september 2015 public image chairs urged to make · 2015-10-05 · rotary.org, “webinars, top...

September 2015Number 1

What’s inside

1 Public Image

2 Message from Your RI Director

3 Pam’s Corner

4 Rotary Foundation update

5 Membership

6 Alumni Awards

7 New Beginnings

8 Foundation Ideas at Zone Institute

8 Rotary Programs showcased

9 Nebraska Clubs raise giant flag

10 Public Image

11 Podd’s ce;ebrate 40th Anniversary

Public Image chairs urged to make Rotary “Local”by Mike Forney, Rotary Public Image Coordinator, Zone 27

“IF you want the media to give Rotary coverage in your community, you need a local tie-in or “hook” to make the news interesting to our audience,” according to Vianna Davila, seasoned reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. She joined public relations and news media professional Ryan Loyd in an open forum with District public image chairs from 14 Rotary districts at the Zone Institute September 17th in San Antonio.

“Rotary’s work on polio eradication is amazing, but it won’t get a reporter’s attention if there isn’t a local angle,” she said. One example could be a fund-raiser run by an Interact club or participation by a club Rotarian in a national immunization day.

The two reporters also encouraged the Rotary club president or PR chair to meet with the reporter or editor who covers community news. “Try to establish a working relationship before you have a specific story or event to “pitch. Reporters are always looking for good stories,” Ryan said. “If they have a better idea about the things your club is doing they can be on the lookout for a newsworthy item. It also helps to know the person who

is calling with a story idea,” he said.Another prime outlet for Rotary news is social media. “An up to date club Facebook with action photos, YouTube links and stories about past and upcoming club activities costs nothing and can reach a broad audience,” Regional Public Image Coordinator Lisa Herring said. Later in the day the coordinators broke into groups to decide how they would approach a given situation. One group tackled a media

“crisis” scenario. Another put together a plan to publicize a major club fundraiser, and a third group designed a media campaign to promote a multi-club community project.

Rotary Director and television production professional Jennifer Jones also joined the group and shared her ideas about Rotary’s new visual identity ,

“Can you imagine if every McDonald’s or Starbucks in the world looked or sounded different? They are strong because they have a simple and clear brand; we know exactly what we will get when we do business with them.” So it should be with Rotary,” she said.

District Public Image Chairs discuss their approach to a community project media plan at the 2015 Zone Institute in San Antonio.

Rocky Mountains and the Plains ~ USA

ZONES 21 - 27Greg Podd, RI Director 2014-2016

by RI DirectorGreg Podd

[email protected]

A Messagefrom your

RI Director

Rotary International Zones 21 - 27

October 2015

Rotary Institute 2015Westin RiverwalkSan Antonio, Texas

Our Rotary International Zone 21b & 27 Team has just completed another Rotary Institute…and what an Institute it was. I am more than pleased to inform you that we had the following participants at “Rotary on the River”:

District Governor and Spouse/Partners 35

District Governors-Elect and Spouse/Partners 41

District Governors-Nominee and Spouse/Partners 35

Emerging District Leaders 64

District Membership Chairs 16

District Foundation Chairs 17

District Public Image Chairs 19

District Trainers 18

Council on Legislation Delegates/Alternates 29

Rotary Institute Coordinators 9

Past District Governor and Spouse/Partner 177

Local Rotarians – All Club Luncheon 147

Youth from the local Districts 200+

None of this would of not incurred without the tremendous effort and dedication an incredible group of Rotarians under the outstanding leadership of our Rotary Institute Chair PDG Sherri and Al Muniz, Program Coordinator PDG J Paul and Monica Lucas, Service Coordinator, PDG Tim and Gail Buckley, Administration Coordinator, PDG Brenda and Stack Walker, Training Coordinator, PDG Dian and Bill Edwards and Host Committee Coordinators, PDGs Jerry Hardy and Diana Kelleman and PDG Maxie and Donald Houser and Youth Conference Coordinator Mike Canales.

