september 2013 vol1

Youth at the Sydney Opera House.

Wrapper_GateFold_2_Sep13_3.indd 2 30-09-2013 15:11:09

September 2013

Annu

al Su

bscri

ption

Rs.48

0

New Generations Month

Vol.6

4, Iss

ue 3

Wrapper_Front_Front_Inside_5_2_s2 2 30-09-2013 15:02:17

September 2013

Wrapper_Front_Front_Inside_5_2_s3 3 30-09-2013 15:02:21

EDITOR’S LETTER

11 Editor’s Letter

13 In My Thoughts

17 Ravindran is choice for 2015–16 RI President

26 Water Pusher

28 Rotary Grants

WHAT’SINSIDE

2611

2817

13

WHAT’S

Siga

Mar

ketin

g, 0

9381

4757

67.

34 Focus

40 Nation Building through Science and Technology

45 Connect for Good

56 Ode to Learning

58 Much Obliged

60 Engaging to Service

INSIDE

4056

58

WHAT’S

60

45

34

What's Inside.indd 8 30-09-2013 13:51:29

WHAT’S


Send all correspondence and subscriptions to

ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India.Phone : 044 42145666Fax : 044 28528818e-mail : [email protected]

ADVISORY BOARD

RID P.T. Prabhakar RI Dist. 3230

PRIP Rajendra K. Saboo RI Dist. 3080

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee RI Dist. 3060

PRID Ashok Mahajan RI Dist. 3140

PRID Yash Pal Das RI Dist. 3080

PRID Shekhar Mehta RI Dist. 3291

DG Rabi Narayan Nanda RI Dist. 3262

DG Radhe Shyam Rathi RI Dist. 3053

DG Hari Krishna Chitipothu RI Dist. 3150

PDG R. Badri Prasad RI Dist. 3190

PDG Dr. Ashok Kumar Singh RI Dist. 3261

PDG Ramesh Aggarwal RI Dist. 3010

Rtn. T.K. Balakrishnan RI Dist. 3230

COMMITTEES

DG Vinod Bansal - Finance Committee

DG Deepak Shikarpur - Editorial Committee

DG Anil Agarwal - Marketing Committee

DG Mohan Mulherkar - Marketing Committee

62 Special Care

72 Iron Content in Vegetarian Foods

74 Lead Kindly Light

83 Very Briefly

WHAT’SINSIDE

74

6272

83 ROTARY NEWS ROTARY SAMACHAR

Editor Rtn. T.K. Balakrishnan

Assistant EditorsJaishreeS. Selvi

Sub EditorKiran Zehra


SEPTEMBER 2013 ROTARY NEWS 11

Rtn. T.K. Balakrishnan

Mahatma Gandhi said, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” Rotarians are gentle people. In a gentle way, yes, Rotarians have made an indelible

mark on the Rotary world. To shake the world you have to be a good leader.

You have to give many years of your life to make this organisation bigger and bet-ter. You have to surmount difficulties and see opportunities to make the community a better place to live. You must be built to win, both in work and in life. Your life must be weaved around Rotarians in your club, in your district, in your country and worldwide.

Start demonstrating leadership qualities from the time you join the Rotary club. Do not go after titles. Take ownership for the results of every project you conceive and form a dedicated team to execute them. Make every Rotarian see themselves as part of the leadership team. Do not ask for some formal authority to lead anyone. Have the desire to make the community where you live, a better place and a commitment to make a positive difference. People will flock around you.

No role is a small role in Rotary. Compare the working of a club to a symphony orchestra and ask, “What will happen even if one of the musicians was out of tune?” Make sure that Rotarians understood that they have to assume personal responsibil-ity for the role they are playing in the club, regardless of whether they are the club President, or hold any other formal title. As a leader in making, you have total control of how you show up in your current role in Rotary, in your club or in your district.

Learn from Rotary leaders who are role models. They have showed that Rotarians are not driven by positions or titles. They are driven by challenges. They are pushed by the desire to do something uncommonly great.

By looking beyond yourself and by reaching within to embrace humanity, you can show how you can profoundly improve lives of more people that we could have ever imagined. Show that you could construct monuments with the stones critics throw at you. That is the sign of your great mind.

Your tenure as the club President must have an important message for all the mem-bers in your club — one that changed their lives. Give simple rules for reaching their potential in the field of community service. Radiate the same positive energy everyday and have distilled timeless wisdom with masterful insight to educate them. As a visionary leader, you must show the members how to have a clear sense of destination in what the club wants to accomplish. Show them how to turn promises into commitments and results.

People will look forward to your leadership since you help them to do the right things for the right reasons. You can shake the world.

Shake the World

EDITOR’S LETTER

Accolades and more...Thank you for your good efforts in promoting the RI Convention in Sydney.

Rtn. Ron D. Burton President, Rotary

International (2013–14)

Thank you very much for writing an article on my association with the medical missions in Africa and India. You are an accomplished writer and a fact acknowl-edged by all. I have known you as a sensitive, immense-ly friendly and energetic person; hence, a write up written by you is a matter of pride for me.

PDG Dr. Rajiv Pradhan RI District 3132

Great coverage of Polio Meet! Many thanks.

PDG Deepak KapurChairman, India National

PolioPlus Committee

Rotary News provides us with excellent information and knowledge with outstanding editorials, articles, health columns and Rotary Acts. The quality of magazine and innovations are excellent.

Rtn. T. SusantRC Berhampur

RI District 3262

Article on I.K. Gujral, the former Prime Minister of India and the President of a Rotary club is highly informative and reminds us about the services of Sri I.K. Gujral.

Rtn. T.S. Ramachandran RC Hunsur

RI District 3180

Your Editorial (July 2013) is a timely reminder to all Rotarians both new and not so new, on how they should project themselves and be a live model of Rotary.

Rtn. Nan Narayenen RC Madurai West

RI District 3000

Being Kind‘Editor’s Letter’ in June ’13 issue, titled “It’s important to be kind than clever” is really a wonderful feast for all Rotarians in the world, irrespective of the positions they have been holding or have chosen to hold.

Rtn. Jose AloorRC Nasik Grape city

RI District 3030

Editors make magazinesIt is true that many Rotarians do not go through the regional magazine for updating their knowledge on Rotary. The coverage of Asia Pacific Regional Magazine Editor’s Seminar held in Chennai, is really an eye opener. It car-ries a lot for the Rotarians.

Rtn. Paramesh Dev Choudhury

RC Guwahati SouthRI District 3240

Judge yourselfIn July 2013 issue of Rotary News, the Grammar Guru section had an inter-esting topic with a hilari-ous dialogue, “What is the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer? When I read that joke, I remembered a similar one. “What is the difference

between a good lawyer and a great lawyer? A good lawyer knows the laws and the great lawyer knows the judges.”

Rtn. Satish VyasRC Bhavnagar

RI District 3060

Rich in contentJune issue of Rotary News had a number of stories which provided nourishment to the minds of Rotarians. The article ‘Desire Devotion Discipline’ concerning Udhampur Medical Mission once again confirmed the dedication of PRIP Raja Saboo to the service of humanity.

DGN K.K. DhirRI District 3070

Image ManagementCongratulations for the excellent guidance you have given through your editorial in July’13 issue about Image of Rotary. In my opinion Rotary News is the kinetic image of Rotary as most of the clubs are not having any club bulletins.

Rtn. S. Natarajan RC Koothapakkam

RI District 2980

Caring for othersAfter reading through ‘Caring for strangers like your own’ I feel that role models of Rotary should care for the less privileged and share their time with them and become easily accessible.

Rtn. Arun Kumar Dash RC Baripada

RI District 3262

The editor welcomes brief

comments on the contents of

the magazine, but reserves

the right to edit submissions

for style and length.

Published letters do not

necessarily reflect the views

of the editors or the RI

leadership, nor do the editors

take responsibility for errors of

fact that may be expressed by

the writers.

Only letters that include a

verifiable name, address

and day and evening phone

numbers can be considered

for publication.

Readers are our source of

encouragement. Some of our

esteemed patrons share their

valuable feedback….

ReactionsL E T T E R S F R O M R E A D E R S


Dear Fellow Rotarians,

Paul Harris famously wrote, “This is a changing world: we must be prepared to change with it. The story of Rotary will have to be written again and again.” While we will never know what Rotarian Paul would have thought of the Internet Age, I think I do know what he would have said about the idea of a Rotary website: that not only should we have one, but that it should be the best possible — keeping up with advances in technology, and always responding to the needs of Rotarians.

