The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman inducts their first Rotaractor.

Left to right, Club President Lori McRae, New Member Nicole Rousseau,
Sponsor Rodney Frederick.

Rotary Working at Neils Godfrey Park

More than 20 Rotarians with their children and friends in addition to some of the local residents got out to help paint at the Neils Godfrey Park. "This is what Community Service and Fellowship is all about. Let's look for other hands on projects this year in the hope that they will be the success that this one was!", comments Rotary President Lori McCrae.

Dart Gets Rotary Standing Ovation

photo caption: Jackie Doak, COO of Dart Cayman Islands, presents to John Felder of Rotary a donation for Standing Ovation Sponsorship of the annual Camelot Auction, which will be held on Friday, May 21st at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Dart Gets Rotary Standing Ovation

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is pleased to give a Standing Ovation to Dart Cayman Islands for their generous partnership to the Rotary Club's Camelot Auction.

Only three short weeks away, the black tie fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, May 21st at The Ritz-Carlton. As with previous years, this well-attended gala event attracts many of Cayman's most active and generous bidders, with all proceeds going to the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman.

"This main sponsorship will allow the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman to have more effective presence with all their community-based initiatives", comments Director of Fundraising, Mr. John Felder. "I would also like to thank all our other sponsors for this event, including KPMG, Cayman Automotive, The Island at Newlands Sound, Andro Group, Greenlight RE, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cayman National, John Doak Architecture, dms, Campbell's, Solomon Harris and Governor's Square"

The annual Camelot auction is the main fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and the club relies entirely on corporate and community support. All funds raised will assist with various projects spearheaded by the Rotary Club throughout the year as well as donations to other charities and non-profit organizations.

For more information on the Rotary Camelot Auction, please email John Felder at jfelder0244@verizon.net

+++END+++

Land to be Auctioned at Rotary's CAMELOT

caption: Heather Bodden of The Island at Newlands Sound presents to Rotary's Director of Fundraising, John Felder the deed to a piece of land that will be auctioned off at the May 21st CAMELOT at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

photo: Melissa Wolfe, www.betterangle.com

Land to be Auctioned at Rotary's CAMELOT

April 26th, 2010 - The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is pleased to announce that one of the big bid items at the upcoming Camelot Auction will be a prized piece of property located in Newlands. The development, called The Island at Newland Sound handed over the deed to the property recently to the Director of Fundraising, John Felder.

"Every year we have a few huge items that are up for offer during the live auction. Of course, there are many ways to bid on this piece of land.... you could attend the May 21st event, which is most fun, you can place a bid online at camelot.ky or you can send a representative to bid on your behalf", comments Mr. Felder.

In particular, Rotary would like to thank the Newlands development for working closely with the club to ensure the property gets sold the night of the event to one lucky bidder.

For more information about Camelot, for tickets or to donate items, please contact John Felder at jfelder0244@verizon.net

Rotary Club - Adventures in Citizenship

Rotary’s Adventures in Citizenship

Essay Contest Winner

GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN, April 15, 2010 – The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman announced today the winner of their essay competition, entitled Adventures in Citizenship.

The competition, now in its fifth year, promotes the interest and understanding of local citizenship. The contest was open to all high school juniors in both public and private schools in the Cayman Islands. This year, entries were received from John Gray High School, Cayman Brac High School, Triple C High, Cayman Prep and St Ignatius.

All five finalists are invited to various government functions to learn and understand protocol and procedures, including lunch with HE, Governor Stuart Jack, CVO, a meeting with Secretary to the Cabinet, visit with the Chief Justice, tour of the Legislative Assembly by the Speaker.

The finalists for 2010 are:

Ashley Osbourne – St. Ignatius High School

Jovonnie Anglin – Cayman Brac

Jordana Ebanks – Triple C

Brandon Johnson – John Gray High School - Winner

Justin Hislop – Cayman Prep

Addressing the students, the Hon. Rolston Anglin stated, “Congratulations, you will indeed gain a perspective with which most of your peers are unfamiliar. I thus hope that you’ll readily share your impressions with them. I further hope that the desire to excel will continue to propel you forward…. I hope the lessons you’ll learn from this experience will be long remembered and that they’ll help to shape your future contributions to this country”

The overall grand prize winner is Brandon Johnson of John Gray High School. At that time, He was presented a laptop computer, which was sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada. All five finalists were given gifts sponsored by Massive Equipment. The Rotary Club would also like to thank sponsors CML Offshore, Westin Casaurina Resort and Cayman Airways for their support.

The Minister also acknowledged the Rotary Club and thanked them for “continuing to support this event year after year. In doing so you undoubtedly open the eyes of our youth to another side of their country and stir in them a new spirit o f national pride”.

For more information on the Adventures in Citizenship program, please contact Isy Obi at i.obi@cmlor.com

Cayman National Support Rotary's Camelot Auction

photo caption:

Cayman National's Claudia Welds presents to Rotary Fundraisers John Felder and Gregg Anderson to support the upcoming May 21st Camelot Auction at The Ritz-Carlton.

photo credit: Melissa Wolfe

------

**RELEASED March 31st, 2010**

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is proud to announce Cayman National as the first corporate sponsor of the 2010 CAMELOT Auction, to be held on Friday May 21st at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

"Cayman National is proud to support the solid initiatives of the Rotary Club. Camelot is a very well organized event and we are looking forward to participating in another great night", comments Claudia Welds from Cayman National.

The CAMELOT auction gala includes a champagne welcoming reception on the elegant terrace of the Ritz-Carlton, followed by a three-course gourmet dinner with wine and the high energy entertainment of a professionally staged charity auction.

"Already we have a wide variety of items for attendees to chose from", comments Fundraising Director, John Felder. "Everyone will be able to go home with a new treasure from the auction".

Sponsorships and corporate tables for CAMELOT are limited. Interested companies or individuals should contact Sherry at cogent@candw.ky

Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Supporting Batabano

photo credit: submitted

Rotary Club of Grand Cayman President, Cathy Chesnut-Delaphna and Rotarian Peter Broadhurst present cheque to Donna Myrie for Batabano.

(from the internet)...

A carnival of the like that only the Caribbean can pull off, Batabano is a cultural kaleidoscope of music, dance and pageantry and the main event takes place from 29 April to 1 May.

Cayman Carnival Batabano was launched in 1983 by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman. Held annually during the first week of May, it is undoubtedly one of the main highlights of Cayman's entertainment calendar.

Cayman Carnival Batabano has grown in leaps and bounds since its inception, and requires a great deal of coordination each year. Although Rotary remains a major sponsor, Batabano is now organised by an independent committee of local volunteers, chaired by Donna Myrie-Stephen since 2001. Under Mrs. Myrie-Stephen's leadership, the committee renamed the carnival "Cayman Carnival Batabano", which also carried efforts to bring the look and feel of Batabano events more in line with traditional Caribbean carnivals.

In response to the growing interest of local schools for student participation in the street parade, the committee introduced "Junior Carnival" in 2002 as part of the overall one-day street parade. However, the continued growth and development of the Juniors prompted the committee in 2005 to launch a stand-alone street parade for Cayman's youth called "Junior Carnival Batabano", which takes place the weekend before the adult parade. The objective of developing the Junior Carnival is to create a safe environment for the students to play mas, and to place more emphasis on teaching the students the art of costume-making for generations to come.

Thousands of locals and visitors flock to the streets every year to celebrate Batabano and now also Junior Carnival Batabano. Major corporate sponsors continue to come forward in support of this cultural event, while the Ministry of Education and the Education Department offer their endorsement and sponsorship of the Junior masqueraders.

The energy of Cayman Carnival Batabano is electrifying. Districts and corporate groups join together in costume to compete for prizes as the design and choreography become more elaborate each year. It is a time to celebrate local surroundings, to display creativity, to voice social issues and of course, to party and unite.

New Rotarian - Michael Joseph

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is proud to welcome Michael Joseph into the Club.

Michael A. C. Joseph was born in Jamaica in 1973 and was raised from 6 days old in Cayman. He attended school first in the Cayman Islands at St. Ignatius, and then received further education in England, France, Spain and the United States.

Michael has a degree in International Business Management and another in Marketing and Advertising, he represented the Cayman Islands in the 1996 Olympic Games and is a former YCLA finalist.

He has worked in both Europe and Cayman and speaks French and Spanish fluently. Before commencing his successful career in the real estate industry Michael worked in private banking/trusts with RBS Coutts and also with local marketing company BB&P. Michael has been a real estate agent with RE/MAX Cayman Island since 2003.

Date Announced for CAMELOT - Cayman's Biggest Charity Auction

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is pleased to announce their annual CAMELOT charity auction will be on Friday, May 21st at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

Rotary presents 2010 Camelot Auction

GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN, March 8^th, 2010 – The annual CAMELOT charity auction coordinated by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman will be held on Friday, May 21st at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.

The auction is the main fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and has become one of the premier black-tie events of the season. Funds raised at CAMELOT will help with the many community-based initiatives that the Club commits to annually.

The Rotary Club has gathered the usual auction favourites and more traditional items. In addition, there will be some very unique and one of a kind treasures that are sure to create some fun and entertaining competition.

CAMELOT includes auction items for all interests and budgets, from certificates to favourite restaurants and retails stores to brand new boats and cars. Every guest will find something special to take home with them, and in the process will be donating directly to the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman programmes.

The CAMELOT auction gala includes a champagne welcoming reception on the elegant terrace of the Ritz-Carlton, followed by a three-course gourmet dinner with wine and the high energy entertainment of a professionally staged charity auction.

Sponsorships and corporate tables for CAMELOT are limited. Interested companies or individuals should contact Sherry at cogent@candw.ky

Shown left to right, the Rotary Club Event Committee for May 21st CAMELOT Auction: Jack Honaker, Martha Rankine, Christine Holland, Sherry Robinson, Monica Czorny, Josh Maxfield, Lynda Mitchell Ben Webster, Fundraising Director John Felder, Club President-Elect Lori McRae, & Club President Cathy Chesnut.

Rotary Celebrates Charter Night - Inducting HE, Governor Duncan Taylor

President Cathy from Rotary Club of Grand Cayman attaches Rotary pin to His Excellency, Governor Duncan Taylor.

Enjoying Grand Old House, dinner and fellowship at Rotary Charter Night

The world's first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, was formed on 23 February 1905 by Paul P. Harris, an attorney who wished to capture in a professional club the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The Rotary name derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among members' offices.

Rotary's popularity spread, and within a decade, clubs were chartered from San Francisco to New York to Winnipeg, Canada. By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents. The organization adopted the Rotary International name a year later.

As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving club members’ professional and social interests. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its motto: Service Above Self.

By 1925, Rotary had grown to 200 clubs with more than 20,000 members. The organization's distinguished reputation attracted presidents, prime ministers, and a host of other luminaries to its ranks — among them author Thomas Mann, diplomat Carlos P. Romulo, humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, and composer Jean Sibelius.

The Four-Way Test

In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created The Four-Way Test, a code of ethics adopted by Rotary 11 years later. The test, which has been translated into more than 100 languages, asks the following questions:

Of the things we think, say or do

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Rotary and World War II

During World War II, many clubs were forced to disband, while others stepped up their service efforts to provide emergency relief to victims of the war. In 1942, looking ahead to the postwar era, Rotarians called for a conference to promote international educational and cultural exchanges. This event inspired the founding of UNESCO.

In 1945, 49 Rotary club members served in 29 delegations to the UN Charter Conference. Rotary still actively participates in UN conferences by sending observers to major meetings and covering the United Nations in its publications.

