Rotarians,
 
As I come to the end of my year as Rotary District Governor I have reflected on a lot of wonderful memories, some older ones and a lot of new ones.
 
As a young man I traveled with my father across Northern and Western Missouri as he visited his customers and I got to see a lot of different cities and towns.  As an adult I have worked with customers in St Joseph, and been responsible for a facility in Marshall, Missouri so that added to my exposure to northern Missouri. Those old memories are fun and interesting ones.
 
What those memories lacked however were the friendships, understanding and deep connections that have developed over the last several years in the preparation for my role and as District Governor. I have traveled highways and state roads that I never knew existed before. I have visited towns and cities that had just been names on Highway signs in the past. I have met hundreds of Rotarians in churches, restaurants, event spaces, schools and even museums. I have developed friendships with District Rotarians, other District Governors and even Rotarians I have only met on Facebook.  I now have friends all over the world which would have never happened if I had not been asked to take on this responsibility.
 
I have grown up in Rotary (26 years) in a large club with a lot of traditions and a kind of strait-laced approach to Rotary (sorry Club 13 friends). I have learned there are a lot of ways to shear that Rotary Sheep.  I have enjoyed my time with smaller clubs, funny clubs and clubs with few traditions.  I’ve seen clubs that collect fines and others who collect happy bucks. I can not tell you who my favorite clubs are, but I think you know who you are! 
 
One of the strange things about the club I belong to; Kansas City Club 13, is that our members live all over a big metropolitan area. We live in two states, probably five counties and I bet we live in more than a dozen different cities.  I really did not connect with how important Rotary Clubs are to the communities that they exist in.
 
I didn’t realize that in a lot of cities if you don’t champion improvements in your parks, build a new playground, beautify your downtown, improve the local library or museum or construct a new sign at the edge of town; no one else is going to do it. You make your communities better. You allow people to take pride in the places where they live. You help teachers and librarians improve your schools. You are the cornerstones of the cities you live in.  Not because of your influence but because of your impact. Not because of your comments but because of your commitment. Not because of your words but because of your deeds. You are truly #peopleofaction..
 
I wish I could say that everything in District 6040 is wonderful however this has been a difficult year.  We were holding our own membership wise through March 1st but by the end of this month we will have lost more members than in any one of the last five years.  The funds raised at the Foundation Dinner were a record but subsequent donations to the Annual Fund are down to a level we have not seen for many years. We have dropped below $100.00 per capita to less than $80.00 per capita when our goal this year was $144.00. Twenty-three of our clubs did not contribute to the PolioPlus fund in a year when I had hoped we would focus on Polio Plus with the “Chinnery Challenge” competition. 
 
Next year will be better.  Help 2020-2021 District Governor Don Gladhart Open Opportunities in your towns and cities by building Rotary. Go out and sell your neighbors on the fellowship of Rotary.  Our clubs found ways to meet when so many around us were stuck at home with no access to the togetherness that even a ZOOM meeting can provide. Tell them about Rotary’s service through by exposing them to all of the projects we have accomplished this year including our most recent COVID-19 projects.
 
Thank you for all that you do to make our communities better.  Thank you for the wonderful reception you extended to me when I visited your clubs. Thank you for all that you do to make District 6040 better. Thank you for being Rotarians.
Rotary Connects the World
 
Marc Horner
District Governor
 
 
Around the District
Rotary District Conference Is On
 The Rotary District 6040 Conference is moving forward - and will take place August 21-23, 2020 at the Margaritaville resort at the Lake of the Ozarks.
 
The Rotary District 60460 Conference is an opportunity to sharpen our thinking and enhance our knowledge on how to serve in our communities and around the world. It’s a time to dream big dreams that will inspire service and action, and to relax and enjoy Rotary fellowship and camaraderie. 
 
It will be an exciting event featuring great speakers and training opportunities for club committee chairs and members.  Whether you are an officer, committee chair or club member there will be powerful content for you. 
Read more...
Rotary Cares Assistance Program
In Response to the nationwide COVID crisis, the Rotary Youth Camp and Downtown Kansas City Rotary Club (Club 13) allocates $50,000 to aid the families and organizations they serve. Donations, both monetary and in-kind, will be sent to families and the 13 organizations who were signed up to use the camp over the summer.  In an effort to strengthen their camping community in these uncertain times, the Rotary Youth Camp launches the “Rotary Cares” assistance program for organizations using the camp and camper families. The goal of the program is to aid as many families as possible as well as the organizations that host summer camp at the Rotary Youth Camp. Organizations that were scheduled for the 2020 summer season will be targeted.
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Rotary Club of Kansas City International Chinnery Challenge Polio Bingo Night. They raised $1200.00 which with the Bill and Melinda Gates 2 to 1 match means they raised $3600 in the fight against Polio. 
Upcoming District Events
Executive Council Meeting
Jun 10, 2020 4:00 PM
 
View entire list
Steve Youngblood, associate professor of communication arts and director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University and a member of the Parkville Rotary Club, has been awarded the 2020 Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Peace Journalism by the Schengen Peace Foundation and the World Peace Forum.
Speakers Bureau
One of the biggest challanges for any club leader or club member is to have an interesting and challanging program. A speaker that provokes critical thought, challanges your thinking, informs or entertains. Following are several suggestions for a program for one of your club meetings. 
Click Me!
Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
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