Rotopeka - May-june 2009

Volume 65, Number 11&12

May—June , 2009

Can’t Make the Convention

Attend it Virtually with Us Topeka Rotary Club Website will keep you up on all the Rotary International Activities and Happenings

The Editor’s Blog

W

e have slowly added new features over the past few years to the Rotopeka and the website. We’ve experimented with live streaming our meetings, we connect with many of you through Facebook and Twitter and we have found a really exciting and innovative way to share the Rotopeka with you online. We’ve been mentioned in the Rotary International magazine, The Rotarian and on more than one occasion, the Rotopeka has been viewed by more than 1000 people worldwide.

With the Rotary International Convention just around the corner, we are going to use the power of the internet and social networking to bring you coverage of the convention. We’ll include many of the live streams of information, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter directly to our website and our other affiliated pages to keep you up to date on everything Rotary. It’s our way of using the tools we have to communicate more effectively with you and to share the Rotary International experience, even if you can’t be there. Make sure you visit our website during this time, not just for the Rotary International Convention updates, but to check out the newsletter in its digital form. We understand that the layout and design of a traditional paper newsletter is important, so we’ve kept that same format for you to read on your screen. Even more importantly, there is no cost to print the Rotopeka this way and it’s published instantly. Check the digital version and let us know what you think. Drop me an email at [email protected] and share your thoughts.

2

Rotary on the Web 

Rotary International Website— www.rotary.org



Rotary District 5710 Website— www.rotary5710.org



Rotary Club Website— www.downtowntopekar otary.org



Rotary International Foundation— www.rotary.org/ foundation



Twitter— www.twitter.com/ topekarotary

What you may have missed Look deep in the heart of Kansas and you’ll just find one of the top media talents in Hollywood. Jason Opat’s Company, Integrated Media Group of Wichita has worked on several blockbuster Hollywood films, by adding special effects to the scenes we see in film. Jason demonstrated many of the projects his company has produced. Integrated Media Group is currently in pre-production of a feature length documentary that addresses rural economic decline. The film follows personal stories of those affected by the urbanization of American, while exploring revitalization solutions. For more information IMG, visit www.integratedmediagrp.com

Use your cell phone to make a one-time US$5 or £5 donation to help End Polio Now. Proceeds will go toward Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge . Terms and conditions -- for those donating over U.S. cell phone networks A one-time charge will be added to your mobile phone bill. Standard messaging rates and additional fees may apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Proceeds benefit The Rotary Foundation and are collected by the Mobile Giving Foundation in the United States. The service is available on most carriers. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to 90999. For full terms in the United States, visit www.mgive.com/a.

3

Minutes from May Board of Trustees Secretary’s Report: Approved as presented. Moved by Alvin, seconded by Glenda.

Rotary Club of Topeka Officers

Treasurer’s Report: Accepted as presented. Moved by Blanche, seconded by Terry. Gary also reviewed the preliminary 2009-10 budget and 2008-09 projections. April 30 Membership: 196

PRESIDENT—Kirk Johnson PRESIDENT-ELECT—Terry Wages VICE-PRESIDENT—Gordon Lansford TREASURER—Gary Knoll SECRETARY—John Wall SERGEANT AT ARMS—Mike Locke Board Members

New Member proposals: for Scott Gales & Marilu Balista were presented, Henry moved to approve, Gordon seconded, passed. Leave of Absence Request: from Carole Ries was approved, April 1 to September 30.

David Beck

Attendance Privileges: were approved for Bill McBride and Charles Jeffress.

Alvin Dvorak

Annual Banquet: will be the last Thursday of June.

Glenda DuBoise

Golf Tournament Update: Henry reported it made over $5,000 profit.

Fred Gatlin Jennifer Haller Henry McClure Joy Moser

RYLA: Susan reported that eight registrations have been awarded. Next board meeting: will be June 10 at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library. Meeting adjourned.

Blanche Parks

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Mauch

John Wall

Past President—Joan Wagnon THE ROTOPEKA Editor—Greg Hill Published Monthly by the Downtown Rotary Club of Topeka Downtown Ramada I nn, Suite 110 Topeka, Kansas 66607 Subscription $2.00 per year Periodicals Postage Paid at Topeka, Kansas USPS 471860 POSTMASTER: Send address change to Rotopeka 420 SE 6th, Suite 110 Topeka, KS 66607 Rotopeka deadline is two weeks prior to the first Thursday of the month

4

Resignations: were received from Kevin Graham & Margart Warren, Blanche moved to accept, Susan seconded, passed.

Message from the President By Kirk Johnson, President

N

o, our Rotopeka Editor, Greg Hill didn’t decide to play a late April fool’s joke on me, I asked that the ―Unhappy Face‖ replace my photo for this addition of our newsletter. You see, we won’t receive the Presidential Citation for the 2008-09 Rotary Year. The Rotary Club of Topeka has received the award for a number of years, and I feel badly that we won’t during the year that I have been privileged to be president. So where did we come up short? Only one area – MEMBERSHIP. The goal set by our District Governor should have been pretty easy. The goal at the beginning of the year was a net increase of just 1 member. Unfortunately we have had a net loss of 5 or 6 members. Although we have added several good new members, we have lost more through deaths, job changes and quite frankly, some who have lost interest in Rotary. I am naturally an optimist and try to keep a health perspective on even bad news and events. When I was reading the reminder from District Governor Vicki that the Presidential Citation certification forms were due, and knew that we didn’t qualify, my mind quickly put together a list of all the others things that we’ve done this past year, many of which we have consistently done for a long time. This list reads as follows: Literacy – we promote literacy though gifts of books to East Avondale, Scott Magnet school and dictionaries to all 5th graders in the 501 District. We also provided scholarships though the Washburn Woman’s Alliance to deserving, non-traditional students. Polio Eradication/ Polio Plus –We will raise approximately $5000 for this effort from our 1 st Annual Golf Tournament. This event will surely be bigger next year. Every Rotarian Every Year – we will provide over $16,000 to the International Rotary Foundation to provide program funding. We also have 5 members of the Paul Harris Society, contributing $1 000 per year to the International Rotary Foundation. Commitment to Youth – we will sponsor 8 young people to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy and we successfully sponsored the 3 rd Youth Vocational Day. We also sponsor the Interact Club at Topeka High School. International Service/Promotion of Peace and Understanding – We provided $2500 for international students at Washburn University, participated in the Group Study Exchange with the Philippines and will host aRotary Youth (Continued on page 6)

Upcoming Programs June 18—Brad Allen, GSE Team Member—Highlights of GSE Experience June 25—Janet Hamberg, University of Kansas—Motivating Moves® for Healthy Living July 2—Annual Banquet at TCC, No Noon Meeting July 9—Terry Wages, Rotary President - Rotary International Convention Report

5

Exchange Student.

What does Rotary Do?

Health and Childhood Mortality – though a district matching grant and partnerships with other organizations, we made possible an ambulance for a hospital serving a very poor area in Bangladesh.

The next time you are asked what our club does, remember all the wonderful projects we have helped make a reality. Here are several of those projects:

Promoting Rotary in the Community - Blanche Parks and others have done a fantastic job in letting the press know about Topeka Rotary, our events and successes. This promotes the ideals of Rotary.

Christmas in April

Stan Teeter—District Treasurer, Chair Strategic Planning Committee

Help with TARC Winter Wonderland

Larry Dimmitt—District Finance Committee Chair, Foundation Chair

Additionally, our club contributes to District 5710’s success through the following individuals:

Dick Knoll—Assistant District Governor

Dictionaries in School

Staci Williams—District International Service Chair, GSE Committee

Dental Screenings Scholarships for Washburn Students Florence Crittenden Services RYLA Vocational Day for Junior High Sponsor Ambassadorial Scholars Christmas Bureau Sponsor East Avondale Activities

Phil Coolidge—Outbound GSE Chair Hurst Coffman—Permanent Fund Giving & Benefactors Chair

O. K., that was therapeutic, and I feel better, but do I feel alright about not meeting our membership goal? NO. We all need to redouble or efforts to recruit vital new members who will help our club do good things to help others in our community and beyond. I do feet great about our club and the good things we will accomplish in the future.

