Dear Fellow Rotarians, visitors and guests!
WELCOME TO OUR E-CLUB!
Thank you for stopping by our club meeting! We hope you will enjoy your visit.
Our E-Club banner is shown at left! Please send us a virtual copy of your club banner and we will send you a copy of our new club banner in exchange. We will also display your club banner proudly on our meeting website.
Although our E-club has Provisional status at this time, we hope you will find the content of our meeting enlightening and will give us the benefit of your opinion on the content.
June is Rotary Fellowships month. What Rotary fellowships are you interested in?
Visiting Rotarians. Click this link to Apply for a Make-up. We will send you and your club secretary a make-up confirmation.
Active Members. Click to sign in.
Happy Hour Hangout. We are adjusting the time of our Happy Hour Hangout to Saturday mornings - early enough so that you can join before your day gets away from you.
We meet for a live chat and sometimes business discussion. If you are interested in dropping by, please click the link below. Morning coffee is on the house! (Your house, that is...) Hope to see you there!
Please note: Now, attending our HHH will earn you a make-up!
The link to the Happy Hour Hangout for Saturday is at the bottom of this meeting.
Interested in joining us? Click the link Membership Application and Information.
Our Provisional President, Kitty, would now like to welcome you to this week's meeting. Please listen in...
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ROTARY E-CLUB OF THE CARIBBEAN, 7020
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ABCs OF ROTARY (Cliff Dochterman)
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| Cliff Dochterman RI President, 1992-93 |
Functional Literacy Program
It has been estimated that a billion people - one-quarter of the world's population - are unable to read. Illiteracy of adults and children is a global concern in both highly industrialized nations and in developing countries. The number of adult illiterates in the world is increasing by 25 million each year! In the United States, one-quarter of the entire population is considered functionally illiterate.
The tragedy of illiteracy is that those who cannot read lose personal independence and become victims of unscrupulous manipulation, poverty and the loss of human feelings which give meaning to life. illiteracy is demeaning. It is a major obstacle for economic, political, social and personal development. Illiteracy is a barrier to international understanding, cooperation, and peace in the world.
Literacy education was considered a program priority by Rotary's original Health, Hunger, and Humanity Committee in 1978. An early 3-H grant led to the preparation of an excellent source book on the issues of literacy in the world. the Rotary-sponsored publication, The Right to Read, was edited by Rotarian Eve Malmquist, a past district governor from Linkoping, Sweden, and a recognized authority on reading and educational research. The book was the forerunner of a major Rotary program emphasis on literacy promotion.
In 1985, the RI Board declared a ten-year emphasis on literacy education. In 1992, the board extended the emphasis until the year 2000. Many Rotary clubs are thoughtfully surveying the needs of their community for literacy training. Some clubs provide basic books for teaching reading. Others establish and support reading and language clinics, provide volunteer tutorial assistance and purchase reading materials. Rotarians can play a vitally important part in their community and in developing countries by promoting projects to open opportunities which come from the ability to read.
International Conventions
Each May or June, Rotary International holds a worldwide convention "to stimulate inspire and inform all Rotarians at an international level." The convention, which may not be held in the same country for more than two consecutive years, is the annual meeting to conduct the business of the association. The planning process usually begins about four or five years in advance.
The RI Board determines a general location and invites cities to make proposals. The conventions are truly international events which 15,000 to 20,000 Rotarians and guests attend. All members should plan to participate in a Rotary International convention to discover the real internationality of Rotary. It is an experience you'll never forget.
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SPEAKER - How to green the desert and reverse climate change
In the 1960s, while working in Africa on the interrelated problems of increasing poverty and disappearing wildlife, Savory made a significant breakthrough in understanding the degradation and desertification of grassland ecosystems. After decades of study and collaboration, thousands of managers of land, livestock and wildlife on five continents today follow the methodology he calls "Holistic Management."
In 1992, Savory and his wife, Jody Butterfield, formed the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe, a learning site for people all over Africa. In 2010, the Centre won the Buckminster Fuller Challenge for its work in reversing desertification.
In that same year he and his wife, with others, founded the Savory Institute in Boulder, Colorado, to promote large-scale restoration of the world's grasslands.
"Allan's message is vital to the restoration of the world's grasslands -- a long-ignored component of the earth's lungs."Click this link to view the video. (20 minutes) Click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.
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Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
I tried to catch some fog but I mist.
They told me I had Type-A blood but it was a Type-O.
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ROTARIANS HONORED AT THE WHITE HOUSE
In early April, 12 U.S. Rotarians were honored at the White House as Champions of Change for their efforts to improve communities locally and around the world.
