Tag Archives: Rotary International

ACADEMICS LAUD POLIO VACCINE, BUT DON’T MENTION ROTARY’S ROLE

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#vaccines #PolioVaccine #Rotary #polio #RotaryInternational #PurplePinky
In an opinion piece, two academics from New York University’s Medical Ethics section touted the success of the polio vaccine, as it comes up against vaccine skeptics now regulating the nation’s health.
The piece, published in the April 1, 2026, edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, even had a photo of Elvis Presley getting his polio vaccine shot backstage at The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
Nathaniel Mamo, MA, and Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., rightly say that polio is close to being eradicated BECAUSE of the vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk through research funding by what was then called the March of Dimes.
But, what the doctors fail to mention is the role of Rotary International in distributing the vaccine worldwide, as it still does.
By Rotary’s count, polio cases are down to a few in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
As the academics point out, the vaccine skeptics argue that sanitation has improved enough to prevent an increase in cases.
Sanitation has improved, but the poliovirus can easily spread if enough people decide not to get vaccinated. By extension, they may not get their children vaccinated.
If the disease spreads, all of Rotary International’s efforts over many decades will not have been wasted, but the progress will be slowed.
Certainly, getting all those folks in all those countries vaccinated was no small task. Rotary faced all kinds of obstacles to get the vaccine into people.
In fact, on April 28, 2026, Rotary District 6780 in East Tennessee will have its annual Purple Pinky Day. Buy a box of 10 doughnuts from participating Dunkin’ stores for $25, and proceeds will be matched 7.5 times toward the eradication of polio through vaccinations.
If you live in East Tennessee and you’d like to participate, contact your local Rotary club to order your doughnuts. If you don’t like doughnuts, you can also donate money to Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign. Those donations also will be matched 7.5 times.
The clubs will be taking doughnut orders through April 9 (April 13 for some clubs), and the clubs will advise you on how you can pick up your doughnuts.
If you don’t live in East Tennessee, check your local Rotary club to find out when they will have Purple Pinky campaigns.
It’s called Purple Pinky Day because, as people got their polio vaccines, one of their pinkies was dipped in a purple dye to tell those distributing the vaccines that they had been vaccinated.
So, the NYU folks are correct. We all should be vaccinated against polio. Science has demonstrated for decades the vaccine’s effectiveness.
And, one can thank Rotary International for spearheading the campaign to help those around the world who may not have ready access to the vaccine get it.
Polio and other diseases are either preventable, or their effects can be minimized through vaccines that have been properly tested.
Those who cast doubt on proven vaccines are doing a disservice to the nation, the world and overall health.
But, creating and testing vaccines and making them available may not be enough. Organizations like Rotary have to make it their mission to make sure the vaccines are widely available.
If it succeeds in eradicating polio, Rotary undoubtedly will move on to conquering other diseases worldwide.
Distributing vaccines is the most effective and efficient way to do that.
Peter

SOCIAL EROSION: COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS DECLINING

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#SocialInstitutions #churches #CommunityServiceClubs
Some may not remember a few decades ago, when labor unions were not only strong, but one of the many fibers that brought communities together.
During that time, more people attended church, community service clubs such as the Lions or Rotary were flourishing, two-parent families were the norm etc.
Bob Davis and Gary Fields discussed this social erosion in a Sept. 16, 2016, article in The Wall Street Journal.
In those decades past, the union hall was the place to be in many blue-collar towns.
Today, as union membership is declining along with job security of any sort, we see the reaction of those affected by this decline. They are looking for someone, or something, to save them, and take the country back to that time.
Technology advances will not allow it.
But the question is not who will save those disaffected by technological change and lack of job security. The question becomes who, or what, folks can turn to who have had their lives changed forever, if not for better.
Some community institutions are still around, and not all have seen membership decline.
Technology has also given us social media, but social media, though a fine creation, is no substitute for in-person interaction.
As life changes, one must look at not only what is GOOD about his life, he must be open to find ways to combat the life changes the modern world has wrought.
If you had a good job that’s gone away, and have either had to take a job that is less rewarding or have not been able to find a suitable job at all, the answer is to look for ways other than a traditional W-2 job to make money. Easier said than done? Perhaps not. Message me to find out more.
Getting back to basics, one must check his bad attitude at the door, and not reclaim it as he exits.
There is so much good in the world today, and so many reasons to be thankful, to have faith, enthusiasm and optimism.
If you think you can find those things by reconnecting with some of the older institutions in your community, by all means, go for it.
If you think you can find those things by hanging around different people – you can still have your friends, even if they don’t inspire you – by all means look for those different people. There’s no telling to what, or to whom, they could introduce you.
Looking for that one person who is going to change the world by bringing things back to the way they were is a futile exercise. However, looking for that one person who is going to change YOUR life, who will make YOUR life better, can not only be productive, but also can be very fulfilling.
In short, being optimistic, enthusiastic, open and happy can not only bring you joy, it very well could bring you success. Plus, it’s certainly better to be happy, even if you have to work at being happy, than being miserable.
Go for happy.
Peter

THE RIGHT THING? THE FOUR-WAY TEST

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#RotaryInternational #4WayTest #FourWayTest #DoTheRightThing
Do you always do the right thing?
Well, no one is perfect, and the “right thing” might be debatable. What you consider the “right thing,” may not be what your friend or neighbor believes is the ”right thing.”
Rotary International uses a Four-Way Test of things its members think, do or say to determine what “the right thing” is.
• First, is it the truth?
• Second, is it fair to all concerned?
• Third, will it help build good will and better friendships?
• Fourth, is it beneficial to all concerned?
If you use that test, you probably will do the right thing most of the time.
On the first test, we find that “truth” is also a matter of debate. Facts are usually not debatable, but we apparently live in an age of “fake news” and “alternative facts” that create debate of truth.
Would you change your opinion of something, or someone, if facts changed?
Would you cling to your beliefs in the face of contrary facts, or are “facts” simply what you believe them to be?
The second test involves fairness. Again, fairness is often debatable in this era of whatever happens to you is essentially your fault.
Why should someone else help you out of your jam, when you got yourself into the jam in the first place?
Rotary prides itself in helping those in a jam, because not all jams are self-created. The pursuit of fairness is never ending, and we must decide what is fair to all concerned.
The third test involves building relationships. Relationships require work, and some relationships require more work than others. Whatever relationships you try to build, be they business or personal, build them with the other people in mind. If you think of others above self, you should be well on your way toward doing the right thing.
The fourth test involves benefits. We are taught that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, with winners and losers. This test aims to achieve win-win situations in every encounter. As John Maxwell and other leadership experts advocate, try to add value to someone else every day. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way toward doing the right thing.
So, perhaps you are looking for a vehicle that will enable you to do the right thing for others, while at the same time do the right thing for you.
There are many such vehicles out there. To learn about one of the best, message me.
In short, learn to find and embrace undisputed truth, rather than the alternative. Look to do things that are fair to you and others. Work at building solid relationships. And do things that will benefit not just you, but others, too.
The right thing, truth and fairness should not be debatable concepts. They should be obvious and absolute. It’s best not to let anyone try to tell or show you otherwise.
Peter