November 2006 Board Meeting

The second meeting of the 2006-07 RI Board of Directors was held on 30 October through 3 November in Evanston, Illinois, USA. At this meeting the Board reviewed reports from 16 committees and recorded 105 decisions.

CLUB AND DISTRICT MATTERS

The Rotary International membership coordinator program began in 2001-02 to provide a network of volunteers at the regional level to keep districts and clubs focused on the importance of membership issues. The Board agreed to continue the program and evaluate its achievements again in 2008.

The Board suggested that clubs establish a new club trainer position to help develop the personal leadership skills of club members. Club presidents, governors, assistant governors, and the district training committee should support such club-level training efforts. Guidelines for the club-level leadership development program will be published in the near future.

RI ADMINISTRATION

The Board noted its September ballot-by-mail decision to elect past Governor Barry J. Rassin as Zone 34 director to replace Director Milton O. Jones, who resigned in August for health reasons. The Board thanked President-elect Wilkinson for his selection of four distinguished Rotarians as Rotary Foundation Trustees to begin serving 1 July 2007. They are: past RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar, past RI Director David D. Morgan, Past-RI Vice-President Louis Piconi, and past RI Director José Antonio Salazar.

In conjunction with a decision by The Rotary Foundation Trustees from their October meeting, the Board agreed to post the minutes of its meetings on the Rotary Web site within 90 days of the meeting.

RI PROGRAMS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND AWARDS

To help strengthen Rotary club and district health and hunger service opportunities, the Board agreed to pursue a cooperative relationship with World Food Programme (WFP), the food aid branch of the United Nations, and requested the general secretary to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to define the cooperative relationship between the two organizations, for review by the Board at its February meeting. The Board also agreed to a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding with USAID.

The Board adopted additional criteria for the recognition and functioning of Rotarian Action Groups (RAGs), requiring all RAGs to adopt standard bylaws. RI resource groups are asked to facilitate the activities of RAGs within their geographical area.

The Board selected 145 recipients for the 2006-07 Service Above Self award, which recognizes exemplary humanitarian service provided on a continuing bases by Rotarians who might otherwise go unrecognized. The names of the recipients will be announced at the end of the Rotary year.

A special certificate will soon be available to host districts to present to Youth Exchange students upon completion of their exchange.

The Board recognized the International Fellowship of Old and Rare Antique Books and Prints.

INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

The Board discussed sites for the 2013 international convention, and tentatively selected Lisbon, Portugal, subject to various logistical concerns.