I live parallel lives during the weeks before December 25th. I enjoy the lights, music, parties, jewel tones, and glitter. I also focus quietly and intentionally on Advent. It’s Latin for arrival, and the focus is on preparation.
Preparing for something important and valuable is half the fun – if conditions are right. The awaited event must have the right risk-return balance, so we are willing to stake our resources on planning for it. And we must believe that we have enough resources to stake – or almost enough if you take a little magic into account.
From Menominee to Mayville holiday service and fundraising events have arrived! Children receive gifts, families receive food, community members drink hot chocolate under magical lights. People we do not know will be changed by our service. And we will be the primary beneficiaries. Hope will grow in us.
While we serve, we are simultaneously preparing for other arrivals.
We are preparing for the leadership of Ben Bauer, District Governor 2022-2023.
Next week the District Governor Team (Bill, Ben, Michelle, Todd, and I) will consider where we are and where we hope to be by the end of Ben’s year. Ben will take that vision into International Assembly (a gathering of the world’s DGs) in January, District Team Training (a gathering of 6250 leaders) in February, and President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) in March. Ben is staking significant resources on this role. Will you stake some resources on supporting him and our district?
We are preparing for TriCon2022.
After back-to-back virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021, we will gather safely and joyfully at The Osthoff on April 29 and 30. Will you save the date? TriCon2022 will put you in the company of rich Rotary fellowship, service, and inspiring people of action. It’ll be worth staking some resources on it.
And speaking of staking resources…
Dawn had a choice between a nap and attending a random breakout session. She dragged herself to the breakout. She didn’t know anything about human trafficking, and she wasn’t searching for information or something more to do. But there in that unexpected moment her eyes opened, her soul was crushed, and the deepest part of her was called to act. Her Rotary district conference set in motion a chain of events she would have filed under “Impossible”. Afterwards, about the last thing on her mind was a nap.
Dawn Heath-Fiedler, District 6270 Rotarian, founded and leads the non-profit, Join the Movement Now (www.jtme.org), with the mission of bringing awareness of the presence of human trafficking to all communities in the State of Wisconsin and the entire Midwest. JTME is dedicated to educating our youth as our best defense in preventing victims’ grooming.
Dawn (in the center of the photo, flanked by teammates) is serving and lives are changing. It is a story full of hope hopeless circumstances. Her district conference played a role.
Keep reading on in our Dispatch for more wonderful Rotary stories and opportunities.
Cheers for a happy, hopeful, holidays, Dear Rotarians. Thank you.
For many Rotarians, giving during the holiday season is motivated by cultural and religious traditions. And it is also encouraged by our tax laws. As you consider how to make a year-end contribution to The Rotary Foundation, here are a few finance-friendly ideas to consider.
Cash contributions can be planned to maximize charitable deductions. Consult with your tax advisor to know your limits for deductibility.
Gifts of appreciated securities can avoid paying capital gain taxes on those assets. During this time of strong markets, many people hold stocks that are highly appreciated. A gift of stock is eligible for an income tax deduction and avoids capital gains tax on those securities.
Direct charitable rollovers from an IRA or 401K can help you meet the required minimum distribution. Since it is a direct rollover, you bypass income tax on the withdrawal.
Gifts of real estate, paid up life insurance policies or other assets are also options that can help you preserve cash or reduce a taxable estate.
Each of these ideas takes planning. So don’t wait. Talk to your financial advisors today. And get connected to The Rotary Foundation staff to help you complete your gift confidentially. Contact Dwight Heaney, District 6250 Foundation Chair at Dwight.Heaney@gmail.com, or call Rotary directly at (866) 976-8279 to make that connection.
Dwight Heaney
Rotary Club of Fort Atkinson
District 6250 Foundation Committee Chair
District Grants
Congratulations to the Wisconsin Dells Club for receiving a District Grant to fund ultrasound equipment for use at the Samos Medical Centre. This project is an extension of their successful relationship with the Rotary Club of Samos to provide dental care for Greek islanders.
In November, our District Grant Committee announced an open application process for District Grants to help fund projects that will be completed by May 15. If your club is considering a short-term project this winter with a budget of ess than $30,000, District matching grants are available. Projects can be local or international. Detailed information about District Grants is available on the District 6250 website.
