It is with much sadness, that we share the passing of PDG Wayne Massey a member for the Fredericksburg Rotary Club. What an amazing man who served his country so well (he was in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam!).
There will be a brief graveside service at Ft. Sam Houston on Friday, September 25th. On Saturday, September 26 there will be a celebration of Wayne's life and service at the McCurdy Ranch, 6:30 pm, 4088 N. State Hwy 16. Masks and social distancing will be expected, of course, and there is additional information on the Fredericksburg Funeral Home website. To RSVP - contact PDG John Hutcherson
Congratulations to the following 2019-2020 Rotary Citation recipients: Alamo Heights, Eagle Pass, Fair Oaks Ranch, Fredericksburg, Kerville, New Braunfels, New Braunfels Downtown, San Antonio, San Antonio Airport, San Antonio North Central, San Antonio Northeast, San Antonio Northwest, San Antonio West and San Saba.
Welcome to September! This month we celebrate basic education and literacy. Did you know that worldwide, 67 million children have no access to education, and more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate?
Join us for our next District 5840 Town Hall event on September 17th at 6:30 p.m. Our very special guest speaker, Past Rotary International President, Rick King! Be sure to invite a friend or prospective Rotarian to this event. Register here.
GOALS: Congratulations to the 33 of 56 clubs with goals in Rotary Club Central! We should pick up another 12 within sixty days and will be in constant contact with the others the rest of the year.
Every year the Canyon Lake Rotary Club (The Club) gives out education scholarships to bright intelligent and energetic youth in the area; and this is year is no exception.
On Friday, August 21, 2020, the Del Rio Rotary Club provided lunch for the employees working on the COVID units at Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Texas.
The Randolph Metrocom Rotary Club has been delivering ESSENTIAL WORKER plaques to 9 of their surrounding cities including Cibolo, Converse, Garden Ridge, Live Oak, Marion, Schertz, Selma, Universal City & Windcrest.
The Rotary Club of Kerrville-Morning (Morning Rotary) with a generous donation from Mike and Debbie Neutze, provided 600 pairs of socks for boys and girls athletics at Ingram Tom Moore High School.
Recognizing exemplary characteristics of 16 local elementary students, the Rotary Club of Kerrville hosted the annual “Youth Citizenship Awards” event at its regular meeting Aug. 5,
Ms. Gloria Wilson does an amazing job as a Rotarian. Not only is she the Assistant Governor for District 5840, she is an active member of the Del Rio Rotary Club. Rotarian Eddie Amezcua is the Director of the Community Service Lane.
Recently, The Rotary Club of Kerrville – Morning (Morning Rotary) members and families were busy at the Upper Guadalupe River Authority’s 17th Annual River Clean Up - Reimagined. The River Clean Up is one of 12 service projects and activities sponsored by the club.
The Wheelchair Project resulted from an anonymous donor who wanted the donation specifically for wheelchairs. Donor sent half of the container price to the Wheelchair Foundation and Rotary Club of New Braunfels matched the balance.
Join us on August 27th at 6:30 p.m. for our next virtual district town hall event! Our special guest speaker will international humanitarian and keynote speaker John T. Capps! John is an inspiring speaker and trainer who engages audiences with humor and excitement. He's also a third-generation Rotarian, has attended over 36 International Conventions, and alumni of The Rotary Foundation. If you are looking for a spark of excitement, engagement, and a good laugh, register today! Register here
Jennifer E. Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, has been nominated to become Rotary International’s president for 2022-23, a selection that will make her the first woman to hold that office in the organization’s 115-year history.
The Fredericksburg Morning Rotary Club is trying to keep members involved during the Covid 19 pandemic. A challenge was issued to each member to donate food to one of our local "tiny" food pantries.
Larry Richard is a disabled Vietnam Veteran who currently uses a walker and possibly will need to use a wheelchair in the future. However, his house was not handicap accessible so Fredericksburg VFW Post 7105 worked with Towers for Troops and Purple Heart Home,
We're excited to announce the first-ever Virtual District Town hall event starting Thursday, August 13, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. The virtual town hall events will bring in special guest speakers from all around the world with varying topics to inspire, inform, and support the work we are doing as Rotarians!
Kerrville Rotary Club held a successful First Responders Golf Tournament Fundraiser on June 15. They had over 82 players which is more than they have ever had before.
There is great joy when a child is born and again when they can learn about the world through books. In a few short years that child is on a tract to get a good education but if for whatever reason that child is not reading at 3rd grade level by the 3rd grade he or she is on a very slippery sloop that leads to a very difficult life.
Over two years ago I joined the Alamo Heights Rotary Club, not fully knowing what I was getting into. As time went on my curiosity for Rotary turned into fondness, then excitement, and today I have a complete love for Rotary! My feelings have strengthened not only from the relationships I’ve made with other Rotarians but also from the information I’ve learned in the Rotary Learning Center.
I hope this message finds you all well and in good spirits. I want to applaud you all for finding new ways to serve the communities in which you live and those abroad, fellowship, and fundraise as we navigate uncharted waters. Your willingness to take on the role of selfless service even amid such challenges as COVID-19 is why we are more than mere volunteers; we are Rotarians! Our theme for August is "Membership & New Club Development," and I would like to take a moment to highlight just what that means and why we should focus greatly on it.
This initiative helps Rotarians connect their business with Rotarians, find assistance for challenges both professional and personal, and access career advice and leads. It's Rotarians helping Rotarians! Check it out now. www.therotarynetwork.org
Rotary Club of San Antonio South participated in the San Antonio District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran Back to School Backpack Giveaway along with the San Antonio Food Bank on Saturday, July 25.
Members of the San Antonio Northeast Rotary Club volunteered at the Texas Diaper Bank on Saturday, July 25th. Club members repackaged diapers into 25 count packages for clients that receive assistance from the Texas Diaper Bank and their 54 partner agencies.
San Antonio Northeast Rotary Volunteers at Texas Diaper Bank
The following article will explain the original derivation of what the “Plus” in PolioPlus is. A lot of the following material has been copied in segments or paraphrased from material on Rotary websites related to PolioPlus - Rotary News Online; polioeradication.org, endpolio.org - and culled down to make the article a quick read.
With a recent rise in local COVID-19 cases, Fredericksburg Rotary Club members are trying to fill the need of contact tracing in town. Morning Rotary Club member Marc Bennett was contacted by Hill Country Memorial Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Partin, who is also part of the Morning Rotary Club.
Recently, the Rotary Club of Alamo Ranch organized two donation drives to benefit the Bexar County Battered Women and Children's Shelter. The club accepted new/gently used clothing, homeware items, and cleaning supplies, which will be used by survivors of domestic violence as they get a new start and transition into a safe and healthy living situation.
The Rotary Club of Kerrville – Morning honored long-time Rotarian and Morning Rotary charter member, Bob Green, with a tribute for being one of the original founding members of Morning Rotary.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County is proud to present the Paul Harris Award to many of its members. Joe Garcia was able to present the award personally to Hal Switzer.
The Rotary E-Club President Eddie Knightington accompanied Mayor Mary M. Dennis made a generous donation of gift cards on May 26 to Live Oak First Responders for all their efforts during the pandemic. The club provided the firefighters with 20 gift cards from Williams Confectionery.
I have been a member of my club for two years, but it was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that I learned what it truly means to be a Rotarian. When my state of Texas went into quarantine, our club president, Brandon Logan, set up a ‘virtual happy hour’ on Thursday evenings.
Clubs wanting to apply for a Rotary Foundation district grant will appreciate the requirement for a club member being trained in grants management can be met via an online 90-minute session
GLOBAL GRANTS IN MEXICO, GUATEMALA AND TANZANIA: We are truly opening opportunities with a flurry or global grant applications. Boerne Sunrise is working with Rotarians in Aguascalientes, Mexico on providing a cornea-splitting piece of equipment.
District Governor Xavier Toson's Video Chat for July - Wishing us a Happy Rotary New Year and inspirational message to start the year Click to play video.
As District 5840’s PolioPlus Chair for 2020-2021, I will be writing a blog on the status of PolioPlus and events related to it. The blog will be on Wordpress and will be readily available to the public there, on Facebook, and on Twitter. The blog will be placed on the District 5840 website in the enhanced PolioPlus section.
The Fredericksburg Nimitz Rotary Club, The Rotary Club of Fredericksburg, and the Fredericksburg Morning Rotary Club jointly received a Covid-19 grant of $4,000 from District 5840.
Eleven district clubs have earned an EREY banner as the books are closing on 2019-2020! EREY stands for Every Rotarian Every Year and is based on every member contributing at least $25 to Rotary’s Annual Fund and the club per capita average contribution being $100 or more.
Bob Green, Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Kerrville – Morning (Morning Rotary) presided over the 2020-2021 Morning Rotary new officer installation.
On June 18th, The Rotary Club of Kerrville – Morning (Morning Rotary) Treasurer, Drew Whitehead, standing in for Jon Tilley, President, named Ray Buck as the 2019-2020 Rotarian of the Year.
Pleasanton Rotary Club organized a needs assessment in Atascosa County for which 5-7 possible food pantries in Atascosa County and committed to distribute 475 boxes to the identified groups.
Twenty needy local families of the Hondo area were presented with $100 food baskets from HEB as a result of a $2000 grant awarded to the Rotary Club of Hondo/D’Hanis by the District Foundation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of pain and fear in the community, but local groups still look out for the community and the Wimberley Valley and help with those that individual and families that are directly affected.
The Canyon Lake Rotary Foundation made a significant donation recently to jumpstart the financial assistance program at a local charity. The Community Resource & Recreation Center of Canyon Lake (CRRC) has served the community for 37 years by providing emergency food and financial assistance.
The Rotary Clubs of Boerne Sunrise and Fair Oaks Ranch applied for and were awarded grants through the District 5840 COVID 19 Disaster Relief Fund for the combined amount of $3000.
We look forward to welcoming our incoming District Governor, Xavier Toson (2020-2021), and congratulating our outgoing District Governor, John Hutcherson (2019-2020) on a job well done. Our special guest and presiding officer for the event will be Rotary International Director (2020-2022) Suzi Howe! We've made it super easy to log on and view the installation.
You have the option to view on our District 5840 Facebook page by clicking the link below:
Today under the leadership of PDG Carol Holmes our legislative committee counted the votes for the District 5840 Council on Legislation representative for the years 2020 - 2023. Kathy Hubbard the immediate Past District Governor was elected and PDG Sherri Muniz is the Alternate.
Kathy is a member of the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch and Sherri is a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio. We appreciate their willingness to serve in this very important job for Rotary International.
Thank you message from the Katoma community: "we are now enjoying rain h. water project! Thank you so much for your grant which is highly appreciated. It has changed the life of our community."
“Wave of Violence and Anguish Sweeps Dozens of US Cities” This is the headline on May 31, 2020 describing racial demonstrations happening again in the United States of America. These are the same United States of America where we are guaranteed Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Assembly and Due Process of Law.
The Fair Oaks Ranch Club annually provides Career and Technical Education Scholarships to high school seniors from the Boerne Independent School District. This year it awarded three $2,000 scholarships and the winners were all from Boerne Champion High School.
The Rotary Club of Fredericksburg (noon) put together a COVID-19 Community Support Campaign to get donations to help local organizations like the Needs Council, Food Bank and Good Samaritan Center. Our first round we raised over $3k for the Needs Council!
SA Northwest Rotary will be giving out their Awards for the Change Program @ Dellview Elementary via ZOOM this year. Twenty (20) children qualified for the Awards and will receive a beautiful certificate and a 10” Tablet for all of their hard work.
San Antonio North Central Rotary Club's Scholarship Chair - Christine Gonzales Tovar presented yard signs to the 2020 Scholarship winners from Winston School San Antonio
Although the Rotary Club of Hondo-D’Hanis, like so many other organizations during the coronavirus outbreak, could not meet “in person,” its members continued their hard work to make a difference in the lives of many in the community.
Every year the Canyon Lake Rotary Club (The Club) gives out education scholarships to bright, intelligent and energetic youth in the area; and this is year is no exception.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County has reached out during this school year by providing hygiene kits for families in the Johnson City and Blanco Independent School Systems.
The Rotary Club of Wimberley is proud to announce the winners of this year's Page Turner Awards which recognizes those students who have read the most books during the school year. The recipients are:
Rotarian McKenzie Moellering from the Rotary Club of Fredericksburg Morning was the buyer and seller of the winning ticket of the District Cruise Raffle. The fundraiser contributed $48,930.00 to the humanitarian programs of Rotary. Thank you to all that sold tickets!
CLT is where club officers and emerging leaders can learn more about what Rotary has to offer. If you are an incoming Club President, Club Secretary, or chair of Membership, RI Foundation, if you are interested in Grants Management or Strategic Planning for your club, Club Leadership Training is for you. Register Here
Are you looking for ideas to engage members while we’re physically distancing ourselves from each other? Has your club started meeting online? Here are some of our favorite resources to help:
Tracy Barr, Rotary Club of Blanco project chair Preventing Human Trafficking provided an informational presentation to the Blanco Woman's club. We all must be involved in order to protect our community of young persons.
Blanco Rotary Educates on Prevention of Human Trafficking
This past week, The Rotary Club of Kerrville - Morning (Morning Rotary) presented a $1,200 check to the Doyle Community Center to assist with meals during the COVID-19 crisis.
Like most clubs, the Rotary Club of San Antonio is adjusting to what it means to be a Rotarian during this pandemic. Zoom Webinars have replaced in-person weekly meetings and virtual socials have replaced the happy hour.
Randolph Metrocom Rotary Club founded a 501c3 (GRAPIE) ran by a board thats includes all club members. They gave $2500 each to two local assistance programs - Greater Randolph Area Services Program (G.R.A.S.P) and Randolph Area Christian Assistance Program (RACAP) located in their community.
Randolph Metrocom Supports Local Assistance Programs
The San Antonio Northeast Rotary Club held its first Zoom meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. The main topic of discussion was what we could do as a club to help out our community during these trying times. The club members voted unanimously to donate $2,000 from the club’s checking account to the Texas Diaper Bank, so that diapers, wipes and feminine hygiene products could be purchased directly from the manufacturer.
Showing our appreciation to the staff, the Del Rio Rotary Club provided meals to the staff of Val Verde Regional Medical Center and three of their clinics. The 200 hamburger meals were prepared by Skillet's Restaurant and included a inspirational quote. A big thanks to everyone who made this possible.
The Fair Oaks Ranch Club provided a $1500 grant to the Hill Country Family Services of Boerne to help the organization provide support during the COVID-19 emergency.
My church history book notes that all church services were cancelled in the week of May 10, 1946 on account of a polio epidemic. Church services were resumed May 19 for adults and lifted August 1, 1946 for those under 21. That summer San Antonio had 85 cases and 11 deaths and epidemics followed until the Salk vaccine was available in 1955.
Boerne Sunrise, Fredericksburg Morning and Fredericksburg Nimitz are our first three clubs with 100% of their members marking Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY). Those gifts represent contributions to the Annual Fund, which means funding for humanitarian programs. EREY clubs receive a banner at year-end.
Join this live event on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 10AM to hear stories of hope, inspiration and gratitude from Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of #Rotary from across the globe as they share what they are doing to help their communities. The telethon will also showcase how our polio eradication infrastructure is helping to combat COVID-19. The goal is to raise more than $1 million dollars! To watch, visit facebook.com/rotary. Here is how you can participate:
The District Conference scheduled for May 2, 2020 in Fredericksburg has been postponed until the Fall of 2020. The raffle will be held via Zoom on May 2, 2020.
What began as the adoption of an infant from Ethiopia by a Rotary Club of Wimberley co-president in 2008 and support of the club has become an international project supporting the education and welfare of hundreds of children.
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed our healthcare system to its limits. We can take action now through a citizen volunteer opportunity called Volunteer Surge! Rotary Clubs across the country are partnering with Volunteer Surge to recruit one million volunteers to participate in a new program that provides training online, for free, to become a Telehealth Worker or a Community Health Worker. Rotarian founded nonprofit The Global Impact Group is leading this effort. Click here to join the effort called Volunteer Surge!
The Boerne Sunrise Rotary is holding its regular Tuesday morning meetings at 7:00 am via Zoom. Staci Almager, CEO of Hill Country Family Services, was the speaker at the Tuesday, April 14 meeting. She said, “With the sudden and unexpected loss of employment many families are struggling. We are seeing many new faces as these families turn to HCFS for help with food.” HCFS receives food donations from local merchants, but in the current circumstances must also purchase food and other supplies. Online financial donations can be made at www.hcfstx.org . The Boerne Sunrise Rotary Board has approved a donation of $1,000 to Hill Country Family Services.
Boerne Sunrise Rotary Donates to Hill Country Family Services
Rotarians and Rotaractors everywhere are proving that being physically isolated doesn’t mean being disconnected. People are embracing new ways to connect using technology — smartphones, webcams, and the internet. Find out more in our upcoming webinar, which will feature members who are leading their clubs and districts in the move to virtual connection.
As printed on the raffle tickets, there will be a drawing on May 2nd to determine the winner. The original plan was for completed tickets stubs being brought to the District Conference in Fredericksburg on that date has changed due to the Covid-19 based restricitions on group gathering. Instead, stubs will be mailed from the clubs to the District Rotary Foundation Committee Chair by April 20th and made available for the drawing overseen by the District Governor. Mailing address:
Consider the creative use of technology to host “virtual meeting” experiences for your members until you can resume in-person meetings and events.
There are many free and paid options for hosting virtual meetings. See below for some free options:
District Zoom account— Clubs may use the District Zoom account to hold their virtual meetings. Each meeting allows for up to 100 participants and no time cap. To access/schedule your Club Meeting using the District Zoom account, contact DG John Hutcherson at 5840dg1920@gmail.com.
Rotary International just announced that the Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 6-10 June 2020, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, has been canceled in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Read more at riconvention.org
The COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting every aspect of our lives in real time, and this puts Rotarians in an unfamiliar place. As People of Action, we are most comfortable when we are fully engaged in the world – moving freely, meeting openly, and offering helping hands. These are very difficult times for people who, like us, are at our best when we are learning, growing, and serving—together.
We are also leaders in our communities, and these times call for leadership. In many ways, this also is our time. We have proven abilities to reach out and collaborate to offer immediate help to people in need at a rapid pace. These are precisely the skills needed all over the world today. The global effort against COVID-19 depends on actions taken in every country. Rotary has the unique ability to help improve those efforts in every community and every country.
Rotary and Toastmasters working together will enable us to change and impact the world more powerfully!
Come join us for our District Conference Warm-Up on Saturday, April 4th at 11:30am for an online Zoom meeting. Lark Doley, the immediate past President of Toastmasters International, will be the keynote speaker for Rotarians and Toastmasters. Please register to receive link.
Register for District Conference Warm-Up - April 4th
Dear fellow Rotarians, The health and safety of our members are our top priorities. We are closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) and continuously assessing its potential impact on our operations, meetings, trainings, and other events.
Due to the rapidly changing nature of this situation, I encourage you to use your discretion when it comes to club and district meetings and events, and Rotary programs and activities.
Wurstfest is a 10-day salute to sausage that is a 59-year tradition in New Braunfels. Each year hundreds of thousands of festival attendees enjoy all the foods, fun, and beer that Wurstfest has to offer.
The spring fundraiser for the Rotary Club of New Braunfels is the Hill Country Craft Beer Festival, April 18 from 1pm to 6pm, with VIP entrance beginning at 12noon, at Rockin’ R on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Gruene. Tickets will go on sale March 1,
Fredericksburg Morning Rotary just completed another major project for our community, a basketball pavilion with multiple courts.A group of young adults came to asking for help building these courts.
We are looking at starting a San Antonio Military Rotary Club. First, I would like for you to consider being a member of this special San Antonio Military Rotary Club. Second, In order to do this, I need you to put on your thinking caps and reach out to your military friends/contact list. Our goal is to have 20 members by 15 March, 2020 who are committed to service-above-self.
The Rotary Club of Fredericksburg is proud to announce the completion of the Katoma Water Project in Africa! It was a very happy and monumental day for the villagers. Jim Harris and the International Services Projects Committee are looking at more ways to participate with District 5840 & Rotary International to bring more clean water to more people that are without it.
The program has grown to two times a month going to nursing homes, senior Nursing care and other group centers. The Rotarin team is lead by our amazing project guide, Anne-Maria Morgan. This group of ladies at Johnson City, Texas have been meeting for several months enjoying all the brain fitness activities.
Cary Albert, CEO of the Dallas-based Albert Restaurant Group and owner of numerous Scholtzsky’s in the San Antonio, Austin and DFW regions, delivered an entertaining speech to the Fair Oaks Ranch Club on February 5th regarding his experience in the restaurant industry.
Canyon Lake's sold-out 12th annual Valentine’s Day event was a tremendous success – again! The 300 plus attendees boot-scooted their way to country western music, dined on succulent beef, purchased silent and live actions items, all for the benefit of the youth fellowships the club supports. Join us next year!
Congratulations to Mrs. Sarah Myers! Mrs. Myers, who teaches Focus Special Education at Wimberley High School, was recognized as the Rotary Club of Wimberley’s Teacher of the Month.
San Marcos Rotary Club raised $7,000 from their Annual Wine Tasting and Casino Night on February 8, 2020. We had a wonderful turn out that exceeded expectations. We are so excited to get things ready for next year when we celebrate our 100th year anniversary! We invite everyone to like us on FaceBook to keep updated on all our news and events!
The six Rotary Exchange Youth Exchange Students enjoyed an afternoon at the San Antonio Rodeo on Sunday February 16. The students, from Brazil, Argentina, France, Belgium, Spain, and Italy.
Jourdanton Rotary hosted a Blood Drive in December challenging the Pleasanton Rotary to a “Blood Drive Battle.” Jourdanton gave 31 units to Pleasanton’s 42 units. Not bad for our first drive. We are looking forward to our next battle.
Jourdanton Rotary sponsored a Bike Raffle in December. We had the participation of 20+ local businesses, raffled off over 20 bikes, raised over $1,700 which was donated to the newly formed Jourdanton Education Foundation and gave $500 to a lucky winner as a prize.
Inviting all San Antonio area Rotarians to the 3rd annual Rotary Day SA on Saturday, March 21, 2020! Join your fellow Rotarians as we come together to make a huge impact in the community. Interact, Rotaract and children 10 and older are welcomed! We will be working at both Elmendorf Lake Park and Martinez Park - doing gardening, litter removal, painting and playground mulching. We are seeking 250 volunteers for Rotary Day SA 2020. Contact director@rotarysa.org to sign-up.
The 11th Annual Western BBQ Night and Dance was held on Thursday, January 30th at the GRASP (Greater Randolph Area Senior Project) Senior Center. San Antonio Northeast Rotarians teamed up with our fellow Rotarians in the Randolph Metrocom Rotary Club for this annual service project to host an evening of fun for the seniors in the community that frequent the GRASP Senior Center.
Rotary District 5840 held a Rotary Leadership Institute seminar on Saturday, February 8th in Boerne, TX. Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is a multi-district, grassroots leadership development program of member districts organized into regional divisions in various parts of the world.
Today, we are excited to announce that Doug and Sue Whinnery are now members of the Arch Klumph Society Trustees Circle! Thank you Doug and Sue for your generosity in support of the Rotary Foundation. And, thank you for your very long term strong support for District 5840.
Misión de Candelilla, Rotary Club of Fredericksburg-Nimitz, Rotary Club of New Braunfels and Club Rotario Piedras Negras recently shared the miracle of Christmas in Mexico. At 5:20 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, in the parking lot of Bridge Church, Santa (Curtis Allerkamp) was there preparing to take a team of his elves to Mexico.
Melinda Martinez, RN for the cardiac unit at VVRMC, noticed that Sandra Puente was in need of a replacement for her worn wheelchair. Since Ms. Puente did not qualify for any assistance, Ms. Martinez approached Rotarian Fred Bowers, Fred advised her to reach out to Rotary President, Angela Prather.
District Governor, John Hutcherson, had a great visit with the Eagle Pass Rotary Club earlier this month. He assisted with the induction of three new members and also received a check from the CC Winn Interact Club for their "Pennies for Polio" campaign in the fall.
CC Winn Interact Club Presents Check to DG John Hutcherson
On January 22nd, the Eagle Pass Rotary Club had a "Sip n' Serve" evening meeting where they assembled toiletry bags and had a cocktail hour. The toiletry bags were assembled for the residents of Casa Bethesda, a home for adults with special needs in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Eagle Pass Rotary Club Assembles Toiletry Bags for International Project
Canyon Lake Rotary Club is hosting it's 12th Annual Romantic Rendezvous at the Convention Center in New Braunfels on February 15th. Last year, 330 formally-dressed attendees netted the Club over $55,000 for their youth scholarships! There will be live and silent auctions with trips to South Africa, Park City, Utah, deer hunts, custom-made quilts, dinner and dancing to the music of Cactus Country, one of San Antonio’s favorite bands. This event has sold out five years in a row! Tickets are $75 per person. For reservations: 830-542-8270.
Make Plans to Attend the 12th Annual Romantic Rendezvous
Glynna Reser and members of the Ralph Fair, Jr. Family delivered an outstanding presentation regarding Casa del Aguila Orphanage & School to The Fair Oaks Ranch Club during its weekly luncheon on January 8th. Mr. Fair was instrumental in establishing Casa del Aguila in 1995 to serve the needs of abandoned and abused children of indigenous families living in a mountainous region in Peru.
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary’s main objective is service—in the community, in the workplace and around the globe. The 1.2 million Rotarians who make up more than 35,000 clubs in 350 countries in the world share a dedication to the ideal of SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County is one of those 35,000 clubs. In the short time we have been in existence in Blanco County, our projects follow the guidelines of Rotary International to:
“Rotarians are people of action” exclaimed District Governor John Hutcherson to an attentive audience of major donors at what was billed as a Million Dollar Dinner on January 17th. Slightly shy of a million that night, six days later the total topped the goal.
Each year, the Downtown Rotary Club of New Braunfels conducts four separate fundraisers including our All In for the Hungry Poker Tournament. These events enable our club to distribute a combined $250,000 annually to deserving area non-profits and to Rotary International. We dedicate all funds from our Poker Tournament to food banks serving our community.
What is special about the poker event is the money raised when given to the food banks has a multiplier effect. According to the food banks, each dollar donated can be turned into $8 dollars’ worth of food given to those in need. Last year, we donated approximately $25,000. We need your participation to exceed that number this year!
“Rotary is not just a club that you join, it is an invitation to endless opportunities. We believe that our acts of service, big and small, create opportunities for people who need our help. Everything we do opens another opportunity for someone, somewhere,” said President-Elect Holger Knaack.Therefore, the theme for year 2020-21 is -- Rotary Opens Opportunities.”
As your Rotary District 5840 Governor this weekend was AWESOME!
Friday, we celebrated significant gifts to the Rotary International Foundation with our Million Dollar Dinner at the San Antonio Country Club. Our special guest speaker was Ann Lee Hussey from Maine. Ann Lee is a polio survivor and and polio warrior and told her Rotary Story of service around the world to fight polio. Hearing the commitments of Rotarians like Ann Lee inspires all of us to continue our service and our gifts.
The Rotary Club of Kerrville-Morning (Kerrville Morning Rotary) President, Jon Tilley, recently awarded a Paul Harris Fellow to Kerrville Morning Rotarian, Katya Sczepanik.
Rotarians and Interact Club students will arrived at Ray H. Darr Elementary at noon on Friday, December 13th to read to first, second and third graders with Santa hats, books and candy in tow.
Another success annual Holiday Eve of Giving Dinner. This year our Rotary Club Of San Antonio South sponsored 2 families...The Rodriguez Family from East Central ISD & the Garza Family from Somerset ISD.
For the past five years, the Alamo Heights Rotary Club (AHRC) has been providing support to the Warrior and Family Support Center (WFSC) at Joint Base San Antonio, Ft Sam Houston. Wounded/injured military personnel are being rehabilitated, treated and cared for at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) and the Center for the Intrepid. Children and family members come to visit and assist in recovery and often arrive with nothing to take care of themselves.
November 9, 2019 was the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Lady Bird Johnson Park in Fredericksburg. They made a presentation to the club a couple of weeks before,
The Fair Oaks Ranch Club held a festive Holiday Party December 11th at the Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club. Over 40 Rotarians and their guests enjoyed a wonderful meal and a fun-filled evening that was highlighted by a white elephant gift exchange hosted by Rotarian Tom McKeown. Penny Sawyer and Jane Burton served as event coordinators and went beyond Service Above Self to orchestrate a memorable night of joy and friendship.
Our outbound global education grant scholar, Chinelo Nwokem from Texas State, will be in Houston one weekend this month for training with other Texas scholars. Chinelo is sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Marcos and will be pursuing a graduate degree in Global Health and Development at the University College of London. Her undergraduate major is microbiology and her goal is to be a global travelling physician. Hers is a $30,000 grant funded by district Rotarians as part of their contributions to The Rotary Foundation.
The water catchment project initiated by the Rotary Club of Fredericksburg and funded by the Nimitz Rotary Club, Fredericksburg Morning Club, Rotary Club of New Braunfels and Rotary Club of Canyon Lake as well as a District 5840 Grant and individual Rotarian contributions is well under way.
The Valero Energy Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant in support of the upcoming 2020 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) conference. The funds will enable additional high school juniors from underprivileged communities throughout the district who otherwise would not have been able to attend the upcoming January 17-20 conference.
The Alamo Heights Rotary Club will present its 34th Annual Alamo Heights Night® (AHN) on April 17th, 2020, on the University of the Incarnate Word campus.The event is an official San Antonio Fiesta® Commission event.
Members of the Rotary Club of Blanco county offered support to Johns on City. Connie Cox, Sid Cox, Jan Gass and Jerry Gaas help direct pedestrian traffic across main Street.
The Fair Oaks Ranch Rotary Club held a special salute to Veterans at its weekly luncheon on Wednesday, November 13th, at the Fair Oaks Ranch Country Club.
On November 8th, 2019 the Kerrville Rotary Club hosted its fourth Veterans Appreciation Breakfast. The breakfast of consisted of free breakfast, the local color guard presenting the colors, local Rotarians sharing breakfast with our Veterans and Thank You notes from local elementary schools for the Veterans. “The notes will make you cry,” said event organizer, Donna Peterson.
This past week, the Rotary Club of Kerrville - Morning (Morning Rotary) was joined by Past District 5840 Governor Jan Livingston who helped the club members pack shoe boxes with Christmas gifts for boys and girls.
Blanco Elementary School’s Principal, Jowie Walker, has initiated a Homework Center this school year to assist students in grades 2 - 5 with their daily homework.
All Rotarians are invited to join the San Antonio Club for their Holiday Event, on Thursday December 5th, 2019 for the opening of the Rotary Ice Rink from 6PM-9Pm at the St. Anthony Hotel - Rooftop Bar. Cost is $25 per person. Admission to the ice rink and skate rental included with reservation. Contact assistant@rotarysa.org to RSVP or call 210-222-8242 X11.
As one of the Chair's for District 5840's Halloween Event I would like to thank each and everyone of you that participated in "Morgan's Wonderland More Delightful than Frightful 2019" Event. We had over 100 adult volunteers and so many Interactor's I lost count.
The Fredericksburg Elementary School fifth graders again each received their own personal dictionary/thesaurus from the Fredericksburg Morning Rotary Club. They are used in the classroom all year and during the STAAR test, and then belong to the students. If you look carefully, Amber LeMaster's class is holding letters to spell out, "Thank you, Morning Rotary!"
The Hays County Rotary Clubs of Kyle, San Marcos and Wimberley gathered together for a social on November 7th at the Hays City Store in Driftwood, Texas. More than 50 were in attendance. The clubs sponsored non-alcoholic drinks, chips, queso, salsa, and guacamole.
The holidays are just around the corner and once again the Kerrville Satellite Rotary Club will be partnering with Kerrville Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association to provide the food for the families who have been approved to receive toys and clothes from the Blue Santa program.
It’s that time of year again to start thinking about the sale of raffle tickets for our district’s annual Rotary Foundation fundraiser. Club President must send a request for tickets from Foundation Chair, Jerry Hardy.
The Rotary Club of Wimberley is happy to announce the winner and runner up of the first Rotary Loves Readers contest of the school year. This challenge asked Danforth Junior High students to write journal entries based on a recently read novel.
For the 9th year, the Wimberley Rotarians set up tables on the Wimberley Square and at Deercreek Nursing Center on Halloween to hand out over 1200 new books and magazines to eager kids.
The District Interact Conference was a huge success! 109 Interact members from 10 schools participated in fun activities, shared ideas, and gave an account of projects/activities completed, and their goals for the remainder of the school year.
Dwayne Hopkins is the District Governor for the Rotary year beginning July 1,2022. He is a member of the San Antonio West Rotary Club and has been a Rotarian since 2008. He has been active in District activities and served 5 years as Assistant Governor.
We welcome Dwayne to our Governor Chain as the District Governor Nominee Designate. One of his first jobs in this capacity is Ranger at Lone Star PETS. Read his biography.
This past week, the Rotary Club of Kerrville - Morning (Morning Rotary) provided lunch for the interns, staff and volunteers at the Christian Women’s Job Corps, Kerr County (CWJC) and joined them for a special time of connecting over the meal.
Rotarians Chris Kailipaka (top left), Genevieve Flores (far left photo, middle) and (photos directly above, from left) Diane Cosgrove, Johnette Dixon and Trinket Milward all of The Rotary Club of Hondo-D’Hanis, traveled to Del Rio and Acuña, Mexico, joining Boerne Sunrise Rotary Club, Fredericksburg Morning Rotary and Rotary Club of Del Rio
The Rotary Club of San Saba held their first "Purple Pinkie" Project at their High School football game this past Friday evening. We had a couple of things going in our favor as the game was against our arch rivals, the Goldthwaite Eagles, and our team colors are purple and gold. We did well for a first time event but there was more that went on than just raising a little money and awareness.
On September 12, 2019 the International Boundary and Water Commission celebrated the 50th anniversary of Amistad Dam, in Del Rio, Texas. Speakers from the United States and Mexico presented remarks about the dam and spoke about the importance of the relationship between our two countries. Rotarian Fred Bowers was one of four guest speakers from the United States at this special anniversary event. Fred worked for the general contractor Perini during the construction of Amistad Dam from 1965 to 1969.
Are you seeking dynamic speakers for your Rotary meetings &/or special events? Are YOU a dynamic speaker with an engaging message? Please contact PBlankensee@Rotary5840.org -- to get your (& others') names, contact information & topic(s) onto our Rotary 5840 Speakers' Bureau list.
The Jourdanton Rotary Club participated in our local National Night Out on October 1st, 2019. We had a Festive Fall Bean Bag Toss and gave away assorted colored pencils with ours club’s name engraved on them. We had lots of fun and even let the kids play after our members tried their hand at tossing a few. We are looking forward to participating again next year.
Jourdanton Rotary Participates in National Night Out
Five members, from the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch, recently participated in the Foundation Training that was given in Kerrville. Pictured below are FOR members, Jackson Moss, Jane Burton, Tom McKeown, Mary Thompson and Bill Fusco with District Governor John Hutcherson and Foundation Chair Jerry Hardy.
The Rotary Club of San Antonio presents the 2019 Holiday Outdoor Ice Rink located in Travis Park adjacent to the annual Christmas tree. The Rink will open the night of the Christmas tree lighting (Thanksgiving weekend) and continue daily through January 2020.
At the annual Zone Institute in Kansas this week the generous contributions of District 5840 in 2018-2019 earned recognition for the third highest per capita giving to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. The certificate was presented by Rotary International President Elect Holger Knaack and Foundation Trustee Jennifer Jones.
San Antonio Rotary Club and Alamo Heights Rotary Club worked together for the Snack Pak program. The blue bags are filled with 7064 jars of peanut better collected from local high schools. The clubs job was to sort and place all those jars in the green bins.
The San Antonio Northeast Rotary Club held a Diaper Drive as part of National Diaper Need Awareness Week. This drive helped provide 500 diapers for families in need. For more information on how you can host a diaper drive, please e-mail: procurement@texasdiaperbank.org
The Rotary Club of Kyle aims efforts toward helping homeless students in Hays County over the next year. Hidden homelessness is hard to define; however, it is a reality to 200+ students within Hays County. Students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, who share housing with others due to economic hardships or similar reasons may be identified as homeless.
“Although we may not meet the students or their family directly, we are working with Hays CISD representatives to fulfill specific needs” stated Jason Nebgen, President of the Rotary Club of Kyle. “This is an effort that all of our members believe we can make an impact by working together with the entire community.”
Eighteen years ago, Kerrville Rotary – Morning (Morning Rotary) initiated a program to annually distribute dictionaries to Ingram ISD students. For the last several years, Harper ISD was included in the distribution as well. The dictionaries are provided to the students at no cost for their personal use in order to assist them in their studies and to help prepare them for future careers.
On September 13th, we celebrated the official induction of the Rotary District 5840 Passport Club. The Passport Club is a new approach in a new time for Rotary clubs. WELCOME!!
This past Saturday we had 35 attendees for our RLI. There were 21 in Part I, 8 in Part II and 6 in Part III. We had 2 attendees from out of our district. Facilitators included 3 Past District Governors and the current District Governor.
It is with much sadness we share the loss of David Flack, from the San Antonio Rotary Club . David was a true Rotarian and dedicated his life to service. He was at every meeting (perfect attendance) since 2002 and was always willing to help in a pinch. He was the first to sign up for a service project or a social. He had a kind word for everyone and expressed his appreciation to others for their service. He will be missed.
David's memorial service will be Friday, September 20 at 2pm in the Sanctuary at Trinity Baptist Church, 319 E. Mulberry Ave., with a reception following in the Fanning Foyer. Our condolences to his wife Diane and entire family.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County, in partnership with the Blanco Education Foundation, recently awarded the Blanco Middle School (BMS) $8000 for purchase of a bank of 25 new laptop computers and a mobile cart.
This week the Bahamas took a direct hit from category 5 Hurricane Dorian, with winds that reached 180 miles per hour. This storm has battered these islands and the rebuilding process will take years.
Grand Bahama island has 5 Rotary clubs and is part of Rotary District 6990. Rotary District 6990 has secured a 181-foot ship and begun the efforts to fill four (4) 20-foot containers with needed supplies to aid in the Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts. The local Rotary Clubs will be collecting items and packing them for the first shipment by this weekend. Click here to see how you can help.
The Rotary Club of Blanco County in partnership with the Blanco County Emergency Medicals Service (EMS) are providing “Save a Life Kits” for citizens in our community . The population of Blanco County is over 11,000 people and the effort is being made by the Rotary for each family home to have a kit.
Did you know that Seguin Rotary Club has hosted OVER 76 inbound and outbound exchange students all over the world!? Last week, they said goodbye to the club’s outbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student Reid Skinner, as he sets off to the Canary Islands, Spain. Reid’s parents Melissa and Mike have hosted many exchange students here so this is not there first experience with our program! Pictured here is Kathy Meurin who is involved with our youth in Rotary District 5840 - South Central Texas and inbound student Melodie from France. A previous exchange student Bibiana Klasz who was in town visiting and Reid our outbound student!
The Rotary Club of San Antonio ended the month of August with their service project for the Haven for Hope. On Saturday, They made 3,120 sandwiches, served 488 people at lunch and even cracked 800 eggs in preparation for Sunday breakfast. It was a great day of service.
The Rotary Club of Greater San Marcos gathered last Friday at the community classroom at CTMC to organize school supplies, prepare 340 individual packets of supplies, and pack them in banana boxes for delivery to 2 isolated villages across the border in Mexico (in partnership with Mision De Candelilla) , as well as to the Hays Caldwell Women's Center and the Crisis Bread Basket.
OUR WHY... the Rotary Club of Kyle is happy to report that our focus over the next 12 months will be on helping our homeless students. Stay tuned for for details. Until then, we are sharing our WHY.. here's a message from this years President, Jason Nebgen.
President Brandon Logan would like to invite you and your club to attend this special luncheon on August 21. Mr. Ezra Teshome will be speaking about Rotary International progress on polio and the upcoming new initiative on eradicating malaria.
Want double recognition points for contributions to the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation? Our D5840 Past District Governors are offering their personal recognition points as a match for District Rotarian contributions until 30 September 2019. Click here for details.
Matching Foundation Contribution Points Offer For This Summer
ROTARY CONNECTS THE WORLD is our theme for this Rotary year. Service in our communities and across the globe is our focus in District 5840. Through service we build positive relationships around the world and in our communities.
A note from Rotary District 5840 Foundation Chair Jerry Hardy...
My sister in Atlanta found out Rotary sends these neat tribute cards when you donate in somebody's name; so she surprised me with one. It is all online, the greeting cards are first-quality and it is a great gift for somebody who (a) already has plenty of stuff and (b) likes Rotary. Click here to find out more information.
The Trustees of the Rotary Foundation bestow this honor in recognition of outstanding efforts to promote the Foundation’s many programs dedicated to international understanding. Only 50 are awarded worldwide each year. We are proud to announce our own PDG Sherri Muniz is a 2019 recipient.
Sherri's dedication to Rotary is apparent in everything she does. Her leadership in the club, district and beyond is inspiring. Sherri's work with international service projects has made a huge difference in the lives of others. Congratulations, Sherri!
Miguel Segura (President Select of new Passport Club) and Jackson Moss (District 5840 Assistant Governor 2019-2020-Passport Club) welcome guests to the first orientation/recruiting “After Work Happy Hour” hosted by the newly forming club. Membership is open to any currently inactive Rotarian in District 5840.
The Sun met the Moon in the hot waters south of the border. Don Jones and Rusty Meador of Boerne Sunrise Rotary joined Robert Cisneros, Jennica Colvin, Cathy Cisneros Viera, and Ron Cisneros of Boerne Moontime Rotary at the Aguascalientes Rotary Club in Mexico. The Rotarians were there to look at the Banco de Ojos project that has been ongoing for the last twenty years.
The Rotary Club of Wimberley is happy to announce the winner and runner up of the third Danforth Rotary Loves Readers contest of the school year. This challenge asked students to write an original Greek myth that explains how something in nature came to be. The runner up with her myth about Jacob’s Well and Mount Baldy was 6th grader, Maia Martin. Maia received $50. The winner of a crisp $100 bill was 6th grader, Gus Dussler, with his entry The Myth of Honeybees.
Residents in certain counties can now use text messages to reach help in case of emergencies
In the case of an emergency, most people’s primal instinct is to pick up their phones and dial 9-1-1. Although that should still be your first option, certain situations may require your silence in order to maintain your safety.
Let the Fiesta Fun Continue with These Excursions!
Here is a list of activities that you and your spouse may choose to participate in during the Rotary 5840 District Conference weekend in San Antonio! Some are free while others have a cost associated with them. The DC Committee has worked hard to negotiate special pricing for all the “extracurricular” events! Please note that MOST require you sign up in advance. Please adhere to this requirement as the hosts of the event MUST have a head count! Click here for a full list of activities.
LoneStar PETS 2019 is only a couple of days away. Thank you for registering. I look forward to serving with you as we seek to make Rotary even stronger. We have a full program in place to produce the best trained future presidents possible.
If you haven't already done so, I invite you to download the mobile app that you will use throughout the event. To download the app follow these instructions -
Dominion Rotary Club of San Antonio recently sponsored two students for the RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Conference. Stephanie Gish, Past President of the Dominion Club hosted a podcast for TMI and featured the two students. To listen to the podcast, click here.
The 33rd Annual Alamo Heights Night will be on Friday April 12, 2019, at the University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway. Come join us as a vendor, to volunteer, or as an attendee. See www.alamoheightsnight.org for details or contact Rick Berchin at 210-824-2462 or info@creativechocolates.com.
Rotary International President Elect, Mark Daniel Maloney, recently announced the theme for his Presidential year, 2019-2020, "Rotary Connects the World." To find out more details, click here.
Rotary International President-Elect Announces Theme
Reconnect with Rotary through the new District 5840 Rotary Passport Club! This is a unique type of Rotary Club with flexible attendance where members participate in meetings and events of multiple clubs of their choice helping in service projects, fundraisers, and most of the things traditional club Rotarians do. The new Club's membership focus is on former Rotarians and Rotarians who are considering leaving a club due to schedule commitments.
Sign Up Now for P.E.T.S. 2019 Before Early Bird Registration Ends on February 10th
Please take a few moments and visit the Lone Star P.E.T.S. website at www.lonestarpets.orgto learn more about your upcoming President Elect Training Seminar (P.E.T.S.). To register, click here.
The dates for this year are February 28 - March 3, 2019.
A recent District 5840 symposium on Human Trafficking, presented in San Marcos, was highlighted in The Wimberley View newspaper on November 29th. With permission from the paper, we are including Part 1 of a two part article, "Under Our Noses", written by Lance Winter, the Publisher.
Brady Rotary Club had their third successful annual “Warm up with Rotary” project. The club works with Keith’s Ace Hardware to purchase heaters at cost and raise money throughout the community to purchase them. This year they hit their goal of 75 heaters.
WE NEED YOUR HELP…we still need USD 6,900 DDF (or cash)…
The Rotary E-Club 9920 Francophone will participate as International Primary Partner in another Global grant (GG) project during this Rotary year,focussing on CKD, for a Hospital in Rachaburi province in Thailand, with the Rotary Club of Bangkok Pattanakarn as Host Club…4 Dialysis machines including training for a GG total budget of USD 55,000.
Congratulations to Mrs. Lesley Skrovan at Scudder Primary! Mrs. Skrovan, who teaches Kindergarden, was recognized as the Rotary Club of Wimberley’s November Teacher of the Month. Mrs. Skrovan was selected for this honor for the following reasons:
District Governor Kathy Hubbard is pleased to announce the selection of Kristy Vandenberg as the District Governor Designate. Past President Kristy will serve as District Governor in 2021-22. She is a valued member of the Rotary Club of Kerrville.
PDG Judy Hutcherson wanted to make our District members aware of this project, regarding solid waste management. Christtel Cáceres Torres, Secretary 2018 - 2019, Club Rotario Tegucigalpa Sur - Honduras, District 4250, reported that along with fellow Rotarian Carlo Palmese, they created a presentation that they are sharing with clubs.
Rotary recently entered into a service partnership with Habitat for Humanity International to help enhance our service activities. Committed to the belief that every person deserves a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity International began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in Georgia, USA.
We have recently become aware that multiple accounts impersonating RI President Barry Rassin and General Secretary John Hewko have been created on such channels as email, social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), and WhatsApp. Please note that these are not authentic Rotary communications; they are phishing and spoofing attempts to obtain money and other
The International Rotary project to memorialize the Great Western Cattle Trail began in 2006. It was featured as the Cover Article of the “Rotarian Magazine” in the December, 2017 issue. Now, on October 8, 2018, Monday, Columbus Day, one of those posts will be rededicated
The Rotary Club of San Antonio, at the Dominion, was recently featured in the August 2018 Dominion Magazine. A nice article on "Service Above Self", showcased information on Rotary as well as the Dominion Club. David Wiechmann, current President of the club, penned the informative piece that describes Rotary and even
At the Zone meeting in Boise, District 5840 won an award for having the most new members for Zone 21b for 2017-2018. Past District Governor Carol Holmes said, after receiving the award, "Thanks to all our presidents and clubs for making this happen and a special thank you to our
The Rotary Clubs of Del Rio, Boerne Sunrise, Hondo D'Hanis, and the Rotary Club of Cd Acuna, Mexico joined forces to distribute school supplies to several schools in Cd Acuna, on September 7, 2018.
It is that time again. Are we ready to help our currently projected attendance of 3500 handicapped children at Morgan's Wonderland on Halloween evening October 31, 2018? Hopefully the answer is - YES WE ARE!!
This past week, DG Kathy Hubbard and her husband Ron, joined a number of district and zone leaders as they gathered in Boise, Idaho for the Zone Institute.
Register today, to join us for the 2019 District 5840 Conference, May 3-4, in San Antonio, Texas. The weekend will be filled with lots of fun activities, to include Wine Country Tours, local shopping, a golf outing, great speakers and breakout sessions. Something for everyone! EACH PERSON ATTENDING MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY. To register, click here. For a schedule of meeting activities, click here. For a list of excursions, click here.
Attend the District 5840 Interact Clubs for the annual conference, Nov. 10, 2018 at The Winston School of San Antonio. Cost for Rotarians is just $10.00.
Operation Toothbrush, was a project planned and implemented by Rotarians from the Sunrise Club in Titusville, Florida and from the Fair Oaks Ranch Club in San Antonio, Texas.
Barbara Baldwin, a member of the San Antonio Dominion Rotary Club, is passionate about "Safety Whys", a program she developed for training babysitters. So much so, she had a table at the 2017 Atlanta International Convention.
Make plans now to attend the 2019 Rotary International Convention, to be held in Hamburg, Germany, June 1-5. For more information visit the website by clicking here or the Facebook page here.
2019 Rotary International Convention is in Hamburg, Germany
Welcome to Rotary District 5840, covering 44 counties in beautiful South Central Texas. We now have 2521 Rotarians in 57 clubs and 3 satellite clubs. We began as District 584 in 1912 with The San Antonio Rotary Club organized by Herbert J. Hayes.
District Governor Kathy Hubbard is trying to increase awareness about Human Trafficking. To learn more about this growing issue, take a moment to view this video, from the Texas Attorney General. Click here to view the video.
District Governor Kathy Hubbard, and her District Officers, were installed into office, June 22, at the Cana Ballroom, St. Peter's Church, in Boerne. Over one hundred Rotarians and guests were in attendance.
The U. S. Rotary Club and District Liability Insurance Program provides general liability (GL) and officers’/employment practices (D&O/EPL) insurance coverage automatically to active U. S. Rotary Clubs, Districts, club and district foundations, Interact clubs, RYLA, PETS, Rotary Youth Exchange, and other organizations on file with Rotary Risk Management.
June 22, 2018 - 2018-2019 District 5840 District Governor and Officers Installation Register Online!
Celebrate with us: outgoing District Governor, Carol Holmes, and install our incoming District Governor, Kathy Hubbard, the District Governor Elect, John Hutcherson, and the District Governor Nominee, Xavier Toson.
Dear district governors, district Rotary Foundation committee chairs, district scholarships subcommittee chairs, and district grants subcommittee chairs:
Greetings from Rotary Club of Madras Midtown, RI Dist 3232, Chennai, India.
On the occasion of 23rd February being World Peace and Understanding Day, it gives us immense pleasure in introducing our Rotary World Peace Project, A global project to effect World Peace.
The Rotary Foundation continues to be a organization that is doing great things around the world. To see some of the projects and programs, check out these videos:
DGE Kathy Hubbard and her husband, Ron, had the opportunity to meet 2018-19 RI President Barry Rassin, and his wife Esther, at the 2018 Rotary International Assembly.
Last Friday, I attended an Early Act ceremony at Travis Elementary in San Marcos at the invitation of Lisa Brown, the Early Act coordinator for Greater San Marcos Rotary.
Many Rotarians from District 5840, recently attended events in Chicago, Illinois, including a visit to Rotary International Headquarters. To see pictures, click here. Pictured above are DG Carol Holmes and her husband Doug, at RI Headquarters.
Are you a great photographer or just happened to take a great shot of one of your club's fundraisers or events? Why not submit it to the 2018 Rotarian Photo Contest? Your picture could show up in a future Rotarian Magazine. Find out more here.
Rotary raises money to eradicate polio in many ways. One way is the "Ride to End Polio" sponsored by Rotary District 5500 and held in Tucson Arizona in November, each year, as part of El Tour de Tucson.
PDG Sherri Muniz will be taking a group to India in March, 2018. If you would like more information on this trip, please click here for more information. The offer has been extended to December 15, 2017.
We will be making significant upgrades to our servers on 18 and 19 November. Due to the size of this project, some functions on Rotary.org and My Rotary that require a sign-in will not be available. These include:
As the Community Service Chair for District 5840, I would like to thank each and everyone of you that participated in "Morgan's Wonderland More Delightful than Frightful 2017" Event. Thank you for your candy donations, monetary donations and most of all for coming out and giving of yourselves.
