QUEST
MAGAZINE Edition 11 - JUNE 2018
Rotary Fellowship Month June 2018 * Quest Magazine
DISTRICT 6930
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CONTENT
Quest Rotary District 6930
The Official District Magazine
Winners of The Rotarian Photo Contest
Promote Rotary! Distribute this magazine to your place of business, family and friends.
Spread the word!
Editor
Dini Heizer
Page 9 & 10
Thousand Flags event connects community
Graphic Designer
Andre Heizer
Page 11 Contributors
Rotary wins Best Nonprofit Act for its polio eradication
Page 12
Dave Freudenberg Julia Babbitt Bob Hyde Jon Kaye Marc Gingras
Literacy center dedicated to Pakistan Ro-
Robert Visconti (Bob) Wayne Paulin
Page 13
Published by:
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CONTACT: rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com Quest Magazine * Edition 11
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
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
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CALENDAR
June Rotary Fellowships Month Sat Jun 02, 18 thru 09:00A Wed Jun 06, 18
Fri Jun 08, 18
09:30A
Sat Jun 09, 18 thru 12:00P Sun Jun 10, 18
RI Zone 34
RI Zone 34
2018 District 6930 Conference
District 6930 Conference Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas Tampa, Key West, Havana
ZONE 34 District Membership Chairs Meeting
Zone 34 District Membership Chairs Meeting - Jacksonville June 8th 2018 This meeting is separate to Zone 34 Leadership Training, and is for DMCs only. However DMCs should use the same Hyatt Hotel Reservation Tab, since this event is at the same location.
Zone 34 Leadership Training Seminar, Jacksonville, Florida (click to view a list of registrants)
Wed Jun 13, 18 06:00P
Stuart
Stuart Rotary Club Installation Dinner
Thu Jun 14, 18 06:00P
Rockledge
Annual Installation Banquet
(click to view a list of registrants)
Hutchinson Island Marriott Resort 555 NE Ocean Blvd. Stuart, FL 34996 Time Out Plus 607 Florida Ave, Cocoa, FL 32922
Rotary Club Boca Raton West Installation Dinner
Thu Jun 14, 18 07:00P
Little Brazil Restaurant - Boca Raton
8177 Glades Rd Ste 21, Boca Raton, Florida 33434
06:30P
Boca Raton Sunrise
Boca Raton Sunrise Installation Dinner
Sat Jun 23, 18 06:00P
Wellington
Installation Dinner
Fri Jun 29, 18
Vero Beach Sunrise
Annual Installation Banquet
Fri Jun 15, 18
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06:00P
Renaissance Hotel
Quest Magazine * Edition 11
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
June 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
June 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
Captain Butcher’s Restaurant
The Italian American Club
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INTERNATIONAL
Winners of The Rotarian Photo Contest
From more than 1,100 entries, our 2018 photo contest
winners
rise to the top Reviewing this year’s submissions, we saw photos that capture big scenes of celebration and small moments of connection. We saw images of Rotarians as people of action, working together to make our world better. And we saw breathtaking views of nature. Our judge, Stephanie Sinclair, reviewed the images without any identifying information, with the unexpected result that two people each have two photographs on the following pages.
First place Photographer: Anthony Riggio Rotary Club of Westport, Connecticut Location: Rabat, Morocco
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Second place Photographer: Santosh Kale Rotary Club of Shirol, India Location: Pandharpur, India
Third place Photographer: Maureen McGettigan Rotary Club of Valley of the Moon (Santa Rosa), California Location: Bagan, Myanmar
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Thousand Flags event connects community Imagine a sparkling lake, surrounded by rolling hills dotted with red, white, and blue flags flapping in the gentle breeze. Picture a three-year-old boy with a miniature flag, running beside the patriotic spectacle…or a high school senior in cap and gown, smiling proudly for her picture-taking mom in front of the colorful backdrop. Now, imagine an Army veteran, dressed in a beret and fatigues, leaning on his cane for support in his slow, deliberate walk among the sea of American flags.
