

The sincere acknowledgement of a Donor's Gift is the first step toward additional financial support
Conference Rm 5, 2nd Floor
Mandeville, Manchester WI
Jamaica

This does not seem like a time for great optimism, but it has to be. Long before Rotary was founded, the world dealt with great crises that tested humankind's ability to progress and endure. In the age of Rotary, the world has faced many more catastrophes; however, we have survived, and every step of the way, Rotary has helped the world heal.
Every great challenge is an opportunity for renewal and growth. I revealed the theme of Rotary Opens Opportunities at the International Assembly in San Diego just as the COVID-19 crisis was beginning, but these are words that I have believed for many years.
Rotary is not just a club that you join; it is an invitation to endless opportunities. We believe in creating opportunities for others and for ourselves. We believe that our acts of service, large and small, generate opportunities for people who need our help, and that Rotary opens opportunities for us to live a richer, more meaningful life, with friends around the world, based on our core values.
Knowledge is important when it comes to cleaning
What does cleaning really mean? Even if you're well-versed in these cleaning mistakes that can backfire, you might struggle with the answer. When looking at cleaning products, have you ever used the words "sanitize" and "disinfect" interchangeably? Because they actually mean very different things. Here's what you need to know about these terms that aren't, in fact, interchangeable.
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
- FIRST: The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
- SECOND: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
- THIRD: The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
- FOURTH: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
THE FOUR-WAY TEST
The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:
Of the things we think, say or do
- Is it the TRUTH?
- Is it FAIR to all concerned?
- Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
- Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
AVENUES OF SERVICE
We channel our commitment to service at home and abroad through five Avenues of Service, which are the foundation of club activity.
- Club Service focuses on making clubs strong. A thriving club is anchored by strong relationships and an active membership development plan.
- Vocational Service calls on every Rotarian to work with integrity and contribute their expertise to the problems and needs of society.
- Community Service encourages every Rotarian to find ways to improve the quality of life for people in their communities and to serve the public interest.
- International Service exemplifies our global reach in promoting peace and understanding. We support this service avenue by sponsoring or volunteering on international projects, seeking partners abroad, and more.
- Youth Service recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Youth Exchange.
The Club has been actively involved in extending Rotary by sponsoring the Rotary Clubs of Christiana, Black River and May Pen.
A Goal of World Peace, Goodwill, and Understanding
For years dedicated Rotarians hoped for a Rotary-sponsored academy promoting world peace, goodwill, and understanding. The concept was proposed in 1996 as the Paul Harris Centers for International Studies to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Rotary founder Paul Harris. Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Raja Saboo led a committee that recommended the creation of Rotary Centers at educational institutions worldwide where Rotary Fellows would obtain a graduate degree in international relations, conflict resolution, and peace studies.
INTRODUCTION:
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in the quest to offer "Service Above Self" and to build World Peace have reached out to a tiny dot on the World map-Jamaica, giving me a great opportunity to participate in one of their educational programs-The Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies at the Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok-Thailand.
It would be remiss of me to give a report on my participation in the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies Programme without recognizing and acknowledging with profound gratitude:-
The Rotary Club of Naples in Florida, USA, has donated 23 state-of-the-art electric beds and five reclining chairs, all worth over J$9 million, to the Mandeville Regional Hospital.
A ceremony to mark the official handing over of the supplies took place at the hospital Wednesday April 2nd, 2008.
There is an actual, physical chunk of brain that runs your emotions called the limbic brain. You can trace its development back a hundred million years. You can see it on an MRI. Every second you spend with other people, your limbic brain is tuning in to them, being changed by their moods, and changing theirs in turn. It's a constant, life-affirming limbic dance.
Experimental psychologists have known for decades that we share moods. If you don't believe me, just think of the people who make you feel better simply by walking into a room. These sorts of interactions feel so good (directly and unconsciously) that we would wither away without them. This is why you should never underrate the emotional side of your life.
Women are better than men at keeping the limbic dance going by working to ensure that families stay connected as the years go by and by building lasting friendships and deep connections from the many different aspects of their lives. High school and college friends, friends from work, friends from raising children together, from neighborhood committees, from shared vacations -- sure, some of these bonds and friendships fall away as part of the natural cycle of growing and changing, but most women find new friendships to replace them. Women who don't find close friendships, who have trouble keeping up connections, need to make an effort to change those patterns.
Here's a toast to the good tidings that the occasional glass of wine is something of a health drink. May your favorite Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir keep your heart strong, your HDL cholesterol high, and, possibly, your brain cells active and well connected! Alas, for some, that toast would be a preamble to a throbbing headache, especially if the wine is red. The red wine headache is a real-if poorly understood-phenomenon.
The Sulfite Story
Sulfites are possibly to blame. They are compounds that contain sulfur and a less-than-optimal number of oxygen atoms. Consequently, they "grab" oxygen before it can react with food and spoil it. In wine, sulfites also control bacteria that might otherwise digest the alcohol content, turning a $50 bottle into some very expensive vinegar. Some sulfites are created naturally during fermentation, as the yeast breaks down sugars in the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide. But wine makers often add more as a preservative.
Sulfites were once considered harmless, but in the 1980s, studies started to show that a small number of people (about 1%, according to the FDA) are sensitive to them. The FDA, therefore, prohibits the use of sulfites on fruit and vegetables intended to be eaten raw, so salad bars and your supermarket's produce section should be sulfite-free. Depending on their concentration levels and other factors, the sulfite compounds must be included in a food's list of ingredients. Most wines are emblazoned with a "contains sulfites" warning.