October 2019 Newsletter
 
I had the pleasure of visiting Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston in September.  What a great time!  In this month's video, take the tour with me of the office of the first Rotary meeting, meet some of our great Rotary International support staff and enjoy the beautiful Rotary offices.  You may view David's October video HERE.
 
You may view all the videos that David has posted HERE.
In recent days and weeks there have been a number of emails circulating around the district that are scams.  Should you get one of these emails, it will come from a person in the district whose name you will likely recognize.  However, upon closer examination, if you check the actual email address that the message came from you will see that it is NOT the email address of the supposed sender.  The mail will ask you to purchase Google or Amazon gift cards.  It may ask you to send money. Don't fall for this scam.  No one with any type of leadership position in the district will ever send you an email asking for money and/or gift cards.  What do they say?  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Be vigilant and everyone can avoid unnecessary problems!
 
Imagine getting all of your most pressing Rotary Foundation questions answered in just 180 minutes of your time.    It’s possible if you attend the Rotary Foundation Education event on Nov 16th at Huntington University in Peoria, 9am – noon.  All Club Presidents and Club Rotary Foundation Chairs are highly encouraged to attend but all Rotarians are welcome.  Cost is free and no registration is required!  November is Rotary Foundation month so come and find out how your club can leverage the Rotary Foundation to do great things in our communities and the world.  Contact Charlie Tegarden (ctegarden@outlook.com) for more information or if you have any questions
 
 
Saludos Amigos de D5495!
 
Registration is now open for the Mexico USA Friendship Conference and Global Grants Exchange. 
 
The MX USA Friendship Conference will be held this year at the Grand Canyon November 7 - 11. The Squire Inn at Tusayan will be our venue. They have given us a fantastic room rate, so $250 per person in double occupancy or $390 in single includes your room for Thursday thru Saturday nights, meals and registration, plus we will be spending time at the South rim, as well as looking at wonderful global grant projects. And Saturday night we’ll have a down home western BBQ dinner at Big E Steakhouse and Saloon.
 
Does your club have a major project you want to present at the conference to find international partners and get global grant funding?
 
Or maybe your club has not participated in a global grant but you’d like to make a dollar commitment to do so. 
 
This conference is the perfect opportunity. Clubs bring funding in all amounts, from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Bring your pledges and get involved in Rotary Foundation Global Grants. Our grants team will help you navigate the process and you and your members will have a fun-filled weekend, making new friends and learning about doing good in the world by leveraging the Rotary Foundation.
 
Register at:
World Polio Day will occur on October 24, 2019.  What does your club have planned?  How about donating the happy or sad dollars and the fines that you collect during the week of October 21st to the End Polio Now Initiative?  What about a community activity centered around Polio?  Have you considered helping your Interact club should they be doing a purple pinkie project?  A very large number of Rotarians in our District, sadly, do not contribute anything to Polio.  A large number of clubs fall into the same category, contributing nothing to polio.  Someday in the not too distant future, Rotary will be able to announce to the world that we have kept our promise to the children of the world and eliminated polio!  Rightfully so, Rotarians will be proud to be part of an organization that for only the second time in history has eliminated a disease from the face of the earth.  But stop and ask yourself, how will YOU feel on that day if you have never contributed the the polio eradication initiative.  World Polio Day will be an excellent time for all members of Rotary District 5495 to contribute to the End Polio Now campaign.  
 
The Peoria North Rotary Club has a special event planned for World Polio Day. Join us as we celebrate World Polio Day Thursday, Oct. 24. Peoria North Rotary Club will be hosting a public viewing of The Rotary Foundation's annual update on our efforts to eradicate polio. The screening will begin at 5 p.m. at Dave & Buster's, 9460 W. Hanna Lane, Glendale (at Westgate Center). Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free and food and drinks are available for purchase on your own. Of course, donations to the Polio Plus Fund will be accepted! RSVP to let us know if you're attending. For additional information, contact Bret McKeand at scibret@aol.com or visit peorianorthrotary.net.  
The global effort by Rotary International and its global partners to eradicate polio from the face of the earth continues to sh discouraging results this month.  The report of September 25thon the GPEI (Global Polio Eradication Initiative) website, polioeradication.org, shows 82 cases of polio attributed to the wild polio virus.  That is almost four (4) times the number of cases in 2017 when there were 22 cases for the year.  Additionally, on September 19, 2019 an outbreak of polio was declared in the Philippines.
 
At the recent Zone Institute those in attendance had an opportunity to hear from Mike McGovern.  Mr. McGovern serves as the chair of the International PolioPlus Committee and represents Rotary on the Polio Oversight Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. 
BANNU, Pakistan — An anti-vaccination movement rooted in suspicions of modern medicine. Unsubstantiated rumors fueled by social media. Children infected with a disease that had been all but wiped out.
 
Polio is making a troubling comeback in Pakistan, and it is being driven by some of the same forces spreading measles in the United States.
 
Two years after health officials declared they were on the verge of eradicating the crippling childhood disease from Pakistan, one of the last countries where it remains endemic, at least 58 children here have tested positive for the virus since January. That is nearly five times the total of all of last year, and the most in a calendar year since 2014 — a major setback for a $1 billion-a-year global eradication campaign
 
Some 2 million Pakistani households have refused immunizations for children since April, when reports circulated on television channels, Facebook and Twitter that children had fallen ill after a vaccination drive at a school in the northern city of Peshawar.
 
 
(CNN)The Philippines has reported its first case of polio since it was declared free of the childhood disease 19 years ago, dealing a blow to the campaign to eradicate it. 
 
The country's department of health said the disease was "re-emerging," with a case confirmed in a 3-year-old girl from Lanao del Sur, on the southern island of Mindanao, and a suspected case awaiting confirmation.  The World Health Organization said it was "very concerned" at the re-emergence of the disease in the country; UNICEF described it as "deeply disconcerting."
 
A global campaign to eradicate polio was launched in 1988 and cases due to the wild poliovirus have decreased by more than 99% since then, from an estimated 350,000 cases to 33 reported cases in 2018, according to WHO.
However, the disease is still present in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the emergence of new, vaccine-derived strains of polio have complicated efforts to rid the world of the disease. 
 
Have you become a participant in Rotary Direct? No? Why Not? District Governor David is encouraging all Rotarians to consider Rotary Direct for their contributions to The Rotary Foundation.  There is a District Wide Club Contest for Rotary Direct Participation.  If your club could use an extra $2000 consider the Rotary Direct Initiative.  You may get started HERE. You do not need a My Rotary account to donate to the Foundation. However if you and your club wish to get credit for your donation then you should create a My Rotary account if you do not have one.  A My Rotary account is easy to establish. Your AG can help. Why not make your next donation to The Rotary Foundation a recurring donation, making you a Rotary Direct participant. (Again a My Rotary account will be necessary for your participation to be reflected in the Club Contest.)   
 
At their quarterly meeting Saturday, September 28, the board of directors of The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona elected and welcomed two new Board Members,  Susan Fitzgerald (l), from the Peoria Rotary Club, and Lori Dekker (r), from the Prescott Frontier Rotary Club.   In stating the reason why she is willing to invest her time, talent, and treasure in TRVFA, Susan stated, "I've seen the joy on the faces of scholarship recipients in the past and I want to make sure that other Rotarians get to experience the same thing.  I'm looking forward to speaking with Rotary Clubs and showing them how they can make a difference in the lives of people that really do want to improve themselves."    Lori says, "I was so grateful to be asked to be a TRVFA Board Member because I know that education is the gift that truly keeps on giving.  It improves the life of the student in so many ways as its benefits seep into the world around them.  I'm delighted to be a part of the process."

 
As Rotary and Interact members, all of us want the world to become the best possible place it can be.
We all plan projects, raise funds and attend events that will get us to our goals. Since Interact is a student-led club, it might be a little harder for us to reach our goals without the right amount of training. This is why the Interact District Council plans and leads a Fall Leadership Conference each year. This is a conference where the Assistant Governors teach their assigned clubs’ leaders how to have a successful year.
 
Now, I talked briefly about it in my last article, but here is more information. This conference,
which is on October 19 at Wickenburg High School, is totally unique. It gives the club leaders a chance to
meet face to face with their Assistant Governor to plan and prepare for a perfect year.
Clubs leaders get to learn more about Rotary and its goals, how to get more involved, what
resources are available, and how to make the most impact. It makes the kids and the Advisors more
confident for the year to come. This is a great opportunity that clubs your Rotary club sponsor(s) should take. It is super easy to register at our website, www.rotaryazinteract.org ! The deadline is October 11! In addition to the break-out sessions led by the Assistant Governors, we also have two amazing guest
speakers, DG David Simmer and Rotarian Life Coach Sarah Kay Harrison. This is a conference your clubs
do not want to miss, and even you (Rotarians) can attend if you want. We hope to see you and your clubs there!
 
