16-10-2007
DG Jennifer Scott
After hearing the reports of the Club's Directors, District Governor Jennifer Scott took the time to bring the Club up to date with what's happening at the District level, as well as some words of encouragement for the members.
- Because everything in Rotary is club-based, the clubs in the community know what the needs are.
- Although we are club-based, every club is still connected to every other club throughout the world.
- The RI President has asked us to consider new themes, but they are not new to us.
- Some tasks require many years to be completed. An example is the Polio eradication program. The dream to eradicate polio seemed impossible to some, but we're nearly there.
- One of the areas that we're looking at is water. We dream of a world where every person has access to fresh water.
- We also dream of eradicating malaria. RAMS has started with the distribution of bed nets, but they have a life span of 5 years, and need to be replaced then. So this work is continuing.
- We have people doing peace and conflict studies through The Rotary Foundation.
- I am currently doing my PhD in water conflict.
- Do we have a water project? If not this year, then get one for next year. We need to look at long term sustainability, as without the availability of clean water, any health project can only be partially successful.
- The District has supported the Fred Hollows Foundation with assistance for indigenous eyesight programs.
- You can change the world for someone by teaching them to read and write. A young 22 year-old Turkish woman who was assisted to literacy as a 17 year-old, said that it opened a while new world for her. She is now teaching others. She was supplied with artificial hands when she went to speak at a Rotary Conference, so she held something - a parasol - for the very first time. If you have money left over in June, consider the Give a Hand program which distributes for $50 an artificial hand that it created.
- Health and Hunger are two very important issues. Please consider a program in the Philippines that assists villagers to help themselves. They asked first for toilets. Then they asked to learn a trade, so we bought sewing machines for them. Then we bought pots and pans so they could start a meals on wheels program for elderly people.
- I have challenged all clubs in the District to raise $300 for these projects.
- Helpers are also needed. If you have a skill (for example, nurses, builders, plumbers, electricians), you are needed. We're even working on getting lawyers involved through the Mediators Beyond Borders group. And if you have the time, but no money, remember that Rotary can help out.
- It was good to hear about the wonderful work being done in this Club for youth.
- It was also good to hear about some young people who want to be involved in Rotary, not just Rotaract.
- I would like to see a new Rotaract club in this area.
- PR is doing very well. It is amazing what we do in Rotary. It shouldn't be the world's best kept secret. People would love to be involved in what we do. Rotary membership is personal. We might not remember the RI President or the District Governor when we joined Rotary, but we remember who invited us to join.
- Rotary is a major Non-Government Organisation (NGO) at the United Nations. Bill Gates sees us as one of the best NGO's because we lobby, we work on the ground, and we raise money.
- A challenge ahead of the District is the expansion of the shoebox program that is about to take place. We are looking at expanding to other countries and parts of our community. We are also looking at creating teacher boxes for next year.
- We are also looking at providing pamper kits to the bush, though the CWA and the Inner Wheel. Perhaps ROK kits might be suitable for this?
- The theme for Conference next year is "Celebrate Rotary". We will have a world Rotary representative on water, the Wentworth Group on sustainable living, a speaker on building peace, and a "city meets country" night on the Friday night. A CWA speaker will talk about hope in the bush.
- This year's Conference challenge is to write a poem, about the club, or projects, or the characters. It should be somewhere in between a haiku and 400 words in length. If you can't choose between several efforts, you can submit more than one. Poems can be a solo effort, or done by committee.
- (The DG then handed mementoes to those going to LA in 2008, and gave badges to the sponsors and mentors of new members.)
Last changed: 03:20:53 04-10-2008