Category Archives: Uncategorized

Rotary helping communities

11 Monday Dec 2017

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Economic & Community Development Grants (continued):

We began a series on economic and community development district grants about a month ago.  There were a few hiccups in the publication schedule … the District Foundation Awards Banquet, a week of vacation, and a most interesting Windows 10 upgrade which imposed some unexpected adventures with the publication platform.  Today we offer the final article in the series about the 2017-2018 economic and community development district grants.

The District Foundation Committee awarded 19 district grants shared by 30 clubs.  Of those 19 district grants, 7 were devoted in total or in part to Economic and Community Development. As published previously, grants in this area of focus encourage multi-club, co-operation, partnerships with local governments, corporations, or non-profits, and these grants create the opportunity to make sizeable, long-lasting regional impacts.

We described three of these grants in considerable detail already, but here we provide a brief synopsis of the 7 grants and the clubs involved.  You can get more detail by logging onto dacdb.com and clicking on the ‘Grants’ tab.

The seven grants:

Blackstone:  A bus stop structure to protect riders from the element.

Bon Air:  Safe ramps for homes in partnership with project:HOMES.

projectHOMES

 

Chester:  Improvements, remodeling, and repair to a regional K-9 training facility for law enforcement.  Will allow training of K-9s to assist with the elderly and with youth.

Colonial Heights, Petersburg, & Petersburg Breakfast:  Refurbishment of a deteriorated park to provide a safe playground for family outdoor activities.

Fluvanna:  In conjunction with Carysbrook Elementary,  this grant will create and stock an advanced STEAM lab for 3d and 4th graders, which enrollment population is expected to grow in the next few years.

Hampton Roads and Norfolk-Sunrise:  Winterization, repair, and improvements to cabins at this Girl Scout Campground.  The Campground has been an important regional resource for decades.

Prince George Resource RoomPrince George County: Improvement and enhancement of a Computer Resource Room at the Central Wellness Center.  The Center is a recent adaptive rehabilitative use of a former county middle school.  Under the auspices of the county Parks and Recreation Department, this facility will provide wellness equipment and classes, a computer lab, as well as high-speed broadband in an area of this rural county with limited access to such services.

Sharing the wealth:

In past years at every district training, the most frequent request was to have a way to share ideas among the clubs about their projects and activities.  We humbly suggest that the district and club database (dacdb.com), the district website, and the almost universal facebook pages for district clubs are starting points.

“See” you on Thursday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The District Foundation 90-day calendar

10 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Training, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

A look at the next 90-days in the calendar …

It is such an exciting Rotary time of year, isn’t it?  Current club leaders are planning out the rest of their terms and incoming club leaders are on learning and planning curves as they plan for their 2017-18 year. Those arcs are not mutually exclusive.  Cooperation and joint planning will result in a smooth transition.  What’s ahead?

January 28: Rescheduled Presidential Retreat and PrePresidents-Elect Training Seminar or PrePETS for short (an homage to Bill Billings) in Richmond. This seminar is of particular importance to both Presidents and Presidents-Elect as there are joint sessions and separate session tailored to the unique needs of each office.  If you didn’t register for the original event, now is your chance to do so on the district and club database (dacdb.com).

February 10 & 11: District Team Training Seminar at Chanco on the James in Surry County. This is a ‘by invitation only’ training event for the 2017-18 district leadership team. Members of the District Foundation Committee Team will attend only on Saturday, February 11 unless notified differently.  Registration, however, is required on dacdb.com.

March 2-5: Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (Chesapeake PETS) in Chantilly, VA.  Required training for current Presidents-Elect who will be Presidents in the 2017-18 Rotary year.  Again, registration is on dacdb.com.

March 25:  Grant Management Seminar (GMS) at the Colonial Heritage Golf Club in wayne-boggs-and-grant-cosingWilliamsburg.  Any club wishing to apply for a district or a global grant must have one or more representatives attend one of the three scheduled GMS events.  This one is a hiney-in-the-chair-in-person seminar.  There is a great Full Southern Breakfast and ends around noon.  There will be additional GMS Webinars in April. One will focus on district grants and the other will focus on global grants.  You may want to do all three :), but no extraordinary breakfast with the webinars.  Registration will be available soon on dacdb.com for the March 25th GMS.

If you have questions about any of the above training events contact Carol Woodward.  If she doesn’t know the answer, she can get it for you.  Where can you find her contact info? Why, in dacdb.com, of course.

