District Governor's Message
The 2009 District 6250 Conference
Tom Marshall
Dear Rotarians,
This month and part of the next month will be dedicated to the outstanding District Conference that will be held in Wisconsin Rapids on May 1, 2 and 3 at Hotel Mead. The Hotel is filling rapidly--twelve rooms left as of March 24th. Please call the Hotel at 1 800 843 6323 and make your reservations as soon as you can!! I want you to stay at the Hotel!!
We are truly blessed to have Past International President Chuck Keller as one of our keynote speakers. His dynamic presentations will be most impressive to all of us. He is the man who promised the kids of the world, that someday, we will be polio free! We are truly well on the way to have that happen. I want to share a quote from Chuck Keller that has really touched my life and has brought tears to my eyes:
"The ideal of service is the real tie that binds. It's the idea that distinguishes us from everything and everyone else. And service means really helping people , not just doing nice things. In a world where people speak different languages, eat different food, dress in different clothing, worship differently----for those people to bond together requires a powerful adhesive. In Rotary that adhesive is the ideal of SERVICE ABOVE SELF!"
You will not want to miss the opportunity to hear this outstanding Rotarian discuss the world of Rotary!!!
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Dick Bennett |
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Past International President Chuck Keller |
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GSE Philippines Talent Show Team |
Dick Bennett, one of the finest basketball coaches that this country has ever seen will be with us to highlight his career and to tell us how Rotary can relate to the game of basketball! He is a terrific and very powerful speaker.
Jerry Mills, a well known motivational speaker will tie things together for us through speaking and singing. He will be a delight to listen to and will impact our Rotary thoughts in many different ways.
Miss Wisconsin will be with us to sing several songs and discuss her platform that revolves around music. You will not want to miss this!!
On Friday night, the Youth Exchange students will be presenting a talent show with talent from all over the world being performed. The committee has worked very hard to make this an outstanding presentation. The Philippine Group Study Exchange musical team will perform at the show and our outbound musical team will also perform. This promises to be a wonderful night!
On Saturday night, the 17 piece River Cities jazz band will be performing for all of us to enjoy. Whether you simply want to listen to the music or dance, it will truly be very inspirational.
There is so much more that will happen this weekend that will make a difference in your Rotary life! Several Clubs will discuss their projects, Randy Sproule will give his outstanding presentation on polio and many of our Rotary District programs will be highlighted.
And--of course, on Sunday morning at 8:30 AM we will have the Ecumenical Memorial Service that will honor all of our Rotarians who have died during this Rotary year.
Please plan to attend!!!! This promises to be a very outstanding District Conference and you will not only learn a lot about Rotary but you will have a wonderful weekend!!!
Click here for more information and to register!
Tom
Register Now! 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
District Conference News
Silent Auction Items Needed for District Conference- We are hoping that this Silent Auction will be the very best that we have ever had. We do need items that can be auctioned off. All Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange students have been asked to bring an item from their part of the world. These items will be part of the auction.
All proceeds will go directly to polio plus and this money will be matched.
Please consider having your Club donate an item for the auction. Thank you very much. Should you have questions, please contact John Steele at 715-423-9368.
Deceased Rotarians Who Have Died During this Rotary Year- We are still looking for names of Rotarians in our District who have died between July 1, 2008 and the present. We need the name, name of Club, a picture and years of service. We are making a power point presentation for the Memorial Service on Sunday. If you have not already done so, please get this information to Joy Berg at weaverJoy@solarus.biz
Help Your New Rotarians Attend the District Conference I would like to encourage all Clubs to pay the $50 registration fee for every new Rotarian who joined during this Rotary year. There is not a better way for new Rotarians to learn about the world of Rotary, then attending a District Conference. Please consider this!!! It would be an excellent incentive to encourage the new Rotarians to attend and I am sure that every Club can afford to do this for their new people.
Flower Photo Exhibit - A Fund Raiser for Polio Plus - An artistic Rotarian from Wisconsin Rapids Sunrise Rotary Club will be exhibiting her works on Thursday, April 30th from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids. This exhibit will be a prelude to the District Conference which will begin the next day. Kim Auman will display and sell her artistic photos of flowers during that two hour time period and also throughout the District Conference. Kim, a well recognized artist in the state will donate all proceeds in our battle to eradicate polio in the world. Plan to arrive a day early for this outstanding display of art and assist the Rotarians of the world in our efforts to free the world of this horrible and dreaded disease!
