End of July

Hi Rotarians!

July is behind us. WOW. I am going to be sending out Headline News emails that will highlight things that you need to know. It occurs to me that you might miss something important should you not visit the blog.

I got a note from our district Health and Hunger chair, Bob Walz. Bob notes that focus in health care should be: prevention, polioplus activities, and localized health issues (clean water, malaria prevention, AIDS prevention, vaccinations etc) In working on grant and fund programs you want to give Priority to programs that purchase foods IN the developing countries they are seeking to aid.

The district owns the DVD, “What are we doing here, has foreign aid hurt Africa?” It is owned by the FFH project. Anyone working on projects in Africa might want to borrow that DVD. Contact Ed Marek at hanakaga@yahoo.com

Finally, Bob notes that this is the year of Fair Trade and he encourages the use of Fair Trade at Club meetings and event.

I am very much enjoying my club visits. The club in Elk River surprised me with a “culture” box from their community. It was interesting to see what they all selected to be part of the contribution. I am looking forward to going to places south next week!

Half month into my year as DG

Hi Rotarians!

I am a bit over a half month into my year as District Governor. I am very much enjoying my club visits. Thank you to the clubs for your hospitality and for arranging your schedules to accommodate my being at your club.

This week’s announcements include a note from Anita Reider, the Rotary Foundation Annual Programs support person, that District 5960’s per capita giving to the Rotary Foundation was $96! GREAT job PDG Craig and your team.

Jingle received a question about what fund-raising activities clubs have used successfully in the district. This is a good question and one that has been posed in the past. This information is contained on the district website under the “Club Event Calendar.” You can access the calendar by going to the district website

http://www.rotary5960.org

click “What’s New” and then click “Where to Find Rotary Fun”. That should do it for you.

NOW, shameless promotion of an upcoming event.

Fall Membership/Foundation/PR Training Event

This event will be held at YCamp St. Croix in Hudson on Saturday, September 17 from 9 to 3. It will include information about the above topics and will also be the “roll out” of the district PR plan, “200 Videos in 200 Days” – and you will have a chance to try making some YouTube videos to help us get started! Registration will be via Survey Monkey online. The cost of this event is included in your training fees. Come for breakfast and stay for lunch and beyond. The YCamp will be a great place to spend a Saturday! AND Anita Reider will be able to join us and speak to the group.

OK, that is all for now. If you have anything that you want to share – please feel free to post a comment. Or send me information in a format that can be copied and pasted into the blog. THANKS.

DG Judy's Info for July 2011

Governor’s Thoughts

Get ready, get set – we are blogging!!!!

Those of you who viewed the UTUBE video “Here’s Hudson” know that I have lots of nerve ☺ So here I am, starting my year by creating a blog that will supplement the District Newsletter. As you may have surmised, the newsletter will also be supplemented by – you guessed it – UTUBE videos, radio interviews – HEY, we are asking YOU to be innovative, creative and flexible at the club level, why not at the district level as well.

I want to thank those of you who were able to attend the DG – 2011-2012 Installation at the Phipps Center for the Arts, in Hudson. The committee, headed by Hudson Daybreak Past President, Dick Whitcomb, did an outstanding job – I know, because everyone who attended that event has been telling me that. The committee included Rotarians from the Daybreak club, the Hudson Rotary club, and even non-Rotarians who offered an evening filled with fellowship, entertainment, and the DG installation program – NICE. Visit the district website for photos of the event. (As always, thank you, Gayland Bender.)

I am hardly started as DG, so I thought I would capture the essence of my “talk” at the installation on the 23rd. I focused on RI President Banerjee’s topic of Family/Community, inviting clubs to proactively come to know their local “culture” and discern how they embrace that culture in what they do in their communities, and how they see themselves mirrored in artifacts from their local area. The writer from our local newspaper, the Hudson Star-Observer, called this the “community in a box” notion
(www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/group/group/Communities/).

I love it! Actually, visit this link and you can read all about the installation!

It is WAY too early in my year to have features, to do lists – these will come in due time. For now, savor the summer, plan for the Fall, and carry all thing Rotary in your heart.

Comments Please

Rotary involves lots of participation on the part of many members.