Rotary International President, Gary C.K. Huang (Taiwan) District 7020 Governor, Paul Brown (Jamaica)
Newsletter Editor – Kitty Bucsko
July 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS ISSUE… News of District interest first… Page No. July Message from District Governor, Paul Brown Installation Ceremony for our new District Governor Rotary Mottos Biography of our District Governor, Paul Brown Fifth Birthday and Beyond (John Hewko) A Remarkable Rotarian – Dr. Bob Scott EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) – Marston Winkles Rotary Themes Inspiration Club Charter Dates Caribbean Partnership Celebration, August 8 – 10 World Literacy Day, September 8 Coming Events Meet the Rotary International President, Gary C.K. Huang
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CLUB NEWS Mandeville, Jamaica St. Martin Sunrise Sint Maarten St. Thomas East E-Club of the Caribbean, 7020 St. Thomas, USVI St. John, USVI Assistant Governors in District 7020 Montego Bay – 3 clubs Family Health and Wellness – Carla Card-Stubbs Rotaract Corner Interact Corner Trivia – Summer Solstice A Few Thoughts – by Paul Amoury References
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JULY MESSAGE FROM DISTRICT GOVERNOR (2014-15) PAUL BROWN Fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors and Family of Rotary Welcome to the first message from the Governor’s desk for the Rotary year, 2014-15. As we begin the New Year, let me congratulate and thank IPDG Jeremy and his fantastic Team along with you our special Clubs, for the exceptional work done over the past year. We certainly endeavored to “Engage Rotary…Change Lives” during the last year, and I would say that we, as a District, accomplished this goal. Now we enter the New Year with a different but equally exciting theme, “Light up Rotary”. This theme is so all encompassing, it allows us to extend our imagination to think of the different ways we can “Light up Rotary” in the areas of strengthening our Clubs, giving Humanitarian Service, and enhancing our Public Image. I look forward to an exciting year of service and wait, with eager anticipation, to witness the flow of ideas coming from all our Clubs. I know there are challenges with communication across the District but we are addressing that problem with District and Club website development, use of social media in all our clubs, and other tools such as Skype and Webinars. Rotary International is making the effort to address that problem too and I do hope we all embrace Rotary Club Central as a tool to make communication between our members even more transparent and effective. Our Installation Ceremony will be held in Kingston Jamaica on July 12, 2014, and almost immediately after, Kay and I will start our round of Official Visits commencing with visits to Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands by the end of July. We look forward to sharing fellowship, expanding our friendship with the Rotarians from these areas. At the same time, we wish to hear your plans and in what ways we can be of assistance to you so that you can achieve your goals effectively. So let us go forward and “Light up Rotary” in 2014-15! In Rotary “Service Above Self,” Paul Brown District 7020 Governor (2014-15)
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Installation Ceremony Announcement Fellow Rotarians, friends and guests You are all cordially invited to attend and support the following event: Installation Ceremony District Governor 2014-15 Saturday, July 12, 2014 Venue-Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Jamaica 6.30 p.m. Cocktails (Wines/Juices) 7.00 p.m. Dinner There will also be a Cash Bar available Formal - Black Tie attire
Cost – JAD 7,000.00 or USD 70.00 per ticket
ROTARY MOTTOS Service Above Self and One Profits Most Who Serves Best are the official Rotary mottos. The former is the principal motto of Rotary. The latter was modified by the 2010 Council on Legislation, which replaced the word “they” with “one.” Doing Good in the World is the motto of The Rotary Foundation. Fellowship Through Service is the Rotaract motto.
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BIOGRAPHY OF DR. PAUL BROWN Dr. Paul Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1950. He attended Cornwall College, Montego Bay, and completed his first degree at the University of the West Indies. Paul completed his postgraduate studies at the University of the West Indies, and Royal College of Surgeons, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Paul has had a long and illustrious career as a medical doctor. His career began with an internship at Spanish Town Hospital in 1973. Since then his positions have included Medical Officer in Surgery at Kingston Public Hospital, Surgical Residency at University Hospital of the West Indies, Consultant Surgeon at Spanish Town Hospital, Senior Medical Officer at Spanish Town Hospital, and Consultant Surgeon at Edgewater Medical Centre. Paul has been actively involved in a range of professional associations. He has been a member of the Medical Association of Jamaica, the Specialty Board of Surgery, Anaesthesia and Accident and Emergency at the University of the West Indies, the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica, and the Association of Government Medical Consultants. Paul has also served on a number of Boards including Boards the Creative Kids Learning Academy, and the Caribbean Assurance Brokers. Paul is also a director of St Michael’s Nursing Home for the Elderly. Paul was also a member of the Board of Government Medical Consultants until 2010. Paul joined Rotary in 1992, as a member of the Rotary Club of Spanish Town. He has held various positions at both Club and District levels. These have included Club Director in 1993-95 and Community Service Director in 1995-96. Paul was President of the Rotary Club of Spanish Town in 1997 – 1998. Paul has played active roles in the formation of several Rotary clubs. He was the District Governor’s Special Representative in formation of three clubs - the Rotary Club of Portmore (1998-1999), the Rotary Club of North St. Catherine (2007-2007), and the Rotary Club of Ocho Rios East (2011-12). Paul has held various District positions. These have included District Rotaract Chairman in 1998-2000, Assistant District Governor in 2003-2005, and District Scholarship Chairman 2005-2009. Paul was also a Rotary Leadership Institute Graduate and Discussion Leader in 2007. In addition, Paul was the District Conference Chairman 2009-2010 for District Conference in Jamaica, and District Youth Exchange Chair in 2010. Paul has been honored by the Rotary Club of Kingston with the PDG Charlie Braham Achievement Award for outstanding Rotary service. Paul has attended 15 District Conferences and 5 Rotary International Conventions, and has had 100% club attendance since joining Rotary. Paul is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. Paul’s hobbies include cooking, listening to contemporary jazz music, playing dominoes, cricket and football. Paul is married to Kay. They have three children; two sons and a daughter.
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FIFTH BIRTHDAY AND BEYOND John Hewko By John Hewko, Rotary International General Secretary Before the end of June, Rotary will join 37 NGOs, non-profits, philanthropies and businesses in supporting the 5th Birthday and Beyond celebration that recognizes the leading role the U.S. government plays in improving children’s health worldwide. And believe me, there is much to celebrate, especially the incredible improvement in childhood mortality rates over the past quarter century. Experts tell us that in 2014, six million fewer children will die before their fifth birthday than was the case 25 years ago. U.S foreign assistance has been extremely important in achieving these results. We at Rotary very much appreciate the U.S. government’s generous support of our top priority as an organization: to protect the world’s children by eradicating the crippling disease polio. In 1985 Rotary International took on the challenge of wiping polio from the face of the earth. In 1988 we were joined by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. To date, the United States has been the most generous donor country to the initiative with total contributions of more than $2.4 billion. John Hewko at age 5. Many 5th Birthday & Beyond supporters are sharing childhood photos of themselves to help ‘put a face’ on the issue. In May, Rotary hosted our annual reception honoring individual members of Congress for their support of polio eradication. To date, 45 members of the 113th Congress have been recognized as Polio Eradication Champions, including this year’s honorees, U.S. Sens. John Boozman of Arkansas; Chris Coons of Delaware; Barbara Mikulski of Maryland; and Jerry Moran, of Kansas; and U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington. Our champions represent both sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat) because children’s health transcends political ideologies. When we advocate on behalf of polio eradication, we emphasize to our elected officials how effective our efforts have been and why it is so vitally important to finish the job now and make polio only the second human disease to be totally eliminated (smallpox was the first). Our ambitious public-private partnership, which now includes the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has reached more than two billion children under age five with the oral polio vaccine, preventing more than 10 million cases of paralysis. Since we began, polio cases have plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases per year to fewer than 420 in 2013. Today, polio remains endemic to only three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, although cases will continue to occur elsewhere until the wild poliovirus is stopped for good. We also make clear to our elected leaders that we do not expect national governments alone to pay the freight. Rotary members worldwide have contributed more than $1.2 billion and countless volunteer hours to polio eradication. Currently, the Gates Foundation is matching two-to-one every dollar Rotary contributes to polio eradication up to $35 million a year through 2018. Our goal is to halt the transmission of polio worldwide by 2018. With the continued support of the United States and other national governments, our partnering organizations, philanthropies, and businesses, we can – and we will — End Polio Now. Please visit our End Polio Now site to learn how to participate in this historic endeavor. Let’s make sure that every child in the world celebrates his or her fifth birthday protected for life against polio.
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…from ROTARY GLOBAL HISTORY FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER Dear Colleagues: It's 26 years since the 79th RI Convention in Philadelphia, PA USA (May 1988) when then RI President Charles C. Keller announced that Rotarians raised $247 Million dollars for their rallying and initial PolioPlus fund raiser. The goal was $120 million. Keller's theme that year was "Rotarians -- United in Service- Dedicated to Peace". At the June 2012 convention in Bangkok, President Sukuji Tanaka gave us a similar rallying cry (Peace Through Service) and Rotarians today are still diligently and steadfastly working towards eradicating polio. With Rotary's dedicated involvement the world is very close to eradicating Polio. Thousands of Rotarians are/were involved in leadership roles in the Polio Eradication Campaign, but just one Rotarian, Dr. Robert S. Scott, has consistently commanded leadership positions over the past 27 years. In the most recent issue of the RGHF newsletter (#148) we review the Polio story while honoring its steadfast leader and supporter, Dr. Robert S. Scott. In all of his leadership roles, Bob's voice was the one that was constant and consistent. With appreciation, Eddie Blender Publisher, Our Foundation Newsletter
Numerous Rotarians and guests from around the world gathered over a year ago in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada on May 31, 2013 to honour Dr. Bob Scott on his 80th birthday and to pay tribute to his “life of Greatness.” Praise came worldwide pointing to Bob’s inexhaustible commitment and citing his promise to the children of the world and his pledge to eradicate Polio forever. Rotarians read congratulatory letters from Bill and Melinda Gates, UNICEF, the Center for Disease Control, the Premier of the Province of Ontario, and many others. One letter was from the Rotary International Staff in Evanston, Illinois, USA, which made a donation to PolioPlus in Bob’s name in honour of his 80th Birthday and as a tribute to his work to end Polio. That night, over $200,000 was raised for The Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus Campaign. Over the year, awards to Bob acknowledged his role as a hero who volunteers his time and efforts and a great deal of his life to helping others to build a healthier and more caring world. His congratulatory letters also highlighted his fine example of hard working and compassionate engagement, which are so much a part of our exemplary Rotarian character and which truly describes the remarkable Dr. Robert Stewart Scott.
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Bob exemplified and as a leader is known for his attention to detail, his persistence, his perseverance, his patience, his spirit of compassion and his excellence in everything he does. Bob is retiring on June 30, 2014. Whether it was as a Physician while consulting with his patients or as Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee Chair, Bob has held innumerable leadership positions within Rotary and its Polio Partners. And thanks to his advocacy with world governments, Rotarians and business leaders, PolioPlus grants, mobilizing support on the ground and the Global Polio Eradication initiative, Bob has made major differences in “Ending Polio – Forever.” There have been thousands of Rotarian Polio leaders over the decades, but as the story unfolds, Bob Scott’s voice was one of the most constant and continuous and authoritative voices for over 25 straight years. It’s a great story. Well done Bob! Well done!
EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR (EREY)
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OFFICIAL ROTARY CELEBRATIONS AND THEMES
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It will take just 60 seconds to read this and change your thinking.
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.�
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Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. 'Today is a gift, which is why it is called The Present.
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style. ‌Dr. Maya Angelou
In all our Rotary projects EMPOWER THE LOCAL COMMUNITY! Do not create Dependency!
