Day: February 1, 2024
A virtuous cycle
I am enthused and encouraged by your embrace of mental health initiatives throughout the Rotary world. More than 1,000 of you have responded so far
To throw or not to throw….
Over the last 25 years our family has shrunk. But for some reason that I can’t explain, our house has grown from a two-bedroom thing with a large terrace to a five-bedroom thing with virtually no terrace. We only use one bedroom, however. The remaining four rooms are used as storerooms, because, well, they are there. But every now and then, the urge to clean up, especially when the weather is benign, comes upon us and we start looking for things we can discard or, because hope springs eternal, sell. But eventually all the effort results in nothing more than rearranging a lot of junk. It also involves severe emotional obstinacy on everyone’s part. Fights ensue. Sulks rule the day. In the end it’s the whiskey that provides much needed balm.
Partners’ support in Rotary leadership
Thank you for the commitment you make as partners of Rotarians serving as district governors
Learn about the good stress
Anxious, worried, troubled were familiar words. But its synonym — stress was still new on the scene. Over time, I’ve got it. Stress is all of the above.
Rotary inks pact with insurance firm
An MoU was signed between Rotary India and insurance broking company RFL at the zone institute in Bengaluru to facilitate the flow of funds every time Rotarians, or their references, purchase an insurance policy, whether it is for general, health or motor cover.
Turn solar in 2024!
Whoever said it was right. Solar power is the energy resource that isn’t owned yet—nobody taxes the Sun! From the break of dawn till dusk, the sun shares its heat with the earth. And in India, which lies close to the equator, there is bountiful sunlight for most part of the year. Luckily for us, this solar energy is not only freely available, but we also have the technology to harness it to light up our lives. Solar power, as is well known, is the cleanest and greenest energy resource that we can easily tap into.
Club HOP – February 2024
RC Chidambaram Central — RID 2981 Sewing machines and dustbins, all worth ₹40,000, were donated to the Government Girls HS School. RC Sankagiri —
Fuelling dreams of women entrepreneurs
RC Bangalore Yelahanka, RID 3192, and the Rotary Action Group for Community and Economic Development (RAGCED) organised a Women’s Entrepreneurship Festival in Bengaluru. Rakesh Babuji, chair of the RAGCED-India chapter, said the objective was to showcase the importance of innovation and inspire women from humble background to start their businesses with confidence.
Rotarians help flood victims in south TN
Even as Chennai and its neighbouring districts were reeling from the devastation of cyclone Michuang, a second major deluge paralysed four districts — Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tenkasi and Kanyakumari — in southern Tamil Nadu, as extremely heavy rains pounded the region for a week in December. Several towns and villages were ravaged and farmlands destroyed. Every small river and tributary had turned into lethal water streams across the four districts.
Rotaract is the present of Rotary
A lot of people describe Rotaract as the future of Rotary. But I very much believe that Rotaract is the present of Rotary. The skills that Rotaract can bring to the Rotary table are fantastic and complementary to the skills that Rotarians have,” said RI President Gordon McInally, addressing the DRRs and DRREs at the Rotaract seminar at the Rotary zone institute in Bengaluru. He is a former member of Rotaract Club of South Queensferry, Scotland.
Rotary hospital provides quality care in Sirsi
To celebrate its silver jubilee in 1985, Rotary Club of Sirsi, RID 3170, set up a small charitable hospital. Today that has blossomed into a multi-specialty 65-bed hospital, offering medical services to the people of three revenue districts of Karnataka — Uttara Kannada, Haveri and Shimoga.
‘Khushi’ fosters new bonding
Orphaned Mahima Patil (13) says, “I got my grandparents during RYLA and am grateful to Rotary for creating
Friendship beyond borders
It has always been my dream to visit Pakistan and Bangladesh — the two countries which were part of India before 1947. I could visit Bangladesh twice on business trips in 2019. But my desire to visit Pakistan remained a dream till recently when I got an invitation from my batchmate TRF trustee Aziz Memon to attend his son Sinan’s wedding in Karachi.
Inspiration around every corner
It’s a tale as old as the Rotary International Convention: Two members from different clubs bump into each other, start chatting, and get the spark of an idea for a project.
A Rotary Mithai Mission for our soldiers
Sometimes chance meetings can lead to major initiatives. It was one such encounter that led to the much-feted Mithai Mission of the Rotary Club of Chandigarh, RID 3080. My better-half Usha was travelling to the national capital on the Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi Express in 2016 when she met this dashing young army officer. The affable young man who wore a big smile struck a conversation with Usha. Intrigued, she inquired about the challenges faced by army personnel.
RI President visits Chandigarh
Thank you for saving 777 lives,” said RI President Gordon McInally to the members of the Rotary Club of Chandigarh, RID 3080, as he visited Fortis Hospital in Mohali, which has been partnering with the club since 1991 in the Rotary Heartline project under which free heart surgeries are done. Till date, this project has saved 777 precious lives by doing cardiac surgery on children with heart problems. “I would say you have not just saved 777 lives… you have actually given new lives to 777 children, a commendable feat,” he said.
Archers Aditi and Deotale get Arjuna Award
Archers Aditi Gopichand Swami (17) and Ojas Deotale (21), who made India proud at the Hangzhou Asian Games, were felicitated with the Arjuna Awards by the Union government. They had been nominated for the Arjuna Award when they were honoured at the Rotary zone institute in Bengaluru. (For more details, read Now India matters in global games — Rotary News, January 2024.