Rotaract District 7030 Newsletter

October 2015 Edition

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

District Rotaract Representative Message

Rotaract District 7030 Focus

I. District Marketing and Communications Campaign

Rotary International Focus

Get to Know…Your Rotaract District Presidents 2015-2016

Get to Know…Your District Team Members 2015-2016

Club Stories

I. Rotaract Club of Arima

II. Rotaract Club of Central Port of Spain

III. Rotaract Club F.R.E.S.H.

IV. Rotaract Club of Genesis

V. Rotaract Club of Georgetown Central

VI. Rotaract Club of Lamentin

VII. Rotaract Club of Pointe-à-Pitre

VIII. Rotaract Club of Roseau

IX. Rotaract Club of San Fernando

X. Rotaract Club of Tobago

XI. Rotaract Club of University of Guyana

District Reminders

Charter Anniversaries

DISTRICT ROTARACT REPRESENTATIVE MESSAGE

Happy Economic and Community Development Month! Isn’t that a

mouthful?? October is already rushing past but allow me to make

special mention of the great events that occurred in September.

Having visited the Rotaract Clubs of Grenada and Montserrat,

basked in the priceless hospitality of the Rotaract Clubs of Barbados

and Antigua and reminisced about the good ole Rotaract days with

Past District Trainer and soon to be pinned Rotarian Shamarie

Spencer, September truly embodied what it means to see our

pronounced Y.E.S. represented in our everyday lives! Despite the

fast pace of life, it is essential that we take the time to meet up with

old friends and reconnect. It is these very moments that re-fuel us for

the journey ahead and make what we do that much more enjoyable.

Part of this joy comes from our positive impact on the community

through our service projects. This month of October, Rotary asks for us to specifically focus on the

economic and community development aspect. Though we may think this may be out of our league,

demystifying the use of a balance sheet and creating realistic budgets through a comprehensive

financial literacy project are all ways in which we can help achieve this focus.

We also look forward to celebrating Rotary’s World Polio Day on October 23rd through a live stream

event which can be joined via this link: http://www.endpolio.org/worldpolioday.

During our activities, this month let us not forget our Dominican family, as our Rotaractors continue with

their recovery efforts. Thank you for your Y.E.S.!.

YIR,

DRR Giselle Holder

Rotaract District 7030

October 2015

ROTARACT DISTRICT 7030 FOCUS

District Marketing and Communications Campaign

Action Item: Identify, plan and execute a District –wide campaign to promote both Rotaract D7030

theme ‘Are you RotaReady Y.E.S.’ and RI’s theme ‘Be a Gift to the World’

Project Name: Be a Y.E.S. to the World

Project Description: A yearlong campaign with quarterly elements that will focus on the components

of being Rota-Ready. The committee will incorporate the use of all media to; build awareness of

D7030’s key initiatives and purpose exploring the theme’s focus:

Quarter 2 –Y-outh (Find a Youth exemplar – interview them- engage and introduce to Interact/Rotaract.

If already a Rotaractor- provide training in leadership.)

Quarter 3- E-xcellence – (Highlight excellence in professional and academic careers. Interview and

utilize as a feature speaker in a club initiative or meeting.)

Quarter 4- S-ervice-driven (identify a cause that is being supported by Y.E.S. exemplars – interview

and get details and engage through assisting in planning, implementation, networking or public

relations.

Rotaractors and Rotarians will be challenged to look within their clubs and in some cases their

country/region and identify Y.E.S. Exemplars1. Clubs can take the challenge a step further by

engaging Y.E.S. Exemplars and partnering on any initiative- Community Service/Club

Service/International Service/Professional Development and creating a public relations campaign

around the interaction.

Target Audience: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary, any other CSO2 and or individual perceived to be a

partner in service.

Project Objectives:

1. To boost visibility and build awareness of Rotaract/Interact/Rotary via thorough and aggressive

media engagement.

2. To create a District campaign that identifies and highlights Y.E.S. Exemplars using Media (All media).

3. To identify a Y.E.S. Ambassador and provide sponsorship to a Rotaract District event in 2015-2016.

Other Committee Targets/Deliverables:

Assess the current status of social media platforms

Create a social media plan to boost visibility, relevance and followers/likes on each medium

Create Media/Press Kit – with guidelines for media engagement for D7030, Interact & Rotaract

events.

Streamline initiatives of both Secretary and District Webmaster to formalize a Communications

Committee and or Communication efforts.

Procure sponsorship for Y.E.S. Ambassador to attend a District event.

Evaluate intervention on a bi monthly basis to assess impact and or develop new trends that

may assist with achieving goals.

•Build compentence in effective media engagement

•Use D7030 social media platforms as a push, pull and interactive forum

•Promotion of Rotaract brand in all initiatives

Awareness

•Encourage Rotary family to identify Y.E.S. exemplars through quarterly challenges

• Engage Y.E.S. exemplars in one arm of serice

Y.E.S. Campaign

•Provide media packs to club PROs, ADRRs to assist in effective media engagement

•Use D7030 media platforms as the engine/power house

•Sponsor a Y.E.S. Ambassador & enable a spirit of volunteerism

Sustainability

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Presidential Message: October 2015

Last month, after confirming a full year without a single case of wild

poliovirus, Nigeria was removed from the list of the world's polio-endemic

countries. It was the last polio-endemic country in Africa. Today, only two

countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan – harbor the world's final reservoir of

endemic poliovirus. As this issue of The Rotarian goes to press, global cases

of polio in 2015 number only a few dozen.

The scale of this achievement can hardly be overstated. Polio has existed

for millennia; it has plagued humanity since our earliest civilizations. Today,

because of Rotary's work and that of our partners, the end is in sight. We are

counting down not in years, but in months.

And yet, our success is as fragile as it is monumental. We are moving forward, slowly, steadily,

inexorably – thanks to colossal efforts that never cease. We continue to vaccinate hundreds of millions

of children in vast synchronized campaigns; we constantly monitor environments to prevent new

outbreaks. The sheer scale of the effort – the coordination, the cost, and the commitment – boggles the

mind.

Some ask why such high levels of immunization and surveillance are still needed to combat a disease

that is almost gone. The answer is simple: It is the only way forward. If we did anything less – if we

allowed the virus any quarter – years of work would be undone. We know too well how easily polio

could spread again. We know how quickly our decades of progress could be lost. And this is why the

months ahead are so tremendously important. We need your voice – to raise awareness, to raise funds,

and to keep the momentum going. We need your strength to help fight this war until we have won.

On 24 October, we mark World Polio Day. I hope that on that day, all of you will take part in some way

in our work to eradicate polio. I know that many of you intend to publicize this event on the club or

district level; for those who have not yet made plans, there are still many ways to participate. Visit

endpolionow.org for ideas, tools, sample press releases, and ways to donate. You'll also find the link to

our livestream event; be sure to join in, and share it on social media.

This war of ours – which started as a war against polio but is also a war against hatred, against

ignorance, against fear – this war will be won. It will be won soon. And when it is won, all of Rotary will

have a story to tell – to the children, and the grandchildren, who will never see a leg brace or an iron

lung, or know a world with polio in it.

Whether you are a Rotarian in Kano or Peshawar or Swat, in Seoul or Madrid or Chicago – you are a

part of this story. Your part in it is one that only you can write. I ask you all to write it well – so that the

story you will one day tell is one of which you will be proud.

GET TO KNOW…

YOUR ROTARACT DISTRICT PRESIDENTS

2015-2016

Name: Anya Blankendal (Rotaract Club of Genesis)

Age: 25 years old

Nationality: Surinamese

Birthday: 17th January

Hobbies/interest: Spreading creativity, dancing and

travelling

Degree programme/Occupation: Student (building

construction and architecture)

Year Inducted: 2010

I joined Rotaract because…

At first it was a way to spend my spare time in a productive way. Then I fell in love with being part of making

a better community and wanted to be in the Rotaract to upgrade my personal skills and be that wonderful

change to the world.

My fondest moment thus far in Rotaract was…

Every single Help A friend in Need project I experienced throughout my years in the Rotaract.

I believe that Rotaract is important because…

It’s a great opportunity for young men and women to find themselves by giving back to the community,

rewarding themselves with professional development skills and make some awesome friends all over the

Caribbean and world.

Name: Jasiyah Ibrahiim (Rotaract Club of Tobago)

Age: 27 years old

Nationality: Trinidadian

Birthday: 05th November, 1987

Hobbies/interest: Singing, reading, events management

and cultural arts- drama, music, film

Degree programme/Occupation: BSc. Physics and

MSc Environmental Engineering/ Project Engineer

Year Inducted: 2013

I joined Rotaract because...

I wanted to give back in whatever way I could; I wanted to leave my community better off than I met it.

My fondest moment thus far in Rotaract was…

Being elected as the President and knowing that my team had such faith in me.

I believe that Rotaract is important because…

It always us to discover and use our gifts through service to our community and each other. It also allows

us to have positive people around who share the same beliefs that we do.

GET TO KNOW…

YOUR DISTRICT TEAM MEMBERS

2015-2016

Name: Midji Verdol (ADRR, Rotaract Club of

St. Kitts)

Age: 28 years old

Nationality: French

Birthday: 09th April, 1987

Hobbies/interest: Travelling and sports

Degree programme/Occupation: Degree in

Business Law/Project Manager (events, tourism,

trade development in the Caribbean).

Year Inducted: 2013

I joined Rotaract because...

I wanted to be involved in community service

My fondest moment thus far in Rotaract was…

District Conference in Tobago.

I believe that Rotaract is important because…

It's a great way to learn to give, to learn from others but also to learn about yourself. Rotaract has caused

me mature and allowed me to be a new person. I learned to work on my shortcomings and develop my

skills. My Leadership skills has developed; I now have friends in the 4 corners of the Caribbean and the

World; I have developed my language skills and above all, every service project filled me with love and

pride.

CLUB STORIES

ROTARACT CLUB OF ARIMA Rotaract Club of Arima’s Back-to-School Bonanza 2015

The Rotaract Club of Arima successfully embarked on its “Be A Gift to Cumaca R.C. Back-to-School

Drive 2015”. On Saturday 29th August, 2015,

Rotaractors were greeted by the palpable

exhilaration of the teachers and pupils as they

unpacked three (3) car trunk loads of boxes

filled with back-to-school supplies.

From 6th July to 26th August, 2015, the Club’s

Membership and its associates sought to

gather as much items as possible for the pupils

in keeping with their commitment to provide

them with a school term’s supply of items.

The

overwhelmingly tremendous support allowed us to present the

student population of 110 pupils with a term’s supply of

stationery, art & craft and office/administrative items.

Additionally, the Club was able to lend support to seven (7)

families by providing the children with school uniforms,

whereby each child received four (4) school shirts each, as

these families were not financially able to sufficiently outfit the

pupils for the new school year.

Furthermore, by exceeding all expectations of the collection

drive, the Membership ended up with a considerable surplus of back-to-school supplies. The Rotaract

Club of Arima was therefore able to lend tangible support to the Rotaract Club of Point Fortin, and the

S.H.E. (Shaping Her for Excellence) Foundation for their respective Back-to-School Drives from which

communities in North

and South Trinidad

benefitted!

Rotaract Club of Arima participates in Mystery Tomb Challenge

The Rotaract Club of Arima dove headfirst into a fun-filled and creative challenge put forward by the

Rotaract Club of Tobago. They invited all Clubs district-wide to participate in their Challenge, part of

a series of getting to know Tobago. The Challenge was to solve the strange inscription found on a

tombstone in the town of Plymouth, Tobago and to produce a video submission with an interpretation

of same.

The Rotaract Club of Arima’s International Service Director Valene Guerra was originally stumped on

hearing the riddle with its’ twisted oxymorons and inherent contradictions. Having slept on it, she

decided that the only way to clear her mind and to be truly inspired was to visit the sister isle and take

a shot at the riddle. Unbeknownst to her, she would face a rainy day in Plymouth. Nonetheless, the

entire challenge was to prompt Clubs to “get to know Tobago” and no amount of rain could have

diminished the experience of driving along the scenic route to Plymouth and standing next to the very

tombstone that has baffled locals for centuries.

Rotaract Club of Arima participates in the International Coastal Clean-up 2015

with its Twin Club, Rotaract Blue of the Cayman Islands

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is

progress. Working together is success.”

This is the spirit with which the Rotaract Club of Arima

and Rotaract Blue of the Cayman Islands approached the

International Coastal Cleanup 2015. On Saturday 19th

September 2015, both Clubs in keeping true to their

twinning relationship simultaneously participated in this

global beach cleanup effort.

The International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) is an annual

global event held by Ocean Conservancy (OC) since

1986. It aims to engage persons all over the world to

change the behavioural patterns that contribute to

marine pollution and lessen the potential for damage to marine life and ecosystems. Volunteers are

encouraged to remove trash/debris from beaches and waterways in numerous countries all around

world and identify and collect data on the amount and types of debris. According to Ocean

Conservancy’s website, ocean and waterway garbage ranks as “one of the most serious pollution

problems facing our planet”.

The Rotaract Club of Arima through partnering with the Tourism Development Company of Trinidad

and Tobago targeted Las Cuevas Beach on Trinidad’s North Coast, while Rotaract Club Blue of

Cayman Islands targeted the Spanish Bay Reef on West Bay, Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands.

Both Clubs were able to assist in the data and trash collection while reducing the manmade impact on

the world’s beaches.