The SA Downtown Rotary Club members volunteered to sew blankets for the Autism Treatment Center’s “Autism Uncovered” project. They hope to bring awareness to autism by building a Blanket Fort that is going for a Guinness World Record . The event will be held November 19 at Toyota Field.
The Rotarian Action Group for Peace is an action-driven group of Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses and Rotaractors working together for the purpose of advancing peace and preventing wars throughout the world. Learn more about the Rotary Action Group for Peace here.
Dear Governor Holmes, Mexico is now on a long road to recovery after two powerful earthquakes earlier this month, followed by aftershocks that occurred over last weekend.
If you are in charge of your Rotary Club's newsletter, there is now an easy to use club newsletter creator that works seamlessly with your club's membership list.
The "Speakers’ Bureau"is designed to give Rotary Clubs a broad selection of dynamic, inspiring speakers, who are willing to speak at your club function for no charge.
Greetings from Rotary. Your Club and District Support (CDS) team is contacting you today to remind you of the IRS annual filing requirement for all Rotary clubs in the U.S. and U.S. territories.
The new and improved Rotary Club Central is finally here! Sign in now to experience the upgraded platform. And don’t forget — you can access Rotary Club Central with a desktop or mobile device. If you need help navigating the new platform, go to the Rotary Learning Center and search for Rotary Club Central to access any of the several guides.
If your Rotary Club has changed their meeting time, date, location or any other pertinent information, please contact the District Website Manager, Terri Politi, as soon as possible, to make the changes on the District website. In addition, it is important that you visit the Rotary International website at Rotary.org to update your meeting information.Thank you!
ShelterBox is currently working in the Philippines following what meteorologists are calling the most powerful storm ever to make landfall.
With winds of 195 mph and gusts up to 235 mph, Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda), which struck the Philippines Nov. 7, is reported to be the largest storm ever recorded, surpassing Hurricane Camille in 1969.
Several thousand people are feared dead and thousands more left homeless.
ShelterBox currently has teams working in the country, responding to both the typhoon and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol on October 15. The teams are focusing efforts in three of the badly affected regions, including Tacloban, Cebu and Bohol.
To learn more about how you and your club can help, please click ShelterBox in the Philippines. There is a DONATE NOW button right on the page which will accept credit card donations.
ShelterBox's mission is to deliver humanitarian relief in the form of equipment and materials that bring shelter, warmth and dignity to people made homeless by natural or other disasters worldwide. ShelterBox was founded in 2001 by a British Rotarian, and now has affiliates around the world. ShelterBox is the world's largest Rotary club project; the American affiliate, ShelterBox USA, is project of the Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Florida.
For more information, contact ShelterBox Ambassador Judy Hutcherson (Rotary Club of Fredericksburg Morning) at judybhutch@yahool.com or (830) 456-7323.
Above: Contents of a typical ShelterBox. Contents can be customized to meet specific needs of the area where disasters take place, such as cold-weather equipment or mosquito nets, for example.
More on ShelterBox's response:
So far, ShelterBox has committed aid for 4,000 families in the Philippines
Supplies previously positioned at Clark Air Base on Luzon have all been deployed
Additional aid positioned in neighboring countries are en route to impacted areas
504 ShelterBox tents have now arrived in Manila, Philippines.
224 ShelterBoxes and 576 ShelterBox tents are currently en route to Cebu
Nine response team members are on the ground with more members on the way
An extra 200 ShelterBoxes were packed by warehouse volunteers at ShelterBox HQ
Our vision is of a world in which basic emergency needs for survivors of disasters are rapidly met.
Our goal is to help 50,000 families who lose everything in a disaster every year.
Want to learn more about how to promote giving to The Rotary Foundation? A webinar designed especially for Districts 5840 and 5930 Foundation Chairs was held recently, and you can view a video of the entire 45-minute program. Just click HERE to view. You will need to Register with GoToMeeting to view the video. You'll also find this video under the Rotary Foundation Site Page (look on the Home Page, top of the left-hand column) and click on Promote the Foundation Like a Pro under Links.
DGE Jan Livingston is our District 5840 Convention Promotion Chair and she has some great options for your trip to Australia. PDG Ross Butterworth of Melbourne (District 9800) was GSE Team Leader to D5840 in 2010-2011, and he's invited District 5840 Rotarians to spend some time in Melbourne before or after the convention. Jan will have more details soon; check here on the website and watch your email for the latest. Questions? Contact Jan at jliving@swbell.net for all the details.
For more information about the convention, click "More" below--
The District 5840 Nominating Committee is now accepting completed application forms for Governor of District 5840 for the Rotary Year 2016-2017. Application deadline is October 1, 2013.
All suggestions must be submitted on the Club Suggestion for District Governor Form and Governor-nominee Data Form which can be downloaded from the District website. Both forms are available in "Download Files" on the right side of the Home Page.
Please note that suggestions must be approved by the club’s Board of Directors. Fully completed application forms accompanied by a recent digital photograph should be submitted via email to:
Our Rotary District 5840 will be hosting a GSE team from District 3212 in India from April 10 until May 10, 2013. At this time we are taking applications from Rotary Clubs to serve as hosts to this team. What is needed to apply is a tentative agenda including a vocational day and a list of potential host families.
If you club is interested in hosting the Team based on the tentative schedule below, please provide the following information NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 17TH
1. Name of Rotary Club, Club President’s contact info and GSE Club Chair’s contact info
2. A brief outline of activities for the team, including Rotary club meetings and/or projects as well as cultural activities
3. A brief outline of at least one day’s activities devoted to the vocations of the team
4. Verification that your club has host families available to meet the needs of the team
Your request to host will be considered and you will be notified at once if your club is selected. At that time, a full itinerary giving names, street addresses and contact information of each host family, a schedule of host families and all planned activities, specific locations of all planned activities, names and contact information for any Rotarians escorting the team, details of at least one day’s activity devoted to the vocation of each member.
Here is a message from Rotarian Bob Scott, Chairman of the International PolioPlus Committee:
Dear Rotary Leaders:
Over the past 48 hours, several polio vaccinators have been killed in Pakistan. You may have heard about this through media reports as news of this tragedy is quickly spreading and garnering global attention. I am sharing the official statement that has been issued as Rotary's immediate response. Please be assured that Rotary and its partners within the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are actively monitoring and responding to these events as they develop.
I have spoken with Pakistan Polio chair Aziz Memon who has visited some of the relatives of the deceased to express his personal and Rotary's sincere condolences indicating that Rotary will continue to eradicate polio so that the loss of these victims will not be in vain.
We will work to keep you and the Rotary world advised, particularly through Rotary's social media channels which allow for the speedy dissemination of updates.
Yours sincerely
Bob Scott
Chair, International PolioPlus Committee
Below is the text of an official statement from Rotary international:
Rotary condemns attacks targeting polio vaccinators in Pakistan
Rotary International joins the Government of Pakistan and our partners in the Global
Polio Eradication Initiative in condemning the recent attacks that have killed and
wounded health workers in Pakistan. The shooting victims are among the thousands of health workers and volunteers –
including members of Pakistan’s 151 Rotary clubs – who are committed to saving
children by stopping the transmission of polio in Pakistan, one of three countries where
the crippling virus remains endemic.
The attacks prompted the Government of Pakistan to temporarily suspend the vaccination campaign due to concerns over the safety of health workers.
Members of the Rotary Club of Kerrville Morning welcomed DG Lisa Herring to join them in the annual Upper Guadalupe River Authority River Clean-Up on July 28 in Kerrville. Rotarian John Aceti figured out how to escape cleaning up anything since he was the photographer. The club shared in cleaning up more than 11,000 pounds of trash from the Guadalupe River that morning from Hunt to Center Point. Once the job was done, great Rotary conversation and good food was enjoyed.
To see all the photos, along with captions, click on "Kerrville Morning Club Cleans Up" under Photo Albums in the left column. Hover your mouse over a photo to see the caption. For a larger view, double-click the photo or click Slide Show.
Kerrville Morning Rotary Cleans Up with Help from DG Lisa
Applications are now being accepted for the District 5840 Group Study Exchange Team, which this year will visit District 3212 located in the south of India in the state of Tamil Nadu. District Governor Lisa Herring announced that the team will leave for India on Dec. 26, 2012, and return on Jan. 27, 2013. A team from India will visit District 5840 later in the spring of 2013.
The district is looking for the right person to lead the team. The Team Leader must be an experienced Rotarian, especially in the area of international service, and must be able to spend time with team members before the exchange as well as after the trip.
Team Members should be outstanding young non-Rotarians, aged 25 to 40, who are employed full-time in a recognized business or profession. Applicants must be U. S. citizens who live or work in District 5840.
Applications for Team Leader and Team Members are available on the District 5840 website in the Downloads section on the right side of the home page. A brochure explaining the GSE program to employers is also available. All these documents are also available on all club websites using Club Runner.
The purpose of a Group Study Exchange is to promote international understanding and goodwill through person-to-person contact. While abroad, team members stay in Rotarians' homes and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. During the four-week visit, team members share their personal knowledge of their own country and experience the customs, vocations and lifestyles of the host country. The team will also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their life and work in Texas. The Rotary Foundation provides round-trip airfare, and hosting Rotarians provide meals, lodging and group travel. Team members are responsible for their personal and incidental expenses.
Interviews for Team Leader are scheduled for Wednesday, August 29 in San Antonio. Applicants will be advised of the exact time and location once their application is received. Team Members will be interviewed on Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Rails Event Center, 615 Schreiner Street, Kerrville. Interview times will be assigned when applications are received.
For questions, please contact GSE Subcommittee Chair, PDG Sherri Muniz, at scmuniz@msn.com or (210) 639-0295. Applications may be scanned and emailed to PDG Sherri, faxed to her at (210) 568-1982, or mailed to her at 5602 US Highway 87 E #2, San Antonio, TX 78222.
Group Study Exchange Applications Now Being Accepted
I walked a tiger! A real, live, 450 pound , fully grown adult, male, Tiger! . . . on a leash! With my hand on his back! Yes, he had all of his teeth!. . and as we walked the thought came into my mind that indeed this could be the very last thing I ever do on the face of this earth!
And at that moment I thought, “at least it can never be said that I led a humdrum life!”
The very next thought was, “This tiger smells . . . and now I’m going to smell just like him.” . . .and the only reason it mattered was that I was in Bangkok, Thailand and just a few days away from representing all of you on stage as RI President Kalyan presented the top 15 districts in our Rotary world!
Well, showers in Thailand work very well, and by the time the stage day came, I no longer smelled like a tiger! . . . but as I exited the stage I realized that in many ways, I have been walking a tiger all this Rotary year!. . .
