Sunday, January 20, 2013
Yup, it's been over a year since my last post!
No way I will be able to catch up, but at some point I will try to fill in a bit.
My last post in October, 2011 was pretty accurate. I have had no time for blogs since then. Halfway through my year as Governor - having a ball. Things are slowing down a bit now, but still very busy.
Get everything you can planned and done by the October prior to your trip to the International Assembly. Serious. Then hang on!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Playtime is Over!
I thought it might be of help to emphasize how fast things have gone and, to a much greater degree, how fast they will go from this day forward.
If you have followed my blog from the beginning you will see a lot of time has been committed to this journey. I will state that the time has been spent without complaint as I truly am enjoying the experience, but you need to understand that this is not like being a club president - you have to be able to commit significant time to this and it comes at you fast.
A brief look at my calendar.
Tomorrow is a meeting of our training team. We are working on the two February 11th programs, Pre PETS and Area Leadership. The two combined compose a full day of district training. It is the team's job to make sure it is a productive use of the club PE's time while fulfilling the needs of the district. This team meets frequently.
January is International Assembly in San Diego, CA.
February is Pre Pets and Area Leadership Training
March is PETS in Orlando and our District Assembly.
April is the District Conference.
May is the International Convention in Bangkok
July 1st the DG year begins. Mid month are the TRF and Membership Seminars.
July into October are the 52 official visits.
There is no rest between now and a year from now. It is going to be high speed and exciting. Keep in mind that should you decide to be, and if you are selected to be a District Governor, your busiest time will be from October to October, DGE to DG years. I am in close contact with our current governor, just completed with her official visits. She continues to reinforce that I should plan and complete every action possible prior to January because there will be no time after that. I believe her. It is October 25th and I am already pretty much out of time. So I pass along the same advice. Get everything done six months before you think it needs to be done. A year would be better.
Till next time!
If you have followed my blog from the beginning you will see a lot of time has been committed to this journey. I will state that the time has been spent without complaint as I truly am enjoying the experience, but you need to understand that this is not like being a club president - you have to be able to commit significant time to this and it comes at you fast.
A brief look at my calendar.
Tomorrow is a meeting of our training team. We are working on the two February 11th programs, Pre PETS and Area Leadership. The two combined compose a full day of district training. It is the team's job to make sure it is a productive use of the club PE's time while fulfilling the needs of the district. This team meets frequently.
January is International Assembly in San Diego, CA.
February is Pre Pets and Area Leadership Training
March is PETS in Orlando and our District Assembly.
April is the District Conference.
May is the International Convention in Bangkok
July 1st the DG year begins. Mid month are the TRF and Membership Seminars.
July into October are the 52 official visits.
There is no rest between now and a year from now. It is going to be high speed and exciting. Keep in mind that should you decide to be, and if you are selected to be a District Governor, your busiest time will be from October to October, DGE to DG years. I am in close contact with our current governor, just completed with her official visits. She continues to reinforce that I should plan and complete every action possible prior to January because there will be no time after that. I believe her. It is October 25th and I am already pretty much out of time. So I pass along the same advice. Get everything done six months before you think it needs to be done. A year would be better.
Till next time!
GETS and Zone Institute
Since my last post I had to prepare for and attend GETS (Governor Elect Training Seminar) and the Zone Institute held consecutively in Reston, VA. As you may recall, we are in Zone 34 which runs from Georgia down through the Caribbean and even the N.E. part of South America. We share a director with Zone 33 which is the eastern seaboard north of Georgia to Southern Mass. Last year we met in Naples, FL and next year we will meet in Hilton Head, SC. The purpose of GETS is pretty self explanatory, the Zone Institute is to bring us up to date on Zone activities and programs as well as worldwide programs such as the eradication of polio. There is also a heck of a lot of fellowship in the evenings, after the banquets, in hospitality rooms for each class. I have 28 classmates in our two zones and we really enjoy each others company.
One of the big deals of GETS was getting you ready for public speaking. All 29 of us had to present a two minute piece on What is Rotary, Who are Rotarians, what do Rotarians do, or a personal Rotary moment. I procrastinated and did not prepare mine till the night before. It came to two minutes, nineteen seconds which I assumed would be okay. Never assume. I crossed out some thoughts and abbreviated others at the last minute, sitting there waiting for my turn, and got it down to two minutes. My evaluations were pretty good but the important one, a formal evaluation by the pros, has yet to appear in my drop box. We will have to repeat that performance, or edit and perform anew, at the International Assembly next January.
One of the high points was meeting our R.I. President Elect Sakuji Tanaka and his wife. Mr. Tanaka spent time with us in our hospitality room two evenings and attended our class dinner. We all chipped in $100 to have our picture taken with them and raised $3K for Polio Plus.
If you look back to last year, end of September, first of October, you will see what was learned at GETS last year. Actually I guess that would be called GNTS since we were nominees. We had an additional day last year and I felt badly that the class of 13-14 did not have the same opportunity.
In addition to helpful training there were some ancillary meetings. As an example our PETS board met for an hour - which was not enough time. The annual meeting of the Caribbean Partnership of which all our DGEs are board members took place. There was a three hour session during our free time that went in depth into public relations. I think all DGEs and most DGNs attended. The room was packed.
