September 2024

Greetings, District 7680 Members!

The very first thing I want to do is express my sincere gratitude to the Clubs I’ve visited thus far and for the work being done in those clubs. This has been a journey of learning for me as I have the opportunity not only to share my messages with club members but also to learn what your clubs are involved in. I’ve heard tremendous stories about providing backpacks to students every Friday since 2008; about providing leadership to the largest school supply drive in North Carolina and South Carolina as a part of the School Tools initiative. I’ve heard about a book bash sponsored by a club where literally thousands of students are supplied with a beautiful Rotary-emblazoned book bag and books to prepare them for the return to school. I heard a story about the impact one of our clubs is involved in by sponsoring children at risk at Christmas and bringing them into a municipal facility to sing songs and share gifts. The beauty of all of these stories is that they are about impact.  Another club is purchasing a van to assist a local community organization with a mission to improve quality of life issues for its residents including food insecurity, health care and education resources. And yet another club has been packing backpacks containing food for families to make it through the weekend for decades! Our clubs are doing a magnificent job in literally making a difference in the lives of people. When we create impact in our communities as so many of our clubs are doing, we are making Rotary not only relevant in the lives of people and the communities we serve, but necessary. Overall, the clubs I’ve been able to visit thus far have been doing an excellent job in identifying community needs and taking the necessary steps to address those needs.

The identification of community needs is one of the most important undertakings we can pursue as Rotarians and clubs. Rotary says this about community needs assessments: “A well planned project that fits the community’s culture and context is more likely to succeed, and conducting a thorough community assessment significantly increases your chances for success.” How we identify community needs can be accomplished in several different ways. First, Rotary has a great document that you can use to assist you in conducting your needs assessment. The main goal is to get a variety of sources to inform you of those needs and then listen to what they have to say. There are great resources available to you on the District 7680 website under the “Resources” tab and subtab, “Officer Resources”.

This all leads me to our District logo for this year. It speaks directly to how Rotary connects Community Needs with Action that we utilize to meet those needs. The Actions may be projects, or they may simply be community initiatives that our clubs tee up to engage citizens such as the “Join or Die” documentary film. The “NEEDS” are multi-colored to represent our differing areas of focus. When our “action” is connected to a “need”, communities are energized! We also remind observers that we are the home of Rotaract as we actively seek to re-focus attention to growing Rotaract within the District. You can also see our District highlighted, with each of our 14 counties distinguished by their yellow coloration.

Finally, I want to ask for your support as begin our efforts to think about Membership, the Foundation, and how we talk about our activities, in the days and weeks ahead. Those three areas are separate but so closely interwoven. We can do more when we have more and when we’re out in the community “doing”, it enhances our opportunities to share the gift of Rotary with others. I hope you can attend the Membership seminars coming up on September 21^st, all five of which are being held in a region that’s designed to limit your drive time. We need you and we need your club members to be represented at these summits so that we can all have a voice in how Rotary can best grow within District 7680.

District-wide Service Projects

District 7680 will be conducting two district-wide service projects in order to create impact within the District and garner maximum media interest. These are projects that impact our entire District and as such, lend themselves to participation from many clubs. We hope to create awareness about Rotary and our causes and attract potential members while making an impact in the areas of focus associated with these causes.

Please see the following two projects and consider helping us grow our impact as we share the gift of Rotary with others!

Alexander County: Title I Schools – Alexander County Schools District

Alleghany County: Title I / Title I Schools (alleghany.k12.nc.us)

Anson County: Title l Schools – ANSON COUNTY SCHOOLS (ansonschools.org)

Ashe County: Federal Programs / Title I (schoolwires.net)

Cabarrus County: Cabarrus County Schools – Title l Overview

Cleveland County: CCS Title I – Title I Schools (google.com)

Gaston County: Title l Schools 2023-2024 on GCS Letterhead.pdf (gaston.k12.nc.us)

Iredell County: Title 1 Contacts – Iredell-Statesville School District (issnc.org)

Mecklenburg County: Federal Programs / Title I Schools (cmsk12.org)

Richmond County: Federal Programs • Departments – RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOLS

Rowan County: Federal Programs / Title 1 (rssed.org)

Stanly County: Title I Program Information 2023-2024.pdf – Google Drive

Union County: Federal Programs / Federal Programs (ucps.k12.nc.us)

Wilkes County: WCS Title 1 Schools – Title I – Wilkes County Schools

A Proclamation for World Polio Day! Can we Spread It?

We are giving a HUGE shout-out to the Rotary Club of Charlotte for their initiative to have a Proclamation issued by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, recognizing October 24, 2024, as World Polio Day.

