LITERACY IS THE TICKET OUT OF POVERTY!
Dear Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and Friends of Rotary,
In August I visited the following clubs: Rochester AM, Brighton, Dansville, Chemung County Sunrise, Horseheads, Rochester Latino, Bath, Friendship, Fairport, Rochester Deaf, Victor-Farmington, Belmont, Brockport, Wayland, Wolcott, Newark, Clyde, Lyons, Seneca Falls, Avon, Dundee, and Nunda. I pitched in at the Clifton Springs Steam Pageant booth and the Avon Corn Festival booth. Honeoye Lake had a progressive picnic with a nice boat tour and Rochester Latino held a late Changeover Picnic with an induction of their new member, Elaine Hanford. I had two visits to Rotary Camp ONSEYAWA, one for a Board meeting and another to help restore the site to Boy Scout Camp Babcock-Hovey. The latter was followed by a quick trip to Avon to greet the inbound Youth Exchange students and their host families. We held our monthly Governor’s Tract meeting and the bi-monthly Multi-District President-Elect Training Seminar Committee meeting. Wow! I am energized by each step of this journey.
Elmira hosted a multi-club and business leader luncheon on August 13 for an address by Wade Norwood, the CEO of Common Ground Health. The poverty in Chemung County and its adverse impact on longevity and quality of life gave focus for Rotary activities in the area. There is no simple antidote to poverty, but Rotary can be part of the solution in our communities.
I believe that literacy is the ticket out of poverty. One of the six areas of focus for The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is Basic Education and Literacy. As I make my visits to clubs around District 7120, I am asking each club to contemplate a new initiative in the arena of education this year.
Many of our clubs have long embraced youth service in the form of scholarships, youth exchange, Interact, Rotaract, summer camps for those with different abilities, district and global grants for educational purposes, and projects to enhance our libraries and schools. There is always more that can be done, and I am encouraging you to do so!
Our District LITERACY Committee is hosting a SEMINAR on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, at 8:45am, at the Clifton Springs Hospital, second floor, 2 Coulter Road, Clifton Springs. There is no fee and no advance registration. I encourage you to attend and share your ideas on this topic.
DG Dave Hannan