The areas of focus reflect critical humanitarian issues that Rotarians are addressing worldwide. They align Rotary with other international development efforts and promote The Rotary Foundation’s mission.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Areas of focus guide now available
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Save the Date for New Generations webinars
Whether your club is new to Rotary’s New Generations programs or already has experience with them, Rotary’s upcoming webinar series is sure to provide valuable insights. In this two-part series, learn about how your club can get involved in Interact, Rotaract, RYLA, and Youth Exchange, and hear examples of successful projects and events.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
‘Reach Within to Embrace Humanity’ is 2011-12 RI theme
By Joseph Derr
Rotary International News -- 17 January 2011
RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee will ask Rotarians to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity during the 2011-12 Rotary year.
Banerjee unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2011 International Assembly, a training event for incoming district governors.
He urged participants to harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve success in Rotary.
"In order to achieve anything in this world, a person has to use all the resources he can draw on. And the only place to start is with ourselves and within ourselves," Banerjee said.
Once Rotarians find their inner strength, he continued, they can accomplish great things in their communities and around the world.
"Discover yourself, develop the strengths within you, and then unhesitatingly, unflinchingly, go forth and encircle the world, to embrace humanity," he said.
Banerjee emphasized the family as a starting point in serving others. "The communities we live in are not built of individual people but of families -- families living in homes together, sharing their lives and their resources and their common destinies. Good families lead to good neighborhoods, and good neighborhoods build good communities."
Rotarians can focus on projects that support families, such as those that provide safe housing or improve maternal and child health, he said.
Continuity in Rotary’s work, including polio eradication, is also important, Banerjee said. "There are so many things we are indeed good at: working for clean, safe water; spreading literacy; working in so many ways with the New Generations, our youth, in our newest Avenue of Service and assisting them to become the leaders of tomorrow."
Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s call to "be the change you wish to see in the world," Banerjee said Rotarians should also focus on change.
"If we wish for peace, we start by living in peace ourselves, in our homes and in our communities," he explained. "If we wish environmental degradation to stop, if we wish to reduce child mortality or to prevent hunger, we must be the instrument of that change -- and recognize that it must start within us, with each of us."
The theme inspired the roomful of Rotary leaders, including Jogesh Gambhir, governor-elect of District 3250 (India).
“It is a touching theme, but also very purposeful and meaningful,” said Gambhir. “I’m sure we can inspire the clubs into action to solve the problems in the community. That’s the ultimate goal of Rotary.”
“There are no words for me to describe how remarkable it was. To me, he was right on and weaved everything together beautifully," said Jane Millar, governor-elect of District 6290 (parts of Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, USA). "I am so thrilled to be a district governor when this man is president.
“I loved the focus on family, continuity, and change," she added. "Family is the center of everything, and not just our immediate family. It’s also about the family of Rotary and the world as one big family."
Monday, November 8, 2010
MID-TERM SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES FOR R.Y. 2010-2011
| CLUB SERVICE & FELLOWSHIP |
· 1st Club Meeting | July 17| Mc Donalds Sanciangco
· 2nd Club Meeting | August 2| Mc Donalds Sanciangco
· 1st DOTA Friendly Game | August 2 | Xzydd Net Shop
· Fellowship Activity | August 14 | Mega Center the Mall
· 3rd Club Meeting | August 21| Mc Donalds Sanciangco
· RAC Induction | August 28 | Lakewood Clubhouse
· 4th Club Meeting | September 11| RCC Clubhouse
· 5th Club Meeting | October 2| Dunkin Donuts Gen. Tinio
· 6th Club Meeting |October 23| Dunkin Donuts Gen. Tinio
· 7th Board Meeting | October 29| Baguio City
· RAC Outing | October 29-30 | Baguio City
· Strategic Planning | October 30| Baguio City
· 8th Club Meeting | November 6| RCC Clubhouse
