Blue skies and clear air have returned to Chiang Mai with the summer rains, and the province has gone nearly a month without any new cases of Covid-19 due to strict enforcement of social distancing, a no-alcohol policy that discouraged socializing, quarantining of the entire province and other measures that would be unthinkable in the west, but have clearly worked to keep the death toll and number of cases to extremely low levels. Sadly, though, in an area like Chiang Mai where many people rely on tourism and day-labor for income, the economic cost is high and many people are going hungry. Thai people and local foreign residents have joined together to help feed the jobless.
Pour your favorite beverage and relax to read what we've been up to, below. You can better view each story by clicking on the story's title where you'll be taken to the story on our website, displayed in a full-page, easy-to-view format.
Once again, this month the big story is the pandemic and the socio-economic impact it has had. We recently learned that many of the restrictions on daily life and travel will continue through the month of May. I am proud to say that our Rotary District 3360 and our own club have found ways to help meet the critical needs that have emerged in our Northern Thailand community. On the one hand there is the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for the frontline hospital staffs. Our Rotary District Governor has organized a program which has funded PPEs being distributed to local Rotary clubs throughout our district. Each club was charged with organizing the distribution of PPEs where they were most needed. Each of the 65 clubs received 12 PPEs (almost 800 PPEs in all). At CMIRC, President-Elect Clarence, Past President Jerry, CMIRC Rotarian Aree (a registered nurse), and I teamed up to arrange for the donation of 8 PPEs at Suan Dok, the main public hospital in Chiang Mai, and 4 PPEs to the Mae Tao Clinic in Tak Province.
Next, we addressed the need of the newly unemployed in our Chiang Mai community. Many workers live day to day here, so the shutdown of the local economy has produced desperately poor and hungry people almost overnight. At our CMIRC Club Assembly Meeting in mid-April there was unanimous support for CMIRC to help the hungry. Working with our local partner, Philanthropy Connections, we identified a free meals program at the Monsoon Tea Restaurant (photo below, left). The program feeds 130 people every day. We also reached out through our members to identify another free food program at Why Not Restaurant where they feed between 120 and 150 people every day (photo below, center). Finally, some members know the program at Kitchen 7 which serves over 100 meals every Sunday (photo below, right). We are helping them all by raising funds to pay for the meals that cost 27 to 30 baht each, less than US$1. In April we raised over 60,000 baht for these programs, enough for over 2,000 meals!
WE NEED TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING FREE MEAL PROGRAMS! The lock-down and resulting unemployment, poverty, and hunger will continue until the end of May at least. Do you want to help? Please contact our CMIRC Treasurer, Nancy Lindley to arrange to make a donation. NLLindley@msn.com
Some Good News:
CMIRC has subscribed to the Zoom Pro package, so we are now able to conduct our meetings using this excellent internet conferencing application. We have used it now for the Club Assembly, two regular club meetings, and for a CMIRC Board Meeting. While we all miss the personal contact of a face-to-face meeting, we are finding that our Zoom meetings are well-attended and it is fun to have CMIRC Rotarians in Florida, Missouri, Oregon, and Chiang Mai all at the same meeting!!
Transitions:
Finally, on both a sad and congratulatory note, Charter Member, Past President, Secretary, Mae Tao Clinic Project Champion, and hardest working Rotarian I know, Jerry Nelson, has officially resigned from CMIRC, effective May 1, 2020. We will miss him; he leaves very big shoes to be filled! He is pictured right with one of his favorite people, Dr. Cynthia, the founder of Mae Tao Clinic. We congratulate Jerry on his new role at a new Rotary Club. He will be a Charter Member and Foundations Chair at the District 5950 Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking. He will also continue as the Thailand Coordinator for the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery. Congratulations are also in order for his new status at CMIRC. The CMIRC Board voted unanimously to bestow honorary membership on Jerry in recognition of his tireless work for CMIRC.
Get involved:
Dear Bulletin readers, if you are excited about supporting meaningful service in a part of the world and at a time when children still have many unmet basic needs, contact me and I will tell you how you can join us and/or support us in our efforts to improve Child Safety, Health and Education in Northern Thailand: johnkschorr@gmail.com .
Thai schools remained on summer break during the month of April (the hottest month here in Thailand). Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 pandemic, we now know that all municipal schools in Chiang Mai and Phrao will not be opening in May as they normally would. The Thai government has announced a target date of July 1 for the reopening of schools nationnwide. All of our programs rely heavily on full cooperation from the municipal schools for scheduling and transportation to the pools. So, we will soon be working with school officials to schedule our programs for fourth graders at the eleven municipal school in Chiang Mai, two municipal schools in Phrao, and the Ban Ya Migrant Learning Centre in Phuket. Our swim teachers, pool owners, and CMIRC volunteer staff will do all in our power to work with school administrators to schedule survival swimming and water safety courses for at least 500 children in the revised 2020-2021 school year.
I should mention too that due to Covid-19, all of the pools are closed and our swim instructors cannot give lessons in what would have been their busiest season. These are difficult times of joblessness, poverty, and hunger for thousands in Chiang Mai. In spite of their own problems, our Chiang Mai-based team at Bronco Kids Sport Center along with Kru Payu and his swim instructors have organized a free food and meals program for the poor serving over 500 people each day! Some of our CMIRC members have also donated and helped to serve in this program too. See the story "Seeing Angels".
Once again this month we would like to recognize the people and organizations behind the success of our survival swim projects over the past five years. The logos you see below are the organizations that have recently supported our programs at the Chiang Mai Municipal Schools, municipal schools in Phrao, municipal schools in Phetchabun Province, the BanYa Migrant Learning Center in Phuket, and in partnership with the Warm Heart Foundation in Phrao.
We are also supported by the Thai Thaim Foundation of Park Rapids, Minnesota, USA and Rotarian Bob Ashley and of course all the generous donors to the Chiang Mai International Rotary Club.
We started this program in 2015 and we are still going strong and serving more children every year thanks to our wonderful sponsors and CMIRC volunteers!
Like every health care facility, the Mae Tao Clinic is having to take extra precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, they notified the world that visitors are advised to postpone their trips to Mae Tao Clinic. We have stayed in close contact by electronic means. Patient care continues but the numbers are down due to travel restrictions. While it’s sad that many people who need medical attention may not be able to receive it, many are able to come to the clinic for needed medical attention. Health as a Human Right is a recurring theme at Mae Tao Clinic.
Help Us Help Them
The Mae Tao Clinic is faced with increased financial pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have started a fundraising campaign which allows all of us to help. Please consider helping the Mae Tao Clinic so they can help the communities they serve. Just go to https://maetaoclinic.org/how-to-help/donate/ where you will find several easy ways to make a difference!
Help Wanted. No make that HELP NEEDED!
Mae Tao Clinic (MTC) is a marvelous organization. Founder Dr. Cynthia Maung fled Burma after the student revolution in 1989 and set up the clinic in Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand. Read her story! What started out as a hut where they used a rice cooker to sterilize instruments has evolved into much more than a clinic. MTC is a regional hospital, training and cultural center. They have always focused on children.
MTC has been instrumental in birth registration along the border, has an excellent child protection department and a school with a capacity of 1,000 students; pre-school through grade 12, plus a strong program that prepares students to take the American General Education Development Test (GED). I ask you to spend some time on their website. You may notice the rotating banner with the moving words “Without Your Help, We Can’t Help”! Monthly CMIRC bulletinscontain articles about Mae Tao Clinic. You may also want to read the historical Mae Tao Clinic article by CMIRC.
Some of our success stories include:
Awareness tours. Magical things happen when people walk the ground at the Mae Tao Clinic. My favorite story is about a Rotarian who offered to sponsor a pre-GED student through her university education in India! See “Mae Tao Clinic Tour in November”.
