Greetings Rotarians. Rotary is moving forward in many positive ways and we anticipate a time in the near future when more of us will feel safer as we become protected from Covid 19.  We still have to be aware, though that there could be a few bumps in the road before we are completely safe, so during this time, please be kind and respectful to each other. From information that I have gathered throughout the District about Covid restrictions, meeting guidelines are different in every province.  At present, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saint Pierre et Miquelon are dealing with many restrictions while NS meetings are now restricted to 25 members. PEI was the only province that was slowly easing meeting guidelines, but as of today new restrictions are being introduced.   Please check with your own Provincial Public Health Authority frequently as regulations for meeting keep changing.

    

 

 The Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in Canada and better days should follow..

 

    Our District Board met on Sunday evening and it was unanimously decided, after receiving a recommendation from our Finance Committee to wave the District dues for the second half of the Rotary year. This will mean a saving of $30 per Rotarian. If clubs have already received their club dues payments for the year, then they may have funds that they can use in other ways if their club members wish. In this difficult year your dues are better spent by your clubs than by the District.

 

     On December 5, a very successful TLC on Fund-Raising, chaired by of our District Trainor, Alana Hirtle, was held. We had a  great turn out with lots of innovative ideas and discussion. This session was recorded, if anyone would like to view it.

 

     Our District Systemic Racism task force has put the finishing touches on a number of documents that will be released early in the new year to clubs and members. Members of the Task Force are continuing their work on another major project which will involve a speaker series which will be starting up in February.

Many thanks to the tireless work of this committee who have been meeting regularly and contributing to the task force since July. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge all of the time and work put in by Rachel Clarke. Rachel has stepped down from her Rotary duties, hope fully temporarily and we will miss her.

 

     I have had the pleasure of viewing a 25 minute presentation from a Rotary club meeting that was held recently in California. Our International Director, Valerie Wafer has mentioned that this presentation might be valuable to show at a club meeting or viewed individually. Valerie stated:

 

The video was produced by The Global Impact Group (TGIG.org) and is a result of discussions and ideas that emerged from The Rotary Pandemic Response Task Force (Chaired by Past RI Director Jeffry Caddorette). Jim Marggraff, who you will see in the video, is a founding member of TGIG, a Rotarian in the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Club, and one of the 9-member global Rotary Pandemic Response Task Force.The video was filmed at one of his club's meetings.   

The video kicks off with a live, Virtual/In-Person (V/IP) meeting of Jim's Rotary club showing how and why you can easily host V/IP meetings to keep your club connected and healthy now and in the future! The club meeting then features world-renowned speakers Zooming in, across space and time for an extraordinary discussion!

I encourage you to have your Club Presidents show this video as one of their club's programs and invite community members and non-Rotarians.

 

The link is below:

 

    I would like to ask our clubs or Rotarians in the District to consider helping a former Rotary exchange student, Mauricio Quiroz from Venezuela who was not able to return to his country mainly due to Covid-19 concerns. Through his own initiatives and with the help of a number Rotary clubs in the District he has been attending University of Kings College.  It has been difficult monetarily for him and any contributions would be helpful in supporting his educational journey. Rotarians Kevin Connors of the Dartmouth East Rotary club or Brian Smith, Dartmouth Rotary, two of the sponsoring clubs would gladly give you more information on this exemplary student and accept any donation towards a bursary for Mauro. This would be a tax-deductible donation.

 

     I regretfully am announcing the resignation of our Chair of Youth Services, Michael Craig.

Michael has worked tirelessly over the past 4 plus years on all aspects of youth programs in the District and he will be missed. Thank you for your contributions and dedication.

 

The District has been informed by our President Holger Knaack that any youth exchanges will be on hold at least until the next Rotary year and to date, no direction has been given for future exchanges. The covd-19 pandemic may still be a worldwide problem for a while, but I will notify clubs if there are any changes in the student exchange situation.

    

      Currently we are asking any Rotarians who might be interested to contact myself or DGN Roger Sevigny if you would like to serve on a Youth Services Committee. This group will be working towards forming  a joint Youth Services Committee that would involve our neighbouring District 7810 and in 2022 eventually become the Youth Services Committee for our combined Districts (7815).  

 

  In closing I would like to wish everyone a safe, happy and healthy holiday break as we take time, if possible, to be with family. Next year is looking more and more positive.

LIVE Rotary.

 

Best regards,

DG Ian

 

 

It is with profound sadness that we announce our District lost a true leader on Sunday, June 21, 2020. PDG Jim Goit, of the Rotary Club of Truro, died suddenly while doing what he loved... cycling with a friend. Throughout his 69 years, Jim had many passions – cycling, skiing, baking bread, being a proud Rotarian but most of all, his family.

 

He joined Rotary in 2005, was club president in 2011-12 and went on to be our District Governor in 2015-16. Throughout his Rotary career, Jim received many citations and awards, the most recent being the “Heart of the District in 2016-2017.

 

He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 47 years, their sons, Michael and Steven and their respective families.

 

The family asks that donations, in Jim’s name be made to the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund. For Canadians, donations can be made to the Rotary Foundation of Canada. Please see a form that will be attached to an email to all district members, or go to the following link for more information: https://my.rotary.org/…/docum…/memorial-or-tribute-gift-form