Newsletter - November 2025

The Rotary Foundation month

INSPIRE! CONNECT! ENGAGE!

UNITE FOR GOOD!

Hello from DG ELAINE HERNANDEZ

November is our month to focus on The Rotary Foundation and how our monthly donation to the Foundation brings service projects to life through District Grants, Global Grants, and Scaled-Up projects, transforming lives and local communities. I want to recognize our PDG Eddie Bartnesky for his management of our District Foundation Committee and our own Lucy Cadenas for her untiring work promoting the Polio Plus Society and the eradication of polio. PDG Eddie completed our $25,000 Disaster grant report to Rotary International, and recently distributed $46,000 in District Designated Funds back to 16 clubs to implement their local projects.

The special Peace Pole dedication at Veterans' Park in Brownsville and our International Peace Summit were held on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, with Rotarians from Texas, Mexico, Nicaragua, Canada and Wales in attendance, in person and virtually. A shout-out to Andy Hagan and Dr. Elsa Cardenas-Hagan, and their Brownsville Sunrise Club members, for putting on a meaningful celebration to install a beautiful granite peace pole promoting world peace and understanding and listing the names of the four Brownsville Rotary Clubs.

The International Peace Summit was a huge success, building new relationships among Rotarians and prospective Rotarians from Rotary Districts 5930 and 5840 in Texas, and 4130 and 4110 in Mexico. Peacebuilding is more than just reducing conflict. Positive peace is about building resilient communities by integrating our seven Areas of Focus into sustainable, impactful projects, while eradicating polio from the face of our earth, and developing emergency response systems that address the immediate needs of a traumatized community and also focusing on the long-term recovery strategies.

Let me thank Rotary International Director, Salvador Rizzo Tavares, and DG Alma Garcia Betancourt, for their support in delivering our first International Peace Summit. A big thank you is extended to our Masters of Ceremony, PDG Andy Hagan (Brownsville Sunrise RC) and Orlando Urzua Gil (Matamoros Profesional RC) for introducing all of our speakers, and much gratitude for Enrique Medellin (Brownsville Sunrise RC), our International Project Fair Chair, for facilitating the presentations of all the wonderful projects. Of course, we also reach out to Victor Rodriguez (Harlingen RC), our IT pro who connected speakers from Canada, Wales, Mexico, and Houston with our audience.

We also thank Mike Dickerson and his team of bikers who travelled around our District, and arrived in Brownsville at the Peace Conference to tell us the story of the MotoRide Annual Fundraiser for Polio.

Behind the scenes, the real magic took place. As Chair of the International Peace Summit, Adriana Contreras Hernandez (Historic Brownsville), supported by Bettsy Pizana, our District Webmaster, handled all the logistics and data management to pull off our conference. They also attracted sponsors and a City of Brownsville publicity grant, and supported Andy Hagan in applying for a new member support grant of $4,000. They arranged the catering, Brownsville Event Center registration, and purchased lovely gifts for each participant. Please call them to say "thanks."

The Rio Grande Guardian ran a five-part series on our International Peace Summit, and Steve Taylor is inviting us to submit many more stories for publication. And the Rotary Action Group for Peace is supporting us to create peacebuilding clubs and Chapters, as well as teach us how to move committees from the talking stage to the action stage!

This month, we have three more Hub Assemblies, beginning on November 1 in Corpus Christi for the Coastal Bend and Heartland Hubs, followed by the Upper Rio Grande Valley Assembly in Los Fresnos on November 8, and the last Assembly with the Northland clubs on November 15. Many thanks to the Hub leaders and our District Learning Facilitation team for taking our District training out to the clubs. And please visit our District website to register for the upcoming Assemblies.

And do not forget the special Veterans' Day Celebration on November 11 in Weslaco, organized by the Weslaco Rotary Club and the Weslaco ISD. And many thanks to our clubs that also are honoring our Veterans with their own local celebrations.

Finally, November is also the month to celebrate Thanksgiving, where we take a moment to appreciate the blessings and abundance that surround us, and to celebrate the love of family and friends over a delicious meal. Thank you to all the clubs that also volunteer to serve a hot meal to those less-fortunate, or to deliver cooked turkeys to families that otherwise would not be able to afford this traditional meal.

On October 31, as a concluding event of the Binational Health Week program with the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville, I gave a presentation on Tuberculosis, telling the story of the 'Pilot Binational TB Project 2004 - 2013,' that brought together Rotarian volunteers, Mexican Red Cross volunteers, and representatives of the health departments from both sides of our border. I told the story of how a pilot project with the Red Cross resulted in a Rotary 3-H grant of $306,000 and produced a $1.1 million regional medical center in Reynosa for the identification, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis. This is an example of the power of collaboration."

I also gave a talk on October 29 to students in the Medical Health Management Program at South Texas College on "Implementing Stages of Change" and applied the methodology to a maternal and child health program in Honduras. The professor in charge of the class has asked to join Rotary!

