NEWSLETTER OF THE EUROPEAN ROTARACT INFORMATION CENTRE, 2001

ISSUE 19 - FEBRUARY 2001 - Table Of Contents

go to top of page

In this issue you will find: • Calendar • A Word from the Editor • January in the Heart of Europe ERIC representatives received a warm

welcome in Antwerp, Belgium • A host´s view of the ERIC Meeting The Antwerp weekend through the

eyes of Isabelle de Boeck, ERIC Representative for Belgium • Sofia 2001 - European Volunteer Project News of a new initiative - an

international volunteer project open to all European Rotaractors • EUCO 2001 update: Leadership Games Thoughts on Communication

and Leadership before the EUCO games • How was Africa? Account of a Rotaract project in Tanzania • Rotaract in Bratislava Presentation of an active Rotaract club in the Slovak

capital • DRR - Quid? Thoughts on the role and nature of a DRR • Gr-r-r-reetings fr-r-r-rom the c-c-c-cold North!!! or warm thoughts from a

frozen Rotaractor • Dracula or Greetings from Romania • How do people learn? Thoughts on how Rotaractors - and others - learn • DRR Training in Turkey • Shower Puzzle Part of our President´s "Globetrotting Rotaractors" series • 2001 Rotary International Council of Legislation How this year´s

Council of Legislation may affect Rotaract • In Short 2001/2002 Theme; Recent Board decisions concerning Rotaract

Calendar

go to top of page

March 2001

17. St Patricks Day Ball District 1100 invites you to its 2001 District Ball, in Cheltenham, England. Why not

come for the Gold Cup and stay a few days? 30. - 1. 4. Nordact Conference in Oslo The invitation to the Nordact conference is now ready. All information and

registration forms can be obtained on the Nordact website.

April 2001

6. - 8. German National Rotaract Conferenz 14. - 16. RGBI Conference Get spaced out at the 2001 Space Odyssey! Rotaract Great Britain & Ireland

welcomes you to its 2001 Conference at Loughborough, England. 18. - 22. European Convention in Antalya, Turkey Additional information will be provided in upcoming issues of the ERIC Newsletter,

and on the ERIC mailing list May 2001

11. - 13. Rotary International Presidential Conference 4th Presidential Conference of President Frank Devlyn's year in Vienna 11. - 13. Italian National Convention, Garda Lake For more information, contact Nicola Usai at italy@rotaract-eric.org 24. - 27. Vienna International Weekend For more information, contact IWW2001@gmx.at June 2001

8. - 10. Paris International Weekend (WIP) For more information, feel free to contact Laurent Charmes of the Paris Rotaract

Club at rotawip@free.fr 22. - 23. Rotaract Pre-Convention Meeting in San Antonio 22. - 24. INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND LUXEMBOURG (WIL 2001)

This 4th edition of the WIL will feature an industrial visit, a rallye, a cultural visit, a visit to a wine producer, 2 parties and lots of fun! This weekend coincides with the Luxembourg National day on Saturday, so there will be loads of nightlife! A website will be available soon! For more info: georges.hilbert@rotaract.org

24. - 27. Rotary International Convention in San Antonio, Texas June 2002

23. - 26. Rotary International Convention in Barcelona, Spain

A Word from the Editor by Magali Füss

go to top of page

Dear ERIC Readers,

As you can probably see from the long list of Contributors to this Issue below, many Rotaractors from all over Europe have something to share with you this month, so I will step aside and allow you to discover their thoughts on Rotaract and other topics. Before I do that, though, just a very important reminder and an equally important announcement: The reminder is that registration for the 2001 edition of the European Convention closes on March 15th. Those who have been lucky enough to have a taste of Turkish hospitality in the past know that missing a Rotaract event in Turkey is a mistake you will regret for many

years to come… So join us in Antalya from April 18th to 22nd ! The announcement concerns our ERIC Donations and Volunteers Databank. Not only have the first two request/donation matches successfully been achieved, but to crown it all, an ERIC volunteer project is now in the pipeline for the end of the summer. If you are interested in joining a group of dedicated European Rotaractors and making a difference in Bulgaria at the end of August, read on… In the meantime, I look forward to getting back to you next month with more European news and to seeing everyone in Antalya. Yours in ERICland, Magali Füss ERIC Information & Communication Manager Contributors to this issue: Bogdan Balaj - Isabelle de Boeck - Silje Gjeitrem - £ukasz Grochowski - Semih Gurkan -Danielle Hilbert-Fohl - Patrik Krizansky - Radoslav Marko - Cyril Noirtin - Peter Quantrell - Esra Serdar Aydinoglu - Alexandru Thomae - Rotary International

January in the Heart of Europe by Magali Füss

go to top of page

ERIC representatives received a warm welcome in Antwerp, Belgium

Representatives hard at work in Antwerp It was a joyful yet disciplined group of ERIC country representatives and division managers which arrived in Belgium on the evening of Friday, January 26th, for the first ERIC meeting of 2001.

