The month of February is marked by two dominant themes in 2019: Peace and Love. On February 9 our District 5890 is hosting a Peace Conference and an All-Club Gala Dinner. "Peace"is one of the six major focus areas of Rotary International. This will be an excellent program with inspiring speakers. I will be there and hope you will join us, too, if you are in Houston.
Are you aware of the Rotary PeaceCenters program? Rotary International began this program in 2002 and has trained more than 1.100 Peace Fellows around the word who are now working as leaders in government, nongovernmental organizations, the military, law enforcement, education, humanitarian assistance, restorative justice, and international governance organizations. The Rotary Peace Center’s mission is to promote world peace by educating and empowering peacebuilders through rigorous academic training, applied field experience, and global networking opportunities. Rotarians share the task of recruiting qualified candidates for the program. The Rotary Peace Fellowship is designed for professionals who have already worked in careers related to international relations or peace and conflict resolution and who are committed to community or international humanitarian service and working for peace. The fellowship is not intended for recent college graduates with little to no relevant professional experience. Six Rotary Peace Centers operate in partnership with seven premier universities in six countries around the world (in the United States, the peace center is associated with both Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Each Rotary Peace Center offers its own customized curriculum and field-based learning opportunities that examine peace and conflict theory through various frameworks. The application is available only between February and July.
Also, this month is our traditional Valentine's Day. In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Share the love with your family and friends on February 14th with the usual candy, flowers, and greeting cards, and also consider purchasing one or more Teddy bears to share with hospitalized children. It warms a person's heart to give to others a message of caring. As Rotarians, let us demonstrate how we care about helping others in some small way. In Houston, you may deliver your bear(s) to a local hospital or deliver to my home for the Venezuelan children. Travel is not recommended at this time to Venezuela for political reasons, but we do share the stuffed animals to comfort the refugee children in Columbia. Enjoy your celebration of love this month and find an outreach to others to share your caring heart.
Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.
He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the boiled eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”
“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied.
“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity– the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.
The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
“Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “
Moral:In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
A BIG round of applause to Wind Nguyen who exemplifies "Service Above Self!" Wind worked hard for the three days during last week's Peace Conference. He was there early in the morning, through lunch and dinner taking pictures. Thank you Wind - we look forward to seeing the rest of the event photos! And Marc Moro's name was mentioned numerous times with thanks for his consultation in planning this terrific Peace Conference. Kudos to both of you!
Stay tuned for more event photos from the 2019 Peace Conference and Gala!
Get your badge before you arrive at the convention venue. If you preregistered and paid in full, you can pick it up at the Hamburg Airport starting at 15:00 on Thursday, 30 May. Look for us in Terminal 1 or 2 at the baggage claim area. Be sure to have your photo ID and registration number. You can use your badge to travel on Hamburg’s public transit system beginning Friday, 31 May. On-site registration at the Hamburg Messe opens at 15:00 on Thursday, 30 May, in Hall A2. You can register additional guests, purchase tickets for Rotary events, pay any outstanding balances, and get your badge if you didn’t get it at the airport. The Registration booth is also where you can pick up all convention materials, including the program book, transportation guide, and convention tote bag, as well as interpretation equipment.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
Rotary is giving every convention attendee complimentary rides on Hamburg’s easy-to-use and eco-friendly public transportation network, the HVV (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund). Use your convention badge as your ticket to travel on HVV’s extensive bus, rail, and ferry system. The badges are valid for the fare ring Hamburg AB (inside the gray circle on this map) and can be used Friday, 31 May, through Thursday, 6 June.
Rotary will not provide shuttle service between hotels and the convention center.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
There will be no currency exchange services onsite at the Messe. At the airport, currency exchanges are open from 5:45 am to 8:45 pm (Monday through Sunday) in Terminal 1 & Monday through Sunday 8am till 9 pm in Terminal 2. Most hotels offer currency exchange services, however, the rate is not favorable
All airport ATMs are accessible Monday through Sunday and most of them are 24/7. There will be four ATMs at the Messe. Three are available at the central entrance and 1 is available in B4 by the east entrance.
MYTAXI APP
If you’re taking a taxi to or from the convention center, you can order your cab using the mytaxi app on your phone and support Rotary at the same time. Mytaxi, Europe’s leading ride-hailing app, is donating 100 percent of its proceeds to Rotary for all rides to and from the Hamburg Messe during the convention, 31 May-5 June. These proceeds will support Emotions-Training for Autism, the Bees Pasture Project, and the Haiti National Clean Water, Sanitation, and Health Strategy. Download the app before you arrive in Hamburg so you’re ready to travel conveniently and support Rotary: • At the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad • On Google Play for Android
A funny and creative short video explaining what Rotary is. We hope you are having a great beginning of 2019, and are planning ways to serve above self. We welcome any articles about members who are helping their communities in the spirit of Rotary. Please send your story, article or ideas accompanied by a photo or video to one of the newsletter editors. Share to inspire!
