April 14, 2008 Spokesman

Posted by Gary Bruner 
 

President Rachel called theApril 14, 2008 meeting to order promptly at 6:30 PM.  DG Don Gregory led the flag salute while presenting the colors to the club.  Pat Dye was the greeter tonight.  Thanks Pat.

 

Guests:  Matt Boyd, Bob Auslander's neighbor, Joey Etere, Marion Webb, Tim Kerhli, Ingrid Bruner, and Penny Legate.

 

Students:  Pascal Weber, our exchange student from Switzerland, and Ashley Russell, our student of the month who had been an exchange student to Switzerland.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests:   Our speaker, RI Foundation Director, Dr. Robert Scott and Anne, DG Don Gregory and Sharon, PDG Stan Dickson and Valerie, PDG Kathy Johnson, PDG John Rasmussen, DG John Bosch (5050) and son Chad, DGE Jesse Tam, DGND John Mathews, DGN Nancy Keenholts-Dalton, AG Cothron McMillan, Jim Crim, Edmonds Daybreakers, and Nancy Crim, Seattle NE,

 

Announcements from the President started with a round of thanks to Alice Volpe, Cheryl Bloodworth, Chuck Brockway, Pat Dye, Sharon Cavell, Gary Redfern, John Woodbery, Gary and Ingrid Bruner and all the rest of the hard working crew who made the Club Foundation Auction a success this year.  The details will follow next week when the final total is completed.  Estimates right now place the proceeds at about $10,000.  Well, Kirkland Rotary.

 

Program:   President Rachel introduced Dr. Robert Scott, PDG 7070, RI Foundation Trustee, Ch. Polio Plus Committee of the RI Foundation, VP RI 1997/98from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada.

 

Dr. Scott presented an informative program regarding the RI Foundation and its current status and goals.  He quoted a mother from Haiti, regarding Rotarians, ".the children stopped dying when the Rotarians came."  This was in reference to health project Rotary undertook in Haiti.  Dr. Scott has heard the same sentiment in his visits around the world, from Ethiopia to India.   In India, this referred to a water project which cost $5000.00.  In India alone, over 2 million children have been saved from polio.   The RI Foundations broad range of tasks include polio, water and even a woman undertaking Conflict Resolution in Iraq after completing studies at the Rotary Peace and Conflict Resolution Training Center.

 

Dr. Scott listed 4 goals for the Foundation.

1)         Polio eradication is possible.  Dr. Scott continued to outline the difference in type I, II, and III polio and the relationship to eradication and the specific vaccines.  Type II has been gone since 1997, but I and III continue with type I continuing to be the most lethal.  The incident of cases of type I polio dropped from 1,500 in 2006 to less then 250 last year. With the grant for 100 million dollars from the Gates Foundation, 300 million from the government of India and funds from other sources, including the 100 million dollar matching funds over 3 years from the Rotary Foundation, we can meet the goal of ending polio.  Dr. Scott is asking for 20% of the DDF (district designated funds) to be used to help meet the challenge. 

2)         Every Rotarian, Every Year:  Dr. Scott explained, and asked, for those Rotarians who are able to give to more, to give.  He noted some areas of Rotary cannot give the $100 per person per year.  The difference needs to come from those who can give.

3)         Ask!   This idea is to recruit new members for Rotary.  There are about 105,000 alumni of the Rotary Foundation scholars, GSE members, youth exchange and other programs but to date, less then 16,000 have become Rotarians.  Those who have become members of Rotary did so because someone asked. 

4)         "Peace is Possible."  The RI International Studies for Peace and Conflict Resolution is furthering the peace of the world.  One example of the effect the decreasing incidents for conflict in N. Ireland.  Additionally, he recently attended the graduation ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand for the 3 month program.  It was noted the graduates were able to immediately use the peace and conflict skills upon their return to work and communities.  This showed an immediate impact for peace from this training.

 

Dr. Scott ended his program by thanking the Club and District for their continued support for the RI Foundation.

 

President Rachel ended the meeting with the weekly drawing.  Surprise!!! Pascal had the lucky ticket again!   Surprise, he picked duck 5 again!!!  And SURPRISE!!!! duck 5 won again.  HMMMM???

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Gary Bruner, Scribe  

 

********************NEW MEMBER PROPOSED******************************

SHIRLEY METCALF - Education

Sponsor - Jean Hernandez

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