From Boyle Street to Belize, Edmonton West Rotary has a sixty year history of applying its members' unique skills and talents to the challenges that face our community, our city and our world. Join us!
Meeting: 26 people enjoyed the meeting chaired by Duane. He also led the music and the grace was provided by Steve. Guests included former member Ben Turner; Dean Ozanne guest of Darrel Ripley and the 2 guest speakers Thim Choy and Bob Vandergrift.
No Meeting June 30 as Edmonton Petroleum Club is closed for Canada Day
Club Service: Spencer advised that email notices of upcoming events will be sent as soon as events are scheduled. Current upcoming events include Fun Golf, August 11 with first tee time being 1:00 p m. Golf and event ending BBQ are being held at Victoria Golf Course; both golf and BBQ cost $75; BBQ only is $25. Then movie night on August 28 is no longer a ladies event; all Rotarians and guests are welcome. Tickets are $10. Movie is current version of "Chicago" Arrange to attend by emailing or calling Spencer. Notice of Christmas Party was given for December 19 at University of Alberta Faculty Club, cost $50 each.
Finemaster: Bill Buckham raised $27 through questions concerning Canada and Canada Day (international border with U S A is 5525 miles).
50/50: Bill Buckham and Dan Graham left $50 for next week.
Guest Speaker: Thim and Bob were introduced by Darrel Ripley. Currently, Thim is president of Boyle Street Community League and has his own business. Thim's message is about inner city challenges and helping less advantaged people to a better quality of life. Thim, when he was younger, used to hitchhike around the world. He got into trouble in Paris, had no money and was introduced to the Salvation Army. The help he got there made a lasting impression and, after he immigrated to Canada, he proceeded to return his good fortune in ways to help the poor. One of these ways was the establishment of the House of Refuge where the down on their luck people could come for food, lodging and other comforts. The House of Refuge has operated for 30 years in Edmonton until it burned down from an electrical fault in 2013. All the people involved with the operation of the House of Refuge are volunteers; no one gets paid to help the poor. Thim is working to get Boyle Street Community members to become more involved with helping the needy.
Since the fire, the House of Refuge volunteers have been serving food in the parking lot of Thim's business. No one is refused. This is a Christian Charity. Crime has increased in the inner city because the poor have reduced chance of finding lodging without cost to them. Thim and Bob are working to get the House of Refuge rebuilt.
Chair: Duane Evans; Music: Jerome Martin; Grace: Dan Graham ; Attendance: 26 ; Guest Speaker: Allan Bolstad & Nora Begoray
Guests: Peter Bradley
Club Business:
Reminder of upcoming board meetings: The joint meeting of the existing board and next year's board will be held as a joint new/existing on June 18th @ 5:30 pm at the Petroleum club.
Duart Berg: Duart displayed a ladies Harley Davidson jacket tha twas left behind at the EFC work event. If anyone is missing this jacket, please contact Duart.
Ingrid Neitsch - Congratulations to president Duane who is celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary today (June 16)
- Last concert of the year will be held at Grandview Continuing Care on Tuesday June 17th. This concert (and the series was noted in the rotary district newsletter)
- The Edmonton West Rotary Club’s incoming President, Ingrid Neitsch, would like to cordially invite all Lady Members of the Edmonton West Rotary Club, Spouses of Gentlemen Members, and any of their Lady Guests, to a ‘Ladies Night Out’ to attend the Cinema Series at the Capital Theatre at Fort Edmonton Park on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 at 7:30 pm, featuring the movie Chicago (2002), starring Catherine Zeta-Jones & Renee Zellweger, at a cost of $10 per ticket (payment can be forwarded to Spencer at the Club).
Should there be interest, please RSVP to Annie Mueller at annie-m@shaw.ca , first come; first served as tickets are limited and being sold in 8 ticket blocks, no later than Wednesday, June 18th at 7 pm.
It would be great to see a strong turn out by the Ladies to this Club event so please make your favourite lady aware of this event.
President's Changeover Dinner: The changover dinner will be held at the Petroleum Club on Thursday, June 26.
Finemaster: Jim Johnston grilled all in attendance with questions from the latest edition of the district newsletter as well as Father's Day.
Happy Bucks: were donated By Duane, Bill and David who were celebrating their Anniversaries this week (30, 50 & 26 respectively).
50/50: Al Holmes and Dan Graham did not match cards and therefore did not go home with any cash.
Guest Speaker: David Gibbens introduced Allan Bolstad and Nora Begoray from the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.
A former Councillor with the City of Edmonton (1992-2004), Allan Bolstad has spent the past seven years as Executive Director of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.
During this time he has helped the federation launch a number of key initiatives, such as its Living Local Program, its Cultural Inclusion exercise, the 100th Anniversary Project in Hawrelak Park and the fall Community League Day celebration which has become a neighborhood-based, city-wide festival for the 157 community leagues in Edmonton.
Significant achievements during his time on council include his work to create the Alberta Capital Region Alliance, development of a strategic policy framework for Alberta municipalities and policies to preserve environmentally sensitive areas (such as Poplar Lake in north Edmonton).
He also received a number of awards for his work on city council, including special awards from the province and the Alberta Lung Association for promoting a smoke-free environment and an award from the Alberta Soccer Association for helping to launch three indoor soccer centres in Edmonton.
In addition, he initiated and spent eight years as chair of Donate-A-Ride, a program designed to raise bus fare for needy Edmontonians.
After leaving council he worked as a sessional lecturer in the journalism department at Grant MacEwan College and authored a number of reports on municipal sustainability, renewable energy and energy conservation.
Prior to serving on City Council, Allan Bolstad spent 13 years as a journalist, working as a columnist and senior business writer for the Edmonton Sun and as editor and City Hall reporter for the Edmonton Examiner.
He also serves as a board member of the Edmonton and Area Land Trust, a group dedicated to preserving key environmental sites in and around Edmonton.
Nora Begoray has been the Marketing Director for the EFCL for the last year and is a lead in the EFCL's 100th Anniversary project.
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is the representative and coordinating body for all community leagues in Edmonton. EFCL has thousands of volunteers all told with 157 member boards totaling 1500 plus and local Community League volunteers in every neighbourhood. There is no other comparable structure anywhere in another city in the world.
Community league works to improve your neighbourhood and the quality of life its residents enjoy. EFCL is committed to supporting Edmonton community leagues as they work to achieve their goals.
EFCL offers many programs and services to its community leagues members. While provision of recreational, social, cultural, educational and sports programs remains a primary focus for many community leagues, EFCL also provides an effective mechanism for addressing many other neighbourhood-related issues such as:
transportation systems,
land use development,
school and park use,
facilities development, and
other quality of life issues.
Through EFCL, community leagues set policies and directions for all leagues to follow, make representation to the City of Edmonton on matters of mutual interest and concerns, and, through committees, offer a variety of activities to community league members on a city-wide basis.
Edmonton’s proud history with community-based organizations began more than a century ago.
Edmonton, in 1907, earned the distinction of being the first city in Canada to adopt the concept of community-based organizations.
By 1920, there were nine leagues: 142 Street (now Crestwood, formed in 1917); Bonnie Doon (1918); South Side (1918, reformed as Scona Centre in 1926); Westmount (1919); Riverdale (1920); West Edmonton (now Calder, formed in 1920); Forest Heights (1920); Calgary Trail (now Allendale, formed in 1920); and Bennett School (now Cloverdale, formed in 1920).
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues (EFCL) was founded in 1921 on the recommendation of these community leagues who wanted a stronger voice with City Council and other orders of government.
The formation of the EFCL gave community leagues permanency and stability, enabling them to become an important civic factor in Edmonton. Some of the first concerns met by the EFCL resulted in local improvements such as extension of electricity, sewer, water, drainage and roads. In the recreational field, improvements included skating rinks, dressing rooms, tennis courts, athletic grounds and community halls.
As is still true today, EFCL lent strength and confidence to community league presentations when, in the first years, the concept of leagues was politically based. Over time, this has been combined with an equally strong propensity for recreational programming and facility development. EFCL’s role has been to make such programs available throughout the city. The coordination of these programs through EFCL committees allows for consistency in standards, rules, fees, etc. Non-athletic programs such as the annual Talent Show are coordinated with the same benefits.
About EFCL’s 100th Anniversary Project​
The EFCL, which represents 157 Community Leagues in Edmonton, will be 100 years old in 2021. In order to celebrate this milestone, the federation is working with the city on a significant upgrade to Hawrelak Park.
The EFCL wants to recognize the contribution Leagues have made to our city, while adding park features that citizens will enjoy.
the EFCL will be creating a new destination park space in Hawrelak Park. The community leagues have done such a tremendous job of growing recreation, building community facilities, encouraging neighbourhood engagement and shaping the look of where we live, that we wanted to do something worthy of honouring this great contribution. Our intent is to create a welcoming, all season, new amenity in Hawrelak Park which will be a gathering place for all city residents to enjoy.
The proposed Community League Plaza will also recognize the community leagues that have inspired this project. Located on the southeast corner of the lake, this plaza will be a gathering area for small scale events highlighted by the restoration of the stream adjacent to it and a newly created scenic pathway along the stream. This stream and path will offer seating, view and information areas along the way to a restful pond and secondary mini plaza. Close by will be the City of Edmonton’s planned water play feature and the existing playground.
The EFCL project is in the design phase right now. Urban Systems, the Edmonton firm contracted to design and manage the park enhancement, have created the draft design concepts you see here. Beyond the design, there are the memories that we need to celebrate – both personal and historical.
Al Holmes and all the Rotarians thanked Mr. Bolstad and Ms. Begoray and explained how he has been a community league members for over 50 years and his family still uses the facilities developed by the league to this day.
President Duane also thanked the speakers and adjourned the meeting.
