Our District newsletter is meant to keep everyone in our Rotary family up to date on latest news from around the Rotary world, from the clubs in our District and from the various committees in District 7070 and beyond. Please keep our family informed. Make sure they get a copy. The deadline for your story submissions is always 4 days prior to the end of the month. To find out "What's Inside" this month, please read more .......

Dear fellow Rotarians, 

Rotary International has two foci for the month of October - October's Theme is Economic and Community Development, and on October 24, 2019, we celebrate World Polio Day.

According to Rotary International’s website, “Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day”.  The Rotary Action Group on Microfinance and Economic Development is aimed at eliminating poverty through empowering people.........

Dear fellow District 7070 Rotarians,

Rotary Muskoka Style ... Reconnect.  Reflect.  Relax.

The 2019 District Conference is being held at the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa October 25-27th - just in time to enjoy a beautiful fall weekend in Muskoka.  Consider extending your stay and have a mini vacation.

There are two distinctive features that will make the 2019 District Conference unique and memorable. The first feature is the location.  The JW Marriott welcomes you to their luxurious surroundings overlooking Lake Muskoka.  The second feature is our speakers.  We have booked amazing speakers  that you’ll not want to miss! ....... 

Here is Mark Maloney's October 2019 Newsletter.  It is all about polio eradication. Mark talks about our major accomplishments and also our challenges to get the job done. He encourages all of us to make a donation, perhaps from club fundraising events. He has asked us all to tune into the livestream from Rotary headquarters on World Polio Day. October 24, for a live update. Mark says. "When we reach our goal, polio will become only the second human disease eradicated on the planet, and Rotary will receive international acclaim. But what matters most is the children who will never again have to face this terrible, disabling virus. Rotary must continue to connect the world in the effort toward polio eradication. It is up to us. Let us finish the job". ........

In his October 2019 message to Rotarians, Gary Huang, Chair of the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation, (and also Past President of Rotary International), asks all Rotarians to focus on World Polio Day and our efforts to eradicate polio. We have come a long way and we still have much to do. Success will require us to remain steady and show that there is no time limit to our commitment. The most important factor in ending polio forever is you.We feel challenged, and, as people of action, we rise to challenges......

The 2019-2020 Rotary year marks the 75th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations. An emphasis of my presidential year is our shared history and relationship with the United Nations. Join me at Rotary Day at the United Nations on November 9th in New York City. This day celebrates our vision for peace and highlights the critical humanitarian activities that Rotary and the United Nations lead around the world. Registration is now open: https://on.rotary.org/2UH1GjQ

Discover the true spirit of aloha with people of action from all over the world at the 2020 Rotary International Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, June 6 - 10, 2020. Take advantage of the limited-time registration rate of US$ 450* from good until December 15, 2019.  Here is a link to the video to promote the Honolulu 2020 Convention:   https://vimeo.com/313026044/a96886586e . Register at https://www.riconvention.org/en/honolulu.  Please read more to see a note from our "On To Convention" chair , Past District Governor Michael Bell.....

Rotary’s Service Above Self Award honors Rotarians who help others by volunteering their time and talents. If you know a Rotarian who has demonstrated exemplary service, encourage their district governor to nominate them for the award. Nominations may be submitted between October 1-31, 2019......

It is with great sadness that we have lost members of our District 7070 Rotary family this month. Everyone in District 7070 expresses their deepest sympathies to our extended Rotary family. 

In his October 2019 letter to Rotarians, as we enter our fourth month of the new Rotary year,  Past District Governor Michael Bell, Chair of the District 7070 Rotary Foundation Committee, encourages every Rotarian to make a conscious effort to make a donation to The Rotary Foundation, whatever you can afford, to the Annual Programs Fund and to the PolioPlus Fund, and to the Endowment Fund, and urges everyone to honour Past District Governor Bill Patchett and give just a "Little More for Bill" as we all try to reach "A Mill for Bill".  He thanks everyone for joining him in the Rotary Foundation Walk on September 8 and urges all to get ready for World Polio Day and Tell Our Story to the World. There is more news in PDG Michael's letter........

For the 12th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S. The Foundation earned the recognition for demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one percent of the organizations Charity Navigator evaluates have received 12 consecutive 4-star evaluations.......

