District 6270 Information
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November 2020
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Rotary will cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in which people from underrepresented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders.

4-Way Test
Of the things we think, say and do...
 
1.  Is it the truth?
2.  Is it fair to all concerned?
3.  Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4.  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
The Object of Rotary
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and in particular, to encourage and foster:
  • the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
  • high ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to service society;
  • The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
  • the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
 
Recommended Links
From the Nominating Committee

Don Griffing to be District Governor for Rotary Year 2023 - 2024

DGN-D Don GriffingThe Rotary International District 6270 Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the selection of Donald E. Griffing to serve as the District Governor for the 2023 - 2024 Rotary year, subject to ratification by the District at the annual business meeting in the spring of 2021, and approval by Rotary International.
 
A member of the Rotary Club of Oshkosh, Don has served four clubs in five districts since joining Rotary in 2007. At the club level, he has served as club president, board of directors member, PR chair, social media chair, community service chair, club trainer, and a wide variety of other committee roles. At the district level he has also served in a wide variety of roles, including his present roles as our district's technology chair, assistant district educator, and as a governance committee member.
Update from District 6270

Meeting Cancellations in District 6270

Many clubs in Rotary District 6270 have suspended their regular meetings and service opportunities, or switched to online meetings, due to recommendations of public health officials over concerns about spreading COVID-19. Please go to the website of any club you intend to visit to confirm their current meeting schedule as it may not be updated on the calendar of this website. If you are a Rotarian whose club meeting has been cancelled, this is a great time to take advantage of training opportunities in the Learning Center at rotary.org. Login to your My Rotary account, then click on Learning & Reference and get started. Be well!

From Scholarships Chair Larry Myers

Global Grant Scholarship Opportunity 

RI District 6270 is pleased to announce that a Global Grant Scholarship in the amount of U.S. $30,000 is being offered for matriculation in the Fall 2021 or Spring 2022. The program of studies must be a graduate level program overseas, not in the United States, and must align closely with one of RI’s current six Areas of Focus. The 7th Area of Focus, “Supporting the Environment,” will not come on-line until July 1, 2021.

Applicants must hold at least an undergraduate degree or anticipate graduation within the current year. Application deadline is January 15, 2021; interviews, February 6; announcement of grant recipient, February 15. Application form and applicable reference documents are accessible on the RI District 6270 web site (www.rotary6270.org). Simply click on the image labeled “Scholarships Resource Center.”
 
Some people are not eligible to be candidates for a Global Grant Scholarship. They include:
1. Current Rotarians (Rotaractors are eligible to receive GG Scholarships.)
2. Employees of clubs, districts, other Rotary entities (as defined in section 1.040. of the Rotary Code of Policies) and of Rotary International
3. Rotarian spouses; children or grandchildren by blood, legal adoption, or marriage without adoption; the spouses of those children or grandchildren, or parents or grandparents by blood of people listed above; and employees of agencies, organizations, or institutions that work with Rotary International or the Foundation.
 
If you have ever wondered about the impact of the Global Grant Scholarship program, consider the following comments from Dr. Jason Gehrke, our District 6270 GG Scholar during 2016-2017, who did his Ph.D. dissertation research at the University of Strassbourg, France, in the "Peace and Conflict Resolution" Area of Focus:
 
     “Thank you for your goodwill to me and to all our fellow citizens. It has been too long since our last communication. After my year as a Rotary GG Scholar in France, we moved to Valparaiso, Indiana, where I put my studies in France to good use in teaching. At Valparaiso University I developed a course on the just war tradition, which incorporated much of what I had learned while taking courses in Strasbourg, especially when we get to the modern section of European policy. This year, I accepted a new role as Assistant Professor of History at Hillsdale College, MI, where my teaching will focus on the intersection of history, politics, and international relations.  I think that Hillsdale will be our permanent home.  And I know that the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship, not only because of its reputation but also because of the experiences gained through it, has directly impacted both my teaching and public service. I hope to see you all again soon.”
                                                                                                                                                                           —Jason Gehrke (GG Scholar, 2016-2017)
 
Please pass along this information to any aspiring scholar whom you know or meet who might be qualified to apply. Feel free to contact Larry Myers with any questions.
From Scholarship Chair Larry Myers

Global Grant Scholar Establishes Belfast Rotaract Club

Ciara McHugh was the District 6270 Global Grant Scholar for 2018-2019. She is approaching her third year of a Ph.D. research program, focusing on "how to ameliorate strained relationships between police and minority communities, specifically through visual technologies, and the ways in which gender paradigms can help overcome barriers between the two groups." Recently, Ciara was instrumental in establishing a new Rotaract Club at her school, Queen’s University Belfast.  To read more about her adventures, read her blog, Leaps & Bounds.

