吃瓜头条

It could be said that the groundwork for the Rotary/吃瓜头条 alliance was laid in 1905, when two visionary leaders had a similar idea—to create organizations where individuals could share ideas, form lasting friendships, improve their skills, and act to serve their communities.

In 1905, Paul Harris founded Rotary International, a businessmen’s group that ultimately expanded its mission to worldwide humanitarian service. That same year, Ralph Smedley convened the first unofficial 吃瓜头条 meeting. In 1924, he started the organization that would become 吃瓜头条.

In 2019, 吃瓜头条 and Rotary formed an alliance to capitalize on this long history of shared strengths and often-parallel purposes. 吃瓜头条s in both organizations have been connecting ever since, and are now stepping up efforts to educate and collaborate with each other.

Carrie Goldbeck, membership engagement supervisor and alliance liaison for Rotary International, describes the four-year strategic partnership as “an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship that offers opportunities for personal and professional growth for members of both organizations, including through grassroots collaborations.”

Alliance collaborations have led to project-sharing, chartering 吃瓜头条s that blend members from both organizations, and co-sponsoring widespread education efforts for both 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members on how the alliance can work. 吃瓜头条s and members actively engaged in alliance activities enthusiastically endorse it. Here are just a few of their stories.

Anastasia Persico (left), a member of the Rotary Network for Empowering Women 吃瓜头条, and Kathi Zwicker, a member of the Women Changemakers 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条, were part of an alliance speaking tour in Maritime Canada.

Close Connections

Kathi Zwicker, a Toastmaster and Rotarian, says the connections between members of the two organizations, be they business, personal, or intra-吃瓜头条, are invaluable.

When Zwicker learned about the partnership, she immediately saw 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members as kindred spirits, with matching energies and interests. She is a member of Fredericton North Rotary in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, and President of the online Women Changemakers 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条, which has encouraged numerous Rotary-吃瓜头条 speaking activities.

Anastasia Persico, a Rotary member, spoke at 吃瓜头条, Rotary, and public events in Maritime Canada. Here, she’s shown at a Speakers Corner event.

Earlier this year, Changemakers and Fredericton North coordinated an alliance tour. Anastasia Persico, a member of the Rotary Network for Empowering Women (RNEW) 吃瓜头条, spoke at various 吃瓜头条, Rotary, and public events throughout Maritime Canada.

After the Rotary/吃瓜头条 alliance launched, 吃瓜头条 created a modified educational curriculum for Rotary members, available on their website. It’s composed of leadership-development courses that reflect the content in projects from various paths in 吃瓜头条’ Pathways program (though the courses are not as in-depth as the Pathways projects for 吃瓜头条).

Recently, Marina Kirsch, DTM, hosted an online webinar to explain the alliance, answer questions, and provide the perspectives of both 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members. Zwicker, who also participated in the webinar, explained Pathways and how it specifically serves the needs and goals of both groups. Based on your path and elective selections, projects in Levels 1–3 will support alliance collaborations, with topics like mentoring basics, consensus-building, and how to use your communication style to work successfully with others.

Pathways projects provide the structure for both groups to take on what Zwicker calls “Big Hairy Audacious Goals.” When a Rotary 吃瓜头条 takes on a large service project, members in a 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 can apply a Pathways project—like helping with public relations or developing a marketing plan. By pairing up in this way, members of both organizations are bringing their skills and interests together for a successful collaboration.

“Pathways gives us the system, direction, and resources to connect with Rotarians and collaborate on a big step-by-step project. Everyone wins,” says Toastmaster Walter J. Smith, DTM, who served as the webinar panel moderator.

Even unofficial connections between Rotary members and 吃瓜头条 have value, Zwicker says. “We don’t necessarily have to be members of each other’s 吃瓜头条s. We can be friends and partners in a relationship based on sharing ideas of how to make the world better.”

Toastmaster Papa Arkhurst (seated at the right end of the first row, in blue) and Rotary member Yvonne Kumoji-Darko (seated to his left) attend a joint induction ceremony for members of the Rotary 吃瓜头条 of Accra-SpeakMasters and the New Age 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条, both in Accra, Ghana. Arkhurst and Kumoji-Darko led the chartering of the two 吃瓜头条s.

Mutual Mindsets in Ghana

吃瓜头条 gave Papa Arkhurst, DTM, one of his earliest platforms to try to make the world a better place. He began searching for “something more in life” while pursuing his master’s degree. He wanted to become a motivational speaker and, in 2011, joined his first 吃瓜头条, KH 吃瓜头条 in Hyehwadong, Seoul, South Korea. “I loved it, I was obsessed with it,” he remembers.