Wisconsin Dells Celebrates Dental Services for Greek Islands
The Wisconsin Dells Club just finished a big global grant project to renovate dental clinics on five remote Greek islands near Turkey. None of us knew the Rotarians of Athens and Kos, but we somehow managed to complete this mission together. We had lots of help from District 6250, District 2470 and Rotary International. Here is how it happened.
Past District Governor, Edwin Bos, called me to describe a project he had learned of that involved dentistry. We had traveled together in Nepal, so we knew each other, and he felt I would be able to succeed on this endeavor. Our club had never been the primary partner for a Global Grant, but we had helped other clubs by being participating sponsors, so we knew the concept. They are similar to District Grants, just more expensive.
The goal was to renovate dental clinics that were using 40-year-old dental chairs and operating units. It would cost around $70,000 to install new equipment on islands being inundated with Syrian refugees. The Dodecanese islands of Samos, Lipsi, Symi, Agathonisi and Fourni had well over 10,000 refugees, and their facilities were in poor condition.
The Rotary Club of Wisconsin Dells, with our group of 27, agreed to be the primary sponsor. We met the requirements, so we thought we could succeed. I decided to call dentists I know and ask for contributions. Rotarian dentists, Mike Bender of Fort Atkinson and Betsy Long, of Wisconsin Dells, donated personally, along with non-Rotarian dentists from the US Public Health Service(I worked for them for 20 years) and dentists from around Wisconsin. We gathered the donations needed, which was matched by our district, then matched by Rotary International. The Greek Rotary Clubs in the grant area also donated, along with their district, until we had the necessary funds.
Beginning in 2019, it took much longer than expected to install all the equipment, due to Covid, but the clinics were up and running by the end of 2020. We received photos of the chairs and units, but I wanted to take some dentists over to see what they accomplished. We returned from our trip to Greece in the end of October. It was great meeting all the Greek Rotarians and seeing the clinics in action. The refugees have now moved elsewhere, but the clinics are treating poor Greek citizens with full time dentists.
Greek Rotary meetings are not quite like ours. We meet from noon until 1 on Thursdays. They start their meetings at 8 pm. We attended quite a few, and none of them were done until around midnight. They were very appreciative, and shared their Greek culture with us. My club is now working on another, much smaller grant, to help Samos Due to a recent earthquake and the flood of refugees, their needs are great but resources limited.
Submitted by Dave Clemens, DDS, Rotary Club of Wisconsin Dells
Small actions can have big Public Image payoffs
I have heard myself suggest that Rotarians add the Rotary logo to email signature blocks. It’s a small thing but think about how often you send an email message.
Every time I get a new computer, I need to recreate standard tools, like my signature block. It’s tedious and annoying, and sometimes I don’t take the time to search for the jpeg for a logo or image to complete the effort.
Here’s my confession: I just added the logo to my signature block. Today. Not weeks ago, when I got the new laptop, or the laptop before this one.
But today I did it. Now that small logo image is part of my professional signature block as well as my Rotary signature.
Can’t do it for your work email? That still leaves your personal email. If you have gmail, hotmail, yahoo… think about adding the Rotary logo.
This is a small action, and it may have a large impact. Let’s make it easy for you.
And many of us in the coming days and weeks will be sending out Holiday letters to friends and family. Please consider adding the Rotary logo to your message. Maybe your friends and family already know about your Rotary activities, and maybe this reminder will be a gentle way of letting them know how important service is to you at the holidays and throughout the year.
Happy Holidays to you and yours. See you next year!
Recently I had the opportunity to connect with some of our Interact Advisors and I was rejuvenated with stories of success and impact that these students are experiencing within their communities. It made me think back on the last two years and the struggles that have been presented to all of our Youth Programs. It also made me realize how dedicated our Rotarians are to continue the success of these programs even when they're turned upside down. We've seen clubs reconnect with their former exchange students and recommit to hosting students, Interact Clubs hold drive-throughfundraisers and continue growing as clubs and we hosted our first ever fully virtual RYLA event. I am in awe of the commitment that we have to our Youth and recognize that our district understands the importance that these programs hold as the future of Rotary.
