The District's New Member Grant Program has been off to a great start this year. Under this program, new members can apply for a grant of $250 to do a small project on their own with the support and mentorship of their Club. The intent of this Program, first began in 2019 during the term of then Governor Mahbub Ahmad, is to start new members off on their Rotary journey of Service, without having to go around looking for funding. Two of our Club's new Members took on projects for Thanksgiving, as their way of helping those around us who need help. One of our youngest members Nahian Ehtesham contacted the United Community Center of Westchester, in New Rochelle to find out what they most needed. The Center's outreach is directed towards immigrants, refugees, high-risk communities, and vulnerable populations. The facility is inclusive, and the doors are open for anyone to address their concerns. Based on her conversation with the Center Director, Nahian purchased grocery items from Stop and Shop and delivered them to the Center. The items included cooking oil, apple cider, cereal, and breakfast bars, among other items. Another New Member Grant project was undertaken by Sunshine's newest member Shireen Shams. Her project was to come to the assistance of a young immigrant family in the Bronx where they had just lost their bread earner and the mother is now having to cope with the loss and care for two young children. Shireen found they needed basic food items, so she purchased about a month's worth of grocery items - rice, flour, lentils, cooking oil, and snacks, and delivered the supplies to the family in need. Another new Member Faisal Mahmud of the Hope Club organized a heartwarming Thanksgiving lunch for the Children of Promise (COPNYC), in The Bronx - which cares for children of incarcerated parents. The kids were eagerly waiting to celebrate “Thanksgiving Lunch” and indeed it was an amazing feast! Using grant funds supplemented with some additional funds, they ordered chicken, rice, beans, and plantain for about 50 children and staff members of COPNYC. Hope Club President Kazi & new member Faisal were joined by Charter President Rownak and together they served the hot food to the children themselves. The happiness of the holiday celebration with the children was priceless.
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New Members undertake projects via District New Member Grants
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Bina Ahmad
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2023-11-25 08:00:00Z |
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Our District Training Conference ended successfully on Saturday 4 November at Sarah Lawrence College. 79 Rotarians from many Clubs participated in the day-long seminar featuring focused sessions for Club Presidents, Secretaries, and Treasurers as well as special sessions on Public Image and Fundraising. The afternoon session after a free boxed lunch, featured a session on DEI and membership. The Club Officer breakout sessions were geared toward new as well as experienced officers providing specifics that each officer should know and take responsibility for. For example, Presidents were provided with tips on how to run meetings and set goals, Secretaries were given tips on maintaining club records and adding/removing members. Treasurers were given information on filing tax returns and providing quarterly financial reports to the Board and the members. They were also briefed on the necessity of periodic audits. The well-attended session on Public Image was presented by Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator and District Public Image Chair PDG Mahbub and featured three Clubs that have used Public Image resources for their Projects. PE Serkan of the 100-year-old Scarsdale Club highlighted one of the projects in Africa and emphasized the need to preserve the historical archives of Club projects so that future members could know more of what their club has achieved. Highlighting their first project, the 10-month-old Smart Rotaract Club President Rummanu Yeasin presented their CPR Training and Blood Drive recently. She focused on what they did and the lessons learned. Finally the Larchmont Club presented its program for underprivileged children. In the afternoon session on DEI, Committee chairs Cynthia Paulino and Christina Wellington presented the state of DEI actions in the District. The provided possible actions that can be taken by Clubs to improve DEI within their Clubs. At the final session of the day on Membership, our Club President and Area Governor Bina Ahmad discussed the history of the new Clubs in our District. She asked members of the 8 new Clubs present to stand and be recognized. A near majority of attendees were from these 8 Clubs. President Bina proceeded to show the structure of our Organization from the Club level to RI saying the foundation of of RI is our members and as such it is important not only to bring in new members but also to nurture and maintain the interests of existing members. Area Governor spoke about the elevation of Rotaract into Rotary, while District Membership Chair Hugh Maynard-Reid concluded the afternoon by urging members to go out and talk to their friends, relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors to join Rotary and help grow our membership.
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Successful District Training Conference
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Bina Ahmad
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2023-11-06 08:00:00Z |
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The word 'polio' once instilled fear among people. Back in 1988, there were around 350,000 polio cases in over 125 countries across the globe. That year marked the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) by the World Health Assembly. Since then, wild poliovirus (WPV) cases have plummeted by about 99.99%, and WPV types 2 and 3 have been declared eradicated.
However, challenges persist. Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where WPV type 1 has not been interrupted. According to the WHO, there were six reported cases in 2021 and eight in 2022 in the world. Surprisingly, in July 2022, a person in Rockland County, New York, tested positive for polio. Subsequently, poliovirus was detected in New York City's wastewater samples. On September 9, the Governor of the State of New York declared a State disaster emergency concerning poliovirus. Polio had returned to New York.
The presence of poliovirus in wastewater indicated ongoing infections, raising concerns about the possibility of paralytic polio cases in the U.S. This situation emphasizes the need for awareness not only for ourselves but also for future generations.
As Rotarians, it is our duty to engage actively in the 'End Polio Now' campaigns. All clubs under District 7230 organized a Polio Day Party on World Polio Day 2023 for fundraising and celebration. Registration for the event was without any fee and contribution of a minimum of $25 to the PolioPlus Fund was expected. Rotary members in District 7230 donating $100 or more will be recognized with a special pin as members of the District's new Polio Plus Society. A number of Club members have donated to the Polio Plus Fund. Our Club contributed $100 to the Fund having raised funds at the recent festival in Westchester.
We invite all to be the member of Polio Plus Society contributing $100 annually to the Polio Plus Fund of Rotary Foundation. And also urge each of the district clubs to take their own programs for this fund raising and for raising awareness in our society.
Eradicating polio is a challenging task, but it's a historic endeavor. This #WorldPolioDay, let's unite with @Rotary and global partners in the fight to #EndPolio for good: endpol.io/wpd.
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Club Participates in World Polio Day Fundraiser and Celebration
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2023-10-23 07:00:00Z |
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 D7230 was recognized in Zone 32 as being the only District in all of North America to have grown in membership in the last 3 years. Last year 2022-23, Area 5 is proud to have brought in 28 new Rotary members – in 1 New Club (Promise Rotary - 20 members and 1 revitalized Club (Hope Rotary - 8 new Members) + 16 Rotaractors in the new Rotaract Club of Smart New York.. The previous year 2021-22, Area 5 brought in 20 new members in 1 new Club (Sunshine Rotary) And in the previous year 2020-21, it was Area 5 that brought in 40 new members in 2 new Clubs (Westchester - 20 new members, and East-West - 20 new members) Thus, in three years just Area 5 added 88 new Rotarians and 16 Rotaractors to the District rolls. We are proud that our DG chain was at hand in Toronto to be honored with this momentous award.
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District Awarded 2022-23 Zone Membership Growth Award
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Tabin Ahmad
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2023-10-04 07:00:00Z |
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1 October Sunday is a nice sunny day. A number of Clubs joined together to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The Rotary Club of Blooming Rose and the Rotary Club of Promise are walking together, while the Rotary Club of Hope, Rotary Club of Sunshine and a few other Clubs will be walking in Central Park on Sunday, 15 October. The Clubs are jointly raising funds on behalf of D7230 to send to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. They are all new Clubs and have demonstrated dedication and energy to the causes that Rotary and its members care for. The Clubs were out in full force with their Club banners to draw attention to the participation of Rotary in support of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The Charter President of our newest Club the Rotary Club of Blooming Rose has also donated $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation to earn her Paul Harris +1 recognition. Meanwhile, our Sunshine Club's Past President, Aziz Ahmad has been recognized by the Club with a Paul Harris Fellow recognition in honor of his contribution to the Club’s District Grant project.
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New Clubs Participate in Walk to End Alzheimer's
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2023-10-04 07:00:00Z |
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DG Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell has expressed his desire to expand Rotary's presence in The Bronx. Here is how the Clubs of Area 5 are supporting his ask: Four of our Area 5 Clubs have conducted projects in The Bronx in the last 10 months. : The Rotary Club of Hope, NY jointly with the Rotary Club of Sunshine, NY donated men’s clothing and hygiene items to “The Living Room”, a homeless shelter on Barretto Street, Bronx. The donated items included winter outerwear, suits, dress shirts, pants, T-shirts, shoes, belts and hygiene products. According to Nelson, the Supervisor there, our donations will be helpful for the people they serve at “Living Room” because, besides regular clothing, homeless men also look for dress shirts, suits, etc. to attend job interviews! On 15 July, The Heritage, NY E-Club organized a CPR Certification Class attended by DG Loren himself and 30 New York State Chaplains at the First Glorious Church on Arthur Avenue. This will be an ongoing project. The Hope, NY Club brought smiles to the children of incarcerated parents when they brought pajamas to the children who have never had pajamas to sleep in. In March, winter pajama sets were distributed among 30 children 5 to 7 years old at the Children of Promise, in Webster Avenue. The Hope Club organized a previous clothing donation project at The Living Room in February. Earlier the East-West Club organized two projects in the Parkchester area. One project in November provided grocery items to nearly 150 needy residents of the area. The second project, also in November, provided new and gently used clothing items to nearly 200 local residents.
