QUEST
MAGAZINE
Maternal and Child Health MOnth
Edition 09 - APRIL 2018
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
DISTRICT 6930
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CONTENT
Quest Rotary District 6930
The Official District Magazine
SURF’s up: Who says Rotary can’t be fun?
Page 9
Promote Rotary! Distribute this magazine to your place of business, family and friends.
Spread the word!
Editor
Dini Heizer
Graphic Designer
Andre Heizer
Rotary’s amazing capacity to bring people together
Contributors
Page 11 & 12
Dave Freudenberg Betsy Owen
What is District Assembly?
Page 18
Julia Babbitt Eric Gordon Amy Sullivan Elizabeth Cayson Julie Vianale Deb Avery
What I love about Rotaract
Page 36
Published by:
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Kenyetta Haywood Robert Kelley Eva Rey Debbie Donnelly McLay Gabriela Heizer
CONTACT: rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com Quest Magazine * Edition 09
GOVERNOR MESSAGE Making a Difference The theme for Rotary 2017-2018 has a special meaning for all Rotarians throughout the world. RI President Ian Riseley has put forth a special challenge to become more involved in not only Rotary, but also your own community. “Through Rotary, we are Making a Difference in the world, and the more involved we become, the more of a difference Rotary makes to each of us. Rotary challenges us to become better people: to become ambitious in the ways that matter, to strive for higher goals, and to incorporate “Service Above Self” into our daily lives.” District 6930 has special challenges ahead as we incorporate the results of last year’s Council on Legislation that opened the door to new opportunities in making each club more accessible to new and existing members. There are some new requirements for each club, including the fact that the Treasurer MUST be a member of the Board of the club. This is to incorporate the Rotary International Errors & Omissions Policy into each club, for the protection of all of us. With over 35,000 clubs there could be problems somewhere. Each club is now required to provide access to board meeting minutes to every club member within 60 days of the board meeting. This is the desire to provide transparency and openness. This year we will be adding the object of attacking the horrible disease of Alzheimer’s to our district objective. Every one of us has or will be subjected to this disease through close family or acquaintances. While other diseases such as cancer and heart disease are seeing a decline, Azheimer’s is growing in impact at an alarming rate. We will be joining with the Rotary Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust (CART) program to help find a cure. You should not be limited by this one program and I encourage each club to participate in the attack on this disease in one form or another. Josh the Otter was introduced to Rotary by our own member Jim Underwood and has become a major program to protect children from the biggest cause of death to children under the age of 5 years. We have the tools and materials to allow each club to launch this project in their own community. It is not an easy result to measure, but I believe we will see an impact in Florida in the next few years. We will end the year for our District with the most exciting District Conference in the history of District 6930. The conference will be aboard the Royal Caribbean Empress of the Seas from June 2-6, 2018. We are joining with District 6950 to do a joint conference that will begin the cruise in Tampa and spending a day in Havana Cuba. We will be the first group of Rotarians to visit Havana in almost 60 years. What an exciting experience this will be. And finally, next year’s Rotary Convention will be in Toronto, Canada June 23-25, 2018. Let’s Make a Difference!
Dave Freudenberg
District Governor 2017-2018
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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CALENDAR
APRIL
Maternal and Child Health MOnth Stuart Rotary Club Picnic Social
Flagler Park (north of City Hall, north of the Feed Store Museum at the far north end.) (click to view a list of registrants) Almost to the Pelican Restaurant
Sat Apr 07, 18
12:00P
Stuart
Sat Apr 07, 18
01:00P
Wellington
Sat Apr 07, 18
04:00P
Jupiter-Tequesta
Quantum House Dinner
Quantum House at the NW corner of St Marys hospital on 45ht street.
Wed Apr 11, 18
07:00P
Jupiter-Tequesta
Meet the Scientist Lecture Series
Jupiter High School auditorium at 500 N Military Trail, Jupiter Fl. Time; 7-9pm
Shredding event
ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Saturday April 21, 2018
Sat Apr 21, 18
07:00A
RI Zone 34
RLI - Melbourne - 6930
Facility & Hotel: (click to view a list of registrants) Hilton Rialto 200 Rialto Place Melbourne, FL 32901 You should arrive around 7:15 AM for registration sign-in, material pick-up, and breakfast gathering. Classes begin promptly at 8:00 AM and will be completed by 3:30 PM
Parts 1, 2, & 3 as well as Membership Grad classes will be offered. Discussion Leader training offered by invitation only Breakfast, Lunch and all materials for $100
Sun Apr 22, 18 thru Mon Apr 23, 18
4
12:00P
RI Zones 33-34
Zones 33-34 Team Training
Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel 1325 Virginia Avenue Atlanta, Ga. 30344 404-768-6660
Group Hotel Registration Link
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP District Governor
David Freudenberg (Dave & Pat) Office: Club: Boca Raton Downtown
DG-Elect
Julia Babbitt (Jula & Clint) Office: Club: Indialantic
DG-Nominee
Donna Marie Gaiser (Donna & Carl) Office: Club: Okeechobee
iPDG
Eric Gordon (Eric) Office: 561-308-9305 Club: Royal Palm Beach
District Secretary
Deborah Freudenberg (Deborah & Mike) Office: 561-299-1429 Club: Boca Raton Downtown
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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District Treasurer
Terri Marie Wescott (Terri) Office: 561-270-8800 Club: Boca Raton Downtown
Assistant District Governor (Area 1)
Stanley M. Fertel (Stan & Charna) Office: Club: Boca Raton Sunrise
Grants Committee Chair
Eugene B. Burkett (Gene & Linda) Office: 321-631-0383 Club: Merritt Island
Vocational Service Chair
Gregory A. Reader (Greg) Office: Club: Vero Beach Sunrise
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PolioPlus Chair
Frances Virgin Owen (Betsy & Mike) Office: Club: Delray Beach
Nominating Committee Chair
Louis Venuti (Louis & Loretta) Office: 321-286-7475 Club: Titusville Rotary Club
Young Professionals
Michael F. Walstrom (Michael) Office: Club: Boca Raton Downtown Literacy TF Chair
Gay S. Voss (Gay)
Office: Club: Boynton Beach-Lantana Newsletter Editor
Dini Mancebo Heizer (Dini Heizer) Office: Club: Boca Raton West
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar
CLUB DIRECTORY
Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar Intracoastal Brewing Company
18:00 -19:00
Island Pasta
The Italian American Club
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SURF’s up: Who says Rotary can’t be fun?
