Haiti Club Assembly and Task Force meeting

We had a successful trip to Haiti on Thursday arriving late afternoon. We went immediately to TortugAir to secure our tickets to Jeremie which had been reserved by PDG Amos. They were well oversold and after some time we were able to get the actual tickets in hand. From there on to the hotel Montana to meet with DG Nathan from 6910 who had been talking to the Canadian Consulate and the USAID people about the Sustainable Water Master plan Resolution that the Water Summit had passed.

Great progress was made on that. They are all very interested in Rotaries role and have confidence that we can bring a level of support and continuity to it that will integrate well with the International Governmental initiatives currently in place and or being discussed. The question is, How big a bite is this for Rotary, and is it a Zone 33 - 34 project, or International or local Task Force. My gut tells me today it is some of each.

We met with the US ambassador Friday morning before leaving for the Club Assembly in Jeremie and she reinforced the comments made at the previous two meetings. She again pledged the support we would be asking for. Given the limited clarity on the direction and magnitude of this it is not clear what help we need just yet other than advice and information.

Thursday night we met with Marlene and her team Brad and Earl for a quite dinner. We discuss the Matching Grant that they had proposed for Cap Haitien and how to proceed.

Mid afternoon Thursday we flew to Jeremie and met up with a great team of Rotarians led by ADG Robert, his wife Rotarian Rosa and President Gaiten and many local Rotarians. See the great welcome banner.

We went up to our Hotel, set high on a hill with a great view of the ocean. We enjoyed a nice local meal and some fellowship before e going to a private bar located about 20 minutes away. There we just enjoyed an evening of local talent and fun. The band that was due to play from port Au Prince did not arrive so everyone improvised by singing, telling stories, jokes (clean) and reciting poetry. Carla said it best as some of the most talented people we have ever seen, and all of them rotarians did their thing. She said "Do you see what happens when you don't have television" Her comments were a very real check on what we have in parts of the worls and what we don't, and the difference t makes in the society we live in. Haiti despite the shortcomings in development etc has the basics of true social art and culture that most countries and societies today could not find if they had to.

This is a shower facility built by the Rotary Club of Jeremie. They realy get good use of it and love it.
We had a club Assembly which was held at the Mormon church on Saturday. A great program and well attended. the Le Cayes and Aquin team left Les Cayes by car at 3:00 AM in the morning and arrived around 10:00 AM after a very rough trip because it rained and a flat tire. Do Rotarians in your clubs and communities have that commitment.

I had a number of things to accomplish. We had D7150 down trying to complete a Matching Grant. Marlene had put together a MG which they came to have signed. What they learned was that what they wanted to do and what the community wanted were two very different things. because Marlene and her team made the trip down to Haiti, saw the situation and met with the Club and Task force, she was able to modify her Matching Grant to meet the needs of a community and to do a Matching Grant with a Club in cap Haitien where the Club and its leadership had a total buy in with it. great job Marlene and thank you for doing it the right way.

Off to Haiti agian!

Good day all,
Carla and I are off to a Assembly in Jeremie Haiti. We will be in Port Au prince tonight and off to Jeremie Friday to Sunday and then home.

While in Haiti we are reviewing MANY Task Force items as it is the end of the matching grants period so everyone is coming out of the woodwork to make the deadline of March 1st. Their lack of planning is now our emergency, funny how that works. Just as a side note, they may deal with 5 to 10 MG's per District per year. We currently have 84 on the books and many in the wings.

We are meeting with District 7150 to discuss a number of projects that they are contemplating as well.

We have a meeting set up with USAID and the US ambassador to discuss furthering the resolution from the Water Summit on the Master plan for Sustainable Water Supply for Haiti. Doesn't sound like to much slack time to me!!!


We have had a busy week at home, completing our Bathroom construction which was quite a challenge and a litany of Rotary meetings, related mostly to the Conference in May but also some on the GSE teams and some on projects in Nassau.

I am just getting in the ADG Club Reports and the Award applications from the Clubs and the District is doing exceptionally well. I will share all this information at the District Conference along with a continuous slide show of pictures taken throughout the District during our visits. That's about 1000 pictures and not all of them flattering as you can imagine.

They just called the flight so I will continue this later.

Dick

From then till now!!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

We’ve neglected the poor blog for the last few weeks. Let’s go back to where we left off.

Our Daytona trip. Every year for the past 7 we’ve spent Speed Week in Daytona Beach topping off with the Daytona 500 NASCAR Race. This year we left Nassau on February 13 with all our race gear and themed shirts, radios etc. Dick had a 2 hour Webinar sitting in a parking lot in Orlando with the Zone Committee. Carla got to go shopping! We arrived at the Night Swan in New Smyrna where we’ve been staying for 7 years; it’s become a home away from home. (our daughter Lissa got married there)

Thursday we spent at the track watching two races. Our daughter Lissa called to say “Gus” the pug had to be hospitalized for eating 26 Guineppes (I hope the spelling is right). Happy Valentines Day.

Friday we skipped the track and did some antiquing. Lots of great things to see, none to buy. We watched two movies and completely relaxed. I don’t think the cell phone even rang once.

Saturday we’re off to the track for the Nationwide Race. About five laps into the race, Lissa called to say “Gus” the pug had to be flown to Fort Lauderdale for surgery. One of the seeds was stuck and he was in distress. Needless to say we left the race, checked out of our great little hotel, gave away our Sunday Daytona 500 tickets and drove to Fort Lauderdale to meet Lissa’s plane and get Gus to the vet.
Gus
After many xrays and round the clock observation for 48 hours he was released without having to have surgery. However, we did have to find a “Dog Friendly” hotel where we could stay for 2 days to make sure everything was ok. In case you need one, the Sheraton Hotel at Griffin Road and I-95 in Fort Lauderdale is wonderful.

Gus and Meghen's Dog Pato enjoying the pool

Thank goodness a month has gone by and my temper has calmed so we won’t go into the awful treatment we received on American Airlines due to their ignorance. If they didn’t have a monopoly in our district I would never fly them again!

Due to American we missed our conference meeting and got home extremely late on the 20th only to find that our bathroom expansion that was supposed to have been finished was nowhere near being finished. The problems only got worse once we got home. Ending with the contractor being fired. The new contractors haven’t stopped laughing at the mess yet. The tub didn’t fit into the enclosure, the pipes were at an angle, the drain wasn’t in the proper place, the wiring didn’t go where it needed. Is this our pay back for trying to do construction during our very busy year?

Rotary wise: the conference is coming along nicely. Lots of activity at the meetings and lots of excitement. Don’t forget to register, time is running out.


The District Leadership Conference was held in Fort Lauderdale the end of February with DGE Rupert Ross at the helm. It’s always great to have everyone together, great fellowship and lots of sharing of ideas. Dick has asked to be the Haiti Liaison for the Haiti Task Force and Carla has been asked to be the Chair for Community Service Projects in the year 2008-09 for DGE Rupert. Rupert shared next year’s theme “Make Dreams Real” and shared RIPE D.K. Lee’s vision. Lots of side meetings were held, Conference Chairman Frank McGwier come over to meet with DG Phil Lustig (D-6930) and his Conference Chairman Chris concerning the joint conference. The Caribbean Partnership group (previously called Think Caribbean) met and discussed the booth in LA and the upcoming conference in July. And of course lots of fellowship.

GSE team development is taking form in all three areas. GSE selection has created a lot of awareness of Rotary in the areas where teams are being formed.
Carla ,DGNN Dianna, and PHF Jan
We are currently in St. Thomas for the Paul Harris dinner which was held last night. What a great function. Each club and the Inner Wheel recognized their honorees, some greatly surprised, others truly honoured. Here is an interesting piece of information. ADG Don Chandler is the only ADG with all 6 of his clubs under guidance of Women Presidents and also the ADG with all of his Clubs being Paul Harris Society Members. Great work!


Of course we would be remiss to not mention the great hospitality we have again been shown. PE Deepak and Gita hosted us to a fantastic Indian meal which must have taken Gita and the family days to create. What a wonderful time. Thank you again!

PE Deepaks wife Gita and their dog Prince


Club Leaders at the PHF function!


With my hand out!

ON REACH Radio

We were on Rotaries Radio Program REACH yesterday to share some thoughts on Rotary and to promote the GSE team. USVI north is working hard on the team selection and I have been assured by ADG Don that he will have a team by the end of this week. This trip we’ve had time to enjoy St. Thomas and more hospitality today at DGNN Diana and Roger White’s home. AG Don and Susan have been great looking after us like royalty-he even had gas in his car!


Enjoying the PHF dinner!


RID Barry Rassin and RIDE Eric Adamson have restructured what used to be the Think Caribbean Initiative, and it is now the Caribbean Partnerships. The structure has been slightly altered with the following appointments. I am very excited about this appointment and the opportunity it gives our District.

Structure:
Zone 34 Coordinator for The Caribbean Partnership
George Banning, PDG (04-05) 6890
Zone 33 Coordinator for The Caribbean Partnership
Byron Brill, PDG (07-08) 7570
Caribbean Coordinator for The Caribbean Partnership (Including the Haiti Task Force)
Richard McCombe, PDG (07-08) 7020

Chair for Club Partnerships J.V. Vlass, PDG (06-07) 6910
Chair for Disaster Relief including Satellite Phones Ruben Alfaras, PDG (06-07) 6890
Disaster Relief and Planning Jack Martin PDG (06-07) 6990
Chair for Communication & Follow Up David Edwards, PDG (04-05) 7030
Chair for Website Mike Thacker, PDG (03-04) 7710
Chair for Other Programs and Development Nathan Carmack, PDG (07-08) 6910 Including Development in Haiti
Member for Other Programs and Development Don Thomas, DGN (09-10) 6960
Catch The Wave Workshop Doug Palonder PDG (06-07) 6950
Advisory Committee Barry Rassin PRID (06-08)
Eric Adamson RID (08-10)
Milt Jones, PRID (06)

We’ll be on our way back to Nassau tonight with an overnight in Miami, and home tomorrow. We’ll keep you updated a little more regularly going forward.

DG Dick