All District 5840 Rotarians, spouses and friends are cordially invited to District Governor Lisa Herring's induction in Boerne on July 7. For complete details, and to register online, click on Lisa Herring's Induction under Events on the left side of this page. You can register online and pay online with a credit card ($46.50 per person) or register online and send a check or pay at the door ($45.00 per person). Hope to see you there!
Rotarians at the Gala Dinner Saturday Night during DistrictFest celebrate that we're "This Close" to ending polio.
A huge thanks to Paul Conner of the Rotary Club of Canyon Lake for taking photographs during DistrictFest in San Marcos on June 1-3. Paul has posted the photos on Picassa; you can find them at DistrictFest Photos. You can download photos and save them to your computer. Thanks for a job well done, Paul!
Welcome to the Group Study Exchange Team from District 7030 in the Caribbean, who arrived in San Antonio on May 12. Left to right are Laura Jn. Pierre from Saint Lucia, Ivor Carr from St. Kitts and Nevis, Team Leader Gupta Supersad from Trinidad, Tandi Flood from Saint Lucia, and Mark Brown from Antigua and Barbuda.
What a great way to start off the month of May! Al and I have arrived in Bangkok for the Rotary International Convention – Rotary’s biggest annual event.
This celebration of Rotary fosters fellowship, creates learning opportunities, and helps attendees experience the scope and power of Rotary – we have enjoyed several such conventions, but none will be as special as this one . . .
On Wednesday, May 9th, our Rotary District 5840 will be recognized on stage as one of the top 15 districts of our Rotary world for 2011-12!
If only all of you could be there with me for that special moment! . . . It is your hard work this year and your accomplishments in the area of membership and Foundation support that earned this award! To be one of the top districts out of over 531 districts worldwide is an honor for each of us to be extremely proud of!
Just what have we been doing in our clubs this year to lead us to this point? I’d like to believe we have been shooting high – shooting for the stars! Our upcoming DistrictFest (June 1 -3 in San Marcos) will allow all of us to get a glimpse of all that has happened around our district, especially Friday evening when we have the opportunity to attend the “ClubCrawl” – a road tour of our district where each club showcases its accomplishment s for this year! The entire weekend is packed with opportunities to celebrate all that is Rotary in our great district . . .and to see just how much we have accomplished! Saturday evening the tight race for Best in District will end with the winning club being recognized – along with several very special Rotary International awards being presented – believe me, you will be impressed to see the impact we have had in helping change our word for the better!
Registrations are available at www.rotary5840.org – just click on DistrictFest 2012 and either register on line or select the offline forms to download, fill in and mail. Either way, be sure to get your reservations in before May 6th to enjoy the special full package pricing that includes 2 nights at the hotel along with your registration for the event itself. The full package is the best value – but it is only available until May 6th!
Harriet Tubman wrote: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." Rest assured that all we celebrate – both in Bangkok and in San Marcos – is the evidence that Rotarians are indeed dreamers. Dreamers with strength, patience, and passion – with a willingness to shoot for the stars . . and just look at all you are doing!
Be sure to check out the District 5840 GSE Team blog HERE. Below is an excerpt from one of their adventure-filled days in Suriname, on the northern coast of South America:
Monday was a well needed day of rest. Our hosts Cees and Ed took us for an exciting trip south, into the wild interior of Suriname.
As Kristin noted, we passed through a roadblock on our way, but even the well armed police officers were smiling and friendly and didn’t mind posing for the camera. We also stopped to examine a tarantula crossing the road. It seemed more annoyed than friendly, probably because our vehicles were blocking its path and we all know how aggravating it can be when your travel plans get delayed.
Our first destination was the enormous Afobaka Dam, where we donned hard hats and ear protection and got an inside peek at Suriname’s largest power supplier. Afterwards we drove up to a lookout point to view the vast Brokopondo Reservoir, a beautiful lake larger than San Antonio and surrounded by thick jungle.
Next we continued to the Bergendal Resort, where we enjoyed a buffet lunch, including some amazing fish in green curry sauce. Shortly after lunch it started to rain (who knew it would rain in a rainforest?) and the downpour was so intense that there was little else we could do but take shelter in the resort and look out at the small boats passing by on the Suriname River. The rain got so hard that one of the boats pulled in so its passengers could take cover in the resort as well.
On the return trip to Paramaribo, we marveled at the strange cola colored creek at Carolina, watched wild parrots fly over the jungle treetops, bought handmade souvenirs and purchased a strange local fruit that was very tough and stringy but tasted like bubble gum. For dinner we paired some tasty fast food roti with delicious homemade cuisine made by Ed’s family.
By the end of the evening everyone was well rested… ready for the next day, which would be our first vocational exchange and first Rotary Club presentation…
"Tell everyone what you want to do and someone will want to help you do it." wrote W. Clement Stone.
In just a few short days the four-member GSE team led by Rotarian Scott Rote of the Rotary Club of San Antonio begins their journey to District 7030 – home to more than 2,000 Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors in 14 countries of the Southern Caribbean, speaking English, French and Dutch. District Governor Lara Quentrall-Thomas writes “Rotarians of District 7030 are amongst the most unique and remarkable in our Rotary world – not only because of (their) passion for, and commitment to, service, but because (their) spirit of kindness and fellowship is beyond compare.”
I am certain that as they learn about the culture, the ways their own vocation is practiced in the four countries they will visit, and as they meet the Rotarians who will become their family, they will learn firsthand the truth in Stone’s words. I am sure you each join me in well wishes for our team – and ask them all to return home with new ideas and new project ideas as we continue to “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity.”
GSE Team members pose at the Alamo before taking off for the Caribbean; left to right are Team Members Edwin Blanton, Arnold Ferguson, Kristin Brown, Peter Johnson and Team Leader, Rotarian Scott Rote.
The District 5840 Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team leaves Saturday, April 14, for Trinidad, Tobago and other exotic Caribbean locales in District 7030. If you'd like to visit with them one last time before they leave, here's your chance:
On Friday, April 13, the team will meet at 8:00 p. m. for dinner at the Texas Land and Cattle Restaurant, 9911 I-10 West, just north of Wurzbach on the westbound side of the highway.
The team will be at the San Antonio airport (Delta terminal) about 6:30 a. m. to 6:45 a. m. on Saturday, April 14, for an 8:00 a. m. flight.
Keep up with the team's travels at their blog: GSE 5840 Blog
Please let Team Leader Rotarian Scott Rote know if you will be joining the team for dinner or at the airport no later than Tuesday, April 10; contact Scott at 210-838-0493.
Bon Voyage!
Two Chances to See District GSE Team Off to the Caribbean!
DG Sherri Muniz has contacted district governors in the areas of North Texas affected by the tornadoes earlier this week to see what District 5840 Rotarians can do to help. Right now, the affected areas are overwhelmed with willing volunteers and no immediate help is needed. DG Sherri will keep the district informed as opportunities arise where Rotarians can help out.
Rotary's newest club, the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, was admitted to membership in Rotary International on March 15, 2012. Kathy Hubbard, former member and former president of the Rotary Club of Boerne, will serve as the new club's founding president. Congratulations to Rotary's newest club!
In 1985, Rotary declared basic literacy to be a pre-condition to the development of peace. Literacy continues to be one of the focus areas of Rotarians and our Rotary Foundation – and so March is named “Rotary Literacy Month”.
Literacy is the foundation for virtually all forms of education and a crucial component of effective social and economic participation, human development, and poverty reduction. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) nearly 800 million people over the age of 15 lack even basic reading and writing skills worldwide. In addition, there are roughly 137 million school age children who are illiterate around the world. Sadly, over 64% of all illiterate people in the world today are women.
As some of you have heard me comment, when visiting India I am struck by the thought, “But for where I was born . . .” Because over the 4 visits I have realized how few girl children are finishing school, and how low the illiteracy rate among women in India is. My education and my love for reading and learning has framed my life – and when our 2010 Texas Team to India learned that one of the barriers to female education was the lack of private toilet facilities, proudly the Rotarians and Interacotrs of our district stepped forward in support of the “Pints for Polio . .and Potties Too!’ event last October. And as a result one toilet block (for girls and boys!) was funded. The work of our district Rotarians resulted in the addition of funds and hands-on-work of the Rotarians in Agra India to provide a second school with new toilet facilities, and when the Rotaract members from Salt Lake City learned of the need, they stepped forward and raised the funds for yet a third school to have new toilets.
Fredericksburg Mayor Tom Musselman declares Thursday, February 23, 2012 "Rotary Day in Fredericksburg, Texas" in honor of Rotary's one hundred seventh birthday!
Glenn E. Estess Sr., who served as 2004-05 RI president during Rotary’s centennial year, died on 7 February. He was 84.
In 1993, Estess retired as chief executive officer of Glenn Estess Associates Inc., a sales and marketing personnel consulting firm, to devote himself full-time to Rotary.
“I am sure the word most often used to describe Past President Glenn is ‘gentle,’” says Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair William B. Boyd. “He was strong in his beliefs but always gentle in expressing them and treated all people with respect and courtesy. He served the world through Rotary in many ways and always with a smile. The Rotary family will miss him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Mary.”
Estess, who joined Rotary in 1960, was a member of the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, Alabama, USA. In addition to his term as RI president, he served in numerous capacities including Rotary Foundation trustee chair, RI vice president and director, president’s aide, PolioPlus national coordinator, RI Audit and Operations Review Committee chair, International Assembly group discussion leader, and district governor.
For the complete obituary, please click here to go to the Rotary International website: Estes Obituary
February is a very special month for Rotarians – February 23rd marks the anniversary of the very first Rotary meeting held in 1905! One hundred seven years of service – one hundred seven years working to make our world a better, more peaceful place!
As Rotarians, we join hands with special individuals the world over – in more than 200 countries and geographical areas belonging to one of over 32,000 clubs. And during the month of February, we stop to reflect on how Rotary helps us reach the goal of world understanding leading to a more peaceful world.
For Al and me, February marks another important event as well – it is the annual International Toy Fair held in Nuremberg, Germany. While it is an important buying trip for our business and a lot of hard work, we also look forward to a very special part of the trade show – the Rotary lunch table sponsored by the local Rotary clubs. The Toy Fair is attended by people from around the world all engaged in a vocation related to the toy industry. Every day at lunch time, one table in one of the many restaurants within the complex of the trade show is reserved for Rotarians who are exhibitors or buyers at the Toy Fair. Over the years, we have met some wonderful people from around the world at that table – sometimes even some of our suppliers who we never realized were Rotarians! During that luncheon, we get the opportunity to share some of the things our clubs and districts are involved in – and some of the traditions each of our clubs have. Every year I think of the words of Jean Baptiste Moliere who said, “Men are alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they are different."
