Dear Friends,

On August 22nd, I celebrated my 9th Rotaversary. Since I first joined the Rotary and to this day, I’ve considered that invitation as a gift that we keep on giving. It has opened many doors of opportunities, has connected me with highly esteemed individuals, has helped me build life-long friendships and it has been a great avenue to serve the community locally and globally. Continue to invite your friend, colleague or co-worker to your Rotary meeting or event. Your invitation will unlock imaginations and allow them to know that everything and anything is possible. Each one of us has that same opportunity: the honor to extend an invitation.

How time flies! The new Rotary year is no longer so new. August was an engaging and awe-inspiring month for Rotary Clubs across the District doing hands-on service projects, in-person events, programs and socials. The best way to experience Rotary is to do Rotary.

When new members join Rotary, I have had the opportunity to connect with them 1:1 on Zoom. I am eager to learn about them, share the opportunities that Rotary has to offer beyond their club and encourage them to get involved in projects and District events. We also launched the Rotary 101 program. The first session was on Zoom on August 24th. The objective is to engage new members and provide answers and a better understanding of Rotary at the Member, Club, District, Zone and International levels. Elevate awareness of how they can learn more about Rotary. Motivate and inspire them to have fun and get involved at the Club, District and International levels. Join Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) Part 1 to learn more.

On the International Service front, I welcome incoming Rotary Youth Exchange students to District 7680. Consider inviting the students to come to speak at your club meeting or social. In September, D7680 Rotary members are heading to Turkey for the Rotary Friendship Exchange (RFE) with D2430. They will be traveling to Istanbul, Ankara, Samsun and nearby cities. In Turkey they will be hosted by Rotarians. If you are interested in future RFE opportunities, please let us know.

The District Leadership team has planned three events. Your participation is vital to make the events successful. Take a moment to register for the events.

• Membership, Foundation and Public Image Summit on September 17th,
• International day of Peace on September 21st and
• Foundation Celebration on November 18th.

You will have the opportunity to network, enjoy fellowship, have fun and experience Rotary in action.

I look forward to starting my club visits this month and learning about the work you do in your communities. Thank you for being an active Rotary member, and for being a part of the Rotary family. Your commitment helps demonstrate how we Imagine Rotary.

Warmest Regards,

Kam Chandan

• WED Sept 14 – DEI Event
• SAT  Sept 17 – District Training
• WED Sept 21 – Peace Conference
• SAT  Oct 22 – Flight of Honor
• SAT  Oct 22 – Annual Polio Fundraiser
• MON Oct 24 – World Polio Day
• FRI Nov 18 – Foundation Celebration

The service partnership between Rotary International and The Peace Corps is the focus of the second annual Rotary-Peace Corps Week taking place 19-23 September 2022. Partnering for Peace (PFP), a group of Rotary members and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, is hosting the week-long virtual celebration.

The year’s theme is Peacebuilding on the Ground and will start on Monday, 19 September at 10.00 CDT with a panel webinar including:

• Keevon Baten, Chief Financial Officer of Open Doors Asheville, founding Rotaract Club President and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer;
• Charles Dambach, President Emeritus of the National Peace Corps Association, Former President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, 2017 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2017 Institute for Economics and Peace Leadership and Service for Peace Award Recipient;
• Peter Kyle, 2020-22 Rotary International Director, active peace builder and former chair of the Rotary Peace Center Committee;
• Ana Patel, U.S. Representative for Frontline Defenders, Rotary Peace Fellow, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Rotary Representative to UN Women.
  

How else can your Rotary community participate in this initiative?

• Share a summary of a project that you or your club completed through a Rotary-Peace Corps collaboration.
  
• Invite a member of the Peace Corps community to speak about their service experience abroad at an upcoming club meeting. To find a speaker, contact:
  

• The Peace Corps office in your country
  
• Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
  
• Partnering for Peace

• Organize a club-led service project or social event with members of the Peace Corps community.
• Join Partnering for Peace for free (both individual and organizational memberships available).
  
