1 Club Charter Date June 22, 1995 Club Number 30893 District 2452 Rotary Int l RI President Ron D. Burton District Governor Jamil Mouawad Deputy Governor George Beyrouti Assistant Governor Yara Younes RCBC Officers 2013 2014 President Mounir Jabre President Elect Lina Shair Vice President Edouard Rassie Secretary Christine Arzoumanian Treasurer Karim Naamani Directors Asaad Salhab Tony Asfour Habib Bassoul Joe Boulos RCBC Handover Dinner The traditional handover dinner between Immediate Past President (IPP) Asaad Salhab and President Mounir Jabre was held at the Phoenicia Hotel on July 6, 2013 a fun evening to celebrate serious things! PP Asaad reviewed the successes and challenges of the Rotary year 2012-2013 just completed and wished his successor another successful Rotary year. He thanked Assitant District Governor (ADG) Badreddine Ghazzaoui for his support and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of outgoing RCBC Board members, Committee Chairs and Committee members. President Mounir complimented PP Asaad and his team on their achievements and voiced his commitment and that of his team to emulate their example -- in step with the Rotary Theme 2013-2014: Engage Rotary Change Life. While the way we do things changes over time, our core values -- the foundation on which Rotary is built -- stay the same: Service, Fellowship, Diversity, Integrity and Leadership. P Mounir Jabre (Left) and PP Asaad Salhab (Right) RCBC Website Address www.rcbclebanon.org RCBC meets Tuesdays at the Phoenicia Hotel, Ain-Mreisseh, Beirut Business Meetings at 7:00 PM Dinner Meetings at 8:30 PM Marhaba Editor : Kamal Saad e-mail knsaadrcbc@gmail.com We welcome your comments and suggestions.
21 The Jabres An All-Rotarian Family Mounir Jabre, President of the Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan 2013-2014, is one of a family of four Rotarians, including his wife Rimane and their two sons Nazih and Samer. Mounir is the veteran Rotarian in the family having joined five years ago in 2008. He was sponsored by Azmi Hajjaj of RCBC, a fellow member of the world-renowned Chaine des Rotisseurs. What appealed most to Mounir about Rotary was its purpose in serving humanity and its non-sectarian construct. His profession is Business Development and he served as Secretary before his election as president. Rimane, whose profession is Education, teaches Mathmatics. She joined the Rotary Club of Beirut Center upon its formation in late 2009 and has served as its Treasurer for three years. The RC of Beirut Center is distinguished by being an almost-all-female-member club. From Left to Right President Mounir, son Nazih, wife Rimane, and son Samer Older son Nazih has just graduated with a License en Sciences Economiques from the Universite Saint Joseph (USJ). He is one of a nucleus of sons and daughters of members of the RC of Beirut Center around which some 25 young men and women (only half of them children of Rotarians) are in the process of setting up the already chartered Rotaract Club of Beirut Center. He currently serves his Club as Treasurer. Younger son Samer is studying Economics at the American University Of Beirut (AUB). In mid-2011 he joined Rotoract Club Of Beirut Cosmopolitan (age 18) having managed two projects as the pre-condition. He served as Treasurer since 2012. For Samer, being a Rotaractor is like acquiring a second family. It also serves as evidence of maturation in personality and character, in addition to offering the opportunity of helping the community. For all four Jabres, Rotary provides a specially powerful opportunity to help meet the country s needs. All four agree that a principal advantage of being members of the Rotarian family facilitates experience sharing and mobilizing help to better serve the community. Moreover, they find it enriching to bring to bear different (sometimes competing) perspectives on the issues.
31 The RCBC / Hard Rock Café Annual Iftar for Orphans In what has become a tradition, RCBC and Hard Rock Café (HRC) joined hands to host over one hundred orphans and under-priviledged children from the Sabra and Chatila Camp and the Ras-el-Nabaa Society to an Iftar on July 23. Our guests were entertained by magician Dany of Hard Rock Café. They were also treated to a sumptuous Iftar a la HRC and each guest received a take-away gift. On behalf of our Club and of ROTARY we would like to express our gratitude for the generous hosptality of Mr. Armand Simonian, HRC CEO, and the courteous service extended by Chady El Bared, Manager and Nathaline Deuvletlian, Assistant Manager. Magician Dany doing his tricks (above Left and Center); Nabil Challah of RCBC presenting a gift (above Right). We also wish to express the gratitude of all of us in RCBC to our fellow-member RT Nabil Challah who has devoted so much of his time and effort over the years to making this event a success. Our appreciation also for the generous contributions towards the cost of this particular event by RT Mazen and Mrs. Nada El Farra; RT Azmi and Mrs. Dee Hajjaj; P Mounir and RT Mrs. Rimane Jabre; and PP Soubhi and RT Mrs. Mona Jaroudi. A number of RCBC members saying goodbye (above Left); our guests enjoying their Iftar (above Right)
41 RCBC New Members We are delighted to report that our Club has welcomed three new members this month: Mona Jarudi (Healthcare/Nutrition) Elie Rebeiz (Manufacturing) Rana Salhab (Human Resources) Mona Jarudi & PP Salhab Elie Rebeiz flanked by two Ps Rana Salhab & ADG Yara Younes Dedication Ceremony - First RetCam Machine in Lebanon Cancer of the eyes is lethal if left untreated, but is cure-able in over 95% of the cases if detected early. The RetCam Digital Imaging System helps detect new, very small, cancerous lesions which can then be treated quickly with just focal laser treatment. The first Retcam System in Lebanon was dedicated on July 9, 2013 at the Opthalmology Department of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Treatments are done at the Children s Cancer Center for Lebanon (CCCL) of AUBMC, for the most part free of charge. CCCL is affiliated with the St. Jude Cancer Center at Memphis, Tennesee, USA. The Rotary Club of Beirut Cosmopolitan (RCBC) and the Rotary Club of Bluefield, VA, USA the primary sponsors orchestrated the raising of the necessary funds, with additional contributions from RC Sahel Aley, Lebanon, RC Reno, NV, USA and RC Orinda, CA, USA and their respective Districts. The total so raised was matched by a grant from Rotary Foundation (TRF). The total contributed by Rotary was, in turn, matched by a contribution from the Children Cancer Center for Lebanon (CCCL). Attending the ceremony were participants from the Rotary clubs, The CCCL, the AUBMC Administration, and members of the AUB Opthalmology faculty. Shown in the photograph above are (from Left to Right) are Dr. Hassan El Solh, AUBMC Chief of Staff and Director, CCCL; Mrs. Salwa Salman, CCCL Chair; Assistant Governor Assaad Mounzer, Rotary District 7570, USA; and PP Tony Asfour and PP Asaad Salhab of RCBC.
51 RCBC Iftar for Members and Friends This festive fellowship event, held at the Phoenicia Hotel on July 30, was attended by 48 members and guests. Our Best Ramadan Wishes to all. Shown (a) in LHS photo above from Left to Right are RT Josef Akl, P Mounir Jabre and RT Mazen Farra of RCBC, then (b) in RHS photo above from Left to Right are PP George Theodory of RCBC, guest Zeina Theodory, spouse Randa Theodory, guest Amal Zahr, and guest Pierre Zahr. Shown (a) in LHS photo, from Left to Right RT Rimane Jabre, P Mohammed Sharafeddine of RC Beirut Center and PE Lina Shair of RCBC; then (b) in Center and RHS photos above successively, all from RCBC, PP Asaad Salhab, RT Hussam Rinno (standing), PP Joe Boulos (seated), PP Habib Bassoul, Innerwheeler Mary Asfour, PP Tony Asfour, and RT Azmi Hajjaj. Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns to RCBC Members Samir El Khoury (March) Raouf Malak (March) Rana Salhab (March) Lina Shair (March) Joe Boulos (April) Elie Rebeiz (April) Tony Asfour (May) Mounir Jabre (May) George Beyrouti (June) Yervant Hakimian (June) Michel Ghanem (July)