Rotary Program: 6/25/03
Program Chairperson: Rakesh Sachdeva
Speaker: Rakesh Sachdeva

Today's program was presented by Rakesh Sachdeva, who recently attended

the 94th Annual Rotary International Convention in Brisbane, Australia. As

our district's representative and delegate, Rakesh and his family shared

every Rotarian's dream of attending Rotary International's largest and most

fulfilling meeting. According to Rakesh, this convention was all that and

more. With more than 17,000 delegates from 166 countries, this year's

convention set the record for the most attendance in history. Of those

countries which sent delegates, two countries now have Rotary clubs for the

first time. Afghanistan and East Timor are now a part of the Rotary family

and were welcomed in the opening ceremonies. Representatives bearing

national flags paraded across the stage as the name of each country was

announced while the large screen above the stage bore a picture of the flag

and the country it represented. Rakesh stated that the opening ceremony

with the music, pageantry, and emotion was truly a moving experience.

Rakesh, with the assistance of his lovely wife, brought back a wealth

of knowledge and pictures of the convention. He attended seminars that

highlighted the accomplishments of Rotary International in all the ways that

we have served to bring about greater cooperation, understanding, and better

lives to millions of the peoples of the world. For example, the Polio Plus

program, first envisioned in 1985 was to raise a goal of 80 million dollars

worldwide to eradicate polio by the year 2005. Rotarians, like you and I

have already exceeded that goal by raising 88 million dollars and experts

from the Center for Disease Controls who spoke at the convention say there

are still a few cases of polio left in the world, but that polio will most

likely be eliminated from the earth by the target year of 2005. Of the

total money raised, the United States Rotarians contributed 55 million

dollars. Thanks to all Rotarians and especially to those of our own club

who gave so unselfishly to the Polio Plus program in the amount of nearly

$12,000.00.

Another program of Rotary that was touted as a great success was the

Center for International Studies and Cooperation. Students from all the

member countries shared exchange programs so that they could learn from the

diversities of cultures in order to promote peace, understanding and

cooperation in meeting the needs of their people. From that program,

Rakesh would like to promote a local Youth Leadership Academy next year so

that our students could participate in the exchange.

At this point, Rakesh showed us a video that his wife had edited to

show us many of the experiences they enjoyed while attending the convention.

From flying foxes (which are actually bats) to Kangaroos and Koalas, it was

wonderful to see, even second-handedly, the sights and sounds of Australia.

He said the people were very friendly and it showed. The President of

Rotary International gave a moving speech to the delegation in which he

described a world "overwhelmed by the troubles of war, famine, disease and

poverty." Rotarians, he said, "are not overwhelmed by these problems, but

have risen to the occasion with a sense of mission to find the solutions."

I think we were all proud to be a part of such a great organization that is

committed to doing good things for so many people in the world. Thanks,

Rakesh, for representing us so well and for bringing us the program today.

Submitted by J. Morgan Chapman