Wheelchair Distribution - Phase 2
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![]() Saint Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association, through their Tourism Enhancement Fund financed the purchase of approximately 270 wheelchairs for those most in need in Saint Lucia. | ![]() The project was conceived by the Rotary Club of Gros Islet back in May 2018. Rotary Club of Saint Lucia through PP Konrad Wagner, who is a member of the Hotel Association, suggested the project to the executive of the Association and the idea was favourably received. | ![]() Gros Islet Rotary had commenced discussions with the Wheelchair Foundation who had agreed to assist with meeting up to half of the cost of a 40 foot container of wheelchairs. With the assistance of the Wheelchair Foundation, we were able to secure the best possible price for the chairs. |
![]() PP Konrad worked tirelessly to bring the project to fruition. On Saturday July 13th a few of the members of the Rotary Club of Saint Lucia, ably supported by your editor representing RC Gros Islet, destuffed the 40 foot container. | ![]() On Wednesday July 17th, the President of the Hotel & Tourism Association, Mrs. Carolyn Troubetzkoy, along with executive member Mr. John Mathurin and other officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Transformation, including the Honorable Minister, Leonard (Spider) Montoute, were on hand to mark the start of the distribution phase of the chairs. | ![]() The Distribution of the Chairs will be carried out by the Rotary Clubs of Gros Islet and Saint Lucia over the next couple of weeks. This is a prime example of cooperation between the Rotary Club of Saint Lucia and the Rotary Club of Gros Islet as we join forces with partner organizations - The Tourism Development Fund, and the World Wheelchair Foundation, to bring badly needed assistance to so many Saint Lucians. |
On Wednesday, December 5th, 2018, members of the Rotary Club of Gros Islet handed over a mobile dental unit to the Department of Health and Wellness. At a brief ceremony at The Boys Training Centre at Massade, Gros Islet, where the unit will be located initially, Past President Matt Render, who is the current Rotary Foundation Chair for the Rotary Club of Gros Islet, officially handed the unit over to Minister for Health and Wellness, Senator, the Honourable Mary Isaac and Dr. Sherry Ephraim-LeCompte, Senior Dental Surgeon. The hand over was attended by Mr. Wang Sonson, Manager of the Boys’ Training Centre, staff and trainees. Also in attendance were members of the Government Information Service, Hot FM Television, and DBS.
Past President Matt said that the unit was purchased through a District Grant which meant that the money came from The Rotary Foundation. This unit replaces a mobile unit that Rotary Gros Islet had purchased through an earlier Grant, but which had been destroyed by floods some years earlier. The Foundation is funded by Rotarians worldwide and Rotary Gros Islet has received Grants from the Foundation well in excess of what Local Rotarians have contributed.
Past President Matt cited the last major project which was a 150,000-gallon water tank at Plateau Babonneau which currently provides water to approximately six thousand persons in the surrounding area. The value of this project exceeded $500,000 with Rotary in the District funding a mere $15,000 approximately, the remainder coming from Rotary in Florida/Georgia USA, and the Rotary Foundation.
Minister Isaac for her part expressed the gratitude of her government for the support that Rotary has provided to the communities in Saint Lucia and in particular for this latest donation valued at US$9,000.
The mobile dental unit allows the Department of Health and Wellness to deploy dental technicians to schools in the North and carry out preventative procedures to promote good dental health. In the past, the deployment of the earlier unit, assisted the Health Services to reduce the incidence of cavities in school children significantly. The Rotary Club of Gros islet also paid for the dental treatments out of its’ own resourses.
Rotaractors harness the power of their networks to amplify their impact.
Learn more about the projects that Rotarians and Rotaractors are bringing to life in their communities
Gordon McInally selected to be 2023-24 Rotary International President
Members and government health officials use boats to reach villages deep in the rainforest.
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![]() Part of the crowd at the Conference | ![]() RID Yinka Babalola speaking on The Rotary Foundation. In the foreground, the back of DGE Trevor and RI staffers Marni Nixon and Rebecca Hollaway. |
![]() Some of the Saint Lucia contingent | ![]() Team RCGI - President Lenita was presented with the Presidential Citation for Rotary Year 2017/2018 |
![]() PP Lisle & Rtn. Maggie presenting RID Yinka with the banner of RCGI | ![]() Fellowship before we took leave of our friends. from Left to right: PE Becky, Pres. Soraya, PE Joel, PDG Milton, PP Lisle, PDG Steven Ramroop's wife Joanna, Rt. Maggie, PE. Shirley Sowma and PDG Waddy Sowma. |
![]() Part of Team Saint Lucia sitting at the back of the hall. on Day 3. | ![]() RID Yinka - Rotary is Magic and Rotarians are the Magicians |
Among the most important, the Council elevated the status of Rotaract clubs, allowing them to join Rotary International the way that Rotary clubs do. The change is intended to increase the support that Rotaract clubs receive from RI and to enhance their ability to serve.
