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Greetings from Evanston! This issue of the
Global Networking Groups Update includes a rundown of recent
news as well as important information on how Global Networking
Groups can participate in the 2007 RI Convention in Salt Lake
City, Utah, USA.
Download the revised Rotary
Fellowships Handbook
The Rotary Fellowships Handbook
(729-EN) provides useful information for Rotarians interested in
forming a new fellowship, as well as tips for success for
established groups. Download the latest version of this document
at the
Global Networking Groups Download Center. Hard copies of the
handbook may be ordered through the
RI Catalog.
New Rotary Fellowships
The RI Board of Directors recognized three
new Rotary Fellowships in 2006. Please spread the word about these
new opportunities for Rotary fellowship to any Rotarians, Rotarian
spouses, or Rotaractors with an interest in these topics:
Rotarians
for the Advancement of Latin Culture For Rotarians with
an interest in Latin cultures and languages
Marathon
Fellowship of Rotarians For Rotarians who participate in
marathons held in Rotary countries
International
Fellowship for Parades and Festivals For Rotarians who share
a common interest in organizing parades and festivals
For a complete
list of all Rotary Fellowships and Rotarian Action Groups, visit
Global Networking Groups at www.rotary.org, or consult the
Global Networking Groups Directory.
Policy changes for Rotarian
Action Groups
RI
President Bill Boyd appointed a Rotarian Action Groups Committee
this year to review the program and report its findings to the RI
Board. At its November meeting, the Board amended the policies
governing Rotarian Action Groups to better support the program.
The most significant
policy change involves the recognition process for new
Rotarian Action Groups. Once recognized by the Board, new groups
are given provisional status for a maximum of two years. During
that time, they must undertake an international service project
and achieve a membership of at least 100 individuals representing
10 countries and three zones. Groups that are able to meet and
maintain this level of international activity may then become
full-fledged Rotarian Action Groups.
The 10 Rotarian Action Groups recognized by
the Board before 1 July 2006 have until 31 December 2008 to reach
these same levels of participation and performance, and to comply
with other requirements set forth in the Rotary Code of Policies.
This also entails adopting a standard set of bylaws that the Board
has approved for Rotarian Action Groups. During this transitional
period, these groups will be considered full-status Rotarian
Action Groups.
Global Networking Groups at the RI
Convention
The Global Networking Groups booth exhibition
at the
2007 RI Convention is a great opportunity for members of
Rotary Fellowships and Rotarian Action Groups to meet face to face
and educate, interact with, and recruit fellow Rotarians from
around the world.
Last year in Malmö-Copenhagen, 32 Global
Networking Groups (a third of all current groups) participated in
the House of Friendship booth exhibition. We hope to see even more
of you this year in Salt Lake City. Although you can download the
booth application form
here, please be aware that at this point all requests are
being placed on a waiting list, as we have already received more
requests than there are booths. The deadline for submitting
applications to RI is 9 February 2007.
As in previous years, a meeting room will be
available for Global Networking Groups to hold their annual
meetings, but time slots are limited and going fast. The annual
General Meeting of Global Networking Groups will also take place
during the convention. All group officers will receive details as
soon as they are available.
In the months ahead, we’ll be inviting those
groups planning events in conjunction with the RI Convention to
share information on how Rotarians can participate, and compiling
it into a brochure. Look for it in an upcoming edition of this
e-newsletter and at www.rotary.org.
Share your group’s stories
If you’re a member of a Rotary
Fellowship or Rotarian Action Group and have an interesting or
inspiring story to share about a group activity, contact the
Global Networking Groups program coordinator. Your stories and
electronic photos may be featured in an upcoming edition of the
Global Networking Groups Update or may appear on
www.rotary.org or in another official RI publication.
The Global Networking Groups
Spotlight at www.rotary.org is a space we’ve reserved
specifically for promoting individual fellowships and action
groups. Send us your stories (please limit them to 200-400 words
and one photo), and we’ll be happy to feature them on this page.
The Global Networking Groups
Upcoming Events page is a space for listing group events that
are open for Rotarian participation. Visit this page to learn
about other groups’ events, or post your own group’s event for
others to see.
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