The first meeting in September will be at beautiful Pope Farm Conservancy Park, 7440 Old Sauk Road, rain or shine! Pope Farm Conservancyis 105 acres that sits on top of three recessional moraines in the Town of Middleton, where three different watersheds come together. A 360 degree panoramic view of Lake Mendota, the Capitol and Madison’s west side can be seen to the east, the Black Earth Creek valley to the North, and the terminal moraine to the South and West.
We were treated to a stirring presentation by our DG on reasons why we should be proud to be Rotarians -- Rotary’s impact around the world, its partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on PolioPlus, the UN’s reliance on Rotary advice, and RI’s ongoing commitment to match local Clubs’ grants to maximize impact. He encouraged us to tell the Rotary story to more people, to give our neighbors a chance to pay back the community. Too many people don’t know about Rotary. Our District is filled with potential Rotarians if they hear our story. He also told us of the TriCon 2018 Conference in the Dells May 4-6, 2018. There will also be a District Summit on Oct 7, 2017:
Rotarians are people of action and on Saturday, October 7 from 9 am – noon, you and your club’s leaders are invited to join members from across our district at our third annual One Rotary Summit. This event will provide an opportunity to share and receive useful information relating to Public Image, Membership, Fund Raising and our Rotary Foundation that may be exactly what your club needs to reinvigorate itself to become even more impactful within your community and throughout the world.
Hurricane Harvey has devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana. And Rotarians have a deep and lasting commitment of service. At the September 8 meeting, we'll be asking members to write a check to help the victims of Harvey. The Club will aggregate the contributions, add some funds from the Club budget, and make a Harvey-delineated donation to the American Red Cross. You've seen the visuals, you've read the stories. Help our Club on September 8 help those who are suffering.
On Friday, September 22, 2017, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, the Lussier Community Education Center is celebrating the first year of the launch of their radio station WWMV 95.5FM. There will be live music, great food, entertainment and more! ALL ARE WELCOME! The Rotary Club supports the Center in different ways including this year donating $1,000 and getting a District Matching Grant of $1,000, for a total of $2,000. The funds will be used to purchase remote broadcasting equipment and printing publicity brochures. It is our intent this year to get Rotarians involved with the radio operations and have some broadcasts involving Rotarians.
Lussier is located at 55 S. Gammon Road, Madison, next to Jefferson Middle School. WWMV-LP's on-air broadcasts will reach outward 10 miles in all directions. Most of WWMV-LP's programs will also be posted online at wwmvlp.org.
Lets support the radio station and center by having a nice turn-out of Rotarians at the open house. Come and see what your investment is doing.
Mooseheart is prepared to host our Glenn Koepp Scholars from the 16th - 20th of October, at a time when they will be training a large class of new employees. I would suggest they then come to Madison, leaving here on or about the 1st of November.
Mooseheart is condensing what the visitors need to know, during a one week period, under a revised curriculum plan. I had proposed three visiting scholars to them. My first choice is a visitor from TLC in South Africa, the orphanage our club has been specifically assisting for the last few years as a "conductor" organization. Our other two, assuming they can free their schedules, would be two from Bulgaria. One of the Bulgarians would be our long-time intermediary Mariela, who would serve as a translator. We had invited two from Bulgaria previously, but had to cancel them a year ago because Mooseheart couldn't host our visitors. The trainer was having a baby.
When the folks are here, we will need housing and a show and tell schedule of places to visit. If anybody has an objection, please advise.
Get ready for our 5th annual World Polio Day event, co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We will stream live from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, Washington to bring together more than 50,000 viewers around the world. Celebrities and global health experts will join us to share our progress on the road to polio eradication.
October 24 is World Polio Awareness Day and Rotary International is encouraging Rotarians and Clubs around the world to bring awareness to our efforts.
To this end, I am interested in organizing an awareness event on Tuesday, October 24 to add to the collective effort. This event would simply be a gathering of Rotarians on the Capitol Square to help make the public aware of eradication efforts over the years by Rotary. Area Clubs would be invited to show up, in Rotary clothes if possible, and march around the square to demonstrate our commitment to eradication. This would take
place from approximately 4pm - 6pm.
A permit from the Capitol Police is needed which I could procure. Posters would be printed for Rotarians to carry with Rotary District 6250 providing the financing of this and other any other costs. We would encourage this to be a time of hopefulness, pride in our accomplishment so far and the wonderful fellowship we enjoy when Rotarians gather. We want to demonstrate to our community that we are truly people of action.
Rotary Fellowships consist of members who share a common interest in recreational activities, sports, hobbies, or professions. These groups help expand skills, foster vocational development, and enhance the Rotary experience by exploring interests while developing connections around the world.
OVERVIEW
Help participants make lasting friendships outside their own club, district, or country
Advance Rotary’s public image and identity
Serve as an incentive for joining Rotary and for maintaining active membership
ORGANIZATION
Function independently of Rotary International by establishing their own rules, dues requirements, and administrative structure.
Are open to Rotarians, their family members, as well as participants and alumni of all Rotary and Foundation programs.
STARTING A NEW FELLOWSHIP
If your recreational or vocational interest isn’t represented by Rotary’s current Fellowships, contact rotaryfellowships@rotary.org for information about starting a new group.
A $1000 District 6250 Membership Grant is now Available!
District 6250 has an exciting new program that we heard about from a District in Australia. They have seen great success with membership growth with this grant program. Not only have they increased membership, but their new members have developed many new and innovative community programs. In their district, they had 17 clubs that recruited 4+ members in under 6 months. Each of these groups of new members have given their club a project that has engaged their community and given their club an opportunity to increase its public image. That is growth and publicity that D6250 needs to allow us to change even more lives in our own back yard and all over the world.
The District 6250 Board has agreed to allocate $5000 for these membership grants. This is a new endeavor that, if successful, will help grow our clubs and expand our reach.
The first 5 clubs to recruit four or more new members between July 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018 will be eligible for a $1000 grant for these new members to use for a project of their own. These members must remain for 4 months for the club to be eligible. Once you have met this criteria, please contact one of our membership co-chairs.
Please let me know of any events or special situations in our fellow Rotarians' lives where a card, flowers, or a plant would be appropriate for their situation.
If you are volunteering with youth (one-on-one)? Mentoring, Youth Exchange, RYLA, Academic Decathlon, High School Business Plans, Etc... You must have an annual background check completed. This only applies if you are working with youth one-on-one. If you are in a group more than 2 people, you don't need a background check.