We anticipate that 2022 will look a little closer to normal, however, we know that we need to be flexible and adapt to any changes that come our way. We've prepared students to participate in Exchange, though the numbers are lower than in previous years, it's a great way to get that program back up and running. We're planning for an in-person RYLA event and can't wait to welcome those students to Upham Woods. Interact is continuing to thrive and we're working to strengthen the relationships that can be fostered across the district for those clubs. When I joined the district board in 2020, I had no idea what the next 3 years would look like, and it's sure been different than what I expected, but it's also been such a fantastic learning experience. Here's to 2022 and continuing to thrive and grow in Rotary. If your club is looking to collaborate with another club, learn more about Youth Programs, or just has questions about anything Youth related, please don't hesitate to reach out to me, I'm happy to help!
And now for an (Interact) instant, let’s celebrate Edgerton’s Interactors who showed up in style to share candy with kids during the community’s holiday parade! Well done!
It starts with one. One man, one mom, one Christmas, and one Rotary Club. The Madison South Rotary Club.
And how do families make a holiday special? With food, friends, a few very suspicious-looking reindeer, and a whole lotta fun. And what’s more fun than BINGO? BINGO with cash prizes!! Add food, lap blankets, trays of tasty holiday treats...a Holiday tradition is born.
For more years than Lisa Gits can or wants to remember members of the club have chosen to bring a Bingo party to the residents of St. Mary’s Care Center. It originally was because one of the club member’s moms was there. When word spread, a little Santa magic with a generous dollop of Rotary fellowship and goodwill, more than a handful of elves of various sizes and shapes, a party with food and gifts materialized. The tradition goes back far enough that there are notorious tales. No one will share the one about Juanita in B4…but if you ask Ted See, he just might share a story or two.
Other than a little, or a lot, of Holiday Cheer, what does a senior citizen want? A little warmth. Cue RSVP and generous gifts of handcrafted lap quilts. Even a global pandemic will not stay the arrival of these personal warmth delivery devices.
Sometimes service is ambitious. Sometimes it’s playing BINGO on a December evening with some of our vintage community members.
What the Family of Rotary is all about.
International Service
Want to Tip Your Toe into the World of Rotary Global Grants?
Ukraine, Shop of Goods Global Grant.
The Fort Atkinson Rotary Club has recently assumed the role of main International Sponsor for the project “Shop of Goods” spearheaded by the Kiev International Rotary Club inUkraine and specifically by Rotarian Oksana Tjupa. The $43,600 project is designed to help with the socialization, adaptation, and career guidance of children with disabilities and their parents. This isdone by providing training to both the children and their parents in various kinds of handicrafts. The goal of the training is to help children with special needs earn self-respect and a form of income for themselves. Income is provided via an existing social online store in Ukraine called “Shop of Goods” where products produced can be sold by the children and their parents.
Other District 6250 Clubs or individual Rotarians are being invited to participate in this Global Grant via contributions of $100 or more. If interested ,you will be looped into the international e-mail exchanges concerning the project and learn how a Rotary Global
Grant works. A behind the scenes look so to speak 😊
The Kiev International Club is a new, English-speaking club, based in Ukraine’s capital city. It is contributing $20,000 to the project. In its short history the Club has become very active and is interested in a Rotary Friendship Exchange with District 6250 and tentative plans are being developed for a Fall 2022 Exchange to Poland and Ukraine … COVID and Russian Intentions permitting.
Serbia District 2483 Global Grant Opportunities
District Governor Karen Hebert was recently contacted regarding two Rotary Clubs in Serbia, Rotary District 2483 seeking international sponsors and financial support for Global Grant projects. Both projects focus on “Disease Prevention and Treatment” and each have a total value of approximately $80,000. The Rotary Club of RC Kraljevo is seeking to purchase devices for neuro-monitoring at the General Hospital “Studenica” in Kraljevo and the General Hospital in Užice. The Rotary Club of Smederevo project includes 12 beds for complete patient observation with monitors, ECG`s and defibrillators at the “Sveti Luka” Clinic in Smederevo-Block for emergency reception.