I’m proud to announce that after a redesign that has taken two years from concept to completion, the new Rotary.org is now live and available to Rotarians and Internet users everywhere. It contains many of the features you’ve asked for, most notably a much improved search function and navigation, new ways to connect with your fellow Rotarians around the world, and a more personalised experience that will connect you with the information that’s interesting to you.

Rotary’s new website is actually two sites: one for the family of Rotary, and another for people interested in finding out more about Rotary. When you create an account and log on as a member, you’ll gain access to a host of new Rotary tools. One I hope you’ll all use is Rotary Club Central, an efficient and effective way for clubs to set goals, track their progress, and maintain continuity from one administration to the next. You can also create or join a Rotary group, an interactive discussion forum that allows you to find and talk to Rotarians with similar interests. You can exchange ideas and experiences, and benefit from the experiences of others from all over the world, at any time of the day or night. It’s a tool with wonderful potential to improve our service by allowing us to learn directly from others already involved in projects similar to those we might be planning.

For non-Rotarians, the new site will show what Rotary is and what we do, highlighting the uniqueness of Rotary and how Rotary clubs strengthen their communities. They’ll be able to see a snapshot of different Rotary projects and areas of service, find out more about how Rotary works, and explore ways to get involved.

I am excited about this new window on the Rotary world and invite you all to visit, explore and learn — as we write the story of Rotary, again and again, together.

Ron D. Burton President, Rotary International

In My Thoughts

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

District Wise Contribution Totals to The Rotary Foundation as on July 31, 2013

India

Source: RI South Asia Office

DistrictNumber

APF PolioPlus* OtherRestricted

Permanent Fund

TotalContributions

(in US Dollars)

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Nepal

Bangladesh

Rotary Social Mediawww.rotary.org/socialnetworks

More Online Resources

www.rotary.org/rotarian

www.rotary.org/rotaryminute

Rotary Imageswww.rotary.org/rotaryimages

Rotary eNewsletters www.rotary.org/newsletters

BookmarkRotary

books

2980300030103020303030403051305230533060307030803090310031103120313131323140315031603170318031903201320232113212323032403250326132623291India Total

3220

3271

3272

32813282

3292South Asia TotalWorld Total

577 0 0 0 0

(611) 0 0 0 0 0

937 3,100

0 405

0 1,250

0 1,202

5 0 0 0 0

455 105

0 0

105 100

(197) 0 0 0

7,433

0

0

0

100 0

0 7,533

63,92,764

0 0 0 0

12,191 4,953 3,939

0 0

1,547 (100) 1,352

0 100

0 0

1,23,000 0 0

8,555 0

77 0 0

100 0

(1,500) 00 0

100 0 0

(241) 1,54,073

16,821

0

1,463

0 0

5,421 1,77,778

12,03,703

(1,900) 0

26,316 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1,741 0 0

3,725 0 0 0

(1,852) 0 0 0 0

27,974 105

1 0 0 0

56,110

0

1,000

0

1,000 0

0 58,110

11,73,794

23,248 3,125

1,46,306 2,570

11,691 14,771

3,939 0 0

1,847 1,467 7,304 5,135

25,892 15,637

1,000 1,43,633

16,884 1,21,701

22,265 1,033

16,280 1,422

59,896 2,564

105 1,501

084,062 35,771

1,162 20,600

1,214 2,591

7,96,616

17,031

7,000

4,807

2,300 1,900

6,895 8,36,549

1,62,09,055

24,571 3,125

1,19,990 2,570 (500)

10,429 0 0 0

300 1,567 5,015 2,035

25,792 15,232

1,000 17,642 16,884

1,20,499 9,980 1,033

16,203 1,422

61,748 2,009

0 3,001

055,983 35,566

1,258 20,600

1,214 2,832

5,79,000

210

6,000

3,344

1,200 1,900

1,474

5,93,128 74,38,794

Pakistan & Afghanistan


First ThoughtDear Fellow Rotarians,

September is designated as the “Youth Services Month” by Rotary International.

Why does RI attach such great importance to the youth? It is because the youth of today are the future of tomorrow. The great football champion, Pelé said, “Show me the youth of a nation and I will predict its future.” It was the great John F. Kennedy who said, “If we cannot prepare the future for our youth, let us prepare our youth for the future.” This is exactly what we do, through our innumerable youth programmes, such as Interact, Rotaract, RYLA, Youth Exchange etc.

Take the population of India today. Out of the estimated one billion, 50 percent are less than the age of 25! What a tremendous advantage it is, to have such a huge reservoir of youth!! These youth are at a most impressionable age. If we can channel their energies in the right direction and inculcate a sense of service in them, we would be doing a great service to our future generations.

Very often, I have seen Rotaractors queuing up to donate blood, in blood donation camps. I personally feel that donating a unit of blood is a bigger service than donating rupees one lakh to a charity. When you write a cheque, it is very often called cheque book charity. But when you donate a unit of blood, you are donating a part of your body, which is “hands on” service. Our objective in Rotary clubs should be, to sow the seeds of service in to the impressionable minds of Interactors and Rotaractors.

Past experience has shown us that Interactors become good Rotaractors and Rotaractors, later in life, become excellent Rotarians. Keeping this in mind, our President Ron Burton has focused on new generations. He has planned for five New Generations Conferences to be held in 2013-14. The dates and locations are given below:

5–6 October 2013 Chennai, India

4–5 November 2013 Uganda

15 March 2014 Argentina

28–30 March 2014 San Francisco Bay Area, USA

14 April 2014 Birmingham, England

It is a matter of pride for us, that, on October 5 and 6 RI President Ron Burton will be in Chennai to chair the Presidential Conference on New Generations. We expect the participation of 10,000 Rotaractors from all over Asia. Please share this great news with your Rotaract clubs and encourage them to participate. I request all 2013–14 serving Governors from India and South Asia, to co-host this event and be present in Chennai on October 5 and 6 with a contingent of at least 100 Rotaractors from each District.

Regards,

P.T. PrabhakarDirector Rotary International (2013–15)

Rtn. P.T. Prabhakar

RI Director, 2013–15

PLEASURE THROUGH PARTICIPATION

Adv_RM Jewellery.indd 6 30-09-2013 15:31:31

Ravindran is choice for 2015–16 RI President

K.R. “Ravi” Ravindran, a member of the Rotary Club of Colombo, Western Province, Sri Lanka, has been selected by the Nominating Committee for President of RI in 2015–16. Ravindran will become the President-nominee on 1 October if there are no challenging candidates.

Ravindran said his top priority for Rotary will be to increase membership, which he called the bedrock of any organisation.

“The emphasis on membership has to continue with focus on the younger generation,” Ravindran said. “Additionally, we must seek to attract the just retired and experienced people into Rotary.”

Creating regional membership plans and realising that “one size does not fit all” has been a move in the right direction, he said.

“Albert Einstein defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ In many ways this has been the story of Rotary’s poor membership advance,” he said. “Thankfully, our approach this time has been studied and altered. We have created 22 different membership regions so that each region would develop and execute a plan that would suit that particular region.”

Ravindran said it’s important for Rotarians to share their stories, especially through social media, so others can see the impact Rotary has had in their lives. He said it’s also important for the organisation to speak with a consistent voice. “Our identity must remain simple and be based on our core values. It must be clear and straightforward to both our internal and external audience.”

Ravindran holds a degree in commerce and is founder and CEO of Printcare PLC, a publicly listed company and global leader in the tea packaging industry. He also serves on the board of several other companies and charitable trusts. He is the founding president of the Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association, the largest antinarcotics organisation in Sri Lanka.

As his country’s PolioPlus Chair, Ravindran headed a task force with members from the government, UNICEF and Rotary and worked closely with UNICEF to negotiate a cease-fire with northern militants during National Immu-nisation Days.

A Rotarian since 1974, Ravindran has served Rotary as a Director and Treasurer of RI and as a Trustee of The Rotary

Foundation. He has also served as an International Assembly group discussion leader, District Governor, Council on Leg-islation representative and Zone Institute Chair. He chaired the Schools Reawakening project, sponsored by Rotary clubs and districts in Sri Lanka, which rebuilt 25 tsunami- devastated schools, benefiting 15,000 children.

Ravindran has been awarded The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award and the Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

He and his wife, Vanathy, have two children, and are level 4 Major Donors to the Foundation.

The Nominating Committee members are Eric E. Lacoste Adamson, USA (Chair); John T. Blount, USA; Robert K. Crabtree, New Zealand; Gerson Gonçalves, Brazil; Frederick W. Hahn Jr., USA; Lynn A. Hammond, USA; Teruo Inoue, Japan; Paul Knyff, The Netherlands; Peter Krön, Austria; Jorma Lampén, Finland; Kyu-Hang Lee, Korea; Masahiro Kuroda, Japan; Michael D. McCullough, USA; Donald L. Mebus, USA; David D. Morgan, Wales; Catherine Noyer-Riveau, France; and M.K. Panduranga Setty, India.

