Quest Rotary District 6930
The Official District Magazine
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Content
Editor
Governor Message
Dini Heizer Graphic Designer
Page 3 Chris Collura
Our Greatest to the Future Generation Page 9 & 10
Grant Model Evaluation Results Page 22
Florida Atlantic University’s Rotaract Club Page 23
Sales Andre Heizer Contributors Governor Eric Gordon Vera Schater Gabriela Heizer Juan Ortega Angelica Blakely
Published by:
Governor Message
Editorial
Governor, Eric Gordon
The 2016 -2017 Rotary year promises to be an exciting year in Rotary International and District 6930. It is my wish as District Governor for 2016-2017 to invite all Rotarians in District 6930, visiting Rotarians, and visiting non -Rotarians to experience why RI President John Germ chose “Rotary Serving Humanity” as this year’s theme and feel the exhilaration of all the established, new and exciting programs and initiatives our district and clubs have and will bring to our communities and the world. Our focus will be on eradicating polio, building membership, literacy, awareness in our communities of what Rotary International is and the good our clubs and its members accomplish year after year as well as taking up a national call with our Anti- Bullying initiative.
RI President-elect John F. Germ chose Rotary Serving Humanity as his theme for 2016-17. Noting Rotary’s unique ability to bring together committed professionals to achieve remarkable goals, “now is the time to capitalize on our success: as we complete the eradication of polio, and catapult Rotary forward to be an even greater force for good in the world.” Every three years, Rotarians meet at the Council on Legislation to review and vote on proposed legislation. The Council gives us a voice in how our organization is governed. This year’s COL has been applauded as the most progressive council ever giving the more than 35,000 clubs worldwide more flexibility as to meet the needs of their members within the policies and procedures of RI. In 2016-17, our Rotary Foundation turns 100. That’s a century of Rotary members changing lives and improving communities all over the world. And that’s definitely something worth celebrating. Through our Foundation, Rotary members have supported thousands of projects to provide clean water, fight disease, promote peace, provide basic education, and grow local economies. We’ve also been a leader in the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. The centennial is the perfect time to share this impressive record with the world so please join us at this year’s Rotary International Convention being held in Atlanta June 10-14 as tens of thousands of Rotarians from all over the world come together to celebrate Rotary International and the 100 years of The Rotary Foundation. I want to acknowledge all who have stepped up to take leadership roles in their clubs and our district and invite all who want to get involved to come forward. Thank you for all that you do Yours in Rotary Service Eric Gordon 6930 District Governor
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Calendar
August - Membership & New Club Development Month August - Membership and New Club Development Month Thu Aug 04, 16 Thu Aug 04, 16
Palm Beach
Fri Aug 05, 16 Mon Aug 08, 16 Tue Aug 09, 16 Tue Aug 09, 16
Chesterfield Hotel, Leopard Lounge 363 Coconut Row Palm Beach, FL 33480
RESTAURANT BRASIL 23160 SANDALFOOT PLAZA BOCA RATON, FL 33428 Bogart’s Bar & Grille DG Official Visit - Downtown 3200 Airport Road Boca Raton Boca Raton, FL 33431 The Griddle Restaurant 475 Northeast Spanish River DG Official Visit - Boca Raton Sunset Boulevard Boca Raton, FL 33431 The Chesterfield, Palm Beach DG Official Visit - Palm Beach/ 363 Cocoanut Row Flagler Palm Beach, FL 33480 Cohen Pavilion, Kravis Center DG Official Visit -West Palm 701 Okeechobee Blvd Beach West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Rotary Leadership Institute - District 6950 Rotary Leadership Institute to register go to www.rlitraining.
Rotary District 6950
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DG Official Visit - Palm Beach
Thu Aug 18, 16
DG Official Visit - Melbourne
Tue Aug 23, 16
DG Official Visit - Eau Gallie
Wed Aug 24, 16
DG Official Visit - Vero Beach Sunrise
Tue Aug 30, 16
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Summer Social at the Leopard Lounge!
