QUEST
MAGAZINE
Edition 07 - FEBRUARY 2018
February 2018 * Quest Magazine
DISTRICT 6930
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CONTENT
Quest Rotary District 6930
The Official District Magazine
Healing the scars of war
Page 9 , 10 & 11 People are asking to join, why are we ignoring them?
Page 12
Promote Rotary! Distribute this magazine to your place of business, family and friends.
Spread the word!
Editor
Dini Heizer
Graphic Designer
Andre Heizer
Contributors Dave Freudenberg Betsy Owen Julia Babbitt
Are you Proudly Rotarian?
Page 14
Harry Lerch Mollica Judy R. Denise Roeser Deborah Freudenberg James W. Underwood Debbie Avery
International Assembly
Page 15 & 16
Published by:
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Neil Saffer Vera Schaffer Chrissy Elliott Julie Vianale
CONTACT: rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com Quest Magazine * Edition 07
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 Governos 2017-2018 February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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CALENDAR February Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month
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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
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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
February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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CLUB DIRECTORY
Intracoastal Brewing Company
18:00 -19:00
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Island Pasta
Quest Magazine * Edition 07
INTERNATIONAL
Healing the scars of war In the mountains of Poland, 26 chil- “After the trip, they are more willdren traumatized by violence get a ing to make contact and open their chance to be kids again at Rotary camp hearts,” she said. Beneath the emotional scars of living in a Ukrainian war zone, Mykyta Berlet flashes the same mischievousness of any other 12-year-old boy headed to camp. He wants to laugh, play pranks and on the last night of camp “we will cover everyone with toothpaste,” he says excitedly. Mykyta and 25 other Ukrainian youths headed to the resort town of Zakopane in the foothills of southern Poland are naturally focused on fun. But their twoweek respite organized by Rotary members has a higher purpose: To help the children heal and cope with the trauma they may encounter when they go home. Each camper has a parent or sibling killed or injured in the fighting in Ukraine. Psychologists at camp will guide them along the way during an itinerary that mixes escape and therapy. Olga Zmiyivska, a member of the Rotary Club of Kharkiv Multinational in Ukraine, has brought children to the camp for two years and has witnessed its impact. February 2018 * Quest Magazine
War came into their homes Thousands have died and millions have been displaced by the fighting between pro-Russia rebels and the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine. Growing up in the shadow of that nearly four-year conflict, most of the campers don’t remember a life without war. They tell unrealistic stories about battles and keep silent about real horrors. Some are guarded and hypervigilant. Others endure sleepless nights or nightmares. A few withdraw and emotionally shut down. In Zakopane, nestled in the scenic Tatra Mountains, Rotary members give the children a chance to heal in a peaceful setting. The children sleep in comfortable cabins along a pristine lake flanked by green, rolling hills. The program, called Vacation 2017 Zakopane: WellBeing for Ukrainian Kids, includes traditional camp activities and field trips along with support from mental health professionals. More than 100 children have attended over the past four years. Cont. page 10 9
This year’s campers visited a mountain village to learn about local traditions, toured historic Krakow, and saw the castles, salt mines and hot springs of southern Poland. The routine activities are simple but powerful.
job loss later in life, research shows. When a breakthrough does come, therapists listen or just sit quietly as the tears flow.
“It always takes time to survive loss. This time is needed Yuriy Paschalin and Vlad Tsepun, both 12, became to run the processes that we name ‘grief work,’ ” says close friends after their fathers were killed by snipers. Hrytsenko. The field trips helped both boys start to relax and act like typical, curious children. “A person will always remember the loss of someone whom he or she loved. The task is not to forget but to “This program allows these kids to stay kids and to live find the essence of this loss and to learn how to be hapchildren’s emotions,” said psychologist and art therapist py after this”. Olha Hrytsenko. “They will observe and absorb another culture, attitude, and language, (and) will be able to compare and make conclusions about what is good and what is bad. It will help them to find themselves.”
Psychologist and art therapist Olha Hrytsenko helps children work through their grief at Vacation 2017 Zakopane: Well-Being for Ukrainian Kids.
Breaking their silence When asked about their families, the children often talk about their parents, siblings, grandparents, and even their pets. Then the looks in their eyes change. Glints of childish fun disappear, along with any fussing or fidgeting. Instead, there is obvious pain behind their faces. And silence.
Dreams and beliefs At the Zakopane camp, Valerie Tkachuk, 12, from Dnipro, Ukraine, was slow to trust others. Her answers were often short and sharp.
