HIGHLIGHTING THE WORLD OF ROTARY, DISTRICT ACTIVITIES, CLUB EVENTS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN
LEE MOTHERSHEAD, DISTRICT GOVERNOR
FOLLOWING OUR ROTARY DREAM DURING
A WONDERFUL YEAR OF SERVICE:
FOUNDATION FUNDING OVER GOAL … SPLENDID PROJECTS SUCCESSFUL … AND SPECIAL
HELP GOING TO KOSOVO REFUGEES!
(THANK YOU, LEE MOTHERSHEAD, FOR YOUR
GENTLE AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP…)
DISTRICT ROTARY VOLUNTEERS OFF TO KOSOVO JUNE 1ST:
Hands-on help from local Rotarians for struggling refugees
Monterey Park Rotarian Ron Brittan and his son, Rotaract member Mike Brittan, are traveling the first of this month to assist as Rotary Volunteers in Albanian and Macedonian refugee campus. Their specific mission is to provide registration and to establish a new camp on behalf of District 5300 Rotarians, and your emergency donations with funds and computer equipment are welcome.Rotary International is providing the airfare and living expenses for the Brittans under RI’s ‘Rotary Volunteers’ program. Our 5300 delegation needs dollars now for equipment and urgent supplies, and subsequent support for the District 5300-sponsored camp to be established in Albania. The Brittans will assist in the operation of two refugee camps established by the Tirana Rotary Club in Albania, and will help the Rotary Club of Skopje, Macedonia, in providing relief to camps there that are in deplorable condition. The Brittans found a great need for registration and family tracing services. Due to the chaotic conditions, 30,000 refugees in Macedonia, unknown numbers in Albania, never got registered, making it difficult for them to have the chance to go elsewhere. Mike and Ron are collecting PC’s and laptops, 486’s or better, and teaching local people to use the equipment, leaving it with them when the Brittans return to the U.S. They are taking some tracing software, and materials to provide parents with photo ID’s of their children to help locate them if they get separated. They need $5,000 now for immediate needs and approximately $30,000 over the next twelve months to support the District 5300 camp. Some of our clubs and individual members have already sent cash and computer equipment. Can you help?
Ron and Mike Brittan can best be reached by e-mail: RonBrittan@aol.com. They’d be happy to forward a copy of a daily Kosovo Fact Sheet that’s on-line, if you can’t find it. Send them your best wishes as they represent our district; send them cash and computers, if you can do so! DISTRICT PROUD OF SUCCESS, WITH MORE STILL TO COME Rosalie and Jim Andrews came from Cookeville, Tennessee, as RI president Jim Lacy’s personal representative at District 5300’s conference in Palm Springs a month ago. They returned most impressed with the quality of the conference, with the exceptionally strong support for the Rotary Foundation that’s a tradition of 5300 Rotarians, and with the enthusiastic programs that have succeeded this year across our wide-spread California and Nevada district. Jim Andrews wrote of the professional level of the Stover music contestants, the trivia contest, reports by Ambassadorial Scholars, and the highly successful RYLA program of our district. Governor Lee’s desire to ‘throw a party and hope a conference breaks out’ really worked.Lee Mothershead’s announcement that our district has met its goal of $400,000 in contributions to Rotary’s Foundation, and has reached $440,000 with some weeks still to go, is a proud record for every Rotarian in our clubs. The concept of ‘just 35c a day’ brought record numbers of gifts to the Foundation, with one club (San Marino) already at 100% participation and others close to this marvelous accomplishment. With a month to go, your own support is still welcome, of course.
Other solid accomplishments of our clubs were celebrated at the District Conference, but Rotary doesn’t stop with that meeting. You’ve just read of our Rotary Volunteers to Kosovo. Several clubs plan major fundraisers in June. Pasadena Rotary invites clubs in the district with a bit of extra time or funds to partner with them in another new project.
In Uruapan, in Mexico’s state of Michoacan south of Guadalajara, Pasadena Rotarians found an orphanage sheltering girls from infants through teen years. Much of their funding is earned by the teen girls, as there’s no permanent financial support base for the orphanage. There is a small bakery producing cookies, and a knitting shop with girl-powered machines producing mittens, scarves, and so forth, bringing income for the home while giving the girls skills to use as adults. The sisters that manage the orphanage want to add a fully equipped sewing machine to turn out high-end bedspreads and simple garments. Pasadena and Uruapan clubs want to provide the machines, but the shelter cannot be funded under a RI Matching Grant. Each of these projects, the shelter maintenance and the sewing machines, will cost approximately $20,000. Needless to say, Pasadena and Uruapan can’t do this alone. If your club has any leftover funds in this year’s budget, Pasadena Rotary would welcome you as a partner in this very worthwhile project. For more information, call Virgil Bryant (626-577-2106). The project is ready to go, with your help!