Thu Aug 18, 16
Sat Aug 27, 16
Renaissance Hotel 2000 NW 19th Street, Boca Raton, FL 33431 - Boca Raton
DG Official Visit - Boca Raton West
Thu Aug 04, 16
Sat Aug 13, 16
DG Official Visit - Boca Raton Sunrise
Rotary District 6990
Rotary Leadership Institute Fort Lauderdale DG Official Visit - Vero Beach Oceanside
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Important: registration will close on August 3, 2016 The Chesterfield Hotel 363 Coconut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480 Matt’s Casbah 801 E New Haven Ave Melbourne, FL 32901 Cuizine Restaurant & Lounge 1790 Highway A1A Satellite Beach, FL 32937 Grille on the Green in Vista Royale 100 Woodland Dr Vero Beach, FL 32960 Held in Fort Lauderdale Will feature Parts I, II and III Graduate Course Indian River Shore Community Center 6001 North Highway A1A at Fred Tuerk Dr. Vero Beach, FL 32963
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District Leadership
PolioPlus Chair Owen, Frances Virgin (Betsy & Mike) Office: Club: Delray Beach
iPDG Burkett, B. Eugene (Gene) Office: 321-631-0383 Club: Merritt Island
District Treasurer Herschbein, Ira (Ira) Office: 561-287-4312 Club: Boca Raton Sunrise District Governor Gordon, Eric (Eric) Office: 561-308-9305 Club: Royal Palm Beach District Secretary Miller, Jeanette K (Jeanette) Office: 863-763-7711 Club: Okeechobee DG-Elect Freudenberg, David (Dave & Pat) Office: Club: Downtown Boca Raton
DG-Nominee Babbitt, Julia (Julia & Clint) Office: Club: Indialantic
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Public Image Kaye, Jon A (Jon) Office: 561-3925166 Club: Downtown Boca Raton
Asst Governor (Area 1) Fertel, Stanley M. (Stanley) Office: Club: Boca Raton Sunrise
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Asst Governor (Area 2) Etzler, Candace (Candace & Emil) Office: 561-398-4403 Club: Delray Beach
Asst Governor (Area 3) Walker, Barnie G. Jr. (Barnie) Office: 561-422-2021 Club: Pahokee
Asst Governor (Area 4) Kollmer, Marianne B. (Marianne) Office: Club: Jupiter-Tequesta
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Asst Governor (Area 7) Gingras, Marc (Marc) Office: Club: Sebastian
Asst Governor (Area 8) Sutter, Richard Daniel (Rich) Office: 321-723-3352 Club: Eau Gallie
Asst Governor (Area 9) Mulberry, Brenda (Brenda) Office: 321-453-7453 Club: Cocoa Beach
Asst Governor (Area 5) Tobin, Patricia A. (Pat) Office: Club: Stuart Rotary Club, Inc
Asst Governor (Area 10) Angel, Baerbel (Babs) Office: Club: Titusville-Sunrise
Asst Governor (Area 6) Gaiser, Donna (Donna) Office: Club: Okeechobee
Membership Chair Hodge, Arthur W (Arthur) Office: 772-778-3910 Club: Vero Beach Sunrise
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District Rotary Foundation Chair Ortega, Juan F. (Juanfer) Office: 561-537-4504 Club: Wellington
Alumni Coordinator Pearl, William (Bill) Office: 561-691-9912 Club: Palm Beach
Vocational Service Chair Hattwick, Richard (Dick) Office: Club: Lake Worth
Webmaster Tomchin, Ronald E. (Ron) Office: 561-557-8388 Club: Royal Palm Beach
Newsletter Editor Heizer, Dini Mancebo (Dini) Office: 561-290-1202 Club: Boca Raton West
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RI Convention Promoter Asch, Christina (Christina) Office: 321-267-3376 Club: Titusville-Sunrise
DCO-District Comm. Officer Thorne-Shearer, Betty L. (Betty) Office: 772-971-5720 Club: Port St. Lucie
Youth Service Chair Susin, Matthew (Matt) Office: 321 726 6550 Club: Suntree
Trainer Sutton, Carol (Carol) Office: Club: Northern Palm Beaches
Matching Grants Chair Lustig, Philip Harry III (Phil & Peg Or Peggy) Office: 561-212-6554 Club: Boca Raton Sunset Literacy TF Chair Voss, Gay S. (Gay) Office: Club: Boynton Beach-Lantana
Member Walstrom, Michael F. (Michael) Office: Club: Downtown Boca Raton
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Club Directory
Cuizine Restaurant & Lounge - 1790 Highway A1A - Satellite Beach, FL 32937
PGA Golf Club - 1916 Perfect Drive - Port St Lucie - FL - 34986
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International
Our greatest gift to future generations
Ann Lee Hussey and children in Nigeria
Polio can affect children anywhere. The poliovirus doesn’t discriminate based on geography, skin color, or religion. If we don’t eradicate polio now, the world could see cases rebound to 200,000 new cases every year, within 10 years. I’ve participated in 27 immunization campaigns, leading 23, throughout Africa and Asia, not because I’m a polio survivor, but because I believe polio eradication will be one of our greatest gifts to future generations.
People sometimes talk about how much money we can save if we eradicate polio. It’s reported that we could save $40 billion to $50 billion over the next 20 years if we eradicate the disease soon, and the economic impact on families and communities Quest Edition 1
that are affected by polio is staggering. Uma’s story During my first trip to Nigeria in 2008, I immunized children in very rural areas. We walked through millet fields, down dirt roads, and across fields with grazing cows to reach clusters of homes. During a visit to one village, I met Uma, who was 11 at the time. Uma had never been to school. As a polio victim, she only had the ability to walk on all fours and the closest school was miles away from her community. Uma moved me. Her story motivated me to help this community. My fellow health workers told me that I had a unique opportunity to speak with the state governor and request that the village be granted a school. I developed a relationship with the state governor and we began talks about building a school.
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“If we invest the additional $1.5 billion needed to eradicate polio, we’ll not only save dollars, we’ll save countless lives and prevent children from suffering from this completely preventable disease.” After a few more visits, my friend and local Rotary leader Saliu Ahmed and I suggested the village members set up a temporary school to show the governor why they needed funding. When I returned 10 months later, the village had built a small school, made with mud walls and a thatched roof. This effort proved to the state governor the need for the school. The governor told me, “on your next visit, you will have a new school and when you return, we’ll talk about something else.” The new school was a larger, cement block building. We provided Uma a wheelchair so she could attend school more easily. Catalyst for change
pumps, and a bridge providing yearround access to surrounding communities. Uma’s village became the gathering point for nearby settlements. My story about Uma and her village is not the only one of its kind. When immunizing, Rotarians see other needs and reach out to help. I find that the infrastructure put in place to vaccinate children against polio provides the foundation to improve other conditions in communities and countries. If we invest the additional $1.5 billion needed to eradicate polio, we’ll not only save dollars, we’ll save countless lives and prevent children from suffering from this completely preventable disease. Rotary members began this journey and we need to press on to the journey’s end.
By Ann Lee Hussey Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise, Maine, USA Rotary Voices
I’m impressed with how a simple trip meant for immunization was a catalyst for so many other developments. After I met Uma, we built a school, a public toilet, two wells with solar panel
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District
BRING A FRIEND Month
When - August 2016 Where - All Clubs - Zones 33/34 How - Encourage your members to bring a friend or friends to a meeting or meetings that month. Publicize this special event, weekly in all meetings during July and ensure your Facebook or website contains publicity for the event. Also promote the event in newsletters encouraging participation. Creating an event on Facebook is particularly successful, with an invite list - (suggestion, don’t call it a meeting - call it Bring A Friend Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Social). Consider a special ‘Bring a Friend’ social event on an appropriate evening and if you prefer, make it a multi-Club event. If organizing a Social, ensure Members are encouraged by making it a make up meeting. If your budget/meal format allows, provide the meal free of charge (member does not pay for guest) or if it is a social event, perhaps provide appetizers and have a pay bar. If it is a ‘meeting’ plan an appropriate inspiring meeting for the event. Suggestions....... Member presentation on my Rotary Story. Bring in Foundation or Membership Speaker, from District or Zone Local celebrity or motivational speaker Club presentation covering milestones, projects and community involvement Social meeting emphasizing the fellowship opportunities Have an ‘Any Questions about Rotary and our Club’ Consider having a Club Bio/Brochure for the meeting, and have it available. Prepare membership application forms, and have them available. Prepare a who attended list with emails and phone numbers. Send follow up email, and keep the prospective members in the loop. Re-Invite by calling, if appropriate. Keep engaged.
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August is ‘Bring A Friend’ Month In District ---A Month of Action on Membership
August is Membership Month in Rotary, and this year it is also ‘Bring a Friend’ Month in all Districts in Zones 33/34 - Southeast USA and the Caribbean. Zone Director Joe Mulkerrin, and Zone Membership Coordinator Teams, ask all Clubs to organize a ‘Bring A Friend’ to your meeting or a special social event, with appropriate programs to inspire and introduce the friends to your fellowship and what your Club is, does and stands for. Guidelines and suggestions are appended for your information and consideration, please be creative and let’s fill Facebook and social media with our events, breakfast, lunches and dinners. If your Club or District have already planned an event then it now has a dual purpose. HAVE FUN - LET’S CONNECT
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Vocational Service Literacy Award Tip of the Month – Teacher Recognitions One of the more popular and meaningful Rotary club literacy and vocational service projects is the recognition of local teachers and administrators. At least sixteen clubs in our district currently sponsor teacher or educational administrator recognitions. Teacher recognition projects enable clubs to make the local community aware of Rotary’s vocational service mission. As stated in The Object of Rotary, “ The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as the basis of worthy enterprise and in particular to encourage and foster … High ethical standards in business and professions, recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.” Successful teachers and principals can be role models for that ideal. If your club does not have such a project Rotary’s Literacy Month would be a good time to explore the possibility. The options range from the simple and inexpensive to the elaborate and expensive. At the inexpensive end of the spectrum are these examples: 1. Recognize a teacher at a regular club meeting. 2. Invite a teacher to present a program and receive special recognition at a regular club meeting. 3. Recognize several teachers and/or administrators at several different club meetings over the course of the Rotary year. ( The Hobe Sound/Port Salerno recognizes 12 teachers and 4 administrators per year) 4. Recognize a teacher and make the award presentation at the teacher’s school. At the expensive end of the spectrum are high visibility public presentations such as a community dinner to honor all retiring teachers in a given year or a breakfast to welcome all new teachers in a given year or a luncheon to recognize all principals. One example is the Boca Raton Sunrise club’s teacher recognition dinner. One active teacher from each school with a Boca Raton address is recognized each year at a community dinner. The event costs in
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excess of $20,000 and creates widespread public images of Rotary’s vocational service values. In the Rotary year just ended that event recognized 22 teachers and generated revenue of about $30,000. The event started small 30 years ago but has become a major event in recent years. Trust attorney and club member Frank Barbieri came up with the idea and nurtured the project through its formative years. The June copy of QUEST (online) has photos of the most recent event. Boca Sunrise Rotarian and realtor Chris Maners will be glad to share the rest of the story with interested clubs ( 561-573-0774). In the middle range are projects such as the Rotary Club of Palm Beach’s Crystal Apple Award. Twenty-four years ago the Rotary Club of Royal Palm Beach initiated teacher of the year recognition program named the Rotary Crystal Apple Award. Tony Endler, a charter member of the club, proposed and implemented the project. Tony, a retired optician, has administered the project since then. The District Literacy Committee asked him for a brief description of the program and here is what he said: 1. Sometime in March I contact a school within our club boundaries and then I call and get an appointment with the principal. It is good to go and talk personally with the principal so you can get a feel for his/her personality. 2. We then set up a meeting to present the award to ONE deserving recipient. This is usually done at a faculty meeting sometime in April or May (no later). 3. The recipient of this award is usually chosen by the principal and sometimes by the teachers. This must be kept secret from the teachers and staff. This makes for a great surprise. 4. The teacher is given a crystal apple for being chosen Teacher of the Year and we also give a monetary gift of $200.00 (not a set amount) to help him/her because we know that teachers are always putting their hands in their pockets to help the children. 5. There is a loner plaque that is given to the school for one year. It is usually displayed in full view for everyone to see and feel proud. The plaque has the name of the school and the teacher’s name as well as the school year. There are 25 spaces on the plaque that we have now along with the Rotary emblem. Sometime in February or March the plaque should be retrieved from the school and then the process will begin for the new year. Tony reports that the recipient of the award is given excellent coverage in the local paper serving the community. The recipient is also recognized at a weekly meeting of the club after the formal presentation has been made at the school. Tony invites anyone interested in learning more about this service project to contact him at (561)967-8453.
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SEPTEMBER IS ROTARY’S LITERACY MONTH – TAKE ACTION Rotary International has designated September as Basic Education and Literacy Month ( Hereinafter referred to as LITERACY MONTH). All Rotary clubs in the world are encouraged to promote Literacy Month in the club and in the community. Clubs are also encouraged to recognize International Literacy Day ( September 8th) with an announcement and or literacy program at the club’s weekly meeting during the week of September 8th. The announcement should call attention to the day, should comment on Rotary’s emphasis on Basic Education and Literacy, and should mention that for more than a decade Rotary has partnered with the International Literacy Association to promote literacy service projects. The purpose of Literacy Month promotion within the club is to make club members aware of Rotary’s strong emphasis on literacy and to encourage the members to suggest new club literacy projects. This is also a time for the 38 clubs in our district which earned a District Literacy Award to celebrate that fact. Don’t be modest! The purpose of Literacy Month promotions in the community is to raise Rotary’s PUBLIC IMAGE as an organization which promotes literacy. Possible club Literacy Month promotions range from devoting a weekly club meeting to a speaker on literacy to undertaking a community literacy project. Thirty-eight clubs already have five or more literacy projects planned for this year. But if you are looking for additional ideas, just review the list of possibilities on your copy of the literacy award requirements document. You can find a copy on our district web site. Just go to the home page, click on the link to literacy, and view the requirements for the District Literacy Award.
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Clubs
ROTARY CLUB OF VERO BEACH SUNRISE Sunrise Rotary outgoing president Buck Vocelle, named Rotarian Pam O’Donnell as the Rotarian of the Year Friday June 10th at the Installation Banquet for the 2016-17 officers. Her body of work just this year includes:
➢ Coordinated Literacy projects (Accelerated Reading Program where we donated 3 laptops to exceptional students our Dominican Republic project that works with a local Rotary(we also do a water project there and are starting a dental project) , Pre -K books to every pre-K child in Indian River County , Little Free Libraries that we are working on in partnership with Sebastian Rotary). ➢ Worked along with our Literacy team on Education:Access initiative that resulted in awarding 4 scholarships for disadvantaged girls in India. ➢ Chaired Growing Healthy Kids project where for 6 weeks in the fall and in the spring kids from the Homeless family center come to learn gardening and healthy eating (our largest District Grant). ➢ Worked with Jane Burton on Scholarship awards. ➢ Co-wrote district grants and final reports for our club. ➢ Chaired Homestay (where Rotarians from around the world do a stopover before heading to San Diego for the annual Governors Conference in Jan.) for our club.
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➢ Part of annual Craft Brew and Wing fest (our huge fundraiser in Feb.) team as cochair for sponsorships - and worked on the VIP committee. ➢ Pam is a work horse in the club and deserved the award.
By Debbie Avery
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ROTARY CLUB OF WEST PALM BEACH Two Outstanding Students Receive Scholarships from the West Palm Beach Rotary Club On June 7, 2016, the West Palm Beach Rotary Club held the Peggy Williams Service Above Self Scholarship Luncheon. Peggy Williams was a dynamic and dedicated Rotarian. Also, special guests at the Scholarship Luncheon included Peggy’s daughters; Jennifer Maher and Betsy Williams. During the luncheon two students received scholarship checks and certificates of recognition. The scholarship recipients were selected based on their exceptional community service activities. Vicente Arredondo received the $20,000 Peggy Williams Service Above Self Scholarship. He graduated from Dreyfoos School of the Arts. In September 2016, Vicente will be a student at Florida State University with a major in pre-med. His career goal is to be a physician.
Pictured from Left to Right: Jacob Webb - Vice President WPB Rotary Club, Jennifer Maher, Vicente Arredondo, Betsy Williams, and Sean Rooney- Past President WPB Rotary Club Isis Benjamin received a $1,500 scholarship. She graduated from Palm Beach Lakes High School. In September 2016, Isis will be a student at Spellman College with a major in business. Her career goal is to be a lawyer.
Pictured from Left to Right: Isis Benjamin and Sean Rooney - Past President, WPB Rotary Club
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ROTARY CLUB OF BOCA RATON WEST On July 21 st the Rotary Club of Boca Raton West moved their regular Thursday evening meeting to Frank Theatres CineBowl for a social gathering. The group played in 3 separate lanes including one just for the kids and enjoyed fun, food and fellowship. The event was a true strike with both members and guests! Nearly half of the people at the event were not members and many had never attended a regular meeting in the past. The members reported that there was a lot of opportunity to talk about what Rotary is, as well as some of the club projects, and get people interested in attending a future meeting. “These fun social events are a part of our club’s strategy to grow membership this year, by also showing the fun part of being a Rotarian” said club president Gustavo Couto.
By Marina Couto
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ROTARY CLUB OF DELRAY BEACH DELRAY BEACH FLORIDA - The local Rotary Club in Delray Beach hosted a talented and articulate guest list for their weekly Luncheon at The Delray Beach Public Library. Rotary President Fred Bonardi , called the meeting to order and introduced: SYBIL BOULIN ,from THE MERKABAH INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION. She is a graduate of Emory University and became aware of the Haitian crisis as a child when she visited the island with her father. She was awed by the intense poverty that exists there and the challenges that the population had to manage to survive. Ms. Boulin will work to educate the Haitians on the uses of glass and bamboo to establish sustainable and reusable energy and shelters. Sybil may be contacted at merkabah.foundation@gmail.com President Bonardi then introduced a group of Russian/Georgian dancers who are on Tour in the United States for the summer of 2016. These dancers are guests in the USA and are here to promote goodwill and understanding for the cultural identities in these distant countries. They will tour 12 states East of the Mississippi and present folk dance programs to groups and clubs in a variety of venues. The group received a standing ovation from the Rotarians following their energetic and professional dance performance.
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Foundation Corner
GRANT MODEL EVALUATION RESULTS Dear district governors, district Rotary Foundation committee chairs, district grants subcommittee chairs, district vocational training team subcommittee chairs, district scholarship subcommittee chairs and district stewardship subcommittee chairs: Last year marked a Rotary milestone! We conducted our first triennial evaluation of the grant model to determine whether the Foundation’s programs are meeting the goals set out in the Future Vision Plan. The evaluation was comprehensive and included: • 109 project site visits by 63 Cadre members and outside consultants • 6,000 responses to 6 surveys from 154 countries • focus groups at 11 institutes • feedback from the Future Vision Oversight Committee We studied sustainability, the areas of focus, and vocational training teams in 24 countries around the world. The Rotary Foundation Programs Committee closely supervised the evaluation efforts, and we presented the findings to the Programs Committee in March 2016 and to the Trustees in April. The evaluation found very high levels of satisfaction with the new grant model: 90 percent of survey respondents said they support it, and 86 percent see it as an improvement over the previous model. Grant activity and the average grant award continue to increase. Awards grew 24 percent between 2013-14 and 2014-15, as understanding of the model grew. Moreover, Rotarians’ support of sustainability in projects has increased, and the grants that are approved now are far more sustainable than grants were during the Future Vision pilot. In
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response to these findings, the Trustees affirmed their support for the grant model. While the results of the evaluation were positive overall, they also reveal some areas that call for improvement. Most notably, Rotary should offer more training to Rotarians who use grants and communicate with them better. The majority of the decisions the Trustees made in response to the evaluation focused on this. Many Rotarians expressed confusion about and frustration with the basic education and literacy and economic and community development area of focus policy statements. The Trustees approved modifications to these statements, which will become available in the coming months. Finally, in both survey and focus group feedback, many Rotarians expressed frustration with the online grant application tool. These will be addressed through an upgrade that Rotary is working on now. Over the next several months, the Trustees and staff will communicate the results of the evaluation to Rotary members through My Rotary and email. The staff will continue work on fulfilling the requests of the Trustees and on increasing and targeting training and communication efforts in support of Rotary grants. Read a summary of the evaluation. Thank you for your commitment to The Rotary Foundation. Sincerely, Abby McNear Rotary Grants Manager +1-847-425-5656 Rotary.org
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Florida Atlantic University’s Rotaract Club
Rotaract
Rotary International, although it is an organization for business professional, harvests so much opportunity for young people to serve. It has programs in high school, such as Interact and RYLA. As well as programs in Universities, called Rotaract. Each of these “extensions” of Rotary are created for the sole purpose of instilling the Rotarian spirit into the younger generation. As a daughter who grew up with two Rotarian parents, I learned firsthand that doing good and serving others starts way before you officially become a Rotarian. I am blessed to have had so many opportunities to serve within Rotary and I am beyond excited that my new role is President Elect for Florida Atlantic University’s Rotaract Club. As a member of this fairly new club, I’ve learned that my club has so much potential to grow. It contains about 15 active members that are young university students, with a heart for service and for others. That’s all you really need to have a successful Rotaract. Although Rotary International is this huge organization that has so much bureaucracy to it, Rotaract does not have much of that. At the core, we simply find a problem and aim to solve it or aid in solving it. FAU’s Rotaract Club has three main projects currently. The first is Boca Helping Hands. We have a weekly commitments to go and help this local nonprofit in their food kitchen. Another project we have is Surfers for Autism where we teach kids with Autism how to surf. The last major project we have currently is Community Closet. This programs was actually founded by a fellow Rotaractor, who saw a need of clothing for the less fortunate. So this programs helps deliver and collect clothes for the people who need it. Each of these projects are wonderful, yet I believe them just to be a start. I think that as young people, we have the ability to help so much more than that. Our current incoming president, Sam, said that her goal for our club is to increase our relevance within the FAU community. This initiative is so important because there are over 30,000 students at Florida Atlantic, and if we can join with them to serve our community, we would truly be able to make an impact. My goal for next year is to increase our connection and involvements with the six local Rotary Clubs in Boca Raton. I’ve learned at past District Assemblies that Rotary needs more younger members, and a way to achieve that is for current Rotarians to connect with students who want to serve. It is also important for the Rotary Clubs to use the Rotaract Club as a resource. We are here, eager to help and serve as much as possible and that is what we want to do. I want to ask and Rotary Club in our District to reach out to me if you need any help from University Students or want to create a project with us. We are here to discuss and brainstorm and find ways to make an impact. We want to help serve you so that we together can serve others. Thank You, Gabriela Heizer FAU Rotaract, President Elect gabriela@heizer.us
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Local Tourism
City of Belle Glades Is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2011, the city had a population of 17,667. Belle Glade (and the surrounding area) is sometimes referred to as “Muck City” due to the large quantity of muck, in which sugarcane grows, found in the area. About half the sugarcane in the nation is grown in the plains around Belle Glade and nearby Clewiston. Despite being located in the South Florida region of the state, Belle Glade is culturally more associated with the Florida Heartland.
History The existence of Belle Glade is related to the federal project of draining the land around Lake Okeechobee, the acreage to be used for agriculture. The town was built in 1925 and destroyed three years later by a hurricane which killed thousands of people. The town was subsequently rebuilt. The area around Lake Okeechobee is fertile and farming has been an important industry.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE The Scoop: It’s out there. The giant. The Big O, as locals call it. But don’t worry; once you see a sunset over this picturesque, freshwater colossal lake, you’ll be hooked. And speaking of hooked, Lake Okeechobee is an awesome largemouth bass fishing spot – may be the best in the world. You must take a picture or two of sunning alligators they pose right on the shoreline. Location: Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay and Canal Point
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LAKE OKEECHOBEE SCENIC TRAIL (LOST) The Scoop: Another large segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail gets you LOST. Okay, you won’t need a flare gun, as you will get lost in the wonder of Lake Okeechobee, the 2nd largest freshwater lake in the lower 48 states. The LOST segment has various access points in the western Palm Beaches. Location: Belle Glade, Pahokee, South Bay, Canal Point
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Rotary Curiosity
QUESTIONS: 1. How many clubs are there in our District? 2. Our District Geographically includes how many counties? 3. What are the names of these counties?
