Another great visit was had by all to the St John of God – thanks to Graham Blood and the programming team for putting together a great night. I also had a great night as I celebrated my 27th Wedding anniversary around the corner from the club at Bistro St Jean. It was so romantically lit, that without my reading glasses the better half took control of the menu.
By the time you receive this Darcy would have put out a note with respect to the boundaries of Highton rotary which need to be changed from being very restrictive to reflect the reality of how the club now works. Please be familiar so the voting process can be as quick and efficient as possible.
Looking forward to being back in the saddle next week.
If you weren't at the St John of God meeting then you missed a ripper. Good food, good fellowship and the opportunity to witness what the staff there do to serve epitomised.
Jan and I will be in the Cairns area for the next 3 bulletins.
Cairns itself should be OK but I've been told that the internet availability once we get into the Daintree Forest is a bit patchy so I'm not sure whether I'll be able to do anything or not.
Funnily enough I enjoy the challenge !!!!!
So keep tuned but don't be surprised if you miss one or two bulletins.
About the author: Sujan Pradhan, a graphic/web designer, is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Kakarvitta, Jhapa, Nepal. He has served his club as secretary and webmaster for two years, and chairs a district IT subcommittee.
In June, members of my Rotary Club of Kakarvitta, Jhapa, Nepal, inspected 15 polio immunization booths around the municipality of Mechinagar, on the border of Nepal and India. The Nepal PolioPlus Committee had declared a National Immunization Day on 23 May, but due to the major earthquake in April, our inspection was postponed to early June.
We visited booths from urban areas to far rural areas, and distributed banners, pamphlets, and water bottles to the volunteers at each booth. We felt good to see the enthusiasm of the volunteers, and to see them motivated in their work. We saw that the parents were participating actively to immunize their children and were also spreading knowledge and awareness to their neighbors. We were also pleased to see an eight-year-old girl bringing her four-year-old sister to the booth.
We did find that increased publicity would be beneficial in the future to get the message into rural areas, and that more banners and pamphlets could be useful. We had an opportunity to meet with the vaccination chief, Surya Bahadur Khadka, and his team as they were inspecting a booth on behalf of the Nepal government, under the authority of the Child Health Ministry. We had a short conversation with them and presented the data we had collected on our inspection.It was good to see the dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers as they help keep up the immunization and surveillance necessary to keep our region polio-free. We must continue to protect all children from this disease.
Alumni Relations Coordinator Diane Lopez surrounded by children in Peru.
By Diane Lopez, former Interactor and Alumni Relations Coordinator for The Rotary Foundation
I frequently contemplate on the impact that Rotary had in my personal life and career and have come to the realization that deciding to participate in Interact was the most meaningful decision in my life.
I clearly remember when I was approached to be part of the Interact Club at St. Scholastica Academy. I did not have any idea what being an Interactor meant nor was I aware of what this “thing” called Rotary was; all I knew was that I felt eager to join the club. Little did I know that joining the Interact Club at my high school would be life-changing and that it would be a door into the Rotary world of Service Above Self.
Today, I clearly see how participating in Interact, Youth Exchange, and Rotaract each had a role in shaping my personality. Participating in Interact as a secretary taught me great responsibilities as well as a culture of working with others for others. Being able to travel at a young age in a cultural exchange was a very rewarding experience that helped enrich my knowledge of cultures and diversity and increased my love of learning.
Participating in Rotaract and being part of the community service activities increased my desire to serve those in need. Being part of a culturally diverse club certainly had an impact in my field of study, International Studies, as it increased my yearning to learn about other cultures and how we work with each other to benefit those in need.
Now, on staff at Rotary International, I have been able to see the great potential of Rotary and what Service Above Self really means. Having been a Humanitarian Grants coordinator I had the opportunity to travel to Peru and witness first-hand the great humanitarian work of Rotarians, giving me yet another learning experience. Now as alumni relations coordinator, I relate to all the experiences and former participants and understand the need of their integration into the Rotary World. Interact is where it all begins, it is the door to the world of Service Above Self!
In Ukraine, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) outbreak has been confirmed. Two cases have been confirmed, with dates of onset of paralysis of 30 June and 7 July. The genetic similarity between the cases indicates active transmission of cVDPV1. Both are from the Zakarpatskaya oblast, in south-western Ukraine, bordering Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. Ukraine had been at particular risk of emergence of a cVDPV, due to inadequate vaccination coverage. In 2014, only 50% of children were fully immunized against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Discussions are currently ongoing with national health authorities to plan and implement an urgent outbreak response. More.Expert Review Committee met in Nigeria last week to review the progress made in Nigeria, identify ways to strengthen the gains of the last few years and identify the major risks to stopping polio across the country.
Wild poliovirus type 1 and Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus cases
Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. – Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Writer and Humorist
Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing. – Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish Dramatist/Novelist/Poet
It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. – George Washington, 1732-1799, 1st President of the United States
Texas makes me think of the old slogan "Remember the Alamo." It seems that during that battle, the guy in charge of the whole thing put his wife, of all people, on the battle line. She was shot by the enemy, shattered her patella, and had to be removed from the front line.
After the fighting was over, she divorced her husband, and sued for Alamo knee.
Two fellows stopped into an English pub for a drink. They called the proprietor over and asked him to settle an argument.
"Are there two pints in a quart or four?" asked one.
"There be two pints in a quart," confirmed the proprietor.
They moved back along the bar and soon the barmaid asked for their order.
"Two pints please, miss, and the bartender offered to buy them for us."
The barmaid doubted that her boss would be so generous, so one of the fellows called out to the proprietor at the other end of the bar, "You did say two pints, didn't you?"
"A study found that many types of head lice have mutated and now have become resistant to over-the-counter treatments. The problem has scientists scratching their heads." -Conan O'Brien
.jpg)
