Welcome Cheryl!

 
We closed out the month of January by officially welcoming Cheryl Thomas as the newest member in our club.  Cheryl is an accomplished business professor and Rotarian who transferred to our club from the Rotary Club of Victoria Harbourside.  
 
We look forward to learning more about Cheryl in her upcoming classification talk and through sharing service activities and fellowship events in the weeks and months ahead!  
Welcome Cheryl! 2024-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

Learning & Giving Back

 
Ivy Liao, one of our 2019 Rotary-Strathcona Hoop-A-Thon scholarship recipients, was our guest speaker on January 31st.  A few years after her parents enrolled Ivy and her brother in a local table tennis club, Ivy became national champion of her age group at 10 years old, and a key member of the Canadian National senior team at age 14.  
 
Ivy completed her undergraduate degree at UBC while continuing to compete internationally, and also giving back as a coach with BC Provincial and UBC teams.  She is working as a project manager at ShEvalesco, a not-for-profit leadership organization for youth, as well as volunteering as a mentor with the Girls Who LEAP and the Face of Today Foundation. She will be start her law degree at the Allard Law School in the fall.
 
Read more about Ivy and her remarkable athletic, academic and career accomplishments here.
 
Learning & Giving Back 2024-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

Rotary Peace Efforts Past & Present

 
We launched the new calendar year with a presentation by former District 5040 Governor Chris Offer.  Chris is the Chair of the Rotary Peace Major Gifts Initiative Committee whose goal is to raise $75 million for the Rotary Peace Centers and Rotary’s peace area of focus. 
 
In addition to updating us on the contemporary impact of Rotary's Peace Centers mission to train peace leaders from across the world, Chris walked us through the legacy of Rotary International's peace work from its early 20th-centry influence in the formation of the United Nations.  Learn more about Rotary's Peace Initiatives here
 
Rotary Peace Efforts Past & Present 2024-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

Researching Youth Health & Wellness

 
Our guest on January 17th was Annie Smith, Executive Director of the McCreary Centre Society a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the health of BC youth through research, evaluation and community-based projects. 
 
Their best-known research is the BC Adolescent Health Study (AHS), which is the most extensive study of the health of BC youth. Data from the study is used by government agencies, communities, schools, and health professionals to plan programs and services for youth.
 
Annie spoke to us about their latest study, Searching for a place: The health and well-being of homeless and unstably housed youth in BC. Participants were 838 youth aged 12-27 who were homeless, unstably housed or at risk of homelessness -  those without a home, in temporary accommodation, on the street, couch surfing, staying in an SRO or shelter.  Key recommendations from the findings include:
  • More youth safe houses and shelters
  • Self-referral options for youth
  • Services for those who become homeless at a young age
  • More outreach workers and portable health services; and
  • Support to obtain ID and substance abuse and sexual health treatment.
We are grateful for the important work done by McCreary, and we look forward to having Annie return to speak to us again, after the release of the AHS in February. 
Researching Youth Health & Wellness 2024-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

Lawyers Supporting Ukraine

 
On January 17th, we were joined by three lawyers who provided us with a sobering peek into the complex humanitarian and war defence efforts in Ukraine.  
 
Jessica Lott Thompson is a former Director of the Yukon Human Rights Commission and Member of the Law Societies of British Columbia and Nunavut who works with other Canadian lawyers who volunteer to assist with human rights and legal work in Ukraine. 
 
Mariia Zivert and Nadiia Denysiuk are Ukrainian lawyers who have been volunteering their time and skills since the 2014 Russian invasion of Crimea. In February 2023, a year after the full-scale Russian invasion, Nadiia, together with Mariia and other legal colleagues, co-founded the Dead Lawyers Society charitable organization.
 
Nadiia leads the organization’s Defence Procurement projects and Mariia heads the Medical Outpost project that supports 12 hospitals near the front line and combat medic units working on evacuation of the wounded. You can donate to support their efforts at the link to the Foundation above. 
Lawyers Supporting Ukraine 2024-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

Seasonal Service Contributions

 
Our busy club member Zarina always manages to fit in time for service and was onsite at the Miyawaki Tree Planting Project at Terra Nova Park in Richmond with her daughter Aralina from the Interlink Interact club. 
 
This is a service project of the Rotaract HOPE 604 Club. Christine, the club's President, has invited our club to join in yearly...so get your boots and spades ready for next fall!
 
