RotaryDistrict 7620Newsletter

February 2018INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Governor’s Report 1

2020-21 District Governor Selected 2

Rotary Membership Toolbox 2

Upcoming District Events 2

Rotary Foundation Recognition 3

District Scholarship Competition 3

Valentine’s Gala 3

Rotary Leadership Institute 4

15th Black Tie and Diamonds Gala 4

Peace Scholar Report 5

Drug Education Video Contest 6

Operation Warm 6

Rotary Means Business 7

Melwood Vehicle Donations 8

Quote of the Month 8

END POLIO NOW LUNCHEON RAISED $30,000by Governor Greg Wims

Rotarians were busy and productive during the month of January. We held an “End Polio Now” luncheon which beat our goal and raised close to $30,000 with the Bill Gates Foundation match. Ambassador Susan Rice was the keynote speaker and she told us we must finish the task. We must end polio and we must continue to raise funds. I must thank the following Rotarians and sponsors that made it a success: PDG Claude Morissette who is our District’s Polio Chair. He welcomed our guests and gave the overview of Rotary’s 30 year history with ending polio. Special thanks to our sponsors: Congressional Bank, Rotarian John Hanson, (B-CC Rotary Club), Rotarian Chris Jones (B-CC Rotary Club), Rotarian Ashby Chamberlin ( B-CC Rotary Club), PDG Claude Morissette (Potomac Rotary Club) and Rotary District Governor Nominee Barton Goldenberg (Metro Bethesda Rotary Club). A special thanks to our Prime Sponsor David Trone, Founder and President, Total Wine and Beer. Mr. Trone has agreed to join the Potomac Rotary Club and to sponsor District 7620’s Saturday breakfast at the District Conference on May 5th. I am asking all of our Clubs in District 7620 to increase their polio giving this year.

There is wonderful news coming out of the Towsontowne Rotary Club: Towsontowne

has started two new Satellite Clubs! We thank President Neil Young and his Board as well as AG Ed Podowski. We now have four Satellite Clubs in District 7620 with two more in the works. Satellite Clubs

help us bring in new members and provide us the opportunity to “Make A Difference” in our communities.

In other exciting news Marilyn Cruz from the

Washington, DC, Club and District Chair for

Rotaract Clubs opened a new Interact club at a High School in Washington, DC, with 27 students (Columbia Heights Educational Campus). I am proud to announce that I have appointed her to a second leadership position. She is the new Interact Chair for our District and our Rotaract Chair. Please congratulate her.

Finally, please mark your calendars for May 4th and 5th to attend our District Conference. It will be held at the Marriott

Conference Center in College Park. PDG Tamie Babb from District 5750 will represent International President Ian Riseley. PDG Babb lives in Hendersonville. Tennessee. Maryland

Governor Hogan, David Trone and United States Senator Chris Van

Hollen have been scheduled. We have several breakout sessions at the District Conference including Opioid Education, Conflict Resolution and Girls Education to name a few.

February 23 marks the 113th anniversary of the founding of Rotary International.

ACTION NEWSROTARY DISTRICT 7620 NEWSLETTER

CENTRAL MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON DC, USA

[Above] District Governor Greg Wims, Ambassador Susan Rice and Ambassador Johnny Young at the End Polio Now Rotary event on January 25, 2018. $30,000

was raised for Polio eradication.

[Above] Rotary International President-Elect Barry Rassin is flanked by District Governor Greg Wims and

PDG Peter Kyle.

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UpcomingDistrictEvents

February 17-19RYLAChevy Chase

February 24Rotary Leadership Institute RLI - Towson

March 1-3Chesapeake PETS

March 17Rotary Leadership Institute RLI - Fairfax, VA

April 27Rotary Leadership Institute RLI - La Plata

May 4-5District Conference

June 23-27Rotary International Convention, Toronto, Canada

By PDG Anna-Mae Kobbe

District 7620 is pleased to announce the selection of Mrs. Jimmie Gorski as the new District Governor Nominee Designate. Jimmie will become the District Governor Nominee July 1 and will serve as District Governor for 2020-2021.

