Hopefully, we are nearing the light at the end of the tunnel of Covid with all the tragedies and challenges it has wrought for the last year. I am very thankful that Karen and I received our first vaccine last week. Thank you for all you have done in your Club over these months to keep the Club moving forward.
For over 40 years, March has brought the annual President Elects training for our District and two others in Missouri. The Show Me Rotary PETS is considered one of the best and oldest Presidents Elect training in the world. For the past four years, curriculum has been developed for the President Nominees. The President-Elect’s will start their term in July. The President Nominees will serve starting in July 2022. Last year, less than a month before we were to have PETS it was canceled due to Covid. We duplicated some of the material with our own virtual training. This year we will be all virtual again on March 27th. I know many hours have gone into planning and implementing this important training for a virtual environment. 6040 PDG Cassy Venters is the President of Show Me Council this year. The President rotates between the three Districts each year. PDG Julie McCoy will serve as President of the Show Me Rotary PETS in three years. Registration is still open now for each Club’s President Elect and President Nominee. Each Club has already paid for them to attend. Please encourage both to attend. Attending my first PETS was one of the three great experiences I have had in Rotary that propelled my passion for Rotary. It’s a great experience – don’t miss the opportunity!
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Among the many challenges we have had this year in our Clubs and the District, a big one was having to postpone our annual Foundation Dinner in November. That is always a tremendous evening where people from all over the District come together to celebrate the achievements of the prior Rotary year. We present awards and highlight our grant projects, both in the district and globally. We also raise money for the foundation. It’s important to understand that our contributions to the Annual fund are what funds our grants, both district and globally three years from now. Scholarships and Group Study Exchange trips are also funded from our Annual Fund contributions. We rescheduled the event for May 22. We had planned for a live event with the hybrid option, hoping that Covid would be subside. This past week, we reached the decision to make the event all virtual. We will have many of the features we traditionally have, without the Dinner. We are calling it the 2021 Foundation Celebration. In the future, we expect to return to the in person dinner. We are working on the adjustments and details to produce a quality experience virtually. It will be a fun evening for a great cause where we honor our achievements of last year and celebrate the great work we do through the Foundation.
Our keynote speaker will be Brenda Cressey. Brenda has served in many key roles for Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. In 2018-2019, she served as the first woman Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair. Brenda joined Rotary in 1989 and is currently member of the Rotary Club of South Portland Cape Elizabeth in Rotary District 7780. She served as District 5240 Governor in 2001-02 and is retired as the CEO of Office Support Systems, a telecommunications business in Maine.
She and her husband Dick are members of the
prestigious Arch Klumph Society
Major Donors
members of the Paul Harris and the new Legacy Societies
and have established the Brenda and Richard Cressey Endowment for Peace, supporting Peace Certificate Fellowships.
She is the recipient of the RI “Service Above Self Award”
and The Rotary Foundation’s “Citation for Meritorious Service,”
and the Rotary Foundations highest recognition, The Distinguished Service Award.
We are honored to have Brenda joining us for this special Foundation Celebration. Please mark your calendars for the evening of May 22 and join the fun and celebration!
"Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change -- across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves."
It would mean so much to us if you could help us get the word out about our Remote Adventures by sharing your picture on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media and tag @TheEscapeGame and #TheEscapeGame.
Please mark your calendars for Tuesday February 23, 2021.
WHY?
IT ROTARY’S BIRTHDAY!!!!
In this year of a pandemic, social unrest and tougher economic times for many, let’s take a moment to Celebrate the Good that is Rotary
SO WHY PARTY LIKE ITS 1926?
In this country, turning 21 is something of a Rite of Passage, a sign of maturity & (in theory) responsibility. I know- It’s also that thing about drinking legally but keep in mind, in 1926 Prohibition was going on so that probably wasn’t happening.
I choose to focus on the maturity & responsibility because Rotary turned 21 in 1926. Hopefully we all can embrace this Rite of Passage one more time and do something that will have an impact on our communities for years to come
HOW?
Join me in making a contribution to the Rotary Annual Fund on February 23rd to honor Rotary. Even a small contribution will allow us all to continue the service we provide to our communities and abroad.
Without a well-funded annual fund, we will be limited to the amount of grant funds available to your club in the future.
There are two easy ways to contribute:
Mail a check to:
The Rotary Foundation (TRF) 14280 Collections Center Dr. Chicago, IL 60693
Many of you reading this are thinking “I’m already contributing”. This is quite true and thank you for your contributions. However, this year has created a hardship for many who typically give and contributions are down. If we can all give just a little more now, we will be able to better respond to our communities’ needs when we emerge from this current setback. I’m giving more and I hope you can as well.
Any help is appreciated.
In closing I’d like to wish you all a Happy 116th Rotary Birthday
Randy
Randy Steinman District Governor Nominee Designate 2023-2024
As you may have heard, 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the Shoes for Orphan Souls project in Rotary District 6040 – and this is the start of “shoes season!”
Since the start of the program in 2001, District 6040 Rotarians have generously donated 356,000 pairs of shoes. (That’s three hundred fifty-six thousand lives touched by YOUR generosity. So far.)
For this anniversary year, our Shoes Cheerleader, Larry Lunsford, has issued a challenging but inspiring goal: to collect 20,000 pairs of shoes for distribution to orphans and other vulnerable, economically challenged children in Honduras!
To help in achieving that goal, he has prepared a challenge video, which you can see on the D 6040 Facebook page or on YouTube. https://youtu.be/2sunz-9lkRc Now, we need your help.
Please begin the process of collecting shoes, appointing your shoes drive chairperson and rallying your club and your community to the effort. (The video has details.)
Go to the District 6040 Facebook page, “like, comment and share” this video to your club’s Facebook page, to help give the project visibility to your members and throughout the community.
If practical, please show this video at an upcoming club meeting to inform and challenge your members to great levels of – as the video says – uncommon generosity.
Let’s make 2021 a great year for shoes, and for the children of Honduras.
Thank you for your efforts, and for being a Rotarian!
Here is the link that I'd like you to share with your friends and family to encourage people to vote for their "People's Choice"
The results will be shared with the Liberty Arts Commission at their March meeting when they discuss which sculpture to purchase to add to the City's permanent collection.
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