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Celebration/Activity Date Attendance Report Due 3rd of the month
Club Charter Celebrations Lucea, Jamaica July 1, 1974 Savanna La-Mar, Jamaica July 3, 1969 South East Nassau, Bahamas July 19, 1976 E-Club of the Caribbean, 7020 August 12, 2013 St. Croix West, USVI August 12, 1968 Abaco, Bahamas August 20, 1971
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CARIBBEAN PARTNERSHIP CELEBRATION 2014 August 8 – 10, 2014 in Puerto Rico As Chairman of the Caribbean Partnership beginning July 2014, I am delighted to announce to you that we have had preliminary agreement for D7000 to host the Caribbean Partnership celebration event in 2014 over the weekend of August 8 – 10, 2014. Rotary District 7000 comprises Puerto Rico. I am requesting of you early to please reserve a slot on your respective Conference agendas for the promotion of Caribbean Partnerships in general and also the planned event in Puerto Rico. We hope to enlist the support of all Districts. Best Regards Vance Lewis – PDG D7020 Chairman Caribbean Partnership, beginning July 2014
INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAY September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world.[1]
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New RI President - Gary C.K. Huang July 1, 2014 New D7020 Governor - Paul Brown, Jamaica July 1, 2014 Caribbean Partnership Celebration August 8 - 10, 2014 - Puerto Rico International Literacy Day September 8, 2014 International Day of Peace September 21, 2014 World Interact Week November 3-9, 2014 International Women’s Day March 8, 2015 World Rotaract Week March 9-15, 2015 World Autism Awareness Day April 2, 2015 Earth Day, 2015 Wednesday, April 22, 2015 D7020 Conference 2015 – May Montego Bay, Jamaica
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MEET RI PRESIDENT GARY HUANG …from The Rotarian Magazine --Susie Ma Gary Huang played a lot of sports when he was younger, but basketball was his favorite. He was captain and point guard of his high school team. “I’m not tall, but I was quick.” He flashes a grin. “I knew how to move the ball and set my team up to win.” That was decades ago, but whether in basketball, business, or Rotary, moving the ball continues to be Huang’s game. He likes action and progress. He relishes a challenge. When the Rotary Club of Taipei told him he was too young to be a member, he persisted, attending every meeting for nine months until he hooked an invitation at age 30. Since then, he has not stopped moving forward. Five years after joining Rotary, Huang became club president. Then he became Taiwan’s youngest district governor, first RI director, and first Rotary Foundation trustee. This month, he becomes the first Chinese president of Rotary International. Huang was born in Fujian, a province in southern China. He is the third child of seven. Like many others, his family fled China during the civil war, unhappy with the communists who were taking over the country. The family settled in Taiwan in 1947, when Huang was one year old. Huang’s parents pushed him to excel in school, but they also believed that grades were not the only things that were important. “My father used to say to me that getting B’s was OK, but I had to participate in activities and join clubs. He said that would help me in the future,” Huang recalls. Although Huang’s father was not a Rotarian, he instilled similar ideals of service in his son. Helping others, his father said, would help him learn how to be a leader. As a result, Huang was president of his high school class. Besides playing basketball, he played soccer, ran track and, at the urging of his mother, participated in (and often won) speech competitions.
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He also led the daily morning pep rallies at his school for six years. “My father was happy I did those things,” Huang says. “Every time there was a school celebration, no matter how busy he was, he would always attend.” After high school and two years of serving in the military, Huang moved to Michigan to attend the University of Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti. He recalls those years with fondness, remembering how clean and wide-open the Midwest felt to a city boy from Taipei. He lived with an American family, who gave him the name Gary because they liked the actor Gary Cooper. He worked through school at a gas repair company, where he started at $1.25 an hour and ended at $4.75 a few years later. When he graduated with a business degree in 1971, he was so happy, he bought himself a graduation ring. “It was the first, most expensive thing I’d bought with my own money, so I wear it all the time,” he says. But his education was far from over. Huang’s father was president of an insurance company in Taiwan and wanted his son to be well prepared for a career in the same field. Huang went on to graduate school at New York University and spent time in England, Switzerland, Germany, and Japan, learning about the insurance business and making international connections. Years later, Huang would again be making connections all over the world as RI president. Huang returned to Taiwan to work for a small insurance firm, which over the next 15 years he built into one of the largest in the industry. He made one agreement with his chairman: that he had to be able to fit Rotary into his busy schedule. “I wanted to continue my work in Rotary no matter what,” he says. When Huang began to experience success in his profession and in Rotary, his mother kept him grounded, something she still does at the age of 95. “I know she is proud of me,” he says. “But no matter how successful I am, she never praises me.” The year Huang joined Rotary was also the year he met his wife, Corinna Yao, at a church Bible study. “He kept calling me,” Yao says. But Huang remembers it differently. “She’s the one who picked me up!” he claims. He was outgoing and social. She was an introvert. “I wondered how we would get along,” she says. “But it’s 38 years later, and we are still good.” Together they raised three children – two daughters and a son – and now they have two grandchildren, Eddie and Evan. Evan was born on the same day that Huang found out he was the RI president-nominee. His name is a play on “Evanston.” Huang and Yao raised their family with Rotary, so it plays a part in their children’s memories. “I always wanted what you had with your Rotary friends. Growing up, they were my aunties and uncles,” eldest daughter Linda tells her father. Nancy, his second daughter, remembers visiting an orphanage with Huang when she was young. “It was the first time I learned about what Rotary does. My dad was so passionate,” she says. The orphanage was one of the first Rotary projects that inspired Huang more than 30 years ago. When he toured the facilities, he was taken aback, seeing the kids crammed into one room at night, watching them share a pot of rice at mealtime. Many of the orphans were the same age as his young children at the time. The orphanage needed so many things – a new roof, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and diapers and other supplies. The Taipei club provided these things, but Huang wanted to do more. He and another Rotarian decided to sponsor two of the girls. They chose two four-yearolds with the same Chinese zodiac sign as Huang and his friend: the rooster. They took the girls to dinner once every other month. They paid for the girls’ school fees every year and eventually sent them to college. After graduation, they paid for a celebratory trip to Hong Kong and helped them find jobs when they came home. Thirty years later, Huang and his friend still meet them regularly for dinner, now with their own families. Huang believes that Rotary should be about lifting people up. The theme he chose, Light Up Rotary, is a reflection of his desire to encourage Rotarians to bring light where there is darkness. Huang also hopes that Light Up Rotary inspires Rotarians to lighten up Rotary’s image. He wants Rotary to be fun, not just for fun’s sake, but because having a good time builds genuine bonds of friendship, retains members, and helps recruit new ones. Member recruitment is a hallmark of Huang’s Rotary career. When he was club president, his club grew from 102 to 138 members. When he was district governor
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for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, he added 19 new clubs. “If you want to invite people, you need to make things interesting,” he reasons. “Then they will love it and come again.” Huang’s friend and RI Vice President Celia Elena Cruz de Giay supports this approach. “Rotary is a serious organization but not a solemn one. President Gary is putting an emphasis on making Rotary fun because he can see the winning combination of Rotarians having fun while they serve,” she explains. He also champions the idea of opening Rotary’s doors to younger people and recruiting more female members. “Some Rotarians are too conservative. They disagree with having women or younger members,” he says. “With younger people, they are our future. In a few years, they will be bigger, better, maybe richer than us,” Huang jokes. “It’s good for them, good for Rotary, and good for society.” Even though he jokes, Huang is so serious about membership that he recruited his own family into Rotary. His wife joined first, then his three grown children followed suit, each in a different club. His son, Billy, believes that being in Rotary has made the family closer. “We participate in activities together,” he says. “I understand my dad better.” Huang is thrilled to bring together the most important parts of his life, giving new meaning to the idea of the family of Rotary. He hopes that others will follow his example. “Why leave your family to do your Rotary work? You can do it together,” he suggests. “Then doing good becomes a family event.” These days, Huang plays golf instead of basketball, but he’s still in the game of setting up his team – the team of Rotary – to win.
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ROTARY CLUB OF MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA …submitted by Heather Bernard CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE ABOVE SELF
The President and members of the Rotary Club of Mandeville set the date and sent out invitations to this gala event. The 50th Anniversary and Installation Banquet scheduled for Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the GolfView Hotel beginning at 7:00 p.m. Tickets cost $4000 (Jamaica dollars). Photos will be forthcoming next month.
ROTARY CLUB OF ST. MARTIN SUNRISE …submitted by Angela Gordon
Donation of Cooking Gas to Meals on Wheels Foundation The producers of the Daily Radio Program Now You Know, hosted by Valerie Van Putten, have once again teamed up with Rotary Club of St Martin Sunrise to assist the community. The entities were able to secure six (6) large cylinders of cooking gas through the services of White Oil LPG GAS for Meals on Wheels Foundation. At left - Producer of Now you Know Radio Program Valerie Van Putten, President Meals on Wheels Foundation; Mary Bryson and President of Rotary Sunrise; Angela Gordon The Foundation provides nutritious meals to the sick, elderly and children daily on the island and has been doing so for many years; President of the Foundation Mary Bryson was on hand to accept the vouchers. Now You Know have been providing informative programming to the community for 10 years and wanted to celebrate their anniversary by giving back to the community; they were very happy to team up with Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise and presented the needed vouchers to Meals on Wheels Foundation.
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PHILIPSBURG--People showed up in force looking for bargains on Saturday, June 7, at a charity flea market organized by Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise. The event attracted a lot of publicity in advance, with organizers speaking to the local newspapers and appearing on a local Radio programme. Members of Rotary Sunrise manned a large amount of booths selling items that were donated by members of the public. Rotary Foundation Chair; Meredith Boekhoudt, who was on the organizing committee, said: "The flea market was a great success; the Flea market was geared towards raising the US $8000 needed to purchase three rehabilitation bikes for the White and Yellow Cross.�
Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise celebrates 10 years at its Change of Board for the Year 2014-2015 Philipsburg, June 22, 2013: Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise celebrated its 10 year anniversary and the successes of the nearly ended Rotary Year 2013-2014. In addition, the installation of the board members for the year 2014-2015 took place. The event was held at the Holland House Beach Hotel on Saturday, June 21, 2014 in the presence of Rotarians, their families and other guests. Also present as keynote speaker was Ombudsman Dr. Nilda J.A. Aduin, who addressed the audience on the topic: Celebrate Passion – Where individual and collective passion meet.
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Outgoing President Angela Gordon thanked her fellow board members and entire membership for their enthusiasm and support during the year. She highlighted how the club was able to obtain seven awards from our District 7020 and our Zone 34, including the first ever Club of the Month. She listed the various projects and activities that were executed with the primary focus being on the youth of St. Maarten. A panel discussion on parenting for fathers, the construction of the Rotary Peace Monument that was done in collaboration with the other Rotary Club on the island, the supplying of healthy breakfasts to four schools and the donation of over 800 school bags and supplies in partnership with the business community, the chartering of an Interact Club at Sundial School, assisting in an adult literacy program with the Community Outreach Mentoring and Empowerment Centre and a charity flea market with proceeds donated to the Rotary Foundation for the continuation of polio eradication and to the White and Yellow Cross were just a few of the projects executed this Rotary year. President Gordon extended best wishes to incoming President Dr. Virginia Asin and her board for Rotary Year 2014-2015. Incoming President Dr. Virginia Asin (3rd from left) Keynote Speaker Dr. Nilda Aduin (6th from left) Outgoing President Angela Gordon (8th from left) with members of Rotary Club St. Martin Sunrise all sporting shawls gifted to them by Dr. Asin.
The new Rotary Board comprises President Dr. Virginia Asin, Vice-President Claret Connor, Past President Angela Gordon, Secretary/President Elect Marcellia Henry, Service Director Agnes Kapoor, Treasurer Sidharth “Cookie” Bijlani, Sergeant at Arms Paula Gordon, Membership Director Okama Epke Brook, Club Administration Director Monique Alberts, Public Relations Director Kameela Piper, Rotary Foundation Director Meredith Boekhoudt, Fundraising Director Prakash “Peter” Dialani, Youth Service Director Paula Gordon and Club Disaster Chair Claret Connor. In her speech, incoming President Dr. Virginia Asin says she will strive to continue the legacy of Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise so that its initiatives can be sustained and will also continue to focus on the youth. With health being a very important topic for Dr. Asin in her capacity as a physical therapist and physician it only makes sense that she will want to focus on this topic in her Rotary year. She has already got confirmation from her fellow Presidents-Elect to work on a joint project together that would contribute to the decrease of the burden of chronic diseases on the island. Focus will also be on the club in the areas of board simplification, portfolio allocation and risk management, membership engagement and retention, membership growth and fundraising. In keeping with this year’s Rotary theme “Light Up Rotary”, Dr. Asin is using “Celebrate Passion” as the theme to guide her, as the passion to make our community better is the best way to “Light Up Rotary”. Awards were also presented to Meredith Boekhoudt for Rotarian of the Year and Janine Vos received the Rising Star Award. Dr. Nilda Aduin and Marcellia Henry were both awarded Paul Harris Fellowships. It is one of the most prestigious awards in Rotary and thereby named after the founder of Rotary. The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to expressed appreciation for a contribution to the humanitarian and educational programs of the Rotary Foundation. Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise would like to thank all Rotarians involved in the organization of the Change of Board Ceremony, all of their sponsors, Keynote Speaker Dr. Nilda Aduin, MC Michael Ferrier, Cassilda Van der Neut for her invocation, Level 3 Band, DJ Storming Norman, Holland House Management & Staff.
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ROTARY CLUB OF SINT MAARTEN PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – June 16, 2014 – The Rotary Club of St. Maarten, continuing its tourism awareness project, installed the first set of Tourism Awareness Banners along the Pond Fill on Saturday night. Maria Buncamper-Molanus, President of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, stated, “Tourism is everyone’s business here on St. Maarten. Everyone who lives and works on St. Maarten is either directly or indirectly involved in the tourism business. This awareness campaign is geared at helping everyone understand just how important tourism is to our economy. We hope these banners, along with others to be installed soon, will help promote a greater understanding of tourism in our community”. Also present for the initial installation of the Tourism Awareness Banners were Rotarians Pierre Decelles and Aadu Abel as well as incoming Rotary President Deepak (Danny) Ramchandani and incoming Secretary/President-Elect Jeffrey “Soc” Sochrin. Mr. Ramchandani added to Mrs. Buncamper’s sentiment saying, “This awareness campaign will continue for the next three years, with next year’s focus being on the youth in our community and how tourism effects them. Look for many continued initiatives in the new Rotary year which begins on July 1st, all geared helping the youth in our community understand that Tourism is our Business”. Mrs. Buncamper-Molanus continued, “Before the end of June several other awareness items will be launched which all involve our children. I wish to thank all of our sponsors including our main corporate sponsor, MNO Vervat St. Maarten, for their assistance with this historic project for St. Maarten.”
ROTARY CLUB OF ST. THOMAS EAST …submitted by Corinne Van Rensselaer
Fellow Easters, Family and Friends - Please join us for our Installation Dinner at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort Conference Room at 6.30pm on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. As we approach the dawning of a new Rotary Year, we also approach yet another year that the Polio virus still has the capacity to permanently maim babies, children and adults, and bring grief and hardship upon families already struggling to meet the cost of the most basic of human needs to survive. Whatever our own trials and tribulations, we are truly blessed beyond compare in so many, many ways. Thus, it seems fitting that as we celebrate Rotary and Rotarians at our Installation Dinner on July 2nd, 2014, we also register this event as a fundraiser for The World's Greatest Meal to Help End Polio; and through our contributions at the meeting - whether via fines, happy dollars, donations or auction items - we can make a huge difference in the lives of people we don't know and may never meet - what an awesome concept!! So far, this Social Media idea which started in Australia, has raised over $600,000 for the Polio Plus Fund - that's 1,000,000 vaccinations against Polio AND the 1,000,000th dose milestone was achieved through the efforts of a club in district 7020! So far, eight clubs in our district have held or are
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scheduled to hold, a WGM event. The beauty of this is that it need not be an elaborate, time consuming project for the club; simply dedicate the fines, raffle or special collection from a weekly meeting or meetings I look forward to seeing all of you and your friends at the table on July 2nd, for Rotary East's 2014-2015 Installation Dinner and our first (of many) World's Greatest Meal To Help End Polio. Blessings to all, PE Corinne
ROTARY E-CLUB OF THE CARIBBEAN, 7020 BUTTERFLY PRESENTATIONS AT GLADYS A. ABRAHAM SCHOOL St. Thomas, USVI …by PDG Diana White. District 7020 It was a joy for me to attend the meeting of the EarlyAct Club at Gladys A. Abraham Primary School in St. Thomas this week. There were several members or the Rotary Club of Charlotte Amalie in attendance and I was able to witness our winning author, Mitchell Turnbull, receive his autographed copy of the 2014 Butterfly StoryBook. The Rotary President also presented Mitchell with a set of children's books by well-known author, John Grisham. This EarlyAct club is very vibrant and incredibly active. Last year, they raised over $700 which they donated to the Rotary Club of Les Cayes for their scholarship program. This enabled 9 Haitian students to attend school as well as receive books and uniforms. Their interest in Haiti extended to inviting District Haiti Liaison Chair, Roger White, to talk to them at this meeting about the progress of Rotary's recovery efforts in that country. At the end of the meeting, they presented a further $700 to be used for a project in Haiti. Upon leaving the school, I noticed a small huddle of students crowding around the Butterfly book. Mitchell was proudly reading his story to his friends and I managed to get a quick photo before they realized we were there!
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ROTARY CLUB OF ST. THOMAS, USVI …submitted by Daphne Harley
Club Awards Meeting The outgoing Board of Directors of The Rotary Club of St. Thomas each received recognition plaques for their dedication and hard work by out-going President Heflyn Royer. In addition, one of our newest Rotarians, club member Bruce Perry who joined the Club this past year, received the Rotarian of the Year Award for his active involvement in all the Clubs programs and activities. President Heflyn thanked everyone for their confidence in her, their support of all the clubs programs, and for all of the Club's accomplishments and awards this past year. She expressed that she truly felt that our club performed according to DG Jeremy's theme, Embrace Rotary- Change Lives! Back Row: Addie Ottley, Disaster Director; Erik Ackerson, PE; Middle Row: Bernard Roy, Programs Director; Daphne HarleyPRD; Marston Winkles, TRF; Paul Davis, Membership; Front Row: Judee Slosky, Youth Services; Anna Paiewonsky, Secretary; Heflyn Royer, President; Paul Dohmengh, Sergeant-at-Arms
ROTARY CLUB OF ST. JOHN, USVI …from their weekly bulletin – Information on their new Satellite Rotary Club Attendance is an important aspect of Rotary, and when you cannot attend your club meeting you are expected to make up the meeting. It is a responsibility of all Rotarians. There are numerous local activities which qualify, but it is possible to makeup a meeting through an online club. We recommend the Rotary eClub of the Caribbean Just Click Here Another possibility is the club which partnered with us for the Oxygen generator, E-Club Puerto Rico y Las Americas A listing of online clubs is available in the Club Documents section of your Admin page. Take advantage of this listing when you're on the road or just can't make the Friday meeting. Be sure that the makeup is sent to makeups@rotarystjohn.org for proper credit.
Local makeups in the USVI Rotary Club of St. Thomas Sunrise
Tuesday, 7:15 a.m.
Windward Passage
Rotary Club of Charlotte Amalie
Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
Windward Passage
Rotary Club of St. Thomas II
Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.
Frenchman's Reef
Rotary Club of St. Thomas
Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Bluebeard's Castle
The Rotary Club of St John has become twice as good as before.
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(See the next page for details!)
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Regular meeting. First, our regular meetings are now held at the Ocean Grill Restaurant in Mongoose Junction Wednesday at noon. We hope to see all those people who have said they can't make Friday meetings. Satellite club. But most importantly our satellite club meets every Friday at noon at Chateau Bordeaux. Opening Rotary up to those who could not break away on Fridays, the regular meeting has moved to Wednesday at noon. Come join President Joan Bermingham and the rest of the Wednesday group at Ocean Grill (in the loft) in Mongoose Junction for lunch, fellowship and the opportunity for community service projects. And for the Friday lunch crowd, join Vice President/Chairman Bill Willigerod at Chateau Bordeaux at noon for fellowship, lunch and community service projects focusing on our youth and environment. These changes open St John Rotary to more members and greater impact on our community, the environment and the path to peace through service.
DISTRICT 7020 AREA/ASSISTANT GOVERNORS
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AREA
ASSISTANT GOVERNOR
Anguilla/French West Indies/Netherland Antilles Bahamas 1 Bahamas 2 British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Haiti Central Haiti Nord Haiti Sud Haiti Nord-Ouest 1 Haiti Nord-Ouest 2 Haiti Metropolitan Jamaica South West Jamaica North East 1 Jamaica North East 2 Jamaica Central Jamaica North West Jamaica West Jamaica South East Jamaica North East Turks & Caicos Islands US Virgin Islands North US Virgin Islands South E-Clubs
Rebecca Low Karen Pinder Stanford Charlton Delma Maduro Joey Hew Georges Nicolas Evenel Osias Jean Joseph Forgeas Dawn Johnson Renaud Millien Dominique Bazin Dale Greaves-Smith Clarence Clarke Donald Barnett Michael Terrelonge Michelle Daswani Douglas Arnold Noel Osbourne Donovan Brown Owen Hamilton Michael Toussaint Deborah Howell Manoj Ramchandani
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ROTARY CLUB OF MONTEGO BAY
ROTARY CLUB OF MONTEGO BAY SUNRISE
CONGRATULATIONS!
