Posted by Clint Schroeder on May 01, 2017
May 2017:  Youth Services Month
 
District 5000 has a long tradition of outstanding service in youth services with great support and forward thinking from District leaders, and the news was welcomed with excitement and enthusiasm by District 5000 Rotarians.
Youth Service programs include all our Rotary service programs for young people up to the age of 30. In our District, these include the RI Programs of Rotaract, Interact, RYE, and RYLA, along with many other projects done at the club level. Youth Protection is another important Youth Service resource available to Rotarians, clubs and youth programs at the District level. So, why are Youth Service programs so important that they have now been recognized internationally? We often hear that our youth is our future. This is certainly true and one of the reasons that we focus on literacy, leadership training, and expanding training in ethics for young people. These are the people who will be running our country and our world within the next 20 years.
 
Rotarians have always taken a sincere interest in helping to prepare the next generation - with programs and projects that help with health and education and lead the way to world peace and understanding. Beyond this fact, young people are also the future of our organization if we choose for Rotary to survive and thrive beyond our lifetime. Through our Rotary youth programs, we can not only provide service that is the keystone of our organization but also to develop relationships and provide exposure to our wonderful organization and the ideals of "service above self" to the next generation.
 
To briefly review our District's youth programs:
  • Rotaract is a Rotary sponsored club for ages 18 to 30. Rotaractors are involved in community and international service projects, as well as professional development and leadership training, and are good partners in service with their sponsoring Rotary clubs.
  • Interact is a Rotary sponsored club for ages 12 to 18, typically at a high school or middle school, although it is not limited to a single school.
  • Rotary Youth Exchange or RYE is the leading international student exchange program in the world, and our District has sent many students out to foreign countries each year and hosts students from around the globe to spend a year of high school in our communities.
RYLA, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, in our District, is a premium weekend leadership camp for high school juniors offered on each of the main islands. Every club in our District is encouraged to send at least one high school junior from their local community to benefit from the "life-changing experience" offered at RYLA.
 
Youth Service also includes the many projects that individual clubs undertake to serve young people in our communities - such projects as the Dictionary Project, other reading and literacy projects, scholarship programs, and middle school projects, to name just a few. Youth Service intersects the Vocational Avenue of Service in such programs as Career Coaching, Speech and Music Contests, and the Ethics Initiative.
 
You can tell that there is a wide range of programs and projects included under the Youth Service umbrella. Virtually every club in our District in involved in one or more of these youth programs, for the benefit of their community.
 
There are many District resources available to help you and your club with respect to Youth Service. Please contact any of the District Chairs listed on the District website for assistance

Don't forget to register for the District Conference!
 
If you haven’t done so already – don't forget to make your reservations for the annual D5000 Conference at the beautiful Kaanapali Sheraton!  Registration is only $399/person, and Sheraton is still offering $199 room rates through the end of March.
 

D5000 Polio Champion Challenge Update:

2016-17 is a special year for all of us.  Not only are we celebrating the 100th Anniversary, we are working incredibly hard to finish the job of eradicating Polio!
 
I have more exciting news about the D5000 Polio Champion Challenge!  As of May 3rd, we have had 462 District 5000 Rotarians commit to the Champion Challenge; a commitment of over $147,000!  WAY TO GO!
 
To date, we have 65 participants working toward Bronze level, 285 Bronze level donors, 63 Silver level Donors, and 49 Gold/Gold+ level donors! 
 
What an outstanding show of support as we raise the final funds necessary to eradicate Polio ONCE AND FOR ALL!  I am so proud of the Rotarians and Clubs that have stepped up to the challenge to “Make this year the LAST year.  Our D5000 giving is already 109% to our total goal of $135,000 to the Polio Plus Fund. 
 
Now, let me brag about some of our clubs!  We have ALL 51 clubs “on the board” that have already started giving AND we already have 24 clubs that have exceeded their club goal of $2,650 – Well done!
 
The following are the clubs that have already made their 2016-17 Polio Goal of $2,650:
 
1
Waikiki
 $9,727
2
HNL Metro
 $8,277
3
Honolulu Sunset
 $6,020
4
HNL Downtown
 $6,000
5
HNL Sunrise
 $5,504
6
Volcano
 $5,000
7
South Hilo
 $4,990
8
West Pearl Harbor
 $4,538
9
Windward Oahu
 $4,009
10
Kona
 $3,800
11
Ala Moana
 $3,750
12
Hanalei Bay
 $3,525
13
Lahaina
 $3,450
14
Kona Sunrise
 $3,360
15
Hilo
 $3,355
16
Lahaina Sunset
 $3,292
17
Waianae Coast
 $3,205
18
Kapolei Sunset
 $3,200
19
Honolulu
 $2,960
20
Hilo Bay
 $2,951
21
Kona Mauka
 $2,870
22
Upcountry Maui
 $2,800
23
Kapolei
 $2,781
24
West Honolulu
 $2,778
 
 
 
As of May 3rd, our club rankings are:
 
1
Waikiki
2
HNL Metro
3
Honolulu Sunset
4
HNL Downtown
5
HNL Sunrise
6
Volcano
7
South Hilo
8
West Pearl Harbor
9
Windward Oahu
10
Kona
11
Ala Moana
12
Hanalei Bay
13
Lahaina
14
Kona Sunrise
15
Hilo
16
Lahaina Sunset
17
Waianae Coast
18
Kapolei Sunset
19
Honolulu
20
Hilo Bay
21
Kona Mauka
22
Upcountry Maui
23
Kapolei
24
West Honolulu
25
Lahaina Sunrise
26
Kihei Wailea
27
Kahala Sunrise
28
Kaneohe
29
Mililani Sunrise
30
Wailuku
31
Pau Hana
32
Kona
33
Pearl Harbor
34
E-Club of Hawaii
35
East Honolulu
36
Maui
37
Kahului
38
Kauai
39
Pearlridge
40
Wahiawa-Waialua
41
North Hawaii
42
Pahoa Sunset
43
Hawaii Kai
44
Windward Oahu Sunrise
45
Diamond Head
46
Valley Isle Sunset
47
We Club Hawaii
48
Lanai
49
Poipu Beach
50
West Kauai
 
 
 
To find out more about the Polio Champion Challenge, go to http://www.d5000champion.org OR to donate, go to http://www.endpolio.org/donate.
 
Thank you for ALL that you do.  What a fantastic year of Rotary Serving Humanity!
 
 
Yours in service,
 
Clint Schroeder
District Governor 2016-17
D5000 Hawaii