Rotary District 7730

Polio Eradication — Huge Contribution By Gates Foundation

These are historic times in our polio eradication efforts — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has entered into a new partnership with Rotary International by awarding RI a challenge grant of $100 million, which Rotary will match, dollar for dollar, over three years. This is the largest single grant ever given to a volunteer service organization and represents a tremendous validation of the approach and success of our PolioPlus program. Read the letter from RI President Wilf Wilkinson announcing this award–it is attached.

December is Family Month

Our Rotary family includes more than a Rotarian and his or her immediate family. It includes our Interactors, Rotaractors, Rotary Community Corps members, our Rotary Youth Exchange, and our widows and widowers. Read all about it in the December Rotarian Magazine–especially check out RI President Wilf’s take on what it means to come from a family of 10 children and how it relates to our Family of Rotary.

Stalled on Membership Growth??

This worked in one club. Looking for ways to jump start the membership drive, club members went to the local bookstore and selected and read helpful books on sales and business development. They found that ideas that work for business work for Rotary, too. In fact, that year, their club theme was “Mankind is Our Business.”

Remember RYLA

Our District RYLA Conference is 25, 26, 27 January 2008–applications are due to our world-class RYLA Chairman, Keith King, not later than 21 December 2007. Applications must be mailed to Keith at 2172 Hardy Bridge Road, LaGrange, NC 28551 or via E-mail kking@monrovia.com. Let’s have a record year attendance of at least 100 this year (93 attended last year).

District Simplified Grants — Money is available. Don’t miss this opportunity to use District money to help your club fund a local or international project. The DSG process is simple and quick–for more information, contact our Foundation Chairman, PDG Bevin Wall at Bevin@RLI33.org.

Thank You, Maysville Rotary Club

Thank you for your donation to The Wounded Warrior Leave Program. The goal of this magnificent program is to provide round trip travel home for the holidays to service members who have been wounded and are now recovering from their wounds at Camp Lejuene’s Wounded Warrior Barracks along with those at Fort Bragg. According to Jim Casti, the program coordinator, there are about 200 service members who are in need of this support. According to Jim, the group’s goal is to make sure all the warriors are home for the holidays. For more information on this program, contact Jim Casti via E-mail at jcasti@ec.rr.com.

Don’t Forget our District Rotary Foundation Challenge

All clubs can use a free Paul Harris Fellowship to award however they choose. In this case, our District will award one to the club with the highest per capita giving to the Rotary Foundation as of 31 December 2007. Clubs must make sure all funds remitted to the Foundation are postmarked by 31 December 2007.

Paul Harris Talks About Rotary Growth

“My greatest satisfaction in Rotary has been in seeing that by the exercise of tolerance and goodwill, and by the adherence to Rotary’s one demanding policy of international amity, and understanding, Rotary has been able to circle the world with its ideals of friendship and fellowship and service to others.” (From an interview in Tuskegee, Alabama, 1945)

100% Club Giving This Calendar Year

Our Zone 33 Goal is that each club make a donation to our Rotary Foundation this calendar year–the last report received dated 31 October shows that 21 of our District’s 48 clubs have already contributed. If your club has not contributed, please make arrangements to see that it does–contributions must be postmarked before 31 December 23007. For more on how to reach this goal, please contact our District Foundation Chair at Bevin@RLI33.org.

Weekly Rotary Foundation Fundraising Strategy

This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is provided as a reminder to all of us that the Foundation is the primary way in which we are involved in the fourth Avenue of Service: International Service.

The Rotary Foundation was started with a gift of $26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City in 1917–the leftover profit from the international convention that year. Earlier that same year, Rotary’s sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, suggested the creation of just such a fund. The very first grant made by The Rotary Foundation was to the International Society for Crippled Children. The idea of international service has grown. Just in the last 20 years, Rotary has contributed over $600 million to the polio eradication effort. In the words of professional volunteer, Charlotte Lunsford: “We won’t always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What’s important is that you do care and act.”

Create Awareness. Take Action. Make your annual gift today!

For more information on giving or program participation, contact our District Foundation Chair PDG Bevin Wall at Bevin@RLI33.org.

“Rotary Shares”