How strong is your club!

I found a Rotarian generally passing a comment, "Our club is very weak", and that made me wonder as to what does it mean? Is it that a club is an exclusive responsibility of the leadership in a particular year? Or is it collective responsibility?
As I proded further, I found that all of us have the tendency to point a finger at someone else. We can pontificate and advice yet refuse to become a part of the solution.
Just ask yourself...what makes an organisation or a club? A club is not one person. It is the members or the people who constitute a club. If we label our club to be weak, what does it mean? We are weak. But just ask yourself: Are You Weak? No? Emphatic NO? If you are strong, committed, vibrant, and enthusiastic about the values that Rotary portrays, there is no way that any club can go weak.
Look within. You are the powerhouse and the driver as a valuable part of your club. Surely, you are strong enough to help the client to stay strong. So you will, so be it. CJ

PolioPlus Seminar on 15th November

Polio continues to worry Rotarians around the world, and especially, us in India. In order to further strategise to eradicate it from our country, Rotary District 3080 Polio Plus Seminar is to be held at Gangoh, District Saharanpur (UP), under the leadership of our DG Chetan Aggarwal, Counsellor PDG Dr. G.K. Thakral, and District Chair PP Praveen Goyal.
The seminar is mandatory for the Club President, Club Secretary, and PolioPlus Chairman in your Club, and there is no registration fee for them.
Each Club is expected to participate.
Kindly confirm your participation, along with names and classification, who would be attending from your Club by Monday, 2nd November, positively.
CJ

International Youth Exchange students in Chandigarh

Eight students from Germany are in the city for four-weeks under the Rotary’s International Youth Exchange Programme.

These students have been hosted by the families of Rotarians of Rotary Clubs of Chandigarh Central and Ropar so that they are able to learn about the lifestyles and culture of India, said Rtn. Navjit Singh Aulakh, District 3080 Chairman for International Youth Exchange.

These students are in the city till 30th October and have visited Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Shimla and Jaipur, informed Rtn. President Harjit Singh Saggu, Rotary Chandigarh Central, whose members are hosting these youngsters.

An interaction with the media was organised with the media and the young 'ambassadors' shared their experiences with the reporters.

Mr Nils Yannic Cirkel has been stuck with the variety of cusines and could never imagine different ways the Indian vegetables could be cooked, though these are a little spicy.

Mr Silvan Steiner is all praise for the Indian weather, the Germany being too cold at this time of the year, but more than anything else, he said, it is the warmth and hospitality of the Indian family he is living with that has touched him the most.

Ms Belinda Vogt, who just reached back from Agra by morning Shatabadi, was surprised by the variety of vehicles on the Indian roads.

Hilda and Jocelin, both 17, from Taiwan are in the city and studying in class 9th in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan since August under the Rotary’s one year youth exchange programme. Both of them have picked up Hindi conversational tips from their regular classes at the school, and are enjoying themselves thoroughly.

Hilda is mesmerized by the monuments in India especially the Golden temple in Amritsar which she visited recently while Indian weddings and traditional Indian costumers have enamoured Jocelin.

Rotary’s objective is to encourage people-to-people contact amongst different countries and build bridges of better understanding and goodwill through such exchange programmes.

Later in the evening on 26th October, they attended the regular meeting of Rotary Club of Chandigarh at Rotary House, and presented flags of their sponsoring club i.e. from Germany and Taiwan, to President Rtn. G.S. Lakhmna.

Media Coverage

The media interaction with Youth Exchange students was covered in some of the leading English and vernacular newspapers:

HT City/ Page 4 (with photo)
They are loving it!

Chandigarh Newsline/Page 7 (with 2 photos)
The big switch

The Tribune/lifestyle/Page 3 (with photo)
An affair to remember

Chandigarh Bhaskar/Page 1 (with photo)
Classroom chhota ho to, samajh mein aata hai behtar

Amar Ujala/ My City/Page 3 (with photo)
Vyanjano ke mureed hue videshi chhatar

Chandigarh kesari/Page 2
German ke youth ambassador tricity mein

Sohni City/ Hindustan/ Page 3
German ke youth ambassador pahunche Chandigarh


CJ

What are you doing to banish Polio?

24th October is the World Polio Day.
Thanks to Jonas Salk who was born on this day, and developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine.
Thanks to Rotary who took up the challenge to fight the disease and banish it from this earth.
Thanks to Rotarians like YOU who made it happen.
Thanks to Bill & Melinda Gates who contributed USD 355 to Rotary to fight it out and clear it from the four countries that still remain polio affected, including our own country.
Thanks to Rotarians like YOU who are contributing USD30 every year to raise USD200 to match the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's challenge.

What can we do?
a. The campaign requires USD200 million to be raised to receive the Bill and Melinda Gate's foundation's contributions. Organise club fundraiser this year.
b. Organise the screening of "The Final Inch", the Academy Award-nominated, 38-minute Documentary.
Got more ideas?
Please share it. And Celebrate the Joy of being a Rotarian. Celebrate the Power that each one of You have to save the children from polio. You have the power to kick it out.

Rotary Community Corps

Two Clubs in our Zone 3 have shown remarkable dedication to establish the Rotary Community Corps...Rotary Club of Chandigarh and Chandigarh Central.
In our Zone 3, on August 9 the first RCC was set up in Colony No.5. And today, October 21, the second RCC has been set up in village Kishangarh.
My compliments to Rtn. Pres G.S. Lakhmna of Rotary Chandigarh and Rtn. Pres. H.S. Saggu of Chandigarh Central.
While RCC in Colony No 5 has seen active involvement of 20 RCC members in two massive medical camps organised by the Club in the colony.
The RCC Kishangarh is looking at bringing about improvements in garbage disposal, sanitation, paving the 'kutcha' streets, drainage system, and even expediting the construction of a High School-cum-playground-cum-community centre with the help of the Chandigarh Education Department and Administration.
Mr Nirmal Singh, the Principal of Government Middle School in the village is one of the key member and motivator with Sarpanch of the village Devender Lobana rearing to get into action with his plans.
While RCC at Colony No 5 (sponsored by Rotary Chandigarh) caters to nearly 40,000 population of slum dwellers, the village Kishangarh has a population of over 10,000.
RCC is the most innovative and highly effective concept that can engage the community in bringing about the change they want in their neighbourhood through their own physical and financial involvements with Rotary providing the leadership, direction, and resourcefulness.
I have no doubt other Rotary Clubs in our zone shall also follow suit and move ahead in this direction.
My congratulations to both the club presidents for their success with RCC.

The Rotary Foundation Seminar

Hands that Serve...Give!
The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands is secure only when every Rotarian gives selflessly. And what better way to give than The Rotary Foundation, which multiplies our contributions manifolds and reaches out to the people across the globe to meet their needs.
We, in the north, are familiar with 'Dasvandh', which our religions promote; i.e. taking a part of your earnings and contributing it to the welfare of the community. The Rotary Foundation requires your support, so that every Rupee that you contribute comes back to you in much larger measures.
To understand and strengthen The Rotary Foundation, let us be at Dehradun on Sunday, the 25th October at Dehradun, and discover the magic of multiplying your contributions.
Please register yourself immediately.

Why Rotary?

Watch it. Amazing video. CJ

GSE Team Hosting

This year the GSE Team from District 5810, Texas, USA led by Rtn. Michael Pugh would be arriving on 29th January till 27th February 2010.
All Clubs in our Zone have a great track record of hosting these "ambassadors of goodwill", and I have no doubt, you will be able to provide the Day or Night Hosting for the GSE team in the most befitting manner.
Since this information is required immediately, kindly confirm your option either for Day/Night Hosting of guests after talking to your International Service Director/Club Committee Chair for GSE Hosting.
Since the District is finalising the programme, which will be shared with you subsequently, your prompt response shall be highly appreciated.
Can I expect your response by 12th of October?
Look forward to hearing from you.

Your October Checklist

October is the Vocational Service Month, and it is time to focus club activities to this most important avenue of service

a. Plan a meeting and activites for Vocational Service month
b. Some of the projects that the Clubs can undertake are :
- Recognise people in the community with Vocational Awards who have gone beyond the call of their duty to demonstrate excellence;
- Career counselling seminar in any of your Rotaract/Interact Clubs or any schools
- Arrange visits of the professional institutes to your business establishment/industry, etc.
- Promote ethical conduct at work place
- Display The 4-Way Test posters at your office and home
- Organise some debate/essay writing competition amongst schools/colleges on ethical values
- Organise panel discussion amongst members on The Four Way Test.
- Include The Four Way Test plaque as a part of the New Members' Kit.

Will welcome new initiatives and suggestions from all of you. CJ

The Vocation of Our Vocation!

Rotary is a great teacher. It is the philosophy of humanism and life. It is the opportunity for a Rotarian to live life to the fullest, from the core of one’s heart and soul. A journey that cleanses your innards, your thought process and pitches you deep into the field of empathy, care and concern. A learning process that unravels the truth of one’s own self and inculcates the ideals of service in everything that one does.
The Rotarians who rose to lead our organization had been great visionaries and thinkers, who innovated and experimented with new ideas to make this world a better place. And fundamental to this entire exercise had been “the recognition of the worthiness of all dignified occupations”, and making it a vehicle for doing good to the society by pursuing ethical norms of conduct.
“Ethics and business don’t go together” is a common refrain of many. But over the years, many Rotarians have proven them wrong by following ethical conduct in their business or profession and there are numerous instances to quote. Ethical conduct requires a deep understanding of one’s own vocation, how it impacts the lives of all the stakeholders that are a part of one’s business or professions. Rotary catapults any vocation into the next higher level of practice by making it a tool to serve. The term ‘serve’ itself is all about being honest and humble. The ethical conduct in one’s profession that Rotary enjoins every Rotarian to adopt, leads one on to the true path of selfless service, making one a better human being at every step.
As October comes, the Rotary world focuses on vocational service. But this is a process that is not to be confined to the ‘celebrating’ or ‘observing’ the month through some standard activities. It is the point from where we can start a new journey of self-realisation. And for those who do wonder about ethical dilemmas, refer to the ‘Four Way Test’. Apply it today. Apply it every day. And you will get the answer. CJ