Monday, August 25th, 2013

Weekly Bulletin 9th

Guru Anand School Support Project

Year 16 (2013-14)

Honorary Member Guru Anand has set up a fund in coordination with Rotary Club of Pokhara. Its an ongoing project. The project has been running under the title Guru Anand School Support Project. This project is specially implemented in ACAP areas like Mustang, Ghandruk, Landruk, Chomrung, Dhital and others. The program is coordinated by PP Rtn. Jagan Bdr Gurung. The projects include school building construction, salary support, computer distribution, stationery, school dress, teachers training, funding on small hydro project and many more. The support extended so far since 1st July 2013 is as follows: Guru Anand School Support Project ACAP S.N. Project Amount(Rs) Program 1. Shree Maisewa Primary School 1,15,860 Salary of teachers Baisakh/ Jestha/Ashad (2070-04-14) 2. L.Angel School Lamachaur 26,970 Canon Multifunctional 4 printers 3. Shree Janapremi L.S.S. (2070/04/30) 5,00,000 School Building Construction 4. Pokhara FM (2070/04/17) 96,000 For radio program Hamro Program Friday 8:00 AM on HIV AIDS and drugs awareness 5. Bhurkyam Khola micro-hydro project 5,00,000 Hydro project (2070/04/14) 6. SOS children village (June 8th, 2013) 3,00,000 Generator Purchase 7. Naulo Ghumti Nepal 2,00,000 Building Construction for rehabilitation

Weekly Meeting 803

Guest Speaker of the week 804

Topic: Joyful Living

Sahadev Mahat Committee meeting

The committee meeting of Dialysis Project led by Rtn. Rakeshman Buddhacharya sat together to finalize the bills and reports of the project on Saturday 24 August at 9:00 AM.
Has been working as an organization and management development consultant since 1993. Previously, he served in different managerial positions over 20 years including as the Director and Principal of UMN Business School and as the Senior Management Consultant for UMN. He holds international certifications in Appreciative Inquiry,

Neuro Linguistic Programming, Gestalt and Mindfulness. He has also received Master Coach Training from UNDP, New York on designing and conducting Leadership Development Program for international forums. He has acquired a range of work experiences as an organization, leadership and management development consultant for GOs, NGOs, INGos and UN organizations in Nepal and abroad. His expertise includes designing/creating and facilitating leadership/management programs, personal and professional executive coaching and a range of change management programs applying innovative management approaches leading to individual and organizational transformation and leadership excellence. He is particularly interested in integrating the best approaches from

the eastern wisdom with the cutting-age modern organization, leadership and management practices.

August is Membership and Extension Month

Upcoming Program
BOD Meeting- 27th August Tuesday 5:00 PM Teej Celebration- 21st Bhadra, Friday RC Dhangadi Chartered Presentation- 27th Bhadra, Thursday

Eloquence Competition24th Bhadra

Shoes on both feet. Jon Deisher, PPAnchorage, Alaska

Rain is common in South-central Alaska; making it a temperate rain forest each summer with lush, thick undergrowth of ferns, annual vegetation, and rapidly growing deciduous trees. In my grade school years I walked rapidly home for homemade lunch and then quickly back to school. On rainy days I noticed ground worms would be forced from the saturated soil where robins and other birds made feasts of them. So, I often picked them up on the way home and threw them into my mothers garden. I took to carrying wax-paper sandwich bags to hold them: I still carry plastic bags for finding worms for my garden today. My mothers garden was well known for its early and abundant flowers. She said it was because of the worms I put in her garden. It was my first lesson in Paying it forward: worms in the garden today brings flowers tomorrow. Rotarians are Pay it forward people. We plant trees the shade under which we ourselves will never sit. Through our time, talents and treasure, in many different ways we plant such trees anticipating future shade and save drowning worms for the flowers of tomorrow. In our clubs, communities, Districts and International projects we join together in Service Above Self not giving thought or expectation that we will be rewarded. The next generation will sit in the shade of our labor or the next passerby will smell the flowers. Perhaps theres certain Karma in it. The reward comes from an unexpected place, or source, or fellowship. Karma is like that. We have all seen or heard the expression: There is no greater feeling than serving someone who will never be able to thank you for it. I operated on that principle on my several immunization trips to India for Polio Plus, chairing Matching Grants with International partners and less auspicious services at the District, local and club level. I felt proud, perhaps too much so, that in concert with others I was able to help those who had difficulty helping themselves. I didnt need help. Others did. And I was there. Then I was diagnosed with cancer. I had trouble swallowing and had it checked. Following the endoscopy, the physician said, I dont have good news. Then he gave us the diagnosis. Esophageal Carcinoma. I wish I could do more, he said, but this one is bad. Bad! Other docs said: Its nasty. Sinister. Evil.

