August Bridge Newsletter

VOL. 01 2025-26 ISSUE

• AUGUST 2025

THE BRIDGE Official Newsletter for Rotarians of District 6330 bridge@rotary6330.org

Why Jeff I’ve just wrapped up scheduling all 59 official District Governor visits for this Rotary year — no small feat! I discovered along the way that nearly half of our clubs meet on Tuesdays, which made the puzzle extra tricky to solve. I want to express my sincere thanks to our Club Presidents for their patience and flexibility in helping me make this happen.

From September through early November, I’ll be spending three to four days each week in Canada, visiting clubs across the district. My goal during each visit is to connect personally with Club Boards, listen to your concerns, and better understand how the District can support your unique efforts. If your club has a signature service project you’d like me to see, I’d love the opportunity to visit it. I’m excited to meet new friends, learn about your communities, and witness the incredible work that Rotarians are doing every day.

When I visit your club, I’ll have one simple but important ask for every member:

What is your “Why”?

Why are you a Rotarian?

Why do you volunteer?

Why do you do what you do?

Your “Why” is powerful — it connects us, motivates us, and fuels the service we provide. I look forward to hearing your stories.

And if you’ve made it this far in the article, here’s a little-known tidbit about me: During college at the University of Detroit, I was a cheerleader for the basketball team. It’s a fun reminder that enthusiasm and team spirit have always been part of who I am — and those qualities continue to guide me as your District Governor.

See you soon!

Jeffrey

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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT 2025-26 FRANCESCO AREZZO Francesco Arezzo, a member of the Rotary Club of Ragusa , Italy, has been selected by the Board of Directors to become Rotary International’s president for 2025-26. Arezzo will become president on 1 July.

The Board conducted a special session following the unexpected resignation of RI President- elect Mário César Martins de Camargo on 8 June. Guided by the RI code and policies, the Board selected the new president- elect from a pool of candidates who were considered by the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International in August 2023.

The 2025-26 presidential message, announced at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in February, will remain Unite for Good, which calls on Rotary members to be a force for unity in a world increasingly divided by politics, geography, and ideology. Through service projects, Rotary brings together people of every background — across races, religions, and professions — in a shared mission to do good in their communities.

Arezzo is an orthodontist in private practice. He is active internationally as a member of the Italian, European, and American orthodontics associations. He is vice president of the National Association of Italian Dentists for the province of Ragusa and was the founder and head for seven years of the delegation for Ragusa of the National Trust for Italy. He is a Knight of Honor and Devotion in Obedience within the Sovereign Order of Malta .

A Rotary member for more than 30 years, Arezzo has served as vice chair of the Joint Strategic Planning Committee and as RI director, learning facilitator, and as district conference presidential representative.

Arezzo is a Major Donor and Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation. His partner, Anna Maria Criscione, is an entrepreneur in the tourism field. They have two children.

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Upcoming District & Club Events London South Lionhearts Sorting August 9, 2025

Rotary Mile at the Crim Festival of Races, Flint, MI August 23, 2025

RC St. Marys A Taste Of...

August 28, 2025 Brown City Club Guns, Grub & Giving Back Dinner Sept 6, 2025

Stratford Dragon Boat Festival Sept 13, 2025

HELP WANT ED

DISTRICT SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES We're on the lookout for dedicated volunteers to lend a hand in various roles within our District. Whether you have a flair for public relations, or a passion for leadership, we have opportunities waiting for you!

If you're interested in getting more involved and contributing to our district's success, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to Jeff Ferweda at jeffrey@sfarch.us for more information or to express your interest.

Let's join forces to keep our district thriving and continue making a positive impact in our communities!

Public/ Image/ Relations Committee Chair Membership Committee Chair District Secretarial Chair Open as of June 30, 2026 Area/ Assistant Governor Area 4 (London Area) PAGE 23

AUGUST IS...

Membership and New Club Development Month. It celebrates the global bonds formed through shared interests and passions among Rotarians. Rotary Fellowships connect members across borders— whether through hobbies, professions, or causes—fostering friendship, understanding, and service. These groups promote Rotary values while strengthening ties beyond the club level.

