Rotary Club of Des Moines Recieves Presidential Citiation

Every year, Rotary Clubs around the world make application for the coveted Presidential Citation.   This citation is awarded to clubs who have met high standards in the following four Avenues of Services:Club Service, Vocational/Educational Services, Community Service and International Services.  This year Rotary International has created The Presidential Citation with Distinction, which is the highest level of distinction to challenge those clubs that routinely earn the annual presidential citations.

President Al Isaac

We are pleased to announce that the Rotary Club of Des Moines #114’s’ application for this year’s Rotary International Presidential Citation has been approved.  In fact, it has been approved “With Distinction”!  This recognition is a great testimony to the depth and breadth of our club’s programs and the special commitment of our members to “Service Above Self” in our community and around the world.  A quick review of the qualifying criteria, based on Rotary’s four avenues of service, provides the framework for the award.  Let’s look at a sampling of each in turn.

In Club Service, we have added new members, had fun meetings with warm fellowship, continued our newsletter, expanded our website and supported our incoming president’s attendance at President Elect training.  In Vocational/ Educational Service, we are conducting a middle school essay contest on Rotary Values, have provided career talks to student groups, emphasize the Four Way Test in our daily activities, had vocational focus meeting programs, and provided graduating senior and community college scholarships and dictionaries to 3d graders to name a few.  Community Service examples include the annual Roto-Mow for seniors, Earth Day clean up, scholarships to Camp Waskowitz, supporting the high school Interact Club, two successful and fun fund raisers to provide program funds,  adding Music4Life to our list of projects, continued weekly financial and monthly back pack filling support to the local food bank, support of the Legacy Foundation Sports Night, and sponsorship of the Des Moines Farmer’s Market and Art’s Commission’s “Shakespeare in the Park.”  In the International arena, we sponsored a Group Study Exchange team member to Bolivia, supported the Polio Plus eradication campaign with a $500 donation, partnered with others to provide training and education for and about the disabled in Nepal, provide Biosand water filters in Peru, equip an emergency room in Nepal and a new rural medical clinic in the Philippines, purchased shelter boxes for El Salvador and Haiti and solar panels to power water pumps in Ghana.  All the while we are maintaining our commitment to the Rotary International Foundation with an average member contribution of over $100/year.

Few clubs have this breadth and depth of activity.  Fewer still are marked with distinction as you are.  This takes an “all hands on deck” commitment and you have shown that as a norm.  Our “Little club with a BIG heart” gets more done because of you!  Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued stellar commitment to our programs and to each other.

It is an honor to serve as your President.

Thanks again,

Al  Isaac
President
Rotary Club of Des Moines #114

For more information about the Rotary Club of Des Moines, please visit http://www.dmrotary.org/.