A SHORT QUIZ Can you name the 10 countries in District 7020?
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PHOTOS FROM MONTEGO BAY
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PHOTOS FROM MONTEGO BAY EAST
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FAMILY AND WELLNESS CORNER Dear Rotary Family of District 7020, Are you ready to "light up" our District in the incoming year? As we go out and make our communities and countries better, we can't forget that we belong to a great Rotary family and that we should also take care of each other along the way! My job as District Chair of Family of Rotary and Wellness is to encourage you to implement or develop a Family and Wellness programme suitable for YOUR club. Carla Card-Stubbs
Many of us have a Family of Rotary chair or perform activities focusing on our various families - such as birthday and sympathy announcements, socials involving members' family and the greater Rotary family - other Rotary clubs, Interact, Rotaract, etc. I want to encourage you to continue the good work and see if you can make it even better this year. Think outside the box! The "Wellness" element may be new to many of you, and so we will speak about that in the upcoming months. Basically, Wellness provides a programme of appropriate assistance for Rotarians with no available or sufficient source of support, helps alleviate the stress of their family and thereby strengthens clubs’ and members’ commitment and ability to serve. FOR ROTARY TO DO WELL, THE CLUB MUST BE WELL. FOR THE CLUB TO DO WELL, THE MEMBERS MUST BE WELL. Do you believe this? So I propose that this be our "Family and Wellness Corner” each month. I will share information but I also want to HEAR FROM YOU! Let's share ideas and best practices. You know we belong to a GREAT DISTRICT so let's do what we know how to do and then do it even better! As we go along, please feel free to reach me and share. If you need information or help, I will try to assist as best as I can. I also need volunteers to translate from English to Creole/French. If you are available, please let me know. My contact information is as follows: E-mail: rotary.dawta@yahoo.com Skype ID: carladcard LinkedIN: Carla D. Card-Stubbs Facebook: Carla D. Card-Stubbs Home telephone number: 242-324-2339 (The Bahamas) Work telephone number: 242-326-8508 (The Bahamas)
FRENCH VERSION Chère Famille Rotary du District 7020, Êtes-vous prêt à éclairer notre district cette année? Comme nous sortons et faisons nos communautés et nos pays mieux, nous ne pouvons pas oublier que nous faisons partie d’une grande famille du Rotary et que nous devrions aussi prendre soin les uns des autres sur le chemin! Mon travail en tant que président de district de la famille et de bien-être du Rotary est de vous encourager à mettre en œuvre ou développer un programme de la famille et de bien-être approprié à votre club. Beaucoup d'entre nous ont un président de famille du Rotary ou faisons des activités axées sur nos différentes familles - comme anniversaire et des annonces de sympathie, des activités sociales impliquant la famille de membres et de la famille du Rotary, autres clubs Rotary, Interact, Rotaract, etc. Je veux vous encourager de continuer le bon travail et voyez si vous pouvez faire encore mieux cette année. L'élément « Bien-être» peut être
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nouveau pour beaucoup d'entre vous et nous allons donc en parler dans les mois prochains. Essentiellement, Bien-être propose un programme d'assistance appropriée pour les Rotariens qui ont aucune source d’entretien disponible ou suffisante, réduire le stress de les familles et aussi renforcer l’engagement et la capacité de servir du club et ses membres. Pour Rotary fait le bien, le club doit être bien .... pour le club fait le bien, les membres doivent bien. Croyiez- vous cela? Je propose donc que ce soit notre coin du Famille et de Bien-être chaque mois. Je vais partager des informations, mais je veux aussi entendre de vous! Partageons les idées et les meilleures pratiques. Vous savez que nous appartenons à un grand District, donc nous allons faire ce que nous savons faire et puis nous le faisons encore mieux! Comme nous avançons, s'il vous plaît n'hésitez pas à me rejoindre et à partager des idées. Si vous avez besoin d'informations ou d’aide, je vais essayer vous aider du mieux que je peux. J'ai aussi besoin des bénévoles pour traduire de l'anglais au créole ou français. Si vous êtes disponible, s'il vous plaît faites le moi savoir. Mes coordonnées sont les suivantes: E-mail: rotary.dawta @ yahoo.com Skype ID: carladcard LinkedIN: Carla D. Card-Stubbs Facebook: Carla D. Card-Stubbs Numéro de téléphone chez-moi: 242-324-2339 (Les Bahamas) Numéro de téléphone au travail: 242-326-8508 (Les Bahamas) Je souhaite une grande année à vous, votre club et le District 7020 de Rotariens! Allons éclairer Rotary et District 7020!
