January 2014

Rtn.S.GururajRtn.S.GururajDistrictGovernorDistrictGovernorRtn.S.GururajDistrictGovernor

Rtn.RonD.BurtonRtn.RonD.BurtonRIPresidentRIPresident

Rtn.RonD.BurtonRIPresident

Governor’s Monthly Letter RI Dist. 3180

From The Governor's DeskDear Friends in Rotary,

I and my wife Smt. Pushpa are extremely happy and overwhelmed by the great support and co-operation extended by each one of you in conducting the District Conference –“ Parivarthan 2014”. The positive impact of the conference and the numerous appreciations from all over the District has made us feel proud.

The dedicated efforts of various committees over more than three months have yielded the required results. The conference committee chairman PDG M. Lakshminarayan joins me in thanking you all.

Yours,S. Gururaj

The new team - District 3180 - 2014-15

Parivarthan Conference Committee - all the hard work is worth it

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RI President's Message - January 2014We often talk about Rotary as an extended family, with all of its branches and generations. We value our youth

program participants and alumni as important members of the Rotary family, and we place a special emphasis on service to children and families. We do this because we know that for any family, the youngest generation is the future. That is absolutely true for us in Rotary.

We know that it is essential for us to bring in a new generation of younger Rotary members. We've spent a lot of time talking about how to attract young professionals to Rotary – but perhaps we haven't talked enough about why they don't stay.

There are plenty of young people, some of them youth program alumni, who do join Rotary. But when they begin families of their own, many of them leave. It isn't hard to see why: These are young professionals who are already spending more time than they want to away from their families. No matter how much they love and value Rotary, they are not going to prioritize their Rotary service over their spouses and children.

Nor should we ever expect them to. This is why it is so important for us to find ways to welcome families into Rotary, so that Rotary and the family are never in competition for a Rotarian's time. Whether it's by planning service projects that involve the whole family, or providing child care during meetings, or being flexible about meeting places and times, we need to make Rotary service a viable option for those with young children.

When you welcome families into Rotary, you're saying: Your family is not an obstacle to your Rotary service. They're not something that has to be scheduled around. Instead of mom or dad going out to Rotary and leaving everyone else at home, Rotary goes on the family calendar. The family of Rotary is real. Those children are going to grow up seeing their parents involved in community service, and being involved in service themselves. Not only is that a great thing for the family – it's a great thing for the Rotary club, which will be helping to nurture a new generation of active, service-minded young members.

At every stage of our lives and our careers, Rotary has something for all of us – a way to let us do more, give more, and be more. Rotary is big enough for us all.

Ron D. BurtonPresident, Rotary International

ASSISTANT GOVERNOR'S MESSAGEWarm Greetings… The first half of this Rotary year is very

successfully completed with many befitting programs and projects at the Club level and District level. We exchanged warm greetings of love and friendship through our New Year wishes and celebrated festivals and family get-togethers. The Clubs very proudly took part in the NID programme also.

Our participation in the District Conference held at Mysore during the first month of 2014 was a wonderful experience. The venue of the Conference with vast area for parking and movement, delicious food arrangements, thought-provoking speeches by learned speakers, high level cultural programs all deserve appreciation. Hats off to the Dist. Governor, the Conference Committee Chairman and all the members.

January is also the 'Rotary Awareness Month'. There are two aspects - Internal and External Awareness. First, we must promote awareness of Rotary among Rotarians, their family members and partners in service - like Rotaract, Interact, Inner Wheel, RCC etc. We must try to understand the nature and the spirit of Rotary. A well informed Rotarian is a better Rotarian.

The RC Mangalore Central under the leadership of IPDG Dr. Devdas Rai conducts every year in the month of January a District Level Rotary Quiz Competition, which has a good response and the event imparts good information and knowledge of Rotary. The quiz competition should be conducted at the zonal level too.

In the external aspect we must build a good relationship with the public and a favorable rapport with the press to develop a positive image among the society as a whole for the Rotary. As we know it is truly a splendid service organization with so many wonderful projects like Polio Eradication, Fight against Hunger, Support to Education & Literacy, Water & Sanitation, Medical Aid Programs, providing shelter etc. Hence, it is our duty to involve all kinds of publicity media in spreading awareness about the projects and programs we conduct and also about Rotary.

Let us be proud enough to learn more about Rotary and spread Rotary Awareness.

Rtn. PHF. Abraham VargheseAssistant Governor Zone - V

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It was homecoming for all Rotarians of the district even as hundreds of us with our families descended on the venue -Silent Shores Resort & Spa – the evening of the 10th of Jan. It was a renewal of old friendships for some whereas for others it was acquaintances being strengthened. PARIVARTHAN, the 44th Annual Conference of Rotary International District 3180, got off to a colorful start with Sri Shankar Ashwath, noted actor, inaugurating the cultural events. Winners of Pratibha Sangama, our district cultural show, were on display on the specially designed royal stage. The highlight of the evening was “Beyond Taalas”, an extravagant dance performance of all hues. That done, fellowship started in right earnest as the Rotarians let their collective hair down, even as the PDGs with the DG went into a huddle over the serious business of College of Governors. The 3-day conference had over 2000 Rotarians and their families participating. Parivarthan meaning Change with Engagement leading to Transformation is in line with Rotary's theme of the year “Engage Rotary Change Lives”.

Jan 11th Saturday was the formal inauguration. It was Mysore royalty all the way in the morning. Wearing regal attire the Presidents of Zone VII along with ladies with kalashas made the traditional start. DG Gururaj welcomed the gathering. PDG Arun Sharma representing the RI President spoke about the bonhomie that such conferences create and sustain through the year. District Conference Chairman PDG M. Lakshminarayan and his team were present.

Swami Brahmanandaji of Chinmaya Mission inaugurated the sessions and delivered the Asheervachana. He invoked God and wished real Parivarthane' in the society through Rotary.

On the eve of India being declared polio free, PDG R. Guru felicitated our leader in this endeavor, Dr. P. Narayana, Vice Chairman PolioPlus Committee, who in turn presented End Polio shawls to the dignitaries.

The First Plenary session started with “NGOs and Government” by Dr. M.R.Seetharam – President SVYM, who gave tips on how win-win interactions can happen. Sri Gururaja Karjagi, Creative Teaching expert, emphasized on “Joy of Giving”.

Smt. Vasanthi Hariprakash Journalist and TV host, spoke on “For M-powerment, bring out the W-power” and stressed on the need for equality and symbiosis between men and women.

“Public Relations for NGOs” by N. Ravishankar – Trainer Aim High said that individual deficiencies should not stop one from reaching high. Any interaction should be relevant and interesting. Stressing on the power of communication, he said Brevity and Accuracy are the hallmarks of good communication. 3 things are required for good public relations, financial capital, intellectual capital and reputation capital, he concluded.

The Second Plenary started with meaningful vachanas “Tatvarasanubhava” by Sri Basavalingayya Hiremath. Ms. Shanti Raghavan, founder EnAble India, spoke on “Differently-enabled people – a productive workforce” saying it is necessary that differently-abled should stand on their own.

The highlight of the session was a talk on “Samajike Parivartane” by Master Hirannaiah - well known dramatist, who said organizations like Rotary can bring

about a total social revolution.Invitation to next conference was extended by DGE Dr. Bhaskar who introduced his new district team. The evening continued with cultural fireworks in the form of light music by well-known sisters Lakshmi and Indu Nagaraj and a

cultural performance by International Students from Mysore University.And in the late evening, it was even more Fellowship with back-slapping camaraderie, dancing and singing, with some garam

hawa thrown in the wintery air!It looked as if the Conference had just begun, when the final day arrived. It was an occasion to remember, it being Swami

Vivekananda's 150th birthday. And fittingly, the day started by Viveka Namana by the DG and Guests of Honour. We had students of the Ramakrishna Ashram singing empowering songs. We then had Prof. Prabhushankara, Kannada litterateur, taking us through Swami Vivekananda's perspective of Service. Service is a way of life, he said, quoting the great swami. Change or Parivarthan is a given in life. They alone live who live for others, all others are more dead than alive. Service should be selfless; that which is selfish is immoral. Service is a spiritual act. Paropakaram Punyam, Parapeedam Papam he concluded.

