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DG Notes June 2021
DG Notes June 2021
 
Greetings Rotarians.
 
     This was indeed a unique year. On July 1st,  I will pass over the Chairmanship of the Leadership Team in District 7820 to Alex Twells. You are in good hands as Alex has put together a very competent team which will guide us towards our new collaborative District as we unite with New Brunswick Rotary Clubs and become District 7815 on July 1,2022.  I look forward to being part of Alex’s team and I hope to get to visit many Clubs this year as I feel I have made many virtual friends during my tenure.  It will be nice to meet up face to face.
     Despite many restrictions this year Rotarians have stepped up and adjusted as we tried to  deal with the pandemic and serve our community. Congratulations to each and every one of you.    
     Over the last month or so I have had the privilege of presenting the True Rotarian Award to a number of Rotarians throughout the District. To all “True Rotarians” in our District, thank you for your service. You are amazing.
     As the year winds down our Racism Task Force is retooling and they will add to their focus by including Indigenous Relations to their areas of concern. Our District continues  to be a safe place for all and we strive to be welcoming and inclusive. Our Racism Task Force under the guidance of Lori Anne Jones is one of the ways that we will become an organization for everyone.
     My thoughts and prayers go out to our Indigenous community as they deal with the tragic events events  of the past few weeks. Rotary is there for support in what ever way that we can.
On a very positive note the Interact Club of Eskasoni High School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sydney have received the Lieutenant Governor’s Respectful Citizenship Award which is presented to successful nominees that have demonstrated leadership and commitment to creating and supporting safe and inclusive spaces in schools and or communities in Nova Scotia. Congratulations Eskasoni Interact.  A special thanks also goes out to Bob Munroe for his work with Interact in the District over many years.
 
Hope everyone has a safe and healthy summer. Live Rotary.
 
Best regards
Ian Doyle
DG 7820 2020-21
DG Notes May 2021
     April showers bring May tulips. It’s great to see photos of our Polio tulips blooming around the District. The bulbs that I planted last fall have all opened up in my back yard and I’m looking forward to getting some more bulbs to support the End Polio Tulip   Campaign which will be starting up again in June.  Get them early. They sold out quickly last year.
   Our Annual General Meeting will be held virtually this Thursday evening at 6:30. Please read the yearly reports to see what our Leadership Team and Committees have been doing this year. You can also find out what has been going on in the District and our plans for the future. The meeting will be open to questions but none of the reports will be given verbally. The year- end business of the District will be dealt with and appropriate votes by club designated voting delegates will be taking place. We will conclude our evening with the presentation of the “Heart of the District Award”. Hope to see as many as possible register and attend.
     We have had a very busy May with the highlight of the Month being our Joint Conference.
Thanks to Lorraine Ennis and her team for their work in guiding the Conference Committee in putting on a successful event.
As the year winds down, I hope to attend some meetings where True Rotarian awards are being presented and hear about what Clubs are hoping to do as we anticipate putting this pandemic behind us.
      We are  getting nearer to the end of this pandemic; more of us are getting vaccinated.  Please stay safe and be patient. We should have a special summer if we persevere.
 
See you in June,
Be kind and “Live Rotary”
DG Ian
 
DG Notes - April 2021
DG Notes April 2021
 
Greetings Rotarians. As I sit down to put a few notes together, I still have a positive feeling about our District and how we as Rotarians are adjusting and moving forward.
 
Hopefully the many Earth Day projects that have been planned throughout the District will be realized. Please make sure that you are safe. TheSt. John’s Northwest Rotary Club has initiated a contest that all clubs can participate in. Just do a clean-up over the next week, take a photo of the activity and you might win a prize.
 
The Rotary year is winding down but there is lots going on. Last Saturday our Training Committee under the guidance of Chair, Alana Hirtle held a session for leaders of clubs or any Rotarian interested in learning more about Rotary and leadership in our District. More than 75 individuals attended. It was a very informative day with lots of discussion. Kudos to Alana and the presenters.
 
Sessions for our District initiative Rotary Resilience Training, take place each Tuesday evening, under the direction of IPDG Louisa Horne. The presentations are being given by Dr Michael Ungar and Associates. Attendance has been very good for the first three weeks and I am looking forward to the continuation of the sessions.
 
Our Expert Speaker Series, under the Racism Task Force, will resume on Monday.
Date Time: Apr 26, 2021 06:00 PM  
Topic: Rotary How to be an Ally 
Please register at our 7820 website.
 
The following is a list of some of the events happening over the next month.
1. Rotaract Conference, Saturday, April 24, 2021. Link to register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/atlantic-rotaract-conference-2021-tickets-148687182365
 
2. 7810 training session for leaders, Saturday, April 24, 2021, 9AM. All Leaders in clubs are welcome. 
Meeting ID: 873 5990 298 Passcode: 394402 
 
3. Atlantic Interact Conference May 1,2021, 10-12 AM.
Please let your Interactors know about this event. Contact: Paula Hiltz for information; nason@nbnet.nb.ca
 
4. Atlantic Rotary Conference, May 14-15, 2021.
 Check our District Website for Information on the Conference. Register in advance for "A Round with Rotary” – May 14th 6:30 PM – 8 PMAtlantic
 Register in advance for Rotary Atlantic – Rotary Reimagined Conference – May 15th:  
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrde-grzgvHNCvTaIZXQwD8JpYGv6uWJtg
5. 7820 Annual General Meeting May 27, 2021, 6:30-8:00 PM 
 
  If you have yet to select your Clubs “True Rotarian” please send in the name with a brief write up to Kevin Armstrong. Time is running out.  
Please be kind. Stay safe. “Live Rotary” 
 
DG Ian
DG Notes - March 2021
District Governor Notes March 2021
 
Greetings fellow Rotarians. Welcome to Spring. More and more Rotarians are getting vaccinated, and our “Atlantic Bubble” will be with us on April 19 or earlier if our Covid numbers stay low. Meeting guidelines are still varied throughout our Provinces and St. Pierre et Miquelon so please check with your appropriate Health Authority as updates seem to occur almost daily. Hopefully this summer will see more face to face activities as we get closer to the 70% vaccinated number which will give us a good start on herd immunity.
     Membership attraction and retention remains a major concern and meetings with AGs and Area Councils are taking place with emphasis on how to create value in our Rotary clubs while being aware of what direction our individual clubs are moving in as far as membership goes. PDG Doug Logan has been passing on up to date information on membership trends and analysis which will be very helpful now and as we move towards a new Atlantic District in 2022. On a positive note, many clubs are seeing an increase in membership through Corporate membership, RI referrals and regular membership recruitment. Keep working at this and continue to create value for our new members. It has also been suggested that creating new clubs is the best way to grow Rotary.
     Club engagement in the Community has been very difficult this year but there is light at the end of the tunnel. A volunteer training and resilience initiative under the guidance of PDG Louisa Horne will be up and running beginning on April 6. We will be partnering with such groups as the United Way, Community Foundation and many non Rotarians as we look towards helping improve our communities. A very interesting series of seminars on volunteering and resilience will be starting in April and PDG Louisa will be happy to give you more information on this project.rotarylouisa@gmail.com. A renowned professor from Dalhousie University, Dr. Michael Ungar and his team at the Resilience Research Centre will be facilitating these sessions All Rotarians are welcome to take part.
     RI President Holger Knaack has informed the Rotary world that because of safety concerns, the RI Board has decided that there will be no student exchange in 2021-2022.  This is very disappointing  for everyone but it will enable our new District 7815 to plan a successful exchange program for 2022-2023.
     The 2021-22 District Grants process is underway, and already there are 14 Clubs Qualified for 2021-22 and 5 applications. Potential projects would address food insecurity, a Kenyan water project, trails and an outdoor classroom. Thanks to RI Foundation donations from D7820 Clubs and individuals three years ago, there will be about $30,000 in matching funding available for project beginning July 1.  Many Clubs had members attend the virtual Grants Training event in November. We are also looking for a few new members to assist the District Grants Committee, if you want to learn more about the creative energy of our D7820 Clubs. Grants Guidelines, MOU's and other information is available on the District Grants Website (under Member Resources, Rotary Foundation), or by contacting Brian Smith: smithrsx@yahoo.ca. The application deadline for 2021-22 is May 15th.
      Register in advance for the April 17 TLC:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom containing information about joining the meeting (check your junk folder if you don’t receive it in your Inbox right away). Please register at your earliest convenience so we may adequately “staff” the session to answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you online on April 17!
Dates to high light in your calendar.
  1. April 6, Resilience Training
  2. April17, TLC
  3. April 22, Earth Day- a good day for an environmental project
  4. May15, 7820-7810 District Conference
  5. May27, 7820 AGM
 