Joyful as evidenced by our laughter, singing and eager consumption of the Belgian beer generously provided by our hosts during the welcome dinner.

More importantly, disciplined as evidenced by the fact that everyone was alert and ready in the meeting room at 09:00 on the Saturday morning. Well, almost everyone, except two latecomers whose names we shall not mention here to avoid embarrassing them… Under the demanding yet subtle leadership of our beloved President £ukasz, the meeting focused on ERIC division reports, treasury issues and EU funding, the programme of the upcoming European convention in Antalya, and Rotaract involvement and motivation. Country representatives provided reports on the major events organised in their parts of the world. We were pleased to have ERIC representatives from Slovakia and Bulgaria for the first time and to hear more about Rotaract in those countries. The meeting also focused on the progress achieved by our ERIC Donations and Volunteers databank, with the first matches achieved at the end of 2000 in Turkey, and on the idea of the first European Rotaract volunteer project which is planned at the end of the summer. Based on an idea proposed by Peter Quantrell and supported by the Rotaract Club of Sofia, the project will involve DIY work in a local community facility such as an orphanage in Bulgaria at the end of August. More details are provided further on in this issue. The meeting ended at 17:30, and was followed by an instructive and entertaining guided tour on foot through Antwerp, followed by dinner to warm us up and one of those great Belgian gala parties you probably already know about if you´ve ever attended one. As is often the case, the Sunday morning brunch was excellent, although tainted with that faint sadness one inevitably feels at the end of an ERIC weekend. But we shall meet again soon, and with that in mind, to quote Shakespeare, parting is such sweet sorrow… Thank you Belgian friends and see you all again on the beach in Turkey! M.F.

A host´s view of the ERIC Meeting by Isabelle de Boeck

go to top of page

The Antwerp weekend through the eyes of Isabelle de Boeck, ERIC Representative for Belgium

Quick pose for a group photograph during the coffee break First of all I want to thank all the participants for joining us in Antwerp for the ERIC meeting. I also want to thank all the Belgian Rotaractors who helped me to organise it and who gave me great support during the weekend.

The decision to organise the meeting in Antwerp was made at the end of November. I had just 2 months to book the restaurants, the youth hostel, arrange transportation, meeting rooms… so for me those months were lively, to say the least.

Organising continued during the weekend also. My cell phone never seemed to stop ringing. When the group was on a guided tour, our Italian ERIC rep Nicola called for example from the other end of town asking me : ”Isabelle, I´m lost, where are you?”. The most difficult thing after the weekend was getting used to a quiet cell phone. But after all we had lots of fun and a great, efficient meeting. I think everybody liked the Belgian beer, the Belgian meals (some a bit exotic), the Belgian galaparty, … By 5 pm on Sunday, January 28th, everyone was on the way home and I could relax dreaming about the fantastic experience. I found it great to host all the ERIC representatives in Antwerp and hope to see everyone in Antalya in April. YIR, Isabelle De Boeck

Sofia 2001 - European Volunteer Project by Peter Quantrell

go to top of page

News of a new initiative - an international volunteer project open to all European Rotaractors The European Rotaract Volunteer Project is an opportunity for Rotaractors from any Club in Europe to participate as a member of an international team in a project in a country that they have never visited. The location for the project will be Sofia, Bulgaria - the exact details of the project are still being worked on - but the scheduled dates are Saturday 25 August 2001 - Sunday 2 September 2001 inclusive. The work is expected to be basic D-I-Y or decorating of a local community facility such as an orphanage.

The project needs volunteers!! The team is meant to be truly international - numbers are limited to 10-15. The only requirements are that you are reasonably fit, you can travel between your home country and Sofia, have valid travel insurance and you can speak a reasonable standard of English. I am extremely grateful for the support of the Rotaract Club of Sofia who have taken this idea on, and their sponsoring Rotary Clubs in Sofia. They will provide accommodation and food during the duration of our stay. Whilst these clubs locate a project, I still need to form a team of 10-15 volunteers. Cost per volunteer will be approx 300 Euro - but this has to be confirmed, and this cost will include materials for the project. So if you are even remotely interested in joining this project, read the project web site at www.rotaract.org/sofia2001 and email sofia2001@rotaract.org with your details. Details of the project will continue to be advertised on the project web site and in the ERIC newsletter. Watch this space! Peter

EUCO 2001 update: Leadership Games by Semih Gurkan

go to top of page

Thoughts on Communication and Leadership before the EUCO games Approximately a century ago, an English colonist went to Australia. While he was exploring the continent with an Australian native he saw a strange animal that he had never seen before. He asked the native what it was and received the reply “Kangaroo”. The colonist drew the pictures of the animal identified as a "Kangaroo" and sent them to his country.