• Honor current and returned Peace Corps Volunteers at an upcoming meeting or conference.
  

For more information, email events@partneringforpeace.orgor visit Rotary-Peace Corps Week.

Do you have a project in your community that meets the following criteria?

• Has a long-term, sustainable impact
• Include activities that align with the goals of one of Rotary’s areas of focus
• Has a minimum budget of $30,000
• Addresses an important need identified by the community
  
• Strengthen the community’s capacity to address its own needs

If yes, D7680 will match up to $10,000 towards your project. Please reach out to Global Grants Chair George Solomon and District Foundation Chair Beth Trotter with your project idea.

Celebrate Community 2022 is a joint initiative of Rotary International, Kiwanis International, Lions Clubs International and Optimist International. Clubs are encouraged to collaborate on projects to support health and wellness, alleviate food insecurity and hunger, improve education and literacy, and protect the environment. Clubs can organize activities such as community cleanups, food donation drives and distributions, walks and runs to raise money for specific causes, and book collections for children’s personal libraries.

Clubs from across these organizations can connect by making an initial introduction, inviting members of other clubs to their service projects, and creating new activities together to make a difference in their community. Clubs could participate individually or in partnership with clubs from the other organizations

https://www.kiwanis.org/clubs/member-resources/service-projects/celebrate-community

Seminar for Tomorrows Leaders (SFTL) participants from Alleghany County were so inspired for the SFTL experience they they are reigniting their Interact Club with much stronger purpose and energy.

Karlie wrote a touching letter saying she was very thankful for the sponsorship to be part of this great experience.

“it was a life changing experience”

Alumni Relations Team Member/Team Leader

Alumni are valued members of the Rotary family who have participated in a Rotary program, and include Rotary Peace Fellows, scholars, Youth Exchange students, Rotaractors, Interactors, and participants in other Rotary youth and scholarship programs. The District Alumni Relations team can help Rotarians in your district maintain relationships with alumni, which can lead to better projects, fundraisers, and new members. The team will have the opportunity to encourage proven leaders to strengthen their connection with Rotary, ultimately allowing clubs to give back even more to their communities. If you are interested, please reach out to DGN Kevin Kendrick

Foundation Celebration Volunteer

We need volunteers to help with table decorations, stage setup, registration, photography and videography, service project and post event clean up for the Foundation Celebration event on November 18th at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord. Specific instructions will be provided by the Foundation Celebration Committee. If you are interested, please reach out to Allyn Oliver

District Conference Volunteer

We need volunteers to help with event promotion, sell tickets, table decorations, stage setup, registration, photography and videography, service projects and post event clean up for the District Conference event from May 5th – 7th, 2023 at Le Meridian in Charlotte, NC. Specific instructions will be provided by the District Conference Committee. If you are interested, please reach out to Justin Merritt

District DEI Committee

We are always looking to be as representative as possible for our District DEI Committee. We have wonderful representation in the Mecklenburg and Gaston County areas but we would like to see greater involvement from other areas of the District. If you are interested in helping our District to grow our membership by having our clubs understand more about their communities, please reach out to Chris or Rina Arline

Socials on Zoom Committee

Please connect with DGN Kevin Kendrick

The District is sponsoring 7 inbound Rotary Exchange Students. They are:

Ella from Slovakia

Sponsor Club is Charlotte-North

Marielen from Germany

Sponsor Club is Asheville

Karina from Czechia

Sponsor Club is Brevard

Olivera from Bosnia-Herzegovina

Sponsor Club is Charlotte

Benedek from Hungary

Sponsor Club is Lake Norman/Huntersville

Kalle from Germany

Sponsor Club is Waxhaw-Weddington

Zuzia from Poland

Sponsor Club is Shelby

Are you new to Rotary or want to learn more – This is for you! You are part of a group whose impact reaches around the world through local community service by our 1.4 million members in 200+ countries.

