The Squeaking Wheel
Rotary District 6200
The Governor’s
Newsletter
Volume 2004, Issue 8
Pam Daniels, DG
February 2005
The
Squeaking Wheel, The District Governor’s Newsletter, is a monthly publication
of Rotary International, District 6200, edited by the District Secretary, Drake
Stansbury & General Secretary Janice Bradshaw
Table of Contents
• Governor Pam’s Message
• Calendar/ Upcoming Events & Reminders
•
January Message from President Glenn E. Estess Sr.
•
Tsunami Tragedies Relief Efforts
•
Technology to the Rescue
• “Spinning in the District”
–
Rotary Club of
–
–
RYLA Camp
–
The Governor’s Cup Award
• Proclamation from State Governor Blanco
•
E-clubs Forge New Path for Rotary
•
Rotary Global History Fellowship
•
Look at what the world is saying about Rotary
• Attendance
• District Foundation Goals
•
Oil Drops
Governor Pam
Daniels’ Message
Dear Fellow Rotarians:
This is Rotary’s World Understanding Month. At first thought one might think “Why is
world understanding so important?” We
only have to look back at the recent tsunami and the importance of
understanding the plight and needs of the people affected by this disaster. Sometimes we are so focused on our local club
and community that we fail to avail ourselves of the opportunity as members of
Rotary International to look around at the whole world. The understanding of the needs, hopes and
fears of the cultures of the world is necessary to prevent mistrust,
misunderstanding, hostility and war.
The Group Study Exchange (
Individual Rotarians can expand this world
understanding through The Rotarian Magazine. Featured articles as well as short stories by
international Rotarians give a very personal touch to World Understanding.
No matter how it’s done I urge all members of District
6200 to participate in World Understanding.
Calendar of Events 
•
February 5 – Monthly Attendance Report due to district
office
•
February 18-25 – RI Training for District Governors
Elect in
•
February 23 – Nominations for The Governors Cup Award
due to the district office
•
February 23 – Rotary International’s 100th Birthday ~ Celebrate Rotary
•
March 3 & 4 – Interact Convention in DeRidder at
the Exhibit Hall (2 blocks off Hwy W171)
•
March 12 – 2005-06 Assistant Governors Training
•
March 18 & 19 – Presidents Elect Training Seminar
(PETS) in Abbeville at the Vermilion Parish Library
•
March 26 – Ambassadorial Scholarship Interviews in
•
April 2 – Selection of District Governor Serving in
2007-2008
•
April 5 – Monthly Attendance Report due to district
office
•
April 7-9 – District Conference in
President Glenn’s Message
This month
is a milestone in Rotary’s history – our 100th anniversary. Few other organizations have reached this
landmark achievement. We’ve survived a
century of change, but Rotarians have always been up to the challenge. Despite two world wars, regional conflicts,
uncertain economies and unpredictable politics, Rotarians have been united by
the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.
For nearly 100 years, these three words have been our guiding light.
Rotary started as the inspiration of one man, Paul P.
Harris. On
Paul Harris is an example of how one person can change
the course of history. His pioneering
vision gave rise to the concept of volunteerism at a time when there was little
concern for the “common man.” The group
of four eventually grew and expanded across borders to form an international
organization dedicated to humanitarian service and peace. Rotary is historic in that it has transcended
geographic, religious, racial, political, social, and other barriers.
Message (Continued)
I feel privileged to serve as your president during
the centennial year. As a Rotarian who
grew up in a small rural community, I can relate to Paul Harris and his desire
to make friends and help his neighbors.
I chose the RI theme Celebrate
Rotary so that each club could commemorate the centennial its own
special way. Our anniversary is a golden
opportunity to raise awareness and publicize the good works of Rotary.
Rotary club members are ordinary people who accomplish
extraordinary things – sometimes through sheer force of will. Thanks to The Rotary Foundation of RI,
Rotarians have provided more than $1.4 billion for service projects all over
the world. Rotary supports the world’s
largest privately funded international scholarship program and sponsors one of
the world’s most popular youth exchange programs. We have been leaders in the global fight
against polio, saving millions of children from this crippling disease. It is our birthday gift to the children of the
world.
RI President James L. Bomar Jr. (1979-80) described
Rotary’s founding fathers as the “builders of eternity.” Rotary is truly ageless in that its legacy
lives on through millions of people who have benefited from our projects and
programs. Let us Celebrate Rotary by creating a
better world and a better future. The
next century holds even greater challenges – and greater promise.
