ROTARY DISTRICT 7910 eBULLETIN - MARCH 17, 2019 (Mar 17, 2019)

DG Steve's May Message

Posted by Steven Sager on May 10, 2019

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.

At the conference two of our Rotarians were recognized for their achievements. Rotarian of the Year went to PDG Jim Fusco! CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR. The Ed Hall Outstanding Foundation Achievement Award went to Jorge Yarzebski. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON THE ED HALL FOUNDATION AWARD. Congratulations to both Jim and Jorge for their outstanding contributions to Rotary!

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!

Go Get 'Em!

Contribute to The Rotary Foundation Today!

Posted by Steven Levitsky on May 09, 2019

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!

Thank you.

.

2019 District Conference Wrap Up

Posted by Steven Sager on May 07, 2019

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.

Ed Hall Foundation Award Goes To Jorge Yarzebski

Posted by Steven Sager on May 03, 2019

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!

Rotarian of the Year - Jim Fusco

Posted by Steven Sager on May 03, 2019

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!

2019 Morley Scholarship Awarded!!

Posted by Tory De Fazio on Apr 29, 2019

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!

Rotary Basics Course Online Now

Posted on Apr 23, 2019

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.

Volunteers Needed for Next Moca Trip

Posted by Gary Hough on Apr 18, 2019

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.

DG Steve's April Message

Posted by Steven Sager on Apr 05, 2019

Welcome to April! Spring is here. Our team has returned from Guatemala on a very successful trip, and the District Conference is coming up. But first, a word about Rotary International's monthly theme for April: Maternal and Child Health. It is one of The Rotary Foundation's six (6) areas of focus. Every day mothers risk their lives giving birth and millions of children die each year from treatable, preventable causes. At least 7 million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, Rotary provides immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improves access to essential medical services, and supports trained health care providers for mothers and their children. Rotary’s projects ensure sustainability by empowering the local community to take ownership of health care training programs. More information on Rotary's work in maternal and child health is found <HERE>

Guatemala Project. While our global grant to build stoves in Guatemala focused on disease prevention, it was clear to all of us that we were impacting maternal and child health also (and saving the environment). All of our Rotarians who travelled to help install the stoves were impacted by the people we helped. The saying that when you set out to help others you end up helping yourself rang true with this trip. Some of our first time global grant participants were stunned at the squalid living conditions of the people. Others were impacted by how grateful the entire villages were with what seemed like a small act to us. I was personally impacted by a scene repeated several times during our visit. We walked into one home (typically an adobe structure with a tin roof that had one room for living (for a family of 10) and another for the cooking area. When we walked in one of the kids ran out to get their father off his job to see what we were doing. The father (or grandfather) would come rushing to the house and start talking a mile a minute in his native Tz'utujil language. About 80% of all communication is non-verbal, and even though none of us spoke the Mayan Tz'utujil tongue, we all understood that he was thanking us and telling us how this was helping his family. A few pictures from the trip are on the continuation page of this article, and we will have a full story up on the website soon. In all, Rotarians from our district installed 100 stoves in 2 Mayan villages of San Pablo La Laguna and San Marcos La Laguna. There are an additional 85 stoves that will be installed by local Rotarians and our partner HELPS International.

District Conference. The program for the District Conference is shaping up, but we need every Rotarian from the District to attend and participate! Please, please, please do not wait any longer to sign up. We need to provide head counts to the hotel and make final plans. Talk to your club about rescheduling your meeting so you can all be part of the Friday luncheon on May 3, 2019 celebrating not only our Guatemala Stove Project, but other Rotary Foundation funded projects this year. We also need you to send delegates to our annual business meeting of our clubs. Friday evening is a spectacular dinner dance gala. Trust me, you do not want to miss this opportunity to celebrate Rotary and reconnect with Rotarians from other clubs. There is something for everyone!

Saturday has an awesome program! We will start with a wonderful breakfast, but then our youth (Interactors, Exchange Students, RYLANS) assisted by Rotaractors from all five (5) districts will be there to focus on homelessness in a program entitled the Game of Throneless. Like a reality fair, our youth will be randomly assigned "homeless" for you to interact with. The morning concludes with a soup kitchen style lunch with the kids and adults, and a frank discussion on how we can be part of the solution. There are also optional trips to Fenway Park for a tour and batting practice, and a Boston Harbor Cruise, adn everything else you expect from a District Conference

Please sign up today at <THIS LINK> or just tell everyone to sign up at bit.ly/D7910-Conference2019, and please share the flyers below with your club.

Have a great April. Click the Read More Link for Guatemala Pictures. Check the website, facebook and Instagram regularly for updates on what's happening in District 7910. Remember to submit your club's stories and event flyers.

DG Steve

Posted by Steven Sager on Apr 04, 2019

SIGN UP NOW FOR THE 2019 DISTRICT CONFERENCE!

We have an awesome program; you do not want to miss it.

Friday May 3, 2019

Paul Harris Luncheon celebrating the Rotary Foundation

Annual District Meeting of the Clubs

Gala Dinner Dance

Saturday May 4, 2019

Breakfast

Game of Throneless - Joint Rotarian, Rotaract and Interact Focus on Homelessness Event

Soup Kitchen Lunch

Optional Activities:

Fenway Park Tour and Batting Practice

Indoor Water Park

Harbor Cruise

<CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TODAY>

Follow Read More for flyers to share with your club!

DG STEVE'S MARCH MESSAGE

Posted by Steven T Sager on Mar 17, 2019

Welcome to March! I am keeping this month’s message short to highlight two all district events that every Rotarian should attend, and the club planning guide. The two events are the District Training Assembly and the District Conference. Registration for both is now open so please register quickly.

There is much more news that could be highlighted in this month’s edition, and all of those great stories are on our District Website at Rotary7910.org. I urge everyone to check into the District website on a regular basis to get the most up to date stories of interest to our clubs. Of course, we are also highlighting our collective experience on social media: Facebook (click here) and Instagram (click here). Like, follow, and share!!

DISTRICT TRAINING ASSEMBLY - SATURDAY, APRIL 6^TH,7:30 AM - 12:00 PM

What better way to welcome new members to the family of Rotary. It’s time again to pull your team together and register for the District Training Assembly. Once a year we take a morning to share ideas, fellowship and hopefully a few laughs. This year we have a fantastic program in place for everyone.

The Assembly is a great way to get all of your club members, officers and committee chairs networking, engaged and aware of what’s happening with the clubs in our District. This District Wide training event is for ALL Rotarians. Whether you are a new member, committee chair, club officer, or veteran Rotarian there is something at the Assembly for you! Learn more about how you can help enhance your club’s membership experience, public image and social media efforts, and implement new ideas for engaging service projects. Learn about next year’s grants scoring rubric to obtain a District Grant. Club Secretaries and Treasurers have programs targeted to make their jobs easier. If your club is not yet qualified to apply for foundation grants, a member of your club will be invited to attend the foundation qualification seminar. Running concurrently with the Assembly is our second New Member Orientation program. Please send as many of your members as you can to the Assembly, and your new members to the Orientation program.

This year the Assembly will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Marlborough. The cost is $20 per person with a maximum of $100 per club for those who preregister. The new member orientation is $10 per person. It comes with a fresh continental breakfast, loads of ideas and the highly coveted “time with friends”

The event is only a few weeks away, so please register now.

Register for the District Assembly <CLICK HERE>

Register for the New Member Orientation (in Rotary less than 2 years) <CLICK HERE>

MULTI-DISTRICT CONFERENCE – FRIDAY MAY 3 – SATURDAY MAY 4, 2019

We have a fantastic event being planned for all Rotarians from five (5) Rotary districts. That is over 280 clubs covering the entirety of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, plus northern Connecticut, Southern Vermont and Southern New Hampshire. If you have ever been to PETS (the Presidents-elect Training Seminar) you know the energy and excitement that can happen when you get Rotarians from all over New England to train. Imagine what it will be when we all come together to celebrate!

The Conference starts on Friday May 3, 2019 with a Paul Harris Luncheon celebrating the Rotary Foundation. Many clubs have already indicated plans to cancel their weekly meeting and hold it at the Conference. Consider asking your club to do the same! Following lunch, we will have our District’s annual business meeting where delegates from your club should attend. The evening’s activities start with cocktails and continue to the huge dinner dance gala celebration of everything Rotary. The Boston Common Band – one of the best entertainment groups for private functions in the area – will be there to entertain and keep us dancing until after midnight! Of course with this being a District Conference, there is a likelihood that some of you will be up much later . . .

Saturday begins with a brunch. Young Rotarians – Interact, Essex exchange students, and RYLANs – will present to us their morning activities and how our Rotaractors helped mentor them! If you are still up for more, there are optional activities after brunch and the youth summit, such as the hotel’s indoor waterpark, a Fenway Park tour, Fenway Park batting practice, and a cocktail cruise on Boston Harbor.

The conference is conveniently located at the Ferncroft Doubltree Hotel in Danvers, Massachusetts.

There is package pricing and la carte options available. <CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE> .

