Rotary District 7730

Host Families for Youth Exchange

Please keep searching for host families for two youth exchange students that will arrive in our district in August 2008 for a full academic year. What better way to share our southern hospitality and share one of Rotary’s bedrock goals of spreading peace and goodwill than to have these young people in our homes. Following is information on the two:

BRAZIL
H. Hayasi - Male, 17 years old. His goal is to later attend medical school. Hobbies include soccer, swimming, reading, and music (guitar).

FRANCE
F. Roussel - Female, 16 years old. her goal is to work in a language field. her hobbies include photography, basketball, judo, soccer, tennis and english.

For more information, please contact our District Youth Exchange Officer, Lori Harris at 910-409-0202 or E-mail lharris2006@yahoo.com.

District Conference, Williamsburg, Virginia

There is still time to register for our District Conference which will be held on 18 - 19 April in Williamsburg, Virginia. Plan to take this opportunity to reunite with old Rotary friends and get updated on Rotary programs–while at the same time meeting our special guests Astronaut Bill McArthur and his spouse Cindy. And bring your children and plan to visit the sites in historic Williamsburg. Jamestown and Busch Gardens are only a short distance from our Conference location at the Crowne Plaza Williamsburg Hotel. Register on-line at www.rotary7730.org or contact us for a mail in registration form. Our District Conference co-chairs are Janet Robertson at 910-843-2802, E-mail janet.robertson@lumberrivercog.org or PDG Johnny Robertson at johnsfuel@embarqmail.com.

Site of the District Conference
“Crowne Plaza Williamsburg Hotel”
For reservations call 1-800-227-6963–ask for the Rotary rate of $119.00

Attractions at Busch Gardens
Emerald Beat Hanana’s Reserve Loch Ness Monster
(Play) (Animals) (Ride)

We Don’t Ask Them — and they don’t join

“The biggest reason why good people don’t join Rotary is that we Rotarians don’t ask them to. Oh sure, we ask our sons and daughters, our close business associates and friends to join sometimes, but we so often don’t even think of our duty as (Rotary) advocates with most people we run across in our daily lives. That doctor I met who had brought his club president into the world has, in 49 years of Rotary membership, only introduced one new member into his club. He told me he had delivered about 1,000 babies in his career. I think at least 10 percent of them would have been excited, elated and deeply honored just as his club president was, if the doctor who brought them into this world had invited them many years later to join Rotary. What a missed opportunity.” (Frank Talk 1, p.xxxii, Introduction)

GSE Team-India–update

At this point, this outstanding, energetic group of visitors is about half-way through their stay with us. Most recently they visited clubs in Fayetteville, Bladenboro, Laurinburg, and Red Springs. They have given many presentations about India and eaten a lot of southern cooking which they profess to love. They spent the day at Ft. Bragg. They also visited St. Andrews College, Methodist University, Cape Fear Valley Hospital and a Winery. The latter part of this past week they moved to Area 2 where they will visit clubs in Swansboro, Jacksonville and Sneads Ferry. After they rest over the weekend at the Ocean Club in Salter Path as guests of PDG Bevin and Pam Wall, they will continue to see the sights in the Jacksonville area before moving to Area 8 later in the week. I’ll update you again next week on their activities.

April is Magazine Month

This is a great time to celebrate the global network of 32 official Rotary magazines, which provide valuable information to 1.2 million Rotarians. Throughout the month of April, our official web site www.rotary.org. will feature stories from different regional magazines.

Grits in L.A. (News from our Governor-Elect)

If you are planning to attend the RI Convention in June 2008, you will need your Southland Breakfast Tickets. This breakfast is exclusive for southern Rotarians in Zones 33-34. Our breakfast will include internationally famous GRITS and all the traditional fixins’ you are used to in the south. L.A. probably has never seen grits, in fact without your Southland Breakfast Tickets you might end up eating sushi and seaweed salad for breakfast. Southland Breakfast Tickets cost $40.00 and are available from DGE Lee Dixon. You can contact him at (O) 252-247-2127; (H) 252-240-0118; (M) 252-241-1868; E-mail ldixon@EDApa.com.

Don’t be left standing around Los Angeles saying “Wish I had some GRITS.”

Funding Your Club’s Project

When we see a need in our community, our clubs are quick to take action. However, as we all know most projects require more than just hard work — they need funding, too. Rotary’s funding guide at www.rotary.org can help us to sort through the types of funding available and learn how to apply for it–just log on to the RI web site, click on the Service and Fellowship tab, then click Fund a project. The online guide provides links to information about obtaining funding through districts and through The Rotary Foundation’s Humanitarian Grants Program, as well as how to communicate your project’s funding needs to other Rotarians through a project database.

Rotary World Peace Fellowship Applications

Rotary International is seeking applications for the 2009-11 Rotary World Peace Fellowships and January and June 2009 Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Program sessions. The deadline for completed applications to be submitted to The Rotary Foundation for these sessions is 1 July 2008. The Rotary Centers for International Studies program offers fellowships for master’s degree study fields related to peace and conflict resolution. Beyond academics, Rotary World Peace Fellows also gain practical skills in conflict resolution appropriate to their individual careers. For more information contact Laura Tell at 1-847-866-3307. Program materials can be downloaded at www.rotary.org.

Our Founder Paul Harris on Friendship

The time was when the warm fellowship of a Rotary club — the kind of fellowship that melts the icy barriers on Main Street and fuses a community — was a luxury. One could get along without it. Today — in this age of death-dealing devices which could make moles of all humankind — that brand of fellowship blanketing the earth is a vital necessity. (The Rotarian, October 1945)

Foundation Contributions
To ensure that Club and member contributions will be current and well represented as they should be, please send contributions in on a regular basis. For more information about the necessity of prompt reporting, contact our District Rotary Foundation Chair, PDG Bevin Wall at Bevin@RLI33.org.

The Weekly Rotary Foundation Thought

This week’s Rotary Foundation Thought is about how Group Study Exchange can make a difference.

A Rotary district in western Australia and a district in Arizona planned a unique cultural exchange with indigenous peoples from their countries. The Australian district recruited a team of all aboriginal Australians and the U.S. district recruited a team of Native American members. Through Group Study Exchange, these young professionals were able to share their own experiences and learn about the cultures of the indigenous peoples. The Group Study Exchange program is a one of a kind experience for the team members and the Rotarians who participate in sending and hosting these groups of young men and women. Now more than ever we need to increase our knowledge and understanding of different countries and cultures. We are fortunate to have that opportunity by participating in the programs of our Foundation–and we look forward to our exchange opportunities with India and Madagascar!

For more information on giving or program participation, contact our District Rotary Foundation Chair PDG Bevin Wall at Bevin@RLI33.org.

“Rotary Shares”