Stories
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A worthy scholarshipThis year, Bach Vu, a young man from Vietnam, has received a global grant from Rotary to study International Human Rights Law at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Our Club is one of the sponsoring clubs and RC Rijswijk will support Bach throughout his time at the University. |
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Welcome Message from the President Saiz Hassan MamunDear Rotarians and Friends, I am honored to serve as the President of Rotary Club Prague International for this 2024-2025 year. Our club thrives on diversity, unity, and a shared commitment to service above self. Together, we have accomplished significant projects, from local community support to international aid. It is my goal to continue this tradition together with our exceptional club as we have fun wile doing good. As we move forward, let's continue our mission with enthusiasm and compassion. I encourage everyone to participate actively in our initiatives and bring innovative ideas to our club. Together, we can make a lasting impact. Yours in Rotary, Saiz Mamun Hassan President, Rotary Club Prague International 2024-2205 |
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❗REGISTER - RCPI Charity Gala Evening - 9 November 2024❗ |
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4 Days of cycling and Rotary friendshipRCPI and especially its cycling section were thrilled to host 101 Rotarian cyclists from all over the world for 4 Days of cycling and Rotary friendship. The 2024 was the 33rd edition of the 4 Days cycling event taking place for the first time in the state capital Prague and in the former 'iron wall' country. Due to this fact and probably also due to the most horrible weather one could imagine for cycling - this edition has been called legendary... Legendary also because of a wonderful cooperation of participants esp. those who took part in so called Epic rides to Prague from Austria, Germany and Poland contributing largely to the outcome of charity donations in following forms: Austrians collecting USD 100.000 (to be tripled by Gates foundation) to combat polio, Germans riding to support delivery of Buffalo bikes to Africa (100 in total to be complemented by 100 pieces from RCPI) and last but not least - RCPI contributing CZK 200.000 for tree planting to Nadace Partnerstvi. Partner program managed to accomplish the most of Prague highlights - Prague Castle and the Old Town the first day, tour in Jewish Quarter next day and due to the horrible weather - pouring rain - there was a lecture in the hotel and a visit to the Centre of Contemporary Art in DOX. We are all looking forward to 2025 four Days taking part in Cereste-en-Luberon from May 28th - June 1st 2025. ALL HAIL CYCLING IN RCPI !!! |
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Join Us for 4 Days Prague Cycling EventWe're thrilled to welcome you to our exciting 4-day cycling extravaganza taking place in the heart of Prague from May 29th to June 2nd, 2024. Hosted by the esteemed Rotary Club Prague International, this event promises an unforgettable experience for cycling enthusiasts and adventurers alike. Event Highlights:
You can find more information, including registration information, at the 4 Days Prague website here https://4days-prague.cz/. |
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Celebrating the Spirit of Giving: RC Prague International's Christmas Event at Zatec Children's Home9 December 2023 - As the festive season wrapped its warmth around us, Rotary Club Prague International embraced the true essence of Christmas – the joy of giving. In a heartwarming celebration at the children's home in Zatec, Czech Republic, we not only brought festive cheer to the young residents but also honored an extraordinary individual, Mgr. Lenka Woloszczuková, for her dedication and service. |
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A Heartwarming Gesture of Support: Rotaract Club Prague International Reaches Out to Ukrainian Refugee ChildrenPrague, Czech Republic - In a heartwarming display of solidarity and compassion, the Rotaract Club Prague International recently conducted a remarkable event, bringing a ray of hope to Ukrainian refugee children in the Czech Republic. This event, made possible by the generous financial support of the Rotary Club Prague International, encapsulated the spirit of community service and international fellowship. The gathering, marked by enthusiasm and a shared commitment to making a difference, saw members of the Rotaract Club Prague come together to prepare and package eight personalized gift sets. These gifts, destined for the hands of young Ukrainian refugees, were not just items but symbols of love, care, and support from a community standing with them in their time of need. Hleb Tkachenko, the Vice President of the Rotaract Club Prague International, was very happy about the event. It wasn't just fun; it was a manifestation of Rotaract Prague's dedication to service above self. Thanks to the Rotary Club Prague International, Rotaract Prague members were able to turn our compassion into action, providing these children with something to smile about. Photographs from the meeting, which capture the essence of this charitable endeavor, offer a glimpse into the joy and teamwork that characterized the day. The images depict club members in high spirits, diligently assembling the gift sets, each item carefully selected to bring joy to the young recipients. This event is not just a one-time gesture but a part of an ongoing commitment by the Rotaract and Rotary Clubs to provide support and solace to those affected by the crisis in Ukraine. It serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that compassionate acts can have, bringing light into the lives of those who need it most. As the Rotaract Club Prague International continues its efforts, they stand as a beacon of hope, demonstrating the power of community and the enduring spirit of international solidarity. |
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Seeking Sponsors: Join Us in Making a Difference TogetherOur passion for creating positive change constantly drives us forward. As an NGO committed to support communities across the world, for the last three years we have been working tirelessly to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young adults without parents. However, we understand that our vision cannot be realized without the invaluable support of sponsors who share our dedication to making the world a better place. We are currently seeking sponsors who believe in our mission and are eager to contribute to our initiative Speechless Reconciliation. Speechless Reconciliation is a program for children without parental care in the age 16-21 and give those youngsters opportunities to build understanding and create bridges between themselves and to expand their vision of what it is possible to achieve in their own lives. |
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Exploring the Transformative Power of Coaching with Horses with KarinAt Rotary Club Prague International, we are always on the lookout for inspiring individuals who are making a positive impact in our community. Recently, two of our members, Radka Rajska and Sanan Phutrakul, had the privilege of visiting Karin Genton-L'Epée at Coaching with Horses. This unique organization, located at www.coachingwithhorses.cz, combines the wisdom and intuition of horses with the transformative practice of coaching. Join us as we delve into the incredible work Karin and her team are doing with these magnificent creatures. |
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Speechless Reconciliation Gala🎉✨ Celebrating an Unforgettable Evening of Giving and Joy at the Fundraiser Event! ✨🎉 We are thrilled to share the incredible success of our recent fundraiser event organized by our Club for the Speechless Reconciliation program that took place on June 3, 2023 at the Kaiserštejnský palác on Malá Strana in the heart of Prague. It was a night filled with laughter, heartfelt connections, and an outpouring of generosity. |
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Another new member!Today, we have pinned a new member, Glacier! We are very happy to have him on board and look forward to the good and fun we will do and have together. |
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A new beginning for the futureOn 24 February, Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result millions of Ukrainians fled the country and sought a refuge in the neighboring countries, such as Poland, Romania, Moldavia, Slovakia or Czech Republic. The majority of them are women, children, elderly and disabled people. Some of them moved further west in their attempt to seek for a shelter were youngsters and children from organizations such as SOS Children's Villages Ukraine. In April, we organized a special camp for the youngsters without parents that had to flee Ukraine. Theme of the camp was: "A new beginning for a better future". |
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25 years of RCPIOn April 17, 2023 we have celebrated 25 years of existence of our Club! |
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Another FUN!This time, we met in a café Ty Kávo and enjoyed Stand Up Comedy show! We laughed so much that at the end of the show we were not able to speak... :-) Guess who also performed? Casey! Watch yourself here: https://youtu.be/vqty3TPeW8M |
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Rotary and Peace throughout the WorldOn February 20, 2023 we were honored by Paula Boyd-Billings of Rugby Saturday Breakfast from District 1060 (UK) who visited our regular meeting in NH Hotel Prague City. Paula came to Prague to look for a friend's cat and soon realized that our Club speaks English. A great opportunity to make new friendship for all of us! We even made it to the District 1060 Newsletter - see for yourself here. |
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We are growing!Yay! We have a new member! Gavin started visiting our Club in September last year and since then has been very active. He has been visiting us regularly, supported our projects, e.g., Indian Food Helps!, and also enjoyed our FUN meetings. We are happy to have him on board and are looking forward to our friendship.
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We Karaoke! |
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Dragon Boat Charity Challenge 2023We are happy to announce The 13th Fabulous Year of the ROTARY DRAGON BOAT CHARITY CHALLENGE on 13th May 2023 at Žluté lázně, Podolské nábřeží 3/1184, 140 00 Praha 4 - Podolí. The 13th Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is a part of the Prague Dragon Boat Festival - the oldest Dragon Boat race in Czech Republic - organized by Czech Dragon Boat Association. |
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Christmas PartyOn December 19, 2022 we hold a Christmas party for our friends from Ukraine. About 30 friends enjoyed an evening full of festive atmosphere, good food, and pleasant music. At the end, Santa Claus left some gifts for the kids. What a nice surprise!
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Gerry's Birthday PartyWe raised 41,000 CZK during one small birthday party! This sum will be shared between our Kenyan students fund, our Indian Schools project and the Peter James Association. In each case it will help to make a big difference to the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. |
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District 2240 Governor's visitToday, we had a special guest! District Governor, George Podzimek, visited us at our meeting in the Hotel Fitzgerald. First, he talked to the Board and later to the whole Club. We discussed situation in the District and received thanks for being such an exemplary Club! |
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Christmas Market in Mozart |
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Friendship it is what makes the differenceOn November 8, 2022 we met with friends from Rotary Club Ljubljana International and signed Friendship Agreement to start our cooperation. The ceremonial signing in the Savoia Castle in Škvorec was accompanied by beautiful paintings from young artists, delicious meals, tuneful nice music and good mood of all participants.
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Piano Party!At the beginning of November, we raised 10,000 CZK at the Piano Party, we organized as part of FUN Meetings in the Hotel Fitzgerald. We donated the funds to Appla Jižní Čechy, a Czech NGO helping individuals and their families with autism. It was a very special evening full of music performed by our own members Ota and Lucie Hlídek. We also helped a bit – see yourself at this link. What a great band we would be! |
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Indian Food Helps! Again!Once again, for two weeks commencing 31 October you can enjoy great Indian lunches prepared by The Curry House Restaurant, voted the Best Curry in Prague. All the proceeds from this action go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, school bags, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families. One lunch will enable us to buy 2 school bags or two girls uniforms. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. All proceeds will be spent on material needs of the children and the school. There are no administration costs, no salaries, we are all volunteers! Click at Read more to make an order for yourself and your friends!
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Alley for Sir Nicholas WintonWe have celebrated the 28th October in style! We planted trees at Račiněves to commemorate Sir Nicholas Winton and him saving 669 Jewish children. The event was organized by Nadace Partnerství and supported by our Rotary Club Prague International. We planted 91 trees and 58 bushes not far from the legendary Říp mountain. Prime Minister Petr Fiala attended the event in the morning and Czech railways provided the transportation for volunteers. We were touched to meet 4 children saved by Nicholas Winton - Lady Milena Grenfell - Baines, Mrs. Zuzana Marešová, Lord Alfred Dubs and pplk. Jiri Pavel Kafka. Visit the alley and read the messages for the future we have left there.
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10th Prague Rotary Bowling CupOn Tuesday October 25, together with members from other Prague Rotary clubs, we stretched our muscles at the 10th Prague Rotary Bowling Cup, organized by RC Ekumena. The competition was tough. Eight teams were playing hard and all were great! And the winner of the Cup? Mamun’s daughter! Come next year so you can win the trophy yourself! |
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SANANIM Gala 2022The 32nd Anniversary SANANIM Charity Gala, honoring the oldest NGO of its kind in the Czech Republic, returned this year with an evening of celebration in the Martinický Palác. Organized by Naomi Sullivan-Callender and Rotary Club Prague International and coordinated by Alexa Entertainment, the event was attended by many friends of SANANIM, members of several Rotary Clubs in Prague and several VIPs. All were excited to attend the red carpet event of the season after a two year hiatus to commemorate SANANIM for its achievements in the community, raise money and have a fun evening with friends "doing good".
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We call them FUN MEETINGS!Don't want to sit through all your meetings including the Rotary ones? Don't worry! Every Monday we meet somewhere else than at our regular meeting place and have fun. We call them FUN Meetings. This month we went for a walk to Petřín and enjoyed the beautiful views of Prague. See yourself in the picture. Surely after the walk we, being hungry, had a delicious dinner and a glass (or two) of Czech beer in the restaurant Kolkovna nearby. Guess who loves "smažák"?
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Wow, what a camp!!!What a powerful and unforgettable week it was for the participants, group leaders, project team, volunteers and Rotary members. It was a week that will be remembered by many for a long time. In the following paragraphs you can briefly read about what happened during 10 days of August 2022 when 35 youngsters from six different countries - Lithuania, Kosovo, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia - came to the Czech Republic as part of our program Speechless Reconciliation. |
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First charity event on behalf of the Speechless Reconciliation projectOn Saturday, 28th of May together with our partners from Late Night Diplomacy and Lastavica, we have organized the first edition of a charity event with the aim to raise funds for the organization of the summer camp for almost 100 youngsters from homes for children without parental care from different countries in the region of Western Balkans. Apart from our main intention to raise funds, we also wanted people to come to celebrate our first year of the Speechless Reconciliation together with other supporters.
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A WELCOME FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT
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Rotary Club Prague International is a member of Keeping Children SafeWe are delighted to announce that as part of our strategy to strive for the best possible policy of child protection in the Speechless Reconciliation project and beyond we, as a Rotary Club Prague International, have recently become members of the global organization called Keeping Children Safe. |
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RCPI Dawn Ride 2021Our members and friends participated in our traditional annual Dawn Ride across Prague starting before sunrise of the longest day of 2021, followed by a lovely breakfast.
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Baking for Kladno HospitalFollowing up on the success of the Kladno Hospital Easter Baking project, after reaching out to the Bc. Barbora Pittnerova from the hospital, Nina and Karin decided to repeat the Baking Project before Christmas. Thanks to the support of our fabulous Rotarians members and friends (Jana J., Andreas, Roman, Gerry, Nelly, Alica, Mamun, Yvonne and Veronicah) as well as our wonderful non-Rotarian friends, on Saturday November 21st, 26 boxes filled with delicious cakes and dessert were delivered to the Kladno Hospital. Many thanks to those who contributed to this wonderful project and a big THANK YOU to Karin for organisning it. |
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Nina Hustedova AppealThe daughter of our dear friend, Birger Husted, lost her life in tragic circumstances in Prague on Friday, 6th November, 2020. Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go to Birger and his family. Nina's life dream was to build a senior home with a kindergarten. When Nina’s grandmother died in Denmark, she and her sister Anna worked over the summer helping in the local retirement home. Nina was very impressed by the kindness, care, love, and opportunity for senior citizens to have a decent life in the facility and wanted to build a senior home that would operate on similar principles in their home country of Czech Republic. Unfortunately, Nina left us forever, so this dream cannot be fulfilled by her. But it can be fulfilled for her. Nina's family together with closest friends would like to enhance and improve senior living in the Czech Republic by initiating a senior home concept whereby senior citizens will find understanding and love, where there will always be things to do and where everyone will find their place and dignity. The family are presently studying the best way to launch this concept and will share further details in the coming weeks. Our club would like to support the family to make Nina's dream come true. This dream describes in the best way what Nina was like. It is a dream that the family want to spread as much as possible among as many people as possible. Nina’s family have decided to start a collection in her name with our support, so that she can continue to help others. You can make a donation HERE. A Facebook page has also been set up where updates will be posted. |
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Indian Food Helps!For one week commencing 19 October you can once again enjoy great Indian lunches prepared by The Curry House Restaurant, voted the Best Curry in Prague. A second week of this service is planned for the week commencing 2 November. All the proceeds from this action go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, school bags, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families. One lunch will enable us to buy 2 school bags or two girls uniforms. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. All proceeds will be spent on material needs of the children and the school. There are no administration costs. Please order your food by 18:00 pm the day before required using our on-line order form at www.indianfoodhelps.cz Payment should be made with order by debit or credit card Delivery will be between 11.30 – 13.30 Home Working? Have Indian food delivered to your door (Minimum order 4 meals). Since they are cooked fresh on the day you can pop what you do not eat in the freezer and enjoy it another day.
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Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal Albanian NightThe Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal Albanian Night was a great success last Friday 28th August, with the Albanian Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ilirian Kuka as the Guest of Honour. We were so lucky to have our District Governor Nominee George Podzimek as our Master of Ceremonies – he was marvellous. We had 55 people and 4 children come to the evening – programme attached; it was a great turnout! However, we had many more donations from those who could not attend, both due to Covid and other commitments, as well as from our Club Fun Evening fund raiser Curry Night. The Albanian Night was a very enjoyable evening at the International Hotel in Prague 6 (outside until the rain came!) with delicious Mediterranean food, beer, wine, soft drinks ; fantastic mood music provided by a violinist and musician/singer Roberto Caporali, and Stuart provided an exhibition of the Sky Hydrant and other DA Europe information. There was also terrific Tombola and Auction (attached prize list). And the Ambassador with his wife stayed and enjoyed the event until 22.00. In fact most did not want to leave even at 22.30! Disaster Aid Europe, a project of this club (RC Prague International) raised over 100,000czk during this evening! an amazing result and so A BIG THANK YOU to all sponsors of the Auction and Tombola, and above all A BIG THANK YOU to all who either donated through a ticket purchase (700czk from each ticket sale was a donation) or sent a donation. The proceeds of the evening were based on ticket sales (as stated before, each participant paid a ticket price which included an amount to cover the cost of the evening plus also a donation), an auction of 5 prizes and a Tombola of about 37 prizes. The leading Auction prize, donated by RC Durres, Albania, Disaster Aid Europe’s partner in DAE’s work in Albania was 5 – 7 nights hotel stay for 2 people in either Hotel Kitarrat or Hotel Arvi, Durres, Albania and this was won by one of the DAE Trustees and member of our Club (Immediate Past President), Fernanda Escobar Illoldi! Congratulations! Disaster Aid Europe thanks all of you (DAE member, RCPI members, friends and family) who contributed to making the evening such an enjoyable success! Including other donations plus a final ‘top up’ of 248euro from our own RCPI club, Disaster Aid Europe Sky Hydrant Appeal has now achieved its target of 5,000euro! So soon the purchase of a Sky Hydrant will be made, sent from Disaster Aid Australia direct to Albania, and then Stuart Amesbury, a DAE Trustee and RCPI member will travel to Durres help the RC Durres team to install it at a University facility, hopefully in October! You can see the full album of pictures HERE Thank you again everyone!! Irena Brichter |
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Indian food helps!Buy a lunch which is delivered to you and help seniors in the Czech Republic. During this challenging COVID-19 time, Rotary Club Prague International is helping a local charity ŽIVOT 90 by making and delivering lunches throughout Prague. ŽIVOT 90 will use financial assistance to purchase protective clothing and equipment for volunteers to help seniors safely and effectively. You can once again enjoy great Indian lunches prepared by The Curry House Restaurant which was voted the Best Curry in Prague Your contribution will make a difference so please order a lunch! The programme will run for two weeks from Tuesday 14.4. to Friday 24.4.2020 You can also make additional donations to our project at : darujme.cz/projekt/1202809 or to: Rotary Club Prague International, Unicredit Bank a.s. account no. 2500440001/2700
For other enquiries please write to us at: indianfoodhelps@gmail.com |
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Vesela Koruna ContributionsEven though we can't meet in person for the moment, many of us would still like to contribute to "Vesela Koruna" (Happy Dollar). Please use use the link below to donate! All proceeds go to the Rotary Foundation and/or Polio Plus Fund. |
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Important Announcement Regarding COVID-19Dear Rotarians and friends of our club, As you will be aware, the Czech government has declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "With effect from today, 12th of March 2020 at 14.00, theatre, music, film and other artistic performances, sports, cultural, religious, dance, exhibitions, festivals, pilgrimages, shows, markets, fairs, educational events, both public and private, with a participation of more than 30 people at the same time, are prohibited. This measure does not apply to meetings of constitutional bodies, public authorities, courts and other public or private persons." In conformity with the state of emergency, the Board of RCPI has taken the decision to suspend our weekly meetings until further notice. In the first phase until April 20th, as the state of emergency will last 30 days. Thank you for your understanding and I extend my good wishes to your families. Yours in Rotary, Fernanda |
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The 2020 Charity Dragon Boat ChallengeDůležitá zpráva: Charitativní závod Rotary Dračích lodí 2020
Aktuální situaci a opatření proti šíření Coronaviru mají bohužel dopad i na tuto tradiční charitativní akci. Plánovaný termín 23. května je zrušen a závody se neuskuteční. Stále doufáme, že se nám podaří naplánovat náhradní termín v září, ale vše záleží na vývoji situace a samozřejmě také zájmu týmů a posádek. V každém případě budeme všechny příznivce a podporovatele Dračích lodí včas informovat. Děkujeme všem posádkám a podporovatelům našeho Rotary klubu za trvalou podporu a pochopení. Přejeme nám všem pevné zdraví a abychom se mohli zase brzo vrátit zpět k normálnímu životu. Rotary Club Prague International
Important news: Rotary Dragon Boats Charity Race 2020
Unfortunately, the current situation and protective measures against the spread of Coronavirus have also an impact on this traditional charity event. The scheduled date of May 23 is canceled, and the Dragon Boats charity race will not take place. We still hope that we will be able to organize an alternative date in September, but it all depends on the development of the situation and of course, on the interest of paddling teams. We promise to inform all teams and supporters of Dragon Boats in advance. We would like to thank all the paddling teams and supporters of our Rotary club for their continued support and understanding. We wish us all good health and we hope for all of us to be able to return to normal life soon. Rotary Club Prague International |
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"Thank You" from SANANIMThe SANANIM Gala, organised by our very own Naomi, was a great success and raised substantial funds for the charity who thanked us in a delightful letter: Our Dearest Naomi & David, all members of RCPI, volunteers, friends, We sincerely thank you for once again absolutely perfect and heartfelt organization of the best-of-the-year event dedicated to SANANIM ! The 29th SANANIM Anniversary Gala at Zlata Praha was indeed splendid, as always. We can't thank you enough for all your efforts, as we fully realize that the organization is highly demanding. Thank you for bringing together such an amazing group of people, brave and mature enough to support our non-popular topic. Even after the five years, it is hard for us to believe, that thanks to you, so many people are willing to help our cause. We may repeat ourselves, but it is still very rare. You and your friends are totally unique in your attitude, personal values and generosity. Thank you for bringing these values to the Czech Republic! Thank you for keeping the Gala night amusing, warm, entertaining and so pleasant for everybody. Your long term support means for all of us in SANANIM more than can be expressed by words. Please, do stay with us, we will do our best to nurture our friendship forever. Thank you ! We are looking forward to seeing you and your friends soon ! |
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Christmas curry for a good causeFor the first time Rotarians offered a Xmas Curry at the market organised by the Park Lane International school on Valdštejnsnká, thanks to the invitation of Lucie and Ota Hlidek.Three popular curries were prepared by our Rotarian Mamun and they were very well received by visitors to the market. the result was we raised 8,000 Kč for our Indian Schools project. Elsewhere on the market Ota and Lucie were kept busy selling mistletoe for the benefit of Sananim. Another successful fun and fund raising event has been added to the RCPI calendar!" |
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RCPI is InternationalRotary's world wide reach and presence is never more apparent than when we greet our exchange students. At a recent club meeting four of the students presented the Rotary flags from their clubs from Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Welcome to a global family: doing good and having fun. |
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Pavel Fischer @ RCPIRCPI was privileged and delighted to host Pavel Fischer as our guest speaker at our recent club meeting. Pavel is a Czech independent politician, diplomat and senator who graduated from Charles University and also successfully finished Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in Paris. He served as Head of the Department of Politics in the office of the Czech president Vaclav Havel. In 2018 he was a candidate in the Czech presidential election and finished in third place. He was subsequently elected to the Czech Senate where he holds the position of the Chair of International Committee. In his speech to Rotarians and Guests, Pavel talked about Vaclav Havel and politics and linked the past with the present. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, Pavels speech and thoughts were extremely poignant and thought provoking. Club President Fernanda and Club Sectretary Helena thanked Pavel for taking the time and for enthralling us with his words. |
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Mistletoe for Charity 2019After the tremendous success last year RCPI is once again offering Mistletoe for Charity:
Let’s have a Great Campaign and thus supporting SANANIM on their incredibly important mission of prevention, treatment and re-socializing people! Thank you all in advance for your contribution to the success of Mistletoe Campaign 2019! Jan Bohacek & Mistletoe Campaign Team 2019 Mobile 724607400 |
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SANANIMThe SANANIM Gala was a great success and it is still possible to make donations via our on-line portal. Remember, there is a benefactor who will increase the total amount depending on how much has been donated. Go on - cut out Starbucks this week and donate the money to SANANIM through RCPI! Click HERE to make an on-line donation |
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2019 SANANIM Anniversary GalaA huge THANK YOU to Naomi SullivanCallender for organising the SANANIM Gala Evening which once again raised funds for this amazing and life transforming charity. SANANIM provides services in the area of prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions. SANANIM has a number of different programmes including an Outreach Program where the primary goal is to find the risk users of injected non-alcoholic drugs directly in the streets, to protect them (and, at the same time, the healthy population that is in everyday contact with them) from infectious diseases, to motivate them keep them in the best social and medical state possible before they decide to abstain form substances all together. "It is wonderful to see so many generous supporters this evening", said event organiser Naomi. "The funds raised this evening will go towards transforming lives and make a real difference to individuals and families and I would like to thank everyone who contributed on the evening and also the generous supporters and sponsors of the event." Wonderful company, delicious food, amazing auction prizes accompanied by live swing music from Peter Kroutil and his band made this an evening to remember. This really was an evening which exemplified our Rotary club motto: "having fun - doing good". See the pictures of the event HERE
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Indian Food really helps - new record set!Dear Friends & Rotarians,
Thank you very much for your help and support for this year's Indian Food Helps! fund raiser for our Indian schools project. Thanks to you, whether you promoted, ordered food for yourself, delivered food, or all three as some Rotarians did. We sold 735 lunches which is 10 more than last year and a new record. As a result we made 59,260 Kč which is also a record. Very well done. A thank you mail has been sent to every organisation and individual who ordered along with the certificate of appreciation which is attached also for you. Special thanks must go first and naturally to Mamun without whose hard work and generosity this would not be possible and also to our dedicated delivery Superstars who did a truly amazing job this year. We will be in India once again in January to see how our efforts help more children and more schools. If you are interested in joining, do please contact me. Best regards, Gerry Tipple |
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Thank you to Allianz and Eva NagajováEva Nagajová from Allianz Insurance has been a great supporter of Rotary Club Prague International by providing public liability insurance for the club. "In the very unlikely situation that something should happen at one of our RCPI Events it is very reassuring to know that we are covered by insurance from Allianz." said Fernanda Escobar, RCPI President 2019/20. Handing over a small gift to Eva, Fendanda went on to say: "We would like to thank Eva and Allianz for their ongoing support, it is very much appreciated by our club."
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RCPI Donates CSK 84,000 to ICTUSThe annual charity Dragon Boat Challenge is one of the main fundraising events for Rotary Club Prague International. The money raised through the event id donated to charities and at the last RCPI club meeting ICTUS was the recipient of a cheque for CZK 84,000. ICTUS cares for stroke victims to help them to lead a full life and engage in activities in society. Jan Dohnalek, representing ICTUS was absolutely delighted with the donation which presented by past RCPI President Josef. Jan thanked the members for the donation and for the long term support which RCPI has provided to ICTUS. |
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Jan Dohnálek awarded a Paul Harris FellowshipTo become a Paul Harris Fellow is one of the most prestigious awards in Rotary International, especially when it is bestowed on someone who is not a member of RI. This is how Jan Jan Dohnálek was honoured at our last club meeting for his tireless work for stroke victims through the ICTUS charity. RCPI has supported ICTUS with funding for many years and Jan has led the charity throughout all this time. "Jan is a very special person who has dedicated himself to improving teh lives of others." said Marie Jehlickova at the award ceremony. Gerry Tipple explained that the Paul Harris Fellowship was a very special recognition from our club for Jan and his tremendous work in the community. |
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Indian Food Helps!Dear Friends & Lovers of Indian Food, We are now entering the second week of the Indian Food Helps service. The week two menu has a selection of new dishes which will delight your tastebuds. Every meal you order raises much needed funds to support the primary education of children in rural Rajasthan, India. Please order your food by 18:00 pm the day before using our on-line order form. www.indianfoodhelps.cz Delivery will be between 11.30 – 13.30 All the funds raised will go to our project. There is no administration costs. From one lunch we can buy 2 school bags or two girls school uniforms. Five lunches would pay the primary school fees for a child for one year. Please use the on-line order form to place the order for your office. You can order ahead for any day during the programme. If you would like to give more to support our project, you can donate online at darujme.cz Any questions, please write to us at indianfoodhelps@gmail.com Eat, enjoy and help others at the same time. Best regards, Rotary Indian Food Helps! Team |
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The Mexican Ambassador at RCPIThe Ambassador of Mexico, the Honorable Leonora Rueda, joined our club meeting this week at the invitation of RCPI President Fernanda Escobar. Ambassador Rueda made an excellent presentation to members and friends about Mexico and the ties and connections with Europe and the Czech Republic. In fact the Czech Republic has influenced Mexico significantly right back to the 15th Century when Czechs brought expertise in the areas of medicine and music which have had a lasting influence. In more recent history Mexico remembered the atrocities which took place at Lidice by naming a town (now part of Mexico City) San Jerónimo Lídice. Ambassador Rueda informed the meeting that sunsequently Lidice was also taken up as a girls name in Mexico. Fernanda Escobar thanked the Ambassador for her very interesting and relevant speech and wished Mexico and the Czech Republic a long and successful collaboration. |
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RCPI helps ZIVOT90 with a €8000 donationRotary is all about helping those less fortunate than ourselves and it was a pleasure for Fernanda Escobar to welcome members of the ZIVOT90 charity to our recent club meeting. On behalf of RCPI, Fernanda presented a cheque for CZK 205,000 (Euro 8,000) to help the charity continue its tremendous work for the elderly. Jaroslav Lorman, Dagmar Sladká and Jan Lorman were delighted on behalf of all the people helped by ZIVOT90 to receive the donation which was raised through the Charity Dragon Boat Challenge this year. Jan commented on the longstanding relationship RCPI has with ZIVOT90 and emphasised how important this is for the continued operation of the charity. |
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International VisitorsInternational Friendship is a huge part of Rotary and it is wonderful to welcome visitors from other countries to our meetings. At our last club meeting Fernanda, RCPI President, welcomed Gérard Pouet, Past President of Rotary Club Pau, YEO and Treasurer Eliane Voisin, President of Rotary Club Bordeaux Bouscat. It is traditional in Rotary to exchange flags as a sign of international friendship and as a long term reminder of all the clubs which have linked up by members visiting each other. |
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Next Weekend is..... BURGERFEST!!!The annual Prague Burgerfest will take place on the 7th and 8th of September at Krizik's fountain in Exhibition grounds, Výstaviště 67, Praha 7, Holešovice. RCPI will be there with our famous DRAGON Burger (in fact two burgers for the price of one!). Come and enjoy the day and support RCPI - all profit from our stand is donated to charity so you can dispel any guilt and even have two burgers knowing that you are eating them for a good cause. Volunteers to make and serve burgers are very welcome. Please contact casey@rcpi.club
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Four students set off to a life abroad"Rotary Youth Exchange is about World Peace through building friendships and understanding" said Sanan, the RCPI Youth exchange Officer as the four students met Rotarians prior to departing on the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme. The students will spend an academic year with a host family as far afield as South Korea where they will integrate into normal family life, learn the language and attend school alongside their host family 'brothers and sisters'. "It is a tremendous opportunity for young people to really experience another country from the point of view of a resident rather than a tourist" said Sanan, "Students learn a new language, discover another culture, and truly become global citizens.' Our four youth exchange students with their families Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) is a Rotary International student exchange program for students in secondary school. Since 1929, Rotary International has sent young people around the globe to experience new cultures. Currently, about 9,000 students are sponsored by Rotary clubs every year. The Rotary Club of Copenhagen, Denmark initiated the first Rotary exchange in 1927, and the Rotary Club of Nice, France followed suit soon after in 1929. Although exchanges today usually last ten months, the first exchanges took place during school vacations for only a couple of weeks. The year-long Rotary Youth Exchange program was created in 1958 in Lake Placid at a Rotary Governors assembly. In 1962 the first youth exchange involving Japan and Germany was arranged after tense relations between the nations following World War II. Since its conception 80 years ago, the Rotary Youth Exchange program has expanded rapidly to exchange 9,000 students annually between 80 countries. Contact YOUTH@RCPI.CLUB to find out more. |
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RCPI Dawn Cycle RideThe 4am start was definitely worth it as we set off on our ride through and around Prague enjoying the short night and early dawn. By 4;30 we saw the night revellers leaving the nightclubs rather unsteady on their feet. By 5:30 the early dog walkers weer out and about for that morning outing with man's best friend. By 7am the city has started to wake up, however few tourists surface unless you happen to be taking wedding pictures with the old town as a backdrop. Street cleaners remove the last evidences of the 'night before' to ready Prague for another day of tourist pictures and enjoyment as the 4th most visited city in Europe after London, Paris and Rome. At precisely 8.30 (unbelievable timing by Jonathan) we turn into the tiny square where Cafe Limonada is waiting to serve us delicious coffee and breakfast. A great way to start the day whilst also raising some funds for charity. CZK 2400 will be donated to the Rotary Foundation. Setting off at 4am |
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The Great British Curry - for charityThe Curry House and Rotary Club Prague International achieved record sales at the British Market in Dolní Břežany with our Great British Curry offering. We again sold out of everything and Mamun had to return to the Curry House restaurant to replenish our supplies. There's no doubt that his food is really popular at these events. The event raised 13,000 Kč which will be added to the funds for our Indian Schools campaign. Congratulations to Mamun, Gerry and the entire team who made the event such a great success. |
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RCPI 2017 Annual ReportThe RCPI Annual report is now available. It contains a wealth of information about the activities of the club as well as financial statements showing the income and donations the club made in the calender year 2017. You can download the report in PDF format by clicking HERE.
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RCPI is a member of the British ChamberThe RCPI board have agreed to once again renew our club's associate membership with the British Chamber of Commerce in Prague. With this comes the opportunity for any active member of the club to join the chamber as a member, which brings all the benefits of chamber membership including membership pricing to all events (even though many are free). If interested, members of our club need to contact Pavel Fara and mention that they, as active members at RC Prague International, want to join the BCC under our club's associate membership status. Pavel's email address is pavel.fara@britcham.cz. We hope our members take advantage of this opportunity as Prague's chamber was voted the most active in Europe, holding no less than four events every month. You can find out more here https://www.britishchamber.cz/. |
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Inspiration from othersInspiration comes from observing the work of others and so it was when I visited Rotary Club Sofia Triaditsa in Bulgaria. Despite being a relatively newly formed club RC Triaditsa has immediately set to work doing good. The energy and enthusiasm of the members has resulted in projects such as setting up an opthamlic examination programme for 3 to 4 year olds which visits nurseries and has screened over 1200 children to date. The project value is over 50,000 euro which is a testimony to the power of Rotary and the leadership of this club. Other projects include a performing arts programme and a project to restore a building as a centre for activities to support social inclusion for people at the fringes of society. The meeting was made even more special because it was a joint club meeting with RC Sofia International, again an initiative of both clubs to meet and exchange ideas and talk about projects they are engaged in. I presented the work of our club both in terms of the projects as well as how we are structured. There was real interest in the activity points concept as a measure of member engagement. Judging by the energy in the room activity points would be awarded all round on a weekly basis. Congratulations for what you have achieved to date and we wish much success to RC Sofia Triaditsa and RC Sofia International. |
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RCPI at the District 20 year celebrationThe sun shone and visitors streamed across the Zofin bridge to explore the many activities which the clubs and district set up as part of the 20 year celebration of District 2240. The RCPI tent was the point of orientation and welcome for visitors and it was lovely to meet and greet so many Rotarians and visitors from many countries. In the tent we exhibited pictures of the amazing work we are engaged in from Dragon Boats to Water and Sanitation projects in India. We swapped banners with other clubs and of course Ota never missed an opportunity to sell caps and shirts for good causes! A little further on Stewart set up the Disaster Aid stand where he and volunteers demonstrated how dirty water could be turned into clean water using advanced but affordable filters as well as presenting the whole set of emergency relief capabilities which Disaster Aid Europe has at its disposal. A big thank you to everyone who participated and and supported our club on this auspicious day where we really 'met the public in their hundreds'.
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Hundreds of Paddlers... all for CharityHundreds of paddlers took part in the 2019 Rotary Club Prague International Dragon Boat Charity Challenge. Teams from companies, clubs, organisations and friends joined in the challenge to paddle the course as fast as possible AND in the process to raise hundreds of thousands of crowns for charities. Three charity partners who will share the proceeds: ŽIVOT 90, an organisation providing a wide range of services for senior citizens, Nadace Naše Dítě who offer much needed help and support for many children in very difficult circumstances and Výbor dobré vůle (VDV) whose main purpose is to help disabled, abandoned and discriminated against people to integrate into society. "A big THANK You to the RCPI organising committee together with the Czech Dragon Boat Organisation who made the day possible through their energy and enthusiasm to create an event which was enjoyed by hundreds and will benefit hundreds more" said Josef Simpartl, President of RCPI. "In terms of who won? - of course the Charities won by receiving hundreds of thousands of crowns of donations, as for the race... well, Rotary Club Stare Mesto won once again so the challenge is set for next year. Well done and thank you to everyone who participated." More pictures are in the 2019 Dragon Boat Album
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An Ambassadorial VisitDr Christoph Israng, Ambassador of Germany to the Czech Republic joined Members and guests at our club meeting. Dr Israng explained the importance of the relationship between Germany and the Czech Republic in a number of dimensions. "In trade, the volumes are greater than those traded with the Russian Federation" said Dr Irsang, emphasising that the Czech Republic is a key partner of Germany not least because of its 815km long border. Dr Israng commented that in some areas there is always room for improvement, not least in logistical matters of ambulances or snowploughs crossing the border - here we can make things more efficient. Dr Israng also reflected on the historic relations of the countries starting with the 16,000 people who sought refuge in the West German Embassy in Prague in 1989 as they sought a way to a new and free life in the West which they were granted. Dr Israng invited Members to join the "Festival of Freedom" on the 28th of September where, 30 years later, the Embassy will open its doors and events of 1989 will be remembered.He also did not shy away from discussing the impact of the second world war. "I have visited many places where atrocities were committed including Terezin. I have met the families and survivors of the atrocities and whilst I understand that some cannot forgive, many recognise that the Germany of today is a changed country. These are the most emotional experiences of my work." RCPI President Josef Simpartl thanked Dr Israng on behalf of Rotary Club Prague International for his insightful and interesting account.
