2 0 1 6

R O T A R I A N S O N T H E I N T E R N E T

NOVEMBER 2015

Seoul

is

see youin

ROTIROTARIANS ON THE INTERNET

www.roti.orgVISIT US AT

DECEMBER 2015

Ron and Glo NethercuttSeoul, Korea, 2014

BOARD2O15-2017

Glo NethercuttRotary Club of Mabalacat

D3790, Philippines

from the

CHAIRGlo Nethercutt, ChairRotary Club of MabalacatD3790, PhilippinesTris Tristram, Vice ChairRC Four Marks and Medstead D1110, UKMarilyn Axler, SecretarySouth Jersey Rotary EClubD7640, USAEugene Beil, TreasurerRotary Club of HudsonD6950, Fl, USANorm Winterbottom, Sgt at ArmsRotary Club of MilfordD9910, Aukland, New Zealand

DIRECTORSChris Sweeney, WebmasterRotary Club of ConwayD1180, North WalesJohn BuchananRC South St.Paul/Inver Grove Heights D5960, USAMadhumita BishnuRotary Club of Calcutta UptownD3291, IndiaSubhash Saraf D3131, IndiaChip RossStrathcona Sunrise Rotary Club D5020, BC, CanadaJesse TanchangcoRotary Club of Loyola HeightsD3780, PhilippinesPatrick ColemanRotary Club of LuanshyaD9210, ZambiaRobin ChappleRotary Club of SedonaDistrict 5490, AustraliaMarco KappenbergerEclub of Apia/Samoa/Polynesia District 9920, SamoaDeborah Perrone-GuelfiEstancia Centro Rotary ClubD4420, Brazil

COUNCIL OF ADVISERSAll past chairs

ROTI @ SEOULROTI @ SEOUL

1 & 2. PP Glo & PP Ron Nethercutt, Philippines3. PP Marilyn Axler, USA4. PP Madhu Bishnu India5. AG Chuck Gueco, Philippines6. PP Tom Panis, Philippines7 & 8. PP Elmer & PN Anton Hernandez, Phils9. Pres. James Jung, Philippines

10 &11. PDG David & Mary Robinette, USA 12 &13. PDG Patrick & Sherry Coleman, Zambia 14 &15. PDG D.S.Deshmuch & spouse, India 16. PP John Glassford, Australia 17. DGE Raul Peralta, Philippines 18. PDG Jess Nicdao, Philippines

Come and be counted!

Merry Christmas and a Glorious New Year to all!!!!!!!

Glo

would like very much that we see each other at the RI Convention in Seoul, Korea, on 28 May to 1 June I2016. I have arranged a get together for ROTIans on

30 May 2016, 5pm to 7pm, at Dodam Dodam Party Place, 15th floor of Kintex 2 building. We need to be 40 in order to avail of the awesome $35 buffet meal.

The get together is a once-in-a-year annual meeting required of a Rotary Global Fellowship. For Rotarians coming from different parts of the world, the Rotary International Convention is the best place to meet. The ROTI booth is the best place to start and converge.

The 2016 RI Convention in Seoul, Korea, offers ROTIans a chance to prove that we are not just names on the Internet; we are warm bodies united by a common cause - to do good to the world.

The following are the initial list of warm bodies at the ROTI booth and get-together, Seoul, Korea:

Expansion/ Phase 2 (Separate Building) to original Kintex Convention Center

2 Smaller Convention Halls | 4 Medium Convention Halls | 2 Large Convention Halls

Convention Facility, Multi-purpose Halls, Meeting Rooms, Kitchen, Banquet Hall, Food Court, Office Tower, Above & Below Ground Parking)

KINTEX 2

Dear Gloria Nethercutt,

Hope this finds you well.

Please find the attached menu information which (I think) fits to your request.

The place is located in 15th floor of KINTEX 2 building.

Menu list can be modified upon your request so feel free to ask for further discussion.

Guarantee fee of $200 for your reservation.

Regards,Chorong Eli Kim 김초롱 드림김초롱 Chorong Kim (Eli Kim) / 시설사업팀 Facility Business Team, Kintex

Dodam Dodam35 USD per personPrice includes Buffet menu(per person) and Main menu(per table)

Hot Dish1. Guangzhou-style Sweet and Sour Pork 2. Stir-fried Rice with Assorted Seafood 3. Sweet and Sour Chicken 4. Braised Short Ribs 5. Tofu-Bacon Gratin 6. Chili Shrimp 7. Salmon Steak 8. Fried Pork Belly in Soy Sauce 9. Pork Rib Barbecue

Cold Dish1. Smoked Duck Steak 2. Assorted Skewers 3. Spiced Roast Chicken 4. Croissant Sandwich 5. Tortilla 6. Five Spice Sliced Steamed Pork 7. Assorted Sushi 8. Assorted California Roll 9. Assorted Sliced Raw Fish 10. Tuna Sushi

Korean Traditional Food. 1. Stir-fried Glass Noodles and Vegetables 2. Seasoned Skate 3. Beef Tartare 4. Steamed Octupus 5. Fruits preserved in honey 6. Vietnamese Spring Rolls 7. Soy Sauce Marinated Crab 8. Grilled Dried Pollack 9. Rice 10. Seaweed Soup