Flags. The three-day event honors military heroes who have fallen in the line of service (consistent with Memorial Day’s traditional purpose), and also salutes all current and past members of the military, and local first-responders as well. When Rotarian Becky Brooks approached Breakfast Rotary about the possibility of creating the project, club members were intrigued. But they knew an undertaking of this magnitude would require a lot of planning and many volunteers. Brooks knew it was possible, especially considering our community’s commitment to
people of all ages and backgrounds – move quickly to complete the project in time for an 11:30 a.m. opening. The conversations are unpredictable! I’ve overheard talk about the weather, the last day of school, college plans.One time I heard a Coast Guard veteran ask a Marine vet “how many people are in a Marine platoon, anyway?” People are brought together at Thousand Flags. They are brought together by Rotary! When the large center flag is lowered at dusk each evening, a quiet crowd gathers to hear the playing of taps and to watch the high school color guard fold the flag and present it to our club president. At the end of Monday’s ceremonies, which feature patriotic music and local speakers, many attendees will walk away with a folded flag that they have sponsored in honor of someone
These and other heartwarming sights are the reason my anticipation builds each year as Memorial High school students work on posting flags for the event Day approaches. As a 25-year member of Bakersfield honoring those who serve. She Breakfast Rotary Club, this event – they love. was right. Thousand Flags – is my immediate This Memorial Day, Bakersfield answer when I’m asked, “What’s Flying the flag Breakfast Rotary Club will celeyour favorite club event?” In fact, brate the 5th Annual presentation Rotarians, high school clubs, cub this is the event that took my Roof Thousand Flags. I can’t wait to scout troops, football teams, and tary commitment to a whole new see what kinds of connections are even an occasional passerby will level. made this year! spend the first morning of their As Rotary clubs in the United three-day weekend posting flags Which project or RotaStates consider how to connect in spots carefully selected and ry experience took people across the generations in marked by a crew of professional your commitment to order to serve, impact, and imsurveyors that volunteer for the a new level? prove our communities and our event. world, Bakersfield Breakfast RoBy Cheryl M. Scott, a member of I especially enjoy the early part of tary Club hit the jackpot in 2014 the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary that first day, where small teams – when we introduced Thousand Club, California, USA June 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Rotary wins Best Nonprofit Act for its polio eradication work
A Rotary vaccination team immunizes children against polio at a railway station in Karachi, Pakistan - Khaula Jamil
Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio worldwide won Best Nonprofit Act in the Hero Awards of the One Billion Acts of Peace campaign, an international global citizens’ movement to tackle the world’s most important issues. The campaign is an initiative of PeaceJam Foundation and is led by 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Rigoberta Menchú Tum, with the ambitious goal of inspiring a billion acts of peace by 2020. Each year, the campaign picks two finalists in each of six categories for their work to make a measurable impact in one of the 10 areas considered most important by the Nobel laureates. Winners are chosen by people from around the world. Rotary and Mercy Corps were the two finalists in the Best Nonprofit Act category. Rotary and the five other winners will be recognized at a ceremony on June in Monaco. Betty Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for her advocacy for peace in Northern Ireland, will present the award.
By Ryan Hyland
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Literacy center dedicated to Pakistan Rotarian
Children at their school in Jhang, Pakistan,
before the project provided new chairs, blackboard, and books.
A random Facebook message with an invitation to present at a Rotary polio conference in Lahore in 2014 was the start of an amazing journey that took me from rural New Zealand to Pakistan and culminated in a project to improve the education of children of garbage pickers in Jhang, Pakistan.
had visited and pledged support and setting up a Facebook page. Building work commenced in January 2017 and was completed in months. Sadly, Khalid died just weeks before the opening ceremony but he saw the work completed and we dedicated the development to him. The inauguration of the “Rtn. Mian Khalid Haider Block, Rotary Literacy Centre” was a day that I will remember forever. The transformation was stunning. Classrooms renovated and furnished; new classrooms built; and computers, tables, chairs, blackboard, and books installed. In addition, our new Interact club’s first project, a book drive, provided additional books for the pupils. But it was the children that made the day. They glowed with excitement and anticipation. I look forward to following their progress.
By Michelle Tanner, past president Rotary Club of Matamata, New Zealand
While I was in Lahore, Rotarian Khalid Haider invited me to his home city of Jhang, three hours west of Lahore. There he took me to visit the Rotary Education Center Dar-ul-Ehsan, established in 2002 and funded by his Rotary club, Jhang Saddar. I was impressed at the efforts of the local Rotarians, and appalled that, in the 21st century children were educated in these conditions. They wrote on slates! There were hardly any books, almost no furniture, in fact virtually nothing. Just a willingness on the part of the children to learn and of the teachers to teach. The Rotarians were doing all they could but they needed help. I returned to New Zealand to seek the support of my fellow Rotarians. In July 2016, when I became president, this was our international project, supported by a district grant. I emailed the news to Khalid who went into action rallying support from other overseas Rotarians who June 2018 * Quest Magazine
Michelle Tanner’s daughter, Alice, right, reads with some of the students during the opening of the literacy center.
