Passing the Reins - Year-End Awards/DG Installation - June 27!
RYLA - June 25 - 28!
Parras Wheelchair Trip a Huge Success!
Used Fire Fighting Gear Needed!
Foundation Grant Update - 100% in Compliance and a Correction!
Upcoming District Events
Upcoming Club Events
DG'S MESSAGE
There's still one month to go!
Don't stop playing! You can still reach your goals!
Did you know that Rotary International makes decisions based in part on our year-end membership numbers? The more members we have, the more say-so we have in those decisions!
Rotary Strong is our District-Wide initiative to help you finish this year and start next year as strong as possible with a three-step process:
CONNECT with and RETAIN your current members!
RE-CONNECT - Bring former Rotarians back into the conversation
GROW - Continue to ATTRACT and bring in New Members!
So, please don't wait until July to bring new members on board! Let's bring on as many as we can this month!
Also - please don't just write off members who have not been active - give them a call and tell them how important their membership is!
Let's finish this year and start next year ROTARY STRONG!
Membership Update
Please make sure your membership numbers are up-to-date in ClubRunner or DACdb!
15% growth has been our target all year long! And many of our clubs have already reached or surpassed 15% growth this year! Here are the clubs that are leading the way in membership:
Top Eleven Clubs in % Growth
Kennedale - 59% (!)
Mineral Wells - 38%
Red River - 37%
Southlake - 27%
380 Rotary Club - 22%
Breckenridge - 21%
Denton Evening - 17%
Highland Village - 15%
Colleyville - 15%
Fort Worth South - 12%
Burleson Area Mid-Day - 12%
Top Eleven Clubs in # Growth
Fort Worth Downtown - 20 (!)
Mineral Wells - 13
Red River - 10
Kennedale - 10
Arlington - 7
Arlington Sunrise - 7
Colleyville - 6
Decatur - 6
Highland Village - 6
Lewisville - 6
Southlake - 6
34 of our clubs have shown a net increase in membership this year!
KEEP THAT FOCUS! IF THESE CLUBS CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW BIRDVILLE ROTARY CLUB!
Birdville (Serving North Richland Hills, Richland Watauga, and Haltom City) submitted their charter in May with 32 Charter Members!
Congratulations to President Greg Gideon and President-Elect Sean McGaughey for leading the effort to form this new club!
ON-GOING NEW CLUB EFFORTS
North Central Texas Salute to Veterans
President-Elect Kevin Sellers is leading the effort to establish a new stand-alone club focused on supporting veterans.
Our goal is to bring in new Rotarians. Reach out to Kevin Sellers at 405-503-6450, or kevins@excelmedstaff.com
The Colony (NEW Club Opportunity)
We are in the initial stages of forming a club in The Colony. If you know of people in this area who would be potential Rotarians, please contact DGE Angie Cox - angiecoxrotary5790@gmail.com.
Denton-Lake Cities (forming a Companion club)
Denton-Lake Cities has updated their Strategic Plan to include starting a companion club!
If you have ideas about expanding your club or launching a new or companion club, contact incoming District Membership Chair Lisa Dyer Lisa.Dyer.Rotary@gmail.com and the District Membership Success Team. They are ready to partner with you to GROW ROTARY!
Yee-haw!
Our Year-End Awards and DG Installation event, "Passing the Reins", will be Saturday, June 27 from 5pm - 9 pm at Austin Ranch in Grapevine, Texas. Come join the fun as DG Jon Bullock hangs up his spurs, and DGE Angie Cox steps in as the new trail boss!
THIS IS NOT A FORMAL EVENT! Boots and jeans are right in style for this shindig! If you don't have boots and jeans, just dress comfortably!
DON'T BE LATE! Doors open at 5:00 pm with socializing, games, miniature cows(!) and a custom cowboy hat station! Rumor has it a celebrity from Nashville might event show up! We'll have a BBQ buffet, line-dancing* and lots of fun!
Tickets are $100, or $1000 for a table of ten!
Buy your tickets NOW! DON'T WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE! Register here: Passing the Reins 2026
Also, we have a group rate of $159 at the DFW Hilton Lakes. This is a great rate, especially considering FIFA is in town! Book your room here: District 5790 DFW Lakes Hilton
As of June 5 we have sold 245 tickets! Don't be left out! Come join the fun! This will be a hoot! See you there!
* If you want to practice, rumor has it "Copperhead Road" will be the featured dance! Dust off those boots!
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RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is a dynamic Leadership Experience for rising high school juniors and seniors in District 5790. It will be held Thursday, June 26 - Sunday, June 28, 2026 at Texas Woman's University. Applications are now being accepted. This is a great opportunity to present a one-of-a-kind leadership opportunity to the outstanding youth in your community.
For more information and to obtain an application, please see Upcoming District Events below.
Parras Wheelchair Trip a Huge Success!One of or our main goals this year was to put together a significant wheelchair project. That project took place in Parras, Mexico on April 23 - 26. The project included the delivery of 99 wheelchairs to the people of Parras; delivery of an ATV to the Parras Fire Department; and the outfitting of a Sensory Room for autistic children. This trip was life-changing - not only for the recipients of the equipment, but especially for the Rotarians who made the trip!
The Parras Rotarians were amazing hosts! They picked us up at the airport, transported us to the hotel, (owned by a Rotarian) and accompanied us at every stage of the trip.
This was truly as district-wide effort. Eleven Rotarians from 7 different clubs made the trip to Parras, and 19 clubs contributed a total of $38,825 toward this important effort!
We hope to make our wheelchair effort an annual event. DGE Angie Cox has already announced next year's trip, which will be to Costa Rica. Stay tuned for more information.
Used Fire Fighting Equipment Needed for Mexico!
Speaking of Parras - There is an on-going need in Parras, Mexico and the surrounding community for Personal Protective Equipment for firefighters, also known as "bunker gear" (boots, pants, coats, helmets and possibly breathing apparatus). We have a unique opportunity to provide and deliver bunker gear to Parras, and we are asking for your help. (Note - this is the same community we will be delivering wheelchairs to. They are a sister city to Grapevine.)
Carter Blood Care has generously donated a refurbished Blood Donation bus to be sent to Parras, Mexico. The bus will be presented to the Parras Rotarians at Grapevine Main Street Days, May 15 - 17, after which the Parras Rotarians will drive the bus to Mexico.
We would like to fill the bus with donated bunker gear. In the US, Fire Departments routinely replace existing bunker gear with new, updated gear on a regular basis. In many cases, the old gear is still usable. The Parras firefighters would love to have this used gear. We are asking that you contact your city council and local fire departments to see if any used gear is available.
Grapevine Rotarian Nick Pazarentzos (E-mail: nickpaz75@gmail.com; C: 512-517-6392) is very familiar with this type of gear, and has volunteered to be our point person in collecting the donated bunker gear. If you are aware of any available gear, please contact Nick to arrange for collection.
This gear will make a tremendous difference to the people of Parras. Thank you!
"9 for 9" Baseball Game in Support of the Rotary Foundation!
Starting 1 May 2026, donors who make a new outright gift of $9,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation will be eligible to purchase a ticket to join Trustee Stephanie Urchick on 16 September 2026 to cheer on the Texas Rangers in a suite at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, as they take on the Boston Red Sox. $9,000 for 9 innings of Major League Baseball – the “9 for 9” Baseball Game – will result in at least $360,000 in new gifts to The Rotary Foundation! Gifts can be in support of any Rotary Foundation program, grant, or Area of Focus.
Only 40 tickets are available for the “9 for 9” baseball game. Tickets cost $275 each, which donors will purchase separately from their $9,000 gift to The Rotary Foundation. Ticket purchases are not eligible for a tax receipt. Tickets include a group tour of Globe Life Field before watching the game from a catered party suite. Each donor is limited to purchasing up to 4 tickets, provided that the donor has contributed at least $9,000 per ticket to The Rotary Foundation since 1 May 2026 but before 1 September 2026. Attendees are responsible for all other expenses, such as accommodation, transportation, and parking.
Tickets will run out fast, so interested Donors are encouraged to register soon. Contact Harvey Newcomb, senior principal gifts officer, at harvey.newcomb@rotary.org or +1-312-504-6151.
The Rotary Foundation thanks Karyn Brooks, Rotary Club of Marco Island, Florida, for helping make this special event possible
