Here we are at the beginning of a new Rotary year and it promises to be an exciting one! The world is opening up and clubs are once again meeting in person. And with the start of the year, we are kicking off the World Series of Giving competition to support The Rotary Foundation.

 

We’ve been sending information on this competition to club Presidents and Foundation Chairs over the last month. The district is divided into 5 divisions based on each Assistant Governor’s territory.

 

The 5 divisions are as follows:

 

The Northeast Division - Areas 1 and 2 clubs: Loves Park, Rockford, Rockford East, Rockton-Roscoe, Pecatonica - AG Margaret Larson, and Belvidere, Sycamore, DeKalb, and Kishwaukee Sunrise - AG Sue Emberson.

 

The Mid-Central Division - Areas 3 and 4 clubs: Oregon, Rochelle, Mendota and Byron - AG Tom Brooks, and Dixon, Sterling, Rock Falls, Twin Cities Sunrise and Walnut - AG Allen Przysucha.

 

The South-Central Division - Areas 5 and 6 clubs: Sandwich, Plano, Marseilles, Ottawa Noon and Ottawa Sunrise - AG Jane Goetz, and LaSalle, Peru, Putnam County and Illinois Valley Sunrise - AG J. Burt.

 

The West-Central Division - Areas 7 and 9 clubs: Streator, Toluca, Henry, Wenona, Geneseo Morrison, Princeton and River Cities - DG David Bills is covering these clubs. 

 

The Western Division - Areas 8 and 10 clubs: East Moline/Silvis, Moline, Quad Cities, Rock Island, and Twin Rivers - AG Gary Rowe, and Freeport, Galena, Savanna and Mount Carroll - AG Andy Willis.

 

Scoring is ranked by aggregate per capita giving to the Annual Fund and PolioPlus throughout the year.

 

Monthly updates on team rankings will be posted on the district website and Facebook page as well as additional communications to the clubs.

 

The winning club in each division receives a specially made Louisville Slugger bat. The overall winning club receives an appropriate reward to be determined.

 

We know that as Rotarians we recognize the importance of giving to The Rotary Foundation. The Foundation is the lifeblood of our organization. It is serious business, but we also know that we can have fun while doing serious things. Clubs prove that over and over in their ongoing work in their communities. This year our theme is Serve to Change Lives. Let’s have fun while we do!

 

PLAY BALL!

Hello fellow Rotarians,

July 11, 1804 – Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his long-time political antagonist Alexander Hamilton during a duel in Weehawken, New Jersey.
 
July 13, 1787 – Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance establishing procedures for transforming territories into states to be considered equal to the original 13 (Illinois becomes one such state in 1818).
                                 
July 14, 1789 – The fall of the Bastille Prison occurs at the beginning of the French Revolution.  This will later be celebrated as a day of French unification over the monarchy.
 
July 16, 1969 – The Apollo 11 Lunar landing mission begins with a liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center at 9:37 AM.