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Rotary International Convention Blog - From DGE Frank & Judy Rothermel

Rotary International Convention Day Five

6780 Rotarians,

We started out the day at the Heart of America breakfast with Zones 30 & 31 (6780 is in Zone 30), which meant we were out the door of the Marriott at 6:30 A.M.  DGE Frank was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I have to admit that your First Lady (who sleeps like an absolute angel) was dragging.  I am going to try very, very hard not to mention this again.  We are, after all, on Day Five.  Need I say more??

All of that said---the Plenary today was a real inspiration.  Our keynote speaker was none other than Bill Gates Jr. himself.  As I expected, every seat in the hall was filled.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which could be backing any cause on the planet, has chosen to pair with Rotary and has made the eradication of polio their first priority----a priority backed with not only their considerable financial resources but also their voice and their creativity.  Their pledge of $355,000,000 required a match of $200,000,000 from the Rotary Foundation due by June, 2012.  Their trust in Rotary is evidenced by the fact that they put their money up with their faith that Rotary would meet the goal.  And we are, Fellow Rotarians, THIS CLOSE.  As of this date, we have raised $173,407,000.  There is no doubt that Rotarians world-wide will meet the monetary goal.  But the REAL goal is the eradication of polio on this planet.  The funds are merely a means to get us there!

We are 99% of the way to our eradication goal which is a monument to scientific achievement, persistence and humanity’s ability to come together to personify the model of Service Above Self.  We, every one of us, has the ability to keep this goal front and center.  We are capable of mobilizing others---Rotarians are credible advocates---especially for a cause that is needed, right, urgent and possible.

Polio—thanks to the effort of men like OUR VERY OWN BILL SERGEANT, recipient, this very day, of the first POLIO ERADICATION CHAMPION AWARD, is 99% of the way to eradication.  We are, truly, THIS CLOSE.  Why stop there?  Rotary is not an organization known to stop before reaching a goal.  We never have before and this certainly isn’t the time to start.

This is our last convention posting.   It is the start of the work.   Expect to hear from us (DGE Frank and your humble First Lady) regularly during our District Governor year.   You can expect for us to do everything in our power to serve every one of you to the best of our ability and represent your clubs, our district, our zone and Rotary International in ways that we hope will please you and empower every one of you. 

Yours,

Judy and Frank

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Day Four at The Rotary Internatonal Convention

6780 Rotarians,

International Convention New Orleans 2011 Day Four

The ever present Fleur de lys speaks volumes about the New Orleans spirit.   These folks have found a way to rise again.  Katrina set them back but not down.   We heard a panel of area Rotarians speak yesterday regarding the devastation of that storm and the renewal that followed----not only physically but mentally and spiritually.   The Fleur de lys is a stylized lily and is seen over and over throughout this city.  We all know the lily as a joyful symbol of beauty, joy and life.  New Orleans!!

It was inspiring to hear the perspective of a 29-year-old entrepreneur who feels strongly that Rotary is a good fit for Generation Y.  His book, New Rules of Engagement, is a must read for Rotary Clubs who seek to include much younger members.  It’s a group who are always on a tear---but they have a remarkable ability to roll up their sleeves and get things done.  The future of Rotary really is in all of our hands---young and old alike.  It is important that we find a way to help this upcoming generation find their own fit---so why not fit them into Rotary?

I wanted Frank to see the inside of St. Louis Cathedral so we walked back to Jackson Square only to find the doors locked.  Too late---but not too late to run over to Café du Monde for a couple of beignets and a cup of knock your socks off coffee.  A word to the wise----don’t try to eat a beignet in black clothing unless you’re carrying a garment brush!

We enjoyed dinner at a spectacular little Thai restaurant at 413 Carondelet St.  The Singha Thai Café will get you ready for Bangkok in 2012 in high fashion and leave you with money in your wallet.  Frank had the Three Flavor Shrimp and I had a Mango Shrimp Salad.  They offer the traditional eggroll in rice paper wrap (steamed, not fried) and perfectly chilled wine.  Delightful! 

To bed and ready for Day Five which will be our final posting.  Bill Gates Jr. speaks at the Plenary tomorrow.   I am sure the hall will be filled to the very back seats.

