from the governor, tom riley… · tom and i have previously met over the past few years when...

Rotary District 5580 – October 2011 Newsletter - Issue No. 4

From the Governor, Tom Riley… October is Vocational Service Month in the Rotary Year, and October 24 marks World Polio Day. Both are meaningful for Rotarians around the world. So what is your club going to do to celebrate Vocational Service Month? And what are you going to do to emphasize polio eradication? Here are a few ideas from clubs around the District. Many clubs participate in Vocational Service. Superior Centennial Sunrise helps the Chamber and School District in sponsoring “Senior Projects” for its high school seniors, where they shadow and interview people who represent the careers they want to follow. It gets students to focus on vocations, and is a wonderful way for Rotarians to share their experiences with the next generation. The students then present the results of their project to a panel which is made up of Rotarians in the community. Little Falls, MN Rotary Club has had two successful applicants for Ambassadorial Scholarships in the last five years, and numerous clubs have sponsored GSE team members to Denmark, Sweden, Taiwan, and Japan over the last four years. All of these are examples of Vocational Service, since hosting GSE team members is much more than a cultural exchange. It is a meaningful vocational experience for team members. I remember a few years back when our Fargo Police Chief came to pick up Christina, a Swedish Police woman GSE member, at our house at 7 AM. Ann made a point of seeing them off, making sure that the neighbors were aware that the police car in the yard was NOT there to arrest me for some heinous crime! Our Canadian clubs are all participating in a pan-Canada effort to bring World Polio Day to the attention of Canadians. I am proud to say that the Jamestown, North Dakota club is sponsoring a “This Close Campaign” billboard on the hill coming into town. The President of the club, Doug Frohlich, is featured on the billboard, and there will be PSA’s and newspaper stories during the month explaining the billboard. Phil Talmage , President of the Baudette club, has some “End Polio” change boxes that they will be using in their club during the month of October. All that change is important, and every penny counts. At the Zone meetings in October, Rotary Foundation Trustee Sam Okudzetu announced that the Gates Polio Challenge had reached $190,000,000 of the $200,000,000 goal!

R O T A R Y D I S T R I C T 5 5 8 0

Issue No. 4 - October 2011

Tom Presents Gary Banker, President of the Superior Centennial Sunrise club, the banner

certifying that it is a 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club


We can be certain that we will surpass the goals of this campaign before the Bangkok International Convention. So, what is your club doing for Vocational Service month, and what is it doing to commemorate World Polio Day? Tell me and send what you are doing to my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TomRileyRotary5580 On September 27 I was able to deliver to President Gary Banker of The Rotary Club of Superior Centennial Sunrise, a club that is only 6 years old, its recognition banner from TRF as a Hundred Percent Paul Harris Fellow Club. This is the first of these banners that I have been able to present, although we have a number of clubs that are “This Close” to being hundred percent Paul Harris Fellows clubs. I hope I can present one more of these this year! In my visit to the Wadena Rotary Club I was truly impressed by the can-do attitude of the club and its board, led by President Gary Orcutt. It has been a year and a few months since the devastating tornado there. A new school complete with cutting edge technology and representing the best that educational research tells us about learning communities, is rising out of the prairie on the outskirts

of town. New trees, planted by Rotary, have replaced those blasted by the storm. The new Wadena is a miracle, one that you Rotarians have helped to make possible. Thank you! I want to conclude by saying that we cannot forget the people of Minot. Despite the outpouring of the last two months they still have many needs in the community. Please remember them and thanks for all you have already done there. One last place to remember--- Japan. The tsunami there has been devastating as well. We stand together as Rotarians to help there, either in the short or long-term. Please do what you can. Finally—remember that WE ARE THIS CLOSE TO ERADICATING POLIO. When we do, we will be a generation of Rotarians who will be remembered in history. The CDC would have managed this disease, as would WHO and UNESCO. We are the ones demanding eradication, and we will be remembered for that.

From Ann Riley….. During September Tom and I zigzagged across North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin visiting ten Rotary clubs as well as attending the Rotary Zone Institute for Zones 28 & 29 in Lombard, IL for five days. At the meeting we met up with Tom’s DG class from all the areas that take in these particular Zones. We attended many good meetings and it was particularly nice that I was able to connect with the DG spouses again to chat about this and that and share our Rotary travel stories. En route to various clubs we side tracked to see even more “World’s Largest” (WL) items – Wahpeton’s WL Catfish, the

Ann and Irma Allen, the 91 year old pianist ( and honorary Rotarian) for the Wadena Rotary Club


Fergus Falls WL Otter, then to add to our list while driving to Detroit Lakes we made a point of seeing the WL Turkey in Frazee, MN. Thanks to Tully Chambers of the Wahpeton Rotary Club, I was delighted to have the opportunity to sit inside the Wahpeton’s 1950 English double-decker bus. What a terrific effort the club has done over the past nine years to restore such a great bus. Who knows, maybe I even rode that bus in London at some time in my life!! Many signs for Historical Landmarks also caught our eye throughout our journey so, naturally, we veered off the beaten track to see just what these markers were. Again, more flip video and digital photos were taken of all these things. In one week it was fun to meet the father (a member of the Fergus Falls Noon club) and a brother (a member of the Breckenridge Club) of David Manning who is a member of the FM-AM Rotary Club – DG Tom’s club. Obviously, Rotary is a family affair for the Mannings! Grand Forks, ND was one of the closest Rotary clubs to Fargo so we were away from home just for a few hours that day. It was there that we met, so far at least, the youngest Rotary Club President, Haley Wamstad. I enjoyed seeing many of the Duluth/Harbortown Club dragon boat paddlers who Tom and I have previously met over the past few years when we’ve attended the Annual August Superior Dragon Boat Festival. Duluth/Harbortown is a very big player in this yearly fundraising event. Towards the latter part of our September travels we saw how Wadena, MN is still recovering from the 2010 tornado. For me, one of the highlights during our club visits was meeting Irma, who is Wadena Rotary club’s 91 year-old pianist! Wow....…can she ever “tinkle the ivories.” I could have listened to her playing the piano for much longer than for just the few songs we sang at the beginning of the club meeting. Good job, Irma! Thus far, we’ve been extremely fortunate with fabulous weather during our travels. The latter part of September Tom and I have enjoyed the brilliant colors of the fall foliage. I love this time of the year. Now, as we prepare for our October travels I’ve made sure that our snow scraper and emergency supplies are packed in the car, even though we hope, for at least a bit longer, to enjoy more wonderful weather. Hmmm… methinks I might just have to break into the emergency dark chocolate a tad earlier along the way! I’m having a fantastic time. As the McDonald’s saying goes…...I’m lovin’ it!

Bike Racks Help Make Fergus Falls Bike Friendly Matt Olsen secures his bicycle to one of the 12 new bike racks in Fergus Falls. This one is located at City Hall. Bike racks have been sprouting up all over Fergus Falls this summer. The new heavy-duty bike racks are part of an effort to encourage more bike riding for fun and good health. Several local groups have been promoting use of bicycles in the city, but were frustrated at the lack of safe secure bike racks. Sunrise Rotary and the Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau collaborated to raise the money and work with the City of Fergus Falls and an Active Living group to research the best places for bike racks and the safest design. Twelve locations were chosen for the first wave of bike racks. With both residents and visitors in mind, the bike racks let cyclists know that we are a bike-friendly community. Jean Bowman at the

Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering a bike rack hunt challenge. The first person to correctly enter 10 of the 12 bike rack locations on the CVB’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FergusFalls.MN) will win a $50 gift certificate to Central Lakes Cycle Shop.


ASK DIANE… October is Vocational Service Month. As Rotarians, most of us have a general idea of what Vocational Service is, but as I was looking at the RI Website recently, I came across a great document that really puts this into perspective. It is entitled, “Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions”, and it is one of the tools Rotarians have to access the high ethical standard that we expect from our members. I thought I would share it with you this month:

DECLARATION OF ROTARIANS IN BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS

As a Rotarian engaged in a business or profession, I am expected to:

1. CONSIDER my vocation to be another opportunity to serve; 2. BE FAITHFUL to the letter and to the spirit of the ethical codes of my vocation, to the laws of my country, and

to the moral standards of my community; 3. DO ALL in my power to dignify my vocation and to promote the highest ethical standards in my chosen vocation; 4. BE FAIR to my employer, employees, associates, competitors, customers, the public, and all those with whom I

have a business or professional relationship; 5. RECOGNIZE the honor and respect due to all occupations which are useful to society; 6. OFFER my vocational talents to provide opportunities for young people, to work for the relief of the special

needs of others, and to improve the quality of life in my community; 7. ADHERE to honesty in my advertising and in all representations to the public concerning my business or

profession; 8. NEITHER SEEK from nor grant to a fellow Rotarian a privilege or advantage not normally accorded others in a

business or professional relationship. This tool, along with Rotary’s 4-Way Test, is just another example of what makes Rotary such an excellent organization. Lots of other events are taking place in October, including interviews for GSE Team Leader/Team Member, World Polio Day (October 24), and I will also be traveling to Duluth to meet with our District Treasurer, DGE Don Cavalier and DGN Dave Smette, to begin work on the 2012-13 District Budget. Here are some deadlines that clubs will need to follow: October 31: Grant Applications must be submitted to the District Office for consideration at the November Grants Sub-committee Meeting. (Note: It is suggested that applications be submitted at least 10 days before the deadline so that the Grants Chair can review it. That way, if corrections are needed, they can be made and the application resubmitted by the October 31 deadline.) November 1: All proposed amendments to the District 5580 Bylaws, and proposed legislation for consideration at the next Council on Legislation Meeting are due in the District Office. In early November, I will be sending out information to all Clubs on two important matters. The first is a Request for Proposal to Host the 2014 District Conference, and the second will contain information and forms for nomination of District Governor for the year 2014-15. Be thinking about both! Thank you to all the clubs who have so graciously welcomed DG Tom Riley and Ann during his official Club Visits. They are half way through their visits and have had a wonderful time. Please do not hesitate to contact me any time I can be of help to you. It is always my privilege. ☺☺ Sharing Rotary, Diane Diane Collins, D5580 Admin. Secretary - Email: [email protected] - 218.568.6027


DISTRICT 5580 REPRESENTED AT ZONE 28 INSTITUTE

District 5580 is honored that PDG Dave Vose (right) was selected to serve as Aide to John Hewko (left), General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation, at the recently held Zone 28 Institute in Lombard, Illinois. John Hewko will be much more involved in shaping and guiding programs and activities in such areas as forming relationships with Non-Government organizations (NGO’s) and moving from the present structure of essentially separate support staffs for RI and TRF into a single, integrated staff with a

goal of significantly improving support services for members, clubs and districts. With regard to working more closely with NGO’s, John has already spent a full day with the staff of the Gates Foundation in Seattle, including a 1-1/2 hour meeting one-on-one with Bill Gates, Sr. He is also interested in improving communications both inside RI and externally. He has already retained a consulting firm to begin work on website development and is seeking a new communications editor. John is very interested in beginning to focus on sustainability of international service projects and on measuring more than just dollar amounts of cash or purchased materials in Rotary service activities throughout the world. John Hewko is an impressive individual with a unique background to bring to Rotary. A native of Michigan, he received his A.B. degree from Hamilton College in New York (State), M.Litt. from St. Anthony College of Oxford University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He spent years in law practice specializing in international corporate transactions in emerging markets with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie and served in Moscow, established a practice in Kiev, followed by about 6 years as managing partner in Prague. In 2004-2009, he served as Vice President of Operations of Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US Government Agency established to deliver US foreign assistance in a new and innovative way. During that period, he served as the principal United States negotiator for foreign assistance agreements with 26 countries in Africa, Asia, South America, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. In 2010-11, he served as a nonresident senior director at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. John also speaks Russian, Czech, Ukrainian, Spanish, Portuguese and English. His background will serve him well in his new position with Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

DISTRICT 5580 TRAINER, TIM KAMINSKI, ACCEPTS ZONE 28 POSITION District 5580 Trainer, Tim Kaminski, has accepted a position with the Zone 28 Rotary Public Image Coordinator (RPIC) Team. He has been assigned to Districts 5580, 5950, 5960 and 6250. Tim will be working with the D5580 Public Relations Committee and the other Districts in his charge to ensure they have all applied for the RI Public Relations Grants. Tim also will Chair the North Star Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) that will hold its first meeting in October.

OTHER ZONE NEWS: District 5580 Leaders attending the recent Zone Institute in Lombard, Illinois included DG Tom Riley and Ann, DGE Don Cavalier and Mary, DGN Dave Smette and Claudette, PDG Dave Vose, Trainer Tim Kaminski, and District Rotary Foundation Chair 2012-13, Roly Turner. PDG Tully Chambers also attended the Zone 28 Nominating Committee Meeting in Lombard, Illinois as the official representative for District 5580.


Women Rotarians Have Come a Long Way in a Short Time!

The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary. Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI President in 2000-1 told the delegates, “I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905”. The response to the decision was overwhelming. By 1990, the number of female Rotarians had skyrocketed to over 20,000. Twenty years after the Council of Legislation’s vote, Rotary has 187,967 female Rotarians and 63 served as District Governors. Women have served in leadership positions as high as RI Board of Directors and the Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. Current RI President Kalyan Banerjee announced last month that female Rotarians make up 16% of worldwide membership. Now let us take a look at District 5580 and see how well we have recognized the value of female Rotarians. If worldwide we are at 16% or 192,000 female Rotarians, how does our district stack up to those percentages? Currently, female Rotarians represent 25.8% of our district membership. That is significantly higher than the worldwide number, but I challenge you to examine where your individual club is with your gender mix. Currently, in District 5580 there are 9 clubs or 16% that have reached the worldwide percentage of 16%. There are 43% or 28 clubs in District that are higher than the 16% worldwide percent, but not as high as the overall District percent of 25.8% Eighteen clubs or 28% of our clubs are between 25% and 40% female members and 10 clubs higher than 40% female gender mix. Where is your club in the above numbers and percentages? I am proud to say I am a member of a Rotary Club that is in the highest bracket of women in District clubs. Central Lakes Rotary is made up of 43% female members. The women in our club are outstanding Rotarians. Many of them have served and currently serving in club leadership positions and several women from our membership are serving on District committees and other District positions. If your club is not considering the women professionals in your communities as new members, I sincerely think you are missing an opportunity for vibrant growth and future leadership in your club. Currently, District 5580 has 21 women serving their clubs as president. Serving Rotary, Larry Riggs D5580 Membership Chair Email: [email protected] 218.587.2199


Reserve your lodging for the District Conference by calling the Black Bear Lodge at 1.888.771.0777.

RESERVE YOUR LODGING BY MARCH 11, 2012 TO GET THE SPECIAL ROTARY RATE

OF $45/NIGHT!!!

(Be sure to tell them you are with the Rotary District Conference.)

Conference Dates: April 12-14, 2012

Sponsored by:

Rotary Club of Cloquet, MN

WHERE WILL YOU HAVE THE MOST FUN APRIL 12-14, 2012? IN CLOQUET, MN, OF COURSE! A great event awaits you – THE DISTRICT 5580 CONFERENCE – in Cloquet, MN. You won’t want to miss it! What will make this Conference outstanding?

• SPEAKERS. One of the outstanding keynote speakers will be Rotarian Ramesh Ferris, a polio survivor and organizer of Cycle to Walk Canada. In 2008 he hand-cycled 4400 miles across Canada to raise Polio awareness, and in 2010, released his first book, “Better than a Cure – One Man’s Journey to Free the World of Polio.”

• EVENTS. Always fun are the Ice Breaker (Thursday), Dinner and Silent Auction (Friday),

Keynote Luncheons (Friday/Saturday) and Gala Banquet (Saturday night). NEW THIS YEAR – BOWLING FOR POLIO! This year (Thursday afternoon), Cloquet Rotary Club will host a “Moonlight Bowling” party where teams can not only have fun, but there will be games, prizes and pizza, and bus transportation for only $25/person, with all proceeds benefiting PolioPlus. GET YOUR CLUB’S TEAM TOGETHER and join us for an awesome time! Spectators and Cheerleaders are welcome!

• PROGRAMS. You won’t want to miss the presentations by our Outbound (Brazil) and Inbound (Tasmania) Group Study Exchange (GSE) Teams. Our Youth Exchange Students always bring us to our feet, and there will be Interactive Breakout Sessions on several areas of Rotary Service.

• TOURS. There are some fun and interesting tours that will be offered this year. These include (Thursday) the Sappi Paper Mill in Cloquet or a day trip to Duluth (Friday) to tour Glensheen Mansion and Canal Park (includes lunch). Or, take in the Saturday Matinee Performance of “Steel Magnolias” performed by award-winning local talent at the County Seat theatre in Cloquet. Bus Transportation will be provided for all tours.

• REGISTRATION IS COMING SOON!!!


NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Wayne Hearn (847) 866-3386, or [email protected] Rotary helps foster peace, understanding through education A decade after 9/11, humanitarian service organization continues to train new generations of peace builders EVANSTON, Ill., USA (Sept. 6, 2011) – This September marks the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, tragic events that changed the world and add even more relevance to the United Nations’ annual International Day of Peace on Sept. 21. The occasion also highlights the importance of the peace-building work carried out by humanitarian groups like Rotary International. Rotary clubs always have embraced this call for peace at the grass-roots level by addressing the underlying causes of conflict and violence through thousands of community-based service projects around the world. “Since 1905, Rotary clubs have worked locally and internationally to make the world a better and more peaceful place one person, one family, one community at a time,” said William B. Boyd, chair of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Rotary also takes a direct approach to world understanding by providing future leaders with the tools they need to “wage peace” on the global stage with its innovative Rotary Peace Centers program. Launched in 2002, Rotary awards up to 110 full scholarships each year for master’s-level degrees or a professional certificate in peace and conflict studies at seven Rotary Peace Centers located at:

• Uppsala University, Sweden • University of Bradford, UK • University of Queensland, Australia • International Christian University, Japan • Universidad del Salvador, Argentina • Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA • Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, (an intensive, three-month course for mid-level professionals in

governments, non-governmental organizations, and international industry) “As more than 20 major conflicts are currently being waged this year alone, the world needs more peace makers skilled in the arts of conflict resolution,” said Boyd. “We now have 608 Rotary Peace fellow alumni who already are making a difference in key decision-making positions in governments and organizations around the world.” Those interested in the program can apply through local Rotary clubs. Applications for the 2013-14 class will be available for download from the Rotary website in January 2012, and are due to The Rotary Foundation by 1 July 2012. Qualified applicants must possess an undergraduate degree, have a minimum of three years of professional experience at international agencies, government and non-governmental organizations, businesses or academic institutions; and demonstrate a commitment to peace and international understanding through their volunteer, academic, and professional achievements.

ROTARY Rotary International | One Rotary Center | 1560 Sherman Avenue | Evanston, IL 60201 USA

Media Contact: +1 847 866-3134 e-mail: [email protected] www.rotary.org


Margaret Soo of Malaysia, who studied at the Rotary Center at International Christian University in Japan (2002-04), is now the chief operating officer of the University Foundation Office and group vice president of the Group Corporate Affairs office at UCSI University in Malaysia. “Many people have good intentions, but they do not have the specialized training needed to make a difference,” said Soo. “I think it is important to have professional training in this field. You should be able to say ‘I’m a peacekeeper’ the way you say ‘I’m a doctor’.” Other Rotary Peace Fellow alumni of note:

• Joseph DeVoir, USA, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at University of Queensland, 2009-2011. DeVoir is based in Palestine, working with the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute where he researches international aid trends and impacts.

• Myint Myint Shwe, Myanmar, earned his professional development certificate from Chulalongkorn

University in July 2008. She is a program coordinator of the Non-Formal Education Program of the Yangon Office at Save the Children UK in Yangon, Myanmar.

• Mahamoud Ahmed, Somalia, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at the University

of Bradford in 2008-10. He works for Action Aid International as program support coordinator for development in Hargeisa, Somalia. He also teaches several classes at the University of Hargeisa and the University of Admas.

• Jan Nemecek, Czech Republic, earned his master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at Universidad

del Salvador in 2002-04. He is a coordination officer for the United Nations Country Team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

• Gohar Gyulumyan, Armenia, earned her master’s degree at the Rotary Peace Center at Duke

University in 2007-09. She is the task team leader for the World Bank's Tax Project in Armenia and for its Statistical Capacity Building Project in Turkmenistan.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotary members in 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Rotary clubs have been serving communities worldwide for more than a century. The Rotary Foundation, under its new Future Vision plan, seeks to forge strategic partnerships with established organizations with expertise in any of Rotary’s six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and economic and community development. The foundation grants support major international projects with sustainable, high impact outcomes. For more information, visit www.rotary.org. For visual materials go to: http://rotary.org/mediacenter

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Phil Strom Duluth Rotary Club #25 International Service Project FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Sunrise Linguistic School Kambarka, Russia

Sept. 10, 2011, Izhevsk, The Udmurt Republic of Russia: We’ve arrived at this city of some 630,000, off the western slope of the Urals, following a 17 hour train ride from Moscow. We are an 8 person team of Rotarians and friends from Minnesota, led by Bob Sherman, International Service Committee Chair of Duluth Rotary Club 25. We are met at the train station by an enthusiastically welcoming delegation of Rotarians from the Kambarka Club, who will be our hosts for the next 5 days. The Kambarka Rotarians have provided a mini-bus to take us on the final leg of the journey to their small community. It is this small Rotary Club we have come to partner with on a project that we began to collaboratively support some 24 months ago. The Sunrise Linguistics School was posted on the RI website as a project looking for financial support, and a strategic alliance with the Kambarka Club. Bob Sherman was looking for a deserving international project that his International Service Committee and the Duluth Rotary Club could serve. His previous Russian experiences, dating as far back as 1974, as a foreign student at Moscow State University, and subsequently as a business professional, and his knowledge of Russia and its language, inspired Bob to make the initial trip to Kambarka to gather more information. (It was on this trip that Bob met Dasha Kostina, and her mother, Anna. That very special story is written as a supplement to this report). The financial support for the Sunrise Linguistic School project has broadened to include 6 Rotary clubs from District 5580, including: Duluth Rotary Club 25, the Harbortown and Skyline Clubs of Duluth, Superior Sunrise Club of Superior WI, as well as two of the Thunder Bay and Nipigon clubs of Ontario, Canada. The Hopkins, MN Rotary Club added their financial support, and Rotarians from Washington DC and Tooele, Utah wrote personal checks to support the project. (Tooele has a “Sister City” relationship with Kambarka, as both communities are home to chemical weapons decommissioning operational sites in their respective home countries). The total budget for the start-up costs and the initial year operating expense of the school is $62,550. Coupled with the funding from the above sources, a significant “District Designated Grant” awarded from D-5580 in 2010 puts us within $9,000 of reaching the funding goal. Sept. 11 - 14, Kambarka: Our team members have each settled in with our gracious Rotary hosts and their spouses. We would learn over the next few days much about Russian hospitality. The sumptuous banquets prepared in Rotarian homes, along with convivial liquid refreshments, were spread out on heavily laden tables each evening. The work to be completed at the school has been carefully planned and arranged by the Kambarka Club, and our team is enthusiastically engaged in helping to complete the handicapped accessibility ramps, hauling and assembling furniture for the classroom, and assisting with the additional planning necessary to complete the project. A newly designed toilet for people with disabilities will be constructed in the coming weeks, enabled by a separate DSG grant from D-5580. Our expedition is not only about work, however. This seven year-old club of only 10 members has methodically plotted our daily activities in addition to our work at the school. The service projects they have completed for their community dramatically exceed what might be expected of a small Rotary Club with somewhat limited resources. They continue to support another local school, managed by one of their energetic members. It serves handicapped kids in their community. Additionally they have furnished the recreation room of a geriatric home in a nearby town. Kambarka Rotarian Anna Khramova is the initiator, the Director, and the heart and soul of the Sunrise Linguistic School, and it is with her vision and leadership that the school has now advanced from a borrowed room to its’ new more permanent leased classroom space within a local technical college.


On Wednesday, Sept. 14, we gather at the school for a formal ribbon cutting, and to welcome the students for their first class in the new facility. The current enrollment is 20 enthusiastic students who are grouped in two classes; beginning English, and a more advanced proficiency level. Forward enrollment indicates that there will be some 40 students attending in the near future. We are impressed with the energy and professionalism of the two English teachers charged with the language education, and are confident in the success of the school. The future bodes well for the young people that will complete their course work here, as a supplement to their traditional public school education. Their potential in the work place, as well as the prospects open to them for post-secondary educational opportunities will be substantially expanded because of their proficiency in English as a second language, in an ever more sophisticated Russian economy. Sept. 15, Izhevsk: This morning we bid goodbye to those of our new Kambarka Rotarian friends that would not be accompanying our team on its first leg toward home. We cannot adequately express our gratitude for the warmth, hospitality and kindness that these good folks have shown us in their community and in their homes. We once again board the mini-bus, and after a stop to visit the Tchaikovsky museum in his birth town we continue to Izhevsk, where we will board the train to Moscow. We are met there by two young professional women who represent a small group of people intent on starting a Rotary Club in their city. We invite them to lunch, and share some of the Rotary experience and advice as to what steps they might take in their pursuit. We encourage them to continue to meet as a group, and add additional members and define their mission, until they’ve formed enough members to request a charter. We now must say our final goodbyes to our hosts. We know that our new Russian friends and counterparts will live in our memories and in our hearts. This evolving club to club relationship has been a very fulfilling International Service adventure, epitomizing the values held dear by Rotarians throughout the world. At the end of a 17 hour train ride back to Moscow, we check into our hotel, and then meet for a convivial dinner with a delegation from the Moscow East Rotary Club, as well as their District Governor. Two days of playing tourist in the busy Russian Capital City concludes our in-country experience as a team. Two of our members proceed to St. Petersburg, and will end their trip in Tallinn, Estonia, reuniting with friends from previous international service projects. Two others of our team stay on in Moscow for several days, working to form collaborative relationships for further service projects with Russian universities in Moscow.

Rotarians/Friends at Kambarka School Students at Kambarka School


BRAINERD ROTARIANS “THINK POSITIVE” WITH A POSITIVE CHARGE PROJECT.

Positive-thinking Rotary Club members must have believed their A Positive Charge change campaign would receive honors.

The program that allowed community members, through black and white photos, to express what they love about the Brainerd lakes area was honored last Saturday at the State Fair for efforts

to improve neighborhoods and towns. Brainerd’s campaign was honored as Best of the Minnesota Community Pride Showcase and the club received $500.

The photos were created into signs with sayings that included, “A Great Place To Work, an even Better Place to Play,” “Brainerd ... All Seasons, Absolutely Beautiful,” “There’s No Place Like Home” and “Hunting Paradise.” The signs, created by residents in Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Pillager, Pequot Lakes, Merrifield, Crosby and Crosslake, hung on window displays at businesses, offices, churches, schools and other places.

Debby Erickson, Rotary Club’s public relations director, said being honored at the state fair was not only exciting, but it gave the club one more way to reach out to more communities spreading the word about how beneficial the campaign was to the people in the community. Erickson said the feedback the Rotary Club received at the state fair, as well as at home was, well, positive. Erickson said a few people in the lakes area thought it was “cool to see their picture or a picture of someone they knew ... and finding the photos (in the community) was part of a game.”

At the state fair, club members wore A Positive Charge T-shirts, and people asked members what the campaign was all about. “There were interested people who liked the concept and wanted to implement it in their own community,” said Erickson. “It was interesting to hear the feedback.”

Erickson said Labor Day was the end of the campaign, but people may leave the signs up if they want to. Erickson said even though the campaign was a success, the club does not plan to make it an annual event. “We thought of this as a one-time deal,” said Erickson. “We’d like to put it on the shelf for a few years and then try it again ... It was a one-time shot to generate some interest and see how far it’d go. This took a lot of volunteers and effort and everyone stepped up to help.”

There were more than 1,000 people who took part in the campaign and about 340 signs made, as many people were photographed in groups and others as individuals. The club, partnering with RedHouseMedia in the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd, made 1,600 prints that were displayed in the lakes area. There also was a billboard in Brainerd that displayed four different signs over the summer.

Past President of Brainerd Rotary Club, Theresa Goble, shares information about Positive Charge at the MN State Fair.


Ron Morris of Brainerd posed individually on A Positive Charge sign. Morris’ sign read, “Living on the Mississippi,” which is something he loves about living in Brainerd. He also had signs on display at his business at Insty Prints in Brainerd. Morris said his wife Millie also did a sign with their grandbaby Mila that read, “Nurturing Community + Good Genes Equals Cute Local Babies.” Morris said he and his wife had to laugh as her sign had nurturing spelled wrong as it was missing the first “r.” “It looked more like neutering, than nurturing,” Morris said with a laugh. “No one noticed it right away and someone said it was spelled wrong after awhile. We were a little

embarrassed, but it was kind of neat because people were so impressed with the whole project with the people and the sayings in the signs that people didn’t notice the smaller details.” Morris said the campaign was positive as people thanked him for putting up the signs and people were interested in seeing the signs around town.