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Collecting for an OrphanageRCPI Members arrived before our regular meeting in cars stuffed full of household items for donation to the Orphanage in Senožaty. Despite the drizzling rain the items were transferred by willing volunteers into two vans. All of the donations will go towards the operation of the orphanage and helping the young adults on their way as they leave the orphanage. Martina Buchalova Horska , Director of the House of orphans Senožaty thanked Members for the tremendous contribution which will really make a difference. Rotary - Having fun doing good. A big THANK you goes to RCPI Member Marie Jehlikova for organising the collection. Martina Buchalova Horska with Marie and Josef Lots of boxes of goodies The team from the Orphanage with Fernanda
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TechPlomacy from DenmarkThe ambassador of Denmark, H.E. Mr. Ole Henrik FRIJS-MADSEN, visited our club and gave members and friends an insight into the culture and dynamics of life in Denmark. Rather than looking back, Ole concentrated on the future and referenced how Denmark is taking a progressive role in a number of areas including social, environment and especially in the role of IT in society. Denmark is the first country to apoint a Tech Ambassador. Ole explained that IT Tech and digital diplomacy, in short TechPlomacy is an acknowledgement of the key role tech plays and will increasingly play in the future for individuals and societies alike. The club thanked Ole for his insightful presentation and we look forward to hearing of the progress TechPlomacy makes in Czech / Danish relations. |
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Enter a team to the Dragon Boat Challenge!The 10th Fabulous Year of the ROTARY DRAGON BOAT CHARITY CHALLENGE will take place on the 11th of May 2019 at Žluté lázně, Podolské nábřeží 3/1184, 140 00 Praha 4-Podolí. The 10th Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is a part of the Prague Dragon Boat Festival - the oldest Dragon Boat race in Czech Republic - organized by Czech Dragon Boat Association. The Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is fast becoming the premier charity event of a Prague Spring. It’s an event that combines Team-building, Corporate social responsibility, live entertainment and family fun in one great programme. The sight of teams of highly motivated paddlers going all out for the finish line makes an exciting spectacle that draws big crowds. Click HERE to find out more |
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Donate unwanted items to help OrphansWhen cleaning out in Spring this year please think of orphans in Dětský dům Senožaty /https://www.ddsenozaty.cz/ and bring all items you will no more need on Monday APRIL 29,2019 FROM 2 - 6 PM to hotel HOLIDAY INN (our normal meeting venue) prior to our regular meeting. A truck from Senožaty will come /with some children to help onloading/ and you will have a nice feeling of HAVING FUN BY DOING GOOD. In this House of orphans children are staying up to 18 years of age and are being helped to arrange their new life incl household so, any thing is being needed /clothing, shoes, non-used TV sets, chairs, toys,etc./ On behalf of all children from Senožaty I just: THANK YOU. Regards Marie Jehličková MC Chair |
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RCPI makes NEWS in IndiaMembers of RCPI and the Jyoti Foundation made breaking TV news in India as they presented educational materials and equipment to local schools. |
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An Update from IndiaMembers of RCPI are in Rajasthan at the moment meeting our partner clubs and distributing the donations which were collected by members and friends of the club throughout the year. Here is a short video update from Helen: |
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A Czech Success StoryArmed with a pencil and paper Josef Orei had a great idea back in 1992. Having left his previous employer he was involved in research which led to him and his associates filing a patent to detect substances. The group left the research establishment, acquired the rights to the patent and set up their own company which has since grown into one of the foremost suppliers of equipment to detect noxious and dangerous agents including chemical weapons. Josef explained to members that at any one time there are many thousands of tons of dangerous chemicals on the move by road, sea and air and that in the event of an accident detection and decontamination is critical. Oritest supplies fire brigades, rescue services, decontamination units and the military throughout the world with detection and protection equipment. As the owner of the company Josef is also supportive of community projects and has sponsored projects throughout the world including a music school and is seeking closer collaboration with Rotary International. RCPI president Josef Simpartl thanked Josef for his very interesting and informative presentation.
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RCPI visits the Werich VillaMembers and Friends visited the now fully restored Werich Villa on Kampa Island, in the heart of historic Prague. Few Prague buildings are enshrouded in such a mysterious history and conceal the fates of so many important personalities who have one thing in common: words. Exhibitions setting out the work of Jan Werich and Jiri Voskovek are located on the first floor in a new exhibition space. Marie Jehlickova organised the event including a lovely reception and food and drink in the roof theatre space of the villa after a fascinating guided tour of the villa. See all the pictures of the visit HERE. In the spirit of Rotary we were Having Fun and Doing good: all proceeds go to Ictus. |
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RCPI is host club for Global Alzheimer WorkshopPrague's Charles University was the location for an international conference on Alzheimer's titled 'Making the Point', it was held under the auspices Rotarian Action Group for Peace and hosted by RCPI. The conference invited specialists in neurodegenerative diseases to meet and learn more about their specific fields and put together a more comprehensive outlook for the disease. The discussions varied from molecular blood samples on how to phyisically manage patients with the disease. The reason for bringing these great minds together is because in developed countries, Alzheimer's is and will continue to be a massive drain on the health and finances of many countries, as we live longer and are unable to take care of ourselves. In the same way that Rotary has been instrumental in the eradication of Polio, it is hoped that with the help of the UN, Rotary will play a key part in the research and care of Alzheimer's patients. It is a issue that can not be ignored for much longer by governments. Two thirds of Alzheimer's patients are women, they tend to live longer but they are also the caregivers. If they are unable to look after themselves it leaves a real problem for someone else to deal with. The aging population is proving to be a drain on welfare and social services throughout the developed world. The conference discussed risk factors, possible routes of a cure and the care of those suffering. The diagnosis of Alzheimer's is also an issue and a professor from Spain talked of how molecular genetics may improve Alzheimer's diagnosis. Thus giving patients the opportunity to receive more specific treatments earlier and hopefully slow down the degenerative process. Rotary Club Prague International was the host club, Helen Noll was our representative there and was able to meet with fellow Rotarians from RC New York – (host club of America and the United Nations) and members from RC Rome, Professor Sergio Bernardini who was leading the conference. It is hoped that in the Spring, Rotarian Action Group for Peace will hold another bigger conference in Prague, as this had proved to be such a successful meeting of specialists in Alzheimer's.
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RCPI at DOXRCPI member Helena organised a truly exclusive tour of DOX, the Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague. Members and friends were greeted by Michaela Silpochova (Head of International projects) and were then joined by Leos Valka - the Director and founder of DOX which opened in a converted factory in Prague’s Holešovice district in 2008. Today Leos serves as its director and chairman of the board. In 2011, based on a nomination by Václav Havel, he received an award from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic for long-term merit in the area of fine art. Michaela guided members to the recently opened theater and performance auditorium which is one of the newest and best equipped contemporary spaces in Prague for performers to perform. A tour of the current exhibition called HARD TIMES was given another dimension by Michaela's explanations of the many factors which influenced the artists and exhibition. Then on and upward to Gulliver's Airship which is a realtively new addition to the exhibition and interpretation spaces of DOX. Constructed of wood the airship leaves the visitor with a sense of marvel at the structure and a feeling of an open space whilst being enclosed. A masterpiece. The tour was followed by conversation, food and of course a few drinks in the cafe at DOX where a reception had been specially prepared for us. Many thanks Michaela, Leos and of course Helena. If you missed the trip please do consider making a private visit to DOX to experience the art and spaces for yourself. Membership, both personal and corporate is available and goes a long way to sustaining this truly unique art space in Prague. You can view all the pictures of the visit HERE |
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Indian food breaks all recordsA new record was set in November when, for another year, Indian meals were delivered to individuals and businesses throughout Prague as part of the RCPI Indian Food Helps campaign. Gerry worked tirelessly organising volunteers, Blanka took hundreds of orders whilst Mamun and his team prepared over 800 meals. One day peaked with 166 meals prepared and deliverd! The food is cooked by the award winning Curry House Restaurant. All the proceeds go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, school bags, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families. We also arrange health checks and basic treatment for children and mothers. One lunch will enable us to buy 2 school bags or two girl's uniforms. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. Just some members of the terrific Indian Food Helps Delivery Team
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2019 Dragon Boat Charity ChallengeThe 10th Fabulous Year of the ROTARY DRAGON BOAT CHARITY CHALLENGE will take place on the 11th of May 2019 at Žluté lázně, Podolské nábřeží 3/1184, 140 00 Praha 4-Podolí The 10th Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is a part of the Prague Dragon Boat Festival - the oldest Dragon Boat race in Czech Republic - organized by Czech Dragon Boat Association. DETAILS on the left hand menu |
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Order a meal and support a child's educationWe are once again raising funds by delivering Indian food to you at your workplace. The food is cooked by the award winning Curry House Restaurant. All the proceeds go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, school bags, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families. We also arrange health checks and basic treatment for children and mothers. One lunch will enable us to buy 2 school bags or two girls uniforms. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. All proceeds will be spent on material needs without deduction of any administration costs. More information can be found at: www.rcpi.club Here is the menu in Czech and in English. Please order your food by 5:00 pm the day before by email to: indianfoodhelps@gmail.com Delivery will be between 11.30 – 13.30 If you cannot order a meal, you can still help by making a donation at: darujme.cz/projekt/1200660 Thank you on behalf of Rotary Club Prague International and especially on behalf of the children.
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Indian Food Helps - Starting 28 October 2018Dear Friends & Rotarians, Our Indian Food Helps! action will once again be launched for two weeks commencing Monday 29 October. Please download the leaflets ENGLISH CZECH to promote our action to your friends and business associates. Last year we delivered a record 722 lunches and raised more than 50,000 Kč. It would be fantastic to beat that this year. As usual, the success of the action depends not only on us promoting it to all our friends and colleagues, but critically on our Delivery Superstars. We need lots of volunteers who can deliver lunches between 11:30 and 13.30. Normally this means collecting them from The Curry House at 11:00. Those with cars are particularly welcome, but there are usually plenty of orders that can also be easily done by public transport. Please let me know which days you can be available to make deliveries during these two weeks and confirm your current mobile phone no. Many thanks for your continued support to our Indian Schools Project and best regards, Gerry |
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Sananim Gala Dinner 2018Fundraising with glamour! The Sananim Anniversary Gala took place in the Zlatá Praha Restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague yesterday evening, organised by Naomi Sullivan Callender and her able team. Jiri Richter, CEO of Sananim, thanked everyone for attending and explained the work of the charity and how important funding from donors is to the operation of the charity. Peter Kroutil and his band entertained the guests with song and music throughout the evening. The event raised substantial funding for the Sananim Charity which makes such a tremendous difference to the lives of those with drug addiction. A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make the event possible and to those who attended and were so very generous on the evening. You made a difference to someone's life. Click to see the photo album
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Walking in WalesMembers of RCPI flew to Bristol, England, to meet up with members of RC Bristol Breakfast, our partner club. The weather was a little on the damp side, however that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the group who spent the weekend, walking, talking, eating and enjoying a few drinks as well. Thank you RC Bristol Breakfast for a great weekend. View the PHOTO ALBUM.
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A word from the DGZdeněk Michálek, the 2018/19 District Governor, visited our club meeting and, as well as presenting the club with an award, made a speech outlining not only the history of the district but also the vision of the future. The vision is clear and wholly aligned to Rotary International: The D2240 vision is a common Czecho-Slovak District, living the Rotary values To achieve the vision we have to set some priorities and these are centered around the membership of Rotary: Membership development Stop the decline in numbers Improve the membership base Rejuvenate the membership base Strengthen club support Reduce administration This flows to a series of requests, starting with the presidents of the clubs in D2240: PRESIDENTS OF CLUBS Introduce the district strategy to its clubs In co-operation with members, they create their own club strategy and action plans The agreed goals will be entered into the data of your club at Rotary Club Central DISTRICT GOVERNOR ASSISTANT Encourage presidents to create club strategies They will help with the insertion of goals into the Rotary Club Central PRESIDENT DISTRICT COMMITTEES They discuss the district strategy with committee members and develop strategies for their committees, supporting the district strategy DISTRICT GOVERNOR In cooperation with DGE, DGN, IPDG, DG Assistants, Committee Chairmen and Rotary and Rotaract club presidents, will ensure a gradual implementation of the strategy. The full presentation is available HERE |
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RCPI: Number 1 Club in D2240A proud moment for RC Prague International: We are the Number One Club in District 2240 for making the highest per capita contribution to the Rotary Foundation 2017/18. Thank you to all who made this possible and in doing so helped the Rotary Foundation in transforming lives for the better throughout the world. District Governor Zdenek presented the award to RCPI President Josef at a recent club meeting.
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RCPI recognised for tree planting programRCPI received recognition for our tree planing program which has to date funded the planting of 2500 trees in Zambia. Letter from ESRAG: Dear Rotary Club Prague International, The Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group (ESRAG) would like to recognize your club for its contribution to President Riseley's 1.2 Million Tree Planting Challenge. We are enclosing with this note a Certificate of Appreciation commemorating your club's participation in President Riseley's tree planting challenge. ESRAG's hope is that President Riseley’s Tree Planting Challenge will serve as the starting point for Rotarians around the world to work to improve the environment using the premise of environmental sustainability. Thank you again for supporting President Ian Riseley's tree planting Initiative and the environment. Best regards, Peter Peter Moralée |
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RCPI goes to BarrandovFernanda organised a wonderful evening for Rotarians and Friends at the Barrandov Studios in Prague. A guided tour of the museum and one of the historic studios constructed back to the 1930's was rounded off by great discussions and a meal in one of the Studio's reception rooms. Throughout the evening Lenka guided us through the exhibitions and Petr Tichý, CEO of the Studio, accompanied us with explanations and tales from the past and present. The evening was in aid of SKP HOPO Azylový dům and Gabriela Selinger, who leads this very worthwhile charity, addressed the Members with words of thanks. Fernanda and Gabriela Selinger Petr Tichý explains the history of one of the original studios at Barrandov You can see all the pictures of the event by clicking HERE
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Burgerfest 2018For the third year running RCPI has been flipping burgers for charity at the Prague Burgerfest. The weather was great and the RCPI volunteers worked hard making and selling our very own Dragon Burgers with the secret chilli sauce provided by Mamun. One customer, who was a restaurant owner, was so impressed with our burger that he asked for the recipe. He could not get over the combination of low fat pork mixed with shredded apple plus a few other ingredients. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped at Burgerfest 2018. Especially of course to Casey who not only organised the event but also stood in our burger stall for two days making Burgerfest a success. An equally big THANK YOU to the Rotarians who could not attend in person, however made generous donations to Burgerfest 2018. |
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Welcome to PragueStudent Exchanges are very much a part of Rotary International and RCPI is proud to welcome our exchange student, Sheila, from Colorado to our beautiful city. Have a great time in the Czech Republic! |
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Dr. Vladimír Beneš - NeurosurgeonDr. Vladimír Beneš kindly agreed to be the guest speaker at a recent RCPI club meeting. Dr Beneš explained the history of neurosurgery and how three generations of his family became neurosurgeons. "Neurosurgery is not something one does lightly", said Vladimír, "it involves interventions which are irreversible, hence we spend a great deal of time on diagnostics which over the years have advanced tremendously from the original x-rays". Members and visitors thanked Vladimír for a truly interesting and enlightening presentation. |
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Presidential HandoverAt our club meeting yesterday RCPI President Helen Helen Murphy Noll recounted the many and varied activities which the club engaged in during the past Rotary year. Helen congratulated all members and friends for their tremendous efforts, enthusiasm and energy which make RCPI such an active club. Helen passes the presidency to Josef Simpartl who thanked Helen for her leadership and will present his plan for the club at the next meeting.
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WASH for RajasthanRCPI is the lead international partner in the installation a global grant WASH project in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Many schools do not have adequate toilet facilities for boys and girls. There are often no hand washing facilities and little or no hygiene education. Working with RC Udaipur Heritage our project aims to provide schools, install or upgrade the toilet facilities for boys and girls in 51 schools, we will also provide a menstrual hygiene programme. We expect to reduce related illnesses, improve school attendance and therefore have happy, better educated children. |
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Behind the scenes: Public HealthFernanda introduced Dr. Ivo Krysa, the director of the department of general and communal hygiene - Public Health Authority of the City of Prague. Ivo presented a fascinating insight into the world of Public Health to members at our recent meeting. From the policies which underpin Public Health through to education programmes for school Children Ivo explained the importance of public health in developing the well being of the population. Initiatives range from HIV through smoking to HIV. "There are many areas where we are at work, even in this room" said Ivo, "this includes drinking water quality and the food hygiene controls." Following the presentation there was a lively round of questions and answers including a discussion relating to smoking and the initiatives to reduce the number of smokers, particularly amongst the young. RCPI President Helen Noll thanked Ivo for his presentation and the insights into something we could easily take for granted, drawing on her recent experiences of the RCPI club visit to India where public health has quite different and more fundamental challenges.
