November 7 2018

 

This week we welcomed 10 members and 1 visiting Rotarian and guest speaker,  Brian Kerr, from the West Van Rotary Sunrise club.

Announcements:

* On November 14th we will be hosting District Governor Darcy Long, make sure you attend that day!

* We are invited to the "Hope in the City" breakfast Wednesday, December 5 @ 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. More info here: https://salvationarmy.ca/britishcolumbia/home/events/hope-in-the-city-breakfast/

 

Rotary Moment

Alfredo told us about the memory cafes for Alzheimer's patients and their care givers. 

Memory Cafés were started in the south-west [of Great Britain] by the Rotary Club of Tiverton, as part of the Rotarians Easing Problems of Dementia initiative. As a result, the Sid Valley Memory Café was launched by the Sid Valley and Sidmouth Rotary Clubs in April, 2010, with the support of Devon County Council.

 
Initially, the café met once a month as a place where members could chat, have tea and enjoy music and other activities. After a slow start, the café grew quickly and now 40 to 50 members meet each week where they enjoy an expanded range of activities, including outings, exercise sessions and walking and gardening groups.

 

Guest Speaker

Today was our guest speaker was Brian Kerr, who spoke about Rememberance day and the crucial role that Canadian soldiers have played in armed conflicts, starting with the first world war.

History of the poppy, taken from the Canadian Legion's website:

Each November, Poppies bloom on the lapels and collars of millions of Canadians. The significance of the Poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada. Records from that time indicate how thick Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the area of Flanders, France. Fields that had been barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended. During the tremendous bombardments of the war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing the “popaver rhoeas” to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the Poppy began to disappear again.

The person who first introduced the Poppy to Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War


 

Thought of the day:

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. - Hellen Keller

 

Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary

 

About Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary