Rotary Day winning video

By Rotary International

By Rotary Voices staff

From the time he took office, RI President Gary C.K. Huang invited Rotary clubs and districts to hold a special Rotary Day during 2014-15 to introduce community members to Rotary. He also encouraged them to submit short videos of these events for a chance to receive special recognition. Congratulations to District 2430 (Turkey), whose video — included here — was the winning entry. Twelve other videos were chosen as finalists.

…read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Perhaps a fifth test: Is it fun?

By Rotary International

David Postic, left, and other members of the Rotaract and Interact Committee had fun posing for this photo in December at Rotary's headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA. Rotary International/Alyce Henson

David Postic, left, and other members of the Rotaract and Interact Committee had fun posing for this photo in December at Rotary’s headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA. Rotary International/Alyce Henson

By David Postic, a member of the Rotaract and Interact Committee and a past president of the Rotaract Club of Norman, Oklahoma, USA

We all know and love The Four-Way Test. In many ways, it’s an improvement on the age-old golden rule that you should treat others the way you wish to be treated. It’s a guide for living, a tool for decision making, a moral code. While Rotary has been served well by these four questions, they may not be enough in an era in which Rotary is trying to appeal to more people and have a broader impact.

There is another crucial question that we as Rotary members must always ask ourselves, and it is this: Is it fun? This is the question I ask myself with everything I do. If it isn’t fun, I don’t do it. Some people may scoff at that mentality, but in my mind, life is too short to waste on things I don’t enjoy. There are a hundred other organizations I could be …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Early cancer detection is saving lives in Sri Lanka

By Rotary International More than 20,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year in Sri Lanka, and many of them prove fatal. The Rotary Club of Colombo, Sri Lanka, set out 10 years ago to save some of those lives by establishing the Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Centre.
In partnership with the National Cancer Control Programme and the Ministry of Health, the center in Colombo has screened more than 35,000 patients, mostly low-income, and detected more than 7,500 cases of abnormalities that required further investigation. The Rotary Club of Birmingham, Alabama, USA, donated a mammography and ultrasound… …read more

Source:: Rotary.org

India eye surgeons share skills with peers in Ethiopia

By Rotary International

Members of the vocational training team of eye specialists from India perform an eye surgery in Ethiopia. Photo courtesy Rotary District 3140

Members of the vocational training team of eye specialists from India perform an eye surgery in Ethiopia. Photo courtesy Rotary District 3140

By Suhas B. Naik-Satam, past president of the Rotary Club of Bombay Chembur West, Maharashtra, India

In March, during our silver jubilee year, my Rotary club sponsored a vocational training team of ophthalmologists to Ethiopia to improve the abilities and skills of eye surgeons at various medical centers there.

Under the direction of club president S.R. Balasubramanian and led by Dr. Haresh Asnani, a past president of our club, the team of three super specialists included a vitreoretinal surgeon, a pediatric ophthalmologist/squint specialist, and an oculoplastic surgeon/ocular oncologist. Our club partnered with Beyond Eye Care, an organization that manages the India Eye Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.

The team conducted medical education programs and clinic workshops on topics including common retinal disorders, diabetic retinopathy, common eyelid disorders, and squint problems. Members conducted classroom lectures and a few practical workshops on pediatric eye disease examination that doesn’t require expensive equipment. They also stressed the importance of timely intervention in childhood squints, eye tumors, and cataracts.

The program benefited around 14 ophthalmologists, 25 postgraduate students, 40 optometrists, and 20 ophthalmic nurses over five teaching …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Visit our new Member Center

By Rotary International As a member of Rotary, you’re part of a global network of community volunteers who are making a positive difference. Visit the new Member Center to access the many benefits and resources available to you, including:
Rotary Global Rewards, our brand-new member benefits program featuring discounts on travel, hotels, dining, and entertainment
Rotary publications and products, licensed vendors, mobile apps, and online tools
Awards and donor recognition opportunities
Rotary International Convention, our biggest event of the year
The Rotarian, the official magazine of Rotary
Share the benefits of… …read more

Source:: Rotary.org

Rotary releases $40.3 million for polio immunization activities

By Rotary International Rotary is releasing $40.3 million in grants to support polio immunization activities in 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, three countries where the disease has never been stopped.
The funds will help build on gains Rotary and its partners have been making in the fight to eradicate polio. Nigeria hasn’t seen a polio case since 24 July and the World Health Organization could remove it from the list of polio-endemic countries as soon as September if no cases are reported. Nigeria would have to go another two years without a case to be certified polio-free.
But the… …read more

Source:: Rotary.org

The Rotary Youth Exchange I dreamed about

By Rotary International

Thando Gwatyu shares the South African flag with his host family in Germany.

Thando Gwatyu shares the South African flag with his host family in Germany.

By Thando Gwatyu, a Rotary Youth Exchange student from South Africa to Germany

Recently, I finished my third month in Germany, and it’s already changing my life. The process has not always been easy, but I’ve made quite a few discoveries about German culture and tradition, some of which is very different from the life I’m used to.

My first host family, the Roos, were simply amazing. Both parents are architects and they have a 16-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. The parents were eager to show me many things about their country and culture. On just my second week, they took me on a ski vacation and I celebrated my birthday on snow for the first time ever. They bought me soccer clothes and a team ID, meaning I am now an official member of the village soccer club. They went out of their way to buy me a full uniform with my family name on the jersey, which made me feel really good. My photo is even on the soccer club website. (I have no goals yet, only assists.)

They took me to visit the site of the former …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Knocking down language barriers

By Rotary International Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Russian was the predominant second language offered in Polish schools, leaving tens of thousands of Polish emigrants without the English skills they needed.
That has changed over the last 25 years. English proficiency drastically improved after the government reformed its education system in 1991. The country overhauled its teaching curriculum and materials and introduced English as the primary foreign language. As of 2013, Poland ranks 8th in the world in English proficiency.
However, one segment of the population isn’t reaping… …read more

Source:: Rotary.org

Member benefits program unveiled as convention draws to a close

By Rotary International RI President-elect K.R. Ravindran introduced a member benefits program at the 9 June closing session of the 2015 Rotary International Convention, saying that many more hands are needed to continue Rotary’s work around the world.
The program, Rotary Global Rewards, aims to boost membership and enhance member satisfaction. It will debut on 1 July.
“This innovative new program will allow Rotary members to connect with nearly 700 businesses and service providers from around the world — and that number is growing,” said Ravindran. “These establishments will offer Rotarians discounts and… …read more

Source:: Rotary.org