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Rotary Year 2025-26
Rotary International President, Francesco Arezzo (Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy) District 6330 Governor Jeff Ferweda, (Rotary Club of Genessee Valley, MI) Club Newsletter Editor, Kitty Bucsko
District website: https://rotary6330.org/ Club website: http://www.6330passport.org
January 2026
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ROTARY CALENDAR AND THEMES COMING EVENTS IMPORTANT ROTARY INFORMATION RI President’s January message Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair’s January message JANUARY FOCUS – Vocational Service INSPIRATION FROM RI – Michael McGovern Rotary birthday ROTARY BOOK SALE D6330 GOVERNANCE DGND – Peter Maranger POLIO Year-end report
UNITED NATIONS DATES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION Disaster Management & Four-way Test ROTARIAN MINUTE – The UN & Rotary
3 4 5 5 6 7 10 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 20 21
CLUB NEWS Do you need a make-up? + our 2025-26 Club President Message from Club President, Mariann Activities/Projects + Christmas Kindness Food for Thought Happy Chats & December meeting video Grant Management Members - Officers Object of Rotary & Code of Conduct Our Facebook Page Environment – Polio & Disaster – 3 videos
22 23 24 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
BACK PAGES Four-Way Test EREY Humour CLUB EXCELLENCE AWARD + a powerful video
34 35 36 37
Club websites 6330passport.org https://www.facebook.com/rotary6330passport
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The Calendar below shows Rotary’s 2025-26 monthly themes. ROTARY CALENDAR and THEMES Month July August September October November December January February March April May June
Theme Maternal and Child Health Membership and New Club Development Basic Education and Literacy Economic and Community Development The Rotary Foundation Disease Prevention and Treatment Vocational Service Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Environment Youth Service Rotary Fellowships
Click the flags below to listen to the respective national anthems.
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MONTH OF JANUARY Vocational Service REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
Wednesday, January 7 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time HAPPY CHATS ONLINE – JOIN US! Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time ROTARY TURNS 121 February 23, 2026
UNITE FOR GOOD PEACE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION MONTH Month of February DISTRICT 6330 CONFERENCE 2026 May 29 --- 31 4 Points Sheraton, Sarnia/Point Edward, ON (1498 Venetian Blvd.) Rotary Anthem Right click here to open the link and listen to the Rotary Anthem!
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THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT JANUARY MESSAGE 2026 More than job training In a garage outside Salinas, California, young people who are learning to restore classic cars are doing more than developing a skill – they are reclaiming their futures. This training program provides mentorship and, for some, a path away from gang involvement toward meaningful employment. Graduates leave with certifications, practical experience, and hope. This is what Rotary’s Vocational Service Month celebrates each January – the power of bringing together people with unique skills to do good in the world. It reminds us that integrity isn’t just about our actions matching our words. Integrity is in everything we do. The California automotive program has been such a success because it was built on integrity. Members of the Rotary Club of Carmel-by-the-Sea didn’t assume they knew what the community needed. They listened. They learned there was a shortage of skilled mechanics as well as a large number of young people lacking job training. They recognized that technical skills alone wouldn’t be enough, so they partnered with Rancho Cielo, a nonprofit offering counselling and support services alongside vocational training. That is The Four-Way Test in action. Those four simple questions help us not judge others but guide us toward genuine, effective service. Consider our commitment to ending polio. For nearly 40 years, we have promised the world’s children we will eliminate this disease. Despite obstacles, we persist, and today we are closer to defeating the virus. Keeping this promise is the very definition of integrity. The same integrity must drive our vocational service. With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age in the net decade and only 420 million jobs projected, we face a critical gap. Communities long excluded from economic opportunities need our support. But support doesn’t mean imposing our will. It means listening to local needs, building partnerships, and designing projects that communities can sustain themselves. You have knowledge that can transform lives. Whatever your profession, your expertise combined with Rotary’s values creates lasting change. The question isn’t whether you have something to offer. It’s how you’ll use your skills to serve. This January, I encourage you to ask how your club can address vocational needs in your community. What skills do your members have that could change someone’s life? How can your networks open doors for young people? What partnerships can create sustainable jobs? Let integrity guide you. Let The Four-Way Test light your path. And let the young people in California and the multitudes worldwide who need job skills remind you why vocational service matters. Let us celebrate putting our professional skills to work for humanity with integrity at the heart of everything we do.
FRANCESCO AREZZO President, Rotary International January 2026
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THE ROTARY FOUNDATION TRUSTEE CHAIR MESSAGE JANUARY 2026 Lasting transformation When we think of global projects at Rotary, we often think of the cooperation between two clubs or districts that goes into Rotary Foundation global grants. These efforts form the backbone of our international grant activities. Yet we have also seen how larger projects can have even greater impact by attracting signifant partners and longterm funding. These initiatives are measurable and visible, attracting yet more partners and new Rotary members who see the work in action. Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, one of the Foundation’s Programs of Scale, embodies this vision. I asked Dolapo Lufadeju, A Rotarian from Nigeria and the co-founder of the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health, to share why this model has been so successful. Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, which began in 2022, aims to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths by 25 per cent. We focus on training doctors, midwives, nurses, and community health extension workers in emergency obstetrics, neonatal care, respectful maternity practices, and long-acting reversible contraceptives. The most vital aspect is community engagement. We conduct dialogues with traditional, religious, and youth leaders. We are organizing joint medical outreach and home visitations. State ministries of health are increasingly adopting these approaches as part of their primary health care interventions, using the template and methodologies Rotary developed. Our electronic data-tracking system allows better monitoring of maternal and child deaths. Notably, our community-based system now tracks maternal deaths during home deliveries, something previously unmeasured. Most significantly, maternal deaths dropped by 20 percent and neonatal deaths decreased by 28 percent in supported factilities, while postnatal clinic attendance increased by 10 per cent. I am also a member of the action group and have followed this project for over 20 years, long before it was awarded a Programs of Scale grant. In November I observed the dedicated work there of the teams with midwives and health workers. This evolution shows what’s possible when Rotary dedication meets strategic partnerships. The program’s success prompted Nigerian philanthropist Sir Emeka Offor to contribute $5 million, allowing the initiative to expand. Other countries are interested in this model. Every contribution you make to The Rotary Foundation strengthens its power as a global force for change that channels your generosity into lasting transformation. HOLGER KNAACK Foundation Trustee Chair, 2025-26
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ROTARY’S JANUARY FOCUS – VOCATIONAL SERVICE
January is designated as Vocational Service Month by Rotary, an initiative focused on promoting high ethical standards in businesses and professions and recognizing the worthiness of all occupations. During this month, Rotarians are encouraged to use their professional skills to serve their communities, a core part of Rotary's mission, as stated in Rotary International's magazine. The month is also a time to highlight Vocational Service as one of Rotary's five Avenues of Service. Key aspects of Vocational Service Month • Ethical standards: The month emphasizes the importance of high ethical standards in all professions, a commitment reflected in the Four-Way Test, which asks: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? • Dignifying occupations: Rotarians are encouraged to see their profession as an opportunity to serve society. • Community projects: Clubs can organize projects that use the vocational skills of their members, such as providing career information to youth, mentoring small businesses, or hosting workshops to help employees develop new skills. • Member engagement: A common activity is a mini-classifications talk series, where each member gives a short presentation about their profession to promote vocational awareness among the club members. • Vocational awards: Clubs are encouraged to present a vocational award to a member of the community who has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and ethical conduct.
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JANUARY - VOCATIONAL SERVICE? WHAT IS VOCATIONAL SERVICE? January’s focus on Vocational Service invites us to reflect on how our everyday work can be a force for good. Rotary's Vocational Service is the second Avenue of Service, emphasizing the promotion of high ethical standards in business and professions and the recognition of the worthiness of all occupations. This involves Rotarians using their professional skills and expertise to serve their community, acting with integrity, and mentoring young people. Vocational service can include using one's profession to address community problems, helping others develop their careers, and upholding high ethical standards in all professional activities. Each profession represented in Rotary adds its own light to the collective effort of serving humanity with honesty, fairness, and respect. As 2026 unfolds, may we continue to blend our talents with our ideals — building goodwill, strengthening our communities, and showing that service through vocation is service from the heart. As we turn the page to a new year, January reminds us that Vocational Service lies at the heart of Rotary. It’s about bringing the best of who we are — our skills, integrity, and compassion — to the service of others. Whether through our careers, our volunteer efforts, or the simple way we treat people every day, we each have countless opportunities to lead by example. Let’s begin 2026 with gratitude for our shared purpose and with renewed energy to make our work — and our world — a little brighter.
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Click here for a short video on Rotary Vocational Service – and its history.
The Four-Way Test in a post-truth era* By Joseph Epstein Illustrations by Davide Bonazzi I only recently learned of The Four-Way Test, one of Rotary’s central principles. It is of special interest in the current day, when truth — or, more precisely, truthfulness — seems to be losing its prestige in public life. Examples are not difficult to find. A current member of the U.S. Senate claimed to have fought in Vietnam, which he didn’t, a major lie that seems not to have impeded his being re-elected to his Senate seat or to his continuing to make severe moral judgments about political opponents. Our current president, with his taste for braggadocio and hyperbole, would appear to operate outside the normal bounds of accuracy and precision of statement that once upon a time used to demark truth. Everywhere you turn, the first of the Four Ways — “Is it the truth?” — would seem more and more in danger of going by the boards. Click here to read the rest of the article.
