PLEASE NOTE: Business Casual Attire is required when visiting any U.L.C. facility. Men must wear a collared shirt (including turtleneck) with slacks and women must wear slacks or skirt with blouse or sweater. (NO JEANS OR ATHLETIC SHOES ARE ALLOWED)

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

• The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

  LINK TO NEWS FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

Rotarian's Celebrate Milestones in Fight to Rid World of Polio

From www.rotary.org - May 8, 2012

Rotarians celebrated two major milestones in their decades-long fight to rid the world of polio this week during the third plenary session of the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand.

Rotarians were congratulated for meeting and exceeding Rotary's $200 Million Challenge, in response to $355 Million in Matching Grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for polio eradication. Attendees also celebrated India's removal from the polio endemic list, which leaves only three countries where transmission of the virus has never been stopped. But, John F. Germ, Chairman of Rotary's Challenge Committee, went on to say... "with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative facing a significant funding shortfall for 2012 and beyond, it is vital for Clubs and Districts to keep pushing forward with their many creative fundraisers."

As part of this continuing need, Rotary Club of Chicago Financial District will be hosting a Charity Dinner with Silent Auction on Friday evening, September 14, at Ina's Restaurant (1235 W. Randolph Street). Owner Ina Pinkney, herself a polio survivor, will be Co-Host and Honoree for the event. The fund raiser is open to the public and guests are welcome.  Please mark September 14 on your calendar, as more information will follow.

Posted May 10, 2012

Rotary Club of Chicago member, John Schwandke, recently returned from visiting two Rotary

Matching Grant Project sites in Mexico.  You may recall having read about Rotary CFD's visitation to the Rotary Project Fair in Oaxaca earlier this year, and of its desire to partner with Mexican Rotary Clubs on the two projects that caught Schwandke's attention.

That desire has now become reality, with both projects having been approved by their respective Clubs and Districts.  Subject only to final approval from the Rotary Foundation, work on these projects is expected to be completed this summer. 

Project #1 is a simple one.  Add a modern, well equipped Computer Classroom to a school that probably wouldn't have one without our help. The right hand photo introduces you to the 5th Grade Class at "Escuela Calasanz", which is primary school, grades preschool through six.  It is located in an economically depressed neighborhood in Puebla. The Principal of this school (left hand photo, young man on left) and teacher's are young, motivated, and eager to provide their students with tools to help them excel. This computer classroom includes 10 wireless computers, 10 work desks, 35 chairs, blackboards, a printer, plus associated audio-visual equipment to expand their teaching capabilities. The computer lab will be used primarily by grades three through six. Rotarian's will provide the equipment and instruction for its use. Using a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant, Rotary CFD was able to leverage a $2,100 investment into the total $13,000 needed to finance the project.  We give special thanks to Alejandro Ponce and Ulises Solorio of Rotary Club Puebla Virreinal for introducing us to this project and for their club's hard work in bringing this school's dream to fruition. Good Job!

(Members can see more photos and commentary by clicking "Photo Page List" in the menu)

LET'S BE SANITARY

Posted May 10, 2012

Project #2 is much more ambitious... and involves construction and trenching for 2,000 feet of sanitary

drainage for the village of Crutzitzin, near the town of Tezuitlan, in the mountains of northern Puebla state. It is a village of approximately 80 homes and a school , but no sanitation system whatsoever. A Civil Engineer and Architect, who are members of the Texuitlan Rotary Club, donated the design plans which sliced thousands of dollars from the cost to build the system, which includes 14 junction wells. Even so, the cost will exceed $25,000.

 The photo at left shows a typical outdoor toilet facility currently being used by residents of Crutzitzin. The center photo is Chicago Rotarian John Schwandke, posing with the project designer's in the valley where the main portion of the drainage pipe will run. The third photo was taken in front of a school classroom. It is an interesting structure, made from every material the builder could find. Brick, wood, tar paper, sod and tin.  Rudimentary, but clean and functional. This sanitation project required $4,600 in seed money from Rotary Club of Chicago Financial District. The Mexico partnering club in Teziutlan, along with matching grants from District 6450 and 4180 combined to add another $9,400. A matching grant from The Rotary Foundation will account for the remaining balance. (Members can see more photos and commentary by clicking "Photo Page List" in the menu)

 When Rotarian's travel to foreign countries to work on projects like these, they are usually hosted by members of the partnering Rotary Clubs. Your host typically provides room, board, and transportation during your stay. It is an economical way to travel, to meet new people and learn a country's culture from those who live it.  At the same time, you are doing good deeds and building lasting friendships. If you would like to participate at one of these project sites, or learn about other travel opportunities with Rotary International, please contact Rotary CFD member John Schwandke.

