Let’s Celebrate Basic Education and Literacy Month in Our Club
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month in Rotary, and we want to celebrate the importance of both areas of focus in our Rotary year. Rotary International’s goal is "to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.”
September 8 is International Literacy Day — find a way to celebrate this day in your club!
We have taken important information from the Basic Education and Literacy part of the RI website as a guide for the work in our district.
"Basic education and literacy is one of Rotary’s six areas of focus. We know that basic education and literacy are essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, and promoting peace.
Consider these facts:
•A child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.
• If all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty, which
would be equivalent to a 12% cut in world poverty.
Let’s Continue to Plan and Support Basic Education and Literacy Efforts in Our District: Our District’s Literacy Award
We would like to encourage clubs throughout District 5470 to apply for the District Literacy Award in Spring, 2017. Two clubs received the District Literacy Award at the District Conference this year. The clubs were the Rampart Range Club in Colorado Springs and the Colorado Springs Rotary Club. They showed evidence that they had supported five or more literacy projects.
Examples of the literacy projects are: SOUNS (www.souns.org); Dictionary Project; Trampled Rose (www.trampledrose.org); Donation of Books; Rotary Readers at an Elementary School (once a week); Book Drives; Supporting Literacy Development in Mexico); Imagination Library (Dolly Parton’s Reading Program) www.imaginationlibrary.com
Please contact us if you have questions or if you would like ideas for addressing the criteria for the District Literacy Award in spring, 2017.
Save the date for a gathering in the late afternoon at the Smiling Toad Brewery http://www.smilingtoadbrewery.com on Tuesday, Sept 13th (Time TBD) The brewery is owned by Rotarian Biff Morehead. $1 from every beer sale will go to Flight. The "Bite Me" food truck will be there, too, serving traditional brats, Reubens, and grilled cheese sandwiches.
Having been part of the Rotarian Family for just over a year has been inspiring and compelling. To be surrounded on a weekly basis with a group of people whose mission it is to impact humanity locally and internationally is profound. That being said, it is an honor to be involved on this year's Flight Committee where our local chapter of Rotary will strive to make a difference in School District 11. With the commitment from fellow Rotarians, local leaders and the community, last year The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs, through the Flight Gala, was able to raise over $100k and provide grants to District 11 and our Club Service Fund, including funding a purchase for green screen technology for Palmer High School.
This year at the Gala, in addition to the Butterfly Auction and Silent Auction, we will be offering a Wine Pull. This is a fun opportunity to help us raise additional funds. If you are not familiar with a wine pull, the idea is to donate $20 and draw from a barrel of wine corks to win a fabulous bottle of wine. To make this fundraiser possible, we need your help! The Committee is asking that if possible, each Rotarian contribute a bottle of wine for the Pull; with a value of $20 or more. Any donations are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Please bring all contributions to the Friday club lunch.
In advance, we as a committee want to thank you for making this year's Flight a huge success!
We will not have a regular meeting at The Antlers on Friday, Sept 23rd. We'll be at The Hotel Elegante, I-25 & Circle. We will have a plated meal -- no buffet.
