Page 8 - April 28

manage revenues responsibly. Opponents felt that dues increases may hurt
membership and wanted more transparency from RI about what cost-cutting has
been done.

Representatives also approved a measure allowing the Board to test additional new
governance models in districts beyond those approved by the Council three years
ago. A governance pilot is currently being tested in districts in RIBI, New Zealand,
and Australia, with some modest success in membership growth. Supporters noted
that the system in which governors oversee districts dates back to the early days of
Rotary. They argue that trying new governance models can help Rotary adapt to

future needs and train and develop new leaders.
In another measure, representatives agreed to allow the Board to consider factors
such as culture and language, not just the number of Rotarians, in deciding zone

boundaries.

Wednesday, 16 April
Representatives voted to require that the five-year financial forecast presented at the

beginning of each Council include updates on specific process improvements and
cost-reduction measures taken by RI. Several representatives wanted RI to provide
more details about cost reductions to justify any increase in dues.

In a similar measure, the Council approved commissioning a regular professional
analysis of processes and cost structures in RI's administration. They declined to
require, however, that Rotary's annual report include an itemized list of every
expense over US$1 million.

After considerable debate, the Council voted to make holding a district conference
optional.

World Immunisation Week 24-30 April

What is the Plus in Polio Plus?

When we talk about PolioPlus, we know we are eradicating polio, but do we realize
how many added benefits the program brings? The "plus" is something else that is
provided as a part of the polio eradication campaign. It might be additional medical
treatment, bed nets, or soap. A 2010 study estimates that vitamin A drops given to
children at the same time as the polio vaccine have prevented 1.25 million deaths by
decreasing susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Preventing disease

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), of which Rotary is a spearheading
partner, funds 91 percent of all immunization staff in the World Health Organization's
Africa region. These staff members are key figures in the fight against polio - and
other diseases: 85 percent give half their time to immunization, surveillance, and
outbreak response for other initiatives. For example, health workers in Borno use the
polio surveillance system to find people with symptoms of yellow fever. And during
an outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria in 2014, health workers prevented that disease from