Salad. 1. Salmon Salad 2. Cranberry Cereal Salad 3. Assorted Green Salad 4. Roasted-banana Baguette Salad5. Assorted Fruit Salad 6. King crab Broccoli Salad 7. Mango Salad

BUUFET MENU LISTMAIN MENU LIST

OPTION 1. Assorted sliced raw fish

OPTION 2. Beef RibEye Steak (100g)

15th Flr, KINTEX 2

ROTIROTARIANS ON THE INTERNET

GET TOGETHER30 MAY 2016, 5PM, DODAM DODAM The Party House15th Floor, KINTEX 2 BUILDING, Seoul, Korea

12 rooms are blocked for ROTIans from 28 May to 1 June 2016, 5 days and 4 nights (subject to change of dates by immediate notice) for total of US$495, with free breakfast at -

This hotel is located in Seoul (Myeongdong), close to Myeongdong Cathedral, Gyeongbok Palace, and Dongdaemun

Market. Also nearby are Jogyesa Temple and Deoksugung Palace. Dongdaemun Market is divided into five shopping districts—A, B, C, D and a shopping town, with 26 shopping malls situated over 10 blocks, 30,000 speciality shops, and 50,000 manufacturers. The market was traditionally a night market and wholesalers once operated from 1:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm. Now, the area is open for 18 ½ hours a day from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 am, with some stores open 24 hours a day, although most stores close on Mondays and holidays.

The booking was coursed thru a fellow Philippine Rotarian who owns the

ANGELES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL CENTERAngeles International Travel Center, Inc.805 Don Juico Ave., Clarkview, Angeles City, Philippines; Telephone: (63 45) 322-5929; (63 45) 888-2175; (63 45) 625-6051/52Facsimile: (63 45) 322-0801Manila Line: (63 2) 994-9249Mobile Nos. 0922 888-2175, 0917 533-9338angtrav@mozcom.com, angtrav1@yahoo.comOffice Hours: 08:30am - 05:30pm (Mon - Fri) 08:00am - 12:00nn (Sat)

Due to heavy demand on good hotels, the agency requests that the total amount ($495 or peso equi-valent of PhP23,760) be paid until 31 January 2016. Payment may be made by wire transfer to the following banks, in Philippine Pesos or US Dollar.

Chinabank, SM Clark BranchUS$ Account No: 2817006211 Swift Code: CHBKPHMM

BDO , Clarkfield BranchUS$ Account No.: 4340034447Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Bank of Philippine Islands, Clarkfield BranchPhPesos Account No: 8761004752

Holiday Inn Express Seoul Euljiro61 Supyo-ro, Jung-gu Seoul 0000 South Korea

ROTI HOTELHOLIDAY INN EXPRESS SEOUL EUJIRO

Advance booking made by:1. PP Tom Panis, Philippines, 28 May to 1 June2. IPDG Datta Deshmukh & spouse Sharayu

India, 28 May to 1 June 20163. Panjaj Vora, India, 27 May to 2 June 2016

The room is for a double/twin room, US$495 per room, good for 2 persons for 5 days and 4 nights stay, breakfast included.

The HOUSE OF FriendshipThe HOUSE of

Ÿ 30 September 2015. Last day to apply for a booth in the House of Friendship

Ÿ 30 October 2015. Last day to submit proposals for breakout sessions

Ÿ 1 December 2015. Last day to make changes to group housing request without penalty.

Ÿ 15 December 2015. Early registration ends.

Ÿ 1 February 2016. If you need a visa, now is your time to contact the embassy and apply.

Ÿ 31 March 2016. Pre-Registration discount ends. On site rate will apply onward.

Ÿ 15 April 2016. Last day to reserve individual housing thru Rotary’s housing provider

Ÿ 30 April 2016. Registration and ticket cancellation deadline.

Ÿ 6 May 2016. Registration deadline for Host Organization Committee preconvention tours.

Ÿ 27 - 28 May 2016. Youth Exchange officers preconvention

Ÿ 28 - 29 May 2016. Rotaract preconvention

Ÿ 28 May to 1 June 2016. RI conventionŸ 1 June 2016. Online registration ends.

Last day for online cancellation due to visa denial.

KEY DATES

Asia: Macao(90 days), Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Arab Emirates, Oman, Japan (90 days), Qatar, Taiwan, Hong Kong (90 days), Kuwait, Bahrain[11 countries]

North America: United States(90 days), Canada (6 months) [2 countries]

South America: Guyana, Guatemala,Argentina, Ecuador Uruguay, Paraguay [6 countries]

Europe: Monaco, Vatican, Bosnia-Herzegovina, AlbaniaCyprus, San Marino, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia (90 days), Andorra, Croatia [11 countries]

Oceania: Guam, Nauru, New Caledonia, Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Australia (90 days), Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Tonga [13 countries]

Africa: South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Swaziland, Egypt (5 Countries)

DESIGNATED VISA-FREE ENTRY COUNTRIES

Countries that are granted visa-free entry for diplomatic, government official, and general passport holders

Grand Ballroom, KINTEX 1

5:30 - 7:00 PM

SEOUL GROUP ACCOMMODATIONS

Rotary International may continue to add hotels to the official room block as necessary to accommodate demand. For the most up-todate rates and map locations, please consult the Experient housing website at https://registration .experientevent.com/showROT161.

