Rotary Clubs of the Cayman Islands Hurricane Relief Funds
Submitted by PP Chris Bowring
As incoming president of Rotary Sunrise for Rotary Year 2004/2005 my Board and I made our plans for the club and submitted them to District as per the Rotary standard procedure. At Changeover Night when I took over the Presidency of the Club from PP Gordon I said that I very much wanted to see our club engage in a joint project with the other Rotary Clubs in the Cayman Islands. Little did I know at the time that my wish would indeed be granted. In September 2004, contrary to weather forecasts, until almost the last minute, Grand Cayman experienced a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan (a Category 4, possibly 5). One aspect of human nature I believe is that we tend to become complacent and I feel this was the case as regards Hurricane Ivan. Generally we were not adequately prepared for a direct hit from a hurricane of the magnitude of Hurricane Ivan.
Immediately after the passing of Hurricane Ivan the three Grand Cayman Rotary Presidents (Ray Whittaker, John Elliott and I) realised that we had to “reinvent the wheel” as regards the functions of our respective clubs.
We had to devise a way to contact our members to make sure that they were safe and to determine what assistance we could give to them if needed. We appreciated what difficulties they may be experiencing as each of our respective houses had either been destroyed or badly damaged, rendering them uninhabitable. This was not an easy task as we had minimal communication possibilities. Word of mouth and announcements on Radio Cayman were really the only ways that we could reach those Rotarians who were still in Grand Cayman. We also realised that many Rotarians and their families may have left Grand Cayman at the last minute but we were uncertain as to their whereabouts.
Presidents Ray, John and I decided that it made more sense to abandon our individual club plans and to work together in a joint initiative and we met together on Mondays for most weeks during our Rotary Year. We decided to create a Joint Rotary Fund which we would utilise to provide relief to those most in need. We started with the benefit of a sum of money that Rotary Central had set aside over the years for an eventuality such as Hurricane Ivan. This together with some immediate donations provided the seed capital for the Joint Fund. Ultimately we raised US$1,214,052.64 from local and overseas sources. The bulk of this was used to pay for house building materials, appliances and clothes for those considered to be most in need in the community. We also made donations to the various schools and other community projects that had lost so much during the storm. It was not just monetary donations that meant so much to our being able to assist with the recovery efforts but also the willing collective hands on approach by all Rotarians in our clubs. It is not possible to quantify this in money terms but it was massive and something that I will never forget. We worked closely with the National Hurricane Recovery to assist with their projects in addition to handling our own identified most needy ones.
Having established the fund it was agreed in 2010 that each of the Rotary Grand Cayman Clubs would each contribute annually CI$5,000 to the Joint Fund so as to provide seed capital in the event that the Cayman Islands experienced another Hurricane or other disaster. The balance in the account as at December 31, 2014 stands at US$127,808.30.
The Joint Fund has also been used to collect donations and provide relief to Cayman Brac after Hurricane Paloma, which was a powerful storm that made a direct hit on Cayman Brac in 2008. We raised and disbursed US$137,979.19 for relief to Cayman Brac working through the Rotary Club of Cayman Brac.
Whilst the Joint Fund is intended to be used solely for Cayman Islands Disaster Relief it has been used as a conduit to provide expeditious relief for other disaster situations as follows:
The Haiti Earthquake in 2010 – we raised and disbursed via Rotary in Haiti and the Bahamas US$129,700.47.
The Philippines Typhoon in 2013 – we raised and disbursed via Rotary in the Philippines US$16,219.51.
Rotary International Recognises International Women's Day - March 8th
Submitted by Communications
Thousands of women across Rotary deserve recognition on International Women's Day, March 8, and while it isn't possible to highlight them all, we chose to profile several of them. These are women who work tirelessly on behalf of others, and whose efforts touch lives across the world, often in remote and inhospitable places. With projects focused on child and maternal health, economic development, and other humanitarian concerns, these women are proof of Rotary's diversity and global reach.
Ola Al-Awamleh Almasri Amman, Jordan Rotary Club of Amman Capital
Almasri helped build a water-catchment system for a public school in Jordan with a large enrollment of underprivileged students. She's also organized and supported vocational projects that train students to become entrepreneurs. She was recognized by Forbes as one of the top 50 businesswomen in the Arab world.
Fary Moini San Diego, California, USA Rotary Club of La Jolla Golden Triangle
Over the last 10 years, Moini has taken 19 trips to Afghanistan to work on projects ranging from school construction to setting up computer labs. Her fellow Rotary members called her "inspirational" in her involvement in the building of a school in Jalalabad, and in helping to provide neonatal and midwife training for medical professionals.
Christina Covotsou-Patroclou Limassol, Cyprus Rotary Club of Limassol-Berengaria Cosmopolitan
Covotsou-Patroclou is a charter member of the Interact Club of Limassol, and helped launch the Rotaract Club of Limassol-Amathusia, the first Rotaract club in Cyprus. A former Paul Harris fellow, she worked with ShelterBox in 2006 to provide aid in Lebanon.
Deepa Willingham Solvang, California, USA Rotary Club of Santa Ynez Valley
Willingham is founder and chair of PACE Universal (Promise of Assurance to Children Everywhere), a nonprofit organization that educates girls in the world's poorest areas and works to prevent child trafficking. Working with Rotary clubs around the world, the center she formed provides education, microloans, health care, clean water and sanitation, and community infrastructure. "Together, we have created a site that is affecting the lives of 30,000 to 40,000 people," Willingham says.
Teodora Alinsod Lucero Laguna, Philippines Rotary Club of Santa Rosa Centro
A midwife, Lucero is operating a birthing clinic that delivers an average of 500 babies a year. She also organizes a free medical clinic and workshop for pregnant women in underserved communities. In 2013, the National General Assembly of Midwives presented her the Gaward Agham Special Award for Excellence in clinical care.
Carolyn Jones Anchorage, Alaska, USA Rotary Club of Anchorage East
The first woman to serve as a Rotary Foundation trustee, Jones has traveled to Russia as a Rotary volunteer five times, three of them as a preschool teacher for developmentally delayed children in orphanages. But her volunteer efforts have taken her elsewhere as well: "In the 27 years that I've been a Rotarian, I've administered polio drops in India, planted trees in Brazil, promoted microcredit in Costa Rica, and delivered baby formula in Uganda," Jones says.
Bernadette Blackstock Franklinville, New Jersey, USA Rotary Club of Glassboro Sunrise
The CEO of People for People Foundation, Blackstock helps normally self-sufficient people who have fallen on hard times to afford food, clothing, rent, utilities, medications, and other life necessities. "Since 2003, our foundation has served over 10,000 families," Blackstock says.
Ginger Vann Baker, Louisiana, USA Rotary Club of Baker
Vann coordinates a tutoring program for at-risk students. With the help of her club, she renovated a derelict school building and worked with tutors to reach 50 students a day. She's also passionate about workforce development in Baker, where well-paying craftsman jobs often go unfilled. "We're not going out there and finding just anybody; we're targeting the unemployed, underemployed, and veterans," Vann says.
Rotary Foundation Rises on Experts List of Top NonProfits
Submitted from Rotary International
The Rotary Foundation has continued its steady growth, moving up 35 spots to 85th in The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual ranking of the top 400 nonprofit organizations in the United States. The ranking is based on monetary contributions from private sources and reflects the increasing generosity of those who support Rotary's mission.
According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Rotary Foundation received $239,576,000 in 2013, a 32.4 percent increase from the previous year.
"This clearly shows our members recognize the unparalleled value of giving to their Foundation," says John Hewko, Rotary's general secretary. "They know that by giving to the Foundation their dollars have a much greater impact. And friends of Rotary respect that the Foundation puts their gift to great use."
The Foundation recently earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the largest and most prestigious independent evaluator of nonprofits in the United States. In the 2013-14 Rotary year, 92 percent of the Foundation's expenditures were applied to programs, with only 6 percent spent on fundraising and 2 percent on administrative expenses. The Foundation funded $23.5 million in district grants and $47.3 million in global grants. These grants support local and international humanitarian projects as well as scholarships.
Together with its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, Rotary has led the effort to eradicate polio, contributing more than $1.3 billion to the initiative since its outset. When an outbreak of polio threatened the Horn of Africa and the Middle East in 2013, Rotary provided emergency funds, including a $500,000 rapid-response grant for Somalia and a $500,000 grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to cover operational costs in the Middle East. As a result, the outbreak in the Horn of Africa slowed, and Syria reported only one case of polio in the first half of 2014.
Rotary is also at the forefront of efforts to fight other diseases. According to WHO, indoor air pollution causes 4.3 million deaths per year worldwide. To combat it, members of the Rotary Club of Taos-Milagro, New Mexico, USA, mobilized Rotary clubs in several countries to support the Himalayan Stove Project, which has installed more than 3,000 clean-burning stoves in Nepal.
In Tamil Nadu, India, Rotary clubs partnered with clubs in Maryland, USA, to use a Foundation global grant to purchase a large van and outfit it with X-ray equipment to screen women for breast cancer in hard-to-reach communities. The "mammobus" has conducted more than 2,500 free breast cancer screenings and detected and treated early-stage cancer in six women. Rotary members in Malindi, Kenya, teamed up with members in Maryland and Idaho, USA, to work with the Genesis World Mission in creating a rainwater catchment system to provide clean drinking water, irrigate crops, and establish fish farms in Burangi, Kenya.
