Host and D5160 PR Chair Bill Randall interviews a panel of Rotary of Zone, District and Club Rotarian’s including: Rosemary Aragon Zone PR Coordinator, 5160 DGE Laura Day, DGN Steve Lack, Chief of Staff Vic Georgiou, PR Committee members, Edi Birsan and Joe Hackman. Topic was the current state of Rotary PR from RI to Zone to Districts to Clubs to Rotarians.
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Host Bill Randall interviews a panel of Rotary Foundation subject matter experts including Candy Pierce, Melanie Prole, Alex Glass, Gary Vilhauer, Judith Glass, and Dave Dacus. Support and production provided by Beth Randall and Joe Hackman.
Join host Bill Randall and a host of “younger” Rotarians as they explore what about Rotary appeals to the younger generations.
This is an article by Interactor Camile Debreczeny, it originally appeared in the Danville Patch. The image was taken by Steven “Shags” Shagrin.
Last week I fell in love with 150 people.
My heart now belongs to a group comprised of countless different races and religions, boys and girls, gay and straight, big and small, from Danville and Redding and everywhere in between. Specifically, they were the lucky few teens who had the honor of attending Camp Royal, a Rotary-sponsored leadership training program for upcoming high school seniors.
We met on Sunday as total strangers, but six days later we parted as lifelong friends. We have shared an experience that none of us will ever forget.
Not to worry, this isn’t another Jonestown; I haven’t joined some kind of creepy cult. But I have, in a way, been brainwashed – my brain has been washed clean of prejudices and inhibitions, and I feel completely changed for the better.
At the Bar 717 Ranch in Trinity County, a beautifully pristine place isolated from reality, the campers had the rare opportunity to forget everyday distractions and focus on “catching ourselves being ourselves.”
Chau Yoder, a small woman with a big heart, taught us to breathe deeply and practice “mindful living.” She reminded us that leadership is about compassion and respect.
Lain Hensley, a philanthropic mentor, guided us through bonding exercises in which we looked into each other’s eyes and ignored the superficial boundaries that so often separate people. We learned to say, “Tashi deley,” a Tibetan greeting that means:
“I honor the greatness in you. I honor the place where lives your courage, honor, love, hope and dreams.”
For me, the most powerful moments happened when we reached the Wall. What looked like an ordinary piece of wood became so much more when it took on the symbolism of our deepest fears and seemingly insuperable obstacles.
We each summoned the courage to approach that wall. Some of us shared stories that had never been told before. All of us hugged and cried. We physically lifted each and every person over the wall, embodying the hope and encouragement that everyone needs to help them face their challenges in life.
We opened up and trusted each other, and the results were simply unbelievable. I have never before witnessed that kind of selfless, unconditional love and support.
I know that it all sounds too cliché to be real. But I have never felt anything so real. It is so hard to explain in words to people who weren’t there, but I hope that I can lead by example. I know that I will carry what I learned at Camp Royal with me for the rest of my life.
I am forever grateful to Rotary District 5160 for sending me to Camp Royal and to the wonderful people I met there for inspiring me to be a stronger, more compassionate, and more genuine person.
The future of Rotary is here, today! Our high school Interact clubs foster our future Rotarians. Listen in as four local Interact officers discuss their clubs’ activities and projects with District 5160 Interact Chair Jim Cambier and Monte Vista HS Interact Rotarian advisor Beth Randall. Hear for yourself how our future will be in good hands with these bright and dedicated Interactors!
What’s harder, being the President of the USA or being the president of your local Rotary club? Well, discounting the various perks of the former, the two jobs can seem very similar. ”Herding cats and cutting compromises all while maintaining a positive spin and saving the world on a daily basis!” Listen in as the presidents of our 6 local Rotary clubs discuss the in’s and out’s of their year “in charge”, nominally at least, of these completely autonomous groups of independent thinkers and go-getters known as our local Rotary clubs.
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We are fortunate as Rotarians and Humanitarians to have played a significant role in the polio eradication efforts. The global health community including Rotary International and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation have committed over $630 Million dollars in recent years in an effort to eradicate polio from our planet. There are two events coming up this weekend that are likely to be of interest to Rotarians everywhere.
