Shout It out Loud

Gary C.K. Huang – our new R.I. President – has set the tone for this Rotary year with “Light Up Rotary” as his theme choice, and our new 7090 District Governor Samuel “Jack” Amico challenged every Rotarian to let the world finally hear all about Rotary’s accomplishments and see how passionate Rotarians are in their desire to help their community and the world at large. We’ve also been encouraged by our R.I. President and District Governor to hold Rotary Days – fun, informal events in the community to introduce the public to Rotary. The 1st official Rotary Day will be held on August 23rd 2014, at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo N.Y., home of the Buffalo Bison’s, and will welcome Rotarians from Southern Ontario and Western New York. This is the perfect time to highlight the importances of promoting and advertising Rotary and our club’s projects. Advertising and promotion – the act of telling prospective clients/customers about your product/service so that they make use of you/it resulting in sales/profit – though a simple function to business people it sometimes seems to be a foreign concept to Rotary. Even with the recognition, by Guinness, of having the World’s Largest Commercial in “This Close” there still remains the fact that this “ad event” has not been shared with the 99% of the planet’s population and has not been featured in media outside of The Rotarian and Rotary’s Youtube site. When a Rotary event is planned it is essential that a media release be sent to local newspapers and radio/television stations. No one outside of Rotary will ever glean out of the ether any information about Rotary and its accomplishments – they must be told. Here are a few ways club members can spread Rotary awareness:• Change your Twitter and Facebook profile to the I’m a Proud Rotarian.• Watch RI President Gary C.K. Huang’s video on membership at your next

meeting or club event to highlight the vital role membership plays in maintaining a strong and active club.

• Using the hashtag #WeAreRotary, post to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Vine of your club’s work in your community and abroad.

• Rotary members have pushed polio to the brink of eradication, delivered clean water to those in need, improved their local communities, provided scholarships to the next generation of peacemakers, and continued to do good in the world. It’s time to let everyone know.

Remember – Rotary is not a secret... this is not “Fight Club”... The First Rule of Rotary is “ShouT iT ouT loud!”

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The Official Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Dundas AUGUST 2014

BIRthdAYS:

August 18 - Alan Gregson (h)

PRoGRAMS:Aug. 05 - Club Assembly

Aug. 12 - Classification, Yolanda Thornton

Aug. 26 - Steve Buist, The Hamilton Spectator

Aug. 26 - Kelly McGriffin, CEO First Ontario Credit Union

ROTARY’S GOT A BRAnd nEw BAGWhy does the Rotary year begin on July 1st?

No, it’s not because it’s been 6 months since the Club Secretary last chased you for your dues – though they do enjoy a good chase prior to bringing down their prey... cackling maniacally... then scampering off into the all concealing shadows... In 1910, Rotary’s fiscal year initially began the day after the annual convention – later recommendations made to the Board of Directors, after an audit of the International Association of Rotary Clubs’ finances, resulted in the decision to end Rotary’s fiscal year on June 30th. Since the executive committee’s decision in 1913, the end of the Rotary year has remained June 30th and the term “Rotary year” has been used to signify Rotary’s annual administrative period ever since. So the next time you see money mysteriously vanish from your hands... that’s not magic... that’s not an ex-spouse... that’s just your club secretary, heralding the end of the Rotary year.

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AUGUST MEETInG RESPOnSIBILITIESAuGuSt 5 AuGuSt 12

Setup/Takedown The Usual Suspects & The Phantom Defendant

The Usual Suspects & The Phantom Defendant

Greeter John Stevenson Peter RivalInvocation Peter Rival Christine Green

O’ Canada John Attridge John AttridgeIntro./Thank Speaker John Stevenson

AuGuSt 19 AuGuSt 26

Setup/Takedown The Usual Suspects & The Phantom Defendant

The Usual Suspects & The Phantom Defendant

Greeter Keith Green Sue WunderlichInvocation

John Stevenson Allyson WenzowskiO’ Canada John Attridge John AttridgeIntro./Thank Speaker Marguerite Ward Steve Volf

Editor - Judy Shepalo

Photography - Christine Green

Printing - Kim JosephAll Rotarians and Dundas RYP send comments, updates, ideas to:

roger.brewer@hotmail.com

dRUG wARS, FInAnCIAL SETBACKS nO MATCH FOR MEXICO CLInICDaniela Garcia, Rotary News 2/07/2014

BLOwn AwAY BY THE REALITIES OF HUMAn TRAFFICKInGBy Arnold R. Grahl, Rotary News 08/07/2014

A candlelight vigil was held at Covenant House to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation. Thousands of homeless youth a year fall victim to child sex trafficking, a form of human trafficking, which is also referred to as the modern-day slave trade. At the age of 17, Jennifer was sleeping on the streets of Atlanta. She’d felt abandoned most of her life, unprotected from her brothers and her mother’s boyfriends, who physically and sexually abused her since she was five. And now, kicked out of her house, Jennifer – whose last name is withheld for privacy – was alone and vulnerable. She was soon lured into sex trafficking and was unable to escape for two years. Then she found Covenant House. “Studies have shown that if a young person ends up on the street, within 48 hours someone is going to approach them with the intention of exploiting them, typically for sexual exploitation,” says Allison Ashe, executive director of Covenant House Georgia, one of 22 facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. “But a lot of time it happens so quickly that they come to us already exploited. Our work is then to help them heal and build a future for themselves.” The Rotary Club of Atlanta is helping young people like Jennifer through a $4.1 million campaign to expand the Covenant House, the city’s only crisis center for homeless youth. At the start of the campaign two years ago, the house had just 15 beds and two bathrooms. Another 10 youths slept on floor mats, while others were on a long waiting list. In June, the shelter moved into its new campus, which includes a 45-bed crisis facility and several outbuildings that make up an independent-living unit. A school building on the property provides space for an art therapy program, a library, a health care clinic, and recreational activities. “When you walk onto the campus, it doesn’t feel like a crisis shelter,” says Ashe. “It feels like a college campus where kids can come and heal, learn, grow, and move toward their future.”

Clark Dean says his club became interested in the issue after inviting U.S. Attorney Sally Yates as their speaker, who explained that Atlanta is a major hub of child sex trafficking. “It took the oxygen out of the room,” Dean says of Yates’ presentation. “When our club hears something like that, we want to act. Fortunately, we are blessed to have members who are in a position to make things happen.” The Atlanta Rotary Club is well connected in the community. Dean, a real estate executive, found and brokered a deal on a property in foreclosure for the new facility. The Atlanta Hawks basketball franchise, whose president is a club member, has contributed tickets and items for the club’s silent auction. And Tad Hutcheson, an executive at Delta Airlines, organized more than a hundred volunteers to assist in cleaning up and renovating the new campus during a citywide volunteer service day. Delta also contributed $100,000 to the campaign. Atlanta Rotarians have reached $3.6 million of their fundraising goal. The campaign will also fund an expansion in counseling services. The center has a general mental health program and employs specialists in sexual abuse, substance abuse, and addictions. An education program aims at putting kids back in high school, if they are still at an appropriate age, or helping older kids earn a GED, as Jennifer is doing. Kids can also learn vocational skills, résumé writing, and interview skills, and are placed in jobs when they are ready through a partnership with certain employers in the city. In November, Atlanta Rotarians took part in an Executive Sleep Out, an event where business leaders toured the facility, met with kids, and spent the night outside in solidarity with them. Ashe is overwhelmed by the support Rotary has provided. “We were able to get the facility up and running for very minor costs because so much was done by volunteers,” she says. “Rotary is an incredible example of what happens when a community of leaders comes together around an issue.”

