Empire Multi-Dist. President-Elect Training Seminar
ZOOM Online - March 19 – 20...by PE Terry McCormick
Since the new year I have been fortunate to attend five various multi-district ZOOM learning seminars. The latest was for President-Elect (PE) training for incoming PE’s across the Northeast with 144 attendees. I would like to share with you three pivotal themes that will influence our club in the upcoming year and shape the Rotary organization going forward.
1) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). I’m passionate about inclusiveness – I have always been the new kid on the block, a newbie, not from around here. That is one of reasons I was drawn to Rotary; I have always been welcomed, included, and supported as a member or a visitor at other clubs. However, what I did not offer clubs was much demographic diversity. As a middle-aged (well, upper-middle now) white male businessperson, I fit the majority profile of most other members, particularly here in Skaneateles. By contrast, as a Rotarian novitiate when I joined the University Club of Minneapolis was quite diverse, we had an outstanding young leader in our President who held a commanding presence at 6’5” and bodybuilder’s physique. He is also a gay married man. We also had another wonderful and engaging member, Ellen, who used to be Edward. The Multi-District seminars taught me an important question: “does your club membership reflect your community?” The University Club certainly reflected our urban academic campus population. Perhaps, the diversity of the University setting for ethnic, age, cultural, and sexual orientation would be difficult for us achieve here in Skaneateles? However, in our club, we can strive for aspirational gains in gender, age, and even classifications. Consider this: we’re surrounded by a robust agricultural community, but do we have any farmers as members?
2) Turn on, Tune in, Zoom out. Like it, love it, or hate it – Zoom is here to stay. One of the benefits I had attending five seminars in the past ten weeks was I did not have to leave my living room. Yet, truth-be-told, the high-tech left me a feeling a little bit hollow without the high-touch of a handshake or hug. Learning online is distracting, conversation(s) are muted, and relationship building is remote. All thanks to a darn viral bug. We know Rotarians are peace builders and change makers with a resiliency to embrace challenges faced during COV-19. My takeaway is, as much as Zoom is desensitizing, it brings a perfect vehicle for inclusiveness and membership growth. Our new normal paradigm will be hybrid weekly meetings, remote participation board and committee meetings and – this cool – guest speakers from anywhere in the nation and globally. For example, I have now been lucky to participate (twice) on Zoom calls from India with Shekar Mehta, Rotary International’s 2021-22 President and our first RI woman President for 2022-23, Jennifer Jones from Ontario, Canada. Cool beans indeed!
3) The “G” word. Shekar Mehta’s theme initiative for his presidency is “Each One, Bring One” in other words, for each of us to bring in another member to grow the organization. The “G” word for Rotary is Growth. Did you know RI has had flat membership for over a decade? Skaneateles Club is a reflection of the national trend as well. Here is an opportunity of how we as a club can use metrics to make data-informed decisions about our organizational health and future direction. The potential for “G” for Skaneateles is exciting based on the encouragement we received at PE training to use data. It begins by openness to new tools and evaluating new models of membership retention, community engagement, and club brand development.
Simply put, while COVID has been a sad reality for our club, communities, and global societies, it has brought a silver-lining of promise to reflect and renew what possibilities we can create.
Club Web-Puzzle..... by Ward
Which four of our club directors who have terms that end on June 30, 2021?
Introductions - President Dave opened the meeting by introducing our guests,
Prospective Member - Reece Eddy and submitted an application for membership to be voted upon at the next BOD meeting on April 12th.
Web Quiz— The answer to last week's web quiz of where did the SRC first meet was; The Skaneateles Baptist Church. Kudos to President Dave for finding the answer.
The Program - Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Rosemary Mondo introduced our speaker, Kirsten Johnson, the CNY Alzheimer’s Assoc. Dev Mgr. Kirsten noted that Alzheimer’s was first diagnosed in 1906 by Dr Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist. The Alzheimer Assoc. Vision is to have a world without Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s Assoc. is the largest fund-raising & advocacy organization for Alzheimer’s in the US & in the world. The money raised by the assoc. helps fund research & treatment. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one of the associations major fund raising efforts. Kirsten pointed out that Rotary is already supporting the Alzheimer’s assoc. through a Rotarian Action Group (RAG). This Rotary Action Group is dedicating their experience & leadership help rotary clubs participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Currently 600 communities in the US are walking in solidarity to raise money to fight Alzheimer’s. In 2019, 144 rotary clubs in the US participated, raising more than $248,000. In 2020, 180 clubs joined this effort raising over $468,000 to fight Alzheimer’s. Kirsten asked our SRC to become part of the worthy cause. This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Sunday September 26th.
