Weekly Elixir - December 3, 2007

Rotary International and Gates Foundation together commit $200 million to eradicate polio - Press Release

EVANSTON, Ill., U.S.A. (Nov. 26, 2007) -- Rotary International today announced a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will inject a much-needed US$200 million into the global campaign to eradicate polio, a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that still paralyzes children in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and threatens children everywhere.

The Rotary Foundation has received a $100-million Gates Foundation grant, which Rotary will raise funds to match, dollar-for-dollar, over three years. The Evanston-based volunteer service organization will spend the initial $100 million within one year in direct support of immunization activities carried out by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

"The extraordinary dedication of Rotary members has played a critical role in bringing polio to the brink of eradication," says Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Eradicating polio will be one of the most significant public health accomplishments in history, and we are committed to helping reach that goal."

The polio eradication grant is one of the largest challenge grants ever given by the Gates Foundation and the largest grant received by Rotary in its 102-year history. Polio eradication has been Rotary’s top priority since 1985. Since then, Rotary has contributed $633 million to the eradication effort.

"Rotary members worldwide have worked very hard over the years to reach this point, and it is rewarding to see our approach validated in such a significant way by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation," says Dr. Robert Scott, who leads Rotary’s polio eradication effort and chairs The Rotary Foundation, the not-for-profit charitable arm of Rotary that will administer the grant. "We hope that this shared commitment of Rotary and the Gates Foundation will challenge other donors – including foundations, governments and nongovernmental organizations – to step up and make sure we have the resources needed to rid the world of polio once and for all."

Adds Rotary International President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson: "This endorsement of Rotary's polio eradication efforts by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is just the catalyst and challenge Rotary members need to keep our promise to the children of the world that polio will be eradicated."

Founded in Chicago in 1905, Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary’s global membership is approximately 1.2 million men and women who belong to more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Weekly Elixir - November 26, 2007

Rotarians “share” Rotary

The Rotary Club of Des Plaines, Illinois, USA, put its Rotary Foundation matching grant into motion teaching schoolchildren math and science in an unconventional way.



The students use tiny gears and motors to build working machines under the mentorship of local club members.

Please follow the link below to see a video from the Rotary International website. Copy and paste the link into your web browser's address bar.

(Copy = Ctrl + C) (Paste = Ctrl + V)

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/071112_news_gears.aspx

The key to the success of this program:

 The program captures the imagination of the children. The kids find this very interesting.

 The children also get excellent role models from the participating Rotarians.

 The Rotarians receive the satisfaction of “sharing Rotary” much more than if they just contributed money.

So, let’s all remember: Share Rotary!

Weekly Elixir - November 19, 2007

Rotary scholars travel globe

Around the world, many young students get involved with Rotary Exchange programs. Here is the story of one club’s activities in Salinas, California. The article is written by Roger Powers of the Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club.



Perhaps we can get some ideas about how to raise funds for our Anguillian Rotary activities.

Salinas club's silent auction, which funds exchange program, is set for Saturday

At this moment Kalah, a high school student from Salinas, is living with a Rotary family and going to school for a year in Belgium. And Anna, from Norway, is attending school in Salinas, where she is also an honorary member and participates in all Steinbeck Rotary Club activities.

This is the result of the club's student exchange program, which is funded by the club's annual silent auction, to be held Saturday.

Planting seeds for the future! That is the bottom line of Steinbeck Rotary's focus on kids, which is an ever-turning wheel of activity.

It is interesting to watch that wheel go 'round. Several years ago, a young girl from a low-income family was attending Alisal High School. She decided to apply for the Steinbeck Rotary student exchange program, was selected, and spent a year living with a Rotary family and studying in France, all expenses paid for by Rotary.

When she returned, she worked part-time for a local company owned by a Steinbeck Rotarian, went to college, graduated, and is now a biologist with a local seed company. Her name is Estella, and she is now an active member of Steinbeck Rotary.
Student exchange is just one of the many Steinbeck Rotary youth programs. Others include:

• Scholarships
• Youth leadership summer camps
• Spring-break trips to New York City and Washington, D.C.
• Recognizing students of the month
• Top 100 dinners (honoring the top 25 students from each class at Alisal and Everett Alvarez high schools)
• "Job shadowing" with members at their work to see what that kind of work is really like.

All of this, and more, is funded by those who do Christmas shopping amid a myriad of wonderful donated items. Bargains range from kitchen cutlery to dinners out, AT&T Pro-Am season passes, golf club memberships, bikes, phones, televisions, toasters, pictures, paintings, tools, tune-ups, flowers, candles and trees ... You name it and you'll probably find it there - at Steinbeck Rotary's Silent Auction from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas.

You will eat and drink well, too, from complimentary fine foods and superb wines - all donated, of course. And, you'll probably find Estella and Anna working there - to help continue the program and activities that helped them.

ROGER POWERS is a Realtor and member of the Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club.

Weekly Elixir - November 12, 2007

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We have just finished World Interact Week – November 5 through 11.

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So, What is Interact?

Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people. Made up of members ages 14-18 or secondary-school age, Interact gives young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects. Along the way, Interactors develop their leadership skills and initiative while meeting new friends.

Through their service activities, Interactors learn the importance of

• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

Interactors have access to the many resources of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation of RI. Rotary International provides the administrative support that helps Interact clubs thrive.

When RI President Harold T. Thomas traveled the world during his year in office in 1959-60, he discovered a deep and widespread feeling among Rotarians that Rotary’s potential for developing youth service had not been fully realized. In 1960, Thomas appointed a committee of five Rotarians to explore the issue, and two years later, 23 students at Melbourne High School in Melbourne, Florida, USA, came together to form the first Interact club.

The word Interact stands for “international action,” and today nearly 200,000 young people in more than 110 countries belong to some 8,700 clubs, making Interact a truly international phenomenon. All over the world, young people are spreading fellowship and international understanding through a wide array of Interact service activities.


How does Interact fit into the Rotary family?


Rotary International is a worldwide service organization for leading business and professional men and women, with more than 1.2 million members in over 31,000 Rotary clubs. Interact clubs are self-supporting and self-governing but receive guidance from a sponsoring Rotary club.

This sponsorship is a result of Rotary’s belief that young people, or New Generations, should take an active interest in community life and have the opportunity to develop leadership skills. Interact provides a vehicle through which New Generations can find that involvement.

Organizing an Interact club is one of the most rewarding activities a Rotary club can undertake in its community. The Interact program gives Rotarians the opportunity to mentor promising young men and women interested in serving their own communities as well as the global community.

Rotarians also act as resources for Interactors who are on the path toward becoming professionals and community leaders. In turn, an Interact club can bring new energy to a Rotary club, inspire fresh ideas for service, increase support of projects, and help develop future Rotarians.

The Standard Interact Club Constitution defines the role of the Rotary club sponsor in Articles III, V, and XIII.

Weekly Elixir – Week of November 5, 2007

World Interact Week

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Congratulations to the new Rotary Interact Club in Anguilla! Welcome and Well done!

By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News - 1 November 2007

Every 5-11 November, Rotary International celebrates World Interact Week. Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages 14 to 18. The program gives teens an opportunity to participate in meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills.

Here’s just one example of how Interactors are making a difference.

A promotional effort led by the Interact Club of Brasov, Romania, rallied more than 100 people to donate blood at the Transfusion Center of Brasov in an effort to increase Romania’s blood reserves.

Romania ranks last in Europe, with only 1.7 percent of the population participating in blood donation, resulting in a critical situation in hospitals across Brasov.

Many surgeries that require blood cannot be performed because of low reserves.

For two weeks in February, club president Andreea Timpea and 26 other Interactors traveled to high schools and universities throughout Brasov. On a mission to get the word out, they distributed pamphlets, hung posters, and gave presentations on the importance of blood donation. Interactors, along with the director of the transfusion center, Laurentia Floea, also appeared on local television to promote the campaign’s kickoff.

To maintain sufficient blood reserves, the center needs at least 50 donors each day. Before the campaign, it averaged only five per day, but the publicity and kickoff helped boost that number to 20. The Interact club and the center plan to continue spreading the word in hopes of reaching 50 donors daily.

"I’m excited about being a part of a campaign that will change the way Romania thinks about blood donation," says Timpea. "I’m glad Interact has given me an opportunity to help."

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Here are just a few other projects highlighting Interactors' commitment to service:

• When they discovered a local hospital had no toys for its young patients, the Interact Club of Hoërskool Schoonspruit, South Africa sponsored a toy drive.

• Both the Interact Clubs of Sri Sankara Vidyasharamam and Parimalam, India, focus their efforts on AIDS education to help fight the spread of the disease.

• The Interact Club of Gan Yavne, Israel, reach out to less fortunate youth in their community by sponsoring a camp for local children.

• In partnership with their local media, the Interact Club of San Luis, Argentina, promoted drug and alcohol-free living to the youth of their community.

"Rotary's commitment to youth will not be complete if we do not also nurture healthy social values such as civic-consciousness, caring for others, and concern for the environment at an early age which is possible through support for the formation of more Interact Clubs," says Mark K.Y. Wong, chair of RI's Interact Committee. "This way we will have a ready pool of future Rotaractors, and Rotarians too."

10 Reasons You Should Care About Water - the essence of life - Week of October 29, 2007

10 Reasons You Should Care About Water - the essence of life


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In recognition of Rotary’s significant efforts to provide safe water and sanitation and its commitment to sustainable development worldwide, the United Nations Association of New York has honoured Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation of RI with its 2007 Humanitarian Award on 25 October, 2007.

We, as individual Rotarians, can help by getting directly involved. Share Rotary!

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International Decade for Action - Water for Life 2005-2015

In 2003, The United Nations General Assembly declared 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action on "Water for Life," with a primary goal to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015. These commitments include the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by half by 2015, and to stop unsustainable exploitation of water resources.

10 Reasons You Should Care About Water - the essence of life

1. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from drinking contaminated water. (Water Partners International, Kansas City, MO)

2. More than 2.2 million people, mostly in developing countries, die each year from diseases associated with poor water and unsanitary conditions. (WHO/UNICEF/WSSCC, 2000: V)

3. Only 1% of the total water resources on earth is available for human use. While 70% of the world's surface is covered by water, 97.5% of that is salt water. Of the remaining 2.5% that is fresh water, almost 68.7% is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. (UN-WWAP, 2006 : Fig. 4.1)

4. Water scarcity already affects every continent and more than 40% of the people on our planet. (http://www.unwater.org/flashindex.html)

5. There are 1.1 billion people, or 18% of the world's population, who lack access to safe drinking water. About 2.6 billion people, or 42% of the total, lack access to basic sanitation. (WHO/UNICEF, 2005 : 40)

6. By 2025, it is estimated that about two thirds of the world's population - about 5.5 billion people - will live in areas facing moderate to severe water stress. (UN, 1997 : 19)

7. The world's population is expected to increase to approximately 7.2 billion people by 2015. Almost 95% of the increase is expected to be in developing regions. (WHO/UNICEF, 2005 : 40)

8. In an industrialized city with plenty of water, flushing the lavatory in an average household can send up to 50 litres (13 gallons) of water down the drain every day. Yet more than one in six people worldwide - 1.1 billion - don't have access to 20-50 litres of safe freshwater daily, the minimum range suggested by the UN to ensure each person's basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning. (www.unwater.org)

9. About 90% of sewage and 70% of industrial wastes in developing countries are discharged into water courses without treatment, often polluting the usable water supply.

10. The economic payback from investing US$11.3 billion per year to reach the Millennium targets for drinking water and sanitation by 2015 is estimated to be US$ 84 billion. (WHO, 2004: 34)

Visit here for more water facts:

http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/factsheet.html - from the 'Water for Life' Fact Sheet and other sources.

Let’s Get Involved!

(Source: http://www.unanyc.org/events/water.html)

Weekly Elixir - October 22, 2007

U.S. ShelterBox response team delivers landmark aid
By Janice Chambers
Rotary International News

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What is a Shelterbox?

Shelterbox started as a small project by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, England, in 2001, but it took off quickly. To date, it has raised ₤15 million and delivered aid in 33 countries.

Recently, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, agreed to serve as president of ShelterBox. She is believed to be the first Royal Patron of a Rotary club project in the United Kingdom.

The ShelterBox project is designed to assist people who suffer through natural disasters.

Each ShelterBox costs about US$1,000 and is intended to help a family of 10 survive for six months. It contains custom supplies that typically include a large tent, blankets, water purification and cooking equipment, basic tools, and a multi-fuel stove. Rotary clubs provide more than half the funding, and private donors contribute the rest.

The Shelterbox that marked 500,000 people helped by the program was delivered to Jagadeo Argairiya, who has a family of 10, including five young children.

On her first trip delivering disaster relief for ShelterBox, Trannie Lacquey encountered Maoist guerillas, crossed swollen rivers on foot, and hiked miles in a remote, tension-filled corner of Nepal.

But the toughest challenge, says the grandmother of five, was clearing customs at the airport for 410 ShelterBox relief kits, which would help hundreds of families trapped by the monsoon floods that swept Nepal in August. It took 10 days.




“It was tedious and very frustrating. We knew people were waiting,” she says.
Fortunately, extensive training at a ShelterBox Response Team training camp in Cornwall, England, paid off, she says. Lacquey and her husband, John, members of the Rotary Club of Branford, Florida, USA, and Gary Boe, a member of the Rotary Club of Lewis River, Washington, USA, were the first U.S. ShelterBox Response Team members sent on a disaster relief mission.

They also made history, as they delivered the ShelterBox that marked 500,000 disaster victims aided by the Rotarian-sponsored nonprofit.

The effort also depends on energetic volunteers like the Lacqueys, who arrived home 1 September after three weeks in Nepal and are now repacking for a weekend in Blackwater River State Park in Florida, where they’ll help train more response team recruits.

They’ll also tell stories from their recent trip. “The rice paddies were still flooded,” John Trannie recalls. “People lost everything. They were living under tarps in the rain. The living conditions were just horrible.” But through it all, he says, “People would help their neighbors. It was a very humbling experience for us.”

Recently, ShelterBox enjoyed another first. It received its first Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation, allowing 24 boxes to be delivered to northern Ethiopia in October, providing desperately needed shelter for Sudanese refugees. The grant was funded by the Rotary clubs of Beaverton, Oregon, USA, and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

It is part of a massive effort by ShelterBox, called A Million in Africa, which intends to provide shelter for one million of Africa’s eight million refugees.

Read more about the ShelterBox Response Team training camp in England in the October issue of The Rotarian.

Weekly Elixir - October 15, 2007

Wow! What a change!

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Have you had a chance to look at the new and updated Rotary International website? (www.rotary.org)

First of all, you can check out Rotary Basics.

Read what the Rotary website has to say about Rotary Basics:

The 2007-08 edition of Rotary Basics, the annual guide to all things Rotary, is here! The eight-page publication has been updated with new facts and figures for the Rotary year, and now boasts a more user-friendly look.

In addition to providing a crash course in Rotary history and demystifying RI terms, Rotary Basics is a thorough introduction to RI and Rotary Foundation programs and membership benefits and responsibilities.

Released each August to coincide with Membership and Extension Month, Rotary Basics helps clubs educate new and longtime Rotarians alike. It’s also an excellent recruiting tool.

Find it in the August issue of The Rotarian or download it from:

http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en-pdf/595en.pdf

“The more I learn about Rotary, the more I love Rotary.” (Michael P. Slevnik, USA)

I feel the same way, and you can too. It’s all about education!

Please do have a look at the new updated Rotary International website and Share Rotary!

Weekly Elixir - October 8, 2007

October is Rotary Vocational Service month

…ideas from Rotary International

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A good place to start Vocational Service is by increasing the club’s awareness of the scope of Vocational Service. What are all the occupations in our Rotary Club and in the community? What vocational talents can we contribute to the problems and needs of society? How can we encourage those around us to strive toward integrity, character, and high ethical standards?

The Vocational Service Committee should focus on developing the vocational awareness of the club and its members. Club members should be challenged to improve their leadership skills and be conscious of the ethical nature of their daily lives.

Classification talks. Classification talks are essential for promoting vocational awareness in the club. The presentations give members the chance to learn the inner workings of jobs other than their own, including the various problems that arise and the solutions used to address them. Classification talks can also be of particular value to the Career Development sub-committee. Information gleaned during the talks can help the sub-committee in its search for specific club members who can counsel young people in career-guidance programs.

Tours of members’ businesses. A great idea for a different kind of Rotary meeting! The name “Rotary” originated with the practice of rotating meeting sites among members’ places of business, and that practice remains an excellent way for Rotarians to share their vocations with the club. In fact, those members who find public speaking difficult may much prefer conducting a tour of their workplace rather than giving a classification talk.

If the size of the workplace and the size of your club permit, schedule an occasional meeting in a member’s place of employment. And don’t forget to include young people on the tour. A difficult career choice can be made easier begetting firsthand knowledge about particular occupations.

4-way Test. And don’t forget the 4-Way Test, the best feature of Rotary Vocational involvement!

The more each member and each club can do to promote vocational awareness among members and among the community, the more successful will be the Rotary purpose. Think about sharing Rotary this month!

Weekly Elixir - Week of October 1, 2007

The following is an article written by Larry Denniston of the Binghamton Rotary Club in New York State of the United States. It appeared in pressconnects.com.

It is an excellent article providing information about Rotary, and I believe it’s worthwhile sharing it with you. I hope you agree.

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At noon, every Tuesday, I feel a very special connection to my grandfather, who passed away nearly 30 years ago. As he did for nearly 40 years, I attend a weekly meeting of Rotary.

Rotary was formed in 1905 to advance the ideal of service to the local community as well as promote international understanding, goodwill and peace. There are approximately 32,000 local Rotary clubs, connected through Rotary International (RI), in over 200 countries, working together to combat critical issues such as poverty, health care, hunger, illiteracy and pollution both at the local level and worldwide. RI is the spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication initiative and is its largest private-sector donor. It has contributed more than $600 million to polio eradication activities in 122 countries.

My grandfather often took me to his club's meetings during my summer vacation visits to his home; he did it so I would experience firsthand how people can come together to serve others, especially those most in need of a helping hand.

Influenced by this experience, I joined Binghamton Club Rotary Club 64, one of the first Rotary organizations in the world. As I attend our weekly luncheon meeting, I am struck by the similarities to my grandfather's club, which also included a significant representation of community leaders, working together to support their city. I am equally struck with some very significant differences; most noticeably the large number of women members who are now, thankfully, vital members of Rotary.

Like each of the other 44 Rotary clubs who are members of the seven-county Rotary District 7170 in south-central New York State, Binghamton Club 64 supports many local humanitarian agencies and is involved with international projects as well. As examples, within the past year Club 64 has presented financial gifts to support the Binghamton YWCA in the purchase of a pool cover; assisted the Town of Conklin Flood Victims Fund; supported the holiday food basket program of the Family and Children's Society; assisted the Broome County Council of Churches in making van wheelchair lift repairs; and donated 100 stuffed animals to SOS Shelter, Inc.

Annually, funds from the club's Educational Foundation provide Rotary Youth Leadership Award scholarships that allow three students from Binghamton High School and three students from Seton Catholic Central High School to attend a week-long youth leadership forum, "RYLA," at Hartwick College.

Last year, the club's World Community Service program coordinated the visit to Binghamton of a five-member Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from northwest France. Local Rotarians hosted the team members in their homes and work sites during their stay. The GSE program provides opportunities for young business and professional men and women, between the ages of 25 and 40, to experience the host country's institutions and culture, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Rotary clubs are dedicated to service to youth and the organization's Youth Exchange program gives over 7,000 students throughout the world an opportunity to live for a year with host families in one of the countries in which Rotary clubs exist. Local clubs in the U.S. serve as hosts for foreign students who spend a year in our area to interact with U.S. students and to learn more about U.S. culture. As outbound participants, more than three dozen high school students within the seven-county District 7170 area participate in this program annually, as they live and study abroad.

Unfortunately, like many service organizations, the Rotary Club of Binghamton has experienced some decline in its membership over the past few years. The reasons for the decline are not surprising; a decline in local population and the loss of some businesses certainly contribute to the trend. Unfortunately, the decline in membership in service organizations is also tied to a change in the priorities of some individuals. It reflects to some degree the "It's about me" way of living that has become more prevalent in our society.

What happens as the membership of these community-oriented groups declines? The answer is clear; there is less financial and volunteer support for the myriad projects and humanitarian organizations Rotary supports. The local community and the world become less than they have been, and the people who directly benefit from club activities receive less help.

My grandfather, if alive today, would consider it his responsibility to urge his neighbors to become involved in service work. He would remind them of the incredible resources they possess that can be used to make their community and the world a better place. He would remind them to put "Service Above Self" a recent motto of Rotary International.

If Rotary's mission is one that you think deserves your support, we urge you to learn more about it by linking to our Club 64 website at www. binghamtonrotaryclub64.com.

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And if growing Rotary and “sharing Rotary” is something you, as Rotarians, believe deserves your support, I believe that promoting an increase in membership is what you should be considering as a priority.

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 24, 2007

Rotary Membership

Rotarians are like plants. Each of them needs nutrients that will help them sink their roots into Rotary.

