Today we finished the last of the mid-winter assemblies. This year, we held sessions in Pocatello, Twin Falls and Boise. My thanks to each of the clubs who “hosted” the assemblies: Pocatello Gate City, Blue Lakes and Boise Sunrise. Each club took care of registration, logistics, location, lunches and morning coffee/pastries. I certainly appreciate all the extra help with those areas, allowing us to focus on the presentation and content.
One of the most valuable aspects of mid-winter assemblies is the time spent giving ourselves a candid assessment of how the year has been going. This year, we began each session with a “You First!” segment, spending about an hour and a half on whatever topics came to mind and were of interest to the participants. I can tell you that the District leadership team heard a number of things that will cause us to reevaluate our communications strategies, and hopefully lead to more productive (and less intrusive) communications on various district activities. The candid, constructive and critical comments will allow the District to do a better job of serving the clubs.
We now turn the calendar to what will hopefully be the highlight of your Rotary year: District Conference. The registration is now open, and the hotel room block is available (at VERY favorable rates starting at $130). The deadline for the room block is April 15, so please reserve yours early to assure the good rates. Click here to register.
Conference registration comes with a large discount until April 4….. so DO NOT DELAY in reserving for district conference. We have an outstanding program, and you really shouldn’t miss this opportunity for renewal, reflection, inspiration and celebration.
I recently sent out an email describing the “Club Showcase” and “Rotary TED Talks” opportunities at District Conference. I’ve already had some expressions of interest to participate. We will need more, though, and I hope you take the opportunity to lend your voice and story to help other clubs in our district understand how we can make all clubs better. This is also a time for each club to share a story, photo and/or insight into their clubs with all the other clubs in the district. While each of our clubs is proud of their individual traditions and character (and characters!), we all share far more than we realize. I certainly saw this commonality when I visited each of the clubs, and I’m hoping the opportunity to showcase your club a bit will allow us all to view ourselves as part of a broader Rotary community instead of 43 separate “siloed” clubs.
Please register for District Conference and spend a weekend with us on May 13 and 14 in Sun Valley. I hope to see you there.
Finally, and on a longer timeframe, please calendar the end of October, 2016, for the Zone Institute in Salt Lake City. Our Rotary Zone leaders are planning a very educational conference, and since it will be in Salt Lake City this year, attending the Zone Institute will be more affordable than ever. Please calendar October 27 through mid-day on the 31st, which includes attendance at a Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance! I hope you can make it!
The District Conference agenda (which is available on the homepage under the DC tab) has times built in to show videos in the "Club Showcase". Using just your iphone, make a video which highlights your club's special activities. Nothing fancy, just a few minutes. Send your video clip to Ken Howell via email. We'll show these at lunch on both Friday and Saturday Maybe you have budding cinematographers in your club!
Another cool thing we can do at those luncheons is hear what we call "TED Talks". You all know how they work. Find your members who have fascinating stories to tell. You can find the rules and application form on the homepage.
Posted by Laurence Gebhardt, Pocatello Centennial
on Mar 27, 2016
Pocatello Centennial Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Orchid City, Shillong, India collaborated to develop a Rotary Global Grant to improve a small village clinic in Jongksha, in the northeastern India state of Meghalaya.
The clinic, owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Shillong, serves a very poor and isolated rural population of nearly 17,000 people. Rotarians have helped with building maintenance for many years. In 2014, Sanju Choudhury, then Centennial Rotary President, visited the clinic, told its story back home and arranged Skype conference calls. A needs assessment and budget that would fit in a $35,000 grant was created. The Pocatello club raised $10,000 with Rexburg and East Idaho Falls clubs assisting along with additional funds from the Shillong Rotary Club and matching funds from the two districts plus The Rotary Foundation. A group of Rotarians and citizens from Pocatello, American Falls and Idaho Falls visited the clinic in November, 2015 to complete detailed grant information. The Global Grant was approved in February, 2016.
Posted by Kathy Buck, Emmett Rotary
on Mar 27, 2016
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.
Our District has received a Rotary Young Professionals Grant from Rotary International called "Renew Rotary" in the amount if $15,000 to host an event aimed at Rotary's Young Professionals. The implementation team is in the initial planning stages and they plan to host four events that will occur in August and September. If you’re interested in being a part of the planning team, please contact Jennifer Deroin at d5400jderoin18.19@gmail.com. More information will be forthcoming about dates and participation details once they’re finalized.
Posted by Marianne Barker, Foundation Chair
on Mar 27, 2016
The former Ambassadorial Scholarship is back as a Global Grant Scholar. Redesigned to fit the parameters of a global grant from The Rotary Foundation, our first scholarship will fund graduate level study at a recognized university outside the U.S. for academic year 2016-17. No club contribution is required. The scholarship will be funded with $15,000 of District Designated Funds (DDF) with matching $15,000 from the Rotary Foundation World Fund.
As District 5400’s first endeavor to fund a global grant scholar, this is a pilot project. It will allow us to work through the requirements of the new global grant system as it pertains to scholarships.
The scholarship is a bit different from the old Ambassadorial Scholarship in that a student must study in one of the six areas of focus for global grants and must demonstrate a sustainable outcome as a result of the course of study. The club nominating the student must find a partner club in the Rotary district of study who will agree to provide an in-country Rotary host counselor.
Posted by Steve Merrill, Boise Sunrise Rotary
on Mar 27, 2016
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.
Posted by Terry Ziegler, Rotary Foundation Committee Chair, District 589
on Mar 27, 2016
Dear Polio Eradication Warriors,
I'm happy to report NO Polio cases reported worldwide this week.
What is that Polio Picture? It's a demonstration of the Plus in Polio Plus - a healthy child, demonstrating Polio Eradication's Broad Benefits for Africa. See this short video to see how the Polio Eradication Program has helped shape health services in Africa https://vimeo.com/156371519 Could 2016 be the year of the final Polio case?
In Case You Missed It - We are now 4 weeks until the globally synchronized switch from the trivalent to the bivalent oral Polio vaccine - eliminating the Type 2 component.
The District is seeking individuals that are savvy in social media to serve as “Club Representatives” to post content to the District’s Facebook page. The content will typically include pictures of service projects and other Rotary events. If you’re interested, please contact Jennifer Deroin at d5400jderoin18.19@gmail.com to learn more.
We had a great PETS this year. We were honored to have special presentations by Lisa Herring, our Zone 27/21b Public Image Coordinator. She shows us that "Rotary Has Heart" for sure!
I am really excited about the year to come. District 5400 has a great group of Club leaders and I know we will grow Rotary in Idaho and do more good in the World!
I will be sending a survey to ask Club President’s Elect to help us delivery training the Clubs need. Please fill out the short survey. I hope to have all of the training dates identified and on the District website by July 1, 2016.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards is an intensive leadership training program for young adults. District 5400 hosts incoming juniors through outgoing seniors in high school for a 4-day leadership camp at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho. Talented young people will attend seminars, workshops and participate in experiential exercises in the form of a ropes course throughout the camp.
RYLA 2016 will be held August 4-7. Students sign up for RYLA by filling out the application form here: RYLA District 5400. Applications are due by April 15th.
Bus transportation from eastern Idaho will be available.
Posted by Todd Fischer, Boise Rotary
on Mar 27, 2016
On March 22nd, The Rotary Foundation approved a Poverty Reduction Global Grant to commercialize cassava production in Massory, Sierra Leone. Led by international partner the Rotary Club of Boise downtown and host partner the Rotary Club of Freetown, Sierra Leone, the $221,000 project has additional financial support from the Rotary Clubs of Boise Metro, Ketchum-Sun Valley, Hailey, Twin Falls, West Springfield VA, Alexandria VA, and Big Sky MT. The Global Grant is funded by club contributions of $45,000, individual contributions of $33,000, District Designated Funds from Rotary districts 5400, 7610, and 5390 of $52,000 and The World Fund of The Rotary Foundation for $91,000.