Rotary Club of Chicago Financial District Receives Tezuitlan Club Banner

Photo by Neil King

Rotary CFD Club Member John Schwandke is shown here presenting President Marilyn Sainsot with a banner from the Rotary Club of Tezuitlan Mexico.  Rotary CFD has partnered with the Tezuitlan Rotary Club in a rather ambitious and much needed sanitation drainage system project for the village of Crutzitzin-Chignautla, which is located in a remote region of northern Puebla State in Mexico.  The project has been approved by both Clubs and both Districts and now awaits final Matching Grant approval from the Rotary Foundation.

April 21, 2012

Posted by M. Sainsot

Tammy Duckworth was the keynote speaker at the Rotary 6450 District Assembly on April 21, 2012.  Her entertaining and inspiring presentation was filled with anecdotes about her time as an employee at Rotary International Headquarters in Evanston. She highlighted the 2012-2013 District 6450 Mission to support our Veterans, which is the theme chosen by incoming Governor Pat Merryweather, who has two sons in the military.

April, 2012

Posted 04/15/12 by Staff

It is with great sorrow that the children of Richard (Dick) Pickett announce his passing at the age of 87. He died peacefully at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke on April 8, 2012. Born on Dec. 29, 1924, he was the son of John C. and Edith Pickett of Northampton.  He was a 1943 graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton and remained very involved as an alumnus. Enlisting in the Navy in 1944, he contracted polio almost immediately. At the insistence of his parents he was brought from his ship in New Jersey to the Shriners’ Hospital in West Springfield where a new treatment developed by an Australian nurse, Sister Ann, was showing great promise. Richard credited this new treatment for his complete recovery. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy after serving his remaining tour of duty on the USS Rendova aircraft carrier.

He went on to receive a degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst . Immediately after graduation, due to the untimely passing of both his parents three months apart, he took over running the family business, Northampton Commercial College , later known as Northampton Junior College. Following the closing of the college in 1973, Richard took a break from academics for several years and tried his hand at selling sailboats, but his true passion was for business-oriented education.

He returned to that field and became president of Robert Morris College in Chicago, in 1983. Under his guidance the college flourished, growing from a small business school to a broad-based regional degree-granting institution. In recognition of his contribution to Robert Morris, he was elected to the board of trustees in 1993 and named chancellor in 1995.  He retired from Robert Morris in 1996. His 46 years of service and contributions to the field of education were recognized with the Claude Pepper Award for Distinguished Service in 1988 and an honorary doctorate of law from Indiana Institute of Technology in 1993.

Richard married Caroline Gavin in 1948, and they had three children. In addition to running a business and raising a loving family, he was an accomplished pilot and yachtsman. He loved adventure and traveled to Labrador in his amphibious airplane on many occasions. He also traveled extensively in the Middle East and Far East. Richard moved to Fort Myers and Venice, Fla., after retiring, where he enjoyed cruising in his ocean trawler, the “Jus’ Trawlin.’” On his final voyage in his yacht he traveled up the inland waterway to Michigan. He was involved in many civic organizations, including Rotary for over 60 years, the Elks, the VFW and various chambers of commerce. He was a committed ASPCA volunteer and adopted three rescue dogs.

Richard moved back to Northampton in 2009 to be closer to his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his three children, Molly Pickett and her husband, Steve Tirrell, of Wellesley, Jack Pickett and his wife, Julie, of Morrisville, Vt., and Lucy Pickett of Florence; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren;  many nieces and nephews; and his beloved Jack Russell terrier, Angel. He is also survived by his former wives, Caroline Arnold, Janet Gustafson McKay and Beverly Hamilton. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society in Springfield or the VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson in Northhampton. A memorial service and reception will be held Sunday, April 29 at 11:30 a.m. at the Garden House at Look Park on Route 9 in Northampton. 

March 8, 2012

Assistant District Governor Osei David Andrews-Hutchinson was joined by members of the Village Leadership Academy to enlighten Rotary CFD members about their World Scholar's Program. 