Clubs are encouraged to showcase existing fellowships, invite members to join or start new ones, and share stories of connection. Celebrating Fellowship Month highlights Rotary’s global unity and the personal relationships that inspire lasting impact.

F OCUS ON GROWTH: THE CORE OBJECTIVE OF AUGUST ' S FOCUS IS TO INCREASE ROTARY ' S MEMBERSHIP BASE AND FOSTER TH E CREATION OF NEW CLUBS. EXISTING CLUB ENGAGEMENT: ROTARY CLUBS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THEIR CURRENT MEMBERSH IP STRATEGIES, CONSIDER NEW APPROACHES, AND ACTIVELY WORK ON ENGAGING AND RETAINING EXISTING MEMBERS. RECRUITMENT DRIVE: AUGUST IS AN IDEAL TIME TO REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL MEMBERS AND INVITE THEM TO JOIN ROTARY. NEW CLUB DEVELOPMENT: ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ALSO EMPHASIZES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW CLUBS DURING THIS MONTH, EXPANDING THE ORGANIZATION' S REACH AND IMPACT. CELEBRATING ROTARY: AUGUST SERVES AS A TIME TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT S OF ROTARY CLUBS AND THEI R MEMBERS, HIGHLIGHTING THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE THEY HAVE ON COMMUNITIES AND THE WORLD.

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SEPTEMBER IS...

Basic Education and Literacy Month August’s focus is on growing Rotary’s membership and establishing new clubs to expand its impact. Focus on: Recruitment: Encourage members to invite friends, family, and colleagues.

Engagement: Ensure inclusivity and provide meaningful roles in club activities.

New Club Development: Identify community needs and support the creation of new clubs with guidance and resources.

Talk to Membership Chair Lorna about growing membership in your club.

More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population.Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.

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EMPOWERING YOUTH THROUGH SERVICE A Membership Minute

A Membership Minute from Your Membership Chair Hello everyone and welcome to the 2025-26 Rotary Year. The 2024-25 Rotary Year was a solid year for District 6330 with a strong focus on Membership being maintained. We saw our numbers dip with the “June Swoon” from 1595 as of July 1, 2024 to 1524 as of July 1, 2025. And now we have seen an increase to 1540 as of July 31st…so we are back to adding new members in existing clubs as well as creating new clubs.

District 6330 is taking their Membership seriously and we are seeing many different membership activities throughout our great District. We know that clubs with an active Membership Chair are effectively bringing new members to their club. There are many membership resources available for Membership Chairs and an information session via ZOOM will be organized this fall in order to introduce and review these resources with all clubs. Stay tuned for that as more information will be forthcoming.

Lorna Gunning-Fratschko lorna.rotary@gmail.com

We are learning all about the ingredients to the ‘secret sauce’ for effective membership growth. For example, District 7230 in New York, USA has seen steady membership growth over the last 5 years and it is no accident. PDG Marty Shulman shares: · A focus on connection. It’s not just about showing up to a meeting. This entails clubs actively creating opportunities for members to connect on a personal level. This is the FELLOWSHIP ingredient – where genuine friendships are built and this is a huge reason people stick around and invite their friends to join. · A variety of opportunities to get involved. Whether you’re passionate about local community service, international projects, or developing leadership skills, there’s a place for you in Rotary. Ensure that new members understand the opportunities to serve…locally, nationally or internationally. This diversity of action keeps things interesting and allows people to contribute in ways that really matter to them…this is how a Rotary “Member” becomes a “Rotarian”. · An energy and innovation. There’s a willingness to try new things – different meeting formats, engaging online presence, and creative fundraising ideas. Stir things up a bit and try new things…you will be known as an energetic club! · A shared sense of purpose. We’re all here because we believe in Service Above Self. That’s not just a motto; this is a way of life for Rotarians, from the small acts of kindness to the large-scale projects. This shared commitment creates a powerful bond and a feeling that you’re part of something bigger than yourself.

Thank you for all that you are doing to strengthen our membership numbers ensuring that the great work of Rotary continues. Please do reach out to me with any questions or if you would like me to present at a club meeting or assist with a Membership Information Event.