This Friday, January 28, 2011, ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer will report on an polio immunization trip last November to India. Trip participant and local Rotarian PDG Brad Howard notes that ABC has its own Global Health campaign website. So check your local listings, mark your calendars, set up those recorders, and tell all your friends and fellow Rotarians to watch.
To launch Bill Gates’ 3rd annual letter, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invites you to join a conversation about the extraordinary progress in the fight to eradicate polio and the enormous lifesaving potential of vaccines.
Thanks to a global childhood immunization effort, polio has been reduced by 99% and we are on the cusp of eradicating only the second disease in history. This presents a powerful case for the value of vaccines.
Unique Perspectives
Bill Gates will join global leaders to discuss what the past can teach us about protecting children around the world from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The event will be moderated by ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer, and speakers include:
Panelists will discuss why now is the time to rid the world of polio and ensure all children have access to lifesaving vaccines. No child deserves to face the threat of preventable disease, whether it’s polio, measles, or pneumonia.
To watch the live webcast, please visit www.gatesfoundation.org on Monday, January 31 at 9:30 a.m. ET. It will also be available on demand following the event.
Alamo Rotarian of the Year John Jones & Steve Polcyn, President 2010-2011
ALAMO, California – December 20, 2010 – John Jones has been named Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of Alamo.
“With this high award, Alamo Rotary is recognizing someone who best exemplifies the goals of Rotary through his or her consistent contributions, and in doing so has brought honor and respect to the Club,”
said Steven Polcyn, 2010-2011 Club president.
“John Jones exemplifies those goals,”
Mr. Polcyn said. Mr. Jones joined the Rotary Club of Alamo in January, 2009 and currently serves on its board of directors, is the Club’s public relations chair and is in the process of redesigning the Club’s website. He also was responsible for coordinating the 680 Corridor six Rotary Clubs float in the Danville Fourth of July parade. Mr. Jones was recently elected by the Club membership to serve as its vice president for 2011-2012 Club year beginning July 1, and will become Club president in 2012-2013. He also serves as a member of Rotary District 5160’s public relations committee.
“Since becoming a member, John has worked tirelessly on the Alamo Rotary Club projects and can be counted on to participate enthusiastically in fellowship as in fundraising or community projects which the Club sponsors,”
said Mr. Polcyn.
“John Jones is truly a Rotarian who lives the principles of Rotary’s Four Way Test which is . . . First: Is it the truth? Second: Is it fair to all concerned? Third: Will it build good will and better friendships? And, Fourth: Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Above all, he places “Service above self,” which is Rotary’s motto,”
Mr. Polcyn said. The Rotarian of the Year Award is an annual event for the Alamo Rotary is presented by each Club president during the Club’s Holiday party in December.
The Rotary Club of Alamo was founded on May 7, 1971 and has 50 members. The Club meets on Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. at Round Hill Country Club, 3169 Roundhill Road, Alamo.
We completed our very first RITV podcast today! District PR Chair Bill Randall did a great job picking David Behring, President of the Wheelchair Foundation, Area Governor and Member of the Danville Sycamore Valley Rotary clubs brain on all things Rotary.
If you would like to know what Rotary is all about, what Rotarians do, and why anybody would want to join Rotary, just listen to this conversation between these two local Rotarians: District PR Chair Bill Randall and District Assistant Govenor and Wheelchair Foundation President Dave Behring. Bill gets Dave talking all about Rotary and just sits back and lets Dave’s vast knowledge and eloquence roll! This is a real primer on the what’s and why’s of Rotary, the largest and most powerful non-profit service organization in the world! It’s all you need to know about Rotary and more to convince you to join up, or if you are already a Rotarian, to sign up for more and more service opportunities. Dave Behring embodies the heart and soul of Rotary! Listen in! Dave rules the airwaves!
The Rotary Foundation is the mechanism where all funding of the good work that Rotary does comes from. It is driven primarily by financial donations by Rotarians. These are often referred to as “Paul Harris” after the founder of Rotary. Here is an excerpt of the text of Rick’s November 3rd Foundation talk at the Alamo Rotary:
Many of you have heard Cliff Dochtorman or Rick King or members of our own Club talk about their Rotary experiences such as placing a drop of polio vaccine into the mouth of a child or helping a person become mobile with a wheel chair or seeing a person smile for the first time because of some surgery made possible by Rotary volunteers and our dollars.