Jimmie is a member of the Rotary Club of Upper Marlboro, where she has held numerous leadership positions. As club president in 2004-2005, she received the Donal Lee Chamberlin Award for Outstanding President in District 7620 and her club received the District 7620 Centennial Award for Best Small Club. Jimmie is an Area Governor and currently serves as both The Rotary Foundation Scholarship Chair and programs coordinator for the Rotary Leadership Institute in District 7620. Her special interest in programs for youth and young professionals led her to serve on the District 7620 RYLA Committee from 2014-2017 and to act as facilitator at RYLA North America.

Jimmie has been a professional in the field of secondary and higher education for over thirty years with expertise in such areas as curriculum development and language acquisition and development. She also worked extensively in the area of standardized testing and supervised master’s degree candidates before moving fulltime into educational administration to direct departments in institutional development and financial support.

Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Jimmie grew up with her family in the Moravian community of Salem, North Carolina. She began her affiliation with Duke University during a joint federally and privately funded pilot program that became the Governor’s School. After earning her undergraduate degree, she

was awarded graduate degrees at both the University of North Carolina and the University of Maryland and completed post graduate studies at Georgetown University.

Jimmie and husband Sigmund live in Huntingtown, Maryland, where they enjoy the serenity of Calvert County while remaining close to the cultural opportunities of metropolitan areas. In nearby Prince Frederick they have achieved a long-time dream of establishing

a space museum and science center where they share their passion for the study of space exploration with those in their community. Jimmie and Sig have one son Albert (Al) who lives in Durham, North Carolina, where he is pursuing a Ph. D. in computer science with a specialty in systems security.

Candidates for District Governor must have been a Rotarian for seven years, successfully completed a full term as Club President, exhibit club and district leadership experience, knowledge of Rotary, and commit to serving from their selection through their year as Past District Governor. They also agree to complete all training and preparation required by Rotary International.

ROTARY MEMBERSHIP TOOLBOXBy Ronnie Teitler Davis, District 7620 Membership and Engagement Chair

Greetings everyone,

We are one month into 2018 and four months until our Rotary New Year! What are you doing to increase your membership? A plan that is not written down is a dream - write it down and make sure your whole club knows the goals of membership.

Rotary has changed and that is a

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JIMMIE GORSKI TO LEAD DISTRICT 2020-2021

conversation starter to talk to potential members at all events. To quote our zone coordinator Chris Jones, “We are a membership organization that delivers service. It’s the quality, depth and capacity of our membership that will allow for the greatest service impact, which is why our focus on membership is so mission critical.”

Look at all that Rotary does not only in your community, but worldwide. Who doesn’t want to make a difference. Increasing our membership gives greater leverage and funds.

It is all about the goals and your plan. If you have any questions about satellite clubs, corporate memberships and soon to come family memberships, please contact me at RonnieDavis@LongstreamCT.com

CLUBS RECOGNIZED BY ROTARY INTERNATIONALBy PDG Anna-Mae Kobbe

John Germ, Rotary International President 2016-2017, recently awarded the prestigious Presidential Citation to four clubs in District 7620: Capitol Hill, Frederick, Lexington Park, and Metro Bethesda. To receive the Presidential Citation, clubs must excel in accomplishing 10 goals in membership attraction and engagement, public image, foundation giving, humanitarian service, online tool adoption, and work with new generations. The goals were challenging and required clubs to demonstrate impacts in all

areas.

Charlotte Hall, Capitol Hill, and Columbia-Patuxent Top Per Capita SupportersRotary Foundation Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee and Rotary International President John Germ are pleased to recognize the following clubs for their support of The Rotary Foundation 2016-2017:

The top three per capita giving clubs to The Rotary Foundation during the 2016-2017 Rotary year were Charlotte Hall, Capitol Hill, and Columbia-Patuxent. This designation requires a minimum $50 per capita level of giving.

Eight clubs were recognized as 100% Foundation Giving Clubs. These are clubs in whichevery dues-paying member contributes a minimum of $25 to any Rotary Foundation gift designation and the club per capita giving average contribution is a least $100. Clubs recognized were Aberdeen, Gaithersburg, Glen Burnie, Greenbelt, Metro Bethesda, Potomac-Bethesda, Prince Frederick, and Prince George’s County.

Five clubs were recognized as Every Rotarian, Every-Year Clubs. They were Glen Burnie,Gaithersburg, Metro Bethesda, Potomac-Bethesda, Prince Frederick. To be recognized, every dues-paying member must contribute a minimum of $25 to the Annual Fund with a per capita giving of at least $100.

DISTRICT 7620 POST-SECONDARY SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITIONBy Neil Fay, District Post-Secondary Scholarship Chair

All clubs are invited to submit one candidate as a finalist for one of two competitive $5000 scholarships provided by District 7620. The deadline for candidate package submission is Friday, April 6, 2018. The application and instructions are posted on the District website under the headings of “Foundation” and then “Scholarships/Fellowships.” To be eligible, applicants must reside in our district, not be related to a Rotarian, and plan to start enrollment (First Year) in an accredited US college,

university or technical school for AY2018-2019. Local Rotary Clubs will review their applicants and forward their finalist to the District Post-Secondary Scholarship Review Committee. Finalists will interview at the District level on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Scholarship funds will be sent to the academic institution of winning scholars to cover tuition, room, board and books. District point of contact is Neil Fay at neilfay302@gmail.com

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By Ken Montville

It’s not too late to sign up for the Rotary Leadership Institute.

The next RLI will be held on Saturday, February 24th in Towson at Goucher College. It starts at 8:30 with breakfast and registration. The day includes lunch and a mid-afternoon munchie break. All for the price of your registration.

The best part is that your Club can get reimbursed by sending multiple members to RLI and lower the cost for everyone (contact Bob Parkinson at bobparkinson@hughes.net for all the details).

Join other Rotarians from around the area to share ideas and learn new things about Rotary.

It’s easy to register:

1. Go to http://www.rli33.org/

2. Click on Event Registration

3. Scroll down to TOWSON and choose Part 1,2 or 3

4. At the next page scroll down to TOWSON and pick Part 1,2, or 3

5. You will be on the final registration and payment page.

6. Click on “Register Now – Individual Registration” (it’s highlighted in yellow)

That’s all there is to it. It’s a great time and well worth it.

Post Script from Bob Parkinson, District 7620 RLI Chair:

There are two reimbursement policies in effect, one for District 7620 and one for Mid-Atlantic RLI.

1. From District 3for2 (342) – if three from the same club attend the same venue Part I, the club will be reimbursed for one.

2. From Mid-Atlantic RLI 4for3 (443) – if four from the same club attend the same venue in any or all Parts, the club will be reimbursed for one.

You can reach me at 301-751-2114 if you have questions.

I look forward to meeting many of you at our future RLI seminars.

By Mary P. Felter

Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Black Tie and Diamonds Gala hosted by the Rotary Club of Annapolis. The benefit will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Westin Annapolis Hotel at Westgate Circle in Annapolis. Valet parking will be available.

Guests can enjoy an open bar and hors d’oeuvres while perusing a silent auction with many great items up for bid. Following will be a seated surf and turf dinner with a live auction. There will be special items, great trips, and a signature diamond piece donated by Zachary’s. The evening will be topped with a decadent dessert and dancing to music by NightLife Band.

Annually the Rotary Club of Annapolis selects a charity to benefit from the proceeds. This year the beneficiary is the Y in Central Maryland, Anne Arundel County programs. Located on Governor Ritchie Highway in Arnold and on Magothy Beach Road in Pasadena, the Y provides programs for the entire family; helps at-risk youth with mentoring, leadership and skills development; and has facilities such as pools, gyms and racquetball courts.

Gala tickets are $175 per person and $1,750 for a table of 10. It is possible to select a table in the ballroom. To purchase, go to http://www.annapolisrotary.org/black-tie-diamonds. For information, call 410-693-6975.

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TIME RUNNING OUT FOR RLI REGISTRATION

[Above] Ambassador Susan Rice with Delores Edwards, President Baltimore City Rotary Club and Elaine Scales member.

[Right] “Carroll Creek Clipper”, The Rotary Club Of Carroll Creek’s entry in the Colour on the Creek Winter Solstice festival in a frozen Carroll Creek in Downtown Frederick

[Below] Governor Greg Wims and Delores Edwards, President Baltimore City Rotary Club, at the 97th Annual Oyster Roast.

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[Above] Pierre Thompson is a Rotary Pellow Fellow from class XV at Uppsala University. He represents District 7620 of Central Maryland and Washington, and his past involvement in California includes Rotary Interact Club President and finalist in the Rotary Four Way Test speech contest. He has been active with the Catholic peace movement in the United States and served on the regional board for Pax Christi. During that time, he was involved in dialogue with the US bishops on nonviolence and just peace. His field studies have brought him to Israel-Palestine with Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation; and the Philippines with the Center for Peace Education. His previous work includes advocacy and outreach for the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and the Franciscan Action Network.

