Gong Hei Fat Choy! Happy New Year! The year of the rooster started off with the greatest gift for our family, our first grandchild. Our new junior Rotarian was born on January 18th.

Vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the second point of the Object of Rotary which calls on Rotarians to encourage and foster high ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society. Put these ideals into action by using your professional skills to serve your community, practicing your profession with integrity, and guiding others in their professional development. If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service.

On Thursday, May 4th in Whistler before the conference we will be holding a full day training session full of Rotary education. We are trying to give sessions that address issues that most clubs are dealing with. There will be four sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. The day will include lunch and coffee breaks. We are holding the sessions at the Whistler Ski Club to keep costs to the bare minimum. Click here for a list of the sessions and to register.

Our District, with District 5050, have started the year with a bang. In celebration of The Rotary Foundation’s 100th Anniversary, thanks to PDG Chris Offer and others, as our two Districts held a Million Dollar Dinner on January 9 in Tsawwassen, a community of Delta, BC.

 

On behalf of all of you in our District I was delighted to welcome Rotary International President John Germ as our special guest for this Million Dollar Dinner. On top of that thrill we all shared in the exciting news that so many generous supporters took us well beyond our million dollar goal as a centenary boost to the Foundation to reach an outstanding total of $3.3 million. As President John said in his address at the dinner, Rotary and its great achievements, have been built on the big dreams of individuals and at the heart of it all is The Rotary Foundation. You can get a sense of the event on our District 5040 website.

 

The opportunity of increasing  awareness of Rotary is for all of us to learn more about our organization, and to focus on our public image. Raising awareness of Rotary is an important part of what we do as clubs and members. The more Rotary is known for its good work, the more good work Rotary will be able to do.

 

This is a special time to promote awareness of Rotary in our communities. The Public Image survey among our club leaders last Spring told us what we need to do to help with that effort and, in response, plans are in progress to meet that need. 

 

Awarness of Rotary is also a time to highlight the need for awareness among the members of our Rotary Clubs. The just completed Member Communications Survey has indicated areas where we can focus our efforts in support of our clubs and the District. The report has been distributed, see news below. We are just working on recommendations and an action plan in response. 

 

In the meantime, one step you can take to help promote Rotary Awareness is to educate and train members on Rotary history, programs, or how to raise awareness of your club’s projects in your community. Ask members to share a personal story or experience that they have had because of Rotary. Every Rotarian has a Rotary story that can be educational and inspiring. Another easy way to increase Rotary Awareness is to always wear your Rotary pin and encourage others to do so. When people in the community ask about the pin, tell them a Rotary story.

 

Our clubs will be greatly enhanced by increasing their knowledge about Rotary. It is essential that Rotarians be kept informed of the changes and developments in the array of Rotary programs if they are to take full advantage of the service and fellowship opportunities available to them.

 

I was privileged to help out with the Rotaractors from Burnaby with their monthly community dinner. They cook a delicious dinner and offer a plated dinner to those in need. It was fun, the Rotaractors were so engaged and what a great community service!

 

Due to the birth of my first grandchild, I missed the Vancouver Sunrise’s 30th Anniversary which was well attended and very successful. I also missed the joint Foundation Dinner of the clubs in Prince George. They teamed up with the Youth Exchange Winter Orientation and everyone had great fun and fellowship as well as a successful event. I did attend the Richmond Sunset’s sponsor dinner to celebrate another successful Winter Wonderland. Annual events like this bring great Rotary awareness to their communities.

 

Foundation Centennial Wine