Alexandria Rotary Club

Chuck Berg, 5950 District Governor 2011-2012

The Alexandria Rotary Club was honored to welcome new District Governor Chuck Berg to their July 28 meeting. Governor Berg shared the international President Kalyan Banerjee’s three areas of emphasis for the year: family, continuity and change. He also revealed the district goals for 2011-12, which include raising $1,095,000 for the Foundation, increasing membership and offering a leadership development program. He updated the club on progress toward eradicating polio, noting that it remains endemic in only two countries: Nigeria and Pakistan. Governor Berg also related his own story and how he has been touched by Rotarians throughout his life.

Ambassadorial Scholar, Lydia Hartsell

The Rotary Foundation sponsors one of the world's largest international scholarship programs, Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships. Scholars study in a different country, where they serve as unofficial ambassadors of goodwill. Since 1947, more than 47,000 scholars from 110 countries have received scholarships of more than $476 million through The Rotary Foundation.

It is a prestigious scholarship and as a result, the process is highly competitive. An applicant must be sponsored by a Rotary club (there are over 35,000 worldwide) and around 500 receive an Ambassadorial Scholarship each year.

At today's Alexandria Rotary meeting, Lydia Hartsell shared her experiences from her year as an Ambassadorial Scholar in Tanzania. Lydia will be beginning medical school at the University of Minnesota this fall and while in Tanzania she studied at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.

Asante sana, Lydia!

Lakes Area Gymnastics Center in Alexandria

At the July 14 meeting of the Alexandria Rotary Club, Rotarian Dave Anderson introduced Nichole Boyden. She is the new director of the Lakes Area Gymnastics Center in Alexandria. The gymnastics program recently relocated from a 2,000-square-foot space to a 16,000-square-foot facility, which has allowed them to more than double the number of students served to 225-250 at any time. Students range in age from 18 months to high school age, and adult classes will be offered starting this fall.

The Untouchables

At their July 7 meeting, members of the Alexandria Rotary Club witnessed another example of how Rotary makes an impact in the world. Special guest Sandhra Gupta of the Bloomington Noon Club reported on the work she is doing in Bihar, India. Working in collaboration with Rotary and other organizations, she is working to provide education and human services to members of the Untouchables caste of India’s poorest region. Among the projects completed by her effort are a girls’ hostel housing 120 young women, a mobile medical clinic, 50 water pumps installed in villages and providing education in basic human rights to this most underprivileged class.