands for and believes in. When a member asks ‘why should they give to the Rotary Foundation’ you can point to at least 11 reasons why.
RI President K.R. Ravi Ravindran is moving Rotary forward with technology. All clubs and members should be registered in My Rotary. This year the Presidential Citation will be processed online only. Some goals are dependent on your club size so read it carefully. As a club you can measure your progress against the goals set by your president. RI will measure the same through Rotary Club Central as well. By urging Rotarians to utilize the online tools for recording goals and following their progress, the more accountable we will all be. You will have a ready reference at any point in time. I urge you to go to https://www.rotary.org. Go to "My Rotary", login and play around. Make it a club meeting. Bring in a seasoned user who can teach your membership how to get in and navigate. There are different authorization levels, but there is a wealth of information there, not to mention training sessions. Members can even track their own Foundation donations. As RI migrates more to online usage, we should all – me included – become more comfortable with the system.
This year I’m encouraging clubs to break or bend rules that no longer serve a purpose. If your membership requirements are so tight that it makes it tough for anyone new to come in, then you need to take a look at this. I’m not talking about breaking the by-laws of your club. That is a formal process. But don’t be afraid to be more flexible - to move forward. “We’ve always done it this way" does not work anymore. The work environment has changed and if it means changing to meet the need, then at least try it. Some clubs do not bill for weekly meals. They have a pay as you go plan with 3 to 5 options. I’ve seen this done and it works well. Some clubs have changed one meeting a month to an evening social in lieu of a breakfast or lunch meeting. The possibilities are endless.
If you need me or have a question of any kind, email me at lakewinds@msn.com . I am here to work with you. Together we all make a difference.
Thank you!