May 2019 Newsletter

Here it is the first of May, ten months into this Rotary year.  Well it is not really May 1st as the newsletter is getting out late this month. Seems the newsletter editor needed some R&R.
 
May is Youth Services Month.  As we all know, District 5495 has vibrant Youth Service Programs.  Our Interact program is among the best in the country with over 90 Interact clubs serving somewhere around 2500 youth.  Interact’s major project is Crutches for Africa and an Ambassadorial team will be heading to Kenya in July.   The District also has a very active RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) program with two RYLA camps – one at Camp Pinerock in Prescott and one at Camp Ponderosa in Heber.  The camps this year served about 200 students.  Our Rotaract program is on the rebound and you can expect to see growth in Rotaract clubs and programs in the years going forward. And let’s not forget our wonderful Rotary Youth Exchange program.  Youth Exchange is a very complicated program with a lot of moving parts and the District is fortunate to have such a fine leadership team in place.  This year our District is hosting 13 inbound exchange students.  The District will be sending 10 students abroad in late July or early August. The outbound students’ adventures will last about a year.
 
During the new Rotary Club of Surprise Sunset's charter ceremony on April 2, the club's new president Kathy Linton showed a video on the Rotary Four-Way Test.
 
What makes this so unique, is that this video was totally created by 11-year-old Jacob Stuckey, grandson of club member Dick Stuckey.
 
Apparently, Jacob visits his grandparents every summer and thoroughly enjoys attending Rotary meetings with his grandfather. He was so enamoured and impressed with Rotary -- and especially the value of the Four-Way Test -- that he created this video on his own and posted it at YouTube:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qDAfaK1jUO8&rel=0
Disaster response grants
 
On April 1, 2o19, The Rotary Foundation introduced a new type of grant: Rotary disaster response grants. These grants, funded by contributions to the Rotary Disaster Response Fund, support relief and recovery efforts in areas affected by disaster. Qualified districts in the affected area or country may apply for a maximum grant of $25,000, pending availability of funds. They may apply for additional grants after they report on any previous disaster response grants.
 
Here are the Terms and Conditions for Disaster Response Grants: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/terms-and-conditions-rotary-disaster-response- grants
 
To apply, the district governor and district Rotary Foundation chair, complete the Rotary Disaster Response Grant Application and send it to grants@rotary.org.
Madelynn Mac Donald, a sophomore at Mohave High School in Bullhead City, has been selected to serve as the Governor for Interact District 5495 for 2019-20.  Madelynn is, in fact, the third Mac Donald to serve as an Interact DG, having been preceded in that position by her sisters, Raquel and Bridgett.
At our upcoming district conference, we would like to recognize those Rotarians and/or spouse/partners who have passed away during our rotary year 2018-19.  Please send name, a high resolution picture and a short bio to me, no later than June 1, 2019.
 
Thank you!
 
Sherry Mischel
 
Adriane Grimaldi, Butterfly Wonderland's Director of Education, released several butterflies at the new "Butterfly Garden" within Scottsdale's Rotary Park during the Rotary Club of Scottsdale Spring picnic at the Park.  Scottsdale Rotary Park is an eight acre oasis in the heart of Gainey Ranch.
 
The park was originally built by members of the Rotary Club of Scottsdale and then donated to the City of Scottsdale. The park features lighted walking paths, a children's playground, a greenbelt, picnic/BQ ramada, picnic tables, Rotary bicycle rack, a restroom facility and the world's first plaza designed in the shape of the Rotary symbol.  Rotary Plaza is located at 7959 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale, AZ.  This is approximately one mile south of Shea Blvd. and one mile east of Scottsdale Road, on the north side of Doubletree Ranch Road at Gainey Ranch Road.