If we are to truly change the world with The Magic of Rotary, it’s up to all of us to foster a sense of belonging in our clubs. But every club should take its own path to get there, and the Action Plan can help you find your way. What does that look like?
Take for instance the Rotary Club of Beveren-Waas in Belgium. It was chartered in 1974 but has evolved with the times, developing both a strategic plan and a membership plan. To find new members, the club analyzes the city’s professions to help focus its search, and all new members are quickly assigned tasks and roles.
Kay Parries (bio) pictured with her husband Dan Parries
We started our Club visits on July 8th! Since that time we have visited 21 Clubs in Minnesota and North Dakota covering almost 3000 miles. Each club has projects, fundraisers and programs unique to their communities. Some share many of the same projects that most of you do, such as raffle books, scholarships, peach sales and rose sales. I’ve been collecting a list to share with you as we continue our journey across District 5580.
Rotary is a life journey! There are times where we don’t know where that journey will take us. But, what I do know is that journey will benefit many people and yourself. I can’t be more proud of District 5580 for the wonderful clubs and all of you who do wonderful things in your communities!
Contributions to The Rotary Foundation are the life blood of the Foundation. Whether you contribute to Polio Plus, the Annual Fund, or the Endowment Fund, your contributions enable Rotary to continue their fight to END POLIO, and to do the humanitarian work that impacts our local and international communities through our local and international grants.
Rotary has many programs for recognizing contributions. If you have heard one of my Foundation Presentations, we explain those recognition programs. The most widely known recognition is perhaps the Paul Harris Fellow recognition. This recognition is achieved when a donor accumulates 1,000 recognition points. Those points are achieved through donations to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund or one of the other approved funds of The Rotary Foundation. Donors receive 1 point for every dollar contributed. Multiple Paul Harris levels are achieved through lifetime contributions of additional dollars in increments of $1,000. Rotarians that have contributed a cumulative total of $10,000 dollars are awarded with Major Donor status, and subsequent contributions are awarded a subsequent level of Major Donor recognition, as follows:
Unlock Your Potential with the Rotary Learning Center
In the ever-evolving landscape of service and leadership, the Rotary Learning Center stands as a beacon of opportunity and growth. I encourage each of you to explore this invaluable resource—not just to deepen your understanding of Rotary’s rich heritage and global impact, but to equip yourself with essential skills that will enhance both your professional and personal life. The Learning Center offers a treasure trove of knowledge, from leadership strategies to effective communication techniques, designed to empower you to make an even greater difference in our communities. Embrace this chance to invest in yourself and in our collective mission; together, we can build a brighter future through continuous learning and dedicated service.
Imagine the possibilities when we all harness the skills and insights gained from the Learning Center. By embracing these resources, you can transform challenges into opportunities and inspire those around you. Your growth not only strengthens our Rotary clubs but also magnifies our impact on the world. Let’s come together, motivated by the spirit of self-improvement and community service, to unlock new potentials and achieve extraordinary outcomes.
District Governor Kay Parries Continues Gift of New Member Shirt Last year DG Dave started offering a gift of a Rotary shirt to all new members in the District. New DG Kay will continue that offer for 2024-2025. To receive shirts for your new members, send an email to DMC Mark Leutgeb mvleutgeb@gmail.com and copy Gloria at GloriaD5580@outlook.com Include the new member’s name, M/F shirt size, the address to send to, and a brief biography and picture of the new member. The biography and picture will be published in the Cross Currents. Our hope is that new members will be pleased to receive a gift and recognition across the District, and that when they wear their shirts people will ask them about Rotary.
I am two years into my Rotary career and have enjoyed all the thrills Rotary offers. I currently serve as the Club Service Officer for the Brainerd Noon Rotary Club. I am excited to be the new RYE Public Image Officer for District 5580. I grew up in Brainerd and was never aware of the opportunity to be an exchange student through Rotary. After I joined my club and attended the district shin-digs for RYE, I became motivated to promote the program because of my missed opportunity and to show that there were new and exciting things beyond our district for our youth to experience. My goal with the RYE team is to expand RYE to more clubs within our district, increase our outbounds/inbounds, and create a locally-international world from which we can learn and enjoy making the great white north much more fun!
Congratulations to the Wahpeton-Breckenridge Club on winning vests for their members via the exciting wheel of fortune spin, held during the June Club Call!
WE CAN ONLY SHARE YOUR CLUB'S NEWS, IF WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR CLUB'S NEWS!
The number one thing most clubs want to know is what is happening around the District, but we can't help spread the word if we don't know what your club is up to.
Please submit a summary of your club events, news and projects to Renae Ronquist and Gloria Mink by the 10th of each month. We can include information in our Monday Minutes and in our newsletter.
Submitted by: Georgette Wondolkowski, Superior Rotary
The Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is more than just a dragon boat race. Sponsored by Superior Rotary & Skyline Rotary and partnering with 23rd Veteran, this festival has a great deal of Free, Family Fun. The Opening ceremony ushers in the festivities with a parade of teams and the waking of the Dragon the evening of Friday, August 23rd. The evening is filled with entertainment by 3 bands with a beer tent and food vendors who will be serving throughout the event. Something new Friday is a Cornhole Tournament. Saturday the 24th has dragon boat races, a 5K run, Tug of War, a pancake breakfast, and entertainment on the main stage throughout the day.
Everyone is welcome to register a team and race, or just come for the fun. For more information go to https://superiordragons.org/
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