Hurricane Mitch is still bringing pain to the poorest people of Central America. District 5300 sent close to $4000 in Designated Funds to Distrito 4250’s gobernador Mario Valdes Amado in Guatemala City, for use in the most damaged areas in Honduras and Guatemala. Our district’s funds didn’t go for emergency relief, generously supplied by other agencies; we asked that our funding go for rebuilding the Maya farmers’ future by buying seeds, breeding animals, tools, and water-supply equipment that had been lost to the incredible and endless rains of late October 1998. Governor Valdes wrote his gratitude to Governor Mothershead last month, even if a bit confused by sex (addressed to ‘Mrs.’ Lee, but those gringo names are unclear) and spelling (lots of letters to remember in ‘Mothershead,’ and several in 5300 have left out a letter here or there this year). Rotarian Valdes says, ‘I would like, if you could share my thanks with the Rotary Clubs in your district, and with all the People that made possible this donation to be done. Our biggest gratitude and you can be sure that this help will be used in the best way, to help the damaged people of this disaster. A Warm Rotarian Hugh!’ We can feel the appreciation in those ‘hugh’ Rotary hugs from our compadres in service.
Claremont Rotary reached 100% attendance, an accomplishment noted with special pride by Claremont Rotarian John Ilsley, who faithfully keeps the district’s attendance records. But after 69 years of the usual Number One spot in district attendance, Ilsley’s club was nosed-out by Henderson Rotary. More than a third of the district clubs failed to file attendance reports in May. Ilsley comments ‘twould be jolly if club secretaries could FAX their reports to me on the 15th, but who’s perfect?’ He adds how to spot a true music lover: ‘he hears this beautiful soprano voice singing in the bathtub, and he puts his ear up to the keyhole.’ Onward with Rotary!
GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE
The Rotary year is nearly done, but there’s time to get in donations for Rotary Foundation and to help organizations and people at home and in our world community. Remember that many projects take longer than a year, so don’t decline a project just because it may not finish on time! The need never diminishes, so multiple Paul Harris Fellowships are definitely in order. Remember too the Permanent Fund, RI’s Endowment for the operating fund that keeps on giving forever. Though the actual donation to the Permanent Fund does not qualify for SHARE (that’s the 60% that comes back to the district three years after it’s given), the interest on your donation does, every year. And remember your mention of the Permanent Fund in your will makes you a Rotary Benefactor. Call Tim Siu (626-284-8439) or Conrad Von Bibra (626-441-2279) by June 30 for how!
Our 1999 District Conference was one for record books. Thanks to all who worked so hard at making it a success, especially Marge and Steve Garrett, who put in countless hours of dedicated work. Plenary sessions, meals, decorations, ambiance, entertainment, programs, all were superb. Another district’s governor was amazed at how many Rotarians attended the work sessions. In his district, members come to the conference but don’t stay for the sessions. I told him that 5300 is an unusual district. My colleague had to agree, especially when he heard we’ve reached and exceeded our goal of $400,000 in Foundation contributions. This is truly amazing for a district as varied and widespread as ours. Congratulations! We’re probably #1 in the U.S., certainly in the top ten worldwide for Foundation support. That 35c a day from many Rotarians really did it!
The outpouring of generosity in matching grants this year was inspiring. Feel the gratitude of the Guatemalan district governor reprinted elsewhere in this newsletter. Usually we don’t get to see the physical results of what our money does in other places, so the impact isn’t as great as home town projects, but those reports we get show Rotary is working. Our Rotary Volunteers leaving for Kosovo, Ron Brittan and his son from Monterey Park, deserve our support in their service far beyond self. I’m sure they will have interesting stories to report on their return. Godspeed!
Community service projects this year have been outstanding. From Santa Clothes to Happy Feet, good lessons as well as aid have come to needy youth in all parts of 5300. We have more Interact Clubs than Rotary Clubs, an outstanding tribute to our district’s belief in passing the spirit of volunteerism to the next generations. If children don’t learn service from us, they’re not going to pick it up, as we have seen in the lost concept of volunteering in the former Soviet bloc. They’re having a terrible time changing from a communistic way of life to the capitalistic way of earning a living. My guess is that many of the difficulties are due to a ‘me first’ attitude devoid of any sense of helping one another. A tour of our district shows the enormous impact one volunteer organization has on society. Multiply this of the many other charitable organizations in the Western world, and we see how volunteerism makes it possible for a substantial portion of the world’s population to exist. How many youth in the High Desert, the San Gabriel Valley, southern Nevada, would have died without Rotary’s help in our inoculation program? This is in our own back yard! Rotary does make a difference, a really big difference! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to better see what we’re doing together, and may God bless you in your service.
I’m a teacher by profession, so I can’t resist leaving you with a couple of pieces of advice. First, please answer Rotary inquiries and requests for information quickly. Sure, it’s tough to remember that the Interact form sent you in September is due April 1st (have you sent yours to RI?) I suggest club presidents and secretaries make a master calendar and post Rotary deadlines as you hear of them. Pay attention to the district calendar for annual events. Don’t let your high school students lose out on RYLA, as a few did this year, because you failed to follow the due dates!
The second bit of advice I’d recommend is that everyone follows Rotary’s directions! Some are confusing; if you don’t understand, please call someone in the district and ask for clarification. Rules and guidelines are there because they work. In many cases they’re vital for success. Again this year we had some irregularities in RYLA applications and in Dan Stover Music and Four-way Speech contests because Rotarians failed to follow directions. Please don’t guess; ask!
Lee Mothershead
THE DISTRICT’S GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE TO DENMARK returned smoothly mid-May, enthused about their visits to Lego Land, the Queen Mother’s summer castle (she wasn’t in), Hans Christen Anderson’s home, plus lots of cattle, pig, and mink farms, social services, factories, banks, and other businesses matched to the California and Nevada guests’ professional interests. ‘The people are wonderful, and the culture is great,’ their report says. ‘Everyone has a sense of being equal. Most people don’t lock their cars or homes; it was eight days before we saw a policeman, and that was when we visited the police station. But taxes are high. The tax on a new car is 205%. Danes say you buy one car for you, and two for the government.’
ALL ROTARIANS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND the Governor’s Breakfast and Installation Ceremony for Dr. Garbis Der Yeghian, our district governor for 1999-2000. The breakfast starts at 8:30 a.m., and the ceremony will conclude by ten. The honorary chairman and keynote speaker will be past district governor 1984-85, Myron Stolp. Professional vocalist Maral Parseghian will also perform for us. The ceremony will be held at the La Verne Community Center, 3680 D Street, La Verne, located directly behind city hall. The cost is only $10 for this special gathering. Please RSVP to Carla Sullivan, chairperson, by Wednesday, June 30. Your check may be sent to Carla Sullivan at Post Office Box 151, La Verne, 91750. Please make check payable to Rotary District 5300.
CARLO RAVIZZA, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT for 1999-2000, is keynote speaker at the Rotary Institute opening dinner on Thursday, September 2, 1999. The dinner will be held at the Hyatt Regency at One Market Place in San Diego, with a reception beginning at six, followed by dinner at seven. To hear our RI president, send a check for $44.50 per person, payable to: 1999 San Diego Rotary Institute. Checks should be mailed to the Rotary District Office, 1963 South Myrtle, Monrovia, California 91016. If you have questions, call Vivian Bradvica at 909-625-7746.
AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IS UNUSUAL IN ROTARY, but shocking charges have been leveled by the members of Pasadena Rotary against their president Sonia Lagomarsino, who will be ‘on trial’ (instead of a more traditional demotion) for ‘surplus of sappy singing,’ ‘waytoomuch weeping and wailing,’ and ‘impersonating a fairy godmother.’ All Pasadena Rotarians have been subpoenaed for jury duty at the impeachment of President Sonia, with a champagne reception and a ‘luncheon to impeach by.’ Our congratulations to Sonia for earning such an honor from her clubmates!
LOTS OF CLUBS HAVE GOLF TOURNAMENTS. WALNUT VALLEY does it differently. Working with the Athletes for Life Foundation, Walnut Valley Rotary will host its second annual Celebrity Golf Tournament and Youth Football Camp on June 24 and 25. Funds benefit a scholarship fund and the Rotary Foundation. Golf is at Sierra La Verne Country Club, beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, June 24, in La Verne. A celebrity participates with each foursome, including Olympians Dave Johnson and Al Joyner, NBA’s Tracey Murray, NFL Hall-of-Famers Willie Buchanan and Michael Haynes, KABC sportscaster Rob Fukazaki, and actor Samuel L. Jackson. It’s $300 a player, with a barbecue luncheon; lunch alone is $25. Meanwhile, the Youth Football Camp begins 8 a.m. Friday the 25th at Walnut High School, with NFL players and local coaches instructing on drills and plays while they share life-changing messages with students. Any local student may attend free of charge. It’s not too late for you to join, or even to help sponsor. Call Joe McManus at 909-861-4409, or Larry Tanouye at 626-915-224. Sam Jew at Walnut Valley Rotary is mighty proud of his club’s successful efforts last year, and welcomes your help in 1999.
THIS WEB-PAGE NEWSLETTER started twelve months ago, governor Lee Mothershead’s concept to save the district’s dollars for worthwhile projects while speeding and strengthening communications throughout District 5300. Praise (and readership) has been high. Four other districts worldwide joined us in pioneering electronic newsletters; many others have asked us how and have copied the concept. At the same time, tens of thousands of dollars previously budgeted for printing and postage have been saved, and issues have appeared on the net the first day of each month throughout the year, except for a two day delay one month with a pretty good excuse (the district’s webmaster Chris Datwyler was on safari in southern Africa, and couldn’t get a phone line for 48 hours but posted it on the 3rd from his laptop somewhere in the bush!) We hope future district governors will use this cheap and instant communications tool early in the 21st century. Money wasted on printing and stamps can be much better used in our many wonderful Rotary projects.