As part of the daylong event, more than 160 Rotarians attended a morning round of briefings by government officials on topics including polio eradication, health, violence prevention, and the environment.
“It is a great honor to see these dedicated Rotary members recognized by the U.S. White House as Champions of Change for their work to improve the lives of people around the world,” said RI President Sakuji Tanaka.
Tanaka said the honorees exemplify how Rotary brings people together to solve problems that are too large for one person to tackle.
“Alone, we look at the problems of our community and our world and we feel helpless,” he said. “But together, we are powerful. And through Rotary, we have the power to change our communities and communities throughout the world -- now and into the future. We have the ability to build the world we dream of: one that is healthier, happier, and with hope for better things to come.”
RI General Secretary John Hewko said the 12 Rotarians represent what Rotary is all about: “committed volunteers working together to improve communities not just in the United States but throughout the world.”
He said that Rotary is an early and continuing example of organizations that are neither government institutions nor private businesses, that increasingly are joining together to address the world’s most pressing problems. He noted how Rotary’s partnership with other organizations has nearly eradicated polio worldwide.
“When we defeat polio -- and, yes, we will defeat this disease -- we will prove that there is nothing we cannot accomplish for the good of humanity by working together,” he said.
Champions of Change
The 12 Rotarians honored as Champions of Change are:
Tom Barnes, a member of the Rotary Club of Marion-East Cedar Rapids, Iowa -- Barnes leads a project that has provided new shoes to more than 3,500 children from low-income families across the state.
Bob Dietrick, a member of the Rotary Club of Franklin At Breakfast, Tennessee -- Dietrick is the driving force behind Operation Starfish, a club project that provides clean water and sanitation to low-income residents in the region who would otherwise have to rely on contaminated shallow wells.
John Germ, a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Tennessee -- Germ is a leader in fund development for Rotary’s polio eradication campaign, recently coordinating an effort that raised more than $228 million in response to $355 million in challenge grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He also leads projects to assist mentally and physically challenged children and adults in Tennessee.
Peggy Halderman, a member of the Rotary Club of Golden, Colorado -- Halderman five years ago launched Golden Backpack, a program that provides food every weekend to more than 520 underprivileged schoolchildren in the Golden community.
Nancy Sanford Hughes, a member of the Rotary Club of Eugene Southtowne, Oregon -- Hughes helped establish Stove Team International, a program that manufactures and distributes small, portable, and safe stoves to needy families in Central America. The program is now supported by Rotary clubs throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Walter Hughes Jr., a member of the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, Virginia -- Hughes leads a multinational Rotary partnership that is helping to eradicate guinea worm disease in Ghana and South Sudan through the implementation of clean water projects.
Ann Lee Hussey, a member of the Rotary Club of Portland Sunrise, Maine -- Hussey has made her life’s work the eradication of polio and the alleviation of suffering of people with polio. A polio survivor herself, she has led numerous Rotary volunteer teams to India, Nigeria, and other countries to immunize children and provide assistance to people disabled by polio.
Jeremiah Lowney Jr., a member of the Rotary Club of Norwich, Connecticut -- Lowney led the effort to establish the Haitian Health Foundation, now the primary health care provider in southwestern Haiti, delivering live-saving services to a quarter million people in 104 rural villages.
Douglas McNeil, a member of the Rotary Club of Los Gatos Morning, California -- McNeil leads area Rotary members in programs that mentor and inspire young people, such as the Rotary Earth Day Project. He also helped establish Lighting for Literacy, which provides low-cost solar lighting systems for communities without electricity, promoting more at-home reading, a key tool in increasing literacy rates.
Harriett Schloer, a member of the Rotary Club of Bend High Desert, Oregon -- Schloer in 1999 enlisted Rotary support to launch the Shots for Tots program, which provides free routine immunizations to any area schoolchildren, insured or not, through age 18. Deschutes County now has one of the highest immunization rates in the state.
Bonnie Sirower, a member of the Rotary Club of Paterson, New Jersey -- Sirower organized and coordinated Rotary relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the region in October. As a result, truckloads of critically needed relief supplies were sent from Rotary clubs to communities along the East Coast.
Neli Vazquez-Rowland, a member of the Rotary Club of Chicago -- Vazquez-Rowland and her husband in 1994 established Safe Haven, a comprehensive program that helps thousands of people dealing with homelessness, hunger, addiction, chronic unemployment, and other issues.
“The commitment of these individuals to service reflects that of our worldwide membership of 1.2 million men and women, all of whom deserve to share in this recognition,” Tanaka said.
“Rotary is a way for good people to step forward and work for a better world. And it is a way for all of us, around the world, to transcend race, religion, nation, and politics -- to come together to give help to the people who need it.”
There are two links you can click to read more about these Rotarians and the Service Above Self.
Click this link for the Champions of Change page.
Click this link to read more about these Rotarians. Click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.
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RESPONSIBILITY PROJECT
A little thing - but who needs to be the leader? Do the right thing!
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SPEAKER - How we found the giant squid
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A specialist in bioluminescence, Edith Widder helps design and invent new submersible instruments and equipment to study bioluminescence and enable unobtrusive observation of deep-sea environments.
Her innovative tools for exploration have produced footage of rare and wonderful bioluminescent displays and never-before-seen denizens of the deep, including, most recently, the first video ever recorded of the giant squid, Architeuthis, in its natural habitat.
In 2005, she founded the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), which is dedicated to protecting aquatic ecosystems and the species they sustain through the development of innovative technologies and science-based conservation action.
In an effort to protect and revitalize the ocean she loves, she has been focusing on developing tools for finding and tracking pollution -- a major threat to all of our water ecosystems and ultimately to human health. She was awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant in 2006.
In 2012, Widder was among the team that filmed the giant squid (Architeuthis) for the first time in its home ocean.
Quotes by Edith Widder
“In the ocean, [bioluminescence] is the rule rather than the exception.”
“It's a little-appreciated fact that most of the animals in our ocean make light.”
“Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let's all go exploring.”
Click this link to view the video. (8 minutes) Click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.
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For the Rotary year, 2013-14, here is the Rotary International Theme and Ron Burton will become the Rotary International President.
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ROTARY IN THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS (How we serve - in 30 seconds)
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OUR E-CLUB BUTTERFLY STORYBOOK
Our successful Butterfly Storybook has been uploaded in French as well.
There are still some translations required before we actually print the book, but the stories can be read in French at this point by clicking the link below:
http://issuu.com/rotary7020/docs/e-book_for_printer_fr
Here is the English version of the Storybook.
http://issuu.com/rotary7020/docs/butterfly_e-storybook_2013
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ROTARY FELLOWSHIPS
Rotaractors who join together to:
- Share a common interest in worthwhile recreational activities (sports, hobbies, etc.)
- Further their vocational development through acquaintance with others of the same profession
- Make new friends around the world
- Explore new opportunities for service
- Have fun and enhance their Rotary experience
How can you get involved?
Consider joining a Rotary Fellowship that addresses your interest. To get started
View complete list of Rotary Fellowships. Click this link.
Consult the Rotary Fellowship Directory to get in touch with group(s) you're interested in.
View a list of Suggested Rotary Fellowships and offer to help organize a prospective fellowship.
You might even consider organizing a new Rotary Fellowship.
Forming a new Rotary Fellowship takes a lot of work, but as Rotarians who have established a group will attest, the effort is worthwhile. Before submitting a proposal, plan to develop a strong network of prospective members in at least three countries. You can start by posting your idea on the list of Suggested Rotary Fellowships.
While Rotary Fellowships operate independently of Rotary International, they must receive official recognition from RI’s Board of Directors and operate in accordance with Rotary policy. If you are interested in organizing a prospective Rotary Fellowship, please contact RI staff for guidance.
I wonder if anyone has considered a Rotary Fellowship of E-club members?
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OUR DISTRICT NEWSLETTER FOR JUNE
Click this link to read our June District 7020 newsletter.
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TO END OUR MEETING
To end our meeting, please recite aloud (on your honour!) the Rotary Four-Way Test of the things we think, say, and do.
Felix Stubbs, who will be our District Governor in 2015-16, leads us. Shown below, PADG Felix Stubbs was officially announced as Rotary District 7020 District Governor Nominee 2015-2016 at our recent District 7020 Conference in Tortola! The Bahamian Rotarians arrived all decked out with very fashionable shirts!
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
...and official close of meeting
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Thank you for stopping by our E-club meeting! We wish you well in the next week in all that you do for Rotary!
The meeting has now come to an end. Please do have a safe and happy week! If you have enjoyed our E-club meeting, please leave a comment below.
Rotary cheers!
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Visiting Rotarians. Click this link to Apply for a Make-up. We will send you and your club secretary a make-up confirmation.
Active Members. Click to sign in.************
HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT - Saturday, June 1
Please join our Happy Hour Hangout, June 1, 2013 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.
Click the link below just before the meeting time.
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/198740865
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (636) 277-0130
Access Code: 198-740-865
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 198-740-865
HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT - Wednesday, June 5
Please join our Happy Hour Hangout, Wednesday evening, June 5 at 7:00 p.m. Atlantic/Eastern Time.
Click the link below just before the meeting time.
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/538279569
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (312) 878-3081
Access Code: 538-279-569
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 538-279-569
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