Januari/februari 2020

I want to start by wishing you all a happy new year. Time has passed quickly during my year as Governor and the Christmas holidays have felt like a half-time rest. It has also given me time to think through the past six months and think about the next six months. So far I have visited approx. two-thirds of the district’s 64 clubs. I am very pleased with the positive reception I have received from the clubs and on a number of occasions the District DMC (District Membership Chair) Lydia Banderby has participated and my clear message about the importance of a good membership development has been further emphasized. On some occasions, a Rotary Peace Fellow has also attended and talked about our very valuable Rotary Peace Center. The district has conducted a number of seminars in various areas. One of the seminars, PR and Info, attracted a very large group of members of the district. It also generated knowledge in the district about what can be done to improve the work within the clubs and the district in terms of PR and Info. The impression I get from the district clubs during my visits is among other things that the conditions are very different for the activities of the clubs. Many clubs are characterized by committed members and creativity, but there are also clubs that are struggling uphill. I always try to inspire those clubs to get involved in various worthy projects during my club visits and try to bring more members into this work. Some clubs have problems with the succession when it comes to, for example, presidents. There are clubs where the president has held his mission for several years in a row. I know it’s easy for me to say, but I think the district’s clubs need and feel good that more club members are sharing positions of trust such as the presidency. Just before Christmas, a merger between two clubs in the district also took place. It was Rotary Nya Järva that was merged with Rotary Sundbyberg. Finally, during my club visits, I have experienced that the concern for our environment has grown strong at the district’s clubs. I myself am a very big animal lover but also environmentally conscious and appreciate this development. Therefore, the district will support continued work within the clubs regarding the environment. The closest project is Expedition Save the Baltic Sea.

But I start with Mark Maloney and his Presidential message for January and February. This times Mark lifts Rotary as a professional network and the value of contributing as Rotarians in our professional role in the same way which we contribute as Rotarians in our own club. Many Rotarians with positions  in our clubs and those committed to projects spend a lot of time with Rotary. Mark highlights this in his monthly letter and emphasizes the importance of a good balance between his involvement in his Rotary club, professional life, and family life. One good balance also favors the recruitment of younger members who want to combine one membership in Rotary with an active career and family life. In the monthly letter for February, Mark lifts  Rotary as part of a changing world. The need of Rotary’s efforts have not diminished. On the contrary, it has increased. He describes some good examples of the good that Rotary brings about. You can read Mark Maloney’s monthly letter in the following link. He addresses very important issues, questions and I would like you to especially read Mark’s January letter and useit as a discussion point in your own club. https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/office-president/presidential-message.

When it comes to Rotary’s valuable efforts, together with Bill Gates eradicate polio. I want to share a video in which Bill Gates appears. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to contributing $100 million USD per year to eradicate Polio about Rotary contributes $ 50 Million a year. This means that we will continue with a high ambition when it comes to contributing to TRF. See Bill Gates video at the following link. https://cdn2.webdamdb.com/md_cqc99RXkyNe6.mp4?1579559350

Member development is a priority area in our district. Lydia Banderby, our district’s DMC, has conducted two member seminars, one in Uppsala and one in Stockholm. Paul Ronge’s interview with Lydia is as follows link. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200125-intervju-lydia-banderby.docx

As another step to develop member recruitment most of our clubs have the majority of Rotary districts in SRS (Swedish Rotary Service) agreed to conduct a Guest Week in our clubs during week 17. The purpose of this is to disseminate knowledge about Rotary and stimulate membership growth more than the usual activities of bringing in a guest at a regular club meeting. The ambition is for each member to bring a guest to the club’s regular club meeting or other club meeting. All clubs should have a good program and good food and we should show Rotary at its best.

Before this, we will do publicity and focus on attention in media. The guest week is a new venture in the district and a new way of paying attention to the place of residence and lay the foundation for increased member recruitment. To succeed, all club members must line up and bring a guest. It plays no matter if you are no longer a professional. You can bring with you your adult children, neighbors and acquaintances or their adult children etc. We believe that this is where Rotary can with the most ease find new members. I hope I get you and your club with me in this venture. It depends on you if we are to succeed.

Together with Paul Ronge, I attended a PR andInfo seminar just over a week ago. It was conducted with participants from Sweden and Finland. During the meeting, it was decided that the first PR plan for Sweden should be taken up. Further information can be found in the attached file. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200120-pr-kommunikationsseminarium-01-20.docx

During my club visits I have sometimes been asked ”How am I supposed to do to subscribe to other clubs’ programs.” That’s the weekly programs that present the clubs lectures / activities but do not automatically go to all members in the disctrict. I therefore describe how you enter Club Adm and subscribe to the clubs program. Log in to Rotary.se/Club Adm. Select Your club. Select People. Choose your own name. Select Application Subscription. Select Add to subscribe. Select D2350. Choose all. By following this instructions you will get information about the clubs programs.

I also address the need and benefit of our clubs being visible and presents their program on, for example, their website and social media. We do a lot good in our clubs and we are worth the attention we can get by showing to others what we do. In the following PP presentation this is further described. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200125-facebook-hemsida-1.pdf

Our district conducts many pleasant events that contribute among others. and the Rotary Foundation. Such an event I have previously recorded in the monthly letter is the Jazz festival at Nalen on January 27. Press release ahead The Jazz Festival is shown in the attached link. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/200226-rotarys-jazzfest-ger-90000.pdf

Many clubs have turned to me during my visits and want to see a greater commitment to the environment in the district. The clubs are in many cases already engaged in different environmental areas and at different levels. This may include, for example decommissioning of combustion of fossil fuels, the aquatic environment in a global perspective, environmental awareness in the largest general and environmental projects that focus on against the environment in our immediate area, the Baltic Sea. I have therefore gone out to some clubs and suggested that Expedition Save the Baltic Sea would be the project which our clubs can gather around when it comes to environmental issues. The initiative for the project comes from Finland and is currently two Finnish Rotary districts and district 2370 involved in the project. 

Before I move on, I want to clarify some of the district’s commitment. I have sometimes experienced that the clubs have a picture of the district and the district team having capacity to run projects both in terms of project management and financing. This is not the case in reality. The district’s job is to support, educate, inform, and inspire the clubs. The district budget is only capable for running costs during the year. 

When it comes to Expedition Save the Baltic Sea should the district support the club’s commitment. Within the district  The Social Service Committee has been given the task of being responsible for such support. I also want to emphasize that the clubs that have already engaged in other environmental areas have their complete freedom to continue with this. But I think that there is  strength in that we gather as many people as possible around a common issue that is well defined, although the club can work with more environmental issues. It gives one greater impact. The contact person for Expedition Save the Baltic Sea in your club is Marie Carlsson, Stockholm Kungsholmen Breakfast, marie@mariebelle.se. 

On 4 February, an After Work with Expedition Save the Baltic Sea will be held with The Baltic Sea as a theme. Information about this has gone out previously to all members. See attached link. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200125-tema-occ88stersjocc88n-20200204-kl-17-19-1-1-1.pdf

Rotary International has decided to cooperate with Toastmasters International. It is a global organization with more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Members attend club meetings where they give talks, among other things with a focus on becoming better speakers, communicators and leaders. Our organizations complement each other in many respects. More information is shown in the attached video. Please contact the local Toastmasters club. In addition to meeting nice people, they can be prospective Rotarians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=383gehepo8M&feature=youtu.be

Chistine Obiya-Nordström, Stockholm Brommaplan, has turned to me for help with information about a project she is involved in. Christine wants to visit the district’s clubs and present a breakfast / lunch / dinner lecture. Further information can be found in the attached link. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200125-christine-obiya-nordstrc3b6m.docx

Finally, I would like to raise another request that has come from one of the district’s clubs. It is Stockholm Djurgården, in collaboration with Bharatpur RC, which has successfully completed an orphanage project for several years. Now Bharatpur RC is asking if any club can assist with a water project. Further information can be found in the attached link. https://andersjohanssonrotarydgdistrikt235020192020home.files.wordpress.com/2020/01/200125-dangishram-water-projec-final-07122019.pdf

Warm Greetings,
Anders Johansson