Weekly Elixir - October 22, 2007

U.S. ShelterBox response team delivers landmark aid
By Janice Chambers
Rotary International News

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What is a Shelterbox?

Shelterbox started as a small project by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, England, in 2001, but it took off quickly. To date, it has raised ₤15 million and delivered aid in 33 countries.

Recently, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, agreed to serve as president of ShelterBox. She is believed to be the first Royal Patron of a Rotary club project in the United Kingdom.

The ShelterBox project is designed to assist people who suffer through natural disasters.

Each ShelterBox costs about US$1,000 and is intended to help a family of 10 survive for six months. It contains custom supplies that typically include a large tent, blankets, water purification and cooking equipment, basic tools, and a multi-fuel stove. Rotary clubs provide more than half the funding, and private donors contribute the rest.

The Shelterbox that marked 500,000 people helped by the program was delivered to Jagadeo Argairiya, who has a family of 10, including five young children.

On her first trip delivering disaster relief for ShelterBox, Trannie Lacquey encountered Maoist guerillas, crossed swollen rivers on foot, and hiked miles in a remote, tension-filled corner of Nepal.

But the toughest challenge, says the grandmother of five, was clearing customs at the airport for 410 ShelterBox relief kits, which would help hundreds of families trapped by the monsoon floods that swept Nepal in August. It took 10 days.




“It was tedious and very frustrating. We knew people were waiting,” she says.
Fortunately, extensive training at a ShelterBox Response Team training camp in Cornwall, England, paid off, she says. Lacquey and her husband, John, members of the Rotary Club of Branford, Florida, USA, and Gary Boe, a member of the Rotary Club of Lewis River, Washington, USA, were the first U.S. ShelterBox Response Team members sent on a disaster relief mission.

They also made history, as they delivered the ShelterBox that marked 500,000 disaster victims aided by the Rotarian-sponsored nonprofit.

The effort also depends on energetic volunteers like the Lacqueys, who arrived home 1 September after three weeks in Nepal and are now repacking for a weekend in Blackwater River State Park in Florida, where they’ll help train more response team recruits.

They’ll also tell stories from their recent trip. “The rice paddies were still flooded,” John Trannie recalls. “People lost everything. They were living under tarps in the rain. The living conditions were just horrible.” But through it all, he says, “People would help their neighbors. It was a very humbling experience for us.”

Recently, ShelterBox enjoyed another first. It received its first Matching Grant from The Rotary Foundation, allowing 24 boxes to be delivered to northern Ethiopia in October, providing desperately needed shelter for Sudanese refugees. The grant was funded by the Rotary clubs of Beaverton, Oregon, USA, and Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

It is part of a massive effort by ShelterBox, called A Million in Africa, which intends to provide shelter for one million of Africa’s eight million refugees.

Read more about the ShelterBox Response Team training camp in England in the October issue of The Rotarian.

Weekly Elixir - October 15, 2007

Wow! What a change!

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Have you had a chance to look at the new and updated Rotary International website? (www.rotary.org)

First of all, you can check out Rotary Basics.

Read what the Rotary website has to say about Rotary Basics:

The 2007-08 edition of Rotary Basics, the annual guide to all things Rotary, is here! The eight-page publication has been updated with new facts and figures for the Rotary year, and now boasts a more user-friendly look.

In addition to providing a crash course in Rotary history and demystifying RI terms, Rotary Basics is a thorough introduction to RI and Rotary Foundation programs and membership benefits and responsibilities.

Released each August to coincide with Membership and Extension Month, Rotary Basics helps clubs educate new and longtime Rotarians alike. It’s also an excellent recruiting tool.

Find it in the August issue of The Rotarian or download it from:

http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en-pdf/595en.pdf

“The more I learn about Rotary, the more I love Rotary.” (Michael P. Slevnik, USA)

I feel the same way, and you can too. It’s all about education!

Please do have a look at the new updated Rotary International website and Share Rotary!

