Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group (ESRAG)
ESRAG’s focus on environmental sustainability offers Rotary the opportunity to provide long-term benefits for people all over the world. The efforts are to ensure that project investments preserve the ability for the environment to renew itself and continue to support human well-being, thereby supplying life-sustaining benefits to communities.
ESRAG assists Rotary clubs, districts and multi-districts in planning, implementing and evaluating service projects, building awareness, and inspiring action. These projects promote environmental sustainability, awareness of climate change, and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate climate disruption. ESRAG promotes educational resources, initiates dialogue about environmental sustainability, and uses best practices in models and assessments for both projects and daily choices. This RAG positively impacts all Rotary Areas of Focus.
There are 12 regional chapters, 3 in North America (Eastern, Central and Western). Membership is nominal at $30 or $100 for sustained. A newsletter is free, as is the ESRAG and UNEP World Environment Day Handbook which includes a selection of 11 green themes for activities for Rotary clubs.
For more information click on the link below and sign up to subscribe to the ESRAG Newsletter:
This week, our November 24 meeting (5:00pm EDT) will have a special flavour: we will celebrate our very own Rotary Foundation. Among other items on the menu: information on our club’s Foundation-related achievements, feedback on the World Polio Day Concert, and a talk by Sarah Champagne, Peace Scholar.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible then! (It’s going to be an excellent meeting :)
This year, why not choose our Foundation on Giving Tuesday? You can decide where your money goes: Polio, one of the Areas of Focus, Disaster Relief, and more. Giving online has never been easier! Here’s the link: https://my.rotary.org/en/donate Together, we do make a difference in this world!
Secretary's Thoughts
Hello Passport Rotarians and Friends,
Not necessary to remind everyone about our November meeting coming up this Tuesday, President Jacinthe has already done that in her article above, and I will be forwarding the agenda to you soon.
I am really looking forward to hearing from our special guest speaker, Peace Scholar Sarah Champagne at Tuesday's meeting.
As well, none of us need any reminders that November is Foundation Month. Since November 1steach of our November Bulletins has featured an article written by one of your Foundation Committee members about some aspect of the Rotary International Foundation.
This week, Brian talks about the other Scholarships funded by the Foundation.
Also, this month, Brian Foster and I coincidentally both decided to attend a special Zones 32 and 28 meeting featuring a focus on the seventh Avenue of Focus that the Rotary Foundation Trustees have decided to include: Support for the Environment. Please have a look at Brian’s summary in this Bulletin of what this new area of Foundation focus will mean for Rotary.
In Brian’s article you will also find a link that will tell you more and enable you to sign up to receive the regular Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) Newsletters that will keep you informed of various events and initiatives taking place (usually all virtual). This promises to be an exciting new Rotary Foundation initiative that Brian and I believe many of you may be interested in following.
Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday afternoon (or evening if you are in Europe or Egypt).
Yours in Rotary Service,
Terry
President-Elect Maddie Roy
Maddie will be back again next week!
November is Foundation Month
Please note that in December we will once again be welcoming DG Hadi’s Foundation Moment back to our Bulletin pages.
In this week's feature Brian Foster tells us about Foundation Scholarships:
Scholarships:
The Rotary Foundation and club investments in future leaders and philanthropists have funded about 350,000 scholarships. On average $7.5 million is given out each year for scholarships.
Types of scholarships: Individual Rotary club scholarships for secondary, undergraduate, or graduate study and are open to anyone except Rotary members and their families; and The Rotary Foundation scholarships for college graduates and professionals to study peace and conflict resolution. Rotary Peace Fellowships are a master’s degree or certificate program at one of six partner universities.
Rotary clubs can apply to The Rotary Foundation for district and global grants to support scholarships.
Global grants are for graduate students studying abroad in one of Rotary’s six causes: Promoting peace; Fighting disease; Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; Saving mothers and children; Supporting education; and Growing local economies. Scholarships last from 1-4 years and can include an entire degree program. Global grant scholarships are funded using cash or District Designated Funds matched by the World Fund.
District grants can sponsor secondary school, undergraduate, or graduate students studying any subject, either locally or abroad. The scholarship may cover any length of time, from a six-week language training program to a year or more of university study.
Brian
Membership Matters
Events
Please check out some special events taking place soon. On December 1 there are two events. See the Event section in this bulletin.
Membership Committee
Last week I talked about “Meet the Member”, something that we did a couple of years ago. Essentially it is a classification talk that can be published in the bulletin. There were questions about what a classification talk is.
Rotary Club Vocational/Classification Talk
What is the Classification Talk?
Each new Rotary member or transferee is asked to give a "classification talk" after they have been in our Club for 1 - 6 months. You were assigned a classification when you joined relating to your business and position. This is your chance to tell members about yourself and your business. It shouldn't be a big chore because you should already know all the answers. Please make this Classification Talk your own and truly representative of you.
Next week I will go into what you could have in your classification talk.
Attendance is at 59.03%. Remember that if you are not up to June 30, do not Bank your makeup, but choose an actual date.
This week I had a Zoom meeting with David and Yves about the 19-20 Financial Statements; hosted the District Garden Party; and met with Esther about entering makeups. What did you do to meet people in the club? Anytime you want to let the rest know, email me, or Terry, or Margaret.
Ariane Carriere, Passport Membership Chair
CREATING AND STRENGTHENING RELATIONS
Both in my conversations with some of you and in learning how other club formats provide opportunities to build and strengthen relationships in the Passport Club, two ideas have come up frequently:
1. Open up our Zoom line before the meeting for informal conversations among any of those who wish; and
2. Keep the line open after the meeting for those who wish to stay on to discuss, chat, get to know each other in small random breakout ‘rooms’ of 3 or 4. We can use the time just to get know each other or to discuss various topics. In either case, we would then reconvene briefly at the end.
With the support of the Board, at our 20 November meeting this Tuesday we are going to try out both. Creating and Strengthening Relations is an agenda item for the meeting, so this would be an opportunity to use the break-out rooms to talk about the communication and fellowship needs, either personal or in general, of an electronic club. Our own Mr. Zoom will walk us through the break-out room process.
So, please feel free to come early and stay late!
Open line - 4:30 pm
Meeting - 5:00 to 6:00
Break-out rooms and Plenary closure - 6:00 possibly to 6:45
November 22, 2020