The “I” in global grant

09 Wednesday Nov 2016

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

LET’S PUT THE “I” IN ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

By Bill Liepis, a Citation for Meritorious Service Recipient

As we enter Rotary Foundation month, it is timely to ponder the visionary impact of Arch Krumph on today’s Rotarians throughout the world community. As illustrated in the November Rotarian, the Foundation that started so humbly with one small donation in 1917 has truly become a “mighty lever to move the world”.

How do you and your club become a force in applying this leverage?

 

bill-liepis-west-metro

         Bill Liepis       

It’s as simple as being a player in an international (the “I”) global grant. Not all clubs are positioned or motivated to be the lead primary sponsor club. Yet it is a real possibility for any club to be a contributing player. By doing this you add pressure to the Foundation lever. Each dollar donated by a club or individual Rotarian to a global grant, receives a match of $.50 from the Foundation World Fund … your $200 becomes $300 to do even more good. Additionally, after accounting for all the D7600 club dollars promised for a given grant there will be an allocation of District Designated Fund (DDF) credits that will be converted to real dollars and matched on a $1:$1 basis by the World Fund when the grant is approved. The impact of these matches is gives even more lift to make a sustainable and worthwhile difference.

 

District 7600 clubs have a positive record of service in our local communities through the annual allocation of DDF to District grants and club self-funded projects. Why not consider how  to” stretch your community” to do service in the Caribbean (child health), Costa Rica (economic development), Liberia (water), the Philippines (child health), Rwanda (medical team training), or Uganda (water). All these countries have in process applications being sponsored by D7600 primary clubs that are ready and willing to share the joy and satisfaction of doing good around the world with willing contributing partners. There is no bottom line for what a club might want to commit but rather the willingness to be a part of a bigger impact. And should your club have a member(s) that have a passion borne out of an association with an international club consider being the lead sponsor for D7600.

Whatever the motivation feel free to contact your D7600 Grants Team for more information, a global grants course “101”, or to point you to a contact for one of the in-process grants:  Chuck Arnason, Stephen Beer, SuAnne Bryant, or Bill Liepis.

 

 

Club Foundation Giving Reports …episode 2 … adding name of the Club Foundation Chair to My Rotary

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by in Foundation Reports, Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

ShelDanaDebbie

This article by Debbie Wall (Colonial Heights), District Secretary and District Communication Officer, is the second in a series of three articles describing the steps for Club Foundation Chairs (CFCs) to take in order to access club giving reports. The first article (August 16) addressed setting up an account in ‘My Rotary’ which is the first step in the CFCs having such access.  This week  the article addresses ‘assigned positions’ which is step 2 which must be completed for the CFC to access his or her club reports.  

 

Who can enter the Club Foundation Chair’s name into My Rotary?

Any club officer whose name has already been entered into the roster of club officers in My Rotary  can enter the name of the Club Foundation Chair into the club’s assigned positions in My Rotary.  The assigned positions are President, Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Secretary (if there is one) the Membership Chair, and the Club Foundation Chair.  So it is likely that the President or the Club Secretary has already entered the CFC’s name.  Ask them point blank if  the name of the CFC has been entered into the assigned position in My Rotary. This is necessary even if the CFC for this year also served in the prior year.  The name of any assigned position must be entered each year.

If you are the club’s Foundation Chair logon to rotary.org. Click on My Rotary. Click on The Rotary Foundation and then on Foundation Reports.

2016-08-23

After Clicking on Foundation Reports scroll down the left side of the page until you see Club Giving. Click on View Reports.

2016-08-23 (1)

If you can access the reports then you are all set up.  If not, it is likely that the President or Club Secretary will need to enter your name into the assigned position pronto.  This handy guide ‘ how to add club officer  ‘ will make it easy as pie. Share it with your Club President or Club Secretary.

Want in-person help?  Why not give your Foundation Advocate a call.  There are nine of them who serve various geographic areas within our district.  If your Club President or Secretary needs assistance entering your name into the assigned position in My Rotary, or if that has already been done and you need assistance navigating to your club’s reports or using them, your Foundation Advocate can provide that assistance.  For your convenience click Advocates and their Clubs for a list of the Foundation Advocates and the clubs each Foundation Advocate  serves.

Next week in episode 3 pf this series, the Foundation Giving Reports and how to use them will be explored

Your comments on this article are invited.  Was the article helpful? How? How Not?

