To start off the newsletter I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know with all the restrictions, the family gatherings may not have been what they were in past years, but thanks to all the practice we are getting using Zoom, we can still be with our families even if not in person.

The biggest news for the District last month was the selection of Hung Wei from the Cupertino Rotary Club as our District Governor for 2023-24. She has been a very active member of the District and amongst other things has been the District Membership Chair for the past four years. It is also the first time the District has had a woman selected as District Governor in back to back years. Congratulations, Hung!

This past month the District continued to be very busy. The Public Image Team launched its Public Image Guidebook. This is a hands on guide to help the clubs publicize all we do for our communities and the world. Spreading the news about the impact Rotary has in the world was one of my priorities this year and this will help the clubs. Great job team!!!

The Zoom to Learn program last month was about club insurance. It was a very informative session. If you are doing any club event and need to be sure about coverage, your questions were answered during the training. It is available on the District website if you would like to review it.

The Zone Training Institute was November 12 – 14. It was a great institute. We heard from RI President-Elect Jennifer Jones and had a great presentation by Rick Steves of PBS fame. We were also inspired by Steve Farber along with many wonderful breakout sessions. If you were not able to attend, there is a link to the sessions on the Zone website.

We also celebrated DGE Richard Flanders's graduation from the Governor-Elect Training. This is quite an accomplishment and we know it is going to help him have a great year.

 

And we will not be slowing down.

The December 5th Zoom to Learn program will be on leadership. The presenter will be John Lipp, Executive Director of Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter. He presents leadership skills and fundraising ideas in an informative and entertaining way. It's not too late to register for this free training, sign up here.

On December 9th at 9 a.m., RI President Holger Knaack will be addressing the district thanks to the efforts of the Cupertino Club. He will be answering questions along with speaking to our clubs. Be sure to register here.

 

On December 14, the District Covid-19 Task Force will be making another presentation. There is a lot to discuss with the recent spike in illness and hospitalizations.

The District Conference will be on May 15th at Gilroy Gardens. Mark your calendar for this fun event. More information will be coming out soon.

The Rotary Convention is June 12 – 16 in Taipei. Sign up now for the lowest price. To register for the convention, follow this link RI Convention.

December is Rotary Disease Prevention and Treatment Month. The Rotary Foundation has funded a lot of grants to help fight disease around the world. I want to encourage every member of the district to contribute to the Rotary Foundation this year so they can keep up in the important area of focus. Thanks in advance for giving to the foundation.

Lastly, I just wanted to wish everyone in the district best wishes for health and happiness this Holiday Season.

Thanks for all you do, keep up the great work and stay healthy.

 

Gregg

 

Rotary is truly stronger than COVID!  Rotarians have continued to champion service projects locally and worldwide throughout District 5170 and we are holding onto 4,000+ members in the District and continue to grow Rotary together.

 

While each Club faces different challenges, we are also opening up new opportunities.  Now that we will soon pass the half-year mark of Rotary Year 2020-2021, the District Membership Committee would like to host a Mini Membership Workshop to share challenges & best practices, to plan for holiday retention strategies, and to kick start actions to welcome 2021.  There are two sessions to choose from – all Rotarians are welcome to attend one or both sessions.  Please email Hung Wei at hungweichien@gmail.com to register.

 

Our goal this Rotary year is to provide support, workshops and guidance to our District Clubs’ Public Image Chairs and arm them with the right tools to strengthen and enhance their club’s Public Image.