Rotaract Club of Philadelphia

Rotary District Conference - Cara Cugley

2011-11-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

This year’s Rotary District Conference was held in West Chester on November 11th and 12th. Unfortunately, none of us were able to go on Friday, but Isaac and I were both able to be there on Saturday. On Saturday, Isaac and I met up and headed into the city where we met up with Jeb, a member of our sponsor Rotary Club of Philadelphia who was gracious enough to offer to drive us to and from the conference.

Once we arrived at the conference, we were welcomed by Anna and a few of my old Rotary acquaintances from when I was in Interact. After breakfast, we went into the hall where we were woken up by the African rhythms of Griot Wa Umoja that had us up on our feet dancing to
the music. Bonnie Korengel, our District Governor, gave the welcome speech that laid out our schedule for the day.

The first speaker of the day was Lynn McConville, who was standing in for Kathryn Hall, founder of Power Up Gambia. Kathryn was a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania working towards a Pre-Med track when she went help out in Gambia. While working over in Gambia at a hospital, Kathryn was shocked at the lack of electricity available to run the lights and machines in the hospital. When Kathryn asked the head of the hospital how she could continue to help once back home, he told her about his idea of getting solar power panels installed at the hospital. Unfortunately, he lacked the fudns to make this dream a reality. So when Kathryn came back from Gambia, she had a mission of raising $300,000 in order to make that hospital’s dream of solar power into a reality. Between her efforts and Rotary’s contributions, the money was raised and Kathryn traveled back to Gambia to see the panels installed. This project had a chain-reaction. Power Up Gambia is now raising money to install solar power panels into its third hospital in Gambia. This project is just one example of how the dream of one can become the mission of many.

After enjoying the rhythms of the talented young Irish Step Dancers, we heard the riveting story behind the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation from Alex’s father, Jay Scott. He told us all about Alex’s struggle with childhood cancer and her ambitious goals of raising money for childhood cancer through a lemonade stand. We also heard from 8-year-old Althea Hutchinson, a top fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand with her own story of her battle against childhood cancer. After hearing these inspirational stories, a basket went around collecting money for the foundation and, along with money from auctioned off Eagles tickets and money raised by local Interact clubs, the Rotary donated over two thousand dollars to the foundation.

In our first Breakout Session, we attended the New Generations of Rotarians session run by Anna. During this session, Rotarians got to learn more about the structure and projects of our
District EarlyAct, Interact, and Rotaract clubs. Many Rotarians asked questions regarding how to either start their own new generation clubs in their areas or how to get involved with their local clubs. The interest in these clubs was refreshing. It was nice to hear how much the Rotarians value our work and are how interested they are in investing in and shaping the future generations to take over.

During lunch, Isaac and I got to eat incredible food while talking to and getting to know local Rotarians. After lunch, the Parade of Flags took place where we were introduced to all the District’s International Exchange Students. Next, we got to hear from Karen Rogers, a popular local TV personality who previously received the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She recounted her personal journey and how Rotary became a part of it. She thanked the Rotary for their faith in her and for the amazing experience she received as a Rotary Scholar in Wales. Following Karen’s speech, Lt. D.F. Pace shared his experience with the Rotary in Thailand where he studied violence prevention, meditation, and compromise building for 3 months. As a District
Peace Fellowship Winner, he now uses his new knowledge in his everyday experiences and conflicts as a police officer here in Philadelphia.

The last speech of the day was given by Rotary International President’s Representative Ann Lee Hussey about Polio Eradication. She shared her personal struggle with polio as a polio survivor, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Rotary to eradicate polio around the world. Rotary’s continued efforts and overwhelming success is inspiring and instills motivation in all of us to continue their efforts here through Purple Pinkie projects. Following Ann Lee’s speech, we went to the final Breakout Sessions. Isaac and I attended the District Rotaract Meeting. During this meeting, each Rotaract Club that was present went around and described all the projects they’ve been working on this year and their future project plans. It was a nice chance to meet fellow Rotaractors and share ideas.

Overall, the day was an incredible experience. It was nice to catch up with my old Rotary acquaintances and to meet new Rotarians. It was also really interesting to share project ideas and experiences that Rotary clubs and new generation clubs (EarlyAct, Interact, and Rotaract) have been working on and plan to work on. I recommend that everyone who has the chance goes next year! It’s a great experience that you’ll never forget and that will inspire you to be more involved with all the Rotary’s incredible projects and partnered foundations.

A Rotaract Halloween at the Guang Ai Orphanage by Emily Hsiao

2011-11-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about being a part of the Rotary family is the international community of which you’re automatically a part. From being an Interactor in high school, I’ve been able to visit Rotary Clubs and Rotaracts in Ann Arbor, Tokyo, Shanghai, Philly, and now, Beijing. My friends in Rotaract have had similar experiences in Italy, Germany, England, etc. All you have to do is go to the Rotary website and call the club up–and you can volunteer, make friends, and network. How awesome is that?

In Tokyo, I was able to go to a Rotary Club party during the summer of 2009 and went to a District Rotaract potluck this past summer. I also met up again with a Rotarian with whom I’d connected during that 2009 summer and we exchanged ideas for fundraising and gathering members.

In Shanghai, I was especially grateful for Rotaract because I lived there alone without many contacts. I started going to their meetings during the summer of 2010 and went again every Monday the next winter. Because I was there for a longer period of time, I was able to participate in their events and volunteer. A highlight of the winter was definitely our Rotaract Shanghai Photo Exhibition at the Italian Consulate. We put together this amateur exhibition as a fundraiser for wheelchairs for the Anhui province in conjunction with the Huaqiao Foundation. It was a silent auction and we had wine and cheese as well as a booth selling postcards with the photos. They just had a Boat party last month and met their goal of 35000 RMB for the wheelchairs! Huaqiao will double this and they will be distributing the 140 wheelchairs soon.

It was no surprise that when I came to Beijing, I also joined Rotaract here. Unfortunately, their meetings are quite far from my place, so I’m not able to go to their meetings every week. But I was able to participate in one of their events last week: Halloween at the Guang Ai Orphanage!

It was an adventure trying to find the place. Having gone to interview at a career fair that morning, I was already in a cram to get there on time. My friend DH from CIEE volunteered to come along. We took the subway (3 transfers) for about 2 hours. From there, we met up with Clare (Penn) and two other volunteers she had met at the station. They had gone to buy 100 apples for the event. Ben, one of the volunteers, joked around with the local Chinese passerby, trying to sell the apples (haggling, of course) as we waited for the bus. When the bus finally came, we hopped on. But when the conductor (I don’t know what you call them for buses…she actually gives you tickets…) asked us where we were going, we realized we had no idea. So Ben tried to say “Guang Ai Orphanage” in as many different combinations of Chinese tones as we could think of (we didn’t have the Chinese characters, only the phonetic spelling). The conductor still didn’t know, so we called the coordinator and asked her where to get off.

When we got off the bus, the orphanage was nowhere to be seen. We were in the middle of a polluted myriad of construction work. We walked to a nearby building and asked the guard how we might be able to get to the orphanage. No one had any idea what we were talking about. Finally, there was a lady who told us we needed to take a cab. We walked to an intersection and tried to hail one, but the lady came running after us five minutes later. She had a 黑车, or illegal cab, get us to the orphanage.

When we got there, it was so much fun. All of the kids were in a small room passing around balloons, cutting out masks, and drawing jack-o-lanterns on the balloons. There must have been about 30 volunteers (and 30 kids!). We played games: mummy wrapping, apple bobbing, and “pass-the pumpkin”–one of those teamwork games where you have to pass a balloon down a line as quickly as you can with certain restrictions.

The kids (and we!) had a great time. They were all smiles at the end. The boys were especially into the mummy-wrapping and apple-bobbing; the girls had more fun planning strategies for the “pass-the-pumpkin” game. Some kids had more fun popping the balloons than blowing them up.

Halloween as a kid was always dressing up, putting a coat over my costume (the woes of Michigan Octobers), and going trick-or-treating. I loved the neighbors who went all out in decorating their house with spooky contraptions, ghouls, and witches. There was always that one house where the parents would go all out and scare you as you came in through the door before giving you candy. I loved it.

This Halloween wasn’t so bad, either.

Philly Cares Day - Cara Cugley

2011-11-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Philly Cares Day was a very fulfilling and enriching experience. Shamil and I met up with the awesome Rotaractors from Columbia who woke up at 4:50am to travel down here to Philly to give us a hand. God bless them for that! After a crazy adventure with Septa involving trains and shuttle buses, we finally met up with Anna and her boyfriend who were kind enough to pick us up at the train station and drive us the rest of the way to the school.

