The Frank
Devlyn Amigos

Name:

Carolyn E. Jones

Email:

cjones@alaska.net

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

22

District:

5010

Location:

Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Date:

30 Jun 2001

Learned

All Rotarians have a soft spot in their hearts for children so it was never a problem to pique their interest or to rally their support. The District Task Force Coordinators could not be counted on to respond. I don't know what they did for their districts.

Recommendations

The children of the world are in crisis whether it is street children, domestic violence, health issues, abandonment, or other concerns. The world cannot afford to let this generation of children grow to adulthood without our help. Rotary can help by continuing to keep a spotlight on children's issues as a discrete subject. Please don't bury this subject into some other program or concern.

Resources

Louise de Pokomandy, Co-Coordinator, ldepoko@globetrotter.qc.ca Sue Sampson-McGuire, ssampson@gci.net

Name:

Kjell-Åke Åkesson

Email:

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

16

District:

2390

Location:

Hörby, Sweden

Date:

23 Jun 2001

Learned

The Rotarians seem not to know so very much about this Task Force. Although many clubs have projects in their area with ongoing programs assisting Children at Risk.These projects are longlasting and the Rotarians involved are very enthusiastic. Together with the Zone coordinator for "Literacy Task Force" I sent a message with information to all DGs in the Zone offering our services. Furthermore, I have had "follow up contacts", but the response has been fairly low. Maybe the DGs were overwhelmed by their planning for the new Rotaryyear and didn't have time enough to encourage the District Coordinators and the clubs to be proactive with the Task Forces. It takes time to motivate and activate the persons you want to be involved in the different Rotaryprojects.

Recommendations

It takes time to get the Task Forces accepted and therefore there have to be at least a three year term of office to get better results. We have to act with continuity.It is important that the program at the International Assembly includes clear informations about the Task Forces and what RI expects the Governors to do and there is also a need to further encourage them to Create Awareness and Take Action.

Resources

Name:

Richard W White

Email:

whitard@ozemail.com.au

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

8

District:

9690

Location:

Warrawee, NSW, Australia

Date:

21 Jun 2001

Learned

That many of the clubs in the zone are undertaking a variety of projects for children at risk. With a few notable exceptions they are happy to work on their own project and don't feel the need to share their activities. Perhaps the contact this year may cause them to take a new look at the needs of these children in the coming year.

Recommendations

There needs to be a better understanding of the work of task forces among the district leadership and a greater willness to make use of ther capabilities. The reduction in numbers this coming year may cause the districts to reevaluate these resouces

Resources

Hugh Newman - hnewman@shoal.net.au

Name:

Brian Coleman

Email:

bcoleman@tpgi.com.au

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

8

District:

9680

Location:

Sydney, NSW, Australia

Date:

19 Jun 2001

Learned

Clubs are receptive of ideas they perceive will enhance their own activities, but do not want to be old what to do. The work of the tas force was very difficult, due to the proliferation of task forces and less than enthusiastic support by many DGs. If they are to succeed in future, they need wholehearted support from DGs and excellent coordination within districts. Having said that, there are a large number of programs assisting Children at Risk in the zone and I believe we created a greater awareness of opportunities, which will hopefully bear fruit in coming years.

Recommendations

Perhaps task forces should have a three year term of office, which would enable a longer term approach to be taken and perhaps increase effectiveness. Better commitment from DGs is vital.

Resources

Name:

Donald K. Goe

Email:

goetoo@Yahoo.com

Position:

Chairman

Zone:

25

District:

5450

Location:

Denver, CO

Date:

19 Jun 2001

Learned

1. Most clubs had on-going projects with children's issues. 2. There were so many Task Forces operating that DGs were over-whelmed and avoided many -- particularly ones like Children At Risk -- where they perceived projects already in place. 3. Significant projects need extended time periods to make meaningful progress. 4. With more than one person responsible in a Zone, there was a natural confusion of responsibilities and priority on continual communication. Frequest communications received this year involved broad medical needs in 3rd World countries -- projects that overlapped with other areas and too broad for the charge of a project per club.

