Dear Members of District 6450,

As we come to the end of the current calendar year, please consider a year end donation to the Rotary Foundation.  When donating to the RI Foundation, you have many options for the designation of your donation, one of those funds is Polio Plus.  Did you know that our district has started an exclusive Polio Plus Society that you can join and help us defeat this virus in the next few years? Your donation can not only help eradicate this terrible disease, but you will also receive District 6450 exclusive recognition in our Polio Plus Society. For further information please contact Rachel Ossyra or Mary Dankowski.

After a successful pivot to a virtual platform, the district RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) committee is proud to present our first hybrid RYLA event this January. High school students from across the district will come together for a weekend of team building, self-reflection, collaboration, and leadership development through a variety of virtual and in-person activities. Clubs can sponsor students for the event to be held January 28-30. Reach out to RYLA Chair Bill Zerinskas for additional information. Applications can currently be found on the district website.

It is with great pleasure that I inform you of our DGN Conor Gee being selected as a presenter for the RI Convention in June 2022.  A reminder that registration is discounted for the convention through December 15, 2021.  There are a few hotel rooms still available in the district hotel block.  Please contact Tamra at the district office if you would like to book one. This year’s convention is in Houston, TX much easier to travel to than overseas. Attending an international convention is an incredible experience that every Rotarian should experience at least once. I hope that you will join us.

As we approach the halfway point of this Rotary year, it is also time to start looking forward to next year’s leadership. Presidents-elects serving their club each year are required to complete a President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) prior to assuming leadership of their club. In our district, this consists of a PETS Orientation session and attending Midwest PETS. For any questions about PETS, please reach out to District Trainer Amy Hopkins or District Governor Elect Ade Onayemi. If you are a president-elect, please mark the following dates on your calendar and register here:

 PETS Orientation (held virtually, attend only attend one)

• Monday, January 3, 2022 6:30pm
• Tuesday, January 11, 2022 6:30pm
• Thursday, January 27, 2022 6:30pm
• Saturday, February 12, 2022 9:00am

Midwest PETS, March 4-6, 2022, held in the Westin in

Itasca, IL. Registration to come in late December/early January.

In this time of year where the weather is cold, I hope you are able to spend time in warm connection with friends and family celebrating holidays, sharing stories, laughter, and joy.

Warmest wishes this holiday season,

Jane Hopkins
District Governor
Rotary International District 6450
Janehopkins6450@gmail.com

See District Governor Jane's complete district report

at the following link: