Shine...and spread Sunshine! Happy New Year.

Polio Warriors flagged off

It's been a proud moment today when two Rotaractors of our Rotaract Club of Chandigarh, were flagged off by Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo from Hans Raj Public School, Panchkula, where the District RYLA also culminated, for their 8000kms round-trip across the country to engage people in Rotary's fight against polio.
Rtr. Gaurav Gupta is final year engineering student of UIET, Panjab University pursuing BioTechnology and Rtr. Deepak Sharma is a first year BA student of DAV College, Chandigarh.
You can encourage them, guide them, and respond to their travelogue entries on our blog : http://poliowarriors3080.blogspot.com. 
You can check out their itinerary and the route map on the blog too. 
These 'Polio Warriors' left today for Delhi in the afternoon, and on the way were received warmly by the Rotarians of Derabassi. They have safely reached Delhi tonight.
Tomorrow morning they will be flagged off from Delhi and via Agra they would rest for the night at Kanpur on Day 2.

Let's spread light!

Make this Diwali
more bright, more joyful, more sfe
for the children of our world!

Let’s step up our fight to end Polio
and protect our children forever!

Fight Against Polio must continue!

What are we doing to eradicate polio? The biggest challenge before us is for each one of us to contribute to the Rotary Foundation to urgently complete the target of USD200 million that qualifies us to get Bill & Milinda Gates Foundation contribution. Luckily, Rotarians around the world have raised USD140 million. Yet, there is much more to be achieved.
Our District 3080 launched a fund-raising campaign "Children for Children", where school children in schools around the District are reaching out to the community to raise funds. More details can be had from DG Madhukar Malhotra or me.
We have been going around the schools and sensitising them about what Rotary is doing. Surprisingly, not very many know about Rotary's role. It's time each one of us reach out, share the facts about Rotary's contribution to this entire global campaign to eradicate polio from the face of this earth.
Here's a video produced by Rotary International and released last year on World Polio Day, i.e. 24th October 2009. It is interesting...informative...and possibly you might meet the Rotarians you know. How many did you spot? Check out.

Thank you for your support

Must watch this video...and get the message! 



Thank you for donating blood...and saving a life!

Heartiest Congratulations to Rtn. Neena Singh

Our heartiest congratulations to Rtn. Neena Singh who has been honoured with a commendation from the Chandigarh Administration for her work with the children in the slums, and her contribution in motivating them to study and change their lives. A massive effort. But it matters to all those who have been able to get into the classrooms, who spell hope for the future of our country.

Rotary Friendship Day

Every year we showcase Rotary to some of our friends and business asssociates, who, we think, are also the prospective Rotarians.
This Monday, we shall have a very special programme. Every member is requested to bring at least one friend/acquaintance along with his/her spouse to the Rotary meeting.
This is going to be a very special evening. Babbi Harbhajan Singh is bringing some choicest traditional cuisines from her home to celebrate the advent of 'Saawan'.
Please come with your spouse.

Medical Mission to Mandala on Rotary International website

Lest you forget the extraordinary success that the Rotarian doctors achieved in the tribal district of Mandala in Madhya Pradesh. Rotary International's website features this story now. Makes you feel proud of Rotary. Just click here.

Make Rotary "Bigger, Better, Bolder"

As the 2010 RI Convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada, drew to a close on 23 June, RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith outlined his plans for his term, which begins 1 July.



Klinginsmith asked Rotarians to apply "cowboy logic" and make Rotary clubs "bigger, better, and bolder."

The fundamental principles of cowboy logic are taking pride in your work, talking less and saying more, doing what has to be done, and remembering that some things just aren’t for sale, he explained during the closing plenary session.

"I believe the way for Rotary to remain viable and vibrant in the next century is to help our clubs to be bigger, better, and bolder," Klinginsmith said. "The clubs are the life and breath of Rotary. Therefore, it is clear to me that my job is to help the district governors to help the clubs. We can do it, and we will do it, if all of us follow the simple solution of cowboy logic."

Follow the Flying Geese Paradigm

One common refrain is that the past presidents do not contribute, do not participate in projects, and are always critical. The past presidents, on the other hand, complain that they are not involved and nobody 'invites' us, and at times, they very vehemently suggest that the club should list out "our role as past presidents". Read on

Get to know Rotary!

