FROM THE DESK OF GOVERNOR ANNE BERMINGHAM - MORE ON OUR STRENGTHENING ROTARY CAMPAIGN
We are making history. After 17 years of having 1.2 million Rotarians in our amazing organization, we now have 1.3 million - some even are reporting 1.4 million. That is great because we can do more good in the world if there are more engaged Rotarians and their friends to bring change locally and globally.
In our own district, we are also at a net increase of members. In fact we are the second fastest growing district of the 44+ districts in our zone. This is because YOU are doing things to ensure all your members feel valued and engaged. We are making some great strides in improving our retention rates. Happy members are much more likely to have the energy and drive to create satellite & other types of innovative club models and invite people to join our clubs.
This month, I am asking you for a little bit more help as we run our STRENGTHENING ROTARY campaign.
It is a tragic and sad time for the people of Ukraine and the world.
At Rotary, we are deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship there. Continued military action against Ukraine will not only devastate the region, but also risk spreading tragic consequences across Europe and the world.
Pictured is Immediate Past President Holger Knaack and Rotaractors standing for peace in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.
With Earth Day on April 22nd just around the corner, the Rotary Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup offers your club the opportunity to provide local leadership, community service, and interesting partnerships to collect and dispose of litter within your club’s footprint. Whether it is meeting by a lakeside or by a creek, walking trail, or scouring a park, getting your team together and tidying up in the springtime is what some communities do. Join this meeting to learn about plans and planning, or hear a few others talk about their experiences and tips from last year. Events will take place between April 16 to 23 across our District as well as in other Districts across the Great Lakes.
To REGISTER for the web talk. Some details you might want to know to help your cleanup go smoothly: Read More
Have you heard about PETS? Of course, you have! Have you attended a PETS Session if you are your Club’s President Elect? If the answer is yes, then you already know some of the valuable training that has been offered by our District’s many talented trainers. So far, PETS has covered the ABC’s of Rotary, Club Governance, Rotary Public Image, and most recently, we had a whole session on leadership, and How to be a Top Performing Club. Barb Babij, from the Niagara-On-The-Lake RC Club, led a lively and insightful session using the VIEW program. The conversation and input from the attendees were outstanding and the ideas shared among the clubs was welcomed. The session could have went on another hour. If you think you can not attend because you missed out on the first two sessions, you would be wrong. It is not too late to get your Club’s PE to attend the next 3 sessions. Read More.
At the recent District 7090 Foundation Gala members and guests were introduced to the Best of Friends Heritage Endowment Fund being created to recognize Past District Governors and leaders in District 7090.
$25,000 USD is required to start the fund. Once it is established, it remains open for further contributions, along with planned gifts and bequest designations. We invite you and your club to consider a contribution to make this possible.
3 QUESTIONS EVERY ROTARY CLUB SHOULD ASK ABOUT ITS GOVERNANCE
This article is one in a continuing series of articles produced by the D7090 Governance Committee. The intention of the material presented is to have Rotary clubs in the district consider their governance and, if required, to make changes. Additional direction and resources are available on the district website at: https://rotary7090.org/page/governance.
The purpose of this article is simple: three questions that every Rotary club should consider in managing their governance. ‘Governance’ is the system by which our clubs are directed and controlled. Every club has a system: it just might not be an effective system By asking three questions, you can quickly determine if changes might be required to your own system.
“Imagine, a world that deserves our best,” Jones told incoming district governors virtually on 20 January, “Where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”
Jones, who will make history on July 1, 2022 by becoming Rotary’s first female president, gave a live online address to precede Rotary’s annual training event for district governors from around the world, the International Assembly. The assembly was rescheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and so was held virtually February 7 - 14, 2022.
The traditional sale of Gift of Life (GOL) chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day will continue for Mother's Day, May 8th. This decision was made again this year due to the difficulty of reaching all clubs in District 7090 during the month of January and the first two weeks of February.
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines is the International partner for global grant GG2093249 with host Trinidad, Bolivia, District 4690. Trinidad is in northeastern Bolivia, at the edge of the Amazon basin and has a population of 110,000. Rotarian Lezlie Murch was a youth exchange student there in 1973/74. While attending a project fair in February 2020 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, she learned about this project to bring water to a small community called El Progreso. This community of 200 families lacked water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene, and citizens would have to walk 1.5kms to get water.
Rotary Club of Lockport held a successful fundraiser on February 9th at the Davison Road Inn in Lockport - to purchase solar water purifiers for Thraka Province, Kenya.
On August 31st, a Swedish E-club led a webinar for the WASH Rotary Action Group. Looking for an affordable, organized, international effort to join, International Service Committee Chair Ellen Schratz (who led Tips for Tanzania in 2015) participated in the webinar.
Spring launches the Rotary Club of Lancaster Depew to a busy and exciting period!
Strengthening Rotary Service project: The club will be painting the red barn at the Historic Hull House, 5976 Genesee Street, Lancaster on May 14th from 9 am to noon with a rain date of May 21st. Rotarians and guests are invited to pitch in with a helping hand. Contact Diane Terranova for more information.
The Rotary Club of Fonthill's Annual Free Skate at the Meridian Community Centre was held on Family Day, Monday, February 21, 2022 from 1:15pm to 3:00pm. This Rotary sponsored event was open to the public and organized in conjunction with a full day of Family Day activities being held at the Town of Pelham's Meridian Community Centre.
It hasn't been easy as a Bi-National Club to deal with the ever-changing requirements to cross the international border between the United States and Canada, but the Rotary Club of Lewiston, NY & Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON has a long standing tradition of a Valentines Party that has gone on for over 50 years, despite black ice and blizzard. So - a few regulations weren't going to stop the club from "building good will and better friendships".
The Rotary Club of Buffalo continues immediate pandemic relief. An additional $30,000 was distributed to local agencies, that provide assistance for the neediest, bringing the club’s gifts to a total of $100,000 since the pandemic began.
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore is pleased to welcome new member Atif Shafi, inducted on February 9th.
Dr. Atif Shafi is a Medical Doctor with a post graduate degree in Diabetes from Cardiff University, Wales UK. Exhibiting a strong scientific curiosity and a solid willingness to learn and improve, he has 20+ years of leading teams and optimizing performance in different hospital settings and top multinational pharmaceutical company like Merck & Co with a people-first philosophy. Atif likes new challenges and is attracted by the roles of serving as educator, advisor, and health care professional. His passion is to help seniors or community, driven largely by values instilled in him by his faith and his family.
Grand Island Rotarians, during a February dinner at Grand Island school offices, learned first-hand about a unique program offered in the High School Business Department: National Academy Foundation – Business Academy. Amy Boutet of Business Education Department described the way students, after a grounding in focused courses and collaboration exercises, may have opportunities for compensated internships.
The RCL team braved the cold wind on February 19, 2022 to walk for YWCA Niagara Region in the Coldest Night of the Year walk.
The Coldest Night of the Year is a super-fun, family-friendly fundraising walk that supports local charity partners who provide essential care and service for people experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger. It is a time each year when tens of thousands of Canadians step outside the warmth and comfort of home to shine a light of welcome and compassion in their communities. Remarkably, CNOY has raised over $43,500,000 in 149 communities across Canada since it began in 2011.
The Rotary Club of Fort Erie has been donating to and/or helping other charities when it comes to food. Donations have been made to Meals on Wheels for many years and and even one member and his spouse has been helping deliver meals. Rotarians have been helping "ring the bell" for the Salvation Army Kettle Fundraiser. RFE also donates to Sally Ann.
Warm regards - Bryanna Prince, Events and Volunteer Coordinator for the Buffalo area Salvation Army, right, accepted this year’s sock donation at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Rotary Club of Hamburg at Joe’s Diner. Pictured with her are from left: Rotarians Jeff Kusche, President Michele Hanley, Patricia Castiglia and Jill Martucci, chair of the Sock Distribution Committee.
Monday, February 7, 2022, Christopher “Chris” Benjamin Cutler of Hamilton suddenly passed away in his 62nd year. Loving son of Alan and the late Edna Cutler. Beloved husband of Lan. Dear brother of Kim O’Rourke (Paul) of St. Catharines and Amanda Thornton (Jim) of Brantford. Loving uncle of Erin, Jacqueline, Oceania (Korey), Daniel, Keaton and Callen. Also survived by his aunt Janet and cousins in England and many family and friends who will truly miss him. Chris, an advisor to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, had a great love for the City of Hamilton.
The Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club is delighted to share the news that the Rotary Satellite Club of Buffalo Sunrise East Side, New York, USA (Rotary ID 222536) is officially chartered!
We are all grateful for the efforts of PDG Kevin Crosby and PDG Bob Artis for nurturing the growth of this dynamic group of Buffalonians.
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines has provided Hotel Dieu Shaver with funding of $21,000 for the purchase of the Visi-Pitch system; a speech-language assessment and treatment program for adults experiencing language, cognitive and communication disorders throughout the Niagara Region.
The Rotary Club of Brantford – Sunrise was pleased to support the Lansdowne Children’s Centre with the purchase of six iPads to be used by Lansdowne’s clients to assist in their day-to-day activities.
The club would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Rotary District 7090 Foundation Grants Committee (and The Rotary Foundation), which assisted the club with a grant for half the cost of the project. Also, this project would not have been possible without the generous support of the community and sponsors who support the club’s fundraising efforts. The ongoing support makes these projects possible.
It finally happened - on 21 January 2022, at the Port Dover Legion, the Ace was caught after several breaks due to the pandemic. It was week #20 and John Lloy picked envelope #12 - inside was the Ace of Spades! John received $500.00 for the ticket pulled and he accepted the grand prize of $15,000.00 for finding the Ace of Spades. Congratulations to John!
A lifelong resident of Niagara, Dr. Ron Mergl graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1985 and practiced veterinary medicine for 38 years. With his wife, Dr. June Mergl, they owned Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre until his sudden death in 2020. Dr. Ron was a 33-year member (and Past President) of his favourite organization, the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls. He always exemplified “Service Above Self” - the Rotary motto. He was a very generous supporter of the local and worldwide community with his philanthropic and volunteer work. Through the years he gave considerable time, energy and financial resources to many charities and organizations, especially directing his efforts towards children and adolescents in health and education.
Rotary Club of Welland President Vic Kerschl welcomed the newest Rotarian Lina DeChellis on February 1, 2022. Lina is the Manager of Economic Development for the City of Welland. Having attended several virtual meetings since the New year, Lina feels that she can support the motto and vison of Rotary by leveraging her network and skillset to engage with local partners to develop and support creative initiatives to meet the needs of the community, both local and international.
LEGACY PROJECT
In recognition of the Club’s 100th anniversary on April 1, 2020, the City of Welland and the Rotary Club jointly announced the 100th Anniversary Legacy Project. Welland Rotary will contribute $100,000 to this community Legacy Project initiative. This notable recreation area, to be named ‘Rotary Club of Welland Park’, is located south of Lincoln Street on the west side of the Welland Recreational Waterway.
On February 24th, Welland Rotarians and friends celebrated Fred Farnham’s 95th Birthday out in the cold winter wind. Fred as born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1957.
Fred’s second life began in 1968 when he was invited to play “Freddie the Clown” at Sunset Haven. He soon discovered his talent for making balloon animals and used his ability to create smiles in fundraising for Easter Seals and Lakewood Camp. In 1988 Fred was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow for his community service. Finding some time in retirement, Fred joined the Rotary Club of Welland on July 1, 1996.
The next service project for the Rotary Club of Olean will be in conjunction with Meg Fish Saligman and her Heart of Olean mural.
Meg, the daughter of Don and Gay Fish, grew up in Olean and is a proud Olean High School graduate. With a national and even world reputation as a muralist, she is planning a 6,000 square foot mural in the city. She has produced more than 40 permanent public artworks worldwide, including some of the world’s largest public murals. The Heart of Olean mural is planned for the Library and Liberal Arts Center on the Cattaraugus County Campus of Jamestown Community College and will be visible to all.
Rotary members in Ukraine are helping neighbors return to their homes, distributing supplies from other countries, and organizing long-term aid — all despite being affected by the war
Across Europe, Rotaract members are using digital tools to share information and coordinate to help people who have been affected by the war in Ukraine
Six Rotary members were honored in March as People of Action: Champions of Girls’ Empowerment during Rotary Day with UNICEF in New York City. This distinction recognizes the honorees’ commitment to improving girls’ access to education, health, and sanitation and hygiene resources, as well as their work to create environments where girls can flourish.
Two cargo planes packed with tons of medical equipment have already been flown from Chicago, USA, to Ukraine where members helped to unload the supplies.
Rotary responds to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in UkraineEVANSTON, ILL,. April 5, 2022 – Rotary announced today that it has raised more than $7 million to support locally-led relief efforts
, I am asking you for a little bit more help as we run our STRENGTHENING ROTARY campaign.
It is a tragic and sad time for the people of Ukraine and the world.
Sat., May 7, 2022
At the recent District 7090 Foundation Gala members and guests were introduced to the Best of Friends Heritage Endowment Fund being created to recognize Past District Governors and leaders in District 7090. 
This article is one in a continuing series of articles produced by the D7090 Governance Committee. The intention of the material presented is to have Rotary clubs in the district consider their governance and, if required, to make changes. Additional direction and resources are available on the district website at: 
“Imagine, a world that deserves our best,” Jones told incoming district governors virtually on 20 January, “Where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference.”
The traditional sale of Gift of Life (GOL) chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day will continue for Mother's Day, May 8th. This decision was made again this year due to the difficulty of reaching all clubs in District 7090 during the month of January and the first two weeks of February. 
ry Club of St. Catharines is the International partner for global grant GG2093249 with host Trinidad, Bolivia, District 4690. Trinidad is in northeastern Bolivia, at the edge of the Amazon basin and has a population of 110,000. Rotarian Lezlie Murch was a youth exchange student there in 1973/74. While attending a project fair in February 2020 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, she learned about this project to bring water to a small community called El Progreso. This community of 200 families lacked water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene, and citizens would have to walk 1.5kms to get water.
Rotary Club of Lockport held a successful fundraiser on February 9th at the Davison Road Inn in Lockport - to purchase solar water purifiers for Thraka Province, Kenya.
Spring launches the Rotary Club of Lancaster Depew to a busy and exciting period!
The Rotary Club of Fonthill's Annual Free Skate at the Meridian Community Centre was held on Family Day, Monday, February 21, 2022 from 1:15pm to 3:00pm. This Rotary sponsored event was open to the public and organized in conjunction with a full day of Family Day activities being held at the Town of Pelham's Meridian Community Centre.
It hasn't been easy as a Bi-National Club to deal with the ever-changing requirements to cross the international border between the United States and Canada, but the Rotary Club of Lewiston, NY & Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON has a long standing tradition of a Valentines Party that has gone on for over 50 years, despite black ice and blizzard. So - a few regulations weren't going to stop the club from "building good will and better friendships".
The Rotary Club of Buffalo continues immediate pandemic relief. An additional $30,000 was distributed to local agencies, that provide assistance for the neediest, bringing the club’s gifts to a total of $100,000 since the pandemic began.
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore is pleased to welcome new member Atif Shafi, inducted on February 9th.
Grand Island Rotarians, during a February dinner at Grand Island school offices, learned first-hand about a unique program offered in the High School Business Department: National Academy Foundation – Business Academy. Amy Boutet of Business Education Department described the way students, after a grounding in focused courses and collaboration exercises, may have opportunities for compensated internships.
The RCL team braved the cold wind on February 19, 2022 to walk for 
The Rotary Club of Fort Erie has been donating to and/or helping other charities when it comes to food. Donations have been made to Meals on Wheels for many years and and even one member and his spouse has been helping deliver meals. Rotarians have been helping "ring the bell" for the Salvation Army Kettle Fundraiser. RFE also donates to Sally Ann.
Warm regards - Bryanna Prince, Events and Volunteer Coordinator for the Buffalo area Salvation Army, right, accepted this year’s sock donation at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Rotary Club of Hamburg at Joe’s Diner. Pictured with her are from left: Rotarians Jeff Kusche, President Michele Hanley, Patricia Castiglia and Jill Martucci, chair of the Sock Distribution Committee. 
day, February 7, 2022, Christopher “Chris” Benjamin Cutler of Hamilton suddenly passed away in his 62nd year. Loving son of Alan and the late Edna Cutler. Beloved husband of Lan. Dear brother of Kim O’Rourke (Paul) of St. Catharines and Amanda Thornton (Jim) of Brantford. Loving uncle of Erin, Jacqueline, Oceania (Korey), Daniel, Keaton and Callen. Also survived by his aunt Janet and cousins in England and many family and friends who will truly miss him. Chris, an advisor to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, had a great love for the City of Hamilton. 
The Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club is delighted to share the news that the Rotary Satellite Club of Buffalo Sunrise East Side, New York, USA (Rotary ID 222536) is officially chartered!
The Rotary Club of Brantford – Sunrise was pleased to support the Lansdowne Children’s Centre with the purchase of six iPads to be used by Lansdowne’s clients to assist in their day-to-day activities.
t finally happened - on 21 January 2022, at the Port Dover Legion, the Ace was caught after several breaks due to the pandemic. It was week #20 and John Lloy picked envelope #12 - inside was the Ace of Spades! John received $500.00 for the ticket pulled and he accepted the grand prize of $15,000.00 for finding the Ace of Spades. Congratulations to John! 
ina feels that she can support the motto and vison of Rotary by leveraging her network and skillset to engage with local partners to develop and support creative initiatives to meet the needs of the community, both local and international.
of the Club’s 100th anniversary on April 1, 2020, the City of Welland and the Rotary Club jointly announced the 100th Anniversary Legacy Project. Welland Rotary will contribute $100,000 to this community Legacy Project initiative. This notable recreation area, to be named ‘Rotary Club of Welland Park’, is located south of Lincoln Street on the west side of the Welland Recreational Waterway.
On February 24th, Welland Rotarians and friends celebrated Fred Farnham’s 95th Birthday out in the cold winter wind. Fred as born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1957.
The next service project for the Rotary Club of Olean will be in conjunction with Meg Fish Saligman and her Heart of Olean mural. 
