The
Highlighter
June 2011
Vol 84 No 12
Table of Contents
Change The World Through Fellowship
Roger Schulte
Rotary
was founded on FELLOWSHIP. It is through our relationships
with each other that we together become a humanitarian movement,
first in our own communities and later globally. As we cross borders
through physical travel or via instant communications, Rotarians
easily connect. We form friendships, participate in dialogue, and
personally engage with each other. Our common Rotary values and
visions for a better world bind us closely together.
In February of 2008 I traveled to India for two weeks, primarily to
participate in vaccinating children against Polio during a National
Immunization Day. I spent the first week working in a small impoverished
Muslim village of Chahalka, rehabbing a building into a technology
classroom and a day-care center. After the National Immunization Day, I
toured for a week in what is known as the Golden Triangle area of India,
visiting Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra. The highlight was photographing royal
Bengal tigers in the wild at the Ranthambhore National Wildlife Park in
Rajasthan.
Those two weeks, however, were not a solo
experience. I did all this with 54 Rotarians from 8 different countries
of the world. I was part of the "2008 Dream Team." During that time as
we carried low-fired bricks from one pile to another, painted a
classroom wall with a Rotary mural, dug trenches, showered in luke-cold
showers, dined on hair-raising curries, and consumed liters of Cobra
beer. We developed what will probably be life-long friendships.
Today we keep in touch through emails, visit in each other's homes,
gather together at Rotary International Conventions, and grieve with
family members when personal tragedy strikes.
It was
on this trip that I met Elias Thomas, a Rotarian who made a significant
impact on me. He was the organizer of the trip and the one with
the vision and international connections to provide us with the depth of
experiences we had during those two weeks.
Elias hails
from Acton Maine. He has been a Rotarian since 1978 and is currently a
member of the Rotary Club of South Berwick, Maine. His countless
international humanitarian projects include assisting orphanages and
hospitals in Romania; developing fresh water projects and establishing
school-based recycling and water conservation programs in Mexico; and
traveling to India every year since 2001, leading teams of Rotarians to
participate in National Immunization Days and in projects targeting
sanitation, fresh water, education, and child care in a number of very
poor Muslim villages.
Those actions tell about his
personal commitment to serving the poor. My two weeks with Elias
in India changed me. He introduced me to his personal love of Indian
culture. I came to learn of the importance of truly being open to both
understanding and experiencing different religious views and practices.
Through him I saw the beauty in their art, their colorful dress, and the
grandeur of the Taj Mahal.
I also saw poverty in its
worst forms, malnourished children with mucous-covered faces, outdoor
kitchens of clay pots warming mush-like gruel over dung paddy fires, the
stench of open sewers flowing past "homes" of canvas propped up on
sticks, and emaciated goats and cows roaming among the community for
nourishment among the garbage. Through all of this Elias literally
touched people – he comfortably communicated with all those with whom he
came into contact: wealthy Rotarians, the poorest of the poor, the state
health department heads, the uniformed wheelchair-bound teenager going
to the school sponsored by Rotary, the small 4 month old boy he held
whose legs were already starting to wither up because of the polio
virus, and the elders trying to convince him of the need for sanitation
blocks in their impoverished village. I will never forget the way he
turned around to help a crippled young man up the stairs at the Taj
Mahal.
I learned about living through Elias. About
being non-judgmental, about being responsive to others, about
compassion, about my lucky fate. His openness, his smile, his
purposeful listening, his song, his booming voice, and his warm embrace
endeared him to me. He has become one of my role models for
living.
Just two weeks on this trips developed many
world-wide friendships that will last a lifetime. I am indebted to
Elias for organizing it, for leading it, for living it. I experienced
firsthand how one individual can significantly change the world through
the FELLOWSHIP OF ROTARY. Thank you, Elias!
I wish all
of you the opportunity to meet my friend, Elias Thomas. So at my request
of Rotary President Ray Klinginsmith, Elias and his wife Jane will
attend our district conference June 9-12, 2011, in La Jolla, California.
He will serve in the official capacity as the "President's
Representative" and the unofficially capacity as our friend.
Group Study Exchange
June 9-11
June 11
Ontario's 17th Annual Inland Valley Street Rods Rally and Cruise
June 12
October 9
Centennial Hills 3rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Year-End Deadline for Rotary Foundation
Contributions
I have heard that many Rotarians and some Rotary Clubs who collect
and send in money to The Rotary Foundation on behalf of their members
wait until the end of the Rotary year to do so. While I've never
understood that concept, it is critical that the funds go into The
Rotary Foundation BEFORE the deadline of June 30 in order to be
accounted for in this Rotary year. Annual Program Fund giving is
WAY DOWN. Since 50% of what we collect in this Rotary year comes
back to our District three years to use in SHARE funds it is important
to make your contributions timely. These contributions are allocated for
Matching Grants, District Grants, our Ambassadorial Scholars and more.
If you haven't yet made your contribution to The Rotary Foundation -
please do so today! The forms are online at the District website.
Credit card contributions made online at www.rotary.org must be
authorized not later than June 30. Faxed contribution forms
(1-847-556-2139) must be received not later than June 30. Mailing forms
and checks must be postmarked no later than June 30.
The mailing address is:
The Rotary Foundation
14280 Collections Center Drive,
Chicago, Illinois 60693
Your Club President, Club Secretary and Club Foundation Chair all
have access to your club's Contribution Summary Report and can tell you
your account status and how far away you are from reaching the next Paul
Harris Fellow level. You may be closer than you think!
Questions? Need help? Contact your District TRF Annual Programs
Fund Co-Chairs: Greg Jones in California and Jim Cady in Nevada.
Bigger questions? Contact the Rotary Foundation's Contact Center
-a toll free call at 1-866-9ROTARY (1-866-976-8279).
Next month's theme
Membership & Extension
Click here for publishing guidelines.
[Editor's Note] We would like to have participation and contributions from members of your Interact Clubs. Please encourage them to contribute to The Highlighter. Interactors can receive The Highlighter by sending their names, club names, and email addresses to highlighter@district5300.org.
Good Fun On The Bayou: The 2011 RI
Convention
The
2011 RI Convention is all about fellowship and New Orleans is definitely
the place to "pass a good time," as they say. The Mighty
Mississippi didn't flood the streets of the Crescent City, but almost
20,000 Rotarians and their families from 151 countries certainly did.
RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee outlined his plans to emphasize
family, continuity, and change in the coming year. The 2011-12 RI
theme is Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. Convention attendees were
entertained by some of the city's best musicians. There were Workshops
and project booths on just about anything you can think of from how to
grow your club to how to do a water project. The RI recognized
Fellowships and Rotary Action Groups displayed their works proudly.
But this was by no means all work.
Laissez les bon
temps rouler! The Host Organization Committee, headed by District 6840
PDG Subhash Kulkarni (from Metairie Sunrise RC, the best club in New
Orleans and my former club) made sure the good times totally rocked.
They planned the traditional food fest, held this time at the Aquarium
of the Americas, the only aquarium with recipes below the each fish
tank, a French Quarter Dining Experience, and – best of all – the Host
Hospitality events. We were lucky enough to be invited to the fais
do do hosted by the clubs of Slidell, Slidell Northshore, Stennis and
Picayune on the Bayou Liberty, in Slidell, Louisiana, at the home of
Bill and Sharron Newton. Great food, including boiled crawfish,
shrimp, gumbo, etouffe, bread puddin', a great Cajun band to help work
off the calories, boat tours of the bayou, and fabulous fellowship.