A few years ago, a linguist went to Australia to do research on Native languages. He accidentally found out that the natives use a different name for the animal which we know as “Kangaroo”. Finally, he found out that “Kangaroo” means “I don’t understand you!” This story is taken from the book of Ahmet Ş. İzgoren, who is going to give a speech at the EUCO 2001 in Antalya in TURKEY. Today, with technology, we have removed borders. Communication has no limit. On the other hand, we are having trouble communicating with our friends! I think the role of the leader starts here. A leader has to have the capability of creating the basis for communication between people. Moreover, he or she has to create a positive synergy in his/her team. Teamwork is the rising trend in the world today and naturally every team needs a leader. One important question that has been asked for ages is: “Is one born a leader or does one become a leader?” What do YOU think??? I suggest you start thinking because the clock is ticking for EUCO 2001 in Antalya, Turkey …

How was Africa? by Peter Quantrell

go to top of page

Account of a Rotaract project in Tanzania

This article is a personal account of a two week Rotaract project in Tanzania during November 2000. It also provides information on the efforts of Rotary Club of Arusha, and the local area.

The people I work with know that I am not one for an idle beach holiday – so they weren’t too surprised when I said my next break was two weeks in Tanzania. But the purpose of

this trip was not purely to travel but to be part of a team of 17 volunteers – both Rotaractor and Rotarian – to build a classroom block at Maji Ya Chai Secondary School near Arusha during the first two weeks of November 2000. I have been a member of the Rotaract club in Cheltenham for five years. The Rotaract Overseas Project [ROP] is an annual initiative, led by Brian Stoyel, a Rotarian, from Plymouth, currently Chairman of the RI Rotaract Committee. As this was my third project; I was surprised to be accepted for the team. My previous experience of volunteering overseas had been with ROP in Tanzania (1996) and Ghana (1997) doing renovation work for Sight Savers International. I’d been preparing for the project for the previous three months and the week before departure was a whirlwind trip around town. As well as getting their gear together – including books and toys for the school children, medical supplies etc – arranging inoculations and meeting their costs of £850, every team member is expected to raise funds towards the estimated £8000 project costs. Funds are spent on construction materials, food, accommodation, local transport etc and anything remaining would be donated to the school. My contribution of £750 was raised through donations from friends, colleagues and Rotary clubs and sponsored events. It was an early meeting of the team at Heathrow – 0430hrs on Saturday 4 November. Flying with KLM via Amsterdam, we finally landed at Kilimanjaro airport at 2300hrs after a 90-minute delay in departure because of an engine fault. We met Brian, who had flown out a week earlier, then crammed ourselves and our luggage into a convoy of minibuses, for a 30km drive from Arusha into the rural countryside. Our home for the next twelve days was a small house without electricity or any amenities. The place very soon looked like a scout camp with rucksacks, camp beds and mosquito nets everywhere. We relied on an intermittent supply of water from a standpipe, which was chlorine treated and filtered, cold showers in buckets and squatted over a hole above a cess pit for a toilet. Our saving grace was an elderly local cook, named Peter, who could produce culinary delights from two charcoal burners and a regular supply of Safari lager and sodas. Upendo and the Leper Centre Upendo is a rural agricultural community, relying on maize, other cash crops and livestock for both income and food. The rains have failed for the past three years, with the result that 80% of the local crops have failed. People’s incomes are badly affected. The area is served by a local health centre, and dispensary both run by the Government. Rotary donations of medicines have helped the service in recent years. In Upendo, there is a leper colony which was started by Faye Cran, a Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Arusha. The centre provides medical assistance, profitable work and refuge for people who otherwise would be outcast by their communities. The centre is self-supporting through its own livestock and gardens, and through the manufacture of gifts for retail locally and abroad. Many lepers live in the centre with their families – there is a schoolroom in a converted container.