High school students enjoy a bonfire event in 2016. Have you ever thought of turning a hobby or passion into something even more beneficial through Rotary? I am a third generation Californian and grew up bodyboarding at Huntington Beach and Del Mar, before starting to surf 34 years ago. Back in May, I got this crazy idea to do something with my interest in surfing. For years, we’ve all heard Rotary leaders talk about making Rotary fun, bringing youth into Rotary, and pushing our membership beyond 1.2 million members worldwide. It struck me, why not create a Rotary Fellowship that generates exciting activities and involves those we mentor through Youth Service programs? If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a member of Rotary, it’s that anything is possible. So I called staff at Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and at their urging, attended the 2017 Rotary International Convention in Atlanta. Roaming the halls and mingling in the House of Friendship, I collected more than 150 signatures on a surfboard, and meet with several Rotarians active in Rotary Fellowships including Curtis Reinhardt from Arroyo Grande and Colin Weeks from the United Kingdom. We assembled an amazing leadership team of Rotarians from Hawaii, the United States, Australia, Mexico, and Kenya, and with the help of Scott Carr, our governor in District 5340, Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship (SURF) was born. Since then, we have made tremendous strides. We have been approved and recognized by Rotary International. April 2018 * Quest Magazine
INTERNATIONAL
We have already completed 16 events, established our website, and grown in membership daily. We now have more than 320 members in over 20 countries. Our mission is to connect Rotarians interested in surfing, and attract youth into Rotary, while raising funds for Rotary causes.
On 27 January, more than 30 SURF members gathered to support the Boys to Men Mentoring Foundation with a 1 Wave Challenge and 5K Beach Run. Rotarians from several clubs, Rotaractors from University of California San Diego, and Interactors from James Madison and University City high schools took part in an attempt to set a world record by exceeding 110 surfers on the same wave at the same time. Sadly, even with 172 surfers, we weren’t able to grab the record. But we did have tons of fun and raised $90,000 for charity! We will have a booth in the House of Friendship at the 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto. You can check us out on Facebook and Instagram@SURFSurfersUnite, and find out about upcoming events. If you are interested in being a Chapter Director or Rotaract SURF Ambassador, contact us at surfrotary@ gmail.com. By Brett Morey, chair of Surfers Unite Rotarian Fellowship and past president of the Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle, California, USA
More than 25 Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors take part in a 100 Wave Challenge for Boys to Men Mentoring in September, sponsored by SURF. 9
Water flows from new borehole in Basari Akura
water and sanitation committee (WATSAN) who was with us expressed his joy at the addition of a new water source, which in his words, will ease the pressure and struggles for clean water.
Basari Akura is a predominantly farming community in the Volta region of Ghana. The nearly 1,000 people that live there lack access to sufficient clean water, undermining health, education, and productivity of both adults and children. My club, the Rotary Club of Hohoe, is working with USAID and the government to extend the benefits of the Rotary-USAID Partnership water, sanitation and hygiene program in Ghana to Basari Akura.
