Zone Institute - Get Fired Up for Rotary

Posted by David Gardner 
on Oct 04, 2015
 
During the week of September 21-28, Rotarians from around Zones 24 and 32 convened for a great week of training and inspirational stories about Rotary Doing Good in the World. Julia Phelps, RI Director and Past District Governor from District 7930, along with her team led by Liz Cullen, created a program that was nothing short of fabulous. The Zone theme was Get Fired Up for Rotary! The sessions and the dialog stirred the spirits of everyone and the Water Fire sculpture was the culmination of the week along the rivers that flow through Providence.
 
Over 400 leaders from the Northeast United States, Bermuda, Canada and Russia shared fun and fellowship wrapped around incredible keynote speakers, training for District Governors, District Governor-elects, District Governor-nominees, District Trainers, Membership Chairs, Foundation Chairs, Public Image Chairs and let's not forget Future Leaders.All of the sessions pushed the limits of how we perceive Rotary and how our organization will continue to evolve in the future.
 
Position specific training was more a facilitation of those who have stepped up to serve as key district leaders over the next few years. The Governor-elects' arrived on Monday to begin Governor-elects training (GETS) and our own Sheryl Meehan spent 2+ days diving into how to successfully lead our fellow Rotarians and help them continue to make a difference locally and around the world. On Tuesday, David Gardner arrived to begin a day and a half of dialog about how to transition from nominee to elect and how to plan to build a team to ensure a successful year. David Manzi's sessions started on Wednesday and his time was focused on completing his year as our District Governor with a bang!
 
On Friday, we were delighted to welcome our Future Leaders, Bob Wood, Joan Arsenault and Andy Maddox. They were treated to conversations about the broader Rotary world and were able to share what Rotary is for their counterparts from our combined zones. 
 
Friday evening, there were special dinners for each year of governors at restaurants throughout Providence. What a great way to get to build the concept of a class of governors. Fun, fellowship and great food are clearly effective on building teams committed to serving others.
 
The central theme this year seemed to be innovation! Thinking outside the box when it comes to creating vibrant clubs, developing significant service projects and ways to engage outside partners to create more impact each and every day.
 
Read what the attendees had to say...
 
 
I was honored to be invited by Dave Manzi to attend the Future Leaders workshop at the Zone Institute. Although I've yet to be President of Rockport Rotary (I'm in line), it was very interesting to learn about the path forward from there, to AG, Governor, and even beyond. I thought the speakers were great and well chosen. Past RI President Ron Burton is close to a rock star in my book, so it was wonderful having a chance to hear him speak and answer our questions, as well as the past, current (Julia!), and incoming RI directors. It was also a great opportunity to meet people from all over zones 32 & 24. I had a great time. 5 stars!
Andy Maddox
RYLA Co-Chair
 
“I had the honor of attending Rotary Zone Institute held in Providence, RI, chaired by our own Liz Cullen, PDG of the Newburyport Club and headed by RID Julia Phelps. I went to the Future Leaders seminar, and in its present form, I would highly recommend it to all folks interested in moving upward in Rotary, or in fact, in life. Accompanied by Joan Arsenault, AG, Ipswich, and Andy Maddox, HHI Steering Committee, Rockport and Rotarians from Alaska, Canada, New Jersey and New York we listened to the experienced leaders of Rotary. It was truly amazing. It was not just about what they did in Rotary, all of which was more than impressive, but it was about themselves, their goals, their methods of leadership, their successes and their failures. We learned of what is going on in Rotary today, why it is going on today and where Rotary might be going in the future. We learned where our Foundation is today and where it is headed and how we can help to get there.
 
I’d like to thank all of the panelists and the committee that got this program together. It was an awesome day!”
Bob Wood
District Treasurer
HHI Chair
 
One of the keynote speakers was Ellen Kumata, one of the leading business coaches in the United States and she helped us explore the strategic role that coaching now plays in leadership development for organizations across the business and non-profit sectors.

“My central message is that coaching is a tool that accelerates the pace and nature of how we develop leaders,” said Kumata. “And that’s relevant for organizations of all sizes – including corporations developing next generation leaders and organizations like Rotary International,” she added.
Ellen Kumata
Cambria
 
Ellen did wonderful job. I sat through the presentation thinking we should change our "District Trainer" position to a District Coach position. Rotary International needs to become a learning organization.
Julia Phelps
Rotary International Director
Zone 24 & 32
 
"What an amazing week! I was honored to participate in the Governor Elect Training and Zone Institute for Zones 24 and 32. Rotary International Director, Julia Phelps and Past District Governor, Liz Cullen brought exceptional Rotary leaders and coaches from around the Globe to this event and gave all who attended the opportunity to learn from the BEST! I have learned so much in one short week – skills that will be beneficial to my tenure as a Rotarian, especially now as I move toward the District Governor position. In addition, the skills learned and the positive perspectives will also enhance my career and personal growth – a true Win-Win! Thank you to the wonderful volunteer team who developed and implemented this event and a special thank you to Julia and Liz for a job VERY WELL DONE!"
Sheryl Meehan
District Governor-elect