Greeting Fellow Rotarians

We will not be holding a meeting Friday March 25th, in observance of Good Friday.

I wanted to introduce you to our incoming RI President John Germ. The March 2016 edition of the Rotarian features his Rotary story. John joined Rotary 40 years ago. In his interview, he share a relatable Rotary experience. He wasn’t involved beyond attending meetings until he wa asked to became Club Secretary. The role led him to be more involved and to the position of District co-chair for polio fundraising campaign. He explains how he felt and saw the difference his actions made leading him to take on greater roles in his Club, District and at Rotary International. Most important was serving as chair of the $200 Million Dollar Challenge. The $200 Million Dollar Challenge is the campaign Rotary International led to eradicate polio where Rotarians contribute $200 Million to match what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given to the effort.

The presidential theme will be Rotary Serving Humanity. President-Elect Germ explains the Rotary’s service was often done without drawing attention to our work beyond a Rotary emblem woven into the fabric of the playground being built or the inside cover of the books being donated to fight illiteracy. In choosing his theme, President Elect Germ’s goal is to clearly define and brand Rotary. We want to end the common experience of being asked what is this Rotary Club you meet with weekly all about?

He notes the biggest challenge facing Rotary is membership. He says, “Rotary’s biggest challenge is membership. We need to expand our membership so we can do more work. We need to attract younger people, like Rotary youth program alumni. Recently retired individuals are another group to engage. We are an organization with high ethical standards and a classification system. These standards should be maintained and our current members educated on why each one of them should be sponsoring other qualified individuals to become Rotarians.”

The last point from the Rotarian’s interview I believe worth mentioning is the Rotary Club’s need to operate like a business to a degree. The use of Clubrunner to organize, track and maintain data is most crucial. As a President, I look at ClubRunner almost daily and have the application on my smart phone. Over the past two years, we have added a healthy dose of information to ClubRunner but we can always strive to improve. If you have any difficulty with accessing the program, please contact myself JToner@sumnertoner.com or Past President Rick Lee raa.lee@live.com for help.

President Elect Germ reminds us that the dues are revenue for our Club and as Rotary leaders we must plan meetings, special events and activities reflecting the experiences our Rotarians want. In 2012, the the Board of Directors approved a sliding scale dues increase of $15 per year for the following 5 years. As such, the 2016-2017 annual dues will be $200. In return for your financial commitment, we will continue to engage you and listen to your concerns to improve your meeting experience and the Club's program of service outside of meetings. The Club Committee framework I reiterated to you all last week (click the following link for the full document: Documents/en-ca/74f8787a-f59f-4d14-aac7-c619656b877a/1 ) is designed to create the stability for both short and long term planning so time, talent and treasure is used judiciously.

The full interview can be found at https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/news-media/qa-john-germ-man-commitment. Thank you for commitment of time, talent and treasure to make the Rotary Club of Springfield a ripple effect of positive good in our community and across the globe.

On behalf of my wife, Elizabeth, we wish you and your families a blessed and joyous Easter weekend. We look forward to seeing you all on April 1^st, 2016.

In Service,

Jack

Mar 25, 2016
No Meeting: Good Friday


Apr 01, 2016
Senator James Welch


Apr 08, 2016
Gwen Burke/Bill Miller
Friends of the Homeless

Apr 15, 2016
Wayne Phaneuf & Joe Caravalho
Springfield During the Civil War

View entire list

No Meeting Good Friday

Posted on Mar 24, 2016

Speaker Next Friday April 1st, Senator Jim Welch

In observance of the Good Friday, there will be no regular Rotary luncheon Friday March 25th.

Our luncheon speaker for next Friday, April 1, 2016 will be Massachusetts State Senator Jim Welch.

Polio Eradication Update

Posted by Ivan Butterfield on Mar 24, 2016

Total paralysis cases	Year-to-date 2016	LY to D 2015	Total 2015	Total 2014	Total 2013
Globally	7	20	74	359	416
- in endemic countries:	7	20	74	340	160
- in non-endemic countries:	0	0	0	19	256

Polio cases reported this week:

Pakistan 1, Afghanistan 0

2016 Polio Case Breakdown by Country (Green Numbers are 2015 Totals)

Endemic Countries –6 Pakistan (2015-54), 1 Afghanistan (2015-20)

Post Endemic 0 Nigeria(2015-0)

2016 Polio Case Breakdown by Country (Green Numbers are 2015 Totals)

Endemic Countries –2 Pakistan (2015-54), 0 Afghanistan (2015-20)

Post Endemic o Nigeria(2015-0)

In Case You Missed It - We are now 5 weeks until the globally synchronized switch from the trivalent to the bivalent oral Polio vaccine.

The United States Congress approved a total of $228 million for the 2016 federal budget to support the global effort to eradicate polio. The funding represents a $10 million increase over the level of funding approved in fiscal year 2015. Rotary’s Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force for the United States leads our efforts to inform the U.S. government and other funding sources of the urgency and benefits of supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Pakistan - One Polio case reported this week. Six Polio case reported in 2016 with 54 cases recorded in 2015 The most recent case, with the onset of paralysis on 02/16/16 was from the Jacobabad district. One new Polio positive environmental sample reported this week. National Immunization Days are underway this week.

Afghanistan - No Polio cases reported in Afghanistan this week. One Polio case reported in 2016 with 20 cases recorded in 2015. The most recent case was reported on 2/01/16 from the Kunar Province. No new Polio-positive environmental samples were collected this week. National Immunization Days and are underway this week.

Post Endemic - Nigeria - No Polio cases reported in 2016 with 0 cases recorded in 2015. The most recent case was reported on 7/24/14.

Importation Countries - Ethiopia (0-2015, 1-2014), Cameroon (0-2015, 5-2014), Somalia (0-2015, 5-2014), Iraq (0-2015, 2- 2014), Syria (0-2015,1-2014), & Equatorial Guinea (0-2015, 5-2014).

SAVE THE DATE!

Posted by Brennan Collins on Mar 24, 2016

Paul Harris Community Celebration

Colony Club - 1500 Main Street, Springfield MA

May 12, 2016 5:30-7:30 PM

Please join us on May 12, 2016 as we honor Paul Harris recipients and hold a community celebration for individuals and organizations who are making a positive difference! We have a wonderful evening planned at The Colony Club that includes appetizers, dinner, and a cash bar. Tickets are on sale for $55. Click the icon below to register online.