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DG Tom Schmidt Closing Remarks

There are many thoughts that have passed through my mind these last few days knowing that my year as DG of District 6290 was coming to a close. I have thought about the many times to meet with Rotarians throughout the year, over 225 times and some 20 full days. I have thought about the miles that have been traveled in all kinds of weather. I am reminded that every time that I get to travel in North Michigan and Ontario that it is a very good day!

I have thought about the importance of being on time in a schedule that was often very tight. We were successful all year except for our annual visit to Frankfort Rotary Club when we were late arrivals to their Club Leadership Meeting and wouldn’t you know they had everyone present for that meeting.

I have thought about the respect, honor and recognition received at every Rotary Club in our district. I have thought about the privilege to serve humanity together with more than 2800 other like minded Rotarians of District 6290 who are either in tune with the theme “Service Above Self” or learning about how practical it is to live such a life with a focus on making a difference in the lives of others. I have thought about the unity of service evident in the district 6290 leadership and thank you to each one who serves. I have thought about all the wonderful times that Denise and I were able to enjoy your fellowship and to learn so much about Rotary making a difference in every club from Wawa to Holland.

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Happy New Year!

2016 Events and Deadlines

Great opportunities lie ahead . . . Youth Exchange Conference . . . Rotary Leadership Institute . . .

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Leadership Insights

 
Thank you - and Good Luck to our 2016/2017 Leadership team!

Introducing our 2016-17 District Governor

DG Gernot Runschke
Gernot Runschke, an architect and graduate from the Architecture School, HTL Detmold Germany, has been practicing architecture for the past 48 years.  His work experiences encompass several architectural firms in western Michigan. With his unique European education and great depth of skills in many areas of design, working drawings, construction administration and management, he has worked on many large and medium size projects throughout Michigan.  
 
Married Anne L. (Lynn) 45 years ago, they live on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, and have two adult children. Son Jurgen, is an Emergency Room Doctor with Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon, MI. Daughter Kirsten is business owner of an architectural firm, Architektura in Grand Haven MI. Wife Anne is a former K – 8 classroom teacher and high school Guidance counselor of 43 years with Grand Haven Area Public Schools.
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Happy July Anniversary!

  
 
Club Name Chartered # of Yrs
Holland AM 01-Jul-2001 15

Meet our 2016-2017 Rotary International President

From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian

When John Germ takes office as Rotary International’s president in July, it will mark his 40th year in Rotary. In that time, he’s likely best-known for leading Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge, a fundraising effort sparked by a challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Rotarians surpassed that goal in 2011, raising $228.7 million toward polio immunization activities. “I never questioned that we would raise the funds,” he says. “Rotarians have been so generous.” In fact, raising money for polio was one of Germ’s first leadership roles. 

Learn more about our new Rotary International President.

LLC 2016 -- It was a sell-out event!

 
Congratulations and THANK YOU to everyone involved with our 68th annual RYLA Life Leadership Conference. This year it was fully subscribed -- 156 student leaders from 41 Rotary clubs in 6 countries -- simply awesome!
 
These students represent fabulous programs for your club.  Invite them in and be awestruck!
 

Interact students to build houses in El Salvador

 
Rotary Interactors from District 6290 are planning their second International Service trip to the town of Talnique, El Salvador. This service trip will be held either at the end of March or the first half of April. The trip is focusing in on building four houses for four multi-generational families that are presently living in mud homes held together with bamboo.
 
This trip is hosted by the Noroeste Rotary Club of San Salvador, El Salvador. Rotary Interactors interested in such a work trip are asked to contact our District Rotary Interact Coordinator Doug Mealey at cldlmealey@gmail.com.
 
Above image is linked to a 25-minute video of our past District Rotary Interact trip so that you will get an idea of what this trip is all about. If you need the actual video file please contact Doug directly.

Youth Programs In Action

The Alto Early Act group got treated to a pizza party as a way of thanking them for all their hard work! Great group of kids. 30 kids have made quite a difference from their purple pinkie project to raising over $4,000 for pennies for patients. The future looks great as these youngsters head into middle school! - Posted by Lowell Rotary Club
Don Jess and Chip Sauer of Charlevoix Rotary presented scholarships on behalf of the Rotary Club of Charlevoix at the 6th grade graduation to all the straight A graduating 6 graders.
 

Social Media Best Practice Sharing

 
We have sixty clubs in our District and 50 have a Facebook presence -- 48 are pages and 2 are groups. At the suggestion of a couple of our club-level social media admins, we've created a Facebook group for us to share best practices (click on above image).
 
In short, we believe member attraction and engagement will be improved through better use of social media. While many of us have successfully launched a public-facing Facebook page, we haven't been as successful leveraging that to our greatest advantage. This group hopes to change that!
 
I've messaged each of the pages seeking the identity of the Social Media admin with goal of inviting their participation in the group. This is open to club website administrators, newsletter editors and, for that matter, any member that has an interest in promoting our image. Join us - lend your voice - let's make an impact!

Membership Types and Attendance Flexibility

The 2016 Council on Legislation approved some significant changes to membership categories and attendance requirements.
This short video (4:37) provides all the highlights.
 

ESSENTIAL CHANGES FOR CLUBS AND DISTRICTS

As has been reported in previous newsletters and via our Facebook page, the 2016 Council on Legislation included some significant changes which will go in effect July 1, 2016. Actions impacting clubs cover many areas, including:
  • Attendance
  • Club Boards
  • Club Finances
  • Club Meetings
  • Membership Guidelines
  • Guidelines for New Clubs
Please be sure to download and review the "2016 COL Essential Changes for Clubs and Districts."​​​​​​​

59 years of perfect attendance

Jack L Clark 90 of Solon Township died Thursday, June 16, 2016 in the presence of his family. Jack was a member of the Cedar Springs Rotary Club having perfect attendance for 59 years, was a Paul Harris Fellow + 8 and Rotary Foundation Major Donor. His son-in-law, Tom Noreen, shared that the only meeting he missed was the one before he passed.
 
We are deeply grateful for his lifelong service and devotion to Rotary International and to our Foundation.
 
 
 

GRANTS … Rotarians making a difference in the world

Welcome to the 2016/2017 Rotary year! With every new Rotary year comes the start of a new year of District Local, District International, and Global Grants. The District Grants Committee is looking forward to learning about the amazing work you have planned in your local community and abroad.
 
Grant applications are now being accepted from Clubs that qualify for grants. District Local and International Grant applications will be accepted through October 15. Global Grant applications will be accepted throughout the Rotary year.
 
Beginning in our August newsletter, I will be sharing with you projects initiated and led by Clubs in District 6290 to celebrate the positive impact Rotarians in our District are making on communities throughout the world. I hope that you enjoy learning about the incredible work being done by your peers. I also hope that their work inspires you and makes you proud to be a Rotarian.
 
Kris Thomas
District Grants Committee Chair
(231) 590-1035

Rotary Foundation Centennial Concert & Dinner

 
 
 
 
 
As Rotarians look forward to the next century of “Doing Good in the World,” we must build the Foundation together as we leave a legacy of building peace and understanding through our many good works of service throughout the world. 
 
To mark this special anniversary, a signature concert and dinner are being held in Rotary Foundation's 'Father' Arch Klumph’s hometown of Cleveland on October 23.  These are once-in-a-lifetime events and are not to be missed.
 
When: Sunday, October 23, 2016
Where: Cleveland, Ohio USA
What: A special performance by The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall A Multi-Million Dollar Dinner at the InterContinental Hotel to celebrate raising 2.65 million dollars for The Rotary Foundation
Why: Celebrate Our Rotary Foundation’s 100th Birthday - Founded by our own District 6630’s Arch C. Klumph
 
Please consider being part of the occasion.
 

Celebrate Rotary at the 2017 Convention

 
The 2017 Rotary International Convention comes to Atlanta, Georgia. Any time the convention is in our back yard (relatively speaking) it's an incredible opportunity that shouldn't be missed. We have a link to the convention page on our home page. Given that Rotary will be celebrating the Foundation Centennial, it's guaranteed to be a stunning event.
 
There is also interest in organizing some group travel to/from Atlanta. We're not sure if that should take the form of a bus trip or air travel. If you are a travel agent, or if you have strong ties to someone that could help evaluate options, please let us know (notify Kathy).
 

Maintaining an Active Facebook Page

Keeping a lively social media presence can seem daunting for many clubs. It doesn't need to be that way.

A couple months ago we gave a shout out to Grand Rapids East for having resurrected their Facebook presence. Since February 22nd they've posted daily. Before that, the most recent post had been August 5, 2015. Pretty awesome!

Here are some of the techniques they are using, with a couple additional ideas:

  • Highlight one of your members. Many of you do this in your weekly newsletters already, so use that same content and generate a Facebook post telling your friends about one of your fantastic Rotarians.

  • Leverage articles from the District Newsletter. Click on the title of any article and you'll see social media share buttons at the bottom of the page. Sometimes these articles are timeless, so you can even browse through our archive for content.

  • Like the District Facebook page and share our posts. We have liked every club Facebook page in our District, along with Rotary International's page, EndPolioNow and countless other relevant pages. Their posts appear in our news feed and are the source for 80% of the info we share. Our posts will be in your news feed and are easily shared.

  • Subscribe to (or like) a site that publishes daily inspirational or motivational quotes and share the great ones. Or just search the internet "images for motivational quotes" or "inspirational quotes" or "humorous quotes" and you'll have no shortage of material.

  • Share Rotary videos from the rotary.org News & Media center. Most are less than 2 minutes, they are professionally produced and help tell our story.

Meeting Flexibility and Format

The 2016 Council on Legislation approved some significant changes to how clubs can choose to meet.
This short video (5:22) provides all the highlights.
 

New/Updated Club Governance Documents Are Available

The Council on Legislation met 10-15 April 2016. Subsequent to that meeting, Rotary's constitutional documents, the RI Bylaws and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution have been revised to include all the amendments adopted by the Council. The revised constitutional documents have been posted at rotary.org. The revised documents will also be included in the 2016 Manual of Procedure, which will be ready for distribution by October 2016.

Test your Rotary Foundation knowledge

Whose idea was it back in 1917 to create a Rotary endowment fund? What was the amount of the first contribution? Find the answers to these questions, and brush up on your Foundation history, by exploring our interactive timeline, where you will find photos, videos, and sound recordings from the past century.

We Saw You On Facebook

 
"We are humbled and inspired by Rotaract of Baker College of Muskegon's commitment to Muskegon's kids! They made an incredible gift of $9000 to our Muskegon location, providing 9000 Sack Suppers - 10 whole days of service! - for children in our Muskegon community. 
We can't have a strong Muskegon without strong kids. We're so grateful for your support, friends!"
Posted by Kid's Food Basket
Montague-Whitehall Rotary Club's Community Service Chair Shelley Williams and President Dale McKenzie presented a check for $3,000 for the Tuesday night concerts in the park series to ACWL Director Jennifer Diamond Wright (center). This presentation was made at a club meeting where they also recognized FOUR new members and also awarded two, $1000 scholarships. Now that's what we call a really fun meeting!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Big Rapids Rotary is getting ready for their annual BBQ at the Mecosta County Fairgrounds.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
East Jordan (left) and Elk Rapids (right) Rotary Clubs held their Annual Rotary Shows. These are terrific fundraisers which lead to great good works in their local communities. Lot's of silliness, fun and even some great talent! We know how much work this takes - so congratulations!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fremont Rotarians helping in the food pantry at TruNorth. Rotarians Dave White and James Kelly are preparing packages of pork sausage. Shari Paulsen is weighing and closing the packages. Each month our Rotarians volunteer at the food pantry 1 to 3 hours.
 
 
Check out the future of Bolt Park! Funds raised from the June 30 D'Vine Event will fund the construction of a large web playground structure in Grand Haven's Eastown district!
 
Traverse City celebrated the grand opening of the 'coal dock' which will now be available as a community pier and waterfront center, thanks to the generosity of Traverse City Rotary Charities and Rotary Camps and Services.
 
 
 
Congratulations to Rotaract of Baker College of Muskegon grads Danielle Woodring (left) for being the recipient of the Board of Regents Most Outstanding Graduate award 2016 and Rodney Savage (right) for being the recipient of the Bachelor's Degree award. 
 
Congratulations to the Rotaract of Baker College of Muskegon 2015-2016 Rotaractors of the Year!!
LaQuesha Dixon, Brittney Johnson, Kaytie Ely, Danielle Woodring, and Stephanie Stewart. 
The officers of the club have selflessly given their time to multiple fundraisers, volunteered at numerous events, and have led the club with passion and fortitude. It is with their guidance the club has been very successful this academic school year. We appreciate you, the club officers, for all of your hard work and dedication. We couldn’t do it without you!!
 
Stanton Rotary Renegades served up cold brews at Taste of Montcalm from 11am to 11pm on June 25th. Proceeds will go to building a Disc Golf Course at the Stanton Veterans Park, a project the club has been advocating for and working hard to bring to reality.
 
Frankfort Rotary treated lots of kids to some fun worm hunting and fishing!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

When Polio Hits Close to Home

Past Rotary International President
K.R. Ravindran ("Ravi")

"Let me end this last general session — as we end our time together — by sharing another story, this time a story of my own. It’s a story that is very much a Rotary story, and yet it is also very much a Sri Lankan story. And it is a story that I think very few of you here have heard before, because it is a story about my mother.

My mother was born in Sri Lanka — a bright, beautiful girl who grew up to develop a remarkable strength of character. She married quite young and I was born about a year after that, so that by the time she reached the age of 30, I was already 11 years old and off at boarding school in Colombo.

So I wasn’t home that day when she woke up feeling not quite well. I wasn’t there when she went to wash her face and found that it had become difficult for her to lift her hands. I wasn’t there when she sat down to rest and realized that it was becoming difficult for her to breathe.

And I wasn’t there when she was rushed to the hospital — completely paralyzed, unable to move. She heard them say she was dying, and that she needed to be in an iron lung."

Global Polio Eradication At-A-Glance

KEEP READING FOR AN Endemic Country Summary (as of 6/26/2016)

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District 6290 Membership and Foundation Giving

 
* All numbers reported through June 30 2016

Monthly Newsletter Deadlines

Our goal is to release the District newsletter at the start of each month. If you have a contribution, we appreciate receiving the materials no later than one week prior to the first of the month. If you have an example of a 'best practice' or have other great news to share, please complete our 'Club News' submission form (found at www.ridistrict6290.org under Public Image. Electronic photos are encouraged. Please try to limit your submission to 300 words or less.

District Office
Kathy Hegedus Administrative Assistant
PO Box 381
Grand Haven, MI. 49417
616-935-9559
616-638-8769 (cell)

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