 
Our Strathcona Interactors and the Strathcona Youth Council baked up a storm using the kitchen facilitates at the Strathcona Community Centre, including some all-time treats: brownies, cinnamon rolls, sugar Cookies, Rice Krispie squares, and lemon tarts that went to a Christmas Eve dinner in the Downtown Eastside.  Great work all!
 
 
Since September, members of our club have been participating in the Bread Brigade partnership project with the Mountainview Rotary Club and Cob's Bread. Every second Tuesday, a small team picks up the unsold bread and pastries from Cob's and delivers them to The Osborn shelter on East Hastings.  
 
More help is needed at Cob's for January and February, so if you can spare half an hour on a Tuesday evening at 8:15 pm, please sign up here for a future shift to help package up the donations at Cob's Bread at 1702 Robson Street (corner of Robson and Bidwell) for delivery.  Thanks to Ron and Steve for their support with unloading at The Osborn.
 
 
Every second Saturday of the month our club also supports the Food on the Corner service project at 222 Main Street (near the court house) to distribute home-made soup, sandwiches, pastries, bread and coffee to seniors and others in need on the Downtown Eastside.  We need two members to help out on January 13th, so if you're available from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, please contact Ron. 
Seasonal Service Contributions 2024-01-02 08:00:00Z 0

Christmas Cheer

 
Many thanks to Carlos and Azita for hosting our club's annual Christmas potluck party and for the wonderful, warm welcome and fun that was shared by all!  Our next social event will be the return of our Guess Who's Coming to Dinner event. Stay tuned for updates.
Christmas Cheer 2023-12-30 08:00:00Z 0

Pedalling Kindness

 
Author, cyclist and kindness champion Brock Tully shared his life story and many inspiring messages of hope with us on November 22nd. 
 
Check out this documentary about Brock's life and work, Heart Rider.  Thank you Brock for your service work to create kinder, healthier communities! 
Pedalling Kindness 2023-12-04 08:00:00Z 0

Supporting West End Seniors

 
Executive Director Claudine Matlo and Yathu Radhakrishnan, Events and Communications Coordinator, joined our October 18th meeting to discuss the activities of the West End Seniors' Network (WESN). Operating out of Barclay Manor (pictured above) and a storefront at the Denman Mall since 1990, the organization has since grown to over 900 members, with 250+ volunteers supporting a wide range of social activities and programs, including health, housing, food security and recreation.  
 
For many years, our Rotary Club worked closely with WESN, serving on the Board and hosting a Christmas luncheon. We look forward to exploring how we and our King George Interact Club can support WESN's future efforts.
Supporting West End Seniors 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

Our Entrepreneurial Rockstar

 
October kicked off with a wonderful classification talk from Danison Buan, who shared his fascinating story of community service and business success.  
 
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Danison worked three jobs as a University of Winnipeg student while also volunteering at a local hospital. He later transferred to SFU's Business School which brought him to BC and to Rotary. 
 
A passionate entrepreneur, Danison has mentored, founded or co-founded an incredible number of businesses, including a tea house, a Greek restaurant, a food truck, a travel business, a bookkeeping service, and a beauty salon, to name only a few.  Eight years ago, he started ReFood, a charity that collects surplus food from grocery stores and other sources, and distributes it to individuals and families in need in local communities.  
 
Danison is a true global citizen as he regularly works in Bali and the Philippines on business and micro-finance projects while also serving on numerous charitable boards.  Five years ago, he joined the Burnaby Rotary Club and later founded the Regal Rotaract Club. Today, he chairs the District Membership Committee and our club's Grant Committee, among others.  
 
Fun facts: In addition to his business degree, Danison is a Red Seal certified chef and enjoys basketball and calligraphy in his "spare time."  Thank you Danison for choosing our club to continue your Rotary leadership and service...and we really look forward to your mentoring workshop on time management!! 
Our Entrepreneurial Rockstar 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

Raising Awareness for Polio

 
Undeterred by the wet winter weather, Rotarians, Interactors, Rotaractors and friends from across Metro Vancouver turned out for the second annual Walk to End Polio.  The walk ended at Science World, where the dome's lights sparkled in red to mark the occasion! 
 
The walk started at City Hall, with a Proclamation ceremony by Deputy Mayor Rebecca Bligh, and City Councillors Mike Klassen, Lisa Dominato, Peter Fry and Peter Meiszner who participated with District Governor Shirley-Pat and the presidents of the nine Vancouver Rotary clubs. Check out the ceremony here.  
Raising Awareness for Polio 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

Supporting Safer Communities

 
Neil Fernyhough, Executive Director of the West End and Coal Harbour Community Policing Centre spoke to us on October 11th. The non-profit organization, located at the corner of Davie and Jervis streets, coordinates education and information programs delivered by 100+ volunteers to support residents and merchants with reducing crime and street disorder and increasing personal safety - including addressing violent shoplifting and stranger attacks, home security, graffiti clean up, and pedestrian safety.
 
