Pennies for Polio

District 5040 Pennies for Polio Challenge to Collect "Penny Weights" - The RC of Vancouver Quadra has challenged every club in District 5040 to collect Pennies for Polio. DG Penny has thrown her weight behind this effort. Raid the piggybank, empty the change from your pocket, collect from friends, or write a cheque. DG Penny's weight in Pennies or One Penny Weight is worth $250.00. How many Penny Weights can your club gather? Download the flyer with more information on the Pennies for Polio Campaign. Click

Vancouver Chinatown

Yesterday I managed to attend my own club meeting. Vancouver Chinatown meets for lunch at the Floata Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. If you like good Chinese food and are in Vancouver please visit the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown Wednesday at noon. President Rick orchestrated a program on Polio.

I gave some happy dollars for the club as they will not see Chris and I for 6 to 8 weeks! I start my official club visits on August 3rd in Williams Lake. In the first month of visits we will be away from home a total of 25 nights doing club visits in the Cariboo, Prince George, Terrace and Prince Rupert areas. Prince Rupert is a two day drive from where we live in Vancouver. But the weather is great, the scenery wonderful and we will meet many amazing Rotarians and learn about their projects and activities for Rotary.

The Other side of being DG.

I spent several hours last night on the administrative role of the District Governor. District Treasurer JoAnne Amos and I spent two hours reviewing district expenses and the administration of district funds. This is a critical part of the position of being governor. The stewardship of dues paid by Rotarians to our district is very important.

The district also receives funds from Rotary International to assist with some training events and to cover part of the governor’s expenses. In addition the district will receive funds from The Rotary Foundation as a future vision district. These funds are for District Grants and must be accounted for and reported separately.

Rotary faces challenges different than those faced by standard commercial companies. Our annual change of leadership means we need continuity and consistency from year to year. DGE Hans Doge participated in the meeting last night to ensure the ongoing stewardship of Rotary funds in District 5040.

The governor is accountable for how the funds entrusted to the district are used. It must be a priority. Our district finances are in very good order. The board of directors of District 5040 Inc and the district finance committee take their role seriously. It is a pleasure to work with our treasurer JoAnne who is very organized and efficient in managing Rotary funds.

Downtown Eastside Shoe Clinic

I attended a great Rotary service project in Vancouver’s downtown eastside on the weekend. The RC of Vancouver Quadra collect slightly used running shoes from a number of upscale sports stores. Runners buy new shoes frequently and are happy to leave their old shoes with the store when they are told it is for a good cause.

The club clean and sanitize the shoes and with the help of the Salvation Army give them with a pair of new socks to the homeless and street people. They run the shoe clinics three or four times a year and pass out 200 to 400 pairs of shoes at each clinic.

They also had two volunteer podiatrists on hand to diagnose and treat food problems. Services Above Self

Club Installations

 Since July 1st a number of clubs have held their annual events to celebrate the past year and look ahead as they welcome the new club president and board members. I have been honoured to attend the events held by the Rotary Clubs of Richmond, Burnaby Metrotown, Ladner and Vancouver Cambie. Each one has a distinctive flavour and each one is inspiring and holds promise for the upcoming year. Each club president and member of Penny's Posse has taken an oath of office to serve Rotary to the best of their ability in 2010-11. They have exciting goals for the coming year for membership and service. I look forward to working with all the clubs in District 5040.

The picture shows the new President Sukhi Dhaliwal and the Board of the Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown

District 5040 RYLA Lakelse July 5th to 8th 2010.

Last week I had the honour and privilege to attend the four day RYLA Lakelse camp held near Terrace BC with District RYLA Chair Angiola DeStefanis. Located by a beautiful lake surrounded by snow capped mountains, 40 teenagers aged 13 to 16 with nine staff members lead by RYLA Coordinator Rob Eby and Program Coordinator Casda Thomas and supported by local Rotarians from several Rotary Clubs in the area, enjoyed the glorious summer sun and an unforgettable experience.

The group bonds and friendships flourished over the four days as the RYLERIANS learned about leadership, goal setting, problem solving, communications and Rotary especially Rotary Youth Programs. They participated in the World Village exercise, building picnic tables to leave as a Rotary legacy to the Kin Kamp , and carrying 60 pound jugs of water to understand the shortage of water in many areas of the world and the impact this has on young children and families.

They worked and played hard and learned about the Power of One to make a difference in the world, about working as a team to achieve their goals and building friendships with others who may be different from ourselves. What a great bunch of kids – future leaders in their communities and in society and maybe in Rotary. What a great group of dedicated Rotarians and young adults giving of their time and energy to provide a Rotary experience these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

The future is in good hands as Rotarians work to Build Communities and Bridge Continents.

