Goodbye

This will be my last blog.  The NVRA1 blog is a link to see all the programs, events and fundraising activities of the 5 clubs in the valley.
I don't know whether it serves this purpose or not.
I finished my term as ADG 2011-2012.
I did enjoy making the blog.

World Polio Day

On World Polio Day, join the World’s Biggest Commercial

  

Rotary News -- 24 October 2012  

O n World Polio Day, 24 October, people around the globe will participate in the World’s Biggest Commercial, promoting the international effort to eradicate the devastating disease. 

The innovative, interactive online initiative gives everyone a chance to join Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bill Gates, Jackie Chan, Angelique Kidjo, and other world figures and celebrities who have already joined in Rotary’s This Close campaign in support of polio eradication. Participants can upload photos of themselves to Rotary’s polio eradication website, endpolionow.org, to be edited into the constantly expanding promotional spot. They receive an email with a direct link to their image and comment within the commercial.

Rotary is also releasing End Polio Now, an eclectic album of songs performed by its celebrity polio eradication ambassadors from the music industry. The lineup includes several polio survivors: violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, folk rock musician Donovan, and Staff Benda Bilili, a Congolese soukous band scheduled to launch its U.S. tour in Los Angeles on World Polio Day. The End Polio Now album is available for download on iTunes, and soon as a CD from shop.rotary.org, with all proceeds from sales going to PolioPlus.  

Coinciding with World Polio Day, Rotary is ramping up its advocacy work in the 200 countries and regions where Rotary clubs exist to encourage every national government to commit to help meet a $700 million funding shortfall for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative through 2013.  

Although new polio cases are at an all-time low -- there were fewer than 180 worldwide in 2012 as of 16 October -- the funding gap has already curtailed scheduled immunization activities in polio-affected countries. If eradication fails and polio rebounds, up to 200,000 children per year could be paralyzed.  

“Governments need to step up and honor their commitments to polio eradication if we are to achieve our goal of a polio-free world,” says Wilfrid J. Wilkinson, chair of The Rotary Foundation. “We are at a true tipping point, with success never closer than it is right now. We must seize the advantage by acting immediately, or risk breaking our pledge to the world’s children.”  

Here are other ways you can support the global effort to eradicate polio:

• Upload your photo for the World's Biggest Commercial.
• Lend your voice to advocacy efforts by signing the petition on endpolionow.org.

• Begin planning an End Polio Now lighting  to celebrate Rotary’s anniversary on 23 February.

• Contribute now to end polio.

Literacy Project

Literacy project promotes reading, writing in Burkina Faso

Posted on October 12, 2012

By Charlie Wasser, a member of the Rotary Club of Sunnyvale, California, USA

About 18 months ago, I transferred my membership to the Rotary Club of Sunnyvale, California, USA. I was excited when my new club embraced a literacy effort I had been involved in, receiving a global grant from The Rotary Foundation for a new media center in Hounde, Burkina Faso.

Through the literacy project, residents in villages surrounding the town of Hounde will learn to write their own books and print them using computers in the media center. Our club is partnering with the host club of Ouagadougou-Savane and Friends of African Village Libraries, which has built seven libraries in surrounding villages.

I have been working with Friends of African Village Libraries for the past four years, mostly collecting funds from clubs in our district for books to stock the libraries. Michael Kevane, formerly head of the economics department at Santa Clara University, started the organization and is now its co-director. During the first few years of the literacy project, students from Santa Clara University, under Kevane’s tutelage, will spend a semester in the village as part of an immersion program, writing two books and teaching a villager how to write a book and create images. The books will then be added to the libraries.

 A great feature of the Foundation’s new grant model, which District 5170 is helping test as part of the Future Vision pilot, is the emphasis on sustainability – the capacity of a project to continue benefiting the local community after funds have been expended. Our project addresses sustainability in a number of ways.

Villagers who learn to write will teach other villagers to write. In addition, we are making use of local resources. The town of Hounde has agreed to pay the salary of a half-time employee who will work at the new media center.

During the five-year scope of the project, children in the villages will have the opportunity to learn to read and write. The goal of the project is to equip the villages to continue raising the literacy level of the residents. Who knows, one of the children who learns to read and write may someday be the driving force that brings water, electricity, and greater prosperity to the villages.

• Learn more about sustainability in a learning module

• Basic education and literacy is one of Rotary’s six areas of focus. Read more about the areas of focus.
• Watch the video “Key to Literacy“

(article is reprinted from Rotary Voices.)

Interact,50th anniversary

This year, the Interact program marks its 50th anniversary. 

The first Interact club was chartered 5 November 1962 at Melbourne High School, Florida, USA, a few months after the program was approved by the Rotary International Board of Directors. The club and its 39 charter members were sponsored by the Rotary Club of Melbourne.

Interact’s name is a combination of “international” and “action.” Interact clubs are sponsored by Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting. Interact is open to young men and women, ages 12-18.  

Browse the image gallery to see Interactors in action during the past 50 years. The following are a few historic facts and firsts: 

• On 14 January 1963, the Interact Club of St. Peter’s High School became the first Interact club outside the United States. It was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. 
• The first club in Africa was chartered 20 September 1963 at H.H. Aga Khan High School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Mombasa, Kenya. 
• The Interact program grew to 290 clubs in 25 countries and geographical areas within its first year. 
• In January 2010, the RI Board of Directors lowered the minimum age from 14 to 12. 
• In 2011, there were 13,500 Interact clubs in 138 countries and geographical areas. 

During 2012, the Presidential Citation for Interact clubs and new Interact Certificates of Organization will feature a 50th anniversary logo. Join clubs around the world in celebrating a half century of Interact by organizing activities like these:  

• Challenge your club or each Interactor to raise donations in amounts of 50 for a polio eradication fundraiser.
• During World Interact Week (5-11 November), carry out projects that involve 50 positive actions in one of Rotary’s areas of focus, such as donating 50 books to support a literacy program or organizing a community forum with 50 young people.
•  Film interviews with former members of your Interact club about how the program can fuel a lifetime of service. Use the footage to create an entry for Rotary’s annual Interact video contest. See the Interact YouTube channel for details.
• Show us how your school, club, or Rotary district will celebrate Interact’s 50th anniversary by sharing photos and stories on the Interact Facebook page. 

(Photo: nteractors from Marin Catholic High School in California, USA, help build a house in Tijuana, Mexico, in 2003.)

Text and photo are from the RI website: www.rotary.org

Seeking new horizons

Seeking new horizons

By John Davis, past governor of District 9800 (Australia) and district Rotary Foundation committee chair

After two years of working with the Future Vision pilot, we are certainly aware that change and sustainability are important concepts to Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

But some may ask: Why change a formula that on the surface appears to be producing results? Is it simply change for change sake? Most certainly not. As an organization, we are not attracting young adults in the numbers we would like. Is our organization too rigid and inflexible to attract these young professionals, who wish to make a difference in the world? If we are to reach them, we need to demonstrate that Rotary can make a visible difference in the lives of others.

Vocational training teams are designed to do just that. Using the vocational and professional skills of team members, particularly in countries where resources and infrastructure are limited, the teams improve the facilities and living conditions of the people living there.

As a Rotary district, we wanted to know what we could do to improve conditions in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The lifetime risk of maternal death at child birth is 1 in 30, and the percentage of deliveries with a skilled birth attendant is less than 30 percent. The first step was to send an investigatory group to the country, partly funded by a Future Vision district grant. With the information from that visit, Districts 9800 and 9550 submitted an application for a global grant to fund five vocational training teams over a three-year period, with the focus on maternal and child health. The teams will provide refresher courses for midwives working in Timor.

Two training teams have now been sent, the first in November 2011 and the second in May 2012. The third team will leave this month. The teams are working under the endorsement of the Departments of Health of the Timor government and the United Nations Population Fund, and the refresher courses are closely aligned with the United Nation’s emergency obstetric care program.

The global grant will also provide much needed basic medical equipment. This surely is how Rotary can meet the challenges of a changing world, and be a force for good in its second century of service.

Learn more about the Future Vision grant model.