Weekly Elixir - October 8, 2007

October is Rotary Vocational Service month

…ideas from Rotary International

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A good place to start Vocational Service is by increasing the club’s awareness of the scope of Vocational Service. What are all the occupations in our Rotary Club and in the community? What vocational talents can we contribute to the problems and needs of society? How can we encourage those around us to strive toward integrity, character, and high ethical standards?

The Vocational Service Committee should focus on developing the vocational awareness of the club and its members. Club members should be challenged to improve their leadership skills and be conscious of the ethical nature of their daily lives.

Classification talks. Classification talks are essential for promoting vocational awareness in the club. The presentations give members the chance to learn the inner workings of jobs other than their own, including the various problems that arise and the solutions used to address them. Classification talks can also be of particular value to the Career Development sub-committee. Information gleaned during the talks can help the sub-committee in its search for specific club members who can counsel young people in career-guidance programs.

Tours of members’ businesses. A great idea for a different kind of Rotary meeting! The name “Rotary” originated with the practice of rotating meeting sites among members’ places of business, and that practice remains an excellent way for Rotarians to share their vocations with the club. In fact, those members who find public speaking difficult may much prefer conducting a tour of their workplace rather than giving a classification talk.

If the size of the workplace and the size of your club permit, schedule an occasional meeting in a member’s place of employment. And don’t forget to include young people on the tour. A difficult career choice can be made easier begetting firsthand knowledge about particular occupations.

4-way Test. And don’t forget the 4-Way Test, the best feature of Rotary Vocational involvement!

The more each member and each club can do to promote vocational awareness among members and among the community, the more successful will be the Rotary purpose. Think about sharing Rotary this month!

Weekly Elixir - Week of October 1, 2007

The following is an article written by Larry Denniston of the Binghamton Rotary Club in New York State of the United States. It appeared in pressconnects.com.

It is an excellent article providing information about Rotary, and I believe it’s worthwhile sharing it with you. I hope you agree.

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At noon, every Tuesday, I feel a very special connection to my grandfather, who passed away nearly 30 years ago. As he did for nearly 40 years, I attend a weekly meeting of Rotary.

Rotary was formed in 1905 to advance the ideal of service to the local community as well as promote international understanding, goodwill and peace. There are approximately 32,000 local Rotary clubs, connected through Rotary International (RI), in over 200 countries, working together to combat critical issues such as poverty, health care, hunger, illiteracy and pollution both at the local level and worldwide. RI is the spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication initiative and is its largest private-sector donor. It has contributed more than $600 million to polio eradication activities in 122 countries.

My grandfather often took me to his club's meetings during my summer vacation visits to his home; he did it so I would experience firsthand how people can come together to serve others, especially those most in need of a helping hand.

Influenced by this experience, I joined Binghamton Club Rotary Club 64, one of the first Rotary organizations in the world. As I attend our weekly luncheon meeting, I am struck by the similarities to my grandfather's club, which also included a significant representation of community leaders, working together to support their city. I am equally struck with some very significant differences; most noticeably the large number of women members who are now, thankfully, vital members of Rotary.

Like each of the other 44 Rotary clubs who are members of the seven-county Rotary District 7170 in south-central New York State, Binghamton Club 64 supports many local humanitarian agencies and is involved with international projects as well. As examples, within the past year Club 64 has presented financial gifts to support the Binghamton YWCA in the purchase of a pool cover; assisted the Town of Conklin Flood Victims Fund; supported the holiday food basket program of the Family and Children's Society; assisted the Broome County Council of Churches in making van wheelchair lift repairs; and donated 100 stuffed animals to SOS Shelter, Inc.

Annually, funds from the club's Educational Foundation provide Rotary Youth Leadership Award scholarships that allow three students from Binghamton High School and three students from Seton Catholic Central High School to attend a week-long youth leadership forum, "RYLA," at Hartwick College.

Last year, the club's World Community Service program coordinated the visit to Binghamton of a five-member Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from northwest France. Local Rotarians hosted the team members in their homes and work sites during their stay. The GSE program provides opportunities for young business and professional men and women, between the ages of 25 and 40, to experience the host country's institutions and culture, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

Rotary clubs are dedicated to service to youth and the organization's Youth Exchange program gives over 7,000 students throughout the world an opportunity to live for a year with host families in one of the countries in which Rotary clubs exist. Local clubs in the U.S. serve as hosts for foreign students who spend a year in our area to interact with U.S. students and to learn more about U.S. culture. As outbound participants, more than three dozen high school students within the seven-county District 7170 area participate in this program annually, as they live and study abroad.

Unfortunately, like many service organizations, the Rotary Club of Binghamton has experienced some decline in its membership over the past few years. The reasons for the decline are not surprising; a decline in local population and the loss of some businesses certainly contribute to the trend. Unfortunately, the decline in membership in service organizations is also tied to a change in the priorities of some individuals. It reflects to some degree the "It's about me" way of living that has become more prevalent in our society.

What happens as the membership of these community-oriented groups declines? The answer is clear; there is less financial and volunteer support for the myriad projects and humanitarian organizations Rotary supports. The local community and the world become less than they have been, and the people who directly benefit from club activities receive less help.

My grandfather, if alive today, would consider it his responsibility to urge his neighbors to become involved in service work. He would remind them of the incredible resources they possess that can be used to make their community and the world a better place. He would remind them to put "Service Above Self" a recent motto of Rotary International.

If Rotary's mission is one that you think deserves your support, we urge you to learn more about it by linking to our Club 64 website at www. binghamtonrotaryclub64.com.

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And if growing Rotary and “sharing Rotary” is something you, as Rotarians, believe deserves your support, I believe that promoting an increase in membership is what you should be considering as a priority.

Rotary Elixir - Week of September 24, 2007

Rotary Membership

Rotarians are like plants. Each of them needs nutrients that will help them sink their roots into Rotary.

First, they need fellowship. Rotary was founded on this principle. Successful fellowship activities demand attention and planning to ensure that no one in the club is overlooked.

Social activities need to be regular. You cannot water a plant with 3 gallons of water and then leave it dry for the next three months.

In a similar way, you cannot induct a new member with fanfare and then cut off the Rotary nourishment. Fellowship activities need to be extended beyond the immediate family of Rotary to our partners in service:

Every fellowship or social activity can and should be planned with the purpose of promoting membership recruitment and member retention.

The test of leadership. Every Rotarian wants to know that he or she is making a valuable contribution to the club. The test of leadership is discovering what skills a Rotarian has or wishes to develop and providing opportunities for growth, helping the Rotarian and others discover the value of vocation as they provide Service Above Self.

Sense of pride. Every Rotarian also wants to feel a sense of pride in belonging to his or her Rotary club. Clubs need to work at creating a positive public image. I am always impressed when I visit a club that has a club brochure listing successes of the past as well as the present. I get excited when I see the Rotary wheel at the entrance of a community, and when I see Rotarians on the job, all wearing Rotary hats or shirts. And I like to watch the faces of Rotarians beam when they invite Interact clubs to a joint meeting. When Rotarians are proud of their club, they bind together with a shared sense of spirit and meaning.

Education. And every Rotarian needs ongoing Rotary education. Without opportunities to learn more about Rotary and the growth we experience from service, we are like plants that are never pruned...having lots of leaves but bearing little fruit. A Rotary minute each week in the club, fireside chats, monthly Rotary topics for speakers, and the sharing of Rotary experiences that not only increase our knowledge but also touch our hearts all make our adventure in service worthwhile.

...from the Rotary Membership Minute

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 17, 2007

New Generations – What does this mean?

The Rotary Bunch - Keeping it all in the family
By Alice C. Chen (The Rotarian) September 2007







At the left: Judith Lorigan and grandaughter Carly wear their Paul Harris Fellow medallions.








The old Rotary slogan “Every Rotarian an Example to Youth” is as relevant today as it was more than a half-century ago. Rotarians can help young people reach their full potential. We can instill our motto of Service Above Self at a young age – and let it continue to guide Rotary through the next century.