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Area 5 Clubs Conduct Projects in The Bronx
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Tabin Ahmad
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2023-10-04 07:00:00Z |
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New Club Officers and a new member were installed at a simple, elegant in-person outdoor ceremony on 19 August at the home of President Bina. Ten of our Club members were joined by District Governor Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell, and Past Governors, Martin Schulman, Mary Shackleton, and Mahbub Ahmad, as well as District Governor-Elect Syed Alirahi and District Governor Nominee Garrett Capobianco.  DG Loren administered the oath of Office to President Bina and her team of 2023-24 Club Officers, among them were Immediate Past President Aziz Ahmad, President-Elect Jenny Huang, Secretary Mahmood Menon, Treasurer Yeasin Arafat, International Director Ashfaque Salim, and Directors Shimul Ismail, Tarin Anwar, and Lubna Anwar. A highlight of the event was the DG inducting our new member Shireen Shams, flanked by the new member's sponsor, Shimul Ismail. Another new Member, our youngest so far - Nahian Ehtesham will be inducted at a future ceremony. President Bina thanked Past President Aziz for his service to the Club, particularly for organizing the Rotary Day of Service project. She highlighted the other projects undertaken by the Club since its inception. DG Loren in welcoming the new Club Leadership team emphasized his theme for the year "We, not me" saying,Club activities are team efforts with everyone contributing their time, effort and expertise. He said the district had performed very well in terms of membership and service activities, and thanked all members for their continuing efforts in assisting needy humanity. Following the ceremony all attendees moved indoors for a sumptuous Dinner and fellowship that lasted a few hours.  | |  | | DG Loren with New member Shireen (R) and sponsor Shimul | | PE Jenny with Director Shimul and PDG Mary Shackleton |
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Club Officers Installed at Outdoor Ceremony
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2023-08-23 07:00:00Z |
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 Despite the rain - the Multi-District Rotary Day of Service saw a great project put together by our Sunshine NY Rotary Club with the collaboration of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 101 and the Township of Marlboro. DG Martin Schulman visited the project. Club President Aziz Ahmad with his family, Charter President Bina Ahmad, Marlboro Township Council President Juned Qazi, and the Chair of the Council's Open Space Committee, Captain Rajan joined the project along with 10 of our Sunshine members. The Eagle Scouts and our members together moved mulch, planted trees, and installed benches along the trail. Also there, were PDG Mahbub Ahmad and President Rownak, and President-Elect Kazi of Hope NY Rotary. A marvelous show of Rotary working with the community to preserve our natural environment. Hats off to the volunteers. Without them, the project could not have been done.
These groups came forward as a joint effort to give back to the township and community. They among many others, participated in the project to improve upon the Antisell Nature Trail in Morganville, NJ, - comprising 14 acres of a natural preserve - cleaning, building, and planting just out of the kindness of their hearts. The Antisell Trail Project was originally organized by Rayan Rehman, an Eagle Scout, where he and the Scout Troop created a pathway at the trail and installed various wooden benches as well as a trailhead kiosk. With it being our role to give back, our Rotary Club initiated a new enhancement project for the trail, that became part of the “Multi-District Rotary Day Of Service.” A number of improvements were completed through the installation of more durable benches, and picnic tables as well as a number of evergreen trees being planted along the border of the trail. The benches, picnic tables and the kiosk have plaques indicating our Club's collaboration and participation in the overall beautification of the Trail which will be used by local residents and visitors for many years to come. The scouts also enjoyed a night of camping in nature within the Antisell trail.
Special thanks to District Governor Martin Schulman, PDG Mahbub Ahmad, Charter President Bina Ahmad, and Rotarians from many areas for taking the time to make the trip and joining us in the difficult weather to help the community.
See more photos
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Club Completes Day of Service Project
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Bina Ahmad
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2023-06-08 07:00:00Z |
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RotaryDayofService,SunshineRotary |
The Day of Service is on 20 May. On this day more than 500 Rotary clubs and 14,000 Rotarians across 5 states and 3 countries, from Connecticut to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York in the United States, plus the countries of Bermuda and Brazil, will volunteer in their communities for an unprecedented Rotary Day of Service, collecting clothes for homeless, refurbishing parks, and, much, much more.. Our Sunshine Club is one step ahead. We will undertake 2 projects - one in Marlboro New Jersey and another in Sreepur, Bangladesh, District 3282. For the project in Marlboro our Club members and volunteers from the local Eagle Scouts will enhance the nature trail in Antisell – by installing 3 visitor benches and 5 trash bins across the route and planting 10 trees to enhance greenery and shade in the trail.  For the project in Bangladesh, the orphan girls of the Monu Mia and Sultana Girls Orphanage will clear trash from the nearby areas as well as plant trees, bushes and plants at their new Orphanage building that is under construction. For the project, all 30 girls at the Orphanage were provided with yellow T-shirts on behalf of the Rotary E Club of Sunshine New York . These T-shirts are printed with the Rotary Day of Service Logo and the Club name. Proudly wearing their new t-shirts the girls have already started their project - planting trees, beautifying their surroundings, removing trash, and taking cooking lessons. The project will conclude on the Rotary Day of Service - 20 May. This is how we "Imagine Rotary" "Changing Lives" and "Creating Hope in the World" for these orphan girls.
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Rotary Day of Service is On
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2023-04-20 07:00:00Z |
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 The Presidents-Elect Training Seminar or PETS is the annual event that provides valuable training and networking opportunities for Rotary and Rotaract Club leaders alike. Our Club was represented by President-Elect AG Bina Ahmad who acted as Adviser and guide to the first-time new Club Presidents-Elect from the Promise, Hope, East-West, Westchester. All those present were enthusiastic participants, eager to learn and connect with fellow members of the Rotary community. They attended a variety of training sessions, including sessions on leadership, project management, membership satisfaction, public image, and The Rotary Foundation. These sessions were led by experienced Rotarians who shared their knowledge and expertise with both the newly minted Club leadership and returning leaders alike. In addition to the training sessions, all participants also had the chance to network with Rotarians from across the Mid-Northeast region. They met with current and incoming Rotary club presidents, as well as other Rotary leaders and volunteers. These connections will serve them well as they continue their work within their own clubs and communities. The highlight of the 2-day training was the presence of Rotary International President-Elect R. Gordon R. McInally and his wife Heather as well as Rotary International Director for our Zone, Drew Kessler, and his wife Vicki. The presence of these Rotary leaders encouraged and enthused the 300+ attendees, at the Hanover Marriott in Whippany, NJ. Overall, the Mid-Northeast PETS was a valuable experience for the upcoming club leaders of District 7230, and a reminder of the importance of training and networking within the Rotary community. By investing in the development of our members, we can continue to make a positive impact in our communities and around the world.
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Presidents-Elect Training Seminar brings together leaders from 6 Districts
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2023-03-31 07:00:00Z |
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"Let's continue to work together to make the world a better place," Father Philippe Charles writes in his notes to the Rotary Club of Sunshine, New York. He shared some images and a few video clips of the earlier project, after clothes and food were distributed among a group of destitute people, mostly children, who lack their basic necessities of life in Haiti. This was so that Club members get a feel for what their donation will do.  The clothes were collected and sent by Rotary Club of Sunshine, NY while the food was bought by the money donated by club members. Father Philippe collected the items for despatch to Haiti where the distribution will take place under the supervision of the local Rotary Clubs and the archdiocese. The Rotary Club of Sunshine NY organized the program in Haiti as a part of its Clothing and Food Drive 2023. The clothes were collected during February and March and packaged in New York. Some twelve bags of gently used clothes, were collected and donated by club member Shimul Ismail and her16 year old daughter Nora,.Together they carefully sorted, organized and packaged the clothes for sending to Haiti. Nora and her Mother Shimul were lauded at the club's meeting held in early March, where club president Aziz Ahmad, and Charter President Bina Ahmad specially mentioned Nora's contributions and thanked her. The Club also thanked Father Philippe, who went through a lot of effort to collect the clothes and purchase the food items and have them shipped in 2 barrels to Haiti for distribution among the distressed people. The Club has already collected more clothes and those will be distributed in the Bronx and Ozone park areas in NY very soon. Earlier, the Rotary Club of Sunshine conducted another food and clothing distribution program in collaboration with Westchester Rotary Club. Held on February 9 at Poughkeepsie in the outskirts of New York, this program was also a successful one. More than 50 people collected containers of freshly cooked food and several dozens of clothing items were distributed among people mostly from Afghan and Syrian refugee camps. Westchester Club President-Elect Maher Pathan, along with a few volunteers actively completed that distribution drive. Maher herself cooked the food and distributed them among unprivileged people in that locality.
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Let's continue to work together to make the world better : Father Philippe
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Mahmood Menon
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2023-03-23 07:00:00Z |
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Posted by Mahmood Menon
"Someone picked a shirt and wore it standing against a glass-door nearby. He was so happy to see that the shirt fit him so well and its color was really wonderful. I saw  how happy the middle-aged man was!"
Rotarian Maher Pathan was describing her experience of the food, grocery and clothing distribution program jointly organized by Sunshine NY and Westchester NY Rotary Clubs held on February 9 at Poughkeepsie in the outskirts of New York. More than 50 people collected food boxes. Several dozens of clothes were distributed.
Under privileged people, mostly from the housing for Afghan refugees came and collected the food and clothes.
"They don't get enough food to eat, they don't have warm clothes to wear i n this winter. So they were happy to get all those", said Maher.
"Initially we brought food for 25 people. But later when a larger number of people gathered, we cooked again. Sister Mazida helped me to cook more food and we distributed them among the needy people", she added.
"Lots of exciting things happened on the day. .We cooked the food ourselves. So that everyone gets to eat some home cooked, warm and healthy meals. All the collected clothes were in fine condition and I made sure they were hygienic enough to wear."
Two elderly women came who have no family. Among them one lost her son in deadly gun violence. There is none to buy food for this woman.
We bought some groceries and dropped them off at their houses in the camp, Maher Pathan said.
The onlookers and the people who stopped by were appreciating this noble endeavor by Rotarians.
"Everyone liked the biryani and said that they wanted to eat again. I promised them that someday soon I will cook more biryani and distribute among them", said Maher Pathan.
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They all liked delicious biryani and nice clothes
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Mahmood Menon
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2023-02-16 08:00:00Z |
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 Turkey and Syria were struck by a devastating earthquake on 6 February that has killed tens of thousands of people, destroyed thousands of homes and other structures, and left people across the region without shelter in bitterly cold winter weather. The Rotary world responded to this catastrophe immediately. RI President Jennifer Jones activated our disaster response efforts, communicated with the affected districts, and encouraged governors in those regions to apply for disaster response grants and share information about their relief efforts so that Rotary can amplify the calls for support. Rotary's project partner ShelterBox has an emergency response team assessing the needs in the region and how it can respond. That team is communicating with Rotary district leaders. Our service partner Habitat for Humanity International is also working on its response. Many Rotary members are asking how they can help. Our Sunshine Club has set up a fundraiser that channels donations directly to the Rotary Foundation's Disaster Response Fund. Donating via this fundraiser ensures that the donations are appropriately utilized, and no fees are deducted from your donation. Scan the QR code on the right with your phone or click on the link to donate. Sunshine donation to Rotary Disaster Relief for Turkey & Syria
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Sunshine Club Joins Rotary to assist victims of Turkey & Syria Earthquake
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2023-02-11 08:00:00Z |
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Posted on Jan 26, 2023
 Warm clothing from your over-crowded closet may help another person in this agonizing cold....