Speaking of training leaders, did you know that our Interact District 5495 actually offers three
levels of leadership training; club level, district level, and international level? To the best of our
knowledge, we are the only Interact district in the world that does this.
The Bronze Sculpture of Paul Harris and Child, generously donated to District 5495 by the Mesa Rotary Club, has found a purpose.  The sculpture will become a club award and it will be awarded at the District Conference in June, 2020.  Watch for an announcement soon from District Governor David on how your club can become the first recipient of this new award!
A message from Rotaract 
 
We are proud to announce the formation of the Arizona Rotaract Council!  Our mission is to serve as a resource for the clubs in Arizona in order to strengthen existing clubs, establish new ones, and create opportunities for Rotaractors to collaborate on projects, events, and fundraising initiatives. We also hope to bridge the Rotary-Rotaract-Interact relationships at a district level. Please visit our website azrotaract.weebly.com to read more about our council, it’s members, and upcoming events. 
 
We would also like to give a huge shout out to our District Rotaract Representative, Leslie Balderas, for being selected to attend the 2020 Rotary International Assembly in San Diego this January! This is only the second time ever that Rotaractors have been invited to join district governor-elects at Rotary's annual training meeting to share, collaborate and discuss Rotaract on a global scale. We cannot wait for Leslie to come back and create impactful change in our district with the knowledge she gains at this conference
Seed money from Rotary club foundations is being sought to help fund a badly needed and requested brand-new JR RYLA program for our district.  Due to the rapid growth in the number of middle school and junior high Interact clubs in recent years, there has been an increasing need for a leadership challenge program for these youth in grades 6-8.  Since they are not eligible to participate in the high school age programs of RYLA, Rotary Youth Exchange and Interact Ambassadors to Kenya, they have been calling for a leadership development program for their own age group.
 
We are excited to announce that our district’s first JR RYLA, for youth in grades 6-8, has been scheduled for June 17-20, 2020, at Camp Wamatochick in Prescott.  Ken Kelley, veteran Rotary Youth Services leader, will be chairing this new program and will serve as the Camp Director.  Assisting him will be Jeri Robertson, the Faculty Advisor to the middle school Interact Club at Arizona Charter Academy in Surprise.  The new program is expected to strengthen and continue to multiply our Interact clubs for this age group, and to be a “feeder” program for our outstanding senior high RYLA programs.
 
While we anticipate that most of the expected 80 JR RYLA delegates will be coming from our Interact clubs, the program will be open to any youth in this age group who wish to apply.  We will be setting up a similar online application for this new program to the one we have for our two senior high RYLA camps.
 
Club foundations and individuals who are willing to help us launch this new program, for which no district funding exists, can send contributions payable to Rotary District 5495, for JR RYLA, to District Treasurer Jeanie Morgan, P.O. Box 1807, Chandler, AZ 85224
SAVE THE DATE - March 231, 2020.  That evening will see Rotarians gather for dinner and an evening of entertainment.  All proceeds will benefit The Rotary Foundation.  Watch for further details.
 
 
Tickets are available now.  For best seating order your tickets NOW.  Click HERE.
A new “Quiet Room” at the Phoenix Police Department’s Communications Center is meant to provide 911 emergency call dispatchers a brief respite of peace in the midst of what is generally a tumultuous and at times highly stressful job.

Several Arizona Rotary clubs partnered with local businesses to convert what was previously a storage room into the new Quiet Room at the communications center located at 110 E. Elwood St. The new room was dedicated Sept. 17 at a ceremony attended by the Phoenix mayor, police chief and Rotary officials.
 
Ten Rotary clubs – led by Peoria Rotary Club and Past District Gov. Chuck Fitzgerald -- pitched in to come up with the $5,000 needed to complete the project. The new room features a comfortable sofa, chairs, calming art and soft lighting. Inspirational and uplifting quotes adorn the walls.  
 
 
Peacebuilder Network
 
On September 20th, at the highly successful Pursuing Peace Conference and other peace-related venues many D5495 Rotarians had opportunities to consider the question, “Are you a peace lover or are you a peace maker?” It’s a great question and has such strong ramifications for a peaceful, yet impactful, life. It’s also a question that Rotarians – People of Action– should never hesitate to answer. Are you…
 
                  - Supporting Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotaract, Interact?
                  - Providing dictionaries, backpacks or school supplies to young students or their teachers?
                  - Partnering with Rotarians around the world to improve the lives and opportunities of others?
                  - Volunteering at a food bank, Andre House, Billy’s Place or the like?
                  - Building clean water systems at homes in the Navajo Nations?
                          …the list goes on and on!
 
