D-2483 DG's Newsletter March-April 2017

DG Velibor ZOLAK GOVERNOR'S NEWSLETTER No. 9 - March/April 2017 ICCs - Inter-Country Committees of Districts 1912 and 2483 DAYS OF SLOVENIAN-SERBIAN FRIENDSHIP With the support of District 1912 Slovenia and Macedonia, and District 2483 Montenegro and Serbia, THE DAYS OF SLOVENIAN-SERBIAN FRIENDSHIP were organized between 21 and 23 April 2017 by RC Beograd- Dunav and RC Idrija. The event was held under the aegis of the deputy prime ministers of the Republics of Serbia and Slovenia, Mr Ivica Dačić and Mr Karl Erjavec. On the first day of the event, the conference “Electric Vehicles – the Future of Transport” was held at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade. In addition to the lectures to a fully-packed amphitheatre of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, a presentation of several electric vehicles and chargers was held. On the second day, the Rotary clubs of Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Macedonia participated in the 30th Belgrade Marathon and used this opportunity to help the Sports Association of People with Disabilities of Belgrade and the Regional Centre for People with Disabilities “Iskra” from Kragujevac. On the third day of this extraordinary event, the Brass Band of the Idrija Miners performed at the full concert hall at Kolarac. This year, the Band will celebrate its 352nd anniversary, which makes it the oldest brass band in Slovenia and one of the oldest in Europe and the rest of the world.  

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Friendship Exchange: a visit to Slovenia - 6 - 9 April 2017 Page3 PREMIUM WINES OF SERBIA AND SLOVENIA The second phase of the Friendship Exchange project PREMIUM WINES OF SERBIA AND SLOVENIA was imple- mented between 6 and 9 April 2017 with a visit to the Posavje wine region – including the regions of Dolenjska, Bizeljsko-Sremič and Bela Krajina, made by 15 guests from Serbia and Montenegro. In a great atmosphere, the guests visited the wine cellar Metlika, Cvičkov hram, The Biotechnical and tourism centre ‘GRM’ Novo Mesto, the wine cellar Klet Krško, Penine Istenič, the Pleterje Monastery, the town of Sevnica, where they met with the Mayor of Sevnica, Mr Srečko Ocvirk, as well as the Town Winery and the Dolinšek Guesthouse. The delegation of D2483 was comprised of DG Velibor Zolak, PDG Dejan Čikara, DGN Vladimir Matić, Petar Pavasović, the Wines of Serbia project coordinator, B. Djurković, RC BG Singidunum, M. Rajković, a winemaker, RC BG Singidunum, G. Djurdjević, RC Kruševac, B. Jović, a winemaker, Z. Bulatović, RC Novi Sad, M. Perić, RC S. Mitrovica, V. Penić, RC S. Mitrovica, J. Agatunović, RC BG Dunav, F. Presetnik, RC Pančevo and V. Santrač, RC Pančevo. A return visit of the Slovenian Delegation to Serbia and District 2483, to be led by DG Jože Zadravec, has been scheduled for the beginning of June, between 1 and 4 June 2017, when they will go to the wine regions of Zaječar, Niš and Kruševac. A plan for the next Rotary year is to include Montenegro in this project.

 Page4   Election of representatives to the Council on Resolutions and the Council on Legislation (COL) 2017-2020 17 MAY 2017 – NOMINATION DEADLINE An election procedure for a representative and deputy representative of District 2483 to the Council on Resolutions and the Council on Legislation (COL) for a period 2017-2020 started in mid-April. In compliance with a decision of the District Conference, the election is carried out through the Nomination Committee, and the candidate is expected, inter alia, to have served the entire term of office as a district governor at the time of elections, and to be able to attend the whole meeting of the Council on Legislation. Members of the Nomination Committee are not eligible candidates. The Governors who have not met the RI requirements related to the financial reports and whose financial reports have not been adopted are not eligible candidates for a representative or deputy representative to the aforementioned council or for any duty at RI. In addition to the possibility to nominate representatives to the Council on Resolu- tions and the Council on Legislation, the clubs can only submit resolutions related to the norms regulating internal relations within RI. Potential proposal for a resolu- tion related to the RI regulations will be discussed at the District Conference and either approved or dismissed. The adop- ted proposal is forwarded to the Council on Resolutions. The election of representatives to the Council on Resolutions and the Council on Legislation is regulated by Article 9 and Article 14.020. of the RI Bylaws. PDG Vesna Baltezarević was a COL member in the previous term.   Jubilee of the oldest club - 7 May 2017 25 YEARS OF RC BEOGRAD! On 7 May, the oldest club in the District 2483, Rotary Club Beograd, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the renewal of the club’s operation and the 25th anniversary of Rotary in Serbia. A formal event will be organized at the Assembly of the City of Belgrade at the Old Palace at 4 pm, while a formal dinner reception and central celebration will take place on the same evening at the hotel Hyatt Regency at 7:30 pm. Attendance fee for the formal dinner is €35. The registration for this event can be made on the club’s website www. rotarybeograd.org or by e-mail at: [email protected]. For further information, please call 011 42 52 503. 

