APRIL 2014 BULLETIN - 'PHOENIX'

Rotary magazines is to advance the objects of Rotary in all aspects and provide articles of news and interest.

There are 31 regional publications worldwide. These magazines are published in 20 languages and cover 132 countries with a worldwide circulation of 769000. ‘The  Rotarian’  launched in 1911 has a circulation of about 500,000. As such, there has been an official Rotary magazine for almost as long as Rotary has been around.

All Rotary In the Rotary Calendar, we celebrate April as Magazine Month. The main purpose of the periodic publications, be they at club level, District, National or International,  are the product of a huge amount of work that goes into their preparation by very committed people.   Recently  clubs are turning to “social Media” to connect with members. A few  clubs have  abandoned the weekly/monthly  bulletin in favour of  Facebook.  Many clubs have gone to the electronic format mainly based on the District sponsored website/bulletin format as this gives the reader the option to access it over mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets. The Rotarian is also digitally available on ‘TheRotarianMagazine.com.’

Whatever the format, the traditional or the electronic, the Rotary magazines provide the  store house of the contents most valuable.

SPECIAL BULLETIN ‘PHOENIX’ ON ‘SAMPREETI’

 A SEMINAR ON PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION 
 30^TH MARCH 2014

 Inner peace is an important aspect of an individual’s ability to respond to conflict situations which affect them and others around the world.  In a globalized world, we must learn to live, work and exist together in peace with an appreciation for human rights and diverse cultures and perspectives. 

Whereas the fact is  that  history is full of  violent conflicts. Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.  Concurrently, great souls   have emphasised love, peace and harmony.

It is important to remember that root cause of conflict is often injustice with weaker section of society and the weaker section may be poor, may be linguistic, cultural or religious minorities or migrants of other countries.  Justice and peace are inseparable. Where there is injustice, there will be conflict. Appeal in the name of  patriotism, religion or nationalism is never going to resolve such complex issues.

With such complex issues in mind, Rotary Club of Duliajan has organized a seminar  Sampreeti  on “PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION”.  I confident that the discussion  by the learned speakers will have its far reaching desired effect.  It is the duty of everyone in the society to maintain peace. We must remember that if we cannot change the world, we can at least educate people who can change the world. 

FEBRUARY, 2014 BULLETIN- ‘PHOENIX’

In a globalized world we must learn how to live, work and exist together – in peace, with an appreciation for human rights and diverse cultures and perspectives.  Since wars are made in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace should be constructed.  Inner peace is an important aspect of individual’s ability to respond to conflict situations which affect them and the others around the world.  Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru has rightly said, “Peace is not a relationship. It is a condition of mind brought about by the serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to  peaceful people”.

With this aim, Rotary Club of Duliajan is organizing a seminar SAMPREETI on “PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION” on 30^th of March 2014. On this auspicious occasion, RCD shall be releasing special edition of our monthly bulletin “PHOENIX”. I request all the members of rotary fraternity, guests and other dignitaries to kindly e-mail me their suggestions, articles, messages to make the special edition of the bulletin interesting and informative.

JANUARY, 2014 BULLETIN- ‘PHOENIX’

January is Rotary Awareness Month – a time to learn more about our organization. The more we're known for our good work, the more good work we'll be able to do. Rotary International, on its website, however, explains further and encourages us to:

“Celebrate Rotary Awareness Month by training members on Rotary history, programs, or how to raise awareness of your club’s projects among your community. Or, ask members to share a personal story or experience that they have had because of Rotary. Every Rotarian has a Rotary story that can be educational and inspiring. The beginning of a new year is a good opportunity to renew inspiration for the rest of the Rotary year.”

Rotary International Convention will be held at Sydney, Australia from 1^st to 4^th June, 2014. The 2014 RI Convention will bring together some of the world’s leading experts on water, polio, and social media. We'll find new ideas for service — and perhaps a new partner for creating change — in the House of Friendship. Considering its abundant beauty and recreational opportunities in Australia,  the Sydney convention is  expected to be the perfect venue to experience Rotary's global impact and strengthen our commitment to creating positive change.

