DISTRICT 6290 NEWSLETTER August 2010

Transcription

1 DISTRICT 6290 NEWSLETTER August 2010 District Governor Tim Knaggs And Wife Susan VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 Inside this issue: September Message from the RI Foundation Meet our Zone Director 3 Group Study Exchange Rotary International Convention Comstock Park Club News Life Leadership Updates 8-9 Attendance Save the Dates: Foundation Banquet April 1, 2011 District Convention and District Assembly May 12-14, 2011 in Cadillac, MI During the month of August, my official club visits took me across the northern part of our District. The Five Avenues of Service, our foundation of Rotary club activity is obviously present in all Clubs. Our newest Avenue of Service is no exception, New Generations is center stage as Interact, Rotaract, Youth Exchange, Strive and many local youth initiatives are present in Rotary clubs. September is the New Generations Avenue of Service month. This helps us to recognize that Rotarians and Clubs invest much time, effort and monies into our youth in an effort to improve lives. I am proud of the clubs in our District as they serve our youth and young adults in countless projects. The Rotary motto is Service above Self, and like the New Generations Avenue of Service it is leadership at the club level that helps harness and direct our service efforts through Rotary projects. The Rotary Leadership Institute Great Lake Division provides a program in improving Rotary knowledge and leadership skills. This is a three part program to be taken sequentially. Part one covers Leadership Characteristics, Rotary Beyond the Club, Teambuilding, Rotary Foundation I, Membership Retention, and Service Projects. Part II covers Leadership Goals, Communication Skills, Foundation Part II, Ethics & Vocational Service, Membership Recruitment, and Analyzing Your Rotary Club. Part III covers International Service, Effective Leadership Strategies, Rotary Opportunities, Leadership-Public Relations, and Making a Difference. The next Institute is being offered November 13, 2010 in Cadillac. Complete details and registration is available on-line at I encourage Rotarians to take advantage of this opportunity. DG Tim Knaggs 2011 RI Convention May 21-25, 2011 in New Orleans

2 Page 2 September Message from the Foundation Chair September 2010 Youth programs help enhance Rotary s public image Rotary has many youth programs. The programs for younger participants, such as Interact and Rotary Youth Exchange, are not funded by The Rotary Foundation, but they all give Rotary a very positive public image, which The Rotary Foundation benefits from. They are also very important to The Rotary Foundation, as the participants get their first contact with Rotary, which can lead to future membership in a Rotary club and, hopefully, becoming a contributor to The Rotary Foundation. The programs for older participants, such as Ambassadorial Scholarships, Group Study Exchange, and Rotary Peace Fellowships, are funded by The Rotary Foundation. Of special interest to me is the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution a program that one day might become the jewel in the Rotary programs crown. We have a fundraising effort running for this program the USD95 million campaign which must not be forgotten in our ambition to increase contributions to the Annual Programs Fund and Permanent Fund and to meet Rotary s USD200 Million Challenge. All our youth programs are peace programs. In particular, our Youth Exchange participants act as ambassadors of peace when going to a totally new environment. We ask a lot from them, and we can be very proud of them. All our students younger or somewhat older, at home or abroad participate in local projects, thus Building Communities Bridging Continents through Service Above Self. Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar Foundation Trustee Chair

3 Page 3 Meet our Zone Director Tom Thorfinnson Most of the leaders in Rotary will start their term in office on July 1. I am one of the few exceptions. I do not start afresh: I am a repeat! I begin a second year on the Board of Directors for Rotary International. Serving a second year brings a different perspective as I now have a year s experience to bear on this position. To date my experience has highlighted for me both the greatest strength of our organization and our biggest challenge. The strength lies with our clubs. We are an association of clubs and whatever we may accomplish, whether building communities or bridging continents, should and must start with our clubs. Although there is magic in our collective power, whenever the magic has happened it has always started with a small group of Rotarians at the club level. The challenge at Rotary International and in particular for the RI Board is determining how best to use our resources to support clubs. In a fast-paced, changing world Rotary International must foster club creativity. In the ivory tower of world headquarters the board of directors cannot hope to determine what will make each one of the 33,000 Rotary Clubs bigger, better and bolder. The challenge is immense, but the starting point is easy. It begins with fostering an atmosphere of empowerment and freedom. We must empower our club leaders to lead. We need to foster flexibility and innovation at the club level. Our club leaders must step beyond managing and truly lead. As a club leader you will have a sense of the needs in your community. Talk with your fellow club leaders, then step up and lead your club toward being bigger, better and bolder! Tom Thorfinnson and Spouse Jamie It should do all of us good once in a while too see ourselves as others see us; and if by chance, our egotism experiences a shock, even that in the long run may be preferable to a complacent overestimate of ourselves and our standing. -From the book Honoring Our Past: The Words and Wisdom of Paul Harris Paul Harris Founder of Rotary