Clearly, the RI Global Grant Scholarship program, the Interact clubs, and Rotary clubs throughout the world are having an impact in these days of COVID-19 (and beyond). Congratulations, Ciara, on your continued involvement in Rotary! Keep on keeping on!

Following is her report:

Early in the year, a group came together with the intention of creating a Rotaract chapter in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We were from a variety of disciplines, a range of countries, and each were introduced to Rotary in different ways. After a number of late-night brainstorming sessions at QUB's [Queen’s University Belfast’s] cafe (pre-lockdown, of course), we allocated board positions and made plans to get a Queen's University Belfast Rotaract Club off the ground.

Theo, a Belfast native and active Interactor, was chosen as president; Veja, who is from Slovakia, volunteered her experiences from her Scottish Rotaract days as Outreach chair; Anna, a Global Grant scholar from Wisconsin, became secretary; and I volunteered as treasurer.

Over the last few months, we've had to adjust our approaches and strategies to adapt to pandemic conditions. But, with ongoing support from the Belfast Rotary Club, our bi-weekly Zoom calls are full of the same energy and enthusiasm as those first brainstorming sessions. I'm pleased to say that our members have kept busy: with social distanced volunteering at Age-NI, donating energy bars to frontline and hospital workers, engaging with local racial-justice organizations, and organizing an online charity quiz to raise money for local pandemic efforts.

I'm honored to be a part of such an encouraging and engaged group of Rotaractors, and I look forward to expanding our outreach in the years to come.

 

From DG Craig Burnett

Rotary Million Dollar Journey Reaches its Goal… and Continues

After reaching a $1,000,000 fundraising goal early, Rotary International Districts 6220 & 6270 extend the goal deadline and dollar amount to support the Rotary Foundation during trying times
 
A joint effort between the Wisconsin & Michigan Rotarians of districts 6220 and 6270 to raise $1,000,000 for the Rotary Foundation by October, 2020 reached its goal four months early. With that success, and with even greater need, the districts will continue the journey by raising more funds, and a new conclusion in April, 2021.
 
A bit over one year ago, on the recommendation of Rotary International District Governors Steve Handrick and Steen Sanderhoff, their respective districts embarked on a path to collectively raise one million dollars of new gifts to the Rotary Foundation; a Million Dollar Journey. With many generous gifts – each in excess of $10,000 – from both districts, the goal was reached early, in July of 2020.
 
When the Journey launched, the districts planned a celebratory dinner for all of the contributors along the fundraising pathway, to have taken place in November 2020. The presence of the COVID-19 pandemic will make that celebration impossible at that time, and the districts agreed that it should be postponed until April 29, 2021.
 
Seeing the postponement as an opportunity, now past-governors Handrick & Sanderhoff and current district governors Scott Knaffla and Craig Burnett agreed that the districts should continue the Journey’s effort, and have set a new goal of $2,000,000 to be reached by April 1, 2021.
 
As with the first part of the Journey, the minimum amount of gifts within the journey is $10,000 to qualify for attendance at the celebratory dinner. Gifts may be made in a number of ways:
  1. Outright gifts of cash or appreciated securities
  2. A three-year pledge of cash or appreciated securities
  3. A Life income agreement funded with cash, appreciated securities or real estate, including charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, or pooled income funds.
  4. A bequest commitment via a will, life insurance policy, revocable trust, or a retirement plan
Each district has a team of Rotarians who stand ready to discuss the continuing campaign, give a presentation about the journey, or to interact directly with a potential donor. Donors or clubs are encouraged to contact PDG and Endowment/Major Gifts Advisor Nancy Rhodes to discuss the opportunity to add needed funds to the Rotary International Foundation during this time of pandemic and worldwide economic challenge.
 
