District Governor Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Bob Crouch spoke to us on August 30th at a joint meeting of the NxNE Austin and West Austin Rotary clubs. He first told us that he is wearing a kilt this year to honor Rotary International President Gordon McInally, who is from Scotland. Bob then discussed how President Gordon's theme this year is to Create Hope in the World. We should do that within our club, our community and through out the world through service projects and community activities. This can help us gain and retain members in our club. DG Bob also discussed that President Gordon wants to focus on mental health this Rotary year. As part of that focus, the District 5870 website as a page with information about potential speakers, service projects and ways to raise awareness. One event he encouraged us to attend is on the Out of the Darkness Walk on November 4th in Austin that raises awareness about mental health issues. District 5870 is also putting information on its Facebook page regarding mental health issue - its recent post points out that September is Suicide Prevention Month. The mental health initiatives are very important to DG Bob due to the high rate of suicide in the military - he has lost a number of friends that way. Besides these new initiatives, DG Bob also talked about the Rotary Foundation and how our contributions help both worldwide and in our local communities with District designated funds. Finally, DG Bob told us about the Foundation Gala on January 20, 2024 in Georgetown and the Conference of Clubs, May 3-5, 2024 in Killeen, which will be a "Salute to Service" for our military troops. At the end of the meeting, we put together bags of toiletries and other necessities that will handed out to the homeless.