Here's a link to slide show on the net for the new members. They will get brief information about Rotary, though there is a whole lot of exciting motivational and informative videos on You Tube too. Guide your members to these links.

RI Theme 2010-11 speech of Ray Klinginsmith

Read the full text of the speech by incoming Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith. Click here

Felicitation Function in honour of RI President 2011-12 Kalyan Banerjee

 
Our District 3080 is hosting a function to welcome and felicitate Rtn. Kalyan Banerjee and his gracious wife Binota, on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at Ambala Cantt. All are requested to join this function in large number.
The programme is in the afternoon with registration and high tea between 3-4pm. The registration fee is just Rs.200 per person, and the same can be deposited with me at the earliest.
Programme is expected to be over by 7pm.
Please register now.

Rotary Medical Mission goes to Madhya Pradesh

Rotary Medical Mission led by DG Chetan Aggarwal with PDG Subhash Garg as the Mission Director, left for tribal district of Mandla in Madhya Pradesh yesterday. The mission has a large team of doctors on board and volunteers including past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, Usha Saboo, PDG Dhian Chand, Rotary Club Chandigarh President Rtn G.S. Lakhmna, Rtn Hatinder Khattar, Mrs Neelam Aggarwal, Mrs Brij Parmar, Mrs Praveen Garg and Mrs. Neelam Khattar.
The team of doctors from District 3080 comprises of 23 doctors (plastic surgeons, anesthetists, orthopedics, ENT specialists, dental surgeons, gynaecologists, opthalmologists, and general surgeons, along with 3 medical assistants with load of medicines and equipment.
From our Club, Rtn Dr. P.S. Chari, the receipient of Rotary's Service Above Self Award, is also accompanying the Mission along with ENT specialist Rtn. Dr. Raman Abrol.
Another team of doctors from District 3260 would be joining the medical mission in Mandla.
PDG Vivek Tankha of District 3260 is the livewire of the project who selected the area in consultation with the government of Madhya Pradesh which also is supporting this mission.
The mission has also been sponsored by Districts 6200 and 7490 of USA.
Rotary Medical Mission to district 3260 from district 3080, is in continuation of the Intercontinental Medicare Mission initiated by Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, to involve Rotarian doctors and volunteers to serve beyond borders. There had been several missions that have served in various countries abroad as well as in India.

Happy Rotary Day

Heartiest congratulations on Rotary's 105th Anniversary. How're you going to share it? Let's come up with new project ideas and share with each other thru this blog.
It is also the Centenary of the Rotary International leadership, since it was in 2010 that Paul Harris became the first President of Rotary International.

Conference Registration

All members are requested to register for the District Conference, as well as for the special District Felicitation function in honor of Rtn PRID Nominees YP Das on 6th February. Kindly treat it as urgent.
The early-bird registration fee for District Conference @ Rs.1200 (single) and Rs.2300 (couple) closes on 31st January.

Join in the Evening of Celebration

District 3080 invites you to an evening of celebrations to felicitate Rotary International Directors Nominee Yash Pal Das and Shekhar Mehta.

The function is being hosted by Rotary Club of Chandigarh Midtown in the auditorium of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER), Sector 67, Mohali, on Saturday, Februaryn 6, 2010 at 3:45pm onwards.

Registration Fee is Rs.300 for single and Rs.500 for the couple.

Please join with your spouse and confirm your participation by sending an email now to Registration Chair Rtn PP Inderjit Sengupta, in.seng@gmail.com

Another light has gone!

Dr S.K. Duggal is no more. Born on 6th May 1937, Dr. Duggal was a highly respected individual who was most humble, generous, and a committed Rotarian. He joined Rotary in 1969 and served the Club with aplomb on various assignments. Though I had known him for the last two decades on professional basis, and had the opportunity to work with him when he was the President of Chandigarh Management Association, I found him a thorough professional, transparent and honest in his dealings, and would call a spade-a-spade whenever he felt so, besides demonstrating effective time management in all his meetings. Whether it was CMA, the Executives Club, and later as President of our Club, he would announce the time of starting and closing the meeting, and would strictly follow the timing, whether anyone was present or not.
He had been a great support when I had the opportunity to work with him in 2005-06. As Club Secretary, he would stick to the schedules and make sure that all correspondence and records are managed well. It was a great learning experience for me.

And yesterday at the Chandigarh Management Association's Foundation Day function, everyone was asking about him, and as is his habit to be meticulous and punctual, at 7pm he asked Mrs. Duggal to inform the CMA that he would not be able to come due to ill health.

Little did we know that he would just quietly move away from this mundane world to his Heavenly Abode.

Our heartfelt condolences to him and pray to Almighty to give strength to his family to bear this unbearable loss.

Register for Rotary Confluence 2010

The Rotary year's major annual event, District Conference is scheduled for February 20-21 at Panjab University's Law Auditorium. The two-days event shall feature some of the best non-Rotarian speakers with special programme for the ladies, and evening cultural at the Rock Garden over gala dinner.
Avail the Early Bird Registration of Rs.1200 single, and Rs.2300 couple. Sign up immediately to avail this offer.
A must for every Rotarian family.

Polio remains top priority with Ray Klinginsmith

District governors-elect got their first glimpse of the 2010-11 presidential emphases during the second plenary session of the 2010 International Assembly.

Polio eradication and outreach to youth and young adults top RI President-elect Ray Klinginsmith's "to-do" list. Also featured are the Future Vision Plan's six areas of focus:

* Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
* Disease prevention and treatment
* Water and sanitation
* Maternal and child health
* Basic education and literacy
* Economic and community development

Register for District Conference

The exciting annual event for every Rotarian, Rotary District Conference of our District 3080, is round the corner now.
Having been shifted to Chandigarh from Haridwar, the preparations are at full swing under the leadership of our DG Chetan Aggarwal with the help of the host club of Rotary Chandigarh Central.
It is time that we keep ourselves updated with the newer developments in Rotary, meet with the Rotary International President's Representative PRID Sushil Gupta, and get touched with the inspirational addresses some of the celebrity speakers which are featured in this conference.
On 19th February we have the pre-Conference Dinner with a musical performance and the registration charges for the same is just Rs.250 per person. Please inform your participation to the Conference Secretariat immediately so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
The Registration for the Conference has been extended upto 31st January at Rs.1200 (single) and Rs.2300 (couple). Please avail this early-bird opportunity and register. The new members with their spouses must attend this event in order to have an overview of the Rotary's work.

Upto 31st January Single Rs 1,200- Couple Rs 2,300-
Upto 14th February Single Rs 1,400- Couple Rs 2,600-
Spot February Single Rs 1,500- Couple Rs 2,700- (Without Kit)

Special programme is being chalked out for the ladies attending the Conference.

The registrations may be sent by cheques /drafts drawn in favour of "Rotary District Conference 2010" along with names of delegates, club & classification details may be sent to following address:
PP Rtn RD Singh
RC Chandigarh Central,
C/O New Public School
Sector 18-B
Chandigarh-160 018
Tel 098146 48480 Fax 0172- 4628480
e-mail riar@npschd.com

You can also transfer the registration fee through Central Bank of India, for which the details are given below.

CBIN 0280412 for
Central Bank of India,
Sector 18-C,
Chandigarh
Account -Rotary District Conference 2010 S.B. A/c No 4058

Rotary Themes

Yesterday, our incoming District leader, DGE Madhukar Malhotra and Neeru left for the International Assembly for their training. Two most essential aspects of this event is that there is a lot of hard work and reading that the DGE need to know, and, very importantly, will receive the new RI theme for the next year from the incoming Rotary International leader, Ray Klinginsmith.

The tradition of crafting a theme is credited to 1949-50 RI President Percy C. Hodgson, who outlined a list of four objectives for his term in office. Among them were the better application of the principles of vocational service and dedication to world understanding and peace through international service programs.

Though Hodgson's 83-word proclamation ran substantially longer than today's shorter, punchier themes, Rotarians' desire to celebrate and support their president's annual program of service has remained the same. Other early themes include Rotary Is Hope in Action (Joaquin Serratosa Cibils, 1953-54), Kindle the Spark Within (Nitish C. Laharry, 1962-63), and Good Will Begins with You (Ernst G. Breitholtz, 1971-72).

In the decades that followed, RI presidents introduced theme logos, lapel pins, ties, and scarves. Theme ties were introduced in the 1990s, and are now given out yearly. Many have incorporated the theme for the year. The first scarves showing the RI theme were designed by 1998-99 RI President James L. Lacy and his wife, Claudine, Follow Your Rotary Dream.

