Stories
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Rotary - Key To Literacy | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Key to LiteracyMore than 770 million adults worldwide do not know how to read. Learn how Rotary clubs are helping support basic education and literacy. |
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A Bountiful Harvest and a Cure for Polio in India! | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
W ith just one case of polio reported in the last 10 months, India is more determined than ever to ensure eradication of the disease. As part of that effort, Rotarians helped administer bivalent oral polio vaccine to more than 35 million children during a Subnational Immunization Day on 13 November. The vaccine is effective against the two remaining types of the virus. Sporting their signature yellow vests and caps, the Rotarians also helped organize free health camps and polio awareness rallies, as well as distribute banners, caps, face masks, comic books, and other items to the children. On 20 November, a team of Rotarians from District 3700 (Korea) served in a health camp in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, which included immunization of children against polio. The camp was organized by Indian Rotarians in cooperation with local health officials and UNICEF. The following day, the team took part in a door-to-door mop-up campaign, administering vaccine to children who otherwise would have missed receiving it. A TV news crew from Korea accompanied the Rotarians throughout their visit, taking the End Polio Now message back to their country. And in Mumbai, Rotary leaders John Germ, chair of Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge Committee; Rotary Foundation Trustee Ashok Mahajan; and RI General Secretary John Hewko joined Indian Rotarians in immunizing children. “This year, there have been just over 500 cases worldwide. The fact that only one of those cases is in India is a tremendous achievement that reflects the determination of the nation's leaders and its citizens to finally rid their country -- and the world -- of this terrible scourge,” Hewko wrote in an article published earlier this month in the Hindu Business Line. India’s next National Immunization Days are scheduled for January and February, and a series of supplementary activities are planned through June. At the same time, intensive surveillance for the wild poliovirus is continuing throughout the country. “Rotary has invested heavily in surveillance in India over the last 12 months,” said Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organization’s assistant director-general for polio eradication and related areas, at a September meeting of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. “That’s the reason we can say with confidence that we think we’re getting close to zero [cases] in India.” For more information:
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Minchie has some competition...... | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Poor kid...he is now damaged for life. |
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New Members! | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
George Syme, Walt Lee, John Green, Joe Kelly |
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Are you ready for some football ????? | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL !!!!!
Go RAMS! Sign up to work the Concession Stand Friday Night 6:00 - 9:00 PM
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Servants of the People Luncheon - Rescue Outreach Mission | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
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Vocational Service Month promotes business integrity, professional development | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
DECLARATION OF ROTARIANS IN BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS
As a Rotarian engaged in a business or profession, I am expected to: 1) consider my vocation to be another opportunity to serve; 2) be faithful to the letter and to the spirit of the ethical codes of my vocation, to the laws of my country, and to the moral standards of my community;3) do all in my power to dignify my vocation and to promote the highest ethical standards in my chosen vocation;4) be fair to my employer, employees, associates, competitors, customers, the public, and all those with whom I have a business or professional relationship;5) recognize the honor and respect due to all occupations which are useful to society;6) offer my vocational talents: to provide opportunities for young people, to work for the relief of the special needs of others, and to improve the quality of life in my community;7) adhere to honesty in my advertising and in all representations to the public concerning my business or profession;8) neither seek from nor grant to a fellow Rotarian a privilege or advantage not normally accorded others in a business or professional relationship.
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Public is aware of Rotary, but unsure of what we do | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Do your friends and co-workers know that you're a Rotarian? Do you tell acquaintances about your club's good works in the community or internationally? Did you know that talking about your involvement in Rotary could significantly enhance the organization's image and boost public awareness? It’s up to every Rotarian to tell the world what Rotary is and does. According to a public image survey commissioned by Rotary International in 2010, people are much more likely to know about Rotary and perceive it positively as a charitable organization if they personally know a Rotarian. The finding is just one of many that could shape how clubs and districts promote Rotary in their communities. RI commissioned the survey of 1,000 individuals in each of six countries -- Argentina, Australia, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and the United States -- to gauge the general public's awareness and perception of the organization. The results are consistent with those of a similar survey conducted in 2006: While respondents had heard of Rotary, they did not know much about what it does. Building familiarity is not easy, says Pauline Leung, Rotary public image general coordinator. "Sometimes Rotarians are doing too many things and can get people confused about Rotary. We must have consistency when promoting the image of Rotary. Rotarians should receive training so they can clearly express our position, our vision, our values, and our areas of focus." High awareness, low familiarityThe survey showed that awareness of Rotary varies from country to country, and culture to culture. Of the six countries surveyed, Australia had the highest proportion of respondents who said they were aware of Rotary (95 percent), while Germany had the lowest (34 percent). But awareness of Rotary doesn't necessarily translate into familiarity with what it does. While almost everyone in Australia indicated an awareness of Rotary, only 35 percent of respondents said they had some familiarity with the organization. In South Africa, where 80 percent of respondents indicated they were aware of Rotary, only 23 percent said they had some familiarity with what it does. The survey report concluded that public image efforts will need to be tailored to each country. It also noted that boosting awareness alone will not be enough to get the public to readily associate Rotary with good works, or to generate greater community involvement. The survey further concluded that demographics play a significant role in whether people have heard of Rotary. The survey included a cross section of each country's population by age, gender, income level, and education level. In Japan, 67 percent of respondents age 40 or older said they had heard of Rotary, compared to only 38 percent of those younger than 40. In Argentina, 63 percent of the highest income bracket had heard of Rotary, while only 20 percent of the lowest income bracket had. The report concluded that clubs may need to gain a better understanding of what would increase interest among younger professionals. Public perception and givingThe public’s view of Rotarians differs somewhat from how Rotarians see themselves. More than 65 percent of respondents viewed Rotarians as charitable, respected, and caring. But only 26 percent selected the attribute women to describe Rotary, while more than 50 percent associated the organization with men. In other questions, more respondents said they associated club membership with men than with women. The survey concluded that Rotary is still being seen as a male-dominated organization. Work needs to be directed toward communicating opportunities for women to join. Interest in contributing time or money to a Rotary club varied by nation. Interest was highest in South Africa, at 49 percent, and lowest in Japan, at 10 percent. The survey report concluded that because interest in contributing money varies by nation, Rotarians need to tailor marketing efforts to reflect local club initiatives. The public’s interest in joining a Rotary club is low. Among the countries surveyed, an average of only 16 percent of respondents said they would be likely to join a local Rotary club. More than 59 percent said they would be unlikely to join. In the United States, women were half as likely as men to report interest in joining. Similar findingsSimilar findings came from focus groups that RI conducted between 2008 and 2010. The 40 groups included non-Rotarians in cities where Rotary had been experiencing membership declines. Read more about the results in the October/November 2010 issue of The Membership Minute, or download the full report. “Because each Rotary club is independent in deciding what services they want to be involved in, this can cause mixed impressions in the communities on what we do,” Leung says. “These surveys underscore the importance of having a consistent message.” The 1.2 million Rotary club members worldwide are the organization's greatest strength. Here are a few resources that clubs and districts can use to promote Rotary:
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Kalyan Banerjee | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Meet Rotary International President, Kalyan Banerjee!
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Proud Americans! Proud Rotarians! | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Congratulations to the Harris family. Job well done! Click here to read the story: |
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Boyd Karns - Mr. Rotary | Posted by Joseph Kelly | ||
Stan Van Gundy speaks to a packed house @ the Rotary Club of Lake Mary! | Posted by Joseph Kelly | ||
More Red Badge Graduates! | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Charlie Covington and Mary Beth Mergo Great Job on completing the Red Badge Program! |
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2011 BBQ Committee at Work | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
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Red Badge Graduate! | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
Pete Stephenson - Red Badge Graduate |
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Perpetual Optimism | Posted by Joseph Kelly |
The following is from General Colin Powell’s: 18 Lessons From A Very Successful Leader.
Lesson 12: “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier” – The ripple effect of a leaders enthusiasm and optimism is awesome. So is the impact of cynicism and pessimism. Leaders who whine and blame engendered those same behaviors among their colleagues. “I am not talking about stoically accepting organizational stupidity and performance incompetence with a “what, me worry? Smile.” “I am talking about a gung ho attitude that says we can change things here, we can achieve awesome goals, we can be the best. Spare me the grim litany of the “realist”, give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day!” |
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History of Rotary | Posted by Chad Eaves |
The world's first service club, the Rotary Club of
Chicago, Illinois, USA, was formed on February 23, 1905 by Paul P.
Harris, an attorney who wished to recapture in a professional club the
same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.
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The Object of Rotary | Posted by Chad Eaves |
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster... |