Council on Legislation - For Club consideration

Please share the below enactment & proposal with club members at a regular meeting and express the Club decision through the ballot by mail that will be received by the Club.

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL BY LAWS
ARTICLE X11
12. 020. 18
Current
“Any club in the zone or section may also propose a challenging candidate. The challenging candidate must have been duly suggested to the nominating committee. The name of the challenging candidate shall be submitted pursuant to a resolution of the club duly adopted at a regular meeting. The resolution must be concurred to by a majority of clubs in its district or, where its district is in more than one zone, a majority of clubs in its district which are in the same zone from which the director is to be nominated. Such concurrence shall be obtained at a conference or through a ballot by mail. The concurrence must be certified to the general secretary by the district’s governor. The resolution must be accompanied by a written statement from the challenging candidate that such candidate is willing and able to serve, specific biographical material (on a form prescribed by the board) and a recent photograph. The foregoing procedure must be completed by 1 December in the relevant year.”


Proposed amendment to the article by amending the paragraph in red above to read as follows:
“The resolution must be concurred to by a majority of clubs in its district and a majority of clubs in two (02) other districts in the same zone or, where its district is in more than one zone, a majority of clubs in its district and a majority of clubs in two (02) other districts provided those clubs represent all the relevant Zones from which the director is nominated.”


Proposed New By Law – Channels of communication

“If a member wishes to express his opinion, seek clarification, complain, raise any issue or communicate any matter or thing pertaining to and concerning Rotary he/she may do so only as follows:

In the case of a matter or thing pertaining to the club, he/she shall communicate in writing to the president of his/her own club.
In the case of a matter or thing pertaining to the district, he/she shall communicate in writing to the district governor only through the president of his/her club.

In the case of a matter or thing pertaining to Rotary International, he/she shall communicate in writing to the general secretary of Rotary International only through the president of his club and the district governor.

The president of a club and the district governor will forward such communication to the district governor or secretary general as the case may be with their comments, having clarified, resolved or investigated the matter raised by the member.

A district governor or the secretary general will not entertain or reply any communication that does not conform to the channels of communication specified in this article.”

2009 RI Convention - Birmingham, U.K.

Register early for the RI Convention to take advantage of special pricing! First deadline: 15 December, 2008

Register online . It’s convenient and secure. Confirmation materials will be e-mailed. You will need to register for Member Access in order to register online. Not registered for Member Access? Click on - Sign up today. Or download the registration form (click on it).

Celebrate Family Month in December

Read the December message from RI President Dong Kurn Lee about celebrating Family Month. In December, focus on your family and involve them in Rotary service, says RI Pres. Lee in his message. Also, he says, remember that there are many families and children who need help around the world.

TRF of RI - "Future Vision Plan" refined

At their October meeting, The Rotary Foundation Trustees took significant steps to refine the Future Vision Plan before the pilot application period begins in January. Reflecting the plan’s goal of simplification and flexibility, their decisions establish specific policies that fill in the broad outline of the plan.

Future Vision Plan overview - In anticipation of The Rotary Foundation’s 100-year anniversary in 2017, the Trustees set out to develop a plan to move the Foundation toward its second century of service. The plan updates the Foundation’s mission and creates a more effective and efficient way to help Rotarians develop diverse projects with greater impact and sustainable outcomes.

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is "To enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty".
The Foundation's new mission, along with its new motto "Doing Good in the World" were approved by the Foundation Trustees and the RI Board and endorsed by the Council on Legislation.

Future Vision Plan is designed to:
* Simplify Foundation programs and processes consistent with the mission
* Focus Rotarian service efforts where they will have the greatest impact by addressing priority world needs that are relevant to Rotarians
* Offer program options to help achieve both global and local goals
* Increase the sense of ownership at the district and club levels by transferring more decisions to the districts
* Gain greater understanding of The Rotary Foundation’s work and enhance Rotary’s public image

Learn more about the Future Vision Plan (Click below):
Future Vision Pilot overview
Grants structure
District selection and qualification
Terms and conditions

Special Seminar for District / Club Leaders

Realizing Dreams. How much of our Rotary Membership Goals and TRF contribution Goals (November is TRF month) have we managed to achieve? A special seminar to asses/ evaluate the progress made thus far is scheduled for 23 Nov., 2008 from 9.00a.m. - 1.00p.m. at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, organised by: Rotary Club of Colombo Uptown. Registration - Rs.900/- (including buffet lunch).

The Regional Rotary Membership Chairman PDG. Sam Movva will be with us to discuss the Membership progress made thus far and the way forward as we steadfastly march on to increase our membership by a minimum 10% (RI Presidents Goal). Other topics for discussion include: Need for General Liability Insurance, "Special Citation for Individual Rotarians", Council on Legislation, Our Rotary Centre, etc..