1 Aloft Seoul Gangnam 2 Best Western Premier Seoul Garden3 Best Western Premier Gangnam4 Conrad Seoul5 Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Times Square6 Four Points Namsan7 Fraser Suites Central Seoul8 Fraser Suites Namdaemun9 Gangnam Serviced Residences

10 GLAD Hotel Yeouido11 Grand Ambassador Seoul12 Grand Hilton13 Grand Hyatt Incheon14 Grand Hyatt Seoul15 Holiday Inn Incheon Songdo16 Hotel ShinShin17 Ibis Ambassador Insadong18 Ibis Ambassador Seoul Gangnam19 Ibis Budget Dongdaemun20 Ibis Myeong-dong21 Imperial Palace Hotel22 Intercontinental Seoul Coex23 Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas24 Mayfield Hotel25 Millennium Seoul Hilton26 MVL27 Nest Hotel28 New Kukje29 Novotel Ambassador Gangnam30 Ramada Seoul Jongno31 Ramada Hotel & Suites Seoul Namdaemun32 Sheraton D Cube33 Somerset Palace Seoul34 l Stanford Hotel Seoul35 Urban Place36 Westin Chosun Seoul

REGISTRATION FEES

All prices are shown in U.S. dollars. Depending on your country, payment in your local currency may be available.

Before 15 Dec 2015 16 Dec to 31 Mar 2016 and after

Rotarian $ 310 $375 $440Rotary club or district employeeGuest age 19 or olderSpouse of deceased Rotarian

Non-Rotarian Alumnus $ 70 $100 $130RotaractorGuest of alumnus or Rotaractor

Youth Exchange $ 10 $ 10 $ 10 StudentInteractorGuest age 5-18

Guest younger than 5 FREE FREE FREE

Register Online

All registration cancellations are subject to a $50 service fee. Requests to cancel registrations or tickets must be received by 30 April 2016. Cancellations caused by visa denial must be received by 1 June 2016.

1 Apr 2016

CONVENTIONSFUTURE

2017 ATLANTA, GEORGIA, USA10 to 14 June

2018 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA24 to 27 June

2019 HAMBURG, GERMANY1 to 5 June

2020 HONOLULU, HAWAII, USA7 to 10 June

Rotary Club of Seoul, The First Club of South Korea, District 3650 - Host of the RI Convention of 1989

Each month, a special Rotarian is selected by

ROTI, in recognition of their commitment and dedication

to Rotary service. This month, ROTI is pleased to

honour

A Production of

ROTI Vice ChairTRIS TRISTRAM

Thank you for your work

in ROTI, Subash!

Ÿ Professor College of Engineering (COEP) Ÿ Chairman and Managing Director

Poonitronics India Pvt LtdŸ Studied German at Pratap College

Amalner, Wadia College Pune and College of Engineering Pune

Ÿ Graduated in 1960Ÿ Lives in Pune, IndiaŸ MarriedŸ Born on January 21, 1938

RLI PHILOSOPHY - "Having leadership skills does not alone assure good Rotary leadership. An effective Rotary leader must ALSO have Rotary knowledge, perspective about where Rotary has been, where it is now going and a vision of what Rotary can be."

SHARING MY THOUGHTS -“Work for a cause, not for applause. Live your life to express, not to impress, don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt." "You cannot be good enough for everybody, but you will always be the best for the one who deserves you" "Actions speak louder than words, so believe what you see and forget what you hear."

PDG, D 3131 IndiaRotary Aundh Pune RLI South Asia, RLI Internaional

Subhash Saraf

or better Rotary Orientation on Rotary, the new members should be exposed to Part I earliest possible, preferably Fwithin the first year itself.

Part I six topics are quite basic to start knowing Rotary. Part II and III should follow as quick as possible to get to know the overall Rotary content, so that he or she becomes a knowledgeable Rotarian and starts thinking of taking up responsibilities in service and other avenues effectively. Total 18 topics undergone, will give him or her the effectiveness that is expected. It is expected that the Rotarians exposed to these topics part by part, do share their knowledge and information to other Rotarians in the club or district.

Once the "member" becomes a knowledgeable person on Rotary topics, there is a sure chance of his or her becoming a true Rotarian and will never think of leaving this fine organization. "Infant mortality" takes place only if he or she is illiterate on Rotary.

As a matter of fact, RLI courses Part I,II,III are as well useful value addition and refreshing and updating for senior Rotarians equally enhancing and updating the knowledge base of Governors (past, present and future), district and RI officers, and senior club members. By doing so, the seniors will enhance their knowledge base and strength which canhelp them in sharing and imparting information to others, who expect them to do so. This is to be done on the principle of "Learning is a continuous process" and not on the comfortable thought that "we" know everything, and we don't need to know anymore.

