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Hello, Fellow Rotarians in District 6840! During October I visited 9 more clubs in Mississippi. While each is unique, two things remain constant; friendship and hospitality in abundance. I have met Rotarians who have been members for more than 50 years, many with perfect attendance, and members who were inducted during my visit. What a pleasure to get to know just a few reasons why people become and stay Rotarians. The common threads, not surprisingly, are service and networking. Please continue to talk with each other and discover the true passions of your club and tailor your activities around those passions. Strive to make your events a reflection of the goodwill and friendship among your members.
NOVEMBER IS ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH!
November is Foundation Month for Rotary International. We have been blessed with great weather, even if a little dry, these past several months throughout the District. Others in our country and around the world have not fared as well. Donations to the RF are not just for disasters but for projects that support clean water, disease prevention, good health, literacy, and countless other projects. Please consider donating to the Annual Fund or Polio Plus Fund of the Rotary Foundation (RF) this month so those less fortunate may receive the help and services they need. Consider giving to RF if you have never done so, or donate enough to reach a new level as a Paul Harris Fellow if you can. Donations to RF make the perfect gift for those who have ‘everything’ as we move toward the end of the calendar year. You honor those in whose name you donate and you may never know the life you change somewhere in the world! DONATIONS ARE PUT TO WORK Do you know what RF donations can do? Our District has invested in global grant 2237801 “Cleaning in Place”, a Heart 2 Heart partnership project in Mexico that is sponsored by District 6880 Alabama. This project will provide automated cleaning procedures at a non-profit’s processing plant which cleans fruits and vegetables that have been rescued from agricultural fields. The cleaned food is then distributed to several hundred food pantries in the Altos Sur and Altos Norte regions of Jalisco state. The non-profit currently serves about 20,000 people monthly, and this service is especially critical for pregnant women, children 4 and under, and older adults who cannot chew. The automated system would increase productivity (so that more food could be rescued and distributed) and would cut the water consumption for the cleaning process by 90% (from 2.6 million liters per year to 260,000 liters per year)." For more information, please contact Ron Appuhn, Heart 2 Heart & Mexico 100 in 100 Coordinator Teams, Zone 30 Empowering Girls Co-Ambassador 2021-23, D6780 Governor 2020-21; Rotary Club of Maryville, TN, 12040 Woodhollow LN, Knoxville, TN 37932, 865-567-9576 THANK YOU TO PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS Thank you to those who are Paul Harris Fellows. More than 4,900 current and former members of our District have achieved Paul Harris Fellow status! However, less than 50% of our clubs have contributed to RF through its members this year. Members from nine clubs have never contributed to the Annual Fund and 23 clubs have never contributed to Polio Plus. Please consider adding the Annual Fund and/or Polio Plus to your charitable gifting plan for this year and the future. I am making my donation to the Annual Fund as a Paul Harris Society Member this month in addition to maintaining my donation schedule with my club. ROB YOUNG HONORED AS A LEVEL 3 MAJOR DONOR
Congratulations to Rob Young of the Hattiesburg Sunrise Rotary Club. During my visit to his club in July, I presented Rob with the Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level 3 crystal. He is one of the few in our District who has achieved this level of donations. Rob has been a Rotarian for over 20 years and has served as the District Foundation Chairman and Assistant District Gov. He is also a Bequest Society Level 3 Donor and a Paul Harris Society member. DG Regina Wedig with Rob Young of the Hattiesburg Sunrise Rotary Club and his Major Donor Level 3 crystal. HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR DONATIONS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
As part of Foundation Month, Greg Lier, our Deputy Governor for Foundation, will be hosting a series of informational zoom meetings beginning this month to talk about the Rotary Foundation, its importance, and ways to donate. Here is the tentative schedule. The seminars will run from 6 pm to 7:30 pm central time: If you would like someone to speak to your club during Foundation Month, please contact Greg Lier. ( greglier@gmail.com) BOOK DRIVES? BOOK FAIRS? Has your club begun its book drive? How does your club plan to distribute the books? Need ideas? Fill Little Libraries in your neighborhood; or better yet, start a Little Library near a playground or park. Bring books to a Homeless Shelter. Add books to your Thanksgiving or Christmas Basket projects. Consider taking time to read a book with your child, grandchildren, or the children at your local school before the end of the year. Let me hear from you and THANK YOU. I know the Dictionary Project is underway in many clubs this month and is a traditional favorite club project. Please think about expanding our outreach to children. DISTRICT CONFERENCE UPDATE
Start looking for registration and hotel information for our District Conference in Hattiesburg, April 21-22, 2023 on the District website very soon. The Golf Tournament plans are set. The family alternative options for Friday morning are also ready to be announced. Please plan to participate in Food Fest and House of Friendship while attending the Conference. Let me know if you have ideas for break-out sessions: what do you want to do at the Conference? NOW HAPPENING IN YOUR CLUBS!
Thank you to the clubs who are sending me information on events at your club or communities. I think we are getting better at posting the events timely. Noelle Reznik of the Mid-City Club has agreed to help gather and organize those great stories about your club’s fundraising, service, and social events. Please watch for her requests for information. So, continue to send in your stories and flyers, including contact information. This past weekend, I joined members of SIX Gulf Coast Rotary Clubs, Interactors, and local church members in Kiln, Mississippi to fill 30,000 bags of rice, beans, and vitamins as part of Rising Against Hunger. Thirty Thousand bags were filled in about 2.5 hours thanks to more than 100 volunteers. WHAT’S MY CLUB LIKE? Have you been playing? I hope the links are now working but let me know if you have any questions. The November Clues: - 1. Name the Assistant Governor for the Tangipahoa Territory and the five clubs in that territory.
- 2. Name the Assistant Governor for the Hub Territory and the five clubs in that territory.
Last month’s clues: - Name two clubs that received their charter on the same date.
- Name the newest Rotary Club in our district. (not Rotaract Clubs)
- Name the most recent Past District Governor and his home club (2021-22)
- Name the club that hosts the Alligator Festival.
- Name the primary host club for the 2022-23 District Conference
- Name the first 4 clubs chartered in our District with the dates of each charter
- Name the home club of the current District Governor
- Name the primary host club for the 2022-23 District Conference
My last club visits are currently scheduled for the week of November 7, 2022. As promised, I will share the details of the FABULOUS PRIZE to be awarded to the person with the most correct responses. Let’s continue to IMAGINE ROTARY! IMAGINE ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE IN YOUR LIFE Please read the article submitted by Ashley Mayley, a member of the Rotary Club of Bay St Louis about how and why to Imagine Rotary Youth Exchange! Thank you for being a Rotarian. Regina S Wedig DG 2022-23 |
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