Rotary International President, Mark Daniel Maloney
I love to travel! I even enjoy the mundane process of getting from here to there. But last year, my wife, Gay, and I had one of those experiences that would strain the optimism of even the most cheerful traveler. We found ourselves with six hours to wait, at an airport where we were not scheduled to be, on a day we had not planned still to be traveling, having woken up that morning at a hotel unknown to us the night before. It was one of those days.
As we waited at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Gay and I took a walk to people watch. We went from one end of the terminal to the other and back, looking at every gate, every destination, every group of people waiting for their flights.
Each gate was its own island of humanity. When we walked down the center of the concourse, we were in New York, moving along with everyone in one river. But when you veered off into those seats, you left that current and landed on an island. You were already in Delhi or Paris or Tel Aviv.
As we started our walk, I thought: "All these different people, all these different countries, all in one place. This is like Rotary!" But as we walked past gate after gate, I realized something. It was not like Rotary at all. Because everyone in that river was heading for an island. And every island stayed an island. The people heading to Taipei might be talking to one another, but they were not talking to the people heading to Cairo or Lagos.
Contrast that with Rotary. Rotary allows us to connect with one another, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences. It connects us with people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us with our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.
Connection is what makes the experience of Rotary so very different from walking along that concourse at JFK Airport. In Rotary, none of us is an island. All of us are in Rotary together, whoever we are, wherever we are from, whatever language we speak or traditions we follow. We are all connected to one another — part of our communities and members not only of our clubs, but also of the global community to which we all belong.
This connection is what lies at the heart of the Rotary experience. It is what brings us to Rotary. It is why we stay. Please join your fellow Rotarians on this journey as Rotary Connects the World.
District Governor Rick Bricker and his wife Susan Bricker
Happy new year! Yes, it is the beginning of a new Rotary year. New District Governor, new club Presidents, new district and club officers and everyone, including me, are a little nervous. I am sure we will all adjust quickly. With a new Rotary year comes a new theme from R.I. president Mark Maloney. “Connect the World”. His message, Rotary allows us to connect with each other in meaningful ways across our differences. It connects us to communities and people who need our help.
I am happy to say that District 5580 has been very good at establishing relationships and doing projects world wide as well as community projects here at home. Please visit our district website and the grants page to see projects that are currently being funded. You may even find something that your club is interested in.
As your governor for this year I look forward to visiting with each and every club. I believe that every club is unique and has Rotary passion to share. At your board meetings we will visit about anything you want including membership. This seems to be on everyone’s mind. At the request of the district training team I will have a few questions for you. At your club meeting I will present current events that are happening in our district and share with you a three-district project on Child Abuse and Human Trafficking. I will also do a little foundation promotion and share events for next years district conference in Brainerd, MN. I will close now with the three words that President Mark Maloney said to all incoming district governors in San Diego. “CHANGE, ADAPT, NOW. It’s going to be a great year!
District 5580 is now calling for nominations for the office of District Governor for the Rotary year 2022-2023, and qualified Rotarians may submit a nomination for consideration by the District Nominating Committee. The Nominee must submit the following documents:
5. Photo of Nominee (head and shoulders) in .jpeg format, if emailed.
The above documents must be received no later than October 4, 2019.
Please take time to review the Qualification Guidelines (included in this link), as you will want to make certain your nominee meets the criteria prior to submitting his/her nomination. Following receipt of all nominations, the District Nominating Committee will schedule interviews with each nominee at a specified time. Interviews will be held at Timberlake Lodge in Staples , MN on Saturday, October 26, 2019.
It’s a new Rotary year, and with Presidents-Elect are waiting for the opportunity to gather for PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) with their peers. PETS for the 2020-21 Club Presidents will be held at Madden’s Resort in Brainerd on Thursday, April 23, 2020. PETS/LEAD 2019 was very well received and PETS 2020 will build on that format using input from attendees to make it even better.
District Conference will be Friday and Saturday, April 24-25 at Madden's Resort, and hopefully many Presidents Elect will remain for the conference where there will be breakout groups that will be helpful for running effective clubs. There will be special events for the Elects in addition to the training.
Additional details will follow in the coming months! Plan now for PETS and District Conference 2020 in Brainerd, Minnesota!
For the 18th year, Rotary clubs from Duluth and Superior will host the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival, the largest in the upper midwest, at Barker’s Island in Superior, WI.
For 15 years, our charitable partner has been the Essentia Foundation who has raised $909,607 through donations from dragon boat paddlers. This has enabled Essentia Health to benefit 3,638 local patients and families.
Since the inception of the festival, the sponsoring Rotary Clubs have raised over $670,000 (after expenses) from the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival through team registration fees, corporate sponsorship and income from vendors and beverage sales.
It’s open to all to paddle, volunteer or just to enjoy a constant variety of activities and support Rotary fundraising as well as helping this years’ charitable partners; Harbor House, Life House and Habitat for Humanity, fight homelessness in the Twin Ports.
The cumulative efforts of Rotarians and our charitable partners have resulted in over $3.2 million raised over the festival’s 17 year run and each year more fun is added!
Friday night (August 23) opening ceremonies, live music and fireworks with racing and more entertainment all day
Saturday (August 24) for the low low price of -(wait for it) FREE!
Ever wonder why 1 July is the beginning of the Rotary year? Initially, our conventions played a key role in determining the start date of our fiscal and administrative year.
Rotary’s first fiscal year began the day after the first convention ended, on 18 August 1910. The 1911-12 fiscal year also related to the convention, beginning with the first day of the 1911 convention on 21 August.
Attendees at Rotary's first convention in Chicago in 1910. Rotary's first fiscal year began the day after the convention ended.
The next August, the Board of Directors ordered an audit of the International Association of Rotary Clubs’ finances. The auditors recommended that the organization end its fiscal year on 30 June to give the secretary and treasurer time to prepare a financial statement for the convention and board, and to determine the proper number of club delegates to the convention.
The executive committee agreed and, in April 1913, designated 30 June as the end of the fiscal year. This also allowed for changes to the schedule for reporting club membership and payments. Even The Rotarian changed its volume numbering system to correspond to the fiscal year (beginning with Volume 5, No. 1, in July 1914).
Rotary continued to hold its annual conventions in July or August until 1917. Delegates to the 1916 event in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, approved a resolution to hold future conventions in June, mainly because of the heat in cities where most of them occurred. The next one was held 17-21 June in Atlanta, Georgia.
The term “Rotary year” has been used to signify Rotary's annual administrative period since at least 1913. An article in The Rotarian that July noted, “The Rotary year that is rapidly drawing to a close has been signalized by several highly successful joint meetings of Clubs that are so situated as to assemble together easily and conveniently.”
Since the executive committee’s decision in 1913, the end of the Rotary year has remained 30 June.
Editor's Note: This section honors the Rotary legacy of District 5580 Rotarians who have passed away during each month. Clubs are encouraged to send information and share reflections for inclusion in "Cross Currents".
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