If you are…then YOU ARE A PEACE MAKER. By definition, you’re also a Peacebuilder
 
 
The Sun Lakes Rotary Club recently completed a local service project that was suggested last January by Sun Lakes Rotarian Dwight Snyder. Rotarian Snyder indicated that the community might be well served if the Club could place an outdoor seating area at the east entrance of the Centum Health Building in Sun Lakes. His idea made sense, so Rotarian Peter Meade applied for a District Grant from Rotary District 5495 for the purpose of installing some benches. Once notice that the grant had been approved, Peter met with Tami Conradson from Centum Health Properties who agreed to match the Club’s funding dollar for dollar. 
 
On Tuesday, August 20th, several members of the Club went to Centum Health Building to celebrate the successful “unveiling” of two 8-ft. long benches and a round picnic table. Plaques on the benches recognized that the Sun Lakes Rotary Club helped to make it happen.
Dr. Norma Hubele, a statistician and educator for more than thirty years was today's speaker. Dr. Hubele has spent her life serving the public as a professor, consumer advocate, and automotive safety expert. After receiving her Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, she joined the engineering faculty at ASU teaching statistics to engineers. She served as Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Fulton School of Engineering. As a tech entrepreneur and data scientist she has served as an expert witness in over 120 automobile safety cases. Central to her vision of creating a world where everyone walks away from a crash, she shares her extensive experience with consumers as founder of The Auto Professor. She has created an algorithm that transforms complex car crash data into a practical and person-alized rating system: The Auto Grades. Hers is the only go-to data source for getting accurate information on how well cars have protected drivers in real life crashes…and it’s free. Go to TheAutoProfesssor.com.
 
 
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale welcomed native Arizonian Steven Brophy, CEO of Aztec Land and Cattle Company, as its keynote speaker at recent Club's weekly luncheon meeting held at McCormick Ranch Golf Club.  When introducing Mr. Brophy, Rotarian Jim Bruner, noted that Steven is a vocal advocate, businessman, farmer and rancher, and is President/CEO of one of Arizona's largest landowners - Aztec Land and Cattle Company.  Aztec has a vested interest in development of transportation and commerce.  Mr. Brophy's family immigrated to US from Ireland in 1879.  
 
Per Mr. Brophy, following its formation by Eastern industrialists and Texan cowboys in 1884 and incorporation in early 1885, The Aztec Land and Cattle Company, Limited purchased a 1,000,000-acre tract of land in northern Arizona from the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, imported approximately 32,000 head of cattle branded with the Hashknife brand from Texas, and commenced ranching operations in Arizona. 
How would you like to spend a Sunday afternoon in late October sipping some wine and getting to know some of our younger Rotarians and their friends?  The Downtown Social Club of Phoenix 100 Rotary will be holding a Grape Arizona Wine Event on Sunday October 27th at Heritage Square in Downtown Phoenix.  Tickets are available on Eventbrite under the event name, grapearizonawineevent.  For more information visit the website, grapearizonawineevent.com.
 
 
The 12th Annual Brews and Brats Oktoberfest, presented by the Kingman Route 66 Rotary Club, will take place on Friday October 4th, 3pm to 10pm, and Saturday, October 5th, 10am to 10pm, in Downtown Kingman at Metcalfe Park, corner of Beale and Grandview Streets, Kingman. There will be local craft beer, bratwurst and sauerkraut, pretzels, soda, live entertainment, games, vendors and family fun! FREE ADMISSION! Proceeds benefit the Kingman Route 66 Rotary Club’s Foundation and support local service projects
In 1905, when Rotary began, it was not based on the idea of Service Above Self. The two main aims of the Chicago club were “the promotion of the business interests of its members” and “good fellowship and other desiderata ordinarily incident to Social Clubs.” For Paul Harris, that wasn’t enough. He wanted a club that would get involved in civic affairs and benefit the community. A pro-spective member, Chicago attorney Donald Carter, had been “struck by the selfish character of the organization.” The two conspired to introduce a Third Object of Rotary: “the advancement of the best interests of Chicago.” 
Paul Harris concluded that the best way to introduce community service would be to find a worthy cause and then induce members to work for it. The club began by buying a horse for a farmer whose animal had died. Members also provided a newsboy with a suit of warm clothes. All along, Harris was planning bigger things, creating a committee to find civic projects for Rotary to participate in. The first issue was the lack of public restrooms downtown. There was only one choice at the time – a saloon. Once there, it was said, men could be tempted to take a drink or two and it was out of the question for women to enter such an establishment, so Harris and his committee persuaded the Chicago City Council to fund public facilities to the tune of $20,000 (almost $500,000 today) in tax-payer money. And Chicago Rotarians got so much satisfaction out of seeing their work get results that “Service Above Self” be-came an operating principle, although it didn’t become one of our official mottoes until 1950. The rest, we might say, is history!