The Magic of Rotary
This year’s District Conference 2024 was jam-packed with excellent and inspiring speakers, great fellowship, and healthy-tasty food choices! Congratulations to the planning committee and to DG Rich for another strong Rotary year in 6650!
The “theme” for Rotary 2024-25 is “The Magic of Rotary”. Chosen for its versatility (Share, Celebrate, Spread, “Bee” The …), we can fit it to each of our unique (but united) clubs - and projects.
With 1.4 million Rotarians in the world - 46,000 clubs in over 220 countries – of course our clubs can vary greatly. Diversity has always been one of our core values, and we are one of the strongest service organizations in the world because of it!
Part of the Magic is that we are all united under the Mission of Rotary - to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through [the] fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders".
Having recently returned from another Rotary International Convention (Singapore) It was a heady experience to be surrounded once again by 14,000 fellow Rotarians as we greeted each other, reunited, laughed together, shared contact information, and began new friendships. If only for that wonder-filled feeling of being a part of something so amazing and so much bigger than myself (yes, there were teary Rotary moments) – I highly recommend stepping up to serve as Club President or District Governor!
This year as we continue (nod to Rich there) into our 120th year of Rotary, we will as always devote ourselves to the goal of eradicating Polio (IMAGINE the party!) as well as encourage progress in and education about the critical need to Protect OUR Environment. Save the Date:
“In Our Nature” Sunday August 11, 2024,
at the DD and Velma Davis Visitor Center, Fellows Riverside Gardens, Mill Creek Metroparks, Youngtown.
Christine Cope is District 6650 Environment Committee Chair. She is planning to speak with Clubs and Club Environment committees – please invite her! Look for details in the “Operation Pollination” feature in this newsletter authored by Deb Flora.
Using the Rotary Action Plan, we will continue our conversations throughout the District and together look for creative ways to increase our Impact, expand our Reach, Engage members, and Adapt to a changing world.
Maureen Drummond is District 6650 Membership Chair and author/editor of our District’s “Membership Minute”. She is also preparing to speak with clubs and Club Membership Chairs – please invite her!
It has been 10 years since our District updated its own history (some of you may still have a copy of “The Rotary Clubs of District 6650 – Our History 1915-2015”). A lot has happened in the past decade! As I visit clubs, I will be bringing a copy of “your page” with me. I hope the history champions of each club will help update this record of our District.
Spoiler alert:
The District 6650 Conference is scheduled to take place at theTyler History Center in Downtown Youngstown.May 24, 2025.
We hope to unveil the updated District 6650 History book at this event!
We have had tremendous Rotary Leaders originating from NE Ohio. We have much to be proud of and much to live up to! This year Julia Wetstein will be taking on the role of District Trainer/Learning Facilitator. In this role she will help train Assistant Governors, promote team leadership, support Pre- and All-Ohio PETS, encourage Foundation, Membership, and more … with a focus on compliance to RI mission, materials, legal matters, best practices, grants, and Youth Exchange. (Offering many options here for guest speakers!)
As Rotarians, it is our responsibility to share and support one of the greatest rewards of membership – personal growth and leadership development.
PDG Larry Warren is partnering with DGND Dave Stillwagon (2026-27) and others on our leadership development team to strengthen RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) in District 6650. If you are interested in taking a deeper dive into Rotary Leadership, or simply want a better understanding of our great organization, invite a conversation. More details to come.
As we do every year, we will be looking to recognize champions throughout the District - in Polio eradication, Protecting our Environment, using Rotary’s Action Plan to expand Rotary in new and creative ways, continuing to develop and grow Rotary leaders, recording and sharing our stories, and helping to heal a divided world. The conversation around Positive Peace is an important one and cannot be understated. I have this lofty goal - that as we learn more, our clubs will join to make ours a 100% Peace-Builder District.
Thanks to Assistant Governor Ryan Boyce, our first District Social will take place at
Gervasi Vineyard – Wednesday, July 31st 5-8 p.m. Admission is FREE!
I am looking forward to having these conversations and getting to know you all better.
Thank you for sticking with me – I know this was a long one!
DG Elayne