Join us for “Rotary 101” a virtual tour of Rotary and Rotarians that will inspire you to engage even more in the Rotary community.

Wednesday August 24 was the kickoff for ROTARY 101, an online program designed for new and potential members of Rotary. There are two events on the September calendar
> Monday, September 12th at 6:00 and
> Tuesday, September 20th at 6:00,
with more to follow.

Questions: Contact Marcia Scheideman (mscheideman.ms@gmail.com) or Lorena Prince (garzalster@gmail.com )

Past District Governor Lois Crumpler and her husband Jack celebrated their 61st anniversary two weeks ago, along with Jack’s 85th birthday

The Albemarle Rotary Club held the first Race to Remember on June 18th with around 100 participants running or walking the 1 mile and 5K routes through Albemarle. Rotarian Louisa Hartsell, who recently lost her father to Alzheimer’s, helped lead the effort for sponsors for the first ever Albemarle Rotary Club Race to Remember. Race fees paid for the race administration with all donations and profits being designated for CART. $5,850.50 was raised at the June race. Plans are already underway for the 2nd Annual Race to Remember set for June 10, 2023. Other Rotarians are encouraged to join us for the race or to become a sponsor.

Union West Rotarians participated in the annual Back-to-School-Bash-Union on Sunday, August 7th. Rotarians, Mike Griffin, Shirley and Larry Helms, Clarence Alsobrooks, Andy Peters, Hayden Kramer, and Robin Barron-Golobish proudly represented our club. Rotarians Robin and Hayden also served on the Board of Directors. Volunteers worked from 9:00am to late afternoon.

Families began arriving at 11:30am for the 1:00pm event at Carolina Courts, Indian Trail, NC. Pre-registered students selected their free book bag, and, with the help of a personal assistant, filled their bags with basic school supplies. Union West Rotary donated composition notebooks on which we placed a sticker with the Rotary Four Way Test and our Rotary name.

.Last month the Rotary Club of Global Impact partnered with the US Presidential Culinary Museum, our 24-hour No Questions Asked Food Bank and two Little Free Libraries and prepared 730 meals to help fight hunger

A group of Rotarians and friends from around Rotary District 7680 assembled at the Diaper Bank of North Carolina in Charlotte on August 27th and made a difference! The Diaper Bank just opened the warehouse in Charlotte a few months ago and in addition to diapers, they provide feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence products to partner agencies.

After learning about the mission of the Diaper Bank and why it’s needed, we sorted and re-packaged feminine hygiene products, specifically liners and pads. Many of us who aren’t making daily decisions about buying food or medicine or diapers and feminine hygiene products, don’t fully appreciate what’s at stake. The reality is that one in 4 women can’t afford feminine hygiene products and you cannot use SNAP or WIC funds to buy them. You can’t use food stamps either. Further, one in 5 girls in American schools miss class because they don’t have access to pads. In a time when we know that a physical presence in school is a critical success factor, we should never allow lack of access to these products to be a factor in absences.

Today, the 14 volunteers we had prepped 5,640 pads and liners!

In addition to having a few volunteer families present, we had Rotarians from three clubs and a satellite club

> Global Impact Club

> Lake Norman Huntersville Club

> Charlotte Dilworth Club

> Queen City Impact Club of Charlotte Dilworth!

A huge thank you to the following people: Troy Fultz who brought his son, Alexander and Mom, Sandee Fultz. Alexander is a regular volunteer with us! Angie White Rikard, of the Charlotte Dilworth Club, who brought her child today! Martin Mongiello, of the Rotary Club of Global Impact, who brought his child today! Kamlesh Chandan, of the Rotary Club of Lake Norman Huntersville, who brought his child today!

I especially want to thank the Charlotte Queen City Impact Club, specifically President Jessie Merrill, Allison Burkett, and Dawn Peterson for conceiving the idea of volunteering at the Diaper Bank on a Saturday! Finally, I want to thank my fellow Dilworth Rotary member David Miller, who is making a return to service, an area he excels in!

DG Kam was so impressed with our effort today, he wants to have another day for District 7680 in November! We are currently making arrangements to see if this is possible.

Regnaud, Josh

Smith, Paula

Smith, Tom

Tabor, John

Tabor, Lee

Trotter, Beth

Walker, Mike

Wilson, Graham

These words describe Rotarians around the world who, through PolioPlus, have committed themselves to the fight against polio. You can help us honor their hard work and share their stories by nominating them for a PolioPlus Service award.

It’s now easier than ever to recognize extraordinary service to polio eradication. You can review the eligibility criteria beforehand and nominate a candidate online. To review eligibility and criteria, click here.

Depending on where your candidate worked to end polio, choose either the Regional or International Service Award for a Polio-Free World. Learn more below.

Regional or International Service Award for a Polio-Free World

Honor Rotarians who have made outstanding contributions to our polio eradication efforts since 1 November 1992. You can nominate a candidate for either their regional or international work.

Who can nominate a candidate: Rotarians
Nomination deadline: 1 October
Award type: certificate or plaque

To access the survey and view criteria, click here: Note the criteria information link is near the top of the survey. Eligibility Criteria Form and Online Survey.

Focus your nominations on the candidate’s service to polio eradication above and beyond their appointed or elected roles at Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Strengthen your nomination by describing the Rotarian’s years of service and highlighting for example their projects, participation in National Immunization Days, and leadership qualities.

If you need more information, write to PolioPlus@rotary.org.

Per Article IV of the Rotary District 7680 Bylaws, We are hereby declaring the election for District Governor (DG) for Rotary Year 2025-2026 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 14, 2022. The Nominating Committee to interview and select the DGND has been set for October 29, 2022. Time and location are to be announced.

The Bylaws also establish that the Immediate Past District Governor serve as the chairperson of the Committee. Therefore, iPDG Nico Iannelli is the Committee Chair. Please submit your nominations to: iPDG Nico Iannelli via email (strongly preferred) at nico@nicoiannelli.com

Attached is the official District Governor Nomination form. Please use the form provided by District 7680 to complete all information required and 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, 2025), and must be a Past Club President. A President currently serving in 2022-23 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. The bottom of page 1 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 Nico Iannelli 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, October 29th, 2022. Time and location are to be announced.

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 Nico Iannelli at nico@nicoiannelli.com

The Historic China Grove Club is poised to reset and reboot this upcoming program year. We are excited to see President Jim Morton’s leadership in action as this club strives to regain its strength and build membership. China Grove Rotary has big plans to reinvigorate their two sponsored Interact Clubs, participate in several service related projects, and take part in launching an effort with the Dementia Friendly America organization. The club has already sponsored its most recent new member, Michael Moon, who has taken on the Cart Initiative with some new and innovative ideas to bring attention to the very important work of Alzheimer’s Research. We salute the China Grove Club for their efforts to stay connected and focused on the work of Rotary International.

Friends for life – Anushri (RYE inbound in 2019) and Smera (RYE outbound to Spain in 2022) meet up in Pune, India.

If you have not hosted a student, please consider hosting a student. It’s a life changing experience.  Contact Karen Steffens

Stephanie A. Urchick is selected to be the 2024-25 president of Rotary International

Stephanie is a member of the Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania and is partner and chief operating officer of Doctors at Work LLC, a consulting and training company.

A Rotary member since 1991, Urchick has traveled to Vietnam to help build a primary school and to the Dominican Republic to install water filters. She studies several Slavic languages, has mentored new Rotarians in Ukraine, and coordinated a Rotary Foundation grant project in Poland.

Urchick has served Rotary in many roles, including as a director, Foundation trustee, and chair of the RI Strategic Planning Committee and the Foundation’s Centennial Celebration Committee. She currently serves on the Election Review Committee and the Operations Review Committee.

