The
Highlighter
July 2010
Vol 84 No 1
Table of Contents
Building and Bridging
Roger Schulte
President
In looking at very successful businesses, organizations, schools, and government agencies, it is individuals who make the difference. Not governing boards, not policy manuals, not ad campaigns. The same is true for Rotary and Rotary clubs.
It was a single Rotarian, Tom Henderson of the Rotary Club of
Helston-Lizard in
It was a single Rotarian who gave us the Four-Way Test, a 24 word
code of conduct to help us guide our decisions. It was not a product of
a Rotary committee in
In 1992 Dr. Angelo Capozzi, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of
San Francisco, facilitated a surgical program in La Serena,
It was one of our own Rotarians who was instrumental in the admission
of women into Rotary and other business service organizations. In
1987-88 Dr. Sylvia Whitlock served as the first female president of a
Rotary club in the world. Previously she and a handful of other women
from the Rotary Club of Duarte rocked the status quo, forcing Rotary
International and then the courts to address the discrimination issue.
The case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, which in
May of 1987 ruled in favor of the lower court decisions which said that
Rotary could not discriminate based on race, gender, religion or ethnic
origin. We thank you, Sylvia, for your wisdom, perseverance, and
willingness to change the system.
With the above examples in mind, it will most likely be an individual
in your club who will initiate a new “bigger, better, bolder” activity
or take a current project to “bigger, better, bolder” heights this year.
I encourage boards and club membership to support these Rotarians and
their ideas and extraordinary efforts to Build Communities – Bridge
Continents.
July 4
Las Vegas West's It’s Vegas, Baby Contest
July 9-12
July 10
Centennial Hills Summer Fund Raiser
Group Study Exchange
Awards Presented to Clubs at the District Conference
Awards were presented to clubs for outstanding and exemplary performance in Membership, Public Relations, Club Administration, Foundation, Community Service, Youth Services, and International Service. Outstanding awards were presented in three categories for small, medium and large clubs.
Additional awards were made for attendance, membership growth and retention, as well as for club newsletters and websites. Click here to see the winners.
The Highlighter can be a great tool to Rotarize your members by
sharing other club and district news as well as ideas on how Rotary works
and the fellowship and networking opportunities it provides.
Looking ahead, each issue of The Highlighter follows the
Rotary International Training Calendar's monthly themes. This is a great
tool which allows editors to focus on Rotary topics. When planning to submit
articles, look ahead –
visit the calendar – and send your articles that support and enhance the
RI and District 5300’s theme of the month.
The deadline for submitting articles is the 15th of each month for the
next month’s issue.
Article should be between 150-450 words. Include the author’s name and a
working title
Photos should be in jpg format about 640 X 480 X 72 pixels for best web
viewing. Include the name of the photographer. If you have pictures of
children, you should also send a parental release to use their images on the
web. Pictures will be reduced in the layout but double clicking them will
open an enlarged image.
For 2009-10 club bulletin award criteria click here.
The
Secret of Success
The Rotary Club of Alhambra was pleased to be recognized as a multiple “Exemplary” Club at the District Conference, but, after all, many, many other clubs had the same experience and were justly recognized for their fine work.
Each “Exemplary” Club probably has its own secret formula for success (someone should publish that in book form!), but for those who are aiming for improved service success in 2010-11, Alhambra will give you the secret for free – it’s teams and teamwork!
So, really – it’s no secret at all – teams working together can accomplish more than an individual, striving on his or her own, for success. Many hands (like the Rotary hands decorating the conference dinner tables), working together, is a simple formula for success.
So young and old – or is that new and experienced – join together to lead a group of approximately 15 Rotarians to recruit new members, encourage team member attendance and participation, select weekly meeting speakers, perform all the weekly meeting duties, and, most importantly of all, to stimulate their team members to function as a team in meeting the needs of the local and world community – BUILDING COMMUNITIES/BRIDGING CONTINENTS!
You can make up your own list of team responsibilities – what’s most important to your club leadership – or you can contact us and we’ll send you our list, but what’s important is that your club members work together for service success and join the growing list of District 5300 “Exemplary” Clubs, at the La Jolla District Conference. Let’s shoot for 100%!
The Montebello Rotary Club played host to the city’s service club
members June 3 at the Rosemead Doubletree Hotel in celebration of the
56th annual All Service Club Banquet. The event honors all those
who help others in the community through their volunteer work in
During dinner, guests enjoyed the smooth sound of singer Sam Sparcio, affectionately referred to as “Sam Sinatra.”
Although a celebration recognizing the work and dedication of all service club members, each year a highlight of the event is the selection of one member as the All Service Club Person of the Year. This year that honor went to Kiwanian Robert Risher.
“I am proud to follow in my parents’ footsteps of service to the community,” he said.
“This evening is what
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the annual attendance awards. For the second year in a row, a long-standing tradition fell when the award for lowest attendance (based on percentage of club size) and winner of the infamous toilet seat award went to the Lions Club rather than the Rotarians. They will maintain custody of the seat for one year, passing it on to next year’s recipient. The Soroptimists went home with the best attendance trophy.
Each club president then gave a brief presentation highlighting his or her club’s accomplishments over the past year. Castro spoke of Rotary’s ongoing service projects especially the worldwide eradication of polio, health and education programs in our community and Mexico, as well as the club’s efforts, along with the Montebello Historical Society, to transform the Sanchez Adobe into a museum, historical resource for local schools and self-supporting venue for community and social events.
“I want to thank all of you who volunteer your time in service to our community,” said Castro. “The Rotary Club was proud to host tonight’s event.”