These are experiences that changes lives – the life of the provider and the life of the recipient.
I am reminded of a thought by Helen Hayes who said:
“Always aim for achievement and forget about success.”
I guess in many ways that embodies the spirit of Rotary. For many years I have embraced the mission of Rotary and tried to do my part to enhance the vision. I have often thought of Helen Keller’s admonition that:
“The greatest tragedy in life is people who have sight but no vision.”
Many of us in Alamo Rotary have learned how valuable hope is to those who have little else. As we learn of opportunities for Service Above Self throughout the world, we learn to never deprive someone of hope for it may be all they have.
I don’t intend to put a damper on the Thanksgiving meal we will enjoy, but please consider there are millions of children and adults who go to sleep each night hungry because they do not have enough to eat. Perhaps we need to share more. We can take pride in knowing that as Rotarians, we are helping to alleviate hunger through projects funded as a part of our Health, Hunger and Humanity initiative. I am even more enthusiastic when Rotary participates with villagers to provide farming know how, equipment and supplies so they can grow their own food. We are showing these people how much we care and share.
We drink water everyday both because we like it and because our health experts tell us it is good for us. We bathe in it, use it to wash our cars, water our lawns, fill our pools, cook our food, wash our clothes and on and on. And, all we have to do is turn the faucet and pure water appears. But, as I have journeyed thru life I have learned that millions of people die each year from dysentery caused by polluted water. Many villages have no fresh water. They may have a stream, but it is used to bathe in, wash clothes in and to bail from to take water home for cooking and drinking. And, sanitary facilities may be located close by, further polluting this valuable resource. It is truly sad that 5,000 children in the world under age 5 die every day from unsafe water and poor sanitation. We can change that.
Long ago I also learned that Rotarians don’t know something can’t be done. They just do it. Many of you will remember that our Club partnered with Rotary International, as many other Clubs have done, and we provided funds to dig a well. And now at least one more village has fresh water. Richard Evans, a clergyman, noted:
“We can’t do everything for everyone everywhere, but we can do something for someone somewhere.”
We in our small Club can feel good knowing that at least one small village has fresh water. We can feel especially good knowing that we have saved the lives of perhaps hundreds of children and adults because we helped overcome the source of dysentery, which can be fatal.
What do you suppose we could do with a brick? Certainly not much with one brick. But, I got to thinking that at 75 cents per brick, I could provide 133 bricks with an annual $100 Paul Harris contribution. And, if my 133 bricks were added to the bricks provided by other Rotarians in our Club and other Clubs, we would very quickly have a huge pile of bricks and could build something really important like a health clinic. There are many locations throughout the world that have no healthcare available or if they do, it may be miles away and reachable only by foot or cart. Many of you will recall our great pride in providing incubators for babies in a small village with a rudimentary health clinic. Rotarians as part of the Health, Hunger and Humanity initiative are working to build and equip more health clinics throughout the world.
Before I leave the healthcare arena, please let me touch on one other activity that has provided meaning to my life and perhaps to yours. Earlier I mentioned a number of physical things that have added vitality to my life. I know many of you play golf, tennis, run, ski, etc.. We are participating because we have the good fortune to be mobile. What if we weren’t? How would it affect our lives? We answered that in our Club. Losing mobility – the freedom to move about – would be awful. We were challenged and responded by participating with Rotary and the Wheel Chair Foundation to provide a number of wheel chairs to children and adults throughout the world. What a thrill to see the pictures of smiling people no longer house bound.
Winfield Dunn, a politician, once observed:
“The happiest people I know are those who have learned to live beyond their own special interests by discovering the rewards that come from giving of themselves.”
The Rotary Foundation is not important. The opportunity to save and change lives throughout the world is. The Foundation is only the conduit for us to make a difference.
Now is the time for each of us to renew our commitment to Rotary and recognize our ability to make a difference in the lives of so many men, women and children throughout the world. Giving up a dinner or night out frees up a few more dollars for our good work.
In closing, let me note that I adopted Winston Churchill’s famous quote as my mantra long ago (perhaps you might embrace it as well):
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
