From the District Governor
A new year begins M
by P. G. Callaghan District Governor
y wish for you all is that Rotary is
providing meaningful opportunities for service and personal development and that all are experiencing the joy of making a contribution to improving the lives of other people. We are already almost one quarter into the Rotary year and we need to reflect on what we have achieved relative to the plans we set out over the last year.
It is very important that we all, clubs and individual Rotarians, set ambitious
targets and pursue them with vigour for Membership, Communications ‑ internal and external, The Rotary Foundation ‑ sustaining membership and polio eradication and of course, through our Service Projects such as, the Christmas Remembrance Tree project, assisting with Meals on Wheels or by conducting mock job interviews in local schools.
It is through these projects were we give of our time and expertise (not just our money) to provide assistance to those who need it, that we can make a real and substantial difference. Everyone, no matter what their resources or circumstances, has a role to play in making a positive impact on the lives of others through Rotary service.
The importance of great meetings
Our weekly club meetings must be engaging and interesting; full of discussions on our programme of service projects and critical debate stemming from interesting guest speakers. Our meetings should welcome new members and guests and should be a place where existing Rotarians attain fulfilment through their involvement and participation in Club activities.
In a previous COGS article I suggested five areas in which to be active in order to ensure our survival: invite new members, become a sustaining member of The Rotary Foundation (TRF), volunteer at club and district level, get involved with the Family of Rotary and twin with another Rotary club.
I have been visiting clubs over the last two months and meeting with Rotarians; this for me is the most rewarding aspect of being a DG. The Rotary club of Belfast Centenary meeting on 25 July last was one of the most exciting and thought provoking Rotary events I have ever attended. To be able to break bread with Rotarians who were members of the club fifty years ago and to be with the descendants of the founding members of the club was a great honour and a memory I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Another highlight of the year to date was the District visit to the President of Ireland on 4 July to acknowledge and highlight Rotaryʼs centenary in Ireland; it was a wonderful event and a great honour for District 1160 for which we all thank the President for her characteristic generosity.
The District Conference
Ursula and I take great pleasure in welcoming you all to our District Conference in Limerick from 22‑25 September. I hope you will have a meaningful and rejuvenating experience with like minded people and I promise that you will find something memorable in Limerick at this important annual Rotary fellowship and business meeting. If you have not yet registered for conference please do so at
www.rotaryconference.ie We live in a time of economic uncertainty which brings Rotary to the fore as an organisation that is well placed to be a real and substantial force for good in our homes, communities and in the wider world. We have the capacity and collective capabilities to change the world and I remind you of Ghandiʼs exhortation to us to “be the change you want to see in the world.”
Between now and the next issue of COGS I ask that you do three things; bring a new member into your club, become a sustaining member of the Rotary Foundation and develop an acquaintance with a member of your club that you do not know too well. I also ask that you let the district team know how things are going with Rotary and how we might improve. I offer genuine thanks to all Rotarians who have stepped up to serve at Club and District level and I wish you all great success and fulfilment. I wish all in Distinct 1160 and your families the very best; safe travels and I look forward to welcoming you to Limerick
Scan the code with your smartphone QR code reader to visit the District website
From the editor - welcome to September issue of COGS It has been a busy start to the new Rotary
year, particularly for the new District and Club Officers who hopefully are by now settling into their new roles.
Rotary in Ireland honoured by President Mary McAleese not “once” but “twice”, ‑ read more. District Conference: Our District Conference promises to be a memorable event. Conference will commence with Golf at Dromoland Hotel on Thursday 22 September and the an evening Mayoral Reception at the City Hall, Limerick at 7 pm. A full programme on Friday and Saturday will be interspersed with Partner Programme activities and an entertaining night at the Dogs in Limerickʼs state of the art greyhound stadium. Saturdayʼs activities conclude with the gala dinner and Sunday will finish with a presentation from Everest Conquerors Gavin Bate and Mark Quin. Book your place now at
www.rotaryconference.ie Undoubtedly the greatest event in any
Clubʼs existence is its Charter Night (14th October 2011). The opportunity to celebrate with contemporaries is a unique privilege
bestowed on fledgling members. So it is with Rotary in Irelandʼs seventy‑fifth and most recent club, Ballycastle (read more in the following pages). Service News is the new monthly RIBI update, linking you to news, resources and information from all of RIBI's Service Committees and Resource Groups. It is emailed, on the fourth Friday of each month, to all 30,000+ members whose email address is on the RIBI database. If Club Secretaries are aware of members with an email address, but not on the RI database, please forward to them (and, ideally, add their details to the database.) Rotary Today Editor John Pike wants to hear from you, send your Club articles to him for publishing consideration, send articles to
john@russellpikemedia.co.uk. Copy dates and submission details Around the Districts: 200 words max Articles: 400 words max December issue – 21st October February issue – 6th December April issue – 3rd February June issue ‑ 19th April
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The deadline for the December edition of COGS is 25th November 2011, please send your contributions by email to: Phillip Beggs Honorary Editor.
cogs.rotary@
gmail.com and
gavin@cogsmagazine.com
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