The Westerner for May 14, 2012
Posted by Brian F. Thompson
on May 14, 2012
Meeting: Chair - Sherry; Music - Jerome; Grace - Mike Ryan
Guests: David Gibbens (guest of Brian, Fred & Ed), Duane Treacy, Garry Myer, Al Hamilton, Ted Green
Announcements:
Guests: David Gibbens (guest of Brian, Fred & Ed), Duane Treacy, Garry Myer, Al Hamilton, Ted Green
Announcements:
- No meeting next Monday due to Victoria Day holiday
- Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, May 16th
- Ron Hutchinson is pleased to announce that the Centennial Interact Club's ABCs for Belize fundraiser netted $14,350. Thanks to all those who supported that event.
- Mike Ryan reported on a successful RYPEN event this past weekend. 61 students attended from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon (except for one who decided to leave early). Our Club made a donation of $750 towards the cost of this event.
- 50/50 Draw - No match by Doug Sollows and Mike Ryan
- Finemaster Dan Graham made sure he extracted $2 from pretty much everyone with a string of questions about current sports and Rotary. Mike Ryan contributed happy bucks because Clean Scene received its proceeds from the recent Casino.
PROGRAM - AL HAMILTON & FRIENDS CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC - 2012 EDITION
John Blimke reminded members that our annual tournament is coming up on Thursday, July 26th at Cougar Creek. Due to the number of sponsors who get 4 golfers with their sponsorship, we are in an oversold position due to the 144 golfer limit on the course. The popularity of this event is attributable to Al Hamilton. The tournament is our largest fundraiser of unrestricted moneys (unlike Casino moneys which are heavily regulated and subject to considerable red tape due to the requirement for pre-approval of expenditures).
John talked about the tremendous contribution to the tournament for the past 10 years by Garry Meyer. Garry has volunteered his time and professional skills to be our auctioneer and co-MC with Rod Phillips. To thank Garry for this contribution, the Club is awarding him a Paul Harris Fellowship, and has made a $1,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation in his name. John presented Garry with his Certificate, Medallian and Pin.
Garry, in accepting the award, talked about what sets our tournament apart from many of the other tournaments he attends. He has huge respect for Al Hamilton and his many efforts to make our community better.
John then called on Al Hamilton to talk about the McCauley Park (Inner City) Rink Project. Ted Green is the one who really discovered the project and talked Al into getting involved - and get involved he did. For the past three or four years he has been working on people to get involved in creating a safe environment for kids to play in what is a pretty tough neighborhood. The park where the rink is located is right across the street from Sacred Heart Church where Father Jim Holland is the Priest, and it was Father Jim who got Ted Green involved. Last summer, the promoters finally made a breakthrough with the City bureaucrats and got the necessary approvals to move a trailer on site, get it hooked up with utilities, erect new fencing and a walkway, and for the first time this past winter the local kids had a place to go to put on their skates in warmth and safety. Other donations of materials, time, skills and equipment include granola bars, hot chocolate, hot dogs, 200 Oilers jerseys, hockey gloves, helmets and sticks, skates and toques. When Sparky Kulchisky was let go by the Oilers, he was very unhappy with his life. Al asked Sparky if he would like to be the "Rink Manager" for the McCauley Park Rink. He accepted that role and he is now very happy with his life. One time when Marty McSorley was in Edmonton, he came to the rink to meet the kids and sign autographs. Al believes it was a Rotary Club which sponsored the original rink boards and pavement inside the boards. Those boards have been recently signed to thank the generous providers of services and materials, including the Rotary Club of Edmonton West. Take a drive over to 96 Street and 107 Avenue to have a look.
The Edmonton Police had a hockey game against the locals on December 28th. On Family Day, some 300 people showed up. Every Wednesday, they have Wiener Wednesday where everyone gets a free hot dog. The kids start lining up by 4:30. The hockey is not organized and that is deliberate - the thought is to let the kids organize themselves. On a typical night they have 30 to 50 local kids in attendance.
Al turned the mike over to Ted Green for a few comments. Ted said he learned along time ago about public speaking - Be Loud so they can hear you; Be Clear so they can understand you; and Be Brief so they will like you. Ted talked about how Father Jim got him involved in the project, and how he can't ever forget the story of a young fellow by the name of Carmen who at age 10 walked 7 blocks to get to the rink, was exposed to drug addicts along the way, became a gang member at age 14, and was dead by age 16. Ted thanked Al Hamilton for his efforts to bring this project together.
This is clearly a good news story. President Sherry presented a cheque from our Club in amount of $10,000 in favour of the Sacred Heart Church for use at the McCauley Park Rink development. These dollars are from our Al Hamilton & Friends Golf Classic, and in future we will be making additional contributions so that more permanent facilities can replace the Trailer which now acts as the rink shack.
John Blimke reminded members that our annual tournament is coming up on Thursday, July 26th at Cougar Creek. Due to the number of sponsors who get 4 golfers with their sponsorship, we are in an oversold position due to the 144 golfer limit on the course. The popularity of this event is attributable to Al Hamilton. The tournament is our largest fundraiser of unrestricted moneys (unlike Casino moneys which are heavily regulated and subject to considerable red tape due to the requirement for pre-approval of expenditures).
John talked about the tremendous contribution to the tournament for the past 10 years by Garry Meyer. Garry has volunteered his time and professional skills to be our auctioneer and co-MC with Rod Phillips. To thank Garry for this contribution, the Club is awarding him a Paul Harris Fellowship, and has made a $1,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation in his name. John presented Garry with his Certificate, Medallian and Pin.
Garry, in accepting the award, talked about what sets our tournament apart from many of the other tournaments he attends. He has huge respect for Al Hamilton and his many efforts to make our community better.
John then called on Al Hamilton to talk about the McCauley Park (Inner City) Rink Project. Ted Green is the one who really discovered the project and talked Al into getting involved - and get involved he did. For the past three or four years he has been working on people to get involved in creating a safe environment for kids to play in what is a pretty tough neighborhood. The park where the rink is located is right across the street from Sacred Heart Church where Father Jim Holland is the Priest, and it was Father Jim who got Ted Green involved. Last summer, the promoters finally made a breakthrough with the City bureaucrats and got the necessary approvals to move a trailer on site, get it hooked up with utilities, erect new fencing and a walkway, and for the first time this past winter the local kids had a place to go to put on their skates in warmth and safety. Other donations of materials, time, skills and equipment include granola bars, hot chocolate, hot dogs, 200 Oilers jerseys, hockey gloves, helmets and sticks, skates and toques. When Sparky Kulchisky was let go by the Oilers, he was very unhappy with his life. Al asked Sparky if he would like to be the "Rink Manager" for the McCauley Park Rink. He accepted that role and he is now very happy with his life. One time when Marty McSorley was in Edmonton, he came to the rink to meet the kids and sign autographs. Al believes it was a Rotary Club which sponsored the original rink boards and pavement inside the boards. Those boards have been recently signed to thank the generous providers of services and materials, including the Rotary Club of Edmonton West. Take a drive over to 96 Street and 107 Avenue to have a look.
The Edmonton Police had a hockey game against the locals on December 28th. On Family Day, some 300 people showed up. Every Wednesday, they have Wiener Wednesday where everyone gets a free hot dog. The kids start lining up by 4:30. The hockey is not organized and that is deliberate - the thought is to let the kids organize themselves. On a typical night they have 30 to 50 local kids in attendance.
Al turned the mike over to Ted Green for a few comments. Ted said he learned along time ago about public speaking - Be Loud so they can hear you; Be Clear so they can understand you; and Be Brief so they will like you. Ted talked about how Father Jim got him involved in the project, and how he can't ever forget the story of a young fellow by the name of Carmen who at age 10 walked 7 blocks to get to the rink, was exposed to drug addicts along the way, became a gang member at age 14, and was dead by age 16. Ted thanked Al Hamilton for his efforts to bring this project together.
This is clearly a good news story. President Sherry presented a cheque from our Club in amount of $10,000 in favour of the Sacred Heart Church for use at the McCauley Park Rink development. These dollars are from our Al Hamilton & Friends Golf Classic, and in future we will be making additional contributions so that more permanent facilities can replace the Trailer which now acts as the rink shack.