Shelter Box Demonstration at the District Conference

 

Imperial Valley District Conference Cultivates Cooperation

Our Spring District Conference held in the Imperial Valley was a mix of education, inspiration, imagination, and downright fun.  Almost 300 Rotarians and their guests attended our District Conference held in the Imperial Valley in the middle of May.  The theme of water—locally and internationally was presented in talks by experts including Dr. Ron Denham, a PDG from Toronto, Chair of the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group (WASRAG).  Ron was also the designated representative of RI President John Kenny and brought greetings from John & June Kenny to our conference. We had lots of fun at a Friday night dinner at the Del Rio Country Club—students from the local high schools played mariachi music before dinner.  Saturday saw a whole array of activities including field trips to water projects and geothermal sites and also an agricultural field trip…did you know cows are milked on a carousel three times a day?  Workshops, demonstrations and meals at Imperial Valley College gave us a home base for our Conference.  Saturday night was a wonderful evening with a steak dinner at the Pioneers Museum where we saw the beautiful quilt put together during the conference.  Sunday morning breakfast included a moving Memorial Service where we remembered our Rotary friends lost during this past year. 

 

Hats off to our District Conference Chair Luene Corwin and her Asst. Chair Russ Hanthorn and the wonderful Rotarians in the Imperial Valley who gave us the warmest welcome ever!  It will be a conference we will remember for a long time…many thanks for the memories.  For more photos of the conference go to: http://www.rotary5340.org/news/pdf/news0-22.pdf

 

Governor’s Dinner is June 8

Photo of June 2009 Governor’s Dinner

 

Join your fellow Rotarians for the “passing of the pins” dinner on Tuesday, June 8, at the La Jolla Marriott Hotel.  Our special guest speakers that evening will be the winners of this year’s 4 Way Test Speech Contest—and you will be impressed.  We will also see the winning videos from the “Service Above Self” video contest and meet the winners.  The highlight of the evening will be saying farewell to District Governor Marge Cole and welcoming in District Governor-Elect Dave Breeding.  Registration  begins at 5:00 PM and dinner will begin at 6:00 PM.  You can register online (http://www.rotary5340.org/registration/dc100608.html), but don’t wait because the deadline for registration is Friday, June 4.  We will have a surprise guest joining us for dinner.

 

 

Voyons-nous a Montreal…

Going to Montreal for the RI Convention?  Don’t forget to sign up for the District Reception which will be on Sunday morning, June 20 from 10:00—12:00 AM at the Montreal Westin Hotel.  This will be brunch and will be a great opportunity to connect with your District 5340 colleagues.   You can register online (http://www.rotary5340.org/registration/convention1006.html)

 

You might also be interested in attending the Far West Reception on Monday evening, June 21, from 5:00—7:00 PM at the Montreal Science Center.   Your ticket includes the exhibits at the Science Center.  You may register online for this event as well:  http://www.RotaryZones2526.org/events.html  

 

Future Vision is Coming into Focus

The District Rotary Committee met in May to determine the funding for our first Global and District Grants under the new Future Vision Pilot.  Over 40 Clubs put in a grant proposal for a Global and/or District Grant.  All of the Global Grants were funded and the majority of the District Grants were funded as well.  District Governor-Elect Dave Breeding and PDG Pam Russell, who will be the Rotary Foundation Chair beginning July 1, both expressed their appreciation and admiration for the Clubs and Rotarians who were able to submit their proposals in a very short period of time.  This year we expect that The Rotary Foundation will have more World Funds available to match our Global Grants due to a healthier economy and better returns on investments.  DGN Larry Sundram and DGND Dick Stevens both attended the meetings of the Foundation Committee to better prepare for their years as District Governor under the Future Vision Pilot which will last until 2013.  After 2013, all Rotary Districts will be part of the Future Vision model.

 

Farewell to our 2010 Ambassadorial Scholars

Ambassadorial Scholars presented with certificates at the District Conference by DG Marge Cole.  From left to right:  Hilaire Kouadjo, Ivory Coast;  Tajera (Anny) Sajjad, Bangladesh; Ishaq Hassan, Afghanistan; Lisseth Vega, Ecuador.  Missing from the photo is Ernest Makulilo, Tanzania

 

This year’s Ambassadorial Scholars have completed their studies and many have returned home—some to work on their Summer Field Studies for the Capstone Presentations in August at the University of San Diego Kroc School of Peace Studies.  The Scholars made their final presentation at the District Conference in the Imperial Valley before packing their bags and heading in all directions.  We have enjoyed and appreciated their presentations and wish them well as they return to their home countries to achieve peace and conflict resolution. 

 

We will welcome three Global Scholars (the new name under the Future Vision Program) in the Fall to the University of San Diego School of Peace Studies—the students will be coming to our District from Ecuador, Japan, and Uganda.

 

Farewell to our Last Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team

 

DG Marge Cole exchanging banners with GSE Team Leader Kenneth Kagame

 

It is with mixed emotions we bid farewell to our last visiting GSE Team who returned to East Africa on May 22.  We have received two teams this year including a team of educators from Ecuador in February and a team of Health Care professionals from Uganda and Kenya.  Group Study Exchange has been a very successful program of The Rotary Foundation which sent young professionals, who were not Rotarians, to visit their counterparts in other Districts under the leadership of a Rotarian Team Leader.  The Program was begun in the mid-1960s and our District sent its first Team to Australia in 1965.  We began sending “univocational teams of educators in 1996-97 under the leadership of Jean Kerr, Mission Valley Rotary Club.  The univocational concept has become the basis of the new Vocational Training Teams (VTTs) which are part of the Future Vision Pilot of The Rotary Foundation.  Janice Kurth, who led a GSE Team to East Africa this year, will be the VTT Chair for the new Rotary Year and will organize the selection of the first Vocational Training Teams we will send to South Africa and East Africa during 2010-11.

 

Rotary Foundation Updates

 

• PolioPlus Update---the good news is there have only been 237 Polio cases worldwide to date (compared to 474 at this time one year ago)—we are closing in on this dreaded and incurable disease through the help of Rotary and other organizations  committed to Polio eradication.  Our District has given almost $150,000. to the PolioPlus Campaign this year and 54 of our Clubs will receive a match of their donation ( $1000./club from our anonymous donor). A big thanks to PolioPlus Chair Mark Lee who has helped in these efforts.
• There is still time to donate to Annual Programs Funds (APF—unrestricted giving) for this Rotary Year—all donations must be in no later than June 30 for recognition during this Rotary Year.  Club donations to APF were a factor that was considered in the awarding of Global and District Grants—so if your club plans to apply for either of these types of grants next Spring—your APF giving will be a factor.

 

A Fond Farewell from the “Gov”

 

To my fellow Rotarians…

 

This is my last issue of Future Focus, for this Rotary Year.  I hope it has been interesting, informative and worth reading.  It has been my pleasure to serve as your District Governor this year—it is the experience of a lifetime.  I enjoyed visiting Clubs and club activities, presenting Paul Harris awards, pinning new members, and getting to know you all better.  It is the thrill of a lifetime for a Rotarian to be asked to serve as District Governor.  We have had a great Rotary Year…our District has done great things and has a bright future ahead…. but, as the wise old man reminds us:  The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands…let us go forward and Build Communities and Bridge Continents together with DGE Dave and his Leadership Team—the world expects nothing less of us. 

 

Yours in Rotary Service,

DG Marge Cole