The Westerner for August 24, 2009
Meeting: chair, Ben Doz; music, Jerome; grace, Ben Lang
Attendance/Guests: 32 including Cheryl Bauer, Rotary Club of Edmonton; Alex Paterson, Guest of Lynette; Robert Opara & Jay Ball, guest speakers; Mike Henry, guest of Al Sanderson
Proposed New Member: Mike Henry, Associate Dean, School of Business @ Grant MacEwan College, proposed by Al Sanderson
Christmas Party: thanks to Jerome and Bob Lamoureux for quickly coming up with a date and venue = November 23 at the U of A Faculty Club, second storey; more details to come
Golf for Members: fun golf scheduled for September 4, Victoria Golf Course, more details below and/or by clicking on the Website Calendar & then the Event on September 4.
Vocational Project: Jerome announced plans to buy a Yamaha C3 piano to be installed in the House of Friendship @ Grandview Extended Care Centre along with computer plus router so residents can communicate with family and friends by email - will be a media and computer centre for the long term care facility = increases the potential use of the room that our club built as our Rotary Centennial project (and 50th anniversary of our club)
James Gibbons Elementary School: President Ben presented a cheque to Sherry who is principal at this school = she explained the funds go to a nutritional lunch program which allows the school to sell milk coupons to all students at a reduced cost and allows milk to be supplied to students of very low income families at no cost/ she also mentioned the In School Literacy Program that our club participates in by reading to students during reading week
50/50: Sherry and Rudy did not match, $282 carried over
Finemaster: Jennifer fined Lynette for not sitting with her guest (all fines $1), no guest tables, if you started eating before grace, table questions - what was Belise called before independence - British Honduras, what is the approximate population of Belise - 300,000, when was Belise independence - 1981, what 2 countries border Belise - Mexico and Guatemala, what language is the second most spoken in Belise - Spanish (47%), Creole (34%), English is the official language
Guest Speakers: Lynette introduce Jay Ball (president and CEO of Junior Achievement in Edmonton) & Robert Opara (summer student intern helping Junior Achievement this summer). Lynette is a member of the board of directors of Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement develops future leaders and teaches free enterprise, kids learn a lot from teachers that are involved in the community and business. The enterprise had a tough year, partly because of the poor economy and partly because of unplanned staff turnover. They still managed to raise sufficient funds to operate. When the economy is booming, students listen but there is no challenge; when the economy is poor, the students particpate more. In addition the drop out rate for students in high school is affected by the economy - in good times 1 in 4, in poor times 1 in 5.
Junior Achievement aims for students to indentify passions, career paths, learn business procedures, start their own businesses, lead a team to run a business. Most start at age 13 or 14 which is an excellent age to work on reducing the drop out rate from high school. Younger children, if the program is linked to classroom programs, will embrace the JA learning/tracking process.
Robert gave some student specific insight to the JA experience. He is a second year U of A business student. As the summer intern he developed a new software communication program to contact JA volunteers. He said that financial literacy fell between learning from school and his parents - each thought the other should be providing that part of his education. He needed JA to teach financial responsibility. The JA center is technologically advanced. In the business incubation process that the students go through @ JA, especially in electing a board of directors for their small business, the students learn about business but they also learn about each other. Robert's company manufactured soft drinks and included a quality control process. There was team building. There were trips to independent small businesses as a group so they could learn from actual businesses.
The students also particpate in an awards program. They conduct interviews of other students for the potential presentation of awards to them.
Robert tried to start a business outside JA which was good experience even though it was not a success.
Speakers were thanked by Don McDermid