Upcoming Events
Rotary International Convention 2018
Jun 23, 2018 – Jun 27, 2018
 
Rotary Institute 2019 at Zones 21b-27
Sep 04, 2018 – Sep 09, 2018
 
SCRYE 2019 Winter Conference
Jan 25, 2019 – Jan 27, 2019
 
LoneStar PETS-Pres-Elect (2019-2020) &Pres-Nominee
Hyatt Regency DFW
Feb 27, 2019 – Mar 03, 2019
 
District 5930 Conference
Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club
May 02, 2019 – May 05, 2019
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner
June Energy Report
June is Rotary Fellowships Month
 
It seemed it was only yesterday that the Rotary Year was just getting started.  Here we are a year later and WOW, What a Year.  I am absolutely humbled to have served the Rotarians of District 5930 as their District Governor for 2017-2018. I had decided to wait to send this last newsletter until after District Governor-Elect Andy Hagan’s Installation Banquet.  What an Amazing Event….it was wonderful to see and visit with our Rotarians from all over our District.  I pledged to Andy, my help and support with whatever he needs for his year as District Governor.   I had a great conversation with our Keynote Speaker Federal Judge Andrew Hanen and honored guest Dr. Uvaldo Cantu. They both shared how they had been awarded a Rotary Scholarship in High School.  Dr. Cantu went to Weslaco High School along with my brother and I. He was one of my brother’s best friends growing up.  I told them that they were both one of our best returns on our investment.  I told them both they should be Rotarians.  We always need to be looking for members.
 
Only 2 days later we find that we lose First Dude Joe High due to complications from interstitial lung disease.   Throughout the years of knowing Joe, he was always kidding around.  Just a couple of months ago when we travelled around the District during the Rotary Polio Moto Ride, we arrived in Rockport on Sunday morning by the bay.  PDG Debbie High, Joe, Nancy & Dennis Paulson received us by tailgating with donuts, coffee and juice for the bikers.  As the bikers were moving around taking pictures of the bay, they kept stepping on Joe’s oxygen tubing.  Joe couldn’t stay put to avoid this, he wanted to interact with all of us, so when it happened, he would say “If you see me turning purple, it means you stepped on it too long!”  This past Saturday at Andy’s Installation was the last time I saw him.   I asked him “Can I take a whiff of oxygen?”  He always had a comeback.  We’re all gonna miss you Joe. Rest in Peace Rotarian brother.    Deb, you are our Rotary Family and we are all here for you.
 
As we wrap up our Rotary Year 2017-2018 in Making a Difference, Our District Leadership Team is working hard behind the scenes like little ants.  They are making calls, sending emails, texts to make sure our Rotary Clubs are updating and submitting their Club Central information to get their Clubs to qualify for the Presidential Citation. 
 
Membership
 
Our District’s “Sprint to the End” Membership Contest produced the following Winners:
 
Level I   -  Ingleside Rotary Club    + 3 Members   Silver
 
Level II   - Edna Rotary Club           + 3 Members   Silver 
 
Level III -  Laredo Gateway Rotary Club   + 9 Members   Gold
 
Level IV   - THE Laredo Rotary Club     +39  Members   Gold
 
According to our Lt. Governor of Membership Luis Cavazos, as of Friday  June 2nd  Our District has grown by 62 members with a total of 1934.  Even though our Membership Contest is over, we need to scout our Communities for those Diamonds in the Rough.   Community Oriented individuals that want to serve. CONGRATULATIONS to Alma Ortiz & Edward Gonzales for chartering Willacy County Rotary Club and J J Gonzalez for chartering the Laredo Frontera Rotary Club.  KUDOS TO YOU ALL AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!!
 
The Rotary Foundation
 
Has your club sent in Foundation money to Rotary International?  For the month of June, it is the busiest time of the year for processing Paul Harris Fellow points, monies to the Annual Fund Share, Polio Plus money, Endowment.   Foundation money is critical for our District funding for our District grants, Global Grant Scholars, Global Grants.  A total of 5 District Grant Certification Training Sessions were scheduled this year.  Eddie Bartnesky is ready to receive your Club’s MOU and required paperwork to turn the switch ON to submit your District Grant requests. 
 