- Subhash Saraf

WHEN SHOULD MEMBERS

BE ENCOURAGEDTO ATTEND

RLI

DougTHE

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL

Dateline: Bacolod, Philippines November 4, 2015(I’m back home now but behind on my reports)

Hi friends and Rotarians,

UPDATE on Man in the Cage - Joel is Free from his Cage and receiving medical treatment

You cannot imagine how excited I was when notified that Joel had been released from his cage and was admitted to the Vincente Sotto mental health facility in Cebu. Thanks so much to my friend Ivan Nemenzo, Air Force General Jose Reyes, Director of Psychiatry Dr Ann Alvez and Reynante Mangayao, Presi-dent RC Mactan, for coordina-ting logistic arrangements.

Due to maintenance issues on the helicopter, the Rotary team had to revert to an ambulance at the last minute and thankfully, Rey was able to obtain approval to use that vehicle for the day. I understand Joel was wobbly on his feet and required assistance to walk from his cage initially. However, when he learned that he was staying out of the cage and going for treatment, his adrenalin kicked in and he was able to make his way along the walking trail to the waiting ambulance.

Before leaving the Philippines, I spoke with Dr Alvez at the hospital and she indicated that with treatment and medication, they hoped Joel would return to a normal life. Apparently he was a former patient there a few years ago but did not return for his check-ups. How could he, when he was locked in a cage!

For those who have asked, yes we will be needing further help to assist Joel. He comes from a poor family and has no funds to for the medicine that will make a difference in his life.

The cost is about US$200 per month and we hope to find sponsors and a source for these. We are also investigating if we might get him monthly injections rather than daily oral medication, to ensure he does not forget his daily routine and lapse back to his poor condition.

I have appreciated those of you who shared your prayers, and health and wellness ideas for Joel, which I have passed on. So proud to be a Rotarian today, with the support of many Rotary friends and the network to make this happen. May God continue to look over Joel with his new Rotary angels.

My next stop was Davao to visit several Rotary friends whom I have known for 20 years. During this time, we have partnered on Matching Grants with the RC Waling Waling and they are always eager to have us visit. I always enjoy touring the projects and it was great to see how they have developed over the years. In one case, we went to a pre-school, which Canadian Rotarians helped establish back in the mid 1990’s. As usual, the children delighted us with entertain-ment.

Yours in Rotary service.Doug V

PDG Douglas W Vincent, RC Woodstock-OxfordBox 1583, Woodstock, ON Canada N4S 0A7

RCMP, Federal Community Policing AdvisorRotary United Nations Representative, Z24

Another interesting project was the new Tebow Cure charity hospital, which specializes in orthopedic surgeries. Most are done at no cost for poor families, however some are handled for a fee to assist in funding expenses. My host Dr Badjun Reyes and his daughter volunteer his services to provide surgeries. In the near future they also plan to provide some dental services to those who cannot afford this type of medical treatment.

It is always interesting to see the many changes that occur in a city since a last visit and it was amazing to me to see the new construction that has taken place. For our Woodstock friends, they even have a Holstein cow statue. It is great to revisit wonderful locations like ‘Paradise Island’ which features a resort with pristine beach and oceanfront water, along with good food and entertainment. It is a favourite oasis in this corner of the world, just a short banca-boat ride away and a popular breakfast spot to visit with Rotary friends.

While it is sad to leave this beautiful area, our schedule is calling us to the next destination of Bacolod where we experienced a wonderful welcome from some new Rotary friends. I had arranged to attend one of their art show projects and it was great to see the variety of art that was on display and for sale as part of their fundraising project. After lunch, we enjoyed a well organized presentation of the activities and projects of this Rotary group. What active Rotarians we have here.

It was good to reconnect with my hosts, Ivan and Nelia Nemenzo whom we had hosted in Canada just a few months prior. They graciously toured and hosted us at a wonderful hotel for a couple days before taking us through the countryside to their favourite Mambukal resort. They had anticipated my hectic schedule with tired body and thus treated me to a relaxing time at this hot springs location.

We also enjoyed Campuestohan Entertainment Park, the fabulous Taj Mahal of the Philippines, attended another Rotary dinner and celebrated at a Filipino birthday party, in honour of Ivan with customary karaoke. It was a whirlwind visit but great to meet many new friends and definitely planning to return.

With Dr. Badjun Reyes at Charity Hospital

Our next stop will be Manila, to present at the Rotary International Zone Institute. I have many friends who will be attending this leadership training event, coming from across Southeast Asia. So the next few days will be much like a reunion for me.

More to come soon,Doug V

Campuestohan Entertainment Park

The Rotarian MagazineMedia/News/Publishing

The Rotarian Photo ContestShow Us Your Best Shot

o you have a great shot from a club project or Dfundraiser? Did you

capture a memorable moment at the convention or during an international trip? Enter your images in The Rotarian's 2015 photo contest and you might see them in the pages of the magazine.

You may enter up to three photos taken since 1 January 2015. This year, our contest has three categories: people, places, and projects. While some photos might have elements of all three, select one category to enter your photo.

Our previous guest judges have included Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers David Hume Kennerly and Carol Guzy and Kathy Ryan, director of photo-graphy for the New York Times Magazine. This year's judge will be announced soon.

Deadline29 February 2016

Prizes$500 for the first place winners in each of the categories: People, Places, and Projects.