Marc Halverson of Brainerd Floral Gift and Bridal and Mark Dockendorf of Cash Wise Liquor in Brainerd and Baxter said both businesses had A Positive Charge signs, as well as a DVD that ran a slide of all the photographs that were created. Halverson, also a Rotarian, said in today’s economic times where finances are tight and people are talking about the high unemployment rate, taxes and discussing the upcoming school referendum, having the positive campaign this summer gave people something to smile about. “Even though we’re facing tough times, they smile and that’s the biggest thing for me,” said Halverson. “A lot of people put this together despite all the bad things going on. It’s nice to see.”

Halverson said that customers saw the signs and some would agree with the saying, such as “Yes, this is a good fishing mecca.” Halverson said he also had fun seeing the other signs around town and finding people he knew. …Article compliments of Jennifer Stockinger, Brainerd Dispatch

AN UPDATE ON PDG AJOY CHATTERJEE

Thank you, Rotarians, for your continuing concern for PDG Ajoy Chatterjee. I received the following information this week from Joan Krisko, Secretary of the Thunder Bay (Fort William) Rotary Club. Ajoy continues to make improvement physically, and is able to use a walker and transfer himself to and from his wheelchair. He is even beginning to manage a few stairs. He has been able to come home for a few hours at a time (which made him very happy), and he will be coming home in about a month on a permanent basis, where he will continue his physical therapy treatments. He is still unable to speak at

this time, but does communicate through his expressions and hand squeezes. Hannelore will now be looking into various renovations that will need to be made at their home for such things as a wheelchair ramp and stair lift. We know Ajoy will love being at home again in a setting that provides comfort and familiarity, but please continue to keep both of them in your thoughts and prayers during the weeks and months ahead. There will be significant changes in routine, and many new challenges will lie ahead. Ajoy is blessed with a supportive and loving spouse, family, and of course, all of his Rotary friends. If you would like to email Ajoy, you can do so at: [email protected]. Hannelore will read it to him. Cards can be sent to him at: 205 Huntsmen Court, Thunder Bay, ON P7G 1K2 – CAN. Diane Collins Administrative Secretary Rotary District 5580


2012 Rotary International Convention Bangkok, Thailand. May 6-9, 2012

Savat-di-khap! Welcome to Bangkok The Land of A Thousand Smiles

Why Attend the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand: Eleven Smiling Reasons –

1. The Best Value for your Money— The lowest registration fee ever: $160/- per person. 2. Participate in the worldwide gathering of the Rotary family. 3. Celebrate the fellowship of Rotary-meet, make and keep friends with Rotarians from all

over the world. 4. Inspiring speakers, spectacular entertainment, helpful workshops. 5. Take an elephant ride and visit the Bridge on the river Kwai. 6. Experience Thailand’s dazzling variety of culture, pristine landscapes, culinary art,

exotic food, wealth of shopping, and a time-honored tradition of genuine Thai hospitality 7. Take a moonlight cruise on the River of Kings. 8. Visit Angkor Vat in neighboring Cambodia---the site where “Raiders of the Lost Ark” was filmed. 9. Visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India on the way back from Bangkok.

10. An opportunity-of-a-lifetime awaits you to experience the time- of- your- life. 11. Cherish the memories for years to come.

Register before December 1, 2011 for only $160.00/person.

www.rotary.org/convention

WATCH FOR ADDITIONAL D5580 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION PACKAGES IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF “CROSS CURRENTS.”

Port Arthur Rotary Club inducts two new members – shown left picture - centre Michael Nitz - 1st Vice Chair of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, between Club Pres Kevin Holloway and Johnny DeBakker; …and right - Jim Madder –President of Confederation College …welcome Rotarians!


The Grand Forks A.M. Club collected 240 pairs of pajamas to be donated to several shelters for abused women across the state of ND and in MN. On September 12, the club hosted a social event along with the Grand Forks Country Club and a grant from the GF Foundation Women’s Fund. The invited guests were asked to bring a new pair of pajamas for abused women seeking shelter. Hors de oeuvres were served and a silent auction took place with proceeds going towards the purchase of more pajamas to serve more women.

A second meeting was held, because there was more work to be done. Rotarians gathered to place pajamas in bags with tags that read “There are lots of people you’ve never even met who are all pulling for you.”

The Grand Forks club has followed the lead of Kelly Sargent from the Rotary Club in Des Moines, IA (see Rotarian, June 2010) and this is the second year that they have hosted “Helen’s Pajama Party” named after Sargent’s mother who was a victim of domestic abuse. Most women fleeing violence and seeking shelter, arrive with only the clothes they are wearing. New pajamas and a thoughtful message hopefully bring them comfort. In this second year, contributions have grown substantially and the hope is to continue and to grow even more in years to come. If other clubs are interested in hosting their own “Helen’s Pajama Party”, please contact the Grand Forks A.M. club and they would be happy to help other clubs get started with a pajama project of their own.

D5580 Monthly Attendance ReportAugust 2011

CLUB NAME

Member Count July 2011

Member Count August

Gain or Loss August

YTD Gain or Loss

YTD Gain or Loss %

August Att. %

YTD Att. %

Meetings Held August

Aitkin 28 28 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 4Ashland 26 24 0 -2 -7.69% 79.00% 70.00% 5Bagley 20 21 1 1 5.00% 0.00% 39.00% 5Baudette 14 15 1 1 7.14% 59.00% 72.50% 4Bemidji 112 114 3 2 1.79% 50.82% 56.48% 5Bemidji Sunrise 22 22 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0Bismarck 101 100 1 -1 -0.99% 50.80% 49.40% 5Bismarck Far West 29 30 1 1 3.45% 67.00% 33.50% 5Bowman 30 30 0 0 0.00% 57.00% 55.00% 4Brainerd 111 111 0 0 0.00% 61.00% 54.50% 5Brainerd Lakes Sunrise 26 25 0 -1 -3.85% 75.00% 87.50% 5Breckenridge 19 18 0 -1 -5.26% 60.00% 73.50% 4Central Lakes 20 21 0 1 5.00% 87.00% 87.00% 5Cloquet 32 31 -1 -1 -3.13% 69.23% 67.04% 5Crookston 31 32 0 1 3.23% 50.00% 48.00% 5Detroit Lakes Breakfast 69 68 3 -1 -1.45% 84.04% 80.19% 5Detroit Lakes Noon 91 93 1 2 2.20% 72.05% 69.70% 4Devils Lake 63 67 2 4 6.35% 44.00% 43.50% 4Dickinson 95 98 3 3 3.16% 0.00% 25.80% 5Duluth 224 225 0 1 0.45% 73.75% 73.01% 4Duluth Harbortown 79 79 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 30.94% 4Duluth Skyline 53 53 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0Duluth Superior Eco 49 42 0 -7 -14.29% 51.79% 54.77% 4East Grand Forks 15 14 -1 -1 -6.67% 30.00% 27.50% 5East Range Rotary 11 11 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0Ely 32 31 0 -1 -3.13% 79.03% 78.63% 6Fargo-Moorhead AM 59 59 0 0 0.00% 91.00% 85.00% 4Fargo Rotary Club 80 80 1 0 0.00% 50.54% 44.11% 5Fargo West 66 67 1 1 1.52% 69.00% 65.50% 5Fergus Falls Noon 51 50 0 -1 -1.96% 62.80% 62.90% 5Fergus Falls Sunrise 27 27 0 0 0.00% 59.00% 59.50% 5Fosston 17 17 0 0 0.00% 65.00% 59.00% 4Grand Forks Breakfast 25 25 0 0 0.00% 33.00% 31.50% 4Grand Forks Noon 68 67 -1 -1 -1.47% 45.00% 45.00% 5Grand Rapids Centennial 39 37 0 -2 -5.13% 62.10% 59.85% 4Grand Rapids Evening 41 42 0 1 2.44% 0.00% 35.00% 0Hibbing 36 34 0 -2 -5.56% 87.00% 75.50% 4Hibbing - Chisholm 21 19 0 -2 -9.52% 75.80% 75.60% 5International Falls 36 36 0 0 0.00% 83.00% 83.00% 5Jamestown 44 45 1 1 2.27% 90.00% 89.00% 5Little Falls Rotary 10 10 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 65.00% 3Long Prairie 19 19 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0Minot Noon 107 107 0 0 0.00% 52.40% 52.10% 5Minot Sunrise 30 31 0 1 3.33% 52.00% 44.50% 4Moorhead 72 72 -1 0 0.00% 58.73% 54.11% 5Nipigon 26 25 0 -1 -3.85% 79.20% 83.10% 5North Shore 29 29 1 0 0.00% 83.92% 82.91% 5Park Rapids 56 55 0 -1 -1.79% 62.18% 61.50% 5Pelican Rapids 27 26 0 -1 -3.70% 86.55% 95.83% 5Perham Rotary 77 77 0 0 0.00% 0.00% 39.50% 4Quad Cities 33 33 -1 0 0.00% 54.54% 54.23% 5Staples 28 28 0 0 0.00% 64.29% 65.59% 5Superior 68 70 0 2 2.94% 67.53% 73.40% 5Superior Sunrise 19 20 2 1 5.26% 81.32% 83.31% 5Thief River Falls 46 46 0 0 0.00% 51.00% 48.50% 4Thunder Bay (Ft. William) 39 46 7 7 17.95% 66.30% 70.65% 5Thunder Bay (Lakehead) 36 36 0 0 0.00% 52.00% 26.00% 4Thunder Bay (Port Arthur) 83 78 0 -5 -6.02% 55.91% 54.82% 5Valley City 18 18 0 0 0.00% 50.00% 55.00% 5Virginia 53 50 1 -3 -5.66% 72.57% 71.19% 5Wadena 53 52 0 -1 -1.89% 67.00% 63.50% 5Wahpeton 33 35 0 2 6.06% 60.50% 66.75% 4Walker 68 67 1 -1 -1.47% 64.00% 63.00% 5Watford City 25 25 1 0 0.00% 49.00% 45.00% 5Williston 59 61 2 2 3.39% 53.02% 48.26% 5

Totals 3126 3117 26 -2 -1.25% 54.27% 55.63%

from the governor, tom riley… · tom and i have previously met over the past few years when...

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