At The September 24, 2019 Club Presidents Meeting, the 2018-19 District Grant cheques were presented, by District Grants Chair and Past District Governor Lars Henriksson and by District Governor Beth Selby,  to the Lead Clubs in each project. In total, there were 7 lead clubs plus 12 additional clubs that supported the lead clubs, to receive District Grants totaling $42,000 US Funds for their projects. Please read more for some of the clubs and their projects......

Dear fellow Rotarians in District 7070,

On Monday September 17, 2019, I had the honour to present Estelle Westerhoek with a Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club of Newmarket.  Our current project Project “Water collection for Sustainability” pilot phase initiated by Rotary Club of Newmarket and partnered with many other Rotrary Clubs in District 7070 provides water collection and drip irrigation for an orange orchard at Ongutoi Health Centre in Northern Uganda.  Of course, an orange orchard requires trees.......

Please read carefully the Questions from The Rotarian and the answers from John Sever. Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Vice-Chair in october 2019's Rotarian Magazine about Rotary's new Polio Endgame Strategy 2019-2023.....

The Rotary Club of Alliston is using the Rotary Virtual Reality Polio Kit as part of their Canada Day Celebrations in Alliston, Ontario. It was also on display for users to see the VR film "Two Drops of Patience" last year's District Conference and  at World Polio Day in Durham Region. Your club can also borrow the kit . Mary Lou Harrison and Assistant Governor Shirley Ross have two kits. they consist of a pull up banner and a small plastic box with 5 VR headsets, 5 sets of ear phones, 2 iPhone adapters, cleaning wipes, and a safety use card.

The 10 Rotary Clubs in Durham Region will be celebrating World Polio Day on October 24 in the new Global Classroom in the new Centre for Collaborative Education at Durham College in Oshawa. PLEASE JOIN US LIVE , STARTING AT 5:15 PM. The event will include the live-stream from Rotary International, and the event from Durham College in Oshawa, which will include remarks by Dr. Bob Scott, immediate past chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee and Rotary leaders from Nigeria. The event will also be live-streamed worldwide throughout the world. IF YOU CAN'T JOIN US LIVE, OR JOIN US ON- LINE, STARTING AT 5:15 PM AT  http://www.theglobalclass.org/world-polio-day.html

World Polio Day will be proclaimed in Oshawa and in the other municipalities in Durham Region on behalf of the 10 Rotary Clubs in our Region. YOU ARE INVITED !!! COME AND BE PART OF ROTARY HISTORY. You can be part of this live event.  REGISTER HERE.  Or email dave.f.andrews99@gmail.com . Only 100 seats available. There is so much more going on during the ten club event. Take a look.............. 

In June 2019, Rotary announced $100 million in grants to support the global campaign to end polio. Half of the funds are allocated to polio eradication efforts in endemic countries: Afghanistan ($16.3 million), Nigeria ($10.2 million), and Pakistan ($25.2 million)......

Register NOW for the 2019 District 7070 Grow Rotary Academy in COBOURG. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to participate. This Academy is for all Rotarians interested in Membership magic – Membership Chairs, Rotary Foundation Chairs, Public Image Chairs and their committee members are particularly encouraged to attend...we encourage 2 or 3 members from a club to attend so you can share the discussion. Greet & sign in: 8 to 8:30 a.m. Seminar: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with lunch provided Cost: No charge unless you register and do not show up or don't register and arrive. No shows and no registers $25. REGISTER TODAY and get your MEMBERS ON THE WAY TO GROWING ROTARY.

Although August was Membership and New Club Development Month, ANYTIME is the perfect time to celebrate your club’s members and consider the many options available for strengthening your membership. The following ideas can get you started:........

Give your members a meaningful Rotary experience by offering them opportunities to make a positive difference and connect with others. They’ll make valuable friendships and feel good about Rotary and the work we’re doing to make the world a better place. Has your club found ideas to help your club take a fresh approach with these resources?  Log into myrotary and find out right here, how your club can be a strong club. .......

