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TODAY'S MEETING
Jan 24, 2023 12:00 PM
Dorila (Dori) Cascante, RITE Teacher
Rotary Inter-country Teacher Exchange (RITE) Program

Rotary District 5680 has participated in the RITE Program since January 1996 through the support of the West and Sunrise Clubs. The Program consists of an Inbound Program (Jan-Feb and an Outbound Program (Jun-Jul).

The Inbound Program allows teachers of English from Panama and Argentina to come to the Wichita area for a four-week immersion experience, which helps participating teachers improve their English skills while interacting in native English home and school environments. The benefit to the teachers in both participating countries has been related to the RITE Committee through their personal reports calling their time as a RITE Teacher an outstanding educational experience.

The Outbound Program allows travel opportunities to three outbound teachers per year from the Wichita area to the Republic of Panama for a four-week program, where they share their teaching talents and skills with Panamanian teachers through school visits, materials, resources and a two-week seminar. These teachers are supported by several Wichita Rotary Clubs.

We have received 39 teachers from the Republic of Panama and 45 teachers from Argentina for the Inbound Program. The Outbound Program sent 13 teachers to Mexico from Summer 1996 until Summer 2001.

Beginning Summer of 2001 through present, 61 teachers have been sent to Panama. COVID put the program on hiatus during summer of 2020, 2021 and 2022. We hope to return Summer 2023.

Dalia Hale- RITE Coordinator for the Wichita Area

  • Member of West Sedgwick County Rotary Club- Sunrise 
  • Outbound teacher to Panama during summers of 2016 and 2019
  • RITE Host since 2009
  • Retired USD 259, Wichita Public Schools Educator and Adjunct Instructor at Butler Community College

Committee Members: Armida Hight will share the History since she and her late husband, Ralph Hight, former member of our club and District Governor 1997/98, were instrumental in starting this program. Dalia Hale, Sunrise Rotary Club, will share details of the current RITE Program and changes because of COVID. Shelli Kadel, former member of our club, will share details about host families and placing teachers with Wichita Area Rotarians

Dorila (Dori) Cascante, David, Chiriquí, Panamá, Represents the Rotary Club of David - Dori is a teacher of English. She currently teaches first graders at a bilingual school. She participated in the 2019 RITE Seminar for Teacher of English in David. She has completed 10 years of teaching.

She appreciates and seeks the opportunities to learn new teaching strategies to use with her students. She wants to improve her fluency and vocabulary through her immersion in English and the US culture.

Dori also wants to learn new and effective teaching techniques to help her students learn English, manage her classroom while improving her teaching methodologies.       

She is married and had two children (son is 11 and daughter is 6).  This is her first time to travel outside of Panama.

 
Jan 31, 2023 12:00 PM
Meeting canceled to attend Downtown Rotary Jan. 30
"Human Trafficking"
View entire list
JOINT AREA ROTARY MEETING
No cost to our members since we are cancelling our January 31 meeting. Guests: $18.
RESERVATIONS DUE to Diane by January 24.
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Bookshelf Deliveries at Lawrence
Tuesday, February 7
11:45 a.m. Lawrence Elementary (school Library)
Eat box lunch then hand out bookshelves
1:15 p.m. Benton Elementary - deliver bookshelves
Reservations required for lunch count.
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SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD
Our 1997-98 Board of Officers & Directors voted to present a Service Above Self award to members who had shown outstanding service to the club and the community. The very first recipient of our club's award was Dr. David Weber on June 23, 1998. We've had a recipient most every year since then. It is time once again to nominate a fellow member for our 2023 award. Please submit a member's name with the reason for your nomination to Diane either in writing or e-mailed. The deadline to submit nominations is February 21st. 
Current members who are past recipients make up the selection committee and are not eligible for this award: Bob Goebel, Roger Bowles, Mike Ludlow, Michael Phipps, DeAnn Sullivan, Mark Hansen, Phil Michel,  Sharon West, Brian Goudie, Jamie Wise, John Mosley, Mark Chamberlin, Tony Morrow and Terry Gardner.
DISTRICT
MEAL PACKING EVENT
Thursday, February 23rd 
6:00 p.m.
Christ Church
14242 E 21st St. N
Wichita, KS 67230
Please sign up if you can help.
 
MEETING INFORMATION
ATTENDANCE
Last meeting: 56%
Membership: 62
HOLIDAY RAFFLE: Will resume this week. 
STAR Class
When: January 24 
Where: RHCC, 11:30 a.m.
Topic: "Rotary International & District 5680."
Who: All members who would like to learn more about Rotary!
 
UPDATE provided by Jamie Wise: 
Amazon is discontinuing Amazon Smile in February. The program that gives the club small payments for ordering on Amazon.
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 
Member Birthdays
Rod Brown
January 3
 
Mark Hansen
January 9
 
Ed Frey
January 18
 
Patrick Walden
January 29
 
Stephanie Flaming
January 31
 
West Wichita Charitable Foundation
Grant Request Process
Due to the success of the Rotary Club of West Wichita’s fundraising efforts for our West Wichita Charitable Foundation (WWCF), we occasionally have a limited amount of funds available for additional charitable or educational initiatives.
 
This year, the board has made available a total of $5,000.00 from our club’s Foundation fund to fund worthy projects brought forth by our members, in support of an educational or charitable initiative.
 
WWCF purpose: 3.1 The purpose of the corporation is to receive and accept property to be administered exclusively for charitable purposes, in connection with the promotion and support of education, assistance to the needy, and other charitable programs and activities supported by the Rotary Club of West Wichita.
 
If a member of the Rotary Club of West Wichita would like to sponsor a project eligible to receive funding, that member should complete and submit the Grant Request form.  A project must be sponsored by a member in good standing of the Rotary Club of West Wichita. For the 2023-24 grant year, preference will be given for projects that focus on Rotarian involvement in the project.
 
The WWCF is under no obligation to disburse these funds if no eligible projects are deemed worthy of funding.  There is no guarantee any funds will be available in subsequent years.
 
All grant requests must be submitted to Diane.  All requests will be reviewed by the Club Foundation Committee followed by approval by the Board of Directors. All decisions by the approving officials are final.
 
Any approved grant funds must be used in support of a charitable or educational initiative.  All projects are expected to be completed within six months of approval.  A final project report must be submitted to the club president.  If the project is not completed within 90 days of approval, a project progress report must be submitted to the club president.
 
Available grant funds may be approved for one or more eligible projects.  The total of grant awards must not exceed the amount of funds deemed available.
 
Grant request applications may be submitted now through April 30, 2023. Funds for any approved project will not be disbursed prior to July 1, 2023.
 
Receipts supporting all expenditures of grant funds must be submitted along with the project’s progress report and/or final report.
 
Please address any questions to Joey Timmer, Club President, Colby Reynolds, President-Elect or Mindy Wagner, board representative.