This successful weekend was hosted by the Sandpoint club, who did a fantastic job organizing everything for the students and the Youth Exchange (YE) Committee (thank you, Sandpoint! You rock!). The kids had a great time! The YE Committee uses this time to have a meeting.

One of the results of this meeting is that they are short members! If you are interested in serving with this wonderful program (the world's best peacebuilding program!), please contact Pat Carson (patlesster@gmail.com). This is a wonderful committee doing wonderful, heartfelt work ~ it would be a great committee to learn from, and to invest your precious time in peace in the world. Secretary, future outbound coordinator, an event planner (things like the halloween celebration, winter weekend, District tour, Conference celebration), and document editing are the primary needs.

Declining membership numbers combined with increasing costs have placed considerable pressure on district finances. Consequently, as a district, we must reduce spending and find additional sources of revenue.

Our district’s primary source of revenue is membership dues. Raising dues is not a desirable option as we are compelled to make Rotary affordable. Fewer members, especially younger members, have dues paid by their employers. And in many communities, Rotary Clubs compete for members and volunteers with other non-profit organizations that may not have dues. The only way to increase revenue from membership dues, without raising dues, is to increase membership. Toward that objective, significant emphasis will be placed on strengthening Rotary Clubs and adding new clubs in the coming year.

February has been designated as the Rotary Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month. During this month a number of Peacebuilding activities occur, including the planning for the upcoming D5080 | D5100 Peacebuilders in Action Summit scheduled for 18 May 2023 and the beginning of the period for

• District 5080 Passport Peacebuilder Club (Jan 2020)
• Tri-Cities Sunrise Rotary Club (Mar 2020)
• Pasco Kennewick Rotary Club (Mar 2020)
• Columbia Center Rotary Club (Nov 2020)
• Richland Rotary Club (Nov 2020)
• Walla Walla Rotary Club (Apr 2022)
• Grand Forks Rotary Club (Apr 2022)

Statement from Rotary International

At Rotary, we have no tolerance for racism. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central tenets of our work.

We have more work to do to create more just, open and welcoming communities for all people.

We know there are no easy fixes and that challenging conversations and work lie before all of us. Rotary’s strength has long been our ability and commitment to bringing people together. We will tap into that strength now as we stand with those who are working for peace and justice.

Rotary will do our part to listen, learn and take action to ensure that we continue to contribute to making positive change.

ShelterBox is responding after a series of powerful earthquakes that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria. We’re sending an emergency response team to carry out crucial assessments and establish how we can best help.

ShelterBox is launching an emergency fundraising appeal. Your support will contribute to our Turkey and Syria Earthquakes response as part of our general fund. We believe that the best way for us to be impactful is by staying flexible, and it is essential that we have funds available to support those affected by disasters around the world.

Did your club do a World Polio Day event? If so, you were part of this!!!

Rotary members and supporters took action on World Polio Day, 24 October, to raise awareness and funds toward eradicating polio:

• More than 4,200 Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs in 118 countries registered their participation in World Polio Day.
• Donors contributed more than US$740,000 online, which meant a total — with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2-to-1 match — of more than $2.2 million.
• Social media efforts tied to World Polio Day reached 31 million people, compared to 17 million in 2021.

Once again, Rotary’s members and supporters united to show tremendous support for Rotary’s Number One Goal…the elimination of polio from the face of the earth.