Well here we are, the last meeting of the Rotary Year and the end of the Mueller Dynasty. Thank you so much to those members who came to the meeting to celebrate and reflect on the past year. I was so grateful to see so many of you.
When the theme for the 2018-19 Rotary year was announced I was quite excited. “Be the Inspiration” …we can do that….Edmonton West is already doing that, I thought. President Barry Rassin asked us to help Rotary move from reaction to action. And so the People of Action campaign began and with it a new vision statement:
Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change…..across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves.
I think we nailed it!! Let me show you what, together, we have achieved.
Fundraising
In order to make a difference in the community, funds have to be raised. As you can see we did well and raised a total of $118,700. A big thank you to Fred for organizing the Casino and for wrangling the volunteers, especially over the July long weekend. Many thanks and much appreciation to the volunteers.
The golf tournament committee works very hard behind the scenes to make this event successful. Brian, Lorne, Jennifer, John and Al Hamilton we are so grateful for your commitment and dedication to this event.
And of course, we could not put on this successful event without all of the volunteers. Thank you so much.
Jennifer Lawley has been a dedicated member of the Golf Tournament committee for many years. She has worked very hard organizing the silent auction which contributes a large amount of money to the fundraiser. Jennifer is stepping back from the committee. Brian, on behalf of the club presented her with a Paul Harris to honour her contributions to our club.
Community Service
Every week our members give their time and talents to make our community a better place for all. This number represent all of the hands on volunteer hours with our projects this year…….personally I would double that if we want to reflect the true number, because this doesn’t include members working from home, volunteering with other clubs or committee work. Whether it is hands on work for our community partners or working from home, it all makes a difference. These are all of the organizations with which we work side by side. I am so proud of this club, it’s willingness to roll up their sleeves and get on with it and your “Yes, we can help” attitude.
Next are all of the local organizations that we support financially in the amount of $44,200. Thank you to Jerome, Ross, Duart, Bill, Vic and Ingrid for keeping us connected with our community partners.
International Service
In international service we continue with the funding for shelter box, providing 2 shelters. The Independence High School hardship fund in Belize and of course our 22nd Eye Project in Guatemala.
Ben and Marley, along with the Hue Hue Tenango Club and all of the Edmonton West volunteers you are to be commended for your years of service and dedication to this wonderful project. Thanks to Lorne, the International Service Chair for making sure we are crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s.
Foundation
We have almost met our goals in both the Polio Plus campaign and the Annual Foundation Fund. We also had a Major Donor, who of course is anonymous. So thank you to all for your continuing commitment.
The Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Here are the Paul Harris fellows who were recognized this year.
Clubs, through the District can apply for Grants to fund projects or programs. This year we have worked on a District Grant for $3000 to support our Youth Programs which we hope to get the funds next year.
We are also in the middle of applying for a Global grant to support Project Cure who is shipping supplies and equipment to hospitals in Belize. Thanks to Spencer for all of your groundwork and to Al, our Foundation Chair for your superior grant writing.
Thank you also to Fred for applying for a CIP grant for $5,000 which we used to fund the Guatemala Eye Project.
**remember that funds that we put into the Annual Fund come back to us through grants.
New Generations
Thanks to our New Generations Chair Ken for keeping our Youth busy and actively involved this year.
On top of our usual annual support we have sent
At the Rotary Council on Legislation the status of Rotaract clubs was elevated. The change broadens the definition of membership in Rotary International to include Rotaract clubs. The change is intended to increase the support that Rotaract clubs receive from RI and to enhance their ability to serve.
“We need to be an inspiration to our young partners, so they will continue doing the great service that they do,” said RI President Barry Rassin when he presented the measure. “This sends a strong message that they are truly our partners in service.”
We are so proud of our MacEwan Rotaractors and Vimy Ridge Interacters. When we work together they bring out the best in us, and in Rotary. They are the future, and will take with them the ideals of service, friendship, and leadership wherever they go.
And we sent Cheyenne Schiml, from the 395 squadron to Adventures in Citizenship in Ottawa.
We continue to support the 395 Air Cadet Squadron and are in the 2nd year of a 3 year commitment to the Cougar Boxing Club.
Ken, you did an outstanding job and we thank you.
The George Grover scholarship is awarded annually to students with superior academic achievement registered in the second, third or fourth year of an undergraduate degree program at the University of Alberta. Recipients will be selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership through involvement and participation in university or community organizations, sports activities, or cultural activities and academic achievement. Preference will be given to students with a demonstrated financial need. 4 students were awarded the scholarship this year and will be attending one of our meeting in the fall.