“We need to be an inspiration to our young partners, so they will continue doing the great service that they do,” said RI President Barry Rassin when he presented the measure. “This sends a strong message that they are truly our partners in service.”
In many ways, the Rotaract experience will not change. Rotary clubs will still charter and sponsor Rotaract clubs. Rotaract clubs will still have their own standard constitution and their own unique club experience. And members of a Rotaract club will not be called Rotarians. The measure simply expands the definition of membership in Rotary International to include both Rotary and Rotaract clubs.
Every three years, representatives from Rotary districts around the world meet in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to consider changes to the constitutional documents that govern Rotary International. This year’s Council considered more than 100 proposals.
Representatives authorized the Board to pursue changing RI’s charitable status to a section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. It is presently a 501(c)(4). A task force has been studying the possible change for 18 months and says it will offer benefits that include tax reductions and vendor discounts that will reduce expenses.
As for dues, the Council approved a modest increase of $1 a year for each of three years, beginning in 2020-21. The previous Council set dues for 2019-20 at $34 per half year.
With the increase, the dues that clubs pay to RI per member will increase to $34.50 per half year in 2020-21, $35 per half year in 2021-22, and $35.50 per half year in 2022-23. The dues will not be raised again until a future Council votes to change it.
The Council also changed the name of the General Surplus Fund to RI Reserve, because that more accurately reflects the purpose of the fund. In another vote, the Council approved calling the general secretary a chief executive officer (CEO) in circles outside Rotary, to increase his stature in dealings with other intergovernmental organizations.
A seemingly small but intensely debated action will reduce the number of nonvoting members at future Councils, by removing past RI presidents and allowing only one RI Board director to attend but not vote.
But in some respects, the Council defined itself as much by what it did not do.
This year’s representatives resisted pressure to limit some of the flexibility that the 2016 Council granted clubs, rejecting several measures that would have placed restrictions on clubs. One unsuccessful measure would have required clubs to meet at least 40 times each year.
Many clubs have been using the innovative and flexible club formats to attract new members and meet their current members’ needs.
Representatives also rejected proposals to make it optional for members to subscribe to an official Rotary magazine and to reduce the size of the Council by half and have it meet every two years.
See some of the Resolutions that you may find of interest, and the outcome:
Note that Attendance requirements continue but Make ups no longer restricted to 14 days before and after a meeting date.
Restrictions based on Classifications has been removed.
19-20 | To remove committees from the Standard Rotary Club Constitution | 115 | 396 | Rejected |
19-21 | To require that key club committee chairs be board members | 238 | 269 | Rejected |
19-22 | To amend the term of the club president | 279 | 225 | Adopted |
19-24 | To require the presentation of a budget and an annual report at the club’s annual meeting | 408 | 102 | Adopted as amended |
19-25 | To replace the requirement for attendance reports with a report on service | 240 | 268 | Rejected |
19-26 | To lengthen the notice period for changing a club’s name or locality | 398 | 96 | Adopted |
19-27 | To allow a club not to use “club” as part of its name | 255 | 252 | Rejected See Below for more enactments |
2019-20 RI president announces his presidential theme
Maloney, a member of the Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA, unveiled the 2019-20 presidential theme, Rotary Connects the World, to incoming district governors at Rotary’s annual training event, the International Assembly, in San Diego, California, USA, on Monday.
“The first emphasis is to grow Rotary — to grow our service, to grow the impact of our projects, but most importantly, to grow our membership so that we can achieve more,” Maloney said.
Maloney believes that connection is at the heart of the Rotary experience.
“(Rotary) allows us to connect with each other, in deep and meaningful ways, across our differences,” Maloney said. “It connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known. It connects us to our communities, to professional opportunities, and to the people who need our help.”
Maloney also called on every Rotary and Rotaract club to identify segments of their community not represented in their club by creating a membership committee with diverse members.
“Through Rotary, we connect to the incredible diversity of humanity on a truly unique footing, forging deep and lasting ties in pursuit of a common goal,” he added. “In this ever more divided world, Rotary connects us all.”
Maloney urged leaders to offer alternative meeting experiences and service opportunities to make it easier for busy professionals and people with many family obligations to serve in leadership roles.
“We need to foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with the family, but rather complements it,” Maloney said. “That means taking real, practical steps to change the existing culture: being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.”
Maloney said many of the barriers that prevent people from serving as leaders in Rotary are based on expectations that are no longer relevant.
“It is time to adapt, to change our culture, and to convey the message that you can be a great district governor without visiting every club individually, and a great president without doing everything yourself.”
Relationship with the United Nations
During 2019-20, Rotary will host a series of presidential conferences around the world, focusing on Rotary’s relationship with the United Nations and the UN’s sustainable development goals that many Rotary service projects support. More information will be available in July.
In 2020, the United Nations will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its charter and its mission of promoting peace. Rotary was one of 42 organizations the United States invited to serve as consultants to its delegation at the 1945 San Francisco conference, which led to the UN’s charter. For decades, Rotary has worked alongside the United Nations to address humanitarian issues around the world. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status that the UN offers to nongovernmental organizations.
“Rotary shares the United Nations’ enduring commitment to a healthier, more peaceful, and more sustainable world,” Maloney said. “And Rotary offers something no other organization can match: an existing infrastructure that allows people from all over the world to connect in a spirit of service and peace and take meaningful action toward that goal.”
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RI President's Message - January 2019
Vocational service can be hard to define, but it is easy to describe: It is simply the point where our Rotary lives and our professional lives intersect. When we put our Rotary ideals to work through our work, that is vocational service.
When I returned to the Bahamas after many years working in health care administration abroad, I realized that my country badly needed a modern health care facility. The resources we had at the time were out of date and inadequate, and people who were unable to travel abroad for care often did not receive the care they needed. Without the experience I had gained in the United States, I could have done nothing to change the status quo. But since I did have that experience, I was in a unique position to have an impact. I knew I could turn my professional path to good and make a career out of improving Bahamian health care.
As Rotary became part of my journey, I discovered that the words of Paul Harris that became the basis of Rotary — that shared effort knows no limitations — were also true for my vocation. I could not bring modern health care to the Bahamas alone. But through partnership, both with the doctors who eventually became my partners in Doctors Hospital and with all the dedicated staff members who worked in the hospital over the years, we could change everything. My goal became a shared goal — and then it became reality.
Rotary emphasizes the dignity of every vocation and the worth of every calling. Remember that the four founding members included no doctors or peacemakers — just an attorney, a mining engineer, a coal dealer, and a printer. From the beginning, the diversity of those vocations gave Rotary a special strength. And that diversity is reflected in our classification system, which aims to ensure that each club represents the full range of businesses and professions that serve each community.
Paul Harris put it this way: "Each Rotarian is the connecting link between the idealism of Rotary and his trade or profession." It was true when he said it and should be equally true now. We only spend an hour or two a week at our Rotary meetings, but most of us spend most of our waking time at work. Through Rotary, those hours are also an opportunity for service: a chance to Be the Inspiration to those we work with, those who work for us, and the communities we serve.
Barry Rassin
President 2018-19
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Barry and Esther visited Guadeloupe, Dominica and Antigua on a whirlwind tour of three territories that fall in District 7030. The visit to Guadeloupe, the home of District Governor, Dominique Vénéré coincided with a banquet to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation. The visit to Dominica was dedicated to visiting projects and meeting Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors, all of whom had both suffered loss as a result of Hurricane Maria, last September, and who have made a huge effort to assist the less fortunate in Dominica to recover from the devastation. The visit was hugely significant to Rotarians in 7030 and especially Rotarians in Dominica who have borne the brunt of the hardship in District 7030 resulting from Hurricane Maria.
They visited the "Cover a Home" Project
Rotary’s core values represent the guiding principles of the organization’s culture, including what guides members’ priorities and actions within the organization. Values are an increasingly important component in strategic planning because they drive the intent and direction of the organization’s leadership.
Service
We believe that our service activities and programs bring about greater world understanding and peace. Service is a major element of our mission. Through the plans and actions of individual clubs, we create a culture of service throughout our organization that provides unparalleled satisfaction for those who serve.
Fellowship
We believe that individual efforts focus on individual needs, but combined efforts serve humanity. The power of combined efforts knows no limitation, multiplies resources, and broadens our lives and perspectives. Fellowship leads to tolerance and transcends racial, national, and other boundaries.
