Peacebuilding in Rotary happens at every level, from local club projects to global collaboration. In this episode, DG Heidi Schiller and DGE Chuck Shonkwiler explore how peace work takes shape across Ohio and around the world. Tom Carlisi, RAGFP Ohio Chapter Chair and District 6690 Peace Co-Chair, shares how Peacebuilder Clubs are formed, supported, and activated, including lessons learned from Ohio’s first-in-the-world achievement of 100% Peacebuilder Clubs. Later, Tijana Ristić, Chair of the Rotary Action Group For Peace, brings a global perspective, explaining how Peace Chapters connect Rotarians across borders and why youth and young professionals are essential to Rotary’s peacebuilding future. The conversation offers practical guidance, inspiration, and a reminder that peace is built through intentional action and service.

Topics Covered:

• How Rotary clubs become Peacebuilder Clubs
• Ohio’s Peacebuilder Club model and lessons learned
• Building and sustaining effective club Peace Committees
• Examples of peace projects in clubs and districts
• The role of the Rotary Action Group for Peace and Peace Chapters worldwide
• Global peacebuilding priorities for 2025–26
• Engaging Rotaractors and young professionals in peace work

Also in this episode:

• February as Rotary’s Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month
• District updates including the Foundation Dinner on February 26
• Upcoming All-Ohio PETS and planning for District Gala on May 1

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

Rotary’s youth programs are more than events - they’re investments in future leaders. In this episode, DG Heidi Schiller and DGE Chuck Shonkwiler explore two of District 6670’s cornerstone youth initiatives. Greta Batton, Chair of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), offers a look at the energy, growth, and transformation that happens over one powerful March weekend at Camp Kern. Later in the episode, Heidi and Chuck share how the Four-Way Test Speech Contest introduces students to Rotary values through persuasive storytelling and public speaking. Whether your club is a seasoned host or looking to get involved for the first time, this episode is packed with insights, encouragement, and key deadlines.

Topics Covered:

• What makes RYLA a powerful experience for high school students
• How Rotary clubs can support and connect with local youth
• Greta’s five-word description of RYLA
• Why the Four-Way Test Speech Contest is so impactful
• Tips for clubs interested in either program

Also in this episode:

• Chuck reflects on preparation for All-Ohio PETS in March
• Heidi recaps club visits and the District Holiday Celebration
• Upcoming District events including the Foundation Dinner (Feb 26) and District Gala (May 1)

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

As a financial planner, executive coach, and longtime Rotarian, Mike Kelly brings a uniquely thoughtful lens to leadership. In this conversation with District Governor Heidi Schiller and District Governor-Elect Chuck Shonkwiler, he reflects on the experiences that shaped his Rotary path, the importance of aligning service with purpose, and what he's hearing from clubs across Zones 30 & 31. Whether you're leading a district or just joined your local club, Mike offers insights to help you lead with clarity, joy, and impact.

Topics Covered

• Mike's Rotary origin story - and how one invitation led to decades of service.
• Why he believes Rotary is uniquely positioned to develop the next generation of leaders.
• How purpose, joy, and authenticity drive Mike's Rotary and professional life.
• Reflections on membership, leadership development, and adapting for the future.
• What it means to Unite For Good in today's Rotary.

Also in this episode

🎄 Reminder about the District Holiday Celebration on December 11 in Oxford.
📅 Save-the-date for the Foundation Dinner on February 26 featuring Mike McGovern.
🎉 Get ready for the District Gala on May 1 at VOA Park, with youth and peacebuilding at the center.

Call to Action:
👉 Listen, then share this conversation with your club. Use it to start your own conversation about leadership, service, and where your Rotary journey could take you.

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

In this Foundation Month episode of Service Above Self, District Governor Heidi Schiller and District Governor-Elect Chuck Shonkwiler welcome Sam Adams, Zone 30 Rotary Foundation Coordinator, for a conversation about how the Rotary Foundation turns generosity into global impact. Sam breaks down how Foundation giving works - from Annual Fund Share to District Designated Funds - and shares how even one dollar can multiply through partnerships, transparency, and passion.

Note: Heidi’s microphone had a slight technical issue during recording, so her audio sounds a bit underwater - but the conversation is well worth the listen.

Listeners will hear insights on why members hesitate to give, how to talk meaningfully about philanthropy, and how every contribution, large or small, helps Rotary “do good in the world.” Sam also shares heartwarming stories from the field, including his experience administering PolioPlus vaccines in Mexico and the enduring joy of the Dictionary Project in Montgomery, Alabama.

