I followed our Central Regional Assembly in the week following to hold 10 meetings in 4 days with Rotary Club Leaders and Clubs in Suzel Mendieta’s Corpus Christi Area. Each meeting was a sign of strong clubs, both with our largest and oldest Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi, and those with many active Clubs and members focused on Service Projects, Fellowship, and Friendship. I was also impressed with the extraordinary quality of members of our smaller clubs.
I will continue my club visits into September in Area 6 beginning Tuesday, August 30, in Alice, Kingsville, and then to Freer. I will meet with San Diego Rotary on September 20th and later that evening with Three Rivers. That will complete our Central Regional meetings, and it is on to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Assembly on October 15th at the Los Fresno High School and later November 11th for a Veterans Day Recognition in Weslaco and the following day, Saturday, November 12th for the Upper Rio Grande Valley Assembly at the beautifully re-modeled Salvation Army facilities in McAllen.
All of our Regional Assemblies, including these last two Assemblies, have and will demonstrate one of the Rotary Action Plan Objectives to Increase Participant Engagement the Superintendent of Los Fresnos ISD will be offering a presentation on how Teamwork is a vital part of successful organizations, which require all leaders to be active listeners to their stakeholders. That the School District is allowing us to partner with them is a way for us to actively engage other partners, not just Rotarians, in our efforts to listen to how others are successful. In the same way, the Salvation Army in McAllen is opening its facilities, and the programs offered in that location will highlight Rotary Service to our Communities and the World. We have seen this same open invitation from Del Mar College Windward in Corpus Christi with our own Assistant Governor Daniel Korus presenting the College’s Workforce Development for their students as support by local businesses and trades. In Victoria, we were greeted by the University of Houston, Victoria, to deliver our message of Rotary Action on their new campus. And we began this journey in Laredo with an open invitation from the University of Texas Health Sciences to hold our Assembly in their facilities. All of these organizations have a high degree of respect for our efforts, and we appreciate them for the efforts and results they provide for their communities. In fact, while in Laredo, the Laredo Gateway Club held an evening event to honor three Distinguished Community Partners with a Paul Harris Recognition for the Sisters of Mercy, the Killam Family, and the Texas A&M International University. There were over 600 people in attendance to applaud the significant work and service of these three Community members and organizations. Assistant Governor Rogelio Trevino and I were blessed to present each with their Paul Harris recognitions.
Finally, in the last two weeks, our District, as well as all Zone 36 Districts, received a Zone challenge that allows us to choose specific goals for our Membership, Foundation, Public Image, and Polio Plus Committees. Your Lt. Governors have embraced these focused goals that will lead us to continue the recognition District 5930 had recently received during DG Amando Chapa’s leadership. This last year at the Multi-District Training Institute, our District Foundation was one of two Districts recognized for Exemplary Service. I understand that our District Public Image Committee will be recognized at the Zone Institute for our efforts in telling our Rotary Story. And before the end of last year, our Membership Chairman was recognized for her work in completing Learning Center Studies, and the District was offered $500 for her efforts. Those funds were used to provide every club with #People of Action signs to promote not only Membership Development but also Public Image awareness.
We will have a lot more to add as these goals are elevated by our Committees and the Assistant Governors.
Thank you, for each and every one of you!
Kent Grier, District Governor 2022-2023