In Seattle, Washington, USA, Rotary members are diverting millions of pounds of fruit and vegetables from the waste stream and into the hands of those who need it through Rotary First Harvest, a program of District 5030.
By Arnold R. Grahl Rotary News
Save the Date - Rotary Happy Hour Fellowship Submitted by Fellowship Committee
Rotary's Innovative Tribute to Polio Eradication in India
Breaks Guinness World Record
Submitted from Rotary International
To eradicate polio in India, Rotary members displayed impressive coordination and commitment. So it should come as no surprise that Rotary members in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, were able to mobilize more than 40,000 people to create the world's largest human national flag. The tribute to the polio eradication effort qualified as a Guinness World Records-breaking achievement.
"What impressed me most was that all of Rotary was represented: Rotaractors, Interactors, and Rotarians," says RI President Gary C.K. Huang, who participated in the event along with his wife, Corinna, and other Rotary senior leaders. "They brought their classmates, friends, and co-workers. I think that says a lot about how important it is to the people that India is polio free."
Participants from all walks of life holding placards stood together on a local fairgrounds to form the Indian flag. Their display broke the record set last year by the Sports Club of Lahore, which organized nearly 30,000 people to form the Pakistani flag.
After breaking the record, local Rotary members, who'd formed the blue wheel in the center of the flag, flipped their placards over to create Rotary wheels, and other Rotary members unfurled a large banner reading "Keep India Polio Free." The organizers, led by District 3230, estimate that another 50,000 people showed up to watch on large TV screens set up outside the event.
Once the participants were organized, they had to hold up the placards for more than five minutes to enable the representative from Guinness to verify the new record. "The last 30 seconds, everyone started screaming [in encouragement]," says Huang. "I [felt] very patriotic, says Avanthika Iyer, a third-year student at Shasun Jain College in Chennai. "The five-minute period of holding the placard was difficult but made us happy."
Says Huang: "When I was told how many people had to participate -- 40,000 to 50,000 -- I didn't think it would happen. When I saw the thousands and thousands of people [gathered] for just the rehearsal the day before, I realized it was possible."
Duty Roster for March 25th
Submitted by Club Service
The list of Rotarians performing the respective duties for this week's meeting are:
Greeter: Dr. Delroy Jefferson Grace: Rotarian Renzo Escalante Four Way Test: Rotarian Tony Catalanotto Raffle: Rotarian TBD Sergeant: Rotarian Ian Comins
Birthdays and Anniversaries for the Month of January
Submitted by Club Service Committee
Member Birthdays
Dawn Cummings - January 1
Tony Cowell - January 5
Hendrik van Genderen - January 5
Tony Catalanotto - January 6
Jerrell Garner - January 11
J.D. Mosley-Matchett - January 13
Christopher Bowring - January 14
Bob Kostich - January 15
Dorothy Crumbley - January 16
Ian Comins - January 19
Dr. Krishna Mani - January 27
Rotary Anniversary
Gordon Hewitt - January 1 - 39 years
Winston Connolly January 18 - 12 years
Notices & Reminders
Make-ups: In addition to make-up opportunities at Sunrise you can make up at another Club in Grand Cayman. The meeting time and place of the other Clubs are: Rotaract Blue: Wednesdays at 6:00pm at Royal Palms Beach Club, 537 West Bay Road Rotaract Club of Grand Cayman: Thursdays at 7:00am at Overtime Restaurant & Lounge in The Strand, West Bay Road
Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central: Tuesdays at 7:30pm at
Grand Old House.
Rotary Club of Grand Cayman: Thursdays at 12:30pm at The Westin
Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean 7020: Online meetings any time. Visit the new e-club platform at http://e7020clubhouse.ning.com If members are unable to make a regular weekly meeting or Rotary event, make-ups can be done online. The e-Club website is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You just need to spend a minimum of 30 minutes on the site and answer some questions to get the make up certificate.
Travelling: If you are going to be travelling for an extended period of time - more than two weeks be sure to let the Secretary know and remember to submit any make-ups you do in a timely manner.
As incoming president of Rotary Sunrise for Rotary Year 2004/2005 my Board and I made our plans for the club and submitted them to District as per the Rotary standard procedure. At Changeover Night when I took over the Presidency of the Club from PP Gordon I said that I very much wanted to see our club engage in a joint project with the other Rotary Clubs in the Cayman Islands. Little did I know at the time that my wish would indeed be granted. In September 2004, contrary to weather forecasts, until almost the last minute, Grand Cayman experienced a direct hit from Hurricane Ivan (a Category 4, possibly 5). One aspect of human nature I believe is that we tend to become complacent and I feel this was the case as regards Hurricane Ivan. Generally we were not adequately prepared for a direct hit from a hurricane of the magnitude of Hurricane Ivan.)
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Make-ups: