11-11-11 Party Rotary Foundation Banquet
Have you ever thought of becoming a Benefactor, a Bequest Society member, a Paul Harris Society member, or a Major Donor, but was not quite sure what was required of you? Well, come to the 11-11-11 Party and Carl Chinnery (lovingly known as Dr. Seuss) will tell you all about how easy it is to become one. In fact, if you want to sign up that night, you will be invited to an Afterglow Party where there will be surprises and prizes. Come have fun with us that evening. Enjoy a delicious dinner in an exquisite setting at the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. Spend the night in one of the most elegant hotels in Missouri for a really good rate. What a date night this would be. Impress your spouse and celebrate the District that was number two in Annual Fund giving and number three in Polio contributions in our Zone. We have a lot to be proud about and we hope to do even better with the Permanent Fund at the Afterglow Party. Go to DaCdb right now and sign up to join this great party. See you at the Lake soon.
The Rotary Foundation
By Dick Mazanec, Assistant District Governor, Rolla Breakfast Club
November is The Rotary Foundation Month.
What is The Foundation?
Why should I contribute?
It is half of the Presidential Citation Award.
In 1917, RI President Arch C. Klumph proposed that an endowment be set up “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, when the endowment fund had grown to more than $5,000, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.
In 1947 the first Foundation program – the forerunner of Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships – was established. In 1965-66, three new programs were launched: Group Study Exchange , Awards for Technical Training, and Grants for Activities in Keeping with the Objective of The Rotary Foundation, which was later called Matching Grants . Many other programs have since been added. Opportunities are offered to provide clean-water wells in Africa, food, clothing and shelter for those starving and no place to call “home”, medical supplies, world peace and understanding – the list is endless.
By contributing to The Foundation you insure that these worldwide programs continue. To help you do this you open a Paul Harris Sustaining Member Account and donate $100 per year, or more. When you reach the $1,000 plateau you are eligible to become a Paul Harris Fellow. This is not the end of your journey, only recognition of your contributions. As you continue to give you become a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow. There is no limit to the amount you may contribute. There is also The Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund where only the interest earned is used.
The Presidential Citation Award for 2011-12 is stressing the importance of both membership and continued support of The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation requirements are:
- 100% Annual Programs Fund participation (every active member personally contributes some amount between July 1, 2011 and March 31, 2012).
- $100 minimum per capita in club contributions to Annual Programs Fund.
These actions and criteria support the priorities and goals identified within the RI Strategic Plan: strengthen clubs, increase humanitarian service and enhance public image.
Clubs must submit their results to the district governor no later than April 6, 2012.
Everette Wood calls it “My foundation”, “Your foundation”. EVERY dollar you invest in The Rotary Foundation is spent on Rotary programs. I contribute because it makes me feel good deep down inside.
Try It – You will like it.
For more information about The Rotary Foundation go to www.rotary.org and enter The Rotary Foundation in the SEARCH box.
Announcements
New AG for Rolla Area for 2012-2015:
I am pleased to announce that George W. Zobrist of the Rolla Breakfast Rotary Club has agreed to serve as Assistant Governor (AG) for District 6080, serving the clubs of Pulaski County, Rolla, Rolla Breakfast and Salem for the coming year. His term officially begins July 1, 2012, though he will be attending leadership meetings prior to that time in order to prepare.
I look forward to working with George and the rest of the team in the coming year.
Mark Pearce
Governor 2012-13
Rotary District 6080
New District Foundation Chair for 2012-2013
I am pleased to announce that Past District Governor Raymond Plue has agreed to serve as Foundation Chair for District 6080 for 2012-13 and for the following 3-year term.
Those who attended the Zones 30 & 31 Conference in St. Louis know that District 6080 did extremely well in foundation giving during Raymond’s 2010-11 administration, and he has a real affection for the works of the Rotary Foundation.
Those attending the Zone Conference might also forgive Raymond’s alter-ego, a persona that regularly compels him to dress in an all-white suit and unruly wig.
I hope you’ll all join me in welcoming Raymond to this important position, which begins July 1, 2012.
Mark Pearce
Governor 2012-13
Rotary District 6080
Rotary Calendar
November: Rotary Foundation
GSE Team Member applications deadline: November 1, 2011
The Rotary Foundation Banquet: November 11, 2011
Youth Exchange full applications for 2011-2012 due: November 11, 2011
Youth Exchange Inbound Second Orientation: November 12-13, 2011
Form 990 for Rotary clubs due to IRS: November 15, 2011
Youth Exchange Outbound Interviews: November 19, 2011
Hold Rotary Club officer elections for 2012-2013 in your club
December: Family
GSE Team Member Interviews: December 3, 2011
Youth Exchange Outbound First Orientation: December 3, 2011
Submit 2012-2013 Club officers’ data to Rotary International: December 31, 2011
Ambassadorial Scholar applications for 2013-2014 available on RI website
November Inspiration: Choose to be a Pilgrim for Your Club
Rita Esterly, District Governor
When the pilgrims came to America, they had a vision of a land that could give them an opportunity that they could not have if they stayed where they were. They were seekers. They sought change only because they had an idea of what benefits the change could bring to them. This month I would like to talk to you about being a pilgrim in your club.
