Posted by Your District 7070 Governor Team

 

Dear District Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and Friends of Rotary,

The COVID-19 situation in Canada is evolving on a daily basis and even changing by the hour. The Federal and Provincial Governments, and medical advisors are asking all Canadians to take stronger measures to contain the spread of the virus. At this critical time, we need to practice the necessary hand hygiene practises, social distancing, and self-isolation if you have returned from travelling outside Canada.
 
By now you have read RI President Mark Maloney and RI President-elect Holger Knaack's email regarding Rotary's Role in Battling Coronavirus, and RI President Mark Maloney's email cancelling the 2020 Convention in Honolulu and re-inveting a Virtual convention for June 20-26.  Here is further communication from RID Jeffry Cadorette and RIDE Valarie Wafer.
 
I encourage you to call your Rotary colleagues who are ill, house-bound for a number of reasons, or Rotarians that you have not seen in a while.  Reach out to your neighbours for the same reasons.  Does someone need groceries, their medication picked up, their dog walked, or to listen to their concerns?
 
Thank you for keeping me apprised of your Clubs’ response to COVID-19 with respect to meetings and events. Many Rotary and Rotaract Clubs have cancelled their regular meetings and events for the foreseeable future. We strongly encourage clubs to suspend all in-person meetings and events until further notice.  
 
It is time to adopt an alternate meeting option that will allow everyone to stay connected until this COVID-19 situation subsides.  There is a 20% discount offered for Zoom through Rotary Global Rewards to have online meetings up to 100 participants with unlimited minutes. Just use the discount code of "ZOOMROTARY" when purchasing; use this link https://rotary.perkhub.com/offers/9832-zoom-video-conferencing/click.
   
Clubs can also sign up for a free Zoom account at https://zoom.us/.  The free service allows groups of up to 100 people to connect for up 40 minutes. 
Here are the set-up instructions for a free account -
-Go to zoom.us
-In the top right corner, click "sign up, it's free"
-Choose to connect to your Gmail or Facebook account, or provide info for a new account
-You will be asked to confirm your account via the email/account you provided
-The first time you join a meeting, you will be asked to allow the zoom application to download to your computer
 
If you want a tutorial on Zoom, click on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKpRxBfeD1kEM_I1lId3N_Xl77fKDzSXe
 
Darryl Patterson has establsihed a Technology Club Support site to support clubs in our District.  Please use the following link -https://sites.google.com/rotary7070.ca/technology/home.
 
Stay well.  Stay connected. 
 

Your District 7070 Governor Team

Mary Lou Harrison,   District 7070 Governor 2018-19

Beth Selby,   District 7070 Governor 2019-20

Mark Chipman,   District Governor 2020-21

Ron Dick,   District Governor 2021-22

Iosif Ciosa,  District 7070 Governor 2022-23

 
Read more to see the March 12, 2020 District 7070 Update .....

 

March 12, 2020 Update

Dear Fellow Rotarians and Rotaractors,

We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation for the past few weeks. Given yesterday’s announcements from the World Health Organization, the Government of Canada, and leading medical professionals, the District 7070 Governor Team has decided to postpone all in-person district events that have been scheduled until the end of May. This includes the Grow Rotary Workshop, Rotary Leadership Institute, District Leadership Team Meeting, Poker Walk for HIV/AIDS, District Assembly/Rotaract/Interact Conference, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Camp Enterprise, and the Youth Exchange Outbound Orientation.

Our members' health and safety and their families, and our communities are our top priority and our primary concern. We had hoped that the COVID-19 situation would improve, but it appears that stronger measures are required to contain the spread of this virus. Over the next few days and weeks, we will be working on alternative arrangements, possibly using online solutions to replace face-to-face district training events and meetings. With this situation being so dynamic, we will do our best to reduce the potential penalties incurred due to these cancellations and keep you informed about alternate plans.

Clubs will need to individually decide how they can responsibly manage their meetings and club events, remembering that it is the elderly and those with underlying health issues who are the most vulnerable. We encourage you to seek guidance from local health authorities and government recommendations when making your decisions. This is everyone's responsibility and a time when we must come together to help each other and those in our communities who need our help.

This has not been an easy decision, but one that we believe is a responsible one and demonstrates Rotary’s concern to help our communities through this challenging time. As we move forward, we will continue to monitor the situation closely. Please stay tuned for updates on alternate arrangements and contact us if you have any questions.

District Governor Beth Selby and The District Governor Team