Once we got to the school, we met the principal of the school, along with all the other teacher, parent and student volunteers who came out to give a hand. The principal told us a little bit about the school. It is in the process of moving its current library into a new library in the basement and converting the old library into smart classrooms. Most of the Rotaractors and some teachers were designated to work in the library where we made boxes and proceeded to pack up the shelves of books into the boxes. Outside, the rest of the volunteers worked on fixing up the gardens by pulling weeds, planting flowers, and raking up leaves.

We also had plenty of time to talk with the various other volunteers and it was so nice to get to know them. The Columbia Rotaractors are fantastic and were so fun to hang out with all day! It was a great bonding experience. Overall, the entire day was a great experience and I recommend that everyone come out and volunteer for it next year!

Rotary Youth Exchange - By Haley Holmes, Membership

2011-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Last year I made one of the hardest decisions of my life by moving 1000 miles away from Florida to Philadelphia. Through my involvement with Rotary in Florida, I knew that joining Rotaract of Philadelphia would help my transition as I moved back this year.

Coincidentally, the first event that I attended with Rotaract brought me face to face with a group of people who knew exactly how it felt to be so far from home (although I must admit, they probably traveled slightly farther than I did). On Sunday, September 25^th I had the pleasure of meeting students who had come to America through Rotary’s Youth Exchange program all the way from Brazil, Italy, and Venezuela, just to name a few of the countries represented there.

The day started with us meeting at Reading Terminal, and walking to Independence Mall. Along the way I talked with a few of the exchange students, as well as some of their host brothers and sisters. Even though we had just met, we all got along extremely well. We talked about colleges and our respective countries and I encouraged the two students from Brazil to help me with my Portuguese. Once we got to Independence Mall we got a tour of all of the important rooms, and took a ton of pictures.

When we were done there we took the short walk to see the Liberty Bell, where some of the students began exchanging pins that had their names and countries on them (which are now hanging proudly on my bulletin board).

After more pictures, we began the walk to South Street. During this walk I discovered that one of the students who was visiting from Italy is now attending high school with one of my best friend’s brothers (it really IS a small world!) and started making plans to meet back up with a group of them.

During our free time on South Street we broke off into smaller groups, roaming in and out of the stores while telling each other stories, either about our own countries or about the things they had seen while visiting here.

All too soon the day had ended and it was time for me to head back to University City. But the day was something I won’t soon forget. I am so happy that I was able to be a part of their time here in America and I look forward to other events that will bring us together again.

Meeting October 17th- Club Assembly

2011-10-17T15:15:00.001-07:00

We have another GBM tonight at 8pm at the Chili's at 3801 Chestnut Street. Hope to see you there!

Also, Rotaract Philadelphia is happy to announce the official launch of our members mentorship program. In order to enter it and be paired with a successful Rotarian that most fits your profile and interests, we ask you to fill in the Google Doc below and provide us with your details and professional aspirations. After this process is completed, you will receive a personalized email providing you with contacts of your Rotarian mentor, and details of setting up your first meeting.

Please sign up on the Google Doc:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am898S7DbgbAdEd6eC1VVzZkVUxzRHpNSEVmb21BVGc#gid=0  If you have any questions in relation to the above, please email our Professional Development Director Yulia at ayulia@wharton.upenn.edu.

See you all tonight!

Rotaract Club of Philadelphia
RotaractPhilly@gmail.com
www.RotaractPhilly.org

Google Groups: Rotaract Philadelphia

St. Patrick's Day Social Service Abroad Two-Part Talk

2011-03-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

The Rotaract Club of Philadelphia is marking the end of our St. Patrick's Day fundraiser by hosting a two-part talk on the Rotaract Ambassadorial Scholarship and about social service in foreign countries on Thursday (3/17) from 5:45 to 7:15 at the Hub CityView, Sol Room.

Address: 30 South 17th Street, #1410, Philadelphia, PA

The Ambassadorial Scholarship, the Rotary's Foundation's best-known program, is one of the world's largest privately funded international scholarship programs. Comparable to the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarship, the Ambassadorial Scholarship awarded approximately US$16.2 million to send recipients from about 70 countries to study in more than 80 nations. Learn about this hidden jewel as you get insider insight on the application process and the experience from Former Ambassadorial Scholar, Katie Creme Henry.

Afterwards, stick around to hear about the incredible work social service organizations are doing around you and how you can participate. Anna Rohwer, US Program Manager at Stromme Foundation, an organization working to eradicate poverty worldwide, will come in to talk about her organization and the work that they have been doing in Asia, South America, and Africa. Don't miss this rare opportunity.

Go "like" our Facebook Page!

2011-02-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Want to stay connected to Rotaract Philly on Facebook? You can now go "like" us on our Facebook page at the following URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotaract-Club-of-Philadelphia/179026218804414.

Up to now, Rotaract Philly has been using a Facebook profile to keep you all informed about news and upcoming events. In order to maximize our exposure, however, we felt that a page would fit us best. If you are already connected to us through our profile, please be sure to "like" our new page, as we will be terminating the profile within the next two weeks.

Thank you for all your support! Through this transition, we look forward to keeping you involved as we continue in our mission of international service.

Sincerely,

Rotaract Club of Philadelphia

Rotaract Installation

2011-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Rotaract Speed Networking 2010

2010-12-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

Photos from the December 2nd Speed Networking Event:

Rotary Youth Exchange Tour of Philadelphia

2010-12-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 21st, the Rotaract Club of Philadelphia hosted the Rotary Youth Exchange Students of Philadelphia for a historic tour of the City of Brotherly Love.

From Love Park the Rotary group headed to Old City to tour Independence Hall and see the iconic symbol of American Independence, the liberty bell. The international group then walked two blocks away to visit the interactive Constitution Center.

The Rotaract members served as unofficial ambassadors of the city providing insight as they passed through Washington Square and Society Hill. The day wrapped up on South Street with an afternoon of shopping. Before heading back to the suburbs everyone tried a staple in Philadelphia cuisine, a cheesesteak.

A special thanks to Rob Newman, Rotary Youth Exchange Chair for supporting the Rotaract Club of Philadelphia’s effort to have a day of international exchange and fellowship.

Professional Development - Scott Grande

2009-06-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today on June 15th, Scott Grande visited our club. He is the current Assistant Vice President Branch Manager of Firstrust Bank here in Philadelphia.

Aside from getting a very detailed picture of Scott's professional development, he offered insight and tricks into our individual development such as how to approach switching career paths and naming common job interview mistakes.

Rotaract Receives Gundaker Grant

2009-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday night, Gundaker (District Rotary Committee) members voted yes on issuing RAC Philadelphia a $1000 grant towards our cause Adopt a Village.

Thank you to Nancy Magagna who helped Rotaract bring this cause to the Gundaker table.

Rotary Spring Gala

2009-06-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Rotary hosted an annual gala this past Friday, May 29th at the Montrose Mansion in Villanova University. The below Rotaractors attended and supported the Philadelphia Rotary that night:

Asako Yoshino
Makoto Kuwabara
Stephen Iskrant
Maya Fridman

The evening was filled with good conversation with friends and family also attending the gala. We enjoyed a silent auction filled with many items such as Arden Theater tickets, autographed books and wine baskets. Frank Hollick also auctioned off his services to the highest bidder where he would work one day as a personal assistant.

There was a pleasant presentation dedicated to the outgoing Rotary President, John Wynn, who opened each meeting with a quote from John Adams, Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin. The audience was always asked to identify who said it!

Winding down the evening, guests enjoyed desserts and coffee amidst their uninterrupted conversation as the night culminated…

Professional Development - Kirsty Halliday

2009-05-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we enjoyed the presentation by Rotarian Kirsty Halliday from our sponsoring Rotary Club of Philadelphia.

Kirsty spoke on her personal career developmental and her international background. She was born in Germany, moved to Scotland with her family and throughout her life also moved to England and to the US, where she's currently residing.

Kirsty emphasized the importance of networking and not being afraid to speak out even if you're a little shy. In the end, you will not be left wondering what could have happened. It's important to seize each and every opportunity because it's rarely presented more than once.

Lastly, in an international world, Kirsty pointed out that you need to be mindful and sensative to cultural interpretations - What you may say to someone may be misinterpretated due different cultural rules or customs.

Cherry Blossom Gala - April 23, 2009

2009-05-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Rotaract Club of Philadelphia hosted an annual benefit called the Cherry Blossom Gala on April 23, 2009. It was held at the Triumph Brewing Company in Old City, Philadelphia. This year we raised support for an international project called Adopt a Village (AAV)(www.toadoptavillage.org).

AAV is an international effort to raise a village out of poverty, which was started by a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Sebastopol, California. This US-based Rotary Club partners up with a Rotary Club in an impoverished region of the world, who then selects, surveys, and contacts a local indigenous village. The US-based Rotary Club promotes and collects funding for a specific village. In 2008, at the height of its publicity, the founder presented the project on “Rotary International at the UN Day.”

Our club is partially sponsoring a village in Uganda, Africa, called Mbazzi. It is made up of approximately 1200 people. AAV will use our donations along with others to improve on three main components of the village’s life: Education, health and hunger. Those are the pillars of Adopt of Village - AAV believes that one cannot be achieved without the other two elements.

To raise funds for this project, we organized the Cherry Blossom Gala where our guests enjoyed wine and beer at the bar and display-style hors d'oeuvres. We decorated in spring fashion with sunny flower arrangements on tables. With the cooperation of international and local artists, we hung up paintings and photographs, which guests could bid on in the silent auction or purchase for the full price.

Aside from the silent auction tables that were crowded with beautiful artwork, we also had donated items from local businesses that submitted theater tickets, sports tickets, spa baskets, wine arrangement and others.

Halfway through the evening, we generated additional revenue by auctioning a date with one eligible bachelorette and bachelor. Rotaract Club of Philadelphia gave complimentary Philadelphia Museum of Art tickets to the highest two bidders.

The club made over $1,300 in profit that would benefit Adopt a Village.

Social at National Mechanics

2009-04-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

On April 9th, fellow Rotaractors took it easy by meeting for happy hour at National Mechanics in Old City.

We celebrated the end of a good, hard-working week and toasted to fellow Rotaractor's grad school acceptance. Congratulations Thomas!

Everyone is very excited for the Cherry Blossom Gala next week.

March 23rd Professional Development

2009-03-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ms. Sandy Goldberg gave a speech on March 23rd for the Rotaract Professional Development Meeting. Sandy works in the physical therapy industry and operates a personal training and physical therapy business. In addition, she has a consulting business where she is an expert in her field and testifies in court for therapists being sued.

In her presentation, she talked about why she decided to run her business and how she has dealt with different obstacles. Also, she talked about physical therapy, which is her specialty, and how
she has worked for clients in Denmark, Britain, and the United States. In addition, she gave advice to the audience who was interested in starting a new business.

Rotaract Week

2009-03-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

As a part of the Rotaract Week requirements, Maya Fridman presented to the Rotary Club of Philadelphia, our sponsoring club, on March 12th.

Planning developments on our Cherry Blossom Gala were discussed and Rotarians were eager to see the details of this event. All information is stored on our website under "Cherry Blossom Gala" on the left-side navigation bar. URL: www.rotaractphilly.org.

In addition, Sandra Goldberg was revealed as the professional development speaker for March 23rd. Sandra will present on her Physical Therapy business and other information on running her own company.

Lastly, Rotaract has another opportunity to participate in a grand international project with the Mianyang Normal University. Thomas Dixon, heading up this effort, is in the process of writing on invitation letter to the University's Dean to invite him and several of his students to Philadelphia to talk about their hardship after experiencing the 2008 earthquake that killed 20,000 people in the province. Rotaract will partner with the Mianyang Normal University to raise awareness on this natural disaster and provide reference books to their school's library.

Art After 5 with Rotaract

2009-03-01T18:16:00.000-08:00

On February 27th, fellow Rotaractors attended the Art After 5 social & music event at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia Rotaract was joined by a member from the Main Line Rotaract club & a Philadelphia Rotarian.

In the main atrium, we sipped our drinks and enjoyed the music of Neil Leonard. He is 'known for his unique approach to composition and improvisation. His ensemble has featured Robin Eubanks and Uri Caine, among others, and his collaborative works with visual artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons were exhibited at the 49th Venice Biennial' (Philadelphia Museum of Art website).

All attendees received complimentary admission to the museum arranged by a fellow Rotaractor.

Guest Speaker Elizabeth Moser Discusses Heath Insurance Industry

2009-02-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Moser is a current employee of Aetna, health insurance company. We were happy to have her come and speak to our group on health insurance. She described there are two categories of employer health plans. One plan was geared for small businesses which pay a premium to the insurance company; the other plan, geared more to larger employers, is called a stop loss plan in which the employer would cover all claims up to a specific maximum, and the insurance would cover all expenses in excess of that amount.

With the new administration is office in 2009, we discussed some of the changes that are planned to restructure health insurance industry.

All throughout this presentation, Elizabeth responded to our specific questions based on our personal experiences with health insurance.

Rotaract Leadership Institute (RLI) 2009

2009-02-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we attended the second annual Rotaract Leadership Institute. Over a dozen Rotaract clubs and representatives from sponsoring Rotary clubs were in attendance from our district and Washington DC. Nearly 80 people registered and attended this year. All in attendance were treated to leadership training, a sharing of ideas, teambuilding exercises, and updates of events occurring in the district and in Rotary world-wide.

During RLI, Rotaractors mentored several students identified as potential leaders from the Meade School in Philadelphia. The students "shadowed" the Rotaractors through a portion of the day and got to spend time and experience how leadership could be used to help others. Our student was Kahlida, pictured below with Thomas Dixon and Maya Fridman.

After the conclusion of the institute, Rotaractors and Rotarians headed to World Cafe Live for drinks, food, and friendly conversation. It was a fun day indeed!

Rotaract Club of Philadelphia blog is launched!

2009-01-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

Below are all the entries previously posted on our "News and Events" section of RotaractPhilly.org

On January 17 we assisted the Pegasus Riding Academy. Bess, Katherine, Suzanne, and Maya helped lead the horses, spot riders, groom and feed the animals and clean the stable. Pegasus is the only fully certified, medically approved, riding therapy program in Philadelphia.

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On January 12 the Rotaract Club of Philadelphia went Ice Skating at the Blue Cross River Rink at Penn's Landing!

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On Monday January 5 2008, Jane Williams, District Rotaract Chair and member of the Ardmore Rotary club, spoke to us about the Rotary Group Study Exchange (GSE) program. GSE is a yearly program in which two Rotary districts exchange a group of about 4 people to experience each others culture to foster international understanding. Each group is immersed in the hosting district’s culture, history, and vocations for one month. Non-rotarians and Rotaractors 25-40 who have worked in their profession for at least 2 years are eligible to apply. All costs and expenses are paid for by the program. Jane also spoke about the GSE to Italy she led in May 2008. This year, District 7450 will be exchanging with a District in the Philippines and next year with a District in Greece.

For more information on Group Study Exchange, please visit Rotary.org

For a day-by-day summary of the 2008 Italy GSE, please visit www.ItalyGSE2008.blogspot.com

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On December 4th, 2008, the Rotaract Club hosted a happy hour fundraiser at the Public House to help support the Children's Aid Society. With
the purchase of a $5 donation bracelet, attendees were able to get drinks at a discounted price. All proceeds from the bracelets were used to
help "Santa" buy Christmas presents for children in need. Many Rotaractors and their friends joined the fundraiser festivities and through
their happy hour merriment, they were able to make this an extra merry holiday for one of the children at the Children's Aid Society. Some of
the presents purchased for the 7 year old child included a hat, coat, gloves, bratz dolls, activity books, and stocking stuffers.

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On November 18, 2008, the Rotaract Club of Philadelphia donated Webster’s Dictionaries and World Atlases to two classrooms at the Morrison Andrew J School. Through the support of a fellow Rotaractor, Trey Smith, we chose a third grade class and a seventh grade to receive the books.

First, we went to Mr. Trey Smith's 7th grade class. We distributed the
Atlases and Dictionaries to the students. The student were very
delighted with their new gifts. The first thing we did was have them
put their names into the books. The principal of the school was also
there watching us and the students. Then Maya asked them geography
questions by using their new Atlases. A prize was given to the
students who gave the correct answer first. We then did the same for
one question using the Dictionaries. Next we gave a prize to the
winner of the 12 Country Calendar Project of a drawing supplies. After
that we presented the class with the globe that was provided by us, as
well as, the book for Mr. Smith. Lastly, we took pictures of the class
by our Rotaract banner.

Next we went to Ms. Wanda Sago's third grade class. First we
distributed the Atlases to the students and also played a little game
with prizes to the students who first answered the questions
correctly. Then we gave out the Dictionaries and also asked questions
to the students using them. After that we presented the class with the
globe; the students were very excited about this because recently the
globe in their classroom had been broken. Finally, we gave the Ms.
Sago a copy of a book of classic short stories. She and the class were
very happy about this gift because everyday Ms. Sago reads them a
short story.

The funds for this donation originated from our Literacy Fundraiser held in April 2008 with the cooperation of the Rotary Club of Philadelphia.

In attendance: Matt Tritton, Maya Fridman, Jennifer Shields, and Ellen
Williams (Rotary)

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On November 17, Makoto Kuwabara, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Japan spoke to the Rotaract Club of Philadelphia. Makoto is from Yokohama, a city near to Tokyo. After earning his Bachelor's degree in Education, he taught English for five years in a Japanese high school. Currently, he is studying in the TESOL program at the University of Pennsylvania. He particularly focuses on “learning strategies” for second language acquisition. Makoto spoke about the process to make his decision to study in the US, and the current strategies and challenges of second language learning in the US and Japan.

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Rotary International at the UN
“Rotary's relationship with the United Nations dates back to 1945 when some 49 Rotary members acted as delegates, advisors and consultants at the United Nations Charter Conference. Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status possible with the United Nations as a non-governmental organization” (riatun.org).

On November 8, 2008, Rotary International hosted panel discussions on a variety of issues including hunger, polio eradication, and clean water at the UN Headquarters in New York City. The event was attended by 1600 Rotarians and Rotarators and 900 Youth Interact members. The Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon, the President of Rotary International and UNICEF Special Advisor were also present at the event to speak.

This event is held annually at the UN. If you’re interested in more information, please go to riatun.org.

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The School District of Philadelphia (the nation's seventh largest) educates 196,308 students in 273 buildings. On October 18, Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in District 7450 formed a team to join thousands of other volunteers and rolled up their sleeves to improve the city's public schools by painting classrooms, restoring playgrounds, and creating green spaces. Philadelphia Cares Day is a marathon day of service that gives children attractive and more functional learning places. The Rotaract Club worked with the children at Laura Waring Wheeler Elementary to help make their aging school a more beautiful place to learn and play.

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On Monday, October 13, Ambassadorial Scholar Elizabeth Leimbacher spoke to us the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Program and her studies at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is currently enrolled in an LLM program at the university and hopes to become a lawyer in United States or France. Before she came to US, she studied Political Sciences at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris as an undergraduate and Law at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques and the Université de Paris 2.

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On September 8th, 2008, the Rotaract Club attended an improvisational comedy show at the Adrienne Mainstage theater during Philadelphia's annual Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival is an annual week-long event that hosts bold, innovative, live performance from Philadelphia and around the world. At the event, Rotaractors were able to watch an exciting and unique long-form comedy troupe, called "Illegal Refill."

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July 14 - Professional Development Meeting
Paul Zlotolow led a discussion-based presentation on personal development. This hour-long session gave us a quick look at what we want out of life. We accomplished this by completing a few creative exercises that enabled us to compare our current lives to our future goals and describe what we may need to do in order to reach our goals.

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July 26 - Social Meeting
Trey Smith threw a fantastic BBQ at his home in the Art Museum area. It was the perfect way to spend a summer evening.

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On Monday, June 2, Bob Snow spoke to us about the Architectural profession and the current project he is working on--an effort to convert the historic Robert Morris building at 1701 Arch Street into a boutique hotel. Bob has been a practicing Architect for nearly thirty years. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of PA in both the Design of the Environment and the History of Art and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley.

L to R: Maya Fridman, Bob Snow, Brian Shaffer, Naseem Baksh, Matthew Tritton

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On Monday, May 19, 2008, we had a planning meeting. In attendance: Brian Shaffer, Maya Fridman, Trey Smith, Jennifer Shields, Naseem Baksh, Megan Scelfo, Bess Werner, Michael Cecire and Billy Handy. Welcome to our new members, Michael, Naseem and Billy! We discussed directions for community service, the Calendar Project, an International Exchange program with San Paolo, Brazil, club t-shirts and dues, upcoming speakers and the summer calendar.

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On Wednesday, April 23, the Philadelphia Rotary and Rotaract Clubs threw a joint fundraiser, the “Read and Succeed” Literacy Benefit. Held in the Pyramid Club and attended by over 70 people, this event was a smashing success. Thanks to Kristina Harshany of the Rotary Club for her hard work.

L to R: SiNae Pitts, Alisa Maiese, Asako Yoshino, Trey Smith, Jennifer Shields, Jennifer Greenberg, Barbara Steele.

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On Monday, April 7, we had a productive planning meeting where we made final preparations for our April 23 “Read and Succeed” Literacy Benefit. Maya discussed her conversation with a Rotaractor from San Paolo, Brazil and we all agreed that an exchange program would be wonderful. Maya also presented the details for the Business Card Exchange networking event at the Wood Turning Center on May 7.

In attendance: Jennifer Shields, Matthew Tritton, Vicky Doan-Nguyen, Maya Fridman, Trey Smith, Megan Scelfo, Megan Folz, Bess Werner. Welcome to new members Megan Folz and Bess Werner!

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On Friday, March 28, we met for dinner and drinks at Moriarty’s Pub. There were several new members and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other.

