This week we welcomed 10 members, we also hosted several members of the King George secondary Interact club as well as Tom Smith who served as district membership chair and our guest speaker, Edward de Aguilera from Project Amigo.
Announcements:
* Project Amigo Day of the Dead dinner is on October 27. Please spread the word to family, friends, and colleagues, and plan to help fill a table. Here is the link to buy tickets:
https://www.facebook.com/events/275351226413658/
*October 14th we will be serving with other volunteers, including the Salvation Army and Strathcona Youth at the Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser for Street Front. Please sign up with Abigail.
Rotary Moment
Ron reminded us of the history of RYLA. RYLA's beginnings can be traced to Queensland, Australia in 1959. For Queensland's centennial, a Festival Week in Brisbane was planned for young people in the same age group as Princess Alexandra, the official representative for the Queen. This week was called "Gundoo" which is the aboriginal word for "festival" or "fun together".
The government extended an invitation for two young people, between the ages of 17 and 23, from each Shire to attend "Gundoo". The Queensland government approached the Rotary Club of Brisbane to assist with the organization of the week's activities and the guests' living accommodations.
Approximately 300 people from around the country attended "Gundoo". There were many problems with the festival, but the "Gundoo" committee felt that Rotary should take it over and run it as an annual project.
Guest Speaker
Our guest speaker today was Edward DeAguilera, who serves at the United States Chief Development Officer for Project Amigo.
Project Amigo began informally when Ted Rose visited the state of Colima in 1984 to climb a volcano. He took the wrong bus, didn't get to the volcano, and found himself in a poverty-stricken village named Cofradia de Suchitlan. That mistake, and a few other fortuitous events, led to his decision a couple of years later to trade his comfortable life as the owner of an office machine company for a life surrounded by wonderful, and very poor, children who appeared to need a helping hand if they were to break out of poverty.
Ted and Susan are now retired, and Project Amigo is led by a talented, dynamic group of over 20 staff members. The program continues to grow and evolve. In 2016, an Education Center opened in Queseria to better serve the young people who live in the migrant camp. Over 1,400 students have been served by our program through a field trip to the turtle preserve, to finishing high school, to over 60 students graduating from university. Of those 60 university graduates, 95% are employed.
Thought of the day:
The happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others. Gordon B. Hinckley
Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
About Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary