May is here! We have a lot going on in the District. Clubs are busy with their fundraisers and finishing up their service projects. Everyone is making the push to finish out this Rotary year strong and train the new leaders to do more than we did this year.
Rotary's theme for May is Youth Service Month, Rotary's annual celebration of all the ways in which we support young people to fully explore and develop who they are and what they have to offer this world. Young people are our future and the future of Rotary. Rotary International President, Barry Rassin Says, "Everywhere I go, I meet people of all ages whose lives have been changed by our youth programs. They tell me how, five or 15 or 25 years ago, Rotary Youth Exchange taught them a new language or introduced them to a new culture. Their eyes light up when they talk about how New Generations Service Exchange helped them advance in their career, or about how membership in Rotaract first ignited their passion for giving back to the community". It is fitting that this year's Council on Legislation elevated Rotaract clubs to the same level as Rotary Clubs. The change broadens the definition of membership in Rotary International to include Rotaract clubs, and is intended to increase the support that Rotaract clubs receive from RI and to enhance their ability to serve. Of course, much more was done during this year's Council on Legislation. To learn more about what happened, CLICK HERE for more on this year's COL.
Last week we celebrated Rotary at our District Conference! It was a wonderful weekend shared with Rotarians from five (5) districts representing all of Massachusetts, all of Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, Southern Vermont, and Northern Connecticut. We started out last Friday with our celebration of Paul Harris and The Rotary Foundation, followed by our annual business meeting of the clubs, a gala dinner dance, and Saturday's Game of Throneless interactive focus on homelessness. CLICK HERE for more on the District Conference.
In other District news, the District Rotary Foundation Scholarship Subcommittee awarded a $35,000 Morley scholarship to O'Mara Taylor of Wayland for her graduate studies at Oxford University! CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT O'MARA AND THE MORLEY SCHOLARSHIP. Congratulations to O'Mara.
Lastly, there are four reminders for our clubs: 1) Please update your 2019-20 Officers and Directors in ClubRunner. The District Directory is being prepared and we want your most current information in this Directory. Please contact your assistant Governor if you are not sure how to update your information; 2) Please start filling out the club planning guide and get it ready to submit on July 1. Your club members worked hard this year, and it is important to give them the recognition they deserve. This planning guide serves as the basis for District recognitions. DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE; 3) Save the Date of June 18, 2019 for District Governor Elect Pam Anastasi's Installation Celebration!l and 4) Save the Date of July 31, 2019 for the District Awards Dinner!
What a weekend; what a conference! Those who attended had a fantastic time mingling not only with clubs in our District, but with Rotarians from clubs in all of the Rotary districts that surround District 7910!!!
We started off with the Paul Harris Luncheon (with about 200 Rotarians) and heard presentations of the significant Rotary Foundation funded projects in each of the Districts. District 7910 highlighted the Guatemala Stove Project, and we also heard about a vocational training team trip to Cape Town, South Africa, and the Safe Passage project in Guatemala. Jorge Yarzebski from the Westborough Club was presented with the Ed Hall Rotary Foundation Award. Click here for more information on Jorge's award!
The annual meeting of the clubs followed the luncheon. Reports of the Membership, Foundation, Youth, Assessment, and Nomination Committees were presented, as were the Secretary's and Treasurer's reports. New resolutions were adopted, and the meeting concluded in time for Rotarians to partake in some refreshments before dinner.
PDG Jim Fusco was awarded the 2018-19 Rotarian of the Year Award at the District Conference by DG Steve! Everyone knows the tireless effort Jim makes to help the clubs and the district, and this year he went above and beyond the call of duty. Among other things, Jim stepped into the role of Interim Treasurer for the District, chaired the District Resolutions Committee, was instrumental in guiding the DG, DGE, DGN and DGND in ways to help our clubs and promote Rotary, and has been involved in initiatives to connect Rotary clubs with local chambers and their leadership programs. Please join me in congratulating Jim Fusco!
Congratulations to Westborough Rotarian Jorge Yarzebski, the 2018-19 recipient of the Ed Hall Outstanding Foundation Achievement Award! Jorge was recognized at the District Conference for the numerous efforts to better the world through the Rotary Foundation. Jorge has been involved with at least seven (7) Global Grants or their predecessor Matching Grants, including being one of the founders of the Global Emergency Medicine Initiative ("GEMINI"). The GEMINI project trains doctors and first responders in basic emergency medicine techniques, cardiac life support, advanced cardiac life support, and disaster training using a "train the trainer" model. The project started in Guatemala but has expanded to six (6) other countries and resulted in an ongoing partnership between UMass Medical School and the medical school in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala! Jorge was also instrumental in obtaining the Global Grant to install stoves in Guatemala this year and managing the project! The Ed Hall Outstanding Foundation Achievement Award, named in honor of Past District Governor Ed Hall, is given to a District 7910 Rotarian who has shared unselfishly of his time, talent, and treasure, through the Rotary Foundation, to make the world a better place of all humanity. Jorge is only the second recipient of this award in D7910 history!
Rotary District 7910 is pleased to announce that O'Mara Taylor of Wayland is the recipient of the $ 35K, 2019 David & Eleanor Morley Endowed Global Grant Scholarship. Sponsored by Framingham Rotary, O'Mara is a graduate of Vassar College. She plans to spend the 2019-2020 academic year in graduate studies at the Saïd Business School of Oxford University. Her Rotary Area of Focus is Maternal & Child Health.