Tsunami Tragedies Relief Efforts
Did you know that
Individual Rotary clubs and districts are undertaking the
relief efforts below. To contribute to
these relief initiatives, please contact the Rotarian Disaster Relief
Coordinator listed for the appropriate relief effort. International aid has begun reaching
survivors of tsunamis that swept across the
•
•
•
•
•
US AGENCIES: (1) US Fund
for UNICEF, 333 East 38th Street, New York, NY 10016, telephone: 800-4-UNICEF, www.unicefusa.org, (2)
American Red Cross, International Response Fund, PO Box 37243, Washington, DC
20013, telephone: 800-HELP-
Technology to the Rescue – © The Rotarian
Magazine
When the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, Sri Lanka, invited a man to speak about weblogs at a lunch-time meeting in November, members had no idea that only a month later they would use their new knowledge to create such a Website and raise tens of thousands of dollars to aid Sri Lankan survivors of the world’s deadliest tsunamis in recorded history.
Just one day after massive waves slammed into coastlines
along the
The case shows how Rotary clubs can use technology to respond to emergencies. In the case of the Colombo Regency Rotarians, they used text messaging, e-mail, an electronic commerce site, and a weblog – also known as a blog – to quickly muster international attention and provide relief to survivors of the disaster.
“Our club has been successful because we have been able to reach out to the international community through the Web site,” said Chamila Wickramasinghe, who is the secretary of the club and was its first president. “You’ve got to be open to new technology.”
Perhaps the club embraced new technology because it is a relatively new club with young members. Charted in 2002, the club has a roster of 23 members with an average age of about 33, Wickramasinghe said. She added that about half of them, including herself, had been Rotaractors.
Little did they know that on Sunday, 26 December, a knack
for using technology would come in handy.
Wickramasinghe recalled how the efforts all came together. That Sunday morning, she was relaxing at her
parents’ house in
It turned out to be just one of a series of tsunamis,
triggered by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 off the western coast of
northern
Wickramasinghe, who owns a Sri Lankan spa, didn’t have to
worry for her own safety because her parents’ home was far enough away from the
beach. After watching details emerge on
the news, at about
At the meeting, Wickramasinghe called the
Technology to the Rescue – (Continued)
Also that same day, the club’s 2003-04 president, Tharanga
Gunaratne, set up the blog – her first ever – by using Blogger, a Web
publishing service. Blogs are Web sites
that allow the authors to quickly post information and receive comments from
readers. In the club’s case, the blog
included the link to lankafood.com and it mentioned a bank account
number where people can donate money, which will be used to buy food and
rebuild houses and schools, Wickramasinghe said. As of 4 January, about $50,000 had been
deposited in the account and an additional $35,000 had been pledged, said
Wickramasinghe, a former manager of global payments and cash management for
HSBC in
After the blog was posted on the Web, club members e-mailed friends and family members to advise them of the blog, the bank account number, and the link to lankafood.com, which began receiving orders within 24 hours.
Under the arrangement, lankafood.com, which does not benefit from the agreement, sends the orders for food and medicine to the Colombo Regency club, which then buys the items from the local wholesale market and distributes them. Wickramasinghe and some other club members have been paying for the goods with their own credit cards while they wait for the wiring of funds from lankafood.com. Wickramasinghe had to increase her credit limit. As of 4 January, about $32,000 worth of orders had been placed through lankafood.com for the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency to buy, Wickramasinghe said.
But the club has not just been gathering money and food. It also has a plan for distributing the goods and using the financial donations. The day after the tsunami, the board mapped out a three-phase strategy for relief efforts. The first phase is ongoing and involves meeting survivors’ immediate needs by providing water, food, and clothing. The second leg involves conducting health camps to treat and prevent diseases at sites for displaced Sri Lankans. The last leg is long-term and focuses on rebuilding schools and homes.
The club also aims to link up with other Sri Lankan Rotary clubs to distribute the supplies. “We want to do work jointly because if it’s long-term (assistance), we can’t do it alone,” Wickramasinghe said.
Read more The Rotary Foundation’s long-term recovery efforts
in tsunami-struck
Spinning
in the District
Rotary Club of
State Duathlon Championship
For the fifth consecutive year, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Opelousas will host the Louisiana State Duathlon Race. The event is the primary fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Opelousas Sunrise. Funds raised for this year’s Duathlon will go towards assisting Tsunami relief efforts as well as help to purchase a Centennial Clock that will be placed on the grounds of the courthouse square in St. Landry Parish. Money raised will also go towards providing scholarships for students in the parish.