🔑 Topics Covered

• Why the Rotary Foundation is central to Rotary’s mission
• How Foundation dollars multiply through local and global partnerships
• The Annual Fund, PolioPlus, and Endowment explained
• District Designated Funds (DDF) and how they return to clubs
• The impact of programs like Paul Harris Society, PolioPlus Society, and Every Rotarian Every Year
• How to approach giving conversations with empathy and passion

The episode closes with important District 6670 updates, including the Vibrant Club Workshop (Virtual) on November 13, the District Holiday Celebration on December 11 at Oxford Community Arts Center, the District Foundation Dinner on February 26, 2026 at Sycamore Creek Country Club - featuring Mike McGovern, Rotary International PolioPlus Chair - and the District Gala Celebration on May 1, 2026 honoring service, youth programs, and peacebuilding.

🌐 Resources

• Donate to the Rotary Foundation through rotary.org
• Rotary Donor Recognition
• Paul Harris fellowship Recognition
• The plus in PolioPlus
• Rotary Zones 30 & 31 – Heart of America

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

October is all about Rotary’s promise to end polio. In this episode of Service Above Self, District Governor Heidi and District Governor-Elect Chuck welcome Craig Maxey, Past District Governor of District 6690 and Zone 30 End Polio Now Coordinator.

Craig shares why polio eradication remains Rotary’s top priority, what “we’re this close” really means, and how every Rotarian can play a role through awareness, giving, and advocacy. From the PolioPlus Society to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 2-to-1 match, to stories of frontline vaccinators risking their lives, Craig reminds us that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere.

🔑 Topics Covered

• Why Rotary made a promise to eradicate polio in the mid-1980s
• Progress from 350,000 annual cases to just 28 so far in 2025
• The challenges of the “last mile” in Afghanistan and Pakistan
• The role of the PolioPlus Society and how to join
• How the Gates Foundation 2-to-1 match multiplies your gift
• Stories of resilience: frontline vaccinators and community donors
• How clubs can raise awareness and funds during October and World Polio Day

The episode closes with important District 6670 updates, including the Rotary Leadership Institute on October 18, and the return of Sing Out Polio on October 23, and Save the Date for the D6670 Gala on May 1.

🌐 Resources

Rotary End Polio Now: endpolio.org
PolioPlus Society info: myrotary.org
Rotary District 6670: rotarydistrict6670.org

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

September is Basic Education & Literacy Month in Rotary, one of our Seven Areas of Focus and the foundation for health, opportunity, and peace. In this episode of Service Above Self, District Governor Heidi Schiller and District Governor-Elect Chuck Shonkwiler welcome Nancy Leonhardt, Chair of the Basic Education & Literacy Rotary Action Group (BELRAG) and Past District Governor of District 6150.

Nancy shares her Rotary journey and the mission of BELRAG, offering practical ways clubs can strengthen literacy in their own communities and beyond. From Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to laundromat mini-libraries, global grants, and adult literacy programs, this conversation highlights resources, success stories, and the impact of education at every age.

🔑 Topics Covered

• Why literacy is foundational to all Rotary Areas of Focus
• How BELRAG supports clubs with resources and expertise
• Creative literacy projects — from laundromats to Little Free Libraries
• The importance of adult literacy and addressing stigma

The episode closes with important District 6670 updates, including the Zones 30 & 31 Institute, Rotary Leadership Institute on October 18, and the return of Sing Out Polio on October 23.

🌐 Resources
BELRAG Website: bellrag.org

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🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

From 27 to 1: hear Rotary District 6670’s unique perspectives from the Rotary International Convention in Calgary, AB, Canada! DG Heidi Schiller and DGE Chuck Shonkwiler host a lively conversation with two very different guests: Past District Governor Eric Marcus from the Springboro club, who has attended 27 conventions, and Assistant Governor Nikki Larson from the Fairborn club, who experienced her very first.

🎧 Timestamps:
✅ [00:02:07] Eric Marcus joins us in-studio to share decades of convention wisdom, favorite moments from Calgary, and advice for anyone considering attending a Rotary International Convention.
✅ [00:17:55] Nikki Larson joins by phone to reflect on her first convention and tell us what excited her most.
(Note: You may notice a few brief audio drop‑outs during Nikki’s phone interview. Thanks for your patience—the conversation is worth it!)

Whether you’ve been to dozens of conventions or are considering your first, these stories will inspire you to connect, learn, and keep showing the world how we UNITE FOR GOOD.

🎙️ Service Above Self: Rotary D6670 is a monthly podcast celebrating the service, leadership, and community impact of our 45 clubs across southwest Ohio.

📌 Learn more at rotarydistrict6670.org
📧 Questions or feedback? Email us at [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/RotaryDistrict6670
🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!