Rotary’s Intellectual Property team wins award

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RI’s Intellectual Property team with the Trademark Review Industry Award. From left: Melinda Torres; general counsel assistant; Jomarie Fredericks, deputy general counsel; Beth Wollar, IP paralegal; Steven Routburg, general counsel; Angela Baluk, assistant general counsel; and Chris Cardenas, licensing specialist.

By Jomarie Fredericks, deputy general counsel, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Rotary International 

We’re very excited to let you know that RI’s Intellectual Property team won the World Trademark Review Industry Awards for Best Nonprofit Team 2018, beating out the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, the American Red Cross, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH and the Scotch Whisky Association. Please share in this recognition with us because the trademark protection effort extends to each and every one of the members!

Did you know that the name “Rotary” and the Rotary Wheel are registered trademarks? That’s right. The “Rotary Marks” are owned by Rotary International and used by the clubs and districts under guidelines set forth by the RI Board. Trademark ownership is a property right – sort of like owning a house or a car!  Continue reading →

MusiCamp breaks down barriers one student at a time

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By Sharon Bay, a member of the Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club of San Diego, California, USA

I had only been a Rotarian for a year, and was eager for another opportunity to serve, when I was asked by the committee chair of District 5340’s MusiCamp Youth Exchange if I would be interested in hosting two talented musical students for three weeks that summer. My husband and I had hosted an exchange student from Bolivia several years prior and had enjoyed the experience. This would only be for three weeks, and we felt we knew what to expect, so we enthusiastically said yes. Continue reading →

Retreating to advance peace

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Participants in the Peace Fellows Retreat represented nine nationalities who had worked in more than 100 countries.

By Mayer Ngomesia, 2006-07 Rotary Peace Fellow, Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA

After a two-hour drive from the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu along a winding road, 10 Rotary Peace Fellows and I from around the world gathered in the village of Nagarkot, nestled in the Kathmandu Valley at the foothills of the Himalayas for the third Rotary Peace Fellow Leadership Retreat. It was a rare opportunity to step back and reflect on the difficult realities and high-stress environment of our peace work, and to ponder, why the work we do matters. Continue reading →

A tribute to a tireless polio eradication volunteer

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Video from the memorial service for Jack Blane

By David Waring, Past President, Breakfast Rotary Club of Barrington, Illinois, and Past Governor of Rotary District 6440

When polio is finally eradicated from the planet and we look back on Rotary’s role in making that happen, one of the first persons history is certain to smile upon will be Jack Blane. Sadly, Jack did not live to see the day that we all look forward to, but his remarkable contribution and tireless efforts live on as we bring this worthy battle to its conclusion.  Continue reading →

Crossing the border from Rotaract to Rotary

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Members of the Rotary Club of Sampaguita Grace Park and the Rotaract clubs of University of the East Caloocan and University of Caloocan City.

By I.J. Carido, a member of the Rotary Club of Smpaguita Grace Park, and the Rotaract Club of University of the East Caloocan, Philippines

During the summer when the weather is ever shifting, I joined members of the Rotary Club of Sampaguita Grace Park and the Rotaract clubs of University of the East Caloocan and University of Caloocan City to visit a majestic sight. The journey took us to Wawa Dam, a natural gem located two hours from the bustling streets and towering buildings of Makati and Manila. It was my first time to see a dam up-close and personal and as an aspiring engineer, the structure was a wonderful sight to me. However, what we were seeking lies far beyond the water reservoir.

Continue reading →

See you in Toronto

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The flag ceremony at the opening session.

The Rotary world is gathering in Toronto to celebrate our largest event of the year, the annual convention. It’s a time of great excitement as members share ideas, find inspiration, and reconnect with old and new friends. You can follow all of the action on our convention page, where we will be live blogging and tweeting from the general sessions, House of Friendship, workshops and more. Live coverage will include videos, interviews, daily news stories and our Convention Minute, a quick video recap of the previous day’s events and look ahead. You can also watch a livestream of the general sessions and select breakout sessions, and register for next year’s convention in Hamburg, Germany.

Doing good in Vietnam

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A young girl washes her hands in the new facilities.

By Shahul Hameed, Rotary Club of Singapore (District 3310)

For some of us, it might be hard to imagine life without clean water. We may have suffered the inconveniences of temporary water cuts due to breakdowns or repairs in the water network. And we may have felt frustration after working out at the fitness center if the shower was broken. But those are just minor inconveniences compared to what people in the Huong Nguyen commune live with. Until recently. Continue reading →

Effective stewardship makes Rotary service possible

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Steven Snyder

By Steven A. Snyder, Rotary Club of Auburn, California, USA, and Chair of the Rotary International Finance Committee

As my year of service on the Rotary International Finance Committee winds down, I find myself reflecting on how a critical part of Rotary service is effective financial planning. Simply put, effective stewardship of the contributions of our members is what helps Rotary execute its vision for a better world. Continue reading →

Becoming a Rotary alumni is just the beginning

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Members of the Rotaract Club of Birmingham attend The Rotary Club of Birmingham’s Annual Rotary Trail Party in May. From left: Erica Murphy, Mary Meadows Livingston, Jeris Gaston, Amanda Martin, and Uma Srivastava.

Jerris Gaston

By Jeris Burns Gaston

If you told me twelve years ago upon finishing my Rotary Ambassadorial Program year in Dublin, Ireland, that this was just the start of an adventure, I would have been hard pressed to believe you. The program itself was such a unique and enriching experience that improving on this worldview changing year seemed impossible. However, as I enter my thirteenth year as a member of the Rotary family, I now realize that being an alumnus is just the beginning. Continue reading →

My journey to Hiroshima: reflections on memory

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Rotary Peace Fellows from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan, visit the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.

By Lorena Rodriguez, 2017-19 Rotary Peace Fellow, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

Last March, I visited Hiroshima with other Rotary Peace Fellows from International Christian University, hearing stories from survivors of the atomic bomb. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Hiroshima, we also saw the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Hiroshima is full of stories told and illustrated in various ways: in the images, monuments, poems, and human and nonhuman survivors. All these stories made me reflect in different ways about my commitment to memory and peace. Continue reading →