GREETINGS FROM YOUR GOVERNOR - Rotary District 6360

GREETINGS FROM YOUR GOVERNOR
January, 2006
Volume No. 11
Issue No.7
DG Gil O’Rourke
Contents Title:
A Message from the District
Governor Message ------------- 1
Attendance, Annual Giving….2
Party, Peace & Conflict,
GSE………3
Water Conference, DGNN,
Hastings Project………4
TRF, RYLA, Polio……………5
Youth Exchange……………..6
RI Convention, Officer Info,
Reminders, Directory……...7
Upcoming Events…………....8
ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH
January is Rotary Awareness Month & it is appropriate. My mind is full of Rotary activity to
be accomplished early in 2006.
• RI and District dues are payable on January 1.
• Club officer election results are due to RI and the district.
• Our second District Quarterly Staff Meeting is scheduled at the Kalamazoo
Radisson Hotel on January 7.
District Governor Elect Jay Larson begins his preparation for Rotary year 2006-07. He will
attend DG training in San Diego in late February. That will be followed by training seminars
that he prepares in conjunction with District Trainer Don Humphreys. These seminars are
aimed at informing the district staff and club presidents-elect and club officers about the
Rotary theme and emphasis that is planned for 2006-07. They also provide the opportunity
for developing friendships and facilitating communication which is invaluable for a
successful Rotary club and district business year. These seminars include District
Leadership, PETS, and District Assembly. In an effort to improve attendance and avoid a
meeting date on an additional week end, the District Assembly is tentatively planned for the
afternoon of May 20 immediately following the end of the District Conference and Annual
Business meeting.
District Conference preparations will heat up as we move through the early part of 2006.
The District Conference dates are May 19 and 20 and the location is the Kalamazoo
Radisson Hotel. The theme is ‘Vital Communities’ and every effort is being made to create a
program that is important to Rotarians and how we can play a vital part in our communities.
Clubs are welcome to invite their non-Rotarian community leaders including mayors,
commissioners, chambers of commerce members and others in their communities that are
involved in community activity. The Friday part of the conference is open to all. The only
cost to non-Rotarians is the Friday luncheon featuring Vaughn Grisham, our key-note
speaker. Vaughn is a professor of sociology at the Univeristy of Mississippi who has spent
his career studying communities. He will be in attendance all day Friday participating in our
‘Vital Community’ presentation. We are encouraging District 6360 Rotary clubs to come to
the Friday luncheon for their weekly meeting. I believe you will find attendance at the
conference and luncheon an especially rewarding experience this year. The ‘public image’
of Rotary is an area that RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar has asked us to emphasize
this year. Certainly our District Conference with its involvement of non-Rotarians with our
Friday ‘Vital Communities’ program plays right into that effort. I look forward to seeing you
there.
Congratulations to Renee Merchant (Michigan Center Rotary) on her nomination for District
Governor 2008-09. Renee has a long history of district participation and responsibilities. She
currently serves as our GSE chair, RYLA committee participant, & Katrina Relief committee.
She is very deserving of the nomination and we will be rewarded with a very capable District
Governor for 2008-09.
QUOTE FOR THE MONTH
“The starting point of all achievement is desire.” – Napoleon Hill, American Writer

NOVEMBER, 2005 ATTENDANCE
Page 2
DG Gil winds up his official club visits
at Gull Lake Area. Left is President,
Dave Kreager and Norm Leonard on the
right.
The Michigan Center Club in Jackson
will be meeting at Suburban Lanes,
3801 Ann Arbor Road for the month of
January, as Lakeland Hills Golf Club is
closed. They will return in February.
ANNUAL GIVING REPORT FOR DISTRICT 6360
Zone
District
2005-06
Members
% of
Clubs
w/goal
2005-06
District
Goal
(Club
Totals)
YTD %
Change
2005-
06 APF
Per
Capita
YTD
2004-
05 APF
Per
Capita
YTD
2004-
05
APF
Per
Capita
(final)
2004-05
APF-
SHARE
30 June
05
2004-
05 Non-
Giving
Clubs
2004-05
RFSM %
of
Members
TRF-
DIREC
28 6360 3,240 83.33% $170,200.00 3.69% $11.46 $10.81 $61.47 $199,169.74 3 17% 15