To be a pilgrim, four things are necessary: discontentment, vision, courage, and energy. Pilgrims would not seek unless they were discontent with the current situation. Pilgrims would not know where to begin without a vision. Pilgrims would not even start without courage. Pilgrims would not get anywhere without energy and enthusiasm. In combination this is the formula for being a pilgrim in your club. Let’s go over each step.
First, being content is a very peaceful feeling. Contentment, however, does not equate with progress. Change does not happen during a period of contentment. Not that we do not need contentment at times in our clubs because we do. If contentment lasts a long time, just don’t count on there being much progress.
What do I mean by progress? I mean development, innovation, advancement, and achieving goals. For example, if you are content with your club fund raising project that profits you $3000 per year, then you will never raise $5000 or $10,000. It is only when someone gets discontent and discerns that your club can raise more that you do. I remember that I was extremely discontent with my club’s art auction that we had been doing way before I became a member. We raised $6000 dollars of which $3200 was from purchasing our own tickets and giving money for appetizers to serve at the auction. Our true profit was only $1800. The art distributor took the other $21,000 home with him. When I brought this matter to the board, they decided to find a new project. That year we did a car drawing. A ticket of $100 gave you a chance to win a red mustang convertible. We made $25,000 profit that year for our community service projects. Because I was discontent, it created a decision to change our fund raising project and we made more funds to do more good for people in our community.
The whole point here is that when you become discontent, welcome it and embrace it. Discontentment gives you the opportunity to change. When you change, you develop, move forward, improve, advance, become innovative, and reach goals. So look around your club and find something that you are currently discontent about.
The next step is to vision how your club could be with a change in that area. What would happen if your club dreamed of a new fund raising project that made your club more money? The committee in my club dreamed big and they tripled the amount of money that was raised to do service projects in the community. Another example is a club in Thayer-Mammoth Springs that decided a community garden would help people grow their own produce. They had a vision of plots of land where people could prepare the ground, plant the seeds, and watch their crops grow. They worked hard to make this dream come true and now they have a flourishing community garden (see photos on Rotary6080 Facebook page).
This is where your creative nature takes over. You need to have a dream and visualize it. Unless you can see it happening, you don’t know where to start to create the change or suggest the new idea. So dream big. Anything is possible.
Once you have a vision, the third step is to have the courage to make it happen. It takes courage to challenge the way your club has done something for years. It takes courage to improve. It takes courage to progress. It takes courage to change. It takes courage to develop new ways of being a dynamic, innovative club.
One of the best ways to have courage is to find two other people that can help advocate for the change. One person with a great idea can be dismissed easily, but three people make a movement. Build your courage by saying to yourself, “I can do this. I can be a pilgrim for my club.” When you positively affirm that you are choosing to help stimulate a change in your club, then your mind is prepared to go out and seek others who will join you in your journey to make changes in your club. Keep saying these two positive sentences as you take the final step.
The last step is to develop the energy and enthusiasm you need to make the change happen. Energy comes when you search, ask, attempt, and strive. As you search for a new fund raising idea, ask other clubs in your district what they do to raise money. Look at the new ideas clubs are sharing on the Rotary6080 Facebook page or from other clubs’ Facebook pages. Gather great ideas from the District Website (rotary6080.org) or from the websites of others clubs in the district. New ideas stimulate you and create the motivation and enthusiasm that is needed to strive to effect a change in your club.
In each of these scenarios, you are setting your mind to strive to create change in your club. Then you are actively taking steps to make the change happen. By doing these things you generate enthusiasm and with enthusiasm comes energy. When you develop energy, you then have the power to change the old and welcome the new ideas that will help your club be dynamic, innovative, and creative.
What if your club doesn’t change? What if you continue to be content and ignore the call for change? Well, because of your club’s determination to hang on to the old ideas, you may not attract new members. Because of your club’s attitude that we have always done it that way, you may not raise greater funds to do more good for people in the world.
So you can choose to be a pilgrim for your club or not. When you are confronted with discontentment, you can choose to welcome and embrace it. When you welcome discontentment, you have the opportunity to vision. When you vision, you know where you are going and can then muster up the courage to develop some energy. When you get energized, you have the power to make changes. When you help your club change, you have created additional benefits for your club by getting more members or raising more funds to do more good for people in the world. So choose to be a pilgrim for your club.
Andre Gide stated, “We cannot discover new oceans unless we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” I challenge each of you to risk to lose sight of those things that keep you on the shore and I dare you to help your club create a vision that will empower your members to “reach within to embrace humanity.”