Rotary is grateful for partners like ShelterBox who help with front line work in times of disaster and need. Below is an update on Morocco’s recent earthquake and the ShelterBox response.

Early-stage disaster information

MOROCCO EARTHQUAKE: September 18, 2023

The ShelterBox response team has been meeting people affected by the earthquake and assessing the damage to villages in the mountains to decide what combinations of aid will be most suitable. The damage to villages we’ve visited is severe and there are rocks and rubble everywhere you look. Homes have collapsed on the side of the mountain, leaving people with very little in the way of shelter and belongings.

We’re looking to support thousands of people affected by the earthquake with tents, blankets, solar lights, and kitchen sets. More ShelterBox response team members are arriving in Marrakesh to work on getting aid into the country and to the communities most in need.

Emergency Response Manager, Dave Raybould reports, “We have been visiting communities in the mountains where whole villages have been left almost completely destroyed by the earthquake. Many people whose homes have been reduced to rubble, including children and the elderly, are living in communal tents facing uncomfortable heat in the day and the biting cold at night. It’s more difficult for people living higher in the hills to access help, with steep inclines and roads still blocked in parts. It takes time, although the need is huge, so that’s where we’ll be focusing our efforts to make sure families have their own shelters that will protect them from the weather as winter approaches. We are in touch with Rotary in the affected region. Rotary District D9010 and its District Governor. Our deployed team had a positive meeting on Thursday with Rotary in Marrakesh and other local organizations that Rotary has helped connect our team with.

Rotary Partnerships Manager for ShelterBox, Alex Youlten adds, “The Rotary network has provided invaluable introductions and connections to the local community, local authorities, and other local organizations. The team and District Governor Saadia and her network are working hard to identify the most vulnerable communities in some of the hardest to reach areas.” Rotarians in the United States have also been instrumental in liaising with our Response team and sharing local contacts in Morocco who are providing translators and building local relationships for our team on the ground.

How You Can Help:

It takes support from Rotary Clubs, Districts, and individuals to keep our warehouse full and able to respond in Morocco and elsewhere when disaster strikes. Please donate online at www.ShelterBoxUSA.org or mail gifts to: ShelterBox USA P.O. Box 103299 Pasadena, CA 91189-3299

If a ShelterBox Ambassador is unavailable in your district, I am happy to provide zoom presentations to district leaders and clubs.

Thank you for your continued support,

Rotary is an international organization of 1.4 million business professionals and community leaders united under the banner of service. Rotary District 7680, the host of the Create Hope with Art competition, includes the Charlotte and surrounding fourteen counties comprising 53 Rotary clubs and 7 Rotaract clubs and several Interact clubs in many of the high schools.  Create Hope in the World frames Rotary’s focus this year helping us all to remember that each action, no matter how small, has the potential to ignite a spark of hope and transform lives. Together, we get to affect positive change, inspiring hope in the hearts of individuals, families, and communities, both locally and around the world.

For more information visit https://rotary7680.org/13635-2/

Thank you for sharing this exciting opportunity with high school students allowing for the experience to Create Hope with Art!

Dr. Aimy Steele, Rotary Assistant Area Governor, D7680

Debra Corbett, Rotary District Governor, D7680

Rotary7680.org

Join the Art Competition Committee and help spread the word throughout our district about this new opportunity! To help with the committee, contact Jennifer Bell, ritzell987@gmail.com

Register on DacDb for the Foundation Banquet.

Per Article IV of the Rotary District 7680 Bylaws, We are hereby declaring the election for D7680 District Governor (DG) for Rotary Year 2026-2027 open for nominations. This is one of the most critical decisions for all clubs every year, so we suggest you and your members consider Past Club Presidents you believe would be a quality District Governor. We strongly encourage each club to consider nominating a candidate.

The deadline for Clubs’ suggestions & submission of a nomination has been set for October 20, 2023. The Nominating Committee to interview and select the DGND has been set for November 4, 2023, starting at 9 am.

Attached is the official District Governor Nomination form. Please use the form provided by District 7680 to complete all information required: DO NOT submit ANY additional information.

The Nominating Procedure for District Governor of Rotary District 7680 is attached, but here is a summary:

1) Candidates must have been an active Rotarian for at least seven years (as of July 1, 2026), and must be a Past Club President. A President currently serving in 2023-24 does not qualify. In addition, a candidate should be active in his or her Club and District activities and be a knowledgeable Rotarian.

