November is Rotary Foundation month! It's a good time to reflect on the great Rotary Foundation sponsored programs we support and on how each of us can contribute to make sure these programs continue.

Our Rotary Foundation sponsors a broad range of Educational and Humanitarian programs that save and change lives here and abroad: Group Study Exchange (GSE), Ambassadorial Scholars, Polio Eradication, District Matching Grants and Health/Hunger & Humanity (3H) Grants, to name a few. These programs are the lifeblood of Rotary, creating world peace and understanding through the lives touched by the programs. Ask any past GSE team leader or any Rotarian who has visited/worked on an international project about the difference made by these programs . . . there are many wonderful stories of saved and changed lives around the world.

Our contributions to The Rotary Foundation fund these Rotary programs. While our Foundation is quite healthy (one of the largest Foundations in the world), there is so much more we need to do. Your annual contribution and/or a contribution to the Foundation permanent fund (through a major gift or benefactor contribution) fuels our Rotary programs. A contribution to the Foundation is one of the best investments you can make with nearly 100% going to Rotary programs that save and change lives.

Each of you are encouraged to learn more about The Rotary Foundation and make a contribution to continue saving and changing lives.  These programs work and are a great investment for a better and safer world.

 

Special Days:
3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: (DPT/MCH)
5 Week of 5 November – World Interact Week (NewGens)
14 World Diabetes Day (DPT)
16 International Day for Tolerance (PCPR)
19 World Toilet Day (WAS)
20 Universal Children’s Day (UN) (Youth)

 

 

It's up to your club to decide how — and if — you want to use the new options. Start by reviewing the updated Standard Rotary Club Constitution to see which guidelines are flexible. Once you've decided what changes would benefit your club, edit your club bylaws to reflect them, and try them out. If you decide they aren't working, try something else.

 

Here are some examples of how your club can apply the new flexible options:

 

1.Change your meeting schedule. Your club can vary its meeting days, times, and frequency. For example, you could hold a traditional meeting on the first Tuesday of the month to discuss business and service projects and get together socially on the last Friday of the month. You just need to meet at least twice a month.

 

2.Vary your meeting format. Your club can meet in person, online, or a combination, including letting some members attend in-person meetings through the Internet.

 

3.Relax attendance requirements. Your club can ease attendance requirements and encourage members to participate in other ways, such as taking a leadership role, updating the club website regularly, running a meeting a few times a year, or planning an event. If your club is dynamic and offers a good experience for members, attendance won't be a problem.

 

4.Offer multiple membership types. Your club could offer family memberships to those who want to bring their families, junior memberships to young professionals with leadership potential, or corporate memberships to people whose employers want to be represented in the club. Each type of membership can have its own policies on dues, attendance, and service expectations. Rotary will count these people in your club membership and will consider them active members if they pay RI dues.

 

5.Invite Rotaractors to be members of your club. You can invite Rotaractors to join your club while remaining members of their Rotaract clubs. If your club chooses to, it can make special accommodations for these members, such as relaxed attendance requirements or reduced fees, as long as they are reflected in the club bylaws.

 

Find examples of bylaw amendments that clubs might use to try these new flexible options below, and review our frequently asked questions for more information.

 

My Rotary

 

 

If you know of a speaker on a topic of interest, please forward contact and availability information to Philip Weiss.

If you have any articles for the Club Bulletin or Stories page on the website, please submit them to Philip Weiss.

If you have any photographs or pictures of Rotary events both recent and in the past, please forward them to Philip Weiss for posting on the website.  If you like we can also show you how to post them in the website yourself.

Point your browser to www.twinsburgrotary.org for the latest information about our club.