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Two young people set 'shining example' in polio fight
Joshua Kim, 14, and Anna Zanotti, 10, are praised during the third plenary session on 23 June for their efforts to help Rotary eradicate polio worldwide. Rotary Images/Monika Lozinska-Lee
by Arnold R. Grahl Two children who decided to do what they could to rid the world of polio received thunderous applause 23 June during the third plenary session of the 2009 RI Convention in Birmingham, England. Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan B. Majiyagbe brought Joshua Kim, a 14-year-old from Northbrook, Illinois, USA, and Anna Zanotti, a 10-year-old from Mantova, Italy, on stage to "share with you the story of these two young people who have taken Rotary to heart." Anna and her fifth-grade classmates in Mantova raised about US$164 in only two days after her mother, Rotarian Patrizia Zanotti, told her how Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have worked since 1988 to eradicate the disease. Cases of polio worldwide have declined by more than 99 percent, her mother explained, but the disease still threatens children in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and more money is needed to finish the job. "I thought of how many children like me I could save with my money," said Anna, who came up with the idea of collecting donations as a class project. She used recycled chocolate boxes to make her own collection boxes, one of which she brought on stage. She and her classmates thought of the donations in terms of actual lives, each represented by the 60 cents it costs to immunize a child. "Imagine a chocolate box that contains so many lives," she said. Anna's actions resonated with the Italian minister of education, Mariastella Gelmini, who heard of her collection and issued a statement in support of Rotary's polio eradication work. "I am delighted for Anna and other young people that they understand the great issues of the world and with full energy they are able to help children much less fortunate than themselves," Gelmini's statement read. "I support Rotary in this goal and will continue to do all that I can to help them achieve this." Joshua, an eighth grader at Wood Oaks Junior High School in Northbrook, became interested in the fight against polio when he learned that his father's Rotary club had donated $10,000 for polio eradication to The Rotary Foundation. After he read an article on the End Polio Now campaign in The Rotarian, Joshua decided to donate his entire savings of $1,200 -- seven years of weekly allowance and money earned from neighborhood jobs -- to the effort. "Joshua believes it really is important for people who have money to step forward and make a contribution to help needy people," said his father, Tony Kim. "I wanted to be part of that effort because Rotary is so very close to eradicating it," Joshua said. Majiyagbe praised "these two shining examples of young people who are giving of themselves and inspiring others to help other children."
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Information Resources for 2009-10 Club Presidents and Secretaries Are you aware that Club and District Support (CDS) staff serve as your primary contact at Rotary? Staff can answer any question about Rotary as well as provide advice on club elections, constitutional matters, club traditions and customs, club operations, and RI Board policy. Below are some important web resources to assist in leading and supporting your club in the year ahead.
www.rotary.org/pressecresources • Make changes to your club’s membership records at RI, reference various Rotary Foundation reports, print your club’s SAR, pay your club's dues, and report next year's club officers using Member Access. Full instructions, helpful suggestions and frequently asked questions (FAQ) are found at:
Rotary staff looks forward to working with you and supporting your club’s service efforts. Be sure to contact your CDS representative whenever you need assistance. Stop struggling with Clubmate/RI-CAS
It’s hard to share the workload when your club administration software is only available on one computer. With RI-CAS, the program and data end up on the Club Secretary’s computer. Anything that goes in, the Secretary has to enter. Any reports that come out, the Secretary has to generate, print and distribute. Now, we have a new product available to all clubs in the district. Every club member can access their own information and update it. Club officers can get reports directly, without going through the Club Secretary, from wherever they might be – home – office – on the road, as long as they have Internet access. The Pmail feature allows email service to individuals or groups such as committees or even the whole club, and individuals can opt out of Pmail blasts. It’s easy to generate Birthday and anniversary lists, club committee assignments, membership directories complete with pictures, weekly and monthly attendance reports and much more. There are hyperlinks available for your club website to automatically display web pages with the club calendar or officers list and more. You can see pages like this now on the district website that show the district calendar or club meeting places, instantly updated by entries made by many Rotarians throughout the district. Security access levels that vary according to position assure that information is available to those who need it without exposing it to everybody. So what’s it cost? Basically, nothing. The district has already loaded the database with information from the RI database, the district directory, and other sources. If you have been very thorough in capturing information in the RI-CAS software you may find that you have more data than we have stored. Generally it will just take a few mouse clicks to make up the difference, but if there is a lot, your club can opt to have the data imported and merged for a one time charge from the vendor of $200. What about other options? Well, there is a treasurer module that will keep the club books and integrate member billing with the attendance module. The vendor charges each participating club $156 annually for this module, or it can be available for less if more than 16 or 17 clubs in the district enroll for the option. If you don’t have a club website the vendor has available hosting arrangements for simple template driven websites at a small cost per club. Enhanced websites are also available for those clubs that have someone with an interest and a little technical ability to expand the offering. How can our club get started? Just have the Club Secretary contact Rotarian Mike Villalta of the Los Banos Rotary |
Incoming DG Susan with spouse Dudley shown here at District Conference 2009 are just returned from the 100th Rotary International Convention in Birmingham, England.
RI President's Representatitve "Bear" Lin, shown here with incoming DG Susan and Dudley, enjoyed the conference from one end to the other.
Ray Klinginsmith addresses the attendees at the fourth plenary session on 24 June after delegates elected him the RI president for 2010-11. Rotary Images/Alyce Henson
Jane Goodall drops by the Rotary Centers for International Studies booth at the House of Friendship. Goodall is scheduled to speak at the fourth plenary session of the RI Convention. Rotary Images/Alyce Henson
Mia Farrow with RI President Dong Kurn Lee. Farrow, a polio survivor, spoke on polio eradication and on conditions in Darfur. Rotary Images/Monika Lozinska-Lee
Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Jonathan B. Majiyagbe speaks at the third plenary session. Rotary Images/Monika Lozinska-Lee ADD YOUR COMPANY's NAME to the Rotary Business Directory. Rotarians like doing business with other Rotarians - here is a way to find out who they are. Click on the Business Directory link at the top of this page to find Rotarians providing services you need, or to list your company and it's services.
Foundation
August 15, 2009 Escalon HS Featured Speaker: Cliff Dochterman Don't miss it! |