We learned that the 935 people living in Basari Akura depend on an existing borehole, which was insufficient for the number of inhabitants. Squabbles and even fights erupt due to misunderstandings about whose turn it is to use the borehole. Students spend
that they used to suffer from Guinea worm until the arrival of the existing borehole. The most common current ailments are malaria and diarrhea. Despite the challenges, we noted that the community has a very good WATSAN committee of nine members, five of those women. The committee has a good accounting system, collecting a monthly fee from users of the existing borehole, depositing it in a bank, and using it for maintenance. They had already designated two people to be their pump maintenance personnel. By the end of our visit, we had the rare privilege of witnessing the first flow of water from
On 27 July, I visited Basari Akura with the partnership program leaders in Ghana: Ako Odotei, chair of the Villagers in Basari Akura use a newly installed pump project managemost of their after school hours the new borehole funded by the ment committee and Theophilus fetching water instead of studying. Rotary-USAID Partnership. It Mensah, the project manager. We was clean and flows well. It is our The slow-flowing stream that were also joined by a member of intentions and hope to continue supports the current borehole, the Rotary Club of Ho, the other working in collaboration with as a source of water, is very bad. Rotary club in the Volta Region, our partners and Basari Akura to The water was greenish. We saw and a local representative from ensure that the community mainand heard frogs around, as well as our USAID partner, Global Comtains good management praccattle foot prints in the mud. We munities. tices of the water facility, and also were told that the stream dries up explore other avenues we can to We went with community leaders in the dry season. I would have make life and health better for the to the site of a new borehole that never imagined that, within the community. Rotary and USAID are drilling same country, some have to resort about 500 meters from a stream to frog-infested water, which they Learn more about the Rotarythat inhabitants depend on for share with cattle, while others, USAID Partnership water. The project manager made especially in urban centers, enjoy us aware that the water test and By Johnson Pewudie, Rotary clean tap water. pump test results were satisfacClub of Hohoe, Ghana The community leaders told us tory. The chair of the community’s 10
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
Rotary’s amazing capacity to bring people together
Exchange students from District 6990 get together When I was 16, like most teenagers, I was focused on my own life. I hadn’t really thought about joining a service club or dedicating myself to helping others. But that changed when a high school friend began talking to me about Rotary, and its local and global actions. I was captivated and wanted to learn more. So I took my first steps in Rotary as a member of the Interact Club of Lauro de Freitas. Through the club, I was able to contribute in small ways to changing my community for the better. It was also there that I first came into contact with the Rotary Youth Exchange program through exchange April 2018 * Quest Magazine
students who lived in my district. It aroused something inside of me, and I felt an urge to also go away and experience something new. I took part in a youth exchange to Freeport, Bahamas, in District 6990 and it changed my life in so many ways I can’t explain. It is still shaping many of my current decisions. A lot of what I do today is related to the change I went through nine years ago. The exchange opened my eyes to a world bigger than my own neighborhood, city, state, and country. And there was no turning back. Cont. page 12 11
I returned to Brazil with a sense of duty. Rotary impacted my life and I felt I needed to “pay it back” somehow. My mom felt the same way. She even became a Rotarian. I became a member of the Rotex in my district, a group of youth exchange alumni who assist new inbound and outbound students during their exchange, from 2010-15. We hosted five exchange students and received countless others for shorter stays. During carnival, which is a huge event in my hometown of Salvador, exchange students staying in other cities in Brazil would come to our home to experience carnival with Rotary supervisors. My sense of needing to give back also prompted me to become a Rotaract member. The club, Salvator-Aratu, is a very active one, and we were able to impact our community in a rather impressive way. Our projects included distributing food to the homeless, supplying hospitals with mattresses, organizing medical clinics, and funding tutoring for public school students. There I made some wonderful memories and friends, with whom I still keep in contact. I guess that’s precisely how I feel about Rotary: it’s a big international family. Among Rotarians, I feel at ease, at home. In 2015, I decided to attend Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Germany to study the European legal system. I participated in the local Rotaract club and met some fascinating people. During my first meeting, I met a lovely girl named Julia, and we’ve been dating for over 2 Gabriel de Jesus Abade, right, reconyears now. That’s precisely what amazes me about Rotary: this capacity nects with his exchange counselor, of bringing people together despite their historical or geographic back- Richard Bates, during the 2015 Rotary grounds, overcoming cultural barriers and creating this special art of International Convention in São Paulo global thinking/belonging. I’m currently in Brazil and preparing to defend my bachelor’s thesis. I’m not quite sure what is yet to come once I’ve graduated. But one thing I’m sure of: whether in Brazil, Germany, or elsewhere Rotary will always be a part of my life.
By Gabriel de Jesus Abade, former Rotary Youth Exchange Student
A perfect picture of Rotex, special people, special moments, and lots of laughter 12
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Rotarians in Tempe plant 124 trees in one day. Photo by Shawna Wolf Photography
How small clubs make a big impact – with trees Our club in Phoenix, Arizona, is a small one. We have about 25 members total, between our morning and evening segments. While cacti typically cover the arid landscape, tree shade in parks is an important aspect of community development in Arizona, and we knew planting one tree per Rotarian was one of RI President Ian Riseley’s goals for the Rotary year. When we spoke with our city government officials, they were excited about the opportunity to collaborate and pool resources and expertise. We jumped on the chance, and five months of planning and multiple committee meetings later, we accomplished the almost impossible. Rotarians in Tempe planted 124 trees in one day, with the help of Camelback Crossroads Satellite, Tempe Rio Salado, and with money from a Tempe trust from a former Tempe Downtown Rotarian. We made sure to check the following: * Did we ensure sustainability? Would the trees be taken care of after we left? The City had a tree expert April 2018 * Quest Magazine
decide on the most Arizona-friendly trees, and installed irrigation in the park for each tree; a project they already accounted for. * Would we have enough tools? We used a local community Tool Bank to rent. It was really important to get enough shovels and especially pole pounders. * How would we ensure we had enough volunteers? We used SignUp Genius and visited other clubs to enlist help, as well as involving our Rotaract community. * Did the community hear about the project? The City of Tempe agreed to send out an announcement to the neighborhood inviting them to the project, and many showed up! Our sponsors made a big difference in the quality of the event, and we had a fantastic point person who works in environmental sustainability, Rotarian Tara Haviland, to pull it all off. Our three biggest tips are: Collaborate, plan ahead, and announce your event widely! Watch this video by Shawna Wolf Photography if you’d like to see how the day went!