Recommendations

1.Fewer Task Force priorities with greater commitment of RI resource support and com-munication to each. 2.Clarification of roles. 3.Emphasis in RI President goals on the outcomes of each Task Force with the expectation that Governors would accept those emphases as their personal charges. 4. Rather than focusing on unique activities for each club, encourage partnerships with existing agencies and consortiums of clubs with multiple year commitments would allow for more significant and ambitious projects. 5. Avoid overlap with activities of other Task Forces. Clear deliniation of tasks, roles, etc. would be desirable.

Resources

PDG John Guyette -- jguye5435@aol.com 

PDG Don Goe - goetoo@Yahoo.com

Name:

Jaime Rivera Varela

Email:

feske98@yahoo.com

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

21

District:

4150

Location:

Ocotlán, Jalisco, México

Date:

15 Jun 2001

Learned

 A tener comunicación con los 25 distritos, vía e-mail, con algunos Gobernadores se debe insistir hasta que contesten.  A resolver problemas de logística elemental para clubes y distritos.  A saber escuchar a rotarios, damas rotarias, jóvenes Interact y Rotaract, Gobernadores, Directores de R. I., Presidentes de R.I. pasados, presentes y futuros; así como a funcionarios de gobiernos y ciudadanos.  A conocer más nuestra organización estudiando la literatura tan vasta de R.I.  A tener más sensibilidad ante la pobreza extrema de muchos países y buscar soluciones inmediatas y mediatas.

Recommendations

 Solicitar a los 25 Gobernadores que muestren humildad ante el coordinador, yo como coordinador de la zona 21, sé y acepto, que el Gobernador es la única autoridad en el distrito.  Tener una o dos reuniones anuales con todos los coordinadores de zonas en el mundo, para intercambiar experiencias y ponerlas en práctica.  De ser posible, aumentar a mil dólares mensuales la ayuda para gastos mínimos de la coordninación.  Que para el año rotario 2002 – 2003, se tenga un seminario de orientación para los coordinadores de zona.  Se rinda un informe mensual de las actividades realizadas, esto nos motivará a trabajar con más fuerza.

Resources

 Eric Declercq Van Daele, Gobernador 2000 – 2001, Distrito 4300. E-Mail: ri4300@terra.com.pe 

 Sonia de Uribe, Distrito 4300 E-Mail: tuliouribe@hotmail.com 

Ing. Jorge Patiño, Presidente del C.R. Pitillal 1999 - 2000 Distrito 4150

Dr. Roberto Prieto Rodríguez E-Mail: robertoprieto@axtel.net  Distrito 4150

Lic. Jaime Rivera Zárate E-Mail: ceualm@yahoo.com.m x Distrito 4150

Name:

Jason Yeung

Email:

ychhk@netvigator.com

Position:

Vice Chairman

Zone:

4

District:

3450

Location:

Hong Kong China

Date:

15 Jun 2001

Learned

Judging by the overall response, and the report from some zones and districts, it is quite likely that this TF has more than achieved our original target of 2500 new projects for the current year.

Recommendations

To the Leadership of RI: It appears that many districts and individual clubs have acted out of their own initiative to look after their young with or without outside fund or support. But if it is affordable, some support from the Rotary Foundation can go a long way in helping the developing countries. Of course constant encouragement and proper recognition are very important.

Resources

Area Coordinators -- All six Area Coordinators have contributed significantly to the TF one way or another,

Noraseth Pathmanand noraseth@mozart.inet.co.th
Nelson Kawalya nkawalya@starcom.co.ug
Marcelino Chaves Eric Krumm ekrumm@chilesat.net
James R. Shamblin DRJRSMD@aol.com

Zone Coordinators -- Many zone Coordinators have worked very hard and some have even turned out monthly newsletters,
Carolyn Jones(22) cjones@alaska.net
Louise de Pokomandy(22) ldepoko@globetrotter.qc
Herman T. Gamboa(7) htgamboa@globe.com.ph
Brian Coleman(8) bcoleman@tpqi.com.au >

Name:

James Martin Harris PDG

Email:

harris3jmh@aol.com

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

23

District:

5020

Location:

Tacoma, WA, USA

Date:

14 Jun 2001

Learned

First, an apology for not being as ‘proactive’ as we might have been during the year.