Lesson learned: Please reach out to your networks and share your stories of success and collaboration.

And do not forget to turn your clock back one hour and sleep in an extra hour on Sunday, November 2. You deserve this break!

Elaine Hernandez, PhD

District Governor 2025-2026

District 5930 (South Texas)

Read the notes and watch the videos made by the Rio Grande Guardian, who attended the International Peace Summit.

See the photo album, and remember the best memories of our event. SEE ALBUM

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Lone Star PETS is the combined efforts of ten Rotary International Districts. They all converge on the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the DFW International Airport to jointly provide the best possible training for future Presidents of Rotary clubs.

Registration open: HERE

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Hub Assemblies

In November, we will continue our series of 6 hub assemblies, offering learning opportunities for Rotary members to connect with one another within a geographic region and Unite for Good. Maybe we should call these “Friendship Assemblies!”

Register now and participate.

Please reach out to your Assistant Governor or Hub Lt. Governor for additional information.

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NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT COMMITTEES

Please welcome the new members to our Rotary District 5930. We hope to meet them in the upcoming events and together make a difference.

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We invite all clubs to participate in our second annual Membership Olympics.

Our 2025-2026 District 5930 Membership Olympics kicked off on May 31, 2025, at the District Assembly.

The NINE Game Challenges must be completed and submitted not later than

March 31, 2026.

CLICK HERE

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DISTRICT FOUNDATION COMMITTEE:

What is the Rotary Foundation?

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.

With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.

Our mission

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

What impact can one donation have?

For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
$500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.

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DISTRICT PUBLIC IMAGE COMMITTEE:

Time to revisit your Club Logo

Want to refresh your club logo? Or are you wondering if you’re using it correctly? It’s easy to make updates and create new logos with our Brand Center templates. Review guidelines and do’s and don’ts on the Logos and Graphics page.

You’ll also find a link to a Learning Center course, Our Logo: Representing Rotary, where you can learn why it’s important to use Rotary’s logos correctly and consistently in all your communications.

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upcoming club events

Submit your story, upcoming event, or project before the 20th day of the month. Follow the steps HERE

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Nominations for District Governor 2028-2029

The deadline for 2028-2029 Nominations for District Governor is December 12, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. (CST).

Interviews will be conducted on January 31, 2026, in Kingsville from 10:00 am to 2:00 p.m., format and location to be determined.

Review the qualifications to be considered as a candidate for the position of District Governor Nominee, a job description, Nominee Data form, Elections Guidelines, and a club nomination resolution.

Review the requirements here

World Interact Week 2025 will be celebrated from November 3-9, the week that includes November 5th. This annual event, organized by Rotary International, commemorates the founding of the first Interact club in 1962 and highlights the service projects of young leaders aged 12-18. Clubs are encouraged to engage in joint projects and share their accomplishments with the community.

Interact Awards 2025

Each year, over 15,000 Interact clubs across the world serve their communities and build international understanding. To celebrate their impact, Rotary International hosts an annual campaign: the Interact Awards. Interact clubs are invited to submit a vertical video (9:16, in the style of a social media reel) that showcases their club experience and service initiatives. By participating, Interact clubs have the opportunity for their submission to be named “Best Video” or “Runner Up” and receive funds to support their next service project.

This year, the Interact Awards theme invites Interact clubs to showcase how Interactors Unite for Good and build peace in the world. Submit a vertical video, 2:00 minutes or less, that shows how your Interact club engages with peacebuilding. Submissions are due by 1 December 2025 at 23:59 Chicago Time (UTC-6). After you submit your video to the form below, we encourage you to share your video to Instagram (if your Interact club has an account) with #2025InteractAwards.

See more information

Money smart: building your financial future

Rotary District 5930 & IBC Bank present

A free financial webinar series, hosted by IBC Bank & Rotary District 5930, will start in September to help you protect, grow, and plan your financial future.

The following one-hour financial seminars will be held virtually through zoom:

I. Introduction to Cyber Fraud and How to Protect Your Money

II. Changes in the Central Bank and How They Will Affect Your Financial Future

III. Wisdom of Personal Finance

IV. Building a Legacy of Giving, Saving & Preparing for the Future

Get the zoom link

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Coastal Bend & Heartland Hub Assembly
5442 Bear Lane
Nov. 01, 2025 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (UTC-05:00)

Lower Rio Grande Valley Hub Assembly
32614 TX-100
Nov. 08, 2025 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-06:00)

Veteran's Day Celebration at Weslaco, TX
TBD
Nov. 11, 2025

Northland Hub Assembly
2705 Houston Hwy
Nov. 15, 2025 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-06:00)

Money Smart: Building Your Financial Future
Zoom
Nov. 19, 2025 7:00 p.m.

Money Smart: Building Your Financial Future
Zoom
Dec. 17, 2025 7:00 p.m.

View entire list

Register Now for the Rotary International Convention 2026 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Register HERE