Having lived in New Orleans for many years, we got to show off
this great region to folks from our district. PDG Gene Hernandez and his
wife Louise, joined us for a view of flood gates keeping the Mississippi
from flooding the city, a visit to Destrehan Plantation, and to The
Cabin Restaurant. PDG Gene learned how to spot alligators in the
bayou… from a safe distance. And DGE Doug Fowler joined us for
some great Cajun music and dancin' at Mulate's.
All of
us who attended the 2011 RI Convention in New Orleans left with our
brains, our bellies, and our hearts full.
Paint the Grass Green: Las Vegas Summerlin Rotarians at Work
Project
Though
the morning was cold and blustery, fortified with hot coffee and
muffins, armed with paint brushes, Las Vegas Summerlin Rotarians,
swarmed Wayne Bunker Family Park on this year's Rotarians At Work Day,
applying a fresh coat of paint to everything: horseshoe pitches, picnic
tables and benches, water fountains, children's playground equipment,
even trash cans. Helped by friends, family members, and the Palo
Verde Interact Club, if it didn't run away, we painted it.
The
Community Service Committee has been working with Lisa Campbell and
Harry Williams from the Las Vegas Neighborhood Planning Department, and
with Anthony Ruggiero from Councilman Stavros Anthony's office for the
past six months on the Rotarians at Work Day project, identifying a
local park that needed sprucing up.
The state and the
city are being forced to cut services. Non-essentials such as
removing graffiti and sprucing up our parks are being put on the back
burner. At the same time, more people are relying on the free
recreational facilities available in our neighborhoods.
The city was able to provide all supplies: paint, brushes, rags,
buckets, rakes. Las Vegas Summerlin Rotary provided the free
labor. Anthony Ruggiero was absolutely amazed at how much work the
30 or so of us were able to do in a brief but busy morning's work.
And after a morning painting everything but the roses red, we
gathered in the picnic pavilion, where Rotarian Joe Germain had
barbequed up a feast for a group of weary, hard-working Rotarians and
friends.
Good food, good fellowship, good service – the
best kind of Rotarians at Work Day project.
Montebello Rotarians Participate in Rotarians at
Work Day
Montebello
Rotarians converged upon the Sanchez Adobe this April 30 where they put
the club's motto, "Service Above Self," into action as they celebrated
Rotarians at Work Day.
Beginning in 2006, each year
thousands of Rotarians world-wide, on the same day, have participated in
a hands-on project in their community.
Montebello
Rotarians, Schurr and Montebello High School Interact students, and
other community volunteers fanned out canvassing the grounds of the
166-year-old adobe pulling weeds and raking leaves, removing overgrown
brush and other debris, washing windows and sweeping porches.
"Given the City's severe budget conditions, it's fortunate that civic
organizations such as the Montebello Rotary Club and the Montebello
Historical Society are able to step up and help by providing needed
materials, repair work and maintenance for the historic Sanchez Adobe,"
said Rotarian Bryan Stanek, who spearheaded the project on behalf of the
Rotary Club. "We appreciate the efforts of everyone who joined us
here today. They worked hard and did a great job."
Cook Hill Properties provided parts and supplies for a future water
drainage improvement project.
Lunch was
sponsored by the Montebello Housing Development Corporation.
Additional sponsors included Starbucks Montebello, Daily Brew, Brioche,
Alondra Hot Wings and BJ's Pizza.
"Montebello
Rotarians are proud to be a part of Rotarians at Work Day and thank
those from the community who have partnered with us today for the
preservation of this historical landmark," said Robert Monzon,
Montebello Rotary Club president.
In celebration of 100
years of Rotary International, Montebello Rotarians adopted the Sanchez
Adobe in 2005 as their centennial project. The club's goal is to
continue to enhance Montebello's oldest standing structure by improving
the grounds, courtyard, and interior of the historical landmark which
was built in 1845.
El Monte-South El Monte Rotary Help
Distribute Over 200,000 Pounds of Food
Over 4,300 people converged
upon El Monte High School when the school donated its cafeteria to the
Credit Union of Southern California for its 7th annual Southern
California's Helping Hands food distribution day.