ROTARACT CLUB OF CENTRAL PORT OF SPAIN

Joy in a box

On September 12 2015, The Rotaract Club of Central Port of Spain (RCCPOS) embarked on its first

Community Service Project: Joy in a Box. This represents the first in a series of joy-filled boxes that will

be distributed to needy families within the community as part of an ongoing partnership between the

Club and the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

At this first outing, members of

RCCPOS reached out to the single

mother of four to conduct a simple

needs assessment to determine what

support we could provide before

meeting with the family just over two

weeks later to handover collected

items. In that short time, we were able

to collect and handover boxes filled

with items ranging from back to

school supplies to baby items and

food.

This first installment of the “Joy in a

Box” project was supported by

members of RCCPOS as well as family

and friends of Rotaract who made

invaluable contributions. In an

attempt to provide ongoing

assistance to this family, the Rotaract Club of Central Port of Spain is also making the necessary

arrangements to ensure this single mother receives ongoing support from government agencies in

Trinidad and Tobago. The smiles on the children’s faces reminded us of the importance of being a gift

to others and will continue to be our motivation for delivering joy, in a box, to many families in need

throughout our community.

ROTARACT CLUB F.R.E.S.H. Rotaract F.R.E.S.H. visits Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport

On Saturday the 12th of September the members of Rotaract F.R.E.S.H. went on an excursion to the Johan

Adolf Pengel International Airport. This is our country’s biggest airport handling regional – and trans-

Atlantic flights. This is the first major project initiated by the professional development avenue with its

main goal to educate while broadening the perspective of the members on several topics. In the

morning we were welcomed with a delicious breakfast by our facilitators Andrew Muller and Timothy

Mendonça. Andrew Muller is the head of operations and Timothy Mendonça is a policy advisor at this

airport.

The last mentioned is also an honorary member and past president of our club. After the breakfast we

attended a presentation about the history, highlights and future plans of the airport. It was also very

interesting to get to know some inside technical facts about the procedures that comes with an aircraft

going airborne and what to keep in mind when things don’t go as planned. After the presentation we

got to witness an up-close airplane takeoff and also got a tour around the landing strip. Finally we met

the personnel of the airport fire department and even got a demonstration with their specially equipped

fire trucks.

Teambuilding & Assembly Weekend

In the weekend of the 11th of September until the 13th, Club

Service organized our first Teambuilding weekend for the

fiscal year of 2015 – 2016 with the objective to strengthen the

clubs cohesion and to boost the motivation of our fellows. The

weekend consisted of an excursion to J.A.P. International

Airport (organized by Professional Development), a Club

Assembly and a teambuilding session. It was very interesting

to see what happens behind the scenes at our international

airport and we definitely learned a lot!

Through our Club Assembly and Teambuilding session with

Rotarian Ray Jong A Lock, a Strategic Development

Facilitator, we became aware of our strengths and

weaknesses while strengthening our clubs cohesion. We also

learned about the Thuckman Teambuilding Theory and the

Pareto Principle which are 2 very practical theories every

team has to learn how to deal with. In the end we realized that

it is impossible to strengthen your team in just one weekend.

Teambuilding is a process that goes a long way!

ROTARACT CLUB OF GENESIS A donation to the most outstanding students of the St. Bernadette School

The Rotaract Club of Genesis was asked by

the parents’ committee of the St. Bernadette

School, if they could donate schoolbags to

the 6 most outstanding students of this (past)

school year. Without doubt the community

service committee instantly asked for

donations at several companies and stores.

On Thursday, August 13th, they got the

change to make 3 boys and 3 girls happy

with schoolbags filled with school

necessities and 2 cinema tickets per student.

The president held a speech to keep, not only the 6 most outstanding students motivated, but all of the

students of the 6th grade of the St. Bernadette School.

After the speech the bags were donated and a few pictures were made with the students and Fellows

who were present.

On Monday, August 24th, the Rotaract fellows went to the cinema to with the students. We believe that

after hard work, having some fun is needed, so why not enjoy a good movie with the crew!!!

A donation to the most outstanding students of the St. Jozef Pryorschool

On Monday, August 17th, 2015 the Rotaract Club of Genesis went to the interior, Brokopondo to donate

schoolbags to the 6 most outstanding students of the Jozef Pryor School.

Five Rotaractors made a roadtrip of 2 hours into the interior of Suriname to make 6 students happy. This

was meant as a reward for their input and effort to finalize the secondary school.

Before these students had their exams, rotaract club Genesis got the whole class to the city, Paramaribo,

for a motivational weekend. The results show that that weekend was worth it, because all of the students

passed their exams. So the community service committee had enough reasons to reward them,

especially the 6 most outstanding.