Dr. Niranjana Vanalli, HoD Journalism UoM, spoke on Role of Youth in Nation Building. Rotarians are always young, since they always participate in building. The youth should take up jobs that fulfill and treat Work as Worship.

Aim High was the clarion call from Mr. N. Ravishankar, citing Ms. Aaruni Sinha who climbed Mt. Everest on artificial legs.

The final talk was by Mrs. Roopa Venkatesh who spoke on Lessons from Women in Epics. She cited various instances of Kunti, Draupadi, Sita where they displayed stellar qualities like – standing for what is right, patience, sacrifice,

thHighlights from the 44 RI Dist 3180 Conference

Shankar Ashwath inaugurates

Beyond Taalas - beyond compare

Enjoying the entertainment

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inclusiveness, communication, counseling, peripheral vision, empathy etc.It was the RIP representative PDG Arun Sharma's turn to give his expert comments on the conference and the district. He said the

phrase “family of Rotary” has now changed to “Rotary family” to include well-wishers, prospective Rotarians, and the alumni – GSE and vocational teams. There is a serious discussion going on the bifurcation of the district. Membership and Extension both should increase, he said. He patted the district for the good contribution to the TRF. The areas to be focused on apart from the Future Vision are Corporate Financing to TRF, a brand-building emphasis on Rotary for Service, Total Literacy in South Asia by 2017 and Vocational Fellowship. He concluded by saying that spouses form the pillars of support for a Rotarian.

The Conference will surely motivate the Rotarians to continue doing their best to the community at large with renewed vigor and increased collaboration.

Rotary Flag flies high Light Up Rotary 11 Presidents and AG of Zone 7 - all Royalty

The Regal Ambience - Presidents of Zone 7 in royal attire and Anns with traditional kalashas Swami Brahmananda of Chinmaya Mission - Asheervachana

DG starts the Conference rolling Dr. Seetharam talks on partnership between NGOs & Govt. Joy of Giving by Gururaja Karjagi

Persons with disability, a productive workforce - Shanti Raghavan Tatva Rasanubhava - Basavalingayya Hiremath The engrossed audience

Parivarthan album – fond memories

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Samajika Parivarthane by Master Hirannaiah

Culture with an International flavor

The melodious Nagaraj sisters - Lakshmi and Indu - at their recital Viveka Namana

Swami Vivekananda's 150th birthday - song by Ramakrishna Ashram students

Service in Vivekananda's eyes -Prof Prabhushankara

Lesson from Women in Epics -Roopa Venkatesh

RIP Rep PDG Arun Sharma comments

The DG summarizes

Essay Competition on Awareness of Malaria

RC Kundapura MidtownRC Kundapura MidtownRC Kundapura Midtown

Gallery: Rotary in Action

At the Dist ConferenceRC Udupi ManipalRC Udupi ManipalRC Udupi Manipal

RC KatpadyRC KatpadyRC Katpady

Recognising Laundryman for good service to humanity

RC BaikampadyRC BaikampadyRC Baikampady

1st prize in Rotary Quiz

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Mesmerising beauty of the Stage – love at first sight

The doorway to the Conference had a good first impression on the minds of all Rotarians and visitors. Entryways and the nearby aisle corridors had a royal ambience and were colourful and eye-catching. The stage was wide and roomy with sensational tilting colors associated with royalty, goodness, innocence and purity. The embedded display also indicated trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, and truth. Huge, brilliantly well thought out backdrops made the stage vibrant which was really soothing to the eyes of one and all.

The flaunt of Paul Harris crowned with Rotary Wheel and RI President Ron Burton crowned with the Rotary theme was animated and had a message on either side of the arena that said “I'm looking forward” and “Engage Rotary Change Lives”. Eighteen flower bouquets were well arranged on either side of the oil lamp kept exactly at the center of the stage. The lamp was decorated with 7 varieties of flowers with five cotton threads dipped in oil.

