It was wonderful to attend the Rotary International Convention, but it is also great to be back in the District and share club changeover’s with so many of you. As look to the end of the Rotary Year, have you reached out to members that have not been attending? Although attendance is not required by Rotary International, the level of engagement is determined by your club. Make sure all members feel that their dues payments meet the value proposition. What are you doing to close the sale to make sure that those prospects who have applications are completing them and you get them to Rotary International before the year ends? Remember the Angel’s Envy Challenge is on the line. Are you encouraging your members to make one more donation to the Rotary Foundation before the year ends? Remember, donations to the Annual Fund increase the District Designated Funds that we have to do good in our local communities and beyond.
This year, we want to tap the potential to grow Rotary’s membership and engage in meaningful service opportunities worldwide. Specifically, we invite each Club President to help identify Rotary members with any connections to Peace Corps: an outgoing “Peace Corps Volunteer”, a “Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV)”, PC family and friends. Those in the Rotary community with Peace Corps connections are warmly encouraged to submit their PC contact information through this linked form, unless they are already members of Partnering for Peace. Partnering for Peace will contact each individual to share more about the RI-PC partnership and ideas of how it is implemented. Making these connections nurtures the volunteer spirit in our communities that is the foundation of our partnership and is the catalyst for future collaboration in meaningful service and involvement between Rotarians and RPCVs.
As we were boarding our flight to Atlanta, I ran into André H. Marria, DGE from D6900. I am so proud of her as one of six Rotarians of Action (the only one from the United States) to be recognized for her efforts in building a culture of diversity and inclusion in South Georgia (she is from Thomasville). Her work over the past 40 years is almost too numerous to mention, but her efforts in her Rotary Club and district have gained her international attention, going all the way to accepting the award in Cape Town, South Africa. You can see the full presentation, Rotary’s People of Action: Champions of Inclusion, which was great, in context.
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Beaches Rotaract is the sister club of the Rotaract club of Yokosuka. Jacksonville and Yokosuka are US Naval cities. Two Beaches Rotaract members attended a Japanese general meeting held by President Yuta. Past President Takeoka was also in attendance, along with Yuta, Shun, and Tsunoi. Tatty Chavez and Dayana had so much fun and were so grateful for their hospitality!!! Afterwards, they all went to eat ramen for dinner. GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS!
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