Polio Reconstructive Surgery— India Cataract Surgery—Pakistan Ambulance Project—Bangladesh Medical Team—Panama Shelter Box Books for Peace Corp Volunteers And Much, Much More

Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?"

6

Alaskan students go digital By Peter Schmidtke Rotary International News -- 15 June 2009

A close-up photo of a sleepy-eyed Labrador retriever. A family crest reproduced on a class blog. A two-minute movie featuring a bear catching fish in a rushing, clear river. These varied projects were all produced by students in Soldotna, Alaska, USA, using digital cameras, editing software, and printer/scanners purchased through a District Simplified Grant and contributions from the Rotary Club of Soldotna, the city, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. During the 2008 academic year, elementary through high school teachers at four schools used the 51 cameras and supplementary equipment, valued at $15,000, in their classrooms for a variety of lessons, including a digital pen pal project with schoolchildren in Russia.

Fourth graders at K-Beach Elementary School in Soldotna, Alaska, USA, show the blog on which they've posted photos taken with Rotary club-funded digital cameras. Photo courtesy of Rotary Club of Soldotna

"With third graders, we were doing a lot of teaching of how to use the camera and download the images onto the computer," says John Pothast, Redoubt Elementary School principal and president of the Soldotna club. "What we found out is that our third graders had no knowledge of any of that." By the end of the year, Pothast says, the students were taking photos and incorporating them into storybooks and PowerPoint presentations. Older students used the equipment in digital video, photography, and yearbook courses. Club member and project leader Joe Kashi also worked with teachers to link the Alaskan students digitally with students in six Siberian schools in District 5010, which includes parts of Canada and Russia as well as Alaska. The project is in its infancy, but some students have already made international connections, exchanging e-mails and photos. "This piqued interest from Belorechensk students in things they previously did not pay attention to, such as Russia selling Alaska," says Past District Governor Vladimir Donskoy about the approximately 20 Russian students who have corresponded through the aid of a Google translator. "Now they seem to understand why Alaska has many Russian geographical names." Communicating outside the district, 24 fourth graders in Jason Daniels's class in Soldotna have been interacting through a blog with students from an English-language school in Moscow. In addition to featuring posts about class outings such as an ecology trip, the English-Russian language blog provides links to students' photos and writings. Daniels included the digital exchange in social studies and geography lessons and held a digital photography contest in his class. "Our long-term intention would be to get a Pan-Arctic digital pen pal project going involving Scandinavia and northern Japan as well," says Kashi.

7

See the online coverage of the RI Convention From 18 to 25 June, get a glimpse of Rotary's international spirit of fellowship and humanitarian service through the online coverage of the RI Convention and preconvention events, including articles, photos, and videos. Also read what Mia Farrow, Jane Goodall, and others say at the plenary sessions and other events. The convention, which takes place 21-24 June in Birmingham, England, celebrates the accomplishments of the family of Rotary. Preconvention events begin 18 June and include the Rotary World Peace Symposium, with keynote speaker Desmond Tutu. New this year, get convention updates on RI's social networking sites. As in the past, special editions of the Weekly Update will be sent out during the convention. Sign up now for this free newsletter. Key speeches from Rotary leaders and reports from the treasurer and general secretary will be available online during and immediately after the convention. Be a part of Rotary's biggest event, the RI Convention.

Meeting Makeups Topeka West—Wednesday, 7 AM Marriott Courtyard, 2033 SW Wannamaker Topeka South—Friday, 7 AM— Kansas Room, Washburn University Memorial Union Topeka North—Wednesday, noon—Topeka North YMCA Board Room. 1936 NW Tyler.

8