Hard to know what was said by President Doug and Editor Max Bridges as Max tried to draw the winning marble.  Better luck next time, or take the sure $10!

Merle Hayes reports on Else Allen Interact's recent Press Democrat write up on their community project at the large homeless encampment.  The students connected with residents, gained bandwidth on human conditions and inspired Merle's Thought for the Day:"Our character is revealed largely by what we do for those who can do nothing for us."

On a regular basis, our resident photo pros Warren Smith and Jack Strange submit pictures of what is going on at the weekly meetings. You can always find the most recent pictures at the websites photo journal called "Meeting Sighting" Please note that all the meeting photos for the entire Rotary year are at this location with the most recent on the last page.

Thanks for all the great pictures Warren and Ross! Link to Meeting Sightings. The most recent are on the last page!

Additional photos may be found on the SR Sunrise Facebook Page.

Ian H. S. Riseley

President 2017-18

This month marks 50 years since the first Rotaract club was chartered, in 1968. In this special Rotaract issue, you'll meet some impressive Rotaractors from around the world and see some of the incredible ways they are Making a Difference.

In the half-century since Rotaract began, the world has seen profound changes, and young people have felt the greatest impact of those changes: the rise of technology and the information economy, the spread of education, and the tremendous influence of the internet. When Rotaract was founded, it would have been almost unthinkable for a teen or 20-something to have been an entrepreneur or a CEO. Today, young people have an unprecedented capacity to achieve – and Rotary needs their ideas and enthusiasm as never before.

For many years, Rotary has done Rotaract a disservice by looking at our youth and young adult programs as mere precursors to Rotary membership, and not as valuable and productive programs in their own right. But Rotaractors are truly partners in Rotary service.

Today, an estimated quarter of a million Rotaractors serve in over 10,000 clubs, in nearly every country where Rotary clubs exist. The impact of their service is particularly impressive when contrasted with their resources. Rotaractors achieve an amazing amount with far less money at their disposal than the average Rotary club. Their energy and vision bring something wonderful to our Rotary family and to our communities, and we value it very much.

Yet only 27 percent of Rotary clubs sponsor a Rotaract club, a figure that has remained fairly stable over time. And far too few Rotaractors ultimately do move on to Rotary membership. As we celebrate this anniversary with Rotaract, I encourage all Rotary clubs to consider sponsoring a Rotaract club or to strengthen their ties with the clubs they already sponsor. Schedule regular joint meetings, run joint service projects, and reach out to Rotaractors – not only to ask if you can help, but to find out how you can work together. Know your Rotaract clubs and their members – and make sure that every Rotaractor knows that a Rotary club is waiting to welcome them.

For half a century, Rotaract has given young people a way to find the same connections with their communities, and the same value in service, that Rotarians find in Rotary. Rotaractors are connecting us to the Rotary of our future, while helping us build the Rotary of today.

Paul A. Netzel

Trustee Chair 2017-18

Questions, questions, questions. Two topics I am frequently asked about during my visits with Rotarians around the world relate to Rotary's website and our Foundation's grants. Quite likely you have had these questions and more, about things such as donor contributions, point transfers, club and district reports, club invoices, and club officer changes, to name a few. If you don't know where to find the answer, Rotary's Support Center is the place to start.

The Rotary Support Center is an easily accessible first point of contact for Rotarians, donors, staff, and others to help answer questions in English, French, and Spanish. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. You can reach the Support Center toll-free at 1-866-976-8279 (1-866-9ROTARY). Email inquiries to rotarysupportcenter@rotary.orgwill be responded to within one business day.

The Support Center averages 3,500 calls per month. This includes about 1,500 callers who want to be directed to a specific person or Rotary department, allowing easier access within our complex organization. On average, 7,000 emails are responded to each month.

With only an eight-year history, the Rotary Support Center has been certified as a Center of Excellence by Benchmark Portal, the industry leader in contact center benchmarking. The Center of Excellence recognition is one of the most prestigious awards in the customer service and support industry. This distinction requires that a center be both efficient and effective, providing service that is of superior quality with lower overall costs compared with other centers in the service industry.

The Rotary Support Center team also includes a Visitor Services and Tour Program coordinator to schedule tours and large group meetings for those who want to visit Rotary headquarters. Rotary has a surprising number of visitors each year. Are you planning a visit to the Chicago area? You can request a tour by sending an email to visitors@rotary.org. Perhaps our paths will cross at One Rotary Center!

I am confident you will agree with the 96 percent quality score the center has received from satisfied customers.