District Governor's Message
Checking In on Our Rotary Year
Tom Marshall
Dear Rotarians,
The middle of January has arrived and this marks the beginning of the second half of our Rotary Year. As of December 7th, 2008, I have visited all 60 Clubs in the District. What a remarkable experience to be able to learn of all of the wonderful projects that are happening, not on ly in our District, but throughout the world!
We have accomplished a great deal and we need to continuous ly evaluate our progress and to renew our determination to satisfy all of our goals and missions. We need to MAKE DREAMS REAL for the people of the world.
We must remember that it is such an honor and privilege to be a member of the greatest Service Club in the world! We must encourage our friends, neighbors and colleagues to join Rotary so that they can experience the numerous opportunities that are available to us. Please remember that I am asking every Rotarian to ask at least one person to join Rotary during this year. You will find that "The Ask" is truly an amazing experience.
Each Club and each Rotarian must continue to work hard to meet our 2008 - 2009 Rotary Foundation Goals. Two of them are:
1) Eradicate polio. We are asking every Club to contribute a minimum of $1000 to this cause. Think of a fund raising event to raise this money!
2) Contribute to the two pillars of support for our Rotary Foundation. They are the the Annual Programs Fund (Every Rotarian, Every Year) and the Permanent Fund. Through the EREY program, we ask that each Rotarian in our District contribute $100 every year. (This comes to less than 28 cents per day!!)
January is also Rotary Awareness month. It is a time for us to consider how our actions and our values will make a difference in the world. We are doing this in our District and this makes me very proud of all of our Rotarians! We still have much work to be accomplished and we must always remember that Service Above Self will not on ly build a stronger Rotary but a better world for all of us.
As we continue on with the second half of the Rotary year, we need to continue to MAKE DREAMS REAL! As a Rotarian, you can do that! Thanks for reading and please do your very best to make this last part of the year a busy and productive one!!!
Tom
Click Here to View District Governor Tom Marshall's Club Visit Schedule
Save the Date! 2009 District Conference, May 1-3, 2009, Hotel Mead, Wisconsin Rapids.
Make your Hotel Reservations Now! Call 1-800-843-6323 and mention Rotary.
District News, Events and Announcements
2009 Training Calendar Set - Registration Open for District Leadership Training
District Governor Elect Dean Dickinson has announced the following training dates for District 6250 leadership:
District Leadership Training is set for February 21, 2009. This training session is for all District Committee Chairs and all Assistant District Governors who will begin their term of service beginning 1 July 2010. Click here to learn more or register for District Leadership Training
PETS, President Elect Training, is set for March 20-21, 2009. PETS training is required for all club presidents elect and is intended to prepare incoming presidents to lead their clubs in 2009-2010. Click here to learn more or register for President Elect Training.
District Assembly is set for April 18, 2009. Club Presidents Elect and their club leadership gather for training sessions intended to assist them in effective club leadership. This year special training modules have been prepared for club secretaries and treasurers. These sessions will be presented by outstanding administrators from within the district. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL CLUB SECRETARIES AND REASURERS PLAN ON BEING IN ATTENDANCE.
All of the training sessions will be conducted at the Glacier Canyon Convention Center and Lodge at the Wilderness Territory located in the Wisconsin Dells. Registration information will be provided next month in the district web-site.
Please make your plans to attend these sessions as we strive to assist our clubs in achieving their Rotary goals.
Dean Dickinson
District Governor Elect
District 6250 Youth Protection Committee Update
Happy New Year to all District 6250 Rotarians!
The District 6250 Youth Protection Committee has been very busy and would like to provide an update as to the upcoming activities regarding Youth Protection.
Mike Ripp from the Prairie du Chien Rotary Club has accepted the role of District Youth Protection Officer. Mike has been a Rotarian for twenty one years, having served his club as President and District 6250 as an Assistant Governor for six years. Mike will provide overall supervision and support for Youth Protection in District 6250. Mike retired in 2007 after thirty years of state service in the form of State Park Manager, Natural Resource Officer and Natural Resource Educator. However, even in retirement, Mike continues to work part time as a Deputy Sheriff with the Grant County Sheriff’s Department.
All club Presidents have been contacted by District Governor Elect Dean Dickenson for the purpose of providing contact information for their club’s Youth Protection Officer. At PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) 2008, attendees were informed that they would need to identify a Rotarian in their club to take on this responsibility. Club Youth Protection Officers will receive initial training at the District Assembly, held on Saturday April 18 th at the Wilderness Resort in Lake Delton.
