When Monica Mulholland made the decision to come out as transgender to her Rotary club in New Zealand, she was worried she would be shunned by the community and lose friends, including in her club. But instead, she has received strong support and acceptance. She was unanimously selected to serve as club president in 2017-18. Rotary "values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds." How does your club measure up on diversity? Read more of Mulholland's story, and find 3 ways to make your club more inclusive, on Rotary Voices.
Katey Halliday is leading her district's effort to promote and embrace Rotary International's diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. For Membership Month, Halliday, a member of both Rotary and Rotaract in Adelaide City, South Australia, blogs about what the policy means for membership. She explains why it's importance to invite people from diverse backgrounds and include them in planning and decision making.
In the fall of 2015, volunteers from Rotary and Heifer International came together to build hoop houses for a few farmers working small lots in Arkansas, USA. The afternoon outing was part of a larger project that is still reaping benefits four years later, supporting small-scale agriculture in the region and increasing access to locally-grown food.
For nearly 40 years, Mark Daniel Maloney and his family have demonstrated that Rotary connects the world. Now the self-described 'cheerful traveler' embarks on the next phase of his life's journey: serving as Rotary International's new president.
This year's photo contest included more than 600 entries from 59 countries and geographical areas -- from Argentina to Zimbabwe and many places in between. The images captured Rotarians working on projects and the people they encountered along the way. This year's judge, George Steinmetz, has decades of experience traveling and photographing the world from the elevated perspective of a paraglider. Learn more about Steinmetz, and see this year's winning shots.
Rotary’s new strategic plan is underpinned by four key priorities – to increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt. The emergence of new club models is evidence that Rotary clubs and districts are working actively to advance these priorities.
More than 24,000 Rotary members from 170 countries are gathering in Hamburg, Germany, 1-5 June to attend the 110th annual Rotary International Convention. But you don’t have to be in Hamburg to Capture the Moment. Follow all of our convention coverage including photos, videos, social media posts, speeches, and more as the action happens.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were a recorded 47,600 opioid deaths across the United States in 2017. Rotarians in the New England area have come together to prevent overdose deaths through public education campaigns in schools and seminars that educate the community on the dangers of opioids.
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem was organized on April 13, 1916 in the old Eagle Hotel and was chartered as the 225th Club of Rotary International on June 1 of that same year. There were 29 charter members. Robert Sayre Taylor, Sr. was the first President.
The Eagle Hotel
Did you know that in 1916:
Bethlehem was three separate boroughs-North, West, and South. The three boroughs would not be combined into the City of Bethlehem until the following year with Archibald Johnson as the first Mayor.
A covered bridge still spanned the Lehigh River and the Hill-to-Hill Bridge would not be built until later.
The first eight miles of a demonstration highway using local-produced cement connecting Bethlehem and Easton was completed and dedicated in. It was named The William Penn Highway.
The 2019 Council has completed its work. Among its most important actions, the Council elevated the status of Rotaract clubs, allowing them to join Rotary International the way that Rotary clubs do. The change is intended to increase the support that Rotaract clubs receive from RI and to enhance their ability to serve. The Council is made up of representatives from each Rotary district, and meets every three years in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to review the rules that govern the organization.
Emilse Anabella Palacios began her relationship with Rotary as a Youth Exchange student and later a member of a Group Study Exchange. Later as a Rotary Peace Fellow, she began to hone the leadership skills that would become a permanent part of her life. On the last day of 2018, she joined 89 other women aboard a research vessel to Antarctica as part of the largest female expedition to that continent. The group's goal is to heighten the influence and impact of women on decisions that shape our planet.
Representatives from around the world are gathering in Chicago 14-18 April for the 2019 Council on Legislation. The Council is Rotary’s process for considering changes to the rules that guide Rotary clubs with the goal of keeping the organization modern and relevant. Some proposals this year build upon flexibility measures adopted by the last council three years ago. Follow all of the action as it happens on our live blog.
Rotarians understand that the whole world is their backyard. They can see the effects of climate change in communities they care about, and they haven’t waited to take action. They’re tackling the problem the way they always do: coming up with projects, using their connections to change policy — and planning for the future.
Rotary has worked for decades to provide people with clean water by digging wells, laying pipes, providing filters, and installing sinks and toilets. But the biggest challenge has come after the hardware is installed. Too often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed. As we celebrate World Water Day 22 March, read why Rotary has shifted its focus over the past several years to emphasize education, collaboration, and sustainability.
Rotary International is dedicated to enhancing your experience by providing you and your club with the tools you need to make a difference in the world and to connect with others. Your dues help make that happen. Learn how to make the most of what RI offers.
The Seven Women Center in Kathmandu, Nepal, provides a respite from the discrimination and violence many Nepali women face in their personal lives. Stephanie Woollard, a former tour guide with a passion for social justice and a knack for connecting with people, started the center after several encounters in Kathmandu revealed the plight of women there. Now a member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Australia, Woollard’s drive for justice led her to the Rotary Peace Centers at Uppsala University in Sweden in 2013.
On 23 February, Rotary celebrates its 114th anniversary. Take a virtual tour of Room 711, a re-creation of the office where Paul Harris met with three acquaintances to start a club based on “mutual cooperation and informal friendship.” Thousands of visitors to Rotary world headquarters experience the room every year. But we wanted to give all our members an opportunity to experience the room without traveling to Evanston.
Dr. Ujala Nayyar dreams, both figuratively and literally, about a world that is free from polio. Nayyar, the World Health Organization's surveillance officer in Pakistan’s Punjab province, says she often imagines the outcome of her work in her sleep. In her waking life, she leads a team of health workers who crisscross Punjab to hunt down every potential incidence of poliovirus, testing sewage and investigating any reports of paralysis that might be polio.
After months of doing research and consulting with health officials, substance abuse experts, educators, and media professionals, New York Rotary members put together a plan to fight a major U.S. problem: opioid addiction. But they needed an international partner for their Rotary Foundation global grant project. Six months of searching connected them with the Rotary Club of Tijuana Oeste, Baja California, Mexico. Clubs in Canada and India also agreed to support the project with funds.
Hong Kong native Spencer Leung completed the Rotary Peace Center program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in 2013. Convinced that organic agriculture could be a powerful peacebuilding platform, he quit his job at a Thailand seed company and used his own savings to start Go Organics. The company aims to improve productivity and sustainability for small farmers, who produce about 80 percent of the world's food. Learn more about Leung, and how you can support other Peace Fellows through Rotary's Peace Center program. Applications for the next class become available 1 February.
A year after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, local Rotary members continue to rebuild homes and lives. Mayagüez is home to 75,000 people and to the island’s second-oldest Rotary club after San Juan. In the past, the club carried out smaller projects, but the massive devastation caused by Maria motivated members to do more to help their neighbors, especially the very poor.
When Rajendra Saboo finished his term as president of Rotary International in 1992, he started thinking about how he could continue to help people. By 1998, after serving as Rotary Foundation trustee chair, he knew he wanted to do something hands-on. He and a fellow Rotarian who is a pathologist and past district governor organized the first of many medical missions to perform corrective surgery on patients with polio in Uganda. In the 20 years since that first trip, they've sent hundreds of volunteers around the world to perform 67,000 surgeries and examine 250,000 patients.
December 15 is the last day to take advantage of the early-registration discount for the 2019 Rotary Convention in Hamburg. You won't want to miss this chance to capture the moment in Hamburg. This beautiful port city is the perfect setting for our biggest event of the year, where the Rotary spirit fills the air with a level of energy and enthusiasm you can't find anywhere else. If you've already registered, check out these recommendations for places to see while you are in Hamburg, provided by local members of Rotaract clubs.
You have many choices where you donate this Giving Tuesday, 27 November. Why should Rotary be your charity of choice? For starters, our accountability and transparency have earned The Rotary Foundation 11 straight years of four-star ratings — the highest possible — from independent evaluator Charity Navigator. Ninety-one percent of Foundation funds are spent directly on programs. Check out our five reasons to give to Rotary.
Innovation was the theme at Rotary Day at the United Nations on 10 November. Nearly a thousand Rotary leaders, members, and guests from around the world met in Nairobi, Kenya, to hear about creative solutions to challenging world problems. Six Rotaract and Rotary members age 35 or under were also honored as Rotary People of Action: Young Innovators.
The Eastern PA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award upon Hank Barnette, a member of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem, and his wife Joanne at the chapter’s 2018 National Philanthropy Day Awards Breakfast on Nov. 15 at DeSales University. Presented by chapter’s Board of Directors, the Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the extraordinary lifetime achievement of individual philanthropists whose impact upon the greater Lehigh Valley community has been profound, inspiring, and sustained.
Hank and Joanne Barnette have been philanthropic and volunteer leaders for decades in the Lehigh Valley, West Virginia, Connecticut, and elsewhere.
Hank Barnette is a lawyer, businessman, and Chairman Emeritus of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Within the Lehigh Valley, he is a Moravian College Trustee and Chairman Emeritus of the National Museum of Industrial History. He also is a member of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission, the Bethlehem Rotary Club and a Director for the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the Lehigh Valley Partnership. He was previously a Director for the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, Lehigh Valley PBS39, and Lehigh University. Joanne Barnette has served in the Lehigh Valley as President of the Junior League, Chair of the Board of the Allentown Art Museum, Vice Chair of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, and a Director of the United Way of the Lehigh Valley.
Hank and Joanne have contributed to numerous organizations and capital campaigns and they have concentrated much of their support for higher education. They have endowed scholarships and lectures locally at Lehigh University, the Bach Choir, Central Moravian Church, DeSales University, Moravian College, Northampton Community College, and St. Luke’s University Health Network. They also are long-time members and former Co-Chairs of the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Tocqueville Society.
Fellow Rotarian, Bob Cohen, died unexpectedly and far too soon, on December 6, 2016. A Renaissance man, Bob artfully continually reinvented himself, with ART at the center of each reinvention. Bob, the singer, thespian, and author, adored libraries and gave special attention to the Bethlehem Area Public Library where he served as a board member, donor, and friend. The library, in turn, dedicated the Bob Cohen Room, a concert venue and multi-use main floor space that will host lectures and meetings and plays and art galleries.
The library has just published "Home at my Typewriter," a book of selected poems that Bob wrote over many years. Bob's wife Amy Miller Cohen, invites us to a book launch. Details follow, but space is limited. Please RSVP directly to Amy by phone at 610-867-5501.
After 30 years of bold action, historic achievements, and sometimes discouraging setbacks, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have nearly brought polio to an end. This groundbreaking public-private partnership and its innovative strategies were celebrated Wednesday during Rotary’s 6th annual World Polio Day event, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Watch the livestream.
You don't have to travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to take part in Rotary's World Polio Day event on 24 October. You can watch a livestream of the proceedings on your computer or smartphone starting at 18:30 Philadelphia time (UTC-4). Clubs worldwide have also been holding events leading up to the day to raise funds and awareness. See a gallery and promote your event.
Rotary clubs in Canada are investing in an urban peace initiative that aims to break the cycle of youth crime. PACT, which stands for Participation, Acknowledgement, Commitment, and Transformation, is a Toronto-based charity, supported by Rotary clubs, that works with at-risk young people and those who have committed crimes to change their direction in life.
Six members of Rotary and Rotaract will be honored this November as People of Action: Young Innovators during Rotary Day at the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya. These innovators – all under the age of 35 – are being recognized for their commitment to solving problems with measurable and lasting results. Learn more about the six, including Paul Mushaho of Uganda (center of photo above).
Patience Asiimwe, a Rotaractor from Kampala, ventured deep into her native Uganda with a polio vaccination team as part of Rotary’s newest virtual reality film, Two Drops of Patience. "When we first started filming, I was focused on what we were going to shoot. But that changed when I did my first vaccination. I felt like a hero. It was a satisfying feeling, knowing you probably just changed someone’s life." Read more of Asiimwe's story and check out the virtual reality film.
On the first day of her Rotary Youth Exchange orientation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, Marie Tornquist recalls being confused about the nationality of her country officer. Though the officer was living in the United States as an American, she continued to identify with the Brazilian culture. Tornquist's own experience quickly taught her how Rotary Youth Exchange, and the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in your host's culture, allows you to become a global citizen. Read about her experience in our blog, Rotary Voices.
Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) have had to take bold action in the historic fight against polio. At Rotary’s 6th annual World Polio Day event on 24 October in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, we’ll highlight the monumental and innovative steps that are getting us closer to our goal. We’ll also celebrate 30 years of achievements by the GPEI. Learn more about the event in Philadelphia and how you can promote your own event or find an event near you.
Twice a month, the Rotary Club of South Metro Minneapolis Evenings meets in a hotel near the Minnesota River. Young people trickle through the hotel’s front doors and gather at a long wooden table in the bar for happy hour. It’s not actually happy hour, but that’s what they call this casual gathering before their club meeting. It’s a nontraditional club, which has less to do with the average membership age of 33 than the fact they meet after work and tend toward activities like rock climbing, Whirly Ball, and escape rooms. For membership month, learn more about this innovative club.
Rotaract Club inside refugee camp creates sense of family
After fleeing conflict in their own countries, a group of young Rotaractors is healing wounds and bringing cultures together in a Ugandan refugee settlement. Established in late 2016, and officially inaugurated last July, the Rotaract Club of Nakivale may be one of the first based inside a refugee settlement. Read the story, watch the video, and learn about the effort from one of the Rotarians who helped make it happen.
Sushil Kumar Gupta, of the Rotary Club of Delhi Midwest, Delhi, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2020-21. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested. Gupta says he wants to increase Rotary’s humanitarian impact as well as the diversity of its membership.
Due to a cancellation we are able to add two people to participate in the outbound group toDistrict 1030 in Northeast England. Dates are Aug. 29 to September 10, 2018.
District 1030 is next to the border of Scotland and along the coast with Newcastle Upon Tyne the largest city in the district. We'll have a chance to visit Hadrian's wall and castles as well as seaside towns.
If you like meeting new people as well as learning about new cultures plus able to travel within a short time frame email me directly : deeleng@gmail.com if you are interested or have any questions.
Travel expenses are paid by the participant although we are hosted in Rotarians home with some meals included.
Participants are also asked to have their club host when District 1030 comes in the spring of 2019.
At the moment tickets to Edinburgh airport which is 1 1/2 hours away by train is about $700 for economy and train tickets are about $30 one way.
RI President Barry Rassin, a member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is asking Rotarians to Be the Inspiration this Rotary year. In addressing the closing session of the 2018 Convention in Toronto, Rassin encouraged Rotarians to take the time to understand the real needs of their communities by talking to people in those communities, and to become agents of change through leading by example. Read more about Rotary’s 2018-19 president in The Rotarian.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accepted Rotary's Polio Eradication Champion Award at the Rotary Convention in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in recognition of his country's contributions to polio eradication. Canada has been a strong contributor to polio eradication efforts for decades.