This year’s race is scheduled for Sunday, March 20th. The duathlon, which begins on the grounds of
Opelousas General Health System at
Last year’s state sanctioned event drew nearly 200 athletes to the race and Rotary Club members are confident this year will be even more successful as athletes and race enthusiast from all over the state vie for the title of State Champion for 2005.
For details call Russell Bex,
The
The Interact Club of H. L. Bourgeois in the
One involved collecting donations from their class, school and faculty to ship
packaged boxes with supplies to solders from
The second project involved sending sports equipment to children in
Isn’t this wonderful how this Interact Club is reaching out and making a
difference in their world. Looks like
these young people are on the road to becoming great Rotarians!
RYLA
Camp
The Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Camp provides
outstanding student leaders, who will be high school juniors and seniors in
2005-2006, an opportunity to expand and hone their leadership skills at a four
day seminar called
The objectives of
• To provide an atmosphere in which future leaders will experience democratic living that will aid them in developing sound values.
• To promote an environment that will provide each individual with a basis for insight and understanding for intelligent leadership.
• To expose youth leaders to some opportunities and challenges of life in a free democratic society.
• To introduce youth leaders to Rotary principles and Rotary youth programs.
• To promote involvement that encourages the participants to think through and arbitrate conflicts of values.
•
March 1st – Complete Club Participation form and mail
along with camper fees ($200 per camper) to District RYLA Co-Chair Mimi Brooks,
c/o The Hearing Center,
• April 1st – Mail Camper Applications To RYLA Co-Chair Mimi Brooks –
•
DO NOT MISS THIS DEADLINE
The Governor’s Cup Award 
The Governor’s Cup Award was created so that we can
annually honor a District 6200 Rotarian who best exemplifies the ideals of
Rotary and demonstrates extraordinary service, especially at the Club and
District level. We will recognize the
recipient at our District Conference in
Each Rotary Club in District 6200, through its President, may submit one (1) nomination for this award.
Eligibility:
• Any active Rotarian of RI Distr4ict 6200 in good standing.
• An individual may only receive the award once.
• It is not possible to nominate oneself for the award.
• Members of RI District 6200 Advisory Committee are not eligible as this Committee will review all nominations and make a recommendation to the District Governor.
• Rotarians of District 6200 who serve as RI Director, RI Director-Elect, Past RI Director (within 2 years of having held position), Rotary Foundation Trustee, Rotary Foundation Trustee-Designate and Past Rotary Foundation Trustee (within 2 years of having held position) may not be nominated.
Criteria
• Nominees must have demonstrated exemplary service through their involvement in each of the Four Avenues of Service (Club, Community, Vocational and International)
• Service rendered by nominees should exemplify what Rotary embodies, including “Service Above Self” and “The Four Way Test”.
• Service rendered by the nominee through Rotary must be on a continuing basis.
• Nominees should demonstrate their support of The Rotary Foundation and be actively involvement in programs of The Rotary Foundation.
Nomination Guidelines
• Each Rotary Club in District 6200, through its President, may submit one (1) nomination.
• Nominations must be limited to the space provided on the prescribed form and must include a clear summary of the nominee’s Rotary activities.
•
All nominations for the Governor’s Cup to be considered
b the RI District 6200 Advisory Committee must be received by the District
General Secretary on or before
Proclamation from State Governor
Blanco
•
WHEREAS,
• WHEREAS, from that small beginning, Rotary International has grown into a service organization of more than 30,000 clubs with 1.2 million members in 166 countries, making Rotary the oldest and largest service organization; and
• WHEREAS, the object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise by providing humanitarian assistance, encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations, and building goodwill and peace in the world; and
• WHEREAS, Rotarians worldwide have demonstrated their commitment to service, both in their communities and on the world stage, most notably serving as the largest private partner in the effort to immunize all of the world’s children against polio and eliminate the scourge of polio from our world by the end of Rotary’s Centennial Year; and
• WHEREAS, Rotary’s Four-Way Test has been translated into the languages of more than 100 countries:
“Of all the things we think, say or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?” and
• WHEREAS, Rotary’s efforts to build goodwill, peace and understanding in the world is fostered by international efforts of great magnitude, for example Youth Exchanges, matching young people with host families across international borders; Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships, the largest privately funded scholarship program for university students; Group Study Exchanges, goodwill ambassadors led by Rotarians traveling to far places; Rotary Matching Grants, supporting international projects initiated and organized by local clubs; and Rotary Centers for International Studies in Peace and Conflict Resolution, offering fully funded, two-year master’s-level degrees in the fields of international studies, peace studies, and conflict resolution; and
•
WHEREAS, Louisiana Rotarians have been leaders in this
international movement and, through their local clubs, have made meaningful
contributions to the development, improvement and prosperity of
•
E-clubs
Forge New Path for Rotary
Attracting New Blood
The e-clubs are also attracting new kinds of full-time members, who enjoy opportunities for service they would have otherwise missed.
