February 2013 Issue 4
ROTARACTION N EWSLETTE R
Team DRR: Elena Aroti
drrep2450@gmail.com
PDRR: Elena Stylianidi drrep2450@gmail.com
Cyprus VDRR: Mohammed Fahmy mohamed_a_fahmy@yahoo.co.uk
Cyprus PR Coordinator/ Chief Editor: Charis Michael charis.michael@gmail.com
Rotaractors Reporter: Glafkos Mitsides glafkosm@hotmail.com
Graphic Designer: Antigoni Karakoulli akarakoulli@gmail.com
Editorial
Following a festive period and the start of the new year 2013, Rotaract Cyprus is ready for more action! Many projects and events are now being organized for the coming months. The PR team decided to dedicate this issue to fellowship and celebrations. This month we will see how Rotaract clubs celebrated Christmas and New Year, we will experience the fellowship weekend and have a look at the activities of the attendees, we will get to know the Vice Presidents of all Cyprus clubs and many many more! Finally, we would like to wish you a happy new year full of happiness, health and development!
Welcome
Dear Rotaractors, In Rotary today, more than ever before we should continue to be driven by a vision that is simple, useful and ambitious. We should continue to be the organization that society can be proud of. I have learned that the success and achievement depend on the capacity and spirit of cooperation within your members and your team. Your best members are those who support your agenda and who deliver the goods. Those people expect more and deserve more from you. Being responsible sometimes means upsetting people. Do not intimidate people why? Because frightened people don’t take initiative or responsibility and their homes, jobs, organizations suffer as a result. And yet, at the same time you should be prepared to provoke people in pursuit of excellence. Leadership can’t be a popularity contest. Trying not to offend anyone or trying to get everyone to like you will set you on the road to mediocrity. Leaders who care more about being liked than about being effective are unlikely to confront the people who need confronting. They won’t challenge the status quo and inevitably they hurt both their own credibility and their organization’s performance. Good leaders focus always on making sure that their best people are the most satisfied. Ultimately it is people who make the difference between success and failure – not plans, systems, structures or budgets. Good people develop the best ideas. They create the most creative action plans. They implement those plans better than anybody else. Well you don’t attract, retain and inspire these remarkable people by treating everyone the same. You have to differentiate. You can’t please everyone but you can be the team player to generate consensus. I am asking Rotaractors and Rotarians this difficult year to LEND A HAND to everyone in need. My warmest wishes for health, happiness and success to each and everyone of you during 2013
Elena Tanou Rotary Nicosia Aspelia PAG
February 2013 Issue 4
PEOPLE
ROTARACTION
Dear Fellows, Greetings from Limassol. It s a great honor for me to present myself in this Issue. I have the pleasure to serve as a Club Director of my club: Limassol Amathusia and the District Graphic Designer Director of 2012/13. I have more than one year experience in the field of Graphic Design in Cyprus and UK. At the moment I work at Ikoagora.com: one of the biggest online shopping malls in Cyprus. At the same time I hold a big Freelance portfolio: visit my personal website antigonika.com to get an idea of my best works. I have studied Advertising Design in the University of Central Lancashire in Preston of UK and gained as well a Master Degree in Graphic Design at the same university. After finished my studies and return back to Cyprus I gained also a Professional Diploma in Marketing Management in an Institue in Limassol. During my Master Degree I had the chance to design a live project; an interactive book for Alzheimer’s society Library in Preston of Lancashire which it was tested by people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. “Lucky Numbers” the name of this book is one of my best achievements I have done in my life. Also the book was presented in a Cypriot magazine Straw Dogs in their first volume released in September 2012. Rotaract just happen in my life. In November 2011, one day when I was looking for jobs online found it as an advertised volunteer job offer and that was it. I remember that I send an email, I called and joined facebook and had my first attend in their meeting. I always wanted to be part of a team, organize events, charities and meet new people. I am very proud to be a rotaractor and that I am one of those people that actually do what Gandhi said: ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. Antigoni Karakoulli Graphic Designer Director District 2450 2012/13
DID YOU KNOW ? In 1985, Rotary International launched PolioPlus, the first and largest internationally coordinated private-sector support of a public health initiative, with an initial pledge of $120 million (USD). Rotaractor Wiki began as an idea among Rotaractors during the 2012 Rotaract Pre-Convention in Bangkok In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created The Four-Way Test, a code of ethics adopted by Rotary 11 years later. In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served in 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference.
February 2013 Issue 4
RAC Berengaria Cosmopolita and RAC Amathusia Christmas Party On Friday 21 December the Rotaract clubs of Limassol Amathusia and Limassol Berengaria Cosmopolitan went for a joint Christmas outing to Boho Chic, in the old town of Limassol. It was great opportunity for our clubs to mingle and enjoy tapas, paella, wine and good company! We had a great start of our Christmas Holidays!
RAC Nicosia cutting of vasilopitta Rotaract Club Nicosia held their first club meeting on 15 January 2013 at Seven Lounge bar and had the opportunity to celebrate the coming of 2013 with the Club’s traditional cutting of the Vassilopita along with our honoured guests Mrs Maria Christopoulou (Chairperson of District RYLA 2013) Mr Louis Thoma (our Rotary Liaison) and Mr Anthony Ashiotis (Incoming President of Rotary Nicosia). During our meeting and amongst other things on the agenda Niovi Georgiade our Club Secretary made a short presentation about the activities and presentation our Rotaractors attended during the Agros Fellowship. With three new prospective members around we had the opportunity to inform them about Rotaract and give them an insight into who we are and what we do but also get to know them better. The cutting of the traditional Vassilopita found our Rotary Liaison Mr Louis Thoma as the lucky person to find the flouri (a small medallion of luck for the year) with other members of our Club as well as a few prospective members winning bottles of red wine as presents. Overall our Club Members and Guests welcomed the New Year with joy and spirit. On behalf of Rotaract Club of Nicosia we hope that you all have a great year with many rewards!
