COVID-19 Coronavirus message

by PDG Scott McLaughlin | Mar 13, 2020 | Club Communities, Governor Messages, MOJO Blog

COVID-19 Coronavirus message

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Yesterday the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. We are in uncharted territory.

As our communities continue to be impacted by the evolving effects of the COVID-19 virus, my first concern is for the health and safety of every Rotarian and their families across District 5630. Considering all the known facts of the COVID-19 virus, I feel the safest place that everyone be is at home. This morning I have made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming District Conference that was scheduled for May 1-2 in Kearney.

Additionally, Clubs are asking for guidance on how to navigate through this crisis. The health and safety of our members and our community is the highest priority.

Many of our members are in the 60+ demographic, high-risk group which has been asked by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to stay home as much as possible. Let’s all keep in mind the Four Way Test and ask ourselves if our actions, including participation in Rotary events, will be “beneficial to all concerned”. All of us need to practice social distancing—keeping space between ourselves and others and avoiding large groups. Social distancing is essential to slow the spread of the disease and provide time for the community to be better prepared.

Around the world, Rotary clubs and districts are making difficult decisions about their planned activities. In District 5630, some senior centers have asked clubs not to meet in their space until further notice. A number of clubs have made the decision to suspend club meetings until the immediate emergency passes. And yesterday we also canceled the travel to Nigeria for a global grant sponsored by the Minden Rotary club. Additionally, or own District Governor Elect, Bob Taylor is currently in Africa, trying to make his way back to the United States and will likely be self-quarantined at a minimum if he is able to find his way home in the next couple days.

I will be working directly with our District leadership over the coming weeks to navigate through this crisis.

Action Steps:

We can’t tell you how long this situation will continue. I would ask club leadership to consider postponing all gatherings, service projects, fundraisers and possibly meetings – scheduled for the next 2-3 weeks. We and you will monitor the situation and determine next steps.
Club Presidents are asked to discuss with their club the meetings and events scheduled for the next month and make a plan; please notify me of your intentions, copying Bob Mayber.
Consider meeting online using free services like ZOOM or FreeConferenceCalling.com. If you would like to use ZOOM please contact me. It will be handled on a first-come basis.
Please accept the decision of other members on their involvement or attendance at club events. Each must make the decision they feel best for themselves and their families.
Be aware of and implement CDC guidelines.
Individuals and communities should familiarize themselves with recommendations to protect themselves and their communities from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
Be aware of the Nebraska Department of Public Health guidelines for COVID-19.

Our communities are looking to us for leadership. Let’s act responsibly and proactively.

We will communicate with you as developments unfold.

If you have questions, please contact me.

March | Celebrate Rotaract

by PDG Scott McLaughlin | Mar 2, 2020 | MOJO Blog, Monthly Messages from RI President Maloney

March 2020

March is the month we celebrate Rotaract — and this has been quite a year for our young partners in service.

Last spring, the Council on Legislation elevated Rotaract in our constitution: Rotary International is now the association of both Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs. Then in October, the Rotary Board of Directors eliminated the artificial Rotaract age limit and took other steps to break down barriers that were preventing Rotaract from growing in some parts of the world.

These steps were long overdue, because Rotaract is a vision of what Rotary must become. Not only do we need to open our doors to our young colleagues, but we also have to open our ears and minds to the Rotary experience they find most engaging. That is one of the best ways we will meaningfully grow Rotary.

When I say grow Rotary, I mean it in many ways. We need to grow our service and to grow the impact of our projects. Most importantly, however, we need to grow our membership, so that we can achieve more. Rotaractors provide this opportunity, not only because they can transition to Rotary at the time that is right for them, but also because they understand what it will take to attract others like them.

Business as usual will not work for us anymore. Bringing in more members to replace the ones we lose is not the answer. It is like pouring more water into a bucket full of holes. We need to address the root causes of member loss in many parts of the world: member engagement that is not what it should be, and our member demographic that skews steadily older.

It is time to make some fundamental changes. We already know what the barriers are to an engaged and diverse membership. It is time to act on what we know: creating new membership models, opening new paths to Rotary membership, and building new Rotary and Rotaract clubs where the existing clubs do not meet a current need.

New club models represent an opportunity to connect with a more diverse group of individuals — particularly those who are unable or unwilling to join our traditional clubs. While new club models have been emerging for some time, it is up to district governors to make them a reality. In January at the International Assembly, our incoming district governors took part in an exercise called Build Your Own Club Model. It was a wonderful experience that put them in the right frame of mind for the work ahead.

Ultimately, however, it will be up to Rotaractors and young Rotarians to create new club models that are most meaningful to the next generation. We may think we know what young people want from Rotary clubs in the future, but I am confident that what young people say will surprise us. It will be our job to support their innovation, for it will help us grow Rotary as Rotary Connects the World.

February | Happy Birthday Rotary!

by PDG Scott McLaughlin | Feb 1, 2020 | MOJO Blog, Monthly Messages from RI President Maloney

February 2020

Happy 115th birthday, fellow Rotarians and members of the family of Rotary!

Much has changed in the world since 1905. Then, the global population was roughly 1.7 billion. Today, it is 7.7 billion. There were 5 telephones per 100 people in the United States 115 years ago. In 2020, it is estimated that 96 percent of the U.S. population has a cellphone — and both China and India have more than a billion cellphones in use.

In the 115 years since Rotary was founded, seemingly everything has changed except Rotary values. We began, and remain, committed to fellowship, integrity, diversity, service, and leadership. While our Service Above Self motto dates to 1911, the ethos behind those words had already been ingrained by Rotary’s founders.

As the pace of change worldwide continues to accelerate, the need for Rotary service is greater than ever. It’s one thing to read about service projects, quite another to see them in action and to see the grateful faces of people who have benefited from them. Rotary projects change lives and connect the world. And over the past year, I have seen some amazing Rotary projects in action.

Gay and I visited Japan’s Fukushima prefecture last year. Few places in the world have had to deal with the kind of devastation that visited Fukushima in March 2011, when a tsunami touched off by an earthquake led to disaster at a nuclear power plant. But the story of Fukushima today is not one of destruction; it is one of hope and renewal. Rotary grants have helped improve access to medical and mental health care for victims of the disaster and reduced the isolation of these communities by sharing the experiences of people from other parts of the world who have also recovered from disasters. Our grants have also helped to foster self-motivation and encourage sustainable long-term community recovery across the region.

In Shanghai, I learned about the Careers in Care program. This helps migrant workers fill the need for skilled professionals in elder care facilities. After taking a course, trainees receive certification to boost their employment prospects, while the care industry benefits from an expanded talent pool. Rotary projects like this are successful because they address a local need, and they have the potential to attract local government funding to sustain their impact.

And in Guatemala, Gay and I went to Sumpango. Global grants there provide mechanical cows to produce soy milk; an improved water distribution system; water filters; clean compost latrines; family gardens; support for income generation; and training in WASH and literacy programs. The food items sold there not only provide nutrition to women and children, but also create a source of income for local women.

In every area of focus, and in every part of the world, Rotary projects are improving lives and helping communities adapt in a time of rapid change. As we celebrate another great year for Rotary, let us rededicate ourselves to strengthening the connections that make our service so impactful. We will make lives better as Rotary Connects the World.

reprinted from Rotary.org [https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/office-president/presidential-message]

November | Preserving World Peace for 75 Years

by PDG Scott McLaughlin | Oct 25, 2019 | Monthly Messages from RI President Maloney

November 2019

Rotary Day at the United Nations, which we celebrate each November, is an important reminder of the historic relationship between our organizations. But this year’s event is even more important than usual because we are building up to the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter in June 2020.

You might ask, why celebrate this anniversary? For Rotary, it is entirely appropriate, because we played such a critical leadership role in the San Francisco Conference that formed the United Nations in 1945. Throughout World War II, Rotary published materials about the importance of forming such an organization to preserve world peace.

Not only did Rotary help influence the formation of the UN, but this magazine also played a leading part in communicating its ideas. Rotary educated members about plans to create the UN through numerous articles in The Rotarian and through a booklet titled From Here On! When the time came to write the UN charter, Rotary was one of 42 organizations the United States invited to serve as consultants to its delegation at the San Francisco Conference.

Each organization had seats for three representatives, so Rotary International’s 11 representatives served in rotation. The people officially representing Rotary included the general secretary, the current and several past presidents, and the editor of The Rotarian. In addition, Rotarians from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America served as members of or consultants to their own nations’ delegations.

We have a deep and lasting relationship with the UN that deserves to be celebrated and appreciated. To recognize this relationship, Rotary will host five special events between now and June: Rotary Day at the UN in New York on the 9th of this month; three presidential conferences next year in Santiago, Chile, in Paris, and in Rome; and a final celebration just before the Rotary International Convention in Honolulu.

The focus on the UN in the year ahead is not only about the past; it also lights a path to our future. There are so many parallels between the work we do through our areas of focus and the work of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While those goals are indeed incredibly ambitious, they provide inspiration and direction — and are similar to many Rotary goals, which have proven to create lasting, positive change in our world. The goals can be achieved, but only if undertaken with the same long-term commitment and tenacity that Rotary understands so well. Alone, we cannot provide clean water for all, we cannot eliminate hunger, we cannot eradicate polio. But together with partners like the United Nations, of course, we can.

Please consider attending one of our five UN celebrations. I look forward to sharing news of these special events with you throughout the year.

reprinted from Rotary.org [https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/office-president/presidential-message]

Have you thought about serving as District Governor?

by PDG Scott McLaughlin | Oct 24, 2019 | MOJO Blog

Have you thought about serving as District Governor?

Serving as a Rotary District Governor is the honor of a lifetime. It is an awesome responsibility, and offers such tremendous leadership opportunity. Individuals that serve in this capacity are recognized leaders, nominated by their clubs to fill this important role. As Governor, you are the official representative of Rotary International in our District. As Governor, your role is to inspire Rotary members and clubs, and engage the general public in the important role fulfilled by Rotary in our community. District Governors serve for one full Rotary year, from July 1 to June 30, and are very actively engaged in District decision-making leading up to their year as Governor.

As your journey begins

The road to becoming District Governor starts roughly 3 years before assuming office with your nomination as District Governor Nominee Designate. Training to become Governor takes a full 2 1/2 years. Applicants for the position must fulfill certain requirements, including 1) having previously served as President of a Rotary club, and 2) being a member of Rotary for at least seven years by the time they become District Governor.

After your selection to the DGND role, you’ll immediately become involved with 2020 High Country PETS planning with the current DGE and DGN. In July 2020, after ascending to the DGN you will have an opportunity to travel to the Leadership Institute (TBD) and the Zone Institute in Houston (Sept 2020). You should be prepared to travel (with your partner). The district will reimburse you and spouse for all of your training travel.

As DGE, you and your partner will have an opportunity to travel to the 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston, TX. And as DG in 2022-2023 you and your partner will have the opportunity to attend the 2023 Rotary International Convention (TBD).

Learn more about serving as District Governor by downloading Lead Your District: Governor, published by Rotary International.

The District 5630 Nominating Committee is now accepting completed application forms for Governor of District 5630 for Rotary Year 2022 – 2023. The application deadline is December 31, 2019. As provided in our District 5630 Bylaws, the composition of the Nominating Committee shall be composed of the five most recent Past District Governors. One member shall be the immediate Past District Governor and the other four Past District Governor members shall be active members who reside in and are members of a club within the District. In 2019-2020 these members will be PDG Dale Schultz (Chair), PDG Jerry Milner, PDG Don Peterson, PDG Koby Rickertson and PDG Ron Bazata.

All nominations must be submitted on the District Governor-Nominee Application Form. Fully completed forms accompanied by a recent photograph should be directed to:

Dale Schultz, IPDG
Chair, District 5630 Nominating Committee
1312 Sheridan Dr.
Hastings, NE 68901

Qualifications for District Governor are prescribed by the Rotary International Manual of Procedure (RIMOP). The RIMOP Article 16 stipulates that

16.010. Qualifications of a Governor-nominee. Unless excused by the board, the person selected as a governor-nominee shall at the time of selection:

be a member in good standing of a functioning club in the district;
have served as club president for a full term or as charter president for at least six months;
demonstrate willingness, commitment, and ability to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a governor in section 16.030.;
demonstrate knowledge of the qualifications, duties, and responsibilities of the governor as prescribed in the bylaws; and
submit to RI a statement that the Rotarian understands those qualifications, duties, and responsibilities is qualified for the office of governor and is willing and able to assume and faithfully perform those duties and responsibilities.

16.020. Qualifications of a Governor. Unless excused by the board, a governor, when taking office, must have attended the international assembly for its full duration, have been a Rotarian for at least seven years, and continue to possess the qualifications in section 16.010.

Please consult the Rotary International Manual of Procedure for complete details and qualifications.