Bob Hawk introduced five Algerians to Iola and the ways of Iola Rotarians Monday afternoon. The group is in town for a four-day visit.
They are members of Rotary in Algeria and are in the United States as members of a group study exchange team.
Hawk, an Iola Rotarian, informed the three men and two women about Rotary District 6110’s Vision Quest program, including an exacting demonstration of how to make a pair of reading glasses in about 15 minutes.
The process intrigued Abdelkader Boutaleb, team leader and computer consultant; Sadek Sidani, an accountant; Adel Rahmani, a banker; Feriel Sarah Brahimi, a corporate lawyer; and Leila Guerrak, an investment specialist.
They came to Iola from Pittsburg after arriving in Joplin Sept. 15. Additional visits will be made to Altus, Okla., and Rogers, Fort Smith and Fayetteville, Ark.
Bob and Ginny Hawk, Jim and Karen Gilpin, Neil and Joy Westervelt and Tom and Judy Brigham are the fivesome’s Iola hosts.
HAWK, who has been to South America several times on Vision Quest missions, produced a kit containing materials necessary to make a pair of glasses, including a simple device with a long slot that slides down a recipient’s face to determine what strength of glasses he or she needs.
On query from Hawk, Dr. Ellis Pottery, retired Iola optometrist and former District 6110 governor, said a quickly constructed pair of reading glasses could make a huge difference in the life of people in countries where health and vision amenities don’t approach those in the United States.
He mentioned an artisan in Chile who had had to discontinue making crafts that were her source of income because of poor eyesight. With a pair of glasses, the woman was able to resume providing a stream of income for her family.
The Algerian visitors watched closely as Hawk deftly turned stainless steel wire into frames for glasses and then, using the same jig but different parts, cut and grooved lenses to fit perfectly.
Brahimi tried on the glasses, which fit snugly on her face, testimony to Hawk’s expertise.
Eddie Abbott, another Iola Rotarian, explained the district’s water project, which has resulted in drilling of 200 wells in Nicaragua over the last eight years.
He also showed how a five-gallon bucket, with a hole drilled in the bottom edge to accept a fitting to attach apparatus normally used for blood dialysis, makes a perfect water-purification device.
Water is filtered through the dialysis tubing and “comes out 99.999999 percent pure,” Abbott said.
About 20 gallons may be purified in an hour and a single setup is estimated to be good for a million gallons, he said.
Ken Gilpin, its president, and officers Tom Strickler and Jim Gilpin gave information about Community National Bank, 120 E. Madison, the Algerian Rotarians gathering point when they arrived in Iola. They also toured the bank before retiring to their hosts’ homes.
