Cogitator Dec 11, 2013

Posted by George Cooper 
on Dec 11, 2013
 

'Water for Cambodia'

 

 

 

VISITING ROTARIANS

Bob Aldrich, Middletown Rotarian and Water for Cambodia’s treasurer and project director, was with us. 

GUESTS

Bill Winter introduced Providence attorney John Whaley.  John wanted to join us for lunch after seeing the new East Greenwich Rotary Phonebook.  (Nice work, Phonebook Committee!)

ROTARY ANNIVERSARY

Congratulations this week to Janet Essex, celebrating her 21st year in the club on December 15th. 

ROTARACT

Bill TenEyck was proud of the New England Tech Rotaract students, who once again showed up in force for Rotary on Citrus delivery day, December 7th.  Bill also announced that through Vocational Services three $500 scholarships were awarded last week to Rotaract Club members Casey Cartwright, Antonio Adderly, and Lacey Williams.    

CITRUS CAMPAIGN

Bonnie Sauer said she would hold off for one last week before announcing final figures.  She will also announce next week the winners of the sales/new-sales contests.  Bonnie happily added that delivery day was ‘smooth as clockwork,’ and she thanked everyone for their help this year.  From basket work, to Kent Hospital delivery assistance, to latecomers’ deliveries, so many Rotarians played a role.  And, she especially thanked her hubby, ‘Chuck in the truck,’ for his usual tireless work before, during, and after the big day.

ROTARY AFTER DARK

Jonathan TerMeer was pleased to note that we raised $170 for Philippine typhoon relief during Rotary after Dark last week at Caprice Restaurant.

PAST PRESIDENT’S MINUTE

Past President Chuck Sauer took some time to review his year at the helm of the 2004-2005 Rotary Year.  It started quite well with a terrific lobster boil at Rocky Hill School, thanks to Gill Thorpe taking charge of the installation event.  Rotarian of the Year Bill O’Neel played his banjo with his Dixie band, too, on a wonderfully warm summer evening. 

During Chuck’s year, Rotary International prepared to celebrate its 100th birthday (2005).  Chuck also led our club in focusing on district-wide and worldwide Clean Water efforts, pledging $10,000 in support for new Rotary projects in Cambodia and Honduras.  Our club ‘adopted a village,’ meaning we most certainly helped ‘save and change lives’ by this work alone.      

We also began work on a significant home renovation project for an ALS patient that year, including making a bathroom handicap accessible. 

Chuck thanked everyone in the club for their support and for helping to make his year such a great one. 

WELCOME!

President Jodi Gladstone again welcomed our two newest Rotarians, Anne Marie Charland and Bill Sequino.  Please make sure to introduce yourself in the weeks ahead and help Bill and Anne Marie feel right at home. 

PAUL HARRIS FELLOWSHIP AWARD

Vin Meola announced the first Paul Harris Fellowship award from the team affectionately known as ‘The Hot Chicks.’  Congratulations…to Staci Cormier!

HAPPY BUCKS

-Jonathan Soule some shared some ‘bittersweet’ news.  First, his mother-in-law who suffered from Alzheimer’s passed away three weeks ago.  (Our sympathies go out to you and your family, Jonathan.)  But, on a happier note for his family, they were able to also enjoy a nice trip to Italy while visiting his daughter studying abroad there.  And while in Italy, Jonathan actually set out to make a Rotary meeting abroad, but the local club apparently moved the meeting site.  (Hey, that effort counts as a make-up!)

-Jane Boynton gave Vin Meola a hard time for bumping her off the ‘Hot Chicks’ Paul Harris team a year ago.  She had to instead ‘settle’ for being the sole woman on the ‘Cool Dudes’ team formed at the same time. 

-Bob Sloan said he’s always 100% at ease knowing Bonnie Sauer is running a charity project, like this year’s Citrus Drive. 

-Bill TenEyck was happy that daughter Schuyler turned 17 this week, and, his younger daughter made the Toll Gate girls’ basketball team. 

-Kathy McMahon had a great time during Citrus delivery day, and she was very impressed with the help given by New England Tech’s Rotaractors.

-Judy Pratt was very happy that the Warwick School Committee agreed to postpone their realignment of high schools, including the closing of Warwick Veterans.

-John Wolcott looked forward to his/Santa’s appearance next Sunday at the Greenwich Odeum. 

-Bill Winter had a relief buck for wrapping up the sale of his home last week.  Bill added another several bucks while wishing his dad well as he prepares for January heart surgery at a Cape Cod hospital.

-Vin Meola noted that ‘the citrus cases become heavier with each passing year,’ and thus he was glad to have help from the eager Rotaract Club ‘kids.’ 

    

SPEAKER/PROGRAM

Bob Aldrich and Chris van Hemerijck, ‘Water for Cambodia’

In 2002 Middletown Rotarian Gunther Hausen visited the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  While there, he learned of the hundreds of children arriving at the hospital with preventable waterborne diseases due to the lack of clean drinking water.  In response to the hospital's urgent request for help, Gunther developed the Water for Cambodia project.  In addition to providing bio-sand filters, he understood that teaching literacy was important for the women care givers to achieve improved health and economic conditions for their families.  In 2005, Bob Aldrich joined Gunther as Project Director.  Over the next 2 years they developed the project model used today.  (www.waterforcambodia.org)

 

Gunther Hausen working in Cambodia with Bob Aldrich

Water for Cambodia Chairman Chris van Hemerijck and Treasurer/Project Director Bob Aldrich gave an update on the important ‘Clean Water’ work still being carried on by Rotary and various partners. 

Water for Cambodia focuses on three major tasks—clean water, literacy, and basic health services.  This work has continued for over a decade, and with the help of a major 3-H grant several years ago, Clean Water for Cambodia passed the 13,000 mark for bio-sand filters given out to families near Siem Reap.  

Rotary now partners in Cambodia with other dedicated organizations such as Singapore International Foundation, Deutschebank, and the German Red Cross.  The Angkor Rotary Club, located near Siem Reap, is now working on another large grant. 

The Water for Cambodia annual budget is approximately $150,000 in 2013, which goes toward making bio-sand filters, local staff, and other local workers who assist in the process of getting filters to families in local villages. 

Some 85% of filters built back in 2006 are still functioning.  Chris noted that this is a very good and very helpful statistic when soliciting new donors.  Not only do the filters work well, but they also have long lives. 

 

Chris also mentioned that Bridgewater State University and Roger Williams University have together made valuable contributions to Water for Cambodia.

In Cambodia, waterborne disease is responsible for 20% of all deaths of children under the age of five.  And even with 13,000 filters already built and distributed, and after years of painstaking work, the fact remains that there’s much more left to do. 

Water for Cambodia’s plan is to continue producing 2,000 or more filters per year, as 50% of Cambodia’s population still endures the dangers of unsafe drinking water. 

 

Chris van Hemerijck and Bob Aldrich