The idea was conceived by Immediate Past President Edwin Peacock and then advocated for by current President, Kim Brattain. Kim assembled a team of awesome club members to get this done, including Tish Atkins, Laura Meier, Virginia Owen, Donna Dunlap and Christine Cipriano. Here’s the verbiage they developed for the Proclamation:

Proclamation
World Polio Day
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
October 24, 2024

Whereas, World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24th to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis; and

Whereas, the global effort to eradicate polio has been one of the most successful public health initiatives, reducing polio cases by over 99% since 1988; and

Whereas, Rotary International, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have led the Global Polio Eradication Initiative; and

Whereas, polio is a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis and sometimes even death, primarily affecting children under the age of five; and

Whereas, thanks to extensive vaccination efforts, polio is now endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, but it remains a threat until it is eradicated everywhere; and

Whereas, the eradication of polio will prevent an estimated 10 million cases of paralysis in children over the next 40 years and will save over $40 billion in healthcare costs, particularly in low-income countries; and

Whereas, continued vigilance and immunization are essential to ensure that polio does not return to polio-free countries; and

Whereas, the residents of Mecklenburg County are encouraged to support polio eradication efforts and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination; and

Whereas, the commitment to eradicating polio is a testament to what can be achieved when communities, governments, and organizations around the world work together towards a common goal; and

Whereas, on this World Polio Day, we honor the dedication and efforts of healthcare workers, volunteers, and organizations who strive to eliminate this disease and improve global health.

Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners hereby proclaims October 24, 2024, as World Polio Day in Mecklenburg County and urges all residents to recognize the importance of continued support and efforts to eradicate polio globally.

Signed this 24th day of October, 2024,

Now, here’s my ask of club Presidents: Can we replicate this in each of our 14 counties within District 7680? It would be great if every Board of County Commissioners could issue a similar Proclamation, recognizing October 24^th as World Polio Day! Let’s make this happen and do something truly exceptional to honor our work in eradicating polio!

In this month’s ZoomFormation meeting, our Director, Patrick Eakes, asked clubs and individual Rotarians to consider making a contribution to assist the areas in our neighboring Zone 34 who were so adversely impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Contributions can be made by going to this Zone link:

Disaster Relief | Rotary International Zones 33/34 (rizones33-34.org)

Mike’s Membership Minute (or Two) 

First, a final reminder for club leaders – please go to the DACdb Calendar to Register & choose one of the five District Membership Workshops nearest you, 8:30-12:30 on Saturday Sept 21st. We’re making your drive shorter and ending at 12:30 to encourage attendance. You’ll create your club’s Membership Growth Plan, and we want 2-5 club leaders to attend. No cost and a light breakfast will be served. 

Second, a different way to think about inviting guests:

1. What are you proud of?

             About Rotary – the immense contributions of over 1.2 million members, The Rotary Foundation, End Polio Now, and a chance to be part of something bigger than yourself.

             About your club – its many contributions to the community and beyond, over the years.

             About your personal Rotary involvement – your service, leadership, quality friendships, and more.

2. With that in mind, who can you invite, that…

= Likes to get things done.

= is different from you in some way.

= Is a leader by mindset, in the community or their profession.

= Has a Service Above Self mentality.

= Has classy values.

= Is someone you want to spend time with.

= Is fun and hardworking.

= Likes to recruit and grow an organization.

= Is a future Rotary “partner in crime” and a good fit for your club.

= Is attracted to high quality relationships and growth opportunities.

= is in a profession you’d like in your club.

= Importantly, who can benefit from Rotary.

3. Write some names down and invite them one at a time.

And a reminder to check out how the Monroe club turned their membership decline around to have great growth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6h6dn1taf4

Mike Walker

District Membership Chair

• 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their children
• Many families also have adults who need the diapers, but cannot afford to purchase them
• When families hit this reality, something else has give, like the food they would have purchased

In September we get to do something about this.  We’re thrilled to announce one of our district-wide service projects, and we want you to be the first to know! On September 14^th 9-11a, Rotary is teaming up with The Diaper Bank, Harris Teeter, and Microsoft employees for an exciting wrapping party at the Diaper Bank in Charlotte-one of the non-profits Rotarians did service at for the District Conference in Charlotte a few years ago.

In January, with just 20 volunteers, we packed over 15,000 products, making a huge difference for families in North Carolina. This time, we have 50 spots available, and it’s first come, first served!

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Sign up here: Registration Link
• Wavier Needed for Diaper Bank
• Spread the word within your Rotary Club and encourage members to sign up.
• Invite non-Rotarians who have a heart for the community to join us. The more, the merrier!
• If you want to donate $ to the Diaper Bank
• If you want to purchase product on Amazon for the Diaper Bank
• Take pictures of your event to share in future newsletters and District Meetings.

For those clubs far from Charlotte or already committed to other service partners, we encourage you to organize a local service project during the same timeframe. Let’s make a difference together, no matter where we are!

Capture the Moment at your Club, In Your Community:

• Take pictures of your event to share in future newsletters and District Meetings.
• Make it a community event by inviting local businesses and individuals to join as full partners (like Microsoft and Harris Teeter above). What better way to showcase Rotary than by working side by side in service?  I’ve heard that people below the age of 40 prioritize service.  Invite them to partner with you.

A few hours of your time can:

• Improve our communities
• Bring our core principle, Service Above Self, to life
• Showcase who we are by inviting others to join us in action

Your promotion of this event could be the difference a family in your area needs this September. Plus, you might attract new members for the next generation of your club!

Chris and Rina Arline and the DEI Committee