Interested volunteers who are willing to commit to 4 hours a month of service are invited to contact Neil for an interview.
Supporting Safer Communities 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

A Career in Curiosity

 
On October 25th, we welcomed Jamie Kemp as our newest member and on November 29th she shared her remarkable career inspiring service-based learning.  The journey began in second year studies at McMaster University when Jamie's History professor invited her to explore a Medieval manuscript with the freedom to select her own curiosity-based approach. That moment sparked a lifelong journey in international research, teaching and leadership. 
 
Jamie has taught courses in numerous European universities and in the departments of Art History and Medieval Studies at the University of Victoria. She later served as Professor of Arts & Humanities and then Interim Chief Academic Officer at Quest University Canada in Squamish. Jamie returned to Victoria as Academic Dean and Senior Educational Administrator at Pacific Design Academy, and also joined the Rotary Club of Victoria-Harbourside. 
 
Today, Jamie serves as Chief Academic Officer at LaSalle College, Vancouver, where she provides the creative inspiration for service-based learning to 20,000 applied and liberal arts post-secondary students across 23 international schools. 
 
Fun facts - Jamie is a novice rower at the Vancouver Rowing Club and has a 16th-century Italian manuscript in the University of Victoria Library collection named in her honour - the Codex Kemp - pictured below.  Thank you Jamie for sharing your passion with us! 
 
A Career in Curiosity 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

A Visit from DG Shirley-Pat

 
November kicked off with energy and inspiration thanks to a visit from our Rotary District 5040 Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain - pictured above with club members and friends.
 
Congratulations to club member Lawrence receiving his Paul Harris +8 pin and King George Interact President Wilson receiving his club's 2022-2023 Citation - pictured below.
 
 
A Visit from DG Shirley-Pat 2023-12-03 08:00:00Z 0

Sunrisers Fuelled the Hooplaw Fundraisers

 
Team Rotary Vancouver Sunrise lived up to its name with another successful early morning Pancake Breakfast to support the lawyers participating in the annual Hooplaw fundraising basketball tournament.  Proceeds from the event support local charitable projects, including our Rotary-Strathcona Youth Leadership programs.  
 
Special recognition and appreciation to:
  • Past President Cam, Luba and Ron who led the organization and pick up of donated food and supplies.
  • Jamie Kemp and her colleagues at Lasalle College's Culinary School who provided supplies and professional equipment.
  • Abigail, Emma and Jason who fought the flames and prepared a big serving of pancakes and sausages to get the party started!
Sunrisers Fuelled the Hooplaw Fundraisers 2023-10-07 07:00:00Z 0

SLP Support for Early Childhood

 
On September 20th, we took a deeper dive into September's Rotary theme of Basic Education and Literacy with an interactive and engaging presentation by Katrina Jenkins - pictured above with a proud Papa Kwan.  Katrina is a paediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) who works with Vancouver Coastal Health helping pre-school children with a wide range of communication delays and disorders to improve their speech and language skills and gain confidence.  
 
Thank you Katrina for your service supporting children and their families and making our future generations and communities stronger and brighter!
SLP Support for Early Childhood 2023-10-07 07:00:00Z 0

Serving and Growing Local Education

 
Vancouver School Board (VSB) Chair Victoria Chung spoke to us on September 13th about the Board's role and priorities and the new development underway at the Coal Harbour Community Centre.
 
The mixed-use development is a joint initiative of the VSB and the City of Vancouver and will provide an elementary school for 340 students, a child care centre with 69 seats and 60 units of social housing attached to the Community Centre. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Victoria and the VSB, the City, and this exciting initiative at our club's beautiful waterfront location!
Serving and Growing Local Education 2023-10-07 07:00:00Z 0

Growing New Rotaractors

 
Our newest club member Jamie Kemp and Ron were busy in September promoting Rotaract opportunities to students during orientation at Vancouver's Lasalle College, where Jamie is the Chief Academic Officer.  Given this dynamic duo, it can't be long before we hear about a potential new Rotaract Club in our District! 
Growing New Rotaractors 2023-10-07 07:00:00Z 0

Our Doctor of Data Science

On September 6th we were treated to a fascinating classification talk by one of our newest members, Dr. Ryan McBride.  With his dry wit and a collection of family and vacation photos, Ryan took us through his journey as a lifelong resident of Surrey and Burnaby and his career as an academic and scientist who applies mathematics and data science to real-world community problems. 
 
Along the way, we also learned about AI, Ryan's favourite travel souvenirs (tacky fridge magnets) and how he has combined a demanding teaching, research and consulting career at SFU with his passion for service through Rotaract and Rotary. Thank you Ryan for sharing your research expertise as a founding member of our Grants Committee, and for your friendship and fun! 
 
Our Doctor of Data Science 2023-10-07 07:00:00Z 0
Canada-Japan Cultural Exchange 2023-09-05 07:00:00Z 0

Global Business Collaboration

 
At our August 2nd meeting club member and marketing master Kaustav Ghosh (pictured above with our Club's new Grants Committee Chair Danison Buan and Past President Cam Scott) gave us an engaging update on his online business campaign I Support Your Business.  
 
In the past six months, the global marketing initiative has expanded beyond the original 100+ companies, with 92 new Canadian and Indian small businesses supporting one another for shared success - congratulations Kaustav!
 
Learn about the latest Indo-Canadian partnership initiative of I Support Your Business here: https://youtu.be/I_-cvz9IQFo and about the origin of this successful marketing venture here: https://youtu.be/fbPQUd2KzSI.  
Global Business Collaboration 2023-09-04 07:00:00Z 0

An Exceptional Service Leader

 
On August 9th we were treated to an inspiring presentation of the personal and professional journey of club member Zarina Rosimo. Zarina is the Operations Manager for Shelter and Outreach Services at the PHS Community Services Society, having previously worked as a Building Manager with Atira's Hutchinson Block and Hazelwood Hotel properties and for the BC Indigenous Housing Society.  
 
Prior to working in supportive housing, Zarina was a Community Support Worker with the RainCity Housing and Support Society, and a Supervisor and a Mental Health and Addiction Support Worker with the Greater Vancouver Community Services Society.  
 
Zarina brings a true service commitment to her job and to her role as a Rotarian - one that is deeply rooted in her lived experience growing up in care and having had to advocate for change and supportive programs in the school system as a young parent. 
 
Zarina transferred to our club from the Rotary Club of Vancouver Mountainview where she served as Club Secretary and received the Don Evans Award for First Nation/Indigenous Advocacy for her leadership initiating the Safe Rides for Indigenous Women and other service projects in the Downtown Eastside. She is also a member of Regal Rotaract Club and serves on the District DEI and Youth Alumni committees. 
 
We are grateful to have such a shining model of Service Above Self in our club! 
An Exceptional Service Leader 2023-09-04 07:00:00Z 0

Building Understanding Through Shared Learning

The month of August closed out with a beautiful performance of traditional Japanese dance by our friend and educator, Mari Kato with her daughters Hibiki and Shizuha - above. 
 
Mari Kato also shared her work as the owner of Focus Education Services, which builds intercultural language skills through lessons, teacher training, workshops, and global interactive events.
 
Thank you to Mari, Hibiki and Shizuha for the gift of music, story and dance. If you missed it, you can enjoy the performance on our Vancouver Sunrise YouTube channel here
Building Understanding Through Shared Learning 2023-09-04 07:00:00Z 0

It's (Not) All Business

 
At our August 23rd meeting, we discussed our 2023-2024 Action plan to continue advancing our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise Strategic Plan.  Fasten your seat belts because among our goals and plans for this Rotary year, we can look forward to:
  • A new Grant Writing Committee led by Danison to increase our Foundation impact.
  • Growing our service projects by tapping into the talents and passions of our new members.
  • Continued expansion of our Hoop-A-Thon participation with other District Rotary clubs, and
  • Even more social events for our members and friends...including the return of the popular Guess Who's Coming to Dinner event!
It's (Not) All Business 2023-09-03 07:00:00Z 0

Proud of Our Pride Support

 
 
We were proud to wave our Rotary banner and provide our support for our local Pride community through two summer events: 
  • Special thanks to Teacher Sponsor Doug Sherrett who coordinated our Strathcona Elementary EarlyAct Club's leadership of their school's second annual school pride parade in June.
  • And thank you to Ron and President Peter who organized participation by members and friends of our club and the Vancouver Young Professional Rotaract Club with the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Parks & Recreation's entries in the annual city July Pride Parade. 
Proud of Our Pride Support 2023-09-03 07:00:00Z 0

Recruiting Hoop-A-Thon Partners!