Rotarians and others are encouraged to join in this important Journey at a time when it is truly needed.
From H. Knaack & K. R. Ravindran

African Region Certified Wild Polio-Free

It our pleasure to announce to you that the African region has just been certified wild poliovirus-free.

Rotary members have played an invaluable role in the effort to rid the African region of wild polio. We should be proud of all the hard work that we’ve done to eliminate the wild poliovirus throughout Africa and in nearly every country in the world. 

This progress is the result of a decades-long effort across the 47 countries of the African region. It has involved millions of health workers traveling by foot, boat, bike and bus, innovative strategies to vaccinate children amid conflict and insecurity, and a huge disease surveillance network to test cases of paralysis and check sewage for the virus. 

Over the last two decades, countless Rotary members in countries across the African region and around the world have worked together to raise funds, immunize children, advocate with local and national leaders, and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination, enabling the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to effectively respond to and stop polio outbreaks. 

This milestone is an incredible public health achievement for Rotary members, the African region, and our GPEI partners, and a huge step forward on the road to global polio eradication. But we still have important work to do in order to eradicate wild polio in the last two endemic countries.

We have faced many challenges in our journey to eradicate polio. But we’ve made remarkable progress, and the polio infrastructure that Rotarians helped build will serve as a lasting legacy that will continue to help protect vulnerable children against other diseases for decades to come.

We are calling on you today to recommit yourselves to ending polio. We need each and every one of you to help finish this fight and continue raising $50 million each year for PolioPlus. The eradication of wild polio in the African region shows us that polio eradication is achievable, and shows how our hard work, partnerships and financial commitment continue to propel us forward, even during a global pandemic.

Thank you for your continued efforts, for achieving a wild polio-free African region, and for remaining committed to fulfilling our promise of a polio-free world.

Sincerely,
Holger Knaack                                                    K.R. Ravindran
President, Rotary International                           Chair, The Rotary Foundation
From the Rotary International Nominating Committee

Jennifer E. Jones Makes History, Named Rotary President-Nominee

(By Ryan Hyland) Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a groundbreaking selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.

Jones will officially become president-nominee on 1 October if no other candidates challenge her.

Jones says she sees Rotary’s Action Plan as a catalyst for increasing Rotary’s impact.

“As we reflect upon our new strategic priorities, we could have never envisioned that our ability to adapt would become our North Star during what is inarguably the most profound time in recent history,” Jones said in her vision statement. “Silver linings rise out of the most challenging circumstances. Using metric-driven goals, I will harness this historic landscape to innovate, educate, and communicate opportunities that reflect today’s reality.”

Read more...
From PDG Steen Sanderhoff

Rotary Citations for Rotary Year 2019-2020
Congratulations to the following District 6270 clubs who earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for the Rotary year 2019-20. During a year that was challenging for many Rotarians around the world, the clubs demonstrated a commitment to achieve their goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

Silver- Lake Country – Hartland, Neenah, Ripon     

Gold- Milwaukee Amigos, Oshkosh on the Water, Sheboygan, Two Rivers, West Bend, West Bend Sunrise

Platinum- Mequon – Thiensville, Mukwonago, Oconomowoc, Thiensville, Whitnall Park                                     
From Foundation Chair Mary Beth Seiser
Celebrating Foundation Successes

CONGRATULATIONS!! The 2019-2020 Rotary year was fantastic – and it is all because of YOU and your generosity! Despite the pandemic – or maybe because of it – you all opened your hearts and your hands and your wallets to truly provide Service Above Self.   
 
POLIO - As Rotarians and friends worldwide pitched in, we met the $50 million goal and as a result we received the full $100 million match from the Gates Foundation.    The true value in that achievement lies not only in the lives we are saving from the devastation of polio,  but it also showed the world that the infrastructure we have in place to fight polio has also been vital in tracking and preventing the spread of Covid-19.    Kudos to all of you!
 
ANNUAL FUND AND ENDOWMENT - We experienced a record year in contributions to the Annual Fund, and in commitments to the Endowment Fund.   Generous donations from all of you, and especially from new major donors, benefactors, and bequest society members, help secure our future and guarantee that we will have funding in the future for all the wonderful humanitarian projects we accomplish.  
 
