RDU magazine online

NEWS

BULLETIN

	Bob Aitken
	From Where I Sit

November is an exciting month on the annual Rotary calendar. It’s the month in which we focus on the work of OUR Rotary Foundation – and everything about OUR Foundation is exciting!
The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s own charity and we all need to do everything possible to increase support every year if The Foundation’s resources are to cope with the increasing needs of the Third World.

This is especially important as we draw near to the conclusion of Rotary’s magnificent Polio eradication program, and look to the challenges of the future. A healthy Foundation is absolutely paramount if Rotary is to tackle the more comprehensive issues of fresh water and food, HIV/AIDS, malaria, literacy and many other well-documented, worthy causes.

Do we stretch our Foundation dollars far enough now? Perhaps we need to re-appraise some of the traditional Foundation projects with which we are involved?

A popular program that springs to mind immediately is Group Study Exchange (GSE). New Zealand and Australian Rotary Districts rarely even consider the prospect of an exchange with each other. Yet such exchanges with their near neighbours would be far more cost effective.

The added advantage would be the benefits that would surely flow from increased sharing of vocational knowledge between the near neighbours.

Should we also consider the possibility of GSE with other near island neighbours . . . Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Samoa, Cook Islands and many others all offer individual strengths.

It can be argued that the vocational benefits would be limited within such exchanges but have we really looked hard enough at special interest exchanges? Tourism, French language, the boat industry and farming all have special expertise in our region.

Most will agree that these opportunities do not end with Group Study Exchange and our Rotary Foundation. Youth Exchange (short term) has already proved successful and the Adopt a Village program has been a real boost for the Rotary Against Malaria (RAM) initiative. Let’s all take time to “look in our own backyard” as we highlight and acknowledge the work of The Rotary Foundation this month.

Inserts in this issue: Inserts in your Rotary regional magazine continue to be a very popular medium for advertisers. Last month, we carried the impressive insert promotion for World Swim for Malaria to encourage support from Rotary clubs, Rotaract clubs and individuals in the big day planned for December 3, 2005. In this issue, there are three major inserts.
• Interplast Australia is promoting the wonderful medical aid program provided by a unique partnership involving Rotarians and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
• Mission Australia is urging people to become a Mission Australia Community Champion and assist with fund raising for a myriad of worthwhile causes (see Rotarian Life,
October, 2005).
• Hallmark Editions is promoting an exciting new Australian historical magazine.

World Sight Day: October 13 was World Sight Day and provided the opportunity to remind Rotarians worldwide of the continuing
importance of Rotary’s Avoidable Blindness campaign.
Inspired by R.I. Past President and current Rotary Foundation Chairman Frank Devlyn, Rotary clubs and Districts everywhere are still involved in Avoidable Blindness projects.

Past President Robin Wright, of the Rotary Club of Huntly, N.Z., and his wife Lorna, at right, are pictured with District 9930 Past
Governor Trish O’Reilly in Dunedin, N.Z., when he was recognised as a three-stone Ruby Paul Harris
Fellow.

Rotarians such as PDG Prithvi Raval, chairman of the Avoidable Blindness Committee in Zones 5 and 6A, are relentless and inspirational in
service. Chairman Frank’s message is simple . . . “Please continue to Create Awareness and Take Action by encouraging the Family of Rotary to give needed personal increased donations to our Rotary Foundation and continue to fund Avoidable Blindness projects.” He urges Rotary leaders to continue to encourage clubs to organise Eye Camps for refractive errors in schools and communities, and especially in areas of extreme need such as India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In Australia and New Zealand, Rotary clubs and Districts can
“partner” with The Fred Hollows Foundation to take part in Avoidable Blindness in indigenous communities in Australia and our near
neighbours. For more information and guest speakers, contact Sue Larsen at The Hollows Foundation, P.O. Box 795, New Farm, Queensland 4005, or by telephone (07) 3358 5877. In New Zealand, The Fred Hollows Foundation is at Private Bag 56908, Auckland 1030 and telephone (09) 623 7560.