Many of you have been eager to help with the Hurricane Harvey Relief efforts. I, like most of you, spent hours watching the media coverage on television, social media and the press. As Rotarians, our first thought is to spring into action and bring immediate relief to those affected by the disaster. Fortunately, there are many organizations and government agencies that provide rescue and shelter services to those in need. The devastation is so great that it will take years for the area to recover. There are two organizations that the District is supporting. Disaster Chair Carl Hassett and I are requesting that donations for Hurricane Harvey relief be made out to the Walter D. Head Foundation. This money will go to Disaster Aid USA, which is a Rotarian operated 501(c)3 organization that does immediate relief efforts and long term recovery aid. http://www.disasteraidusa.com/about-disaster-aid/ All donations can be made to: The Walter D. Head Foundation Please write Hurricane Harvey in the memo line. Please send your donations to: Attention:Carl Hassett 337 Railroad Ave. East Rutherford, NJ 07073 We are also asking you to support the Rotary Foundation Donor Advised Fund (DAF) that was set up by the Rotary Districts affected by Hurricane Harvey. Rest assured that both of these methods will not only help get resources to the people that need it, but also get them what they need. We are not warehousing goods as we did with Hurricane Sandy. If you want to collect goods, please reach out to organizations that are filling up trucks and heading to Texas. Please check out this article by CBS news on the downside of collecting goods for disasters. If you have any questions, please contact Disaster Chair Carl Hassett at secretary7490@gmail.com Thank you for your patience and your passion to help in the disaster relief! Yours in Rotary Service, Jim |
Four District 7490 special Rotarians are now part of a new initiative in New Jersey – our Young Professionals Council. All of the Council's members are Rotarians ages 40 or younger who had been Rotarians in good standing for at least a year and who were recommended by our current District Governors. The group has already held two conference calls – one in April and one in July.
Rotarians Jennifer Aitken (Jersey City), Alberto Zelaya (Paterson), Wendy Paul (Jersey City) and Phil Wells (Park Ridge Rotary) joined RC Karien Ziegler (7470), ARC Bonnie Sirower (7490), Incoming RC (2017-19) Carolyn Johnson, DG Jim Boyer (7490) and RI Regional Membership Officer Diana Edwards in two thoughtful one-hour discussions.
Raymond “Ray” Wells, 89, resident of Oradell, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2017. Ray was born to Harold and Julia Wells in Kearny, New Jersey on May 28, 1928. He married his best friend and the love of his life, Betty Louise Martin on September 23, 1950. Ray and Betty were joyfully married for 66 years.
Ray is predeceased by his brother, Harold and his parents. He will be sadly missed by his wife Betty and his children, Thomas Wells (wife Carol Wells) of Bristol, Vermont, Holly Tillman (husband Tom Tillman) from Montoursville, PA, Peter Wells, (wife Linda Wells) of Park Ridge, NJ, Jeffrey Wells (wife Sherri Wells) of Norfolk, Virginia, Kerry Couldron of Englewood, NJ and Juliann Aman (husband Robert Aman) of Bettendorf, IA. Their beloved Papa will be missed by his eighteen grandchildren: Ciera, Rachel, Katie, Connie, Jonathan, Jordyn, Shasi, Jaclyn, Philip, Carlyn, Brittany, Holly, Parker, Peter, Madison, Joshua, Elizabeth and Caleb and fourteen great grandchildren.
High school students packaging food supplies at New Jersey City University on June 28 for delivery to a food bank in Kearny.
Speaking to high school students who had just completed a four-day RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) program, District Governor Stephen V. Jarahian noted that earlier in the week - on Sunday, June 25 - he had predicted that they would find the program “awesome”. Did they find it “awesome”, he asked, to which they responded with an enthusiastic affirmation.
In closing ceremonies on June 28, Governor Steve urged his listeners to not be afraid to fail. While one should not embrace failure, he said, one should learn from his or her mistakes, thereby becoming stronger in spite of a given failure.
This is Lady Santa Clause, who looks a lot like Evelyn Agrusti, aftergiving out presents in bright yellow Wayne Rotary gift bags.
Wayne Rotary presented Christmas in July to nearly a hundred Preakness Health Care Center residents, in a late July event that featured music, dancing, and lots of presents.
Why Christmas in July? Because it is a popular summer vacation period, and residents don’t get as many visits from families or friends. Twenty Wayne Rotarians and families organized the event, collecting contributions, buying and wrap ping presents, and greeting residents.