A list of past presidents and RI themes can be found in the Official Directory and the District Directory. CJ

Our Club Honors H.K. Dua

This was a very special evening this Monday, as our Club felicitated Mr. H.K. Dua, Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune group on his elevation as nominated member of Rajya Sabha. He was accompanied with his wife Ms Adity Dua.
Mr. H.K. Dua, who is also an Honorary Rotarian with our club since 2004 is a highly respected journalist in the country today, whose knack for calling a spade a spade with forthrightness and courage, have endeared everyone, especially the readers of 'The Tribune'.
Introducing Mr Dua, Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, remarked that Mr Dua holds a special place in the heart of the readers of 'The Tribune', and more so his "right to write the right" has shown the high ethical standards he had been following as a journalist.
Rtn. Subhash Marriya, Vice President of our Club, who presided over the Monday meeting of the Club (Rtn. Pres. G.S. Lakhmna having been hospitalised), remarked that with Mr Dua's elevation to Rajya Sabha, would make him the "voice of the country".
Mr. Dua lamented the miscarriage of justice and administration that impacts the lives of the people, and the pitiable condition of over 30 crore Indians, who even after the country's freedom, continue to reel under abject poverty, illiteracy, hunger, and disease. And the next generation of this population having been deprived of proper education and employment is left with no choice except to be an easy prey to the communal and criminal forces who recruit them for their wily designs. Their anger, he said, is manifesting itself today in the communal and separatist activities in the country, wasting a vast pool of human energy in senseless violence and arson.
As a journalist, the responsibility of the media is to educate and inform the people, and meet the expectations of the large populace, truthfully and honestly, which is the responsibility of a legislator too, he remarked.
We shall be failing our readers, the society, and the country, if we do not perform our duty as representatives of the people, he affirmed.
What would you do when the Parliament is not in session, is the question he has been asked most often, to which Mr Dua responded very aptly, that considering the extent of the problems that beset our country today, there is no dearth of work which a Parliamentarian need to and can do.
We wish Mr Dua best of luck as he proceeds to take up this new challenge which would stand in good stead of the country.

Bon Voyage to Madhukar and Neeru

A grand Bon Voyage function was hosted by Rotary Club of SAS Nagar at the Diplast Farms at Dappar, on Sunday 3rd January. Despite the heavy fog and chilly weather, over 500 Rotarians from various parts of the District travelled to give their best wishes to DGE Madhukar Malhotra and Ann Neeru. Almost every past RI Officer was present at the function, which was conducted by PDG JPS Sibia. Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo and Usha Saboo, Rotary International Director Elect Yash Das and Manju were there on the dais.
A large contingent of over 60 Rotarians and their spouses from our Club joined at the function, who moved in a cavalcade from the Rotary House with Past Rotary International President R.K. Saboo in the lead followed by DGE Madhukar and Neeru in the car of PDG Kawal Bedi.
Despite the weather, everyone enjoyed the memorable moment and thanks to PP Ashok Gupta of Diplast who had made elaborate arrangements to host this event.
DG Chetan Aggarwal complimented Rotary Club of Chandigarh for providing an excellent leader in Madhukar and congratulated the couple and wished bon voyage to them. Please go to the temple of learning for more knowledge and enter the school as new entrant and with open mind to learn more about Rotary, he advised.
Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo spoke about the tradition of setting selfdiscipline and yet continuing with our bonding of friendship with each other. He also warned that future leadership shall be facing the weather like foggy, cold, chilly, windy and should be prepared for that. IT is going to be a platform for those who would take up the responsibilities, and ssaid that the Board of Directors of RI are considering the possibility of stripping the Rotarian of DG or PDG designation if he/she is found wanting in their performance. We are fortunate that in such camaraderie despite this weather would not deviate us from the warmth that we have for our incoming leader. He wished Madhukar Malhotra for being soft, palpable in order to be mounded with the Rotary knowledge and information that he would gain from his experience at Rotary Institute.
DGN Manpreet Gandhok, complimented the couple DGE Madhukar Malhotra and Neeru Malhotra, said that he felt proud of having this unique tradition of giving a send off to the incoming district governor through this bon voyage function which was highly appreciated at the Rotary Institute at Cochin.
RI Director Elect Yash Das said that the bon voyage is a unique tradition of our district, which gives the opportunity to every leader and every Rotarian to come together and showing solidarity with the incoming district governor. The second reason, he said, this acts as a morale booster for the incoming leadership to be ready for the exciting and memorable experience at the Rotary Institute, which would be a life-time experience.