The Rotary eClub of District 7890 currently has 10 members and is made up of Group Study Exchange alumni who were inspired to join Rotary following their experience.
“I had an incredible experience and was excited to continue my involvement in Rotary when I got home,” says Ruth Ursone, a member of the D-7890 club. “That I can communicate with my fellow Rotarians through the Internet, at times convenient with my work and school schedules is a perfect fit.”
The club’s membership is a diverse group of young Rotarians, all new to Rotary, says Emma Lee Smith, president of the D-7890 club. “Our members come from a wide variety of professions – teachers, journalists, graduate students, entrepreneurs.”
Full-time eClub Rotarians counter concerns of lost fellowship online, saying that the unique nature of e-clubs actually encourages greater interaction among members.
“We have daily contact with each other online, and in many ways we interact to a greater degree than a traditional Rotarian who only meets with his or her club once a week,” says Smith. The club meets socially at once a month and club members participate on a regular basis in community service activities, individually and with other Rotary clubs.
Going Above and Beyond
E-club members are so excited about the new way to experience Rotary that they are going beyond minimum requirements for membership.
“Several of our me3mbers exceed the minimum 12 hours
personal service per calendar quarter by many hours each quarter, a tangible
demonstration of commitment to our ideal of service,” says Joscelyne of eClub
One, currently involved in projects ranging from youth skills training in East
Timor to foster parent support and Vocational Service teams. The club also is participating in the
Ranfurly Library Book Aid project for the
The future of eClubs seems bright, especially to members who are hooked on the concept. “I’m sure the numbers of e-clubs will grow throughout the world, but I don’t see them replacing the regular in person meetings. I see e-clubs as more of an option to keep extremely busy professionals involved in Rotary,” says Brown of Rotary eClub of District 7150 NY1. “As more and more folks become aware of the e-club option, the membership of, and involvement in, Rotary will increase dramatically.”
Paul Harris could have never imagined e-clubs when he founded the first Rotary club nearly 100 years ago. Whatever the future holds, no one can doubt that e-clubs are providing a whole new way to experience Rotary and bring new members into the Rotary world.
This article is © 2004 Rotary International and is provided for the non-profit use of Rotarians worldwide; commercial use if prohibited. The article may be quoted, excerpted or used in its entirety, but the information should not be changed or modified in any way. Read more information in the RI copyright notice.
Rotary Global History Fellowship
Authorized by RotaryInternational
www.RotaryHistoryFellowship.org
What Paul Harris (and other Rotary leaders) Said
“Individual
efforts when well directed can accomplish much, but the greatest good must
necessarily come from the combined efforts of many men. Individual efforts may
be turned to individual needs but combined effort should be dedicated to the
service of mankind.
The power of combined effort knows no limitation - on
no occasion has the cumulative power of all Rotary ever been felt.
We shall strike a mighty blow some day and we
thenceforth shall know ourselves.”
Paul Harris,
The Rotarian, July 1917
In early 1913, disastrous tornadoes and floods swept
across the Middle Western
In 1919, Rotarians in
With funds raised from Rotarians around the world,
Rotarians in
Since 1964, the Matching Grants program of the Rotary
International Foundation has matched funds raised by Rotary clubs and districts
for international service projects that involve clubs in two or more
countries. Almost 18,000 Matching Grants in 166 project countries have been
awarded at a cost of US$182 Million Dollars.
Rotary’s creed since its inception has been working
together to “make a difference.”
Dr. Edward “Eddie” Blender, Editor, WPHS,
Look at what the world is
saying about Polio 
Good Job Rotarians!
WHO: Efforts to Eradicate Polio on Track
By
GENEVA - The number of polio cases reported in Asia fell by
almost half last year, meaning that efforts to eradicate the disease on the
continent by the end of 2005 are on course, the World Health Organization (news - web sites) said Friday.
Total cases in the three Asian countries that still have polio — Afghanistan (news - web sites), India and Pakistan — fell to 186 last year from 336 in 2003, after those nations' political leaders lent personal support to mass campaigns to immunize 210 million children.
