January 2009

GOVERNOR’S GLIMPSE

January is Rotary Awareness Month.  We need to do all that we can to get the message out about Rotary.  We know, but the general public does not really know, the extent that Rotary touches the lives of literally “billions” of people on our planet.  (Over two billion children have now been immunized against Polio).

Congratulations to Amanda Fontaine and her District 6820 Public Relations team, who was recently notified that our District will receive a RI Public Relations Grant to help us get the word out.  Amanda’s team will begin this month formally structuring this plan.  Great job team!

New public relation tools are now available to promote membership and Polio eradication efforts.  Look for “Humanity in Motion V,” the next phase of Rotary’s global public image campaign, which is being mailed to clubs worldwide this month.  The four-disc set includes Television, Radio, Print, Internet, and Billboard Public Service Announcements.

The contents of Humanity in Motion V are also available for download at www.rotary.org/humanityinmotion.  You may order additional free copies of this and previous editions at www.shop.rotary.org. 

ON RECRUITING YOUNGER MEMBERS: (From Rotaryworld)

“Before we can recruit young members, we must have a club that is attractive to them.  Programs should be innovative, educational, and fun.”

“Rotary clubs should be more involved with activities of their sponsored Rotaractors…Rotaractors want to belong to a group that respect and appreciate them.”

“Spot talented and committed young people from your daily contacts, talk to them casually about something of Rotary that would interest them, take them to a few meetings, and get their feedback.”

ROTOSTATS:

• Unsafe water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene kill 5000 children under the age of five around the world every day (more than 1.8 million each year).
• Eighty-eight percent of diarrhea disease is caused by contaminated water, inadequate sanitation, and hygiene.
• Globally, diarrhea kills more people than tuberculosis or malaria.  Five times as many children die of diarrhea than from HIV/AIDS.
• The number of children who die around the world every year from diarrhea is equivalent to the number of children under age five living in London and New York combined.
• For every U.S. dollar contributed to water and sanitary projects, the expected return is between $3 and $34.

Thank you for all that you do for Rotary District 6820 and for Rotary International.  Please consider the RI Foundation with your gift of $25 per quarter, or $100 per year.

Governor Joel

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