Welcome to the first edition of the 20 – 21 newsletter. It is my pleasure to serve as your District Governor this year.
Thank you for all you are doing in your Clubs and communities in the name of Rotary International. The need for all the good Rotary does around the world, hasn't changed. The way we do it or the combined effort may change for a few months, due to circumstances beyond our control, but the need for what we can do as Rotarians together is still there. In many places, situations have become more dire and even more of our help is needed.
I know this has been a challenging time for many of our Club Meetings, Service and Fundraising projects. At the District level, we have canceled all of our major live events, including Show Me Rotary Institute (PETS), District Conference, the Chinnery Challenge Golf Tournament for Polio, REAL, and are in the midst of making decisions regarding our Foundation Dinner later this fall. The good news is we have discovered how to adjust with platforms like Zoom, where we can communicate virtually. Many of our clubs have been meeting via Zoom since March. In the past few weeks, some clubs have started meeting live, with good social distancing practices along with the change in our food service methods. Many of these are also using Zoom to broadcast the Live Meeting and program to those who cannot attend. Other Clubs continue to meet via Zoom full time. Likewise, we have been able to move many of our District training events onto Zoom. It's been amazing to see how well we have been able to adapt to this new environment. Fellowship is an important part of the Rotary culture. By using these platforms like Zoom and even the old-fashioned telephone, we have been able to stay in touch with each other. I've even heard of some clubs who have had members who moved away to another state that have been able to connect with their old friends by participating in the Club Zoom meetings. Because of Rotary's international footprint, I have been able to participate in several zoom sessions conducted by our zone that involve Rotarians from around the world. Depending on who's going to be on, our start time changes from week to week, so they or we don't have to get up in the middle of the night due to the time zone differences. I don't really see this kind of communication going away. However, I am as anxious as you are to get most of our meetings and projects back to live face-to-face. We just need to be safe, smart and innovative as we go through these coming months. This year's Presidential theme is "Rotary Opens Opportunities" I urge you to spend a few minutes each day thinking about all the opportunities we have through Rotary to do good. No matter our current short term circumstances, I believe we are determined, innovative and eager to serve others and open more opportunities.
All of us on the District Executive Council and Committees stand ready to help with your Membership, Foundation, Public Image, Service, Fundraising or various other Program questions. Please feel free to reach out to us as we all strive to continue our important Rotary efforts. Ultimately, let's work together to make 20-21 a very successful Rotary year. Take Care!