The center of the stage had an outfit of a golden color umbrella which was like a canopy intended to protect all Rotarians under the Rotary roof. There were six chairs on either side of the parasol to embellish the guest. Behind the row, 12 chairs were on show for the Presidents of all the 11 clubs of Zone 7 and the AG. Two huge displays on either side of the venue were set up to catch the live event for an enhanced and better view for a spectator turnout of 2350 and more. The theater was filled with spotlights of diversified colors and two white umbrellas to sparkle the event with camera flash light. Loudspeakers, audio and video system, point ups and melodious music really gave an affluent and well-designed regality which would always be etched in the hearts and minds of the attendees of the conference.

DG Rtn. S. Gururaj and his team will always be remembered for the astounding “PARIVARTHAN”… with affection, love, friendship and fellowship … in tune with the Rotary theme “ENGAGE ROTARY. CHANGE LIVES”.

Rtn. Prof. B S Maddodi Zonal Lieutenant, Zone- 2, DIST 3180

RC UDUPI MANIPAL

…The Governor and the First Lady were moving around the venue and handling the proceedings as they would have done for a family wedding. The first couple of the district was instrumental in the conference exceeding expectations… Rotary Mysore Midtown

RI President-Elect Gary C. K. Huang chooses LIGHT UP ROTARY as the Presidential theme for 2014-15.

LIGHT UP ROTARY

Dear Leaders of leaders engaged in Rotary to change lives,Three Years of Freedom from Polio! Congratulations! Congratulations!!

Congratulations!!!January 20, First NID in a Polio Free India is over. From the reports I have, the

performance seems to be satisfactory if not perfect. Not many District Conferences clashed with NIDs this year and Rotarians were free to participate. I am afraid a large number of children did not receive the Polio drops on the Polio Sunday. Rotary's promise of reaching polio vaccine to every child in the world continues to be a myth and the dream of a 'Polio free world' continues to be a mirage. The truth unfortunately is “same children are chronically missed every time.”

Remember - Polio is now a Global Health Emergency: Ask yourself the following questions: If any child in the world is permanently paralysed by Polio it is now a Global Emergency? If any child in the world is not reached by Oral Polio Vaccine it is now an emergency. We must be faster; more focused and be fully accountable. If we don't successfully eradicate polio now, the consequences will be catastrophic. And the only way to prevent that is to ensure we get the vaccine into the mouths of every child, everywhere. - Dr. P. Narayana, Vice-Chairman, RI India National PolioPlus Society

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PULSE POLIO IMMUNIZATION at CoorgAt the Taluk Level against the targeted figure of 51,929 numbers, 48,549 children were vaccinated (93%).In the rural area against the targeted Children of 45,165, 42,603 were vaccinated (92%).Taluk wise Madikeri targeted 12,883 ; 12,556 were vaccinated.In Virajpet Taluk, out of 22,075, 20,181 were vaccinated. In Somwarpet Taluk out of 17,021, 15,811 were administered polio drops. - Rtn. T S RAMACHANDRAN

CO-ORDINATOR COORG DISTRICT

India Celebrates Three Years of Freedom from Polio

Sakhya – Inter District ISOs MeetOn January 10th, 2014, Inner Wheel Mysore Midtown organized Inter

District ISO Meet at Dhwanya Loka, Mysore. Presidents/acting Presidents and ISOs/acting ISOs from 14 Inner Wheel Clubs (IWCs) of our District 318 gathered there along with District Officers, Past District Chairmen and host Club members.

40 Club Presidents & ISO, 30 Past District Chairmen and all the District Officers participated. District ISOs from other districts – 316, 317, 320 & 323 came all the way from Sangli, Hampi, Coimbatore and Chennai to Mysore to participate.

Being the 90th International Inner Wheel Day, members were all excited to meet and exchange goodwill & friendship. Various competitions and a pageant were held. Firstly, District ISO studied 40 IWCs and gave merits for their participation in various competitions and in events such as Assembly, Rally, Conference held by the District, prior to 6 months before their term began. On the day, there were 13 participants who displayed their club flag, club bulletin, club roster and also a hand-made New Year Card, of which

ROTASIA is an international conference of Rotaractors and Rotaract Clubs in South Asia. It is an international gathering of Rotaractors in the region to exchange information, enhance fellowship, build networks and concentrate ideas and efforts to work together for a common agenda of youths in general. ROTASIA is 4 day conference for youth with invitees addressing the current issues and long term issues wherein the youth could play a pivotal role.

Objectives of ROTASIA To exchange information and ideas on youths for effective functioning. To enhance fellowship and friendship among youths creating opportunities for collaborative action. To create a common forum for youths in the region to work closely in professional development and leadership skills of

youths. To consolidate issues and discussions of youths for a common purpose. To work together with the youth on a community service project.

This year ROTASIA 2014 – MYSORE is themed to lay emphasis on motivating youth to understand, learn, assess & empower themselves and in return actively participate in the issues pertaining to career, society, leadership, health, sports and social causes.

The Rotasia 2014 organizing committee's unique vision for the conference places an emphasis on leadership development and personal growth through cultural experiences. At the end of the conference, delegates will come away having developed their leadership skills, learnt something about themselves, created new and strong friendships, and experienced a culture different from their own.

Rotasia experiences the festival of youth, motivation, the Rotaract spirit, Cuisine, Culture & Hospitality and above all a Heritage experience of the “Royal City of Mysore”.

Continued ...

(for internal circulation only)Edited by: Rtn. Arun B.R. and Rtn. Aacha Ashoka Kumara, Printed at Tech Prints, Mysore. Published by: DG Rtn. S. Gururaj

the best in each category was adjudged by 3 Past District Chairmen, playing judges who observed every detail.The pageant started with Round 1-'Me & My Club', followed by Round 2-'Rapid Fire', Round 3-'Mummy Magic', Round 4-'Pick-

Write-Speak', Three judges for the pageant were from VLCC, who adjudged winner, 1st runner-up, 2nd runner-up, best designer wear, best designer footwear, best designer jewellery and best hair-style. Trophies and Prizes were given away by District Chairman, PDCs and district officers.

The hosts were in the traditional attire of Mysore - Mysore Silk sari & jasmine. The invitees were welcomed with hot coffee/tea and snacks. After the event, each one was served with Bale-yele-oota, the traditional lunch of Mysore; the taste still lingers on. The audience enjoyed the random play during the pageant winning lot of surprise gifts. On the whole, the event brought lot of mirth and zeal in the members, both participating invitees and hosting members of IWC Mysore Midtown. An official touch outlined with fun and creativity was SAKHYA!

RC BannurRC BannurRC Bannur

Committed to Polio Eradication

RC KushalnagarRC KushalnagarRC KushalnagarSneha Sammilana for clubs of Zone 6

RC ArehallyRC ArehallyRC Arehally

Felicitation to Zeba Muktiyar for national high jump event

Gallery: Rotary in Action

End polio now (bus stand booth)

RC KrishnarajanagarRC KrishnarajanagarRC Krishnarajanagar

OBITUARY & CONDOLENCES

PP PHF Rtn. Ramakrishna P. Manja,

RC Hungarkatta Sasthana, Zone 2,

passed away on 12th Jan 2014.

Rtn. G Y Devanand, then President RC Gonibeedu,

Zone 9, passed away on 25th Dec 2013.

Rtn. A.P.Cariappa (Girish),

RC Virajpet, Zone 6, passed away on 24th Dec 2013.

He served as Agri Finance Officer, Corporation Bank.

Rtn. Vijayakrishna Udupa RC Belman

Zone 3, passed away on 18th Jan 2014.

The last month has been particularly harsh for us Rotarians in the District since we have lost five of our members. RID 3180 salutes them for their yeoman service to the society at large and Rotary in particular. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May their souls rest in peace.

Rtn. PHF. Edwin RodriguesRC Shirva

(past AG Zone 3), passed away on 16th Jan 2014.