It is a pleasure to be your District Governor this Rotary year. As I continue to travel around the district visiting clubs and attending social, we are having a good time. It is great hearing about all the wonderful work you are doing in your community as well as around the world. We have completed the first quarter of year with the seeds of our planning in the ground and beginning to flourish. We are beginning to focus on the fun and celebration of the fruits of our harvest we will have at District Conference in April.

October 24 is World Polio Day - a time to raise awareness about the global efforts to end polio for good. I hope you are planning to host an event or activity in your community. Are you planning a fundraiser to generate money to donate to Polio Plus? Are you using your social media to spread the word about the World Polio Day? Be sure you register your club’s participation for World Polio Day at https://www.endpolio.org/register-your-event?cid=cc_wpd22_20220914_eml_ad_dom_cc-2-promote_participate_na by October 13 to receive access to Rotary’s Global Update one week before World Polio Day. You can find need materials for your polio event at https://www.endpolio.org/sites/default/files/wpd_2020_en_final.zip We are too close to eradicating polio not to finish the drill. 

On a similar note, I hope you will join us in Warm Springs, Georgia on Saturday, October 22, for the long-awaited celebration of the museum at the historic outdoor pool - which chronicles the fight against Polio and honors PDG Ann Henderson Johnson. PDG Steve Stanfield has been hard at work on this initiative for several years - and many clubs have contributed to the work we have done at Warm Springs. You can read all about this special event below; please take time to register.

As we continue to cultivate our goals, we are focused on several key crops:

• Grow membership. We are working hard to increase our membership by attending Zone’s Membership Action Plan (MAP).  Inviting potential members to participate in our service projects and having fun while accomplishing the work. 
•  Increase our giving to The Rotary Foundation. Next month is Foundation Month and clubs will have meetings focused on the work we are doing and the ways we can contribute. Check with your club’s Foundation chair to see how your giving is going and what you can to do help.
•  Meet our Rotary Youth Exchange and GRSP students. We have seven Rotary Youth Exchange students this year from Czechia, Denmark, France, Italy, Belgium and Thailand. Michael Parks and his committee will select next year’s Rotary Youth Exchange students later this year. See if you have any high school students in your community who would love to study abroad for a school year. District 6900 also has 18 GRSP students representing 12 different counties with us this year. The student selection books for GRSP will be out soon for the 2023-2024 Rotary year. Be sure you meet these young people; they are a great bunch to get to know and part of our investment in the future.
• Recognize Club achievements through the District’s annual awards program.  Now is time to start recording your club achievements at Rotary Club Central as you complete your goals.
• Plan for Rotary year 2023-2024. DGE Andre’ Marria is beginning to meet with her President Elects (PEs) about the coming Rotary year.  If you are your club's PE, let DGE Andre’ know who you are and begin to gather your team.  A team is needed to achieve all your club wants to accomplish.
• Nominate club members to serve as District Governor for the 2025-2026 Rotary year. Candidates must be Past Club Presidents and nominations are due by October 19, 2022. Clubs may contact Carol Lipphardt for more information.

Thanks again for all that you do to make your communities and the world a better place. I look forward to seeing you soon.