Congratulations to the 65+ Presidents of Rotary Clubs and the 8+ Rotaract Club Presidents in our Best of Friends Rotary District 7090. This is going to be a special year and we are so thankful to all of you for accepting your club members invitation to be a leader for your club.
Thank you also to all the District volunteers who have accepted invitations to be Assistant Governors, Chairs of our Committees and Subcommittees, committee members, Council members and so many other roles which in turn makes the work of the District possible. Here are five things to know about the Rotary Year Ahead:
3. Participate for Polio is back! Immediate Past Governor Frank Adamson has left us many amazing projects that we plan to continue. In fact, he has even volunteered to be the point person - which is an incredible e
xample of his commitment to Rotary. This event will take place on Saturday October 2, 2021. You can join other Rotarians in the District in the “Pedal for Polio” event which will take place near Niagara Falls and hopefully involve Rotarians from both sides of the border being able to participate in the same event. We are also encouraging other clubs in the various parts of southern Ontario and Western New York State to do your own walks or rides to raise money to help us cross the finish line - taking the number of polio cases in the world from 99.9% to 100%. 
1. The theme for this Rotary Year is “Serve to Change Lives”. Rotary International Shekhar Mehta is urging members to become more involved in service projects. Caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it c
hanges not only other people’s lives but also our own. The theme “Serve To Change Lives” will guide us as we embark on a number of hands-on service projects all over the District. One such example is the Great Lakes Watershed Clean-Up which will remain a district wide service project where all clubs are invited to participate. Some will be embarking on it on September 18 2021 (World Clean Up Day) and also next April during the week leading up to Earth Day (April 16 to April 22 2022). Make sure your club finds a way to take part.
hanges not only other people’s lives but also our own. The theme “Serve To Change Lives” will guide us as we embark on a number of hands-on service projects all over the District. One such example is the Great Lakes Watershed Clean-Up which will remain a district wide service project where all clubs are invited to participate. Some will be embarking on it on September 18 2021 (World Clean Up Day) and also next April during the week leading up to Earth Day (April 16 to April 22 2022). Make sure your club finds a way to take part.2. We are having a District Conference this October - Circle October 21-23 2021 in your calendars please. More details will be out soon but our plan is to have a multi-platform conference. This will include an all virtual evening of celebration on Thursday October 21 - where everyone can join by webinar. Friday October 22 will be a social and Saturday October 23 will be a hybrid morning with in-person and virtually offerings followed by service projects taking place throughout the district. The social and the in-person conference will take place in my hometown of Hamilton Ontario (featured in the images to the right). We want to have every Rotarian participate in the conference one way or another. It is an amazing opportunity to learn about other Rotary clubs in our amazing district.
3. Participate for Polio is back! Immediate Past Governor Frank Adamson has left us many amazing projects that we plan to continue. In fact, he has even volunteered to be the point person - which is an incredible e
xample of his commitment to Rotary. This event will take place on Saturday October 2, 2021. You can join other Rotarians in the District in the “Pedal for Polio” event which will take place near Niagara Falls and hopefully involve Rotarians from both sides of the border being able to participate in the same event. We are also encouraging other clubs in the various parts of southern Ontario and Western New York State to do your own walks or rides to raise money to help us cross the finish line - taking the number of polio cases in the world from 99.9% to 100%.4. Your District 7090 Website has had a refresh and it is going to keep improving this year! Be sure to check it out. https://www.rotary7090.org/ You will find that almost all of the district events like Rotary Leadership Institute & Tuesday Web-Talks are listed there. Also is our District Strategic Plan and videos from events as recent as this past weekend’s changeover event.
5. Traditional Club Visit with the Governor is being replaced with Multi-Club visits. I plan to visit via webinar all the clubs that meet at noon on Mondays or Tuesday evenings - for example - at the same time for a multi-club visit. I want to place a real emphasis on learning from one another. I don’t have all the answers but together we can find ways to improve our clubs in terms of public image, membership engagement, foundation support and so much more. Your President should have the date for my visit to your club. I am excited about trying this new approach and connecting with all of you at every Rotary and Rotaract club in our district.
But don’t wait till the joint-club visit to reach out to me if you have a comment or a question. I am happy to hear from you at any time at anne@d7090.org or 905-719-1225 (phone or text). Just please remember that I am working full-time and therefore will sometimes take a few days to respond but I will listen and I will answer you!
Anne Bermingham, Governor 7090
Proud Member, Rotary Club of Hamilton AM