As RI President Mark Maloney wrote in a recent email to us, this is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that Rotary Connects the World in innovative ways. We should be closely following the advice of the WHO and local health authorities. Again, this includes canceling Rotary club events and meetings in the short term to reduce unnecessary interactions that could cause infections. We can put a greater emphasis on the work we do in our communities by helping our less fortunate neighbors cope with the effects of isolation and fear, or by supporting our health authorities to address this situation.
I have taken the opportunity to send this newsletter focusing entirely on the COVERT-19 pandemic and look at ways we can continue to connect with our fellow Rotarians and community members.
I have gathered some ideas from other Districts and sources to share with you as I am aware that many, if not most Clubs in the District have decided not to meet face-to-face in the interests of keeping their members safe.
One of the ideas that has been suggested is to use electronic means to connect with your club members. Our District has two ZOOM licenses, one held by Paul Murray and I have one. ZOOM is a very easy system to use and anyone with a phone that has video capabilities can join the ZOOM meeting and see the other participants. Meetings can also be conducted with audio only but that is less preferable. If you would like to try a ZOOM meeting for your club or just the Board contact Paul or myself to set up your meeting. We will provide you with login details to join the meeting either on your desktop/laptop (provided it has a camera and microphone) or using a mobile or tablet.
The following articles provide some further suggestions on things you and your club can do while not meeting face to face. There are also some videos about COVID-19.
It would be great if you can share any ideas you have with others in the District as well.
John
