Cam Scott
President
President Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
The Rotary Foundation
The Rotary Foundation
Immediate Past President
Membership
Public Relations
Club Administration
Executive Secretary/Director
Youth
Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
On April 22nd, we welcomed the return of full-court action at the Strathcona Community Centre for our 2023 signature Hoop-A-Thon fundraising project to support kids at risk with scholarships, basketball and youth leadership programs.
This year again, we welcomed partner Rotary, Rotaract and Interact clubs from across District 5040 and corporate donors who participated in the event.
Pictured above are: Chris Gailus from Media Sponsor Global BC TV who raised over $6500 this year through his expert shots and social media support; and VP of Finance, Dallas Leung, from Corporate Sponsor Global Container Terminals shown beside King George Interact President Malena who led her team of high schoolers to raise funds for the Downtown Battered Women's Shelter.
The top team award goes to the Vancouver Young Professionals Rotaract Club team pictured below. Gunesh, in the centre was the day's top shooter, sinking 22 baskets in one minute.
The final tally of funds raised will be available in June, but, at the end of April, Hoop-A-Thon project leader Gary Chomyn reported that we have already met our $50,000 target!!
Enjoy more event photos on our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wHGhEcO-JE
The month closed out with extra Hoop-A-Thon highlights at the District 5040 Rotary Conference April 28th-30th. Past President Ed gave a wildly successful presentation promoting the one-minute Hoops fundraising formula followed by a live demonstration with celebrity District shooters that raised over $2500 for Food Banks BC. Thanks to our other Sunrise club members, President Cam, Frances, Vicente, Lawrence, and Diana who staffed the House of Friendship Hoop-A-Thon information table, attended the conference learning sessions and Gala dinner, and represented our club over the three days. | |
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Pictured above are scenes from the conference including headline photo "Hoop-A-Thon twins" Ron (aka the Rotary Bunny who kept speakers and attendees on time and task) and Strathcona Basketball alumnus and local basketball coach Dimitri Harris.
We are especially grateful for Dimitri's help. He went to great lengths to find and transport a portable basketball hoop to the Pinnacle Hotel, and without that commitment and effort, we could not have staged our live conference Hoop-A-Thon fundraiser for Food Banks BC.
Demitri joined the Strathcona Basketball program as a 6-year old, and, after many triumphs and challenges, he now serves as a basketball coach as well as a mentor to young people in Vancouver and Northshore communities - a true champion! You can read some of his story here: https://joutreachsociety2014.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/harris-demitri.pdf
Jarek Jakubec is a Senior Rocks Mechanics Engineer and diamond deposit specialist with SRK Consulting. He is a lifelong athlete who has climbed the summits of over 70 volcanoes around the globe.
Jarek (pictured above in the yellow jacket) joined our April 26th meeting to share his harrowing experience in November 2021 surviving a mountaineering accident on the descent from the summit of Nevado del Colima in Colombia.
The climbing team was at an elevation of 4,750 metres when a less experienced climber dislodged a 1.5 tonne boulder that hit Jarek on the rope below, fracturing his legs and pelvis in multiple places. It took a team of 5 people over 8 hours to carry him down to base camp 4,000m by lifting his stretchered in 2-minute intervals. Luckily, he was evacuated by a Black Hawk Special Forces helicopter and received life-saving surgery in Bogotá one week after the accident.
Jarek was able to medevac home to Vancouver shortly after surgery and began a two-year rehabilitation process to regain his ability to walk. Proving that anything is possible, he recently completed the GranFondo Whistler bike ride and is back on his mission to summit the rest of world's volcanic peaks.
The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program for young people ages 16-18 returned to full force, March 25-28, at Camp Elphinstone on the Sunshine Coast after a multi-year pandemic absence.
We are proud to have sponsored five high school students to attend RYLA South which provides indoor and outdoor interactive workshops, team-building exercises, professional speakers, hands-on service projects and other fun activities.
Special thanks to the hard work and commitment of our very own James Fox, District 5040 RYLA Chair, who leads this great program!
On March 29th, Kaustav Ghosh joined us to share his personal and professional experiences in Rotary and creating impactful branding and marketing campaigns.
Kaustav is a creative and passionate business consultant and former District Rotaract Representative in India who recently moved to Vancouver. He spoke to us about two campaigns that he and his wife, Laxmi Sorte, created to assist over 800 small businesses in India that were struggling during the pandemic.
We are also delighted to report that Kaustav will be officially joining our club as a new member in April - which is the best gift of all by allowing us to share in his upcoming Canadian marketing and travel adventures!
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We celebrated International Women's Day at our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise with a special presentation by club member Abigail Turner about her recent motorcycle ride across four Rotary Districts in India. The Ride for Rotary is a Rotary Foundation fundraising event where participants experience Indian heritage, culture and hospitality along with an exchange of Rotary fellowship.
We could almost feel the warm wind at our backs as Abigail shared pictures and stories of this incredible and sometimes harrowing experience - watch out for those trucks and cows!
Our youngest Rotarians, members of the Strathcona Elementary EarlyAct Club were inspired by their youth mentors at the Strathcona Interact Club to partner with ToysRUs in gathering donated toys, wrapping them and delivering them to kids in five different Kindergarten classrooms and a local Parents Support Group.
Pictured above are some of the lucky recipients - and please note that only those with school photo permission waivers are in the shot ;D
Cheers and thank you to our high-powered Finance Committee members who met recently to balance our books.
The venue was the Terminal City Club, and it was reported that the Happy Hour timing was entirely coincidental.
 | One of our members, Ron Suzuki, received this thank-you gift for his recent presentation to the Richmond Rotary Club. It also serves as a useful reminder of our club's Values Statement and the standards that we each aspire to fulfil at work and in life as Rotarians. |
Paul van Westendorp, BC's Provincial Apiarist, and member of the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen, joined us on March 15th, to tell us about recent efforts to address local outbreaks of the Northern Giant Hornet in BC and Washington State. Previously known as the Giant Asian Hornet, (whose scientific name is Vespa Mandarinia), its presence here was first reported by a vigilant beekeeper in Nanaimo.
This non-native species seems to have hitched a ride on a container ship from Korea or Japan, and scientists on both sides of the border have been working to locate and destroy the nests of these fierce predators of honeybees and their food sources. Hopefully, 2023 will "bee" the last year that Paul and his colleagues will need to surveil and patrol for these critters!
On February 22, we celebrated a special birthday milestone for our longest-serving and most distinguished member, Vicente Asuncion. Joining us for this very special occasion were Vic's wife Maryanne, son Ben, plus former club mates from the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra: Hans Doge, Dawn Sadler and Don Yerba.
Thank you for giving us a wonderful excuse to have cake with our coffee and breakfast Vicente!
Our hats are off to the inspiring young members of the University Hill Interact Club who launched their new club with a successful Toque and Sock Drive for the Homeless - pictured here with members of Vancouver's Park Rangers whose work brings them into contact with members of the city's homeless population.
Service Above Self was on full display when Teacher Sponsors and youth from our Strathcona Elementary EarlyAct Club showed up for a Pro-D day of training on February 17th.
Thirty-six of these dedicated young people learned how to serve as Peer Helpers for their fellow students with a goal to make school recess and lunch hours safer and more inclusive for all. How to lead the way, future Rotarians!
Our members' holiday stories at our Welcome Home meeting raised spirits and a few bucks for Rotary's Polio Plus campaign.
- Visits and travel with loved ones to Point Roberts, London, England and Mexico.
- Christmas Eve partying with 51 first cousins.
- New Year's Day beach patrol at English Bay with 20,000+ Polar Bear dippers.
- Surviving your kids' first clubbing night out.
- And...apparently some people just can't get too much gravy.
Welcome 2023 and here's hoping you bring peace on earth, better health, and more laughter to all!
PEDAL Society's shop manager Sarah Thomas joined our January 18th meeting to tell us about the work being done by her organization to help current and would-be cyclists access and maintain their bikes.
Founded in 1993, PEDAL offers services and programs through its bike shop at Main & Broadway in Vancouver and with local and global partners. Sarah told us about a few:
- Donating PEDAL-designed bicycle-powered coffee grinding machinery to a worker-owned co-op in Guatemala.
- Deaf Access programs for hearing impaired riders to learn from PEDAL's ASL speaking mechanic.
- Women Trans Queer Nights for maintenance and safety skills attended by 110 participants in 2022.
- Gear Up Mechanics Training program giving youth with job barriers an opportunity to gain bicycle mechanic working experience, while giving back by restoring bicycles for donations.
- Contributing to our environment by refurbishing or recyling 660 bikes, almost 1900 wheels, and 620 tubes.
PEDAL is 100% run with support from volunteers, grants, and partners including Arc'teryx, City of Vancouver, KidSafe, and the Vancouver Community Bike Network.
PEDAL Society's shop manager Sarah Thomas joined our January 18th meeting to tell us about the work being done by her organization to help current and would-be cyclists access and maintain their bikes.
Founded in 1993, PEDAL offers services and programs through its bike shop at Main & Broadway in Vancouver and with local and global partners. Sarah told us about a few:
- Donating PEDAL-designed bicycle-powered coffee grinding machinery to a worker-owned co-op in Guatemala.
- Deaf Access programs for hearing impaired riders to learn from PEDAL's ASL speaking mechanic.
- Women Trans Queer Nights for maintenance and safety skills attended by 110 participants in 2022.
- Gear Up Mechanics Training program giving youth with job barriers an opportunity to gain bicycle mechanic working experience, while giving back by restoring bicycles for donations.
- Contributing to our environment by refurbishing or recyling 660 bikes, almost 1900 wheels, and 620 tubes.
PEDAL is 100% funded by donations, grants and volunteers, and partners with sponsors like Arc'teryx,City of Vancouver, KidSafe, and the Vancouver Community Bike Network.
At long last, we returned to our Club's home base meeting location at the Coal Harbour Community Centre (CHCC) on January 11th. Why do we love it so much? Here are just a few of the reasons:
- The best waterfront view in downtown Vancouver, bar none!
- With meetings that run from 7:30 to 8:30am, street parking is free prior to 9am at nearby metered spots along West Hastings, Broughton, Jervis and Cordova Streets.
- Lung fulls of fresh sea air on your way to and from our weekly Rotary meeting.
- Come-as-you-are dress code. Shorts, yoga pants or a suit and tie are all welcome!
- Free wifi access - see https://vancouver.ca/your-government/vanwifi.aspx for instructions.
- Provides a stunning and welcoming destination for visitors to our beautiful city!
Given the new school construction taking place immediately south of the CHCC, access to our waterfront meeting room is via the alternative entrance marked by the Vancouver Sunrise sandwich board sign. You can’t miss it as you walk along the sea wall. See you soon!
Strathcona Interactors collected donations, wrapped and delivered over 200 toys to children in need in the Strathcona area in partnership with:
- Britannia Community Action Program for Children
- Strathcona Community Centre
- Strathcona Elementary
- Xpey̓ Elementary, and the
- Hastings Community Centre.