 

End Polio Now Baseball & Probs’ Farewell

28 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Just a reminder of the upcoming End Polio Now Baseball Games, July 7 in Richmond and July 27 in Norfolk …

Stan Wall advises that Rotarians can secure tickets for the Flying Squirrels Game up til game day.  Just check in with your club point of contact for the games who will obtain more tickets from Stan.  And those of you in the Hampton Roads area, don’t forget that Tides game.  Again, contact your club’s point of contact for tickets.

cropped-end-polio-now.jpg

A fond farewell as your District Foundation Committee Chair …

(reprinted from the June 2016 Foundation Features)

OK, the time has come; the deed is done. I plan to fade from the scene as your new District Rotary Foundation Chair PDG Chuck Arnason takes over on July 1. It has been a ‘magical journey’ for me as our District moved from Future Vision in 2013-14 to ‘current vision’ in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Black_Tie

Probs

During the last three years, we continued to set and achieve new goals, raise our standards in giving and grants, improve our internal processes, inform our Rotarians and promote our belief in The Rotary Foundation. I have been very proud to represent our District at numerous meetings and events and, as always, to meet and recognize our generous Rotarians who continue to ‘do good in the world’.

As our Foundation Newsletter has highlighted, as long as we remember “Why We Give”, understand “How We Give”, and appreciate “The Who Behind the Giving”, we will continue to be ranked in the top tier of Rotary Districts in the world in our support of The Rotary Foundation. My thanks to YOU and may YOU always ‘Lead the Way’.

 

Some Foundation & District Dates

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

The District Team Training Seminar is like New Year’s Day for the upcoming Rotary year:

District Governor-Elect (DGE), Diane Hagemann, gathered most of her 2016-2017 District 7600 team last Saturday to preview the year, introduce her team, and encourage us all2016-17RITheme to support Rotary International President-Elect John F. Germ prepare for our “Rotary Serving Humanity” year.

DRFCTEAMPast District Governor Chuck Arnason will be DGE Diane’s District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair (DRFCC).  Chuck gathered his team in a sunny room facing the James River and engaged them in forward thinking about the year.  More about the incoming Foundation team in a week or so.

Today please focus on your calendars and get some of these Foundation related events on your schedule, if you can, and share these dates with your Rotary colleagues.  The registration is open for the February 20 Webinar on the District Calendar on dacdb.com. The other events are listed and further information can be obtained by clicking on the event title, though registration is not open at this time.

  • February 20:  Webinar: Navigating Rotary Club Central.  You can register now on dacdb.com at the District Calendar.  This free webinar is designed for Presidents-Elect to help them understand goal setting and how to get their goals input into Rotary Club Central.  Any of the club’s leaders who will assisting in the goal setting are welcome to participate.  Just register and the contact information will be sent to you.
  • March 19:  Grants Management Seminar at Colonial Heritage Country Club in Williamsburg. It meets the GMS attendance requirement to be eligible for a global grant. It is also helpful for understanding the District Grant process.
  • April 2:  Webinar: District Grants.Registration will be on dacdb.com.  Please note that May 15 is deadline for District Grant applications.
  • April 9:  2016 Peace Conference, Duke-UNC Peace Center. To learn more click here . To register click here . Great day trip and only $20. Includes lunch!
  • April 23: District Training Assembly: Annual training seminar for club leaders. It will be held at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center at TNCC in Hampton, VA.

To get a head’s up about all upcoming events enjoy scrolling through the District calendar on dacdb.com with love.

 

January Foundation Update

18 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Excel LadyJoy Kline has just compiled her Joy report,  2015 Foundation Report- Dec , which covers club Foundation giving, grouped by area, through December 31.  These figures will convey the status of each club’s giving vis a vis a club’s giving goals. Clubs should really be at or above 50% towards giving goals or have plans in place for how those goals are going to be accomplished. The Club Foundation Chairs and the Foundation Advocates are key players in helping clubs assess and attain their giving goals.