Source: www.rotary.org


18 ROTARY NEWS SEPTEMBER 2013

Will you make room for the next generation of young professionals and volunteers in your clubs and

districts? We asked Rotaractors and young Rotarians to weigh in on how that should work and what it will take to turn today’s young leaders into tomorrow’s Rotarians.

What attracted you to Rotary’s programmes in the first place?KRISTI BREISACH, 26, Rotaract Club of Kalamazoo, Mich., USA: I grew up with Rotary in my family: My father was a Rotarian, and my grandfather has been a Rotarian for 50 years. When I was about eight years old, I went with my father to visit a club project at Casa Amparo, a shelter for girls in Reynosa, Mexico. I went to my first Rotaract meeting just after Christmas years later, and the clubs had collected gifts for the girls at Casa Amparo. I was amazed that Rotary was still supporting the project 15 years later.CATHY GONZALES, 28, Rotaract Club of Makati, Philippines; past Interactor and Group Study Exchange (GSE) team member: I was drawn to the idea that Rotarians go out of their way to help others, which I’d experienced firsthand. I had been in Interact for three years when I was chosen to represent the Philippines at an international conference, but it was beyond my family’s means to pay for the trip. I’ll always remember my meeting with two Rotarians from our sponsor club, who agreed to fund the trip when they heard about my situation. This experience left a lasting impression on me: that Rotary helps others and invests in the development of young people.ANDREA TIRONE, 28, Rotaract Club of Toronto; past Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) participant and

Ambassadorial Scholar: I had just come back from a six-month trip to Ghana with another organisation in 2004 when my high school principal, a friend of a Rotarian, approached me about RYLA. It was a great way to take what I’d learned in my travels and turn it into a talent for leadership. I met Rotarians who made me feel like part of the Rotary family. Later, I found a community in Rotaract on my college campus in Toronto, which led to an Ambas-sadorial Scholarship in South Africa in 2009. Every time life seems to slow down, another Rotary activity, event, or cause comes calling.

What should older Rotarians understand about young people?ALYSSA GAPSKE, 22, Rotaract Club of Kalamazoo, Mich., USA: A major difference is the way we connect. The great-est advantage of social media is that it allows us not only to share meeting and project details but also to communicate with clubs around the world. As a moderator of my club’s Facebook page, I see messages every week from clubs hoping to work with us, or community members interested in attending meetings or joining our club. Social media is just another way to interact.EVAN BURRELL, 32, Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney, Australia; past Rotaractor, RYLA participant, and GSE team member: Our spirit of community service is no different

REGENERATIONA FRESHSTARTFORROTARY

“You’re fifty-seven years old. I’d like to get that down a bit.”


from that of older generations; we just have different methods. We’re results-driven, we move quickly — some might think too quickly. We want to feel that our work has purpose when we participate in something, and we get frustrated when our ideas aren’t considered just because they’re unfamiliar.TIRONE: Sometimes Rotary bureaucracy, red tape and aversion to change get in the way of good ideas. Certain elements of ceremony and tradition attached to Rotary clubs aren’t relevant anymore. In Canada, for example, a lot of clubs still toast the queen and sing the national anthem.GREG GAROFOLO, 44, Rotary Club of Sharon, Mass., USA, and Rotary E-Club of New England; past Rotaractor and Rotary Youth Exchange student: The workplace has changed a lot: Peo-ple commute longer distances or take a pay cut to work from home and spend more time with family. We’re protec-tive of our spare time and less willing to tolerate wasted time, like costly meetings spent discussing information that could be shared through email. Regardless of genera-tion, gender, or vocation, our most valuable resource is the time we give to Rotary and one another.

These are difficult times for young people starting their careers. Can you be a Rotarian and still live in your mom’s basement?TIRONE: I know from personal experience that you can be involved in Rotary and live in your mom’s basement. In fact, given the cost of joining some Rotary clubs, the only way I could manage the dues payments would be to continue living in my mom’s basement. It’s taking longer for many of us to find our career footing, which means it’s taking longer to earn steady income, but some clubs are finding ways to cut costs, such as skipping the meal or meeting online. At its core, Rotary is Service Above Self and abiding by The Four-Way Test. Anyone, anywhere, can be a Rotarian in this sense.GAPSKE: The hardest thing for younger members is our lack of resources compared with our older counterparts. We’re happy to give our time to meetings and projects, but we can’t make the lunchtime meetings if our entry-level jobs won’t allow us that flexibility. We’re paid less in our 20s, but we make up for our tight budgets with passion and enthusiasm.BREISACH: Trying to catch a break as a young profes-sional feels like an uphill battle these days, but joining Rotary or Rotaract is one of the smartest things a recent college graduate can do. Being a Rotarian opens the door

to professional connections as you rub elbows with the “who’s who” of your community. You’ll find great volun-teer opportunities, and maybe it will lead to an unexpected professional opportunity.GAROFOLO: Our members are facing hard times finan-cially. This isn’t just a young person’s problem. However, anyone can make a difference. Some can give more money, some can give more time and muscle, and others can give access to networks. We’re a richer organisation when we recognise all of these commitments.

What have you found helpful in your encounters with older Rotarians? Where is there friction?JENNIFER PETRICHENKO, 30, Rotaract Club of Cloverdale, B.C., Canada: I once asked a Rotarian how my Rotaract club could help with an upcoming project, and the event chair told me they could really use help with the coat check. A typical misconception is that Rotaractors are young and inexperienced. Some Rotarians I’ve met have had a hard time comprehending that I’m not a student and that I’m in a professional career.HOLLY RANSOM, 23, Rotary Club of Crawley, Australia: Some of the best Rotarians I’ve encountered have been genuine believers in the capabilities of young people. They were willing to throw their support behind me as a young club president, invest their time in explaining Rotary’s nuances to me, and offer me advice on everything from projects to finding the right people for leadership roles.BREISACH: My Rotaract club has worked hard in the last few years to strengthen its relationship with our sponsor club, and we’ve found that Rotarians are our No. 1 cheer-leaders. They’ve been terrific mentors, showing us how to write grant proposals and ask the right questions of the right people, and helping us check our blind spots as we move a thousand miles a minute. We’ve also developed

“Just sitting here waiting for Facebook to go away.”


great social relationships. Our sponsor club has reformed its fireside chats into “beerside chats,” where we meet at a local brewery. It’s an approachable setting for Rotaractors to network with Rotarians, who may seem intimidating in a suit and tie. BURRELL: I have many close Rotary friends who are older than I am, and I have a Rotary mentor who has had a pro-found effect on my life. He’s a baby boomer. I can talk to him about life, Rotary, or my career, and he doesn’t buy into the generational differences. He tells me that he always used to disagree with his dad, who was born in the 1890s, so we should just bridge the gap and get over it.

What trade-offs are you willing to make when dealing with older Rotarians? What’s a deal breaker?GONZALES: I’ve sat with a lot of Rotarians in meetings and at meals as they’ve told jokes I didn’t get or talked about things that happened way before I was born, but I take these situations with a grain of salt. It’d be similar if one of them heard me talk with my Rotaract clubmates. I’ve also had experience playing technical support to older Rotarians, helping one operate a feature he didn’t understand on his cell phone and explaining to another how to do something on the computer. I was happy to do it. But Rotarians should treat us as partners in service rather than wait staff.GAPSKE: We may not have the same experiences or resources yet, but we’re adults just like the Rotarians we meet, and they can help us. It never, ever helps to talk down to us. Our generation may have a reputation for laziness and entitlement, but that doesn’t mean we as individuals have those qualities. In fact, it’s often the opposite for young people in Rotary.RANSOM: We have a lot of energy and passion and a burning desire to make a difference. We don’t want to be patronised or micromanaged. We’ll tolerate positive club traditions and

different ways of serving, even if some projects don’t partic-ularly excite us. But Rotarians shouldn’t be too critical of a young person trying a new approach. It’ll be a different lead-ership style because we don’t have 30 years of experience, but be constructive: Rotary provides an incredible vehicle for us to learn and grow, and we’re hungry for the wisdom and experience of older Rotarians. Give us real opportunities to lead, learn and grow under your guidance.KRISSIE BREDIN, 28, Rotaract Club of Crosslands, Australia; past RYLA participant: I have no problem with Rotarians targeting business and professional leaders for membership, but if you want to recruit younger members, you need to remember that Rotary has the power to make great leaders. For years I focused on my club’s presidency and major Rotaract projects while my career took a back seat, which could make me a less appealing Rotary candidate. There are so many people who have the time and the passion to make a difference in the world — they just need Rotarians to believe in them and give them that opportunity.