Judith Lorigan, a past assistant district governor, has been recruiting new Rotary club members for years without even knowing it. “I’ve spent a lot of life as a Rotarian,” says Lorigan, of the Rotary Club of Bethel Park, Pa., USA. She adds that her family is always asking her, “What’s going on?” The answer usually leads to some of her three children or seven grandchildren getting involved in service. That includes Lorigan’s 14-year-old granddaughter Carly Zalenski, who has organized drives to send supplies and toys to Vietnam and helped raise $50,000 to build a school.


At the left: Youth Exchange student Vanessa Ursini gets ready to leave Machu Picchu. With her is a local boy who provides entertainment for passengers, racing their buses down the mountain on foot and stopping to pose at each hairpin turn. Vanessa helped deliver $3,500 worth of supplies in Peru.


“It’s incredible that Carly’s been able to do this, to stay with it,” says Lorigan, a 65-year-old retired bank manager who has been a Rotarian since 1988. “When she started this, I thought, This is going to be difficult.”

Lorigan’s family, along with others who can list Rotary affiliations through the years, serves as a reminder during New Generations Month that when seeking out potential club members, we shouldn’t forget those who are right under our noses: our own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

It only makes sense. After watching – and perhaps helping – their Rotarian family members dish out spaghetti in soup kitchens, give dictionaries to third graders, and raise money to drill wells in Africa, these potential recruits have come to personally understand the importance of volunteering and its ability to put smiles on the faces of both givers and receivers.

So just how can you get younger family members involved? It’s quite simple, really.

“Invite them to the things you do,” Lorigan says. Introduce them to Interact, Rotary’s service program for people ages 14-18, and Rotaract, for those ages 18-30.

“My family always supported any function my Rotary club had,” she adds. “They’d always come, be a part of it, donate, and buy raffle tickets.”

It also helps to bring back photos. After distributing the items Carly helped provide to children in Vietnam, “I came back with pictures of the supplies and toys given to the kids,” Lorigan recalls. “It was an incredible experience. They were thrilled. They had reconditioned Barbies. These little girls in Vietnam were smiling from ear to ear. Some had never had a toy.”

Because of her influence, Lorigan’s son-in-law Fred Zalenski decided to join the Rotary Club of Canton, Ohio, about two hours away from Lorigan’s home.

The Rotary service bug spread to his daughter, Carly, who was in third grade when she initiated a project at her school to collect items for children to send overseas. She amassed 10 suitcases of materials, which her grandmother and other Rotarians took to Vietnam in 2002 for a school they’d helped build.

But Carly, who became a Paul Harris Fellow in April, didn’t stop there. In 2006, she launched an effort to raise $50,000 to cover half the cost of constructing another school in Vietnam. (The other half was to come from the Vietnam Children’s Fund, whose cochair is Ohio-born Terry Anderson, a journalist who was held hostage in Beirut, Lebanon, from 1985 to 1991.) Carly began speaking to Rotary clubs about the project, and by June had rounded up enough money to meet her goal. To help raise funds, Anderson, who has met with Carly, spoke at a March benefit dinner in Canton.

“It’s exciting,” says Carly, who wants to become a Rotarian some day. “It’s been such a surreal experience. Everything’s been happening so fast.”

Carly is starting high school this fall and plans to join an Interact club. She hopes to eventually become a Rotary Youth Exchange student, Rotaractor, and Group Study Exchange participant.

Source: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/features/0709_tr_rotary_bunch.html

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 10, 2007

Rotary Volunteers

Numerous opportunities for Rotarians to serve as volunteers exist in our own communities.

Many projects in developing countries would benefit from a Rotary club's involvement.

These projects come under International Service, and could involve applying for a Foundation Matching Grant.

There might also be an opportunity to serve as an international volunteer with a project.


Project Ideas – Children at Risk

-- Host an immunization clinic or distribute immunization history cards to new mothers to prevent childhood diseases

-- Support a school-based meal program to improve students’ nutrition. Do all students in Anguilla enjoy a good breakfast before school?

-- Conduct a literacy program focusing on girls

-- Offer vocational guidance and training to increase a young person’s opportunities for employment and break the cycle of poverty.

-- Host a community-based workshop focused on raising awareness of children’s issues

-- Promote a local program that assists victims of child abuse

What other ideas are there that are directly relevant to Children in Parry Sound? The club can benefit from community projects that require hands-on support and participation from the Rotary Club members.

That is what Rotary is all about. Actually sharing your time and your expertise in the community.

Get involved. Share Rotary!

Weekly Elixir - Week of September 3, 2007

Share your motivation and enthusiasm

Nothing could be more important to prospective members than the level of energy they feel during a club visit.

Prospective members need to see and feel your enthusiasm as well as your pride for your membership in Rotary. When club members are friendly, inviting, and inclusive, a potential Rotarian receives the most important message: You are welcome here and will have the opportunity to participate in something important.


Recruitment Strategies for Rotary

August was Membership and Extension Month, but we can keep membership top of mind all year by implementing one of the following ideas each month:

-- Place a promotional ad or insert in your local chamber of commerce directory.

-- Create business cards printed with your name, the Rotary logo, and the phrase "Be My Guest," along with the day, time, and location of your club's meetings. The cards serve as an invitation to attend a club meeting at the club's expense.

-- Develop a spreadsheet or database of program alumni (e.g., Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, Group Study Exchange) so that these individuals can be invited to become Rotarians once they are qualified.

-- Invite program alumni as guests to your meetings, and propose any qualified alumni for membership.

-- Ask members to consider recruiting their spouses to the club, and offer that spouse an incentive, such as no club dues for a full year.

-- Send a welcome letter to the owners of new businesses in your community.

-- Hold a luncheon for community leaders. Each club member is responsible for inviting a set number of prospective members who are community leaders, and club members donate a set amount for the cost of the meal and invitations. Show the six-minute video This Is Rotary (449-EN), and bring in a dynamic Rotary leader as a speaker.

-- Scan local business journals and newspapers for the names of influential business people and community leaders.

-- Invite a prospective member or members to participate in a club activity or project that demonstrates the meaningful work of your Rotary club.

-- Ask members to wear pins or T-shirts with the slogan "Ask Me About Rotary" to generate conversation about membership in Rotary.

-- Create a prospective member leaflet or brochure called "What's in It for Me?" that lists recent speakers at your club meetings, area companies that are represented in the club membership, and current local service projects.

-- Obtain space in a prominent shop window to display information about the club's activities in the community.

-- Collect business cards from individuals who attend a meeting as a guest or speaker, and send a follow-up note or postcard thanking each visitor and inviting them back. Buy a supply of Rotary Notecards (980-MU) or the RI Theme Postcard (910-07MU) to use for this purpose.

-- Wear the Rotary logo on your clothes during service projects.

Make it a point of honor to propose a new member. But be sure that the member is educated about Rotary before joining. That is very important!

Recognize the proposer in the club bulletin or at the weekly meeting.

RI President Wilf Wilkinson is encouraging all Rotarians to help strengthen Rotary's membership by bringing at least one new member into Rotary.

Source: Rotary International

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 27, 2007

ROTARY SHARES

Share Rotary with a young person – Mentors make the grade

…Vincent T. Davis, Express-News Staff Writer, San Antonio, Texas (This article appeared in the local Texas newspaper.)

Margaret Tovar, a senior at Burbank High School, knows how empowering it feels to have someone listen when she talks about her future. She knows students believe that adults underestimate them and doubt their opinions.
Margaret is lucky to have found a one-on-one match in Yvonne Perez, her Big Sister and a member of the Rotary Club of San Antonio.

Perez is always ready to lend an ear as part of the Diploma Plus program, sponsored by the Rotary Club.


"She helped me open up as a person," Margaret said. "I can talk to her about any problem."

The club partnered with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Texas, which provides mentoring for the program.

In the photo, Margaret Tovar, 18, shares a light moment with her mentor, Yvonne Perez, in the school’s library, where they meet once a week.


ROTARY SHARES - MEMBERSHIP

Consider the following membership development strategy implemented by the Rotary Club of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada:

For each quarter of the Rotary year, club members must prepurchase a punch-card meal ticket, bearing the club's meeting dates for that quarter. For each meeting a member attends, the meeting date on the ticket is punched. The only way a member can redeem unpunched dates on the ticket is to bring a guest.

The club has seen an increase not only in the retention of existing members (who have an extra incentive to attend because they've already paid for the meal) but also in the number of potential new members attending meetings, as existing members use their unpunched tickets. This system has helped members develop a habit of inviting new business and professional guests to accompany them to a Rotary meeting.

FINAL QUESTION -

How is the Rotary Club of Parry Sound prepared to increase membership?

It must be a long-term program where each Rotarian will sponsor one new member every year to SHARE ROTARY.

If it is to be, it is up to me!

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 20, 2007

…for the week of August 20, 2007

Some interesting Rotary information to keep you inspired. Rotary is the world’s First Service organization. But here are some other firsts.

Some Rotary Firsts

-- Rotary became bilingual in 1916 with the first club was organized in a non-English-speaking country (Havana, Cuba)

-- Rotary established the “Endowment Fund” in 1917, which became the forerunner of The Rotary Foundation.

-- Rotary first adopted the name “Rotary International” in 1922 when the name was changed from the International Association of Rotary Clubs.

-- Rotary first established the Paul Harris Fellows recognition in 1957 for contributors of $1,000 US to the Rotary Foundation.

-- The Rotary club which first held meetings on a weekly basis was Oakland, California, the No. 3 club established.

-- The Rotary emblem was printed on a commemorative stamp for the first time in 1931 at the time of the Vienna Convention.

-- The first Rotary club banner (from the Houston Space Center) to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman , a member of that club.

-- The first Rotary International convention held outside the United States was in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921

-- The first head of state to address a Rotary convention was U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923 at St. Louis.

Just the facts…

(Source: The ABCs of Rotary)

Weekly Elixir - Week of August 13, 2007

Sharing Rotary with New Members

The goal is one new member in each club. But the Rotary Club of Parry Sound can do much better than that!

The Rotary policy on club membership states: “In order for a Rotary club to be fully relevant to its community and responsive to the needs of those in the community, it is important and necessary that the club include in its membership all fully qualified prospective members located within its territory.”

One merely has to glance through the yellow pages of the local telephone directory to realize that most clubs have not invited qualified members of all businesses and professions into Rotary.

Only a Rotarian may propose a customer, neighbour, client, supplier, executive, relative, business associate, professional or other qualified person to join a Rotary club.


Have you accepted your obligation to share Rotary?

The procedures are very simple, and everyone must know at least one person who should belong to Rotary.

As members of the Rotary Club of Parry Sound, we should all make a list of community leaders who should be Rotarians. Get them on a PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS list. From there, move forward with preparing to educate them about Rotary before inviting them to become members.

Prospective members should know the benefits – and obligations – of Rotary BEFORE they are invited to join us at a meeting.

Whom do you know in Parry Sound who would make an excellent Rotarian?

-- One who will become inspired to join the club
-- One who can commit to attending the weekly meetings
-- One who will participate in the club activities
-- One who will participate in community projects
-- One who really wants to make a difference in the world, and
-- One who WILL really make a difference to Rotary in Anguilla

Do you know anyone in the community like that -- who should be a Rotarian?

Every single one should add a few names to the list of prospective members now and keep the list growing so that all prospective members can be invited to an information meeting in the near future!

Weekly Elixir - Week of July 30, 2007

What are other clubs doing?

Other clubs have posted on their websites the rules and regulations for membership. The Rotary Club of Barrie, Ontario, which is www.barrierotary.com, shows some very specific information. It would be helpful to make much of the same information available on the Rotary Parry Sound website.

The bylaws of the Rotary Club of Parry Sound should be made available so that they can be added to the website. New and current members of the Rotary Club of Anguilla would benefit from a review of the bylaws of the club.

Below, I’ve added some specifics that are included in the Barrie website. You may all may find them interesting. Of course, these are the Rotary International policies, but the Barrie Club strictly enforces them.

Making the Rotary Club of Parry Sound a little more official by publicizing these policies could be beneficial to all.

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Membership

The membership of any active member who is absent for four consecutive regular weekly meetings of this Club shall automatically terminate, unless such absence is made up as hereinafter provided, or he is excused by the Board of Directors for good and sufficient reason.

The membership of any active member whose overall percentage attendance is less than fifty (50) percent during the first or second six months of the Club’s fiscal year or whose attendance at his own Club is less than thirty (30) percent, shall automatically terminate, unless he is excused by the Board of Directors for good and sufficient reason.

Upon written application to the Board setting forth good and sufficient cause, leave of absence may be granted excusing a member from attending the meetings of the Club for a specified length of time.

Method of accepting new members is also very stringent. The proposed member is clearly informed of the obligations and benefits of membership before his/her name is circulated to the membership – with his/her permission. A 10-day waiting period must follow during which any current member may reject in writing the new member. However, if the member is accepted into membership, the Secretary shall issue to the newly elected member a copy of the Club By-Laws and Customs, Lapel Pin, framed copies of the Four Way Test and Object of Rotary, a Rotary membership identification card, name badge and the “ABCs of Rotary.”

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The Rotary Club of Parry Sound can become a very well organized club by following some of these policies. We all can help by volunteering our time in this year of “Rotary Shares."

Weekly Elixir - Week of July 23, 2007

Literacy

Literacy is a global challenge. Rotary International this year emphasizes the importance of literacy and the importance of clubs getting involved in literacy projects.




What can the Parry Sound Club do to promote Literacy?

A couple of years ago, the club donated books to fill the library at the high school in Anguilla. Perhaps volunteering – keeping in mind the theme for 2007-08 “Rotary Shares” – would be beneficial.

From the RI website, here is some information on Volunteering for Literacy Projects.


Volunteering

Service-minded Rotarians love hands-on projects like volunteering as reading tutors or mentors.

“Volunteering in existing tutoring or mentoring programs is one of the most effective and rewarding projects clubs can do,” says David Plater, a program coordinator at Rotary International who specializes in literacy. “Both volunteers and students benefit from the interaction, and all it really requires is time.”

Your club’s community service or literacy coordinator can serve as a liaison to the community and seek out opportunities for tutoring. Clubs also can work with local affiliates of the International Reading Association to get project ideas and contacts.


Literacy projects

Literacy projects allow Rotarians to make a creative contribution to building communities, reducing poverty, and opening opportunities for those in need.

According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), 98% of the world’s illiterate population is in developing countries. There are roughly 137 million school age children who are illiterate around the world. Sadly, over 64% of all illiterate people in the world today are women and girls.

So, “What can my club do to make a positive difference,” you may ask?
Perhaps you can invite a guest speaker to discuss literacy and education issues that are important in your community, or plan a community awareness campaign to promote literacy.

The important question to answer today is simply this, does my club have a Literacy Committee to plan and coordinate literacy projects and activities during the year? If yes…Super! If no…Now is the best time to get started.


Let’s Get Involved

Let’s get involved with hands-on projects in our local club. The community – the wonderful town of Parry Sound – will benefit.

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 16, 2007

Here is an example of what other Rotary Clubs are doing.

Greenville, Texas

Two individuals honoured by Rotary

Renee Francey was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Greenville Noon Rotary Club at a special awards dinner held Thursday night at the Webb Hill Country Club.

"Every year we nominate someone outside the Rotary Club who we feel exemplifies our motto 'service above self'," said Gloria Jordan, when announcing the award. "This year the person we selected should be a stranger to no one. Everywhere you go you will see this person volunteering.

Whether its at the DrugFree Walkathon, Fishing Friday, Rally Round Greenville, Halloween on the Square, Relay for Life, the Follies where she is equally entertaining both onstage and offstage helping on committees, New Horizons, Women in Need, at the fairgrounds when the Katrina victims hit town, picking up trash along the highway, reading to elementary school children and entertaining seniors or anyone else for that matter."

Ms. Jordan went on to point out that she had nominated Ms. Francey for the award because, "Everywhere I went I saw her helping out, doing something."


Rotarian also honoured

Rotarian Jordan was also the subject of special honors at the same banquet as she was named Rotarian of the Year. This award is for the same "service above self" recognition, but is given to a person who is a member of Rotary.

"The things she does for the Follies and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are really outstanding," said Rotary President Tom Swanson, who nominated Jordan along with Bill Rolston and James Handley. "She's one of the main drivers in this area for the Fisher House (a home in Dallas open to the families of veterans who are receiving medical treatment). All the things she does for the community and for Rotary, she really gives of her time and her talents. Honestly, it would be kind of hard to remember them all."

Weekly Elixir - Week of July 9, 2007

Vocational Service

As business leaders, Rotarians share their skills and expertise through vocational service, one of the Four Avenues of Service.

Your vocational service efforts can play a vital role in improving the quality of life for those hardworking members of the community who need direction and expertise. By participating in any of a number of vocational service activities — mentoring, career days, vocational awards, business assistance, or even talking about your job at a club meeting — you can turn your experience into an invaluable resource for others.


-- mentoring
-- career days
-- vocational awards
-- business assistance, or
-- even talking about your job at a club meeting


Project Areas

The focus of vocational service has expanded from individual vocational excellence to providing service within the workplace and to the community. Vocational service can be accomplished in various areas:


-- Vocational awareness. Give classification talks and conduct tours of members' businesses.

-- Vocational awards. Recognize vocational excellence and high ethical standards in the community.

-- Career development. Use members' professional experience to advance employment; develop and support apprenticeship programs; organize career-planning programs in schools; and retrain adults for new vocations.

-- Vocation at work. Generate new jobs within the community; work with retirees; address drug, alcohol, and literacy problems in the workplace; create vocational opportunities for the disabled; develop and implement HIV/AIDS education and policy; and promote high ethical standards.


Vocational Awareness starts at home

Do you know what the other members of your Rotary Club do for a living? Would you be interested in learning about what the others do? Would you be willing to share with the club members what you do for a living? This sharing is an important part of a Rotary Club fellowship!

Sharing vocational service will enhance Rotary in many ways. Schedule a classification at a club meeting to share what you do in your community. Through sharing and communication, Rotarians can become better community leaders.

Do you have a hobby or interest that you can share with your club members? Perhaps you are interested in joining a Rotary Fellowship and would be willing to share that information with the others in the club.

Rotary Elixir - Week of July 2, 2007

July is Literacy Month - Project Ideas

The ability to read, write, and do simple math is not only critical to progress and prosperity, it is necessary for the very survival of individuals in a modern society.

Literacy and numeracy projects allow Rotarians to make a creative contribution to building nations, reducing poverty, and opening up opportunities to those who need them.

This year’s Rotary motto, Rotary Shares, means giving of your time.

Demonstrate your commitment to literacy by developing a project in your community. Below you'll find several ideas for community and international projects the Rotary Club of Parry Sound may want to consider.

-- Apply for a Rotary Foundation grant to establish literacy programs for girls and women, working with an international partner in a country with high rates of female illiteracy

-- Establish a literacy center with a library where people can come to read and meet tutors

-- Sponsor a business breakfast, inviting business executives and managers of local businesses to hear about literacy efforts in the workplace

-- Donate books to students and class libraries at home and abroad

-- Schedule a reading hour at a local library when club members would read to children

-- Provide child care for parents attending literacy classes

-- Reward students who read the most books, win a spelling bee or book report contest, or tutor others.