Rotaract District 5050Hot on the heels of the Rotary Peace Forum Honolulu was the Rotary Peace Forum Richmond, a joint project between Rotary District 5040 (Vancouver and most of British Columbia) and District 5050. There were a number of really thoughtful, peace oriented presentations given throughout the day, only one and a half of which were repeats from Hawai’i (which was nice).
It’s that time of year again, folks! Rotary District 5050 is pleased to announce that registration for the 2013 RYLA is now open!
If you are between the ages of 18 and 30, are a leader in your community, want to further your skills and make new friends in the process then this is an opportunity that you should not pass up. The four-day camp taking place from May 2nd to 5th at the Mount Baker Bibleway Camp in the beautiful Cascade Mountain foothills.
RYLA 5050 is put on at not cost to the camper, you are either invited or are required to apply at which time the organizers try their best to find sponsorship for you. If you are more ambitious than that (which if you are a leader, you probably are), you are urged to contact a Rotary club in your local area and ask if they would sponsor you for this opportunity. Whichever you choose you’ll want to do it now as the registration deadline is April 15th!
If you attend, be sure to let us know how it went. Who knows, you might see one of our members there!
Another celebratory article hailing from Chilliwack and Rotaract President Desmond Devnich. It’s PR-Tastic!
A great article from the far reaches of District 5050 in the Upper Fraser Valley.
It has been less than 24 hours since the closing plenary session at the Rotary Global Peace Forum in Honolulu, the second of three such forums held at significant locations of conflict and subsequent peace through the past century. As I collect my thoughts I will write them down for reflection and discussion.
If you are in Rotary District 5040, District 5050 or any surrounding area, please feel free to join me at the joint District 5040-5050 Peace Forum on February 23rd in Richmond, BC, Canada. I will be discussing very briefly my experiences at this forum while a Rotarian from Tsawwassen relays their experiences from the forum in Berlin, Germany. In all honesty, that would be the best opportunity to discuss anything further!
Until then, keep your eye posted to this blog for futher updates!
Posted from WordPress for BlackBerry.
By far, in my humble opinion, the best RLI session so far. Too bad it was the last one (with the exception of the graduate class that hasn’t been held in this district for at least a year and a half now). There are a number of reasons that I feel this way based on a number of factors for me personally, let me explain:
If I had to wrap that all into one concise term… I’d use exposure. My exposure to Rotary has left me two steps ahead of the average Rotarian with equal time served in this organization. So, back to the question at hand,
“Why was RLI III the best session?”
Simply because I knew the answers to 85% of the content that was given to us previously. What I enjoyed about part III the most was information on club advertising. PDG Rod Thompson gave a particularly well presented talk on branding and advertising. The information I gained from that session is good not only on a club level but will also be extended out to our Rotaract district. Just before the first break as well, DG Sean Hogan had the participants break into groups to discuss how to deal with difficult clubs. The exercise was good but what I took away from it the most was listening to how others would deal with the same situations then the general discussion as a group on how to deal. These group initiatives are invaluable and the overall direction of the answer will change with the different group participants. Our class was particularly good and I honestly value their opinions immensely.
RLI, if you haven’t taken it and it’s offered where you are, I think that it is a series of course worth taking. If you’ve taken the first or second section and think to yourself oh man, this isn’t really doing it for me but the lunch is good, I say stick it out because the last session should be good! If you HAVE already taken all sections and would like to discuss any of the material offered, please feel free to contact me! I love bouncing ideas off of other people, especially when it relates to Rotaract and Rotary!
My name is DRR Jennifer Petrichenko, and I endorse this program!
On December 13th, 2012, I had the pleasure of attending my first Webinar. For those of you who are all like “What the heck is a Webinar, Jen? Did you make this up?” I most certainly did not! It is a real thing! And it’s not just a Rotary thing either. Webinars are just like regular meetings or seminars with conversation, slideshows and handouts, except you can take part from the comfort of your own home while still snug in your pyjamas with a coffee in hand! Brilliant! I wasn’t quite so lucky, I took part in this one from the comfort of my desk after my shift ended nestled in work clothes, but who’s really keeping score.
I had the pleasure and privilege of taking part in the Rotary International’s Rotaract DRR Webinar hosted by Adam Arents of the Rotaract head office. I was unaware of who the other participants were but we did hear from the facilitators and three presenters It was really an awesome experience. I appreciated how the three Rotaractors or former Rotaractors were able to give advice and folly of their time in the DRR position. It kind of reinforced that I was on the right track and that things are really moving along as planned (there’s a handbook for this position, but it’s far from being step by step).
If you are interested in further webinars hosted by Rotary International or Rotaract head office, check the RI website. If I find something particularly Rotaract-worthy, I will post it on here for the world to see!
I think that today, for the first time in my Rotaract career and certainly the first time in my DRR posting, I faced a major dilemma that I turned to the Four-Way Test for. In times prior where I needed advice or sot after the knowledge of another I have turned to certain people within the District who were able to point me in the right direction or give me that bit of insight that I had previously overlooked. This time however, I was really just that unsure. People either didn’t have the answer, were unsure of what to say, or they just weren’t the right people to ask given the situation.
The Four-Way Test, for those who are unaware, states:
Of the things we think, say or do
There is a club in the district that has been around for some time but over the past couple years, by the definitions set forth by Rotary International, has been inactive. They meet but not frequent enough to be considered in good standing and there aren’t enough members to hold quorum not to mention enough to fill a full board. It is really unfortunate because in the past this club had been a real force in the district. As it stands we are left with the decision of what to do, where to go from here.
Enter -> Four-Way Test.
I actually used it to debate with myself the pros and cons of both sides of the situation to see how it would likely play out. I read into it almost like a legal framework. Although I cannot really divulge more information pertaining to the situation at hand, I can tell you that I feel better in the decision I am making and I am sure that the outcome will be the correct one.
Try it sometime. Try it on a simple question or a situation that you are posed. Seriously, give it a chance… I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how the problem plays out!
Wow.
Simply wow.
What else can I say? There are some things that you really cannot understand until you have been given the chance to experience it first hand. Moderating a #RACtalk session is one of those moments. It is truly one thing to sit in with the group and engage in conversation about topics but it is completely different guiding the ship through discussion on topics that you know and understand. There is a certain energy that emanates from those taking part in the conversation that has rejuvenating effects. Not to mention the plethora of good ideas and other positive ju ju that comes from it all, but that’s just a gimmie!
As you are well aware (or perhaps not if this is the first blog you have happened across), I am the District Rotaract Representative (DRR) for Rotary District 5050 (Pacific Northwest comprised of parts of Washington, USA and British Columbia, Canada), and this most recent #RACtalk session that just ended was on DRRs. There was a strong showing of DRRs, mostly from Southeast Asia but also included representation from Canada, the USA, and England. The conversation was lively and a lot of really good information came out of it. There are a number of people who I thought would have been there but it’s a tough time for North America. I’m lucky that way in that I can take an hour our of my morning to do this, but even I have to say no sometimes. But that’s neither here nor there.
At the conclusion of this session, Adam from RI (on the @rotaract handle) reminded everyone that there is going to be a webinar on DRRs on December 13th from 16:00-18:00 PST. Further information can be found here. And of course, a transcript showing the highlights of this immediate past session as well as all other sessions can be found here.
And last but certainly not least, this immediate past session marked the one year anniversary of #RACtalk meetings on Twitter and boy let me tell you, am I honoured to have moderated this session. So thanks again RI and Rotaract! If you have the time, please do yourself a favour and check out the next session on January 17th! See you there!
The title pretty much speaks for itself; I am moderating the next Twitter chat that is to take place tomorrow morning at 7:30PST, and we will be discussing the role of the District Rotaract Representative (or DRR for short). As I write this I am 97 days into my term as DRR for District 5050 and I think we are headed in the right direction. As with any leadership position there have been a number of obstacles to overcome and I expect a number to follow, but overall it’s an awesome opportunity that I am lucky to have been granted.
But enough about all of that. Tomorrow’s #RACtalk should be a good one. I am moderating it (@jpetrichenko) so do look for me online. I have been in contact with Adam from Rotary International who has proposed a number of questions which are
I think the questions will bring some good conversation! I’m nervous though… I’ve been sick as a dog for the past three days, missed the #WeConnect service project on Tuesday because I slept through my alarms, didn’t go to work today and in the end didn’t wake up until 3:30PST… CRAZY! Having said that, I’ll drink back some hot water and off to bed I go.
In conclusion, please join me for the next #RACtalk at 15:30GMT (07:30PST) on December 6th, 2012… Look forward to seeing you online!