At the start of the Rotary year, I challenged every club to plan and host at least one practical and action-oriented Rotary Day of Service. The event should address a challenge your community is facing that fits into one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus and should bring together volunteers from within and outside of Rotary.
Rotary Days of Service can motivate Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs to plan innovative and impactful projects. They can showcase your work as people of action and introduce prospective members to your club.
I’ve been inspired by your response so far, and I want to share with you just one project that has captured my imagination.
One of the six areas of focus of Rotary we don’t seem to talk about very much is peacebuilding and conflict prevention (the actual area of focus is named "Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution"), which is the theme for the month of February. It is often, however, the conflicts that occur throughout the world that are the root causes of poverty, despair, economic hardship and poor health. Take for instance the major deterrent to polio eradication: the difficulty in vaccinating children in war torn countries. Rotary International as an organization understands this relationship and therefore is deeply invested in supporting individuals and programs that will develop leaders who are committed to seeking ways toward peace. The path toward peace begins with understanding and respect for the differences that make us unique.
SAVE THE DATES! The in person Tri District Conference has been canceled, but District 5580 has plans in the works for an exciting VIRTUAL District Conference on April 21 & 22, 2022. More information to come!
Submitted by: DGN Dave Long, D5580 RI Convention Promo Chair
We received exciting news from RI last week that the 2022 Rotary International Convention will be an in-person event 4-8 June in Houston, Texas, USA. There is a special registration rate of US $495 now through 28 February. Register here.
Attention Club Presidents-Elect! District 5580 is joining the 2022 North Central Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (NCPETS), giving you the opportunity to Collaborate, Network and Be Inspired by an incredible group of Rotarians!
The REGISTRATION DEADLINE is February 18! Register now.
Use Coupon Code: NCPETS5580 at checkout. District 5580 Clubs pay for PETS when submitting payment for their District dues. To ensure that no additional charges are incurred, use code NCPETS5580 during registration checkout.
Madeline (grade 12) is the recipient of a check from District 5580 in the amount of $1250.00, representing the District’s cash award for the overall winner of the 4-Way Test Essay Contest. Thank you to the members of the Bismarck Rotary Club for sponsoring this student in our District 4-Way Test Essay Contest.
We are excited to officially confirm there will be a District 5580 Camp RYLA this year. The 29th Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Program is scheduled for July 10-16, 2022 at the University of MN Crookston Campus. While it’s been two years since RYLA was held, the team is ready to put on a great RYLA with minimal changes from the previous curriculum and activities. It’s time to dust off our RYLA recruitment actions!
A successful One Rotary Summit session was held virtually on Saturday, February 5, 2022, when 79 participants joined together for an educational, informative and inspirational event.
If you were unable to join us or if you attended but would like to review or share the recording, the link is available below.
Help launch our new global ad campaign, "People of Action"
While many people have heard of Rotary, few people actually understand what Rotary clubs do. In fact, 35 percent of the public is unfamiliar with any Rotary program, including their local club. That’s why Rotary has created a new global ad campaign called “People of Action.” The ads are available for download at Rotary.org / brandcenter, where you’ll also find guidelines on how to use and localize each element, making it easier for clubs in any part of the world to tell their story in a consistent, compelling way.
Submitted by: Herb Schmidt, District Foundation Chair
Happy Valentines Day! You have to love The Rotary Foundation!
I often hear the question “how are my contributions to The Rotary Foundation Annual Fund used?”
Contributions to the annual fund in a given year are invested for three years . At the end of three years the earnings are used to support some of the administrative costs. The principle is then distributed for use by Rotarians to improve the lives of people around the world.
Share these MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS with your friends and colleagues and invite them to a Rotary meeting!
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
1. Friendship Membership in Rotary fulfills the basic human need of friendship. In fact, it was one of the primary reasons Paul Harris started Rotary in 1905. We create lifelong friendships in our local and international communities. The relationships created in Rotary’s are with a network of local and international leaders whom we address by name and are considered our equals and peers.
2. Professional Development Rotary is a network of business, professional and community leaders, who have a culture of high level of integrity and purpose. Our members are exposed to people, every week, in a vast range of vocations that can provide assistance to our business and professional development. Although we are not a business networking organization, we afford our members to be identified to the leaders in their local community. By this association, our members not only enhance their business, they learn from and identify with the leaders in their community. It was once said, “Rotary allows me to sit next to people
every week that I would otherwise have to pay $250 an hour to meet.”
3. Personal Growth Rotary takes ordinary individuals and puts them into extraordinary circumstance. Every week, you are exposed to new thoughts, new professions and new opportunities to learn. Our members develop broad social skills. A key part of Rotary is its internationalism, which gives our members to broaden their international scope, living and expression. Simply stated, membership in Rotary helps to make our members better – better individuals, community leaders, internationalists, and humanitarians.
4. Leadership Development A core value of Rotary is that we develop leaders and leadership skills. We provide leadership training at all levels of our organization. Rotary’s brand of leadership is distinctive. We teach how to lead leaders in the context of a volunteer organization. If you can be an effective leader in Rotary, you will be a better can be an effective leader in your business. Serving in Rotary positions is like a college education in leadership.
WE CAN ONLY SHARE YOUR CLUB'S NEWS, IF WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR CLUB'S NEWS!
The number one thing most clubs want to know is what is happening around the District, but we can't help spread the word if we don't know what your club is up to.
Please submit a summary of your club events, news and projects to Gloria by the 10th of each month. We can include information in our Monday Minutes and in our newsletter.
A team of Detroit Lakes Noon Rotarians will be participating in the 26th Annual Polar Fest Plunge. Their goal is for the Rotary polar plunge team to get 100 donors to pledge funds ($1, 2, 5, 10, or any $amount) to the boys and girls club. Past, present, and future club presidents (including District Governor Nominee Dave Long and District Co-Trainer Travis Stone) will jump in the frigid water if we achieve this goal (and, yes, we'll jump even if we dont get 100). I hear that District Governor Keith Brokke may be jumping as well!
Residents of all ages of Fargo-Moorhead have created dozens of model treehouses out of toothpicks, marshmallows and a variety of other materials to inspire the Natural Playground that is planned for construction at Riverfront Park in Moorhead in summer of 2022. The project was part of the FM Rotary Foundation’s Giving Hearts Day campaign. The FMRF is participating in GHD for the first time in 2022.
Hundreds of marshmallow and toothpick kits were distributed by Rotary members to schools, senior living centers, sports teams and families. On Wednesday, February 9, a team from the Natural Playground committee took the kits to the classroom of Jennifer Grund, an English Language Learners teacher at Willow Park Elementary in West Fargo. This hands on project was easy for students with varying levels of English proficiency, and the students created an impressive variety of structures.
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