The Westerner for April 18, 2011
Meeting: chair, Mike Ryan; music, Bill Buckham and Rob Dunseith; grace, Brian
Attendance: 29, no guests
NO Meeting next Monday April 25 , Edmonton Petroleum Club is closed
One Million Lights: Mike Ryan reported that Ben Turner had delivered a certificate from a Rotary Club in the Philippines, on home made paper with a frame also made out of home made paper (a heavier version), that thanked our club for the donation of solar powered lamps which were distributed to poor families in their region. Home made paper is a product that is made in the Philippines to produce income. Ben told Mike that he plans to raise $25,000 by the end of this year to enable this project to install another 800 lamps. Applause from the club members.
Cenntenial Interact Fundraiser: Mike advised that the table purchased by the club was entirely sold to club members but one ticket purchaser did not attend. The fundraiser was successful.
Gift Cards: please see Kasey to purchase for your own use and for gifts to others.
Former Member Ralph Playdon: Bill Buckham advised he received a phone call from another former member, David Treece, who advised that Ralph had fallen in one of his wife's sheep barns and damaged his knee. Surgery was needed to reattach his knee cap to his knee. Best wishes Ralph.
50/50; Sherry and Dave did not match cards.
Eyes for Huehue: tickets available from Ben Doz when he returns from a family wedding in Hawaii, $55 each for May 18 @ U of A Faculty Club; 5:30 pm. Lorne & Brian also have these tickets if Ben is not available.
Finemaster: Mike Ryan fined $1 for each of the following: if you were not at the Interact Belise fundraiser; if you were not wearing your name badge and/or Rotary pin; if you were wearing a tie; if you were not wearing jeans.
Happy Bucks: Bill Buckham because his son has been transfered to Germany; Fred because his daughter (just graduated from Nursing) is no longer on the payroll; Zen because his 92 year old mother will move from her house before the next winter.
Classification Talk: the joint members representing our corporate member Alberta Book Publishing Association gave descriptions of their past endeavours (you had to be in attendance to get the ramifications).
Kieran LeBlanc is a girl with a boy's name (same effect when she visits Ireland as the locals in Canada would react if she were called George). She was raised in the rain forest on the north west British Columbia coast, then attended BCIT in marketing. She moved to Edmonton while employed by Sears in 1979 for a 2 year commitment - she is still here.
Kieran is an advocate of causes - the first episode caused her to be expelled from school. She is a public education advocate and worked to save kindergarten when the provincial government was trying to cut costs and threatened to eliminate fiscal support for this age group. She has been a Liberal Party Candidate in provincial elections and now is helping to form the Alberta Party. 2 years ago she joined the Alberta Book Publishing Association which represents firms that publish around 250 books per year. She is on several board of directors including Forum For Young Albertans, Shaddow Theatre and is on the steering committee for having the City of Edmonton named a Learned City. After all this, she also cooks for the inner city people at least once per week.
Michael McLaughlin thanked us for taking the step to accept corporate members. He is Toronto born, raised by grand parents, worked for Royal Bank in southern Ontario, then joined McLaughlin International, a television communications firm, has 2 daughters, is divorced, in 2003 decided on a life change and decided to move to where his children were - western Canada. One daughter works for Alberta Government Parks (she lives with her dad right now), the other works for British Columbia Governmant and lives in Victoria.
When Michael arrived in Alberta, he phoned the Alberta Liberal Party as a way to get involved in the community - they got him involved in party business including doing their accounting books. In 2009, Kieran asked him to join the Alberta Book Publishing Association. He is the project coordiantor - there are only 2 employees, Michael and Kieran. He suggest you look at the latest publication of Alberta Views. The book association has a ten page ad which profiles the amazing work of the Alberta publishers. As project coordinator, Michael works the annual library show in Jasper (spring) and a seminar in Banff in the fall where they bring in world class speakers to hilite the book publishing industry. Michael also does the accounting books. Michael has been in Kinsmen and Junior Achievment and is now on the board of directors of CleanScene.
Mike Ryan thanked the speakers.