Cassava is a tropical and subtropical plant whose tubers are used to make flour, starch, ethanol and the snack product gari. The project primarily will equip a factory building constructed by NGO partner Village Hope with the machinery necessary to process locally grown cassava for wider distribution, creating jobs and improving the economy of the community. Massory and many other West African communities were hit hard by the ebola crisis. This Rotary Foundation global grant project will be a big step for the community in helping it to reduce poverty, generating money for schools, health care, water, sanitation, and other community-driven improvements.
Boise Downtown Rotary says “thank you” to all those individuals and clubs that helped make this global grant possible.
Are you a Club Leader? If so, make sure to register for the fourth quarter leadership call where Blue Lakes Rotary Club President Terry Rowe will be presenting “How to Run a Great Meeting”. Meeting vitality is important to membership engagement, participation and retention. The calls are scheduled for April 15th at 9:00 a.m. and April 20th at 5:30 p.m. The calls will last approximately 45 minutes. Register for one of the call-in times in the event section of the district’s home page.
Posted by Marie Baker, Nampa Rotary
on Mar 27, 2016
Nampa Rotary has been an ardent supporter of RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) and has committed to sending at least three students to this event each year. In the spring of 2014, our Rotary RYLA coordinator, Honey Goodman was so effective in recruiting that our club was able to send nine students to RYLA. Ms. Goodman secured funds from other clubs to make sure these students could experience this leadership opportunity.
The two Interact clubs that we now have are the result of RYLA attendance in 2014. Several of the students were from Skyview High School and one was from Homedale High School and they decided that they would form Interact Clubs at their schools. We received the charter for Skyview in summer of 2015 and we just received the charter for Homedale, which was backdated to 2014.
Signing up for Rotary Direct makes giving to the Rotary Foundation, Polio Plus or any specific Rotary cause a real breeze! You can donate any amount you want and do it monthly, quarterly, annually, direct from your bank account or credit card. Just $10 per month automatically makes you a "Sustaining Member" and helps your club meet its "Every Rotarian Every Year". And sympathize with your club Treasurer! Using Rotary direct means the Treasurer does not have the burden and accounting for your contributions and remembering to send it in. Know why your club never seems to look good on Marianne's Foundation reports? - your Treasurer still has your money! Boise Metro Rotary had an incentive program to get every member to sign up - they now have 80% compliance! Click here to sign up!
"Rotary Has Heart" is a new program introduced by Zones 21b and 27 to show how much Rotary cares.......that Rotary Has Heart! There are 1900 clubs in our Zones and if we all work together, imagine the impact we can have by promoting the image and work of Rotary.
For all the good work being done by our districts and clubs, many people simply don't know what a Rotary club is or does, and why they should be part of Rotary. We need to talk about what Rotary does and make sure our communities know how much our clubs care.
In the Rotary Has Heart program, any project, new or ongoing, can work! The best projects will be those that:
Engage as many members as possible
Address a community need
Reflects and incorporates a Rotary Avenue of Service and focus area
Attracts news and social media
Uses the RI brand guidelines and logos
Helps builds the communities knowledge of our clubs
The program has no beginning or end. But perhaps April would be ideal time to promote your club activities.
Go to the District website and look under the "Best Practices" tab for more information.
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Shillong, serves a very poor and isolated rural population of nearly 17,000 people. Rotarians have helped with building maintenance for many years. In 2014, Sanju Choudhury, then Centennial Rotary President, visited the clinic, told its story back home and arranged Skype conference calls. A needs assessment and budget that would fit in a $35,000 grant was created. The Pocatello club raised $10,000 with Rexburg and East Idaho Falls clubs assisting along with additional funds from the Shillong Rotary Club and matching funds from the two districts plus The Rotary Foundation. A group of Rotarians and citizens from Pocatello, American Falls and Idaho Falls visited the clinic in November, 2015 to complete detailed grant information. The Global Grant was approved in February, 2016. 
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Save the evening of Wednesday May 4th for a Rotary Night at 
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.
