Profiling District Conference Speaker - Simon Denny

A Quiet Week Leading into Christmas

This week has been a quiet week leading into Christmas.  For the second time in 2 weeks I was able to get along to the Rotary Club of Plimmerton for a regular club meeting.  It was the chance to update the club on plans for the conference which are coming along well with the programme set and guest speakers now all in place.  Registrations are beginning to come in which is great to see.

Wednesday we were invited back to the Rotary Club of Foxton as guest speaker to talk about experiences in Antarctica.  There was a good turnout of members and guests.   It is good to see this small club pushing boundaries to look at ways to attract new members.

For the next few weeks we are looking forward to returning to a number of clubs to share the christmas functions.  All the best for the coming week.

Wellington 3 Cluster Meeting

Now that Chris and I have completed our Official Club visits we are looking forward to meeting Clubs and Club President more informally.  On Sunday we had the opportunity to have dinner with AG Vince and the Wellinton 3 Cluster Presidents and Partners.  This was a great opportunity for us to hear what the four clubs are doing and how they are working together.

We are looking forward to attending more Cluster meeting to see how clubs are getting on across District.

Carterton Fair

On Saturday the Carterton Fair and Parade was held in Carterton.  The Rotary Carterton was very evident sponsoring several floats and President Jenny being taken through the town in a vintage car.

Well done Carterton Rotary!

Polio Update

As of November 7th a total of 181 cases have been reported year to date versus a figure of 505 at the same stage last year. Total cases for 2011 were 650. Good progress is being made in Pakistan and Afghanistan, while India remains polio free with the last case reported in January 2011. On the other hand, Nigeria is a concern and is attracting increased levels of attention from Governments and involved NGOs to bring this situation under control. The numbers aren’t large but they need to be managed.  

Nigeria had 101 reported cases at November 7th against 42 cases at the same stage last year. Rotary’s determination to rid the world of this dreadful disease is as strong as ever and the need for funding continues. The Gates Challenge may be over but we need to continue our support for the polio eradication initiative and complete the job once and for all. The current contribution comparison is below and it can be seen that maybe the eye has been taken of the ball now that the challenge is over. 

Now is a good time to remember just how close we are!

Ride to End Polio raises more than US$375,000 for polio eradication

Ninety Rotarian cyclists from clubs throughout the United States took part in the El Tour de Tucson on 17 November in Arizona, raising more than US$375,000 for polio eradication.

RI General Secretary John Hewko and his wife, Marga, were among the Rotarians, friends of Rotary, and family members who hit the pavement along with 9,000 riders from around the world in the charity bike ride, sponsored by the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, completing distances of 42, 60, 85 or 111 miles. The Hewkos also exceeded their goal of $111,000 in pledges, raising more than $200,000 for the ride.

Rotarians have been taking part in the ride since 2009, when the End Polio Now campaign was designated an official beneficiary of the race, allowing Rotary to enroll cyclists to gather pledges for the campaign. In that first year, 27 cyclists raised $35,000. The number has grown steadily since.

This year’s festivities included a pre-ride dinner the night before. Rotarians also staffed a water station along the route, and a booth at the finish line where finishing cyclists could gather and learn more about Rotary and polio eradication.

Since 1985, Rotary and its global polio eradication partners have spearheaded the effort to rid the world of the crippling disease. Cases have dropped to an all-time low -- there were fewer than 200 worldwide in 2012 as of 31 October – and only Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria remain polio-endemic.

But a $700 million funding shortfall for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative threatens to impede progress. Already the funding gap has curtailed scheduled immunization activities in polio-affected countries. If eradication fails and polio rebounds, up to 200,000 children per year could be paralyzed.

Rotary is ramping up its advocacy work in the 200 countries and regions where Rotary clubs exist to encourage every national government to commit to help meet the shortfall. Visitors towww.endpolionow.org can lend their voice to the advocacy efforts by signing a petition for world leaders. Supporters can also upload their photos to be part of the World’s Biggest Commercial, a new initiative to promote polio eradication launched on World Polio Day.

Learn how you can still contribute to the ride.

Wellington South Recognised for Contributions to the Rotary Foundation

On Wednesday Chris and I had the pleasure of attending Wellington South Rotary Christmas function, held at the Pines overlooking Cook Strait on a stunning Wellington night.  This was a fitting occasion for us to present a banner recognising their Club as having given the greatest per capita amount to the Rotary Foundation in 2011/12.

DG Graeme and Chris with Vocational Scholar Casey

It was an enjoyable night and our thanks to the club for their continued support to the Foundation.