Volume 55 Issue 9 28th August 2020 THANK YOU “CORONA WARRIORS”

Pres. Balaji handing over the citation for an 108 Ambulance Driver Mr. Ramesh The current pandemic has seen warriors giving it all they can to help those in need. One such group is the Ambulance Service - 108. The service has 250 ambulances actively involved in service. The drivers have worked tirelessly throughout, ferrying patients. ROBANO thought that we could thank them for their efforts. Dist. 3190, which was also thinking along the same lines, made our work easier. The District has got kits for felicitating the drivers ready. The kit contains a wrist watch, 20 items each of Personal Hygiene Products and Personal Care Products and a Plaque bearing a Citation thanking them for their contribution. ROBANO has already begun the process with our own warriors, Pres. Balaji and Rtn. Mohan

Velan taking the lead. It is planned to felicitate and thank at least 50 such CORONA WARRIORS with ROBANO’s efforts & other clubs too trying to do their share to reach out to all the 250 drivers. ROBANO has found a special warrior in Rtn. Mohan Velan who has risen to the cause and has been offering his tireless and selfless service to help those affected by the pandemic. ROBANO appreciates your efforts. Congratulations and Thank You, Mohan Velan.

BRAIN STORMING

The meeting on 21st August 2020 was a brainstorming one to think of ways to improve the membership growth and retention in ROBANO. It was well moderated by Rtn. N Ramakrishnan. Some of the points which came up were: Setting up of Goals, Finding the Prospects, Proposer Guidelines, Processing the Proposal, No objection ritual, Pre Induction formalities, On Induction day, Nurturing the new Rotarian post induction and Membership Retention. Several suggestions came up. Setting up a goal for membership growth – like 10%, Invite Rotaractors who are now eligible for dual membership; Inducting many members so that the retention also improves. Preparing guidelines for proposals so that all members are aware of the requirements; following all the necessary formalities strictly. Ensuring participation from the new members by including them in activities of their interest; involving the family of the new member; organizing programs where members get to know each other and their families. The primary requirement which was felt necessary to be addressed was to induct new, young members, including ladies, which is a responsibility of each one of us. So let us all get down to the task of trying to identify and induct new and young members. In many instances, this could probably begin in their homes itself with eligible Annets. Rtn. Ramakrishnan is preparing a map of the task ahead and the process which will be shared with all the members. Taking this as a guide, we can all work towards a better ROBANO which all of us look forward to.

Herbert J Taylor, the founder, with his Four Way Test Rotary promotes use of this as a guide for taking decisions in the things we think, say or do. The Four Way Test 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build good will and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Rotary Bangalore North meets every Friday at - Robano Social Service Center, Rotary Eye Hospital, 68th Cross, 5th Block Rajajinagar, Bangalore – 560010 Currently meeting online

Interesting bits of information about Celebrations. For years, we have seen Ganesha Festival being most popular and being celebrated publicly with great fervor. We must have often wondered, Why? This festival, like all others used to be mainly celebrated in the close family circle. It assumed the nature of a GALA PUBLIC CELEBRATION when the Maratha ruler used it to encourage nationalist sentiment among his subjects, who were fighting the Mughals. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, the festival was revived by the Indian nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Today the festival is celebrated in Hindu communities worldwide & is particularly popular in and parts of western . We have often heard people shouting with joy, “Ganpati Bappa Morya”. All of us know what Ganpati Bappa is, Gana (group or attendants of Lord Shiva) and Pati (ruler or leader) of the Ganas of Shiva. Bappa means father or the Lord. But, do we know how the word MORYA came about being used? There is an interesting story to it. There was a great devotee of Lord Ganesha in the 14th century named Morya Gosavi. He was originally from a village called Shaligram in where his devotion was looked upon as madness. He later travelled and settled in , near and invoked the Lord with severe penance. It is said that Lord Ganesha, happy with Morya’s devotion, appeared in his dreams and granted him a boon. Morya refused any material wealth and asked that his name be forever be connected with the Lord himself. This can be said to indicate the inseparable bond between God and his devotee. Lord Ganesha declared that every time his name is chanted, it should be followed by Morya. Thus, the chant, “GANPATI BAPPA MORYA”.

Meet our Leaders

Club Advisor HA Upendra and Sridevi Rtn. PP Dr. HA Upendra’s journey in Rotary began in1986 with Rotary Bangalore Vijayanagar where he went on to be President. He moved to ROBANO a few years later in 1996-97 and this has become his home club. He has held innumerable offices in the Club and especially in the District. Probably the only office he is yet to hold is District Governor. A Postgraduate and PhD, he is into Education - Veterinary Medicine, the classification he holds, practices and teaches. He is the HOD of Veterinary Medicine at Veterinary College and Head of Division of Clinical Sciences at the University. He is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Veterinary Medicine and Fellow of Indian Society for Advancement in Canine practice. Upendra has great expertise in fields of Poultry medicine and treating small animals. Anne Sridevi who has retired from BSNL and Uppi, as he is called by his friends, are blessed with one son Achuth who is an engineer currently working in the automobile designing sector and pursuing his MBA.

Board Advisor V Subramaniam and Janaki Rtn. PP V Subramaniam or Mani as he is fondly called, began his association with Rotary from being an active member of Rotaract Club of Bangalore North. He joined ROBANO in 1983 and has held various offices in the Club as well as the District. He has edited the Club Bulletin Deepa several times and has also edited the District Newsletter. He has vast information on Rotary and is often referred to as the encyclopedia of Rotary and ROBANO. He is into the Manufacture of Perfumes and Flavors, the classification he holds. Anne Janaki is into the teaching profession and is Consultant of the Preschool section of National Hill View Public School. She is a Past President of the Inner Wheel Club of Bangalore North. The couple is blessed with one son Vikram an engineer and daughter Lakshmi who has done her business management. In fact, Lakshmi has designed the wonderful masthead of this year’s DEEPA.

Annet Rohan S/o Rtn. Vinod Bajaj 29th August Annet Kasturi D/o Rtn. PP Shirish Nene 29th August Anne Rupali W/o Rtn. Girish Yavagal 1st September Annet Shaunak S/o Rtn. Shekar Brahme 2nd September Rtn. PP Joy Panakkal 2nd September

Rtn.Vidyasagar M and Anne Swarna Latha 28th August Rtn. Srinivas TG and Anne Aruna 29th August Rtn. Sridhar S and Anne Rtn. Sudha 29th August

Rotary Bangalore North meets every Friday at - Robano Social Service Center, Rotary Eye Hospital, 68th Cross, 5th Block Rajajinagar, Bangalore – 560010 Currently meeting online