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Rotarian Action Groups: Breaking the invisible chains of slavery
From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian
Anne Marie called her home “the abandominium” – an abandoned building without heat or lights – to make it sound more posh. She told me that the man who said he loved her turned out to be a pimp and forced her to stand on Philadelphia street corners. After a while, she couldn’t remember how many times she was beaten or raped. Anne Marie taught me what it really means to be a victim of human trafficking – to live in captivity by the invisible chains of fear and psychological control, and to endure terrible violence.
For years, she did not make her own…
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Sports: Baseball gives back
From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian
One day last summer, the New York Mets hosted the San Francisco Giants, but that wasn’t the main event. Not to the softball players tearing around the field before the baseball game. To Marine Sgt. Marco Velarde, Coast Guard specialist Kayla Hartley, and a couple dozen other soldiers, the annual Mets Military Softball Classic was the contest that counted.
They were here to settle an interservice softball rivalry, but also to meet Mets players, introduce their kids to the baseball-headed mascot Mr. Met, enjoy a family meal, stay for the home team’s 5-4…
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Goodwill games
From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian
The fierce July sun beat down on us as we approached the field where the match was to take place. It wasn’t much of a soccer pitch, with its uneven terrain and rusty poles for goalposts, but the local teens we had met came ready to play. They guided us over the piles of bricks and broken tiles that separate their neighborhood community center from the field behind it and took their positions.
Much like any schoolyard competitors, incursions from grazing cows notwithstanding, players stretched and warmed up, took turns retrieving out-of-bounds balls,…
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Ensure recognition for your Interact clubs
Interact clubs are making a positive difference in schools and communities around the world. Leaders of sponsor Rotary clubs and districts should make sure their Interact clubs get the recognition they deserve by verifying that they qualify for a Presidential Citation.
First, ensure that the Interact club status is active in Rotary’s database by checking the Listing of Club-Sponsored Organizations report in Rotary Club Central. If a sponsored club is not listed, submit the Interact Club Certification Form by 1 March.
Then, verify by 15 April that your Interact clubs have qualified for the…
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Register for a special Jubilee of Rotarians celebrated by Pope Francis
Rotary members worldwide are invited to join President K.R. Ravindran in Rome on 30 April to celebrate the Jubilee of Rotarians, a special event hosted by District 2080 and the Vatican. His Holiness Pope Francis will celebrate a Jubilee mass in St. Peter’s Square, where 8,000 seats will be reserved for Rotary members, friends, and family.
This Jubilee, as established by Pope Francis, is a commitment to serve with joy and in peace across the world.
More information is available on the Jubilee of Rotarians website. The registration deadline is 15 March.
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Ebay to donate share of Live Auctions proceeds to Rotary
Rotary members, their families and friends can support Rotary’s work by bidding on antiques, artwork, jewelry, and collectibles through eBay Live Auctions events.
Each month, Rotary will promote on its social media outlets a set of upcoming Live Auctions events, and eBay, the world’s largest auction website, will donate a portion of all sale proceeds from those events to Rotary.
Live Auctions events enable buyers to participate in auctions across the United States — held at such auction houses as Sotheby’s, Swann, and Freeman’s — without leaving home. Under this proceeds-sharing…
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Celebrate Rotary’s 111th anniversary
Are you seeking inspiration for ways to mark Rotary’s 111th anniversary on 23 February? Here are some thought-starter ideas:
Host a celebration party at your next club meeting.
Inform your social media followers on 23 February that it’s Rotary’s anniversary by changing your Facebook cover photo to a birthday cake.
Encourage club members to bring a friend to your next meeting or to hear your next guest speaker.
Plan a project and invite community members to volunteer their help.
Sponsor a local event and use the opportunity to tell people about Rotary and about the work your club is doing in…
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Beware of new email scam claiming to be from Foundation Chair Klinginsmith
A new email purporting to be from Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith is targeting Rotary members. The email falsely claims that members can become End Polio Now ambassadors if they email club information to a Gmail address within 48 hours.
The fraudulent email has the subject line “BECOME AN END POLIO AMBASSADOR” and is sent from a fake email address.
This is a scam. Rotary staff is working to resolve the issue. Avoid being the victim of scams by deleting any email that appears suspicious.
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Find resources for planning your centennial celebration
We’re kicking off The Rotary Foundation’s centennial celebration at the Korea convention, 28 May-1 June. But you can get started now planning your club’s centennial activities with the resources available in our promotion kit:
Ideas and activities for clubs
Doing Good in the World promotional flier
Doing Good in the World bookmark
Sample press release
Centennial letterhead
Centennial PowerPoint template
Centennial postcard
History of The Rotary Foundation PowerPoint
Find more ideas in “Rotary’s Foundation Is Turning 100,” in the January issue of Rotary Leader
Watch and download A Century of…