The Westerner for December 14, 2009
Meeting: chair, Ben Doz; music, Jerome; grace, John
Attendance/Guests: 37 including Speros Moschopedis, former member; Andrea Markowski, guest speaker; Gary Sears, assistant warden, Edmonton Institution for Women; Fahma Marroquin plus Goretti (Marie) Marroquin plus Oscar Marroquin, guest students from Guatemala; Ben Turner, Dave's grandson
No Meeting December 28
2010/2011 Board of Directors: President, Mike Ryan; President Elect, Sherry Holmes; Secretary, Laurie Wilkie; Treasurer, Lily Fong; Youth Directorate, Lorne Proctor; Vocational Service, vacant; Community & Public Relations, vacant; Membership, Chris Gowers; International Service, Duane Evans; Club Service, Rob Dunseith; Social Program, Bob Lamoureux - Congratulations
Hockey Pool Winners: Mike Henry $35; Jim Johnston and Danny Chau
Global Youth Leadership Council: the club donated the equivalent of estimated travel expenses to Ben Turner who has been registered to attend this event - 7 days in Washington, D C, plus 5 days at United Nations. The club provided the funds as part of Rotary's Urban Peace initiative. Ben's ultimate goal is to obtain a PhD in Crisis Management.
U of A Rotoract: we will partner with this club to provide assistance to Parkdale School to get parents to attend parent-teacher interviews; our contact is George Emery
Ethnic Dinner: January 31, 2010, dim sum @ 10:30 am, Golden Rice Bowl, 5365 Gateway Boulevard, Bob Lamoureux to circulate sign up sheets next week and January 4
Board of Directors - Vacancies: if you are interested in participating in our club administration by taking either of the above mentioned positions - please call Mike Ryan
50/50: Ben Turner and Bill Buckham did not match cards; Bill got the bottle of wine (supplied last week by Bob Lamoureux - thanks Bob)
Finemaster: Don McDermid asked table questions about curling, $1 for wrong answer - what was name of curling extravanganza last week - Roar of the Rings; who were the eventual winners - C Bernard and K Martin; what was name of other Alberta teams that did not win - no response; who attended - pay $1; who did not attend - pay $1; who has done their Christmas shopping - pay $1; who has not done their shopping - pay $1 - he got everyone
Guest Speaker: Bob Lamoureux introduced Andrea Markowski who is the third warden at Edmonton Institution for Women. She started the position in April, 2009, after stints in Winnipeg and Yellowknife. Yellowknife was as a social worker then parole officer; Winnipeg was manager of the parole office. She is trained as a social worker working with abused women but applied for and got a positon as parole officer working with men - she saw alot of the north in her travels for this position.
She is working for the safe return to society for the inmates, many who have been abused. The Women's Institution is set up as a community of healing. The inmates show great courage by allowing strangers into their lives. Correction services are provincial responsibility if the sentence is less than 2 years, federal responsibility if over 2 years. Women represent only 5% of all prisoners. Previously, women were housed in male prisons except for the facility in Kingston. Kingston needed to be replaced and other facilities needed to be built to get the women into a better environment right across the country. Five facilities were built including the one in Edmonton.
Women in custody are normally not dangerous and are a low risk to reoffend. Many have serious mental health problems and/or addictions. With the community focus, the institution looks like a school where the women live in houses and learn to plan their day including ordering food for their meals and then preparing it. Chaplins/elders give spiritual guidance. The inmates work at the school and learn new skills - mentors help. The inmates also provide peer support for the rest of the group. All aspects of their lives are subject to external control - no personal choice. They do projects to help the needy like sewing blankets.
The institution is well run and calm.
Andrea was thanked by Ben Doz.