AND – please do continue to share your Membership Success Stories…we learn from each other!

Yours in Rotary, DGE Lorna Gunning Fratschko

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YOUR DISTRICT ROTARY FOUNDATION- PART 1 Let us start out our 2025-26 year by saying a huge Thank You! Thank you for all that you do for your communities close to you and far away.

We also wish to shout a big thanks to David Elliott. PDG David, from the London Rotary Club, has led the District Foundation Team for the past three years. He is a formidable act to follow.

David walks the talk and has done a lot to support the work of the Rotary International Foundation. I will try my very best to continue to support you, our District members, as well as he has.

On a go-forward, we will be merging our correspondence to you, as part of the District newsletter. We wish to thank Kitty Bucsko for her time and effort in publishing monthly Foundation newsletters for the last several years.

As I write this note, we await the RI approval of the District grants that you have submitted. What an interesting line-up of projects! As soon as we get approval, we will be connecting with you. We look forward to hearing more about these as our year unfolds. And now to introduce the team that supports these grants:

Sonja Glass For those of you who did not meet me as the 2023-24 District Governor, I am from the Rotary Club of Meaford. We are 31 members strong with a strong focus on Community Well Being, the Environment and Youth. I look forward to supporting you in your Foundation Efforts. Over the next few newsletters, I will be introducing you to other members of our team and the work that they do.

If you have any foundation questions, I can help you with, please feel free to reach out sonja.glass@rogers.com

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YOUR DISTRICT ROTARY FOUNDATION- GETTING TO KNOW YOU...

Deborah Renaud-McDermott Deb stepped into the role of Distr i ct G rant Ch a ir i n J u ly 2 024. Sh e receives grant submissions from cl u bs a nd a cts as a li a iso n between clubs and the District Fou n dat i on C hai r. M y th b uste r: She does NOT approve the grant req u est s, b u t s i mpl y ai d s c l ub grant administrators with their app lic atio n s ( a nd f ina l re p ort s ) to make sure all is in order. When TRF ap p rove s t h e D i str i ct ' s gra nt then she APPROVES club grant re que s ts. Alt h oug h sh e do e s n o t approve grant requests she is the p ers o n t h at a pproves the fin a l report and considers it FUNDED whe n al l re q uire ment s h ave b een met .

Deb became a Rotary member in 2008 j o ini n g t h e Ro tar y Cl u b o f Sa r nia .

She served as president in 2016/2017; As s ist a nt G ove r nor Are a 5 2 0182021; Rotary Club of Sarnia-Lambton A f te r-Ho u rs, Pre s ide nt 2 021-2 023 ; member of Rotary Global Passport sinc e J u ly 2 024 ; cu r rent ly c lub treasurer.

Paul Harris Society member, Major Don or, Beq u est Soc i ety mem b er.

Pat Cavan - International Ser vice Committee Chair: The Rotary Clubs in District 6330 have b e en a cti vely invo lve d in International Projects during the 24/25 Rota r y ye ar! Twe l ve G lob a l Grant projects, with a D6330 connecti on, bega n i n th e pa s t ye ar with another 8 'in the works'. For some o f t h e p roje c ts a cl u b i n D6330 is the International Partner an d fo r o t her s a c lub in D 633 0 has provided financial support .

There are MANY ways to be involved in intern atio n al work !

The International Service Committee i n D 6 330 has now bee n in operation for one year. We are simply a g rou p of Rot a ria n s w i th a shared passion for International work an d we wou l d l ove to s h are information with your club members regard ing inte rnat ion a l wo rk and the many ways your club can supp o rt projects in other countries.

If you would like to know more, please c h eck us o ut at: https://rotary6330.org /sitepage/inter nat i ona l- se r vic e - co m mit tee

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One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio Now is a great time to plan your club’s program to raise awareness about the urgent need to eradicate polio. Presentations—virtual or in-person—are available, along with fundraising ideas to support End Polio Now.

📣 Reach out to your District End Polio Chair Katherine Hahn for support and resources. She’s happy to come and visit you club!

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