Governor's Update - February 2022
Mar 19, 2022
February is usually a very busy time for our District’s Rotary Leadership. Getting prepared and hosting the annual President’s Elect Training and the attending the International Assembly fully subsumes our District Governor Elect and the rest of the Governor’s team is there to help. This year Covid-19 once again twisted things up and forced PETS and International Assembly to go virtual. While this may seem to be less work, it required our training leaders and re-work their agendas and work products quite extensively. My role in these efforts was fairly limited to providing advice, some promotion and support, but I witnessed the extensive efforts Cindy Piva, Peter Schultz, Karl Ruether, Ron Hooper, Marjolein Lloyd and Sherry Chamberlain and other facilitators put into the preparations for this year’s training. While the virtual sessions were not the preference the convenors, I believe that the final product was highly effective and very well done.
We also participated in our Zone Foundation Gala. Our immediate Past Governor and Vice Governor, Peter Schultz was one of the primary organizers of the Gala and I believe that he did a great job. I also want to recognize Sherry Chamberlain for her efforts gathering sponsors. I was very pleased for our District to be Platinum Sponsor of the Gala through a $50,000 donation to our Polio Plus program. The gala raised over $250,000, which when matched and leveraged will provide nearly $1 million in benefits to critical Foundation projects.
In my role as your Governor, I spent a lot of time in February working through the reopening of our communities and the decision process to re-start various Rotary events. My committee and I decided to go forward with a live District Conference. This was not a small decision. As we had to cancel or delay the conference twice over the last two years, all the events, speakers, hotels, travel arrangements, and various contracts as well as sponsors had to be contacted and either re-confirmed or re-planned. In addition to the Conference, our annual Past Governor Meeting had to be rescheduled and we have had to plan a solicitation and interview process for our 2024-25 District Governor selection. I must admit, there were days, when I wondered why were doing it. I am happy to say, while it maybe a little rough on the edges, I think we are going to deliver a great product and good time for all can attend.
And why are we doing all of this. Well, the world and our communities need us and Rotary. Throughout the pandemic and all the other challenges this world has thrown our way, Rotary and its members have responded. The world needs us and Rotary because, Rotary will respond. With the discovery of a polio case in Malawi, the drought and food shortages in Ethiopia and Eritrea, the food supply issues in Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine, there are big challenges for us tackle as well as supporting our local food banks, cancer societies and education and development of youth. Rotary is needed to remind all of us, that if any of us are suffering, then true peace cannot be achieved. Let’s keep Rotary moving forward.
Richard
District Governor