Past-President Gerry Foran and Newly Installed President Mark Reed
At its June 27th, regular noon-day meeting, our club continued a tradition more than 100 years old -- transferring the gavel of leadership from Gerald Foran to Mark Reed. Mark is the Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at Moravian College in Bethlehem. As Club President, Mark will lead a growing club of more than 100 members who work together to serve humanity globally and locally. CONGRATULATIONS MARK AND WELL-DONE GERRY!
More than 24,000 registered participants from 175 countries are expected to gather in Toronto from 23-27 June for Rotary's largest event of the year, the annual convention. Like Rotary, Toronto is a city that values diversity. Rotary members will hear from a lineup of inspiring speakers including former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush and HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne. They will also have a chance to renew friendships and enjoy the hospitality of local Rotarians as they share Canada's rich heritage. Follow all our coverage.
The winners of Rotary International's 2018 photo contest were selected from more than 1,100 entries. The images show Rotarians as people of action, working together to make our world better. In addition to the winning photos and honorable mentions in the June issue, you will see more photos from the contest in The Rotarian throughout the coming year. Also read more about this year's judge, Stephanie Sinclair, and her work with the nonprofit Too Young To Wed.
Rotary wins Hero Award for polio eradication efforts
Rotary's commitment to polio eradication won a Hero Award from the One Billion Acts of Peace Campaign, an international global citizens' movement to tackle the world's most important issues. The campaign is the initiative of the PeaceJam Foundation led by 14 Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Rotary was one of two finalists in the Best Nonprofit Act category.
Rotary.org has been nominated by the Academy of Digital Arts and Science for two Webby Awards, the leading international honor for excellence on the internet. Rotary is competing with four others in the association category for both a Webby Award, selected by the academy, and a Webby People's Voice Award, chosen by public vote. Help us win the People's Voice Award by voting between now and 19 April.
On April 4th, members of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem joined club president Gerry Foran in welcoming Mark Walter as the newest member of the club. Mark is employed by British Telecom as Client Compliance Officer. He manages regulatory compliance aspects associated with several of BT's customers in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical products, HR outsourcing, banking and finance.
WELCOME MARK!
President Gerry Foran (L) installs Mark Walter (R) as our newest member.
Debra Geiger, a Bethlehem Rotary club member, was honored at the Emmaus Rotary Club's first International Women's Day celebration with an award from the Emmaus Rotary Club, plus a proclamation from the House of Representatives and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for her outstanding accomplishments.
Deb Geiger receiving her award from Emmaus Rotary Club President Burt Duran
Clean water and sanitation are basic necessities of a healthy environment and a productive life. Since 2013, The Rotary Foundation has invested more than $74 million in water and sanitation projects. For World Water Day, read about one of those projects in Sri Lanka, and learn more about the work Rotary is doing to provide access to clean water, improve toilets and latrines, and support hygiene projects.
Rotary, World Bank celebrate International Women's Day
An event attended by more than 300 people and streamed live to thousands recognized three Rotary women for their commitment to improving lives through innovative humanitarian projects. The celebration was held at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., USA, for International Women's Day and sponsored by Rotary and the investment firm Oppenheimer & Co. Learn more about the women honored.
On Saturday, March 10th, Area 2 Rotary Clubs (Bethlehem, Bethlehem Morning Star, Nazareth, Saucon Valley & Easton) gathered in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building to package 40,000 meals for families in need. This was double the number of meal packets we packed and shared with local food pantries last year thanks to a district grant received to match Area 2 Clubs' donations toward this effort. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers. It was a great day!
A half-century has passed since the first Rotaract clubs began inspiring young leaders to take action to improve their communities. The world has changed, as has the way Rotaract members connect with one another. But the underlying values of the program, and what attracts people to it, remain remarkably the same. To celebrate Rotaract’s 50th anniversary, we asked former Rotaractors from six decades to share their experiences of the program and explain how it shaped their lives.
Carol Hart Metzker was the featured speaker at the regular noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. She is an educator, author of Facing the Monster: How One Person Can Fight Child Slavery, TEDx speaker, and consultant to The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia's New Day to Stop Trafficking Program. An encounter in 2004 with an 11-year-old girl rescued from sex trafficking led her on a quest to help end human trafficking and to aid victims and survivors overseas and close to home in southeastern Pennsylvania. Carol is the recipient of a Rotary International Service Above Self Award.
Below: Club President Gerald Foran presents Ms Metzker a gift card with more than $300 raised by club members to be used for the benefit of a local recovered victim of sex trafficking. He also presents a book the club will donate to the Bethlehem Public Library's Children's Library in her honor.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter talks candidly about peace, free elections, and lessons learned from a life devoted to peace in a special interview with The Rotarian. For the past 37 years, Carter has been redefining what it means to be a retired president. A commitment to human rights was a cornerstone of his foreign policy, and he and his wife, Rosalynn, have continued that emphasis with the Carter Center, founded in 1982.
Click HERE to download brochure with full details, including REGISTRATION panel to mail in with your payment.
SPONSORS WELCOME.
Sponsorship Deadline: April 30th.
For SPONSOR details, contact Rob Littner at 610-865-6770 or rvlittner@gmail.com.
Do you have boxed (new) golf balls that you'd be willing to donate for the tournament? Please bring them to a weekly meeting and the committee members will accept them with great thanks.
International Rotaract event marks program's 50th year
Members of Rotaract, Rotary's program for young leaders ages 18 to 30, gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, for their triennial Interota convention. Attendees marked the occasion with song, dance, and participation in service projects, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the program this year. See photos of the event, and serve, celebrate, and share 50 years of Rotaract.
Two brothers who care, one important social cause, and a lot of courage. That's how Fred Mesquita and his brother, José Eduardo, began the Hepatitis Zero Expedition. The two brothers have completed the first stage, traveling through 20 countries and visiting 274 cities on the American continent.
Members of the Rotary Club of Bethlehem PA enjoyed their weekly meeting in the newly-opened West Wing of Ben Franklin TechVentures, on Lehigh University's Mountaintop Campus, as guests of fellow Rotarian and past Club President, R. Chadwick Paul, Jr., CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP-NEP). Established in 1983, BFTP-NEP has created 17,415 new jobs, retained 27,384 existing jobs, started 492 new companies, and developed 1,591 new products and processes.
TechVentures West Wing Seen Here
Club Meets in Ben Franklin TechVenture's New West Wing
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT OUR JANUARY 24TH MEETING IS AT BEN FRANKLIN TechVentures. From the top of Hayes Street, turn right onto Mountain Drive North and follow as it becomes Mountain Drive South. Continue straight ahead into the Mountaintop campus. At the stop sign, make your first right onto Research Drive, then right turn into parking. There is ample parking in the rear lot and rear parking deck.
January 24th meeting location: Ben Franklin TechVentures
RI President-elect Barry Rassin laid out his vision for the future of the organization on Sunday, calling on leaders to work for a sustainable future and to inspire Rotarians and the community at large. A member of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, Rassin unveiled the 2018-19 presidential theme, Be the Inspiration, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
At its regular Wednesday Meeting of January 10th, the club introduced representatives of several regional charitable organizations that have received recent grants made by the Bethlehem Rotary Foundation.
