A hundred and eight years ago, Rotary was born on February 23. Composed of only 4 members when it began, now, this biggest humanitarian organization has grown to have about 1.2 million members from all over the world. Rotary Club of Makati Olympia (RCMO) is one of the 34,000 members of Rotary International chartered only in 2010. Since its chartering, RCMO has celebrated this day as a special club day. This year, a children's party was organized at the Barangay Hall of its adopted community, Barangay Olympia, Makati City. Inspired by PRIP Mat C. Caparas, the only Filipino who has become an RI President, IPP Renny Harman, who herself celebrated her natal day (see separate story below) last February 14, hosted this event for RCMO's celebration of Rotary's birthday. Chosen beneficiaries were

RCMO celebrates 108th

Rotary Birthday My dear fellow Olympians,

I would like express my gratitude to IPP Renny Harman for choosing to celebrate her birthday with the street kids. You did not only feed the stomach of these children but you also made it known that it is a celebration in the name of Rotary that inspired you to share with these kids. Just like IPP Renny’s birthday, Rotary is also celebrating its birthday throughout the world. What usually happens when there is a birthday? Normally, there are two things - it is either the birthday celebrant gives his/her family and friends a blowout or the family and friends give gifts to the birthday celebrant. Birthday celebrations are always associated with giving that is why one of the biggest birthday celebrations in the world, which is Christmas, is also known as “season of giving.” “Giving” and “celebrations” are so associated together that the body could not help but celebrate whenever it gives. That is why we have that wonderful feeling whenever we give. And because we have that wonderful feeling of celebration, it actually gives us better health which ultimately gives us longer and happier lives! My fellow Olympians, as long as the focus of our club is to give, just like Rotary it could live happily for hundreds of years more to come… and that it is what celebration is all about! Happy birthday, Rotary!

The President’s Corner

children 1-10 years old from the marginalized sector of Brgy. Olympia. Earnest preparation for the party began weeks ago. Community Service Chair Seg Gonzales was on top of choosing the children in the barangay. Initially, only 60 children were to be chosen but as the preparations went by, the number of beneficiaries was increased to 100. Like the opening salvo of this Rotary Year, it was supposed to be a street party where the chosen kids were to be treated to food, games and giveaways thus the Center Stage at Trabajo Street was pinpointed as the venue of the street party. However, because of the inclement weather last Friday, and possibly also on Saturday, it was moved to the Barangay Hall, thanks to Chair Seg who is himself one of the Barangay Kagawads and Barangay Captain Ting Constantino. … continued on page 2

OLYMPIANS

Outstanding Bulletin, Outstanding Club-PR Rotary District 3830

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF MAKATI – OLYMPIA VOL. 03 NO. 132 ● FEBRUARY 2013

THE

2 THE OLYMPIANS Issue No. 132

to the next by transferring the kalamansi from one spoon to the next without using their hands. Winners were given Tootsie Roll Lollipops. This game was played in three batches to the cheer of the participants and onlookers. Pres. Wilbert again moderated the cotton bud relay. Then the next game which was much awaited was the traditional "pabitin". Two sets of pabitins with different prizes were set up to the delight of the children. The last game was the "bring me" game. As in all activities of RCMO, games are always injected with teaching the beneficiaries the right values thus bringing Rotary to the community. The "Bring Me Game" included asking the participants to bring their family (father, mother and children), Holy Rosary and an old twenty peso bill. Final items asked from the participants were drawings of the best greetings for Rotary's birthday, which the children made on the spot. Beautiful stuffed toys donated by Jill Co's Sam Shoes were given to the winners. During the celebration, fans donated by IPP Bingbing Singson of RC Makati Edsa (she also donated 100 pieces of giveaways) were distributed. Food of spaghetti, fried chicken, hotdog with marshmallows and juice were distributed for snacks. There were about 200 children who came. Like the multiplication of loaves, everyone including the parents and the Barangay officials who were present were able to partake of the party food. Each also went home with a bag of goodies composed of tumblers, shirt, pack of noodles and toys. As the participants went home satisfied, so did all the Family of Rotary feel very gratified. It was a most meaningful birthday celebration of Rotary! RCMO looks forward to a similar celebration in July to open the new Rotary Year.

Early on Saturday morning, the Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors and the RCCs of Makati Olympia came in full force. Tents and chairs were set up for the party venue and game paraphernalia like balloons, papers, pens, toys etc. were readied. Food and giveaways were also set in place. Droves of the children beneficiaries came, some with parents, others simply tagged along with other children. Excitement was in the air as IPDIR Toffee Rapisura, now President of Rotaract Club of Makati Olympia, started the program at 9am. President Wilbert Zamuco led the prayers and proceeded with his inspirational message to the children. He explained the celebration of the day and told the children that RCMO, following its traditions of fostering the welfare of children and the youth, chose to celebrate the day with them. After this, the children paid a special tribute to Rotary and IPP Renny by singing to them the birthday song. The first game soon commenced moderated by Pres. Wilbert and assisted by the Rotaractors and Interactors. Children were told to form eight groups of 10s. The instruction was that they should use whatever things they can take hold of and form a line. Readily the participants used their slippers, toys, paper and even their own shirts to form the line. After a countdown, group one had the longest line. Puzzles were distributed by CP Rose Acoba as the prize to all the members of the team. The next game was moderated by CP Rose and PE Ju Abdulcadir again assisted by the Rotaractors and Interactors. This was the kalamansi relay. Two groups composed of five members each were given spoons.

The rule was to pass on the kalamansi from one player

RCMO celebrates 108th

Rotary Birthday… cont’d from page 1

February 2013 THE OLYMPIANS 3

Historic Moments: The first four Rotarians

Happy Birthday,

IPP Renny!

After the children's party in the community (see banner story), IPP Renny Harman hosted a sumptuous lunch for the Rotarians and some Rotaractors and Interactors at the Choi Garden at Annapolis Street. Shabu-shabu and other Chinese dishes which are specialties of the house were served. It was a light-hearted lunch where each savored not just the good food but the satisfaction of the just finished club event. Joining IPP Renny were Pres. Wilbert Zamuco, CP Rose Acoba, PP Amor Isip, PE Ju Abdulcadir, PND JM Olaco with daughter Jen, friend of the club, Gina Gil, Rotaractors Toffee Rapisura, Armie Pableo, Ruby Pableo and Interactors Alayana Torres and Neal Velazquez. The birthday lunch happily ended with the traditional blowing of candle which was the surprise by CP Rose for IPP Renny.

On 23 February 1905, Paul P. Harris,

Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram E. Shorey gathered in Loehr’s office for what would

become known as the first Rotary club meeting. Harris’s desire for camaraderie

among business associates brought together these four men and eventually led to an international

organization of service and fellowship. Read about each of the first four

Rotarians below, and about Harry L. Ruggles, who is often called the

"fifth Rotarian." Rotary’s founder, Harris, was born in Wisconsin, USA, on 19 April 1868.

He was raised by his paternal grandparents in Vermont and attended the University of Vermont,

Princeton, and the University of Iowa. He was Rotary president from 1910 to 1912 and a member of the

Rotary Club of Chicago until his death on 27 January 194 Loehr, a mining engineer, was born

on 18 October 1864 in Carlinville, Illinois. He was a Rotarian for only a few years, never holding office at

the club or international level. But that first Rotary meeting was held in

his office, Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago. He died in Chicago on 23 May 1918.

A Rotarian for only a few years, Shorey served as recording secretary during the club’s first year.

He was born in Maine in August 1862

and died in March 1944. Schiele, a coal dealer, served as the Chicago club’s first president in 1905

and Rotary International’s third treasurer in 1945. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1870, Schiele

attended Terre Haute Business College and served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-

American War. He was president of the Schiele Coal Company from 1902 until his retirement in 1939. He and

Harris became lifelong friends and lived near each other on the South

Side of Chicago. Schiele died on 17 December 1945 and is buried near Harris at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Originally from Michigan, Ruggles was a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and

joined Rotary at its second meeting. He was treasurer of the Chicago club during its first year, president from

1908 to 1910, and a Rotary director from 1912 to 1913. He is known for having introduced singing to Rotary

club meetings. His printing company, H.L. Ruggles & Co., printed the first issue of The National Rotarian and

the first Rotary songbook. He died on 26 October 1959, an honorary

member of seven clubs in addition to his home club, the Rotary Club of Chicago.

By Susan Hanf and Jason Lamb

Source: www. rotary.org

The first four Rotarians -- Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, Hiram E. Shorey, Paul P. Harris.

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Rotary International News

Former Rotary Peace Fellow encourages clubs to promote the program

By Daniela Garcia

Zewdineh Haile heard about Rotary’s Peace Centers program while participating at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo. A diplomat for the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Haile was committed to the pursuit of peace -- which led him to apply for the first class of Rotary Peace Fellows in 2002. “I have realized that our world needs well-prepared professionals who are capable of addressing conflicts in a pragmatic way,” Haile says. “I was then convinced that this cannot be done without having an exposure to the world of academia, where well-crafted courses on conflict resolution and international peace studies are provided.” Haile, who spoke last month during Rotary’s annual training event for incoming district leaders, emphasized how important it is for both Rotarians and non-Rotarians to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the fellowship program. He encouraged Rotary clubs to promote the program and to seek qualified applicants. “Peace is one of the core pillars for holistic development of any nation,” he says. “It is so crucial to produce well-educated peace cadres capable of designing effective intervention tools for conflicts.”