Helping the Street Children of Arusha Thousands of children in Arusha, Tanzania, wage a daily battle on the streets of their city — a battle against hunger, poverty, and drugs. They have been forced into this lonely and inhospitable arena by families too poor to care for them financially and often too troubled to care for them emotionally. With no opportunity to go to school, no roof over their heads, and no food to eat, these children often turn to drugs as an escape. Now the Rotary Club of Arusha is offering them a different way out. The club is focused on the long-term, providing accommodations and access to job training, as well as an immediate means to make money. The educational component of the program operates in conjunction with a vocational centre run by the local Rotary Community Corps in Upendo. Children are referred to the centre by a social service agency and learn carpentry, sewing, and other skills. The centre supports itself by selling toys produced in its workshops. Boys at the centre attend Maji Ya Chai Secondary School. Maji Ya Chai Secondary School currently has five classes – but only three teachers. The age range of the children at Maji Ya Chai is mostly 11-15 (forms 1-3) . The reason for the building project is to enable the school to continue to teach 15-17 year olds (form 4) by providing extra classrooms . Students sit quietly waiting for their next lesson if they do not have a teacher available, or the elder children act as mentors for the younger ones and run activities for them. The school’s catchment area is the whole of Upendo, and children often walk up to 6-7km to school each day. The school charges US$20 per year per student which is a large proportion of the average family’s income, since the average incme is no more than US$25 per month especially if they have 2-3 children at the school. The teaching language is English. Building Tanzanian style We had a late start the first day, but otherwise the routine for the next twelve days was the same – up at 0630hrs, on site by 0730hrs, an hour’s lunch break but work through till or past dark, usually 1830hrs. We worked with local people, including schoolchildren from the Secondary School who helped out with many of the tasks. The purpose of the team being there is to accelerate building efforts – what usually takes three-and-a-half months by a team of 4-6 builders was done in less than two weeks. We make no effort to enforce our own building style or regulations; it is all done at the direction of the local foreman, using local techniques and materials. We ended up building an extension of 25 metre x 7 metre with 3m eave to an existing classroom building to provide two classrooms and two offices. The building was built from local bricks which are not of the same quality as those in the UK – very few perfectly straight edges – so maintaining a level or a vertical wall was an interesting exercise. Each wall was a single row of bricks. The base three to four layers were cemented in with mortar using sand and cement, but we made good progress. On the second day, we were given "matope" – mud – to use as mortar. On the third day, unsurprisingly, one of the walls fell down and it took most of the fourth to rebuild. That one was rebuilt with mortar. We left several walls supported by planks of wood as some looked

like they might fall at any time. The walls were built to a height of around ten feet so scaffolding was required by the fourth day – made from planks of wood. By the fifth day, we were able to start putting on a concrete lintel to provide extra strength. When this was in place, bricks were laid to a total height of around 12 feet. Roof beams were made from planks nailed into A frames – these were lifted using teams of a dozen people onto the walls at one end of the building and shuffled down by the local builders to their final position. It took 2-3 days to completely finish the supporting beams for the roof. Aluminium roof sheets were nailed into position. Whilst this was going on, the walls were pointed, and brickwork chiselled out to take steel window frames. The frames were mortared in. Window sills were made by pointing with mortar and half-bricks under the frames and levelling off. Concrete pillars were laid in front of the building, and two days spent laying a concrete verandah around the pillars. This was skilled work, and mainly done by the local builders, but a large team was needed to keep up a continual supply of concrete. The walls were plastered – the mix made from cement and river sand, then lime was skimmed over the surface to produce a smooth finish. When we left, the building was up and completely roofed. There is still much to be done – glass needs to be put in the windows, liming needs to be finished and the building needs painting. But by our being there, much more was achieved in twelve days than could have been dreamt by the school. How else the project helped A container was shipped from the UK, via Dar-es-Salaam, arranged by the Rotary Club of Arusha, with desks, chairs and IT equipment for both the school and the leper colony . It also contained books donated by an education supplier through one of the Rotaractors on the project. We brought toys, medicines which were shared by the local health centre, the Leper colony and the school. Our tools were given to the local builders and the vocational centre for the street children. End of Project Celebrations The team was hosted at a lunch given by the Arusha Rotary Club on the Thursday before we left. All members received a certificate from the Club and got to enjoy the local speciality – goat. Members of the local Village Committee and the Education authority as well as local press, radio and national television attended the lunch. The school gave us a departing ceremony on the Friday and we were mobbed by the schoolchildren as we handed over sweets. Fortunately it wasn’t all work! The last two days were spent on landrover safari in Ngorongoro Crater and Tangire National Parks. An experience not to be forgotten, and a superb end to a memorable trip. The team arrived back at Heathrow after 11 hours

overnight on Sunday 19 November. Work on Monday was a bit of a let down after all that. Peter Quantrell Rotaract Overseas Projects – http://www.rotaract.org.uk/rop