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About 300 miles south of Ciudad Juarez is one of Mexico’s most dangerous cities, the small town of Guerrero in central Chihuahua. The community is home to the Guerrero Clinic, which has weathered neighboring drug wars and financial setbacks to treat the poor since 1980. Walter Branson, a member of the Rotary Club of Brazosport, Texas, in the United States, has been involved with the clinic since 1983. Branson says the governor of Chihuahua credits the clinic with providing 60% of indigent care in the state. The drug wars in Mexico, which began in 2006, initially scared away U.S. volunteers. At one point, volunteers to Guerrero dipped to 20 volunteers from a high of 50. And in 2010, the clinic had to be canceled for six months after the U.S. State Department issued a travel ban to Mexico. Despite the cautious approach, Guerrero is not typically viewed to be as dangerous as some of the border towns in Chihuahua like Ciudad Juarez. “I tell [volunteers] we’re not going to take them to an area where we know there’s a problem. We don’t take that chance,” Branson says. It’s taken not only the support of the community in Guerrero, but the

cooperation of Rotary clubs in Southeast Texas and in northern Mexico to grow and sustain the clinic. The clinic opens its doors and offers free health care services as often as six times a year. Optometry is its primary focus with up to 550 cataract surgeries performed each year, but it also offers cleft palate surgeries, skin grafts, cancer screenings, and pap smears. As many as 1,000 patients come through the clinic each week it operates. Branson says people have been known to travel over 1,200 miles to be treated at the clinic, many because the services are free. He recalls one couple bringing their baby in to repair a cleft palate. “They traveled from Acapulco to Guerrero because they had no money to pay for the surgery,” he says.

Funding GapsAs the clinic has grown so has the cost to keep it running. To help with funding, several clubs in Mexico formed the nonprofit Rotary Foundation of Guerrero (Fundación Rotaria de Guerrero A.C.) in 2003. The foundation won loans through the federal health care program until loans were suspended in 2012. Celso Reyes, of the Rotary Club of Torreón, says that clubs in both countries have had to renew their fundraising tactics to recoup lost funding. Additionally, they have applied for various Rotary grants throughout the years; most recently they secured a matching grant sponsored by several clubs in Mexico. The clinic also relies on non-Rotary organizations such as Alcon Labs, a health and eye care company, for donations of medical supplies. “It’s one thing to hear about the work being done,” Reyes says. “But [only] until you visit, until you’re actually there and you see the profound change made in the lives of the people who get their vision back or have a cleft palate surgery, do you see how wonderful it is. It is a great experience.”

Visit the Guerrero Clinic’s website and Facebook page to Learn more about how Rotary is fighting disease

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LITERACY PROJECT FORGES VIRTUAL FRIEndSHIPS FOR YOUnG STUdEnTS

By Daniela Garcia, Rotary News 17/06/2014

A group of 6th grade students from YE Smith Elementary in Durham, North Carolina, USA, talk with students in Ahmedabad, India, as part of the Rotary Reading Rangers literacy program. Their conversations turn to recess, their pets, favorite sports, and what they like to eat. It may sound like a typical classroom setting, but half of the students in the room are in Durham, North Carolina, in the U.S. and the other half are on the opposite side of the globe in Ahmedabad, India. Eight sixth grade students from YE Smith Elementary, all involved in the Rotary Club of Durham’s literacy program, Rotary Reading Rangers, participate in the international video conference. After introductions are made, the students in India share a report about the history of the annual spring festival Holi. “My underlying hope was a global understanding and global friendships between kids that would otherwise never see each other,” says program founder Todd Taylor. Taylor, a member of the Durham club, came up with the idea for the Rotary Reading Rangers after he attended a meeting about literacy in the Durham community and learned that over 40 percent of students in the Durham school system failed the reading portions of standardized tests. When asked by his club to review a proposal for a Rotary Foundation grant to buy books for YE Smith’s library, he suggested that the grant also be used to tackle the literacy problems in their community. Taylor realized this connection could be forged with the help of his employer, Duke Corporate Education, which has offices in India equipped with video conferencing technology. The reading program has 35 registered tutors and has helped 80 students in the last year. Taylor says that although the program is still relatively new and still growing, the students involved have made significant strides. “If we invest 25 hours in a student, research has shown it will improve them by one grade level,” Taylor says. “So last year, we had over 1,000 hours volunteered. This year, we’re already at 525 hours volunteered, which basically equates to 60 days of extra instruction. The students have made a year and a half’s worth of progress in the five months that we’ve been working with them.” Taylor says their literacy program works with all grades but focuses on students in kindergarten to second grade, when students are still learning to read. Newman Aguiar, fellow tutor and Durham club member, agrees that the video conference was a fantastic opportunity for students. “They walk away with a clear sense of how much they share in common with their peers,” Aguiar says. “It is the kind of human connection that will likely have a significant influence on their future world view.” Aguiar also says he has already seen significant strides made by the four kindergartners he currently works with. “[They] began the year behind some of their peers; however, they are always so energized when I arrive and proudly walk over to begin their sessions with their books in hand,” Aguiar says. “In a few short weeks, each could identify over half the letters of the alphabet with great accuracy. The real joy is watching them grow so quickly and read to me the books they picked out themselves.” Taylor suggests that clubs interested in creating a similar literacy project should keep the participating schools directly involved and ask for help in training tutors. Working alongside teachers and listening to their issues or concerns has been essential to the program’s success. “Students are developing a joy of reading, engaging with positive role models and are daring to dream. Every community has neighborhoods that struggle with multi generational illiteracy, and students are unprepared for school,” Aguiar says. “Rotarians can get involved early and, with a small investment of time, improve literacy and help lift up the community.”

learn more about the Rotary Reading Rangers!

Read a blog post about the video conference on Rotary Voices!

do you have a unique literacy project? Share it on our discussion group!* * * * *

POLIO VACCInATORS MAKE SIGnIFICAnT HEAdwAY In nIGERIA

Dan Nixon, Rotary News 25/07/2014

Nigeria is closer than ever to eradicating polio, riding a successful effort to reach children in seven northern states at highest risk for the disease. “Rotarians have [gone] into remote areas of the country by car, canoe, motorbike, and even on foot to ensure every child gets the vaccine,” says Rotary’s Nigeria PolioPlus Committee Chair Tunji Funsho. In Katsina state, members of the Nigeria PolioPlus Committee (NPPC) recently met with leaders of two communities notoriously opposed to immunization, mainly on religious grounds and in protest of the lack of basic health care. They persuaded the leaders to endorse vaccination by obtaining government assurance that mobile health camps would provide free checkups, medications, immunization against diseases besides polio, and other services. “It was very encouraging to see the positive impact of engaging these leaders... witnessed by the huge turnout of crowds at the health camps and women willingly presenting their children for vaccination in households, quranic schools, and other locations,” reports the NPPC. “[The camps] are one of the proven ‘quick wins’ to untie the knots of persistent noncompliance in some settlements across the high-risk states.” Along with Pakistan and Afghanistan, Nigeria has never stopped transmission of the wild poliovirus. However, it has recorded only three polio cases so far this year (as of June 3rd), down from 24 cases for the same period in 2013. The NPPC began providing funding for the health camps in May. And in response to community demands for clean water, some Rotary clubs are sponsoring projects to install boreholes. In high-risk states like Katsina, “The mere participation of community leaders, allowing their own children to be vaccinated or pronouncing the acceptance of OPV [oral polio vaccine] is enough to encourage community members to allow the vaccination teams into their homes,” says Funsho. Rotary field coordinators are helping close immunization gaps in northern Nigeria by gaining public support from government and community leaders through providing technical support, and monitoring the quality of vaccination teams – “In the security challenged areas, measures such as ‘fire walling,’ which ensures that children going in and out of Borno and Yobe states are immunized, have been put in place,” says Funsho. Teams of health workers and security agency personnel also use “hit and run” tactics to immunize children and withdraw in two days’ time or less, he adds. The NPPC promotes public awareness of the need to eradicate polio through community billboards and posters, along with distributing T-shirts, caps, and aprons to health workers. And it has engaged national celebrities like musician and actor Sani Musa Danja to encourage vaccine acceptance in communities where pockets of opposition still exist. In April, Rotary joined the Federal Ministry of Health in sponsoring the Nigeria Polio Summit. Governors of high-risk states, religious and traditional leaders, national and global health officials, Rotary members, and others focused on best practices in the country’s drive to become polio free. Funsho and others are optimistic that Nigeria can stop polio transmission by the end of 2014, one of the goals of the polio endgame strategic plan. Rotary is a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. “The greatest challenge . . . will be the preparations for the 2015 elections,” said Dr. Oyewale Tomori, chair of Nigeria’s Expert Review Committee on Polio Eradication, in a recent GPEI interview. “Every election year since 2003 has been characterized by abandonment of good governance, and subsequently accompanied by a surge in polio cases.” To help Nigeria seize the opportunity to end polio this year, Rotary released $7 million to the GPEI to fund immunization activities and research in the country. And business leader and philanthropist Sir Emeka Offor has contributed $2.25 million to PolioPlus. “The Nigerian government, now supported by the international community, is doing all that it can to eliminate the widespread violence, abductions, and terrorism,” says Sir Emeka, a member of the Rotary Club of Awka GRA and Rotary’s polio ambassador in Nigeria. “Peace would facilitate polio eradication, but we cannot sit by and wait until that time comes. We must do what we can to find ways to end polio now.”

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thIS wHEEL’S On FIRE

SHE dRIVES ME CRAZY

The 2014 2nd Annual Trevor Garwood-Jones Golf Classic is only 42 days away so now’s the time for all you golfer lads and lasses to polish up those Softspikes, hitch up the old Plus Fours and hit those practice ranges in a valiant, yet probably fruitless, attempt to up your game and avoid being outshone by the 5´5˝, 145 lb supernova of golf... Burlington’s own Fareen “Far” Samji, the 2012 & 2013 Canadian Women’s Long Drive Champion – 313 yards. In 1988, having immigrated to Canada from her native Mombasa Kenya, Fareen was pursuing studies at McMaster University and playing for the varsity women’s tennis team with golf being just a summer pursuit. As a “recreational golfer” she carried a 5 handicap and was already known for her powerful drives. After attaining an undergraduate degree in Psycology and a degree in Kinesiology in 1999 she also went on to earn her tour card, playing on the Future’s Tour, Players West Tour, Challenge Tour, Asian Tour, South African Tour and Canadian Tour – garnishing one win and several top 5 finishes with driving distance as the mainstay of her game. After retiring from professional golf in 2002, Fareen went back to study Radiology Technology and Pedorthics. Fareen, a mother of 2 children and self proclaimed workaholic, now focuses on the sport of Long Drive and has found an avenue to showcase her skill while doing something she loves. In September, 2013 she defeated Lisa Vlooswyk and defended her national championship title. She then competed in the International Long Drive Challenge in Mazatlan, Mexico and was the top finishing Canadian in the field with a 2nd overall finish in the individual championships behind Heather LeMaster the current World Champion, and was a member of the overall winning team, Team Canada. The World Long Drive Championship was the final event of 2013 and Fareen finished with an overall 6th place finish. So remember to keep Tuesday September 23rd in mind and help out at, or play in, the 2014 2nd Annual Trevor Garwood-Jones Golf Classic to be held at the prestigious Dundas Golf & Curling Club and be sure to get your tickets early for the dinner.

Here’s one of Fareen’s tips on driving the ball to help you out:1. Put a tee in the ground about 2´ behind your ball down your target line.2. After you set up strong, take a low wide backswing.3. Make sure you brush the tee on your way back.4. Continue down and unleash your power.

Find out more about Fareen “Far” Samji on her website:www.farsamji.com

See Fareen featured on the new golf show “Hit It Far” http://farsamji.com/golf-show/

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TALES OF YOUnG PROFESSIOnALS

