[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 839

[Garry Krischock]

 Messages In This Digest (6 Messages) 

1. 1590: US$1 million gift to fight polio eradication From: Sunil K
Zachariah 

2. 1591: Trustees refine Future Vision Plan From: Sunil K Zachariah 

3. 1592: RI Board approves new trustees From: Sunil K Zachariah 

4. 1593: November update on global financial markets From: Sunil K Zachariah


5. 1594: Too Many Straws From: Sunil K Zachariah 

6. 1595: Hundreds attend Rotary UN Day From: Sunil K Zachariah 

Messages 

1.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1509;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdWh1O
XJrBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
DkEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1590: US$1 million gift
to fight polio eradication 

Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:28 am (PST) 

US$1 million gift to fight polio eradication By Arnold R. Grahl
[ <http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/Taipei-Institute.jpg>
http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/Taipei-Institute.jpg]
[ <http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/hsu1.jpg>
http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/hsu1.jpg]
>From left: RI Director Jackson Hsieh; Past RI Vice President Gary Huang;
Trustee Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe; President D.K. Lee; Shui-Sen and
Pei-Tsen Hsu, with son Hung Ming Hsu; District Governor Chang-Hsien L.
Hsu; and RRCC Jason S.C. Hsu. Below: Shui-Sen and Pei-Tsen Hsu. Photo
courtesy of 2008 Rotary Institute
A 92-year-old Taiwanese Rotarian with more than 40 years service to his
club has been honored for his family's donation of more than $1
million to further Rotary's polio eradication efforts.

Shui-Sen Hsu, a member of the Rotary Club of Taipei Northwest, and his
wife, Pei-Tsen, were recognized for their contribution, made by the Hsu
Family Foundation, during the 2008 Rotary Institute for RI Zones 4B, 6B,
and 7B in Taipei on 18 October.

RI President Dong Kurn Lee and Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan
B. Majiyagbe presented Hsu and his wife with a crystal piece in
recognition of their contribution in support of Rotary's US$100
Million Challenge during the institute, held 17-19 October and attended
by more than 1,100 Rotarians from 16 Rotary countries and geographical
areas in Asia.

"Rotary is indeed fortunate to have the Hsu family among its strongest
supporters," Lee said after the ceremony. "Mr. Hsu's long service to
Rotary exemplifies Service Above Self. Their generous contribution
toward Rotary's ongoing efforts to eradicate polio is helping to Make
Dreams Real ."

Hsu has been a member of Taipei Northwest for 43 years, serving as
president in 1974-75. His son, Hung Ming, served as president of the
Rotary Club of Taipei Yenping in 1982-83.

Hsu's daughter Jane Hsiao, a pharmaceutical executive in Miami and
president of the Hsu Family Foundation, says that as far back as she can
remember, her father has been involved in Rotary.

"Every time he comes to visit me in the United States, he is always
asking for a place to do a make-up meeting," Hsiao says. "He never
misses an available meeting."

Hsiao, who launched the Hsu Family Foundation two years ago to support
advancement in the field of medicine, said the contribution came about
after discussions she had with District 3480 Governor Chang-Hsien L. Hsu
(no relation), a former classmate of hers. The polio donation seemed a
good way to honor her father, Hsaio says.

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary
 

2.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1510;_ylc=X3oDMTJxczNpb
WZsBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
TAEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1591: Trustees refine
Future Vision Plan 

 Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:31 am (PST) 

Trustees refine Future Vision Plan By Janis Young
[ <http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/hurricane4.jpg>
http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/hurricane4.jpg]
Rotary Foundation District Grants will retain much of the flexibility of
the current District Simplified Grants Program. Photo courtesy of Rotary
District 7020
At their October meeting, The Rotary Foundation Trustees took
significant steps to refine the Future Vision Plan
<
<http://www.rotary.org/en/aboutus/therotaryfoundation/FutureVision/Pages/rid
efault.aspx>
http://www.rotary.org/en/aboutus/therotaryfoundation/FutureVision/Pages\
/ridefault.aspx> before the pilot application period begins in January.
Reflecting the plan's goal of simplification and flexibility, their
decisions establish specific policies that fill in the broad outline of
the plan.

In the area of Rotary Foundation Global Grants, the Trustees set initial
policies designed to help clubs and districts work within the six areas
of focus. For example, the Trustees agreed that there will be no age
requirements for vocational training team members and that teams may be
made up of three or more members, with no maximum. In addition,
qualified past and current district governors and governors-elect may
serve as team leaders.

Policies for selecting global grant scholars will also be flexible.
Scholarships can be awarded for one to four years of graduate-level
study. Applicants must demonstrate either unconditional or conditional
acceptance to their chosen university. The Rotary Foundation will vet
each scholarship proposal before a formal application is submitted to
determine whether it fits within an area of focus. This process, which
will be used for all club- and district-developed global grant
applications, is designed to increase the acceptance rate of grant
applications.

To further simplify the grant-making process, the Foundation will accept
all club- and district-developed global grant applications throughout
the year. Under this system, for example, a scholarship application
showing proof of admission could be submitted months, not years, before
the term of study begins. The Foundation will assess each application
based on its support of the areas of focus. Additional assessments may
be required depending on the award amount or complexity of the project.
Only club- and district-developed global grants over US$100,000 will
require approval by the Trustees.

Rotary Foundation District Grants will retain much of the flexibility of
the current District Simplified Grants Program. Districts may receive
one district grant per Rotary year. Districts will be encouraged to
submit applications during the planning year for immediate payment at
the start of the program year; however, applications may be submitted
during either year. Within 12 months of receiving the grant, districts
must submit a final report to the Foundation listing the distribution of
the funds. As part of the qualification process, districts must also
report the use of all district grant funds to their clubs.

The application period for the pilot will begin immediately after the
2009 International Assembly in January and continue through 15 May.
Selected districts will be notified and announced to the Rotary world in
June

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

3.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1511;_ylc=X3oDMTJxNDEyc
Gx2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
TEEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1592: RI Board approves
new trustees 

Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:35 am (PST) 

RI Board approves new trustees

At its November meeting the RI Board approved President-elect John
Kenny's selection of four distinguished Rotarians to serve as Rotary
Foundation Trustees to begin serving 1 July 2009. They are:

* Wilfrid J. Wilkinson, Rotary Club of Trenton, Ontario, Canada *
Ashok Mahajan, Rotary Club of Mulund, India * Lynn Hammond, Rotary
Club of Loveland, Colorado, USA * Gustavo Gross, Rotary Club of El
Rímac, Lima, Peru (Note: Gross will serve the remainder of Trustee
K.R. Ravindran's term, 2009-10)

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

 4.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1512;_ylc=X3oDMTJxYTBlZ
G45BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
TIEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1593: November update
on global financial markets 

Tue Nov 18, 2008 3:37 am (PST) 

November update on global financial markets
Dear Rotarians,
The crisis in global financial markets continues and the value of
Rotary's investments has declined in line with the markets. The
performance of our funds for the first fiscal quarter ended 30 September
was as follows:

Rotary International

* General Fund: -9.4%

The Rotary Foundation

* Annual Programs Fund: -9.6% * Permanent Fund: -10.1% *
PolioPlus funds: 0.9%

Most of the losses to date are due to declines in the market prices of
the securities held (often referred to as unrealized losses*) and would
only be realized if the securities are sold. To date, this has not been
necessary. Given the global economic recession, it may be some time
before we can fully recover these losses. All money for the eradication
of polio is invested in U.S. Treasury securities and generates positive
returns.

Rotary's cash flows continue to be strong and have been sufficient
to pay for all operating and program expenses without having to sell
investment securities at a loss. Both the Rotary Foundation Trustees and
the RI Board of Directors made decisions at their recent board meetings
consistent with this year's budgets and plans. Additionally, they
are monitoring the financial reserves closely and took the following
actions:

At their October meeting, the Trustees restored the Foundation's
operating reserve to its minimum required level and requested staff to
prepare a contingency plan that includes options for reducing
expenditures, if necessary.

At its November meeting, the RI Board restored the investment earnings
reserve to its maximum level. This reserve covers operating expenses
during periods when investment earnings drop below budget. Additionally,
the RI Finance Committee identified several cost-cutting measures for
consideration when preparing the budget for fiscal 2009-10.

As noted in my communication of 29 September, Rotary's senior
leaders, the Financial Services staff, Rotary's investment
consultant, and I continue to closely monitor the financial markets. We
are taking all possible steps to ensure that Rotary remains financially
strong in this difficult economic environment.

Sincerely,

Ed Futa
General Secretary, Rotary International

For more information on unrealized gains and losses
< <http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/Financials/FAQ/Pages/ridefault.aspx>
http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/Financials/FAQ/Pages/ridefault.aspx>

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

5.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1513;_ylc=X3oDMTJxMWd0O
TFxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
TMEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1594: Too Many Straws 

Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:16 pm (PST) 


Too Many Straws

The Initial Check Dams

We all know that if you invite your friends to join you in your favorite
beverage and you give each of them a straw, the more that join you, the
quicker your favorite beverage is gone. The same thing is true with
bore holes and dug wells in an aquifer. While an aquifer has a recharge
capability, when the draw rate exceeds the recharge rate, the result is
to draw down the aquifer. As the aquifer recedes, wells go dry, plant
life changes, and crops dwindle. If the draw down is sustained for a
long enough period, the area becomes a desert.

This week, October 21, 2008, I had the privilege to visit the check dam
projects of the Rotary India Water Trust in the central Rajasthan region
of India. Here the Trust, in partnership with Rotary Clubs and other
donors, is building check dams on water courses designated by local
officials. As you drive through the region, you see India Mark II pumps
on well after well. Some look well used. Some look abandoned and
dusty. This was the dry season so the plant life looked dry and tired. 
The animals looked great in some areas and not well nourished in other
areas.

The first check dam we visited was the first dam the Trust had built. 
It is in a water course where a series of three dams had been
constructed. Before the check dams, the crops of the region had
dwindled from two per year to one per year and the yield had diminished.
After the dams' second year of operation, the depth of the water in
wells ceased retreating and the water level had risen. Crops had
increased to three plantings per year, each with an increase in yield of
double the previous single crop. The net result is a six times increase
in yield in the area. The pictures below shows the current status of
this initial effort.

The Lee Dam Inauguration

The inauguration of the dam had been carefully planned. The Trust and
villagers had hung welcome signs at the entrance to the region and at
the village.

The second site we visited was the newest of the Trust dams. On October
21, 2008, we had the honor of inaugurating the Lee Dam. RI President
D.K. Lee had laid the cornerstone of this dam in 2007 when he visited
the site. A year later the dam is complete and has gone through its
first rainy season. The importance of the first rainy season is that
the maximum aquifer recharge is achieved then (when the aquifer is at
its maximum depletion).

The inauguration ceremonies started with a greeting by the village
elders which included marking our foreheads and anointing the men with
colorful turbans and the ladies with scarves. The project staff from
the village introduced each of the guests and village elders. The
village elders made speeches then Past RI Director Sushil Gupta was
given the floor followed by myself. When all the initial formal
presentations were made, we hiked the one half mile up the water course
to the dam site.

The inauguration of the dam was an unveiling of the permanent plague on
the cornerstone that President Lee had set a year earlier. The pictures
below show that unveiling and dam site.

The first monsoon season had passed and the dam had filled. Note the
current water level. The Trust staff told us this was a normal response
to the first filling. The recharge of the aquifer rate is highest after
the first filling of the dam. Subsequent seasons produce a slower draw
down of the stored water. However, the stream bed which had previously
been absolutely dry had running water and pools in it (photo to the
right above).

Total management of the aquifer appears to be the only way to achieve
long term results. Sustainable water supplies are what we owe the
people we serve. There is a story about an African Chief who asked for
a bore hole so his villagers could have safe water. When the drilling
rig came to the village, they asked him where they should put the bore
hold. They first proposed placing it near his hut. He said no. They
then offered the school. Again he said no. They went through a couple
more logical options to which he also said no. They then asked where
they should put it. He showed them and commented that he already had
bore holes in each of the other places and they didn't work.

Just drilling a bore hole or digging a well serves as the beginning of a
relationship and obligation not the end of it. Our Rotarians should
feel obligated to make sure that the water source continues to deliver
safe water for at least five years. The obligation probably means
getting involved in the management of the areas water sources and their
utilization by the residents. By doing so, we decrease the rate of
child mortality and Make Dreams Real.

PDG Charles E. Clemmons

General Coordinator 2008-09

Water Resource Group

Rotary International

Source: PRID Sushil Gupta / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

6.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1514;_ylc=X3oDMTJxMzhhZ
2NtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE1M
TQEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIyNzA4MzY4MA--> 1595: Hundreds attend
Rotary UN Day 

Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:21 pm (PST) 

Hundreds attend Rotary UN Day By Jennifer Lee Atkin
[ <http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/UN_day2.jpg>
http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/UN_day2.jpg] 
[ <http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/UN_day.jpg>
http://www.rotary.org/SiteCollectionImages/News/UN_day.jpg]
Jenkins and Salil Shetty, director of the UN's Millennium Campaign, (at
top) welcome participants to Rotary UN Day. Bottom; RI President Dong
Kurn Lee meets Jonathan Olunga of Uganda, the 10,000th Gift of Life
patient. Rotary Images/Alyce Henson
More than 900 people, including Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors
from more than 44 countries, attended Rotary International Day at the
United Nations in New York City on 8 November.

The day featured panel discussions on water, literacy, health, and
hunger. Speakers came from within Rotary, the UN, and other partner
nongovernmental organizations, illustrating how organizations can work
together to tackle these challenging issues.

Speaking on one of the panels, Martin Silink, president of the
International Diabetes Federation < <http://www.idf.org/>
http://www.idf.org/> (IDF), said that
half of the 440,000 children with diabetes worldwide lack access to the
insulin they need to live.

Silink encouraged Rotarians to undertake diabetes projects and noted
that the UN passed a resolution in 2006 creating World Diabetes Day
< <http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/> http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/> ,
observed on 14 November.

C. Wayne Edwards, a past district governor and member of the Rotary Club
of Tallahassee, Florida, USA, described how he was inspired by his
diabetic wife to raise money for diabetes causes during his year as
governor. The result was a $106,000 project that, with help from IDF,
provided a diabetes camp for children and established seven clinics in
Bolivia.

Other highlights of the day included an address by Grace Agwaru of
Uganda, who in 1975 was the first heart surgery patient treated under
the Gift of Life < <http://www.giftoflifeinternational.org/>
http://www.giftoflifeinternational.org/> program, a
Rotarian-supported initiative.

"By saving my life, you have enabled me to reach out to so many
people in other communities and help them," said Agwaru, who works
for the Teso Foundation for Sustainable Development
< <http://www.teferd.humanitus.org/> http://www.teferd.humanitus.org/> .
Agwaru also introduced the 10,000th
Gift of Life patient, 11-year-old Jonathan Olunga of Uganda.

Some of the loudest applause of the day went to Anand Balachandran,
interagency coordinator of the World Health Organization, who cited the
effectiveness of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
< <http://www.polioeradication.org/> http://www.polioeradication.org/> by
contrasting today's four
remaining polio-endemic countries with the more than 125 that existed
when the initiative was launched in 1988.

"This work could not have happened without Rotary," Balachandran
said.
Projects in the spotlight
Other Rotary service projects spotlighted during the day included
Adopt-a-Village < <http://www.toadoptavillage.org/>
http://www.toadoptavillage.org/> , which addresses
health, hunger, and education needs in impoverished communities in
Africa; Reach Out and Read < <http://www.reachoutandread.org/>
http://www.reachoutandread.org/> , which
makes literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric care; Rotary Books
for the World < <http://www.rotarybooksfortheworld.org/>
http://www.rotarybooksfortheworld.org/> , which collects
and sends books to impoverished communities in southern Africa; and The
Seed Program < <http://www.seedquest.org/spi/default.htm>
http://www.seedquest.org/spi/default.htm> , which sends
vegetable seeds to people in the developing world and teaches them to
grow their own food.

First-time Rotary-UN Day attendees Thomas and Rosenia Devine of Emmaus,
Pennsylvania, said the day's program had given them many ideas to
take back to their club.

"Our club wants to do more international projects, so I was very
interested in learning more," said Rosenia, president of the Rotary
Club of Emmaus.

Peter Marshall, a member of the Rotary Club of Mineola-Garden City, New
York, said he has attended the event for the past 12 years but this
year's program "was even better than I expected."

"Every year, I come with an empty briefcase and leave with one
that's full of great ideas," Marshall added, showing a portfolio
stuffed with notes and brochures.

A youth program aimed at high school-age students ran concurrently
during the morning session.

Summing up the significance of the day, RI President-elect John Kenny
said: "If we look sensibly at the problems and work together toward
the solutions, our world will be better than it was before. All of us
are here today because we want to be the ones to work toward the
solutions."

H. Bradley Jenkins, RI's representative to the United Nations in New
York, was lead organizer of the event, along with alternate RI
representatives Sylvan M. Barnet Jr., Robert A. Coultas, William A.
Miller, and Helen B. Reisler.

Source: Rotary International News / Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://rotary9640.org/pipermail/d9640general_rotary9640.org/attachments/20081119/a601b988/attachment-0001.html