Wow! What a wonderful start to the Rotary year. As you read this I will have completed all of my
club visits. Carol and I have had a great experience meeting Rotarians and visiting the service projects all over the District. So many of our clubs are instrumental in improving the quality of life in their communities. Rotarians are very kind, welcoming and complimentary people.
I’m biased, but I am so proud of the District Conference that was held last month. We had great speakers and breakout sessions. I’m sure all who attended went home energized and educated about Rotary. Thanks to PDG Steve Harrington and his committee for putting it all together! Thanks also to the Plymouth County Pork Producers for grilling us such tasty pork Chops. Congratulations also go out to the 10 Rotarians of Distinction, Roger Kozak Award winner Steve Sikorski and Rotarian of the Quarter Mary DeVany! Congratulations to the clubs who received certificates for Membership Growth, Foundation Giving and Polio Plus Giving.
Monday October 24th is World Polio Day. I hope your club has some kind of a plan to celebrate the great progress Rotary has made over the past 35 years in our attempt to eradicate Polio. Also, I hope our clubs have some kind of fundraising project for Polio Plus. Here are some ideas; (https://www.endpolio.org/world-polio-day). If you haven’t already, read District Polio Plus Chairman Willis Sutliff’s article about Polio.
October is also Community Economic and Development Month. The District Grants Committee recently reviewed the District Grant applications. We reviewed outstanding projects that relate to this month’s theme. As I said earlier, Rotarians make a great impact on their communities. Please make sure you give Rotary credit by using appropriate signage to inform the community of your work. The Rotary Wheel speaks volumes! Public Image Chairman, Kay Norton, would be happy to help you with that. Make sure you watch the photo slideshow on the district website or click the Imagine Rotary logo below to see photos of the great work Rotarians do.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the Rotary year to work on my goals of Membership, Foundation Giving and Ending Human Trafficking Global Grants. Every Rotary Club with very few exceptions has brought up the concern of building membership. District DG Line and the Membership Committee will be working on a plan to help clubs with that challenge. When your club receives information about our plans, please take advantage of our help.
A case of polio paralysis has been reported in an adult in a suburban county of New York. This is more evidence that polio is only a plane ride away and that clusters of people who are unvaccinated are at risk of dying or having a life of paralysis if children or adults do not get the CDC recommended vaccinations. There is sewage testing proof that the vaccine derived polio virus is still circulating in Orange and Rockland counties in NY and polio immunization rates there are only 60 %. These are also counties close to NY City so further cases are very likely. Covid is also a factor as children's immunizations have lagged across the US. But what has really happened is there is a large number of people across the entire US who refuse immunizations for religious reasons and other non-scientific reasons. It is now apparent that where there are groups of non-immunized adults and children, polio is a real possibility. This is ANYWHERE in the US, including SD, MN, IA and NB. The United Kingdom has not had a paralysis case but sewage tests in London show they have a similar problem as does Israel. The take home message is to educate everyone you know that polio is not conquered even in the US and anti-vaxxers are playing with fire. Their result may be death or life long paralysis in a loved one.
Worldwide the drive to eliminate polio is steady but not great. The wild virus exists in only Afghanistan and Pakistan, but Pakistan's numbers are up to 7 as opposed to 4 for the entire year in 2021. There are a number of countries in Africa where circulating, vaccine-caused polio is a major problem. This includes Nigeria, Yeman and D R Congo. The new type 2 vaccine that has been developed should help, but many African countries are at war or having problems administering vaccines. I am still optimistic that polio can be eliminated from the world but it is extremely tough. Please continue to support Polio Plus and see that Rotary gets the promised Gates Foundation match of $2 for each $1 we donate to Polio Plus. OUR DISTRICT HAS STEPPED UP FOR POLIO PLUS IN SUCH A WONDERFUL WAY. Thanks to all of you. If you could summarize this for your fellow members and the need to give, I would appreciate it so much.
1. Rotary was the first to promise a polio free world.
2. We have given $2.2 billion to never have another polio victim.
3. Our effort has kept 2 million children from gruesome, terrible deaths.
4. Rotarians have kept over 20 million people from a life of paralysis.
5. Yet polio is still only a plane ride away.
6. Rotarians will not stop until this scourge of humanity is stamped out forever.
Good afternoon, Club Presidents and Grant Officers,
District 5610 has funds available in its FY 2023 District Designated Fund account for clubs to use on projects. This is a "Call for Proposals" from clubs to apply for these funds for projects to benefit their communities.
A few notes:
Please use the attached grant application form.
The district requires a 1-to-1 local club financial match. For example, if you have a $2,000 project, the club should provide $1,000 and request $1,000 from the district.
The deadline for these grant proposals is Friday, September 30 with funds being disbursed to clubs shortly thereafter. Those clubs who submitted grant applications in May during the last fiscal year that were not funded will have those applications roll over into this grant round. Projects must be completed within 24 months of receipt of funds.
As with all Rotary grants, these proposals must be for projects that have not yet started. You will be required to submit receipts validating your expenditure of funds, and the hands-on involvement of local Rotarians is required. Projects must involve more than just “passing a check” to an organization. Please email me if you have questions.
You are invited to attend the "Better Rotarians - Better Communities" session at the District 5610 Annual Meeting September 23rd to learn more about how clubs have utilized grant funds to create successful projects.
Application can be found under News/Downloads section on the right hand column of the district website homepage.
The Rotary Clubs of Sioux City and Le Mars will welcome members from 40 clubs from Iowa and South Dakota at its District Conference featuring Navy Seal Boyd Renner as a keynote speaker Sept. 23-24 at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center in Sioux City, IA.
Renner will speak Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets will be available to the public.
Renner served for more than 23 years with the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team Six SEAL Team Six has been known as the U.S. Navy's premier hostage rescue and counter-terrorism unit. He also served with SEAL Team Two for four years and held every enlisted rank from Seaman Recruit to Master Chief Petty Officer before he became a Chief Warrant Officer in 2010.
After 9/11, he completed 10 tours in Afghanistan and 2 tours in Iraq and was deployed in Albania, Sarajevo and to the Arabian Peninsula.
Besides the Navy & Marine Corps Life Saving Medal, Renner’s many awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal -- all for valorous actions.
While in the Navy, Boyd earned a business degree from Saint Leo University and a master's degree in project management from Penn State University.
Today Boyd is a recognized keynote speaker and a co-founder of Endeavor Life Sciences, a company that has patented a way to safely add DNA to a new or existing tattoo and jewelry. He is currently the Chief Operations Officer at FINAO Coastal Group in Virginia Beach Virginia.
In addition to the address by Renner the Rotary conference will feature meetings on the Rotary mission of service and ideas and new initiatives for district clubs.
Rotary International projects fight polio and disease, provide clean water and sanitation, support mothers and children, promote literacy and economic development and protect the environment.
"Imagine One's Dream" a limited edition print, signed and dated by Darren Jones, a Chicago artist and brother to Jennifer Jones, will be auctioned at the 2022 District Rotary Conference in Sioux City. The auction will be at the Friday evening banquet and the profit will be designated for the Polio Plus fund.
The "Imagine One's Dream" original painting was a combination of acrylic paints, industrial staples, shredded studio paperwork, plaster and beach sand painted on wooden panel. For this piece, Jones used beach sand from their family cottage in Ontario, and paper he shredded and used from the Rotary website to include the "Objects of Rotary and the Four Way Test." After the textures were layered and dry Jones said he began the colour process by literally applying paint to his hands and then onto the panel. The colour pallette was inspired by the colours of Rotary and the Presidential theme. "The gradient shading is also done on purpose to create a more landscape emotion, representing the horizon we all walk towards!!" states Jones.
The numbered print includes a signed Certificate of Authenticity and is valued at $800. It has been beautifully framed in brushed silver as suggested by the artist. It would be a beautiful addition to a home or office to reflect the importance Rotary plays in the lives of people around the world.
Wow! What a wonderful start to the Rotary year. As you read this I will have completed all of my
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