ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
Working to Change the World

Rotary International
www.rotary.org/programs/index.html

Rotary International offers a broad range of humanitarian, intercultural, and educational programs and activities designed to improve the human condition and advance the organization's ultimate goal of world understanding and peace. Nine Structured Programs and nine Service help clubs and districts achieve their service goals in their own communities and in communities abroad, fostering fellowship and goodwill in the process.

International Programs

Polio-Plus - Rotaplast - Friendship Exchange
Ambassadorial Scholarships - Group Study Exchange
 E.S.S.E.X. - Leadership Institute

Polio-Plus
www.rotary.org/foundation/polioplus/index.html

In 1985, Rotary International launched PolioPlus, a 20-year commitment to eradicate polio. Rotary’s initial goal was to raise $120 million to provide oral polio vaccine to newborns in the developing world. When the campaign ended, Rotary had doubled its goal, collecting more than $247 million. To date, the PolioPlus program has contributed $373 million to the protection of nearly 2 billion children. By 2005, Rotary's financial commitment will reach nearly $500 million. PolioPlus is one of the most ambitious humanitarian undertakings ever made by a private entity. It will serve as a paradigm for private-public collaborations in the fight against disease well into the 21st century.

For only the second time in history, humankind is at the threshold of eliminating a disease from the face of the earth. The first disease eradicated was smallpox, in 1978. And we are on the verge of winning the war against Polio. One by one, six regions of the world are conquering this tenacious crippler. In October 2000, the Western Pacific became the second region declared polio-free, after the Americas (1994). Europe is expected to be the next, by early 2002. In 1999, more than 100,000 Indian Rotary members and their families joined the government of India in immunizing more than 130 million children on one day, the largest public health event ever in the world.

In addition to Rotary International, this global initiative is spearheaded by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Before total success is achieved by 2005 (Rotary’s Centennial year), 6 billion doses of oral polio vaccine must be distributed to 600 million children around the world. For this to happen, an additional $400 million dollars is needed.

A special Countdown Clock at the United Nations Visitors Center is tracking the decreasing number of polio cases and ticking down the minutes until the deadline for certifying polio eradication at the end of 2005.

[back]

Rotaplast (Rotary Plastic Surgery)
www.rotary7930.org/Bolivia.html

As the volunteer Rotary International medical project is known, recently celebrated 10 years of helping indigent children around the world. Founded in 1990 by the Rotary club of San Francisco, California, USA, it initially focused on providing donated medical equipment and medical supplies to various countries around the world. With the help of California surgeon and Rotarian Dr. Angelo Capozzi, the project quickly expanded to include facial reconstructive surgery. Observing that many children were unable to undergo reconstructive surgery due to limited community and family resources, Dr. Capozzi enlisted the help of fellow Rotary doctors to fill this void. When last November's surgeries were completed, more than 3,000 children were helped at a cost of US$18 million in donated medical services. Approximately 230 U.S. Rotary clubs are involved, along with nearly 1,000 medical team volunteers.

Since 1997, Rotaplast has expanded its original mission to include genetic research and preventative counseling. The largest study of cleft and non-cleft families undertaken in Latin America was recently completed under the auspices of Rotaplast in order to determine the preventative measures needed to prevent future facial abnormalities.

Our District, 7930, sent a team of volunteers to Bolivia last November to work with people having cleft lip and cleft palate deformities. In Santa Cruz, from October 31 to November 11, 2001 life-changing surgeries on over 100 individuals were performed by talented plastic surgeons who donated their time and energies to the project! All 43 clubs in the District participated in this District World Community Service project, both with financial support and volunteers. The Ipswich Rotary Club donated $1,000.  The Team Leader was Pablo Castro from Rotaplast International.

Rotary Friendship Exchange with Ipswich, England
www.rotary.org/programs/rfe/index.html

The Rotary Friendship Exchange Program offers Rotarians and their families the opportunity to carry out reciprocal visits, living for a few days in the homes of Rotarian families in other countries. The goal of the program is to advance international understanding, goodwill and peace through interpersonal contact across national boundaries.

Every other year the Ipswich Rotary Club exchange visits with a Rotary Club in Ipswich England. This has been going on for 20 plus years and has led to many good friendships. The visiting club stays at the homes of the hosting club, who also plans the agenda of activities for the week long visit. This program has been so successful that members from both clubs recently visited a third Ipswich club – in Australia!

In July, 2008 a group from the Ipswich East club in England will visit Ipswich, MA.

[back]

Ambassadorial Scholarships
www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/index.html

The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial Scholarships, established in 1947. Since that time, more than 30,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today, the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program of The Rotary Foundation is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. More than 1,200 scholarships were awarded for study in 2000-01. Through grants totaling approximately $26 million, recipients from some 69 countries will study in more than 64 different nations.

