District 7680 Newsletter
May 2025
Warm regards,
Kevin Kendrick
We are excited to announce the plans for our 2025 CART Annual Meeting where we will introduce the six recipients of research grants totaling a record $2 million!! You are invited to join us for this momentous event which will include a reception honoring the 30th anniversary of The CART Fund! Registration is now open, and a limited number of hotel rooms are available…. please see notes below & make your reservations as soon as possible to save your spot!!
THURSDAY, June 12 (5:30-6:30pm): We are excited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The CART Fund with a special reception being underwritten by generous sponsors. The event is open to anyone who would like to attend at no charge, but registration is required. All guests will receive a special commemorative gift in honor of the 30th Anniversary Celebration. Group dinners with the researchers (“Dutch treat”) will be held at local restaurants immediately following. Business/Rotary attire
FRIDAY, June 13 (10am-3pm): A record $2 million in grants will be awarded in 2025, and we will introduce the six researchers who were selected for funding. The event will include special guest speakers and a panel discussion about Alzheimer’s research. The cost to attend the Annual Meeting is $50 per person and includes lunch. Payment must be made in advance through DACdb. Business/Rotary attire
The Friday event will be streamed online for FREE for anyone who cannot attend in person but wants to hear from our researchers, with a zoom link provided the day before. Exact agenda TBA.
Register NOW for CART Fund 2025 Annual Meeting & 30th Anniversary Celebration or send your REGRET that you cannot attend by clicking here.
Special thanks to our sponsors: District 7680 Governor Kevin Kendrick, CART President Carol Burdette, Rotary Club of Anderson (SC)
Discounted hotel room block is available at the Hilton Charlotte Airport of $149 per night while space is available and includes complimentary self-parking. Click here to reserve a room.
We hope to see you in Charlotte!!
Creating a Stronger Club through Visioning
With Carolina PETS now behind us, Club Presidents-Elect in 7680 are brimming with ideas and ready to inspire their members to UNITE FOR GOOD. Support is available to make that happen.
The District 7680 Visioning Initiative is here to help clubs not only implement these ideas in the coming year and beyond but also empower club leadership to put the Action Plan into motion for a lasting, sustainable impact on the local community. Recently, District 7680 leaders experienced the Visioning Process firsthand and are now moving forward with a three-year plan designed to strengthen the district and create a brighter future for all.
Club Visioning is a powerful tool that strengthens clubs by building consensus on their direction, promoting continuity and consistency among leadership and programming, and creating actionable plans to implement initiatives. One of the key benefits of a Club Visioning event is that it gives club members a voice in shaping the club’s future. Additionally, it provides a structured framework to develop and implement a long-range plan, ensuring that the club’s goals are met and sustained over time. This collaborative approach not only unites members but also empowers them to contribute meaningfully to the club’s success.
Join us in this exciting journey! Get involved, share your ideas, and let’s make a difference together. Contact Marcia Scheideman ([email protected]), Visioning Coordinator for more information.
Be the FIRST Rotary’s Promise Club in the Country
Clubs achieving 100-percent member support of the Endowment are eligible to be designated as a Rotary’s Promise Club. This support may be an outright gift to the Endowment of $1,000 or more, or a commitment to the Endowment of $1,000 or more. Click here to learn more.
MAY 2025 MIKE’S MEMBERSHIP MINUTE
WE DON’T REALIZE HOW LUCKY WE ARE
Rotary offers a unique combination of opportunities for most of us: great relationships with high quality people, countless ways to serve both locally and abroad, personal and professional growth, and learning about our communities and beyond. We often take it all for granted.
But if we take a step back to realize how lucky we are, it becomes much easier to invite people into what we have. An invitation to a meeting, fundraiser, service project or social activity is really an act of caring.
And it may be the only invitation to Rotary that person EVER receives. We all know how much Rotary has changed our lives by a simple invitation, and how old we were before we received it.
So, share your luck in being invited into Rotary – invite someone to a Rotary activity in May, and help them become a member in June. You’ll both be glad you did.
Mike Walker
DIstrict Membership Chair
Peace Fellows – We need your help!
Did you know that informally, Peace is the oldest of our areas of focus? We can say that because we know that in the summer of 1914, during the Rotary International Convention in Houston, a resolution proposed by the Rotary Club of Hamilton, Ontario, which stated that the International Association of Rotary Clubs should “lend its influence to the maintenance of peace among the nations of the world,” was adopted, marking our early commitment to promoting global peace. Since that time, Rotary has been associated with peace efforts around the world, including during the recovery of the world in the aftermath of World War II.
Peace is hard work. We’ve seen how fragile it can be in even the most advanced countries and the presence of conflict in so many places around the world, means that we have much work to do. Rotary’s Peace Centers have produced 1,800 Peace Fellows since the inception of the program and these scholars are making a huge difference. They work in a variety of roles after completing the process, all of which are helping us to build a foundation for peace across our globe.
So what can YOU do to help us further develop our network of Peace Fellows?
You can help promote peace in the world by encouraging peace and development leaders in your community to apply for the Rotary Peace Fellowship.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for peacebuilders from diverse backgrounds to study at one of our peace centers located at leading universities around the world. This year, we’ll select 50 peace fellows to study in our master’s degree programs at six partner universities in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States and 80 fellows to participate in our professional development certificate programs at Makerere University in Uganda and Bahçeşehir University in Türkiye.
Rotary Peace Fellows use their training to amplify their work at the local, regional, or global level. Together, we can advance peace by encouraging our local peacebuilders to learn about Rotary and apply for this unique fellowship.
Rotary and Rotaract members can help find candidates within their networks and community organizations. It’s easy to use our referral form so potential candidates can receive more information about applying.
More ways to promote the fellowship
Forward the fellowship application announcement to your contacts and include it in club and district communications.
Use our postcards for the master’s degree and professional development certificate programs to help promote the fellowships.