First, they need fellowship. Rotary was founded on this principle. Successful fellowship activities demand attention and planning to ensure that no one in the club is overlooked.

Social activities need to be regular. You cannot water a plant with 3 gallons of water and then leave it dry for the next three months.

In a similar way, you cannot induct a new member with fanfare and then cut off the Rotary nourishment. Fellowship activities need to be extended beyond the immediate family of Rotary to our partners in service:

Every fellowship or social activity can and should be planned with the purpose of promoting membership recruitment and member retention.

The test of leadership. Every Rotarian wants to know that he or she is making a valuable contribution to the club. The test of leadership is discovering what skills a Rotarian has or wishes to develop and providing opportunities for growth, helping the Rotarian and others discover the value of vocation as they provide Service Above Self.

Sense of pride. Every Rotarian also wants to feel a sense of pride in belonging to his or her Rotary club. Clubs need to work at creating a positive public image. I am always impressed when I visit a club that has a club brochure listing successes of the past as well as the present. I get excited when I see the Rotary wheel at the entrance of a community, and when I see Rotarians on the job, all wearing Rotary hats or shirts. And I like to watch the faces of Rotarians beam when they invite Interact clubs to a joint meeting. When Rotarians are proud of their club, they bind together with a shared sense of spirit and meaning.

Education. And every Rotarian needs ongoing Rotary education. Without opportunities to learn more about Rotary and the growth we experience from service, we are like plants that are never pruned...having lots of leaves but bearing little fruit. A Rotary minute each week in the club, fireside chats, monthly Rotary topics for speakers, and the sharing of Rotary experiences that not only increase our knowledge but also touch our hearts all make our adventure in service worthwhile.

...from the Rotary Membership Minute

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 17, 2007

New Generations – What does this mean?

The Rotary Bunch - Keeping it all in the family
By Alice C. Chen (The Rotarian) September 2007







At the left: Judith Lorigan and grandaughter Carly wear their Paul Harris Fellow medallions.








The old Rotary slogan “Every Rotarian an Example to Youth” is as relevant today as it was more than a half-century ago. Rotarians can help young people reach their full potential. We can instill our motto of Service Above Self at a young age – and let it continue to guide Rotary through the next century.

Judith Lorigan, a past assistant district governor, has been recruiting new Rotary club members for years without even knowing it. “I’ve spent a lot of life as a Rotarian,” says Lorigan, of the Rotary Club of Bethel Park, Pa., USA. She adds that her family is always asking her, “What’s going on?” The answer usually leads to some of her three children or seven grandchildren getting involved in service. That includes Lorigan’s 14-year-old granddaughter Carly Zalenski, who has organized drives to send supplies and toys to Vietnam and helped raise $50,000 to build a school.


At the left: Youth Exchange student Vanessa Ursini gets ready to leave Machu Picchu. With her is a local boy who provides entertainment for passengers, racing their buses down the mountain on foot and stopping to pose at each hairpin turn. Vanessa helped deliver $3,500 worth of supplies in Peru.


“It’s incredible that Carly’s been able to do this, to stay with it,” says Lorigan, a 65-year-old retired bank manager who has been a Rotarian since 1988. “When she started this, I thought, This is going to be difficult.”

Lorigan’s family, along with others who can list Rotary affiliations through the years, serves as a reminder during New Generations Month that when seeking out potential club members, we shouldn’t forget those who are right under our noses: our own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

It only makes sense. After watching – and perhaps helping – their Rotarian family members dish out spaghetti in soup kitchens, give dictionaries to third graders, and raise money to drill wells in Africa, these potential recruits have come to personally understand the importance of volunteering and its ability to put smiles on the faces of both givers and receivers.

So just how can you get younger family members involved? It’s quite simple, really.

“Invite them to the things you do,” Lorigan says. Introduce them to Interact, Rotary’s service program for people ages 14-18, and Rotaract, for those ages 18-30.

“My family always supported any function my Rotary club had,” she adds. “They’d always come, be a part of it, donate, and buy raffle tickets.”

It also helps to bring back photos. After distributing the items Carly helped provide to children in Vietnam, “I came back with pictures of the supplies and toys given to the kids,” Lorigan recalls. “It was an incredible experience. They were thrilled. They had reconditioned Barbies. These little girls in Vietnam were smiling from ear to ear. Some had never had a toy.”

Because of her influence, Lorigan’s son-in-law Fred Zalenski decided to join the Rotary Club of Canton, Ohio, about two hours away from Lorigan’s home.

The Rotary service bug spread to his daughter, Carly, who was in third grade when she initiated a project at her school to collect items for children to send overseas. She amassed 10 suitcases of materials, which her grandmother and other Rotarians took to Vietnam in 2002 for a school they’d helped build.

But Carly, who became a Paul Harris Fellow in April, didn’t stop there. In 2006, she launched an effort to raise $50,000 to cover half the cost of constructing another school in Vietnam. (The other half was to come from the Vietnam Children’s Fund, whose cochair is Ohio-born Terry Anderson, a journalist who was held hostage in Beirut, Lebanon, from 1985 to 1991.) Carly began speaking to Rotary clubs about the project, and by June had rounded up enough money to meet her goal. To help raise funds, Anderson, who has met with Carly, spoke at a March benefit dinner in Canton.

“It’s exciting,” says Carly, who wants to become a Rotarian some day. “It’s been such a surreal experience. Everything’s been happening so fast.”

Carly is starting high school this fall and plans to join an Interact club. She hopes to eventually become a Rotary Youth Exchange student, Rotaractor, and Group Study Exchange participant.

Source: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/features/0709_tr_rotary_bunch.html

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 10, 2007

Rotary Volunteers

Numerous opportunities for Rotarians to serve as volunteers exist in our own communities.

Many projects in developing countries would benefit from a Rotary club's involvement.

These projects come under International Service, and could involve applying for a Foundation Matching Grant.

There might also be an opportunity to serve as an international volunteer with a project.


Project Ideas – Children at Risk

-- Host an immunization clinic or distribute immunization history cards to new mothers to prevent childhood diseases

-- Support a school-based meal program to improve students’ nutrition. Do all students in Anguilla enjoy a good breakfast before school?

-- Conduct a literacy program focusing on girls

-- Offer vocational guidance and training to increase a young person’s opportunities for employment and break the cycle of poverty.

-- Host a community-based workshop focused on raising awareness of children’s issues

-- Promote a local program that assists victims of child abuse

What other ideas are there that are directly relevant to Children in Anguilla? The club can benefit from community projects that require hands-on support and participation from the Rotary Club members.

That is what Rotary is all about. Actually sharing your time and your expertise in the community.

Get involved. Share Rotary!

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 3, 2007

Share your motivation and enthusiasm

Nothing could be more important to prospective members than the level of energy they feel during a club visit.

Prospective members need to see and feel your enthusiasm as well as your pride for your membership in Rotary. When club members are friendly, inviting, and inclusive, a potential Rotarian receives the most important message: You are welcome here and will have the opportunity to participate in something important.

Recruitment Strategies for Rotary

August was Membership and Extension Month, but we can keep membership top of mind all year by implementing one of the following ideas each month:

-- Place a promotional ad or insert in your local chamber of commerce directory.

-- Create business cards printed with your name, the Rotary logo, and the phrase "Be My Guest," along with the day, time, and location of your club's meetings. The cards serve as an invitation to attend a club meeting at the club's expense.

-- Develop a spreadsheet or database of program alumni (e.g., Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange) so that these individuals can be invited to become Rotarians once they are qualified.

-- Invite program alumni as guests to your meetings, and propose any qualified alumni for membership.

-- Ask members to consider recruiting their spouses to the club, and offer that spouse an incentive, such as no club dues for a full year.

-- Send a welcome letter to the owners of new businesses in your community.

-- Hold a luncheon for community leaders. Each club member is responsible for inviting a set number of prospective members who are community leaders, and club members donate a set amount for the cost of the meal and invitations. Show the six-minute video This Is Rotary (449-EN), and bring in a dynamic Rotary leader as a speaker.

-- Scan local business journals and newspapers for the names of influential business people and community leaders.

-- Invite a prospective member or members to participate in a club activity or project that demonstrates the meaningful work of your Rotary club.

-- Ask members to wear pins or T-shirts with the slogan "Ask Me About Rotary" to generate conversation about membership in Rotary.

-- Create a prospective member leaflet or brochure called "What's in It for Me?" that lists recent speakers at your club meetings, area companies that are represented in the club membership, and current local service projects.

-- Obtain space in a prominent shop window to display information about the club's activities in the community.

-- Collect business cards from individuals who attend a meeting as a guest or speaker, and send a follow-up note or postcard thanking each visitor and inviting them back. Buy a supply of Rotary Notecards (980-MU) or the RI Theme Postcard (910-07MU) to use for this purpose.

-- Wear the Rotary logo on your clothes during service projects.

Make it a point of honor to propose a new member. But be sure that the member is educated about Rotary before joining. That is very important!

Recognize the proposer in the club bulletin or at the weekly meeting.

RI President Wilf Wilkinson is encouraging all Rotarians to help strengthen Rotary's membership by bringing at least one new member

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 27, 2007

ROTARY SHARES

Share Rotary with a young person – Mentors make the grade

…Vincent T. Davis, Express-News Staff Writer, San Antonio, Texas (This article appeared in the local Texas newspaper.)

Margaret Tovar, a senior at Burbank High School, knows how empowering it feels to have someone listen when she talks about her future. She knows students believe that adults underestimate them and doubt their opinions.
Margaret is lucky to have found a one-on-one match in Yvonne Perez, her Big Sister and a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio.

Perez is always ready to lend an ear as part of the Diploma Plus program, sponsored by the Rotary Club.


"She helped me open up as a person," Margaret said. "I can talk to her about any problem."

The club partnered with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Texas, which provides mentoring for the program.

In the photo, Margaret Tovar, 18, shares a light moment with her mentor, Yvonne Perez, in the school’s library, where they meet once a week.


ROTARY SHARES - MEMBERSHIP

Consider the following membership development strategy implemented by the Rotary Club of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada:

For each quarter of the Rotary year, club members must prepurchase a punch-card meal ticket, bearing the club's meeting dates for that quarter. For each meeting a member attends, the meeting date on the ticket is punched. The only way a member can redeem unpunched dates on the ticket is to bring a guest.

The club has seen an increase not only in the retention of existing members (who have an extra incentive to attend because they've already paid for the meal) but also in the number of potential new members attending meetings, as existing members use their unpunched tickets. This system has helped members develop a habit of inviting new business and professional guests to accompany them to a Rotary meeting.

FINAL QUESTION -

How is the Rotary Club of Anguilla prepared to increase membership?

It must be a long-term program where each Rotarian will sponsor one new member every year to SHARE ROTARY.

If it is to be, it is up to me!

Rotary Elixir - Week of August 20, 2007

Weekly Elixir – Rotary Club of Anguilla

…for the week of August 20, 2007

Some interesting Rotary information to keep you inspired. Rotary is the world’s First Service organization. But here are some other firsts.

Some Rotary Firsts

-- Rotary became bilingual in 1916 with the first club was organized in a non-English-speaking country (Havana, Cuba)

-- Rotary established the “Endowment Fund” in 1917, which became the forerunner of The Rotary Foundation.

-- Rotary first adopted the name “Rotary International” in 1922 when the name was changed from the International Association of Rotary Clubs.

-- Rotary first established the Paul Harris Fellows recognition in 1957 for contributors of $1,000 US to the Rotary Foundation.

-- The Rotary club which first held meetings on a weekly basis was Oakland, California, the No. 3 club established.

-- The Rotary emblem was printed on a commemorative stamp for the first time in 1931 at the time of the Vienna Convention.

-- The first Rotary club banner (from the Houston Space Center) to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman , a member of that club.

-- The first Rotary International convention held outside the United States was in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921

-- The first head of state to address a Rotary convention was U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923 at St. Louis.

Just the facts…

(Source: The ABCs of Rotary)

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 13, 2007

Sharing Rotary with New Members

The goal is one new member in each club. But the Rotary Club of Anguilla can do much better than that!

The Rotary policy on club membership states: “In order for a Rotary club to be fully relevant to its community and responsive to the needs of those in the community, it is important and necessary that the club include in its membership all fully qualified prospective members located within its territory.”

One merely has to glance through the yellow pages of the local telephone directory to realize that most clubs have not invited qualified members of all businesses and professions into Rotary.

Only a Rotarian may propose a customer, neighbour, client, supplier, executive, relative, business associate, professional or other qualified person to join a Rotary club.


Have you accepted your obligation to share Rotary?

The procedures are very simple, and everyone must know at least one person who should belong to Rotary.


Take some action - one step at a time

As members of the Rotary Club of Anguilla, let’s make a list of community leaders who should be Rotarians. Let’s get them on a PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS list. From there, we can move forward with preparing to educate them about Rotary before we invite them to become members.

Prospective members should know the benefits – and obligations – of Rotary BEFORE they are invited to join us at a meeting.


Whom do you know in Anguilla who would make an excellent Rotarian?

-- One who will become inspired to join the club
-- One who can commit to attending the weekly meetings
-- One who will participate in the club activities
-- One who will participate in community projects
-- One who wants to make a difference in the world, and
-- One who WILL make a difference to Rotary in Anguilla

Let’s every single one of us add a few names to our list of prospective members now and keep the list growing so that we can invite all prospective members to an information meeting in the near future!

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 6, 2007

Perhaps this story goes well with this year's theme of Rotary Shares. It can be a powerful inspiration when we share.

"Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."

*************

The Hippopotamus and the Tortoise

"Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed" - Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

******

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa , officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.



"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately , it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond.

They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother.

If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.




"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.



"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."



This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.



We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures.


"Look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together."







*****

Additional Note about this story:

The Hippo and the Tortoise Who Became Friends After the Tsunami - Truth!

The Truth - This odd pairing really did happen.

According to numerous news accounts the hippo and the tortoise found each other at a wildlife refuge where they were taken after being stranded by the tsunami disaster.

According to the BBC, the hippo is about one year old and was found alone and dehydrated near the Indian Ocean in Kenya.

