The following plans have been put in place in central Oklahoma, regarding how Rotarians and others can reach out to help those in need from the tragic Oklahoma tornadoes.

This information is also posted on the Rotary Zones 30-31 website, and the information has also been distributed to all of the Districts within Zone 30 & 31, who are working together in this important effort.

Will Beckman is the Governor of D-5770, and Phillip Moss is the Governor of D-5750 (Moore, Oklahoma).  District 5750 is also the home District of incoming RI President Ron Burton.

Several Rotarians have asked how they can help in the recovery and support effort.  The following information is a great vehicle for any Rotarians and concerned citizens to assist in the true spirit of Rotary.

Fellow Rotarians & Concerned Citizens ‐

On behalf of Districts 5750 & 5770 we want to welcome donations on behalf of Disaster relief specifically designated for the May 20, 2013 victims and their families!

We all have family and loved ones (including myself) that have lost homes, auto's, personal belongings and friends to this F 5 tornado. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said today that there were between 12,000 and 13,000 homes destroyed or damaged not including all the businesses and schools destroyed as well!

Any funds received by our Rotary Bi‐District 501c3 Foundation will be used exclusively for the benefit of those damaged by this terrible event.

One can either mail a donation to‐

Oklahoma Rotary
Bi‐District Tornado Disaster Fund
P.O. Box 13800
Oklahoma City OK 73113‐3800
United States

Or make an online donation using your VISA, MasterCard or Discover go to ‐ DONATE NOW

Please be aware that this is a tax deductible donation, and all donations will be acknowledged.  Thank you in advance for all that your donations may accomplish.

Sincerely,

Will Beckman                                              Phil Moss
Governor 2012‐2013                                 Governor 2012‐2013
Rotary International District 5750            Rotary International District 5770

If you have any questions along the way, during this process, please feel free to contact John Smith, District Administrator or Steve Sorenson, DGN & Technology/Webmaster for assistance.

Dear fellow Rotarians,

A Rotary convention is a powerful thing, and a first convention is an experience you never forget. My first was in Chicago, in 1980. That was the year I was president of the Rotary Club of Yashio. I thought we should learn more about Rotary, so I asked nine other members of my club to join me, and we traveled to Chicago together. We did not know what to expect from a Rotary convention. What we found was more than any of us had imagined.

That convention showed me Rotary, and changed me forever. It gave our club something to strive for. I came to that convention as a member of a Rotary club. I left it as a Rotarian. The feeling that entered my heart in Chicago is still there today.

I am glad I will have the opportunity, as an RI president from Japan, to be part of the convention in Portugal. Portugal and Japan have a history together that began in the year 1542. This was the year that a Portuguese boat landed on a southern Japanese island. The Portuguese sailors did not plan to come to Japan. Strong winds blew their boat off course. But it was a happy accident, and the beginning of a peaceful and prosperous relationship.

In 1993, Japan and Portugal celebrated 450 years of good relations. Portugal was the first European country visited by the Japanese, in the middle of the 16th century. And the long Portuguese presence in Japan has had a lasting effect on my country.

The Portuguese found Japan by accident. But it is no accident that Lisbon has been chosen for this convention. Lisbon is A Harbor for Peace. And peace is the theme of this convention, as it has been the theme between Japan and Portugal for nearly 500 years.

As Rotarians, we work toward peace in many ways. We do it through humanitarian service. We do it through our belief in Service Above Self. And we work toward peace simply by being who we are. Every year, when we come together for a Rotary convention, we see, for a few days, the world as it could be. We see people of all colors and cultures come together. We work to build a better world.

I hope you will join me, and your fellow Rotarians, as we celebrate this year of Peace Through Service together.   

Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International

June, 2013

As I write this message for the month of June, I find myself happy and a little bit sad. I’m happy because during my 50 years in Rotary, I have been privileged to see how much good my Rotarian friends have done in this world.

I’ve been able to witness the smiling faces of schoolchildren who have desks, blackboards, books, running water, playgrounds, and youth clubs, all of which were organized, funded, and maintained by Rotarians. I’ve put drops of polio vaccine into the mouths of children in many countries as we have worked to eradicate polio.

I’ve been pleased to speak with popes, patriarchs, and clerics of virtually every religion, all of whom have told me of the good work of Rotarians. These messages were echoed in the remarks of kings, presidents, prime ministers, and ambassadors as I’ve traveled the world on behalf of Rotary.

As I step down as chair of our Rotary Foundation, I am eager for the worldwide launch of the Future Vision Plan – a plan that, when fully implemented, will have our Foundation singled out as a model for sustainable projects benefiting millions of people in years to come.

When I was your president, I told you that Rotary Shares. As your Foundation chair, I can only emphasize that statement. It is our desire and willingness to share that has made the theme chosen by RI President Sakuji Tanaka, Peace Through Service, so significant and poignant. And in the year to come, I wholly endorse the theme that President-elect Ron Burton has chosen – that those who Engage Rotary will Change Lives, including their own.

