I. Wrapping Up Your Census on December 17th 1. The original plan was for the zone coordinator to do a census of his/her district only.
2. Few, if any, coordinators will have results from all clubs in his/her district. So send in the results you do have on December 17th and consult # 3 below for the next step.
3. It is up to each zone coordinator to determine whether or not to get information from missing clubs after December 17th.
II. Making Use of Your Census after December 17th.
1. One of the purposes of the census is to identify examples of good projects which should be called to the attention of clubs and districts around the world. We now have a sufficient number of such examples to meet our goal for 2009-2010.
2. A second purpose is to identify the MENUS of projects conducted by clubs around the world and to then use the menus to determine standards for literacy awards. We now have a sufficient number of such examples to meet our goal for 2010-2011.
3. A third purpose is to identify opportunities for improvement at the club and district levels. This is a matter to be handled by each zone coordinator in ways which he/she thinks best. Possible actions which a zone coordinator might take are --- (a) Inform clubs and/or districts how they compare with other clubs/districts in terms of the number and kinds of literacy projects undertaken; (b) Share the same information with the DGE so that he/she can develop a plan to promote literacy projects next year; (c) Share the information with the assistant district governors so that they can help inactive clubs improve their involvement with literacy.
2. Encourage all districts to consider holding a district literacy seminar or some other type of literacy project planning event during March. Or encourage the incoming DGE to hold a meeting of district and club literacy leaders to discuss literacy project goals and objectives for next year. (This could be something as simple as the DGE inviting the key people to a casual evening discussion in the
DGE’s home sometime during the month).
3 Encourage those clubs capable of doing so to complete the requirements for the District Literacy Award and/or the Zone Literacy Award.
IV. Thinking of Literacy in Terms of a menu of literacy projects)
1. The view that an active club should have a menu of literacy projects is the basis of the district literacy award (and the Zone Award).
2. Simple menus --- The current set of criteria for the District Literacy Award allows any club in the world to earn the award by completing five easy-to-do and
inexpensive projects such as – A literacy program at a club meeting during the week of International Literacy Day and Literacy Month (counts as two projects), book donations to schools and/or libraries (counts as two projects), placing 4-Way Test stickers in the book gifts, recognizing outstanding teachers or students, etc.
3. Ambitious menus – But all clubs with the capabilities to do so should be encouraged to undertake more ambitious menus of projects. Making such clubs aware of items which belong on such menus is a major function of the RILRG and finding those examples are a major job of the zone literacy coordinator. the attachment to this week’s management bulletin provides an excellent example from india, thanks to the reporting of ZC Gulam Vahanvaty.
(Be sure to note how this club addressed the issues of character literacy, possible exclusion of the girl child and possible exclusion of talented youth from the university education which would provide them with self actualization).
4. The case of a club with a single ambitious literacy project – Encouraging clubs to undertake a MENU of projects should not and does not diminish the accomplishment of any club which focuses on a single ambitious project. For example, ZC Helene Kalfuss has just discovered that the Rotary Club of Temecula Noon
(California, USA) has a major project that uses IMAGINATION LIBRARY to attack the problem of at-risk children starting primary school at a significant disadvantage. Five hundred families are involved and the club not only pays for the books (a major financial commitment) but also involves the club members in some
impressive follow-up activities. (Details will appear in a future issue of our Worldwide Literacy Newsletter) If that were the only literacy activity of the Temecula club, Rotarians around the world would still stand somewhat in awe at the commitment which that club has made to literacy.
(Note: As will be clear in the forthcoming article in the Worldwide Literacy Newsletter, this single project has 3 distinct components which together count as three of the five requirements for the District Literacy Award).
Richard Hattwick
December 09
PHOTO: Anand Chandavarkar, School Khanivali Village, Mumbai, and his interesting Literacy Menu of Projects
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário