The Rotary Club of Zacatlan, Mexico, brought a framed certificate to present to Sunup Rotary President Laura Vanderberg at this year's Mexico-USA Friendship Conference, in appreciation our club's co-sponsorship with their club of a Rotary Foundation Global Grant rainwater harvesting project, which benefitted a village in their part of Mexico. John Stewart, a member of our club's International Service Committee, accepted the certificate at the conference, in Laura's absence. At last week's meeting, in the absence of our anticipated speaker, John presented the Certificate of Appreciation to Laura. Sunup Rotary has had a tradition, dating back many years, of sponsoring water projects in other countries to benefit communities lacking access to safe drinking water,
The Ripple Effect
PDG Ray Sanford
Rotary Club of San Joan Capistrano, CA
The Beginning - 1905 to 1920s
In a room in Chicago, Paul Harris had a bright idea. He planted a seed called Rotary, and that seed soon sprouted into a global movement. By the 1920s, Rotary Clubs were growing like weeds, nurturing local communities and supporting children with disabilities.
The Mid Century - 1930s to 1960s
The ‘30s saw Rotary keeping stride with the times, sharing values with the likes of FDR, an honorary Rotarian. Though not directly tied to the March of Dimes, Rotary was busy helping institutions for disabled children. And let's not forget Rotary's role in forming the United Nations, and UNESCO's creation in 1943.
The Modern Era - 1970s to Present
The ‘70s brought Rotary's move against polio, starting with a massive immunization in the Philippines. Other partnerships, like the one with the Gates Foundation, turned the spotlight on Rotary's relentless pursuit of a polio-free world.
The Ripple Effect: Rotary's Offshoots
Here's where Rotary's influence truly shines. Like pebbles tossed into a pond, Rotary's ripple effect has touched various shores:
Lions Clubs and Kiwanis: Borrowing from Rotary's playbook, these organizations embraced the community service spirit rather than being just social organizations.
Interact and Rotaract: Rotary's own kids, teaching the next generation the value of giving back.
Soroptimist, Zonta, and Round Table: Each of these found inspiration in Rotary's example, focusing on empowering various groups through service.
Today, Rotary’s still at the forefront leading the way toward peace, health, and education.
CLUB SERVICE
IN MEMORIUM
PDG Art Harrington
Prescott Sunup Rotary Club
Prescott Sunup Rotary Club
One of the greatest benefits and privileges of Rotary membership is the opportunity to meet and personally work with some of the most incredible people in the world. Such a person was my friend Sandra Day O’Connor, who passed away on Friday.
During my 18 years of membership with the 375-member Phoenix 100 Rotary Club, the historic 100th club in Rotary, Sandra’s attorney husband John was the Club President during one of those years, and I was serving as the club’s International Service Director. Although it was before Rotary began including women, be assured that Judge Sandra was actively involved in making things happen with Rotary.
One of the annual events our club sponsored was a dinner for the foreign students and their spouses attending the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Business Management. Sandra loved to plan big events, and during John’s year as President, she decided that they should host that dinner outside by the pool at their home in Paradise Valley. We worked together in planning that event. As with most things Sandra planned, it turned out to be a beautiful moonlit evening enjoyed by all, with the guests wearing traditional costumes from their countries, and a number of them performing songs and dances for us at different times during the evening.
Building on my connections with the Rotary Club of Queretaro, Mexico, we also decided to launch that year, during the summer, the first-ever Rotary Youth Exchange in Arizona. Sandra and John were deeply committed to this innovative relationship between our Phoenix 100 Rotary and Queretaro Rotary Clubs, and they decided to send their two sons as outbound participants. They also wanted to host one of the inbound boys from Queretaro, but their professional commitments required them to be gone during part of that time. Consequently, it was agreed that they would host the boy for the first part of the exchange, and we would host him for the remainder of the time in our home.
As you all know, Sandra went on to continue to be an innovator, and she accomplished so much during her lifetime, including becoming the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. But had in not been for my membership in Rotary, I would have never had the opportunity to know, and to serve with, one of the most remarkable women of our time.
YOUTH & INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
From Prescott High School Interact: Please share with your Rotary club that the PHS JROTC is hosting a Blood Drive on Tuesday, December 5. To schedule an appointment, use this link: https://donors.vitalant.org/dwp/portal/dwa. Once the link opens, type in "Badgers" in the Blood Drive Code box. It will take you to this blood drive, and will show the appointment times available.
Also from Prescott High Interact: On Acker Night, this Friday from 5:00 - 8:00, at the Hive (203 N. Cortez), we will be taking donations, in exchange for a handmade card or ornament, which will benefit the Baking for Beds Project. This is a project of the Naivasha (Kenya) Girls' School Interact Club. They are raising funds to purchase the necessary commercial kitchen equipment, which will enable them to bake and sell bread, in order to expand their seriously-overcrowded dormitory.
Things My Mother Taught Me
• My mother taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”
• My mother taught me RELIGION. “You better pray that will come out of the carpet.
• My mother taught we about TIME TRAVEL. “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into next week.”
• My mother taught me LOGIC. “Because I say so, that’s why.”
• My mother taught me FORESIGHT. “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.”
• My mother taught me IRONY. “Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.
• My mother taught me about STAMINA. “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
• My mother taught me about WEATHER. “This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.”
• My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times...Don’t exaggerate!”
• My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. “Just wait until we get home!”
You gotta’ love these mothers!
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When life gives you lemons, give them back and tell life you want coffee.
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A ship carrying a load of red paint collided with a ship carrying a load of purple paint.
Both crews were marooned.
Both crews were marooned.
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