District 7810 Newsletter New Brunswick, Canada Maine, USA NOVEMBER in action

Transcription

1 Rotary District 7810 Newsletter New Brunswick, Canada Maine, USA Review NOVEMBER in action

2 Contents DG Report on Club Visits! 3 RI President Monthly Message 5 Rotary International Convention (May Thailand) 6 Rotary District 7810 Conference (June 1-3, 2012 Houlton, Maine, USA) 7 Foundation Month. 8 District GSE Team 2012 update and news 9 WCS District Project & Clean Water Work Team Trip 10 Announcements 13 LOOKING AHEAD: Coming up in December Family Month (Submissions relating to this theme would be appreciated!) Cover Photo Sackville Rotary Club celebrating 100 year of reading Rotary news! (Article page 7). 2

3 REPORT ON DG LEIGH S CLUB VISITS! CAMPBELLTON RC: This is one of our smaller clubs, but certainly also a very active club. In the words of Campbellton Rotarian Dr Surya Masters If you want to serve the community this is one of the best ways to do it. This club, led by President Bob Ewing, does an excellent job with public relations and is well on the way to chartering an Interact Club at Sugarloaf High School. Good things are happening in Campbellton. DALHOUSIE RC: This is the home club to PDG Sandy MacLean, our gracious host for our 3 day stay on the Restigouche, and Nancy Theriault, our ADG for Areas 6 and 8. Dalhousie RC, led by President Brenda Firlotte, is a strong club which serves its community well, and has always been a strong supporter of the Rotary Foundation. Like many towns in Maine and New Brunswick, Dalhousie's economy has struggled but its Rotary Club remains strong and committed. GAGETOWN RC: Now we know why Gagetown is considered one of Canada's prettiest towns and also why the Gagetown Rotary Club Apple Crisp is the hit of the Queens County Fair. President John King and his wife Donna were our hosts for an enjoyable evening meeting with Rotarians and spouses. Gagetown was the home of Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, one of Canada's Fathers of Confederation. It has much to be proud of, including its Rotary Club. GRAND FALLS RC: President Marc Ouellette and the Grand Falls Rotary Club are committed to ensuring that their club continues to be a force for good in their community. They are currently working to define their role in their community and will be successful in doing so. DGE Allan MacLellen will want to schedule next year's visit early enough in the fall that he can ride the Zip Line over Grand Falls Gorge. Humanity in Motion is alive and well in more ways than one in Grand Falls. Thus ends the official visits of Sandy and I to the 38 Rotary Clubs of District We will always remember the wonderful people we have met and all that we have learned about the diverse world of Rotary in New Brunswick and the adjoining counties of Maine. Continued next page... 3

4 Once again I ask What is Rotary? 7810 REPORT ON DG LEIGH S CLUB VISITS! Continued from previous page Rotary International Strategic Plan Vision: We will be the service organization of choice with dynamic, action-oriented clubs whose contributions improve lives in communities worldwide. Rotary International Mission Statement: We provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. RI President Kalyan Banerjee says it best: Mohandas K. Gandhi said You must be the change you wish to see in the world. In Rotary, we endeavor to live ethically and honestly, to share friendship and fellowship, to see equal worth in every human being. We are not interested in the lowest common denominator, for Rotary is anything but common. Instead, we work to elevate ourselves, elevate others, and thereby embrace the world. Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. In doing so, you will discover the answer to the question What is Rotary? and you will like the answer that you find. More next month! Leigh Cummings, RC Houlton, District 7810 Governor SHARE YOUR CLUB S NEWS IN THE DISTRICT NEWSLETTER! How can you submit your article? Please Jerri.McCallum@forces.gc.ca by the 10th of each month for submissions you would like to appear in that month s newsletter. Send photos too! They make reading the newsletter so much more interesting and it s great to see Rotarians in action! Please make sure submissions are spell-checked and note that for various reasons not all submission may appear in the newsletter. Where can I get a copy? Whether you have lost the with the newsletter attachment or were handed a paper copy. You can get the latest edition of the District 7810 Newsletter by visiting the For those not tech-savvy. Articles and copies can also be mailed or faxed to me. Please call me at (506) for my address. 4

