Mexicali School Supplies attendend on Friday 9/6 - We met and jumped in with the Club Calafia members and several Yuma Rotary Club members, visiting 4 schools and passing out school supplies to 3-400 students. The look on their faces, especially the youngest, really makes you feel good. The teachers and administrators all were very gracious, helpful and thankful for the help. A fun project of the Club Calafia and Yuma Rotary, they have been doing this for about 16 years. Wonderful fellowship, good time, good service followed by good food. Thanks to the other clubs for allowing us to participate.
A-Act Now……..B-Be the Change……C-Connect with Rotary…..and have fun along the way
· Mark your calendar, Presidents-Elect. Southwest Rotary PETS registration opens today, 2019. SW Rotary PETS will take place at LA Airport Marriott on Feb. 7-9, 2020. https://southwestrotarypets.org/reg/ Details will be forthcoming.
· Our good neighbor to the north of us, District 5495, is holding its 2nd annual Pursuing Peace Conference on September 20, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Rio Vista Rec Center, Peoria, AZ. The program, JUSTICE – PREREQUISITE FOR PEACE, will examine why Justice is critical for Peace. Registration can be found at www.pursuingpeace.org.
· RYLA applications for Delegates, Junior Counselors and Adult Advisors are due November 1. Please go to our District website for application information, www.rotaryd5500.org.
· Update on District Conference Cruise! Cabin pricings are starting to increase so it’s still a good time NOW to reserve a cabin. We will be sailing from Long Beach, CA to Ensenada, Mexico,October 25th-28th. Break-out sessions and speakers will be featured on the first day of sailing. On the second day, there will be a service project in Ensenada fixing up an education center that serves special needs children. We’ll team up with local Rotarians from District 4100 and then enjoy a nice luncheon afterwards in a nearby vineyard. Reserve a cabin now by contacting Mike Sloane at Cruise Connections, 336-414-1997or mike@cruiseconnections.com. Register on www.rotaryd5500.org. Registration is free but you’ll be able to sign up for the Charter Bus ($114/pp) and the Vineyard lunch ($25). ***There is also a perfect opportunity to promote your business District-wide. The Cruise With A Cause II Conference Program will include ads of various sizes starting at just $50.00. Individuals can advertise their business. Clubs may also use this opportunity to promote a fundraiser or a service project. Choose your level and then simply submit your Word document or PDF file to Wendy Hobbs wbtucson@gmail.com along with your contact number. Contact Wendy for more information about pricing for ad sizes.
· Our first District Leadership Retreat is right around the corner! If we want Rotary to survive, our clubs have to change to grow. How do we do that? Find out on Saturday, Sept. 21st, 10am-1pm at the Habitat For Humanity branch on Mountain Ave. in Tucson. There is no charge and lunch will be served. All Presidents, AGs, PEs, and PNs are strongly encouraged to attend. Please register on our website: www.rotaryd5500.org (on the left side, click on “Training (Including PEs)". There will be links for "Leadership Retreat Registration” and “Leadership Retreat Information" which will answer many of the questions you and/or your club leaders might have.
· We are in our final days for submitting applications for our District 5500 Awards program. They are due September 15. This program was designed to recognize the accomplishments of District 5500 Rotary Clubs and was created by PDG Joe Hentges. The Awards program is being carried forward by our most recent PDG, Kirk Reed, and there are seven categories for the year 2018-2019. Clubs may apply for more than one. The application and guidelines are on our District website. Contact 2018-2019 District Awards Chair, Barbara Kiernan, at barbarakiernan@cox.net. for questions or additional information.
· Save the date for our Foundation Day events in celebration of The Rotary Foundation. On November 9th, there will be an interactive Foundation Seminar from 10 am-12 pm that will explore how Rotarians make lives better not only in our communities but around the world. There is no charge. In the evening we’ll put on jeans and cowboy boots or whatever you feel like wearing for the western-themed dinner with music at the fun roof-top entertainment center at the Playground in downtown Tucson. Festivities start at 6:30 pm. Registration is available on our website.
· Our District 5500 ‘Ride to End Polio’, part of El Tour de Tucson, is right around the corner. On November 23rd, you will find Rotarians on bikes, at aid stations, cheering riders on by supporting those who ride, and celebrating at the Finish Line Booth in downtown Tucson. This year is very special since we are a presenting sponsor and you can be sure you’ll see Rotary District 5500 on shirts, posters, and all promotional pieces! To register, please use this link: https://tinyurl.com/y5hsqdj5.
· District Governor Ellie will visit Casa Grande Rotary on September 10, Benson Rotary on September 11, and Oro Valley Rotary on September 12.
Message from Governor Ellie
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month and I’d like to take this theme in a different direction. When club president, Melissa Dunn, of Yuma Foothills Rotary was asked what her main focus was this year she said: “What I want to concentrate on is educating the community about Rotary and the things that we do in the name of Rotary. I want to bring more attention to membership and getting more people involved with the projects we do this year.”
How do we educate the community about Rotary? How do we get the community to recognize our logo and even to recognize the name Rotary? Far too many people ask: “What is Rotary?” We must build a strong BRAND, and in Vicki Puliz’s words, brand is the club experience—the Rotary Brand Experience. It’s now easier than ever to strengthen Rotary's image in your community with the user-friendly materials, tools and resources available in the Rotary Brand Center.
Our Public Image Chair, Gary Hirsch, is available for additional brand help such as brand guidelines, how to post project photos with great impact and how to create the message the club wants to share. He will also offer marketing tips. Yes, let’s educate our communities so one day our logo can be as recognizable as the swoosh in Nike.
Two of Gary’s goals for the Rotary year are:
To help clubs maintain consistency with Rotary International’s Brand Standards. This ensures that wherever we are and whatever we do, we can cement the association with Rotary International, its goals, and its accomplishments.
To ensure that the public is far more aware of what Rotary accomplishes—not to boast, but as an aid to secure members.
Please see the rest of this month’s District Newsletter for updates on the District Conference, The Ride to End Polio, RYLA, memorial services for PDG Dick Palmer, some membership best practices and some noteworthy accomplishments from some of our many great clubs throughout District 5500.
