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Message from DG Faron Barr
Dear Fellow Rotarians in 5710,
 
As I write this on an absolutely beautiful afternoon, I am happy to know that baseball season is well underway with at least few fans attending, the Sporting KC team just started their season, and the NFL draft weekend reminds us that a new football season is just around the corner. Many people have become fully vaccinated, restrictions in many areas have been loosened, and more people are feeling comfortable meeting in person. Several of our clubs are meeting in-person or hybrid. I have visited over half of our clubs and glad to see that many of you are taking the steps to get back to doing projects you love the most. I do have more visits scheduled, which makes me happy to know that I get to meet more Rotarians in our wonderful district.
 
This month is Youth Service Month. While we unfortunately cannot experience our Rotary Youth Exchange until July 1, 2022, we can connect with the youth in our district through other Rotary programs. Several of our Interact and Rotaract clubs have been actively fundraising and completing projects that have helped many people in their communities. If your club sponsors an Interact club, please reach out to Michelle Sink (msink@kansasbigs.org). She has assumed the District Interact Chair role again and would like to speak to the clubs you sponsor. I am very pleased to see that RYLA will have the ability for some students to attend in person this year! As many of you know, RYLA is one of my favorite programs in this district. I applaud our RYLA Chair, Jacci Leib, for continuing to work with the University of Kansas to create new opportunities that open doors for our students to learn about our Rotary values. Please read the article below and on our website for more details on this year’s RYLA program.
 
Last month, the CAAHT held their Education’s Role in Preventing Human Trafficking summit. This summit was well attended with over 150 people registered and at least 95 people attending. It was very informative for anyone interested in this cause with great panelists and speakers from all over the country. If you would like to view any portion of this summit, you can click this link (https://youtu.be/-d737SeqApc) for the recording.
 
I informed you, last month, of an internal global grant we have submitted for a reintegration training center in Grandview, Mo. This grant is for $40,000. The clubs involved in this grant are Leawood, Lenexa, Emporia, E-club of Cape Town, South Africa, Panama Nordeste, and CAAHT. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that this grant was approved last week. Rotary will be partnering with Rended Heart in Kansas City to make this center a reality. Since 2019, this will be the third internal global grant approved for our district. A huge thanks goes to Patti Mellard who was instrumental in making sure all the people involved with these grants submitted their information timely and efficiently so the approval came very quickly.
 
For the clubs who have not been visited by me, if you would like to schedule a visit, I would be happy meet with you in-person or virtually. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time.
 
Faron E. Barr
District Governor 2020-2021 
 

Club & District News and Events

Rotary and Polio Plus
HELPING OUR DISTRICT SUPPORT ROTARY’S POLIO ERADICATION GOAL
 
As Rotarians around the world continue to support Rotary’s Goal of Ending Polio, while also helping fight the battle to defeat the Coronavirus, our Clubs and members also have opportunities to help meet our Polio Goal. There are TWO AREAS in which every club can immediately help make our District one of Midwest’s leaders in our eradication efforts.
 
FIRST: Ask your club members to participate in and complete the Polio Survivors Survey requested in the article appearing later in this newsletter. The more our members know about what it was like to experience Polio from friends, neighbors and members who are Polio Survivors, the better we will all understand and can explain the vital importance of Rotary’s eradication efforts as we actively raise funds to meet this year’s $100,000 District Polio Goal.  
 
SECOND: Every Club should have a Polio Chairman and if your club has not designated one for the remainder of this year and for the coming 2021-2022 Rotary Year, it is vitally important to ending Polio that each President and President Elect designate a dedicated member to serve as your club’s Polio Chairman. Of course, many of our District Clubs have done that, but if not, now is the time to recruit a member to serve in this important role. If you are already serving as your Club’s Chairman or would consider taking on the job, the District Leadership has approved the following Club Polio Plus Chairman Role Statement that will help you understand both responsibilities and importance of this key service activity.  Please let our District Chair, Jim Arnett, know who your Chairman is.
 
