Almost there: So  -  Welcome all Rotarian's to the start of a year for you and your Club to Go WILD About Rotary. To power up your Club and get the most out of your year in leading, chairing and participating on Club activities I would like to focus you on the following key actions for you to consider and attend to.
 
District Changeover
Please confirm with your Assistant Governor your attendance from your Club at District Changeover on the 1st July at 4pm. I would love to see you at the Palmerston North Fire Station to celebrate a great year with DG Martin and welcome in the new year to Go Wild About Rotary.
 
Assistant Governors
Planning your Club activities and projects with support from District requires great communication and co-ordination with your Assistant Governor of your cluster of clubs and having a regular contact (each month) with your Presidents in your neighbouring Clubs. This will ensure the District communicated well with Clubs and your activities are well noted and supported where able.
 
RLI - Rotary Leadership Institute and Rotary Learning and Information
We have four programmed RLI sessions in the first three months of the year in Stafford, Marton, Masterton and Tawa. These sessions are able to have a maximum of 20 attendees. If you have club members that are new to Rotary or are taking up a leadership role in the Club or you  would like to get a better level of knowledge to assist your Club in developing your roles in the club, RLI 101 is for you. Please register with your Assistant Governor to ensure your place on these important Rotary learning and information sessions.
 
and more to follow - - - -
Club Development and Membership
We all have a responsibility to find ways to attract new members to Rotary, start new Clubs and encourage diversity in our Clubs. To achieve this you will do well to encourage attendance of your Rotarian's to the Club Development and Membership Workshops. Again these are in the same locations as RLI 101 and are scheduled to provide opportunities for you to gain support to achieve club membership and development strategies and actions by sharing ideas for your club.
 
District Directory 2017/18 delivery
The District Directory 2017/18, the repository of District information to guide your year in Rotary will be delivered (all things going toplan) at the District Changeover for Assistant Governors and attending Clubs to receive and start making use of. Of course an electronic version will be available to load on your computer, laptop, tablet or phone !!
 
Community Leadership with your Club and Council
As District Governor I have taken the initiative to introduce the opportunity of service in our communities to be connected to our Councils. From this I am hoping opportunities and project support will flow with a connected group of Rotarian's doing good in the community having connection with our community leaders in Council. Please seek out opportunities to support and coordinate community initiatives and support with our councils.
 
Get in Bed with your Fire Brigade
A letter of introduction will soon arrive with the Chief Fire Officers of the local volunteer fire brigades in your Rotary Clubs community. Assistant Governor John Stevenson (Wairarapa) has championed this concept to provide support and opportunities for community engagement through your local community first response emergency service - Fire and Emergency New Zealand !!
 
One tree planted for every Rotarian
Rotary International President Ian Risely has set a great challenge in his year of leading all Rotarian's in the world by providing the challenge to have a tree planted for every Rotarian in the world. In our District I have sought support from Whanganui based Club President Tom Carter, who knows his trees, to provide support and coordination of clubs to achieve and support this goal. So please plan your tree planting community based activity and provide your Assistant Governor with the details of date and location and numbers of trees planted in our Rotary District,
 
Polio Plus - Foundation support 
I encourage all Clubs to plan and support the Rotary Foundation supported program to achieve our part to play in the final push to eliminate Polio from the world. Through the District coordination and support of Michael Fagg (Otaki) I would see your Club support for our Polio Plus program and giving for Foundation to achieve our Rotary International goal of seeing off polio, confirmed this year.
 
Go WILD About Rotary at RotaFEST
A really amazing opportunity will be to attend RotaFEST - A Festival of Rotary in Palmerston North from 11-13 May, 2018. The festival of all things Rotary is the combination of District Conference and District Assembly. The opening of the internationally acclaimed Wildbase Recovery Centre will be a key focus for the Festival of Rotary and an amazing array of community showcased Rotary projects and activities. Plan to be there and plan to have your Club, Cluster and District Rotary support for our community on display, shared and celebrated with our communities. Oh yes ... we will Go WILD About Rotary!!
 
District Governor Club visits - Showcase your Club in the Community
I am looking forward to my visits to the Rotary Clubs of our District. I would like to have the Club visit of the District Governor focus on celebrating and acknowledging the role of the Club in your community by showcasing and highlighting to our invited and attending  community leaders, partners  and supported community members these project and initiatives that your Rotary Club has planned or completed during the 17/18 Rotary year.
 
See you at District Changeover and lets Go WILD About Rotary !!
 
Mitchell Brown
District Governor 2017/18
District 9940