We meet on every 2nd and 4th Friday 7.30 pm at Community Hall at South City Residence, 375 PAS Road, Kolkata 68; Facebook : www.facebook.com/RCCSCT

BULLETIN OF ROTARY CLUB OF CALCUTTA SOUTH CITY TOWERS

RI Dist. 3291 |Club No. 85209

RI President : Rtn. Barry Rassin Dist. Governor : Rtn. Mukul Sinha

President : Rtn. Falguni Sarkar Secretary: Rtn. Amitava Ghosh Editor: Rtn. Barun Kar

Date : 31st December 2018 Issue : 06Vol. No. VI

For private circulation only

website: www.rotarysouthcity.com

DECEMBER IS DISEASE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT MONTH

Barry RassinPRESIDENT 2018-19 :: DECEMBER 2018

Presidential Message

It's traditional that the rst Rotarian magazine of the Rotary year carries a prole of the incoming RI president and his or her family. I've always read those proles with interest, never giving much thought to the possibility that one day, I might be the one bringing a writer from the magazine to my Rotary club meeting! I have never liked a lot of attention, and the idea of having my picture on the magazine cover made me a bit uncomfortable. But when I saw the photo the editors chose, I smiled. Because the star of that picture denitely isn't me, or even my wife, Esther. It's the ock of amingos, none of which could care less about Rotary, all strutting past us in the same direction. All of them — except one.

I couldn't think of a more appropriate image to reect the message I want to convey to Rotarians. That one amingo, going the other way, represents so much of what we need to do in Rotary. That amingo knows everyone's going one way. She sees it. But she also sees that maybe the path they're on isn't the best path. Maybe, just maybe, there's a better path over there, and she wants to get a good look before she goes marching on with her friends. And if, when she does stop and look, that new path does seem better, she'll call the rest of the crew to come over and check it out with her. And maybe, just maybe, they'll all choose that better path together.

Change is hard. And the longer we've been going one way, the more friends we have with us, the harder it is to be the one who turns around and does it differently. But change — not change for its own sake, but careful, considered, goal-directed change — is essential for any organization that wants to evolve, stay relevant, and move forward in the right direction.

So take a look at that picture, but don't look at me. I'm not the one that cover's about. That cover is about the amingo. It's about having the curiosity, the courage, and the conviction to look at different paths that might be better — whether you're out for a stroll on a beautiful Bahamas morning, or helping chart the course for our organization.

Ron D. BurtonTRUSTEE CHAIR 2018-19 :: DECEMBER 2018

Trustee Chair’s Message

For many of us, December is a time of reection about the year that is about to end. We think about the things we resolved to do and compare that with what we actually got done. Many times we surprise ourselves when we realize we achieved even more than we had hoped. We also start thinking about the new year and, with the best of intentions, commit ourselves to even greater accomplishments.

It is a time when our thoughts turn to the things that are important to us — and nothing is as important as family. We are grateful for those we love and for those who love us. For Rotarians, that encompasses a large number of people around the world, because our concept of family includes not only our immediate relatives but also those many friends we have made over the years sharing Rotary. Each of us is much like a stone thrown into a pond, creating many ripples. When our ripples intersect with the ripples of our family and friends, we truly have an impact on our world.

We also think about the organizations that are important to us and that exist because of our generosity as well as the generosity of others. We voluntarily support these organizations and generously contribute our time, talent, and treasure to further their work and make our world a better place for all. And through this work, our family gets even larger.

Our family and our impact continue to grow each year through our commitment to and support of our Rotary Foundation. Working together creates a synergy that allows one person to truly make a difference. And when we all work together and commit ourselves to a cause, there is no limit to what we can accomplish. In that process we are bound together and become an even more close-knit family.

So at this special time of year, as you reect on your family and the good things in your life, think about your Rotary legacy. Now is the time to make your lasting commitment so that the important work of our Foundation will continue in perpetuity.

December is theDisease Prevention and Treatment MonthOur health is everything. Yet 400 million people in the world can’t afford or don’t have access to basic health care. We believe good health care is everyone’s right.

Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. That’s why treating and preventing disease is so important to us. Rotary lead efforts both large and small. Rotary had set up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. Rotary designs and builds infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.

Rotary combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and polio. Prevention is important, which is why Rotary also focus on health education and bringing people routine hearing, vision, and dental care.

HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN

Disease does not prevent itself. Rotary educates and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases. Rotary members have hundreds of health projects underway around the world at any given time.

OUR IMPACT ON DISEASE

The Rotary Foundation is changing the world by providing grants for projects and activities around the globe and in your own backyard. Rotary makes amazing things happen, like:

Providing clean water: Rotary has worked with partners to provide more than 80 percent of Ghana’s people with clean water to ght Guinea worm disease.

Reducing HIV infection: In Liberia, Rotary members are helping women get tested for HIV early in their pregnancies. They used prenatal care to reduce new HIV infections in children by 95 percent over two years.

Ending polio: Rotary members have played a key role in bringing the world to the brink of polio eradication. Rotary’s united efforts have not only ended polio in 122 countries but also created a system for tackling myriad other health priorities, such as Ebola.

Community ServiceHanding Over of Three Cycle Rikshaw Vans.Venue & Date : Maheshtala, South 24 Parganas, November 04, 2018Participants : RCC Divine Destination, Ofcials of the Municipality.Under the District Project taken up by RCCSCT, three Cycle Rickshaw Vans were handed over to three needy people at Maheshtala area identied by our RCC Divine Destination. They will use the vans for selling vegetables and miscellaneous articles door to door and earn their livelihood. This is a project funded by District and executed by Rotary Club of South City Towers in coordination with RCC Divine Destination.

Club Service – Interclub relationsDistrict Bijaya SammilaniVenue & Date : NICCO Park, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, November 11Participants : RI District 3291 members, families and guests.Rtn. Basudev Bhattacharya, Rtn. Tapan Haldar and Rtn. Amitava Ghosh and their wives participated in the District Bijoya / Diwali get together on November 11 at Nicco Park Salt Lake. It was an pleasant evening accompanied with musical entertainment and sumptuous dinner. This also provided good opportunity to meet Rotarians and their families of different clubs in the district and district ofcials.

CLUB ACTIVITIESCLUB ACTIVITIESCLUB ACTIVITIES

Community Service - MedicalZero Thalassemia Seminar – SachetanataVenue & Date : Science City Auditorium, Kolkata November 24.Participants : District Ofcials, Dignitaries, Rotarians of different clubs.The seminar ‘Sachetanata’ was convened by renowned Orthopedist Dr Hom Choudhuri and presided over by District Governor Rtn. Mukul Sinha. There were international participants from Bangladesh and USA. RCCSCT was one of the Host Clubs the lead hosts being RC Suncity and RC East Central. Dr Homchaudhuri spoke on the sufferings of patients of Thalassemia a dreaded disease which can be totally eradicated from the earth by a simple test prior to marriage. This message was conveyed very effectively using audio visual presentation. Renowned personalities, Rotarians and families and also school children participated in this seminar.

Community Service - MedicalEye Camp and Eye Care Seminar Category of Service : Community Service - MedicalVenue & Date : Behala Balananda Brahmachary Hospital, November24.Participants : Ophthalmologists, Rotarians, Inner Circle MembersDr. Anutosh Datta Memorial Foundation along with Rotary Clubs of RI District 3291 and Inner Wheel Club of Calcutta Mid-West organized an Eye Camp from 10 am to 1 pm and Eye Care Seminar from 3 PM to 5 PM. RCCSCT was one of the host clubs. Rtn. Dr Amit Pal made a presentation on Glaucoma and Dr Vivek Datta spoke on Retina issues. Chief Guest PDG Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury was appreciative of the efforts made by the Rotarians and in particular, the doctors and nurses involved in giving eye care to the needy . However, he reminded that lot more is needed to be done in the villages.

Release of November BulletinThe Monthly Bulletin of November 2018 for the year 2018-19 was released on 14th December 2018 at the 254th meeting of the Club. The Bulletin was released and distributed to the participants.

What a Rotary club can do with even a little bit of money

blog.rotary.org :: January 10, 2019By Joi Burton, International Service Chair for

District 6170 and member of the Rotary Club of North Garland County, Arkansas, USA

Ihave always had a dream of going to Africa. Soon after I joined Rotary in 1991, I noticed an article in The Rotarian that a Rotary club from Eugene, Oregon, was going to Kenya to work on some projects. They were inviting people to go with them, and when I contacted them they accepted my offer. We visited several Rotary projects and a Rotary Club in Nairobi. That was the beginning of a long and productive relationship between my club at the time, Arlington South, Texas, and the people of Kenya that demonstrated the impact even a small club can have through the magic that is Rotary.

I enjoyed the Kenyan people so much I decided I wanted to go back and live with them for a few weeks.

A fellow Rotarian introduced me to his friend from Bondo, Kenya. The friend said if I was willing to go to her village, she would make the arrangements and have a relative, Moses, pick me up at Nairobi airport, and that I could stay in her house.

Before I went, the Rotary Club of Arlington South gave me $500 to do a project in her village. It took a day’s drive from Nairobi to reach the village. We arrived at night and were met by all of the villagers, each with a lantern. This was an area with a few houses, several huts, a school, and a church, but no electricity, no water and several miles from the nearest road.Bondo primary school, teachers and students.

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Annet Anirban, son of Rtn. Amitava & Ann Purnima Ghosh : 04-Dec

Ishita Bakshi, daughter of Rtn. Basudev & Ann Sharmistha Bhattacharya : 14-Dec

Ann Manisha Tarway : 17-Dec

Annet Aryaveer, son of Rtn. Nikhil & Ann Sohini Chokhani 23-Dec

Rtn. Ajay Agarwal : 28-Dec

Ann Aneesa Zaibab : 29-Dec

Wish you many happy returns of the day

to 100% Attendees in August 2018

Congratulations

Rtn. Amitava Ghosh

Rtn. Annapurna Shaw

Rtn. Basudev Bhattacharya

Rtn. Biren Mallick

Rtn. Falguni Sarkar

Rtn. Nikhil Chokhani

Rtn. S. Eakambaram

Rtn. Satish Tarway

Rtn. Satyanarayan Chakrabarti

Rtn. Barun Kar

I would like to convey warm greetings to my dear fellow Rotarians, family and friends. In the month of November we participated in various activities as mentioned in the bulletin. I would like to extend my heartiest greetings of the Season for Christmas and wish everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2019. It is the time to take New Year’s resolution for enhanced commitment towards Rotary and initiate new projects for serving the unprivileged people of the society.

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

Rtn. Shyamal & Ann Barnali Biswas : 04-Dec

Mr. & Mrs. Sanyukta Daughter & Son-in-Law of Rtn. Biren & Ann Arati Malick : 10-Dec

Rtn. Sunil & Ann Mina Jhunjhunwala : 11-Dec

Mrs. & Mr. Ishita Bakshi Daughter & Son-in-Law of Rtn. Basudev & Ann Sharmistha Bhattacharya : 12-Dec

Mrs. & Mr. Rahul Dhariwal Son & Daughter-in-Law of Rtn. C. L. Dhariwal & Ann Sharda Dhariwal : 13-Dec

Mr. & Mrs. Amrita Chakrabarti Paul Daughter & Son-in-Law of Rtn. Satyanarayan & Ann Sanghamitra Chakrabarti : 14-Dec

Rtn. Nikhil & Ann Sohini Chokhani : 15-Dec

Rtn. Faisal Arif & Ann Nousheen Iram : 25-Dec

Happy Anniversary

Wish you many happy returns of the day

The next day I told Moses I had “a little bit of money” from my club and asked if there was something they needed. They told us they needed concrete to replace the floors in the school, as the children were getting their uniforms dirty from having to sit on the floor all day. Moses and I went to the nearest town and purchased gravel, sand, and cement. After it was delivered, the villagers completed the floors in all the rooms.

Each weekend, Moses would come from Nairobi to see if I needed anything. The second week I again let Moses know I still had “a little bit of money” and asked if there was something else they needed. They wanted glass to replace windows of the school, all of which had been broken. We bought large plates of glass. They were able to cut and fit all the windows of the school.

The third week, Moses informed me the villagers wanted some metal paint to paint the tin roof of the school as it had rusted. Having some of that “little bit of money” left, we purchased paint and brushes and they were able to make ladders with sticks and rope and painted the roof.

On the last week I approached Moses to let him know I still “had a little bit of money” and asked what they needed. They said they needed books for the school. They had only a few. We were able to go to a larger city, an overnight trip, to purchases some text books. We were able to purchase one teacher textbook and one student textbook of every subject for every grade kindergarten to eighth grade. With our last few dollars we purchased two cases of chalk. We had the back of the pickup truck completely filled with school books. What a wonderful time the students and teachers had as we drove up into the school yard. We later learned they were completely out of chalk.

This experience built the foundation for other efforts. The Texas club and Rotarians in the district went on to put together other grant projects to benefit the people of Kenya including two grants that provided wells for drinking water with the Homa Bay club. Several members made their own visits to Kenya after that initial outlay of $500.

What a difference one small, 30-member Rotary club can make with “a little bit of money.”