Denim & Diamonds—Deadline is Fast Approaching!

Don’t be left out of the fun at the Foundation Gala Dinner this Saturday evening, November 7, at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.  The theme is Country/Western - so you can dress it up or dress it down... but come to have fun!  We will have the famous mechanical bull and a real gunfight during the evening. Tickets are $70. which includes a $25 donation to PolioPlus - this will help your Club reach its PolioPlus goal for the Gates Challenge Grant this year.  Your ticket price includes free beer and wine and free parking.  Let's kick up our heels and have some fun!!  Sign up online by November 3: http://www.rotary5340.org/registration/celebration0911.html

Group Study Exchange Team Leaves for Ecuador (District 4400) on November 7

Left to right:  Sherry Polanco, Madeline Ramirez, Team Leader Marta Knight, Rachel Tarshes, Heather Wolzen

When everyone else is dusting off their cowboy boots and shining up their diamonds, Group Study Exchange Team Leader Marta Knight  and her GSE Team will be on a plane to Ecuador.  The team is made up of educators who will spend their month long visit to Ecuador visiting  schools throughout the country.   For more information on this GSE Team, go to our District web page:  http://www.rotary5340.org/news/pdf/news21-13.pdf  A GSE Team of educators from Ecuador will visit our District in March 2010—we will be looking for host families for them.  For more information on the GSE program, contact GSE Chair Dale Barnes (dale@dalebarnesrn.com)

Regional council meetings are a success!

Thanks to the planning by club Presidents and coordination by Regional Coordinators, our first round of Regional Council meetings in October were a Success!  We had capacity attendance at the North County Coastal which featured the mayors and city councilmen of five coastal cities as well as the Commanding Officer of Camp Pendleton.  Russ Hanthorn of the Carlsbad Rotary Club organized this meeting.  The Metro Regional Council Dinner was well attended and featured Glen Erath, a very funny singer & comedian.  Linda Stouffer of the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club is the Regional Coordinator for the Metro Region.  The East County Region met at Cuyamaca College for a wine and cheese reception hosted by the Rancho San Diego/Spring Valley Rotary Club before moving to the Student Union for dinner and a program on the college presented by Henri Migala.  Bill Ashman of the La Mesa Rotary Club is the East County Coordinator.  The South Bay Regional Council meeting, coordinated by Bev Sumwalt, Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary Club, featured former Assemblyman and State Senator Steve Peace speaking about transportation options in the San Diego region.  This meeting was held at the Hotel del Coronado in conjunction with the Coronado Rotary Club meeting.  The Regional Council meetings for North County Inland and Imperial Valley were not held during October.  Regional Coordinators will contact Club Presidents to plan the next Regional Council meetings to be held in April.

IRS Form 990 is due  November 15, 2009

All Club Presidents and Treasurers are reminded that a completed IRS 990 form is due to the IRS by November 15, 2009.  You can access the form on the IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html   which includes directions and information.  The form is on the website under “Forms & Publications” on the left hand side of the screen.  You will have to click through several pages to get to the 990 forms. 

Interactors and trips to Mexico

At this time of year, many of our District Clubs organize work parties to Mexico to do “hands on” work projects mainly in Baja California area.  The question has arisen from many of our Clubs about taking Interact students to help with these projects.  Due to many of the recent problems in the Baja border area, the District policy is that Interact students may only participate in a Club project if they are accompanied by their parent/guardian who will be solely responsible for them.  Our District liability insurance will not cover a Club that takes minors on these types of trips. 

SemiAnnual Reports (SARs)

This information is provided by Rotary International regarding your current SemiAnnual Report (SARs):   

Information for Rotary Club Officers;

Subject: Downloading Duplicate Semi-Annual Report from Member Access

If the Rotary Club President, Secretary or Executive Secretary is registered in Member Access http://www.rotary.org/en/selfservice/Pages/login.aspx  they may create their own duplicate Semi-Annual-Report by logging into Member Access and clicking on View Current Semiannual Report (SARs)” After report is run they may print, save or view individual reports. This will eliminate contacting Data Services or Club/District Support to request a duplicate copy.

Not registered yet? Here is the link http://www.rotary.org/en/selfservice/Pages/Register.aspx

Rotary District 5340 will join Boy Scouts in Celebrating their Centennial Year!

The Boy Scouts of America will be celebrating 100 years in 2010 and District 5340 has a long history of clubs sponsoring Scout troops as part of their ongoing commitment to our communities’ youth.  In fact, San Diego Rotary Club 33, formed in 1911, sponsored creation of the San Diego Area Boy Scout Council in 1917.  That organization, now known as the San Diego-Imperial Council of the Boy Scouts of America has a San Diego and Imperial County Boy Scout membership of over 7,000 members.  Many Rotarians are former Scouts and Rotary features the Cliff Dochterman Award for a Rotarian who has made an outstanding contribution to Scouting.  Our most recent recipient is Alan Noblitt of the Rotary Club of Poway.

District 5340, is planning to team up with the local Boy Scout Council in helping to celebrate the 100th anniversary of  Boy Scouts in America in 2010. A team of local Rotarians and Scouting leaders will be discussing ideas for events which will include projects involving Rotary club members and our local scouts.  We are planning to join in a food drive program “Scouting for Food” during the first two weeks of March 2010.  We would also encourage our Rotary Clubs to invite local Scout Troops to join them on April 24, 2010 for Rotarians at Work day to work on joint projects and activities focusing on the efforts of Rotarians and Scouts to foster community service, youth leadership and highlighting the 100th anniversary.

Our Rotary Clubs are being asked to come up with suggestions for activities, programs and events which demonstrate the common interests of Rotarians and Scouts in our communities and throughout the world.  More information on this partnership will be included in the December Future Focus.