Dear Members and Friends of RLI:

This is the last issue of our eBulletins for 2010. It has been an exciting and productive year for our leadership development program for Rotary CLUBS. We thank our members for their outstanding support and participation in our mission to strengthen Rotary Clubs through quality leadership education and look forward to a new year of continued success. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." —Louis D. Brandeis, former Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

Question: How long a term should a Division Chair serve?

The International RLI recommends that a Division Chair serve a term of at least three years. Unlike some other Rotary positions, continuity is critical to the success of an RLI Division. Intl. RLI does not recommend a limit on a renewal of a term, but that is up to the Division leaders to determine through their adoption of a set of bylaws. A new division may retain a Chair for a longer period of time, because of the time it takes to establish the division, include further districts in the division territory and develop future leadership. Bylaws should be adopted by an Executive Committee (or similar body) consisting of member district chairs appointed by the relevant district governor and the officers of the Division. As a multi-district project, the governors appoint the district chairs or vote themselves for division officers.

(Note that the RLI Intl. Legal Committee is expected to recommend forms of bylaws).

The RLI Curriculum Committee will hold its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida USA on January 28-30, 2011. The Committee will begin work on the triennial revision to the Recommended Curriculum for use during 2012-13 and continue drafting optional graduate seminar programs. It will also review the Future Vision supplements that are already posted on the materials website. Hosting the meeting is the RLI Sunshine Division under the leadership of Division Chair, Gary Israel, PDG. Assisting in the organization of the meeting is immediate past Chair, Tim Schuler, PDG. The meeting is open to representatives of all divisions. For last minute registrations, see the flyer on the RLI Intl. web site.

The Annual Convention Breakfast is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 7:15 a.m.at The Foundry near the Convention Center. Always a festive event, the Montreal RLI Breakfast drew 300 Rotarians and guests (the room capacity) and another 50 had to be turned away. The Foundry will enable RLI to accommodate a much larger attendance.

RLI members and friends may register online at www.rotaryleadershipinstitute.org by credit card, check, PayPal, etc. See the home page of the website. Language tables may be arranged on request to RLI Executive Director, PDG Michael Rabasca, m.rabasca@comcast.net.

The principal speaker will be Past Rotary International President and twice Chairman of the Rotary Foundation Luis Vicente Giay of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Note: More and more RLI leaders are arranging, with the consent and support of Conveners, breakfasts and other sessions at Rotary Institutes for RLI members and friends. Among them this fall/spring were breakfasts at Perth, Australia and Tauranga, New Zealand. Here is the report of RLI Regional Vice-Chair, PDG Cathy Roth on the Australia RLI Breakfast. The report of New Zealand and Pacific Islands Division Chair, PDG Beryl Robinson will appear in the January issue.

"With excellent organisation by PDG John Wigley (D9800 RLI Chairman), a capacity seventy-three attendees, attended the Zone 8 Institute annual RLI Breakfast at Sirrocco's Restaurant, Holiday Inn, in Perth, Western Australia.

Foundation Trustee PRIP DK Lee, accompanied by Young, honoured us with their attendance, and PRIP DK spoke to those present of the significant benefits of RLI that had already been seen, whilst encouraging all to give it serious consideration as a tool for retention.

Keynote speaker PRID Ken Collins, accompanied by Di, gave an outstanding presentation on grassroots Leadership in Rotary and its impact on our organisation's future. The acclamation reflected how appropriate and successful PRIP Ken was in his insights and wisdom.

Finally, PDG Ann White, a past RI Training Leader, and D 9800 RLI Training Co-ordinator, spoke about the experiences she has had in running the sessions and of the advantages that facilitated discussion brings.

The breakfast was the appropriate venue for the announcement of some exciting news by the ANZO region RLI Vice-Chair PDG Cathy Roth. After significant negotiations with the Gordon Institute of Tertiary and Further Education, effective from late 2011, RLI participants will be entitled to enrol in and gain credits towards an Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management - a nationally recognised qualification in Australia and, since the Gordon Institute is recognised as an international training provider, the course will be open to the whole ANZO region (and ultimately beyond).

Thanks go to RID Stuart Heal and Institute Chairman PDG John Iriks for enabling us to again include the RLI breakfast within the Institute activities."

Copenhagen, Denmark will be the site of the Faculty Orientation Program for the Denmark 1470 Division on 11-12 February. Participating in the sessions will be International RLI Vice-Chair, Knut Johnsen, PDG and RLI International Secretary, Ward Vuillemot, PDG. The Chair and organizer of the sessions is PDG Nils Jensen who gave a presentation on RLI at the Zones 15 &16 Rotary Institute at Alborg, Denmark in October. Other Scandinavian districts are expected to attend the Orientation.

The new Southern Africa Division will kick-off its program with a Faculty Orientation Session in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 12-13. Conducting the sessions will be International RLI Vice-Chair, Dr. Tamton Mustapha. The host district is District 9400 under the leadership of Division Chair Beth Thomas, PDG and Governor Francis Callard of the 92 clubs district. During the prior weekend in Cape Town, South Africa, Vice-Chair Tam will represent RLI at the Alumni Reunions sponsored by R.I. President Ray Klinginsmith and will participate with PDG Beth at a conference of COSA (Council of Southern Africa Governors and Governors-Elect). Both will make a presentation on RLI to the assembled district officers.

“Having leadership skills does not alone assure good Rotary leadership. An effective Rotary leader must ALSO have Rotary knowledge, perspective about where Rotary has been, where it is now going and a vision of what Rotary can be.”