Newsletter for April 2023 - Rotary Club of D6330 Passport

onehttps://issuu.com/ladykitt/docs/march_newsletter_2021

Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones, Canada District 6330 Governor, Mike Chaffee (Flint, Michigan) Club President, Sue Storie (2022-23)

District website: https://rotary6330.org/

The Calendar below shows Rotary’s monthly themes.

ROTARY CALENDAR and THEMES

Month Theme

July Transition month/New beginnings

August Membership and New Club Development

September Basic Education and Literacy

October Economic and Community Development

November Rotary Foundation

December Disease Prevention and Treatment

January Vocational Service

February Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution

March Water and Sanitation

April Maternal and Child Health

May Youth Service

June Rotary Fellowships

Click

FOCUS ON MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

Month of April

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE

Wednesday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. Speaker on Transplant Awareness! Plan to attend!

EARTH DAY

Saturday, April 22

HAPPY CHATS ONLINE – JOIN US!

Every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

NOON ZOOM

May 10

RACE TO ERASE

Saturday, May 27

Looking for interested participants from Passport Club

WORLD OCEAN DAY

June 8

DISTRICT 6330 CONFERENCE

June 23-24

Rotary Anthem

Right click here to open the link and listen to the Rotary Anthem!

IMPORTANT ROTARY INFORMATION

2022-23 RI PRESIDENTIAL THEME

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, 2022-23

Jennifer Jones

Canada

Rotary International President, 2022-23

MESSAGE – Introducing the Rotary Youth Network

How do you take the best from the worst? None of us will forget how the pandemic altered our world and our lives. Each of us had to traverse this period of uncertainty, and no one had a free pass from the effects.

I personally believe this has created space for a different kind of global leadership – one that is courageous, empathetic, and vulnerable I met my good friend Anniela Carracedo online in early 2020. She is one such leader, and I’m thrilled to turn this month’s column over to her.

– Jennifer Jones, Rotary International President

In March 2020, I had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, and I felt a terrible pain in my chest. It had been a few days since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and I was in the middle of my year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student in the United States. Think about it: an 18-year-old girl stuck in a different country, with a foreign language, with people she had only met six months before. It was scary.

But I am familiar with uncertainty. I was born and raised in Venezuela, which is going through one of the worst humanitarian and political crises in the Western Hemisphere. But my mom always said, “Challenges are nothing more than needs that require a solution.”

I called up my Interact and Youth Exchange friends. Together, we organized an online meeting to share projects and get inspired by what everyone else was doing during the quarantine. In that first meeting, we had 70 people, mainly students, from 17 countries.

From that beginning, we built an online platform for Rotary youths worldwide to share their experiences and inspire others with project ideas during isolation. We looked for mentors and supporters who would help our group connect young people, share cultures, and open new collaborative opportunities for international service projects. We called it Rotary Interactive Quarantine or RIQ.

“Who would have thought a panic attack would lead to this?”

After only a year, we engaged with more than 5,000 students from 80 countries. Several of our team members became district Interact representatives, and district committee members, and some of us even serve on Rotary International councils.

Eventually quarantine restrictions were being lifted, and the needs of our participants were changing. At our last official meeting as RIQ, Past RI President, Barry Rassin, inspired us to create even bigger change so we transformed RIQ into the Rotary youth Network, or RYN.

A few of our members, including me, were selected to serve on the inaugural Interact Advisory Council, where we presented our vision for youth in Rotary to the RI Board of Directors.

The Rotary Youth Network officially launched during a breakout session at the 2022 Rotary International Convention in Houston. Five of us, who had participated in Interact, Youth Exchange, and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, traveled across continents to launch an organization we had kicked off online two years before. The convention was the first time we had met I person.

When my friends and I finished our talk, we realized more than 500 people were giving us a standing ovation. Tears filled our eyes, and the feeling of excitement and accomplishment took over. Who would have thought that a panic attack would lead to this?

ANNIELA CARRACEDO

Rotary Club of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

District 6840 Rotaract chair-elect

Plan to donate today to The Rotary Foundation – the engine that runs Rotary!

A successful Rotary club:

• Sustains and increases its membership base, making sure that the composition of club membership reflects the diversity of the community in which it exists in terms of classification, age, gender, ethnicity, and other personal characteristics.

• Implements successful projects that address the needs of our community and internationally.

• Supports the Rotary Foundation through both financial contributions and program participation.

• Develops leaders capable of serving in Rotary at the Club level and beyond.

If you have the power to make someone happy, do it. The world needs more of that.

FOCUS MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH

HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN

Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.

Linked through sister cities, Rotarians save newborns in Brazil.

By Vanessa Glavinskas Photographs by Robert Gill

A mother is in labor, and she’s frightened. Her baby isn’t due for three months. The closest hospital is 30 miles away, and although she makes it there in time, the baby is born weighing barely 2 pounds.

And there’s another problem.

The hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit has only seven incubators, and all are in use, so the baby must be transferred to another hospital to receive the critical care he needs. If he survives the transfer, his parents will need to find a way to make trips to that hospital for months.

Many new mothers were facing similar situations at Dr. Leopoldo Bevilacqua Regional Hospital, a state-run facility in Brazil’s Ribeira Valley. Lack of equipment meant some of the hospital’s most vulnerable newborns had to be transferred, which was a factor in São Paulo state’s high infant mortality rate.

By adding five incubators to the NICU, the hospital nearly doubled the number of babies its nurses and doctors can care for.

“There are two realities here: people who can pay for a private hospital and those who can’t,” says Lina Shimizu, who spearheaded the project for the Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro, Brazil. Those who can’t, she says, often have to travel long distances to get to a state-run hospital such as Leopoldo Bevilacqua, which serves 24 towns.

The Rotary Club of Registro-Ouro and the Rotary Club of Registro partnered on a Rotary Foundation global grant with two clubs in Nakatsugawa, Japan.

Through the partnership, Brazilian Rotarians raised $172,500. They funded equipment including five incubators for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which nearly doubled the hospital’s capacity to care for fragile newborns.

In 2013, 129 babies were admitted to the NICU; since the completion of the project, the hospital has been able to care for about 220 babies per year.

Other equipment provided through the grant included five ventilators, a bilirubin meter, three heated cribs, five vital-sign monitors, and a super LED microprocessed phototherapy unit to treat babies with jaundice. The grant also funded the cost of publicity to inform residents about prenatal care workshops conducted by area health workers. The publicity campaign aimed to reach mothers in remote areas who may not know what services are available to them or about the importance of prenatal care and breast-feeding.

The Rotary clubs also used the grant to launch a publicity campaign on importance of prenatal care and breastfeeding.

This global grant marked a turning point for Rotarians in Nakatsugawa, who had stopped contributing to international projects after experiencing difficulties on a past grant.

The difference this time was in the relationship between the cities of Registro and Nakatsugawa, which established a “sister city” affiliation in 1980.

Rotarians from both cities meet regularly to foster their friendships, alternating between Brazil and Japan, and because of their close relationship, the Japanese Rotarians felt confident that their financial contributions to the project would be managed well. In addition, Shimizu, who is of Japanese descent and speaks fluent Japanese, helped build trust and effective communication.

A group of Japanese Rotarians visited the NICU after the project was completed. “After 37 years,” says Mitsuo Hara, a member of the Rotary Club of Nakatsugawa, “there’s a friendship and bond between Rotary members of both countries.”

Click here to read more.

Keeping children alive during their first year. Rotary members teach mothers how to breast-feed, promote immunizations and regular checkups, and distribute insecticide-treated bed nets.

Sustainable programs. Rotary programs improve women’s access to skilled health personnel: doctors, nurses, midwives, or community health care workers.

Clean births. Rotary members distribute clean birth kits and train health workers in safe delivery of babies

Click here to view a short inspirational Rotary video.

Click here for further inspiring Rotary stories

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.

With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world. Our mission

The Rotary Foundation helps Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.

What impact can one donation have?

• For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.

• $50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.

• $500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.

DONATE NOW

How do you want to get involved in the causes you’re most passionate about?

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

FROM THE DISTRICT

District Grants Information from Myrna Inglis, Chair

In 2022 – 2023, Clubs have been busy with projects to assist the homeless, support Ukrainian refugees, ship containers of supplies to Eswatini and hopefully Nicaragua, purchase park benches and Christmas decorations for the town, provide a method of solar cooking to a refugee camp in Kenya and more.

The possibilities are endless but must meet Foundation eligibility found in the Rotary Foundation Terms and Conditions for District Grants document located in the documents section of the grants module.

Current status for 2022-2023 grant projects

• 3 projects need more information before requesting approval from the District Grants Committee.

• 17 projects have been approved.

• 8 projects have been funded.

Please complete the Individual Project Report or Final Report as soon as possible while the details are fresh in your mind. Send me a message when you are ready for the review. The deadline is May 31, 2023.

This can be an extremely busy time for District Grants as the proposal deadline for 2023-2024 projects is also May 31.

Looking ahead for

2023-2024

(a) The Qualification course is located under the Rotary Foundation heading on the District Website. The MOU is also there.

(b) Please remind your current President and your President-Elect to sign the MOU and send to Pat Cavan. Two clubs are already fully qualified, and 15 members have completed the course.

(c) When you do the course, please remember to submit your name and Club at the end so your course completion can be uploaded to the data base.

Do you need project ideas for your Club? Check out the links to previous year’s projects under Foundation on the website.

Just a reminder. The money for District Gants now is from a portion of the contributions to the Annual-Share Fund of three years ago.

So, let’s Contribute Today to ensure adequate funding for grant projects in 2025-2026.

Myrna Inglis Chair, District Grants Minglis65@hotmail.com

or 519-881-0586

SEMINAR FOR TOMORROW’S LEADERS – 2023

An in-person event!

Registration is now open!

We are excited to announce that registration for this year's Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders is now open! What's more, this year we are returning to an in-person event!

The leaders are working hard to put together an amazing program of inspiring speakers, engaging activities, and thought-provoking discussions that will help students develop their leadership skills and potential and leave them feeling excited and ready to take on new challenges in their communities. And they are thrilled to be back to in-person this year!

We'll be sharing some exciting information about this year's Seminar including the names of our fantastic speakers in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, if you already have someone to register, click the button below.

To register the students your club is sponsoring, click here!

April 20. The registration deadline is April 20, so don't wait! This is something the youth in your community will not want to miss!

The seminar is Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14 at Western University in London, Ontario.

The cost is $500 CAD or $450 USD per participant, and $450 CAD for Rotary Youth Exchange Inbound students.

For more information, click here to visit the Rotary Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders page of the D6330 website

We look forward to receiving your registrations! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Yours in Rotary,

Kirk Langford, on behalf of The D6330 Rotary Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders Committee

Kirk Langford

POLIOPLUS SOCIETY

Our District 6330 proudly joins The Rotary Foundation and fellow districts across the world to announce the new Polio Plus Society and invite all of our members to join.

This simple act of generosity by our fellow Rotarians around the world will bring the life saving polio immunization to countless children until the day that the world has been rid of the virus. We are truly This Close and we need your help to complete the job.

The Polio Plus Society is an organization of like-minded individuals who have committed to contribute $100 US or more each and every year to Polio Plus until the world has been declared free of the Wild Polio Virus. This is our commitment to fulfill the promise Rotary made in 1985 to immunize all the children of the world.

It’s easy and rewarding to become a member. Download, complete and submit the Polio Plus Society Pledge Form and email to the Polio Chair at katherine.hahn@rotarystratford.com Complete your contribution commitment in one of three ways:

Contribute with your credit card online at: https://www.endpolio.org/donate

- OR -

Write a for cheque for $100 or cheque for the US $100 equivalent (or more!) to The Rotary Foundation with "Polio Plus" in the memo line and give it to your club's Rotary Foundation Chair for submission.

- OR -

Enroll in Rotary’s recurring giving program, Rotary Direct, which makes giving easy, fast, and secure. You can schedule a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation that empowers Rotarians to change lives in communities around the world. https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct

YES, all donations will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Anyone can join the society, not only Rotarians. Everyone will be recognized with a special pin, an End Polio Now bracelet, a Society Certificate and a great feeling in their heart.

With your help, we will reach every last child and achieve a polio free world. Please reach out to Katherine and sign up today!

From the D6330 Governor Team –

Many thanks to Jean Aitcheson and Deurence Onyango for sharing their inspiring stories of service.

For those of you who were not able to attend, here is the recordinghttps://youtu.be/Qz5tqWE5sCk

Thanks to those of you who were able to join us. If you have any ideas of future Zoom presentations, please feel free to forward to the DG Team.

DG Mike Chaffee, DGE Sonja Glass, DGN Katherine Hahn, DGND Mike Hurry

Each district in Zone 28 has been assigned a dedicated team member to act as a PI resource, guide, and coach. (Assistant Rotary Foundation Co-ordinator –and in this case Assistant Rotary Public Image Co-ordinator)

Each member also has special skills that can be leveraged by all districts in Zone 28.

We’re here to help you tell your Rotary stories better and bolder! Click here for a complete list and to send an email request.

What is a Rotary Zone?

A Rotary Zone is a geographic area within Rotary International, a global service organization. Rotary International is divided into seven geographic regions, each of which is further divided into zones. There are a total of 34 Rotary Zones in the world.

Each Rotary Zone is made up of multiple Rotary districts, which are local groups of Rotary clubs that work together to carry out service projects and support the mission of Rotary International.

The purpose of dividing Rotary International into zones is to facilitate communication and collaboration among Rotary clubs and districts that share similar goals and challenges.

Rotary Zones are led by a Rotary International Director, who is elected by Rotary members in the zone.

The Director works with Rotary club and district leaders to promote Rotary's goals, coordinate activities, and support Rotary members in the zone.

Rotary International Zones 28 & 32 (formerly Zones 24 & 32) is a community of Rotarians, spanning two languages, four countries and seven time zones: Bermuda, Canada, France and the United States Rotary Zone 28 includes Michigan and parts of Ontario, Canada.

HOW DO DISTRICT GRANTS HELP AT HOME

A Rotary Club in the United States used a US $3,000 district grant to purchase food and personal care items for a local food pantry that saw a 50 percent increase in need.

A Rotary club in India is using a district grant to provide hygiene kits and training to girls who might otherwise miss school when they are menstruating. The project aims to help 40,000 girls.

Clubs worldwide use district grants to support similar shorter projects in their communities.

Every club has the opportunity to create positive change in their community with grants from The Rotary Foundation, one project at a time.

What do you want to accomplish in our community?

Our club needs to come up with ideas!

Click the Rotary Flag above (and follow the link) to listen to the Rotary Hymn composed by George Canseco. (Rotary Club of Urdaneta East)

Consider applying for a disaster response grant.

Find out how Rotary districts can apply for a grant from the Disaster Response Fund.

Ukraine has 62 Rotary clubs and six satellite clubs with about 1,100 members, and 24 Rotaract clubs with more than 300 members. District 2232 (Ukraine and Belarus) formed a committee to help people affected by the crisis.

LESSONS FROM A HURRICANE HOT SPOT

"Maria, Dorian, Michael..." Padraic E. "Pat" Mulvihill is rattling off a list of the hurricanes he's responded to as a disaster relief coordinator for his Rotary district (6970) in northeast Florida. The storm-tested logistics networks he has helped set up are what have made Rotary members in the Jacksonville, Florida, area so effective at responding to the war against Ukraine, including helping find housing for around 140 refugees.

"We have the institutional knowledge already in place and the infrastructure," explains Mulvihill, a semiretired business executive who has served as an infantry officer, paratrooper, and Green Beret in the U.S. Army Reserve.

His district's Rotary clubs have raised more than $95,000 for Ukraine relief efforts. They have channeled food, protective equipment, and EMT supplies to Ukraine. They even organized a day at the Jacksonville Zoo for the children of refugee families.

ROTARY CLUBS UNITE ACROSS CONTINENTS

Rotary members in North America, South America, and Europe have collaborated with a U.S.-based association of Ukrainian health care workers and used their connections to collect and ship more than 350 tons of critical medical supplies to Ukraine.

As of May, five cargo planes packed with medical supplies such as tourniquets, blood-clotting gauze, negative pressure wound therapy equipment, and medications have been flown from Chicago to Europe, where members have helped deliver them to Ukraine.

"It is Rotary doing what Rotary does best. It networks, pulls people together, and gets the job done," says RI Director Pat Merryweather-Arges, who has helped coordinate the shipments.

North American and Argentine Rotary clubs combined their resources to purchase medical supplies and worked with pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers to arrange donations. For example, a hospital in Peoria, Illinois, sent an ambulance and networked with others to have seven ambulances shipped to Ukraine.

Supplies streamed into a warehouse operated by the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Rotary clubs in Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Iowa collected supplies to ship to the warehouse.

"It's amazing what one Rotarian talking to another Rotarian can accomplish," says Marga Hewko, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Chicago.

ROTARY CLUBS IN UKRAINE ARE LEADING RELIEF EFFORTS

Ukraine has 62 Rotary clubs and seven satellite clubs about 1,100 members in total, as well as 25 Rotaract clubs that combined have more than 300 members.

The Rotary Club of Cherkasy purchased medical supplies and medicine and delivered them to local hospitals. Members of the Rotary Club of Kharkiv International have traveled to border countries to help refugees adapt to their new situations and have worked, through their project Yellow Help, to evacuate families near war zones. The Rotary Club of Kyiv Synergy collected 350 boxes of medical supplies from Italy and distributed them to areas within Kyiv and Sumy.

The Rotary Club of Kyiv-Sophia prepared hot meals and delivered them to residents of Kyiv and its suburbs of Irpin and Bucha. Members purchased hygiene products and medicine and delivered them to young mothers and the elderly.

ROTARY RELIEF EFFORTS IN EUROPE

Poland has taken in more than 3 million refugees, and Rotary clubs all over the country created a central account for contributions. The Rotary Club of Olsztyn collected and managed donations for more than 150 Ukrainian refugees, most of whom are unaccompanied children whose parents stayed in Ukraine. Four cars full of supplies including food, clothes, toiletries, and toys were donated to a local refugee center hours after it began accepting refugees.

Also in Poland, members of the Rotary Clubs of Zamosc and Wolsztyn partnered with other organizations to collect supplies and equipment. Members of the Rotary Club of Gdansk Centrum have provided accommodations and jobs for four refugee families.

In Germany, the Rotary Club of Berlin Platz der Republik, supported by the Rotary Club of Berlin International and the Rotary E-Club of Wall Street New York, has developed a housing-specific platform called Spaces for Ukraine. Nearly 400 refugees have found homes through the site, and 925 host families have registered.

In Hungary, the Rotary Club of Kisvárda coordinated contributions and mobilized members to donate necessities and deliver the items to where they're needed. Rotary members in Romania and Moldova used WhatsApp to organize shelter for refugees. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, clubs partnered with a railway and cargo company to transport some 2,300 refugees to safety.

This story originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.

Click here to read more.

U.N. INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE (plus links)

Sunday, April 2

World Autism Awareness Day

Wednesday, April 5

International Day of Conscience

Thursday, April 6

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Friday, April 7

United Nations' World Health Day Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide

Saturday, April 22

Earth Day

Monday, April 24

International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

Tuesday, April 25

World Malaria Day

Friday, April 28

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Sunday, April 30

International Jazz Day

Summary of new polioviruses this week:

• Pakistan: one wild poliovirus type 1-positive environmental sample

• Benin: one circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) case

• Burundi: one cVDPV2 case and five cVDPV2-positive environmental samples

• Chad: two cVDPV2 cases

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo): six cVDPV2 cases

• Niger: one cVDPV2 case

For more information, click here - http://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-now/this-week/ Click here to learn the difference between Wild Polio Virus (WPV) and Vaccine-derived Polio Virus. (VDPV)

GPEI* STATEMENT ON cVDPV2 DETECTIONS

In Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

March 16, 2023

Through ongoing surveillance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has received notification of the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) linked with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2).

The viruses were isolated from the stool samples of seven children with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) – six in DRC (eastern Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces), one in Burundi (Bujumbura Rural province) – and from five environmental samples collected in Burundi (Bujumbura Mairie province).

All reported isolates stem from two separate and new emergences of cVDPV2 linked with nOPV2 that originated in Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces in DRC.

GPEI is supporting local authorities in both and neighbouring countries to conduct a thorough risk assessment and plan vaccination responses to reduce the risk of further transmission, as per outbreak response protocols.

Burundi and DRC have scheduled initial vaccination campaigns to be conducted in April and based on the ongoing risk assessment, subsequent campaigns may be expanded to include areas in neighbouring countries.

Additionally, both AFP and environmental surveillance are being stepped up in the areas of detection, and the operationalization of further environmental surveillance sites is being evaluated. Samples from Burundi, DRC, and neighboring countries are also being prioritized for testing by the Global Polio Laboratory Network.

These are the first instances of cVDPV2 linked with nOPV2 since roll-out of the vaccine began in March 2021.

While detection of these outbreaks is a tragedy for the families and communities affected, it is not unexpected with wider use of the vaccine.

All available clinical and field evidence continues to demonstrate that nOPV2 is safe and effective and has a significantly lower risk of reverting to a form that cause paralysis in low immunity settings when compared to monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2).

To date, close to 600 million doses of nOPV2 have been administered across 28 countries globally, and the majority of countries have seen no further transmission of cVDPV2 after two immunization rounds.

Throughout the vaccine’s extensive field use, the strains in DRC and Burundi are the only two cVDPV2 emergences detected that have been linked with nOPV2. A preliminary assessment suggests an estimated 30-40 new cVDPV2 emergences, conditional on surveillance inputs, would have been detected by 1 March 2023 if mOPV2 was used instead of nOPV2 at the same scale.

Focused safety, effectiveness and genetic stability monitoring will continue for the duration of the vaccine’s use under WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) and work continues to advance towards nOPV2’s WHO prequalification, expected by the end of this year.

*Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Importantly, eastern DRC is classified as one of GPEI’s seven most consequential geographies for poliovirus outbreak risk.

Complex humanitarian challenges in the country, including insecurity, have created longstanding barriers to reaching every child with the polio vaccine. This has contributed to the continued spread of variant poliovirus within DRC and its exportation to nearby countries.

GPEI continues to adapt its strategy and work with local authorities to protect all children from this devastating disease through targeted, flexible campaign efforts.

Ultimately, no vaccine sitting in a vial can protect a child. The success of nOPV2 and any polio vaccine depends on the ability to rapidly implement high-quality immunization campaigns to ensure that every child is vaccinated and poliovirus’ spread is stopped.

Click here to read more.

WASH Rotary Action Group supports and ensures sustainable long-lasting clean water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to communities in need.

World

Mark has seen the lives of hundreds of thousands of school students, their families and their communities, transformed for the better, thanks to the provision of WASH infrastructure and education.

In 2017 he was inducted into the World Toilet Organization Hall of Fame by his friend and mentor "Mr. Toilet" himself - Singaporean Jack Sim, founder of the World Toilet Organization.

Mark is a passionate public speaker, especially when it comes to WASH in Schools and Behaviour Change in the world of WASH. In his nine years as a Rotarian, he has spoken at seventeen District Conferences in Australia, the USA, and India, at Ravi Ravindran's Presidential Summit on WASH & Literacy, and at over 100 Rotary Clubs. He delivered a TED talk, and presented at World Water Summits in Sao Paulo, Toronto and Hamburg.

Mark, a member of the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central in District 9810 in Australia, was a member of the WASH-RAG board for six years and is a member of the Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisors.

Click here to view a TEDTalk video from Mark on his experience with water and sanitation.

Water Summit keynote speaker is Mark Balla, the Toilet Warrior. Join us in Melbourne on May 26, 2023 - 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Click here to view a short video on other ways of reducing plastic use.

HOW TO DO EARTH DAY 2023

Climate Literacy

End Plastic Pollution

Plant Trees

Act on Climate Change

Join the Great Global Cleanup

Fashion for the Earth

As citizens, we have the power and duty to make our voices heard. What each of us does, and how we do it, has a massive ripple effect on our ecosystems, as well as the pace of corporate and government action.

GenZ* provides inspiration with 45% having stopped buying from brands with poor ethical and sustainability practices. Through civic actions, and our day-to-day life choices, we have the power to lobby for and support the businesses who actively choose eco-friendly practices and climate-friendly investments. There is no time more vital than the present to take action and INVEST IN OUR PLANET. Click here to read more

* Post-millennial generation

PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD –THIS ISSUE – TURKEY/SYRIA

Shelterbox and Rotary

Rotary and ShelterBox have a close relationship as they work together to provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief around the world.

ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter and essential supplies to people affected by natural disasters and conflicts. Rotary is a global network of community volunteers that work together to tackle various humanitarian issues, including disaster relief.

The partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox began in 2000, when a group of Rotarians recognized the need for emergency shelter and supplies in the aftermath of the earthquake in Gujarat, India. They formed ShelterBox as a project of Rotary and it has since become an independent organization that continues to work closely with Rotary.

Rotary and ShelterBox work together on various initiatives, including disaster response and preparedness programs, fundraising campaigns, and awareness-raising activities. Rotary clubs around the world often collaborate with ShelterBox by hosting fundraisers, volunteering at events, and contributing to disaster response efforts.

Rotary's support has been vital to ShelterBox's success over the years, helping to expand its reach and impact in providing aid to those in need around the world. Through their partnership, Rotary and ShelterBox have demonstrated the power of collaboration in addressing humanitarian challenges and making a positive difference in people's lives.

Click the links below to read more.

https://www.shelterboxusa.org/home-page/about/ or https://shelterbox.org/

ROTARY’S CORE VALUES

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 118 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.

Learn more about our structure and our foundation and our strategic vision.

Do you need a make-up? missed meetings? To learn about other Rotary clubs?

The Passport Club members are encouraged to join local (and other) clubs to learn more about Rotary, get to know other Rotarians, gain a new perspective and appreciation for Rotary and Rotarians. Here is a list of online clubs where you can earn a make-up along with learning a whole lot more about Rotary! Why not visit them all?

• Rotary E-Club of Canada One – Rotary On Demand, Where you want, When you want!

• Rotary Club of One World

• Rotary E-Club of World Peace

Click here to attend this week’s posted meeting of E-Club of Canada One. These meetings are posted online and available 24/7!

Club President for 2022-23 – Sue Storie Stay

WORKING HARD AT OUR CLUB’S ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT

In upcoming months, members will be available to speak with your club about this project.

The Passport club members will collect these items and we will use our community contacts to repurpose them. One of our community contacts is London, Ontario - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. As we gain more contacts, we will expand our project. Would your club like to partner with us?

Contact Lynn Coates lynn.coates.1@outlook.com

or Sue Storie sastorie.rotary@gmail.com for more information.

UPCOMING CONVENTIONS

Click the Melbourne link for the website.

Rotary’s Per capita dues

Per half year for 2023-2024: $37.50

All clubs are billed $1 per member on their July invoice to help defray the costs of the Council on Legislation. Some invoices may include variable charges for Rotary magazine (other Rotary regional magazine subscriptions are billed separately) and variable fees for insurance (U.S. clubs only).

See the Manual of Procedure for more information.

PHOTOS FROM THE ROTARY RANCH FUNDRAISER – MARCH 24

CLUB FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN APRIL

REDUCE – REUSE – RECYCLE – REPORT

We’ve set a goal for the club of 50 hours of service this month! Please let us know what you’re doing!

There are numerous actions individuals can take to make the planet a better place.

Here is a list of some simple yet effective ways to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world:

1. Conserve energy: Turn off lights, appliances, and electronics when not in use, and use energy-efficient products to reduce your energy consumption.

2. Save water: Fix leaks, use water-saving appliances, and practice mindful water usage in your daily routine.

3. Reduce waste: Use reusable products, avoid single-use plastics, and practice the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

4. Support renewable energy: Encourage the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, by installing solar panels or purchasing green energy from your utility provider.

5. Use public transportation: Take public transport, carpool, walk, or bike whenever possible to reduce carbon emissions from private vehicles.

6. Plant trees and maintain green spaces: Planting trees and maintaining green spaces help absorb carbon dioxide, improve air quality, and support biodiversity.

7. Support local and sustainable businesses: Purchase products from local and eco-friendly businesses to promote sustainable practices and reduce your carbon footprint.

8. Eat a plant-based diet: Reduce your consumption of meat and dairy products, as animal agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

9. Compost: Composting your food waste can reduce methane emissions from landfills and provide nutrient-rich soil for gardening.

10. Educate yourself and others: Learn about environmental issues and engage in discussions with others to raise awareness and promote sustainable practices.

11. Conserve wildlife: Support organizations working to protect wildlife and their habitats, and avoid purchasing products made from endangered species or unsustainable sources.

12. Be a responsible traveler: Choose eco-friendly accommodations, minimize waste, and respect local cultures and environments when traveling.

13. Vote and advocate for the environment: Support politicians and policies that prioritize environmental protection and sustainability and participate in local activism and community initiatives.

14. Reduce your carbon footprint: Assess your personal carbon emissions and take steps to reduce them, such as insulating your home, driving less, and using energy-efficient appliances.

15. Share your knowledge: Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to adopt sustainable practices and work together to make the planet a better place.