Dear fellow Rotarians in District 7070,

Well-planned service projects are more likely to have a strong impact and create effective and transparent communication between your community and club. Every community has its own unique assets and concerns.  In District 7070 we have asked Rotarians who have carried out one or many successful International Services projects to take on the role of Coordinator for one of the Areas of Focus Action Committees. Let's meet them.......

Economic and Community Development is one of the Six Areas of Focus that Rotary has asked all clubs to focus on, especially in October.

What is your club doing? Here are some ideas.......

To Rotarians in District 7070 and beyond:

Brush-a-mania will be celebrating 20 years in 2020.  Here is a chance for your Rotary Club to join an outstanding community service project right in your home community. Here is a letter from Dr. Raffy Choulijan of the Rotary Club of Scarborough Passport with all of the details how your club can be part of our service to our youth........

In her October 2019 Newsletter, Tess Widdifield, the Rotary and Community Fundraising Manager for Shelterbox Canada and a member of The Rotary Club of Toronto Twilight, talks about Shelterbox responding to current disasters and current Shelterbox operations world wide.  Here's more of her newsletter...

Here is the latest Honouring Indigenous People Rotary News and Events, projects, blogs, photos, films, resources, and a letter from Chair, Rotarian Chris Snyder. There are many major initiatives and resources available to you and your Rotary club. From our vantage point, there are many good things happening.  If you have a good news story, please send it to us. Click here to get the latest newsletters, information and updates about HIP (Honouring Indigenous Peoples)! OR check the Action Committees Menu Bar in the District Newsletter under HIP.  This rapidly growing nation-wide movement, HIP,  is a partnership between Indigenous Peoples & Rotarians. Each newsletter also contains stories about supporters, just like you, who are making an impact across Canada by taking action to create lasting change! Here are some highlights .........

Attention Rotarians in District 7070:  Do you want to start a Rotaract club? Check out these 10 steps that will guide you in the process. You can also view a webinar or take the online course in the Learning Center to learn why community-based Rotaract clubs are so great, how easy they are to start, and how getting involved in Rotaract can inspire and engage Rotary members, too.

We're excited to share the updated (May 2018)  Rotaract Handbook! Download now for everything you need to organize, certify, and manage your Rotaract Club. This is a great resource: how to start a Rotaract Club, find members, and very useful for Rotary Club sponsors and advisors. How to build a Rotaract Club, engage and retain members, finding sustainable projects, how to promote your club, and so much more.  

The Rotarian’s photo contest lets you share your vision with the world. Enter for the chance to see your work in the magazine. The contest is open from
October 1, 2019 through December 15, 2019. Do you have a great shot from a club project or fundraiser? Did you capture a memorable moment at the convention or during an international trip? Enter your images in The Rotarian's 2020 photo contest and you might see them in the pages of the magazine. Winners will appear in the June 2020 issue of The Rotarian. You may enter up to three photos taken since January 1, 2019.  For details go to on.rotary.org/photo2020.  

Rotary’s public image is shaped by the actions of YOU,  each member in your Rotary Club, as well as by your involvement in the community, your presence on the web and social media, and the publications Rotary produces. Is your club working actively to shape that image? Here is an opportunity to see some resources you can use and how you can teach your members how to do this in a way that promotes community awareness of Rotary’s work around the world.....

The social media team at Rotary headquarters are encouraged to see a growing number of clubs adopt social media to promote Rotary and tell their stories. They realize that keeping up with all the changes to social media can be challenging. So they wanted to share one of the exciting new features we have been using to tell Rotary’s story, and give you a few tips for creating your own. Follow the steps laid out by Rotary's Social & Digital Specialist to create your own Instagram story. Read about the application's features on the application and how to use them to spread the word that we are People of Action.  Click here to read more. 

Congratulations to Melanie Rodriguez, a member of the Rotary Club of Scarborough. She really is one of Rotary's People of Action.  Take a look at page 5 of the October 2019 issue of Rotary Canada  and see what she did this summer. In June 2019, delegates from the Youth -7 Summit, as it’s commonly known, convened in Paris for five days. The event is a prelude to the G-7 summit, the annual meeting of world leaders that was held this year in Biarritz, France, in August. The Group of Seven nations are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States; the Y-7 Summit brings together 40 young representatives from those countries as well as the European Union and the African Union. At the most recent Y-7 Summit, Melanie led the four-member Canadian delegation. Other delegations also counted Rotaractors and former Rotary Youth Exchange students among their members.  The Rotary Canada magazines are now on or District 7070 website under the Education menu Tab.  