The District Youth Protection Policy has been finalized and will be distributed to all Assistant Governors at the February 21 st District Leadership Training program at the Wilderness Resort. Assistant Governors will introduce the policy to club president-elects during their ‘Pre-PETS’ meetings. President-Elects will receive more information and training regarding youth protection during the PETS meeting, to be held March 20 th and 21 st.
These activities mark the beginning of the implementation of a formal Youth Protection Program in District 6250 with the goal of all clubs becoming certified in conducting youth activities in the safest manner possible.
2009 District Conference Features Past International President
District 6250 is very fortunate to have Past International President, Chuck Keller, as our International Representative. It is very seldom that any District in the entire world has this honor and we have been chosen as one of the select few.
Past International President Keller is known for his involvement with the PolioPlus program when it was initiated back in the mid 1980's. He promised the kids of the world that someday, we will be polio free. As you know, we are approaching that milestone.
Past President Keller is a clever and knowledgeable speaker and will be absolute ly delightful in sharing his involvement in Rotary during the past many years.
PLAN TO ATTEND!!!!!!! May 1, 2 and 3 at the Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids-------1 800 843 6323 for Hotel reservations-----$75 per night!!
Membership Development and Retention in District 6250
Rotary International depends upon membership campaigns that focus on people in their 30’s and 40’s. Gen-Xers (people born between 1965 and 1976) and Gen-Yers (people born between 1977 and 1998) are attracted to organizations that focus on family involvement and activities. To support this approach, spouses might be encouraged to join under a couple’s club membership arrangement with spouses attending every other weekly meeting for example. Club participation should focus on project participation, not committee participation. Day care might be provided by the children of club members acting as babysitters for social events sponsored by the club.
“The end of membership decline in District 6250 as we know it can be stopped by “doing membership” rather than “hyping membership” and by focusing on the younger generations said Tom Mickelson, In-Coming Chair of the District’s Membership Development and Retention Committee.
Rotary International is relevant but not accessible!! This was the underlying theme of the Rotary International 2008-2009 Presidential Membership Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on January 9 and 10, 2009 which Tom attended.
Rotary International is relevant to Gen-X and Gen-Y people because of our mission.
The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers admire our mission and want to be involed with RI because they embrase these same values.
Rotary International is not accessible to Gen-X and Gen-Y people because it lags behind in social networking opportunities.
RI has yet to organize it’s information and approach to membership to attract Gen-X and Gen-Y people. These folks use technology and expect organizations to become part of their social networking world such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn etc.
More information from this conference about developing and retaining members in Rotary will be shared with District 6250 members in upcoming newsletters. Stay tuned. In the meantime, open a Facebook account (just Google Facebook and sign up – it’s free) and you will soon find another means to communicate with the Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers in your life and in Rotary!!
National Immunization Day Trips Planned to India and Nigeria
Click here to view the full article and trip details.
Rotary Foundation News From the Zone 27Newsletter
Check out these great tips from the Zone 27/28 newsletter. Click here to view.
Club News, Events and Announcements
Do you have an upcoming Club Event or accomplishment that you would like to nnounce? Send your pre-written article to: rotarydistrict6250@morgandata.com.
Group Study Exchange Team Arrives in India
On January 8th, our Group Study Exchange Team left for India and will return on February 8th. The Team, under the leadership of Madison Rotarian Roth Judd, is off to a wonderful start and Roth indicates that "we can be very proud of the Team!" He further indicates that "District 3131 has set a very high bar and that all Team members are excellent representatives of District 6250".
Roth and the team have created a website where you can follow the travels of their team. This link will take you to the site where you can enter the login information below to view a log of their travels and experiences.
User Name: judd
Password: indiatrip
Need a Speaker for Your Rotary Program?
If your Club is looking for an outstanding and very stimulating program, Katie Krueger, former Ambassadorial Scholar is the answer. Her wonderful message not on ly stimulates Rotarians but provides a great deal of information about the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program.
Ambassadorial Scholarships, The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best known program, was founded in 1947. Since then, near ly 45,000 men and women from well over 100 nations have studied under its auspices.
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program is to further international understanding and friend ly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. More information about the program can be obtained, by going on the web---Rotary.org
Katie is ready and willing to visit Clubs in our District and share her experiences as an Ambassadorial Scholar in Senegal. Her contact information is as follows:
Katie Krueger
608 234 0401
katie@findfunding.net
The 10 Minute Club Membership Energizer for February
Rotary International historically has designated February as “ World Understanding Month.” and encourages clubs to focus on this monthly theme. Rotary Clubs worldwide are urged to present programs that promote international understanding and goodwill as well as launch World Community Service projects in other parts of the world.