Club President Gerry Foran presents check to Arlene Lund, Executive Director,
Center for Humanistic Change
Foundation President Pat Connell presents check to Catherine DeHart and
Maryanne Haytmanek of the NCCC Foundation
Foundation President Connell present check to Lia Jordan, Executive Director,
Touchstone Theatre (and member Rotary Club of Bethlehem)
Foundation President Connell presents check to Megan Pildis, Executive Director,
Join a Live chat with President-elect Barry Rassin
Join Rotary International President-elect Barry Rassin for a Facebook Live chat to learn about his theme and what he is looking forward to in his presidential year. Watch live on 15 January, 11:00 San Diego time (UTC-8) on Rotary's Facebook page. And visit Rotary.org for coverage and theme materials.
For the third consecutive January, The Rotarian magazine celebrates what happens when ordinary Rotarians find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Rotarians in their own words tell what it's like to survive an atomic bomb, chase your baseball dream, walk 27,000 miles for peace, live on $1.50 a day, and more.
The Rotary Club of Bethlehem welcomed PATRICK MORGAN and GEORGE PHILLIPPI as a new members at its December 20th meeting.
Patrick Morgan
Patrick relocated to the Lehigh Valley from Alaska where he worked as an investor in addition to his career as a Physical Therapist for Advanced Physical Therapy. Patrick has elected to take time off of his career to care for his parents. Currently he also works with youth volleyball programs applying his background as a former college volleyball coach. Patrick has interests in giving back to his community, especially with working to feed our neighbors who are under fed and hopes to help out with housing initiatives as well.
George Phillippi
George relocated to the greater Lehigh Valley in August as Project Manager at Control Point Associates in Warren, NJ, a surveying and geospatial company that provides services such as:
Aerial photography / UAV Services
Subsurface Utility Location (SUL)
3D Laser Scanning, 3D Modeling and 2D Drafting
GIS & Asset Management
Traditional and Construction Survey
George's responsibilities include managing multiple crews stationed at the Port Authority of NY and NJ and developing new business opportunities for the company. His wife also works at the company.
George was born in St. Petersburg, FL and grew up in the Pittsburgh PA area. His prior work experience includes positions in Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland and New York City.
Left to Right: President Gerry Foran, Karley Biggs Sebia, Tracy Bozik
At our Club's December 13th Annual Meeting, President Gerry Foran inducted Karley Biggs Sebia as our Club's newest member. Karley is an attorney with the firm of King, Spry, Herman, Freund, & Faul, LLC. in Bethlehem. She has extensive experience and interest in childhood education issues. Please welcome Karly to our Rotary Family.
Left to Right: Diane Donaher, George Mowrer, Brennan Pursell, Gail Evans
At our Wednesday, December 13th annual meeting, Diane Donaher presented a special Paul Harris Award to Dr. Brennan Pursell to recognize his outstanding work on our Centennial Park Project. All members can feel justly proud of the contribution our Club was able to toward improving our Bethlehem community, with his leadership. Thanks to all of our members who participated.
After decades of crafting squash-blossom necklaces, pendants, and bracelets, Jerry Domingo knew he would have to quit making jewelry, because he couldn’t see very well anymore. The sturdy Navajo grandfather lives in the desert of New Mexico, miles from modern conveniences. Although electric lines transverse land just hundreds of yards from his front door, the permissions and work to connect to that power would cost more than $30,000. Read how Rotary members in Durango, Colorado, USA, are teaming up with Navajo Nation to bring solar lights to off-the-grid homes on the country’s largest Native American reservation.
Looking for ways to recruit new members and engage current ones, the Rotary Club of Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA, decided to harness the competitive spirit. In March 2016, it mounted a membership drive with teams competing to bring in the most new members. Read more about their innovative approach to membership and send us your ideas.
Bethlehem Rotary's "Tastes & Tunes" 2017 Raises $50,000 for Junior League of the Lehigh Valley
On Sunday, October 1, 2017, at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, the Rotary Club of Bethlehem conducted its fifth annual Tastes & Tunes fund-raising event. The designated charitable recipient for the event was the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley, an organization of women with a current focus on educational disparity. Volunteers from the Rotary Club and the Junior League helped create a memorable event that attracted 12 participating restaurants, 23 sponsors, more than 100 auction items and more than 200 attendees.
The happy result of this amazing effort was a $50,000 check proudly presented at the December 6, 20167 weekly meeting of the Club by Tastes & Tunes co-chairs Bob Smith and Deb Walter to Junior League president Alison Zavatone.
Giving Tuesday, 28 November, happens once a year, but your gift to The Rotary Foundation will make a difference for a lifetime. This Giving Tuesday, consider making a gift to The Rotary Foundation, and together we can continue Doing Good in the World.
Rotary will honor six individuals as People of Action: Champions of Peace during Rotary Day at the United Nations 11 November at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The event will include workshops devoted to sustainability and peace, as well as ones designed by and for young leaders. Don't miss a live broadcast of the event.
Rotary members in Harvard, Illinois, USA, have teamed up with community groups to help alleviate hunger and bring the community together. As many as 250 needy families benefit from the 10,000 pounds of vegetables that are grown in a community garden and donated every year to the local food pantry. With only seven members, the club has had an impact far beyond its size, amplifying its efforts by partnering with others.
Livestream makes World Polio Day event available to all
You don’t have to buy a plane ticket to participate in this year’s World Polio Day festivities at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. You can watch the event live on 24 October at 14:30 Seattle time (UTC-7) for an update on our global campaign to eradicate polio. Find details on how to watch the livestream, available in eight languages.
You don’t have to buy a plane ticket to participate in this year’s World Polio Day festivities at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s facility in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. You can watch the event live on 24 October at 14:30 Seattle time (UTC-7) for an update on our global campaign to eradicate polio. A recording of the livestream will be available later.
Overcoming obstacles to polio eradication in Pakistan
Alina A. Visram first joined Pakistan's National PolioPlus Committee as a manager eight years ago, when polio eradication in her country seemed within reach. Then hostile militants and other obstacles altered the dynamics, and forced a change of tactics. This year, the country has only five cases of polio. In her blog post for World Polio Day, Visram shares why she is convinced we will eradicate this disease.
From red ponchos to pub crawls, Rotary clubs are coming up with a variety of ways to promote polio eradication in October. In eastern Ontario and western Quebec, Canada, thousands of Rotary members will put on red ponchos and march through the streets of their towns to raise awareness.
November’s Rotary Day at the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland, will focus on one of Rotary’s top humanitarian priorities: peace and conflict resolution. Six honorees, including four Rotary members and two alumni of Rotary Peace Centers, will be recognized for their commitment to and work on behalf of peace projects in their communities. Their diversity reflects the varied ways that Rotary members address underlying causes of conflict.
Members of the Rotary Club of Little Rock have teamed up with Heifer USA to fight poverty and provide healthier food choices for local communities through a program that supports sustainable agriculture. The 24 farmers in the program are part of a coop that connects them with customers and markets, allowing them to grow a variety of organic produce on small acres of land using environmentally-friendly methods. The coop also shortens the distance between farm and table, increasing the nutritional value of the food.
Severe storms, an earthquake, and hurricanes are wreaking havoc across the globe from the United States and Mexico to South Asia and Africa. The Rotary Foundation and Rotary clubs in affected areas are helping bring emergency aid to battered communities.
