Public Relations Newsletter District 6420
May 1997
Golf in the District
Oregon - May 17 1:00 PM Oregon Country Club.
Cost $75 contact Hollie Guist (815) 732-6101 B (815) 734-6393 H
Proceeds go to community charities
Freeport Sunrise - June 14 Park Hills Golf Course
contact Doug Mason (815) 232 8015 B (815) 235 7160 H (815) 235
1376 Fax
Belvidere - Jun 9 11:45 AM Bel-Mar Country Club
Cost $60 contact Lynn Mortenson (815) 547 5307 B (815) 547 5176 H
Membership Development & Retention.
Recruit parents of Ambassador Scholars
Recruit people who have hosted exchange students
Appoint new members to a committee immediately
Special Rotary Observances
In the annual Rotary calendar several months are designated to
emphasize major programs of Rotary International.
January is Rotary Awareness Month. This is a time to expand
knowledge of Rotary and its activities among our membership and
through the community.
February is designated as World Understanding Month. This
month was chosen because it includes the birthday of Rotary
International, February 23. During the month, Rotary clubs are
urged to present programs which promote international
understanding and goodwill, as well as launch World Community
Service projects in other parts of the world.
April is set aside as Rotary's Magazine Month. Throughout
the month, clubs arrange programs and activities which promote
the reading and use of THE ROTARIAN magazine and the official
regional magazines of Rotary.
August is Membership and Extension Month, a time to focus on
Rotary's continuing need for growth, to seek new members and form
new clubs.
September is Youth Activities Month. Rotary clubs of the
world give special emphasis to the many Rotary-sponsored programs
which serve children and young people. During this month many
clubs give increased attention to youth exchange activities.
October is Vocational Service Month. During this period,
clubs highlight the importance of the business and professional
life of each Rotarian. Special activities promote the vocational
avenue of service.
November is selected to be Rotary Foundation Month. Clubs
and districts call attention to the programs of The Rotary
Foundation and frequently cultivate additional financial support
for the Foundation by promoting contributions for Benefactors,
Paul Harris Fellows and Sustaining Members.
Each of these special months serve to elevate the awareness among
Rotarians of some of the excellent programs of service which
occur within the world of Rotary.
At the Annual Conference in Rochelle, DG Chuck Engel
was busy presenting literacy awards...28 of them.
District Governor's Club Achievement
Award for Literacy
Under 25 Members:
Rock Falls club works with Project VITAL (Volunteers in Teaching
Adult Literacy) to meet local literacy needs, and they raised
several thousand dollars for the library.
Valley Sunrise club provides financial support and
volunteer service, including family night leadership, for The
Literacy COnnection which tutors at-risk children.
25 to 50 members: Walnut
Rotary provides financial support for Sauk Valley Community
COllege Reading COuncil, and they buy books for Christmas Food
baskets. Also, several Rotarians and spouses volunteer as tutors.
50 to 100 members: Henry Club
has 15 non-teacher Rotarians who read to K-3 students during
Favorite Book Week. Three members read to students each week; and
the club sponsored a program to train literacy tutors.
Over 100 members: Moline
Rotary provides financial support to The Literacy Connection
(TLC); two members represent the Club on TLC' steering committee.
Two other Rotarians are volunteer tutors foe at-risk students.
Outstanding Individual Literacy Service
or Leadership
Judy Anders, Literacy contact of Walnut Rotary, was
recognized for leading club activities which resulted in
Rotarians and spouses volunteering as tutors for adults.
Pamela Erby, Rock Falls' literacy contact, was cited
for leadership in organizing an annual "Calendar Party"
which unites service and fraternal organizations and businesses
in raising many thousands of dollars for a new library.
Krista Rittenhouse, literacy contact of Valley Sunrise
is a committed volunteer leader at "Family Nights" for
The Literacy Connection.
Donna Rowe, as Henry's literacy contact, continues
what began as a Rotarians reading stories to elementary school
children in 1995, and she led the club in sponsoring a project to
train adult literacy tutors.
Van Wasson, a Moline Rotarian and retired utilities
company executive, received remedial reading help as a child. He
was recognized for providing similar assistance to others by
tutoring at-risk students through The Literacy Connection.
In addition to having literacy speakers, these clubs
were recognized for their good starts on literacy projects:
Dixon Rotarians volunteer at Sauk Valley College
Project VITAL.
Geneseo club supported a library referendum and is
committed to help the high school Literacy Magazine and their new
alternative school.
Loves Park ROtary provides financial and volunteer
support for Rockford Area Literacy Council (RALC)
Ottawa Sunrise provides financial support and donates
reading materials to I-READ program.
Pecatonica Rotary's activities include the literacy
contact volunteering for the library's weekly Story Hour and
"Let's Read" column for local newspaper.
Rockford Rotarians volunteer at "100 Men Who
Cook" fund raiser for RALC; and they help fund an English
class for new immigrants.
Literacy Provider Awards
Several Clubs nominated non-profit literacy service
providers for Rotary's recognition in their local communities.
Project VITAL at Dixon Correctional Center was nominated by Dixon
Rotary. Highland community College's Literacy Program for
Northwest Illinois was nominated by Galena Rotary. The
Loves Park club nominated Rockford Literacy COuncil. The I-READ
Literacy Program at Illinois Valley Community College was
nominated by Peru Rotary. Sandwich District Library was
recommended for the award by Sandwich Rotary Club. Literacy
Program of Highland COmmunity COllege at Savanna Public Library
was nominated by Savanna ROtary. Project VITAL of Sauk Valley
Community College was nominated by two Rotary clubs:
Sterling Noon and Twin Cities Sunrise.
The clubs who nominated the above local literacy
service providers will have arranged for public recognition and
publicity of their services to their communities