CLUB POLIO PLUS CHAIRMAN ROLE STATEMENT
POLIO PLUS CHAIRS: Polio Chairmen at the Club level represent to Rotarians, and their community, the Rotary Foundation’s polio eradication efforts and organize fundraisers to support Rotary’s Polio Plus Fund.
 Responsibilities include:
  • Encourage donations for PolioPlus from Rotarians and local communities.
  • Advocate with Club leadership to annually set an aggressive Goal for donations to Polio Plus.
  • Organize at least one PolioPlus club fundraiser per year.
  • Work with the Club’s Membership Committee to educate new members about Rotary’s Polio eradication goal and request their support of the Club’s Polio Plus Goal.
  • Work with the Club’s Foundation Committee to make members of the Club aware that Polio Plus donations also support the member’s status toward earning Paul Harris Fellow awards.
  • Arrange annually for at least one Club Program devoted to Polio Plus information prior to World Polio Day.
  • Participate in each monthly Board meeting by reporting plans for Polio Plus fundraising and progress toward the Club’s Polio Plus Goals.
  • Provide a periodic Polio Plus status announcement at Club meetings to keep members informed about the Polio Plus Goal and progress.
  • Keep the District Polio Chairman informed of Polio Plus fundraising activities & request District assistance and/or participation as needed.
AND spread the great news shown in this month’s “COUNTDOWN TO HISTORY” below that for another Month there have been NO NEW WILD POLIO CASES in Pakistan and Afghanistan with the count of only 2 this year vs. 45 last year. “We Are This Close” and this fall we will be “Fourth Down and Inches” from Eradication!
 
Jim Arnett, Polio Plus District Chair - (913) 200-0514 - maajca@gmail.com 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wild Poliovirus Weekly Update
COUNTDOWN TO HISTORY!
Week Ending 28 April 2021
Total number of wild cases in 2018:  33
Total number of wild cases in 2019:  176
Total number of wild poliovirus cases in 2020: 140
     Total # of wild poliovirus cases this week: 0
     Total # of wild poliovirus cases in 2021: 2
      (compared with Total of 45 for the same period in 2020)
Total number of Circulating Vaccine Derived cases - 2021: 73
 (compared to total in 2018: 104; in 2019: 378 & in 2020: 1086)
 
Please Donate @ https://www.myrotary.org 
OR CHECKS TO YOUR CLUB’S CHARITABLE ACCOUNT DIRECTED TO “POLIO PLUS”
RYLA 2021
RYLA will happen this summer over the course of three different weeks. Two camps will be day camps where parents (or students) will need to drive to and from daily. One camp will be virtual.
 
Both day camps can accept 30 students and will cost $250 while the virtual camp can accept 36 students and will cost $50.
 
The deadlines for the camps all vary due to the dates of the camps. That's why there are three different applications!  The highlighted yellow section is for your club to decide a due date for your applicants. Your club will fill that in after you download it from the 5710 website.
 
If you have any students who are good candidates, but your club has not set aside enough funding for them, please send those 'extra'  RYLA applications to me (not Mandy). Often there are clubs with extra funding, but not enough students that have applied.  
 
Otherwise, everything is submitted to Mandy via email (rotary5710exec@gmail.com) with the checks being mailed to the address on the form.
 
Please visit the RYLA page of the website for applications and brochure!
Johnson County Rotary Clubs Collaborative Project
By Pat O'Donnell
 
The thirteen Rotary Clubs of Johnson County have come together in a collaborative project at the new County Square where the old Courthouse once stood. The Clubs will support a large grove of 34 maple and linden trees at the new county Square entrance. Plans are for this first phase of the County Square to open this October.
 
A committee of Rotarians from many of the clubs suggested a goal of $50 per member to purchase the trees as a gift to the people of the county. It is especially timely as Rotary International has designated care for the environment as a new focus area for the new Rotary Year. The District is also supporting the project with $4,000 of Public Image funding.
 
A permanent signage/recognition element for the Tree Grove to memorialize this Rotary gift being developed and is an excellent opportunity to showcase Rotary Clubs for years to come.
 
As of last February, the membership of the Johnson County Clubs was 587 Rotarians. At $50 per member, we could easily reach $29,350.   
 
With a goal for each club, we would hope some can exceed their goal and add to our available funding. It would be up to each club as to how they meet their goal. A total goal of $35,000 should be achievable and pay for trees. The funds from each club will be due By September 1 and sent to District treasurer Karen Linn. Her address is 4301 SW Huntoon St, Topeka, KS 66604.
District 5710 Survey for Polio Survivors and Caregivers
The 2020-21 Rotary year is nearing closure and plans are taking place for the 2021-2022 year.  The conference will be held in Manhattan on October 22-23, with a theme focused on Rotary’s Polio Eradication--Fourth and Inches (our Sports take on “We Are This Close”).
 
As we plan for the conference, we are asking that each Club survey their membership and identify any member who has; personally experienced polio, has provided care for family members, and/or is acquainted with members of your community with similar connections. 
 
The District would like to invite Rotarians that have these experiences to be recognized and share their experience during the conference--if they are comfortable in doing so.  We ask that names and contact information be sent to our District Polio Eradication Chair, Jim Arnett, by Friday, May 21, 2021.
 
Thank you for your attention to this request and thank you for your service.  We look forward to hearing from you soon and finally getting into the endzone of polio elimination.
 
Vern Henricks, District Governor Elect
Jim Arnett, District Polio Eradication Chair
 
Please circulate this survey to your membership as soon as possible.
**********************************************************************
POLIO EXPERIENCE SURVEY IN SUPPORT OF DISTRICT 5710
 
ARE YOU OR DO YOU KNOW A POLIO SURVIVOR?     ___YES    ___NO
 
IF YES:  MEMBER NAME:____________________________
              MEMBER EMAIL: ____________________________
              MEMBER Phone: (____) _____-________________
 
PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR CONNECTION TO POLIO:
 
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH THE DISTRICT? _____
 
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN, OR LEAD, A DISCUSSION GROUP ABOUT POLIO SURVIVOR AND/OR CAREGIVER EXPERIENCES DURING THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE?  _____
 
PLEASE RETURN THIS SURVEY TO JIM ARNETT, DISTRICT 5710 POLIO CHAIRMAN, maajca@gmail.com – 913-200-0514
2608 W. 118th St., Leawood, KS 66211-3034
Message from DGE Vern Henricks
I want to thank our D5710 President Elects for their participation in the 2021 Heartland PETS Training. We received very positive comments and messages with the Zoom training so we are glad that it was productive for our PE’s. We were also able to approve the budget for the 2021-22 year with unanimous support.
 
I look forward to visiting our D5710 Clubs in person this coming year and have already been scheduling meeting dates. I look forward to hearing from the remaining clubs in the coming weeks. I would like to get club visits schedule by July 1 so all of us can begin the new Rotary year organized.
 
I am pleased to share that the D5710 2021 Conference Planning Committee has been working diligently to bring you a very informative and educating conference in Manhattan on October 22-23. Activities will begin on the afternoon of the 21st with the District Golf Outing at the Manhattan Country Club in the afternoon. The evening event will be a presentation by Major General D. A. Sims which you will certainly want to hear.  The conference will begin Friday with a breakfast and conclude Saturday late morning.  We will have all football fans in their seats for their favorite games Saturday afternoon. Please hold these dates on your calendar because I assure you that you will be glad you did.
 
I am also interested in evaluating the connections and impact of our Rotarians worldwide. In future weeks and throughout the year, I will be asking Rotarians what connects they have or are interested in throughout the world. I know there is a lot going on the many of us are not aware of and I would like to be able to recognize the differences D5710 is making around the world. More to come…
 
Thanks again to all Rotarians for their service and I look forward to working with you all in the 2021-22 year.
Bonner Springs Rotary
A lot of activity at the Bonner Springs club. On April 19, we presented scholarships to four seniors. The scholarships were $1000 each. Funds for the scholarship are raised each year at our annual Tiblow Trot race. The club is getting ready for its Derby Day event to raise funds for Vaughn Trent Community Services, a social services agency that serves residents of USD #204 (Bonner Springs & Edwardsville). It should be a lot of fun with big hats, bow ties and mouse races. 
 
Kansas City, KS Rotary
Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club
Scholarship Competition
 
During the month of April, the Kansas City, Kansas Rotary Club, as part of its annual Student Scholarship Competition, recognized outstanding high school students from Wyandotte County schools. One female and one male student from each school are nominated by their respective school’s staffs to compete for $1,500 college scholarships. All the students exemplify the highest academic, service and character standards in our community. We can all be proud of these Wyandotte County students, and we are excited about their bright futures.
 
Due to the pandemic, the KCK Rotary Club continues to meet via Zoom. The female students, accompanied by school representatives, made short presentations at the Club’s Zoom meeting on April 13th, and the male students presented to the Club on April 20th.
 
The Club will choose one female and one male from these outstanding high school students to receive a $1,500.00 scholarship to be used at the college or university of the student’s choice. The scholarship announcements will be made in early May.
 
Female Speakers – April 13, 2021:
Clockwise from upper left:  Jennifer Obiesie, Piper High School; Lizbeth Martinez, Bishop Ward High School; Jazmin Graham, Bonner Springs High School; Jaleon Brown, Sumner Academy; Katerin Molina Peraza, Wyandotte High School; Kenia Ramirez, F.L. Schlagle High School; Leslie Chavez Hinojos, J.C. Harmon High School; and Elizabeth Thang, Turner High School.
Male Speakers – April 20, 2021:
Clockwise from upper left:  Christian Renteria, Sumner Academy; Aaron Johnson, F.L. Schlagle High School; Blake Beashore, Piper High School; Roberto Ramirez, Turner High School; Reynaldo Lopez, Bishop Ward High School; Ian Tomasic, Bonner Springs High School; Miguel Flores, J.C. Harmon High School; Saul Franco Morales, Wyandotte High School
Leavenworth Rotary
Several Rotarians supported our semi-annual Non-Perishable Food Drive this month; pictured here are Caroline Webster and Linda Scheer; even though we were rained out about 2pm, the club still managed to collect over 1000 pounds of food and over $500 for the Catholic Charities Food Pantry. Thanks to Rotarian Gary Cordes for taking the lead on this service project and to our community for their support!
 
Our club celebrated its 105th birthday this month with cake at our first meeting back in our regular meeting place, the Riverfront Community Center; happy birthday to the Rotary Club of Leavenworth!
 
Several members came out in support of our first Rotary Park Clean Up of the season; pictured left to right are Rotarians Gary Cordes, Ellen Bogdan and Tamara Sevcik.  Many thanks to Rotarian Tony Kramer for taking the lead on this service project and to all who came out to help.
 
Guest speaker Terri Lois Mashburn, Leavenworth County Register of Deeds, presents President Timothy with some important deed paperwork for his property.
 
Past Rotarians of the Year, Tom Dials, Maria Minchew and Tamara Sevcik (2017, 2018 and 2019) present the 2020 Rotarian of the Year award to Rotarian Blake Waters; Blake has served as a Director and recently stepped up to take on our Program Chair position.  Also pictured far right is President Timothy.  Congrats to Rotarian Blake!
 
President Timothy presents Rotary coins to two seniors from Leavenworth High School.  Amelia Rieper and Maya Halle are both members of the Raider JROTC program and plan to attend KSU and BYU (respectively) in the fall.
 
