Dear Fellow 5830 Rotarians,
 
I trust each of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Years holiday break. As we enter the second half of the Rotary year, I hope all of us will continue building the relationships with-in our clubs and searching for new prospects to join our Rotary family. Growth is critical to maintaining a healthy club. New members bring new friendships, new ideas and additional resources for doing good in the world.
 
I applaud the many clubs that have started new Interact and Rotaract clubs this year. These efforts will allow more service to be done in our communities, create new prospects for Rotary in the long-term, and provide opportunities for us to invest in the lives of young people. If your club has not started an Interact or Rotaract club, I challenge you to do so!
 
RYLA will be coming very soon. This is another wonderful opportunity to invest in young people and help build their leadership skills. Please be timely and intentional at getting your RYLA candidates signed up and transported to camp.
I mentioned last month about getting your Tree Planting projects lined up. Please share your plans with me. I would really like to come and see the projects as they take place. These projects will make your communities more attractive, and they provide a way to publicize the “good” your club is doing.
 
LSPETS registration for President Elects is on-going. It is instrumental for these leaders to attend this training and experience a bigger picture of Rotary. District 5830 will reimburse clubs for the cost of registration.  All PE’s are expected to attend LSPETS.
 
The District Foundation Banquet will be held in Athens on February 10th at the Texas State Fishery. You will be able to register on the district website later this month. Past RI Director, Brad Howard, will be our speaker. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to celebrate!
 
As I close, I want to encourage all our Rotarians to consider becoming a member of the Paul Harris Society. This is a program set up by the RI Foundation for individuals to give on a monthly or quarterly basis through bank draft or credit card. Those who give $85 a month are considered a member of the PH Society. These individuals will earn a Paul Harris Fellow (or PH +) each year. You can also use Rotary Direct if you would prefer to give monthly at a lower rate. Either way, you are supporting the Foundation on a regular basis.
 
In Rotary Service,
DG Ted Huffhines