On May 14th, we partnered with the Corpus Christi Hooks in the “Strike Out Polio” baseball game.  A BIG Shoutout to Alissa Adkins as she Chaired the Event and Kicked Butt.  She was able to sell the 250 tickets where our District was paid $4 per ticket to total $1000.  We have already received the check from the Corpus Christi Hooks Baseball team.  With this check and the amount we raised during the Polio Moto Ride Chaired by Mike Dickerson, our District will be sending in a total of $10840 that will be turning into $32520 with the match from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Polio Plus.  Throughout this Rotary year, our END Polio Now icon on our website has had updates of polio affecting the most vulnerable countries.  Let us remind ourselves, “Polio is only a plane ride away.”  We are THIS Close and working towards Countdown to Zero.  For this coming year, I asked Mike Dickerson if I could serve on the Polio Moto Ride Committee.  We need to Finish the Fight!
 
Public Image/Rotary Awareness
 
For Rotary Year 2017-2018, the Rotary International Theme is “Rotary: Making a Difference” for this coming year on July 1st, the Theme is “Be The Inspiration”.  Rotary branding is very important where logos are changed and kept up to date.  At Saturday’s District Installation, a new team for Public Image/Rotary Awareness was inducted.  The team consists of Aleda Reyes, McAllen Rotarian, Alma Ortiz, Willacy County Rotary Club President and Maribel Guerrero, Historic Brownsville President.  This team is knowledgeable and ready to assist our Clubs to promote Rotary.  Please reach out to them for any assistance and any help your club needs.
 
Update on Hurricane Harvey Relief FUND
 
If you visit our Rotary District website www.rotary5930.org, you will see on the left side a section for Hurricane Harvey Grant List.
This list has every Grant awarded from our District 5930 Hurricane Harvey Relief FUND.  We had about $10,000 left in our fund and as a District a decision was made to donate this money in Memorium to the Joseph High Memorial for Houses to Homes, A Project of the Rockport Rotary Club and District 5930.  This will take care of 5 Homes to Families in Rockport. 
 
Tally for Trees in Rotary District 5930 as of this writing is 1171
 
Over 20 Rotarians from Rotary District 5930 will be attending the 109th Rotary International Convention in Toronto Canada.  Watch out for all the FaceBook postings!!
 
Lessons Learned in Rotary Year 2017-2018
  1.  Not everybody reads their email.  “I put my emails in my Spam folder!”
  2.  Better to use the phone instead of email.
  3.  Don’t forget your extra pair of shoes, you may never recover them especially if a hurricane decides to land.
  4.  They don’t serve chicken at ALL Rotary meetings!
  5.  GPS doesn’t always take you to your location.
  6.  Take lots of pictures!
  7.  Glad my FaceBook kept a timeline of all my Club visits and followup visits.
  8.  There sure was a lot of driving in District 5930---around 30,000 miles!
  9.  There needs to be more connection to our Rotary Clubs to communicate the message.
  10.   Not all Rotary Clubs “Toot” their Horn
  11.   Rotarians in District 5930 are very engaged in their communities
  12.   Rotarians in District 5930 are My Family.
  13.   Rotarians in District 5930 are very caring.
  14.   Rotarians from District 5930 ARE THE BEST!
  15.   Rotarians from District 5930 are Leaders that Exchange Ideas and Take Action!
  16.   Rotarians from District 5930 are PEOPLE OF ACTION!!
  17.   Rotarians from District 5930 REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
  18.   Rotarians in District 5930 will continue to BE THE INSPIRATION!!
  19.   Rotarians serving in Leadership positions take their jobs seriously and DO THEIR BEST
  20.   I am eternally GRATEFUL to be given the opportunity to SERVE as District Governor Rotary District 5930.
 
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!
 
God Bless You All and remember I am only a phone call away.
 
 
Betty Ramirez-Lara
District Governor 2017-2018
“Energize Service Thru Rotary”