Dear Rotarians of District 5510,

It is a critical time that I must now discuss Membership. This is undoubtedly the most important issue this District has faced since it was formed in 1990. District 5510, along with a host of other Rotary Districts around the world, is losing members faster than we are recruiting them. We face the very real possibility of being eliminated in 2012. This is a serious problem. You may be saying to yourself ""not "+1 Member" again"" - well plus one is not enough anymore.

I just received word that on June 30, 2012 the RI Board of Directors will meet and any and every District with 1,199 members or less will be consolidated with neighboring Districts. The important thing to know is there will be no waivers, no second chance, and no excuses. The official membership count will be the number is in the RI database, not what you in the club may have recorded but not reported to them. There will be no "give us a few more weeks" etc. It will be final.

In other words, the "bubble will burst" at any membership count below 1,200 members in a district. As of September 17, 2010 District 5510 had a membership count of 1,236 members as per RI! This is a reality check for us. If we lose a net of 37 members between now and June 30, 2012, we will no longer be a District. I have already visited 17 Clubs and discussed with each of them where they were as of the date of my visit. I am currently tracking every Club's additions and terminations. If you are interested in your Club's last 5 years July 1st membership count, according to RI, please contact me. I know that some Clubs, through their Club Secretary, wait until just before the January and July 1st billing from Rotary to update their Club membership records. It is now very important to update your membership records as the changes occur to allow me to monitor and keep everyone up-to-date on how we are doing as a District. We are in this together!

District 5510 lost a net of 192 members between July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2010. We had a net loss of 41 members between 07/01/2006 - 07/01/2007; 23 members between 7/01/2007 - 07/01/2008; 88 members between 07/01/2008 - 07/01/2009; and 40 members between 07/01/2009 - 07/01/2010. Since all of the Club SARS have not been reported yet, these numbers will change again. In fact they are down from 1,238 on 9/5/2010 to 1,236 today (9/17/2010). The old bubble was 1,100 until the last RI COL where it was changed to 1,200.

Your current District Membership Chair is Claus Johnson at dmc.5510@yahoo.com Unfortunately, Claus will be leaving Arizona in the very near future. He is going to transfer his membership to the E-Club of the SWUSA to maintain his membership in D5510. Claus has recruited a very able and dedicated Rotarian to take over the Membership Chairmanship. His named is Pat Walsh at pwalsh6@cox.net from the Tempe Club. You may contact either one of them for now.

I urge every member and ech club to make a concentrated effort to increase their ranks in the coming months and to emphasize retention.

Yours In Rotary,

DG Glenn Smith

Pete Kretsedemas has been putting "Service Above Self" for 53 years as a Winslow Rotarian.  Pete has provided many interesting programs over the years, but the most fascinating have been personal stories regarding him and his family.  

Pete came to this country from Greece in 1949 as a citizen of the United States, which is a wonderful American success story in itself.  His father, Nicholas Kretsedemas and his friend George Cheros, came to the United States as Greek immigrants in 1907 and became citizens.  In 1928 the father Kretsedemas returned to Greece, married and started a family. George, related to the Kretsedemas family by marriage, stayed in the States, working at various restaurants and gradually drifting west.  The Kretsedemas family produced four sons by the time World War II broke out.  It was a time of extreme hardship for many, including Pete's family that also encompassed the loss of the elder Kretsedemas six months after the wars end.  It was not until this time that the family discovered their fathers' naturalization papers, and consequently after taking them to the U.S. Embassy, uncovered what a treasure they had truly found.  The immigration laws at the time allowed the members of his family to be United States citizens as well. 

Meanwhile, George Cheros had reached Winslow in 1932 after saving his money while operating his Coney Island hot dog stand built the Falcon Restaurant here in Winslow.  In the meantime, Pete was drafted into the military to fight in Korea.  When he returned from over-seas he ended up working at the Falcon. Pete and his brothers, George and Jim, eventually saved enough money and bought the popular restaurant in 1955 from Mr. Cheros.

The Rotary Club of Winslow had met at the famous La Posada since its chartering in 1923, but unfortunately in 1956 the Fred Harvey Company announced the closing of the historic hotel and restaurant.  All of the civic organizations moved their meeting to the Falcon, and Rotary met on Wednesdays at 12:10.  the tables were set with linen tablecloths and napkins, and the meal always consisted of a soup, salad, the main course and a dessert.  The President of the club in 1957 was Dr. Copeland, who came to Pete and advised he had been selected to become a member of the club, and asked him to come to the next meeting for induction.  On that fateful day, Pete was busy with the noon crowd at the restaurant and neglected to meet with the Rotarians.  Dr. Copland approached Pete and asked why he did not come to the meeting.  Pete replied, "O.K. Doc, I'll be in next week" The last week of September, more than five decades ago, Pete became part of a worldwide organization: Rotary International.  During the induction ceremony Pete says he remembers that, "attendance to the meetings was stressed, and I never forgot that".  Several years later he had found that he had never missed a meeting.  He holds the distinction of having 40+ years of perfect attendance in Rotary. Click to finish reading this article

By Wayne Rish

Microcredit is the world's most effective antipoverty intervention.  The Rotary Club of Fountain Hills  teamed up with the Rotary Club of Nogales Mexico in a Matching Grant to raise funds for the nonprofit bank, EnComun de la Frontera, AC, which makes small business loans of $100-$500 to small business owners, mostly who are poor women in the Nogales, Mexico area. The nonprofit microcredit bank had been operating successfully in Nogales Mexico since 2004 but the bank was very small and had limited capital to loan. Between the two clubs and their fund raising efforts, $42,775 was recently received from Rotary Clubs in the USA , Canada, and Mexico with matching funds from the Rotary Foundation.

Many ask, "Can such small loans actually make a difference?" The answer is "definitely yes" and as a result of the success of these small businesses through microcredit loans, thousands of families in Nogales Mexico now are able to send their children to school every day, provide regular meals daily, make improvements in their physical living conditions, improve their basic health and sanitation conditions and generally live more healthy and hopeful lives. In about 30% of the cases, families are able to stay together, working in the family business rather than crossing the border illegally seeking work in the USA.

The $42,775 was enough to form 19 new borrowing groups and provide new loans for 194 new borrowers. A borrowing group of about ten individuals review and approve each other's business plan and then sign a group promissory note to repay not only their individual loan but to be jointly responsible to repay any individual loan that defaults. Loans are made for four months, with repayment every two weeks. When all individual loans are repaid, each member of the borrowing group is eligible for a new, larger loan. Loan recovery rates have been 97% or better since the bank began operations and therefore the funds are loaned again and again for decades. It is anticipated that the $42,775 contributed by Rotarians will be loaned again and again every four month for 30+ years. Click to continue reading

Gary Whiting , Centennial PDG and GOL Vice-Chairman

Arizona Rotarians, we are proud to announce that GOL-AZ will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Friday, October 15th by having a celebration dinner at the Phoenix Convention Center.  It will be held in the South Building, Room 167 starting at 6:30 pm for cocktails and hor d'oeuvres with dinner at 7:15 pm.  The cost is $50.00 per person and will include hors d'eouvres, one drink ticket and dinner.  We hope that you will come and help us honor the many Rotarians, individuals and foundations, who have been instrumental in our creation and success over these 25 years.  Please visit our website gift@giftoflifeaz.orgfor registration and more details or call602-445-4343.  Please continue reading.

Barb Feder D5510 Rotary Foundation Committee Chair

When I heard about the flooding in Pakistan my first thought was Nazim, our friend to Rotary District 5510. Mohammed Nazim was the Pakistani Group Study Exchange Team Leader to District 5510 in 1997-98.  Abe & I formed a true friendship with Nazim and we've kept in touch through the years. Nazim lived with us for a few months during the aftermath of 9/11. I wrote to him out of concern of his well-being but also his assessment of the situation in Pakistan due to the flooding. You can see his following response. 