One of the worst. Some of them looked at me with the expression: I hope your affaires are in order. In the USA, esophageal carcinoma is one of the fastest growing and lethal forms of cancer. Approximately 18,500 cases are diagnosed annually and of those, 15,000 die. I took an inventory. Ive always been healthy, even athletic. No complicating factors. Minimal drinker. Non smoker. No recreational drugs. No diabetes or other degenerative condition. I have strong support from my wife, children, family and friends. Why shouldnt I be one of the 2,500 who survive? I dove immediately into treatment, my wife and girls behind me 100%. How could I lose? It was an aggressive treatment plan. If one has an aggressive foe, one doesnt kid around. I went into weeks of daily radiation simultaneously with chemotherapy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Excepting family and friends, a few of whom are on this list, I told very few people. I went into invisible battle. It's not easy. When people with cancer announce their diagnosis, the relationships they have with others, sometimes even their closest friends, change. Im still the same guy. Cancer is just a side story. Despite the rigors of daily radiation and chemo, I fit my treatments around my other responsibilities and kept my normal routine. Finally, however, I reached the limit of how much radiation and chemo I was permitted to absorb. The tumor was markedly reduced, but surgery was the last option. I think we can cure you, my local oncologist said. I could have hugged him. C-U-R-E a four letter word any cancer patient wants to hear! I researched the best and brightest esophageal oncologists I could find. Dr. Oelschlager at the University of Washington (Seattle) has a reputation for having done more esophagectomies than virtually anyone else. I emailed him and he responded personally in less than six hours! He scheduled an appointment and his staff was in touch almost immediately. Its a major surgery, usually done by cracking the chest. Dr. Oelschlager uses a more modern and minimally invasive laparoscopic technique: less recovery time, less pain, less blood loss, less chance of infection, better chance of full recovery. I put myself completely into his hands. My wife and I came to Seattle where we are now. The surgery took place on August 6th. My entire esophagus and part of my stomach was removed and then the remaining part of my stomach was reshaped to fulfill both the stomach and esophagus roles. It took four and a half hours. Post-surgery Dr. Oelschlager and his staff were kind, considerate of my and my wifes needs, answered questions, patiently repeated answers we did not understand, provided support at the hospital and have coordinated our follow up appointments with my local physicians when I return home on August 24th. It was not without its ordeals and Im not out of the woods yet. Immediately post-surgery the pain was excruciating and I was on very strong, opiate pain meds. Itching from opiate use was unbearable, but the pain was worse so I tolerated the meds as briefly as necessary. My energy and strength were sagging, but I began daily one to three mile walks on the day following surgery; I could not eat for more than a week and was fed intravenously. I temporarily cannot lift more than 10#s to keep pressure off my abdomen and chest. My diet now is fluids while the internal sutures heal, but eventually I will have a regular diet modified to smaller portions, more frequent meals and avoidance of particularly acidic or spicy foods. At our last meeting the good Doctor said, We dont have the pathology report yet, but I think we got it all. As with my Anchorage oncologist, I could have hugged him, but I was prone in the hospital bed at the time! Perhaps, just perhaps, I will be one of the 2,500 out of 18,000 people in the US who survive this cancer. Its looking pretty good so far. Im taking it one day at a time. Now the shoe is on the other foot. People whom I cannot thank have not only served me and saved my life but have done so graciously and genuinely: as if I were a person worthy of their service, not simply the guy with cancer in room 4220.

A lump fills my throat. Thank you. I can say the words, and have done. They are insufficient. This is how those we serve in Rotary feel. How do they express such profound gratitude for having had dams built, clean water provided, their children immunized, their lives saved? They say the words knowing them to be insufficient. Im back to Karma. Perhaps Im the drowning worm plucked and placed in a flower garden that but for my labor will not bloom. Perhaps Im a tree to give shade under which my skillful physician and able staff will never sit. Perhaps I am simply being reminded of my undue pride that no greater feeling could be found than serving those who could never thank me. There is a greater feeling. It is having been served and no expression of gratitude is sufficient. The shoe of feeling on the first foot is Pride. The shoe of feeling on the second foot is humility. I have shoes on both feet now. I share this note with my Rotarian brothers and sisters with the hope that an insight of those being served are not lost to us. Like mine, their gratitude is inexpressible. Onward and upward,

Happy Birthday to
Rtn. Meenu Shrestha Kunwar

Birth Date: Aug 26th Rtn.Vinod Chandra Varal,PHF

Birth Date: Aug 29th Rtn. Raju Thakali, PHF

Birth Date: Aug 31st Rtn.Dr.Chhanchu Gopal Saha

Birth Date: Sep 1st

Mailing Address: Rotary Club of Pokhara, P.O.Box: 494, Hotel The Kantipur, Baidam, Lakeside, Pokhara