Her father was injured in combat while her pregnant Like many children, 11-year-old Dima Tkachuk doesn’t mother was home caring for the family. Valerie shrank want to talk about his dad’s death. Talking about death into herself, stopped communicating with peers, and makes it all too real. started sleeping in her father’s sleeping bag on the balcony. His father was killed in a military conflict zone; Dima’s mother also serves in the Ukrainian army and has been “That year was the most difficult in my life,” Valerie said. sent to the same area where Dima’s father was killed. She was asked to close her eyes and remember the most Dima, though, shared a glimpse of the stress on his fam- pleasant memory of camp in an effort to make her smile ily. He explained that since their mother left to join the for a photo. fighting, his 18-year-old brother has turned to smoking Eyes closed, Valerie started crying and opened up in a and drinking alcohol. way she had not previously at camp. “Sometimes he does things that one cannot be proud “I am disturbed about my dad, as he is stressed for mom. of,” Dima said. And he is forbidden to have any stress, as he can have a The psychologists and camp staff know not to pres- heart attack,” Valerie said. sure the children to open up. Instead they build trust Valerie dreams of following her father’s path and bethrough group games, outdoor activities, art therapy, coming a military officer. and individual counseling with psychologists. Many children who grow up with war are drawn to the Children are more vulnerable to the psychological military. Their vulnerability, feelings of helplessness, trauma of war, often causing them to withdraw, experts and lack of trust make the strong image of a soldier apsay. Re-establishing emotional connections is critical pealing, experts say. to healing. If left untreated, isolated children are more likely to experience domestic violence, addiction, and Cont. page 11 10
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Dima is set on a career in the army. Sasha Kruglikov, The changes in the children are obvious, Rotary mem9, whose father was killed in the conflict, already views bers say. himself as a soldier. He likes wrestling and karate and Kaczmarczyk is the first person to meet the children in said he wants to defend his country when he grows up. Lviv, Ukraine, when they start their trip. They may be nervous, which can make them irritable and aggressive. Creating a place to heal When the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2014, Rotary members stepped up to help.
But after the program, they are relaxed, smiling, filled with a new self-confidence.
“We thought, why not organize vacations for kids whose childhood was affected by war,” says Ryszard Luczyn, a member of the Rotary Club of Zamosc Ordynacki, Poland.
“We continue this program because we know how these children react, how they change, how they become more open to the world, and how they look at the world the way it should be for a child,” Kaczmarczyk says. “War takes from them their childhood. And they still have their children’s dreams.”
Barbara Pawlisz, of the Rotary Club of Sopot International in Poland, and Łuczyn got support from the Poland-Ukraine Intercountry Committee. Rotary’s Intercountry Committees are networks of Rotary clubs in at least two countries, and they often work together on service projects or to foster peace between the residents of countries in conflict. Rotary clubs in Belarus, Poland and Ukraine participate in the network.
After the children return home, they send letters and pictures about their camp experiences to program organizers and Rotary members.
Children have drawn portraits, colorful scenes of nature, castles and the kings and queens who live in them, and dragons. Sometimes, they write letters about what The Well-Being for Ukrainian Kids project started in they observed. One girl marveled at the clean streets 2014 with mixed results. The children, ages eight to 17, and friendly people. didn’t always get along. Their war trauma was recent, Whether they are magical stories or practical observaand communication between the age groups was diffi- tions, the children carry warm memories home with cult. them. The Rotary members recognized adjustments were nec- Kids who experience violence can be prone to violence essary, but they were not deterred. themselves; this program shows them a different path. Since that initial effort, organizers narrowed the age “After such traumas as car crash, natural disasters, [or] range for campers to six to 12, and the number of Pol- wars, people often go to two extremes: Either they stop ish Rotary clubs that support the project has more than being afraid of everything or they start being scared of doubled to 83. everything. I think these children will belong to the first Rotary District 2231 in Poland raised money to pay the travel and lodging expenses of the children and their caretakers. The project has also drawn support from clubs in Sweden and Slovakia. Ukrainian clubs were involved in selecting participants from all areas of the country.
category,” psychologist Hrytsenko said.
Anna Kaczmarczyk, a member of the Rotary Club of Zamosc Ordynacki, Poland, is the first person to meet the children when they start their trip.
By Iuliia Mendel Produced by Monika Lozin“It is always very difficult to find affected children in ska small towns and villages. So we appealed to all the Ukrainian Rotary clubs to help us,” says Anna Kaczmarczyk, a member of the Rotary Club of Zamosc Ordynacki, Poland. “Now we have children not only from large cities, but also from distant parts of the country.”
Does it work? February 2018 * Quest Magazine
Anna Kaczmarczyk, a member of the Rotary Club of Zamosc Ordynacki, Poland, is the first person to meet the children when they start their trip. 11
People are asking to join, why are we ignoring them?
Rotarians in District 7070 package bags with items for childrens’ birthday parties to be delivered to local food banks. At our zone institute in Winnipeg, I saw a presentation about Rotary’s membership leads program and how districts are receiving many requests from the program but not following up on the leads. Later, I was at Rotary headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, for training as a Rotary Coordinator, and Brian King, RI Director of Membership Development, pointed out to us how failing to follow up on these leads represented a major public image failure. Think about it. A person makes contact with you, and you totally ignore them? What does that say about your organization? In the business world, companies often make cold calls to generate business, sometimes with no results. In this case, people are coming to us asking to join. In District 7070, we researched the outstanding list of membership leads and saw that there were many names that we had never contacted. Many times, when you ask people why they haven’t joined Rotary, they will say “I was never asked.” Taking that to heart, we also considered the pro-
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fessional research Rotary has received showing that Rotarians join for friendship and social activities. So we decided to use an old tried and true method of contact. We called to talk to each of the leads. “The main message here is email does not work; a personal call is best.” This took some time to call all the outstanding leads. But the first impression has worked well. We describe our district, what clubs we have available and their locations. The lead is able to ask questions. In some cases, it was easy to suggest a nearby club, but for others, it was more difficult. In some cases, we suggested a couple clubs they could visit. We then emailed the lead club information, meeting times, and locations. We also emailed the club president and asked them to call the lead and invite them to a meeting. The main message here is email does not work; a personal call is best. The end result is we have several new members joining our clubs. One example is a lead that joined a club and is now serving on the district conference planning committee. Another lead attended our district conference to learn more about Rotary. Finally, one of the leads mentioned that she wanted to join Rotary now so that when her parents, who are Rotarians, arrive in Toronto for the 2018 convention, she will be a Rotarian to host them. So what do you say? Isn’t it worth picking up the phone and calling those membership leads? * Watch a recording of the Managing Membership Leads for district leaders webinar. * Watch a recording of the Hot, Warm and Cold Leads: Engaging Your Prospective Members webinar for clubs By Bob Wallace, Rotary Coordinator for Zone 24 East and a member of the Rotary Club of Port
Hope, Ontario, Canada
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Incoming district governors prepared to Be the Inspiration District governors-elect got their first look at the 2018-19 presidential theme Be the Inspiration Sunday at the International Assembly, an annual training event for incoming district leaders. RI President-elect Barry Rassin urged the audience to build a stronger organization by inspiring a younger generation and by getting the word out to the community at large about the work Rotary does. “I will ask you to inspire with your words and with your deeds: doing what we need to do today, to build a Rotary that will be stronger tomorrow; stronger when we leave it, than it was when we came.” We caught up with incoming district governors after the theme was announced to get their thoughts on being the inspiration.
Charles Tondeur, Rotary Club of Hazebrouck-Merville, France (District 1520): “I think Rotary needs to be open to new ideas, and this theme encourages us to think about ideas that will inspire our members. Inspiring is about bringing new energy.”
Yoko Hattori, Rotary Club of Tokyo Hiroo, Japan (District 2750): “This theme is clear and direct, which is going to be useful and powerful for the leadership in districts. He’s asking us to think about how we take care of our Rotary family, but also how we inspire beyond Rotary.” Malcolm Kerr, Rotary Club of Cobram, Australia (District 9790): “I thought the theme was, well, inspiring. I especially like the way he talked about the sea connecting us all. We have to inspire our districts, we have to inspire our clubs, we have to inspire our individual members, and we have to inspire in the world beyond Rotary. It’s a pyramid of possibilities.”
Jim Cupper, Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA (District 6360): “What I really liked was Barry Rassin’s emphasis on the environment and how we’re going to fit that into the things that Rotary does. Be the Inspiration is easy for most of us to work into our message to our districts and our leadership teams. Part of inspiring our clubs will be training them to use the amazing tools that Rotary has.” By Hank Sartin, Rotary editorial staff February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Are you Proudly Rotarian? It is certainly true that the reasons for a person joining Rotary are varied and many. For some, it’s the personal and business networking that motivates them. For others, it’s fellowship and a sense of belonging to a world-wide organization of people. Still for others, it’s a status symbol. Whatever the reasons, everyone has one. Sadly, some of the reasons don’t fit Rotary’s primary purpose; a network of problem solvers living the mantra of Service Above Self. Networking for professional and personal development is laudable, so is the quest for social recognition through association with entities that have an impact, and so is an opportunity to travel around the world to Rotary events. My fear is that the essence and core responsibility of being a Rotarian is being lost on many around the world, at least from my club.
the privileges has an inherent moral obligation to live the responsibilities as well. It is unbelievable that many clubs struggle to have members offering themselves up for leadership, club service, community service, and even participation in club meetings, projects, and other events. Being Proudly Rotarian is not just an empty accolade and status symbol. Rather, it is a call for service and commitment to hold true the driving motive of Rotary. It’s a call to give of yourself to the world community in giving to support and strengthen the Rotary Foundation’s humanitarian efforts around the globe. It’s a call to build strong clubs and use our skills, professional knowledge, and technical know how to bring happiness to people in our communities. If this is not your core understanding of what it means to be Proudly Rotarian, I guess you are simply and unfortunately a mere member of Rotary. I am a Rotarian and Proudly so. Which are you? By Frank Kofi Owusu Debrah, Foundation Chair and Past President of the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Ghana
Many of us travel on expensive budgets to Rotary events, yet we have not contributed a single cent to The Rotary Foundation where our investment into communities around the world comes from. I simply cannot comprehend this and I am certain that there are many of us thinking alike. However, it is obvious that there are also many who do not feature the Foundation in their budget priorities, and that, whether they donate or not to the Foundation, they consider themselves a Proud Rotarian as long as they pay dues. This must change. Privileges come with responsibilities whether voluntary or compulsory. Whoever enjoys 14
Members of the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Ghana, hold a polio day rally
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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... February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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GET READY FOR ADVENTURE Your clients’ adventures to Havana, Cuba will be here before you know it. So before they set sail, ask yourself, " Did I remind my client to"...
Pack Passport — Required for all guests and must be valid for six months after their trip. Be Aware of Cuba Tourist Visa — Facilitated for all U.S. guests by Royal Caribbean at a cost of $75 per person. This fee will be added to your clients’ onboard account on Day 1 of the cruise. For further instructions for Non-U.S. Citizens visit Creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Deployment/2017_2018/Cuba_FAQs.pdf
Complete Travel Affidavit — In accordance with U.S. law, your Cuba-bound clients will be required to complete a travel affidavit identifying the category of travel under which they are visiting. Make sure they bring two completed hard copies per guest to the port, as it will be required during the embarkation process. To print out this document, visit Creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Deployment/2017_2018/Cuba_FAQs.pdf
Review General License Requirements — Ensure your clients’ compliance of at least one of 12 authorized categories of travel to Cuba that are permitted under a general license. They can be found at Creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/Deployment/2017_2018/Cuba_FAQs.pdf
Select Shore Excursions — All tours offered by Royal Caribbean are designed to meet the requirements of permitted travel authorized by the U.S. government. Shore excursions have limited availability and must be reserved up to 48 hours prior to sailing through Cruise Planner at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/CruisePlanner
Pack the Essentials — Depending on the time of year, the intensity of the heat can be significant. Be sure to recommend lightweight clothing options, comfortable walking shoes and a hat. Shorts and tank tops are appropriate dress for restaurants and hotels
Prepare for Banking Restrictions — Your clients’ credit cards will most likely not be accepted. They should anticipate paying for items in one of two local currencies — The Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and the Cuban Peso (CUP.) The CUC is the currency designated for tourists. Advise your clients to check exchange rates before sailing.
Pack to Carry Ashore — Whenever ashore in Cuba, your clients should carry their Passport, Visa, SeaPass card and cash
Verify Medical Coverage — While in Cuba, it is unlikely that your clients will be covered by their U.S. health plans. Recommend that your clients check with their insurance providers regarding their medical coverage while in Cuba
Contact Mobile Phone Company — Your clients should be aware of any restrictions or charges they may incur if using their mobile devices in Cuba
For more information, visit LoyalToYouAlways.com/CubaSailings
©2017 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. 17055349 • 02/14/2017
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International Assembly I had the honor as District Governor Elect to represent District 6930 at International Assembly January 14, 2018 – January 19, 2018. This is an event that happens every year in San Diego, CA where all 520+ District Governor Elects come together in one place for the final training and fellowship before becoming the District Governor on July 1st of that year. I arrived at the Manchester Grand Hyatt on Sunday January 14th. I had a few hours and was able to check into my room and change prior to heading downstairs to register for the weeklong event. Once registered I had a couple hours before the first session began so I chose to mingle and meet many of my fellow DGE’s from around the world as they were arriving at the hotel. Some I had been friends with on Facebook and it was nice to finally meet them in person. Sunday afternoon the sessions were about to begin. You could feel the excitement in the air we had been waiting for this experience for 2 years! We were all lined up and finally the doors opened. As we walked into the room each chair had what looked to be a bongo drum placed on them. Once seated we were treated to a session by the Drum Café where we used the drums to create rhythm in which we worked as a team but also as two teams at times with different rhythms going at once. This was a great way to pay tribute to Samuel Owari who as we all know was to be the RI President for 2018-19. Immediately after this exercise RI President Elect Barry Rasin took the stage and revealed his them “Be the Inspiration” to all in attendance. Below is a link to the video which is well worth watching. https://my.rotary.org/en
