This year's Rotary District 6040 grant in coordination with Weston Rotary is to better 'bird proof' the gazebo at Holladay Park in Weston that the birds have basically taken over.
The boards that you see where treated with sealer and will be placed on the interior of the gazebo and hinder bird entrance and stay within the gazebo.
Those pictured: l-r, Ryan Hallings, Lee Robertson, Zim Hull, Louis Smither. Not pictured: Kevin Harper.
A Word From the District Governor
What is meant by “The Magic of Rotary”? No, really… what does this mean? It could refer to how Rotary got the ball rolling on eradicating polio (only the second disease to ever be eradicated, once we achieve it). It could mean the local service projects that help youth throughout Northern Missouri. It could be hundreds of thousands of orphans who have received shoes, and hope, over the past 24 years. It could be the friendships and fellowships at meetings, service projects, fundraisers, and social events. Maybe it’s all of the above. If you believe in the Magic of Rotary, I’d challenge each and every one of you to help spread this magic, by inviting someone new (or former) to a Rotary function, be it a social, service project, or meeting, before the end of this Rotary year.
There is still time to register for the 5/30-31 District Conference, being held in Kirksville. As of the time of this writing, there are 97 signed up. Conference Chair Ruth Bowers and the entire committee has been working hard to put together a first class lineup of fun and Rotary programs. This will be where the annual roll call of shoes takes place. Registration is live at https://rotary6040.org/events/district-conference-rotary-district-6040/
Over the past month, I finished up visiting each of the 52 Rotary clubs across the district. Each of the 3 visited in April were a treat. Thank you to all of the clubs for being so hospitable throughout this and every Rotary year.
The North Kansas City Rotary Club has been rejuvenated, thanks to the work of Assistant Governor Mark Bertrand and a team of dedicated volunteers in North Town. This club is taking on a service project at the Life Unlimited Liberty Trails campus, and has a youthful and energetic vibe.
The Rotary Club of Kansas City Metro Ending Homelessness is the newest club in our district, and they are engaging in service projects to benefit unhoused people. This is a cause-based club, which utilizes Rotary’s new club flexibility model.
Last, but not least, is the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza. Worth a longer summary. This club was a bit of a challenge to get scheduled to visit as the program speaker, but after 6 months of trying, they finally agreed. The Plaza club hosts our district’s only official satellite club, for veterans, and they are doing a district grant to provide hygiene kits along with the satellite club as you read this. Their Happy Bucks program is legit, generating some $4,000 per year that gets divvied up among various committees of the club, including the justice committee and Shoes for Orphan Souls (and others). This club is very active in supporting PolioPlus, with one of their members serving at an international task force level. There are several members of the club who are supporting the district’s current Legacy Campaign to raise $1,000,000 for the Rotary Foundation’s Endowment. One member of this club recently traveled to Rwanda to work on training nurses to save lives. They have a member who chaired the past couple of silent auctions for the District’s Rotary Foundation Dinner. Our immediate Past District Governor hails from there. Another member of the club serves as a representative for the Inter-Country Committee for Rotary International between Israel and the USA. Not to mention our immediate past Rotary Zones 30/31 Director. You get the idea, this club has a lot of great things going on, plus their meetings are fun and livelier than you might imagine! Check out this club if you can, 7:15 a.m. on Fridays at the Classic Cup.
See you in Kirksville, 5/30 and 31!
Erik McGuire
District 6040 Governor 2024-2025
Rotary Club of St. Joseph East
KSHB 41 did a story recently on a project from the KCI Rotary Club. The KCI Rotary Club, with support from Platte County Parks and Recreation, is building a new monarch butterfly garden designed to give our smallest pollinators a fighting chance. The new one-acre garden will be located inside Michael Gunn Park at Platte Meadows, located off Northwest 52nd Street.
Bring your family to Kauffman Stadium on June 15 as the Royals take on the Athletics. Enjoy ballpark favorites, teach Dad how to snag his first foul ball, and celebrate Father’s Day weekend by giving back. Every cheer helps support 100 years of free summer camp for disabled and disadvantaged youth.
This year, our shoes will be going to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.
Our District 6040 Governor, Erik McGuire from the Rotary Club of St. Joseph East, has been encouraging your Shoes efforts during his Club visits, and I appreciate his support for our 24th year this year.
I know I can count on each of your Rotary Clubs to participate at meaningful levels again this year. Promotional materials have been sent via email by our partners in Dallas at Buckner International to your club President. If any club wants these materials mailed to them, please provide the mailing address for the Rotarian you’d like to receive this helpful information.
The Platte County Citizen published a great story on the Platte County High School and the West Platte School District Interact Clubs back in January. Rotary Interact Clubs are gaining popularity around the world, while promoting, and focusing on community service and community interaction.
The Maryville Rotary Club is proud to offer the Second Annual Bloomin' Peony Tour of world renowned Missouri peony hybridizer and grower Hollingsworth Peonies, one of the largest peony farms in North America, located in the heart of Nodaway County, Missouri.
Hollingsworth Peonies is a duly registered peony grower and hybridizer in the State of Missouri. They grow and sell a wide assortment of bare root herbaceous peonies (bush peonies) such as Lactiflora group peonies (Chinese type peonies), hybrid peonies, and Itoh hybrids (intersectional hybrids) as well as species such as Fernleaf peonies and Paeonia species selections.
District 6040 is completed three district grants as part of Rotary’s priority of peace and conflict resolution. The anti-bulling program Step Up (for girls) is a program for nine-year-old girls (and there is a companion program for boys). Congratulations to Kirksville, Chillicothe and St. Joseph clubs for investing in our kids.
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Step Up to the Plate for the Rotary Youth Camp! 
Enjoy ballpark favorites, teach Dad how to snag his first foul ball, and celebrate Father’s Day weekend by giving back. 
Every cheer helps support 100 years of free summer camp for disabled and disadvantaged youth.