One really neat plenary session was Celine Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques, gave a presentation on her growing up on Calypso. Her expeditions have not ceased and she now specializes in how people relate to the environment. With photos and videos you can only imagine how interesting this was to all, and very relevant as many possible projects popped into Rotarian's heads, I guarantee.
I was gone an entire week, with my wife of course, and it flew by. And I wished there had been more time to learn even more. The more you learn the more you understand how little you really know. Another subject that we learned about was the International Assembly in January, and if I thought this week was busy, we were told you ain't seen nothing yet. Next January, in San Diego, CA I get the biggest, most intense training sessions yet, full time all day and into the evening. All 532 DGEs from around the world will be there. I am really looking forward to it.
Like any large program you come home (last night) pretty motivated with a feeling of confidence only slightly offset by the massiveness of the responsibility. What kind of governor will I be? Will I be prepared? There is no doubt I will be. Rotary has taken care of that. I am also very humbled by the support my district has given me to date. When your peers think you will be a good leader it adds a bit of pressure to not let them down, but it also adds a lot of confidence because of the support you receive. My job is to help clubs forward the Object of Rotary, nothing more or less. I have no ego that needs stroking. I see it as an opportunity to serve.
One of the big deals of GETS was getting you ready for public speaking. All 29 of us had to present a two minute piece on What is Rotary, Who are Rotarians, what do Rotarians do, or a personal Rotary moment. I procrastinated and did not prepare mine till the night before. It came to two minutes, nineteen seconds which I assumed would be okay. Never assume. I crossed out some thoughts and abbreviated others at the last minute, sitting there waiting for my turn, and got it down to two minutes. My evaluations were pretty good but the important one, a formal evaluation by the pros, has yet to appear in my drop box. We will have to repeat that performance, or edit and perform anew, at the International Assembly next January.
One of the high points was meeting our R.I. President Elect Sakuji Tanaka and his wife. Mr. Tanaka spent time with us in our hospitality room two evenings and attended our class dinner. We all chipped in $100 to have our picture taken with them and raised $3K for Polio Plus.
If you look back to last year, end of September, first of October, you will see what was learned at GETS last year. Actually I guess that would be called GNTS since we were nominees. We had an additional day last year and I felt badly that the class of 13-14 did not have the same opportunity.
In addition to helpful training there were some ancillary meetings. As an example our PETS board met for an hour - which was not enough time. The annual meeting of the Caribbean Partnership of which all our DGEs are board members took place. There was a three hour session during our free time that went in depth into public relations. I think all DGEs and most DGNs attended. The room was packed.
One really neat plenary session was Celine Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques, gave a presentation on her growing up on Calypso. Her expeditions have not ceased and she now specializes in how people relate to the environment. With photos and videos you can only imagine how interesting this was to all, and very relevant as many possible projects popped into Rotarian's heads, I guarantee.
I was gone an entire week, with my wife of course, and it flew by. And I wished there had been more time to learn even more. The more you learn the more you understand how little you really know. Another subject that we learned about was the International Assembly in January, and if I thought this week was busy, we were told you ain't seen nothing yet. Next January, in San Diego, CA I get the biggest, most intense training sessions yet, full time all day and into the evening. All 532 DGEs from around the world will be there. I am really looking forward to it.
Like any large program you come home (last night) pretty motivated with a feeling of confidence only slightly offset by the massiveness of the responsibility. What kind of governor will I be? Will I be prepared? There is no doubt I will be. Rotary has taken care of that. I am also very humbled by the support my district has given me to date. When your peers think you will be a good leader it adds a bit of pressure to not let them down, but it also adds a lot of confidence because of the support you receive. My job is to help clubs forward the Object of Rotary, nothing more or less. I have no ego that needs stroking. I see it as an opportunity to serve.
Monday, October 3, 2011
September 2011
Another month has passed and the most significant things that took place was turning 60 and finding out I am going to be a great grandfather in April. Besides having a nifty birthday party I had trips to WI, CA and OH.
Rotary wise I had a meeting with a trusted fellow Rotarian and bounced some ideas around for the 2012-2013 year with regards to governor projects and awards. I am preparing for GETS in two weeks and also for International Assembly in January. There is quite a bit of work required behind the scenes to prepare. Little stuff but it adds up quickly.
I attended a webinar on District Grants put on by TRF that was helpful in increasing my knowledge and preparing for the role out of Future Visions in 2013.
The governor has rolled out her project "Honor Flight" and I am getting that information to my friends in the VFW.
This may have been the slowest Rotary month I have had since getting into the governor string - but that's okay as my business needed me to catch up there a bit so it worked out fine.
Zone in two weeks. Lots to do between now and then.
My next blog entry will be after returning from GETS/Zone Institute.
Rotary wise I had a meeting with a trusted fellow Rotarian and bounced some ideas around for the 2012-2013 year with regards to governor projects and awards. I am preparing for GETS in two weeks and also for International Assembly in January. There is quite a bit of work required behind the scenes to prepare. Little stuff but it adds up quickly.
I attended a webinar on District Grants put on by TRF that was helpful in increasing my knowledge and preparing for the role out of Future Visions in 2013.
The governor has rolled out her project "Honor Flight" and I am getting that information to my friends in the VFW.
This may have been the slowest Rotary month I have had since getting into the governor string - but that's okay as my business needed me to catch up there a bit so it worked out fine.
Zone in two weeks. Lots to do between now and then.
My next blog entry will be after returning from GETS/Zone Institute.
Monday, August 22, 2011
An Easy Month?
Not a whole lot to report. Been traveling quite a bit, two trips down, two to go. By mid September I will be back at it without interruption except for my monthly business trip.
The District Strategic Plan is moving right along. The first of the goal setting surveys are done and the results are so strong we may not need a follow up. I am going to work on that right after this post, actually.
We have had a couple issues come up in the district where certain positions have requested to be compensated. I will not mention what the positions are, only that they are time consuming and both have really strong arguments with lots of upside. But the question is, if we start paying people to do their volunteer work, where do we stop? Does is become a business? How much should we pay a club president? How about an Assistant Governor? The DG and I area in agreement that this is not a precedent we can afford to set. And like I say, both have a valuable upside, but where does it stop? And should we be asking money from one Rotarian to pay another, in the form of dues or advertising sales or donations?
With that segue, perfect I might add, we have a few Rotarians that have been trying to build a district business directory, without much success to this point, but it seems to be reviving. At the same time the software company that writes the database program used by seven of the eight Districts in Florida, has come out with the same thing, called R2R (Rotarian to Rotarian). This program interfaces with our existing database and is free to members or at a reduced cost for "upgraded" advertising, and a portion of the proceeds come back to the district. The District plan is more expensive, will allow advertising by non Rotarians but will also pass some proceeds along to the clubs. At this point I am in favor of the program our software company has but the Governor is going to sit down with the DGN and me and we will talk this, and the other item to decision.
The District Strategic Plan is moving right along. The first of the goal setting surveys are done and the results are so strong we may not need a follow up. I am going to work on that right after this post, actually.
We have had a couple issues come up in the district where certain positions have requested to be compensated. I will not mention what the positions are, only that they are time consuming and both have really strong arguments with lots of upside. But the question is, if we start paying people to do their volunteer work, where do we stop? Does is become a business? How much should we pay a club president? How about an Assistant Governor? The DG and I area in agreement that this is not a precedent we can afford to set. And like I say, both have a valuable upside, but where does it stop? And should we be asking money from one Rotarian to pay another, in the form of dues or advertising sales or donations?
With that segue, perfect I might add, we have a few Rotarians that have been trying to build a district business directory, without much success to this point, but it seems to be reviving. At the same time the software company that writes the database program used by seven of the eight Districts in Florida, has come out with the same thing, called R2R (Rotarian to Rotarian). This program interfaces with our existing database and is free to members or at a reduced cost for "upgraded" advertising, and a portion of the proceeds come back to the district. The District plan is more expensive, will allow advertising by non Rotarians but will also pass some proceeds along to the clubs. At this point I am in favor of the program our software company has but the Governor is going to sit down with the DGN and me and we will talk this, and the other item to decision.
Monday, July 25, 2011
District Strategic Plan
Just a fast update on our District Strategic Plan. We have finished the information gathering/where are we now portion and I have release a short survey to the committee to start setting goals. Surveys are due to be completed by August 7th. There may need to be a follow up survey prior to getting into the path planning.
TRF and Membership Seminars
July 16th our District hosted it's annual TRF and Membership Seminars.
The new District TRF Chair, who is also in charge of Florida PETS training and is a past Director of the Rotary Leadership Institute, took it in a new direction. Although this was the first year and there were some of those first time out issues, everyone was really impressed. In the past the TRF Seminars have been rather boring. I hate to say that but it is true. It was determined as necessary to teach club TRF Chairs and other leadership the nuts and bolts of the foundation, how to fill out forms (line by line)etc. This task was done in a lecture format. I am sure you get the picture. This year time the seminar was broken into three parts. The first introduced the committee to those present. Not physically, but made everyone aware of all the sub chairs and committees that are their to help their clubs. Then an EREY video was shown. It was only 8 minutes but it began the process of teaching the WHY of TRF, getting people to better understand the purpose. After this TRF Programs were discussed. Part Two was geared to club support and participation in TRF. It was in this section that all the forms came to light but rather than train folks in how to fill them out, the WHY was again addressed. The DG has approved the purchase of a software package that will allow for form tutorials on the district website eliminating the need to take up valuable seminar time with it. Part Three was a group "best practices" discussion. The DGN and I roved the audience with microphones to allow questions, comments and ideas to be shared. It was really a well thought out game plan and I am looking forward to the refinements that will take place between now and next year as well as a little debugging. It was very, very good.
Membership was also divided into three parts. The first was presentation by the membership chair. Our membership chair is an excellent speaker and easily kept everyone's attention. Last year we started on the long trail of changing the way we look at our members to try and get better retention. This year he is taking the second rational step down that path and will take the third step next year. Part Two was an ELI exercise. The group was broken down in to six smaller groups and all we assigned a task. I sat in on one group and I can tell you the thoughts and ideas passing around were nothing short of inspiring. Super idea to bring RLI style into practice during this seminar. It was a bit confusing as it was not well planned in advance. A lot of details were left to be done on the fly and everyone was working on the same task instead of different scenarios. Still, first time out, this was really excellent. Part Three was again a best practices session. You might recall that we used that for the first time at Area Leadership Training and it was a big hit. We are now introducing it into more events. There is a lot to be learned from the interchange of thoughts and ideas as opposed to lecturing on how we think it should work.
The TRF seminar was in the morning, Membership in the afternoon with a shared lunch. I think that worked well. Except for holding microphones during best practices, I had no part. That also was an excellent idea and allowed me to watch and prepare for the next training cycle as it will be for "my year" as it is referred to. We have lots of gifted speakers and presenters and I intend to use them next year. If you recall we were training for six hours at Pre PETS and Area Leadership last February. That is a long time for one person to try to stay motivated and I am sure my enthusiasm probably diminished as the day went on. Next year we will use the same format but involve more presenters so it is not too much for any one person.
All in all a very nice day. The evaluations showed great interest and high grades were awarded both programs.
That evening I traveled a little further south and attended the installation banquet for one of my AGs who is Club President this year. I was honored to present a pin for 47 years of perfect attendance to a Rotary friend of mine.
The new District TRF Chair, who is also in charge of Florida PETS training and is a past Director of the Rotary Leadership Institute, took it in a new direction. Although this was the first year and there were some of those first time out issues, everyone was really impressed. In the past the TRF Seminars have been rather boring. I hate to say that but it is true. It was determined as necessary to teach club TRF Chairs and other leadership the nuts and bolts of the foundation, how to fill out forms (line by line)etc. This task was done in a lecture format. I am sure you get the picture. This year time the seminar was broken into three parts. The first introduced the committee to those present. Not physically, but made everyone aware of all the sub chairs and committees that are their to help their clubs. Then an EREY video was shown. It was only 8 minutes but it began the process of teaching the WHY of TRF, getting people to better understand the purpose. After this TRF Programs were discussed. Part Two was geared to club support and participation in TRF. It was in this section that all the forms came to light but rather than train folks in how to fill them out, the WHY was again addressed. The DG has approved the purchase of a software package that will allow for form tutorials on the district website eliminating the need to take up valuable seminar time with it. Part Three was a group "best practices" discussion. The DGN and I roved the audience with microphones to allow questions, comments and ideas to be shared. It was really a well thought out game plan and I am looking forward to the refinements that will take place between now and next year as well as a little debugging. It was very, very good.
Membership was also divided into three parts. The first was presentation by the membership chair. Our membership chair is an excellent speaker and easily kept everyone's attention. Last year we started on the long trail of changing the way we look at our members to try and get better retention. This year he is taking the second rational step down that path and will take the third step next year. Part Two was an ELI exercise. The group was broken down in to six smaller groups and all we assigned a task. I sat in on one group and I can tell you the thoughts and ideas passing around were nothing short of inspiring. Super idea to bring RLI style into practice during this seminar. It was a bit confusing as it was not well planned in advance. A lot of details were left to be done on the fly and everyone was working on the same task instead of different scenarios. Still, first time out, this was really excellent. Part Three was again a best practices session. You might recall that we used that for the first time at Area Leadership Training and it was a big hit. We are now introducing it into more events. There is a lot to be learned from the interchange of thoughts and ideas as opposed to lecturing on how we think it should work.
The TRF seminar was in the morning, Membership in the afternoon with a shared lunch. I think that worked well. Except for holding microphones during best practices, I had no part. That also was an excellent idea and allowed me to watch and prepare for the next training cycle as it will be for "my year" as it is referred to. We have lots of gifted speakers and presenters and I intend to use them next year. If you recall we were training for six hours at Pre PETS and Area Leadership last February. That is a long time for one person to try to stay motivated and I am sure my enthusiasm probably diminished as the day went on. Next year we will use the same format but involve more presenters so it is not too much for any one person.
All in all a very nice day. The evaluations showed great interest and high grades were awarded both programs.
That evening I traveled a little further south and attended the installation banquet for one of my AGs who is Club President this year. I was honored to present a pin for 47 years of perfect attendance to a Rotary friend of mine.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Up to date !!!!
I think I have made up for all the missing posts. I am sure I have missed something and I am sure a lot of the detail that is fresh in one's mind at the time, is missing. Still, anyone taking or thinking about taking this trip should have a feel for what the job was as DGN.
I will miss my jobs as Ambassadorial Scholar Chair and as a Board Member for Rotary's Camp Florida, but both with go on nicely without me, hopefully even improve. So this is my parting DGN and my incoming DGE statement.
You can only do so much and you must relieve yourself of responsibilities that others can handle as well or better. I am told DGE will be a full time job and, based on my year as DGN, I have no reason to doubt that. In fact, I am told, the first nine months of the next calendar year will be the busiest I have ever been. Like I've been relaxing this past year and a half! LOL!
My next post will likely be about our TRF and Membership Seminars on July 16th. See you then.
I will miss my jobs as Ambassadorial Scholar Chair and as a Board Member for Rotary's Camp Florida, but both with go on nicely without me, hopefully even improve. So this is my parting DGN and my incoming DGE statement.
You can only do so much and you must relieve yourself of responsibilities that others can handle as well or better. I am told DGE will be a full time job and, based on my year as DGN, I have no reason to doubt that. In fact, I am told, the first nine months of the next calendar year will be the busiest I have ever been. Like I've been relaxing this past year and a half! LOL!
My next post will likely be about our TRF and Membership Seminars on July 16th. See you then.
Rotary's Camp Florida Board - Goodbye!
With June came the end of my commitment to the board of Rotary's Camp Florida. I wish I could continue on and probably will after I am done with my years as DG, but it is too time consuming to seriously consider for the next two years.
Besides the board, I sat on the governance committee and the nominations committee. That's three meetings a month plus preparation and getting the work done after. Not a small commitment.
My replacement is our incoming DGN who will have the same three responsibilities. If I did a good job last year, especially in governance, it should be easier for him. If I didn't I am sure he will call me and rub it in. LOL.
It was a great year and I will certainly do what I can to support the camp during my DGE and DG years.
Besides the board, I sat on the governance committee and the nominations committee. That's three meetings a month plus preparation and getting the work done after. Not a small commitment.
My replacement is our incoming DGN who will have the same three responsibilities. If I did a good job last year, especially in governance, it should be easier for him. If I didn't I am sure he will call me and rub it in. LOL.
It was a great year and I will certainly do what I can to support the camp during my DGE and DG years.
June 25th - Training Team Meeting
Next month is our TRF and Membership Seminars, the last of our seasonal training sessions and least stressful, at least this year, for me. It is up to the Membership and TRF Chairs to come up with their programs, I simply have to be help however they want, from presenting a subject to fielding a mic for questions.
Today we had a look at the "draft programs", made comments, tossed stones and accolades and sent them back to work. The window is quickly closing as the event is scheduled for July 16th. For this year, I don't have to worry. Next year will be a horse of a different color as we not only train TRF but TRF Future Visions. I assume I will be plenty nervous around this time, 2012, LOL. You know, running around like a mother hen making sure everything is getting done.
Both the TRF and Membership Chairs are well experienced and good speakers. And both will be my chairs next year. My guess is this event will come off well.
Today we had a look at the "draft programs", made comments, tossed stones and accolades and sent them back to work. The window is quickly closing as the event is scheduled for July 16th. For this year, I don't have to worry. Next year will be a horse of a different color as we not only train TRF but TRF Future Visions. I assume I will be plenty nervous around this time, 2012, LOL. You know, running around like a mother hen making sure everything is getting done.
Both the TRF and Membership Chairs are well experienced and good speakers. And both will be my chairs next year. My guess is this event will come off well.
June 18 - PETS Board Meeting
June 18th found me in Orlando for a meeting of the Florida Multi District PETS Board of directors. Just as I was allowed to attend last year's board meetings, our DGNDs were invited to attend this one. In fact my DGND rode with me so we could have related discussions both ways.
We discussed budget related items and should have a proposed budget at our meeting during the Zone Institute in Virginia this fall. We also finalized a materials listing and discussed at length the curriculum. As DGEs we will need to train our PEs in all the things not covered by RLI or the PETS curriculum, so it is pretty darn important to understand what subjects will be covered.
We also talked about the need to actively promote PETS and encourage attendance. With it being across from Disney we hope to have more spouses and families attending. The resort has extended our group pricing for three days before and three days after PETS for those wanting to make it a mini vacation.
I don't know if you have multi district PETS or handle it within your district. I have attended both kinds. I do have a definite opinion however. Having a multi district PETS that is operated by a district and separate corporation accomplished three big things. It takes the nuts and bolts details off your shoulders. It make the group large enough that you can attract, and afford, the best speakers. I mean we have had R.I. Presidents. Next year we are having the retired Executive Director. And finally, every district is different. This give PEs from all eight Florida district an opportunity to talk with each other. It is often said more is learned in the hallways than in the meeting room.
We have two more meetings before "our" PETS, at Zone and in Orlando next January. I am not in the least worried about it being good because I already know it is going to be excellent. Perhaps just a couple new facility worries, but it shouldn't be anything major.
My concern is promoting it within the district, something I am going to rely heavily on my AGs for. I also want to make sure I select the best we have to offer for the operations committee and to serve as discussion leaders.
We will talk about this again after Zone.
We discussed budget related items and should have a proposed budget at our meeting during the Zone Institute in Virginia this fall. We also finalized a materials listing and discussed at length the curriculum. As DGEs we will need to train our PEs in all the things not covered by RLI or the PETS curriculum, so it is pretty darn important to understand what subjects will be covered.
We also talked about the need to actively promote PETS and encourage attendance. With it being across from Disney we hope to have more spouses and families attending. The resort has extended our group pricing for three days before and three days after PETS for those wanting to make it a mini vacation.
I don't know if you have multi district PETS or handle it within your district. I have attended both kinds. I do have a definite opinion however. Having a multi district PETS that is operated by a district and separate corporation accomplished three big things. It takes the nuts and bolts details off your shoulders. It make the group large enough that you can attract, and afford, the best speakers. I mean we have had R.I. Presidents. Next year we are having the retired Executive Director. And finally, every district is different. This give PEs from all eight Florida district an opportunity to talk with each other. It is often said more is learned in the hallways than in the meeting room.
We have two more meetings before "our" PETS, at Zone and in Orlando next January. I am not in the least worried about it being good because I already know it is going to be excellent. Perhaps just a couple new facility worries, but it shouldn't be anything major.
My concern is promoting it within the district, something I am going to rely heavily on my AGs for. I also want to make sure I select the best we have to offer for the operations committee and to serve as discussion leaders.
We will talk about this again after Zone.
June 9-12th, District Conference
I would assume you if you are reading this you have been to several district conferences, but now you look at it differently and start to understand what an awesome task it is to pull it off. You look with a more critical eye for things that need improving, and with an appreciative eye to what works smoothly.
This conference had some of both. The plenary sessions were some of the best ever, the rooms were great. But there were a lot of "Don't Let This Happen To You" moments, to the point I really felt bad for the organizing committee when the facility did not meet expectations or speakers went off script, sometime forgetting really important stuff. There were even a couple "open mic" issues. You just need to be so careful.
If you are planning on or are making this DG journey remember this about your conference. Have everything scripted and insist speakers follow the script - especially you!!!!
Another point worth mentioning. Make sure you have a suite, or a private place at the facility, where you can meet with your AGs or any other leadership people you need to work with.
At our conference people have the afternoons off to enjoy the venue, but if you are a DG, DGE, DGN or even DGND you will have no free time. You will have meetings of the next two conference committees. I had a meeting of my AGs and had the R.I. President's rep and one of our Distinguished Speakers sit in on our bull session and pass along their thoughts and experience. You have so few times to get together with your leadership that you cannot pass up opportunities like district conference.
And of course it is expected that you will pay a visit to all the hospitality suites. You learn quickly to drink non alcoholic beverages, or nurse them, but you still pack away a fair share of finger food, everything from fresh shrimp to chicken wings. Expect to gain a couple pounds. LOL.
This conference had some of both. The plenary sessions were some of the best ever, the rooms were great. But there were a lot of "Don't Let This Happen To You" moments, to the point I really felt bad for the organizing committee when the facility did not meet expectations or speakers went off script, sometime forgetting really important stuff. There were even a couple "open mic" issues. You just need to be so careful.
If you are planning on or are making this DG journey remember this about your conference. Have everything scripted and insist speakers follow the script - especially you!!!!
Another point worth mentioning. Make sure you have a suite, or a private place at the facility, where you can meet with your AGs or any other leadership people you need to work with.
At our conference people have the afternoons off to enjoy the venue, but if you are a DG, DGE, DGN or even DGND you will have no free time. You will have meetings of the next two conference committees. I had a meeting of my AGs and had the R.I. President's rep and one of our Distinguished Speakers sit in on our bull session and pass along their thoughts and experience. You have so few times to get together with your leadership that you cannot pass up opportunities like district conference.
And of course it is expected that you will pay a visit to all the hospitality suites. You learn quickly to drink non alcoholic beverages, or nurse them, but you still pack away a fair share of finger food, everything from fresh shrimp to chicken wings. Expect to gain a couple pounds. LOL.
Zone 34 TRF Seminar
Busy can be defined several ways. But a quick look at this week will show I had the Ambassadorial Scholar Interview on June 4th and The Island Blood Drive on June 5th. June 6th found me on a plane to R.I. HQ in Evanston, Il for the Zone 34 Foundation Seminar. (I returned home on the 8th and then the 9th - 12th was at our district conference.)
The foundation is pretty complex and there is always something to learn. The purpose of this particular trip was in my capacity of District Future Visions Coordinator. My job is to soak up as much Future Visions knowledge as I can so I can pass it along to the leadership in our district and in our clubs as needed. There were two DGs present who are part of the pilot program. Listening to their presentations and, even to a greater extent, having open discussions with them in the lobby over cocktails, was huge. This was the first year of the pilot program and problems were expected. They were not disappointed, there were plenty. But the program is still evolving with two more pilot years coming so there is time to massage and finesse the program, rubbing out wrinkles.
During my year as DG, 2012-2013, it will be a challenge as we will literally need to be training two versions of TRF. We have not determined exactly how we are going to approach that, but clubs, and the district, will have to have it TRF Planning for the 2013-2014 year ready and submitted to TRF in April of 2013. So the training that will allow this to happen will have to take place during my year, while we are still running and training under the existing system.
I am sure you will read more about his as my blog continues.
The foundation is pretty complex and there is always something to learn. The purpose of this particular trip was in my capacity of District Future Visions Coordinator. My job is to soak up as much Future Visions knowledge as I can so I can pass it along to the leadership in our district and in our clubs as needed. There were two DGs present who are part of the pilot program. Listening to their presentations and, even to a greater extent, having open discussions with them in the lobby over cocktails, was huge. This was the first year of the pilot program and problems were expected. They were not disappointed, there were plenty. But the program is still evolving with two more pilot years coming so there is time to massage and finesse the program, rubbing out wrinkles.
During my year as DG, 2012-2013, it will be a challenge as we will literally need to be training two versions of TRF. We have not determined exactly how we are going to approach that, but clubs, and the district, will have to have it TRF Planning for the 2013-2014 year ready and submitted to TRF in April of 2013. So the training that will allow this to happen will have to take place during my year, while we are still running and training under the existing system.
I am sure you will read more about his as my blog continues.
The Anna Maria Island Blood Drive
June 4th and 5th was also our club's island blood drive. Our club, and four other island non profits, receive $100 from a local foundation for every pint of blood donated. I usually give a double but was unable to since I received those transfusions back in August. There is a one year waiting period. So my wife and I donated $200 instead because we have not been overly successful at this event.
Wow, did that change this year. The members got motivated and donated or recruited people to donate 159 pints of blood in the name of our club. Multiply that by $100....pretty tidy sum.
I mention this just to point out a rather unique fundraiser, but one that is going to make a lot of Rotary Projects a reality.
Wow, did that change this year. The members got motivated and donated or recruited people to donate 159 pints of blood in the name of our club. Multiply that by $100....pretty tidy sum.
I mention this just to point out a rather unique fundraiser, but one that is going to make a lot of Rotary Projects a reality.
June 4th, Ambassadorial Scholarship Interviews
I have been on this committee for seven years, chair for four, and this was my last day of interviews. I said thank my thank yous and then slipped out into the waiting area where I would spend the day greeting the arriving scholars and talking with them. This is actually part of the interview process even though they don't know it.
In our district, the DGN selects the scholars that will be active during their year as District Governor. So this year had special meaning for me. Not only was it my final year, but the two scholars we selected would be representing our district during my year as governor. It made for a nice day.
I will be invited back the next two years as DGE and DG but I have turned over the reins to a Rotarian, a former Ambassadorial Scholar herself, who practically ran things this year and is going to do an excellent job. She will still be scholar chair for my year and the DGNDs if he wishes.
We had donated a scholarship to a district in another country, one I selected as DGN. Unfortunately they were unable to fill by the required date. We have extended that date until September 15th. If they do not fill it by then it will be given to our first alternate from our district, a deserving scholar.
In our district, the DGN selects the scholars that will be active during their year as District Governor. So this year had special meaning for me. Not only was it my final year, but the two scholars we selected would be representing our district during my year as governor. It made for a nice day.
I will be invited back the next two years as DGE and DG but I have turned over the reins to a Rotarian, a former Ambassadorial Scholar herself, who practically ran things this year and is going to do an excellent job. She will still be scholar chair for my year and the DGNDs if he wishes.
We had donated a scholarship to a district in another country, one I selected as DGN. Unfortunately they were unable to fill by the required date. We have extended that date until September 15th. If they do not fill it by then it will be given to our first alternate from our district, a deserving scholar.
May 14th - The Million Meal Packaging Event
Okay, we are finally in May, just two months of catching up to do.
You know, our district has a project where we give dictionaries to all third grade (some do fourth grade) students in public school. It is huge and ongoing and wonderful. It is such a good time to give these kids what, in many cases, is their first book and then review it with them, pointing out all the neat reference sections including, of course, the worlds longest word. But this year our district did something really cool, beyond cool.
On May 14th, at three locations (north, south and central within the district) thousands of Rotarians and people they recruited got together and packaged in excess of ONE MILLION MEALS - all of which stayed within out district. I think the final total was something like one million thirty thousand. Volunteers worked in two our shifts. Some of us worked the whole event. The money for the product was raised my Rotarians, $150K, no small feat. The meal packaging was organized by Meals of Hope, formerly part of Kids Against Hunger. There are two Rotarians that deserve huge, huge, kudos, but I am not naming names in this blog.
I have to tell you, I am typing this on July 2nd and it still makes my eyes misty. Can you imagine, one million meals. A huge percentage of kids receive free or subsidized meals at schools. When school lets out, hunger sets in. This is just too cool for words.
You know, our district has a project where we give dictionaries to all third grade (some do fourth grade) students in public school. It is huge and ongoing and wonderful. It is such a good time to give these kids what, in many cases, is their first book and then review it with them, pointing out all the neat reference sections including, of course, the worlds longest word. But this year our district did something really cool, beyond cool.
On May 14th, at three locations (north, south and central within the district) thousands of Rotarians and people they recruited got together and packaged in excess of ONE MILLION MEALS - all of which stayed within out district. I think the final total was something like one million thirty thousand. Volunteers worked in two our shifts. Some of us worked the whole event. The money for the product was raised my Rotarians, $150K, no small feat. The meal packaging was organized by Meals of Hope, formerly part of Kids Against Hunger. There are two Rotarians that deserve huge, huge, kudos, but I am not naming names in this blog.
I have to tell you, I am typing this on July 2nd and it still makes my eyes misty. Can you imagine, one million meals. A huge percentage of kids receive free or subsidized meals at schools. When school lets out, hunger sets in. This is just too cool for words.
Rotary Leadership Institute
To remain an active faculty member in the Sunshine Division of RLI you must work at at least two District RLI Sessions and at least one outside your district. With everything else going on in your life as a DGN it is tough to find dates that match your schedule. As a result, April 15th I was finally doing my required out of district session.
It was really great, I received my first 100% evaluation. That was a pretty cool feeling. Without digging out my books I am not sure which session that was, but I did one leadership session and one of the double sessions, I think it was Service Projects. I scored well in both, but the 100% is definite high point in my RLI experience.
I am not sure I will be able to pull off RLI while I am DG, heck even DGE will be tough - but it is a good program and I am certainly going to try.
It was really great, I received my first 100% evaluation. That was a pretty cool feeling. Without digging out my books I am not sure which session that was, but I did one leadership session and one of the double sessions, I think it was Service Projects. I scored well in both, but the 100% is definite high point in my RLI experience.
I am not sure I will be able to pull off RLI while I am DG, heck even DGE will be tough - but it is a good program and I am certainly going to try.
Club Meetings, Presentations, Ceremonies, Etc.
Please remember you will have a ton of little stuff going on at the same time. You are constantly invited to present awards, give talks and presentation, induct new members or new Paul Harris Fellows. Every week you are in discussion with clubs and with your future AGs. As an example, I see on April 12th I was halfway down the district doing a presentation on Rotary's Camp Florida, a quick scan shows I am doing another on The Rotary Foundation's Future Vision. I am already getting invitations to club "changing of the guard" banquets. You have to be prepared to speak at all these functions, even if not asked in advance. So you put together a list of names, club accomplishments, projects, people serving their club as the district level or above.
I write this just as a bit of a warning that there is whole lot more to this journey than just the main nuts and bolts and between the two, as a DGN you can expect to spend a lot of hours. It may not be a full time job yet, but it is darn close. I am amazed that people can do this while still working full time.
I write this just as a bit of a warning that there is whole lot more to this journey than just the main nuts and bolts and between the two, as a DGN you can expect to spend a lot of hours. It may not be a full time job yet, but it is darn close. I am amazed that people can do this while still working full time.
District Assemby - April 9th
Assembly is the annual business meeting for our district, and a training session for specific club positions - by invitation only.
Yours truly handled the invocation and pledge after the DGE called the assembly to order. The DGE then explained the purpose of the assembly and went over the incoming R.I. President's Theme and Goals.
The District Secretary put into nomination for 2013-2014 District Governor the Rotarian that had been selected by the Nominations Committee in November. The membership validated the nomination and POOF, I was no longer low man on the ladder. Funny how little stuff like that effect you - and reminds you that time is slipping by, you need to keep busy learning and planning.
Next the proposed budget was brought forward and, after minimal discussion, approved by the membership.
The District TRF Chair made a presentation to our newest Bequest Society Member, who just happened to be the newly anointed DGND.
The balance of the business session was taken up by a branding presentation. Branding is the latest focus of Rotary administration. It has become evident our "brand" has been diluted over the years and to remain a vibrant organization we have to define our brand, our unique position if you will.
The afternoon was comprises of four breakout sessions. Club Secretaries were invited to a training session about their positions. The same held true for Club Treasurers and Public Relations Chairs. The fourth breakout was for everyone else and was listed as a "Best Practices Session". This was my baby and was a result from comments at PETS that Presidents Elect wanted more time to talk and interact with their peers. So the DGND and I guided an open forum through a number of subjects from membership to fellowship to fundraising, etc. and let the audience pass along their knowledge of what has worked, or not, in their clubs. We had an hour and a half, we ran long and we could have gone on for hours more. The feedback we received on the evaluation forms showed it was a hugely successful concept. (We later determined to add a best practices discussion for the last hour of both the TRF and Membership Seminars coming up this July.)
Funny, you work for hours and hours to pull a program like this together - it is a real team effort - and then POOF, it's over just that quickly.
Yours truly handled the invocation and pledge after the DGE called the assembly to order. The DGE then explained the purpose of the assembly and went over the incoming R.I. President's Theme and Goals.
The District Secretary put into nomination for 2013-2014 District Governor the Rotarian that had been selected by the Nominations Committee in November. The membership validated the nomination and POOF, I was no longer low man on the ladder. Funny how little stuff like that effect you - and reminds you that time is slipping by, you need to keep busy learning and planning.
Next the proposed budget was brought forward and, after minimal discussion, approved by the membership.
The District TRF Chair made a presentation to our newest Bequest Society Member, who just happened to be the newly anointed DGND.
The balance of the business session was taken up by a branding presentation. Branding is the latest focus of Rotary administration. It has become evident our "brand" has been diluted over the years and to remain a vibrant organization we have to define our brand, our unique position if you will.
The afternoon was comprises of four breakout sessions. Club Secretaries were invited to a training session about their positions. The same held true for Club Treasurers and Public Relations Chairs. The fourth breakout was for everyone else and was listed as a "Best Practices Session". This was my baby and was a result from comments at PETS that Presidents Elect wanted more time to talk and interact with their peers. So the DGND and I guided an open forum through a number of subjects from membership to fellowship to fundraising, etc. and let the audience pass along their knowledge of what has worked, or not, in their clubs. We had an hour and a half, we ran long and we could have gone on for hours more. The feedback we received on the evaluation forms showed it was a hugely successful concept. (We later determined to add a best practices discussion for the last hour of both the TRF and Membership Seminars coming up this July.)
Funny, you work for hours and hours to pull a program like this together - it is a real team effort - and then POOF, it's over just that quickly.
Club Strategic Planning
April 5th put my wife and I on the road outside our district to take part as facilitators, working as scribes actually, for a club strategic planning session.
These sessions were organized by the Zone Coordinator and tightly follow a time schedule/agenda. It was really cool to see their efforts and the results. I am hoping to bring this back to our district. Never fails, I am always learning something.
These sessions were organized by the Zone Coordinator and tightly follow a time schedule/agenda. It was really cool to see their efforts and the results. I am hoping to bring this back to our district. Never fails, I am always learning something.
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