Welcome to the new Rotary year! I think 2009-10 has great things in store, because the “Future of Rotary” really is “In Our Hands!” In this e-mail you will find several updates on ACCT:

DRR Updates

A few districts have informed us of their new DRRs for 2009-10. Congratulations to all new DRRs! I know that some of you are continuing in your role as DRR, and some of you receiving this message may no longer be the DRR for your district. If you are no longer DRR, please provide us with the contact information of your district’s new DRR.

ACCT Elections & Bylaws

As some of you know, we have been examining the best way to conduct elections for ACCT. We were considering two options. 1) Hold online elections or 2) hold elections during an ACCT annual meeting at the USCC conference July 16-19 in San Jose. In order to hold elections at USCC, we needed to establish that enough ACCT districts would be present to have a quorum. I asked the DRRs to reply and let us know if anyone from your district would attend. Based on replies and communication with the USCC planners, it looks like we would just have the bare minimum needed for a quorum. However, USCC is now just days away.

That being said, and having spoken with a few other ACCT leaders, we feel that it would be most fair to all concerned to hold our ACCT elections online. Although the new Rotary year has started, we were delayed in making this decision since USCC is being held in July. As a result, the current ACCT leadership team has agreed to continue in their roles until elections can take place.

It is my hope that we can conclude the election process by the end of August.

Another pending item is making amendments and updates to the current ACCT bylaws. The current bylaws are a bit cumbersome and sometimes confusing. The current bylaws also dictate some things regarding elections and other matters that are not practical and impose barriers to our operations. The bylaws also currently include a large number of elected officer positions, and it has proven very difficult to be able to fill all these positions in the past. I think we could benefit from a review of the currently established positions to see which ones might be eliminated or combined, and if some of the ancillary positions should be appointed/selected rather than elected. We have some great model information from other successful MDIOs that will help us in this process.

All that taken into consideration, in the coming weeks, I would like to accomplish the following items:

1) Send out a proposed draft of our revised bylaws for your review and input
2) Vote to amend our bylaws after review by all
3) Send out job descriptions for the positions we will elect
4) Gather names of those who wish to run for office
5) Hold elections for the primary leadership positions of president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, and communications director.

In the meantime…We will need a few Rotaractors who are willing to serve on the leadership team of ACCT. Please think about whether you or other Rotaractors from your district would be good candidates for serving in a capacity beyond the district level. In particular, past DRRs would be great candidates. I’ll be working to get a list of proposed officer positions and descriptions out to you soon.

USCC Conference – San Jose

If you are attending the USCC Conference next week in San Jose, please let us know! ACCT has been given some time on the agenda to talk about our organization.

A bit of history on USCC– the conference itself has been taking place for many years. It has operated as an independent event, hosted by different districts each year. There is no body for oversight, and as a result, information gets lost over time and is not handed down. There have been attempts in the past to bring USCC under ACCT as the “official conference” of ACCT. This would be in line with other MDIOs in the world. However, since USCC has always been its own entity and pre-dates ACCT, it seemed unfair and improper for ACCT to simply claim ownership of the USCC event.

At past USCCs, the precedent has been set that the decision making body was all those present at the event (decisions such as voting on who will host the next conference, voting not to hold USCC in 2005, etc). Since the precedent has been set that all attendees vote on matters related to USCC, it has been proposed that a vote be held at USCC 2009 to officially bring USCC under ACCT. If this is approved, I think it will be beneficial for both entities. Please let me know if you have thougths or concerns regarding this.

I believe that covers the updates for the moment. Thanks so much for your leadership in your clubs and districts. I will be in touch soon.

Best wishes,
Mary Kathryn DeLodder
ACCT President
president@acctrotaract.org
Rotaract Club of Greater Louisville
District 6710 – Kentucky, USA

Attention ACCT Districts:

Check out this wonderful opportunity to participate in Rotary Day at the UN. Its never too early to start planning!

Subject: Invitation to Rotary Day at UN Program on Nov. 7, 2009

Dear Rotarian:

On behalf of Brad Jenkins, Rotary Representative to the UN, Sylvan Barnet, RI Alternate Rep, and the other team members, it is a distinct pleasure to invite you to attend the upcoming Rotary Day at the United Nations program on November 7, at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

Rotary Day at the UN has evolved into one of the most interesting, substantive and enjoyable programs that brings together Rotary and UN leaders to discuss some of each organization’s unique humanitarian programs and to identify potential areas of future cooperation. The mutually productive working relationship between Rotary and the UN, which is over 63 years old, is highlighted through many successful programs , such as the phenomenal Polioplus Program to eliminate the scourge of polio, reducing adult illiteracy, battling the AIDS epidemic and confronting climate change, to mention only a few.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend this outstanding program. It is not too early to make hotel and airline reservations since there are so many activities in the New York area that weekend.

Within the next few weeks, you will receive an official registration form via e-mail for Rotary Day at the UN.

Yours in Rotary,

Bill Miller, PDG
Rotary Alternate Representative to the United Nations
Frankfort, KY

Did you know the USCC 2009 Conference is right around the corner?

This annual event is geared for Rotaractors in the United States, Canada, and Caribbean, and is a great opportunity for Rotaractors this summer.

When finances are tight, it can be hard to make it to the bigger Rotaract conferences like the Preconvention in Birmingham, England. But, just because you’re not going to Brum this summer doesn’t mean you can’t still have an awesome Rotaract experience! And that’s where USCC 2009 comes in!

Why attend USCC 2009?

USCC 2009 will be July 16th-19th, 2009.

Register now at: www.uscc2009.org

Registration includes admission to evening social events as well as most meals. I think its a great bargain! And, you might just be able to find a really good deal on airfare! Check with your sponsoring Rotary club and Rotary district to see if they are willing to help with costs. If you’re a part of a university-based club, your school may provide funds for travel for student groups.

Registration with shared housing: $285
Registration with individual housing: $330
Registration without housing: $120

Even though I’m bummed I can’t make it to Birmingham this year, my husband and I are super excited to be going to USCC. I would love you see you there!

Yours in Rotaract,
Mary Kathryn DeLodder
ACCT President
Rotaract Club of Greater Louisville
District 6710 – Kentucky, USA
president@acctrotaract.org

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Thanks for stumbling upon our official Rotaract ACCT page.  You’ve happened to reach us in the middle  of our updating progress (!) — so please check back soon, and we’ll have everything up and running very soon.  Promise!

In the meanwhile, you can contact us directly at info@acctrotaract.org.

Best,

Rotaract ACCT Council