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District Governor visits RCPIJúlius Tomka introduced members and friends of RCPI to the strategy of District 2240 at our recent club meeting. In his speech he outlined the three themes of Membership, Image and Opportunities for the Young and being central to the work of Rotary International at the district level. With over 1400 members and 76 clubs, the district covers the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Clubs range from RCPI as the largest with 50 members to smaller clubs with less than 10 members. Yulo encouraged Rotarians to share the ideas and collaborate at District events so that best practice is transmitted from one club to another. "not everything which is applicable in a club of 50 members will be practical in a small club" said Yulo, "however many good ideas can be shared and adapted to work". Yulo went on to explain how 3 new clubs are in the process of being founded at the moment and how he believes we can strengthen the collaboration with Roteract throughout the district. Helen Noll, President of RCPI, thanked Yulo for visiting our club and for his very informative presentation. The club gave Yulo a warm reception with a hearty round of applause. Yulo was accompanied by Ilja Chocholous who is well known to members of RCPI through his great support of activities including the Annual Dragon Boat Event |
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Supporting the Dog ShelterMembers of Rotary Club Prague International, along with Zdeněk Střžek, owner of Bejzment Burger Pub and also the promoter of the Jack Daniel’s BurgerFest in Prague, visited Psí útulek Trója to deliver a cheque for CZK 10,000 and bags of dog food. This donation came from the proceeds of RCPI’s participation in BurgerFest 2017 Dogs are brought to Psí útulek Trója for various reasons. Some are stray dogs found wandering the Prague streets, often because owners abandon them. Lucie Skalska took the members of RCPI on a guided tour of the facilities which house on average 90 dogs at any one time. Dogs are homed in individual kennels and are given walks - a dog shelter dog walker walks up to 25km on any one day! The shelter checks the health of every animal, they are given injections and any medical treatment needed and, after a period of acclimatisation, can be adopted by suitable new owners. Members of RCPI were truly impressed with the high standards of the facilities and the competency and skills of the staff. |
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A thousand postcards for charity"I did not choose to become an artist - art was my escape", said David Sandum when he spoke to Members and visitors at our recent RCPI club meeting. Our own member, Martin Sebek, introduced David and has himself been involved in assisting the Art Project which David presented. Following a very successful career start in IT the demands of his job, on the heels of many years of stress, took a toll on his health, and he fell into a severe depression. It was during this difficult time that he began to draw and paint, inspired by Edvard Munch’s philosophy that we should all write or paint our life story. In 2010, David earned international acclaim by founding Twitter Art Exhibit, a social media initiative whereby artists from around the world send hand-painted postcards that are exhibited for local charities in need of funding. This annual event has gone global, taking place in such cities as Los Angeles, Orlando, and New York City. The 2017 exhibit in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, attracted more than 1,000 artists from 65 countries. The 2018 exhibition is in Canberra, Australia. The project is growing every year and the volunteers managing it are very stretched in terms of their time. David asked RCPI members to consider how TAE could move to the next level of operation. "It is not just about money, it is also about ideas and suggestions from people in business and other walks of life" said David. You can find David on Twitter: @DavidSandum
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ROTARY DRAGON BOAT CHARITY CHALLENGERaces take place on the 12th of May 2018 Click HERE for more information and how to join in the fun |
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Valentine FundraiserJanet Feinstein and Pawel Farsky attended our recent club meeting at the invitation of one of our members and presented their fundraising project to help the Motol Hospital Pediatric Oncology department: A Valentine Cabaret Fundraiser held at Divadlo Korunni on the 17th February 2018 at 20:00h. More information is available at www.bit.ly/vcabaret. This is not an RCPI event.
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Helping Stroke VictimsJan Dohnálek from the charity ICTUS came to our recent club meeting to explain how ICTUS is helping those who have suffered a stroke. "Many stroke victims find their condition has dramatically changed their life so much so that they cannot see a way forward" said Jan, "ICTUS is there to guide, assist and show that it is absolutely possible to approach life after a stroke with a positive attitude and through therapies to bring joy and a positive view of the future". ICTUS is a well established charity which works with stroke victims throughout the Czech Republic through a large network of volunteers and professionals providing many different services. "from a listening ear and a friendly visitor to swimming lessons, outings, ICTUS is there to help those with stroke live fuller lives and explain that the situation is far from hopeless" explained Jan. One of the activities Jan focused on as especially beneficial are the swimming therapy sessions where volunteers work with those who have suffered a stroke to restore movement, build muscles and above all develop self confidence and a sense of achievement. The sessions cost just CZK 150 each and a course of ten sessions can truly make a difference. However finding the funding is difficult. RCPI Member Marie Jehličková presented Jan with a donation of CZK 36,000 which Marie and others raised through a number of golf events. Jan was, needless to say, delighted. You too can help by making a donation which will fund swimming lessons. Just click on the donation button below or go to our special donation page for Swimming Lessons for Stroke Victims. |
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Music to our ears...Ota, Eduard, Jiri It was a privilege and a delight to welcome Eduard Kollert to our recent club meeting. Eduard is 14 years old and is an absolutely astounding violinist. He decided to learn the violin after he and his father attended a performance of maestro Josef Suk. He attended the Prague School of Music aged 7 where his talent was developed further. After just two years he performed Bach’s Violin concerto and Beethoven Piano concerto at a concert with the Prague Philharmonia. He was invited by the Spanish royal family to play at a special recital in Palacio del Pardo in Madrid. Since then he has performed and won prizes and competitions in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech republic, Russia. Recently he opened the “Young Prague” festival in cooperation with the Prague Spring festival with Prokofiev’s second violin concerto with Prague Philharmonia.
Eduard is studying in Switzerland and continues to enthrall audiences with his talents. Eduard was accompanied to RCPI by his father Jiri who is an accomplished and celebrated pianist. Jiri is tremendously proud of Eduard's accomplishments however commented that whilst Eduard has many followers who appreciate his abilities and enjoy his music, funding for his education and instruments is not so readily available.
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Two new members!Andras, Greg, Diana, Fernanda, Helen RCPI welcomed Greg and Diana as members of our club at a 'pinning' ceremony held at our regular venue, the Holiday Inn at the Convention Centre in Prague. Led by Greg and Diana all members recited the Rotary 4 way test to remind us all that we are in members of Rotary to do good and to place service above self. "Welcoming new members is a privilege and an honour for the club and the members" said Helen Noll, President of RCPI addressing the Members, "when two individuals chose to dedicate themselves to the work of Rotary we all have an obligation to welcome them to Rotary and to show how we live by the values of Rotary". If you are interested in joining Rotary please contact Fernanda who is our Membership Chair. membership@rcpi.club |
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Pins for Rotary AlumniIrena Brichter presented four visitors to our club meeting with a special lapel pin to recognise their contribution as Rotary Alumni. Denisa, Albert, Natalie and Ralph have all been part of one or more Rotary programes in the past.
You qualify for this status if you participated in any of the following programs: Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Exchange, New Generations Service Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), Rotary Peace Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships (funded by global grants or district grants), vocational training teams (members and leaders), Ambassadorial Scholarships, Grants for University Teachers, Group Study Exchange (members and leaders), and Rotary Volunteers. |
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Tales from far away lands...At our club meeting Denisa and Albert, both Rotary Exchange Students, presented to club members and friends a glimpse of the highlights of their Rotary Youth Exchange. Denisa flew West and spent the best part of a year in Canada attending school and learning about the country and the culture. Albert traveled East to Taiwan where he spent his time with host families near Taipei. Albert commented that this really was an immersion in a different culture. His stay involved him learning Chinese rather rapidly since in one of his host families no English was spoken. Both Albert and Denisa said how much they enjoyed the Rotary Youth Exchange programme. Martin and Birger oversee the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme for RCPI. To contact them email youth@rcpi.club
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Sananim: a record breakerAt a recent meeting of RCPI, Nelly and Naomi presented Sananim with a cheque for CZK 257,000 (€10,000). The donation was as a result of the Gala Dinner which Naomi and Nelly organised for the charity and represents a record, topping even the very successful 2016 Gala. Jiri Richter, Pepa Sedivy and Agáta Jankovská received the donation and thanked RCPI for the donation which will make a real difference to the lives of those being rehabilitated. Jiri commented that such a donation is particularly welcome in the uncertain times when state funding is continually being reviewed. Founded in 1990, SANANIM is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the Czech Republic that provides complex services in the area of prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions.
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Israel, Czech Republic and Rotary - Ambassador Meron explainsHis Excellency, Ambassador Daniel Meron of Israel and his wife visited our club where he gave an excellent speech focusing on the Czech - Israeli relationships and how an active exchange takes place between the two countries at many levels. Over 200,000 Israelis visit the Czech Republic every year whilst Skoda cars represent the third most popular make of car driven in Israel. Israel is renowned for many innovations including in the field of technology, computer software, pharmaceuticals and water management. In the latter area a delegation of 60 experts from the Czech Republic recently visited Israel to learn about effective water management and conservation, in particular drip irrigation technologies developed in Israel. In 1990 Václav Havel visited Israel and in his memory a small garden can be found in Jerusalem with a commemorative plaque recalling the visit. In Prague, the Israeli community is very active organising film festivals and celebrations including the most recent attendance at the DSA Christmas Market. Ambassador Meron has a long and distinguished diplomatic career which started some 30 years ago with a posting to Cyprus and has led via many countries and postings to his most recent move to Prague earlier this year. Ambassador Meron is well informed about Rotary, his father was the President of Rotary Club Jerusalem and he was taken to meetings by his father on numerous occasions. In the spirit of Rotary, the club welcomed members of all faiths. Following the presentation, RCPI members asked numerous questions ranging from the political situation to the formation of startup companies. RCPI President, Helen Noll, and Members thanked the Ambassador for his very interesting and enlightening presentation and wished him and his wife success in the Czech Republic.
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“Hi, I am Gary Powers, the son of Gary Powers”On Monday October 10, we had the visit of Gary Powers junior, whose father was the pilot of the U2 spyplane that was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, who was captured and subsequently exchanged for a Soviet spy who had been apprehended in the U.S. Gary made a great presentation about the event, which would also define his own life, the historical context including some myth busting, showed video and photo material. The event has been captured both in various books and in the recent movie Bridge of Spies (the title referring to the exchange that took place over the famous Glienicker Bridge between Berlin and Potsdam). Much more importantly, Gary has made it his life’s mission to educate the public, and especially the “young public”, all over the world about the Cold War, the historical context, the circumstances that led to it and how it came to sustain that delicate but dangerous balance for so long. He has worked with both private and public, educational and commercial institutions, museums etc. in the Americas and Europe. He is now on a trip through Europe, with official invitations to Prague, Berlin and Warsaw. Following his presentation, lively discussions evolved to which many participants contributed their observations and personal memories of the time of the Cold War, obviously from both sides of the former Iron Curton. How important it is to keep the memories of that period alive and not leave it to the history books! |
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Indian Food Helps 2017Good news for Indian food lovers! Indian Food Helps! is back and will be delivering wonderful Indian lunches to offices around the city for two weeks commencing 30 October 2017. The Curry House restaurant which has been voted the Best place in Prague for Indian Food is again preparing your lunches. With new dishes on the menu and no delivery charges, life will taste good for you soon. Read all about it HERE |
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Sananim Gala AuctionThe 27th Sananim Charity Gala takes place on Saturday the 21st October at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague. Many generous individuals and organisations have donated prizes for the charity auction which will take place on the night. Here is a selection - come and join in the Gala and place a bid at the auction.
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News and fake news....Thomas Kent, President of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, joined us at one of our club meetings where he explored how news is assimilated, edited, influenced, distributed and digested. Tom joined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on June 27, 2016 after a career of more than 40 years at The Associated Press. Most recently, he was AP’s standards editor, responsible for the fairness and accuracy of the news agency’s content in text, photos, video, audio, interactives, and on social networks. Tom outlined how news gathering has changed and how forces with vested interests exert influence on audiences through many and varied channels. 'Even a picture is not always what it may be reported to be', said Tom, as he showed examples of images which have been used to support unfounded stories. He explained the construct and mission of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty and in particular that both organisations set out to cover local news in countries where state media bias is rife. Tom's presentation was revealing and truly thought provoking - knowing which source to trust and how to cross check information is a skill which is ever more important in the information age where news is disseminated through many channels within seconds of the event happening anywhere in the world. Helen Noll, RCPI President, thanked Tom Kent for his truly insightful presentation to the club.
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Rotary international - it really is INTERNATIONALWe are privileged to be visited by Rotarians from many different countries and so it was at our recent club meeting where Igor joined us representing his club in Macedonia. Helen Murphy Noll, President of RCPI, welcomed Igor and exchanged banners as a sign of Rotary friendship. |
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RCPI: Going from strength to strengthAfter a busy summer RCPI is back to a regular programme of meetings and events. This includes awarding members who joined recently with their official RCPI membership certificates. Casey presented the certificates to Jan, Anthony, Daniel and Frank as Rotarians and Friends attending our regular Monday meeting applauded. |
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A new member joins RCPIIt was a proud moment both for Jan and the club when Sanan presented the Rotary Pin, formally welcoming him as a member of Rotary and of our Club. In her capacity as chair of the Membership Committee, Fernanda set out what it means to be a Rotarian and reminding all present that Service above self is the foundation of the organisation. Jan led all members in reciting the 4 way test and Casey presented Jan with his membership certificate. Rotarians applauded as Jan thanked Sanan for being his sponsor and the club for welcoming him. Fernanda, Jan, Sanan, Casey
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Trees for life by video link from UK and ZambiaIn a first for RCPI we were joined yesterday evening by Dan Sokell and Matthias De Beenhouwer via video conference from the UK and Zambia. Dan and Matthias are part of WeForest, our partner organisation in the Trees for Life initiative. Dan and Matthias explained to Rotarians and friends how WeForest is engaged in sustainable reforestation. Planting trees really makes a long term difference not only to the planet but also very directly to the lives of the farmers and their families in Zambia. For more information go to our Trees for Life Page |
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Going for a hike....We really missed our dear friends from RC Bristol this weekend who could not attend the annual hike due to the cancellation of their flight. The hike took place nevertheless and we explored monasteries and ruined castles as well as beautiful Cesky Krumlov. The weather was kind to us and the autumn created memorable backdrops as woodlands displayed their green, orange and fiery red foliage. As usual on the Rotary Club walks we chatted and laughed not only whilst walking but also late into the night with good Czech beer and maybe just one or two Becherovka. To see more pictures go to the ALBUM
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SANANIM 27th Anniversary GalaFollowing the great success of the past years the Sananim Anniversary Gala will once again take place on the 21st October at the Zlata Praha Restaurant on the top floor of the Prague Intercontinental Hotel. Naomi is, as in previous years, organising the event with her team of helpers with the proceeds donated Sananim. The album of pictures from the spectacular event last year is available here. For more information and tickets click HERE
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Letter from the District GovernorYulo Tomka mentions RCPI in his latest letter to all clubs. We have teamed up with the District in the Trees for Life initiative and all clubs in District 2240 have been invited to join us in planting trees in Zambia in association with WeForest, our NGO partner. You can read Yulo's letter by clicking on the links (English Letter) (Appendix) (Trees for Life invitation). President RCPI 2017/18
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This is a FairytaleThat was the feeling of 16 children from the Zatek orphanage who enjoyed a day out at the Internationales Märchenfilm-Festival "fabulix" in Annaberg-Bucholtz thanks to Rotary Club Prague International. Rotarians Filip Albrecht and Sanan Phutrakul organised the visit which turned out to be 'the best trip ever' as described by the children on their return. Filip's inspiration founded the festival and he organised many special surprises for the children which started with a Czech viewing of “Korunni Princ” in the main square. They met a real life Princess and Prince (Alexandra and Georg zur Lippe) in a private reception and the Mayor, Rolf Schmidt, who presented the children each with a bag full of gifts to remember the day by. A highlight was the the “Merchen Bergparade” followed by the closing show of the festival and as well as a tour of the Barrandov Studio museum dedicated to fairy tale costumes. For many of the children that had not only been a spectacular day but also their first excursion to to Germany adding another highlight to an already packed day. The children had more food, ice cream and cookies than they could eat and in the end were a very very happy and tired bunch as the coach made its way back to Prague. Rotary - making a difference to the lives of others. |
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An Actor CallsBob Boudreaux joined Rotarians and friends at our meeting this week as our guest speaker. Bob started his career in the US military, however decided that addressing audiences was more his thing and, after leaving his post as a helicopter flight instructer, took on a post as television news reporter and anchorman. After 13 years as Channel 13 news anchor, it was a chance meeting with Guy Roberts at the Huston Shakespeare festival which changed his career direction once more and Bob joined The Prague Shakespeare Company where he has continued his acting career. "Shakespeare in English language is not a new idea." said Bob, "After the plague struck in England all theatres were closed whilst those in central Europe remained open. A number of actors traveled to Bohemia in order to make a living and brought with them English language Shakespeare". Bob enthralled the audience with an explanation of the cadence of Shakespeare "10 beats a line - just like the human heart when spoken" and the background to a production which Bob is producing which has a very personal connection: Man of La Mancha written by Dale Wasserman. Bob told the audience that this play was the career tipping point for him from flight instructor to actor. "I saw the play whilst on a short leave from the services. It just captured me as it has captured audiences ever since. A play within a play within a play. A story of transformation which is as applicable now as it was when first written. It is all about recognising the good in others and transforming." Our very own RCPI Member, Linda, has recently published an interview with Lane Davis who start in the production. Man of La Mancha plays from the 6th of October in Prague. Bob is a former Rotarian and Paul Harris fellow. |
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2017 BurgerfestRotary Club Prague International will once again be selling Burgers for Charity at the annual Burgerfest held at the Holesovice exhibition ground. Apart from burgers there is live entertainment which makes for a great day out sampling the best Prague has to offer. We are looking for volunteers to help cook the burgers, serve and to assist with the logistics. The slots are: Friday 8th September - 6pm to 9pm - Setup of stall Saturday 9th September - 9:30 to 14 - Burger cooking and selling Saturday 9th September - 14 to 18 - Burger cooking and selling Saturday 9th September - 18 to 22 - Burger cooking and selling Sunday 10th September - 10 to 14 - Burger cooking and selling Sunday 10th September - 14 to 17 - Burger cooking and selling Sunday 10th September - 17 to 21 - Burger cooking and selling (plus taking down stall) Plus any other offers of help such as drivers to collect burger buns. Volunteers please email PR@RCPI.CLUB indicating when you can help. |
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A home for familiesGabriela Selinger and Pavel Kholl joined our recent club meeting to present the work of SKP HOPO, Středisko křesťanské pomoci Horní Počernice, the Christian Aid Centre which provides accommodation and care for displaced families. Gabriela explained how easy it is to fall into a poverty trap and how families are often separated in the process of being placed in the social system, SKP HOPO differentiates by offering accommodation for entire families so that the family unit remains together at this crucial time of stress and change. Over 3000 individuals have been helped by the centre since its founding in 1999, with around about 80 people in residence at any one time. The foundation has been restoring and adding to the large historic castle in Praze-Horních Počernicích which was used as an orphanage from 1927 to 1947 and then underwent a series of ownership changes including nationalisation. "There are many stories of people who need help due to being made homeless", said Gabriela, "some are due to a series of incidents which build up over time and result in a family loosing its home. It is out mission to assist and help through housing and other means to put these families back on their feet." The maximum stay for a family at the foundation is one year as dictated by Czech law. Club members asked Gabriela and Pavel many questions and if you would like more information about the work of the foundation please contact Gabriela by EMAIL. |
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Trees for lifeRotary District of Czech Republic & Slovakia and Rotary Club Prague International have partnered with WeForest to plant trees in Zambia. WeForest have a long track record of successful projects which not only involve planting trees but also creating a sustainable eco system to benefits the community as well as the planet. WeForest has been operating for many years and has a successful reforestation programme in the Luanshya district of Zambia. The project is based on sustainable reforestation which includes not only planting trees but also delivering benefits for the local community so that the trees become part of the income and livelihood of the community. Our participation was prompted by Iain Riseley, RI President, who challenged all Rotary Clubs to plant one tree for every member by April 28th 2018 - we have exceeded that target already and have raised funds for over 1700 trees To find out more and join in click HERE
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Amelie - Humanising cancer careVáclav Špáňa and Jitka Polanská presented the work of Amelie to members of the club at our recent meeting. In 2005 Pavla Tichá was diagnosed with cancer and rather than giving up she realised that whilst he medical treatment was very good, the support patients require to cope with the holistic aspects of cancer were lacking. She founded Amelie, a charity which sets out to humanise the system of cancer care by providing assistance to patients and their families. Václav and Jitka explained that the organisation relies principally on volunteers to meet and help cancer sufferers. This can be the simplest gesture such as being the smiling person in the oncology clinic waiting room offering patients the chance to talk with a cup of tea and a biscuit. Hundreds of volunteers throughout the Czech republic give up their time to help patients. Jidka commented: 'it is a very rewarding experience not only for the patient but also for the volunteer'. Every volunteer is professionally trained to give assistance and advice of a non-clinical nature. Whilst Amelie receives generous grants from public funds, the organisation is looking to broaden the funding base through voluntary donations from the public as well as other funding bodies. |
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Supporting Good CausesRaising funds for and supporting good causes is the heart of what Rotary, and Rotary Club Prague International, sets out to achieve. Our members work on many different initiatives to raise funds which we proudly donate to good causes. We have started a page on our website to celebrate the charitable donations made. Take a look - there are many more to add! In 2017 alone we donated over CZK 1.2m. |
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Helen Noll - RCPI President 2017/18At the last club meeting of the Rotary Year 2016/17 Sanan Phutrakul handed over his presidency of RCPI to Helen Noll. Helen was welcomed as the new President of our club by MD. Ilja Chocholouš, Deputy District Govenor of district 2240. Helen spoke to the club members of her vision and strategy for the club. She spoke of inclusion and changing the demographics of the club. Paul Harris founded Rotary at the age of 36 and we need to embrace and attract younger members to the club as well as continuing to encourage more women to join and contribute to Rotary. Rotary has many values but at it's core is service, to those who really need it most and this year I will be looking to get my hands dirty in the name of service and make a difference. As the largest club in our district - where we lead, others are sure to follow. Helen has written a letter of welcome to Members and those interested in finding out more about Rotary.
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Birthday presents..... for charityIn 1911, Service above Self was approved as the Rotary motto at the second convention of the National Association of Rotary Clubs of America, in Portland, Oregon. One of our members really took this to heart when, on her birthday, Linda Štucbartová asked her friends not to give her presents or flowers but to pool the money they would have spent to make a charitable donation. This idea caught on and on this occasion Linda's husband celebrated his birthday in a similar manner. The result: a donation of CZK 15,000 which was presented through Rotary by Linda to Jeanne Bočková of the Centre for Talented Minds. Jeanne came to our recent club meeting to receive the cheque and thanked Linda and her husband for the generous donation. The communist system brutally suppressed any elites, gifted children education and individualized approach to learning. This legacy still affects the educational system in the Czech Republic. While there are many institutions helping with inclusion and children with special needs, the opportunities for gifted are very limited. CTM aims to motivate talented hardworking young minds in Central Europe to excellence in education; help prepare students for admission to university studies at home and abroad and Create opportunities for the professional development of teachers and instructors. |
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Time to say nashledanouOur Rotary Exchange students will be returning to their home countries at the end of this month. At the last club meeting the students recounted the positive experiences and friendships they have made during their stay with RCPI members and how valuable the experience has been to their lives. RCPI has a very active student exchange programme which gives young people from our region the chance to live in another country as well as students sponsored by other clubs to experience life in the Czech Republic. If you would like to know more about the programme please contact youth@rcpi.club Uea-angkun Rattanayan, Anusri Arulmozhi,Laura Chironi with RCPI President Sanan Phutrakul |
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Rotary International - Themes for 2017/18Rotary President 2017/18, Ian H.S. Riseley, announces the themes for the new Rotary year in a short video:
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Four Paul Harris Fellows!Four members of RCPI were awarded Paul Harris Fellowships for their contribution to the Rotary Foundation. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. Karin receives her Paul Harris Fellow recognition Sanan receives his Paul Harris Fellow recognition Andreas receives his Paul Harris Fellow recognition Christian receives his Paul Harris Fellow recognition |
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RCPI receives Rotary Significant Achievement AwardMD. Ilja Chocholouš, Deputy District Govenor of district 2240 presented Sanan Phutrakul, President of Rotary Club Prague International, with the Significant Achievement Award for the contribution to Rotary in the year 2016/16. RCPI has grown as a club, raised thousands for charity and led the way in transforming the club into an organisation where like minded people come together to do good whilst having fun. The President's citation is a recognition of the very significant achievements in different aspects of Rotary.
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RCPI donates to CharityThe recent Dragon Boat Charity Challenge was a huge success and raised over 500,000 CZK for charities. A huge vote of thanks was given by members of the club to Peter Klima and the Czech Dragon Boat Association for the tremendous support without which the event would not have been possible. RCPI would also like to thank all the companies, teams and clubs who participated - you raised the funds which will change lives. Thank You. This week Rotary Club Prague International presented the receiving charities with their donation certificates: CZK 50,000 received by Lucie Hnojnová on behalf of APLA Jižní Čechy, z.ú. CZK 180,000 received by Zuzana Baudysova on behalf of Nadace Nase Dite CZK 100,000 received by Marie Svobodová on behalf of VDV CZK 140,000 received by Tereza Sobotova on behalf of Zivot 90 RCPI also donated CZK 40,000 to Muzy Detem
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Up at Dawn...Twenty two Members and Friends met up at 3:30am this morning with their bicycles to start the annual Rotary Club Prague International dawn cycle ride. On what is nearly the longest day the possy cycled around a deserted Prague on a tour specially devised by organiser, Petr Smejcky. The tour took a route to parts of Prague which were new to many members as well as to some of the best viewpoints from where the cyclists observed the city slowly waking up. On the return to Mala Strana, Cafe Limonade opened their doors early to welcome the hungry team. Petr organised a quiz which was enjoyed by all as they munched their way through breakfast. The event raised CZK 7000 for charity. |
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A new home for RCPIOur regular meeting venue has moved to the Holiday Inn Prague Congress Centre. Many thanks to Roman Straub for hosting us. The full address is: Holiday Inn Congress Centre Na Pankráci 1684/15, 140 00 Praha 4. Located beside the Congress Centre. Nearest Metro: Vyšehrad, Line C (Red Line) |
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2016/17 - an outstanding Rotary yearAs the Rotary year draws to a close, RCPI president Sanan Phutrakul addressed the members at our recent meeting. "It has been an outstanding year" commented Sanan, reflecting on the many achievements of the club. RCPI raised over CZK 1.2m for charity through a wide range of events which culminated in the annual Dragon Boat Charity Challenge which raised over CZK 500,000 on one day. Many new members have joined the club and we have bid some farewell as they have moved away. We have enjoyed social events as well as many occasions where we have come together to raise funds including selling mulled wine, Burger fest, members for members parties and of course the Sananim Gala Dinner. Our aim is to be awarded a Rotary Presidential Citation for the great work we have done throughout the year." Sanan presented the goals and targets which the club has to meet by the end of June 2017 in order to achieve a citation. "We are on track in many respects and just need a little bit of a push in some areas where we are just short of achieving the goal." Helen Noll will take on the role of RCPI President for the Rotary Year 2017/18.
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Thoughts from a student....Laura has been a Rotary Exchange Student with RCPI for the past 9 months. Sanan and Radka are her host 'parents' and Laura has integrated into the Czech way of life including schooling. Here are her thoughts about being an Exchange Student: Laura speaks to Helen Noll
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Youth Exchange UpdateOur club currently hosts three students, two girls and one boy. One of the girls is from India and the second is from Italy while the boy comes from Thailand. We have also three Czech students that are out in the world being hosted by Rotarians. The students in the whole district 2240 (Czech and Slovak) just finished a two week Euro trip together and are slowly preparing for the return to their home countries. Its a tough time for the students, with separation of close friendships that they have made with the other students and the host families. But the good thing is that many of these friendships are for life so most of them will keep in touch and meet again. At this moment preparations (paperwork for Visa application) are going on for next school year 2017/2018, where we will be sending one Czech girl to Canada and we will be hosting one boy from US. We also have a family exchange student, a girl that will be leaving for Taiwan first part of the summer and spend the second part of the summer by hosting a Taiwanese girl here in Czech Republic. |
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Points mean PrizesAt our recent club meeting Gerry Tipple awarded members with Activity Point Certificates in recognition of their participation in club activities. RCPI, as one of the most innovative clubs, has introduced a programme which awards points to members for participating in club activities. For example attending a meeting will gain a member one point. There are many other ways to be awarded points including organising events, making donations, participating in committees and many more. The more a member engages in Rotary activities the more points are awarded. You may ask - "what does one do with points?" Each point is equivalent to $1 which is donated on behalf of the member to The Rotary Foundation. The funding for the programme is generated through the donations made at meetings held throughout the year. Once 1000 points are accumulated, the member will be eligible for a Paul Harris Fellow recognition. So, points really do mean prizes! You can read all about the Activity Points Programme HERE
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Youth Exchange Euro TourExchange students Laura and Anusri joined 85 other Rotary International Yourh Exchange students on a tour of Europe. The Euro Tour is part of the Youth Exchange Programme where young people from another country are hosted by Rotarians and live, learn and attend school as part of a family. The programme is very active in our District and is seen as one of the most successful Youth Exchange programmes in the world. The Euro Tour took the 85 students from Prague to Paris and on to Spain. From Barcelona they crossed by ship to Italy where they enjoyed the sights of Rome, Florence, Pompai and Venice. "The whole trip was just an amazing experience" said Laura, "we learnt so much about the history and culture of Europe as well as about ourselves - two weeks on a tour bus is a good way to get to know one another!" For Anusri the trip was the highlight of the exchange: "I had to pinch myself to check that I am not in a dream. We cried when we had to say good-bye to our fellow students and guides." If you are interested to find out more about the Rotary International Youth Exchange Programme please contact us by email: youth@rcpi.club or click HERE
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Neo Liberalism in an unstable worldMr. David Langwallner provoked thoughts and comments with his interesting lecture to Rotarians and Guests at our meeting this week. He used his native Ireland as an example of how economic policies can fundamentally alter the trajectory of a country. David argued: "Capitalism is being destroyed by neo liberalism" because the basic safety nets of a decent society are eroded away and thus quash the entrepreneurship of the individual to try new ventures in the knowledge that failure is a step towards success. "Small businesses are not nurtured in this system", said David as he complemented the Czech Republic for maintaining a system where the small shop and entrepreneur continued to thrive. As society strives for more materialism, David suggested that in the future we will have to make do with less, however whilst not sacrificing quality of life. "What's wrong with being nice to each other" David concluded, expressing values of community, collaboration and an approach where individuals care, not only about themselves but also about the society in which they live and work. David Langwallner is Lecturer Professor at the Honourable Society of The Kings Inns in Constitutional Law (Irish Bar) and Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the Anglo American University. Mr. David Langwallner will speak to us about neo liberalism and development - an unstable world. David Langwallner is Lecturer Professor at the Honourable Society of The Kings Inns in Constitutional Law (Irish Bar) and Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the Anglo American University. - See more at: http://rotarypragueinternational.org/event/regular-club-meeting-35/#sthash.t9nEC8aR.dpufMr. David Langwallner will speak to us about neo liberalism and development - an unstable world. David Langwallner is Lecturer Professor at the Honourable Society of The Kings Inns in Constitutional Law (Irish Bar) and Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the Anglo American University. - See more at: http://rotarypragueinternational.org/event/regular-club-meeting-35/#sthash.t9nEC8aR.dpufMr. David Langwallner will speak to us about neo liberalism and development - an unstable world. David Langwallner is Lecturer Professor at the Honourable Society of The Kings Inns in Constitutional Law (Irish Bar) and Distinguished Senior Lecturer at the Anglo American University. - See more at: http://rotarypragueinternational.org/event/regular-club-meeting-35/#sthash.t9nEC8aR.dpuf |
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The 8th Charity Dragon Boat Festival was another triumph27 teams entered the Rotary Charity Dragon Boat Challenge and competed in the name of charity on the Valtava river in Prague. The teams were made up from clubs, societies, organisations and companies from the Prague region including Rotary clubs. Good natured rivalry and a determination to win spurred on the paddlers whose competence and confidence increased with each heat. However it was not all about winning - the event raised substantial sums for the three charities which were selected as the beneficiaries from the 2017 event: ŽIVOT 90, an organisation providing a wide range of services for senior citizens, Nadace Naše Dítě who offer much needed help and support for many children in very difficult circumstances and Výbor dobré vůle (VDV) whose main purpose is to help disabled, abandoned and discriminated against people to integrate into society. A big THANK YOU has to also go to Peter Klima and the Czech Dragon Boat Association for their kind help and assistance without which this event would not be possible. The full results are available at: http://www.dragonboat.cz/vysledky/187/
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RCPI helps Mathilda FoundationThe Mathilda foundation, a registered charity, was founded in 2010 and its mission is to support individuals with severely impaired vision. Though an individual Member's donation RCPI was able to channel 10,000 CZK to the Foundation to help with their work assisting the blind and partially sighted in the Czech Republic. Luboš Krapka from the foundation thanked RCPI in the name of the people they help for our excellent support. (Picture: Mathilda volunteer training guide dogs)
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RCPI receives Membership Development AwardRotary Club Prague International was presented with the membership Development Award 2016/17 by Štěpán de Wolf the district Govenor for Czech republic and Slovakia. (Disctrict 2240). Receiving the award on behalf of the club are Sanan(right) and Fernanda (middle). The award is given for excellence in membership recruitment and the management of membership within the club.
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RCPI helps Canine RescueMembers of Rotary Club Prague International, along with Zdeněk Střžek, owner of Bejzment Burger Pub and also the promoter of the Jack Daniel’s BurgerFest in Prague, visited Psí útulek Trója to deliver several large bags of quality dog food and a pet carrier. This donation came from the proceeds of RCPI’s participation in BurgerFest 2016. Psí útulek Trója is the city-owned dog shelter for Prague, and cares for 120 or more dogs at any moment, with sometimes more than 200 dogs coming through the facility in a single month. In 2016, the shelter cared for more than 2,000 dogs, and the Prague animal protection service reached the milestone of having processed the adoption of 80,000 animals (dogs, cats and others) since it opened in 1993. Dogs end up at Psí útulek Trója for various reasons. Some are stray dogs found wandering the Prague streets, often because irresponsible owners abandon them. Most come from owners who, for different reasons, no longer can or will keep a dog. According to Mr. Marcel Kovářík, a very skilled and caring dog attendant, who provided a complete and informative tour, most dogs are left by people who are going into retirement. When a dog arrives, it is checked for fleas, ticks and other parasites, washed, and given a thorough examination by a veterinarian. Any medical conditions that can be safely and effectively undertaken to bring a dog back to good health are performed. The dogs are housed in various sections of the facility according to size – small, medium and large – and dogs who have been outside for most of their lives are provided with comfortable shelter in outside pens. Very aggressive dogs are housed separately from the main population until such time as they lose their aggression through training and good treatment. All dogs at the shelter are on offer for adoption, and stay until they are either adopted or their health collapses. “A dog may be here for three hours or for three years,” Mr. Kovářík explained. The shelter does not put animals to sleep unless they can no longer live a good life. Dog are not the only animals kept at Psí útulek Trója – the shelter also gets an occasional pig, sheep, horses, exotic birds (including the peacocks witnessed on the property), quite a few snakes and lizards, and more. But not cats, which are kept at another facility, Útulek Měcholupy. As you can imagine, it is not inexpensive to take care of more than 100 dogs and other animals every day, while also giving tours, promoting adoptions, and sending officers out to catch abandoned animals. When Zed Střžek suggested Psí útulek Trója as the designated recipient of the funds that RCPI would generate at BurgerFest, we were very happy to cooperate. Our ability to generate those funds was made greater when Mr. Střžek offered to let the club participate at BurgerFest without having to pay the participation fee, since RCPI is also a non-profit, with all-volunteer staff. Nearly half of the RCPI members participated during the 2-day BurgerFest event, organized by co-chairs Christian Noll, Mamun Hassan and Casey Holt. Everyone enjoyed the days and the event, and the RCPI board has voted to make participation in it one of the club’s annual efforts. We are welcomed by Mr. Střžek and BurgerFest, and now that the logistics of being burger vendors have been worked out, we look forward to raising even more money for a good cause in future years. |
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Roman - Welcome to RCPIRotary Club Prague International welcomes Roman as a new member of the club. Nelly (left) sponsored Roman to become a member and will coach and mentor him through the next months as the whole club welcomes him to Rotary. Fernanda (right), The Chair of the Membership Committee of RCPI, welcomed Roman to the club and wished him well. Roman intends to actively participate in club activities and we are all delighted to welcome him.
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RCPI at PETSOn Friday 17th & Saturday 18th I attended District 2240 PETS training in Olomounc. This is to prepare all us up and coming Presidents to be efficient and follow Rotary protocols. Not only President Elects but District Governor Elects, and Assistant District Governors, in all about 150 attended the conference from all over the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We met up on Friday evening for a meal, a chance to introduce ourselves to those seated near us. Saturday the conference was kicked off early to a full conference room. We were given talks on how to attract new members, especially younger members and keep fees low to encourage those who have vocational jobs, who do caring work to join Rotary, these are the members who are most likely to volunteer and that is a very valuable contribution, more so than just putting your hand in your pocket and producing some cash. Rotary is much more than simply business networking. We discussed many issues, a number of Clubs presented their projects in the hope to inspire others to do similar. Many focused on the wellbeing of children: at home and abroad, providing specialist play equipment and medical support for families who have a child with extreme special needs. I spoke with Hana who is running a project in Malawi, 'Happy Classrooms' – encouraging children to attend school and teaching teachers how to keep children in school when poverty usually demands they leave and find paid work. All this possible through the Global Grant programme of the Rotary Foundation. We discussed the District's finances and where our contributions go. What the District does with this money and what funds local Clubs can use for specialist projects. The Administration of Clubs, communication with committee chairs and other useful functional tools. Prague International is the biggest club in the District, it is also the only English speaking club, whilst there are other 'International' clubs the tend to speak a mixture of English/Czech/German. There is a lot of translating going on – especially for me at the conference, as I don't speak much Czech and I need to thank Helena for taking the time to help me out. I was left knowing what is expected of me as President and having met some interesting people who are doing great things in the name of Rotary. Key comments were to increase the number of younger members, keep membership fees affordable, especially to people who work in low paid vocational work. We need a variety of members and should take members from all walks of life. |
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RCPI meets the Italian AmbassadorThis week's RCPI club meeting was kindly hosted by His Excellency the Ambassador Aldo Amati at the Italian Embassy in Prague. Ambassador Amati addressed the Rotarians and commented on a number of very topical issues such as the plight of the refugees coming to Europe and the special burden Italy and Greece have due to their geographic position whereby both countries become the primary countries of entry to the European Union. Ambassador Amati was most engaging as he moved on to other topics including the Italian Embassy in Prague. RCPI President, Sanan Phutrakul, thanked the ambassador on behalf of all the members of the club for a most interesting and informative evening.
