The Interact Club of Episcopal School of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, is the grand-prize winner of the 2011 Interact video contest with its entry, “Change 4 Change.”

The video tells the story of how students at the Episcopal School of Knoxville collaborated to produce an illustrated children’s book about the worldwide effort to eradicate polio. Managed by eighth-grade Interactors and club advisers Laurie Coburn and Susan Lancaster, the book aims to raise funds and build awareness for Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.

Take a moment to see what Rotary President Elect Sakuji Tanaka had to say about the theme for the 2012-2013 Rotary year.

"Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary," he said. "Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways."

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King.  In this day and age of long and painful speeches, it's difficult to imagine the impact of MLK's most famous speech happened in just 17 minutes.

Believe it or not, the "I Have a Dream" speech was originally titled "Normalcy, Never Again." and the first drafts never included the phrase "I have a dream". The popular title "I have a dream," came from the speech's greatly improvised content and delivery. Near the end of the speech, famous African American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted to Dr. King from the crowd, "Tell them about the dream, Martin." Dr. King stopped delivering his prepared speech and started "preaching", punctuating his points with "I have a dream."  

First and foremost, our President Elect for the 2012-2013 year will be Davis Hein. Davis has already spent the first part of this year as President Elect and is looking forward to his year at the helm. Thank you Davis for your service! We might need to check, but it's quite possible that Davis is our club's youngest President ever.

It's election day.  We have a great collection of candidates, don't miss Tuesday's meeting and the vote!

Board membership is a 3-year term,  The same holds for a club president (1 year as President-Elect, 1 year as president, then 1 year as Past-President.)

These candidates all deserve a hand for their willingness to give of themselves and their time.  Please come support them this Tuesday with your vote.

In Rotary, we are the example of our ideals.  To this end, we have instituted strict campaign finance reform.  All candidates have adhered to our strict ethical code.  No candidate is accepting campaign donations.  All of them, however, are open to congratulatory libations after the vote is complete. 

Thanks to the Idaho Mountain Express for the tips on disposing Christmas Trees:

How to dispose of trees:

1. Call Clear Creek Disposal (726-9600) to pick it up at a small charge

2. Take your cleaned tree to Ohio Gulch at no charge, or

3. The Wood River High School Band will recycle trees on Saturday, Jan. 7
   (call Sandra at 481-0389 or Sharon at 720-7454 to arrange a pick up).
   Proceeds help the WRHS Band raise funds for their trip to Anaheim, Calif, next spring for the Heritage Music Festival and Competition.

Believe it or not, it's scholarship season!  Blaine County graduating seniors are filling out their scholarship forms now.  These applications are due by Feb 27.  If you know an elgible student, encourage them to fill out the application and submit it to their school counselor.

There's some talk about putting together a Santa Reception for kids at the Blaine County Senior Center.  The concept is to get with the Hailey club and treat local kids to Santa, pictures, and some ice cream.  Along the way we get to promote Rotary and the Scoops ice cream parlor.

If you're interested, let me, Will Duke, know as soon as possible.  And if you know a photographer who will donate their efforts, they don't need to be a professional, that would be terrific!

The Blaine County Senior Center had a successful event Saturday night.  Big thanks to Mark for getting me to volunteer.  I had a great time.  It was my first Festival, and the auction was exhilarating!

I think next year we should team up with our Hailey friends and decorate a Rotary tree.  What do you think would belong on it? 

Friday night was a rousing success!  If you couldn't make it, check out the photo gallery.  If you did make it, but want to relive an excellent evening, check out the photo gallery.

Everyone I spoke with had a great time and is looking forward to next year! 

What do Big Hair, Country Music and Rotary have in common?  In 2009, RI announced a collaborative arrangement with the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library program. Since then, hundreds of Rotary clubs in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have initiated literacy projects.

Check out Rotary's website to learn more about how Rotary is teaming up with Dolly Parton to promote literacy.

According to a public image survey commissioned by Rotary International in 2010, people are much more likely to know about Rotary and perceive it positively as a charitable organization if they personally know a Rotarian.

Note the interesting point that "an average of only 16 percent of respondents said they would be likely to join a local Rotary club."   How many people live in this valley?  Mathematically, we're missing members. 

When was the last time you talked about Rotary to someone outside of Rotary? 

Click here to read more about this interesting survey.

If you haven't already done so, hurry on over to our website and sign up for the Holiday Celebration!  We will be dining on fine eats and dancing to groovy beats!

Holiday Celebration, this Friday at the Limelight room in Sun Valley.  Be there or be square!

Mercy Ships and the Rotary Foundation from Rotary International on Vimeo.

Rotarians will help improve the delivery of vital health care services to West Africa through  a new strategic partnership between The Rotary Foundation and the global charity Mercy Ships.

The Holiday celebration is coming up very quickly, December 2.  We have opened registration to everyone in the district, and, depending on space, any Rotarian interested in joining us in a night of fellowship and fun.

If you haven't registered yet, don't wait any longer! 

This Thursday at 5:00 we will be enjoying family and friendship.  Unfortunately the weather forecast indicates a 46 degree high!  BRRRRRR.

If you, or someone you know, has access to a location with indoor amenities as well as the ability to grill up those burgers and dogs outdoors,  please let me know as soon as possible.  We'll have more fun if we're not freezing.

While the 1989 Council on Legislation vote to admit women into Rotary clubs worldwide remains a watershed moment in the history of Rotary, the story began long before that.

Here is a ten-minute video from Rotary Video Magazine on the topic of Women in Rotary.  My!  how times change!

Well, another race is in the can.  The quck and dirty numbers, $51,265 in ducks sales, and 13,058 ducks.  Tom took home the big prize for #1 sales.  Curt Chambers' team took home the prize for top sales team.

Thanks to everyone who showed up Saturday & Sunday to help with sales and the event itself.  We had a big crew helping pull everything down, which makes it fast and easy.  And, judging by the smile, laughter and noise level at the Sawtooth club afterwards, everyone had a good time.

2009 wasn't a great year in the fight for poliio.  2010 was.  We Rotarians were part of knocking 2009 numbers down 95% in India and Nigeria.  

We're so close.  Right now is push to finish, or slide backwards.  As we struggle personally with the state of the US & global economy it's easy to forget that there are people struggling with something much more personal.  Right now is the time to finish.

You can learn more about Polio and Rotary's role in its eradication at Rotary International's website. 

Every year we send a couple of local kids to RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy.)  This year's camp is coming up soon, Aug 4 - Aug 7.

If you have ever attended District Conference, or any District 5400 event where they talk about RYLA, you've heard people say how amazing it is.  You've heard people say that it changes a young person's life.  Well, I've heard those things.  Many times.  I've heard stories about parents begging/bribing/forcing their kids to go.  Sullen teenagers who don't want to waste their time.  Then the story goes that the kid comes back and apologizes for their previous behavior.  Swears they won't be that kid anymore.  

Can you even imagine having that kind of impact on a person?

Have you ever wondered what goes on there?

There's a quick story about it on the district website.  but even more fun, especially for the lazy who won't read, last year they made a video.  Check this out!

I am fortunate to experience many rewarding moments as President

UPDATE:  The Club Board chose two campers from a handful of applicants.

August 5 to August 8, 2010 at College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls. E vents include a CSI ropes course, which shows the teens the importance of team work and trust and a cultural walk to teach the importance of communication with many other outstanding speakers and interactive activities