Volume 2, Issue 7 – January 2013

1. Rotary Awareness

Month

2. Governor’s Letter

3. Membership

Matters

4. Making a Difference

6. Public Image

Campaign Launched

7. Notables

8. Celebrate in Lisbon

Rotary District 5340

Monthly Newsletter

January is Rotary Awareness Month

Celebrate Rotary Awareness Month by training members on Rotary

history, programs, or how to raise awareness of your club’s projects

among your community. Or, ask members to share a personal story

or experience that they have had because of Rotary. Every Rotarian

has a Rotary story that can be educational and inspiring. The

beginning of a new year is a good opportunity to renew inspiration

for the rest of the Rotary year.

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Governor’s Message “Celebrate Rotary will be a showcase for who we

are.” Dick Stevens, District Governor

Happy New Year fellow Rotarians!

January is Rotary Awareness Month. What could be a better than to kick the year off with Rotary float

in the Rose Parade? This will be the 37th year Rotary has entered a float. Director Steve Brown, and

PDG Larry Sundram, both our walkers, will join President Tanaka in presenting the Rotary float. Over

50 million will view the Parade on TV and a million more will line the parade route.

Our District launched a public relations campaign this month, which occurs while the International

Assembly is being conducted here. Later in the month, President Tanaka will host the first of three

Peace Conferences, in Hawaii. The keynote speaker will be Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. This

event speaks volumes about our desire to make this a more peaceful world.

At the local level, each club should offer activities that promote Service Above Self. I encourage the

use of social media and more traditional news-like programs to showcase and demonstrate that Rotary

is making a difference. Your club website is another venue to establish awareness about who you are

and what you are doing. Clubs should review their current web page. If you were an outsider looking to

become a Rotarian, would your current web page entice you to want to join? If not, work to improve

it.

We have another very unique opportunity to create awareness of Rotary. On Saturday, May 18, the

District is hosting its first District 5340 picnic at Liberty Station. This event is called “Celebrate Rotary”.

Marilyn Sanderson and Dale Bailey are the event co-chairs and they have lots of exciting activities

planned, including Bocce Ball, a pre-70’s car show, Frisbee golf, kid’s activities such as face painting

and a jump tent. Live music presented by the Cogs, a beer garden, and food trucks will also enhance

our event. We have invited socially conscience vendors like Tom’s Shoes and others to join us. Don’t’

miss this - for a price, you will have an opportunity to win car with a well-placed Frisbee throw!

The picnic is free; you can bring your own food and drink if you wish. The picnic is open to all

Rotarians, spouses, kids, friends, Roteracters, Interacters and potential members. Celebrate Rotary will

be a showcase for who we are. Let’s finish the last half of this Rotary year with a flourish.

Yours in Service,

Dick Stevens

District Governor

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Rotary is like a classroom. Only those who are willing learners will move up. Membership in Rotary

helps you to accept yourself, boost your confidence and change your life in a short time.

We can promote membership by telling people that they can see a few things, or many things, that

can change their life. They might have tried various other methods to find a meaning to life. Rotary

gives a ready-made formula.

When no other way of reaching within worked, Rotary helps a person to effortless connect within

themselves and find a new dimension of life. This is our unique selling point.

Membership in Rotary has worked wonders for thousands. Its methods for a successful life are proven

for the past hundred years. It will work now for any adult willing to be a useful volunteer for uplifting

the people who need help the most.

Rotary has helped people to accept the truth about themselves. Membership in Rotary changes life by

helping the individual to concentrate on becoming who he or she really wants to be.

Kalyan Banerjee

President, Rotary International 2011-2012

Membership Matters

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Making a Difference

Toys for Tots: Members of the Rancho Bernardo

Sunrise Rotary Club know to count their blessings. “If

the poor economy is hitting us hard, it’s hitting others

even worse.” says Rotarian Sue Herndon.

This fact is why Herndon takes it upon herself each year

to organize a Toys for Tots collection, working closely

with the Marines at Miramar’s 4th Medical Battalion.

“We collect several hundred thousand new, unwrapped

toys annually and provide holiday cheer to around

75,000 children from our base alone,” said Sgt. Arron

Miller at the Club’s breakfast meeting. Three or four

toys are given to each child, so there’s plenty of room

for a happier holiday”, said Sgt. Miller.

“This is the fifth time our Rotary club has participated in

the Toys for Tots program” reported club president Paul

Sullivan. Every holiday season Herndon initiates and

coordinates the entire Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Toys

for Tots effort, which typically generates donations

from between $3,000 - $4,000 in gifts and cash

contributions.

The Club’s 55 members can always be counted on to

respond enthusiastically,” notes Herndon.

