District Governor Rick Bricker and his wife Susan Bricker
Subject: Coronavirus
Greetings Rotarians,
On March 16, the District 5580 Executive and Finance Committee met at my request to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 virus situation. Coronavirus will be around for a while and it had potential to affect attendees at our District Conference. Because of this I have decided to cancel District Conference. This is not an easy decision, but necessary to ensure the safety of the Rotarians in our district as well as the people in our communities. This is the same path that many other districts have also taken. Because there is a certain amount of business that needs to be addressed, the following meetings will take place via webinar: the Grants Spending Plan meeting, the Past Governors Council, P.E.T.S, the Annual Business Meeting, and the Executive and Finance Committee meeting. Look for times and dates to be posted soon.
When coronavirus first showed up, I thought “what a pain in the rear”, but now I am looking at it as a challenge. The first three words that were spoken by R.I President Mark Maloney at International Assembly in 2019 were, CHANGE, ADAPT, NOW. Guess what? Here’s our chance to do just that. I will keep you informed with any new information that comes from Rotary International. In the meantime, please follow all the meeting guidelines set forth by the health professionals and help in your community wherever you can. Thanks for all you do. We will get through this!
(Submitted by: Rotary District 5580 Governor-Elect, Bob McLean)
Hello Fellow Rotarians of District 5580...
As many of you have already read, this Wednesday evening (03.18.20), the anticipated announcement came from RI President Mark that this year's International Convention is cancelled. Combined with the cancellation of our own District 5580 Conference, it is certainly a sign of "novel" times.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is impacting our regular way of life, Rotary clubs across Great Britain and Ireland are doing what they do best, and supporting their communities.
Submitted by: Allison Kingston, Community Fundraising Coordinator, ShelterBox Canada
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS AND FAMILIES LIVING THROUGH DISASTER
1. When you lose your home after a disaster or in a conflict, your ability to stay safe and healthy is already compromised.
2. 84% of the 70.7 million people driven from their homes by conflict live in the least developed countries in the world where support is already limited.
3. Coronavirus will impact the hospitals and health care systems in less developed countries far more severely than in developed countries like the UK.
4. Providing emergency shelter and other essential items after disaster not only helps families recover but can also offer a place where families can be together away from others in the midst of a Coronavirus outbreak.
5. The Coronavirus pandemic is a global crisis affecting all of us. Now imagine the nightmare of living in one of the least developed countries and dealing with a disaster or conflict on top of Coronavirus… without the support you need.
Submitted by: Marjorie McPeak, District 5580 Literacy Coordinator
Although I was a Librarian for nearly 30 years and have been retired for 24 years, I find that Libraries are still strong! While many changes have occurred over the years the dedication of Librarians has remained the same and their skills have increased.
Submitted by: Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, Rotary District 5580 Foundation Chair, Fargo-Moorhead AM Rotary Club
Is your club looking for international project partnership opportunities? Check out this project in Brazil. District 5580 will match club contributions 1:1.
Submitted by: Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, Rotary District 5580 Foundation Chair, Fargo-Moorhead AM Rotary Club
Is your club looking for international project partnership opportunities? Check out these projects in India. District 5580 will match club contributions 1:1.
Submitted by: Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, District 5580 Rotary Foundation Chair
Fellow Rotarians,
It’s that time of year again! If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to start planning for new projects for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal year. If you want to leverage your club’s financial resources for your special projects, please consider applying for a district matching grant. All qualifying grants are matched 1:1 by the district thereby doubling your financial resources for a project.
Editor's Note: This section showcases news items submitted by clubs. Clubs are encouraged to send news items for inclusion in "Cross Currents".
In this month's Club News we would like to ask what your club is doing during the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak that is keeping clubs from holding face-to-face meetings throughout much of District 5580 pursuant to the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommendations against any gatherings where 10 or more people are in the same location.
The International Falls Rotary Club is experimenting with virtual Noon meetings. The first virtual meeting through Zoom had 18 attendees, a strong showing when attendance usually ranges from 25-35 regular club meetings. All of the attendees were watching the meeting and half of them spoke. Club members brainstormed ideas for contributing to the larger community during this difficult time. Conversation included the following:
Using the "Lore Library" concept where people can leave and grab books with items related to community hardship. Hygiene constraints would be a concern in the current circumstances.
Form a partnership with local schools where to distribute goods or books as people drive by to pick up lunches.
Explore a partnership with the local food shelf to help distribute food.
Designing a means to conduct online gym classes in order to help promote continued exercise.
Providing tablets to assisted living facilities so residents could communicate with their families at a time when they cannot be together in person.
Assist the Head Start program with gathering items for families.
We encourage other District 5580 clubs to share any ideas that you have!
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".
This month we remember Kirsten Riley and Donna Vennie.
Articles and photos for the District Newsletter can be sent to Executive Secretary, Gloria Mink, at gloriad5580@outlook.com and to Newsletter Editor, Greg Carlson, at gregory.carlson@ndus.edu. Articles should be sent in Microsoft Word format. Photos should be sent in .jpeg format. Past newsletter issues may be viewed here.
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