The Westerner for May 16, 2011
Meeting: chair, Mike Ryan; music, Jerome; grace, Mike Henry
Attendance/Guests: 34 including Miao Tsai, Rotary Club of Ottawa; Diego Centanni, Rotary Club of Burnaby; Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Bradley, Commanding Officer - Namao Army Base
No Meeting May 23
Piano Dedication Night @ Grandview Extended Care Centre: 6:30 pm June 8, Tommy Banks will play and speak and the residents and our club members will have a great time.
GSE Team from Belize: Group Study Exchange Team will be in Edmonton for 2 days before the District 5370 Conference. Anyone who wishes to host and billet a team member please call either Jennifer or Jerome - expected dates June 12 & 13s
Cs
Gift Cards: see Kasey to purchase, profits to club projects
Charlie & Kay Weir: Doug MacDougall advised that the health of both these fine people has seriously declined recently - condolences and best wishes for recovery
Ethnic Dinner: Bob Lamoureux confirmed the final ethnic dinner of the Rotary year will be held May 27, at Matahari Restaurant (Thai) close to 124 Street and Jasper Avenue. Ben Doz advised parking behind the Optometrist Clinic was available to Rotarians for this event. Cocktails @ 6:00; dinner @ 7:00 with ordering from open menu.
Rotary Club of Edmonton West - Christmas Party - December 17 @ Royal Glenora with buffet meal.
Eyes for Huehue: Ben Doz thanked the club for the great support of this fundraiser being held this Wednesday @ Faculty Club.
Board of Directors Meeting: delayed until May 25.
New Generations: Mike Ryan indicated that both RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and RYPHEN (Rotary Youth Program for Enrichment) were held this past weekend. Both programs had great attendance/participation/results. Vivian Forest, Paralympic Gold Medal Winner, talked to RYPHEN with great effect. All the participates wanted pictures of themselves with Vivian and her medals.
Air Cadet Final Inspection: everyone is invited to HMCS Nonsuch at 1:00 Saturday, May 27 to witness the fabulous transformation of teenagers to polished Cadets
50/50: Mike McLaughlin and Bill Buckham did not match cards.
Finemaster: Ed asked questions from occurences this last weekend - I think everyone paid
Guest Speakers: Mike Ryan introduced and thanked the 2 club members that gave claisfication talks.
Bill Macdonald, recently joined our club in classification Environmental Engineering, sponsored by Al Sanderson, was born/raised in Saskatoon with schooling producing BSc in Chemical Engineering. His wife, Janet, retired recently as a medical doctor. She grew up in Edmonton - the initial and, then, lasting attraction between them is sports. Bill does cross country skiing while Janet does downhill, they do bike trips in the summer, Bill taught and played tennis and attended Canada Games representing Saskatchewan; also represented Saskatchewn in Canada Winter Games in table tennis. The couple do not have children but enjoy their dog Sherman. Bill worked for Sask Power, then a potash company. When that company wanted to transfer him to New Brunswick he found a job with Alberta Environment - an association that lasted 34 years. He was an air quality inspector involved in water strategy and clean air strategy, then became director of climate change and special projects. This included 3 years in Edson as regional director and involvement in the CN spill at Wabamum. He also was involved in the Cheviat Mine hearings. The end result was procedures to have better response to emergencies. Bill has become involved, through our club, with the Athlone School working every week as a volunteer.
Ron Hutchinson is executive director of the Edmonton Real Estate Board and joined our club in 1993, sponsored by Al MacLean. Also from Saskatchewan, Ron as a degree in business administration; worked at Sears in management' then Canada Packers. He tried bulding modular homes imported from southern Alberta, then got into real estate sales. Ron and wife Kim are very proud of daughter Jacqueline who is graduating from Grade 12 at Ross Shepard where she was heavily involved in Centennial Interact. She plans to join downtown Rotaract even though she will be in university. Ron is on the Chamber of Commerce planninng/development committee and Salvation Army. The Sally Ann has to replace the ARC between 95 & 97m Streets on 102 Avenue. He is also involved with City of Edmonton on the Stop Marihuana Grow Op committee. Ron represents our club with Centennial Interact and the George Grover Scholarships. Both programs provide good support for youth. His daughter received a letter as 1 of 60 out of 400 for early enrollment honours and a scholarship for pharmacology including a dinner with the dean.