News: Rotary Club of Louisville

RECENT UPDATES

NO MEETING Next Week

As a reminder, we will not have a regular meeting on Thursday, May 2nd. If you are not joining us for the Rotary Day at the Downs on Wednesday, we hope to see you the following week, May 9th, at our Rotary Honors Scholars Celebration luncheon at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus at 28th & Broadway.

Rotary Day at the Downs: May 1

If you ordered tickets, please see the email from Delene with details. Tickets that have not been requested to be mailed will be available at the University Club tomorrow (Thursday, 4/25) from 10:30am until 2:00pm.

***We still have a few tickets available; email director@louisvillerotary.org if interested.

Churchill Downs Silks Balcony

Join us for Rotary Day at the Downs for Champions Day on Wednesday, May 1. We have reserved the brand-new Silks Balcony and Loge for Champions Day. Our group will have an elevated view of the Paddock in a covered open-air setting. This area offers both dining tables and box seats. Enjoy easy access to a dedicated race viewing location in the 3rd floor Clubhouse in Section 320.

Tickets are $140 per person and include admission, racing program, 4-hour Chef's Table Buffet, coffee, tea and soft drinks, and a 4-hour OPEN BAR.

Our May 9th meeting will be a celebration of our Rotary Honors Scholars at the brand new Norton Healthcare Goodwill Opportunity Campus, located at 2820 W Broadway. Bellarmine University Men's Basketball Head Coach Scotty Davenport will speak!

Our meal will be catered by RealPotatoes LLC owner Chaun James, our first West Louisville Housing Initiative homebuyer! The buffet menu will be chicken, green beans and potatoes; a vegetarian/vegan and/or gluten-free option is available upon advance request.

RSVP by NOON on Monday, May 6 HERE.

There is a $5 meeting fee for those who choose not to purchase a meal - this will include a dessert and tea/coffee/water and, of course, a fantastic program. You can pay $5 cash, check or scan the QR code at check-in to pay with a credit card.

Click Read More to view Speaker Bio:

Read More

World Immunization Week

This week is World Immunization Week, April 24-30. It's an opportunity to focus on that work, and the robust polio eradication infrastructure built by Rotary and our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) provides a model for it. Increasing awareness about the power of vaccines and closing immunization gaps could protect millions of people worldwide from vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, according to the World Health Organization.

The GPEI reports polio vaccines have saved an estimated 20-million children from paralysis worldwide. When Rotary helped launch the GPEI in 1988, the disease paralyzed more than 1,000 people worldwide every day, most of them young children. Since then, Rotary and its partners have reduced the number of polio cases by 99%, and in 2021 there were just six cases of polio caused by the wild poliovirus. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where the wild poliovirus remains endemic.

You can support Polio Plus through our Rotary District 6710's Purple Pinkie Bourbon Charity. There are still 80 bottles available from our private barrel. All of the $130 will go to PolioPlus.

Send your donation:
Dr. Melissa Webb Earnest, District Treasurer
District 6710 – Polio Plus
206 Cherry Lane
Princeton, KY 42445

When all the bottles have their new homes, we expect to net $8K for Polio Plus. Thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, these contributions will be tripled, getting us even closer to a polio-free world. This amount will help vaccinate over 300M children worldwide.

You can pick up your special bottle at our District Conference (May 10 - 11 in Louisville), or, by special arrangement, by contacting DG Tommy Reed (tdreed6710@gmail.com).

Remember! There is no limit for donations (2 donations = two gift bottles).

GE Appliances Tour

Rotarians on a tour of GE Appliances, AP3

Rotary Club of Louisville members toured GE Appliances, a Haier Company, on Tuesday, getting a behind the scenes look at AP3, where dishwashers are made. We also learned about GEA's investment in its North American plants. Since 2016, GEA has invested $2B and created 4,000 new jobs. Here in Louisville, that investment equals $808M and 2,185 new jobs. Thanks to Rotarian Kent Oyler for coordinating.

Rotary Group Trip to Italy This November

By: Kent Oyler
Thanks to all who responded to the poll about international group travel opportunities. Italy was the favorite among those who participated, so that is where we will be going this November.

Tuscany Italy

Join us November 1-9 for only $3,899 per person (double occupancy) which includes hotels, meals, day trips and airfare from Louisville!

You can download the brochure and registration form HERE.

Contact me at kent@oyler.net or 502-550-5102 for more information.

Rotary Youth Exchange

By: Frederic T. Harned

Rotary Youth Exchange is one of Rotary’s most popular programs worldwide. Over 9,000 students each year have an opportunity to experience life in one of 80 foreign countries, for a period ranging from one month to an academic year.

Our Louisville Club has been offered a chance to arrange hosting for an inbound student, an 18-year-old girl from Taiwan. But a lot of organization is needed before we can respond positively!

Do you have teenagers in your family who might be interested in meeting a peer from another country, or in spending time exploring another language environment? Do you have non-Rotary friends who might be interested in the program? Please respond to this survey with your level of interest!

Our Western Kentucky District was not active in this program for over a decade, despite numerous requests from parents seeking opportunities for their children aged 15 to 19. This past year we received renewed certification from Rotary International, based on pledges and structures to uphold Rotary’s strong emphasis on youth protection in all aspects of the program.

There are three main variants of the program:

Short-term Exchanges send a student to live with a peer student and family for one to three months, followed by the two students returning to live in the first student’s home for a comparable period.

Outbound Exchanges give a student the opportunity to live with different families (again with a foreign peer) for an academic year, gaining extensive experience with the language and culture of their destination. Both the hosts and the students are extensively vetted and trained by Rotary, and the students are held to strict behavior codes.

Inbound exchanges are the counterpart of Outbound. Here, local Rotary Clubs can be extensively involved in selecting host families and providing a counselor for the inbound student. They may also involve the student in club meetings and activities. Clubs are also expected to provide the inbound student with a small monthly expense allowance, while the host families (usually three, each for three months) provide room and board.

Details of the programs are available through Rotary International or through our District co-chairs for the program, Cathy Palmer in Bowling Green and Dale Leatherman, incoming District Governor, or from Rick Harned in our club. Lots more information is readily available!

News from Our Partner Club in El Salvador

By: Frederic T. Harned

An update from the Rotary Club of San Salvador Maquilishuat, a partner club we've worked with in El Salvador. Elizabeth "Eli" Nova de Zavaleta has been the key drive behind the TOILETON projects our club has supported for years. So far, she has helped provide decent sanitation with flush toilets in tiled compartments in 23 rural elementary and middle schools, as well as wash stations, hygiene training and purified water for kitchens.

Eli is featured in a series of photographs by the United Nations (UN) through the Association of Swiss Women and Empowerment (ASWE). They will be displayed at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The "Palais de Nations: A Time for Reflection," exhibition will also be displayed on May 29 at the National Museum of Anthropology in El Salvador.

Eli - with our help and that of several other District 6710 clubs, is making a real difference in children's lives!

Middle School Literacy Project at West End School

By: Walt L. Kunau
Join us for our Middle School Literacy Project as we read and discuss a book with 8th grade students at the West End School. You will be amazed and enriched by the accomplishments of these students and this school!

We meet Thursdays, April 11 - May 9, from 10:05 - 10:55 a.m.

Email Walt at wkunau@bellsouth.net or call 502.262.2792 to sign up or for more information.

Rotary members read with 8th graders at West End School

Rotary members read with 8th graders at West End School

Rotary University: Next Session Tuesday, May 21

By: Jay Mallory
Thank you to all who participated in our first two Rotary University sessions. If you are a long-time member but would just like a refresher, feel free to watch the recordings as well.

Session #1 What is Rotary? available HERE passcode to access: @5ZatVk0
To earn credit for Session #1, complete survey with code words HERE.

Session #2 Service Above Self available HERE passcode to access: 0tj&G+^*
To earn credit for Session #2, complete survey with code words HERE.

Please mark your calendars for the next sessions, all at NOON via Zoom. Completion of Rotary University is required for new members, so prioritize these sessions!

Click HERE to register for the May 21 Rotary Honors Scholars noon Zoom session.

If you have any questions, reach out to me, or Jay Mallory, Co-Chair of the Membership Development & Engagement Committee, jmallory@imagequest.com.

March 19	Session 1 - What is Rotary?
April 16	Session 2 - Service Above Self
May 21	Session 3 - Rotary Honors Scholars
June 11	Session 4 - Committees
July 9	Session 5 - Rotary Beyond the Club
July	New Member Celebration / Mixer (location TBD)

Honor Flight: May 21

By: Gerald Martin
Save the date for the next Honor Flight on May 21st - we will need volunteers for the ground crew as well as people to cheer for our veterans at the airport as they return home from their day in Washington DC.

