TAKE ACTION ON LITERACY AWARDS

1 First, promoting a final push for the District Literacy Award – The servant leader’s role

a. April 15th is the deadline for the District Literacy Award applications.

b. Every year, most districts have clubs which qualify but fail to apply.

c. Servant leaders recognize this fact and take actions to make sure that those clubs are identified and encouraged or even helped to apply for the award.

d. Call this situation to the attention of your districts and encourage them to take actions. The most obvious action is to ask all assistant district governors to check with each of their clubs and encourage them apply for the District Literacy Award where appropriate. If necessary the ADG could even help a worthy club apply for the Award.

2. Second, encouraging maximum distribution of the April issue of the Worldwide Literacy Newsletter

a. Roger Hayward just sent out the April issue of the newsletter.

b. This issue provides an excellent array of examples of what Rotary clubs can do to address the literacy needs of their local communities and the world community.

c. As literacy coordinator for your zone, please take one of the following actions:

1) If you received a copy of the newsletter and English is spoken in your districts, be sure to send a copy of the newsletter to all of your districts.

2) If you received a copy of the newsletter BUT English is not spoken in your districts, consider preparing a brief summary of the newsletter’s articles written in the language of your zones. Then send that summary to your district’s literacy leaders. Of course, you can edit your summary so that it fits the capabilities of Rotary clubs in your zone.

3) If you DID NOT receive a copy of the April newsletter, let me know and I will send one to you.

3. Third, framing the literacy project messages at District Assemblies

a. In preparing handouts and/or presentations about club literacy projects at the April/May district assemblies --- Be aware of an important organizational change taking place within RI next year.

b. That change is the creation of the new position of Rotary coordinators.

c. It is my understanding that they will take over some if not all of the tasks currently assigned to your zone coordinators. So modify your district assembly handouts and/or presentations accordingly.

d. In all likelihood RI staff in Evanston will continue to provide the kinds of support they have been offering over the past 5 years. So you should still be able to recommend that clubs go to www.rotary.org/literacy and

to Project Link to find literacy project ideas and support materials.

e. One possible exception may be in the area of literacy awards. I hope to have clarification on this matter by next Friday.

Richard Hattwick

(Literacy World Coordinator)

PHOTOS: Edwin Futa, RI Secretary General, will retire October next year. At every International Assembly, as this time in San Diego, he was a brilliant entertainer; Albany Adult Orchestra, a Literacy Project for Literacy adressed to adults; Roger Howard, RI Zone 22 Coordinator for Literacu, edited now Aprl Worldwide Literacy Newsletter, Congratulations Roger; RI president John Kenny recently in Manila; National Ballet of Korea at Birmingham Convention; the famous Reading Music Festival (it is nor a Festival of reading!).