Members can plan to make this convention a memorable family vacation. At Rotary our endeavor is  always to  sit with new people at every opportunity, introducing ourselves  and learning about them, their Rotary club, and their country.

DECEMBER, 2013 BULLETIN- ‘PHOENIX’

December’s Rotary International theme is FAMILY.  Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.   The month is celebrated as  Rotary's commitment to family bringing  together mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other members of our Rotary family to learn more about the organization.

It is an  opportunity for all of us to  see that our  family interaction   enriches  our activities. We should include our families in community service projects so as to impress upon our children the importance of  service in our community, in the world, and for peace throughout.

Besides, on 1^st of December, we observe World Aids Day and on 10^th of December, Human Rights Day is observed. 

NOVEMBER, 2013 BULLETIN- ‘PHOENIX’

The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

The Rotary Foundation helps fund our humanitarian activities, from local service projects to global initiatives.

The Endowment Fund and Annual Fund  allow us to share the Rotary’s  resources, work together, and bring the work to a higher level. The greater the Foundation's resources, the greater is the Rotary’s ability to meet the needs of the  communities.

During this month, we also observe the World Interact Week. 

OCTOBER, 2013 BULLETIN- ‘PHOENIX’

In Rotary, we celebrate October as a ‘Vocational Service Month’. Have we ever broached our head to think  what is vocational service? If we  are an active, engaged Rotarian, we  probably view vocational service as a way of life, even if we  find it difficult to articulate a clear definition. I happen to go through a document published by Rotary International which very vividly elucidates  the concept of vocational service. I wish to share the relevant excerpts for the benefit of my fellow Rotarians:-

“The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose and the responsibilities

of  Rotarians. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the Second Object, which calls on

Rotarians to ‘encourage and foster’:-

1.  High ethical standards in business and professions.

2.  The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations.

3.  The dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society.

As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider these suggestions:-

      1.      Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocations.

      2.      Use your professional skills to serve a community.
3.    Practice your profession with integrity, and inspire others to behave ethically through your own words and actions.

     4.      Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations.

     5.      Guide and encourage others in their professional development.

If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational service. And if vocational service motivates and energizes you, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organizations.”

JULY, 2013 BULLETIN ‘PHOENIX’

ON 28^TH INSTALLATION CEREMONY OF ROTARY CLUB OF DULIAJAN – 
6^TH JULY, 2013

At Rotary, we are committed and we remain at the service of the society – physically, mentally and financially.  “ENGAGE ROTARY, CHANGE LIVES” is the theme given by RI President 2013-14, Ron D. Burton – “ Rotary is based on our core values, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. And in Rotary service, the more you put in, the more you get out of it”. And only then we find the inspiration, the excitement, and the power to truly change lives.

With this aim, let us have the new beginning on the 28^th Installation Ceremony of Rotary Club of Duliajan. It should always be our endeavor to broad base the membership of the club and keep the members interested in Rotary by way of good club fellowship, early involvement in service projects and club operations, but we should also not forget to inculcate the basic motto of Rotary, ‘Service Above Self’ among the junior Rotarians.

On this Installation Ceremony, we commemorate the achievements of the outgoing team:- B.T.Park and Duliajan Club Parks – to rejuvenate the residents ; ‘Baikuntha Sarathi’ – the corpse carrying van  & ‘Baikuntha Dham’ – the Hindu cremation ground – for community service;  tree plantations; Medical Camps;  Interact Club – to name a few.  In recognition of the good work done, Rotary Club of Duliajan has been bestowed with eight awards in the ‘District Award Function’ at Guwahati on 16.06.2013.

The new team is assigned the added responsibility, not only to carry forward the projects initiated by the predecessors, but also to be innovative in its approach.  Dr Amal Kr Deka, the incoming President, has already expressed his motif to adopt a backward village by the club.

Our monthly bulletin, ‘PHOENIX’ will continue to remain a major source of information not only about the activities already completed but also a gateway to open up candid debate on the new projects to be undertaken.  We have put in our best efforts to make this special edition of ‘PHOENIX’ informative, interesting and edifying to the readers.

With best wishes to the new team.