A closing-bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange was rung by RI President Ray Klinginsmith and Michael Watson, Sanofi Pasteur’s vice president of global immunization policy.  Watch the event at www.nyse.com .

The date is significant to Rotary.  February 23 marks the 106 anniversary of the first Rotary Club meeting which was held in Chicago.

As part of Wednesday’s event in New York, Rotary was able to highlight its 26 year mission to eradicate polio. In 2010, there were fewer than a thousand new cases of polio for the first time in recorded history.

To those who do not know what Rotary is about here is a good video, for those who are Rotarians it is a good reminder of who we are and what we do.

Come Join Us-EN from Rotary International on Vimeo.

Click on the image for a larger view please.

This video comes from RIBI or Rotary International Great Britain and Ireland it pertinent to us here in Coolamon. Well worth watching if you are thinking of joining Rotary or even if you are already a member of a Rotary Club.

Why Rotary? from RIBI on Vimeo.

Journey to Pisco EN from Rotary International on Vimeo.

One of the benefits of being in Rotary is the ability to make up a meeting in any country, city, town or village that has a Rotary club.  Recently I made up at the Rotary Club of Ballarat West in Victoria.  It was a social meeting and we were given a tour of some of Ballarat’s best known statues of which Ballarat is famous  for.  We finished the evening with pizzas and great fellowship.  Thank you Ballarat West for your kind hospitality.

A story appears in our weekly bulletin here:

Bulletin # 27

Rotary Theme 2011 from Rotary International on Vimeo.

Each year the incoming Rotary International President choses a theme for his year as president and this year RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee will ask Rotarians to Reach Within to Embrace Humanity during the 2011-12 Rotary year.

Banerjee unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2011 International Assembly, a training event for incoming district governors.

He urged participants to harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve success in Rotary.

“In order to achieve anything in this world, a person has to use all the resources he can draw on. And the only place to start is with ourselves and within ourselves,” Banerjee said.

Once Rotarians find their inner strength, he continued, they can accomplish great things in their communities and around the world.

“The implications of this short statistical presentation for fund raising and service delivery within and by Rotary are interesting – ”

Keep an eye on the blue bubbles they represent African countries. A most interesting look at the world and with some optimism. There is also mention of the impact of AIDS on South Africa.

Thanks to Jon Deisher from the Rotary Club of Anchorage, Alaska.