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Speech at the District assembly on May 5th
DISTRICT Be the inspiration....it may sound simple, but to some it is a complex statement. Not like making a difference. We all know what our clubs are doing...What Rotary is doing to make a difference, we can list the projects such as, eradicating polio, water wells, dictionaries, the list goes on, but.. how do WE "Be the Inspiration?"
share the vision…to “Be the Inspiration.”
people in 16 countries...
Complacency, aging out...words we use to describe many Rotary clubs today even right here in district 6930, these are some of Rotary’s biggest risks...not to Rotary as an organization, but to the great things Rotary is capable of, both in our local communities and around the globe.
Lucia stated that while they are young and their projects are small, like cats, it does not mean they are unimportant. She stated that the people that support them… are Rotarians… Rotarians committed to today’s youth and their service.
At the International Assembly, when Rotary International President Elect - Barry Rassin introduced the 201819 theme “Be the Inspiration”, he commented on having been raised on an island, surrounded by the sea. He told a story about long ago explorers longing to know what was just over the horizon. How the great explorers didn't simply gather the wood and build a boat, but instead, created curiosity to find out what is over that horizon.
What will be the next great Polio eradication... that can’t be achieved because Rotary isn’t there?
Lastly she stated when you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up they will likely answer a police officer, a fire fighter, a doctor, a teacher… all service oriented professions.
As I reflected on President-Elect Barry’s speech I think back to a half century ago. We had a great leader who inspired people. This person had a clear goal he wanted to achieve, however he did not have the ability to gather the wood or draw up the plans… No he chose for him a simpler path, he chose to “Be the Inspiration”… certainly you know who I speak of in an address to the nation he stated.. “the United States was not built by those who waited.. and rested.. and wished to look behind them.. This country was conquered, by those who moved forward--and so will space.” This person was of course John F. Kennedy, and his vision was the moon. John F. Kennedy not only inspired the space community he inspired a nation…and a globe. So is it your job, as leaders of your clubs, your communities, not to chair fund raisers or projects, but to inspire your members to want to HAVE fund raisers, to DO projects, and be people ofACTION...for the good they will create. Without a similar vision, the motivation is missing. Your job is to
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
Rotarians have been given the responsibility to build on the good work of those who have gone before us. We need to look towards the FUTURE and build a strong foundation by serving efficiently and effectively. We, as today’s Rotary leaders need to provide the best possible experiences to its members. This will ensure that the good work of Rotary continues not just this year and next… but even beyond our own time here on this planet. What would the world lose if Rotary was not there to inspire young adults? Just ask those Rotarians who give up their time to inspire young people who attend Camp RYLA. They will tell you the countless number of young people's lives they have changed for the better, including some who were prepared to end their life.. but chose not to because they were inspired by Rotarians . Speaking of our youth, it was Lucia Gomez Garcia from Argentina who at age 10 addressed the Rotary International Convention and asked the question how young is too young to change the world? Lucia then spoke of Ryan who at age 6 was in kindergarten when his teacher explained to the class that people in Uganda were sick and even dying because they did not have clean water. By saving his allowance Ryan set out to raise the $70 that he believed it would take to drill a well, he soon discovered it would cost $2,000 but through his inspiration he raised close to $3,000 to build that first well. Ryan is now 20 and the Ryan’s Well Foundation has raised millions of dollars and built more than 900 wells that provide clean drinking water to over 800,000
Too young to inspire and change the world… I think not THIS is our job as leaders, to Inspire, to be the Inspiration, for our members, not only of our clubs, but in our schools and in our communities....to go out and do great things, to make our communities, locally and globally, a better place. Rotary's success, its strength doesn't come from individuals, but from the collective members of our clubs...and of the 1.2 million globally who pull together and do amazing things that others simply cannot achieve. We INSPIRE, we ACT, we LEAD, we DO. We get the job done. WE make the world a better place. This is also why membership is so critical. With more inspired members, we can do so much more, to make the world a better place. Be the Inspiration.. to your family...to your club…to your community...and collectively we will Inspire the world to act...and the world will be a better place. Together, WE see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. Be the Inspiration…Thank you
