We are looking for an editor for the Northwind. This issue was prepared by Craig.
Visiting Rotarians Bev Hilton, Past President, Oceanside Rotary Club.
Guests: Elizabeth & Kaitlyn from Rotaract.
Foundation Minute - topic was the Paul Harris Society.
Announcements
Rotaract Dinner Fundraiser Elizabeth & Kaitlyn sold tickets for the "Where are you from dinner" scheduled for Saturday January 24th . See details in our club event calendar.
Long Lake Chateau. Will have another meeting there in future. Rod was the successful bidder for refreshments left over from last meeting.
50:50 tickets - Ed was absent, so no report.
Community Breakfast - Jeff said the event went well last week and was well attended.
Bi-annual visit to Ghana Bev Hilton distributed flyers outlining the mission objectives & requirements for members wishing to participate. Delegates will attend meetings of the Rotary Clubs of Sunyani & Techiman, visit project sites and discuss future work. Work has begun on the security fence for Presby model school with funds from the current Global Grant; the other projects will commence within a months time. Delegates will inspect the work and will be able to help on parts of the project that are in progress during the visit.. The tentative dates for the trip are April 8 - 26th. Bev is hosting an information meeting on Saturday January 31st at 3 PM, address 5861 Cutter Place. Bev & Ken Hammer of Daybreak club will be leading the trip.
Program - Peter Sinclair, Executive Director of Loaves & Fishes Foodbank outlined the operations and illustrated the need for expansion to a new warehouse.
Door prize - won by Rod.
Vegas draw - Bob Moss tossed against president Greg but was not successful.
Next week - Chris Cross of the Canadian Home Builders Association.
ROTARY’S INNOVATIVE TRIBUTE TO POLIO ERADICATION IN INDIA BREAKS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD
By Adam Ross, Rotary News 8-JAN-2015
Participants organized by local Rotary members in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, gather to break the record for the world’s largest human national flag.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of I.S.A.K. Nazar, governor of District 3230 (India)
To eradicate polio in India, Rotary members displayed impressive coordination and commitment. So it should come as no surprise that Rotary members in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, were able to mobilize more than 40,000 people to create the world's largest human national flag. The tribute to the polio eradication effort qualified as a Guinness World Records-breaking achievement.
"What impressed me most was that all of Rotary was represented: Rotaractors, Interactors, and Rotarians," says RI President Gary C.K. Huang, who participated in the event along with his wife, Corinna, and other Rotary senior leaders. "They brought their classmates, friends, and co-workers. I think that says a lot about how important it is to the people that India is polio free."
Participants from all walks of life holding placards stood together on a local fairgrounds to form the Indian flag. Their display broke the record set last year by the Sports Club of Lahore, which organized nearly 30,000 people to form the Pakistani flag.
After breaking the record, local Rotary members, who'd formed the blue wheel in the center of the flag, flipped their placards over to create Rotary wheels, and other Rotary members unfurled a large banner reading "Keep India Polio Free." The organizers, led by District 3230, estimate that another 50,000 people showed up to watch on large TV screens set up outside the event.
Once the participants were organized, they had to hold up the placards for more than five minutes to enable the representative from Guinness to verify the new record. "The last 30 seconds, everyone started screaming [in encouragement]," says Huang. "I [felt] very patriotic, says Avanthika Iyer, a third-year student at Shasun Jain College in Chennai. "The five-minute period of holding the placard was difficult but made us happy."
Says Huang: "When I was told how many people had to participate -- 40,000 to 50,000 -- I didn't think it would happen. When I saw the thousands and thousands of people [gathered] for just the rehearsal the day before, I realized it was possible."
The global grant application submitted by the 5-club world community service alliance (Nanaimo Rotary Club, Nanaimo North Rotary Club, Lantzville Rotary Club, Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary Club, Nanaimo Oceanside Rotary Club) has been approved. Nanaimo Oceanside Club has taken the lead on this project. The local partner is the Sunyani Central Rotary Club.
The Global Grant is for US$66,500 US ($71,500 CDN or 227,000 Ghana Cedi).
The project will replace roofs of the Nyamaa Kindergarten & Junior High school. It will construct a new 12-seater latrine at Kotokrom and provide for annual visits by trained nurses to teach a hygene class to the school. The dirt floor in a classroom at Kotokrom will be covered. Southridge Model school will receive a security fence similar to the Sunyani Municipal Primary School. Surplus funds will be used to distribute malaria nets at one of the community hospitals. Bids are underway, work should begin by mid month.
Thank you to your club for its support of the 5-club alliance and the Ghana projects. While many projects are being carried out in areas to the south, it is important to retain our partnership with the Ghanaian Rotary clubs as the need of the people of Ghana is not any less important.