“Don’t Diss Lexy”: An Awareness Training on Dyslexia

On the 25th September, Genesis held the first part of the dyslexia awareness project. The goal of this

project was to give teachers knowledge and tools on how to recognize Dyslexia at children and how to

face it. These children need to get extra attention as well as extra care.

The club proposed their idea to the Ministry of Education and forty teachers were identified by them.

The training was facilitated by BSO, a private special unit who is specialized in Dyslexia, ADHD and

other disorders. Two expert’s pedagogue Mrs. Martijntje Kaptein and Cynthia Dekker gave an

interactive session and went very in depth. All the 40 teachers had some foreknowledge about the term

but were amazed about all the signals that could be part of dyslexia. The outcome of the project was

beyond our expectations. The teachers were very motivated and glad they were part of this session.

The trainers were very pleased on giving this session to such an enthusiastic group. They proposed to

share the knowledge gained with their colleagues as well. For the club it was also interesting because

we don’t really deal directly with dyslexia if you are not a teacher. The follow-up of this project will be

in January for parents to recognize Dyslexia at home and how to face it.

ROTARACT CLUB OF GEORGETOWN CENTRAL Read to Lead

The Rotaract Club of Georgetown Central through its international service committee celebrated

International Literacy Day through its ‘Read to Lead’ literacy Project at the Ruimveldt Children’s Home

and Care Centre. Launched on Saturday, September 5 at the Home, this project aims to support reading

and improve literacy levels among vulnerable children in Guyana.

At the launch a book donation, supported in part by the Guyana Book Foundation, was made to the home.

Additionally, the children were treated to a thrilling storytelling session, which was facilitated by

broadcasting icon and President of the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central, Mr. Ron Robinson. In an

effort to focus on reading needs of each child at the home an evaluation of reading skills was conducted

by special educator, Mr. Sherwin Fraser. The Read to Lead project will continue over the next three

months with members of the Club working weekly with the children. Improvements to overall literacy

levels are expected as a result of the group’s engagement.

On September 8, 2015 the world officially celebrates the 49th observance of International Literacy Day

under the theme ‘Literacy and Sustainable Societies’. This celebration recognizes that literacy is not

only a corner stone of personal empowerment, but a perquisite for continued learning, and a catalyst

for sustainable societies and development.

ROTARACT CLUB OF LAMENTIN The Governor’s Visit

On September 28, 2015, the Rotaract Club of Saint-Pierre and Lamentin were visited by District

Governor Milton Inniss thanks to of their Sponsor Clubs.

We were able to submit our program and key projects.

At this meeting, we presented a cheque in the amount of € 500 for the Rotary Club of Dominica to help

the victims of the Hurricane Erika.

Handing Over and Lamentin’s first Anniversary

First highlight of this year, the Handing Overtook place June 26, 2015 in the beautiful setting of the Kano

Restaurant in Trois-Ilets. We warmly thank our outgoing President Jessie JEAN-DENIS for her energy

and courage she has shown. We also would like to wish our new president Yannick PASSAVANT our

best wishes. On this occasion we celebrated the first anniversary of the Club.

Cake Sale in favour of France’s Alzheimer Association in Martinique

Under the leadership of our Sponsor Club, on Saturday, September 19, 2015 we organized a cake sale

at the LA GALLERIA Mall.

The profits of this project will be donated to France’s Alzheimer Association in Martinique to support

patients and their care givers.

ROTARACT CLUB OF PARAMARIBO Kiting anyone?

Grote vakantie in Suriname is erg heet. If there is enough wind we will not even notice that the summer

is the hottest season of the year. But that didn’t stop the children, nor the fellows from Paramaribo and

Bernarddorp. Yes yes yes… a kiting competition. We went with the bus from Paramaribo to the interior

where everything was almost set.

This project fell under the avenue community service. It was a project that involved kiting and other

plays to keep children exercising in a fun way. The club also promoted the necessity of healthy water.

And what water can do to a body. The target audience for this project was the whole village,

Bernarddorp. You know how wonderful it was to see dads help their children to put up a kite… just to

help them out. Now that is building goodwill and better friendships and it was definitely beneficial to

all concerned.. so answer this did you put up a kite lately?.

When do you give up?

We have heard it a million times before, even said it more than that. This club…. These people… urgh…

this isn’t working. We have all been there. But.. what happens if you really give up all you have worked

for in the club? What does quitting bring you in life? Will you be satisfied after you’ve quit? U must see

the Rotaract organization as a small community, where there are different people with different mind

sets. Your thinking does not always have to be same as others. In fact what a boring world would it be

if that was the case. The thing of any Rotaract club is that you get to make mistakes freely and learn

from it. Do learn from it, otherwise you would make the same mistakes over and over again. The four

way test of our Rotary forefathers is an amazing way to keep us on the right track. Is it the truth? Is it fair

to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

So to answer the question “when do you give up?” the answer is simple…. NEVER!

