By Rotary International

Doug Vincent, right, and Syed Khusro, President of the UN Association in Canada Toronto Branch.

By Doug Vincent, Rotary Club of Woodstock-Oxford, Ontario, Canada

We celebrated a great United Nations Day at Toronto City Hall on 23 October, hosted by the United Nations Association in Canada Toronto Branch. President Syed Khusro did an excellent job of coordinating the event and including Rotary.

A highlight for me was the outdoor ceremony, where the flag of the United Nations was raised over Toronto accompanied by the Canadian national anthem. Yes, the UN flag now flies over the city of Toronto. The release of several white doves symbolized our hope for world peace.

The UN Association had a great idea for engaging participants. Each Sustainable Development Goal was mounted on a card for display. Attendees were invited to select their favorite and have a selfie taken with Syed and I. An enjoyable time of fellowship and visitation ended the event, with refreshments and cake cutting.

It was great to be part of this event and continue to build a relationship between Rotary and the United Nations Association in Canada. We will be introducing them to Rotary clubs in the greater Toronto area with a …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Jose Zambrano on a recent training ride.

By Jose Zambrano, Rotary staff

It’s been almost two months since I started my training as part of the Miles to End Polio team. I can honestly say training for El Tour of Tucson has pushed me to my limits, but has also been an unbelievable experience.

Although I love outdoor activities, and am a very active person, my longest previous ride had been 40 miles. So trying to accomplish 104 miles is a huge challenge for me.

The workouts have not been easy. To be ready for the endurance that will be required to complete the ride, I have modified my workout routines for what will be the longest bike ride of my life. In testing my limits, I have experienced new levels of pain. But even though the process can be hard, I am trying to enjoy it as much as possible. I tackle every workout with a positive attitude and desire. I know that “I am what I chose to become.” And only if I stay committed and focused will I be able to complete the 104 miles.

The fact that we are close to eradicating polio and that I am able to help accomplish …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

One public event the club organized included a booth at a neighborhood festival.

By Quentin Wodon, a member of the Rotary Club of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., USA

Let’s admit it: achieving a high growth rate (negative or positive) is easier with a small club. Still, after more than five years of almost continuous decline in membership, my club was excited to report a 60 percent growth in membership from July to October. We had 18 members on 1 July. Now we have 29, with 11 new members inducted in the first trimester of the new Rotary year.

How did we do it? Let me share our recipe:

Ingredient 1: Less meetings, more service and public events. Rotary’s Council on Legislation has given a lot of freedom to clubs on how they organize their meetings. So we decided to reduce our regular meetings from four to two per month, which gives us more time for service work and organizing public events.

Ingredient 2: Better service opportunities. Many Rotarians are professionals and business leaders, yet most do not use their skills when they volunteer with their club. We changed that in our club by creating teams of Rotarians and non-Rotarians combining their …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Misaki Otani, an Interact member in District 5170 (California, USA)

By Misaki Otani, member of Interact in District 5170 (California, USA)

Interact members in my district are raising $120,000 this year to aid Syrian refugees overseas and refugee resettlement in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are also raising awareness, planning service projects, and working to break the stigma associated with refugees.

Why did we chose this project? The main reason is because this crisis is covered a lot in the media, and the issue appears out of our hands, therefore we don’t take action. This project focuses on how Interactors can make an impact internationally from their local communities. Also because this crisis is so complex, like many world issues, we’re striving to educate our fellow Interactors on ways they can mindfully approach these issues and make a sustainable impact.

On a more emotional level, “What does it mean to be a human?” This is the question I ask all Interactors. Refugees are often dehumanized and looked upon as a problem. We want to break that stigma, and really reach the core of the human …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Nora Zei, right, and fellow team members Christian Pepera and Courtney Drew near the halfway mark of an 80-mile training ride. We are “This close” to ending polio — and the Wisconsin border.

By Nora Zei, Rotary staff

When I was selected for the Miles to End Polio team, I was both nervous and excited. I’ve loved cycling since I was a kid. But the longest ride I’d ever completed in a single day was 60 miles. I signed up to do 104 miles? Yikes!

But I’ve learned a little fear actually helps me, driving me to take my training seriously. I embarked upon several short mid-week rides, followed by increasingly long distance rides every weekend, gradually working up to a beast of an 80-mile ride, from Chicago to the Wisconsin border and back. It was a grueling ride with colleagues, a 15 mile-per-hour wind whipping into our faces the whole way home. But after finishing that, my confidence is much higher than it was two months ago.

Along the shore of Fellows Lake in Missouri wine country.

Two things have made each long ride tolerable — the route and the company. Cycling alongside Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, through country roads in southwestern Missouri wine country, …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Stephanie Witkowski, middle in blue shirt, during her Rotary Youth Exchange in Slovakia.

By Stephanie Witkowski, Rotary Club of Honolulu Pau Hana

At 28 years old, I decided to become a Rotarian, because Rotary changed my life.

I grew up in a small town in Oregon, USA, and was a young leader in my school. When I was 15 years old, I applied to attend a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards event in Rotary’s District 5110 to learn more about myself and what leadership meant to me. During that amazing week-long experience, I learned not only about how to be a better leader for my school and community, but about Rotary itself.

One of the things I learned about Rotary was the organization’s commitment to international service through the Rotary Youth Exchange program. I had always dreamed of learning about another culture through an international experience with students my age. So when I was 17 years old, I applied to be a Rotary Youth Exchange student. In District 5110, they have a wonderful tradition of selecting the student’s host country for them, and then SURPRISE! In 2005, I was off for a life-changing year in Slovakia.

Most students who have the …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog