LITERACY GROUPS, AUGUST BULLETIN

This week we have three matters to discuss.
A. First ---- Messages for International Literacy Day
As a bonus for International Literacy Day your districts can provide their clubs with ILD messages from President John Kenny and from the chairperson of IRARI, Dr. Nea Stewart-Dore. President John’s letter will be sent to you soon. Nea’s message is attached. Please forward it to your districts and encourage them to ask their clubs to read it at the club meeting during International Literacy Day.
B. Second --- Monthly reports are due
As the end of August approaches it is time for all of us to prepare the reports assigned to us in the RILRG Leadership Manual. Actually, the Manual allows you to send your report in at any time during the month. But we are evolving into the habit of sending an end-of-the month report. If you find it more convenient to send the report in earlier in the month, then go ahead and do so. The important point is that every zone coordinator should send in a report every month. Those reports are:
1. For the General Coordinator -- A report to President John due the beginning of Sept.
2. For the Area Coordinators – A report to the General Coordinator due the end of Aug..
3. For the Zone Coordinators – A report to the Area Coordinator is due at the end of August
For zone coordinators the most important pieces of information which your area coordinator hopes to find in your report for August (or September if you have already sent in your report for August) are:
a. A list of communications which you sent to your districts during the month of August.
b. A list of districts/clubs which have communicated back to you. Of particular interest are success stories you discovered.
c. A statement as to whether or not you have provided each of your districts with a copy of the four page on-line brochure entitled, “Literacy Award Certification Form.” That form is available on the RI web site.
d. A statement as to whether or not you have provided each of your districts with a copy of the Rotary International On-line district literacy seminar. This is only available in English. If that makes it inappropriate for your districts, just say so. But feel free to produce a version in the language of your districts and send that to them. (This is an opportunity, not a requirement).
e. A statement as to whether or not you forwarded the most recent issue of the World-wide Literacy Newsletter to your districts. The proviso about English applies here, too. But note that newsletter editor Roger Hayward has begun to publish articles in other languages.

Earlier this month I published a tentative list of inactive zone coordinators. An inactive zone coordinator is a person who has not submitted the monthly report to the area coordinator. Distribution of that list was restricted to the area coordinators who then used it to contact those on the list and help them become active. Thanks to the area coordinators and to you zone coordinators who responded to their inquiries.

C. Third --- The New Literacy Coordinator for Zone 18A – Colin Bryant
President John has named PDG Colin Bryant to replace PDG Meirion Morris as the coordinator for Zone 18A.( PDG Meirion had to resign for health reasons. Please keep him in your prayers.). Any of you who are interested in starting a dictionary project in your country might want to talk to Colin about it. Colin was the founder of the very successful Dictionary 4 Life project. Last year that Rotary project handed out 79,000 dictionaries in the U.K. and 9 other countries where the British version of English is spoken. Colin is a retired post-school college vice principal who lives in the London area. Welcome, Colin.

Richard Hattwick

FOTO: Henrique Pinto and Ed Futa, RI Secretary General, in Lisbon Institute