Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Laundry said, "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you
will go about achieving it and staying with that plan."
Here are a few facts about how District 5950 is staying with its plan.
Because you’ve made Rotary your charity of choice, we have already brought in over $300,000.
Our Paul Harris Society has dozens of new members this year, each pledging $1,000 per year.
This year we will distribute $360,000 in project money that will get matched, bringing the total to over one million dollars! That’s a lot of Rotary Serving Humanity!
In 30 years, the fight for polio eradication has brought 360,000 cases of wild polio in the world to just 36 cases in 2017! Our district has a goal of raising $100,000 to keep the good fight going.
Membership among our 62 clubs shows half gaining and half contracting…until you add the new Chanhassen Evening club’s 22 charter members. They give us a positive membership gain at this point!
Rotary has five Avenues of Service. Clubs that develop all five are VIBRANT clubs. They ask themselves:
- How can we attract more members?
- How do we get the word out about what our club does?
- What’s the impact of our community projects?
- What Rotary stories do our pins represent?
- How effective is our website and its photos?
- How can we improve the quality of our weekly programs?
- Would prospective members like off-site meetings?
- How can we fit service projects into the quarterly calendar?
- Would a mentor program improve weekly attendance?
The essence of vibrancy is doing Rotary intentionally. Make a decision as a club to commit
to your new vision. Do this…and we will not only survive, but will thrive! Make a decision to Be Great, on Purpose!
District Governor-Elect Bob Halagan (Buffalo) just returned from GETS (Governor-Elect Training Seminar) in San Diego. “Intense, fun, and lots to absorb,” he described. Now he invites all District 5950 Presidents-Elect and even Presidents-Nominee to PETS (President-Elect Training) at Iowa State University in Ames from March 9-11, 2017.
PETS training is required for all incoming PEs. Our North Central PETS includes Districts 5950, 5960 (MN & WI), and 5970 and 6000 (IA). Assistant Governors and Assistant Governors-Elect are also invited.
Register at www.NCPETS.ORG. Hotel rooms require a separate reservation.
In the depths of winter, Mid-Term Assembly
is a shot of adrenaline and inspiration.
Over 180 Rotarians filled the Earle Brown Center on January 28. Unofficial evaluations gave high marks to keynote speakers Mark Lanterman, Computer Forensic Services, and Randy Stenger, Extreme Sandbox, and to the breakfast bacon.
Looking ahead, the next District 5950 training event is District Assembly on Saturday, April 8 at Crown College in St. Bonifacius. Watch for registration info and represent your club!
Grants allow clubs to multiply their money for local and international projects by getting matching funds from the district and Rotary International. In order to qualify for matching grants, clubs must have at least one member attend a Grant Management Seminar (GMS) each year.
Registration takes place in first 30 minutes of session (i.e., 8-8:30 within the 8-12:30 time frame). ^ Seminar time will be adjusted to coordinate with event breakout sessions.
GMS addresses: New Ulm Country Club, 1 Golf Drive, New Ulm MN 56073 Crown College, 8700 College View Dr, St. Bonifacius, MN 55375 St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 5421 France Ave. S., Edina MN 55410 Best Western Chelsea Inn, 89 Chelsea Road, Monticello MN 55362
Each club should start thinking about the member(s) who will represent your club at a GMS and then play a leadership role in grant submissions during the 2017-18 Rotary year. Enrollment for these GMS dates open in February. Each class is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. Register on ClubRunner by selecting your preferred date in the Events list of the District 5950 website.
Posted by Ellen Kennedy (Minneapolis University), Peace Fellows Program & Scholarship Chair
To make peace in the world, we need more peace-builders. The application process is open for Rotary Peace Fellowships, which are awarded to pursue a master’s degree in peace studies, conflict prevention and resolution, international relations, international development policy, journalism, environmental studies, public health, education, or public administration or for a certificate in peace and conflict resolution.
Programs The master’s degree offers 15-24 months of study plus a three-month applied field experience anywhere in the world. The second program is three months of study in Thailand for a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution. Scholarships include transportation, room and board, tuition, fees, and a stipend.
Eligibility Candidates who have completed a bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years of relevant work or volunteer experience must currently live, work or study in District 5950, or have done so in the past. They must demonstrate a deep and lasting commitment to peace. Rotary Peace Fellows become leaders promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and successful conflict resolution. Rotarians and their family members are not eligible for Peace Fellowships.
Study Sites
Duke University, United States (not available to US citizens)
Tokyo International Christian University, Japan
University of Bradford, England
University of Queensland, Australia
Uppsala University, Sweden
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand (three-month certificate program only)
Timeline
Applications due to local Rotary Club: April 10, 2017
Applications forwarded to District 5950: May 1, 2017
District interviews of candidates: by June 1, 2017
Candidates’ applications forwarded to The Rotary Foundation: July 1, 2017
Recipients notified: November 2017 for study in 2018-2019
In the depths of winter, Mid-Term Assembly
Programs The master’s degree offers 15-24 months of study plus a three-month applied field experience anywhere in the world. The second program is three months of study in Thailand for a professional development certificate in peace and conflict resolution. Scholarships include transportation, room and board, tuition, fees, and a stipend.