Recognition of TRF "Top per capita contributing Clubs" during Rotary 2007-8 (RCs of Athugalpura, Col. Millennium City & Col. Mid Town), EREY & PHSM Club (RC of Col. Regency) & this years 1st 100% PHF Club (RC of Kandy Heritage) will take place too. Clubs who have not got their Rotary T-shirts may collect them. New Member - Induction Kits will be available.

November - RI Official Exchange Rate

The Official Exchange Rate for Payments to RI or for contributions to The Rotary Foundation remains at SL Rs.108 = US$1.00

GOALS: 100 (TRF) & 200 (Membership)

Rotary 2008-9: The Rotary Foundation & Membership Goals
Todate, 58 Clubs Target - US$104,000 to TRF & a Net gain of 202 New Members to existing Clubs & the formation of 3 New Clubs

* = Target of US$100 or more Per Capita Contribution to TRF-APF
** = Clubs have Targeted a Net Gain of over 10% in Membership

1. Anuradhapura - $300 & 1
2. Athugalpura - $1,000 & 3**
3. Badulla - $300 & 3**
4. Balangoda - $300 & 1
5. Bandarawela - $580 & 3**
6. Battaramulla - $3,500* & 1 (+ New Rotary Club)
7. Batticaloa - $2,000 & 5**
8. Biyagama - $1,400* & 3**
9. Capital City - $1,200 & 3**
10. Cinnamon Gardens - $1,000 & 1
11. Colombo - $6,000 & 4
12. Colombo Centennial - $300 & 3**
13. Colombo Central - $1,000 & 3
14. Colombo Down Town - $2,700* & 3**
15. Colombo East - $3,000 & 3
16. Colombo Fort - $2,700* & 3**
17. Colombo Metropolitan - $3,200* & 8**
18. Colombo Mid City - $2,000 & 4**
19. Colombo Mid Town - $3,700* & 4**
20. Colombo Millennium City - $1,500* & 5**
21. Colombo North - $3,100* & 3**
22. Colombo Reconnections - $1,000 & 5**
23. Colombo Regal - $1,000 & 3**
24. Colombo Regency - $3,500* & 3**
25. Colombo South - $2,800* & 3**
26. Colombo Uptown - $4,000* & 4**
27. Colombo West - $6,000 & 2
28. Dickoya - $300 & 1
29. Galle - $500 & 5**
30. Gampola - $300 & 1
31. Galupura - $300 & 1
32. Hambantota - $200 & 2**
33. Jaela-Kandana - $3,000* & 3**
34. Jaffna -
35. Kalmunai - $400 & 5**
36. Kandy - 7,000* & 16** (+ 2 New Rotary Clubs)
37. Kandy Heritage (Provisional) -
38. Kandy Metropolitan - $3,000* & 3**
39. Katugastota - $500 & 3**
40. Kegalle - $950 & 2**
41. Kelaniya - $1,000 & 3**
42. Kolonnawa - $2,200* & 3**
43. Kuliyapitiya - $1,500 & 3
44. Kurunegala - $9,600* & 10**
45. Matale - $500 & 2
46. Moratuwa - $1,000 & 3**
47. Mount Lavinia - $1,000 & 3**
48. Negombo - $300 & 3**
49. Nikaweratiya - $1,500 & 3**
50. Nuwara Eliya - $240 & 3**
51. Pamunugama - $1,000 & 3**
52. Panadura - $400 & 2**
53. Panduwasnuwara - $2,200* & 3**
54. Polgahawela - $200 & 2**
55. Rangiri Dambulla -
56. Ratnapura - $600 & 10**
57. Trincomalee - $1,500 & 4**
58. Vavuniya -
59. Wariyapola - $1,300 & 2
60. Wattala - $1,800 & 5**
61. Welimada - $300 & 1
62. Wennappuwa - $430 & 5**

Kindly advice of any updates in your TRF & MEMBERSHIP targets. The above Goals/Targets have been sent to Rotary International.

Project Proposals for District Simplified Grants

The District will request Rotary Clubs to submit proposals for small projects soon (DSG allocation will be max Rs.50,000/- per club)

Rotary Club News

Email a photo or 2 of each of your Rotry Club activities / projects. Include the date and a very brief description of the project (less than 50 words) to: rid3220.clubnews@gmail.com for possible publication in the Governor's Monthly Letter (GML). Installation photos and all Club activity/project photos are welcome.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)

The 2008-09 RYLA Committee is currently accepting applications to the 2009 International RYLA for both youth participants and counselors. The 2009 International RYLA will be held 19-21 June 2009 in Birmingham, England, immediately preceding the 100th Rotary International Convention.
The International RYLA provides participants with a one-of-a-kind experience to learn advanced leadership techniques through group discussions and training, as well as offering them the unique opportunity to meet and network on an international level with other exceptional young leaders from across the world. More information on this meeting can be found by downloading this online guide document.
Applications for participants will be considered from all youth between the ages 18-30 that have extensive experience with Rotary or Rotary Foundation programs. This includes alumni from Interact, Rotaract, local district RYLAs, Youth Exchange, and Ambassadorial Scholarship programs. Please note that Rotarians, as well as past International RYLA alumni are ineligible to apply as participants for this meeting. However, these individuals can apply to serve as a meeting facilitator and counselor, fulfilling an essential role in making the participants’ experience truly memorable.
To apply, please download and complete the following application, with all required signatures, by 15 December 2008:
Download the Participant Application
Download the Counselor Application (Rotarians and former Int'l RYLA alumni only)
If you have any questions about the 2009 International RYLA, please contact us at mailto:ryla@rotary.orgfor more information.

World Interact Week: 3-9 November

During World Interact Week, Interactors and Rotarians worldwide commemorate the charter of the first Interact club started on 5th November,1962. By completing four designated projects, Interact clubs and their Rotary club sponsors can receive special recognition from Rotary International.
World Interact Week projects:
1) Give a presentation, or write an inspiring letter about Interact, to a Rotary club that doesn’t sponsor an Interact club.
2) Invite Rotarians to an Interact club meeting.
3) Invite Interactors to a weekly Rotary club meeting.
4) Conduct a joint Rotary/Interact project to increase awareness of Interact in the community.
Celebrate World Interact Week 3-9 November with your club and submit the World Interact Week Celebration Recognition Form (Word), or download the PDF, to Rotary International by 15 Dec., 2008 in order to receive recognition from RI.

A "functioning" Rotary Club

The RI Board defines a functioning Rotary Club as one that
1) Pays its per capita dues to RI
2) Meets regularly
3) Ensures its members subscribe to a certified Rotary World Magazine Press publication (The Rotarian or Regional magazine)
4) Implements service projects that address the needs in the local community and/or in communities in other countries
5) Receives the visit of the Governor, Asst. Gov., or an officer of RI
6) Maintains appropriate general liability insurance as provided in Rotary Code of Policies section 71.080. (RCP 2.010.1.)

November is The Rotary Foundation Month

The month of November has been designated as TRF month by RI.

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

Through Foundation grants and programs, Rotarians and other contributors can help change the world. They can finance a well for a village that lacks clean water, improve the environment, or provide scholarships to educate the next generation. The grants and programs available to Rotarians allow them to realize Rotary’s humanitarian mission throughout the world, including its number-one goal of eradicating polio.

PROGRAMMES OF THE ROTARY FOUNDATION:

PolioPlus
To eradicate polio, Rotarians have mobilized by the hundreds of thousands. They’re working to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease and that surveillance is strong despite the poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and civil strife of many countries. Since the PolioPlus program’s inception in 1985, more than two billion children have received the oral polio vaccine. Read more


Humanitarian Grants:
Disaster Recovery – Allows Rotarians to donate money in response to specific disasters. Funds are distributed to local committees to support recovery efforts. The program was created in 2005-06, and the Foundation currently administers four Disaster Recovery accounts: Hurricanes Stan and Wilma (Guatemala and Mexico), Hurricane Wilma (United States), the Earthquake in India and Pakistan, and Solidarity in South Asia. Total contributions to the accounts were $6.4 million.

District Simplified Grants – Support the service activities of districts locally and abroad. Since this program began in 2003-04, more than 1,160 grants totaling over US$17 million have been awarded to districts in almost 60 countries.

Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) Grants – Fund large-scale, two- to four-year projects that improve health, alleviate hunger, or promote human development. Since 1978, more than 280 projects in 75 countries have been funded through The Rotary Foundation at a cost of $74 million.

Matching Grants – Provide matching funds for the international service projects of Rotary clubs and districts. Since 1965, more than 24,000 Matching Grant projects in 167 countries have been funded at a cost of more than $257 million.

Volunteer Service Grants – Support the international travel of qualified Rotarians and their spouses to provide a needed service or plan a necessary project in a community. This program began in 2006-07, and more than 200 projects in over 40 countries have been funded at about $1 million. Read more


Educational Programs:
Ambassadorial Scholarships – The Foundation sponsors one of the largest international scholarship programs in the world. Scholars study in a different country, where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, more than 47,000 scholars from 110 countries have received scholarships of more than $476 million through The Rotary Foundation.

Group Study Exchange (GSE) – Annual awards are made to paired Rotary districts to cover travel expenses for a team of non-Rotarians from a variety of professions. Rotarian hosts organize a four- to six-week itinerary of vocational, educational, and cultural points of interest. Since 1965, more than 57,000 individuals (almost 12,000 teams) from 100 countries have participated at a cost of more than $92 million.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers – These grants are awarded to university faculty members to teach in a developing nation for 3 to 10 months. Since 1985, more than $4 million in grants has allowed over 430 teachers to share their expertise with a college or university in a developing country.

Rotary World Peace Fellowships – Each year, up to 110 scholars are sponsored to study at one of the seven Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution for a master’s-level degree. Sign up for the Peace Net newsletter, which provides a forum for the Rotary Centers community.