RAC Nicosia Aspelia Christmas Party & cutting of vasilopitta Aspelians organized their Christmas Party on the 21st December 2012 at Occhio Air in Nicosia. The night was full of surprises. Gifts were exchanged, alcohol was floating and people were in their best party mood! The party lasted until the early morning hours with Aspelians leaving the venue at 4:00. During the first meeting of 2013 on the 8th January 2013, Aspelians cut the Vasilopitta! The coin inside the Vasilopitta was found by a prospective member Sana Isaam.
ROTARACTION
FELLOWSHIP
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February 2013 Issue 4
ROTARACTION TESTIMONIALS
Rotaractors from all over Cyprus gathered to Rodon Hotel in Agros on the 12th – 13th January 2013. The weekend included mostly fun activities that helped the Rotaractors get to know each other and also learn how to run a Rotaract club. The weekend started with a lunch at a traditional Cypriot restaurant. Early in the afternoon all the Rotaractors gathered in a conference room. The session started with ice breaking activities that helped in getting to know each other and also getting comfortable with the people that were not introduced before. Peter Ashdjian, the Cyprus Rotaract Representative from Rotary, made a presentation about how to run an effective Rotaract Club. Rotaractors had the opportunity to ask questions, discuss and exchange ideas on the subject. Later in the afternoon Rotaractors gather around the fireplace in the hotel and relaxed. It was a good opportunity to catch up with each other’s news, discuss future club visits and also ask Peter Ashdjian questions based on his long experience as a Rotaractor and a Rotarian. During dinner time the conversations continued this time not necessarily related to Rotaract. Rotaractors formed small informal discussion groups (according to their sitting arrangement). The Rotaract tables were definitely the loudest tables in the room.
“Last weekend I participated in the Pan Cypriot Rotaract Fellowship weekend in Agros. We were with around 30 Rotaractors in Agros and we had a great time! We arrived in Agros on Saturday afternoon for lunch a a traditional taverna and then checked in at our Hotel. After some ice breaking games and a presentation by Peter Ashdjian, about Rotaract we enjoyed a nice time at the fireplace catching up. It was a great occasion to get to know Rotaractors from other clubs and catch up with friends. After the dinner at the hotel, we played some funny games and ended up going to bed at 2pm, with sore cheeks from laughing! On Sunday we visited a Rose water factory and got to see Agros a bit more. Unfortunately there was no snow, but the fun we had made up for that! I really enjoyed the weekend, mostly because you get much closer as Rotaractors. This makes it easier to set up projects together and creates friendships. I am looking forward to the next Fellowship weekend!” - Marleen Brouwer
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February 2013 Issue 4
The evening continued in the lounge area, where after a very big circle of couches was formed, Rotaractors enjoyed their evening drinks. The team games proved to be hilarious with a few people crying from laughter. Again the Rotaract section was the loudest group in the hotel! On the 13th January 2013 the Rotaractors enjoyed their breakfast at the Hotel and got ready for their visit to the Rose Factory. During the visit, the process to make the rose candles, cosmetics and soaps was explained. At the end Rotaractors bought various rose products from the rose store! Overall it was a relaxing weekend with a happy atmosphere. Rotaractors had the opportunity to catch up with each other, socialize, bond and discuss future project ideas. The weekend ended with participants saying to each other “See you soon”!
ROTARACTION TESTIMONIALS “Fellowship weekends is one of the events that I am always looking forward and just had another fun weekend in Agros!. This weekend have introduced me to new people, gave me the chance to bond with people who I already knew from other clubs. I think we all need sometime away from technology and internet where you can relax, communicate with your friends, have a good laugh, learn new things. I believe have achieved that indeed in the Fellowship in Agros and collected new nice memories!” - Zehra Akerman
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INTRODUCING Age: 27 Profession: Financial Controller Favorite hobby: Photography & Painting Favorite city: London If I wasn’t a Financial Controller I would be a Photographer
Charis Michael
if i could change something in this world it would be: make people more aware of environmental issues
Marina Loizou
Age: 24 Profession: Lawyer Favorite hobby: Travelling Favorite city: Spain If I wasn’t lawyer I would probably be a psychologist If i could change something in this world it would be child and animal abuse!
Age: 26 Profession: Advocate Favorite hobby: Spending quality time with my loved ones Favorite city: Paris If I wasn’t an Advocate I would be .... a kindergarten teacher! If i could change something in this world MarieNicole Georgiou it would be.... The way of living Age: 28 Profession: Electrical Engineer Favorite hobby: Star Gazing Favorite city: Edinburgh Scotland If i wasn’t an Electrical Engineer I would be ... probably a doctor
Ipek Alemdar
If i could change something in this world it would be.... The greed in human nature which cause pain suffering and wars
Profession: Auditor, Chartered Accountant Club: RAC Larnaca Kition Position: Vice President If could change something in the world it would be : (briefly) ELIMINATE POVERTY
Phedra Diomidous
DISTRICT 2450 ROTARACT CALENDAR
March 2013
April 2013
Contact us: Chief Editor: Charis Michael charis.michael@gmail.com
www.rotaractcyprus.org