Pursuing Reconciliation in Palestine and IsraelBy Peace Fellow Pierre Thompson [excerpted]

I came to the Holy Land in the summer of 2017 to explore the role of narrative in the Israel-Palestine conflict. I spent three months of my Applied Field Experience working with a reconciliation ministry based in Jerusalem. As a foreigner with the privilege of crossing between both societies with relative ease – but still

not easily – I noticed a common trend in Israel and Palestine: most people tend to carry on their lives as if the conflict were normal. For Palestinians, who are burdened by the conflict every day, this seems a reasonable position. But for Israelis, who feel greater prosperity and security now than during the Oslo years, normalizing the conflict amounts to a dangerous indifference that would deny any responsibility to resolve the conflict. “In both societies, Israeli and Palestinian, the life of the Palestinians is far from normal and acting ‘as if’ things were normal ignores the violation of fundamental human rights,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem cautions. “All persons and institutions involved in maintaining these relations should be aware that something ‘abnormal’ needs to be set right rather than allowing the ‘abnormal’ to become the order of the day.”

An anti-normalization movement is emerging in Palestine. Some Palestinian organizations and individuals refuse to engage with the State of Israel and its citizens unless the meetings are directed toward ending the occupation. Even Rotary International has taken a position by permitting the Rotary Clubs in Palestine to practice anti-normalization; meanwhile the Rotary Clubs in Israel complain that they have no partners to work with in Palestine. I find myself somewhat ambivalent toward this development. While I understand that Palestinians are eager to force a political change that has been too slow to arrive in Israel, there could be value in having non-political engagement with well-intentioned Israelis.

Reflection: “Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines”

By Peace Fellow Pierre Thompson [Excerpted]

Since mid-2016, extrajudicial killings (EJK) associated with President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs have claimed more than seven thousand lives, according to Amnesty International, raising significant concern over human rights violations. Last year, as many as 32 people were killed in Metro Manila in a single night. The municipality where I live has been heavily impacted by EJK due to its high concentration of the urban poor. The war on drugs may be understood as a war on the urban poor who tend to live in informal settlements; it does not threaten the affluent in their gated subdivisions.

During my time in Metro Manila, I have visited the urban poor and heard stories from bereaved family members of EJK victims. One woman begged the death squad to spare her 24-year old daughter so that she could at least visit her in prison; they shot her daughter execution-style in front of the family. Another woman prayed that the death squad would kill only her brother or his wife so that the children would not become orphans; they murdered both parents. The vigilantes showed no regard for human dignity, or due process, or trauma inflicted upon family members.

(continued on page 7)

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PURSUING RECONCILIATION IN PALESTINE, ISRAEL AND THE PHILLIPINES

By Richard Foot

As drug overdose deaths rise in Frederick County, the Smoketown Rotary Club of Brunswick is joining with the four other Rotary Clubs in the County to sponsor an innovative drug awareness program engaging elementary, middle and high school students. Through the Classmates4Life video contest, students are invited to produce short (30-60 second) public service announcements which highlight drug abuse

dangers and motivate their peers to choose life.

The county-wide video contest, endorsed by the Frederick County Public Schools, was launched in mid-December with collaborating organizational sponsors - the five Rotary Clubs in Frederick County, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department, MAC Business Solutions, Maryland International Film Festival, Wells

House, and the PTA of Frederick County.

Through the Classmates4Life video contest, students create videos to teach other classmates their views of “why drugs are

bad” (elementary level) or “how drugs wreck their world” (secondary level). In its first year the contest attracted more than 100 students. The videos, posted on YouTube, have since attracted over 50,000 views.

The Classmates4Life video entries will be accepted from February to March 1. The entries will be judged March 5-14. An expert panel of judges will review the entries. Winners will receive prizes, and attend a red carpet awards ceremony at Frederick High School on Wednesday, March 21. A promotional video is accessible at: https://youtu.be/jgvP99ViNLI or by visiting http://www.fcps.org/student-services/Classmates4Life.

COLLEGE PARK ROTARY CLUB’S OPERATION WARMBy Ken Montville, President, College Park Rotary Club

One of the projects the Rotary Club of College Park took on this year was a partnership with Operation Warm (www.operationwarm.org) to provide brand new winter coats for kids in need from kindergarten through 6th grade. A fundraising webpage was created and word got out. The College Park Rotary Club raised $5,307.