"Similar momentum this year should put an end to the transmission of polio in this particularly crowded corner of the world, which has proven a challenge to global eradication efforts," WHO said.
The health ministers of the three Asian countries met at WHO headquarters this week to work out a plan to wipe out the crippling disease.
They decided to initiate two immunization campaigns in the six states and provinces where polio is present, to be followed by more widespread vaccination efforts throughout the rest of their countries, which are free from the disease, WHO said.
"It's looking very good for
"Hopefully this will do it," Heymann said, adding that the immunization campaigns "will be phenomenal."
WHO has set a target to wipe out polio worldwide by the end
of this year, but a vaccine boycott in
Muslim clerics led the boycott, saying the polio vaccine was
a U.S.-led plot to render Nigeria's Muslims infertile or infect them with AIDS
(news - web sites). Vaccination programs restarted in
The number of new cases in
"I think we'll have good progress. Whether or not it can be completely wiped out, we don't know, but we're hoping so," Heymann said. "The target is the end of 2005, and there's never been a greater engagement of top-level people than right now." Polio (news - web sites) is a waterborne disease that usually infects young children, attacking the nervous system and causing paralysis, muscular atrophy, deformation and sometimes death.
Rotary District 6200 Attendance for
January 2004
|
Club |
Members as of |
Current Members |
% Attendance |
Rank |
|
GROUP I |
Membership |
To 25 Members |
|
|
|
Baker BR Capital City Denham Springs DeQuincy False River/NewRds Golden Meadow Grand Isle Kaplan Mamou North Ascension |
18 15 21 17 14 17 13 19 21 12 13 23 22 18 20 21 |
21 12 21 18 14 18 12 19 21 11 12 24 20 17 21 21 |
68.00 77.00 41.00 77.78 67.00 90.28 93.75 85.00 77.00 60.00 88.60 70.59 93.00 |
I II |
|
GROUP II |
Membership |
26 to 50 Members |
|
|
|
Beau-Vernon Sun DeRidder Donaldsonville East Ascension Kinder Oakdale Patterson Plaquemine Port Allen St. Martinville Welsh Ville Platte Zachary |
29 30 28 47 46 37 27 47 41 37 46 28 28 49 29 32 35 49 44 |
34 33 28 43 45 32 28 52 39 36 44 27 28 48 29 32 34 54 43 |
91.00 85.00 65.00 85.00 75.80 89.88 80.30 69.00 55.56 83.91 69.00 52.00 82.30 88.00 72.00 72.09 |
I II |
Attendance for January 2004 (Continued)
|
Club |
Members as of |
Current Members |
% Attendance |
Rank |
|
GROUP |
Membership |
51 to 75 Members |
|
|
|
Abbeville Eunice Gonzales Greater L C St. Francisville |
55 70 69 59 54 57 71 69 58 56 71 |
54 65 65 60 51 68 65 68 60 50 68 |
75.00 79.00 44.62 69.00 89.16 80.39 82.00 76.00 80.17 65.50 75.38 |
I II |
|
GROUP IV |
Membership |
76 and over Members |
|
|
|
B R |
514 133 155 99 |
509 122 148 93 |
67.93 71.00 74.31 64.67 |
II I |
|
District Totals |
2592 |
2537 |
84.07% |
|
2004-05 Foundation Goals for Clubs of District 6200
CLUB GOAL 0405 CLUB GOAL 0405
Abbeville 5,600
Baker 2,000
Baton Rouge
35,000 18,398
BR –
Baton Rouge Sunrise
12,000 10,075
Beauregard-Vernon Sun1,400 100
Denham Springs 1,700 483
DeQuincy 1,300 New Iberia 2,000
DeRidder 2,000 North Ascension 1,000
Donaldsonville 1,200 Oakdale 4,000
East Ascension 3,000
Eunice 2,200
False River/New Roads1,000 Patterson 1,500
Golden Meadow 600 Port Allen 1,500
Gonzales 4,000 St. Francisville 5,600 865
Grand Isle 400
Greater
Kaplan 1,000 Welsh 2,800
Kinder 3,000 2,700
T O T A L $52,506
Oil Drops
The Squeaking Wheel has become a little rusty since we have completed our tour
of clubs. I’m looking for a definite
upsurge this month as many clubs are dedicating their Centennial Projects this
month. Please send me all the
information including project publicity and community response to this months
efforts for featuring in the “Oil Drops”.