The Rotary Club of Stone Mountain in Georgia, USA, was facing a common problem: membership was aging, and the club struggled to attract younger members. When Past President Margie Kersey learned that Rotary had changed membership rules to remove the barriers between e-clubs and regular clubs, they became a hybrid club, preserving in-person meetings while also making them available online. Already, the club is seeing clear results. Read about their success and email us with your own club's innovations.
Rotary members in a small town of Nova Scotia, Canada, took action to bring two families from war-torn Syria to their country, where the refugees are starting a new life. Read this and other stories from the September issue of The Rotarian.
Help Rotary International launch its new 'People of Action' campaign
Rotary International has created a new global ad campaign called "People of Action." The campaign is based on research that revealed that while many people have heard of Rotary, few actually understand what Rotary clubs do. By downloading our materials in the Brand Center, members of Rotary Clubs can begin telling their club's stories in a consistent, compelling way. Click LEARN MORE below to see what we need to know.
Barry Rassin selected to be 2018-19 Rotary President
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19, and will be declared president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested. Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.
United Kingdom pledges $130 million for polio eradication
The United Kingdom pledged $130 million on Friday toward the fight to eradicate polio. The contribution will help fund immunizations of 45 million children a year through 2020. In June, at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, global leaders pledged $1.2 billion of the estimated $1.5 billion required to end polio. However, Rotary's work continues. We're now working to raise $50 million a year and to ensure that global leaders make good on this summer's pledges.
The Rotary flags in front of Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA, and Rotary offices around the world flew at half-staff as friends and colleagues mourned President-elect Sam F. Owori, who died on 13 July from complications after surgery. Rotary remembers Sam’s quiet confidence, integrity, and friendship.
Sam F. Owori, Rotary International president-elect, died unexpectedly Thursday as a result of post-operative complications from a planned surgery. Sam was a member of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, for 38 years. "Please remember Sam as the outstanding, hard-working Rotarian he was," said Rotary International President Ian Riseley. "In this difficult time, I ask you to keep his wife, the Owori family, and Sam's millions of friends around the world in your thoughts."
Ian Riseley has spent his career making connections among friends, colleagues, and Rotarians. He brings that gift for putting people together to his work as Rotary’s president in 2017-18
Outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio have been reported this month in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Syria, according to the World Health Organization. Why do these happen? Vaccine-derived cases are rare, and differ from polio cases caused by the virus living in the wild. Here is what you need to know about these outbreaks.
At the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta this week, global leaders and key donors affirmed their commitment to ending polio. The historic pledges of new funds will go toward drastically shrinking the $1.5 billion gap in the funding that is needed to reduce cases to zero.
One of the feature films to be shown during the Southside Film Festival is Old Men Singing, a Documentary Short film directed by: Mickey Rapkin and Zachary Weil
After losing touch for more than 50 years, the men of a collegiate a Cornell University a cappella group reunite on campus to reminisce, settle old scores and find out if they still have what it takes to perform together in this documentary short about the enduring power of music and the families we choose. This film features Bob Cohen, our dear departed Rotarian and former director of the Bethlehem Rotary Morganaires.
Screening Times: Victory Firehouse, 205 Webster Street, 5:20pm Friday, June 16th | Victory Firehouse: 3:20pm Saturday, June 17th.
Cost to see this film at the Victory Firehouse is $5. Single tickets are available at Deja Brew (101 W 4th Street) or at any of the venues during the festival. Please note, if you wish to use a credit card, please visit Deja Brew during business hours to purchase tickets.
Southside Film Festival: Old Men Singing (Documentary Short)
The Presidential Peace Conference kicked off today with Dr. Bernice A. King, chief executive officer of The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, addressing Rotarians on the role they play in contributing to peace and international understanding. The two-day conference celebrates all that Rotary does to promote peace.
The Rotarian’s annual photo contest is back and, with the enhanced graphics capacity of our new website, looking better than ever. The 2017 contest drew 600 entries from 40 countries, judged by veteran photojournalist Steve McMurry. See the nine breathtaking images he selected as this year’s winners and start getting ready for next year’s contest.
For more than 90 years, the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Missouri, USA, has been rallying all corners of the community to help thousands of kids attend camp. The club, whose members model Rotary’s passion for taking action, gave the first donation to The Rotary Foundation 100 years ago.
Rotary is working with Google’s virtual reality team to offer an experience that showcases the impact of compassion to a global audience. A three-minute virtual reality film that emphasizes the two themes of polio and peace will premiere at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, 13 June
Members of the Rotaract Club at Moratuwa University, Sri Lanka, opened a library and science lab to help local students prepare for college entrance exams, and launched a weaving cooperative for female entrepreneurs. The project’s broader goal is to improve the quality of life in the community by stimulating economic growth. Learn why this effort was selected for the 2017 Rotaract Outstanding Project Award, and read about six regional projects also honored.
How can a road trip inspire engagement with Rotary? Ask the group of Rotary members and Rotaractors who traveled 2,400 miles across the West Coast to spread the word about Rotary’s good work. Over two weeks they stopped for service projects in five states and, along the way, illustrated the value of hands-on service and community partnerships.
When was polio last in Europe? If you guessed 2002, the year the region was certified polio-free, you’re wrong. The last time polio affected a child in Europe was 2015. Outbreaks like the one that occurred in Ukraine that year are why, although we are so close to eradicating polio, we still need $1.5 billion more to finish the job. Learn about the steps needed to ensure polio is truly gone forever.
Rotary members in a small town of Nova Scotia, Canada, took action to bring two families from war-torn Syria to their country, where the refugees are starting a new life.
What do you get when a handful of young leaders put their heads together and “dream big?” Apparently, you get a 14-city, 2,400-mile road trip that provides 2,500 hours of service by more than 500 volunteers. The Connecting for Good Tour of the American West Coast was organized by San Francisco Rotary member Danielle Lallement, and inspired by brainstorming that took place at a Young Professionals Summit in 2014. Read more about the massive Rotary road trip.
In St. Joseph, Michigan, USA, Rotary members have been matching high school students with mentors in their dream careers, providing valuable guidance as they explore their options after graduation. The exposure to community service has led students to start Interact clubs at six local schools, and has cemented the club’s connections with its community. Meet some of the students helped by the program and the members behind it all.
On March 11th, more than 100 Rotarians from five Northampton County Rotary Clubs joined together to assemble 20,000 dry packaged meals for area food pantries and shelters. It was truly evidence of Service Above Self.
Rotary Hunger Project - March 11th at Moravian College
What motivates everyday women to do extraordinary things? Three Rotary members answered that question at a celebration of International Women’s Day hosted by the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters on 8 March.
Blooms of poisonous blue-green algae threaten the western basin of Lake Erie, the source of drinking water for millions of people. Read more about how Rotarians are joining the fight.
Rotary clubs around the world are marking Rotary’s 112th anniversary by holding fundraisers, illuminating famous buildings, and hosting events of all sorts. Check out our gallery of club activities and send us a photo of your own.
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will speak at this year’s Rotary International Convention June 10-14 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The convention is expected to attract 40,000 Rotary club members from over 160 countries, and inject an estimated $52.3 million into Atlanta’s economy.
Dispatched to Ghana with a fellow British Rotarian to scout club service opportunities, Roger Frank hadn’t planned their visit to coincide with National Immunization Days. But the pair – Frank and Dr. Carl Hallam – jumped, unhesitating, into the thick of inoculations. Frank has built his own iron lung replica to teach a new generation about polio. Read more of the story.
