I love it when Rotary stands out above the crowd! Just last week, I found this article:
"For the 14th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.
The Foundation earned this recognition for adhering to sector best practices and executing its mission in a financially efficient way, demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one percent of the organizations that Charity Navigator evaluates have received 14 consecutive 4-star evaluations.
The rating reflects Charity Navigator's assessment of how the Foundation uses donations, sustains its programs and services, and practices good governance and openness." Rotary.org
The rating by Charity Navigator is a big deal! But an even bigger deal is that you and I can feel confident that our donations are being handled responsibly and continue to make a big impact around the world.
This week's Random Awesome Deed suggestion is to invite someone to attend the program next week so they can see how busy our club is serving our local community and around the world. I hope you are proud of our continuing mission and how we deliver!
Now let's go forth, be great stewards of Rotary and Catalysts of Caring in our Community! (And keep looking for those Vocational Service opportunities!)
Please be well, be safe, and be kind. There are a lot of people needing just that.
In Rotary Service,
Kathleen Saltmarsh-Voss
President
Rotary of Colorado Springs
Administration Manager Rotary Club of Colorado Springs is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Weekly Rotary Meeting
Time: Jan 28, 2022 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 852 1712 5280
Passcode: 4039519754
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,85217125280#,,,,*4039519754# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,85217125280#,,,,*4039519754# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 852 1712 5280
Passcode: 4039519754
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbQttQn2G1
This presentation will address how the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) has adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to support students, faculty, staff and contribute to the community. The presentation will include progress on the UCCS 2030 Strategic Plan and the university’s commitment to these strategies during the pandemic. Opportunities on how the community can engage in efforts to support student success will also be discussed.
Dr. Venkateshwar Reddy serves as the Chancellor and professor of finance at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). He received his Ph.D. and master’s degrees from Penn State.
Over the last 30 years, Dr. Reddy has served as a faculty member and dean in the UCCS College of Business prior to taking on the role of Chancellor in 2017. Under Dr. Reddy’s leadership, the campus has taken on strategic initiatives in the areas of health and wellness, cybersecurity, online education, equity, diversity and inclusion, and public-private partnerships. The university has also launched its 2020-2030 Strategic Plan, which charts a clear path for the next decade at UCCS.
Dr. Reddy continues to stay engaged with UCCS alumni, friends of the university, and the Colorado Springs community through a variety of programs. He serves on the National Cyber Security Center Board of Directors as well as one of the Honorary Commanders at the United States Air Force Academy. He is committed to student success and our community success.
It is time once again for the High School Mock Trial Competition.
This is a great opportunity to watch some of the brightest students in Southern Colorado demonstrate very impressive trial skills. This program gives our legal profession an opportunity to have a positive influence on several high school students, their teachers, friends, and families. It has been a great success and continues despite the Covid-19 Pandemic with safe remote participation through Zoom. However, it will not happen without your three hours of participation. They need Rotary support more than ever!
The Southern Colorado trials will be conducted on Friday, February 4th and Saturday, February 5th, 2022. We need Presiding Judges and Scoring Panelists for the Friday and Saturday trials. This will be a commitment of about three hours on Friday afternoon and/or Saturday morning and/or Saturday afternoon. Please sign up to volunteer on CS Rotary weekly Bulletin Online Registration MOCK TRIAL 2022 (below under the heading "Community Service Updates.")
If you are interested in being part of the party that is FLIGHT!, please come to the weekly Rotary meeting 1 hour early (11 am) on Friday or tune in to the following zoom link. For questions or concerns, please contact Tina Dewey, FLIGHT 2022 Chair at tinadhomes@gmail.com.
Meeting ID: 865 2228 1182 Passcode: 274601 One tap mobile +12532158782,,86522281182#,,,,*274601# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,86522281182#,,,,*274601# US (Houston)
Dial by your location +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 865 2228 1182 Passcode: 274601 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdCCxdvGaP
We are in the initial stage of forming a Veterans Group in the COS Downtown Rotary Club. This group will serve as a cohesive unit in community service projects (thanks, Samantha Chapman, for including us!), have its own space on the ClubRunner page (thanks, Mike McGrath!), and strengthen both Rotary and Veteran bonds. The first initiative for the Veterans Group is to honor World War II Veterans.
If you are a Veteran, please contact Chip Frazer at carl.frazer@gmail.com or 202.595.4295 with name, branch of service, and (if desired) dates of service and/or military campaigns. If you know a Veteran in the club, please let Chip know, since we'd like to get the word out as far and wide as possible.
