AUGUST 1996
ON THE CHUCK WAGON
As of this writing I have visited a total of twenty-three of the fifty-six clubs in District 6420 so my magic number is down to thirty-three. I find it quite amazing what the clubs in our district are doing in all four avenues of service, but especially in community service. Rotary is indeed a vital organization to many of our communities. Some clubs do better than others in letting the community know what great things they are doing. I think we are still often the best kept secret around. I was especially impressed with the new Rotary Park in Peru. This was an old park in the center of Peru which had been long neglected by the city. Rotarians restored the civil war statue in the center of the park and began a tree planting project to beautify the area. Recently the city council renamed the old park, Rotary Park, and it will soon sprout Rotary signs. What great visibility for that club. I was informed that the Rock Falls club also has a Rotary Park complete with playground equipment.
Two clubs of those that I have visited sang the international theme song, "Build the Future with Action and Vision." It is very singable, unlike last years song which wound up in a version of Old MacDonald at Ben's district conference. I didn't challenge the clubs to sing the new one since it is pretty easy. Both the words and music were written by Celia Giay, wife of the international president. If you are a singing club and haven't used it, give it a try. You might just impress the district governor.
The Twin Cities Sunrise club was the most improved club in Rotary Foundation support last year, having gone from several years in the fourth quarter to number four in the district. Congratulations. Keep up the good work.
Several clubs have asked what the district World Community Service project is going to be. The district committee will be meeting shortly to make that decision, and I will inform you of that in my September newsletter. In the meantime I would hope that you would put some money in your budget to help support the district project, whatever it turns out to be. We did a great job with the clean water wells last year. And I am sure the new project will be as appealing to the clubs as that one was.
Jane and I are gearing up to attend the annual Zone Institute later this month. This year it is being held close to home in Skokie and Evanston. It is a great program and offers a chance for a reunion of past district governors. Prior to the regular meetings there is a two day training session for incoming governors. 1997-98 Governor Nominee, Dr. Ray Den Adel will be attending that session. He will later in March attend the International Institute in Anaheim, California to work with all of the incoming governors of the world and the incoming president of R. I.
ATTENTION ALL CLUB SECRETARIES
One of the club secretary's jobs is to report the club's membership and attendance figures for the previous month to the District Governor. Cards were included for this purpose in the Club Secretary's Manual which was given to club President's Elect at the P.E.T.S. meeting last March. If you have lost yours, call the order desk at R. I. and ask for some more. The governor must receive this report by the 10th of the following month in order to get it into his monthly newsletter. You can either mail it or fax it, but if you don't like getting a call from your governor in the middle of the night, get it in on time. Before too long we should be able to record those figures online on our district BBS. At that point, if you are a computer nerd with a modem, you won't need the cards anymore. In the meantime, I still need the hard copy reports. The report includes: total membership at the end of the month, attendance percentage for the month, and the number of meetings held.
NOW IS THE TIME TO REGISTER FOR THE 1997
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION IN GLASGOW
Don't wait until it is too late. Many Rotarians who sent in their registrations as early as December last year were disappointed to find out that there was no more housing available in the immediate area of Calgary. Some had to commute from as far away as Banff, some eighty miles away. Having previously attended nine international conventions, I have seen this become an increasing problem. The European conventions are especially well attended. There were 34,000 Rotarians in Nice last year. If you send in your registration form now, you can be assured accommodations. If your plans change, you can always apply for a refund up to a month before the convention.
Registration forms can be obtained from the Order Desk at R. I. which should be sent to R. I. with your check for the registration and housing deposit. The convention will take place in Glasgow, Scotland June 15 - 18, 1997.
DISTRICT COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS SEVEN
FOR TWO AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The district Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships Committee met in Dixon on Saturday, July 27. There they conducted the annual interviews for two scholarships for study in the 1997-98 school year in a foreign university. There was a total of seven candidates from six Rotary clubs in the district for the scholarships which are worth up to $22,000 each. District committee chair, Ralph Egeland from Marseilles, stated again that it is too bad there aren't more scholarships available since we always have many fine candidates. We also would like to see more district clubs submit candidates for this great program. New applications will be available in December.
The number of scholarships available is determined by the amount contributed to the Foundation by district Rotarians two years prior to the awarding of the scholarships. The district committee sends its nominations to the trustees of the Rotary Foundation for their approval. The announcement of the winners of this year's competition should be made in the November newsletter.
FOUNDATION GIVING TOPS 1995-96 GOAL
Rotarians in District 6420 were very generous in their giving to the Rotary Foundation in the 1995-96 Rotary year. PDG Ben Litherland had established $75,000 as the goal for the year. The final figures are in, and the district contributed a total of $89,537.35 from July 1, 1995 through June 30, 1996. Congratulations are certainly in order, especially to the top three clubs in the district; Morrison with a per capita of $6,150, Rochelle with $253, and Oregon with $171. The Twin Cities Sunrise club, the most improved club in the district, came in fourth with $152, after having been in the bottom quarter for the previous three years. This great year in Foundation support will enable us to do more in Foundation programs in the 1998-99 Rotary year.
Funds given to the annual programs of the Rotary Foundation are invested for three years before they are spent on programs. The income from that period of investment is what is used to administer the programs of the Foundation. Every penny of what we give as Paul Harris Fellows and Sustaining Members is used for programs of the Foundation. The district is allowed to designate through the Foundation's SHARE program where 60% of those funds will be used. We have traditionally in this district put those funds to use for Ambassadorial Scholarships. Every district in the world receives one Group Study Exchange regardless of the amount contributed to the Foundation. This is part of the 40% used at the discretion of the Rotary Foundation Trustees. Other programs funded out of their 40% include 3-H, Polio Plus, Matching Grants, and the various other educational and humanitarian programs.
CARMICHAEL ASSUMES POST
PDG Len Carmichael of Rochelle has been named the district chairman for major gifts to the Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund, and he will be attending a special conference at world headquarters in Evanston this month to learn how this campaign will operate. He is being assisted in this effort by PDG Kent Mallquist from Rockford. The Rotary Foundation is hoping to build this fund to $200 million by our anniversary year 2005. I am sure we will be learning more about this initiative when Len returns from this training session. We have already had a number of major gifts of $10,000 or more in our district.
TWO NEW ROTARY CLUBS IN THE MAKING
Two new clubs are on the horizon for District 6420. PDG Stu Smith has done a great job as chair of the District Extension Committee. The Belvidere Bright Horizons Club is still a provisional club but is rapidly approaching charter strength of 25 members. The club is sponsored by the Belvidere Rotary Club , and the secretary of that club , Dr. Richard Sandberg has been very instrumental in the establishment of the Bright Horizons Club. They meet Thursday mornings at 7:00 A.M. at the Steam Plant Restaurant in Belvidere. Dr. Sandberg is hoping to have this club at charter strength by the end of this month. Rotarians can make up meetings at provisional clubs.
Our newest provisional club is the Fulton Provisional Rotary Club. This club is sponsored by the Morrison Rotary Club, and its organization is being spearheaded by the Fulton Chief of Police, Harvey Meade, who is a past president of another Rotary Club. The Fulton club meets on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 A.M. at the Cattail Park Facility. We wish the Fulton people much success as they pursue the membership requirements for admission into Rotary International as an official Rotary Club.
The District Governor is looking forward to being able to present charters to both of these provisional clubs before the end of this Rotary year. Special thanks go to PDG Stu for his efforts. If you feel that there is an opportunity for the expansion of Rotary in your area, either through shared territory or in new territory, Stu has the information you need and would love to hear from you.
CALLING ALL CLUBS AND
PAST DISTRICT GOVERNORS OF DISTRICT 6420
At the District Conference on April 25, 1997 the District will elect a representative and an alternate to the next Council on Legislation, which is tentatively scheduled for 12-16 January 1998 in Delhi, India. As Governor of District 6420, I hereby issue the call for nominations from the clubs of District 6420 for a past district governor to serve in this role. Rotarians should not serve more than twice in succession as representatives to the Council on Legislation.
Full information about the qualifications and duties of the representatives and the procedures for his or her nomination and election can be found in the RI Bylaws, sections 8.0101.1, 8.020, 8.030, 8.050, 8.060, and 8.070.
Consult the Manual of Procedure for these Bylaws.
The RI Bylaws provide that, during the year in which the council meets, each club must pay an additional per capita dues of $1 to provide for the representative's travel, lodging and meal expenses incurred in attending the meeting of the Council (RI Bylaws 17.030.2). This means that unless the District Assembly establishes a higher rate, the district per capita dues rate for 1997-98 will be $12 per capita. The 1995-96 District Assembly established an Ad Hoc Committee to study district finances and report to the 1997 District Finance Committee and District Assembly on the future financial picture of District 6420.
NEW ROTARIANS SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER
WELCOME TO ROTARY!!!!!
GALENA
Vickie Grafton Melvin
HARVARD
Genelle Groh Mark
LASALLE ROTARY CLUB
Dianne Anderson
ROCKFORD EAST/CHERRY VALLEY
Mike Winters Kim
Charles H. Cooper, DDS
Barbara Huffman
Rev. David Meggers Jeanette
STERLING
David Scherer Lynn
Thomas A. Mulford Christy
TOLUCA
Edward Conroy
ADDITIONAL CHANGES OR CORRECTIONS TO THE
1996-97 DISTRICT DIRECTORY
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CHANGE MEETING TIME - DEKALB ROTARY CLUB
Monday 5:45 P.M. Matthew Boone's Restaurant
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GENOA-KINGSTON - NEW MEETING PLACE
Thursday 12:00 P.M. Genoa Family Restaurant
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NORTHERN WINNEBAGO COUNTY ROTARY CLUB - NEW PRESIDENT
Marilyn Hartley
50 Smith Lane
South Beloit, IL 61080
Res: (815) 389-2929
Bus: (815) 389-3023
Fax: (815) 389-1684
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ROCK ISLAND ROTARY CLUB - CHANGE ADDRESS/PHONE OF PRESIDENT
D. Sean Finch
2630 Arlington Avenue
Davenport , IA 52803
Res: (319) 323-5671
Bus: (309) 794-2521
Fax: (309) 794-2515