Lets Go Wild About Rotary by Investing in Ourselves! A quick checklist for the coming months:
Firstly, have you registered to Go Wild About Rotary @ RotaFEST 18, 11-13 May 2018, Palmerston North? Click the link and Go Wild Now to the District Website - Rotary9940.org and confirm your weekend of fun at a Festival of Rotary - RotaFEST 18.
 
RotaFEST 18 - A Festival of Rotary is the District Rotary event of the year. This is a not to be missed opportunity to join leaders, share ideas and take action. But more so to Go Wild About Rotary! And we need to invest in ourselves and ensure we promote the opportunity of Rotary to the Community, hence the Festival of music, food, entertainment and Rotary in the Palmerston North Square on Saturday 12 May. So have the Rotary experience of the year by Going Wild About Rotary and Invest in Yourself!
 
 Secondly a great opportunity to Invest in your Self is to enjoy the opportunity to attend lunch or dinner with Rotary International President Ian H.S. Riseley in Palmerston North and Feilding. Having an International President visit or country is unique, having a International President visit our District is rare (unless RI Past President Bill Boyd and Lorna pop down from Auckland!!). We have the opportunity to host and have the Rotary global view of Rotary for the Future shared with us on Tuesday the 6th March. By attending the lunch meeting starting at 12pm at the Hotel Coachman in Palmerston North and the dinner at 6pm at the Feilding Convention Centre. From personal experience the opportunity to hear from our International President and friend Ian Riseley, will be interesting, inspirational and the opportunity to invest in yourself as a Rotarian.
 
Most importantly at our evening function at the Feilding Convention Centre, will be the celebration of the 75 years of Service Above Self and to their communities of four Rotary Clubs in our District. The Rotary Clubs of Stratford, Hutt City, Marton and Pahiatua will receive special commemoration from Rotary International President Ian Riseley to mark their 75 years of Doing Good in the Community.
 
  You are now too late to  join us for lunch , however photo's from these events will be out in a special edition next week.
 
Thirdly, many of our District's Rotary Clubs have now heard my personaI story of being invested in, by my then Rotary Club of Panmure to allow me to attend the National Fire Academy in the USA in 1992. The result was a stellar launch to my fire service career and my personal passion lit to give back to Rotary through various roles in our organisation. For each Rotarian you need to find your Why? (why you are a Rotarian) and things that inspire you to add your special contribution from your personal skills and attributes that you bring to the Club. Lastly if the buzz still does it for you to be a Rotarian, then you need to share this with your friends, family and your network, yes everyone on your Facebook, LinkedIn and other Social Media - this is the most powerful membership tool we have!!
 
Our Rotary District 2018
I have nearly completed all District Governor visits to the 54 Rotary Clubs of our District 9940. I would like to thank our Presidents of the class of 2017/18 for the amazing hospitality and leadership they have shown in this Rotary year to me and to their Rotarian's.
 
That said we still have many Rotary clubs with membership challenges and a strong desire to continue the opportunity for service to support their community. We will need to rethink our membership of Rotary that exists for and in our local communities that our Rotary Clubs seek to engage with. How many of our Clubs are engaging through their community and membership to offer corporate membership, partners membership and supporting members who join and may need club fees relief. Start a new strategy to form a new Club within your community or within your club to ensure the future of Rotary in the community is ensured. Remember the case study I have shared with you of the Rotary Club of Stratford forming and chartering the Satellite Club of the Rotary Club of Stratford. If your Club is engaging with establishing and supporting Interact, Rotaract, Satellite Clubs and our programs of Rotary Youth Program of ENrichment, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Rotary Youth Driver Awareness and Rotary International Youth Exchange - THEN the opportunity to create Rotary follower-ship through links to Rotary Clubs that could create membership opportunities for the future.
 
Response to Cyclone Gita
Thank you to the Rotary Clubs of our District that have responded to Cyclone Gita's fury that created humanitarian support needs in many Pacific countries. The deployment of Emergency Response Kits (ERK's) provided the opportunity to have Clubs fund and support the replacement of the staged ERK's that were immediately deployed to the locations they were needed. I would encourage all our District's Rotary Club to support the provision of ERK's that ensure Rotary can provide an immediate humanitarian event.
 
DG Visit on the high seas!!
 A special evening was had at the Rotary Club of Mt Victoria with the District Governor visit on a charter catamaran cruising Wellington Harbour with Rotarian's and a pleasant sailing. A great way to enjoy a DG Visit with President Nigel and the team, and my thanks for supplying the Dalmatian Fire Dog to add that extra special touch!
 
President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) and South Pacific President Elect Training Seminar (PETS)
The first weekend in March has provided District Governor Elect Marion Johnston and the Presidents Elect of the 2018/19 Rotary year with the necessary training, information and development to lead our Rotary Clubs through the coming year. At this years South Pacific PETS at Waipuna Hotel in Auckland, our District Training Chair Rodney Wong as well as our Lead Trainer in the District Wheldon Curzon-Hobson ran training and workshops through the weekend.
 
Of significance was the attendance of Rotary International President Ian and Juliet Riseley to promote the future year in Rotary for RI President Elect Barry Rassin. The Rotary International President Elect theme for the coming year is "Be the Inspiration!". DGE Marion assisted the other five District Governors with launching the year ahead with enthusiasm, energy and song!
 
 
Information about this weekend will appear in a special edition later early next week
 
 
 
 
 
 
Planting of a Rotary International President's Peace Tree
The Auckland domain over many years has been the site for planting of Rotary International President's Peace Trees. The opportunity to have RI President Ian's goal of planting a tree for every Rotarian was realised with a Peace Tree planted near the Auckland Domain pavilion on the corner of Grafton and Carlton Gore roads. RI President Ian had support from the District Governors of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands as well as Past District Governor Alan Eyes and President of the Rotary Club of Auckland John Collinge.
 
If you just look carefully you will see Mitch peering from behind the tree!!         The plaque from when Past Rotary World President Bill Boyd planted a tree in 2006
 
 
And FINALLY
This month I have encouraged all Rotary Clubs and Rotarian's, to invest in themselves. This is part of supporting ourselves and organisation to guarantee our future. The best thing you can do is INVEST IN YOURSELF!! How can you do this .. INVEST in attending RotaFEST 18 - A Festival of Rotary, Palmerston North Convention Centre and in the Square, 11-13 May 2018. REGISTER NOW !!
 
Mitch Brown
District Governor