In
partnership with the El Monte-South El Monte Rotary Club and Heart of
Compassion, over 550 volunteers, including students and staff from the
El Monte Union High School District, helped distribute more than 200,000
pounds of food.
"It was truly a remarkable day," said
assistant superintendent and Rotarian Tony Ortega. "The El Monte
Union High School District has much to be proud of. Students and
staff volunteered in great numbers and El Monte High School was a
wonderful host. I received many compliments about our campus and
our students."
"This was a great event that helped
many people in these difficult times. The credit union, Rotary
club, Heart of Compassion and volunteers are to be commended for their
efforts," said superintendent Nick Salerno. "We were extremely
pleased to see all of the student volunteers giving time to help the
community and their fellow human beings."
Even with the long lines, participants waited patiently to fill their
carts with food, household items, and clothing.
With audible "thank yous," a smile or a nod, volunteers who gave up
their Saturday morning could not help but came away with a sense of how
much this was appreciated by those who patiently wove their way past
each station.
"This is such a blessing," said one
participant. "My husband recently lost his job."
"On behalf of the Credit Union of Southern
California and Southern California's Helping Hands, I would like to
extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who helped with the food
distribution in El Monte," said Alissa Charlton of the Credit Union of
Southern California. "We set a new food distribution record by
serving over 4,300 people, distributing over 200,000 pounds of food! A
day like this could not have been possible without your generosity and
support."
"Before seeing the number of people in line
today, I never realized the need was so great in our community," said
one volunteer. "Some of us tend to forget how truly blessed we
are."
Group Study Exchange Team Arrives!
Hopefully,
many of you have already had the opportunity to meet our delightful
inbound GSE team from District 2450 (Egypt and Jordan). They
arrived in Las Vegas May 13, and will be traveling throughout the
District, starting in Nevada and ending in California West and at the
District Conference in La Jolla.
While here, they visit Rotary
Clubs and do presentations, participate in activities that show them our
social-cultural, agriculture, education, government and business
systems. They also live in the homes of Rotarians. Each of
them has customized vocational days where they see how their profession
is practiced in the United States. Many times they are scheduled
10-12 hour days to fit everything in! But it's not all work, work, work
and detailed itinerary. They are going to the Magic Castle,
Disneyland, a show in Las Vegas, to Red Rock Canyon, to family
barbeques, and to the beach. From us they learn what our lives are like
and share theirs. In particular, because of the civil unrest in
their immediate part of the world, it will be a chance for us to listen
and learn from them.
Many thanks to Adrienne Cox and
her team of regional coordinators: Rotary Foundation Alumni Greg Custer,
Russ Swain, Chuck Utgaard and DGN Sylvia Whitlock, as well as the
Rotarians who opened their homes as host families.
Meet
our outbound team at the District Conference on Saturday, June 11
(due to travel restrictions, our outbound team will travel in Spring
2012), and the inbound team:
Robert Srouji, Rotarian Team Leader, classification: paint and chemical
manufacturing,
Lina Karaoghlanianina, banker,
Lara Lahham, political analyst and interpreter,
Peter Shalabyhn, communications engineer,
Sahar Wahbeh, a special education teacher.
You can read more about our guests
and see their travel itinerary on the District website.
2011-12
Ambassadorial Scholars Selected
How exciting would it be to study
medicine in Peru, European managerial economics in Poland, public health
in the United Kingdom, or music in China? For four young Master's
degree students, those dreams are a step closer to becoming a reality.
Andrew Clement, (sponsored by Covina Rotary), Emily Fe Ediger (sponsored
by Azusa), Benjamin Yarbrough (sponsored by Upland), and Gregory Zahner
(sponsored by Claremont), have been selected as the next class of
District 5300 Ambassadorial Scholars. Their applications move forward to
The Rotary Foundation, which makes the final decisions on selected
candidates and their first choice of university for their course of
study. The two candidates from Las Vegas Rotary came in as first
and second alternates: Sarah Kokernot, who hopes to study international
relations in Colombia, and Sahar Zavareh, who hopes to study water
resources in the Netherlands.
