DG Dave’s August Newsletter

Dave’s Diary 

The Monthly Newsletter of the District Governor

31^st July 2012

Wow – how quickly has the month of July flown by.   It seems less than five minutes since the handover at the Novotel on 1^st of the month.     Over this last four weeks or so I have begun to  realise how being the District Governor truly takes over your life.

In this time I have addressed twenty eight (28) clubs, carried out two sets of interviews for a GSE Team Leader, attended the Rotary Showcase at Kedleston on two separate days, attended the RIBI General Council over two days, taken part in three Conference planning meetings, one Assistant Governor’s meeting, one training meeting, a Strategy Group Meeting, presented certificates for cycling proficiency at a local school, attended the Inner Wheel District 22 President’s Induction, two club social events, a classic car show, welcomed  10 new members and attended two Rotarian funerals.

I am of course open to invitations to any activities, planned by clubs if they think my presence would be of benefit.

But, what else has been happening in the District and on the wider front during this time?  The District Membership chairman, Noel Harrison, the chairman of the Marketing, Public Relations and Communications committee, David Pedlar, together with a number of other Rotarians have been preparing a strategy for membership recruitment to see us into the next few years.   A major part of this strategy is a business initiative, aimed at securing partnerships with businesses throughout the District.     It is very early days yet, but a pilot scheme at Rolls Royce, Derby seems to be showing signs of success.    I hope to be able to pass on some good news about this pilot scheme in due course and subsequently circulate the package for use by Clubs, so watch this space.

Members of the District Executive have been looking for ways to improve the attendance and feedback from District Council Meetings.  Over recent times attendances have been falling sharply and we need to reverse this trend.   Several initial steps are being taken and these include

• Improving the PA sound system in use
• Introducing more Club led items onto the agenda
• Removal of the “top table”
• Changes to the reporting practices, to include more Club information
• Introduction of a simple feedback form from attendees at next Dist. Council.

I hope these changes will be seen as positive, but if you have any ideas, please let me know.  This is after all your District Council I look forward to seeing you all there.

There is a snippet of advance information to pass on.  The RIBI President, Rtn. John Minhinick, will be making his annual visit to the District from Monday 10^th to Wednesday 12^th September.   His programme of activities will be published shortly when it has been finalised.   He will be addressing us at two meetings, those of Belper and Duffield and at Mansfield.

The District Conference is fast approaching.  The programme has been finalised, the entertainment is sorted and the speakers are all lined up.    David Pedlar has worked tremendously hard on creating a programme that will be varied, exciting, entertaining and inspiring.     If you are regular Conference attenders, you will find the Friday tea-time plenary session has been replaced by a new format and the final session on Sunday morning will be so inspiring and joyful that you will go home with spirits lifted and with the joy of Rotary in your heart.   Don’t miss it.

If you have not yet booked you have till just 25^th August to do so before the price goes up by £5 per head to £43.

You can find a daily update of my activities on the District Website, www.rotary1220.org under “DG Dave’s Blog”     Have a look at it and make a comment about it.

And finally,  Don’t forget –

“You don’t stop laughing because you get old, 

you get old because you stop laughing.”