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September 7, 2023 |
With the traditional ringing of the bell we bring this meeting to order!
Club member's attendance is recorded by logging in.
Visiting Rotarians may complete a makeup form at the end of this meeting; YOUR donation for making up with us helps fund our service projects!
Visitors are always welcome to browse and register without obligation.
Our club offers the flexibility of ROTARY ON YOUR TIME!
and an opportunity to remain connected with Rotary!
Welcome to this week’s meeting of the eClub of the State of Jefferson.
I am Bob Gibson, President of the Rotary eClub of State of Jefferson. Welcome to this week’s meeting.
I hope this finds you well.
One area that I find most challenging is fund raising. We are quite different from a traditional Club in that regard. The activities that terra clubs use to raise money are not possible for us. Past President Jackie Oakley is working with Obaid Rehman to organize and promote the Rotary Business to Business project. It will be an opportunity to support our service projects and market our businesses to others in the Rotary world. There is much to do to get it started. I appreciate Jackie and Obaid’s enthusiastic approach to this project. You will be hearing more about this in the coming months.
Dan Smith is working with Yulia Pavichenko, President of Rotary Club of Kharkiv Nadiya, to develop a Zoom meeting on September 20 at 11:00am PDT. This will be presented to everyone in our District and possibly other districts. It will be an extraordinary opportunity to hear about the challenges facing the people of Ukraine from the people who are there. The main subject of the presentation will be the issues surrounding and dealing with land mines. We will be asking for donations to print signs that warn children, and others, of the placement of these devices. This will be an important event for our Club.
Thank you for your interest in our Club and your commitment to “Service above Self.”
Enjoy the meeting.
If you have any questions or comments, I am available. My e-mail address is: bob@bluewaterphoto.net.
email president@StateOfJeffersonRotary.org
Weekly eClub "Coffee Chat" Zoom meetings
Beginning August 1st, Tuesday mornings at 9:00 am PDT
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
As the Chair of the District 5110 2023-24 Nominating Committee, and on behalf of District Governor Jim Polk, I am calling for nominations for the 2026-27 District 5110 Governor.
The call for nominations will close on OCTOBER 13, 2023. Nominees will need to submit a District Governor Nominee form and Club District Governor Nominating Certification Resolution to PDG/DRFC Cindi O'Neil.
Please contact PDG/DRFC Cindi O’Neil dgcindi5110@gmail.com or 541-480-8848 with questions or ideas!
Join the Rotary Visioning Team
By PDG Gerry Kosanovic
The District 5110 Visioning team is seeking volunteers to help clubs and members develop a vision as part of the strategic planning process. Volunteers are invited to become a part of the dynamic Rotary Visioning Team!
Why Join the Rotary Visioning Team?
Rotary’s success hinges on the collective efforts of its dedicated members. We’re excited to embark on a transformative journey to shape the future of our clubs and make a lasting impact. As a member of the Visioning Team, you’ll play a vital role in guiding clubs and members toward growth and purpose through our strategic planning process.
What Will You Do?
- Collaborate with a diverse group of like-minded Rotarians
- Contribute to the presentation of an engaging workshop
- Assist in facilitating discussions and activities that inspire visionary thinking
- Travel within the district to help clubs set achievable goals and align their efforts with Rotary’s core values
Who Can Join?
Rotary members who are enthusiastic, dedicated, and eager to contribute their time and skills are encouraged to apply. No prior experience in strategic planning is necessary; a willingness to learn and collaborate is all that’s required.
How to Apply:
If you’re ready to commit to Rotary’s mission to the next level, please contact PDG Gerry Kosanovic, Chair of the Visioning Committee. Send an email to drgerryk@gmail.com with the subject line “Visioning Team Volunteer,” and include your name, club affiliation, and a brief statement explaining why you’d be an asset to the team.
We Need You!
Together, we can amplify the impact of Rotary in our communities and beyond. Join the Rotary Visioning Team today and help shape a future filled with purpose, growth, and meaningful change.
We have decided to host a District wide Zoom meeting on September 20th at 11:00 AM (PDT) with a delegation of Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Kharkiv in Ukraine. One of their problems is protecting the children of the community from being injured or killed by land mines. They need assistance with signs to warn people of the areas where land mines have been placed.
This will be an opportunity to hear firsthand about the challenges they face. Yulia Pavichenko, their Club President, will provide a description of their situation. Their city is under frequent missile attack. Their challenges are staggering. There will be an opportunity to provide support at that meeting.
(Photo left) Some of the land mines found in the Kharkiv area.
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month
More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. That’s 17 percent of the world’s adult population.
Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
The Rotary Foundation supports education through scholarships, donations, and service projects around the world.
"When you teach somebody how to read, they have that for a lifetime. It ripples through the community, one by one."Mark Wilson, Rotary Club member
Creating a great club experience
By Tom Gump, aide to 2024-25 RI President Stephanie Urchick and a member of Rotary International’s Membership Growth Committee
My favorite month of the year is August because that is when Rotary focuses on membership. As a membership organization, we recognize that our members are our biggest asset. When Rotary membership is strong, our clubs are thriving, we are more visible, and our members have more resources to help their communities.
That is why growing our membership is one of our top priorities. How do we grow membership? Luckily, we don’t have to approach this question in a vacuum. A number of Rotary International surveys have confirmed that the single most important factor in member satisfaction is the club experience.
So how do we intentionally create a great club experience?
1) Gather feedback – If we offer a great club experience, our members are more likely to remain active and introduce others to the Rotary family. If we offer a poor club experience, our members leave. Either way, they tell others about their experience. We need to give members the value they want. To know what they want, we need to conduct regular surveys. The Member Satisfaction Survey helps gather feedback that can be used to shape a rewarding club experience.
2) Continuously improve – Surveys are good, because we give our members an opportunity to be heard and make them feel like they belong. However, if we do not act on some of the suggested changes it has the opposite effect. At a presidents-elect training seminar, I once asked all the presidents-elect to tell us the one change they were going to make to create a great club experience. Troy said he was going to have pie for dessert! The room burst into laughter. I ran into “Troy the Pie Guy” a few years later and I asked him if he “got his pie.” He did; but a strange thing happened. Club members happy with that change started suggesting other changes. His club slowly transformed from a club resistant to change to one that sought ways to improve. It is now the second largest club in its district. Rotary has a Leading Change course that discusses how to plan for change while nurturing those members resistant to change.
3) Be welcoming and caring – Sometimes, the little things we do count the most. Standing at the front door and greeting participants (members and guests alike) with a smile and kind words will make them feel special and like they belong. Showing appreciation and saying “thank you” can turn potential members into members and volunteers into committed Rotary members. Recognition, either for monetary contributions or “sweat equity,” can have the same impact.
Membership strategies vary by region and should be culturally sensitive. We want to hear from you. Post your examples in the comments section below.
Watch 2024-25 RI President Stephanie Urchick and Gump talk about Transforming Your Club’s Culture.
Paul Alexander, also known as "Polio Paul," has survived for 70 years by living in an iron lung. He contracted the disease when he was only six years old in Dallas, Texas, during a polio outbreak in the United States in 1952. In August 2023, Paul, 77, was recognized as the longest-running iron lung patient by the Guinness World Records, as per The New York Post. He is currently paralyzed from the neck down but has graduated high school, passed the bar, and even written a memoir called Three Minutes for a Dog. The man in the iron lung still lives at his house in Dallas, Texas, and gets help doing his everyday routine from a 24-hour care facility. According to The Mirror, Paul has refused modern treatments for his ailments and continues to live in his iron lung. The United States was struck with a major polio outbreak in the 1950s, and around 58,000 cases were documented. Paul Alexander was playing outside his house in 1952 when his mother noticed his feverish face as he entered. His family took the six-year-old to the Parkland hospital, where it was confirmed that he had polio, as per The Mirror. However, due to overcrowding, he was initially ignored until one doctor examined the severity of his condition and performed an emergency tracheotomy to relieve the congestion in his lungs. He was later placed in an iron lung, along with hundreds of other children. As per The Guardian, Paul Alexander recalled the incident, saying, According to Medscape, an iron lung, which was invented in 1928, is an airtight capsule. It covers the patient's entire body except the head and suctions in oxygen via negative pressure. The procedure forces the lungs to expand, which allows Paul to breathe. According to Guinness World Records, he is the only patient alive who is still using an iron lung. Since the late 1970s, technology has advanced significantly, and the need for such a machine has stopped completely. However, Paul Alexander said in an interview with the Guardian in 2020 that he was now used to the "old iron horse." At the age of 76, Paul Alexander has accomplished a lot despite his extreme living conditions. Academically, he passed high school in 1967 from W. W. Samuell High School, and then earned his bachelor's degree and Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978 and 1984, respectively. He even took up a job teaching legal terminology to court stenographers before passing the bar and fulfilling his dream of becoming a lawyer in 1986. Paul Alexander wrote his memoir Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung, which was published in April 2020, according to the Guardian. It took him eight years to finish his book, as he "used the plastic stick and a pen to tap out his story on the keyboard, or dictating the words to his friend." The New York Post released an interview with Paul on August 31, 2023, where he said, As of 2023, Paul still lives inside his iron lung, although he has learned how to breathe outside the capsule for short periods with a technique called "frog breathing." He told The Guardian that he wants to inspire people to go for their dreams as well.
The story of Paul Alexander, the man in the iron lung
"As far as you can see, rows and rows of iron lungs. Full of children."