Judging by the pictures it looks like they had lots of fun performing this service for kids in need too. For more inspiration, check out their video on Youtube here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PjLlS7jkza4&list=PL7t0sYrOyWZWMYVkGR_Jab7YhDsvy8XrU
We closed out our Rotary meetings in the month of November with an uplifting presentation by Brianne Oswald, Partnerships Manager of the Sunshine Foundation.
The Foundation was created in 1987 to help youth, ages 11-21 living with severe physical disabilities, to identify their future vision and to take a step towards realizing that potential. Too often, these young people have their dreams defined by the physical limitations and challenges that able-bodied members of their communities see.
Research shows that overcoming obstacles in adolescence, with the right supports, can foster mental resilience and positive growth. A couple of the stories Brianne shared with us demonstrates this formula in action.
- Razan, above, had her future dream career as a DJ accelerated with the gift of music equipment and is now working at venues where she previously was never invited.
- Allayah, below, is a Grade 12 student, and an aspiring lawyer who happens to be paralyzed and relies on her family to support her daily needs. During the pandemic, Allayah's ability to research politics and the law was limited to times when she could access a borrowed Chromebook from her school - until the Sunshine Foundation gave her a laptop to increase her independence.
The Sunshine Foundation works with youth and families across Canada to build confidence, independence and optimism to boost their mental health and future goals. For more information on their work and results check out https://www.sunshine.ca.
Always prepared to help out, our amazing Strathcona Interactors spent a weekend afternoon in November preparing personal hygiene kits to hand out to residents on the Downtown Eastside.
On November 16th, Dr. Cathy Wang joined us to provide practical tips to address the daunting reality that for 1 in 4 adult Canadians, high blood pressure is the #1 risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease.
Cathy is a Clinical Instructor in UBC's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and the business owner and manager of 360Care Denman Pharmacy in Vancouver's West End - https://360carepharmacy.com.
High blood pressure, or "hypertension" is affected by two sets of risk factors:
- those things we can't control including our genetics, our age and gender; and
- risks we can control or influence, especially our nutrition, level of physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol use.
Pharmacies provide free access to blood pressure readers with simple instructions. So next time you're out and about picking up groceries, prescriptions, or a lottery ticket, take a moment to roll up your sleeve and give your heart a first and second thought!
Our little club made the international newswire with a feature story in the October 2022 issue of Rotary International's Rotarian Magazine.
Check it out here:
On a rainy October 24th evening, a hardy group of 75 Rotarians, family members and friends donned their Gortex jackets and red regalia to celebrate and raise awareness about Rotary International's End Polio Now campaign. Two groups - one from downtown and one from City Hall - participated and met up at Science World.
The event started with the City of Vancouver's Polio Proclamation being signed at City Hall by Councillor Peter Fry. He was joined by Councillor Lisa Dominato and representatives from each of Vancouver's Rotary Clubs, as well as DG John Berry and Mary Anne Velayo.
Reminder! You can still make your annual Polio Plus donation or help the cause by donating through AG Mary Anne's donation site here and get a tax receipt plus personal and club recognition for your contribution:
If we ever seek more inspiration as Rotarians, we need only consult our youth clubs. This month, our Strathcona Interact Club (pictured below), kicked off their new year with a working session to plan their community service projects. Here's their starting list:
- A Toiletries Drive for the local Homeless
- A Community Movie Night Fundraiser,
- A Community Skate with Hot Chocolate
- A Toy Drive for Children at Strathcona and Raycam Community Centres
- A Community Cleanup with Strathcona Policing Center
- Volunteering to help the City of Vancouver with a Community Solid Waste Disposal Day.
Can't wait to see the results!
Rotary International's first woman leader, Jennifer Jones, has made Empowering Girls one of the four presidential initiatives for her Imagine Rotary year. The Empowering Girls initiative is Rotary International's commitment to making a lasting impact on a generation of girls. Through the Empowering Girls Initiative, Rotary members worldwide are working to enhance girls’ safety, health, education, and well-being.
Our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise is proud to be a founding sponsor of the Girls Who LEAP (Lead to Empower & Act with Purpose) program that provides leadership and mentorship opportunities as well as early intervention supports for at-risk female-identifying and non-binary youth in our local Downtown Eastside and Grandview Woodlands communities https://www.girlswholeap.com.
On a sunny August weekend, participants, mentors and elders of the Girls Who LEAP program gathered for a BBQ picnic to celebrate the third successful year of this amazing program that now serves over 120+ girls between grades 6-12 and onwards.
We can't wait to see what these future community and organizational leaders will accomplish this year!
Why is Empowering Girls a Priority for President Jennifer Jones and Rotary?
The next time you visit a local seniors' care home, check into a fresh room in a hotel, bite into a local peach or enjoy a sip of BC wine, you might want to consider the challenges facing the 6,000 migrant workers who deliver these services each year for our communities.
On August 31st, we welcomed Hugo Velazquez to speak to us about about the work he leads to support migrant workers in our province. Hugo is a lawyer, local Mexican diplomat and the Senior Manager of Community Outreach, Advocacy and Migrant Programs for MOSAIC BC.
MOSAIC is the largest organization in Canada providing settlement support services for immigrants and new Canadians, including serving as the lead agency for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in BC. MOSAIC's support services are delivered in English, French, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Tagalog and translation and interpretation support is also available in over 50 languages.
Thanks to the amazing support from our partner Rotarians, Rotaractors and corporate sponsors, we were able to hand out $36,000 in awards to all 13 applicants to our 2022 Hoop-a-thon Rotary Youth Leadership Scholarships this year.
Hear from the students what these awards mean to them...
There was no better way to kick off the new Rotary year than by presenting the proceeds of our 2022 Hoop-a-thon fundraising campaign to an incredible group of young students and youth program leaders!
This year's campaign set another new record by surpassing our target of $50,000 by almost $10K and brought our Hoop-A-Thon fundraising total to over a half million dollars for kids at risk.
How did we distribute the funds you might ask...
No brass bands were available on short notice, however, District Governor John Berry and Assistant District Governor Mary Anne Velayo presided over our transition meeting on July 6th and led the swearing in of our President Cam Scott and our Club Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 Rotary year. A huge thank you to our leaders for their time and service in guiding our club affairs!
All the hard work and planning paid off on the morning of Saturday April 23rd, when Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors and supporters showed up to raise funds at our annual Hoop-a-thon fundraiser.One of the highlights of the day was the participation of Global BC TV News Anchor Chris Gailus - pictured above addressing the group. Chris has been a strong supporter of the Hoop-a-thon event in recent years, and, this year he surpassed his previous free-throw record when he sank 18 baskets in one minute to raise over $3000 through his effort.
One of our June highlights was a neighbourhood Pride Parade that was organized and led by our Strathcona Elementary School EarlyAct Club members on June 16th.
Undaunted by the stops and starts of changing pandemic restrictions, and with strong support from teacher sponsor Doug Sherrett and seed funding from our Sunrise club, the 30+ member EarlyAct Club at Strathcona started work on this service project in early May.
The results were nothing short of spectacular!
Shout out to the UBC Rotaractors who provided an outlet for their fellow students' April's end-of-term stress relief with a creative fundraising event called the "Car Smash"!
A little known chapter in the history of our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise is the club's past contribution to growing Rotary in Ukraine.
With pandemic restrictions easing in March, our King George Interactors (pictured above) were busy in March working on their seven (yes, 7!) projects to support Reconciliation.
What's a Hoop-a-thon? For those who don’t know, Hoop-A-Thon is our club's signature fundraising event based on pledges in support of the number of free throws each participant can sink in one minute. The funds raised go to scholarships, local youth leadership programs and the basketball program at Strathcona Community Centre (SCC).
Anissa Lau, an Outreach and Event Coordinator for Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers (MVCS), gave an excellent presentation on February 23rd to inform us about Crime Stoppers and its community safety work.
Crime Stoppers is a completely independent, not-for-profit organization that takes information from anonymous members of the public about crimes past, present and future. They offer cash rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to a charge or an arrest. Callers are given a code number which is used for case updates and rewards. Tipsters are never asked to testify (they are protected by the Supreme Court of Canada).
Our guest speaker at our January 12, 2022 meeting was Lorelei Higgins who spoke to us about the shared path of Truth and Reconciliation.
Lorelei has deep professional and personal experience on this topic. As a Métis Canadian, she comes by her peacebuilding roots naturally. Her Métis heritage can be traced from the Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba where her great-grandfather came across to Canada from Kent, England, and met her great-grandmother – a Cree and Ojibwe community leader.
RYLA Changes Lives
On December 15th, our own James Fox updated us on what’s happening with RYLA in 2022. James has been a key leader as co-director of District 5040's RYLA South program for 8 years. He will take on an even bigger leadership role as RYLA Chair for the District in 2022.
RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and is a cornerstone leadership development program of Rotary International. RYLA gathers young leaders ages 14-30 in a supportive environment to develop and inspire growth and leadership skills for positive community change.
Tuesday November 30th was a banner day as we officially launched the first EarlyAct club in Vancouver at Strathcona Elementary School. What's an EarlyAct Club you might ask? Read about the "family" of Rotary clubs for all generations in the story below about our recent presentation to the Vancouver School Board.
A giant thank you to teacher Doug Sherrett and our club member Ron Suzuki who have been the drivers behind this initiative and the main reason we were able to get this initiative up and running in spite of the pandemic challenges.
On November 18th, a delegation of President Ed and members Frances and Diana from our club attended the General Assembly meeting of the Vancouver School Board (VSB) where we made a presentation to elected School Board Trustees and other Board representatives and staff, including teacher, union and student representatives.
Vancouver Sunrise members welcomed District Governor (DG) Lorne Calder to our meeting for his “official visit” and presentation on November 24th.
Lorne launched the meeting by presenting a series of awards. Congratulations and a big thank you to club members Sarah and Thomas Reppchen for their achievement of Paul Harris Society and Polio Plus Society membership – the first recognizing $1000 USD / year individual donations to the RI Foundation and the latter $100 USD / year individual donations to Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign. Sarah and Thomas are pictured above receiving their award pins.
DG Lorne continued the award procession by presenting Past President Carlos Obregon with a Polio Plus recognition for achieving the annual goal set last year for our club's fundraising for the Polio Plus campaign. Thanks to all members for putting those Happy Bucks to good use!
Vancouver City Hall, Science World and BC Place were glowing in red on October 24th to recognize Rotary's World Polio Day and to promote Rotary's Polio Plus campaign.
Nicole Garton was our guest speaker on October 27th and spoke to us about the importance of ensuring you have at least the essentials for wills and estate planning in place to prepare for the unexpected. There are many risks and problems that can arise for the estimated one-third to one-half of Canadians who pass away without these measures in place.
Among our October highlight events, was the very worthy recognition of Past President Carlos who was presented with a Club Citation by Past Assistant Governor John Bathurst.
In keeping with the spirit of Canadian Thanksgiving, October was a month of bounty for our club as we welcomed three new members to our growing Rotary Vancouver Sunrise family: Natalia Cabrera, Miguel Buitrago and Jessica Singh.
On October 20th, Dominic Vogel, a Cyber Security Specialist, spoke to us about cyber risk. Dominic is a frequent security commentator on radio/TV/social media and was recently appointed to the BC Provincial Cyber Security Advisory Committee.
