Mark Daniel Maloney

President 2019-20

September 2019

Here in the United States, another summer is winding down. And for the Maloney family, every summer ends with a return to my hometown of Ridgway, Illinois, for the annual Popcorn Day festival, where I am honored to serve as the “Popcorn King,” the master of ceremonies for the day’s events. 

Regardless of the season, every family has its own traditions. I would like to suggest a new one for yours: Find an opportunity to introduce your family to Rotary. One of my family’s traditions is to take our daughters and grandsons to the Rotary International Convention. The 2020 convention in Honolulu will be a wonderful way to introduce your children and grandchildren to the internationality of Rotary. We are planning many family-oriented events for everyone to enjoy.

Any time is a fabulous time to bring family members on a Rotary service project or to a fundraising event. But perhaps you have not seen many family-friendly events at your club. That is precisely why one of my top priorities this year is to make most Rotary events welcoming to family members.

We must foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with family, but complements it. We should never expect our members to choose between the two. That means being realistic in our expectations, considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.

Often, the young professionals that Rotary needs to attract in order to remain a dynamic 21st-century service organization are the very people who have the greatest family responsibilities. We must not keep these prospective young members away from their families by holding events on evenings and weekends at which their children are not welcome.

For too long, we have closed the doors of many Rotary events to children and sometimes even spouses. What wasted opportunities these are! Every chance we have to pass on the gift of Rotary to young people is one we must take if we are going to grow Rotary and ensure that the next generation is fully engaged in our mission.

So let us open our doors and do it in a fun way, with opportunities that make our children and grandchildren want to learn more about Interact, Rotaract, and Rotary membership. Start small if you must — perhaps by holding some of your meetings at more family-friendly times — but think about how you can continue these kinds of events for years to come.

Bringing children to Rotary events is not just fun; it also exposes them to the world! Make this a memorable year for your family — and an unforgettable year for the ever-expanding family of Rotary as Rotary Connects the World.

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month

Dear Polio Eradication Warriors,

Five new Wild Polio cases reported this week. 

World Polio Day: One Day. One Focus: ENDING POLIO NOW!

Ten of the Best Charities Everyone's Heard Of  Any guesses which one is Rated Number One with a perfect overall score of 100?  See here - https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=topten.detail&listid=18

Post-Polio Africa If the WHO African Region is certified wild polio-free next year, then wild Polio will officially be gone from five of six WHO regions - leaving only the Eastern Mediterranean Region.  The time in now to revitalize our commitment to vaccinating every child against Polio in the wild virus’ last reservoir!

Vaccine Derived Polio Cases - Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Syria, Somalia, Niger, Nigeria, Mozambique, Myanmar, Angola, China, Ethiopia, CAR, Benin, Ghana, & DRC - Vaccine Derived Polio Cases reported in 2019 - 59:  Papua New Guinea - 0 (26 in 2018).  CAR - 4 (0 on 2018).  Nigeria - 13 (34 in 2018)  Niger - 1 (10 in 2018).  Somalia - 3 (13 in 2018).  DRC - 21 (20 in 2018).  Mozambique - 0 - (1 in 2018). Angola - 4 (o in 2018).  China - 1 (0 In 2018).  Ethiopia - 1 (0 in 2018). Myanmar - 4 (0 in 2018), Benin - 1 (0 in 2018), Ghana - 1 (0 in 2018).   One hundred and four Vaccine Derived Polio cases were reported in 2018.   

Quote of the Day -  "A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.  -  Jeff Cooper

The Final Three Polio Endemic Countries:

• Pakistan - Five new Polio cases reported this week.Fifty-Eight Polio cases reported in 2019.  The most recent cases were (one each) from the Bannu, Hangu, & North Waziristan Districts of the Khyber Pkhtunkhwa Province and two from the Hyderabad District of the Sindh Province.  The most recent case had an onset of paralysis on 8/05/19.  Pakistan reported twelve Wild Polio cases in 2018.  No new Polio-Positive Environmental Sample were reported this week in Pakistan.  

• Afghanistan - No new Wild Polio cases reported this week.Thirteen Wild Polio cases reported in 2019.  The most recent case was from the Chora District of the Uruzgan Province with an onset of paralysis on 7/16/19. Afghanistan reported twenty-one Wild Polio cases in 2018. No new Polio-Positive Environmental Samples were reported this week in Afghanistan.

• Nigeria - No Wild Polio cases have been reported in 2017, 2018, or 2019.  Nigeria is to be congratulated on reaching Three Years without a Wild Polio case!