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RCPI is number ONE .... twice!Rotary District Govenor, Stepan de Wolf, presented RCPI the award for the highest Rotary Foundation contribution per member out of the 72 clubs in the District. The foundation is the charitable arm of Rotary. It taps into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into the charitable priorities, such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact. Strong financial oversight, a stellar charity rating, and a unique funding model mean that the foundation make the very most of every donation. RCPI has an innovative approach to increasing donations, members receive activity points for their contribution club activities and these in turn are transformed into donations to the Foundation. RCPI President, Sanan Phutrakul, received the award on behalf of the club.
RCPI also received the award for Membership Development. This award is given to the club which has attracted the most members in the previous Rotary year. Fernanda Escobar, RCPI Membership Chair, accepted the award from DG Stepan de Wolf.
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Brexit in a broader context - Ambassador Ed HoeksAmbassador Ed Hoeks of the Netherlands joined Rotarians, visitors and friends at our recent club meetings. Following club proceedings and dinner he presented Brexit in the broader context of events both contemporary and historical. Drawing a link between the French revolution, the Russian Revolution and the rise of nationalism, he proposed that we are exiting a period of libertarianism and are entering uncertain times as nations focus inwards and on themselves rather than having themes of cooperation. Ambassador Hoeks went on to share how he had also not predicted that the UK would vote to exit the European Union and that a great partner of the Netherlands will distance itself. Of course no view of Brexit would be complete without a comment on the election of the US president and Ambassador Hoeks drew parallels by observing that the less affluent middle classes, previously silent have now shaped the course for history for years to come. His insightful remarks and observations kept the attention of the audience and some lively questions rounded off a most interesting evening.
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Dancing the night away....The debutantes walzed to “My Life is Love and Pleasure” by Josef Strauss as part of the opening ceremony of the Ball der Österreicher held at the stunning Palac Zofin in Prague. Rotary Club Prague International was represented in the opening ceremony by two of our exchange students Laura Chironi, from Italy and Anusri Aral from India who were accompanied by their Czech dance partners. Rotarians and friends danced the night away to traditional walzes and polkas as well as some rather more modern disco beats in the smaller hall of the Zofin.
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Join in! Dragon Boat Racing for CharityThe 2017 Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is open and the races will be on the 13th May 2017. Enter a team, have fun and raise funds for three very worthwhile Czech charities. Find out more by clicking HERE
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Preserving Czech HeritagePeter Kysel joined Members, visitors and friends at our club meeting in Prague. Peter is an experienced Investment Banker and Consultant and has been actively involved in the voluntary sector since 1986. He spoke to us in his capacity of Board member of the Friends of Czech Heritage, an organisation dedicated to preserving fine examples of Czech architecture. Peter explained that his organisation uses their funds as seed corn to leverage further fund and to set projects off on a path to completion. "Very often a relatively small sum will will demonstrate to others that the project has backing and other grant money will begin to flow" said Peter. The organisation also helps in very practical ways by organising volunteers where willing and able individuals spend time physically working on a project. "no experience necessary" explained Peter "we provide all the know how - you just have to be willing and have a pair of gloves and wellington boots". Expert consultancy to help owners of historic buildings to consider how to preserve the building whilst always bearing in mind that an ultimate purpose and use is really important. "we restore and preserve so that the building has a use. Without this it would fall into disrepair again in 5 years" said Peter. The club thanked Peter for a very interesting and enlightening talk. More at www.czechfriends.net
Peter Kyse
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Bowling for fun!Over 35 Rotarians and friends enjoyed an evening of bowling in Prague as part of our series of fun club meetings. Bowling, chatting and a few glasses of good Czech beer made a very enjoyable evening. It was great to have some of our exchange students and friends at the meeting which spanned an age range of 13 to over 70.
Just some of the RCPI Bowling Crowd
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The 2017 Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is OPEN!The Rotary Dragon Boat Charity Challenge is fast becoming the premier charity event of a Prague Spring. This year's event takes place on the 17th May. It’s an event that combines Team-building, Corporate social responsibility, live entertainment and family fun in one great programme. The sight of teams of highly motivated paddlers going all out for the finish line makes an exciting spectacle that draws big crowds.
We expect more than 30 teams to enter, some for fun and some to earnestly compete to win. If you are a company, a club or association or just a great group of friends, now is the time to enter your team. All the details you need in Czech and English are HERE. |
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Indian Food Helps breaking all recordsThe Indian Food for Indian schools project was more successful than ever in 2016.
A record 547 Indian lunches were delivered to hungry customers over 9 days during October. Thanks to additional donations from Rotarians we were able to send 250,000 Indian Rupees [94,000 Kč] to support one large primary school and an anganwadi in Rajsamand. 175 Children were helped and the school was provided with some computer equipment, classroom furniture and kitchen equipment as well as sports & music supplies. 11 More able children with good academic results from poorer families who were also given financial scholarships.
We also visited schools that were helped in 2013 and 2014 and were pleased to notice that progress had been maintained.
More pictures from our trip HERE
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Training in San DiegoIrena Brichta and Stuart Amesbury from our club will be traveling to San Diego to take part as Training Leaders in the Rotary International Assembly which is Rotary's annual training meeting for incoming district governors. Irena and Stuart were trainers at the assembly last year and have the honour of having been asked back for a second year to be discussion leaders and help District Governors elect (including our own DGE, Julius Tomka (RC Banska Bystrica) share their insights, experience and knowledge with the other incoming district governors from around the world. Whilst San Diego may sound enticing, the event is hard work for the trainers who start at 6.30am to set up the workshop rooms, and do not finish until 8pm in a tightly packed programme of lectures and workshops. “Stuart and I are really looking forward to meeting the incoming DGs and their partners” said Irena, “One can really see the power of Rotary through the representation of leaders from all continents”.
A five day training program for the trainers precedes the International Assembly where the trainers familiarise themselves with the newest concepts and ideas emanating from Rotary and have an opportunity to practice the teaching sessions prior to the arrival of over 530 incoming district governors. |
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It's Election time....It is that time of year again for officer elections for the next Rotary year, which begins on July 1, 2017. According to the club's by-laws, the club officers are defined as follows (current holder in brackets):
Next year, Helen becomes President and I become Immediate Past President, so we will be electing all three incoming officer positions for the Rotary Year 2017/2018. These are:
If you would like to submit yourself as a nominee, please email president@rcpi.club . If you would like to nominate someone else, please make sure that you first get his/her consent before doing so. Please submit your nominations by January 16, 2017. Elections will take place at our club assembly on January 30, 2017 @ 18:00-20:00.
If you are considering a position as an officer and/or have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me or any officer above. Kindest regards, Sanan Phutrakul Club President 2016/17 RC Prague International |
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Rainer joins RCPI as the newest MemberRCPI welcomes Rainer as the newest Member to join the club.
RCPI President Sanan welcomes Rainer to RCPI
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Happy New Year 2017As we look forward with high hopes and aspirations towards what 2017 will bring we, at RCPI, wish you all the very best for the new year. The world faces challenges and through Rotary Clubs such as ours we can all contribute to make the world a better place. Sometimes the small things make all the difference such as noticing and acknowledging someone less fortunate than yourself.
The Rotary 4 way test provides a simple guide:
Happy New Year!
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Sananim Gala Evening.... SUPERB!The annual SANANIM fundraising gala evening was once a gain a great success. Great company, great food and great entertainment made a perfect evening for over 100 guests. The evening was dedicated to fundraising for SANANIM, a charity, which provides services in the area of prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions. SANANIM has a number of different programmes including an Outreach Program where the primary goal is to find the risk users of injected non-alcoholic drugs directly in the streets, to protect them (and, at the same time, the healthy population that is in everyday contact with them) from infectious diseases, to motivate them keep them in the best social and medical state possible before they decide for abstinence.
The 26th Anniversary Gala was supported by many companies and individuals who gave donations and their time to make this event such a success. "This event is a superb example of the generosity of individuals, companies and clubs." said Naomi Sullivan-Callender who coordinated the event. "Everyone came together to increased the awareness of SANANIM and their work as well as raising a substantial sum for the organisation".
The final amount raised by the Gala event will be revealed in a ceremony where a cheque will be presented to Sananim. See the pictures in the RCPI ALBUM
The 25th Anniversary Gala was supported by many companies and
individuals who gave donations and their time to make this event such a success. "This event would not have been possible without the support of so many individuals and organisations" said Naomi Sullivan who coordinated the event. "We have not only increased the awareness of SANANIM and their work but have also have raised a substantial sum for the organisation".
- See more at: http://rotarypragueinternational.org/Stories#sthash.B5uWcfjK.dpuf |
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Degustation in PrahaOur recent club meeting was dedicated to the appreciation wine and , of course, having fun together with doing good. Martin Filipec, the founder of "The Wine Society" and head sommelier Regina Chlumska guided us through a selection of red and white wines from Italy, Austria, France and Spain. Starting with a fresh and slightly acidic Gruener Veltliner and finishing with the full bodied Puteus Salice from Puglia. The journey was one of attention to detail, explanations, however ultimately a very personal experience since no wine tastes quite the same to two indioviduals. We also learnt about leaf days, fruit days and the bio calender of days when some consider wine to be at its best or worst. A most enjoyable evening which fused great wine with great friendship in the most delightful surroundings of The Wine Society Cellar.
The Wine Society is an exclusive club whose members enjoy an exclusive wine lounge, diverse tastings and a wide selection of wines selected to be consumed for pleasure. www.winesociety.cz
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Take off with Vaclav Havel Airport"2016 will be a record year" said Jiří Kraus, referring to the number of passengers passing through Prague Airport, when he presented at a recent RCPI Club Meeting. Jiri has a long association with the airport having started as a technician working on the runway systems and is now the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vaclav Havel Airport.
Jiri explained how the airport has expanded from a single terminal back in 1937 and is now the second busiest airport in Central and Eastern Europe.
Running an airport is a complex business. More than 14,000 people work at the site of the airport and at peak times the airport can handle more than one aircraft per minute. This requires planning, coordination and a cool head. "We have to continue to update and evolve", said Jiri, commenting on the recent refurbishment of the Terminal 1 arrivals area to make it more visitor friendly as well as the installation of the new air bridges to handle the Airbus A380 which flies regularly between Prague and Dubai.
Sanan, President of RCPI, thanked Jiri for a fascinating and insightful presentation and a behind the scenes look at a facility which most of us have used at one time or another.
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Indian Food Helps!Indian Food Helps! is back and will be delivering wonderful Indian lunches to offices around the city during the week commencing 17 October 2016. All the proceeds from this action will go towards supporting primary schooling in rural Rajasthan. We will buy equipment for the schools, exercise books and writing materials, school uniforms, hygiene kits and pay school fees for poor families. We also arrange health checks and basic treatment for children and mothers. One lunch can enable us to buy 2 exercise books or a workbook and pencil. Five lunches can pay for the school fees of one child for a year. All proceeds will be spent on the materials without deduction of any administration costs. Find out how to order HERE |
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Walking WalesGreat countryside, great company, great food, great walking and a lot of laughter. That was the formula when 9 members of RCPI joined our partner club Rotary Club Bristol Breakfast for a long weekend of walking in the Welsh countryside.
On the first day we walked part of the Wye valley way from Chepstow to the fabulous Tintern Abbey and returned along a section of Offa's Dyke.
The Black Mountains were our challenge on day two with a steep ascent however we enjoyed superb views as a reward. Of course a pub lunch was a mandatory break in the middle of the day with sampling of ales. A whole weekend in wales in October without a drop of rain - we were very lucky!
A big thank you to all our friends from Bristol who were superb hosts and organisers of a very memorable weekend.
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Super Hot Chilli Burger!A new venture for RCPI - Burgerfest!
Over a dozen Rotarians helped to make Burgerfest 2016 a weekend to remember. We created a very special burger: Pork and Apple with a variety of dressings including Mamun's super hot chilly paste. It was a runaway success with hardcore chilli fans queuing up for more. The event attracted thousands of visitors and we promoted Rotary with leaflets and of course burgers.
Our chief burger griller was our very own Casey Holt who now has at least 1000 burgers to his name!
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TEDx Prague visits RCPIMatej Novak, the organiser of TEDx Prague visited our club and made a great TEDx style presentation about TEDx. Now what does this all mean? You may ask. TED was born in 1984 out of Richard Saul Wurman's observation of a powerful convergence among three fields: technology, entertainment and design. The first TED included a demo of the compact disc, the e-book and cutting-edge 3D graphics, while mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated how to map coastlines using his developing theory of fractal geometry. TED became so popular that it spawned TEDx - locally organised events which follow the principles of TED.
The most important aspects of a TEDx talk is that it has to be 'an idea worth spreading' and has to be delivered in 18 minutes. There are over 30,000 talks in the free library to date originating from 133 countries.
Matej organises the annual TEDx Prague conference which will take place on the 30th October. The theme of this year's conference is “Ours and theirs”. Among other things, this also concerns current society-wide issues.
Sanan, RCPI President, thanked Matej for a very interesting talk and a concept 'definitely worth sharing'.
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Médecins Sans Frontières @ RCPIReena Sattar, HR Officer of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Czech republic, visited RCPI recently and introduced members and guests to the challenging and rewarding world of this very well known organisation. MSF, founded in 1971, is an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization (NGO) best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. The objective is to deliver emergency medical aid quickly, effectively, and impartially.
Reena explained the work of the organisation, its origins and its values. She has been a member of MSF for many years and has worked in many countries where medical aid is desperately needed. Reena's passion for selflessly helping others in need was infectious as she told of how she worked in war torn countries, setting up hospitals and treating patients in private houses because no other facilities were available. MSF has gained huge international respect and is on many occasions the first organisation to reach a crisis zone. The impartiality of the organisation has earned it the respect and trust which allows it to operate, on many occasions treating patients from both sides of a conflict. Reena explained: "we have a strict rule - no guns allowed inside our hospitals, and preferably no military uniforms. We treat patients as human beings not as soldiers or civilians."
Sanan, RCPI President, thanked Reena for a truly informative and passionate presentation. If you want to know more abut the work of MSF or want to offer your services please email Reena.
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RCPI presents Marie a Paul Harris FellowshipAt a recent club meeting RCPI President Sanan Puhtrakul presented Marie Jehlickova with a Paul Harris Fellowship. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships.
Marie is a long standing member of RCPI and is a strong supporter of 'doing good' which she demonstrates through her continuous involvement in and support of club activities.
Marie received a standing ovation from members of the club as Sanan presented her with the certificate.
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Linda Hurdová and Jan Hergeth present Rozhled to RCPIProject Rozhled helps young adults from children´s homes and foster care with their future development. They help with choosing appropriate future careers, preparation for important factors which will inevitably change in their personal lives, and to utilize their skills in the labor market. Their goal is to help those young people to find their place in the world once they leave a children´s home.
Linda Hurdová and Jan Hergeth presented the project to RCPI members at one of our meetings.
"We were honored Monday evening to present our work before members of the Rotary Club Prague International at Barcelo Old Town" said Linda, "Thank you for a very enjoyable evening."
Sanan, the RCPI president, thanked Linda and Jan for the very interesting presentation.
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RCPI donates CZK 40,000 to ICTUSAt a meeting of our club, RCPI presented a cheque for CZK 40,000 to the Czech Charity ICTUS.
The charity helps individuals who have suffered strokes.
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Butler MBA Students visit RCPIAs part of a busy schedule in the Czech Republic, students and staff from the Butler University, Indianapolis US, visited our club. Marietta Stalcup and Heidi Thompson explained the construct and background to the MBA programme which is recognised as one of the most innovative in the US. Students take part in trips to Europe where they are exposed to business and cultural experiences which broaden their perspectives. The students introduced themselves and both Members and students enjoyed lively discussions over dinner at the Malostranská beseda where the club met in the historic lesser town of Prague.
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Dawn ride through PragueThe alarm clock sounds at 3am. Get Up! - it is time to join the members of RCPI for a dawn ride through Prague on what is (almost) the longest day of the year. By 4am we set of - and by 4:30 the sun rose over the horizon basking us in its golden rays. The weather was the best in the 5 year history of the "Dawn Ride" and spirits were high as we criss crossed Prague on our bicycles. In the Old Town the revelers from the night before were still active. "Hey mate, can you tell me the way to the nearest kebap shop" came the request from someone who had obviously had a great night out with his friends. "200 meters on the right" - Rotarians are always helpful and obliging.
Technical issues are also no problem for a motivated team of Rotarians - two inner tube changes and a number of other technical challenges were soon resolved and the team continued on its way.
The ride ended at Cafe Limonade who kindly opened early for us. Nothing like eggs and bacon and a big cup of steaming coffee to revive after such an early start.
4am on Charles Bridge
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Presidential Citation for RCPIRotary International President Ravi Ravindran presented Petr Smejcky, President of Rotary Club Prague International with the coveted President's Citation Award. The award recognises the work of the members of the club in helping make a difference to the lives of people all over the world. "It is a tremendous honour for our club to be recognised" said Petr, "It celebrates the work done by the 50 members of the club over an extended period of time. I am very proud to accept this award on behalf of all our members."
Ravi Ravindran visited District 2240 last weekend and met members of Rotary at a special dinner held in his honour.
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A word from the District ConferenceOn a fine May weekend a number of RCPI members traveled to Ostrava to take part in the Annual District Conference. Expecting a rather dull official occasion I am sure that they would all agree it turned out to be an interesting and amicable experience.
Despite most of the travelers arriving too late to attend an extraordinary theatre performance where live actors mingled with life-size puppets (I was told that it was amazing) the Friday evening continued with a late-evening buffet snack after which some of the die-hards decided to explore the Ostrava city centre night-life. Many continued their Rotary old-friend-reunions & new-friend-introductions into the small hours of Saturday.
An independent sight-seeing program had been organised for accompanying attendants who did not take part in the Rotary Business part of the Conference. The Saturday morning was dedicated to dealing with administrative & Rotary related business issues. Delegates listened to presentations and voted on some key issues for the forthcoming Rotary year.
The Saturday afternoon provided a colourful excursion into the artistic virtues of the RC Exchange Students presenting the cultural background of the nations they came from. Often one could not but stand in awe how well they had mastered then difficulties of the Czech language in the course of their 12 month stay sadly coming to end. This year we accommodated over 95 of them with a number exceeding a hundred planned for next year, we were told.
