Multi-District Rotary Foundation Grant Project in Jamaica

Every project starts with an idea.  The Rotary District Governors of Zones 33/34 came up with an idea a couple years ago to get together in Jamaica with a Centennial project to begin their year of service together as District Governors of Rotary International in Zones 33 & 34. Further, the idea involved Rotary International President John Germ accompanying them, and ceremoneously inducting them as governors for their respective districts while there.  

This idea ultimately became two projects.  One of which involved presenting a cataract surgery machine to Cornwall Regional Hospital, a 10 story, 400-bed public hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This public hospital is the only hospital outside of Kingston providing specialist services treating approximately 500,000 Jamaicans annually.  The US$80,000 cataract machine project was a multi-district global grant project funded jointly by The Rotary Foundation. Twenty-one district governors of Zones 33/34 were in attendance for the presentation.

Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Rotary International President John Germ and District 7020 Governor Haresh Ramchandani (our hero for hosting and planning the event) is shown with the plaque that honors recently deceased George Tyson, a classmate from District 7610, with District Governors of Zones 33/34.  Shown here are District Governors Dan Semanza (our hero for writing the grant), Chris Runion, Lance Young, John Scibal, Cliff Hutton, Roger Champion, Tom Smith, Jon Spillman, Pam Lightsey, Eric Gordon, Gary Dills, Ladd Waldo, Mike Chapman, Marshall Butler, Sandee Brooks, Joyce Gunter, Kim Waters and Jim Finley.

The late George Tyson of District 7610

The cataract surgery machine

The District Governors then got involved in a hands-on project at Granville Child Care Facility (aka Granville Girls Home).  This home had 57 girls in residence on the day of our visit, with the youngest of these children, just 10 years old.  The girls here have experienced varying degrees of trauma in their lives, including sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to violence, domestic and otherwise.  Two very young girls looked to be fairly far along in their pregnancies.  The girls are most receptive to counseling in a setting such as that envisioned by local Rotarians in a Peace Garden.  The Peace Garden project was funded by area Rotary Clubs with members working alongside the Rotary International President John Germ and Zones 33/34 District Governors with spouses and some of their children too, installing the Peace Garden.

Edie Ray, spouse of District 6900 Governor Raymond Ray, shovels, while her husband, Raymond, talks with Rotary Past District Governor Gary Gunter (spouse of District Governor Joyce Gunter) as District Governor Ladd Waldo also does the work preparing the Peace Garden.

Zone 34 Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator David Stovall, spouse of District 6910 Governor Kim Waters.

District Governor Mike Chapman does some heavy lifting with Assistant Rotary Coordinator Jeremy Hurst of the Grand Cayman Islands.

As President John Germ said when he saw this, "Now that's what it's all about."  Emily Butler, daughter of District Governor Marshall Butler and Karen, befriended two of the girls at the home.

Rotary International President John Germ shovels dirt with Shya Ramchandani, daughter of District 7020 Governor Haresh Ramchandani and Vindu.

President John Germ plants the final palm in the garden, a 'peace palm', with District 6910 Governor Kim Waters overlooking.

President John Germ, with wife Judy, in the Peace Garden, surrounded by Rotarians.

A multi-club meeting in Montego Bay started the weekend with these four area clubs sharing the good work of their area projects. President John Germ at sat the head table with four area club Presidents and District 7020 Governor Haresh Ramchandani.  Club Presidents at the head table were from the Rotary Clubs of Falmouth, Montego Bay, Rotary Montego Bay Sunrise and Montego Bay East.  Area Rotaract members also joined in the meeting as well.

Rotaract Club Vice-President Deidre Ann Brown with District 6910 Governor Kim Waters and Rotaract President Nekesha Dandy of the Rotaract Club of University of West Indies-WJC

A Rotaract leader, Paul Thompson. addresses the meeting, with President John Germ at the head table along with the presidents of the Rotary Club of Falmouth Club President Claude Thompson and District 7020 Governor Haresh Ramchandani.

The weekend culminated with an Installation Banquet.  Not only were the District Governors of Zones 33/34 installed, over a dozen Caribbean club presidents were inducted as well.  President John Germ inducted the District Governors, while Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator David Stovall and Assistant Rotary Coordinator Jeremy Hurst inducted and then presented the club presidents to Rotary International President John Germ.

As District 7020 Governor Elect Robert Leger, a surgeon from Haiti said, 'Seeing this machine at the hospital brought tears to my eyes knowing of the lives that would be changed by this.' Fittingly, District Governor Elect Robert and wife Rosa of Haiti were later presented and honored with Major Donor Recognition by Rotary Foundation Trustee Barry Rassin of Nassau, Bahamas and Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, David Stovall.