CREOLE VERSION Kwen Fanmi ak Byennèt Chè Fanmi Rotary nan Distrik 7020, Èske ou pare pou ou "klere " Distrik nou yo nan ane sa? Kòm nou toujou ale deyò epi fè kominote nou ak peyi nou an pi bon, nou pa ka bliye ke nou fè pati nan yon gwo fanmi Rotary e ke nou ta dwe tou pran swen yon ak lòt sou wout sa! Travay mwen kòm Prezidan Distrik Rotary de Fanmi ak Byennèt se ankouraje w aplike oswa devlope yon pwogram Fanmi ak Byennèt apwopriye pou klib nou an. Anpil nan nou gen yon mounn ki an tet Fanmi Rotary oswa fè aktivite ki konsantre sou tout fanmi divès nou yo - tankou anons anivèsè nesans ak senpati, ak lot aktivite pou fanmi manm nou yo ak pi gran fanmi Rotary an, lòt klib Rotary, Interact, e Rotaract. Mwen vle ankouraje nou kontinye bon travay nou ap fe a epi wè si ou ka fè li menm pi bon ane sa a! Eleman "Byennèt" nan petet se yon nouvo ide pou anpil nan nou, alor nou gen pou nou pale sou sa nan mwa k ap vini. Fondamantalman, Byennèt se yon pwogram pou bay asistans ki apwopriye pou Rotarian ki pa gen okenn sous disponib oswa ki pa gen ase sipò, epi ede soulaje estrès nan fanmi yo. Ensi, tout sa kapab bay klib la ak manm yo ranfòse po yo ka prann angajman yo epi ogmante kapasite yo pou sèvi. Pou Rotary fè byen, klib la dwe byen .... pou klib la fè byen, manm yo dwe byen. Eske ou kwè sa? Se pou sa mwen pwopoze ke sa a dwe kwen "Fanmi ak Byennèt" nou chak mwa. Mwen pral pataje enfòmasyon avek nou men mwen vle tande nou tou! An nou pataje ide ak pi bon pratik ansanm. Ou konnen nou fè pati nan yon gwo Distrik, alor an nou fè sa nou konnen ki jan pou nou fè a epi fè li pi byen ke deja! Pandan nou ap swiv ansanm, souple mete nou ales, kontakte mwen e pataje ide ave mwen. Si ou bezwen enfòmasyon oswa èd, mwen pral eseye ede ou pi jan posib ke mwen kapab. Mwen bezwen mounn ki kapab fe tradisyon angle an kreyòl oubyen franse. Si ou kapab fe sa, tanpri fe mwen konnen. Enfòmasyon pou kontakte mwen se: Mwen swete w ak klib ou ak Distri 7020 Rotarians, yon bon ane! An nou ale klere Rotary ak Distrik 7020! Carla Prezidan Fanmi (ak Byennèt) Rotary
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THE ROTARACT CORNER ROTARACT DISTRICT CONFERENCE IN JUNE Participating in Rotayoga at the Rotaract District Conference, 2014
Morning Team-building exercise
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ROTARACT CLUB OF ST. MAARTEN SUNRISE
ROTARACT CLUB OF ST.MAARTEN SUNRISE PARTICIPATED AT A BEACH CLEAN UP MULLET BAY- On Saturday June 21, 2014, the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise participated in the West Community Beach Clean Up at Mullet Bay Beach hosted by Leonard Enterprise N.V. As the Rotaract year 2013/2014 comes to an end on June 30, 2014, the members came together to assist at the beach clean up as a final community project for their Rotaract year. The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise would like to thank the general public of St. Maarten for their generous support towards our projects and events for this year. Do you want to be part of a global community of young adults taking action for positive change? Are you looking for the chance to share your ideas and look at the world’s challenges in a new way? Join a Rotaract club and find all this and more, including:
Hands-on service projects Fun networking and social activities Professional development opportunities An international network of young leaders
WHAT IS ROTARACT? Rotaract is a club for adults ages 18-30 that meets twice a month to exchange ideas, plan activities and projects, and socialize. While Rotary clubs serve as sponsors, Rotaract clubs decide how to organize and run their club and what projects and activities to carry out.
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WORLD ROTARACT WEEK Every year, World Rotaract Week honors the chartering of the first club in North Carolina, USA, on 13 March 1968. Mark your Calendars: World Rotaract Week is March 9 – 15, 2015. Rotaract was officially inaugurated during January 1968 under R.I. President Luther Hodges. World Rotaract Week, observed annually the week of 13 March, is designed to foster Rotaract-Rotary activities in celebration of the founding of the Rotaract program. This event is also an excellent opportunity to inform members of your community about the amazing work that Rotaract clubs do, and give them an opportunity to get involved. Rotaract clubs and their sponsor Rotary clubs have the freedom to explore a variety of methods of participating in World Rotaract Week. Rotaractors can decide the best way for their club to celebrate the Rotaract program – completing one, two or an entire week’s worth of activities. To commemorate Rotaract’s anniversary, consider the following: 1) Partner with your sponsor Rotary club and attend each other’s meetings 2) Complete a service project together 3) Encourage a nearby Rotary club to sponsor a new Rotaract club in its area. Participating clubs can receive special recognition from Rotary International.
HOW DO I JOIN A ROTARACT CLUB You can check with your university, look online, or contact a local Rotary club to find out if there’s a club in your area. Contact the Rotaract club to find out about its next meeting, service project, or social event. If you’re interested in learning more about Rotaract, watch "Journey to Pisco" to see how Rotaract clubs worldwide are using their energy, experience, and education to address issues that are important to them.
WHERE CAN I FIND MEMBERS FOR OUR CLUB? Whether you’re starting a new club or part of an existing one, you can find potential members by publicizing your club activities in your community and university. Here are some other ideas:
Post updates to your club website or blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account Organize special events in your community Invite potential members to your service projects, social events, and networking nights
VIDEOS
Connect with your fellow leaders at the Rotaract Preconvention Journey to Pisco Rotaract Teams with Habitat for Humanity ATSU Rotaract Interactive Story Rotaract Doing Good in Ukraine
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THE INTERACT CORNER
Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Through Interact, you can:
Carry out hands-on service projects Make international connections Develop leadership skills Have fun!
WORLD INTERACT WEEK World Interact Week is celebrated every year during November to commemorate the founding of the first Interact club in 1962. Mark your Calendars: World Interact Week is November 3 – 9, 2014. To mark this occasion, Interact clubs, in partnership with their sponsor Rotary clubs, are encouraged to participate in joint projects during World Interact Week. The week is an excellent opportunity for clubs to publicize, promote, and inform the community about the great work accomplished by its members. Clubs should encourage community members to get involved with Interact projects.
RYLA Invite Interact members to attend a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards event to connect with the next generation of community leaders. RYLA is a leadership development program that is organized at the club, district, or multidistrict level. The district 7020 RYLA Chair is Dorothy McIntosh at mcintoshdorothy@hotmail.com.
VIDEOS
Interact: Make a Difference (France, India, USA) Josh’s Choice: Volunteer, Travel, or Lead Interact Video Contest winners
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Trivia – Summer Solstice – June 21 A solstice occurs when the sun's zenith is at its furthest point from the equator. During the June solstice it reaches its northernmost point and the Earth’s North Pole tilts directly towards the sun, at about 23.5 degrees. It is also known as the northern solstice because it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere. If the Earth's rotation was at right angles to the plane of its orbit around the sun, there would be no solstice days and no seasons. The June solstice day has the longest hours of daylight for those living north of the equator. Those living or travelling to the north of the Arctic Circle are able to see the “midnight sun”, where the sun remains visible throughout the night, while those living or travelling south of the Antarctic Circle will not see sun during this time of the year. For those living near the equator, the sun does not shift up and down in the sky as much compared with other geographical locations away from the equator during this time of the year. This means that the length of day temperature does not vary as much. The June solstice marks the first day of the summer season in the northern hemisphere. The word solstice is from the Latin word “solstitium”, meaning “sun-stopping”, because the point at which the sun appears to rise and set stops and reverses direction after this day. On this day, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west allowing it to be in the sky for a longer period of time. In the southern hemisphere, the June solstice is known as the shortest day of the year. It is when the sun has reached its furthest point from the equator and marks the first day of winter. <Source - http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html>
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the calendar year and the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. But what does the word solstice mean, and what does it have to do with Shakespeare? The term solstice is derived from the Latin scientific term solstitium. Containing the Latin sol- meaning “the sun” and sistere meaning “to make stand.” Today the term solstice is used to describe the exact moment when the sun reaches its northernmost point (around June 21) or southernmost point (around December 22) from the earth’s equator. Summer lasts from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox, one of two times a year when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making night and day approximately equal length. Days lengthen from the winter solstice to the summer solstice, after which they begin to shorten. William Shakespeare clearly had astronomy on his mind when he chose the title A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a tale of enchantment that takes place on midsummer’s eve, or, as we commonly refer to it, the summer solstice. Shakespeare is also credited with the firstknown citation of the phrase “midsummer madness,” a line uttered by Olivia in Twelfth Night after encountering a cross-gartered Malvolio. This seasonal transition was thought to be a time when witches and other supernatural beings caused widespread mischief. Additionally, some plants were thought to possess magical healing powers and bonfires were thought to ward off malicious spirits. Midsummer’s Eve is a national holiday in Sweden and Finland. Source - http://blog.dictionary.com/summer-solstice/>
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A few thoughts – men and women – by Paul Amoury
Men and women have basic differences that are obvious. However, there are intrinsic differences that go back to the beginning of time.
Surprises Men hate surprises, but women always want to surprise men because they think surprises are good. Here In the days that we lived in caves, men were hunters and women took care of the children. The instinct we developed at that time still exists in us even though we do not know it.
is why.
Back then, to a Man, a surprise usually came in the form of some enormous animal crashing through the trees and eating one’s friend, or oneself. So back then a surprise was a very bad thing to a hunter. However, when the men came home and had lots of meat for the women to cook and everyone ate (and the whole hunting party came home) that was a very nice surprise to the women. Usually the return of the hunting party created a ruckus and often ended in much crying and wailing, so no deaths meant it was a good day. Often, the hunting party would return empty handed, which meant someone, whom few people liked, became dinner. Then there was more crying. So when they came home with food, it was a good surprise. Sometimes a woman gave birth while the hunting party was gone, so the man came home to yet one more mouth to feed. He did not have the nurturing instinct we have now so that was also a very bad surprise. On the other hand, often the hunting party would be tired and go to bed right after supper, which was a pleasant surprise for women who generally did not want to get dragged around by the hair to be taken to bed, so they were happy when the man was too tired to accost them. Also, once in a while the animal that was dragged home for dinner would have bushes and flowers stuck to its horns and the women liked to put them in a corner for decorations. This still happens today, but nowadays they use vases, and it costs much more, and men generally have to be reminded to get them. That was a VERY nice surprise and women often mistook it as a sign of affection. Unfortunately that has, over the centuries, gotten blown out of proportion so that now when a man does NOT bring home flowers with the groceries, women say he does not love them anymore. He is expected to “Surprise” her with flowers every now and again just to keep the good relations going. Unfortunately, the man never did get the whole flowers-in-the-horn thing as a sign of affection. Today is not different and he is still lost in the woods with that one. These, and many other things, lead to a new instinct that men have adopted; the need-to-know instinct. Men usually find out that women are trying to surprise them because they hate surprises so much, so they look for signs of women trying to sneak around to surprise them. To this day, men can sense someone is behind them while women do not. To this day, men only see a surprise as a frightening experience, and yet women have a need to give men a surprise birthday party, or some other kind of surprise. But for the life of me, I do not understand why. When a man tells his spouse or some other important female in his life, “I hate surprises,” for some reason she hears, “Surprise the hell out of me; I love being scared to death.”
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Clothing Have you ever noticed that women often take longer getting dressed than men? Men’s clothing, since the beginning of time, has been designed for one thing - action. Men’s clothing does not need to be coordinated. Even though today we have coordinated colors for men as well as women, men wear shirts and pants. Women, wear blouses (and many varieties of tops), skirts, pants, dresses, culottes and, of course, many thousands of varieties of shoes.
Men have three colors of shoes: white, black, and brown (or some derivative) and the same in belts. Men can get away with wearing the same pants three times in a row because men’s pants are men’s pants, and the only thing he has to match is his shoes to his belt and that means black belt with black shoes or brown belt with brown shoes.
Women’s clothing is not so simple; every part of every outfit must be coordinated, and this can take hours to figure out. Unfortunately, men love the way women look once this arduous task has been completed, so it perpetuates the dastardly situation women have ended up in.
Again it goes back to cave men. Women had to find something to do with all the extra things that got dragged home with the hunted dinner (like skin of a deer) so they started to be creative. Men have, over the centuries, managed to learn creativity, but it is the women who have mastered the art of having at least 5 accessories to go with her main outfit. So when traveling, a woman has to think about having an outfit for every day she is at that destination and multiple options depending on weather.
For a 5-days trip, a man can take 2 pairs of pants (one blue, one beige) and three or four shirts; which of course go with either pants. With women, underwear is not optional. A man does not have to wear an undershirt, but a woman does have to wear a bra. Then there is makeup; men do not wear any, so a man’s shave kit is just that. Razor, shave cream, tooth brush, toothpaste. Men can take soap, but they usually just take shampoo and wash with that, and if they are staying at a hotel, he does not bring that even.
A woman has to have makeup that goes with every outfit, so that is usually a bag on its own. So of course when a husband and wife are going some place, the man has a carry-on and the woman has 3 bags.
The third bag is because she brings all the other things, which the man will invariably forget, but she knows he will need while they are there. In the days of the cave people, it was the woman who did this remembering. You see, it is intrinsic that the woman does the remembering of the small details. (…to be continued…)
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********* REFERENCES
Adams, Randal. Speaking of Rotary. E.J. Press, U.S.A. 2007. Chapman, Mary. Growing Rotary. A Personal Collection of Ideas That Worked. Dochterman, Cliff. The ABCs of Rotary. Evanston, Illinois: Rotary International. (363-EN) Forward, David C. A Century of Service. The Story of Rotary International. (912-EN) Rotary History Fellowship - http://www.rotaryhistoryfellowship.org Rotary International. Honoring Our Past: The Words and Wisdom of Paul Harris. Evanston, Illinois: 1996. (925-EN) Rotary International. Rotary Basics. Evanston, Illinois. (595-EN) Rotary International News. Online. Rotary Gallery of Past Presidents <https://www.rotary.org/en/aboutus/history/galleryofpastpresidents/pages/timelineofpresidents.aspx>
Submissions from District 7020 Clubs Please send Club News and photos (with appropriate IDs) to Kitty at ladykitt@gmail.com For inclusion in the District Newsletter
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