ROTARACT CLUB OF POINTE-A-PITRE Relief Efforts to our Dominican Neighbours

On August 27, 2015, Dominica has been seriously affected by Tropical Storm “Erika”. The island was

in a critical situation, and damages caused by the storm were significant. First necessity needs were

quickly felt.

The Rotaract Club of Pointe-à-Pitre and many other clubs and associations mobilized all along the

following weeks after the storm, to collect donations from the public in favour of Dominica. More than

5 tonnes of food, commodities and clothes were able to be sent in Dominica

Literary Evening

On September 19, the Rotary Club of Basse-Terre Fort St Charles organise a literary evening, for the

month of literature. The Rotaract club was also present for lending a hand in organizing the evening.

The theme of the evening was «Childhood through literay works » and intended to enhance the

Guadeloupean literary heritage. Many of us were pleased to meet famous writers as : Gisèle Pineau,

Arlette Minatchy-Bogat, Hugues Pagesy and Benzo.

Donations collected from this event were used to finance the District Projet « DYS », in favour of children

with « dys » troubles.

ROTARACT CLUB OF ROSEAU Three Decades of Service Observed

For thirty years, the Rotaract Club of Roseau has been fulfilling its mandate as a youth organization

rendering various forms of community service to the people of Dominica. Over those thirty years the

club has also been active in transforming the lives of its members through professional and social

development.

The club, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Dominica, observed its 30th anniversary of existence

on Wednesday 16th September 2015.

Thirty years of existence for any organization is a grand feat. However the Rotaract Club of Roseau

deferred its week-long celebration of this milestone to a later date this year as they continue to stand

in solidarity with the people of Dominica in the wake of Tropical Storm Erika.

The club partook in a church service as customary to observe its anniversary on September 13th. This

year the group worshipped with Pastor David Serrant and the congregation of the Deliverance Baptiste

Church in Goodwill where two hampers of food, water and other household items were donated to two

families who were affected by the recent storm.

RC Roseau gives back to the community in light of Tropical Storm Erika

August 27th 2015 will go down in Dominica's history as the day Tropical Storm Erika shocked the people

of Dominica by causing serious and extensive damage to the country.

Two days before the 33rd Anniversary of one of the deadliest storms to hit the island, Hurricane David,

Dominicans were reminded of the deadly power of Mother Nature. TS Erika surprised everyone and

changed her destructive course to a westward path targeting the already disaster prone island.

The storm unexpectedly dumped 12 inches of torrential rain over a 10 hour period on the very parched

island. This caused dangerous flooding, landslides and most unfortunate loss of life.

Entire communities were either washed away by ragging water or crashing mountain slides. Human

life, fauna, flora, homes perished in this unexpected natural disaster.

The Rotaract Club of Roseau would like to single out the Rotaract clubs, Rotary clubs, individual

Rotaractors of District 7030 and even 7020 for your outpouring love, support and sympathy with us and

the people of Dominica. We thank you!!

The Club has been working together with our Rotary Club and other organizations including Dominica

Red Cross delivering much needed aid to people of devastated communities.

The storm was deadly and unforgiving but it failed to take away the spirit of Rotaract which drives us to

provide “Service Above Self.”

ROTARACT CLUB OF SAINT AUGUSTINE WEST

Humans of SAW

On September 30th 2015, the Rotaract Club of St. Augustine West achieved a momentous 18 years in the

business of serving others above self. Today we feature a special highlight of members – past, present

and future – and their SAW experience.

Past

President-

(It)

developed

my

organisationa

l skills and

fostered

confidence in

my ability to

lead despite

being

labelled an

introvert.

Rotaract gave

me the best

gift for a

lifetime; my

husband (also

a past

Rotaractor)

and my two

children.

Friend of

Rotaract- I

first wanted to

help because

I thought it

would be fun

and that the

little things I

did will help

in the

environment

we live in...I

continue to

help because

I still believe

in 2015 that

my little

hands can

help change

the

environment

even by just a

little.

Rotarian &

Past

President

Perhaps I

would have to

hone in the

work we did

with the

Cumaca R.C.

School/Com

munity during

my term as

Club

President. We

were able to

assist with in a

number of

areas.

International

Service

Director

I don’t know if

it’s a moment

per se but

realizing the

prospective

in my

committee’s

eagerness to

participate

and give their

input in

projects.

