Rotaweek 02-Mar-2008 Sunday

[Dipak R Sarbadhikari]

THE ROTAWEEK
A compendium of Rotary news
No. 835 Sun  02-Mar-2008

 

 

SWAYAM SIDDHA
________________________________________________________

 

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ON 8 MARCH

 

RC Calcutta Metro City has been celebrating the essence of
womanhood through a program entitled "Swayam Siddha" since
2004. Usually we celebrate the International Women's Day with a small
cultural show depicting the contribution of women in maintaining
harmony and peace on earth, their contribution to society as mothers,
caregivers, sustainers and today, providers! Various women-related
issues are discussed on that evening. The highlight of the evening has
always been the bestowing of excellence awards and recognitions to
ladies of substance who have fought all odds to reach the heights
of success in their careers and lives.
 
This year too we have planned to celebrate the International
Women's Day with a program at

 

Rotary Sadan, 94/2, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 020 on
Saturday, 8th March at 6pm.
(Registration 6-6.30pm;
Program 6.30 to 8.30pm).

 

District Governor Anirudha Roy Chowdhury and his spouse Shipra
will grace the occasion and present the awards. We are organizing
an osteoporosis check up on that evening. A cultural program will
bring the curtains down. The entire program will be moderated by
Mr Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee.
 
I am sure you, your spouse, friends and Rotary club members will
appreciate our efforts to celebrate womanhood. Please do take
some time off your busy schedule and attend our program
"Swayam Siddha 4".

 

Looking forward to seeing you on the evening of 8th March '08.
 
Rtn Shyamashree Sen
Vice President, RC Calcutta Metro City
RI District 3290
23rd February'08

 

 

PRES-ELECT LEE CHALLENGES RTNS TO BRING IN MORE MEMBERS
________________________________________________________

 

By Lisa Baker

 

Increasing membership, especially among younger generations, was the
focus of the Regional Rotary International Membership Coordinators
Training Seminar, held earlier this month in Skokie, Illinois, USA.
The annual RRIMC event trains Rotarians to help clubs and districts
achieve membership growth.

 

RI President-elect Dong Kurn Lee called on the RRIMCs to get every
Rotary club to bring in at least one new member in 2008-09. During
his term, he will challenge each district to achieve a 10 percent net
increase in membership and to start two new clubs.

 

Lee stressed the importance of recruiting younger Rotarians: "If we
don't bring in younger members, we'll miss out on a great deal of
energy and expertise. The strongest Rotary club is one that is
diverse. It has members of different ages, both men and women. It has
members of many different vocations and professions. It has members
with different skills and talents."

 

He also spoke about Rotary's youth programs and alumni. "Good
Rotaract and Interact clubs create good future Rotarians," he
said. "Clubs should maintain contact with alumni, so when it's time,
they can be invited to join Rotary."

 

"Most alumni aren't asked to join Rotary, and that represents a
tremendous investment of our capital that we are ignoring," explained
RI General Secretary Ed Futa. "They have to knock on our door and beg
us to be a part of the Rotary family. If we aren't going to invest in
them, then let's stop the programs."

 

John Hockin, a member of RI's Membership Development and Retention
Committee, urged the RRIMCs to be role models for all Rotarians. "Our
approach and attitude must be changing. Bring in members – not
members your age, but two generations younger."

 

According to Hockin, if all clubs and districts meet Lee's
challenges, Rotary will welcome 100,000 new members next year.

 

The 10 clubs and districts with the highest percentage membership
growth will be recognized during the 2009 RI Convention in
Birmingham, England.

 

Source: Rotary International News
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

 

 

HUMANITARIAN GRANTS AND STEWARDSHIP
________________________________________________________

 

TRF TRUSTEE LAUDS VISHNU DHANDHANIA

 

(Excerpts from the speech of Mark Daniel Maloney - TRF Trustee
Vice Chair, delivered to the Incoming Governors at International
Assembly at San Diego in January 2008)

 

At the 2007 RI Convention in Salt Lake City, Bill Gates Sr., the
co chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, characterized Rotary
as one of the "finest organizations on the planet." He reminded us that
Rotary and The Rotary Foundation enjoy a sterling reputation among
charitable and humanitarian organizations. This outstanding reputation
is critical to the success of The Rotary Foundation.

