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Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
     Rotary District 5400
     43 Clubs       1900 members
 
Uniting Leaders to exchange ideas and take action
to improve communities everywhere
 
April 24, 2016
 
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE
Two weeks to District Conference!  I didn’t think those words were possible when I started my term as District Governor.  The year has truly flown by.
 
District Conference is shaping up to be an exciting event, I think.  The featured speakers are first-rate.  Our exchange student and RYLA presentations will be inspiring.  The opportunities for training will be, well, educational.  The Sun Valley Resort’s food will be top-notch (and in contracting with them this year we specified some of their top-of-the-line meals).  The opportunities to network and have fellowship with our fellow Rotarians from around the state will be unequalled. 
 
We also have at least two items of business to transact, which we will do at the Friday opening lunch.  We will vote to confirm sending PDG Rick Phillips to Rotary International to serve with the selection committee for our Rotary Director from our Zone 27.  We will also present for approval the District financials (a new request from RI President Ravi).  Neither will take long, but they are important business items to conclude while we are all together.
 
This year, we’ll also be featuring some of our own….our own members and our own clubs.  During the “Club Showcase” presentation, each of the 43 clubs in our district will have the opportunity to highlight something, or someone, in their club.  I’m sure you’ll find it interesting to learn something about our clubs in different regions of the state.
 
Our own members will also be making some “Ted Talk” style presentations.  You’ll hear inspiring stories of personal growth, Rotarians doing good in the world, and other topics that reflect the diversity and commonality of our Rotarians across the district. 
 
I’m excited for the opportunities that we will all have to get to know one another better.
 
And the raffle.  The Raffle!  Please remember to sell as many tickets as you can.  This is the only District fundraiser we have, and your sales support Youth Exchange and other district programs.  The Rotarian who sells the winning ticket also receives a duplicate grand prize….$4,500 in credit at AAA Travel for a cruise (or other vacation) to “anywhere” you select.  This year, the Rotarian who sells the most tickets will receive a transfer of 1,000 FRP (“Paul Harris Points”), as well – sufficient to become a Paul Harris Fellow, or to move to the next Paul Harris Fellow level.  Please bring a single club check for all of the clubs’ raffle tickets, and of course we’ll need these to be at the start of District Conference.  You can drop them off at the registration desk.
 
Finally, but certainly not the least, will be some recognition of our clubs’ accomplishments, and of the club leadership that has advanced our work this past year. 
 
If you haven’t yet registered for District Conference, there is still time.  Just go to www.rotary5400.org and follow the district conference links. (or, just click on the poster below)
 
District Conference marks a sobering reality for District Governors.  This is one of the last official Rotary events during my term of office.  There is still a flurry of administrative activity in marking the transition from one Rotary year to the other, and I’ll continue to work closely with the district “leadership chain” of Jim Hogge, Terry Jones and Jennifer Deroin.  The district is fortunate to have such committed, talented and thoughtful leaders who will serve during the next few years.  I hope to remain a valued resource to them.
 
I trust that each of the outgoing club officers will likewise continue to serve as a resource in their clubs.  While there is always room for innovation and change, there is much more that unites us as Rotarians than divides us.  However our leaders and clubs change, all of us remain united in Service Above Self.  Thank you for allowing me to serve as your District Governor.
DISTRICT CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS OPEN
IT'S RAFFLE TIME!!!
The Grand Prize is a $4500 AAA “Cruise to Anywhere”. PLUS, the Rotarian who sells the winning ticket will also win a matching $4500 Cruise!
 
Do you ever wonder why you are given the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets as part ot the district's annual conference?
 