O'Mara is excited to be selected for this year's scholarship: “I am thrilled and very grateful to have been awarded the Morley Endowed Global Grant Scholarship. I am eager to begin my studies, and look forward to cultivating a strong relationship with Rotary both here and abroad. Thank you for your generous support!” We have no doubt that O'Mara will make a huge impact on the world when she completes her studies. She will be hosted by a Rotary club in Oxford, England.
The Morley Scholarship is unique to D7910. Established in 2002 by a generous WPI graduate and Rotarian, the Scholarship is awarded to qualified candidates residing in one of the 117 cities and towns inside Rotary District 7910. The Scholarship is awarded by the Rotary District 7910 Rotary Foundation Committee, and the endowment is managed by The Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund O'Mara is the 7th recipient of the Morley Scholarship. Generally the scholarship is awarded every other year, depending on performance of the endowed fund and the qualifications of the applicants.
Our sincerest congratulations and best wishes to O'Mara Taylor!
Every three years, representatives from Rotary districts around the world meet in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to consider changes to the constitutional documents that govern Rotary International. This year’s Council considered more than 100 proposals. The representatives -- one from each Rotary district -- review and vote on proposals that seek to change Rotary's constitutional documents and on resolutions that express an opinion or make a recommendation to the Rotary International Board of Directors. Carol Toomey attended on behalf of District 7910 and filed this report.
We are rapidly approaching the end of the year for our Rotary Foundation Annual Fund contributions.
I know that many of you intend to make a gift and have a consistent history of contributing annually, but perhaps you just haven’t gotten around to it yet! The end of this Rotary year is right around the corner, and I urge you to consider making a gift to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. I am confident that you know how we change lives with projects we do, both locally and internationally. Remember the gift that you make to the Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund eventually comes back and helps us fund Club projects with Global and District Grants that continue to promote good will and outstanding results.
As Rotarians, we are all probably aware that people generally give to non-profit charities for a few simple reasons. We give because we are passionate and believe in the cause. We donate because we can end up seeing the positive impact our gifts produce. And we give because we can and also because we are asked to contribute! So please consider making your contribution to the Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund by the end of June. Actually you don’t need to wait - do it now while you are thinking about it!
You can also short cut the process and make sure you and your club are credited with your contributions immediately by donating through Rotary Direct. CLICK HERE TO DONATE THROUGH ROTARY DIRECT!
Recently, our District 7910 became involved with the RFE program. RFE is an international exchange program for Rotary members and friends that allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs. Participants may travel as individuals, couples, families, or groups, and may be Rotary members or not.
Angels Answer Inc is an emergency food and relief agency for children, families, senior citizens, veterans, and pets, serving Central and Western Massachusetts, and food insecurity needs in locations around the world. We incorporated in 2012, just after the tornadoes roared through the Monson and Brimfield areas. We were called "The Food Angels", and we provided thousands of dollars worth of food to help displaced residents. We filled brown bags for construction workers, and supported local churches that served as temporary food pantries for area residents.
Thus our passion for service, and our reason for becoming members of Rotary International and our local Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of the Brookfields, who proudly stand behind and promote the Rotary motto of Service Above Self in everything they do. It was a perfect fit. We thrive on Rotary's mission to reach out to those less fortunate, to our youth and everyone in need around the world.
The next trip to Moca, Puerto Rico is scheduled for May 16-20, and volunteers are needed. The project, funded by a Rotary Foundation District Grant, partners with three Rotary clubs in the Moca area, and delivers approximately $20,000 worth of items to replace articles destroyed by Hurricane Maria, including beds, mattresses, washing machines, refrigerators and stoves. There are spaces available for volunteers to help. Please contact Gary Hough as soon as possible if you are interested in this mission. Gary can be reached at 508-335-5336 or holdenhunt@aol.com. Read the continuation for more information.
Want to test your Rotary knowledge? Need a resource for new member orientation? Rotary Basics is now an online course that introduces Rotary in an interactive, multimedia format.
In this new Learning Center course, you can read about members around the world, learn about our values and causes, watch videos, and deepen your understanding of Rotary. You can also take a quiz to test your Rotary knowledge.
The course was designed for new members, but it’s also a great refresher for other members or even an overview for nonmembers who want to know what Rotary is all about.
Rotary World Peace Conference 2020 will be held in Ontario, California, USA on January 17 and 18, 2020. Rotary International President Elect Mark Maloney will be opening the conference.
The mission of the Rotary World Peace Conference 2020 is to bring together experts with solutions to major issues that are occurring in our personal lives, homes, schools, businesses, and communities around the world. Leaders from health care, academia, government, public safety, religions, business, and communities are invited to meet together and to share the solutions presented by experts. The format will allow for action plans to be developed such that real and measurable actions can be undertaken when attendees return home. In addition, the conference will showcase learning and positive change that have occurred in the four years, since the Rotary World Peace Conference 2016.
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Angels Answer Inc is an emergency food and relief agency for children, families, senior citizens, veterans, and pets, serving Central and Western Massachusetts, and food insecurity needs in locations around the world. We incorporated in 2012, just after the tornadoes roared through the Monson and Brimfield areas. We were called "The Food Angels", and we provided thousands of dollars worth of food to help displaced residents. We filled brown bags for construction workers, and supported local churches that served as temporary food pantries for area residents..png?_=636930975298345989)