The Rotarian Photo Contest 2015-16

1. ELIGIBILITY: The Rotarian Photo Contest is open to entrants ages fourteen (14) or older who are Rotarians and family members of Rotarians and persons who have taken or are currently taking part in an official program of Rotary International or The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Where a minor under eighteen (18) years of age desires to enter this Contest, the parent/legal guardian of such minor must enter this Contest by submitting an entry and agreeing to these Official Rules on behalf of his/her minor child. Employees and interns of Rotary International, The Rotary Foundation, Engage Sciences, their immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents, children, and siblings), individuals living in their households, and their respective parent companies and affiliates are not eligible to participate in or are excluded from this Contest. This is a skill-based contest, and chance plays no part in the determination of Contest winners.

2. SPONSOR: Rotary International, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, U.S.A

3. CONTEST PERIOD: Contest begins 1 December 2015 at 00:00 Central Standard Time (“CST”) (6:00 GMT) and ends 29 February 2016 at 23:59 CST (1 March 2013 at 05:59 GMT). Sponsor is the official timekeeper for the Contest Period. Entries received prior to or after Contest Period are void.

4. HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Contest, during the Contest Period, go to to complete the entry form and upload and submit a maximum of three (3) photographs in the formats required by Sponsor. Each Submission must be accompanied by a description of the Submission and a description of how the Submission relates to one of the Contest categories; descriptions for which can be found at www.rotary.org/photocontest. The Entry Form is also available in hard copy upon request. Sponsor may disqualify Entrants who submit more than three (3) Submissions.

Official Rules (excerpts)

www.rotary.org/photocontest

This is how a Professor explained Marketing Concepts to a class:

1. You see a Gorgeous Girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!"

- That's Direct Marketing.

�2. You are at a party with a bunch of friends and see a Gorgeous Girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: “He's very rich. Marry him!"

- That's Advertising.

3. You are at a party and see a Gorgeous Girl. She walks up to you and says: "You are very rich! Can I marry you?"

- That's Brand Recognition.

4. You see a Gorgeous Girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.

- That's Customer Feedback.

5. You see a Gorgeous Girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband.

- That's Demand and Supply Gap.

6. You see a Gorgeous Girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I m rich, Marry me!", your wife arrives.

- That's Restriction for Entering New Markets.

Hope Concepts are clear.. ��

The good you do comes back to you.

POST YOUR OWN OFFER ON ROTARY GLOBAL REWARDS

Rotary and Rotaract members can now offer discounts on products and services from their own businesses through Rotary Global Rewards. You can submit an offer and make it available locally, regionally, or globally for no charge until 31 July 2016.

https://www.rotary.org/en/member-center/rotary-global-rewards

Anyone can view the offers and discounts on Rotary Global Rewards. But only Rotary club members who are signed in to their My Rotary accounts can redeem them. You can access and redeem rewards from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

- In Lighter Mood!

PUBLIC RELATIONSPublicity, Branding And Marketing

Submitted by Subash Saraf

$40 million required to upgrade

technologyRF Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith had recommended to the RI Board that Rotarians pay $6 extra every year to Tfinance a more sophisticated technological system to run

RI and TRF.

“When you go to amazon.com, their computer system is so sophisticated that not only does your order go through smoothly and quickly, a month later they follow up. We’re still handicapped with old technology. If we ask for extra membership dues, which they’ve decided not to do, of $6 per year for four years, at $7.2 million a year we will get $29 million. The estimated cost of all the improvement we need to make in technology is $40 million.”

He adds it’s “just unbelievable how expensive it is to operate a corporation of this size with a staff of 500. And volunteers all over the world. I’m concerned that every time somebody has a good idea how to improve things, it is put on a list and it will take 3–4 years before it is done.”

Klinginsmith adds there is just not enough money. “They are considering asking for $2–3 extra a year. We are a premier organisation but our business practices currently are not premier.”

TRF Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith (RK) and incoming Chair Kalyan Banerjee (KB) are gung ho about the direction and long-term vision of the Foundation. But they also acknowledge the need for change. In an interview to Rotary News after a successful two-day joint session with the RI Board in Evanston, they answered questions ranging from the basics to the plans for the coming Centennial, and demystified how TRF works.

We are a premier organisation but our business practices currently are not premier.”

RK: TRF is the charitable arm of the organisation created by RI but made a separate corporation for tax purposes. But though separate it is a parallel organisation with the vision to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace. So all our programmes are really peace programmes, and it has been highly successful. We started Rotary scholarships in 1948, in 1965 the group study exchange teams and matching grants. In 1979 came polio immunisation and early 1990 we started the share system by which Districts put in money and three years later get back half of that money, and decide how to use it.

When we did that it became clear Rotarians preferred humanitarian grants projects in favour of scholarships or group exchange study programmes. That gave us a clear indication that we needed to move towards humanitarian projects in developing countries.

What would be the percentage of humanitarian projects and scholarships?

RK: A rough guess — 80:20. The bulk goes to developing countries; there are a few grants in the developed world in pockets, and increasing, but the greatest need is in the developing countries. A third of the world’s population is underserved.