POLITICAL STRIFE, PROTECTInG U.S. dIPLOMATS: A JOB FOR FORMER ROTARY PEACE FELLOw

Ryan Hyland, Rotary News 30/07/2014

As an agent for the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, Justin Peele applies the education he received in conflict resolution as a Rotary Peace Fellow to a job that puts him in some dicey situations – including one in 2013 in which his actions won him State Department recognition for his courage and decisiveness. Peele is one of 2,000 DS agents who protect U.S. diplomats and embassies around the world. The Diplomatic Security Service, the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. State Department, is the most extensive global security agency in the government, operating in more than 160 countries. “This is my dream job,” says Peele, who was in the 2011-12 class of Rotary Peace Fellows at the Universidad del Salvador in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “I’m in a unique position where I must face conflict head-on.” This proved true when Peele served as the assistant regional security officer in Mali. It was a period when the country was torn by political strife and violence as several Islamic insurgent groups fought the government for greater autonomy in the northern part of the country. The crisis led factions of the military who were displeased with the government’s response to overthrow President Amadou Toumani Touré in 2012. Because of the conflict, the State Department sent extra security to protect the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali’s capital. One day in 2013, violent clashes between students and the police trapped an embassy worker and four Malian colleagues in the National Institute of Health offices in downtown Bamako. When the fighting spun out of control, embassy officials called on Peele to safely extract the workers. As he and a driver drove through the war-torn streets, “I could see the smoke and tear gas from a long distance,” recalls Peele. He now admits to having been a little nervous, but says he knew that his training would enable him to carry out the mission. “We found them, hurried them into the vehicle and were able to get out of there safely and bring them back to the embassy without harm.” For his response that day, the State Department gave Peele its Meritorious Honor Award for “courageous, efficient, and decisive action taken.” “During a time of crisis is the best time to shine,” he says. “There is a lot of trust with my job – to be able to look someone in the eye and say, ‘If you’re in trouble, I will be the person to come get you.’” In addition to moving diplomats safely from place-to-place, members of the DSS work with host nation law enforcement to investigate crimes against U.S. citizens, coordinate protection details with the security teams of foreign dignitaries, and maintain frequent contact with local community members. One of Peele’s other assignments was a six-month stint as part of the security detail for U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, as he crisscrossed the world on diplomatic missions, with stops in China, Israel, Europe, and the Middle East. “I get a front-row seat for observing U.S. foreign policy, and help represent the U.S. all over the world,” says Peele. “It’s a great lesson in government, diplomacy, and humanity.” Although many DS agents have military or law enforcement backgrounds, others are lawyers, scientists, linguists, and yes, even peace scholars. Peele, who served for three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, says his experience there and as a Rotary Peace Fellow helped him get his foot in the door at the security agency. He recalls that the State Department officials who interviewed him were impressed with his global education in peace and conflict resolution. “With Rotary and the Peace Corps I was able to work closely with the local populace. I think that went a long way in getting this job,” he says. “I learned a lot from my peace fellowship. The bottom line is that everything we do is to ease the suffering of others,” says Peele. “Not only are the Peace Centers a good example of that, but everything Rotary does is an example of how to reach that goal.”

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Rotary Foundation & Membership Enticements Special

I’ve been very involved in the development of our Foundation’s new funding model and have closely followed the questions being raised about it in social media and elsewhere. The new funding model for The Rotary Foundation was developed because our ability to continue “doing good in the world” depends heavily on the Foundation having long-term financial stability. In the interests of improved communication and understanding of the changes, here are 10 important things to know about the new model, which becomes effective on July 1st, 2015.

1. Rotarians and clubs will benefit: Rotary’s strength lies in the talents and dedication of its members and clubs. The recent recession showed that we must have adequate reserves in our Rotary Foundation to ensure that we don’t have to cut programs and services in times of poor investment returns, and the increased volatility in financial markets emphasized the need for an adequate level of reserves. The new funding model is necessary to ensure resources are available to support the work of Rotarians now and in the future. The Foundation’s current policy is to maintain an operating reserve equal to three years’ worth of operating expenses.

2. PolioPlus Fund contributions are not affected in any way.

3. Endowment Fund Contributions are not affected in any way.

4. District Designated Funds are not affected in any way.

5. Five percent of Annual Fund contributions are set aside from the World Fund: After Annual Fund contributions are invested, 50% will continue to go to District Designated Funds (DDF) and 50% to the World Fund. The 5% being set aside to help pay for the Foundation’s operating expenses will come from the World Fund, but will only be used if needed to pay those expenses or to fully fund the operating reserve. If they are not needed for those purposes, they may remain in the World Fund for grants.

