District 6440 is renewing the very popular Public Image Grant Program for 2024-2025 to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo. About half of all clubs received grants last year and we hope more will now.
The Grant Program provides matching grants (up to $500 per club) for APPROVED new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper advertising, community fair signage and much more. We want new positive marketing materials that bolster Rotary visibility in each community.
These new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members, strengthen your club's image and enhance community service projects. And our District could reduce your cost.
Registration is open for the April 20, 2024 Joint District Conference with Districts 6440 and 6450, the first District Conference to be held at Rotary International Headquarters. Sign up here. (Registration is going through District 6450; register as a "Guest")
District 6440 is renewing the very popular Public Image Grant Program for 2023-2024 to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo. About half of all clubs received grants last year and we hope more will now.
The Grant Program provides matching grants (up to $500 per club) for APPROVED new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper advertising, community fair signage and much more. New this year is a reward for approved Membership Materials (half of what you spend, up to $650). See details on the grant application form. We want new positive marketing materials that bolster Rotary visibility in each community.
These new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members (a big District priority), strengthen your image and enhance community service projects. And our District could reduce your cost.
Past District Governor Bill Kmiecik announced today that the nominating committee has selected Richard Reigner to be the District Governor Nominee Designate, putting him line to be District Governor in the 2026-27 Rotary year.
Rick is an accomplished CEO, Executive and Development professional with over 30 years of nonprofit experience establishing corporate relationships, growing local /state partnerships, leading community initiatives, running campaigns, and building staff and volunteer teams. He is a results —oriented, fiscally responsible, decisive, and cause-driven leader with a track record of leading organizational transformation and growth in diverse, complex, and demanding environments.
Rick is currently a member of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club where he has served as Board Member, Treasurer, and President. Rick currently serves as Immediate Past President & Visioning Chair for his Club and as an AG and Membership Committee member for District 6440.
Rick is happily married to Kelly and they have raised 3 wonderful children. He and his wife love animals and have a dog and cat that fill their life with non-stop entertainment Rick enjoys exercise, college football, time outdoors, and has completed an Ironman Triathlon. He and his wife enjoy time with family, travel, going to movies, and watching too many home improvement shows on HGTV.
Rick Reigner Named District Governor Nominee Designate
Application materials now are available for the District Leadership Academy Class of 2024. The program is a seven month long series of courses that covers RI Cornerstone Knowledge, Membership, Public Image, Youth Service, Organization, Fundraising, Grants, and The Rotary Foundation.
Want to learn more? We're holding introductory / informational Zoom sessions on at 7PM on Monday, October 9th and Thursday, October 12th.Pick one that’s convenient for you. We’ll outline the program, talk about the Canvas learning platform, and answer your questions, and you can meet those that have already enrolled. Contact gov.lyle@rotary6440.org for the Zoom link. All documents required to be completed for Academy admission can be downloaded at this link.
Club board members or committee chairs, Presidents Nominee, Presidents-elect, District Assistant Governors and committee chairs, members of District committees, and anyone who aspires to serve later as a club or district leader are encouraged to seize this opportunity.
Marlene has been a member of the Rotary Club of Woodstock since June, 2015. She serves her club as chair of the Public Image Committee, and actively participates on the Christmas Clearinghouse committee, the club’s largest project serving over 1,100 families in the Woodstock school district. She has served as an Assistant Governor for District 6440 since 2020.
Marlene has a B.S. degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Urbana, an MBA from DePaul University, and has passed the CPA exam. She began her career in public accounting and then worked in external financial reporting at two different Fortune 500 companies in Chicago, until she transitioned to working as Controller for a local wholesale perennial grower. When the owner decided to relocate that business to South Carolina, Marlene purchased the local operations and moved the business to McHenry County.
Prairie Haven operated for over eight years, employing up to 45 people and serving garden centers and landscapers throughout Illinois and the surrounding area. When Prairie Haven closed, the property was sold to another local grower and Marlene joined them as controller and sales manager. After 14 years there, Marlene reclaimed her gardening season and returned to doing tax and accounting work, working part time for a small local firm as well as serving several personal clients. Never one to miss a cliché, she decided to retire from the local firm in 2020 and now is self-employed, serving a handful of clients.
Marlene has been married to Hugh for 44 years. Hugh is retired from a career in accounting and consulting with RSM International. Their son Brandon is married to Martina and works as a software engineer for Google. They live in Woodstock with their children, Will, age 2 1/2, Emmie, age 1, and a player to be named later in 2023. Their daughter Catherine is Primary Head of Music at the Bangkok International School in Thailand, and she spends her free time traveling all over the world. Marlene and Hugh live on several acres just outside of Woodstock, and when they are not traveling themselves, they enjoy restoring the land and spending time with the grandchildren. Marlene also is an accomplished photographer and has exhibited her photos in the 4th Friday Art event and other local events.
Rick is an accomplished CEO, Executive and Development professional with over 30 years of nonprofit experience establishing corporate relationships, growing local /state partnerships, leading community initiatives, running campaigns, and building staff and volunteer teams. He is a results —oriented, fiscally responsible, decisive, and cause-driven leader with a track record of leading organizational transformation and growth in diverse, complex, and demanding environments.
Rick is currently a member of the Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club where he has served as Board Member, Treasurer, and President. Rick currently serves as Immediate Past President & Visioning Chair for his Club and as an AG and Membership Committee member for District 6440.
Rick is happily married to Kelly and they have raised three wonderful children. He and his wife love animals and have a dog and cat that fill their life with non-stop entertainment Rick enjoys exercise, college football, time outdoors, and has completed an Ironman Triathlon. He and his wife enjoy time with family, travel, going to movies, and watching too many home improvement shows on HGTV.
Thor Davidson has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Wheaton (Noon Club) since 2015 and a Rotarian since 2001. He has previously been a member of the Hunt Valley Rotary Club (Hunt Valley, MD) where he served as Treasurer, as well as the Rotary Club of Springdale (Springdale, AR). He served the Rotary Club of Wheaton as President, Membership Co-Chair, Foundation Chair, and currently as Public Image Coordinator. In addition to his club roles, he has served as Assistant Governor the past three years in District 6440.
A graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Thor has a BA in Accounting and Economics. After a successful 17 year career in finance, logistics and operations, Thor retired from Tyson Foods, Inc. in Springdale, AR. A servant leader, he has been a lifelong member of Boy Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, then serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster in both Arkansas and Maryland.
Thor is an active member of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Naperville, IL, where he is serving his second term on Church Council and holds the position of Stewardship Chair. He and his wife, Wendy, have been active members of the ELCA Bishop’s Advisory Council since 2017. For the past two years, he has volunteered on the parent board for Benet Academy Girls Lacrosse.
Thor lives in Wheaton, IL with his wife and two children: Anders, a recent college graduate, and Brenna, a high school senior.
District 6440 Rotary Youth Exchange restarting. Host families and volunteers shared their hopes for the coming year long-term program:
Exchange of cultural values and experiences.
Have a good experience for the student and our family while learning to speak Spanish more fluently and learn about another culture.
Re-energize the District interest for Rotary Youth Exchange.
General experiences of hosting a student in our home.
Excited to be involved with a new exchange student again.
Introducing my son to a new culture with the hope of sparking his interest in travel.
Have fun with the program.
Restarting the exchange program again in our club.
If you are interested in having your Rotary Club participate in 2023 reciprocal summer, 2023-24 long-term program, or are a Rotarian interested in volunteering at the District level now, or a student thinking about the exchange program, or a family willing to open your heart and home to a student, CONTACT US! RYE.chair@rotary6440.org
Mary Bak of Glenview has been named District Governor of Rotary International District 6440, which spans Chicago’s north, northwest and many western suburbs. She will lead Rotary’s 65 clubs and 2,000 members during the 2023-2024 year.
Mary Bak has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise since 1991. Prior to joining the District Governor line, she served as an assistant governor, district grants chair and grants chair.
She received her B.A. degree from Loyola University, Chicago, and her J.D. from DePaul University. She retired from the Village of Glenview in December 2013 as Director of Community Development/Special Counsel. Bak is currently the development services manager for Kinzie Real Estate Services. She focuses on pre-development work on suburban infill projects and the re-entitlement of distressed real estate projects to bring them back to market.
Mary and Bob Bak live in Glenview, Ill. and Powers Lake, Wis. They have three children and four grandchildren.
Rotary International’s 1.4 million members in 200 countries solve problems and create lasting change to improve lives. Along with the 500+ District Governors across the world, Mary’s focus in 2023-24 will be to “Create Hope in the World,” by focusing on mental health awareness, empowering women and girls, and bringing an end to Polio. In District 6440, Rotary clubs support worthy causes and engage in hands-on service projects to benefit their communities. Globally, Rotarians help promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water/sanitation/hygiene, mothers and children, support education, grow local economies and protect the environment.
Mary Bak of Glenview Installed as District Governor
District 6440 is renewing the very popular Public Image Grant Program for 2022-2023 to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo. About half of all clubs received grants last year and we hope more will now.
The Grant Program provides matching grants (up to $500 per club) for APPROVED new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper/movie theater advertising, member recruiting materials, community fair signage and much more. We want new positive marketing materials that bolster Rotary visibility in each community.
These new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members (a big District priority), strengthen your image and enhance community service projects. And our District could reduce your cost.
On Thursday evening November 3, over 170 Rotarians and guests gathered to Celebrate District 6440’s engagement with The Rotary Foundation and the district's impact locally and internationally.
Rotary International Director Pat Merryweather-Arges lauded District 6440’s generous giving to the Foundation. She also recognized our club's participation in meaningful service projects locally and internationally. She made special note of our district’s collaboration with sixteen districts in a recent Disaster Response Grant providing $400,00 in medical supplies to Ukraine.
Other guests included our district's current Global Grant and Peace Fellow Scholars, and Barbara Toney of The Blane Foundation, who announced a $100,000 gift to the PolioPlus fund of The Rotary Foundation.
A highlight of the evening was recognizing our four clubs with total contributions topping $1 Million to The Rotary Foundation: the Rotary Clubs of Highland-Park Highwood, Northbrook, Wheeling and Wilmette, and our Top 3 Giving Clubs in Rotary year 2021-22—Dundee Township, NE Chicagoland Passport and Northbrook.
During the evening we paused to recognize how our clubs participate in The Rotary Foundation's mission—Doing Good in the World, and recognizing those who make the world a better place with their time and treasure! Big thanks to all of our Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors, Paul Harris Society, Polio Plus Society, and Bequest Society members, Major Donors, and Arch Klumph Society donors. THANK YOU!
RI Director Pat Merryweather-Arges
Barbara Toney of The Blane Foundation
Clubs with total contributions topping $1 Million to The Rotary Foundation
Rotary International collaborates with several organizations, including ShelterBox, Habitat for Humanity, and the Peace Corps. Partnering for Peace works to identify and nurture the relationship between the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV’s) and Rotary clubs in their home towns in the United States. For the past two years, Partnering for Peace has sponsored a week-long seminar, “Peacemaking on the Ground” during Rotary-Peace Corps week – which this year is September 19-23, 2022.
Partnering for Peace strives to link each Returned Peace Corps Volunteer with a Rotary club near their home community. In addition, as new volunteers are now able to return to service, Rotary helps these new Peace Corps volunteers find and meet with Rotary clubs before they leave for their service – and then meet up with Rotary clubs in the countries where they will serve overseas. This network of Rotarians and Peace Corps volunteers creates the basis for grantmaking and humanitarian service through Rotary. Rotary’s Areas of Focus mirror exactly the areas which Peace Corps volunteers support – creating countless possibilities for collaboration – if we make connections with each other.
Partnering for Peace- Rotary & Peace Corps Volunteers
In accordance with all requirements of the District 6440 Manual of Procedure, the District Nominating Committee has designated Marlene Frisbie of the Woodstock Rotary Club as nominee for the position of District 6440 Governor 2025-2026.
Marlene has been a member of the Rotary Club of Woodstock since June, 2015. She serves her club as chair of the Public Image Committee, and actively participates on the Christmas Clearinghouse committee, the club’s largest project serving over 1,100 families in the Woodstock school district. She has served as an Assistant Governor for District 6440 since 2020.
Marlene has a B.S. degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Urbana, an MBA from DePaul University, and has passed the CPA exam. She began her career in public accounting and then worked in external financial reporting at two different Fortune 500 companies in Chicago, until she transitioned to working as Controller for a local wholesale perennial grower. When the owner decided to relocate that business to South Carolina, Marlene purchased the local operations and moved the business to McHenry County.
Prairie Haven operated for over eight years, employing up to 45 people and serving garden centers and landscapers throughout Illinois and the surrounding area. When Prairie Haven closed, the property was sold to another local grower and Marlene joined them as controller and sales manager. After 14 years there, Marlene reclaimed her gardening season and returned to doing tax and accounting work, working part time for a small local firm as well as serving several personal clients. Never one to miss a cliché, she decided to retire from the local firm in 2020 and now is self-employed, serving a handful of clients.
Marlene has been married to Hugh for 44 years. Hugh is retired from a career in accounting and consulting with RSM International. Their son Brandon is married to Martina and works as a software engineer for Google. They live in Woodstock with their children, Will, age 2 1/2, Emmie, age 1, and a player to be named later in 2023. Their daughter Catherine is Primary Head of Music at the Bangkok International School in Thailand, and she spends her free time traveling all over the world. Marlene and Hugh live on several acres just outside of Woodstock, and when they are not traveling themselves, they enjoy restoring the land and spending time with the grandchildren. Marlene also is an accomplished photographer and has exhibited her photos in the 4th Friday Art event and other local events.
Join the Nominating Committee in congratulating Marlene!
Marlene Frisbie Named District Governor Nominee Designate for 2025-26
Congratulations to our 229 Charter Members of the PolioPlus Society!
And kudos to the fifty clubs represented on the Roster. Every member makes a difference in delivering on the promise of a polio free world.
Membership in the PolioPlus Society is open to all Rotarians. If you haven’t yet joined, you can do so now!
Let’s set a goal of 100% of our clubs represented in the PolioPlus Society. Join the PolioPlus Society. A PolioPlus Society pin awaits you after pledging and donating. Updates to the Society will be made quarterly.
Congratulations to our Polio Plus Society Charter Members
Immediate Past District Governor Kevin Stevens has announced that nominations are now being accepted for District 6440 Governor for Rotary Year 2025-26. Information for those interested, and the nominating form to be submitted, are available on the District Website by clicking here.
Nominating forms must be submitted to PDG Kevin by Monday, September 5th. A Nomination Committee chaired by PDG Kevin and consisting of past club presidents, current or past club secretaries, Past District Governors and members-at-large, will interview candidates on Monday, September 12th.
A ShelterBox HERO is a Rotary Club that has committed to making an impact in worldwide disaster response by donating at least $1,000 (Bronze), $3,000 (Silver), or $5,000 (Gold) within the Rotary year to ShelterBox.
HERO Clubs enable ShelterBox to have the resources and time to be ready when disaster strikes by allowing ShelterBox to purchase and pre-position aid in or near countries where we respond often, resulting in a more efficient and timely response.
The District 6440 HERO LIST for Rotary Year 2021-22, as of 6/20/22
GOLD - $5,000.00 +
Libertyville Sunrise
Northbrook
Wheaton
SILVER - $3,000.00+
Glen Ellyn
Lake Forest-Lake Bluff
McHenry Area
Winnetka Northfield
BRONZE - $1,000.00+
Arlington Heights
Bartlett
Carol Stream
Elk Grove Village
Fox Valley Sunset
Glenview Sunrise
Grayslake
Mundelein-Vernon Hills
Richmond Spring Grove Area
Wheeling
Wilmette
Wilmette Harbor
Huntley
Skokie Valley
Congratulations to all!
21 District 6440 Rotary Clubs Named ShelterBox HEROes
At a well attended ceremony on Thursday June 23, Bill Kmiecik of the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights was officially installed as District 6440 Governor for the year beginning July 1.
Bill has been a Rotarian since February 15, 2007. He has served the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights as president, vice president, treasurer, and community service chair. He has also served on numerous committees including chairing the initial Arlington Heights Rotary Santa Run in 2008. He has been a District 6440 Assistant Governor, the District Annual Fund Chair, a member of the District Visioning Team, the District Finance Committee and the Foundation Committee. Bill joined the District 6440 Governor Line in 2019.
Bill is a CPA and holds a Master’s degree in Taxation. He is the Founder and Retired President of Wisdom Investments, a boutique, fee only, financial planning, investment management and tax firm in Rolling Meadows. Bill has also worked in Corporate America as a Tax and Finance professional and began his career as an Internal Revenue Agent. Bill taught accounting and finance classes at Harper College and in the MBA program at Northern Illinois University for over 10 years. He subsequently worked as a consultant for Harper College and the College of Lake County teaching insurance and finance classes at local companies.
Bill has been married to Betsy, who is also a Rotarian, for 42 years. Betsy is a retired Human Resources executive, most recently with Paddock Publications. Bill and Betsy met while working as auditors for the Internal Revenue Service, where they frequently smiled at one another, but not in front of taxpayers so as not to jeopardize their G-Man and G-Lady scowl (just kidding, most if not all IRS personnel are really nice people). They have 2 children, Brian who is married to Stephanie and Emily, a nurse and the prettiest single girl in the world. Both children live in the Chicago area.
Bill and Betsy are passionate about Rotary, the projects, the causes and the enthusiasm of the members. They have been to Guatemala, Peru and Uganda on Rotary Service trips and those trips as well as the people they have traveled with and the natives they have met fires their enthusiasm for the needs around the world and the ways in which we as Rotarians can help meet those needs.
Bill and Betsy are Paul Harris Fellows, members of the Paul Harris Society, Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society.
Presenting Rotary District District Governor 2022-23 Bill Kmiecik
District Governor Kevin Stevens and PDG Lyle Staab, Dean, are honored to announce the 2022 graduating class of the District Leadership Academy.
The DLA is an online program, lasting just over six months, giving the participants a broad understanding of how Rotary works and how they can be more effective in their Club and in the District. Modules on Orientation, Membership, Public Image, Youth Service, Organization, and The Rotary Foundation are facilitated by experts from D6440, most of whom are DLA grads.
