Nearly 1.4 billion employed people live on less than $1.25 a day. Our members promote economic and community development and reduce poverty in underserved communities through training, well-paying jobs, and access to financial management institutions. Projects range from providing people with equipment to vocational training. Our members work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
club news
CONGRATULATIONS to David and the Board for receiving the Rotary Citation for the 2020-21 year.
The purpose of the Rotary Citation is to increase Rotary club involvement in service activities, while at the same time encouraging Rotarians' personal involvement in serving others and promoting a high standard of Rotary service in the community.
David, thank you for your leadership through a year of zoom meetings. You and the board worked hard behind the scenes to keep the club strong. Our members thrive on social contact and hands on projects. None of which we were able to participate in. Your focus and commitment to the club are to be commended and the honour of receiving the citation is very well deserved.
All Air, Sea, and Army cadet outfits have had to re-organize their corporate structure to ensure full compliance with federal tax and registered charity requirements.
What this means for the 395 Squadron is that the squadron has to pass some new bylaws which change the governance structure and establish a new entity called the Squadron Sponsorship Committee (SSC). The Air Cadets in Alberta have a lawyer that is taking care of all the new bylaws and new corporate registrations for all the squadrons. This process has been underway for over one year.
For the Rotary Club of Edmonton West this means that our role will change and we will be re-classified as a 'Supporter.' This is good because it relieves the club of governance responsibilities.
The new 395 Squadron Sponsorship Committee (SSC) will be made up primarily of the 395 Parents Committee members. For all purposes the Parents Committee takes the role as Squadron Sponsorship Committee (SSC). Really, the changes are on paper and the 395 Parents Committee continues as the principal actor it always has been.
Our club will maintain at least two positions on the executive of the new 395 Squadron Sponsorship Committee (SSC). For now, it will be myself and Vicky Grabb, Treasurer and Executive Member of our Rotary Club. Of course, more of our club members are welcome to participate as SSC board members but there will always be at least two positions reserved for our members on the SSC Executive. If any of our club members would like to become involved with the SSC please contact me at 780-719-0016
Our roles will be minimal on the SSC and there will be no significant changes from what we've done in the past (arm's length). In fact, our absolute obligations will be less. Our Rotary club will not have to worry about doing any of the financial reporting tasks as the Parents Committee will provide a Treasurer to the new Committee. However, we can be involved as much as we would like to be in the Squadron and the SSC. The invitation is open.
So, the bottom line for our club is that we can continue to support and participate as much as we like to but we really have few absolute obligations.
HMCS NONSUCH, is in the midst of renovations and is behind schedule. So they are now scrambling to locate a temporary building to parade in. If any Rotary members know of a building please let them know. Virtual training begins for the cadets on Oct 5, 2021. In-person training begins at the end of October.
membership
~ Jackie Hobal
During a time of physical disconnection and isolation it is even more important to keep our social connections. Rotarians join Rotary to do good in their community and give back, and stay because of the connections they make. What might giving back look like in our changed world?
How can we help our Club stay strong, and even prosper, during a time when nothing is as it was? How can we show we care?
We need to start with ensuring we engage our members. Jackie has initiated a monthly 'Member Check-In'. We will begin to connect with members by phone, especially members who prefer not to attend zoom meetings. But...you don't have to wait for someone to call you. Maybe reach out to someone you haven't spoken to in a while. I bet they'd love to hear from you!
community service
capital care grandview
by Brian Thompson and Jerome Martin
Brian joined the club in 1978, and Jerome Martin in 1987. Each were immediately assigned to one of six Grandview Teams. On Tuesday evenings, one or sometimes two teams would be on duty to do something with the patients. We had entertainers perform, we played bingo, took them out shopping or to a movie or a hockey game. At that time Capital Care Grandview was quite new.
Our club raised money and built the House of Friendship to celebrate Rotary’s 100th birthday and the Club’s 50th anniversary. We cut the ribbon for the House of Friendship on February 23, 2005. – all with a focus on making the lives of the residents a little better.
We also raised funds to purchase a wheelchair van, modifications to the kitchen, and a computer for the use of the residents. We eventually focused on musical entertainment and on February, 2011, purchased a Yamaha C3 Grand Piano so that we could attract the best musicians in Edmonton to play for our Grandview friends. We could not expect these musicians to play the small, old pianos at Grandview.
Tommy Banks played the first concert on this piano. We initiated two series of musical concerts, one in an afternoon and another in an evening. The residents, the musicians and our Club members certainly enjoyed these concerts. We look forward to starting such concerts again, but the Covid – 19 problem will delay that, unfortunately.
In the meantime, you may wish to go to excerpts from several Grandview Concerts on YouTube. The first video shows the delivery of the piano on February, 2011. The technicians carried the piano through the snow into the auditorium at Grandview where an extension of the stage had been built for the piano so it would not have to be moved on and off the main stage.
Several residents watched the piano being assembled, then asked Jerome Martin to play it for them. Click on the links below and watch the first ‘concert’ with Jerome and several residents playing and singing Sentimental Journey.
Thanksgiving 2019. Who knew what was to come in the next 2 years and how it would impact our hands on volunteering. Serving dinner to the community at Boyle Street was one of the highlights of our Rotary Year, we would get lots of volunteers always had so much fun.
We were all set to go for this Thanksgiving but here we are in the middle of the 4th wave. Volunteers aren't allowed on site at present and they will be packaging up the meal and handing it out to the community. The impoverished and homeless need our help more than ever at this time. Our club has traditionally provided the pumpkin and apple pies for their meal and this year is no different. We have donated $500 to help cover the cost of the meal.
Fingers crossed that we will be able to serve Thanksgiving Dinner next year!
You are invited to the District Leadership Fireside Chat.
This is an invitation to any Past President or current President who might be interested in learning about opportunities to serve on the District leadership team, either as a committee member, Committee Chair, Board member, Area Governor, Conference Planning Committees or District Governor.
We will be having an informal District Leadership Fireside Zoom meeting chaired by the District Governor, the District Governor Elect and the District Governor Nominee that will discuss the requirements and opportunities to participate in District leadership.
If you are aware of someone who you think might excel at district leadership drop us a line and we will invite them to the meeting.
Attendance will be by registration so that we can set up Fireside meetings to enable fellowship.
The first District Leadership Fireside meeting will take place Monday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m. on your local zoom outlet.
Please click on the link below to attend or decline.
I am excited to announce that Rotary International is partnering with our friends at Kiwanis International, Lions Clubs International, and Optimist International to increase our collective impact through community service.
Celebrate Community is a weeklong service event taking place 10-16 October. During this time, Rotary, Rotaract, Kiwanis, Lions, and Optimist clubs are encouraged to collaborate with one another to complete a service project that benefits the community. Work with your fellow service club members to determine how you can best help your community, such as:
Cleaning up a park, highway, or waterway
Planting trees
Collecting nonperishable food for food pantries or clothing for homeless shelters
Packing meals
Harvesting a community garden
Reading to children at the local library
Volunteering at a local animal shelter
Whatever you choose to do, tell us about it! Tag @Rotary on social media to let us — and your neighbors — know how you’re giving back and celebrating community through service.
Use the club finder tool on the Kiwanis, Lions, and Optimist websites to find a club near you.
I hope this is one of many opportunities for our four organizations to collaborate and serve. We all want to do good in the world, and we can do even more when we do it together.
Sincerely,
John Hewko
General Secretary
Rotary International
Highway clean-up ~ Sunday october 17
Our Highway Clean-Up event is the perfect 'Joint Service Project'. We can collaborate with other organizations to better our community. I have reached out to a Lions Club and our very own MacEwan Rotaract. I haven't heard back from either yet, but I am hopeful. If anyone has a connection with another service club please let me know. This service project always needs lots of hands so any help will be much appreciated. Tell your friends:)
