Weekly update, leaving December behind -- a brand new year ahead!

You may think this is a slow time in the Rotary world -- not so.
Here in the USA many folks make donations to their favorite charities as close to the end of the year as possible.
Please keep The (our) Rotary Foundation in mind.  In addition to the extraordinary efforts being made to eradicate polio, we need to fund annual giving.  Remember 50% of all the money given by individuals and clubs to the annual fund returns to the district three years from now.  Contact PDG Karen for more information.  Karen chairs our district's foundation subcommittee for annual giving.
Also, at the club level, remember ShelterBox USA, another 501(c)(3), where as always "The Need Exists, The Need Persists."  Visit www.shelterboxusa.org  for news about latest disaster relief efforts and how to make a contribution. .   Locally, Peter Klock of the Rotary Club of East Hartford is the ShelterBox representative for our district; contact him for more information.
Two more dates as we head toward the beginning of January:  (1)  newsletter articles must be submitted before the tenth of each month in order to appear in the following month's district newsletter; (2) to be considered at this year's district conference, any proposals to amend the district bylaws must be submitted to PDG Ray before the end of this month.
Get in touch with me for more detail or contact information for anyone mentioned above.

See you around the district in 2010.

Enjoy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Gfj3oQH8Y

Presidential Citations

NB all you club presidents --
did you know the Presidential Citation is NOT all about you? This is an end-of-year award for your club, recognizing achieving goals laid out beginning of the year by the RI President.
It's also an award Interact and Rotaract Clubs can achieve.
go to www.rotary.org and search for "Presidential Citation" for more information

Getting Underway

Intent of this blog is to enable Rotarians in District 7890 to "track" me as I move along in the governor track.  Hopefully, there will be useful information posted every day or so.  Please register to comment.
At this time, I am known as the governor-nominee, scheduled to become governor-elect July 1, 2010, and governor July 1, 2011.
So, what have I been up to this week?
Sunday afternoon a holiday party at The Gallery, hosted by Governor Herb  -- VERY NICE.
Monday, 10 AM, delivering third-grade dictionaries in East Hartford, a club activity many of you are familiar with.

• Clubs' doing this can apply for a District Simplified Grant.  Application form is a simple three-page document, available from our district website.
• You apply, then do the project, then complete a two-page form which essentially repeats what was in the original application, asks for receipts and verification club has completed the project.
• There is still money available for clubs, for all sorts of projects.

Monday, noon, happily joined the Hartford Club as they strategized about finding a new meeting location.  Currently the club is meeting alongside West Hartford at the Pond House in Elizabeth Park Monday noon.
Tuesday and Wednesday spent several hours online doing webinars, learning to set up an event, register attendees for MultiDistrict PETS in Nashua, March 2010.  I am Registration Chair.
Wednesday afternoon, Grants Committee Meeting -- the committee still has thousands of dollars to award.  Get your club's collective thinking cap on and apply for a grant!
Thursday evening, Foundation Committee Meeting -- the committee approved actions of the Grants Committee, received reports from GSE Committee, and strategized about Annual Giving.
So that's it for this week.