By offering small loans to entrepreneurs, particularly women, in impoverished regions, Rotarians promote economic and community development, one of Rotary's areas of focus.

Read about an Egyptian club's microcredit program

See a slideshow from a microcredit project in Honduras

Watch the video 'Make No Small Plans'

World Food Day is 16 October, but the Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary, Queensland, Australia; helps alleviate hunger all year through a program that provides meat to agencies serving the state's poor and homeless.

The club launched Beef Bank in 2007 after members heard a presentation on the scarcity of fresh meat for charities that feed the poor.  The Rotarians purchased five calves and raised them on property owned by past club President Andrew Rodgers.

A local butcher helped slaughter one of the cows, and about 450 pounds of beef went to Foodbank, an organization that acts as a conduit between manufacturers with excess stock and people in need.  The meat from that first cow provided 1,000 meals.

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RThe Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary, Queensland, Australia, launched the Beef Bank program by purchasing five cows and raising them on a member's property.  The program has now grown into the main source for fresh meat for area charities.

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Rotary Club of Brisbane Centenary

'The more I learn about Rotary, the more in awe I am of what this organization has been able to accomplish.'

That's John Hewko summing up his first 100 days as Rotary's general secretary.  In just over three months, Hewko has launched two key communications projects, initiated development of a club strategic planning tool, participated in the meetings of numerous committees and the RI Board and Rotary Foundation Trustees, met with Bill Gates to discuss polio eradication, attended his first Rotary institute, listened to dozens of presentations by Rotary staff as part of his 'getting to know Rotary' listening tour, and re-joined the Rotary Club of Kyiv in Ukraine, of which he was a charter member.

Hewko began learning about Rotary well before he was on the payroll.  'The six-month transition period was tremendously helpful,' he says.  'By attending the International Assembly and the convention, and participating in several committee, Board, and Trustee meetings, I was really able to hit the ground running.'

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During a trip to Seattle, Washington, USA, Hewko helped pack beans to be distributed through Rotary First Harvest, a Program of Rotary District 5030.

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RI

Rotarians around the globe are planning events to raise polio eradication awareness and funding for World Polio Day on 24 October.

Australian club members are working with the Global Poverty Project on a petition drive aimed at persuading world leaders to fully fund the critical work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.  Supporters can sign the petition online.

The Global Poverty Project has scheduled an End of Polio Concert on 28 October to coincide with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia.  Rotarians have joined with the group to lobby leaders to put polio eradication on the meeting agenda.  Hugh Evans, cofounder and CEO of the Global Poverty Project, is a scheduled speaker at the 2012 RI Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, in May.

'Global collaboration has ensured that eradication is within reach,' says Michael Sheldrick, the group's polio campaign manager and a member of the Rotary Club of Crawley, Western Australia.  'Our generation has a chance to realize a historic opportunity and ensure that no one else ever has to fear this disease.  That's why it's vital we commit to finish the job.'

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Rotarians are getting ready to spread the word about World Polio Day, 24 October, and the need to finish the job of eradicating the disease.

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Pakistan PolioPlus Committee

Facebook seems always to be in the news these days, for reasons both positive and negative.  So you might be wondering: Should Rotary clubs be on Facebook?

Definitely, says Mel Powell, treasurer of the Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship, who is working to organize an e-club based in the Greater San Fernando Valley, California, USA.  Here, he explains how Facebook can help clubs connect to the community, and offers advice on getting your club started.

Q:  What's the difference on Facebook between pages and profiles?  And which one should be used for Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact clubs?

A:  I recommend a page.  It can reach a wider audience, which enhances a club's public image and helps clubs find new members -- without some of the drawbacks of profiles.  For example, Facebook limits the number of 'friends' a profile can have, but an unlimited number of users can 'like' your Facebook page.  Also, with Facebook profiles, a certain amount of information is shared among friends, which may make some people hesitant to friend a Rotary club.  The same level of information is not shared when someone merely 'likes' a page.

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Mel Powell, treasurer of the Rotarians on Social Networks Fellowship.

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RI