Many Rotary Clubs are now returning from holidays over December and January, Denise and I hope you have had a great time with family and friends over the Christmas and New Year period.
December is “Family month” and a good time to be with your family and friends. As many of you know I have been battling health issues over the last few months and the family of Rotary has been very evident when so many Rotary friends have contacted Denise and I to offer help and support over this period. Our thanks go to all our Rotary friends who have helped us during this time.
Our District applied for a grant last year to undertake a TV advertisement campaign for 3 weeks at the end of January and early February. These advertisements will be shown in prime time on WIN TV; many during the Cricket One Day International series, and all clubs are urged to use this time to promote their Club in their community. Hold a Rotary information night in your club and invite your friends and colleagues. Use this time to increase your membership.
In the next few weeks a DVD will be sent to all Clubs with photos of the District Conference and a copy of the opening slide show. Many of these are available to be downloaded from the website. I urge you to use these in you clubs as part of your membership recruitment program. The conference was a great time to learn more about Rotary and meet old friends and make new friends. Who could ever forget the inspiring presentation by LeeCunxin “Mao’s Last Dancer” and presentation by Rotary International President’s Personal Representative Sangkoo Yun. Now is the time to start planning your attendance at our next District Conference in Cooma. This will be a chance for many of us to relive our youth as we once again examine ‘flower power’ although they do say that those who remember that time couldn’t have really been there! Michael and Julia Pedler and their team are working hard to make it another successful Conference and we should encourage as many of our Rotary friends to attend as we can.
2009 sees what many believed would never happen – an Afro-American President of the USA. We need to continue to work together as Rotarians to make another impossibility possible – eradication of Polio. We are nearly there, the finishing line is within view, WE CAN DO IT!