· 2nd DOTA Friendly Game | November 6 | Xzydd Net Shop
| COMMUNITY SERVICE |
· Packing of Goods for Rotary Anniversary | July 14 | RCC Clubhouse
· Hospital Visit & Gift Giving | July 15 | PJGMRMC
· Community Outreach | August 14 | Brgy. San Roque Melencio
· ALAY LAKAD | September 25 | Freedom Park, Cabanatuan City
| INTERNATIONAL SERVICE |
· 1st Rotaract District Committee Meeting | July 25 | Plaza Leticia
· 2nd Rotaract District Committee Meeting | August 14 | NVSU
· Attended RAC USLT – Citadel Induction | August 30 | Tuguegarao City
| VOCATION SERVICE & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
· Business Opportunity Seminar | September 11 | RCC Clubhouse
· Call Center Employment Opportunity | November 6 | RCC Clubhouse
| LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT |
· District Leadership Training | August 30 | Las Palmas, Tuguegarao City
· RAC, IAC & RCC DisCon | October 9 | La Parilla Hotel
STANDING & AD HOC Committees | Officers for ROTARACT YEAR 2010-2011
CLUB SERVICE COMMITTEE
Chairman : Dir. Jan Dominic G. Dominado
Vice-Chairman : PE Francis C. Gabasan
Members : Sec. Janine H. Gamilla
Rtr. Michael S. Alamag
COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE
Chairman : Dir. Arvin B. Almario
Vice-Chairman : PE Francis C. Gabasan
Members : Rtr. Von Hower E. Flores
Rtr. Abraham Kyle Robien B. Casis
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE
Chairman : Dir. Julius DG. Dumayas
Vice-Chairman : PE Francis C. Gabasan
Members : DS Percival R. Tabor
Pres. Darren J. Gonzales
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Chairman : Dir. Jan Carlo F. De Leon
Vice-Chairman : PE Francis C. Gabasan
Members : Trea. Estefanie Mae M. Fajardo
Rtr. France Chelem Esquivel
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Chairman : Trea. Estefanie Mae M. Fajardo
Vice-Chairman : Sec. Janine H. Gamilla
MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Chairman : Rtr. Von Hower E. Flores
Vice-Chairman : PE Francis C. Gabasan
PROTOCOL AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Chairman : DS Percival R. Tabor
Vice-Chairman : Sec. Janine H. Gamilla
Vocation Service Month - RAC Cabanatuan's Call Center Lecture
Pres. Darren discussing the output
of the Strategic Planning
of RAC Cabanatuan held in
Baguio City last October 29-30, 2010
Vocation Service Director JC lecturing on
Call Center Employment Opportunity
in line with the celebration of
Vocation Service Month this November
The Meeting and Vocation Service Activity was graced by
no other than Rotary Club of Cabanatuan City
President Edsel C. Dominado
RAC Cabanatuan Officers and Members with RCC Pres. Edsel
Thanks for coming and supporting the activity of the
Vocation Service/ Professional Development Committee
The Baguio Power Trip! RAC Cabanatuan Way!
Rtr. Von, Sec. Janine and Dir. JC posing for
behind a wonderful and cold Baguio Breeze
RAC Cabanatuan! ONE RAC. ONE FAMILY.
The Power Trippers!
Behind SM Baguio's famous Balcony :)
.JPG)
International Service Project! hehehe joke!
just an ambush photoshoot with Korean Friends
RAC Cabanatuan Strategic Planning in Baguio City
RAC Cabanatuan Mid-Term Strat Planning and Fellowship
in Baguio City last October 29-30
.JPG)
The Ultimate Brainstorming Question!
RAC Officers on session! :)
Planning for a better Rotaract Club of Cabanatuan City Future!
RAC Officers with our generous host Rtn. Raquel Agapito
First Rotaract Council to take place 20 May
Rotaractors take part in a service project during the 2010 RI Convention
in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Rotary Images/Monika Lozinska-Lee
A Rotaract Council will be held for the first time on 20 May during the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
At the three-hour council, which will be modeled after the RI Council on Legislation, Rotaractors who are registered for and present at the preconvention meeting will be able to consider and vote on nonbinding resolutions to change the Rotaract program. The Rotaract Council's recommendations will be reviewed by the 2011-12 Rotaract and Interact Committee, then considered by the RI Board of Directors in September 2011.
A Rotaractor proposed the idea for the Rotaract Council during a question-and-answer session with 2010-11 RI President Ray Klinginsmith at the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting in Montréal, Québec, Canada, in June. Klinginsmith liked the suggestion and moved the proposal forward.
"I'm excited about this, and I think Rotaractors are as well," he said. "This is a recognition of the important role they'll play in the future of Rotaract.
"The Rotaract Council will give Rotaractors the opportunity to make some decisions about which direction the program will go," Klinginsmith added.