5 RI PRESIDENT MONTHLY MESSAGE! (November: Rotary Foundation Month) My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary, In 1885, the London Times ran a series of editorials honoring the 100th birthday of Sir Moses Montefiore, the British financier and philanthropist knighted by Queen Victoria. The editorials commented on his honesty, his generosity, and his willingness to come to the aid of anyone in need. One story was particularly telling. Someone once asked Sir Moses, one of the wealthiest men of his era, how much he was worth. In the face of such an ill-mannered inquiry, he merely paused for a moment s reflection before naming a figure one that fell far short of his questioner s expectations. Naturally, it was met with an objection; surely he must be worth 10 times as much! Sir Moses merely smiled. Young man, he replied, you didn t ask me how much I own. You asked me how much I am worth. So I calculated how much I have given to charity this year, and that is the number I gave you. You see, in life we are worth only what we are willing to share with others. When we calculate our own worth, do we think about it in terms of what we have, or how we use it? When we say that all human beings are of equal worth, do our actions follow our words? I believe that being a Rotarian means looking at all of our resources differently. What is the most good that we could choose to do with what we have? What are the choices that will ultimately leave us the richest? In Rotary, we are all aware of the great needs in so many parts of our world. And we all know how much we can do to help through our Rotary Foundation. We can change lives, we can restore hope, we can build futures if we choose to. In life, everything is a choice. We can choose to close our eyes to the needs of others, to keep what we have for ourselves, to declare the problems of others to be theirs alone. Or we can choose to look past distance, past color, past language and dress and culture, and see that people everywhere are just like us and then refuse to walk away. Kalyan Banerjee, President, Rotary International

6 Rotary Convention 2012 Bangkok, Thailand May 6-9, 2012 Register now! for the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, 6-9 May, and enjoy an unforgettable experience in the Land of a Thousand Smiles! Enjoy Thai hospitality. Make friends with fellow Rotarians from around the world. Take in spectacular sights. Taste delicious Thai cuisine. Experience a vibrant culture. Renew your commitment to Service Above Self. And have fun in a world class city. 6

7 7810 District Conference 2012! JUNE 1-3, 2012 IN HOULTON, MAINE Drawing for the Kindle Fire for those pre-registering by December 1st for the District Conference Live drawing Monday, December 12th, at the noon club meeting. See the drawing on houltonrotary.org ALSO: Lodging for the District Conference on June 1-3, 2012 in Houlton Blocks of rooms have been set aside by the following motels: Shiretown Inn & Suites shiretownmotorinn.com Block of rooms held until May 15, 2012 Prices range from $74 - $89 plus tax -- dbl occupancy Ivey's Motor Lodge US only US and Canada iveysmotorlodge.com Block of rooms held until May 1, 2012 Prices range from $72 - $82 plus tax -- dbl occupancy Reservations must be made by phone to receive the Rotarian group rate. On-line reservations will be at their usual rates. Only a limited number of rooms being held, so early registration for the Conference and lodging reservations are highly recommended. Other Houlton lodging options: Star Dust-- motel My Brother's Place -- camping Woodstock is approximately 15 miles from Houlton and offers other lodging options! WIN ME!!! 7

