May Letter from the District Govenor

Košice, 3. 5. 2015

Dear Rotarian Friends,

Warm spring days are here and are connected with significant historic events, which we can easily forget during our daily multitude of tasks. We remember the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II which was the most terrible period of anguish and poison in this last century. I am glad that several Rotary clubs: RC Levice, RC Dunajská Streda and others have prepared extra meetings with a programme remembering this significant anniversary. Other clubs are remembering that we became European citizens. There is no specific theme in the Rotary calendar for this month of May, and it seems to me that it is predestined to be for remembering history, but also it is the month of love, without which none of us Rotarians can fulfil the motto of „Service above Self“. The month of May is traditionally in our District the month of Rotary organisation celebrations, when we meet at the District Conference. This next Conference is the 16th since the creation of our own D2240 in 1990. With great pleasure, I can inform you that several of our international rotarian friends will participate, amongst them will be PDG Paul Jakowitsch from Austria, György Balogh from Hungary and others. World RI President Gary Huang is sending as his representative to us, PRIR Moshe Yonay with his wife Zipora – please come to Kosice to meet them.

Just a few days ago, we were all touched by the destructive earthquake in Nepal and our District thought only: How can we help? I thank DGN Štěpán de Wolf who contacted the DG in Nepal, very soon after the news reached us, so that we could let all our Rotarians know how we could most effectively help. Rotarian Martin Pešat from RC Ostrava organised Shelterboxes to be sent; RC Hluboká n/Vlt - Golf, RC Praha City, RC Valtice – Břeclav (and certainly other clubs too, though I am not aware which yet) immediately paid for Shelterboxes to be sent where they are needed. We will inform you at the District Conference in Kosice of the final total of financial and other help. Only a few hours after this catastrophe, I felt the incredible strength and desire to help coming from our District – I am very proud of you all my Rotarian friends and thank you. Rotary is made up of people from a variety of professions and amongst us there is unique and conscientious Honorary Rotarian of RC Most – Stanislav Štýs. His exhibition: ‚Revived Land‘ was opened in the Theresian Wing of the Old Royal Palace at Prague Castle. It is the work of many decades, a photo documentary of the changing countryside from open cast quarries to its recultivation. The exhibition is very interesting for environmental experts who are focused on landscape recultivation, protection of the environment, water and land management, forestry, as well as fruit production – all this is happening there where active open cast mining was happening in North West Bohemia. The exhibition’s author invites all of you to a Rotary Day on 17th June 2015 at 10.00am for a guided tour, which can also be made in conjunction with an individual tour of the gardens and the Castle interior.

I would like very much to focus your attention on an important document – the District 2240 By Laws which were sent to all clubs for their comments and I ask that you send all relevant proposals/comments as soon as possible to Rotarian friend Frantisek Vavroch (akvavroch@akvavroch.cz – 15.5.2015) so that as the Chair of the District Legislative Committee, he can then put the final proposal forward for ratification at the District Conference 2015.

Dear Rotarian Friends, I look forward to meeting you at our 16th RI District 2240 Conference in Kosice 22 – 24.5.2015.

With very best wishes

Jozefa Poláková