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Sun Never Sets on Rotary


District presentation 2024

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What is Rotary?


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Rotary NorWest


Read current and previous issues of the district magazine

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District Governor


District 1190 Governor July 2023 - June 2024

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In the next 30 days...

Marilyn Monroe in that iconic pose

97th Charter Dinner

Tuesday 19th March 2024

RC St. Annes-on-the-Sea Black Tie event at the Glendower Hotel, St Anne’s on the Sea. The Life and Death of Marilyn Monroe as seen by Neil Hendrie.

District Executive meeting

Thursday 21st March 2024

District Event: Meeting on Zoom

Event Poster

Open Evening

Thursday 21st March 2024

RC Preston South Open Evening

Technology Tournament 2024 (North Cumbria)

Friday 22nd March 2024

RC Carlisle STEM competition for schools key stages 3, 4 & 5. To be held at The Rockcliffe Centre, Carlisle, CA6 4AA.

2024 Charter Night Preston Golf Club

Friday 22nd March 2024

RC Preston Guild Our yearly charter night or celebration of the club's birthday

Presidents Elect Preparation

Saturday 23rd March 2024

District Event: President Elect and Club Officers Discussion and planning meetings for the Rotary year starting 1st July 2024 at Lostock Hall Conservative club Brownedge Road Lostock Hall Preston PR5 5AA

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Easter Egg Event Sunday 24th March

Sunday 24th March 2024

RC Church & Oswaldtwistle Rhyddings Park, The main objective of the event is to give Easter Eggs to children who might not otherwise get one. The event itself will be a lot of fun for children and their accompanying adults.

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Presidents Elect Preparation

Saturday 6th April 2024

District Event: President Elect and Club Officers Discussion and planning meetings for the Rotary year starting 1st July 2024 at The Greenhill Hotel, Red Dial Wigton Cumbria CA7 8LS

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Presidents Elect Preparation

Saturday 13th April 2024

District Event: President Elect and Club Officers Discussion and planning meetings for the Rotary year starting 1st July 2024 at Lane Farm, Crooklands Milnthorpe Cumbria LA7 7NH. (Westmorland showground Offices)

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Rotary International President Elect Gordon McNally Announces 2023-2024 Rotary Theme

On 9th January Rotary International President-elect Gordon McInally called for members to capture the world's attention and lead the way toward possibilities far beyond our current expectations.

McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, revealed the 2023-24 presidential theme, Create Hope in the World, during the Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 9 January. He urged members to promote peace in troubled nations, help those affected by conflict, and maintain the momentum of initiatives begun by past leaders.

"The goal is to restore hope — to help the world heal from destructive conflicts and, in turn, to help us achieve lasting change for ourselves," McInally said at Rotary's annual training event for incoming district governors.

McInally spoke about a woman he met in Ban Taling Chan, Thailand, where Rotary members helped build houses, a meeting hall, and childcare and health care facilities following the tsunami that devastated South Asia in late 2004. The woman had lost her husband, her daughter, and her son in the tsunami, as well as her livelihood. But she still had a gift to offer McInally: a beautiful seashell.

"She went on to tell me that Rotary... had restored her optimism. We gave her hope," McInally said.

"This is how Rotary brings lasting change to the world," he added, "one restored or newly created hope at a time."

Promoting peace

A significant way to bring hope to the world is to put a greater emphasis on peace, McInally said. He cited the action Rotary members have taken in the past year to support the people of Ukraine after the invasion by Russia. Rotary has made humanitarian relief a priority, attracting more Ukrainian members in the process. But McInally noted that true relief won't come without peace — not just in Ukraine, but in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, and dozens of other places around the globe.

"Peace is the soil where hope takes root," McInally said.

McInally also emphasized the power of continuity, calling for Rotary members to continue the work of some past leaders. He pledged to maintain the Empowering Girls initiative launched by 2021-22 President Shekhar Mehta and uphold the emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout Rotary. He also noted recent events that underscore the importance of Rotary's continuing focus on polio. In the past year, polio cases have emerged in many areas around the world, making it more crucial than ever for Rotary members to lead the fight against the disease.

To do that, McInally said, Rotary must continue to raise at least US$50 million each year to receive the full 2-to-1 funding match from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Only about 1 in 12 members currently gives to the polio eradication campaign, with fewer than 1 in 5 clubs donating each year.

McInally asked the district governors-elect for support creating a new sense of urgency in their clubs to help realize Rotary's vision of a polio-free world. "This is the time for us to go beyond what's necessary year to year and make sure we provide every resource necessary to succeed as quickly as possible," he added.

Focusing on mental health

In addition, McInally said, Rotary members should offer hope to those affected by mental health challenges — a crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have lost family members, many more have found their social networks uprooted, and young people especially have had their educational and developmental paths interrupted. As a result, more people around the world are facing mental health issues. And yet, seeking assistance is often perceived as a sign of weakness.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," McInally said. "Reaching out for help is courageous — and continuing on a path toward wellness is even more so."

He added that Rotary will work to improve mental health services in the next year and beyond. Rotary should be known as an organization that takes care of its members as well as the people it serves, McInally said. "Any mental health professional will tell you that by helping others, we essentially help ourselves."

McInally ended his speech by describing his ideal balance of continuity and innovation. "Rotary helps create the conditions for peace, opportunity, and a future worth living," he said. "By continuing what we do best, by remaining open and willing to change, and by keeping our focus on building peace in the world and within ourselves, Rotary helps create a more peaceful world — a more hopeful world."

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