Will you be a Rotarian in 20 years?BREDIN: There is no doubt in my mind that one day I will be a proud Rotarian, but I do have some doubts about exactly when that will happen. In 20 years? Yes. In five years? Probably not. I’m getting married to a fellow Rotaractor at the end of next year, just as I turn 30 and age out of Rotaract, and in a few years we’ll start a family of our own. Some Rotarians have encouraged me to join an e-club; others have suggested I start a new club that targets young families and meets during the day. And then what? Do I go back to my other club once I return to work? I want to find a home in Rotary, not hop around to a bunch of clubs while I go through the big changes that my 30s hold in store.BREISACH: As Rotaractors approach the end of the Rotaract age range, I sense a bit of panic. We try to visualise ourselves in what we call the “grown-up Rotary” and keep coming to the same questions: Will it be a good fit for us? Do we see ourselves surrounded by white-haired executives in suits? Can we imagine going from a small hands-on club to an enormous check-writing club? I’m not sure what my life will be like in 20 years, but I hope that Rotary will be part of it. I’ve spoken to my grandfather about this; he’s been trying to recruit me to his club ever since I became president of my Rotaract club. Not quite yet, Grandpa.TIRONE: When I applied for an Ambassadorial Scholar-ship, one of the questions asked of me was, “Where do you see yourself in relation to Rotary in the future?” My answer: “This is for life.” I was already a Rotaractor and the prospect of becoming a Rotarian had always appealed to me. I have “I need to leave Rotary” days, but I also

“When I say ‘Please pass the butter,’ why doyou say ‘Hey, no problem’?”


have “I need to leave my job” days and “I need to leave Toronto” days. Of all those things, I’m least likely to leave the Rotary family.PETRICHENKO: It’ll happen in good time. I’m a Rotaractor by name, Rotarian at heart.

Millennials by the numbersThe millennial generation includes those born after 1980 who came of age with the Internet and 9/11. It was pre-ceded by generation X and the postwar baby boomers — the parents of most millennials. Millennials number about 80 million in the United States today, and by 2025, they will make up three-quarters of the global workforce.

Millennials are on track to becoming the most educated generation the United States has seen. More than half have at least some college education; analysts suggest that the recent economic downturn has accelerated the trend, with young people postponing their entrance to the workforce and seeking a competitive edge in graduate schools.

Members of this generation tend to respect their elders. A majority agree that the older generation has something to teach them about moral values and work ethic, and overall they report good relationships with their parents. And while nearly 80 percent of Americans observe gen-eration gaps in society, only about a quarter see them as sources of conflict.

Though people who graduate from college in a bad economy suffer long-term consequences, U.S. millennials are upbeat about their financial goals and the state of the nation. Though only 31 percent of employed millennials feel they earn enough money now, 88 percent are confident they’ll earn enough in the future (nearly twice the number of boomers with that outlook).

As a whole, the millennial generation prioritises parent-hood and marriage above career and financial success, but millennials tend to get married later in life. Only one in five is married now, about half the proportion of their parents’

generation at the same age, and about a third of millennials are parents.

Millennials are more likely than their predecessors to describe themselves as liberal and progressive on social issues, and 61 percent of those under 30 agree that it’s their duty to always vote (up from 46 percent in 2007). Twice as many Americans say millennials are more likely than older people to be tolerant of different races and groups, as compared with the number who say older people are more tolerant.

Eighty-three percent of millennials report sleeping with a cell phone on or near their bed, and three-quarters have created profiles on social networking sites. They’re more likely than their elders to say that technology makes life easier and brings people closer together.

Worldwide, a third of Rotarians are under age 50, and only 2 percent are under 30. There are an estimated 1,34,000 Rotaractors and 3,65,000 Interactors. More than 8,000 stu-dents participate in Rotary Youth Exchange every year.

A pocket guide to Rotary’s programmes for young leadersInteract is a service club for young people ages 12 to 18 that promotes leadership skills and personal integrity, helpful-ness and respect for others, individual responsibility and hard work, and international understanding and goodwill. Interact clubs can be community- or school-based, and are often broken down into middle and high school age ranges.

Rotaract is a service club for young adults ages 18 to 30. Some Rotaract clubs are based on university campuses and cater to students, while others are based in communities and include students and professionals. Like Rotarians, Rotaractors conduct community and international service projects and focus on leadership and professional develop-ment activities.

Rotary Youth Exchange is a programme for youth and young adults that allows students to live in another country, learn a new culture, and serve as an ambassador. Students ages 15 to 19 can participate in a long-term exchange of up to one year, or they can choose a short-term exchange of several days or weeks.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a leadership train-ing programme for young people ages 14 to 30. Most clubs and districts develop events for specific age groups within that range, such as 14 to 18 or 25 to 30. RYLA emphasises citizenship and personal growth, encouraging leadership of youth by youth and publicly recognising young people who serve their communities.

Reproduced from The Rotarian

“The figures for the last quarter are in. We made significant gains in the fifteen-to-twenty-six-year-old

age group, but we lost our immortal souls.”


SHARE Good relationships grow out of personal connec-tions and joint projects. Designate a liaison or committee in your club, and then regularly visit Interact and Rotaract club meetings.

LISTEN When you meet young people, make an effort to understand their specific backgrounds. An 18-year-old Rotary Youth Exchange alumnus will have a different per-spective from a 29-year-old business owner.

SPONSOR To attract Rotaractors to your club meetings, consider offering a discounted meal rate or sponsoring a certain number of meals per meeting.

SYNC UP Got something to say to young people? Meet them where they are. Among Internet users under age 30, 83 percent use social networking sites like Facebook, Twit-ter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Tumblr to share news, photos, and messages.

GO GREEN Environmental sustainability is a given for the generation that grew up with Earth Day, and it affects how young people think about everything from service projects to administrative structures. They’ll respect your efforts to be friendly to the environment.

CASH IN With the rise of online banking and direct deposit, who needs a checkbook? When you want young people to pay dues or donate, consider new payment technology. Mobile applications and services such as PayPal can process debit and credit card payments on the spot with a smart-phone or tablet.

RECRUIT Pursue programme alumni in your district as potential members. If someone has had a valuable RYLA or Youth Exchange experience, that person already has a connection to Rotary. When members of the Rotaract club you sponsor hit 30, invite them to join your club and explain what you have to offer.

TEACH Be a mentor to the young people in your district. Ask them about their lives and goals, offer advice when you can, and pass along the skills you’ve learned in your Rotary career, including fundraising, event planning and hands-on volunteering.

LAUGH Formality can be intimidating for the many young people who prefer jeans to ties. Sometimes a smile or friendly invitation is all it takes to break the ice.


Nine rules of engagement

You’ve made New Generations one of your major presidential priorities. What’s your goal for this year?I’ve taken the chairs of the Rotary Youth Exchange, RYLA, Rotaract and Interact, and alumni committees and put them together on the New Generations Committee. I want these groups to talk to one another more; I want Youth Exchange and RYLA to feed into Interact and Rotaract, and I want Rotaract to feed into Rotary. It’s time to get over this ideathat young people should stay in their own programmes, that we shouldn’t bring them into our clubs. We need to smooth the path for these transitions, and the biggest obstacles I see in that process are Rotarians.

How do we shift Rotarians’ attitude toward younger leaders? You’ve never seen more dedicated Rotarians than the people who host Youth Exchange students and work with Interact and Rotaract clubs. We’ve got to get everyone else to catch that spark and start thinking of these young people as potential Rotarians. They’re a part of the Rotary family, which extends from your own community to virtually every country in the world. They share the same goals; they contribute to Polio-Plus and The Rotary Foundation as Rotary clubs do. So we shouldn’t be afraid to help them make that transition.

This is a tough economy for young people. How do you turn a recent college grad into a Rotarian?If a young person has a bent toward service, it’s important to be welcoming and give that person something to do to get him or her engaged. The money issue always comes up when I travel — people talk about how expensive it is to be a Rotarian with club and district dues. You pay for all your meals, whether you eat them or not; that’s not very accommodating for a tighter budget. I would challenge clubs to think outside the box. You want to help a young person

who is having a hard time, but you don’t want to make that person feel like less than a member.

How do you address generation gaps in clubs? We all need to do a self-assessment. I often ask this from the podium: Would you rejoin your own Rotary club today? Take a hard look at it: Is it attractive? If you were 22 years old, or 42 or 72 or whatever, is there something here for you? We need to be more inclusive. We don’t have to patronise younger members; they’re qualified in their own right and full of potential. It’s up to us to make sure we inculcate in them the ideal of Rotary that captured our own hearts.

With the name of the fifth Avenue of Service changing, how should we talk about Rotary’s young leaders?My job is to be a cheerleader for all of Rotary’s clubs and programmes. “New Generations” is an inclusive way to look at it because the term encompasses more groups of people. That spirit will live on this year in the New Generations Committee and in New Generations conferences all over the world — and I plan to go to all of them. I’ll tell these young people that someone else will be sitting at my desk next year and the years after that, and that one day it might be you. It’s my job to be a talent scout, to find my own replacement, and that’s the job of every Rotarian.


INTERVIEW


a sleepy rainy day, an active Rotarian woke up to hear that his club

had been terminated! In July 2013, the District Governors were given a notice from RI intimating them about the clubs terminated in their respective districts. From India, 148 clubs were terminated for having dues of more than US $250 to Rotary International. Nearly all these relate to non-payment of semi-annual dues that became pay-able in January 2013. Only two dis-tricts in India did not have any clubs terminated.

No Rotary district ever volun-tarily reduces itself in size. The

number of clubs, whether active or not, has always been a talking point for Rotarians. It is not the size of the district that counts; it’s the size of the clubs in the district that is impor-tant. A senior Rotary leader once said, “Never confuse the size of the district with the size of the talents of the members in it.” The greatness of a district is not found in the size of the district. The greatness resides in the hearts and minds of the Rotarians there. The tennis star Serena Williams said, “You can be whatever size you want, but you should be beautiful both inside and outside.” Termination of clubs in a district shows a distinct

pattern. Something was not attended to properly inside.

It is said that by increasing the size of the keyhole, you are in a dan-ger of doing away with the door! By allowing clubs to be formed in the most unlikely of locations and over-crowding thinly populated areas, the Rotary clubs just gasp for breath and some day they just go away. So, today the leaders are advising that instead of praying for bigger districts we should pray for stronger districts. A district doesn’t need to be big; it just needs to be united.

An analysis of the 148 clubs that were terminated in July shows that all

On


MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

of them were nearly toddlers. They had just fallen prey to malnourishment of Rotary knowledge and proper mentor-ing. Probably some were not intended to grow up! It is seen that 15 clubs chartered in 2009, 13 clubs chartered in 2010, 16 clubs chartered in 2011 and 14 clubs chartered in 2012 disap-peared from the Rotary firmament. This adds up to 58 clubs gone within four years of being chartered.

The study also reveals that nine clubs chartered in 2000 and nine clubs chartered in 2001 were terminated. Five clubs each chartered in 2003 and

2004 and six clubs chartered in 2008 met with the same fate.

This means that 105 clubs out of 148 that were terminated were chartered between 2000 and 2012.

Interestingly one club chartered in 1945

was terminated. We can attribute only fatigue for

this! Clubs started in the 50’s seemed to be stable with

no terminations. There were only minor hiccups for clubs started

from 1960’s to 1999. So what is the reason for the instabil-ity of clubs that were born after 2000?

To start with, most of them did not qualify to be Rotary clubs. At best they should have

been RCCs in rural areas. Probably clubs started in remote rural areas faced a financial crunch. A club that was formed in a remote rural area by some well-wisher paying the charter fee, had to die when the question of payment of semi-annual dues came up and members thought that Rotary gives money, does not ask for it!

Did the wish to earn brownie points and awards lead to a prolifera-tion of clubs that had to crowd within a few roads of small towns? Probably yes in few cases. Is the constant pres-sure to increase membership taking its toll, resulting in premature births?

Rotary need not be elitist. How-ever, it should not run the risk of becoming a social club, like the one seen on the highway in a lush green state, where members meet every day! The club also boasts of a waiting list and admission fee of five figures. This is not to state that the friendly get-togethers do not result in service activities.

The clubs, which were terminated in urban cities, faced credibility cri-sis more than financial crisis. The politicking and squabbles seen more in urban clubs lead to breakups and termination. Education and financial success offer people upward mobil-ity. But in many clubs some of them have become unfit for anything except in displaying an elaborate and com-pletely artificial charade.

The number of clubs terminated in July amounts to over 4 percent of the clubs in India. Assuming that the average membership in every club was 25, the total number of members lost is 3,900. Assuming that 50 per-cent of the clubs get reinstated, even then there is a loss in membership. In a majority of cases, the members may not even be aware that their club is terminated. The startling fact is that these clubs ‘paid’ the dues before September of 2012 to qualify for the election process, but kept quiet later.

What is the remedy? The demand for Rotary service in an area must be the basis of club formation. Today we see that clubs are formed for showing growth and then the members grap-ple with voluminous information on many items including administration rather than on service projects.

Saying no to external extension will effectively shut the door in many areas where genuinely there is a need for Rotary service. Probably one way is to discourage the clubs being char-tered during the fag end of the year and RI South Asia Office should space out the applications in a way that allows for clubs to be chartered throughout the year. There need not

be a tearing hurry to dash off letters in June intimating that a new set of clubs have been chartered and send another bunch of letters in July stating that a different set of clubs have been terminated.

This leads us to the vital question about the methodology followed by District Governors and GSRs while recommending the formation of new clubs. Speakers who handle the intro-ductory classes, seem to be giving a different picture of what membership in Rotary is all about rather than state that this organisation fulfills the want of individuals who are volunteering to serve the community. A little more effort may be needed to ask the people who are being invited, “Do you see what I see?”

Will information on Rotary alone reduce attrition in clubs? The answer is “No.” Members have to learn to love others around them. It is the members’ love for each other that will sustain a club. Clubs need suc-cessful people. But clubs desperately need more peacemakers, restorers and lovers of mankind who live well with people they call their family. Clubs need people with moral courage, will-ing to join the fight to make this world more humane and habitable. These qualities are more valuable than just scouting for leaders of business or profession. These must now become the paradigms to judge what clubs should consider as eligible persons.

Lot of clubs will become stronger and the problem of attrition and ter-mination will be reduced if people would learn to talk to one another, instead of talking about one another. A philosopher said, “People grow through love, not through knowl-edge.” A Rotary club is made up of people and hence for it to grow the mantra must be ‘engage members.’ A philosopher said, “A simple hug is what brings people together. Here one size fits all.”

Rtn. T.K. Balakrishnan



Problems concerning water are increasingly becoming matters of

great concern for the countries of the world. Water scarcity looms large in a majority of the region; the people of the water-starved lands continue to struggle for clean water. Children lose their precious childhood and the opportunity to enrol in schools just so they log pots of water from far-off water sources. The grave challenges of drought and the aftermath of cli-mate change also loom large on the world. Scarcity impacts the livestock and crops too. With little water and less fodder, the yield from cattle also reduces significantly causing a drop in the income for the families. Several regions of the world are in the throes of a full-blown water crisis and no amount of money spent on digging bore wells in the parched lands seems to be yielding the required results.

Rotary addresses the issue of pro-viding clean, safe water to the people of the world and Rotarians volunteer their unstinting efforts in this direction through numerous water projects. In bringing about constructive service for the society in the form of clean drink-ing water, one Rotarian comes to mind for the members of the Rotary circle; he is familiar as ‘Water Man.’ Rtn. George Lewis associated with Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch, RI District 6960, USA has been instrumental in facilitating sustainable water solutions

for almost 10,00,000 less fortunate people in 30 countries since the year 2006. He does this by putting together Rotary water grants, facilitating clubs in identifying international partners. He spends hours every day spreading the word, finding projects and then finding partners. The Rotary Global History Fellowship recently named him a charter member of the ‘Heroes’ which honours Rotarians whose deeds and dedication to the ideals of Rotary are recorded for posterity.

Seventy nine year old Water Man, Rtn. George Lewis was a stock broker with Merrill Lynch for 35 years and presently lives in Sarasota, Florida. He reminisces how he developed this all-consuming passion for providing water solutions for communities. It all started in 2006 when he visited Guatemala on his maiden humani-tarian project to install stoves in the homes of the Mayan Indians. On the verge of becoming the President of his club, George enquired with the Rotar-ians of Guatemala how he can help the poor in that country. Spontaneous was the reply: “Water.” They went on to tell how people were getting sick and children were dying drinking the contaminated water every day. He also understood that very little was being done to supply clean water to this com-munity. That was the deciding moment for Rtn. George to help bring water to those who needed it most. “I wanted to

restore life to areas around the world that lacked the basic necessity of life,” he says.