We welcome the following into the Society of the Academy.
Thor Davidson - Wheaton
Christina Ferraro – River Cities
Tom Hatting - Wheaton
Charlotta Koppanyi – Evanston Lighthouse
Jonathan Lavin – Skokie Valley
Evelyn Lee - Evanston
Sonja Martin – North Chicago
John Mulherin – Glen Ellyn
Dee Santucci – Glenview Sunrise
Kathy Tate-Bradish – Evanston Lighthouse
Alex Todd – River Cities
Tom Von Lunen - Batavia
Carol Williams – Northwest Supper
Tony Winter - Batavia
This year's graduating class of 14 is the largest since the first commencement in 2015. Like the 47 previous graduates, they will use the knowledge they acquired to make a substantial difference in their clubs, in the district, and around the world.
Applications for the 2022-23 program will open in July. Questions can be directed to Lyle Staab at gov.lyle@rotary6440.org.
Registration is LIVE for our District 6440 Annual Conference "Celebrate Changing Lives!"
Please visit our conference website and register to join us May 20-22 at Lake Geneva for an engaging, relaxing and entertaining weekend of fellowship and celebrations!
> Golfers - Bring your game for our Friday morning scramble on The Highlands! Challenge yourself for our $10,000 Hole in One!
> Families and friends can enjoy our off site excursions and the waterpark at Timber Ridge! Downtown Lake Geneva is just a few minutes away if you wish to wander. Join us Friday afternoon and challenge your friends at our Pasta Jenga and Food Art competitions - which also serves as a food drive for the Lake Geneva Food Pantry.
> Special Conference Hotel Room Rate is available until April 19th!
> Purchase your conference gear through the conference website as well. All gear ordered prior to May 1st will be delivered in your conference registration bag. Non attendees can also order gear to be direct shipped to your home.
> Please also visit our Sponsor page and consider how you, your program and your club can benefit from supporting our conference.
> Saturday is set up as a commuter day for those guests who are not planning to stay at the hotel.
Register Now for the District 6440 Annual Conference!
TO: CLUB PRESIDENTS, CLUB FOUNDATION CHAIRS, CLUB GRANTS CHAIRS, CLUB INTERNATIONAL SERVICE CHAIRS
FROM: DG Kevin Stevens
March 24, 2022
THIS MESSAGE EXPLAINS A ONE-TIME OPPORTUNITY TO USE YOUR CLUB’S REMAINING DDF ELIGIBILITY WITHOUT A CASH MATCH. PLEASE REVIEW AND ACT ASAP.
The conflict in Ukraine and the resulting desire to offer help and assistance through Rotary has resulted in a number of options that the District is making available for D6440 Clubs which have not used all of their District Designated Funds (DDF) for 2021-22. The attached file shows how much your club has left, if any; see the column highlighted in blue.
By District policy, this DDF can normally only be earmarked for Global Grants, and to do so requires an equivalent cash match. The club forfeits any DDF Eligibility unused by June 30.
However, it’s an extraordinary year.
The Governors Line and the Grants Committee have agreed to renew the opportunity that was offered last year to utilize DDF without a requirement for a cash match.
How Much DDF does my Club have available for a Global Grant? Here is a link to the DDF eligibility by club as of 3/18/22.DDF Eligibility 2021-22 as of 3.18.22 The “blue column” shows your club’s available DDF.
What does that mean to your club? Options are available:
1) DONATE IT TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION, WITHOUT A CASH MATCH.
Your club can donate your DDF eligibility to one of three Rotary Foundation causes:
the Disaster Response Fund
End Polio Now Fund, or
Peacebuilding (supporting Rotary’s Peace Institutes and Peace Fellows program).
HOW CAN WE MAKE A DONATION? Submit your designation via this form:
Special Note: Donate your DDF to the Disaster Response Fund prior to April 23 to benefit the Ukraine War Relief efforts. If your club DDF contribution is guided to the Disaster Relief Fund after April 23 but before May 31, 2022, it will be directed to the general Disaster Response Fund.
2) ASSIGN YOUR REMAINING DDF ELIGIBILITY TO A GLOBAL GRANT PROJECT SEEKING SUPPORT, WITHOUT A CASH MATCH.
If you want to support a fellow D6440 club, there are multiple clubs working to submit Global Grants. Please contact Randy Wear, Global Grants Chair, globalgrants@rotary6440.org, for information. They would appreciate your DDF. Please consider their proposal if approached.
HOW DO WE SUPPORT A GLOBAL GRANT?
Submit your request for Global Grant DDF to the District Grant Committee VIA THIS FORM. Only submissions received by 5/31 will not require a cash match.
Inform the Club originating the Global Grant how much DDF you will contribute to their project.
FOR ALL PURPOSES, THE DEADLINE FOR DDF SUBMISSIONS IS 5PM FRIDAY, MAY 31! USE IT OR LOSE IT!
We’ve scheduled a short Zoom meeting for Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00pm, to answer your questions on this opportunity. Connect here. If you need it, the Meeting ID is 869 7615 3618, and the Passcode is 095152. The session will be recorded for those of you unable to attend.
We encourage your club to put its money to good use. Make a decision, fill out the forms, and submit. The District will confirm receipt of your forms.
Want to tell hundreds to thousands of qualified local businesspeople and community leaders why your Rotary club would be great for them – and get their names and contacts?
Our District 6440 has developed a new Membership Development Program to help clubs generate qualified member leads. We’re offering this as a Pilot Program now, hoping that three or four clubs will participate, and expand it later to all District clubs.
The campaign places "Join Rotary" Internet ads on the computers, phones and tablets of hundreds-to-thousands of your local Chamber of Commerce members, once or twice per day for two months. If someone clicks on it, they'll see a one-minute landing page video for your Rotary club where the club president summarizes your club and shows four or five pictures of your best service projects and fundraisers. If interested, viewers click to enter their name, email address and phone -- and this lead goes directly to your Membership Chair.
(We can make this work if there are two or three clubs in your suburb who participate together.)
VISIT THIS LINK to access the online application for this year’s Cooperative District Grant Program. Create a consortium of three to ten clubs to pursue a local project addressing one of the seven areas of focus, and apply for a match for each club’s spending up to $1000.
A bonus of 10% will be added to the District DDF for projects focused on Empowering Girls; SEE HERE for ideas.
District 6440 is renewing the popular Public Image Grant Program for 2021-2022 to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo. The Grant Program provides matching grants (up to $500 per club) for APPROVED new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper/movie theater advertising, member recruiting materials, community fair signage and much more. We want new positive marketing materials that bolster Rotary visibility in each community.
These new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members (a big District priority), strengthen your image and enhance community service projects. And our District could reduce your cost.
Yes, it can be a challenge to know where and how to start, so just start and be the difference! The following clubs did just that with their projects this fall.
Be mindful that clean up projects are more than just picking up the trash. Invite Interact clubs and the community to join you and discover new partners. Be sure to identify and record what and how much you collect. Useful apps like clean swell or marine debris tracker can make this easy. And be sure to leverage that data with the press and your local governmental agencies.
Rotary Club of Batavia- Fox River Clean Up
“It gave us a great sense of accomplishment to clean up our Fox River” said, Teri Dykhuis, the Batavia Rotary Club Environmental Chair. She and her fellow Batavia Rotarians participated in the ‘It’s Our Fox River Day’ Clean Up sponsored by the Friends of the Fox River (friendsofthefoxriver.org) on Saturday September 18. “We cleaned up trash, tires, car parts, tarps and even a wagon wheel,” claimed Dykhuis. "It was a great day to serve!"
Immediate Past District Governor Lyle Staab has announced that nominations are now being accepted for District 6440 Governor for Rotary Year 2024-2025. Information for those interested, and the nominating form to be submitted, are available on the District Website by clicking here.
Nominating forms must be submitted to PDG Lyle by Monday, September 6th. A Nomination Committee chaired by PDG Lyle, and consisting of past club presidents, current or past club secretaries, Past District Governors, and members-at-large, will interview candidates on the evening of Monday, September 13th, beginning at approximately 7:00PM.
Application materials now are available for the District Leadership Academy Class of 2022. We invite all Club members to enroll in this outstanding online educational program and commit to graduating with this next class.
Club board members or committee chairs, Presidents Nominee, Presidents-elect, District Assistant Governors and committee chairs, members of District committees, and anyone who aspires to serve later as a club or district leader are encouraged to seize this opportunity. The program is a six-and-a-half-month series of courses (excluding December) that covers RI Communications, Membership, Public Image, Youth Service, RI Organization, and The Rotary Foundation.
“Collaborating with Toastmasters will provide our members with even more opportunities to develop and improve their leadership and communication skills,” said John Hewko, general secretary and CEO of Rotary International. “In turn, members of Toastmasters can connect with more people, take advantage of new speaking and learning opportunities, and make a difference in their communities through Rotary."
”The strategic alliance with Rotary is exciting and allows both organizations to leverage our unique and similar strengths,” says Deepak Menon, Toastmasters' 2019-20 International President. “We look forward to providing our current and prospective members with ongoing additional offerings that meet their evolving needs.”
With its first unofficial meeting held in Bloomington, Ill., in March 1905, Toastmasters is a global nonprofit organization with more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Its members attend club meetings where they learn how to be more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Toastmasters’ vision for the ongoing collaboration with Rotary is to change more lives for the better, and positively impact communities around the world.
Five major public hospitals and SIAS in Guatemala have been provided essential medical equipment and personal protection accessories to benefit approximately 3,500 front line health workers against COVID-19. SIAS (Sistema Integral de Atención en Salud) is in charge of planning for first and second level medical attention countrywide, and as such in charge of distributing personal protection equipment to health care workers.
Guatemala Sur Rotary Club in partnership with Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club received a Global grant from The Rotary Foundation for USD $300,988 to purchase and distribute the essential equipment to various facilities.
Join us on Friday, February 12th at noon for the second in Rotary District 6440's COVID Vaccination Speaker Series. Dr. Stuart Marcus, Chief Clinical Officer of Amita Health, speaks on COVID Vaccine Myths. This builds on his terrific first talk about Amita Health's experience dealing with COVID-19, and on the Science of Vaccines. The live stream and, soon after, a recording are available at our Facebook page, facebook.com/rotary6440
COVID Vaccination Speaker Series - COVID Vaccine Myths
District 6440 is renewing the Public Image Grant Program for 2020-2021 to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo. The Grant Program provides matching grants (up to $500 per club) for new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper/movie theater advertising, member recruiting materials, community fair signage and much more. We want new positive marketing materials that bolster Rotary visibility in each community.
These new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members (a big District priority), strengthen your image and enhance community service projects.
As we all know we are in the midst of a COVID-19 surge that could continue for months......and all with the hope of the COVID-19 vaccine on its way starting with the front-line health workers; followed by those at risk; and eventually the rest of the population in the US.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has started an Ambassador program for outreach to all communities throughout Illinois -- the goal is for peer to peer communication on COVID-19 prevention initiatives as well as COVID-19 immunizations as soon as they are available.
I have been volunteering with IDPH on a variety of initiatives and this is one that we know will engage and inform more people. They would like Rotarians to be involved because of their knowledge and passion for Polio immunizations to stop the spread of the disease --- and they know that some Rotarians were young when Polio struck in the US and have memories of the need to protect children ---- sort of like the need now to protect vulnerable populations.
If you are interested in getting involved as a Prevention Ambassador with the Illinois Department of Public Health, additional information is below and also in the attached one-pager. If you or someone in your District/Clubs want to take this on, please have them complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VNFZQRC so IDPH has their contact info as materials will be sent to them soon and training will be right after Thanksgiving.
Thank you - if you have questions, let me know.
Pat
Patricia Merryweather-Arges, PDG
Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator - 2018 - 2021
Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group Board - 2019-2022
Rotary District International Services Chair 2016-2023
District Representative to Council on Legislation and Resolution 2020-2023
Presidential Peace Conference Chair in Chicago, 2018
With COVID-19 cases rising there is a need and opportunity to engage with and empower everyday Illinoisans across the state, in an ongoing and intentional way, to assist in outreach and prevention efforts. By giving Illinoisans opportunities to serve and assist in Illinois’ COVID-19 response efforts this enables them to become contributors, problem solvers and partners in helping their communities.
I am reaching out to ask if you would consider serving as an Ambassador or assist in identifying Ambassadors from the community you live and work in. For more information, description of role and responsibilities, and to sign up please see this one-pager.
The commitment for this effort is minimal and can be incorporated into your daily life (examples include sending out an email to a listserv you may be subscribed to, sharing flyers with information, doing a facebook live, participating or hosting a Zoom meeting, making an announcement during your small group, church, mosque or other place of worship, etc.). IDPH will work with Ambassadors on an ongoing, regular basis to provide support, share accurate and current information, and ultimately to ensure community impact.
The Challenge: Since March 2020, our country has been going through many challenges due to COVID 19. In addition to its medical impact, we have seen its serious effects on the day to day living, financial and emotional wellbeing of people.
We would like to cite a unique challenge faced by the elementary school students at Sunny Hill School within Barrington School District 220. Ms. Lori Ford, Enrichment Instructional Specialist at Sunny Hill, brought the challenge to our attention. She wrote:
“Due to the implications of COVID-19, our students are currently distance learning from home, and will remain in this capacity for some of their instruction, even with the hybrid learning model (starting October 19th). While District 220 is a 1:1 educational institution with technology for each student (iPads), it has become apparent that our students at Sunny Hill Elementary need additional tools for their learning to be as effective as possible in this unique situation. Bluetooth keyboards, specifically for our 3-5 grade students, are typically available to students in the school setting and especially useful for word processing.”
District 6440 Rotary Clubs continue their longstanding partnership with Operation Warm to bring warmth, confidence and hope to local children living in need. This year, 19 clubs have either already ordered new Operation Warm winter coats for children in their communities, plan to over the coming weeks, or are supporting other local Operation Warm programs.
District 6440 first began working with Operation Warm in 2009, after several club President Elects met the organization at the Land of Lincoln PETS conference. Then President Elect Rich Lalley, of the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield, was looking for a signature project for his year as President, and Operation Warm fit the bill perfectly.
The District 6440 Nominating Committee has selected Mary Bak to be District Governor for the 2023-2024 Rotary year. A member of the Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise, she currently serves the District as Grants Committee Chair. Mary is a past District Secretary, Assistant Governor, and Club President, has been a member of the District Visioning Team, and is a Paul Harris Fellow.
The Nominating Committee also selected PDG Julie Clark of the Rotary Club of Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates to be Vice-Governor for the 2021-2022 Rotary year.
Congratulations to Mary and Julie and thank you for your commitment to Rotary and our District!
Rotary members have played an invaluable role in the effort to rid the African region of wild polio. We should be proud of all the hard work that we’ve done to eliminate the wild poliovirus throughout Africa and in nearly every country in the world.
This progress is the result of a decades-long effort across the 47 countries of the African region. It has involved millions of health workers traveling by foot, boat, bike and bus, innovative strategies to vaccinate children amid conflict and insecurity, and a huge disease surveillance network to test cases of paralysis and check sewage for the virus.
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
Jones will officially become president-nominee on 1 October if no other candidates challenge her.
Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact.
“As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”
The Rotary Means Business Fellowship encourages Rotarians to support the success of their fellow Rotarians by doing business with them, and by referring others. We’re partnering with D6450 to establish a Chicagoland chapter. The inaugural meeting is this Thursday, July 30th, at 6PM via Zoom. Registration and more information here. NOTE: D6440 ROTARIANS MUST REGISTER AS A GUEST. D6450 IS HOSTING THIS REGISTRATION, AND YOU'RE NOT IN THEIR SYSTEM!
Hours before becoming District Governor, Lyle Staab shared his thoughts on how Rotary Opens Opportunities in the time of COVID-19. It's fourteen minutes or information and inspiration.
Presentation of The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award to Narayan Murarka by PDG Bruce Baumberger, July 2, 2020
It is my pleasure to announce that Narayan Murarka, has been selected by The Rotary Foundation Trustees to receive the Distinguished Service Award. Having worked with Narayan for many years, I was honored to have the opportunity to nominate him for this prestigious award.
As I tell you about Narayan’s accomplishments, you will understand why he is one of the forty-two recipients of the award this year. Upon joining Rotary in 2000, Narayan became an immediate participant in humanitarian projects, locally and globally. When Future Vision, our current Rotary grant model launched in 2011, he mastered its intricacies and initiated his first WASH-related global grant in Guatemala benefiting over 20,000 children in over 60 schools.
At the 2021 Rotary International (Taipei) Convention, an RI director will be elected by club members in our zone. This director will serve on the RI Board in 2022–24.
Clubs wishing to submit a qualified Rotarian for consideration by the Nominating Committee for Director in your zone must follow the following guidelines:
As Illinois moves into Stage 4 of reopening, Rotary Clubs are asking how and when they should resume in-person meetings. Our Rotary Zone has prepared a comprehensive guide for club boards to use as they work through this process.
The guide identifies challenges, action steps to consider, a leadership discussion guide, how to create a decision tree, how to create a communications plan, and provides additional useful resources. You access the comprehensive guide by clicking here.
Congratulations to these 20 Rotary Clubs for their outstanding performance this past year! And special recognition to the 12 clubs honored with Distinction. Let's give a round of applause to the Club Presidents, their leadership teams and members for being People of Action being Vibrant Rotary Clubs!
Looking for interesting speakers for your club meetings? Why not feature one of The Rotary Foundation's premier programs by having a Peace Fellow Alum make a presentation?
These are tremendous people doing great work to build peace in the world. Many are currently working on COVID-19 Relief programs and many others work in creating more social justice in our world.
The Rotary Peace Fellow Alumni Associationhas created a database of alumni willing to provide interactive talks, webinars and lead virtual town hall discussions for your members.
You can learn about the data base on how to request speakers here.
Rotary and Toastmasters working together creating opportunities for professional growth of both Rotary and Toastmaster members
RI President Mark Maloney recently released this announcement about the partnership between Rotary International and Toastmasters. This is a wonderful opportunity for our members and members of Toastmasters clubs. While we are very early into our relationship, our members are encouraged to learn about Toastmasters, visit their clubs, invite Toastmaster members to our meetings as visitors and speakers, and seek synergies where our clubs working together can make an impact for members and the community.
