Rotary Elixir, Week of September 26

 For the week of September 26, 2011

Here are some ideas to enhance the relationship with your Rotaract and Interact clubs:

1.      One-on-One mentorship is a priceless gift. Consider adopting such a program with your sponsored New Generations clubs.

2.      Ensure your Rotaract and Interact clubs are aware of, and work towards receiving the RI President’s Changemaker Award for 2011-2012.

3.      Encourage Rotarians to attend Rotaract and/or Interact meetings on a regular basis if they do not already do so.

4.      Consider a joint fundraiser with your junior clubs. While Rotarians may have more financial ability at our disposal, they have the energy and some great ideas, creating a perfect partnership to raise funds for both entities.

5.      Consider regular meetings of the club Presidents to encourage inter-club activities.

6.      Develop a web page on your district website or a separate website or social network for the clubs in the district. Many Interact clubs are unaware of others in the district.

7.      Invite a Rotaractor or Interactor to be a speaker/presenter at your club meeting.

8.      Include Rotaractors in your training seminars.

Building relationships is the cornerstone of the Rotary movement, but sadly we sometimes neglect those whom we do not see at our meetings on a weekly basis.

                                                                                                                     

If we do not nurture these relationships with our Rotaract and Interact clubs, where else will they have the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of Rotary?

What better way to make the transfer from Rotaract to Rotary than through a gradual and natural progression?

THE CHANGEMAKER AWARD

You can find the PDF file on the club website – www.clubrunner.ca/anguilla - at the right side, under “Download and Review.”

RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee will introduce a new recognition, the Changemaker Award, to accompany the Presidential Citation during the 2011-12 Rotary year. 

Banerjee, who said he will encourage Rotarians to focus on change, explained that the Changemaker Award will recognize Rotary clubs that make an extraordinary impact through their work in the Avenues of Service. 

“In 2011-12, we shall recognize leaders and clubs and districts who carry the service of Rotary forward through all stages of [the Presidential] Citation and Changemaker awards,” said Banerjee.

To qualify for a Changemaker Award, clubs will

(1)    choose from a menu of activities and

(2)   complete a minimum number for each avenue.

All activities must be undertaken and completed between 1 July 2011 and 1 March 2012.


District governors will select three clubs in the district -- the top-performing small, medium, and large clubs -- to be entered into a zone and international competition, culminating in the opportunity to be recognized onstage at the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

Activities include

(1)   demonstrating a net gain in membership over three straight years (2009-12) for Club Service and

(2)   conducting a career counseling or vocational training program in the community for Vocational Service.

The 2011-12 Presidential Citation will recognize achievements related to

(1)   membership development and

(2)   contributing to The Rotary Foundation

It will feature club and district recognition categories. The top 15 districts and 15 clubs certified by governors and validated by RI will be recognized onstage at the 2012 convention.

Clubs will select from criteria such as

(1)   increasing the number of younger professionals in the club by 2 percent and

(2)    inducting RI or Rotary Foundation program alumni.

Districts will choose from a variety of goals, including 100 percent participation in the Annual Programs Fund.

For Banerjee, the Changemaker Award and Presidential Citation reinforce the work of each Rotarian throughout the year to make the world a better place through service.

“2011-12 will be the year of the individual Rotarian, the year when we recognize and applaud all that they do for Rotary and for the lives of others whom they do not know and have not met,” said Banerjee during the farewell dinner banquet at the 2011 International Assembly.

Rotary Elixir, Week of September 8, 2011

Rotary Elixir for week of September 8, 2011

It’s not too late to celebrate literacy!

Since 1967, September 8 has been celebrated as International Literacy Day with the goal of focusing attention on the need to improve literacy worldwide. As students, parents, and teachers settle into their back to school routines, it is worth looking at the status of literacy both at home and around the world.

                  

NIEER Director Steve Barnett and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan read to preschoolers at the State of Preschool 2008 release.

According to the fact sheets from the International Reading Association, an estimated 860 million of the world’s adults do not know how to read or write—more than twice the entire United States population. 

• More than 100 million children globally lack access to education. 
• Illiteracy plays a role in a damaging cycle of poverty, poor health, and a lack of mobility. 
• In countries with a literacy rate below 55 percent, the average per capita income is $600. 

Geography plays a huge role in this cycle: 98 percent of non-literates live in a developing country.

• About 52 percent of non-literates live in India and China
• The continent of Africa has a literacy rate of under 60 percent. 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNSECO) also provides compelling information on the extent of this problem globally.

Either out of naiveté or a desire to believe the problem hasn’t reached our shores, it is easy to think of illiteracy as a problem “over there.”  In reality, though, Americans whose literacy skills are never fully developed lag behind fully literate peers in a number of ways. 

Research from ProLiteracy Worldwide finds that one half of all adults in federal and state correctional institutions in America cannot read or write at all, and reading problems are seen in 85 percent of juvenile offenders. 

Health costs for individuals with low literacy skills are four times higher than those with individuals with high-level literacy skills. Students with poor literacy skills may struggle in a number of subjects and some will eventually drop out before high school completion, a grim outcome when the income gap between those with a bachelor’s degree and those without is ever growing.

Starting children early on the road to literacy is an important step in helping develop these skills.  Recognizing this importance, NIEER has several recommended resources on developing early literacy skills in the early years, including:

• A policy brief, "Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Presschool Years," by Dorothy Strickland and Shannon Ayers.
• "Hooked on Literacy:  Why Dorothy Strickland Sees Language as Job One,"  a Preschool Matters interview with Dorothy Strickland.
• "What Leads to Literacy?," a feature story from Preschool Matters on some of the factors most likely to indicate later literacy achievement.
• A book review of Literacy Leadership in Early Childhood: An Essential Guide.
• The volume Handbook of Early Literacy Research edited by Susan B. Neuman and David K. Dickinson.

For the literate, we cannot remember what it was like before letters automatically formed into words and words into sentences. We cannot turn off our ability to read and cannot imagine being unable to read our homework, a grocery list, or even street signs.

For millions, though, this is their reality. Ensuring high levels of literacy attainment, beginning with the earliest years, both at home and abroad pays dividends in promoting educational attainment and creating a more capable workforce. 

Improving literacy rates is a massive goal which requires more than one day of activism, but today is be a good time to start. And what better place to start than with early interventions?

- Megan Carolan, Policy Research Coordinator, NIEER

Rotary Elixir - Week of August 1

Rotary Elixir - For the Week of 
August 1


For those new to Rotary – and as a review for the older Rotarians …

You are now part of a global network of business, professional, and community volunteers.

In Rotary clubs around the world, Rotarians like you are changing lives in their own communities and those abroad – and forming strong, lasting friendships in the process.

So, how do you want to get involved in Rotary? That is the question for all Rotarians!

You can VOLUNTEER. 

• Volunteer your skills 
• Improve your community in Anguilla 
• Build your network Volunteer your Skills - 
• Talk to club members about where your expertise is most needed (Let’s have a club discussion about how we can help in the best way possible!) 
• Serve on a club committee. What committee will best suit your skills and expertise? 
• Attend your club’s next Board meeting and help plan club activities. Improve the community of Anguilla - 
• Volunteer to help with the club’s projects and suggest new projects. 

What project is the Rotary Club of Anguilla best known for in the community? We need to have a signature project. 

• Work with a youth program sponsored by the Rotary club (such as Interact or the Literacy project) 
• Identify a need in the community and suggest a hands-on project that addresses this need. Build your network - 
• Attend as many club meetings as you can. Connect with different people each time. 
• Join a Rotary Fellowship (see note at bottom) and meet Rotarians in other countries who share your interests 
• Go to your district conference (next year in Haiti) and try to attend the International Convention 
• Plan to attend another Rotary club’s meeting (St. Martin/Sint Maarten, as an example. One club meets Wednesdays at 12:00 noon at Divi Bay.) 

Anguilla KATS sailors earn Gold!

Anguilla Youth Sailing Team Brings Home Gold in International Youth Regatta

Anguilla has a lot of celebrating to do! The Anguilla Youth Sailing Club Team captured 1st place in the KATS 2011 Premier’s Cup International Youth Regatta held July 8th to 10th in Tortola.

The six-member team consisted of Kendall “Kenny” Richardson, Ethan “Rumple” Lloyd, Starlin Rosario, Romero “Butchie” Gumbs, Kadeem Joseph and Derick “Fritz” Carty. They out-sailed seven other teams from five neighboring islands, Peurto Rico and the USA in a hard fought competition, emerging victorious and bringing home top honors.

In the first photo, Team Anguilla Leads the pack in KATS Premier’s Cup Regatta.

With perfect sailing conditions of 10 – 15 knot winds, Team Anguilla launched into first place from the beginning, taking five 1st place wins and one 2nd on Saturday morning. The dazzling start to the weekend filled Team Anguilla with great confidence for racing the IC24’s, boats which Anguilla race only during this annual competition.

In the second photo, Team Anguilla Sails Around Mark in KATS Premier’s Cup Regatta

Sailing got a little tougher for Team Anguilla in the afternoon. With a required boat change, a few bad starts and short courses, the team had difficulty fighting their way to the lead during the last six races of the day. Final afternoon results were varied with a 2nd, a 5th, a 4th, a 1st, and two 3rd place finishes and St. Croix had a 1 point lead over Anguilla.

Team Anguilla showed up on Sunday with renewed focus and determination knowing that the final six races were going to be hard fought battles with their fiercest competitors from St. Croix. Anguilla’s positive attitude and their stellar racing tactics proved a winning combination as they battled it out for 1st place. Sunday’s racing proved spectacular with ideal sailing conditions and a fantastic effort from the entire team that led to their eventual success.

“I am very proud of this team”, said AYSC Sailing Instructor, Chris Simon. “We don’t have IC 24 boats in Anguilla. These guys are used to sailing the two-person 420’s. With almost no experience in these boats, the team adapted very quickly and worked together really well as a team. They all have a lot to be proud of. They sailed a great event from the first race to the last. Team Anguilla has shown themselves to be first class sailors who not only can compete on an international level, but they can be champions!”


Team Anguilla receiving Gold Medals and Trophies in KATS Premier’s Cup International Youth Regatta in Tortola.

Left to Right - Rotary Club of Anguilla, Seymour Hodge; Romero Gumbs; Kadeem Joseph; Derick Carty; Starlin Rosario; Kenny Richardson; Sailing Instructor, Chris Simon; Deputy Premier and Minister for Health & Social Development, BVI, Hon. Dancia Penn Q.C; Rotary Club of Anguilla, Harris Richardson

Final scores of the racing were: Anguilla, 42 points; St. Croix, 46 points; St. Lucia, 66 points; BVI 68 points; Puerto Rico, 71 points; Antigua, 103 points; Grenada, 115 points; and USA, 135 points.

Kids and the Sea (KATS), along with the Rotary, Rotaract and Interact Clubs of the BVI annually host the Premier’s Cup International Youth Regatta at Nanny Cay Resort in Tortola.

The Rotary Club of Anguilla annually sponsors the Anguilla Youth Sailing Club team to attend the Premier’s Cup in Tortola.

“After ten years, Rotary Club of Anguilla has finally seen its investment come to fruition. Rotary has believed and invested in the youth sailors for many years and are extremely proud of their capturing gold medal excellence!” says Rotary Club Team Leader, Harris Richardson. “Last year, Team Anguilla won 2nd place in the regatta, so this year’s 1st place win is another testament to their excellent sailing abilities and hard work.”

The Rotary Club of Anguilla and the Anguilla Sailing Association would like to thank the Caribbean Commercial Bank of Anguilla, D3 Insurance, Anguilla Aluminum, Apex Hardware, Caribbean Juris Chambers, Caribbean Associated Attorneys of Anguilla, Mr & Mrs. Peter Oliver and all the members of the Rotary Club of Anguilla for their financial support for this event.

The Anguilla Sailing Association is the parent organization of the AYSC. Their mandate is to provide all Anguilla children with the opportunity to sail while learning seamanship, boat safety, environmentalism, and leadership skills. The children of Anguilla today are growing up in an environment that offers a limited number of wholesome activities that foster confidence and self-worth. Having an opportunity to participate in what is an international sport as well as embracing the national sport of Anguilla is vital to the future of our youth.

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 11, 2011

Rotary trips open eyes – Focus on Youth
By PAUL MORDEN, The Observer

Sarnia's Yasmeen Ibrahim told Rotary Club of Sarnia members Monday how a trip to Ottawa gave her a better appreciation of Canada.



The 16-year-old Northern Collegiate student went to the capital in May with 219 other young people for a Rotary-sponsored Adventure in Citizenship.

"Every day you would end up meeting about 20 different kids from across Canada, which was very cool," Ibrahim said.

They toured museums, visited Parliament, heard presentations from diplomats and attended a citizenship ceremony where they heard stories from some new Canadians.

Ibrahim said it encouraged her to have a conversation with her parents back in Sarnia about their experience coming to Canada from Egypt before she was born.

"I appreciate my country so much more now."

The group also met Governor General David Johnston, and Ibrahim was one of six program participants selected to ask him a question.

Ibrahim said she asked her question in French and, after repeating it several times, discovered her French was better than Johnston's.

"But," she added, "he was very nice."

Ibrahim was one of three young women involved in Rotary youth programs who spoke at the club's weekly meeting.

Tanya Rand, president of Twin Bridges Interact, spoke about the Rotary-sponsored club for youth that provides leadership development and opportunities for community service.

"It's a great way to meet new friends and have a lot of fun," Rand said.

Members volunteer at the Inn of the Good Shepherd, packed Christmas care packages for soldiers serving overseas and raised money at bake sales, car washes and other events.

Mary Crawford, who received this year's Rotary International Ambassador honour at the YMCA Celebration of Youth awards, talked about visiting the Dominican Republic on an Rayjon awareness trip.

"We were shown the faces of absolute poverty," Crawford said, adding it inspired her to want to work to help make the world a better place.

"It makes me very proud of the youth of Lambton County," club president Johnna Johansen said following the presentations.

Most community projects Rotary supports are aimed at helping young people, she said.
"It's very nice to have them come back and tell us how they enjoyed these things."

Source: http://www.theobserver.ca
pmorden@theobserver.ca

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Rotary Club of Sarnia website -
http://www.rotarysarnia.com/
Twin Bridges Interact Club -
http://www.rotarysarnia.com/main/session//ns/33/doc/5

Where is Sarnia, Ontario, Canada?
Sarnia is a city in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada (city population 71,419, census area population 88,793, in 2006).

It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River. See the map below:

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 4, 2011

Week of July 4, 2011

A little about what other clubs are doing – for some interesting ideas:

THE new president of the Hunstanton and District Rotary Club was sworn in at the organisation’s annual dinner.

And Brian Devlin, who has worked selflessly for many years to help the club’s charities, pledged to carry on the good work of the club during the coming year when he was elected to succeed John Hornsby-Bates last week.

Over the past year, the club raised around £12,000 for good causes, mostly from their annual kite fair and the Norton Hill Railway weekend, as well as a range of smaller events.


At left - Hunstanton and District Rotary Club president, Brian Devlin (second left) with his wife Lyn (left), outgoing president John Hornsby-Bates (centre) with Elaine and Richard Bird.

During the dinner held at the Le Strange Arms, Old Hunstanton, Mr. Hornsby-Bates said: “The money mainly goes to support a host of local causes.

“This last year, for example we have helped the Hunstanton scout group, the town’s day centre, Smithdon High School and the North West Norfolk Phobbies Club based in Dersingham, which is a hobbies club for the physically disabled in the surrounding area.”

But he added that their help also goes abroad through Rotary International.
The club contributed to the relief effort following the Japanese nuclear disaster.

Published on Monday 4 July 2011
http://www.lynnnews.co.uk

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For your interest, have a look at their website – http://hunstanton-rotary.org.uk

What does their club do?

• A meeting every week
• Two formal dinner dances each year
• An informal evening social event most months
• Major fundraising events at the Kite Festival, and Norton Hill
• Projects supporting the local schools
• Projects supporting local youth, old people, and the disadvantages
• International projects in conjunction with local clubs overseas