Dear 5830 Rotarians,
I hope your first month of the Rotary year has been engaging and rewarding for you. I’m reminded of the quote, “You get out of it, what you put into it.” If you are actively engaged, please continue what you are doing, and I challenge you to be on the lookout for others in your community you might be interested in joining alongside you and your club in “Making a Difference.” If you are not actively involved, please look for opportunities to use your skills and get active again. I have challenged each of our club leaders to always look at the value Rotary offers to its members and to make sure we are providing value to our club members. This is Membership month for Rotary. What a better time than now to really reach out to prospective members and invite them to a meeting, a club social, or a club service project. Allow the work and service you are doing to help attract prospective members. Also consider starting a Satellite Club that meets at a different time and/or location that is more convenient for some members and prospects. They still count towards your club’s membership total and are a quick way to grow your club. I also would recommend that you do a classification survey to identify any potential areas your club lacks. You can then look around in your community for members who fit the classifications you lack.
Club Visioning had its first event on July 25th with the Longview Greggton Club. President, Ingrid Self, hosted the C-V Training team and a large and diverse group of Greggton Rotarians. The discussion was thought provoking and filled with out-side-the-box thinking on ways to build continuity, clarity, and consensus as the club charts its course going forward. AG, Sam Scroggins (Quitman), led the team of Mike Groom (Cedar Creek Lake), Jeff Johnston (S. Tyler), and Louraiseal McDonald (Marshall) in conducting the C-V event. It was very encouraging to see Rotarians assisting other Rotarians as they work to support and strengthen their club. The next C-V event will be held in Marshall. The C-V event will be led by Susan Mazaraks-Gill (Longview Midtown) in early August. Any club leaders wanting to help their club strategize a plan for the present and future is encouraged to contact Susan or myself to arrange a team coming to your club.
International Service Chair, Dan Carpenter is leading an effort in our district to support a large Water Project in Honduras. We have had several clubs collaborate in this project, and we will be sending four Rotarians down to Honduras in October to participate in this effort. Upon return, they will be able to visit clubs and share what they saw and did to Make a Difference with other district clubs. We will be sharing other possible projects for clubs to support. I encourage every club board to begin looking at the level of support they might be able to give when the right project comes along. PDG Carroll Greenwaldt (Longview) will also be leading another group down to the Tecal region to see the Hospital Project that our district supported with a Global Grant. They will get to see the 100’s of lives that are saved and made better by your generosity.
PDG Fay J Durant (Texarkana International) has charted the first Rotary Means Business Fellowship in Texas right here in District 5830. This is an excellent opportunity to see how you can increase your network and broaden your reach as you also serve in Rotary. Building relationships with other Rotarians is an outcome we all appreciate as members. This certainly also carries over into our professional lives. The ethical standards that Rotarians exhibit are good for business. Look for additional information on the website regarding the next meeting date, time, and location. The first District 5830 Rotary Means Business Fellowship organizational meeting was held on July 14, 2017 with 13 Rotarian attending. The next meeting will be held Friday, October 6, 2017 in Gilmer, Texas from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The location and additional information to follow.
Our District Polio Plus Fundraiser is in full swing! Thanks to PDG Shirley Griffin (Longview) for coordinating this event. Please make every effort to sell/ buy your four tickets. The money raised will potentially change close to 200,000 lives! It will also provide a large increase for most of our clubs in their giving to Polio Plus. Take advantage of this opportunity! Use “other people’s money!” Make a Difference! Win a new Ford Pick-up Truck!
Mike Sills with Texas A&M Urban Forestry has agreed to assist clubs with the acquiring and planting of one new tree per member. Accomplishing this goal will support you club’s achievement of the Rotary Citation by Increasing Humanitarian Service and doing an environmental project. This is an excellent chance to get more of your club members involved, invite potential new members, include family members of your club, and socialize together. Please take lots of pictures and share them with me! Mike Sills’ contact information is: 972-952-9242 or msills@tfs.tamu.edu.
In an effort to improve communication with clubs and members, please update your membership profile in Rotary Club Central. You can do this through the Rotary5830.org website in the members area. Doing this will allow the District to better serve you as we coordinate events and activities.
Please save the date for our District Conference- November 10-11, 2017 in Bossier, La. We will be holding a combined DisCon with District 6190. This will be a great opportunity to meet old and new friends and celebrate the 2016-2017 Rotary Year under IPDG Lee Montgomery. More details to follow.
I look forward to visiting with additional clubs this month. I have truly enjoyed meeting with 11 clubs and seeing all the wonderful things Rotarians are doing to help their communities. It is exciting to meet new people and hear their Rotary stories! It is a great pleasure to serve this District.
In Rotary Service,
DG Ted Huffhines
