Rotary International President, Francesco Arezzo (Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy) District Governor Jeff Ferweda, (Rotary Club of Genessee Valley, MI) Club President, Kurtis Lush
District website: https://rotary6330.org/ Club website: https://www.rotarysarnia.com/ Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofsarniaontario
The Calendar below shows Rotary’s 2025-26 monthly themes.
ROTARY CALENDAR and THEMES
Month
July
Theme
Maternal and Child Health
August Membership and New Club Development
September Basic Education and Literacy
October Economic and Community Development
November The Rotary Foundation
December Disease Prevention and Treatment
January Vocational Service
February Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
March Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
April Environment
May Youth Service
June Rotary Fellowships
INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS FOR SEPTEMBER
ROTARY’S FOCUS FOR SEPTEMBER BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY
“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.”
– Kofi Annan
“Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela
“One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”
– Malala Yousafzai
Click here to view a video by Malala’s father – to understand how Malala has become who she is.
NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO
Malala Yousafzai - a true champion for EDUCATION AND LITERACY
Why Malala is Important
Malala Yousafzai is a global symbol of courage, resilience, and the power of education. At just 11 years old, she began speaking out publicly against the Taliban's efforts to ban girls from attending school in her home region of Pakistan. Despite threats to her life, she refused to be silenced believing deeply that education is a fundamental right for every child, regardless of gender.
In 2012, Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman while riding the school bus. Most thought that would be the end of her story—but it was just the beginning. She survived, and instead of retreating in fear, she became an even more powerful voice on the world stage. She continues to fight for education for girls worldwide through the Malala Fund, and in 2014, she became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Malala's unwavering commitment in the face of violence reminds us that one voice—however young—can ignite change across the globe.
Click here to view her video.
Click here – as a bonus – to view her father’s video (inspiring!)
Click here to view Malala’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
Rotary’s Focus on Basic Education & Literacy
DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S CLUB VISIT
Tuesday,September2
WORLD LITERACY DAY
Monday, September 8, 2025
NEXT BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, September 17 6:30 p.m.
CLUB FOUNDATION AGM
Tuesday, October 7 12:15 p.m.
Rotary Anthem
Right click here to open the link and listen to the Rotary Anthem!
Click here for We are the World.
VIDEO MESSAGE FROM THE RI PRESIDENT
Dear fellow member
In an increasingly divided world, Rotary remains a beacon for unity. As we move Rotary forward, our core values and mission remain constant, keeping us focused in membership, peace, and polio.
We begin this year with a clear message: Unite for Good. It is an extraordinary phrase for its simplicity, brevity, and impact. Because behind every act of service, every new member, and every global challenge, two things matter most: friendship and trust.
Not so long ago, I was playing with my grandchildren in our living room, with no thought of becoming Rotary’s president for 2025-26. Life really does come at you fast. I appreciate the support and affection so many of you have offered, and I am eager to discover what we will achieve together.
The connections that we make transforms lives and make the world brighter and more hopeful. Everything is possible when we Unite for Good.
Sincerely, Francesco
Arezzo
2025-26 President Rotary International Rotary Club of Ragusa, Italy
THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
SEPTEMBER MESSAGE
2025
Peace through Education
When I stepped into the role of Rotary International president, the moment came swiftly and unexpectedly. It got me thinking how the world can change in an instant, and how Rotary has the power to be a steady force for good in that change. This month, Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Month, we have a clear call to action: to strengthen the foundation of learning in every community we serve.
Millions of people worldwide remain unable to read. Millions of children lack access to basic education. And yet, we know the solution: sustainable, inclusive, and equitable education, especially for girls and marginalized youths. Literacy is more than the ability to read and write. It is the key to human dignity, economic mobility, and peace. Every book opened, every classroom supported, and every teacher trained becomes a building block of peace.
This year, our message is Unite for Good. “Unite” speaks to the strength we find in each other. When we unite our talents and resources – not only among our clubs but across partners, organizations, and communities – we expand our reach. And when we do so consistently over time, we create lasting change. Rotary service cannot be measured only in annual goals. Our work in education must extend beyond a single year. Literacy projects take time to take root, grow, and bear fruit.
Now is the time to think boldly and creatively. New types of clubs can help us engage educators, students, and advocates in new ways. Let us use this month to welcome new members with a passion for education and empower existing ones to lead service projects that reflect local needs. Whether you’re building libraries, distributing textbooks, or mentoring students, your actions matter.
Education is also peacebuilding. Every scholarship we provide, every early childhood program we support, every adult literacy class we fund is an act of peace. And Rotary has been building peace in this way for more than a century.
Let us not forget that the fight for literacy is not only about access, it’s about equity. It is about ensuring every learner, regardless of background, has the opportunity to reach their potential. And it is about standing together – across borders, languages, and generations – to say that education is a right, not a privilege.
Let’s Unite for Good by committing to literacy that lasts. Let’s dream of a world where every child learns to read. And then, as people of action, let’s work together to make that dream a reality.
Together, we can change lives, starting with the power of education. Together, we Unite for Good.
FRANCESCO AREZZO President, Rotary International
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION TRUSTEE CHAIR
MESSAGE FOR SEPTEMBER 2025
Literacy as a human right
Education is the most powerful tool we have for changing the world, and during Basic Education and Literacy Month, I want to remind everyone why our work matters.
Education breaks the cycle of poverty, opens doors to opportunity, and empowers individuals to transform their communities. But education doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We must also address peace, health, clean water, economic opportunity, maternal and child health, and the environment.
This is why Rotary has these areas of focus. Lasting change requires a comprehensive approach. When we collaborate across these areas through The Rotary Foundation, we raise up communities sustainably and with dignity.
Today, I have asked Lynne Paradis from the Rotary Club of Red Deer, Alberta, to share her passion for literacy:
“I believe that literacy is a human right. When I joined forces with the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, Belize, over a decade ago, we set out to improve reading instructions, but we had no idea how far this journey would take us.
Literacy Alive! has been supported by eight Rotary Foundation global grants since 2011. Using a straightforward approach based on phonics and science, we updated how teachers teach and focused on how students really learn. We collected data on reading skills improvement over six months.
After demonstrating that teachers had integrated new practices into daily instructions, the project snowballed. The Belize Ministry of Education took notice.
Today, over 1,300 teachers have been trained, and more than 20,000 students have benefited. We’ve achieved over 90 percent success rates, with many students making more than a year’s worth of improvement in just five months.
The program is now compulsory in Belize primary schools. What moves me most is hearing teachers say how confident they are that they can change students’ lives. Our greatest success is working ourselves out of a job. When local educators take the lead, we know lasting change is underway.”
Lynne’s story exemplifies the power of Foundation grants. Through partnerships spanning six Rotary clubs and three countries, Literacy Alive! reminds us how good Rotary is at creating systemic change.
When our members’ passion meets Foundation support, we don’t just improve individual lives, we change entire communities. By supporting the Foundation, you can put your passion to work this month and every month
HOLGER KNAACK
Foundation Trustee Chair, 2025-26
THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT-NOMINEE (RI President for 2027-28)
By Etelka Lehoczky
Larry A. Lunsford, a member of the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza, Missouri, USA, is the selection of the nominating committee to become Rotary International’s president for 2027-28.
Larry A. Lunsford, a member of the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza, Missouri, USA, is the selection of the nominating committee to become Rotary International’s president for 2027-28. He will officially become the president-nominee on 15 September if no other candidates challenge him.
Lunsford attended Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, on an academic scholarship, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. He first encountered Rotary when he received a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship to spend the 1981-82 academic year at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
A certified public accountant, Lunsford spent seven years working for Ernst & Young before joining a family-owned business, Bernstein-Rein Advertising, in 1990. He is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Bernstein group of companies.
He has held positions on the boards of the Kansas City Spirit Festival and the Variety Club as well as serving as director of a local bank and treasurer of the Epilepsy Foundation for the Heart of America. He has also served on Truman State University’s alumni and foundation boards and received the university’s Distinguished Service Award.
Lunsford joined the Rotary Club of Kansas City-Plaza in 1991 and has since served as -
• District governor (2001-02)
• RI director (2013-15), and
• Trustee of The Rotary Foundation (2021-25, vice chair 2024-25).
He has been a member of RI committees, including the Executive Committee (chair 2014-15), Membership Growth Committee (chair 2016-18), and Nominating Committee for President of RI (chair 2023-24).
He also has served on The Rotary Foundation’s Executive Committee (chair 2023-24), Finance Committee (chair 2022-23 and 2024-25), and Participant Experience Committee (chair 2023-24).
Lunsford has been awarded The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award, The Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, and the RI Service Above Self Award.
He and his wife, Jill Lunsford, have two children and one grandchild.
They are Major Donors, Bequest Society members, multiple Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation, and Sustaining Members.
ROTARY’S SEPTEMBER FOCUS –BASIC EDUCATION
AND
LITERACY
More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population.
Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to
• support basic education and literacy
• reduce gender disparity in education
• increase adult literacy
We support education for all children, and literacy for children and adults.
By Nikki Kallio
While many people would like to think that slavery was a tragedy of the past, the truth is that it still exists today, with up to 46 million people enslaved worldwide.
The Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) has a strategy for fighting this horrible problem, working at the local level.
“It’s this Rotarian attitude – you give them a problem and instead of throwing their hands up in dismay, they start chipping away at it piece by piece,” says Carol Hart Metzker, a member of the action group. “Maybe slavery won’t be solved in my lifetime, but in two more years, we’re going to have a whole hamlet free.”
The students learn to use a computer, which is also used to document the project.
In a village in northeastern India, the action group is tackling the problem of debt bondage. With the help of 13 clubs, a district grant through the Rotary Club of Binghamton, New York, USA, and other sources, the action group is providing $36,000 toward the work of Schools4Freedom, a project of the organization Voices4Freedom.
Schools4Freedom works with local partner organization Manav Sansadhan Evam Mahila Vikas Sansthan (MSEMVS) to battle debt bondage.
The RAGAS project will support the efforts in one of those villages for three years. The name of the village, which is in the Uttar Pradesh state, is kept secret to protect the villagers and aid workers.
“THE SLAVEHOLDER CREATES A SCHEME SUCH THAT THE INTEREST IS MORE THAN THE FAMILY EVER MAKES – THAT CONTRACT IS NEVER PAID OFF.”
Poverty, illiteracy, innumeracy, and natural disasters that destroy crops or homes can leave villagers vulnerable to debt bondage in rural villages.
“When people don’t have enough to eat, and they barely have the ability to keep a roof over their head and their family quite literally alive, they will often turn to whatever means are possible for survival,” Metzker says.
Families may seek an arrangement with a business owner, who asks them to sign a contract that they can’t read and therefore can’t understand, and they inadvertently trade their freedom for survival, she says.
Of the village’s 400 residents, 132 are living in debt bondage, enslaved in the slaveholder’s brick kilns, farm, or construction projects, she says. “The others are at risk because they, too, are in abject poverty.”
Hundreds of thousands of people in Uttar Pradesh and the neighboring state of Bihar are working in forced labor in industries including agriculture, domestic servitude, commercial sex, stone quarries, or brick kilns, says Bhanuja Sharan Lal, director of MSEMVS.
The problem is exacerbated by inaction on anti-slavery laws, caste discrimination, discrimination and violence against women, lack of effective protection for children, lack of training of front-line officials, and corruption, Lal says.
Click here to read and learn more
A SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL LITERACY PROJECT – The Butterfly Storybook
�
Project Overview
The Butterfly StoryBook Contest is an annual story-writing competition open to children ages 7–11 across District 7020, which encompasses the Caribbean region. Clubs in the district host local contests and submit up to three winning stories each, with the top ten entries selected to be published in The Butterfly StoryBook. Those ten young authors are also awarded USD $50 each by the E Club as recognition and encouragement for their creative efforts.
Purpose & Impact
The intention of the project is twofold:
• Promoting Basic Education & Literacy by encouraging storytelling skills in young children.
• Empowering children to see themselves as authors and contributors to a wider audience
After publication via Amazon (globally available in English and French, and earlier editions also offered in Spanish and Haitian Creole), the books are shared widely. Partners such as the Jamaica Reading Association have replicated and distributed printed copies to schools and communities in need.
Notable Editions & Stats
• The first editions date back to the 2012-13, and new volumes have appeared annually.
• By 2023, the E Club celebrated a “Butterfly Double Launch” and published a 10th Anniversary Edition.
Organization & Committee
The project is organized and published by the Butterfly StoryBook Committee within the Rotary E Club of the Caribbean, District 7020.
Why It Matters
This initiative neatly embodies Rotary’s Basic Education & Literacy focus:
• It nurtures young writers, fostering confidence and literacy skills.
• It connects Rotary clubs across the district, reinforcing local collaboration.
• It creates storytelling tools that are accessible to children throughout the Caribbean and beyond, often in multiple languages.
• It channels book proceeds back into Rotary’s humanitarian programs.
Note of interest - The first Butterfly Storybook was a huge success in the spring of 2013 – even before the club was chartered!
A repeat – For those who were unable to attend the D6330 Conference last May, you missed some excellent speakers. There is so much good work being done in Rotary District 6330.
But you don’t have to miss these excellent speakers and projects –
Here are links below that will allow you to view the presentations at your leisure. Please take the time to review the videos and learn about all some worthwhile projects Rotary is accomplishing!
Videos from 2025 District Conference
The Environment Presentation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E70sHKcUsS0
The RI President’s Representative – Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E70sHKcUsS0
Harvest Hands, Jim Collins, St. Thomas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP8HDMM4VZQ
RI President’s Closing Remarks – May 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePWKVvegRTU
Kurt Harnett – Buffalo Bicycle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyogy39s4ME
ROTARY INSPIRATION
On the morning of 11 February our lives changed forever. I was at home in Gunnison, Colorado, getting ready for work when my phone buzzed with an alert: “Hard Fall SOS.”
My mom, Grace’s, smartwatch had detected a hard fall and notified emergency services – and me, since I was listed as an emergency contact.
With the alert was a surprisingly accurate map of the “hard fall” location, an on-ramp to Interstate Highway 95 near Florence, South Carolina, USA.
Grace and my dad, Phil, were traveling in their RV when they had an accident with another vehicle. Both vehicles burned.
Rotary Inspiration Source – Rotary 360
By Chad Wellman
Grace was lost instantly. Miraculously, Phil and the two family dogs were unharmed. But my dad, left with nothing, was stranded in South Carolina, far from his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in a place where none of us had any connections.
Our entire family – all seven of us – began making our way from five separate towns across Colorado. Our main concern was getting to Dad and making sure he wasn’t alone. He had always been there for us in our times of need. Now it was our turn.
Knowing Dad was a longtime Rotarian (a member of the Rotary Club of Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Virginia), a family friend contacted the Rotary Club of Florence West and asked if anyone could stay with him until we arrived at the hotel where he had been transported after the accident.
Over the years, I’ve attended Rotary meetings with Dad in various parts of the country. Rotary aligned closely with his values, and it matched his deep sense of service and generosity. It was such a relief to hear from David Boulware, who along with several other local Rotary members dropped everything to be by Phil’s side. We had never met them, yet the bond was immediate, and their acts of kindness were heartfelt and generous.
The Rotarians brought Dad a new phone charger, medications, clothes, a toothbrush, and food for the dogs. But just having someone there with him was more important than a change of clothes, a shower, or any material needs. I’m sure stories were shared that day, and I imagine the camaraderie in that little roadside hotel room was tangible.
But it went beyond that. During their time together, Dad told them about the things his Rotary club did, including delivering care packages to first responders. Within days, the Florence West club decided to do the same.
The name they gave the program? Sharing Grace, in honor of Mom.
From the whole family, we are deeply grateful to the Rotary family for stepping up that day. None of us planned to spend the day that way, but their kindness made the experience more bearable as we scrambled through the chaos of weather delays, airplanes, rental cars, and hotel bookings.
Once reunited in Florence, we came together as a family to start making the hard decisions and begin piecing our lives back together.
It’s remarkable that on the worst day of our lives, one of the first things Poppa said to us when we arrived in South Carolina was, “Wow, people are good.”
I’m writing this in June while waiting at the airport in Des Moines, Iowa, for my dad to pick me up for the final stretch of our journey back to Colorado for the summer. Grace was always by his side on this annual trip.
This year, his brother Harvey joined him for the first leg, and I’m taking the second. We’ve been on many adventures, and Grace was always part of them.
She taught school for 30 years, was an avid animal lover, and volunteered to transport dogs for an animal shelter. Gracie had recently graduated from a Senior Citizens Police Academy in Virginia Beach, and was active in her church, book club, and Jazzercise class. She was joyful, fun, and a force for goodness.
Grace’s spirit lives on in the spirit of Rotary and the support and fellowship its members have extended to us and countless others.
TO VIEW PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS
the July and August newsletters online in magazine format, click below -
July newsletter online August newsletter online And a bonus –
Click here to view a short and entertaining video on The Happy Secret to Better and More Positive Work
NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO ROTARIANS
Rotary International Board of Directors vs Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees
Rotary International Board of Directors
• Composition: The RI Board is made up of the President, President-Elect, and Directors elected from Rotary zones worldwide.
• District 6330 falls under Zones 28 & 32, and the current RI Director for that combined zone is Chris Etienne (2024-2026)
• Role: They oversee the overall direction of Rotary International (membership, clubs, administration, policies, and global programs).
• Meetings: The RI Board usually meets four times per year (similar to the Trustees), with occasional online or special meetings as needed.
Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees
• Composition: The Trustees are appointed by the RI President, with terms staggered so experience is always present on the Board.
• Role: They govern the Rotary Foundation (funding, grants, investments, humanitarian projects, PolioPlus, scholarships, etc.).
• Meetings: Also typically four times per year, with extra meetings (in person or virtual) if urgent Foundation business arises.
In short:
• The RI Board of Directors → runs the organization (Rotary International).
• The Foundation Trustees → run the charitable arm (The Rotary Foundation).
• Both meet quarterly, but they handle different sides of Rotary’s work.
Holger Knaack - Chair 2025-26
TRF Trustee 2022-26
Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln - Germany
Jennifer Jones - Chair-elect 2025-26
TRF Trustee 2023-26
Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland - Ontario, Canada
2024-2026 RI Director
Summary of new polioviruses this week, cases and positive environmental isolates:
• Pakistan: two WPV1 cases and 42 WPV1-positive environmental samples
• Angola: one cVDPV2 case
• Central African Republic: one cVDPV2 case
• DR Congo: one cVDPV1 case
• Tanzania: one cVDPV2-positive environmental sample
• Yemen: 26 cVDPV2 cases
(15 of these cases are from 2024 and eleven from Q1 2025. This brings the number of cases for 2024 to 164 and 27 for 2025. No cVDPV2-positive environmental samples were reported this week. The recent increase in reported cases and environmental sample isolates from 2024 and 2025 is not particularly linked to an increase in poliovirus transmission, but rather to retrospective testing associated with recent release of previously collected specimens from the country.)
For details on the 2024 estimates and what they tell us about immunization globally, read the WHO-UNICEF press release and explore the WHO Immunization Data Portal
A question to contemplate -
Q - What is the difference between the following?
• cVDPV2 cases
• WPV-1 cases, and
• WPV1-positive environmental samples?
cVDPV2 cases (circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus type 2)
• These are actual human cases of paralysis caused by a mutated form of the polio vaccine virus (oral polio vaccine, OPV).
• When OPV type 2 strains spread in under-immunized communities, they can mutate back into a dangerous form that can cause polio outbreaks.
• A cVDPV2 case means that a child (or person) developed acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), and lab testing confirmed it was caused by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.
WPV1 cases (Wild Poliovirus type 1)
• These are human cases of paralysis caused by the naturally occurring (wild) poliovirus, type 1.
• WPV1 is the last remaining wild form of polio still circulating in the world (mainly in Pakistan and Afghanistan).
• A WPV1 case means that the virus was isolated from a paralyzed patient and confirmed by laboratory testing.
WPV1-positive environmental samples
• These are not human cases, but detections of the virus in the environment, usually in sewage or wastewater samples.
• Surveillance teams test sewage to find silent circulation of WPV1 in communities where no paralysis cases have been reported.
• A positive sample shows that the virus is present and spreading but hasn’t (yet) been linked to a paralytic case.
�
� Still circulating
• Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1)
o The only wild poliovirus strain still circulating in the world.
o Endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with occasional detection through international spread.
