Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”.
We have many things to feel thrilled about the first three months of this year in our District. Here are some highlights for September:
The zonal events took place in Denver, and our District walked away with top spots in numerous areas for our achievements last year under the inspiring leadership of PDG Tim Lundell.
The Foundation giving is going well, and our District is off to a fantastic start! Brenda Cressey, RI Foundation Trustee joined us in honoring Major Donors at a nice reception!
The New Generations celebration on September 11 went well, with over 120 attendees. We heard from Interactors, Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, Youth Exchange students, Speech Contest participants, Rotary Vietnam Project students and Rotaractors. We are world class, without doubt!
We are making progress towards forming a Rotary club at a major Silicon Valley company, a first of its kind in the U.S.
And there is a lot of interest in forming cause-based clubs, yes uncharted territory!
I have started my visits to our clubs, this month:
Thank you, Castro Valley for coming out in force to match the Rotary Club of Castro Valley $10,000 challenge grant to bring a robotic exoskeleton therapy device to Eden Medical Center. This suit helps survivors of stroke, spinal cord injury and other forms of lower extremity weakness to walk again.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended – physically or virtually -- this month’s district leadership meeting in support of our New Generations programs. We heard from some amazing young leaders from Interact, Youth Exchange, RYLA, Rotary Vietnam Project, and Rotaract. It’s hard not to be inspired in their presence!
Save the date for Interact 5170’s largest annual event: Fall Leadership Conference (FLC) on Sunday, October 20 at Independence High School! In past years, FLC has drawn together thousands of Interactors from around the district to learn about leadership, build relationships with other Interactors, and do service. If you are looking to witness the true power of our Interact district, FLC is where you need to be. You can learn more about and register for the Conference at this link: https://www.interact5170.org/fall-leadership-conference-2019/ We are excited to be hosting a few representatives from RI’s Evanston office who are interested in observing the largest annual gathering of Interactors in the world!
At this past Rotary District 5170 Leadership Meeting on September 11, we had the pleasure of speaking about Rotaract and the positive impact it has on each and every one of us. Lieutenant Governor Susan Pham and Rotaract Club of Silicon Valley President Alejandro Rivera III, and I enjoyed sharing our personal stories with fellow Rotarians. A huge thank you to all who helped in planning and executing the meeting, especially Youth Services Chair Chris Miller, Chief of Staff Tina Orsi-Hartigan, and our Rotary District Governor Ramesh Hariharan!
This month is one of our favorite times of the year for our Rotaractors, as it is Basic Education and Literacy Month!
