Our Rotary District is huge, the third largest in the world, even before the addition of the Yukon territories in July of 2019.   It has over 100 clubs, all affiliated with Rotary International; Rotary, Interact, Rotaract and Earlyact. Those local clubs have members who are filled with the spirit of volunteerism; working together as friends to fundraise and support their communities, and other communities overseas.
District 5370 Greeting
Welcome to a new Rotary year!

Our Rotary District is huge, the third largest in the world, even before the addition of the Yukon territories in July of 2019.   
 
It has over 100 clubs, all affiliated with Rotary International; Rotary, Interact, Rotaract and Earlyact.

Those local clubs have members who are filled with the spirit of volunteerism; working together as friends to fundraise and support their communities, and other communities overseas.

In late 2019, Rotary asked the Johns Hopkins University to do a study on the impact of the Rotarians on the global economy, which came back as a conservative estimate of $850 million dollars that it would cost communities if they had to pay for the services Rotary volunteers provide and 47 million volunteer hours generated by Rotary members in a typical year.

That’s quite the impact we have!

Our clubs and members are changing the world in a better way, and are doing it through the now seven areas of focus to improve lives.

What do our clubs International Projects mean to the world?

They can bring hope to a young African woman who has AIDS, and is so sick that she has a hard time to find and prepare food for her hungry children.

They can bring fresh, clean, drinking water from a well to families that previously had to carry buckets of filthy, polluted water long distances for use in their homes.

They can bring peace in an area where bloodshed and fighting have raged on for years. Where children can finally go outside and play, instead of the fear of being shot at. 
 
They can bring new schools that actually have a sufficient amount of supplies for the students, so that the pattern of illiteracy and poverty can be broken, forever.

They can change economies and bring pride to men and women, who have never had a chance to start their own businesses before, and have been stuck in a cycle of meaningless, low-paying jobs, if they can get one.

They can, once and for all, eradicate Polio, and help us to push into the last areas of the world where this disease exists.

This year’s theme from RI President Holger Knaack is Rotary Opens Opportunities, and I think it’s the perfect one for a world in transition.

As Holger has said, as Rotarians, we are all bound by the values that we share, in friendship and the Four Way Test, and our acts of service create opportunities for people who need our help.

Like the new logo, our clubs doors are wide open for new opportunities, change and friendship.
 
Let’s have a great year!
 
 
James (Jim) Ferguson
District Governor 2020 – 2021
Charter member, Rotary E-Club of Canada One