 
Gary wowed the crowd of Rotarians who attended the July 9th Vancouver Bandits Rotary Night at the Langley Events Centre.  
 
The great news is that his hard work and the drive from White Rock to Langley paid off.  Several clubs signed up to learn more about the Rotary Hoop-A-Thon for Local Communities partnership, and the Vancouver Bandits look to become a key partner going forward. Woo hoo!!
Recruiting Hoop-A-Thon Partners! 2023-08-06 07:00:00Z 0

Officially, President Peter!

 
The launch of the new Rotary year in July included the hand over of duties from our outgoing Board members to the new club leadership team, which includes our new President Peter Fox and new Treasurer, Reyna Dominguez Debernardi.  ADG Maryanne Velayo made the handover official by presenting us with the 2023-2024 banner for this year's theme, "Create Hope in the World."
 
Thank you to outgoing Treasurer James Miller for your service and to our continuing Board members, including Past President Cam Scott for your dedication and leadership.  Ready, set, go!
Officially, President Peter! 2023-08-05 07:00:00Z 0

A Membership Windfall

What better way to end the past year and welcome the new year than with the gift of three new members who joined our club at the changeover of the Rotary calendar year?  With great joy and gratitude we welcome Danison Buan, Zarina Rosimo, and Ryan McBride to our club and we look forward to serving with these these talented and dynamic young Rotarians - pictured above with Past President Cam and President Peter. 
 
Stay tuned for much, much more about Zarina, Danison and Ryan in upcoming Bulletin features, including which of them got their Ph.D before their BC driver's license, which one indulges their love of cuisine in their home "test kitchen" or when travelling the globe, and which one has received the distinguished Don Evans Award for First Nation/Indigenous Advocacy.  
A Membership Windfall 2023-08-05 07:00:00Z 0
What a Year it Was! 2023-08-05 07:00:00Z 0

Rolling In the New Rotary Year

 
Sticky fingers and lots of laughs proved to be the perfect recipe to celebrate the Rotary annual changeover with new friends and old pals. Master Chef Ron Sushi led a sushi making fundraiser and social event on July 7th at the Obregon household in North Vancouver. Funds raised will support our club's international Project Amigo, helping children of migrant workers in Colima, Mexico attend school. 
 
Special thanks to Azita and Carlos for hosting this wonderful party! Catch some of the highlights here on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I06q_7zuXSM
Rolling In the New Rotary Year 2023-08-05 07:00:00Z 0

Finishing with Finesse

King George Interactors Clean Up on the Beach and at Graduation

As their year-end service project, our amazing King George Interactors spent a sunny day in June cleaning up English Bay beach where they received a kudos and thanks from members of the community. Thank you to Dan Turville of the Strathcona Community Policing Centre for the clean-up equipment and supplies.
Congratulations to our graduating King George Secondary Interactors, who ALL received one or more scholarships, including 2022-23 President Malena Hacker and Communications Director Noah Sasaki who received our Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise Foundation's two annual scholarships. 
Finishing with Finesse 2023-07-02 07:00:00Z 0

A Local Champion

Who are these guys? To find out, read the story below under District Capers!
A Local Champion 2023-05-13 07:00:00Z 0

A Life Affirming Close Call

 
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.  
A Life Affirming Close Call 2023-05-07 07:00:00Z 0

Shooting Hoops to Support Future Leaders

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
Shooting Hoops to Support Future Leaders 2023-05-07 07:00:00Z 0

District Conference Capers

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. 
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 
District Conference Capers 2023-05-07 07:00:00Z 0

Confronting a Hornet's Nest

 
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!  
Confronting a Hornet's Nest 2023-04-05 07:00:00Z 0

RYLA South Returns!

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!
RYLA South Returns! 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

High Finance Planning

 
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. 
High Finance Planning 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

Mea Cuppa

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.
Mea Cuppa 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

Serving On An Unforgettable Ride

 
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!
Serving On An Unforgettable Ride 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

Supporting Kindergarten Students

 
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 
Supporting Kindergarten Students 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

A 101 Marketing Formula to Serve Others

 
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!
 
To learn more about Kaustav and his marketing mastery, check out his website and this video about The Honda Great Indian Travel experience:
A 101 Marketing Formula to Serve Others 2023-04-04 07:00:00Z 0

Celebrating a Man for all Seasons

 
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! 
Celebrating a Man for all Seasons 2023-03-04 08:00:00Z 0

Collecting Winter Wearables

 
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.
Collecting Winter Wearables 2023-03-04 08:00:00Z 0

Young Peer Helpers in Training

 
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!
Young Peer Helpers in Training 2023-03-04 08:00:00Z 0

PEDAL Brings Bikes to Communities

 
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 Brings Bikes to Communities 2023-02-06 08:00:00Z 0

April 22, 2023 is Hoop-A-Thon

 
Strathcona Community Centre is getting the word out about our 2023 Hoop-A-Thon fundraising event to neighbours in their Winter Bulletin. Mark your calendars to join us on the court with the kids!
April 22, 2023 is Hoop-A-Thon 2023-02-06 08:00:00Z 0

PEDAL Society's Community Bikes

 
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. 
PEDAL Society's Community Bikes 2023-02-06 08:00:00Z 0

Toys R Wrapped

 
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
Toys R Wrapped 2023-01-03 08:00:00Z 0

Holiday Happy Bucks!

 
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!
Holiday Happy Bucks! 2023-01-02 08:00:00Z 0

January 11th Return to Coal Harbour

 
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!
January 11th Return to Coal Harbour 2023-01-02 08:00:00Z 0

Sharing Sunshine Dream Possibilities

  
 
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.
 
Sharing Sunshine Dream Possibilities 2022-12-03 08:00:00Z 0
When Help is Needed, Strathcona Interactors Respond 2022-11-30 08:00:00Z 0

Take Heart Where This Risk is Concerned

 
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!
    Take Heart Where This Risk is Concerned 2022-11-30 08:00:00Z 0

    Promoting Healthy Communities & Vaccine Access

    Mark Zhou and Ajit Johal joined us on October 5th to tell us about their work as creators and drivers of immunize.io, a local not-for-profit organization that works with local and international pharmacists, community groups and health organizations to promote access and availability to approved vaccines - including support for the global polio immunization campaign.

    Ajit is the Clinical Director of immunize.io.  He teaches at UBC within the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and is the voice and face behind immunize.io's education webinars and media spotlights. Co-founder Mark is Operations Manager, and also a pharmacist who applies his experience in operations optimization, project management, technology adoption and implementation. 

    Their mission is to immunize the world against preventable diseases by promoting community access and collaboration between healthcare professionals.  Their commitment starts with a 1-for-1 promise to donate one vaccine abroad for every vaccine they administer locally.

    Thank you for the amazing work Ajit and Mark!

    Promoting Healthy Communities & Vaccine Access 2022-11-06 07:00:00Z 0

    Supporting Migrant Workers Across Our Province

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    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.
     
    Supporting Migrant Workers Across Our Province 2022-09-22 07:00:00Z 0

    Celebrating & Empowering Girls Who LEAP

     
    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?
    Celebrating & Empowering Girls Who LEAP 2022-09-22 07:00:00Z 0

    Big Dreams & Giving Back to Community

    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...
    Big Dreams & Giving Back to Community 2022-08-09 07:00:00Z 0

    A Big Investment in Future Generations

       
     
    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...
    A Big Investment in Future Generations 2022-08-09 07:00:00Z 0

    Welcome to President Cam and Our Board for 2022-23!

     
    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! 
    Welcome to President Cam and Our Board for 2022-23! 2022-08-09 07:00:00Z 0

    EarlyActors Brings Pride to Classmates & Neighbours

    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!
    EarlyActors Brings Pride to Classmates & Neighbours 2022-07-07 07:00:00Z 0

    Hoop-a-thon 2022 Shows the Way to Help Kids On and Off the Court

    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.  
    Hoop-a-thon 2022 Shows the Way to Help Kids On and Off the Court 2022-05-04 07:00:00Z 0
    UBC Rotaractors Convert Exam Frustration into Funds for Good Works 2022-05-04 07:00:00Z 0
    From the Archives: Helping Grow Rotary in Ukraine 2022-05-04 07:00:00Z 0
    Rotaractors, Interactors and Rotarians Back in Action! 2022-04-13 07:00:00Z 0

    Shooting for $50K: Hoop-A-Thon Goes Live on April 23!

    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).
    Shooting for $50K: Hoop-A-Thon Goes Live on April 23! 2022-04-13 07:00:00Z 0

    The Doctor is In - Learning About Ophthalmology
     

     
    Dr. Briar Sexton joined us on February 16th to speak to us about the practice and profession of Ophthalmology.  We learned that it is one of the "3 Os" of eye professionals who help us manage our eye care and vision needs.
    • An Optician (sometimes known as a "dispensing optician") is a trained vision care technician who specializes in fitting eyeglass lenses, frames, contact lenses, and other vision correction devices. In Canada, an optician is required to be licensed by an accredited ophthalmic institute, must be registered with a provincial regulatory agency, and must possess an ophthalmic dispensing licence.
    • An Optometrist is a primary eye care provider who can conduct eye exams, write prescriptions, and treat eye diseases. Canadian optometrists require seven to eight years of training at a post-secondary institution before obtaining their professional designation as a Doctor of Optometry (also known as an OD).
    • An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who is also licensed to assess vision and eye health, carry out surgical procedures, and pre- and post-operative eye care.  In Canada, medical school graduates must complete a residency minimum of five-year residency and many will continue on for an additional one to two years to specialize in a particular vision component, such as the cornea, retina, or neuro-ophthalmology (how the eyes and brain work together). Many ophthalmologists are involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders and also carry out the same examination and dispensing services as Optometrists and Opticians.
    The Doctor is In - Learning About Ophthalmology  2022-03-17 07:00:00Z 0

    Things You Should Know About Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers

     
    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).
    Things You Should Know About Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers 2022-03-17 07:00:00Z 0

    Supporting Community Safety in Strathcona 

     
    On January 26, 2022, we welcomed Dan Turnvill to our weekly meeting to speak to us about the work being done by the Strathcona Community Policing Centre and how our club can get involved.  
     
    Dan is the Executive Director of the Strathcona Community Policing Centre, which is one of 11 community policing centres across Vancouver, and is the major initiatives run by the Strathcona Community Safety Association, a registered charity.  Dan joined the Strathcona Community Policing Centre in 2020, after a decade working in sports management with the BC Soccer Association, including 2 years as the head of Discipline. 
     
    Supporting Community Safety in Strathcona 2022-02-10 08:00:00Z 0

    A Personal and Professional Perspective on Reconciliation

     
    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.  
     
     
    A Personal and Professional Perspective on Reconciliation 2022-02-09 08:00:00Z 0

    RYLA Changes Lives

    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.
    RYLA Changes Lives 2022-01-03 08:00:00Z 0

    A Presidential Citation

     
    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.  
     
    A Presidential Citation 2021-11-12 08:00:00Z 0

    Reality Checking Cyber Crime Risks

     
    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.
     
    Reality Checking Cyber Crime Risks 2021-11-12 08:00:00Z 0

    Helping Our Neighbours

     
    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.  
     
    Helping Our Neighbours 2021-11-12 08:00:00Z 0

    Welcome to Natalia, Miguel and Jessica!

    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.  
     
     
     
     
    Welcome to Natalia, Miguel and Jessica! 2021-11-12 08:00:00Z 0

    Prepare for the Future While You Enjoy the Present

    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.   
    Prepare for the Future While You Enjoy the Present 2021-11-10 08:00:00Z 0
    Lighting Up the Town to End Polio Now 2021-11-10 08:00:00Z 0

    August 2021 Club Activities

    A Very Personal Story of Truth and Reconciliation
     
    On August 11th Cecelia Reekie visited our club to provide an overview of Canada’s residential school system, followed by an account of her Dad's experiences within that system.  
     
    The Indian residential school system became law in 1886 and over the next 100+ years, more than 150,000 children of First Nation, Métis and Inuit descent attended residential schools, which were mostly run by various religious orders.  The system was based on the government's policy mandate that, by separating children from their parents, they could be educated and thereby “acquire the habits and tastes of civilized people.”  
     
    Cecelia’s Dad was 11 years old when he was taken from his parents along with his little sister.  He was known at the Alberni residential school as #126 and was assigned the anglicized name Cecil Paul.  During the morning, he was taught to read, write and speak English (students were severely punished for speaking their native language).  The afternoon was for chores and the evening was spent on religious studies.  Despite not seeing his parents over the next four years and enduring multiple forms of abuse, he left the residential school at the age of 14 as a survivor with a grade 5 education.  
     
    The Government of Canada established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2007 to facilitate the reconciliation among former students of the Indian Residential Schools system, their families and all Canadians.  Reconciliation is about how we, as Canadians, can work together with Indigenous people.  
     
    While some efforts have been made to address certain of the TRC's recommendations for change, this summer's revelations are a start reminder that the real process of reconciliation is just beginning - starting with a genuine acknowledgement and understanding of the truths recounted by survivors and their families.  Heartfelt thanks to Celelia for sharing her family's painful truths with us for that purpose.
     