Click here to view a short video about the 4-Way Test history.
*
This story originally appeared in the May 2019 issue of The Rotarian magazine.
January 2026
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ROTARY INSPIRATION TO ACTION A thought is a seed, but action is the bloom. Inspiration is the spark; action is the fire. Ideas light the path — steps bring you forward. Think boldly. Act bravely. Insight opens the door; effort walks through it. Every worthwhile idea begins in the mind, but its truth is proven in motion. Let your reflections ignite your resolve. The power of an idea lies not in its brilliance, but in what you dare to do with it. Thinking paints the horizon; action brings you to it. Dreams whisper possibilities. Actions tell the story. Good ideas inspire. Good actions transform. Thought starts the change — service finishes it. Reflection plants the seed of service; action grows the garden. An idea that stirs your mind is a treasure — but its value becomes real only when you give it life.
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From Rotary International We’re proud to share that Rotary member and International PolioPlus Committee Chair Michael McGovern has been selected as the next chair of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Oversight Board (POB) starting January 1, 2026. This is the first time a Rotary representative will lead the board! The POB provides strategic direction and unified leadership for GPEI partners working toward a poliofree world. In this role, McGovern will help coordinate global efforts and ensure progress toward ending polio for good. He will also continue to chair Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. https://on.rotary.org/4a6HbG5
Rotary’s Birthday On February 23, 1905, in a small office in Chicago, a young lawyer named Paul Harris gathered three friends with a simple idea: professionals connecting to build friendship, trust, and service. From that first meeting grew Rotary International — now a global network of over a million members in nearly every corner of the world. In 2026, Rotary celebrates 121 years of turning goodwill into action — through service, fellowship, and a shared belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they work together. Happy Birthday, Rotary — and thank you for the privilege of being part of the story.
January 2026
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January 2026
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NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO ROTARIANS In District 6330, Rotary leadership – past, present, future
Above (left to right) PDG Mike Chaffee (2022-2023 - PDG Sonja Glass (2023-2024) – PDG Katherine Hahn (2024-2025) – DG Jeff Ferweda (2025-2026 – DGE Lorna Gunning Fratschko (2026-2027)
Above left – DGN Dawn Kennedy (2027-2028) Above right – DGND Peter Maranger
January 2026
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SELECTION OF DISTRICT 6330 GOVERNOR NOMINEE DESIGNATE (2028-2029) Katherine Hahn, acting Chair of the Rotary District 6330 Nominating Committee (composed of Pat Vogelin, Sonja Glass, Tom Robataille, and Nancy Ottewell) is pleased to announce that, after reviewing the candidates suggested by clubs and recruited by the Committee, PETER MARANGER has been selected to become the current District Governor Nominee Designate for the Rotary year 2028-2029. † Peter joined the Rotary Club of Stratford in November 2005 and has always been grateful for the friendships, service opportunities, and sense of purpose Rotary has brought into his life. Married to his wife Beverley, they have raised four adult children and now feel blessed to be grandparents to two wonderful grandchildren. Proud to have called Stratford home for the past 40 years, Peter values the deep community connections that have shaped both his family and his work. He owns a Cooperators insurance agency in Stratford, where he has built a career focused on service, integrity, and supporting local families and businesses. That same commitment naturally led him to Rotary’s guiding principle of “Service Above Self,” which continues to inspire his involvement. Over the years, Peter has been actively engaged in many of the club’s projects and traditions, including Scotch Mist, where he enjoys the fellowship as much as the fundraising. Two years ago, he accepted the role of Chair of the International Service Committee, working with a dedicated team to help the club make thoughtful contributions to meaningful global projects. Peter remains deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve his community through Rotary and looks forward to continuing that service in the years ahead. Barring any such challenges, Peter Maranger will become the District Governor for the Rotary year 2028-2029 effective December 16. Note: if you wish to research RI Bylaws or District 6330 Policies and Procedures, use the following links: RI Bylaws District 6330 Policies and Procedures 2024-25
†
This article appeared in the December 2025 issue of The Bridge, District 6330
January 2026
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Summary of new polioviruses this week, cases and positive environmental isolates: • • • • • •
Pakistan: 38 WPV1-positive environmental samples Chad: one cVDPV2 case and two cVDPV3 cases Ethiopia: one cVDPV2 case Somalia: one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample Sudan: five cVDPV2 cases Tanzania: two cVDPV2-positive environmental samples
For details on the 2024 estimates and what they tell us about immunization globally, read the WHO-UNICEF press release and explore the WHO Immunization Data Portal
January 2026
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2025 – A Year that Tested Us and Prepared Us to Finish the Job End-of-year message from Dr Jamal Ahmed, Director, Polio Eradication, WHO, and Chair of the Strategy Committee of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
18/12/2025 Dr. Jamal Ahmed ©WHO Dear colleagues, As 2025 draws to a close, I want to begin by first thanking the millions of health workers, vaccinators, surveillance officers, laboratory scientists, social mobilizers, and community volunteers who carried polio eradication forward during what was a difficult year. They did this often under the most difficult circumstances. I also wish to thank governments, donors, civil society organizations, and community leaders including women leaders, whose commitments sustained this effort at a time of profound global uncertainty. And thank you to parents and caregivers everywhere, who chose to protect their children and, in doing so, helped protect the world.
Dr. Jamal Ahmed ©WHO
Above all, we are forever grateful to those who started the year with us and departed us too soon. May their souls forever rest in eternal peace. This has been a demanding year. It has tested our resilience, our adaptability, and our resolve. Yet it has also reaffirmed something. Polio eradication remains one of the world’s most powerful expressions of collective action for equity, solidarity, and the protection of children. A year that tested us and sharpened our focus 2025 was a year of hard realities. Persistent insecurity and access constraints in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan limited reach to all children. Misinformation and fatigue challenged trust in some communities. Climate-related and other emergencies disrupted campaigns and routine services. And the global health financing environment tightened sharply, placing pressure on operational capacity across countries and partners. These challenges demanded difficult choices. They reinforced the need for sharper prioritization, greater efficiency and uncompromising focus on what matters most to interrupt transmission. In direct response to the realities of 2025, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) developed a focused 2026 Action Plan as an operational companion to the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2029. This Action Plan is grounded in realism and urgency. It protects non-negotiable functions while adapting to financial constraints and it prioritizes impact and execution. The plan focuses on concentrating resources on the highest-risk geographies, including the remaining subnational areas with persistent wild poliovirus and circulating variant poliovirus transmission. It includes intensifying and refining vaccination strategies, expanding use of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) and targeted use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) to close immunity gaps. It protects core surveillance and January 2026
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laboratory systems, which remain the backbone of the eradication effort. It purposefully moves the integration agenda forward. Integration also featured prominently in two dedicated engagements this year between the GPEI Polio Oversight Board and the Gavi Board, where both Boards emphasized the need for closer alignment of strategies and resources in subnational geographies facing chronic gaps in routine immunization and continued poliovirus transmission. Positive epidemiological trajectory Despite the difficulties faced, the overall trajectory continues to move in the right direction. In 2025, wild poliovirus type 1 transmission remained confined to its smallest geographic footprint in history in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the same time, circulating variant polioviruses continued to decline from their postpandemic peak. Several outbreaks were successfully stopped this year, including in Indonesia, and Madagascar. In the face of tremendous challenges Gaza sustained its efforts and has now gone more than nine months without any new detections. Targeted response to detections in Papua New Guinea prevented further spread. With strong support from Ministers of the Lake Chad basin and the Horn of Africa, efforts to curb transmission in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin intensified. Remarkable progress was seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where efforts to reverse the post-pandemic upsurge in cases are yielding results. Personnel deployed for polio outbreak response were on hand once again as the DRC successfully fought back against Ebola, highlighting once again how polio infrastructure successfully adapts to support broader health security goals. These achievements demonstrate what is possible when government leadership, partner alignment, and community trust converge around a clear operational plan. But at the same time, continued detection of variant polioviruses in waste waters of several European countries, and isolation of wild poliovirus type 1 from a sewage sample in Hamburg, Germany, served as stark reminders that this virus respects no borders, is epidemic-prone and must be eradicated. A defining milestone was also reached in 2025. More than two billion doses of nOPV2 have now been delivered globally. This innovation has fundamentally strengthened our ability to control and prevent variant poliovirus outbreaks and stands as a testament to what science, partnership, and disciplined execution can achieve together. Introduction of IPV-containing hexavalent vaccine and scale-up of fractional dose IPV are further examples of scientific innovations helping to advance the effort. It is important for us to remember, even before eradication is achieved, the impact of this effort has been profound. Tens of millions of people are walking today, and millions are alive who might not have survived. Entire communities that were once beyond the reach of basic health services have been reached with vaccines, protection, and care. This legacy matters, and it must not be forgotten as we focus on finishing the job. The people who make eradication possible Behind every statistic is a human story. In 2025, frontline workers vaccinated hundreds of millions of children, often navigating insecurity, floods, extreme heat, and long distances. Women, who now make up the majority of the frontline workforce in many settings, continued to anchor delivery through trust, persistence, and leadership. In many fragile and crisisaffected settings, polio teams have remained a consistent public health presence, sustaining surveillance, January 2026
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supporting outbreak response, and helping protect communities when systems were under strain. Whenever we have succeeded, it is because people persist with professionalism, compassion, and integrity. Partnership and solidarity in a changing world The GPEI remains one of the largest and most complex partnerships in global health. In 2025, that partnership proved its strength. Governments in endemic and outbreak-affected countries demonstrated leadership through sustained political oversight, cross-border coordination, and the integration of polio efforts with broader immunization and primary health care services. GPEI leadership, including WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, CDC, Gavi, the Gates Foundation, the European Commissionand the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, continued to bring their comparative strengths to bear. The Boards of both Gavi and the GPEI are working closely together to further advance the integration agenda. A major moment of global solidarity came in December, when leaders gathered in Abu Dhabi and pledged US$1.9 billion to sustain polio eradication and protect children from preventable diseases. In a constrained financing environment, this commitment sent a clear signal: the world remains committed to finishing polio.
Dr. Jamal Ahmed ©WHO
Rotary International continues to provide the moral compass of this effort, a role it has played for decades with unwavering dedication. At the same time, partners such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have emerged as strong champions, choosing to do more at a time when global resources are under pressure. Their leadership reflects a shared belief that ending polio is both a moral obligation and a strategic investment in global health security.
I have had the privilege of seeing this effort at every level. I am in no doubt the GPEI partnership is resilient, adaptive, and capable of finishing the job. Looking ahead to 2026 Polio eradication is a promise that geography, income, and circumstance will not determine who is protected from preventable disease. In 2025, the world showed that even in a fragmented global landscape, cooperation remains possible and progress remains within reach. As we enter 2026, let us take a moment to reflect on what was achieved in 2025 and return with a simple commitment. TO END POLIO FOR GOOD. To every member of our staff and every partner around the world, you carried this work through uncertainty and personal sacrifice, with professionalism, compassion, and grace. The credibility of this programme rests on you. Let us carry the discipline, unity, and resolve of this year into the next. Let us continue, together until polio is ended everywhere. With deep gratitude and respect, Jamal January 2026
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INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE (plus links)
January Rotary’s Focus – Vocational Service
Sunday, January 4 World Braille Day Click here for a short video by Stevie Wonder (Music icon and activist Stevie Wonder has long been concerned with humanitarian accessibility issues.) Saturday, January 24 International Day of Education Good Schools need Good Leaders – Click here for a short video. Monday, January 26 International Day of Clean Energy • Over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels for energy. • Polluting fuels for cooking cause 3.2 million premature deaths annually; clean cooking can prevent many of these. Tuesday, January 27 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust Family Literacy Day in Canada Family Literacy Day takes place every January 27 to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Wednesday, January 28 International Day of Peaceful Coexistence “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” -- Albert Einstein Thursday, January 29 National Day of Remembrance for the Quebec City Mosque Attack Proclamation Requesting to Observe January 29 of Every Year as a National Day of Remembrance of the Québec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia
January 2026
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THE ROTARY FOUNDATION (TRF) – 2024-25
DISASTER RESPONSE – Hurricane Melissa Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, major disasters in the Philippines, earthquakes in Myanmar/Thailand, Floods in Pakistan, the crisis in Gaza and earthquakes in Afghanistan Hurricane Melissa – Jamaica and neighbouring islands have suffered extensive damage and loss of life from the predicted Hurricane Melissa with many homes and livelihoods lost – and aid is desperately needed. Rotary District 7020 and the Disaster Network of Assistance Rotary Action Group have launched a joint appeal https://7020.org/Stories/hurricane-melissa - which includes a little background information and details for making donations. PDG Diana White in D7020 is the point of contact for questions dianawhite.7020@gmail.com
PDG Diana
The Four-Way Test in a post-truth era‡ I only recently learned of The Four-Way Test, one of Rotary’s central principles. It is of special interest in the current day, when truth — or, more precisely, truthfulness — seems to be losing its prestige in public life. Examples are not difficult to find. A current member of the U.S. Senate claimed to have fought in Vietnam, which he didn’t, a major lie that seems not to have impeded his being re-elected to his Senate seat or to his continuing to make severe moral judgments about political opponents. Our current president, with his taste for braggadocio and hyperbole, would appear to operate outside the normal bounds of accuracy and precision of statement that once upon a time used to demark truth. Everywhere you turn, the first of the Four Ways — “Is it the truth?” — would seem more and more in danger of going by the boards. Click here to read the rest of the article. Click here to view a short video about the 4-Way Test history.
