A message from District Governor Mike Slovak.
(Well worth the read)
(Well worth the read)
There is nothing more important to most of us than our families. That’s why Jo and I are calling this Rotary Year (2018-19) the “Year of the Family”.
Our family has become the main reason I am active in and committed to Rotary and why Jo lends so much of her time and talents to our Rotary initiatives/projects.
Our daughter, Kerry, and son, David, their spouses, Joe and Bethany respectively, and our 6 grandchildren (Allison, LJ, Natalie, Avery, Libby and Caleb) inspire us to work toward making this world a better place in which to live for all of us.
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(L to R) Allison, Avery, Natalie / David, Caleb, Bethany |
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(L to R) LJ (Ranger, Mossy) Libby / Kerry, Joe |
Our family helps us keep things in perspective. We are thankful for all the wonderful people and the many good things happening in our lives. We don’t have to remind ourselves how fortunate we are in comparison to many of the people around the world, but our children and grandchildren are constant reminders that there is much more for us to do to make this world a better place to live for everyone.
It is to this end that I have adopted the following six goals for our District for 2018-2019:
- Increase Member Global Perspective
- Increase Member Foundation Giving
- Increase Club Support
- Increase Personal & Professional Development & Training Opportunities
- Improve & Increase Communication
- Increase Club Strategic Plan Development
I will be outlining and explaining these goals in more detail during the club visits. Keep in mind that these goals were specifically chosen in support of all District 7120 clubs as a reflection of our new Rotary International Vision Statement which was adopted during the 2017-18 Rotary Year:
Together,
we see a world
where people unite
and take action
to create lasting change
- across the globe,
in our communities,
and in ourselves.
If we focus on these six goals as well as our individual club goals, there is an increased opportunity for each of our clubs to become stronger and more vibrant. We must work together to create the lasting change highlighted in the vision statement. I will update you in future editions of the newsletter as we make progress on each of these goals.
I ask for your serious consideration of the following items as we begin this new Rotary year:
- First, please weigh the importance of your donations to The Rotary Foundation and make a personal commitment to give a minimum amount of $100 each year. Each morning as you rise from your sleep and reflect on how thankful you are to be alive, please consider putting aside 30 cents. At the end of the year, you’ll have collected $109.50. Do you think you’ll miss that 30 cents as the day goes by? I’ll share a little more about this “30 cents a day” during our club visits.
- Second, please help us improve our level of communication within our district. A number of our members have chosen to “opt-out” of allowing us access to email addresses and phone numbers. This eliminates any chance we have to share important opportunities and information related to doing good in the world and to celebrate some potentially wonderful successes along the way. Please reverse this action by requesting your club secretary turn off this option and ensure that your email address and your preferred phone number is in the District database. In return, I will make every effort to have all communications be as meaningful as possible.
On another note and as a heads-up for family planning and your calendar, our 2019 District Conference Planning Team has decided that this year’s conference will be a family-friendly event, especially for children, and the theme will be “Family Fun.” We look forward to celebrating our accomplishments with you and members of your family at that time. Visit our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/7120DistrictConf2019) as we gear up for this exciting event. Be sure to save the date – May 3-5, 2019 – More information to follow soon! There will be lots of family FUN at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania, only 4 hours from downtown Rochester. Kalahari Resort boasts the LARGEST indoor waterpark in the United States!
In closing I would like to thank all previous District Governors, Committee Chairs and members for the leadership they have displayed in bringing us through the challenges of the past to these exciting times where polio may soon become a thing of the past. Think about it – we will have the opportunity to see Rotary close this chapter on polio as we open a new chapter with the beginning of our next great challenges. A special thank you to all of our spouses / significant others who have provided encouragement and support to meet these challenges head-on in the support of those who are less fortunate. What would we do without you?
Jo and I look forward to meeting with all of you during our club visits over the next few months!
Yours in Rotary Service,
DG Mike
Michael J. Slovak
Governor, Rotary International District 7120