From RI President Mark Maloney:
I am excited to share some good news: Rotary International and Toastmasters International are working together to provide our members with even more opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Toastmasters International is a global nonprofit organization with more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Its members attend club meetings where they give speeches, evaluate the speeches of others, and perform other club duties, with the goal of ultimately becoming more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders. Our organizations are complementary in many ways, but we are each unique in what we offer our members.
In only a few weeks since announcing the District Grant program, 54 clubs have put plans in place to support their community during this time of heightened need. Most programs support local food pantries, others support local health care workers, the elderly, vets or homeless families. Read on to see a recap of these great initiatives.
Some of the hardest hit populations during this COVID-19 crisis are seniors living in nursing homes and assisting living residences. Not only are these facilities some of the hardest hit with infections and deaths, they are now quarantined, so residents are isolated and lonely, and staff are overburdened.
Rotary clubs can respond to this heightened need in many ways. Start by reaching out by phone to see what their needs are and how your club can help. Perhaps you can send properly prepared food and treats for residents and staff (check with facility staff for requirements), or send Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards to residents.
Here is a listing of senior living facilities in District 6440. Leave a comment on this story and leave a post with photo on the District 6440 Facebook page. Thank you for being People of Action and serving your community while maintaining social distancing!
The District Virtual Meeting Committee has published a new Virtual Meeting Training Resources page. New resources include Rotary branded virtual backgrounds, a keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet for PC and Mac,, and a link to a Harvard Business Review article on keys to running great virtual meetings. You can also find our Guide Using Zoom presentation. Other resources will be added as they are identified.
While we are staying at home, why not visit other Rotary club virtual meetings. Here's a listing of when clubs are meetingand who to contact to get the Zoom link for their meetings.
This year, Rotary’s President Mark Maloney has asked Clubs to Unite People, Take Action and strive for achievements that support Rotary’s strategic priorities.
2019/20 District 6440 Governor Suzanne Gibson’s Vibrant Club Challenge is aligned with these priorities and will recognize the work and commitment that clubs throughout the District have invested in connecting the world and becoming people of action.
Except as noted, the Governor’s Challenge will start on July 1, 2019 and end May 15th 2020. Award criteria have been updated to reflect our new COVID-19 reality.
Clubs that achieve 50% or more of the goals in both categories will be recognized at the 2020 District Conference. Clubs that achieve 70% of the goals in both categories will earn recognition with distinction.
Health and economics. Two of life's biggest stressors. Many of us, our family and friends are fearful and experiencing heightened anxiety. Fortunately, there are practical steps you can take and readily available resources to help during this trying time. Please share these with your fellow Rotarians, family and friends.
National Association on Mental Illness-NAMI: is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. You can find your local NAMI chapter here, and learn about the reources they offer.
The Des Moines NAMI chapter is offering a FREE series of weekly inspirational speakers every Wednesday through May 27. Learn more and register here.
Many clubs are booking mental health experts to their virtual club meetings to discuss practical steps that one can take to relieve fear and anxiety and lead a more fulfilling life. Clinical psychologist and Past District Governor Mary Berge of District 7330 in Pennsylvania joined the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield last week and discussed practical steps everyone can take to improve your mental health. You can see her presentation here, and read her post on Rotary Voices "The happier we are, the better we serve."
Consider inviting a mental health professional to make a presentation at one of your upcoming meetings, and pass along other resources that you find helpful.
Finally, if you might benefit from professional help, you can search for nearby therapists on Psychology Today's directory. Almost all insurance policies are now covering teletherapy.
Like much of the world, most Rotary District 6440 clubs have transitioned to meeting virtually, many with the Zoom meeting system. With so many people and groups using the system, it is not surprising that bad-actors are now crashing meetings to spread propaganda and hate messages or just cause mischief. Other bad-actors are looking for ways to learn private information about users that they can use in criminal activity and scams.
Zoom is taking this issue seriously and has devoted all of its development resources to enhancing the systems security features. All registered users can expect regular email updates from Zoom (the first came Friday April 3) and app updates.
We anticipate that Zoom's security settings and recommended protocols will be changing, and the District Virtual Meeting Committee will keep our clubs' Virtual Meeting Coordinators updated.
Going forward, all Zoom meetings will require passwords. At this time, this feature cannot be disabled.
Several clubs are using phone trees to get in touch with all of their members, especially those that do not regularly utilize email. The idea is the one member calls three or for others, who then call three or four assigned members, who then call three or four other members. The trick is for each member to know who to call. To help with that, here is a simple Excel file you can use to create a phone tree for your club. Download here to get the file. Add member names and phone numbers to each cell as marked. Once you have this filled in, you can send by email to those high in the tree.
The Rotary District 6640 Foundation Committee is proud to announce an opportunity for your club to participate in a special grant program targeting immediate community needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. District 6440 will immediately make up to $40,000 in District Designated Funds (DDF) available as matching grants for club responses to the current public health crisis.
The District is offering Clubs the ability to access these funds to meet the immediate COVID-19 related needs in your community. Our goal is to make the application process as simple as possible; the grant use purposes to be as broad as possible, and the issuance of checks to be as soon as possible! Read on for details.
In this uncertain time, we understand family and work are top priorities. When your thoughts do turn to Rotary, District 6440 stands ready to support you and your club.
For many of us, our Rotary family is also an important part of our lives. These friendships connect us to our communities and the world and provide avenues for soul enriching service.
All our clubs cancelled in-person meetings for the foreseeable future. But that does not mean we need to give up on our regular fellowship opportunities. In fact, several clubs already met this week, virtually, using Zoom. I participated in several, and can report that for most participants it was a welcome connection with friends, opportunity to catch up, and to begin making club plans for our “new normal.”
Zoom is a very easy to use and powerful communications platform for holding virtual meetings. For many of us, it is new, and seems a bit challenging. It was for me. But I tried using it, and now use it all the time - for Rotary and even to connect with family. I encourage you to give it a go!
And District 6440 will underwrite the cost for your club to have a one year Zoom Pro account! Read on to learn more.
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440, in partnership with Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250, has made positive and meaningful impact for the population in the Sumpango Municipality, Department of Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. This was achieved by implementing two major global grants (GG25643 and GG1411300) awarded by the Rotary Foundation with a total budget of $350,000 USD over the last eight years.
Partnerships and alliances have been the major building blocks in achieving success based on excellent relationship with the local and national governments, school authorities and the community. This also is an example of cooperation and collaboration between Rotary clubs and districts.
The Rotary Club of Wilmette formed an evening Satellite Club with eight new members at the Bottle Shop Dec. 3rd. While the main Rotary Club of Wilmette has 48 members and meets noon Wednesdays at the Wilmette Golf Club, the evening Satellite Club appeals to interested neighbors who work downtown or can’t get away from suburban responsibilities mid-day. It recognizes the busy workloads and personal schedules of many Wilmette-area adults who can now fully participate in the world’s oldest and largest service organization at a convenient time.
The Satellite meets at 7 pm twice monthly at a member’s home, office, local winery or restaurant. Its members are full Rotarians and will participate in Rotary Club of Wilmette activities and service projects (including their own), and all of Rotary International.
District 6440 Rotary Clubs are beginning to submit Public Image Grant applications. This story will share how some of our club are using the grant.
The Rotary Club of Elgin purchased pop up banners to use at community events.
The Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield has installed 2 new "Rotary Meets Here" signs at the Community House where they meet and is running an ad in the annual Chamber of Commerce Community Guide.
Rotary International President-Elect Holger Knaack has announced Rotary's theme for 2020-2021. Speaking at the International Assembly in San Diego, he revealed the theme in a speech to 529 District Governors-Elect who will lead Rotary's 1.2 million members worldwide. Rotary isn’t just a club for people to join, but rather “an invitation to endless opportunities,” said Knaack, who becomes president on 1 July. He emphasized that Rotary creates pathways for members to improve their lives and the lives of those they help through service projects. You can read or hear his speech, and download the theme logo and materials, at https://www.rotary.org/en/holger-knaack-sees-opportunities-rotary-change-thrive.
Over 300 hundred students and adults involved in Rotary youth programs - Interact, RYLA, and Rotary Youth Exchange - gathered on Saturday, November 23rd at Forest View Educational Center in Arlington Heights to celebrate the good Rotary does around the world helping those in need. Five very experienced and knowledgeable alumni of Rotary and its programs spoke on the impact they're making and the connections they've created as they pursue "Service Above Self". The Showcase highlighted charities, presented projects, and shared ideas. It was a day of inspiration, information, collaboration, and fun. Thanks to all who made the Third Annual D6440 Youth Assembly a success - attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, and volunteers! See you next year!
Photos from the day can be viewed via this LINK. Click HERE to see the program.
Barbara Blane Toney, daughter of beloved Rotarian Jack Blane has announced The Jack B. Blane Gift for PolioPlus—a $500,000 donation to the PolioPlus Fund. The first $100,000 has been released to the Rotary Club of Wheeling and the club will receive full credit for the donation. The funds will be matched 2:1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for a total of $1.5 Million dollars! The gift was announced to the International PolioPlus Committee on World Polio Day at Rotary International. Family members attending the surprise announcement at the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Wheeling were John Blane, Jack's son, and Tony Guerra, Jack's son-in-law. Also attending the ceremony were Wheeling Club President Bruce Piepenbrink. District Governor Suzanne Gibson and Harvey Newcomb III, Director of Principal Gifts, TRF.
We are indebted to the Blane family for their continued dedication to the eradication of Polio--a cause so very dear to the heart of Jack Blane. It is the family's hope that District Rotarians will be inspired by Jack's generosity and give freely to the PolioPlus Fund.
Rotary International celebrated its second annual World Polio Day event on October 24th. Through the generosity of Rotary Club of Cary Grove member Dave Miller and Bernie of Liberty Outdoor Advertising, the club arranged for the installation of an outdoor sign at the entrance of Lake Julian Trout Farm. The sign is located at Route 14 and Jandus Road, is visible to traffic headed in both directions, and will bring public awareness to the End Polio Now campaign. Good work Cary Grove Rotarians!
WHAT and WHY: The Indoor Ride To End Polio* is a fun cycling event where riders do an indoor bike ride for 30 to 60 minutes in order to raise donations for polio eradication. Each rider donates and/or solicits donations for PolioPlus (usually $1 per minute).
All funds raised are matched 2 to 1 by the Gates Foundation in support of Rotary’s global efforts to eradicate polio.
WHERE: 3 different locations (Evanston, Naperville & Barrington); See details below. Riders can bike up to 60 minutes.
EVANSTON McGaw YMCA 1000 Grove Street Evanston, IL 60201
Watch the Global Online Update on World Polio Day. This year’s program highlights the heroes of polio eradication, with stories from endemic and recently impacted areas. Join us on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/events/457685488111992/
WASH in Schools (WinS) is a Rotary Foundation program. The key feature of WinS is to leverage off from water and sanitation related efforts and connect them with health, hygiene and education. Addressing health and hygiene training while developing water and sanitation projects may have a profound positive impact on the overall health of a community while benefiting education for boys and girls.
In February 2018, The Rotary Foundation (TRF) awarded $560,000 competitive challenge grant (PG17 90001) to our team of Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, Rotary Club of Antigua, Rotary District 4250 and Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, Rotary District 6440 addressing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) inSchools (WinS). The program is being implemented under the direction of PRID and TRF Trustee Jorge Aufranc and Narayan Murarka.
The mechanical cow is a machine which processes soybeans, water and steam to produce a slurry that can be separated into protein rich soymilk and a solid by-product called “okara.” Guatemala has the highest malnutrition index of 54% in children younger than 5 years old. The malnutrition in children increases the risk of decreased cognitive development and slows down the overall growth. Guatemalan children are lactose intolerant and as such do not have access to milk and cannot digest cow’s milk. A high protein content product such as soymilk is desired to help their growth at an early age.
When you're committed to serving others, you can Connect The World. A Holocaust survivor who received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor - and is also a hologram. An expert in international mediation and conflict resolution. A first-generation Egyptian American working to assist displaced Somalis. An international social entrepreneur. A corrosion engineer. Rotary is their common thread and a catalyst for their passion to make the world a better place. They're the speakers for the third District 6440 Youth Assembly on November 23rd.
Do you know of any outstanding high school students who could benefit from developing their leadership skills? If so, encourage them to apply for sponsorship by your Rotary Club for one of the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) retreats in Fall 2019 (November 14-17) and Spring 2020 (March 12-15 and April 2-5).
The program brochure and application packet can be found here.
This year's Fall Seminar will be full of useful tools to take back to your club to use right away. We have great information to share on Membership, Public Image, Fundraising, International Service, ClubRunner one on one training and a Project Fair for all to participate in. You will not be disappointed in this 1/2 day of learning and sharing.
Registration, breakfast, and Project Fair will start at 7:30. Training will conclude at noon.
The District 6440 Nominating Committee held its interviews for District Governor to serve in the year 2022-23 and selected Bill Kmiecik from the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights.
Bill has served the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights as president, vice president, treasurer and community service chair. He currently serves on the club’s Foundation and Membership Committees as well as being on the Fun and Frolic Team. In addition to his club activities, Bill has been an Assistant Governor and the District Annual Fund Chair for the past three years, a member of the District Visioning Team and he recently joined the District Finance and Foundation Committees.
District 6440 is introducing a new Public Image Grant Program to spur new marketing materials and spread the great Rotary name and logo throughout our communities. The Grant Program provides matching grants, up to $250 per club, for new brochures, road signs, banners, inflatable signs, logo wear, Facebook/newspaper/movie theater advertising, member recruiting materials, community fair signage and much more. Grants help reimburse clubs for outward-facing materials reaching the general public.
This memo summarizes the program and provides links to make it happen. Please remember that clubs should first check with their District Public Image Reviewer to make sure their project qualifies – and submit applications before June 15, 2020. Feel free to contact your Reviewer anytime with questions.
In sum, these new Rotary marketing materials can help your club gain positive visibility, recruit new members, strengthen your image and enhance community service projects.
As Rotarians, we all horrified by the destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. Naturally, we want to find ways to help those impacted.
There are many Rotary initiatives that you and your club can support. More will develop over the coming days. We will work to keep this story updated with all Rotary relevant information on where you can donate and others way to help.
The Rotary District 6440 Community Service Committee is working to organize a large group of Rotarians to participate in the annual Salvation Army Radiothon at Woodfield Mall on Friday December 6. If we can provide volunteers to ring the bells and work the donation kettles at each entrance to the mall from 10 am - 8pm, we will not only provide needed relief to many in-need families through the Salvation Army, we will also reap public image rewards and goodwill through the radiothon recognition and large scale presence Rotary will have at the mall.
We need many volunteers! Each of the mall's ten entrances needs 2 volunteers. With ten one hour shifts, 100 Rotarian volunteers will completely meet the need. Will your club step up and send at least one team of two?
Please make your commitment today. Let us know the names and contact info for your volunteers, and which shift(s) they will work. Deadline for signing up is October 11. Sign up today by clicking here!
Good Neighbor Opportunity- Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Shekhar Mehta, of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2021-22. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Mehta acknowledges that current membership trends are a challenge and says that membership development should be Rotary’s highest priority. He believes that focusing on regional plans, successfully transitioning Rotaractors into Rotary clubs, and increasing diversity and female members could yield a 5 percent net growth in membership each year.
The Rotary District 6440 Leadership Academy provides a great personal development opportunity for Rotarians wanting to serve with greater impact in their club or the district. The program is a six-and-a-half-month series of courses (no course in December) that covers RI Communications, Membership, Public Image, Youth Service, RI Organization, and The Rotary Foundation.
Several program alumni discuss their experience with the District Leadership Academy in this video.
Holger Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, has been selected to serve as president of Rotary International in 2020-21.
The Nominating Committee’s decision follows the resignation last month of President-nominee Sushil Gupta due to health reasons. Knaack will officially become president-nominee if no other candidates challenge him by 31 May.
Do you have passion to initiate a particular project through Rotary? Did you know there is a way to pursue this by applying for a Rotary Global Grant? It is not as hard as you think. These grants provide one of the best ways to “do good in the world.” They give individual Rotarians the ability to develop, initiate, and execute needs-based projects that have high sustainable and measurable outcomes and make an impact on individuals and communities.
My name is Narayan Murarka, from the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club in District 6440. I had the privilege to sponsor, on behalf of my club, six major global grants in Guatemala in partnership with Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250. The total budget for these grants is $1.2 million over the last eight years. I had also an opportunity to serve as Global Grants Chair for District 6440 Rotary Foundation Committee for five years. As a result, I have gained some experience from the ground level about the Rotary Foundation and how global grants work.
District Governor Elect Suzanne Gibson will be riding in the next El Tour de Tucson Ride to End Polio to support Rotary International's efforts to End Polio Now. Rotary District 5500 is raising funds to be the ride's TITLE SPONSOR. This would increase awareness of Rotary and our mission to eradicate Polio and the number of Rotarian riders in El Tour, thereby increasing pledges and resulting in record-setting fundraising for PolioPlus and the eradication of Polio once and for all. You can support this great Public Image and fundraising initiative by donating to this Go Fund Me campaign. DGE Suzanne will be very grateful for your support!
Those of you who have been a Club President remember how great Midwest PETS (President-Elect Training Seminar) was. Would you like to be part of the team delivering that event, and expand your knowledge of Rotary beyond our District? We’re looking for a past-president (or soon to be past-president) to serve as an At-Large representative to the Midwest PETS Council.
The At-Large rep attends PETS and quarterly meetings in Itasca or online, takes on tasks associated with delivering the event, and works with the Governor Elect to make PETS terrific for the incoming Presidents. The term is three years. If you’d like to learn more, or better yet, apply, contact DGN Lyle Staab at gov.lyle@rotary6440.org, or DGND Kevin Stevens, who filled this role the last three years, at gov.kevin@rotary6440.org. Applications close on Friday, April 26th.
Opening for At-Large Representative to Midwest PETS Council
Do you have a passion to implement a particular humanitarian project through Rotary? As a Rotarian, you can do so through a Global Grant from The Rotary Foundation, an arm of Rotary International. It is not so hard as you think. This article will help you get there.
Foundation Grants provide one of the best ways to “Do Good in the World.” They give individual Rotarians the ability to develop, initiate, and execute needs-based projects that have high sustainable and measurable outcomes and make an impact on individuals and communities. As a result, Rotarians advance world understanding, goodwill and peace.
The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends who share its vision of a better world. This support is essential to make projects possible, funded with Foundation Grants, that bring sustainable improvement to communities.
The Rotary Foundation maintains an excellent record with a four-star rating from the Charity Navigator.
District 6440 Vocational Scholarship applications are now being accepted. This year, District 6440 will award 11 scholarships. Completed application must be submitted by clubs by email or mail by April 5.
Each scholarship grants $1,500 to support educational programs preparing students for vocational or technical careers attainable with less than a four-year degree. Grants will be limited to an Associate Degree or equivalent certification programs.
Rotary President Elect Mark Maloney has announced that "Rotary Connects The World" will be the theme for 2019-2020.
Maloney believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience.
“(Rotary) allows us to connect with each other, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences,” Maloney said. “It connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us to our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.”
Maloney also called on every Rotary and Rotaract club to identify segments of their community not represented in their club by creating a membership committee with diverse members.
“Through Rotary, we connect to the incredible diversity of humanity on a truly unique footing, forging deep and lasting ties in pursuit of a common goal,” he added. “In this ever more divided world, Rotary connects us all.”
Todd Bol started the Little Free Library in 2009 in honor of his late mother, and the idea spread across the country and around the world. Many District 6440 clubs participate in this literacy community service project. Bol dies this week at age 62, just weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist remembers a life well-lived.
Posted by Narayan Murarka, Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440 PRID Jorge Aufranc, Francisco Viau, Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, Distracto 4250 on Sep 17, 2018
Within developing countries, unsafe water, poor sanitation and lack of hygiene together create a high-risk situation for school age children leading to disease and contribute to deaths from malnutrition. Unsafe water is not only linked with health, it also affects education for children. When they get sick from diarrhea and other water borne diseases, school attendance is severely affected. The impact/consequences are poor education and challenges for better future.
The adolescent girls in schools have unique added challenges due to lack of menstrual hygiene knowledge, resources and facilities. Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) has three facets: replacing the silence and shame of menstruation with pride and confidence; equipping women and girls with the knowledge and means to manage their menstruation hygienically and with dignity; and providing means for the safe disposal of menstrual waste. Providing MHM in schools encourages adolescent girls to continue their education, improving their long-term development and self-confidence.
Sushil Kumar Gupta, of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2020-21. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Gupta wants to increase Rotary’s humanitarian impact as well as the diversity of its membership.
“As individuals, we can only do so much,” Gupta said in a statement. “But when 1.2 million Rotarians work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve, and in the process, we can truly change the world.”
RILEE--Rotary Iron Lung Education Exhibit--had a fabulous 4th of July participating in the Evanston 4th of July parade with RIP Barry as Grand Marshal. Evanston clubs carried signs noting the many projects with which the clubs serve the community. Great job conveying the message of People of Action! RILEE met RIP Barry!
Application materials now are available for the District Leadership Academy Class of 2019. We invite all club members to enroll in this outstanding online educational program and commit to graduating with this next class.
Presidents-elect, Presidents Nominee, other club board members or committee chairs, Assistant Governors, members of district committees, and anyone who aspires to serve later as a club or district leader are encouraged to seize this opportunity.
Thank you very much on behalf of my Rotary Club Guatemala Sur, District 4250, but specially on behalf of the people suffering the consequences of the eruption.
Posted by Narayan Murarka, Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440; Francisco Viau, Oscar Diaz, Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 on May 09, 2018
Guatemala is the northeast country of Central America. Sacatepéquez is one of its Departments (state) with 16 municipalities, Sumpango being one of them. Recent study has shown that the percentage of indigenous population in this Department is high and there are more women than men. Its main source of income, besides tourism, is agriculture including coffee, sugar cane, wheat, corn, beans etc. For handicrafts, it is one of the most important departments where typical fabrics are made, and many typical costumes are worn by the indigenous people. There is significant poverty with very limited opportunities for employment and businesses.
In the early morning hours of February 23, 2018, Rotarians participating in the District 6440 International Service trip departed O’Hare Airport, heading to Ak’ Tenamit in the jungles of eastern Guatemala.
District 6440 has had a long standing relationship with Ak’ Tenamit, which means "New Village' in the Q'eqchi' language, with both the District and Clubs within the District completing a number of projects at the site over the past several years. The school and health clinic are located in Eastern Guatemala on the Dulce River. The school includes grades 7 through 12 and there are over 500 students enrolled in the program.
Join us on April 14th for Empower Leaders - a morning of leadership, mentorship, and scholarship. Distinguished speakers from three different spheres - charity, business, and government - will share their thoughts on leadership to mentors and their proteges. This event is a collaboration between Rotary Districts 6440, 6450, and 6420.
Registration opens February 1st. Mentors are encouraged to identify and sponsor promising teens and young adults who would benefit from the speakers' messages and a connection with a mentor. Three scholarships will be awarded to proteges nominated by their mentor. Applications are available here or at at https://goo.gl/TGRvbE.
Tickets, including continental breakfast, are $40 per mentor and $25 per protege.
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATIONS EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 19TH! AND THE PROGRAM IS NOW OPEN TO JR HIGH STUDENTS!
District 6440 Rotary Clubs are asked to help identify high school candidates to participate in a Rotary-UN Model Conference.This will be held in Chicago on Saturday, June 2, 2018, in conjunction with the Rotary International Presidential Peacebuilding Conference focusing on Education and Literacy. The event will be at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive. There is no charge for participation, and an allowance may be made for transportation.
Student teams of three delegates from the same school, supported by an Advisor, will represent a country from the UN's membership. Preference will be given to students and schools where opportunities to participate in a Model UN Day are limited.
PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY CANDIDATES FROM DISTRICT 6440!
Posted by Narayan Murarka, Kristine Young on Oct 23, 2017
What an honor it was that Rotary International (RI) President showed up at the Barrington (IL, USA) Breakfast Rotary Club on September 28, 2017! President Ian Riseley made a request to attend one of our meetings. The primary purpose of the visit was to thank our members for sponsoring a project that impressed him when he visited Guatemala with RI Director Jorge Aufranc, Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250. Director Aufranc is longtime friend of Barrington Breakfast Club and an Honorary Member.
While in Guatemala during August 2017, President Riseley saw presentations about various Rotary projects. A project he found most compelling was the “Mechanical Cow.” This pressure cooker type machine processes soy beans into high-quality protein rich soy milk and fiber called okara. These products are provided to school children in Guatemala, who often find it hard to get adequate nutrition because they are lactose intolerant.
Our district’s HealthRays® project continues to gain support and attention in the Rotary world, with more than $650,000 in funds pledged to date to bring digital x-ray technology to Guatemala!
District 6440 Rotarians are working with other Rotarians around the U.S. and the world, health care agencies and the Guatemalan government to raise money for, and install, 29 digital x-ray machines in underserved areas of Guatemala -- where they can be used to improve the health of populations in need.
So far, we have installed 8 units, and funding has been secured and installation planning is underway for 2 additional units. Each unit costs approximately $75,000.
The following is a transcript of a presentation given at Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club meeting on September 28, 2017
I would like to speak about our experiences and lessons learned in implementing humanitarian and educational projects in Guatemala. These projects have produced results with positive outcomes and made impact on the lives of children, women and men in the community.
So, what does it take to implement them. I will use five different words each starting with a letter “P” to explain.
First, some background:
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440, in partnership with Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250, has been engaged in global grant projects in Guatemala since 2012-13. We concentrated on the needs of people in one geographical area called “Sumpango,” Sacatepecaquez Department, all throughout these years and carried out several major initiatives which expanded over time in both breadth and depth.
One of these initiatives is related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools and focused on disease prevention and treatment of children and improving hygiene conditions within the community. Here is the link for a detailed description of the project.
The D6440 Nominating Committee has selected Rotarian Lyle Staab to be District Governor Nominee Designate for Rotary Year 2020-2021. Lyle is a member of the Rotary Club of Long Grove, Kildeer and Hawthorn Woods and currently serves the District as Youth Service Advisor. Lyle is a past Club President and Assistant Governor.
The Nominating Committee also selected PDG Carlos Früm to be Vice-Governor for Rotary Year 2018-2019.
Congratulations to Lyle and Carlos and thank you for your commitment to Rotary and our District!
With the recent devastation in Texas, Louisiana and Florida, many Rotarians and Clubs are looking for ways to help through Rotary. Several good options exist:
Contribute money to The Rotary Foundation's Hurricane Relief Donor Advised Funds. These funds will be fund local initiative as directed by senior Rotary leaders in the devastated regions. Learn more and donate here.
Rotary's partner ShelterBox is on the ground in Texas and other areas around the globe dealing with the aftereffects of devastating flooding, wind and earthquake damage. Learn more and support ShelterBox here.
District 6440 is preparing it's own relief initiatives under the direction of Bill Schuberth. Early stage planning is underway to:
Form one or more teams to travel to the south and provide hands on support in rebuilding efforts.
Creating opportunities for clubs to adopt or sponsor an effected family for a period of time.
If you and your club are interested in helping plan or participate in these initiatives, please complete and submit this form. You can support our District efforts with a tax deductible donation here.
Posted by Narayan Murarka; RI Director Jorge Aufranc, Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 on Aug 25, 2017
The Rotary Foundation has awarded a competitive Phase I grant related to WASH in schools in Guatemala, jointly to the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440 and Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250. These clubs will now compete for the Phase II grant with a budget of $500,000. The Areas of Focus for these grants are Water and Sanitation (WASH) and Basic Education & Literacy (BEL).
Background: The Rotary Foundation issued a global challenge to Rotary clubs to improve education quality and access – particularly for girls – by working with communities to provide improved WASH services, teacher training, and curriculum enhancement. The Target Challenge is being piloted in five countries: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya. The competitive grant process is being administered in two phases: (1) A community assessment award and (2) a project proposal award. Further details about the Target Challenge grant are available at this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/wash-schools-target-challenge
Our team just won the Phase I competitive award for $10,000 being one of 10 recipients among 46 participants. These ten phase I winners will now compete for a Phase II project. Three to five Phase II grants will be awarded in the budget range of $150,000 - $500,000. Project Phase II objectives are described below
Posted by Narayan Murarka, Suzanne Gibson, Mary Holcomb, Mark Gibson RID Jorge Aufranc, Francisco Viau on Aug 04, 2017
The following provides a comprehensive report on the "Mechanical Cow" project in Guatemala which has been led by the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club with participation by several Rotary Clubs and Districts.
Needs Assessment:
Guatemala has the highest malnutrition index of 54% in children younger than 5 years old and is the country with the highest chronic malnutrition index in Latin America and the Caribbean. The malnutrition in children increases the risk of decreased cognitive development and slows down the overall growth. This is a serious problem, mainly in rural areas of Guatemala. Guatemalan children are lactose intolerant and as such do not have access to milk and cannot digest cow’s milk. A high protein content product is desired to help their growth at an early age.
Goal:
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC), District 6440 in partnership with Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 has been engaged in mechanical cow projects with a goal to combat malnutrition for children and establish microenterprise for women.
The mechanical cow is a machine which processes soybeans, water and steam to produce a slurry that can be separated into soy milk and a solid byproduct called “okara.” The soy milk and okara are protein rich and are being used to combat malnutrition.
July 1 marks the beginning of a new Rotary Year, and with it new leadership teams. At a well attended induction dinner on June 28, 2017-18 Rotary International President Ian Riseley presided as Don Brewer was sworn in as District 6440 Governor before a distinguished crowd of past, present and future Rotary leaders.
All District 6440 Rotarians are joined by thousands around the world in thanking Past District Governor RIck Rivkin for his tremendous leadership in the past year and pledge our support to Gov. Don and RI President Ian in the coming year!
Past District Governor Pamela Kerr has been honored by the Rotary International Board of Directors with the 2016-17 Service Above Self Award. The RI Board of Directors created this award to recognize those Rotarians who truly embody Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self." The Board considers this award to be Rotary International's highest honor to bestow on a Rotarian.
Said Gov. Rick, "Pam, in conjunction with her colleague PDG Carlos Früm, is the embodiment of Service Above Self in working to establish and move forward the HealthRays Rotary project. Their desire to upgrade healthcare in several areas of Guatemala became a project to install equipment in 29 clinics that the Ministry of Health indicated would cover the country."
In remote areas a clinic technician must have a reliable equipment system that allows the radiologist at an urban hospital to access and analyze appropriate electronic images and then consult with the clinic physician. A Memorandum of Understanding with all public, non-public and Rotary partners had to be negotiated. A manufacturer for the critical equipment package had to be found.
Reflecting her commitment to help poor and rural Guatemalans, and using her health systems knowledge, Pam was active in these launching efforts and continues to be heavily involved every step of the way. HealthRays, as guided by PDG Pamela Kerr and PDG Carlos Früm, is a lighthouse service project for addressing health needs countrywide, showing the way Rotarians can work through The Rotary Foundation and essential partnerships with government agencies and relevant NGOs.
Application materials now are available for the District Leadership Academy Class of 2018. We invite all club members to enroll in this outstanding online educational program and commit to graduating with this next class.
Presidents-elect, Presidents Nominee, other club board members or committee chairs, Assistant Governors, members of district committees, and anyone who aspires to serve later as a club or district leader are encouraged to seize this opportunity. The program is a six-and-a-half-month series of courses (no course in December) that covers RI Communications, Membership, Public Image, Youth Service, RI Organization, and The Rotary Foundation.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, D-6440, and Chicago O’Hare Rotary Club, D-6450, each of about 400 children attending Sunny Hill Elementary School in Carpentersville now have blankets, pillowcases and vanity kits.
The donation idea came from Digital Age Learning Bilingual Coach Nirda DeRose who noticed that students of poverty do not often have their own special reading blanket. DeRose felt that if students at Sunny Hill could be provided with a personal reading blanket, reading for pleasure might increase.
Posted by Narayan Murarka, Suzanne Gibson, Mary Holcomb, Mark Gibson RID Jorge Aufranc, Francisco Viau on Apr 12, 2017
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440 in partnership with Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 has been engaged in global grant projects in Guatemala since 2012-13. We concentrated on the needs of people in one geographical area called “Sumpango,” Sacatepecaquez Department, all throughout these years and carried out the several major initiatives which expanded over time in both breadth and depth. One of these initiatives is related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools and focused on disease prevention and treatment of children and improving hygiene conditions within the community.
Outcome and Impact:
Nine elementary and seven secondary schools in Sumpango municipality, Guatemala are being provided clean (chlorinated) running water; 24/7 availability with local storage tank; drink and wash stations; gender specific flush toilets; septic tank; drainage improvements; repaired leaky roofs; upgraded kitchens with running water, sink and drainage; new stoves with ventilation to eliminate smoke in the kitchen and more.
Over 5000 children are benefitting from this program, considerably reducing water-borne diseases and the incidence/frequency of diarrhea, fever, fatigue and stomach worms.The availability of flush toilets has helped all, particularly female students.
When two Rotarians meet, something wonderful can happen.
Rotarians Pedro and Carlos happen to live in the same town and they speak the same language (languages?) During a cordial lunch, Pedro casually mentioned he had some calculators donated by John, another Rotarian. Carlos told him he knew some children that could use them. And so, another terrific project began.
Pedro told Carlos he could only have one thousand calculators from his own allocation but he could get some more from John. Carlos knew John because he had been John’s Zone Advisor. It took just one phone call to set up a date to pick up ‘some’ calculators.
Did you know that the District 6440 website receives over 20,000 visits each year? Most from active Rotarians right here in our District.
Your business or club can now advertise on the site. Ad can be purchased to run for 1 year or 3 months. Proceeds will benefit Operations of our District, including paying for our annual ClubRunner license.
At this year's District Conference we will salute and recognize our clubs in 9 specific categories. Applications will be evaluated within tiers of club sizes (small, medium, large) in each of these areas. Awards will be presented at the District Awards Luncheon at District Conference on Friday April 28 and will be suitable for attaching to your club banner and posting on your club web-site and Facebook page (and other social media, of course).
Club Service
Club Website
Vocational Service
Governor's Pride - Interact Club Award
Community Service
Spouse/Partner Service Award
International Service
Club "Rookie of the Year" Award
Youth Service
Detailed award judging criteria can be found here. To submit an award application, complete the included cover page (one for each application) along with your club's narrative essay which reviews your club's performance relative to the judging criteria.
Batavia High School Interact Club Members are now helping dress children around the globe.
Recently, BPS101 parent Roland Imes and his friend, Geri Lemley, a seasoned seamstress, showed BHS “Interactors” how to measure and cut pants for children out of a basic T-shirt.
Mr. Imes explained that the garments not only help children in third-world countries keep warm and build self worth, but also protect them. He said that in some countries, children with little to no clothing can appear to be neglected, making them easier targets for abuse.
District 6440 is ramping up our response to disasters. Bill Schuberth is our new Disaster Relief Liaison. He is currently coordinating District responses to two disasters, one in Louisiana and another closer to home.
Donations for Louisiana flood relief are now being accepted by the District's new Charitable fund. Make a monetary contribution via PayPal:
Closer to home, long time Rotarians Dot and Bill Dustin, of the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club, lost their home and all of their belongings to a devastating fire. While insurance will cover much of their loss, they are now starting from scratch and need to completely refurnish a new home.
You can help by donating items in good and serviceable condition. Our Disaster Response committee has set up an on-line spreadsheet where you may itemize goods you are offering to Dot and Bill. They are in need of anything present in a home, including furniture, floor coverings, window treatments, appliances, electronic items and entertainment equipment, kitchen utensils, dishware, pots and pans, small appliances and more. You can list your items for Dot and Bill by clicking here. Someone will shortly after you post your item.
Thank you for your generous support of those in need!
What a great opportunity for fellowship and community service! Join Rotarians for a tailgate party at Rotary International Headquarters garden from 3;00 pm to 6:00pm . The game begins at 6:30pm.
Buy a ticket online. Sign up for a tour of Rotary WHQ. Bring a book. Sign up to bring a dish to pass. See below for details.