"Few there are who do not recognize the good work which is done by Rotary clubs throughout the free world," former Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain once declared.

Dawn of a new century

As it approached the 21st century, Rotary worked to meet society’s changing needs, expanding its service efforts to address such pressing issues as environmental degradation, illiteracy, world hunger, and children at risk.

In 1989, the organization voted to admit women into clubs worldwide and now claims more than 145,000 female members in its ranks.

After the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Rotary clubs were formed or re-established throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The first Russian Rotary club was chartered in 1990, and the organization underwent a growth spurt for the next several years.

More than a century after Paul Harris and his colleagues chartered the club that eventually led to Rotary International, Rotarians continue to take pride in their history. In honor of that first club, Rotarians have preserved its original meeting place, Room 711 in Chicago’s Unity Building, by re-creating the office as it existed in 1905. For several years, the Paul Harris 711 Club maintained the room as a shrine for visiting Rotarians. In 1989, when the building was scheduled to be demolished, the club carefully dismantled the office and salvaged the interior, including doors and radiators. In 1993, the RI Board of Directors set aside a permanent home for the restored Room 711 on the 16th floor of RI World Headquarters in nearby Evanston.

Today, 1.2 million Rotarians belong to over 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas.

Rotary Helps and continues to help...

Helping our Neighbours More Often

Local Service Clubs and Cayman's corporate community have a long history of generosity to the many charities and non-profits in the Cayman Islands.

Charities address needs on a large level, however we should reminded that helping our neighbours is a lifestyle that helped build these islands.

Recently, Sebastian Guilbard of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and John Felder of Cayman Automotive reacted to a request for a cancer victim. It was a simple request, but one who would make this proud Caymanian pioneer comfortable as he fights such a ruthless disease.

Henry Mansfield Conolly has been fighting cancer since 2005 and he needed a recliner to be comfortable. How many people are there around us all who's life could be greatly enhanced or made more comfortable by such a simple gesture of good neighbourly love?

“The family of Mr. Henry Conolly was overwhelmed with the generosity of the donation of the Recliner to him. Words cannot express what this gesture meant. It has helped enhance his daily quality of life tremendously and for this we are very grateful. Yes Angels do exist among us as , “We give Service above Self ” - message from the family.

Rotarian Director, John Felder, a cancer surviver himself, made the presentation to the family of Mr. Conolly and encourages everyone to get involved in the needs of the people around you. After all, sharing is caring.

Rotary / ScotiaBank Golf

The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman and ScotiaBank annual golf tournament attracted golfers from all over the Cayman Islands

"We would like to especially thank Rotarians Jack and Josh, the tournament team leaders, for all their efforts in the planning and execution of the event. Thanks also to our Fund Raising team members who volunteered to ensure that the tournament was a success.", comments John Felder Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Director of Fundraising.

Funds from the Golf Tournament will help the Rotary Club with all their community-based initiatives throughout the year.

The Tournament winners are:

1st Place: Cayman Automotive Leasing, Ltd.

Stephen Duval

Siobhan Ribbins

Emily Ribbons

Taylor Ribbons

2nd Place: HSBC

Gonzalo Jalles

Mark McIntyre

Bill Edwards

Pat Kenny

3rd Place: Individual Team

Larry Mitchell

Greg Anderson

Consolation Prize: ScotiaBank

Heather Anderson

Tamara Sieman

Heather Kerrigan

Heidi Kiss

Team leader Jack and wife Marsha

John Felder and his team of volunteers

John and Jack hoping for a hole in one winner

volunteers from Campbell's celebrate their 40th anniversary by raising money on the course

Siobhan Ribbins and her daughters Emily and Taylor

Britannia staff and Rotarian John Felder go over the rules of the tournament

John Felder, Director of Fundraising - Rotary Club of Grand Cayman

volunteers from Campbells get splashed after splashing many, many others....

a great day for golf and for raising money for the Rotary Club to support all the community based initiatives that the club supports annually.