Rotary District 9800
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Y’all in District 9800 are about to be connected with District 5840 Texas!!
We are about to link y’all in D9800 with a Rotary Club in The Lone Star State, Texas, USA. We will match our 70 Clubs with 56 Rotary Clubs in D5840, which is located in and around San Antonio, deep in the heart of Texas. We will also be doing a GSE (Group Study Exchange) together.
July is an extremely busy month for all Clubs and a time when we are all settling into a NEW Rotary year. Now into August, we can start to think about this exciting International opportunity to make contact with a Rotary Club elsewhere. Our fabulous new District website has a link “Texan Connection”. During the year, we will post stories from you on any relationships developing between your Club and a Club in Texas. It may be between Club President and Club President, or bulletin editors, or Vocational Service Chairs. Once your sister Club has been given to you, why not send your Club bulletin and a note from the Club, giving Club positions/names/contact emails and let them know who is doing what in your Club. It’s then a simple task of matching up Rotarians in the various Club appointments with those in the D5840 Club. I hope this will create some new friendships and an exchange of how you do things in your Club, and how they do the same things, but perhaps differently, in their Club.
I am very pleased at the level of interest and excitement with this Club partnering concept. It developed from talks between myself and District Governor Stephanie Macchia (see photo) in San Diego this year. It was our hope to make the GSE experience between our Districts even stronger, by encouraging our clubs to find a “mate/buddy “in each other’s District. This also fits in perfectly with the RI Theme for 2010-2011, BUILDING COMMUNITIES BRIDGING CONTINENTS.
This is indeed, BRIDGING CONTINENTS!!
Some Clubs are already embracing the Texas Connection. This notice appeared in RC of Werribee’s Club bulletin last week. Well done RC of Werribee.
Charter Anniversary - Bigger then Texas
Our anniversary night is planned for August 24th and it will be held at Santini's Restaurant in Watton Street. The theme for the evening is "Bigger than Texas" in view of the relationship between our District and D5840 in Texas, USA as part of the Texan Connection program. Members and partners are encouraged to get in the spirit of the night by wearing something with a Texan theme but it is not compulsory. Suggestions include scarf, ten gallon hat, cowboy boots, spurs, whip, six-gun (minus the bullets) and lasso.
The Group Study Exchange Team from District 5840 will spend a month in our District next year and they will also attend our District Conference in Adelaide. Our Team will then visit them in May/June 2011. Wonderful opportunities exist for Clubs to put forward a Rotarian as Team Leader, sponsor GSE Team members, host a District Welcome/Farewell function or home host the Texas Team for a week. Please contact GSE Chair Adrian Nelson whose details appear in the District Information Directory.
Finally, can I remind you of the Speaker Bank Committee, which is in the capable hands of Jill Weeks. Please let them know if your Rotary Club has had an interesting speaker. The DG Official Club Visits have commenced, and whist I’m not expecting to make the Speaker Bank, Marilyn and I have thoroughly enjoyed the warm welcome and hospitality. Thank you.
Y’all have a great week in Rotary,
DG Iven
Read more about the District 9800 / District 5840 Texan Connection
