District Address: Telephone: Email:
PO Box 445 641-330-3118 des@district5970.org
New Hampton, IA 50659
Register here!
Hotel information:
TERMS: Super 8, 839 S. Oak, Hwy 65, Iowa Falls Arrival 5/1/26, 2 nights, 10 rooms, $100 + tax per night, 2 double beds, non-smoking includes free light breakfast, WiFi, mini-fridge. To reserve a room: call 641-648-4618, ask for Rotary Club District Conference reserved rooms (10 are reserved). Must be booked not later than April 1 under this block. After you have called and booked and if you need to cancel, you must call the hotel not later than 24 hours prior or your credit card will be billed.
TERMS: AmericInn, 810 S. Oak, Iowa Falls. Arrival 5/1/26, 2 nights, 10 rooms. (5) 1 king bed: $125 + tax; (5) 2 queen beds $130 + tax, non-smoking includes free hot breakfast, microwave, coffee maker, WiFi, mini-fridge. To reserve a room: call 641-648-4600, ask for Rotary Club District Conference reserved rooms (total 10 are reserved). Must be booked not later than April 1 under this block. After you have called and booked and if you need to cancel, you must call the hotel not later than 24 hours prior or your credit card will be billed. Check in 3pm.
January, 2026 Foundation First Newsletter
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Michelle Bell, District Foundation Chair 
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A New Polio Banner is available for Club Events! See it here. Contact foundationchair@district5970.com to borrow it
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Seeking District Governor Candidates
Are you or a fellow Rotarian looking to grow in District 5970 and Rotary International? We’ve begun the search for the 2028-2029 Rotary Year District Governor. As District Governor, you’ll be charged with leading the district, serving as an officer of RI and most importantly inspiring our clubs to reach new heights . Get the complete position description.
To apply, you must meet the following qualifications include:
Be a current member in good standing
Completed 7 years of Rotary membership prior to taking office
Served a term as President of a Rotary Club,
Possess good leadership skills
Have strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with others
Able to speak in public
Desire to promote the good work of Rotary on a local and international level
If you’re ready to take on this Rotary leadership role please complete this Application. It requires your secretary's certification. Please send the completed form by April 6, 2025 to District Executive Secretary Suellen Kolbet at des@district5970.org
David Jenson of the Algna Rotary Club has been selected as the District Governor for the 2027-2028 Rotary year. Congratulations David!
Francesco Arezzo
President 2025-2026
February 2026
At last month’s International Assembly, President-elect Olayinka “Yinka” Hakeem Babalola called on members of the Rotary world to live out our presidential message for the 2026-27 Rotary year: Create Lasting Impact.
This February, as we observe Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month, we have an opportunity to channel Yinka’s call to action into real change.
Peace is not simply the absence of war. A life free from conflict but marked by hunger, instability, or the inability to care for one’s family is not true peace. Peace requires liberty, opportunity, and respect for human dignity. Yet fear often blocks that path — fear of change, of cultural loss, of people we don’t understand.
Fear isn’t defeated through avoidance or aggression. Knowledge is the first step toward peace. Rotary embraces this idea. Our Rotary Peace Centers and their peace fellows, along with other peace education initiatives, demonstrate how knowledge builds trust and helps communities find solutions to conflict.
In Colombia, decades of conflict have left deep wounds. The 2025 Rotary Foundation Programs of Scale awardee, Pathways to Peace and Prosperity, partners with the United Nations World Food Programme to expand opportunity, improve conflict resolution, and connect people with social services. Its goal is to break cycles of violence, poverty, and food insecurity so peace can take root.
In Maharashtra, India, People of Action honoree Swati Herkal built peace through prosperity. Her project confronted farmers’ declining soil health, rising debt, and illness caused by chemical fertilizers. She and her Rotary partners launched a regenerative agriculture program that revitalized the land, lowered costs, and restored stability. More than 1,100 farmers now participate and over 50 villages have adopted the model.
Rotary also advances peace by restoring dignity. In Chad, Rotary Peace Fellow Domino Frank discovered that more than 1,500 women who fought in a rebellion had been erased from reintegration programs. His advocacy led to Chad’s first Rotary Foundation global grant and the creation of Corridors of Peace. More than 100 women — triple the goal — completed literacy and vocational training and formed a cooperative to support their families.
From Colombia to India to Chad, the lesson is clear: Peace is not a dream. It is the result of sustained action with a focus on true, lasting impact. To replicate these successes, Rotary clubs can take three steps: Learn from peace fellows and other peace experts in our organization, apply a peacebuilding lens to community assessments, and prioritize impact over ceremony.
In a world filled with fear, Rotary cannot be satisfied with half-measures and empty words. If we are truly people of action, then action must define us. Together, we can Create Lasting Impact — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
At the Cedar Rapids West Rotary meeting on April 17, 2024, Peter Teahen of the Cedar Rapids West Rotary Club was awarded the prestigious "Service Above Self" award. He is pictured here with John Ockenfels, District Governor Carole Bernhard, and Past District Governor Jill Olsen.
2024-25: The Magic of Rotary
RI President-elect Stephanie Urchick celebrates the magic of Rotary. She says members create that magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary.
