RUNNER - Volume: XVII No.41 Dated 11th May, 2010

RI President: Rtn John Kenny
Dist Governor 3291: Rtn Utpal Majumdar
President: Rtn Kuldip Singh Virdi
Secretary: Rtn Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
Editor: Rtn Pradip Kumar Pal.

We heartly welcome:
PP & DG Rtn Utpal Majumdar & Anne Sunayana Majumdar

Rtn Shantanu Bose, AG
Rtn Ashif Shah, ZR
Rtn Jhulan Basu, DS (Adminstration)
Rtn Nimal Kr Bhattacharya, DS (Events)
Rtn Chitta Ranjan Ghosh, DS (Organisation)
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

District Assembly:
Will be held on Sunday, the 16th May, 2010 at Hotel Sonar Bangla.
Registration Charges will be Rs 1000 per person.
Incoming Board members are requested to register positively with Incoming President Rtn Sanjay.

Incoming Programmes:
We have submitted along with our sponsorship amount cheque, a third case For Heart Treatment in India at DG’s office for 16 Year old girl child Ms SandipikaKumari, Forwarded by President Rtn Kuldip

Another case for Heart surgery, forwarded by IPP Rtn Rathin was also submitted to Rtn Mahesh Kr Shah and Rtn Sushil Sethia from R.C. of Calcutta Mahanagar for necessary treatment.

Our application for four cases for on going District Heart to Heart (children and heart disease)
heart surgery in babies sponsorship has been approved.The total cost will be Rs 2 Lacs (Rs 50000 for each case) and this will be on 50-50 cost sharing with Eastern India Rotary Welfare Trust.Our share of contribution has been paid.

We are greatly indebted and thankful to our PP & DG Rtn Utpal Majumdar.For his help and guidance, without which these community projects were not possible.We have contributed our cheque for Rs 25,000 as our sponsorship for an ambulance.Service to Tarapith Sangha. Rs 15000 has been sponsored by our Rtn Subhash For this project, out of unused contribution he earlier made to an Eye programme Supposed to be held at Maharashtra Niwas. Well done Subhash Ji.

Birthday Greeting:
14th May: Anne Anjali (W/o: Rtn Dibyendu Mitra)
Wedding Anniversary:
14th May: Rtn Chitta Ranjan Ghosh with Anne Jaya.

Minutes of the 770th Regular Weekly Club Meeting held on 4th May, 2010
At the Metropole at 174, Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata-26 at 7 P.M.
.
President, Rtn Kuldip Singh Virdi:

• Called 770th Regular club meeting to order.
• 150th birth anniversary of Kabiguru Rabindra Nath Tagore was announced and members agreed to sing our National Anthem of India twice today, before the meeting begins and just after the meeting is terminated as special respect to the noble prize winner poet.
• Members were informed about the decision taken in last Board Meeting for sponsorships for an Ambulance (Total Cost Rs 2,67,489 )and Four Heart to heart surgeries (Rs 50,000 for each case) free heart operation in india, an on going project of our district. Both projects will be carried on 50-50 cost sharing basis with Eastern India Rotary Welfare Trust.

Our share of sponsorships will be arranged through donations/sponsorships and club funds.

• Minutes of the last regular meeting held on 20th April were confirmed. There was no regular meeting held on 27th April due to strike.
• CP & Club Treasurer Rtn Sanjit informed about the fund status of our club and bank balances. He requested members to pay their Half Yearly dues positively and immediately, as club has already paid 2nd Half Yearly dues in time to RI.He further informed that in the Special Board Meeting held on 23rd April, 10 at CRC where Club a/c for the year ending on 30th June, 2009 was discussed and approved. Trust a/cs for year ending on 31st March, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were also adopted and approved.
• All pending issues of the income and expenditure a/c for the YE 30-6-2009 has been  informed that DG’s visit to our club has been finalized and fixed for 11th May, 2010 at our regular venue at The Metropole. All members were requested to attend in time along with their Annes. It will be followed by high tea dinner like menu.

Requested Club Seccretary Rtn Sanjay to conduct regular club meeting:

Rtn Sanjay Kumar Kanodia, Club Secretary:

• announced the Birthday and Wedding Anniversary greetings to members and their family members.
• announced that next regular club meeting will be held on Tuesday, The 11th May, 2010 and will be official DG’s club visit which will be held at The Metropole and followed by high tea dinner like menu. He also requested members to attend in time along with their Annes.

# requested members to pay their half yearly club dues
After announcing the club statistics, President terminated the meeting.

Club Statistics
Total Members: 28
Members 12

Polio eradication programme in India:
As of 28th February, Rotarians have raised about US $ 114.5 million for Rotary’s US $200 million challenge. These contributions will help Rotary raise US $200 million to match
US $355 million in challenge grants received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The resulting US $555 million will directly support immunization campaigns in developing countries, where polio continues to infect and paralyse children, robbing them of their futures and compounding the hardships faced by their families.

Rotary at a glance:

Rotarians 12, 15,076
Clubs 33,755
Districts 531
Rotaractors 1, 84,046
Clubs 8,002
Interactors 2, 84,418
Clubs 12,366
Community Corps 1, 57,918
Corps 6,866

Rotary World:

As of 30th June, 2009, RI employed 751 staff members, of which 157 directly supported the activities of the Foundation; 557 staffs of them are located at the world headquarters, 122 at the seven international offices, and 72 at our own software development centre in Pune, India.
For 2009-10, RI’s operating expense budget is US $ 87.4 million whilst Foundation’s spending budget totals US $196.4 million 88% of it was for programme awards whilst 9% went to fund development and a very efficient general administration of just 3%. Over the past ten years, 87% of the Foundation’s total spending has been on programme.
Financially, RI’s income comes from dues, investment income, subscriptions, licensing and rent. TRF’s income, on the other hand, comes from contributions and investments. TRF invests its contributions for three years and spends it on its programmes in the
Fourth year.
In the past 5 years, Asian Rotarians have contributed more than US $ 190 million roughly equivalent to 23 % of total TRF funding of worldwide humanitarian projects.
Asia accounts for US $ 140 million, 29% of all time annual giving to the TRF, second only to the US/ Canada, and almost three times that of third ranked Europe/ Africa. In the last 5 years alone Asian Districts consistently occupy approximately 40% of the list of top
50 giving districts. Asia is the fastest growing area in the world of Rotary in terms of membership and currently there are 9200 clubs and 3, 23,179 members forming nearly 40% of the total membership.

By Rtn K.R. Ravindran
Director, RI 2009-1