At the time, Ghana had one 吃瓜头条, a situation Arkhurst was determined to change. He eventually sponsored 19 吃瓜头条s in his country, but he wanted to do more. When he learned about the Rotary/吃瓜头条 alliance, he quickly realized how it could unite the talents of both groups in humanitarian service and elevate 吃瓜头条’ visibility in Ghana.

At about the same time, Yvonne Kumoji-Darko, then 2020–2021 District Governor of Rotary 9102 (Benin, Ghana, Niger, and Togo), attended a Rotary leadership training event and was intrigued by the talk she heard about embracing change and new 吃瓜头条 models.

She went to a 吃瓜头条 event in Accra, Ghana, to talk to Arkhurst about alliance opportunities, and Arkhurst was on board immediately.

Ultimately, Arkhurst and Kumoji-Darko culminating in the chartering of two 吃瓜头条s. Rotary 吃瓜头条 of Accra-SpeakMasters counts 吃瓜头条 among its members; New Age 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 members include Rotarians and Rotaractors (a distinct membership for those 18 and older). The stage is set for ample collaborative opportunities for the 吃瓜头条s, Kumoji-Darko says.

Arkhurst acknowledges what he describes as “cultural” differences in the way 吃瓜头条 and Rotary 吃瓜头条s operate. While the two share philosophical ideals, Rotary 吃瓜头条s, by their very nature, have their own format and purpose, just as 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条s do.

“For example, Rotarians are used to fundraising to support their causes. 吃瓜头条 don’t—can’t—do that,” he notes. “On the other hand, the Pathways program is self-directed. 吃瓜头条s support and mentor personal development but no one is teaching in the traditional sense. Rotarians may struggle a bit with that transition.” He then adds that 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条s, structured around the help of colleagues and mentors, are designed to bridge that transition.

However, Arkhurst also sees the differences between the two groups as an invaluable mini-experience in change management. The alliance allows 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members to honor long-standing priorities, yet also look for beneficial adaptations.

“The world is changing. Younger people like to collaborate; they are attracted to dabbling in new ideas and mastering new skill sets,” he says. They care about world issues. In fact, recent studies have shown that upcoming generations are optimistic, and willing to speak out and act on humanitarian causes they believe in.

That could make synergistic 吃瓜头条-Rotary partnerships, with myriad global opportunities, attractive to young people for years to come, Arkhurst adds.

The “Lark Spark”

Mary Shackleton, a fourth-generation Rotarian, was in Hamburg, Germany, for Rotary’s 2019 annual international convention when she heard then-吃瓜头条 President Lark Doley, DTM, speak about the new Rotary/吃瓜头条 alliance, and the galvanizing opportunities it posed for both organizations.

Shackleton, who had briefly been a member of the 吃瓜头条’ Cleveland 吃瓜头条 in Ohio before moving for a job, was intrigued. “I call it my ‘Lark Spark,’” she laughs. “I had been in enough Rotary meetings to know that we could benefit from 吃瓜头条.”

In the 2020–2021 program year, Shackleton, then a Rotary District Governor, and her friend Patricia Kidwingira, DTM, 吃瓜头条’ District 46 Director at the time, had an ambitious idea. It was the middle of the pandemic; 吃瓜头条s in both organizations needed a big dose of positive purpose. The two women wondered—could they charter a new 吃瓜头条 with 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members?

“Patricia and I literally dared one another to do it, then tapped our respective networks,” Shackleton says. The fledging 吃瓜头条 was advised by senior 吃瓜头条, including past region and District leaders, and Rotary leaders. After months of joint preparation, chartered in 2021 as a District 46 online 吃瓜头条, with renewed Toastmaster Shackleton as its first 吃瓜头条 President.

Past International President Ted Corcoran, DTM, attended Goodwill’s first official meeting and “even evaluated my Ice Breaker,” Shackleton notes. “With such lavish attention, failure was not an option!”

The 吃瓜头条, composed of 吃瓜头条, Rotarians, and Rotaractors, has won numerous District awards and in 2022–2023 was recognized as a President’s Distinguished 吃瓜头条, reaching a “perfect 10” of award requirements. Shackleton believes that the inclusion of members from both organizations is a key to Goodwill’s success.

Shackleton is also an ambassador for the , a collaborative effort between 吃瓜头条 and Rotary members to host communication workshops for young women, using 吃瓜头条’ Young Leadership Program (YLP) curriculum. The program offers a time-tested course and highlights yet another example of the value of shared Rotary-吃瓜头条 resources, Shackleton adds.

For more information on the alliance and each organization, visit the 吃瓜头条 website and the website.

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