I welcome my successor, Past RI President Dong Kurn Lee, and wish him and his Board of Trustees the very best as they pursue the objective of our Foundation – to do good in the world. 

Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Foundation Trustee Chair 

Once you've registered for the convention and booked your Lisbon hotel through the convention, be sure to register for events!

Information on evening entertainment planned by the Lisbon host committee can be found at www.congressos.abreu.pt/rotary2013/hostEvent.asp

Luncheons that require reservations can be booked at www.riconvention.org/en/2013/Program/Events/Pages/TicketedRIEvents.aspx

With tens of thousands of Rotarians attending, we'll plan a time and place to meet at convention to make sure we connect!  Contact District RI chairs Doug and Sharon Risser with your questions at doug@mennotrav.com.

See you in Lisbon!

Doug Risser, District International Convention Co-Chair

Wild Poliovirus

Weekly Update

World Health Organization

Week Ending 12 June 2013

New wild polio cases reported in the past week for 2013:  10
Total number of cases in 2012:  223
Total number of wild cases in 2012 YTD:  73
Total number of wild cases in 2013 YTD:  55

General Polio Headlines-Week Ending 12 June 2013

An emergency Horn of Africa polio outbreak meeting was held this week (9-10 June) in Cairo, Egypt, hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO). Chaired by EMRO Regional Director Dr. Ala Alwan, the meeting was attended by the Chair of the Horn of Africa Technical Advisory Group, as well as representatives from WHO headquarters (including Dr. Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General for Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration), EMRO, and country office teams from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen.

Endemic Country Headlines--Week Ending 12 June 2013

Afghanistan:
No new cases No new WPV cases were reported in the past week. The total number of WPV cases for 2013 remains two. The most recent WPV case had onset of paralysis on 28 March (WPV1 from Kunar, Eastern Region)

Nigeria:
One new WPV case was reported in the past week (WPV1 from Kano), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2013 to 25. It is the most recent WPV case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 4 May.

Pakistan:
Four new WPV cases were reported in the past week (WPV1s from Federally Administered Tribal Areas – FATA, including three from Khyber Agency), bringing the total number of WPV cases for 2013 to 14. One of the newly-reported cases is the most recent WPV case in the country and had onset of paralysis on 19 May.

Horn Of Africa: (Non-endemic)
Five new WPV cases were reported in the past week (two WPV1s from Somalia and three WPV1s from Kenya), bringing the total number of WPV1 cases in the region to 14 (nine WPV1s from Somalia and five WPV1s from Kenya). Two of these new cases are the most recent and had onset of paralysis on 18 May (both from Kenya). Outbreak response activities are continuing across the Horn of Africa.

At some point this year, we expect a challenge will be issued between the three Rotary Districts here in Indiana.  We may very well be the first to know about this friendly upcoming challenge.  So let's get a head start, and show our Rotary pride, as a Rotarian in District 6540, and let everyone else know how proud we are to be a Rotarian in Indiana.  Please consider ordering an Indiana Rotary License Plate when it is time for your renewal this year, on any vehicle that you own.

A Rotary Matching Grant contribution that was made by Rotary District 6540 during the 2010 - 2011 Rotary year, with the leadership at that time of DG Steve Van Scoik, to support this important international project.  It is finally coming to completion, and we want to share with you a report from Bob’s Africa Rotary Blog 153 – Wheelchair Update from Livingstone, Zambia, dated February 24, 2013.

Greetings from Arizona, USA. I am still here finally getting my financial house in order. It now appears I have sold my home here in Casa Grande and will be moving to a smaller home in the same tract after March 20. This was my goal on this home stay. You can’t do what you want to do in the humanitarian part of Rotary unless you have the fiscal responsibility & personal backup that being a Rotary Volunteer full time requires. As a once infamous President said”Mission Accomplished” with caveats are my added words.

This Matching Grant is truly a three continent extravaganza of the Rotary spirit demonstrating that in the future major international projects can be implemented from the Club level.

Please contact Bob Selinger to speak to your Club/District about opportunities for joint projects in Zambia & Zimbabwe. Telephone in USA: (949) 887-3266, or email at: rdselinger@aol.com for additional details.

Almost 3,000 people have added their photo and joined the World's Biggest Commercial.  Add Your Photo.  Change the World.  Let’s Make History Together.  Click on this link to find out how you can be a part of it.   http://thisclose.endpolio.org/

RI President Elect Ron Burton has chosen the theme Engage Rotary, Change Lives, for his year as RI President in 2013 - 2014.  Ron urges every Rotarian to get involved, to get engaged, and to change lives, a perfect transition from current RI President Sakuji Tanaka.  It will continue to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace. Please join our District 6540 Leadership Team in wishing Ron and Jetta the best of luck during their special Rotary year.

DGE Christina Dougherty was in attendance for her intense week long training, in preparation to become our District Governor on July 1, 2013.

Have you thought about what your Rotary legacy will be?

The Permanent Fund builds long-term stability for the future of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International by providing an extra stream of income to meet an increasing demand for the Foundation's educational, humanitarian, and cultural programs.  We invite you to invest in tomorrow by joining Rotarians around the world, and throughout District 6540 in their efforts to improve and enrich lives of people around the globe.

A Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation is anyone who informs The Rotary Foundation in writing that he or she has made a provision in his or her will or other estate plan, naming the Foundation's Permanent Fund as a beneficiary; or by making an outright gift of $1,000 or more to the Permanent Fund.  Benefactor recognition consists of a certificate and insignia (Angel Wings) to be worn with a Rotary pin.

The Rotary Foundation also recognizes those couples or individuals who have made commitments in their estate plans totaling $10,000 or more, as a Bequest Society Member.  Donors may elect to receive an engraved crystal recognition piece and a Diamond Circle pin commemorating the commitment.

This support goes above and beyond your current Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) annual contributions to The Rotary Foundation.  It is a commitment to the future in your estate planning.  

If you would like to receive a gift commitment card to complete, please contact any member of the Rotary District 6540 Foundation Committee or any member of the District Leadership Team.  Your legacy will make a lasting difference in the world!  Thank you for your consideration.

Interact is Rotary International's service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.

Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single high school or from two or more high schools in the same community.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of - Developing leadership skills and personal integrity - Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others - Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work - Advancing international understanding and goodwill.

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young people are involved in Interact.

Could this be a possibility for students at your local high school? This could be a great opportunity for your Rotary Club to sponsor this program at our local high school.  Let's see what we can do as Rotarians to expand this program throughout District 6540.

By Arnold Grahl, Rotary International News –

Luanne Triolo was several weeks into a challenge to wear her Rotary pin for 60 days straight when she realized she had missed a day.

So the 2009-10 president of the Rotary Club of Carol Stream, Illinois, USA, started all over again to meet the challenge William Ferreira, governor of District 6440, had set before all his club presidents.

"You get used to it. It's something that is really good to do," says Triolo. "Different pins do catch people's eye in different ways."

Many Rotarians are serious about wearing their Rotary pins. Eugene Beil, past governor of District 6950 (Florida, USA) and a member of the Rotary Club of Hudson, tapped into that dedication recently when he started a discussion thread on RI's official LinkedIn group, asking Rotarians whether they wear their pins every day or just for meetings. The discussion has prompted more than 190 comments.

"I am happy with the feedback," Beil says. "I feel strongly about the value of wearing the pin every day. Whether you are at the grocery store, at work, or anywhere, you never know when a stranger is going to notice and you have an opportunity to explain Rotary to them."

Tony Quinn, governor of District 1200 (England), notes on the LinkedIn thread that Rotarians agree to wear their pins at all times when they are inducted.

On Friday, October 19th, PDG Floyd & Betty Lou Lancia were inducted into the Arch Klumph Society at Rotary International in Evanston, IL, for their outstanding support of The Rotary Foundation.  Floyd & Betty Lou were honored to have their children present for the recognition ceremonies. 

The Lancia's join PDG Bill & Miriam Cable as the only other District 6540 honorees as members of the Arch Klumph Society.

For additional pictures and information about all of the honorees from three different countries recognized at this special event, which was held October 19th at Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, IL, click here.

If you aren’t already using Rotary Club Central, now is the perfect time to start. Reached through Member Access, this online tool enables you to monitor your club’s progress in three key performance areas: membership initiatives, service activities, and Rotary Foundation giving. Club leaders — president, secretary, treasurer, executive secretary, Foundation chair, and membership chair — can edit goals and achievements for their year, and all members can view club progress for all years. In addition, district leaders can view a summary of goals and achievements for all clubs in their district by clicking on "District View".

Log in to Member Access and start using Rotary Club Central today.

Interested in joining a particular Rotarian Action Group? Download the Rotarian Action Group flier or view a directory of Rotarian Action Groups and contact them directly.

RI President-elect Sakuji Tanaka will ask Rotarians to build Peace Through Service in 2012-13. 

Tanaka unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2012 International Assembly, a training event for incoming Rotary district governors.  

"Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary," he said. "Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways."

Peace has different meanings for different people, Tanaka said.

Recognition currently consist of a Certificate of Membership and a lapel pin that attaches to your PHF pin with the initials PHS on the pin.  The commitment to become a PHS member is for a minimum of two consecutive years, contributing $1,000 the first year, and paying or committing $1,000 the second year.  Ongoing contributions beyond the first two years are always welcome to continue supporting The Rotary Foundation.

ClubRunner is very excited to announce that the ClubRunner Mobile App is now available for download!  The ClubRunner Mobile App is your key to connect to your ClubRunner website on the go!  Completely, free to download and use, this app will let you do what you need to run your club effectively while you're on the go.  Password protected just like your website, the ClubRunner Mobile app is comprised of 3 main modules.  You now will have the ability to view your member directory, view the articles posted to your website and locate the nearest club right from your iPhone or iPod, bringing you even closer to being able to connect, collaborate and communicate!

Download the latest version today!

Thanks to our Rotarian friends from the Gilroy Rotary Club in CA, for sharing their Sing-a-long meeting with Specs providing the live music.