| BULLETIN
HIGHLIGHTS... Reminder: One must attend 60% of the weekly meeting in order to receive credit for attendance. Those arriving after 7:54am will not receive credit. To remain in good standing, our members must attend at least 30% of the actual meetings of our club and have an overall attendance percentage of at least 50% which can include make-ups.  Maasai Warrior Hopes to Work for Diplomacy Source:
www.rotary.orgWhen Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah returned home to Kenya months after witnessing the 9/11 attacks in New York City, he found that most of his fellow Maasai, a nomadic warrior tribe, had only a vague understanding of the events of that day. Naiyomah, an incoming Rotary World Peace Fellow, shared firsthand accounts with the East African tribe, using the oral tradition it has relied upon for years. Deeply moved by his story, Maasai elders felt compelled to do something to help. That something turned out to be a decision to send a herd of cows to the United States as a display of sympathy and regret. Naiyomah has collaborated with award-winning author Carmen Agra Deedy on 14 Cows for America, an illustrated children's book about his tribe's response, which received international attention. The book explains how cows are sacred to Maasai and valued above all other possessions. "The cow is a symbol of life for us," says Naiyomah "What happened that day was devastating to me." Although the cows were never shipped to the United States -- State Department officials decided it would cost more than the value of the herd to import them -- the tribe decided to keep them for the Americans, setting the cows apart and vowing never to slaughter them. "The story focuses on healing and solution," says Naiyomah. "I think children can best understand that, because their hearts are so innocent. The future of a more compassionate world starts with them." In February, Naiyomah will attend the Rotary Center for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution at the University of Queensland in Australia. "Rotary International answered my prayers to belong to an organization that embodies what I silently believe in my heart: that using compassion can help solve problems," he says. "Rotarians are ordinary people taking extraordinary actions to foster relations with countries around the world." Naiyomah says he hopes the peace studies program will help him find ways to promote peace. The 9/11 attacks "showed me there's something very wrong with world relations," he says. "There is something lacking in diplomacy that I want to find out." Naiyomah believes world leaders need to practice "compassionate diplomacy," valuing the lives of people over political expediency. "Compassionate diplomacy must start by understanding and approaching conflicts with a caring aspect," he says. "Yes, one person can make a difference in the world. But only if they see themselves as the world, not as individuals." Chosen as the state of Georgia's selection for the 2009 National Book Festival, 14 Cows for America goes on sale 1 August. Naiyomah says all proceeds from the book will benefit victims of the 9/11 attacks. Ugandan Project Takes a Long Look at Ending Poverty Source:
www.rotary.orgRotarians from the clubs of Muyenga, Uganda, and Genk-Noord, Belgium, are using a multi-faceted approach to bring long-term economic stability to a rural region in Uganda. Poverty, hunger, and disease often form a vicious cycle, one leading to the next. It's rare for a single project to address all three. But in 2009, the Ugandan and Belgian clubs launched a multiyear project in Kasamu-Kyali parish in Uganda's Mpigi District, to improve the lives of 4,000 villagers by providing treated mosquito nets, water boreholes and pumps, agricultural supplies and livestock, vocational training and equipment, and educational materials and uniforms. The US$250,000 project is supported by a Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grant from The Rotary Foundation. Clubs in districts 1630, 1720, 3100, and 9200 are also supporting the project. To help guarantee the project's sustainability, project organizers formed partnerships with Heifer International, Uganda's Ministry of Health, and the Mpigi district and town councils, all of which pledged to support the project over the long term. Additional help is coming from a cadre of Rotary Community Corps (RCC) volunteers, who formed 10 subcommittees, each overseeing a different aspect of the project, including finance, livestock, and water distribution. "The villagers are delighted to be part of the Rotary fraternity," Francis Mukasa, a member of the Muyenga club, says of the RCC. The newly irrigated community farm provides both food and cash crops, while also teaching new agricultural technology, planting methods, and animal husbandry. Educational needs are being met not only for school-age children but also for adults in the village who lack literacy and business development skills. Newly purchased sewing machines are being used to create school uniforms for children and mosquito bed nets for villagers. "This is no drop in the ocean," says Marc Molemans, a member of the Genk-Noord club. "This has to serve the whole community for as long as possible [and] hopefully will help future generations." Molemans and Mukasa share lessons they learned from this project in the July 2009 issue of Rotary World. 2010 RI Convention in
Montréal, Québec, Canada, June 20-23, 2010 Source:
www.rotary.orgSophisticated yet friendly, Montréal offers an ideal setting for Rotarians to gather at the 2010 RI Convention. More than 80 nationalities and ethnic groups reside in Montréal. In addition, it is also the largest francophone city outside of Paris, making it the most bilingual metropolis in North America. Register early now for “An International Experience” and to receive the best rates and accommodations. There are several ways to register for the 2010 convention: E-mail
for special tour group forms and other information
Information for first-time convention attendees. For more information about the 2010 Convention, click here. News
Articles Needed If you have any Rotary news, information, anecdotes or anything for the good of Rotary that you would like to share with our membership via this Bulletin (and its website counterpart) please submit it to Mark Young a week in advance of the issue in which you would like it to appear. There are certain to be some last minute items, but please try to submit them no later than Friday evening for Sunday evening publication. |
QUICK DATES... Weekly Club Topics TBD Give Kids the World  Ice
Cream Volunteers: Sat, Aug 15th 6:30pm - 9:30pm Dinner Volunteers: Wed, Aug 26th 5:30pm - 9pm Contact Debbie Gryniewicz for more info. ![[ Yahoo! Maps ]](http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/mp/gr/mplogo.gif){kind=small} GKTW - 210 S Bass Rd Kissimmee, FL 34746-6034 Fireside Chat TBD  Board Meeting Tuesday, August 18th Budget Committee meets at 6pm Board Meeting starts at 6:30pm All members are Welcome to attend!  Stetson University 800 Celebration Ave Celebration, FL 34747 Greater Orlando Happy Hour Wednesday, August 5th 5:30pm - 7:00pm Dubsdread Tap Room 2010 RI Convention June 20-23, 2010 Montréal, Québec, Canada Community Dates... Celebration Farmers Market Sundays - 8:00am - 1:00pm Market Street Repeating Dates: 3rd Tuesday August 18 Board Meeting 1st Wednesday August 5 Greater Orlando Rotary Happy Hour Final Wednesday August 26 GKTW Dinner Thursday before Board Meeting TBD Fireside Chat First & Third Saturday August 15 GKTW Ice Cream |
