It’s a great tradition in District 5080 to honor Rotarians, Rotaractors, and others who give Service Above Self in various ways. District awards are presented during a special ceremony at the District Conference. Award nominations are usually announced a few months prior to the District Conference, with a deadline in March for submissions.

But did you know that Rotary also offers many awards of distinction in addition to district awards? It’s time to plan for these now, as the nomination periods vary among the different awards, and some of these deadlines will pass before the call for district awards is made.

If you are a PE in District 5080 you should have received an email from DGE Lorne on July 31^st in the late afternoon. If you didn’t receive that e-mail, there are a couple of possible reasons.

1. Your club has not chosen a President Elect for 2024-2025. This means that you still have an opportunity to join this elite group.

2. Your club has a PE, but the DACdb site has not been updated to include club officers. If that is the case, please update the site.

That email had some important information regarding the PETS program next February. ...

Aloha, August 9, 2023

Today has been a tragic day for our Rotarians, families and friends on the Island of Maui. The fires across the island have changed lives forever. Truly devastating. Our sympathy, thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted.

As people of action, we can take immediate action. As we come together to recover and rebuild, we need to support each other. We need to Create Hope for Maui.

Hello Rotarians! My name is Evyn Batie. I am a 23 year old Rotarian from Loveland, Colorado and I am on a mission!

It has been my ambition for several years now to utilize my planned gap year (fall of 2022 through fall of 2023) as a service and learning opportunity. I am hoping, as a young Rotarian, to partner with Rotarians and Rotary Clubs around the United States and the world to create a unique traveling volunteer experience. As I travel, I am focused on finding organizations to serve and ways to give back to the community.

It is my hope that this gap year will allow me to learn more about Rotary around the country and the world and will make me a better leader and stronger Rotarian for my own community.

By Smera Chandan

My name is Smera Chandan and I am 16 years old. I am sitting in English class. I am in a class to learn English, yet I am fluent in English. So why would I be in an English class?

I am a Rotary Youth Exchange student from the United States and I am living in Catalonia, Spain. I began this journey in September 2022, and I have been living among the people, culture, and customs of this beautiful place for five months. What an incredible time it has been.

Continue reading here.

About the Institute

Each year, the Director of Zones 26 & 27 convenes a Rotary Institute which brings together members and guests from throughout the western United States and Canada. The Institute features:

• Interactive, peer-based discussion and learning sessions.
• Inspirational speakers and presentations.
• Special program for Emerging Rotary Leaders from all 30 Districts in the Zones.
• Service activities.
• Networking and fun!

The Institute celebrates the graduation of the District Governors Elect from their week-long training course that helps prepare them to lead their Districts the following year.

There will be lots going on in San Diego at this year's Zone Institute! Learn more reasons why you should attend here.

By Martin Cohn, Rotary Club of Springfield, Vermont, USA

For more than a decade, members of Rotary District 7870 (New Hampshire, Vermont, USA) have been helping residents of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The district’s service projects have ranged from making upgrades to the local nonprofit radio station, to providing laptops for students, to delivering materials for traditional quilts. District Rotarians have also partnered with South Dakota Rotary clubs to fund a makerspace for native artists.

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander to be discussed on September 27^th.

To learn about these new books and other books discussed in past meetings, click on the link for the latest updated version of the District 5080 DEI Book Club Readers Guide Flipbook.