Diversity
We believe Rotary unifies all people internationally behind the ideal of service. We encourage diversity of vocations within our membership and in our activities and service work. A club that reflects its business and professional community is a club with a key to its future.
Integrity
We are committed to and expect accountability from our leaders and fellow members, both in the results of our efforts and in the processes we use to accomplish our goals. We adhere to high ethical and professional standards in our work and personal relationships. We are fair and respectful in our interactions, and we conscientiously steward the resources entrusted to us.
Leadership
We are a global fellowship of individuals who are leaders in their fields of endeavor. We believe in the importance of leadership development and in leadership as a quality of our members. As Rotarians, we are leaders in implementing our core values.
All of these core values are reflected in the Object of Rotary and The Four-Way Test, which we use in our daily lives. They inspire us to foster and support the ideal of service for developing and maintaining integrity in human relations.During the past 100 years, the Foundation has spent $3 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.
The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
Your donation makes a difference to those who need our help most. More than 90 percent of donations go directly to supporting our service projects around the world.
Our 35,000 clubs carry out sustainable service projects that support our six causes. With donations like yours, we’ve wiped out 99.9 percent of all polio cases. Your donation also trains future peacemakers, supports clean water, and strengthens local economies.
It can save a life. A child can be protected from polio with as little as 60 cents. Our partners make your donation go even further. For every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $2.
Then on to Vieux Fort to meet Chair of the Rotary Satellite Club of Gros Islet, Melisa Agdomar and Rtn. Carina (Small Fry) Snaggs, standing in for Service projects chair Shermie James-Darcheville. | The meeting took place at the grounds of the Town Hall where the club plans to create a toy library. |
From there to Bruce Ville where the plan is to create a playground for the under-privileged children. | After a quick trip to the Moule À Chique lighthouse which is situated on the southernmost tip of the island, we moved on to L' Escape gest house at Laborie where the DG met the board of the Satellite Club and then the members. |
The week starting 12th February 2018, was a busy week for the vocational committee. There were three sets of career talks done in three different schools.
On Wednesday, 14th February 2018 Rtn. Lenny Cumberbatch and Mrs. Joanne Cooper, a friend of Rotary gave career talks to Form Five students at the St. Joseph’s Convent on their respective careers. Rtn Lenny is the Food and Beverage Director at Windjammer Landing Resort and Mrs. Joanne Cooper is a Partner with the Chartered Accounting firm of PFK. The two were accompanied by PP Lisle Chase who introduced them and first spoke on Rotary and the core values that we uphold. PP Lisle also introduced the Club’s signature project for this year which is Road Safety. The students were impressive in attitude as they listened attentively to the topics on the agenda.
On Thursday 15th, PP Lisle accompanied Rtn Lenny once again and on this occasion, they linked up with PP Peter Douch from RC Wimborne, UK (formerly RC Saint Lucia South and RC Dominica) at the Entrepot Secondary school where they addressed the third form. Lenny spoke on the value of hard work and dedication and Peter on the accounting profession. Once again PP Lisle Introduced the values of Rotary and the Road Safety Project.
On Friday16th, Vocational Chair and Secretary Elect Trudy O. Glasgow, an attorney-at-law along with a friend of Rotary Dr. Judith Harvey, a civil engineer gave career talks in the Corinth Secondary school. This project is in its fourth year at the Corinth Secondary School, and every February the school counsellor, Ms. Tessa John-Guerra, reaches out to the Rotary Club of Gros Islet and invites members to give career talks. A warm reception from Form Three students, who were engaging and asked lots of questions, made the experience for the two ladies very enjoyable.
The Rotary Club of Gros Islet launches the inaugural Rotary Reading Club for students of the Gros Islet Infant and Primary Schools - The Reading Scholars Club.
With the 2017 - 2018 Rotary year well under way, The Rotary Club of Gros Islet continues to find innovative ways to make a difference in the communities that need help most. To this end, club members converged on the Gros Islet Primary School, and with the consent of parents and the school Principals, declared the Rotary Reading Club Project open. Following a brief but meaningful ceremony on Thursday September 14th 2017, twenty Five (25) students each from the Gros Islet Primary and Infant schools became members of the Reading Scholars Club. This means that weekly, Rotarians will take turns spending time with the children and cultivating in them the skill for and love of reading. Books for the event were donated by the Sandals Foundation, the charitable arm of Sandals resorts operating across the Caribbean.
This is one of many projects that will be implemented within these 2 schools over the next few months by Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Gros Islet.
Service Above Self
Gros Islet/ Castries, lc
Saint Lucia