If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.
As your President Elect, I was able to attend the North Central President-Elect Training Seminar in Rochester, MN. Our theme for the 2018/19 year is "Be the Inspiration." The weekend lived up to the new theme. I was INSPIRED by speakers who shared their Rotary passion and experience. I learned skills to improve our club and INSPIRE ways to promote Rotary in our community. I have a better understanding of the power of the Rotary Foundation and hope to INSPIRE our club to action. Eagan Kick-Start Rotary was well represented as our President Elect Nominee Mike Supina attended as well.
On Thursday March 8, eight Kick-Starters, friends, and spouses volunteered to serve dinner at the Dakota County Emergency Shelter currently at Easter Lutheran Church and operated by Matrix Housing Services. This piggybacked onto our club's December-January commitment to raise and contribute funds to sponsor one night of shelter operations.
Thank you, volunteers, for your willingness to serve!
Take a minute to think about what you are truly passionate about. Then, the next time you are among your Rotary friends, take a look around. The people you see are the horsepower ready and willing to turn your passion into action. Then take a look at the Rotary District 5950 Grants webpage. There awaits a pool of funds to do the same.
Helping to turn your passion into action is why we all meet each week. So develop your idea and harness the club to do what it does best!
Since March is National Women's History Month I thought it would be appropriate to publish a quick writeup on notable women Rotarians. I had no idea of the education I would receive.
As it turns out, there are very few notable women Rotarians because women were excluded from Rotary membership until 1989. And the decision to include women did not occur out of goodwill; resolutions to admit women had been circulated since 1950 and were consistently voted down. In 1978 Rotary International went so far as to terminate its association with a club in California that had admitted a woman member. It took a 1987 US Supreme Court ruling to open up American Rotary Clubs to women; Rotary International soon followed.
The first women District Governors were elected in 1995. The first woman elected to the Rotary International Board of Directors, Catherine Noyer-Riveau, began her term in 2008. Today there are over 200,000 women Rotarians worldwide and, I believe it is fair to say, women represent the most promising avenue for Rotary's growth and leadership. Bottom line: the history of women in Rotary is being written by us rightnow.
So with that, here is my (far too short) list of notable women Rotarians. Let's grow it:
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi: Isolated the AIDS virus at the Pasteur Institute (Rotary Club of La Rochelle-Aunis, France)
Dianne Feinstein: US Senator from California (Rotary Club of San Francisco CA)
Angela Merkel: Chancellor of Germany (Honorary Member: Rotary Club of Stralsund-Hansestadt, Berlin, Germany)
Lorraine H. Morton: Mayor of Evanston, Illinois 1993-2009 (Rotary Club of Evanston IL)
Catherine Noyer-Riveau: Gynecologist. First woman elected to the Rotary International Board of Directors (Rotary Club of Paris, France)
Donna Shalala: US Secretary of Health and Human Services (Rotary Club of Madison WI)
INSPIRATION AROUND EVERY CORNER JOIN US IN TORONTO 23-27 JUNE 2018
Rotary International looks forward to welcoming you to the 109th Rotary convention in Toronto. It will be an exciting event, where we’ll celebrate a year of successful service and look ahead to the future. Not only will you hear captivating speeches and attend lively breakout sessions, you’ll also get to explore the service of others in the House of Friendship while connecting with fellow Rotarians from around the world. Register today and take advantage of early registration savings!