Greetings from your District Governor to you friendly Rotarians. “Once you stop learning, you start dying” – Albert Einstein. Being a DG is a new experience for me and like you as new presidents, new board members, this is a learning experience. This past month, I have started visiting you, your clubs, seeing your many projects that help your communities and participating in your events.
I and our district team are here to support you. The summer has been Gay Pride Month, or week, or day in your communities. Rotary supports Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Rotary, like us, is changing. I have visited Collingwood and took part in their Gay Pride Parade. My mentor, past RI Director, Past Zone 28 (our zone), and past member of the Collingwood South Georgian Bay club, Valerie Wafer and her husband Mark, participated in the Gay Pride Parade in Toronto holding a banner with the word Rotary on it. We need to get our brand out there to the public and also let them know that we support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Collingwood clubs have purchased banners for just this purpose at a cost of about $200. Let people know that we are in their community and helping to make it better.
Valerie is also head of Rotary International’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. We need to welcome all who are willing to “serve above self” and “do good in the world” regardless of their sexual orientation, religion, race, political stripe, age, ethnic background, etc. We are a welcoming organization.
We also need to partner with each other. The three “Collingwood-Wasaga Beach” Rotary clubs got together for this parade, with their Presidents; Sue Bragg, Tim Knorr and Kevin de Groot. If you and your club needs help, reach out to another club.
Have fun. Challenge another club to a baseball game this summer. Have a BBQ together. Work on projects together. My own Sudbury club and the Sudbury Sunrisers both work on our Rotary Park. Rotary International also works with Kiwanis, Lions, Probus, and Optimist clubs and you can too. I met President Sue Bragg at her house. On the front lawn, was a Rotary “Little Library”. In the driveway was a Kiwanis trailer (her husband is a member), for drop off for alcohol bottles. They have raised over $10,000 with this. Now, due to Covid, etc., some clubs are finding membership is declining, but we can all come together to strengthen each other. Let’s work together.
We are people of action. September 11th has been declared by our Federal and Provincial (Ontario) governments as a "Day of Service". With Rotary's motto of "Service above Self", this would be a great opportunity to make September 11th our District's "Day of Service".
You know your Club and Community best, so I will leave it up to the clubs to choose their activities they want to participate with. Road/shoreline cleanups? Reading to seniors or working with your local retirement homes? Showing appreciation to our First Responders? The list is endless. Contact the media. Showcase your club and community service. Let’s turn a day that was so horrendous, into something more positive. Let's all participate in our Day of Service. Let's never forget. – Kevin de Groot, District Community Service Chair, a member of the Wasaga Beach club, is taking the lead on this.
Register for our District Conference 24- 25 of September at the Holiday Inn on Regent Street. It will be “Groovy Baby” at our Gala dinner and dance. We have reduced the registration fee and shortened the conference to two days - beginning at 10 am on the Saturday and ending on Sunday at 2:45 pm. We will still have our home hosting Friday night. You won’t have to miss work on Friday and can save money on your accommodations too. Refunds will be sent out to those who had already paid in full. Register today!
Greetings from your District Governor to you friendly Rotarians. “Once you stop learning, you start dying” – Albert Einstein. Being a DG is a new experience for me and like you as new presidents, new board members, this is a learning experience. This past month, I have started visiting you, your clubs, seeing your many projects that help your communities and participating in your events.
We also need to partner with each other. The three “Collingwood-Wasaga Beach” Rotary clubs got together for this parade, with their Presidents; Sue Bragg, Tim Knorr and Kevin de Groot. If you and your club needs help, reach out to another club. 
Register for our 
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