Referrals: Through awareness tours, individual passion and mailings, we have been able to make some great referrals to MTC, including a Rotary Club in the Netherlands that is currently working on finding ophthalmologist(s) to support the clinic.
Fundraising campaigns: “A Night of Love” raised 97,500 baht as well as making Mae Tao Clinic more aware of BABSEACLE and vice versa. It was an amazing evening! Our most recent online campaign “100,000 in 100 days” raised over 140,000 baht!
Child Protection Training Program: CMIRC funded an in-depth Child Protection Training Program.
Fresh Drinking Water: We have funded some fifteen drinking water tanks around the Mae Tao Clinic campus. Patients and their families deeply appreciate clean water at no cost to them.
Pre-GED program: CMIRC is proud to support the Child Development Center’s Pre-GED program.
PDG Anurak Napawan, who lives in Lampang, invited our October 2019 tour to stop by his place and pick up donations for the children supported by MTC/Child Protection Department. He has promised repeat donations!
Challenges: Mae Tao Clinic is likely the most challenging project within CMIRC. Please know:
Mae Tao Clinic is in Mae Sot on the Thai border. By car/van it is over five hours away. The bus takes over six hours one way. Currently there are no direct flights from Chiang Mai. Most of the CMIRC members would prefer their time, effort and money went to projects here in Chiang Mai.
Prejudice is a fact! Many people choose not to help the migrant population. Some say they must fend for themselves; others exploit them.
MTC Budget: MTC is ALWAYS short of funding. The situation is exacerbated by many major donors, both government and private, having made a political decision to give their money to organizations inside Myanmar rather than on the Thai side of the border. At MTC, today’s priority will depend on recent donations and their specified use. This month the priority is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The COVID-19 situation was a shock to all, but MTC seems to be handling it better than most. If that is true, I credit their experience in rapid adjustment.
The Rules Change: Passport, visa, work permit, education and health care rules all change constantly!
MUST BE FLEXIBLE! No matter what, your schedule will change! The rule seems to be that the more people you have in tow, the more things will change on the fly! “You Cannot Adjust the Wind, but You Can and Must Adjust Your Sails”. This was my opening comment at my first meeting as President of CMIRC. 😉
Dry Food Program: Thus far, we have been unable to provide any direct support to the MTC/CDC dry food program.
Global Grant: So far, we have not been able to do a project funded by a Rotary Global Grant.
With the closure of schools, universities and exam centers, everything has been delayed till 1 July at the BEAM Education Foundation when the education system will be become operational, well that’s the plan for now. As to the writing of GED exams, the indications are these will take place in May or June -- dates, times and locations to be confirmed.
The delay in writing GED exams is one of many challenges the students have had to face, others include losing their jobs, sources of finance, accommodation or having to find alternative accommodation and, in some cases, returning to Myanmar. Thailand’s international borders are currently closed so the process to return to Thailand, and write exams is an additional complication.
BEAM Education Foundation has rallied to support the needs of the local community and health care system in its fight against Covid-19. They have gathered a team of volunteers to assist in the production of alcohol spray, hand gel bottles and the making of face masks. Below is an update on their efforts:
From BEAM Education web site:
Community Campaign for Fighting against COVID-19
COVID-19 is reaching underprivileged communities. They include migrant communities, grassroots communities, and communities along the border areas. Regarding this emergency situation, we are launching the Little Communities Campaign for fighting against COVID19. The campaign will include six sessions
1. Production and distribution of masks in the communities by following the prevention standards
2. Production and distribution of soaps in the communities
3. Production and distribution of hand sanitizers
4. Promotion of prevention awareness in the communities
5. Supporting community-based quarantine centres
6. Supporting healthcare workers at border areas
Thank you in advance for your support and generosity! Don’t hesitate to contact us directly if you have any questions about our campaign. Please share our campaign with friends and partner organizations. You can directly donate by visiting the Global Giving website: http://goto.gg/46095
So far we could produce nearly 3,000 masks and 1,000 bottles of hand soap. We are targeted to produce 7,000 masks, 1,000 bottles of hand soap and 3,000 bottles of hand gel. Some of the GED students who are still in Chiang Mai volunteer for this campaign.
Due to the Covid-19 situation no visits to the Burma Children Medical Fund's B. K. Kee Patient House were made during the month. However, weekly contacts are made with the house to ensure that they have adequate hygiene and household supplies. Early in the month I had the opportunity to meet up with one of their employees, Klao Sing, at Kad Suan Kaew Mall and gave him some laundry detergent to take back to the house.
I receive weekly updates from some of the employees with pictures of the students engaging in academic studies and practicing their fine motor skills in the workbooks that were purchased for them in March. I hope to have photos of more of the patients and of the garden in next month’s update. Stay tuned!!
The onset of COVID-19 in Thailand coincided with the March/April hot season holidays of most schools in Thailand. Although our youth programs are in temporary hiatus, there is a need for membership involvement. Our Unity Concord International School Interact Club is in dire need of an Advisor. If you are interested in working with youth please contact the Youth Programs Director wbcalj@gmail.com or President John Schorr president@cmirotary.org
The Rotaract Club of Payap University (RCPYU) is scheduled to reconvene in August 2020 when the new school year starts. Their long break is due, in large part, to a change in their academic schedule.
The teacher advisers for the two Interact Clubs, at Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) and Unity Concord International School (UCIS) report that the clubs are subject to closed campuses and cannot meet or perform any services or activities until further notice.
May is Youth Services (formerly called New Generations) Month when Rotary Clubs around the world focus on youth services, Rotaract, Interact, RYLA, Youth Exchange and in some Districts - Earlyact.
Rotaract
It's a global movement of young leaders who are developing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Rotaract clubs bring together people ages 18-30 to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. In communities worldwide, Rotary and Rotaract members work side by side to take action through service. From big cities to rural villages, Rotaract is changing communities. Rotaract clubs decide how to organize and run their club, manage their own funds, and plan and carry out activities and service projects aligned with causes that are important to their community. Rotary club sponsors offer guidance and support and work with the club as partners in service. There are 9,522 Rotaract Clubs with 291,000 members in 177 countries.
You can help young adults to develop leadership skills, build lasting friendships, and create positive change through Rotaract. Not only will Rotaract make a difference in their lives, it will also energize and inspire your Rotary club and connect you with enthusiastic and capable partners in service. Everything you need to organize, certify, and manage a club is in the Rotaract Handbook. Chiang Mai International Rotary Club sponsors a Rotaract Club at Payap University.
Interact
You can take action, build international understanding, and make new friends around the world.
Interact clubs bring together young people ages 12-18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of Service Above Self. Interact clubs organize at least two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding. Rotary club sponsors, mentors and guides Interactors as they carry out projects and develop leadership skills. There are 20,372 Interact Clubs with 468,000 members in 159 countries.
Empower young people in your community to take action, develop leadership skills, and gain a global perspective through Interact. Not only will Interact challenge them to reach their full potential, it will also energize and inspire your Rotary club while building connections in the community and around the world. Everything you need to organize, certify, and manage your club is in the Interact Guide for Rotary Club Sponsors and Advisers.
EarlyAct™ is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13. The mission and operation of EarlyAct™ are closely linked to the ideals of Rotary and provide the foundation and natural succession into Interact. EarlyAct™ provides young students the opportunity for gaining an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world. At a young age, all students can easily be encouraged to be caring and helpful. Their minds are open to recognize the dignity and worth of each individual which builds respect for others. EarlyAct™ also engages students in character-building activities and prepares them for leadership roles to identify and carry out projects which benefit their school, local and global communities. More at http://www.earlyact.com/
Rotary Peace Fellowships:
Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 professionals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at our Rotary Peace Centers.
Rotary Community Corps
Finding community solutions to community challenges, Rotary Community Corps unites Rotary members with nonmembers to make a positive difference.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
RYLA is a leadership development program for young people who want to learn new skills, build their confidence, and have fun. Events range from one-day seminars to weeklong camps.
Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE)
Rotary Youth Exchange builds peace one young person at a time. Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens.
Grants
For 100 years, The Rotary Foundation has been turning project ideas into reality. Our clubs receive funding to support humanitarian projects, scholarships, and international exchanges.
Scholarships
Rotary invests more than $7 million a year in our future leaders and philanthropists by funding scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study.
Baby Areeya, daughter of PE Clarence and Rtn Aree recently was appointed as the club's "Inspiration Officer" by the CMIRC Board in recognition that her constant good spirits and cheer remind us that our club's focus is to improve child safety, health and education in the communities we serve.
While we miss her laughing presence at the club meetings at the hotel, we note that she has adjusted to the temporary online format and continues to represent the club at official functions, such as below when an oxygen generating machine and a special mattress to prevent skin lesions for patients with respiratory difficulties who have to spend long periods in bed was given to Chiang Mai International Rotary Club by District Governor Kamolsak Visitsakulchai and Rotary International 3360.
Our club decided to pass on this equipment to Sankhampaeng Hospital where it will be well used by patients in need. This is one of three hospitals with facilities to deal with Covid-19 patients in Chiang Mai province.
Here President John Schorr is passing over the equipment to the Director of Sankhampaeng Hospital Khun Narongdej Phiphatthanawong accompanied by President Elect Clarence Shettlesworth, Rotarian Aree Suksiri and Inspiration Officer Baby Areeya.
Posted by Jerry Nelson & Nancy Lindley on May 02, 2020
Seeing Angels! One group are the amazing people at Bronco Kids who took it upon themselves to distribute free food to some of those in need in Chiang Mai. The operation was amazing! Normally the folks at Bronco Kids Sports Club would be conducting sports programs for kids, including the CMIRC's Children's Water Safety and Drowning Preventing Program for the Chiang Mai municipal schools.
Five stations were set up: drinks, cabbage, eggs, dry food and prepared meals. People started lining up as early as 6:00 a.m. knowing that some of the stations would have fewer items than others. Arriving around 9:30 and the queue was longer than the eye could see. Distribution began at 10:00 and continued until the line dissipated. Local police came by and helped with traffic control. The owner. Khun Pomme and many of the swim instructors were on hand. This is the Thailand that we love!
C.P. Roger was able to help the little "Green Store" mini-mart in his condo building by purchasing items from them to donate to Bronco Kids' food distribution program. The owner's husband gave him a lift over to Bronco Kids for delivery. He's pictured below left with Kru Payu, the swim instructor and Khun Pomme, owner of Bronco Kids.
Other CMIRC members donated food items, as well. Below right are husband/wife Rotarians Maliwan and Jerry donating eggs with swim instructor Kru Payu.
From Rotary.org Note: Please click on the link toRotary.orgto see this information in its original form, where there are many useful live links that could not be copied in this story.
Rotary is closely monitoring the pandemic of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, and continuously assessing the potential impact on Rotary operations, events, and members.
Your health and safety are always our top priorities. Look below for information on Rotary activities that may be affected. We will update this page as new information becomes available. Read how members are using ingenuity and flexibility to help people affected by coronavirus and to stay connected.
AFFECTED AREAS · Grants · Polio · Rotary International Convention · Other major Rotary events · Club and district meetings · Rotary leadership, committees, RI secretariat · Rotary Youth Exchange · Rotary Peace Fellowships and other programs · Rotary-funded travel
RESOURCES · World Health Organization · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · UNICEF · U.S. State Department · Rotary's travel ban list · Watch a message of support from RI President Mark Daniel Maloney
Grant options to respond to COVID-19
As people of action, Rotary members want to find ways to respond to COVID-19, and to help people affected by it. The Rotary Foundation offers several options that Rotarians can use to help care for and protect people in their own communities and others around the world.
District grants Districts can use district grant funds to support local activities, like purchasing thermometers, protective medical gear, or other items to donate to medical professionals who need them. Districts can also use contingency funds from an open district grant or repurpose previously planned activities as a COVID-19 response. As districts prepare to submit new district grant applications for 2020-21, we encourage you to designate funds for COVID-19 responses. As a one-time exception, the Foundation will allow expenses related to COVID-19 that were incurred since 15 March 2020 to be reimbursed through 2020-21 district grants.
Disaster Response Grants and Rotary’s Disaster Response Fund Rotary’s disaster response grants provide a fast and effective way to respond to local events. The Rotary Foundation recently added COVID-19 projects to its list of eligible activities for these grants. Each district can apply for one grant (of up to $25,000) to address COVID-19, depending on the availability of funds. Disaster response grants are funded by the Rotary Disaster Response Fund to help districts around the world respond to disasters. The fund accepts online contributions and DDF. Districts may designate that their DDF contributions to the Disaster Response Fund be used exclusively for COVID-19 grant activities. Cash contributions will be used for general disaster response, including response to COVID-19.
Global Grants Global grants remain an excellent way to make a transformative impact in a community. If medical equipment is needed in order to respond effectively to COVID-19, global grants can help pay for these items. The Foundation is waiving the 30 percent foreign financing requirement for any new global grant that addresses COVID-19. Note that these grants still require both a host and international partner. For additional information, contact your regional grants officer.
Polio
Using the vast infrastructure developed to identify the poliovirus and deliver vaccination campaigns, the polio eradication program is pitching in to protect the vulnerable from COVID-19, especially in polio-endemic countries. Learn more.
Rotary International Convention
We regret to announce that the Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 6-10 June 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, has been canceled due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Learn more.
Other major Rotary events
To protect the health of all involved, Rotary canceled the presidential conferences scheduled for 28 March at UNESCO in Paris, France, and 9 May at the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, Italy. People who registered will receive an email from the organizers with additional information and details about refunds.
Club and district meetings
Rotary International recommends that districts and Rotary and Rotaract clubs meet virtually, cancel, or postpone meetings. Learn from other clubs about hosting virtual club meetings in the Learning Center.
Closely examine your personal circumstances, including any health issues, when you consider travel and participation in events.
Rotary leadership, committees, RI secretariat
The RI Board of Directors and The Rotary Foundation Trustees meetings will take place remotely via webinar rather than in-person.
All Rotary committees and events scheduled to take place at Rotary International headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, have been canceled through 31 May. If feasible, committees may choose to hold virtual meetings.
All RI staff travel, both international and domestic, has also been canceled through 31 May. RI staff at Evanston headquarters and all of Rotary’s global offices are practicing social distancing by working from home until least 30 April.
Rotary Youth Exchange
Contact your partner districts to confirm specific precautions related to COVID-19 where students are being hosted. All districts, as well as students and their parents, should consult travel advisories and guidelines issued by their embassies or consular offices, international public health agencies like the World Health Organization, and local health authorities for the latest and most relevant information.
Districts should strongly consider ending exchanges and returning students home if it is safe and possible to do so.
In some situations, returning a student home may present a greater risk. Determine how international travel conditions or requirements (medical screenings, preauthorization, etc.), strict quarantine measures, or the situation in a student’s host and home country may impact each student’s return depending on their specific circumstances. However, it is also important to consider how this rapidly changing situation may progress and present new challenges in the future, including the possibility that students may be prevented from returning home for an indefinite period of time.
Districts must communicate regularly with parents or /legal guardians and consult with local embassies, consulates, and public health authorities to make informed decisions that prioritize safety, minimize risk, and consider the impact of each decision related to a student’s exchange. In any event, parents or legal guardians may choose to remove their child from the program at any time.
Also, consider whether student trips or local activities planned for the future could expose participants to an increased risk or to challenges returning home and cancel or postpone all nonessential travel.
Rotary Peace Fellowships and other programs
For peace fellows: Countries listed as Level 3 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been added to Rotary’s travel ban list, and all nonessential travel to, from, or through those countries is restricted for Rotary staff and fellows. Use discretion if you plan to travel to or through Level 2 countries. Fellows currently in a country experiencing the spread of COVID-19 are advised to follow the recommendations of your host university and the country’s national health agencies.
For first-year fellows preparing for your applied field experience, we recommend you consider options in your study country and have an alternate plan in place in case travel is restricted further. Beyond health and safety concerns, we do not want fellows to be subject to quarantines or have challenges returning to the country where you study because of your field experience travel. You can contact your staff specialist with specific questions about how Rotary’s policy may affect your field experience planning.
For Interact and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): Consider whether planned events, trips, or local activities could expose young people to an increased risk, and consider canceling or postponing nonessential travel or large gatherings.
Follow the guidance of schools for any closures or delayed start times that may affect school-based program participants. Discuss how they can stay engaged and safe until school resumes. Talk with parents or guardians about their child’s health and safety and what Rotary clubs and districts are doing to minimize the exposure and impact for participants in Rotary activities and events.
Participants in Rotary Friendship Exchanges, and Rotary Action Groups and their affiliated chapters should follow recommendations from the World Health Organization and the host region’s national, regional, or local health authorities when considering whether to cancel or postpone events, meetings, or activities.
Districts organizing international programs such as Rotary Friendship Exchanges and New Generations Service Exchanges could expose participants to an increased risk. Organizers should follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organization and the national, regional, or local health authorities of participating districts when considering whether to cancel or postpone planned trips or activities.
Rotary-funded travel
Any Rotary-funded travel, including grant recipients, Rotary Youth Exchange participants, and Rotary Peace Fellows, have been canceled through 31 May. Direct additional questions about Rotary-funded travel to your appropriate program officer.
Posted by Jerry Nelson & Nancy Lindley on May 03, 2020
The needed protection measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of many events. Others are being conducted online and others have been postponed. Below is a list of events and their status, as we currently understand them. Please remember the situation is extremely fluid and things change daily. Some of our scheduled speakers may be willing to participate in online meetings. The latest news for CMIRC events is at: https://cmirotary.org/events/calendar
Here are just a few of the important dates for members of Chiang Mai International Rotary Club (CMIRC). These are opportunities to meet some of us and to meet other Rotarians from around the world!
Every Sunday visits by club members to Burma Children Medical Fund's (BCMF) B. K. Kee Patient House are temporarily on hold. Interested for the future? Contact Rotarian Bill Pierce.
All planned tours of Mae Tao Clinic are temporarily on hold.
5 May 2020 CMIRC Regular Club meeting will be conducted online via Zoom, 7 - 9 pm. Program: Khun Chalida Tajaroensuk on ASEAN People's Exchange.
19 May 2020 CMIRC Regular Club meeting will be conducted online via Zoom, 7 - 9 pm. Program: Anna Huynh, Asst. Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Consulate General, Chiang Mai.
26 May 2020 CMIRC Board meeting will be conducted online via Zoom, 7 - 9 pm. Contact P. John Schorr.
2 June 2020 Service Project Committee Meeting will be conducted online via Zoom. This will be the annual budget meeting. 4 pm - 5:30 pm. Contact Dylan Thomason.
2 June 2020 CMIRC Regular Club meeting will be conducted online via Zoom, 7 - 9 pm.
6 – 10 June 2020 - Rotary International Convention,Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Has been cancelled.
20 - 26 June 2020 - Rotary International Virtual Convention Free! Save the Dates!
27 June 2020 - District Governor's Salute, Chiang Rai.
30 June 2020 - CMIRC Social Meeting/Changing of the Guard Party 7 pm, contact P. John Schorr (may be an online party)
Posted by Jerry Nelson and Nancy Lindley on May 03, 2020
Rotary is not free; we give our hearts, we give our time and to some extent we give our money. Most of our heart, most of our time and most of our money goes to support our children’s projects. Yet we have operational expenses, for example, our website with its powerful tools such as this bulletin. We ask that you consider our sponsors for your needs.
Pern's Restaurant, has re-branded (still called Pern's, at the same location) and is now selling a great selection of takeaway and delivery burgers, hot dogs, chili, Philly cheesesteaks, Aussie steaks, pasta and, of course, the Wednesday and Sunday specials and half price wine! Open Tuesday - Sunday, 11 am - 8 pm. Details here: www.pernsfood.com Tel: 0861117766
Fashion King is the best tailor in Chiang Mai. They have been in the same shop for over 12 years and receive the highest ratings from Trip Advisor and others. They feature authentic craftsmanship, superior materials and a great value! Their success is measured in customer satisfaction. The owners, Frank and Vanita will personally guide you through the entire process: design, material selection, fitting and delivery. CMIRC members -- this is the place to order a custom-made CMIRC dress-shirt or have a CMIRC emblem embroidered on your casual polo shirt. Frank and Vanita are the sponsors of the famous Chiang Mai fundraising event called “Bollywood Night”. They do a lot to give back to their community, helping the underprivileged in and around Chiang Mai.
The Lila Thai Massage Ex-Inmate Employment and Skill Development Center was established in 2014 by "Naowarat Thanasrisutharat" to help and support women being released from prison. The ladies receive a massage training course from certified massage instructors (ex-inmates who work for Lila Thai Massage); these programs are endorsed by and meet the requirements of the Chiang Mai Public Health Department. This project reduces the women conviction rates in Chiang Mai and helps to solve the societal problems that perpetuate the situation, bringing about our long-cherished dream for a better community. The quality of massage at Lila Thai Massage is consistently superb.
Royal Peninsula Hotel is an excellent international standard hotel located in the heart of Chiang Mai. They have 150 guest rooms with all amenities including free wi-fi. There is ample onsite, covered parking. The outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi are available to guests. There is both an indoor restaurant, featuring Thai cuisine and outdoor beer garden next to the swimming pool. The Royal Peninsula Hotel has two conference and banquet rooms, well decorated, with good acoustics. The staff at Royal Peninsula are very accommodating. The Chiang Mai International Rotary Club meets at the Royal Peninsula at 7:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, with many members and guests gathering about an hour before the meeting in the hotel's restaurant for fellowship and an optional meal, ordering from the restaurant's menu of reasonably-priced Thai food.
Our sponsors donate money that supports our operational expenses, freeing funds for the projects we love. Please give them your support.
Finally, on both a sad and congratulatory note, Charter Member, Past President, Secretary, Mae Tao Clinic Project Champion, and hardest working Rotarian I know, Jerry Nelson, has officially resigned from CMIRC, effective May 1, 2020. We will miss him; he leaves very big shoes to be filled! He is pictured right with one of his favorite people, Dr. Cynthia, the founder of Mae Tao Clinic. We congratulate Jerry on his new role at a new Rotary Club. He will be a Charter Member and Foundations Chair at the District 5950 Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking. He will also continue as the Thailand Coordinator for the 
Like every health care facility, the 
Last month, they notified the world that visitors are advised to postpone their trips to Mae Tao Clinic. We have stayed in close contact by electronic means. Patient care continues but the numbers are down due to travel restrictions. While it’s sad that many people who need medical attention may not be able to receive it, many are able to come to the clinic for needed medical attention. Health as a Human Right is a recurring theme at Mae Tao Clinic.
Help Us Help Them 
MTC has been instrumental in birth registration along the border, has an excellent child protection department and a school with a capacity of 1,000 students; pre-school through grade 12, plus a strong program that prepares students to take the American General Education Development Test (GED). I ask you to spend some time on their 
We are currently producing facial masks, hand gel, and soap for the needy communities in border areas and remote areas in Myanmar. We also have a fundraiser campaign for this production. GlobalGiving link:
Baby Areeya, daughter of PE Clarence and Rtn Aree recently was appointed as the club's "Inspiration Officer" by the CMIRC Board in recognition that her constant good spirits and cheer remind us that our club's focus is to improve child safety, health and education in the communities we serve. 