Canada Day in Steveston

July 1st - I spent with the Rotary Club of Steveston dressed as a pirate for their pirate ship float in the annual Canada Day parade and later at their annual BBQ. A wonderful start to the new Rotary year. Thousands watch the parade. This is great PR for Rotary.

The club displayed the new street banners that will be placed on street light poles in Steveston Village, one of the main tourist sites in Metro Vancouver - more great PR.

A New Rotary Year Starts

The waiting is over, the preparation complete, and it is July 1st - my first day as District Governor for District 5040. It is over two and a half years since I was nominated and now the year has started. I am honoured and humbled to lead our district in 2010-11. We are looking forward to an exciting year.

Last Saturday my club the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown held the Club Installation which included my Installation as DG. PDG Chris Offer did the DG Installation - a very special occasion for both of us. We were honoured to have Rotary friends from England, and the US, long standing non Rotarian friends and Rotarians from other clubs including past and future governors, and incoming club presidents join us for the celebration.

I have also been honoured to attend and participate in a number of club Installations over the last few weeks and several more to come as clubs celebrate the success of the past year and look forward to the new year. I also installed our DGE Hans Doge from the RC of Vancouver Quadra.

Best wishes for a successful Rotary year to all clubs and Districts and all Rotarians as we Build Communities and Bridge Continents.

Montreal Convention the Best

The Montreal International Convention was a great success. It is always wonderful to renew friendships and meet new friends from around the world. The convention always reminds us about the internationality and strength of our great organization - Rotary International. The warmth and welcome of all the Canadian Rotarians as we hosted the world of Rotary for the 100th anniversary of Rotary in Canada made this a very special event in our history. My top 5 from the convention

1. Friendships in Rotary

2. The terrific news about Polio and how close we are to eradication

3. The speakers and entertainment from Dolly Parton to Queen Noor of Jordan

4. The House of Friendship

5. The atmosphere of Montreal

Club Installations

Chris and I attended two club Installations this past week. I was delighted to install the 2010-11 Officers and Directors for the Rotary Clubs of West Vancouver Sunrise and Lionsgate North Vancouver. Both clubs had a great year in 2009-01 and are looking forward to another year of membership growth, fellowship and service. PE Jason Bowman for WV Sunrise and PE Jim Godey for Lionsgate have set goals to build Bigger, Better and Bolder Rotary clubs as they work to Build Communities and Bridge Continents. Both events were attended by DG Gordon Dalglish and AG Ken Wilson.

West Vancouver Sunrise was also celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Other guests included PDG Dean and Rhino Rohrs, PDG Chris Offer, incoming club presidents Jim Godey, and David Spears, and former members including two grandchildren of past President Maureen Swartz. The sun shone as we enjoyed the beautiful setting of the West Vancouver Yacht Club and celebrated the past 20 years and future success of 'the little club that can".

There are many more club Installations scheduled over the next few weeks. I look forward to being part of many of them and wish all the incoming presidents and club boards a great start to the new Rotary year.

Governor's Banner returns to Chinatown

On May 16 at the District Conference in Prince Rupert the "Home of The District Governor" banner was passed from the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise to the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown.

DG Gordon Dalglish presented the banner to President Elect Rick Gilbert and DGE Penny Offer. This is the third time the banner has been displayed by the RC of Vancouver Chinatown. Past Governors in the club are PDG Charles Loh and PDG Chris Offer.

DG Gordon was presented with a PDG pin and an engraved clock by DGE Penny with the thanks and gratitude of the Rotarians of District 5040.

AG Gary Gurnsey presented DGE Penny with the Governors pin on behalf of the Rotary Club of Prince George. It is a long tradition in District 5040 that the DG pin is presented by the RC of Prince George.

Use Your Leadership Presence to Inspire

This article by John Baldoni which was published in Harvard Business Review is very good.

In times of crisis people always look for inspirational leaders. What makes for inspiration is subjective, but there is one common element when speaking about leaders who inspire: they have a strong leadership presence.