Our club added dollars to dedication on October 9th when we presented a donation to Food on the Corner, a program that provides meals to over 150 people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood every Saturday morning from 11 to noon.
From the Frontlines to the Headlines in Afghanistan
Dr. Lauryn Oates is the Executive Director of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan), a not-for-profit organization comprising Canadians working in partnership with Afghan women toward improving conditions of human rights, ending women’s oppression and providing opportunities for Afghan women to live their lives with dignity, certainty and purpose. Its main program areas include: (1) Investments in Basic Education; (2) Community Libraries, Literacy and Books; (3) Technology for Education; (4) Public Engagement; and (5) Afghanistan Policy Dialogue.
Lauryn spoke to our Club in August 2016 and August 2019. On September 22nd, 2021, approximately 5 weeks after the Taliban seized power, this is what she had to say regarding the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
Despite having contacts on the ground, CW4WAfghan didn’t see the total collapse coming on August 15th. Some districts were reportedly taken by as few as 4 rebels. Younger Afghans were even more frightened than Afghans who had seen the Taliban in control 20 years ago.
Women are feeling loss and hopelessness as a result of what’s happened since that time. The Taliban have removed all women from government, job losses have occurred on a large scale with women disproportionately affected, girls can go to school only until Grade 6, and women can continue attending University only if they are separated from men, which is not possible in most cases. Residents can only withdraw the equivalent of $200 per week from banks and the passport office has been closed. The Taliban seem to have no consistent policy, and, despite what they say publicly, there is real concern they will revert to old ways. Feeling that they have nothing more to lose, there have been wide-spread, women-led protests.
Despite these circumstances, CW4WAfghan remains committed to its mission of promoting the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, through ensuring access to quality educational opportunities, and finding ways to help and stay connected with Afghan women and their families during this period of uncertainty. While Lauryn’s presentation outlined a very dark and terrifying future for women in Afghanistan, the strength and determination of CW4WAfghan to support these women and their families is inspiring. To support this important work or to find out more, please visit their website: https://cw4wafghan.ca/home-idg/
Honouring Indigenous Peoples Working in Partnership with Rotary
Our speaker on September 29th was Linda Mross from the Nlka’pamux Nation and a member of the Oregon Jack Creek Band. Linda is a District Co-ordinator with Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP), a southern Ontario start-up that has grown into a nationwide movement that is receiving international attention for inspiring Indigenous and Non-Indigenous relationship building. Linda is also a member of the Rotary Club of Langley Central and served as their Club President in 2016-2017.
Linda was joined by John Currie, the Executive Director for HIP. John helped establish HIP’s Board of Directors, proudly composed of 50% Indigenous, 50% Non-Indigenous, 50% Female, 50% Male and geographically dispersed across Canada. John is currently serving as President of the Rotary Club of Pickering in Ontario. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from York University with studies in Indigenous and Canadian history.
HIP’s vision is that all Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Peoples work together, interconnected and interdependent, for the benefit of future generations. Its mission is to catalyze societal change by inspiring Indigenous and Non-Indigenous relationship building, strengthening community well-being and advancing the next generation of leaders. We learned from Linda and John's presentation that HIP and Rotary represent the “Ultimate Super Alliance” due to their shared passion and values with complementing strengths. Thank you to both of them for providing us with this practical and inspiring avenue to engage our Rotarian service with reconciliation efforts for the benefit of future generations.
For more inspiration and information, or to get involved, check out HIP's resources, including videos, blogs, podcasts and advice on terminology here: https://honouringindigenouspeoples.com
Risk Management from an Enterprise Level Down to You
Yat Cheng (pictured above with member Thomas Reppchen) is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Operational Risks at Blueshift Advisory, a Vancouver-based firm that specializes in integrated risk management services. Yat brings to this role over 15+ years of experience as a seasoned leader in strategy development, risk management, finance and audit. He has worked with leaders in the post-secondary sector, air travel, securities regulation and corporate social responsibility sectors.
On September 15th, Yat spoke to us about Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), a process designed to identify possible events that prevent an entity from achieving its objectives. The scale of the entity can range from large corporations to individuals with personal goals. The process is based on (1) the identification of the goal (s); (2) characterization of the risk; and (3) the development of a strategy of risk mitigation.
Yat provided an example of how ERM can be applied at the personal level using the example of retirement planning - see below. Three risks are identified in this example with measures to mitigate each of these risks identified. While this example is simple in concept, it highlights the need to be cognizant of the risks that our goals could encounter and take steps to mitigate those risks in order to increase the likelihood of achieving those goals. For more information about Blueshift Advisory's services and Yat's work, visit https://www.blueshifts.ca/
A Global Adventure from Backwoods to Boardrooms
There was no better way to launch September than with a classification talk on September 1st from one of our very own members, the talented Sarah Reppchen.
Sarah shared her personal and professional journey with us - from her humble "hippie" origins in an off-the-grid cabin in Burns Lake, BC to her career in the high-rise banking "power centres" across the globe.
With a heartfelt love of learning, she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as her accounting designation in Wiesbaden, Mannheim, and Frankfurt, Germany before launching her career during the midst of the 2008 financial services crisis. Sarah's focus throughout her studies and career has been on the application and effectiveness of banking regulation and supervision by individual nations and across international borders.
Throughout this journey, Sarah has also had the opportunity to enjoy her passion for travel, culture, and languages through her work with banks and regulators in some of the world's most glamorous and high-powered cities, including London, Singapore, and New York.
Sarah's curiosity and passion for financial market oversight, integrity and service were very evident during her presentation, including the walk-through she provided of the Basel Framework for global regulatory compliance. These same characteristics and values clearly also make her a natural Rotarian.
Thank you to Sarah for sharing her story and giving us a window into the complex, high-flying, and evolving world of financial services regulation. What an adventure it has been, no doubt with even more to come!
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Our 2021 Rotary HOOP-A-THON was held on Saturday April 24.
The Program featured Rotarians, The Strathcona Kids, Chris Gailus & Yvonne Schalle from GLOBAL BC, Rotoractors, Interactors and Rotarians in Germany. Thanks to our many donors who made this year’s event a huge success!
Watch it now on You Tube:
King George Secondary Interact club was recently awarded the Rotary Citation with Presidential Distinction “PLATINUM”. The Club was able to achieve goals related to Rotary's three strategic priorities: to support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase humanitarian service, and enhance Rotary's public image and awareness
We proudly share this wonderful picture of the amazing young people of the Strathcona Interact Club who spent time during their school holidays to prepare and deliver health packages of hope to seniors at the Sun Wan Senior Centre, located at 258 East Pender Street in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Bono salutes Rotary and recognizes Rotary's global campaign to eliminate this terrible disease from the world see the video below:
Our Speakers this Month
September 30, 2020 - Holly Williams Told Us about Moneyball for Professional Soccer (Data Science)
Holly Williams is a Geotechnical Engineer at SRK Consulting in Vancouver. She obtained her first Degree in Civil Engineering in 2011 and recently obtained a Master's degree in Data Science at UBC. So what is Data Science? Continuously generated and collected across every domain, data is a vast and largely untapped resource of information with the potential to reveal insights about every aspect of our lives and the world we live in. UBC's 10-month program teaches students to uncover these insights (see https://masterdatascience.ubc.ca/why-data-science). Her presentation today focused on the program-ending assignment that she and 3 colleagues completed for the Vancouver Whitecaps. The assignment required the evaluation of copious quantities of data generated by individual Whitecap's players during matches that occurred over several years, all with the intention of analyzing/ranking the value of each player. It is reminiscent of the 2011 movie, Moneyball, in which Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), manager of the Oakland Athletics, used sabermetrics to revolutionize baseball (albeit with orders of magnitude less data than Holly and her team used on behalf of the Whitecaps).
September 23, 2020 - We welcomed Rahma Naveed, from ADHD Kids Rock Foundation
Rahma Naveed is the grant writing and administrative assistant at ADHD Kids Rock, a charity that was founded by 14-year old Jeff Rasmussen to promote a safe and accessible online community for youth diagnosed with ADHD to share their experiences and access knowledge and resources - see https://www.adhdkidsrock.com. Now, several years later, the site and organization have expanded to include a blog by Jeff and learning and teaching tools developed with the assistance of experts. Rahma is currently in her last year at UBC, studying International Relations and Political Science, and is working with ADHD Kids Rock as a volunteer to promote the organization by increasing awareness and community engagement.
September 16, 2020 - We learned from Vineetha Nakka from The Centre for Epilepsy and Seizure Education in BC
Vineetha Nakka is the Education Program Coordinator at The Center for Epilepsy and Seizure Education in BC, a nonprofit organization and a member of the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance, a nationwide network of epilepsy support agencies. With 1 in 100 individuals being diagnosed with epilepsy, chances are that someone you know is affected by this condition. Implications on one’s daily life are many. They can range from memory issues, cognitive deficits, excessive fatigue and/or frequent seizures. Vineetha's presentation helped us gain a better understanding of the range of epilepsy symptoms and conditions, and the practical skills for responding to persons experiencing seizures and other symptoms.
September 9, 2020 - An Update on Project Amigo from Elly Contreras
Elly Contreras, Past District Governor for Rotary District 5370, and founder and past President of 
the Rotary
the Rotary E-club of Canada One, joined us to discuss what is happening during the pandemic with Project Amigo. Elly is
the Intermediary for the Project Amigo Canada Society initiative that our club and others have supported for the past decade. Donations provide educational scholarships, material support, enrichment activities, and health care supplies to students in the state of Colima, many of whom are from migrant farm working families.
While the Volunteer Work Weeks for Rotarians and other supporters are no longer happening due
to the pandemic, the program is still doing its important work in Colima through the staff on the ground.
Rotary club and volunteers from developed countries are also engaged in becoming
friends and sponsors of Mexican youth seeking the many advantages of education.
September 2, 2020 - Member Mark Pinnell Delivered His Classification Talk
Mark was born in 1954 in Kitchener, ON. His high school and early working years were spent in the Okanagan (i.e. owner of a TV repair business; tax preparer for H&R Block; life insurance salesman; the telephone company). He met Lee, his future wife, in Kelowna in 1974. They were married in 1975 and shortly thereafter, he was transferred to Kamloops. After multiple transfers before and after a shift to CIBC, he and Lee ended up in Cranbrook where they stayed for approximately 20 years (computer sales and repairs; “do it all” handyman at a photo shop; and information systems manager for the City of Cranbrook). He retired in 2017, at which point he and Lee moved to Vancouver. Over the next 2 years, they used Vancouver as a base for international travel (32 countries). In summary, many careers, many moves and lots of travel, and amongst all that, Mark has been involved with Rotary since 1996.
September Club Events and Member News
Trivial Matters
Congratulations to our Rotary Vancouver Sunrise Trivia Team of Ron, Mark, Carlos, Lorri, Ed, Matt, Rotaractor Sandra, and Diana who joined the bright young legal minds from Vancouver law firms in the first online Trivia Fundraiser to support youth basketball programs as part of the COVID 2020 version of the annual basketball HoopLaw fundraiser - see http://www.hooplaw.net/
Thanks to quick thinking, extensive basketball knowledge, and some creative interpretation of the 4-Way Test, the Rotary team was tied in the lead until the final round turned to science and general knowledge. With a strong third-place showing, Team Rotary Sunrise Trivia is sure to be back next year with the full, plain and true understanding that scorpions are in fact arachnids!
Paul Harris Makes a Virtual Visit....
Congratulations to President Carlos and Member Diana on receipt
of their Paul Harris Sapphire Awards this month.
2020 Stanley Cup Hockey Pool Winners
Congratulations to the Winners of our 2020 Stanley Cup Hockey Pool:
- Matthew Lynam and Gary Chomyn, compliments of the Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning, have bragging rights for the next 12 months
- Lawrence Bicknell, thanks to his family in Texas, took 2nd place with the runner-up Dallas Stars
Thanks to everyone who participated.
On Sunday June 28, in an outdoor, physically-distanced ceremony, Rotarians gathered with the successful scholarship recipients, family members and community representatives to celebrate the 2020 Rotary Youth Leadership Hoop-a-thon awards.
THANK YOU!!
The 2020 Strathcona ROTARY Youth Leadership Hoop-A-Thon Raised $52,000+
Thanks to all who donated this year during unusually difficult economic times.
Because of the generosity of Rotarians, friends, family, our Corporate Donors, The HoopLaw Tournament and the Vancouver Basketball Foundation we were able to exceed last year’s receipts!
ALL of the money raised will go towards helping kids in East Vancouver:
Scholarships: $35,000
Strathcona Basketball Program: $8,190
Rotary Youth Leadership Training (RYLA): $4,000
Girls who LEAP: (Lead, Empower, Act with Purpose): $5,000
Since 2007 the ROTARY Hoop-A-Thon Project has raised over $415,000 supporting our Youth Leadership initiatives in Vancouver.
Again, thank you for helping us help the kids!
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
The Coronavirus WILL NOT STOP Vancouver ROTARY Clubs from Helping the Kids!
The Coronavirus has interrupted the way we live, however it will not stop Vancouver ROTARY Clubs from helping the kids. This year’s Hoop-A-Thon fundraiser will go ahead, but with one change. The Strathcona Community Centre is closed so no teams will be shooting hoops this year.
Make a DONATION NOW and receive an instant Tax Receipt:
Go To: https://chim.pn/238E2xX
Visit the official page for more information: Hoopathon.ca
During this period of our shared efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus through physical distancing, self-isolation and quarantine measures, we have shifted our meetings online using Zoom.
We welcome Rotarians and guests to join our weekly online Wednesday club meeting at 7:30 am - 8:30 am PST! Please email our club president, Matthew at jestferlaffs@gmail.com to receive the meeting Zoom link details.
Stay safe everyone!
We had 15 members attending our meeting this week. We also welcomed soon to be member Reyna Dominguez and visiting Rotarian Thomas from the Vancouver club.
Announcements:
* Next week our regular meeting is canceled, we will instead have the gathering with the UBC Rotaract on Thursday.
* Our changeover lunch will be a potluck on June 20th at the Obregon's. More details to come along later.
Rotary Moment
Ron Suzuki shared the news that the Britannia girls basketball team won the provincials! More details in the Vancouver Sun link below:
Guest Speaker
This week our guest speaker was Natalia Parga, from Potluck Catering. The mission of Potluck Café Society is to transform lives by creating jobs and providing healthy food for people living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
An award–winning social enterprise, Potluck Café Society (a registered charity) owns and operates Potluck Café & Catering, a thriving business that employs neighbourhood residents and provides up to twenty-five percent of the operating revenue required to run the Society’s ongoing programs.
Learn more about this incredible project by visiting their website: https://potluckcatering.org/
Thought of the Day
“The essence of Rotary will likely continue to be as undefinable as life itself. Therefore, we cannot hope for many results from definitions of Rotary but must rely on Rotarians acquiring a working knowledge of the appropriate activities which they are expected to perform, and then urge them to carry those activities into practice in their daily lives.” ~ Guy Gundaker Rotary Club of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 1917 Rotary convention
We had 13 members attending our meeting this week. We also welcomed prospective member Reyna Dominguez and visiting Rotarian Mark P.
Announcements:
* It is with great pleasure that we announce our Rotary club president for 2021-22. Ed Kwan!
* The Hoopathon committee shared a wonderful update, the other four Rotary clubs that are participating in this year's event have now announced their pledges. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
Rotary Moment
Ron Suzuki told us about how pink shirt day started. The first Anti-Bullying Day started on Canada's East Coast in 2007 when David Shepherd and Travis Price bought 50 pink shirts and distributed them at home in Berwick, Nova Scotia. The motivation for this special day came after grade nine student Chuck McNeill wore a pink shirt on the first day of school.
Guest Speakers
This week our guest speaker was our member Cam Scott, sharing a very interesting slideshow from his trips to Africa. Please find some pics below:
Selfie at Victoria Falls
Luba early on the hike to seek Gorillas in Uganda.
Thought of the Day
“Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living." – Albert Einstein
We had 12 members attending our meeting this week.
Announcements:
* Important announcement and vote request. Please click on the link below to pick a date for a networking session with the UBC Rotaract club:
* The Hoopathon committee had their first meeting, welcoming 6 new members. The event will take place on May 9th.
* The Rotaract club of UBC will begin collecting items for care packages to be delivered to the Vancouver East side residents later this spring. Each carepack will include a simple positive message in a card or post it note.
What goes into the Care Pack:
Granola Bar
Fruit Snack
Water Bottle
Crackers
Warm Socks
Hand-wipes
Life Savers/Sugar Free Gum
Chapstick
Hand lotion
Resource List of Shelters and City Services.
Rotary Moment
Jonathan Evans told us about how he was able to make a connection between Saori Ogura, a recipient of a Global Grant from our club, and an acquaintance of his at MIT. Talk about connections!
Guest Speakers
This week our guest speakers were Franco Gallo, member of the Vancouver Rotary club, and Roger Killen, founder of "Get Inspired Talks".
Our District has partnered with "Get Inspired Talks"to host an event on May 23rd 2020 called "Rotary Get Inspired Talks".
This is the result of an overall recruitment strategy to attract new members to Rotary and help clubs achieve their growth targets. The event, which is organized and run by "Get Inspired Talks" seeks to inspire attendees to take action and make the necessary changes to improve their lives and communities.
The values of both organizations are very aligned and the District believes that Clubs will greatly benefit from this partnership, from attracting new members to receiving sponsorship funds.
Find out more by visiting the official website: https://getinspiredtalks.com/about/
Here is a video with Roger:
Thought of the Day
“Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” – Anonymous
We had 14 members attending our meeting this week. This week the meeting was to discuss our club's operations.
Announcements:
* Jonathan Evans told us that the Salvation Army was able to help out 1,400 local families this past holiday season!
* The Hoopathon this year is off to a stellar start, our club was granted a $10K District Grant and we also have $11K from Hooplaw!
* An invitation reminder for those members wanting to participate on the Rotary Leadership Institute training, the club covers the cost, just register on the district's website. The next session is scheduled for February 15th.
* RYLA North Registration now OPEN! YLA North is District 5040's premier leadership program for participants aged 19 to 30. Located at Camp Friendship in beautiful Northern BC (Prince George), this is an amazing opportunity to enhance leadership and communication skills, meet and collaborate with Rotarian leaders and make some lifelong friends.
Rotary Moment
This week we had the pleasure of awarding our member Ted MacCormack with a Paul Harris award, to add to his already extensive collection of well deserved awards. Congratulations!
Guest Speakers
This week we had our business meeting to discuss our club's operations and projects.
Thought of the Day
“Volunteers are unpaid not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” – Anonymous
We had 14 members attending our meeting this week. Our speaker was our member Diana, presenting the results of her survey regarding our club's operations.
Announcements:
* The Hoopathon 2020 will be on May 9th. The next meeting for the event will be in late January, stay tuned!
Rotary Moment
This week we skipped the Rotary Moment so we could have more time for the discussions regarding our club's operations.
Guest Speakers
This week our guest speaker was our member Diana, who just completed a brilliant research project on how to improve our club.
Some of the quick wins for implementation are:
1. Consistent, gracious acknowledgement of speakers
2. Members to provide Speaker team with names
3. Straighten up the banners and signs on display
4. Duplicate the sign for the Seawall
5. Create a make-up card
6. Consolidate emails into the Bulletin whenever possible
2. Members to provide Speaker team with names
3. Straighten up the banners and signs on display
4. Duplicate the sign for the Seawall
5. Create a make-up card
6. Consolidate emails into the Bulletin whenever possible
For other improvement discussions, there are now 3 small teams that are analyzing and pondering other improvements and changes to our club:
Team 1: Food and Meeting Costs, including:
– Potluck menu variety
– Food opt-out (e.g. coffee only) option, no charge to guests, with or without subsidies, etc.
– Reducing to 3 meetings/month
– Links to new membership categories or options (e.g. tiered fee structure)
2. Team 2: Greeter Approach / Roster
3. Team 3: Meeting Schedule / Frequency and Alternative Format
A pdf file with the slideshow of the presentation can be found here: Rotary meeting feedback
Thought of the Day
Confucius — 'Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.'
Our Rotary Interactors are collecting eyeglasses at King George Secondary School as part of our District 5040 eyeglass donation campaign.
We had 12 members and our guest speakers, John Weston and Mike Mahony.
Announcements:
* Be a star and join us for some Hollywood Glitz as Rotarians and Rotaractors across District 5040 raise fund for our Rotary Foundation. Hollywood Glitz dinner and the show takes place on Saturday, November 16th at the Burnaby Firefighters Banquet and Conference Centre and is sure to be an evening of entertainment that you don’t want to miss! Poster with details is attached.
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Rotary Moment
Ted brought us the Rotary Moment this week. With the success of the outdoor fitness circuit at one of its parks, the City of Burnaby, BC had planned long term to install a similar circuit at the popular Fraser River Foreshore Park. Along came Burnaby Rotarians – people in action – to help make it happen for the estimated 63,000 residents who use the park at least once a month.
Seeking a community service legacy project for completion in 2017 to honour Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the three Rotary Clubs of Burnaby, Burnaby Metrotown and Burnaby Deer Lake, represented by Peter Beynon and Bala Naidoo, concluded extensive feasibility assessment and negotiations with the City of Burnaby to commit to this outdoor fitness facility for the health and fitness of local residents.
Over the past two years, the three Burnaby clubs contributed to the $150,000 needed for Rotary’s share of the project funding. To achieve their goal they also received a Rotary District 5040 grant from Rotary Foundation funding, a provincial government grant thanks to help from a Burnaby MLA, sponsorships from local companies and donations from Rotary friends and families.
On September 15th over 150 Rotarians, led by District 5040 Governor Don Evans, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, city officials, seniors and park users participated in the fitness circuit’s grand opening. Having achieved this Canada 150 dream, Rotary in Burnaby has achieved a long term contribution to the strength of the community and the public image profile in such a popular location. The fitness facility represents Rotary’s community service above self and what can be achieved by Rotary as people in action.