2009 Training Calendar - District Assembly Registration Open!
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 TREASURERS 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.
Click here for registration and program details.
Dean Dickinson
District Governor Elect
District Assembly to Feature Training for Club Youth Protection Officers
The District 6250 Youth Protection program will mark another milestone as Club Youth Protection Officer (CYPO) training will be provided by District Youth Protection Officer Mike Ripp at the District Assembly on April 18 th.
CYPO’s can register for the free training, to include lunch, by going to http://www.rotary6250.org/events/2009/04_18_districtassembly.shtml and registering for the Youth Protection session. Complete information on District Assembly can be found at www.rotary6250.org.
Club President’s are reminded that they must send their Club Youth Protection Officer information (name, address, email address, phone) to Morgan Data at rotarydistrict6250@morgandata.com or call 608.204.9835.
District Training Recap
If the definition of “training” is understood to be the preparation for competency in an anticipated activity then the two training sessions recently concluded in our district have been more than successful. District Team Training, during which our district leadership, including the Assistant Governors and Committee Chairs, were trained to provide leadership in the district in Rotary year 2009-2010, took place on February 20th.
The natural progression of training occurred on March 20 and 21 when the Club Presidents Elect, some Club Presidents Elect Nominees and Assistant Governors convened for PETS, Presidents Elect Training. On April 18 th those Club Presidents Elect will gather with their club committee chairs for the District Assembly. I want to thank everyone involved in these training sessions. The District Team Training Committee, and all of those who presented elements at these training sessions, are to be commended for a job well done. The exit reviews are indicating a very high level of satisfaction with the training that has been provided.
What remains is the last leg of training, District Assembly. This session is going to be devoted to dealing with big issues that confront our clubs including membership retention and development, the support of our Rotary Foundation, club administration, especially focused on the work of the club secretaries and treasurers and the training of those involved in leading our clubs in youth activities as we provide a training module in Youth Protection. We hope to see a huge turnout at Glacier Canyon Conference Center on Saturday, April 18th, beginning at 8:00 A.M. This session will conclude shortly after noon and should be attended by all club leadership. I hope to see you there.
Dean Dickinson DGE
District Speech Contest Applications Available
Your hometown high school student could win a $750 or $1250 scholarship!
District Governor Tom Marshall, along with the District Speech Contest Committee, invites your club to participate in the 12th annual Rotary District 6250 Speech Contest! Please contact your members who are connected with the local high school(s) staff to share this opportunity with High School students.
Annual Program Pledges for Rotary Foundation
Annual Programs support of the Rotary Foundation is the life blood of so much of what we value in Rotary. Our financial support provides the enabling funding of the matching grants that allow us to extend humanitarian assistance to those who are in need as well as simplified grants that can be utilized within the district.
Annual Programs funding also supports a range of educational programs such as Group Study Exchange, Ambassadorial and Peace Scholarships and scholarships for university teachers. Our district, via the Club Goal Reports filed by the current club presidents last spring, pledged support in excess of $250,000 to Annual Programs. We are lagging in getting those pledged amounts into the foundation. We are nearly three quarters of the way into this Rotary year and have provided about 40% of our pledges. I would ask club presidents, secretaries and treasurers to be sure to send the monies to the foundation as they are available. All pledges, in order to be credited to this Rotary year, must be at the Rotary Foundation prior to June 30, 2009.
**Please Note! It is important that when the Global Contribution Form is sent that the correct designation for the Annual Programs Fund is selected on that form. Monies sent, and misapplied to the polio eradication effort or to the Permanent Fund simply do not count toward our district Annual Programs goal. Thank you for making this request a priority in your club.
Dean Dickinson/DGE and Annual Programs Chair
Membership and Foundation Seminar Date Announced
Mark your calendars now!
Get energized about the work of The Rotary Foundation!!
Charge up your club’s membership growth!!
The Foundation / Membership Seminar will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm at the Wilderness Territory, Glacier Canyon Lodge Conference Center, 45 Hillman Road, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Mary Kessens, the Area Foundation Coordinators, Tom Mickelson and the Area Membership Coordinators are planning a dynamite seminar for your edification and enjoyment.
Rotary Membership Tips
- Check out these great tips from the Zone 27/28 newsletter.
- The 10 Minute Club Energizer - How can a club relate membership recruitment and retention efforts to THE ROTARIAN MAGAZINE. Click here to find out how!
- How to Engage Gen Xers in Your Rotary Club. Click here to learn how.
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 is Alive and Well
As most of you know, we have two teams visiting out District this year--one from India ad one from the Philippines. Both of these teams will be arriving to District 6250 in the very near future. The India team will be hosted in the southern part of the ZDistict and the Philippian team will be hosted in the northern part of the District. The process of locating host families is still in the works.
Our team that we sent to India has returned home several weeks ago and had an absolutely fantastic experience. They will share some of their experiences with us at District Conference. Our Philippine team will be leaving, Friday, March 27 and return approximately April 28th. The Philippine outbound team are all musicians and will perform at various places in the Philippines in an effort to entertain as well as raise some money for polio eradication.
The Philippine team is also made up of musicians and they also will be performing for entertainment purposes and fund raising for the polio cause. Both teams will be attending the District Conference so that you will have the opportunity to meet them on a personal basis. Plan to attend!!!
During the 2009 - 2010 Rotary year, we will once again have two Group Study Exchanges. The first will be to Japan and our team will leave on October 16th and return on November 12th. It is not too early to apply for acceptance as a team member now! The basic criteria indicate that the team members must be between the ages of 25 and 40 and must not be a Rotarian. They must live or work in our Rotary District. The team leader must be a Rotarian with no age limit. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please contact us in the very near future.
The second team will go out in 2010 amd will be going to Uruguay. This will be an Agri-science team so the participants must be in some career that relates to agriculture.
Please direct any questions to our current GSE Chair Rob Stroud rstroud@stroudlaw.com or 608 257 2281. Questions may also be directed to our new District Chair--Tom Marshall tom@webmonger.net or 715 423 1921.
Reedsburg Rotarian Reports from India
Submitted by Terri Langer, Reedsburg Western Sauk County Rotary Club.
After spending 2 ½ weeks in India last January I had the opportunity first hand to see that the dreaded disease of Polio continues to disable many people in that country. I am a member of the Reedsburg Western Sauk County Rotary Club and in the efforts to help in the eradication of Polio I solicited the Multicare Center at the Reedsburg Area Medical Center (RAMC) to join in the efforts. As the Director of the Multicare Center at RAMC I challenged my department to develop a project that could be used to raise money for Polio Plus. This was not an uncommon project, as every year we have taken on a project that in some way benefits an organization in our community.
This year a very innovative group of four Multicare Center nurses’ came up with a project to use during our celebration of the Academy Of Medical Surgical Nurse’s annual Medical Surgical Nurse’s Week in November. Throughout the week we sold various food items to the entire campus of RAMC. Our event was called 3 P’s for Polio and all food items started with the letter “P” like popcorn, a cereal snack mix of peanuts/pretzels and candy pumpkins, and homemade pies. The Polio Plus Rotary DVD was shown in the organization several times. We also created an educational display of the Polio Plus program as well as facts about this dreaded disease. This display was visible in the lobby of the hospital and was viewed by many. Throughout the organization we placed “Pocket Change” containers that also carried the Polio Plus information. During the week our small facility was able to raise $1536.64 which was given to the Reedsburg Western Sauk County Rotary Club to be sent on to Polio Plus.
Polio Eradication Trip Planned to Nigeria
Rotarians are invited to participate in a trip to Nigeria that departs the U.S. on May 02 and returns on May 12. If you are interested in learning more about this great experience please contact trip organizer Bradford Howard at Bhoward@HowardTours.net .
Click here for more information!
Reedsburg Rotary Distributes Flood Grant Funds in Sauk and Columbia Counties
The Reedsburg Rotary Club was proud to present a chekc for $3526 to Mark Pelton and the Flood Fund Relief Program for Sauk and Columbia counties. Pictured from left to right are Bunny Frank, Margaret Miethke, Barb Mortimore, Mark Pelton and Dennis Schulte.
Club Award Deadlines - Membership Goals and Presidential Citation Award Nominations Due
Membership Goals Award
We are preparing to identify which Clubs in our District have achieved the membership development goal of one net new member during the course of this Rotary year. Awards will be available if your Club has increased the membership dramatically. For example, if your Club increased the size of the Club by 10 or more percent since July 1, please let District Governor Tom Marshall know and he will apply for a very prestigious award. This needs to be accomplished by April 15. Club presidents and secretaries may update records by using Member Access online.
(http://www.rotary.org/en/selfservice/pages/login.aspx) or by submitting membership changes to RI using a Membership Data Form.
Please review your membership numbers and determine any change that you may have. Questions can be directed to District Governor Tom Marshall.
Club Presidential Citation Award
Club Presidents and Secretaries are reminded of the deadline date for the prestigious PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD. Each President was sent a copy of the application and a brochure that explains the details for qualifying for the award.
Applications must be returned to Tom Marshall at 541 Witter Street, Wisconsin Rapids before March 31st. Please be certain that your Club is one of the recipients.
How to Keep New Members Engaged Part III
A few words from the District Governor's Wife...
This is the final article, in a series of three, offering suggestions for retaining new Rotary Club members.
In the last two articles I discussed forming Membership and Mentoring Committee's to help new members quickly become acclimated to their club.
I also discussed the need to be a friend, not just to be friendly and a tool to help members connect by including a photo and bio of your new Rotarian in your Newsletter! I also described ways to help new Rotarians quickly recognize and bond with experienced members via photo-membership boards or photo/bio pages in loose-leaf binders. Part III will deal with "hands on" procedures.
A GREAT WAY for new and experienced Rotarians to quickly get to know each other is to assign the new Rotarians to be on a team of greeters! Depending on the size of your club, the greeters could change on a rotating basis, every week, month, or bi-monthly. The teams could be comprised of new and experienced members. What a wonderful way to put a face with a name badge and a handshake! And, visitors would feel more warmly welcomed too!
In our travels throughout the district, Tom and I learned about clubs that put their newest members in charge of a "New Member" Party! It was a Rotarian and spouse, or other invited guest, FUN CELEBRATION paid for by the club,( budgeted of course), or utilized as a fundraiser! A different theme or emphases could be adopted each year, be it a Bar-B-Que, Luau, or formal evening event! The party's theme and all aspects of the preparation would be chosen by the new Rotarians who would gain valuable experience planning and budgeting for a successful event that should be of benefit for their whole club!
Another suggestion: ask your new Rotarians to be on the committees for your local fundraising events, giving them the choice of committees rather than the choice of "yes or no". By helping on a committee, they'll actually, realize they're needed, experience the camaraderie of their fellow Rotarians, and feel a closer tie to RI, ( because our local fundraisers usually give to Polio Plus or other worthy International projects).
Another GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY for new member involvement would be to have a District Conference in your area. We're in the process of asking all New Rotarians to be on one or more committees for "Rotary on the River"!!
Again, this will give them the chance to be of great help, bond with their fellow Rotarians, and experience the INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR of ROTARY!
Newly initiated members, who are dedicated and enthusiastic about the principles of Rotary, are truly our future for the betterment of the world! Please don't let such a valuable human resource go to waste!
Joey Marshall
District Governor's wife and "The First Lady"
RI News
Ambassadorial Scholarship Applications Available
Dear Club Presidents,
Your club has a unique opportunity to support a graduate student abroad through RI’s Ambassadorial Scholar program. Applicants are reviewed, selected and funded by the District . All you have to do is encourage students to submit application information prior to August 1, 2009, to study in 2010-2011.
The Foundation of Rotary International sponsors one of the largest international scholarship programs in the world. Scholars study in a different country, where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, more than 47,000 scholars from 110 countries have received scholarships of more than $476 million through The Rotary Foundation.
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.
July-August 2009
Applicants should complete the 2010-11 application available on the RI website, carefully researching possible institutions of study. There is no need to apply for or take language tests at this time. Applications must be submitted to local Rotary clubs by August 1, 2009. Applications should be submitted to Marsha Barwick by August 7, 2009.
Downloadable Form: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/139en.pdf
August/September 2009
A selection committee comprised of individuals throughout District 6250 will review applications, interview applicants and select award representatives. Clubs and individuals will be notified.
February 2010
All 2010-11 scholarship recipients will receive a packet of information from the Foundation. This material outlines the steps they’re required to complete in preparation for their term.
Please share this information with your Rotarians help us appoint outstanding candidates to represent District 6250 abroad. Please refer questions and applicants to me. Thank you for your consideration and assistance.
Yours in Rotary,
Marsha Barwick
District 6250 Ambassadorial Scholar Chair
1226 W. Jefferson Street , Marshfield , WI 54449
Day Phone: 715.389.3430, Fax: 715.387.9080
Update on Annual Giving
The Rotary Foundation is Changing! See the Zone 27 Foundation Report.
The Rotary Foundation is changing! Click here to read the Zone 27 newsletter to track our district’s results compared to other districts in our Zone. Also, more new information is being distributed about The Rotary Foundation Future Vision Plan. See how this will impact our grants and work through The Rotary Foundation.
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.