Back home he set about prepar-ing for the Matching Grant project about which he was quite a novice then. Despite all the gruelling expe-rience of raising the money to match with the contribution from The Rotary Foundation and identifying a host club at Guatemala, Rtn. George Lewis had the exhilarating occasion of delivering water filters that enabled 4,500 people have access to clean water. That was the beginning. His club eventually did five Rotary water grants.

The next step, he set about solicit-ing other clubs in his District to be the primary partner for their own water grants. He promised to help the clubs thus easing their reluctance to proceed. He visited Guatemala and got the Rotary clubs there to be the host part-ners. Thus started the water journey for the Water Man. With the advent of facebook, things became easier. Rtn. George got Rotarians from all over the world to sign for water grants, helping them with the paper work and iden-tifying Rotary club partners outside their respective countries. The social networking site has immensely helped the Water Man spread the word about the pressing need for water projects for the welfare of the communities. “Pictures speak a thousand words.” The photographs of the projects that

The profound crusade of Rtn. George Lewis (popular as Water Man world over) of RC Lakewood Ranch, RI District 6960, USA

to provide clean water for the suffering people is an inspiring journey for all Rotarians who share the same passion to facilitate

a positive transformation in the society.


he had helped implement posted on the facebook instigated several Rotarians from various Districts to get involved. Last Rotary year alone, Rtn. George Lewis has helped to put together 63 grants; some of the earlier participating clubs are on their second or third grant. He identifies Grant part-ners by proactively searching websites posting projects and mails his Water Newsletter to keep his prospects updated.

A significant hiccup that pre-vented some interested Rotarians

from following through with a grant, he understood, was the lack of funds with their club. This made him found the Rotary Global Run 4 Water (www.globalrun4water.org) through which he provides ideas to organise fund-raisers so that clubs can support water projects. One such event was a rally in India that had 9,000 children par-ticipating, all donned in bright yel-low caps with the ‘Global Run’ logo, and another club in New Zealand raised money through a stroll on the seashore!

Rtn. George is also the Founder/President of Water Team International that helps find international and host Rotary partners so they can do water projects in developing countries. Through their fundraising efforts, they support these projects financially. More than US $54,70,000 has been raised through water fundraisers ben-efitting nearly 9,85,000 people across the world. Water Man is also an accom-plished painter. He utilises the money received from the sale of his paintings for the water cause. He makes a deal with the Rotarians: For every painting bought by a Rotarian, Rtn. George will also donate an equal amount to a Rotary Global Water grant for the benefit of the Rotarian so that he gets Paul Harris Fel-low credit. Additionally, he would also transfer an equal number of Recogni-tion Points from his Foundation account so that the buyer gets a PHF Award.

“Great convictions are the mother of great deeds,” said Swami Vivekananda. The strong convictions of Rtn. George Lewis to make water available for the suffering masses is infectious and he has enabled thousands of Rotarians connect in countries such as India, Nigeria, Peru, Lebanon and Pakistan to name a few. In India, the Water Man has facilitated the construction of check dams and dis-tribution of water filters to a number of schools and digging of bore wells and installation of overhead tanks in several villages through Rotary water grants.

To quote American preacher and author, Joel Osteen, “People of excel-lence go that extra mile to do what’s right.” Unique and creative are the ways of the Water Man to bring safe and sustainable drinking water to the people in need: raising money through sale of paintings; effectively using the social media and technology to cre-ate awareness and to connect people. Rotarians across the world vouch for his sincerity and passion for Rotary which is outstanding!

Rtn. George Lewis can be contacted at [email protected].

Jaishree

Above: Drinking water at Bangladesh – A project of RC Roseville, RI District 5180, USA and RI District 3280, Bangladesh put together by Rtn. George Lewis. Below: Water Man’s first project in India at RI District 3211.


District grants District grants fund smaller, short-term activities that address needs in both your local community and com-munities worldwide. Each district gets to choose which activities it will fund with these grants. You can use district grants to fund a variety of activities, including: Humanitar-ian projects, including service, travel and disaster recovery efforts; Scholarships for any level, length of time, loca-tion, or area of study; Vocational training of any team size or timespan. Districts must be qualified before they can administer district grants.

How do I apply for a district grant? To apply for a district grant, please submit your funding request directly to your district (and not The Rotary Founda-tion), which administers and distributes the grant funds.

How are district grants funded? Districts may use up to 50 percent of their District Desig-nated Fund to receive one district grant annually. Districts

receive this funding as a lump sum, which they can then distribute to their clubs.

QualificationDistricts must become qualified in order to receive grant funding from The Rotary Foundation. Clubs that want to apply for global or packaged grants must also be qualified. The qualification process makes sure each district and club understands their financial responsibilities, including stew-ardship, and is prepared to take on these new responsibilities. District officers are responsible for completing the qualifica-tion process in order for a district to become qualified and receive funding for the upcoming programme year.

How do I get qualified? Becoming qualified is simple. First, District Governors, Governors-elect and Rotary Foundation Chairs read through the district qualification memorandum of understand-ing (MOU) on the application site and answer a series of questions. Then they conduct grant management seminars

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION


District grants Global grants Packaged grants

What they support Mission of The Rotary Foundation

Six areas of focus Six areas of focus

Impact length Short-term Long-term Long-term

Minimum budget None US $30,000 US $20,000

Scholarship types available All levels of study, both local and international

Graduate-level, international Varies by opportunity

Who administers them District The Rotary Foundation The Rotary Foundation

Where funding comes from District Designated Fund Annual Fund, donations to specific grants, endowment earnings, term gifts

World Fund and strategic partners

for clubs. For clubs to become qualified each year, they need to: Agree to the club qualification MOU (the club’s President and President-elect must sign). Send at least one member to the grant management seminar. Complete any additional requirements of their individual district.

Global grants Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in one or more of the six areas of focus.

Global grants must:• Be an international partnership between a Rotary club

or district in the country where the activity takes place and a Rotary club or district outside of that country.

• Be sustainable and include plans for long-term suc-cess after the global grant funds have been spent.

• Include measurable goals that are demonstrated through progress reports.

• Align with one of our six areas of focus.

• Respond to real community needs.

• Include active participation from both Rotarians and community members.

• Have a minimum budget of US $30,000.

• Meet the eligibility requirements in the grants terms and conditions.

You can use global grants to fund:• Humanitarian projects that support the goals of one

or more of the areas of focus.

• Scholarships for graduate-level academic studies that relate to one or more of the areas of focus.

• Vocational training teams, which are groups of profes-sionals travelling abroad either to learn more about their profession or teach local professionals about a particular field.

How do I apply for a global grant?The Rotary Foundation accepts global grant applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. Before a district or club can apply for a grant, it has to complete the qualifica-tion process. Once your club or district is qualified, you can apply for a global grant through the online tool.

How are global grants funded?Global grants are funded with a combination of District Designated Funds or cash contributions and matching funds from The Rotary Foundation’s World Fund. The World Fund will match 100 percent of District Desig-nated Funds and/or 50 percent of cash contributions. The minimum award amount from the World Fund is US $15,000, which means that the minimum project budget is $30,000.

Packaged grants Packaged grants have been predesigned by Rotary and our strategic partners. The activities they fund are simi-lar to those funded by global grants, but the work of designing the activity’s general framework has already been done.

How do these grant types compare?While all Rotary Foundation grants support meaningful activities around the world, they do differ in a number of ways.

Source: www.rotary.org

Sydney will keep you entertained year round. Whatever time of the year you visit, you will find the city is abuzz with any number of festivals and events to complement your business trip. For example, visit in late May and see the city come alive with lights, music and ideas for the iconic Vivid Sydney festival; find a foodie’s paradise at the Crave Sydney International Food Festival in October; or for those travelling with families, the much-loved Sydney Royal Easter Show brings the country to the city in March!

With back-to-back (2010 and 2011) ‘World’s Best Festival and Event City acclaim from the International Festivals and Events Association, it’s hard to beat the harbour city for a celebration. In fact, Sydney’s major events and cultural assets were judged as being integral to the city’s attractiveness as a place to visit, work and live.

With this in mind, be sure to check out the New South Wales events calendar to see what’s happening while you’re in town.

www.nswevents.com/sydney

World’s Best Festivaland Event City

Just outside Sydney

Sydney is just the start — the regions of New South Wales are within easy reach of the city by car, train or plane.

Blue MountainsPart of a World Heritage area, the vast sandstone plateau of the Blue Mountains offers bushwalking, delightful gardens and fine guesthouses.