According to Miramar News, the official web site of the

Marine Corps Air Station (Miramar), toy drive

coordinators distribute the toys to children of needy

families through churches, foster homes, The Coalition

for the Homeless and several other local non-profit

agencies. The Toys for Tots program originated in 1947,

and in 65 years has distributed more than 370 million

toys to more than 173 million needy children.

San Diego Uptown Rotary Club

Takes on Challenging Issues

We All Count Survey: Did you know there

are 10,000+ individuals and families who

experience homelessness annually in our

County? The San Diego Uptown Rotary is

partnering with the Regional Taskforce on the

Homeless for the annual WeAllCount

homeless census. This census collects data

on the sheltered and unsheltered homeless in

our region. This much needed activity

provides agencies with important information

on our homeless population. Our club will be

volunteer enumerators counting on Friday,

January 25 from 5-8 a.m. in the Balboa Park

area.

Dreams for Change: Uptown Rotary

prepares meals for the non-profit

organization, Dreams for Change. This

innovative program provides a safe, gated

parking lot for homeless families and

individuals living and sleeping in their cars at

night. The parking lot acts as a hub where

various other social service agencies can

meet with the clients and assist them in

securing more permanent housing,

employment, etc. Dreams for Change is the

recipient of a $7,500 grant provided by the

Uptown Rotary Club and the program

continues to be a focus for many service

projects.

Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotarians

at Work in Their Community

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Making a Difference (continued)

In early December the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary hosted a breakfast and holiday gift giveaway at

Valley Elementary School for hundreds of area families needing a little extra Christmas cheer.

Working alongside school staff and members of their sister club from Tijuana, 12 Rancho Bernardo

Rotarians gave up their Saturday mornings to provide breakfast, holiday gifts, wrapping, and good

cheer to those needing it most.

“It’s an amazing experience to get up a little early, work a little harder, give a little more, and make so

many lives a little bit better,” noted event coordinator, Mark Berdan. Berdan and his team worked with

numerous area merchants to provide food, supplies, and gift items for Poway’s families in need.

“There’s a hidden population that needs an extra boost now and again – people who, through no fault of

their own, are finding it tough to provide that holiday gift for their family members,” observed club

president, Paul Sullivan. “This is why Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotarians do their fundraising year-

round – so that we’re able to fund programs of this sort.”

Sullivan adds; “There’s nothing like the face of a child who walks up, selects a gift for his or her mother,

gets it gift-wrapped, and takes it home. That child knows there will be something from them under the

tree this year, even though times are lean. This is the kind of service that being a Rotarian is all about.”

Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary and Sister Club from Tijuana Give Hundreds

a Merry Christmas

From left – Valley Elementary School Principal Andy

Johnsen, RB Sunrise Rotarian Jeanne McLaren, RB Sunrise

Rotarian Nasrin Barbee, Tijuana Rotarians Elibé Medina,

Abrahan Rosas Verdugo, Raul Quiroz.

Page 6

Public Image Campaign Launched

District 5340’s public image campaign kicks off this month. Soon you will see this ad displayed on

taxis’ and billboards around San Diego.

The advertising centers on literacy to deliver a very strong message - adults can make a huge

difference in the lives of children by helping them read.

It is estimated that more than 5,000 views will see the taxi ads. Billboard ads placed in seven high

traffic areas will have thousands of viewers daily.

The campaign was designed by District PR Chair, Scott Carr (San Diego Downtown Breakfast

Rotary Club) and funded by a Rotary International grant and District 5340. Web marketing will

kick off at the same time as the ad campaign.

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Notables Convention Registration Deadlines

http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/c

13_call_for_proposals_en.pdf (English only)

The unofficial affiliate events forms can be a

very useful tool in helping you plan district,

zone, language, and country events.

http://www.riconvention.org/en/2013/Progra

m/Events/Pages/UnofficialAffiliateEvents.aspx

(EN only forms)

On the HOC website you will find information

about events tours. There is also a wealth of

material available about Portuguese culture on

these websites:

http://www.visitportugal.com Turismo de Portugal

http://www.visitlisboa.com/ Turismo de Lisboa

www.lisboa2013.org HOC events and information

http://www.congressos.abreu.pt/rotary2013/

HOC (Abreu) tours

Convention Websites

Lisbon, Portugal – 23-26 June 2013

Note: Any changes or edits to registration

information after successfully registering/paying

must be done by contacting:

ri.registration@rotary.org

Deadlines:

Deadline 1: Fees will increase at midnight

Central Standard Time on December 15, 2012.

Deadline 2: Fees will increase at midnight on

March 31, 2013.

Deadline 3: Online registration closes at

midnight Central Standard Time on June 15.

2013. IMPORTANT: Cancellation requests for

online registration made from May 1 to June 15,

2013 are nonrefundable.

Page 8

Celebrate in Lisbon