‡
This story originally appeared in the May 2019 issue of The Rotarian magazine. By Joseph Epstein - Illustrations by Davide Bonazzi
January 2026
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January 2026
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Learn about other Rotary clubs! Make an effort to attend some of the online meetings available The Passport Club members are encouraged to join local (and other) clubs to learn more about Rotary, get to know other Rotarians, gain a new perspective and appreciation for Rotary and Rotarians. Here is a list of online clubs where you can earn a make-up along with learning a whole lot more about Rotary! Why not visit them all? • • •
Rotary E-Club of Canada One – Rotary On Demand, Where you want, When you want! Rotary Club of One World Rotary E-Club of World Peace Click here to attend this week’s posted meeting of E-Club of Canada One. These meetings are posted online and available 24/7!
Club President for 2025-26 – Mariann Timmers
January 2026
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MESSAGE FROM OUR CLUB PRESIDENT – MARIANN Hi all! And a very Happy New Year – 2026!! We had a great presentation from District Governor Jeff on December 3 at our club meeting. If you could not attend, please view the recording posted within this newsletter – or click here. DG Jeff asked us an important question – and asked that we write our answers down. The question - "Why are you a Rotarian?" DG Jeff was inspired by a TEDTalk some years ago by Simon Sinek focusing on “the Why.” The title of the TEDTalk is Start with why -- how great leaders inspire action. Click here to view the video. In the video, there’s reference to a diagram as shown below –
• • •
The outer band shows “What" – What you do as a Rotarian. The next band shows "How" - How you do what you do. But the most important part is the centre, showing the "Why" - Why are you doing it?
DG Jeff asked that we all think about the WHY and send your answer to me. I will send them on to him. Also, after the meeting we spoke about the Great Lakes President-Elect training this next spring. I cannot attend and will be attending another online PETS. But our district dues include the registration cost for the Great Lakes PETS in Kalamazoo whether I go or not. If one of our club members would like to attend the event in my place, your registration would be paid for. You would cover your transportation and hotel. If anyone is interested, please let me know. Thanks,
Mariann
January 2026
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NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO ROTARIANS
Get involved! Join us!
OUR CLUB PROJECTS HELPING MIGRANT WORKERS The Passport Club of District 6330 is happy to be continuing – at least for this final year - our successful service project, Backpacks for Migrant Workers for one more year. North Lambton Community Health Care created the Migrant Worker Project to support the 700 migrant workers working in Sarnia and Lambton County. Our club has been working with the Project Coordinator, Andrea Jones-Peper, by providing backpacks for newly arriving workers. We will continue through the 2025-26 year to fill the backpacks with items requested by workers, such as toiletries. The date of delivery is hoping to be the start of the season in the spring. We will continue to support these workers. Stay tuned! Consider what items you can individually add to these backpacks!
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CONTINUING SUCCESS – CUP OF KINDNESS To some this is just a cup. To members of the Rotary Club of District 6330 Passport this is A CUP OF KINDNESS. …as we support local food banks in our local communities We will donate to another Food Bank this year and try for another district grant. London Food Bank - Strathroy - Sarnia – Inn of the Good Shepherd - Stratford SHARING OUR KINDNESS
PASSPORT CHRISTMAS KINDNESS
Rotarians from our club have made a difference this year! Using an Advent Calendar as a guide, club members came together to collect food for the London Food Bank, turning a seasonal tradition into meaningful support for the community. Additional donations were made throughout the year to several worthy organizations, including The Inn of the Good Shepherd, the Canadian Cancer Society, the MS Society, and the Salvation Army through its Kettle Drive. Plans are also underway for donations of books to the local Rotary Book Sale, scheduled over two weekends in January. Support extended beyond food and funds. A donation of 36 pairs of socks was made to 519 Pursuit, conveniently dropped off at the Oxford Dodge location. Another contribution was directed toward supporting district Hand UP projects. Creativity and generosity were also on full display. One very talented Rotarian, Lynn, crocheted toques and scarves for Rotholme Women’s and Family Services in London. In addition to 16 hats and scarves, she also completed a beautiful Afghan—an extraordinary gift of time and skill. Members further supported two local organizations: the Centre Wellington Food Bank and the Community Resource Centre of North and Centre Wellington (see logos on the next page). Donations to the Community Resource Centre were designated for the Winter Coats for Kids program, while the Food Bank received a general donation. Altogether, these efforts reflect the quiet generosity, creativity, and community spirit of our members—making a meaningful difference in many ways, both seen and unseen. January 2026
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Currently 519Pursuit operates actively in the community through Outreach connecting with friends facing homelessness and extreme poverty Monday-Friday. The partnership with The London Food Bank and RBC Place London has grown to include Y.O.U. (You Made it Cafe) to support food security. These operations would not be possible without our ongoing partnerships in the community as well as the support from donors each week. Our operations also include an incredible donation team who host donation days twice a week. These donations fuel our care package program.