Click on "Read More" to find out, as well as to see a list of this year's prizes.
Read more...
COUNCIL ON LEGISLATION - BETTER BY FAR THAN CONGRESS
I would substitute the spirit and efficiency of RI’s Council on Legislation over the U.S. Congress, if I could.  The 500+ voting delegates were respectful of each other; the chair was considerate and even handed; and the outcome – even contentious issues – represented the judgment of all without rancor. 
No delegate ran to the press to excoriate the other fellow or question his heritage, although my taxi driver came close when I didn’t give him a tip.
Of the 536 RI districts world-wide, 167 proposed 332 constitution and by-law changes and 112 resolutions (recommendations to the RI Board).   
 
DUES INCREASE?  IS LESS THAN 8 CENTS A WEEK TOO MUCH?
 
One of D5400’s special friends, Greg Podd of Colorado, who has spoken as our guest the Sun Valley Conference, played an important role as a member of the RI Board in explaining our budgetary exigency.   A CPA, Podd presented a Power Point that showed the following facts:
The $1 dues increase per year adopted by the 2013   COL is not enough to meet the increased demands of our members for improved training, planning resources, leadership development and social media training.
A $1 increase would result in only a 1.8% increase in revenues -- less than the 2.5% impact of global inflation – and large cuts in services would be needed each year to balance the budget.
Representing the proposal of the board, he urged the delegates to vote for a $4 p/year increase for the next four years...  The result?  This increase will result in sufficient funding to maintain existing services and will provide a small surplus of revenues, over and above basic operating expenses and reserve targets. This additional funding can be invested in Rotary’s future.
John Hewko, executive director, explained that although additional funding is needed, RI has taken measures to reduce the amount and rate of growth of expenses, including:
  • Nearly $3 million savings per year by moving our data processing and software development to India.
  • $400,000 savings per year by outsourcing the printing, storage and mailing of publications.
  • $250,000 savings per year through the new club invoicing system.
  • $100,000 savings per year through Rotary’s continued move to digital publications and reduction in printed materials.
 
The proposed increase passed on a vote of 317 yes to 197 no.
 
Wrote Hewko in a post-COL release, “The world’s foremost membership and service organization, Rotary has remained strong through careful investment in our clubs and districts, while other membership organizations have failed or are contracting.  The $4 annual dues increase – less than 8 cents a week – combined with good stewardship, will enable Rotary to deliver to the clubs and districts what they have requested, along with providing the tools needed to attract new members and support new clubs.”
 
Supported by the Council’s action, Rotary will have the necessary resources and capacity to prepare for and achieve a strong future.
 
(Hover over the photos to see the caption)
 
Read more...
DISTRICT GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE BY JUNE 1ST
Applications for district grants in the 2016-17 fiscal year are due by midnight June 1, 2016. Applications are submitted through  http://www.matchinggrants.org/  District 5400 has $53,000 available for distribution to clubs through a block grant from The Rotary Foundation.  Criteria for grants in the coming year and instructions for making application are available under Grants/TRF District Grants at www.rotary5400.org.  Please read the Terms & Conditions for Rotary Foundation Grants (also in the Grants area of our website) and the instructions before you apply. If you have questions, please contact Jedd Thomas jedd.thomas@bankofcommerce.org or District Rotary Foundation Chair Marianne Barker, mb@mariannebarker.com
POLIO UPDATE
What is the Polio Picture?  It's a picture of a child receiving a Trivalent Oral Polio vaccination in India.  The last case of Wild Type 2 Polio was identified in India in 1999.  Since then, all Type 2 cases have been vaccine induced.  The switch to the Bivalent (without Type 2) will eliminate the chance of vaccine induced Type 2 cases in the future.   Could 2016 be the year of the final Polio case?
 
Celebration - This past week we celebrated the 61st anniversary of the Salk Vaccine being declared safe and effective.  The Salk Oral Polio Vaccine has led to a 99.9% reduction in Polio cases worldwide!  We also celebrate Canada's announced $40 million donation to support Polio eradication in Pakistan to be paid over the next three years.
  
The Big Switch -   April 17 marks the beginning of the largest and fastest globally coordinated rollout of a vaccine into routine immunization programs in history. Between 17 April and 1 May, 155 countries and territories around the world will stop using the trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV), which protects against all three strains of wild poliovirus, and replace it with bivalent OPV (bOPV), which protects against the remaining two wild polio strains, types 1 and 3. This effort will provide better protection for children against polio, particularly those most vulnerable to infection.
 
The Final Two Endemic Countries:
 
Pakistan - One Polio case reported this week.  Eight Polio cases reported in 2016 with 54 cases recorded in 2015  The most recent case, with the onset of paralysis on 03/22/16 was from the Bannu district, Khyber Paktunkhwa.  No new Polio positive environmental samples reported this week.  Sub-National Immunization Days are planned for April 18-21 using Bivalent OPV. 
  
Afghanistan - No Polio case reported in Afghanistan this week.  Two Polio cases reported in 2016 with 20 cases recorded in 2015. The most recent case was reported on 2/01/16 from the Kunar Province. No new Polio-positive environmental samples collected this week.  Sub-National Immunization Days and are planned for April 19-22.
 
Post Endemic - Nigeria - No Polio cases reported in 2016 with 0 cases recorded in 2015.  The most recent case was reported on 7/24/14. 
Importation Countries - Ethiopia (0-2015, 1-2014), Cameroon (0-2015, 5-2014), Somalia (0-2015, 5-2014), Iraq (0-2015, 2- 2014), Syria (0-2015,1-2014), & Equatorial Guinea (0-2015, 5-2014).
  
DISTRICT AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO MaKIA PEREZ OF RIGBY
MaKia Perez was chosen as first recipient of the Rotary District 5400 Scholarship. She received $500 in the form of a reimbursement for tuition and books for both the Fall 2015 semester and the Spring 2016 semester. MaKia is attending Idaho State University with a Pre-Pharmacy major and is a graduate of Rigby High School. 
 
Some of the highlights of MaKia's application that elevated her to the top for the scholarship selection committee in this competition include:
 
--3.98 GPA
--Involved in Interact (Vice President)
--Organized a blood drive and highway cleanup, and was involved in soup kitchen as well as an international project
--Excellent work history
--Attending Idaho State University majoring in Pre-Pharmacy with a goal to complete within 5 years
--Application carefully and thoughtfully completed, and free of errors
 
MaKia has this to say about receiving this award: "Rotary District 5400: Thank you very much for this amazing scholarship. Having the support of organizations such as yours makes a huge difference to my life and to my studies. Thanks to your support, I can focus more of my efforts on bettering myself both as a scholar and a community member. Thank you for investing in me--I hope I can continue living up to your organization's high standards of excellence, and that one day I can use my education to give back to our community." --MaKia Perez
BLOCK GRANT FINAL REPORTS DUE MAY 15TH
Remember Block Grant Final Reports Due May 15th!
New Grant Application for the 2016-2017 year -Deadline June 1st!!!

Just a quick reminder, if you club has an open grant application and the project is complete a final report must be submitted and copies of invoices uploaded to the matching grants web site no later than May 15th, 2016 at http://www.matchinggrants.org. 

Detailed instruction for completion of these reports are located on the district website under the grants tab. Or the final report can be found in matching grants under the the description tab at the bottom of the page.

If your project is not complete, a progress report must be done by May 15th, using the history log in the matching grants web site. All that needs to be done is make a note, giving a brief description of when the project started, percentage of completion, and estimated date to be done with the project.

Reporting on open grants must be up-to-date for a club to apply for a new grant for the 2016-2017 year, so lets be proactive and help improve our communities.
EMMETT PREPARES FOR YOUTH AUCTION
Have you ever wanted to hear Jason Aldean in person?  What about a jet boat trip?  Anyone up for a couple nights in Reno?  Well, you can do one or all of these things if you win the bid at the “Flip Flop and Flamingos"present Superheroes and Villains on May 7 in the Emmett City Park.  The event will begin at 3:00 pm with a no-host social; the dinner and live auction will begin at 5:00 p.m.  Silent auction tables will be closing at various times throughout the evening.  In addition to the silent and live auctions, we are also holding a Dessert Auction.
 
Individual dinner tickets are $50 each and are available from Kathy Buck, klrainbow49@gmail.com.    VIP/Corporate sponsorships are available for $500 which includes a reserved table at the dinner for six, free raffle tickets and free ‘bucket draw’ tickets as well as a chance to win $600 cash that night.  We currently have 34 VIP/Corporate sponsors but there is always room for more!  Contact Tim Fleming at timfleminglaw@gmail.com if you are interested in becoming a VIP/Corporate sponsor.
Read more...
SIERRA LEONE PROJECT IS PROGRESSING!
Jon Bart, of the Boise downtown club, reports that  "ever since the Rotary Foundation International Grant was approved a month ago we've been working feverishly to get the equipment installed and tested.  A few days ago we began production with a staff of 50. They come from all 9 villages.  Half are women".  Cassava tubers are harvested by hand, transported to the new factory, peeled, washed, grated and pressed. After roasting, the final product, called "gari", is bagged and ready for sale. To see more about how your Rotary Foundation support promotes economic activity, visit http://www.villagehopeinc.org/
IDAHO FALLS' CREATIVITY ROCKS!
Fellow Rotarian, Ida Hardcastle, received a Paul Harris Fellow pin in a very interested way - via mini-parachute. Ida was responsible for making 150 Farr's Candy mini-parachutes that were dropped from planes during last year's Great Snake River Idaho Falls Duck Race. There's one thing this club is NOT lacking and that’s creativity!
 
Before our luncheon Kevin Call and Mike O'Bleness (two Rotarians that provided extra PH points by transfer to IDA) met and ran fishing line up to the ceiling where a mini parachute and the PH Pin was suspended. After inviting Ida up to receive her certificate the guys cut the fishing line and the pin .... attached to a mini parachute ...... floated down from the ceiling. Very few members had noticed that the parachute was up on the ceiling so the honoree and most members were startled to see the parachute descending.
HELP WANTED - DISTRICT NEEDS EXECUTIVE
Rotary District 5400 is looking for candidates to support the District as Executive Assistant.  The Executive Assistant will maintain the permanent office for District.  The Executive Assistant will:
 
  1. Assist the District Governor/District Leadership Council in budget preparation, scheduling, conference planning, and ensuring deadlines are met.
  2. Assist the District Treasurer with maintaining District financial records and budget.
  3. Assist the District Secretary with maintaining district records of official meetings and other important data.
  4. Assist the District Governor Elect with preparing for a successful PETS.
  5. Assist the Past District Governor with nominating and selecting candidates for District Governor.
  6. Assist the District Rotary Foundation Chair with reports to RI, seminars/reception, and tracking members eligible for Paul Harris matching funds.
District Leadership wants to thank Darl Bennett for his service in this position over the past two years, and especially for his technical assistance to us all on the clubrunner website and intricacies.
 
Click here for more details about the position's requirements.
THREE TREASURE VALLEY CLUBS CELEBRATE SCHOLARS
The 11th Annual Boise Rotary Century Scholars Program was hel on April 12th in the Jordan Ballroom at Boise State. The program is sponsored by Boise Downtown, Boise Sunrise and Boise Southwest Rotary Clubs. The program recognizes the exceptional value our entire community places on high academic achievement. One hundred graduating seniors from Boise's public and non-public schools were joined by 100 educators who had been invited by the students as teachers who had had a significant influence in their academic career. Click here to see the program booklet.
JOIN US AT THE ZOO ON MAY 4TH

Save the evening of Wednesday May 4th for a Rotary Night at Zoo Boise hosted by the zoo director, Steve Burns.  This event is open to Rotarians, friends and family starting at 5:30 PM and will run until 8:30 PM.  In addition to viewing animals and displays without the crowds, zoo attractions such as giraffe feeding will also be open.  A presentation describing Idaho's unique relationship with Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park and the zoo's planned Gorongosa exhibit will also be given.  Adult tickets are $20 each and $10 for family members and friends under the age of 16.  There will plenty of food and drinks, including beer and wine (donations encouraged).

 

All proceeds from Rotary Zoo Night will go towards the Gorongosa Global Grant, initiated by Boise Sunrise, which will expand medical services to remote communities surrounding Gorongosa Park by training additional medical personnel and improving transport capability.  Come support the Rotary Clubs from Sunrise, East, Southwest, and Metro and Emmett as they close out their money raising efforts for this worthwhile cause and enjoy a wonderful night in the company of friends, family and fellow Rotarians at the same time.

See Idaho Public Television's documentary "The Idaho Gorongosa Connection" at www.idahoptv.org.

 

TREASURE VALLEY CLUBS CELEBRATE ETHICS
On April 14th about 160 Rotarians from clubs around the Treasure Valley gathered at the Historic Hoff Building in Boise to celebrate Ethics in Business. Thanks to Boise Downtown for organizing this annual event. Here are the honorees:
 
  • Bryan Elliot, Blue Harbor Senior Living
  • KaLinn Dishion, Group One Realty
  • Joe Levitch, Levco Builders
  • Jane Gordon, Park Gordon Law
  • Tim Kristovich, Kristy Construction
  • Meg Carlson, Prosperity Organic Foods
  • Marty Cullen, A-l Plumbing
  • Jim Paxton, Snake River Pool & Spas
  • Roy Dransfield, Frontier Cinema Emmett
  • Shelley Eichmann, Windermere Real Estate
  • Dallas Crum, Connor Kingsbury, Dylan Carlson and Trevor Bostrom - Vivid Roots
Joe Levitch speaksRoy Dransfield speaksIn addition, PDG Marianne Barker present a Paul Harris Fellowship to Diana Fields, daughter of former DG Dick Fields.
RE-ENGAGE FORMER MEMBERS
We are always challenged to find new members. Have you ever considered tracking down former members to see if they might be interested in rejoining? Members leave our clubs for a variety of reasons. Occasionally, that reason no longer exists and they might be open to an invitation to return. Did you know that for our district there are 2200 former members? Yikes! And, you probably don't even know who they are. Am I right?
 
We can help. If your club uses Club Runner, you go into the admin page and look at "Download Member Data" to find all your former members. For those who don't have CR, I can give you access to that data through the district website. Just let me know. Who knows, there might be some plum names in there just waiting to be asked!
SOCIALNOMICS - we gotta keep up!
 
SHORT SUBJECTS
  • Idaho Falls Rotary has prepared a TED talk for District Conference: "How to Organize a Successful Community Food Packing Event" The Idaho Falls Rotary Club will be presenting our very successful international service project, Helping Hands for Haiti, which helped deliver 500,000 meals to the poorest of the poor in Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 2015
  • Emmett Rotary has successfully adopted RI's new "Innovative and Flexible Rotary Club" model, attracting 4 new members this year through the program. From RI: "Innovative and flexible Rotary clubs are fun, dynamic, diverse, resilient, tolerant, interested in trying new things, proactive, member driven, results oriented, resourceful, inspirational, and relationship rich. They support and strengthen their membership, focus and increase their humanitarian service, and enhance their public image and awareness. The RI Board of Directors has approved expanding the Innovation and Flexibility pilot from 200 to 1,000 clubs, effective 1 July 2015 through 30 June 2017. These Innovative and Flexible Rotary Club pilot guidelines include purpose statement".
  • Check Your Location - Please take a minute to look over the District website, and www.idahorotary.org, to make sure we have your meeting location correct.....especially on the map.  Occasionally, a club changes its meeting location without letting the outside world know about it. That makes a visitation very difficult!