Prospective

Member

I was

interested in

joining a

Rotaract Club

before I

attended my

first SAW

meeting...It

was at the

Handing Over

Ceremony

that I was

motivated to

invite

friends....

Amazing News from the SAW Garage Sale!!

In anticipation of the SAW Garage Sale, the SAW family took two days to sort, price and store items

donated by Friends of Rotaract. With a

profit goal in mind, the entire team was

committed to the success of this venture

and we can proudly report a profit of

that was 37.5% greater than we

planned! The sale was held on August

29, 2015 at the First Citizens Bank on

Hollis Avenue in Arima lasted 7 hours

from 6:30am to 1:30pm. Our patrons

were shoppers and market vendors.

The success of this project was due to

the active marketing by the Club which

resulted in large quantities of high quality items for sale. The Club kept overheads low by obtaining

sponsorship for the venue while the Club’s members brought tables and chairs from home. No project

is executed without challenges and team SAW had their fair share which they handled like bosses. The

rain was no contest for us, neither were those early customers who arrived before we finished setting

up – our items were saved and those customers left happy. SAW takes this time to extend a sincere

thank you to all who contributed to our project.

Know Your Rotary, Rotaract, Interact Club Training Session

The Rotaract Club of St. Augustine West Professional Development Committee held its first project for

the new Rotaract year on Sunday 13th September, 2015 at Bon Air Plaza Conference Room. The theme

was “Know Your Rotary, Rotaract, Interact Club” it was an interactive and educational club training

session designed to meet the goals of 'development', 'professionalism' and 'embodiment of the Rotary

spirit' as part of the Club's PLEDGE theme for 2015-2016.

The objectives of the training session were to allow participants (pinned members, prospective

members, interact members, and other participants; to learn about Rotaract and Rotary, the attributes

of a good Rotaractor, and time management.

The feature speakers on the day were Immediate Past President Rotarian Adrian Saunders of the

Rotary Club of St. Augustine West and District Representative Rotaractor Giselle Holder of the

Rotaract Club of Port of Spain.

IPP Rotarian Adrian Saunders presented on “Time Management”; he highlighted the importance of

planning S.M.A.R.T and setting short and long terms goals.

DRR Giselle Holder shared a wealth of knowledge on ‘what does it take to be a good Rotaractor?”

which encouraged participants to say “Y.E.S and Be a gift to the world”. This presentation earned

much appreciation from the participants, who were inspired to be “Are You Rota-ready” by being

leaders within their communities. The training session proved to be very informative, highly

motivating and thoroughly well received by all.

ROTARACT CLUB OF SAINT LUCIA

Professional Progression

The Professional Development Committee designated the 1st quarter of the year towards

focusing on “Professional Progression “. This began in the month of July with “Education Paths” and

“Resume\CV Writing”. Educational Paths highlighted different avenues for members to achieve higher

education while Resume\CV Writing assisted with preparing for the harsh job market. The previous

activities served as the foundation for the two professional development activities that followed. The

“Job Interview Preparation” which was facilitated by HR Personnel PP Samara. She highlighted the best

practices and responsibilities of both the interviewer and interviewee. A practical session followed the

presentation; members were split into two groups; interviewers and interviewees. Each group used

the pointers from the presentation to conduct a successful interview.

The "Career Mapping" activity was facilitated Rotarian Selma. She provided an interesting presentation

on identifying a person's interest and aligning it to a related career. She then chose Rotaractor Glendon

to give a practical example of this and inquired about his interests from his childhood up to his current

life. We were able to see how there were some key similarities during the course of a person’s life that

would help in the ultimate decision of a career.

Back to School With Rotaract !!!!

On September 2 2015 members of the Rotaract Club of St.Lucia presented 10 students from the Morne

Du Don Combined School with School bags packed with pens, pencils, notebooks, exercise books,

crayons and other school supplies. Most of the items were acquired through our donation boxes which

were placed at various bookstores on island, as well as from private citizens, Past Rotaractors and

Rotarians. The Principal expressed her gratitude for choosing the school to receive this generous

donation.

On Saturday 29th August 2015 members of the Rotaract Club of St. Lucia donated school supplies to

students of the Canaries and Anse La Raye Community. Forty (40) School bags packed with pencils,

erasers, notebooks, exercise books, pens, crayons and other important school supplies were delivered

to the students. In a short presentation ceremony the 40 students; 20 from each school were presented

with their school bags. It was indeed heart-warming to see the smiles on the faces of both students and

parents when they received their schoolbags: A total of 50 Schools bags containing schools supplies

were delivered during our Back to School Drive Project.