4 Page 4 The GSE (Group Study Exchange) Program submitted by Ed Kaminski Rotary District 6290 It is time for District 6290 to begin to solicit interest in becoming a team leader or team member for the Group Study Exchange team we will be sending to District 1800 in Germany next June. Our team will leave on June 12 and return on July 13. This departure timing should allow for teachers of German in our U.S. schools to participate. We need the help of every club in our district to identify candidates for this once in a lifetime experience in culture immersion and professional enlightenment. Selection of the team leader and members by the district GSE committee will take place in mid-november in Cadillac. Leader/member application forms for the team are available for download from the Rotary International website use Google and type in Rotary Org: Group Study Exchange. The forms can also be requested from the District 6290 GSE Committee Chairman (Ed Kaminski; 8765 Lehman Road, Montague, MI 49437, edward@kaminski-funke.net). Completed application forms need to be sent no later than November 1, 2010 to Ed Kaminski at the address noted above. The German district is centered around the city of Hannover in the center of the country. Our district has excellent relations with District 1800, and particularly it's Gifhorn-Wolfsburg Club, which has been an active contributor for a number of years through our Rockford Rotary Club for Bio-Sand Filters for installation in third world countries for water purification. Many international humanitarian projects have developed out of GSE visits in the past and there is a good opportunity for this to happen with District 1800 as well. Group Study Exchange (GSE) is a Rotary Foundation program whereby two Rotary districts from different countries exchange teams, which spend 4 5 weeks in each other s district. The teams generally consist of 5-6 people, a Rotarian team leader and 4-5 young professional people, ages 25 40, who are non-rotarians. There is no age restriction for the leader.

5 Page 5 The GSE (Group Study Exchange) Program continued The teams travel around to various clubs within the host district, spending 3 5 days at each location. Each club that hosts a team provides lodging in club member homes, sets up programs for the team to follow and delivers them to the next host club on the schedule. The programs include individual meetings related to each team member s profession, recreational and special visit team activities, and presentations at Rotary club functions. The districts usually time GSE visits so that visiting teams also participate in the host district s annual convention. In the interest of promoting international understanding, The Rotary Foundation (or District 6290) pays for the airline tickets for GSE visits. District 6290 also picks up many other teamrelated expenses, making this program very affordable for young professional people. Since 1974, District 6290 has sent and received 31 such teams to and from Rotary Districts in 26 different countries from around the world. A 32nd GSE team exchange will take place in 2011 with District 1800 in Germany. In May/June of 2011 (arrival May 9, departure June 8) the corresponding team from Rotary District 1800 will come to our District Club Hosting forms are available from Ed Kaminski on request and should be received back by Ed by March 1, Young professionals from all over the world are furthering International Understanding, Goodwill, and Peace. For more information on our Group Study Exchange Program Please visit our website at

6 Page Rotary International Convention in New Orleans

7 Page 7 CLUB NEWS CLUB NEWS Members of the Comstock Park Rotary Club have been very active this summer. In addition to doing three successful Chicken BBQs, and continuing to do maintenance improvements to the 100 year old Grotto Park adjacent to the Grand Rapids Home for the Veterans, the Comstock Park Rotary Club teamed up with the Amway Corporation, KaBOOM!, and the local community to build a playground large enough for 50 children. The project also included a small practice soccer field for the children. The public taking advantage of the good weather and great chicken. In the background is the Comstock Park Water Wheel, and earlier Rotary Project. The famous Comstock Park Rotary Chicken, aka Plainfield Charter Township Manger Bob Homan, with Comstock Park s own meteorologist and celebrity Bill Steffen and new found young friends at the August Chicken BBQ. Submitted by Alex Arends, Comstock Park Committee Chairperson From left to right, Rotarians Liz Ploughman, Nancy Mulder, Gayle Steffen and President Sharon Steffens reviewing dream playgrounds designed by neighbor children and actually used in the final design of the KaBOOM! playground.