Thanks to all who have contributed to helping our communities! Click here to view a short video on the Inn of the Good Shepherd, Sarnia.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT Vocational Service Message for January January invites each of us to pause and consider the impact we make through the work we do every day. Whether our vocation is active or retired, paid or volunteer, specialized or quietly ordinary, it shapes how we touch the lives of others. This month is not about job titles — it’s about the values we bring into every conversation, every decision, every challenge. It’s about choosing fairness when it’s easier not to, offering kindness when no one is watching, and using our skills — whatever they may be — to lift someone else just a little higher.
Vocational Service asks only this: As you move through your week, notice one moment where you can bring your best self to someone else’s day. • • • •
A word of encouragement A solution offered without being asked. A step taken with integrity. A skill shared generously.
These small moments, multiplied across our Rotary community, become quiet acts of service that echo far beyond January. They are reminders that our work — and the spirit we bring to it — can help build trust, dignity, and hope in the world around us. Here’s to a month of purpose in action, one thoughtful choice at a time. A VIDEO ON VOCATIONAL SERVICE – EVERYDAY LEADERSHIP – Drew Dudley – Click here. A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM ROTARY – VOCATIONAL SERVICE – Click here.
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Remember our Happy Chats – get to know our club members! Join the Happy Chats – get to know our club members! Happy Chats are online every Wednesday. Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. -ish – Join us! Join your Rotary friends for an informal 30-minute get together.
Plan to join our Zoom Meetings! Click here.
And our Monthly Online Meeting!! Plan to join us! View the video of our monthly meeting of Wednesday - December 3, 2025 – The DG’s visit Click here to view December’s meeting video.
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Grant Management in D6330 - Your Donations Are Important! Clubs must qualify first! The Rotary Foundation requires Clubs that want to participate in the District Grants program to qualify. To qualify, the club must: • • •
Be in good standing May not have any grant reporting that is overdue Have at least 2 members complete the District’s Qualification Training course and quiz The Certification is valid for One Rotary Year only! Clubs must be re-certified for each Rotary Year. Rotary Foundation Grants – There are two kinds of grants. -Global Grants and District Grants:
Global Grants • Must be in (at least) one of Rotary's Areas Of Focus • Must be International projects involving at least 2 clubs in 2 different countries. One of these clubs is the "host" club - the club where the project will take place. The other is the "international partner" - the club that provides funding and possibly some expertise to help implement the project. • Must have a minimum budget of USD $30,000 • Club funds are supplemented by the District Designated Funds as, and if, available • Funds donated to the project from District Designated Funds are supplemented by The Rotary Foundation (World Fund) to fund these grants. District Grants • May be local or international in scope. • Are usually smaller in scale. There is no minimum budget requirement. • Will usually involve active participation by Rotarians. • District 6330 clubs may apply for more than one District Grant in a single Rotary year but are limited to a maximum of USD $3,000 per year in District Grant funding. • Projects must be started and completed within one Rotary year - July 1 to June 30 of the next year. Ready to Apply for A Grant? Will it be a District or a Global Grant? 3 simple questions to help you decide: •
Is the project in one of the areas of focus? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
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Is the project between Clubs/Districts in separate countries? – No? Consider a District Grant.
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Is the total budget for the project less than USD $30,000? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
•
If you answer YES to all the above, consider applying for a Global Grant.
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CLUB OFFICERS 2025-26 President Secretary Treasurer Membership Chair Project Chair Directors The Rotary Foundation (TRF) Communications
Mariann Timmers Sue Storie Jessica Herbert Deb Beaupré Sue Storie Rick Storie Kitty Bucsko
MEMBERSHIP LIST BELOW – CLUB MEMBERS’ LIST WITH EMAIL ADDRESSES A.C. Alrey Deb Beaupré Rich Bouchard Kitty Bucsko Lynn Coates Sue Elliott Gerald (Gerry) Greig Heather Macdonald Jessica Morrow George Ottewell Nancy Ottewell Rick Storie Sue Storie Lynne Ternosky Mariann Timmers
January 2026
acalrey@gmail.com debmarjean@gmail.com rbouchard@racetoerase.com ladykitt@gmail.com lynn.coates.1@outlook.com susan@sutherlandelliott.ca captaingeraldgreig@gmail.com heathermac@BMTS.com jessicaherbert2023@gmail.com george.ottewell@gmail.com nottewell@gmail.com rick.storie@sympatico.ca sue.storie@sympatico.ca lynneternosky@gmail.com gtimmers@aol.com
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OUR CLUB FACEBOOK PAGE See our club Facebook page for more up-to-the-minute club news!
Dominica is a Rotarian in Montego Bay, Jamaica! Below, Dominica and her son Alexander.
