Year: 2012

Under the The Rotary Foundation’s new Future Vision grant model,
vocational training teams (VTTs) allow Rotarians to share their professional skills with people in another part of the world, using their talents to make a lasting impact. VTTs embody the spirit of vocational service which has deep roots in Rotary’s history.

Hands-on activities vary from one team to the next but may include
training medical professionals on cardiac surgery and care, sharing best practices on early childhood education, or explaining new irrigation
techniques to farmers. A successful VTT increases the capacity of the
host community to solve problems and improve the quality of life.

For more information, check out the VTT Fact Sheet.

What does Junior Achievement do?
Use the principles of financial literacy, market-based economics, and entrepreneurial thinking to teach youth about the global economy and the responsibilities of citizenship, consumerism and employment.

Why?
Combining the strength of JA’s curriculum with corporate volunteers’ mentorship and role modeling makes a significant impact on the students. It also generates meaningful community involvement for businesses and employees.

Why else?
Because it aligns with the Rotary Mission:  To provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

What’s the commitment?
There are five lessons to be taught to the students; each take about 40 minutes and typically is done over the course of five weeks. All materials are provided to effectively equip you for a successful experience!

For more information and to volunteer at one of the  Rogers Elementary Schools, talk to Heather Farr, 763-428-2926. 

Club Radio is a “New Media” Production about Rotary. It is produced in St. Croix Falls, MN by St. Croix Falls Rotarian Kirk Anderson in partnership with Rotary International and District 5960. Rotary Club Radio delivers audio and video via a podcast to Rotarians and supporters, allowing them to stay informed about what Rotary is doing around the world. Rotary Club Radio  is available on the District 5960 website, in iTunes, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!  It brings Rotarians and other humanitarians’ voices to life via the internet with a high quality podcast that is entertaining, educational, and motivational. From a listener: “Hello, my name is Raf Verheyden. I’m a new Rotarian, a little bit more than a year, in the club of Aarschot (District 1630) in Belgium. It was hard to find some relevant information about Rotary International — until now! Great show guys! Now, while I’m driving, I can now listen to your podcast and hear what is going on in other clubs and can get a better understanding about Rotary in general. 

— District 5950 website

One of the world’s most prestigious scholarships is the Rotary Peace Fellowship, an international 15-to-24-month scholarship program to earn a master’s degree in international studies and peace and conflict resolution. District 5950 has had many successful applicants over the years, people who are now working at the United Nations and other global organizations, in governments around the world, and in business and nongovernmental settings that advance peace.

It’s time to find our next Rotary Peace Scholar–and you can help! Suggest candidacy to anyone and everyone you know.

Candidates must have earned an undergraduate degree, have 3-5 years of work or volunteer experience and a demonstrated commitment to peace and service, and be proficient in a second language if appropriate. For
more information, visit www.rotary.org and click on “Students and Youth” or contact Ellen Kennedy at 952-693-5206, kennedy@worldwithoutgenocide.org.

Application is a three-step process. Candidates first submit applications, available online, to their local Rotary Clubs by April 1, 2013. Next, endorsements by local clubs are due to our district committee by May 1, 2013.
Finally, required in-person interviews for district finalists will be held in Minneapolis in late May, and nominees’ names are then forwarded to the international office. Awards will be announced by Rotary International in fall 2013 for studies to begin in fall 2014.

Minneapolis Recreation Development (MRD) is dedicated to serving the homeless community, vulnerable individuals, disadvantaged youth, and
their families in the Twin Cities through our three programs. Enabled by the generous support of our donor community, from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. every night Founder Allan Law drives throughout the Twin Cities serving people in urgent need in homeless shelters and on the street. Making as many as 50 stops a night, he distributes donated sandwiches, basic necessities, and encouragement to the homeless from the back of the MRD minivan. He volunteers overnight because that’s when shelters are closed and homeless people living on the street are most vulnerable. He also responds to several calls a day 24/7 from people in crisis, with requests ranging from critical
immediate needs, to others like help finding a job or temporary housing.

On any given night there are an estimated 7,000 homeless people in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area; 2,200 of them are children under 17. The goal of MRD is to feed, and provide emergency assistance to as many of them every day as possible. In 2012, MRD will serve over 100,000 people in urgent need. This is made
possible by the incredible outpouring of both the time and resources of our donor community, and a handful of dedicated volunteers.

District 5950’s Fall Training was a morning of learning, sharing and planning. A panel of speakers talked about how to create Peace Through Service, district leaders gave updates on strategic initiatives and breakout sessions focused on the Rotary Foundation, sustaining club membership and Public Relations 101.

Missed the training? Too bad — we missed you! But make plans to attend our Mid-Term Assembly, scheduled for January 12, 2013, at the
University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Keep
an eye on our website for details as the emerge.  

                                                         —Heather Voorhees, 5950 Communications Chair

Lynn Ayers, Chaska Rotary Club, has been selected to lead a team of four outstanding young professionals to visit Rotary District 3040 in Central India from January 26-February 24, 2013, as part of the Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation. Sandy Schley, Edina Noon Rotary Club, is alternate leader.

The GSE program promotes international understanding and goodwill through personal connections. For four weeks, team members experience the way of life, customs and vocational practices of another country, while sharing information about their home country. While abroad, team members stay with local Rotarians and have the opportunity to meet their professional counterparts. They also give presentations to Rotary clubs and other groups about their home country.  Advanced
preparations will include studying Eastern Indian history and culture.

Ayers stated, “I was a member of the 1998 Northeastern Brazil GSE Exchange; it changed my life and inspired me to join Rotary.” She is active in her Chaska club and remains committed to international service, going to India to help with the polio initiatives, and to Chimbote, Peru to help with the scholarship program. She encouraged her children to participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange, and has hosted numerous international visitors.

Sign a petition and join us in encouraging governments of the world to fund the final push to end polio. The signatures will be presented to the UN Secretary General at a polio event on September 27 that includes world leaders, Rotary International, and its polio eradication partners.