Lead with a passion for Rotary

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By Rotary International

The Rotary Club of Central Ocean – Toms River, New Jersey, USA

By Michael Bucca, past president of the Rotary Club of Central Ocean – Toms River, New Jersey, USA

Passion is infectious, and that couldn’t be more true about Rotary!

I spent a wonderful year of my life leading a great group of people. I say it because I really mean it. The joy and pleasure that being president of my club brought to me is immeasurable. It caused Rotary to become a part of who I am forever.

This deep belief about Rotary had an incredible side effect, the members started feeling that way too!

Our club members believe the club is doing well. Our members believe they have a purpose in the club and in Rotary. They also believe they are a part of a worldwide organization, not just a sleepy lunch meeting in town. They have made Rotary a part of who they are.

I’m not talking Kool-Aid drinking, corporate yes people either. I am talking about people who live the ideals of Rotary and try their best to contribute. Members who give it their all to get new members, increase the club’s visibility, and make a difference in the community.

The results …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

We are all same, same…but different

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By Rotary International

Rotary Peace Fellows at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

By Dessa Bergen-Cico, a Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

One thing I have learned through my experiences traveling and working around the world is that people are more alike than they are different. Moreover we embody our expressions of joy in similar ways.

Anyone who has ever visited Thailand has likely heard the phrase same, same when trying to make a purchase from a vendor or negotiate the menu in a restaurant. Same, same is an English phrase used by Thai people, it means that two or more items are similar, or cost the same amount.

A common phrase in Thailand.

A similar phrase is same, same…but different. This can mean many things from same price but different items to these items are not the same at all. This may be confusing but I find these phrases endearing and I like to think of them as an allegory for humanity. In other words, we are all pretty much the same and we also have unique differences. We are same, same…but different.

Rotary International is a perfect example of how similar people are around the world; and Rotary reflects the innate human desire …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

How flexibility has benefited our club

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By Rotary International

The club held a medical camp 16 July, conducting a variety of tests.

By Suman Satish Sharma, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Mumbai Dahisar, India

Since our club decided to pursue changes in our meeting frequency and format, we have had many good results. Previously, we had taken a very conservative approach to the number of meetings, and our presidents found it difficult to find good speakers, leaving them little time to pursue meaningful projects.

Following the 2016 Council on Legislation’s actions allowing greater flexibility, we decided to begin holding two regular meetings a month. It is very relaxing and gives us time to plan projects. Board members are even finding it convenient to attend board meetings without feeling over-burdened. For our members who are doctors, advocates, or otherwise busy professionals, it has been a welcome relief and has made our club more attractive to future members.

It has also reduced our budget. We do not have to bear the cost of meetings where few people were turning out anyway, and so we have been able to reduce our dues. This has made the club more attractive and we have added a few members as a …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Solar lamp project delivers light in Belize

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By Rotary International

Residents of a remote village in the Toledo district of Belize use their solar lamps.

By Audrey Cochran, a member of the Rotary Club of Northwest Austin, Texas, USA

Tonight Amelia Ramirez sits with her younger siblings at their kitchen table. A stack of books sit on the table and Amelia smiles as she reads. She no longer fears being burned by a kerosene lamp. The fumes that had irritated her eyes and made her cough are gone. She no longer begs her mother to stop before her school work is done because of the heat, the bugs, and the fumes caused by the kerosene lamp she was previously forced to use. Amelia’s family received a solar lamp from Rotary District 5870.

Nearly one quarter of the world population lives without access to electricity or safe light. As a result millions suffer from burn injuries each year, most of which are children. These families see by kerosene lamps, candles and open flames, all of which are dangerous and toxic.

According to the World Health Organization respiratory illness is the number one cause of death in children under 5 years of age that live in areas without access to electricity. Rotarians are taking action to …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Unique field experience cements Peace Fellow’s desire to pursue human rights

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By Rotary International

Laurie Smolenski, right, with her Rotary Peace Fellow class at the University of Queensland.

By Laurie Smolenski, 2015-17 Rotary Peace Fellow, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

I’ve just completed 18 months as a Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. A highlight was spending three months in Mexico City for my applied field experience. This is a cornerstone of the University’s Peace Fellow program, through which Fellows take on a project or internship outside of Australia. I interned with the Mexico City office of the MacArthur Foundation, which supports peace and justice initiatives globally.

Smolenski gives a presentation about her research into the disappearance of 42 students.

As part of that work, I researched the 2014 disappearance of 42 students from a rural teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, Mexico. The boys still have not been found and no justice has been served; it is clear that the Mexican state was involved.

I became fascinated by the response of Mexican civil society, which galvanized international attention and demanded a fair investigation despite state corruption at all levels. Were it not for the relentless work of everyday individuals, the Mexican government would have likely closed the case immediately; yet today, Ayotzinapa—albeit unresolved …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

The benefits of a friendship exchange

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By Rotary International

The Rotary Friendship Exchange team from North Carolina, USA, visits India. Blog author Chandan is in the middle in shorts.

By Kamlesh (Kam) Chandan, president of the Rotary Club of Lake Norman/Huntersville, North Carolina, USA

In February, I had the opportunity to lead our first outbound friendship exchange to my home away from home – India. Rotary Friendship Exchange is an international exchange program for Rotary members and friends that allows participants to take turns hosting one another in their homes and clubs. Exchanges offer unique chances for cultural immersion and interchange.

Rotary members in District 3201 (Tamil Nadu, India) invited members in District 7680 (North Carolina, USA) to take part in our first outbound friendship. Last year, four Rotarians and their spouses from Tamil Nadu visited Charlotte and stayed with families in North Carolina, ending in a visit to our district conference.

The team visits a dialysis unit.

Our outbound team travelled to my wife’s hometown – Coimbatore. My father-in-law Pratap Gokuldas who inspired this exchange is a past governor of District 3201. Mark Daniels of the Charlotte Providence Rotary; Bill Burnham of Meck South Rotary; Luther & Sandra Moore and Patricia Shafer of Charlotte Rotary; Ineke Wilson of Huntersville …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog