News For December 2014

Mission 2, Jamaica, March 2015

The diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side); green represents hope, vegetation, and agriculture, black reflects hardships overcome and to be faced, and yellow recalls golden sunshine and the island's natural resources. (Taken from CIA website)

Plans have been formalized for the next mission to Jamaica when 20 or more resource centers will be opened in Infant, Basic and Primary schools as well as needed supplies for the Women’s Centre in Savanna-La-Mar, Westmoreland Province. The mission is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sylvania and partnering with the Rotary Clubs of Maumee, Reynolds Corners, St Marys, Mansfield in District 6600 and the Rotary Clubs of Savanna-La-Mar and Negril in Rotary International District 7020. The mission will be partial financed through a District grant.

The Team members for the Mission are Kent Iler (Elyria Rotarian) our computer specialist, Amber Fisher (Elyria Rotarian) the education specialist and future team leader and Amber’s daughter, Tori Fisher, education specialist. This is the second mission for Kent, Amber and Tori. Also joining the team is Project Coordinator, Mel Honig.

Project dates are March 15^th to the 25^th.

Mission 8, Belize, April 2015

The blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland of 50 mahogany leaves; the colors are those of the two main political parties: blue for the PUP and red for the UDP; various elements of the coat of arms - the figures, the tools, the mahogany tree, and the garland of leaves - recall the logging industry that led to British settlement of Belize. (Once again taken from the CIA website)

Our 8th Mission to Belize will be from April 19th to the 30th when we will open 15 or more resource centers in Pre and Primary schools in the Districts of Corozal, Orange Walk and Stann Creek. We will also be supporting the newly opened Center for Preschool Education at the Corozal Junior College. This mission is being co-sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Huron and Sandusky. There are no District Grant monies available for this mission, so RCI is seeking additional partners to help with the costs.

Mission Team Members are Jamison Wegman, Computer Expert and Owens Community College student. Once again Mel Honig will go along as Project Coordinator, thus making this the fewest Mission Team members. As the Rotarians, educators and communities of Belize participate to a greater extent during each mission we find that we require fewer missioners to implement the objectives of each mission.

The project dates are April 19th to the 30th.

Designing School Yard Play Equipment

One of the issues facing educators in Jamaica is the lack of playground equipment. Hilda Hibbert, Savanna-La-Mar Rotarian and our Project Coordinator in Jamaica specifically asked that we address this problem. The Sylvania Senior Center has a wood working shop. Claire Proctor, Director of Sylvania Community Services and Sylvania Rotarian suggested we contact the Center for expertise in designing and developing playground equipment.

Don Klimesh, retired New Holland engineer, has volunteered to design the needed playground equipment and soccer goals. He will then help build the prototypes and make templates so that additional playground sets can be made here in northern Ohio and then sent as kits to be reconstructed on site in Jamaica. We anticipate many modifications as we develop the play-sets. This is just one of many ways we are planning for the future.

Don at work in the carpentry shop at the Sylvania Senior Center

Preliminary sketch of playground set. Emphasis will be placed on accessories that will improve strength and coordination. It is planned that each school will be supplied with two soccer goals and one playground set. As there are hundreds of schools needing playground equipment this will be a major project. During Mission 2 we will coordinate with our fellow Jamaican Rotarians on how to best implement the playground project.

Donations

Educational Equipment & Materials

*Approximately 14,400 educational interactive booklets for children ages 4 through 8
** Complete set of National Geographic from 1912 to current

Monitary

*The Grant Application request was for $5900. This leaves us $3605 short of our budgeted needs. There are no more Grant monies available; therefore we will not be receiving the needed $5000 in Grant monies for the Belize project. Just another challenge for RCI to overcome!

Purchases

 Presentations

Rotary Clubs of:

• Lima
• Sandusky