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                 THE ROTARY CLUB OF CANTON, OHIO                                
                           VOLUME 37                                March 20, 2020
Stories
MARCH 20TH AND 27TH ROTARY MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE RECENT HEALTH ISSUES REPORTED IN STARK COUNTY, THE ROTARY CLUB OF CANTON HAS CANCELLED THE MARCH 20TH AND 27TH ROTARY MEETINGS.
 
CONTINUE TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR ANY UPDATES ON OUR FUTURE ROTARY MEETINGS.
 
 
GREETINGS FROM A SAFE DISTANCE
“Hello Rotarians and Friends. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Canton, the finest Rotary Club in the World, where we engage leaders, to exchange ideas, and take action in our community, as we strive to achieve our motto of Service Above Self”. 
 
Over the past nine months, I’ve enjoyed welcoming you to our Rotary Club of Canton (RCC) meetings each Friday with these words.   I just couldn’t resist sending you this greeting from a distance.  It is intended to remind you that you are involved in a great organization that will continue to do great things for our community and the world, despite the short-term challenges we will experience
 
The Coronavirus pandemic we are fighting has certainly altered our lives. The impact on our club and district has been significant.  We have cancelled our weekly meetings through the end of March and potentially for a period of time after that.  We have postponed our Board of Directors Meeting until April.  Our Health Screen and Wellness Fair, scheduled for May 2nd, has been cancelled to protect community health.  In addition, our District Conference originally scheduled for May 16th, will not be held to reduce the risks to Rotarians throughout the district.
 
For a club like Rotary that thrives on the social interaction of its members and the community, the concept of social distancing is a tough pill to swallow.  But it is something we must do.  To that end, let me bring you up-to-date on what we are planning to do in the near-term:
 
  • Executive Committee Board Meeting.  I’m working with the executive committee to conduct a remote meeting and discuss some options for keeping our club functioning well during this period of social distancing.  As many of you who have served on the Board of Directors knows, there is a lot club business that needs to be addressed.  I am thankful to have the leadership of Drew P., Mark C., Tom C., Julia D., Paula M., Bob P., Dave E., Bob M. and Lauri, to help our club.  This work will continue and we will keep our members apprised of important plans and actions.
  • Keeping the Club Engaged.  The executive committee and board will be discussing ways to keep our members informed and engaged.  We will be considering things like Virtual Meetings, Engagement through Social Media and Service Project plans, and other creative ideas we can try to keep our club active.
  • Social Media Interaction.  We will use our RCC Facebook site for keeping our members informed.  For those of you who use Facebook, please make sure to friend us at the RCC Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/ROTARY-CLUB-OF-CANTON-OHIO-191449020995/  For those of you not quite up-to-date on Facebook, we will also use email for these communications.
 
We’re fortunate to live in a time where “virtual” interaction is possible.  Keep looking for weekly updates on our Rotagram, via email, and Facebook.  Above all, be safe.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Mark 
 
 
 
PASSING OF LONGTIME FORMER CANTON ROTARIAN DOUGLAS L. BISHOP
We just received a sad note from former member Judy Lorigan regarding former Canton Rotarian Douglas L. Bishop:
 
" My dear Doug passed away last night, 3-14-20. He was one of the finest men I ever met. Please pray for a cure for Alzheimer's. May he rest in peace" 
 
Our prayers and sympathy go out to his friends and family. Funeral arrangements are pending, and we will update you when we receive any further details. 
 
Doug Bishop was a former Canton Rotarian and he retired from the Club after 16 years due to his health. He was a Paul Harris Fellow +2.
 
For those of you who did not know Doug, he was a very active member of the Club and took great pride to be a Rotarian.

The address we have on file for anyone interested in sending Judy Lorigan a sympathy card is:
 
157 Cloverleaf Drive 
Carnegie, PA 15106
 
 
 
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**CANCELLED**  THE UPCOMING SEMI-ANNUAL HEALTH SCREEN & WELLNESS FAIR HAS BEEN CANCELLED
**CANCELLED**
 
The upcoming Rotary Club of Canton's Semi-Annual Health Screen & Wellness Fair scheduled for May 2, 2020 has been CANCELLED! The event will be rescheduled sometime in OCTOBER, 2020 and will be held at the Mercy Hall Auditorium located at 1320 Mercy Drive, Canton.
 