The Rotary District 6440 Charitable Fund Inc. has been established to accept donations to fund charitable and educational activities developed and sponsored by Rotary District 6440, the individual Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in Rotary District 6440, and The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. These include community service projects and international service projects generally in the following areas of focus.
• Prevention and resolution of conflicts and the promotion of peace
Our district’s HealthRays project continues to gain support and attention in the Rotary world, with more than $625,000 in funds pledged to date to bring digital x-ray technology to Guatemala!
District 6440 Rotarians are working with other Rotarians around the U.S. and the world, health care agencies and the Guatemalan government to raise money for, and install, 29 digital x-ray machines in underserved areas of Guatemala -- where they can be used to improve the health of populations in need.
So far, we have installed three digital x-ray units in Guatemala, and if everything stays on schedule, three additional digital units will be installed this summer, bringing the total number of units that are up and running to six. Installation of a seventh unit may also be completed during the summer of 2016.
In addition to these units, which will begin operation very soon, several other installations are currently in development, including plans for eighth, ninth and tenth units. We will soon be one-third of the way to meeting our goal.
As you work on your 2015 Holiday gift list and charitable donations, please note the important year end deadlines that can be found by clicking READ MORE below.
Makes plans for a great Rotary Day of learning and fellowship at the October 24th One Rotary Summit. The morning session includes new case study formatted learning on Membership, Foundation and Public Image and a separate ABCs of Rotary track for newer Rotarians interested in a comprehensive overview on all Rotary has to offer. Afternoon sessions will include round table discussions on all five Avenues of Service and a PETS Orientation for our President Elects. There is no charge to you or your club for this event, and Box lunches are available for $12 (you must order and pay in advance when you register). Please register soon; registration will close on Wednesday Oct. 21.
RI President K.R. Ravindran encourages us to use our gifts — talents, knowledge, abilities, and efforts — to make a significant impact through fellowship and service activities. Through vocational service, we champion high ethical standards in the workplace, use our professional expertise to serve others, and improve local and international communities. Here are just a few ideas for activities your clubs can undertake:
Host a business networking event with non-Rotarian professionals in your community.
Offer career counseling for unemployed or underemployed adults.
Mentor youth with career guidance.
Recognize local businesses for high ethical standards.
Do you know a Rotarian who would make an excellent District Governor? Proposals for DG Nominations for the 2018-19 Rotary year will be accepted until September 21. Candidates must have previously served as a club President. Download the nomination form here.
District Governor Nomination Proposals Now Being Accepted.
The Antioch Rotary Scholarship, Inc. Foundation recently awarded 19 college scholarships to graduating seniors from Antioch and Lakes High Schools. In addition ten scholarships were renewed to previous awardees. Four of the scholarships are in memory of Rotarians: Bill Brook, Homer and Frances LaPlant, Tim Osmond and Vern Thelen. Another is in memory of a young woman who graduated from ACHS, Juliane Kriens. A total of $27,000.00 was awarded. Selection criteria includes academic achievement, financial need, extra-curricular activities, and community service.
The Foundation has been awarding scholarships for over twenty years. In that time approximately 450 students have benefited from these scholarships valuing close to $500,000.00.
These funds have been made available through the community’s outstanding support of The Rotary Club of Antioch’s annual Pork Chop Dinner and Auction which is their primary fund-raising project.
Our annual District Conference will take place April 10 - 12 at the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca. District Assembly sessions will be on Saturday April 11. Registration is now open. Please note, there is no charge for attending any of the conference or assembly sessions; you will only pay for the meals for which you register. You can find the conference and assembly agenda here.
Join your fellow Rotarians for informative sessions and training, great speakers, our annual Youth Assembly, Rotary fellowship and fun!
The following story was reported in a recent email Newsletter from End Polio Now.-- Ellen Young
By Amy Young - Senior Coordinator
Pakistan remains one of the final reservoirs in the world where the wild polio virus circulates unrestrained. One of the major challenges to eliminating the virus are the misperceptions and mistrust that persist in high risk areas of the country, places where access to basic health services and education is limited. Rotarians are helping to address these misperceptions through the implementation of health camps, where families can receive polio drops, health services, sanitary and medical supplies and important educational materials. This is having an important effect on the program, helping to drive demand for the polio vaccine and developing a public health infrastructure and leaving a legacy that will endure long after the last polio case has been reported.
We are pleased to make a "tool kit" of ideas that you may want use to help promote the 110th Birthday of Rotary and 30th Anniversary of the End Polio campaign (click here to download). Past President Carlos Canseco announced the launching of Rotary's Polio Eradication effort on 23 February 1985. This was the first and largest ever privately funded international public health initiative. We are approaching the 30th Anniversary of that history making event. Three years following Rotary's initiative we were joined in 1988 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention forming the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This organization remains in tact and is the driving force behind the polio eradication effort.
Please work with your club to do something on 23 February that brings attention to the great work that Rotary has done to help end this devastating disease. Recognizing the late arrival of the tool kit, if there is insufficient time to make use of the ideas on the 23rd, please encourage using the ideas during the remainder of 2015 in support of Rotary's number one priority.
Thanks for all you are doing for the children of the world.
Jon Stillman
End Polio Now Zone Coordinator
Rotary Zone 28
Help end polio go to: EndPolioNow.org
Club nominations for District 6440 Governor for 2017-2018 are due on Monday, September 22, 2014. Interviews will take place on Monday, September 29, 2014. Think about new potential District leaders. You are allowed to nominate yourself, with your club’s support. Get the nomination form here.
Come join us for a few hours of fun and fellowship on Monday August 18th at Ravinia. Enjoy the beautiful melodies of Polio Survivor Itzhak Perlman along with stimulating conversation and updates on the END POLIO NOW campaign. Help us get the word out and become visible to other Ravinia attendees who just might want to join our cause.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and try to arrive before 6:00. Concert starts at 8:00. Purchase lawn tickets at Ravinia.org Bring your own dish/food to share.
Beautiful music. Great company. Noble cause.
Click the link below to view a map of where Rotarians will meet on the Ravinia lawn.
"The inequities of our world divide us in spirit as well as in location, educational opportunities and attitudes. Rotarians try to transcend those divisions in many ways:
Through peace scholarships...
Through youth exchange opportunities...
Through the alleviation of poverty...
Through the many district and international grants our district has extended...
By providing clean water and education about the importance of sound hygiene to prevent disease...
By combating disease through vaccinations and preventable health initiatives...
By empowering the next generation to take the initiative in being of service to others..."
District 6440 will again be awarding Vocational Scholarshis. Approximately 16 scholarships in the amount of $1,500 each will be awarded to full-time students enrolled in a vocational degree or certificate program at an accredited school. This award will be used for tuition only, NOT for fees, books, tools, supplies, food, travel or personal expense. Each club is allowed to submit two applicants. 10 of the 16 scholarships must be awarded to students attending non-profit educational institutions (Community Colleges) and the other 6 will have no such limitations.
Rotarians throughout our district have been asking how they can help those affected by Sunday’s devastating tornados. Governor Sarah is in regular contact with Rotarians in District 6460 who are directly involved in coordinating the large and complicated multi-agency response effort. We will regularly update this story as new information becomes available.
As of the morning of Thursday Nov. 21, this is what we know:
The easiest and most useful way to respond is to provide monetary donations. This will allow those close to the scene to provide the most useful assistance to those in need. To support work by local Rotarians to help victims and address needs in all the tornado-ravaged areas in Central Illinois:
Make checks out to: Rotary District 6460 Foundation. Note "tornado disaster" in the memo line of the check.
Mail checks to:
Rotary District 6460
P.O. Box 311
Springfield, IL 62705-0311
To support work by Washington IL Rotarians to help victims and address needs just in their extremely hard hit community:
Make checks payable to: Washington Rotary Club Foundation. Note that it is for tornado disaster in the memo line of the check.
Mail checks to:
Washington Rotary Club Foundation
2075 Washington Road
Washington, IL 61571
Currently, there are no opportunities to volunteer. All slots for clean-up activity are filled and there is a substantial waiting list. If this changes and volunteers are needed, the District will put out a call for help.
While there will be a need to donated goods, at this time the collection sites are full. At this time they are not requesting any household goods or clothing. Consumables such as food, pet food, toiletries, and such will continue to be needed, but where to send them is not clear at this time. We will update when we know more.
The 2016-17 District Governor Nominating Committee has selected Richard (Rick) Rivkin as its nominee designate, announced Past District Governor and committee chair Mike Yesner.
Richard (Rick) Rivkin joined the Rotary Club of Northbrook in 1999 and served as President during the 2009-2010 Rotary year. During his tenure in the club, he served as International Service Chair and continues as Webmaster.
Rick participated in the first district mission to Guatemala in 2007 and returned to Guatemala a few years later. In 2012 Rick organized and led a PolioPlus NID trip to India followed by a PolioPlus NID trip to Nigeria in 2013.
At the district level, Rick is an AG serving the Arlington Heights Sunset, Park Ridge, and Winnetka-Northfield clubs.
Professionally Rick is President and CEO of Saf-T-Gard International, a 4th generation family business based In Northbrook. Saf-T-Gard is a global supplier of industrial safety products and personal protective equipment.
Rick and his wife Helen have lived in Deerfield since 1973. They have 3 children and 3 grand-children (soon to be 4).
Congratulations Rick!
Rick Rivkin Named 2016-17 Governor Nominee Designate
Multi-national Project to Install Digital X-ray Machines
Formally Launched by First Lady of Guatemala and
Rotary International President-elect Gary Huang
District 6440's digital x-ray project is moving into it's next phase. The first of a planned 29 machines has been funded thanks to a Global Grant recently approved by The Rotary Foundation. Special thanks go out to the following clubs for their generous financial contributions to this project. Funding the first grant are Northbrook, Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, Wilmette Harbor, Winnetka-Northfield, Evanston Lighthouse, Lake in the Hills, Crystal Lake Noon, Skokie Valley and Wheeling. Pledging support for future grants are Arlington Heights Noon, Bloomingdale-Roselle, Chicago Korean, Deerfield, Evanston Noon, Grayslake, along with contributions from Districts 660, 7150 and 7610.
A press release covering a special celebration with RI President-elect, several District 6440 Past District Governors and the First Lady of Guatemala follows:
(August 26 – Evanston, Illinois, USA) Rosa Leal de Pérez, First Lady of Guatemala, will join Rotary International President-elect Gary Huang of Taiwan and other dignitaries in a ceremony Monday, Sept. 2 in Mixco, Guatemala, formally recognizing the start of an ambitious Rotary project to bring digital x-ray technology to the rural poor of the world.
Ms. Leal de Pérez and Mr. Huang, along with U.S. and Guatemalan Rotarians, , Guatemalan government officials, foreign dignitaries, and representatives of other not for profit organizations, will unveil a plaque recognizing the project, which aims to install 29 digital x-ray machines in rural clinics in Guatemala. The first of the new machines arrived earlier this summer, and has been installed in Mixco, a community near Guatemala City.
This month the recipients of The Rotary Humanitarian Patriot Awards were recognized in the Congressional Record, courtesy of the Honorable Brad Schneider of Illinois 10th Congressional District.
10th District Aide Ramachandra Villivalam visited the North Chicago Club on July 16th to present the event co-chairs, Dr. John Bair and Kevin Stevens, with the official certificate (see photo).
The Humanitarian Patriot Awards Luncheon, held on May 21st at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, served three primary objectives: Awards presentation, the keynote address on Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and a brief presentation on the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.
Everything you need to know about the new Rotary Foundation Grants program in District 6440 is now available by clicking here. District Grant applications were due by September 1. Each club may submit a primary and secondary application. Global Grant applications may be submitted at any time.
2013-14 Rotary Grants Information and Applications Now Available
On May 14, 2013, leaders from District 6440 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health in Guatemala to provide 29 Digital X-Ray units to the Country. Representatives of District 4250 also participated. Thanks to District 7610 and 6600 for their financial contributions. Representing District 6440 were DG Mike Yesner, PDGs Pam Kerr and Carlos Frum and DGE Sarah Oliver. This video is from Guatemalan TV coverage.
District 6440 Leading Multi-District Program to Provide Digital X-Rays for Guatemala
Each year, The District Literacy Committee asks each Rotary Club to submit a short application about the literacy project or projects they have done. The Committee evaluates the applications and awards an “Excellence in Literacy Award” patch to a small club (30 members or less) and another to a large club (31 or more).
This year’s winners are Mount Prospect/Arlington Heights Sunrise for a small club and Libertyville Sunrise, along with Rotary partners Waukegan and North Chicago Clubs, for a large club.
Congratulations to those exemplary Rotary Clubs and their outstanding literacy projects! You can read the details of their winning literacy projects on the District web site’s Literacy page or by clicking here for the report on all of the submitted projects.
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440 entered into a sister club relationship with the Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 on March 12, 2013 in Guatemala City. President Suzanne Gibson and President Luis Pedro Fuxet Ciani signed the agreement on behalf of their respective clubs. This formally recognizes long standing fellowship and friendship between members of the two clubs and also successful implementation of major service projects through Rotary Foundation supported Global Grants.
According to the agreement, the clubs shall:
Share successful project ideas or club programs
Encourage in-person visits by the other club's members
Plan a Rotary Friendship Exchange
Develop joint service projects
Consult with district leaders on other partnership possibilities
These activities are aimed at the promotion of International Friendship, World Understanding, Peace and Goodwill through Rotary. Should your club consider creating a "sister club" partnership?
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club announces new Sister Club Relationship
It’s Already Been Tested Successfully - Rotarians in Guatemala have installed a digital x-ray system (designed by the World Health Organization (WHO)) in the Guatemala City Municipal Clinic to serve children at risk and municipal employees.
Technicians send the images to nonresident radiologists via the Internet for interpretation. U.S. Rotarians, the city government and a private technical group installed the first unit.
How It Worked - Rotarians raised the funds, engaged a manufacturer and the technical organization that installed the system. The Municipality invested in the restoration of the clinic to a level appropriate for the demands of the system and the patients.
The Guatemala Project Proposal - Install 29 additional x-ray systems in Health Centers nationwide. Who will collaborate?
The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala
The Ministry of Energy and Mines of Guatemala
The Radiological Society of Guatemala
All 27 Rotary clubs of Guatemala
The Pan American Health Organization
Rotary District 6440 of the United States
This project has been designated ‘top priority’ by the President and First Lady of Guatemala.
District 6440 is proud to announce that our candidate for a Rotary Peace Fellowship has been selected by the trustees of The Rotary Foundation to earn a professional development certificate at Chulangakorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. This prestigious award will enable Gururaj Kumar, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse, to pursue peace studies for three months during 2013.
Gururaj is a native of Michigan who lives with his wife on the north side of Chicago. His leadership potential was first recognized by Rotary when his hometown Rotary club selected him to participate in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. His academic background includes a master’s degree in international peace and conflict resolution, and his career has reflected his deep commitment to mediation and coalition building. He is currently a conflict management consultation and an educator at American University’s School of International service. His ability to apply his academic work to practical situations is impressive and demonstrated extensively by his professional pursuits. In addition, his good humor and personable approach will enable him to take the tools from Chulangakorn and use them effectively in the future.
This year's Fall Seminar Day was a great success. Supplies were loaded for Hurricane Sandy relief, all 72 clubs attended Future Vision Grant Management Training, we were inspired by a former Ambassadorial Scholar doing great good in the world, and everyone enjoyed meeting new Rotary friends and seeing old buddies from across the district.
Governor Mike has been in contact with Rotary Districts in the New York and New Jersey areas, and has developed the following plan for District 6440 clubs who wish to contribute to the relief efforts.
Financial donations may be made to The Walter D. Head Foundation of Rotary District 7490, c/o Calisto Bertin, Bertin Engineering, 66 Glen Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. All of the NY/NJ Districts are using that Foundation as their central collection point, and redistributing the funds as needed on the ground. You can also bring your check to Medinah on Saturday for the Fall Seminar Day and Pre PETS, and turn it in at registration.
With the cooperation of District 6450, and with a special thanks to President John Glueckert of The Rotary Club of Arlington Heights Sunset for providing and driving the truck, we will be collecting and loading supplies requested by The Rotary Club of Wall Street. The list of suggested supplies includes:
Thursday, November 15, 2012 is the day for “Rotary Reads/Family Literacy Night”.
This year’s theme is “One World, Many Stories”. For suggestions on club activities, check out the Literacy page on this website, or use the State of IL web site. Your Club’s participation in “Rotary Reads” is an easy way to celebrate reading and encourage literacy with families, schools, libraries, co-workers. The District Literacy Committee would love to know what your club did this year. Email the Committee and tell us what you did for “Rotary Reads 2012”.
This fall District 6440 is once again taking a fun approach to our annual Fall Seminar with a combination of the ABCs of Rotary, PR/Communications/Social Media, Membership and Grant Management Seminars. Come join us for the annual TAILGATE EVENT!
Yes, in addition to the nuts and bolts of Rotary, we’ll have a little fun too! Wear your favorite sports team’s colors and join us for a “Pre-Game” breakfast buffet and fellowship with Rotarians from around the District before we get started with seminar activities. This year’s event will be held at Medinah Banquet in Addison on November 10th. So grab your team and huddle up for three great programs! Please plan on sending your team of at least four members from your club to ensure someone is at each of these sessions. Don’t leave your players on the bench – get them ENGANGED! Register Here. Click More for Schedule.
On Saturday, October 6, the District 6440 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Committee selected team members for the upcoming 2013 GSE to Chennai, India.
Team members and their sponsoring clubs are:
Lucas Heinrich, Rotary Club of Wheaton. Lucas is a graphic designer with Boost Marketing in Wheaton.
Susan Khalifah, St. Charles Breakfast Rotary Club. Susan is a structural engineer with AP Engineering in Evanston.
Lisa Mengarelli, Rotary Club of Northbrook. Lisa is a marketing associate with Beacon Funding Corp. of Northbrook.
Adam Veness, Rotary Club of Evanston. Adam is a scenic designer & technical director with Light Opera Works of Evanston.
Michael Carlino of the Rotary Club of Lake Zurich was selected on Sept. 22 to serve as the Team Leader. The team will travel in India January 19 to February 19, 2013.
The District’s GSE Committee is chaired by Jim Runnfeldt (Long Grove). Outbound Team Co-chairs are Terry Desmond (Lake Forest-Lake Bluff) and Paul Larson (Evanston Noon).
Members of the Team Member Selection Committee included District Governor Mike Yesner (Skokie Valley), Ellen Young (Lincolnshire Morning Star), Mike Ericksen (Schaumburg), David Waring (Barrington Breakfast), Paul Larson and Team Leader Michael Carlino.
Lincolnshire Morning Star and Buffalo Grove Rotary Clubs share BBQ duties during Football Season. 9/28/12 was Lincolnshire’s turn to “man” the big grills at the Interact food station at the game. President Valerie McGhee and DGN Ellen Young are displaying their talents here – 160 burgers and countless brats and chicken breasts later, both agreed it was a great night for fellowship, smoky clothes and funds raised for Interact.
The District 6440 Nominating Committee last night selected Rodney Adams of the Rotary Club of Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights to be District Governor for the Rotary Year 2015-16. Please join me in congratulating Rodney on this honor.
Rodney Adams joined the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights Sunrise in 2004 and served as President during the 2009-10 Rotary year. During his tenure in the club, he served as Club Board Member, Club Service Chair and Membership Chair. After the merger of the Arlington Heights Sunrise and the Mount Prospect Sunrise in 2011, Rodney joined the Rotary Club of Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights which covered the area of both his law office and residence. He’s a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
Social media is playing a key role in Rotary International’s quest to make up for increasing costs and recession-wracked countries’ funding cuts to eradicate polio — just as the goal reaches a tipping point.
"We are 99 percent of the way to making polio the second disease to be ended after smallpox,' said Carol Pandak, director of PolioPlus, the Evanston-based organization’s polio-eradication effort. 'We have a chance to make history as a generation by eradicating the second disease."
On Saturday our District GSE interview team selected Michael Carlino from the Lake Zurich club to be our District's GSE Team Leader to India, departing in mid-January. Our Team's alternate team leader will be Katherine(Kate) Collinson of the Evanston Lighthouse Club. We had 3 very talented applicants for the Leader position, Thanks to our interviewing team for their insights, time and service. We all thank GSE Chairman Jim Runnfeldt on his preparation and organization for our task. Additional special thanks go to Bob Paddock of the Daily Herold for allowing our tean to utilize his beautiful facility for our interviews.
Gov, Mike and Donna cordially invite you to join with them at the 104th RI Convention and to “Discover Lisbon”.
As one of the oldest cities in Europe, its colorful history, which offers old world charm with a modern flair, makes Lisbon an explorers’ paradise.
You can expect to experience entertaining plenary sessions, outstanding speakers and lively workshops, plus the House of Friendship, club and district exhibits and exciting HOC events.
A limited number of rooms have been reserved at the Superior-First Class, Radisson Blu; a 221-room, full-service hotel. Standard (25m2) room rate per night is 150 Euros (approx. $200US), double occupancy, which includes all taxes, service and breakfast daily, plus free WiFi throughout. Superior (39m2) rooms are available at 250 Euros (approx. $330US). Note: Since this reservation was made through RI’s designate, Experient, payment in full will be due on December 3. Any changes or cancellations after that date will be subject to penalty.
Please respond to Stan Sherman, the “On To Lisbon” chair, with the reservation form, or for more information, call (847) 736-6513.
Deadlines are fast approaching for the applications for the Rotary clubs & students wishing to participate in the 2013-2014 exchange year. Applications are due to the outbound coordinator, Alexis Portugal, by October 15th. Please contact her with any questions at Alexis@SaundersPortugal.com. Outbound interviews will be held at Cooper Middle School, Buffalo Grove, IL on Saturday November 3rd. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Alexis.
OUTBOUND YOUTH EXCHANGE APPLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS FOR THE 2013/2014 EXCHANGE YEAR
Members may leave, but Rotarians will die Rotarians because they understand the mission of Rotary.The question for Rotary leaders is; “How do we convert members into Rotarians?”
The issue, brought to its basic terms, is why does anybody belong to any organization, or why does anybody do anything. The answer is simple: motivation.
American psychologist A. H. Maslow described motivation as need fulfillment and established a hierarchy of needs. We try to satisfy physiological needs such as hunger and thirst to remain alive, and that is the strongest motivator. Then we provide for our safety needs with a roof over our heads and a job. The need of belonging, of love and affection, is provided by our friends, spouses, children, and organizations. Finally, we try to achieve self-esteem, status, recognition, and appreciation.
Rotary, and similar organizations or associations, try to satisfy the last two needs, belonging and self-esteem. If a member does not perceive these on a continual basis, he or she leaves to find what he or she desire somewhere else. The connection is lost, the hook is open!
What connection? What hook? Whatever held that person attached to that group or club!
We remain Rotarians because, over time, our clubs hold onto us by means of various ‘hooks’. We enjoy friendship, camaraderie in service, self-esteem, love, status, recognition, appreciation, etc. We see all these begin to add up from the moment somebody takes an interest in us and we perceive opportunities to belong to something that is interesting, fun, fulfilling and with enough variety. The ‘hooks’ are set and they hold us. The club is like ‘Velcro’ to us.
The Rotary Club of Barrington Breakfast has lost a beloved member with the passing of Lou Bolchazy this past Saturday.
Rotarians may show their love and support for Marie by attending the visitation on Monday (July 30) from 4 to 8:00pm at the Kisselburg-Wauconda Funeral Home, 235 N. Main St., Wauconda. The funeral will be Tuesday July 31, at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Wauconda Cemetery.
Rotary year 2011-12 was an excellent year for the District Rotary Foundation. We had great success in that we used all of our DDF. This is always a joy for it means our District Rotary Clubs did many projects overseas as well as local projects through our District Simplified Grants, (See individual listing in other parts of this report). Our Group Study Team represented our District well in Taiwan. Our clubs were great hosts for our incoming visitors. The Ambassadorial Scholar was limited to one scholar for the coming year. The committee selection declined after several months, but we were able to get our second choice who agreed to serve as our scholar. She will do us proud. Thanks to the Rotarians and Clubs, our Rotary Foundation collection for the Annual Giving is estimated to be close to $400,000 exceeding our goal of $307,000. We had one new Arch Klump member and several Major Donors and Bequest Society members. Polio did very well. We lead the Zone in giving for the year and for the entire campaign.
Barrington business owner Todd Rhodes is singing the praises of the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club’s (BBRC) MicroLoan program that helped his rock 'n' roll-influenced general store succeed in today’s tough economic climate. “The MicroLoan I received a year ago for Grassroots helped us achieve our sales goals 4-6 months ahead of schedule. We were able to bring in merchandise in a more efficient manner thereby increasing our sales/inventory ratio,” says Rhodes.
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club’s MicroLoan Program focuses on creating new sources of income and is more personal and customized to the opportunity at hand. At its core, the MicroLoan Program is about helping people working to help themselves.
The Rotary clubs of Deerfield, Lincolnshire Morning Star, Long Grove and Wheeling of District 6440, with the Rotary Club of Westerwald in the German District 1810 and the Club Rotario Pimentel, Duarte in the Dominican Republic in District 6040, are proud to announce the Inauguration of two new computer labs in the elementary schools in the Dominican Republic. Both labs opened with special ceremonies on June 15, 2012. This project was funded through contributions by the participating clubs and a matching humanitarian grant from The Rotary Foundation.
"This project is an excellent example of several clubs and districts partnering to have greater impact, and is the model that will be encouraged as The Rotary Foundation implements Future Vision," said District Governor Carlos Frum. "Our clubs are to be congratulated on organizing a fine project that will improve educational opportunities for so many students."
There are 61 Rotary fellowships which offer many opportunities for people to share hobbies and interests with others in Rotary and build new, lasting friendships.
Around the world, more than 32,000 Rotarians, Rotarian spouses and Rotaractors belong to Rotary Fellowships to enrich their Rotary experience beyond their clubs and districts. Many fellowships have specific vocations- or service-based purposes. If your club is involved in a service project related to a Rotary Fellowship, collaboration may be possible.
The District 6440 GSE Committee is seeking applications for one Rotarian team leader and four non-Rotarian team members to travel to Rotary District 3230, Chennai, India. The 2013 team will depart January 19 and return February 19. Volunteers to help with the inbound team are also needed (click "more" for more information).
As announced at the District Conference, District 6440 will again send teams to Guatemala to work at the Ak’Tenamit school where we been the last several years.
“It’s great to see how our work has improved the campus and the life of the students”, said International Service Advisor Ron Crawford. “The computer lab that we built for the girls’ campus will soon be operational and the community deck that we installed is in daily use for school activities. The tilapia farm that the Lake in the Hills club installed is yielding fish for the students’ diet and plans are being made to build other fish farms for the students and their families. Engineers Without Borders has entered into a partnership with us to assist with project design and management. This will allow us to accomplish even more in the future”.
Two teams will be sent in 2013. Team 1 departs Jan. 19 and Team 2 will depart Feb. 9. More information and the application form are available here.
PDG Edger W. Pigg, 86, passed away on Thursday, May 17, 2012 at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. He was born Feb.19, 1926 in Dade City, FL, raised in Nashville, TN and has lived in Lake Bluff since 1966. Following high school, Ed enlisted in the navy, serving on the USS Satago during WWII and was a member of the Lake Bluff American Legion Post #510. He was a 1951 graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville and a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
Ed began his auto sales career with Studebaker, later becoming the owner of a Volkswagen dealership in Waukegan. He retired in 1985 and soon after joined his longtime friend in business at J.C. Forney and Co. Real Estate in Libertyville. He was a former member of the Lake Bluff Police Commission and past president of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. He was involved in the Lake County Chaplaincy Program, the Ralph Smith Foundation and many aspects of the Methodist Church. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Lake Bluff and served on the Board of the United Methodist Foundation.
Ed was a very active Rotarian, Past President of the Waukegan Rotary Club, District 6440 Govenor from 1985-86 and honored as a Paul Harris Fellow.
Surviving are his loving wife of 58 years, Henrietta Pigg; 3 children Katherine (Fred) Boebel III of West Alexandria, Ohio, Edgar (Barbara) Pigg, Jr. of Lake Bluff and David (Marguertie) Pigg of Riverwoods; 6 grandchildren, Frederick IV, Katherine, Carolyn, Robert, David Jr. and Emma; sisters, Mary Hartnett and Addie Martin and also numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, C.E. and Noi Pigg and by his brothers, Eugene and Robert.
Visitation will be from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 25, 2012 at the BURNETT-DANE FUNERAL HOME, 12O W. Park Ave. in Libertyville. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 26 at Grace United Methodist Church, 244 E. Center Ave. Lake Bluff, IL 60044.
Congratulations are in order for the following recipients of this year’s Rotary District 6440 Vocational Scholarship awards. Each winner was nominated by one of our clubs and chosen from a field of 35 applicants. The scholarships provide a $1,000 award to be used toward tuition, books and fees at a two-year community college or trade school. “We had an outstanding field of applicants this year”, said District Vocational Service Chair Shel Hyman. “This program is a shining example of how Rotarians are assisting the Next Generation as they prepare to be tomorrow’s leaders.” Please congratulate the following winners and their sponsoring clubs:
What a great weekend Sharing the Rotary Experience at the fabulous Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. Thanks to all who participated and special thanks to Rod Pickett for sharing these wonderful images with us, and RI President's Rep PDG Don Alhart for capturing our memories in his
Ode to District 6440
(Click more to read the entire ode by
RI President's Representative Don Alhart)
An ode to 64-40
In Milwaukee cause we care
A Rotary experience
For all of us to share
At the District 6440 Conference, Governor Carlos Früm recognized Rotarian of the Year – Club Service Adviser & Webmaster Rich Lalley for his outstanding service to the District with the website and the Public Relations Grant that has surpassed 23,000,000 impressions on our 200,000 target population of potential recruits. To compare our website with others, check the websites of any District in our two zones (www.zones28-29.org) under ‘Districts’.
C.R “Chuck” Peterson, a founding member of McHenry’s Rotary Club and longtime local businessman, was remembered for his selfless commitment to the McHenry community.
Peterson, of Johnsburg, died Monday at Centegra Hospital – McHenry. He was 95.
“Some people will talk the talk. But Chuck Peterson truly walked the walk,” said Donna Schaefer, McHenry Township supervisor and Rotary Club member. “He was a living example of all the things Rotary teaches us about community service and ethical behavior.”
Giay in her capacity as Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator:
"Because of the importance, value and scope of the work that Guatemalan Rotarians do, the President of the Republic, General Otto Perez Molina, attended the opening ceremony of the Conference not only to thank [visiting volunteer Rotarians]... but to put in front of the people of his country as an example, how Rotarians are working for the present and future of the nation."
Please give a BIG THANKS to these Clubs for sponsoring the Hospitality Suites at next week's District Conference:
Arlington Heights, Barrington Breakfast, Batavia, Carol Stream, Chicagoland Korean, Elgin, Highland Park-Highwood, Lake In the Hills, Northbrook, Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, Skokie Valley, Wheaton, Wheeling, Wilmette Harbor and Winnetka-Northfield
What a cool weekend! Over 130 young leaders from all over Northern Illinois gathered for the March 2012 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Camp in Troy, WI. They experienced three full days of inspiring and motivational workshops with some of the best speakers and small group leaders in the country. This is just a quick snapshot of their experience.
The district will host a Farewell Party for the Taiwan GSE Team and a district "Day at the Races," on Saturday, 12 May, at beautiful Arlington Park Racecourse.
$25.00 covers, the $8.00 cost of admission, $12.00 box seat charge, a $15.00 food voucher for lunch at the 3rd Floor Bistro and a donation of $5.00 per person, to The Rotary Foundation, by Arlington Park.
Reduced prices for children and tickets available at www.arlingtonpark.com, use Ticket Code ROTARYGSETEAM before May9th for discount.
Contact Jim Runnfeldt, GSE General Chair (312-259-7906), for additional information.
Why notmake this a club outing and family event?
It's the day before Mothers Day..Take Mom to the races.
Rotary International and ShelterBox, a grassroots disaster relief organization, signed a project partner agreement this month, allowing the two organizations to collaborate more closely to provide relief and temporary shelter to survivors of natural disasters.
“Project partner” is a special status RI gives to groups started or managed by Rotary clubs. The agreement will build on the strengths of both organizations in responding to disasters all over the world.
Rotary District 6440 is pleased to announce that The Rotary Foundation is now accepting applications for the world-competitive Rotary Peace Fellowship. The fellowship provides academic and practical training to prepare scholars for leadership roles in solving conflicts around the world.
Up to 110 fellows are selected every year to earn either a master’s degree or a professional development certificate in peace and conflict studies. Fellows study at one of six Rotary Peace Centers at leading universities in Australia, England, Japan, Sweden, the United States, and Thailand. Watch as several Peace Fellows discuss the program and their work.
Applicants must be endorsed by a local Rotary Club and District. Contact Jill Brickman if you need more information about the District's application process. Applications are due to the District office by June 1.
On February 20, Buffalo Grove Rotarian David Hafft hosted a group of 35 people from District 6440 that included ten inbound exchange students and five American students going outbound to a tour of the outstanding Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie. Danny Spungen, a Lincolnshire Rotarian, gave a very informative and moving description of the exhibits in the museum as the docent to half of the group.
The Rotary Club of Evanston is planning a Farewell Reception for the GSE Team traveling to Taiwan. Join them on March 11 at the Celtic Knot Public House in Evanston from 4 - 6. Details and advanced registration form are available here.
Here's a wonderful video produced by a Woodstock High School student about the Rotary Club of Woodstock's Christmas Clearing House project. Watch it and you'll be proud to be a Rotarian and you'll see a wonderful reason to partner with local high school students and their creative talents.
Rotary Club of Woodstock Holiday Meals Project Featured in Video
District 6440 will again offer $1,000 scholarships to students working toward an Associates Degree or Trade Certificate. Each club in our district may nominate up to two candidates for the 25 $1,000 awards which will be awarded on April 28.
To be eligible, students must be permanent residents of District 6440; be a high school graduate, have a GED or be a non-traditional student returning to education; be accepted at a two year community college or trade school; and be nominated by a District 6440 Rotary Club. Relatives of Rotarians are not eligible. Applications must be submitted by clubs to the District Vocational Committee no later than March 15.
RI President Elect Sakuji Tanaka 's speech announcing the theme for his year as President.
Good morning.
It is a great honor to be here, standing before all of you: our new district governors for the 2012-13 Rotary year.
Rotary has been at the center of my life for many years. I did not know it at the time, but the day I joined Rotary in 1975 was the day I set my first step on the path to a different future.
Before I joined Rotary, my view of the world was narrow. I was the fourth of eight children. We were poor, and so was nearly everyone we knew. I had never met anyone who was not Japanese.
The Rotary Club of Northbrook and the Rotary Club of Chicagoland Korean, in partnership with the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, present a concert on February 26, 2012 to support the End Polio Now! effort. Visit
www.northbrooksymphony.org/rotary/ for concert information and to order tickets.
Thanks to a Rotary International Public Image Grant and contributions from 49 clubs, a Facebook Ad Campaign began January 3rd. Targeting service minded adults living in Northeast Illinois, ads like the one below appear on Facebook and link to the District's Facebook Pages, including our "Welcome" and "20 Reasons to Join a Rotary Club" page.
You Can Help!
To be effective, the campaign will need a steady stream of new ads. We're looking for help creating ads, and are offering a $100 cash prize to the Rotarian who contributes the most effective ad!
The Rotary District 2012 RYLA leadership retreats are scheduled for March 15 - 18 and April 5 - 8. These are extremely valuable and popular experiences for high school students. Take a look at this video for a look at last year's retreat.
The District 117 Interact Club in Antioch is organizing a service trip to Tanzania next June/July, and is opening this opportunity to other Interact and Rotary Clubs in the District.
Kerri Elliott, one the club's Interact Faculty Advisors, is in Tanzania for a one year sabbatical. She is a Director of EdPowerment . She has made contact with the local Rotary Club in Moshi and will become a member of that club with plans to maintain membership in Antioch once she returns. Nancy Clutter, our other Faculty Advisor, will also be going. More information is available here and on this You Tube video. If we get enough interest from the District we will schedule the trip. For more information, contact Mike Schwert.
