This year our main focus has been on promoting:
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Group Study Exchange Programme
The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange (GSE) programme is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The programme provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.
The District GSE team of five left on 2 May for Colarado, USA and are returning on 31 May. We were the only club to promote the programme, advertise it and actually run a competition to choose our two candidates. So it is pleasing to report that two of the team members were nominated by our Club. We look forward to their talks to the Club following their return.
Ambassadorial Scholarships
Ambassadorial Scholarships, The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known programme, was founded in 1947. Since then, nearly 38,000 men and women from about 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships programme.
This year we have had the pleasure of hosting Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Martha Josephson from the USA. Martha is studying at Queen’s University Belfast for a Masters in Comparative Ethnic Conflict. She has addressed the Club, attends when available and enthusiastically supports our activities. She is also a member of the Rotaract Club.
Martha together with other Rotary Scholars studying in Northern Ireland and Rotarian Laura Steele, a former TABU student, enjoyed a visit to Parliament Buildings, Stormont organised by the Rotary Club of Belfast and sponsored by Mr Alan McFarland, MLA. Other members of the group were the President of our Belfast Rotaract Club, Laura Garland, and one of her members Michael Savage. Laura Steel, Laura Garland and Michael Savage had all been participants in our TABU student exchanges with the Rotary Club of Highland Park, Chicago.
The group enthusiastically participated in the question and answer session with individual MLAs. The Club has also plans for all the Ambassadorial Scholars studying in Ireland to visit Seanad Eireann as a guest of Senator Shane Ross and the House of Lords as a guest of Lord Laird of Artigarvan in May. We are now accepting applications for Ambassadorial Scholarships for post graduate study overseas in the academic year 2010/11. A number of our members have committed to seeking out potential candidates with the aim of our Club nominating a successful candidate for the first time.
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Fundraising
Our thanks go to those members who have driven a programme of fundraising for Foundation and specifically for the Help End Polio Now Programme.
Polio was a scourge. It could be again. The working out of Rotary's original Polio Plus campaign reduced the countries in which it was endemic from 
150 to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria. Great work but it's still only a flight or a return from a tour of duty away.
Rotary has pledged to put an end to this monstrous deforming and debilitating illness and to this end the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has set Rotary the challenge to raise $200million by the middle of 2012 and it will contribute $355 million . In announcing the challenge Bill Gates said: "… complete elimination of the polio virus is difficult and will continue to be difficult for a number of years. Rotary in particular has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication."
£10,800 has been raised by the Club this year which, together with funds raised in 07/08 and matching funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, add up to $60,000. President Courtney presented a cheque to RIBI President Ian Thompson on his recent visit to the Club. Full report can be seen here.
PP Marnette Lyons, as part Rotary’s Thanks for Life - End Polio Now Campaign, has recently assisted in administering Polio vaccine on the National Immunisation Day which took place on November 8 in Bareilly in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. On the day, thousands of children across the country were protected from the crippling and paralysing polio disease.
As well as visiting orphanages, schools hospitals and local medical centres, volunteers travelled to the slums of Delhi where hundreds of people survive by scavenging through rubbish heaps and there are no sanitation measures. The team also went on the road to the remote villages, knocking on doors and immunising the children with the special polio vaccine as part of the service to the communities.
Once immunised, a child’s little fingers is dyed purple to keep track of who has already been given the protective medication, now known as the Purple Pinkie.
The trip was an amazing experience: “The visit was an emotional roller-coaster ride which nothing can prepare you for. Bareilly, where my group was based, is in a very poor area and senses were totally bombarded. We saw, heard, smelt, felt and tasted authentic India. Seeing the terrible suffering caused by polio spurs you on to take action. This vaccine costs less than a penny per child so we can save thousands of young lives. If you were to meet these children you would do everything within your power to make sure they did not suffer from polio. You would want to ensure they had a better future.
It has been such a privilege to have been part of the historic effort to rid the world of a crippling polio disease that has impacted millions of lives throughout the centuries. An effective vaccine has made polio totally preventable so no child today should have to suffer from the disease. The feeling of saving a child from polio is very difficult to describe, however the image of this very tremendously worthwhile experience will be in our memories for the rest of our lives.”
Polio is a crippling, and sometimes fatal, disease and still a harrowing reality for children in parts of Africa, Asia and India. It is highly virulent. Rotary clubs work tirelessly throughout the year raising funds to pay for the Rotary End Polio Now initiative.
The Rotary Club of Belfast is grateful to all who have generously supported the campaign.
Since Rotary International got involved with the eradication work in 1985, new cases have fallen from 1,000 a day to around 1,500 a year, which is a reduction of 99%, saving over 5,000,000 children from being infected over this period.
Other notable events this year included:
The East Belfast Car Ballot
- which raised £2,800
Harvard Glee Club Concert -The Belfast Rotary Club recently invited the Harvard Glee Club to perform a charity concert. This concert, held on Friday 27th March in the Spires Conference Centre, Belfast appealed to all ages interested in traditional and classical choral works and raised £8,000.
It provided a wonderful opportunity to hear the jubilant voices of America’s oldest collegiate chorus, the world class Harvard (University) Collegiate Glee Club perform. Founded in 1858, the Harvard Glee Club is considered by many to be the America’s premier collegiate men’s chorus. Former members of the choir include composer Leonard Bernstein and US Presidents Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt. It consisted of about 65 men, mostly undergraduates at Harvard College, plus a few students from Harvard's graduate schools, from all over the USA and abroad. They delighted a large audience with men’s choral music of every era from around the world. A full report on the concert can be found here.
Charity Social Event - This successful Charity Social event was held in Hillsborough Castle, on Thursday 23rd April and was greatly enjoyed by all who were there. The only dampener was the rain which began just as the evening began. 
However, following a delicious reception of wine and canapés by 'June and Keith' in the Kitchen, we were wonderfully entertained by fascinating tales of the house from David Anderson, Curator and then enchanted by songs from Marie O'Sullivan and her proteges Molly Gilmartin and Karen Thompson accompanied by Mark McGrath.
President Courtenay briefed those assembled on the work of Rotary Foundation, which is the recipient of the proceeds. (back to top)
Belfast Rotaract Club
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people aged 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are usually community-based or university-based and are sponsored by a local Rotary club making them true “partners in service” and key members of the Rotary family. Through the Rotaract program, young adults not only augment their knowledge and skills, but they also address the physical and social needs of their communities while promoting international understanding and peace through a framework of friendship and service.