OCTOBER IS ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MONTH
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Rotary members help Indian weavers achieve better wages and working conditions.
Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day. Our members promote economic and community development and reduce poverty in under-served communities through training, well-paying jobs, and access to financial management institutions. Projects range from providing people with equipment to vocational training. Our members work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
Little did I know that our hybrid District Council meeting on September 10, 2022, would be the last time we would see PDG Richard “Dick” Earne. Dick died just over a week later. Those of us who met in person that day shared laughter, joy and yes, PDG Dick’s IMAGINE Rotary statement, “IMAGINE EarlyAct Clubs recognized as a program of RI, and in each community”. He was a strong advocate of mentoring children in volunteerism. I extended condolences to his family through his Son, Rabbi Matthew Earne, and by Zoom, viewed his touching graveside funeral that followed Hebrew traditions. PDG Dick was very involved in committee work at the District level. and service within his home club, the Rotary Club of Grand island. I am thankful my last conversation with him, as I gave him the 22-23 theme pin, I thanked him for mentoring aspiring leaders and his continued leadership. PDG Dick is pictured the first person on the right. As September was Literacy month, several key events took place. There were dedications of Little Lending Libraries and Bookshelves, as well as a very successful District Literacy Project RotaryWebTalk. Thank-you to Margaret Andrewes, District Literacy Champion, all the presenters who showcased their wonderful club projects, and District Trainer Barb Babij, and Immediate Past Trainer, Susan Czyrny. Showcasing projects and sharing ideas builds our offerings and strengthens clubs. Pictured on the right is the dedication of the Little Library in Memory of Rotarian Christopher Cutler- (from left) DG Lisa Bishop, Chris Cutler’s Sisters, Kim O’Rouke and Amanda Thornton, with Cathi MacDonnell, President, Rotary Club of Hamilton.
Join Us for our Annual Foundation Celebration on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm, $20 CND includes light refreshments. Guests welcome.
This year will we celebrate OUR FOUNDATION with Lisa Bishop, Governor, Anne Bermingham, Immediate Past Governor and Valarie Wafer, Past Vice President of Rotary International.
Celebrations will feature all District grants and Global Grants from 2022, Every Rotarian Every Year Clubs for 2021-22, 33 clubs receiving Polio Plus Certificates, new Major Donors, new Paul Harris Society members, the Best of Friends Endowment Fund and more. Special features will include Thie Convery a new Arch Klump Society Member who will inspire us on Rotary's involvement in the Polio Eradication effort and special guests from our Rotary Grant for Ukraine.
All Districts grants will be featured. We are asking for clubs with grants to provide us either with pictures or a short video to celebrate the 27 grants that made a difference in peoples lives. Send to Sandi Chard at sandichard@gmail.com.
After a couple of years off for the pandemic, the Rotary International Zone 28/32 Training Conference, this year called “Learning to Lead”, was back in full force in Toronto. Rotarians from Alaska, to Philadelphia, to New Foundland and the Great Lakes came together to gain knowledge about how to better lead in their own district. District 7090 sent a full slate of members from the leadership team, including DG Lisa Bishop, DGN David Alexander, Training Chair Barb Babij, Membership Chair Michele Starwalt-Woods and myself, who is going through the final stages of DG Training.
One of the areas of focus in Rotary is community economic development. In my view this is a local exercise and yet there are two approaches – one we use here at home, and the other in our development work abroad. As we head into the fall of 2022 and perhaps some challenging economic headwinds in our near future as Rotarians we are people of action who respond to the increase in related needs in our local communities in a number of ways. Many employers are currently struggling with finding skilled workers as we are seeing some structural changes in sectors like the housing market and a general tightening of spending. The key here is the word skilled.
Please sit back and IMAGINE for just a moment that this week a friend or colleague invited you to a Rotary meeting for the very first time. How would you answer the following questions:
In what ways was this Rotary meeting more vibrant and inspirational than the other community meetings I have attended in the last month?
Was I greeted at the door and introduced to existing members?
What service projects has my local Rotary Club coordinated in the last three months?
Why did this group recite the Four Way Test?
Did I feel welcomed before, during, and after the meeting?
Was there someone who took on the role of a Rotary mentor?
Did I have fun?
Why should I return or even think about becoming a member?
Let’s face it, we LOVE Rotary - we love our Clubs; our Service Above Self projects, and our socials. No one needs to sell the idea of Rotary to us - we are hooked for life! Let’s #TagTheSpirit and tag our friends and colleagues with excitement and energy, so they answer these questions as guests who became Rotarians!
Governor Lisa wanted the District to post something more about our recently deceased friend, Richard Earne, PDG. It seemed most fitting to post a message we received from Hank Kammerer, a fellow Rotarian and his friend. Hank wrote:
re. Richard Earne (1943 – 2022), Central to Grand Island Rotary – My thoughts:
Dick Earne, fellow Cornellian, fellow Grand Islander, fellow Rotarian. Sometimes a difficult soul, always hard working and devoted to the greater good that Rotary, in its service, expressed to the world.
Joined Grand Island Rotary, and thus the larger world of Rotary International also: December 1978 (thus a Member for 44 years)
President of Grand Island Rotary: 1990 – 91, 2018 – 19, 2019 – 20
District Governor, Rotary District 7090, covering western NY and southern Ontario: 2006 – 07
Devoted advocate for the Early Act program of Rotary for elementary-aged youth and a leader in raising awareness, and funds, for the Rotary Foundation, where he was a nine-times over Paul Harris Fellow.
Pictured is Sarah Laughton, former St. Catharines Rotary Exchange student (1988) to Columbia, Ambassadorial Scholar to London School of Economics.
She has worked for the UN World Food Program (WFP) for over 20 years (winner of the Nobel Peace prize 2020) and will be featured in the Rotary magazine's December issue in the new column "Where Are They Now".
Until recently, Sarah has worked out of WFP head office in Rome Italy with her husband and two daughters. She is now stationed in Peru as an overall country director for the organization there.
In our mind, this is truly a humanitarian life story in which Rotary lit the spark in starting. The Rotary Club of St. Catharine's investment in one youth and look what happened.
Bill Briggs - Tim Grace Memorial Football Party Ellicottville Brewing on Chautauqua Lake
Doors open at 3pm with kickoff at 4:25 (Buffalo Bills play the Kansas City Chiefs)
Food will be served 5 - 6:30pm.
Tickets are $45 and include 2 drinks, food, and the chance to win $1,000 in cash prizes (you do NOT have to be present to win)!
We'll have 50/50, squares, and our famous Chinese auction to participate in as well! So many ways to walk away with awesome prizes and cash!
Tickets can be purchased at Bridgeview One Stop or any Chautauqua Brick location, through any Greater Jamestown AM Rotarian, or by calling 716-485-3933.
Thank you for supporting our community and joining us!
The tragedy of war in the Ukraine has probably not escaped anyone’s notice even as our daily lives seem far removed from the needs of civilians and soldiers in that country. Rotary District 7090, which includes western New York and southern Ontario, has received a Disaster Response Grant of $25,000 from the Rotary Foundation to provide medical humanitarian aid to Ukraine. A number of Rotary clubs in the district, including Lockport, are making contributions to make the grant go farther.
From Lockport, pictured (left to right) Paul Lehman, International Committee Chair, Maureen Wendt, President, Marie Bindeman, Member and Aaron Carlson, Area Governor pose with some of the triple antibiotic ointment and labeling sharpies sent to Ontario to be included in medical trauma kits for Ukraine
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, ON honoured late Rotarians Ron Mergl and John Corfield, by unveiling a plaque for each of them on two benches along the Rotary section of the Millennium Trail at Carolyn Park. Rotary members and friends attended the unveiling ceremony and shared the many accomplishments of both Ron and John.
