As I approach the final days and weeks of my term as District 5910 Governor, I am overwhelmingly proud of each club and the District as a whole. You certainly lit up Rotary and the light continues to burn brightly..
The work of individual Rotarians and clubs within District 5910 has been amazing. You have inspired me by your projects and the outstanding efforts in Service Above Self.
Barbara and I thank you again for your warm welcomes when we visited with your club and when we met and took part in events together. It has been an experience we will never forget.
While at this point in the year, we change themes, leaders, budgets and ideas, Rotary continues with focus on our mission of service without interruption. I trust you join me in supporting and working cooperatively with District Governor Doris Lockey as she embarks on this journey for 2015-16. I am confident she will guide us in a very successful year.
As you prepare to collect dues from your club members for the new Rotary year, please note that the additional dues for Council on Legislation expenses have been increased from $1 to $1.50 per member.
The increase will be reflected on the July club invoice. This is the first such increase since 2002, and it will help ensure that there are sufficient funds to meet Council expenses in 2016 and future years. The Council on Legislation gives Rotary members a voice in how our organization is governed. The next Council will convene in April 2016, when selected representatives from each Rotary district will review and vote on proposed legislation. Learn more about the Council here.
If you have any additional questions regarding the Council or the additional dues increase, please contact us at RI.ClubFinance@rotary.org.
Rotary Zones 21b-27 will hold the 2015 Institute in San Antonio, September 16-20, 2015 in the Westin Riverwalk Hotel as a part of the Institute Emerging District Leader (EDL) Program. Currently in our zones, 78% of the District Governors are graduates of this program. Governor Don Taylor has been asked to identify leaders from District 5910 for this program.
The Institute Emerging District Leader (EDL) Program is for Rotarians who are willing to share their leadership skills at the District level. Participants will have a unique opportunity to interact with senior Rotary leaders, and to hear and discuss Rotary issues. The sessions are designed to give insight into the service as a District Governor.
More than 100 Rotarians from 18 clubs in the district will attend the installation of District Governor Doris Lockey on Saturday, June 20. The District Installation will be combined with the installation of the leadership for the Rotary Club of Lake Conroe.
The venue is Walden Yacht Club overlooking Lake Conroe. DG Doris Lockey will challenge those in attendance as has RI President K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran to "Be a Gift to the World". We all have something to give - whoever we are, whatever our place in life. We can give our talent, our knowledge, our abilities, and our effort; we can give our dedication and our devotion. Through Rotary, we can take these gifts and make a genuine difference in the lives of others and in our world.
Watch for a report on the Installation with photos in the next issue.
The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial Scholarships. Applications for the 2015-2016 Rotary Foundation Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholar Global Grants are now available from the Rotary Clubs in District 5910.
Since 1947, more than 43,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today, it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. More than 650 scholarships were awarded for study in 2012-33. Through grants totaling approximately US$20 million, recipients from some 69 countries studied in more than 64 nations.
In March District Foundation Chair Roger McCabe and Sharon joined the Bryan /Aggieland Rotary Clubs delegation led by Rotarians Scott Pool and Rodrigo Chavez and students from Texas A & M School of Public Health for a needs assessment trip to Guatemala. The group sought input from the residents of Santa Fe and Antiqua and maternal health care providers operating in that area to determine what needs are not being met and could be met by a Rotary Global Grant. All clubs in District 5910 are invited to participate in this grant which will focus on the nutritional needs of mothers and children.
In February Rotary District Foundation Chair Roger McCabe and Huntsville Rotarian David Standlee accompanied Tulsa Rotarian Dave Peterson and his delegation to Nicaragua for a needs assessment for additional water wells. The Tulsa Rotary Club has a water well digging team in place in Nicaragua and District 5910 proposes to apply for a Global Grant to use their team to dig approximately 20 additional wells for District 5910. All clubs in the District are invited to join in this international project.
$23,308.11 Awarded To local teachers this year as part of our Teacher Mini Grant Program! Funding for this program is made possible by money raised through our Field of Valor Project. - See more at: http://www.bryan-rotary.org/Stories/teacher-mini-grants-awarded#sthash.7Fyv5Eit.dpuf
The Liberty Club celebrated the milestone of their 90th Anniversary on a grand scale earlier this month.
A large crowd of members and guests gathered for the Tuesday weekly meeting.
The Rotary Band plays 1925 tunes at the Rotary Club of Liberty’s 90th anniversary celebration luncheon June 2, 2015.
The highlight of the week was the dedication of the Ruth Canfield Park, a Rotary District 5910 Pocket Park project, on Friday, June 5, exactly 90 years to the day after the Beaumont Rotary Club chartered the Rotary Club of Liberty, The park is located on the corner of Canfield and Grand in Liberty on land donated to the City of Liberty in 1998 by Patricia Mickelis, daughter of Ruth Canfield.
Members of the Canfield, Mickelis, and Atkinson families, community members, fellow Rotarians and friends gathered at the park to hear the Rotary Band perform tunes from 1925, the National Anthem and Texas Our Texas. As the ceremony progressed guests could hear the voices of children swinging, jumping and laughing on the playground.
Club President Carol Skewes explained the development of the park and how the gift of the land from Patricia Mickelis changed lives.
(L-R): George Mickelis, Patricia Mickelis, Lamar Atkinson, Angela Mickelis and Jennifer Jolley Stout
Dickinson Rotary & Interact Cook Up"" a Service Project
The Dickinson Rotary Club and our Dickinson High School Interact Club collaborated on cooking and serving dinner for the guests at Ronald McDonald House in Galveston this spring. The joint project was satisfying for both the “old folks” and the high schoolers.
Pictured is Friendswood Police Chief Robert Wieners and Rotary Club President Bill Provenzano
The Rotary Club of Friendswood is donating $500.00 towards the RAD Program sponsored by The Friendswood Police Department. They are offering Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) class. RAD is a program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women. It is a comprehensive, 15-hour, women-only course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training.
Galveston Club celebrated with members who were recently recognized as Multiple Paul Harris Fellows or members of our Club's Foundation. This year Club recognized 16 new PHF's, 22 Multiple PHF's and 14 members of Club's Foundation.
Orange Rotary Club Donates to Back to School Orange County Program
It might be summer vacation now but the Orange Rotary Club is helping prepare for back-to-school. The Club donated to the Back to School Orange County Program. Each year, many students are unable to afford school supplies and have to start their first day with an empty backpack. The Orange Rotary Club was able to provide 100 pre-k kits totaling $1,490
The Rotary Club of Conroe has given out over 1,800 copies of the individualized I LIKE ME books to first grade students in the elementary schools in Conroe. Each book is individualized with the first grader’s name, family names, best friend’s names, pet’s name, etc. This epic project was chaired by Steve Muir of RCC and is an annual event for RCC, costing over $10,000 per year.
Vidor Rotary Club and Vidor ISD Community Education joined forces to host a free month-long summer camp for low-income students. The camp's focus is reading, and the students are participating in the Vidor Public Library's Summer Reading Program, where they saw a magician the first week.
The Rotary Club of The Woodlands is honored to have been highlighted in a recent issue of Community Impact newspaper.
Excerpted from the article.
Just one year after The Woodlands itself was established, area businessmen and women formed The Woodlands Rotary Club. Over the course of four decades, its members have given $1 million in scholarships to area youth and committed time and money to serving the community.
Thirty years after its inception in 1975, the club has more than 170 active members who participate in its dozens of service committees. Those committees range from literacy initiatives to community restoration along with its weekly business networking meetings.
“We are very committed to the community and giving back,” club President Bill Friebel said.
When Russel Buss, President of the Rotary Club of Port Arthur attended the RI Convention in São Paulo he gave Rotary Clubs of countries that that have Flags on the 100 year Rotary Flag in Port Arthur, a Friendship Package: letter, picture of their country flag, a legend of Flags, and pictures of the display. Attached are two pictures taken at a Russian Rotary Booth and at an Indian Rotary Booth. The Indian Club is noteworthy as the Club name is the TAJMAHAL Club of Indian.
Pictured Bill Provenzano, Friendswood Rotary Club President, Julian Falco, Kristen Olansen, Adrian Falco and Chris Turner, Exchange Coordinator.
Three Friendswood High School students, sponsored by Friendswood Rotary, have been selected as Ambassadors for Rotary International to participate this summer in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program in France. Rotary Youth Exchange works to promote peace and understanding through cultural exchanges around the world.
Friendswood Rotary was proud to partner with the City of Friendswood in donating $10,000 to the Splash Park Pavilion that provides a place for families to sit in the shade while watching their children play at the Splash Pad. Pictured are Rotarian Projects Committee Chairmen Michael Marcantel and Jerry Ericsson.
For Memorial Day, the Galveston Rotary Club honored veterans (both Rotarians and non-members) along with some active duty Coast Guard, Marine & Corps of Engineers personnel plus Ball High School Junior ROTC members. The annual program began about 30 years ago when only WWII vets were honored and still celebrates with 6 living members from the country’s “Greatest Generation”.
Each veteran was singled out and highlights of their military service were read. The Program concluded with singing of each Service’s anthem.
Vidor Rotary Club recently hosted their community-wide garage sale, in which patrons pay $10 to sell all they can fit into a parking space. Crowds were out on a hot June day, and those hosting booths reported brisk sales. Funds raised will support the green bus Read and Feed program. The Rotarians also gave a free book to every child who visited the green bus at the sale.
District Polio chair Mike Berger came to talk to the Conroe High School Interact Club about Rotary's Polio Plus Program which motivated the Interact Club in their annual Polio Plus Drive. The Interact Club of Conroe High School sponsored by the Rotary Club of Conroe High School exceeded their challenged goal of $2,000 by Conroe ISD Superintendent Dr. Don Stockton by raising $2,060.00. Dr. Stockton (Rotarian from the Rotary Club of The Woodlands) proudly let the Interact Officers paint his hair purple which is the Interact's reward for their achievement. In addition, CISD Board President John Husbands, Conroe High Principal Dr. Mark Weatherly, and Interact Sponsor Ron Saikowski from RCC also were given special hair-do's in purple by the Interact Officers. The color purple signifies the dipping of the infant's finger when the polio sera is administered.
Interact officers Adrin Martin and Charlie Huang passed out sack lunches and helped low income children choose books as Vidor Rotary's green bus geared up its summer program on June 4th.
The Bob Hope School in Port Arthur has submitted their charter papers. Also getting ready to form Interact Clubs are Nacogdoches, Orange, and Nederland.
District 5910 Interact coordinator Sally Andrews was the guest speaker at the Orange Rotary Club on Tuesday, June 9. She spoke about the benefits of sponsoring an Interact club, local projects done by Interacts, and how to go about forming clubs.
All Interact Clubs of the District are invited to the Leadership Training Workshop on Saturday, August 15! To be hosted in the Woodlands, this event is a great opportunity for some learning and networking among the clubs. Don't miss it!
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