Bill Gates, keynote speaker at RI Convention New Orleans

Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 RI Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 21-25 May.


Gates will discuss the progress of the polio eradication effort and the need to finish the job during the third plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, 24 May, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The session has been moved to the afternoon, 15:00-17:00, from its original morning time slot.


The Gates Foundation has awarded US$355 million in challenge grants to Rotary for use in the campaign to rid the world of polio. Rotary has responded with Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge. Gates has made several trips to India and Nigeria, two of the four remaining polio-endemic countries, and has praised the work of Rotarians in his annual letter.


Register for the convention before 31 March so you don't miss out on early-bird pricing. Register online through Member Access.

Rotary's Anniversary and our Rotary's Public Image

RI President Ray Klinginsmith will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on 23 February during a ceremony with representatives from Rotary and Sanofi Pasteur, a leading provider of polio vaccine, in honor of Rotary's 106th anniversary and in support of a polio-free world.

Rotarians can watch the event through streaming video at http://www.nyse.com.

Representatives of the two organizations will also take part in opening bell ceremonies in four financial markets in Europe that day: Lisbon, Portugal; Amsterdam; Brussels, Belgium; and Paris. Video of the events will be streamed at www.euronext.com.

That evening, the New York Stock Exchange Building will provide a dramatic backdrop for an equally dramatic message: End Polio Now, which will be projected onto the building. Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo, a participant in Rotary's "This Close" polio awareness campaign, will attend the lighting. Other landmarks around the world will be illuminated during the week of 23 February in support of Rotary's pledge to rid the world of this crippling childhood disease.

Working on a video

2010 - District 7950 Conference from Edward Meaney on Vimeo.

GSE Team Readying for Trip to Nepal

The 2011 GSE team, which will go to Nepal this spring, attended a full day of fun, fellowship and training, at Northeast Link on January 29th. Led by Torrington Rotarian, Barbara Spiegel, the non-Rotarians on the team -- two men and three women -- were at the link to learn about all things Rotary, including our Rotary Foundation which funds the teams.
To follow the team as it prepares for the month-long vocational and cultural exchange, go to the blog

You will also find a link to their blog on homepage of our district's website, lower, left side of the page under "District Links."

San Diego Here We Come

Over the next several days, Governors-elect and their partners will be heading toward San Diego to undergo a week of extensive training for their year as governor, beginning July 1, 2011.
The much anticipated announcement of next year's theme will be made by RI President-elect Kalyan Banerjee on Monday, January 17th. Check rotary.org which should have information about the theme, perhaps even the RIPE's speech posted later that day.

The training, a multi-million dollar annual effort by Rotary International to ensure success in the 532 districts around the world, is for both governors-elect and their spouses or partners. Information provided there will be incorporated into the Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS) mandated for every incoming club president.

Presidents-elect should check our district's website for location and dates of both the pre-PETS meeting in February and PETS in March.

Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats - ...

This is worth four minutes of your time.
Check it out.

Early-bird pricing for Rotary International Convention almost over!

Be sure to register for the Rotary International Convention in New Orleans, May 22-25.
For most attendees,the base price is $300,if you register by 15 December 2011.
After that, the base price is $340, if you register by 31 March 2012.
To learn more or to begin registering online, copy and paste this link in to your browser:
http://www.rotary.org/en/Members/Events/Convention/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Rotarians in District 7890 will be invited to a special welcoming reception Peter and I are hosting on Saturday, May 21, in New Orleans, 5 to 7 PM at the New Orleans InterContinental. Once you have registered, email me confirmation and you will be added to the guest list.
If you register before the early December deadline, be sure to let me know. Your name will be entered into a special drawing(get your raffle ticket at the reception in New Orleans). To be eligible you must register for the convention by 15 December 2011.

News about New Orleans Convention Plans

Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation have announced a special celebration in anticipation of reaching a significant milestone, the successful achievement of Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge! This grand event, Polio Unmasked, is scheduled for Monday, 23 May 2011 at Mardi Gras World.
More details to follow.
As of August 31st, Rotarians have raised about $135 million toward the goal.
In our district, September is the month to focus on the challenge. Do your part!
In the meantime, be sure to register for the convention.
For most attendees,the base price is $300,if you register by 15 December 2011.
After that, the base price is $340, if you register by 31 March 2012.
To learn more or to begin registering online, copy and paste this link in to your browser:
http://www.rotary.org/en/Members/Events/Convention/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Rotarians in District 7890 will be invited to a special welcoming reception Peter and I are hosting on Saturday, May 21, in New Orleans, 5 to 7 at the New Orleans InterContinental. Once you have registered, send me confirmation and you will be added to the guest list.
If you register before the early December deadline, be sure to let me know. Your name will be entered into a special drawing(get your raffle ticket at the reception in New Orleans). To be eligible you must register for the convention by 15 December 2011.

Applications Being Accepted for GSE Team Leader to Nepal

DGE Prasad Menon and the District 7890 GSE Committee are pleased to announce that we are currently looking for Rotarians who would like to apply for the position of Group Study Exchange Team Leader to Nepal (District 3292). The exchange will take place early next spring (3/12-4/10 in 2011).

The exchange with Nepal will be very rigorous: the terrain, the altitude, the living conditions in Nepal should be considered when discussing the trip with potential Team Leaders.

GSE is a program funded by The Rotary Foundation. It pairs teams from districts around the world for a vocational/cultural visit of four weeks. Teams are comprised of a Rotarian Team Leader and four non-Rotarian Team Members. All travel expenses are paid, and the team will stay with families in the Host District.

Your club may have participated in GSE activities in the past, so you know how much fun this program is for a Host District.

The position of Team Leader is very important. The qualities that we are seeking include a good knowledge of Rotary and our District. The Team Leader must also be able to work well with a group of young people to create a team that can live and work together and be a good representation of the diversity within District 7890.

Applications for this important position will be taken until August 1st. The GSE Committee will meet with each candidate no later than the week of August 9th. The Team Leader Application is available from club presidents and presidents-elect.

Applications should be submitted to:

Alma Kruh

44-217 Avonwood Road

Avon, CT 06001

Applications may also be faxed to 860-398-5136, but the originals must be mailed to the address above.