The change in direction came when the matching grants became so popular that in 2000, 35 years after we started, we had done 10,000. But in the next five years we did another 10,000. Due to increased demand, we couldn’t keep up, and the question was do we hire more staff and continue what we are doing or change direction. And thus came Future Vision. I was on the original future visions committee and we decided it was better to give more authority and administrative duties to the districts than increase staff.

But along with this latitude, we insisted that the districts do larger, more sustainable projects. Some grants we gave were of $500, and the cost to administer those were $1,200! That was not good math! So we’re now encouraging clubs and districts to join and do much bigger, more sustainable projects.

How big are the big projects?

RK: The minimum is $30,000, anything over $100,000 is Level 3 and has to come to the Board of Trustees for approval, but there aren’t too many of those in a year.

Last year there were 1,087 global grants costing $69 million, and roughly Rotary’s contribution was $30 million, which means less than half came from Rotary.

How is the corpus invested, in government bonds, securities, equity? How often is that portfolio churned?

RK: We have professional staff, an investment advisory with senior Rotarians, some of them maintaining investment portfolios for clients, as also a professional manager in a bank in Boston. They advise us on what is new, different. It is a very sophisticated system as we have quite a huge sum.

How huge?

RK: We’ve now hit $1 billion, not all of it is in cash; two thirds is in expectancies — long-term gifts given by our donors. At our recent meeting we approved the concept of increasing that endowment fund corpus to $2 billion by 2025. In other words the cry now is that $2,005 million by 2025!

Is that achievable?

RK: Oh yes, the way we are going.

How has been your year so far as TRF Trustee Chair?

RK: Extremely busy because I’m trying to make some improvements in how we do business. The joint TRF-Board meeting was a change; different because in the past we’ve had occasional joint meetings for a day but never a two-day joint meeting, and never with the kind of agenda we had.

What would you call your biggest achievement so far?

RK: Probably the engagement of the (RI) Board in more strategic matters and decisions than just operational issues. Kalyan (Banerjee) and I are trying to look ahead and plan for the future. Some of what you heard yesterday (at the joint meet) had to do with creation of a strategic plan.

INTERVIEW

What are you doing for better synergy between the RI Board and TRF?

RK: We’ve made great progress in that and are coordinating our goals; Kalyan is working with John Germ and we have common goals, meetings, and conversations. It is all going to be tied together through this new strategic plan. Previously the strategic planning committee has been only an RI committee. Now we are asking the Council on Legislation to change it towards half and half, which will be a big step forward. The world is changing, no one has any doubts about it, and we have to change.

Mr Banerjee, yesterday at the TRF meet, a Trustee from the print industry talked of change, giving the example of his industry which might be wiped out in 20–25 years. Was he too pessimistic? How do you change and yet retain the core values of Rotary?

KB : It’s not going to be difficult. In my thinking, the problem has been that perhaps in the US, Rotarians have taken a little time to realise that change is inevitable. They have now started the process, and are on the way. It will take a few years before the changes will begin to show. I understand, for example, that last year the membership in US may not have gone down. That is a huge change and it didn’t happen by accident. It happened due to a huge effort. And the realisation by the current Rotarians of America that they have to do something about it. Till now they had either not been paying attention or looking at it in a different way.

As we grow older, we are used to our older friends and we don’t connect with the younger people. And the younger people don’t connect with us … we are a grandfather’s organisation. In India this did not happen for various reasons but we don’t have to go into that. The good news is that it is beginning to happen in America.

One or two things the American Rotarians did right to fix it?

KB: First was the realisation that things are not going well and this is not good for the organisation. It could also have been that the Americans began realising that they were once the premier group in Rotary. A few years ago they were 50 per cent, then they came down to 45 per cent, 40 per cent and now they are below 40 per cent of the membership. And that realisation must have hit them.

RK: Also the realisation by the American clubs that they are not attracting younger members. I attribute part of it to increasing technology. Young people don’t communicate the same way as we did when we were young, and the greater the technological advancements, the greater the gap between the two generations. Many American clubs have realised that we can’t expect the younger generation to change, we will have to change.

KB: Absolutely. I full agree. Because of this the Secretariat itself is beginning to change. The way we operate things is changing, and Ray has played a huge role in getting John Hewko (RI Secretary) on board too.

How does it feel to be taking over as Trustee Chair at such an important moment like the Centenary? A great moment for Indian Rotarians; I believe they are gearing up to raise more funds for the Foundation.

KB: Oh yes, they are very excited. They’ve already said they will give a considerable amount. Last year India raised nearly $15 million.

Coming to the $6 fee Ray talked about (see Box), the first ever contribution by an AKS member was $26.5 in 1917. It is from there we are taking about $26.

RK: That, depending on which formula you use, is deemed to be $535 in today’s buying terms. $26.5 then would have bought you what you can get now for $535.

RID Frederick Lynn from Taiwan is planning to get 5 AKS members from Taiwan, each contributing $1 million. Is that possible in India?

KB: One million may not be possible but we will get many more AKS members.

I’ve been thinking that just like we have AKS ceremonies here in Evanston, where you have a Taiwan Day, or a South Korea Day, when all the AKS members from that country are inducted, we should have these in India. Sometimes all our AKS members are not able to come all the way here.