Canadian Joel Dzuba credits his Rotary Youth Exchange year in Lower Saxony, Germany, with inspiring him to pursue a career in International Affairs and Policy. Says Dzuba, “my exchange year played a fundamental role in forming and shaping the person I am today.” Read more of Dzuba’s story.
Rotary has released another $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio. Nearly half of the new funds, $16.15 million, will support emergency response campaigns in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, where four cases were detected last year after Nigeria had previously gone two years without a case.
RI President-elect Ian H.S. Riseley urged incoming district leaders to seek gender and age parity and protect the environment in announcing the 2017-18 presidential theme Rotary: Making a Difference at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA.
Rotary.org, our public-facing website, has a fresh, contemporary look that clearly answers the often-asked question: “What is Rotary?” It’s the first step in a two-part update to our entire website: first Rotary.org, and then My Rotary. See what's changed.
After decades of investing in literacy projects, experts have realized that simply getting children into the classroom — either by removing attendance barriers or providing supplies — is not enough. Before students can succeed, the quality of the teaching in that classroom needs to improve. Discover how Rotary is mentoring and coaching teachers to solve illiteracy.
Rotary District 5650 once again entered a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade and our club member Mark Reed was there to see it. It won the Princess Trophy for the most beautiful float 35 feet and under. The RI President K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran proudly rode on the float. All funds for the float were raised independently. Rotary International did not supply funding, but all of Rotary benefits from the significant visibility the Parade offers.
There’s still time to make your year-end gift to The Rotary Foundation. Your gifts help fight disease, support education, grow economies, provide clean water, save mothers and children, promote peace, and end polio. Why put it off til next year?
In January, visitors to Rotary.org will discover a new, contemporary site that tells Rotary’s story in a fresh and exciting way. Rotary staff offer a look at the site’s features: a modern design, increased use of imagery and graphics, and better organization to help readers – especially newcomers – find out who we are and what we’re doing.
On a warm day in October, Ingrid Schwab and a team of Rotary staff members join a group of dancing and singing children in Khera Khurd on the outskirts of Delhi, India, for an immunization day rally. “We are greeted with beating drums, beaming smiles, and fragrant flower garlands … we smile and laugh and our delight is captured on camera. Quite a celebration.”
Rotary is thankful for the hard work of dedicated donors and volunteers who make it possible for The Rotary Foundation to make a difference in communities around the world. Staff took time during the fifth annual Thank-a-Thon last week to send notes to donors and volunteers.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals selected The Rotary Foundation for its annual Award for Outstanding Foundation for 2016, a recognition that honors organizations that show philanthropic commitment and leadership through financial support, innovation, encouragement of others, and involvement in public affairs.
At our club's November 6th Club Assembly, Ham Malek invited Mr. Henry Heidecker to our Club to be recognized for his longstanding service to our community. Eighty -four years young, Mr. Heidecker recently celebrated his 19th year serving as a crossing guard at the corner of 4th and Broadhead in Bethlehem's Southside. Ham presented Mr. Heidecker with a proclamation from Mayor Donchez and a gift card from our Club to celebrate the occasion.
Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and a team of staff will join Rotary members to bike up to 104 miles in El Tour de Tucson, an annual bicycle race in Arizona, USA, to raise funds for PolioPlus. Your district could earn a visit from Rotary International President-elect Ian H.S. Riseley by contributing District Designated Funds (DDFs) to support the team’s fundraising goal.
Join the party as we celebrate 54 years of service and leadership through Interact, 31 October through 6 November. Show the world how your Interact Club makes a difference by taking part in our annual Video Awards, or join the conversation on social media.
Watch an update on our progress toward creating a polio-free world. Top global health experts and Rotary's polio ambassadors gathered at the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, on World Polio Day, 24 October, to hail progress made by Rotary and its partners.
Join us on 24 October for World Polio Day and share your voice that we are closer than ever to creating a polio-free world. Rotary will host its fourth annual World Polio Day: Making History live stream event at 18:00 EDT (UTC-4) from the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The event brings together the biggest names in the global fight to eradicate polio. Watch live on Endpolio.org
Rotary members have been working with Rotary’s project partner for disaster relief, ShelterBox, to respond to the humanitarian needs that have arisen following Hurricane Matthew’s destructive path through Haiti and along the coast of the United States, impacting communities in Florida, Georgia, and South and North Carolina, USA. ShelterBox is currently sending supplies to help with a cholera outbreak in the southern region of Haiti. Learn how you can help.
A team of specialists from India spent eight days in Kigali, Rwanda, performing hundreds of surgeries and teaching cutting-edge surgical techniques to local physicians and medical students. The medical mission was the fourth between Rotary districts in India and Rwanda, and one of dozens to Africa over the past two decades, extending healing care to patients who otherwise would have to wait months to see a surgeon.
The Rotary Club of Yola-AUN is located on the campus of the American University of Nigeria, smack dab in the region where Boko Haram is most active. Club members, who include a good number of University professors and staff, know the importance of peace. The club is working with Rotary members from New England to help families living in a refugee camp, displaced by the violence.
Nations observe 21 September as International Day of Peace, a “day of global ceasefire and nonviolence.” Rotary’s commitment to building peace and resolving conflict is rooted in the Rotary Peace Centers, which yearly prepare up to 100 fellows to work for peace through a two-year master’s degree program or a three-month certificate program at partner universities worldwide.
Head of CDC talks about polio, Rotary, public health
As head of the U.S. public health system, Tom Frieden has taken on everything from Ebola to the flu. But where his work most closely intersects with Rotary’s is in polio eradication – CDC joins Rotary, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Health Organization as a core partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Find out what Frieden has to say about ending polio, Rotary, and the best buys in public health in an interview in The Rotarian.
Minda Dentler is the only female handcyclist to complete three Ironman Triathlons. The polio survivor recently returned to her native India to draw attention to continued immunization efforts in the country, which hasn’t had a new case since 2014. Now aRotary polio ambassador, Dentler shares her story with The Rotarian.
Every day, 8,000 people die of waterborne disease. A group of Rotary members is committed to reducing the number of these deaths by providing clean water, and they’ve found a fun way to do it. Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (BREW) is a fellowship devoted to a love of beer and brewing. The fellowship helps clubs plan events around the world to raise money for global water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts.
A ShelterBox response team is working with Rotary club members in Italy to provide shelter and supplies to those affected by the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that leveled towns in the central region of the country Wednesday.
Though he's only 28 years old, Todd Jenkins, a member of the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, has already built a strong Rotary résumé to advance his vision for a younger, more diverse Rotary. Read more about this dynamic Rotarian, who friends know as Dr. Bowtie because of his affinity for neckties.
Rotary is a volunteer organization with 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. It initiates humanitarian projects that address challenges affecting the world today, such as hunger, poverty, and illiteracy. Rotary club members unite a broad cross-section of business and professional leaders around the world around a common mission: Service Above Self. These 1.2 million men and women donate their expertise, time, and funds to support local and international project, helping people in need and promoting understanding among cultures.
Rotary’s flagship program is its effort to protect children against polio. It aims to eradicate the disease from the world.
The members of the ROTARY CLUB OF BETHLEHEM would love to welcome you into our club. Want more info? Contact Gerry Foran (forangf@gmail.com) or - better yet - VISIT our weekly meeting and ask us to tell you more.
