District Assembly March 31, 2012 at Mendocino College in Ukiah. Register through the District 5130 website: www.rotary5130.org
For those who want to attend the Celebration Gala dinner on March 30 for the GSE team from France, and the Assembly note that there is a $10 discount if you register by March 19.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Rotary VOICES
There is a new blog from RI called Rotary VOICES, Stories of Service from around the World.
(text and photo is copied from the blog, Rotary VOICES)
Rotary VOICES
http://blog.rotary.org/
SHARE
Have you recently participated in a Rotary service project? Has Rotary service effort affected you personally as a volunteer, donor, or beneficiary? This blog is a platform for you to share your story and inspire others to join us in our humanitarian efforts to meet critical needs around the world.
We welcome blog entries, photos, and videos from Rotarians and other members of the Rotary family, including our partners, staff, supporters, and program alumni. We also welcome commentary and insights from experts in polio eradication and our areas of focus — peace and conflict resolution/prevention, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development.
Add your voice to the conversation. Download a copy of the Contributor’s Guidelines and email your entry to blog@rotary.org.
(text and photo is copied from the blog, Rotary VOICES)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
District 5130 facebooks
District 5130 and others have a facebook:
And a blog from RI called Rotary VOICES, Stories of Service from around the Worl: http://blog.rotary.org/
And a blog from RI called Rotary VOICES, Stories of Service from around the Worl: http://blog.rotary.org/
Come and visit.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Sad News
Past RI President Glenn Estess Sr. dies
By Ryan Hyland
Rotary International News – 8 February 2012
Glenn E. Estess Sr., who served as 2004-05 RI president during Rotary’s centennial year, died on 7 February. He was 84.
In 1993, Estess retired as chief executive officer of Glenn Estess Associates Inc., a sales and marketing personnel consulting firm, to devote himself full-time to Rotary. “I am sure the word most often used to describe Past President Glenn is ‘gentle,’” says Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair William B. Boyd. “He was strong in his beliefs but always gentle in expressing them and treated all people with respect and courtesy. He served the world through Rotary in many ways and always with a smile. The Rotary family will miss him. Our hearts go out to his wife, Mary.”
Estess, who joined Rotary in 1960, was a member of the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, Alabama, USA. In addition to his term as RI president, he served in numerous capacities including Rotary Foundation trustee chair, RI vice president and director, president’s aide, PolioPlus national coordinator, RI Audit and Operations Review Committee chair, International Assembly group discussion leader, and district governor.
He was a recipient of the RI Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He was a Foundation Major Donor, a Paul Harris Fellow, and benefactor.
Through the RI theme Celebrate Rotary , Estess encouraged clubs to implement a Rotary centennial community project, form twin club relationships, and support the Every Rotarian, Every Year effort, which aims to achieve an annual US$100 per capita contribution level for the Foundation’s Annual Fund.
“Glenn Estess had an uncomplicated but effective theme for Rotary’s centennial year,” says RI President Kalyan Banerjee. “He celebrated Rotary so aptly and simply during that year. It was amazing. Glenn was always humble, courteous, straightforward, and always doing the right thing.”
Estess served as president of the Birmingham Sales & Marketing Executives Association and the Alabama Association of Personnel Consultants. Estess’ other accomplishments included director of Central Alabama Better Business Bureau; trustee chair of Baptist Medical Centers; chair of YMCA in Florida, the American Chemical Society, and the American Arthritis Foundation; and regent of the National Association of Personnel Consultants.
"The Four-Way Test was never a challenge for the lifestyle Glenn lived by. He embodied those values and set an example for so many Rotarians," says Donald E. Osburn, aide to the president during Estess’ term. "He always said Rotary is about making friendships for life and that’s exactly what he did all over the world."