Page 3
December 2, 2005 PDG & Staff “Players” doing a
DGN Dick Sammis original skit, “A District 6360
Christmas Carol.” DGE Jay appears to be directing, but
he was really “just one of the players.”
We were entertained by Leigh Ann Bannasch singing and
her father on the guitar.
A fun time was had by all, in spite of PDG Ed and wife, Linda
missing a good part of the festivities due to a car/deer accident on
the way to the party.
ROTARY PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES PROGRAM
On behalf of the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program we would like to remind you that the
deadline for submission of district-endorsed Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program applications
to The Rotary Foundation is
15 January 2006. Application forms, the Program Guide for Rotarians, and other information is
available on the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program website at
. Please contact the Rotary Peace
and Conflict Studies Program coordinator, Jenn Weidman, at weidmanj@rotaryintl.org with any
questions.
GSE TEAM MEMBERS WANTED
We are still looking for Group Study Exchange team members for the trip to Belize, Guatemala and
Honduras. The team member must be full-time employed, a US citizen, between the ages fo 25 and
40, a non-Rotarian, and not related to a Rotarian. The travel dates have been pushed out to mid-May
to mid-June. Please look around your community, place of worship, and workplace for likely
candidates. Information and the application are available on www.rotary.org >Group Study
Exchange. For additional information, contact GSE district chairman, Renée Merchant, 517-592-5463
renee@4DeltaSystems.com Our GSE Team Leader is Barbara Walters of the Kalamazoo Club.

WATER CONFERENCE: THIRSTING TO SERVE 2006
Aquinas College – Grand Rapids, Michigan
Monday, February 27, 2006
Page 4 4
The conference starts at 8:00 a.m. and runs until 4:15 p.m. It will include a spectrum of knowledgeable speakers
who will present water related issues from a variety of perspectives, including international policy, research,
business, technology, and project sustainability. Specific projects designed and successfully implemented to
meet local needs in diverse global areas will also be discussed.
The conference presenters will focus on information and technology transfer, from the laboratory to the field,
from international policy makers to NGO’s working in diverse environments, and from privileged cultures to third
world countries.
Representing Rotary International is Ron Denham, Zone 28 Paul LaPort, District 6290 DG Ross Conran. The
United Nations will provide a speaker, as will Potters for Peace. Other speakers include: Bob Hildreth, national
coordinator in the Dominican Republic for the Children’s Safe Water Project; Dr. David Manz, from the University
of Calgary, Canada, will speak about the history of the bio-sand filter and its use; Cindy Hunt, Rotarian from
Fairport, New York, District 7120 who is a children’s education and child welfare advocate; Keith Zook, Group
Manager of Corporate Sustainable Development with Proctor and Gamble; Dr. Stephen Nicholas, Director of
Pediatrics at Harlem Hospital Center at Columbia University; Rev. Myles D. Fish, President and CEO of
International Aid; Joel C. Robertson, Pharm.D, CEO and founder of Robertson Technology companies.
RENÉE MERCHANT CHOSEN AS
DISTRICT GOVERNOR 2008-2009
Renée is a member and past president of the Michigan Center-Jackson County
East Club. She is a Team Building Consultant and owner of Delta Systems, LLC.
She has chaired the Group Study Exchage program for the District for many
years and served as a team leader to India. She has chaired and participated in
many committees in her Rotary Club and recently served as an assistant
coordinator for the District Rotary Katrina Relief Program. She has 15 years of
perfect attendance, is a Paul Harris Fellow and RI Foundation Benefactor.
This year there were several very well-qualified individuals nominated by clubs. Renée was chosen by the nominating
committee, chaired by PDG Bill Menser. However, in accordance with the District Procedures, “A club, with its nominee’s
concurrence, may re-propose the club’s nominee, by January 31 following, to be a candidate for election at the next
District conference. Such re-proposal shall be in the form of a club resolution. The District Governor shall then act in
conformity with the procedures outlined in the most recent RI Manual of Procedure.”
Hastings Rotary, School District Team Up
With Books for Katrina Victims
from an article by Elaine Gilbert, Assistant Editor
Hastings Banner/Reminder
Five skids of books no longer being used in Hastings Area Schools are
being donated to schools and libraries in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Hastings Rotary is handling the shipping arrangements. In the photo with
the books, which were shrink-wrapped at J-Ad Graphics, are (from left)
Hastings Rotary President Dan Mejeur, Mark Rushford, maintenance
supervisor for the Hastings School District; and Rotarian Margie Haas,
principal of Pleasantview School, who helped coordinate the project.
Courtesy photo – Hastings Banner/Reminder
Hastings Rotary members were brainstorming ideas for a project to help Hurricane Katrina victims and Rotarian Sheree Newell, a counselor at Hastings
High School, came up with this idea. “Rotary members, Margie Haas and Sandy Nichols …and with the help of others got the whole project going,” said
Mejeur. Hastings Schools donated books that had been in storage, coordinated by Haas. Robin Girrbach and Mark Rushford picked up all the boxes of
books and J-Ad Graphics helped to shrink-wrap the skids. They will be loaded into a semi and Rotarians will truck them to Chicago and by others on to
Ocean Springs. Jim Alden, a Hastings Rotary member, is chairing and coordinating Katrina Relief projects to Ocean Springs, Mississippi for all the
Rotary clubs in District 6360, covering southwestern Michigan.