Central CoastA favourite escape for Sydneysiders, this region is endowed with magnificent beaches, coastal resorts, lakes, waterways and national parks.

Country NSWHere, visitors can experience quintessentially Australian settlements founded by gold miners, graziers and farmers and loved by visitors today for their old-world ambience and friendly welcomes.

North CoastA sparkling coastline of endless beaches offers surfing, whale-watching and playful dolphins. Artists, writers and musicians perform at local festivals across the region.

Outback NSWThis is a region of grand horizons, adventure, emus and opal mines. You’ll find some real Australian characters. Quirky outback pubs decorated and built to quench legendary thirsts, are full of welcoming locals and memorable stories.

South CoastThe unspoilt beauty of the southern coastline unfolds in a series of pristine beaches and bays backed by a hinterland of more than 30 national parks.

The Hunter Valley and NewcastleAt the Hunter Valley, indulge in great wines and gourmet delights plus a host of activities from hot-air balloon flights to championship golf courses and pampering spas. The city of Newcastle offers a vibrant and cosmopolitan ambience with its emerging restaurants, bars and cafés.

Snowy MountainsYear-round, the Snowy Mountains provides a great choice of activities. Winter sports of skiing and snowboarding give way to a range of warmer weather activities such as kayaking, rafting and mountain hiking.

Wollongong and IllawarraUnwind at your own pace at idyllic seaside villages and beautiful beaches scattered amongst spectacular coastal scenery, all accessible via the Grand Pacific Drive.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

15 December 2013 – Early registration deadline

31 March 2014 – Preregistration deadline

30 April 2014 – Registration/ticket cancellation deadline

2 May 2014 – Official housing deadline

3 June 2014 – Online registration closes


Do’sSending text contributions• Provide us with the facts: Who?

What? Where? When? Why? How?• Use detailed descriptive language.• Emphasise the human interest ele-

ment of your story.• Use anecdotes and quotes from club

members, beneficiaries and others.• Lengthy articles rarely hold reader

interest. So, keep articles simple and brief.

• Word limit for news items: 150–250 words; Half-page features: up to 350 words and full page articles: 700 words with a couple of good photographs.

• Include the name and telephone number or e-mail ID of a contact person who can provide us more information.

• Send submissions by regular post, courier or e-mail. Matter should be typewritten on one side of the paper. Give double line spacing in normal lower case and use capitals only where required.

• Send all communications in the club’s letterhead.

• Mention RI District number and club name when you are filing the report.

• Send communications in English or Hindi.

• Focus the articles on events rather than on personalities.

• Contribute clean jokes for publication.

• Send articles about outstanding projects done by Rotaract and Interact clubs.

• Send articles about outstanding projects done by Rotary Community Corps.

• Report innovative programmes and projects done by clubs and dis-tricts with grants from The Rotary Foundation.

• Encourage Rotarians / Anns / Annets who are artists to send good cartoons for publication.

Give your club the worldThere are many worthwhile activities in which nearly all clubs take part. Most clubs award Paul Harris Fellows, hold installations and charter nights, sponsor new Rotary clubs, plant trees and finance scholarships. Information on these events is not likely to make it into the magazine unless there is an angle that distinctly sets them apart.

As a policy, we cannot promote or endorse future events or projects. We prefer to receive news of events which have already taken place, and projects that are complete.

We cannot find space to display every project done by over 3,100 clubs in the 34 districts in India. We cannot promise publication and the editor remains the final arbiter as to what is to be published.

Want to send an article or news item for publishing in Rotary

News and Rotary Samachar? Here are some guidelines.



Rotary clubs conduct a variety of activities.

Obviously, every news cannot be published due

to paucity of space.

Only important, interesting news and

articles will find a place.

Decide if the event or activity is of interest to Rotarians all over India

and other countries.

Don’ts• Don’t send photographs depicting handshakes,

cheque presentations or people posing in front of a banner.

• Don’t use pins, triangular clips or staplers to attach the photographs.

• Don’t fold the photographs.

• Don’t send printouts of the photographs.

• Don’t write on the reverse side of the photographs.

• Don’t send photographs by fax.

• Don’t send photographs by email. They do not reproduce well unless they have been scanned professionally.

• Don’t send digital photographs embedded in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint Document or PDFs.

• Do not send copies of monthly reports.

Articles intended for publication should reach Rotary News office at least six weeks before the month of publication.

Please note that publication could take much longer than two months.

Send contributions to:

The EditorRotary News TrustDugar Towers, 3rd Floor,34, Marshalls Road,Egmore, Chennai – 600 008, India.Phone: 91 44 42145666Fax: 91 44 28528818E-mail: [email protected]

Sending PhotographsThe best images show action. We recognise that a snapshot which perfectly captures a moment is rare and your subjects may have to pose. But your goal should be to create an image that appears candid and natural. Photographs should depict Rotarians and / or project beneficiaries participating in hands-on activities.

• Always give details of the photographs. Include names, locations, dates and photo credits and permission if the photograph is protected by a copyright.

• Write legibly. Include club name and RI District number.

• Suggest use of professional photographers.

• Send colour prints.

• Black-and-White images may be acceptable on a case-by-case basis.

• Photographs should be of Maxi size (152 mm X 100 mm). Glossy prints only.

• Photographs should be sharp and composed properly.

• If you submit photographs digitally, it should be at least 300 dpi.

• The photographs should be in ‘.tiff’ or ‘.jpg’ format only.

• Report significant achievements by Rotarians.

• Use e-mail for faster communication.

• If you have any doubts, just call us.

• Send articles, subscriptions and queries, if any, separately.


WHEN TO SEND CONTRIBUTIONS?


RC TIRUCHIRAPALLI RI District 3000

Under its ongoing project the club trained 100

women in tailoring and embroidery. Women were

also provided with sewing machines to assist them

further in their stitching endeavours.

RC RASIPURAM RI District 2980

The Government Primary School at village

Malayampalayam received a facelift by the Club.

Compound walls and classrooms were constructed

and flooring was revamped. A water tank was also

set up to provide clean drinking water.

FOCUSCompiled by Kiran Zehra


RC INDORE MEGHDOOT RI District 3040

Under Matching Grants with RC Normal, RI Dis-

trict 6490, USA and TRF, the club is executing

welfare programmes at Brahman Pipliya. They

have handed over a cremation shed and pond facil-

ity to take care of water needs to the villagers.

RC JALGAON RI District 3030

The club has adopted a girl’s school in Kanalda vil-

lage in a move to endorse girl child education. The

Rotarians provide the 350 girls with notebooks,

uniforms, stationery and other necessary study

material under this ongoing project.

RC ANAKAPALLE RI District 3020

With a view to promote literacy and improve writ-

ing skills among children the Rotarians distrib-

uted note books to students in 5 municipal schools.

Improved hand writing will result in better marks

in examinations.

RC REWARI MAIN RI District 3010

A dental camp was organised by the club at SNJJ

School in Jhuggi Jhopri. About 175 students from

the primary section were examined. The Rotarians

distributed tooth brushes and tooth pastes to the

children and stressed on healthy oral habits.


RC AHMEDABAD MIDTOWN RI District 3051

The club donated water purifiers, clothes and

cash to an organisation. The club also works

towards housing and educating children from

the slums.

RC JULLUNDUR RI District 3070

The Rotarians distributed stainless steel plates,

sweaters and stationery items to the children of

NCLP and government schools at Mitthapur vil-

lage. Furniture and books for the library were also

donated as part of their literacy project.

RC GWALIOR VEERANGANA RI District 3053

The club organised a guidance workshop for

young men between the age group 18 to 21, who

have committed petty crimes and serving impris-

onment. This workshop helped them think of their

future in an affirmative and positive manner.

RC VAPI RIVERSIDE RI District 3060

Raincoats were distributed to 75 girls residing at

the girls’ hostel, Van Kanya Chetna Chatralaya

in Dabkhal village. The girls will be able to easily

go to school during the rainy season.


RC AGRA HERITAGE RI District 3110

Health issues like arthritis and asthma were the top

priority of a mega health camp organised by the

club at Baipur. The camp attended to 160 patients

who belonged to very poor families.

RC GANGA BIJNOR RI District 3100

School uniforms were distributed to government

school students. This was done with a view to make

the experience of coming to school for poor girls a

dignified task. Games and cultural events were

also organised by the club for the school girls.

RC RAJPURA RI District 3090

School shoes were distributed among 100 needy

children attending school at the Elementary Gov-

ernment School in Sehri-Tehsil Rajpura. This gift

by the Rotarians will make coming to school by

foot an easy and happy experience.

