Dear Rotarians,
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to bring you the first issue of the Rotary District 2240 Newsletter in 2026. On behalf of the entire Editorial Board, please allow me to extend to you our warmest wishes for good health, joy, personal well-being, and plenty of energy for the days and months ahead. May 2026 be a year of understanding, friendship, successful projects, and fulfilled Rotary ideals — both within our clubs and in your personal lives.
In this issue of the Rotary District 2240 Newsletter, you will find several important and timely updates, along with many inspiring stories from club life. I am delighted that we can share wonderful examples of service, solidarity, and fellowship that marked the closing months of the past year. The Advent and year-end activities of our clubs once again demonstrated that Rotary is not only about projects, but above all about people — people who are able to bring light, help, and hope.
In this edition, I would like to draw your attention to the call of the Nominating Committee for the submission of candidates for the position of District Governor for the Rotary year 2028–2029. This represents an important step for the future of our district, and I encourage clubs to actively engage in this process and support strong leaders with vision and service in their hearts.
Please also mark your calendars for 20–21 March 2026, when the Presidents-Elect Leadership Seminar (PELS) and the District Training Assembly will take place in Olomouc. This event is a key milestone in the preparation of incoming club presidents and an excellent opportunity for education, exchange of experience, and strengthening Rotary friendships across the district.
I wish you enjoyable reading.
With Rotary greetings,
PDG Katarína Čechová
Editor-in-Chief
Rotary District 2240 Newsletter
The very first day of the New Year 2026 marked an extraordinary success for the young Czech talent, eleven-year-old Vojtěch Fišera. On 1 January 2026, the final of the national competition for exceptionally gifted children, Zlatý Oříšek 2025 (Golden Walnut), took place. This prestigious annual event recognises the most outstanding young personalities across a wide range of fields. The live broadcast was aired by Czech Television on ČT2 shortly after noon.
The PELS and the District Training Assembly will traditionally take place at the Hotel Flóra in Olomouc on 20–21 March 2026.
Dear Rotary and Rotaract Clubs,
dear members of Rotary and Rotaract,
we would like to inform you that ADG Josef Šejvl (sejvljosef@gmail.com) has been entrusted with managing the official Facebook page of Rotary District 2240 https://www.facebook.com/RotaryDistrict2240/.
Josef is ready to promptly publish and share news about your club activities, events, and projects on the District 2240 Facebook page.
We are People of Action. We do many great things, we serve, and we strive to help others.
Let us not be afraid to write about it, talk about it, inspire one another, and show the public that Rotary is alive, active, and truly meaningful.
Today, social media are one of the key tools for bringing our actions and their impact to the wider public. We can be visible only if we are willing to share our stories where attention and interest are naturally focused.
We therefore invite all Rotary and Rotaract clubs to actively contribute by sending:
Josef will be happy to publish your contributions on the district Facebook page.
Please send your posts with photos to: sejvljosef@gmail.com
We look forward to your contributions and to jointly building a strong, active, and visible Rotary D2240 community.
Editorial Board
D2240 Newsletter
Members of the Rotary Club of Klatovy also took an active part in the city’s events during last year’s Advent season and, for the fourth time, offered visitors mulled wine and non-alcoholic punch. Their stall could be found both at the Monastery Bazaar and at the Klatovy Advent markets. Each day there was a pleasant atmosphere, the stall was buzzing with life, and many customers were already seeking it out deliberately as a traditional part of Advent.
In the pre-Christmas period, the Rotary Club Bratislava International joined the charitable project Christmas Aid by Paramedics, implemented by Event Medical Solutions.
Rotary Club Most was approached by representatives of the Sudeten German Association with a proposal to cooperate on the restoration of a historic grave linked to an important figure in the history of the city of Most. Initial discussions took place in Germany and indicated a potential joint project for the coming year.
Everyone, I haven’t posted anything for over a month, and I intend to make up for that right now. A great deal has happened. To begin with, I’d like to share that I experienced my first Canadian house party. The atmosphere there was different from what I’m used to in the Czech Republic — for instance, line dancing, where everyone starts dancing in a line, performing the same learned routines to different songs, which, for me, had never really been considered normal at any celebration before then. And just out of interest, since students from a local boarding school were also there, I had the chance to meet other international students.
After two days of lying in bed with absolutely no energy, I told my host parents — completely seriously — that I didn’t care how awful I felt, I simply wasn’t going to miss Paris the next day. And looking back now, I have to say it was genuinely worth it!! I just don’t know why I always have to be the most ill on the best trips…
We set off again at 6 a.m., so I had to get up at 4:45… yay!
Meat-free, Christmas-free, boredom-free. These days were exactly the kind of days when you think, “Honestly, nothing much happened.” And then you pause for a moment and realise that, actually, a lot has changed.
After we got back from the South Trip, we had a change of host families. We all met up for a shared dinner at a beautiful restaurant, where the goodbyes and the welcomes happened all at once. It was really emotional — some people cried, some laughed, and some already had their next adventure on their minds. It was one of those moments when you don’t know whether to feel sad or excited. For me personally, it was quite a big leap. My new host family is strictly vegetarian — and not only that, they don’t eat eggs either. Luckily, they do eat dairy products. The food here is very different from what I had with my first family, but it’s not bad at all — quite the opposite. My absolute favourite is a veg roll: a classic flatbread with cabbage, onion, and mayonnaise, simply rolled up. I could eat it all the time. Really, all the time.
From 27 to 31 January 2026, the international RYLA 2026 - INDIA will take place.
From 29 April to 4 May 2026, the 23rd RYLA D2240 - Kopřivnice will take place. Information and the application form are available here: https://www.rotary2240.org/cz/sluzba-mladezi/ryla
Rotary District 2231 (Poland) cordially invites Rotarians, friends of Rotary and the general public to the international conference Peace and Earth, taking place on May 8–10, 2026, in Kraków, Poland.
IGFR proudly introduces a new flagship international tournament — the IGFR Nation’s Cup Invitational. The inaugural edition, to be held in Casablanca in 2026, combines team golf competition with Rotary values, national identity, and cultural exchange, aiming to strengthen international fellowship and expand IGFR’s global visibility.
From 30 January to 1 February 2026, the first New Year gathering of RYE CZ inbound students will take place, once again traditionally in Třebíč (Grand Hotel, Karlovo nám., Třebíč).
The event is mandatory for all RYE CZ inbound students.
Programme
The event is organised by RYE CZ, Rotex
From 1 to 7 February 2026, RYE CZ is organising a SKI WEEK for inbound students. The event will take place in Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia.
Participation is optional, and the programme is focused primarily on skiing. Further details have been sent to all participants.
The event is organised by RYE CZ and Rotex.
Treasurer:
Dear Rotary friends,
Dear Members of Rotary Clubs in District 2240,
On behalf of the Nominating Committee, I would like to ask you, in accordance with the Bylaws of Rotary International and the rules of the nomination process, to submit nominations of candidates for the position of District Governor for the 2028-2029 term.
The Nominating Committee is ready to receive nominations from clubs until midnight on 28 February 2026:
The District Conference 2026 will be held from 14 to 16 May 2026 in Nymburk.
Further information and invitations will be sent to you in due course.
An exceptional musical evening combining the atmosphere of the First Czechoslovak Republic, timeless music, and outstanding artists of the Czech cultural scene will take place on 1 March at the Rudolfinum in Prague. Rotarians and all lovers of quality music are warmly invited to a concert celebrating the 120th anniversary of the birth of Jaroslav Ježek.
Following the very successful gathering at the popular SANSHO restaurant, the Gourmet Fellowship returns to the same venue — this time with an enticing Asian menu and a pleasant spring date.
Your suggestions and feedback are welcomed and will assist us in enhancing our newsletter. Please send them to us at news@rotary2240.org.
