December 9, 2005

December is Family Month. Rotary International President Carl-Wilhelm says “A club is the family of Rotary served by the committee. And the family of Rotary is everywhere and alive and healthy.”

December 31 is the Deadline for election of club officers for 2006-07. Your club Secretary MUST report to Rotary International the names and contact information for club President and club Secretary for the coming year. Your club Secretary can use the form provided by RI or report in on-line in the Member Access section of the RI website.

District 6820's first Rotary World Peace Scholar, Phillip Phiri, just received notification that he has been selected to receive the 2006-08 Rotary World Peace Fellowship, a $50,000 program! Phillip, who studies at Magnolia Bible College in Kosciusko, was sponsored by Rotarian Larry Routt. Receiving this scholarship is a significant achievement and we are all proud of Phillip and appreciate Larry’s sponsoring him. He has been assigned to study at International Christian University in Tokyo.

New Orleans had been selected as the site for the 2007 Rotary International Convention. That was before Katrina! The selection committee, meeting recently, decided to swap with Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City will host the Rotary International Convention in 2007 and New Orleans will host in 2011.

What About the Katrina Fund? As of December 2, the District 6820/6840 Rotary Katrina Fund has taken in slightly more than $500,000 and written 261 checks for some $180,000 for Rotary-directed needs. All requests are signed by club Presidents and 100% of the money goes to the recipients in the Katrina-impacted area. Many thanks to PDG Bill Foster and District Treasurer Bill Simmons for their continued efforts. Their daily chores are truly a labor of love of Rotary.

You’ve Heard It – Every Rotarian, Every Year, ($100). That’s about 27 cents per day, less than a third of the cost of a cup of coffee! Now is the time to make sure the members of your club do their part for the Rotary Foundation. Participation in the Rotary Foundation program helps assure the continued granting of Ambassadorial Scholarships that mean so much to our young Mississippians. We need this to help our finest young students rise above the crowd.

Rotary International has prepared presentations on Rotary history, the Foundation, and other topics that are available on-line. Try rotary.org for copies to download.

Building Club Membership is always in season. Encourage your fellow Rotarians to ask a friend to join them for lunch ...at Rotary. Giving others the opportunity to see the fellowship and fun most clubs have goes a long way in showing that Rotarians not only enjoy the camaraderie, but receive a special joy that comes from giving to others who they might never know or see and who cannot repay them.

Notice the membership report included with the newsletter for the first time. How is your club growing? Spreading the news takes time and effort . . . you will see us improve monthly.

Awaken, Club Secretaries. Monthly attendance reports are due to District Secretary Jeff Donald by the 15th of each month. The reports of too many clubs are missing from the membership report. Jeff does a great job, but he needs you to shape up.

PDG John Fair says it’s time for the club President to place in nomination a candidate for District Governor Nominee following a resolution adopted at a regular meeting of the club. Nomination forms are available from John Fair at john@thefaricompanies.com or telephone 662-773-7181.

District Governor Elect Mark Doiron is busy preparing for his administration beginning July 1, 2006. After his schooling in San Diego, his first obligation is to manage PETS and District Assembly. He reminds all incoming Presidents that they are obligated to attend PETS March 3, 2006 at the Golden Moon Casino and Hotel in Philadelphia. Mark will provide great leadership for the 2006-07 Rotary year.

The Merriest of Christmases to you and your family!!

Yours in Rotary,

Stuart Vance

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Rotary District 6820 Club Membership Report
November 2005