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National Immunization Day 2026 - Invitation Polio Experience India 2026 is open for people who are interested in dropping those two drops in a child's mouth to save them from Polio. Contact me: nbarbee@gmail.com 25 years ago, Rotary for me was breakfast meetings and raffle tickets. Now, Rotary is the reason I've crossed 25 states and 10 countries. Let me take you back to where this started. I became president of my local Rotary club thinking I understood what we did. As president, I attended training and met Rotarians from across North Carolina. That's when I realized this organization operates globally—but I didn't truly understand the scale until I witnessed polio eradication efforts firsthand in India. What did I see that changed everything? • • •
Healthcare workers reaching remote villages. Volunteers coordinating massive immunization campaigns. A global infrastructure built to eradicate a disease that has paralyzed children for generations.
Village by village, child by child. It dawned on me: Rotary wasn't just my Wednesday morning service club. It was much much bigger. A worldwide network on the verge of making history. I remember thinking: "Other Rotarians need to see this." So I brought them—not just once, but year after year. Since 2010, I've led over 500 professionals to India for National Immunization Days. Not to observe—to participate. To understand what's possible when local action connects to global impact. To every Rotarian who's understood that we are connected to something bigger: we're this close to changing human history. Two countries left. Let's finish what we started. TWO VIDEOS YOU WILL FIND VERY INTERESTING – Life Cycle of a Cup of Coffee
Click here. January 2026
Life Cycle of a Tee shirt Consider the classic white T-Shirt
Click here. Page 33
ROTARY’S FOUR-WAY TEST A Thoughtful Start to any day � What is the Rotary Four-Way Test? It's a short ethical guide used by Rotarians worldwide to help evaluate decisions, both personal and professional. It was created in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor, who later became Rotary International President. Facing financial and moral crisis in his company, he developed this test as a litmus test for integrity and fair conduct. The test asks four questions of the things we think, say or do: • • • •
Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
It may seem simple, but in a complex world, those questions are anything but easy — and that’s part of their power. Click the 4-way test above and open the link to hear the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon Nutana.
� Why Should We Consider It? Because ethics matter — now more than ever. The Four-Way Test: • • • • •
Brings clarity to grey areas. Encourages honesty and accountability, not just in public life but in our quiet decisions. Fosters trust — a commodity that seems scarce in many parts of today’s society. Helps cultivate respectful dialogue instead of divisiveness. Serves as a universal framework: it’s non-religious, non-political, and applicable across cultures and professions. In a world of misinformation, polarization, and moral shortcuts, it gently but firmly asks: “Are we making the right choices for ourselves and for others?”
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� What Does the Four-Way Test Mean in Today’s Context? In a global landscape marked by challenges — climate change, inequality, misinformation, and conflict — the Four-Way Test is a compass. It reminds us: • • • •
Truth is not just about facts, but integrity. Fairness challenges us to consider others, not just ourselves. Goodwill and friendship are the foundations of peace, community, and collaboration. Benefit to all concerned asks us to be stewards, not just beneficiaries.
In Rotary, it’s more than words. It shapes how Rotarians lead projects, build partnerships, and serve their communities — from clean water initiatives to polio eradication. But beyond Rotary, it’s an invitation to live more ethically and courageously. � Closing Thought The Four-Way Test isn't about being perfect. It's about trying to do the right thing, every day, in big ways and small. It invites us to pause, reflect, and then act — with conscience, compassion, and courage. Whether you’re a Rotarian or not, those four questions can light a path through some of life’s murkiest terrain.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION EREY – Every Rotarian Every Year
Click here for a short video. Our Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative encourages all Rotary club members to contribute something each year to The Rotary Foundation. We hope that you can consider at least $100 USD every year to help us reach our goal to support the Rotary Foundation financially each year. Sustaining member. One who contributes $100 USD every year is a Sustaining Member. With EREY, we encourage you to contribute an amount you can afford every year. Click here to listen to
January 2026
We are the World.
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A LITTLE HUMOUR It’s all about the Strategy § Jose and Carlos are panhandlers who panhandle in different areas of town. Carlos panhandles just as long as Jose but only collects $2-3 every day. Jose brings home a suitcase FULL of $10 bills every day, drives a Mercedes, lives in a mortgage-free house and has a lot of money to spend. One day, Carlos asked Jose: "I work just as long and hard as you do, but how do you bring home a suitcase full of $10 bills every day?" "Look at your sign, what does it say?" replies Jose. Carlos' sign reads: "I have no work, a wife and six kids to support." Jose says: "No wonder you only get $2-3." Carlos asks: "So what does your sign say then?" Jose shows Carlos his sign - it reads: "I only need another $10 to move back to Mexico."
§
https://www.ba-bamail.com/jokes/political-jokes/?jokeid=322
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Two videos worth your time – First one – click here. A second interesting and powerful video to view – click here or the graphic below –
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But no -
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.**
**
Author unknown
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