All of the PowerPoint presentations and hundreds of pictures from the Rotary Institute 2015 will be on our Rotary Zone website in the very near future at rizones21-27.org

Our 2016 Committee under the chair of PDG Dian Edwards is already working the plans for our Rotary Institute 2016 “Rotary at the Cross Roads” in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 27 – 30, 2016. If you would like to be on the Rotary Institute 2016 team please let Dian or myself know.

As in the past, I will be sending out as in the past the “Draft Decisions of the Board Meeting” following the October meeting. I truly welcome all of your questions and comments.

In closing, I wish I had the words to express Pam and my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of you for your tremendous support, encouragement and participation at our “Rotary on the River” Institute and what a true honor and privilege it is to serve with a marvelous group of volunteers who came together to be of service to the finest service organization in the world.

by Pam [email protected]

Pam’sCorner


October 2015

Hello Friends and Happy Beginning of FallI like to (as you may or may not have noticed) incorporate the monthly Rotary theme into my article. September’s theme was “Basic Education and Literacy”. What an in-depth theme! As Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Oh how true and that is why Rotary has this as one of its six areas of focus. Many of the Rotary programs around the world focus on educating the women and even giving the micro credit loans to the women and NOT the men, as the women are more financially responsible and use the education for the betterment of their families. This fact is reflected in a statement by Brigham Young when he said, “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” (Sorry about that guys)!

Educated women are more likely to keep their families healthier by seeking medical care and allowing immunizations, thus helping to reduce child mortality and for themselves. Educated women who are able to seek more education tend to have fewer children and have more knowledge of taking care of them when they do. Educated women have more access to jobs, which in turn helps the finances of the family and can contribute to the economy of their community.

So, giving all these kudos to women………why in the heck did it take SO LONG to get women into Rotary? Don’t they know the power and magic of women? That power and magic was EXTREMELY evident in the recent Rotary Institute Greg convened in San Antonio, Texas. An event of this size did not happen without the dedication of well over 100 people of which I cannot name them all here, but appreciate and thank all of you. However, the driving force behind

Pam with Al Munez who assisted her with the Spouses/Partners session at the Rotary Institute in San Antonio last month.

it was a team of WOMEN namely; Sherri, Dian Brenda, Glenda and Maxie. This team kept my husband organized and sane throughout the entire year plus of planning this Institute ( and I thank you)! For those of you who attended you know how awesome the event was, for those of you who missed it, I hope we see you at the next one in Salt Lake City. The Institute as you know is one of Rotary’s many training tracks for the District Governors. This provides education to prepare them for their leadership role in their districts.

Along with the training of the DGE’s and DGN’s we offered a time for the spouses/partners to get together for sharing thoughts, concerns and gain new knowledge. I was excited to see so many male spouses/partners with us! Speaking of the males, I must acknowledge and thank Al Muniz, who assisted me with the spouses/partner session adding his thoughts and humor from a male spouse’s perspective. Not only did he assist here, but, he was my taxi driver, shopping buddy and

go-to guy when I needed anything that whole week! (working on our Spouses’ Session notes here).

I love sharing poems and inspirational quotes with you that relate to my article and this may be a little lengthier than some, but it seems to hit the target of the theme “Basic Education and Literacy”.

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories. Literacy is a platform for democratization, and a vehicle for the promotion of cultural and national identity. Especially for girls and women, it is an agent of family health and nutrition. For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right… Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.” ~Kofi Annan

Is this not what Rotarians strive for, helping others less fortunate to “realize his or her full potential” and live a better life? Keep doing the good works you are all doing and give someone a smile or unexpected hug today…it might just make their day! ~~~Pam


October 2015

Rotary Foundation updateby Larry Dimmitt,

Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Zone 27

Attend the Every Rotarian Every Year Webinar.

There will be a webinar on Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) on November 3, 2015 from 10-11 AM CST. The Foundation’s Annual Fund helps Rotarians engage in projects and activities in their communities and around the world. And the Foundation’s EREY program helps make that happen. Learn more about the Annual Fund, why Rotarians should support it and tips for strengthening clubs through Foundation giving. To sign up, go to rotary.org, “webinars, Top Things You Need to Know about Every Rotarian Every Year.”

Get Ready for the Rotary Foundation Centennial The Rotary Foundation will be 100 years old in 2016-17 and the kick-off for the celebration will take place at the International Convention in Seoul in May. The Foundation was started in 1917 with an initial contribution of $26.50 left over from the International Convention in Kansas City that year. For ideas for celebrating districts and clubs, you are invited to visit the “Foundation Centennial” page on Rotary.org. Our Foundation has been “doing good in the world” for almost a century and we need to celebrate its achievements.

World Polio Day—October 23Everyone is invited to join our third annual World Polio Day event October 23. Rotary will be streaming live from New York City beginning at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. At that time we will be given a global status update in the fight to end polio. We are truly “this close,” with only about 40 cases in the world this year! To find out how to take part in the

event, go to “World Polio Day” on Rotary.org.

Special Polio Note: At Zone Institute in San Antonio four Districts were honored for contributing at least 20 % of their District Designated Funds to PolioPlus. They are Districts 5840, 5610. 5630 and 5770. All Districts are encouraged to follow suite in 2015-16. If you do, you get a 50 cents/dollar match from the World Fund and a two-to-one match of the total from the Gates Foundation. It is truly a win-win-win thing to do!

Are We Getting a Bang for Our Buck?This last Rotary year we Rotarians contributed a whopping $123 million world-wide to the Annual Fund, meeting our international goal for the very first time. In our paired zones we contributed almost $6 million to the Annual Fund. And, as we know, after three years half of those contributions come back to our Districts as District Designated Funds (DDF). We can then use those funds for our District and Global Grants to fund community and international projects. So, are we getting a “bang for our buck” for these contributions? Are our clubs and Districts making use of these funds to fund projects and activities?

In Zone 27 each District has applied for and received District Grants. We have had forty-eight Global Grants approved. These have focused on one or more of the six areas of focus, with water and sanitation and economic and community development being the most prevalent. But the question is, are our clubs taking advantage of these funds to further their service agendas? Are they utilizing District Grant funds for local and international projects? Are they

participating in Global Grant humanitarian projects? Are they sponsoring Global Grant Scholars? Are they participating in Vocational Training Team (VTT) activities? Every District should make a conscientious effort to engage clubs in Foundation funded programs and activities to get a fair “return” for our generous contributions to the Annual Fund.

The Paul Harris Society Rocks!One of the quickest ways to increase Foundation contributions in our Districts and clubs is through the Paul Harris Society. Members of the PHS make a lifetime commitment to contribute at least $1000 a year to the Foundation. Contributions can be made to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus or to an approved grant. And the effect on funding for the Foundation is substantial. At the international level, it has been pointed out that contributions by Paul Harris Society members amount to about one third of all contributions to the Annual Fund. At the District level, PHS member contributions can make up a big part of our Districts’ Annual Fund goals. Also, when PHS contributions are made to PolioPlus, the amounts given are matched 2 X 1 by the Gates Foundation.

A very simple way to participate as a PHS member is trough Rotary Direct. Under this plan, contributions of $1000 or more can be made in amounts selected by the donor to the fund he or she selects. To join the PHS, just go to Rotary.org and click on the PHS Brochure. It is the same with Rotary Direct. It makes a big difference in our Foundation fundraising.

RI Foundation contd. on next page


October 2015

The final numbers for membership in our paired Zones is in and while I am very proud of the fact that as

paired Zones, we reversed the 15 year slide in membership, HOWEVER, we gave back a lot of our growth from the previous 11 months…about 70% of it. We are still in positive numbers however the numbers show one thing. Our 22 Rotary Districts are pretty good at recruiting members however we still have not closed the back door so our retention of members needs much improvement.

And we are at a great opportunity to drive a stake in the ground and hold onto it. We all know that for years now, most members leave Rotary within 3 years. Now is the time, if it has not started already, to retain the new members that came in this last Rotary year so they are not casualties in the coming one or two years.

We as Rotarians make retention some kind of mystery and hard to achieve. The truth is it is very

simple…treat others as you would want to be treated. Every new member of a Rotary Club needs three things. The first is a friend in Rotary to whom he or she can constantly turn, who will walk beside him, who will answer his questions, who will understand his problems.

The second thing is an assignment. Activity is the genius of Rotary. We combine commerce and cause. It is the process by which we grow. An assignment should be given the day they join. The important thing is that growth will come of activity. They will have the fellowship of the other members. They will become one of a vast body of Rotarians throughout the world, men and women of integrity and faith who love Rotary and seek to move forward this work. Given an assignment any later and they will be gone through the revolving door.

Thirdly, new Rotarians must be nourished by the concepts of Rotary. They must understand what it is when we say Service Above Self. I suspect they want to understand or

they would not have joined. We must nourish them.

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, The Law of Intentionality states growth doesn’t just happen. Management and leadership expert Curt Kampmeier says, “If you are going to grow, you have to be intentional.” Retention must be highly intentional with a laser focus on the individual Rotarian. As Rotarians, what is our intention on retention?

My answer is that our intentions on retention are good. Then again, Poet Samuel Johnson is credited with saying, “Hell is paved with good intentions” and I will add that good is the enemy of great. Let’s get personally involved and get highly intentional about helping our Rotary Club leaders get highly intentional about retention of our Rotarians in our Rotary Clubs. It is in the highest and best interest of Rotary and all Rotarians, think our Four Way Test of the Things We Think, Say, or Do, for us all to take an active and highly intentional role to keep our Rotarians for all the right reasons.

Our Intention on Retentionby David Norris,

Rotary Coordinator, Zone 21B Membership

RI Foundation update contd. from previous page

Districts Recognized for Contributions to the Foundation Districts in Zones 21B and 27 were recognized at the Institute in San Antonio for their outstanding contributions to the Rotary Foundation. In Zone 21B, the following districts were recognized: Top Per Capita Contributor ($177.91)—District 5890

Top Annual Fund Contributor ($466,691.24)—District 5870

Top Foundation Contributor ($630,900.57)—District 5890

The Zone 27, the following districts were recognized:

Top Per Capita Contributor ($168.61)—District 5470

Top Annual Fund Contributor ($503,209.74)—District 5450

Top Foundation Contributor $1,087,205.76)—District 5450

Congratulations to these Districts!


October 2015

Rotary “alumni” are those who have participated in a

Foundation or RI-funded program such as Rotary Scholars, GSE/VTT participants, Rotary Volunteers, Peace Schholars and--recently added—Interactors, Rotaractors, Youth Exchange students and RYLArians. Districts are encouraged to form Alumni Associations whose members can be Rotarians and “not-yet” Rotarians. There are four Alumni Associations in Zone 27. At our Zone Institute in San Antonio District 5450’s Alumni Association was honored as Zone 27’s “Alumni Association of the Year.”

The Association was chartered by its first president, Heidi Resetarits of Denver. She was introduced to Rotary by District Rotary Foundation Chair Ann Tull, who encouraged her to apply for an Ambassadorial Scholarship. She received the scholarship and studied

at the United Nations University for Peace in Cuidad Colon, Costa Rica. Upon returning to the US, she became an honorary member of the Denver Mile High Rotary Club. Working with Ann and others, she helped charter the District’s Alumni Association, becoming its first president. The new Association became very active from the beginning and one of its activities was sponsoring a Five K Run to End Polio, held at the Zone Institute in Westminster, CO last year. The event attracted over 200 runners and raised $7500—which was matched by the Gates Foundation. Heidi also was a panelist at the International Convention in Sao Paulo discussing alumni matters. Because of these and other activities, the Denver Alumni Association was encouraged to apply for the “Alumni Association of the Year Award.” They were presented that award in San Antonio, with PDG Peter Ewing receiving it on behalf of Heidi and Ann Tull.

District 5450 Alumni Association Receives Awardby Larry Dimmit

Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Zone 27

Heidi Resetarits president of District 5450’s Alumni Association at the Five K Run

At the Celebration Lunch at Zone Institute several Rotary Alumni awards were given. One went to Deborah Simon, recipient of the Zone 27 Rotary Alumni Service to Humanity Award. Deborah was nominated for the award by the Rotary Club of Santa Fe, New Mexico and District 5520. Deborah was born in Guatemala from American parents. She received her nursing degree from the University of Oregon and worked with non-profit health organizations in New Mexico. She traveled to Guatemala in the 1990s, helping provide medical care to local inhabitants. There she learned of

the need to provide clean water to a town of 6000 people, where cholera epidemics had occurred. She worked on over 13 Rotary projects to provide clean water to Guatemala, including four funded by global grants totaling over $700,000. She also worked to provide improved school facilities in Guatemala. She has received many awards for her outstanding humanitarian service both in Rotary and in her profession.

Pamela Broussard, a most impressive former Peace Scholar, received the

Zone 21B Rotary Alumni Service to Humanity Award.

Alumni Service to Humanity Awards presentedby Larry Dimmit, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Zone 27

Deborah Simon with RRFC Larry Dimmitt and 2014-15 5520 DG Lonnie Leslie.


October 2015

The Cross Timbers Rotary Club had been in the minds of a few members of the Rotary Club in Flower Mound, Texas for more than a year, as they talked about how to expand Rotary’s footprint in District 5790. They knew it was a desire of the leadership of this district to grow, and after talking to Angie Cox, the Assistant Governor at the time, they knew they could play a part in that. These founding six had no name, no location, no meeting time, no members, and no funding, but when Gerald Robinson began to share his goals as the incoming Assistant Governor, which included doubling the Rotary membership in the area, they knew the time was right. They sought counsel not just with Gerald, but with Governor-Elect Marianne McDuff, as well, who encouraged them and enthusiastically supported their endeavor. So they began to wade through the arduous process of starting a brand new Rotary club, and persevered through the hours and hours (and hours) of work required. Once they

made that critical decision to move forward, things began to fall into place. They were not certain how the new club would take shape but were quickly overwhelmed by the number of people who were in search of an outlet for their desire to serve. At their first meeting they began forming what they wanted this club to look like. They brainstormed the kind of people they would like to see join and the ideals they wanted to uphold and began making calls. The result of that early planning was a whopping 62 charter members!! To enhance the development of personal friendships, the Cross Timbers Rotary Club has placed a priority on social events and involvement of Rotarians and their family members in service projects. This club is already an active club, as evidenced by their involvement at the recent District Membership & Foundation Seminar, their workday at a local nonprofit, a social at one of the members’ offices, and their newly-formed 12-team Fantasy Football League! In addition, they even committed to hosting a foreign

exchange student for the year! Talk about hitting the ground running! Cross Timbers Rotary chartered as the second largest of the eight clubs in Area 11, AND the 10th largest Rotary Club in all of District 5790!! In addition, Cross Timbers Rotary made history as the largest charter ever in District 5790!This is due to the one-on-one invitations extended to members, not just by the board, but by every member in the club. “We had six founders with a vision,” said Club President Andy Eads. “That grew to 62, and now we’re already up to 76. But it’s not about the number, it’s about the quality of people, and Rotarians are always the highest quality people!”

New Beginnings in District 5790: Cross Timbers Rotary Club is Charteredby Lori Fickling, Rotarian, Cross Timbers Rotary Club, District 5790


October 2015

District Foundation Chairs Share Ideas at Zone Institute

by Larry Dimmit, Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, Zone 27

Under the leadership of Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinators Suzi

Howe and Larry Dimmitt, the District Rotary Foundation Chairs (DRFCs) for Zones 21B and 27 met for the second year at Zone Institute in San Antonio. About 30 District leaders discussed Foundation challenges and successes in an all-day session September 17. Besides facilitators Howe and Dimmitt, discussion leaders included President-Elect John Germ and

Foundation Chair Ray Klinginsmith. Other discussion leaders included Zone End Polio Now Coordinators Dan Himelspach and Doug Whinnery and Endowment/Major Gift Advisors Martin Limbird and Don Mebus, joined by TRF Planned Giving Officer Nancy Hoffman. A special presentation on Alumni Matters was given by Clovis Johnson, District Alumni Chair for District 5400 (Idaho). He told how he helped charter a new Alumni Association in his District, the fourth in Zone 27.

Clovis Johnson, District Alumni Chair for District 5400 (Idaho)

In 2014 the Shelter Box display at the Kansas State Fair was the first-ever in the US for such a display at a state fair. Two districts 5670 (Northwest 1/3 of Kansas) and 5690 (Southwest 1/3 of Kansas) combined to advocate Rotary’s humanitarian efforts in two major programs: Shelter Box and Polio Eradication.

Two attention-getters were used: an iron lung and a Shelter Box tent. Rotary promoted eliminating polio on the planet by stationing an iron lung in the display. As fair-goers came by, they could be engaged in conversation by asking them if they knew what that big machine was. The conversation starter provided an opportunity to

talk about polio eradication on the planet.The other attention-getter was the

big white Shelter-Box tent with the contents of a Shelter Box displayed

on tables and the stove standing on the ground along with a Shelter Box banner. Tours of the tent and

descriptions of how Shelter Box responds to disasters were given and materials were offered, encouraging people to make contributions to Shelter Box.

In 2015, a second year for the display, the two districts organized almost 100 Rotarians who staffed the display from September 11 - 20, the entire duration of the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.

More information may be obtained by

contacting PDG, Marshall Stanton, 785 823 1341 or [email protected].

Rotary Programs Showcased at Kansas State Fairby Past District Governor Roger, Marshall, District 5670

Rotarians from Districts 5670 and 5690 staffed the Rotary display at the Kansas State Fair from September 11-20. The exhibit showcased the Shelter Box Program and the Polio Eradication Program.


October 2015

A year ago, not one of us thought our giant USA flag project would be as successful as it turned out. We stood on Patriot Day 2015 as the UNK University band played then our Mayor and Rotarian Stan Clouse spoke. Chairman Rick Smith detailed the history of the project.

Then the moment arrived. The 20 feet by 30 feet USA flag, carried to the 80-feet pole by an honor guard, gradually unfurled as it lifted up the pole. The deep blue-sky held only a few white puffy clouds as the flag rose slowly and majestically up the full length of the pole, then settled back to half-mast, marking Patriot Day. Fitting the moment, a breeze began, waving the flag.

Why did this project succeed so well? We involved many people in many ways. The alliances we formed or nurtured stretched our dollars. The passion of the cause propelled our idea into an inspiring vision.About a year ago, a couple members of our club attended a fundraiser at the Archway over Interstate 80 at Kearney, Nebraska. As part of the ceremony, a huge flag, hoisted high by a crane, triggered car horns honking as drivers showed their support for the flag. One member asked the question, wouldn’t it be neat to have Rotary set the flag there permanently? The seed of the idea was planted.

The idea did not go away and began to grow roots as a few members discussed it. Then Paul Stec moved we set the goal to place a giant flat at the Archway to fly day and night. The idea, seconded and passed unanimously, gained a foothold in soil. Rick Smith agreed to chair the project.

Our Dawn Club asked the Kearney Noon Club to join us. They did and the On the Bricks Club donated to our cause. Clubs had active members on the committee. The committee soon asked the City of Kearney, corporations and individuals to join in the fun. When possible, we received publicity for the project in the local newspaper, on social media and our local radio station. Setting alliances nurtured the involvement of our community and helped our

project grow. The original goal to raise $20,000 for the sustainable project became history as about $43,000 in cash donations arrived plus another $22,000 of in-kind donations.

As people heard about it on the radio, saw it on our social media, or read about it in the newspaper, we received replies. One letter, with a fifty-dollar donation, came from a WWII veteran saying how much he wanted to contribute to our project, that he and his daughter from New York City plan to visit the Archway this year to see the flag.

Besides the City of Kearney helping, several businesses gave in-kind values such as signage, digging the six feet wide by ten feet deep hole, the concrete, landscaping, lighting and other items necessary to raise the flag.

Members of our Rotary Clubs in Kearney, Nebraska can stand tall, knowing that on Patriot Day in 2015, our community is a better place, setting a beacon night and day to hundreds of thousands of travelers on Interstate 80 each year, to answer the question, yes, that star-spangled banner yet waves, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Nebraska Clubs Raise Giant Flagby Steve Brodine, President, Kearney Dawn Rotary, Nebraska and District 5630 Governor Don Peterson

The giant flag is raised for the first time on Patriot Day at the Archway on I- 80. This permanent display is the project of three clubs in Kearney, Nebraska.

A marker was placed crediting the three participating Rotary Clubs who made the permanent placement of the Giant Flag on Interstate 80 a reality.


October 2015

“Generation X is the critical generation for Rotary,” Paul Rand told Rotarians at the First Plenary session Friday morning. “If you want to grow Rotary you need to understand how the people you want to join Rotary get their information and who they trust when they get it,” he said.

The most “trusted” sources, according to Rand, are close friends, family members and passionate consumers.

Young people today are also motivated by causes they can support, actions that have a tangible impact and work that involves their community. “However, they prefer short-term projects and activities rather than long-term commitments,” he said.

Nearly two billion people in the world are now engaged in some form of social media, and LinkedIn alone has 347 million users Rand said. To be successful, he said that Rotary needs

to dramatize the “why” of Rotary, bring to life the impact Rotary has, inspire positive social dialogue about who we are and what we do.

“You need to make it easy for our 1.2 million Rotarians to tell their stories about Rotary to others in the social media community,” Rand said. Rotarians are your best assets, and their stories and recommendations will be powerful in growing and strengthening Rotary.

Marketing Guru and Author Reveals the “New Communications World”by Mike Forney, Rotary Public Image Chair, Zone 27

Six of more than 181 proposals on the 2016 Council on Legislation next April were covered in some detail at the First Plenary Session Friday morning. Maureen Ninneman, Deputy General RI Counsel chaired the discussion with help from RI President-Elect John Germ and RI Director Greg Podd.

Representatives to the council will discuss proposals that allow

for increased flexibility on club meeting frequency and attendance requirements and the requirement that all clubs pay for a minimum of ten members even though they may be smaller. (More than 1,000 Rotary clubs will fall into that category.)

A continuation of the dollar per year dues increase will also be proposed. This year’s dues are now $55 per

member. They will grow to $56 next year as previously ruled by the council. Further increases to $57 in 2018-19 and $58 in 2019-20 will be considered at the 2016 council. Representatives will also consider a proposal that would allow the RI Board to suspend or terminate a club should a member sue Rotary International without following RI regulations and procedures already in place.

Key Council on Legislation Proposals Discussedby Mike Forney, Rotary Public Image Chair, Zone 21

“With two million humanitarian organizations in the world, Rotary needs to clarify what we stand for. We need to determine how we elevate the public’s understanding and awareness. We want to motivate,

engage and inspire our members, our donors and those who we want to join us,” according to RI Director Jennifer Jones who spoke at the First Plenary Session Friday morning at the recent Zone Institute.

She emphasized Rotary’s core values of fellowship, integrity, diversity and leadership as critical elements in our ongoing messages to those like-minded people who we want to attract. “We also talk about attracting younger members,” she said. “We’re not necessarily talking about age. I want to see younger ‘thinkers’ no matter how young or old they are,” she said.

RI Director Jennifer Jones Clarifies the “Voice” of Rotaryby Mike Forney, Rotary Public Image Chair, Zone 27

RI Director Jennifer Jones spoke at the session for District Public Image Coordinators and later to the general Zone Institute audience.

Jones spoke at length about the extensive work done to strengthen Rotary through a much better understanding of the “essence” of Rotary and Rotarians that is the foundation for communicating who we are and how we are perceived. “Our research has shown that we have a clear mindset as responsible leaders who are driven through connections with others to create a community impact.”

The clarified Rotary voice and visual identity is designed to build Rotary awareness. “But we are only about 20 percent of the way toward fully implementing that,” she said.


October 2015

Published quarterly by Zones 21 - 27 Newsletter TeamPDG Glenda L. Thomas Norman Sooner RC, [email protected]

Christi Moore Norman Sooner RC, [email protected]

C. Dale Flowers Littleton RC, [email protected]


Greg Podd, Director2014-2016

Email: [email protected]: 303-330-0096Arizona: 480-609-7100Mobile: 602-400-5470

Rotary International Director and Vice President Greg Podd celebrates 40 years

of marriage with his wife Pam.

september 2015 public image chairs urged to make · 2015-10-05 · rotary.org, “webinars, top...

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