8 FOUNDATION MONTH 2011 At the 2010 District Conference in Fredericton we celebrated the establishment of the Paul Harris Society. Fourty -three (43) Rotarians made the decision to donate $1,000.00US annually to the Rotary Foundation and receive multiple Paul Harris Fellows. A special Paul Harris Society flag and certificate was presented to each of the founding members. The district's goal is 100 members; a great way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rotarian magazine. Just think - if 100 Rotarians donate $1, every year for 10 years the result is $1 million. What a difference it makes when we work together. Please contact Pam Harrison (pamharrison@ns.sympatico.ca ) and invite her to speak at your club, she has a great power point to tell the Paul Harris Society's story. If your club has not arranged a presentation it is not too late to still become a FOUNDING MEMBER. Donations to the Foundation can be made monthly or annually. The Foundation was started in 1917 by Arch Klumph for the purpose of 'doing good in the world'. Just before Paul Harris's death in 1947 the Rotary International Board pledged to raise $2 million and $1,317, poured in to the Paul Harris Memorial Fund. Looking back to the value of $2 million in the 1940's that was a very bold decision. It was in May 1957 that the $1, donation for a Paul Harris Fellow was announced. In 2005 the push was on to encourage donations to establish the millionth Paul Harris Fellow and by 2007 this was celebrated by recognizing 34 individuals - one from each zone. From its start through to June 2010, the Foundation has received contributions totaling more than $2.6 billion. Thank you for your generosity - it is making a difference. 8

9 Seeking District GSE Team Members!!! Group Study Exchange Update and need for more team members. The district is happy to report that Kendall Higgins from Rothesay Kings Rotary Club has been chosen as GSE Team Leader for the upcoming trip to Mexico. Congratulations Kendall! We are certain that you will represent us well. As for team members, we have only received a few applications so far and we must therefore reach out to your clubs once more for another try at recruitment. The new deadline for getting the completed applications to Carmen Comeau-Anderson is December 7th. Interviews have been re-scheduled for December 10th in Fredericton. If your club is successful in sponsoring a GSE Team Member candidate, please provide Carmen with a head's up/advance notice. She needs to make appropriate plans for scheduling interviews and travel time for both the candidates and the district interview team. Just in case you need a refresher, here is the original request sent to you earlier: OUR DISTRICT NOW RECRUITING A GSE TEAM TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO D4110 FROM APRIL 6 to MAY 5, 2012 Cities to be visited include Piedras Negras, Monclova, Aguacalientes, Torreón, Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Cuidad Juárez. An exciting adventure awaits team members... bringing the wider world closer! All related documents and information at Click on Service & Fellowship, then Group Study Exchange, see the left-side menu. All candidates must be sponsored by their respective Rotary Club with appropriate signatures. Club must also provide a covering note, stating why the candidate is being proposed for Team Member position. Applicants should be young professional workers between the ages of 25-40, with no relation to Rotary. All clubs are encouraged to seek prospective candidates from their communities and to hold interviews with them before agreeing to sponsor them. The club must also provide a covering note, stating why the candidate is being proposed for consideration A copy of The Team Member application form is attached with additional information on the same website. The form can be completed on-line and printed for the required signatures. Clubs are being provided with a generic template of GSE information in English and French for you to use as a recruiting tool in your local newspapers, website, social media, etc. NB: As the exchange language will be primarily Spanish, including team presentations to Rotary Clubs, it is preferable that team members have some proficiency in this language. For more info: Carmen Comeau-Anderson, District GSE Chair 69 Maurice Crescent, Dieppe, NB E1A 8R (home) (cell) keith_carmen@rogers.com 9

10 ROTARY DISTRICT 7810 WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT 2011/2012 Matching Grant to support Plastic (Hydraid) BioSand Water Filter Program, Dominican Republic Dear RD7810 Rotarians, The RD7810 World Community Service Project for 2010/2011 was the plastic BioSand Water Filter Progam in La Romana, Dominican Republic. In support of that program we wrote a Matching Grant for $62,500US, the total after the matches of District Designated Funds ($12,500) and Club Contributions ($25,000). This grant was approved by the Rotary Foundation and has been funded. To continue and to expand this Program we are writing a Matching Grant application for 2011/2012 to total $100,000. DG Leigh Cummings has designated $20,000 in DDF and we are asking for Club Contributions to total $40,000. There have been more than 2000 plastic filters (cost installed: $115) installed to date. There are estimated to be hundred of thousands of households on the sugar plantation villages ( bateys ) of the eastern Dominican Republic. Our grant supplies some filters, but mostly is in support of the BioSand team based at the Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana. Filters are supplied (paid for) by other Rotary Club/District contributions, volunteer teams from churches, schools, other NGOs (e.g. Peace Corps) who travel to the DR, and largely through the Safe Water Team from Rotary in Michigan. Our current grant has provided another truck for the team and salaries for the team and water promoters on the bateys. This Matching Grant being written for 2011/2012 will do the same for the team and water promoters but will allow for greater expansion of installations (additional truck and salaries) and for extension of the program to many more sanitation and hygiene projects (latrines, toilets, hand washing stations). Water programs to provide potable water are strongly encouraged by Rotary International to incorporate Sanitation and Hygiene projects, so called WASH programs. This grant will do exactly that, on the bateys and in the barrios of the eastern DR. Club Contributions to a Matching Grant such as this have two benefits: First, the money goes directly to the actual program in this case, the installation of water filters in the individual homes of the sugar cane cutters and their families in the eastern DR, and for sanitation and hygiene projects And second, the amount contributed counts toward Paul Harris recognition point for Club PHF use. Continued next page... 10

11 ROTARY DISTRICT 7810 WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT 2011/2012 Matching Grant to support Plastic (Hydraid) BioSand Water Filter Program, Dominican Republic Continued from previous page If your Club has not yet designated an International Project for this year, please join us on this Matching Grant. In addition to participating as a Club, there is the option of traveling with a RD7810 Clean Water Work Team to the Dominican Republic 1-8 February 2012 for hands-on involvement. Rotarians, spouses and friends, are welcome on this trip, a follow-up to a very successful similar team trip in February We will work daily with the BioSand team installing filters, will attend Rotary meetings at night and visit the RD4060 District Project Fair in Santiago, DR on February 5, Beyond work, this will be a time for Rotary fellowship with Dominican Rotarians and Caribbean leisure (attractive to north Americans in February). We will stay at villas at Casa de Campo, the largest resort in the Caribbean (and home to the teeth of the dog one of the top 100 golf courses in the world). And the beaches, A team trip notification will be sent to all Clubs separate from this announcement. This communication is a call for Club Contributions to the Matching Grant. We did well with our Club Contributions of $25K last year, and are hoping for $40K to support this Matching Grant. Again, if your Club has not already done so, join this Matching Grant in support of the BioSand Filter Program with a Club Contribution. Gracias, y en Amistad. Bob Chagrasulis, M.D. bobchagrasulis@aol.com RC Calais ME. RD7810 Water Mgmt Chair Leslie Van Patter leslie@leslievp.ca RC Sackville NB. Chair, World Community Service RD

12 DISTRICT PROJECT! CLEAN WATER WORK TEAM TO LA ROMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1-8 FEBRUARY 2012 Rotary District Work Team in support of the BioSand Filter Program Greetings RD7810 Rotarians, I believe most of you are aware of the RD /2011 Matching Grant in support of the plastic (Hydraid) BioSand water filter program in the eastern Dominican Republic, described in past World Community Service Newsletters (available on the District website ). Many of your Clubs made contributions to this grant, currently funded and implemented in La Romana. We will have another Matching Grant application submitted to the Rotary Foundation for this year 2011/2012; information for contributing to that grant will come to your Clubs coincident with this trip info notice. You may also be aware that RD7810 had a tremendously successful Clean Water Work Team travel to La Romana in February of this year 2011 in support of the Filter Program. There were thirteen enthusiastic participants on that team. This communication is to serve notice of the 2012 Team information, and call for volunteers. The dates are for 1-8 February The plastic BioSand Filter Program is to install and support water filters in individual homes in the eastern Dominican Republic. The beneficiaries of these filters are the sugar cane cutters and their families on the sugar plantations, in villages known as bateys. The families are primarily Haitian immigrants brought to the DR specifically for the sugar cane harvest (November through May). These people live under extremely poor physical conditions, with very limited access to clean potable water, sanitation and hygiene. The Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana is the distribution center for these plastic (Hydraid) BioSand filters in the DR, and is a cooperating organization with Rotary International on multiple Rotary grants in support of the program, including ours. In support of this vital and expanding Water Program, and to assist the BioSand Team from the Good Samaritan Hospital, we from RD7810 will again travel to La Romana on the Caribbean coast of the DR from 1-8 February The purpose of the trip will be multifold: First, to directly help the BioSand team to install filters in homes on the bateys Next, to participate in local Rotary activities including regular Club meetings with the two Rotary Clubs in La Romana (each of which have hosted our Matching Grants), and to attend the RD4060 Project Fair in Santiago, DR on February 5, There will be other north American Rotarians attending this fair from Clubs sponsoring Dominican projects. 12

13 (continued from previous page) Rotary District Work Team in support of the BioSand Filter Program And last (not the least for north Americans in February) will be time for Caribbean leisure. We will stay by private arrangement at villas in Casa de Campo, the largest resort in the Caribbean for a very reasonable rate of $125.US/person/night food and lodging. Air travel will be up to individual team members, as we may travel from different cities either from Canada or the US, though we will try to coordinate our arrival in the capital of Santo Domingo in order to facilitate travel to La Romana, about one hour away. We have used a travel agent in Calais Maine to arrange these flights, unless you have your own agent, for people traveling from locations either in the US or Canada. Other arrangements can be made, as long as we arrive in Las Americas Airport in Santo Domingo nearly together. The third major cost for the trip is in-country travel. We use different bus services to transport us and our luggage from Santo Domingo on arrival to and departure from the DR. Daily we need transportation to our work on the bateys, or to Rotary meetings, or to the beach. For the trip to the RD4060 Project Fair in Santiago (3-4 hours from La Romana), we use an air conditioned city type bus. The overall transportation costs will depend on the total number of team participants; this will be calculated before the trip as part of the individual team member cost. The cost per individual for the 2011 trip was ~$1200 plus airfare and we can probably meet that cost, or close to it, for There is plenty of opportunity to spend money in the DR, as it is a primary tourist destination for north Americans and Europeans, but it is not necessary to do so. The inclusive nature of my estimates will cover major expenses. I have myself led many medical teams to La Romana, some with Rotary or other NGOs and some with churches, so I do know the city and the wonderful Rotarians there. Though there are always some adventures, or misadventures, with each trip, we have never had a major bad incident (in my 20 years). La Romana is a very safe city. I can personally attest to the welcoming nature of Dominicans and Haitians, and know that they will welcome us as Rotarians and as friends of the humanitarian work done there by Rotary International and other groups who visit. Rotarians (and spouses and friends) within RD7810 are welcome to join this trip. I would like to begin to set up the trip participation as soon as possible. I already have repeat members from the 2011 trip committed, as well as other 7810 Rotarians. As soon as we begin the team list in earnest, I will have the travel agent begin to look at flights. I will invoice each member for trip expenses (not airfare) before we travel, so that I can pay Casa de Campo and our transportation providers myself and to limit the cash any member will need to carry. There will also be a fare (~$45US) for an excursion to Isla Saona for one team leisure day at a National Park Island park. Many Rotarians have expressed interest in this trip, having heard of the Rotary fellowship and work participation from the first work trip. We will plan to accommodate more than the first trip, but may end up limiting the total number to provide the best experience for everyone. Gracias amigos, y en Amistad, Bob Chagrasulis, M.D. bobchagrasulis@aol.com (cellular) RD7810 Water Management Chair, PP Rotary Club of Calais Maine 13

14 ROTARY SUCCESS SEMINAR 7810 ANNOUNCEMENTS! On November 12th approximately 47 Rotarians from Zone 24 gathered at the Moncton Lions Club community centre for the Rotary Success Seminar. The first session was conducted by Paul Beaulien and focused on Membership - recruitment - retention - new clubs. He encouraged us to think outside the box bearing in mind attendance is not the important point but action to provide 'service above self'. Look at new ways to involve Rotarians with flexible meeting times and places. Peggy Hebden provided a great session on Public Image, BRANDING the Rotary image and awareness. She encouraged every club to appoint a committee to spread the word and tell the story of their Rotary club's activities. "Always carry a camera". November is Foundation Month. Bryn Styles spoke of all the Rotary programs and the need to support the Rotary Foundation. He shared the Future Vision Plan with time spent on development. Following each presentation Rotarians were presented with discussion questions and the slogan "ROTARIAN LEARN BEST FROM EACH OTHER! COME AND SHARE!" came alive. All Rotarians left with several ideas - tried and tested - by other clubs. The one I think we will all remember came from the Rotary Club of Truro. The club used FACEBOOK to change their TV auction into a more profitable fundraising activity and at the same time touched a new generation. Thanks to Rotarian Duncan Conrad for all his work in providing the district with a great day of learning. Photo: (L to R) Rick Rogers, District Foundation Chair; Peggy Hebden, Zone 24 Public Image Coordinator; Allan MacLellan, District Governor Elect; Pat Perry, District Governor Nominee; Paul Beaulieu, Zone 24 Rotary Coordinator; Leigh Cummings, District Governor; Bryn Styles, Zone 24 Foundation Coordinator, Rotary International Director Elect 14

15 ANNOUNCEMENTS! ROTARY CLUB OF SACKVILLE (Cover Photo) Celebrating 100 year of reading Rotary news. Every month the Rotarian magazine comes to your home, then what? Rotarian Jake Fisher told me he read it from cover to cover every month and kept them for reference. At club meetings he often mentioned interesting facts from the Rotarian, noting the great Global Rotary projects. What do you do with your magazine? world"; was the most common response. It appears that some Rotarians save past editions for many years; when asked why - "they are so interesting and tell of Rotary's wonderful work around the How long do you keep them? The answers went from a few months to several years. It appears that when we reach an age we start to clear out the storage areas of our homes and at that point they often become part of the recycling process. In celebration of this 100th anniversary, the Rotary Club of Sackville is collecting the last 100 editions, which will take us from June 2012 back 100 months to March NOTE -Two very special editions - January 2011, celebration 100 years of our magazine and June 2005, celebrating 100 years of Rotary. How we are doing? We will collect 7 more 'rotarian' to complete this Rotary year and we are seeking copies from 2004 (January, February, March) 2006 (January, June, July, August, October and December), 2007 (January) and 2008 (January). Please check your collection and see if you can help gather the 11 missing months. This could be a fun display at our District Conference. Please contact Pam Harrison at pamharrison@ns.sympatico.ca 15

16 ROTARY CLUB OF SACKVILLE 7810 ANNOUNCEMENTS! At the Rotary Club of Sackville we celebrated World Polio Day by taking a picture of every member present using the famous photo and quote - THIS CLOSE. You'll note that the space is filled with a ($2.00) toonie. What would it look like if every Rotarian gave a toonie to the District toward "STOP POLIO NOW"?? 16

17 ANNOUNCEMENTS! ROTARY CLUB OF FREDERICTON SUNRISE Race Across Africa Small but mighty!!! October 2011 The Rotary Club of Fredericton Sunrise has shown that you don't have to be a large Club or number to compete on the North American stage. With only a team of 9 members they entered the Race Across Africa and came in 2ndin overall miles and `1st in DOLLARS raised. The team in first in overall Miles from Denver had a team of 49. The Sunrise team lead by Ric Cuthberson, was John Sturgeon, Dennis Atchison, Jean Street, Nancy Acreman, Robert Minor, Jeff Stewart, Julie Sudano and Jerri McCallum. There were 211 Participants and a total of $33, was raised for the WASH program for a school in Tanzania WRAP H20 (see every $1 contributed with their partners becomes $4.26 and provides clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene education. Didn t find your article this month? Not to worry. More great articles, updates and news will be included next month! SO MUCH GREAT ROTARY NEWS TO SHARE! If you would like something added, please contact: Jerri McCallum (RD7810 Newsletter Editor) Jerri. McCallum@forces.gc.ca (506) (phone) (506) (fax) 17