Judy & Frank

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Rotary International Convention Day Three

6780 Rotarians,

With 1.1 million square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the Morial Convention Center is the sixth largest convention facility in the country.   You step in what would pass for a side door and it is possible to walk for a few city blocks before exiting on the other end.   Rotary is filling the middle of the center with close to 20,000 attendees, but the Morial is also hosting the American Society of Microbiologists and a giant tradeshow featuring jewelry and general merchandise.  I engaged a few of the young microbiologists in a little conversation at lunch yesterday.  I told them how surprised we all were at their sheer numbers.  The average age of all of those microbiologists looks to be about thirty.   A person doesn’t  really think about microbiologists that much until a few thousand of them are jockeying for position with you in a lunch line.

“Oh,” they said.   “We know what you mean.  Every year we meet and every year there are more of us.  We have no idea where all of these microbiologists are coming from!”

“Same thing with Rotarians,” I told them.  “But we have to WORK on keeping our numbers up.  Perhaps you’ve just been too concerned with minutiae and need to look at the bigger picture.  Think “BIOLOGY” and forget “MICROBIOLOGY” and things might get a little clearer for you.”

They all laughed.  I think I may have won a few young microbiologists over to the Rotarian side!! 

That said----the RI Convention kicked off yesterday with an inspiring Interfaith Service led by our own Karen Wentz.  There were readings by representatives of five major faiths.  There really isn’t that much that separates any of us as the hope and belief of all Rotarians is that peace is possible. 

The Opening Plenary gave us a rousing welcome from President Ray Klinginsmith.  His theme of “Building Communities—Bridging Continents” was brought home by the South Central Youth Exchange.  It was an inspiration to watch this group of teenagers from all over the world who had bonded well during their Rotary experience.  This is where a “Bigger, Bolder and Better” future in Rotary lies.  You could see the change that Rotary had made in over two hundred young lives by looking into their eyes.

Change the children----change the world!!

There is no bigger picture than Rotary.  Surrounding yourself with 20,000 Rotarians from all corners of the planet brings that fact home in a beautiful way!!!  How easy it is to “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity” when  joined by so many who are reaching into the same beating heart!

Judy & Frank

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Rotary International Convention 2011 Day Two

6780 Rotarians,

Frank arrived back at the Marriott yesterday afternoon looking like he’d drowned in the waters of the World Summit.   It is beastly hot on the streets of New Orleans and the humidity is stifling.  Still, he was his usual upbeat self, reporting that they are making excellent progress toward the U.N.  Millennium Goal.  If half the people who currently have no access to clean water do by the year 2015 they will have succeeded.  There have been a lot of technological advances in the area of clean water and sanitation but there is still a lot of work to be done.   He is, even as we speak, at the annual meeting of WASRAG, which is the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group.  I can’t say enough about a Rotarian’s commitment to a goal.

We started the day with a brisk walk to better connect with the city of New Orleans.   We found ourselves at Lee Circle where we jumped on a streetcar and took an hour ride down St. Charles Ave. and saw the absolutely beautiful antebellum homes that are the pride of New Orleans.   Last night I dragged Frank back down to the French Quarter where we ate dinner in a terrific little Cuban restaurant.   The shop and restaurant owners are thrilled to have all of us in town.   A perfectly delicious home-cooked dinner and two glasses of Sangria set us back about $30.  The night before we found a little hole in the wall named “Butcher” in the Warehouse District.  Frank had his first “Boudin” of the trip and I dined on roasted Brussels sprouts and a wax bean and cherry tomato salad.  Everything was fresh, delightful and, again---even with a glass of wine apiece---right in the neighborhood of $30.  However, tomorrow night we are slated to eat dinner with the Knoxville contingent at Antoine’s.  I’m sure we’ll make up for any “dinner dollars” we haven’t yet spent!! 

We’ve used this day to check off the laundry list of people Frank needed to meet with and most of those contacts have been made.   We toured the House of Friendship early this afternoon and were happy to run into so many friends from all over the world.   Our time as DG Designate, Nominee and Elect have placed us in the happy circumstance of forming friendships and alliances with so many interesting people of like minds. 

Rest assured that we wouldn’t trade all that has gone into preparing for our District Governor year for anything.   We are working hard to represent every single one of you to the best of our ability.

Judy & Frank

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Rotary International Convention 2011 Day One

Dear Friends,