Friday 30 May 2014

May 30 - regular meeting of the Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean, 7020 for the week beginning Friday, May 30



To "attend" the meeting, scroll down the screen, review all the information from top to bottom, view all the videos, read all the information, and enjoy your time here with us at our Rotary meeting.




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. 

We are now officially a fully-fledged chartered Rotary Club in District 7020.  We celebrated our Charter Gala with the meeting posted the week of January 24.  Our charter date is August 12, 2013.  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!  And in July, we begin a new Rotary year!


Visiting Rotarians.  Click this link to Apply for a Make-up.  We will send you and your club secretary a make-up confirmation.
Active MembersClick for Attendance Record.  
Happy Hour Hangout.  Happy Hour Hangout.  Our Happy Hour Hangout on a Saturday morning is 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 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)

Cliff Dochterman
RI President, 1992-93

Interact

Interact, the Rotary youth program, was launched by the RI Board of Directors in 1962.  The first Interact Club was established by the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Florida.  Interact clubs provide opportunities for boys and girls of secondary school age to work together in a world fellowship of service and international understanding.

The term, Interact, is derived from "inter" for international, and "act" for action.  Every Interact club must be sponsored and supervised by a Rotary club and must plan annual projects of service to its school, community, and the world.

 In 2014,   there are  16,742 Interact clubs with nearly 385,066 members around the world.  "Interactors" develop skills in leadership and attain practical experience in conducting service projects, thereby learning the satisfaction that comes from serving others.

A major goal of Interact is to provide opportunities for young people to create greater understanding and goodwill with youth throughout the world.





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ROTARY PARTNERSHIP FOR HAITI


Rotary is an organization of business and professional men and women united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Haiti Outreach’s vision is for Haiti to become a developed country, with adequate clean water, food, sanitation, medical care, roads, electricity, education and job opportunities for all. Their mission is to collaborate with the people of Haiti to build and maintain community-initiated projects that advance their development.

We invite you and other Rotary Club’s to participate in an exciting Rotary-sponsored project that will help change the lives and futures of Haitians by greatly increasing the opportunities for the adults and children of this country.

  • It is a multi-Club, multi-District, multi-Country collaborative effort that we hope will continue and grow for years to come. 
  • Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet only 600 miles from the Florida coast. 
  • We are committed to working with the people of Haiti to make a lasting difference in the lives of the millions of people who live in this nation.

Three Rotary Clubs formed the initial partnership with the first commitment to build a public secondary school in the Haitian town of La Victoire – an area of over 10,000 people in the Central Plateau region of the country, with no public school available beyond 6th grade. This is an area of the country where Rotary has already had very strong and sustainable success with the innovative Safe Water Plus initiative. The Safe Water Plus Rotary Project raised funds to build new wells, rehabilitate many more, and create latrines involving over 100 communities in the Central Plateau of Haiti.

The Partnership’s first school project was completed with the inauguration of the La Victoire public secondary school in 2010.  Our next endeavor was to raise funds and build a similar public secondary school in the town of Rankit. This town of 20,000 people also did not have a public secondary school building. This project  was completed with the inauguration of the school in January of 2013.

Our next Rotary Partnership for Haiti Project is the building of 35 community clean water wells in the rural areas around Cap Haitien and Pignon. We have applied for matching grants with Rotary International and need to raise at least $50,000 to make this 2-year project happen. It should bring clean water to at least 13,000 people whose only water source is contaminated rivers or  water holes.

Contaminated water is the #1 cause of the death of infants and young children worldwide.  The opportunities to collaborate and make a major difference in Haiti and change this story for this country are significant, and the need for our service is very real! Nearly half of the people in the country still must get heir water from contaminated sources. Will you join us and make a difference and save lives??

If you are a Rotarian, we would also welcome the opportunity to attend a future meeting of your Club and provide a presentation about this project, as well as to answer any questions. We also invite you to email or call us for more information.

Sincerely,

Patrick Joyce
Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club

Richard Slieter
Rotary Club of Brainerd

Steve Gasser
Rotary Club of Hutchinson

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Public Secondary School in Rankit is Inaugurated

On Friday, January 18, 2013, a beautiful summer-like day in the Haitian town of Rankit, the first public secondary school building (lycee) ever built in this town of about 20,000 people was officially inaugurated. Many important officials were present, including the town’s mayor, the Deputy (Congressman) for that area, the Ministry of Education’s Supervisor for northern Haiti, representatives of various Minnesota Rotary Clubs and the Pignon (Haiti) Rotary Club, many Haiti Outreach employees, plus hundreds of students and adults of the community.