6. Five percent of cash contributions for global grants set aside: Under the current system, cash contributed in support of a grant by clubs and districts requires administration, but provides no investment income to meet the cost of that administration, because the funds are not retained by the Foundation for any length of time and therefore do not generate investment income. The 5% set aside from cash contributions for global grants will help pay the costs of processing, etc. It is not uncommon for many clubs

to support a single global grant, and some clubs include payments from many members, thus requiring donor recognition to be processed for each contribution. Cash may also need to be converted into one of the 28 official Rotary currencies and then transferred to an international bank account for the project to be implemented.

7. Up to 10% of corporate gifts set aside: Using up to 10% of large corporate contributions for operating expenses is a well-accepted practice among donors to charities. By obtaining such gifts, the Foundation can increase support for the projects in our areas of focus. Our polio eradication efforts, for example, have benefitted greatly from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s support. Up to 10% of these gifts will contribute to our administration costs, thus leaving more funds to support the grants for clubs and districts.

8. A communication plan is in place: The Trustees recognize that open, clear communication fosters Rotarians’ continued support of, and active involvement in, Foundation programs. The first step in the funding model communication plan was an announcement on rotary.org with a link to Securing Our Foundation’s Future. Watch for more information in Rotary media, coming soon.

9. Training and resources are being developed: Training manuals for officers and committees at the district and club levels are being updated, and webinars and e-learning modules are being developed.

10. The Foundation has a record of financial stewardship and transparency: Our Foundation has consistently earned high ratings for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator and other agencies. Find more on Foundation finances and ratings.

Questions or comments?

Please, contact fundingmodel@rotary.org

I hope you will continue to make our Foundation one of your preferred charities. Every contribution is important and deeply appreciated. The projects and work we accomplish together as Rotarians are life changing.

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The Official Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Dundas AUGUST 2014

douglas A. Hall d.V.M.115 King St. W. 905-628-6821

10 THInGS TO KnOw ABOUT THE nEw ROTARY FOUndATIOn FUndInG MOdELIan Riseley, Rotary Foundation Trustee, Foundation Finance Committee Chair, Rotary News 19/06/2014

Continues on back

Eight years ago, Géné Villaça-Crestia was asked by her district governor to start a new Rotary club in her country, Benin. She had been a Rotarian for only four years and didn’t really know where to begin. But she had a few things working in her favor: Villaça-Crestia is extremely passionate about Rotary, and she doesn’t take no for an answer. “I don’t hesitate to drive to people’s places and come back again,” says Villaça-Crestia of her recruitment style. “I don’t wait for them to get back to me and tell me they don’t have time. I insist and go after them until they understand what Rotary is all about and the good it will do them to join.” Villaça-Crestia’s techniques have been extremely effective. Within three months of her district governor’s request, she helped launch the Rotary Club of Cotonou Rive Gauche, Benin, and became the charter president. During the next two years, she helped form three other clubs, including two composed almost entirely of younger Rotarians. This year, she and her son, Boris Crestia, a public relations specialist and Rotary Public Image Coordinator for Zone 20A, have teamed up to recruit advertising, public relations, and media professionals for another new club, which will soon be seeking its charter. Members have set goals of promoting basic education and literacy in Africa and serving as a public relations resource for other clubs.

Be Passionate, Be Persistent “People say they came to Rotary because they felt my passion and I could communicate it to them,” she says, “In this state of mind, any challenge is never really impossible. More than once, I had to wait hours in a reception area in order to meet an important or busy person and be able to convince them to join Rotary or give to The Rotary Foundation,” she adds, “But when you just explain to people, for instance, that the same money they pay for a nice meal in a good restaurant could help immunize a great number of families

The Official Newsletter of The Rotary Club of Dundas AUGUST 2014

against polio, most people are sensitive to this and react immediately.’’ Villaça-Crestia’s favorite thing to say to prospective members is that by being Rotarians, they can be a bridge between the millions of dollars available through The Rotary Foundation and the poorest populations of the world. “Knowing that, and not becoming a Rotarian, is almost criminal,” she says.