An e-mail has been sent to presidents of Rotaract clubs and their sponsor Rotary clubs with information about the council, including the Proposed Rotaract Resolution Form necessary to propose a resolution. Rotaract clubs should update their club's contact information to make sure they receive future information about the council.
Rotaract clubs will be able to propose up to two resolutions to be considered by the council. Each resolution must include a statement of purpose and effect and may be no longer than two pages. Rotaractors will then have an opportunity to vote online to determine the order of consideration for the resolutions. More details about that vote will be provided later.
Resolutions will only be accepted on six topic areas: Standard Rotaract Club Constitution and Bylaws; Rotaract Statement of Policy; the 18-30 age range for membership; Rotaract alumni activities; Rotaract program name, emblem, and motto; and RI fees and dues for Rotaract clubs and their members.
Although the Rotaract Council will be modeled after the RI Council on Legislation, there will be notable differences. Because all attendees of the preconvention meeting will be eligible to take part, participation will not be geographically representative. Decisions by the Rotaract Council will also be advisory and nonbinding.
Last year, about 300 Rotaractors attended the preconvention meeting in Montréal. Attendance is expected to exceed that for the 2011 preconvention event.
"The creation of the Rotaract Council demonstrates President Klinginsmith's and Rotary International's responsiveness and commitment to Rotaract," said Dong-Joon Lee, chair of the Rotaract and Interact Committee. "Hopefully many Rotaract clubs around the world will actively participate, and in the process shape an even brighter future for Rotaract."
Download a .zip file to learn more about the Rotaract Council.
For more information:
Youth programs pave the way into Rotary
Rotaractor Andrea Tirone of Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
has also participated in her district's RYLA and
is a former Ambassadorial Scholar.
She plans on becoming a Rotarian after Rotaract.
Photo by Xavier Vahed photography
Rotary youth programs have prepared Andrea Tirone well.
As a current Rotaractor, a past participant in her district'sRotary Youth Leadership Awards(RYLA) program, and a former Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar, she is hoping her experiences serve as a springboard into Rotary.
"In Rotary, I will have a variety of service possibilities available to me, locally and internationally," Tirone says. "There is so much diversity in the work Rotary does. It can give you exposure to so many different areas, and help you find what your interests really are."
Tirone was introduced to Rotary during the District 7070 (Ontario, Canada) RYLA in 2004. She describes it as one of the best weeks of her life, and says she was impressed by the planning that went into it.
"Learning about each other through different workshops and activities, I formed these incredible, lifelong bonds," she says. "I thought to myself, if Rotary can put on such an amazing week, then imagine what it would be like to be part of the whole organization."
Joining Rotaract
When she enrolled at the University of Toronto in the fall of 2004, she sought out its Rotaract club and joined, becoming club president in 2005-06. Her club volunteered in the community but focused much of its time and resources on raising funds for a literacy project in India, working with a sister club and Rotarians to help implement the effort.
"Being involved with Rotaract opened my eyes to the ability to connect with Rotaractors all over the world," says Tirone. "Finding out that Rotary has very strong ties to the rest of the world was very appealing."
In 2008, Tirone became an Ambassadorial Scholar, majoring in political science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. During that time, her host Rotary club helped establish the Rotaract Club of Durban Berea.
As an honorary member of the Durban Berea club, she embarked on an international project with 19 other club members, raising US$2,000 to help renovate a school in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique. The Rotaractors spent a week cleaning and painting classrooms and installing a vegetable garden.
Tirone says she plans on becoming a Rotarian but wants to stay in Rotaract as long as possible.
"Rotary for me is for life, so I want to be able to experience as much of Rotaract as I can," she says. "Because of it, I have friends all over the world."
Tirone says Rotaract is good for Rotary.
"When it comes to encouraging new members or bringing in new and innovative ideas, Rotary can always rely on Rotaractors to be the people who bring those types of ideas to clubs."
For more information:
RI president's monthly message: Reach Out to Africa
R.I. President Ray Klinginsmith
"Building Communities, Bridging Continents"
2010-2011
I was a Rotary Scholar at the University of Cape Town in 1961. During my year there, I traveled 16,000 miles through South Africa and the countries now known as Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. I visited 35 Rotary clubs, met countless Rotarians, and became immersed in the rich culture of Southern Africa.
During my initial visit, I developed a deep appreciation for both the traditions and the challenges of life in Africa, and my respect and admiration for the land and people have caused me to return several times as a Rotarian. Now – almost amazingly – I have a unique opportunity to use my experience as a Rotary Scholar to enhance the role of Rotary in Africa!
This is the fourth year of the Reach Out to Africa (ROTA) initiative, and the ROTA Committee for this year has been streamlined to move more quickly and efficiently to achieve its goals. We need to increase the number of Rotarians in Africa! I also hope to see a substantial increase in international service projects for Africa, particularly those projects with assistance from The Rotary Foundation. The ROTA Committee has an excellent website, and I encourage all Rotarians to review it at www.reachouttoafrica.org .
I have implemented two new activities this year to make it easier for Rotarians to visit Africa and to increase their involvement in international service projects. The first is Ray’s Rotary Reunions, to be held in Cape Town 3-5 February, and I hope many Rotarians will join me in the Fairest Cape for that event. The second, Rotary Project Safaris, will facilitate visits by Rotarians to the areas of the world where poverty is prevalent, and where local Rotarians have developed many beneficial projects that need financial assistance. More information about the reunions and the safaris is available on the RI president’s pages at www.rotary.org/president. Please contact elsa.sanabria@rotary.org for any needed assistance.
I am proud to be a product of The Rotary Foundation, and it will be the most significant achievement of my presidency if I can serve as a catalyst to enhance Rotary in Africa! So come join me for the reunions and the safaris. Help me to complete the circle from being a Rotary Foundation Scholar in Africa to helping Rotary in Africa to be Bigger, Better, and Bolder! (Watch a video invitation from the president.)
RI President
Ray Klinginsmith
Develop leadership skills in your club
Use Leadership Development: Your Guide to Starting a Program (250-EN) not only to groom future club officers, but to help them advance in their professional lives. The handbook offers guidelines for creating a leadership development program at the club level. Topics cover communication skills, goal setting and accountability, leadership styles, ethics, and mentoring. Create a program as part of a vocational service project. Open it to the community and attract future club members. While the program is optional, the benefits to your club are indispensable.
Rotary celebrates World Interact Week
Members of the Interact Club of Chowringhee participant in
festivities in West Bengal, India, during an annual six-day festival.
Photo courtesy of Rajani Mukerji
During World Interact Week, 1-7 November, Interactors and Rotary club members worldwide commemorate the charter of the first Interact club in 1962. To mark this occasion, Interact clubs are encouraged to participate in joint projects with their sponsor clubs.
"This week is a time for [Rotary] club presidents, [Rotary International district] governors, and RI leadership to give priority to a program that has the power to enhance our public image and potentially improve our membership," says Rajani Mukerji, 2009-10 vice chair of RI's Interact Committee and member of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Mideast, West Bengal, India. "Interact is one of the starting points for someone's path to Rotary."
Mukerji, who has served as district Interact chair four times, says Interactors can contribute their time, even if they lack the ability to fund meaningful service projects.
"Their main strength and resource is giving their time to volunteer and aid in projects," he says. "It's the most valuable thing they bring to Rotary."
This year, Interact clubs and their sponsor Rotary clubs have a variety of ways to participate in World Interact Week. Clubs are encouraged to complete one, two, or even an entire week’s worth of activities. After the club completes their activities, the Rotary club or district Interact chair can fill out a Certificate of Recognition for presentation.
Download the Certificate of Recognition.
Mukerji says the Interact: Make a Difference DVD and the second annual Interact Video Contest are great ways to promote the program. "If these students are doing something good in the world, it's important we publicize it," he says.
Here are a few projects highlighting Interactors' commitment to service:
- The Rotaract Club of Chowringhee High School, West Bengal, India, organized events and projects during Durga Puja, an annual six-day festival that celebrates the Hindu goddess Durga. While rituals are usually exclusively for those who practice Hinduism, club members invited Interactors of other religions to participate in their activities."What an experience Rotarians have gained by observing these Interactors of different faiths and backgrounds team-up to plan and execute these events," says Mukerji. "It's a great example of how people can break down the barriers and rise above differences to improve the lives of others."
- Five Interact clubs in Guyana organized a book drive and donated them to a library center that gives books to underprivileged children. After dropping off the boxes of books, Interactors read to some of the children at the library.
- Members of the Interact Club of Pasto Valley de Atriz, Colombia, and their sponsor club created an ongoing project called Mejorando Vidas (Improving Lives). Interactors partner with local businesses to help improve the lives of disadvantaged seniors in the community by helping them meet some of their basic needs, such as food and clothing.
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