District 7980 Newsletter Update

Celebrating Club Success Across Our District –
 Sunday, July 12

The Governor’s Track has decided to combine the District Award Recognition and the Induction into a single special event to save time and reduce costs for our Clubs and members.

This will be an important and celebratory day as we recognize the success of every Club across the District through pictures, videos, stories, and especially awards celebrating the incredible work happening throughout our Clubs and communities.

Please make every effort to attend as we celebrate the leadership and service of Clubs across the District while officially swearing in our incoming District and Club leaders.

Registration is now open at recognition.d7980.org • $65 per person

Sunday, July 12, 2026, 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Norwalk Inn
99 East Ave, Norwalk, CT

Awards Deadline Extended to June 22

(submit awards.d7980.org)

Since the Recognition Brunch has been moved to July, the District Awards submission deadline has been extended to June 22.  Clubs may still submit new entries or edit previously submitted awards at awards.d7980.org.

We want to celebrate the impact you and your Club are making throughout Southern Connecticut.  Every Club has a story worth sharing, and I strongly encourage all Clubs to submit something.  Many Clubs are already changing lives through scholarships, food programs, youth activities, Interact, partnerships, and service projects, even if you may not think of it as “award worthy.”

The Awards Form has been redesigned for easier completion and better understanding of the scoring process.  Any Club member can help complete the form.

This is your Club’s opportunity to showcase the incredible work happening in your community, including:

• Scholarships
• Food pantry and hunger initiatives
• Interact and youth programs
• Community service projects
• Membership growth
• Public image success stories

We appreciate if you downloaded the above graphic to post on your social media.  It will help your club generate new member leads.

How Well Are We Growing?

As we approach the end of the Rotary year, now is the perfect time to invite someone you know into Rotary.  Our membership is currently holding steady, with a net growth of 8 members, but to overcome the usual June write-offs, we still need to add at least 30 new members before June 30.

Last year, our District led more than 40 Rotary districts in new member growth. We would love to achieve that again this year.

Every Club should strive for positive net growth by bringing in more members than were lost during the year.  Please also review your Club membership roster before year-end to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

Membership growth is important, but retention matters equally.  Often, a simple conversation can help someone feel connected and remain active in Rotary.

The District is also offering a $250 reimbursement for “bring a potential member” multi-Club membership socials designed to attract prospective members.

Help Us Reach Our Annual SHARE Goal

Now is an excellent time to encourage donations to:

• Rotary Foundation Annual Fund SHARE
• Club and individual contributions to PolioPlus

Pat and I are proud to announce a new Annual SHARE Challenge.

We have personally donated $50,000 toward a District goal of raising $100,000 for the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund SHARE before June 22, 2026.  We are inviting our Rotary family across Southern Connecticut to help raise the remaining $50,000.

As a special thank you, we will match the corresponding Paul Harris recognition points for the first $50,000 contributed and deposit it in your account.

Every contribution matters.  This year, our Clubs helped provide over 200,000 meals, equivalent to serving the combined populations of Stratford, Shelton, Milford, Madison, and Groton.

About 50% of Annual Fund SHARE contributions return to the District as District Grants supporting local Club projects, scholarships, literacy, youth programs, food insecurity initiatives, and global service projects.

Leadership Transition and the Road Ahead

The past few weeks have been busy as we continue planning for the future following the recent resignation of our District Governor Elect.

As previously announced, I will continue serving as District Governor beyond July 1 until Julia Kushigian Secor officially becomes District Governor on January 16, 2027.  The graphic below provides a clearer overview of the District Governor transition and leadership succession timeline.

Finishing the Year Strong

Together, we can finish this Rotary year strong while investing in Rotary’s future.  Our goal is not only to exceed last year’s giving, but to position our District among the leading Rotary districts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in support of The Rotary Foundation.

Thank you for everything you do in support of Service Above Self.  Let’s finish this Rotary year strong together and continue making a difference in the lives of others.

District Governor