Any Rotarians interested in volunteering to help the vets depart from and return to the airport on the day of the flight should go to the website and fill out and submit the application form ASAP. A volunteer representative will then contact you to discuss the requirements and available options for the May flight.

I can be reached by email at gerald@riverhillcapital.com or by text message to 502-693-7209.

Thanks for your support in making these flights so meaningful and successful. We have hundreds of people meet the returning vets in the evening on their return from DC, but we’d love to have even more in May.

If you are interested in being a Guardian for a veteran on the flight, let me know.

Honor Flight May 21

Meanwhile, volunteers are needed to write some letters for Mail Call! Click Read More for info.

Read More

Volunteers Needed for Ohio River Sweep: June 1

By: Alex E. Novak
OHIO RIVER SWEEP INFORMATION

Join the Rotary Club of Louisville's Environmental Committee on June 1 from 9 a.m. to noon for a Litter Clean-up Event at Eva Bandman Park.

It's part of the annual Ohio River Sweep volunteer clean-up that extends the entire length of the Ohio River. Volunteers from six states remove litter at multiple locations along the river and many of its tributaries.

The volunteer work makes a positive impact along the entire Ohio River Basin. Learn more: HERE.

Contact: Alex Novak, anovak@iglou.com for details and to register.

New Member Service Project at SOS: June 5 NEW DATE

By: Jay Mallory
Join us on Wednesday, June 5th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at SOS for our new member service project. All are welcome - this is an excellent opportunity to serve alongside and get acquainted with some of our newer members.

We will be sorting and packing supplies to be redistributed to those in need. SOS meets critical health care needs in medically impoverished communities in 106 countries around the world by collecting and distributing surplus medical supplies and equipment. Partnering with hospitals, clinics, and manufacturers to recover and redistribute what would otherwise go into local landfills, SOS promotes environmental stewardship.

Please RSVP HERE.

Service Projects & Grants due May 30

By: Steven A. Eggers
Committee leaders:

Please make note that all information related to request(s) for service projects and/or grants for the 2024-2025 Rotary year must be submitted no later than May 30. Proof of completion of the 9-minute mandatory training must also be provided to me by that time (seggers@knbarch.com).

****

Applications for 2024-2025 Service Projects & Grants will need to be submitted in the new electronic format approved by the Rotary Board at the February meeting. Completion of a mandatory training session is required for Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs that plan to apply for projects or grants, or if someone else on the committee will be preparing the project proposal, the Chair can designate that person as the representative for their committee.

Click Read More for the overall schedule for the review and approval of Service Projects & Grants.

Read More

Rotarian in the Spotlight: Denise Sears

Rotarian Denise Sears was in the news this week again!

Last Saturday, SOS International stepped in to help with a free wheelchair clinic. The event served those living with partial paralysis and other disabilities. Folks could bring their standard or electric wheelchairs and get them repaired, cleaned or even replaced on the spot. Denise said the turnout was larger than they expected and that they ended up helping dozens of people in a matter of hours.

Events & Opportunities: JFCS

By: Delene E Taylor
What: 2024 JFCS MOSAIC Awards
Organization: Jewish Family and Career Services
Date/Time: May 14th, 6:00 p.m.
Location: Mellwood Arts Center
Description: This event honors refugees, immigrants, and first generation Americans who are leaders and changemakers in Louisville.
More information: HERE
Member to contact: Courtney Evans, cevans@jfcslouisville.org

Note: This section features upcoming events and opportunities to serve with our nonprofit member organizations. Submissions must be from a member (or spouse/partner) of our Club who is either an employee or board member of the organization for which the event/opportunity is being shared. Click HERE to submit.

Final Call for Rotary Lifetime Service Award Nominations

By: Karen Morrison

The Rotary Lifetime Service Award award honors a member who has exhibited a personal dedication to the pursuit of Rotary’s values in one or more of Rotary’s avenues of service. It recognizes a Rotarian’s full body of service both to Rotary and to other organizations in the community, region and beyond. Download the nomination form HERE.

We will begin accepting nominations for the Rotararian of the Year Award as we get closer to the end of our Rotary year in June.

Click below for more info and a list of criteria for nominations.

Lifetime Service Award Criteria

This award recognizes a Rotarian’s full body of service both to Rotary and to other organizations in the community, region and beyond.

This award is presented annually to a Rotarian who:
• has been a member for at least 10 years; and,
• has demonstrated a lifelong adherence to Rotary’s Service Above Self ideals.

