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Our Rotary Foundation
The Ides of June ... 2026!

If, by chance, you studied the ancient language of Latin or perhaps Roman history somewhere in your past, the phrase, “The ides of March” will be familiar to you. In 44 BCE (Before the Common Era) Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15 and the term, “Beware of the Ides of March” was born, signifying a potentially bad omen. However, the 15th of any given month can also simply signify the middle of the month and provide us with a chance to look back over the first half of the month and then look forward to what is yet to come. The Ides of June 2026 provides we as Rotarians with a very special moment to do just that. This year, the Ides of June signified the end of our International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan. The convention was full of presentations delivered by the very top of our organization that looked back over our Rotary year with all its accomplishments, while they also focused on the goals of the next Rotary year and where we are going.

I had the opportunity to attend this year’s Rotary Convention in Taipei, having just returned. It was my first visit to this stunningly beautiful country. An experience I will never forget and one that will be hard to match in the future. Imagine spending a week with more than 37,000 of your closest Rotary friends. The picture with this article is one of my favorite photos from the convention as I share this photo with my dear friend, outgoing District 6900 District Governor Steve Ivory, a facsimile of the World Polio Chair Mike McGovern and of course the “End Polio Now” Bear. I have so many photos from the adventure I wish I could share with you all, however what I want to focus on in this month’s opening year article is a speech that was delivered by our Rotary Foundation Chair Holger Knaack at “Rotary26."

Chairman Knaack began by reminding us that when Arch Klumph created the Foundation in 1917, he did so for mainly one rudimentary and fundamental reason. He understood that Rotary Clubs could accomplish so much more working in concert together than they could ever accomplish by themselves. As he stated, “that idea is still the engine of everything our Foundation does.” The point of his speech that day was to share with us why he believes that idea matters even more today! He made the point that the Rotary Foundation, “does not exist in some tower in Evanston.” But rather, it exists within our districts, our clubs and in the very hands and if I may personally add, in the very heart of every Rotarian. He wanted us to be sure to know that the decisions of where our Foundation dollars are ultimately invested lay with us and us alone. The decisions are made by the districts, the clubs and donors themselves and not some bureaucrats in an ivory tower. Those dollars are funneled through district grants and global grants and land in every one of our areas of focus. He went on to point out that where the professional staff of the Foundation come not play is to ensure the grants are tracked and managed properly, that they are executed efficiently and that they have the greatest impact they can have, but it is YOU the Rotarian foot soldiers who bring all the ideas to the table, manage the relationships and see to it that every dollar is put to the best use possible to raise up the people we service.

Chairman Knaack reminded us that when we think of our Grants for the coming year, we need to keep in mind all the areas of work our grants cover, including maternal and child healthcare, education, prevention of disease, advancement of clean water and sanitation initiative, the betterment of economic development help for protecting the environment. He went on to say that all of these grants are shaped by Rotarians who know their communities better than anyone else and thus will ensure the greatest impact. It was exhilarating to hear him speak. It made me sit up and truly be proud to be a Rotarian and to think about how I get to play such an important role with each of you as we together bring these grants across the finish line. How humbled I am to play any role in it.

To add to all of this, how satisfying it is to know that we not only do all these things but that others notice it as well. Did you know that for 17 consecutive years our “world class” charitable foundation carries a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

We now sit at the beginning of a new Rotary year. This year is my last year of the three-year appointment as District 6900’s Foundation Chair. Let’s make this year the best Rotary year every for those we serve in the good name of The Rotary Foundation!

If I can personally assist you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via cell or email. I’m here to help and together we will….Unite for good!

Posted by Bob Hagan
June 26, 2026

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