The Westerner for August 30, 2010
Meeting: chair, Mike Ryan; music, Jerome; grace, Dan Graham
Attendance/Guests: 43 including Jackie Hobal, District Governor for Rotary District 5370, former member of Rotary Club of Edmonton West, current member of Rotary Club of Athabasca, guest speaker; Arlaine Monaghan, Assistant District Governor for our club and member Rotary Club of Spruce Grove; Perry Hendricks, guest of Doug Sollows; Elaine Rowand, guest of Jim; Nadine Fulmer, Rotary Club of Edmonton Northeast and Rotary District 5370 Employment Partnership; Steven P. Eleniak, Rotary Club of Edmonton Northeast; Kasey Armstrong and Laura Keegan, guests of Chris; Melissa Maier, counsellor for Shane Lafond, employed by our club through the Rotary District Employment Partnership
Correction - Last Weeks Finemaster: Frank was fined for conducting the welcome song, not interrupting the National Anthem
Condolensces: Grace advised, through President Mike, that past president of Rotary Club of Edmonton West Jim Lockhart passed away several weeks ago.
Guest Speaker: Arlaine Monaghan introduced District Governor Jackie, governor for 2010-2011, married to Wayne and they have 2 married sons and 4 grand children. Jackie's father was Harry Jewel, a well known Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Edmonton Mayfield. Jackie is a member of the District Bequest Society and the District Paul Harris Society.
Jackie became a Rotarian from an education industry background. She is now governor of a district with 60 clubs and wants to spread the good news about Rotary. Her district conference will be held June 16 - 19, 2011, in Athabasca at the Rotary Fieldhouse of Athabasca Multiplex (Athabasca Rotary has donated 1/2 million dollars to this project).
The current Rotary International Theme is "Building Communities, Bridging Continents". Rotary, this year, is 100 years old in Canada. Winnipeg started a club in 1910. 1910 was also significant because Rotary became a service club whereas it had been strictly fellowship and networking up to then. Canada Post has honoured Rotary with a stamp commemorating Rotary in Canada for 100 years.
Canada has built schools in Afghanistan to educate over 4,000 women with much help from Rotary. 7 years ago, only one million children were in school in Afghanistan, now there are eight million.
Jackie thanked our club for our many projects such as Grandview Extended Care visitations and Eye Visitation to Guatemala (projects that were in effect when she was a member) plus our support of the Rotary District 5370 Education Program in Belize together with our own Belize school projects.
The Rotary Foundation brings hope to children around the world through peace and understanding. 100,000 have participated in the high school age year long exchange program and many, including current Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith, have obtained Ambassadorial Scholarships for international university education. Further, Rotary is close to eliminating Polio (in conjunction with our international co-participants) from the last 4 endemic countries. Expect good news to be broadcast in 2012. Rotarians have also donated or pledged $145 million towards the Bill and Belinda Gates $200 million Challenge. Through Rotary's experience with polio, there are now mobile clinics that are available to be sent any where in the world to deal with medical catastrophies.
The Rotary District 5370 Belize Education Program is now 8 years old. It is building improvement in delivery of education to Belize children. Over the years, Rotarians have learned to work with different levels of the education industry in Belize to obtain the maximum effect - education ministry managers, principals, teachers, now church leaders. We introduce technology to expand access to the education experience. World change starts with educated children.
Other district projects/programs - Rotary District 5370 Employment Partnership to provide employment for ability challenged people (Nadine Fulmer and Wendy MacDonald, Jackie's sister, head this initiative); strategic plan (clubs to become innovative in changing how they administer Rotary); Family of Rotary (get all levels of the Rotarian family involved); Interact (interaction/ collaboration with youth - bigger/better/bolder).
Rotary International Convention in New Orleans in May, 2011.
Rotary District 5370 Conference - speakers include 1) M. Ferdick who has an organization in 200 countries - Taking It Global, on retainer with Apple Computers; 2) Darrell Scott, father of first child killed in Columbine - Rachaels Challenge.
Jackie has a Blog to relate her District Governor experiences.
Jackie was thanked by Past District Governor Dan Graham. President Mike announced our club's gift to Rotary District 5370 - the Rotary Wheel that was donated to our club by Past District Governor Alan MacLean and has been used at every district conference since to hold the roses presented in memory of Rotarians that have passed away in the previous year (a moving experience presented on the Sunday morning of the conference).
Thanks to Laurie and Comsign for the new, more compact Rotary Wheel for display at our Club functions.
50/50: Brian and John did not match cards.