Several members showed up on a very rainy day this month to help keep our city streets clean.  This posting on our Facebook page reached over 3100 people thanks to our great members sharing our posts.  Many thanks to Rotarian Dawn Weston for taking the lead on this service project and to all who came out to help!
 
President Timothy presents guest speaker, Ann Soby from Operation International, Leavenworth/Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce; Ann explained the sponsorship program for International Officers attending CGSC on Fort Leavenworth.
 
Upcoming for our Club:
12 May - Next meeting / Scholarship Presentations
21-22 May - Club Yard Sale
22 May - Over the Counter Medicine Drive in Support of Saint Vincent Clinic
26 May - Club Meeting
Every Monday - Meals on Wheels Deliveries
Monthly - Rotary Park Clean Up
Lenexa Rotary
The Lenexa club has adopted the stretch of greenway between Lackman and Pflumm along 83rd Street. Thanks to the volunteers who helped out this past Saturday morning (17 April) for the Mill Creek Streamway Cleanup project - Becca Coleman, Moe Cougher, Mike Dix, Tedd Maxfield, Steve Nettles, Ron Tennison, Pat Thomas, Erik Troy, Wayne ZetzmanThe group spent about an hour and had an enjoyable time working together. A special thanks to Erik Troy for organizing this project.
Little Lending Libraries
 
After discussions with the PTAs and the Principals, the Lenexa Rotary Club Foundation supplied two of three “Little Lending Libraries” to Lenexa elementary schools in April – Rosehill and Lenexa Hills. Rising Star’s dedication is scheduled for the first week of May. Club members Nathalie Brech, Lenet Compton, Steve Nettles, Greg Peterson, and Wayne Zetzman were in attendance for one or more of the dedications. 

Reintegrating Survivors of Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking 

The project will expand the services that are currently being provided to victims of human trafficking by establishing a training and reintegration center in Grandview, MO to provide job skills training to survivors committed to restoration and reintegration after exiting a sexual exploitation or human trafficking situation.  We will use our vocation and experience to volunteer to train, mentor and coach survivors.
 
By connecting survivors with vocational training opportunities, life skills training, and access to mentors and resources, we decrease the likelihood that they will be re-exploited in the future. Survivors will have the opportunity to develop life and parenting skills, complete a high school diploma and online vocational certification, and learn financial budgeting and retail/customer service skills. The training center will include a boutique that will sell slightly used high-end clothing that is donated by Rotarians and current Rended Heart supporters. In the boutique, survivors will have on-the- job training in retail sales, marketing, financial management, inventory, customer service, and business management.
Manhattan Rotary
The areas of focus for April included Supporting the Environment, Disease Prevention and Maternal and Child Health. We started on April 10 with sandbar clean up along the KAW River. Labor was provided by Rotarians, Interactors, high school students, a high school teacher, and in partnership with Friends of the Kaw River, BHS Construction, Manhattan Parks and Rec, the Kansas Department of Parks, Wildlife and Tourism, and more. Battery cases and debris were collected and placed in dumpsters at the Hwy 24 boat ramp. A deep freezer was even disposed of that found its way along the Kaw. Dumpsters and kayaks were provided through a district grant. Organizer was Rotarian Chris Culbertson. Check out the Friends of the Kaw Facebook page.
April 18 was spent on tree maintenance. Of the 100 trees that were planted in Northeast Community Park, ninety-four survived the winter. Interactors, Rotaractors and Rotarians mulched, watered, weeded, and evaluated the trees. Boat ramp cleanup followed. A week later some of the same individuals returned to finish weeding.
In honor of Arbor Day and in partnership with K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources; Custodial, Landscape and Recycling, and the President’s Office, and the Kansas Forestry Service, a blue spruce was planted on the south lawn of the President’s residence. Students provided the labor and educated the attendees on the specifics of tree planting.
 
As part of our ongoing efforts on Manhattan Beats the Virus and in partnership with the Little Apple Pilot Club, American Association of University Women and United Methodist Women, disposable masks were distributed in blessing boxes around the community.
 