By presence we mean "earned authority." That is, people follow your leadership because you are a proven quantity, whose credibility rests on your having gotten things done. Every leader must aspire to demonstrate presence in order to inspire; this is a theme I explore in my new book, 12 Steps to Power Presence: How Leaders Assert their Authority to Lead. Let me outline a few key points:

• Know the score. Executives who talk a good game may appear to have presence but what they really have is a silver tongue. If you seek to inspire, you need a deep knowledge of the situation. Communication that directs people to strive for big goals must be reinforced with a process and with information that support achieving those goals, otherwise it is just empty rhetoric. Leaders with presence know their business.
• Radiate command. A leader with presence wears authority like a well-tailored suit. Others notice the good fit and feel comfortable in her presence. A leader who cannot radiate authority is one that will struggle to create followership. Authority stems from strong self-awareness; leaders with command presence are confident because they know what they are capable of achieving by themselves and through others.
• Be humble. Exuding authority doesn't mean overlooking personal limitations. Good leaders are those who know their flaws. A sense of humility affects inspiration in one very direct way: the leader acknowledges that he will succeed only with the help of others. A humble leader draws people to him not because he has all the answers, but because he recognizes that others have good answers, too.
• Provide hope. When people seek inspiration, they are often really seeking hope. Leaders need to deliver it to them. With hope there's a sense of possibility — that if we do what the leader asks, we will succeed. At the same time, hope must be reinforced with a sense of reality: having the right resources used by the right people at the right time. It is a leader's job to deliver on both sides of that equation by providing what employees need when they need it.Let me draw a distinction between presence and charisma. Charisma is the aura leader projects; very often it succeeds people see reflections of themselves in that sheen and therefore are more disposed follow the charismatic person. They are following their own intentions, if you will. Charisma enhances one's presence but it is not essential.
  
  Presence, as noted, is earned authority, or "street cred." For leaders to inspire, they need such presence; it transcends looks and words and reflects not simply intention, but action. Leaders with effective presence are men and women who use their authority to effect good things for the organization.

John Baldoni is a leadership consultant, coach, and speaker. He is the author of eight books, including Lead Your Boss, The Subtle Art of Managing Up.

Seminars in the Northwest

This past weekend, April 17-18, 2010, DGE Penny Offer and District Trainer Dean Rohrs lead a training team in Terrace for the District Assembly and Future Vision Training. This was the last of three weekends for this training to be offered in District 5040.

The team included PDG Art Erasmus, PP Lesley Erasmus, PDG Mary Watson, District Rotaract Chair Bill Sauer assisted by Rotarian Renee Quezada for the Assembly and PDG Kevin Conway for Future Vision.  Rotarians from Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Smithers,Terrace and Burns Lake participated in the training.

Of particular note in the training:   the requirement for certification for Rotarians involved in all youth programs  not just Youth Exchange; awareness of risk in our activities and the need to recognize and manage the risks; and  club qualification for  Future Vision in order to apply for matching funds  from the District and The Rotary Foundation for humanitarian and educational service activities.

Kitimat Rotarians arranged dinner on Saturday night for the training team and several visiting Rotarians joined the Terrace Rotarians for their weekly Friday evening of socializing. Thank you to all the local Rotarians for participating in the training, and for their warm hospitality.

Clubs in District 5040 were encouraged to be BIGGER,BETTER, and BOLDER as they work to Build Communities and Bridge Continents in 2010-11. 

Quesnel Seminars a Success

istrict Assembly April 10 and Future VisionTraining April 11 Quesnel.

Last weekend I lead a training team for the annual District Assembly and the new Future Vision Training on the Rotary Foundation. This was the second of three weekends of training offered to Rotarians around District 5040.

The team included DGND Rebecca MacPherson, AG Liz Neave, AG Gary Gurnsey and YE Chair Petrie Neave for the Assembly and PDG Kevin Conway for Future Vision. Twenty one Rotarians from 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George participated in the two days of training.

Of particular note from the training and importance to District 5040 Rotary clubs are the requirement for certification for Rotarians involved in all programs with youth not just Youth Exchange; awareness of risk in our activities and the need to recognize and manage the risks; and club qualification for Future Vision in order to apply for matching funds from the District and The Rotary Foundation for humanitarian and educational service activities.

The warm hospitality of Quesnel Rotarians in home hosting visiting Rotarians and organizing a dinner at a local Chinese restaurant for the Saturday evening made for a wonderful weekend of Rotary fun and fellowship and fund raising for our Polio Campaign. Thank you to the Quesnel Rotarians for doing what Rotarians do best - enjoy Rotary.

Last weekend I lead a training team for the annual District Assembly and the new Future Vision Training on the Rotary Foundation. This was the second of three weekends of training offered to Rotarians around District 5040.

The team included DGND Rebecca MacPherson, AG Liz Neave, AG Gary Gurnsey and YE Chair Petrie Neave for the Assembly and PDG Kevin Conway for Future Vision. Twenty one Rotarians from 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George participated in the two days of training.

Of particular note from the training and importance to District 5040 Rotary clubs are the requirement for certification for Rotarians involved in all programs with youth not just Youth Exchange; awareness of risk in our activities and the need to recognize and manage the risks; and club qualification for Future Vision in order to apply for matching funds from the District and The Rotary Foundation for humanitarian and educational service activities.

The warm hospitality of Quesnel Rotarians in home hosting visiting Rotarians and organizing a dinner at a local Chinese restaurant for the Saturday evening made for a wonderful weekend of Rotary fun and fellowship and fund raising for our Polio Campaign. Thank you to the Quesnel Rotarians for doing what Rotarians do best - enjoy Rotary.

Clubs in District 5040  were encouraged to  be BIGGER, BETTER, and BOLDER  as they work to Build Communities and Bridge Continents in 2010-11.

 

Annual PDG Lunch

One of the traditions of District 5040 is to hold an annual lunch for the Rotary International Past Officers (PDGs) hosed by the Governor Elect. We held the lunch on April 5, 2010. This is an opportunity for the Governor and Governor Elect to update the PDGs on the state of the district and plans for the next year.

DG Gordon Dalglish gave an update on how well the district is doing, which is very well other than membership. Membership development continues to be our district’s major challenge.
I was able to outline the changes that RI President elect Ray Klinginsmith has made and plans to make during the next Rotary year. RIPE Ray will visit District 5040 on September 29, 2010. The major goal for our district in 2010-11 is to implement The Rotary Foundation future vision plan as a pilot district. The training for this is well underway.

It is good to have the advice, counsel and encouragement from those who’s footsteps I follow.

New Youth Video

Rotary International offers four programs for young people (ages 12-30) that promote leadership, professional development, and service.  This new video really shows how important these youth programs are and that our youth are the future of Rotary.

To learn about Rotary's youth programs click HERE.

District Seminars a Success

DISTRICT ASSEMBLY: On Saturday, March 27^th 63 Rotarians from more than 25 clubs attended the first of three District Assemblies. Topics covered included: the 2010-11 Rotary theme, "Building Communities - Bridging Continents", DGE Penny Offer stressed the goal of bigger, better and bolder Rotary clubs, PDG Dean Rohrs outlined the revised RI strategic plan, district membership chair Linda Coyle offered a practical solution to membership the 5 X 5 plan and PDG Mary Watson updated clubs on the certification required by the Youth Exchange program. 

A presentation on risk management and crisis media management was given by PDG Chris Offer,  AGs Pam Rickey, Ken Wilson, Wayne Roy and Sue Godey covered a variety of administrative topics. DGN Hans Doge stressed the need for partnerships in Rotary.  DGE Penny Offer concluded the seminar with a call for clubs to be creative in their service projects and innovative in their approach to membership development.

Download slide presentations from the seminar:

Youth Exchange Certification
Risk Management and Crisis Media Management
General Assembly Slides

Photos from Metro Vancouver Assembly

 

ROTARY FOUNDATION GRANT MANAGEMENT SEMINAR: On Sunday, March 28^th more than 100 Rotarians from 30 clubs gathered in Delta for the first of three of the district's Rotary Foundation grant management seminars. This is part of the districts participation as a pilot district in the Future Vision Plan.

DGE Penny Offer welcomed the Rotarians and explained the unique role District 5040 has in the future of The Rotary Foundation and the opportunity to use a new approach to humanitarian service.

PDG Kevin Conway, DGE Penny Offer and RRFC Chris Offer gave a series of fast paced  presentations and group exercise on the new grant structure. The new funding model for grants, vocational teams and scholarships was explained. Lively discussions were held on the funding of grants and how future vision has changed the approach to clubs participation in international and local service.  Many questions were asked on the future vision program.

Download Future Vision Grant Seminar slides

Photos of Grant Seminar

 

The next seminars will be held:

Quesnel District Assembly April 10 and TRF Seminar April 11
Terrace District Assembly April 17 and TRF Seminar April 18

The best way to donate to The Rotary Foundation

A short presentation on how TRF Direct works and why it is an easy way to make your donation to The Rotary Foundation. TRF Direct is one of the easiest ways to increase donations from Rotarians in your club. Why not set a goal of getting 5 or 10 members to sign up in the next six months?

Photos from Pacific Northwest PETS held in Seattle March 5 to 7 2010.

Happy Birthday Rotary

During the first Rotary club meeting on February 23, 1905 in Chicago, Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Hiram Shorey and Silvester Schiele met to talk about their personal experiences. Harris then unfolded his general plan for their future club meetings. Paul Harris named the new club "Rotary" because members met in rotation at their various places of business. Club membership grew rapidly. Soon Paul became convinced that the Rotary club could be developed into an important service movement and strove to extend Rotary to other cities.

Watch a 1933 radio address of Paul Harris which is a compilation of audio and still pitcures on YouTube. For more historical information about Rotary, visit Rotary History and Archives or the Rotary Global History Fellowship.