Monthly News Edition 05-15
Bulletin #05 February 2015..
This Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species or RAGES is a Rotarian Action Group and operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.
1. CHAIR REPORT
This is our first newsletter as an approved Rotarian Action Group. The Rotary International Board has given us the green light and we are now officially a RAG the 20th granted this status since 2005. So let us start our work together by learning what we can and what we are not allowed to do as a RAG.
You can download the RI Policies for Rotarian Action Groups here:
RI Policies for Rotarian Action Groups
42.020.1. Purpose A Rotarian Action Group shall be an association of Rotarians who have as their purpose the advancement of the Object of Rotary by providing assistance and support to Rotary clubs, districts, and multi districts in planning and implementing large-scale, community development and humanitarian service projects.
Summary of budgetary and financial practices for RAGs as currently mandated by RI Board policy RAG administration budgets
May be supported through membership dues
May be supported through administrative grants provided by external organizations or project administrative fees paid as part of a project grant from an external organization
May not be supported through other solicitations
May include staff salaries RAG-supported project budgets
May be supported through specific solicitations (including website solicitations), identifying the Rotary club or district led project funds are intended to support
May be supported by project grants provided by external organizations
May not be supported through general solicitations, such as a general “donate” button on a RAG website
Funds may either flow directly from donor to recipient club or district, or be temporarily held by the RAG for future disbursement to recipient clubs, districts, or implementing organizations
Funds temporarily held by the RAG may not exceed US$25,000 at any given time (dues and other administrative funds do not count towards this limit) RAG financial reporting
Report must be distributed to all RAG members, with a copy to RI by 1 October, covering the previous Rotary year’s activity
Must show revenues and expenditures from the previous Rotary year and a statement of funds on hand at the time of the report
If the RAG’s annual gross receipts or expenditures exceed US$25,000, the report must either be independently reviewed by a qualified accountant, or by an action group audit committee selected by the RAG.
We have already changed our logo to reflect the policies of RI and this can be seen on our banner at the head of each page on our web site. We will continue to use the Crying Rhino in our promotional work, again in accordance with RI policies.
This is wonderful news all round and it has taken us almost 24 months from inception to reality, however I would like to thank all those involved at RI HQ in Evanston for their advice, patience and assistance.
I would also like to thank our board for staying the race and to all of you members who are still with us. There will be changes as we move on as the work of the inaugural board is now over and we move to another phase.
Now our work begins in earnest to work with Rotarians, Rotaractors and their families on the ground in countries where species are in danger of extinction. Remember extinction is forever!.
We will still keep membership free and we will review this as we grow and as we require funds to administer our group. Expenses such as hosting the web site, printing, telephone, postage and other expenses, when needed, will be met in accordance with the policies of RI.
So welcome one and all AND please kindly ask your club members to join us and they can join online from here:
I look forward to leading this group and making a real difference to the lives of those people affected by the loss of their heritage and income from the result of the poaching and decimation of endangered species. We will look at projects that qualify for our Rotary Foundation Grants especially in the Areas of Focus for Basic Education and Literacy and Economic and Community Development.
I have listed the three projects that we will support initially below my signature. All three, including the proposed partnership with Dr. Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots programmes, have the potential to be large-scale, community development and humanitarian service projects, with conservation of endangered species as the bottom line.
We also have some exciting news on a poster and music campaign we are launching in June. It is the brainchild of a good friend of mine, Duke Ingram, who leads an amazing group of musicians called Besureis. I will post more as we progress along the road on our web site on Facebook and via the next newsletter, so stay tuned!
Please feel free to contact me at anytime via email: [email protected], telephone 61 2 6927 6027 or Skype: john.susan.glassford.
As always
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford
Chair 2014 -2016
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia
RAGES PROPOSED PROJECTS:
1. ROOTS AND SHOOTS KENYA.
We are putting together a very interesting and potentially large project involving Roots & Shoots Kenya, the Oloimugi Maasai Village and Rotary clubs in Kenya. This project has the potential to work as a model for many villages on the Laikipia Plateau of Kenya. Here poaching is a real problem as is the conflict between human settlement and endangered species such as Elephant, Black Rhino, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Lions and Reticulated Giraffe.
2. THE DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST KENYA.
Without a doubt one of the most impressive projects in all of Africa. Please read their web site and you will see that the DSWT is involved in many facets of conservation and education. We will partner with Rotary Clubs in Nairobi and here is just some of the work this trust does for elephants:
A. ORPHAN’S PROJECT ELEPHANTS
B. CONSERVATION
C. OUTREACH EDUCATION
D. ANTI-POACHING
E. VETERINARY UNITS
3. THE CHIPEMBERE RHINO FOUNDATION SOUTH AFRICA.
1215 Rhino {Mainly Southern White Rhino} poached in 2014 out of a population of only around 22,000 left in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have reached the tipping point to extinction with this species. The Northern White Rhino are down to 5 left in the world. The Black Rhino-only around 5,000 left in the world.
The work of the people at Chipembere is simply amazing and deserves all the support that they can get from Rotary and RAGES.
For security purposes I cannot publish the work being done here and for many good reasons, as we do not want this information to reach social media. Poachers and their bosses read social media and this can lead to information that will be useful to them in their hunt for these very endangered animals.
We will partner with the Rotary Club of Kenton-on-Sea where Jo Wilmot, our Project Director, is a board member of RAGES. You can get a very good idea of their work from their website linked in the heading above.
FOOT NOTE:
IN April this year I am leading a team of climbers/hikers with PDG Fred Loneragan, a RAGES Board member, on Mount Kenya. One of the beneficiaries will be the Oloimugi Maasai Village in conjunction with Roots & Shoots Kenya AND RAGES.
MOUNT KENYA 2015 ANZAC DAY CLIMB
A Black Rhino Orphan at the Ol Pajeta Rhino Orphanage on the Laikipia Plateau.