By Laura Higgs, chair-elect of the Satellite Club of Camelback Crossroads, 2004-05 Rotary Youth Exchange Student 13
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DISTRICT 2018 ROTARY district 6930 conference
RCL has changed the ship to Majesty of the Seas due to increased demand for trips to Cuba, Majesty is a larger more luxurious ship with lager cabins but they are keeping the prices constant for our District. .. Payments for the cruise are due by March 1st... April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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What is District Assembly?
In view of the annual turnover of Rotary leadership each year, special effort is required to provide club leaders with appropriate instruction for the tasks they will assume. The annual district assembly is the major leadership training event in each Rotary district of the world. The workshops offer motivation, inspiration, Rotary information and new ideas for club officers, directors and key committee chairmen of each club. Some of the most experienced district leaders conduct informative discussions on all phases of Rotary administration and service projects. The sessions give all participants valuable new ideas to make their club more effective and interesting. Delegates from each club (officers, directors, committee chairs, etc.) are invited to attend the training session. Another important feature of the retreat is a review by the incoming district governor of the program theme and emphasis of the new RI president for the coming year. District goals and objectives are also described and plans are developed for their implementation. The success of each Rotary club is frequently determined by the club's full representation and participation in this annual meeting.
I am a Rotarian but not an officer or a committee chair, why should I attend? One key to a successful and growing Rotary club is informed and enthusiastic members. Attending Rotary meetings above the club level exposes them to knowledge about Rotary that will motivate them and make your club stronger and more effective. They will also expand their personal and business network to Rotarians from across the district and will enhance their personal leadership skills so we encourage all interested members of your Rotary Club to attend the District Assembly. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Eric Gordon, District Chief of Staff 2018-19, at eric@ericmgordon.com 18
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
District Assembly and Installation of the 2018-19 District Governor The PETS III aka District Assembly and installation of the 2018-19 District Governor, will be on May 5th at Club Med in Port St. Lucie. We will begin the day with the PETS III/assembly with breakfast & registration starting at 8:15am. We will begin with a general session at 9am followed by two 45 -50-minute breakout sessions consisting of three topics each session so participants can choose which to attend. The assembly will end at noon. These morning sessions are free if you are only attending the assembly please make sure when registering that all options are set to "0"and the fee at the bottom states $0. For those who would like to make a day of it we have made special arrangements for reduced rates with Club Med for lunch, evening, or overnight stays. The installation is NOT a formal event shorts and flip-flops are appropiate for attendees, this is Florida! Immediately following the morning sessions there will be a group lunch (fees are displayed when you register) followed by free time in the afternoon to enjoy the facility, then dinner/overnight should you decide that option followed by the installation. For those staying overnight your lunch, dinner on 5/5 and breakfast on 5/6 are included in the pricing. IMPORTANT REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS: the overnight cost is based on double occupancy. It is important when you register to indicate if you already have someone you are rooming with or you need us to find you someone to room with. Make sure you choose from the dropdown box provided in registration.
Register NOW for PETS III formerly District Assembly April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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ROTARY CLUBS
1st Annual Southern Squall Concert
Melbourne Beach
Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach Holds Benefit Concert and Raises $5000 for Indian River Lagoon Research Institute and Surfrider – Sebastian Inlet. The Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach’s first annual Southern Squall Concert, featuring the Southern Drawl Band, was held March 3rd, at The Inlet Oaks Event Center in Melbourne Beach. The event raised $5000 for the Florida Institute of Technology’s Indian River Lagoon Research Institute (IRLRI), and the Sebastian Inlet Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Melbourne Beach is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River, so a fundraiser to benefit local organizations that care for both sides of the island, the Lagoon and the Coast, seemed like a natural fit for the Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach. The award-winning, national touring group, Southern Drawl Band, delivered 4 hours of southern rock, trop rock, and country rock and had concert-goers of all ages dancing the night away. It was a great evening of family fun, and fellowship for a great cause. In addition to the musical performance, the IRLI Science Bus, staffed by Dr. Robert Weaver and Dr. Kelli Hunsucker, of the IRLRI, plus a few graduate students, was on hand to provide everyone with an interactive experience to learn about marine life in the lagoon and sustainable solutions to address environmental hazards that threaten the health of the lagoon. Surfrider and Keep Brevard Beautiful were also on hand to provide information about the First Peak project at Sebastian Inlet, and the Rise against Plastics and Ocean Friendly Restaurants initiatives. Delicious barbecue was provided by Charlie & Jakes Brewery & Grille, and craft beer was provided by Intracoastal Brewery, for concert goers to enjoy. The vibe was energetic and fun! As the sun went down, the multicolored lights reflected off of the branches of the giant Oak trees overhead. The fire pit and palm-tree tiki torches were lit, and everyone danced the night away to the awesome tunes provided by the Southern Drawl Band. It was a magical night that benefited two organizations dedicated to researching and implementing solutions to provide clean water in our community and around the world.
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BOCA RATON 22
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OCEANSIDE April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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West Palm Beach Rotary Club’s 5th Annual Rotary Day Program
WEST PALM BEACH
On March 6, 2018, the West Palm Beach Rotary Club presented the Service Above Self Award, Club Member to Nathan A. Nason. He practices business law at Nason Yeager law firm, the 3rd largest law firm with headquarters in Palm Beach County. Nat joined the West Palm Beach Rotary Club over 25 years ago. Youth service has always been important to Nat, as evidenced by his more than 20 years of volunteer work with District 6930’s RYLA program. He is a past president of the West Palm Beach Rotary Club and past Chair of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce. Currently Nat is on the boards of the West Palm Beach Rotary Club, the Palm Beach North Chamber, and the Palm Healthcare Foundation. Nat enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary Lou, and fishing with his son, David. Also, when the mood strikes him, he’s a pretty mean guitar player. Also, the Club presented the Service Above Self, Organization Award to West Palm Beach Police Athletic League (PAL). It is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing the self-confidence, social, physical, and emotional needs of children through sports. With the goal to fill playgrounds – not prisons, PAL provides opportunities for local youth to succeed through athletics, education, life skills, and mentoring. PAL helps over 400 youth annually through their 8 unique programs. The Luncheon Program included a Rotary Sing-A-Long featuring 2 Rotary songs. Also, Club members explained how our service projects fulfill Rotary International’s 2017-18 Theme - “Making A Difference” by using letters in the word “ROTARY”; R - Relationships, O - Opportunities, T - Team, A -Action, R - Rejoice, and Y - You the Club members who make a difference in the lives of 1,000’s of people.
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WEST PALM BEACH
West Palm Beach Rotary Club’s 5th Annual Rotary Day Program
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Melbourne Beach
Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach 33rd Annual Pineapple Man Triathlon to be held Sunday, June 3rd. Registration Open!
On Sunday, June 3rd, the Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach will host the 33rd Annual Rotary Pineapple Man™. Over thirty years ago, members of the Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach put together the first sprint triathlon on the Space Coast of Florida. This event helped put Central Florida on the triathlon map. What began as an innovative and fun idea for charitable fund raising has become a tradition in the oldest beachside town in Brevard County. Hundreds of endurance athletes from all parts of the United States look forward to racing in this USAT-sanctioned race. The event has sold out most years. Typically, 500-700 participants are registered to race the scenic course that includes a .3-mile swim around the Melbourne Beach pier, a fast, flat 15-mile bike ride along a scenic stretch of A1A, and a 3.2-mile run through peaceful, beachside neighborhoods. Many first-time triathletes find this race very doable, and FUN! Individual and Relay teams are invited to participate. All finishers receive medals, with top finishers in each category receiving recognition
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awards and, well, pineapples! For over three decades, the Rotary Pineapple Man™ has allowed the Rotary Club of Melbourne Beach to make meaningful contributions to community and humanitarian projects at the local, national and international levels. Race proceeds allow our club to contribute to the Rotary Polio Plus campaign and also allow us to support national and local initiatives that make a difference such as Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The South Brevard Sharing Center, Brevard Family Partnership, and many more organizations. We invite you, our fellow Rotarians, to join us in this historic event by helping us get the word out, by participating (We hereby extend a challenge to each club in our district to send a relay team to compete against our first-ever club relay team!), by volunteering, or by sponsoring the race. For more information or to register, go to http://www.pineapplemantri.com. Quest Magazine * Edition 09
DELRAY BEACH April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Pahokee
Newest Member Sam Martiello Jr.
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BOCA RATON WEST
10th Anniversary
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DELRAY BEACH
Left: Mr. John Fischer, President Rotary Club of Delray Beach; Center: Ms. Barbara J. Stark, MA, President/CEO of Milagro Center; Right: Ms.Lynn van Lenten, Community Engagement & vents Coordinator
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VIERA
Josh the Otter
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DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON 32
Downtown Boca Raton’s 20th “Honor Your Doctor” luncheon
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DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON April 2018 * Quest Magazine
Downtown Boca Raton’s 20th “Honor Your Doctor” luncheon
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Boynton Beach/Lantana
Newest Member Mr. Frank Salerno
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L-R: Mr. Frank Salermo, President Wyn Yelin and Past President and Past Area Governor Debbie Donnelly-McLay
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
ROTARACT CLUBS
Members of the Rotaract club perform community service
In Rotaract, we see, feel, and act Not long ago, a mother of one of our members saw on the news a documentary about a widow struggling to provide for herself and her three adult children living with disabilities. Her house was broken and she had no income to support them. When word reached us, we called the news channel to ask for contact information so we could visit her. The very next day, a group from my club visited. We found the mud house with no proper roof and water flowing across the floor everywhere. We promised to bring them groceries every month and help renovate their house. We felt moved by what we saw, and knew we had to act! So you ask how a group of young adults like us could manage such an expense? We spread the word and
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
found monthly donors who agreed to contribute groceries. One donor contributed greatly to the renovation of the house, up to 400,000 rupees! Finally, after three months, the house was renovated and we had given almost seven months of groceries. Following that, the widow found permanent income support. The best part of the experience was seeing our members come together as Rotaractors to See, Feel, and Act. Our duty ends in action. Without it, our efforts are incomplete. Action doesn’t always mean helping directly. But it does mean offering any aid we can to help. This is our belief of what it means to be in Rotaract.
