May 2022                                                                                                                     

RI President Mehta's Message

 
 
Rotary members around the globe are serving humanity by providing clean water to underdeveloped communities, promoting peace in conflict areas, strengthening communities through basic education and literacy and working to eradicate polio worldwide.
 
 All of this brings a global perspective to Rotarians as they seek to make a difference for good by serving in their own local community wherever that is in the world.
 
 

President Mehta's Priorities

 
President Mehta reminds us that:

Rotary needs to grow more and do more with bigger, better and bolder projects.

RI’s statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion states that Rotary will cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in which people from underrepresented groups have greater opportunities to participate as members and leaders. Making diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority is everyone's responsibility — from Rotary members to clubs, and to our district.

He says that “It is important that we empower girls, as we all find that more often than not, the girl is disadvantaged. We will serve all children, but our laser focus will be specially on the girl.”

President Mehta acknowledges that current membership trends are a challenge and says that membership development should be Rotary’s highest priority.
 
 
 

Rotary 7 Areas of Focus

 
 
 As you know Rotary has 7 areas of focus, and Rotary members come together at meetings and conferences to share ideas about using our areas of focus to bring about big, lasting change in the world. 
 
The past and upcoming presidential conferences are looking at our new area of focus — the environment — and how our work to protect our planet must also support our efforts to grow local economies, especially in places with the greatest poverty.
 
President Mehta’s call to action is to restore mangroves, a crucial ecosystem that can mitigate the effects of climate change in coastal areas. Already, countries across the world are showing great enthusiasm for this plan.
 
Our survival is at stake — the damage of environmental catastrophe is already upon us — and so, too, is our ability to lift the world’s most needy out of poverty and offer them hope. We must find ways to protect our planet while sustaining the economic growth necessary to achieve our highest humanitarian goals.
 
 
Throughout the month, Rotary members, and younger members of the Rotary family, including Rotaractors, Interactors, and RYLA and Rotary Youth Exchange participants, celebrate the service, leadership development, connections, and FUN of Rotary's programs for young leaders.
 
It’s so incredibly important for Rotarians to engage with youth. Today’s millennials are extremely aware and have a great deal to offer but as young people, as students, they are limited in what they can do in any practical way. Youth recognize that it is time for change, but they need ways to create change.  Rotary does great things and has made huge changes through its service programs, so it can be such a good platform for youth because they can pair up with an already established organization.
Members of our Vimy Ridge Interact and MacEwan Rotaract Clubs are always welcome to join us at our Rotary meetings, board meetings and of course when we volunteer. We look forward to meeting the new members of each club next year.

Foundation Moments

Service Above Self

Service Above Self was a motto that came out of a conversation between two Rotarians during the 1911 National Rotary Convention in Portland, Oregon. With a slight modification it was officially adopted by Rotary in 1950 at the Rotary International Convention in Detroit, MI. It has brought together people from all ends of the earth in creating a better world each day, ever since. 
 
Rotary Motto: Service Above Self (Royal Blue) | Rotary, Rotarian, Rotary  club
 
"We are greater when we look beyond ourselves and when we do for others, it is our purpose."

Rotarians At Work

Edmonton West Rotarians were hard at work on a Saturday morning volunteering at the Hope Mission. Jeffrey and his team kept us busy chopping and slicing in the kitchen. A few tears were shed, but that was only the ones chopping the onions!!
 
When it came time to serve the meal, it was all hands on deck. The meal was warm and nutritious and was gratefully received by 260 clients.
 
 
A group of Edmonton West volunteers spent Wednesday night at the Food bank building hampers, and putting service above self.

Why Do We Volunteer?

By volunteering with Rotary, you know that you will be changing people’s lives for the better.

Volunteering comes in all shapes and sizes. We do hands on volunteering, we serve on committees, we help with fundraising and we help with meetings.
 
It is about you bringing your skills, experience and enthusiasm helping to create a better community.  
 
 
 

Supporting our Community Partners

On Saturday Lorne, Doug, and Spencer played in the 395 Air Cadet Squadron Golf Fundraiser. It was a cold and wet start but warmed up to make it a successful day.
 
All the players entered a putting competition with the prize being a helicopter ride. Lorne had really wanted to win this prize....and he did!! He has generously donated the helicopter ride to the auction at our Golf Fundraiser in July. Thank you Lorne!!!
 
Upcoming Events
Rotary Edm West Luncheon Online Hybrid Meeting
May 16, 2022
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
 
Highway Clean-Up
A & W
Jun 05, 2022
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
 
View entire list

Celebrating Peace

Living together in peace is all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen to, recognize, respect and appreciate others, as well as living in a peaceful and united way.
 
The UN General-Assembly, in its resolution 72/130, declared May the 16th International Day of Living Together in Peace, as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity. The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.

The Day invites countries to further promote reconciliation to help to ensure peace and sustainable development, including by working with communities, faith leaders and other relevant actors, through reconciliatory measures and acts of service and by encouraging forgiveness and compassion among individuals.

The Rotary Peace Centers celebrate 20 years of training peacebuilders.
 
Since the first Rotary Peace Centers welcomed peace fellows 20 years ago, more than 1,500 of them have gained the experience, skills, and networks they need to build peace in their communities and around the world. Collectively, program alumni are making a tremendous impact through their work as leaders in conflict transformation, as well as in the areas of community and international development that make conflict less likely to occur.
 
Rotary’s long-term commitment to peace education will continue to support leaders in the future. In fact, the peace centers program will expand, with the addition of a new certificate program in the Middle East or North Africa by 2025. This truly is a long-term investment.
 
Claudia Caluori, a Rotarian from Italy attended our meeting on Monday May 16. She is visiting Menasha Nikhanj, who we nominated for a Peace Fellowship. They both attended Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and attained Professional Development Certificates. She spoke about how important it is for Peace Fellow alumni to stay connected to each other, and to find ways of supporting Rotary Clubs around the world.
 
 
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays
Ann Orsini
March 14
 
J P Poirier
March 14
 
Annie Mueller
March 15
 
James Johnston
April 24
 
Spouse Birthdays
Annie
March 15
 
Join Date
Vicky Grabb
March 15, 2004
18 years
 
Mike Ryan
March 17, 1998
24 years
 
James Johnston
April 1, 1986
36 years
 
David Weir
April 11, 2016
6 years
 
Ken Brander
April 11, 2016
6 years
 

The Four Way Test

The Four-Way Test is a mirror, not a window.
 
Rotary members should not use The Four-Way Test to look at others but rather to look at themselves in considering the ramifications of a thought, statement, or action. It should not be a window through which we look to judge others.
 
It is a mirror at which we look to judge ourselves.
 

Quote of the Day

Let's Go Oilers!!!

Let the Battle of Alberta Begin

 
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