January 2012

Here we go 2012! Six more months remain in this current Rotary year. It never ceases to amaze me how time just whizzes by. As we sail on this year, please do submit the news from your club to share across the district. The great ideas that percolate from individual clubs often serve as inspiration for another group's effort. Toot your horn! Send your articles in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  by the 25th of any month for use in the following month.  Then watch your email inbox. On the first of every month you will receive your copy of District 5510 Highlights.

Please, Club Secretaries do a review to verify that every club member is listed in DacDb  at www.rotary5510.org and has an up-to-date email address. (Everyone can check their own too.) 

5510's Amazing Member Receives Honor

She is a pediatrician and activist for non-violence and quality health care for the homeless, migrant workers and uninsured children. Dr. Ruth Lim!

And there is someone else being honored too. He retired as Mesa's city manager six years ago and immediately launched a new career, spending countless volunteer hours on community and school-improvement programs and initiatives to assist low-income families.

Now, Dr. Ruth Tan Lim and Mike Hutchinson are being honored as Mesa's Man and Woman of the Year for taking the lead and rolling up their sleeves to enrich the lives of Mesa citizens as well as those beyond its borders.They are the 43rd pair of Mesa residents to receive the tribute since it was started in 1935 by Charles and Florence Mitten, then owners of the Mesa Tribune; only a man of the year had been selected up until then. Read the full article

Lim and Hutchinson will be honored at a banquet Feb. 21 at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa Hotel. Tickets go on sale about three weeks before the banquet."Each of these wonderful people give far beyond the 'call of duty,' and do so willingly and lovingly," said Tom Rhodes, co-chairman of the award selection committee. "Each is a role model for us all, and each richly deserves this honor."The awards recognize a man and a woman who have made a significant difference in the community in a variety of volunteer efforts. The award also recognizes that life in Mesa and the lives of others has been enhanced through their service and excellence of leadership.

What is in your Club's Vision?
By DG Alan Havir

Is your club everything you want it to be? Are you the most proud of your club than you ever have been? Do you exude excitement when talking about your club? Or, do you make excuses for yourself, your club? Do you really think you are putting the most in and getting the most out of your club? Is your club firing on all cylinders? Are you a V-8 or a lawn mower?

Recently 14 of 16 members of the Rotary Club of Air Park gathered for a visioning session on a Monday night December 12. You remember the rumors? Are they still a club? Didn’t they hand in their charter? Almost. They went to town and aggressively added new members. They are now at 16.

Read the article by Air Park President Sara Crosby-Hartman. See if that doesn’t sound like something your club can do. Honestly.

They invested four hours to find out who they are, and where they are going. For me, this was one of the most uplifting days of my Rotary experience. They came together and gelled as a club. They have desire, personal initiative and commitment to become a dominant club in Rotary. They have a process and member accountability to take action and achieve their cumulative goals. And, most of the club members have been in Rotary less than 6 months.

So, what are you waiting for? Christmas, 2012? I would hope by then every club in District 5510 has gone through visioning. It will make a big difference in your club. Imagine if every club in the District went through this and applied the results.

We have assembled and a highly qualified visioning team to help your club turn itself into a powerhouse. If your club could do only one thing this year, make it a visioning event.

Don’t delay. Contact DGN Jay Jones to schedule a session ASAP. Why wait. There is no success in putting this off. Things will not get better on their own. Grab the bull by the horns and twist.

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The Rotary Minute

Take a look at the video clip. See how can Rotary be relevant to younger members.
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A Membership Story

One of the students in the TriDistrict Leadership Academy submitted this as an assignment for the Membership course. He relates a compelling story about one club's recent membership experience.

By Chuck Nordquist
District 5500

Last year as President of my club we experienced a growth rate second to none in our District. New members came to our club with great ease. We really did nothing to encourage it, they just came. When something like this happens you tend to get a bit arrogant and full of yourself. People kept asking me how we are doing this. Did we have a recruiting plan in place? Were we advertising ourselves in the greater Yuma area? Were we using some sort of plan laid out by Rotary International? The answer to all of these questions was no. But that didn't seem right. There must have been a way we were proceeding that maybe we didn't even know about. I discovered two things that might be taking place. Almost uniquely every new member had been a guest and actually attended several club meetings before making the choice to join. I called this "Sharing the Rotary experience". They actually had a chance to participate on this basic level before making the decision. I made sure that I recognized them both before and during the meeting.

I also noticed that we were getting an inordinate number of younger people in the club. This intrigued me. We had always been known as the "old man's club" so it was no shock we were getting younger members (we couldn't get older), but what now? I found that a few of the younger members asked their friends to join because the old man thing was pretty boring. We had one twenty something sponsor three new members. It made me think about the new generations policies being put into place as we were growing.

So now I am an Assistant District Governor and the whole world has changed. I'm work with four different clubs and their various problems with membership. New prospects no longer gravitate to these clubs. Not that they aren't good clubs, but you can see with casual observation what the problem is. So it came as a huge shock one day when I showed one of the club officers a potential membership package that was obtainable for a small fee from publications. They had never understood all of the materials that Rotary made available.

The Rotary International web site is both another problem and a god-send. Until this section of the Academy I had no idea how many layers of information existed on the web site. I think that Rotarians and non-members alike have been intimidated by the web site. I found that with careful guidance through these rough waters there was a gold mine of information. There is a publication that is also available on the web site called Rotary Basics. This is a very brief informational packet that should raise a few questions about Rotary. I think that this is the place where it all falls apart.... (Continue reading)

Rotary Club of Woodstock-Oxford sets up Philippine Disaster Relief Fund
By PDG Doug Vincent D7080

We've seen the devastating news about the Washi Typhoon and resulting disaster that has occurred in the Philippines. Many people have lost everything and over 1000 are now reported dead, with and estimated 900 people still missing.

These people need our help! Rotarians and friends can encourage their hope and help them to rebuild their lives. There are more than 1000 dead and 900 missing. Many people have lost their homes, farms and livelihood. We have reports that friends and neighbors are walking knee deep in mud, searching for lost loved ones in their community. There are first hand reports of no water or electricity and farming crops wiped out, in addition to houses and farm buildings. In addition to several news sites, you can see the devastation at this Washington Post photo gallery.

Please help these people in desperate need. There are local Rotarians in the recipient community to oversee the humanitarian aid.

Please make a difference with your financial donation today:

Online – go to www.woodstockoxfordrotary.org and select "Donate to our Charitable Foundation" link. Then select "Flood Disaster Relief Fund, Philippines" so your contribution goes to this special account. Checks can be made out to: Rotary Club Woodstock-Oxford Charitable Benefit Trust and mailed to: Peter Stam, Treasurer. 656441 15th line, RR# 7 Woodstock, On. N4S 7W2

TRVFA Website Now Open for Vocational Grant Applications
By Dennis Haberer, Vocational Service Chairman

The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) is pleased to announce the revisions and updates to their website are now complete, and is ready to receive applications immediately. We thank you for your patience and look forward to working with Rotary clubs from our Tri-District and their sponsored applicants.

If you are not familiar with TRVFA, we invite you to our website at www.trvfa.org . We are funded through the Arizona State Working Poor Charity Credit which allows you to direct up to $400.00 (married filing joint) of your Arizona State Tax liability to TRVFA to assist in providing vocational education grants for the working poor.

Members of the TRVFA board of directors met in December to finalize the website revisions. Pictured below: back row L to R: Perry Rattiner (5510), Dave McCusker (5490), Dennis Haberer (5510), Dan Messersmith (5490), John Stewart (5490). Front row L to R: Roger Bonngard (5510), and Craig Wilson (5490). Not pictured, Marvin Swink (5500) and Paul Pulicken (5490).

   Looking for a few good grant partners!
By Steve DeMar, Rotary Club of Anthem - D5490

Does your club have an interest in helping troubled young people? Does participating in an International Matching grant appeal to you? Wouldn't it be great to apply those funds to the Phoenix area? 

The Teen Challenge Ranch in North Phoenix is the subject of an international matching grant sponsored by the Rotary Club of Anthem. Two clubs from Mexico have signed on as participants to help this drug and alcohol rehabilitation center expand from 50 to 100 beds for their 8 month recovery program. Also included in this grant application are computers for these residents to take on-line high school GED classes, college courses, and on-line job related training. 

Rotarian involvement will include dollars to purchase the above supplies. Additional  involvement will take the form of Vocational Service related videos to assist  these young people gain a better understanding of finding and getting a job, good working habits, entrepreneurship, and other topics.

If your club can help the Teen Challenge organization, and want to see your dollars matched at the district and international level, please contact Steve DeMar, Rotary Club of Anthem. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Getting Ready For RYLA 2012
By Kevin Edwards,
District 5510 RYLA Chair

Part of welcoming in the New Year includes each club selecting this year’s RYLA Delegates. The website link is www.ryla5510.org where you will find the web application forms that delegate candidates will submit for this year’s camp. Once again camp will be held at the Salvation Army Camp Ponderosa near Heber, Arizona on April 19 to April 22, 2012.

Please, note that our application process is transitioning into an electronic format. As a result, completed applications will be emailed directly to the appropriate Rotary Club president and you can view them on the RYLA website mentioned above. This file will also provide information.

We strive to have each club send a minimum of two students per club. Once delegates have been selected, they will be responsible for completing additional forms (i.e. medical, transportation) and contacting their clubs for a check of $325. Checks should be made out to RYLA District 5510 and delegates need to return all completed forms/check to Kevin by March1, 2012.

When selecting your club’s students to participate in our RYLA program, please make sure that you have properly informed the students about the camp. RYLA is a Rotary Youth Leadership Camp. We want students who come prepared to participate in all the activities and then be willing to return to their high schools and implement the skills acquired at RYLA.

Our curriculum is intense, fun and leadership oriented; it is NOT a summer camp. The better prepared the students are, the more they and their peers will derive from what is learned at RYLA. Please also consider gender mix when choosing your students. We generally register three females to one male student. Do not let this be the reason for choosing a student, but keep it in mind as gender equity is essential in planning.