“How can a club relate membership recruitment and retention to WORLD UNDERSTANDING MONTH? Here’s an idea that might help. ________________________________________________________________________
Membership Recruitment-Retention and World Understanding Month (February)
Purpose: To gather ideas from members of a Rotary Club about its activities that promote international understanding and goodwill and foster World Community Service projects worldwide could be shared with prospective new members and retain existing members.
At your week ly meeting, discuss at your table the following questions during your meal:
Questions: 1) What are your favorite international activities and projects that our Club is involved in? 2) Why might others be interested in participating in these international activities and projects? 3) Who do I know (inside or outside our club) that might be interested in a particular activity or project?
Materials: You will need a handout for each table that contains the questions above. The handout needs three columns:
| 1. What are your favorite international activities and projects that our Club is involved in? | 2. Why might others be interested in participating in these international activities and projects? | 3. Who do I know, inside and outside of the club, that might be interested in a particular activity or project? |
Leaders: Someone from the club’s Membership Committee should introduce and give directions about this energizer. In addition, the Membership leader needs to ensure that someone at each table is recording highlights of the discussion.
Activity (10 minutes): Begin by asking members of the club to answer the questions in order. The Membership Leader asks a Rotarian at each table to act as the recorder. During the discussion, the recorder writes down highlights of the table discussion related to the questions above. (7 minutes).
The Membership Leader then asks a few recorders (as time permits) to share a few highlights from their table discussion (3 minutes). The Membership Leader then collects the handouts containing discussion highlights from the recorders.
What's the Status of My Club Project?
I have had several questions from Rotarians in our District about the status of their individual Club projects throughout the world. They want to know how things are progressing and how long it will be before the project is complete.
This is difficult. Rotary International indicates that general information can be found in The Rotary International Annual Report and The Rotary Foundation Annual Report. These two documents should provide information about the previous years activities and projects.
The on ly official program that Rotary has an involvement in is PolioPlus and information about that program is quite easy to locate.
Individual Clubs are autonomous in the projects they participate in and they are not required to report to RI regarding them, so it would be difficult to update Clubs regarding projects.
I hope that this answers some of the questions.
Thomas Marshall
District Governor, 2008-2009
How to Engage New Members
A few words from the District Governor's Wife...
No, this is NOT an article about matrimony! It's an article about a problem that has plagued Rotary Clubs around the world---How to keep new members from abandoning Rotary after on ly being a member for a year or two or even just several months.
The ideas presented here are from me because I am a relative ly new Rotarian and from other Rotarians whom I have talked with in our travels throughout the District.
#1 We must make certain that a prospective and a new Rotarian knows what Rotary is ALL about and what will be expected of them in your particular Club. One way to accomplish that is to have a membership committee that not on ly hands out new member packets that are filled with vital information (well before they are inducted into Rotary) and also to have a face to face meeting with the new Rotarian and at least two members for a question and answer period. The purpose, of course, is to help the new Rotarian to feel comfortable with joining Rotary.
#2 Form a mentoring committee. Assign a mentor for the new Rotarian for a minimum of one year. This mentoring Rotarian could be the sponsoring Rotarian and/or a mentor from the committee. The mentor not on ly sits with the new Rotarian but also encourages them to volunteer and participate in programs and fund raisers, etc. However, the biggest or greatest job for the mentor is to help the new Rotarian feel welcome and connected.
You can say, "Hi" and "How are you?" until you are blue in the face, but unless you engage that new Rotarian in conversation and fellowship and let them know you care about their being in your Rotary Club, the new Rotarian will come and go like a revolving door.
Next month............Part 2
Joey Marshall
District Governor's wife and "The First Lady"
Rotary Junior Champ - Track & Field Association
One of the premier summer youth track and field meets - the Rotary State meet - will be held Saturday, July 18, at Mansfield Stadium in Madison.
Click here to read more about this great event!
RI News
Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit - The Power of Small Loans
The Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit has forwarded a powerful short video that explains the impact of microcredit and education for women and girls.
