October is Economic and Community Development Month
Message from District 5500 Governor Anita McDonald
With “Rotary Reigniting Change!!” in my rearview mirror, several have stated that I must be relieved that it’s over. Well, the truth, in keeping with the Four-Way Test, is, “Yes.” I am relieved that the multiple calls, emails and Zoom sessions have ended, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it meant we could have another successful conference that would provide the diversity and the quality experiences I believe this one offered. Those who attended may have different memorable moments or takeaways than I had, but for me, I had several such moments over the three days.
First, I will always remember The Rotary International President’s Representative, Jeris Gaston, from Birmingham, Alabama. She was delightful, approachable, knowledgeable, particularly about Membership and Rotaract, fun and a pleasure to get to know. She added so much to the Conference, especially on Saturday when she helped me with the auction which resulted in $3950 being raised for Polio Plus, and served on a panel with Rotaract Leaders to discuss what Rotaract Is and What It Is Not, and then gave an inspiring presentation at the dinner that evening.
Another high point was having three of my District Governor classmates attend parts of the conference. They included DG Larry Horton of D5495 (Northern, AZ), DG Chuck Pretto of D5340 (San Diego) and surprise guest DG Norman Lee of D3450 (Hong Kong) along with his wife and daughter.
Thanks to Diana Madaras, award-winning artist and owner of Madaras Gallery, Tucson, for her many donations to Rotary and many other causes, for her Friday luncheon address., "Giving From The Heart".
And to Angela Florez for her Saturday breakfast talk about theWomen's Foundation for Arizona.
And to Serban Mare of Toastmasters for his Saturday address, "Leaders Need Emotional Intelligence".
I also loved having the Rotaractors (UofA Rotaractors Juliannde Setiadi, President, and Kanita Olson, Membership) and former Rotaractors involved in the program and our youth from Interact clubs, the six Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and our three Youth Exchange students join us for lunch. They participated in workshops specifically designed for them by Gene Medina and Chad Denson.
The House of Friendship displays were fabulous, Conference presentations were well received, and the Empowering Girls Forum was a huge success.
(The panelists for “The Foundations that Matter: Empowering Girls from Kindergarten to Career” were Dr. Robert Q. Berry III, Dean, UA College of Education; Joan Bonvicini, former UA Basketball Coach, Sports Commentator and Business Woman; Kathy L. Prather, Superintendant JTED, and Kristen Garcia-Hernandez, CEO, Girls Scouts of Southern Arizona.)
I am so grateful to the outstanding Conference Planning Team for all their work and attention to detail. Those made the 2022 District Conference an EXPERIENCE to remember. The Conference Committee included: Aimee Graves, Chairperson, Ann Huber, Bob Delaney, Chad Denson, DGE Don Jorgensen, PDG Ellie Patterson, Jennifer Hoffman, Joyce Finkelstein, Lance Meeks, Leo Lawrenson, Mike Kloehn, Natthan Palmer, Steve Johns, DGN Sue Archibald, Tom Robertson, Virginia Leavitt, Wendy Hobbs and photographers Gary Friedman, Myron Donald, Tom Nelson.
Special thanks to all of our Conference Sponsors. Please see the District website, http://rotaryd5500.org , for the list. And last, but not least, thanks to all who attended the conference and to those who contributed their time and talent in some fashion, helping to make the conference successful.
And I was joined by five people (pictured below) who remained at the conference until the band finished playing their last song of the evening. Thanks Marcos, Charlene, Andy, Pam and my daughter, Laura, for the Last Dance!
As we move towards the last quarter of the year, I want to encourage ALL to participate in the events we have scheduled that continue our focus on a Polio Free World. A special program is scheduled on Saturday, October 22, 2022 to observe and celebrate PolioPlus Day which is on Monday, October 24, 2022.
On Saturday, November 19, 2022, many will participate in the Ride to End Polio. You can register to ride at polioride.org, or support a rider with your donation to Polio Plus. Both events are an opportunity to invite non-Rotarian friends, family, and Club volunteers to attend or participate. More detail can be found at rotaryd5500.org.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Anita
DG 5500 District Governor
House of Friendship
The Rotary Club of Tucson (from Cindy Barbee)
Tucson Classics Car Show
The Angel Heart Pajama Project (from PDG Diane Ventura-Goodyear)
The Winner, Lynne Devoe!
The names of people who donated to the Angel Heart Pajama Project Joint Fundraiser during the recent District Conference were entered into a drawing for a $100.00 Barnes and Noble Gift Card.
Lynn Devoe is the winner! Lyn is a member of the Tucson Rotary Club and the District 5500 Treasurer.
Thanks to all those who donated. We are off to a great start!
You may still donate; this online fundraiser is available on the Givsum platform.
Please help those who want to be productive in technical fields in Southern Arizona. Nursing, Welding, Truck Drivers, Aircraft Mechanics, Phlebotomists, and Electricians, to mention a few of the supported occupations.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12th, 2022, PEACEBUILDERS E-NETWORK ZOOM MEETING AT 6:00 PM
WE WELCOME ALL PEACEBUILDER CLUB MEMBERS AND ALL PEACE AMBASSADORS TO HEAR A DYNAMIC DUO OF RENOWNED PEACE LEADERS SHARING THEIR KNOWLEDGE ON PEACE PROJECTS, PEACEBUILDING AND PEACE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
In 1983, the visionary Peacebuilder, David Wicks, helped launch the United Nations NGO, Pathways To Peace (PTP) which had assisted the adoption of the UN’s International Day of Peace in 1981. David has been a leader in organizing the celebration of the International Day of Peace since 1984. He is the PTP President.
In 1985, while working at Stanford University, he founded the ten-year-long PTP Peace Within Organizations program and, in 1995, co-founded the visionary project Peace Building Through Business, which led to being a leading member of a five-year international think tank on the role of business in the 21st Century.
David is the Team Leader of the global Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI), a UN-designated "Peace Messenger Initiative", for which Pathways To Peace serves as the Secretariat.
Building on his knowledge and experience, David serves as the Executive Director of the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission (ACPC), engaging the Ashland community in new ways of thinking and behavior, and developing a model other cities may benefit from.
Barbara Gaughen-Muller is a peacemaker, author, speaker, radio host, visionary and consultant to world leaders. She is the head of Rotary Action Group for Peace and has co-authored “Revolutionary Conversations: The Tools You Need for the Success You Want”, showing how peace begins with us. Her weekly Power Of Peace Podcasts with World Peacemakers are available on YouTube at www.RevolutionaryConversations.net
Barbara is president, UNA-USA, Santa Barbara, and created the Santa Barbara UNA Peace Prize to honor peacemakers working locally on global problems. She is a co-founder of Rotary E Club of World Peace. She helped orchestrate the first Rotary World Peace Conference in 2016. She is a Paul Harris Fellow. She spoke at the United Nations, where she received the Spirit of the United Nations award. She and her late husband, Dr. Robert Muller, former ASG, UN co-authored “7500 Ideas for a Better World” that is shared daily on www.GoodMorningWorld.org in five world languages.
Zoom Invitation
Ellie Patterson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: District 5500 Peacebuilders e-Network Meeting
On Saturday, October 22, 2022, District 5500 will observe and celebrate World Polio Day, which is Monday, October 24, 2022. We will have a special program on Zoom from 9 am to 10:30 am Arizona time. (PDT, MST). The program will include a short history of the disease and Rotary’s pledge to eradicate it, an update on eradication efforts, and how we Rotarians in D5500 can help.
A D5500 Rotarian polio survivor will tell his personal story.
And we will recognize and honor members of the D5500 PolioPlus Society, 62 of whom have committed to give $100 per year to PolioPlus.
Your District Rotary Foundation Committee and PDG Michael Drake, PolioPlus Chair, will present the program.
Go to the District website at www.rotaryd5500.org to register so you will receive a Zoom invitation.
If your Club would like to hold its own event, the Tool Kit has ideas, templates, logos, press releases, etc.
Or you can join the World Polio Day program on the Rotary International Facebook page to watch with other End Polio supporters.
Global health experts and partners will share our progress on the road to polio eradication.
Mexico and Arizona Friendship Conference and Global Grant Exchange
(from PDG Michael Drake)
The annual Mexico (D4185 in central Mexico) and Arizona (D5495 and D5500) Friendship Conference and Global Grant Exchange will be held in Zacatlán, Puebla, Mexico, October 27 through November 1, 2022. Give and receive support on potential Global Grant projects, enjoy great fellowship, fun, scenery, and celebrate Dia de Los Muertos. Here is a promotional slide presentation.
Contact PDG Michael Drake for more information at 520-624-2488 or Michael@DrakeLawAz.com.
The Rotary Club of Tucson Kino (from David Fawcett)
Due to the recent fire at the Randolph/Del Urich golf complex Kino Rotary has had to change the date and location of its 15th Annual Rotary Golf Tournament to Saturday, October 29, 2022, at the Silverbell Golf Course, 3900 North Silverbell Road, Tucson, AZ.
To learn more, to donate or to join the tournament, go to kinorotary.org.
Robert “Bob” Grady is District 5500's New DGND
The nominating committee comprised of representatives from the District’s 14 regions and five Past District Governors selected Bob Grady as the District Governor Nominee Designate to serve as the District 5500 Governor for the 2025-2026 Rotary Year.
Bob joined Rotary in 2015 and is a member of the Catalina (Tucson) Rotary Club. He served as
Secretary, President for two consecutive terms, chair of the Racial Justice Work Group, and on the Board. Bob is the Assistant Governor for Region 8, which includes the Rotary Clubs of Tucson, Catalina (Tucson), Pantano, and Rincon. He is a graduate of the Rotary Leadership Institute and the Rotary Leadership Academy.
Bob is a native of New Hampshire and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Administration with a minor in Economics. He earned his MBA in Organization/Information Systems from Bentley College outside of Boston.
Bob has had numerous challenging positions in business and industry that utilized his management and financial talents to achieve business turnarounds and process improvements.
Om regard to Rotary, Bob is not interested in helping the district just survive but to thrive. His experiences in strategic planning and fostering creative solutions will positively impact District 5500.
Bob and Connie have been married 42 years and have a daughter and three grandsons living in Tucson and a son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter in League City, Texas.
His passions are jazz and classical music, audiophile electronics, reading, travel, exercise and, when time permits, hiking and cycling.
Congratulations, Bob Grady!
THE CLUBS' SHOWCASE
(NEWSLETTER)
Please submit your Club news by the 20th of each month. The newsletter will usually be distributed on the 1st of each month.
Show off your Club. Tell us about your Club's projects and experiences; share your Club’s best practices. Rotary Clubs learn from each other!
Our editor, Myron Donald, is awaiting your article. Please send content in Word. Do not embed images in your Word article; send them as .jpeg attachments.
First, I will always remember The Rotary International President’s Representative, Jeris Gaston, from Birmingham, Alabama. She was delightful, approachable, knowledgeable, particularly about Membership and Rotaract, fun and a pleasure to get to know. She added so much to the Conference, especially on Saturday when she helped me with the auction which resulted in $3950 being raised for Polio Plus, and served on a panel with Rotaract Leaders to discuss what Rotaract Is and What It Is Not, and then gave an inspiring presentation at the dinner that evening.
daughter.
In 1983, the visionary Peacebuilder, David Wicks, helped launch the United Nations NGO, Pathways To Peace (PTP) which had assisted the adoption of the UN’s International Day of Peace in 1981. David has been a leader in organizing the celebration of the International Day of Peace since 1984. He is the PTP President.
Barbara Gaughen-Muller is a peacemaker, author, speaker, radio host, visionary and consultant to world leaders. She is the head of Rotary Action Group for Peace and has co-authored “Revolutionary Conversations: The Tools You Need for the Success You Want”, showing how peace begins with us. Her weekly Power Of Peace Podcasts with World Peacemakers are available on YouTube at www.RevolutionaryConversations.net
Bob joined Rotary in 2015 and is a member of the Catalina (Tucson) Rotary Club. He served as
.png)