Rotaract in Bratislava by Patrik Krizansky / Radoslav Marko

go to top of page

Presentation of an active Rotaract club in the Slovak capital We care about society…

The Rotaract Club of Bratislava has a strong potential to perform as an active part of civic society in Slovakia. Its headline goal for the forthcoming period is assistance to the Roma minority through cooperation with partners from the tertiary sector. We want to contribute to the organization of the photography exhibition about the real life in a Roma village as well as to the public collection of used clothes and home equipment. We care about our members… Rotaract Club Bratislava will continue to provide the alternative option to improve personal and professional skills and awareness of its members. With the start of the new millennium we have resumed the “Discussions without Tie” series, with distinguished guests from various branches of society including art, politics and business. We also want to continue offering the chance to have an active life and enjoy a "wonderful world” by common activities like doing sport together or having fun by pubcrawling. We care about our Rotaract friends abroad… The Rotaract Club of Bratislava wants to share the values and feelings of its members with other young Rotaractors from all over Europe. We plan to have a great time with our international friends and guests while biking down the Danube (“Danube bike routes”) or partying (“Boat party weekend”). Looking forward to seeing you in Bratislava, PATRIK KRIZANSKY/ RADOSLAV MARKO RTC BRATISLAVA

DRR - Quid? by £ukasz Grochowski

go to top of page

Thoughts on the role and nature of a DRR Two years ago in Singapore, DRR training was finally introduced as part of the programme of the Rotaract Pre-Convention Meeting. The idea derived from the tradition of annual governors’ training in Anaheim. Unfortunately due to the “participation at no cost to Rotary” very few DRR’s can afford to attend this valuable session. (Editor´s Note: During its

November meeting, the RI Board of Directors made a decision encouraging all District Governors to ensure that DRRs receive training and to pay for their attendance at training meetings, and to defray all or part of the cost for DRRs-elect to attend the Rotaract Pre-Convention Meeting. The complete text of this decision is included in this month´s "In Short" section of our Newsletter. MF)

Nevertheless, discussions regarding this Rotaract function are more than necessary. DRR is not a uniform term across the globe. In some countries (mainly in Asia and Latin America) DRR, above and beyond the workload involved, is understood as a representative honour for official occasions (ritual club visits, district ceremonies, international conferences). Due to such importance attached to this title, Indian Rotaractors have even been advocating changing the name into DRG (Governor) in recent years. On the other hand, European DRR’s are more into real work aimed in dissemination of information and liasing with Rotary – both district authorities and individual RC’s. Some DRRs work with Rotaract District Committees and some manage everything themselves. Also financing DRR’s differs from one district to another. Sometimes they get funds from their Rotary Districts, sometimes they “levy” fees on their clubs and sometimes they just sustain themselves. But DRR is not a puzzle for spontaneous interpretation. His duties are very well described in the DRR’s Training Manual available from RI: developing and distributing of a newsletter, organising a District Conference, sharing ideas and providing advice (but no legislative power!) to clubs in implementing their projects, co-operating with DCHRs in common Rotary/Rotaract activities, planning and implementing district service activities (if approved by ¾ of RTC’s in the district). Ideally DRR’s should be active beyond the stipulated tasks. In some cases DRR’s help to establish new clubs, advise Rotarians on the district committees (e.g. RYLA, youth exchange, etc.). Realising what a burden a good DRR should carry it is crucial to emphasise how important is to choose the right person. Do not look for a “politician” or a “social star” – elect a DOER!

Gr-r-r-reetings fr-r-r-rom the c-c-c-cold North!!! by Silje Elin Gjeitrem

go to top of page

or warm thoughts from a frozen Rotaractor Norway is now undergoing a severe state of frost. With 20°C below zero, water pipes are deep frozen, electricity has hardly any effect on warming up the living room and the subway (mysteriously as it is) is always behind schedule.

Waiting…waiting…freeeeezing…waiting…(you can tell it’s cold when your tears, caused by the wind, freeze on you cheek.) Today, February 6th, was the day when all those who count on the subway to get around were one hour late for work! Even though the temperature is causing some difficulties, the scenery is extraordinarily beautiful these days. Every morning I see a frosty fog just touching every crispy straw in

it´s morning dance. As the wind chases the frosty fog, cold showers of sunlight are split into an kaleisdoscope of rainbow colours. Every sound is so quiet. Every foot print seems to be made in silence. At night, when the moonlight reaches the snow, a pale blue colour enhances the glow of the yellow street lights. The fifteen-minute walk from my house to the subway is a moment of tranquillity… Warm thoughts from a frozen Rotaractor, Silje Elin U. Gjeitrem International coordinator RTC Norway M.D.I.O

Dracula by Alexandru Thomae

go to top of page

or Greetings from Romania As the last sunbeam fades behind the trees and night takes over the country, you feel more and more that the doors of hell are opening just for you.

You are chasing through storm and wind alone in an old carriage driven by a lugubrious looking coachman. You can feel the rain splashing your face, slapping you like unseen hands craving revenge. Gnarled branches keep appearing in front of your eyes so suddenly that you don’t even have the time to move. The sound of the storm, of the trees and of hungry animals is coming together as a roar, which starts to imprint itself on your fibre. You shout at the coachman to drive faster, when, due to the flash of lighting, you catch the glimpse of an old medieval castle, looking down on you from the top of the mountain. What a dreadful sight! You look at the scene before you – at the castle itself – at the land around it – at the cold stony walls of the building – at its empty eye-like windows – and at a few dead trees. In the meantime you reach it and the coachman leads you inside. Much that you meet on the way adds to your strange feeling. The objects around you are exactly what you would expect in such an old wreck – dark wall coverings, the blackness of the floor and things brought home from long forgotten wars… but still you feel uneasy. Out of the blue he stands there before you. He has gray-white skin; eyes large and full of a strange light; lips with no colour. You cannot, even with an effort, see in this appearance a human being… But not to worry! It’s not really Dracula, count of Transylvania, reborn from Stoker’s novel and the grave. It’s just a scene staged by the owners of the hotel (once a castle where it was supposed that Vlad Ţepeş alias Dracula had slept for a few nights) who wanted to attract more tourists. But everyone can breathe freely – Dracula didn’t even exist. Vlad Ţepeş, who never ruled in Transylvania, but in Wallachia, was the starting point of the myth. His father was Vlad

Dracul (Vlad the Devil) because he had received a medal in form of a dragon from the ambassador of China and this explains the nickname found Ţepeş, “Dracula”, son of “Dracul”. However, Romania is an interesting place to visit, even without its famous vampire.

How do people learn? by Danielle Hilbert-Fohl

go to top of page

Thoughts on how Rotaractors - and others - learn People from all generations learn and are interested in how learning occurs, mainly because they want to improve learning in themselves and in others (teaching). But so far many theories have been established to explain how from one period to another the human species can acquire knowledge of facts and faculties, without any clear and precise answer that could be agreed upon by psychologists, biologists, philosophers and teachers.

- Behaviourists define learning as the mere acquisition of new behaviour. The most popular example is Pavlov’s observation that dogs salivate even when they only see food. B.F. Skinner taught pigeons to dance and bowl a ball in a mini-alley by reinforcing their behaviour by rewards. Although reward and punishment can be very effective in some cases it certainly does not account for all learning, like language acquisition in very young children for example. - Piaget’s Development Theory is based on the idea that the developing child builds mental schemes for understanding and responding to physical experiences. Thus a child moves from a few innate reflexes such as crying and sucking to highly complex mental activities. Neuroscience and brain-based learning adepts claim that the brain and the nervous system are the foundation of the human learning process. The brain, a self-organizing system, changes with use throughout our lifetime. So all we need to do to facilitate learning is to keep our brain active. Howard Gardner, a famous psychologist, suggests that ‘intelligence’ is a group of abilities that comprises the verbal, the logical, the visual, the physical, the musical, the interpersonal and the intrapersonal and that all these abilities should be promoted at the same time to encourage learning at all levels. Despite the fact that these brain-theories are certainly important to some extent, we have to say that many faculties cannot be learnt without motivation and without the adequate social environment promoting it. - Another approach views learning as an act of membership in a ‘community of practice’ or social and cultural environment. As young children learn from their parents, older children and adults learn from their mates and their entire environment. This theory does not account for cases like Kaspar Hauser, the German boy who spent his entire youth in a cage without any social contact and who still learnt most human behaviour except speech. - The control theory is based on the motivation of the learner. Behaviour is inspired by what a person wants most at a given time: survival, love, power or any other basic human need. Although the importance of motivation for learning can definitely not be denied, not everyone has the same potential for learning even if the necessary motivation is present.

To conclude we can say that even if all of these theories certainly contribute to an explanation of learning, none of them is exclusive and they are all far from being perfect. But let’s take it the fun way: if we were aware of the facts about learning we would all be geniuses and what would a world full of geniuses imply?

