The Westerner for September 24, 2012

• Thanks to Bob Lamoureux for organizing our fun golf tournament and BBQ Dinner on Tuesday, September 18th.  The weather was perfect, the golf was good exercise, the beer tasted real good, the steak was pink inside (for most of us), and the fellowship was fantastic.  All attendees left with a gift of some description - wine bottle, baseball cap, etc.  Thanks also to those who provided the prizes.
• President Rob announced that the Board of Directors approved the Budget for the current Rotary Year.  A copy is available on our Website under Club Documents.  You will have to login to the site to be able to view it or print it out.  Contact Brian Thompson for further information.
• Past President Sherry circulated a sign-up sheet for Read-In Week (October 1 - 5) at Lansdowne Elementary Shool.  If you missed it and want to read to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6, call Sherry or sign up next Monday.
•  Rotary and Eskimos Team Up to Tackle Polio.  Special tickets have been set aside for Rotarians for the Saturday, October 13th Edmonton Eskimos vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders football game (2:00 pm kickoff).  The special Rotary discount ticket price is $28.00 of which $10.00 will be rebated back to the Club by the Eskimos for use in meeting our End Polio Now commitment.  To download and view an order form for tickets go to http://www.crsadmin.com/gen/Accounts/50012/Eml/f6fbcbd1-4c51-40a0-9218-2fefe31364bd.pdf
• Maureen Flynn from Capital Care Grandview expressed her thanks to the Club for the recent concert and the whole concert series that we sponsor for the residents and their families.  She also provided information sheets and an invitation for Rotarians to attend the Wooden Bowl Breakfast on October 16th at the Royal Glenora Club.  RSVP by October 5th at ccfoundation@capitalcare.net or 780-448-2413.
• President Rob announced that he and Elizabeth are off to Scotland for the next couple of weeks so President-Elect Duane will be presiding.
• Past President John Blimke announced that our recent Al Hamilton and Friends Golf Classic made a profit of approximately $44,000.  Golf Committee Treasurer Wayne Ellis added that this brings the total raised by these tournaments since 2002 to approximately $327,000.  Think about all the things we couldn't have done over the years without this significant source of funding!
• Past President Mike Ryan presented a brief report on the District Conference held this past weekend in Grande Prairie.  Only the Blimkes and the Ryans attended from our club - a poor showing!  Mike advises that a Million Dollar Dinner is being arranged for Edmonton next May 11th with the Rotary International President in attendance.
• 50/50 Draw for $45.00.  Bill Arnold and Mike Ryan did not match cards.
• Finemaster Darrel Ripley did pretty good for a guy who forgot that he was supposed to be the finemaster today.

PROGRAM - ROTARY ASAP PROGRAM

Past President Mike Ryan presented an update on the ASAP - Advocacy for Substance Abuse Prevention program which is a District 5370 initiative.  The ASAP Committee, of which Mike is a member, hopes to have 20 members, each representing a Rotary Club in the District.

Right now there are eight different substance abuse prevention programs active in Alberta (ASAP plus 7 others).  It is conservatively estimated that 450 young people 18 or under die in Alberta each year due to drugs.  There are 58 identified gangs in Edmonton plus many other unidentified 3 to 4 person gangs, all involved in the drug trade.  Most criminal activity is drug related.  School students are the targets for these gangs, and even some excellent students get hooked.  From Grade 4 to Grade 12, students get less than one hour per year education on substance abuse (on average).

Methamphetamine is a worldwide epidemic.  It gets mixed in with other drugs.  It is easy to make, based on cold remedies, with other dangerous ingredients added.  One of the Alberta Substance Abuse Programs is "Don't Meth With Us".  Several Rotary Clubs are involved with that program.  Our Club supports the Clean Scene Network for Youth, which Mike runs.

Mike says that most addicts wind up in one of three ways - In jail, in institutions, or dead.  They can get to the dead part by as young as age 16.  Mike himself had strong cravings as much as six years after stopping using drugs.  No one wants to be an addict!

There are four ways of dealing with the drug problem:
     Enforcement
     Treatment
     Harm Reduction
     Education / Prevention

Enforcement is the best funded and Education / Prevention is the least funded.  Mike is an advocate for changing the way we fund these initiatives, and strongly believes that Education could make a huge positive difference to the current situation.

Mike thanked the Club for it's support of these initiatives, particularly for the support of Clean Scene and ASAP.  Fred Kraft thanked Mike on behalf of the members and guest.