Diplomacy Today, Haile works as a researcher, trainer, and certified mediator in the field of diplomacy. He is a co-founder and managing director of Emahizee Global Consulting PLC, an international management consulting firm based in Africa, and president of the African Institute for Arbitration, Mediation, Conciliation and Research. Haile says his peace fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, played a pivotal role in his career. “The rich backgrounds of other fellows were a source of empirical knowledge that strengthened the courses prepared for the program,” he says. “The university’s community and the extensive resources made available through the program were extraordinary in deepening my understanding of durable and lasting peace and the mechanisms of its timely achievement.” Haile advises anyone interested in becoming a peace fellow to take advantage of the material available on rotary.org and to contact his or her local Rotary club or district to find out about the application deadline. He also suggests getting in touch with program alumni for further advice and guidance. “This fellowship is one of the most prestigious programs in the field made available to any capable and passionate individual who is eager to contribute to peace through knowledge,” Haile says. “I encourage those who have a passion for world peace to apply.”

Photo by Monika Lozinska/Rotary International

Two Big Candles for Rotary's Birthday Cake

“SOME things creep into our lives so quietly that they

seem to have been without beginning. From obscure and despised origin have come faiths that have lived to lift the gates of empires from their hinges. Rotary has developed

in less than a decade from a theory into the most important, practical business movement of the age. And more and better - it is respected wherever known. If

we could get far enough away to obtain a bird's-eye view of Rotary and take a moving picture of its growth, we would indeed say "wonderful."

If the success of the movement is due to one thing more than to any other, it is perhaps to the fact that Rotarians have always considered business as fit for society as

society is fit for business and have always been of the opinion that the world could get along a good deal better

without society than without business. I use the word society here in its narrow sense. Rotarians believe that business friends are as warm-

hearted as social friends and often much truer; that business will mix with friendship, and that the best way

to mix them is by elevating business to the plane of soulful friendship and not by lowering friendship to the plane of soulless business.”

Source: RGHF Feature

February 2013 THE OLYMPIANS 5

Rotary-pedia RCMO Club Training and e-Information

February is World Understanding Month

More on Grants Basics

PACKAGED GRANTS WHAT ARE PACKAGE GRANTS? Packaged grants have been predesigned by Rotary and our strategic partners. The activities they fund are similar to those funded by global grants in many ways—they support our areas of focus and can include scholarships, humanitarian projects, and vocational training—but the work of designing the activity’s general framework has already been done. This allows Rotarians to focus their talents and energies on bringing the project to life. With a packaged grant, your role could include:

Assessing community needs and identifying those who could benefit from a project Selecting and mentoring scholars Assembling teams of professionals for peer-based training Providing technical expertise or direct service Promoting and publicizing activities Monitoring and evaluating the project

HOW DO I APPLY FOR A PACKAGED GRANT? The Rotary Foundation accepts packaged grant applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. Before a district or club can apply, it must complete the qualification process. WHAT PACKAGED GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE? The types of packaged grants, described below, are currently available. As we transition into our new grant system, we’ll be steadily increasing these opportunities to include a wide range of projects and activities, locations, and levels of Rotarian involvement. Health educators training & nursing scholarships

Aga Khan University and The Rotary Foundation offer two packaged grants in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda: the first provides training to health educators and the second offers scholarships to nursing and midwifery students at the university’s East Africa campuses.

Developing local entrepreneurs In this packaged grant with strategic partner Oikocredit, Rotarians collaborate with microfinance institutions in their own communities to develop programs that help increase the impact of microcredit lending.

Vocational training and medical service This packaged grant with Mercy Ships helps assemble vocational training teams of medical professionals to work aboard the state-of-the-art hospital ship Africa Mercy, to deliver free, world-class health care, capacity building, and sustainable development to those without access in the developing world.

Water and sanitation scholarships This packaged grant provides scholarships for graduate students at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft, The Netherlands. The institution is the largest postgraduate water education institution in the world and aims to tackle the world’s water and sanitation crisis.

HOW ARE PACKAGED GRANTS FUNDED? Packaged grants are funded by the World Fund and the strategic partner for the grant.

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The Week That Was

Know more about the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia. Visit: www.facebook.com/groups/104770766281718/ and rcmakatiolympia.multiply.com.

THE OLYMPIANS editorial team:

adviser Rose Acoba editor Joel D. Adriano