Be Involved, Be visibleBrazilian Claudio Spiguel is another Rotarian who has succeeded in recruiting members. When Spiguel became president of the Rotary Club of Guaxupé in 2005, the club was hovering below 20 members and in danger of losing its ability to make a significant contribution to the community. By focusing on getting members involved in service projects and publicizing those projects, he’d helped raise membership to 34 by the end of his 2nd stint as president. While serving in various leadership roles since, he has spread that enthusiasm to other clubs in the district, with similar effect and shares the following tips:•Teach club members the Foundation’s grant process and immediately engage them in pursuing projects that benefit well-known service organizations in need in your community. “To date, we have done 5 Matching Grant projects, and each has improved our credibility in the community.”•Broadcast the results of your work through partnerships with local media. “We created a weekly program at a regional TV station called ‘Rotary in the Community,’ a talk show with interviews and presentations about our work and Rotary in general. It has reached many people with our message.”•Share your passion for Rotary with your family, friends, and community during Membership and Extension Month in August. This year you’re invited to take part in two activities designed to help you remember why you joined and convert that excitement into inviting others to join.

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TIPS FOR RECRUITInG nEw MEMBERS dURInG MEMBERSHIP And EXTEnSIOn MOnTHBy Arnold R. Grahl, Rotary News 17/08/2013

Nathaniel Smith and Kristin Post met on a walking tour of Dupont Circle, a lively neighborhood in Washington, D.C. That’s where things got a little creepy – in a ghoulish sort of way. The Halloween inspired walk featured ghost stories and neighborhood history. It also replaced a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Dupont Circle Washington. It’s just the kind of activity that can attract young people – or the young at heart – to Rotary. “This type of club meeting not only shakes up the tradition-bound notions of Rotary, it also creates an event to show off our club to younger prospects,” says Post, a founding member of the Dupont Circle club. Although Smith has since moved out of the country, while he was a member of the Rotary Club of Bondi Junction in Sydney, he and Post, a former Rotary Peace Fellow, discovered that they used similar strategies for attracting and keeping younger members. Here are some of their tips:1. Organize Interesting Meetings: Plan at least 2 special meetings a year, this creates a unique experience for attracting new members and cements friendships among club members. Explore your community for activities that you can use to create a different kind of club experience.2. Look at Your Traditions: Newer generations aren’t impressed by pomp and circumstance. The Rotary Club of Crawley in Western Australia, whose membership is one of the fastest growing and most diverse, no longer sing the national anthem or fine their members. “Some tradition is important, but too much time spent on these rituals may prevent a younger member from feeling at home in your club,” he adds.

3. Update How & Where You Talk About Rotary: When the Rotary Club of Bondi Junction started referring to itself as a “social enterprise that delivers social change,” it saw an immediate uptick in interest from younger members. Choosing the right communication channels for your club is equally important, whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, or your website. “The trickiest part is keeping it updated, but this is also critical. If your presence on these sites becomes stagnant, you’ll lose the opportunity to hook a younger audience,” says Smith.4. Examine Club Dues: The Dupont Circle club decided to offer appetizers and a cash bar rather than a full meal at its meetings to keep dues affordable for young professionals. You might also consider offering reduced dues to younger members for their first year.5. Provide Alternatives to Attendance6. Plan Easily Attendable Events: In many urban areas, young people rely on public transportation to get around. Choose meeting locations with that in mind. And hold some events on the weekend so members with full-time jobs and young families can attend.7. Involve Young Members Early: Involve new members in club projects right from the start. Seek their input. Give them responsibilities so they feel a sense of accomplishment and worth. And assign them mentors in the club to ensure that they feel valued.8. Plan Family-friendly Projects & Activities: Plan club meetings, service projects, and events that appeal to young families.

8 TIPS FOR GETTInG YOUnG PEOPLE InTERESTEd In YOUR CLUBBy Maureen Vaught, Rotary News 13/06/2014