Support the Care & Share: Spread the Love Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive: Bring donations of Peanut Butter and Jelly to the February 11th Friday meeting or coordinate a drop-off with Samantha Chapman or a Care & Share drop-off location: https://careandshare.org/spreadthelove/ or you can donate at: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/sprthlov (A $10 donation = 12 jars of peanut butter)
Habitat for Humanity volunteer day is February 19th: You can volunteer for a morning shift (8:30 AM - 12 PM) or afternoon shift (12:30 - 4:30 PM) or select to volunteer all day for both shifts! Please sign up at the online registration link below. As a reminder, volunteers must be aged 16+ to volunteer on the build site, family and friends are welcome to join:
Currently, we are working on the following projects:
Practical Education Network (PEN) in Ghana
Hunger project in Niger
Trampled Rose In Ethiopia
Locally Haiti
Vision project in Bisceglie, Italy
If you are interested in participating in our International Committee, please email Jordan Davis at Jordan@sociallyexceptional.biz to be added to the notification list!
We see the decision to vaccinate as a civic and humanitarian imperative. Rotary is not a political or religious organization, it is a service organization and this is the lens through which we are advising you of our position.
Global vaccination is the path to ending the pandemic and the emergence of new variants. Rotary endorses and strongly encourages vaccination for all individuals including our members who are currently able to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In areas where COVID-19 is surging, communities are facing extreme challenges, health systems are overwhelmed, and contentious rhetoric is dividing us. It is critical that the virus be contained so that the world may begin to heal. To that end, the purpose of this statement is to reinforce Rotary’s position.
Misinformation has become an “infodemic” that hinders the fight against COVID-19. In line with our Four-Way Test, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are committed to providing our members with science-based information.
Rotary International staff at One Rotary Center were required to be vaccinated by 10 October 2021, as a criterion for employment after that date. RI’s employee vaccination rate stands at over 99 percent.
Globally, Rotary is actively engaged in assuring equity in vaccine access to all people. Our efforts have included advocacy with the G-20, and a proof-of-concept program with GAVI/COVAX to leverage our frontline experience with polio eradication to facilitate vaccine delivery in several low- and middle-income countries where Rotarians are active. While we know many clubs are already deeply involved in COVID-19 prevention, we are working on additional strategies to multiply our collective efforts. GAVI/COVAX is a partnership including WHO and UNICEF focused on global access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.
Those children for whom vaccines are not currently available are at significant risk. Until vaccines are available for all children, the vaccination of adults is the best way to protect children who cannot be vaccinated. Pediatric admissions for COVID-19 are rising precipitously in areas of low vaccination.
Rotary salutes health care workers everywhere as they continue to provide lifesaving services. Local recognition of these heroes by each of our clubs can help to encourage them to continue their important work. Rotary abhors any harassment and attacks on healthcare workers.
Rotary and Rotaract clubs are encouraged to
set good examples by being exemplary role models;
redouble their efforts to support COVID-19 treatment, prevention, and vaccination efforts.
Vaccines have proven to be one of the greatest advances of modern medicine. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines save between 2 to 3 million children’s lives each year, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative estimates the polio vaccine has saved more than 19 million children from paralysis. Vaccines are safe, effective and are responsible for eliminating or controlling many other vaccine-preventable diseases such as smallpox, measles, rubella, and Ebola. And now, there is the opportunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic through vaccines.
The eradication of polio remains a goal of the highest order for Rotary. We can apply the lessons we have learned in fighting polio to the efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regards,
Shekhar Mehta John Germ President, Rotary International Chair, The Rotary Foundation
If you have bulletin announcements, please email the EXACT WORDING of your announcement to KSaltmarshVoss@yahoo.com by Wednesday at 5 pm. I don't write your announcements but I do make them nice 'n' fancy!
As you're doing your shopping online, did you know that you can support our Rotary Club with every Amazon purchase? Here’s how:
Go to smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com). Amazon Smile is the same company, same account, same password, but the Amazon Smile program gives one half of one percent of every purchase to charity. No, it’s not a lot, but it’s also not nuthin’ (to be exact: about $150 for the Club so far). So again, go to smile.amazon.com
Sign into your Amazon account as you normally would
On the very top left of the page, next to the AmazonSmile logo, are three horizontal bars. Click there for the drop-down menu.
Scroll ALL the way down to “Your AmazonSmile”; it should be the last option right before “Sign Out”; Click on “Your AmazonSmile”
On the right side of the page, click on the “change charity” box under Your current charity (Note: If you are currently supporting another charity, that’s awesome! These instructions are for those who are not doing so. Also, if you have not previously selected a charity, your default option will be St. Judge Children’s Research Hospital.)
Type in Community Service Fund of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs; click Select
That’s it. You’re all set. Just remember to go to Smile.Amazon.com when you shop from now on.
