Rotaweek 08-Jun-2008

[Dipak R Sarbadhikari]

 THE ROTAWEEK
 A compendium of Rotary news
 No. 848 Sun 08-Jun-2008
 
 
 RI PRESIDENT'S JUNE MESSAGE
 ________________________________________________________
 
 June 2008
 
 Dear fellow Rotarians,
 
 I wish that every Rotarian could have the opportunities to see Rotary
 in action that Joan and I have enjoyed over the past months. From
 India to France, Hong Kong to Brazil, the Philippines to Turkey, we
 witnessed Rotarians demonstrating, with great compassion and
 ingenuity, just how much Rotary Shares.
 
 We saw incredible disaster relief efforts in Pakistan and had the
 chance to inaugurate one of seven schools being built there with
 contributions by Rotarians. In India, we surveyed the impressive
 results of Rotarian tsunami recovery projects. In Brazil, we
 visited a school supported by the Foundation of São Paulo
 Rotarians that offers academic and vocational education as well
 as a program for the hearing impaired. And we felt very proud
 when we saw what Houston Rotarians have done in establishing a
 four-star hotel for patients and families visiting the M.D. Anderson
 Cancer Center.
 
 Another of the year’s highlights was our North American membership
 conferences. These seven meetings drew many Rotarians eager to
 reverse the region’s downward trend in membership. They shared
 ideas and left energized to strengthen their clubs’ membership.
 
 Peace conferences provided another source of great inspiration
 for Rotarians, who met in Bulgaria, India, Kenya, and Turkey to
 discuss the obstacles to peace in each of these regions and
 consider how Rotary clubs can offer practical solutions. In
 Canada and France, Rotarians organized conferences around
 the theme Peace Is Possible, drawing participants from
 neighboring countries to offer a valuable international perspective.
 
 This month, we’ll come together in Los Angeles for another important
 Rotary meeting – our 2008 RI Convention. I hope that many of you
 will take advantage of this opportunity to experience a little of the
 international fellowship that I’ve been so privileged to enjoy as
 RI president.
 
 Throughout my travels this year, I met many people who
 congratulated me on Rotary’s work to eradicate polio and to
 improve the quality of life in some of the world’s poorest regions.
 I was especially struck by the words of Olafur Grimsson, the
 president of Iceland, who said to me: “Rotary has the right
 answer. Your organization includes men and women on an equal
 basis, and you have members from many countries who represent
 every race, color, and creed. So what the world must do is have
 more Rotarians.”
 
 I couldn’t agree more.
 
 Thank you all for your great work. Joan and I will never forget
 the 2007-08 Rotary year.
 
 Wilfrid J. (Wilf) Wilkinson
 President, Rotary International
 
 
 
 CLUB NEWS
 ________________________________________________________
 
 MADHUMITA BISHNU, Jt. Secretary RC Calcutta Uptown informs us
 that she has just returned from Bangladesh as a Rotary Volunteer.
 She had been to Charlakshya village, Karnaphuly Dist, Chittagong,
 to teach English to Teachers and students of Jonaki ESA Late
 Kabiruddin Primary School, a school run by RC Chittagong Midtown,
 RID 3280, Bangladesh.
 Students were 147 in number and the school had classes from
 Nursery to Class IV. Rtn Madhumita was hosted by 2 teachers and
 she stayed in Charlakshya village.
 This is the second time Rtn Madhumita had been a volunteer, the
 earlier being in 2006 for a project of RC Agrabad, Bangladesh.
 
 m_bi...@yahoo.com
 
 
 
 SCAM WARNING FROM RI
 ________________________________________________________
 
 There are several e-mail scams that target Rotarians.
 
 Please be aware of the following scams:
 
 An e-mail that claims that a Rotarian has "emerged a recipient of our
 Rotary International improvement Grant Programs." It goes on to say
 that the recipient was selected from an "exclusive" database of more
 than 800 million individuals and corporate bodies. The e-mail then
 gives a fake a batch number and contact information for a "cash
 prize."
 
 Another scam e-mail claims that a deceased Rotarian has left money to
 the e-mail recipient to be donated to philanthropic efforts. The
 sender, who claims to be the executor of the will, then asks for the
 recipient's personal information in order to claim the inheritance.
 Another e-mail scam from a fake Rotary club claims that the recipient
 won a sum of US$ 700,000. The e-mail states that the winnings can't
 be transferred in the recipient's home country and that they must
 share an active bank account for deposit of "cash prize".
 
 Rotary International does not solicit funds through e-mail, nor does
 it ask that personal information be updated by e-mail or other
 electronic means. RI encourages Rotarians and Rotary clubs to avoid
 becoming victims of such scams by deleting any e-mail that appears
 suspicious
 
 
 
 BLOG-PROBUS CLUBS
 ________________________________________________________
 
 Great news. It is good to know that Probus is moving beyond Great
 Britain, where it began in 1954, Australia, New Zealand and parts of
 Canada. It is a great community service project for any Rotary club
 to take up. It is simple, at negligible cost and once a club is
 established, the club can step away. My 25 year involvement in Probus
 convinces me that such an organisation for retired and semi-retired
 professional and business people fills a useful niche, while not imposing
 the demands that Rotary does. It does not, nor is intended to take
 the place of Rotary but it does provide a great social service.
 
 nor...@xtra.co.nz
 From the ROTI List
 
 
 
 RI RESOURCES FOR ROTAR1ANS
 ________________________________________________________
 
 Rotary International offers myriad resources to help Rotarians
 build effective clubs to achieve the Object of Rotary by
 
 * Sustaining or increasing their membership base
 * Implementing successful service projects that address the needs
 of their community and communities in other countries
 * Supporting The Rotary Foundation through both financial
 contributions and program participation
 * Developing leaders capable of serving in Rotary beyond
 the club level
 
 CLUB MEMBERSHIP
 * I Club Assessment Tools - Contains the Planning Guide for
 Effective Rotary Clubs, which can help your club address the
 Avenues of Service, as well as a variety of membership surveys
 * I How to Propose a New Member - Outlines the steps for
 proposing new Rotary club members
 * Rl Web site: Running a Club section - Offers ideas and
 information to help strengthen clubs.
 * ft Rotary Basics - Provides an overview of Rotary that can help
 inform new and prospective club members
 
 PUBLIC RELATIONS
 * Rotary Images - Contains hundreds of high-quality Rotary photos
 * Rl Web site: Public Relations section - Includes Humanity in Motion
 public service announcements
 * RSS news feed-Allows your club or district to update its Web site
 instantly with the latest Rotary news
 * RVM: The Rotarian Video Magazine - Offers a look at Rotary
 service projects around the world
 * Weekly Update newsletter - Provides links to Rl news stories,
 which can be used in Rotary-related newsletters and Web sites
 * YouTube channel - Features Rotary videos that can be embedded
 in club and district Web sites and allows subscribers to be notified
 when new clips are posted
 
 PROJECT FUNDING
 * ProjectLINK - Is an on-line, searchable database which lists
 Rotary club and district community service projects in need of funding,
 volunteers, donated goods, and/or partners for a Rotary Foundation
 Matching Grant.
 * Rl Web site: Humanitarian Grants section - Includes everything
 you need to know about Rotary Foundation humanitarian grants
 
 THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
 * The Rotary Foundation Annual Report 2006-07 -
 Outlines the major achievements and program highlights of the
 2006-07 Rotary year, along with key financial information
 * Rotary Foundation Facts - Provides a brief statistical overview
 of the Foundation, its programs, and contribution information
 * Online contribution forms - Offers the forms you need to
 contribute to the Foundation
 
 YOUTH PROGRAMMES
 * Abuse and Harassment Prevention Training Manual and
 Leaders' Guide - Helps club and district leaders create and maintain
 a safe environment for participants in Rl youth programs and
 projects that involve minors
 * Rl Web site: Students and Youth section - Offers ideas for
 Rotarians and participants in Rl and Foundation youth, young adult,
 and scholarship programs.
 After 1 July, these resources will be revised:
 * Interact Brochure - Provides information on Interact
 for potential members
 * Interact Handbook - Discusses organizing and administering
 effective Interact clubs, for both sponsor Rotary clubs and
 Interact club leaders
 * Interact Poster- Promotes the Interact programme and includes
 space for imprinting club names and meeting information
 * Youth Exchange Handbook - Offers guidelines and other
 materials for Rotarians organizing a district Rotary Youth
 Exchange programme.
 
 Source: www.rotary.org
 
 
 Regards
 ________________________________________________________
 
 Dr Dipak R Sarbadhikari
 RC Calcutta, Editor Rotaweek,
 District 3290 Webmaster
 
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