ISSUE 9 MARCH 2014

Dear fellow RotariansIn Rotary the month of March is observed as Literacy month.

When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted over 50 years ago, Nations all agreed that education was a basic human right for everyone. But today more than 860 million adults cannot read or write and over 100 million children do not have access to basic education.

Illiteracy is linked to poverty, inequality and exclusion from social life. Without education, individuals have a hard time exercising any of their civil, economic, political or social rights. Education helps empower people by increasing their opportunities to build a better life for themselves and their families. Because two thirds of the world 's illiterate adults are women who were denied access to education, educating girls is one of the most important ways of empowering women. Education helps nations improve their economies, the health of their citizens ,and encourages democratic participation and active citizenship.

Goa enjoys a very high literacy rate in the parameters stated above. The times are changing and a new thing which is bothering us is the computer literacy in Goan adults. The population which is above 40 had a little exposure to Computers and allied gadgets in their school and college days. Today they find themselves away from the mainstream due to this fast growing technical evolution. Rotary needs to apply its mind in this regards and work towards bridging the gap. I think we can Engage Rotary in this field to Change Lives of fellow citizens.

Rtn Santosh Sawal

MessageMar 2014

Ron BurtonPresidentRotary International

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Growing up in Duncan, Okla., USA, I took it for granted that everyone could read. In my own elementary school, not only were we expected to be reading by the age of seven or eight, we were expected to read upside down. We each took turns reading books to the entire class, and of course, if you want to read out loud to a group while you show them the pictures, you can't do it the right way up. All the way through elementary school, we did that every week, until it didn't really matter to us which way we were holding the book.

I never thought too much about that skill at the time. But a few months ago, on a visit to a Rotary project in Decatur, Ala., I walked into a first-grade classroom and was asked if I would read a book to a class of six-year-olds. Naturally, I was happy to oblige. I sat down, opened the book they had chosen, and started reading to about 30 little kids – upside down, just the way I did it back in second grade.

In a sense, I was doing exactly what I'd learned to do more than half a century earlier. But as an adult, and especially as a Rotarian, I saw that experience in a different way. I was reading to a group of children who were well on their way to literacy themselves. We were sitting in their classroom, in a school where Rotarians came every week to read one-on-one with children who needed a little extra help. There wasn't any question that every child in that room would grow up to be a literate adult. And all of them took that completely for granted – as they took it for granted that adults would care enough to read them a book while showing them the pictures, even if that meant reading upside down.

We all know that millions of children all over the world aren't that lucky. That's why we make basic education and literacy a priority in our Rotary service. As we mark Literacy Month in Rotary, we remind ourselves what a gift we are giving when we help a child to read – whether it's a child on the other side of the world or right in our own hometown.

Congratulations!!Annette Abhishek Sardesai and Esha Sardesai joyfully announce the arrival of a Baby Boy, a new addition to the Suryarao Sardesai Family on 28th February 2014. Rotary family of Bicholim feels happy to share your best feeling in the world Dear 'Papa' Abhishek, 'Mumma' Esha, 'Dada' Rtn Prithviraj, 'Dadi' Ann Pushpa and 'Ati' Piyu

Congratulations!!

Annette Upesh Damodar Prabhu was awarded the GOLD MEDAL for securing Top Rank in the College PGDM Finance. at the hands of Mr. Cyrus P. Mistry Chairman TATA Sons Ltd., in presence of Dr. Bibek Banerjee, Director IMT Ghaziabad & Dr. Panduranga Rao, Director IMT Hydrabad on 6th March,2014.Rotary Family feels proud to share the happy moments dear Upesh, Rtn Damodar , Ann Maya and Annette Komal and wishes him a great success in his career and all his endeavors in future

Secretary’s Report

Feb 2014

Rtn Vishesh Mardolkar

Club ServiceMembership: The strength of the club as on 31st Jan 2014 is 49, all active members.Attendance: The attendance for the Month ofJan 2014 was 56%Club Bulletin: The January issue of monthly club bulletin Amigo was released.BOD Meeting: The seventh Board of Directors meet was held at Rotary HouseRotary Information: Two to three minute Rotary information was given during every Rotary MeetingDistrict Conference : Rotary District 3170 conference ‘Utsav’ was successfully organized at the Kala Academy Complex Panaji Goa on 22nd and 23rd Feb 2014. A team of sixteen Rotarians from our club attended this annual event.The event stated with march past by the District officers and club members waving flags of respective clubs stepping toward the main venue in the complex. More colour was added to this by the Goan folk dances and music which accompanied this march past.