Julia Babbitt
District Governor Elect 2018-2019
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District Awards Luncheon
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District Literacy Award * Eau Gallie * Suntree * Merritt Island- Breakfast * Melbourne * Boca Raton West
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
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Exemplary Literacy Award
* Stuart Sunrise * Palm Beach * Port St.Lucie Sunset * Sebastian * Okeechobee * Lake Worth * Cocoa * Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach * Palm Beach Flager 18
* Indiatlantic * Stuart * Fort Pierce * Jupiter-Tequesta * The Northern Palm Beaches * Boynton Beach-Lantana * Boca Raton Sunrise * Boca Raton Sunset * Cocoa Beach Daybreak Quest Magazine * Edition 11
The State of Florida, Senate, congress and Cabinet recognizes Rotary as an outstanding humanitarian organization. Presented by the Governor of the State June 2018 * Quest Magazine
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ROTARY CLUBS
BOCA RATON WEST
Mother’s Day 2018 We delivered flowers at Abbey Delray
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VERO BEACH SUNRISE 22
DISTRICT’S “CITY OF TREES” GETS 87 MORE, THANKS TO VERO BEACH SUNRISE ROTARY Vero Beach Sunrise Rotary accepted Rotary President Ian Riseley’s challenge to all Rotary Clubs that they plant one tree for each member during his term as president. “There’s something about planting a tree that speaks to people. It shows a long term commitment to the community. Rotary does many wonderful projects…we build playgrounds and clean up rubbish and do many other things. But somehow, planting a tree captures the imagination”, said Riseley. Vero Beach has long been known, for good reason, as the “City Of Trees” but Club President Elect Designate and landscape architect Robin Pelensky thought that another 87 couldn’t hurt. Sunrise Rotary Board members agreed, to the tune of a $5,000 commitment. Seeking an appropriate open site (there really are lots of trees in Vero) Pelensky sought out club member and Indian River County Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell and Robert Michael, Director of Physical Plants for the school district, for suggestions. Together, they selected the grounds surrounding Vero Beach High School’s Freshman Learning Center, many of whose trees had not survived Hurricane Irma in 2017. “The school had a real need for shaded areas to make its outside space more inviting and user friendly for students and faculty”, said Michael.
As word of the initiative spread, other community organizations offered to help. The local chapter of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs matched Sunrise Rotary’s $5,000 investment in support of its own “Color the Canopy” initiative, and the Cultural Council of Indian River County also made a contribution, hoping to kick start its plans for a Cultural Arts Village nearby. The result of everyone’s efforts was the planting of 69 trees – a mixture of crape myrtle and yellow Poinciana arranged per Pelensky’s professional design – on the school grounds. Scores of people - Rotary volunteers, board of education employees, supported by Sunrise Rotarian and local landscaper Ray Hooker and his trusty backhoe - all gathered for a few days in April, digging holes, raking, watering, risking sunburn and blisters, and otherwise offering encouragement. But wait! Pelensky’s design called for 69 trees, and Sunrise Rotary’s commitment was for 87. What to do? As it happened, one of Vero’s youth baseball league baseball fields had recently been totally renovated and named after country music star and Vero native Jake Owen (who, as a youngster, had played on the field). So, later his month, 18 additional cabbage palm trees will be planted to help beautify the field and provide shade for spectators at Vero’s new youth baseball showcase. With that, Vero Beach Sunrise Rotary’s commitment to meet President Ian’s challenge will be met, resulting in an even more beautiful “City of Trees” for its home town. Two of Sunrise Rotary’s areas of focus are on its youth and its environment. With the completion of this project, both were measurably and beautifully fulfilled. By Bob Hyde Quest Magazine * Edition 11
VERO BEACH SUNRISE
Project chair Robin Pelensky (straw hat) with Sunrise Rotarians Ray Hooker (L) and Bob McGrath (resting)
Work in progress
Incoming Membership Chair Tom Groendyke takes a break
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Sebastian 24
The Rotary Club of Sebastian was honored to present a 6-$500 college scholarships to these deserving students of Sebastian River High School class of 2018! Pictured: Lorianna Simmons, Kelly Parrish, McKenna Tucker, Rotarian Andrew Rich, Sunny Lulla, Jose Torrellas and Evan Bush. Quest Magazine * Edition 11
DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON
The Boca Raton Mayors Ball will take place Saturday, November 17, 2018 at Royal Palm Yacht Club. The co-chairs are Rick Howard (Owner of Sklar Furnishings) and Arlene Herson (Former New York Cable TV Celebrity Interviewer) and Honoray Chair is 2017 George Long Award recipient Bobby Campbell. 2018 George Long Award Honorees: Jerry Fedele - Individual Best Foot Forward - Non-profit Modernizing Medicine - For Profit. — with Lynda Louise Palmer, Gloria Wank, Ann Marie Brown and 15 others.
