Rotations From Down Under June 2014
G'Day fellow Rotarians from the RI Convention in Sydney. There is so much to tell you....I've had a marvelous time, have met lots of wonderful Rotarians and have learned lots about the good works of RI. It has been an experience that I hope each and every one of you will experience.
Here are some of the highlights.
I never dreamed that going to a Rotary conference would include a rock concert....but it did. At the opening Plenary session, they had an Australian group, Human Nature, which has been performing in Las Vegas for the past five years. They sing Motown songs exclusively. For those of you who know me well, you know that I love the beach music concerts Friday evenings at Ocean View. I was in hog heaven hearing all of the songs from the sixties and seventies. They sang for an hour.
There was absolutely wonderful news on the Rotary PolioPlus initiative....India has not had a case of polio in three years and has now been certified as being polio free. That leaves three countries--Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan--which remain. And there is more good news. Nigeria for the first five months of this year has had only 3 documented cases. And Afghanistan is well on its way. They hope by 2018 to be able to declare the world polio free.
One of the Plenary speakers was Australia's Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. He announced a commitment of $100 million AU to the Polio Plus initiative. Tony was brought up in a Rotary family. His father is a 40 year Rotarian.
Speaking of raising funds for PolioPlus, there was a bridge climb of the Sydney bridge. 1/2 of the funds collected in the bridge climb have been given to RI for PolioPlus. And two records were set with the bridge climb. One was the number of climbers and second was the number of flags flown from the bridge.
One of the speakers was a Rotactor (18 to 30 years old) whose club collected some 200,000 books in a seven day period by engaging the community through social networks. And then there was another Rotarian who through social media promoted a Swim Marathon where people swam 100 meters on an appointed day to raise funds for the Polio,Plus initiative. I don't remember the $$ amount but it was several thousand dollars.
Over my Rotary "career" some of my friends have asked me about a special handshake. Still haven't gotten clued in on what it might be. But, RI President Elect Gary Haung has initiated the "Happy Clap". At the incoming president's luncheon, he introduced a new Rotary song (in Taiwanese) and also a very short song some three lines long. So I can now claim to have sung in another foreign language (ha, ha). I won't inflict that upon you!!
The conference is being held at the Olympic Park (Sydney held the Olympics in 2000). The organizing committee had quite a challenge as it was originally scheduled to be at a downtown convention center which the government has subsequently torn down. Yikes! The Australian Olympic Committee lit the Olympic flame in honor of Rotary's good works.
Speaking of the Host Organizing Committee, they have done a marvelous job. There are some 18,000 to 20,000 of us going here and there. And they are always out and about. Lots of happy faces.
In the Billabong House of Friendship, they have had groups performing some six or seven hours a day for four days. It has been quite an experience. Lots of chances to talk with fellow Rotarians.
At the closing plenary, RI President Haung's family was introduced. He has a 4 year old grandson who goes by the name of "superman Eddie." When he was introduced, he puffed out his chest and opened his shirt to reveal...a superman suit!
That's all from "down under." If you'd like to read more about the RI Sydney convention, go to www.rotary.org/myrotary. You would need to sign In to the site but they've got stories and pictures there.
I hope all of you are well and I look forward to rejoining you. Again, thanks so much for this wonderful experience.
Sigur