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Newsletter
PHILIPSBURG, ST MAARTEN – July 11, 2024 – Today many of the Rotary Clubs in our territory, including the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset, the Rotary Club of Saint-Martin Nord and the Rotary Club of Anguilla, joined together to announce their support for Hurricane Beryl survivors.
According to the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten Disaster Relief Chair, Laura Hartman, "It was important for us to ensure that our efforts would reach the right place at the right time. In order to accomplish this objective, we are partnering with our counterparts in Rotary District 7030 to our south. After careful consideration, we have determined that the most effective way to help survivors of Beryl is to work with the Rotary District 7030 Disaster Relief Team because we have verified that they are working with those impacted by the hurricane directly on the front lines. Anyone interested in supporting our efforts can join us by submitting a donation online to the Rotary District 7030 Disaster Fund at https://bit.ly/
Rotary Assistant Governor for St. Maarten and Anguilla, Elisia Lake, added, "Being able to trust that your contributions will be used for the intended purpose is very important during this time, when we are all working to prepare for an above normal, very active hurricane season. Working with Rotary gives you that very assurance, especially when you consider Rotary International has earned Charity Navigator's highest rating for the 15th consecutive year. Your contributions will be used directly to assist survivors of Hurricane Beryl in Carriacou, Petite Martinique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and the surrounding areas."
To start things off and show their support and solidarity with our neighbors to our south, the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten has contributed US $1,000 to Rotary District 7030 Disaster Relief Fund according to Club President, Jeffrey "Dr. Soc" Sochrin.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.com.
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – FEBRUARY 23, 2017 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten recently completed a successful cyber-bullying seminar with more than 300 in attendance. International expert on bullying, cyber-bullying, and appropriate social networking media safety protocols, Dr. Sameer Hindjua presented to those in attendance at L B Scott Auditorium on the Friday, February 10, 2017.
"Cyber-bullying is an epidemic which has, unfortunately, made its ugly way to Sint Maarten," says Rotarian John Caputo. "We need to start this conversation with our kids, and we need to learn some ways to deal with it. I saw a shocking statistic that only 1 in 10 youths that are being bullied let someone close to them know that they were being bullied. As parents, it is so important to be a part of this; and like I said, to start the conversation. Who knows, you just may save a loved one's life." Rotarian Caputo continued to say.
Also, a representative of the Law enforcement and youth services will be on hand to answer any questions after Dr. Hinduja presents, to inform the youth of Sint Maarten about the legalities of bullying here: the consequences, ways teens can report bullying activities, etc.
Dr. Sameer Hinduja is Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.org) and Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying and safe social media use, concerns that have paralleled the exponential growth in online communication by young people. He works with the U.S. Department of Education and many state departments of education to improve their policies and programming related to the prevention and response of teen technology misuse. He has written seven books, the most recent being “Bullying Today: Bullet Points and Best Practices” and the award-winning “Bullying beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying.” His newest co-authored book specifically written for teens is entitled “Words Wound: Delete Cyberbullying and Make Kindness Go Viral.” According to Google Scholar, Dr. Hinduja's articles have been cited over 7,000 times in the fields of Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Educational Psychology, Pediatrics, Social Psychology, Sociology, Business Administration, Ethics, Developmental Psychology, Communications, Psychiatry, Counselor Education, Special Education, Educational Technology, Criminology, and Pediatrics.
Outside of research and evaluation expertise, Dr. Hinduja provides training to schools, youth organizations, parents, and teens on how to avoid online victimization and its real-world consequences. He is frequently asked to provide expert commentary by news organizations, and his work has been featured in venues that include CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” the BBC and The New York Times. He has also been interviewed and cited by hundreds of online and print media outlets. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University (focus area: cybercrime) and his B.S. in Criminal Justice (minor in legal studies) from the University of Central Florida Honors College. At FAU, Dr. Hinduja has won both Researcher of the Year and Teacher of the Year, the two highest honors across the entire university.
"On behalf of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, we sincerely hope to see you out as a family for this very important and informative FREE event. Everyone will leave with tools to help cope and deal with Cyber Bullying. If your son or daughter is connected to the internet, it is very likely that they have been bullied, or perhaps are the bully his or herself" said John Caputo; the Club's Secretary and President Elect. There will be refreshments and pizza for sale but admission is free for everyone.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROTARY CLUB OF ST. MAARTEN AWARDS A PAUL HARRIS FELLOW
Dominique De Tullio named Paul Harris Fellow
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – February 8, 2016 – The Rotary Club of St.Maarten named Dominique De Tullio a Paul Harris Fellow on Saturday evening, January 30, 2016. Mr. De Tullio was recognized for his ongoing support of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten and service to the community. When presenting the Paul Harris Fellow, President of the Rotary Club Sint Maarten, Jeffrey “Dr. Soc” Sochrin said, “Dominique has been a friend of our Club for many years. He has been a friend to numerous charitable organizations on St. Maarten and I can tell from the look on his face this evening, we have completely caught him off guard and by surprise. Whenever our Club has asked for your assistance or that our your company, Antillean Liquors, you have always been their for us, and others, without reservation. You have supported our fundraising efforts year after year and you have supported many other charitable organizations on this island time and time again. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, I am proud to add you to our list of distinguished Paul Harris Fellows”.
Mr. De Tullio was pinned by his wife, Corinna De Tullio at a Rotary Club of Sint Maarten Wine Tasting Fellowship meeting held at a Antillean Liquors in Cole Bay, Sint Maarten. Surrounded by colleagues and friends, Mr. De Tullio went onto say, “I am completely surprised and speechless, which for those of you that know me, that is a pretty rare thing. Thank you for this honor and I look forward to supporting the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten again as well as other worthy charitable endeavors. I really am at a loss for words….. thank you”.
A Paul Harris Fellow, named after Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International are awarded those who have made a financial contribution to the Rotary Foundation, or to those that have had a contribution made on their behalf, as in the case of the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten’s contribution in the name of Mr. De Tullio. The origins of the Rotary Foundation date back to 1917, when outgoing Rotary International President Arch C. Klumph proposed the creation of an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world”. This endowment would become the Rotary Foundation.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
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About the Rotary Club of St. Maarten:
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten was chartered on March 17, 1972 as result of a September 1970 meeting to form a club on the island. Since its formation, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten has grown in membership and has assisted in the formation of new clubs in the District, including Anguilla (1978), St. Martin Nord (1988), St. Martin Mid-Isle (1997) and St. Martin Sunrise (2004). For more information, visit the club website at www.rotarysxm.org.
Rotary St. Maarten paints
Little League Science Lab
POND ISLAND--The Rotary Club of St. Maarten donated a shipping container to the Little League to be used as a Science lab as part of their after school player development program. Before athletes in the program begin their baseball training they first receive help with their homework, read, do some math and will now also do science.
Saturday, members of the Rotary joined the Little Leaguers in painting the container so the outside looks as good as the inside, which sports a microscope, fossils, telescope, electricity learning kit and a chemistry set.
“This is why I joined Rotary,” said John Caputo from Domino's Pizza. He is also the chairman of the Rotary’s Service Projects Committee. “We help local community organisations by doing things.”
Rotary members arrived at 10:00am and were scheduled to finish at noon. The plan was to paint the container blue with yellow trim, have a small lunch and play a quick game of softball against the children. Robert Judd and his wife Sheridan Moreton-Judd brought the sound system and provided music. There were coolers of beverages and the grill turned out hot dogs and hamburgers almost as fast as the young boys and girls could splash paint on themselves, some on the container and then take a break for more food.
Despite the work, everyone had such a good time the “paint-party” did not end until 3:00pm.
After touring the inside of the Science Lab Rotary President Jeffrey "Soc” Sochrin from Island 92 said. “This is really a good thing. I think we are going to have to get more involved.”
Sherwin Williams St. Maarten donated the paint.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD FOR ROTARY ASSISTANT GOVERNOR
- Rebecca Low promoted to Assistant District Trainer
-Former Assistant Governor Louis Wever to return for one year
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – JUNE 25, 2015 – A new Rotary Assistant Governor will be taking the helm on July 1 - the start of the new Rotary year. Former Assistant Governor, Louis Wever has been appointed for the 2015-16 year by incoming District Governor, Felix Stubbs from the Bahamas. Originally, Rotarian Ramesh Manek was to assume the role in July. Tragically he was killed in April while out for his morning exercise along Airport Road. The extremely popular Wever from the St Maarten MidIsle Club agreed to fill the role for the next Rotary year as a new Assistant Governor will be identified for the 2016-17 year.
Rebecca Low, the islands’ first female Assistant Governor, completes her second year as AG and assumes the challenging role of Assistant District Trainer for District 7020 which covers ten countries and sixteen islands of the Northern Caribbean. Rebecca Low said, “It has been a tremendous honour to serve the six clubs in our area and to see the growth of Rotary in our communities over the last two years. In particular, it has been wonderful to see the Family of Rotary grow through the creation of new EarlyAct and Interact clubs. One other standout memory is the fact we hosted one of the first Vocational Training Teams in the world in our area this March. Watching these Rotarians and non-Rotarians work with kids in and out of school really showed the impact that Rotary can make in young lives.” In her new role, Low will provided enhanced training in both English and French through seminars and webinars to the 84 clubs in the District.
The role of Assistant Governor (AG) is to represent the District Governor in their geographic area. In this instance, the AG works closely with clubs in Anguilla, St Barths, St Maarten and St Martin. The AG is appointed by each District Governor and may be re-appointed for up to three years
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For more information, contact Rebecca A. Low, Assistant Governor (Anguilla/St Barths/St Maarten/St Martin) at rlow@compass-sxm.net.
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – JUNE 24, 2015 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten named Mr. Pierre DeCelles as its Rotarian of the Year during the Change of Board Celebration on Saturday, June 20th at Captain Oliver’s Restaurant.
Outgoing Club President Deepak “Danny” Ramchandani proudly recognized Pierre DeCelles as Rotarian of the Year. Mr. Ramchandani said, “Whenever or wherever I am, if I call Pierre and ask for guidance, ideas, direction or help, Pierre is always there. The word “no” is not in Pierre DeCelles vocabulary. Pierre is and has been the backbone of our Club ever since he joined Rotary and there is no one more deserving than Pierre DeCelles to be named Rotarian of the Year”.
Pierre DeCelles came to Sint Maarten in 1980 and joined Rotary in 1995. He has served the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten twice as President and Secretary, multiple times as Vice President and in Director level roles in the areas of the Rotary Foundation and Vocational Service. Mr. DeCelles works as a Project Manager and is also the Canadian Consul on Dutch Sint Maarten. Pierre and his wife, Micheline, have been married for almost 50 years.
Incoming President, Jeffrey “Dr. Soc” Sochrin added, “Pierre has not only been an advisor to me over the past several years, he is a role model, a mentor and most importantly someone I am proud to call a friend”.
Mr. DeCelles accepted the award of Rotarian of the Year and thanked President Danny Ramchandani and the members of the Club for the honor.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
# # #
About the Rotary Club of St. Maarten:
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten was chartered on March 17, 1972 as result of a September 1970 meeting to form a club on the island. Since its formation, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten has grown in membership and has assisted in the formation of new clubs in the District, including Anguilla (1978), St. Martin Nord (1988), St. Martin Mid-Isle (1997) and St. Martin Sunrise (2004). For more information, visit the club website at www.rotarysxm.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROTARY CLUB OF SINT MAARTEN BEGINS NEW ROTARY YEAR THE FUN WAY
Club distributes over $60,000, New Paul Harris Fellows Named, Sochrin installed as President
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – JUNE 22, 2015 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten kicked off its new Rotary year on Saturday, June 20th at Captain Oliver’s Restaurant with a Rock & Blues Celebration featuring master guitarist Gianfranco and Christine Gordon along with rock band Church on Monday. Outgoing President Deepak “Danny” Ramchandani thanked the outgoing Board of Directors for their service and distributed more than $60,000 to worthy organizations on Sint Maarten, including the Catholic School Board After School Program, the Art Saves Lives Foundation, the Senior Citizens Computer Literacy Program, Scouting Antiano, the Pre-University of St. Maarten initiative, The ACE School, the Digikids Foundation, NewSTART for Children, the White & Yellow Cross, the Philipsburg Cultural Center and the Sint Maarten Little League.
The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten also named Tom Burnett as a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of his service to our youth on St. Maarten. Tom and his wife, Lisa Davis, run an after school program which uses the sport of Baseball as a way to help young adults focus on their academic studies through the Sint Maarten Little League. More than 50 young athletes from ages 8 to 18 participate in this after school program. The program was also the recipient of $6,000 from the Rotary Club of Sint Maarten to expand its facilities and accommodate more young athletes, as well as a donation of equipment including bats, two dozen baseballs and gloves.
President Ramchandani then officially turned over the reigns of the Club to Jeffrey “Dr. Soc” Sochrin. Sochrin went on to present three additional Paul Harris Fellows. Posthumously, a Paul Harris Fellow was presented to Charles E. Southworth, Jr, a Past President of the Rotary Club of Nauset (Orleans), Massachusetts, USA, that was accepted by his son, Charles E. Southworth, III, a Sint Maarten resident and Island 92 radio personality, known on air as “Mr. S”.
Sochrin then called upon the two men who taught him about serving others; his uncle, Gary Sochrin of the Rotary Club of Derby-Shelton Connecticut, and his father, Sumner Sochrin. He went on to present both men with Paul Harris Fellow Awards. To Gary Sochrin in recognition for his years of work with Rotary and to Sumner Sochrin, in recognition for more than 50 years of coaching young men in the sport of baseball at the high school and collegiate levels.
Newly installed President Sochrin introduced his new Board Members and Committee Chairpersons including: Secretary/President-elect Henna Budhrani, Immediate Past President Deepak Ramchandani, Vice President Rebecca Low, Vice President Robert Judd, Treasurer Junior Gumbs, Sargent-at-Arms Franklyn Maynard, Director Pierre DeCelles, Vrisha Motwani and Geeta Katnani (The Fun Committee), Larry Gregory (Public Relations), Bonita Hart (Membership), James Ferris (New Generations) and John Caputo (Service Projects).
Sochrin went on to say, “We have been asked by our District Governor and the Rotary International President to move from being successful to being significant and to be a gift to the world. We will do that together by continuing our focus on youth and continuing the great efforts that have become part of our local traditions. With this in mind and before we get started with the FUN part of the evening, I’d like to leave you with a few words that were shared with me from my very first boss in back in 1989. These words are attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson and they most fitting here. Let us together raise our glasses together”. Sochrin continued, “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; the leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded”.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
# # #
About the Rotary Club of St. Maarten:
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten was chartered on March 17, 1972 as result of a September 1970 meeting to form a club on the island. Since its formation, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten has grown in membership and has assisted in the formation of new clubs in the District, including Anguilla (1978), St. Martin Nord (1988), St. Martin Mid-Isle (1997) and St. Martin Sunrise (2004). For more information, visit the club website at www.rotarysxm.org.
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PHOTO CUT LINE TomPHF: From Left to Right: Jeffrey "Dr. Soc" Sochrin, Tom Burnett, Lisa Davis, Danny Ramchandani
SAMUEL, SABNANI & MAIDASANI NOW ROTARIANS
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – JUNE 20, 2015 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten inducted three new members at its weekly lunch meeting at the Divi Little Bay Resort on June 17, 2015. Club President Danny Ramchandani had the honor, along with President-Elect Jeffrey “Soc” Sochrin of welcoming these new Rotarians to the wonderful family of Rotary International.
President Ramchandani reminded the new members of their responsibility of service above self and presented Mr. Rodolphe Samuel, Mr. Anil Sabnani and Mr. Sunil Maidasani with their Rotary pins. Mr. Samuel and Mr. Sabnani were formally pinned by President Ramchandani, their club sponsor and Mr. Maidasani was pinned by Damu Ratwani, his club sponsor.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
# # #
About the Rotary Club of St. Maarten:
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten was chartered on March 17, 1972 as result of a September 1970 meeting to form a club on the island. Since its formation, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten has grown in membership and has assisted in the formation of new clubs in the District, including Anguilla (1978), St. Martin Nord (1988), St. Martin Mid-Isle (1997) and St. Martin Sunrise (2004). For more information, visit the club website at www.rotarysxm.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROTARY CLUB OF SINT MAARTEN ANNOUNCES ANNUAL CHANGE OF BOARD GALA AT CAPTAIN OLIVER’S
“Rock & Blues” Change of Board Celebration Fundraiser at Captain Oliver’s on June 20th at 7 PM
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – June 8, 2015 – The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten, announces its Annual ROCK & BLUES Change of the Board Celebration Fundraiser on June 20th at the Captain Oliver’s Restaurant. This year’s event is sponsored by the letter “F” for FUN; bring your dancing shoes and be ready to rock all night with Gianfranco, Christine Gordon and St. Maarten’s favorite rock band, Church on Monday. There will be an Open Bar and Grand Buffet for all to enjoy, along with a Blue Water Rum tasting. Proceeds from the evening’s event will support Rotary initiatives in areas of youth, health, education and community development programs on Sint Maarten.
The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten has had a fantastically successful year making contributions to the betterment of the island, with projects ranging from school tuition scholarships, improvements to school facilities to spending time with our senior citizens and providing breakfasts to young students in need. Outgoing President Danny Ramchandani said, “this year has been a historic year for our Club with the recent raffle of a beautiful Audi Q5 being the single largest fundraiser in our history. Come to our Change of Board Celebration Fundraiser to learn more about some the exciting projects that will be funded by this initiative”.
Incoming President, Jeffrey “Soc” Sochrin continued, “the success of the recent car raffle will uniquely position our Club to make a difference in the community in the coming year. It is my intention to continue so many great initiatives, but also find a way to involve more young people in our service activities by introducing an element of FUN and FELLOWSHIP in everything we do as a Club. So please contact any Rotarian or email secretaryrotarysxm@gmail.com to purchase a ticket to our Rock & Blues Change of Board Celebration on June 20th at Captain Oliver’s. The fun starts at 7 PM sharp and the entertainment will be great with Gianfranco, Christine Gordon and Church on Monday. Tickets are just US $100 and include an OPEN BAR and the full Captain Oliver’s GRAND BUFFET. This is going to be a night to remember”.
For more information about the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, please contact the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Press Officer at: pressrotarysxm@gmail.com or visit the website www.rotarysxm.org.
# # #
About the Rotary Club of St. Maarten:
The Rotary Club of St. Maarten was chartered on March 17, 1972, as result of a September 1970 meeting to form a club on the island. Since its formation, the Rotary Club of St. Maarten has grown in membership and has assisted in the formation of new clubs in the District, including Anguilla (1978), St. Martin Nord (1988), St. Martin Mid-Isle (1997) and St. Martin Sunrise (2004). For more information, visit the club website at www.rotarysxm.org.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014 - SPECIAL LUNCH FELLOWSHIP AT CUGINI RESTAURANT - Welfare Rd #64, Cole Bay, next to Federal Express. Please remember to RSVP with the menu choice to Soc, Danny or Henna before 3 PM on Tuesday, December 9, 2014.
PHILIPSBURG, SINT MAARTEN – SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 – Rotary Clubs in St Maarten/St Martin are pleased to announce the arrival of Rotary District Governor, Jeremy Hurst, and his wife Michelle to our island. DG Jeremy is responsible for leading over 80 clubs in Rotary District #7020 which spans 16 islands and 10 countries which include: the Bahamas (excluding Grand Bahama), Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Haiti, Anguilla, St. Barthelmey, St. Martin and Sint Maarten.
His Assistant Governor, Rebecca Low, of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten, stated, “We are pleased to welcome DG Jeremy and Michelle to our shores. This is their first visit to our island and they will see first-hand Rotary in action. They have a packed agenda but a few examples of their activities include: participating in dictionary distribution to students; the Readers are Leaders initiative; touring the AUC facilities; and participating in the Learning Unlimited Preparatory School Interact Club Induction and Change of Board Ceremony. As part of official duties they will also be visiting each Rotary club, meeting with our exceptional young leaders from high school Interact Clubs, as well as our young professionals from the French and Dutch side Rotaract Clubs. As a motivator, DG Jeremy’s mission is to engage all aspects of Rotary in order to change lives.”
The District Governor will be honored by at a cocktail reception on Wednesday, September 11th at 7pm at The Pointe Restaurant in the Sonesta Maho Resort
P.O.Box 412, Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Bel Air
Cay Hill, -
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)