* Last spring we contacted the Governors and District Coordinators. * We prepared a display at the Zone 23/24 Institute in Portland in September of 2000. * It was complete with many mounted photographs and data on a flannel display board. * Handouts were created for all of the Institute’s participants. * Quite a number were taken, but virtually NO FOLLOWUP by anyone * Since then, other than random discussions with various Governors and District Coordinators, we have not “pressed in a proactive” manner.

There will be no quantitative report on the clubs’ projects.

* This is not to say that there are none. * We have not collected them totally, however, a sampling is noted below.

Summary of the Task Force Organization: Rotary International:

* RI charged the Zone Coordinators to be proactive in each of their Task Forces

Zone Coordinators:

* Zone Coordinators were to work with the District Coordinators and Governors

Governors:

* Were to appoint District Coordinators to work with the Zone Coordinators AND each of the clubs in their Districts * Were to encourage clubs in their Districts to be proactive in each of the Task Forces

Clubs

* Were to create new projects in each of the 20 Task Force subject areas. * Were to report to District Coordinators (who would report to the ZoneCoordinators who would report to RI)

REALITY OF THE TASK FORCE(at least in Zone 23)

Zone Coordinators:

* Understood the need to be proactive

Governors: (those with whom we have had discussions)

* Left the International Assembly with the understanding that the Task Forces were to be resources only for the districts and clubs * Left Anaheim somewhat concerned with the imposition of 20 Task Forces imposed upon them at the very time that they were attempting to complete their organization in their Districts. * Left Anaheim with the thought that they could appoint one District Coordinator and let that person deal with 20 Task Forces and ALL THE CLUBS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS (one district has 77 clubs) * Governors concentrated on the business of their District and paid little attentiont o the Task Forces.

District Coordinators (those with whom we have had discussions)

* Understood that their role was passive because the Task Forces were resources to be accessed by the Clubs. * Concerned if they were expected to be “proactive” in 20 Task Forces and all the Clubs in their District. * When suggested that they get sub TF chairs for each one and coordinate them, they still felt overwhelmed and, generally, nothing was done.

Summary:

* We are not making excuses for our lack of full activity, however, the overall program of 20 Task Forces superimposed on already busy Governors, Districts and Clubs appears to have been an unrealistic approach. * Clubs have continued, in their own natural way, to have successful projects in the Task Force subject area. They did not, generally, attach their activities to the Children At Risk Task Force category. * We hope that this give some useful insights from our perspective.

Respectfully, Jim Harris PDG, D5020 Bill Reeves PDG, D5190

PROJECT SAMPLING (this is by no means the total projects in Zone 23)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project: Furnishing ‘mini-libraries (furnishing, books, etc) Where: Various locationsState of Colina, State of Jalisco, Mexico Rotary Clubs involved: (Oregon) Seaside, Greater Albany, Eugene South Town, Eugene Airport,Corvallis Morning, Cottage Grove, Banden By The Sea, Port Orford, Mrytle Point,Rouge Gateway ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project: School for the Blind: ( Furnishing specialized equipment, visual rehabilitation, Braille printer, compters with special software) Where: Mazatlan, Mexico Rotary Club(s) involved: Mexico, Mazatlan AC, State of Washington: Fife Milton, Sumner, Tacoma #8, Puyallup, Clover Park ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project: Hearing Aids for Poor Children (equipment and testing) Where: State of Colina, Mexico Rotary Club(s) involved: (Oregon) Albany ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project: Children Playground equipment Where: Chile Rotary Club(s) involved: (Oregon) Medford Rouge ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Project: Children in the Addicts Anonymous Where: Puebla Mexico Rotary Club(s) involved: Nevada: Carson City Rotary Noon Club, RC Ghent, Belgium, D-4180 Mexico, RC Puebla Zavaleta, Mexico, RC Palermo Nord, Italy, RCLille, France, >, RC Kreuzlingen, Switzerland

Recommendations

* RI impart a clearer understanding of what is expected by the Governors and their District Coordinators

* RI make a commitment that these Task Forces will be multiyear or do not initiate the efforts.