Join us on Thursday, June 29th for the District Banner Exchange! An evening to celebrate our outgoing District Governor Stephen V. Jarahian and the installation of our 61st District Governor James "JamBoy" Boyer. EVENT INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION HERE.
James Boyer, a resident of Old Tappan, has been a member of the Northern Valley Rotary Club since 2007. He served as club president from 2009-2011, receiving a President Citation for both terms and created the club’s first website and redesigned its banner. In 2011, Jim became an Assistant Governor and has served many clubs in the District. Jim is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute and was selected as an inaugural member of the Future Leaders class at the Rotary Zone 24-32 Conference in Vancouver, Canada (2012). Jim was named Sergeant of Arms for the 2013 District 7490 Conference, served as the District’s Chief of Staff 2013-14 and District Secretary 2015-16, Jim also played an integral role in the foundation and development of the Rotary Club of Greater Westwood
Clubs are the heart of our district. Each year we have hundreds of individual club events. Below is a list of the upcoming ones. If you have time please get out and support another clubs' event.
As this year’s coordinator for RYLA(Rotary Youth Leadership Award) 2017 it is with great pleasure that our District will be holding RYLA at New Jersey City University(NJCU) in Jersey City. The dates are Sunday June 25th
Our Clubs Make Rotary Special, and below is a listing of club events.
Pursuant to Rotary International bylaws, section 13.020.4, you are invited to place in nomination the name of a member of your club to serve as District Governor in the Rotary year 2019-2020.
Gift of Life Celebration postponed to February 23, The Venetian, 546 River Dr, Garfield, cocktail hour begins at 6:30, dinner and dancing 7:30 - 11:00 pm
You will be treated to a wonderful cocktail hour with an open bar and passed hors d'Oeuvres followed by the truly amazing Venetian Dinner Buffet.
Music will be provided by Magic Moments.
We promise a short program and the maximum time for fellowship and dancing.
Price: $110 per person. $1050 for table of 10.
Click here to get the event flyer containing the reservation form.
Click here to get the event flyer containing the reservation form.
Every club around the district is doing an outstanding job with putting on events that embody The Four Way Test. Here is a list of those:
Five years since its debut, Rotary Club Central is getting a big upgrade
When we introduced Rotary Club Central in 2012, it revolutionized goal tracking and planning for clubs and districts — no more filling out paper club-planning forms or passing along boxes of historical club information every time a new leader took office.
Rotary Club Central offered clubs and districts a quantifiable way to begin measuring local and global impact, specifically membership initiatives, service activities, and Rotary Foundation giving.
But as with any technological advancement, in a few short years, Rotary Club Central began to show its age, and Rotarians took notice. They...
Rotary International Board adopts new zone structure
At its January 2017 meeting, the Rotary International Board of Directors adopted a new zone structure for Rotary clubs.
Rotary bylaws require the Board to complete a comprehensive review of the 34 Rotary zones no less often than every eight years to ensure that each zone has an approximately equal number of Rotarians. The Board’s previous review of the zones occurred in 2008.
The Board earlier approved the creation of three regional workgroups to develop rezoning proposals for Asia, Europe/Africa, and the Americas. These workgroups comprised one representative (either a current director,...
Centennial celebration honors 20 noteworthy global grant projects
Through The Rotary Foundation, Rotary members have supported thousands of projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, save mothers and children, support education, and grow local economies. We’ve also led the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. As part of our celebration of the Foundation’s centennial, we’re honoring 20 global grant projects with special recognition. Learn more about the projects using our interactive map.
Convention: Southern hospitality
The Atlanta Host Organization Committee is offering some good old-fashioned Southern hospitality at the Rotary International Convention from 10 to 14 June. It has planned a wide range of activities featuring everything from good food and music to inspiring tours of local landmarks. If it’s your first convention, these events are chances to meet fellow Rotarians from around the world, and if you’re an experienced convention goer, you can catch up with old friends.
Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron will host Rotarians for a “Strike Out Polio” night at the new SunTrust Park, where you’ll...
Member spotlight: The power of the press
When Teguest Yilma helped found the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa Entoto in 2002, she thought polio had already been eradicated from most of the world. But while Ethiopia had been free of the disease, Yilma was shocked to learn that new cases had started cropping up in surrounding countries such as Somalia.
“I was thinking, it’s not possible, we can’t be free if the countries around us are not free,” she says. Yilma, the managing editor of Capital, Ethiopia’s largest English weekly newspaper, has brought a journalist’s skills to the fight against polio. She became vice chair of the Ethiopia...