The Rotary Partnership for Haiti, consisting of many Rotary Clubs who support the community development work of Haiti Outreach, worked with Haiti Outreach for nearly two years and raised the funds for the school.

The Rotary Partnership for Haiti includes not only Rotary Clubs in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but Clubs as far away as Pennsylvania, Toronto and Germany. A matching grant from Rotary International and hosted by the Pignon (Haiti) and City of Lakes (Minneapolis) Rotary Clubs also helped to make the school a reality.

Attending the inauguration were Rotary District #5950 Governor Bob Stowell, Minneapolis City of Lakes President Christine Taylor and member Olaf Minge, Eden Prairie Noon Club Todd Bollig, and Minneapolis Uptown member and Haiti Outreach Finance Director Dale Snyder. Pignon Club President Obed Theodore and others were also present.




The morning started with a parade from the town center to the school, with students in uniform marching in two outside lines and the various VIP’s in the middle, all being lead by a brass band. The lengthy ceremony included prayers and the singing of hymns, student dance and choir performances, the band playing, a student skit, and many speeches by the VIP’s.

The ceremony culminated in the traditional “passing of the keys” – the keys to the various classroom doors. They traveled from the hands of Haiti Outreach employees who managed the construction of the school, to Rotary members, to the Deputy, the Mayor, the school committee responsible for maintaining the school, and eventually to the school’s director.




Many of the speakers expressed gratitude to Rotary members and Haiti Outreach for making this school a reality. 

The 7 classrooms, one for each secondary grade level, have the capacity for 60 students each. If the demand for the school exceeds that, they are prepared to have two shifts. 

The school also consists of a large latrine, a well for fresh, clean water, and a two-room administration building. Rotary Governor Stowell said what so many of us were thinking, that we were honored and privileged to be able to make this contribution to the children and future generations of Rankit, while admonishing the students to take advantage of what the school will provide: an opportunity for them and their community to have a better future, IF they do the work of becoming great students. 

Now, in this town in Haiti , that opportunity has been provided to all students who wish to take advantage of it.  Thanks go to everyone who have contributed and worked to make this possible. The people of the community of Rankit are forever grateful!






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Rotaract


After the success of Interact clubs for high school-age youth in the early 1960s, the RI board created Rotaract in 1968.

The new organization was designed to promote responsible citizenship and leadership potential in clubs of young men and women, aged 18 to 30.  The first Rotaract club was chartered by the Charlotte North Rotary Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.  In 1995, there were more than 113,500 members in almost 5,000 Rotaract clubs in 114 countries.

In 2014, there are 6,887 Rotaract clubs with 158,401 members.

Rotaract clubs emphasize the importance of individual responsibility a the basis of personal success and community involvement.  Each club sponsors an annual project to promote high ethical standards in one's business and professional life.  Rotaract also provides opportunities leading to greater international understanding and goodwill.

Rotaractors enjoy many social activities as well as programs to improve their community.  A Rotaract club can exist only when continuously sponsored, guided, and counseled by a Rotary club.  The prorams of Rotract are built around the motto "Fellowship Through Service." 
  

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OUR HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT SCHEDULE FOR JUNE


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A WONDERFUL THEME SONG - something very pleasant to listen to






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ROTARY FELLOWSHIPS

June is "Rotary Fellowships Month"

Rotary Fellowships are international, independently organized groups of Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, and Rotaractors who share a common vocation or recreational interest. Rotary Fellowships
give their members the opportunity to have fun, make new friends around the world, and enhance their experience in Rotary.

Rotary Fellowships began informally in 1928 when Rotarians with a shar ed interest in the international language Esperanto joined together. In 1947, a group of Rotarian boating enthusiasts began flying the Rotary flag from their crafts, calling themselves the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians — which now holds the distinction of being the oldest continuing fellowship. The scope of fellowships has changed significantly over the years, but their purpose remains the same: to unite Rotarians in friendship and provide opportunities to enjoy favorite recreational or professional activities.

Many fellowships also use their special interests to serve others. For example, the Fellowship of Canoeing Rotarians has organized cleanups of polluted rivers; members of the International Computer Users Fellowship of Rotarians conduct training sessions for Rotarians and others in their community; members of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Scuba Divers join local Rotary clubs to undertake service projects on each of their diving trips.

Rotary International has established specific policies for forming a Rotary Fellowship. The RI Board of Directors evaluates each prospective group before deciding whether to formally recognize it.

However, each fellowship operates independently of RI, with its own rules, dues requirements, and administrative structure. Membership is open to all Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, and Rotaractors.

To learn about the fellowships currently recognized by RI, go to www.rotary.org/fellowships.
You will find a listing of existing fellowships, as well as a directory that includes contact information for each group.

To learn more about a particular fellowship, or to inquire about joining, contact the group directly. Members will be happy to hear from you!

Governance and administration

Each fellowship has considerable freedom in developing its administrative structure, provided that the basic Rotary policy requirements are met. 

Establishing constitutional procedures in the early stages of planning will help ensure an orderly change of officers in coming years.

A fellowship must have a governing document, such as bylaws or a constitution, that is consistent with RI policy. This document should include:

•• Statement of purpose
•• Responsibilities of each officer
•• Procedures for electing officers
•• Membership requirements
•• Dues policies

Fellowships may choose to incorporate. Before incorporating, consult with Rotary Service staff to learn about specific Board-mandated guidelines. Fellowships should not incorporate before being recognized by the Board, and must submit proposed articles of incorporation to staff for review before submitting any formal applications.

Fellowship logos

Many fellowships develop their own logos that reflect their activities. Before finalizing your logo, be sure to forward a copy to Rotary Service staff for review to ensure that the design complies with RI guidelines, especially those governing the use of the Rotary emblem.

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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2014 - SYDNEY

 June 1 to 4, 2014





Follow all of the action by signing into My Rotary, and through the following:

•    Plan your visit and learn about the convention
•    Get the latest scoop on the 2014 Convention Insider
•    Follow the action on social media
•    Connect with other delegates through discussion groups



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WHY RECYCLE?




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THE OBJECT OF ROTARY




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GEOGRAPHY LESSON

The Door to Hell ~ Flaming Gas Crater in Darvaza, Turkmenistan (formerly USSR or Russia)

Darvaza Gas Crater ~ The Darvaza Burning Gas Crater

Located in the Karakum desert, close to Darvaza, Turkmenistan, is a huge hole (the Door to Hell) that has been burning for a long time.

How long? There are mixed reports. Some say it has been burning since the 1950’s; and others indicating that it has been burning for over 200 years; but most agree that the fire started in the early 1970’s.

Turkmenistan has one of the largest gas reservoirs in the world. The Darvaza area is known to be an area rich in natural gas deposits. It is reported that in the early 1970’s, at the aforementioned location which at the time was a part of the USSR, Soviet geologists looking for pockets of natural gas were drilling a hole to extract the gas from a huge underground deposit.

While excavating at the site, they unexpectedly encountered a huge underground cavity filled with natural gas. The earth under the drilling platform completely collapsed swallowing the drilling rig in its massive maw. All that remained was an enormous burning hole about 230 feet (70 meters) in diameter and 65 feet (20 meters deep).

In order to prevent the poisonous methane gas from escaping into the atmosphere, the hole was flared and then allowed to burn. At the time, it was thought that the fire would consume all its fuel and extinguish itself in a few days. The "Door to Hell" has, however, burned continuously since that day.

Once the entire drilling site collapsed into the crater, geologists had a decision to make. The concentration of the gases was so extreme, if the gas was not contained by some method, the fumes would have overwhelmed the residents of the nearby town of Darvaza.

The geologists decided to allow the gas to burn itself out. Burning or flaring was much safer and friendlier to the environment than allowing the poisonous methane gas to be freely released into the environment. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas with a significantly high global warming potential of 72 averaged over a 20 year period or 25 averaged over a 100 year period. This seemingly infinite pocket of methane gas has burned unceasingly since that time and shows no signs of weakening anytime soon.

Residents of Darvaza, numbering approximately 350, have dubbed this flaming gas crater, the “Door to Hell.” This inferno’s flames, which casts a menacing glow in the cover of darkness that can be observed for miles, dancing and licking at the air reinforces the idea of hell to all who have beheld this terrifyingly awesome and breath-taking sight. Watch the video below and you can get a small taste of the terror of hell. You can even hear the licking of the flames!





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WHAT IS SPORTSMANSHIP?


The footage was taken by Sue Wallin, a parent at the game.

Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon is up to bat against Central Washington. The video picks up as Tucholsky hits her first ever - in her life - home run. Just past 1st base, she tears a ligament in her knee and is unable to run any further.

The umpires state that if her teammates or coaches assist her she will be declared out and if a pinch runner is substitued for her, her homer will be declared a single.

Hearing this, the opposing team players, Central Washington's Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace,  offer to carry her around the bases so that the home run will be counted. Thus ends Tucholsky's softball season and career.






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SPEAKER - DEBORAH GORDON

Ecologist Deborah Gordon studies ants wherever she can find them — in the desert, in the tropics, in her kitchen ... In this fascinating talk, she explains her obsession with insects most of us would happily swat away without a second thought. She argues that ant life provides a useful model for learning about many other topics, including disease, technology and the human brain.

Ecologist Deborah M. Gordon has learned that ant colonies can work without central control by using simple interactions like how often the insects touch antennae. Contrary to the notion that colonies are organized by efficient ants, she has instead discovered that evolution has produced “noisy” systems that tolerate accident and respond flexibly to the environment. When conditions are tough, natural selection favors colonies that conserve resources.

Her studies of ant colonies have led her and her Stanford colleagues to the discovery of the “Anternet,” which regulates foraging in ants in the same way the internet regulates data traffic. But as she said to Wired in 2013, "Insect behavior mimicking human networks ... is actually not what’s most interesting about ant networks. What’s far more interesting are the parallels in the other direction: What have the ants worked out that we humans haven’t thought of yet?" Her latest exploration: How do ants behave in space?




Click the link to watch the video.  (About 15 minutes)

Click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.



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A REPEAT - BUT WORTH LEARNING






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THE WORLD'S BIGGEST COMMERCIAL






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  • Peace and Conflict Resolution
  • Disease Prevention and Treatment
  • Water and SanitationIf yo
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Basic Education and Literacy
  • Economic and Community Development


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 NEW - ROTARY BRANDING - A CONSISTENT IDENTIFY THROUGH ROTARY



W
e have a powerful story to tell, and it’s up to all of us to protect, promote, and deliver our message in all of our interactions. By speaking, writing, and designing in a unified voice and look, we ensure that our communications are unmistakably Rotary.

Applying a consistent and clear Rotary style in all of our communications is vital to strengthening our image and enhancing our reputation as a world-class organization. These downloadable resources and guidelines allow each club and district to work independently while maintaining a consistent identity throughout the organization.

These materials are just the beginning of what we plan to offer. Check back often over the coming months to see what new resources are available to help you tell Rotary’s story.

Use these supporting resources to help you apply Rotary’s logo and graphics guidelines. 



Click the links below - but remember to click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.


    Rotary Brand FAQs
    Voice and Visual Identity Guidelines
    Messaging Guidelines
    Identity at a Glance
    Ideas Book: Our Identity in Action
   Quick Start Guide for Club  Websites




It is clear that we may have to make a few changes to comply with the new Rotary Branding Guidelines. 


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FORMAL INDUCTION CEREMONY - Lesli Prendergast


This induction ceremony will officially welcome Rotarian Lesli to our club.  All members should take to heart the information provided, particularly The Object of Rotary and the Four-Way Test.





The honor and privilege of Rotary membership carries with it duties and obligations.

To all of our E-Club members:  Each one of us, as a member of the E-Club, is expected to

  • attend the club's meetings regularly
  • to perform our share of club service
  • to place our knowledge and talents at the disposal of the club in its task of carrying the principles of Rotary into the daily life of the community. 

 Rotary is like everything else – you get out of it what you put into it. 

Always remember Rotary’s motto – Service Above Self.
 

A very warm welcome from all of us to our newest Rotarian, Lesli!!







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ROTARY ANTHEM






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ROTARY HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT WITH DONNA WALLBANK FROM RIBI

Excellent ideas on Rotary Youth programs in the UK!




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"THIS CLOSE" - We are ...





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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, or do.  

Sheila Bethel, Lindsey Cancino, and Karen Pinder lead us.  An excellent trio!





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.
Please consider a donation to our Club.  Just as any Rotarian visiting a Rotary Club would be expected to make a donation, we hope you will consider a donation to our Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean, 7020.   Please click the button below:


 

Active Members.  Click to indicate your Attendance.  

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HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT - Saturday morning, May 31

 •   9:00 a.m. Atlantic Time
•    9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (Miami Time)
•    8:00 a.m. Cayman Time (Jamaica Time)

Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean, 7020 is inviting you to a scheduled Happy Hour Hangout on Saturday morning, May 31.

This is a recurring meeting so the link is the same each Saturday morning.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:

•    Go to https://zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 602 689 205
 

 OR
•    Click this URL to start or join. https://zoom.us/j/602689205

Join from dial-in phone line:

    Dial:  +1 (415) 762-9988 or  +1 (646) 568-7788
    Meeting ID: 602 689 205
    Participant ID: Shown after joining the meeting
    International numbers available: https://zoom.us/zoomconference


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