LOCAL BENEFITS - Too often we think of our Service Above Self as taking place in other parts of the world and benefitting people we will never meet.   We contribute to the Foundation, and don’t pay attention to where our money goes.   This year has reminded us that our contributions truly do come home.  In addition to the $61,000+ in district grants, most of which was for projects in your own communities, we also received a $25,000 grant from the foundation for local Covid-19 related projects.   You all stepped up and provided PPE’s to health care workers and first responders, you provided food to those in need,  protective equipment for a free clinic, and you filled many other COVID related needs in your own communities. 
 
MILLION DOLLAR JOURNEY - Remember that we are on our Million Dollar Journey to raise funds for the future.  Contributions to the Annual Fund will provide us with working dollars in the near future, and commitments to the Endowment fund will provide us with support in years to come.  Please think about what you want your Rotary Legacy to be and contact a member of the Foundation committee for more information.
 
PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK! - So, let’s take time to celebrate 2019-2020 and everything that we accomplished.  It was a difficult year, and many of us had hard times, but we came through it with flying colors.   Now on to 2020-2021!  We can’t lose sight of our goal of Service Above Self.    Let’s continue to share what we have with those who have less – with those who are struggling – with those who are hopeless.   There is so much need, locally and around the world, and we have so much to share.   It may be our time – our talents – or our treasures – but we all have something to give. THANK YOU!
Seventh Area of Focus Announced
Rotary Foundation Trustees & Rotary International Board of Directors Unanimously Approve Addition of Supporting the Environment as an Area of Focus

More than $18 million in Foundation global grant funding has been allocated to environment-related projects over the past five years. Creating a distinct area of focus to support the environment will give Rotary members even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact.

RI President Mark Maloney says that during his travels around the world as a Rotary senior leader he encountered many Rotary members and Rotaractors who advocated for the environment to be an area of focus.

“I believe strongly that our Rotary Foundation programs now have a valuable added dimension to our efforts,” says, Maloney.

Foundation Trustee Chair Gary C.K. Huang says that with the global population reaching near eight billion, protecting the environment is increasingly important.

“It is time for us to use our collective resources to invest in a smart and efficient way to protecting our environment,” says Huang. “We are qualified to take this initiative because we are a global group of problem solvers with diversified talents.”

Read more...
From DG Craig Burnett

Rotary Opens Opportunities

As we embark on the 2020 – 2021 Rotary year under the banner of RI President Holger Knaack’s theme, Rotary Opens Opportunities, the entire Rotary world finds itself challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, and widespread global economic challenge.
 
In the face of such difficult times, many outside of Rotary would retreat from their volunteer activities. That is not the Rotary way; we are People of Action, and working to change the world for the better is in our blood. We have already seen this throughout our district as clubs are finding new and innovative ways to meet virtually or via creative and safe social distancing. Clubs in our district are also executing a diverse array of service projects. Many are different than those the clubs had planned before the pandemic, yet through these projects our clubs are continuing to serve our world.
 
As we move forward through this Rotary year in the shadow of COVID-19, it is critically important that we stay safe and be adaptable. If we do not take care of ourselves, our loved-ones, and our community through careful action to prevent infection, we will be less able to act on our motto, Service Above Self.  While the pandemic is still active, each and every Rotary event must be completely optional for in-person participation.
 
With that limitation, though, there are still many things we can do to continue to serve our world, and I encourage each club to brainstorm creatively, looking for novel approaches that are both safe and effective. 
 
It is also a time to embrace the unexpected opportunities that will arise amidst this crisis. Examples include building new and innovated membership and meeting models that work better when traditional in-person meetings are not being held (and may continue to work well in the long-term), inviting potential members, past members, and past alumni to join via virtual meetings, creative service projects to support communities harmed by the coronavirus, and more.
 
I urge us all to keep a positive focus on finding opportunities that will allow us to continue to serve. If we work together in optimism, we can do more than just survive – we have the opportunity to grow and thrive.
 
From PDG Steen Sanderhoff

Nancy Rhodes Honored with Service Above Self Award

Rotary’s highest honor recognizes Rotarians who demonstrate Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, by volunteering their time and talents to help others. The award is internationally competitive and is granted to no more than 150 Rotarians worldwide, and no more than one from each district, each year.

