D-2452 DG's Newsletter December 2014

District 2452 Service Above Self Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 Mr. Gary C K Huang Light Up Rotary Mr. Khalil Alsharif RI President District Governor DECEMBER - FAMILY MONTH Like we care for our own family, we should also care for the Family of Rota- ry then only our organization will grow, prosper and continue to remain strong. For creating a greater sense of a family atmosphere within our clubs and to support the work we do to serve our communities, it is important that our club activities are of interest that involve current and past members, spouses, children, parents, spouses of deceased Rotarians, Youth Exchange students & their families, younger generations of Interactors / Rotaractors / RYLArians, GSE team members, and Am- bassadorial scholars. The month of December in Rotary calendar not only gives us an opportunity to realize the significance of our own family, but also emphasize and highlight the roles of Rotarians that can influence the bigger concept - the Family of Rotary. This concept should be viewed as vital to ensuring the growth and vitality of the club by making club’s goal of family as involving and serving all of the members. We should always be looking for and inviting qualified men and women to join our clubs. Let us not miss the opportunity to embrace them and introduce them by saying \"Welcome to our Rotary Family!\" I urge every club in District 2452 to Light Up Rotary by organizing a Family Day in December. Good Luck. “With the growth of understanding, concepts of superiority and inferiority vanish. We are all God's Khalil Alsharif children. As one member of a family is essential to the others, so is each nation in the family of nations District Governor essential to all other nations.” – Paul Harris 1

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE GARY C.K. HUANG PRESIDENT 2014-15 DECEMBER 2014 If you take a look at the Rotary calendar, it's easy to see where our priorities as an organization lie. The Rotary year begins in July; in August we mark Membership Month, in September we celebrate New Genera- tions, October is for vocational service, and so on, turning our attention to different topics that are important in Rotary. It's a great idea to do this, because it reminds us to talk about subjects that we might otherwise overlook during our busy Rotary year. But we all know that every topic on our calendar – from fellowship to our Foundation – is important. All of them are part of what makes Rotary what it is, and what makes all of us Rotarians. In Rotary, December is Family Month. Looking back on my y ears as a Rotarian, I have seen how important family is in Rotary – and how important Rotary can be to our families. My wife, Corinna, chose to join Rotary just a few months ago, after many years as a Rotary spouse. All three of our children are also Rotarians. All of them joined their own club, in their own time. All of them have found unique interests in Rotary. As we have watched them find their own paths, we have been struck by how wonderful it is to have so many members of our family involved in Rotary service. Rotary gives us something good that we can all do together. With Rotary, we always have interesting things to talk about at dinner. We are all involved in different service, in different clubs, so when we sit down together, we are talking about humanitarian needs of every kind, in every part of the world. There is always something new to learn. Our conversations are also a wonderful way to teach our children, through our own actions, what is really important in life. They learn about what life is like in different parts of the world, and how all of us have an obligation to help others when we can. I can think of no better lessons to teach our families than the lessons of Rotary service. I hope that in this Rotary year, many of you will encourage your family members to join Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact. Bringing your family into Rotary doesn't just Light Up Rotary – it lights up your own lives as well. 2

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 TRUSTEE CHAIR’S MESSAGE JOHN KENNY TRUSTEE CHAIR 2014-15 DECEMBER 2014 In his inaugural address, U.S. President John F. Kennedy made this often quoted exhortation: \"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.\" The same sentiments could be applied to the membership of Rotary. Whether Rotary will survive or whether it will falter, whether our service will mean much to many or little to few, whether Rotary is known with respect or seen as a relic of days gone by, will be up to each and every Rotarian. There is so much to be done in our world – to educate the illiterate, feed the hungry, provide shelter to the homeless. Our world is still ill divided, and the gap is not shrinking between the haves and the have-nots. But to whom much has been given, much is expected. The most important people in Rotary are not the directors of the Board or the trustees of our Rotary Foundation, but the individual Rotarians working quietly in their clubs to assist those in communi- ties who are less fortunate than themselves, for whom they know the need is great. This is Rotary at its finest: Rotarians identifying a need and responding to it. For many, this is a special time of year. May it bring to each of you the blessings that it offers. As we Light Up Rotary, let us remember that the future of our Foundation is in your hands. “Strangers are just family members 2nd District 2452 Conference you have yet to come to know.”- Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Mitch Albom From 19th to 22nd March 2015 To register please visit http:// www.rotaryd2452.org/ or contact us at: Tel.: +973 17180688, Fax: +973 17740346, E-mail: [email protected] 3

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 District Governor’s Visit - Cyprus 29th October to 8th November 2014 Cyprus Clubs Assembly 3rd Nov. 2014 Gala Dinner 4

