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The Birmingham HOC would like to wish the Montreal HOC the very best of luck for the 101st Rotary Intenrational Convention
BIRMINGHAM, UK (24 June 2008) - John Kenny, a retired judge and notary from Grangemouth, Scotland, will take office as president of Rotary International on 1 July, becoming the first Scotsman to head the international humanitarian service organization in its 105-year history.
For more than 20 years, the eradication of polio has been Rotary’s top priority, and Kenny says he will devote his one-year term to the final push needed to vanquish the crippling, potentially deadly disease once and for all. Since Rotary vowed to end polio in 1985, cases have plunged by more than 99 percent, but Kenny says that’s not good enough.
“Until the day the earth is declared polio-free, this work must be our first priority, and our main focus,” Kenny told nearly 20,000 Rotary club members from more 150 countries at Rotary International’s annual convention in Birmingham. “It is up to us to finish the job.”
Kenny has traveled to India to immunize children against polio, a crippling and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in Africa, Africa and the Middle East.
Since the launch of Rotary’s PolioPlus program in 1985, Rotary members — who now number more than 1.2 million men and women in over 200 countries and geographical areas — have helped to immunize more than two billion children in 122 countries. As the lead private sector contributor and volunteer arm of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative - a public/private partnership spearheaded by Rotary, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF - Rotary has contributed US$800 million and countless volunteer hours to the cause.
Rotary is now working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to raise an additional $550 million in vital funds needed to finish off polio for good.
During his term, Kenny will also encourage Rotary clubs around the world to partner with local governments and non-governmental organizations to initiate projects that improve literacy rates, eliminate hunger and malnutrition, and provide clean water and sanitation to communities in developing countries.
“We in Rotary have potential that is unmatched by any other humanitarian organization in the world,” he said, adding that the water and sanitation issue is particularly important. “We must work to bring clean water to those who lack it, as well as ensure the safety of existing supplies. This is an area in which I have believed strongly, and worked consistently, for the last 20 years.”
Kenny joined the Rotary Club of Grangemouth in 1970 and has served Rotary International as a member of the Board of Directors and as a Rotary Foundation trustee. He is also a past president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.
A graduate of Glasgow University, Kenny is a past dean of his local law faculty and a retired judge and notary. He is past president of the Forth Valley Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Scottish Junior Chamber of Commerce and past general legal counsel of Jaycees International.
He was also appointed deputy lieutenant of his district by Queen Elizabeth II. Near the end of his term, he will preside at Rotary’s 2010 international convention, set for June 20-23 in Montreal, Canada.
The BBC has a regional website at www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/ for news, weather and travel information.
The website also has news coverage of the RI Convention with stories about Rotary, the people involved and the convention. Find out more now
The Birmingham Assay Office will be on stand 327 in the “House of Friendship” with staff dressed in Victorian costume and will promote items “Made and Hallmarked” in Birmingham’s Historic Jewellery Quarter.
The Birmingham Assay Office has been carrying out its statutory duty of testing and Hallmarking precious metals since 1773. The UK Hallmarking system is the oldest form of consumer protection; it provides an independent guarantee to the consumer and an effective way of policing the trade. It is as vital today as it was in 1300 when Hallmarking began in Britain. Read the rest of this entry »
VISIT US IN THE EXHIBITION AREA
Slavery is illegal in every country in the world, but making something illegal doesn’t make it cease to exist; making it illegal only causes it to vanish from view. Behind closed doors, in remote places and right under our noses, slavery has continued, making people rich, feeding our lifestyles and burning up lives. The current estimate of the numbers of people enslaved is 27 million - more than twice the number of people taken out of Africa during the 400 years of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Sadly, the majority of these slaves are children who are increasingly being exploited by unscrupulous land, factory and plantation owners. Read the rest of this entry »
Two castles, a ‘Royal’ spa town, historic buildings, a market square and history-steeped streets are three of the region’s richest towns are on your doorstep from the Convention Centre - just 20 minutes away - and all clustered together, so close, their boundaries meet.
Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick and Kenilworth are jewels in the lush Warwickshire countryside and are a must for visitors to the convention. They’re great places to eat well, shop in safety and comfort and amazing places to explore. You may have guessed - Royal Leamington Spa is home also to the website News Editor - trust me it’s great here.
Barbados’ largest steel band, the renowned Karmic Steel Orchestra, is performing at the 100th Rotary International Convention. As a group of talented and aspiring young musicians, Karmic is the perfect choice to tie in with the Convention’s theme of Youth and ‘Making the Dream Real’.
Formed in 2008, and under the musical directorship of acclaimed artist, David ‘Ziggy’ Walcott, the young performers from Karmic are aged from 15 to 23 years. They deliver world-class panmanship and are central to the development of the vibrant and sustainable steel pan community on the island. Not just a steel band, Karmic is an organisation with goals and objectives, which include the development of young musicians, training programmes, social activities and the facilitation of music examinations for its members.
Petra Roach, Vice-President Marketing Europe at the Barbados Tourism Authority, said, “We are thrilled that Karmic is representing Barbados at such a prestigious event and for such a worthwhile organisation as Rotary International. It is a fantastic honour for this young group, in their first year, and pays tribute to the strength of our relationship with Rotary.”
Karmic will perform in the ‘House of Friendship’. From music to food, the Barbados Tourism Authority will also be celebrating ‘Year of the Gourmet’ with a restaurant themed stand in the House of Friendship which this year will be the largest ever in the history of Rotary Conventions, attracting over 500 organisations and services.
The Barbados Tourism Authority is also looking to work closely with Birmingham Council in to develop a cultural exchange programme that could see Karmic visit schools in Birmingham to teach students how to play pan, as well as giving them an insight in to Barbados musical heritage. This follows on from a successful visit earlier this year by students from across Birmingham who were offered an insight in to the Bajan education system.
Karmic will perform at the following times at the Rotary Convention.
Saturday 20 June 2009 11.00 - 15.00 NEC
Sunday 21 June 2009 11.00 - 15.00 NEC
Monday 22 June 2009 11.00 - 15.00 NEC
Wednesday 24 June 2009 11.00 - 15.00 NEC
The Group will also attend the forthcoming Taste of London festival in Regent’s Park from 18 to 21 June where they will perform at two special functions - for travel agents and for the media.
Wright Hassall has proved to be just the ticket for Rotary International’s 100th Convention being held in Birmingham later this month. Read the rest of this entry »
Rotary Club Cheltenham
IT Schools Africa is a UK charity working to transform IT education in the some of the poorest countries of Africa. The charity collects obsolete computers and, with the aid of volunteers and prison workshops, refurbishes them and distributes them to schools in Africa. The computers enable the schools to provide children with basic IT skills, significantly improving their job prospects. With the support of Rotary clubs in the UK and Africa, ITSA has sent over 20,000 computers to Africa, equipped over 1,000 schools with IT suites and trained over 500 teachers. The charity currently has programmes in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Egypt.
IT Schools Africa is seeking support from Rotary clubs across the world to allow it to continue its work and expand its programme to other countries. UK clubs can support the charity by collecting computers and transporting them to the Cheltenham warehouse. Rotarians can meet the team from IT Schools Africa and pledge their support in the House of Friendship Booth 185. We are seeking your help to break the 30,000 barrier.