How many AKS members do we get from India every year?

KB: Nowadays we are beginning to get more; people are beginning to give more. Normally, between 5–10 in a year.

How easy or difficult is it to ask people to give money for humanitarian causes?

KB: It is not difficult; if you ask, people are ready to give money. But very often the problem is that nobody asks. But you should have the courage to ask. It doesn’t matter if they don’t or can’t give, but we have to ask.

RK: And many people are already planning to give to charitable organisations; it is only a question of which organisation to give to.

KB: The only issue in India is that you don’t get the kind of tax benefits that you get in America. And don’t forget $250,000 in Indian money is a lot of money.

So how many Americans are AKS members?

RK: Over 500, and we get 60–70 new ones every year so the US number should be 1,000 in the next six years.

Surely it was a major triumph for Rotary to get Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on board? Are efforts on to get other such partners?

RK: We have an active and new joint committee on partnerships, with senior Rotarians and a new director with an amazing background in philanthropy work. I think that combination is going to produce another Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation along the way.

What are going to be your priorities for the Centenary year? And what next after polio?

KB: One, raising funds for TRF so that we can do better and more significant work. A time will soon come, at least we think so, when polio will be over. And whether we agree or not, Rotarians are beginning to think that way. And in India they are looking at other things; literacy, water management, toilets in schools are big things today. Literacy in India, believe me, is a bigger thing than polio. Polio is one aspect, a small aspect, but literacy encompassed the whole human scenario, it’s a major thing. In a way we’ve sharpened our tools and brightened our vision through polio which has equipped us to think of new things such as literacy.

I remember Muhammad Yunus asking us at one Rotary meeting: What great work will you take up after polio is done? He said the only thing that deserves your great capabilities and engagement power is the removal of poverty itself. And I thought, my God, what is he talking about?

But when somebody like Yunus talks and thinks like that … I don’t know whether he said it only to please us …. It’s something very special, it’s different. So whether it is literacy or food … hunger is a huge issue in some parts of the world today, along with water, we really don’t know. I doubt Rotary will go towards another medical problem. We don’t want to be known as an organisation confined only to medical issues. So when you ask what next, we don’t know, let’s see.

When the world talks about polio — whether it’s a coffee table book, or media reports, I find little mention of Rotary, compared to the huge work all of you have done.

KB: I think it’s beginning to happen now. Even though we were engaged in it passionately, we expected recognition a little too early. But now the recognition is beginning to come. But we must also remember that it is not only Rotary which is doing the polio eradication work. It is WHO and the Government of India who are immunising children. But the idea was Rotary’s in the first place, not that of the Indian or any other Government or WHO. We engaged WHO in this work and UNICEF came much later.

RK: We started the peace programmes in 2002, 13 years ago … certificate programmes, all of which have been in place for 10 years without change. So my concern is, are we keeping up with the changing world? The conflicts have changed. The methods of teaching have changed. Are we still on the cutting edge or have we fallen behind is the primary question.

I was disappointed that there isn’t a single Female Trustee in TRF. Why is this so?

RK: I wish I knew the answer. But we’ve had women in the past. The President-elect nominates people around the world to serve on TRF, and it has to get the approval of the Board of Directors. We look for geographic distribution and experience in various professions … lawyers, doctors, etc. And in the last two years a woman hasn’t cropped up. It’s a little embarrassing though.

Well, RI is yet to get a woman President and so is the United States!

RK: In my committees at least I try to have women wherever possible.

KB: That way, we in India are a little different. We’ve had a woman president, woman prime minister.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

hat is the difference between merely retaining members and ENGAGING them? The difference between retention and W

engagement is simple: Membership retention refers to keeping members from year to year, while engagement concerns keeping those members involved and excited about your club every day.

While both are important elements of any membership development plan, engagement can help you retain members who are active participants. Engaged members have a strong bond with their clubs. They feel connected, valued, and committed to Rotary's work and to achieving their club's objectives.

You can help your members feel engaged by:

Publishing a list of members on your Facebook or club website to highlight their Rotary anniversaryPublicly thanking members who work on a projectWriting a personal note to a member to wish him/her a happy birthday or happy anniversaryAsking seasoned members to serve as mentors to new RotariansInviting members to join (or chair) a committeeEncouraging members to involve their family and friends in service projectsCreating weekly programs that are of interest to your membersAsking members to help choose the next community service project

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RETAINANDENGAGEMEMBERS

How to Improve Membership

Show appreciation for all members

When members feel valued, they get a sense of belonging. There are many things a club can do to show its appreciation for its members such as celebrating the special occasions in every member's life such as birthdays or anniversaries. Always show small gestures such as recognizing and thanking members for their contributions to the club, or conversing about their hobbies, make people feel appreciated.

Give Opportunities

Those that join clubs want a chance to be able to contribute to society. As a result, give your members the opportunity to showcase their talent by allowing them to take control of certain projects. When looking for extra volunteers for your next event, have your club members participate in the recruiting process. Give them an opportunity to be part of something worthwhile.

Improve the Team Dynamics

Your club is a team of members who have come together with one goal in mind. A successful team is a close-knit team that can work well together in any situation. A successful team is also a group of people that know each other's strengths and weaknesses well and can support one another. As such, plan events at least once a month whereby your club members interact with one another in an informal setting such that they befriend one another and start to build a positive dynamic.

Make It Fun!

The most popular tip given when discussing member retention has to do with lightening the atmosphere, which plays a vital role in not only retaining current members but also attracting new members. Host competitions among members, play a game or two or even book an arcade once every couple of months. By employing such strategies, you will ensure that members enjoy being part of the club and look forward to the warm and friendly environment found in the weekly meetings.

Offer Incentives

Offer members incentives to remain part of the club, such as awards they would want to receive or raffle prizes that they would want to win. Perhaps get your club sponsors to donate items which you could raffle off to your club members or gift them for accomplishing certain goals. Not only would you motivate your club members to work towards achieving the club objectives but you would also entice them to do more. There is a lot clubs do to retain members however it is imperative that club members understand why clubs lose members in the first place. After all, solutions can always be implemented, if the problem is well understood.

Your online connection to membership leads

We are excited to introduce a new process for collecting and communicating online membership leads that will make it easier for club officers and district leaders to follow up on leads, and for prospective members to join a club. Prospective members who visit Rotary.org and select the “Join” button will provide their information using an online form. That information will be sent to Rotary, where the candidate will be screened for basic membership qualifications before being forwarded to district governors and district membership chairs to assign to clubs for follow up. A similar process will be in place for members to make referrals to other clubs or seek out a new club for them. All of these leads will be readily available when you sign in to MyRotary.

Be Sensitive to the Calendar and Clock

ŸDespite the best agenda, event attendees have preferences as to when they want to attend such programs and when they cannot. Consider the following when scheduling dates and times for your event:Ÿ Attendees prefer morning schedules for

seminars.Ÿ Attendees prefer appreciation events immediate-

ly after work. Ÿ Tuesdays and Thursdays are popular meeting

days. Ÿ Avoid holding meetings on Fridays if possible.Ÿ Avoid scheduling meetings on holidays and the

eve of holidays.Ÿ Be sensitive to attendee travel requirements for

the event.Ÿ Equally important: establish a reputation for

starting on time and finishing on time.

New process for prospective, referred, and returning or relocating members

Frank Talk

Attracting new members is vital to a Rotary club's long term success, and so clubs put a great deal of emphasis on expanding their membership with enthusiastic and service-minded individuals. Prospective members must actively hold -or be retired from -a professional, proprietary, executive or managerial position. And they must have the desire and ability to serve and to meet the club's attendance requirements for its weekly meetings.

An important distinction between Rotary and other organizations is that membership in Rotary is by invitation. However this should not stop anyone who feels that they might like to become a Rotarian from indicating an interest, either by speaking to a Rotarian, or by getting in touch with a local Club - with no obligation on either side. Clubs usually maintain a list of the types of businesses and professions in their community and seek candidates to fill classifications not already held by an active member of the club, but classifications are many and varied.

Examples of classifications include, for example: Schools; Universities; Eye Surgery; Tires - Distri-buting; Tires -Retailing; Dramatic Arts; Law - Civil.) In this manner, a club aims to include a significant cross section of its community's vocational life, and has the widest possible resources and expertise for its service programs and projects.

Attendance

The most important step to overcoming fears about a lack of attendance at an event or to increase the RSVP list is to realize that people really do enjoy attending seminars and other events. By attending business meetings, the participant gets a chance to learn new information and interact with peers and leaders in their field. The most successful meetings create a warm, friendly environment for everyone – and that is why they enjoy attending.

AN AFTER-MEETING FELLOWSHIP BY RC MABALACAT

TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS IN LEARNING

PDG Subhash Saraf,

India RCAundh-RID 3131, RLI, ROTI

(Before you start reading, may I share ---

I am greatly involved in training (as

well as learning while coaching) through the

Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) which

aims at enhancing the leadership qualities of

a person whether in Rotary or else. I have a

passion to keep engaged myself in training,

in return for happiness through sharing of

knowledge, mainly Rotary.

It is most times necessary to assess

the effect of your training of the participants

in particular the Adults. There has to be

obviously certain methods and steps to

adopt.

During my reading, I came across one fine

article that deals with most aspects of adult

learning and the effectiveness of the training

that gets imparted.

I strongly believe, for the successful

conduct of such training events the

preparation is extremely important. It is

crucial to engage the participants and

transfer the training content with value

addition of the topic. At times the relevant

case study does help in creating

effectiveness.

Training and learning is ever a great

opportunity for one to comprehend the topic

to make a difference, with soundness,

passion and integrity expected in training.

Indebted for using writings as such

of, Robert Gagne’s Nine Events of

Instruction, introduced in his book published

in 1965, continues to influence adult

learning theory and instructional design.

His nine events constitute one instructional

model to consider as you’re designing your

training sessions. Think about whether your

training includes them.)

1. Gaining attention 2. Informing learners of the objective 3. Stimulating recall of prior learning 4. Presenting content 5. Providing guidance 6. Eliciting performance (practice) 7. Providing feedback 8. Assessing performance 9. Enhancing retention and transfer to

the job