Seeking a community service legacy project for completion in 2017 to honour Canada’s 150th Anniversary, the three Rotary Clubs of Burnaby, Burnaby Metrotown and Burnaby Deer Lake, represented by Peter Beynon and Bala Naidoo, concluded extensive feasibility assessment and negotiations with the City of Burnaby to commit to this outdoor fitness facility for the health and fitness of local residents.
Over the past two years, the three Burnaby clubs contributed to the $150,000 needed for Rotary’s share of the project funding. To achieve their goal they also received a Rotary District 5040 grant from Rotary Foundation funding, a provincial government grant thanks to help from a Burnaby MLA, sponsorships from local companies and donations from Rotary friends and families.
On September 15th over 150 Rotarians, led by District 5040 Governor Don Evans, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, city officials, seniors and park users participated in the fitness circuit’s grand opening. Having achieved this Canada 150 dream, Rotary in Burnaby has achieved a long term contribution to the strength of the community and the public image profile in such a popular location. The fitness facility represents Rotary’s community service above self and what can be achieved by Rotary as people in action.
Guest Speaker
Our Speakers today were John Weston and Mike Mahony. John Weston is a Government Relations lawyer and a former Member of Parliament who with many others is working to create a National Health and Fitness Institute. He and former Senator Nancy Greene Raine quarterbacked the National Health and Fitness Day Act, Bill S-211, through Parliament.
They spoke about The National Health and Fitness Institute, which inspires Active Citizenship to enhance the physical, mental, and spiritual health of all Canadians to Make Canada the Fittest Nation on Earth by December 31, 2030.
Learn more by visiting their official website: https://www.nhfi-insap.ca/
Thought of the Day
Confucius — 'Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.'
We had 12 members and 2 visiting Interactors from King George secondary school, Kaz McDougall and Mackenzie Kew
Announcements:
* Diana is updating our club's calendar on our website, make sure you check it often so you don't miss out anything.
* Polio Proclamation from Vancouver City Hall:
* From October 25-27, Districts 5040 and 5050 are hosting the largest Rotaract event on the west coast of North America, the Big West Rotaract Conference. This ninth annual regional conference for Rotaractors provides skill training and leadership development for our organization’s young leaders.
* Be a star and join us for some Hollywood Glitz as Rotarians and Rotaractors across District 5040 raise fund for our Rotary Foundation. Hollywood Glitz dinner and the show takes place on Saturday, November 16th at the Burnaby Firefighters Banquet and Conference Centre and is sure to be an evening of entertainment that you don’t want to miss! Poster with details is attached.
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Rotary Moment
Lorri brought us the Rotary Moment this week:
In much of the official literature of Rotary International relating to service to young people, a special slogan will be found -"Every Rotarian an Example to Youth." These words were adopted in 1949 by the Rotary International Board of Directors as an expression of commitment to children and youth in each community in which Rotary clubs exist. Serving young people has long been an important part of the Rotary program.
Youth service projects take many forms around the world. Rotarians sponsor Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, athletic teams, handicapped children's centers, school safety patrols, summer camps, recreation areas, safe driving clinics, county fairs, child care centers and children's hospitals. Many clubs provide vocational counseling, establish youth employment program and promote use of The 4 -Way Test. Increasingly, drug and alcohol abuse prevention projects are being supported by Rotarians.
In every instance, Rotarians have an opportunity to be role model for the young men and women of their community. One learns to serve by observing others. As our youth grow to become adult leaders, it is hoped each will achieve that same desire and spirit to serve future generations of children and youth.
The slogan accepted over 40 years ago is just as vital today. It is a very thoughtful challenge, "Every Rotarian an Example to Youth."
Guest Speaker
Our Speakers today were Jason Lauzon, Principal of King George Secondary, and Jessee Coomes, YFW and Archiavalist of the school.
King George Secondary School is a small school near Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver. Its small size is one of its biggest assets. While the population is diverse, students are accepting of each other and there is a strong sense of community where students feel safe. King George offers an academic program. Students may also choose electives in fine arts, business, technology, home economics, and physical education. Second language courses are offered in French and Spanish.
These are some of the highlights from their presentation:
* KGS currently has 550 students, who speak over 50 different languages!
* The KGS Interact club currently has 27 members, making it the largest leadership club in the school.
Thought of the Day
You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages. - Michelle Obama
The rain was no deterrent on Sunday October 20, 2019, as volunteers from the Vancouver Sunrise Rotary Club served up pancakes for the 400 runners and their supporters at the annual Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundations' Run https://www.shlf.ca/the-run/.
The event raises funds for the amazing Streetfront Alternative education program - https://streetfront.ca
Streetfront is an alternative program at Britannia Secondary School that provides at-risk grade 8 to 10 students a unique combination of 60% core academics and 40% sports and outdoor education. The East Vancouver alternative program is economically, ethnically and socially diverse and serves kids who have struggled to cope in mainstream classes.
We had 13 members and 2 visiting Rotarians, Brian Street from the Vancouver club and Mary French who is the CEO and founder of the Dictionary Project
Announcements:
* For our next meeting on Oct. 23, 2019, our guest speakers will be Jason Lauzon, Principal of the King Jorge Secondary School and School Ambassador Jesse.
* Our club's Christmas party is formally scheduled for December 14th. It will be at the Obregon's house like last year. More details to come.
* October 24th is World Polio Day. We have a photo opp with the Vancouver Major on October 18th at 3 pm at City Hall; please try to attend!
* From October 25-27, Districts 5040 and 5050 are hosting the largest Rotaract event on the west coast of North America, the Big West Rotaract Conference. This ninth annual regional conference for Rotaractors provides skill training and leadership development for our organization’s young leaders.
* Be a star and join us for some Hollywood Glitz as Rotarians and Rotaractors across District 5040 raise fund for our Rotary Foundation. Hollywood Glitz dinner and the show takes place on Saturday, November 16th at the Burnaby Firefighters Banquet and Conference Centre and is sure to be an evening of entertainment that you don’t want to miss! Poster with details is attached.
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Rotary Moment:
Mary French, the founder of the dictionary project, brought us the Rotary moment today. The goal of this program is to assist all students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come. Educators see third grade as the dividing line between learning to read and reading to learn, so we encourage our sponsors to give dictionaries each year to children in the third grade.
Learn more about this program by visiting their official website: https://www.dictionaryproject.org
Guest Speaker
Our Speaker today was Trevor Stokes, who runs the Street Front Alternative program.
Streetfront is a Vancouver School Board alternative education program based out of Britannia Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Streetfront approaches education with an emphasis on physical activities and outdoor experiences. They offer classes in Math, Science, Socials and English for grades 8 -10. In addition, they have Physical Education, Outdoor Education, Planning, Woodworking, and Foods classes. They run three days per week, with some students training for and participating in the Seattle and Vancouver full and Half Marathons. They also spend approximately 35 days of the 190 school days in an outdoor environment – this includes the three four-day camp trips.
Watch Trevor in this TEDx talk:
Visit their website to learn more: https://streetfront.ca
Thought of the day:
You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages. - Michelle Obama
We had 11 members and Bill Sheddy as a guest.
Announcements:
* We have a tentative date for our "Guess Who is Coming to Dinner" event. It is planned for November 2nd. Please let Abigail know if you can host or attend as a guest.
* Our club's Christmas party is tentatively scheduled for December 14th. Stay tuned for more details to come along in the next few days.
* October 24th is World Polio Day. We have a photo opp with the Vancouver Major on October 18th at 3 pm at City Hall; please try to attend!
* On Saturday, September 28th we are invited to a fabulous evening of fellowship and fun. We have space reserved at Club Orange at B.C. Lions stadium to watch the Lions play Montreal with a 7:00 PM kickoff. Tickets available from Dave McLean from the Lions. His contact info is 604-930-5495 or dmaclean@bclions.com, and you can order tickets from him directly. Tickets will be available at will call.
* Be a star and join us for some Hollywood Glitz as Rotarians and Rotaractors across District 5040 raise fund for our Rotary Foundation. Hollywood Glitz dinner and the show takes place on Saturday, November 16th at the Burnaby Firefighters Banquet and Conference Centre and is sure to be an evening of entertainment that you don’t want to miss! Poster with details is attached.
Note that on this evening Rotarians can make a donation of $500 US to the Rotary Foundation that will be matched by District Points and you will receive a Paul Harris.
Tickets are now on sale online at www.burnabymetrotownrotary.org or by calling Sam Wong at 604-731-1191 ext 3
Rotary Moment:
Jonathan Evans brought us the Rotary Moment today:
How do you describe the organization called "Rotary"? There are so many characteristics of a Rotary club as well as the activities of over a million Rotarians. There are the features of service, internationality, fellowship, classifications of each vocation, development of goodwill and world understanding, the emphasis of high ethical standards, concern for other people an many more descriptive qualities.
In 1976 the Rotary International Board of Directors was interested creating a concise definition of the fundamental aspects of Rotary. They turned to the three men who were then serving on Rotary's Public Relation Committee and requested that a one-sentence definition of Rotary be prepared. After numerous drafts, the committee presented this definition, which has been used ever since in various Rotary publications:
"Rotary is an organization of business and professional person united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”
Those 31 words are worth remembering when someone asks, "What is a Rotary club?"
From https://www.rotaryeclubone.org/makeups/articles/50thingseveryrotar/
Guest Speaker
Our Speaker today was Rose Hamilton, Director of Community Partnerships & Donor Stewardship for SOS Children's Village BC.
Rose’s career spans over two decades of strategic partnership development, sustainable economic development, and project and policy development, negotiation, and implementation. She has also worked in public relations, media, and management consulting in Canada, Europe, and the USA. Clients have included national, regional, and municipal governments and agencies, non-profits, First Nations and Native American tribes, multi-cultural & education programs, as well as tourism, conference & events, and political grassroots organizations.
SOS Children’s Village BC is part of SOS Children’s Villages, the largest non-governmental, non-denominational child development organization in the world. SOS Children’s Villages has existed for 70 years with a presence in 136 countries and 559 Villages, with a seat at the UN to be the voice for the rights of children everywhere. SOS Children’s Village BC was founded in 1986 as a grassroots response to deficiencies in the provincial foster care system characterized by frequent placement breakdowns and moves for children and youth, and the separation of siblings into different homes.
Visit their website for more information: https://www.sosbc.org
Thought of the day:
You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages. - Michelle Obama
We had 11 members and Nadine Voelker, a Rotarian from Germany.
Announcements:
*On September 7, we need 6 club volunteers from 7:30-11:00 at Richmond Oval to work at the Pancake breakfast for our partnership with the Hoop-Law event. Please let Ron and Gary know if you can attend.
* On September 14 at 10 am, there is a neighborhood a clean up in the Strathcona community. Meet up at 872 East Hastings, the Strathcona Community Policing office meet. A BBQ with catering by the Butler Did it. Let Ron know if you can attend.
* Volunteers needed for the neighborhood solid waste electronics recycling day at Barclay Manor, 10 am on Saturday, October 5.
* On Saturday, September 21st the Whistler Millennium Club is putting on their annual Brandywine Bogie, a 10K run or walk on the Brandywine Trail. For more information and signup click here. Registration $40/$35. Funds raised are in support of the club's youth projects and Zero Ceiling.