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Indialantic 26
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Early Childhood Brain Development
Indialantic
Pediatricians and neuroscientists agree that the first 36 month of a child’s life is the crucial period for healthy brain development. With this is mind, the Rotary Club of La Crosse, Wisconsin has overseen the creation of an easy-touse book for the mothers of infants. The book is called The Brain Game and it explains what to expect during the early stages of life, with sections for the first 3 months, the next 3 months, etc., through 36 months. Importantly, The Brain Game is full of helpful suggestions for activities and interactions with the child that are designed to promote healthy brain development. It is colorful, attractive to work with and easy to understand. The Brain Game was created via La Crosse Rotary about 17 years ago through the combined efforts of the Mayo Clinic, University of Wisconsin, Gundersen Lutheran Health System, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, the School District of La Crosse and others. It has been updated over that time to keep pace with the science and is now in its third edition. A Spanish language version of the book was recently added.
tree, Eau Gallie, Melbourne Beach and Jupiter have either purchased books or submitted District Grant requests. In addition, the Rotary Club of Elmsford, NY has committed to buying a large number of books, after Bob visited them on his vacation last year. Further, the Children’s Home Society of Brevard, located in Melbourne, purchased and distributed books this year. With the help of fellow Indialantic Club member Julia Babbitt, District Governor-elect, and the support of The Brain Game, Inc., Bob had a table in the House of Friendship at this year’s Florida PETS in Orlando. Presidents and Presidents-elect of several clubs from across the state showed their interest by purchasing The Brain Game from Bob. In response to their interest, Bob has scheduled presentations for later this month at clubs in La Belle (Ft. Myers), Cape Coral and Venice. He has received invitations from clubs in Winter Haven and Hastings and expects to reach out to all 25 Clubs who expressed interest at PETS. BOB VISCONTI CAN BE REACHED AT 321-794-0330 OR BY EMAIL AT RVIS2020@AOL.COM.
The La Crosse Club makes the Brain Game available to anyone, but the primary channel has been purchases by Rotary Clubs, who then distribute the books. Over 90,000 Brain Game books have been sold in the U.S and at least 2 other countries. The Indialantic Rotary Club’s Ruth Sanderson first learned of The Brain Game 11 years ago and introduced it in the club. Indialantic Rotary has made annual purchases ever since. We then give the books to various local agencies. In recent years, recipients have included Healthy Start in Brevard, the Florida Department of Health in Melbourne and Genesis House in Melbourne. And in April of this year, we shipped 10 books (paid for by one of our members) in Spanish to Planting Seeds International for use in their work in Guatemala. When he joined the Indialantic Club 2 years ago, Robert Visconti was surprised to learn from La Crosse that we were the only club in Florida that bought The Brain Game. Undertaking to spread the use of the book, he has visited a number of clubs in the District (and beyond) to make a 15-minute presentation. It explains the importance of the book and its very attractive economics for a club: each book costs $10 and helps 2 people, mother and child. The result of this activity has been a broadening of support for The Brain Game. Clubs in Rockledge, Sun-
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
Ruth Sanderson of Indialantic Rotary Club, Nurse Lori O’Byrne of the Florida Department of Health and Robert Visconti of Indialantic Rotary Club
Robert Visconti,
Case Manager Dona Guindon of Genesis House and Ruth
Sanderson
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Cocoa at Eastern Florida State COLLEGE
Pure water for the world Honduras trip April 2018
ROTARACT CLUBS
amazing; a new shiny matchbox car, rubber duck or candy would bring such an amazing smile to their face that you could not believe. I had the opportunity to visit several different schools and hand out Spanish dictionaries that the Rotary club of Cocoa had generously donated. This was an amazing thing, after all education is to I had the incredible opportunity to join the crew of key to all success and by giving these dictionaries Pure Water for the World in April 2018. Being the to the schools we were able to change their lives in president of the Rotaract club of Cocoa at Eastern ways that we can’t imagine. Florida State College presented me with the opporLastly, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing tunity of a lifetime. like-minded individuals that strongly believe in serOne of my responsibilities as president of the Rota- vice before self. From Maria and Oscar and all of the ract club is to bridge the gap between our club and Pure Water for the World staff in Honduras to the our sponsoring Rotary of Cocoa. While at- 19 volunteers that came together from all over the tending their meetings, I was invited to join them on states to give their time to help complete strangers, their trip to Honduras in April. For me, per- we will always be joined together with fond memosonally, this was an incredible journey that allowed ries of an amazing service project. The week went me the opportunity to volunteer and help the by flawlessly, with expert scheduling that allowed us people of Honduras that needed one of life’s basic not only to volunteer and help the people in Honduras but to enjoy the local cuisine and culture. Withnecessities; clean drinking water. out the strong commitment from individuals like Being a Navy veteran and traveling all over the world Natalie and Eric this program would not exist, and I and seeing different levels of poverty I thought that am grateful to have met them all. this trip would not touch