� Eradicated strains
• Wild poliovirus type 2 (WPV2)
o Declared eradicated in 2015 (last detected in India, 1999).
• Wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3)
o Declared eradicated in 2019 (last detected in Nigeria, 2012).
�
� � �
� Related but different: vaccine-derived strains (cVDPVs)
• These are not “wild” strains, but mutated forms of the oral polio vaccine virus.
• The main concern is cVDPV2, which continues to cause outbreaks in under-immunized areas.
• cVDPV1 and cVDPV3 exist but are far rarer.
�
� In short:
• Only WPV1 remains in circulation.
• WPV2 was eradicated in 2015.
• WPV3 was eradicated in 2019.
Update from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on programmatic challenges
and accountability
07/08/2025
The final phase of the polio eradication effort has proven to be the toughest! The number of children paralyzed by polio has been reduced by 99% over the last four decades, but the virus continues to spread in some of the most difficult places on the planet to deliver healthcare— places that face persistent insecurity, political instability and weak health infrastructure. This context limits families’ access to formal health services and hinders health workers’ tireless efforts to reach every child with life-saving vaccines, including for polio.
To drive progress toward eradication in these settings, the polio program works to support national and local teams to develop tailored solutions and make ongoing adjustments to better meet community needs. In some places, the program co-designs operational improvements with frontline health workers, which has led to expanded trainings, enhanced safety measures and improved outbreak response protocols.
At the same time, the program regularly consults expert groups on its strategic decisions, including the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB), the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), and the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR).
Ultimately, we answer to countries around the world through the World Health Assembly Few other global health programs incorporate this level of independent evaluation into their structure.
Click here to read the full article.
The Enormity of the Global Response to Polio!!
It is almost impossible to grasp the sheer scale of the world’s fight against polio. For more than three decades, governments, health agencies, and millions of volunteers—led by Rotary—have poured energy, resources, and heart into one of the most ambitious health campaigns in human history. Since 1988, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunized in 200 countries, at a cost of over US$20 billion. The effort has reduced polio cases by more than 99%, sparing an estimated 20 million people from paralysis.
And yet, what’s most striking is not only the numbers, but the determination: Rotarians going village to village, health workers carrying vaccine coolers on foot, planes and motorcycles used to reach remote communities, and countless hours of service given freely.
It is a response so vast that no single person can truly see it all—but together, it represents humanity at its best, united to end a disease forever.
Rotary and the Gates Foundation extend partnership to end polio –Joint commitment will add US$450 million to global polio eradication efforts over three years - 23/06/2025
CALGARY (22 June 2025) – Rotary and the Gates Foundation are renewing their longstanding partnership to end polio, announcing a joint commitment of up to US$450 million to support the global polio eradication effort at the annual Rotary International Convention.
“While historic progress has been made toward defeating polio—90 percent of the world’s population is free from the wild poliovirus— we’re facing significant challenges from competing financial priorities to fragile health systems.
Furthermore, the detection of polio in places like Papua New Guinea that were previously polio free demonstrates that polio anywhere is a threat everywhere,” said Rotary International PolioPlus Committee Chair Mike McGovern. “The extension of our fundraising partnership with the Gates Foundation allows us to reach children around the world with lifesaving vaccines, keeping every child and community safe from this preventable disease.”
Rotary will continue to raise $50 million per year, with every dollar to be matched with two additional dollars from the Gates Foundation. This renewed agreement will translate into up to a total of $450 million to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
“Rotary was the first to envision a world without polio—and today, we have the tools and knowledge to make that vision a reality,” said Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation. “If we all maintain our commitment and keep funding the solutions we know work, then soon, no family will have to live in fear of this horrific disease ever again.”
SUPPORT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
THE POLIOPLUS SOCIETY
Join the PolioPlus Society in District 6330.
Donations are matched annually 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation up to US$50 million, generating a potential total of US$150 million toward polio eradication.
Raise awareness in your community by planning events or projects that support the fight against polio.
Visit endpolio.org to find the latest information and tools to help you share the story of our fight against polio and raise support.
Ending this disease forever remains our top humanitarian priority and needs our full commitment.
How can you take action? Donate to End Polio
Visit the PolioPlus Society Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/polioplussociety
START PREPARING FOR WORLD POLIO DAY 2025
In our increasingly complex geopolitical and social environment, it’s more important than ever for Rotary members to remember the promise we made to the children of the world, to eradicate polio.
On 24 October, World Polio Day, we’ll join with our partners, frontline health workers, polio survivors, public health advocates, and others to remind everyone that eradicating polio not only is possible but also is a promise we intend to keep.
As your club begins planning its World Polio Day activities, be sure to visit the Brand Center to get a wide variety of polio-related resources. And don’t forget to register your club’s participation!
INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE
September - Rotary’s Focus – Basic Education & Literacy
Friday, September 5
International Day of Charity
Monday, September 8
International Literacy Day
Monday, September 15
International Day of Democracy
Saturday, September 20
World Cleanup Day
Sunday, September 21
International Day of Peace
Thursday, September 25
World Maritime Day
Friday, September 26
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Monday, September 29
International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste *
you need a make-up? missed meetings? To learn about other Rotary clubs?
All Rotarians 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 2025-26 – Kurtis Lush
The hat is ready for our 100th President. The Rotary Club of Sarnia will celebrate 100 years in 2028. The club already has a hat ready for that special President who will lead the club during the celebrations of our 100th year of service to the community of Sarnia. Shown displaying the 100th Presidential Hat are past president, Mark Taylor (#96), immediate past president, Jamie Pole (#97), current president Kurtis Lush (#98) and current vice-president Joe Cebulski (#99), who also is the designated caretaker of the prized (#100) hat until that person is chosen later by the members. Special celebrations and projects will take place during 2028.
NEWS & INFORMATION IMPORTANT TO CLUB MEMBERS
Get involved! Join us!
The Rotary Club of Sarnia - History
Click here for the source.
City Hall in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, was the place. The date was February 24, 1928. Sixteen communityminded businesspeople met with city officials to receive the charter of the Rotary Club of Sarnia and become part of an international service organization whose humanitarian contributions continue to be felt around the world.
Today, the Rotary Club of Sarnia is supported by the activities of its members, representing local business and community leaders from a wide range of professions.
The Rotary Club of Sarnia was instrumental in starting the Rotary Club of Sarnia-Bluewaterland in 1990 and the Rotary Club of Sarnia-Lambton After-Hours in 2007. The total number of Rotarians in the Sarnia Area currently is well over 100, and more are always welcome.
Continuing to live their motto, Service Above Self, local Rotarians maintain an ongoing program locally and internationally in Rotary's 7 Areas of Focus:
• Promoting Peace
• Fighting Disease
• Providing Clean Water and Sanitation
• Saving Mothers and Children
• Supporting Education
• Growing Local Economies
• And most recently, Supporting the Environment
Fundraising. The club’s fundraising projects, including the annual Mackinac Pancake Breakfast under the bridge (July) and the Rotary Online Auction (November), contribute greatly to the diversity of popular events and the high-quality lifestyle that Sarnia residents and visitors enjoy.
In March 2012, the Rotary Club of Sarnia become one of only 18 clubs in Canada to earn the designation - 100% Paul Harris Fellow Rotary Club. Is this true today?
Our club works with The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in all Areas of Focus, especially in our Number One Priority of Eradicating Polio from the face of the earth.
The club and has also built a locally based fundraising body, the Rotary Club of Sarnia Charitable Foundation, with a powerful presence in the community. Through donations and bequests to this foundation, the Rotary Club of Sarnia has supported many worthy causes locally.
Among the most significant donations are toward the Bluewater Health Maternal and Child unit, the YMCA Rotary Aquatics Centre, the Inn of the Good Shepard, and to Lambton College facilities. In addition, the club has contributed over 2 million dollars toward the development and operation of the Pathways Health Center for Children (formerly known as the Rotary Children’s Place).
While the club’s foundation focuses mainly on helping children with special needs and promoting the education and well-being of young people, many other groups have benefited over the years from the hard work of Rotarians and the generosity of their supporters in Sarnia.
Of course, fundraising is only a part of the spirit of goodwill maintained by the club’s members.
The fun and fellowship of regular weekly meetings at the Dante Club and numerous community-centred events also serve to keep the membership active.
Equipped with the knowledge that their efforts can improve the quality of life for others, members maintain that their club’s first years are only the beginning. The club continues to advance and generate lots of new ideas and projects for the good of Rotary, and for the service of those in need – both in Sarnia-Lambton and across the globe.
If you'd like to make Service Above Self a part of your life, why not look into becoming a member of the Rotary Club of Sarnia?
WHY JOIN ROTARY? WHO
NEEDS ROTARY?
This month, the spotlight is on Rotarian Brian, who has agreed to provide a little insight into his Rotary history and why someone should become a member of Rotary.
How did you get involved with Rotary?
I was invited… I joined Rotary in 2000, shortly after moving to Windsor, where I'd be doing a similar job, and needed to meet new people, and make new friends, contacts.
I joined The Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland on 05 September 2000.
What was Rotary like when you joined?
Windsor Roseland was, and still is, a very energetic club. The average age was in the low '40's then and the majority of people were deeply involved. They had an extensive 18-step process forcing new members to do various jobs and tasks before they could go from a red badge to a full blue badge.
They still had singsongs and sang Oh Canada every week. The meetings were light-hearted and lots of FUN! Lots of jokes and teasing, especially when the Sergeant at Arms would fine people a looney or tooney for various "crimes."
District Conference. Almost everyone went to the annual District Conference, where our club was known as THE PARTY CLUB! And when I was at Windsor Roseland, our President was Jennifer Jones, who later became the District Governor and then the first female President of Rotary International! I am close friends with both Jenn and her husband Nick.
What have you contributed to Rotary? and what has Rotary contributed to you?
In Windsor, after completing the initial 18 tasks, I joined various committees, such as Youth Exchange, Fellowship, Fundraising, etc. Everyone participated in the big fundraisers, like the annual "Lobsterfest" and "Wines of the World."
In September 2002, I transferred from the Windsor-Roseland Club to the Rotary Club of Sarnia. I served on the Club Board from 2003 to 2009, was originally Director of Youth, and then Director of Image & Information. From January 2010 to June 2011, I served as Club President. I left the club a bit later for personal reasons.
However, after an absence of four years, I rejoined the Sarnia Club in September 2019 and returned to the Board as Director of Image & Information in 2020. I’ve also have hosted 3 Youth Exchange Students, in both Windsor and Sarnia.
What Rotary brought to me was many new friends and contacts throughout the area.
continued next page
George Brian Davidson
What are your best times with Rotary?
I have made some wonderful new friends and some of us started travelling together privately in Canada and Europe. District Conferences had amazing gala events, famous speakers, and great locations. The Grand Hotel in Mackinac, Soaring Eagle Resort, etc.
What do you consider the most fun about Rotary?
The PEOPLE, the friends, the people of all ages we help. Most of my best, closest friends are Rotarians. I love them all!
How long have you been in Rotary?
Between 2000 and 2025, I have been a Rotarian officially for 21 years. And I’m a dedicated Rotarian now!
What advice would you give to Rotarians?
Get very involved as much as possible, volunteer, don't sit and wait to be asked. The connections you develop in Rotary are invaluable. Follow the Four-Way-Test in everything you say and do!
Three esteemed gentlemen – Rotarians one and all.
MEETING OF TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 - CANATARA PARK
Fortunately, the thunderstorm waited ‘til AFTER the meeting!
Photos courtesy of Rotarian Brian
Everyone – all these lovely Rotarians - enjoying lunch and fellowship in the Park!
Rajni, Pat, Jamie, Alan, Adelle, Rob, Sandy (new member), Bill, Rona
Brian, President Kurtis, Jamie, Alan, Adelle, Rob, Bill
President Kurtis leading discussion re upcoming Centennial Celebration!
Mike and Sandra
ROTARY HISTORICAL QUOTES
“Why? they ask. Because we can … and we care!” — Frank Romano, District 7430 Governor (2013–14)
Estes Snedecor, Rotary Club of Portland, Oregon (1921)
E. Leslie Pidgeon, Rotary Club of Winnipeg (1918
Harry H. Rogers, Rotary Club of San Antonio, Texas (1927)
Frank Romano, Rotary Club of Harleysville, Pennsylvania
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
Donations Are Important!
Clubs must qualify first! The Rotary Foundation requires Clubs that want to participate in the District Grants program to qualify. To qualify, the club must:
• Be in good standing
• May not have any grant reporting that is overdue
• Have at least 2 members complete the District’s Qualification Training course and quiz
The Certification is valid for One Rotary Year only! Clubs must be re-certified for each Rotary Year.
Rotary Foundation Grants – There are two kinds of grants. -Global Grants and District Grants:
Global Grants
• Must be in (at least) one of Rotary's Areas Of Focus
• Must be International projects involving at least 2 clubs in 2 different countries. One of these clubs is the "host" club - the club where the project will take place. The other is the "international partner" - the club that provides funding and possibly some expertise to help implement the project.
• Must have a minimum budget of USD $30,000
• Club funds are supplemented by the District Designated Funds as, and if, available
• Funds donated to the project from District Designated Funds are supplemented by The Rotary Foundation (World Fund) to fund these grants.
District Grants
• May be local or international in scope.
• Are usually smaller in scale. There is no minimum budget requirement.
• Will usually involve active participation by Rotarians.
• District 6330 clubs may apply for more than one District Grant in a single Rotary year, but are limited to a maximum of USD $3,000 per year in District Grant funding.
• Projects must be started and completed within one Rotary year - July 1 to June 30 of the next year.
Ready to Apply for A Grant? Will it be a District or a Global Grant?
3 simple questions to help you decide:
• Is the project in one of the areas of focus? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
• Is the project between Clubs/Districts in separate countries? – No? Consider a District Grant.
• Is the total budget for the project less than USD $30,000? – No? Consider applying for a District Grant.
• If you answer YES to all the above, consider applying for a Global Grant.
PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY
What's the Paul Harris Society?
The Paul Harris Society is the name given to those Rotarians who pledge a $1000 gift annually – every year You may know these committed individuals they wear a "flag" below their Rotary pin that reads "PHS."
One easy way to give at the $1000 level is through Rotary Direct -- sign up and an amount of money you designate is automatically deducted from your account each month. Learn more at www.rotary.org
Members of the Paul Harris Society know that the need never ends and neither should the giving.
D6330 Long-time Paul Harris Society Chair is Rotarian Jamie Pole.
What your giving supports
• Vocational training for teachers establishing an early childhood education center in South Africa
• Water filters, toilets, and hygiene training to prevent fluorosis, diarrhea, and other diseases in India
• A scholarship for a medical professional in Italy to research treatments that minimize mortality rates among premature babies
• Peace-building seminars for 200 teachers and 1,300 students in Uganda
• Treated mosquito nets and medical services that prevent malaria in Mali
• Clean water and sanitation which assists in preventing disease
• Life-saving health care to mothers and children
• Peace and peace building
• Education and literacy
• Economic and community development
In District 6330 we are proud of the generous members in our Paul Harris Society.
We have over 32 of our clubs that now have members in the Paul Harris Society.
If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Paul Harris Society Coordinator, District 6330 – Jamie Pole!
Rotarian Jamie Pole
The Environment – Rotary’s 7th Area of Focus
Another reason to save our Environment
The Sociable Weaver – Have you heard of this bird before? How ingenious!
The sociable weaver (Philetairus socius) is one of the most fascinating birds in the world—not just for its behaviour, but for its architectural genius.
�� � Basic Facts:
• Scientific name: Philetairus socius
• Family: Ploceidae (the weaver family)
• Size: About 14 cm (5.5 inches) long
• Range: Native to southern Africa, especially Namibia, Botswana, and parts of South Africa
• Habitat: Dry savannas and semi-arid regions
� � � What Makes Them Remarkable:
They are best known for their massive communal nests, which are among the largest built by any bird species.
� � Nest Engineering:
�
• Structure: The nest looks like a giant haystack slung over a tree or telephone pole.
• Size: Can house up to 100+ individual birds, with dozens of separate chambers inside.
• Lifespan of Nest: Some nests are used for decades, with continuous maintenance.
• Temperature Control: The inner chambers are insulated and cooler during the day, warmer at night an ingenious response to desert climate extremes.
�
�� � � � Social Life:
• True to their name, sociable weavers are extremely cooperative.
• They live in colonies and engage in cooperative breeding, where non-breeding birds help raise chicks.
• Their nests often become mini ecosystems, used by other birds (like owls, kestrels, and lovebirds) and even small reptiles.
� � Diet:
• Primarily insectivorous but also eat seeds and plant material
• They forage mostly on the ground.
� � � Want to See It?
Here are two short YouTube videos (~5 minutes) that beautifully showcase the sociable weaver and its unique and delightful nest-building skills:
Click here for Video one Click here for Video two
OUR CLUB FACEBOOK PAGE
See our club Facebook page for more up-to-the-minute club news!
Test your knowledge of the club, of Rotary district, and perhaps Rotary further afield!
To complete the crossword online, click here.
No pen/pencil required when you work online!
Don’t miss this!
Fun, fun, fun!
Life outside of Rotary! …but always a Rotarian! Distinguished Visitor!
A group of us who were involved with Emergency Preparedness Day at Clearwater Arena, or were industrial fire fighters, get together every Thursday for a coffee at Tim’s on London Line.
This week we were joined by Premier Doug Ford!
Bill Hoad (the distinguished gentleman sitting in the front)
ROTARY’S FOUR-WAY TEST
A Thoughtful Start to any
day
� � � � What is the Rotary Four-Way Test?
It's a short ethical guide used by Rotarians worldwide to help evaluate decisions, both personal and professional.
It was created in 1932 by Herbert J. Taylor, who later became Rotary International President. Facing financial and moral crisis in his company, he developed this test as a litmus test for integrity and fair conduct.
The test asks four questions of the things we think, say or do:
• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
It may seem simple, but in a complex world, those questions are anything but easy — and that’s part of their power.
� � � � � Why Should We Consider It?
Because ethics matter — now more than ever.
The Four-Way Test:
• Brings clarity to grey areas.
Click the 4-way test above and open the link to hear the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon Nutana
• Encourages honesty and accountability, not just in public life but in our quiet decisions.
• Fosters trust — a commodity that seems scarce in many parts of today’s society.
• Helps cultivate respectful dialogue instead of divisiveness.
• Serves as a universal framework: it’s non-religious, non-political, and applicable across cultures and professions.
In a world of misinformation, polarization, and moral shortcuts, it gently but firmly asks:
“Are we making the right choices for ourselves and for others?”
� � What Does the Four-Way Test Mean in Today’s Context?
In a global landscape marked by challenges — climate change, inequality, misinformation, and conflict — the Four-Way Test is a compass. It reminds us:
• Truth is not just about facts, but integrity.
• Fairness challenges us to consider others, not just ourselves.
• Goodwill and friendship are the foundations of peace, community, and collaboration.
• Benefit to all concerned asks us to be stewards, not just beneficiaries.
In Rotary, it’s more than words. It shapes how Rotarians lead projects, build partnerships, and serve their communities — from clean water initiatives to polio eradication. But beyond Rotary, it’s an invitation to live more ethically and courageously.
� � Closing Thought
The Four-Way Test isn't about being perfect. It's about trying to do the right thing, every day, in big ways and small.
It invites us to pause, reflect, and then act — with conscience, compassion, and courage.
Whether you’re a Rotarian or not, those four questions can light a path through some of life’s murkiest terrain.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED! WELL DONE!
A LITTLE HUMOUR
COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGH THE YEARS
Pathways Health Centre for Children (Founder)
Bluewater Health – Maternal & Child Health Wing
YMCA – Swimming Pool
Inn of the Good Shepherd
Lambton College
St. Joseph’s Hospice
Huron House Boys’ Home
Community Living, Sarnia Lambton
Community Concerns for the Medically Fragile (Standing Oaks Home)
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RLYA)
DOW Centre for Children and Youth
Big Brothers – Big Sisters
Canada Food Grains
Scouts Canada – Camp Attawandron
Goodwill Industries
Rayjon Haiti Project
YMCA Youth Scholarship
Lambton County Music Festival Awards
Family Counselling Centre
Access Open Minds
Habitat for Humanity
Point Edward Minor Hockey Association
Junior Achievement
Numerous Schools – LKDSB and SCCDSB
…and much, much more
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good. †