 
 
 
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UPCOMING EVENTS
**DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE FOLLOWING UPCOMING EVENTS:
 
   -  Health Screen & Wellness - Saturday, May 2, 2020 - *CANCELLED
   -  District Conference - Kent State Stark - May 16, 2020 - *CANCELLED
   -  Golf Outing - June 26, 2020 -The Sanctuary Golf Course
   -  Oktoberfest - September 24, 2020
 
 
 
ROTARY MONITORS THE CORONAVIRUS IMPACT

Rotary is closely monitoring the pandemic of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, and continuously assessing the potential impact on Rotary operations, events, and members.

Your health and safety are always our top priorities. Look below for information on Rotary activities that may be affected. We will update this announcement when new information becomes available.

*This story posted by Rotary International

Rotary International Convention

The convention is still scheduled for 6-10 June in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. 

We will watch for developments and follow the recommendations and guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We are prepared to make adjustments and take all precautions necessary to protect convention attendees.

Other major Rotary events

To protect the health of our members, staff, and travelers, Rotary has canceled the presidential conferences scheduled for 28 March at UNESCO in Paris, France, and for 9 May at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Italy. People who registered will receive an email with additional information and details about refunds. 

Club and district meetings

Rotary International recommends that members and participants follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organization and your national, regional, or local health authorities to protect your health and safety. If authorities recommend it, postpone or cancel in-person meetings, or conduct them online or by phone.

Closely examine your personal circumstances, including any health issues, when you consider travel and participation in events.

Rotary Youth Exchange

Contact your partner district in areas where COVID-19 has been detected to confirm specific precautions that students hosted in their area should take. All districts, as well as students and their parents, should look at the guidelines issued by their embassies or consular offices, international public health agencies like the World Health Organization, and local health authorities for the latest and most relevant information. 

If your district is a host district, consider whether student trips or local activities could expose participants to an increased risk or to challenges returning home. You may consider canceling or postponing nonessential travel.

If a student’s parent or guardian is concerned about their health or safety in any placement, including in those areas affected by an outbreak, work with your partner districts to consider an alternative placement, if possible. Parents may also choose to remove their child from the program. 

Rotary Peace Fellowships and other programs

 Participants in Rotary Peace Fellowships, Rotary Friendship Exchanges, and Rotary Action Groups and their affiliated chapters should follow recommendations from the World Health Organization and the host region’s national, regional, or local health authorities when considering whether to postpone events, meetings, or activities. 

For peace fellows: Countries listed as Level 3 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been added to Rotary’s travel ban list, and all nonessential travel to, from, or through those countries is restricted for Rotary staff and fellows. Use discretion if you plan to travel to or through Level 2 countries. Fellows currently in a country experiencing the spread of COVID-19 are advised to follow the recommendations of your host university and the country’s national health agencies. 

For first-year fellows preparing for your applied field experience, we recommend you consider options in your study country and have an alternate plan in place in case travel is restricted further. Beyond health and safety concerns, we do not want fellows to be subject to quarantines or have challenges returning to the country where you study because of your field experience travel. You can contact your staff specialist with specific questions about how Rotary’s policy may affect your field experience planning.

For Interact and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): Consider whether planned events, trips, or local activities could expose young people to an increased risk, and consider canceling or postponing nonessential travel or large gatherings. 

Follow the guidance of schools for any closures or delayed start times that may affect school-based program participants. Discuss how they can stay engaged and safe until school resumes. Talk with parents or guardians about their child’s health and safety and what Rotary clubs and districts are doing to minimize the exposure and impact for participants in Rotary activities and events. 

Rotary-funded travel

Rotary International recommends that Rotary-funded grant recipients, Rotary Youth Exchange participants, Rotary Peace Fellows, or other Rotary-funded travelers follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organization and your national, regional, or local health authorities to protect your health and safety. 

Review and share the Rotary travel ban list with clubs and districts to confirm whether grant-funded travel is permitted. Direct any additional questions about Rotary-funded travel to your appropriate program officer.

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Speakers
Mar 20, 2020
PDG/PP Dave Ewing-Paul Harris Fellow Recognition; Invocator - Tim Furbay
Mar 27, 2020
Lori McCleese-Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio; Invocator - Mark Clendenin
View entire list
Russell Hampton
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