 

Three or four thoughts for your consideration:

  • District Giving Awareness Campaign  — Article 5 Paul Harris Society  by PHS Chair Bill Stramm has been published and sent to Club Presidents, Club Foundation Chairs, Foundation Advocates and others.  These 5 articles are concise, practical, thought provoking essays on different Rotary Foundation programs and funding.  Suggestion: One or more of the articles may be on target for a given club and help that club hone in on a goal strategy. The Giving Awareness Campaign page at the very top of this blog has a link to each of the five articles.
  • The District Rotary Foundation Committee has identified our resident Bee (aka Jan Rowley)  as a mascot for our publicity campaign of Finish Strong<>Get Ready to encourage club and club member engagement Dana and JanBee at 2015 District Training Assemblyin Foundation giving.  We will be playing on puns such as “Bee a Gift To the World.”  It is fun, funky and has a lot to do with the frequent appearances of our District Foundation Bee throughout the year.  Have some fun with it when you communicate with your clubs.  Suggestion: Wear a bright lemon yellow shirt or sweater when speaking The Rotary Foundation.  A bit of fun is not amiss.
  • The Club Fundraising Analysis, Monthly Contribution Report, Joy Report, Features articles, this blog, and the expert District Rotary Foundation Committee leaders are at your fingertips to assist … just a click, email, or phone call away. Suggestion: Give a copy of the Club Fundraising Analysis or Joy Report to your club president and brief him/her on the information included.  Make it easy for them.

OK, enough for today.  If there is anything, anything…  anyone on the District Rotary Foundation Committee can do to help you perform your role, please don’t ‘BEE’ pi5preeiBafraid to call or email and give us a shout … 804-691-8486 or woodwardcd@aol.com.

“Beeing A Gift To The World”

28 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

from the desk of Jim Probsdorfer, District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair …

I extend my deepest thanks to the 64 Club Foundation Chairs (CFCs) for their efforts to encourage members to give generously to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and for club participation in district and global grants.

CFCs are in the forefront is answering questions about the ever changing world of our Rotary philanthropic arm, engaging with club goal setting, keeping TRF present in the weekly club activities, and in celebrating our successes as we strive to ‘Be a Gift to the World.’

cropped-charles-moncure.jpg

Anne Matthews, Charles Moncure, Jim Probsdorfer, and DG Gary Chenault.

The role of the Club Foundation Chair is so important that this year the District created and awarded the first annual James Pierce Foundation Leadership Award to recognize a dedicated, successful Club Foundation Chair.  The inaugural award was to Charles Moncure of the Innsbrook Club, who not only performed in a superior manner as the Club’s Foundation Chair, he subsequently served successfully as a Foundation Advocate.

It is a dynamic role … inputting data, downloading, anaylzing, and using timely club reports, and just navigating the changing role of the Club Foundation Chair who is now in what are termed ‘assigned positions.’ These are the designated club leaders who have access to input data and retrieve management reports on the status of the cub.

The harder part may be taking the data and using it to help individual members relate to The Rotary Foundation in a personal, committed way.

The challenges facing the CFCs are many and sensitive, but without their efforts serving as champions for The Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s ability to make meaningful impact on the world would be diminished.  So …

Thank you, Club Foundation Chairs.  You are gifts to the world.

Probs

 

‘… it’s the best time of the year.’

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Celebrating & Giving …tis the holiday season:

Clubs are ringing bells for the Salvation Army, collecting toys and bicycles for children, donating to food banks, and partying across District 7600 during this season.  Rotarians give year round … of their time, their talents, and their money.

Shout outs & gifties:

  • to Joy Kline (Goochland Club) for creating our user friendly, quick reference for monthly club giving.  It is complete through the end of the prior month, is grouped by area, and is very colorful.  Her gift to us is the 2015 Foundation Report- Nov (3) .  Club Foundation Chairs and Foundation Advocates should share with their clubs and provide any advice or encouragement which will help the clubs assess next steps.

  • to the Rotary Club of Williamsburg.  President Chuck Hobson & ChuckHobson&amp;TuckerWilliamsburgRotaryTucker are pictured here.  The Williamsburg Club covered 95 shifts of 2 hours each ringing the Red Kettle bells. Many included their best friends in the effort. Other clubs rang the bells across the district and some are pictured on our facebook page ‘Rotary D7600 Foundation Committee’.  Please visit and ‘like’.  The Williamsburg Rotary has a Facebook page also.  You will see more pictures of their members and pets there.  Enjoy.

  • to Diana Gulotta of the Virginia Peninsula Club who monthly edits her gift, the District Rotary Foundation Newsletter ‘Features’.  It is published monthly and comes to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.  If you don’t get it … check your spam folder, Chewbaca.

  • to our own Han Solo, Jim Probsdorfer, our District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair, who is truly ‘a gift to the world.’

  • to the 3000+ District 7600 Rotarians who give so much, so often, and with such heart! You are a gift and an inspiration.

 

 

‘Bee’ A Gift To The World

14 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Be A Gift To The World:

Rotarians are familiar with the Rotary International theme for the 2015-2016 Rotary year. Often one Rotarian says to another Rotarian ‘You are a gift to the world.’  What a huge compliment coming from one Rotarian to another.

Silly BEE (1)

Bee A Gift To The World

District 7600 is taking personal license with our theme because we have a resident Rotarian bee who has appeared in many promotions for our District Rotary Foundation Committee.  Our beautiful bee is Jan Rowley, a member of the Prince George County Rotary and a Foundation Advocate.  She will be reminding all to ‘Finish Strong … Get Ready’ in the next few months. Clubs meeting their Foundation giving goals, engaging members in The Rotary Foundation, and preparing club Foundation giving goals for the 2016-2017 year will mean that each District 7600 Rotarian will be ‘Bee’ A Gift To The World.

A ‘Bee A Gift’ suggestion is to access the Club Recognition Summary Report  in My Rotary (all Club Foundation Chairs, Foundation Advocates, and Area Governors can do this) and determine how many club recognition points the club and each member of the club have.  These recognition points can be used to help members progress towards or achieve Paul Harris Status. Rewarding regular givers or encouraging less regular givers in the club would increase a sense of engagement and investment in The Rotary Foundation.  There is plenty of time before the end of the Rotary Year to design and implement a reward/incentive program to use those points.

 

 

Finish Strong … Get Ready

07 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

The four words ‘Finish Strong … Get Ready’ describe where all of the clubs and districts in Rotary International are as we hit the midway mark of the calendar year.  Current leaders are assessing status vis a vis goals for the 2015- 2016 year. The incoming leaders are identifying their teams, setting goals, and otherwise preparing for the 2016 -2017 year.

Foundation Advocates, Area Governors and Club Foundation Chairs are actually assisting both sets of leaders.  January through June can be a demanding time for all and especially for those Rotarians wearing multiple shirts, so to speak.

District 7600 leaders have access to resources and training to navigate the challenges of leadership …

January 9 is the Presidential Retreat & PrePETS workshop. Registration is already available on the district calendar on dacdb.com. Every club president and president-elect would benefit greatly by attending.

March 3-5 is PETS (Presidents-Elect Training Seminar).  It is the annual training required by Rotary International for all incoming Presidents. Registration is available on dacdb.com.  This year there are a few select spots for Presidents-Elect Nominees.

There will be other training opportunities available in person or by webinar between before July 1 which will be announced shortly.

Next week this space will highlight the District Team Training Seminar which will be held on February 6.

Remember that no Rotarian need think he or she is alone.  We are a community of sharers and mentors.

Shout Outs to:

Heather Martin, Jan Rowley, Dan Jones, Carl Duffey, Cynthia Gregg, Jim O’Brien, Kevin Kelly, PDG Chuck Arnason, DG Gary Chenault, and DRFCC Jim Probsdorfer for supporting the recent Advocates’ Conference Call.

Forrest Cleveland (Hopewell) for congratulating Carol on her award while they were shopping at Michael’s. Carol’s granddaughter was quite impressed.

‘See’ you on Monday.

 

 

 

 

 

Midyear count down for club goals

30 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

Midyear nerding:

As we approach December 31, the midway mark for the Rotary year, all of the District 7600 clubs will be visiting ‘My Rotary’ to check their progress towards achieving the goals they set for the Rotary  year  … Presidential Citation progress, membership, service projects, pubic image, and giving goals for The Rotary Foundation.  Club Foundation Chairs and Foundation Advocates should be actively engaged in helping their clubs assess progress towards the TRF goals.

After visiting seven clubs in the last couple of months, knowing quite a bit about my own club’s patterns, and surveying data for many of the 64 clubs in 7600, three things really, really stand out … Continue reading →

Charles Moncure Award Recipient

23 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by in Rotary 7600 Foundation News, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

James Pierce Foundation Leadership Award:

Past Governor Randy Lickey looked on, smiling, as Charles Moncure of the Innsbrook Rotary made his way to the podium to accept an award.  The event was the District 7600 Foundation Awards Banquet on November 12, 2015, and the award being bestowed upon Charles was the first annual James Pierce Rotary Foundation Leadership Award.  Charles had not even known that it existed, that he had been nominated, or that he would be the first recipient.  He had been prevailed upon to attend the awards banquet to help his club celebrate being one of the top three giving clubs in District 7600 in the 2014-15 Rotary year.

The Pierce Foundation Leadership Award was created in honor of Past District Governor and Past District Rotary Foundation Chair James “Jim” Pierce, the beloved district leader who passed away on December 5, 2014.  The purpose of the award is to annually recognize a Club Foundation Chair who excels in leading his or her club into increased engagement with The Rotary Foundation.  By every measure Charles had exceeded all expectations in terms of member giving, club giving, participation in grants, both district and global, and had shared his skills when he subsequently served as an Area Foundation Advocate.

When asked as to what he ascribed such achievement he politely, but resolutely, credited his club members.  All he did, according to Charles, was point out the cost effective management of The Rotary Foundation meaning that money given to the Foundation is used in largest measure to do good works.  Knowing that donations made to the Foundation actually went for the causes to which Rotary and the Foundation were committed went a long way in helping the Innsbrook Rotarians understand how valuable their contributions really were.  After that, according to Charles, he just helped the members find their charitable passions.

Charles Moncure Headshot

Charles Moncure

And why was PDG Randy, now a proud North Carolina Rotarian, smiling?  Randy was Charles’ Rotary sponsor and was interviewed subsequent to the presentation of the award.  In PDG Randy’s words … “I was extremely pleased to be present to see Charles receive the inaugural District 7600 Pierce Foundation Leadership Award.  I cannot imagine anyone more befitting of this award.  Charles shares the great passion that PDG Jim Pierce did for our Rotary Foundation.  Charles’ leadership within Rotary and the Innsbrook Club is not limited to our Foundation, but there is no question that his leadership and enthusiasm have been a driving force in building tremendous support for our Foundation within the Innsbrook Club, as well as in other surrounding Clubs with which he worked as a Foundation Advocate. Charles sets a great standard for all future recipients of this outstanding award.”

_____________________________________________________

As the District 7600 Rotary Foundation Chair, 2013-2016, I am thankful for the Rotary service of PDG Jim Pierce, PDG Randy Lickey, Charles Moncure, and the almost 3000 district Rotarians who support The Rotary Foundation in ‘doing good in the world.’

Happy Thanksgiving

Jim Probsdorfer

Header photo courtesy of Bill Billings.  From left Anne Matthews, Charels Moncure, Jim “Probs” Probsdorfer, and District Governor Gary Chenault.

We’ll get by with a little help from our friends

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Picture of CitationAfter drying my tears, catching my breath, and finding my abandoned  eye glasses, the enormity really hit me of having been awarded The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service by Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko in front of 300 or so of my closest friends.  As I left the dais many Rotarians, more deserving of the recogniton than I, hugged and congratulated me. In acceptance of this award I am at once humbled and empowered … humbled because there are so many hardworking, generous Rotarians who support their clubs and humanity every day and who are worthy of recognition and gratitude for their efforts to support the mission of The Rotary Foundation … empowered because I know that Rotarians, and particularly District 7600 Rotarians, are a supportive community who will not quit until we eradicate Polio and who will never cease ‘doing good in the world.’

So thank you all for being part of my posse.  Thank you to District Governor Gary Chenault who formally nominated me. Thanks to the 64 Club Foundation Chairs and  to the 17 Foundation Advocates who have boots or high heels on the ground making The Rotary Foundation a living, breathing part of every Rotarian’s life. Thanks to my District Rotary Foundation Committee colleagues who inform and bolster me, and especially to our Chair, Jim Probsdorfer, who somehow manages to keep all of the moving parts from colliding and moving us towards accomplishing our District goals.  Thank you to the District leadership, past and present, who provide the inspiration, structure, and support which allows the District Foundation Committee to reach into and support the clubs. Thanks most of all to the 3000 District Rotarians who personally raise and donate funds, sell peanuts and other sundries, distribute dictionaries, paint purple pinkies, build bridges, refurbish charitable facilities, and just keep the day-in and day-out commitment to The Rotary Foundation.

Finally and most importantly,  thank you to the spouses and families who share your loved ones with the cause and who often roll your own sleeves up and join in the effort. Your support and encouragement makes it all possible.

Now, let’s all meet at The Rotary Foundation Banquet on November 12, in Williamsburg and celebrate together!