It's Reflection Time For Our District Governor

This month is Rotary Fellowships Month.  You may see ‘fellowship’ as a chance to share with your Rotarian friends, family, and contacts some quality time, share the good stories about your Rotary year, and the Rotary experiences, and celebrate the achievements you all have accomplished. 

 

That’s what fellowship is all about.

 

Here in District 9930, there are several Fellowships that members are associated with.  Firstly, the International Caravanning – coordinated by David Smith in the Havelock North Club; and secondly, the Flying Fellowship in which Warren Sly of the Thames Club is a strong supporter. 

 

To find out more about Fellowships – check out the web page  https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/more-fellowships and our District link.

 

As my Rotary year as Governor draws to an end – with the official changeover to Kevin Forgeson at Te Kuiti on Saturday 2 July – it is time to reflect on how the District has performed and especially how you as members and your Club have performed.

 

You will recall in my presentations and visits the following were encouraged:

 

International President Shekhar’s themes:

How did you and your Club address these themes and ideas?

 

Then there was my theme of Health & Well-Being. Did you do something different, have speakers aligned to them, and create a regular activity within the Club and also in the community?

 

You were encouraged to support the End Polio Now campaign; create a project and involve yourself and the Club in the 3 major projects for the New Zealand and Australia Centenary of Rotary – the history book Mana Tangata; plant trees and plantings for the Forests of Peace and Remembrance; and donate to the pacific island vaccination programme Rotary Give Every Child A Future.

 

I’ve been impressed by the number of Clubs that have been recognising their members and also members of the community with a Paul Harris Fellowship.  The ongoing donation of $US1000 to the Rotary Foundation benefits all across the world and within our District.  There is still time to make these recognitions.

 

Let’s Do Rotary was another message I passed on.  Excuse the acronyms – RYLA, RYPEN, and RYE all suffered from cancellations through the Covid problems.  Congratulations on those two areas which still held RYPEN weekends.  The Science & Technology Forum was another to suffer and was canceled.  The District Conference cancellation still hurts – we missed a great opportunity to celebrate the year and hear some inspiring speakers.  However, there were some amazing projects about the District to financially support our associated programmes – ShelterBox, Emergency Response Kits, Outward Bound, and Interplast. So many of our youth throughout the District benefited from the support of the JR McKenzie Foundation.

 

There was a reminder, too, to visit some of your Club’s previous projects and ensured they still look great – many were enhanced, many were freshened up – thank you.

 

Our 7 Areas of Focus provide plenty of vision for the future of Rotary and activities that Clubs and members can be involved in.

 

I thank you all for your commitment to the ideals of Rotary; for your involvement; for the efforts that you all have all gone to in providing help and assistance to many sectors of the community.

 

There will be a string of Awards at the District changeover on Saturday 2 July at Te Kujiti.  You have all been invited – please register.  At the changeover you will find out who will receive the awards: Certificates of Appreciation; Environment; R100 project; Communications; Bulletin; Membership Development; District Service Above Self; Rotary International Service Above Self; and District Outstanding Rotarian of the Year.

 

Take care out there, and remember that your Rotary service changes so many lives.

 

Ross Pinkham