* On Saturday, September 28th we are invited to a fabulous evening of fellowship and fun. We have space reserved at Club Orange at B.C. Lions stadium to watch the Lions play Montreal with a 7:00 PM kickoff. Tickets available from Dave McLean from the Lions. His contact info is 604-930-5495 or dmaclean@bclions.com and you can order tickets from him directly. Tickets will be available at will call.
Rotary Moment:
Ron shared some history and stats about how Nigeria is on the verge of being declared polio-free, which would mean the virus has been eradicated across Africa!
Guest Speaker
Our Speaker today was Lauryn Oates, Executive Director of the organization Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to advance education and educational opportunities for Afghan women and their families and to educate Canadians about human rights in Afghanistan. Donor-funded projects fall within our four main field program areas: (1) Investments in Basic Education; (2) Community Libraries, Literacy and Books Program; (3) Technology for Education; and (4) Public Engagement. For a list of the projects that fall within these programs.
Learn more on their official website: https://www.cw4wafghan.ca
Thought of the day:
"It has been the way of Rotary to focus thought upon matters in which members are in agreement, rather than upon matters in which they are in disagreement." - Paul Harris.
We had 10 members and 3 visitors today.
Daniel Baraki, a 2018 King George Graduate who received one of our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise Foundation scholarships visited us to report on his progress. He is starting his second year of his nursing degree program at McGill University and really enjoying his studies.
We also had Ajit Johl visiting Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur DiRaja in Malaysia visiting us.
Announcements:
*On September 7, we need 6 club volunteers from 7:30-11:00 at Richmond Oval to work at the Pancake breakfast for our partnership with the Hoop-Law event. Please let Ron and Gary know if you can attend.
* On September 14 at 10 am, there is a neighborhood a clean up in the Strathcona community. Meet up at 872 East Hastings, the Strathcona Community Policing office meet. A BBQ with catering by the Butler Did it. Let Ron know if you can attend.
* Volunteers needed for the neighbourhood solid waste electronics recycling day at Barclay Manor, 10 am on Saturday October 5.
Rotary Moment:
Ron shared some history and stats about the Rotary Interact program. Founded in 1972 Rotary set up Interact in order to wanted to reach out to youth in high schools. The Vision of Interact is “to create better communities through future generations.” Today there are 20,372 Interact Clubs, with a total of 468,556 Interactors. The name “Interact” means “international action.”
Guest Speaker
Our Speaker today was Brad Gray, speaking about his bicycle trip from Cairo to Capetown last year. The trip was organized by TDA Global Cycling, and is their Tour d’Afrique, lasting 4 months, from January through May.
The trip was 11,220 km, cycling 129 km/day for 88 days. A total of 50 riders were involved, with 40 completing the whole tour. The oldest was 72, the youngest was in their 30s. Six months of preparation were involved, to prepare a touring bike, obtain vaccinations, and visas. The group camped along the way except a few nights where $10/hotels were available. Security escorts were mandatory through Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan. The tour had a bicycle mechanic to address repairs, doctor, photographer, cook, tour leaders and 10 staff in total from the company. There were two tour trucks for gear and supplies and the touring company donated bicycles to communities along the way. Brad had 6 flat tires on the trip, lots of inspiring challenges and was able to cross off one of his bucket-list items and bring back incredible pictures and memories, with some key highlights shared with us. [photo below]
Thought of the day:
"You will not become who you were meant to be until you let go of the mistakes and failures of the past" - Leon Brown.
Today we welcomed 10 members. We had two visiting Rotarians, Ligia Corridor from the Miramar Pines club in Florida and Carol Brock from Coral Gables .
Announcements:
* RI President meet and greet August 17 in Surrey. Meet and Greet our new 2019-20 Rotary International President Mark Maloney at a reception on Saturday, August 17, 2019, 4 to 6 pm, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Spruce building, 12666 72 Avenue in Surrey, BC. Rotarians and their families are encouraged to come and meet Mark. Tickets are CDN$25 and children under 12 are free. Register here.
Mark is in town to speak the following day at the 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner of Canadian Eyesight Global
* Our club made the top three clubs in the district with the highest attendance in July, with 68% attendance.
* The Rotary club of Fraserview has invited us to the following event:
Rotarian luncheon with our speaker: Amie Peacock from "Beyond The conversation Society."
Date: Wednesday, August 14th, 2019
Speaker Amie Peacock from "Beyond The conversation Society."
Cost $25
Venue Seasons in the Park
Cost $25
Venue Seasons in the Park
Parking Meter parking or $7 Valet (Both same price)
Register Today!
Register Today!
Rotary Moment:
Ron brought us the Rotary moment this week. He told us about The Rotary International float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade which is undoubtedly the largest public relations project of the Rotary clubs of the United States and Canada. Since 1924 a Rotary float has been entered 18 times including every year since 1981. The famous Pasadena, California, parade is seen by an estimated 125 million people via worldwide television.
Funds for the construction of the Rotary parade entry are voluntarily given by Rotarians and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. The cost of designing, constructing and flower covering a Rose
Learn more about the float by visiting the official website: https://rotaryfloat.org/
Guest Speaker
Today our guest speaker was Const. Jason Deucette from the Vancouver Police Department.
The Vancouver Police Department celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2011. For over a century-and-a-quarter the VPD has been keeping residents of Vancouver safe with a combination of innovative crime prevention techniques and old-fashioned police work.
The men and women of the VPD believe in a level of service that routinely goes "Beyond the Call." They embrace standards of performance that include Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence (ICARE).
Check out this Geo Dash Crime Map, updated daily: link
Jason also told us about a very successful program to prevent theft and improve recovery of stolen bikes, you can register for free here: https://project529.com/garage
Thought of the day:
Zig Ziglar Quote: “Live in such a way that if someone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it.”
Today we welcomed 12 members. We had a visiting Rotarian from Curaçao, Paul Kok.
Announcements:
* RI President meet and greet August 17 in Surrey. Meet and Greet our new 2019-20 Rotary International President Mark Maloney at a reception on Saturday, August 17, 2019, 4 to 6 pm, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Spruce building, 12666 72 Avenue in Surrey, BC. Rotarians and their families are encouraged to come and meet Mark. Tickets are CDN$25 and children under 12 are free. Register here.
Mark is in town to speak the following day at the 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner of Canadian Eyesight Global
* Rick Antonson, former President & CEO of Tourism Vancouver will be one of the speakers at the District's 2020 Vision Conference, April 24-26, 2020 in Vancouver. Our focus for the conference is on "vision" and he certainly personifies that.
Here is a link to a short clip about Rick and his topic: https://youtu.be/JJ5AyJraL-g
Rotary Moment:
Guest Speaker
Today our guest speaker was our member Lorri, giving us her classification talk. She spoke about occupational work and safety.
Thought of the day:
"Man has affinity for his fellow man, regardless of race, creed, or politics, and the greater the variety, the more the zest. All friendliness needs is a sporting chance; it will take care of itself in any company." Paul Harris - 1912
Today we welcomed 12 members. We had no guests today.
Announcements:
* Gary and Ron visited the new Fairview Rotary club to talk about the Hoopathon and explore a future collaboration with them.
* Our club will be participating in the upcoming Vancouver Pride parade, please contact Ron if you would like to participate.
* There will be a Recycling Event at Barclay Manor Saturday October 5th 10:00am-1:00pm, contact Ron for more info.
* The West Vancouver Rotary club shared a video they created documenting the ride for rescue, you can watch it below:
Rotary Moment:
Lorrie brought us the Rotary moment today:
Martin Luther King Jr. — 'If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way'
Guest Speaker
Today we did not have a guest speaker, the session was to work on our strategic plan. The session was guided by Ed and Diana.
Thought of the day:
People need three things: to feel like they belong, to fell like they have a voice, to feel like they can make a difference. - Carl Michel.
Today we welcomed 10 members as well as 4 visiting Rotarians, Dean and Rhino Rohrs, Isabelle Accornero from San Francisco and Vasuki GS from India.
Announcements:
* Gary presented the final numbers for the Hoopathon, the total amount raised was a whopping $50,800!!!! Congratulations on a job very well done!
* Our club will be participating in the upcoming Vancouver Pride parade, please contact Ron if you would like to participate.
Rotary Moment:
Lorrie brought us the Rotary moment today:
"A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall." by Serena Williams.
Guest Speaker
This week our guest speaker was our former member and Past Vice President of RI Dean Rhors.
Her presentation was about the many incredible experiences she had as RI VP last year.
One of her first assignments was to represent Rotary International at the funeral for Rotary International President-elect Sam F. Owori who died unexpectedly. She was hosted along with heads of State for the funeral.
She also spoke on how Rotary is looking at new, innovative administration models and a more regionalized approach for new clubs. There is a new membership type being tested in Houston, Texas that is called "Global Membership". With this type of membership, people are not directly linked to one club in particular and are encouraged to be involved with several clubs.
Thought of the day:
Don’t forget too that goals, once met, often require maintenance. Ian Tuhovsky, Self-Discipline.
Today we welcomed 11 members.
Announcements:
* Please try to attend the meeting on July 17th, our guest speaker will be Dean Rohrs, past VP of RI and former member of our club.
* Diana provided us with a very detailed activity calendar for the next year.
* We have been offered volunteer opportunities at Repair Cafe Vancouver. Repair Cafés are community gatherings where fixer volunteers help visitors repair their broken household items. Open to the public free of charge, Repair Cafes aim to reduce waste, fix the throw-away culture, share repair knowledge and create a better community.
At a typical Repair Cafe, you can expect to see fixing stations for Electronics, Small Appliances, Textile, Jewelry, Woodwork, and Bikes. Having Port Coquitlam Rotary Club members joining their local Repair Cafe, I'd like to invite Vancouver Sunrise Rotary Club to join us - Repair Cafe Vancouver is set to launch on Aug 24 at Hillcrest Centre, with more monthly events to come.
Rotary Moment:
Lorrie brought us the Rotary moment today:
“There is nothing intangible about Rotary: It is reality itself. To give is to receive; to lose oneself is to find oneself; to be happy is to serve. These are old truths…for the individual…and the mass, whether application be in the exchange of goods, toil, knowledge, or love.” — The Meaning of Rotary, THE ROTARIAN, November 1921 as written by Crawford C. McCullough, Rotary Club of Fort William, Ontario.
Guest Speaker
This week our guest speaker was Mike McLellan, his talk was about the Deltaport Berth 4 Proposal.
Vancouver is now a top-50 global container port, and it wants to move higher up that top-50 list. Geography and goods moving efficiency are on its side. But the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) knows a capacity limitation is in the horizon.
Competition for transpacific goods movement is accelerating, not only at Seattle--Tacoma, Los Angeles-Long Beach and other major West Coast North American ports but also along the continent’s Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard.
Global Container Terminals (GCT), Canada’s largest container terminal operator and its largest maritime employer, wants to expand GCT Deltaport.
Deltaport Berth 4 would add roughly two million TEUs to the annual capacity of 2.4 million TEUs at GCT’s Roberts Bank terminal.
Deltaport Berth 4 would add roughly two million TEUs to the annual capacity of 2.4 million TEUs at GCT’s Roberts Bank terminal.
