Rotarians from our District helped start a project a few years ago that has become affectionately called “the children of the dump.” Since then we have provided hundreds of children the opportunity to go to school and get two hot meals a day instead of foraging through the Chinandega, Nicaragua garbage landfill to feed themselves and their families (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-Relief-International-Foundation/628539187198887). We now have several of these students pursue higher education and graduate from college.  For $1430 we can provide a college scholarship for one year for one student, including room and board, books and tuition. Last week I published a challenge to raise money to sponsor a scholarship for a Nicaraguan student.  While I attended the District Conference cruise to Cozumel last weekend I bicycled 118 miles in the exercise room on the boat during the cruise, and 25 miles once I got back on land for a total of 143 miles. We are still accepting donations for these scholarships. For every 10 Rotarians or friends who sponsor $1 per mile ($143) we can raise enough for one scholarship. If 20 Rotarians or friends sponsor $.50 per mile we will raise enough for one scholarship. With the generosity of an anonymous donor your dollars will be matched up to one scholarship. If you are willing to make this pledge please send your commitment to charlesworth@stresscontrol.com.

Thanks to all for helping me enjoy the ride of Rotary – Ed

 

Robert Kennedy

 

 

The following information is taken from manufacturing highlights and data analysis by Deloitte in the 2013 GMCI survey:

CHINA is the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world.  China overtook the U.S. in 2010 as the largest manufacturing country in the world.  As a result, China's middle class is rapidly growing, and is expected to double in size in the next decade.  The influence of this large consumer segment will only increase with its growing disposable income levels, creating a strong domestic demand for products. The tax burden, however, is more than all other countries with the exception of France among major industrial countries.  China ranks behind other Asian economies such as Japan, South Korea and India, but ahead of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia in intellectual property protection.  They do have intellectual property protection laws, yet enforcement of the laws remains a concern.

 

GERMANY  has taken a different path than China in improving manufacturing competitiveness.  They have focused efforts on the development of new technologies and innovative capabilities, which requires a highly skilled workforce that commands high labor rates.  Diversity within the manufacturing sector is also helping elevate Germany's GMCI ranking.  Building on their historical strength in automotive manufacturing and "made in Germany" premium brand, the country continues to grow and dominate the field of "mechatronics" - a multidisciplinary field of science and engineering that merges mechanics, electronics, control theory, and computer science to improve and optimize product design and manufacturing.  However, experts predict that Germany will drop from the world's second most competitive nation in 2013 to fourth by 2018 due to significant disadvantages such as labor and material costs, and energy costs and policies.  There were also concerns about venture capital for start-ups and ongoing instability across the Eurozone.  Yet, today, German is the world's second-largest manufacturing exporter behind China.  Exports grew nearly three times between 2000 and 2011.  Also, this country ranked highest in talent-driven innovation.

 

The 2013 GMCI survey ranked the UNITED STATES third in current manufacturing competitiveness.  However the survey also expect the U.S. to fall behind due the rise of India and Brazil to perhaps the fifth most competitive manufacturing nation in five years.   This is due to policy and regulatory disadvantages, as well as high labor, corporate tax, and unemployment rates along with sluggish GDP growth.  The highest corporate tax rate based on figures from 2012 was 39.1% compared to a peer average of 26.2%.

 

INDIA dropped two spots in current 2013 GMCI rankings, falling from second to fourth since 2010.  However, the decline may be short-lived as executives responding to the survey felt the country would regain its former position and once again become the world's second most competitive manufacturing nation in the next five years, behind China.  The country's strong talent pool in the areas of science, technology and research, in conjunction with some of the lowest labor rates in the world, were cited as significant competitive advantages.  India recently announced a US $1 trillion investment in infrastructure over the next five years, which will result in increased efficiency and low operating costs for manufacturers operating in the country.  The highest  corporate tax rate (2012) in China was 32.4% as compared to the peer average of 26.2%. India's largest manufacturing exports are textile goods, engineering goods and chemicals.