DRR Training in Turkey by Esra Serdar Aydinoglu

go to top of page

On February 3-4, 2001, the Turkish Multidistrict Rotaract Organization TURK, organized its DRR Training for 2000-2001. Our past, present and incoming DRRs attended the seminar and also the third board meeting of TURK.

The topics and speakers were as follows: - District Structure of 2420- Tolga Bostanci (DRR, D2420) - District Structure of 2430- Yavuz Bickes (DRR, D2430) - District Structure of 2440- Sonay Gunaydin (Incoming DRR, D2440) - Responsibilities of the DRR -Aysin Nircan (Past DRR, D2420, Past Conference and Training Coordinator of TURK) - Organizing District Meetings- Esra Serdar Aydinoglu (Past DRR, D2430) - Rotary International Foundation and Resources - Serpil Topuz (Past DRR, D2430) - International Meetings - Selvin Saker (Past DRR, D2440) - Internet and DRR - Serhat Akkilic (Internet and Communication Coordinator of TURK) - ERIC DVD Bank - Mehmet Onarcan((Past DRR, D2420, Past President of TURK) We would like to thank all of our DRRs and coordinators for their participation.

Shower Puzzle by £ukasz Grochowski

go to top of page

Part of our President´s "Globetrotting Rotaractors" series Most of us take showers (at least once a year before Christmas, right?). It is not a complicated activity if we do it at home in our favourite cabin. However, it may become an issue if we try to use bathroom facilities in any other place.

The variety of available equipment plus very different cultural factors make showering an adventure for travelling Rotaractors. Campsites are particularly deceiving. For instance, it happened to me once (in Germany)

that a coin-operated shower stopped right in the middle of the soaping process. No need to mention it was the last coin I had with me... Screaming helped to attract the attention of compassionate campers willing to lend me some money. On the other hand, American showers are arranged in groups without curtains which encourages socializing could be embarrassing for those who are not used to flash others with their naked butt-cheeks. One can find more privacy in a wooden house over a precipice in the Himalayas. But here a tiny stream of hot water transported via a rubber hose from a plastic barrel on the first floor may not wash off all the dirt, unless you twist and turn and rub a lot. The UK also has its surprises for visitors. In most British houses you will find an electric heater in a little plastic box that starts humming and hissing as you turn the knob. The amount of lukewarm water produced in this way is less than satisfactory, especially given that the temperature drops as you increase the flow. In some smart swimming centres in Poland showers are operated with one button only which means that someone else knows better what kind of water we need at any given moment. But it is still better than some places in Ecuador where an astonished receptionist had to hear my complaints about the lack of red valve. He patiently explained that in their hot and sticky climate (coast) nobody needs it. The list of peculiarities could be long so I had better close with a recent story of Belgian bath-technology which forces the user to press the button every 5-6 seconds which practically hinders washing, unless you ask someone to stand at your side and press... Nobody ever said that travelling is boring, but maybe our skilful friends from Japan will soon invent a mobile portable shower (a little home away from home, as Yankees would conclude). Have a nice shower!

2001 Rotary International Council of Legislation by Cyril Noirtin / Rotary International

go to top of page

How this year´s Council of Legislation may affect Rotaract Should the age limit of Rotaract be decreased to 25, increased to 35, to 40 or remain as it is now ?

This is one of the questions the members of the 2001 Rotary International Council of Legislation will have to answer next April. According to the constitution of Rotary International, the Council on Legislation meets every three years at a site determined by the Board of Directors of RI. Accordingly, the next Council will meet 22-27 April 2001 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the birthplace of Rotary International. The council has the responsibility of considering and acting upon all "enactments," which are proposed changes in the Bylaws and Constitution, and "resolutions," which are

