Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Make Every Monday Matter

An excellent suggestion has come from our member Rtn. Neena Singh, and I am reproducing the same here. 

There are innumerable ways in which one can contribute to making the world we live in better and these ways are not rocket science but lie in the simplest of things viz.donating old books,picking up some litter,using eco-friendly bags,re-using paper envelopes, planting a sapling,starting a car pool,the list can go on and on...

Let every Rotarian suggest ideas to make our world more clean,more green and more environment friendly! We will use these ideas to make every Monday matter and commit to practice it ourselves and motivate others in our circle/community also to join in this mission.Let us make a difference.

In the words of Dr.Martin Luther King (Jr) -
"Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame but greatness. Because greatness is determined by service."

Let us as Rotarians strive to make every day better starting Monday which is our Meeting Day.My idea :

If each one of us decides to shun the use of plastic bags and instead use eco-friendly re-usable canvas shopping bags - imagine the difference it would make.
US Statistics say that 7 billion paper bags and 400 billion plastic bags are used every year.90% of all grocery bags are plastic.Do you know the average length of time an average high density plastic bag will exist on earth- 1000 years! An average family accumulates appx 60 plastic bags every 4 trips to the grocery/veggie store.When San Francisco banned the use of plastic bags it eliminated 100 million plastic bags/year!

ACT TODAY
1.Buy several canvas bags.
2.Keep spare bags in your car.
3.Use these bags for grocery and vegetable/fruit shopping.

YOU MATTER
- You would accumulate 1000 fewer bags this year if you and your family start the action.
- Paper and plastic bags are an environmental hazard-they biodegrade slowly or not at all.
-They deplete energy and natural resources,endanger wildlife,and poison the soil.
MAKE A SHIFT TODAY-FROM PAPER AND PLASTIC TO CANVAS.
We could help in making Chandigarh the first PLASTIC FREE city in India .

Yes, each one has to make Monday matter...every day of the week. Let's start with our Monday fellowship fruitful and meaningful, and taking up the cue from Neena Singh, we would like to utilise our fellowship time to come up with new ideas.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Diwali Greetings

As we send our best wishes to our readers on Diwali, which is just round the corner, the Rotary Club of Chandigarh along with their partners Rotaract Club and the Inner Wheel Club are celebrating this occasion with the senior citizens. This is an annual event where senior citizens are invited and the young Rotaractors organise various games with them, while Rotarians take care of their comfort, culminating with fireworks, and a sumptuous hi-tea served by the Inner Wheel members.
20th October is the day when we shall be having this Diwali celebrations from 4pm onwards at the Rotary House.

Vision restored

Vision of another three people was restored last week taking the total number of surgeries successfully done under the Gift of Sight project to 11. The recent surgeries include 10 year old Narender Kumar, who damaged and detached his retina when a syringe needle pierced his eye while playing with his siblings. His father, a rickshaw puller, with four children was hard pressed to take care of the surgery expense.

Amit Kumar, (13) got hurt in the left eye while playing. He had been
operated twice at PGI but needed another surgery. Patient’s father is the only
earning hand in the family of 5. The boy will be able to retain
functional vision after surgery in the left eye.

A 70-year old destitute, Amar Singh, was also operated to restore his failing vision.

Our thanks to Dr. Amod Gupta, and Dr. Vaishali Gupta, whose deft hands work so dexterously and care to bring hope to the sightless. And our fellow Rotarians at Coral Gables in USA feel elated that the fruit of their efforts is helping people across the continents, to see again.