Rotary International Zones 28 & 32 is a four country, two language, community of Rotarians in Bermuda, Canada, France and the United States spanning eight time zones.
Click banner for more.
Reminder
Articles for the newsletter are due by the 20th of every month for the next newsletter.
Posted by Valarie Wafer, RIVP and Director Zone 28/32
On October 24th we celebrated World Polio Day. It was incredible to see the awareness, advocacy and fundraising across our districts and in our communities. Flag raising ceremonies, social media from our members and partners and an incredible World Polio Day Program by Rotary International I had the opportunity for my first in-person event with the Rotary Club of Brampton in D7080.
This year more than ever we are optimistic. The wild polio virus transmission is at its lowest levels in history, with only two reported cases in two countries. The new strategic initiative plan launched by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is titled, “Delivering on a Promise” and this is what we intend to do.
November will be another busy month. Please join us online November 2-4 for our Zone Summit, where Together we Can: Connect, Inspireand Celebrate. The RI Board of Directors will hold our board meeting in Evanston on November 15-17, this marks the first in person/hybrid meeting since January 2020 and for many of us the chance to meet each other for the first time outside of Zoom squares.
We celebrate Foundation Month in November. Recently, I had the chance to plant trees with Rotaractors from D7090. This was a project initiated by Rotaractors and in partnership with the Niagara Parks Authority. It was funded by reserve funds in D7090 to provide the connection, education and participation of Rotaractors with our Foundation. The submitted project proposal was in grant format and reviewed and approved by the District Foundation committee.
It was a huge success, and I enjoyed the conversation with this engaged group of leaders. On July 1, 2022 Rotaractors will be able to participate in global grants, as we are planning our training events for the next Rotary year please ensure Rotaractors are included and prepared.
In conversation with many of you, I know that you are anxious to visit your long-standing projects supported by our Foundation. These projects locally, regionally and globally are our chance to elevate and enhance Rotary’s stature and recognition. Tell your stories, share your success and inspire giving to our Foundation. Many of us joined Rotary for one reason and stayed for another. That reason is our Foundation. There are so many ways to give - Annual Fund, Endowment Fund, Polio Plus. I personally support the Annual Fund as a Paul Harris Society Member. As we Serve to Change Lives, let’s give and encourage others so that we can continue to do good in the world.
I want to wish all of our American friends a happy Thanksgiving. Be well, be safe and be thankful!
I would like to take this opportunity and platform to recognize and acknowledge all those people who came together to put on the 2021 Virtual Zone Summit which will be taking place on November 2-4. Planning any event takes a tremendous amount of resources with time being the top one. In alphabetical order please note the following individuals who went above and beyond to produce the top-notch program we will be experiencing with attendance well over 1,000.
Sherry Chamberlain – Together We Connect Chair
Bruce Goldsen – Co-Communications Chair
Sue Goldsen - Co-Communications Chair
Peter Schultz – Together We Celebrate Chair
Liz Smith – Video Producer
Thank you to our Speakers: Chris Wells, Tunji Funsho, Stephanie Woollard, Dean Rohrs, Todd Jenkins, Chantal Vallee
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge and recognize Rotary International Vice President Valarie Wafer who gave me the opportunity to be the General Chair of the event, brought forward the concept and provided the vision for the above group to execute. While we all agree an in-person event would have been great having an event online provides a platform for many more of our members to participate and benefit from the program.
In the future (assuming health safety allows for it) all Zone events will provide both an in person and online format for as many of our members as possible to be able to participate beginning with Life Below Water in September of 2022. All main plenary sessions will be recorded and presented later online during an online version of Life Below Water. The same will occur for the Zone symposium that will take place in November, Life on Land. It is my hope that as our District leaders plan District Conferences or any District event consideration is given to recording the event and having a special dedicated online showing if the event cannot be simulcasted live so more of our members can participate and attend.
On a separate note…
It is happening! While not overnight, slowly but surely events are starting to return to in person. From District Conferences to Anniversary Celebrations and everything in between Rotarians are coming together and it feels great. There is nothing better than in person fellowship which was one of the major losses felt with the online format many of our events have had these past 18 months. Maybe it is the concept of you do not know what you had until it is gone but now more than ever I for one appreciate the ability to come together in person and share the joys of Rotary fellowship.
While nothing is a given in our current environment, for the first time in a couple of years event planners can breathe a little sigh of relief as they plan future events as more people become vaccinated and safety protocols become main stay in many of our areas.
A step in the right direction is the recent U.S. lift of restrictions for vaccinated foreign travelers beginning on November 8th. Let this be the beginning of all borders reopening and free travel occurring throughout the Rotary world.
FOCUS ON POLIO with Mike McGovern, Chair of Rotary International PolioPlus Committee John Germ, Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation Clare Monroe, Rotary International PolioPlus Fundraising Specialist
The recording of our October 19th "Focus on Polio" meeting is now available for viewing at THIS LINK.
If you didn't get a chance to login during the meeting, we hope you'll take a moment to watch the archive.
Posted by Marilyn Bedell, Zone 32 Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser
This article is dedicated in honor and memory of Zone 28 E/MGA Karen Oakes, who died suddenly on October 9, 2021.
Together We Support the Environment
As we enter November, Rotary Foundation Month, think about ways we can help grow our Rotary Foundation’s Endowment Fund. The picture of the planting of a tree seems to symbolize new growth, and this led me to think about our need to target new funding to support our newest area of focus, Supporting the Environment.
I found this written on the Rotary Club of Guelph, Ontario’s web page. It was written in September 2020:
With so much attention paid to COVID since March this year, this exciting announcement made on June 25, 2020, has received little recognition, but it's a big deal. Huge, in fact. "The Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors have both unanimously approved adding a new area of focus: supporting the environment."
This decision follows many years of lobbying and projects by Rotarians who understand that the whole world is their backyard. They can see the effects of climate change in communities they care about.
Past RI President Ian Risely (2017-2018) said, "We have to look at the world as a whole and how we can make it a better place. Caring about the environment goes toward our ultimate mission, and we should give it the importance it deserves."
Posted by Louisa Horne, ICA Team Lead & Lise Dutrisac, ARC, Zones 28/32
Many of us have seen the movie Snow White where the Evil Queen stands before her mirror with the words: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The mirror invariably responds: “My Queen, you are the fairest in the land.” Of course, the queen is pleased with that because the mirror never lies. However, on one fateful moment the mirror responds other than what the queen expected with the truth about another maiden in the forest who is indeed fairer.
Do you have a similar experience when it comes to your own Rotary club? Are you looking into that Rotary mirror seeing only what you wish to see and not as it is? We tend to see all the wonderful aspects of our clubs and avoid seeing some of the harsh reality.
→ Ro-terrier Beacon may be irresistible but he is not seeing reality. Are you?
Posted by ARCs Cindie Kish and Cecily Smith, Zone 32
How do we keep our club members energized and excited to be in Rotary? Three successful ideas started with the same idea - SERVICE. Here are flexible, creative ways members can get excited about service in their community AND increase membership and community connection and visibility.
Posted by Tamara C Larson, Zone 28 Assistant Ambassador, Empowering Girls
Despite the many before us blazing trails and breaking through glass ceilings, girls and women today still face barriers and inequalities worldwide in health and education, employment opportunities and experience violence and poverty at much higher rates than men.
Rotary International President Shekar Mehta has made Empowering Girls one of his key Presidential Initiatives for this Rotary year. What does it mean to empower girls? Supporting them to ensure their basic needs are met while working to break down systemic barriers to ensure we eliminate gender discrimination and inequality.
In response to the “Meet your new BFF’s” ZOOM presentation request for successful Public Image ideas, here is the “Meaford Rotary Rocks” initiative. The project lasted for 6 weeks.
We had three “Rotary” rocks which we moved each week to three new locations around town. We highlighted our parks, trails and areas of interest. Each week, we received 60-90 photographs.
While we received some from adults, the majority of our participants were families. All were posted on our Facebook page (permission received) and our Facebook presence soared! We raised our “Likes” by over 200% during this time period.
We received so many emails from people telling us that this was the highlight of their week. It gave the kids who were learning at home, something to look forward to.
“Mommy” one child said, “Let’s go looking for the blue rocks”. Our local businesses were happy to support us by accepting our winning coupons and they were reimbursed by the Rotary club (some chose to donate this to us).
For the past dozen years, two courageous Canadians, Dr. Tanyss and her husband, GEM Munro have been establishing “schools” in some of the worst slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the world’s poorest country. Thirty-five million individuals mostly living on a dollar a day in a space just a tiny bit larger than the combined size of Maine and New Hampshire.
Tanyss and GEM ignored the poverty and moved their family into these slums. They taught women to become teachers in their hovels. More “schools” opened, mainly funded by North American Rotary clubs. Partnerships between Bangladeshi and North American clubs were established. A $90,000 Rotary Global Grant was procured. More “schools” were created. Soon there were 200 mothers teaching a thousand kids their educational fundamentals. At the moment, there are 500-600 Mothers of Intention but far fewer cell phones.