Paul's academic achievements
"I wanted to accomplish the things I was told I couldn't accomplish and to achieve the dreams I dreamed."
eClub Rotarian Jean represented the eClub at the Chinle Community Center Open House on Saturday, June 10th.
Gifts and thanks were given to all who contributed to the project. Four Rotary Clubs (eClub of the State of Jefferson, Castle Rock, Glenwood Springs, and Durango) were present at the event as well as many other donors. She said it was great to see the Book Mobile in action – lots of people (young and old) checking out books. Here are some pictures from Saturday . . .
THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN IMPORTANT SUPPORTER OF CHINLE PLANTING HOPE!
CPH wants to thank you and express how grateful we are for your partnership
Thank you for helping us to Build Community, Live with Hope and Walk in Beauty every day. We wouldn't be where we are today without you!
As a part of our thank you, we have included an engraved brick to commemorate your contribution to building and creating the physical spaces of the Chinle Planting Hope Community Center where children and families can safely gather for play and learning experiences. The brick represents that solid foundation and the impact you have made in each of the programs that CPH is developing including the Garden of Dreams, HOPE Thrift Store, R.E.A.D. in Beauty Bookmobile, CPH Bike Shop, Imagination Station and future playground and walking track! A signature brick with your organization's logo will also be included in a special walkway in the Imagination Station, which we will be breaking ground on in July 2023. The Imagination Station will be a 2400 square foot building with a "mini community" with hands-on toys for imaginative play and room for art and STEM classes. The Imagination Station will be used by students, families, and elderly from the community.
In addition to the brick, you will find the book "Fall in Line, Holden!" By Daniel W. Vandever (he's here today at the Open House signing books as a guest author!) as part of your thank you. In the book, a young Dine student named Holden tries really hard at school to do his best and follow the rules but desperately needs extra spaces and opportunities to fall OUT of line to be himself and be creative. We hope that within the brick and mortar buildings of CPR children will find those spaces to create, learn, and be challenged.
Finally, as illustrated in Jorge Mendez Blake's art installation a single book can create a beautiful wave or beautiful disturbance in an entire brick wall. Thank you for being a part of both the bricks and the books, which will help children in Chinle and the Navajo Nation, grow and play in new ways!
Ahehee' ~ Thank you,
The CPH Leadership Team
Visualizing the Global Population by Water Security Levels
Visualizing the Global Population by Water Security Levels
Most of the world’s population today lives in countries facing critical water security issues.
Dealing with issues such as declining freshwater availability, demand from growing populations, insufficient infrastructure, or flawed water governance can impact how easily a country’s population can access water. A combination of multiple factors quickly makes problems with water security a lived reality.
A recent Global Water Security Report by the United Nations University assessed the water security of different countries across the world.
Methodology
This study assesses water security in countries by examining 10 different underlying components, ranging from water quality and sanitation to availability, resource stability, and climate-related risks.
Each component is given a score out of 10, with a nation’s overall water security score calculated from the sum. Water security levels are assigned based on the overall scores:
- 75 and above is classified as “water secure”
- 65‒74 is classified as “moderately secure”
- 41‒64 indicates a country is “water insecure”
- 40 and below is considered “critically insecure”
Water Security Levels by Country
Water security remains a concern around the world, but is especially dire in regions like the Middle East and Africa, where 13 of the 23 nations in the critically insecure category are located.
In total, 113 countries are considered water insecure, including the world’s two most populated, India and China. An additional 24 countries are considered critically water insecure, with the largest by population including Pakistan and Ethiopia.
Countries facing water security issues account for 72% of the world’s population, with an additional 8% of the global population facing critical water insecurity.
That includes 4.3 billion people in the Asia-Pacific region alone, and an additional 1.3 billion people across Africa. Many of these countries are grappling with issues including fast-growing populations and drought conditions faster than they can develop the necessary infrastructure to deal with them.
Only 12% of the world’s population lives in water-secure countries, including almost all Western countries, with Norway at the very top of the rankings at an overall score of 90. An additional 8% of the world lives in moderately secure countries such as Brazil and Russia.
However, water availability in these more secure countries is not perfect either. For example, U.S. states reliant on the Colorado River for irrigation and drinking water are facing continued drought conditions and limiting consumption, with further crisis on the horizon
Towards a Water Secure Future
As nations around the world face increasing water-related challenges, governments and international agencies have been collaborating to foster sustainable water management practices. In fact, clean water and sanitation for all is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Many regions have already begun to implement these practices. For example, cities in California have begun recycling wastewater and capturing stormwater to deal with water scarcity. Farming-dependent regions are also looking to smart agriculture to reduce the drain on the limited freshwater resources.
Twitter has undergone an array of changes over the last year since its new owner, Elon Musk, took over -- including changing the meaning of the blue check mark (it no longer means a user is verified). The latest replaced the infamous blue bird logo, which has been around since 2010, with an X.
