Article submitted by Keith Brokke, District Governor-Nominee
Photos submitted by: Bob McLean, District Governor-Elect
You are a part of a large and amazing organization! Rotary International has 1.2 million members organized into 35,000+ clubs in over 400 countries, (equating to 34 members/club) in 535 districts (equating to 2,243 members/district).
Those 35,000+ clubs are organized into 535 districts to support them in fulfilling the Object of Rotary*. District 5580 is made up of 66 clubs with roughly 2,700 members, which equates to 41 members per club. Now that is just an average, of course... many clubs have 100 or more members and some struggling clubs have fewer than 10 members. District leadership is selected from Rotarians in our clubs. These leaders are charged with supporting our clubs by offering information and assistance to issues identified by club members throughout the district.
The Rotary districts are organized into 34 zones throughout the world, which provide information and assistance to districts. While Rotary IS growing worldwide, Rotary is diminishing in membership in the USA. So, Rotary International has to make changes, whether it be in subdividing districts, when they become larger or smaller or in zones when membership changes. Due to this, we (D5580 and our surrounding districts) have been re-zoned!
District 5580 leaders attended Zone Institute in Kansas City September 24 to 29, 2019 for training and had a great opportunity to get to know our new zone mates from Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas.
Zones have Zone Directors who serve as a member of the Rotary International Board of Directors and serve two zones. Zone Directors are nominated by the clubs in the zone and elected by the convention for a term of two consecutive years. D5580 is now a part of Zone 29 (which is made up of 13 districts). Our Zone 29 is now paired with Zone 25B (East Texas) for training and support. Zone 25A includes Central America and northern countries of South America, but Zone 25A is paired with a Zone that includes the southern-most countries of South America.
Our Zone 29 has coordinators for Membership, Public Image and Foundation with assistants selected from the districts in our zone. We are fortunate to have 2 Zone assistant coordinators from our district. Past District Governor Debra Warner is Zone 29 Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, meaning Debra works with District clubs and district leadership to encourage participation in the grants process which is made possible due to contributions that generous District 5580 Rotarians make to the Rotarian Foundation. If your Rotary Club has a designated Foundation Chair, please email the contact information to Debra at debrawarner13@gmail.com.
District 5580 Trainer Linda Marrin is Zone 29 Regional Membership Assistant Coordinator. In her position, Linda works with clubs and leaders in District 5580, District 5950 (Minneapolis area) and District 5960 (St. Paul south and west to the South Dakota line and includes part of Iowa) to share and encourage effective membership attraction and engagement processes.
Preceding Linda in that zone position was Irene Soitille from Thunder Bay. Gary Nolte from the Moorhead club was the “End Polio Now” Advisor for Zone #28 for 3 years. It’s exciting that our district has had 4 representatives at the zone level in the past 2 years!!
Kyle Haugen of District 5960 completes the trio of zone assistant coordinators serving as Regional Public Image Assistant Coordinator. The 3 Assistant Coordinators are working with the leaders in all 3 districts; planning to deliver a leadership assembly after the holidays which will bring together the leaders of the 3 districts to share ideas, challenges and successes so we can all benefit from successful practices. These three Zone Assistant Coordinators are representatives of our districts to our Zone 29 to share ideas, issues, concerns and challenges. If you and/or your club have success stories, challenges, or questions, please share them with your district leaders or zone representatives so they can share those same challenges and success stories with all clubs in the district and zone and ultimately with Rotary International Directors.
Remember we are part of the Rotary International family making a difference and connecting the world!
*The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
- FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
- SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
- THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
- FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.