The field this year was
particularly outstanding, with 17 very qualified applicants from
Alhambra, San Marino, Upland, Claremont, Claremont Sunrise, Green
Valley, South Pasadena, Las Vegas, Pasadena, and Rancho Cucamonga.
Thank you to these Rotary Clubs, which recruited such passionate
scholars and potential ambassadors. Congratulations to Christine
Carroll, Chairperson of the Ambassadorial Scholar Committee, and members
Chin-Ho Laio, Greg Jones, David Cabral, Patrick Carlton, and Mike Page
who spent many volunteer hours both in advance of and during the two-day
interview process.
The Ambassadorial Scholar
Program is funded from DDF – District Designated Funds – that come from
YOUR donations to the Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation three years
previous. Scholars live and study in a country of choice for two
years, and plan and implement a relevant community service project while
completing a Master's degree program.
Peace Scholars Applications Due
Sweden's University of
Uppsala has been added as a seventh peace center for the Peace Scholar
program. Application deadline for this institution and all others
is now July 15, 2011, for the district and August 15, 2011 for RI.
Contact Rotary International website for application details. I
can be contacted at jhfrey99@hotmail.com or (702) 458-7493 for more
information.
Applications should be sent directly to
me.
Jim Frey
District 5300 Chair
Peace Scholar Committee
You're Invited!
Governor Roger Schulte and First Lady Paulette cordially invite you
to the 2011 District Conference. It will be held in the incomparable
coastal community of La Jolla, California, June 9-12, 2011at the La
Jolla Marriott Hotel. The cool pacific climate, four star amenities, and
quiet ambiance make this an ideal conference location. Check into a
gorgeous, newly-refurbished hotel with a top-rated chef who studied
under the renowned Michael Mina, a staff that goes above and beyond
attending to our needs, and all the excitement that has been built in by
your creative conference committee. Please join us for one to three days
(or more) as we build unforgettable memories and lifelong friendships
with:
- A Golf Tournament at the private Morgan Run Golf Course on
Thursday
- The Friday Night Lobster Fest with all the trimmings hosted by
Upland Rotary
- A District Yearbook featuring club members and activities
- The Saturday Evening Prom, including a black tie dinner,
corsages and a live swing band
- A Sunday Graduation Brunch honoring presidents and their clubs
- A Classic Car Exposition
- An Ol' Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Mel's Diner for fun and
fellowship
- A Thursday Hands-on Community Service Project in appreciation of
San Diego
- The "Ditchers' Day" Billiard Tournament for those who like to
cut class
- Celebration of the Rotarian-of-the-Year from each club
- Free Time for guests/spouses to explore San Diego, browse the La
Jolla Village shops, play golf, enjoy the beach at La Jolla Cove and
visit San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park.
In addition to these back-to-school festivities, we will still
include all of Rotary's favorites, such as the Dan Stover Music Awards,
The Four-way Test Speech Contest, the Hensel Essay Contest, a reception
for Tarnished Brass, club-hosted hospitality rooms, and a pre-conference
Leadership Training Session.
This is truly YOUR PARTY!
The District Conference is held annually to celebrate District Rotarians
for their generosity, hard work and commitment to community and
worldwide projects. It is a celebration in honor of your club's
accomplishments and the extraordinary Rotarians in your club who go
above and beyond in service to others. Please bring your family and
friends and join us in support of your club, your president, and your
"Rotarian-of-the-Year." Stand with them and be honored for your own
commitment to the world's oldest and finest service organization.
Register TODAY and book you hotel rooms prior to May 15th for a
significantly reduced rate. Both can easily be done through the district
website: www.district5300.org.