District 6330 monthly Zoom, Above, Gay Ratcliffe introduced Rotary International President Nominee, Jennifer Jones, Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland

Jennifer is focusing on the issue of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). A Task Force has been started at Rotary International (RI) with the intent to make this issue a priority. With regard to gender, females make up 24% of Rotary membership; she feels that they are an "underperforming market share". In the Caribbean, females are at gender parity with males. With regard to age diversity, RI has recently recognized Rotaractors as a distinct membership type. This is an attempt to transition more than our previous rate of 5% of Rotaractors to Rotary. Recently, our club was recognized for its support for Rotaract Canada. She encouraged us to seek out young thinkers with progressive new ideas of ways to do our work. Members should have a diverse perspective with the goal of assisting the resolution of the world's most pressing challenges. If members were all bankers and business people, what would our club be like? We should walk together arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder as people of action as we help our community both locally and internationally. Rotary is a great platform for us to stand on. She thanked us for being the leaders that we are.

 

As in the above, Jennifer conferred "Global Citizen" recognition from RI President, Holger Knaack and from RI Foundation Chair, K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran, on Nick and Charlie Torra. Nick and Charlie are great mentors from Windsor, now living in Wiarton. They are very proud of Jennifer and have been contributing to the foundation "slowly and steadily" since 1987.

Jim Swan led a Q&A by first recognizing the 4H Club comments Jennifer made as pointed out a Rotarian on chat. Regarding membership imbalance by race: We need to be more intentional about including and encouraging members of those of different ethnic/colour background or sexual orientation. We are "better when we are like our community at large". Jennifer encouraged us to start a DEI committee.

Should we adjust the qualification for membership? Currently, we accept members that suit us; she asked us to be honest with ourselves about that way of increasing membership.

Jim asked Jennifer if she had barriers/obstacles to overcome to become RI President Nominee. "I was never on [the RI] Board as a woman, but as a Rotarian"; but there were hurdles to overcome. Rotarians are equal with each other within the membership. She knew a gentleman, now 90 years, old who previously opposed the position that women be included in the membership. Now he just wants a hug.

Good leaders give away.

 

Please see the screenshot below: Kirk Langford (District Media Chair) and Sam Gowanlock of the Rotaract Club of Goderich(picture taken from their Facebook page). They presented helpful information our club could use to further develop our social media presence. Please see the following website for useful tools to dazzle on the web with social media: https://www.canva.com/

 

More on EndPolioNow:

 

District Governor David closed by reporting that 600 have attended the noon meetings of the District. He encouraged us at this time of year, to connect with someone struggling. He recognized several ethnic holiday celebrations that I did not know about. Please see a link to the webinar for members on the District web site.

 

 

Congratulations to Trudy and Connie as they made the front page of the Times-Journal 11Dec20 with their cheque to Habitat for Humanity.

 

The Music Festival Committee, club members, and the Rotary Club of St Thomas Foundation have been busy with Festival preparation! Stay tuned.