Join (verb): link; connect; as in join in and sing along. Antonyms: separate; leave.
Now let’s go deeper. In the early 18th century, the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville toured newly formed America. In short, he observed democracy worked better here because our people joined in transparent community “associations” to discuss and address all kinds of local, state and world issues. People took active interest in the life going on around them, and they chose to join in.
Aren’t Rotary clubs a great example of what de Tocqueville observed? Ideally, we are wheels of activity that engage community members in transparent discussion and action. I do not imagine that 200 years ago it was any more convenient than it is today to gather at the town hall or in a family’s living room. Further, it must be true then as now that any gathering of individuals is bound to have different experiences and expressions of opinion and personality.
I doubt de Tocqueville stated community engagement was easy or always fun. Rather, then as now it takes time and effort. Yet, as Rotarians we know the commitment is worth it. In fact, we believe it makes lasting change across the world, in our communities and in ourselves.
As mentioned in January, the District is working on a project to help Rotary clubs open community discussions about joining. This week, please join me in congratulating and thanking our newly trained Presidents-Elect who just finished PETS, as each of these individuals step up to give their time and effort to lead our clubs forward.
DISTRICT SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE!!!
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THE DISTRICT IS HERE FOR YOU
ROTARY DAY AT THE ROCKIES!
Sunday, May 12 - 1:10 pm
ORDER TICKETS NOW!Rockies vs. the World Champion Texas Rangers! Please remember this game is a fundraiser for End Polio Now polio eradication - $5.00 of each discounted ticket goes to polio eradication. Click here for the flyer.
ROTARY’S EPIC DAY OF SERVICE
Saturday, May 18, 2024
26 CLUBS ARE ALREADY IN, and more register daily. As DG Jim says, “You don’t want to miss this!”CLUB PRESIDENTS… if your Club isn’t signed up, now is the time, even if you don’t know your project yet. Your Members and the Public will be able to sign up for projects in about 3 weeks (mid-March), and you want to be on the list. Presidents or Club Champions can visit epicdayofservice.org, click Rotarians and then Club Registration. Takes just 2-3 minutes, then come back to enter your project. Let’s All Be EPIC!
WORLD ROTARACT WEEK
March 13-19, 2024
March 13 is observed as World Rotaract Day with World Rotaract Week taking place over seven days as an annual celebration of the success and importance of Rotaract in communities around the world. Join the party to connect with others and share your celebrations. Click Here to read about Seven Things You Don't Know About Rotaract.
OPERATION POLLINATION & EARTH DAY! Our future depends on Trees, Bees & Seas! Join other Rotarians on Saturday, April 20 at Crown Hill Park for a Pollinator Pledge signing ceremony to encourage Rotary members, families, and friends to take up this ultra important focus. There will be hands on restoration projects on that day if you wish to participate. Click Here to read more.
PEACE CORPS VIRTUAL SERVICE PILOT: Connect and collaborate online with dedicated host country counterparts on short-term projects, ranging from education to entrepreneurship. The Virtual Service Pilot offers qualified individuals the distinct opportunity to apply their professional skills and experience to support Host Country Partners with their community-level projects. Click Here to learn more and apply.
AWARDS SCHEDULE UPDATE! Since the annual District Conference has been permanently moved to the fall, the awards schedule has been changed to the full prior Rotary year July 1 through June 30. Click Here to learn about all of the available Club, District and District Governor awards.
ROTARIANS DOING BUSINESS WITH ROTARIANS!
Who better to work with than your fellow Rotarian? Check out the new Rotary Business Network page on the District website. This is a great opportunity to support other members in the District, and know that the person you're working with lives by the 4-Way Test. You can find a list of businesses or join the monthly Zoom connections meeting the first Wednesday of every month.
CO ROTARY LICENSE PLATES NOW AVAILABLE!
In order to obtain your license plate, your club secretary must sign the Membership Verification Form, which you must take the signed form to your local Department of Vehicles office. The cost will be about $65-70 depending on your county. You will need to turn in your current license plates at the time of your order, and you will be given temporary paper plates. Your new plates will be mailed to you in 2-6 weeks. Click here for the complete application process. Show your Rotary support - order your plates now!