How!
You provide the clothes and Sunshine NY Rotary and Westchester NY Rotary will make sure they get to those who need it.
It's a joint endeavor between the two sister Rotary Clubs.
On February 9, a group of rotarians from both the clubs will organize a clothing and food distribution camp in Poughkeepsie, New York, where many of the Afghan and Syrian refugees and their families have been resettled and are in need of help from the community.
All the collected clothes will be displayed and the winter affected people of the locality will find and pick the correct ones for them. Volunteers will prepare food packets for those who are subsisting on minimal nutrition.
The warm clothing drive is ongoing . A good number of good quality clothes have already been collected and ready to be distributed. We are collecting more, as the needs are continuing.
If you want to contribute your gently used warm or cold weather clothes of any size, please send let us know by February 4. Those who pick up your clothing will give them a new life and will appreciate your kindness. We know you will make sure your clothes are in good condition and are washed and hygienic enough to reuse. As for the Food, donations of non-perishable items or money to buy the food will be most useful.
Please Contact: Bina Ahmad bina@sunshinenyrotary.club or Meher Pathan meher@westchesternyrotary.club
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Sunshine and Westchester NY Rotary Clubs' food and clothing distribution drive
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2023-01-26 08:00:00Z |
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 Sunshine NY Rotary and Westchester NY Rotary Clubs joined together to provide toys and a small grant for the autistic children being cared for by the Autism Society Habilitation Organization (ASHO) so that the children can have an enjoyable holiday season. Sunshine NY Rotary Charter President Bina Ahmad and Westchester NY Rotary President Shazia Alirahi presented the toys and check to the Executive Director of ASHO, Rubaiya Rahman on Wednesday 14 December. In presenting the check for $500, Charter President Bina said, her new Rotary Club is happy to present its first Community Service Grant to ASHO for the benefit of the children being cared for. President Shazia of the Westchester Club said her Club is pleased to present the toys to children through a small community organization like ASHO. ASHO Executive Director Rubaiya Rahman thanked Charter President Bina and President Shazia for their gesture saying these were the only toys her organization has received for the children. She said small community organizations like ASHO that are working for the children in the community need all the support they can get.
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Club partners with Westchester Rotary to provide Toys and Grant for Autistic Children
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-12-15 08:00:00Z |
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 Seven Rotary Districts in four US States and the Island of Bermuda with 400 Rotary Clubs and 10,500 Rotarians are getting together and organizing a Multi-District Rotary Day of Service for Saturday, 20 May 2023. The Rotary Day of Service is an unprecedented day of giving back to our communities. Because “Service” is at the core of Rotary’s mission. Rotarians use their knowledge of local issues to identify areas of need, then apply their expertise and diverse perspectives to find a solution. Rotary members are working in communities right now to feed the hungry, collect clothes for the homeless, tutor disadvantaged children, maintain and refurbish parks and playgrounds, and much, much more. Rotary Clubs in Districts 7210, 7230, 7255, 7890, 7910, 7950 and 7980 will decide on projects and register them on a special Day of Service website. Each Club will assign a Project manager and a Project Team, as well as a Club Public Image Team. At the District level, coordination will be ensured by a District Project Manager assisted by a Core District Project Team and Area Captains who will provide communications management and Club Project Selection support. The District Public Image Team will manage the overall District Public Image Support for the day and coordinate and assist the Club Public Image Teams. Our Rotary E-Club of Sunshine is also planning to participate in this Rotary Day of Service. A committee has been set up to plan, budget, monitor and implement the project. More details will be provided on our project in the coming days.
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Club Preparing for Rotary Day of Service
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-11-26 08:00:00Z |
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RotaryDayofService,SunshineRotary |
September is designated by Rotary as Literacy Month. As one of our Club's projects on Literacy, our Club's Rotaract Director, Ashfaque Salim organized projects with the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Islamabad, Chittagong, RID 3282. The first project was "Litracy for Change" project - under which essential school supplies (backpacks, notebooks with our Club Name imprinted, pencils, erasers, etc.) program for 70 students who cannot afford these supplies was implemented by the local partner - the Rotaract Club of Islamabad,, RID 3282. Literacy for Change is a community service project to support Rotary's area of focus - Basic Education and Literacy. The Educational materials were provided to underprivileged students at the Rotary Free School located in the Goalpara slum area at Naval Avenue in Chittagong. Basic education and literacy are essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, and promoting peace. We appreciate those of our Club members who spontaneously donated to these efforts. It is our Members who bring Sunshine to those who need it. Also, in collaboration with the Rotary & Rotaract Club of Islamabad (D3282) our Rotaract Director Ashfaque Salim and International Project Chair Syed Mahfuz donated and raised funds from Club members for 5 scholarships awarded to talented but underprivileged students. to enable them to continue their education. These scholarships were provided to students at the Rotary-run School in Chittagong. The project was named "The Wave - a sustainable Scholarship program" Members who donated for this project - the recipients thank you. They will probably never see or meet you but you have touched their lives. Watch a video created by the resourceful Rotaractors on location.
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Club Undertakes Literacy project in Bangladesh
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-11-14 08:00:00Z |
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 Our Club has achieved the 2020-21 Rotary Presidential Citation - the highest Rotary honor for a Club and a very rare accomplishment for a Club that is not even one-year old. The award was announced by 2021-22 District Governor George McKinnis in a letter to President Bina and members of the Club. The Presidential Citation is awarded to a Club that achieves a at least 13 of preassigned goals in 5 categories - membership growth and retention, contributions to the Rotary Foundation, service projects, Young leaders. and augmenting Rotary's public image.Our Club is only one of eleven out of the 48 Clubs in our District to achieve the Presidential Citation for 2021-22, Past District Governor George congratulated President Bina for her dynamic leadership and thanked all members of the Club for their diligent work in bringing the honor to not only their Club but also to the District. He also thanked Club Adviser PDG Mahbub for helping the Club get on its feet and to achieve the great honor in the short time the Club has been in existence.
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Club Achieves Rotary Presidential Citation
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2022-08-30 07:00:00Z |
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 In line with the Rotary-wide change in leadership, New Club officers were installed for the 2022-23 Rotary year. District Governor-Elect Marty Schulman administered the oath of office to President Aziz Ahmad and his team.Also present at the ceremony which was also the Charter ceremony of the Club, were District Governor Nominee Syed Alirahi and his wife Shazia Aliahi, who also just took over as President of the Westchester Rotary Club. Vice-Governor and District Executive Secretary provided the Thought of the Day at the dignified ceremony at the Our House Restaurant. DGE Marty handed over the official Rotary International Charter of the Club signed by Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta and District Governor George McKinnis. DG George was unable to attend due to his recent surgery.but sent a video message thanking Charter President Bina for her leadership in leading the Club and implementing 4 significant international projects and a number of local projects. At this meeting 5 new members joined and were also given the oath of membership by DGE Marty. This was also the first in-person gathering of members of this new E-Club, who normally meet online. Outgoing President Bina highlighted the achievements of the Club and presented a slideshow depicting the projects and activities of the Club. She also presented gifts to Club and District officers and members attending the ceremony.
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New Club Officers installed
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Tabin Ahmad
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2022-07-01 07:00:00Z |
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Our Club has continued its local and international projects. Over the past few months up until the end of April, the Club has carried out two projects in our NYC area and in collaboration with local Rotary & Rotaract Clubs, 4 other projects in Bangladesh.  Among the projects in our area, Club Members distributed grocery items, clothing, and subsistence cash to destitute immigrant families in the Ozone Park area. These families are recent immigrants from Bangladesh and have fallen into challenging times with their small children. They have lost their sole earning members during the COVID-19 pandemic and were in great need. Our sister Club the Rotary Club of Westchester joined hands with us by providing bags of groceries. The families expressed their gratitude to both clubs for coming to their assistance, in their time of need. Another project in our area was carried out under a District New Member Incentive Grant, which was topped up by a matching $250 addition from the Club. Member Asma Shams undertook this project, with the help of Yeasin Arafat by using the funds to purchase clothing for the Eid festival for distribution to families with mall children who have no means to celebrate Eid, These clothing purchases were also supplemented by gently used clothing received as donations. The International projects were carried out in various places in Bangladesh and implemented with the assistance of local Rotary and Rotaract Clubs. One of the projects involved the reopening of a children's school in Rangamati that had been shuttered due to a lack of funds to pay teachers' salaries. Our International Projects Director Syed Mahfuz, while on a visit to Bangladesh, provided the critical base funds of $500 to jumpstart the process of reopening the school. The school is now operating well. Another humanitarian project provided much-needed funds jointly contributed by Club Member Ashfaque Salim and Charter President Bina Ahmad, to bear partial costs of urgent medical care of a long-time teacher of the Rotary Primary School run by the Rotary and Rotaract Club of Islamabad, Chittagong. Following the medical care, the teacher has recovered.  In collaboration with the same Rotary and Rotaract Club of Islamabad, Eid clothing was distributed to 45 orphan children in Banskhali, Chittagong. Our Club provided the funding for the clothing. And finally, under the supervision of our International Projects Director Syed Mahfuz, the 30 orphan girls at the Monu Mia and Sultana Orphanage in Chandpur were provided with Club Name and Rotary logo imprinted bright red T-shirts for the coming Eid celebrations.
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Club Continues Local and International Projects
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Mehran Ahmad
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2022-04-27 07:00:00Z |
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Our Zeal for Meal Project supporting education began today. This project demonstrates how collaboration between two Rotary Clubs at opposite sides of the world can help children in need. Under this project children at the Rotary School run jointly by the Rotary and Rotaract clubs of Islamabad, Chittagong are provided with a small breakfast so that can attend school without the pangs of hunger. The children come from impoverished families and most of them go without any breakfast. By providing breakfast at the school the children now have an incentive to come to school and learn. Serve to Change Lives. Imagine Rotary. Rotary Responds.
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Our Zeal for Meal Project is Underway
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2022-04-07 07:00:00Z |
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The two- and half-day Rotary Mid-North-East Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS) that gathered together nearly 300 participants from 6 Districts was packed with information, learning, fun, and fellowship. It was held from 24 to 26 March at the Marriott Hotel in Whippany, NJ. On the first day, the Zone Membership Team - Past District Governors Herb Klotz, Cindie Kish, and Ray Freaney held a membership growth workshop with about 80 Presidents-elect and Assistant Governors. They analyzed Club growth over the last few years and provided insights into member engagement, retention and growth. On the second day, RI President-Elect Jennifer Jones and Director-Elect Drew Kessler spoke passionately about their Rotary moments. During the day, Presidents-Elect and Assistant Governors attended tailored breakout sessions. At the end of the day, Drew Kessler presided over the segment that raised over $31,000 for Rotary's Disaster Response Fund for Ukraine. On the morning of Saturday, RI Director Valarie Wafer emphasized the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in today's Rotary. The Seminar ended with our District's Presidents-elect voting on our District's 2022-23 budget - which was unanimously approved. This was the first in-person gathering since March 2019 - an amazing reunion with fun, learning, and fellowship. From our Sunshine E-Club, President-Elect Aziz Ahmad as well as Area Governor and current President Bina Ahmad attended the Seminar. Area Governor for the coming year, Bina Ahmad has urged all members to participate in District events and support our Rotary Foundation. It is the Foundation that will provide the funds for our local and global projects - and the Foundation gets its funding from everyday Rotarians. She wished everyone the best for the rest of this Rotary year. We will begin the new Rotary year on 1 July with the first woman Rotary President in 117 years - Jennifer Jones and her theme for the year "Imagine Rotary".
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President-Elect Training Seminar Concludes
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-03-28 07:00:00Z |
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Our Club - the newest Club in the District has won Rotary's highest honor. More and more Rotarians are bringing honor and recognition to our District. The Rotary International Board of Directors has bestowed Rotary’s highest individual award – the Service Above Self award to Assistant Governor and Sunshine Club Charter President Bina Ahmad. We congratulate our Charter President Bina on receiving this prestigious Award and for her 13-year service as a Rotarian and many additional years as a humanitarian.  Rotary’s highest honor recognizes Rotarians who demonstrate Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, by volunteering their time and talents to help others and whose service activities deliver an impact to humanity. The award is internationally competitive and is granted to no more than 150 Rotarians worldwide. Today, no more than one individual from each district, each year can earn the prestigious honor. This year’s awardee AG Bina is an active motivator - behind-the scenes workhorse. She has directly engaged in many service projects in many locations that have brought benefits to large numbers of people in need – She has teamed up with a Club in a remote area of South Asia to initiate/execute a project to build sanitary toilets for girls and young women so they could remain in school; arranged education funds to help young girls learn life-skills and become earning members to improve family well-being, thus ensuring the welfare of many families; generated ongoing support for an orphanage, so 30 street children (girls) are cared for through shelter, food, education, clothing; organized/participated in clothing drives, food supplies, multiple times in multiple locations; worked with area Rotary Clubs, raised funds to provide much-needed school supplies to children in need in a remote Central American country; and singlehandedly established, trained and nurtured 4 new Rotary Clubs (80 members in 2 years) that in turn are engaged in many service projects. The Awards Committee felt that Bina embodies Service above Self. Recognized by the District as Rotarian of the Year for 2020-21, she is a self-starter and is always actively on the lookout for service projects. She has given of herself not only in terms of time and money but also of empathy and a genuine inner desire to be of service, who can be relied upon to see a project to its successful conclusion. She has been seen to get emotional when speaking about some of the projects she has been engaged in. Bina is extremely successful in motivating others and multiplying effects of her actions – evidenced by her establishment of 4 new Rotary Club in the District, bringing in a new community of members who are now going on to multiply her efforts towards service to others – an accomplishment recognized by Zone 32 with the Zone Membership Champion Award.
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Charter President Bina wins Rotary's' Highest Award - the Service Above Self Award
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Tabin Ahmad
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2022-03-10 08:00:00Z |
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 Our Club's second International project is under the umbrella of President Shekhar's "Empowering Girls" Initiative. It is a partnership between the Rotary E-Club of Sunshine, New York (D7230) as the primary funding partner and the RC Banani Dhaka (D3281) as the logistics partner with a small amount of local funding. Through the project a full computer set and 3 electric sewing machines have been provided for the 30 young girls at the Monu Mia & Sultana Girls Orphanage in Chandpur of Bangladesh. The girls were provided with basic computer training and specific training on the use of the sewing machines, for embroidery and clothing. This equipment and training will provide the girls with usable and marketable skill-sets so they can be productive in the future. Since the life-span of the sewing machines is many years, it is envisaged that subsequent batches of orphan girls will continue to benefit from this project. The Orphanage has been expanding its vocational training program for the girls. They expressed a need to establish a computer lab. They are able to absorb the continuing cost of internet connection, but do not have the resources to purchase decent computer sets. Their needs were for a desktop computer with a large monitor suitable for viewing by 4 or 5 girls around the desk, together with printer and camera for video conferencing and remote learning. The Orphanage Management on feedback from the girls expressed the need for sewing machines and supplies so the girls could learn embroidery and clothing stitching. The Project will be ongoing by providing training to many batches of girls over a period of at least 4 years for the computer and 10 years for the electric sewing machines. By undergoing this training, the girls will have access to the internet which will expand their learning and also be able to view and participate in online remote learning programs. With the sewing machines and the training in embroidery and clothing stitching skills, not only will they be able to create their own wardrobes, but also prepare themselves for establishing future business ventures. These skills will prepare the girls for the real world when they are of age to be on their own. It is likely that they will return to the Orphanage as Teachers, thus not only being able to sustain themselves but contribute to their community.
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Computer & Sewing Machines for Orphan Girls
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-01-31 08:00:00Z |
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EmpoweringGirls21,SunshineRotary |
 Our club's first international project - arranging the donation of a minivan to a Child Welfare Organization in Bermuda. An incredible partnership in 3 countries involving 2 Rotary Clubs, 2 businesses, & a local Charity came together to make this project a reality. International Director of D7230’s newest Club RC Sunshine NY, Syed Mahfuz, owner of Golden Miles Co. in Japan, on a business trip to Bermuda, visited RC Hamilton - Bermuda’s oldest Club - part of RID 7230. Rtn Syed had a joint meeting with business partner Happy Van Imports, and all agreed that RC Hamilton would accept the donation of a mini-van and make it available to GSP - a local charity assisting children left behind from gun violence. RC Sunshine Charter Pres. Bina Ahmad thanked all involved in this meaningful project and said it was an inspiration that her new club could be involved in this project. Pres. Jean Akol of RC Hamilton & PE Ric Richardson played pivotal roles, identifying the recipient charity, diligently completing all necessary steps to see the project to fruition, and having the Rotary logo painted on the vehicle. The minivan will help GSP to securely and cost-effectively transport the children to their activities. The children will be able to experience more activities, outside their living quarters, safely and securely.
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Vehicle Donation for Child welfare Organization
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Bina Ahmad
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2022-01-10 08:00:00Z |
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 An estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected. Many cities closed theaters and cinemas, and placed restrictions on public gatherings. Rotary clubs adjusted their activities while also helping the sick.
This is how Rotary responded to the influenza pandemic that began in 1918 and came in three waves, lasting more than a year. The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California, USA, meets in John Hinkel Park during the 1918 flu pandemic.
Photo by Edwin J. McCullagh, 1931-32 club president. Courtesy of the Rotary Club of Berkeley.
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Rotary’s Response to the 1918 Flu Pandemic
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2020-11-05 06:00:00Z |
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 Rotary and the United Nations have a shared history of working toward peace and addressing humanitarian issues around the world.
During World War II, Rotary informed and educated members about the formation of the United Nations and the importance of planning for peace. Materials such as the booklet “From Here On!” and articles in The Rotarian helped members understand the UN before it was formally established and follow its work after its charter. Many countries were fighting the war when the term “United Nations” was first used officially in the 1942 “Declaration by United Nations.” The 26 nations that signed it pledged to uphold the ideals expressed by the United States and the United Kingdom the previous year of the common principles “on which they based their hopes for a better future for the world.”
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Rotary at the Start of the United Nations
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2020-11-05 06:00:00Z |
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Women are active participants in Rotary, serving their communities in increasing numbers and serving in leadership positions in Rotary. The 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary.
“My fellow delegates, I would like to remind you that the world of 1989 is very different to the world of 1905. I sincerely believe that Rotary has to adapt itself to a changing world,” said Frank J. Devlyn, who would go on to become RI president in 2000-01. The vote followed the decades-long efforts of men and women from all over the Rotary world to allow the admission of women into Rotary clubs, and several close votes at previous Council meetings.
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History of Women in Rotary
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2020-11-05 06:00:00Z |
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 Every hero has an origin story. “I was 10 years old when the entire journey started,” explains Binish Desai. It began with a cartoon called Captain Planet, an animated TV series from the 1990s about an environmentalist with superpowers. Desai can still recite the show’s refrain: Captain Planet, he’s our hero / Gonna take pollution down to zero! “That tagline stuck in my mind,” he says. “I wanted to do something to help Captain Planet.”
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Young Inventor Eco-Friendly Bricks Come Full Circle
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2020-11-05 06:00:00Z |
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 In early 1919, Rotarian Roger Pinneo of Seattle, Washington, USA, traveled to the Philippines to try to organize a Rotary club in Manila. Leon J. Lambert, a Manila business leader helped Pinneo establish the club. Several months later, on 1 June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila was chartered and became the first Rotary club in Asia.
The club would be the only one in the country for more than 12 years. Eventually, Manila club members organized Rotary clubs in the Philippine cities of Cebu (1932) and Iloilo (1933). Iloilo club members then started a club in Bacolod (1937), and Rotary continued to expand across the country.
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First Club in Philippines Opens Door to Rotary in Asia
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2020-11-05 06:00:00Z |
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