RC DEHRADUN WEST RI District 3080

Relief and rescue assistance for the Uttrakhand

flood victims was undertaken by the club. The

Rotarians provided food and drinking water and

organised medical camps for the affected people

there.


RC VARANASI CENTRAL RI District 3120

The club organised eye check-ups for poor women

above the age of 40. After careful analysis of the

patients eye surgeries were performed for those

suffering from cataract. Medicines were also

provided.

RC THANE HILLS RI District 3140

The club constructed toilet blocks at 200 rural

homes in its ongoing project at Sogav village.

The cost of each toilet is Rs.18,000.This project

has helped the villagers restore cleanliness and

hygiene.

RC POONA MIDTOWN RI District 3131

A dialysis centre was inaugurated by the club at

Sanjeevan Hospital, Erandwana. With dialysis

cost at Rs.700, poor people will be benefitted. Free

treatment will also be given to patients who cannot

afford the slated cost.

RC MADHA RI District 3132

Students of standards 10 and 12 in Madha

district were felicitated by the club. Rotarians

encouraged the efforts of the toppers by giving

them scholarships. This will assist the students

for their further studies.


RC MANGALORE SOUTH RI District 3180

Construction of low-cost homes for the poor and

needy people was undertaken by the club near

Mangalore. This housing project has given poor

families an opportunity to lead a happy and dig-

nified life.

RC PANAJI RIVIERA RI District 3170

To provide basic knowledge of computer operations

for the children hailing from underprivileged

families the Rotarians inaugurated a computer

training programme in association with

Mahalaxmi Trust.

RC TADPATRI RI District 3160

Notebooks were distributed to students at govern-

ment high schools in five villages. The distribu-

tion was preceeded by programmes to eradicate

illiteracy and spread awareness on the importance

of education.

RC WARANGAL RI District 3150

The club distributed sewing machines to poor and

needy women in order to empower them and make

them economically stable and support their family

monetarily.

Yet another case of revocation followed in May 2000. The patent granted to W.R. Grace Company and US Department of Agriculture on ‘neem’ by European pat-ent office was squashed again on the same grounds that its use was known in India. India filed a re-examination request for the patent on Basmati rice lines and grains granted by the United States Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) in 2000. Ricetec Company from Texas decided to withdraw the specific claims challenged by India and also some additional claims. In a further action, the examiner decided to disal-low seventeen of the twenty claims.

To mitigate this persistent problem, the Indian Government took steps to create a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) on traditional medicinal plants and systems, which will also lead to a Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification (TKRC). Linking this to internationally accepted International Patent Classification (IPC) system will mean building the bridge between the knowledge contained in an old Sanskrit sloka and the computer screen of a pat-ent examiner in Washington! This will eliminate the problem of the grant of

wrong patents since the Indian rights to that knowledge will be known to the examiner.

Eventually the creation of TKDL in the developing world would serve a big-ger purpose in providing and enhancing its innovation capacity. It could inte-grate widely scattered and distributed references on the traditional knowl-edge systems of the developing world in a retrievable form. It could act as a bridge between the traditional and mod-ern knowledge systems. Availability of this knowledge in a retrievable form in many languages will give a major impetus to modern research in the developing world, as it itself can then get involved in innovative research on adding further value to this traditional knowledge; an example being the devel-opment of an allopathic medicine based on a traditional plant-based therapeutic. Sustained efforts on the modernisation of the traditional knowledge systems of the developing world will create higher awareness at national and international level and will establish a scientific approach that will ensure higher accept-ability of these systems by practitioners of modern systems and public at large.

Intellectual Property Rights and DevelopmentAn ideal regime of intellectual property rights strikes a balance between private incentives for innovators and the public interest of maximising access to the fruits of innovation. This balance is reflected in Article 27 of the 1948 Universal Dec-laration of Human Rights, which recog-nises both, that “Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and mate-rial interest resulting from any scientific, literacy or artistic production of which he is the author” and that “Everyone has the right ... to share in scientific advance-ment and its benefits.” The burning ques-tion seems to be balancing the interest of the inventor and that of the society in an optimum way.

Intellectual property rights are being harmonised worldwide. As per the obligation under the Trade Related Intellectual Property Systems (TRIPS) agreement, developing countries are now implementing national systems of intellectual property rights following an agreed set of minimum standards, such as twenty years of patent protection; the least developed countries have to do so. One of the developing world concerns


Each year an internationally eminent person in the science world is invited to address the British scientific community at the Zuckerman Lecture, named

after Lord Zuckerman, a distinguished scientist who was at the heart of British science for over 60 years. In 2003, Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, the leading architect of India’s science and technology policies was invited to deliver the Lecture at the Royal Society,

London. Transcript of his acclaimed address is reproduced in these pages.

(Continued from the previous issue)

is that while a fully harmonised sys-tem of IPR is being advocated, today’s advanced economies had refused to grant patents throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. They formalised the enforced intellectual property rights gradually as they shifted from being net users of intellectual property to bring net producers. Indeed France, Germany and Switzerland, who are leading devel-oped countries today completed, what is now standard protection, only in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the developing world, the impact of TRIPS will vary according to each country’s economic and technologi-cal development. Middle-income countries such as Brazil and Malaysia are likely to benefit from the spur to local innovation. Countries like India and China, which are endowed with a large intellectual infrastructure, can gain in the long term by stronger IPR protection. However, least developed countries, where formal innovation is minimal, are likely to face higher costs without the offsetting benefits.

I was privileged to be a member of the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights. The report of the Com-mission addressed the issue of IPR and development, as it pertained to public health, access to food, information, education etc. The sum and substance of the report can be briefly summarised as follows: For too long, IPRs have been regarded as food for the rich countries and poison for poor countries. It is not


as simple as that. Rich countries can get indigestion from overindulgence. And poor countries may find them a useful dietary supplement, provided they are accommodated to suit local palates and not force-fed. The appropriate diet for each developing country needs to be decided on the basis of what is best for its development. It is this guiding principle that should help the national governments and international com-munity to arrive at rational decisions, which can help integrating intellectual property rights into a balanced develop-ment policy. But reaching that balance requires a real understanding between the global players. The sooner we reach it, the better will it be for mankind.

Techno-globalism and the Developing WorldJust as globalisation of trade is grow-ing at a rapid pace, there is a glo-balisation of research and technology also. A new term ‘techno-globalism’ has been coined in recent times to describe this phenomenon. The term ‘techno-globalism’ means a strong interaction between the interna-tionalisation of technology and the globalisation of economy. Techno-globalism has created a widening of cross-border interdependence between individual technology-based firms as well as economic sectors. Techno-globalism provides both challenges and opportunities for the developing world, especially scientifically advanced developing nations.

Take India’s case as an example. India is rapidly becoming a global R & D hub. More than one hundred major companies around the world have set up their R & D centres in India just during the last five years. The biggest would be the R & D centre of General Electric (GE) at Bangalore. Its current size of 1,600 employees will increase to around 2,400 employees, making it the second largest R & D centre of GE in the world. It is not India alone.

Similar phenomena are in evidence in China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan etc. Specialised clusters are com-ing up in Philippines, Malaysia etc. Many leading enterprises around the world are building innovation platforms through multi-sourcing of innovations.

Why has multi-sourcing of inno-vations gained prominence? There is an increasing pressure on shortening international market penetration times for new products, on shortening R & D times, and on decreasing the market life times for new products. Innova-tions are beginning to have multi-ple geographical and organisational sources of technology with increas-ingly differentiated and innovation-specific patterns of diffusion. R & D in high-technology industries such as biotechnology, microelectron-ics, pharmaceuticals, information technology and new materials has become highly science based. The costs of doing R & D are also increas-ing phenomenally.

There has been a progressive weakening of the strategic position of corporate central laboratories within large firms. The firms around the world are becoming very selective with internal developments focused on critical products and processes. They complement their internal efforts with external technology acquisition on a global basis.

Creation of seamless laborato-ries around the world is also being helped by the evolution of global information networks. Indeed, these networks are allowing the real-time management and operation of labora-tories in any part of the world. Thus, companies are gaining a competi-tive advantage by using the global knowledge resource and working with a global time clock. The trend is also being fuelled by the shortage of R & D personnel in some emerg-ing high technology areas in indus-trialised countries. The companies have to bridge that demand-supply

september 2013 vol1

Documents

saboo ri

prabhakar ri

balakrishnan ri

rotary club

badri prasad ri

prid ashok mahajan ri

rotary world

pdg ramesh aggarwal