GREETERS
Ken Reid
Monte Snider

BACK TABLE DUTY
David Allen
Gary Gilger

• • •

The mailing address for the
Bellevue Rotary Club is:

Laurie Larson
Club Administrator
P.O. Box 523
Bellevue, WA 98009
bellevuerotary@seanet.com
Ph 425 451-3819
Fax 425 451-8025

• • •

Are you receiving The Rotarian Magazine?
If not, contact Laurie Larson or email The Rotarian Magazine.

Larry Abner, 03/01
Glen Curda, 03/01
Sally Gray, 03/01
John Brozovich, 03/02
Colleen Crowley, 03/02
Leland Teng, 03/04
Stacy Graven, 03/05
Frances Gough, 03/13
Nancy Pasternak, 03/13
Sam Esayian, 03/15
Tom Eckhart, 03/16
Jane Hague, 03/20
Milt Douglas, 03/27
Lynn Jones, 03/27

NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM:

Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.
Seattle University President
"An Inside View of Being a University President Today"

"This will be a presentation in a personal manner of what the experience of being a university president is like, what challenges and opportunies are faced, and what are the biggest issues, problems, successes. I will attempt to take you inside my nine years as president of Seattle University and say what I have learned that is of interest to you and then take you by DVD onto the campus to meet our students." — Father Sundborg

Father Stephen V. Sundborg, of the Society of Jesus, became president of Seattle University in July 1997. He leads a comprehensive, independent, Jesuit university of over 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 1,100 faculty and staff members. Father Sundborg is known for leading Seattle University toward a commitment to justice, both regionally and internationally. An example was Seattle University’s hosting of Tent City III.

In addition to his responsibilities as Seattle University president (the third largest non-profit organization in Washington state), Father Sundborg was chair of United Way of King County Board of Directors this past year. He is a trustee of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Independent Colleges of Washington; and a board member of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. He also served on the King County Independent Task Force on Elections.

President Sundborg was ordained in Seattle in 1974 and completed his doctoral studies in spirituality at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1982. He taught theology at Seattle University from 1982-1990, was appointed rector of the Seattle University Jesuit community in 1986, and served as provincial of the Northwest Jesuits 1990-1996.

A native of Alaska, Father Sundborg is the 21st president to lead Seattle University since it was founded in 1891.

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Extended Procurement Date
Gary Gilger

After looking at the production schedule for the catalog, we are able to extend the procurement deadline to Thursday, March 23, 2006.

If you have something already procured you may fax the procurement form to Sue Albrecht (her FAX number is on the form) or log it on the online form here on the Bellevue Rotary website.

If you need any help or have questions please let me know.

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Be a Rotary Mentor!
Katherine Thompson

Four openings remain for spring quarter mentors. Team up with BCC students taking the capstone entrepreneurship class, as they provide consulting services to a local business. This is a terrific hands-on program for our Club that has lasting impact with the students and area businesses.

If you would like an opportunity to create a unique learning experience for business students and support a growing Eastside business please contact Katherine Thompson (Ph 425-455-2555).

Time is short — classes begin April 2nd!

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Rotary & World Water Day: March 22

On Wednesday, 22 March — observed internationally as “World Water Day” — the Starbucks Corporation will work in cooperation with Rotary clubs in an effort to raise awareness of the world’s shortage of clean, safe drinking water.

Currently, 1.1 billion people (20% of the world’s population) lack access to safe water. To help draw attention to this global crisis, Starbucks is sponsoring Walks for Water on World Water Day 2006. Walks have been planned for eleven major cities in the U.S.: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC.

To help make World Water Day 2006 a success, and to demonstrate Rotary’s commitment to addressing this important issue, Rotarians are encouragedto visit the World Water Day website to learn how to participate in the Walks for Water. For individuals who do not live near a Walk for Water location but who would like to show their support, the site offers “virtual walks” and other opportunities to help spread awareness of water issues.

For further reference, please read this featured announcement about World Water Day 2006.

On behalf of the 2005-06 Water, Health and Hunger Concerns Resource Group, thank you for helping to promote and strengthen Rotary’s presence in the global safe water effort.