Each Scholar is matched with a host counselor, a Rotarian in the District in which the Scholar will be studying. The host counselor helps the Scholar acclimate to the new culture and facilitates the Scholar’s integration into local Rotary Clubs. The Scholars, on their part, are expected to become ambassadors of good will, sharing their culture and world perspective with Rotarians in the host District. One of the key goals of the program is to break down cultural barriers by fostering international awareness and friendship.

[back]

Group Study Exchange
www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/gse/index.html

Since its inception in 1965, the Group Study Exchange program has provided grants for countless teams of men and women in the early stages of their business and professional careers to travel abroad and share vocational information with the representatives of their respective professions in another country. Team members spend four to six weeks studying the host country's institutions, economy, and culture, while observing how their own professions are practiced abroad. More than 500 exchanges between paired Rotary districts occur each year, advancing the program's ultimate goal of promoting international understanding and goodwill.

Rotary districts select teams comprising four non-Rotarians and one Rotarian leader, engaged in different businesses and professions. Each of two paired districts sends and receives a team for a four- to six-week study program. Pairings are usually determined by The Rotary Foundation's trustees to ensure wide geographical distribution, but exchanges can also be arranged by the participating districts. While visiting abroad, GSE team members follow a carefully planned itinerary, including visits to government and cultural institutions, schools, religious and historic sites and other points of interest. In addition, each member spends at least five days studying and observing the practice of his or her profession in the host district.

The Foundation grant funds round-trip air transportation for each team member. Rotarians provide lodging in their homes, meals, and group travel, allowing the opportunity for participants to become acquainted with the customs and culture of the people in their host district.

This year’s GSE team to our District was from Australia.

E.S.S.E.X. (Eastern Seaboard Student Exchange)
www.exchangestudent.org/qanda.html

Rotary Exchange presents opportunities for High School students (ages 15-18) to advance their education and world understanding by allowing them to attend a secondary school system in a different country. Students will live with Host Families in their adopted land under the sponsorship and supervision of a LOCAL Host Rotary Club. It is hoped that these students will be able to study first hand the problems and accomplishments of other countries, by living with and meeting people of cultures, creed, and color other than their own. This program organizes all exchanges for 31 Rotary International districts which span 16 states in the eastern United States, Bermuda and Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada.

Rotary's student exchange programs, which are staffed by committed volunteers, provide the opportunity for almost 10,000 young people each year to spend an academic year for little more than the cost of airfare. The information in this page provides a starting point for exploring the benefits of Rotary ESSEX's high quality, low cost student exchanges. You can call 1 (888) ROTARY-X (768-2799) for a detailed information packet and an application or go to http://www.exchangestudent.org/qanda.html for more detailed information and a map of the regions covered.

[back]

Leadership Institute
www.rotaryleadershipinstitute.org

This is a leadership development program for clubs of the member Districts. It was founded to assist in improving the Rotary knowledge and leadership skills of the future leaders of our Rotary clubs. Excellent leadership is the key to successful service by our clubs to our communities and the world. While Rotary is blessed with members of high quality, the health of our clubs depends on outstanding leadership to harness the talents and skills of members to maintain high levels of accomplishment. The annual turnover of leadership positions in Rotary requires constant effort to prepare more and more Rotarians for the responsibilities of leadership. It is the goal of the Institute is assure those future leaders will be prepared when called upon. Clubs are challenged to identify those potential leaders and encourage them to participate in this intensive training seminar. It is an important step for many in what President Rick King calls “the journey to becoming a Rotarian”.

[back]

Lend a Hand is a true community service project. Following 16 satisfied senior customers in 2006, Ipswich Rotarians have assisted 12 seniors with small home “Mr. Handyman” projects in the first 8 months of 2007. What better way to fulfill the motto “service above self?” And Rotarians are OUTSTANDING in their willingness to get involved! While there is no charge for services, customers generally insist on some small ($5-$25) contribution. These go to the many local, national and international service projects which Rotarians are famous for. Anyone who’s assisted our senior, occasionally shut in customers knows how rewarding it is to lend a hand. Clients generally pay for materials (if involved) and the Rotarian supplies the labor. Projects involving lengthy, extensive or professional repairs are referred to outside vendors. We’ve installed doorknobs, window A/C units, assembled lamps, replaced hard to reach light bulbs, cleaned gutters, reattached downspouts, removed tree limbs, hauled small loads of clippings to dump, changed a rotten handrail, changed over storm windows, replaced mailboxes, and even hung an American flag. Seniors may sign up at or call the Ipswich Senior Center at 978-356-6650. Lend a Hand Projects are prescreened by Patsy Valcourt who faxes requests directly to Phil Sher, Rotary Committee Chair. Projects are then assigned to Rotary members on an individual basis.