By Fatima Khurram, Rotaract Club of Faisalabad Janubi, Pakistan 35
What I love about Rotaract
Rotaractors from all over the world gather at Interota 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan. I can never forget the most life-changing dinner I ever attended. It was June 2013, and members of the Rotary Club of Taipei Tin Harbour invited me to a special reunion. The Rotarians, who sponsored the student service club I belonged to on campus, wanted to start a new Rotaract club with all the college students they helped. My experience since I joined that new club almost five years ago has far exceeded my expectations.
language of service and fellowship. Ever since, I can’t help joining international events for the chance to meet new friends, exchange ideas, and discuss possibilities of doing good together. Last September, I served as chair of the host organizing committee for the Interota in Taipei, Taiwan, hosting 750 Rotary and Rotaract guests from 35 countries. It was special to finally have a chance to host Rotaract friends worldwide in our hometown. We celebrated 50 years of Rotaract, learned from inspiring leaders, shared things from our different cultures and experiences, and did a service project together. I was so rewarded to receive feedback from Rotaractors about what a wonderful time they had. The most precious thing to me was that Interota truly provided a platform for global friendships that will last a lifetime and create opportunities for international partnership. In Rotaract, we learn, we serve, and we lead. There are so many great values that Rotaract has taught me. And I can’t wait to explore more opportunities ahead! By Elyse Lin, a member of the Rotaract Club of Taipei Tin Harbour, Taiwan
The two things I love about Rotaract are the mentorship and the friendship. Every journey I have ever taken in Rotaract started with challenges, and members of my host club have always been there to help me. One time, I remember having difficulty with a document. When I reached out to Tina Kao, a past president of our host club, she said “Don’t worry. I have finished it for you. Just wanted to make your life easier.” Rotarians guide us by example, showing us how to lead, deal with conflict, and serve our community. What I learned from them I apply to my daily life every time I face a new challenge. Rotaract’s global network amazes me. When I attended my first international convention in Sydney in 2014, I was blown away by meeting friends in Rotaract from all over the world. We all spoke the same 36
Elyse Lin speaks during the 2017 Interota
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
Outbound Classs 2017 - 2018
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE
Gabby Ribeiro
Italy Hometown: Coral Springs, Florida School: Pompano Beach High School Sponsor District : District 6990 Sponsor Club: Pompano Beach, Florida Host District: TBA Host Club: TBA
My Bio Ciao! Mi chiamo Gabriella (Hello! My name is Gabriella) but you can call me Gabby. I will be spending the year of 2017-2018 in Italy! I am a 16 year old sophomore at Pompano Beach High School. I live in sunny South Florida with my mom, dad, and dog. I have three brothers and two sisters but they are all older than me and don't live at home anymore so it's just my parents and I. In school, I take all honors classes and AP world history. My classes are challenging but I enjoy learning new things. My favorite subject is Algebra 2 because I love math! I'm also a part of many different clubs at school including Key Club, Interact Club, Photography Club, International Thespian Society, Improvisation Club, and Excel Club. All these after school activities make me really busy but I still manage to get my school work done. In my free time I love to sing, dance, and act! I even play a little piano! Every year I participate in a musical at my local theatre. I just love the feeling of performing on stage in front of an audience. I also love traveling whenever I can. I enjoy learning about the world. My love for traveling is what made me want to do exchange. During my exchange year I am hoping to gain independence, grow, learn a new culture and share my own. I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to take this journey and the Rotary Club of Pompano Beach for sponsoring me.
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Journals: Gabby-Italy Blog 2017-18 So I finally decided its time to write about my experience here in Italy! I've been living here in Italy for 4 months and I can honestly say that this is my home away from home.
come and hug you and give you two kisses first on the left cheek and then on the right. I did not have any problems adjusting to the wonderful Italian culture!
COUNTRY/LANGUAGE/ CULTURE:
My first host family consists of my two host parents and two brothers one who is 15 and one who is 12. Like I said before, in the beginning it was very difficult to communicate with them because they didn’t speak English so it took my first whole month to get comfortable and get to know each other well. Once I could speak Italian well, my family and I became really close. They have taught me so much about the Italian lifestyle. They have also taken me to so many places I cant even name them all but my favorite trip we went on was to Germany for Christmas! It was absolutely amazing and I really felt like a part of the family. I’m so grateful to have had such an amazing first family; they have done so much for me and I can talk to them about anything. They made me feel so much a part of the family that I didn’t miss my real family as much. I was so sad when I had to switch host families because they are my real family away from home. Now I’m finishing my first week at my second host family and they are super nice as well. I have 1 brother and 2 sisters who are so fun to hang out with. Although I still miss my first family a little, I know I am going to have a great
I live in the north of Italy in a small town called Albavilla, you’ve probably never heard of it but it’s near Lake Como. The first thing that I noticed when I arrived in Italy was that everything here is small compared to America, the cars, the streets, the houses, everything. Although everything is small, I managed to get used to it pretty quickly. For me, learning the language came a bit easier since I speak fluent Portuguese and it’s a similar to Italian, but in the beginning I knew nothing. My first host family did not speak any English, which wasn’t a bad thing because it forced me to speak Italian and helped me learn quicker. Now after 4 months I can say that I do not have a problem communicating with people and Italians often compliment me on how well I speak which makes me happy! The Italian culture is very different from American culture. First off, the food is THE BEST IN THE WORLD, and its not just pizza and pasta; here the people a very healthy and they all have gardens with fresh vegetables, which is amazing. Italians are also so open to people; the first thing they do is they
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FAMILY:
and different experience here at my second one too. SCHOOL: School in Italy is very different from school in America. Here school is Monday-Saturday from 8am-1pm. They have 5 years of high school and they stay in the same class with the same people and teachers throughout these 5 years. I take 11 classes and the schedule is different everyday. School here is also much more difficult. The grades go from 1-10 with 10 being the best and the grades are only based on tests. At first they had me switch from class to class to go to the easier courses, but then I went to one class for an English class and the students in that class instantly asked me lots of questions and wanted to get to know me and were just super nice. So, after, I asked my counselor if I could stay in that class full time and she said yes! Now my classmates and I are really close. I love them! FRIENDS: So far I’ve made lots of friends; friends who are exchange students and Italian friends. When I arrived in Italy we had an exchange student orientation and I got to meet all the others who were doing exchange in Italy. In my district we have about 40 or so students, which is a lot. We all instantly got along because we all have so much in common. Now we always get together in Milan or Como to hangout
after school or on the weekends. Italian friends as I said before weren’t as hard to make as I thought it would be because they were all curious to get to know me so that’s how I made friends at my school. They took me to Milan, to go out for lunch, and even to the discoteca! Hopefully by the end of my exchange I’ll make even more friends! ROTARY: I’m in district 2041/42 which is the area near Milan, Italy. With our district we have done many trips so far. We have gone to Triuggio, Torgnon, Cremona, Rome and Naples. The biggest trip so far was Rome and Naples, which was 4 days, and we got to see so much! Soon we will be going to Venice and Sicily, which I am really excited for. I have already spoken in front of my Rotary club and been to many of their dinner meetings. I am also involved with my club’s Rotaract and have met lots of people through that as well. All of the Rotarians here in Italy do so much for us exchange students to have the best experience. Overall, I am learning so much here in Italy. I am becoming more independent, learning a new language and culture, and meeting so many new people. I couldn't be happier with my decision to go on exchange and I can’t wait to see what the next few months bring me. Sun, January 21, 2018
Quest Magazine * Edition 09
LOCAL TOURISM
Royal Palm Beach History
City of the district 6930
opment “Royal Palm Beach.”
Crestwood Middle School Incorporated on June 18, 1959, Royal Palm Beach has grown from a primarily uninhabited swamp and natural preserve and former Seminole hunting ground into a thriving village of nearly 25,000 residents. It was not until the 1950s, when Philadelphia supermarket magnates Sam and Hattie Friedland purchased 65,000 acres (260 km2) for approximately $1.25 million in what is now the Royal Palm Beach village and Acreage areas, that the natural wilderness landed on national fastest growing community lists (in its size category) in the 1980s. The Friedlands subsequently sold their land to Miami developer Arthur Desser, founder of Lefcourt Realty Group. About 4,200 acres (17 km2) were earmarked for Desser’s Royal Palm Beach development. It was Desser’s vision that spurred the initial development of the Village of Royal Palm Beach. A massive drainage project ensued and in 1959, the state legislature granted a charter which named the development Royal Palm Beach. According to a former Lefcourt engineer now living in Wellington, Desser wanted the name “Palm Beach” to be included in the new community’s name, so it was decided that since Desser also liked the stately royal palms of Palm Beach, he would dub his devel-
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
On June 30, 1959, with Seminole tribe officials on hand for the festivities (and to renounce all former claims to the land), a groundbreaking ceremony was held. Engineering began for the village’s myriad waterways and a basic system of roads. A sales/recreational center was built with a motel facility in the area now occupied by the Royal Inn and two bedroom, one-bath model homes were erected starting at $8,250. Village government — initially in the form of a developer-appointed council — later became popularly elected in 1964. Not until 1977 did the Village Council find a permanent home in the present Village Hall complex. To date, there have been 15 mayors who have served the village — some as single-term and part-term mayors — others, like Sam Lamstein (1982–1990), formal County Commissioner Tony Masilotti (1992–1998), and current Mayor David Lodwick (since 1998) have won voter approval for multi-terms. Arthur Desser’s dream of a “nouveau” Palm Beach were short-lived, however, with the bankruptcy of Lefcourt in 1961. His interest was bought out by Friedland who then established Royal Palm Beach Colony Inc. to continue village development. A grocery store magnate with no experience in the housing market, Friedland nonetheless was a savvy businessman who put together a team of professionals who set up a comprehensive land sales/development/ building enterprise. With the late Herbert Kaplan as RPB Colony CEO, the company and the town grew slowly from 1960-67 — first in the original “Colony” section of floral-named streets east and west of the southern end of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., and then expanded with vigor into the Willows and LaMancha subdivisions (east of RPB Blvd.). 39
A marketing push began in 1979 to offer to builders tracts of land. With this growth phase the Village ballooned over the next 15 years. In 1983, Crestwood Middle School opened as the first community school followed in 1985 and 1989, respectively, by H.L. Johnson and Cypress Trails Elementary schools. Royal Palm Beach High School opened its doors to 1,100 students in 1997. Schools in the western communities continue to open in rapid succession — often with student bodies at or near capacity the first year. The 2002-2003 school year included the opening of the village’s third elementary school on Okeechobee Blvd., just west of the Madison Green residential development. In 1986, both Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center opened with 117 and 120 beds, respectively, and both are continuing with major expansion projects to meet the health care needs of local residents. With the hospitals came a building boom of medical office complexes on the campuses of both hospitals, as well as a Royal Palm Beach health center built by West Palm Beach’s Good Samaritan Medical Center. Since the village’s inception, public safety has been foremost in the minds of residents and village officials. In June 1960, Joseph Klopp became the first Royal Palm Beach police chief. That first year, “Klopp the Cop” was the sole full-time officer with several auxiliary part-timers. Today, the accredited department counts nearly 50 sworn officers in addition to dispatchers, school crossing guards, detectives, a captain, and the chief based in a modern, computerized department in a building within the Village Hall complex. In 2007 the policing duties were contracted out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff 's department with a significant savings to the Village taxpayers.
Village firefighters weren’t paid until 1972 and the two full-timers on staff made about $6,000 a year. The following year, three more full-time firefighters were hired, and in 1975, Combs became the first full-time chief at a salary of $13,500 a year. With a growing population, and thankfully few structural fires, the focus of the department expanded to include emergency medical treatment. Combs and a department lieutenant were enrolled in the county’s first paramedic-rescue course and, less than a week later, answered a cardiac arrest call for a village resident who would have died had Combs not taken the course. Within the next four years, the department hired 18 additional paramedic/EMT trained firefighters. A second station opened in 1994 at the entrance of the Counterpoint Estates to cut response times to residents living in the State Road 7 area. In March 1999, following a council-authorized study by consultants, a controversial and much-debated decision was made to curtail an independent village fire department and instead merge equipment and personnel with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. Village recreation needs were not overlooked during the booming growth period and since 1974. Under the department’s purview are approximately 325 acres (1.32 km2) of parks and green space as well as the village’s 6,300-square-foot (590 m2) Cultural Center which opened in 1993. Since 1990, Royal Palm Beach has been named as a Tree City USA. Its entire area is designated as a bird sanctuary.
Royal Palm Beach residents have also appreciated the security of a local fire department since a volunteer force of eight individuals was recruited in a construction trailer in January 1963. In 1969, the department moved its headquarters to a maintenance building in the present Commerce Park, which featured three bays and two trucks. A final move in 1976 to the department’s building on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. enabled the department to expand its manpower and equipment. At that time, the department shared the building with the police department.
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Quest Magazine * Edition 09
TELL YOUR STORY
ROTARIAN STORY
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EDITOR MESSAGE
My Presidency has reached the end... Now What? We are coming near to the end of another Rotarian year.... and your presidency is coming to an end... It’s like hearing: you’re almost done....it’s almost at the end....I can’t take it anymore...and things of that sort. What are you, my dear president, saying now? Remember that you must be the example of your peers; you should inspire them to want to be president one day and not to discourage them. In every aspect of life, there are bad moments just like there are good moments! There’s a saying from my country that says: “not everything is flowers”. That’s exactly it, but remember, that it is in the bad times that we learn, that we grow.... I know that there are times that dealing with the old and experienced Rotarian isn’t easy, because he knows everything, right? And what about the one that only appears at the events to be in photos? Oh, there’s also the one that wants to be the best at everything, right? That’s right, knowing how to deal with these things is part of being a leader, and if you know how to properly administer this, I know that you were a great president! I want to challenge you to right your experience as president for the Quest! Share your good and bad moments! Remember: your term is reaching its end... I know for certain that you will miss it... There will come a moment when you no longer have time to do the projects you wanted to accomplish but that never left your thoughts or the paper drafts... there isn’t time left to do a lot of things, it’s reaching the end! Share your story so it can go into the Quest’s next edition: rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com I’m waiting for you! Strong Hugs President,
Dini Heizer District 6930 - Newsletter Editor 2014-2018
rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com RotaryDistrict6930
April 2018 * Quest Magazine
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