Membership: Will This Be A
Renaissance Year or A Retread?
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Dear Larry,
Please
enjoy the August issue of The Bridge our monthly District
5510 newsletter. In its new format it will arrive as an email every
month bringing you news from all of our clubs, it will keep you
informed of important news from Rotary International, and offer the
latest committee news from across 5510. Lucinda General
Editor |
The Membership Idea Center
2010-2011, 'Renaissance' Year or 'Retread' Year
On
July 1 of every year Rotary rolls out a new administration. From the
club level to the 18th floor of One Rotary Center the leadership for our
organization makes quietly dramatic team substitution. Each year starts
with the hope of pushing Rotary to new levels of success and each year
ends with a long sigh of relief.
But
we are faced with a challenge that has been dogging us for years.
Despite multiple years of great Rotary International (RI) Presidents,
and District Governors, one year looks much like the previous year and
many of our key club functions. Our new themes and leadership fail to
make any significant headway with
the-way-we-have-always-done-things paradigm.
One area that demonstrates this is in Membership. An
organization that is stagnant in membership growth cannot expect to meet
new challenges and yet for seven years we have sat at 1.2 million
members. (District 5510 membership numbers is ~1256
members.) This is not a criticism of our District because I
suspect I would find the same data in all the North American Districts.
It is apparent that not only is our growth stagnant, but our clubs are
shrinking, which means fewer members to take on a bigger role.
B  ut we are
faced with a challenge that has been dogging us for years. Despite
multiple years of great Rotary International (RI) Presidents, and
District Governors, one year looks much like the previous year and many
of our key club functions. Our new themes and leadership fail to make
any significant headway with
the-way-we-have-always-done-things paradigm. The
question I have for each of us is whether this will be
another year of Retread Membership or a year of rebirth, (Renaissance,)
in Membership? To have a rebirth we must have a new approach and not be
locked into medieval thinking. Past RI President John Kenny gave us
the theme, The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands, and current RI
President Ray Klinginsmith challenges clubs to 'get bigger, better,
bolder'. Both invite Rotarians to not make a Retread of the 2010-11
year, but to spawn a Renaissance of our organization. So what holds us
back? |
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Payson Supply Line Thanks District 5510
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Group Study Exchange: Opportunities In 2011
By Bryon Harrington
It's
hard to believe that the Scotland GSE Team left us over two months ago.
It seems just yesterday that I was escorting them through the Navajo
Reservation and the Grand Canyon. They were great sports in everything
we threw at them and an example of what an awesome GSE Team should be. I
miss them very much as I've heard many of you do too. So keep in touch
with them. These are bonds we shouldn't let go.
 Now
that you have made a bond with someone from Scotland, and some of you
have made that bond with Japan, Switzerland, Brazil, and many other
countries like I have, wouldn't you like to be one of the chosen few to
experience GSE from the inside?
We are accepting application now for Team Leader and Team Members. Get applications and information.
The team will be going to Australia, from mid March to mid April, 2011.
The deadline for Team Leader applications is September 4, 2010 and Team
Member, October 2, 2010. Interviews will be the following weekends,
respectively.
So what are you waiting for? GSE is the kind of
opportunity that very few experience and everyone is moved by in some
way, great or small.
If you have questions or ideas on GSE, please feel free to contact me at gse@rotary5510.org. |
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DG Glenn's Comments
 Here
it is - August! July sure went fast for me. I was able to visit
several Clubs to "practice" my Club Visitation talk. By the time I get
to my September Clubs, I should know my presentation very well. August
is Membership and Extension Month. This is the month to implement your
Clubs Membership Recruitment and Retention Program. Membership growth
and retention is one of our most important programs and now is the time
to begin. If your Club needs some new ideas or help, please contact your
District Rotary Area Membership Coordinator (DRAMC) for assistance. If
your Club Membership Chair doesn't know who your Club's DRAMC is,
contact the District Membership Chair Claus Johnson at dmc.5510@yahoo.com or call him @ (480)-748-0855 and he will help you. Remember that all you have to do is ASK! During
the month of August, my "SideKick" and I will be visiting 12 Clubs (two
meetings each) in 4 weeks. If you are interested, the District
Governor's meeting schedule can be reviewed and/or downloaded on
District 5510 website - www.rotary5510.org under
the Download tab - District Governors Visits. Go take a peek - your
Club may be next and we are honored to "meet & greet" you. I
want to share with you a concept that you, as a Rotarian and a
professional business person, can use in your personal life and /or as a
Rotary leader. I have been discussing "Seize your Vision" and setting
Goals. In setting goals and developing your own vision, smart goal
setting is ensured by following certain steps when creating goals for
yourself. SMART is an acronym for the following characteristics that
should be present in your goal: Specific - Measurable - Attainable -
Realistic - Timely. Continue reading, click here |
Vocational Service: Plan Now For October
By Dennis Haberer
District 5510 Vocational Service Chairman
As Arizona Rotarians, we are extremely and uniquely fortunate to be
able to participate in our Vocational Service in two ways. First, The
Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona (TRVFA) is the only fund in all of
Rotary that offers you the opportunity to direct a portion of your state
taxes to assist the working poor to obtain vocational education so they
may secure meaningful employment with a sustainable income for
themselves and their family. Couples filing jointly may take a tax
credit of up to $400.00, or individuals filing separately $200.00, on
their Arizona state taxes annually, which means you may reduce your
Arizona state tax by $400.00 or $200.00 while directing those funds to
TRVFA. Kind of makes you feel good and it doesn't cost you anything! For
additional details, please visit www.trvfa.org or contact Dennis
Haberer, your District Vocational Chair at 602.321.2750.
Second, you may
celebrate Vocational Service month by demonstrating your commitment to
Rotary's high ethical standards as outlined in The Four-Way Test. If you
haven't done it already, now would be an excellent time to display The
Four-Way Test in your place of business or home office. There isn't a
customer, client, or patient that wouldn't be pleased to know that is
how you run your business or profession. Hang a Four-Way Test plaque on a
wall or place one on your desk to let others know your commitment to
Rotary's high ethical standards.
In Arizona, you may
celebrate Vocational Service month in many ways! Here are a few
suggestions to prepare for Vocational Service Month this October:
- Organize a campaign within your Club to encourage members to take the Arizona State Tax Credit. Download the form from www.trvfa.org
- Schedule a speaker from The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona for a Club program.
- Many
Clubs do not have a Vocational Service Chair. Select a Club member to
serve as Vocational Service Chair to promote this avenue of service all
year.
- Schedule a speaker on business ethics for an October meeting program.
- Establish a vocational mentoring program within your Club.
- Sign up for the quarterly vocational service newsletter at www.rotary.org/newsletters.
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The Sidekick's Corner
By Sherry Smith
 Let me start this Sidekick's Corner with more Rotary 101: Rotary
started in Chicago on Feb. 23, 1905 when Paul Harris, a young lawyer,
invited 3 friends; a merchant; a coat dealer; and a mining eng.. They
met to discuss the idea of other business leaders meeting on a regular
basis. The earlier days of meetings were geared to helping the members
expand their business. This expanded to helping others as their primary
motivation. They decided to call themselves Rotary as they "rotated"
among their offices. The first community project was a public toilet
outside Town Hall in Chicago. In 1908 a second club was formed in San
Francisco.
Some more on District Governor Training:After
our GNATS as referenced in the July newsletter, we attended GETS
(Governor Elect Training Seminar), October 4 - 11, 2009 in Monterey, CA.
There were more plenary sessions and then the big POSH AFFAIR, where
they introduce the DGE's and partners. Payson is not a town where one is
seen dressed in Formal wear, but this was one of those Black Tie
Affairs - made us feel very special! Glenn's DG year s is a very special
time for Glenn and I. We are looking forward to our year shared with
all of you. After GETS many PDG's (past District Gov.) and current DG's
attend what is called Zone Institute with more plenary sessions and an
opportunity to glean ideas from DG's and PDG's. The Institute is
approximately 3 days. Since we are in break-out sessions and training of
various types and times we only get outside to go from one place to
another so we took a few days after our GETS training to unwind and have
time for each other at San Luis Bay in CA. Continue reading, click here |
Get On the Bus!