Kirsten’s discussed how our club could start a team by setting up a Walk Planning Committee. President Dave responded by saying that in the next month our club will take the “walk” up for consideration with our members. Kirsten responded to several questions from our members. President Dave thanked Kirsten for increasing our knowledge of Alzheimer’s & for inviting our club to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
See the article below, to learn more about The Rotary Action Group (Alzeimer's/Demetia)
Announcements -
Updated Membership Listing - has been distributed. Members are asked to inform Ward of changes, or let him know if your info is correct.
Happy Moments - of the past week were shared by many.
The Ending,Reece Eddy, led us in the Four Way Test!
See You next Thursday
Why Rotarians Walk for
Alzheimer's/Dementia
Why We Walk: We are Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors that have extensive leadership experience around Alzheimer’s including Alzheimer's education, patient care, prevention management, research for a cure and strategic partnership. We have chosen to band together as a Rotary Action Group to meld our passion and energies and direct them to supporting this wonderful effort.
This is why we are proud to support the Alzheimer's Association's Walk to End Alzheimer's, the world's largest fundraising event for Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. We share a vision of a world without Alzheimer's and we are inviting all Rotarians to walk with us in solidarity in more than 600 communities across the country.
CLICK HERE to learn more about this effort, or Start or Join a Team.
DISTRICT 7150
MARCH, 2021 NEWSLETTER
D7150 ~ District & Club information
CLICK HERE to access and read the March, 2021 edition of the District 7150 newsletter, and discover all the many Rotary virtual events and happenings within our CNY Rotary clubs and in the world of Rotary.
District 7150, Rotary & Other Events.
CLICK HEREfor quick access to the D7150 Calendar of other district club's events.
26 W. Genesee St
Skaneateles, NY 13152 United States of America
We currently meet via Zoom due to COVID-19.
Guests are invited to join our meetings by contacting
our President: David Lee (email link by clicking on his name)
listed under Club Executives & Directors (below - right column)
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young leader in our President who held a commanding presence at 6’5” and bodybuilder’s physique. He is also a gay married man. We also had another wonderful and engaging member, Ellen, who used to be Edward. The Multi-District seminars taught me an important question: “does your club membership reflect your community?” The University Club certainly reflected our urban academic campus population. Perhaps, the diversity of the University setting for ethnic, age, cultural, and sexual orientation would be difficult for us achieve here in Skaneateles? However, in our club, we can strive for aspirational gains in gender, age, and even classifications. Consider this: we’re surrounded by a robust agricultural community, but do we have any farmers as members?
distracting, conversation(s) are muted, and relationship building is remote. All thanks to a darn viral bug. We know Rotarians are peace builders and change makers with a resiliency to embrace challenges faced during COV-19. My takeaway is, as much as Zoom is desensitizing, it brings a perfect vehicle for inclusiveness and membership growth. Our new normal paradigm will be hybrid weekly meetings, remote participation board and committee meetings and – this cool – guest speakers from anywhere in the nation and globally. For example, I have now been lucky to participate (twice) on Zoom calls from India with Shekar Mehta, Rotary International’s 2021-22 President and our first RI woman President for 2022-23, Jennifer Jones from Ontario, Canada. Cool beans indeed!
and evaluating new models of membership retention, community engagement, and club brand development. 
treatment. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is one of the associations major fund raising efforts. Kirsten pointed out that Rotary is already supporting the Alzheimer’s assoc. through a Rotarian Action Group (RAG). This Rotary Action Group is dedicating their experience & leadership help rotary clubs participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Currently 600 communities in the US are walking in solidarity to raise money to fight Alzheimer’s. In 2019, 144 rotary clubs in the US participated, raising more than $248,000. In 2020, 180 clubs joined this effort raising over $468,000 to fight Alzheimer’s. Kirsten asked our SRC to become part of the worthy cause. This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Sunday September 26th. 
DISTRICT 7150