1st Annual Taste of Centennial Hills to Support Local Food Banks
Memorial Day weekend 2010 provided everyone in the
For the Centennial Hills Rotary Club it also allowed us, in a small
way, to positively impact the lives and well being of those in need in
our local community.
As a club, we have worked hard to help those in need in our
community. To that end, the Centennial Hills Rotary Club held its 1st
annual “Taste of Centennial Hills” festival on Saturday 5/29/10. This
festival included approximately 30 vendors, live music all day, games
for the children and we even had a visit from a Hook and Ladder company
of the Las Vegas Fire Department show up! During the day our club sold
almost 5,000 tickets and collected a small truck load of food. The food
and a large portion of the proceeds were donated to our local food bank
– Three Square – where the food and money will be put to use feeding our
neighbors. With a need as great as we have in
The Centennial Hills Rotary Club wants to thank everyone who exhibited at the event, supported the event and enjoyed the day with us. We hope to see everyone (along with friends and family) at the second annual “Taste of Centennial Hills” festival scheduled for next spring. And don’t miss the chance to join us at the 2nd Annual Centennial Hills Rotary Club Golf Tournament this October. Last year we raised a great deal of money in our 1st tournament for the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. This year, in addition to raising money for this very worthy cause, we are adding “Operation Home Front” as a recipient. This organization is dedicated to providing support to the families of our military men and women who are deployed.
For more details on either event, please contact the Centennial Hills Rotary Club or Hobie Hellerstein at 702-604-3919 or Mark Peko at 702-343-5146
Small
Dedicated Club Builds Home in Tecate
On May 15, over 100 Rotarians traveled to
When 2006/07 District Governor Christine Montan decided to challenge
all the clubs to build four houses in a day through the non-profit
Corazon,
President Sara Munshin and her Board of Directors decided go for the gusto and make it part of the 2009/10 club plan. A chili-cookoff fundraiser held in October provided most of the $7800 required for the materials and scholarship. Past President Dan Watson coordinated getting the volunteers organized.
On May 15, more than 30 members of the
Only
those who have participated in a project like this know the joy and
satisfaction that comes from a hands-on project. One of the first
timers said, “I want you to know I certainly ‘got’ a lot more than I was
able to give. The Alejandro family got a home. I got a
chance to put my own blessings in perspective.” Another first time
volunteer said, “My experience with the project has opened my heart and
mind in ways I could never have imagined. I feel so blessed from
our trip. At our arrival to the Alejandro family home, I saw the
little boy, shy and maybe even a bit scared. Well, at completion
of their new home, that little boy, perched in his loft, was the
happiest child on earth. I will remember and cherish that little
face full of joy and happiness for the rest of my life.”
From
donated fire engines to an artificial leg for a very special girl, the
Rotary Club of Apple Valley has been honored to maintain a sister-club
relationship with our counterparts in
A few years had passed since a project that gave Lupe a new leg and a
new chance to make a living for herself and her family, and in March a
small
District Governor Elect Doug Fowler, Apple Valley President-Elect Scott Nassif, along with Pat Orr and Jeff Dunn, left with anticipation in their hearts and $1000 in their pockets to help with any immediate needs they might come across. They were greeted with affection by dignitaries, Rotarians and citizens who remembered fondly the day we rode Apple Valley Fire District fire engines in their Independence Day parade, just four days after 9/11 in 2001.
Recognized for excellence in International Projects the 2010 District
5300 Conference last week in
Arcadia Rotarians welcomed past
Williams’ “Road to Rotary” began when as a teenager attending
“I never forgot the importance of that scholarship and how it helped me succeed,” said Williams. “When I graduated and became established in my career, I wanted to thank Rotary and pay it forward.”
Living and working in the Bay Area, Williams was impressed with the fine work being done by the Foster City Rotary Club and joined. He went on to become a Paul Harris Fellow. Named after the founder of Rotary International “as a way to show appreciation for contributions to The Rotary Foundation’s charitable and educational program,” this identifies the member as an advocate of the Foundation’s goals of world peace and international understanding.
In 2006-07, Williams was elected president of the club.
“As club president, we got involved with The Wheelchair Foundation, which distributes wheelchairs internationally to those who cannot afford them,” said Williams. “I quickly saw the joy this program brought to the recipients in remote parts of the world who would otherwise never have had the opportunity to be mobile.”
Williams has made at least nine trips to
“We manage to locate the needy, even in remote villages in
Williams credits his 84-year-old mother for instilling in him a passion for community service.
“She joined the Peace Corps many years ago and worked extensively in
According to Williams, Casa Rosada is a central location where locals can get medical care, clothes, food and transportation. It is funded by donations from sources including Rotary clubs, Interact clubs and Williams himself.
“With no ability to pay for services, locals sometimes leave bags of soybeans or corn in appreciation,” he said. “Casa Rosada has built eight schools, water projects and even provided uniforms for soccer teams. They also conduct clinics where some two hundred people come for care.”
“Paul Williams is a true Rotarian who influenced me to become the Rotarian that I am today,” said Arcadia Rotarian Eric Barter. “What he and his fellow Rotarians do at the Foster City Rotary Club is an inspiration to all other Rotary clubs around the world. We can all learn from them.”
“Paul has a true love of Rotary International and is indebted forever for that $1000 scholarship,” added club vice president Brad Miller. “This is a perfect example of the spirit of Rotary performed every day by caring people like Paul Williams and his mother.”
Williams works with Lincoln Property Company in the area of property management.
Just
one stop on a whirlwind tour through District 5300, the Rotary Club of
Apple Valley was proud to host the incoming GSE team from