After a great meal based on the Czech cuisine, the Saturday Gala Evening took off with music & dance. In the foyer small & large groups were to be seen enjoying conversations over snacks & drinks with the intermixing exchange students adding international colour. The wide-screen TV´s turned on silent showing a high-pressure World Championship ice-hockey game between CZ & Latvia added the final spicy topping as both local as well as international hockey enthusiasts followed the score swing from one side to the other.
For those who did not have to leave early on Sunday a guided tour of the revitalised industry zone of Vitkovice was organised, an event generally underlining the simple fact that Ostrava has over the recent years made progress towards transgressing from a drab grey industrial agglomeration into a modern centre of business & industry, all suited for a good quality of life as well. Certainly still some way to go but you can already see the difference.
The event let me take away a strong impression - a District Conference of this sort is an experience that is always nice to attend if you like interacting with Rotarians, no matter if it is serious Rotary business or just being among like-wise minded friends.
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Congratulations Gerry!Our very own Gerry Tipple was presented with the District Service Award for outstanding service in promoting The Rotary Foundation and its goal of promoting world understanding and peace. Rotary International President Ravi Ravindran presented the award together with some gifts to Gerry at a dinner held in the President's honour in Prague.
"Recognition is nice, but it's like the icing on the cake." commented Gerry, " You can have too much of it and it doesn't compare to the real satisfaction that comes from being able to help others. Once you have discovered that, you want to do more and more. In the last 7 years we have raised 2.25 million crowns for local charities from Dragon Boats and sent more than 300,000 crowns to India to support primary school education. That has helped probably thousands of children and families and that's what matters."
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Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran visits Prague"Ravi" Ravindran and his wife Vanathy met with members of the Czech and Slovak Rotary Clubs in Prague yesterday. Ravi addressed the Members and explained his vision for Rotary and some of the changes he has implemented which will be carried forward by future Presidents. Ravi and Vanathy have been traveling throughout the world, visiting 43 since his appointment in July 2015 and spending only 11 days at home, in Sri Lanka since then. He explained that this was his way of 'giving back' for the tremendous opportunities and friendship Rotary has given him since he joined at the age of 21.
Ravi urged members to engage more with the many youth exchange students in order that they become Members themselves and contribute to doing good for the world and enjoying further opportunities in Rotary. He went on to explain how he, in the role of RI President, contributes to Rotary and gave many examples where his leadership and interventions have brought about good. However Rotary is about the 1.2 million members who are active across the world, doing good. "Operating with transparency and a business oriented approach is the way Rotary will thrive" said Ravi as he gave examples of how concepts from business have been successfully adopted. "Finding funding is no issue if you have a great idea and present it well, explaining the benefits for all concerned" said Ravi, reciting how he raised millions for schools in Sri Lanka following the 2004 tsunami by involving large corporations at a local level.
Ravi hands over the reigns of the RI Presidency to John F. Germ at the end of June 2016.
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RCPI presents 460,000 Kc for good causesIn a special award ceremony held this week, RCPI presented four charities with funds raised at the Rotary Charity Dragon Boat Challenge. The donatios were made to Nadace Nase dite 200,000Kc, ZIVOT 90, 200,000 Kc Muzy Detem, 40,000 Kc and ASOCIACE POMÁHAJÍCÍ LIDEM S AUTISMEM Association to help people with autism, 20,000 Kc. "A fundamental principle of Rotary is to help those in need" said Petr Smejcky, Club President. "our club is proud that we can make significant financial contributions which we know will change the lives of those in need".
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RCPI fun meeting at Vyšehrad castle in PragueNot all RCPI meetings take place indoors at the Barcelo hotel. Last Thursday our club held a 'fun' meeting which involved a guided tour of the famous Vyšehrad castle in Prague. Our guide took us on a journey though history including Prague's oldest surviving building, the Rotunda of St Martin from the 11th century as well as the the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul and the Vyšehrad Cemetery, containing the remains of many famous people from Czech history, among them Antonín Dvořák and Bedřich Smetana.
Rotary really is fun!
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Doing Good Beyond the Grave: District 2240 recognizes its first Bequest Society Member“When the new Czech civil code was introduced I realized that it was time to make a will. Reaching 70 years of age encouraged this thought too. I also had the idea that after taking care of my children and grandchildren, I wanted to leave a permanent legacy of doing good in the world,” says Gerry Tipple of Prague International Rotary Club. “The Rotary Foundation gives us all the opportunity to establish such a legacy by making a commitment to the endowment fund. So I finalized my will to include a gift to The Rotary Foundation. The gift will establish an Endowed Fund for Basic Education and Literacy. This means that the income from my bequest will be used to support education and literacy grant projects around the world. People that know me know that I’ve been involved in educational projects in India for several years. The fund I have created will continue to support educational projects, designed and implemented by Rotarians, long after I am gone.”
Gerry’s decision represents a milestone for District 2240, as he is the first Rotarian in the Czech Republic and in the district to become a member of the Rotary Foundation’s Bequest Society. The Bequest Society honors individuals or couples who have made commitments in their estate plans of US $10,000 or more: globally, more than 11,250 Rotarians have already made this commitment. With a gift or commitment of US $25,000 or more to the endowment, any Rotarian can establish a personalized fund to support the area of focus of the donor’s choosing. Last year, the endowment fund provided more than US $10.7M in support for Rotary Foundation programs.
During his presentation, Gerry asked members of his club: “How many of you have taken a look at your finances and written a proper will? Do you know what will happen to your money after you are gone? If you haven’t already thought about the legacy you will leave, I encourage you to do so soon. You don’t have to be wealthy to be philanthropic, and it would be natural for you to consider The Rotary Foundation as a means to achieving your goals. Prague International’s motto is ‘Having fun doing good,’ but research has convinced me that ‘having fun’ is over when we die. However, we can all continue to do good beyond the grave through our Foundation.”
A presentation on Czech inheritance law and tax is planned for club members. Contact Gerry Tipple at gerry.tipple@gmail.com for more details. Download the “Your Rotary Legacy” brochure at https://www.rotary.org/en/endowment-fund, or contact David Neumann, Endowment and Major Gift Advisor for Zone 19 (neumannjerusalem@hotmail.com) or Elizabeth Lamberti, Fund Development Advisor at the RI Europe-Africa Office (elizabeth.lamberti@rotary.org) for additional information on legacy giving.
Gerry Tipple is presented with the Bequest Society pin and crystal as a token of thanks from The Rotary Foundation.
Pictured: Elizabeth Lamberti, Fund Development Advisor, RI Europe-Africa Office
Gerry Tipple, Past President, Prague International Rotary Club
Petr Smejcky, 2015-16 President, Prague International Rotary Club.
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Members for members raises 40,000 Czk for CharityOn 31 March, our club organized a member for member evening at Malostranska beseda. The purpose of the event was to meet members and their guests in a different setting and raise money for charity. A part of the evening was a lesson in country (line) dance taught by a professional line dance teacher. We found out that a combination and coordination of simple dance steps is not easy but can be rewarding, exhausting and fun. Some members found the steps easier to follow that others but all had a good time together. Dancing enthusiasts among ourselves continued spending time on the floor with music carefully selected by the Radio 1 DJ, while others retreated to the bar or to the buffet which sported exquisite salads and desserts from different parts of the world prepared by the members for members.
The event raised CZK 40.000 for Ictus, an organization which helps people after stroke. The event was organized and managed by Marie Jehlickova, Ales Zidek, Andreas Fehrens and Sanan Phutrakul. Many thanks to supporting members, Selin Zeybek, Fernanda Escobar and our friends at Rotaract.
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RCPI has a new logoThanks to Casey Holt, our club has a new and refreshed logo which is aligned to the Rotary International branding. Feel free to use it when you are communicating with others in emails or presentations. The logo can be downloaded from our document library or simply cut and pasted from HERE
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2016 Charity Dragon Boat Racing was a HUGE successThe sun shone and hundreds of paddlers took to the water cheered on by even more supporters all to have fun and raise money for charity.
The competition was good spirited and teams competed in multiple heats to battle for the coveted trophy. The winner was team "World Class" with a final time of 51 seconds to cover the 200m course. Rotary Club Prague International would like to thank everyone who participated, supported and helped in the oragnisation of the event which has raised hundreds of thousands of crowns for good causes.
This event is not just about the dragon boat racing, although that is the most exciting part of Prague’s Dragon Day. It is also about raising money for local charities that do invaluable work in supporting and helping those in need. It’s a unique opportunity for companies and organisations to get their brand and their name attached to the great causes that are being supported and to raise their profile. Our 2016 main charity partners are ŽIVOT 90, an organisation providing a wide range of services for senior citizens and Nadace Naše Dítě who offer much needed help and support for many children in very difficult circumstances. A particular vote of thanks goes to Peter Klima and the Czech Dragon Boat Association for allowing us to use their boats and set-up on the day. Without this the day would not be possible.
The full results list is available HERE
You can see more pictures of the event by clicking HERE
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Lída Baarová - Charity ScreeningThe screening of The Devil's Mistress was a sell out and the audience listened with interest as Filip Albrecht from Rotary Club Prague International introduced Filip Renc (Director), Ivan Hubac (Screenplay), Pavel Kríz (Hitler) and Zdenka Procházková (Lída Baarová at 80) to the audience. Their comments and remarks about the making of the film added another dimension to the enjoyment of the film.
The RCPI charity screening was the first time the international version of the film (the German-Czech version with English subtitles) has been shown in the Czech Republic. It was a real pleasure to hear actors such as Karl Markovics (Goebbles) speak in their native language.
The screening was attended by dignitaries from the Embassies of The United States, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Israel as well as film enthusiasts eager to meet the cast and enjoy this unique experience.
The event raised funds for The Rotary Foundation - a charity which has a mission to to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
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Social Clinic - a passion for improving livesBarbora Janeckova visited Rotary Club Prague International and motivated the Members and friends with a passionate presentation about a topic she has been involved with for many years. Helping those who require psychotherapy, however do not have access to the services of a Psychotherapist due to financial or social reasons. it is difficult, if not impossible to obtain psychotherapeutic treatment in the Czech Republic without resorting to private financial means. However on many occasions early intervention can make all the difference before someone slides into a dark place resulting in a spiral of catastrophic consequences.
Barbora recounted one incident of a man who was attacked on a tram. He was not hurt, however lost the confidence to travel by public transport. As a result of this he was absent from work, the consequence of which was that he lost his job. Not being able to pay the rent meant that he lost his apartment and became homeless and so the spiral continues. Luckily The Social Clinic managed to help and with a small number of therapeutic sessions he overcame his fears and is now back at work and living in a new apartment.
The Clinic is funded entirely by charitable means, starting with the donation of their time by a team of over 52 therapists and augmented by donations from the public and other organisations. "Funding is our major issue" said Barbora "the State does not provide these services and because we cannot bear to see people suffering needlessly we founded this charitable organisation".
More information at www.socialniklinika.cz
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Exclusive Screening: The Devil's MistressWe are hosting an exclusive charity screening of the movie THE DEVIL´S MISTRESS (Czech title: Lída Baarová) on Friday April 15th at 6pm in the KINO ATLAS, Sokolovská 1, Praha 8.
At this point all tickets have been allocated. If you would like a standby ticket please contact tickets@rcpi.club
In this screening we show the international version of the movie (the German-Czech version with english subtitles), and it´s the only opportunity to watch this version – therefore we recommend the screening for all German- and English-speaking Friends. For those of you who already have seen the Czech version in the cinemas, it could be also very interesting to see the differences between the two versions and to hear the main stars as Karl Markovics (Goebbels) or Gedeon Burkhard (Froehlich) with their original voices.
We are proud to announce you that some members of the film crew and some actors will personally participate in this screening, and will make an introduction about the history of the film before the screening. They will be also available for your questions.
THE DEVIL´S MISTRESS is one of the internationally most successful Czech movies of the last two decades. In the Czech and Slovac cinemas the films has around 450.000 admissions.
We are looking forward to see you at this unique cultural event.
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WASH team visit to IndiaFour Rotarians from our club spent a week in Rajasthan doing the preliminary assessment of the potential for a WASH [Water Sanitation and Hygiene] project with a Rotary Foundation global grant.
The trip was a great success with many field trips visiting rural communities and schools to make first-hand observations of the drinking water supply, toilet facilities and hygiene standards or lack thereof. These visits served to open our eyes to the poor condition in which most of these rural populations live and the lack of systemic support to health and hygiene in most places
Meetings and presentations were had with three very well respected local NGOs that could be prospective partners and all of their work in the field was quite impressive.
Our members also met with two Rotary clubs from Udaipur who are prospective partners for our project and one of those was particularly positive.
Our general conclusion is that in the rural communities of Udaipur and Rajsamand there is plenty of scope to support improvements in the availability of safe drinking water, the availability and use of toilets and the education and habits of hygiene.
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Indian Food for Indian Schools programmeAfter a very successful fundraising with our Indian Food Helps! project, a group of Rotarians from our club took part in a ceremony delivering school equipment and supplies to Ghati village school in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. Including many individual donations almost 100,000 Kč was raised to support primary education in rural India.
Present for the ceremony were the District Collector and other officials, village elders and parents of the children. More than 230 children were given school bags containing shoes, exercise books, uniforms, mats and hygiene materials. Equipment for the school included 50 bench-desks, two computers, books, and some sports and musical instruments. Village elders and families expressed their sincere appreciation to Rotarians and the Karnawat family for supporting their children's education over many years.
There was a sizable press corps present and the event made local TV, radio and press news in the next 24 hours.
Club members taking part were Helen Noll, Melody Munz, Gerry Tipple and Jonathan Wootliffe.
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A new member joins RCPI - welcome Fernanda!At this weeks RCPI Club meeting Fernanda was welcomed as the newest member of the Global Rotary Organisation and of course our club here in Prague. Fernanda has lived in many places around the world including he home country of Mexico, Madrid and England before settling in Prague. Very much at home with 'doing good' Fernanda has been engaged in many projects and activities where she has donated her time and energy.
Casey welcomed Fernanda with a short speech outlining the importance of and commitment of joining Rotary before Helen 'pinned' Fernanda with the rotary pin and Petr handed Fernanda her certificate of membership.
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Water Works!Did you know that the city of Prague uses four cubic meters of drinking water each second?
This month Rotary Club Prague International visited Prague's Podolí Waterworks. Prague is served with fresh water from two directions through aqueducts tens of kilometres long. The Podolí Waterworks is a standby facility that is only activated in an emergency, then it ramps up in a matter of hours to convert water from river Vltava to drinking water through a complex process of mechanical, chemical and biological filtration.
We visited the site's museum, where a small aquarium reminds visitors of the time when trout were used to detect water contamination in public waterworks. Private water supply networks appeared as early as 12th century in Prague, later a sophisticated network of pumps, water towers, clay and wooden ducts have been built to supply water to public fountains within the walls of Prague, only the richest families could afford to have running water in their houses.
We concluded the tour visiting the Podolí water tower and enjoyed the view of south of Prague at night time.
Pictures by Luu Anh Nhat. For more information about visits, tours and outings of our club visit the EVENTS diary on our webslie.
For more information about Prague water visit the PVS History of Prague Water website
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Fun, Fun, Fun... Western Line Dancing for a good causeCalling all Members and Friends - Book your tickets now for the 31st March. A fun night of Western Line dancing, food and drink in the very heart of Prague.
Buy your tickets online HERE |
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A new member joins RCPIAt this weeks meeting Helena was welcomed as a new member to Rotary Club Prague International. Helena is keen to contribute to the club and even volunteered to organise the next bowling tournament - a great start for a new member on day one! The members welcomed Helena and we are all looking forward to working with Helena on a variety of charitable and fun projects.
If you are interested in joining RCPI please contact us through our website www.rcpi.club
In the Picture from left to right: Sanan, Helena and Petr
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Having fun bowling....This weeks meeting was a fun meeting at the bowling alley where RCPI Rotarians and Friends enjoyed themselves in good company and cheer. If you want to find out more about Rotary please contact us.
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A Rotary welcome to MarcelaRotary Club Prague International has a new member. Our President, Petr Smejcky, welcomed Marcela and presented her formally with her Rotary pin. Marcela lives in Prague and has been active and working with NGOs for some years. A resounding round of applause welcomed our newest member.
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Happy Birthday Gerry!RCPI met for a very special occasion this week: Gerry Tipple's Birthday, and a special one at that. Over thirty Rotarians and Friends attended a combined Christmas meal and celebration of Gerry's birthday. Gerry recounted some of the events of his early life including how his mother named me after Geraldo of 'Geraldo and his Concert Orchestra' fame, as he was on the radio that evening. "Geraldo's real name was Gerald Walcan Bright. I guess I'm lucky not be called Walcan - especially as my father's name was Wallace" said Gerry with a smile.
In line with the theme of birthdays Rotarians enjoyed the quizz based on 'can you guess who this is.... aged 4'. Some Rotarians have not changed a bit. The Barcelo served a delicious fare of roast duck, traditional dumplings as well as a variety of other courses followed by super puddings. Another quiz had Rotarians debating what are the ingredients of famous cocktails and how many Olympic medals the Czech Ice Hockey team has won.
Gerry kindly sponsored the food and wine and Members contributed to our Indian School project with a generous 21,500 Kc with still some more to come. It's a great contribution that will ensure we send the promised 80,000 Kc (200,000 Indian Rupees) as part of our Indian Food Helps Programme that will provide a lot support to the education of poor rural children in Rajsamand.
The evening was also the one where we all wished Ben Ivory farewell as he and Maureen return to Chicago. Ben has been an active member of RCPI for a number of years whilst working on an international assignment for Graebel. Of course we never say good-bye since Rotary is a great family and we already look forward to Ben and Maureen visiting us again. Ben did offer to host RCPI Rotarians in Chicago so book your slot!
Rotary is about doing good and having fun. Our meeting was a perfect example of fun, friendship, celebration and raising funds for good causes.
A very Merry Christmas from Rotary Club Prague International!
Photography by Natalie Rajska
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Letter from the District Governor - Dec 2015Dear Rotary Friends,
Christmas is just round the corner..... Many of you have given generously. Bodo Hauswald, president of RC Bratislava Danube has told me of his club’s support of 3,650 EUR for Slovak volunteers who work as ambulance volunteers. Many individuals and clubs support Rotary projects. Rotary punch (mulled wine) and other drinks waft through numerous market squares and shopping centres with the proceeds already designated to specific causes. Sincere Rotary thank you to you all. Rotary is not only about finance. Support and work for Rotary and for our communities cannot always be counted financially. Organising trips, special evenings, normal club activities and help to the disadvantaged is all part and parcel of club life. And so also for this activity, I sincerely thank you. As a small gift to our not so computer literate Rotary friends, I have arranged for the input of missing club officials onto the RI database! Presidents and Secretaries of clubs now have the opportunity, after logging into: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/, to edit their members‘ details, and before the end of 2015 to in put all elected officials for the Rotary year 2016 - 2017, including the Executive Secretary position . At the same time as reminding you of club elections, I wish to remind you to nominate Rotarians for the position of District Governor 2018/19 (instructions and form is attached). During my club visits, I have been asked about the fate of the publication „Opava Rotarian“ , which many received and then for quite a while it did not appear. I have good news for you; the Opava Rotarian lives again: http://1drv.ms/1IL9JmF I would like to wish you all and your families a wonderful, peaceful and enjoyable Christmas season, and much good health and energy in the New Year, as well as great friendship within clubs and during multi club gatherings across the District. And don’t forget to be „A gift to the World“ Yours, Vladimír Adámek |
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RCPI presents cheque for 250,000 CZK to SananimJiří Richter, Executive President of SANANIM received a cheque for CZK 250,000 from Rotary Club Prague international at the recent club meeting. RCPI member Nelly Jenicek together with Jiří Richter explained the work of Sananim and some of the extraordinary successes the charity has achieved in the 25 years of operation.