Belgrade, 28 May 2017 Page5 ROTARY TRAINING DAY The Rotary Training Day will be held at the hotel “M” in Belgrade on 28 May, including: District Assembly for the presidents elect, the seminars: Rotary Foundation, Grant Management, District Membership, and the Club membership Chair seminar. Both assembly and seminars are mandatory for relevant club officials. The Rotary Training Day will be attended by the Assistant Public Image Coord- inator of the Zone, PDG Aris Zachos from Greece.    District 2483 Conference, Budva 24 and 25 June 2017 BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION AND FLIGHT! The District 2483 Conference will be organized at the elite Mon- tenegrin hotel Splendid Con- ference & Spa Resort 5*. The Conference will start at 9.30 am (24 June), and end on Sunday (25 June) at 1 pm. On Friday evening, 23 June, the club hosting the event – Rotary Club Budva – will organize a celebration of its 15th anniver- sary. The travel agency Cipa Travel – [email protected], www.cipa- booking.com, +382 69 45 67 72 is in charge of accommodation for the participants in the Conference. Please note that the participants can get the best accommodation rates through this agency, as defined with the first invitation to the Conference of 30 March 2017. The accommodation is provided in the neighbouring hotels Tara 4* (€102 per room), Nadežda (€85 per room), Magnolija (€54 per room), and nearby private suites “Sofija” and “Kuči” (€38 per room). Since the hotel Splendid is fully booked, we expect to have only several rooms at the hotel Splendid, at the rate of €225 for single and €300 for double rooms. As Montenegro expects to see a large number of tourists this summer, everybody planning to participate in the Conference should immediately book their accommodation and flight. There are almost no available seats for the flights on 23, 24, 25 and 26 June, and according to the current booking trends, there will be no hotel accommodation available by mid-May. After that, the prices of the remaining beds will considerably increase.  

Humanitarian actions of RC Veliko Gradište \"FROM HEART TO HEART\" and \"HAPPY MOTHER – HAPPY BABY\" In cooperation with the municipalities of Veliko Gradište and Golubac, the Rotary Club “Veliko Gradište” has launched a humanitarian action for procurement of an ECG machine for the Primary Health Centre Golubac, and a cardiotocograph for the Primary Health Centre Veliko Gradište, worth €4,300 in total. The actions are carried out under the slogan “From Heart to Heart” (for the ECG machine) and “Happy Mother – Happy Baby” (for the cardiotocograph). Our District will financially support this action, because it contributes considerably to the Rotary’s establishment in small communities and the development of its public image. We invite all clubs, especially those from the large cities, to give their contribution to this action of a small club from a small town. The donations can be paid to the account 160-389860-25 of the Rotary Club Veliko Gradište. For further information on these actions, please contact the President of the Club Goran Kostić at 064 32 72 789. Every dinar counts!  Belgrade: Two clubs from different locations at the same meeting TRADITIONAL AND ONLINE MEETING – AT THE SAME TIME! On Wednesday 26 April 2017, the Rotary clubs in our District held the first hybrid meeting - online and in person. The Rotary E-klub of District 2483 and Rotary Club Beograd Metropolitan connected via the Internet the Rotarians from different places for a joint meeting. The guest speaker at this unique meeting was Olivera-Lola Stanić, the Director of the Medical System Belgrade (MSB). Page6

The meeting was attended by 12 Rotary clubs, around 40 of whom were present in person at the hotel Page7 Hyatt Regency in Belgrade, while around 30 participants from different parts of our District, as well as from Sweden and Germany, used a meeting platform of E-klub. Such a hybrid meeting (online and in person) pushes the envelope of interaction among the Rotarians, and makes the activities of our District available to many people living abroad. The use of new technologies is a great challenge for the Rotary on the global level as well, and our District is on the right track to find a good model.   Handover of presidential duties in Montenegro A JOINT CEREMONY IN PODGORICA On Saturday 17 June 2017, Mon- tenegrin Rotary and Rotaract clubs will traditionally organize a joint handover of presidential duties and comme- morate the beginning of a new Rotary year. Because of the District Conference and the Governor Handover, the event will be held earlier than usual this year. The event, to be held at the newly opened hotel Hilton, will be hosted by RC Podgorica. The attendance fee is €30 for the dinner and €20 for the Rotaract. Registrations can be made by e-mail at: [email protected]. 