Every
club in the Rotary world installed a new president to begin July 1 and
serve his or her club for twelve months. The following comments are
taken from an address delivered by 2010-11 President Joe Hegstadt at his
installation to serve the Rotary Club of Scottsdale.
 First, Joe's comments on his experience in Montreal at the International Convention: Montreal
was elegantly French and the cuisine was splendid - Old Montreal
is spectacular. Notre Dame Basilica is one of the finest in the
world and Olympic stadium brought back memories of the '67 Olympics.
But,
the focal point of the 4 day stay was the convention itself. Over
18,000 delegates providing a sea of color and uniqueness set the scene.
Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay, said, "the 2010 Rotary International
convention is the most important gathering in the city's history.
Tremblay also said that, "Rotary is like a mini assembly of the United
Nations".
Main
sessions-outgoing President John Kenny's opening night speech was
excellent - the flag ceremony representing over 150 countries was
impressive - 1 new nation, Palestine, was added this year and guess
what-they were sponsored by Rotary Clubs from Jordan, Israel & the
USA -- who says Rotary does not have some answers to promoting world
peace.
Breakout sessions were so numerous it became frustrating to decide which to attend - so many interesting topics. Continue reading, click here |
AG Begins Another Year In Scottsdale
By Dr. Honora Norton, District 5510 AG
The
Scottsdale Pinnacle Peak Rotary Club (PPR) recently hosted a summer
social. As part of the social, the club extended an invitation to
neighboring Scottsdale Foothills Rotary Club (SFH) to join in on the
fellowship to meet fellow members and their guests. As an AG, this was a
great "two-fer" opportunity and a special time to watch the Club
Presidents (pictures L-R, Brian Carson, (PPR), Christopher Kirkpatrick
(SFR) and Dan Eastburn (past-Pres -PPR) discuss plans for future joint
fundraisers, socials and community service projects.Check out www.pinnaclepeakrotary.org.
 One
of Scottsdale Foothill Rotary's signature community projects is its
Shredding Project - when the club together with the DC Ranch Village
Health Club and Spa and Wells Fargo sponsor a shredding event. Residents
are allowed to bring as many as 5 Banker Boxes of documents to be
professionally shredded. The cost is non-perishable food, which will be
brought to the Foothills Food bank, or cash donations in lieu of food.
The club has been one of the sponsors for the Tour de Scottsdale cycling
adventure.
Check out www.scottsdalefoothillsrotary.org
and the club's new facebook pages. The club was highlighted in the
April 2009 Rotarian for it's matching grant work with other clubs to
provide antibiotics to over 4,000 Ugandan children. More about Scottsdale clubs, click here. |
Email Scams Affecting Rotarians
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Position Opening: Regional Membership Coordinator for Clubs
District
5510 is seeking a highly motivated individual in the Valley area to
serve as a Regional Membership Coordinator. Through your attention
to detail, organizational and proven communication skills, you will
support the District Governor and individual Club Presidents
through; establishing a relationship with assigned clubs;
determining Best Practices/providing resources for clubs;
attending training as well as participating in provided training;
developing a relationship with AG's and District Team.
E-mail further information request to:
Glen Smith @ gsmith.dg5510@hotmail.com
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Travel to Ghana: November 2010
Fight Polio
Have
you ever considered attending an International Project Fair? These are
events held periodically around the world to provide a central location
to present a myriad of projects to prospective partners. This one is
coming up November 3 in Accra, Ghana. If you and your club are creating a
3-5 year plan, it might be a smart decision to attend this one or
another to set an ambitious goal for an International project. See
the 2010 West Africa Project Fair flyer for all the details.
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Website Hints & Tips
Get
Rotary International and District 5510 news delivered to your club home
page through an RSS news feed to complement your existing content. We
encourage your club to subscribe to Rotary official news feed and
District 5510's news feed, providing the latest links to official
announcements, project stories, club news, and other featured articles.
For your club website: Go to Google's Feed Wizard
and enter "rotary international rss" as the Feeds Expression for RI
news, or "rotary district 5510" for district news. Choose whatever title
you want for this. Click Preview to see the result on the right. Then
follow Step 2 to copy the code to your club website. See the RI newsfeed
in action in the right column of the District's website, www.Rotary5510.org!
For personal use, you can subscribe to the District 5510 news feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/rotary5510/wBCy |
Play Ball! Diamondbacks slay polioOn
Sunday, September 5 come and cheer the Diamondbacks at a baseball game
and raise a few bucks for Polio. $10 of each ticket is a contribution to
our cause. Put together a group from your club, include your Youth
Exchange student, include the GSE members you have sponsored, add in
your friends and neighbors! Place your ticket order by August 20
and get it into the hands of Barb Feder. All three Arizona Rotary
districts will be attending this game. Come and join the fun. See flyer
for all of the details. Flyer for Sept 5 Polio Event |
E-club Board Skypes with DG Glenn
By Larry Levenson
What
if you could connect friends and family from around the world in a
single conference call with video? What if you could do this for FREE
whenever you want?
DG Glenn had a chance to experience the power of Skype (www.Skype.com)
when he met with the EClub board last month. Board members shared their
visions for the year, their thoughts on the different areas of service
in our club, and added ideas and input to other members' reports. It was
a lively and spirited meeting, with another lively thread of chat
conversation in Skype's chat window.
Skype is a
great tool for committees to use for ad hoc meetings or scheduled
meetings -- eliminating the need for cross-town or other long drives,
saving gas, and saving our planet. Just download Skype, create your own
account, and tell your friends (or committee members) what your Skype
name is. They'll be calling! :)
 All
you need is a computer (and internet access), a microphone and
speakers. If you want to use the video feature, you'll need an
inexpensive web camera. You can buy anything you need at Big Lots or
Wal-Mart. What a great tool to talk to your kids and grandkids, too!
Give Skype a try. It's FREE for Skype-to-Skype calls!
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New District Interact Chair 2010-2011Chris
LaBarge, member of the Rotary eClub of the Southwest and wife of PDG
Don LaBarge, has been named as our new District Interact Chair beginning
1 July, 2010. Chris replaced the position DGE Alan Havir held for
several years as District Interact/Rotaract Chair. Frank Wagner of The
Rotary Club of Paradise Valley will chair Rotaract.
Chris
states, "Time is valuable so I'll be brief. My vision for our Interact
program this year is two-fold: growth and communication. Starting new
Interact clubs and strengthening current Interact clubs with some TLC
will help us grow. But even as important as growth is, communication may
be more so. I will do my best to make sure District 5510 is kept
up-to-date with current Interact information."
If you have any questions or would like to start an Interact club, please email Chris at celabarge@hotmail.com or call her at 480-844-8714. |
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From RI: IRS News that all clubs and members need to know! The
attached document was recently received from Rotary International. It
explains the importance of clubs filing their annual 990 form and
restates that Rotary International and Club dues are not tax deductable.
IRS information April 2010 |
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Calling All Clubs!
Do
you have something to say? Here is the forum to share your club news
and events with the district. Every month an issue will be emailed to
our membership database and the issue will link back to our
website. Please do submit to The Bridge what is important to your club. We need your content. Please submit word documents along with separate jpg images via email to 5510news@rotary5510.org
On
our newly designed district website we will also highlight the video
and photos of your club accomplishments. Again, submit to 5510news@rotary5510.org
Your club can be the club featured in the upper section which changes
content at every page refresh. We know you are proud of what you do, so
please share your projects, speakers and new member accomplishments with
the rest of us.
Lucinda General, Editor 2010-11 |
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