March8, 2012

Rotary Club of Chicago Financial District President, Marilyn Sainsot, exhanges Club Banners with a visiting Rotarian from Canada. 

Dr. Bob Schenk

February 9, 2012

Posted 02/13/12 by Staff

WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE IN ACTION

 January 26 - 29, 2012

Posted 02/06/12 by Staff

Rotary Club of Chicago Financial District member John Schwandke, and his wife Darlene, recently attended the Oaxaca Rotary Project Fair 2012 in south-central Mexico.  Oaxaca is a two day drive from their winter residence near Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Penninsula. Schwandke, who has attended Rotary Project Fairs in Belize and Guatemala, was encouraged to attend Mexico's Project Fair by Rotary friends from District 6000 in Iowa where John had been a member prior to relocating to downtown Chicago in retirement. 

"My Rotary passion has been World Community Service ever since I was invited to join a contingent of Rotarians who spent a week visiting The Rotary Club of Xicotepec de Juarez in the coffee mountains of northern Puebla State. Representatives from many different Club's were included in the group and we all came home with project ideas that lacked only an international partner to partake in the Matching Grant proceedure. The first World Community Service Project that I personally worked on was at a children's orphanage in Nuevo Necaxa.  The sound of excited children running toward my car shouting JUANITO... JUANITO... still rings in my ear today.  And, I've been hooked ever since".

Schwandke says this trip was no different, in that Rotary Clubs (and the world alike) benefit when they build new friendships and work side-by-side in helping to improve the lives of those less fortunate. The feeling of camaraderie that you experience in the process is like no other. John and Darlene say that the friendships they forged in Oaxaca will last a lifetime. They can hardly wait to return and begin the work. 

The photos above are with Rotarians representing projects that Schwandke hopes Rotary CFD can partner with.

"My intent was to find one good humanitarian project that filled a need in one of the areas our membership has expressed interest in", He said.  Instead, he came back with two!

The photo on the left is the booth sponsored by the Rotary Club of Teziutlan, who wants our help on a sanitation and water project. The people of the Chignautla-Crutzitzin village contacted the Teziutlan Rotarians and asked for their help. They have no sewage system, defecate in open air, and are experiencing serious health issues and a poluted drinking water source. There is no government resource to help them. The men of the village will do the hand labor and a Rotarian, who is also a Civil Engineer, has already drawn the plans. A plus to the project is the positive affect it will have on the community's drinking water source.

The right-hand photo shows John and Darlene with members of the Rotary Club of Puebla Virreinal.  This is a new Club, having existed for only 18 months.  The members are young and energetic. Their proposed project includes creating a computer classroom for an impoverished school for orphans and transform it into one of the communities more progressive schools. Demonstrating the significance of the Rotary Foundation's Matching Grant program... an investment of $2,150 from Rotary CFD would result in the entire $12,950 needed to complete the project. 

As you already know, the Rotary Year runs July 1 through June 30.  For Matching Grants to be approved within the current Rotary Year, they must be submitted before the end of March to allow time for processing within the current year.  Matching Grants not submitted by March 31, will have to wait until after July 1st before they can be submitted. The clock is ticking... and we'll see what happens.

To learn more about Rotary World Community Service and other ways you can travel the world with Rotary, please contact Rotary Club of Chicago Fianancial District member John Schwandke. The opportunities are endless!

Members wishing to see additional photos and commentary should click "Photo Page List" in the left hand column.

Club Holiday Party

December 8, 2011

photos by Joel Carlsen

 Morgan O'Neil of WITS

Working In The Schools

November 10, 2011

posted 11/11/11 by Susan Peterson

On November 10, David Peterson introduced Morgan O'Neil, Program Operations Specialist for Working In The Schools.  WITS is a volunteer program to develop literacy and numeracy in the Chicago public elementary schools.  It currently operates in 27 different schools.  Morgan described programs that may be of interest to our club members. David and Susan Peterson currently volunteer on Saturdays at the Peabody Elementary School. For 20 years, WITS has helped children read with this simple equation - one adult, one child, one book at a time. 

Kelly Lynch

 of Provention Plus

November 3, 2011

posted 11/7/11 by Susan Peterson

On November 3, Cliff Harstad introduced Kelly Lynch, a physical therapist who founded Provention Plus.  She gave a presentation entitled "Beyond Stress Management."  She also guided members through various exercises to help relieve the physical stress caused by hours spent working in front of a computer.