The year 2020 has brought monumental changes that have already included a global pandemic and a renewed call for social justice. We are reminded that we live in a constantly changing world, and Rotary is a reflection of that world.
District Governor Robert (Bob) McLean and his wife Terri pictured with RI President Elect Holger Knacck and his wife Susanne
From the very first club visits in July through this third week of August, it has been incredibly rewarding to hear about the great service that clubs are providing for their communities and beyond. During these visits we have spent a bit of time reviewing the “what” of Rotary and a lot of time discussing the “WHY” - the purpose – within the what of Rotary.
Submitted by: Gloria Mink, District 5580 Administrator
District 5580 is now calling for nominations for the office of District Governor for the Rotary year 2023-2024, and qualified Rotarians may submit a nomination for consideration by the District Nominating Committee. The Nominee must submit the following documents:
Photo of Nominee (head and shoulders) in .jpeg format, if emailed.
The above documents must be received no later than October 2, 2020.
Please take time to review the Qualification Guidelines (included in this letter), 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 Arrowwood Lodge in Baxter, MN on Saturday, October 24, 2020.
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
(Jennifer E. Jones, of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2022-23.)
Other than DGE's and DGN's there is no cost to attend the Virtual Zone Institute. However, registration is required in order to receive Zoom links for sessions. All who are registered will receive the links to the General Sessions.
By Geoffrey Johnson Illustrations by Sjoerd Van Leeuwen
These clubs keep things fresh with
new ideas and new members
What is Rotary? It’s a whole community of people who are members of Rotary and Rotaract clubs, of course, but it’s also people who participate in programs such as Rotary Peace Fellowships and Rotary Youth Exchange. It’s non-Rotarian members of Rotary Action Groups and Fellowships and of Rotary Community Corps. It’s people who have volunteered on Rotary projects and people who are interested in Rotary’s work and causes.
Greetings Rotarians! I am taking this moment to share a few motivational words of encouragement with you today regarding your Club’s website.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This often seems like the best philosophy when we have limited resources and time. But when it comes to the constantly evolving facets of web design, “good enough” just isn’t good enough. The internet has become a key element for sharing what Rotary is doing in our communities and around the world!
Submitted by: Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, District 5580 Rotary Foundation Chair
Fellow District 5580 Rotarians:
The 2020 -21 Rotary year began with some huge changes in the way. The Rotary Foundation (TRF) supports the humanitarian projects clubs around the world do to help those without the opportunities that we have. Many of these changes needed to be made for economic reasons – ie: more demand for grants and less contributions. Others were made as efficiency measures and ways to make it simpler and easier for clubs to do humanitarian work. The following are excerpts of the changes to date.
It's a simple truth- the more members we have, the more Good we can Do in This World. Although some clubs are "holding their own," and some have had good increases in net membership, a number are really struggling, with their numbers declining due to so many factors- natural attrition from some members relocating, some not as available, and some senior members not as able as previously. The goal for a club should be to keep up with the natural attrition, and expand capabilities, via new members and working to retain members that may be "on the fence." It can be a real challenge.
Submitted by: Allison Kingston, Community Fundraising Coordinator, ShelterBox Canada, Rotaract Club of Toronto
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation
ShelterBox Update
September 2020
20 YEARS OF SHELTERBOX: ShelterBox Adapts to Overcome
ShelterBox is not new to working in challenging situations. Flexibility and adaptation are inherent to the way we work with communities after disaster all over the world. Flexibility is important to ensure that communities receive the tools that they need to foster self-recovery. Adaptation fuels innovation as we monitor how aid is used and can be improved upon to better support those using it.
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.
This month, we feature a service project from the Duluth Skyline Rotary Club.
We encourage other District 5580 clubs to share what you are doing to help your communities during this challenging time!
The first restaurant gift cards, expressing Rotary’s appreciation for frontline workers during the pandemic, were delivered to the Park Rapids Police Department June 23. On hand were (from left) Rotarians Lu Ann Hurd-Lof and Zachary Johnson, officer Kelli Seitz, Police Chief Jeff Appel and officer Rob Gilmore.
Rotarians of Dist. 5580 designated $63,000 to go to those with the most urgent need as a result of the COVID-19 virus. Dist. 5580 covers an area from Williston, ND to Nipigon, ONT, Canada and includes 65 Rotary clubs. Each club was given the opportunity to receive a $1,000 grant upon application with their intentions.
“We felt that, as Rotarians, we need to help as quickly as we can and a monetary infusion could enhance what our clubs are already doing.” District Governor Rick Bricker said, “We are feeling the effects as citizens and as an organization, but living our ‘Service above self’ motto made this right.
The Park Rapids Rotary Club added $2,200 to the Rotary District’s $1,000 and used the money to purchase $100 gift cards from 16 Park Rapids restaurants. The gift cards were then divided among the following 10 employers to use to honor their front line workers:
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 David Collins of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club and Past District 5580 Governor Paula Timmins of the Thunder Bay Port Arthur Rotary Club.
You can visit a Rotary Club anywhere is the World!! You can also add your club to the list and you could have an international visitor at your next club meeting!
While the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more Rotary clubs are meeting online via Zoom or streaming their meetings on Facebook. The Rotary Club of Mt Lawley is creating a list of online Rotary club meetings happening around the world so that you can "visit" other clubs.
To add information on your online club meetings and to access the database, please take a short moment to fill out this form bit.ly/addmyonlinemeeting
Newsletter articles contain a Social Media Share Bar allowing them to be shared on various Social Media platforms.
Articles and photos for the District Newsletter can be sent to District Administrator, 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.