District 7020 Governor Elect Robert Leger and wife Rosa were recognized as Major Donors of The Rotary Foundation during the banquet.

This installation of district governors with a multi-district project collaboration amongst a class of governors with the participation of a Rotary International President is the first of its kind in the history of Rotary.  Truly, Rotary Serving Humanity.

District 6910 Governor's Letter - July 2016

Greetings, my fellow Rotarians,

Welcome to a new Rotary year!  This week marks the first week of our new Rotary year.  At the most recent Rotary international convention in Seoul, Korea, Rotary International President John Germ said that this could be the greatest year ever in Rotary history. With only 17 cases of the wild poliovirus in this calendar year,  we are on the verge of ending polio forever.   

How incredible that this could very well happen during the year we celebrate our Rotary Foundation's centennial.  Arch Klumph envisioned an endowment for doing good in the world at Atlanta's 1917 convention.  We will welcome Rotarians from all over the world in Atlanta June 10-14, 2017, celebrating 100 years of Our Rotary Foundation.  We in District 6910 are one of three host districts in Georgia, and together we have been preparing for several years to welcome the world to Atlanta.  To date, we have over 20,000 people registered for the convention, and we could very well see record attendance numbers.  Of course, we will need a large number of volunteers.  I hope you will be one of them if you can.  You can volunteer and register here.  Note that you must reserve your hotel rooms through this site as well, since Rotary has blocked out the rooms in Atlanta for this time period.

We have a number of ways to mark and celebrate our Foundation’s centennial.  

• 100% Paul Harris Fellow Club - To commemorate our Foundation’s centennial, District 6910 is working toward all 73 clubs becoming 100% Paul Harris Fellow clubs prior to the convention.  If your club is working toward this, I would suggest setting a goal deadline such as March 31, 2017 to make sure you're there by June 2017.  Our District Foundation Chair, Bill St. Clair, is spearheading this initiative, and has a team throughout the district ready to help your club achieve this recognition.

• Seek to increase your club's giving to our Annual Fund by at least 10%. What we are able to do in our local communities is only determined by how much we are willing to give.  
• #100ActsofGood - To mark the Rotary Foundation centennial, members everywhere are encouraged to do 100 acts of good throughout the year,  letting others know by posting photos of yourself on social media, along with a brief description of the act using #100actsofgood.
• Clubs are encouraged to complete a special community project commemorating the centennial or in honor of the centennial.  Promote your centennial events and projects by contacting local media and using #TRF100 on social media.  Also, list your projects and events on Rotary Club Central and Rotary Showcase for even more exposure.  Our House of Friendship at our District Conference in Chattanooga will also highlight the centennial projects of our District 6910 clubs. 
• The Centennial Million Dollar Dinner will be held on June 9, 2017 at The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, with Rotary International John Germ as our keynote speaker.  Guests are those who have made a new gift of $10,000 or greater to The Rotary Foundation in the form of an outright gift or a bequest. Rich Panyik is the person to contact if you're interested in learning more about how to become a part of this exciting event.

Registration will open July 7 for our District Conference that will be held on October 7-9 in Chattanooga.  My husband, David, and I will host a river cruise dinner aboard the Southern Bell on the Tennessee River for all club presidents, assistant governors and district leadership (and spouses/significant others) on Thursday evening, October 6 to kick off the event.   Someone asked me last week who attends District Conference.  My answer to that is "Everyone!"  I hope you will plan on being there.  We have secured a great rate of $149 for hotel rooms at the Chattanooga Downtown Marriott and we have an inspiring lineup of great speakers.  For a limited period of time (from July 7 until August 8), registration is just $185.  I hope that you'll not only register yourself, but your spouse or signifiant other as well, as our speakers are sure to entertain, inform and inspire both of you.  It's a holiday weekend, so you might even want to stay until Monday.

Please also mark your calendars for our Pillars of Success Seminar.  It will be held on Saturday, August 13, 2016 at Lanier Tech's Forsyth Campus.  Everyone is welcome, but it's especially important that your club leadership is there, including your membership team, your public image team, and your Rotary Foundation team.  Regarded as one of Rotary's top trainers, RI Director Brad Howard of Oakland, California is our featured keynote speaker for the event.

My primary role is to support you.  I'm here to help your club achieve and exceed its goals and celebrate your victories.  Speaking of which, we will celebrate these achievements on May 13, 2017 at District Assembly, including Club of the Year and Leadership Awards.  The Club Awards Points listed in the District Directory & Guidebook and The Presidential Citation are meant to help guide you and motivate you throughout the year.  Our Awards Chair, Marvin Kliman can help with questions on club points.  Together, as a team in District 6910, we are out to change as many lives as we can for the better.  We are Rotary Serving Humanity.

Sincerely,
Kim Waters
Rotary District 6910 Governor, 2016-17