RYLA is truly one of the most effective youth oriented community service events that you will sponsor this year. By sending at least two students to RYLA you will automatically establish a rapport between generations that have far too little contact. These students may also be utilized as resources for programs, partner with your clubs, and would also make great core teams for Interact clubs in your local high schools should your club be interested in supporting one.

Please share all of the information with your potential RYLA delegates so that they will be well informed about our leadership camp, and encourage them to take an active role in the application process.

You may contact me at:(602) 430-4718 cell  

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Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club Donates Bikes to Paiute Neighborhood Center for Christmas

Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club made the holidays a little happier for kids from the Paiute Neighborhood with the donation of 22 bikes and helmets.   The project was funded with the assistance of a Rotary District Matching Simplified Grant.

The Notre Dame Preparatory High School Interact club worked with Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary to assemble the 22 bikes.  We had guidance from the Handlebar Helpers which is located on the campus of the Paiute Neighborhood Center.     Handlebar Helpers is a community "Earn a Bike" and apprentice program.   The "Earn a Bike" Program promotes service to the community and is staffed primarily by volunteers.

The Paiute Neighborhood serves the children of the working poor in Scottsdale, providing a safe and diverse environment where our neighbors can come together to create a spirit of community by providing social, recreational, cultural and educational programs and services.

This was a fantastic program that allowed members of Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club to meet and work with enthusiastic members of the club sponsored Interact Club. 

In addition to the bikes, we also purchased helmets through Handlebar Helpers for each bike and donated $500 in Target gift cards to be used for teens at the Paiute Neighborhood’s Christmas program.

 Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Donates $10,000 to Miracle League of Arizona

The Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club recently donated $10,000 to the Miracle League of Arizona (MLAZ) to help support their program for special needs children to play baseball.   MLAZ came to Scottsdale a couple of years ago under the direction of Dan Haren, Sr. , to build the MLAZ playing field which is located at the NW corner of Via Linda and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., in Scottsdale.  The field is designed and scaled to accommodate special needs children.  Games are played on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM and on Saturday morning with the public invited.

Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club has been in Scottsdale since 1979 with a focus on assisting special needs children.  The club has hosted the, ”Special Day for Special Kids”, program at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park for the past 26 years, which attracted over 3,000 special needs children and their families in March of 2011.  Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary Club president, Lee Dueringer, said, “The connection between MLAZ and our club is so unique and symbiotic, we just couldn’t resist the opportunity partner.”

 Check Out Gift of Life's New Newsletter
By Gary Whiting, GOL Board President

Have taken the time to go to the Gift of Life website www.giftoflifeaz.org and sign up for our electronic newsletter? In case you have not, please take time now to do so. I hope you will enjoy our new newsletter and find that it is informative. Please take a look at the December 2011 issue and note the article on PDG John Van Houten of Flagstaff and also take a look at our new post-surgical therapy bear that we have named “Heartley Bearker” after PDG Hartley Barker who recently passed away and has also along with his wife, Ruth supported GOL-AZ over these many years.

Should you have any suggestions for improvement in both style and content, please bring them to my attention so that they can be reviewed by our newsletter committee. As you know from your own past experience, newsletters need good feedback so they can be improved upon and be made more meaningful to our readers and supporters. It would be greatly appreciated to hear from you.

Thanks for your time and support.

Gary Whiting, PDG and GOL-AZ Board President

By Eileen Klecka, Rotary Club of Phoenix East 

The first was when I was Club President and I received a call from a club in Hermosillo, whom our club had been partnering on projects.  They called as they had a child who was going blind but needed eye surgery.  They wondered if we could help.  I, being a new president did not know how to go about that.  We had a Club meeting that day and our Assistant Governor was in attendance.  I asked her how we go about helping by possibly getting a grant or just advising me on how we should proceed.  In the next breath, she said I have a Opthamologist in one of my other clubs who has a foundation for just this type of thing.  It was just that easy.    Rotary is Connections! 

My second example of how Rotary is amazing was one day I invited a patient to come to our club meeting.  (I do travel medicine and usually do not invite my patients but she was an amazing lady whom had been to Ghana, Africa and was inspired to collect a container of books for Ghana.  We had an extensive talk about her hopes and dreams and on the spur of the moment invited her and told her I was not sure who the speaker was, but it was someone whom had written a book.)  We arrived at the meeting and sat at the table with the speaker and his wife.  As it turned out they had lived in Ghana and knew the Rotarians that would become the boots on the ground when the books arrived in Ghana.  She has since sent another shipping container , which our club helped to load.  Rotary "is like having a friend in the business" all over the world.

I am so honored to be a part of such an wonderful organization that is doing so many things around the world.

PETS 2012
March 2 & 3, 2012
Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton
If you are a President Elect, President Nominee, Secretary or Treasurer
Click To Register now!

Confucius Didn't Say:

A hangover, is the wrath of grapes.
A lot of money is tainted. 'Taint yours and 'taint mine.
Once you have seen one shopping center, you have seen a mall.