Remember, even small actions can make a difference when practiced consistently and collectively.

By adopting sustainable habits and encouraging others to do the same, we can contribute to a healthier, more environmentally friendly world

PASSPORT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS in APRIL

GOAL – As a club we will log a minimum of 50 hours of environmental pursuits between April 1 and April 30.

HOW – Send an email to sastorie.rotary@gmail.com with your contribution – The person who submits the most items will receive a paid lunch (from your choice of restaurant) from Sue Storie.

WHAT QUALIFIES? – Anything you do to reduce, reuse, and/or recycle, conserve water, conserve hydro. BE CREATIVE!

SOME IDEAS

• Use cloth bag when shopping (tell me how many bags, how many trips – each counts as 1, so 3 bags for 3 shopping trips counts as 9 hours

• Hang clothes outside – each day counts as 1.

• Plan your driving route to accommodate 3 or more tasks. Each trip counts as 1. If you use your bike or walk instead of driving, you get 10 bonus points.

• Picking up garbage at home or in your community 1 point per session, but if you go for longer than an hour, tell me how many hours.

• 10 bonus points if you attend another Rotary club and mention this challenge (perhaps as a Happy Buck).

• Check Kitty’s newsletter for ideas.

• Read this link for 1 point. https://greatist.com/happiness/ways-help-environment#food-waste

• Have a vegetarian meal. 1 point for each meal.

• Share your ideas!

And more - In Verse form

In a world where trees do sneeze, And polar bears begin to freeze, We humans must take action, please!

The Earth is groaning, can't you tell? It's not a place where unicorns dwell, Our oceans now are choked with kelp.

Save the bees, we do beseech, Stop using plastic for each peach, It's time to practice what we preach.

Oh, Mother Earth, we hear your cry, We'll ride our bikes, we'll learn to fly With solar wings up in the sky.

So join the fight, reduce, reuse, And challenge friends to eco-duels, For in the end, it's Earth we'll lose!

But now with humour, wit, and cheer, We'll work to make our planet clear, And greet the future with a beer!

In a world where the trash does accrue, Green superheroes emerged, who knew? With cape made of leaves and hearts full of cheer, They whispered to all, "Have no fear, we are here!"

They battled the smog, the waste, and pollution, Offering Earth a sustainable solution. They taught us to compost, recycle, and share, And to ride on a bike when we're going somewhere.

Oh, our eco-heroes, so valiant and spry, With wind turbines spinning and solar panels high, Their love for our planet, so vast and immense, They'd hug every tree, without any pretense.

So heed their advice and protect our dear Earth, Together we'll cherish its beauty and worth. A greener tomorrow, we all must create, For the sake of our planet, it's never too late!

SLATE OF OFFICERS FOR 2023-23

President - Sue Storie

President Elect – Mariann Timmers

Secretary - Mariann Timmers

Treasurer - Lynn Coates

Foundation Chair - Rick Storie

Communications Chair - Kitty Bucsko

Service Committee Chair - Bev Andersen

Membership Chair - Sue Storie (hoping to find someone else)

SPEAKERS’ PASSPORT

Meeting summary, March 1, 2023

If you missed last month’s meeting (March1), you missed an excellent speaker and an emotional presentation. Neil Dunsmore from Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora is passionate about what he’s doing to help youth and promote mental health! He sets an example for us all!

From the Fergus-Elora website –

Fergus Elora Rotary Club member Neil Dunsmore took the first steps to stopping the silence around mental health and suicide by walking 531 km or 330 miles from The Township of Centre Wellington to the nation’s

capital Ottawa. When asked why he would take on such a challenge, Dunsmore answered with a typical Rotarian response:

“It’s about my community! We are 2.7 times the national average for suicide and that’s an issue for me. Someone needs to raise awareness and get this issue on everyone’s radar, the Federal Governments, the Provincial Governments, and the service clubs. Our community is in crisis and when a crisis hits, we have no choice but to act. Service above self!”

Dunsmore’s goal was to not just raise awareness, but also funds, for local mental health initiatives sponsored in part by the Cody Shepperd Project.

Cody Shepperd was a Centre Wellington Wrestler who, on the outside, had the world at his feet. He was a champion who represented Canada at the Pan Am games and was popular among his peers. On October 17, 2017, Cody died by suicide, and his family’s and friends’ lives changed forever.

Cody’s parents, Paul and Darcie Shepperd, started the Cody Shepperd Project to help families and youth in our community understand Mental Health issues, and raise awareness of the services that are out there. Their motto Stop the Silence resonated with Neil, and he knew it would be the perfect fit.

“As a professional Speaker and Speaker Coach, I know the quickest way to reach people is by sharing your story and being honest and vulnerable! Talking about the people in our lives and sharing your own story helps others realize they are not alone, realize they are not the only one, and by sharing your success they find hope!”

Dunsmore is currently a Township of Centre Wellington Councillor, but prior to that he was a Provincial Corrections Officer and a Crisis/Hostage Negotiator, so he understands the power of connecting with people and he felt now, more than ever, was the time to do this.

“COVID19 has shut my business down and no one is having speakers come to their organization to speak. I realized so many people will be struggling mentally with this isolation, and they need to know there are people and services here for them. It was a financial hit, as I should have, and could have, taken a job to help with our personal finances, but this was a burning need, And that old motto of Service Above Self kept ringing in my ears!”

Click here to read the rest of Neil’s story on the Fergus-Elora website.

Well done and thank you, Neil!

The Race to Erase is not a running race! The challenges are a combination of savvy and smarts – no goofy shorts required. On Race Day, teams compete to complete the challenges in the fastest time. Everyone gathers together at the start to register before heading out to different locations, and only after they have completed the first challenge, are they give the location of the next one. Watch the video below to learn more.

Click here to view the video that tells us all about this excellent community fund-raiser, co-ordinated by our own Rotary member, Rich Bouchard!

Watch and listen for more to come!

Click here to learn more about the Race to Erase!

Passport Club member, Rich Bouchard

The Race to Erase was founded by Scott McKay and Rich Bouchard. They had two connected goals in mind: they wanted to create a fun and creative event for people to take part in, and they wanted it to positively enhance the community. First discussed over a game of golf, both agreed that it would be fun to send teams of four on a road rally fundraiser throughout the community, competing in timed challenges along the way. Due to safety concerns (and a high Insurance price tag), the driving would not be timed, only the actual challenges.

The first Race to Erase was held in October 2006. The Race committee partnered with Sarnia’s Inn of the Good Shepherd for the Race to Erase Hunger. The event was an immediate success with 30 teams participating and more than $38,000 raised. In the second year, the Race to Erase again raised funds for the Inn of the Good Shepherd, but this time the Race was called the Race to Erase Homelessness as the funds went to building the Good Shepherd’s Lodge, a homeless shelter in Sarnia. More recently, the Race has evolved to allow more charities to participate and receive a portion of the funds raised. The Race has also expanded its scope. While the first Race Days were held in Sarnia and London, the Race has recently expanded to include Cambridge, and may soon appear in a number of other communities across Ontario.

The Race remains committed to three core principles: having fun, fundraising and community spotlight. The event is first and foremost intended to be a fun way to spend Race Day with friends. Like a Corporate Challenge on wheels, teams get to drive to different challenges and do things together they wouldn’t normally do, whether that is feeding someone a sundae blindfolded, running through a corn maze or learning a Celtic dance routine. Teams are always laughing as they experience the Race.

It was also always important that this event be tied to fundraising as a way to help positively enhance the community. Each team is asked to raise a minimum of $500, which the committee always believed was reasonable for any team to achieve. All teams are encouraged to raise more than the minimum.

Finally, the Race also works to shine a light on the many great businesses and not-for-profits that our community has to offer. Our goal is to ensure that everyone finishes the race knowing a little more about our community than they did at the start of the day. Each participating challenge works with the organizing committee to create a memorable event that ties into their core message, thus exposing their goals in a fun and unique way.

Why

Remember

Chat about “stuff”

and what’s important to you. Let’s get to know our members!

Plan to join our Zoom Meetings! Click here.

Right click the 4-way test above to open and listen to the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon Nutana.

2022-23 Rotary Theme

Our Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative encourages all Rotary club members to contribute at least what they can afford every year to help us reach our goal to support the Rotary Foundation financially each year

One who contributes $100 USD every year is a Sustaining Member. With EREY, we encourage you to contribute an amount you can afford every year.

A LITTLE HUMOUR

I had amnesia once… or twice.

I am neither for nor against apathy.

All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.

If the world were a logical place, men would be the ones who ride horses side-saddle.

What is a “free gift"? Aren't all gifts free? They told me I was gullible… and I believed them.

Experience is the thing you have left when everything else is gone.

One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.

I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not sure.

Is the ʽsʼ: or ʽcʼ in ʽscentʼ silent?

The word queue is just a Q followed by four silent letters…

Why is a W called “double-u” when it's clearly a “double-v”?

I did some financial planning, and it looks like I can retire at 65 and live comfortably for 11 minutes.

We all know that mirrors don’t lie… I’m just grateful that they don’t laugh.

REFERENCES

Adams, Randal Speaking of Rotary. USA: E J Press

Dochterman, Cliff. The ABCs of Rotary Evanston, Illinois: Rotary International. (363-EN)

Forward, David C. A Century of Service. The Story of Rotary International. (912-EN)

Rotary Club of Hobart. The Rotary Book of Readings. Inspiration to Change the World.

Rotary International. Honoring Our Past: The Words and Wisdom of Paul Harris. Evanston, Illinois: 1996. (925-EN)

Rotary International. Rotary Basics Evanston, Illinois. (595-EN)

Rotary International News. Online.

Rotary Global History Fellowship <https://www.facebook.com/RotaryGlobalHistoryFellowship/ >

Submissions from Club members and Social Media

Please send Club News and photos (with appropriate IDs) to Editor Kitty at ladykitt@gmail.com