me in such a profound manner personally however, I was wrong. To see the The sense of accomplishment by everyone of our people of the mountainous rural area of Honduras team for a job well done was amazing. At the end was a unique opportunity that I will cherish for many of our amazing trip we were able to install 35 wayears to come. I found it amazing that no matter ter filter systems, handed out 60 dictionaries, built how little that we Americans thought they had, they two male-female latrines with washing stations, and were extremely happy in their humble dwellings. de-worm a community. Not once when we entered someone’s home did they not offer us some kind of food or drink. All the peo- This truly was an opportunity ple of Honduras that I met were extremely grateful amazing and would offer us anything that they owned with- that everyone should out hesitation. Hondurans are truly remarkable try to do at least once. It people and deserve all the help that they can get so really gives you a sense perthat they can prosper and be healthy. While volun- of spective and how much teering we were always received like we were part of the family. When we arrived to their homes, we were we take for granted here greeted with beautiful touching smiles and hearty in United States. If I ever handshakes, and upon completing our mission we have the opportunity in the future to go again I received heartfelt gratitude. would not hesitate for a Another aspect of this trip that was truly moving second. was the interaction between Pure Water for the World’s volunteers and the local children. Hand- By Wayne Paulin ing out small gifts to these young children was
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Top Rotaract honor goes to club that empowers women who have HIV Rotaract clubs around the world earn awards for excellent service The 2018 Rotaract Outstanding Project Award recognized the Rotaract Club of Edulink International Cam-
pus, Western Province, Sri Lanka, for a project that teaches entrepreneurial skills to women with HIV to empower them to earn a living. The club created the Dream Store online platform, where the women can sell products they make and have their earnings go straight to their bank accounts. After meeting with the women to assess their abilities, the club partnered with local experts and Rotarians to expand the women’s skills or teach them new ones. The women also received training in basic business and personal finance.
The club arranged with several leading companies, including the largest gift shop in Sri Lanka, to carry the women’s products to ensure they had a customer base. The club hopes it can remove some of the stigma around HIV and AIDS by allowing the women to showcase their talents, giving people a way to support them through commerce, and holding events aimed at educating the public about the disease. “Before, these women were unemployed, because nobody would provide them jobs,” says Nipun Peiris, past president of the club. “They had no choice but to beg on the street.” The recognition “confirms our hard work and the obstacles we overcame,” he says. “I am very proud of what we have achieved.”
The award for best multidistrict project went to the
European Rotaract Information Centre, a multidistrict organization that promotes collaboration and development of service projects among 115 districts and 24,000 Rotaractors in more than 45 countries. The organization compiles project descriptions and uploads them to a library, where results can be shared. A “twinning accelerator” serves as a search engine to connect clubs with mutual interests in service and friendship. For this year’s awards, more than 470 projects were nominated in 59 countries. In addition to the best single-club project and multidistrict project, the awards recognized outstanding service projects in each of six geographical regions. The best single-club project and best multidistrict project receive $1,000 each for future service activities, and members are invited to inspire other Rotaractors and Rotarians at the Rotaract Preconvention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Rotaractors assemble food boxes for Rise Against Hunger during the European Rotaract Conference. ence. By Arnold R. Grahl Quest Magazine * Edition 11
INTERACT CLUBS
Ismael Nieto reads to children during one of his Interact club’s service projects
Dreaming bigger dreams through Interact When I was 10 years old, my parents became involved in Rotary. Since that moment, I’ve assisted in club activities as the son of a Rotarian, and at first, I didn’t like it all that much. But four years later, something changed, and it became one of my favorite hobbies. I was inspired to take action through the needs I discovered in my community. I looked for an Interact club to join, but there wasn’t one in my city. The next year, I received the opportunity to take part in a short-term Rotary Youth Exchange in Wisconsin, USA. On that exchange, I visited an Interact club that motivated me to create one in my own community. My youth exchange experience gave me a new and bigger perspective that opened June 2018 * Quest Magazine
up a door of opportunity. I helped charter the Interact Club of Manta with the help of my mom, a Rotarian, and friends, and became the charter president. We started many service projects to help our community, my favorite being one that assisted children living in shelters after the 2016 earthquake. Also, I organized a PolioPlus fundraiser which raised $500. Representing Interact in my district, I have visited most of the Interact clubs in Ecuador, motivating them toward greater service and engagement. I have also organized district events with the objective of giving other teenagers the opportunity Rotary has given me. All these Rotary service and leadership experiences have changed my life. I’ve had the opportunity to meet people from different cultures and dream bigger dreams to make the world a better place. Rotary is giving me
the leadership tools to make these dreams come true.