There is also a special on hotel rooms for this conference. To take advantage of the special pricing, <CLICK HERE FOR HOTEL RESERVATIONS>

CLUB PLANNING GUIDE AND RECOGNITION

In addition to training and celebrating, there is one more item as we hit the home stretch of the Rotary Year. That one item is our Club Planning Guide. This guide was passed out to the Club Presidents at PETS last year to help them plan your club’s year. It has been posted on the website and your assistant governors have been telling your club about it. Now that your club’s next leaders have been trained at PETS, it is important that you enlist them to help accomplish your club’s goals and finish the year strong, so your club can start even stronger come July 1.

The Club Planning Guide is also used to provide needed recognition to our clubs for all the hard work your Rotarians put in this year. Recognitions are important, especially in volunteer organizations. Please work with your President, President-Elect and club leaders to complete this year’s guide. <CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CLUB PLANNING WORKSHEET>

I am off to Guatemala with Rotarians from around the District to help reduce respiratory illness in the rural areas around Panajachel by installing fuel efficient and vented stoves. Follow us on social media for the latest updates on the project. Remember, please send in your stories. Please send flyers for your events. Please remember to invite our Rotaractors to help on your service projects! Have a great month!

DG Steve

Apply Now for the Morley Scholarship (2019)

Posted by Tory De Fazio on Feb 18, 2019

Do you know anyone who might be a candidate for our D7910 Morley Scholarship? Rotary District 7910 is pleased to announce that Global Grant applications are now being accepted for the David & Eleanor Morley Endowed Global Grant Scholarship, now open from February 1^st through March 31, 2019. This $35,000 one year scholarship is open to any resident of the 117 cities and towns represented by District 7910 who is planning on graduate study abroad.

TO DOWNLOAD THE MORLEY APPLICATION <CLICK HERE>

Unique to D7910, the Morley Scholarship was established by a generous WPI graduate and Rotarian. It is managed by The Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund in cooperation with the D7910 Rotary Foundation Committee (Scholarship). The window of application of two months will be followed by an interview, and the announcement of one qualified candidate. Read more for the qualifications and application information.

Share Your Club's Stories

Posted on Jul 10, 2018

SHARE YOUR CLUB'S STORIES

Has your club recently hosted a service project that you want to showcase to be the inspiration to other clubs? Are you planning something in the near future that you would like to share with your fellow District 7910 Rotarians?

Our District 7910 eBulletin, Website, Facebook and Instagram depend on the content provided by our clubs, so please submit your stories and we will publish them on the district website, in the next eBulletin, and on social media. Stories that showcase your club's service projects should be submitted in plain text along with a photo. If you are promoting an event, please send the flyer along with a sentence with the details of the event. Please send your stories to ssager@sagerlegal.com with the words Rotary Story in the subject line.

RI THEME FOR 2019-20 ANNOUNCED

Posted by Steven Sager on Jan 22, 2019

Rotary Connects the World! 2019-2020 Rotary International President Mark Daniel Maloney announced next year's theme to the District Governors Elect at the Rotary International Assembly. The theme for the 2019-2020 Rotary year is: Rotary Connects the World.

President-elect Mark writes: "I encourage you to share our theme widely with your fellow club members and throughout your districts to help create enthusiasm and excitement for the year ahead. . . . It is only by working together that we can truly accomplish great things."

You can Download theme graphics here. (must be logged in to MyRotary.org)

RYLA!
Fitchburg State University
Jun 28, 2019 – Jun 30, 2019

18-19 CLUB PLANNING GUIDE DUE

Jun 30, 2019

Interact Committee monthly Teleconference

Jul 01, 2019 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM

District Trustee Meeting

Jul 23, 2019

District Charity Fund Trustee Meeting

Jul 30, 2019

District Awards and New Year Kickoff Celebration
Sheraton Framingham
Jul 31, 2019 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

District Council Meeting

Aug 05, 2019

Interact Committee monthly teleconference

Aug 12, 2019 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM

District Steering Committee Meeting

Aug 19, 2019

Foundation Quarterly Meeting

Aug 28, 2019

Area #1 Team Meeting
Home of Karen & Jim Fusco
Aug 28, 2019 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

RYLA Budget Committee Meeting

Sep 04, 2019

NEPETS Committee Meeting

Sep 07, 2019

Interact Committee Meeting

Sep 09, 2019

Interact Committee monthly teleconference

Sep 09, 2019 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM

Membership Committee Quarterly Meeting

Sep 11, 2019

Zone Conference in Niagara Falls

Sep 16, 2019 – Sep 21, 2019

Bandey Hefler Travellers in England

Sep 18, 2019 – Oct 01, 2019

View entire list