The Rotary Club of Charlotte will hold its 20th Annual 9/11 Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament on September 19th at the Pine Lake Country Club. Proceeds go for Scholarships to the children of Charlotte/Mecklenburg’s First Responders. Since its inception in 2002, the program has raised $775,000 and given approximately 150 four-year scholarships

The club is looking for sponsors and teams. If you are interested, please contact Diego Ramon 804.928.8672 diego.ramon@mutualofamerica.com

Raised $775,000 to date and given

just under 150 four-year scholarships

Rotary International is excited to announce the chartering of five new Rotary International Fellowships: Camping, Entrepreneurs, Kites, Military Veterans, and Vintage Collectables. Rotary’s more than 100 Fellowships provide members and friends the opportunity to unite globally around a common hobby, profession, or shared identity. Read more about our newest Fellowships, and explore the full list, to build your global community and make new friends across the world.

Camping: The Rotary Fellowship of Camping fosters and promotes a passion for camping. Members are invited to participate in annual holidays while enjoying the great outdoors with fellow campers locally and globally.

Entrepreneurs: The Rotary Fellowship of Entrepreneurs supports and fosters entrepreneurship amongst liked minded members from across the globe. The Fellowship offers business exchange programs, skills development workshops, and a platform to share business best practices. The Fellowship also plans to help support start-ups and small businesses facing challenges.

Kites: The Rotary Fellowship of Kite brings together the family and friends of Rotary with a shared interest in making and flying kites. Members of the Fellowship build strong bonds by organizing and attending kite festivals around the world.

Military Veterans: This Rotary Fellowship for Military Veterans invites all veterans/active service members worldwide, their family members, and friends to build a global network of military veterans and families.

Vintage Collectables: Vintage Collectable Rotary Fellowship is an organization of Rotary and non-Rotary members who have a passion for collecting, restoring and using vintage collectables.

Read stories from Rotary Fellowships to learn more about their activities. Contact one of these groups through their website to get involved, or review our full list of Rotary Fellowships by visiting www.rotary.org/fellowships to find ones that match your interests.

Does anyone know what year the new logo was announced?

(Answer: 2013, 9 years ago – hardly a new logo anymore)

As one of the chairs of the District Public Image / Public Relations Committee, I recently did an audit of every club’s Facebook page and website within the District. Only 1-2 clubs were using the correct branding.

It’s not necessarily our fault. In speaking with the branding leadership at RI Headquarters, they explained when the changes were made 9 years ago, there was some dissent on the board, and the result was no outreach to the clubs explaining the changes. Two years ago there were some further tweaks and it was agreed to start promoting the need and the benefits of a common brand.

One of my friends told me these are petty changes and rules, and years ago I thought so as well, plus I didn’t want ‘big brother’ telling us what to do. The best explanation I can give now is think of your favorite corporation – Apple, Nike, Bank of America. Think about their logo and branding. It is paramount to them. They would not dare have old logos floating around. And think about size – Rotary has 1.4 million members, BOA only has 200,000 employees, Apple 39,000, and Nike 79,000. There are only two corporations with more employees than Rotary members – Walmart (2.3m) and Amazon (1.5m) I challenge us to find any old logos being used by any corporation.

Brand is important to these corporations, and it should be important to us. I challenge all of us, myself included, to be a team player and help Rotary’s image with a constant logos and appropriate settings for the logo.

If you need help with any of your graphics, I will be glad to help.

Ten years ago 26 climbers from District 7680, the first ever US Rotary team, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness to fight Polio, collecting over $106,000.  The team included 3 Past District Governors and five others went on to become District Governors.  And, two of these got engaged on top of the mountain.  Mike Walker led and coordinated the effort, along with Macon Dunnagan who led the climb. Macon has climbed Kili 48 times to date and climbed it four times in the month of September in 2012.  Since then another two dozen Rotarians and others continued the climb raising more funds to help Fight Polio.  For that year’s Foundation Dinner, I put together the video below highlighting the trip – click on the video to see all the climbers.