 

BRAZIL's rank dropped since 2010, falling from fifth to eighth in current manufacturing competitiveness.  However, executives surveyed expect a quick improvement leading to perhaps the world's third most competitive nation over the next five years.  Key to Brazil's manufacturing advantages are ongoing investments and favorable policy actions that seek to spur long-term competitiveness.  Specifically, the country's recently announced Brasil Major (Bigger Brazil) Industrial Plan is expected to create favorable tax advantages as well as reduce lending and energy costs.  Preparations for the World Cup 2014 and Olympics 2016, not to mention the Rotary International Convention 2015 (yeah!) (editor's addition here) are expected to drive a number of improvements.  Brazil is one of the few countries with a sufficiently large natural resource base coupled with a relatively advanced research infrastructure.  The highest corporate tax rate in Brazil is listed as 34.0% as compared to the peer average of 26.2%.

 

We hope that this information has been interesting to our Active Rotarians and guests.  In that Rotary is international, we strive for programs to help us understand our world and our place in it.  Perhaps this information will be useful in either attracting or sending Vocational Training Teams between countries.  These are Rotary sponsored training teams designed to enhance vocational training.

 

By Rich Schefren at Strategic Profits

How much does it cost to be a member of your club? You can probably answer that question. What do your membership dues cover? The answer to that may not be as clear.

Many Rotarians know that a portion of their dues pays for club and district expenses, as well as Rotary International operations worldwide, but few know exactly how that all breaks down. Dues are extremely important, as they are the single biggest source of revenue providing the services you enjoy as a Rotarian.

Currently, RI dues are $53. Depending on where you are in the world, that equates to about 4 to 14 percent of your total membership dues. The rest primarily covers club and district expenses, meals, and a subscription to The Rotarian or your regional magazine.

Getting group rates for tickets has gotten increasingly difficult.  People are coming from so many different places and usually you can get much better prices on line than we can get as a group rate.  So we are asking everyone to buy your own tickets directly but, you must coordinate your arrival and departure to match within an hour or so of the United flights shown above.  I know that American and some others have flights through Miami which closely match this schedule.  The ground travel, meals and hotel charges will be $570.00 per person (double occupancy in hotels). Add $180.00 per person if you require a private room. We will co-ordinate all of this as we always have in the past. If you will be on flights other than these United flights Please send me a copy of your tickets so that we will know when to meet you. Payments and sign-up sheets for this should be sent to:

 

                  Hope & Relief International Foundation, Inc.

                  10700 Gerke Rd.

                  Brenham, Texas 77833

                  Fax  979-836-0614

 

We will schedule everyone on a first come, first served, basis as of the date we receive your payment.  No one will be scheduled before payment is received.  Attached is a reservation form which should be sent in by everyone, with the information and your payment. Please provide ALL the information. In order to secure all the hotel reservations we need to have your registration by November1,2013 or we will not be able to be sure that we can have hotel reservations for you. We will be staying at a different hotel in Managua than the one we have stayed at in the past and our cut-off date for reservations is November 1, 2103. AFTER THIS DATE WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL RESERVATIONS.

 

The group will spend the first night in Managua and leave the next day for Chinendega to visit the city dump, the clinic for the children of the dump, and the school built for children of the dump.  Lunch will be served at La Batania, a trade school built in partnership with Rotarians and the Quen of Spain.  Rotary donated all of the machinery and equipment used in their metal and woodworking shop.  A tour of the San Martin Hospital will take the group to the new wing for hemodiali sis which was donated by Rotarians.  The House of Santa Lucia will also be toured which is a house for the blind.  The next day the group will visit the Refugio Belen, a pregnant women's shelter where the mother's receive Rotary bags filled with layette supplies for their newborn babies before heading home.  Other Rotary built villages will also be toured.  Some vacation time is also planned at an all inclusive resort, Montalymar Resort.  Shopping at Mercado and visiting the volcano park near Masaya are also planned activities before the trip ends.