Give to the Rotary "Katrina Relief Fund" (DAF-TRF)

My Fellow Rotarians and My Amigos:

All of us have been shocked by the Hurricane Katrina disaster that affected the Gulf Coast area of the United States. The images are heartbreaking and the extent of the devastation is unbelievable . . . yet we must believe it because we see it every time we read a newspaper or turn on a television set. Each of us, in our own way, wants to do something to help those who have lost everything.

Rotary Zones 29 & 30 comprise 24 Rotary districts in 12 southern and Midwestern U.S. states. These zones include all of the areas which have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. To assist in the relief effort, the Zones have established the "Katrina Relief Fund", a donor advised fund (DAF) with The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. This fund will serve to help streamline the flow of contributions from Rotarians and others looking to assist victims of the hurricane disaster.

A committee identified by the leadership in the two zones will work with local Rotary clubs and districts, as well as emergency relief agencies to meet the most pressing needs of people in the affected areas.

Directors of the fund are RI Director Robert A Stuart Jr.; Immediate Past RI Vice President John Germ; Duane Sterling, a past general manager of the Foundation; Donald Collette, a past Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, and Kenneth Schuppert, a Major Gift Advisor for the Foundation. Together, the directors bring outstanding experience and qualifications related to their responsibilities as custodians of the relief fund, including law, engineering, electrical power systems, management of disaster programs, and fund supervision.

The fastest way to contribute to the "Katrina Relief Fund (DAF-TRF)" is to donate online using your credit card. The company which is processing these transactions will accept all international credit cards which will automatically convert your contribution into US$ which is the only currency form the fund can receive. I encourage you to help those who have been affected by this disaster by contributing today to The Rotary Foundation Katrina Relief Fund (DAF- TRF).

Rotarians throughout Zones 29 and 30 and all of North America have organized and come forward to provide disaster relief including food, clothing, water and shelter. They are helping to relocate refugees and to get children registered in school. They are working around the clock. They need your help in providing supplies and services but most of all they need your financial contribution today. The Katrina Relief Fund will send your contributions directly to organizations that Rotary is working with to provide support to the biggest relief effort in the history of the United States. I encourage you to forward this message to other Rotarians so we can reach as many of our members as possible. We need everyone's support in this endeavor.

For more information on relief efforts and other ways to help, please visit RI's World Community Service Disaster Relief page and check the RI home page frequently for updates. For complete information on Donor Advised Funds please visit the Rotary web site.
 

On behalf of The Rotary Foundation and the Board of Trustees, I thank you for your generosity and for the help that your contribution will provide for the nearly 1 million people who have been left destitute and homeless by this disaster.

Through your contribution, you will be "Lending a Hand" and demonstrating Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self" as you extend the spirit of the "Family of Rotary" to all who's lives have been disrupted by this horrific disaster. For this I thank you.

Yours in Service Above Self,

Frank J. Devlyn - Chairman
The Rotary Foundation Trustees

GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE - GSE:
Group Study Exchange is an educational program funded through the Rotary Foundation. It is a cultural and vocational exchange program between districts in different countries for businesspeople and professionals ages 25-40.

Some important deadlines and information:

1. The outbound exchange will occur from May 15 – June 10, 2006.

2. Team leaders must be Rotarians

3. Team members must be non-Rotarian business or professional people between the ages of 25-40 years engaged in a recognized business or profession on a full-time basis for at least the past 2 years.

4. District level interviews for both team leaders and members are scheduled for October 8th at the Northern Star Council Boy Scouts of America in St. Paul. All applicants must be available all day, starting at 9:00 am. (Qualified candidates will be notified several days before of their interview time)

5. The President must sign the completed application.

6. Signed applications are due from Rotary Clubs on September 22 to the District Office.

7. All candidates must receive permission from their employers to participate in the exchange BEFORE the interview process.

8. Additional qualifications for team members (not team leaders) - Candidates cannot be spouses or lineal descendants of current Rotary members, they must be citizens of the United States of America, and must live or work within the limits of Rotary D-5960 and its clubs (St. Paul, southeastern and central MN, parts of western Wisconsin)

9. Applications are available on-line for download.

Consider getting your Rotary club involved in Group Study Exchange, - not only do the participants describe having a life changing experience, but individual clubs gain exposure of and within a new culture.

The timelines are short for this interview and selection process, so please act today by announcing the opportunity, recruiting qualified candidates by talking with your local businesses about the leadership and business development opportunities that GSE holds or consider asking your employee or a club member to apply.

For further information contact:
Kathy Stutzman  D-5960 GSE Chair 2005-2006
kastutzm@smig.net | 507.219.0912