DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE     

ROTARY SHARES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
DISTRICT 5500 2007-2008 

Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson from Ontario Canada has chosen as his annual theme

“ROTARY SHARES” to convey his vision of the value of Rotary clubs in our communities and world.

 The new Rotary administrative year in southern Arizona begins with a quiet transition because our District became a corporation during the past year .  We also observed the first complete year of monthly meetings between your District Governor, Governor Elect, Governor Nominee and Governor Designate to work at coordination of appointments, long range planning and cooperation on projects which stretch between fiscal years and Governor’s administrations.  Each Rotary year’s leader still plans to place their own special mark on their year of leadership, but we are united in moving our very special District ahead not through competition, but through planning and deliberation.  Thank you to PDG Jim Aslin for daring to move ahead in this bold manner.  All of your District’s Senior leaders are in agreement that we will not “rain on each others parade” and so you will see umbrella logos from time to time as a reminder that District 5500 leadership cooperates.

 I am challenging each of the 55 clubs in our District to engage in long range planning, to cooperate with other clubs, and to seize the opportunities which individual Rotarians have to offer the programs of Rotary to people who they meet in their communities and in our world. Moving toward your individual potential to use many of the programs that your membership in Rotary allows you to offer, will not only change your life and the lives of others, but also bring new vigor to your club.

 Our District stands ready to assist your clubs in membership development and retention.  We plan a Membership Seminar in Tucson on August 18, featuring reports of attendees of the Presidential Membership Conference in Denver in early August.  District Trainer Shar Chesser, Institute Coordinator Pat Webb and Co-Chair Bill Scharf are initiating a Leadership Institute on October 27, 2007 which will run as an additional program during District Conference weekend.  This will be the first of three Institutes offered annually to train and polish newer Rotarians.  We are inviting each club to send two newer members to this special training. We will also have a New Members Session running concurrent with the Friday morning  Council on Legislation on October 26.  We plan to address the statistics that have been released indicating that  40% of new Rotarians in their first through third year leave their clubs.  This will not be the fate of new members in District 5500.

 There will be a number of unusual District events this year, beginning with my installation featuring a hands on  international “Shoebox Project”, CPR class and then a fun filled installation of officers for the year with a low cost gourmet dinner.  Other unique events  to calendar  include

·     District Conference October 26 to 28, which will feature captivating breakout sessions,  Saturday Youth   Day and the ever popular Hospitality Suites Saturday evening.

·     Foundation day on November 17, will have an all new EXPO format with displays educating attendees about successful Matching Grant and Simplified Grant that have been carried out by our clubs.  Seminars on how to write grants will be held, and the day will be capped of with an elegant dinner at the Tucson Zoo. 

Our finale for the year in which “ROTARY SHARES: Challenges and Opportunities” will be Celebration Day on May 17, 2008 when we will meet to present awards to clubs and individuals who have excelled during the year.  A series of very special recognitions will be displayed for the first time, as we congregate at Pride Rock to  celebrate the circle of life in Rotary and to show that we are WILD ABOUT ROTARY!

I am honored to serve as your Governor, and PDG Ron and I look forward to a wonderful year of sharing Rotary friendship with you all.

Yours in Rotary Service, 

Sandy Goodsite

 District Governor 2007-2008