8 Page 8 Life Leadership Conference News Tom DePree, Chair of our Youth, Schools and Colleges Committee, introduced the speakers, Francisco Panuco, Gabriel Aguilara and Liz Vanderby. Holland Noon Rotary in partnership with L.A.U.P. (Latin Americans United for Progress), sent 5 students to the Life Leaders Conference at the Kettunen Center in Tustin, Michigan this summer. In all, there were about 150 student-leader participants at the Conference. Here is what our district website says about the conference: "District 6290 Conducts a prestigious Life Leadership Conference each year for the top student leaders. It is a powerful experience for all who attend will be the 63rd year, the longest continuously running Rotary Youth LeadershipAwards (RYLA) program in the Rotary world. The Conference is held on a small wooded campus designed especially for leadership training. The agenda includes motivational and thought provoking speakers. Discussion groups explore the intellectual, ethical and emotional aspects of leadership. International Students who attend lend global perspective on issues." Liz de la Luz Vanderby, the Chairperson for L.A.U.P. King and Queen selection committee and two of the students, Francisco Panuco and Gabriel Aguilara spoke at the club meeting. Francisco attends West Ottawa High School was the L.A.U.P. King for Gabriel is King for and attends Holland High. Gabriel spoke of a personality test conducted at the conference that allowed him to evaluate his own leadership traits, identity his own strengths and weaknesses, and identify areas for improvement. He thought that the conference was very beneficial and will make him a more effective leader. Francisco mentioned that interaction with the other students had the greatest impact on him. L.A.U.P. thanked Rotary for providing the opportunity for their youth to participate and to reach out to youth across Ottawa County and the State of Michigan. The partnership between Holland Noon Rotary and L.A.U.P. has been "beneficial to all concerned". Written by John Helm Holland Rotarian

9 Page 9 Life Leadership Conference News Muskegon Rotary Club sponsored eight students to attend the Rotary Life Leadership Conference, from June th at Camp Kettunen in Tustin, Michigan. They delivered some very enthusiastic comments about their experiences. Hillary Howard of Oakridge High School, said that the conference was a great experience. It brought a lot of great young people together to learn how to be leaders in different ways, she said. They had long lectures, group meetings and a short time to bond together with the other students outside. The moment that touched her the most was the Pennies for Polio video. Hillary said she balled her eyes out. That video opened her eyes to not be afraid. She used the quote Never be afraid to try something new. Remember amateurs built the Ark, Professionals built the Titanic. Unknown. Jessie Barker from Orchard View High School talked about how the conference helped her bond with new people and helped her figure out what she wants to do when she grows up. She thought the conference was a great experience. Courtnee Cutler from Fruitport High School never really thought of herself as a leader. She thought that you had to be very vocal to be a leader. The leadership conference taught her that she could lead by example and not by words. She also learned that leadership takes confidence and people will not follow someone without confidence. One of the counselors taught them to look in the mirror and say Man, I m good! She has gained the confidence to be a leader and to step out of her comfort zone. Allexandra Miller from Reeths-Puffer said that her whole life she s had ideas of doing great things but never had the tools to get started. The conference showed her the way to get started and gave her new ideas to be a great leader. Allix was inspired by all the other kids and their ideas and motivation. Larry Daniel from Muskegon Catholic Central learned that you had to have responsibility to be a leader. He enjoyed meeting a lot of different people, and people from different countries. He said it was fun to get to know and have lasting relationships with so many different students. He thought that it would be good to have the experience of the conference when he goes off to college and he will have to meet other people there. Molly Christophersen from Muskegon High School just had reconstructive surgery on her ACL. She is an active athlete and a drum major at her school, and she is struggling with not being able to lead her teams on the field. She has always been the one to lead by example and, now that her injury is preventing her from performing, she has to lead in other ways. The conference taught her that she can also lead by teaching and talking to her teammates instead of leading them by action. She has learned responsibility from the conference and that you have to follow through on what you say you are going to do. All six students said they gained a wealth of knowledge from the Life Leadership Conference, and are thankful to Muskegon Rotary for selecting them to go to Tustin Tony Johnson. The Life Leadership program group is (front row, from left) Hilary Howard, Molly Christophersen, Jessie Barker, (back row, from left), Brianna Scott, Larry Daniel. Courtnee Cutler, Allix Miller and John Noling. Brianna and John are LLC advisors. Missing are conferees Omar Stewart Jr., and Rodney Sims

10 Page 10 CLUB ATTENDANCE

11 Page 11 How is your club doing? The District Directory is now available to view and print. Visit the District website at to download your copy Kathy Hegedus Administrative Assistant 214 S. Beacon Blvd. Grand Haven, MI Phone: Fax: