My Rotary journey began 40 years ago when I joined the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, at the age of 25, and it has brought my family and me many unforgettable moments. But nothing could have prepared me for connecting with the world as president of Rotary International. My individual Rotary journey has become a shared Rotary journey with each of you.
District Governor Rick Bricker and his wife Susan Bricker
Greetings, Rotarians!
It is June and another Rotary year is coming to an end. In the words of the late great Jerry Garcia, what a long strange trip it has been. Ha. I must say the year went by quickly and there was never a dull moment.
Submitted by: Bob McLean, District 5580 Governor 2020-2021
Over the past weeks, we have seen an outpouring of concern over the horrific and tragic death of a defenseless black man by a police officer. No matter one’s politics or ideology, it was an inexcusable act that has served as a catalyst to raise the consciousness of our society in solidarity for people who have lived for generations in the grips of fear due to various forms of racism.
While the 2020 Rotary International Conention in Honolulu was cancelled due to COVID-19, a virtual Rotary Convention will be held June 20-26, 2020. Sign up for this free event here.
Submitted by: District Governor Rick Bricker and Past District Governor Herb Schmidt, District 5580 Rotary Foundation Chair
Dear District 5580 Rotarians:
We hope you are doing well and are staying healthy! As we know, the Foundation is the engine of our organization to “Do Good in the World” and we have about 2 weeks left to get our contributions into the Foundation for the year 2019-20. The money we contribute this year to The Rotary Foundation will be returned to our District in three years to be used for District and Global which we hope your club apply for in the future.
Submitted by: Marjorie McPeak, District 5580 Literacy Coordinator
At this time when racial conflict and the fears concerning COVID-19 abound our world feels very disrupted. It is important for us to be aware of the part Rotary is playing to address some of the issues.
By Paddy Rooney, governor of District 7390 (Pennsylvania, USA)
“We were built for this.” They were just a few words, cast upon a sea of words spoken that evening. But it encapsulated everything that I believe Rotary to be about and what our challenge is for the future. The words were spoken by Rotary International Director Jeffry Cadorette and General Secretary John Hewko at a zoom gathering of district governors and governors-elect. Spoken above the blare of the evening’s business, these words offer a profound vision for Rotary in the months and years to come as we move through this pandemic into the future which awaits us.
By Dr. John Philip, Chair of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Doctors
Many of our members are on the front line in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. As the International Fellowship of Rotarian Doctors, we decided to reach out to them, show support, share views and ideas to learn from each other.
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
July 2020
20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP: ShelterBox Remains a Leader in Emergency Shelter
As Rotary clubs around the world change leadership for the new Rotary year, ShelterBox remains a leader in disaster relief all over the world. Each year, Rotary helps us to go further, support more people, and access areas that would otherwise be impossible to reach.
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation
PROTECT VULNERABLE FAMILIES FROM COVID-19 ______________
As we face this global pandemic, the work of ShelterBox has never been more critical. Shelter is essential towards prevention, mitigation, and recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
Since the outbreak started, we have been adapting and scaling our responses, working with our partners around the world to provide displaced families with the emergency shelter they need to better social distance and maintain the conditions for overall better health. From tents and tarps, to soap and handwashing basins, to cooking sets and water filters, we are doing everything possible to reach families that need our help. Right now, we urgently need your support.
ShelterBox has launched a COVID-19 Response Fund.
Support for the ShelterBox COVID-19 Response Fund will enable our current global COVID-19 mitigation responses and help us prepare and respond to future catastrophic emergencies this year.
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 submissions from Duluth Harbortown Rotary and Baudette Rotary.
We encourage other District 5580 clubs to share what you are doing to help your communities during this challenging time!
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 Anderson of the Dickinson Rotary Club and Claudette Smette, wife of Past District 5580 Governor David Smette.
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.