 Page8      Sarajevo and Banja Luka – new Rotary clubs at District 1910 SARAJEVO ILIDŽA AND BANJA LUKA AEQUALITAS The Rotary movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina (District 1910 Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina) is richer by two Rotary and one Rotaract club. A charter ceremony was held on 8 April in Sarajevo at the hotel “Hills” in Ilidža, for the third club in this city – Rotary Club Sarajevo Ilidža. On 22 April, a charter ceremony was also held at the hotel “Bosna” in Banja Luka for the third club in the city – Rotary Club Banja Luka Aequalitas, and for the Rotaract club Banja Luka Glorija. In both cities, the charter ceremonies were attended by DG Paul F. Jankowitsch, PDG Gerhard Hellmann and DGE Arno W. Kronhofer. The Rotarians of Sarajevo and Banja Luka especially welcomed the first man of District 2483 Montenegro and Serbia, the District Governor.       

 Page9 How will you be remembered? FINALE! A letter to clubs’ Presidents and members of the Boards of Directors Here we are in the last quarter, a finale of our leadership term! Less than three months are left. I believe that all of us, or at least a majority of us who took this role seriously are rather tired and that we have sometimes even thought “How much longer until 1 July”?! We did not realize how difficult and responsible it was to run a club of leaders in their professions! However, believe me when I say that this finale is the most important part of our term of office! It depends on it how we will be treated, it depends on it how we will be spoken about, it depends on it how we will go down in the history of our club and District – as a strong and successful president, and the management board that strengthened the activities when nobody counted on it – in the finale of our term as leaders! Or as insufficiently decisive, and lukewarm management board, and as actually not successful leaders who will be forgotten soon, or who will in our absence provoke the comments such as “good riddance”. The choice is yours! It depends on you alone how you will be appreciated. If you have failed to achieve the defined goals, it is not late even now, two and a half months before the end of your term of office, to set the club in motion, to move forward and be the board of directors in the fullest sense of the word! Everybody will appreciate you by how many goals you have achieved. At a District Conference on 24 and 25 June 2017 at the Bečići beach in Budva, we will review the performance – and publically report to District what we have done, in detail, club by club. Firstly – to what degree we have achieved the goals we defined – (1) how much we have increased the number of club members since the beginning of our term of office, and (2) how much we have paid to the Foundation.

Let me remind you that we have all agreed that each club should have at least one member more at the end Page10 than at the beginning of the year, that the smallest clubs (10 and fewer members) should reach at least 15 members, those between 10 and 15 members should reach or get seriously close to the initial number of 20 members and that each club should transfer to the Foundation $536, plus $26.50 from each member. Secondly – what we have done in other fields: community service, work with young generations and in the domain of public image. Therefore, the results of your and our work will be brought to light on 24 and 25 June – and finally on 1 July 2017! I would like to invite the Presidents and Boards of Directors that have not done so (the presidents I am referring to know, as they personally received my letter): admit new members, strengthen your club and pay $500 to the Foundation, plus $26.5 per member! This is an achievable goal and the matter of your will, enthusiasm and special energy that should be invested by the end of June this year. Some of you have really improved your clubs. Congratulations! You have taken excellent steps, increased the number of members, set a new pace, created good mood and nice atmosphere, paid more than planned to the Foundation, developed new and creative community service projects, improved the image through good actions, and boosted the authority of your club. We will congratulate them in public, by name, and award them recognitions at the District Conference, the major event in the District. The other presidents have also carried out nice and successful actions, created positive atmosphere, but failed to strengthen their clubs and increase the number of members. They have not made their transfers to the Foundation, and the Rotary International evaluates us primarily on the basis of these two criteria! The third ones have done very little, almost nothing. To all who have not improved their clubs, who have the same number or fewer members than at the beginning, who have not carried out a single major action or made a transfer to the Foundation, I say: IT IS NOT TOO LATE. It is not too late to immediately convene a meeting of the Management Board and include in the agenda the order of business that could read as follows: “Let’s make this Rotary year better than it now seems it will be”! In order to realistically see where you stand in terms of achievement of goals and the club - as a team - make an agreement to pick up the pace. Same as with sports – a match is played until the last minute and the strongest one in the finish is the winner! You can do it – if you want! Therefore, a message to the President and the Management Board is: “step on the gas” and do not allow the club you are leading, your team, to end up ‘at the bottom of the table’. Seventy days is a lot of time, a lot of things can be done in this period! This is your chance that will not come around again. I look forward to your response and reaction! The least I expect from you is to read this letter at the next meeting of the Management Board. Yours in Rotary, District Governor (The letter was sent to all clubs in the first half of April)