JOIN THE DISTRICT'S ONLINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY! Register now for only $5 per year!Let other Rotarians know how to reach you! http://rotary5450.business/
CLUB MEMBERSHIP & GIVING REPORT 02.10.2024- Click Here
CLUB CONNECTIONS
CASTLE ROCK HIGH NOON has worked with their Navajo (Diné) friends now for nearly a decade. Recently they organized delivery of 40 bikes, and in the past have brought books for the school and mobile libraries, provided supplies for the Chinle Planting Hope's thrift store, and presented, in person, approximately 2,000 dictionaries to 3rd graders in the Chinle, AZ school District. Click Here to learn more and get contact information on how you too can be involved!
Post your story on your club's website or Facebook page, and then send the link to office@rotary5450.org.Doing so will give your club more exposure - readers will see the story on your club's site, which will let them know more about your club and members.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
The Rotary Foundation helps Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.Click the links below to read the full stories...
Rotary and United Nations Environment Program recently launched a new collaborative initiative, Community Action for Fresh Water. The key to protecting and sustaining natural ecosystems is engaging, educating, and motivating the communities that live close to those ecosystems. For this reason, community-based Rotary and Rotaract clubs are key actors in the Community Action for Fresh Water initiative.
Community Action for Fresh Water is the flagship initiative of Rotary’s partnership with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Through this initiative, Rotary and Rotaract members work with their local communities and partners to protect, restore, and sustain freshwater ecosystems in alignment with the environment area of focus. The strategic partnership between Rotary and the United Nations will be launched in 2023. For more information go to https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-unep-partnership
WASH and WORLD ROTARACT WEEK - Trustee Chair's Message: Clean water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene are fundamental human rights, yet a staggering 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water. Rotary efforts to connect people with clean water go beyond providing a basic necessity. We are paving the way for healthier communities and brighter futures and doing so in a sustainable manner. When we talk about partnerships, we can’t forget our closest ally, right here in the family of Rotary: Rotaract. The engagement, energy, and ideas of Rotaract complement the experience of Rotary clubs and increase our collective impact.CLICK HERE to read more...
Spread the word because every child’s health matters.
Rotary and UNICEF continue to build resilient public health systems around the world. Together, we're making strides towards a world free from polio and ensuring healthier futures for children worldwide.
March 8 is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.To mark the International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, you are invited to attend a webinar about the powerful impact of women in the global effort to eradicate polio. During the webinar, women working on the frontlines in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Pakistan will share the experiences and challenges they face in the fight against polio. More information and registration details are available here.
PROMOTE THE POWER OF VACCINES FOR WORLD IMMUNIZATION WEEK THIS APRIL 24-30: With decades of experience in polio eradication, Rotary members play a key role in publicizing the power of vaccines. In part, because Rotary members and partners have worked so hard to counteract vaccine hesitancy and reach all children with the polio vaccine, we’ve immunized billions of children against the disease. This is an additional opportunity for promoting polio vaccines and donations to End Polio. After all, the success of the polio vaccine is proof that vaccines do work (as do several other vaccines, by the way!) Campaign materials are available now at www.endpolio.org
MARCH IS: WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE (WASH) MONTH: March 22nd marks World Water Day and ties in as March is designated as Water Month by Rotary International. In 2024, the theme will be Leveraging Water for Peace. When we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect – fostering harmony, generating prosperity, and building resilience to shared challenges. We must act upon the realization that water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life. CLICK HERE to read more.
DID YOU KNOW? Does someone in your network have a passion for cultivating communities of #peace? Applications for our #Rotary Peace Center Fellowships for the 2024-25 academic year are now open. Learn more about our fully-funded masters or certificate programs here: https://on.rotary.org/34EPnhD.
What are #Rotary Peace Fellowships? Through #academictraining, practice, and global networking opportunities, our #Peace Fellowships develop the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. Rotary Peace Centers are a program of The Rotary Foundation and all donations help fully support our scholars in these Peace Center Fellowships. Donate now at https://www.rotary.org/en/donate.
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