 

Our reputation is due to the integrity of Rotarians. We, as
Rotarians - whether Foundation trustees, district governors,
district committee members, or project contacts - must act with
the highest integrity when dealing with Foundation funds. We hold
the funds as a sacred trust on behalf of all of the Rotarians around
the world who have contributed these funds to the Foundation.
The proper stewardship of these resources is our duty.

 

In the first 35 years of the Matching Grants program, 10,000
Matching Grants were approved. Only four years later, the second
10,000 Matching Grants had been approved. The rush to support
projects resulted in more attention on funding them than on ensuring
regular reporting on their outcomes. This inattention was reflected
in gaps in accountability. In some districts, only 5 percent of the
outstanding grants were up-to-date in their reporting. Some of our
less scrupulous Rotarians took advantage of the situation. Cases
have been documented reflecting recognition claimed for contributions
made by others, overpricing of equipment and supplies, shoddy
workmanship, contributions made by cooperating organizations
and, yes, even misappropriation of grant funds by Rotarians for
their personal use.

 

In the context of the programs of The Rotary Foundation,
stewardship means conducting projects in accordance with standard
ethical business practices. Financial transactions and project
activity must be conducted in consonance with the Declaration for
Rotarians in Businesses and Professions and in the full spirit of The
Four-Way Test. Foundation funds must be utilized under the supervision
of the project committee as directed by the club board of directors.
The club board must ensure competent and thorough oversight of projects
with clear delineation of responsibility. Projects must be implemented
as approved without variance from the grant application. Financial
review of grant projects must be conducted regularly and at the
conclusion of the project.

 

In response to stewardship concerns, the Trustees revised the
grants process to enhance procedures that would promote stewardship.
First, to ensure timely project implementation, the Trustees shortened
the time periods for providing the information necessary to complete
a grant application and for completing the prefunding requirements
after grant approval. To promote club responsibility for a project and
to avoid projects implemented without club supervision, both the host
club and the international club are required to appoint a project
committee of at least three members who are Rotarians in the club.
To facilitate transparency, club presidents are now advised of more
significant milestones in Humanitarian Grants projects sponsored by
the club, and district grants subcommittee chairs, district Rotary
Foundation committee chairs, and district governors are notified of
the status of all projects approved within the district. Finally, to
eliminate repetitive paperwork and to make reports more meaningful,
grant progress reports are now due every 12 months rather than
every 6 months.

 

Reporting by Rotarians is the backbone of stewardship for Humanitarian
Grants projects. It is through reporting that Rotarians ensure that
projects are implemented as proposed and that funds are
appropriately utilized. Recognizing the importance of reporting, the
Trustees have established minimum reporting standards applicable
to all districts. The first worldwide analysis of reporting was
conducted in October 2006. At that time, 60 percent of districts
satisfied the minimum reporting requirements. Following the second
analysis in April 2007, 79 percent of districts satisfied these
requirements - a dramatic increase of almost 20 percent.

 

True to our roots of ethical dealings and vocational service,
Rotarians are embracing good stewardship in Foundation programs.
Vishnu Dhandhania, a member and past president of the Rotary Club
of Calcutta Metropolitan in India, is the district grants subcommittee
chair of District 3290, a district with a very significant amount of grant
activity. District 3290 can have as many as 100 grants open at one time.
Vishnu keeps track of each and every grant within the district and
proactively sends report warning letters to ensure up-to-date reporting
in his district. He works directly with the Rotarians involved and keeps
a consistent line of communication open with Foundation staff. Vishnu
has also assisted the Foundation in clarifying complex reporting
requirements for revolving loan projects.

 

The Foundation's reputation is priceless. Through effective
stewardship, we must guard the Foundation's good reputation like
the crown jewels. As district governors, you are the principal
guardians of the Foundation's reputation. You must always be
vigilant. As you and your team oversee the implementation of
Foundation programs and projects in your district, keep stewardship
at the forefront. Working together, we will pass to future generations
a Rotary Foundation that continues to Make Dreams Real.

 

Mark Daniel Maloney
TRF Trustee Vice Chair

 

 

 

Regards
________________________________________________________

 

Dr Dipak R Sarbadhikari
Editor Rotaweek, RC Calcutta 
District 3290 Webmaster

 

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