recommended changes in Rotary policies and procedures. Proposals may be submitted by any Rotary club, district or the RI board. The Council on Legislation provides the membership of Rotary with a democratic process for legislative change in the operations of Rotary International. Therefore changes to the Rotaract Programme that would affect the constitution and by-laws of Rotary International or the RI prescribed constitution and by-laws of Rotary Clubs must be considered and acted upon by the Council of Legislation. If a Rotaract club want to support such a change, consideration of the proposal should be pursued through the sponsoring Rotary club. A sponsoring Rotary Club is not obliged to submit such a proposal on behalf of the Rotaract Club to the Council of Legislation. Accordingly Rotary clubs and Districts have proposed legislation affecting Rotaract to be considered by the next Council. The Rotary Club of Utsunomiya East, Tochigi, Japan, has proposed to amend Standard Rotary Club Constitution Article V, Section 4(c), to provide that former Rotaractors admitted as additional active members would pay one-half of annual dues and be exempt from paying an admission fee. These terms would cease when the member becomes an active member or reaches the age of 40 years. The enactment would not relieve the club from paying District or RI dues for such members. There will be a financial implication depending on whether this proposal will increase or decrease club membership and the subsequent payment of dues to Rotary International. The exact membership increase or decrease cannot be predicted. However, at the current dues level, an increase or decrease of 1,000 members would have a direct plus or minus impact of $35,000 per year. The Rotary Club of Nagoya-Moriyama, Japan and the Rotary Club of Dunstable, Beds., England have proposed that the Council request the RI Board to consider raising the upper age limit for membership in a Rotaract Club to 40 years of age. The Conference of District 1520, Armentières, France, the Rotary Club of Saarbrücken-St. Johann, Germany, the Rotary Club of Huddinge, Sweden, the Rotary Club of Utsunomiya East, Tochigi, Japan and the Rotary Club of Kanuma, Tochigi, Japan, the Conference of District 2800, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan and the Rotary Club of Hitachi North, Ibaraki, Japan have proposed that the Council requests the RI Board to consider raising the age limit for membership in a Rotaract club to 35 years of age. With a different opinion, the Rotary Club of Curitiba Leste, PR, Brazil has proposed that the Council requests the RI Board to consider forming Rotaract clubs for individuals from 18 to 25 years of age. Whereas, extending the age until which young people can remain in Rotaract clubs to 30 years of age has made it more difficult for them to transfer to Rotary clubs, and whereas creation of New Generations Rotary clubs has been a growing success, and whereas lowering the age limit for affiliation with a Rotaract club will tend to encourage the organization of new Rotary clubs with predominantly young members the Board of Directors of Rotary International is asked to consider that Rotaract clubs should be formed for young people from 18 to 25 years of age. The financial impact of this proposed resolution is a possible increase in dues revenues to Rotary International. If the age limit of Rotaractors is decreased to 25 years, it is possible

that this could stimulate an increase in the membership base of Rotary clubs. The amount of this increase is impossible to predict. However, at the current dues level, an increase of 1,000 members equates to an additional $35,000 in dues revenue annually for Rotary International. The Rotary Club of Curitiba Leste, PR, Brazil, has proposed whereas promoting the absorption of former Rotaractors in Rotary clubs has been difficult and somewhat unsuccessful, and whereas an environment should be created that would promote the formation of a nucleus of young professionals to form New Generations Rotary clubs, and whereas the format, low cost, duration, and frequency of Rotaract meetings as well as the fact that it is more oriented to community service, is very attractive to young professionals, that the Board of Directors of Rotary International consider that Rotaract clubs that are in good standing and that have at least 15 members, may form the nucleus of and sponsor a New Generations Rotary club the authorization of the governor and the support of their sponsoring Rotary clubs. The Board of Directors has proposed that the Council clarify RI Bylaws 16.010. and make the Rotaract Committees one of the standing committees of RI. In addition, the Rotary Club of Cortland, New York, USA has proposed that the Rotaract Committee consist of six members, two of whom shall be appointed each year for terms of three years and there will be a minimum of three Rotaract members on this Committee.

In Short by Cyril Noirtin / Magali Füss

go to top of page

2001/2002 Theme; Recent Board decisions concerning Rotaract

Theme for 2001/2002 Richard King´s theme for the next Rotary/Rotaract year will be "Mankind is our Business". For translations into some of our European languages and the theme logo, see the enclosed illustration. Board Decision regarding Certificates of Organization During its November meeting, the Board of Rotary International considered the issue of signing of Certificates of Organization brought up by RI Director Nobert Turco. The Board thanks Director Turco for bringing up this issue and agrees to change the process of issuing the certificates to include signing by the Rotary International President. It also decided to reprint the Certificate of Organization for Rotaract, Interact and Rotary Community Corps to include the emblem of Rotary International, the signature of the Rotary International President, and the signature of the sponsoring Rotary club president. Board Decision regarding training for District Rotaract Representatives DECISION : The Board 1. thanks Director Turco for bringing this matter to its attention; 2. reaffirms Rotary Code of Policies sections 44.040.15 and 17.020.2 encouraging all district governors to ensure that district Rotaract Representatives receive training either on the district level or at a multi-district leadership training meeting, and pay for their attentance at such meetings; 3. encourage district governors to defray all or part of the cost associated with the attendance of district Rotaract representatives-elect at the annual Rotaract pre-convention meeting.

This service was brought to you by E.R.I.C., the European Rotaract Information Center. Please visit our website at http://www.rotaract-eric.org and especially the webpage about our sponsors at http://www.rotaract-eric.org/sponsors.