The Westerner for January 16, 2012

Posted by Brian F. Thompson 
on Jan 17, 2012
 

Meeting:     Chair: Sherry; Music: Jerome; Grace: Bert

Attendance / Guests:     26, including Maureen Henkel and Miriam Moisan

Announcements:

  • Please purchase your groceries by using the gift cards which our club has already purchased at a discount.  This gives us an  easy way to raise funds, because we all need to eat, and this won't cost you one penny more than you were going to spend anyway.  Brian has cards available for sale at each meeting.
  • Next Monday you can enjoy haggis washed down with a taste of scotch whiskey. It is our annual Robbie Burns lunch.
  • Celebrate the birthday of Rotary by attending the Friday, February 24th Rotary Day dinner.  Tickets are available online ($60) via the District Website.
  • The next meeting of the Board of Directors is Wednesday, January 18th at the Petroleum Club.  Any member may attend.
  • 50/50 Draw - Bert and Sandon did not match cards.
  • Finemaster Jerome fined those less than hardy souls who were not in attendance today.  You know who you are, so throw a buck into the pot next week.  Happy bucks for various reasons were contributed by Bill Buckham, Bert Andrews, Ben Turner, Steve McEachern and Rudy Mangold. 

For Information:

  • Minutes of our January 9, 2012 Annual General Meeting are available in the Downloads section of our Club Website.
  • Also added to the Downloads section is an information sheet on Rotary Friendship Exchange.  Exchanges with our District are now being arranged with Districts in Poland, England and Sweden.  Check it out if you are interested in travelling to these countries and/or hosting Rotary guests from these countries.  Please let President-Elect Rob know if you are interested in participating, and then he can get our Club involved in this project if there is sufficient interest.
  • Criteria for Nominees for an Integrity Award:
    • A non-Rotarian adult resident of Alberta (preferably Edmonton)
    • One whose lifestyle is consistent with the Four Way Test
    • Someone whose life shows purpose and expresses principles widely accepted in the community
    • One who, regardless of circumstances, takes a stand without concern for personal loss or reputation
    • A person who may not necessarily have a high public profile, and
    • One who has made a personal contribution to the region, which would warrant special recognition
PROGRAM:  STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) AIR AMBULANCE

Don McDermid introduced Miriam Moisan and Maureen Henkel to talk about the Stars Air Ambulance program.

STARS is a not-for-profit charity which serves 94% of Albertans 24 hours per day, seven days per week.  It flies an average of 4 missions each day, and there is no cost to the patient.  There are three Stars helicopter bases in Alberta - Calgary, Edmonton and Grand Prairie.  They can cover a 250 kilometer diameter area around each base without refuelling.  It is possible to expand the coverage if fuel is available.  Over 21,000 missions have been flown since inception in 1985.

Stars personnel and equipment participate in annual competition with other air ambulance services and STARS is one of the best in North America.  Each helicopter has two pilots, a nurse and an EMT on board.  The helicopters are equipped with night vision, and occasionally they rendezvous with a ground ambulance.

In 2012, STARS will increase it's capacity to assist patients by acquiring a new AW139 helicopter, which flies farther and faster than the current fleet.  It has a state-of-the-art de-icing system which will allow flying in more adverse weather.  STARS will also be expanding into Saskatchewan and Manitoba.  The funding for that expansion is separate from the Alberta Stars Lottery, the calendar sales and the Red Ring for Life campaign.  Funding for operation of the helicopters is 25% funded by the provincial government.

The AW139's spacious medical interior will allow medical crews greater access to up to two patients. The medical interiors for the new helicopters is currently under design, with the cost of two interiors estimated at $2.6 million.  Discussions are underway with the Rotary District Governor to establish a Rotary district project which would commit each Rotary Club to raise approximately $10,000 towards the funding of these interiors.  The total goal for Rotary would be $1 million.

Miriam and Maureen were thanked by Michael McLaughlin.