Weare down to less than two months of our year when Rotary Opens Opportunities. The challenge for each of us is to keep moving forward and finish strong!

May is Youth Service Month in the Rotary calendar. Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills and to learn about the world through service projects and activities. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership development program for young people who want to learn new skills, build their confidence, and have fun. Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) builds peace one young person at a time, as students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens, with exchanges sponsored by Rotary clubs in over 100 countries. See the stories at the end of this newsletter from several former RYE students from our district about where they are now and how RYE changed their lives.

As most of you know, Youth Service is a real strength of our district. We have 65 Interact clubs who do incredible projects locally (and even some internationally) and also support our End Polio Now efforts. The annual district Interact Conference is an energizing event that draws students and club sponsors from all over the district, often with attendance that is near or at the top in the United States for a single-district Interact event. RYLA usually draws 150-180 students in September for a day of learning and fun at Camp Nakanawa near Crossville. Our RYE program works with both in-bound and outbound students, with about 10-12 going each way annually in these life-changing exchanges.

It has been a difficult year for many of our Youth Service programs during this pandemic year, but the enthusiasm and support within our district remains strong, and we will bounce back bigger and better than ever in the years ahead!

Let’s all work every day to stay positive, be engaged, and stay safe and healthy! Thank you for all you do for your communities and for Rotary.

DG Ron and Karen

June 12-16 -- 2021 Rotary International Virtual Convention

June 26 -- District Celebration Event

Duringthe May 6 weekly meeting of the Oak Ridge Club, District Governor Ron Appuhn presented Dr. Elaine Bunick with the prestigious Rotary International Service Above Self Award for 2020-21.

The Service Above Self Award recognizes individual Rotarians who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service in any form and at any level, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others through Rotary. This is Rotary International’s highest honor for individual Rotarians. A maximum of 150 Rotarians out of the 1.2 million members worldwide receive this award in any one year. The award is competitive, and a current district governor may nominate only one person in any one year. The nomination provides information on Rotary service activities, non-Rotary service activities, and how the nominee embodies Service Above Self.

Elaine becomes the 14^th Rotarian and the second woman from District 6780 to receive this award. She joins the late David Cope (1991-92) and William T. Sergeant (2000-01) as recipients from the Oak Ridge club.

Elaine’s accomplishments and contributions to doing good locally and internationally could fill pages. Internationally she has done incredible Rotary work in Ghana and Haiti, and she continues to do exceptional work in Mexico. Her activities in Oak Ridge and the surrounding area are numerous over many years, with some of her recent work focused on addressing COVID-19 relief and vaccinations. Some of the younger members of the Oak Ridge club refer to her lovingly as “Grandma”. As part of the nomination, DG Ron described how Elaine embodies Service Above Self: “[Elaine] is described by many as the “Energizer Bunny” because she just doesn’t stop. I don’t know when she sleeps. I have not seen anyone with the combination of intelligence, compassion, tenacity and love of Rotary that she possesses. She makes a difference in our world. For me, Elaine is the model of Service Above Self.”

Congratulations Dr. Elaine Bunick!

District 6780 will celebrate the great 2020-21 accomplishments of clubs and Rotarians during this challenging year with a live event at Webb School of Knoxville on June 26. The celebration will begin at 1:30 PM EDT /12:30 PM CDT, and the event will also be available on Zoom. The session should end on or before 4:00 PM EDT. More details will be released soon.

During the annual District 6780 Business Meeting and the James L. Bomar Jr. Rotary Interact Scholarship Foundation Business Meeting on April 24, electors took the following actions:

1. Past District Governors (PDG) Jack Bailey, Bobby Davis, Greg Maciolek, Beth Stubbs and Karen Wentz were selected to serve on the Nominating Committee for our 2024-25 District Governor.
2. PDG Greg Maciolek was elected to serve as our district representative on the Nominating Committee for the Rotary International Director from Zones 30-31 for 2023-25.
3. The 2021-22 District Budget was approved.
4. The updated and amended Rules and Procedures for District 6780 were approved.
5. A new Youth Protection Policy for District 6780 was approved.
6. Bonny Davis was elected to serve a new three-year term on the Bomar Foundation.
7. The updated and amended charter and by-laws for the Bomar Foundation were approved.

The updated District Rules and Procedures are under final review for technical consistency, and that document will be posted to the district website and sent to the clubs within the next few weeks. The new Bomar Foundation documents will also be reviewed for technical consistency and then sent to the clubs.

The major upgrades/changes to the Rules of Procedure were in the areas of harassment and abuse prevention and youth protection and were made to help bring the district and our clubs into compliance with Rotary International guidelines. The District Harassment and Abuse Prevention Committee will be named this month by District Governor-Elect Cindy Gammons and will begin work immediately on compliance and training issues within the district.

The May 7 Annual District Golf Tournament was a resounding success! Twenty-six teams registered to play at the beautiful Avalon County Club in Lenoir City. Despite most of the day being a bit cool and breezy, the golfers had a great time in the sunshine, having fun and enjoying each other’s company.

Several generous corporate sponsors supported the event, along with many district clubs who were hole sponsors. Tom Marsh and his golf tourney team did a sensational job in making the entire day fun and special. Although the numbers are not yet final, it is estimated that the tournament raised over $10,000 toward the End Polio Now campaign, and those funds will be matched two-for-one by the Gates Foundation. Win-win all around!

The Rotary Club of Cookeville wrested the Governor’s Cup from two-time defending champion Chattanooga Hamilton Place with a score of 13 under par. The winning team members (pictured) were Brad Horner, Chad McDonald, Bobby Garrison and Rick Woods. In the Ladies Division the Farragut team took the title. They did not get a trophy, but the team of Val Privett, Lilly Rayson and Denise Bash shot an even par score.

Congratulation to the first Rotarians in District 6780 to finish the Rotary Leadership Institute – Graduate Course.

Beverlee Bartley - Chattanooga Hamilton Place
Deb Birdsall - Fairfield Glade
Jason Day - Manchester
John Downs - Sparta
Donald Elliott - Fairfield Glade
Holly Hanson - Crossville
Bonnie Holcombe-Fontana - Bradley Sunrise
John Kindschi - Fairfield Glade
Zach Sheets - South Campbell County

Ivan Jones facilitated two three-hour sessions in the Graduate Course on ‘Motivating Volunteers’ and ‘Rotary Membership Issues’. The Rotary Leadership Graduate Courses are designed for an in-depth discussion on Rotary topics. The discussions were lively and very informative among the Rotarians!

Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) comprises a series of fast paced interactive courses designed to build knowledge of Rotary. Topics include Membership, Service Projects, Public Relations, Team Building, and the Rotary Foundation.

The courses are fun, topical, and hands-on. There are no lectures as class members learn from each other. The courses are also geared toward busy business professionals who want to be more effective leaders in their vocations and in their Rotary clubs. Participants return to their clubs with new friends, enthusiasm, fresh ideas, and valuable leadership skills. Read More

By Kristie Bell, President, Rotary Club of Winchester, Tennessee

There are five Rotary Clubs of Winchester. Only one in Tennessee, but there are Winchester Rotary Clubs in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia as well as the United Kingdom.

Thefive Presidents of these clubs decided it would be interesting and fun to start holding regular informal get togethers this Rotary year, hosted by the UK Club. So far, we have held five such meetings using Zoom, just for the five Presidents, making the discussions easier. We hope these will continue into the next Rotary year, with four of the five Presidents changing and one doing a second term.

We have discussed and shared a whole variety of topics such as the many different and innovative ways to fundraise, how to attract new members, especially younger ones, projects and, of course, how we have all coped during the pandemic. We also managed to take a lovely screenshot photo with local landmarks for our respective backgrounds.

Here's an introduction to each of the Clubs and their Presidents:
Read More

Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hamilton Place recently welcomed former District Governor Jim Roxlo, who addressed the club regarding an initiative to provide artificial hands to those in need across the globe.

Twenty-five years ago,when industrial designer Ernie Meadows and his wife, Marj, lost their daughter, Ellen, Ernie decided to create a legacy to their daughter's memory. Ellen died in an automobile accident when she was 18 years old. Over the next few years Ernie developed an inexpensive artificial hand that can be easily fitted and worn by someone with an amputation below the elbow.

A connection with Rotarians in California led to scaled up production facilities, ample volunteers for assembly of the devices, and the formation of the Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation to collect donations and manage production and shipping.

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than a million people with below-elbow amputations in developing countries. Jim explained that the Ellen Meadows Foundation is set up to pay the costs of production and shipping for the prosthetic hands, but they need volunteers in every remote corner of the globe to fit them on the eager recipients.

Roxlo asked the Chattanooga Hamilton Place Club to help identify people in other countries through their own travels, through their churches, and through their personal and business contacts. Once the contact is made between the overseas "Ambassador" and the Foundation, the Foundation will ship hands directly to keep the Ambassador supplied. The club responded enthusiastically and is working to develop contacts in several places.

Anyone interested in learning more about this project should contact Michael E. Mendonça, Founder, The Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation; michael77vn@gmail.com 925.200.4420; www.LN4.org.

The South Campbell County Club and the Campbell County Children's Center are celebrating a 20-year partnership in support of the area's children. Over the past two decades the club has supported the Children's Center with monthly donations for the purchase of necessary supplies.

According to Tracie Davis, the Children's Center Executive Director, aid from Rotary has been especially helpful because the center does not get grant funding for supplies.

"We're very grateful for it because that allows us to buy the Clorox wipes, paper towels, and toilet tissue; anything it takes to run you house, it takes to run the center." Davis, a member of the South Campbell County Rotary Club, added, "Even though we're not a residential facility upstairs, we have a lot of children, a lot of restrooms, and just a lot of people in and out of the building, and we go through things very quickly. It really helps us tremendously."

The partnership with Rotary began in 2001 when the Children's Center opened. Rotarians would take cleaning supplies and snacks to the center. Later the Rotary Club decided that members would donate $10 to the Center on the first Tuesday of each month. Over the past 20 years they have donated approximately $48,000 for supplies.

The Campbell County Children's Center provides a variety of important services. It investigates all reported cases of severe child abuse, provides counseling for sexually and physically abused children and makes counseling services available to adults and children with behavioral and emotional needs. The Center employs a forensic interviewer who is specially trained in interviewing children, as well as sexual assault nurse exams, and provides child abuse prevention education for families. Center staff members are victim/child and family advocates.

The three Oak Ridge clubs have announced that the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival is going virtual this year. After a hiatus last year due to COVID-19, on June 5 you can laugh along with the rest of the world as three of the top storytellers in the United States show off their creative skills in a unique improv segment along with their stories taped exclusively for Flatwater Tales. Bil Lepp, Andy Offutt Irwin, and Kim Weitkamp are three amazing storytellers.

The day will kick off with three online live interactive workshops. Bill Lepp will present "Chaos Doesn't Happen on Its Own?" at 11:AM EDT, followed by "Tongue and Pen" presented by Kin Weitkamp at 1:30 PM. At 3:00 Andy Offutt Irwin will present "Laughing Makes You Smarter." Tickets for these workshops are $20 each or $45 for all three.

Theevening performance begins at 8:00 PM and features all three storytellers taped before a live audience exclusively for Flatwater Tales. This performance includes an unrehearsed improv segment. Tickets for the evening performance are $15.

Get to know the storytellers at a live real-time party with the tellers and an emcee at the live After-Party. It begins at 9:30 PM on Zoom and includes with all three storytellers. Tickets for the after-party are $10, and there will be some giveaways for the audience!

Tickets for the complete "Tales Package" are available for $50 and include all three live interactive workshops, the evening performance, and the virtual after-party.

In 2022 the Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival will be back at the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge. The theater will have completely updated lighting, thanks to a district grant for the three Oak Ridge clubs, donations from Flatwater Tales, and Friends of the Grove Theater.

Tickets are on sale now at https://www.eventbrite.com/.../2021-flatwater-tales....

The GeneralLiability section of the RI insurance policy provides coverage for claims of bodily injury to a third party or damage to their property. This is the coverage that most lessors or municipalities ask for proof of when clubs or districts hold events, fundraisers, or other club activities. General Liability is the basic coverage that all businesses need. Think of it as coverage for things that happen as a result of the basic day-to-day operations of a business.

Personal and Advertising Injury, such as libel, slander, defamation of character, false arrest, copyright infringement, for example, are part of the General Liability coverages, and a separate limit of insurance is provided.

Medical Payments provides a limited amount of coverage for injury to a third party, while not admitting liability or fault for the injury. If the limit of coverage provided is not enough and the injured party can prove that the club or district was somehow responsible for the injury, additional coverage can be provided under the $2,000,000 occurrence limit on the policy. There is an exclusion for athletic events or activities, the club or district needing coverage for athletic events should purchase separate coverage.

Damage to Premises Rented provides coverage for damage to premises rented to a club or district. For example, if a fire occurs at a rented facility and the club is responsible, the RI policy will pay up to the policy limit for the damages to the building, even if the building owner has insurance.

If you have any questions about the RI insurance program, please contact District Insurance Representative Cyndi Jeffers by phone at 865-679-4668 or e-mail dcjeffers1@gmail.com.

District Chair of Outbound Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) Bill Nichols recently contacted several former RYE students asking them to describe how RYE changed their lives and what the program has meant to them. He also asked them to tell what they are doing now. Here are their responses.

Justin Maynard

Hello Dr. Nichols, it is good to hear from you again. Since my exchange year, I have entered college and am currently studying animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta. I am planning on getting a bachelor's degree in animation and hopefully getting into an animation studio that will allow me to work on cartoons, movies and commercials.

I believe that going on exchange through Rotary set me on this path. Before going on exchange, it was hard to imagine doing something so big like learning a foreign language, but because I went to Japan and learned Japanese, I have gained the confidence to try almost anything even, if it is intimidating. The field of animation is very intimidating and competitive, but whenever I feel anxious about a project or test, I remember the beginning of my exchange year and look at where I am now, and then I get the confidence to try harder.

Looking back at the exchange year, the obvious benefit is the language skills I learned, but what has proven most useful to me now are the social skills and learning to be independent. While exchange is about learning about other cultures, it is also about becoming an adult and learning how to manage yourself and get things done.

I recommend the exchange program to anyone who has ambitious dreams because going on exchange shows you that you can do almost anything you set your mind to if you follow the 6 Be's. To any parent who is worried or cautious about letting their student go to a foreign country, I think that letting their student participate in the program is a good way to develop trust so that when their student does leave the home, you know that they have the ability to take care of themselves and do what they set out to do. My exchange year has been so influential to my life, I cannot imagine what my life would be like now had I not participated in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program.

Sincerely,
Justin Maynard

Tyler Knapp

Hey Mr. Nichols,

Happy to hear from you, how are you?

I was intending to study computer science before I went on exchange. I will be finishing my associates at Volunteer State Community College at the end of this year with a concentration in linguistics. Read More