By Ismael Cadeno Nieto, Interact Club of Manta, Ecuador
Nieto Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of blog posts from the 2018 Youth Leadership AllStars, participants in Rotary’s programs for young leaders, in celebration of Youth Service Month.
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Outbound Classs 2017 - 2018
ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE
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Vale Olano Germany Hometown: Davie, Florida School: Alpha Omega Academy Sponsor District : District 6990 Sponsor Club: , Florida Host District: 1940 Host Club: The Rotary Club Berlin Gedae-
My Bio Hallo, my name is Valeria Olano. I am incredibly excited to become an exchange student. I am 16 years old, born in South Florida with a Colombian nationality. I have 2 younger sisters, Valentina ( 15 ) and Victoria ( 11 ) and 2 wonderful parents, Karen and Juan. I currently live in Davie, FL where I spend most of my time figure skating. YES, I skate in the sunny state of Florida. Because of my sport, I have had to sacrifice the social life that school brings; however, I enjoy homeschooling with my skating teammates. When I am not skating or being bombarded with rigorous school work, I always find a way to stay active while being accompanied by friends and family. Also, my favorite hobbies include dancing, acting, and singing. In past years, I was involved in musical theater, ballet productions, and several talent shows. Furthermore, my family and I love to have people over, which is why socializing comes easy to me. I love to meet new people and learn about different cultures. This past year, my family and I were able to open our home to a wonderful exchange student, Veronika, from the Czech Republic. She has been a great example of what being an exchange student is all about. Having her live with us opened my eyes and understanding that life can be more exciting embarking in a new journey abroad. Though living away from home is not always flowers and rainbows, it still is an unforgettable experience that I am so honored to have. I look forward to meeting my future families in Germany. Auf Wiedersehen goodbye. Quest Magazine * Edition 11
Journals: Vale-Germany Blog 2017-18 9 months in Berlin and just 1 month left until I fly back home! As I approach the end of my exchange, my heart is heavy. Of course I am excited to return home to my family and friends but at the same time, I'm leaving an incredible exchange life behind. The thought of saying goodbye at the airport brings tears to my eyes. However, I still have 30 days left of adventure! This month was even better than the last, filled with lots of traveling and adventure. Right after my Eurotour, I had the blessing to have my parents and sisters come visit me in Berlin. They stayed 10 days and it was filled with so much excitement and sightseeing. They got to meet my host families, my school friends, and see the city that they have only heard of on the phone when I share things with them. My dad had been to Berlin years ago, as the wall was still up, so this time was completely different and still a total new experience for him. My mom had never been to Berlin before so everything was new for her as well as for my little sister, Vicky. Valentina came to surprise me as well and had the chance to visit Berlin for the 3rd time. We traveled with trains and it was so cool to show them how everything worked and how they depended on me completely to get everywhere, something I used to do back at home. It was also incredible to show them how much German I learned and them asking me to translate certain things for them when they couldn't communicate with someone.For 3 days, we all got to travel to Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, where George, my Rotarian, invited me to go to the Karlsbad. It was incredible that my parents were able to tag along because we all had the chance to visit such a
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
beautiful city that none of us had seen before. Karlsbad is quite an elite ball that can only be attended by personal invitation, so for this to have been my first ball ever was outstanding. I got to meet such powerful people and even what's left of European Royalty. I danced the entire weekend. Friday night was a cocktail dress party, Saturday morning was a horse race and at night was the Grand Ball, and Sunday morning was the church and brunch followed by a themed ball; Carnival in Venice. Everything was prepared months ago and finally the moment arrived to wear all the exciting costumes! Unfortunately, my parents couldn't stay with me the rest of my exchange so it was time for them to fly back home. After they left, I went on traveling through Europe, which was also a huge blessing. My second host family invited me to go to Denmark with them because of a confirmation from a family member. We stayed directly in Copenhagen and it was a blast. We went shopping, sightseeing, and had the opportunity to go to the oldest amusement park in Europe, TIVOLI. It was incredible how many people could speak fluent English in Copenhagen. Now you might think, "oh everyone speaks English, it's a universal language." Well, the key word here is everyone and it isn't true, which came as a small shock to me when I arrived in Berlin. In fact, here in Berlin, not everyone can speak great English. People that work in supermarkets or areas that are not touristic, speak barely any English, which forced me to really learn the language. Even in school, very few people actually wanted to practice their English, they found it easier to speak German to me, even if I didn't understand. In