If you and your club are interested to learn more on how to participate in these or other Global Grant Projects, please contact Rotary 6250 International Service Committee Chair & PDG Chuck Hanson (CEH@haleskemp.com) or other members indicated at https://rotary6250.org/page/international-service
Edwin Bos & Mark Broses
International Service Opportunity
December is Disease Prevention and Treatment month in the Rotary world. What a wonderful coincidence that this Dispatch tells the story of Rotarians Dave and Inger Clemens returning from Greece having celebrated our completed international service (funded by a global grant) - with an opportunity to do more international service (funded by a district grant)! The global grant project created a dental clinic that offers basic, life-changing services and the district grant project will provide hand-held imaging services in a medical clinic where almost none are available currently.
I hope these stories make you proud and encouraged at how our grassroots organization accomplishes important work around the world. If your pride and courage motivates action, the Rotary Club of Eau Claire has an opportunity for you!
Today in Ghana women die for lack of cervical cancer screening. Eau Claire Rotarians have partnered with Ghanian Rotarians and medical professionals, and U.S. non-profit to provide hand-held screening devices. Few cancer screenings are as effective in preventing cancer.
The project has two phases. The first is already funded at $30,000. The second phase costs $40,000 and $30,000 is funded. Will you make a pledge that moves phase two over the finish line?
To learn more or to make a pledge, please contact Dr. William (“Bill”) Klish at wjklish@hotmail.com. This video can be used as a club program or to support you as an advocate to your club.
We unite for lasting change!
District Governor Karen
November District Board Meeting Report
Our District 6250 Board meets four times a year. We focus on governance, finances, policy, and strategy. After each meeting your District Governor will write a summary of the meeting for the Dispatch. You are invited to discuss anything that interests you with any board member. You can find our names and contact information on the district website.
Welcome
We welcomed our newest director, AG Representative Erin Luken. We welcomed DGND Todd Restel. We warmed up with each director sharing to which non-Rotary non-profit they’d donate if they suddenly had $500 to give. The range and variety of imagined beneficiaries was proof of what it means to be a Rotarian in the broad sense. Rotarians are involved in so many aspects of service outside of Rotary. Our core values travel well.
Report Highlights
District Governor. Reviewed how District goals are set and revised, responsibility is shared, and goals are formed in partnership. DG Karen reviewed how 6250 is meeting RIP Shekhar’s charges: Grow More Do More, Each One Bring One, Empower Girls, and Days of Service. An update on TriCon2022 was shared along with the list of 6250’s valuable TriCon volunteers.
District Governor Elect. DGE Ben described his productive one-on-one meetings with our AGs. He outlined his leadership plans for the coming months.
District Governor Nominee. DGN Michelle outlined 6250’s recruiting challenges and plans to welcome guest speaker, Mike Desmond, to the Committee Chair meeting. Mike will share team building inspiration and advice.
Membership. Chair John reviewed high-level statistics on clubs who have received membership grants in the past. Reminders for the December 1 application deadline have been sent to Membership Chair.
Foundation. Chair Dwight focused attention on the success of the inaugural Ride to End Polio, YTD annual fund giving, plans for Foundation Chair training.
International Service. Projects are developing
Public Image. The committee has lost members and will reorganize for the second half of the year. PI will assist in website redesign.
Youth. 17 clubs will welcome exchange students. Chair Laura held two encouraging listening sessions for Interact Advisors.
Rotaract. Thanks to pandemic challenges and the usual university Rotaract turnover, participation is down a bit.
Old and New Business
Hybrid Task Force Grants. Progress is being made to wrap up granting. Growing hybrid meeting skills depends on Dispatch articles, our website materials, and club visits.
DGE Ben proposed a website redesign and refresh for 6250’s excess reserve investment. The board approved the project.
Treasurer Dick reported on district dues collection, our 990 and its approval, and the plans for our audit team to complete their work.
District Governor Karen
District 6250 Hybrid Meeting Task Force
As the COVID pandemic drags on there is a growing desire among some Rotary clubs to do away with hybrid meetings and get back to meeting solely in person. They are longing for the “good old days” and just want to get “back to normal”. After almost two years, who can argue with the sentiment of being able to enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie of in person meetings that is so difficult to replicate while being remote? While meeting in person is happening again there are many Rotarians who have come to depend on hybrid meetings for a variety of reasons.
