September 2020 Newsletter
Thursday, August 13, 2020 Immediate Past District Governor David Simmer performed his final official act from his year of service. He arrived at the home of Mesa West Rotary Club’s 2019-20 President Jim Schmidt just as the club’s Zoom meeting was starting. After taking a large trophy from the trunk of his Rotary emblazoned vehicle, he and several other Rotarians who were in on the surprise were at the front door when Jim opened it. Jim didn’t let anyone enter until he donned the Rotary mask he was given.
PDG David recognized Mesa West Rotary Club for their incredible support of The Rotary Foundation:
- More Paul Harris Society members than any other club in the district – members who give $1,000 a year or more to The Rotary Foundation.
- Winner of a $2,000 grant in recognition of their strong support of TRF through Rotary Direct – where members set up automated repetitive donations through their “My Rotary” accounts.
- The trifecta – Mesa West Rotary is the first recipient of the travelling trophy as the EndPolio Now Champions for 2019-20.
PDG David recognized District Governor Elizabeth, a great supporter of The Rotary Foundation; PDG Jim Erickson – the architect of the End Polio Now Champions award and passionate advocate for ending polio. He also acknowledged the Mesa Rotary Club for having donated the incredible trophy to the District. The trophy is Rotary founder Paul Harris holding a small boy with the boy’s polio braces on the ground at their feet. Praising Jim Schmidt for his leadership, PDG David turned the trophy over to him.
In accepting the award, PP Jim Schmidt acknowledged his Foundation Chair Chuck Flint, Assistant Governor Lee Holmes for always was there to support, and reminded everyone that Mesa West Rotary will defend the travelling trophy because they are, and will remain, the Ace of Clubs. It should be noted that the Mesa West club contributed more than 25% of the total funds the District gave to the EndPolio Now campaign. Their per capita giving to EndPolio Now was well over $400 per member!
A Water Emergency
Imagine learning that a water emergency has been declared in your community. In a matter of hours the community’s water supply is going to be shut down for fourteen days for critical system repairs.
You rush to assemble every possible container for water. Local stores report that every viable receptacle has been sold. You will have to work with what you have. You fill every pot, pan and bucket you can find before the water goes off. If a container is sketchy, you clean it as best you can. You fill the bathtub with water. It makes you queasy to think that could be drinking water, but you resolve to address that later.
You need to set priorities. Clearly you will need to rethink your #1 use of water….bathing. No running water — no showers. Sponge baths will have to do. The water can be warmed on the stove.
With any luck drinking water can be purchased. But the reality is that with the sudden city-wide emergency bottled water will be scarce, rationed and expensive.
Your heart sinks when you realize the dishwasher is a useless hunk of metal and plastic until the water returns. Dishes will need to be hand-washed. You identify a small tub for washing dishes and another for rinsing. The rinse water will become wash-water for the next round of dish-washing.
It our pleasure to announce to you that the African region has just been certified wild poliovirus-free.
Rotary members have played an invaluable role in the effort to rid the African region of wild polio. We should be proud of all the hard work that we’ve done to eliminate the wild poliovirus throughout Africa and in nearly every country in the world.
This progress is the result of a decades-long effort across the 47 countries of the African region. It has involved millions of health workers traveling by foot, boat, bike and bus, innovative strategies to vaccinate children amid conflict and insecurity, and a huge disease surveillance network to test cases of paralysis and check sewage for the virus.
Over the last two decades, countless Rotary members in countries across the African region and around the world have worked together to raise funds, immunize children, advocate with local and national leaders, and raise awareness about the importance of vaccination, enabling the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to effectively respond to and stop polio outbreaks.
The Tempe Downtown Rotary Club recently Celebrated Vern Eddlemon’s 50th Rotary Anniversary! Congratulations Vern!