Job Prep 101

The Rotaract Club of St.Lucia hosted a Job Preparation Forum dubbed “Job Prep 101” at Castries City

Hall from 10:00am to 2:00 pm on September 19th; 2015.The purpose of the forum was to provide

prospective employees with information on how to successfully pursue job opportunities. Given the

current economic climate and tough job market, this forum served to assist attendees in making

themselves more marketable to potential employers. Thereby giving them an edge over their

competition. Participants were provided with tips on topics such as interview attire, business etiquette,

CV/Resume writing as well as mock interviews with experienced HR Personnel. The Club Service

Committee also used this as an opportunity to recruit members. During their breaks persons were

invited to the Rotaract Informational Corner where they got the opportunity to learn all about Rotaract.

ROTARACT CLUB OF SAN FERNANDO

32nd Charter Anniversary

The Rotaract Club of San Fernando observed its 32nd anniversary of charter on 6th September,

2015. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Fernando, the club is the second oldest club in Rotaract

District 7030. Over time, the Rotaract Club of San Fernando has grown and developed as a service

organization, inculcating a lifestyle of service in its members.

On Saturday 19th September, 2015, the members of the Rotaract Club of San Fernando

celebrated this occasion at Prive Restaurant and Conference Centre. Joined by members of the Rotary

Club of San Fernando, District Rotaract Representative Giselle Holder, friends and other guests, it was

a well enjoyed evening. DRR Giselle, in her address to those in attendance, reminded us of the gifts

that we give as Rotaractors (Youth, Excellence and Service) and encouraged us to get to a place of Rota-

Readiness.

On the celebration of this occasion, awards were also presented to club members who

demonstrated exemplary efforts over the last Rotaract Year. Among these, were awards for the ‘Spirit

of Rotaract’, ‘Mentorship’, ‘Service Above Self’ and ‘Rotaractor of the Year’. The Rotaract club of San

Fernando looks forward to continued years of service.

ROTARACT CLUB OF TOBAGO

Rotaract Tobago’s Back to School Project

On Thursday 27th August, 2015 The Rotaract Club of

Tobago hosted its annual “Back to School” initiative

which began in August 2003. The initiative provided

assistance in the form of school items such as

stationary and uniforms to underprivileged families in

Tobago. The funds to support the 2015 edition were

raised through individual contributions of seven

hundred dollars ($700.00) per child from well-

wishers and collections via donation sheets

distributed by the Rotaract Club of Tobago. As a

result the club was able to provide assistance to

twenty one (21) students totaling fourteen thousand, seven hundred ($14,700.00).The initiative

extended to a collaboration with Digicel where a sum of two thousand ($2000.00) was donated to the

Sylphil Home of Love to provide assistance to an additional twenty students. The distribution ceremony

took place at the Conference Room, Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport.

In keeping with this year’s theme “Discovering gifts through Service’ the club also hosted a

Professional Development Programme. The parents from seven families participated in a forum entitled

“F.Y.I – Fostering Youth Independence” facilitated by Mrs. Alicia Roberts-Patterson, from the District

Health Unit, TRHA. Parents were encouraged to empower their children through effective

communication, to assist them in finding ways to discover, learn, grow, mature, advance and develop

their potential, talents and capabilities.

ROTARACT CLUB OF UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA

Participation in the Arima Caribbean Culture Box Project

During the Month of September 2015, the Rotaract Club of the University of Guyana partook in the

Caribbean Culture Box project conceptualised and initiated by the Rotaract Club of Arima.

The Club's participation in this project was motivated by its International Service Committee goals to

communicate more with other District 7030 Clubs. The aim of the project as related by Arima was to

understand the diversity and similarities of club and country cultures within District 7030.

The items RCUG included in the Culture Box was a recipe booklet filled with Guyana's favourite recipes

from each of its six races and a Post Card of some of the moments shared amongst RCUG's members.

The Recipe Booklet represented the Country's culture, as Guyanese are renowned for their exquisite

cooking and the Post Card sought to reflect our Club's culture of comradery, synergy, youth and

dedication.

All in all, the project not only allowed RCUG to glimpse into the Cultures of other Clubs and their

Countries but presented the opportunity for introspection also.

DISTRICT REMINDERS

October 15th

Deadline for the submission of 1st Quarter Reports (to DRR Giselle, DS Kezra & ADS Delon)

October 28th

Deadline for the submission of articles for the District Newsletter (to DS Kezra & ADS Delon)

CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES

October

01st- Rotaract Club of Port of Spain West

15th- Rotaract Club of Gros Islet

Happy

Charter!

THE END

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