I recently had a conversation with a Rotarian who told me his club’s leadership team can’t wait to get rid of hybrid meetings. They told him they did not think it was worth going through the trouble of setting up and holding a hybrid meeting to accommodate just a handful of their members. He asked if I had heard from other clubs who were seeing the benefit of hybrid meetings. I shared several responses I received after asking them about the benefits seen from their hybrid meetings. Here are a few:
Being a younger club with members and competing priorities, we’ve seen an uptick in attendance of those who are parents and have little ones at home to care for.
Some members participate virtually when traveling or on vacation and the hybrid meeting format enables them to stay connected and participate in club meetings. Without that weekly connection, many of them will fade as members and drop their participation.
Many of our members are over 70 and are, and will continue to be, reluctant to attend face-to-face meetings. We believe that this is a huge advantage, particularly for a club like ours who are more “experienced”.
We have a couple of members who are extremely busy at work, including one who works for a major health system. Creating an online option for them has allowed them to pop in for parts of meetings and then leave when they have to.
Before literally pulling the plug on hybrid meetings stop and think of our post pandemic life as the “next normal”. Consider how hybrid meetings have evolved and can continue to evolve while being a benefit for some of our members. So even if we are benefiting “just a handful” don’t we owe it to those members who have grown to rely on hybrid meetings to continue providing them a hybrid option?
To share your thoughts on these questions please contact me at mdag6250@gmail.com.
Mike Dillis
District 6250 Hybrid Meeting Task Force Chair
Discover New Horizons in Houston June 2022
Houston, which calls itself “the city with no limits,” reflects the limitless impact of our work in Rotary. Create change within yourself, your community, and the world. Join your family, friends, and fellow Rotary members and explore what’s possible at the Rotary International Convention.
No matter who you are or where you’re from, you’re bound to find inspiration throughout the convention. It’s an experience unlike any other Rotary event, and it will renew your commitment to service and leadership. Make new friends and connect with old ones while exploring the diverse city of Houston or the House of Friendship. Make global connections that ignite local action at all the convention events.
Don’t miss your chance to Discover New Horizons and join us in Houston, Texas - June 4-8, 2022.
If you can’t attend in person, a virtual convention option offers the opportunity to participate in events and share in the convention experience with your friends, family, club members, and community.
Register now without worry* and save!
To receive the early registration savings, register by 15 December at convention.rotary.org.
*If for any reason your plans need to change or the convention is cancelled, refunds will be granted.
Preparing for something important and valuable is half the fun – if conditions are right. The awaited event must have the right risk-return balance, so we are willing to stake our resources on planning for it. And we must believe that we have enough resources to stake – or almost enough if you take a little magic into account.
Dawn had a choice between a nap and attending a random breakout session. She dragged herself to the breakout. She didn’t know anything about human trafficking, and she wasn’t searching for information or something more to do. But there in that unexpected moment her eyes opened, her soul was crushed, and the deepest part of her was called to act. Her Rotary district conference set in motion a chain of events she would have filed under “Impossible”. Afterwards, about the last thing on her mind was a nap.
Beginning in 2019, it took much longer than expected to install all the equipment, due to Covid, but the clinics were up and running by the end of 2020. We received photos of the chairs and units, but I wanted to take some dentists over to see what they accomplished. We returned from our trip to Greece in the end of October. It was great meeting all the Greek Rotarians and seeing the clinics in action. The refugees have now moved elsewhere, but the clinics are treating poor Greek citizens with full time dentists.
It starts with one. One man, one mom, one Christmas, and one Rotary Club. The Madison South Rotary Club.
, and a whole lotta fun. And what’s more fun than BINGO? BINGO with cash prizes!! Add food, lap blankets, trays of tasty holiday treats...a Holiday tradition is born.
Other than a little, or a lot, of Holiday Cheer, what does a senior citizen want? A little warmth. Cue RSVP and generous gifts of handcrafted lap quilts. Even a global pandemic will not stay the arrival of these personal warmth delivery devices.
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