On February 1, 2020 we held our District's One Rotary Summit where 46 Rotarians from over 18 Rotary Clubs gathered together to explore the power of stories and how we are “Connected by Our Rotary Stories” and gain a better understanding of how Membership, Public Image, our Rotary Foundation work together. We also had a group of 14 remote site attendees in Thunder Bay, Ontario, CA! Assistant Governor Sandy Lychowyd did a fantastic job encouraging attendance and leading the remote site in Thunder Bay.
Submitted by: Goria Mink, District 5580 Executive Secretary
We are pleased to announce that registration for the Rotary District 5580 Conference is OPEN!! Join us at Madden's Resort on beautiful Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN for an exciting mix of education, service above self, and fun!
The planning for our Rotary District Conference in Brainerd is well underway! I am sending this communication to remind you of some important dates, encourage participation in the project fair, and to apply for awards.
Submitted by: District Governor-Elect Bob McLean and District 5580 Trainer Linda Marrin
Mark your calendars for the 2020 Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (PETS): Thursday, April 23, 2020 at Madden's Resort in Brainerd, MN prior to the District Conference!
Submitted by: Rozanne Casey, District 5580 Youth Service Chair
The Four Way Test Essay Contest is complete and we have a winner! The panel of four judges from throughout our district read and ranked each of the14 essays submitted by clubs across the district.
Each essay was reviewed for correlation to the 4 Way Test, organization of thoughts, language usage, grammar and spelling with a maximum possible score of 5 for each area and 20 for each essay.
This year’s Overall District Winner was Isabella Bosch, with an essay jointly submitted from Fort William Rotary, Lakehead Rotary, Nipigon Rotary, Port Arthur Rotary, and Thunder Bay Rotaract, with a total score of 91. A huge THANK YOU to all of the youth and clubs that participated and the judges who read and ranked all of the essays. Congratulations to ISABELLA BOSCH!!
INTERNATIONAL FALLS — Children in International Falls have more opportunities to read thanks to the Rotary Club of International Falls, which is sponsoring LORE Libraries throughout the community. LORE stands for Love of Reading Early, a Rotary project developed four years ago. LORE Libraries contain free books for children up to age five.
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.
Inaugural 2021 class will focus on shaping peace and development in Africa
KAMPALA, Uganda (9 January 2020) — From human rights violations to the impacts of climate change, Rotary and Makerere University are offering a postgraduate certificate program to peace and development leaders who are from or who have worked in Africa to address the underlying challenges to peace in the region.
For more than 100 years, Rotary has united leaders who are committed to using their expertise to take action and improve their communities. Awareness of Rotary is high. But public understanding of who we are, what we do, and the value we bring to communities is concerningly low. When we tell our story in ways that help people everywhere understand what Rotary does, how we’re different, and why our work matters – Rotary will reach its full potential.
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
You are invited on a Rotary Tour including visits to Moscow, Saint Petersburg and the District 2223 Conference in Novosibirsk – Altai Krai from May 6-22, 2020!
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 Carmen Plummer of the Wahpeton Breckenridge Rotary Club along with Duluth Skyline Rotary Club members Chuck Voss and Graden Grobe.
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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