Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba RCBC meets Tuesdays at the Phoenicia Hotel, Ain-Mreisseh, Beirut Business Meetings at 7:00 PM — Dinner Meetings at 8:30 PM Marhaba Editor: Kamal N. Saad -- e-mail: [email protected]Mobile Telephone: +961 3 866 908 We welcome your comments and suggestions. 1 Club Charter Date June 22, 1995 Club Number 30893 District 2452 Rotary Int’l ___________________________________ RI President Ravi Ravindran RC Sri Lanka District Governor Mustafa Nasreddine RC Amman Deputy Governor Kamal Katra Assistant Governor Rami Majzoub ___________________________________ RCBC Officers 2015—2016 President Marie (Mimi) Hamam President Elect Joe Boulos Vice President Lina Shair Secretary Amal Talhouk Treasurer Jean Paul Moubarak __________________________________________ Directors Tony Asfour George Beyrouti Nora Haddad Adib Mounla Rabab Safieddine __________________________________________ RCBC Website www.rcbclebanon.org RCBC Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ beirutcosmopolitan Tuesday, November 3, 2015 -- Dinner Meeting, Phoenicia Hotel Guest Speaker H.E. Mr. Francois Barras, Swiss Ambassador Topic: “What Lies Behind the Success of Switzerland, the Most Innovative Country in the World ”. HE Francois Barras holds a BA in Law, a MA in Anthropology and a PhD in Legal Anthropology. He has undertaken missions for the UNDP and the World Bank before joining the Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry in Berne. He has served as Swiss Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Macao before being named in 2006 Ambassador to Lebanon. He is now here on his second mission since October 2015. For the 6 th year in a row Switzerland has ranked first in the competitiveness and innovation global indexes. The economic success of this small landlocked mountainous and once poor country is due to several factors: Political stability and rule of law; Liberal economic policies; Healthy public finances; Education system and knowledge based society; Strong partnership between the public and private sectors in fostering research and development; Entrepreneurial spirit and protestant ethics; Pragmatism; Focus on high added value products and services; Pro-innovation bias; High connectivity to the world. What is striking about the Swiss economy is its diversity and the unique combination of the Swiss-Made tradition with the capacity to constantly reinvent itself. Friday, November 6, 2015 -- RCBC Fund Raising Movie “Spectre” A successful fundraising that netted RCBC US $ 8,900.
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Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
RCBC meets Tuesdays at the Phoenicia Hotel, Ain-Mreisseh, Beirut
Business Meetings at 7:00 PM — Dinner Meetings at 8:30 PM
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 -- Dinner Meeting, Phoenicia Hotel Guest Speaker H.E. Mr. Francois Barras, Swiss Ambassador Topic: “What Lies Behind the Success of Switzerland, the Most Innovative Country in the World”.
HE Francois Barras holds a BA in Law, a MA in Anthropology and a PhD in Legal Anthropology. He has undertaken missions for the UNDP and the World Bank before joining the Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry in Berne.
He has served as Swiss Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Macao before being named in 2006 Ambassador to Lebanon. He is now here on his second mission since October 2015.
For the 6th year in a row Switzerland has ranked first in the competitiveness and innovation global indexes. The economic success of this small landlocked mountainous and once poor country is due to several factors: Political stability and rule of law; Liberal economic policies; Healthy public finances; Education system and knowledge based society; Strong partnership between the public and private sectors in fostering
research and development; Entrepreneurial spirit and protestant ethics; Pragmatism; Focus on high added value products and services; Pro-innovation bias; High connectivity to the world.
What is striking about the Swiss economy is its diversity and the unique combination of the Swiss-Made tradition with the capacity to constantly reinvent itself.
Friday, November 6, 2015 -- RCBC Fund Raising Movie “Spectre”
A successful fundraising that netted RCBC US $ 8,900.
Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Rotary Acronyms for Non-Rotarians
RI: Rotary International TRF: The Rotary Foundation
RC: Rotary Club RCBC: Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan RT: Rotarian
P: President - IP: Incoming President - VP: Vice President - PE: President Elect - PP: Past President
D: District - DG: District Governor - IDG: Incoming DG - DDG: Deputy DG - ADG: Assistant DG
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 -- Business Meeting, Vendome Hotel -- Guest Speaker Dr. Andre Sacy -- Topic: “Saida: Old Town, New Discoveries”.
Dr. Andre Sacy (see photo RHS), dental surgeon, is the former Chairman and now Honorary Professor of the Department of Dental Medicine of the St. Josef University in Lebanon. He comes from a family that is deeply rooted in Sidon and himself fell in love with the city a long time ago. He illustrated his talk with a wealth of beautiful pictures of the city. In the photo LHS (L to R) are guest RT Ahmad Zein, RC Tyr Europa; RCBC
RT Rabab Safieddine; RCBC PP Raouf Malak; then guest P Shawki Safieddine, RC Tyr Europa.
Saturday, November 14, 2015 -- RCBC Fellowship Dinner , La Terrasse, Kaslik
A large number of our RCBC members, as well as members of their families took part in this festive gathering. Much fun was had by one and all!
Photos above (Left) PP Lina Shair, RT Rabab Safieddine, Executive Secretary Rania Soubra & P Mimi Hamam; (Center) RT Adib Mounla, his spouse & two daughters; (Right) RT Karin Saab, PP Mounir Jabre, his spouse Riman Jabre of RC Beirut Cedars, then their two sons Samer and Nazih, both Rotaractors.
Mr. Mahmoud Awad attended the meeting on November 10 as guest of PP John Edde of RCBC -- see photo RHS in which he is shown with PP Edde and RCBC P Mimi Hamam. He is an Egyptian runner who participated in the Beirut Marathon -- sponsored by RC Alexandria Cosmopolitan. He spoke enthusiastically about his experience as a runner, his encounter with Lebanese runners and his participation in the Marathon.
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Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 -- Business Meeting at the Phoenicia Hotel Guest Speaker: Ms. Zeina Saab, Founder and Executive Director, Nawaya Network Topic: “ Empowering Low Income Youth to Drive the Lebanese Startup Eco-System”
Ms. Zeina Saab holds a BA in International Studies/Political Science from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) and a MA in City Planning from the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT). She has served as Consultant to a number of international organizations, amongst which the United Nations, US Aid, and the European Union. She founded the Nawaya Network in 2011 and has served as its Executive Director since then.
The Nawaya Network is a Lebanese NGO that seeks to develop the talents and skills of youth from low-income backgrounds. Through an online platform on its website (www.nawaya.org) promising and ambitious youth from marginalized backgrounds are matched up with mentors and trainers, enrolled into classes, and provided with internships and funding as well as job opportunities.
Ms. Zeina Saab’s talk covered Nawaya's past achievements and the vision behind its new approach to develop the technical and digital design skills of youth -- given growing demand for such skills in the Lebanese start-up ecosystem. Its vision is “to find, nurture and develop talented, underprivileged Lebanese and non-Lebanese youth from all backgrounds with the aim of creating successful role models for their communities”. There are thousands of underprivileged youth in Lebanon and other Arab countries. Some of them possess extraordinary talents, but have no resources to develop their skills. These "lost talents" could be future role models and change-makers for their communities and the world. Yet, they often fall through the cracks of our society and can end up dropping out of school and getting into crime, drugs, and terrorism because they have no hope. Nawaya aims to change all that.
From Left to Right above, RCBC attendees RT Kamal Saad and spouse Eva; RT Karin Saab; PP Mounir
Jabre; Secretary Amal Talhouk; then RT Samir El Khoury; PP Joe Boulos; and PP Lina Shair.
Many Happy Birthday Returns to
Sylva Guiragossian Nov. 10 -- Sona Kourtian Nov. 17 -- George Theodory Nov. 10
Walter Day Dec. 4 -- Yervant Hakimian Dec. 4 -- Subhi Jaroudi Dec. 7
Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Tuesday, November 24, 2015 -- Business Meeting at the Phoenicia Hotel Guest Speaker: Ms. Farida Younan, President, Middle East Transplant Coordinator Organization (METCO) -- Topic: “Organ Tissue Donors”.