Denmark, everyone, everywhere could understand and speak English which made things easier for the family and me. The following weekend, George, the famous Rotarian that I constantly write about, invited me to go to the Netherlands for yet another ball; The Tulipp Ball, located in Amsterdam. It was such an exciting trip for me because I had always wanted to visit Amsterdam. It's culture is so intriguing and its history is so fascinating. It exceeded my expectations. The best thing was the amount of time I was able to spend there, a total of 5 days and I got to see so much. I saw a total of 4 museums: The World Press Photo Museum, the Heritage Museum, the Diamond Museum, and finally the Stedelijk Museum. I also got to see the entrance to Anna Franks house. Unfortunately, all the tickets were sold out for the entire month so I didn't have a chance to go in however, I have another reason to visit such a beautiful city again! There was no way to not take a boat tour in the famous canals, so that was the first thing we did when we got there. It was also really cool to go with George since he is originally from Amsterdam. Just listening to him speak with others in Dutch was so cool! An interesting fact about George is that his family began the clothing company C&A and he ran it a few years ago. Now he is retired and that's why he has the time to travel and has given me the opportunity to travel with him and other friends. His last name definitely opened doors on my trip to Amsterdam and I will never forget this trip. Another country to check off my bucket list. The past 2 weekends I've been in Berlin and yet I haven't stopped with my adventure. George picked me up from school in
his Caterham, the car he spent a year building. It was incredible for all of my classmates to see him in this toy car, and I just casually getting in. Such an adrenaline rush to be honest. In Berlin, when someone has an exotic car, you drive down the famous shopping road called Kudamm, and that's exactly what we did. It was something I hadn't experienced before and something I would repeat everyday if I could. What made it even more unforgettable was the fact that we got in and for the first 5 minutes, it was beautiful outside... Warm, sunny, and a bit of breeze. In a matter of seconds, it started to rain, and as you will see in the picture below, we didn't have a roof to protect us from the cold water. What was crazy was that it didn't just rain, it started hail. I had never seen hail before, or even been outside to actually feel it, but seeing smalls balls of ice on my shorts left me speechless. I took lots of videos while getting soaked. We couldn't stop laughing which also made it such a cool bonding experience. Another interesting passion I've acquired on my exchange is the Opera. I went once again with my counselor, Jan, to see a classic Opera piece called La Traviata. It was actually a Christmas present from him and we finally used the tickets! I cried I enjoyed it so much. The emotions and singing were incredible and left me in awe. Now I know what I'll be searching for back in Florida. So these past 3 weekends have also been about sleepovers and meeting new exchange students from other organizations... as well as saying goodbye to old ones. And now it's really hitting me that my exchange year is almost done. But with 30 days left, who knows what more adventure is in store! Mon, June 4, 2018.
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LOCAL TOURISM
City of the district 6930
Stuart History
In the 18th century, several Spanish galleons were shipwrecked in the Martin County area of
Florida's Treasure Coast. The multiple wrecks were reportedly the result of a hurricane, and the ships were carrying unknown quantities of gold and silver. Some of this treasure has since been recovered, and its presence resulted in the region's name. In 1832, pirate Pedro Gilbert, who often used a sandbar off the coast as a lure to unsuspecting prey, chased and caught the Mexican, a U.S. merchant ship. Although he attempted to burn the ship and kill the crew, they survived to report the incident, ultimately resulting in the capture and execution of Gilbert and his crew. The bar from which he lured his intended booty is named "Gilbert's Bar" on nautical charts.[9] The Treasure Coast area that became Stuart was first settled by non-Native Americans in 1870. In 1875, a United States Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson Island, near Stuart. Today, the station is known as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge and is on the National Register of Historic Places. From 1893-1895, the area was called Potsdam. This name was chosen by Otto Stypmann, a local landowner originally from Potsdam, Germany. Stypmann, with his brother Ernest, owned the land that would become downtown Stuart. Potsdam was renamed Stuart in 1895, after the establishment of the Florida East Coast Railway, in honor of Homer Hine Stuart, Jr., another local landowner.
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Things to do in STUART The historic Dudley-Bessey House on SW Atlanta Avenue is now a yacht brokerage office
The Old Martin County Courthouse, built in 1937, now the Courthouse Cultural Center
People from Sebastian
Stuart Heritage Museum
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Chris Marquette Actor
June 2018 * Quest Magazine
Kathy Rinaldi Professional tennis player
- Wikipedia
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EDITOR MESSAGE
Dini Heizer
District 6930 - Newsletter Editor 2014-2018
rotaryquestmagazine@gmail.com June 2018 * Quest Magazine
RotaryDistrict6930
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