He is survived by his wife, Mary; son Glenn Estess Jr.; and daughters Elizabeth Wilson and Nancy Martin.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, 10 February, at 1 p.m. at Brookwood Baptist Church, 3944 Overton Road, Birmingham, Alabama, 35223. Visitation will be held Thursday, 9 February, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Glenn E. Estess Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund at The Rotary Foundation, either online or through an RI international office. Contributions may also be directed to the Glenn E. Estess Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund, under the Foundation’s Permanent Fund.
In this clip from a 2009 interview, Estess talks about the value of Rotary and the strength of Rotarians.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Five priorities for strengthening Rotary’s image
Hewko outlines five priorities for strengthening Rotary’s image, reach
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 24 January 2012
A number of major initiatives are underway that will help Rotary International’s professional staff, the Secretariat, be a more effective, efficient, and useful resource for clubs and districts.
Addressing the fifth plenary session of the International Assembly, an annual training event for incoming district leaders, RI General Secretary John Hewko spelled out five priorities for strengthening the organization, ones he said would put Rotary on the best footing possible as it begins its second century. (Watch a video of the speech )
“Rotary is an organization with an incredible history and there is no question that its best years are yet to come,” Hewko said. “These five priorities, as well as many others, will strengthen our great organization and have a significant, positive impact down to the level of the club and individual Rotarian.” (photo of John Hewko-Rotary Images/Monika Lozinska)
Eradicating polio
Hewko said the first priority is the eradication of polio, Rotary’s signature global initiative since 1985. Eradication of polio will save hundreds of thousands of children from suffering from the disease, and save the world between US$40 billion and $50 billion in health care costs over the next 20 years.
A robust public relations campaign is underway to publicize Rotary’s work in polio eradication.
“Our success in polio eradication will set the stage for the next global initiative that Rotary chooses to tackle, whatever that may be,” Hewko said.
Future Vision
The second priority is implementing RI’s Strategic Plan and the global launch of the Future Vision Plan, The Rotary Foundation’s new grant making model. Hewko said Future Vision is the second most important Rotary initiative, after polio, and it will be important to get district leaders on board to support the launch.
“Successful implementation of Future Vision will lead to projects and programs in the six areas of focus that are better designed and more sustainable and scalable, and that will lead to greater impact,” he said. “This, in turn, will increase our profile, reputation, and public image and will make Rotary more attractive to outside funding sources. Future Vision will bring considerable and tangible positive benefits to clubs and districts.”
Rotary Club Central
The third priority, developing a new tool called Rotary Club Central, will help Rotary place a value on the thousands of service projects clubs do each year. The online resource will help clubs maintain a record of past activities; set and track strategic goals and initiatives; and allow reporting of the global, collective impact of club, district, and zone activities.
“We know how much funding passes through The Rotary Foundation -- approximately $100 million per year excluding polio [funding] -- but we have no idea of the total value of all of the money raised, in-kind contributions made, and volunteer hours spent by clubs worldwide on service projects,” Hewko said. “Having a credible number would enhance our reputation, help with membership, and make us more attractive to potential strategic partners.”
Membership
The fourth priority is membership, including making Rotary more appealing and relevant to younger members. The RI Board has launched an initiative to develop three-year regional membership plans tailored to specific regional needs and challenges. Achieving this priority will also require revamping the website to improve performance and make it more user friendly, increasing use of social media, looking at expanding e-clubs, and giving clubs greater flexibility with attendance requirements.
The board is also working with an international agency with a track record of success to provide a fresh global perspective of Rotary’s brand, its membership, core strengths, competition, and operating philosophy.
“Ultimately, I believe, this process will more than revitalize a brand. It will revitalize Rotary -- ensuring that Rotary is recognized the world over for what it does,” Hewko said. “And make no mistake: what Rotary does is nothing short of amazing.”
Humanitarian assistance
The fifth priority is positioning Rotary more fully as a major player in global humanitarian assistance and development.
“Here we have Rotary, with its incredible platform of 1.2 million engaged, active, and motivated members, drawn from the business and professional networks of tens of thousands of communities,” Hewko said. “In short, a private-sector platform that is unmatched in the world today.”
“I re-pledge to you today that I will invest every ounce of my energy to ensure that the Rotary flame burns ever brighter, so that working together we can continue to make the world a better place,” he said. “For our families and friends, for our communities and countries, and for future generations to come.“
For more information:
- Download Hewko's speech (PDF)
- Get resources from the 2012 International Assembly
- Follow Hewko on Twitter @johnhewko and Facebook
- See the general secretary's biography
Friday, January 20, 2012
Rotary Ride for Veterans/Cycle4Sight
TO OUR FELLOW ROTARIANS AND ROTARY CLUBSPLEASE CONSIDER JOINING WITH US---AND MANY OTHERROTARY CLUBS---ON A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY IN THE NAPA VALLEYSATURDAY APRIL 21, 2012AS WE SUPPORTTHE PATHWAY HOME PROGRAM: AMERICA'S FIRST PRIVATELY FUNDED TREATMENTAND REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR RETURNING VETERANS SUFFERING FROM PTSDAND OTHER WAR DRIVEN TRAUMA.ENCHANTED HILLS CAMP FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED: THE ONLY SUCHCAMP IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SERVING CHILDREN , FAMALIES AND VETERANSOUR ACCLAIMEDWINE ---- FOOD ---- MUSIC ---- CYCLING --- FESTIVALROTARY RIDE FOR VETERANS ----- WINE VALLEY CYCLE FOR SIGHTATTRACTS OVER 2,500 GUESTS-----MORE THAN A DOZEN ROTARY CLUBS---AND HASRAISED OVER $ 400,000. !!USED TO SAVE AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OUR RETURNING VETERANSAND TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIREDTHIS EVENT AND OUR COMBINED EFFORTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED --THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT , STATE AND THE NATION** FEATURES IN LOCAL AND NATIONAL TV SHOWS** HBO DOCUMENTARY 'WARTORN 1864--2010"** SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINERAISE FUNDS FOR YOUR "OWN CLUB PROJECTS"---THROUGH OUR "ROTARY CLUB-- PLEDGE PARTNER PROGRAM"GATHER YOUR OWN GROUP OF CYCLISTS---ROTARIANS AND OTHER MEMBERS OFYOUR COMMUNITIES, USE YOUR ENERGIES TO SOLICIT PLEDGES FOR YOUR ANDOUR CHARATIES--USE OUR EVENT AND REGISTRATION SYSTEM---AND WE WILLDONATE BACK TO "YOUR CLUB" 50 % OF THE PLEDGES RAISED !!EVERY YEAR WE ARE HAPPILY ABLE TO SEND $1,000.'S OF DOLLARS BACKTO MANY CLUBS WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE.TRULY----A----"WIN --- WIN " FOR EVERYONESO PLEASE GIVE THIS OPPORTUNITY YOUR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION---AND COMEENJOY SOME "ROTARY FELLOWSHIP" IN THE BEAUTIFUL NAPA VALLEY---WHILE WEALL JOIN TOGETHER TO "SAVE LIVES---ONE SOLDIER AT A TIME"ALL OF THE MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED ARE ATTACHED----ARE ON LINE, ON OURWEB SITE---AND FOR MANY CLUBS HAVE BEEN MAILED OUT TO YOUR CLUBS.REMEMBER---NOT JUST A CYCLING EVENT--BUT A WINE, FOOD, MUSIC FESTIVAL--WITH CYLING AS A MORNING OPTIONTHE ROTARY CLUB OF NAPAGARY ROSE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CYCLE FOR SIGHT WWW.CYCLE4SIGHT.COM
ROTARY RIDE FOR VETERANS WWW.ROTARYRIDE4VETS.COM
707-256-2147"SAVING LIVES ONE SOLDIER AT A TIME"
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Top five Rotary stories of 2011
Top five Rotary stories of 2011
By Arnold R. Grahl
Rotary International News -- 20 December 2011
From the tsunami in Japan to the launch of strategic partnerships that will help Rotary expand its reach, 2011 was an eventful year for Rotary International and Rotarians. As the year winds down, we share our list of the top five Rotary news events of 2011.
1. Tsunami strikes Japan
Rotary clubs and districts worldwide mobilized to bring aid to victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March. The 9.0-magnitude quake, the strongest in Japan's history, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread destruction, paralyzing much of the northern coast.
In response, The Rotary Foundation established the Rotary Japan 2011 Disaster Recovery Fund, which has raised almost US$6 million for long-term recovery projects.
The fund is being administered by a committee of local Rotarians who are identifying communities’ needs, managing the distribution of funds, overseeing and reporting on project implementation, and ensuring proper stewardship. Rotarians have already completed 10 projects with $400,000 from the recovery fund.
In addition, clubs and districts held benefits in support of tsunami victims, including a concert organized by Miki Okubo, a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar from Japan studying in Paris. Read more
2. RI theme
RI President Kalyan Banerjee unveiled the 2011-12 RI theme, Reach Within to Embrace Humanity, during the International Assembly in January. He urged the Rotary leaders-in-training to harness their inner strength to achieve success in Rotary.
- Read more
- See the video
- Watch for coverage of next year’s theme, which RI President-elect Sakuji Tanaka will announce at the 2012 International Assembly, 15-21 January.
3. The fight against polio
India has been making great strides toward polio eradication in 2011, with only one case of the virus reported from January through early December. Rotarians helped administer bivalent oral polio vaccine to more than 35 million children in the country during a Subnational Immunization Day on 13 November.
On 20 November, a team of Rotarians from District 3700 (Korea) served in a health camp in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where children were immunized against the disease. The camp was organized by Indian Rotarians in cooperation with local health officials and UNICEF.
Rotarians also worked to get out the message about polio eradication for World Polio Day in October. In Australia, Rotarians and the Global Poverty Project carried out a petition drive to persuade world leaders to fully fund the critical work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Almost 25,000 supporters signed the petition, resulting in a A$20,000 (US$20,700) contribution to Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge by the Rotary Club of Crawley, Western Australia, which had offered to donate A$1 for each signature.
In Perth, the Global Poverty Project's End of Polio Concert on 28 October raised additional funds. The concert coincided with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the city; Rotarians had teamed up with the group to urge government leaders to put polio eradication on the agenda. After the meeting, the governments of Australia, Canada, and Nigeria, along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced a combined pledge of more than US$100 million to support polio eradication efforts.
- Read more about gains in eradication efforts in India
- Read about Rotarians' response to World Polio Day
4. 2011 RI Convention
More than 16,000 Rotarians from around the world converged on New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, in May for the 2011 RI Convention. Rotaractors, Rotarians, and Rotary Foundation alumni participated in service projects to help families still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Among the highlights during four packed days of plenary and breakout sessions was a speech by Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in which he praised Rotary for its success in the campaign to eradicate polio and urged Rotarians to redouble their efforts to keep the disease from spreading. Another speaker was Michael McQueen, a leading authority on youth trends, who said Generation Y has much to offer Rotary. Read more
5. Strategic partnerships
The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees approved four strategic partnerships in 2011 under the Future Vision Plan. These partnerships will help Rotary broaden its impact in the areas of focus by offering service opportunities for Rotarians through packaged global grants.
Rotary clubs will be teaming up with UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education to train scientists and engineers to solve problems related to water and sanitation, particularly in developing countries. Grants will support scholarships for master's degree programs at the institute's campus in Delft, the Netherlands.
Through the partnership with Aga Khan University, vocational training teams will enhance the clinical and administrative skills of health educators at the university's campuses in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Rotarians will work with Oikocredit International to advance community and economic development through the Netherlands-based cooperative's network of microfinance institutions.
And the partnership with Mercy Ships will enable clubs to get involved in improving health care services in West Africa.
The packaged global grants are available to Future Vision pilot districts and clubs.
(the article is from RI website)
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