The chief guest for the function was the Governor of the State of Goa Mr Bharat veer Wanchu.

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The R.I President Rtn Ron Burton was represented by The Rotary Foundation Trustee Rtn Antonio Hallage from Brazil. Former chief of Indian Army General J.J.Singh and his spouse Anupama Singh attened asguest of honor. Other dignitaries who addressed the gathering were Mr Surendra Dayal Minister of Social Integration and Economic Empowerment Government of Republic of Mauritius.. Mr Devdass Appadu Secretary to the President of Republic of Mauritius and Mr Santosh Hegde Former Justice of Supreme Court of India & Former Lokayukta State of Karnataka.After the lunch hour delegated were spell bound by the thought provoking speeches by PDG Rtn Dr Ulhas Kolhatkar from R.I. District 3140 on club service.Dr Nishigandha Wad, a well known TV and Cinema actress who has more than 125 movies to her credit was well received by the audience delivering ideas on adolescence and were eager to know more from her but the time could not permit. The eminent IT personality Mr Atchut Godbole gave a thought provoking address on the future of humankind considering the development of technologies around us.

The programme ended with invitation by DGE Rtn Ganesh Bhat for the next District Conference in Dharwad in Feb 2015 in a unique and novel style.Saturday evening was made memorable by the organizers with delicious food, fellowship and music of everyone’s choice 23rd February 1905 Rotary was born in Chicago USA. 109th anniversary was celebrated in the auditorium with enthusiasm and fervor by the f Rotary Family of District 3170

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Fellowship GreetingsBIRTHDAYSMARCH 201416 Sun Rtn. Pravin Gadekar18 Tue Aditi

D/o Shamkant Mulgaonkar23 Sun Devashri

D/o Shivanand Pal29 Sat Ira

D/o Vijay Sardesai31 Mon Avaneesh

S/o Prasad KamatAPRIL 20144 Fri Vardhan

S/o Ramanand Natekar6 Sun Anuja

D/o Ajitrao Desai6 Sun Vardhan

S/o Mohandas Sawaikar10 Thu Ann. Durga

w/o Anand Desai10 Thu Rishabh

S/o Paresh Kadkade10 Thu Rtn. Mohandas Sawaikar12 Sat Ann. Roopa

w/o Pradip Lad13 Sun Ann. Jyoti

w/o Rajesh Kenny13 Sun Durva

D/o Satish Prabhugaonkar

This was followed by address by Magasaysay award winner Nilima Mishra, District resolution session and presentation District Governor Nominee Rtn Dr Vinaykumar RaikarThe conference ended with fellowship lunch.National Immunization day: The second National Immunization Day was observed on the 23rd February 2014, Rotarians Gathered in

big numbers, MLA Shri Naresh Sawal and Bicholim Public Health Centre Director Dr. Medha Shekhar Salkar were present for the Immunization program, Rotary Club of Bicholim Actively Participated in Canvassing to the public in villages with a loud speaker announcements, Conducting Immunization on 23rd and Mopping for three days after Immunization DayRotary Club of Bicholim also distributed Food Packets at 4 different centers namely Valpoi, Shankhali, Chorao, Bicholim, which eventually distributed them further to 47 different booths for volunteers in Immunization program throughout the Bicholim Taluka.Rotarians showed their commitment by attending the event in spite of their busy schedule to attend the District conference at Panaji on Sunday

Rtn Vijay Sardesai has been elected as Chairman of Vidyavardhak Mandal, t h e p r e s t i g i o u s Educational Institute in Bicholim. Rotary Family wishes him a great success in his e n d e a v o r s i n t h e u p l i f t m e n t o f t h i s instuitution

Congratulation!!

Rtn Vijay Sardesai

BRAZIL CLUBS PROMOTE LITERACY How a district grant helped fund reading rooms for kids When Rotarians in District 4420 (part of São Paulo, Brazil) learned that literacy rates had fallen to 50 percent in 2011 from 55 percent in 2007, they decided to take action. With the help of a Rotary Foundation District Grant, they began Project READ (Reading and Education Center) to provide reading rooms for children in poor communities. The project equips each center with books and toys that encourage reading among children ages 5-12. A local monitor supervises each reading room and tutors students. "We believe that investing in reading for children will bring a big change in their lives as well as their families'," says Marcos Franco, past governor of District 4420 and president of the board of Project READ. "Many clubs in our district have adult literacy and youth education projects," he adds. "(Literacy) is a majorconcern in our district." To address the literacy decline, 12 clubs collaborated to build 13 reading rooms, 6 of which received district grant funding. The rooms are located in hospitals, community centers, and other public facilities. "Our experience with the use of district grants shows that they provide a great opportunity to leverage specific and necessary projects for the local community with much agility and a fantastic return, strengthening Rotary's image and changing lives," Franco says.

Here are some tips to help you plan your next district grant project:

Get creative. District grants can be used for a variety of projects, as long as they support The Rotary Foundation's mission. This flexibility allows clubs to improve communities through smaller projects or initiatives such as disaster relief and service travel.Work together. Each club participating in Project READ was asked to identify a local partner organization in the significantly expanding project's reach. Working together

and sharing responsibility with other clubs also provides an introduction to the working of global grants.Share information. Use technology and social media to share information about your district grant project. Project READ posts news and photos on Facebook and maintains a blog that's updated with project posts. Maximize resources. "The district grant was an excellent opportunity to develop the reading rooms because we could decide where to apply ourresources quickly, unlike with a global grant, where we need a partner who does not know our reality and needs time to learn more," Franco says.

The Rotary Foundation LOGO to changeThe Trustees approved the Rotary Foundation logo options as shown below as part of the overall brand identity, effective immediately on all newly developed materials, while existing materials have 18 month to transition to using these new logo options

For light background

For Dark background

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Congratulations! Annette Mrunmayee Anand Desai received Distinction certificate of merit in Austral ian Chemistry Quiz for Class VII conducted by Royal Austral ian Chemical Institute. She also was adjudged First Class in Praveshika Prathama in Kathak Dance examination conducted by Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal. Mrunmayee also bagged First prize in Inter School Essay competitionAlong with Baba Anand, Ayee Durga and sister Maitreyee Rotary Family feels proud for all your achievements and wishes you all success in your future activities

Mrunmayee

The Dead Horse Theory - Canadian Wisdom for IndiaThe tribal wisdom of the Plains Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that:“When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”However, in government, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:1. Buying a stronger whip.2. Changing riders.3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's performance.10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contr ibutes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses. And, of course...13. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Retirement IdeasWorking people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting.Well, for example, the other day my wife and I went into town and visited a shop.When we came out, there was a cop writing out a parking ticket.We went up to him and I said, 'Come on, man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?' He ignored us and continued writing the ticket.I called him an "asshole" . He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn-out tires.So my wife called him a "shit head". He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first..Then he started writing more tickets. This went on for about 20 minutes. The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.Just then our bus arrived, and we got on itand went home.

A small child asked his mother, "Mummy, how do lions make babies?""Good gracious child," replied the mother,. "How should I know that?. Your father's a Rotarian."

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Rotary District 3170 is offering many literacy related equipments for school in and around Bicholim through our club. This offer includes computers, Benches, water filters and other school material.Lets make our wholehearted efforts to grab this opportunity of engaging Rotary so that the lives of future generation are changed for betterment.This is a Rotary Foundation grant through the district

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Tablet computers in schools: will they make a difference?

Differing frameworks under which the tablets need to be made available to schools and students For example, they tend to range from students having access to the tablets during class time only, to having possession of the devices both in and out of school. Nevertheless, the ultimate expectation is that tablets will considerably improve the learning experience in our schools, which would be reflected in increased examination passes.

Although there has been a growing trend in countries like India to foster the use of tablets in schools, there is some doubt about whether the education systems in India as a whole, truly have the wherewithal to embrace and harness tablet computers in schools. Let us explore the key gains that can be realised through tablets-in-schools programmes, but also some of the critical challenges that would need to be addressed to ensure their longer term success.

