District 6910 Governor Message-March 2018

It’s March and the temperature is rising!

I thought I could coast a little at this point in the Rotary year. Boy was I wrong! The pace has quickened with new member inductions, club’s planting trees, district training events, club’s having anniversaries, new Paul Harris Fellows, new multiple Paul Harris fellows, New 100% Paul Harris Fellow clubs and new major donors. Thank you for the invitations. I am having a blast creating more wonderful memories with the clubs in District 6910.  

The Rotary Club of Dahlonega celebrating their 35th Anniversary

The Rotary Club of Washington, led by Terry Boswell (center), is the leader in new member growth.

What in the wide wide world of sports is going on???

The Rotary Club of Washington, led by Terry Boswell (pictured above) has taken over the net new member percentage lead. Terry, now serving back to back years as Club President, has figured out membership drives everything we do!  As of March 23, 2018 our district now boasts an increase of 169 net new members. I challenge all clubs to keep your foot on the accelerator. Our goal is a 10% increase in net new members and we have until June 30, 2018 to get there. 

The TOP TEN clubs with the highest % of membership growth as of February 22 are:

Washington led by Terry Boswell 36.84%

Rotary E-Club of the South led by Ron Kersey 31.58%

Thomson led by Jason Smith 23.81%

Woodstock led by Robert Tidwell 23.53%

Lanier-Forsyth led by Logan Butler 22.06% 

Greene-Putnam led by Bob Massey 20.45%

Banks County led by Jeffery Lewallen 20.0%

Lake Chatuge-Hiawassee led by Jane Hindsman 20.0%

Martinez-Evans led by Rob Ashe 19.51

Summerville-Trion led by Susan Locklear 19.05%

Below is what your club has recorded in DACdb. Do a member compare so that the number count is the same on the Rotary.org database. Please clean your roster up NOW. Do not wait until after conference or the end of June to delete members that are no longer members.  Leaving members on a roster just to make your individual club look good until June 30 does not serve any purpose except to distort final reports that come out in August. We call this the “Scott Yochum Effect” which is using smoke and mirrors in an effort to appear better looking than what one actually is. Yeah, I am seeing if anyone is actually reading this monthly newsletter at Scott’s expense. 

Sorry Cheryl, I meant to put the tree in the hole.

Pictured L to R is Loganville Mayor, Congressman Jody Hice, DG Coop and Loganville Rotarian Steve Arnold

Stand up and be counted.

Many of our clubs are planting trees and I am finding out they are planting more than the number of members in each club. Gwinnett County, Elberton, Loganville, Franklin County and Rockdale County all have planted more trees than members. Make sure you let RI President Ian Riseley know you did your part. Being counted requires some entries in Rotary.org. Visit Rotary.org and share your tree project on Rotary Showcase.

Come to District Assembly and receive a check.

Refund checks for the International convention will be distributed at District Assembly, April 14, 2018. Your club President and Assistant Governor have the spreadsheet with the amount your club will be receiving.  I am sure each club will give a considerable amount of thought regarding the best use of the money being returned. That decision belongs to each club and its individual leadership. That being said, the District 6910 is asking your club to consider the following options below. 

Donate a percentage of the refund to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund and/or Polio Plus Fund. This donation is in addition to donations previously made or previously planned. 

Clubs that are willing to support a onetime donation will be recognized at our District Conference in Charleston. Below are percentage categories that will determine the level of recognition that will be awarded individual District 6910 Clubs.

25% Bronze Contributing Club

50% Silver Contributing Club

75% Gold Contributing Club

100% Platinum Contributing Club

Keep in mind that one half of the Annual Fund will return to District 6910 in three years and the Polio Plus Fund donation will be matched 2 for 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is your Club’s decision but I recommend supporting both funds.  

I am in awe of the District 6910 Rotarians giving spirt. Thank you for your trust in our District and for supporting the Rotary International Convention last year.

Mark and Beth DiGiovanni are registered.  Are you?

I’m so excited I can’t count them all…

Actually I did and registrations for conference, including those attending the Saturday evening dinner, have exceeded 400!!! Seriously, if you have not registered for the conference then you remain unregistered until you actually register. (Profound isn’t it?) Come on, you know you are going to attend, why wait until two weeks prior to register? What can you possibly do, with your clothes on, that could be more fun than going to Charleston with your Rotary friends??? Anyone that sponsors a new member between January 1 and May 3 gets the Yorktown event refunded at district conference! Bring those new members with you! We plan on making a big deal out of all new members and new member sponsors and have the time of our life in the process!

Yours in Rotary,

David "Coop" Cooper

District 6910 Governor

Greene-Putnam Rotary Club Plants Trees

Rotary International President Ian H.S. Riseley made the case last year that protecting the environment and curbing climate change are essential to Rotary’s goal of sustainable service. “Environmental degradation and global climate change are serious threats to everyone,” Riseley said. “They are having a disproportionate impact on those who are most vulnerable, those to whom Rotary has the greatest responsibility.Yet environmental issues rarely register on the Rotary agenda,” he said. So, Riseley challenged all 1.2 million Rotarians around the world to plant a tree before Earth Day on April 22, 2018. According to Riseley, “The greater result will be a Rotary that recognizes our responsibility not only to the people on our planet, but to the planet itself."

Trees are engines for economic development providing high nutrition foods for humans, animals, wildlife and insects, sustainable building materials and fuel, canopies in urban areas to cool, reduce energy use, absorb pollution and increase property values. Trees also protect our environment and increase ground water recharge, prevent runoff and loss of soil, create habitat for wildlife, produce oxygen, use carbon dioxide thus improving public health and slow global warming by storing carbon.

In acceptance of the challenge by the RI President, the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties last week, planted an orange glory maple tree at Lakeside Church and together with the Interact Club of Gatewood Schools planted an eight-foot dogwood and six dogwood saplings at the Briar Patch Walking Trail, The Butterfly and Blooms Garden in Eatonton.  In addition, each Rotary Club member received a dogwood and wax myrtle seedling to be planted at their homes or businesses.  

(Left to right):  Rotarians Avis Dickey, Lee Rhodes, President Bob Massey, Reid Conklin

The Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties is grateful for the support of Steve Noles and Blake Noles of Noles Landscaping who donated the trees at Lakeside and at the Briar Patch Walking Trail, The Butterfly and Blooms Garden and to Rent Sanders from the Walton County Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission who donated the dogwood and wax myrtle seedlings.

Submitted by Laura Dent - Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties, Public Image Chair