2) Candidates do not present their own name for consideration but rather are nominated by the candidate’s club. The candidate must complete the attached District Governor Nomination Form. At the bottom of page 4 is the Club Statement of Candidate’s Qualifications, to be signed and completed by the Club President and Club Secretary.

3) Immediate Past District Governor Kam Chandan serves as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. The committee will consist of six Past Club Presidents and four Past District Governors.

4) The Chair of the Nominating Committee will complete the selection of the committee, and the Nominating Committee will interview all candidates on Saturday, November 4th, 2023.

5) In order to assure the integrity of the nominating process, neither members of the nominating committee nor the candidates for District Governor Nominee (designate) should know the names of the other candidates or nominating committee prior to interviewing candidates. And agree to be bound by the provisions against campaigning, canvassing, and electioneering for elective position in RI as provided in RI Bylaws section 13.010.

For any questions you have regarding the nomination process, contact iPDG Kam Chandan at kamleshchandan@yahoo.com

Thank you,
Kamlesh (Kam) Chandan
Proud Member of Rotary Club of Lake-Norman Huntersville
DG 2022-23 Rotary District 7680 – Birthplace of Rotaract

100 enthusiastic club leaders from 14 counties met in 5 locations on Saturday morning, September 23^rd, to discuss how they can grow more to serve more.

This Summit format was dramatically changed to be a hands-on workshop with no PowerPoint or technology. Just 3-4 hours to think, write, share, listen, and write some more. Many clubs had 3 or 4 leaders, which was the point of 5 locations. The easier it is to attend, the more will attend. And the more who attend, the more likely the Membership Growth Plan they come up with will be implemented. Pretty straightforward.

We also had some unexpected ‘strategic by-products’ – club leaders in a region of the District talking more with one another than they have in years, coming up with joint club ideas such as Discover Rotary, service projects, and more. One plus one can be three.

The Membership Growth Plan consists of 5 Steps. The first three are designed to improve ‘attraction’, and the last two are designed to reduce ‘attrition’.

– Knowing your ‘whys’ and making your club irresistible.

– How to identify a lot of great new members.

– How to more proactively attract and invite them.

– Better onboarding and hence retention.

– Better member care and engagement, and again, retention.

Attendees spent about 2 hours brainstorming the 5 steps, and then about 45 minutes making decisions and consolidating them into the 5 Step Membership Growth Plan. Based on the number of great ideas discussed, the Plans will take some time to fully implement. That is why attendees were encouraged to take their Plans back to present it their board, in a Club Assembly, or both. As we all know, actions taken after a great event like this are what really matter.

Based on the energy and enthusiasm we experienced at every location, we think we’ve hit on a winning formula for future Membership Summits. We hope to have well over 100 attending the next one.

A NEW survey is available for all members to SHARE their voices! I DARE you to take a couple of minutes to CARE and SHARE. Your ideas and opinions are important and help shape the future of our district. Thank you for completing the survey; click here:

Are YOU Learning?

Personal growth and leadership development are two major factors that enhance the experience of a Rotarian.  Skills developed through our involvement in our clubs and districts can often lead to promotion in our vocations or in our application of the ideal of service in community life.  As Rotarians, we are called to act with integrity and high ethical standards in our personal and professional endeavors.  Continuous learning can encourage and foster each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve others.

The RI Learning Center offers education, at your own pace and on your own time, that helps club members achieve success.  For over a decade, the Learning Center has been helping people make the most of their Rotary journey.  If you have not connected, go to rotary.org/learn and sign into My Rotary.

You can select individual courses based on your personal interests through a wide variety of topics or you may choose Learning Plans that are designed with specific courses that focus on leadership or committee roles and responsibilities.

Categories of courses are About Rotary, Club Leadership, District Leadership, General Topics, Membership, Public Image, Service, The Rotary Foundation, Professional Development, and Learning Facilitator.  RI updates are made frequently, and the content is participant centered.  Connect and expand your knowledge of Rotary!

Each year, the two biggest Rotary Clubs in Gastonia pool their resources and provide dozens of volunteers to make sure that our community’s First Responders are honored and thanked for their service.