"Dear Barbara,
The damage done by the floods are colossal. Most of the affectees are poor and destitute who became the victim not because of the natural calamity alone but of the incompetence, lack of concern and mismanagement of the governments during the last 63 years. I feel angry seeing the miseries of these disempowered and voiceless people. But I see a silver lining around the clouds of gloom and anger. The voices of these people are being heard and their miseries watched globally. As a part of the global community we, the fortunate, need to come to their rescue. It is a moral obligation as well as an investment in global peace. I feel Rotary must reach out to the affected people directly through its clubs country. I am also working through my university students for the same objective. Hope collectively we could bring a healthy change.
Regards,  Nazim 

This is a quiz (yes I know it's been a long time since some of you have taken a quiz). Please answer the following questions to the best of your Rotary abilities (In order to minimize stress, answers will be provided at the end of the quiz):

Which Rotarian in District 5510 did not have the opportunity to meet a member of the visiting Group Study Exchange team from Scotland in 2009-2010?

Which Rotarian in District 5510 did not have the opportunity to meet, host or hear a presentation from one of the visiting Rotary Youth Exchange students in 2009-2010?

Which Rotary club in District 5510 did not have the opportunity to submit a request for a District Simplified Grant in 2009-2010?

Which Rotarian in District 5510 did not have the opportunity to become an EREY contributor, Paul Harris Sustaining Member, Paul Harris Society Member or Rotary Foundation Major Donor or Benefactor in 2009-2010?

Do you ever feel that there are way too many places you can allocate your personal charity budget? I sure do.  Most of us impose some sort of hierarchal decision to determine who gets any of our own hard-earned dollars. Annual Fund Chairman Tom Mackin, DG Glenn and I all hope that the very first $100 you donate each year goes straight into your TRF (The Rotary Foundation) account to put you on your way to be a Paul Harris Fellow and eventually a Major Donor. 

I have a job this year as a chairman in District 5510. My title is Permanent Fun Chairman. Yes, FUN not FUND. In the past, it we called this a Fund but this year it has a new name. Permanent Fun. This Permanent endowment of the Rotary Foundation is now $168,000,000 strong and the principal is never, ever touched.  The interest that is generated fuels programs such as Polio Eradication, Peace Scholars, Group Study Exchange and Grants. We become contributors in several ways that for me are truly FUN ways to plan your future. Here are three examples.

1.       Benefactors: A simple $1000 bequest via your life insurance or will is all it takes. Voila, you are a benefactor.

2.       Bequest Society: Any planned gift of $10,000 or more becomes your legacy.

3.       Major Donors: The one time or accumulation of $10,000 cash is really big fun and cause for celebration of this level of generosity.

An innovative example of promoting support for having Permanent Fun is the brain child of AG Joe Schoepen of the Scottsdale Sunrise Club.  This club seeks to be a 100% Benefactor club by November 1^st and they are currently at 58%! The fun part is that there is 0 cash outlay since you simply arrange to leave a $1,000 gift to the Permanent Fund at the your passing. The principal of your gift will NEVER be spent.  Only the interest is distributed to Rotary's projects around the world.  A great quote from Joe: "These are your Final Happy Dollars".

Click right here and complete this form to become a Benefactor.  Benefactor Card Please email me to tell me you are sending it in.  justlu@cox.net

Hope you are enjoying Sidekick's Rotary 101, I certainly am. Last month I wrote about the Rotary Wheel (Glenn and I each received a "keyway" from the Pinnacle Peak Rotary Club) and the Rotary Motto. This month I would like to highlight the Four Way Test and the Rotary Flag. 

The Four Way Test: It was created by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor in 1932. Mr. Taylor took over a Chicago based Club Aluminum Company, which was facing bankruptcy. The Four Way Test was written for all employees to follow in their business and professional lives. These 24 words became the guide for sales, production, advertising and all relations with dealers and customers. Because of these 24 words the company survived. In 1954-55 Mr. Herb Taylor became RI President. The Four Way Test was adopted by Rotary in 1943 and has been translated into more than 100 languages.

It was reported in the Sept. 1963 issue of the Rotarian that "Salisbury, Md. had a Four Way Test Week. Everywhere in Salisbury, on posters, billboards, busy intersections the Four Way Test was "plugged", even radio, television, newspapers. At the end of the week they presented a special award to a non-Rotarian whose business practices they felt exemplified

"The Four Way Test". Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Another way "The Four Way Test" was used, according the September 1954 Rotarian, it was introduced into the high schools. Four DG's in the state urged all their Clubs to put the Four Way Test into every high school. A special Four Way Test kit was requested from the Secretariat to help introduce the Test, to prepare school dramatic skits, to get student leaders to adopt the Test. Maybe it is time Rotarians of today find ways to introduce the "Four Way Test" into our communities and schools?

Fellow Rotarians,

On Sept 01, 2010, our three Arizona Districts, (5490, 5500, & 5510), began our 7th year of the the Tri-District Leadership ACADEMY, not to be confused with the Tri-District Leadership INSTITUTE. The INSTITUTE is for all Rotarians, and the ACADEMY is for all past club presidents. Both programs goals' are to expand and deepen Rotary knowledge. If you are a past president, please consider joining our class. Simply contact your District Governor for details or review our website www.aztdla.org

We, (the ACADEMY) met at a central location on August 21st where all three Districts were represented. The faculty of the ACADEMY,( all Past District Governors ), met in the morning to review curriculum and to discuss future improvements for the ACADEMY. In the afternoon the students joined us for their initial orientation class of 2010-2011. All 6 courses of this years program will appear on the internet for online completion, from Sept. thru March. You can review this at www.aztdla.org. Our graduation workshop and celebration dinner is scheduled for April 30th 2011.

By Claus Johnson  dmc.5510@yahoo.com

It was one moment in time. I was re-enlisting into the US air Force for what was to be the last time. I'd done this every four years but even so, I was given a small ceremony to mark the event. I was encouraged to have my support staff, my family, there to share it with me. It's been 25+ years since then, but to this day I still remember the handful of people attending. I wish I could remember all of the words, but the picture is still with me. I even have fuzzies about the very first time I raised my hand at an Armed Forces Entrance Station in Butte Montana back in 19 something or other.

I really don't remember much about the day I was inducted into Rotary. I do remember going through all the stuff in my new member packet though. I've found that within Rotary, there is no prescribed ceremony for inducting new members. However, shouldn't becoming a Rotarian be considered significant enough to be marked with some sort of formality? And that the inductee's family is encouraged to attend as well, because is it not important for a Rotarian to have a family support system?

Now is the perfect time to revisit your induction ceremony and be sure that it is meaningful and rememberable. How does your club mark the beginning of a new member's journey through a Rotary Career? Clubs have many innovative and stimulating ways of inducting new members. Please consider sharing your ideas with us so that we can share with the Rotary world. It was a great day for me when I became a Rotarian. I just didn't know it then. Let's see if we can make sure our new members know it from the first moment with a significant moment in time!!  Follow the link below to a sample induction, one of several on the RI website. //www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/414en.pdf

Who's Growing

Beginning with this issue I'd like to acknowledge clubs as they grow.............Continue reading this article

Here are the statistics for club attendance in August. August 2010 report  Has your club been on an attendance vacation? Take a look and see how your club is doing with both attendance and adding/subtracting members this year. Ideas to consider:

1. Do you have an actual Membership Plan in place with a true goal?
2. Do you follow up with speakers and guests to see if you have viable prospects?
3.When someone resigns or moves do you try to fill their position with someone from the same business/employeer?
4. Ever consider rewarding attendance in some small way at each meeting? perhaps an extra raffle ticket to all purchasers.

It is that time of the Rotary year to begin thinking about future District leadership - filling the office of District Governor for Rotary year 2013-2014. That may seem like a long way off but not for establishing our future District Governor or District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND).

Here is your current "G-String" line up: District Governor 2010-11:Glenn Smith;
District Governor Elect for 2011-12:Alan Havir
District Governor Nominee for 2012-13: Abe Feder
District Governor Nominee Designate for 2013-14: TBD (maybe you). 

Applications are due to DG Glenn Smith by 12/31/10 with selection/interview date now scheduled as 1/15/11. The following are the basic requirements to apply for this very important RI Officer position:

 Click to read more