DG Marlee's January Message

 

100 - what will you do?

One hundred years ago, our foundation was started by a stubborn RI President Arch Klumph, who had an extra $26.50 following the reconciliation of the 1917 Rotary International Convention and rather than add it into general RI revenues, he insisted that this $26.50 be used to start an endowment…it did take several years of infighting before he got his way – hence me referring to Arch as stubborn.
 
When I visited each club for my official visit, we chatted about the honor of being able to participate in the development of a district-wide project to celebrate our Rotary Foundation’s Centennial. There were actually three points I made during my presentation regarding this monumental event:
 
1.  It is our hope that every Rotarian in District 7090 participates in making this our Rotary Foundation year of the greatest amount of dollars donated by everyone giving at least $26.50 in addition to your normal annual giving to the Annual Share or Polio Plus account. How is your club doing to help our district us reach this goal? Foundation Chairs – I hope you are showing your club just how their dollars donated work through District and Global Grants.
2.  Your club’s event/events to celebrate Our Rotary Foundation’s Centennial by participating in our District’s 100 Event for TRF’s 100 Years. What event do you have planned as a centennial celebration; remember to take pictures write a blurb and send it to Karen Oakes at Oakes.KL@sympatico.ca. Deadline to Karen is May 1, 2017, as we will be presenting this photo album to The Rotary Foundation’s Trustee Chair during the Atlanta RI International Convention, June 10 – 14. As we only have 69 clubs and really, really need 100 events who is up to doing two? Here are some of the ones we have now, just to help you get started, if you are stalled on ideas:...
 
  • One of our sustaining clubs (club per capita giving equals at least $100US) took up the challenge, topped it up from $100 to $126US, a Canadian club, and gave their cheque to me the day I did my club visit,
  • Another club, who also is a sustaining club, is collecting an extra check from member for at least $26.50 to meet my challenge,
  • A club is holding a Paul Harris Fellow Dinner this month and honoring the Centennial during it. We cannot wait to see the pictures.
  • One club purchased 100 turkeys and had these included in the food pantries Thanksgiving baskets and to make it a real Rotary event- they delivered the baskets to those families in their community who are having hard times right now. Rotarians at work!
  • A club gave a whole lot of Paul Harris Fellowships to members and a volunteer; invited me to talk about the history of our Rotary Foundation. An early Christmas event.
  • Our newest club is going to host a club social to recognize our Rotary Foundation’s Centennial; this club is two months old – welcome Hamilton Tonic.
  • Your club’s event/events to celebrate Our Rotary Foundation.
This should give you some ideas or why not organize a spring clean-up at a park and all Rotarians participate or how about a bike ride along the Erie Canal. Hey, I bet you can come up with some really unique events that you can advertise as a celebration of our Foundation’s Centennial or if you have already held an event and haven’t sent the pictures and blurb to Karen – get started on picking the best picture and writing a paragraph to tell us about your event and great work.
 
3.  Don’t forget to get registered to attend our Foundation’s Centennial International Convention in Atlanta, Ga – June 10 – 14 before the cost jumps. C’mon let’s all get together with RI President John Germ for District 7090 picture, I am already working on making this happen. Will you be with us?