October 1997

Public Relations  October 1997

Freeport Sunrise Rotary is busy with a variety of community

service projects.  They have special, ongoing relationship with

the Sleezer Homes,  home for disadvantaged boys and girls.  By

working with the children they are providing good role models,

something the kids have not had previously.  the children are

welcome at Rotary meetings and the club hosts a Christmas party.

The club and children recently worked together and raised $760 on

grocery bagging day.  Club Foods allows groups to bag groceries

for tips.  $250 of this money was given to the home to purchase a

CD player and music for their community living area.

And they are distributing posters to promote "Immunize for

Healthy Lives:, a joint project with Stephenson County Health

Dept, Freeport Rotary Club and McDonald's.  The purpose is to

encourage parents to immunize children under 3 years of age.

And they are making Freeport more beautiful because of Adopt a

Highway.  They get together again with the kids from the Sleezer

Homes and clean a 1 mile section of highway.  They do this 4

times a year.

The great thing about all these projects is that it does not take

money, it is an investment of time.  Sounds like time well spent.

Did you know that only 15% of all Rotarians are annual

contributors to the FOundation?  District 6420 Rotarians are

probably the same.  If every one of our 2800 Rotarians in this

District gave just $50 or $100 to the Foundation each year,

imagine what we could do to help bring about world understanding

and peace and eliminate hunger, poverty, disease and many other

problems.  And, we would open up many more markets for the

products of our farms and factories and our professional

expertise.  Do you know any Rotarian who couldn't include $50 or

$100 to the Foundation in his or her charitable hiving?

What can we do to wake us up?  When a member of the District

Rotary Foundation Promotion Committee contacts your club

president to meet with the club officers and present a program

about the Foundation at a club meeting, make the Foundation a

priority for you and your club by setting the example for the

other members and challenge them to follow you.  Let's strive to

make this Rotary year the best ever for contributions to the

Rotary Foundation.

Rotary decals for vehicles - be proud of being a Rotarian.  As

new members join, make it a part of their membership package.

Be Creative with Classifications - More than two from one

profession should not be a problem.  For example:  Realtor,

Realtor-Associate, Realtor-Broker, Realtor-Residential,

Realtor-Commercial.  Get the idea!

One of the most widely printed and quoted statements of business

ethics in the world is the Rotary "4-Way Test."  It was created

by Rotarian Herbert Taylor in 1932 when he was asked to take

charge of the Chicago based Club Aluminum Can Co., which was

facing bankruptcy.  Taylor looked for a way to save the

struggling company mired in depression-caused financial

difficulties.  he drew up a 324-word code of ethics for employees

to follow in their business and professional lives.  The 4-Way

Test became the guide fro sales, production,a,advertising and all

relations of the company with dealers and customers, and the

survival of the company was credited to this simple philosophy

Herb Taylor became president of Rotary International during

1954-55.  The 4-Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has

been translated into more than 100 languages and published in

thousands of ways.  The message should be known and followed by

all Rotarians.  Of the things we think, say, or do:

1 Is it the TRUTH.

    2 Is it FAIR to all concerned.

        3 Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS.

            4 Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned.

Governor Ray Den Adel has offered $500 to clubs that show the

greatest net membership gain between July 1, 1997 and March 30,

1998.  One club i each category, 30 members and under, and over

30 members, will be eligible to receive the award.  The money is

to offset the expenses in sending a delegate to the International

Convention in Indianapolis.

Presidents of all clubs:  Did you complete and return District

6420's "Literacy Survey - 1997/98 Club activities?  If not,

please respond promptly.  By now you should have received the

form from DG Ray Den Adel.  At a September meeting, your District

Literacy Committee stressed the need for all clubs to respond to

the annual survey.  The Committee and your District officers need

the survey information to plan and support literacy improvement

activities for District 6420.  Freeport Rotarian Jerald Watson is

coordinating the survey.

Your Literacy Committee also finalized plans to invite

applications for the District Governor's Club Achievement Awards

for Literacy.  Club presidents should have received application

forms from committee members and PDG Stu Smith of Loves Park

Rotary, and are invited to apply for the awards.  They will be

presented at the May 1998 Annual COnference in Rockford.  Your

club doesn't have a literacy project to report?  Now is the time

for presidents to appoint literacy contacts to organize literacy

activities.

Literacy Committee member and Rock Falls Rotarian Janis Card will

soon invite all clubs to submit nominations for District Literacy

Provider awards.  Clubs may nominate local, non-profit

organizations to receive the awards which recognize excellence in

addressing needs for basic literacy skills.  Provider awards will

be announced at the 1998 Annual Conference.  Clubs who nominate

winning providers will arrange local presentations and club

publicity.

"Numeracy."  It's not in Webster's Dictionary , but RI President

Glen Kinross assigned a high ROtary priority to his newly coined

word.  Just as basic literacy skills are critical for the world

and Illinois, so is "numeracy." or the ability to understand and

use basic numbers or math.  The Literacy Committee will identify

resources related to community "numeracy" needs and activities.

The committee will also emphasize workplace literacy in 1997/98.