On September 26, 2022 the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Christopher Cutler memorial little Library was held. September just happens to be the monthly theme for Rotary's Basic Education and Literacy.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton saw the Little Library as a fitting tribute in memory of Rotarian Christopher Cutler. The Little Library has been expanded to serve more children, youth and families. The Little Library Box not only serves as a book library, but also has had school supplies and other learning supplies for children’s activities. Christopher was an avid supporter of literacy programs and volunteered in the Wever community and the Christopher Cutler Memorial Little Library in front of Cathy Wever School is a fitting tribute to his service to our community.
On September 28, 2022, the proudly bi-national Rotary Club of Lewiston-NOTL held their first successful Rotary event in Ontario since COVID at Whiskey Run Golf Course in Port Colborne, ON. Goofy Golf was fun, it was silly and it raised funds to help the most vulnerable.
DG Lisa Bishop was kind enough to join us and hand out the coveted "Gilded Toilet Awards" to the participants. Rotary does good in the world, but there is no rule that says you can't do good and have fun at the same time!
Mark your calendars for OCTOBER 30, NORFOLK ON and get in touch with the coordinator to sign up - once again, we are getting 'on the road again' to celebrate the life of our Rotary friend Keith Flexman and to have some serious fun. This event is open to everyone; Rotary members, their families, friends, acquaintances and those who might wish to learn a little bit about us. Details about the event are available at the 'Read more ... tab as below or you can Go to this link for poster details.
Recently members of the Rotary Club of Hamburg Sunrise were at the Town of Hamburg Farmers Market to collect discarded inkjet printer cartridges as part of the club's environmental initiatives. They also advertised Rotary's emphasis on helping eradicate Polio with brochures and to promote the upcoming Polio Bike Ride. Pictured with President Beth Weber are members Mary Weissflach and Jim Eiseman.
The Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club had a busy September! On the 1st, we gathered at Susan McCartney’s house to welcome our two exchange students: Margherita (Italy) and Clothilde (France), pictured left.
A crowd of Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore members, and grandkids, joined our Club’s Literacy Committee in opening the club’s first Little Lending Library (LLL) at Happy Rolphs Animal Farm. St. Catharines City Councillor Sal Sorrento also joined us to deliver remarks and congratulations on behalf of the City of St. Catharines. Pictured left are Councillor Sal Sorrento and Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore President Elaine Richard.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg and the Hamburg Moose Lodge have teamed up to present the Harvest Fest at the Moose Lodge, 45 Church St. on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 2 to 10 p.m. The new one-day festival will include live music with the Boys of Summer from 7 to 10 p.m. and Bad Habit from 2 to 5:30 p.m., along with music by The DJ Channel from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
The Harvest Fest will have a Food Truck Row and a beer tent and will take place rain or shine. The $5 entrance fee will support Rotary and Moose charitable and civic projects. For more information, contact the Moose Lodge at 716-648-2474 or Rotary Club of Hamburg at Hamburgrotarypm@gmail.com.
Book clubs in neighborhoods, libraries and bookstores are alive, well, and thriving in Chautauqua County, New York. September is the official International Rotary Club Literacy Month around the world and was proclaimed as Chautauqua County Book Club Month, locally, by County Executive P.J. Wendel. Wendel was on hand at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown to present an official proclamation supporting literacy in the county and around the world.
"THIS is why I am a Rotarian!," says Alex Krebs, President of Rotary Club of Albion. Here is the latest blog post from fellow Rotarian Thomas Hock, Rotary Club of Munchen.
“Sept. 18, 2022: Finally, the drugs are on their way! It's actually unbelievable: My fundraising bike tour raised an overwhelming EUR 28,500! What a fantastic result - many thanks to all donors! A few weeks have passed since my return (and since the return of my bike) and I have been asked again and again, rightly, whether the medication has already been delivered and why it is all taking so long.
The Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew is once again selling concessions at the weekly Lancaster High School Football games to raise money to provide annual college scholarships to students. Shown in the picture, PP John Trojanowsky looks on as PP Ken Graber barely keeps up with demand for more freshly made popcorn. This is a family friendly event that usually brings out about 15 volunteers each week to staff the concession stand. A community tradition, the club has been doing this since 1945.
The Rotary Club of Welland held its 6th Annual Bocce and Past Night on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at Casa Dante. 83 Rotarians, family, and friends came together to socialize and have fun.
The club Rotarians welcomed back friends from the Special Olympics, two teams from the Rotary Club of Grimsby and one team from the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, along with their inbound Youth Exchange Student Hisataro Bando - pictured left receiving the club's banner.
Close to 10 years ago the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville made a commitment to be a viable community supporter of the Chautauqua Safety Village in Ashville, NY.
As a club, we supplied funding and sweat equity to build a much needed pavilion for children to gather for a myriad of purposes. At the time, the floor of the pavilion was gravel. It was realized that the gravel was an obstacle for individuals with ambulatory issues. So, the club once again formulated a plan and replaced the gravel with a nice smooth concrete floor!
The Rotary Club of Fort Erie has been busy this past few months canvasing its little town for donations toward our upcoming multi-club TV & Online Auction that goes on air December 1st. First though, the club is getting ready for its second annual RotZI (Rotary Zombie Invasion) on October 23rd. Pictured right is the cast of characters from last year's invasion.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee led Liberian women in a nonviolent movement that helped end their country’s civil war. Now, she’s working to help other girls and women realize their own power. Hear her speak at the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne.
Cataclysmic seasonal fires — overall made more destructive and more frequent by climate change — have struck in Australia and the western United States, prompting action from local Rotary clubs.
Little did I know that our hybrid District Council meeting on September 10, 2022, would be the last time we would see PDG Richard “Dick” Earne. Dick died just over a week later. Those of us who met in person that day shared laughter, joy and yes, PDG Dick’s IMAGINE Rotary statement, “IMAGINE EarlyAct Clubs recognized as a program of RI, and in each community”. He was a strong advocate of mentoring children in volunteerism. I extended condolences to his family through his Son, Rabbi Matthew Earne, and by Zoom, viewed his touching graveside funeral that followed Hebrew traditions. PDG Dick was very involved in committee work at the District level. and service within his home club, the Rotary Club of Grand island. I am thankful my last conversation with him, as I gave him the 22-23 theme pin, I thanked him for mentoring aspiring leaders and his continued leadership. PDG Dick is pictured the first person on the right.
Join Us for our Annual Foundation Celebration on Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 1 to 4 pm, $20 CND includes light refreshments. Guests welcome.
After a couple of years off for the pandemic, the Rotary International Zone 28/32 Training Conference, this year called “Learning to Lead”, was back in full force in Toronto. Rotarians from Alaska, to Philadelphia, to New Foundland and the Great Lakes came together to gain knowledge about how to better lead in their own district. District 7090 sent a full slate of members from the leadership team, including DG Lisa Bishop, DGN David Alexander, Training Chair Barb Babij, Membership Chair Michele Starwalt-Woods and myself, who is going through the final stages of DG Training.
One of the areas of focus in Rotary is community economic development. In my view this is a local exercise and yet there are two approaches – one we use here at home, and the other in our development work abroad. As we head into the fall of 2022 and perhaps some challenging economic headwinds in our near future as Rotarians we are people of action who respond to the increase in related needs in our local communities in a number of ways. Many employers are currently struggling with finding skilled workers as we are seeing some structural changes in sectors like the housing market and a general tightening of spending. The key here is the word skilled.
