Dear Rotarains, Rotaractors and the whole Rotary family in District 7070,
Rotary and Rotarians have created significant and remarkable levels of participation during the pandemic thanks to two specific, but equally important factors.
The first is obvious, Rotary leaders such as our Zone Regional Team, our District Governors and Club Presidents have pivoted to lead their groups through a constantly changing landscape. The other is the incredible increase in the quality and capacity of online communication tools, in particular Zoom and Teams. Our skill sets, public speaking and fundraising initiatives have been remarkable. New relationships are being built thanks to you, adding opportunities in this virtual world.............
Although I am energized by our district and club leaders, I am also well aware of the burden such overnight success can have in terms of its impact on an individual. To be honest, there is little downtime, we are online all the time including weekends and evenings. I would therefore like to take the time to acknowledge the wins while at the same time acknowledge the efforts required and the mental stamina needed to continue to lead during this complex time.
It’s important to recognize how much we have grown as an organization through the first full year of the pandemic. Much of that has been the result of club and district initiatives.
We must take the time to recognize that the demands on your time as leaders have been very significant indeed. Zoom fatigue is real. We have four exciting and productive months left in the Rotary year, please find the time to look after yourselves and find some balance.
Recognizing the irony…..The Zone Team would like to issue a Save the Date for our virtual Governor-Elect training and Zone Summit. The GETs (District Governors Elect Training Sessions), GNTS (District Governor Nominees Training Sessions) and DG (District Governor) sessions will begin in late August and end on September 23rd. The evening of the 23rd will be a celebration and everyone is welcome to attend! We have also decided to move forward with an online format for our Zone Summit. Please mark November 2, 3 and 4th in your calendar and we look forward to bring you some exciting updates soon.
I am excited to be with many of you this month as we prepare with our DGEs and Club Presidents to Serve to Change Lives. A wonderful new theme that enhances the opportunities this pandemic has opened for us and I look forward to the day we can roll up our sleeves and serve our communities.
Be well, and be safe.
Yours In Rotary,
Valarie
Valarie Wafer
Rotary International Director (2020-22)
Rotary Club of Collingwood, South Georgian Bay
valarie.wafer@gmail.com