He was taken to a wildlife enclosure near Mombassa where keepers have named him Owen.

He and a 100-year-old tortoise named Mzee struck up a friendship and have been partners ever since. Keepers say they are inseparable and that the tortoise has been mothering the baby hippo.

Weekly Elixir - Week of July 30, 2007

What are other clubs doing?

Other clubs have posted on their websites the rules and regulations for membership. The Rotary Club of Barrie, Ontario, which is www.barrierotary.com, shows some very specific information. It would be helpful to make much of the same information available on the Rotary Anguilla website.

The bylaws of the Rotary Club of Anguilla should be made available so that they can be added to the website. New and current members of the Rotary Club of Anguilla would benefit from a review of the bylaws of the club.

Below, I’ve added some specifics that are included in the Barrie website. You may all may find them interesting. Of course, these are the Rotary International policies, but the Barrie Club strictly enforces them.

Making the Rotary Club of Anguilla a little more official by publicizing these policies could be beneficial to all.

*********
Membership

The membership of any active member who is absent for four consecutive regular weekly meetings of this Club shall automatically terminate, unless such absence is made up as hereinafter provided, or he is excused by the Board of Directors for good and sufficient reason.

The membership of any active member whose overall percentage attendance is less than fifty (50) percent during the first or second six months of the Club’s fiscal year or whose attendance at his own Club is less than thirty (30) percent, shall automatically terminate, unless he is excused by the Board of Directors for good and sufficient reason.

Upon written application to the Board setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending the meetings of the Club for a specified length of time.

Method of accepting new members is also very stringent. The proposed member is clearly informed of the obligations and benefits of membership before his/her name is circulated to the membership – with his/her permission. A 10-day waiting period must follow during which any current member may reject in writing the new member. However, if the member is accepted into membership, the Secretary shall issue to the newly elected member a copy of the Club By-Laws and Customs, Lapel Pin, framed copies of the Four Way Test and Object of Rotary, a Rotary membership identification card, name badge and the “ABCs of Rotary.”

**********
The Rotary Club of Anguilla can become a very well organized club by following some of these policies. We all can help by volunteering our time in this year of “Rotary

Weekly Elixir - Week of July 23, 2007

Literacy

Literacy is a global challenge. Rotary International this year emphasizes the importance of literacy and the importance of clubs getting involved in literacy projects.




What can the Anguilla Club do to promote Literacy?

A couple of years ago, the Rotary Club of Parry Sound, Canada, donated books to fill the library at the high school in Anguilla. Perhaps volunteering – keeping in mind the theme for 2007-08 “Rotary Shares” – would be beneficial.

According to countryreports.org, 95 percent of the Anguillian population is literate. That means that 95 percent of those over the age of 12 can read and write. It also means that roughly 600 individuals in Anguilla over the age of 12 cannot read and write.

From the RI website, here is some information on Volunteering for Literacy Projects.


Volunteering

Service-minded Rotarians love hands-on projects like volunteering as reading tutors or mentors.

“Volunteering in existing tutoring or mentoring programs is one of the most effective and rewarding projects clubs can do,” says David Plater, a program coordinator at Rotary International who specializes in literacy. “Both volunteers and students benefit from the interaction, and all it really requires is time.”

Your club’s community service or literacy coordinator can serve as a liaison to the community and seek out opportunities for tutoring. Clubs also can work with local affiliates of the International Reading Association to get project ideas and contacts.


Literacy projects

Literacy projects allow Rotarians to make a creative contribution to building communities, reducing poverty, and opening opportunities for those in need.

According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), 98% of the world’s illiterate population is in developing countries. There are roughly 137 million school age children who are illiterate around the world. Sadly, over 64% of all illiterate people in the world today are women and girls.

So, “What can my club do to make a positive difference,” you may ask?
Perhaps you can invite a guest speaker to discuss literacy and education issues that are important in your community, or plan a community awareness campaign to promote literacy.

The important question to answer today is simply this, does my club have a Literacy Committee to plan and coordinate literacy projects and activities during the year? If yes…Super! If no…Now is the best time to get started.


Let’s Get Involved

Let’s get involved with hands-on projects in our local club. The community – the wonderful island of Anguilla – will benefit.

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 16, 2007

The idea of the Rotary Elixir is to provide ideas and information to “light a fire” under our Rotary Club. To this end, here is an article that appeared in a Greenville, Texas, newspaper.

Two individuals honoured by Rotary

Renee Francey was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Greenville Noon Rotary Club at a special awards dinner held Thursday night at the Webb Hill Country Club.

"Every year we nominate someone outside the Rotary Club who we feel exemplifies our motto 'service above self'," said Gloria Jordan, when announcing the award. "This year the person we selected should be a stranger to no one. Everywhere you go you will see this person volunteering.

Whether its at the DrugFree Walkathon, Fishing Friday, Rally Round Greenville, Halloween on the Square, Relay for Life, the Follies where she is equally entertaining both onstage and offstage helping on committees, New Horizons, Women in Need, at the fairgrounds when the Katrina victims hit town, picking up trash along the highway, reading to elementary school children and entertaining seniors or anyone else for that matter."

Ms. Jordan went on to point out that she had nominated Ms. Francey for the award because, "Everywhere I went I saw her helping out, doing something."

Rotarian awarded as well

Rotarian Jordan was also the subject of special honors at the same banquet as she was named Rotarian of the Year. This award is for the same "service above self" recognition, but is given to a person who is a member of Rotary.

"The things she does for the Follies and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are really outstanding," said Rotary President Tom Swanson, who nominated Jordan along with Bill Rolston and James Handley. "She's one of the main drivers in this area for the Fisher House (a home in Dallas open to the families of veterans who are receiving medical treatment). All the things she does for the community and for Rotary, she really gives of her time and her talents. Honestly, it would be kind of hard to remember them all."

…for the week of July 9, 2007

Vocational Service

As business leaders, Rotarians share their skills and expertise through vocational service, one of the Four Avenues of Service.

Your vocational service efforts can play a vital role in improving the quality of life for those hardworking members of the community who need direction and expertise. By participating in any of a number of vocational service activities — mentoring, career days, vocational awards, business assistance, or even talking about your job at a club meeting — you can turn your experience into an invaluable resource for others.

• mentoring


• career days


• vocational awards


• business assistance, or


• even talking about your job at a club meeting

Project Areas

The focus of vocational service has expanded from individual vocational excellence to providing service within the workplace and to the community. Vocational service can be accomplished in various areas:

• Vocational awareness. Give classification talks and conduct tours of members' businesses.


• Vocational awards. Recognize vocational excellence and high ethical standards in the community.


• Career development. Use members' professional experience to advance employment; develop and support apprenticeship programs; organize career-planning programs in schools; and retrain adults for new vocations.


• Vocation at work. Generate new jobs within the community; work with retirees; address drug, alcohol, and literacy problems in the workplace; create vocational opportunities for the disabled; develop and implement HIV/AIDS education and policy; and promote high ethical standards.

Vocational Awareness starts at home

Do you know what the other members of your Rotary Club do for a living? Would you be interested in learning about what the others do? Would you be willing to share with the club members what you do for a living? This sharing is an important part of a Rotary Club fellowship!

Sharing vocational service will enhance Rotary in many ways. Schedule a classification at a club meeting to share what you do in your community. Through sharing and communication, Rotarians can become better community leaders.

Do you have a hobby or interest that you can share with your club members? Perhaps you are interested in joining a Rotary Fellowship and would be willing to share that information with the others in the club.

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 2, 2007

July is Literacy Month - Project Ideas

The ability to read, write, and do simple math is not only critical to progress and prosperity, it is necessary for the very survival of individuals in a modern society.

Literacy and numeracy projects allow Rotarians to make a creative contribution to building nations, reducing poverty, and opening up opportunities to those who need them.

This year’s Rotary motto, Rotary Shares, means giving of your time.

Demonstrate your commitment to literacy by developing a project in your community. Below you'll find several ideas for community and international projects the Rotary Club of Anguilla may want to consider.

• Apply for a Rotary Foundation grant to establish literacy programs for girls and women, working with an international partner in a country with high rates of female illiteracy



• Establish a literacy center with a library where people can come to read and meet tutors



• Sponsor a business breakfast, inviting business executives and managers of local businesses to hear about literacy efforts in the workplace



• Donate books to students and class libraries at home and abroad



• Schedule a reading hour at a local library when club members would read to children



• Provide child care for parents attending literacy classes



• Reward students who read the most books, win a spelling bee or book report contest, or tutor others.
  

Rotary Elixir - Week of June 25, 2007

Council on Legislation changes affecting membership

The 2007 Council on Legislation adopted 97 items, 59 of which were enactments that change the RI constitutional documents. All policy changes take effect on 1 July.

Some of the changes that affect membership administration are summarized below:


ATTENDANCE

-- The club board can cancel a club meeting for commonly recognized holidays.

-- Club members are required to attend or make up 50 percent rather than 60 percent of their own club’s regular meetings in each half of the Rotary year.

-- Assistant governors are excused from the requirement of attending at least 30 percent of their own club’s regular meetings in each half of the Rotary year.


CLUB MEMBERSHIP

-- Rotaractors who have ended their Rotaract membership within the preceding two years and have been accepted into a Rotary club are exempt from paying a club admission fee.

-- Clubs can elect Rotary Foundation alumni into active membership, even if the classification of the alumnus is filled.

-- Clubs can elect into active membership people with good reputations in the community who have demonstrated a commitment to service and the Object of Rotary through personal involvement in local affairs.


DUES

-- RI per capita dues will be US$23.50 per half year in 2007-08, $24.00 per half year in 2008-09, $24.50 per half year in 2009-10, and $25.00 per half year in 2010-11. Dues will remain at $25.00 per half year until changed by the Council on Legislation.

-- For each new member, clubs will pay prorated per capital dues until the beginning of the next semi-annual period for which dues are payable. The amount payable for each full month of membership will be one-twelfth of the per capita dues.

-- The Manual of Procedure will be updated with all revised constitutional documents and mailed to all clubs and districts. The English version should be available by the end of October, and version in other languages should be available by March. In the meantime, you can download the complete Report of Action at www.rotary.org.

Update #3 from Anne in Whitewater

...June 20, 2007

Hi Seymour et al

We are almost there. You will need to come to the other summit so that you can organize strategies for the boys.

We will have to work ahead of time, so I am proposing that the White Water summit will be, in some way, my community service.

Youth is the topic, and we will need to send more than two students.

The international display we had went well. I had lots of road maps with lots of ads from various businesses and they went well.

The comments, though, were “Where is Anguilla?” They wanted a map with Anguilla positioned. That used to be part of the inset at first, but I have no idea why the tourism department and the flyers stopped positioning Anguilla relative to Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, etc.

I guess we will need to give this feedback to Tourism.

I got a formal note from Admissions today by Rick. The interview for Shellia is tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. The other girl is not really interested. She said that she will shop around first.

With Shellia, she fell in love with Wisconsin while we were driving along. When she saw the campus, she said, “This is it. I would like to go to school here.”

With repeated exclamations of the feeling, I approached Rick and asked him what he thought of the possibility of Shellia getting in. He said from what he has seen of the two girls, he is impressed.

He also said that The University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, is desirous of increasing its international intake of students so all should be well.

Will write tomorrow and let you know how the interview went.

I feel happy here. It is a non-threatening atmosphere.

The kids are happy, and all seem to be able to resolve conflicts even before they start. Of course, the place is full of counsellors and access is easy. It is a real professional set-up with no time wasting.

So far they have had two sets of days whereby they had a full morming of different type of games. That is good planning as they are kids and energy needs to be used up wisely. I am impressed.

The Rotary has an interesting student exchange programme going.

I will look into that some more this evening if I see Rick.

Have a great evening.

A.J.Edwards

Update #2 from Anne in Whitewater

...June 20, 2007

Hi Don et al

Just came from the Talent Show. It was just great! It felt like an old time concert.

These kids - especially the boys -- played the piano, the guitar, the flute, the bagpipes, you name it.

The girls sang and danced -- from Trinidad, Nigeria, Canada, throughout the USA – Great!

For sure, I have my work cut out for next year. We will come prepared if I have anything to do with it.

For supper, we had a hill-side picnic. The area seems to be designed for hillside concerts, etc. There is a bar and BQ equipment there, so the kids were able to play games and eat as much as they wanted.

During the evening, when the big guys were circulating, Rich came to sit at my table. After talking generally for some time, we got on to scholarships. I told him I am desirous of Shellia getting help to come to The University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

He said he had already set up an appointment for me to see the admissions person with Shellia tomorrow, so we should know soon after that meeting if she will be given a scholarship. He told me he was very impressed with her personality. He said that he will ensure that she is given a p[position in next year's World Affairs Seminar.

Isn't all this great?

He assured me that he would like to see me come back with the next batch of kids, and he hopes that other funding agencies in Anguilla will see it important to send some more students.

So we will have to work on these things.

The focus is on the Youth, and we have to show that we mean what we say.

Good night and talk to all of you tomorrow. Please send this to Jack Billingsley as well.

Thanks
A.J.Edwards

Update from Anne in Whitewater

...June 18, 2007


We have arrived in Whitewater and the girls are all settled.

I have been attending the seminars with them and it is all very enjoyable. I have seen Rick but not to talk with him.

[Editor’s Note: Who is Rick?]

I will make an appointment to do so and give him some literature on Anguilla.

We were given some goodies by Seymour - pens, pencils, books flag, etc., and they are all coming in very useful.

It was great to see our flag among the 30+ flags that were mounted on the stage. Of course, Anguilla was called first and the two girls got up to identify themselves.

Tomorrow there will be a talent show and one of the girls will be doing something creative that she had done for the queen show. So all in all, it seems to be a good thing.

It is good I came as a Rotarian, as there are things that I have noticed that will come in useful when briefing the others who will be coming in future.

Anyway, can't stay long on the computer as many people are waiting to use it. Greetings to all, and thanks for giving me the opportunity to chaperone the girls this time.

Regards
Anne

31st World Affairs Seminar - Whitewater, Wisconsin

The 31st World Affairs Seminar will be held June 16-22, 2007 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The very timely theme is:

“GLOBAL HEALTH PRESCRIPTION FOR SURVIVAL - WHO’S RESPONSIBLE?”

We live in an interdependent world. We trade. We travel. We watch “the news”. It’s all good. Right?

But what are the consequences of globalization for the way we think about our health – inside our political institutions, in light of our economic models and plans, hemmed in by national healthcare systems, dealing with our own national and even individual health issues, aware of the dangers of infectious disease, hearing rumors of global pandemics, wide-eyed at the ravages of African AIDS?

What are the most important trends and patterns? Which institutions are engaged in the global conversation? What have we learned, and what work remains? This week will take us well beyond “the bird flu”. Come gather around the table with leaders from the front lines.

We’re going to talk. It’s going to be great. We need you!

**********

Rotarian Anne Edwards and two Anguillian students from Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School - Ms. Sherise Brooks and Ms. Shellya Rogers -- are planning to attend this conference. We look forward to a full report on your return!

Rotary Elixir - Week of June 11, 2007

Community Service and projects

Service defines Rotary's character; whether local or international, it promotes Rotary's appeal and visibility in the community, and is the reason Rotary continues to grow.

Community service responds to the needs of a local community. Rotary clubs should determine top priorities for service projects by first learning about a community's needs and assets, and then developing a response that addresses them.

An effective service project:

• Responds to a real issue, not an imagined one


• Improves the lives of community members


• Incorporates the abilities of those who are served


• Recognizes all participants' contributions as important and necessary


• Comes from a realistic assessment of resources available


• Aims for specific goals and objectives with measurable results


• Builds a working network

About Community Service

A community, defined in its simplest terms, is a group of people who have something in common. But in real life, it is something far more complex than that. Each member — every individual, group, organization, and business — draws benefits from the community in many different ways. For a community to thrive, each of its members must honor a commitment to contribute to the well-being of the whole by returning those benefits in kind.

Rotarians recognize the importance of giving back to the community. Every Rotary club and every Rotarian assumes a responsibility to find ways to improve the quality of life for those in their communities and to serve the public interest. When those efforts are effective, they not only contribute to the greater good, they also promote Rotary's positive image.

What makes a community service effort effective? Relevance.

A community service project must address a real, current community concern or issue. Rotary clubs should start by surveying their communities to find out where help is needed. Once a club has listened to its community, it can begin to envision effective responses to problems.

Some community service projects can benefit from other RI programs, including: Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Community Corps, Rotary Volunteers, or Youth Exchange.

Rotary Elixir - Week of June 4, 2007

Rotary International Public Relations (PR) Grants

Learning about Rotary is an ongoing challenge. Rotary International is a very complicated organization. But little bit by little bit, we can all learn more about Rotary and how to benefit from being part of the world’s first service organization.

Public Relations Grant. Did you know that there is a grant available for Public Relations? I learned that recently from Barry Rassin, a Director of Rotary International who is a member of the Rotary Club of South East Nassau.

The Rotary International Board of Directors recently approved funds for grants to assist Rotary clubs and districts in their outreach efforts to the general public, promoting Rotary and improving Rotary’s public image. The grant will enable Rotary clubs to place Rotary billboards, banners, the RI prepared TV and Radio Public Service Announcements in their local TV and radio stations, or newspaper supplements that feature local Rotary stories.

For the 2006-07 Rotary year, funds have been allocated, ranging up to US$3,000 to support media projects during the current Rotary year. Assistance will be available until the funds are depleted. Grants may be available for the 2007-2008 Rotary year. The PR grant application can be downloaded from the following website:

http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/pr_grants.pdf

The Rotary International contact is Thomas Rothstein at 847-866-3134.

Public Relations Award. There is also a Public Relations Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize Rotary clubs that have generated increased awareness and understanding of Rotary through outstanding media coverage or public relations efforts. Competition and selection of winning entries take place at the district level.

Rotary Elixir - Week of May 28, 2007

ABOUT ROTARY VOLUNTEERS



The ROTARY VOLUNTEERS program is the embodiment of Rotary's motto Service Above Self.

Rotarians are considered Rotary volunteers whenever they give their time and energy to provide a service to someone in need.


The ROTARY VOLUNTEERS program

-- encourages Rotarians to become actively involved in hands-on projects to use their vocational skills.
-- provides opportunities for Rotarians and other skilled professionals to offer their services and expertise to local and international humanitarian projects in need of assistance.



The ROTARY VOLUNTEERS program is implemented through the Avenue of Vocational Service and functions on three different levels:

-- At the CLUB level, Rotarians perform service projects and commit to filling volunteer needs in their communities.

-- At the DISTRICT level, Rotarians participate in both district and club service projects that require help from others in the district.

-- At the INTERNATIONAL level, Rotarians worldwide join together to work on a service project in another country.



ROTARY VOLUNTEERS are often the key to successful Rotary projects. Rotary Volunteers make a difference around the world:

-- Dentists and doctors from around the world have served at Rotary-sponsored medical and dental clinics in Bangladesh, Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Jamaica, Kenya, and Thailand.

-- French volunteers have treated leprosy victims in Madagascar.

-- A theater arts director/teacher from the United States assisted in the implementation of a psychodrama program for the Psychological Assistance Center in Croatia.

-- A Thai librarian traveled to Egypt to work on the revival of the ancient library of Alexandria.

-- A Canadian livestock production manager provided advice to a commercial poultry farm in Ghana.

-- A Brazilian dentist has made multiple trips to provide dental care to orphans and villagers of Mexico.

-- A team of Indian Rotarians traveled to Western India during an earthquake aftermath and assisted the victims.


What service projects can we find in Anguilla where we can truly become ROTARY VOLUNTEERS?

Rotary Elixir - Week of May 21, 2007

Rotary International
District Governor, 2007-2008
District 7020
Dick McCombe
Rotary Club of Southeast Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas





What you don’t know – but should know – about the incoming District Governor

Richard James McCombe was born in Mayo, Yukon, Canada on November 23, 1952. Where he lived for two years before moving to Peru where his father was superintendent of a copper silver mine.


Richard was educated in Peru until grade 9 when he returned to boarding school in Canada. He attended St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ontario. Going on to attend the University of Toronto and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology where he graduated second in his class with an Interprovincial degree in Heavy Duty Mechanics, Electrics.

Richard worked for Syncrude Canada Limited from 1977 until 1987 when he moved to the Bahamas permanently. His wife is Carla.

Rotary Elixir - Week of May 14, 2007

Rotary International President
2007-2008
Wilfrid J. Wilkinson
Canada







What you don’t know – but should know – about the incoming RI President

Wilf is a founding partner of Wilkinson and Company, a tax and accounting firm. He retired in 2001 and has since served as Executive Director of the Quinte Ballet School of Canada and as Canadian coordinator for the National Association of Forensic Accountants.

A Rotarian since 1962, Wilf is a PolioPlus national advocacy adviser and a member at large of the PolioPlus Partners Task Force.

He has been a district governor, International Assembly discussion leader, regional session leader, consultative group member, committee member and chair, task force member, Foundation trustee and consultant, director, and vice president.



Wilf was chair of the 2005 Chicago Convention Committee and Vice Chair of RI’s Afghan refugee relief project. His wife is Joan.