(article and photo from: www.rotary.org)

Foundation Grants (Future Vision)

Foundation Grants FAQ

 Foundation Grants (Future Vision) FAQ

• What is the new grant model (also called Future Vision)?
• How will the new grant model benefit clubs and districts?
• Why did The Rotary Foundation change the grant model?
• What are the areas of focus and how were they selected?
• What is sustainability and why is it important?
• How does my club or district get qualified?
• What are strategic partnerships and how do they work?
• What are vocational training teams (VTTs)?
• Can grants be used for scholarships?
• What is the timeline for the Future Vision global launch?
• How is Rotarian input and feedback being used to improve the new grant model for the worldwide launch?
• How will the Foundation know if Future Vision is a success?
• Where can I find learning resources?

What is the new grant model (also called Future Vision)?

The Rotary Foundation’s new grant model supports district and club humanitarian and educational projects through three types of grants: district grants, global grants, and packaged grants.

• District grants are block grants that allow clubs and districts to address immediate needs in their communities and abroad.
• Global grants, which rage from $15,000 to $200,000, fund large international humanitarian projects, vocational training teams, and scholarships that have sustainable, measurable outcomes in one or more of the areas of focus.
• Packaged grants allow clubs and districts to work with Rotary’s strategic partners to implement pre-designed projects.

How will the new grant model benefit clubs and districts?

The new grant model offers several advantages:

• Grants have been reduced from 12 types to three — global grants, district grants, and packaged grants — while maintaining support for the variety of Rotarian activities.
• Grant payments are processed more quickly and the online application and approval process is transparent, allowing clubs and districts to see the status of their grants throughout.
• Districts can access 50 percent of their District Designated Funds (DDF) for district grants, which gives them more funding for projects and more control over their DDF.
• District grants can be used to sponsor a wide range of activities locally and abroad, including Group Study Exchange-like vocational training teams (VTTs), local and international scholarships, and any projects that align with the Foundation’s mission.
• Monitoring and evaluation of grants will provide important information to grant sponsors and to the Foundation. For example, knowing the number of people who benefit from their projects can help clubs and districts promote the value of their work to the general public.
• Clubs and districts determine their level of involvement in grants. They can determine how to allocate district grants, develop their own global grant project with an international partner, or apply for a packaged grant.
• The timeline for global grant scholar selection is shorter, so clubs and districts do not have to plan as far ahead.
• Global grant scholarships receive a World Fund match, lowering the annual cost of a scholarship for the sponsors.
• Vocational training teams (VTTs), which travel to meet vital humanitarian needs, offer service opportunities far beyond the GSE experience.

Why did The Rotary Foundation change the grant model?

The Foundation recognized the need to use its limited resources more effectively. In 2007, the Foundation spent 20 percent of its program budget on long-term activities with high impact, and 80 percent on short-term activities with minimal impact. The new grant model will reverse that: 80 percent of the program budget will support high-impact, sustainable projects. The new grant model will also help meet the priorities and goals of Rotary's strategic plan .

What are the areas of focus and how were they selected?

The six areas of focus are:

• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development

The Trustees identified these as critical humanitarian issues that Rotarians are already addressing worldwide. Previous Rotarian experience and interest in these areas will promote project success.

What is sustainability and why is it important?

The Rotary Foundation defines sustainability as the capacity for maintaining outcomes over the long term to serve the ongoing need of a community after grant funds have been expended. A sustainable project typically involves local community leaders in planning so that they are invested in the project’s long-term success. Training and the exchange of information prepare communities to maintain results and solve problems on their own, after the Rotary club’s involvement has ended. Sustainable projects offer enduring value and a greater return on Rotary’s investment of money and volunteer hours.

How does my club or district get qualified?

In order to receive grants from the Foundation, clubs and districts must be qualified. To be qualified, districts must complete an online process and follow the District Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The district governor, governor-elect, and Rotary Foundation committee chair must all three agree to the terms of the MOU.

Once a district is qualified, that district will in turn qualify its clubs. To be qualified, clubs must sign and follow the Club Memorandum of Understanding , send a representative to the district grant management seminar, and meet any other requirements determined by their district.

What are strategic partnerships and how do they work?

A strategic partnership is a relationship between The Rotary Foundation and another international organization that has a unique or specialized knowledge or expertise in one or more of the areas of focus. Strategic partnerships are large-scale, multi-year relationships. Rotary’s strategic partners provide financial resources, technical expertise, advocacy, or a combination thereof. These relationships will produce mutually beneficial project portfolios that fulfill the goals of the partners and enhance service opportunities for Rotarians through packaged global grants.

What are vocational training teams (VTTs)?

Vocational training teams (VTTs) are groups of professionals who travel abroad either to learn more about their vocation or to teach local professionals about a particular field. Vocational training teams can be funded by either district grants or global grants

Can grants be used for scholarships?

Yes, scholarships can be supported with district and global grants. District Grants may be used to support scholarships at the district’s discretion. Global Grants may support a Rotary Scholar as long as the recipient’s study involves one of the six areas of focus.

What is the timeline for the Future Vision global launch?

All districts will begin using the new grant model on 1 July 2013. However, districts not participating in the Future Vision pilot should begin preparing for the transition ahead of time. District governors-elect and district Foundation chairs will receive training at the 2013 International Assembly. This will prepare them to complete the qualification process, train and qualify clubs, and apply for grants.

Download detailed timelines for clubs and districts .

How is Rotarian input and feedback being used to improve the new grant model for the worldwide launch?

Many of the plan’s key elements were based on survey results from Rotary leaders and grassroots Rotarians. Rotarian input continues to be a key factor as pilot districts, which have been testing the model since 2010, report back on their successes and challenges and make recommendations for change. For example, major improvements are being made to the online grant application to make it easier to use.

Surveys of Future Vision pilot districts indicate that most are happy with the new grant model. For example:

• 85% of respondents strongly or somewhat agree that the district MOU requirements improved their district’s stewardship practices.
• Districts are generally satisfied with the online system and the elimination of paper applications. They feel that this process is easier.
• Pilot districts report that the sense of ownership of grants and grant projects has increased at both district and club levels.
• One district reports: “We have found better participation by clubs in our district. We have used our grant funds for a great variety of local and international projects and some clubs have combined with others for larger projects.”
• Another district reports that their vocational training team (VTT) exchange had an even higher impact on their community than group study exchanges (GSEs).
• Pilot districts report that more clubs are participating in international projects and starting multiclub projects.

How will the Foundation know if Future Vision is a success?

The new grant model includes an evaluation process that will provide data on the actual number of people who benefit from Foundation grants and demonstrate how the sustainability factor will ensure the continuation of those benefits. Other factors that will help the Foundation measure success include Rotarian participation in grants, Foundation donations from both members and non-Rotarians, and media coverage of Foundation-sponsored projects.

Where can I find learning resources?

• Go to learn.rotary.org for tutorials and other resources to help you understand the new grant model. Because these are offered as a member benefit for Rotarians, it’s only available to those with a Member Access account. If you don’t yet have an account, open one today.
• Subscribe to Future Vision News, a free monthly e-newsletter that features updates and information about the new grant model.

(the article is taken from the RI website: www.rotary.org)

Top EREY Program

5130 Top District in Every Rotarian Every Year program

For details go to:  http://www.rotary5130.org/news-events/5130-top-district-every-rotarian-every-year-program

Rotary in Ukraine

Rotary in Ukraine

Twenty years ago, six clubs -- three in the United States, two in Canada, and one in Scotland -- helped charter the Rotary Club of Kyiv, the first in Ukraine. Now the country has more than 40 clubs and many Rotaractors. At a recent gala, Rotarians instrumental in bringing Rotary to Ukraine celebrated.

Watch the video

(article taken from the RI website:www.rotary.org)

Rotary and the Olympics

Rotary and the Olympics

Rotary and the Olympics have a common goal: a more peaceful world. Learn how Rotarians are taking part in the Summer Games in London and how their activities publicize Rotary’s good works.

Learn more about athletes helping promote polio eradication
Read about Rotarian torchbearers
Read about a Rotarian who is providing security for the games

(from  RI website: www.rotary.org)

Why July 1st ?

Historic Moments: Why the Rotary year begins 1 July

By Susan Hanf and Jason Lamb  

Rotary International News -- 29 June 2012  

Ever wonder why the Rotary year begins 1 July? The international convention initially played a key role in determining the start date of our fiscal and administrative year.  

Rotary’s first fiscal year began the day after the first convention ended, on 18 August 1910. The 1911-12 fiscal year also related to the convention, beginning with the first day of the 1911 convention on 21 August. 

At its August 1912 meeting, the Board of Directors ordered an audit of the International Association of Rotary Clubs’ finances. The auditors recommended that the organization end its fiscal year on 30 June to give the secretary and treasurer time to prepare a financial statement for the convention and board, and determine the proper number of club delegates to the convention.  

The executive committee concurred, and at its April 1913 meeting, designated 30 June as the end of the fiscal year. This also allowed for changes to the schedule for reporting club membership and payments. Even The Rotarian changed its volume numbering system to correspond to the fiscal year (beginning with vol. 5, July 1914).  

Rotary continued to hold its annual conventions in July or August until 1917. Delegates to the 1916 event in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, approved a resolution to hold future conventions in June, mainly because of the heat in cities where most of them occurred. 

The next one was held 17-21 June in Atlanta, Georgia.  

The term "Rotary year" has been used to signify Rotary’s annual administrative period since at least 1913. An article in The Rotarian that July noted, “The Rotary year that is rapidly drawing to a close has been signalized by several highly successful joint meetings of Clubs that are so situated as to assemble together easily and conveniently.”

Since the executive committee's decision in 1913, the end of the Rotary year has remained 30 June. 

For more information:

• See Rotary History and Archives
• Read more Historic Moments
• Visit the Rotary Global History Fellowship site  

(from RI website)

District Conference

District Conference June 14-17, 2012 in Fortuna.
Plenty of activities, fellowship, and awards and Lip Sync.


President Bill and I are driving tomorrow.
We will see you there in Fortuna.

EREY

Doing Good in the World

Your contributions to the Annual Fund through the Every Rotarian, Every Year initiative support life-changing projects around the world. Learn how your contributions to The Rotary Foundation are making a difference.

Watch a video about how your giving helps
Read about Foundation founder Arch C. Klumph
Give today

(taken from the RI website)

GSE teams to France and Turkey

Follow the GSE team to France and Turkey. Links below:

http://gse2012.tumblr.com/

http://rotary5130francegse.blogspot.com/

Sakuji Tanaka RI President 2012-2013

Sakuji Tanaka 2012-13 RI President Bangkok, Thailand
9 May 2012

It is a great honor to be here at this international convention, addressing you as president-elect of Rotary International.

Rotary has been at the center of my life for many years. I did not know it at the time, but the day I joined Rotary in 1975 was the day I set my first step on the path to a different future.

Before I joined Rotary, my view of the world was narrow. I was the fourth of eight children. We were poor, and so was nearly everyone we knew. I had never met anyone who was not Japanese.

Every week, my mother and I walked 20 kilometers to the market, to sell vegetables. This was as far as I went and as much as I saw of the world beyond my village. I dreamed of travel. I dreamed of seeing other cities and countries. I wondered what they were like.

(photo of Sakuji Tanaka and his wife, Kyoko-Rotary Images/Alyce Henson)

Since then, I have traveled a great deal. I have seen more of the world than I ever imagined. But nothing has broadened my vision as much as the perspective I have gained through Rotary.

Before I was a Rotarian, I saw only what was in front of me. I saw my business, my family, my customers, and my competitors. When I traveled, I saw only what I wanted to see. I did not see beyond that. I did not look past what I believed was important to me. One day, I was asked to join the Rotary Club of Yashio. And it was two years later that someone came and spoke to us about the idea of vocational service.

From that day, I began to change slowly. I realized that the purpose of my life was not just to earn more, to sell more, to make my business better than anyone else’s. I realized that I wanted to have higher goals — both personally and professionally. I realized that, for me, the most important thing in life was being useful to other people.

And I realized that, by helping others, even in the simplest of ways, I could help to build peace.

We hear the word peace every day. We hear it in the news, we use it in conversation, and we talk about it a great deal in Rotary. But most of us spend very little time thinking about what peace is and what peace means.

On a basic level, peace can be defined by what it is not. It is a state of no war, no violence, and no fear. It means that you are not in danger of hunger, suffering, or poverty.

But we can also define peace by what it is and by what it can be. Peace can mean freedom of thought and freedom of choice. It can mean security and confidence in the future, a life in a stable society. On a more abstract level, peace can mean a sense of happiness, of inner serenity, of calm.

The truth is that peace means different things to different people. No definition is right and no definition is wrong. However we use the word, this is what peace means for us. No matter how we use or understand the word peace, Rotary can help us to achieve it.

Rotary helps us to meet the basic needs of others: to provide health care, sanitation, food, and education, when and where they are most needed. It helps to meet the inner needs as well — for friendship, connection, and caring. And Rotary helps us to build peace in its most traditional sense, by reducing the causes of conflict. It builds bridges of friendship among people and nations. It helps us to understand one another.

Through our service, we learn that the problems that may seem large to us are really very small. We learn empathy for others. We come closer to people who seem very different from us. And we begin to understand how much we are all the same.

Through our Rotary service, we know that cooperation is more productive than conflict. We learn to value each other. We know that every one of us has something to give, and everyone has something to teach.

To me, Service Above Self is more than just a motto. It is a way of life, one that will make any life richer and more meaningful.

Putting Service Above Self allows us to focus our energies on what is truly important. We put the common good above our own. We value the needs of others over our own desires. We think less about ourselves and more about what is best for everyone. And in this way, we help to build the foundation for a more peaceful world.

This is why, in 2012-13, our Rotary theme will be Peace Through Service. Because, however we define peace, whatever peace means to us, we can bring it closer through service. Service Above Self reminds us that none of us can live for ourselves alone. A life lived in isolation is empty and without joy. But when we live for others — when we focus on our role as part of our family, our community, and all humanity, then we begin to realize our own place in the world.

I am part of the first generation to grow up in Japan after a terrible war. I think it is natural that we now place a great priority on peace. We saw where war brought our country. And we also saw the great economic growth that came when our nation made the choice to change our way of thinking and to embrace peace.

This decision allowed Japan to grow and prosper. It allowed new generations of children to grow up in safety, to become educated, to improve their lives. It caused us to open our minds, to seek greater understanding. And it allowed us to focus our energies toward positive goals.

In Japan, we value the needs of the group over the needs of the individual. Sometimes, we give up what we want for ourselves to achieve what is best for everyone. This has always been part of Japanese culture. In the weeks and months following the great earthquake and disaster of March 2011, this was what helped us to survive and rebuild.

This is a lesson that I think the whole world can learn from, in a positive way. When we see the needs of others as more important than our own needs — when we focus our energies on a shared goal — this changes everything. It changes our perceptions. It changes our priorities. And it changes how we understand the idea of peace.

For me, the idea of Peace Through Service does not involve any complicated philosophy. I am not a philosopher. I am a businessman. And over many years of business, I have seen that, in the end, the only way to a successful business is happy customers. When my customers are happy, my business grows. And this makes me happy also — not only because my business is doing well, but because I am glad to see that I have made others happy.

In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our business is peace. Our reward is not money but the happiness and satisfaction of seeing a better, more peaceful world — one that we have achieved through our own efforts.

As Rotarians, we have a very powerful resource to help us in our quest for peace. The six Rotary Peace Centers prepare young people as peacemaking professionals in many fields. Today, hundreds of Rotary Peace Fellows are already promoting international cooperation and resolving conflicts throughout the world. By supporting our peace centers, we are supporting Rotary’s long-standing commitment to building a peaceful world.

In this Rotary year, President Kalyan has asked us to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. He has asked us to remember that every human life is of equal value. And he has said to us, as I am saying to you, that when we live for others, we find greater happiness for ourselves as well.

In 2012-13, I ask you to put Peace Through Service at the forefront of your Rotary work.

And I ask you to understand that peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real and a realistic goal for Rotary. Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements by governments or through heroic struggles. It is something we can find and achieve every day, and in many simple ways. And so, I ask you to commit to a Rotary year for Peace Through Service — and a Rotary goal for a more peaceful world.

other speech of Sakuji Tanaka

The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace is one of the cornerstones of the Rotary movement. With Rotary’s active presence in more than 200 countries and geographical areas, our organization has established itself as a world leader in fostering Peace Through Service. We have accomplished a great deal in this area throughout our history, but we must continue to look forward and recognize that the future of Rotary — and the future prospects for world peace — rest with today’s youth. To ensure a lasting legacy in this arena, we must engage young people in a meaningful way and empower them to carry Rotary’s peace-building efforts into the future.

In 2012-13, Rotary International will hold three Rotary Global Peace Forums. Each forum will consist of a three-day program to engage and inspire Rotarians and community leaders. The forum in Berlin will emphasize the value of democracy and freedom. The forums in Honolulu and Hiroshima will focus on young people, including New Generations program participants (Rotaractors, Interactors, Youth Exchange students, and RYLArians), Ambassadorial Scholars, Rotary

Peace Fellows, alumni, and young Rotarian leaders.
I am encouraging each district to send at least two participants from these demographic groups. Others will have an opportunity to participate in the forums remotely through live, interactive telecasts. Find links to more information at www.rotary.org.

Sakuji Tanaka
President, Rotary International, 2012-13

Tanaka elected RI president for 2012-13

Rotary International News -- 25 May 2011  

Sakuji Tanaka, a member of the Rotary Club of Yashio, Saitama, Japan, was elected president of Rotary International for 2012-13 by delegates during the fourth plenary session at the 2011 RI Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Watch a video highlight from the plenary, which includes a clip of Tanaka's speech, or download his speech. 

"It is my honor to accept the nomination to serve as president of Rotary International," said Tanaka. "Since I joined Rotary, I have embraced every new challenge of Rotary service. To me, challenge is a very important word. It inspires us. It also helps us to be and to do our best. It allows us to bring out our fullest potential."

Tanaka encouraged Rotarians to help Rotary reach its potential by finishing the job of polio eradication and using the organization's strengths to enhance its ability to "do good in the world."

He said Rotarians share a responsibility to make Rotary clubs stronger by attracting quality members and ensuring that every club meeting is productive and meaningful. He also called upon clubs to make an action plan to bring in younger members.

"We need to stop talking about this. Instead, why don't we just do it!" he said.

Tanaka also took a moment to thank Rotarians for the outpouring of assistance after the earthquake and tsunami that struck his country in March. "People around the world, particularly Rotarians, offered help to rebuild the communities that were lost. Only with the knowledge that we are not alone, can we work together for the long healing process after such tragedy."

For 32 years, Tanaka was president of Tanaka Company Ltd., a wholesale firm that went public in 1995 and later merged with other leading wholesalers in Japan. Currently, he serves as vice president of the Yashio City Chamber of Commerce and adviser to Arata Co. Ltd., an animal feed and pet food wholesaler. He also chaired the National Household Papers Distribution Association of Japan for eight years. Tanaka studied business at Nihon Management Daigakuin and Tokyo Management Daigakuin.

A past trustee of The Rotary Foundation, Tanaka chaired the 2009 Birmingham Convention Committee. His other service to Rotary includes RI director, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, district governor, and member of the Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force, the Permanent Fund Committee for Japan, and the Future Vision Committee.

Tanaka established an endowed Rotary Peace Fellowship, and he and his wife, Kyoko, are Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors of the Permanent Fund, and Major Donors.

He is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award.

The Rotarians who will serve as RI directors in 2012-14 were also elected: Ann-Britt Åsebol, of the Rotary Club of Falun-Kopparvågen, Sweden; John B. Boag, of the Rotary Club of Tamworth North, New South Wales, Australia; Jean-Marc Chateigner, of the Rotary Club of Cholet, Maine-et-Loire, France; Takeshi Matsumiya, of the Rotary Club of Chigasaki-Shonan, Kanagawa, Japan; Anne L. Matthews, of the Rotary Club of Columbia East, South Carolina, USA; Gideon Peiper, of the Rotary Club of Ramat Hasharon, Israel; Andy Smallwood, of the Rotary Club of Gulfway-Hobby Airport (Houston), Texas, USA; and Bryn Styles, of the Rotary Club of Barrie-Huronia, Ontario, Canada.

Rotary and Rotarians honored at the White House

Rotary Day at the White House

Ten Rotarians are being honored as Champions of Change at the White House on Friday, 20 April. Watch a live video stream of the ceremony.

Learn more about the honoreesParticipate in a live Twitter chat
Watch the event live

NVRA meeting

NVRA meeting was held last night and hosted by President Kelly Crane and Rotary Club of St. Helena at the Vercelli Ristorante in downtown St. Helena. The meeting was well attended  by the 5 NV clubs and by the presence of DG Maureen Merrill. Rotarian-guests from RC of Windsor: DG-elect Michael Juric 2012-2013 and David McDonald, Lieutenant  Governor-elect 2012-2013, and Kim McDonald, Assistant District Governor 2011-2012 and 2012-2013  and Administrative Assistant of DG Maureen.

The next meeting will be on June 6 in Calistoga.Host-President Peggy Berlin and Rotary Club of Calistoga.

15 Brilliant Weeks Ahead

March 2012

DG Maureen's Notebook

15 Brilliant Weeks Ahead

Thoughts from the Presidential Rev-Up Sessions

Dear Club Presidents,

     The uphill sprint continues as we realize that we anticipate a brilliant 15-week future to create - one we'll never have again, with the chance to finish our Rotary Leadership year by giving it all we've got. (Just in time to take a 4th of July week off!)

     Almost all of you attended our Presidential Rev-Up sessions. Great discussions ensued, and you inspired me to make the most of every step ahead. The two biggest ideas:

• Your presidential term will be remembered in great part by the high quality of your meetings.
• It's a perfect time to renew your focus on individual members

     Lots of talk about focusing on members -- celebrating them, appreciating them, and taking a greater role in improving THEIR relationship with your club. This happens through personal communication AND through your members' experience at weekly meetings. 

Some highlights of effective practices recommended by your peers and by recent Presidents: 

• Add NEW stuff.  Especially, something that puts the spotlight on members. Member interviews, increased craft talks, Rotary moments, impromptu brainstorming or discussions. Nothing wrong with letting members talk fine-free about their businesses, or trends in their industries and professions.
• If you have a rolling screen or PowerPoint, change the look or order of it. Put in short videos, or more member photos and names. These rev up the 'fun' elements in your meeting. 
• If you don't yet have a screen up . . . get one NOW!This is possibly the best meeting innovation of the last decade, adding focus, pizzazz, and color - with the considerable added benefit of emphasizing your announcements (which easily slide by the attention span) and accomplishments (which can't be repeated too often.)
• Boldly rev up your speaker list.(Skip this paragraph if your attendance is super and your meeting speakers consistently great and irresistible.) A continuing frustration for some leaders:  the programs get soft; the most common complaints being too many outside NFP's (especially if they're dull) and too many PowerPoint-reading, blah, incompetent speakers.  Yikes, so many times I've heard from Past Presidents: "I could have been tougher about the speakers." Resolve that all of your remaining programs will be terrific - even it it means canceling, changing, and demanding! You are waaaay better off with a collection of short craft talks, freewheeling discussions, joke contests and club assemblies than you are with a dull speaker. Ultimately, your year will end better for it.
• Follow up with absentees.  Attendance stats are your first bellwether of member loss. Assure that a responsible leader in your club is (sensitively) on top of who is  missing meetings and why. Members want to know that someone cares. Many simply will not think to mention that they have an illness or emergency to cope with. Your best retention strategy could be making sure that a call, an expression of interest becomes part of your 
• of your regular way of doing things.
• Another area of concern was with orientation and ongoing Rotary education. It seems that when this piece is well in place, clubs consistently do well. On the other hand, clubs that let it slip are sure to see an erosion in vitality.  Frequently remind your Rotarians of the benefits, advantages and opportunities of their membership - as well as Rotary history, policies and responsibilities. All of this is more effective if framed with the amazing accomplishments of the world's premiere service organization - and of your own club. 
  
  
       These upcoming 15 weeks are the future of your presidency . . . and they will finish shaping your legacy. The achievements and lessons of the last 37 weeks, now in the past, will help launch you on this final quarter. I'm with you and wish you the very best.
  
  
        Thank you for being wonderful presidents. We're having a terrific year and I'm thrilled to be working with you.
  
  
  Yours faithfully,
  
  
  Maureen