Resources

Bill Morton mortowf@ix.netcom.com

Name:

Arthur K. Y. Au

Email:

lawyer@arthurau,com.hk 

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

4B

District:

3450

Location:

Hong Kong, Macau and Mongolia

Date:

08 Jun 2001

Learned

To create awareness of the children at risk, a seminar was organised on 12th December 2000 where all the clubs in District 3450 were invited to attend. The key note speaker, the Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department from the Government of Hong Kong SAR, spoke on the topic and urged all participants to help eradicate problems confronting the children of Hong Kong. All the seminar attendants agreed that there was much to do and the time to act was now. It is apparent that children are at risk for a variety of resaons once awareness is created. TAKE ACTION NOW!

Recommendations

Children are at the mercy of adults. They need constant love, care and understanding. Above all, the future of the world depends on the children but their wellbeing is in our hands. Children are at risk no matter where they are. The key is to spot these risks and to take action. This is merely the beginning of a long journey, all leaders must take heed to what children have to say, react appropriately, monitor the situation with great care and attention thus continuing to serve our children whenever help is required just as our predeceassors had done.

Resources

(1) Jason Yeung, Vice Chairman - ychhk@netvigator.com 
 (2) Arthur Au, Zone Co-ordinator - lawyer@arthurau.com 

Name:

Ronald WG Lucas

Email:

rwglucas@hotmail.com 

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

17 (part)

District:

1210

Location:

Market Drayton, Shropshire, UK

Date:

06 Jun 2001

Learned

The diversity of service activities clubs undertake is remarkable. They range from simple tasks which help the individual child to medium to large 'hands-on' projects, like one club which refurbished an entire classroom for special needs children in a deprived inner-city area.

Recommendations

It should be seen as complementary to and in support of the RIBI Community Service and Vocational Service Committee, and as a useful practical and inspirational resource. This recommendation is clearly only pecular to the circumstances in RIBI, but was used to good effect this year.

Resources

Bill Hitchen   williamhitchen@netscape.net
 Margaret Weale  Mweale@btinternet.com 

Name:

Janice Johnson

Email:

justme@netbci.com 

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

30

District:

6800

Location:

Tupelo, MS USA

Date:

04 Jun 2001

Learned

While there are many new and ongoing projects for CAR, the reporting to Zone Coordinators (and District coordinators) has been scant. CAP grants were given in some Districts to CAR projects, some new Matching Grants were effected due to our emphasis on CAR, and one Club used CAR for its new member project. I think the work is being done but there is, for sure, a breakdown in reporting.

Recommendations

There is usually only one District Task Force coordinator for all Task Forces. I would be helpful if each District could appoint a Coordinator for each Task Force. It was next to impossible for one person to work with 20 Task Forces.

Resources

Vijay Surpuriya - satyasai41@hotmail.com 
 Lee Hughes - lmhughes@bellsouth.net
 David Breland - ddbreland@hotmail.com 

Name:

PDG  ARUN  KUDALE

Email:

kudale@vsnl.com 

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

5

District:

3130

Location:

PUNE, Maharashtra, INDIA

Date:

02 Jun 2001

Learned

The Rotarians are enthusiastic about this program. They do lot of work but are lazy about reporting, because they do not expect the recognition or the reward for the good work, which they have done. There is a agreat need of this project in our area. Rotary has deinitely helped the poor and needy children through this project and has created a good image in the society.

Recommendations

The Task force should be consistently established in every year, without discontinuity. The funds should be made available through TRF on the lines of 'Prevention of Blindness' or 'Children at Risk.'The importance of Task Force should be made known to every Rotarian thro' literature and various fora. The success stories should be given wide publicity. The outstanding projects should be recognised in RI Convention.

Resources

DG Dr.Shivdas Bhosale  shivb@pn2.vsnl.net.in 

PP Avinash Nene  amnene@vsnl.com 

Name:

Richard C. Benson

Email:

d.benson@snet.net 

Position:

Zone Coordinator

Zone:

7980

District:

31

Location:

Madison - CT - USA

Date:

01 Jun 2001

Learned

Most of the Districts have on going CAR projects. But to get them to communicate the results on these projects to me, did not go smoothly.

Recommendations

Select projects or programs that Districts are not involved in.