Potential benefits from having tablets in school

In our increasingly technology-savvy societies, and the longstanding focus on incorporating computers in schools to improve learning, the shift to tablet computers might seem somewhat obvious. In addition to being cheaper or on par with a laptop or desktop PC, tablets tend to be more user-friendly and have fewer moving parts (thus needing less repair and maintenance) than the former. Further, in the school environment they can offer a number of distinct advantages, which may strengthen arguments supporting their inclusion in the classroom. Four are outlined below.

? Levels the playing field. Initiatives

that provide students with tablets, through which electronic books and other tools and aids can be accessed, can level the playing field for those who might not be able to afford all of required books and material. Hence, the students and even schools that traditionally might not have the necessary resources, may still be able to perform well should tablet

integral to the curriculum, since they would have access to critical material and tools through which to excel, consistent with those who can afford.

? Facilitates differentiated learning.

The audio, visual, video and interactive capabilities of tablets can cater to a broad range of learning styles. Additionally, for those who might need to have extra tuition or testing to reinforce concepts, there can be a variety of options through which to provide additional, and even individualised, support thus improving the learning experience.

? More tools at teachers' disposal. As an

instrument through which students can learn concepts, tablet computers can be an excellent teaching aid, especially since, in principle, they have been designed for individual use. Hence, based on the content available and the device functionality, and in addition to more interactive and effective teaching sessions, the teacher might be able to customise the support individual students receive. They may be able to track students' progress in learning concepts, thus allowing them to identify and help those who might need extra attention.

? Fosters familiarity with technology. In

today's work environment, computer literacy is essential for employment. Individual access and use of a tablet computer would mean that students should have extensive hands-on experience using that device, and be proficient in certain applications. Moreover, with the growing trend, especially among small and medium enterprises, to adopt tablets, practise in using tablets might hold today's students in good stead into the foreseeable future.

Important challenges that must be addressedThe paragraphs above indicate a number of far reaching benefits that can result from facilitating student learning through tablet computers. However, there are a number of critical issues, four of which are discussed below, that policymakers and project

?managers would need to address in order for the benefits envisaged to eventuate.

? Content is required. Although

obvious, frequently, decision makers do not fully appreciate the fact that the tablet, like other computing devices, is only a conduit through which to access information. The information must be created and must be in a format that is compatible with the tablet device, and with the teaching and learning needs of the classroom.

? Preparing the content requires

resources. Without a doubt there currently is a wealth of information available on the Internet that could be used in the classroom. However, while countries might be keen to manage costs and use the Internet as the main resource for content, the information available must be carefully examined, to ensure that among other things, it is accurate and relevant to the curriculum.

Further, Government might be inclined to require teachers to assemble and prepare the content needed for their classrooms, but that approach might be ill-advised. Most teachers would not have the time for such an extensive exercise, especially when their teaching and administrative responsibil ities are considered. Preparing the content would require skill, experience and time to formulate the lessons and to ensure that, - they are of a satisfactory standard;- they are adequately supplemented by suitable audio-visual material to reinforce concepts;- matters related to copyright and Intellectual Property are recognized and respected, and - an enjoyable learning experience is created.

? Infrastructure demands. Over

the past five to seven years, there has been a thrust across India to get schools,

sand even post offices, Internet broadband connectivity. There generally has been some degree of success in getting broadband capability into schools across the state of Goa

Having said this and depending on how and where the content for the tablets will be stored, additional infrastructure and networking would most likely be necessary in each school. For example, if the content is being stored in a cloud, and students, teachers and administrators must log into their own unique accounts, then the bandwidth requirements might be considerable to provide robust and adequate capacity for a school population that could total well over 1,000 persons per school.

? Provis ion fo r maintenance

imperative. A recurring experience in India that there is a huge thrust to roll out a particular initiative, and after the fanfare has died down, questions about whether or not the project is sustainable are raised. Across the region, many of the tablets-in-schools programmes are still being rolled out and the kinks will need to be ironed out. However, there must be provision, especially in terms of expertise and financing, to ensure that the programmes remain current and relevant, for example,- the content will need to be updated continually- Internet-based material and resources would need to be verified to ensure that they are still available, and- the tablets, along with the other critical support hardware, must be updated and repaired as needed.In summary, the procurement of devices for a tablets-in-schools programme may, essentially, be the easiest part of such an initiative. Considerable more attention and resources will be necessary to create and maintain the content, along with all critical support structures, to increase the chances of a marked improvement in student learning.