I was lucky enough to run into Rotary International President Ian Riseley at the international assembly in San Diego last week, what a wonderful job he has done and continues to do! He is certainly making a difference. Cont. page 16
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Each day following started with a breakfast buffet, then general sessions, classes, lunch, more classes, and dinner. As you can imagine when you are this busy the days go by very quickly. In one of the general sessions we were asked what if you are walking along leading your district and you look back and there are no followers, are you still leading? I found this to be something that many of us took back to the classrooms for discussion. It seemed to be a common fear for each of us. During the class time the resolve was to lead with vision and inspiration. Most of the general sessions worked in nicely with the classroom discussions such as the case above. We were given information and then we discussed it in small classroom discussions with our peers. One of the best classroom settings I happened to be selected for was a session that was multi-lingual. The session was in Portuguese and I had to wear the headphones for the translation. I thoroughly enjoyed this concept as I always feel as someone who speaks English we do not understand what the others at these events go through to have to have someone translate for them. In the evenings there were was typically something fun planned for us. A couple of these things were the cultural exhibit, dances, and the International Parade. The Cultural exhibit was very interesting it was held in a large room and districts from all over the world had items from their area on display. I brought with me from my area items from Kennedy Space Center such as little space shuttles, mouse pads, stickers etc. I visited the exhibit and people give you their gifts sometimes in exchange for yours. I had a lady from Japan give me a set a magnetic bride and grooms, someone from Africa gave me a unique handmade pen others just had items to display. This eventually led into the parade which was alphabetical by country. To see people dress up in the native costume was awe inspiring and so much fun. I had some of the ladies from Zone 33/34 dress up with me and we participated in the parade. Our dresses were a huge hit lots of people were taking pictures with us. It was a lot of fun. This event was followed by dancing. To me the two dances that were held were amazing. People from over 200 countries came together as one. You would see people dancing on the dance floor who come from countries at war with one another when at home, but here they are dancing and singing. Where else but Rotary would you ever see this happen?? This is the beauty of our, yes OUR, organization. I truly look forward to serving each of you as District Governor for District 6930 in the 2018-2019 Rotary year.
By Julia Babbitt February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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BOCA RATON
ROTARY CLUBS
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Lake Worth 24
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DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Titusville 26
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Vero Beach February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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SEBASTIAN
ShrimpFest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo March 16, 17 and 18, 2018 Riverview Park, Sebastian, Fl
It's ShrimpFest time again! New Location! New Format! Same great Florida Shrimp and Craft Beer! Three days of Shrimp, Craft Brews, Live Music, Vendors and Kids Events! The ShrimpFest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo has a new venue this year: Riverview Park, US Hwy 1 & CR 512, Sebastian, Florida. Local restaurants and organizations will compete for the bragging rights to the winning recipe and the coveted "Third Annual Golden Shrimp Award". Everyone attending the festival can vote for their favorite dish. Allergic to seafood? The kids don't like shrimp? Don't let that stop you from enjoying a great weekend as pizza and other foods will be available. The event features FREE entry and parking, live music, exciting kids' activities, loads of vendors and more. Pareidolia Brewing Company of Sebastian has joined forces with over 15 Florida brewers and home brewers who will be bringing their best brews for the Craft Beer Tasting on Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00. Entry to the festival is free but the Craft Brew Tasting is $35 at the door, presales are $30 at eventbrite.com. Summer Crush Vineyard & Winery of Ft. Pierce will delight you with their selection of wine during the entire weekend. The festival begins on Friday, March 16th, with our pre-St. Patty's Day party at 3:00 pm with food, Irish music, and brew until 9:00 pm. Saturday , March 17th, the vendors open early at 9:00 am, beer sales start at 10:00 and food sales at 11:00. The Craft Beer Tasting is from 1:00 to 4:00. Enjoy the Motorcycle Show and Ride-in on Saturday from 12:00 to 5:00. Live music, beer and food will flow until 9:00pm. Kids events will be sponsored by Home Depot. Sunday, March 18th, the vendors open again at 9:00 am, beer sales at 10:00 and Food at 11:00, music and kids events all day to 5:00 pm. Enjoy a special Car Show on Sunday from 10:00 to 2:00. The ShrimpFest & Craft Brew Hullabaloo is a joint effort of the Rotary Club of Sebastian and the Fellsmere Exchange Club and is sponsored by the City of Sebastian. Net proceeds raised from the event will benefit local youth sports teams, the prevention of child abuse and participating non-profit organizations throughout North Indian River County. We gratefully acknowledge a new sponsor, Dale Sorensen Real Estate, and a returning sponsor, J.J. Taylor Distributing, and invite others to help sponsor this worthy fundraiser. For more information send us an email or check out our website.