Ms. Younan holds a BS degree in Nursing from the St. Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon, as well as numerous European diplomas, and has served as Head Nurse in the Rizk Hospital in Beirut. She is a Founding Member of the National Organization for Organ and Tissue Donation (NOD-Lb) and has served as Manager of the national organ and tissue donation project in Lebanon. Furthermore, she was President of the Middle East Transplant Organization.
NOD-Lb was founded officially in 1999 but only became operational when the Lebanese Government first provided it with funds. With help from the Spanish Government, NOD-Lb mobilized a web of hospitals (a) manned by well-trained coordinators, (b) committed to follow deceased organ and tissue donation procedures, and (c) responsible for declaring deaths to NOD-Lb.
NOD-Lb has organized a registry of donors who, as required by Lebanese law, have made known their wish to donate organs and/or tissue during their lifetime – by signing a donation card and/or so informing their families. It has also established a national waiting list of donated organ and/or tissue needs and is responsible for the distribution of donated organs and tissue – according to internationally recognized criteria. Also among the responsibilities of NOD-Lb are the training of health professionals as to procedures and conditions, and the education of the public as to its importance and benefits.
It is notable that all major Lebanese religions encourage organ and tissue donation. To be noted also is the fact that the decision is personal and free of charge.
L to R in LHS photo, RCBC RT Yervant Hakimian, RT Nabil Challah, RT Jean-Paul Moubarak, PP Habib Saba, Mrs. Samia Hakimian, Mrs. Lolita El-Khouri, RT Samir El-Khouri; then in RHS photo guest Dr. Bishr Barmada, Mrs. Huguette Edde (spouse of RCBC PP John Edde) and lastly guest Dr. Mamdouha, spouse of Dr. Bishr.
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______________________________________________________________________________________ Tuesday, November 24, 2015 -- RCBC Club Training Session RCBC Trainer PP George Beyrouti ran a training session on the subject of Club Governance and Management. It covered:
The Board as the governing body;
The Standard Rotary Constitution and the Club Bylaws;
The Club Committee Structure;
The Club assemblies – usually held each three months.
Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Tuesday, December 1, 2015 -- Xmas Dinner with Orphans at Laura’s Restaurant, Harissa
Our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as did our members -- courtesy of the family of RCBC PP and PE Joe Boulos, owners of the Teleferique and the Harissa establishment.
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Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Tuesday, December 10, 2015 -- RCBC Xmas Dinner at Sydneys, Hotel Vendome This festive occasion -- welcome drinks, dinner, dancing and entertainment -- was much fun for all.
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Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan Monthly Publication — Nov / Dec 2015 — Page Marhaba
Tuesday, December 15, 2015 -- Business Meeting at the Phoenicia Hotel “ RCBC General Assembly : Elections 2016/2017”
In the LHS photo, P Mimi Hamam introducing the process; and in the RHS photo, RT Rana Salhab and PP Karim Naamani counting the votes.
The following nominees were all elected:
President Elect PP Joe Boulos (#5) Immediate Past President P Mimi Hamam (#3) President Nominee RT Rabab Safieddine (#2) Vice-President PP Edouard Rassie (#1) Club Secretary RT Nora Haddad (not shown) Director PP Habib Bassoul (#6) Director PP Mounir Jabre (#7) Director RT Adib Mounla (#8) Director RT Karen Saab (#4)
L to R above RCBC members RT Kamal Saad, RT Karen Saab, PP Mounir Jabre, PP Amal Talhouk, RT Walter Day, PP Karim Naamani, PP Habib Saba, RT Nabil Challah, RT Nadim Hissen, PP Lina Shair, RT Adib Mounla, PP Edouard Rassie, RT Nada Malouf, RT Rana Salhab, RT Ghaleb Mahmassani and RT Rabab Safieddine.
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The new board with DDG Kamal Katra Center (see L to R #s in list of nominees)
