Rotary International Rotaract Committee January Newsletter

Dear Rotaractors and Rotarians,

I am pleased to announce the release of the second Rotary International Rotaract Committee Newsletter.

The purpose of this newsletter is to help spread the word of what the Rotary International Committee is, who is part of it and to update you on important matters that affect Rotaract.

This issue contains lots of interesting articles covering topics such as:
- Message from Chair Terry Phillips including an announcement about the Polio Challenge
- Learn to find the answers
- Who are the members of the RI Rotaract Committee?
- New Generations E-newsletter
- How the Committee Communicates with you
- Rotaract Recognition & Awards
- Submit your data to RI by 1st May
- Rotaract Preconvention 2009

You can access the newsletter by clicking on the link below:
http://www.rotaract-thames-valley.org.uk/maidenhead/RICommittee/RIRotaractCommitteeNewswire_Jan09.pdf

The newsletter is in Acrobat PDF format. To read it, you need a program called Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from www.adobe.com.

Help us to spread the word and this newsletter by forwarding it onto Rotaractors and Rotarians in your Zone, District and Club.

Happy reading…

Lisa Burnett
Rotary International Rotaract Committee Member 2008-09
Chairman Rotaract Host Committee – Rotary International Convention - Birmingham 2009

Rotaract is an opportunity to...

Email: lisa.burnett@brum09.com Birmingham 2009 Preconvention Social Event Website: www.brum09.com

Dear Rotaractors, Rotarians, RYLArians, Foundation Alumni and Rotary Family Members

Firstly Happy New Year from all of the Burm09 crew - we hope you had an enjoyable festive season and are rested and raring to go for 2009. With less than 6 months remaining until the event of the year, have you registered for the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting and Social Program yet? No, then what are you waiting for?

Join in the Swinging Sixties fun, let down your hair and socialise with Rotaractors from all over the world. We've got an amazing social program planned for you that includes:

• An Indian Night - enjoy traditional curry, the UK's national dish, and Indian Dance
• Swinging Sixties Theme Club Night including a free glass of bubbly
• Brindley Place Pub Crawl around the great city canals
• A Medieval Spectacular - Warwick Castle (HOC Ticket Event organised by Rotary)
• Evening visit to the Snowdome - Snow, Ice & Leisure
• Afternoon visit to Cadbury World and Bourneville

It's going to be a superb event but places are limited so get in quick and join the other Rotaractors who have already registered - visit www.brum09.com to book your place.

New Packages Added
We would like to extend a very warm welcome to all Rotary Family Members and invite you to join in the amazing social events that we've planned for Birmingham 2009.

Even though the events have been planned with Rotaractors in mind there's no reason why Foundation Alumni and RYLArians can't join in the fun and fellowship. We've even created some packages especially with you in mind! Visit www.brum09.com to find out more.

Feeling the penny pinch?
Remember, as stated in the Rotaract Handbook (page 10), it states that the sponsoring Rotary Clubs/Districts should pay for Rotaract Leaders to receive official training…and the good news is…Birmingham qualifies. So do talk to your Sponsoring Club and ask for assistance with the cost of attending the Rotaract Preconvention 2009. Download the Rotaract Handbook from http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/562en.pdfg

With more good news for you - it's now cheaper than ever to come to the UK as the VAT (Value Added Tax) rate has just been lowered, meaning you pay less for hotels, food, entertainment etc. Its also good news for our American/European friends, with the strong Dollar/Euro compared to the Pound you can travel for less - so take advantage while this lasts!

Preconvention Meeting
During the day you can join in the discussions at the Preconvention meetings taking place at the National Exhibition Arena (NEC) covering a wide range of topics relevant to Rotaractors today. Keynote speakers include the leadership of Rotary International.

Remember this is the only "OFFICIAL" Rotary International sponsored Rotaract event for 2009 and the only one where the RI President will address Rotaractors specifically at our own convention meeting. It's truly international, not regional!!

How can you register?

• Visit our website www.brum09.com and book for the Rotaract Social Program
• Get registered with Rotary International by downloading the pdf booking form:http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/c09_registration_form_en.pdf
• Book your hotel – the ETAP International is the official Rotaract hotel but you’ll need to book your room now to ensure you get in! Visit http://www.rotaryconvention2009.com/hotels.html
  (N.B This has been arranged by Rotary International and not the Rotaract Host Committee)
• Buy host event tickets online from www.rotaryconvention2009.com

So don't miss out on this great opportunity to visit Birmingham and take part in some great social events. Visit www.brum09.com for more information.

Promote the 2009 Rotaract Preconvention
Help us to spread the word about the 2009 Rotaract Preconvention by downloading the RI brochure and sending it round the Rotaractors in your club/district/MDIO. Click on the link below to access the brochure: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/rotaract_preconvention_guide09_en.pdf

We’ve also created a promotion video for the Rotaract Social Program– click on the link below to view it:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2cbRh3yoxmY&eurl=http://www.brum09.com/index.php

We promise to show you a good time in Birmingham, the Heart of England, with a fun-filled social program and the opportunity to network with fellow Rotary Family members from all over the world.

Yours in the Rotary Family

Lisa Burnett
Chairman Rotaract Host Committee Birmingham 2009
Email: lisa.burnett@brum09.com Birmingham 2009 Preconvention Social Events Website: www.brum09.com

Rotary International's New Generations e-newsletter

Hi everyone

Rotary International have recently started producing a New Generations e-newsletter each month.

New Generations is monthly e-newsletter designed to inform program participants and Rotarians about news and developments in Interact, Rotaract, and RYLA and to give you ideas on how to get more involved with these programs in your communities.

The RI Rotaract Committee would like to encourage as many of you as possible to subscribe to this e-newsletter to hear about the success stories from around the World.

To be added to the distribution list for the New Generations e-newsletter, please click on the link below:
http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101424972933&p=oi

When the web page has loaded enter your email and click on submit. On the next page select New Generations_ Rotaract from the list and complete the other information, following the instructions on the screen.

Please note for the purposes of maintaining RI’s contacts' information, they are maintaining three separate contact lists for this newsletter (Interact, Rotaract, and RYLA) but all will receive the same publication.

We hope you enjoy the e-newsletter

Lisa Burnett
Rotary International Rotaract Committee Member 2008-09
Chairman Rotaract Host Committee – Rotary International Convention - Birmingham 2009

Rotaract is an opportunity to...

Email: lisa.burnett@brum09.com Birmingham 2009 Preconvention Social Event Website: www.brum09.com

Welcome to our first newsletter from the RI Rotaract Committee

Dear Rotaractors and Rotarians,

I am pleased to announce the release of the very first Rotary International Rotaract Committee Newsletter.

The purpose of this newsletter is to help spread the word of what the purpose of this committee is and who is part of it. This is going to be a regular communication feature from your committee so you can be kept up to date with important matters that affect Rotaract.

This first issue contains lots of interesting articles covering topics such as:
- What is the Rotaract Committee supposed to do?
- Rotaract Committee Chair Address
- Meet the 2008-09 RI Rotaract Committee
- Make Dreams Real
- Rotaract Resources
- Rotaract Club Recognition & Awards
- 2009 Rotaract Preconvention
- Rotaract around the world
- Address: RI President Dong-Kurn Lee

You can access the newsletter by clicking on the link below:
http://www.rotaract-thames-valley.org.uk/~maidenhead/RICommittee/RIRotaractCommitteeNewswire_Nov08.pdf

The newsletter is in Acrobat PDF format. To read it, you need a program called Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free from www.adobe.com.

Help us to spread the word and this newsletter by forwarding it onto Rotaractors and Rotarians in your Zone, District and Club.

Happy reading…

Lisa Burnett
Rotary International Rotaract Committee Member 2008-09
Chairman Rotaract Host Committee – Rotary International Convention - Birmingham 2009

Greetings from the RI Rotaract Committee

Greetings from the Rotary International Rotaract Committee.

Your committee has just completed a three day meeting qt Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, USA. One of the major topics covered in our two day meeting was the Preconvention meeting in Birmingham, England, June 19-20, 2009. We are planning an exciting and informative meeting for those who attend. There will be many opportunities for fellowship with Rotaractors from around the world. While attending the meeting you will be able to share your projects and practices with others and pick up new ideas. Join us in Birmingham if you can and help us Make Dreams Real around the world – visit www.rotaract.org or www.brum09.com for more information.

We also met with committee members for RYLA, Youth Exchange, and Interact. We discussed how we might work together to strengthen each others programs and how we might find more ways to cooperate with each other.

We will be working this year to serve you, to improve communications, and to provide feedback to the Rotary International Board. Watch for additional messages from the Rotaract Committee and share these communications with Rotaractors in your Districts and Clubs.

Linked in Rotaract and Rotary,

Terry Phillips, Rotary International Rotaract Chair
Dong-Joon Lee, Vice-Chair

Members:
- Hector A. Boffel
- Eva Brodehl
- Donald H. Craighead
- Michele D. Guy

Rotaract Representatives:
- Lisa J. Burnett
- Mary Kathryn DeLodder
- You-Sun Lee
- Juan Jose Martinez Rivas
- Krishnakumar Narayanan
- Lawi Sultan Njeremani

Ideas para la celebración del 40 Aniversario de Rotaract

Hola amigos, he creado este post para escuchar y leer sus ideas de todo el mundo sobre la manera en que debemos celebrar el 40 aniversario de Rotaract. Por favor no tengan pena y dejen fluir su imaginación, el Comité Rotaract estará escogiendo las mejores ideas y las estará mostrando en la página web de Rotaract www.rotaract.org

Saludos

Alvaro Ortega Noel
Comité Rotaract para Rotary International
Club Rotaract de Panamá

Ideas for the celebration of the 40th Rotaract Anniversary

Hello my friends, I created this post to listen and read your ideas from all over the world about the way we should celebrate the 40th Rotaract Anniversary.

Please don't be shy and let your imagination flow, the Rotaract Committee will be picking up the best ideas and will be posting them at the http://www.rotaract.org/ website.

Regards

Alvaro Ortega Noel
Rotary International Rotaract Committee 2007-2008
Rotaract Club of Panamá

Call for Nominations for 2008/09 Committee

The current RI Rotaract Committee is seeking recommendations for nominees for the 2008/09 RI Rotaract Committee to forward to RI President Elect D.K. Lee for his consideration.

Please ask your DRRs and MDIO Chairmen to recommend any outstanding, active Rotaractors that have the qualities to be an active member of this team. Please send their curriculums to the current RI Rotaract committee as soon as possible (before the end of this week!).

Posted by Simone on behalf of Alvaro Ortega

Rotary Code of Polices. Article 41.020 (Related to Rotaract Program)

Rotary Code of Polices.
Article 41.020 (Related to Rotaract Program)

Hello my friends, I am sending you this resume of the Article 41.020 that is part of the Rotary Code of Polices were you can find interesting information that can help you to improve your relationship with your sponsor Rotary Club and also let them know that there are several recommendations and suggestion that are already written in the Rotary Code of Polices referring responsibilities and other issues regarding Rotaract.

I strongly recommend to read all the article, since is very interesting and take the time to read the rest of the code, I guarantee you that by doing this, will give you a better understanding of the Rotarians and how they work.

41.020. Rotaract
This is a structured program of Rotary International, adopted by the Board in 1968.

There are 9 official Rotary International structured programs, RYLA, Rotaract, Interact, Youth Exchange, Rotary Community Corps, World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers and Rotary Friendship Exchange.

Rotaract Statement of Policy

22. Governors are requested to appoint district Rotaract committees, composed of Rotarians
from various parts of the district, to assist the governor in publicizing the Rotaract program,
promoting the organization of new Rotaract clubs, and administering the program of Rotaract within the district. Where feasible and practicable in the appointment of district Rotaract committees, there should be provision for continuity of membership by appointing one or more members for a second term.

This point is very important since the District Committee chair is the link between what is happening in a Rotaract District and the Governor.


23. Rotaract organization and meetings beyond the club level:
e) The purpose of the district-wide meeting of Rotaract clubs is to promote community
service projects, increase international understanding and enhance professional development in a context of friendship and camaraderie.

Note in this point the purpose of the meetings beyond club level, “promote community service projects and international understanding” in these last years in many places a degeneration has occurred in this kind of meetings, being more parties than rotaract instruction.

25. Leadership Training
a) All incoming Rotaract club officers shall be provided with Rotaract club officers
leadership training at the district level, such training to include a one to two-day
leadership training seminar conducted by the district Rotaract committee in coordination
with the RI district Rotaract committee for all incoming Rotaract club officers, directors,
and committee chairs to be paid for by the sponsoring Rotary clubs, or where
circumstances dictate, by a mutually agreed-upon financial arrangement involving the
sponsoring Rotary clubs, Rotary district, and the Rotaract participants.

Here are two points that needs to be discussed with your governor, first Rotaract club officers need training and is responsibility of the District Rotaract Committee to provide it and second there is a strong recommendation for sponsoring Rotary clubs, to pay or help financially these officers to attend to the training.

41.020.1. Purpose of the Program
The purpose of Rotaract is to provide an opportunity for young men and women to
enhance the knowledge and skills that will assist them in personal development, to
address the physical and social needs of their communities and to promote better relations
among all people worldwide through a framework of friendship and service. (June 1998
Mtg., Bd. Dec. 348)

For those who didn’t know it, this is the purpose of Rotaract.


41.020.3. Rotaract Training
All incoming governors-elect are encouraged to provide adequate training to their
incoming Rotaract club presidents and, where appropriate, include such training as part of
the program of the Rotary district assembly. (June 1998 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 348)

41.020.7. Rotaractors at Conventions
There shall be provision for full participation by registered Rotaractors at the
international conventions, including opportunities for attendance at all plenary, ticketed
and discussion group sessions.
As a part of the official program of the convention, there should be a Rotaract
preconvention meeting prior to the commencement of the convention, to be arranged and
implemented by RI and to include discussion of issues identified by the RI Rotaract
committee as important to Rotaractors. The preconvention meeting should be conducted
in accordance with RI policy regarding convention operations and procedures. The
general secretary should ensure that Rotaractors have opportunities to participate in the
development of the Rotaract preconvention meeting program. The preconvention
meeting should include a separate district Rotaract representative training session. Such
training session should focus on the roles and responsibilities of district Rotaract
representatives. Governors are encouraged to defray all or part of the costs associated
with the attendance of district Rotaract representatives-elect at the annual Rotaract
preconvention meeting. (March 2005 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 214)

Again we can see that RI encourage the participation of Rotaractors in international convention and encourage governors to help the Rotaract Representative elect to attend at the annual Rotaract Preconvention meeting.


41.020.10. Rotary/Rotaract Relations
Clubs that sponsor Rotaract clubs are encouraged to invite Rotaractors on at least a
quarterly basis to their regularly scheduled meetings, project planning meetings and special
events. It is recommended that at least once a month, each sponsoring Rotary club
designate one or more of its members to attend the meetings of its Rotaract club. Rotaract
clubs are encouraged to cooperate with their sponsoring Rotary clubs in carrying out
community programs and projects. Sponsoring Rotary clubs are encouraged to do the same
with their Rotaract clubs. Members of Rotary clubs are encouraged to invite qualified
Rotaractors and past Rotaractors into membership of their clubs or consider sponsoring a
new Rotary club. However, membership in both a Rotary club and a Rotaract club
simultaneously is not permitted under the RI Bylaws. (June 2004 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 236)

This article strongly supports the Rotary- Rotaract Relationship and we should used it to promote it in clubs were this relationship is weak or non existent. Also note the part of inviting qualified Rotaractors and past Rotaractors to become members of Rotary clubs or helping them by sponsoring a new Rotary Club.


41.020.15. Rotaract Finances
3) Sponsoring Rotary clubs shall pay for the attendance of their Rotaract club officers, directors and committee chairs at district-level leadership training meetings (or, when circumstances dictate, these meetings shall be paid for through mutually agreed upon
financial arrangements involving the sponsoring Rotary clubs, the Rotary district and the
Rotaract participants).
4) Rotary districts shall pay for the attendance of their districts’ Rotaract representatives
at district-level or multidistrict leadership training meetings.

Again reinforcing that the DRR’s training should be paid by sponsoring Rotary clubs, we should ask for a part of the budget to be assigned to this issue, so it won’t become a problem later or a last time expense as usually happens.


41.020.18. Make-up Attendance at Rotary Clubs
Rotaractors should be allowed to make-up Rotaract club attendance at meetings of Rotary
clubs at the discretion of the individual Rotary club.
Rotary clubs that sponsor Rotaract clubs are encouraged to invite to their regularly
scheduled meetings individual Rotaractors desiring to make up absences from their
regularly scheduled Rotaract club meetings. (November 2000 Mtg., Bd. Dec. 111)


This article creates a way to promote a better relationship and understanding between Rotary and Rotaract clubs and its members.

Regards

Alvaro Ortega Noel

Rotaract Committee for RI 2007-2008

Rotaract Club of Panamá

Workshop about Rotaract at the RI Convention

The RI Rotaract Committee has secured a workshop slot at the upcoming RI Convention to discuss the Rotary / Rotaract relationship with Rotarians (and any Rotaractors who stay on for the Convention), primarily aimed at raising their awareness of what Rotaract is and how they can best support us.

Although I am not able to attend the Convention this year, I am helping put together a PowerPoint presentation to be used during that workshop, and this is where I need your help!

I would like to include quotes, from Rotaractors and Rotarians, about your experiences with the Rotary / Rotaract relationship:

How is it in your district? Do you think it works well?
If so, what elements do you think make it successful?
If not, what do you think would improve it?
How do you think supporting Rotaract benefits the Rotarians in your district?
How has Rotaract impacted your life?

It would be greatly appreciated if you could leave your thoughts as a comment for this post.

The intention is that the PowerPoint presentation, which is aimed at Rotarians, will be made available from the RI website for use by anyone, to help encourage Rotarians to support Rotaract in their district.

Also, if you are able, it would bring more "life" to this if you could make a short video of Rotaractors and / or Rotarians talking about their experiences - it will motivate the Rotarians more if they see people talking passionately about why Rotaract is worth supporting rather than just reading words on a screen. We *may* be able to show some of these during the workshop, and it would be nice to have a collection of links to such movies that anyone can refer to in future. So if you are able to make a short video and upload it to a site such as YouTube, please post the link as a comment here. I am happy for the videos to be in any language; I plan to get the PowerPoint presentation translated into as many languages as possible so that it can be used as widely as possible.