The club welcomed Tim Engle, with American Family Insurance, as our newest Rotarian.
 
We received $4350 in 27 gifts on Grow Green Day, which will receive a generous match from Rotarian Phil Howe.
 
The Manhattan and Konza Rotary Clubs are the recipients of a Greater Manhattan Community Foundation Grant in the amount of $3,000 to support the Rotary Youth Peace Art Contest. The funds will be used to provide scholarships for art lessons through the Manhattan Arts Center.
 
Mark your calendars for the Inauguration Ceremony for District Governor elect, Vern Henricks on June 28 from 6-7 at Colbert Hills Golf Club (5200 Colbert Hills Drive, Manhattan). A Zoom option will be provided.
 
Join us at 1880 Kimball Avenue in the meeting room behind Rockin K’s or online via Facebook.
Manhattan Konza Rotary
Manhattan Konza Rotary Club is in full swing of the “Sharing Smiles” campaign to create awareness about the benefit of vaccinations. Each week through May, a plethora of eye-catching yard signs will be placed in high traffic areas throughout Manhattan. Participants agree to display 10 round 17” signs with Smileys on one side and the Rotary wheel on the other, one 18”x24” sign with “Vaccines Save Lives” and “Sharing Smiles” on the other side, and one 18”x24” rectangular sign with “Rotary Clubs of Kansas” and Rotary Logo. The club is excited to participate along with all clubs across Kansas and Oklahoma.
 
For 35 years, Rotary has been vaccinating children around the world to protect them from polio - 2.5 billion of them to be exact. Rotarians know that vaccines are important and they save lives. This is our opportunity to show support for those undertaking the historic effort for COVID-19 vaccinations.
 

During the month of May, the club will team up with the Salvation Army, Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Inc. (MESI), and The Flint Hills Volunteer Center to collect much-needed underwear for our community’s residents. The club will collect new (preferably still in the original packaging) adult men’s and women’s small, medium, large, and XL underwear. For men, boxer briefs are preferred. Bras would also be beneficial.

 
Overbrook Rotary
Overbrook Rotary city wide limb pickup day. 
L to R Vic Robbins, Randy Durbin, Jon Wilhite, Derrick Dahl and Samuel Scott picture by Cliff O’Bryhim 

Spring landscaping at the Overbrook Library. L to R Randy Durbin, Jon Wilhite, Vic Robbins, Marian Massoth, Mike Bronoski, Derrick Dahl, Bob Klingler and President Gerry Coffman.  Pictures by Cliff O’Bryhim. 
Shawnee Rotary
Getting Shots, Delivering Goods and Building Beds Keeps Rotary Club of Shawnee Moving at an Extremely Opportunistic Pace
 
This Club is holding out its hearts and its arms in true Rotary fashion as it works toward getting the upper hand on a dreadful disease. The Club has been “Sharing Smiles” in neighborhoods all over Johnson County and backing their pleas with action. As of April 30th, 75% of the club is fully vaccinated and another 9% are halfway there. Yes, you read that right. Rotary Club of Shawnee has 84% of the club protected from Covid-19. And they’re not done yet. The opportunity to save lives knocked on their doors. And in true Rotary fashion they opened the door and held out their hearts and arms.
 
Also, this month the club had its second month-long collection of goods this fiscal year for Shawnee Community Services (SCS). SCS is a local community organization that serves the many needs of our local homeless as well as other victims of the pandemic. They maintain a food pantry and Shawnee Rotary donated cash, $200 in gift certificates, another $300 in food items and two brand new requested coffeemakers for a total of nearly $800.
 
That’s not all. On April 30, Shawnee’s Club Foundation gave out (3) $1000 scholarships to local high schoolers who competed for and attained these scholarships. These three Seniors were definitely favorites and their presentations assured all of us that the future is bright with such gifted young adults guiding America’s future.
Russell Hampton
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