In life, sometimes the experiences that matter the most are the briefest. They pass in a blink of an eye; a few days, a few hours, a few moments. They are the experiences that illuminate the landscape of our memory, shining brightly even years later. They are the moments in which we see, suddenly, something we had not seen; we understand something we had not understood; we forge a connection we had not expected.
For me, this has been a Rotary year like no other. I have been around Rotary for over 16 years, having traveled around the world, traversing countries and continents. I have been to places I had never seen before. As I prepared for my year as your District Governor, my calendar was full of visits to clubs not only around the district, but around the world. I had Russia, Germany and Taiwan on my calendar. But then things changed… this has been a Rotary year like no other.
I have still traveled this year… just in a different manner… a different conveyance. I have traveled virtually into your homes, offices, and meeting locations. I have actually expanded my international reach this past year – visiting Rotary meetings on four continents and 7 different countries. I can share without hesitation that the Rotary I have seen is strong, vibrant and full of energy! On February 23, we will mark 116 years since the founding of Rotary. It is incredible to think about how much has changed, in our world… in our organization, since the first Rotary club met in Chicago with Paul Harris as its president.
Some things are easy to compare between now and 1905. Technology and medicine? Certainly. Society? Not so easy but certainly “different.” When one looks at a map of the world from 1905 and a map of the world today, we can see many things that are different. What we can’t do is compare what is with what might have been. There is no way to compare our world as it exists now with the world as it would have been without Rotary.
This year, like the 115 that preceeded it, has seen Rotary rise to its many challenges. We’ve answered conflicts with peace, and poverty with education. We’ve responded to a lack of basic health care with projects large and small, from equipping clinics in tiny villages to eradicating polio across the globe.
In these difficult days, we are so heartened to receive such uplifting reports on the unrelenting efforts of our Rotary members who have responded in their communities against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the single question we hear time and again as we traverse the virtual world is, “Are we getting involved with COVID vaccination?” Considering the success and expertise we have gained in our polio eradication effort, this question is both natural and timely.
The answer is yes. We will have an important role in the months ahead.
This does not mean we will deviate in any way from our avowed commitment to eradicating polio, which remains our highest priority and will continue to be our only corporate program. Polio vaccinations and surveillance activities must continue unabated, as must our effort to raise $50 million per year for this effort.
But as we know, there is a pandemic sweeping the world. The Board of RI and the Trustees of our Foundation met in joint session and have agreed that we have a role to play.
New District International Service Committee up and Running!
Rotary International’s latest innovation providing club support for international projects is the District International Service Committee (ISC). The District 6250 ISC is comprised of Rotarians who have experience with Global Grants and they are eager to assist clubs that may be interested in participating in an international project. The Committee’s focus in on facilitating projects that clubs can lead and which will result in on -going relationships with Rotarians around the world. This is what makes Rotary fun! If you want to get more engaged in the big world that is Rotary, please let your club president know and feel free to contact ISC Chair, PDG Chuck Hanson ( ceh@haleskemp.com) and he will assign someone on the Committee to help you.
Josh Mansee
La Crosse Rotary - After Hours, President-Elect 2020-2021
District 6250 Foundation Chair
608-386-2641
Global Grant Scholar Update - Cerise Siamof
Cerise Siamof graduated with a BS from UW Madison in Biochemistry. She finished her first semester of graduate studies at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge in December. Her focus is on Disease Prevention and Treatment. She shared one of her first semester papers with me. It studied the opioid epidemic in the US from the perspectives of medical, legal/criminal, and public health initiatives. We can all be proud of our support for her studies. Lois Smith, Global Scholar District Chair
Cerise Siamof: Reflections on My First Semester at the University of Cambridge
There were a few things I knew to expect from living in the UK before coming, having already lived here for a summer: Mexican food would be hard to find and not close to the quality I am accustomed to, being immersed in the beauty and the history of a place like Cambridge never gets less charming, and finding a credit card which doesn’t charge international fees is critical. There were many other anxieties I had about coming to Cambridge even before it became clear that I’d be moving abroad in the midst of a global pandemic: funding my studies, making friends while staying in touch with old ones who had previously lived down the street but would now live across an ocean, and finding the balance between broadening my academic horizons and discerning and cultivating my strongest academic and professional passions.
Member Growth Success: Lake Mills +9, Mayville +6, Sun Prairie +5, Beaver Dam +4, DeForest +4
The pandemic has impacted nearly every group of people and it has prompted many of us to reflect more than we typically do. For example – as a result of the runs on the grocery stores in March, for the first time in your life, you might have felt what it’s like to live food- or supply-insecure. This may have been the first time you were ever concerned about where you were going to get your next roll of toilet paper or gallon of milk. The feeling of not having supplies available to you in the stores when you needed them may have been eye-opening.
Now imagine if you lived in a country or region where your day-to-day life involved a search for food and supplies, or worse yet, the protection of yourself and your family from terrorists, dictators, or drug cartels.
This month we are thinking about peace and conflict resolution. As we’ve reflected on this topic, we’ve been reminded that people living in areas of conflict often aren’t in the position to do much to resolve the conflicts they’ve been forced to endure. It’s up to changemakers and leaders to help resolve the conflict at their source – whether its conflict over resources, politics, or otherwise.
As Rotarians, we are part of an organization that has that power.
Peace is a cornerstone of our mission.
Together we can work towards peace by continuing to fight disease, helping communities in need gain access to resources, and by communicating effectively. We are so proud of the work Rotary and its members do to promote peace.
Keep it up!
Are you a Club PI Chair or leader that is looking for some visual support to promote your club?
Quick! Go check out the Rotary Club Members: Public Image, Graphics & Ideas Hub private facebook group. This group is a resource for various Rotary public image graphics, images, ideas and other ways to use in the promotion of your Rotary club and Rotary in general. It's a private group so you need to request permission to join, but it's all to be sure that the purpose of the group is kept with no intervention from advertisers, spammers, promotion etc. Once you're in, you'll enjoy the benefit of regular posts that you can use right away or that'll give you ideas and inspiration for your own club content. Enjoy!
Many people use the end of one year to reflect on things they would like to accomplish in the coming year. What better resolution than to sow the seeds of peace in 2021?
Peace underscores much of the work that Rotary members do in improving their communities around the world. Rotary’s peacebuilding initiatives seek to create environments where lasting peace is possible. We do this by continually investing in sustainable and measurable peace programs throughout our communities and across the globe; by creating an extensive network of peacebuilders and community leaders dedicated to peace and conflict prevention; and by providing Rotarians with several avenues in which they can actively participate in peacebuilding processes within their communities.
Presidents Elect Training Seminar (PETS) is an annual event to which we all look forward. Presidents, AGs and District leaders enjoy PETS fellowship, inspiration and idea-sharing to ramp up for a great year. Our 2021 PETS is no exception - and full of exceptions! Please note:
Our PETS (Midwest PETS) has combined with Great Lakes PETS for MEGA PETS. It's all virtual.
The collaboration created a shift in dates. Please make a special note! Note also that MEGA PETS packs a lot in on Friday and ends on Saturday afternoon.
The schedule is attached. Everyone's done their best to firm this up - please be patient if slight changes come.
You will receive a registration link that is unique to you. This will be available in mid- to late-January. There is no general registration link.
The cost is $150 for PEs and $50 for all others. (Your club has already paid $300 for you. We'll settle up, and will let you know when as soon as we can.)
Holger Knaack
Global Grant Scholar Update - Cerise Siamof