Thought of the day:
Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.” ― Jack Canfield
Today we welcomed 12 members.
Announcements:
* Please try to attend the meeting on July 17th, our guest speaker will be Dean Rohrs, past VP of RI and former member of our club.
* Ed and Diana came back from France with a banner from the Pezenas Rotary club that they visited there:
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Rotary Moment:
Lorrie brought us the Rotary moment today, she shared 2 very inspiring quotes:
Abraham Joshua Heschel — "When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people."
Jack Kerouac — “Practice kindness all day to everybody and you will realize you’re already in heaven now.”
Guest Speaker
Today we had our first business meeting of this new Rotary year. President Matthew led the meeting.
Thought of the day:
Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life forever.” by Amy Poehler.
Today we welcomed 12 members and visiting Rotarian Djaffer Ould Abdeslam from France
Announcements:
* Less than 2 weeks to go for our changeover lunch on June 23rd, don't forget to RSVP. The Evite can be found here: http://evite.me/dCVaXwcTUU
Rotary Moment
Ted brought us the Rotary Moment today, he brought us a copy of the North Shore News where they had an article about the Ride for Rescue.
You can read the article here: https://www.nsnews.com/community/rotary-ride-for-rescue-challenges-cyclists-photos-1.23849469
Guest Speaker
Today we had a business meeting.
Thought of the day:
Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver. - Barbara De Angelis
Today we welcomed 12 members and visiting Rotarian Ros Horne from the Heighton Rotary club in Australia.
Announcements:
* Today we presented $30K in scholarships. The funds were raised with the Hoopathon.
Rotary Moment
Ted brought us the Rotary Moment today, for this we watched a video named "A Rotary Moment With Mike Storey"
Mike Storey is a member of The Rotary Club of Ladner and he shares his Rotary Moment from an International event where he and his wife delivered water filters to a remote rural village in a 3rd world country. You can watch the video below:
Guest Speaker
Today our guest speaker was our member Jim Miller, giving us his classification talk.
These are some of the highlights of his presentation:
* He was born in the US but is now a Canadian citizen.
* He has a PhD in chemistry.
* He developed a drug that is now used to treat macular degeneration.
* He joined Rotary in Whistler in 2004.
Thought of the day:
The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. - Henry Kissinger.
Today we welcomed 11 members and visiting Rotarian Ros Horne from the Heighton Rotary club in Australia.
Announcements:
* The Hoopathon has now been wrapped up for this year, over $50K were raised!
* Our changeover dinner will be a lunch on June 23rd at the Obregon's. The evite was sent recently, please RSVP.
Rotary Moment
Jonathan Evans brought us the Rotary Moment today, he told us about the Rotary International conventions:
Each May or June, Rotary International holds a worldwide convention "to stimulate, inspire and inform all Rotarians at an international level." The convention, which may not be held in the same country for more than two consecutive years, is the annual meeting to conduct the business of the association. The planning process usually begins about four or five years in advance.
The RI board determines a general location and invites cities to make proposals.
The conventions are truly international events which 20,000 to 40,000 Rotarians and guests attend. All members should plan to participate in a Rotary International convention to discover the real internationality of Rotary. It is an experience you'll never forget.
Guest Speaker
Today we reviewed and discussed our strategic plan for the next few years. Everyone provided great input and the discussions were very productive.
Thought of the day:
Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all. They're underused. ~Tommy Lee Jones
Today we welcomed 14 members and our guest speaker PDG John Anderson and his wife, Claire.
Announcements:
* Reminder, this Saturday as a Service Project the Strathcona Policing Center is organizing a Neighbourhood Cleanup in one of our poorest communities if you can make it meet me outside of SPC site 872 East Hastings at 9:30 am.
* Our changeover dinner will be a lunch on June 23rd at the Obregon's. The evite was sent recently, please RSVP.
* If you would like to volunteer for the Rotary Ride for Rescue please contact Abigail ASAP. More information about the event here: https://www.rotaryrideforrescue.org/
Rotary Moment
Jonathan Evans brought us the Rotary Moment today, he told us about how every Rotarian is an example to youth.
In much of the official literature of Rotary International relating to service to young people, a special slogan will be found -"Every Rotarian an Example to Youth." These words were adopted in 1949 by the Rotary International Board of Directors as an expression of commitment to children and youth in each community in which Rotary clubs exist. Serving young people has long been an important part of the Rotary program.
Youth service projects take many forms around the world. Rotarians sponsor Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, athletic teams, handicapped children's centers, school safety patrols, summer camps, recreation areas, safe driving clinics, county fairs, child care centers and children's hospitals. Many clubs provide vocational counselling, establish youth employment program and promote the use of The 4 -Way Test. Increasingly, drug and alcohol abuse prevention projects are being supported by Rotarians.
In every instance, Rotarians have an opportunity to be a role model for the young men and women of their community. One learns to serve by observing others. As our youth grow to become adult leaders, it is hoped each will achieve that same desire and spirit to serve future generations of children and youth.
The slogan accepted over 40 years ago is just as vital today. It is a very thoughtful challenge, "Every Rotarian an Example to Youth."
Guest Speaker
Today our guest speaker was our Past District Governor John Anderson.
John is a former Delta school superintendent and he led a team of seven B.C. educators to Kenya to share their technology knowledge with teachers in four rural schools.
With the support of many of the 50 clubs in Rotary District 5040, and a grant from the international Rotary Foundation, the team of teachers was building on the work of a previous Rotary District 5040 Foundation grant that provided computer labs to two schools in the Kitui region, southeast of Nairobi.
The Kenyan teachers in the region have since reached out for support in implementing these new teaching methods in four of their schools. John said the teachers were chosen for their strength in using technology in everyday teaching. They planned the visit for months but knew their workshop material and teaching approach would have to change once they understood more clearly the needs of their Kenyan colleagues.
In November, a group of Kenyan teachers will visit B.C. to see how schools operate and continue the exchange with their Canadian colleagues.
Thought of the day:
Norman Vincent Peale — 'Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.'
Today we welcomed 15 members and the King George Interact members.
Announcements:
* We had our strategic planning meeting led by Ed Kwan. We came up with our mission and vision, which are now published on our website.
* Our changeover dinner will be a lunch on June 23rd at the Obregon's. The evite was sent recently, please RSVP.
* If you would like to volunteer for the Rotary Ride for Rescue please contact Abigail ASAP. More information about the event here: https://www.rotaryrideforrescue.org/
Rotary Moment
Jonathan Evans brought us the Rotary Moment today, he told us about the Rotary Mottoes.
The first motto of Rotary International, “He Profits Most Who Serves Best," was approved at the second Rotary Convention, held in Portland, Oregon, in August 1911. The phrase was first stated by a Chicago Rotarian, Art Sheldon, who made a speech in 1910 which included the remark, "He profits most who serves his fellows best." At about the same time, Ben Collins, president of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota, commented that the proper way to organize a Rotary club was through the principle his club had adopted-"Service, Not Self."
These two slogans, slightly modified, were formally approved to be the official mottoes of Rotary at the 1950 Convention in Detroit- "He Profits Most Who Serves Best" and "Service Above Self." The 1989 Council on Legislation established "Service Above Self" as the principal motto of Rotary since it best explains the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.
Guest Speaker
Today our guest speaker was our member and RYLA South director James Fox.
The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary’s leadership training and personal development program for young people. Youth leaders from across the province are sponsored by a participating Rotary club to attend a RYLA camp as an “award” for their demonstrated leadership and service to their community.
RYLA South is for grade 10-12 students looking for an intensive leadership and personal development training program. RYLA South’s goal is to provide participants with the skills they need to navigate their way through the challenges teens encounter in their formative years.
The 4-day camp consists of interactive workshops, teambuilding exercises, presentations from professional speakers, hands on service projects and many other fun activities
Find out more on the official RYLA website: http://ryla5040.org/
Thought of the day:
We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. - Ronald Reagan.
Today we welcomed 15 members and visiting Rotarian Angus from the Vancouver club.
Announcements:
* The Hoopathon raised over $50K. Thank you to Gary and his team!
* Our changeover dinner will be a lunch on June 23rd at the Obregon's. Evite to follow soon.
* If you would like to volunteer for the Rotary Ride for Rescue please contact Abigail ASAP. More information about the event here: https://www.rotaryrideforrescue.org/
Rotary Moment
Jonathan Evans brought us the Rotary Moment today, he told us about our wheel logo:
A wheel has been the symbol of Rotary since our earliest days. The first design was made by Chicago Rotarian Montague Bear, an engraver who drew a simple wagon wheel, with a few lines to show dust and motion. The wheel was said to illustrate "Civilization and Movement." Most of the early clubs had some form of wagon wheel on their publications and letterheads.
Finally, in 1922, it was decided that all Rotary clubs should adopt a single design as the exclusive emblem of Rotarians. Thus, in 1923, the present gear wheel, with 24 cogs and six spokes was adopted by the "Rotary International Association." A group of engineers advised that the geared wheel was mechanically unsound and would not work without a "keyway" in the center of the gear to attach it to a power shaft. So, in 1923 the keyway was added and the design which we now know was formally adopted as the official Rotary International emblem.
Guest Speaker
Today we had our monthly business meeting.
Thought of the day:
“Leaders think and talk about the solutions. Followers think and talk about the problems.” –Brian Tracy
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 12 members and 1 guest, Gloria, who is Alfredo's friend.
Announcements:
* The Hoopathon webpage is ready, check it out: http://hoopathon.ca/
* Fundraising for the Hoopathon is coming along nicely, this year we are aiming to provide 12 scholarships.
Rotary Moment
This week we skipped it.
Guest Speaker
Today we did not have a guest speaker because we had our annual hockey pool to raise funds for our club's operations. Paul Hamilton, our former member, and friend was the auctioneer. We all had a great time and even members who did not attend ended up "buying" teams 
Thought of the day:
Albert Einstein - Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 12 members and 2 guests, Ramon and Gloria, Alfredo's friends.
Announcements:
* The snowsheoing last Saturday was a success! Thank you to John for organizing.
* The Hoopathon webpage is ready, check it out: http://hoopathon.ca/
* The event at Vector Academy was a great experience for our members and the students. See the pic below:
Rotary Moment
This week we skipped it.
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Chad Clowes, from the basketball program Night Hoops. Night Hoops is a charity organization that provides late-night basketball programming for at-risk youth and offers them the chance to grow and learn in a supervised and supportive environment. In 1996, this program was created to provide a constructive recreational opportunity for teens on Friday and Saturday nights. Night Hoops’ Mission is: “To encourage healthy life choices for youth through the context of a pro-social late-night basketball program.”
Since its inception in 1996, over 4,200 boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18 have participated in Night Hoops as well as over 240 coaches. Night Hoops promotes community and personal development through teamwork, fair play, life-skills and fun.
Thought of the day:
Mae West — 'You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.'
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 15 members.
Announcements:
* Snowshoeing this Saturday at 12:30pm at Cypress Mountain.
* The Hoopathon webpage is ready, check it out: http://hoopathon.ca/
* On March 12 we will be having a burger & beer get together at Red Truck Brewing. Right after the basketball practice for the hoopathon. Contact Gary Chomyn for more details.
* Reminder about the luminosity event on April 4th at Mari Kato's school.
* Rotarians keep asking for it and now it's back - Rotary Leadership Institute.
It is one of the ways Rotarians can learn leadership skills, more about the world of Rotary and create new fellowships along the way. These facilitated
sessions are very interactive and enjoyable.
We have sessions coming up on April 13 for Parts 1 & 2 at the
Accent Inn, Burnaby.
Part 1 link for registration: https://tinyurl.com/y5jxz36u
Part 2, link to registration: https://tinyurl.com/yxakhz6a
Register now or the sessions may be cancelled.
Rotary Moment
Amazon has a program to donate a portion of all sales to the Rotary Foundation. All you have to do is start your shopping using this link: https://amzn.to/2DHbxjq
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was our member Ed Kwan giving his classification talk. Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
- He was born in Victoria, BC.
- He has had a 30-year career in HR.
- He currently works for GCT and has worked at Dairyland, BC Gas, among others.
- GCT manages 40% of Canada's containers cargo.
- Check out the video below to learn more about GCT:
Thought of the day:
Helen Keller — 'Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.'
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 16 members.
Announcements:
* The Hoopathon webpage is ready, check it out: http://hoopathon.ca/
* On March 12 we will be having a burger & beer get together at Red Truck Brewing. Right after the basketball practice for the hoopathon. Contact Gary Chomyn for more details.
* Reminder about the luminosity event on April 4th at Mari Kato's school.
Rotary Moment
How do you describe the organization called "Rotary"? There are so many characteristics of a Rotary club as well as the activities of a million Rotarians. There are the features of service, internationality, fellowship, classifications of each vocation, development of goodwill and world understanding, the emphasis of high ethical standards, concern for other people and many more descriptive qualities.
In 1976 the Rotary International Board of Directors was interested creating a concise definition of the fundamental aspects of Rotary. The turned to the three men who were then serving on Rotary's Public Relation Committee and requested that a one-sentence definition of Rotary be pre pared. After numerous drafts, the committee presented this definition, which has been used ever since in various Rotary publications:
"Rotary is an organization of business and professional person united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”
Those 31 words are worth remembering when someone asks, "What is a Rotary club?"
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was our member Gary Chomyn, doing the official kickoff for the 2019 Hoopathon!
Presented by Vancouver Rotary Clubs:
ROTARY Club of Vancouver Sunrise, ROTARY Club of Vancouver Yaletown, ROTARY Club of Vancouver and ROTARY Club of Vancouver Arbutus. We are also supported by Vancouver Young Professionals Rotaract Club.
The fundraising goal for this edition is $35,000
Thought of the day:
Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you. - John Wooden
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 14 members and our guest speaker, Gordon Johnston.
Announcements:
* We have now received the $10K district grant for the hoopathon!
* On March 12 we will be having a burger & beer get together at Red Truck Brewing. Right after the basketball practice for the hoopathon. Contact Gary Chomyn for more details.
* Reminder about the luminosity event on April 4th at Mari Kato's school.
* Our Rotary district has a number of training sessions coming up this year, please visit the official website to learn more: https://www.rotary5040.org/page/year-ahead-foundation-sessions-2019
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27.
* Our changeover dinner is coming in June.
* This Fall, likely in October, we will be having our "Guess who is coming to dinner". We will be partnering up with the West Van club for this social event.
* Our club is sponsoring 8 attendees to RYLA, this represents about 10% of the total number of participants!
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Gordon Johnston, member of the Canadian national field hockey team. He made his debut with the Canadian National Team in 2011.
He then competed with both the junior and senior national teams, helping Canada win silver at the 2012 Junior Pan American Championship before competing at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup.
He made his international multi-sport competition debut at the 2014 Commonwealth Games after being part of Canada’s second place finish at the 2014 Champions Challenge 1 in Malaysia.
In 2015 he was a part of a team and group of players who shot in two shootout wins in the FIH World League Round 3 quarterfinal against New Zealand and in the 2015 Pan Am Games semifinal against Brazil. His performance in the shootouts was key to helping Canada qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
Thought of the day:
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." - Helen Keller
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today we welcomed 13 members as well as our 2 new club members inductees, Jim Miller and Ed Kwan.
Announcements:
* We are going to be having a Luminosity event in April. Make sure you respond to Diana's Evite sent a few days ago.
* Our Rotary district has a number of training sessions coming up this year, please visit the official website to learn more: https://www.rotary5040.org/page/year-ahead-foundation-sessions-2019
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27. Global TV and its news anchor's Chris Gailus and Ivonne Schalle have confirmed their participation again this year.
Rotary Moment
Frances will be doing the Rotary moment this month. To benefit youth projects in New Westminster, such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, Adventure Programs, Youth Exchange and school hot lunch programs Rotary Clubs of Royal City and New Westminster are hosting the 24th Annual Pot of Gold Charity Golf Tournament on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, at Mayfair Lakes Golf Club in Richmond.
Also benefitting from the proceeds of the tournament are the Salvation Army (New Westminster) and Lower Mainland Purpose Society, an alternative education facility for students experiencing challenges in the regular school system.
Guest Speaker
We are very happy to induct our 2 newest members, Jim Miller and Ed Kwan.
Jim Miller has had a 20 year career in the biopharmaceutical industry. Among his many impressive achievements is the licensing of a molecule used to treat macular degeneration. Jim has been a Rotarian since 2003 and has been club president in Whistler.
Ed Kwan was born in Victoria and began his 30-year career in human resources with a number of BC based companies, including Dairyland, ICBC and Terasen Gas. Ed is passionate about sports. He plays hockey in two men's leagues, and he enjoys golfing, photography and cheering for the Canucks.
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Thought of the day:
The best competition I have is against myself to become better. John Wooden
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
Today's bulletin covers our last 2 meetings. We had a visiting Rotarian from Hong Kong. Dr Kenneth Siu, who is visiting Vancouver to support a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital.
Announcements:
* We are going to be having a Luminosity event in April. We will be visiting Mary Kato's ESL school for a meal and to chat with her students. Diana is organizing and will be sending out an evite in the next few days.
* Our Rotary district has a number of training sessions coming up this year, please visit the official website to learn more: https://www.rotary5040.org/page/year-ahead-foundation-sessions-2019
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27.
Rotary Moment
Frances will be doing the Rotary moment this month. In 2005 The Salvation Army and the Rotary ShelterBox programme partnered to assist families in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Chile and the Caribbean.
At any given time there are over 2,000 sponsored ShelterBoxes held in storage in Cornwall, ready for immediate despatch. When disaster strikes, boxes are immediately shipped from the ShelterBox warehouse in Helston, Cornwall, to wherever there is a need. Partners, such as The Salvation Army, receive the boxes and work with the local community to distribute them to those most in need, helping with their installation and providing additional care and practical support.
Guest Speaker
On Febuary 13th we held our monthly business meeting and on the 20th we had our Valentine's Day auction. Thank you to all the members who donated to the auction and congratulations to all the auction winners!
Thought of the day:
Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders - Tom Peters
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
This week we welcomed 12 members and 2 guests, Jim Miller and Anthony Kupferschmidt from the West End Seniors Network.
Announcements:
* We are going to be having a Luminosity event in April. We will be visiting Mary Kato's ESL school for a meal and to chat with her students. Diana is organizing and will be providing more details in the next few weeks.
* Next week we are having our Valentine's day auction, we need items donated for this event, please get in touch with Alfredo to make your donations.
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27.
Rotary Moment
Frances will be doing the Rotary moment this month. She told about 2 men, both born in April, William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army and Paul Harris, founder of Rotary. Both men made the world a better place!
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Anthony Kupferschmidt, Executive Director of the West End Seniors Network. Anthony has lived in Vancouver's West End for over 12 years.
He completed his MA in Gerontology at Simon Fraser University in 2009, and he has been working with older adults in a variety of settings for more than 21 years.
The WESN currently has 850 members from a total of 13K seniors who live in the West End.
The West End Seniors’ Network now operates from 3 different locations. In Denman Place Mall they run a thrift store, Clothes and Collectibles, and an Information and Referral centre, Kay’s Place. WESN’s main offices are located in Barclay Manor, a space dedicated by the City of Vancouver for seniors, where we work co-operatively with the West End Community Center to provide a variety of programs and activities.
Their mission is to enhance the quality of life of older adults by providing social, recreational, educational and supportive programs and services that foster connection and inclusion in the broader community.
Thought of the day:
When you see something beautiful in someone, tell them. It may take you a second to say it, but for them, it could last a lifetime. - Unknown
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
This week we welcomed 14 members, our ADG John Bathurst and 12 guests.
Announcements:
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27. This year the fundraising goal is $40K, the committee announced that we have secured a District grant for $10K, so we are off to a great start.
* RYLA South applications are due now.
* The Hoopathon is mentioned in this months' Rotarian magazine. In the articled named "People of action".
Rotary Moment
Our Assitant District Governor, John Bathurst, gave us the Rotary moment today. He said that one of his favourite activities as an ADG is to visit the clubs, meet members and learn about the many great projects that our clubs are engaged in.
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Peter German. A lawyer and member of the Ontario and British Columbia bars, Dr. German holds graduate degrees in law and political science, including a doctorate in law from the University of London, focussed on international asset recovery. He is the author of Proceeds of Crime and Money Laundering, published by Thomson Reuters. His awards include Officer of the Order of Merit of Police, and the Gold Medal of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law. He has also served as a Canadian delegate to various international forums.
Last June he published a report titled "Dirty Money" describing how illicit funds are laundered in casinos in the Lower Mainland. He estimates that in excess of $100 million was laundered in casinos, but acknowledged that figure could be greater.
On his report, he makes recommendations to prevent this from happening again. You can view the full 247 page report here:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Gaming_Final_Report.pdf
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Thought of the day:
"Never regret a day in your life: good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories."
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
This week we welcomed 9 members, visiting Rotarian Jim Miller and our guest speaker, Saori Ogura.
Announcements:
* Save the date! Our Hoopathon this year will be on April 27.
* John Haley, our foundation chair, has requested donations for the silent auction to take place at the Annual Rotary Foundation Dinner and Fundraiser District 5040 on March 9th. Please contact John to coordinate item dropoff.
* The Rotary Foundation developed a new online option. Beginning in February, you’ll be able to edit or cancel your recurring giving at any time by signing in to My Rotary and going to Donor Self-Service.
Rotary Moment
Diana gave us the Rotary moment today. We watched a funny video named "What is Rotary?"
You can watch the video below:
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Saori Ogura. She is a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship recipient and PhD student at the Faculty of Forestry, and UBC Public Scholar. She was the recipient of the 2017 Nikon Salon Miki Jun Inspiration Award for her photojournalism project documenting her time living in Sikkim and Darjeeling in India’s Eastern Himalayas.
Her doctoral research explores the relationships between people and nature, with a particular focus on food security through diversity of traditional crops in Mazvihwa, Zimbabwe. She aims to be a part of revitalizing indigenous, climate change tolerant crops with the community using an arts-based and participatory approach.
Thought of the day:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
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Upcoming Speakers
Past Speakers
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