18 ANNOUNCEMENTS! ROTARY INTERACT CLUB AT NORTH AND SOUTH ESK REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (MIRAMICHI) SUNNY CORNER - North and South Esk Regional High School is starting up a new Rotary Interact Club on the Miramichi. It s the sixth school in the province to do so - and the third on the Miramichi. The new club, dedicated to community and international service through various projects, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Newcastle. It already has an executive, with Grade 11 student Mallory Kenny as president and Grade 12 students Lillian Ward as vicepresident, Alyssa MacTavish as treasurer and Noah Corner as secretary. It seemed like a great opportunity to start helping in our community, Kenny said of why she got involved. Many people are in need of assistance, and teenagers are especially capable to help. Why not help out all we can to make the community a happier, better place? And it s not just the community, Rotary Interact helps out all over the world. It s a great chance to get out there and help others who need it, she continued. People in our school love to help. The problem with it was that they didn t know how to go about it. Chantal Lavigne and Mitchell Linkletter are the new group s teacher advisors at NSER. Lavigne said she hadn t even heard about Interact Clubs until recently. It all started with out new principal, Kirk Matheson, she said, noting he came to NSER from Miramichi Valley High School, which has an active Interact Club. Lavigne sees the club as a great alternative to sports and drama for students who want to get involved, both at their school and beyond it. We want to be a school that gives back. The community and the city are going through some hard times, she said. The students involved have a lot of good ideas. I think there s a desire to get involved and be a part of something big. People support the community so well around here and the students want to be a part of that. The club has been meeting at least once a week since the second week of September, usually on Fridays at noon hour. It started out with 25 students and was up to 38 by the middle of last week. In a school of 259 students, that s a huge percentage, Lavigne noted enthusiastically. She said the Interact Club is about fundraising, giving back to your school and a lot of opportunities for students. Some of those opportunities involve working with the Rotary Clubs and other Interact Clubs in the Miramichi area as well as doing independent projects. 18

19 ROTARY CLUB OF SAINT JOHN 7810 ANNOUNCEMENTS! The latest addition to Saint John's main street ( King Street) which hosts 200,000+/- visitors via cruise ship each year. The Saint John club joined with several businesses in a program offered by Uptown Saint John, which features 6 bike racks placed in various locations in the city's core in an effort to promote bicycle traffic. Thanks to Rotarian Keith Brideau, director of new generations and Saint John's young entrepreneur of the year for 2011 ( SJ BOT award). Good PR for Rotary and a great location to maximize exposure! Yours in Rotary! Norm Purdy 19

20 ROTARYSWIMARATHON GOES WORLDWIDE! An opportunity for your club to make some waves??? Saturday 25 th February 2012 is Rotary Day! On this day around the world we are trying to get as many Rotary Clubs to hold a mini RotarySwimarathon between midday and 1pm UK time! In that hour we are asking that you get as many people as possible in your town to swim just 4 lengths (100 Metres) non-stop within that hour. At the same time raise sponsorship or charge a nominal entrance fee to support the End Polio Now campaign. By getting people to swim for 100 metres within that same hour we can also break a world record for the most number of people swimming at the same time around the world. A great opportunity for the campaign, a great opportunity for Rotary, a great opportunity to stay fit and a great opportunity for Rotary to go into the World Record Book! Please log on to or find us on our facebook fan page at Alternatively you can Rotarian Roger Graves from The Rotary Club of Grantham the home of RotarySwimarathon at chairman@rotaryglobalswimarathon.org Canadians, get your passports ready! 2012 Rotary 7810 District Conference WHERE? Houlton, Maine, USA WHEN? June 1 3, 2012 MORE INFO: 20