Reading will be well represented at RYLA again this year.  The District RYLA weekend starts today at a new camp, Camp Glen Brook in Marlborough, NH. 

 

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary International’s leadership training program for young people.  Rotary District 7930 has a long-running annual program for high school students. Sophomores and juniors are invited to attend a weekend long event, where they learn leadership and life skills including goal setting, cultural understanding, problem solving, communication, public speaking, networking, community building, low and high ropes challenges, team building and more!

 

Our club is sponsoring four juniors and sophomores.  Students are from RMHS and Austin Prep.  We also have four (or five?) youths who will be staffing the weekend.

 

Pictured here are Reading RYLA participants waiting to board a bus to camp.  (They are taking a charter bus to NH, not the Logan Express, fyi.)

 

President Brian attended the Multi District Summit at Bretton Woods this past weekend.  Here he is with our friend Eric Evans of the North Reading Club (and Assistant DG).

 

Thanks, Brian, for representing Reading!

 

Bob Gravino, an Ipswich Rotarian, was our Speaker this past Monday.  Bob presented information about an exciting Global Grant project in Zambia, Africa.  The project, Healthy Kids/Brighter Future., is in Lusaka, Zambia.  In this project, Rotary has worked to develop an innovative model of school based healthcare, which improves the health and learning of school children by dramatically improving their access to healthcare.  Selected teachers are trained as health workers and work to connect schools to the national health system.  Ipswich Rotary is taking the lead to raise commitments of $60,000 from Rotary Clubs, which will yield, when matched in the Rotary grant matching funds to yield $200,000 in funds for the project.  

 

In three years of Health Kids/Brighter Future health centers have reported a dramatic increase in visits to health care workers which has caused a 44% reduction in disease incidence, 48% increase in de-worming and vitamin A coverage and 22% improvement in student knowledge of health.

 

To become a full partner in this project, our Club or any other will need to donate $1,050.00 (which covers the $1,000.00 contribution and processing fee to the Foundation).

 

Thannks to Bob for coming and sharing such an inspirational project.  Mike Bonsey is interested in visiting this project in the future.  Any other takers?

 

 

Take note that our next meeting will be our monthly Evening Social Meeting, at Biltmore and Main from 5:30-7:30.  Please make every effort to attend and bring a friend.

 

No meeting on Monday, May 14.

Our Club will participate in the Service Week Project that the District will hold on May 21-25.  Our efforts will be in the area of serving lunch at the New England Center and Home for Veterans in Boston on May 21, 2018.  Only twelve (12) people may travel into Boston on that day.  Volunteers must be available from 10:00-2:00.  We will meet at the RMHS and car pool in from there.  We should return by 2:00.  Whether people volunteer to serve lunch that day or not, the club is also holding an underwear drive for the residents at the Veteran’s Home.  Contributions of underwear, both men’s and women’s, were due at our May 14th meeting.  Alternatively, Maureen Hanifan has offered to take cash contributions and she will make a bulk purchase.  

 

 

A big payoff is coming for some lucky person.  Our weekly raffle is growing.  I believe there are only 6 cards left.  And the jackpot was around $450, as I recall.

 

Make sure you come and buy tickets.  You can't win if you don't come to the lunch meeting and take a chance or 10.  Our next Monday meeting will be June 4.  So make sure you come with cash in your pocket.

Keep our schedule of meetings and events at the tip of your fingers.  You can sync the Club Calendar on ReadingMaRotary.org with Outlook, Google Calendar or Apple Calendar on your personal device.  Go to this page, click subscribe and follow the instructions.