Governor Lisa wanted the District to post something more about our recently deceased friend, Richard Earne, PDG. It seemed most fitting to post a message we received from Hank Kammerer, a fellow Rotarian and his friend. Hank wrote:
Pictured is Sarah Laughton, former St. Catharines Rotary Exchange student (1988) to Columbia, Ambassadorial Scholar to London School of Economics. 
The tragedy of war in the Ukraine has probably not escaped anyone’s notice even as our daily lives seem far removed from the needs of civilians and soldiers in that country. Rotary District 7090, which includes western New York and southern Ontario, has received a Disaster Response Grant of $25,000 from the Rotary Foundation to provide medical humanitarian aid to Ukraine. A number of Rotary clubs in the district, including Lockport, are making contributions to make the grant go farther.
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, ON honoured late Rotarians Ron Mergl and John Corfield, by unveiling a plaque for each of them on two benches along the Rotary section of the Millennium Trail at Carolyn Park. Rotary members and friends attended the unveiling ceremony and shared the many accomplishments of both Ron and John. 
On September 26, 2022 the official ribbon cutting ceremony for the Christopher Cutler memorial little Library was held. September just happens to be the monthly theme for Rotary's Basic Education and Literacy.
our calendars for OCTOBER 30, NORFOLK ON and get in touch with the coordinator to sign up - once again, we are getting 'on the road again' to celebrate the life of our Rotary friend Keith Flexman and to have some serious fun. This event is open to everyone; Rotary members, their families, friends, acquaintances and those who might wish to learn a little bit about us. Details about the event are available at the 'Read more ... tab as below or you can 
ly members of the Rotary Club of Hamburg Sunrise were at the Town of Hamburg Farmers Market to collect discarded inkjet printer cartridges as part of the club's environmental initiatives. They also advertised Rotary's emphasis on helping eradicate Polio with brochures and to promote the upcoming Polio Bike Ride. Pictured with President Beth Weber are members Mary Weissflach and Jim Eiseman.
The Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club had a busy September! On the 1st, we gathered at Susan McCartney’s house to welcome our two exchange students: Margherita (Italy) and Clothilde (France), pictured left.
A crowd of Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore members, and grandkids, joined our Club’s Literacy Committee in opening the club’s first Little Lending Library (LLL) at Happy Rolphs Animal Farm. St. Catharines City Councillor Sal Sorrento also joined us to deliver remarks and congratulations on behalf of the City of St. Catharines. Pictured left are Councillor Sal Sorrento and Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore President Elaine Richard.
Book clubs in neighborhoods, libraries and bookstores are alive, well, and thriving in Chautauqua County, New York. September is the official International Rotary Club Literacy Month around the world and was proclaimed as Chautauqua County Book Club Month, locally, by County Executive P.J. Wendel. Wendel was on hand at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown to present an official proclamation supporting literacy in the county and around the world.
"THIS is why I am a Rotarian!," says Alex Krebs, President of Rotary Club of Albion. Here is the latest blog post from fellow Rotarian Thomas Hock, Rotary Club of Munchen.
The Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew is once again selling concessions at the weekly Lancaster High School Football games to raise money to provide annual college scholarships to students. Shown in the picture, PP John Trojanowsky looks on as PP Ken Graber barely keeps up with demand for more freshly made popcorn. This is a family friendly event that usually brings out about 15 volunteers each week to staff the concession stand. A community tradition, the club has been doing this since 1945.
The Rotary Club of Welland held its 6th Annual Bocce and Past Night on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at Casa Dante. 83 Rotarians, family, and friends came together to socialize and have fun.
Close to 10 years ago the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville made a commitment to be a viable community supporter of the Chautauqua Safety Village in Ashville, NY.
The Rotary Club of Fort Erie has been busy this past few months canvasing its little town for donations toward our upcoming multi-club TV & Online Auction that goes on air December 1st. First though, the club is getting ready for its second annual RotZI (Rotary Zombie Invasion) on October 23rd. Pictured right is the cast of characters from last year's invasion.
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