Erin Hardesty's search for her birth family brought a number of surprises.
Erin Hardesty was born in Virginia and adopted by a Lima couple. In 1991 she began a search for her birth family to learn her medical history. Because the adoption files were closed, she faced a number of rejections and dead ends. In 1992, she asked Judge David Kinworthy for help. He wrote a letter to Allen County Children Services and requested that they send any information they could. "On March 27, 1992, I finally received a letter from probate court that had been sent to Judge Kinworthy from Allen County Children Services, and surprisingly, the letter contained everything: my birth mother's name, her age at the time of my birth, where she lived in 1953 and my birth grandparents' names." Much to her surprise, she found that her birth mother lived n Lima just two miles away from her house. Erin called her then went to visit. "We hugged for about 5 minutes and we were amazed at how many times over the years our paths had crossed." She says they maintained a close bond for 14 years. "We created many great memories at that time and those experiences and that relationship enriched my life." Erin discovered that she had four brothers; at one time she and her mother lived only one block apart; she babysat for her cousins whose playmates next door were her brothers; one of her co-workers at Bank One was her first cousin; and her mother worked for Erin's children's pediatrician and was unknowingly treating her own grandchild. Erin has documented her story in a book called No Little Choices and is working on a second book.
Also at Monday's meeting, we presented $1,000 scholarships to 13 non-traditional students, bringing the total number of scholarships awarded since 2001 to $921,150. And we drew fifty numbers in the Jay Begg Reverse Raffle with Mike Powell being the first big winner of $500.
The Lima Rotary Club presented its quarterly scholarships at Monday's meeting.
Thirteen non-traditional students were awarded Lima Rotary scholarships in the amount of $1,000 for summer 2023. Students are pursuing higher education in fields such as Nursing, Pyschology, Welding, Early Childhood Education, Medical Assisting, Medical Coding and Paramedic. These students plan to attend Apollo Career Center, The Ohio State University-Lima and Rhodes State College. Congratulations to each of them! Currently, the program has awarded 1,194 scholarships totaling $921,150. The majority of the funding for the scholarships comes from the Rex Perry Memorial Golf Outing which is scheduled for August 16. Please contact Andy Wannemacher to register your team or to become a sponsor.
Lima Rotary Club has been granted the IFSR Youth Service Award.
Lima Rotary Club has been granted the IFSR Youth Service Award for inviting the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio to be the guest speakers on March 7. The IFSR, International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians, is a Rotary Fellowship promoting service to Youth through Scouting and Guiding. IFSR is composed of over a thousand Rotarians in 45 countries that work to promote Scouting and Guiding through their membership in Rotary.
Rotary Leader - Helping Club and District Leaders Achieve Success
Create a meaningful club experience
We know from Rotary’s research that members’ overall satisfaction is closely related to their club experience.
Being open to change can be challenging, especially if your club has enjoyed success without making many big adjustments. It can be difficult to reconsider what you do and how you do it, but you’ll build a more robust club if you accept input from your members and respond to their feedback. One way to do this is by getting to know your prospective and new members early on using the Member Interest Survey. You can also share the Member Satisfaction Survey with everyone in your club to identify ways to improve and then take steps to enhance the club experience.
Members are more likely to remain active when they feel welcomed and included, when they find opportunities for personal growth and leadership development, when they make meaningful connections, and when they contribute to service. Get more ideas from the Membership courses in the Learning Center.
ACTION PLAN
Expanding our reach
Why is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) so crucial to Rotary expanding its reach? Let Katey Halliday tell you. Halliday is a member of the Rotary Club of Adelaide Light, Australia, and a charter member of the Rotaract Club of Adelaide City. Halliday serves on Rotary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Learn more about what Halliday believes are the benefits of DEI for clubs.
GRANTS
Apply for the Programs of Scale grant
The application process for the 2023-24 Programs of Scale award opens 1 June!
If your club or district service project has been successful and is ready to expand, consider preparing an application for the 2023-24 Programs of Scale grant. Through a competitive process, The Rotary Foundation awards US$2 million each year to a well-developed, evidence-based program led by Rotary members in collaboration with experienced partners.
Concept notes from qualified Rotary and Rotaract clubs and districts will be accepted from 1 June until 1 August. The note should describe your program that has had an impact and explain how it’s ready to expand.
Use these resources to learn more about applying for the award and strengthen your local and international service projects:
The Increase Your Impact learning plan in the Learning Center features guidance from experts about how you can make a bigger difference by implementing successful activities on a larger scale and designing projects that achieve results.
The recipient of the 2022-23 Programs of Scale award will be announced at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia. You can also learn about recent finalists.
LEARNING
Webinar series helps you cultivate effective projects
Join us for an exciting webinar series designed to support you as you cultivate effective and sustainable projects. These five sessions offer tools and strategies to help you plan, implement, and evaluate your projects, including youth service initiatives.
Don’t forget to report your club’s officers in My Rotary by 30 June. This will ensure that your incoming officers have access to all the tools and resources they need to succeed. Make sure that your club membership is up to date, too.
In May, club and district leaders will receive an email survey. Please take a moment to respond and tell us what you enjoy about your role, what challenges you’ve faced, and how Rotary International can further support future generations of Rotary leaders.
Other key dates include:
15 May: Applications close for the 2024-25 Rotary Peace Fellowship. Learn more.
30 June: This is the last day to report in Rotary Club Central what goals you achieved toward the Rotary Citation for Rotary Clubs. Download a copy of the citation goals and instructions for Rotary clubs and learn more about the Rotary Citation. Note that separate forms and instructions are available for Rotaract and Interact clubs with a due date of 15 August.
Rotary International
One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201-3698 USA
.png)
