Submitted by: Debra Warner, District Governor
This month has been exciting and eventful for both Ed and me. We started out the month going to a social at our own club, the Virginia Rotary Club. It was a very successful event with several in attendance. Having a social in place of a regular meeting has been very successful in many clubs in our District, to energize and attract new members. Current members are encouraged to bring a guest and we have 3 potential members because of this event! I am shown in this picture with Assistant Governor Rosalyn Barker and President Patricia Monacelli.I attended the annual Central States Rotary Youth Exchange meeting in Schaumberg, Illinois. It was an educational couple of days spent with our
Youth Exchange officers Blake Carlson, Jean Hannig, Mary Durward and Sam Evans and officers from several other districts. One issue that we discussed was how to build the numbers of Inbound and Outbound students in our District. A few keys to success are as follows: the need for continual promotion of the program at the club level, a champion in the club, using neighboring clubs to host students, and use Inbound students to sell the program. If you would like to have an Inbound student talk at your club, please contact Jean Hannig our Inbound Coordinator at RotaryJean@gmail.com. Also, our Youth Exchange Blake Carlson has written an article about Youth exchange for this newsletter. Please see his article: DISTRICT 5580 YOUTH EXCHANGE.
Youth Exchange officers Blake Carlson, Jean Hannig, Mary Durward and Sam Evans and officers from several other districts. One issue that we discussed was how to build the numbers of Inbound and Outbound students in our District. A few keys to success are as follows: the need for continual promotion of the program at the club level, a champion in the club, using neighboring clubs to host students, and use Inbound students to sell the program. If you would like to have an Inbound student talk at your club, please contact Jean Hannig our Inbound Coordinator at RotaryJean@gmail.com. Also, our Youth Exchange Blake Carlson has written an article about Youth exchange for this newsletter. Please see his article: DISTRICT 5580 YOUTH EXCHANGE.
I attended the Grand Rapids Centennial Club meeting and then met with the joint Grand Rapids Rotary Club’s Interact Club the next day. What an incredible group of students doing so much in their community and in the world. They participate in a project called “Days for Girls” where they make backpacks and washable hygiene products to give to girls so they are able to remain in school when personal privacy becomes an issue for them. Some Interact students will personally be delivering backpacks to India when their Interact Club visits this summer! In the picture is Interact President Heather and District Interact Chair and Grand Rapids Interact advisor Eric Northard.
The Detroit Lakes Breakfast Club held their Annual “Poles and Holes” fishing contest fundraiser. Assistant Governor Rosalyn Barker and I attended this weekend event. This is a very successful fundraiser for the club. Last year they brought in nearly $40,000; the amount for this year was not in yet when I left the event! It was very cold but that did not keep people from all over the state away from the event. Thanks for the great time and welcome to Rosalyn and me.
While in Thunder Bay to work on our District Conference planning, I attended the Port Arthur Club meeting and I had so much fun at the annual Valentine’s Dinner hosted by the Rotary Club of Fort William. I am shown in the picture with our Rotary Zone Assistant Coordinator Irene Sotille and Rotarian Stephen Margarit. This is a great time to encourage everyone to visit our District 5580 Website to see the fine speakers, breakout sessions and fun events we have planned for our District Conference which is on April 26th – 28th, 2018. We know you will have a rewarding time at the Conference. Come and see old friends and meet new ones! Read an article in this newsletter, 2018 DISTRICT 5580 CONFERENCE and REGISTER TODAY. 
It is always nice to visit Duluth Club 25, especially when I get to visit with Past District Governor Earl Rogers. He is a member of the Duluth Skyline Club, but visits most of the Duluth clubs every week. He is very good at selling their raffle tickets and anything else they ask him to sell!
Is your club interested in a fun and successful fundraising event? Consider Mardi Gras like the International Falls Club has held for the past two years. This year they are raising money for a community splash park and have raised about $20,000 at the Mardi Gras event. We had so much fun and it is fantastic to see the community come out and support this club. Ed and I are pictured with Club President Tony Palm.
Ed and I attended the Rotary Clubs of Fort William, Lakehead and Port Arthur’s annual event to celebrate the Anniversary of Rotary on February 23rd. This year was 113 years! They held a silent auction to raise money for PolioPlus and appeared to do very well. Also, an interesting point is, 64 years ago on February 23rd, Dr. Jonas Salk administered his first vaccinations to Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh! Rotary International values our Club Presidents as one of our greatest assets. I am shown here with Presidents Brenda Winter, Wayne Robinson and Therese Lim. A great time was had by all!
Robert Mclean, our District Governor Nominee Designate and District Chair for Water and Sanitation, has provided the following information about Rotary’s theme for March, which is Water and Sanitation/Hygiene Month (WaSH). For good reason, WaSH is one of the six core focuses of Rotary International. Without clean, safe water we simply could not exist. Today, over 2 billion people live without safe drinking water at home. Sadly, every year, over 2 million people (mostly children) die of preventable illness directly related to the lack of clean safe water. Within Rotary, there is outstanding collaboration among members and clubs to address these issues championed by the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG). Formed in 2007, WASRAG has facilitated many hundreds of projects – helping clubs find partners, ensuring sustainability, stressing the importance of a needs-driven approach, and developing best practices. WASRAG encourages a holistic, integrated, sustainable approach in which water is not the end in itself, but is rather the means to a better life and livelihood in the community. Most importantly, WASRAG links water and sanitation to improved hygiene, better health, and empowerment of the community – especially women, irrigation and agriculture, education and literacy and, ultimately, child mortality. For more information about WASRAG visit their website and sign up to receive their monthly newsletter: http://wasrag.org/
Also, please see an article written by our past Global Scholar Alicia Helion who saw a need for clean water in Ethiopia. She worked with District 5580, the Rotary Club of Gondar Fasiledes Ethiopia, the Wogen’s Women and Children’s Support Organization, the Dembia Woreda Water Department and the health department to build the well. Please see her article: ETHIOPIA WELL PROJECT FINISHED.
Ed and I are off to Guatemala for a couple of weeks on a service project. Be sure to follow us on District 5580’s Facebook page! Have a great month!
Debra Warner, District Governor