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World Wide Student Art Contest
Rotarian Barry Marx, District 9930, New Zealand

Greetings From the Rotary Club of Otorohanga!

The Rotary Club of Otorohanga New Zealand, D9930 is running an International High School Student Art Contest, entries can be submitted by digital image. See web site www.oto-rotary.org for information. Prizes include a three-week, fully-funded return trip to New Zealand. Entries are open now and close 1 May 2006

I have taken 15 months away from paid occupation as a volunteer organisor because I feel so passionate about this contest.

It's the biggest Student Art Contest of its type and will be the first that uses the internet to such a large extent. The 300 semi-finalist works of art, from the several thousand entries, will be on show here in New Zealand for two weeks, and all will be on sale, with a colour catalogue being on the internet with international purchasing arrangements.

All the information you need is on our web site. You can download leaflets, posters, newsletters and press releases.

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2007-2008 Ambassadorial & Cultural Scholarship Applications Are Available

Rick Taylor

This Rotary year District 5030 has available at least two one-year Ambassadorial Scholarships and one six month Cultural Scholarship that will pay up to $26,000 for education in another country.  Rotary International has requested that we consider scholars whose study fields will have a strong humanitarian impact.

For information and applications please contact me (Ph 425-454-4858).

Thank you for your help.

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Rotary District 5030 Leadership Assembly

Presidents, Presidents-Elect, Club Secretaries, Treasurers, all incoming Officers and Board Members, All Committee Chairs, Newsletter Editors, Webmasters, New Members, and all interested Rotarians are invited to join District Governor-Elect Mike Montgomery at the District's Annual Kick-Off Event!

The Assembly is scheduled for Saturday, May 20, at the Bellevue Community College, from 7:30AM-12:00 noon.

If you are interested in volunteering or contributing to the 2006 District 5030 Leadership Assembly, please contact District Leadership Assembly Chairperson Son Michael Pham (Ph 206-484-4830).

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTER-FRIENDLY
VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION.

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Camp Goodtimes, June 29

Bellevue Rotary will again bring the best day of the whole summer to Camp Goodtimes on Vashon Island. Save Thursday, June 29th, for this fun event. We are expecting 140 kids with cancer, on or off treatment, and have arranged to rent carnival games for this day.

At least 40 Rotarians are needed to be at camp as carnie workers. Look for sign-up sheets in May or early June. Contact Charlotte Ellis if you have questions.

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Reporting from Kathmandu, Nepal
Bellevue Rotarian Rob Rose

Saturday March 4th, 2006 ~ It’s been a wonderful trip to Nepal so far. We’ve been able to spend lots of time with the children at our favorite organizations, one of which is DNC (Disabled Newlife Center). DNC is home to 28 children between the ages of 4 and 16 years. Several colorful “Welcome Rob and Gina” signs made by the kids were up to greet us on our arrival, and the year away from them melts as we hug and renew friendships. Since we only visit once a year, it is as if we see the children in "snapshot" form, going from one year’s photo to the next, so they appear to have grown dramatically. I surprised them by calling each and every one of them by name as we met. You see, I had received a listing with photographs of each child via email from Fran McGowan, volunteer from the U.K., so I studied hard and memorized them all. They were amazed, but you know, I think it made them each feel special to be remembered and called by name. My kid-list included several new-arrivals to the center, so I even knew the names of the new kids whom I had never met before!

Gina and I brought with us many books, games and candy bars, along with toothbrushes/toothpaste to counter-balance the candy (Thanks to Bellevue Dentist Larry Mast for the tooth support)!

We also brought 24 laminated gameboards, handmade by Alex Rea’s and Jennifer Edwards’ fourth and fifth grade classes at Eastgate Elementary school in Bellevue. This past fall we had set up a pen pal program and now letters have been received by the Nepali kids and replies sent off to Bellevue. The DNC children had a blast playing the game of Ludo made by the Bellevue kids, which is a lot like the game Sorry in the USA. This has been such a rewarding project, with minimal cost, but with great impact on both the kids in Bellevue, opening up their world perspective, and the Nepali kids, whose lives have been brightened by the simple act of receiving a letter from a new friend.

In addition to the games, the pen pal kids raised $1,000 for the Nepali kids, to be divided between DNC and the Nandumaya orphan home. At DNC we’ll be buying a table tennis set, new shoes for all of the children and at least 12 rechargeable lanterns. The shoes are a never-ending need for these kids, who wear out or grow out of their shoes around every 4-6 months. The table tennis set is an important purchase for them, as it is a wonderful physical activity that is both therapeutic and fun!

Let me explain the purpose of the lanterns: Here in Nepal, they haven’t had any real rainfall for about six months, and while this might sound very attractive to us in Western Washington, it doesn’t help with electrical generation. The government has instituted something called “load-shedding,” which involves rotating blackouts at various times during the day and night. It started out at two hours a day of outage, but that has now grown to five hours a day. If the blackout time is during the evening hours after the sun has gone down, it makes it very difficult and dangerous for the children at the center to move around, go up/down stairs or do their homework. The lanterns are now a necessity that will allow the staff and children to continue their lives during these periods (We sure take a lot of little things for granted in our country, don’t we?).

Another fun activity we have started at this center is photography — what else, right? Bellevue Rotarians Cy Oskoui and John Shaw donated digital cameras that I brought with us so that the kids at the center could learn to take better photographs. A Rotarian photographer in Kathmandu has agreed to teach some of the older children the finer points that can turn snapshots into artwork. I gave four DNC kids — Puste, Sunil, Mansara and Shrijana — my own short primer on composition, contrast, depth and the basic workings of a camera. The kids were transfixed (not asleep!) as we looked at some examples of past photos from Nepal that I had taken that illustrated these points. Raju, DNC all-around administrator and uncle/father-figure translated any concepts that the kids couldn’t understand. I’m excited to see what develops (pun intended!) with this project in the photos that these children will create as it will give them an artistic outlet that will allow them to see their world in a different way and express their sometimes difficult feelings through photography.

During our visit on this afternoon we played games, had tea, renewed old friendships and made new ones. I am running out of words to describe our feelings on these visits, however the word, "joy" sums it up well, I think! It is just a joyful activity that circulates through my being! Gina was well remembered from her visit in 2004, and the girls seem to gravitate to her like a magnet.

We prepared to leave and said our goodbyes. Little did we know the drama that would soon unfold as we walked to my friend RR’s (Rabendra’s) car and began the ride home. He had decided that it would be a faster route to turn right on the road out of the DNC instead of left — not a wise plan! Many of the neighborhood roads here don’t really qualify as roads, streets or even lanes — wide paths, maybe, with just enough width for a car with a few inches of clearance on either side of the mirrors. The width problem is compounded by the fact that in some areas you only see brick walls about six feet high on either side of the road that surround each home. You can’t even see where to turn until you reach it and it becomes a maze where you can easily get hopelessly lost, which is what happened to us!

We kept moving down narrower and narrower lanes until, with a huge ker-plunk, we rolled in and through a large, unmarked hole in the road and came abruptly to a dead end. We had to back up through that huge hole and RR placed a small, thin slab of cement across the two-foot chasm. There was no going forward and there was no turning around, so RR used all of his driving skills to roll back through that hole and into more familiar territory. At last we got to a point where we could turn around and move in a forward direction, but we were still lost. Finally, after asking many people for directions, we found what we at first thought were some steep stairs, but it turned out that it was road to our freedom!

First, though we had to pass through the valley of the very bad smells — there must have been some sort of sewage outlet in the vicinity! The road/path began to get a bit wider and then, all of a sudden, we were out on a real street, and we cheered! That anyone gets anywhere on these streets seems amazing in itself, but RR was determined to get his little Nissan car through.

Adventure over. Time to go home, reflect on the day and plan our next visit, an overnight trip to the Nandumaya orphan home. More kids, more adventures and more excitement!

Yours in Rotary,
Rob