District 5370
This year we had the distinct honour of being the home club of the D.G. Ingrid Neitsch. It was with great opportunity and responsibility that she took on this role. We have followed her incredible journey as she visited all clubs in the district and racked up thousands of miles on her Rotarymobile. Ingrid, you have given this role your all, congratulations on a hugely successful year. Ingrid is passionate about supporting the mission of peace and conflict resolution across the world through Rotary.
Because of Ingrid’s determination our District 5370 is now a Rotary Peace Builder District. This was made possible by clubs, including ours, coming together to invest $25,000.00 (USD) to the peace centers program. I am so happy that our district achieved this goal. And we can see first hand that we are making a difference as our friend, Menasha is studying at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand right now.
Our members have been actively involved in many District events this year. Attending district events gives us the opportunity to meet Rotarians from other clubs and share ideas.
Being the home club of the District Governor came with the responsibility of hosting the District Conference.
We were the hosts with the most!! We organized an epic conference where we reached for a dream, people connected with people and we were inspired.
Thank you so much to the organizing committee – Sherry, Lorne, Fred, Spencer, Brian, Darrel, David, Rob, Jerome, Anita, Theresa and myself (haha) for your 2 year commitment and to Ingrid for being the driving force behind us to make the conference a huge success. A special thank you to all the volunteers who helped during the conference, we couldn’t have done it without you.
RI President Barry Rassin
To achieve the Presidential Citation this year RI President Barry Rassin asked us to strengthen our clubs and to share our Rotary stories. So with that goal in mind we set out on a journey to get to know each other better and to make sure the community knows a little bit more about what we do.
We have welcomed 9 new members to our Rotary Family.
We have enjoyed friendship and fellowship at many social events and had lots of fun.
We also had a Networking Event , Thank you to Darrel and Vic, the Vocational Chairs for organizing that.
I challenged you to get together with a randomly chosen group, and chat over coffee or a beer and get to know each other and to put the world to rights. You did brilliantly.
Our Friendship Dinners are very popular with both members and spouses as it gives people an opportunity to spend time together and feel like a part of the family. We will continue to arrange those next year. But I think they should be called “Goodwill and better friendship Dinners”. Stay tuned for more information.
Rotary Community Corps
When we go out into the community and volunteer we don’t do it alone. Spouses and friends work with us, side by side. We are so grateful for all of their support and wanted to recognize their commitment. So we have taken these valuable people and created a Rotary Community Corps. This makes the group a part of the Rotary Family.
It is with tremendous pride that I congratulate and thank you for all you have done to make this a fabulous year. The success we have achieved could not have been possible without each and every one of you.
I would like to thank Ingrid and Fred who were very persuasive in asking me to be president. They saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. I appreciate your support and encouragement.
I would like to thank my board for your support and all you have done to make my job so much easier. Some of you I have already thanked……
To Sherman we all owe a great debt…you have done such an amazing job at keeping us on the straight and narrow, keeping the books in order and in the black.
Ed, you are the best secretary ever. You stepped into the role and did such a tremendous job.
Thank you to David for organizing the greeters, and to all the members who came early to greet the members and guests, making sure everything is set up. And to the people who put everything away week after week.
We are all thankful to Rob, Joe and Bill for the outstanding speaker program.
Thank you Jim for persuading members to be the Finemaster every week. And of course to the Finemaster's themselves for being so entertaining.
Thank you to Jerome for tinkling the ivories for us. It is such a pleasure to walk into the meeting listening to such wonderful music. You create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
I am so very grateful to Jodie, my manager and Katelyn in HR for giving me the flexibility to take a really long lunch on Mondays. Without your support I wouldn’t have been able to be President this year.
I would like to thank Spencer for his undying support this year. Your guidance was invaluable. Thank you for putting up with me zoning out for hours when I was working on my laptop making the presentations. Maybe we will have time to have a conversation or go out on a date now.
Finally…I want to thank all of the volunteers who sign up for all of the projects and events I organize. It doesn’t matter what I arrange, someone is always there to lend a helping hand. Without you my weekly presentations would, quite frankly be pretty boring. You are my superstars and personify “Service Above Self”.
Rotarians want to make a difference in the world………and people who want to make a difference in the world usually do it, one way or another. And I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world. They all have the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile, they are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, care for one child. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at one, they are satisfied with small changes. Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotarians have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
Rotarians believe that small acts of kindness, when multiplied by millions of people can transform our communities, our world and ourselves.
Thank you for the honor of serving you as President this year. It has been an unforgettable experience.
Then it was time to hand over the president’s pin and all that goes with it, to Ken.
Ken, has been chosen to be the president of the Rotary Club of Edmonton West for the 2019-2020 year. We are confident that he will carry out his tasks with enthusiasm and diligence and he is assured of the support from his fellow members.
On behalf of the members of the Club I congratulate Ken and wish him a successful and rewarding year.