I am pleased to share that this year, Rotary has chosen to honor one of our fellow District 6270 Rotarians, Nancy Rhodes.

Nancy Rhodes is a DYNAMO! She is a strong, determined, compassionate, tireless, & effective leader, in & out of Rotary. Since joining Rotary in 1988 -just one year after the Supreme Court ruled Rotary clubs may not exclude women based on gender- Nancy has held leadership positions at all levels of Rotary - from Club to International.  Her husband, Don Drecktrah, is also a Rotarian.
 

Nancy personifies what the Service Above Self award is all about. She is extremely dedicated to Rotary, and particularly to The Rotary Foundation, where she works diligently to identify prospective donors. As one member/donor put it, “She may be little, but Nancy can pick you up and shake you until every last nickel falls out of your pockets. And… she does it with a smile.”  
 

She is generous with her time, talents, & knowledge; her calendar is always full of Rotary meetings, events, & projects. Nancy never expects from others what she herself does not give, often many times over. What many aren’t aware of is her accomplishments behind the scenes- advocating & promoting support of people, ideas, & projects; quietly inspiring others to give money for causes; identifying people’s talents/capabilities & getting them involved in areas where they can make an impact. It is work with many hours of organizing, directing & being on one’s feet, the results of which many take for granted.
 

Nancy, on behalf of Rotary International, your fellow Rotarians, and the countless people whose lives are better because of you, CONGRATULATIONS!

From Foundation Chair Mary Beth Seiser

Support the Rotary Foundation's Disaster Response Fund

Thank you for everything you are doing for yourselves, your families, and your community during the current coronavirus pandemic.   It has been heartwarming to see the activities of so many clubs in our district - providing personal protective equipment, hearty meals, food for food pantries, support for first responders and health care workers, and many other generous projects.   

As a district we were delighted to be able to offer supplemental district grants to clubs, and those were made possible by your previous generous contributions to the Rotary Foundation.    Under normal circumstances, when we contribute to our Foundation we never know exactly when and where the funds will be used. We only know that Rotarians will see a need and will find a way to take care of it.  

But the current situation is not ‘normal’.   We are fighting a worldwide pandemic, and the need is urgent and specific.   Luckily Rotary had an established Disaster Response Fund and was prepared to allocate $1 million to COVID-19 projects.     Districts applied for grants for their local communities, but the needs quickly surpassed the available resources.    Rotary increased the amount to $3 million, but the need is still there.    Our district is one of those whose grant request is waiting in the queue until more money becomes available.   We don’t know, if, or when, it will be funded. 

Please consider a personal contribution to the Rotary Disaster Response Fund.  

Finally, stay safe and healthy, and THANK YOU for everything you do - it is appreciated!  

Scholarship Resource Center
COVID-19 Resources, Needs, & Club Best Practices
District & Global Grant Resource Center
Resources
Club Constitution (Standard Form 2013)
Club Models
Club President Resources
Club Runner Help
Council on Legislation 2019
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Fellowships
Financial Reports
Forms
Foundation 101
Group Study Exchange
How to Plan a Group Meeting at RI
Insurance
Interact/Rotaract
International Service Committee (formally WCS)
Manual of Policies & Procedures 2018-D6270
Manual of Procedure 2019-Rotary International
Membership Resources
Minutes (District Meetings - Approved)
Paul Harris Society
Public Relations (samples)
Rotary Community Corps (RCC)
The Rotary Foundation
Rotary Emblem Guidelines
Rotary Resources
Secretaries Training Tools
Speaker Suggestions
Strategic Plan- D6270 2019-22
Strengthening Your Membership
Visioning
Webinars For District Secretaries and Treasurers
Young Professionals Council
Youth Activities
Youth Exchange
Youth Protection Information
Zone Newsletters
The Rotarian


Online Version
Suggestions, Questions, Comments?
Contact our District Administrative Assistant
Dana Kohlmeyer at:
dana.kohlmeyer@rotary6270.org
or
Rotary District 6270
P.O. Box 0726
Manitowoc, WI   54221-0726
(If you would like a phone call, please send
your name and phone number in an email)