L to R: Matthew Tritton, Sandy Lu, Sarah Kuhn, Maya Fridman, Megan Scelfo, Trey Smith. (Not pictured: Jennifer Shields, Annie Winter)

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On Monday, March 10, Joe Batory, former superintendent of schools in the Upper Darby School District and current associate of Educational Enterprises, LLC, spoke about education and our upcoming literacy fundraiser with the Rotary Club in April.

L to R: Joe Batory, Vicky Doan-Nguyen, ?, Megan Scelfo, Danielle Rothberg, Trey Smith, Frank Hoffman, Brian, Shaffer, Andrea Young, Ira Parmar. (Not pictured: Sinae Pitts)

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On Monday, February 25, we had another productive planning meeting. In attendance were Jennifer Shields, Matthew Tritton, Maya Fridman, Vicky Doan-Nguyen, Trey Smith, Megan Scelfo, Brian Shaffer, Jacopo Carmassi, Julia Mitchell, Ira Parmar. Welcome to our new members, Trey, Meghan, Julia and Ira! We continued planning for our April fundraiser with the Rotary Club. Since Trey and Meghan work for Teach For America in Philadelphia, we decided to support their classrooms with some of the proceeds from our fundraiser. We also discussed future professional development speakers and social events.

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On Monday, February 18, Rotarians Joe and Joan Batory threw a “Taste of Philly” party for Rotarians and Rotaractors. We bid farewell to Jacopo Carmassi, who has been the life of every Rotaract Party and one of its most cheerful members. We wish him luck and hope he comes back from Pisa very soon!

L to R: Joe Batory, Joan Batory and Jacopo Carmassi

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On Saturday, February 9, we participated in the 1^st Annual Rotaract Leadership Institute at the historic Boy Scout Headquarters. It was a day filled with learning, fun and networking. 56 current and future Rotaractors from our district and 3 neighboring districts, as well as 29 Rotarians and advisors, came together to learn about Rotary and get new ideas for our clubs. Afterwards, we headed over to Rae for a swanky hour arranged by Maya Fridman.

L to R: Brian Shaffer, Frank Hoffman, Jennifer Shields, Maya Fridman, Andres Cevallos and Jacopo Carmassi.

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On Monday, January 28, we had a Professional Development meeting. Newell Anderson, Vice President and Financial Consultant at RBC Dain, spoke about strategies for recruiting and
maintaining club members and techniques for corporate sponsorship and fundraising. Thank you to Newell for his insightful ideas and encouragement!

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On Monday, January 14, we had an extremely productive planning meeting where we laid the foundation for a large joint fundraiser with the Rotary Club to be held in April to support literacy in Philadelphia. In attendance were Jennifer Shields, Maya Fridman, Andrea Young, Greg Maiche, Brian Shaffer, Matt Tritton, Jacopo Carmassi, Vicky Doan-Nguyen and
Jane Williams. Welcome to new members Andrea, Greg and Vicky!

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On Tuesday, December 18, we heard from John Washington about his trip to Argentina on a Group Study Exchange which convinced him to join Rotary. He impressed us with his dedication to helping provide much needed equipment to fire departments in northern Argentina. He has helped raise around $25,000, including around $15,000 from Rotary. We loved learning about their culture and seeing the llama wool vest and hand-woven blanket he brought to show us.

L to R: Asako Yoshino, Jacopo Carmassi, John Washington, Valerie Adams and Jennifer Shields

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On Friday, November 16, we threw a fundraiser party at Raven Lounge. We raised $150 for the San Diego Foundation, a relief organization that helps victims of the California wildfires. This organization was recommended by Rotary District 5340 of Southern California. We also gained a new member, Alisa Maiese, who attended our next meeting.

L to R: Jeffrey Millman, Jennifer Shields and Jacopo Carmassi

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On Tuesday, November 6, we heard from Otto Wollin of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia, who talked about getting support from local businesses for fundraisers.

L to R: Asako Yoshino, Otto Wollin, Brian Shaffer, Jennifer Shields and Jacopo Carmassi

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On Saturday, November 3, Rotarians and Rotaractors traveled to the UN in NYC for "Rotary International Day at the United Nations." There were presentations and panel discussions about health, hunger, water and literacy by representatives of NGOs and Rotary International.

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On Tuesday, August 28, we threw a gala fundraiser for GO Give an Opportunity, a non-profit in Philadelphia that promotes education among Argentinean students of high academic performance and low economic resources. We donated $300 to support this worthy program.

The Main Line Rotaract club supporting the Philadelphia Rotaract club