With Twitter starting to not look like itself anymore, you may be interested in deleting your account. We'll explain what your options are below, including whether you can change your mind about deactivating your account. For more, here's how to untag yourself from any Twitter conversation.
How to delete your Twitter account on your phone
Here's how to delete your Twitter account from your phone. Note that before you close your account, you may want to create an archive of your tweets. And if you're interested, we also know how to download all your tweets.
1. Sign in to your Twitter account and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner.
2. In the side menu, scroll down and tap Settings and Support, then select Settings and privacy.
3. Select Your account > Deactivate your account.
4. Tap Deactivate.
5. You'll be prompted to enter your password and tap Deactivate to confirm.
If you change your mind, you can restore your account for up to 30 days after you deactivate it. More on that below.
How to delete your Twitter account on your computer
If you're using Twitter on your computer's web browser, here's how to delete your account. Again, before you close it down, think about creating an archive of your tweets.
1. Sign in to your Twitter account.
2. On the left menu, select More > Settings and privacy.
3. Under the Your Account section, click Deactivate your account.
4. Click Deactivate.
5. You'll then be prompted to enter your password, and then you'll confirm you want to proceed by clicking Deactivate account.
If you change your mind, see below for how to undo your account deactivation. If not, your account will be deleted.
Unlink any third-party apps from your account
While you may have clicked the button to deactivate your account, Twitter notes that third-party apps can reactivate your account when you sign in to them. To prevent this from happening, you'll need to revoke third-party app access to your Twitter account, such as those that can automatically delete old tweets.
To get started, sign in to your Twitter account and go to Settings and privacy > Security and account access > Apps and sessions > Connected apps. You'll then select each app one at a time and click Revoke app permissions.
How to reactivate your Twitter account
If you change your mind, you can always reactivate your account for up to 30 days or 12 months, depending on the selection you made. Here's what to do.
1. Log in to your account.
2. You'll see a notice asking if you'd like to reactivate your account. If you select yes, you'll be redirected to your Twitter Home timeline. Note that it could take a while for your Tweets and followers to be restored.
For more, here's how to change the privacy settings on Twitter, how to delete old tweets, and why people are leaving Netflix and how to cancel your subscription.
weekly@StateOfJeffersonRotary.org
What to know about BA.2.86 as it spreads to 5 states
More health officials across the U.S. are reporting new cases of the COVID variant BA.2.86.
On Thursday, a genome sequencing team at Houston Methodist Hospital said it had identified the first case in Texas, a member of team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. On the same day, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff confirmed that one case has been detected in his state.
These states join Michigan, New York and Virginia, according to health officials and the open global genome sequencing database GISAID.
MORE: School districts in Kentucky, Texas cancel classes amid 'surge' of illnesses including COVID
There have been hundreds of variants of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus that led to the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, but most eventually disappear.
Public health experts around the world are keeping track of BA.2.86 because of its high number of mutations.
"It is starting to spread here in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world. It's clearly contagious, as are all of these subvariants of omicron," Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told ABC News. "As we all know, these COVID viruses are not localized just to one country or another. They don't need a passport. They're capable of spreading ... and can spread rapidly around the world."
BA.2.86 was the strain first detected in Denmark on July 24 of this year, then Israel, followed by Michigan in August. It has since been reported in Canada, England, France, Portugal and South Africa, according to GISAID.
It has more than 30 mutations to the spike protein -- which the virus uses to attach to and infect cells -- and is why Schaffner said he and other experts believe it may be contributing to the increase in COVID hospitalizations in the U.S.
Data updated Monday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found hospitalizations rose 18.8% for the week ending Aug.19.
The most recent data from the CDC shows that EG.5, another offshoot XBB, currently makes up a plurality of COVID cases in the U.S.
MORE: Are masks returning? Lionsgate, Atlanta HBCU reinstate mandates amid COVID uptick
"It's possible [BA.2.86] will make a contribution to what's out there, but it may not become the dominant strain," Schaffner said.
This comes as the CDC's advisory committee gets ready to meet on Sept. 12 to discuss new boosters targeting COVID subvariants. The boosters are expected to become available in mid- to late-September.
While it's unclear how well the new boosters will protect against BA.2.86, the current vaccine is designed to target XBB, meaning it could provide decent protection against severe disease and hospitalization, Schaffner said.
Over the next couple of weeks, officials will be monitoring how contagious the variant is and how quickly it's spreading.
One important tool to use could be wastewater data. Wastewater sampling is how officials in New York City detected BA.2.86. Officials said the sample did not come from a local resident, but the variant's presence in wastewater means it's undoubtedly circulating.
Public health experts have previously said wastewater tracking is a good early detection tool for monitoring potential future upticks.
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