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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
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Earth Day was founded in 1970 and falls on April 22nd in America each year. The holiday has grown in popularity over the decades and continues to do so with heightened attention on global climate change. Earth Day is now even celebrated by volunteers doing clean ups, donating to environmental causes and making renewed pledges to live more gently. It's no surprise that many environmental songs have made their way into the popular culture. Musicians have been singing green since the 1960's when the environmental movement first entered the collective consciousness - until today, when global climate change can be found on page 1 of the news instead of page 15.
Thank all of you who attended our first Rotary E-Club of Houston’s fundraiser this last weekend benefiting Sire (therapeutic horseback for children and adults with disabilities). It was a great success both with the money raised, but also our consciousness being raised about this great service to others. We were fortunate to hear Chuck Pyle perform. What a treat listening to a fantastic performer from Colorado who is very tuned into taking care of Mother Earth. He sang “Keepers of the Earth” and encouraged the past Rotary theme of Preserve Planet Earth through the words “We are the keepers of the earth, We are the guardians of the land, Our sweet Mother Earth, She is in our hands, We are the keepers of the earth.” Please go the Chuck’s website ( www.chuckpyle.com) and check out his recordings (especially “Keepers of the Earth” http://www.chuckpyle.com/audio/endless_sky/keepers_of_the_earth.mp3). Recognizing the need to address the growing environmental crisis, Rotary International launched its Preserve Planet Earth focus in 1990. This initiative underscored the commitment already evident in a wide range of Rotary club projects. Many clubs are helping solve environmental problems by reforesting, establishing animal sanctuaries, reducing toxic waste, sponsoring educational activities, and promoting ecological practices.
Preserve Planet Earth projects foster concern for the global environment and sustainable development. Sustainable development projects promote economic and social progress that alleviates poverty and preserves the environment for future generations. Projects are supported by agencies of the United Nations, governments, and community organizations such as Rotary International. As Rotarians and Rotary E-Club members it is our responsibility to promote greater environmental awareness and an environmentally sustainable society.
Years ago the Kingston Trio sang a song about a man coming to a water pump in the desert. If I remember correctly, attached to the pump was a sign that said there was a jar of water hidden behind a rock, and in the jar was water that you had to use to prime the pump. The note went on to say that you might be tempted to drink the water, but you had to use it to prime the pump, if you were to get more water from the ground. It ended by asking you to kindly leave the jar full of water for others that pass that way behind you. The chorus of the song said, "You've got to prime that pump. You've got to have faith and believe." So it is with life. Each of us has a responsibility to life.
As Rotary District 5890 Governor we held our District Conference in 2010 and had the first carbon neutral District Conference that I know of in the history of Rotary. We held an opening session on April 22 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. We gave away a 50-mpg Prius at that conference. What difference does that make? I have put approximately 300,000 miles on the three Prius automobiles I have owned. That is a savings of approximately 10,000 gallons of gasoline. At the current price of gasoline I have saved approximately $35,000 in petroleum costs. This year I have changed over 100 light bulbs to high efficiency LED bulbs. On demand hot water heaters, flow restrictors, recycling bins, or whatever you decide is right for you.
We live in a time when we have seen natural resources stripped from lands that once seemed very distant, and yet we now know that the very air we depend upon could be scarcer for our children because too often we took more than we gave back. Each of us in some little way can practice ecological responsibility and: "leave the bottle full for others."
Thanks to all of you for being Rotarians and “keepers of the earth.” - Ed Charlesworth, President
"We all live downstream." - Motto of Greenpeace International
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We live in a world of unseeable beauty, so subtle and delicate that it is imperceptible to the human eye. To bring this invisible world to light, filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg bends the boundaries of time and space with high-speed cameras, time lapses and microscopes. At TED2014, he shares highlights from his latest project, a 3D film titled "Mysteries of the Unseen World," which slows down, speeds up, and magnifies the astonishing wonders of nature.
Louie Schwartzberg is a cinematographer, director and producer who captures breathtaking images that celebrate life -- revealing connections, universal rhythms, patterns and beauty.
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I am a part of a burgeoning demographic which is shaping and influencing our country as a great resource that can still make a difference. I am a product of a family of eight children, as my father served in the United States Air Force after serving our country during World War II. He chose to stay in the service as a career option: therefore I grew up living in several locales throughout the country, mostly in the southeastern states as well as overseas in Tripoli, Libya - all experiences which helped me develop an appreciation for our freedom and for varying cultures.
I graduated from the University of Houston in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and obtained my Masters in Educational Administration from Sam Houston State University in 1982. I taught and coached in the Spring Branch Independent School District for four years and then spent 33 years working in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School district as a coach, English teacher, assistant principal, curriculum coordinator and principal ( I served as the inaugural principal of Thornton Middle School for nine years and principal of Cypress Creek High School for ten years, retiring in 2012 with 37 years of service in education). Since my retirement, I have served as an educational consultant, working with the Southern Regional Education Board out of Atlanta Georgia, most recently doing contract work in school systems in Washington state. While at Cypress Creek High School, I created six career academies during our reconstruction phase in 2009 and implemented 64 programs of study which gave students the option to obtain college credits toward degree plans or to obtain any one of twenty industry standard certifications which made them work ready, or both. This was in essence an early version of what House Bill 5 is purporting in its most recent passage by the Texas Legislature. In 2011 Cypress Creek High School won state recognition in the High Schools That Work Network( a division of the Southern Regional Education Board) for its efforts in impleme
nting career pathways and viable postsecondary options for its graduates. We were also continually one of America's top schools on the Newsweek Index of most challenging High Schools based on our Advanced Placement participation rates and results, making the "America's Best High Schools" list nine out of ten years, the only Cy Fair high school to continually achieve this honor. Even in retirement, I continue to have a passion for promoting College and career readiness for our graduates and continue to be involved in this worthwhile endeavor.
My hobbies include traveling nationally to play in the Masters Basketball circuit, gardening, music, art, and staying abreast of developments in educational policy and emerging practices and trends. I was honored to be a charter member of the Willowbrook Rotary Club back in the early 1980s and have served as a volunteer for a variety of charities and organizations over the years, including serving as a board member for the C
ypress Creek YMCA, Langham Creek YMCA, and numerous involvements and positions in my home church of Cypress United Methodist. I was a five years board of directors member on the Cy Fair Division of the American Heart Association, and also served as the division president in 1990.
In summary, as a former educator in the business of helping to create a stronger society and as an engaged citizen, I truly believe it is incumbent upon every one of us to give back to our society in the way of good works. I am honored to be a part of the Rotary e-Club of Houston to that end.
Welcome to the Rotary e-Club newsletter or website! Enjoy our program and visit often. .jpg)
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WRITER AND WAR WIDOW ARTIS HENDERSON FINDS PEACE THROUGH ROTARY
As a Rotary Scholar in Senegal, Artis Henderson enjoyed writing her memoir sitting under a red hibiscus tree, where she could hear the sound of women singing.
*Photo Credit: Illustration by Michael Byers
In the first month of my stay in Dakar, Senegal, as a Rotary Scholar, a friend gave me a piece of helpful advice. “Buy a wedding ring,” she said. I had already learned that as a young American woman in a Muslim country, I attracted a certain kind of attention. But a ring?
My friend nodded. “That way everyone will leave you alone.”
With my thumb I felt for the empty space on my left ring finger -- a place that, even now, I sometimes touch and worry where my ring has gone. I removed my wedding band on the one-year anniversary of my marriage, eight months after my husband, Miles, was killed in Iraq on 6 November 2006. I was 26 years old.
I spent the first year after Miles’ death just trying to breathe. Making it through the day felt like a challenge enough. But by the second year, I’d begun to realize that my life was continuing. For the first time since Miles died, I asked myself what I should do with this new life. The answer? Become a writer. I never imagined that Rotary would provide the key to achieving that dream.
Rotary first took me from my home in southern Florida to Brittany, France, on a month-long exchange with a team of young professionals. That experience gave me the courage to make my next move -- to New York, where I earned a master’s in journalism at Columbia University.
Next, the Rotarians I had met urged me to apply for a Rotary Scholarship. I wanted to travel somewhere challenging, as far away from home as possible -- away from the constant reminders of how my life had changed. In 2010, I flew to Senegal to study West African literature at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop.
On a sweltering afternoon in Dakar, I headed downtown in search of a wedding band. Down a narrow side street, I found a jewelry shop with its doors open. An elderly man sat behind the counter, his eyes closed. He leaned forward when I walked in. I told him what I was looking for -- a thin, silver band -- and he reached for a canvas sack and spilled its contents across the glass.
“Where are you from?” he asked as I started to pick through the rings.
I looked up. “The United States.”
The man sucked his teeth and put his rough hands on the counter.
“Then maybe you can explain your war against Islam.”
I opened my mouth to speak, to try to explain a conflict I did not understand. I wanted him to know that my husband had died fighting in the war, and that for Miles, this was never a fight against the Muslim faith. But the shopkeeper looked at me with such radioactive anger that I couldn’t speak. I bowed my head and left the store.
I arrived during a violent, restless time in the region. The Arab Spring spread across North Africa, and in Dakar men set themselves on fire to protest the regime. Angry students burned tires and blockaded highways as outrage seethed through the city.
During my scholarship year, I received unexpected news: Simon & Schuster was offering me a contract for a memoir I had proposed about the loss of my husband. I wrote it in Senegal, and in that way, the scholarship gave me something I never anticipated: a place to write unencumbered by the reminders of my loss.
My time in Dakar was a gift. For the first month of my stay, I lived with a host family whose warmth helped with my transition to life in Africa. Moussa, the oldest son of the house, was my age, also a journalist. I counted him as my first real friend in Dakar. But in the second month of my stay, Moussa fell ill and died the following week. The family held a funeral, and I wept with the women of the house while the imam gave the eulogy.
A month after the funeral, the family invited me to dinner. After we ate, I sat outside with Moussa’s mother, in silence, through the long, hot hours of the afternoon. At one point she reached over and held my hand. I do not know what it is like to lose a child, but I understand the depths of great loss. In that moment, I realized that this is how goodwill is built: simply and gently, a shared touch between two people.
By Artis Henderson
Adapted from a story in the April 2014 issue of The Rotarian
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Last Saturday the Rotary e-Club of Houston joined with the Rotary Club of Houston NW Sunset to sponsor a fundraising house concert featuring singer/songwriter Chuck Pyle to raise funds for S.I.R.E., a therapeutic horseback riding program. A board of directors meeting was held prior to the event and many brought guests to learn more about Rotary. Special thanks to the following members who assisted with this successful event: Michael Mebes, Sofka Werkmeister, Dree and Mike Miller, Wind Nguyen, Martine Stolk, Veronica Gessemakers, and Ed Charlesworth. Thank you for your SERVICE!
On Sunday, Ed and Robin Charlesworth also attended a fundraising brunch to support Reach Unlimited, an outstanding program in our community dedicated to providing quality support services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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District 5890 "Club Leadership Training" will be held April 26, 2014 HCC Southwest, 5601 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77081 This is a team leadership training for all 2014-2015 Club Officers and members. Each officer will receive training on their specific officer duties as well as a "Rotary 101" class for new members. This is your chance to hear about all of the exciting things that will be happening in the Rotary world for the Rotary Year of 2014-2015.
Join District Governor-Elect Lisa Faith Massey as she unveils the 2014-15 Rotary theme and delivers the goals of R.I. President-elect Gary C.K. Huang for the upcoming Rotary Year.
Registration begins at 8:00 am, Continental Breakfast and Networking. Training begins at 8:30 am and should conclude around 1:00 pm.
Club are encouraged to pay for their members' fees. $15.00 per person in advance, $20.00 at the door
Please send attached form and check for all registrations to:
Rotary Club of Harrisburg
ATTN: 2013 Club Leadership Training
Make checks payable to: Rotary District 5890
NOTE: We can no longer bill clubs.
Join the District 5890 Leadership Team and let us serve you with training!
In order to apply for a district grant next year we will need two people to attend the grants training and get the MOU signed. Our club has one person already trained (Ed Charlesworth) and you need one more trained. The last formal training will be April 26th at the club leadership. You can register online, download the form, email or give me a call and I will help you get registered. Grants must presented on July 12 to the grants committee for approval.
The location of our Club Leadership Training and all subsequent District Training Events is HCC Southwest, 5601 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77081
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Join Rotarians, family and friends at Minute Maid Park for ROTARY NIGHT at the ballpark. Rotarians and their guests are invited to an exclusive reception inside Champions Pavilion, which overlooks the ballpark and provides a unique view of the Downtown Houston skyline,. Food and drinks will be available to Rotarians and their guests. Cher on DG Bob Gebhard as he throws out the first pitch! Seating is offered on the Mezzanine level at $18 per ticket. For more information contact David Frishman at 281.391.2147 or David.Frishman@davidfrishmanlaw.com. Help eradicate Polio worldwide.
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Rotarians who are active members of the Rotary e-Club of Houston, Visiting Rotarians, and Guests will find a bar which states "Attendance" directly beneath the banner of the website which is: www.clubrunner.ca/10506. Please complete this form which is appropriate and it will be merged into an excel spreadsheet for the club secretary to review weekly. Visiting Rotarians may add their own email address or their club secretary's email address to capture attendance, OR simply print the Visiting Rotarian form and give to your club secretary.
New to the reports if our "Service" report for active members to complete so we may track the total number of hours contributed to our communities by our club members. This form is also located just beneath the banner on our website.
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