Samuel Frobisher Owori, of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, is the choice of the nominating committee to be the president of Rotary International in 2018-19. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Rotary unites leaders to take action in their communities and all over the world. From joining our historic movement to eradicate polio to being a part of the original social network, there are many reasons to love Rotary. Check out our list in theAugust issue of The Rotarian and find out why mentoring young leaders should be onReasons to love Rotary right now
Rotary unites leaders to take action in their communities and all over the world. From joining our historic movement to eradicate polio to being a part of the original social network, there are many reasons to love Rotary. Check out our list in theAugust issue of The Rotarian and find out why mentoring young leaders should be on your list. your list.
In Peru, women suffer higher rates of poverty and unemployment than men. About 50 percent of Peruvian women in the Sacred Valley region, which lies outside Cusco, will suffer severe physical or sexual partner abuse during their lifetimes. In 2012, members of the Rotary Club of Boulder’s New Generations pilot satellite club came up with a plan to address all of those problems by concentrating on empowering local women – specifically in their ability to make and act upon their decisions. Read more about the club’s efforts
The way Cynthia Salim sees it, the fashion industry doesn't have much to offer a young, socially conscious woman like her when it comes to work clothes. So the former Rotary Scholar started her own company to produce high-quality, classic women’s wear constructed of socially responsible materials and made by fairly paid workers in environmentally friendly factories. Read more of Salim's story.
Join us in commemorating our Foundation’s century of achievement. We’ve launched a special website to give you the information you need to plan your own event, promote the anniversary, and brush up on your Foundation history. Explore the Centennial website to learn more.
In April, Rotary members from around the world met at the Council on Legislation, taking action to grant clubs greater flexibility in their meeting schedule and membership. These changes took effect 1 July.
Outgoing Rotary Club of Bethlehem Mike McGovern is all smiles as he hands the club leadership to Gail Evans for the next year. Thanks Mike for your service to the Club. Best wishes to you Gail for a successful year as you lead our club into its first year of exciting new century of service.
If we are so close to eradicating polio, why do we still need $1.5 billion to finish the job? Find out in an article from the latest issue of The Rotarian, and discover the steps needed to get from “this close” to done. Read more.
If you can teach children to garden, you teach them life skills. That’s the basic philosophy behind a global grant project in Korea, where Rotary members built a greenhouse and train more than three dozen students with special needs the fundamentals of growing lettuce, packaging and transporting crops, and selling vegetables to nearby businesses. Read more about the project.
More than 43,000 attendees left the Rotary Convention in Korea inspired to end polio for good, to celebrate The Rotary Foundation's centennial, and to champion changes that will help Rotary appeal to a broader audience. On the last day, RI President K.R. Ravindran shared a personal story of his mother’s triumph over polio.
The Rotary Foundation is turning 100, and that’s definitely something worth celebrating. Visit our Centennial website to see what’s being planned, pick up ideas for your own celebration, and brush up on your Foundation history in our interactive timeline. There are also a few other surprises. Visit the website and join the excitement.
More than 42,000 Rotary members from over 100 countries will come together beginning 28 May to celebrate Rotary at our annual convention in Korea. Follow the action with our live blog, photo, and video coverage, and on social media at#rotary16. Learn more about the convention including recently added speakers.
The Rotaract Club of Bugolobi, Uganda, launched a program to provide free health clinics, school supplies, and clean water to villagers in rural Kanabulemu. The club’s 1000 Smiles project has been selected as this year’s International Winner of the Rotaract Outstanding Project Award and will be honored at the Korea Convention in June. Learn more and read about all the winners.
Pope Francis greets Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran at a Jubilee audience at the Vatican on 30 April, where 9,000 Rotary members were special guests of the pontiff.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Vatican
Thousands of Rotary members, motivated by a special invitation from Pope Francis, gathered at the Vatican in Rome on Saturday to celebrate a message of compassion, inclusiveness, and service to humanity.
More than a million refugees from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan streamed into the European Union last year. The sheer number of refugees has spurred a backlash in Austria against the Union’s largely open-door policy. But Rotary members in a small Austrian town have been looking at the refugees as people, not problems. Learn more about what they have been doing to help.
The 2016 Council on Legislation may well be remembered as one of the most progressive in Rotary history. Council members granted clubs more freedom to determine their meeting schedule and membership, and approved a per capita dues increase of $4 a year for three years to enhance Rotary’s website, improve online tools, and add programs for clubs. Read more about the Council, see photos, and download vote totals.
Representatives from Rotary clubs around the world will be gathering in Chicago next week to consider changes to the policies that guide Rotary International and its member clubs. The Council on Legislation gives members a role in adapting Rotary to keep it relevant to today’s world. We’ll be providing live updates and vote totals from the Council beginning on 11 April. Learn more about the Council.
More than 748 million people live without access to clean water and at least 3,000 children die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by unsafe water. Rotary is working to change that. Members used a Rotary grant to drill more than 20 clean-water wells and to repair another 30 in villages across Ghana. For World Water Day, watch a video about the project.
Regional leaders from around the globe gathered at Rotary World Headquarters in Evanston in early March to learn how to help members strengthen clubs, enhance Rotary’s image, advance humanitarian projects, and tell Rotary’s story. Many of the participants were impressed to learn about new tools available on Rotary.org. Read about the four-day training event.
Rotary has given Clara Montanez a platform to mentor young women as they balance career and family. Jackie Huie has used her Rotary connections to create a program that matches high school juniors and seniors with a mentor in the career they would like to pursue. Learn more about how Rotary inspired these two women and read Montanez' blog post on the five concerns facing professional women today.
Don’t miss a rare opportunity to celebrate Rotary with Pope Francis during the Jubilee of Rotarians in Rome, 30 April. This special Jubilee event, called on by Francis, is a commitment to serve with joy and in peace across the world. The registration deadline is 15 March. Learn more about the Jubilee
Clubs worldwide marked the 111th anniversary of the first Rotary club meeting this week by holding an event, hosting a fundraiser, or lighting a notable building. More than 70 clubs sent us photos of their events. See a selection of the photos, let us know how your club celebrated, and share your images on social media. See the gallery
The Rotary Peace Centers are Rotary’s long-term response to conflict resolution. By endorsing a Rotary Peace Fellow candidate, your club builds goodwill and cultural understanding. Watch how one applicant began her journey as a peace fellow and how a Rotary club helped her on the way.
The Rotary Peace Centers are Rotary’s long-term response to conflict resolution. By endorsing a Rotary Peace Fellow candidate, your club builds goodwill and cultural understanding. Watch how one applicant began her journey as a peace fellow and how a Rotary club helped her on the way.
Actress Sharon Stone joined experts from around the world at the Rotary World Peace Conference in California, USA. The two-day event was the first of five presidential conferences this year that will highlight Rotary’s commitment to promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education, and growing local economies. Read more about the peace conference and plan to attend one of the remaining four.
A celebration of The Rotary Foundation centennial in 2016-17 will officially kick off in May at the Rotary Convention in Korea. Incoming leaders are already planning to lead their districts in the celebration. They received encouragement from Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith during Rotary’s annual training event in San Diego. Watch a video about the centennial.
RI President-elect John F. Germ called on incoming district governors to promote Rotary’s good work as he unveiled the 2016-17 presidential theme, Rotary Serving Humanity, during Rotary’s annual training event for future leaders in San Diego, California, USA. Learn more about the theme and read reactions from district governors-elect.
Rotary is releasing $35 million in grants to support polio immunization activities and research in nine countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. The funds will build on last year’s historic achievement of stopping the transmission of the wild poliovirus in Nigeria and all of Africa. Read about the grants.
Susan Davis has received many honors for her work alleviating extreme poverty. But her most recent recognition, the Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award, holds a special place in her heart. Davis studied at Oxford University in 1980-81 as an Ambassadorial Scholar. Read more about Davis’s work.
Schoolchildren in India have desks to sit at. Women and children in Monrovia, Liberia, are being saved from AIDS. And poor women in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, are starting small businesses to provide for their families. When you give to The Rotary Foundation, you support projects like these all over the world. Discover how your gift to the Foundation does a world of good, and find out how easy it is to give.
Physically disabled people in Mexico often face discrimination and find it difficult to be productive members of society. Rotary members in Mexico and the United States have teamed up with Autonomy, Liberation Through Movement to provide vocational training, encouragement, and equipment.
In Montserrado and neighboring counties in Liberia, health care workers are learning techniques to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and improve their ability to diagnose and treat infected women. Learn more about the global grant project, and read a blog post from Marion Bunch, whose experience losing a son to AIDS prompted her to start a Rotarian Action Group.
Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and eight RI staff members bicycled in El Tour de Tucson on 21 November. Together, they raised more than $2.9 million for Rotary’s fight to eradicate polio. When matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the funds the team raised will total nearly $9 million. It’s not too late to contribute District Designated Funds to the team. Read more about the ride.
Chulalongkorn is unique among the six Rotary Peace Centers in packing intensive coursework and field studies into a three-month program aimed at professionals already working in fields related to peace. In its first decade, the center has graduated 355 peace fellows from 69 countries with certificates of professional development. Read more about Chulalongkorn and join a discussion on peace.
Rotary’s Global Women of Action discussed their projects during the annual Rotary Day at the UN in New York City on 7 November. These Rotarians have organized and led efforts that have improved the lives of thousands around the world. Read more about the Global Women of Action.
Through a series of global grants, the Rotary Club of San Nicolás de Los Garza in Nuevo Léon, Mexico, and Rotary members in Austin, Texas, USA, have been expanding free health care in rural communities in three Mexican states. Your gifts to The Rotary Foundation support projects like this one, which involves mobile health units. Read more
Celebrities like Emmy Award-winning actress Archie Panjabi and Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo joined health officials like Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, in celebrating recent progress in the fight to end polio during our World Polio Day update 23 October. You can still watch the update and help us end polio by supporting the Miles to End Polio team.
Rotary’s partnerships put books into the hands of children in Ecuador
Rotary and the United Nations have always enjoyed a special relationship. Rotarians were present at the chartering of the UN, and today, volunteer RI representatives serve as liaisons to a host of UN agencies and other international organizations. In Ecuador, connections between Rotary and the Organization of American States enhanced a literacy project that trains teachers to use technology in the classroom and also provides books for children.
Rotary General Secretary John Hewko and a team of staff members aim to raise $3.4 million for polio eradication by cycling 104 miles in El Tour de Tucson. Your district could earn a visit from Rotary International President-elect John Germ by contributing district designated funds (DDFs) to support the effort. Get thecontribution form and meet the team.
More than 6,000 people leave Syria every day, fleeing the civil war that has been raging there since 2011. Rotary members are working with our project partner, ShelterBox, to supply basic aid and supplies to those displaced by the fighting. Learn more about Rotary's response to the humanitarian crisis and how we work with partners.
Rotary and the international advocacy organization ONE joined other event partners in downtown Chicago last week to demonstrate a commitment to ending extreme poverty and inequality and to promoting action on climate change. The event, dubbed Under One Sky, took place on the eve of the United Nations launch of its Sustainable Development Goals, and was one of more than 150 held around the world. Read more about the Chicago Under One Sky event.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that it has officially removed Nigeria from the list of countries where polio is endemic. It’s been 14 months since a case of polio caused by the wild virus was reported there. That leaves only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where transmission of the virus has never been stopped. Read more about the WHO’s announcement.
Since graduating from the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Wendy Coulson Catalán has made her home in San Miguel de Allende, a small community in central Mexico. In honor of the International Day of Peace, which is Monday, 21 September, Catalán is joining local Rotary members in hosting a celebration that includes a rap tournament to reach youths, who are often left out of the city’s many cultural events. It’s just one way Rotary Peace Fellows are building peace. Read more and learn how you can support the Rotary Peace Centers.
Nigeria and the continent of Africa have gone a year without a polio case caused by wild poliovirus. But as significant as these accomplishments are, we have not yet reached our goal of a polio-free world. To mark World Polio Day, Rotary will host a streamed global status update on 23 October, sharing information about these recent milestones and focusing on the work that remains to be done.
Rotary Youth Exchange has been providing intercultural exchange opportunities for high school students since the 1920s. Students become cultural ambassadors for as long as a full academic year, while host families also build peace and international understanding. During a bus trip through the United States in July, Youth Exchange students told us how the program has changed their lives.
For more than a decade, Rotary clubs in the United States and Mexico have been investing in children’s education in Nayarit, providing scholarships, building libraries, and rehabbing school buildings. Carolina Gonzales Rivas, a scholarship recipient and now a Rotary member, talks about how Rotary has influenced her life.
The kindness and support of host families in Japan hooked Jennifer Jacobson on Rotary. A police constable in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada, Jacobson went on a Group Study Exchange and then was accepted into the three-month Rotary Peace Centers program at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. After that, she says, she knew she had to join. We recently asked members around the world to share their reasons for joining.
Tuesday marked a year since the continent of Africa has reported a new case of polio caused by the wild poliovirus. This is the longest the continent has ever gone without a case of polio and a critical step on the path toward a polio-free Africa. But continued support is critical before Africa can be certified polio-free.
Australian accountant Ian H.S. Riseley, a member of the Rotary Club of Sandringham, Victoria, was selected by the Nominating Committee and will become the president-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenges from other candidates. Riseley has been a member since 1978, and has served Rotary as treasurer, director, trustee, RI Board Executive Committee member, task force member, committee member and chair, and district governor.
August is Membership and New Club Development Month, which means it’s time to celebrate your Rotary club, its members, and the good you do in your community and around the world. Discover twelve ways to make the most of your membership.
Today marks one year since Nigeria last reported a polio case caused by wild poliovirus. The country is on the brink of eradicating the paralyzing disease. If no cases are reported in the coming weeks, the World Health Organization is expected to remove Nigeria from the list of countries where polio is endemic, leaving just two: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Students at the Shaftesbury Rodeo Academy in rural Queensland, Australia, know they have to attend school and complete their work if they want to take part in the weekly Friday night rodeo, eight seconds of heart-stopping bull-riding action. Through the school, Rotary members are providing basic academics and farming skills to Wakka Wakka Aboriginal children with troubled backgrounds.
As a member of Rotary, you’re part of a global network of community volunteers who are making a positive difference. The new Member Center gathers all of the many benefits and resources available to you, including Rotary Global Rewards, which features discounts on travel, hotels, dining, and entertainment.
Rotary is releasing $40.3 million in grants to support polio immunization activities in 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, the three countries where the disease has never been stopped. The funds come at a critical time and will build on gains Rotary and its partners have been making in the fight to eradicate polio. Nigeria, the last polio-endemic country in Africa, is approaching one year without a case of polio.
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