A Tasmanian adventurer is trying to help eradicate polio by embarking on a three month sea voyage in a five and a half metre dinghy. The voyage hopes to raise money for the Rotary Foundation committed to seeing the disease become a thing of the past.
Historia de un letrero or The Story of a Sign
An original video in Spanish however the message is powerful. In case you miss the translation of writing on the sign it says “Have compassion I am blind”. Watch it to the end simply beautiful. Made in 2008.
Thanks to Mandy Smith one of our Kili 2007 Climbers.
Polio is almost completely eradicated. But as Bruce Aylward says: Almost isn’t good enough with a disease this terrifying. Aylward lays out the plan to continue the scientific miracle that ended polio in most of the world — and to snuff it out everywhere, forever.
Bruce Aylward is a Canadian physician and epidemiologist who heads the polio eradication programme at WHO, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
Thank you PDG Joan Firkins from Canada for the video.
Banerjee and Hewko Address Plenary Four from Rotary International on Vimeo.
Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, served as the keynote speaker for the third plenary session of the 2011 RI Convention. Gates stressed the need to finish the job of eradicating polio.
Gates Speech Highlights Plenary Three from Rotary International on Vimeo.
In this session you can get an idea of what Rotary did for Hurrican Katrina, also listen to PDG Patrick Chisanga a good mate of ours, talking on engaging Africa and finally some great advice from Michael McQueen who we also know and met in Orange.
Katrina Panel Highlights Plenary Two from Rotary International on Vimeo.
Michael McQueen, who spoke at the second plenary session of the RI Convention, is a social researcher and best-selling author of two books on bridging the generation gap. As a leading authority on youth trends, he is regularly featured on TV and radio programs. McQueen sat down with RI News in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, to talk about how Rotary can best connect with Generation Y.
Read the interview with RI here:
We met Michael at the District 9700 conference in Orange in March and he inspired us to look to Gen Y for our future members. Great to see that Michael was a plenary speaker at our International Convention in New Orleans.
Opening Plenary from Rotary International on Vimeo.
Rotarians celebrated past accomplishments and future friendships during the opening plenary session of the 2011 RI Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, on 22 May.
“Let’s celebrate Rotary this week while we are here together in this special place,” said RI President Ray Klinginsmith.
During the traditional flag ceremony, South Central Rotary Youth Exchange students presented flags from the more than 200 countries and geographical areas in the Rotary world. The group’s participation highlighted Rotary’s fifth and newest Avenue of Service, New Generations Service.
Attendees were treated to a variety of entertainment features. Internationally renowned opera singer Simon Estes, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Des Moines, Iowa, performed the national anthem. Rotarians Steve Selvick and Jerry Mills, who wrote the song “Come Join Us,” performed with the Youth Exchange students.
Country music star Lucy Dalton received an enthusiastic response for a song she wrote about Rotary’s “This Close” public awareness campaign for polio eradication. And singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey performed “Cowboy Logic,” a song about the common-sense solutions for everything. Klinginsmith has used it as the theme song for his presidency.
Klinginsmith urged Rotarians to use the convention as an opportunity to visit the House of Friendship, meet new people, and learn about service projects from other Rotarians.
“Greet everyone and talk with as many people as you can,” he said. “You do not need an introduction to talk with other people here. You are free to converse with anyone and everyone. And regardless of where you are from, you will eventually meet someone who can help you with a project or who knows someone you know.”
Klinginsmith also encouraged Rotarians to attend some of the convention’s many workshops to learn how to make their clubs bigger, better, and bolder.
“The best days of Rotary are still ahead,” he said.
The Photos section 12 exclusive Photographs of House of friendship at NOLA Convention dispatched by Ron Nethurcutt for eFlash created by PDG Sunil K Zachariah . Ron is in Rotary for more than 25 yrs and presently settled in Philippines. He is a TRF Major Donor and former ROTI Chair 07-09. He was a GSE Team Leader from 6840 to 1050 in 1995 and TRF Visiting University Professor to University of the Philippines 2000. He has attended Rotary meetings in 15 countries.