TRF ANNUAL GIVING INCENTIVE IDEA . . .
Page 5
I couldn't help but notice how this one club has skyrocketed in their TRF Annual Giving. So far, this year, the St. Joseph-
Benton Harbor club is at $83.51 per capita. Here's a description from their vice-president on how they did it.
“Last June we decided to do a Paul Harris Recognition Day. We asked all PHF recipients to wear their medallions and
decided to have them stand up in mass at the meeting and afterwards to take their picture. As I recall, we had 43
members in the picture, over half of our active Paul Harris Fellows. Then, during the meeting I asked members to do
personal testimonials about why they became a PHF. After the meeting two members stepped forward and gave me
checks to become Paul Harris Fellows. In the ensuing weeks two more stepped forward.
About that time, a Major Donor in our district announced he had 63,000 matching points available to anyone who would
pay 1/2 of the amount necessary to become a Paul Harris Fellow and he would match the balance. Well, as they say,
timing is everything! We had laid the ground work and we now have 25 new members that have either become PHFs or
have advanced to a higher level.
I strongly suggest such an initiative for all clubs in district. There is nothing as important as giving someone recognition.
We all too often give them their medallion which they file away in a dresser drawer never to be worn again. We plan to do
a PHF recognition day every year, this gives members an opportunity to get out that dusty medallion and proudly wear it
at a special meeting.”
Susan Schwartzwald
Sr. Annual Giving Officer
The Rotary Foundation
December College
Mentoring Seminar
Location of poliovirus, 2004
(134 cases)
Polio in contact
Polio in AFP
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Maharashtra
Delhi
Haryana
West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Uttaranchal
82
39
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
Polio Update
National Polio Surveillance Project: GoI & WHO

Page 6
6360 Youth Exchange Student News
IVANA WEDLICHOVA · Czech Republic · Mason Rotary Club
Ivana Welichova has traveled from Kaplice in the Czech Republic, located in Rotary
District 2240. Kaplice, a town of 8,000 residents, is located in South Bohemia, near the
Austrian border. Ivana currently lives in Mason, Michigan and attends Mason High
School.
Ivana enjoys studying the sciences, with a particular interest in Biology, Chemistry and
Mathematics. She also enjoys the mountainous and hilly terrain in her native country
by and takes time to ski and snow board. She also enjoys playing the piano and dance.
In Mason, Ivana has kept busy by participating in tennis, volleyball, and in the spring,
soccer. During her stay in Rotary District 6360, Ivana hopes to learn English and get to
know our country, its peoples and customs. When she returns to Kaplice, Ivana will
return to her high school to finish her studies. She hopes to study medicine at the university in Prague. Her
career goal is to serve people by becoming a Physical Therapist. One day, she also hopes to become a Rotarian.
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE
Promoting Peace & Understanding Throughout the World
OUTBOUND UPDATE
District 6360 has 7 students hoping to travel abroad to one of the 40 countries with which we exchange.
Students from Lansing to Jackson and from Kalamazoo to Parchment, Scotts and Berrien Springs are
hoping to exchange in countries as diverse as Norway, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay and Brazil.
There are 4 students hoping to participate in long-term exchanges (school year) and 3 students for the
short-term (Summer family-to-family exchange).
Applications for outbound students can be accepted through March 15, 2006.
LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUTH EXCHANGE & PLAN TO HOST A STUDENT NEXT YEAR
INBOUND UPDATE
The district plans to host 10 students for 2006-07.
Female
Male
Belgium
France
Brazil
Germany
Guatemala
Philippines
Japan
Thailand
The district will also host a student from Belarus (gender unknown) and a student (gender & nationality to
be determined).
Thank you to all the clubs that have met with the Youth Exchange committee.
Applications will be available for review in March. For more info about hosting a student, call Linda &
Wayne Conklin, Inbound Chairs at 989-859-9952, or Dan Zimolzak, General Chair at 517-796-0986

Page 7
2006 RI Convention in Malmö-Copenhagen
97th Rotary International Annual Convention Malmö, Sweden and Copenhagen,
Denmark
11-14 June 2006
Fast, easy, secure - make all of your convention preparations online.
Before you register online through Member Access: https://riweb.rotaryintl.org/it/ make
sure you have your:
· Member ID [found on your Rotarian Magazine label]
· Club number [found in the District Directory]
· District number [6360]
Contact your club secretary, if you don't have this information. If for some reason you
don't have access to this information and have never used Member Access, register
by fax or mail to make sure your form arrives in time.
Questions about registration? Check out the FAQ in the Events section of the RI Web site:
http://www.rotary.org/events/conventions/malmo-copenhagen/faq.html
(EN only)
Be sure to send in the names and contact
information for your newly elected officers for
2006-07 to the District Office!!!!!!
JANUARY IS “ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH’ – reminders:
‣ secretaries need to complete per capita dues payments
‣ important to meet your membership goal’
‣ SHARE Humanitarian Program Allocations available
‣ World Rotaract Week is observed the 3 rd week of March
‣ take advantage of scholarships that are available
JANUARY DIRECTORY CHANGES:
p. 14 New email for AG Margaret Merrill: mmerrill@sbcglobal.net
p. 27 Keith Roe email and phone: krman35@sbcglobal.net; w – 269-381-5570
p. 44 New address: Gerry and Gretchen Hollister, 296 W. Colon Rd., Coldwater, MI 49036
p.109 Peter Vanderlinden – new email: vanclan51@earthlink.net
p. 109 New treasurer: John Fountain, P. O. Box 623, Niles, MI 49120, h-269-591-2148, w-269-683-1200,
f-269-683-0056, fountain@danacole.com

UPCOMING DATES . . .
Page 8
> January, 7, 2006 Saturday, Quarterly Staff & PDG Meeting, Radisson, Kalamazoo
> March 23-25, 2006, Thursday - Saturday, President Elect Training Seminar (PETS),
Radisson Hotel, Kalamazoo, Mi [Mandatory for Club President Elects]
> May 20, 2006 Saturday, District Assembly, details TBA [Mandatory for Club PEs]
> May 19-20, 2006, Friday & Saturday, District Conference, Radisson Hotel, Kalamazoo
DEADLINE FOR ARTICLES FOR THE NEWSLETTER IS THE 25 TH OF EACH MONTH.
DISTRICT OFFICE INFORMATION:
LINDA FOSTER, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT & Editor, ROTARY DISTRICT 6360
316 BEECH STREET
CHARLOTTE, MI 48813-1006; 517-543-7929; FAX: 517-543-3041; district6360@cablespeed.com
Rotary District 6360
316 Beech Street
Charlotte, MI 48813-1006