The Westerner for March 22, 2010

Club Assembly:  Mike Ryan is spreading this over several meetings.  Today was on Club Service (1 of 4 Avenues of Service).  Admin (currently held by Rob Dunseith) has a budget of $1,000.  Includes front desk for each meeting - Shane has been hired to help on the front desk which also allows us to participate in the Rotary Employment of Disabled Persons Program (may need an increase in budget); district governor's meeting, speakers committee, Edmonton Petroleum Club liaison.  Social/Fellowship is currently held by Bob Lamoureux, budget of $3,000 which goes mainly towards the cost of our Christmas function (booked for November 27 @ Highlands Golf Course); member golf tournament @ Victoria Golf Course (usually in September); Robbie Burns Day; ethnic dinners, bbq's; friendship dinners.

Belize:  Duane advised that school toilet project is proceeding; a member is planning to donate towards the club's cost of $5,000 with the balance, if no other members donate, to come out of our unrestricted funds on hand.

Finemaster:  Doug MacDougall announced he is proud to be the finemaster - only the second time he has been asked to perform this function in his 52 years in the Rotary Club of Edmonton West.  Doug got everyone for the $2 maximum with questions on the current Rotarian magazine and the Edmonton Oilers.  Special fine to Duane and Chris for not getting laptops (for Belize Students) from Nicholas Negroponte's One Child, One Laptop Program.

Guest Speaker:  Rob Dunseith introduced Stephen Berg, development  (fund raising) director for Hope Mission.  Steve has been with Hope since 1984 as a volunteer, parttime chaplin, manager of Herb Jamieson Home and board member. Hope Mission had 12 people employed in 1984, now has 200.  Not a good sign for the homeless issued being properly addressed. 

Histroical excerpts - started 1929 (depression), Edwardson found a storefront and invited people for meals or a place to stay; 1930 CNR donated a rooming house; ran out of Immigration Hall for a year; 1939, Hope Mission was decorated for the first Royal Visit to Canada as King Edward passed down what was renamed Kingsway Avenue (decorations cost $5 from funds on hand); 1959, CNR house now unfit to be occupied - Baptist Church on 97 St/103A Ave became the home of Hope - Canadian Government divested itself of surplus World War II canned meat called Spork - truck load to Hope - stored in the bapistry (pool area for baptisms) - Spork sandwiches were issued for several years; Harry Strome helped find a new building in 1980.

Steve showed a video and read excerpts from his published book on the Hope Mission - the following are some of the visual/written images - life on the street, worn clothing, now more women/children/youth on the street, immigrants, natives, men able to work but no employment for them, life on the street usually not a first choice, outcasts from society, runaways, throwaways, disabled (mental & physical), ex crime offenders, language barriers, poor life on reservation so natives migrate with high expectations that are not met, stigma of religious school abuse means mission has trouble relating to natives, elderly especially if they used to be low wage earners (downward spiral), street minstry van, detox centre, youth centre, camps for under priviledged kids, chapel services, shelter & services - 1,000 meals a day (3 per day), breakout community, climbing wall, skateboard ramp, basketball gym, drug rehab, over night beds, roof over their heads, 1,500 youth helped per year.

Steve was thanked by Mike Ryan.