ANSWERS: 1. 45 2. 6 3. Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Okeechobee and Palm Beach
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Highlights
District Conference 2015-2016
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Rotary Club of Boca Raton West
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Rotary Club of Delray Beach
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District Rotarian Story
TELL YOUR STORY I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I grew up like any other child of the lower middle class who, despite witnessing the social disparities around almost daily, I thought everything was normal, because I had no TV and I was not allowed to read the papers. As I grew up, I started noticing the differences and similarities and “started asking questions”. My parents kept telling me that the problems faced by other people were a pure matter of merit. I remember, right after I finished elementary school, that I started observing what was happening around the world. That included reading every piece of information I could reach, regarding those people and their countries and I realized that no matter what, it had to be possible at least for someone to reach out for those in need. But I was just a 13 years old kid. However, it did not take too long for me to realize that my parent’s vision was completely distorted. As I became a teenager, I concluded that the problems I got used to see in my country, also existed in other countries, mainly in the African continent, and that I certainly was not alone in worrying that there should be some way to help them. I just couldn’t figure out how to start making a difference. I had read the story of the Hummingbird and the Forest Fire and I identified myself somehow. The first time I heard about the Sabin vaccine was in the mid 60’s. I had already lost a friend due to the poliovirus a few years before and news about that miraculous vaccine caught my attention. “2 drops only?” “Not even by injection?” It was amazing and too good to be true! Later in the papers, I learned about the work and dedication of members of the Rotary Club in Brazil who tirelessly helped in spreading the word of a campaign and helped the vaccination efforts along with some other local health authorities. But I never had a chance to meet a single member of any local club. Back then and in my mind the name “Rotary” sounded like some kind of an elite club to which I would never be able to join. In the meantime, Brazil was experiencing a dictatorship (1964-1985). That alone, changed the course of life of many Brazilians who ended up seeking better opportunities. By then, I wouldn’t feel confortable attending any non-profit events that involved donations. It was just a matter of not trusting the organizations that approached me one way or another. Luckily in 1989 I was invited to work for a company based in New Jersey and I moved to the United States in a snap. Soon after, I moved to Florida and my vision as a kid began to get in shape as I started helping some nonprofit organizations, making donations or simply volunteering whenever I had a chance. I retired a few years ago and when I first met Dini Heizer (President of Rotary Club of Boca Raton West 20152016), I realized that I could finally pursue my dream to be able to make a difference by joining the 1.2 million Rotarians all over the world. And I am very happy since then. My name is Vera Schäfer and I am very proud to be servicing the Rotary Club Boca Raton West as Public Relations Chair and Secretary.
Vera Schafer Rotary Club of Boca Raton West Secretary & Public Relations 2016-2017
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August 2016 Quest
Editor Message
Dear Rotarians, We are beginning one more year of the Quest Magazine! It comes with a new face and space for more information. Like “Curiosity” - it highlights the history of our district because many people don’t know about it. “Local Tourism” - the idea is to show touristic spots within the cities that have Rotary Clubs in our district. Why? Many Rotarians from other cities and countries visit us, because they come for business and many do not know what they can do in the cities during their spare time, so I want to show places that people find particularly interesting for visitors. “Rotaract and Interact” - How many know that they exist and where they are located? What are they doing? They should be close to our clubs and should not do things alone. They need to integrate with our clubs, and not only with their sponsor club, because they are our future rotarians! You are the one who is responsible for them within your club, to give them information and encourage them to maintain contact with them to invite us to projects and send photos or articles of what they are doing. We Rotarians should want to be closer to them! We will also have a “Dairy of an exchange student” - what is this? How many of us know how many students we sent to different countries or how many of us know how many exchange students came into our district? How are they? What countries are these? How are they adjusting with the new culture that may be completely different than theirs..... We will be learning about their life experience! The idea is to bring more information in a more practical way to each Rotarian in District 6930, because many of us don’t have time to find them ourselves or do we always know how. Because of this dear president, rotarians, rotaractors, interactors, send us material of your club with articles, pictures, events, flyers, and etc, so that we can promote it! We will see that Rotary is action and this is how we can bring new ideas on how to serve others! I would like to highlight that our Quest has already reached different countries, like New Zealand, South Africa, and Brazil; we are taking informations of our activities, projects, and action to other people around the world: isn’t that great!!! I count on your help to make the Quest even more successful!
Dini Heizer District 6930 Newsletter Editor 2016-2017 dini@heizer.us
Quest Edition 1
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August 2016 Quest