Taking the opportunity to understand the differences in how we each go about the promise to our world to make it a better place – a more peaceful place – is a huge step toward world understanding. We have so many opportunities in Rotary to do just that .. from spending a few hours with one of our Youth Exchange students and listening to their hopes and dreams and to how things are alike and how they are different between their two homes . . . to spending a weekend with our Ambassadorial Scholars (with a special opportunity this year to spend time with our inbound Scholar, Lamis from Lebanon!) . . . to working with another club in another part of the world on one of their projects or on one of our own projects . . . to attending the upcoming Rotary International Convention in Bangkok where Rotarians from all corners of our globe come together to celebrate the ways we are the same as well as the ways we are different. The ways to move toward world understanding are limited only by your imagination . . . it is only in the deeds we undertake that we are all different . . the promise is the same for all of us as we Reach Within to Embrace Humanity!
"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big." --Donald Trump
January – the start of the second half of our Rotary year begins! And with it the Rotary Theme for the month is “Rotary Awareness” . . a time to look at how we can raise the awareness of Rotary and what Rotarians do in our communities and our world.
As we travelled in India in November, I noted how aware the common person was of the presence of Rotary and what Rotarians were accomplishing. To a person, everyone we talked with had heard of Rotary and most knew two or three projects that local Rotarians were involved in -- projects in addition to Rotarians’ work to eradicate polio. And as we travelled through 4 different cities, over and over again we saw Rotary logos on all kinds of projects – and BIG logos that were plainly visible to everyone passing by.
It is that “BIGness” that may be the key to the awareness Indian Rotarians have created in their country – BIG signs on BIG projects that address needs local Rotarians have identified – needs that are not being met by other agencies or groups.
Assistant Governors will be bringing Cruise Raffle tickets to all District clubs in the next couple of weeks! Tickets cost $10 each, with all proceeds going to The Rotary Foundation. You will be able to get Paul Harris Fellowship credit for your ticket purchases. The winner of the Cruise has a choice of locations. The seller of the winning ticket will also win a cruise out of Galveston. Stay tuned for more details!
Cruise Raffle Returns! Proceeds Benefit Rotary Foundation
PDG Doug Whinnery, Chairman of the District Rotary Foundation Committee (l) and District Governor Sherri Muniz (r) present a symbolic check for $1.07 Million to Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee at the District's Million Dollar Dinner on Oct. 28 in San Antonio. The money raised goes to the Permanent Fund of the Rotary Foundation, ensuring the work of the Foundation can continue in the future.
District Raises $1 Million for Rotary Foundation Permanent Fund
Early Saturday morning, November 5, 2011, hundreds of teenagers from a 44-county area will converge on The Winston School San Antonio for a New Generations Conference of leadership training, sharing accomplishments and international community service. High school Interact clubs in central and south Texas have volunteered many week-ends over the past year to better their local communities and the world through hands-on volunteer projects, raising money and collecting items to help those in need. Interact members develop a world-wide network of friendships and learn the importance of:
Developing leadership skills;
Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others;
Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work; and
Advancing international understanding and goodwill
As one of the most significant and fast-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Approximately 200,000 young people are now involved in Interact.
For details about the conference, click on District 5840 New Generations Interact Conference in the District Events section of the Home Page.
Pictured with the Winston Interact Club are (back row from left) Past Centennial District Governor John Peterson, Boerne Sunrise Rotary Club President Charlie Wetherbee, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Lebanon, Lamis Lamareddine. Back row right: Rotary Executive Assistant District Governor Dr. Yvonne Soliz-Valdez, Rotary District Governor Elect Lisa Herring,
and Professor/Interact Club Sponsor, Mike Canales.
The Winston School Interact Club recently received acknowledgment from the White House as five members were awarded Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Winston Spanish teacher and Interact Club Sponsor, Mike Canales, adds, “Our Interact Club logged over 3,000 community service hours and collected over $7,000 in cash and in-kind donations for nonprofit agencies/organizations last school year. This is an increase of service hours and funds raised compared to the prior year. ” South Texas Money Management is the conference facility sponsor. Other underwriters include the Boerne Sunrise Club.
Interact Students Ready to Change the World Will Gather for Conference Nov. 5
Just before the start of this Rotary year, Rotary International President Kalyan wrote to give all District Governors of our Rotary world a focus for this year of Rotary service. I was certain that the letter would talk about Membership – so critical to being able to increase our service to humanity; and if not talking about membership, he would surely remind us of the importance of support to our Rotary Foundation – the fuel that helps keep our Rotary wheel spinning.
How surprised I was when I read his words – “give added emphasis to one important Avenue: Vocational Service. Vocational Service is what makes Rotary unique. It is the foundation of all of Rotary.”
Congratulations to Past District Governor Jim Berg of the Rotary Club of San Antonio on being selected as Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator (RRFC). This role will require a significant commitment of time and energy from PDG Jim.
As RRFC, PDG Jim will work with the district governors and the district Rotary Foundation committees to promote The Rotary Foundation, to train and manage his Zone team and the district leadership, and to ensure district fundraising and program goals are met. Promotion of The Rotary Foundation's Future Vision Plan will also be an important aspect of this position during his term as RRFC.
Please take a moment to email or call Jim and congratulate him on this great achievement.
PDG Jim Berg Named Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator
District Governor Suresh Pahwa of District 5870, which includes the Austin and Bastrop areas, thanks fellow Rotarians for their concern. Several Rotarians have lost their homes in the Bastrop fire, and one exchange student has lost everything except the clothes on his back and his passport. Among the items he lost were an acoustic and an electric guitar. Fortunately, he and his host family are safe. The following Facebook link is the best source of up-to-the-minute information about how we can help our fellow Rotarians. (This is a public Facebook page; you don't have to be a Facebook member to view the page.)
Follow this link to a Facebook page, Rotary D5870 2011 Brush Fire, to learn the latest news from our Rotarian brothers and sisters:
“Teenagers volunteer 2.4 billion hours annually in the United States.
Youth volunteering has increased steadily over the past ten years, with 30% of youth participating in volunteer activities at least once a month in 2000.
Out of 13.3 million youth, 59.3% volunteer an average of 3.5 hours per week, versus 49% of the adult population who volunteer an average of 4.2 hours.
When youth volunteer, adults tend to volunteer also.”
We find ourselves now in Rotary’s “New Generations” Month – focusing on our Rotary programs: RYLA, Interact, Rotaract, and Rotary Youth Exchange, as well as related programs such as EarlyAct or EarlyAct FirstKnight.
Throughout this month’s district newsletter As the Wheel Spins you will find articles about the amazing programs Rotary offers – programs that can change the lives of those who participate. Young people who are active in service organizations are less likely to abuse alcohol, or become pregnant – they are more likely to do well in school and graduate – and through Rotary’s programs they learn about the Four Way Test and develop ethical leadership skills. Each young person involved in Rotary’s New Generations programs has their life changed for the better in some way . . .
On January 7, 2012, District 5840 will present a unique concert featuring noted tenor Donald Braswell and Gli Unici at the Laurie Auditorium at Trinity University to benefit Haven for Hope. Good news--all ticket proceeds go toward Haven for Hope due to the generous support of underwriters! Click on the link at the end of this article for more information and to reserve your tickets.
Time is running out to get your
DATE NIGHT packages for $500 which includes 2 premium tickets, a hotel room at
the Marriott Courtyard and a listing in the event program for the Gli Unici
Concert on January 7, 2012 at Laurie Auditorium.Hurry and book your night, tickets are going
fast!You don’t want to miss it!This offer ends Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 3 PM.
We would like this
event to be a success for Rotary’s commitment to Haven for Hope and are
encouraging Corporate Sponsorships.If
you or anyone you know are interested, we have four sponsorship levels:
1)Presenting
Sponsor ($25, 000)
a.100 tickets
b.3 full page color
program ads (Including inside covers)
c.Logo
displayed at the event
d.Recognition
announcement at the event by talent
2)Platinum Sponsor
($10,000)
a.40 tickets
b.1 full page color
program ad
3)Gold Sponsor
($5,000)
a.20 tickets
b.½ page program ad
4)Silver Sponsor
($2,500)
a.10 tickets
b.¼ page program ad
Block seating of 20
or more can be arranged if your club would like to join in on the fun this
night!Please contact Brenda Carrasco
for more details.
You will not want to miss
this night of entertainment!
Click on the poster, once
there click Ticketmaster to go directly to that link. Click on the
map to know those details, click each individual’s picture to read a personal
bio, and listen to the advertisement at the same time. You can also look at
the Gli Unici Bio and scroll around. This is for everyone
everywhere. Very good online tool.
During December, many clubs cancel meetings or hold special holiday parties in place of regular meetings. If you're looking for a make-up opportunity, be sure to check the specific CLUB web site for any schedule changes. If you click "Where Clubs Meet" in the column to the right, the list is arranged by days; click the little house icon next to a club to go directly to its homepage. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Check Club Web Sites for Holiday Meeting Schedules!
Five Winston School San Antonio Interact Club students received the President's Volunteer Service Award on Aug. 30, 2011, from Rotarian Dr. Yvonne Soliz-Valdez. Minerva Abrego-Sanchez, representing Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte, read a letter and presented certificates of congratulations to each student.
Cory Weinberg received a gold award and Lauren Rosnack, T. J. Gold, Lisa Luna and Marcos Kauffman received bronze awards.
Pictured with the Winston Interact Club are (back row from left) Past Centennial District Governor John Peterson, Boerne Sunrise Rotary Club President Charlie Wetherbee, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Lebanon, Lamis Lamareddine. Back row right: Rotary Executive Assistant District Governor Dr. Yvonne Soliz-Valdez, Rotary District Governor Elect Lisa Herring, and Professor/Interact Club Sponsor, Mike Canales.
Over the coming weeks we will be rolling out new features, new options, and new ways for you to stay in touch with our District Governor and members of her leadership team.
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tees of the Rotary Foundation bestow this honor in recognition of outstanding efforts to promote the Foundation’s many programs dedicated to international understanding. Only 50 are awarded worldwide each year. We are proud to announce our own PDG Sherri Muniz is a 2019 recipient. 
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Reconnect with Rotary through the new 
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PDG Sherri Muniz will be taking a group to India in March, 2018. If you would like more information on this trip, please 
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If you are in charge of your Rotary Club's newsletter, there is now an easy to use club newsletter creator that works seamlessly with your club's membership list. 
The 
2017-18 Club Officers:
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