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 District Governor’s Visit - Cyprus 29th October to 8th November 2014 5

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 District Governor’s Visit - Cyprus 29th October to 8th November 2014 Visit to Deaf Children Center Visit to Children Day Care Center Family of Rotary December is Rotary Family Month that emphasize Rotary's ongoing commitment to Family of Rotary. It is the perfect occasion to invite your mother and father, cousins, and other family members and friends to see what Rotary is about. By involving family members, Rotarians make their club meetings and service pro- jects more successful and more enjoyable. Who is our Rotary Family? Meeting with the Mayor  Fellow Club Members  Spouses, Children, Parents  In community service projects  Spouses of Deceased Rotarians  Hosting Youth Exchange and GSE teams  Youth Exchange Students & families  Interactors/Rotaractors/RYLArians HowcanwecareforspousesofdeceasedRotarians?  GSE team members/Ambassadorial scholars  Invite them to join Rotary  Invite them to special club events Why is “Family” a focus of Rotary?  Send them “The Rotarian” magazine  Enjoyment  Send them club newsletters  Retention  Call on them regularly  Recruitment  Celebrate their birthdays  Foundation support Invite RYLA, Interact and Rotaract students to HowdowecareforfellowRotarianslikefamily?  Remember birthdays and anniversaries join our Rotary family?  Assist when they are sick, lonely, or having difficulties  By Participation in:  Share their grief during and after a death in the family  Projects, Fundraisers, Club and District Social events  Celebrate at Births, Weddings, and Graduations  Christmas parties, change-overs How do we involve our own families in Rotary?  At special family oriented social events  District Conferences, Assemblies  At club meetings for special programs  Assistance at fund raisers  Have them attend other Interact, Rotaract, and RYLA activities 6

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 District Governor’s Visit - Lebanon 6th to 12th October 2014 & 18th to 25th October 2014 RC Byblos Jbeil Meeting with RC De Beyrouth BOD Felicitation to PP Loutfallah Melki (age 90 years), a veteran Rotarian since 1961. RC Beirut Cosmopolitan 7

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 Rotary Activities - Lebanon, District 2452 Marathon for Water in Public Schools, Lebanon Rotary Activities - Armenia, District 2452 Fellowship and Partnership Visits to Armenia The second half of the fall has been rich and memorable for the RC Yerevan. It has been great pleasure to host a group of old the Armenian clubs were able to finalize the Global Grant pro- friends of ours from Norway. This was the second group visit to ject concept. Upon return to Norway, the IDG Odd Jarle Hagen presented the project to the RI president on November 4 in Os- lo. first hand see and evaluate the results of the recently completed Honey project implemented in the borderline Berkaber village. The group spent two days at the village, stayed overnight at the families, enjoyed their company and delicious meals prepared by Armenian women. The group met all 10 beneficiary families who of doubt: numerous business partnerships have been outlined to received bee hives and enjoyed the delicious honey. RC Yerevan develop in the near future. To honor the Russian counterparts, a guests to Berkaber. - Prepared by DDG Margarit Piliposyan Armenian Clubs host Russia Rotarians 8

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD 2 Days - Interact RYLA Lebanon 2014, District 2452 was held at Ehden Country Club, Lebanon in November 2014. “Youths are our future. It is really a great pleasure to Light up Rotary through achieving excellent Rotary projects!!!” - DDG May Monla Chmaytelly. On behalf of DG Khalil Alsharif, DDG May congratulated Interact Chairperson Dora Mouallem and the organizing committee for the success of the seminar. More than a hundred young participants joined from all over the country. Interactors from five Interact Clubs viz. Tripoli-Mina, CSJ (Beirut Metropolitan), Koura, Zghor- ta, Byblos-Jbeil and two clubs under formation Batroun and Sayda joined the event. Members of the committee were Chairperson Rotarian Dora Moal- lem, Rotarian Emeric Wehbe and DDG May Chmaytelly, Rotaract VDRR Najah Elias, Tamara Hanna,Jad and Antoine. The same committee is planning a Rotaract RYLA at the end of the month. 9

District 2452 Governor’s Newsletter December 2014 RC Manama, Bahrain - Project for Disabled Children Rashad Centre to Rotarian Othman Janahi’s greenhouse in Jasra. rehabilitate children aged from four to twelve. ROTARACT ACADEMY - Bahrain, District 2452 District 2452 Rotaract Representative 2014-15 Lana Shahin from Amman, Jordan visited Bahrain to conduct ROTARACT ACADEMY for Rotar ctor s in Bahr ain. The academy was held on 8th November 2014 at Marvida Towers in Juffair, Bahrain 10