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The Scoop - January 24, 2022
The Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center is recovering from the pandemic.
The last couple years have been hard on the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, according to CEO Abe Ambroza. Abe told us that being closed during the pandemic resulted in a major loss of revenue, but the Civic Center's savings, donations, and a shuttered venues grant helped them over the difficult stretch and they expect to be very busy this year. "The rest of 2022, our weekends at the Exhibit Hall are full. That's a great success. That wasn't always the case. We've really been gaining momentum there." Abe says they're now working to fill more weekdays, and they've found that their biggest competitor for weekday rentals is Zoom because it offers business people a quick and easy way to meet without having to leave their offices.
The Civic Center will also become the booking agent for the Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater when it is completed next year. He says he uses event management software called Priava too book events. It lets him view the schedules for every room he has available as far into the future as he needs. When building his schedule, Abe says he starts with all the regular events: the Lima Symphony Orchestra, Lima Area Concert Band, dance recitals and graduations, then he books the Broadway series, any remaining dates are filled with either national or local talent.
 
Some new improvements expected at the Civic Center this year include renovating the former offices in the mezzanine into a high tech mezzanine suite with a video wall. Abe says the suite can be used as an executive boardroom that will offer businesses the ability to host hybrid meetings with both in-person and digital attendees. There will also be a new roof put over the Crouse Performance Hall lobby, an HVAC upgrade, new divider doors in the Exhibit Hall and well as new laptops and tablets.
 
Also at Monday's meeting, we presented Lima Rescue Mission Director Chuck Ferguson with a check for $335.50 - the proceeds from Rottery. And we again passed the bucket to collect donations for the victims of the tornadoes in Kentucky. We will be sending them a total of $500. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
 
 
 
 
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One Rotary Summit
Register today for One Rotary Summit!
Please plan to attend this annual event which will be held in person on January 29, 2022 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM at Terra State Community College in Fremont, Ohio.

At One Rotary Summit, you will participate in focused discussions about Membership, Public Image and The Rotary Foundation.  Please see attached a flyer for more information.  All Rotarians are encouraged to attend!

Register NOW for One Rotary Summit

Hope to see you there!

Yours in Rotary,

Mary

Mary AufdenKampe

District Governor
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District Newsletter
Stay up to date with everything happening in Rotary District 6600 by reading the January newsletter.
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Foundation Gala
RSVP now for Rotary District 6600's Foundation Gala on February 12.
February has always been a time of celebration in the Rotary world -- after all, Rotary was founded in February. This year our District is planning a Foundation Gala to celebrate all that is good in Rotary. Please join us on Saturday, February 12, 2022, as we honor all of our donors from the past few years to The Rotary Foundation on Valentine's weekend. This special event will be an evening of festivities highlighted by our special guest speaker Stephanie Urchick, former Rotary Director and Foundation Trustee.

The festivities will begin with a cocktail hour, where we can renew acquaintances and make new ones, followed by a dinner, a special program honoring our donors, and end with an evening of dancing and socializing, and of course, there will be chocolate!

We can't think of a better way to celebrate Rotary and Valentine's Day than with a group of Rotary friends.

If you know your DACdb login credentials you may  Register NOW for the District 6600 Foundation Celebration.

If you do not know your DACdb login credentials,  register here.

Hope to see you there!

Mary AufdenKampe
District Governor
mary_aufdenkampe@hotmail.com

Joseph Ludwig
District Foundation Chair
jludwig67@gmail.com
 
 
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Rotary Days of Service
Rotary Days of Service
As part of his 2021-22 initiatives, Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta is encouraging clubs to plan and host a practical and action-oriented Rotary Day of Service. The event should address a challenge facing your community that fits in one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus and brings together volunteers from within and outside of Rotary. We’re halfway through the Rotary year, and many clubs have already risen to the challenge.  
Looking for some inspiration? Check the five projects below: 
In Japan, the Rotary Clubs of Hiroshima Ryohoku, Hiroshima North, and Hiroshima Asa worked together to organize an event to clean up the Former Otagawa River and river bank. In total, 270 people participated including Rotary members’ families, a local alumni association, and volunteers from the community.  Read more. 
In the Philippines, the Rotary Club of Narvacan partnered with the Rotary Club of Makati, Rotary Club of Alabang, and others from District 3790 to provide food and essential supplies to support community members affected by flash flooding due to Tropical Storm Maring. Read more. 
In Nigeria, the Rotaract Club of Owerri Community Base partnered with Rotary Club of Owerri Metropolitan to conduct free hepatitis test for over 250 people in Orji Market in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day. Read more. 
In Turkey, the Rotary Clubs of Bursa Heykel, Bursa-Tophane, and Muradiye-Burse and the Rotaract Club of Bursa Heykel organized a beach clean-up and invited the general public to participate. Read more. 
In the United States, Rotary clubs in District 5240 partnered with Big Brothers/Big Sisters on a Back-2-School Backpack Drive which provided school supplies for local children in need. Read more. 
Are you planning a Rotary Day of Service this year? Check the guidelines and share your completed project on Rotary Showcase to receive a certificate to commemorate your accomplishments. 
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Conversations That Matter
Join us on February 4 for the 2022 Kick-off Session of the Zones 30 and 31 Conversations that Matter Virtual Series!

Each One Bring One: Conversations That Matter with President Shekhar Mehta

Friday, February 4 at 11:00-11:45 a.m. CT/12:00 noon-12:45 p.m. ET

REGISTER HERE 

The Conversations That Matter Virtual Series is back for 2022!

Registration is OPEN  for Conversations That Matter with President Shekhar Mehta.  Join President Shekhar for a mid-year focus on our global efforts to Serve to Change Lives presidential initiatives, including Each One Bring One, New club development, Rotary Days of Service and Empowering Girls.

Have a question for President Shekhar? You can enter your question when you register!

Here are the Details to Register!

Each One Bring One: Conversations That Matter with President Shekhar Mehta

Friday, February 4 at 11:00 -11:45 a.m. CT/12:00 noon-12:45 p.m. ET

SPACE IS LIMITED – Advance Registration is required

REGISTER HERE 

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Healthcare
Healthcare professionals unite in Rotary fellowship.
In Rotary, our profession and our passion for service goes hand-in-hand. Our organization provides opportunities to empower others by using our unique skills and expertise to address community needs and help others discover new professional opportunities and interests. One way to take action through vocational service is to connect with others in your profession through a Rotary Fellowship. We asked Dr. John Philip, Chairman of the International Rotary Fellowship of Healthcare Professionals, to share his experience.
 
Why are you a member of the International Rotary Fellowship of Healthcare Professionals?
Philip: I joined the Fellowship over 12 years ago to easily connect with healthcare professionals outside my immediate Rotary circle. The Fellowship opened the door to a global network of professionals, working on the frontline. I never cease to be amazed by the selfless dedication of many of them. They have been an inspiration for me in my professional life and in my Rotary life.
How does your Fellowship help you use your professional expertise for service?
Philip: When I joined Rotary many years ago, there was one other doctor in the club. Both of us felt frustrated that we, as medics, had no effective way of using our skills to help others. Our club had a number of local community and youth service programs which we supported. Whilst we enjoyed this, there was something missing:  when we wore our Rotary hats to serve the community, our medical skills were not in use. In the UK, where healthcare is provided through the National Health Service, there was not much scope for clubs to engage in health programs.
What upcoming plans does your fellowship have for 2022?
Philip: We want to highlight the importance of patient safety; our vision is a world in which no person is harmed in health care, and everyone receives safe and respectful care, every time, everywhere. We are currently working on establishing a network of ambassadors in different countries and want to appeal to all engaging in Rotary-funded health programs to integrate outcome and safety into their protocols. We are also hoping to establish patient groups which, with the support of local Rotary and Rotaract clubs, become the voice of the patients. We have an amazing group which is asking some tough questions, such as when we donate medical equipment, do we do so in a safe and sustainable manner?
We have established two chapters of the Fellowship and look forward to more branches so that healthcare professionals in different areas can work together and, if needed, can tap into our international network.
We also want to launch two campaigns, one to reduce road traffic accidents and one to promote health screening as a right for all children before they start school. The post-pandemic landscape is unpredictable, but one thing is clear: many of the gains we made in health improvement programmes—especially maternal and child mortality, control of infectious diseases and mental health—may need resetting. It would be a huge challenge and much of it can only be tackled by coordinated strategies. We are the natural home of all healthcare professionals combining fellowship with action. If you are not a member please join us.
How has connecting with other healthcare professionals through this fellowship changed your Rotary experience?
Philip: I feel that the connections and sharing of ideas with professionals in over 60 countries have made my Rotary experience fuller, more meaningful and rewarding. I have an extended medical family who cares for each other and in whom I trust. It has also made me appreciate the power of Rotary and that is a force for good in the world.
Read more about the International Rotary Fellowship of Healthcare Professionals on their website, www.rotaryhealthprofessionals.org.
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Peace Corps
Peace Corp and Rotary in North Macedonia: Part of a beautiful global friendship
My interest in international service began when a friend joined Peace Corps Tonga in 2002, but it wasn’t until 15 years later that I was able to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer myself.
During those 15 years I worked, raised a family, and became heavily involved in community service activities through Rotary Clubs in the San Diego area.
Rotary introduced me to a whole new group of friends and mentors and gave me many new skills and experiences. It enabled me to transition my business skills to the nonprofit and community service realm, and to develop my skills teaching and mentoring young people. I was involved in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), a youth leadership program for high school juniors, and I served as club advisor to three different Rotary Interact high school community service clubs. All these skills and experiences fed directly into my Peace Corps service.
 
By 2017, my sons were in college and I’d wound down my consulting practice, so I was ready for the Peace Corps. My goal in joining was to serve my country and to share my business and community service skills abroad. I was assigned to serve as a Community Development Volunteer in Stip, a large city in eastern North Macedonia, where I collaborated with a small nonprofit law firm that provided free legal services to the disadvantaged ethnic Roma community. I also helped advise a local community service club for high school students and I co-taught English classes.
 
When I arrived in Stip, I began networking locally to learn about my community, something all Peace Corps Volunteers are trained to do. On my second day there, I had a stroke of luck and met the president of the brand new Rotary Club of Stip. We quickly became friends and we saw mutual opportunities to work together and leverage their deep connections to the community and my 14 years of Rotary Club experience.
Leaders from Peace Corps North Macedonia and Rotary International meet to discuss their collaboration.
 
When a fellow Volunteer in my community told me about the need for English-language books at her school, I mentioned the need to the Stip Rotary Club. They were able to locate a book distributor. I also reached out to my Rotary Club in La Jolla, California, for some seed funding, which was supplemented with contributions from local community members and businesses. Enough books were purchased to supply two elementary schools and the local public library. It was a highlight for me to see the smiling faces of Macedonian children as teen volunteers read the new books to them.
 
Through this project, the Rotary Club received public recognition while learning how to help local schools and collaborate on projects with American Rotary Clubs. Peace Corps Volunteers, including myself, gained credibility in the community and learned how to organize a project locally.
 
Another Rotary collaboration benefited my work with the Roma community. I worked with my assigned legal nonprofit to create and hold the first-ever live event showcasing eight Roma professionals. The audience of Roma and non-Roma community members saw highly accomplished members of this underrepresented minority group in ways that broke stereotypes and fostered new cross-cultural relationships. Funding came from my Rotary Club in La Jolla while coordination and in-kind donations came from the Rotary Club of Stip. Peace Corps Volunteers helped plan and execute the event. It was wonderful to see the proud, beaming face of my Roma counterpart, Josif, when he stepped into his role of panel moderator and master of ceremonies for the event.
 
Out of this collaboration came a formal partnership between Peace Corps North Macedonia and Rotary Clubs of North Macedonia. I extended for a third year so I could expand the Rotary partnership across the country and improve the effectiveness of its portfolio.
Cal Mann collaborates with Josif, left, his counterpart at a Roma legal nonprofit.
 
COVID-19 temporarily suspended the initiatives I was involved in, but with the knowledge and experience of successful projects under their belts, Macedonians will be prepared to resume activities when conditions permit. When Peace Corps returns to North Macedonia, Volunteers will likely again be placed at Rotary Clubs. Both organizations have seen the effectiveness, reproducibility, and sustainability of their projects and are motivated to continue collaborating.
 
My stories of on-the-ground collaboration between Rotary and the Peace Corps are among many around the world. Since 2015, the two organizations have enjoyed a global strategic partnership which serves to help connect the dots between Rotarians, Peace Corps Volunteers, and post staff overseas, as well as Rotarians and returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the United States. The agreement has and continues to inspire, guide, and capture successful community-led projects and provide tools, resources and best practices to ensure its ongoing success. Partnering for Peace, a nonprofit organization made up of returned Peace Corps Volunteers who are also Rotarians, works to facilitate collaboration between these two global networks.
 
Rotary Clubs in the U.S. are interested in collaborating with Peace Corps Volunteers because they see how Volunteers can help them increase the effectiveness and sustainability of their projects in Peace Corps host countries. At the same time, Volunteers are looking for successful past projects in their countries or other host countries, and previous Rotary-Peace Corps collaborations can be great models for them. Peace Corps recruiters also value the partnership, as they recognize that the strong relationship Rotary Clubs have with high schools and colleges might encourage young Rotary members to join the Peace Corps.
While both Rotary and Peace Corps are large organizations, they both provide a lot of autonomy for members and Volunteers to be socially entrepreneurial at the grassroots level. It is this flexibility, agency, and hyperlocal engagement that, I believe, give the partnership its strength and its enormous future potential.
To learn more about the global strategic partnership between Rotary International and the Peace Corps please contact partnerships@peacecorps.gov.

Cal Mann served as a Community Development Volunteer in North Macedonia from 2017-20. Prior to serving, he worked part-time as a creative for Apple after retiring from his career as an industrial design consultant for major consumer product companies like Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson, Frito-Lay and M&M/Mars.
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