November 28, 2005: District Simplified Grant
Comment: #55 -- Regretably it should note that criteria #55 (Participate in a new District Simplified Grants project approved by District) is a dead issue due to the moratorium on DSG's. (You try being District Governor when this happens!) - phil morris

November 24, 2005: District Disaster Relief
Question: #17 -- Our club's response to the huricane disaster is to encourage all club members to contribute to a disaster relief agency of their choosing. Some are contributing to the Red Cross, others are contributing to Salvation Army, and others have found other agencies they want to support. Will the club get credit for contributing to a District specified disiaster relief program?

Answer: As you describe it the response your club is promoting is individual-based, not club or district based. The response would not qualify as a District specified disaster relief program. - phil morris

November 21, 2005: RI Emphasis months
Question: #26 -- Looking at the RI website under "Calendar", I notice ten emphasis months. March and May are undesignated. I remember that in recent years March was designated as District Public Relations Month and May, District Fellowship Month. Are we eligible for 30 points because of the 10 RI emphasis months, or can we obtain 36 by including the district's two months?

Answer: This year the district did not assign themes to March and May. You are eligible for 30 points only. - phil morris

November 3, 2005: Rotary Theme Program defined
Question: #26 -- Our club has started asking one member each week togive a short talk on their vocation. Instead of having a separate program on vocational service, will this give us gold points? Also we invite two or more Interact or Rotaract members in the clubs we sponsor. We introduce them and give them 3-5 minutes to tell us about their current projects. Will this give us gold points without having a separate program on new generations?

Answer: In both cases the answer is "yes." It will also work for Rotary Fellowships Month (June). -phil morris

September 15, 2005: Contribution to The Rotary Foundation
Question: #47 and #48 -- what is the difference?

Answer: #47 does not specify the amount of contribution. If every member contributes to the Rotary Foundation this criteria is satisfied. When the gold club criteria was developed in March, I was concerned that everybody contribute! This is required for a club to receive gold points.
#48. required that the average contribution for all members is $100. When the criteria was developed I was not focusing on $100 per member per year...as I am now. Meeting this criteria is not required for a club to receive gold points.
A club might have an average of $100 per member, yet not be eligible because one member refused to contribute (#47).
A club can earn points in each category if every member gives and the average gift is $100. -phil morris

September 15, 2005: Major Donors & Bequest Society Members
Question: #52 & #53 -- are you giving credit for all Bequest Society and Major Donors even if they are not new to 2005-2006 Rotary year -- Credit will be given for each club member who is or becomes?? --So if a club has 10 Major Donors, but only one new one this year they get 50 points??

Answer: 52 & 53: If a club had 20 major donors (bequest society members) going into 2005-2006, and they add one before April 2006, I will give them credit for 21 major donors (bequest society members). -phil morris

August 2, 2005: More details concerning the Classification Survey (see #7)
Question: On the classification survey for Gold Club -- do we put in our member's classifications in alphabetic order by classification or do we use the list that has been done for Furnitureland. Are we to include classifications that we are seeking to fill, but yet don't have. I see you have classifications and no member's name beside it. (August 2, 2005)

Answer: "A systematically prepared list of classifications is the logical basis for club growth. RI does not maintain a general list of classifications. To identify relevant businesses and professional practices in a community, clubs are encouraged to conduct a thorough classification survey. Surveys act as a basis for developing and aggressively undergoing specific, ongoing plans for building and strengthening club membership in order to serve more effectively in all areas of activities." (MOP)

It seems to me that Rotary International encourages the practice of examining the list of classifications that your club has used, whether or not they are filled. Three questions might be asked in the survey review: Can new classifications be identified and added to the list? Are some of the existing, but unfilled, classifications in the list no longer appropriate and should they be removed? And do I know anyone who represents a classification that is not filled, and who might make a good member of the club? I don't believe a great deal of time needs to be spent studying the community comprehensively so that every possible classification known to the community can be identified, but that might be useful. I believe that each club should review it at least once a year to see if it can be expanded or revised.

So, to address the original questions: On the classification survey for Gold Club -- do we put in our member's classifications in alphabetic order by classification or do we use the list that has been done for Furnitureland. (Unless it serves your club's needs, delete the information list for Furnitureland and use the information that has been developed for your club.) Are we to include classifications that we are seeking to fill, but yet don't have. (Yes) I see you have classifications and no member's name beside it. (And that is what I'd like to see your Excel spreadsheet list contain as well.)

Give me a call if I have confused you and perhaps I can explain it better on the phone. -phil morris

July 19, 2005: Points for attendance at Leadership Seminar
Question: Does the club get 5 points for each person who attends the Leadership Seminar on July 28th, or is it a total of 5 points maximum, regardless of the number who attend? (July 19, 2005)

Answer: First - The entry "District Leadership Meeting, Pinewood CC" shown for July 28th may be misleading. The Juy 28th event is a meeting of the PPDG, the PDG, the DG, the DGE and the DGN. Perhaps I should have called it "The District Governor's Advisory Committee." The event that Criteria #14 refers to is The Zone Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI). You should have a copy of the 2005-2006 brochure (If you need a copy of the brochure here is a copy. As far as the number of points that a club can get for attendance at the Institute: The club can get 5 points for each member who attends the seminar. -phil morris

July 8, 2005: NEWS RELEASES AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
Question: Should I forward newspaper articles directly to you or should I send to Margaret? - Mike Woyahn

2005-2006 Gold Club Criteria (footnote 2) speaks somewhat to this issue . . .

Answer: Please send newspaper articles to me (Phil Morris, 2207 Porsha Lane, High Point, NC 27265). If you are sending via e-mail include a copy to PR@Rotary7690.org. -phil morris

July 2, 2005: ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Question: I'm PE of the Yadkinville club. I'm a bit confused about the Gold Club requirement #14 which is attendance at the Leadership Seminar. I have a brochure for the Zone 33 Rotary Leadership Institute. It lists the meetings for 2005-2006. I believe I have also seen some kind of leadership meetings scheduled before PETS and District Conference. Which of these meetings counts as attending a Leadership Seminar? Thank you very much. Regards,Susan (June 13, 2005)

Criteria #14: ATTENDANCE AT THE LEADERSHIP SEMINAR (EACH) - A strong Rotary club reflects the effectiveness of its leadership. Take advantage of the Rotary Leadership Institute. Deduct 5 points from your total if your club is not represented.

Answer: The leadership institute to which I referred is the Zone 33 Rotary Leadership Institute. The district is not planning for leadership training in conjunction with District Conference in 2006. For information about the RLI Seminar, contact Abbey Donnelly at RotaryLeadershipInstitute@Rotary7690.org. -phil morris

May 27, 2005: EXTENSION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
Criteria #47 *PARTICIPATION IN THE 'EVERY MEMBER EVERY YEAR' PROGRAM (EREY) - Every Rotarian who was a member as of July 1, 2005 has contributed to TRF. If this has not occurred as of April 1, 2006, include a statement assuring that the contributions will be sent to TRF no later than June 15, 2006.
Criteria #48: AN AVERAGE OF $100 PER CLUB MEMBER IS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ANNUAL PRGRAMS FUND - Contributions to TRF average $100 per capita based on the number of club members as of July 1, 2005. If this has not occurred as of April 1, 2006, include a statement assuring that the contributions will be sent to TRF no later than June 15, 2006.

Revision: The May 27, 2005 version extends the date that contributions must be sent to TRF from April 1, 2006 until June 15, 2006. -phil morris