The list of past recipients appears on page 11 of the Membership Directory; last year’s recipient was Larry Sloan

The Rotarian of the Year Award is designated for the one Rotarian in our club who clearly stands out in demonstrating "Service Above Self" and principled commitment to the Four-Way Test. A nominee should be an outstanding club member who has made significant contributions to the mission and operation of our club, and to one or more avenues of Community or International Service. This award may be given to a member who exhibits Service Above Self in their daily activities and who promotes Rotary by their actions and involvement. This may be accomplished through one major activity in club service, in multiple activities, or by serving on several committees. This person should be highly visible in the weekly activities of the club.

Rotarian of the Year Criteria

While no one can participate in every activity, be at every event or serve on every committee, the following criteria is presented to illustrate the range of things that should be considered when nominating a person for Rotarian of the Year. The decision need not be limited to these items, nor should the items on the list be considered mandatory for selection. The list of past recipients appears on page 10 of the Membership Directory; last year’s recipient was Ashley Brauer.

Club Membership and Attendance

To be considered for nomination, the candidate must have been a member of our Rotary Club for at least 5 years.
The nominee must be a member in good standing.
The nominee must have active membership status.
The nominee should have an exemplary attendance record. While perfect attendance is not a requirement, the nominee should either regularly attend our club meetings or complete make-ups when they are unable to attend.

Rotary Club Involvement

The nominee has been involved with service projects that have been undertaken by the club through active participation and support.
The nominee has been involved with fundraising projects that have been undertaken by the club through active participation and support.
The nominee has participated in additional club activities that help to strengthen the camaraderie of the club, such as social events.
The nominee has contributed to the day-to-day workings of the club by helping with the tasks necessary for the club to function effectively.

Leadership and Recruitment

The nominee has worked on a committee for the club.
The nominee has taken an active leadership role within the club.
The nominee brings visitors and/or candidates for membership to the club and/or has sponsored new members.

OUR VISION:

To be Louisville’s premier fellowship of business, professional and civic leaders dedicated to selfless humanitarian and civic service, improving lives in our ever-changing community and the world.

OUR MISSION:

To provide a fellowship of inspired business, professional and civic leaders with exceptional opportunities for humanitarian and civic service, while promoting integrity, understanding and goodwill on a local, national and worldwide basis. We achieve our mission by:

Developing a strong, growing and active membership that reflects the diversity of vocations and people in our community.
Strengthening finances to support the club and to carry out the civic, vocational and international service projects that meet the needs of the community and the world.
Building a dedicated, well-trained and energized leadership team to guide the club and to support the District and Rotary International.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION:

The Rotary Club of Louisville’s mission is to provide a fellowship of inspired business, professional and civic leaders with exceptional opportunities for humanitarian and civic service, while promoting integrity, understanding and goodwill on a local, national, and worldwide basis.

We, as a club, cannot achieve our mission without acknowledging the inequalities in our country and our community, specifically for Black and minority Americans.

We celebrate diversity and equality. We continue to foster supportive programs for our community. We will be tenacious in creating new, innovative solutions to address community needs.

We strongly believe everyone should be heard, be respected, and be supported.

Yes, we still have much work to do. But our club is passionate in addressing these issues. Together, we can continue to foster peace, justice, and #EquityForAll.

Adopted January 2021

CORE VALUES & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

These core values are reflected in the Object of Rotary and The Four Way Test which we use in our daily lives. Adopted June 2012

SERVICE

We believe that our service activities and programs improve lives and communities and bring about greater understanding and peace. Through the plans and actions of our Club, we create a culture of service that not only benefits the recipients but also provides unparalleled satisfaction for those who serve.

FELLOWSHIP

Fellowship leads to tolerance and transcends racial, national and other limiting boundaries. This broadens our lives and perspectives and strengthens our ability to serve.

DIVERSITY

We believe Rotary unifies all people behind the ideal of service. We encourage diversity of vocations within our membership and in our activities and service work. Our membership reflects our business and professional community and is a key to our Club’s success.

INTEGRITY

We are committed to and expect accountability from our leaders and fellow members, both in the results of our efforts and in the processes we use to accomplish our goals. We adhere to high ethical and professional standards in our work and personal relationships. We are fair and respectful in our interactions, and we conscientiously steward the resources entrusted to us.

LEADERSHIP

We are a fellowship of leaders and believe in offering our members lifelong opportunities to develop their leadership capabilities in service to others. As Rotarians, we are leaders in implementing our core values.

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