The Club partnered with The Salvation Army of Prince George’s County to arrange for 216 kids to come by for a coat distribution event. It was a great time (and cold, too).

Luckily, the Club has enough funding leftover to kickstart the project for next year and provide more winter coats for more kids in need.

FREDERICK COUNTY ROTARY CLUBS SPONSOR DRUG EDUCATION VIDEO CONTEST

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[Above] Pictured are (L-R): Smoketown Rotary Club President Judy Couillard, Frederick County Council Member Billy Shreve, and Southern Frederick County Rotary Club President Jennifer Coppitt. Shreve, as the Classmates4Life founder and creator, was instrumental in developing the drug awareness video contest.

[Below] College Park Rotary Club’s Operation Warm.

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PEACE SCHOLAR IN THE PHILLIPINES

(continued from page 5)

An extremely disturbing aspect of EJK is the hidden profit motive behind each killing. The mortuary typically arrives shortly after the incident to claim the corpse, and charges 15,000 pesos to release the body of the deceased. Because this is an impossible amount for urban poor families to pay, many victims never receive proper burial. It is rumored that the vigilantes also receive 15,000 pesos for each EJK they carry out.

The Center for Peace Education, where I am interning, exhorts the government to find nonviolent solutions to the drug problem. In September, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle invited parishes in Metro Manila to participate in a “Stop the Killings” campaign by reciting the rosary, tolling church bells and lighting candles every 8 p.m. because the death squads usually come out around that time. The nonviolent campaign culminated on November 5 with a mass at the historic EDSA Shrine and a procession to the People Power monument. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which organized the event, described it as “a religious activity that will gather the faithful to pray for forgiveness and the country’s healing amid the spate of extrajudicial killings.”

The event was full of symbolism. The mass began at 3 p.m. which the Catholic Church considers the hour of Divine Mercy. The principal celebrant, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, delivered a stern warning in his homily: “No government lasts forever. Only God is forever. Power

belongs to the people not the power-holder.” Archbishop Villegas himself was a protégé of Cardinal Jaime Sin, who had been a major force in the 1986 People Power Revolution. The Philippine Inquirer estimated that 20,000 people turned out to the monument to pray for peace. I attended the event with friends from Pax Christi Philippines; Miriam College; the Religious of the Good

Shepherd; and the Congregation of Jesus and Mary. It was extraordinary to witness both religious and political leaders strongly united against EJK. Senators issued the following statement about the procession: “We hope the united prayers of the prelates and the faithful will stir the inner voice of our leaders and those who kill the helpless to stop wasting lives and mend their ways.”

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District Governor Greg Wims814 W. Diamond Avenue, Suite 200Gaithersburg, MD 20878Phone: 301-212-4141email: gwims@boldconcepts.com

Rotary District Executive Secretary Sherry Whitworth 4064 Lomar Drive, Mt. Airy, MD 21771 Phone: 240-205-9861email: Rotary@district7620.org

DONATED VEHICLE PROJECT REMINDERBy Earl Copus, Jr.

I have often stated, the success to a donated vehicle fund raising program is the “communication-on-going reminder” to fellow Rotarians, family, friends, and business associates to donate to Rotary that “no longer to be kept” vehicle…especially encouraging potential donors to donate that “ to be traded in” vehicle. Trades in almost always bring a higher value than the old clunker no longer running or requiring major repairs. The accompanying chart reminds us of the dollar impact for Rotary when a vehicle of decent shape is sold at the auction. It’s easy to donate, just call 1-844-686-7620, or go online at http://goo.gl/dL3Pji.

Any questions, contact program coordinator, Rotarian Earl Copus, Jr. ecopus@live.com.

Newsletter Editor Bob Nelson22104 Goshen School RoadGaithersburg, MD 20882-1404Phone: 301-368-3542email: BobNelson20854@yahoo.comPlease send articles and photos by 20 February.

People of Action

“To dignify the human being in all aspects — respecting his rights, the achievements of his work, of his culture, intelligence, and

spiritual values — is a certain path to goodwill and to the desired understanding among men, peoples, and nations: peace.”

- Ernesto Imbassahy de Mello, RI President, 1975-76

FEBRUARY IS ROTARY PEACE AND CONFLICT PREVENTION/RESOLUTION MONTH