April 9, 2020
Dear Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and Friends of Rotary,
What now, Rotarians?
As we are coming to grips with current standards for living, I congratulate those Rotary leaders whose clubs are functioning in the COVID-19 era, and I encourage the rest to get on board. Our communities need Rotary, now more than ever.
If our clubs are going to survive, we must continue to meet (electronically), assess our community needs, engage our members in fundraising and service activities, and project the public image that Rotary is responsive to crises in innovative and exemplary ways. That is our challenge!
While some of our fellow Rotarians are working overtime in critical service employment, others have “more time on their hands” than they ever envisioned. I invite you to spend some time on Rotary7120.org/ and My.Rotary.org/ If you do not have a user name and password for each of these sites, now is the time! If your club is not yet meeting electronically, join a club meeting listed on the Rotary7120.org website and learn the process. Go to: https://rotary7120.org/documents/en-ca/0a9810ed-d062-4fac-ab03-3f4fb9b04716/1/ for further instructions on holding your own meeting.
Remember the Rotary Avenues of Service: Club, Vocational, Community, International, and Youth. Please be cognizant of your club members with financial or emotional needs, community issues regarding food security, and youth access of permissible recreation and socialization.
Our mission remains unchanged: Unite and Take Action. We still need to promote membership, exhibit Rotary’s public image, and “do good in the world” through community service projects and The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. It is certainly acceptable to induct new members during an electronic meeting. Wear your Rotary clothing while working at food distribution sites, and even when out walking or biking. We need a big boost in contributions to the Annual Fund of the foundation. Past District Governor and Annual Fund Subcommittee Chair Don Alhart is asking an additional $26.93 or more from each Rotarian. Please be generous. At stake is our District Grant allocation three years from now.
While we are all praying for an early end to this pandemic and a return to normalcy, I suspect that we will remain moderately confined until there is a safe and effective vaccine available for widespread use. Unfortunately, this may be months away. In the interim, let’s resolve to be steadfast in compliance with public health recommendations; support our club members, their families, and our communities in the many ways still possible; and remember that there are those less fortunate across the globe.
Live to serve another day,
DG Dave Hannan