Making videos requires seeing the Rotary story in a different way. How do we convey that we are people of action who are taking tangible steps to make a difference in this world? There are already assets out there that show the Rotary story in a big picture way and these can be found on myrotary.org in the brand center and on YouTube and Vimeo.......

The Public Image Newsletters are located under the Public Image Tab of the District 7070 Website www.rotary7070.org under "Public Image Newsletters". They are an excellent resource to assist you with boosting your club's Public Image. 

Rotary Connects The World. That's the Theme for 2019-20. One connection is between Rotary Clubs in your own District . Do you have events or fundraisers that you want other clubs to know about. Perhaps a project with which you need their assistance. Find out how you can do this.... Connect Your Club with District 7070 Rotary Clubs ........

Dave Robinet, President of the Rotary Club of Wellington has announced to the District 7070 Clubs that their club has worked with Lacey Estates Winery (laceyestates.com)  and together, they have announced a 2018 Rotary Wine a Vidal Reisling which is now available. All proceeds are in support of the New Prince Edward Hospital Building Fund. Your club can help.  There's more.......

Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Stirling who will be donating $5,000 to the relief efforts in the Bahamas.  They are a “little Club with a big Heart” as that works out to $150/member !  They would like to challenge other Clubs in District 7070 to match or exceed their contribution for this cause.  What can your Club do to help the Bahamas? Please also see information from Rotary International in this link.  Ways to Help our Neighbors in Need

At the District Assembly in May, 2019, District Governor Nominee Designate Ron Dick noted Rotary has the opportunity to name the new Global Classroom, at Durham College, in Oshawa, Ontario, the Rotary Global Classroom, for eternity. The Rotary Clubs in Durham Region and also Port Hope have worked very hard and have already donated $94,000. These Clubs are asking for YOUR help. To get the name “Rotary” forever etched into the history of this Global Classroom, we need $ 56,000 more from Rotary Clubs just like yours in District 7070, to make this possible. If you can help us , please contact Ron at  ron@rrdfsi.ca or at 416-988-8077. Please Read More for the rest of the story.....

What is your Club like in three years?   Rotary Clubs, like any other organization, change over time.  Change may be the result of events outside our control, but change can also be the result of activities we take.  One way to have impact on where your Club is heading is to plan for the future; have a Vision and create an Action Plan to reach that Vision. For many years, District 7070 is offering interested Clubs a Visioning Program.  A team of experienced Rotarians act as facilitators for your Club.  The concept is that the participants, Club members, place themselves three to five years into the future and paint a picture of what their Club is like at that time.  How many members does the Club have?  What is the image of your Club in the community?  What projects is your Club doing at that time?  Your idividual members visions are combined and voted upon, reaching consensus on a common Vision for your Club........

Are YOU using the new and improved Rotary Club Central?   You will be able to navigate more easily with our modern interface and use this essential planning tool on your mobile phone or tablet. You can also quickly track service activity and see your past and current club data in easy-to-read charts and graphs. Log into myrotary and check out the new Rotary Club Central today. For more details please Read more .....

Your Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club can earn a Rotary Citation for achieving goals that strengthen Rotary and your club. Goals include increasing club membership, developing sustainable service projects, giving to The Rotary Foundation, and building awareness of Rotary in your community. Here's how.......

In a complex, fast-changing world, excellent Rotary club leadership is essential to the future of Rotary.  One of the best ways to strengthen your Club is to give your members the tools and skills to be better Rotarians.  Rotary Leadership Institute is the solution.  This is your opportunity to learn more about Rotary and share your ideas with other Rotarians, and it is a great learning experience for newer Rotarians. April 13, 2019 courses I, II and III were a tremendous success.  Next year's dates for RLI  have been announced. Here is more of the story........

 Have you checked out the Rotary website: www.rotary.org    ?   Have you registered as a member and are you familiar with all of the tools in myrotary?  There are many more links that will help you lead your club.......