Past District 7120 Governor Don Alhart has been appointed by Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee to be his Representative to our District Conference to take place between April 20 and 22 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the famed Pfister Hotel.
A Hall of Fame Broadcaster PDG Don is a five time recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in television broadcasting. He and his wife Mary live in Penfield, NY and he is the news anchor for 13WHAM station in Rochester, NY.
President Representative PDG Don Alhart to attend District Conference
The District Conference Committee announced today that J. B. Pritzker, entrepreneur, technology venture capitalist and philanthropist, will be the Keynote Speaker at the District Conference on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. Mr. Pritzker is a business and civic leader and a leading advocate for civil rights and young children in poverty.
The District 6440 Nominating Committee last night selected Ellen Young of the Rotary Club of Lincolnshire Morning Star to be candidate for the post of District Governor. If elected by the clubs, she will serve during Rotary year 2014-15. Please join me in congratulating Ellen on this honor.
Ellen Young joined the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Noon Rotary Club in 1991, and served as its President during the 1998-1999 Rotary year. During her tenure in the club, she served as Treasurer, Club Board Member and International Service Committee Chair. When Ellen changed employers in 2002, she became a member of the Winnetka Northfield Rotary Club, where she served as Membership Chair and a Board member of the Club and Foundation.
A message to Rotarians and Clubs in District 6440 from one of our Youth Exchange Students:
I am Miguel Perez Nieva, an 18-year-old Rotary Youth Exchange student from Aguascalientes Mexico. My sponsor Rotary club is San Marcos Aguascalientes and I am hosted by Elgin Breakfast. As a special Christmas gift to my home country, I am seeking new or gently used blankets for a poor community in Aguascalientes.
The San Marcos Rotary Club regularly helps the people there. Please involve your members in this unique international service opportunity by donating blankets by Wednesday Dec. 14. The San Marcos Rotary Club will pay the shipping fees from Elgin. For more information, including pick up and delivery options, please contact me at 331-222-1805 or Mark Billings with Elgin Breakfast at 847-660-3457.
Can You Help a Youth Exchange Student with His Service Project?
District 6440 project to provide WHIS-RAD X-Ray equipment to medical clinics throughout Guatemala is making great progress.
The X-Ray Project Team Members attended the opening of the Radiological Society of North America meeting at McCormick place and met with high level representatives of Phillips, Siemens, GE and SEDECAL to discuss the upcoming issue of a Request For Information (RFI). The RFI will be offered to potential suppliers prior to issuing a Request For Quotes (RFQ) to ascertain their level of interest and their ability to supply equipment and services.
On Saturday night, about 110 costumed revelers descended to the dungeon at Hackney’s in Lake Zurich to celebrate Halloween at the Lake Zurich Rotary Club’s Rockin’ Halloween Bash. By the end of the evening, more than $12,000 had been raised for the Lake Zurich food panty and other charities the Rotary Club supports. And local businesswoman Lynn O’Brien, dressed as coffee pitchman Juan Valdez, had walked away with the honors for best costume.
Some weeks ago, when the weather was still beautiful, The Wilmette Harbor RC Vocational Service Committee hosted some 20+ members of the Young Adult Program group of the North Shore at a barbecue in Wilmette's Gilson Park. The group consists of adults with disabilities and holds weekly program meetings, based in Glencoe. The universal reaction from the group was "when are you holding the next one?" Committee Chair George Vandervoort (in red shirt, bottom left photo) and Susan Kozak (at right in striped T-shirt) were the organizers.
Nominations continue to be accepted for the post of District Governor for the 2014-15 Rotary year. The application form may be downloaded by clicking here, and are due to Gov. Carlos Früm by December 5th. Candidates will interview with the District Nominating Committee on December 12th. This is an outstanding opportunity to serve.
2014-15 District Governor Nominations Due December 5th
This is how District 6440 stack up in comparison with other districts in Zone 28 since the start of The Rotary Foundation:
#1 in total donations since 1917 #1 in Endowed Funds with almost 25% of total #1 in Arch Klumph Society members (>$250K) with more than 1/3 of total #2 in Major Donors #3 in Paul Harris Society members #1 in Sponsored Scholarships #1 in Grants with almost 25% of total
We contributed $15,205,052 since 1917. That’s 16% of the total for our Zone!
We should be mighty proud of ‘The Home District’! Thank you for your contributions!
The GSE Team has its first meeting to prepare for next March's trip to Taiwan.
For a left to right: in green dress is Nermina Krnetka, sponsored by R C of Skokie Valley; in the black short sleeves is Team Leader Ada P. Kahn, R C of Evanston; in the red shirt is Betty Wang, sponsored by Wilmette Harbor R C; and in the black top is Jessica Angelos, R C of Gurnee. Not in picture: Jacqueline Salemi, RC of Carol Stream, and Alternate team member Nicole Jacobson, Waukegan R C
The Mount Prospect - Prospect Heights Rotary club recently initiated a monthly Rotary After Hours at the local Bar Louie. Usually held on the third Monday of the month, the group has had a successful fellowship and social gathering in addition to bringing awareness of Rotary to new members of the community. In addition, they plan to open the event up to neighboring rotarians who might need to do a make-up. While there is no formal program, Jim Uszler, President of the club brings along his laptop, so Rotary International information is at his fingertips through the Wi-Fi connection at the restaurant. Usually appetizers and libations are purchased by participants not the club but larger clubs might have their own suggestions on how they want to handle this.
Does your club have an interesting membership idea? We'd like to hear from you so we can share it with others.
The District 6440 Membership Team
Looking for New Members? Consider hosting a Rotary After Hours.
Very nice press story abot our own Walter Reed. “A great example of serving above self and reaching within to embrace humanity!” said Gov. Carlos. Check it out by clicking here.
October is Rotary International Vocational month and we are considering running a Four Way Test Speech contest for high school students. We need your Club's commitment and comments.
Goals:
Encourage the study, application and communication of the Four Way Test as a moral and ethical model for behavior, decision making, and practice by means of a speech contest for high school students.
Generate more awareness about ethics by students, teachers, parents, Rotarians and others.
Promote a positive Public Image for Rotary and Interact.
At a meeting chaired by GSE Outbound Co-Chair Paul Larson, from the RC of Evanston, a committee selected the following members for the Group Study Exchange Team to District 3480 in Taipei, Taiwan:
Jessica Angelos, sponsored by the RC of Gurnee
Nermina Krneta, sponsored by the RC of Skokie Valley
Jackie Salemi, sponsored by the RC of Carol Stream
Betty Wang, sponsored by the RC of Wilmette Harbor
The Team will be lead by Ada Kahn, of the RC of Evanston. The GSE General Chair is Jim Runnfeldt of the RC of Long Grove. Congratulations to the whole team and the committee.
(Clock wise from top left Betty, Jessica, Jackie, Nermina, center Ada)
PDG Bruce Baumberger informed me that the District Nominating Committee met last night, September 15, 2011, and select Sarah Oliver, from the Rotary Club of Wilmette Harbor, to be the candidate for District Governor 2014-2015. I wish to congratulate Sarah, our District Treasurer, for her achievement. I have worked with her many times and I am delighted she was chosen because she is an excellent Rotarian dedicated to the advancement of our District and the causes of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.
We have a color for the 2011-12 Rotary year, and that color is green. Why green? Because green is the color of spring, of new life, of bright leaves bursting forth from spreading branches. And there is no doubt that it is time to “green” Rotary – to lift our deepening pallor of gray and replace it with brighter shades of green.
The Rotary Club of Park Ridge recently assisted students at Maine East High School create a "welcome" mural featuring a "welcome" greeting in 16 of the most frequently spoken languages at the school. In all, there are more than 50 languages spoken at Maine East, a school with on of the most diverse student populations in the U.S.
Pat Ahern, president of the Park Ridge Rotary said, "To be able to partner with a school that includes all kinds of people in studying and learning makes us very proud." The club provided both financial and hands on assistance for the project, with the support of a District Simplified Grant.
Park Ridge Rotary Helps Welcome Students Back to School
Going to the RI Convention in Bangkok? If so, register by August 27 for a chance to win 2 tickets to the Bears vs. Browns NFL pre-season game on Thursday September 1. Two pairs of tickets will be raffled off to District 6440 Rotarians who register for the convention before August 27. Email PDG Bill Ferreira after you register to participate in the raffle.
Discounts on airfare are available from several airlines. Learn more.
Bear Down! Register Now for the Bangkok Convention & Win Bears Tickets.
District 6440 is proud to make available handsome and customizable "Four-Way Test Plaques" for businesses and clubs. Each plaque can feature a color logo of the recognized business or governmental body. Plaques cost $60 plus $7 shipping, with $15 for each plaque being donated to the End Polio Now campaign. Quantity discounts are also available.
District 6440 is proud to make available handsome and customizable "Four-Way Test Plaques" for businesses and clubs. Each plaque can feature a color logo of the recognized business or governmental body. Plaques cost $60 plus $7 shipping, with $15 for each plaque being donated to the End Polio Now campaign. Quantity discounts are also available.
One of the hottest topics for clubs is how to retain current members. Clubs often lose numerous members for various reasons such as lack of interest or lack of time to commit. The first step when trying to retain members is to understand why a club loses members. Club members must analyze their club history and recognize the factors that led to the loss of members. By doing so, it becomes easier to understand what de-motivates people away from the club. So how does a club motivate its members to stay?
Share your ideas for club projects in our Forums. This is a great way to collaborate with fellow Rotarians to help create more vibrant clubs. We have forums to share ideas on Fundraising, Programs and Community, International and Vocational Service projects. Pass on your idea today.
The 2012 Rotary International Convention in Bangkok will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Click here to learn more about why you should.
Discounted airfare for the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok is available from Thai Airlines, United Airlines and the Star Alliance partners are offering 10-15% discounts off of economy class airfares and up to 20% off of business class airfares for convention attendees. Use Airline Event Code – UA03S12.
Zone 28 & 29 also has special airfare packages available with Cathay Pacific Airways, with round trip tickets at $1,474 per traveler. Click here for more information.
Zone 28 & 29 will also again offer a dinner cruise. Click here for more information.
Check out this video to learn more about Bangkok and the convention.
This year Governor Carlos will submit a candidate to RI for the Club Builder Award. The candidates proposed by clubs must have:
Personally recruited at least five members who are active Rotarians at the time of nomination
Participated in Rotary training in their club
Participated in at least one meaningful club-level vocational service project
Attended at least two district meetings in the three years immediately preceding nomination
Please submit the application to Past District Governor Pam Kerr by October 1. The award will be presented by the RI President’s Representative at the District Conference in April 2012. More information is available at www.rotary.org/awards.
Why did we join Rotary? I don’t think Rotarians join just to eat breakfast or lunch. Surely some misguided ‘members’ join to pass business cards. But Rotarians join to serve. ‘Members’ may leave you but Rotarians will be with us forever.
We heard it many times: “I want to give back”, “I want to help my community”, “I want to work helping others!” That’s Rotarian speaking!
So, let’s give an opportunity to others to join us. Invite friends and neighbors to help you with your next community project. After a few more invitations they may even ask you to join you for breakfast or lunch!
We are all responsible for growing Rotary. Let’s do our part.
Governor Carlos has asked all clubs to make Membership their Number 1 priority. Healthy, vibrant and growing clubs require that all members feel they have a voice in the club. Conducting regular member surveys is one way to improve member satisfaction in Rotary and increase member retention. There are many tools, hi and low tech, available to help.
Rotary District 6440 and the Pan American Health Organization jointly pre-publish “Diagnostic Imaging in the Community- A Manual for Clinics and Small Hospitals”
Rotary District 6440 and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) jointly have pre-published on the Internet a diagnostic imaging reference manual “Diagnostic Imaging in the Community- A Manual for Clinics and Small Hospitals.” The manual is authored by Dr. Philip E.S. Palmer and Dr. Gerald Hanson who are internationally recognized for their work with PAHO and WHO (World Health Organization) in radiology and radiologic safety.
District 6440 is asking clubs to support a public image campaign fund. All clubs are asked to contribute $100. We will apply for a Rotary Public Image Grant, which will match our funds $3 for every dollar we spend. Plans are to run an awareness building campaign on Facebook targeting service minded adults living in our district.
Thanks to these clubs for agreeing to contribute: Antioch, Arlington Heights, Barrington Breakfast, Bartlett, Batavia, Buffalo Grove, Carol Stream, Carpentersville, Central DuPage, Chicago Korean, Deerfield, Dundee Township, Elgin, Elgin Breakfast, Elk Grove Village, Evanston Lighthouse, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Glenview Noon, Glenview Sunrise, Grayslake, Gurnee, Highland Park-Highwood, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, Lake in the Hills, Lincolnshire Morningstar, Lombard, McHenry, McHenry Sunrise, Mount Prospect Sunrise, Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg AM, Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates, Skokie Valley, St. Charles, St. Charles Breakfast, Villa Park, Wauconda, Wheaton, Wheeling, Wilmette, Wilmette Harbor, Winnetka-Northfield, Woodstock, Woodstock Morning.
This is the first in an on-going series of short video messages produced with Gov. Carlos and local Interactors. This is an example of simple, unedited videos that can be incorporated in ClubRunner to enhance a webpage.
Over 250 local Rotarians have listed their businesses in our year old District 6440 eYellow Pages Program. It is a great resource for Rotarians looking to do business with Rotarians. The current pricing structure is as follows: Basic listing = $25 per year; Premium listing = $120 per year. Please pay renewals with a credit card when prompted by the eYellow Pages system at your approximate renewal date.
All funds collected will help fund District Public Image campaigns designed to increase Rotary's profile in our communities. Anyone interested in helping with this program is encouraged to contact District Public Image Chair Luanne Triolo Newman. You may list your business by clicking: eYellowPages website.
eYellowPages Program to Support District Public Image Campaign
In every organization there is always a struggle. The internal elements that make the organization grow and succeed collide, over time, with the realities of a changing external environment.
This week’s Installation Dinner of the Rotary Club of Villa Park featured the Chartering Ceremony of Interact Club of Willowbrook High School. The new club chartered with 19 student members.
Charter Celebration for Interact Club of Willow Brook High School.
By Narayan Murarka and Suzanne Gibson (Barrington Breakfast)
Seven area Rotary Clubs – members of Rotary International’s District 6440 are working closely with Sterling Rotary Club, Sterling, Illinois, part of District 6420, to deliver on a recently approved Rotary Foundation Global Grant valued at approximately $60,000. The aim of the grant is to make a lasting positive difference in the lives of impoverished rural communities in Guatemala. Because Rotary International is a network of volunteers with a common mission of “Doing Good In the World,” the Illinois contingent is partnering with Guatemala Sur Rotary Club, part of Rotary District 4250, in order to have the knowledge and expertise in-country to make the investment a success.
The District 6440 GSE Committee is seeking applications for one Rotarian team leader and four non-Rotarian team members to travel to Rotary District 3480 in Taipei, Taiwan. The 2012 team will depart March 17 and return April 16, in time for our District Conference. Volunteers to help with the inbound team are also need (click "more" for more information).
Applicants for team leaders should be seasoned Rotarians with significant leadership experience, deep knowledge of Rotary and the District and be regular attendees and/or participants in District Conferences and Seminars. Applications are available here: Team LeaderTeam MemberEmployer Endorsement Form
Team member applicants must live or work within District 6440, be between 25 & 40 years of age, have been engaged in their profession / vocation for a minimum of 2 years and not related linearly to a Rotarian. All Applications are due by September 17, 2011.
Applications for Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships for the Academic Year 2012-2013 are due to be submitted to the District by July 1, 2011. All applications must be submitted by a local Rotary Club on behalf of the applicant and must include a signed endorsement of the local Club. More information about the Ambassadorial Scholarships and the application forms may be obtained on the Rotary International website,
With the largest number of members attending the convention from Zone 28, District 6440 was awarded recognition presented to Gov. Bruce by RIVP Tommy Thorfinson and convention chair and Future Vision Vice Chair Ron Burton. Also present was DGE Carlos.
District 6440 Receives Convention Attendance Award
Do you or any of your friends have a teenage daughter interested in learning about life in another country? If so, check out this short term Youth Exchange opportunity.
18 year old Clarissa Hashimoto from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, in Mexico would like to do a short-term summer exchange with a girl from District 6440. Clarissa is ready to come to Illinois anytime between mid May and mid July. She will enter the University of Guadalajara on July 25th. She has a brother, Francisco, 21 years old. Her hobbies are ballet, tennis, and sports. Clarissa is available to come here for a 4 or 5 week period or as long as you wish within the time period mid May through mid July. After staying with a local family, their daughter would go to Clarisa's home for four to five weeks.
A one way exchange is also possible if hosts can't send their daughter on such late notice.
If you've ever wondered about the power of well chosen words to motivate action, take a look at this video. It's a great reminder that it's not only what you say that's important, but how you say it.
Clubrunner has released a new iPhone and iPad app. Easily access home page stories, your club membership directory and locate clubs near your current location. For more information and to download the app, visit Clubrunner's webisite here.
Rudy Welvers, President of the Rotary Club of Huntley, has been appointed next year’s District Friendship Exchange Coordinator. His first task will be to arrange the hosting of eleven British Rotarians visiting our good friends in District 6420. These Rotarians will visit our District only from September 25 to September 28. Obviously they wish to visit Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston among other things.
If you are interested in hosting some of them please contact Rudy at rrwelvers@sbcglobal.net . If you have never hosted foreign Rotarians be prepared for a great experience. They are just like us, only they speak with an accent! ("Come to think of that, some of us speak with an accent!” , said Gov. Carlos).
Are you, like a Boy Scout, ‘always prepared’? Last week, I arrived a little early to our club meeting. We are a lunch club and as I entered the room, I noticed a few new faces, sitting at a table, writing something. Then it hit me – we had two new members being inducted/installed. This was a good opportunity for a PR photo opportunity, I thought to myself. I grabbed my Smartphone and went to the Facebook login and snapped, then uploaded a picture. My caption was “Future Rotarians....like in the next half hour”. We started the meeting and while everyone got up to go to the buffet, I ran down the hall to my office. My Facebook was open on my computer and I saw we had a response to the newly-posted photo. “How do I join? Where are the meetings?” were the questions posed.
Now, really, how hard was that? How difficult was that to snap a photo and post it? How much effort did it take to give it a quick caption? The answer is: that was easy.
Are you prepared for some PR for your club? It doesn’t have to take hours of preparation. You don’t always need a licensed photographer or award-winning writer. It takes you! Get the word out – show what your club is doing. You never know who may be reading.
-Luanne Triolo Newman, Rotary Club of Carol Stream
The Rotary Club of Highland Park/Highwood celebrated its 20th TABU exchange with the Rotary Club of Belfast commencing on March 23. TABU (To Achieve a Better Understanding) began during the troubled times in Northern Ireland with the goal to create a better mutual understanding between different communities by studying conflict resolution. This includes finding ways to break down barriers among people, particularly young people, and learning how to reconcile differences.
District 6440 received 48 applications for vocational scholarships, which are awards of $1,500 to be used toward a two-year post-secondary program. An "excellent group" of applicants was interviewed on April 16, with 21 scholarships awarded (six more than last year).
Four members from the Rotary Club of Wheaton, Jeff Pringle, Cathy Hetrick, Kurt Parent and Sheri Billing, and four Wheaton College students, from the newly formed Wheaton Rotaract Club, recently returned home from a weeklong service trip to the Dominican Republic. The group visited three separate Kids Alive International orphanages in Caraballo, Constanza and Jarabacoa.
This is third of four articles related to the Guatemala Global Grant #25333.
“Helping those who are trying to help themselves” is the theme for a new Vocational Training Center in Guatemala. Seven District 6440 Rotary Clubs, together with the Sterling Rotary Club, Sterling, IL (District 6420), are delivering on the promise made possible by a Rotary Foundation Global Grant valued at approximately $60,000. The Illinois contingent is also partnering with Guatemala Sur Rotary Club (District 4250) to make a lasting difference in the lives of rural Guatemalan youth and adults.
Rotary District 6440 will host a Group Study Exchange Team (GSE) from Rotary District 9320 in South Africa over the next month. The in-bound team led by Rotarian John Roberts, a retired computer literacy professor from East London, Eastern Cape Province is comprised of four professionals from different areas of South Africa. Team members are:
Celine Morolong, a public relations officer for the provincial government, from Kimberly, Northern Cape Province Russell Molyneux , a geological engineer, from Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province Ivan Steenkamp, a transportation and security professional, from Kimberly, Northern Cape Province Lara Tozzi, an educator and school administrator, from East London, Eastern Cape Province
Gov. Bruce received word March 16, 2011 that Rotary International has approved District 6440’s Application for Authorization to Incorporate. In reality, it was our District’s Request for Authority to file with the Illinois Secretary of State “Articles of Amendment” to comply with RI Rules and Regulations for incorporation and to change the name from “Rotary District 6440”, an Illinois Not For Profit Corporation,to “Rotary International District 6440, Inc.”, an Illinois Not For Profit Corporation.
The following article was contributed by Deborah Bloom of the Hadley School for the Blind in Winnetka and a member of the District 6440 Group Study Exchange to South Africa:
When I applied to be a team member on the Group Study Exchange (GSE) to South Africa exactly one year ago, I had recruitment on the brain. Student recruitment that is.
The Hadley School for the Blind is an international nonprofit organization and the largest provider of distance education to blind and visually impaired adults worldwide, serving 10,000 students in more than 100 countries.GSE would be the perfect vehicle to generate awareness for the school and recruit new international students to study with us, especially because while we have students from South Africa, we didn’t have any that lived in District 9320. So the vocational aspect of the trip to South Africa was very important to me and to Hadley President Chuck Young, who also happens to be a Rotarian wth the Winnetka-Northfield Club.
The Concert to End Polio, which brought together Rotarians and friends of Rotary in Chicago on 7 March, raised more than $100,000 for Rotary’s efforts to eradicate the disease.
The event also helped increase awareness of polio, which many don’t realize is still a threat to children in parts of the world. Learn more at www.rotary.org
Fourteen members of the Lake of the Hills Rotary Club will spend eight days in Ak'Tenamit, from March 26 through April 3, assembling a combined hydroponic and aquaculture system that will grow edible greens and tilapia fish at the same time.
The goal of the project is to produce tilapia to feed approximately 500 students in the Ak' Tenamit school, to supplement the rice and beans that they eat now. Eventually the community hopes to use extra fish to barter for other goods.
Make It Better, a magazine that covers a number of North Shore communities, sponsored an outstanding Rotarians contest through all the local Rotary clubs in their northern suburban footprint. Click here to see their selections.
Magazine on North Shore Picks 'Outstanding Rotarians'
The Rotary Clubs of Elgin Noon, Elgin Breakfast, Dundee Township and District 6440 are teaming with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra to raise funds toEnd Polio Nowthrough a program called Gershwin in Blue.
You’ve heard of the great work District 6440 Rotary clubs have been doing at Guatemala’s Ak’Tenamit school for Mayans. Last year, the clubs built a library and the school obtained tables and library quality chairs but the library is still woefully under stocked. So, collect those Spanish language texts from your high school and college days that are languishing in the attic, the Spanish language books and magazines you can get donated from your local bookstore or library, and all your spare change. At the District Conference in April, there will be collection bins at the registration booth for the materials and a change jar at the Ak’Tenamit Book Drive table in the House of Friendship. All funds collected will be used to purchase supplemental Spanish language books.
By Narayan Murarka, Suzanne Gibson, John Meier (Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club). This is second of four articles related to the Guatemala Global Grant #25333.
The idea of a “mechanical cow” may seem like the stuff of science fiction stories, but for some impoverished Guatemalan schoolchildren, it’s a real-life dream come true. Seven northwest suburban Rotary Clubs – members of Rotary International District 6440 – together with membership of the Sterling Rotary Club, Sterling, Illinois, part of District 6420, are delivering on the promise made possible by a Rotary Foundation Global Grant valued at approximately $60,000. The Illinois contingent is partnering with Guatemala Sur Rotary Club for in-country expertise to make a lasting difference in the lives of rural Guatemalan children.
Monday's Perlman This Close Polio concert had an inspiring aspect which I thought I'd share with members of the district. The music was great, and so was the fellowship. Even as Rotarians we sometimes find meeting strangers somewhat intimidating. Monday's event reminded me it was worth the effort.
Gov. Bruce met this weekend with District Conference speaker Ina Pinkney, who is speaking at the Paul Harris Luncheon on Friday, April 29, and he quickly came to the realization that this will be a “don’t miss” session for all Rotarians.
Ina, a celebrity chef who owns and operates Ina’s Kitchen in Chicago’s trendy West Loop Market District, is a polio survivor who dramatically portrays the long-term effects of polio…effects that are just now becoming apparent to thousands of Americans who contracted polio in the 1940s.
Articles about Ina have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and several local papers and magazines, and she has lectured on entrepreneurship at Northwestern, DePaul, and the University of Illinois. She has also appeared frequently on local television.
If you haven’t yet registered for the conference, scheduled for April 28 - May 1 at the Marriott Lincolnshire, you may do so right now by clicking here
Don't Miss Ina--Celebrity Chef and Polio Survivor--at District Conference
Posted by bruce.baumberger@comcast.net on Mar 07, 2011
On February 12, District Governor-elect (DGE) Carlos Früm, District Governor-nominee (DGN) Dick Larson, Past District Governor (PDG) Pam Kerr, International Service Co-Advisor Larry Kanar (also Governor's Special Representative to Guatemala), John Vanden Brink and I participated in a history-making meeting in Antigua, Guatemala.
Present were representatives of the Pan-American Health Organization, Guatemalan Ministry of Health, Office of the President and Guatemalan Rotarians. Participants discussed the ongoing operation of the world's first WHIS-RAD digital x-ray equipment installed at the Municipality of Guatemala City Clinic. The Guatemala Minister of Health, Dr. Ludwig Werner Ovalle Cabrera, and his staff provided a well-organized, comprehensive report that justifies country-wide installation of 29 digital x-ray systems networked into six regional hospitals.
As part of the district’s long-term commitment to the recovery effort in Haiti, New Generations plans their first hands-on project at the District Conference on Saturday, April 30. We will be partnering with Kids Against Hunger to pack highly nutritious meals which will be sent to Haiti. Rotary clubs of District 6440 are encouraged to participate as well as support Interact Clubs and Youth Exchange by sponsoring one or more students.
At the conference, Interactors and Youth Exchange students will be joining with Rotarians and Rotoractors in a program sponsored nationally by Kids Against Hunger, whereby they will be packing boxes of food destined for the earthquake-ravaged villages of Haiti.
For the third consecutive year, members of our Libertyville Sunrise RC traveled to rural Umuagwo, Nigeria, to present a two-week medical/dental clinic at Ohaji Medical Center. We partnered with the Altadena, CA. Rotary Club, whose members joined us the second week, presenting a four-day entrepreneurial education program to local college youth. Both projects were a huge success and received much praise from those impacted as well as from local and national leaders.
For two days at the end of February, Rotary club leaders from northern Illinois gathered in Schaumburg to train for the upcoming year.
Presidents-elect training (PETS) took place on Friday and Saturday with a range of topics.District Governor Elect Carlos Früm stressed the need for Rotarians to take chances, to look for new ways of doing things, and to encourage true involvement rather than simply meeting attendance.Leaders were given tips to make their clubs more vibrant and forward-thinking, not locked into the Rotary of past generations.By embracing creativity clubs can attract new members, who will in turn breathe new life into clubs.
Be mindful that clean up projects are more than just picking up the trash. Invite Interact clubs and the community to join you and discover new partners. Be sure to identify and record what and how much you collect. Useful apps like clean swell or marine debris tracker can make this easy. And be sure to leverage that data with the press and your local governmental agencies.
The Rotary Means Business Fellowship encourages Rotarians to support the success of their fellow Rotarians by doing business with them, and by referring others. We’re partnering with D6450 to establish a Chicagoland chapter. The inaugural meeting is this Thursday, July 30th, at 6PM via Zoom. 
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WHEN: Sunday, November 17, 2019)
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Foundation Grants provide one of the best ways to “Do Good in the World.” They give individual Rotarians the ability to develop, initiate, and execute needs-based projects that have high sustainable and measurable outcomes and make an impact on individuals and communities. As a result, Rotarians advance world understanding, goodwill and peace.
Maloney believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience.
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Closer to home, long time Rotarians Dot and Bill Dustin, of the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club, lost their home and all of their belongings to a devastating fire. While insurance will cover much of their loss, they are now starting from scratch and need to completely refurnish a new home. 
We are pleased to make a "tool kit" of ideas that you may want use to help promote the 110th Birthday of Rotary and 30th Anniversary of the End Polio campaign (.JPG)
Club nominations for District 6440 Governor for 2017-2018 are due on Monday, September 22, 2014. Interviews will take place on Monday, September 29, 2014. Think about new potential District leaders. You are allowed to nominate yourself, with your club’s support. 
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and try to arrive before 6:00. Concert starts at 8:00. Purchase lawn tickets at 
Rotarians throughout our district have been asking how they can help those affected by Sunday’s devastating tornados. Governor Sarah is in regular contact with Rotarians in District 6460 who are directly involved in coordinating the large and complicated multi-agency response effort. We will regularly update this story as new information becomes available.
The 2016-17 District Governor Nominating Committee has selected Richard (Rick) Rivkin as its nominee designate, announced Past District Governor and committee chair Mike Yesner.
A press release covering a special celebration with RI President-elect, several District 6440 Past District Governors and the First Lady of Guatemala follows:
The Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, District 6440 entered into a sister club relationship with the Club Rotario Guatemala Sur, District 4250 on March 12, 2013 in Guatemala City. President Suzanne Gibson and President Luis Pedro Fuxet Ciani signed the agreement on behalf of their respective clubs. This formally recognizes long standing fellowship and friendship between members of the two clubs and also successful implementation of major service projects through Rotary Foundation supported Global Grants.
The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala.PNG)
District 6440 is proud to announce that our candidate for a Rotary Peace Fellowship has been selected by the trustees of The Rotary Foundation to earn a professional development certificate at Chulangakorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. This prestigious award will enable Gururaj Kumar, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse, to pursue peace studies for three months during 2013.
Lucas Heinrich, Rotary Club of Wheaton. Lucas is a graphic designer with Boost Marketing in Wheaton.
Lincolnshire Morning Star and Buffalo Grove Rotary Clubs share BBQ duties during Football Season. 9/28/12 was Lincolnshire’s turn to “man” the big grills at the Interact food station at the game. President Valerie McGhee and DGN Ellen Young are displaying their talents here – 160 burgers and countless brats and chicken breasts later, both agreed it was a great night for fellowship, smoky clothes and funds raised for Interact.
On Saturday our 
Gov, Mike and Donna cordially invite you to join with them at the 104th RI Convention and to “Discover Lisbon”.
Deadlines are fast approaching for the applications for the Rotary clubs & students wishing to participate in the 2013-2014 exchange year. Applications are due to the outbound coordinator, Alexis Portugal, by October 15th. Please contact her with any questions at 
Members may leave, but Rotarians will die Rotarians because they understand the mission of Rotary. 
Rotary year 2011-12 was an excellent year for the District Rotary Foundation. We had great success in that we used all of our DDF. This is always a joy for it means our District Rotary Clubs did many projects overseas as well as local projects through our District Simplified Grants, (See individual listing in other parts of this report). Our Group Study Team represented our District well in Taiwan. Our clubs were great hosts for our incoming visitors. The Ambassadorial Scholar was limited to one scholar for the coming year. The committee selection declined after several months, but we were able to get our second choice who agreed to serve as our scholar. She will do us proud. Thanks to the Rotarians and Clubs, our Rotary Foundation collection for the Annual Giving is estimated to be close to $400,000 exceeding our goal of $307,000. We had one new Arch Klump member and several Major Donors and Bequest Society members. Polio did very well. We lead the Zone in giving for the year and for the entire campaign. 
The District 6440 GSE Committee is seeking applications for one Rotarian team leader and four non-Rotarian team members to travel to Rotary District 3230, Chennai, India. The 2013 team will depart January 19 and return February 19. Volunteers to help with the inbound team are also needed (click "more" for more information).
Rotary International and 
District 6440 will again offer $1,000 scholarships to students working toward an Associates Degree or Trade Certificate. Each club in our district may nominate up to two candidates for the 25 $1,000 awards which will be awarded on April 28. 
RI President Elect Sakuji Tanaka 's speech announcing the theme for his year as President.
Past District 7120 Governor Don Alhart has been appointed by Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee to be his Representative to our District Conference to take place between April 20 and 22 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the famed Pfister Hotel.
Some weeks ago, when the weather was still beautiful, The Wilmette Harbor RC Vocational Service Committee hosted some 20+ members of the Young Adult Program group of the North Shore at a barbecue in Wilmette's Gilson Park. The group consists of adults with disabilities and holds weekly program meetings, based in Glencoe. The universal reaction from the group was "when are you holding the next one?" Committee Chair George Vandervoort (in red shirt, bottom left photo) and Susan Kozak (at right in striped T-shirt) were the organizers. 
Nominations continue to be accepted for the post of District Governor for the 2014-15 Rotary year. The application form may be downloaded by 
The Mount Prospect - Prospect Heights Rotary club recently initiated a monthly Rotary After Hours at the local Bar Louie. Usually held on the third Monday of the month, the group has had a successful fellowship and social gathering in addition to bringing awareness of Rotary to new members of the community. In addition, they plan to open the event up to neighboring rotarians who might need to do a make-up. While there is no formal program, Jim Uszler, President of the club brings along his laptop, so Rotary International information is at his fingertips through the Wi-Fi connection at the restaurant. Usually appetizers and libations are purchased by participants not the club but larger clubs might have their own suggestions on how they want to handle this.
Does your club have an interesting membership idea? We'd like to hear from you so we can share it with others.
The District 6440 Membership Team
October is Rotary International Vocational month and we are considering running a Four Way Test Speech contest for high school students. We need your Club's commitment and comments.
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Do you or any of your friends have a teenage daughter interested in learning about life in another country? If so, check out this short term Youth Exchange opportunity.
Clubrunner has released a new iPhone and iPad app. Easily access home page stories, your club membership directory and locate clubs near your current location. For more information and to download the app, 
The Rotary Club of Highland Park/Highwood celebrated its 20th TABU exchange with the Rotary Club of Belfast commencing on March 23. TABU (To Achieve a Better Understanding) began during the troubled times in Northern Ireland with the goal to create a better mutual understanding between different communities by studying conflict resolution. This includes finding ways to break down barriers among people, particularly young people, and learning how to reconcile differences.
Rotary District 6440 will host a Group Study Exchange Team (GSE) from Rotary District 9320 in South Africa over the next month. The in-bound team led by Rotarian John Roberts, a retired computer literacy professor from East London, Eastern Cape Province is comprised of four professionals from different areas of South Africa. Team members are:
When I applied to be a team member on the Group Study Exchange (GSE) to South Africa exactly one year ago, I had recruitment on the brain. Student recruitment that is.
You’ve heard of the great work District 6440 Rotary clubs have been doing at Guatemala’s Ak’Tenamit school for Mayans. Last year, the clubs built a library and the school obtained tables and library quality chairs but the library is still woefully under stocked. So, collect those Spanish language texts from your high school and college days that are languishing in the attic, the Spanish language books and magazines you can get donated from your local bookstore or library, and all your spare change. At the District Conference in April, there will be collection bins at the registration booth for the materials and a change jar at the Ak’Tenamit Book Drive table in the House of Friendship. All funds collected will be used to purchase supplemental Spanish language books. 
Gov. Bruce met this weekend with District Conference speaker Ina Pinkney, who is speaking at the Paul Harris Luncheon on Friday, April 29, and he quickly came to the realization that this will be a “don’t miss” session for all Rotarians. 
As part of the district’s long-term commitment to the recovery effort in Haiti, New Generations plans their first hands-on project at the District Conference on Saturday, April 30. We will be partnering with 