Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 19, 2012
Posted by Rob Goodell
on Sep 19, 2012
The news of street violence in the Middle East this week has been horrendous. The club's friend Alison MacLean is currently in Afghanistan delivering the protective gear we bought for the brave women police cadets there. Alison sent this report from Kabul a few days ago:
"It has been intense in Kabul this week. I am off base and the situation in the streets is not good so I have been asked back to base and I accepted for this weekend. I just finished shooting the second-ever graduation class of women in the military. Good footage, lots of JPEG pictures. I am going to try to file a story today as ISAF asked me not to go out. If the Internet stays up then I will send a link when it is done. Otherwise, I have made contacts for the donations and I will be giving the gloves at a special ceremony in another city. I would like to focus our support on the rural areas. Kabul seems to have access to more funding than all the other provinces. The gloves are the best option as they do not have anything like them, and I can buy large quantities to outfit all the police women."
Be safe, Alison. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the only issue in our streets is the ongoing debate over whether we have too many bicycle lanes or too few. Aren't we lucky to live where we do?
This Wednesday's Rotary meeting included 13 members and no visitors. You can tell the summer tourist season is over. President Julie Mantle welcomed everyone to our non-secret meeting and we noted that several members held a private meeting last week at a pub that hasn't been identified to the rest of us.
Club news
The only remaining tasks for our photo contest are to publish the book of winning entries and to minimize the ongoing charges from the web-hosting provider. Banu Tulumen, Matthew Lynam and Lori Pobuto are working on these items. Then, it will be time to decide whether, when and how we might sponsor another contest.
Jim Clarke reminds everyone of the party he's organizing for this Saturday, September 22, at 7:30 pm at Ironworks in Gastown (Alexander and Main Streets), featuring live music, food and beverages. Admission is by donation with proceeds to assist our special school project in Leon, Mexico. Invite your friends!
Our Hoop-a-Thon is being broadened to include education and other programs in the downtown East Side, in addition to basketball. The new name may be Strathcona Youth Programs, which is descriptive but doesn't have much marketing sizzle. Any suggestions? Early planning to increase corporate sponsorships needs to start now, so a committee is being formed. Please volunteer.
Today's program
Our speaker was Josey Kitson, Executive Director for Canada of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), who is on a western tour from her Toronto office. WESP is a global organization, with 17 offices and working in 50 countries, but is not a shelter like SPCA. Rather, WSPA promotes "good animal welfare" including freedom from physical and mental pain, plus good environments for animals including farm animals. In Canada, WSPA works in many First Nations communites and in developing countries elsewhere.
With a goal to "end animal cruelty," WSPA involves governments, veterinarians and education providers in several areas of concern:
1. disaster management -- the effects on animals of earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, for example;
2. humane and sustainable agriculture -- promoting free-range environments for chickens and other farm animals;
3. companion animals -- fear of rabies among dogs is a problem in developing countries so vaccinations are promoted;
4. oceans and wildlife -- especially inhumane treatment of captured bears;
5. private trade in wildlife and animal parts.
Josey left us some pamphlets describing a number of WSPA programs with headlines like "What's On Your Plate?", "No More Bullfights", and "Choose Cage-Free" eggs.
Next week's meeting
I'll be on my annual Seniors' Bike Ride on Vancouver Island and will miss the club business meeting. I can promise, however, a much better bulletin, as Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to be guest editor. Cheers.
Rob
"It has been intense in Kabul this week. I am off base and the situation in the streets is not good so I have been asked back to base and I accepted for this weekend. I just finished shooting the second-ever graduation class of women in the military. Good footage, lots of JPEG pictures. I am going to try to file a story today as ISAF asked me not to go out. If the Internet stays up then I will send a link when it is done. Otherwise, I have made contacts for the donations and I will be giving the gloves at a special ceremony in another city. I would like to focus our support on the rural areas. Kabul seems to have access to more funding than all the other provinces. The gloves are the best option as they do not have anything like them, and I can buy large quantities to outfit all the police women."
Be safe, Alison. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the only issue in our streets is the ongoing debate over whether we have too many bicycle lanes or too few. Aren't we lucky to live where we do?
This Wednesday's Rotary meeting included 13 members and no visitors. You can tell the summer tourist season is over. President Julie Mantle welcomed everyone to our non-secret meeting and we noted that several members held a private meeting last week at a pub that hasn't been identified to the rest of us.
Club news
The only remaining tasks for our photo contest are to publish the book of winning entries and to minimize the ongoing charges from the web-hosting provider. Banu Tulumen, Matthew Lynam and Lori Pobuto are working on these items. Then, it will be time to decide whether, when and how we might sponsor another contest.
Jim Clarke reminds everyone of the party he's organizing for this Saturday, September 22, at 7:30 pm at Ironworks in Gastown (Alexander and Main Streets), featuring live music, food and beverages. Admission is by donation with proceeds to assist our special school project in Leon, Mexico. Invite your friends!
Our Hoop-a-Thon is being broadened to include education and other programs in the downtown East Side, in addition to basketball. The new name may be Strathcona Youth Programs, which is descriptive but doesn't have much marketing sizzle. Any suggestions? Early planning to increase corporate sponsorships needs to start now, so a committee is being formed. Please volunteer.
Today's program
Our speaker was Josey Kitson, Executive Director for Canada of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), who is on a western tour from her Toronto office. WESP is a global organization, with 17 offices and working in 50 countries, but is not a shelter like SPCA. Rather, WSPA promotes "good animal welfare" including freedom from physical and mental pain, plus good environments for animals including farm animals. In Canada, WSPA works in many First Nations communites and in developing countries elsewhere.
With a goal to "end animal cruelty," WSPA involves governments, veterinarians and education providers in several areas of concern:
1. disaster management -- the effects on animals of earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, for example;
2. humane and sustainable agriculture -- promoting free-range environments for chickens and other farm animals;
3. companion animals -- fear of rabies among dogs is a problem in developing countries so vaccinations are promoted;
4. oceans and wildlife -- especially inhumane treatment of captured bears;
5. private trade in wildlife and animal parts.
Josey left us some pamphlets describing a number of WSPA programs with headlines like "What's On Your Plate?", "No More Bullfights", and "Choose Cage-Free" eggs.
Next week's meeting
I'll be on my annual Seniors' Bike Ride on Vancouver Island and will miss the club business meeting. I can promise, however, a much better bulletin, as Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to be guest editor. Cheers.
Rob