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VERO BEACH SUNRISE
Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach's Christine Steinkrauss is in India on a Rotary Mission trip for Polio. She took these photos. By Deb Avery
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BOCA RATON WEST Dear Fellow Rotarians making a difference while distributing dictionaries to 3rd Grade Children of Del Prado Elementary School, Coral Sunset Elementary School and Waters Edge Elementary School in Boca Raton (FL). This year we were able to distribute 500 dictionaries, thanks to the sponsorship of The Boca Raton Tribune, Boca Raton Football Club, Ultimate Soccer Store Thank you all! February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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BOCA RATON
It's a wrap. The Rotary Club of Boca Raton,s 20th Annual OPAL Awards Gala & Fundraiser was the biggest, best, and most successful OPAL yet1 It would be impossible to name and thank everyone that helped to make this happen but the end result is we will be able to help more young people realize their potential and live their dreams. Thank you to every single one of you That led to this success. By Neil Saffer
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ROTARACT CLUBS
How we started a new Rotaract club back. Therefore, I focused on the prominence and notoriety of Rotary and Rotaract, asking “Would you like to do good and make a difference within our community?” Students at Sewanee want to serve and help the community.
Members of the Sewanee Rotaract Club visit Pelham Elementary School to promote physical exercise and serve as role models I was walking out of my accounting class this summer when I received a message from the dean of students asking if I would be willing to start a Rotaract club at the university for the fall semester. I knew nothing about Rotaract and very little about Rotary but Dean Gentry assured me he would be our club adviser and provide support, so I accepted. Sewanee does not have a plethora of clubs with the national or international recognition that Rotaract has, and I felt confident that students would be interested. A week later, I met with Bill Davis, a local Rotarian who has orchestrated the effort to bring Rotaract to the university. Bill and I were determined to create a following for the club, so we spent countless time organizing, reviewing the Rotaract Handbook, and discussing how we were going to make it a successful club. I met with Katie Sneed, the president of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Rotaract Club, who graciously gave us advice. Her perspective and support has been crucial. Initially, I advertised to students through the Activities Fair, to Greek Life organization, and any other student streams we could think of. I explained that Rotaract is an opportunity to create a network of connections and make a difference in the world. Pitching this in a positive light was critical because students will choose to invest their time where they receive the most value
February 2018 * Quest Magazine
After creating a viable student interest for the club, we held an information meeting and followed the Rotaract Handbook. Twenty-seven students attended our first meeting, and we felt there was enough support to move forward. At an organization meeting I explained the structure of the club and asked for those interested in leading. Assembling the right leadership team was critical. I created nine positions adding on a Social Media Com mittee Chair and the Finance Committee Chair. These officers have been instrumental to our club’s success. Their efforts have allowed us to grow quickly and mobilize. Perhaps the most important ingredient has been the support of Rotarians. Bill Davis, John Hill (President of the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary Club), and Woody Deutsch have given their constant support, organizing the charter ceremony, and attending our meetings. Bill has supported me and been a great mentor throughout this semester. I have learned a lot about leadership, service, and life. He and the other Rotarians have been a great influence upon our Sewanee Rotaract Club. We have held our charter ceremony, participated in service projects, received guest speakers, and are making an impact upon our community. Ultimately, the Sewanee Rotaract Club is here because of the students who make up the club. They are passionate about “making a difference,” and this mission and core value is what unites our club and allows it to succeed.
By Samuel R. Kern, Rotaract Club of Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
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Quest Magazine * Edition 07
Outbound Classs 2017 - 2018
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE
Colson Fairchild
Brazil Hometown: St. Augustine, Florida School: Pedro Menendez Sponsor District : District 6970 Sponsor Club: St. Augustine, Florida Host District: 4310 Host Club: The Rotary Club of Piracicaba: Cidade Alta
My Bio Ola! Hi! My name is Colson Fairchild and I am proud to be representing District 9670 this year as an exchange student to Brazil. I am from St Augustine, Florida and I go to Pedro Menendez High School. This year I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. I was inspired by my good friend Nikki Johnson who was an outbound to Belgium this year, and by Fred (Minsu) who is an inbound staying with my family right now. My parents have been very supportive during this process; they have made sure to let me know how sad they’ll be to see me go. I am in the middle of my two siblings, one younger brother and one older sister. My brother loves sports and everything that you can do outdoors and my sister spends a lot of her time at church and on mission trips to help the less fortunate. My family is constantly busy with different activities so our house is rarely full. I’m the worst culprit about having no free time. I have a job at Chick Fil A and I have school to go to. On top of that I study a Korean martial art called Tang Soo Do. I have been doing it for about 4 or 5 years now and I am a first degree black belt. I try to make time to spend with my family and friends, luckily school, my martial arts studio, and Chick Fil A are all closed on Sundays, so I get a little reprieve there. I love to hang out with my friends whenever I get the chance, I’m excited to get to make new friends in Brazil where I’ll have more time for them. Wish me luck y’all!
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Journals: Colson-Brazil Blog 2017-18 Alright so I meant to do this months ago. And I was strongly encouraged to do this about a week ago, so it’s finally here. My second journal about my wonderful life in Brazil. I’d like to start by saying that I’ve been putting this off because I’ve had a whole lot of events that I wanted to include that were week after week. Actually my graduation/prom is tonight but it’ll just wait until the next journal because I need to just pony up and do it. I also want to say in my last journal I mentioned not going to Rotary, not 5 minutes after posting it my host mom told me I had Rotary that night, and now I’ve been at least twice a month for meetings. I promise I’m not slacking on all of my responsibilities. Anyways onto the good stuff, what’s actually been going on during my exchange. About 2 weeks after my first journal we had our district orientation for all of the new inbound exchange students. I feel blessed to be from RYE Florida because I knew everything they said before they said it. Extensive training sessions are something to be grateful for! My district has just about 32 exchange students in it, a third of them are Mexican so I got to hear a lot of Spanish that weekend. (Just that weekend because Brazilians speak Portuguese and not Spanish). We stayed in another city with host families that weekend, the family I stayed with were a blessing, they had the cutest son he was only five years old and he loved to talk about Cars. (The films not the vehicles). Overall it was a great chance to meet the other exchange students and make friends that I know will last a life time. The next big event was the Rotex organized trip to Hopi Hari, an amusement park in the state of São Paulo. Almost all of the exchange students went and we had such a good time. The whole trip cost about as much as the admission to a Disney World park, so I’m glad about that bonus. My group actually spent most of the day tailing the Rotex. They’re actually really cool people and I recommend everyone try and meet their Rotexes and get to know them. About halfway through the day I gave up on rides and became the designated bag sitter, but it was still fun and I got
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to ride the important rides. The day ended with a huge party in front of the main stage at the park, everyone was involved and some exchange students ended up on stage dancing for everyone to see. The very next week was Halloween and my school threw a party and I dragged all of my friends to it. I went as a zombie because I’m too cheap to buy a $20 costume and I packed to many T-shirts and could afford to tear one up. My great friend did zombie make up for me and I really looked like a corpse (which was great because by the end of the night I felt like one). My class organized the party and also worked the haunted house. So I went through with other exchange students who were freaking out while I couldn’t stop laughing. That was a great night. After that my friend invited me to go with him and his family to their beach apartment. Being the good exchange student I am I said yes. We went to a little beach town called Ubatuba and I got sunburnt on the very first day. But it was fine his family was so sweet they went and got aloe even though literally none of them get even close to burning in the sun. My Mexican friend went with us too, I’m pretty sure he ended up burning by the time we went back home. While we were there we spotted a rotary world fair (you can’t escape rotary, they’re everywhere). One night at the world fair all of that districts exchange students went so I got to meet more people from around the world. We actually only got noticed because during the talent show that they were putting on, I obnoxiously shouted USA! USA! for the girl from Texas. The chairmen of that district pulled us aside and took us on stage. He knew not only our countries but also our names, Rotarians know all, keep that in mind kids. The night was fun and we ate tacos that the Mexicans disapproved of. I ate so much food going to a beach in Brazil is essentially going to a buffet. Then I did a Thanksgiving with my Portuguese teacher’s English class. We ate a lot of popcorn and burgers and said what we were thankful for. I did a lesson for them on what thanksgiving is completely from memory. I would recommend not
trying to sum up the entire history of a holiday from memory, take the time to just write some note cards for yourself. One week later I went with my brother and my Portuguese teacher to Curitiba, a city in the south of Brazil, to learn more about different cultures in the country. We took a historic train tour and got an overview on the region. I had a really great all you can eat Italian dinner there in a restaurant we were all underdressed for. Last weekend we went to São Paulo with the Rotex and we got a tour of the city. We visited museums and the classic tourist traps. I drank really good boba tea in China Town and enjoyed the classic Mortadella sandwich from Mercadão in São Paulo. It was almost the size of my head and it was so good. We visited a different outdoor market and ended up spending so much time taking photos that no one bought anything. So if you’re still with me, congratulations, now I’m gonna talk about what I think is more important. What life is like here on a day to day basis. Everyone wants to hear about trips but exchange isn’t all about trips I promise. I just finished school and I’m on summer vacation, but while I was in school I was getting up at 6 am for class and coming home around 1 for lunch. Now I’m getting up around 11 for breakfast and having lunch at 1 still. Where I’ll be going to school next year is actually up in the air at the moment. My school actually closed this year, the director is going to open a new school so hopefully I’ll be going there but it’s not set in stone. I promise I’ll be going to school I am aware that I’m an exchange STUDENT. After school I usually spent one of two ways, I either ate lunch and took a nap before an event at night. Or I ate lunch and went to my good friend Pedro’s house (more about him later). I had a couple of things I did at night, primarily because Brazilians just prefer to do things later in the day. Every Monday I went to interact, every few meetings we went around the room introducing ourselves and I always
got a laugh from my classic line “Hi I’m Colson from the United States, and I’m a really cool exchange student.” Tuesday and Thursday I have capoeira classes. (Capoeira is a Brazilian martial arts developed by run away slaves that disguised it as dancing practice when it became outlawed). Monday and Wednesday I was taking handball classes, I’m not great but it’s not at a competitive level so it’s a good way to make friends. Fridays I have Portuguese classes so I can keep improving my language. When my mother told me I’d be super busy in Brazil like I was in the US I told her she was crazy. Mothers tend to be right. There’s always something on Friday and Saturday night, someone’s having a party or friends are going to the movies at the mall. I’ve had multiple people complain that I’m impossible to do stuff with because I’m too busy, and I think that’s a mark of a successful exchange, I don’t have the time to be wasting. (I don’t consider an afternoon nap a waste, especially considering my host brother and father take them too, it’s cultural exchange). About my darling friend Pedro, and the important reason you want to make local friends. I probably have spent more time in his apartment building than in mine, because he’s so active in trying to do as much as possible with exchange students. But one day I was explaining to him that I wasn’t sure what I was doing for my next host families, because the two others I had backed out of the agreement and my counselor thought it’s better I don’t live with families forced into hosting. Pedro didn’t think twice and just said “ok come live with me.” I honestly thought he was just kidding because that’s a big offer, but he went and asked his mom and last night the family met with my counselor. I officially have my second host family now because my friend is really just that great. This is barely scratching the surface of what it’s like here but I’ve rambled on long enough. All I can say is thank you to Rotary for giving me this chance to build a life for myself in Brazil, the most beautiful country on Earth. Thu, December 7, 2017
Quest Magazine * Edition 07
LOCAL TOURISM
City of the district 6930
City of Port St. Lucie History Port St. Lucie was a largely uninhabited tract of land south of White City in the 1950s, composed of a fishing camp, a few farms and businesses near U.S. 1. In 1958, with a budget of $5, the General Development Corporation (GDC) purchased the River Park development and 40,000 acres (160 km2) along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. In 1959, the GDC opened its first bridge over the St. Lucie River, allowing for direct automobile access to Port St. Lucie. By February 25, 1961 there were 250 homes in the new city. GDC requested the state legislature to incorporate 70 miles (110 km), along with the River Park settlement, into the City of Port St. Lucie. River Park did not incorporate into the city at the request of its residents. Port St. Lucie became a city on April 27, 1961 with the passage of House Bill No. 953, proposed by State Representative Rupert Smith and approved by Florida Governor C. Farris Bryant.
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Things to do in Port St. Lucie Savannas Preserve State Park Environmental Education Center 10-mile coastal marsh reserve offering such activities as canoeing, fishing, hiking & photography.
Sailfish Splash Waterpark Aquatic center for competitive swimmers with towering slides & a lazy river for recreational use.
Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens
People from Pahokee
Sizable botanic garden featuring a colorful array of unique flowers & plants, with a gift shop.
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Quest Magazine * Edition 07
TELL YOUR STORY
ROTARIAN STORY
February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Quest Magazine * Edition 07
EDITOR MESSAGE Hello my fellow Rotarians! It is with great honor that I am here this new year continuing to provide for you The Quest Magazine. This is a project I think is so important because it shares the wonderful things that our district is doing. The Quest is made to promote you and your club. As such, I need your help! You know what is happening on your club, so I ask you to send me articles and photos. Anything that tells the district the great work that your club is doing. The Quest is only successful because of you. I want to encourage you all. The 2017 and 2018 Rotary International theme is “Making a Difference”. Interesting how he chose the verb “mak-ing”. He did not use a past tense, not future, not passive. He used the active form of the word make. This means that we, as Rotarians must actively work to make a difference. We must actively do service projects around our community. The Rotary Clubs must actively work with the youth clubs. We may not be able to change the whole world, and maybe we will not be able to end world hunger this year, but together we can really make this community better and that’s what I want the mission to be. We must act locally, and eventually that will ripple globally. I am very excited for this new Rotary Year. Thank you.
Dini Heizer District 6930 Newsletter Editor 2014-2018 rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com RotaryDistrict6930
February 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Quest Magazine * Edition 07