RCPI club member Naomi Sullivan-Callender co-organised the fundraising gala to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Sananim which was not only an outstanding evening of celebration but also raised such a significant sum for the charity. Jiří thanked RCPI and Naomi in particular for her exceptional efforts which made the event possible.
Founded in 1990, SANANIM is now one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the Czech Republic that provides complex services in the area of prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions. The 25th Anniversary Gala was supported by many companies and individuals who gave donations and their time to make this event such a success.
"We have not only increased the awareness of SANANIM and their work but have also have raised a substantial sum for this amazing organisation", said Naomi Sullivan-Callender, co-chair of the event. “It was a thrill to experience such a dynamic and exciting event. It’s an honour to work with our friends at SANANIM to celebrate their great success. This event would not have been possible without the support of so many individuals and organisations.”
The other stars were all our guests who bid for auction items and pledged donations with great verve and generosity.
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Letter from the District GovernorDear Rotary Friends,
In my last letter I informed you of news that there were 2 cases of child polio in the Ukraine. Our friend Rasťo Maďar from RC Ostrava City sent me clarification and comforting news which I wish to share with you: Dear Governor, dear Vadimir, I would like to follow up on your recent District Governor letter no. 3, which spoke of the infectious child polio. In my professional capacity, I focus on infectious diseases, vaccines and Epidemiology, and further more I travel to Africa and Asia on medical humanitarian missions, so I follow very closely the process of eradication. Just a few days ago, the World Commission on Child Polio Eradication Certification confirmed that the virus of the contagious child polio type 2 has definitely been eradicated from our planet. This means that there remain two last virus types: 1 and 3. Til now, the last occurence of type 3 was in Nigeria in November 2012 and type 1 is circulating only in 2 countries of the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unfortunately there, armed terrorists have fired on vaccination healthcare workers and some have been killed. The recent cases of child polio in the Ukraine were caused by a weakened vaccine from an old generation of live vaccine applied by spoon into the mouth, a method not used in our country anymore. These cases were not an occurence of the wild polio virus, which happily no longer exists in Europe, and there was no epidemic. In this geographic area, the solution is to use non-live vacine as we do in our country or to increase the vaccination rate (still using the traditional method – by spoon)to pre war levels. The eradication certification of type 2 polio virus means that there is no longer a need to vaccinate against this type and to change triple strength vaccine (OPV 1,2,3) to a double strength (OPV 1,2).The future eradication of the last 2 types would be a great success for the human race, which would mean the deletion of vaccination against infectious child polio from the vaccination chart in all countries of the world. As we all know, this has only happened in the case of one disease – dangerous true smallpox (varioly). It is expected that total eradication of the remaining 2 types of poliovirus will be achieved in the next few years and it will be a great success for the whole Rotary movement. I mainly wanted to point out that in the Ukraine, we are not talking about a real epidemic of child polio cases even though the clinical cases created by the weakened virus vaccine could have further serious repercussions. There is no danger of a great epidemic even though there is a civil war on going and there is no change in the European status of the eradication of poliomyelitis. Sincere wishes, Rasťo Doc. MUDr. Rastislav Maďar, Ph.D., FRCPS On the occasion of World Polio Day (23rd October, 2015), we are asked to make a contribution to The Rotary Foundation because for this Day, as an exception, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will triple, not double a matching contribution. Individual as well as club contributions can be sent directly to www.rotary.org (at the same time informing our Finance Chair, Vladimir Jandik) or to the District account (account number is on page XIV of the Rotary District Directory, VS is the RI club number with the specific symbol 99). On 23.10.2015 at 23.30 you have watch a direct broadcast from World Polio Day on: http://www.endpolio.org/worldpolioday. „...........the unpleasant Syrian refugee situation is the lithmus test for world compassion.........“ says General Secretary Rotary International John Hewko. „ Rotarians throughout the world are deeply affected by this migrant crisis which is now developing in many parts of the world“ which the UN have stated is the worst crisis in recent history. „Rotary is following the situation carefully, says Hewko, we know that our members have a natural desire to negotiate, as well as lessen the suffering and uncertainty of these families and people. We ask you to act as Rotarians have acted in more than 100 years..... use your professional knowledge and experience, your contacts and mobilise your local communities to offer the appropriate help and financial means to resolve this humanitarian crisis. Rotarians can donate money to alleviate the suffering to RI partners like ShelterBoxhttp://shelterbox.org/. This organisation works together with other agencies so that they can distribute help in the required areas. ShelterBox is also working with communities in Greece to offer help to the homeless migrants. Our friend Jozef Klement from RC Zvolen has created a challenge to our clubs. Assistant District Governors will be in touch with clubs to let them know more about this challenge. As the month of November is about focus on support and help through The Rotary Foundation, with our donations to the TRF, we are helping the needy. Be a gift to the world! Yours, |
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Rotaract Charity Christmas CardRotaract Prague is selling Christmas Cards again to support children in orphanages in the Czech Republic. Please support this worthy cause.
Find out more HERE
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How do you know that you know what you know?Jason Kucker from the Nový PORG gymnázium a základní škola in Prague was the guest speaker at our club meeting. Jason's lecture challenged some fundamentals of knowledge and started with a provocative statement: The Greeks were invented by some academics in the 1960's - discuss! Members and friends joined in a lively debate challenging perceptions and assertions which proved precisely the point that knowledge is not a universal truth. The members and Friends thanked Jason for an interesting, challenging and informative presentation.
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Celebrating in style - SANANIM 25th Anniversary GalaThe gala was a tremendous success and not only celebrated Sananim's 25th year but also raised substantial funds for the charity. Over 140 guests attended at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague and enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by award winning chef Pavel Buchwaldek and danced the night away. Jiří Richter, Executive President of Sananim made a passionate speech thanking the guests for their support and stressing the importance of the work of Sananim. Founded in 1990, SANANIM is now one of the largest non-governmental organizations in the Czech Republic that provides complex services in the area of prevention, treatment and re-socialization of non-alcoholic drug addictions.
The 25th Anniversary Gala was supported by many companies and
individuals who gave donations and their time to make this event such a success. "This event would not have been possible without the support of so many individuals and organisations" said Naomi Sullivan who coordinated the event. "We have not only increased the awareness of SANANIM and their work but have also have raised a substantial sum for the organisation".
An auction of donated prizes was held during the event and raised tens of thousands for the charity. Two etchings by the famous artist Martin Sladky have also been donated and are now available for auction. Click HERE for more details.
The final amount raised by the Gala event will be revealed in a ceremony where a cheque will be presented to Sananim.
See more pictures by browsing the RCPI Photo Gallery
An excellent collection of pictures is ready for you to view on SNAPFISH
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English for Novy ProstorThe club has a new project working with Novy Prostor, the organisation that creates the Novy Prostor magazine and trains and manages homeless people to sell them. The homeless thereby earn a little money and more importantly have some work to do and some self-respect.
In discussion with N.P. Vlasta and Gerry came up with the idea of an "Academy" for the vendors where they could be encouraged to learn new things. The most popular subject chosen by them was Basic English and lessons began on 7 October with Gerry ably assisted by Prague Rotaract President Michaela. If you see one of these vendors on the street, please introduce yourself to them in English - and don't forget to buy the magazine. More volunteers welcome! |
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Climbing to the highest peakRotary Club Prague International teamed up with our Partner Club: Rotary Bristol Breakfast to climb the highest mountain in the Czech Republic. Lots of walking, lots of laughing, lots of talking and lots of eating and drinking. A great weekend to remember.
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Indian Food - Raising money for children in IndiaThe annual Indian Food Helps campaign starts on the 19th October 2015 and runs for two weeks.
The Curry House restaurant ,which has been voted the Best place in Prague for Indian Food, is once again preparing your lunches. With new dishes on the menu and no delivery charges your order will make a real difference to a child's life and prospects in India. Read more about how you can support the fund raising campaign by clicking HERE
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Stars all around us....During the meeting of 6 August 2015, RCPI’s band of natives and aliens (many of the club’s members are not Czech nationals) enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Martin Pauer.
In addition to being Project Manager at Rockwell automation, and a lead ringer of the bells at St. Vitus cathedral, Dr. Pauer is, by training and avocation, a geologist and planetary geophysicist. He is also a volunteer at the Štefánik Observatory on Petřín Hill in Prague, where several RCPI members and friends had already enjoyed the benefit of his assistance with gazing into the night sky through the observatory’s telescopes.
During an engaging and informative presentation that lasted well past our usual 20:00 meeting close, but which kept all but a couple members and guests glued to their chairs, Dr. Pauer provided a PowerPoint tour of the Sun, the planets and their moons, sprinkling in little tidbits of information that came as a surprise to most, including the fact that our moon “wobbles” a little as it rotates, so we actually see about 60 percent of it during the course of a month.
Attendees also learned that all moons but one orbit their planets in the same direction the planet rotates - counter-clockwise. But Triton orbits Neptune in a retrograde - clockwise - fashion. Venus also rotates clockwise, the only planet to do so; and Uranus rotates on its side relative to its travels around the Sun!
Very interesting stuff, and you can see Dr. Pauer’s slides here:
https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=961D161A48C42C4E!4549&app=PowerPoint&authkey=!AP2YecxWbwYI_74
You can also take a trip up to the Štefánik Observatory any night before 23:00 to take a closer look at the heavens yourself. And look for news of a future presentation by Dr. Pauer about the bells at St. Vitus. Perhaps we’ll go watch he and his friends ring them!
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Dragon Boats - a great day!The 2015 Charity Dragon Boat Challenge was a MASSIVE success. Over 1000 people attended the event and 28 teams competed and a record amount was donated to charity. A big THANK YOU to everyone who attended, organised and facilitated the event.
The weather could not have been better on the day as the starting gun fired and the dragon boats, crewed by teams made up of 17 keen and eager paddlers, made their way along the 200 m course to the finish line. Good hearted rivalry between teams ensured there was a certain competitiveness in the air however winning was not everyone's objective. Taking part and raising money for charity was the primary reason why over 1000 participants, supporters and fans gathered on Saturday morning to participate in the 6th Rotary Charity Dragon Boat Festival.
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Dragon Boats!The 2015 Charity Dragon Boat Challenge was a MASSIVE success. Over 1000 people attended the event and 28 teams competed and a record amount was donated to charity. A big THANK YOU to everyone who attended, organised and facilitated the event.
The weather could not have been better on the day as the starting gun fired and the dragon boats, crewed by teams made up of 17 keen and eager paddlers, made their way along the 200 m course to the finish line. Good hearted rivalry between teams ensured there was a certain competitiveness in the air however winning was not everyone's objective. Taking part and raising money for charity was the primary reason why over 1000 participants, supporters and fans gathered on Saturday morning to participate in the 6th Rotary Charity Dragon Boat Festival.
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Helen joins RCPI!Helen formally joined the Rotary Club Prague International at our most recent club meeting. Joining Rotary is more than just joining a club, it is becoming a member of a world wide organisation which has the objectives:
Vlasta congratulated Helen and 'pinned' her with the famous Rotary Pin which is given to all Rotarians world Wide to signify membership of the club.Helen is the 11th member to join RCPI this year and was warmly welcome by all the members.
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An insight into Prague International SchoolDr Arnie Bieber, the Director of the Prague International School joined Rotarians, visitors and friends at our club meeting where he explained the philosophy of the school and gave his views on education in the 21st century. The emphasis is no longer on 'chalk and talk' said Arnie, todays classroom is about discovery and learning in a quite different way. Inspiring Learners for Life is the mission statement which is expanded to include: "ISP inspires learners to lead healthy, fulfilling and purposeful lives, preparing them to adapt and contribute responsibly to our changing world."
Pupils at the school have access not only to some of the most modern teaching facilities but also to a team of highly motivated teachers. The Club thanked Arnie for a very insightful and interesting presentation.
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A new Member!RCPI has gained a new member, in fact the 10th new member this year - welcome Martin! Martin has joined RCPI for a number of meetings and recently presented his 'story' to the club. Rotary Club Prague welcomes new members who wish to join in the activities of the club and 'have fun by doing good'.
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Shelter Box AppealRotary Club Prague International is raising funds to purchase a Shelter Box which will provide a temporary home to a family in Nepal following the devastation caused by the earthquake. The boxes are packed and sent to the disaster zones by a registered charity called Shelter Box based in the UK. Read more HERE |
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From Russia to Prague via Africa.... Eduard W. M. V. Hoeks speaks at RCPIHis excellency Eduard W. M. V. Hoeks, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands joined over 30 members of RCPI at our regular meeting at the Barcelo Hotel. The Ambassador gave a fascinating account of his work at diplomatic postings at the Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nairobi, Sofia, Moscow, Dhaka, Algiers, Ouagadougou and Jakarta. His insights and observations of culture and behaviour held the attention of the members as he continued to expand on the changing role of the Diplomat in a world where, when he started his work, a physical diplomatic bag arrived once a week by plane and has now been replaced by electronic communication where distance is no longer a barrier. He observed that new topics had joined the agenda of the Diplomat including Migration, Climate Change, Energy, Cyber Crime and latterly Ebola.
The club thanked Ambassador Hoeks for his not only informative but also highly entertaining speech.
Postsctipt: Ambassador Hoeks publishes a blog and his most recent post can be found at:
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April letter from the District GovenorDear Rotary Friends,
Following on from our spring holidays, we see and feel nature around us in all its renewed energy – this has influence on all our activities, even our Rotary activities. Two weeks ago, all future Club Presidents and Secretaries met at PETS and District Training, so that under the DGE Vladimir Adamek’s conductors baton ‚they gained inspiration and information for the new Rotary year 2015- 2016. The month of April in our Rotary calendar is Magazine Month. As you know, it a Rotarian’s duty and right to receive a Rotarian magazine, either The Rotarian, or a regional publication like in our District, our own „ROTARY GOOD NEWS“ (RGN). Its not uninteresting that we belong to that greater proportion of the Rotary world who have their very own magazine. If you are curious about which regions or districts have their own magazine, this you can find on: Rotary World Magazine Press. I was even more proud of our magazine, when the April information for DGs from the European Office of RI displayed a regional magazine and it was our own RGN! It is the magazine for all of us, which helps us be informed about Club activities in our District and about The Rotary Foundation; the English supplement we provide is very highly regarded by many Rotarians, publishers and other readers! Sometimes, when visiting clubs, I hear the view that our magazine gives more information from the Rotary world but less about our own club activities. The Editorial Board of RGN brings us the specific material sent from RI HQ – this is a requirement under our licence to publish a regional magazine – and in many cases, this is the only way we are informed about Rotary activities worldwide. So I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who, regularly or only sometimes, send articles to RGN and also to the Editorial Board, who has managed to make our magazine one of the best! I would very much like to welcome a new club into our District, RC Ostrava City, who were chartered on 4.2.2015, and also our District’s first satellite club: Karlovy Vary Spa Satellite Club of RC Most. Welcome into our Rotary District 2240 family! We have received information that RIP Gary Huang has named his Representative to our District Conference in Kosice (22-25.5.2015), and it will be PDG Moshe Yoan from Israel. So I also remind you to register for the District Conference – see attached. Please do not miss this unique opportunity to participate in the 3rd District Conference in Kosice / the first was in 1935, second in 2009. Finally, I would like to ask all those clubs who during the winter months focused their activities on supporting the eradication of Polio – project POLIO, to send these funds as soon as possible to our
District account (name of club, plus word: POLIO), so that the District can send these contributions to RI before the end of the Rotarian Year, as is required. Please send information on your contribution also to Pawel Jurkiewicz, RC Piestany (member of District TRF team): coffeetea01@gmail.com Those of us who wish to find out more about Rotary and meet with RC President Gary Huang, still have time to register for the President’s Conference in Graz 24-25.4.2015, which is focused on the 25th anniversary of re-establishing Rotary in Central and East Europe. Arising from the resolution at the District Training Gathering in Olomouc, the District Legislative Committee will distribute and send out the D2240 Bye Law to each club for their comments, so that the final version can be agreed by the District Conference in Kosice. I wish to thank everyone, including clubs who are working together on this important document. Yours in Rotary,
Jozefa Poláková,
DG RI D 2240
2014/2015
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A new member!Rotary Club Prague International continues to grow and at last week's meeting Ales was welcomed by Vlasta as the newest member of the club. Ales has been active in the club for some time and previously made his presentation to the members who welcomed him as an active participant who has much to give whilst at the same time having fun!
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Gloegging Great!On Saturday and Sunday, 19-20 December a small group of very dedicated club members led by Marie, stood in temperatures reaching minus 12 degrees and offered Swedish Gloegg to passers by in return for donations to our iCTUS campaign.
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Rotarian Linda goes into print
Our Rotarian Linda Stucbartova talks to Radio Prague about her recently published book. It's a must read for the young and ambitious. The interview is |
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Polio Awareness Day and Fund-Raising Campaign
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Club gives to Shelterbox typhoon Haiyan appealOur club sent 20,000Kc to Shelterbox for its typhoon Haiyan appeal. That's enough to cover one life-sustaining box which holds a tent and all the essential tools for a family of 10. See the Shelterbox website for updates of the great work they do there. |
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Great Clean-up in Prague 5Members and friends Clean-up Mrazovka Park in Prague 5 on Rotary in Action Day. Good work and a good time had by all. The club carried out this action in support of the Clean-up-the-world campaign.
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World Polio Day on 24 OctoberRotary celebrates World Polio Day on 24 October with a Livestream event featuring expert speakers and celebrity performers. Hosted by Time magazine science and technology editor Jeffrey Kluger, the Chicago event also includes a global status update on the fight to end polio and the challenges that remain, as well as information about joining Rotary's historic campaign. The program, being held before a live audience at 18:30 Chicago time (UTC-5), includes a performance from Tessanne Chin, 2013 winner of the TV show "The Voice," an introductory message and videotaped performance by reggae star Ziggy Marley, and a speech by Minda Dentler, a polio survivor and Ironman competitor. After the event, Chin will hold a concert in Chicago to benefit the End Polio Now campaign. Other speakers include Dr. James Alexander, senior medical epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, representatives of Sanofi Pasteur, the largest manufacturer of polio vaccine, Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko, and Rotary Foundation Vice chair Michael McGovern. For more on this and other polio eradication activities, visit endpolionow.org. |
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