Watch this brief presentation through to the end to see the impact of small loans and education in developing countries. There is also a good fact sheet available on the website as well. Go to the following website and follow the directions: http://www.girleffect.org/#/video/
In Hillary Clinton's Statement at her Senate Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of State last week, she mentions microfinance
" . . . As a personal aside, I want to mention that President-elect Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was a pioneer in microfinance in Indonesia. In my own work on microfinance around the world- from Bangladesh to Chile to Vietnam to South Africa and many other countries -- I’ve seen firsthand how small loans given to poor women to start small businesses can raise standards of living and transform local economies. President-elect Obama’s mother had planned to attend a microfinance forum at the Beijing women’s conference in 1995 that I participated in. Unfortunate ly, she was very ill and couldn ’ t travel and sad ly passed away a few months later. But I think its fair to say that her work in international development, the care and concern she showed for women and for poor people around the world, mattered great ly to her son, and certain ly has informed his views and his vision. We will be honored to carry on Ann Dunhams work in the months and years ahead."
Rotary Peace Programs
I recent ly received a call from Past Rotary International President, Chuck Keller, who will be the next International Chair of our Rotary Peace Programs. Attorney Keller will be our keynote speaker at our District 6250 Rotary Conference on May 1 and 2 in Wisconsin Rapids! His message was full of excitement and enthusiasm! Our District 6250, has been one of the most active Districts in the world in terms of the number of applicants for this outstanding and prestigious honor. Yet, we have not had a recipient for several years--if ever!! President Keller and his distinguished committee have chosen four Districts in the world that will be focused on for the acceptance of future Peace Scholars. I am pleased to announce that District 6250 is one of the four Districts!!
A little about the program-----The Rotary Centers for International Studies program offers fellowships for master's degree study fields related to peace and conflict resolution. Beyond academics, the Rotary World Peace Fellows who participate in the program also gain practical skills in conflict resolution appropriate to their individual careers.
Up to 60 Rotary Peace Fellows each year enroll in the six Rotary Centers based at leading universities in five countries: International Christian University, Japan; Universidad del Salvador, Argentina; University of Bradford, United Kingdom; University of Queensland, Australia; University of California-Berkeley, Calif, USA and Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program is a professional development program held in Bangkok. Thailand, through which up to 30 participants embark on three months of intensive study instructed by some of the leading specialists in the peace and conflict resolution fields.
The customized curriculum has been crafted by specialists in the field to capitalize on the experience of both participants and lecturers while balancing theoretical and practical learning.
For more information--------contact our new District Chair for the Program:
Bob Bendiksen
rbendiksen@aol.com
608 788 0268
Thomas Marshall
District Governor, 2008-2009
Update on Annual Giving
Foundation Contributions - Annual Programs and Polio
The contribution reports from the Rotary Foundation indicate that we are lagging in sending in the funds collected by our clubs. Those funds collected by the club are to be forwarded to the Foundation on a quarterly basis. We are nearly halfway into the Rotary year 2008-2009 and have met less than 20% of our goal. Treasurers, secretaries or club administrators, be particularly attentive to how those funds you are sending are being credited. If you indicate other than Annual Programs, or Polio, then the club will not be achieving the goal set by your club president at PETS last March. In fact, do not confuse Annual Programs with Polio. Misapplying funds intended for Annual Programs by contributing the monies to the Polio campaign will again result in your club and our district not meeting the Annual Programs goal that we set for ourselves this year.
End of Year Giving - Don't forget the tax benefit
All Clubs are reminded that you still have time left during this calendar year to send in your contributions for the Polio Plus program and "Every Rotarian Every Year". If you want to take advantage of the numerous tax advantages, funds must be sent to Rotary International by December 31st.
ACT NOW!!!
Foundation Reports
Each club in District 6250 has established a foundation goal and the question is how are the clubs going about the achieving those goals? Have each of the clubs done an every member enrollment? Successful clubs take the time to ask each member to make a pledge commitment to the Rotary Foundation. Fulfilling that pledge might involve a quarterly billing by the club secretary/treasurer or participating in the direct deposit transfer from the Rotarians checking account to the RI Foundation account or it might mean a monthly charge to a credit card. Successful clubs establish a process that allows their members to both make and fulfill the commitment.
Click here to view the updated Club Goals Report!
Attendance Report
New Reporting Tool for District Attendance
Check out the new reporting tool for District Attendance for 2008-2009. http://www.rotary6250.org/clubs/monthlyattendance.shtml Clubs can view each month’s attendance in a visual graph. Also Club Secretary’s can request access to update their information directly online!
A big THANK YOU goes out to District 5340 for sharing this web functionality!
Click here to submit your club's attendance report
Click here to see the full Attendance Report.
