February is Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month
February 23rd is the 115th birthday of Rotary. It seems like only yesterday that Rotary was just 100 years old. One of our District 6040 clubs becomes 100 years old this year. The Chillicothe Rotary Club turns 100 in 2020 and the Weston Club turns 75 this Rotary year.
More about Rotary’s commitment to Peace. 100 Peace Fellowships a year are offered at Rotary Peace Centers around the World. 1000 plus students have graduated from the Rotary Peace Center’s program. Another Peace Center participating University will be coming on soon. The first one in Africa. $142 million has been raised by Rotary to support Peace. And Rotary has partnered with the Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent think tank and leader in the study of peace and conflict, to help address the root causes of conflict and create conditions that foster peace.
Make sure to read Steve Youngblood’s article on the recent Rotary Peace Conference in Ontario California this January. He was one of the featured speakers at the conference and does some wonderful work as the Director of the Global Peace Journalism at Park University. We are lucky enough to have him as our District 6040 Peace and Conflict Resolution Ambassador
We have an opportunity for you to enjoy some peace and conflict free time at our 2020 District Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks this April 24-26th. A Golf Tournament, some great young Rotary speakers, our own RI Director Floyd Lancia, the Shoes for Orphan Souls rollcall, the Four Way Test Finalists, the Teacher of the Year award, a service project to feed the world and a fabulous resort. Please click here to register for the conference. I hope to see all of you there.
Yours in Rotary Service and Peace.
Marc Horner
District Governor
Membership Minute
Vibrant clubs engage their members, conduct meaningful projects, and try new ideas. This month's membership tip is about bylaws. Adapt your club's bylaws to reflect the way the club works. Involve your members when you review your club's bylaws every year.
Join us April 24-26, 2020 for some R&R...Rotary and relationship building! The 2020 District Conference will be a multi-day, destination event held at Margaritaville Lake Resort in the Lake of the Ozarks.
The Rotary Club's of Leawood and Lenexa Kansas invite you to attend The Human Trafficking Awareness and Action Conference on Friday, March 6 from 7:45-11:30 a.m.
The link for Rotary Clubs to sign up their 2020 students is now live! Rotary clubs have the opportunity to promote the academy and sponsor their local high school students to attend. In 2020, two academy sessions of MO RYLA are available.
Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have an exciting announcement for Rotarians. Take a moment to watch this video to learn more. You can access the video at
The Rotary Club of Independence, in collaboration with KC Scholars, presents Mardi Gras 2020! Experience the fun and food of this incredible evening for the benefit of the KC Scholars program for Independence area students. A New Orleans-style dinner and live music along with thrilling entertainment and surprises will bring the fun of Mardi Gras to the Kansas City area. There will be crazy fun games of skill and chance, and of course, a colorful Mardi Gras backdrop of beads, masks, and costumes parading down Bourbon Street showcasing craft beers and signature drinks. Join the fun Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Arrowhead Stadium North Club. Tickets are on sale now at Facebook.com/IndependenceRotaryMardiGras.
(Ontario, California)--Like most attendees at the Rotary World Peace Conference last weekend in Ontario, CA, I came away with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I depart deeply concerned about conflicts that plague our world. On the other, I head home encouraged and inspired by the amazing work being done by Rotarians and others in the cause of world peace.
My presentation on the basics of peace journalism typifies this binary. I started my presentation with a discussion about low public approval ratings of the media, and the ills that plague the profession. Then my talk took a hopeful turn as I described peace journalism and its ability to create an atmosphere conducive to peace without compromising the principles of good journalism. A large, engaged audience showered me with perceptive questions both during and indeed after the presentation. One attendee wanted to know if anyone is practicing peace journalism. I mentioned the Guardian, Nicolas Kristof, and many radio journalists in Cameroon and Uganda as positive examples.
It was interesting to see many of the themes I touched upon in my talk echoed by other speakers at the conference. This includes the need to reject divisive “us vs. them” constructs, and to give a “voice to the voiceless” in everything we do.
Drum roll please.....at the International Assembly in San Diego, the Rotary 2020-2021 theme was announced. RI President Elect Holger Knaack announced that 20-21 theme will be Rotary Opens Opportunities! Imagine 520 people from around the world speaking many different languages in the same room. They translated the sessions in 8 languages. We are all part of a great global organization!
Your club is invited to submit nominations for District Governor for Rotary year 2023-2024. You, as a Rotarian in good standing, may submit to your Club President and Secretary, the name of a Rotarian in your club who you believe would be willing and qualified to serve as District Governor. This person should be voted on by your club and his/her name, along with the application and all needed signatures, submitted to the District Nominating Committee. The District Nominating Committee, in accordance with Section 14.020.3 of the RI Bylaws, will consist of the last five Past District Governors. They are the voting members. The current District Governor, Governor-Elect, Governor-Nominee, and the Governor Nominee-Designate will also serve on the committee as non-voting members.
Great teachers deserve to be recognized so clubs are encouraged to nominate outstanding teachers in your community who are powerful proponents of literacy and have made significant contributions in the teaching of reading. The deadline for applications is February 21, 2020. . Special consideration will be given to candidates who actively participate in local, state and/or national youth or vocational services, effectively interweave literacy into their involvement in these areas, and positively promote the ideals of Rotary.
Have you ever really wanted to get your club information in the local newspaper? Take a note from the Weston Rotary Club, send it, send it, send it. Every time your club gives away money, participates in a service project, receives an award, etc. send the information to the local paper. Will it get printed every time, probably not, however nothing will ever print if you don't send it.
The Lawson Rotary Club, along with the Lawson Chamber of Commerce, is hosting a "Be the Good" Play 4 Polio Disc Golf Tournament on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Tournament registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and each disc golf participant receives a "Be The Good" Rotary T-Shirt. Lunch will be provided after the tournament ends. Why play? Rotary International has an "End Polio Now" campaign that raises money every year for the eradication of this crippling disease worldwide. In 1985, Rotary International launched their "Polio Plus" campaign to immunize the world's children against Polio.
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