 Please try to stay safe and “Live” Rotary.
 
DG Ian
DG Notes Feb 2021
 
DG Notes February 2021
 
      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.
    
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DG Notes Jan 2021
DG Notes January 2021
Greetings everyone. I hope that your year is moving along in a positive and safe way.
Our Rotary year is becoming busy in the District as we move into a world where we are slowly addressing solutions in dealing with COVID in 2021. I am proud of how our District Rotarians are dealing with Covid restrictions. Our Covid numbers have been very low over the past few months and we can look forward to a more positive spring and summer. Because of my Dental OR work in Sydney I have been fortunate to be included in a health care group who will receive the Covid - 19 Vaccine this week. I consider this opportunity to continue my work in the hospital in a safer way to be a gift, but unfortunately it doesn’t give me permission to travel or visit at least for a while. If you get the chance to receive the Vaccine, please take advantage of the offer.
 
I will bring you up to date on some of the news and initiatives that the District is doing to help our clubs to thrive.
  • I have fewer than 10 clubs left to visit. Kevin Armstrong or I will contact Clubs separately to work on getting together. The visits this year have been very positive and there has been a good exchange of information and ideas. If you wish, please contact Kevin or me and we will help you to set up virtual visits with anyone of the Leadership Team members.
  • To recognize the contributions to the “End Polio Campaign” by Rotarian Pam Harrison, who recently passed away, the Foundation Committees of Districts 7810 and 7820, under the guidance of Zone Polio Coordinator PDG Stella Roy, established the D7815 Polio Plus Society in memory of Pam Harrison. Those who commit to contributing $100 US per year until Polio is eradicated will become charter members of the newly formed “District 7815 Polio Plus Society”. You may contribute by going to our 7820 Website. https://rotary7820.com/    Click on the Polio Plus Society button.                                   
  • In 2021 we would like to see our membership grow and become more inclusive. Our Membership Committee under the guidance of Kevin Connors is encouraging Clubs to look seriously at other types of membership along with our traditional membership model. For example, if you induct any Corporate members over the next 3 months or have inducted any this year, the District will reimburse the club for the cost of a Corporate Membership plaque up to $50. Please contact Kevin or me and we will help you out with this new model.
  • A little reminder to those Club Treasurers that District dues have been waved for the second half of the Rotary year. That will be a saving of $30 per Rotarian. This initiative has meant that more than $75,000 has been left with the clubs this year.
  • We can help clubs with Public Image projects this year with some matching funds. Check out our 7820 Facebook site for particulars.
  • Our Systemic Racism Tool Kit is now up on our District Website. A huge thank you goes out to Lori Anne Jones and her hard-working Task Force. The Task force’s next endeavour will be a speaker’s series coming up in February.
 
Please consider donating blood in 2021 if you can and remember to be safe and “Live Rotary”.
 
Best regards, DG Ian
DG Notes - December 2020
DG Notes- December 2020
 
 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
 

WELCOME TO THE DISTRICT 7820 WEBSITE

 
District 7820
District Governor 

Alex Twells 

 

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Godfred Chongatera
District Secretary
 
Suite 608
1888 Brunswick Street
Halifax, NS
B3J 3J8
Cell: 902-225-9626 
Office: 902-431-4405
rotarydistrict7820@gmail.com
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