    Although Cecelia’s Dad passed away on December 3, 2020, his story is not lost.  A recent Vancouver Sun article containing an excerpt from her Dad's biography, the contents of which were based on recorded interviews and journal entries, can be found and shared at: https://vancouversun.com/opinion/cecil-paul-and-briony-penn-alberni-the-journey-of-hell-begins  
     

    An Inspiring Presidential Update

     
    Strathcona Interact President Eva Yeung was our guest speaker at our August 18th meeting, bringing us an account of the many activities and accomplishments of the club. 
     
    Strathcona is a community-based, as opposed to a school-based interact club.  All members have a connection to the community and wanted to give back. While some attend Britannia Secondary, others grew up there and live or attend school elsewhere.  
     
    They are a small but mighty young team whose first-year accomplishments reflect the power of a few creative and dedicated people to make a big difference. In 2020-21, they: 
     
    • Partnered with Vancouver Chinatown Foundation to create Covid-19 Experience stories for the Chinatown story-telling centre.
    • Organized a Holiday Craft event where they taught local day camp kids the importance of giving during the season. They were able to deliver this event successfully following Covid-19 restrictions (pictured above).
    • Raised funds to produce 48 wellness packages to local seniors at the May Wah Hotel that houses low-income residents and seniors. Each package involved supplies such as dental hygiene, socks, masks, and hand-written cards from the Interact members. 
    • Hosted a Financial Literacy workshop for members and other youth on basic banking.
     
    Their goals for the 2021-22 year include increasing the membership and diversity of the club and working on several projects, including a sustainability project to educate local youth on invasive plants and an international project to build and deliver 100 kits with school supplies to kids in need. 
     
    Currently, the Strathcona Interactors are working on two fundraisers: a Bottle Drive and an Art Auction. President Ed and our (new) fundraising team will be following up to explore how we could support or partner with their members on these two initiatives and possibly other service projects.
     
    For more inspiration and information, check out the Strathcona Interactors on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/strathconainteractclub/?hl=en
     
    A Ted Talk on Tax Planning 
     
     
    Former club member and fellow Rotarian Ted MacCormac joined us on August 4th to share his advice and experience on tax and estate planning.  
     
    Ted walked through the most popular topics (FAQs) and services sought by his accounting clients which include the  capital gains inclusion rate, taxation of investments, taxation of different types of investments, estate planning, tax treatment of foreign property, and more general business tips. 
     
    Ted's top tips for estate planning include:
    • Keep it simple
    • Be aware of the BC Wills Variation Act
    • Donation bequests can be carried back from the Estate to the final personal income tax return
    • Assets at the date of death go to a testamentary trust until they are distributed
    • The testamentary trust does not have exemptions like the personal income tax return has, but it does have marginal rates for three years
    Thanks very much to Ted for making this special guest appearance and for walking through these scenarios with us.  It was a great reminder not to put off until tomorrow what you can do today! 
     
    August 2021 Club Activities 2021-09-10 07:00:00Z 0

    Club Activities for July 2021

    John's Journey to the Club
     
    We started the new Rotary Year on July 7th with new member John Clark’s classification talk, aka “how did I get here.”  John was born in 1972 in Outremont, a residential borough of Montreal.  Most of his formative years were spent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  He returned to Montreal in the early 1990’s and obtained a BA in Political Science.  As a result of his disenchantment with Bill 101 and what was happening in Quebec at the time, John accepted a position in Japan as an English language teacher.  He flew to Tokyo in January 1995 and was based there for most of the next 25 years.  
     
    As his Japanese language skills improved, so did his career opportunities. In 2001, he set up a consulting company in Hong Kong that focused on cross-border commercial contracts for his Japanese clients.  For a time, he was working for Ernst and Young and he obtained a Law Degree from Wolverhampton in the UK.  John still has a team in Tokyo working within his consultancy.
     
    John married Arisa in 2016.  It was her dream to move Vancouver to operate a day care for local Japanese families, so in early 2021, John and Arisa moved to Vancouver’s West End.   Since arriving in Vancouver, Arisa has been undertaking studies and John was briefly involved with BC’s Site C Hydroelectric Project as well as a Disney film production company in Victoria involving both cast and crew. 
     
    John discovered our Club through the RI and District contact channels relatively shortly after his arrival in Vancouver.  He was inducted on May 19, 2021 and recently nicknamed "John san" in recognition of his adopted Japanese background (and to avoid confusion with fellow founding Club Member John H).  More recently, the unofficial welcoming committee toasted his arrival on a sunny July afternoon with a pop-up patio welcome pictured above - from left to right: John san, Thomas, Peter, Cam and Matthew.
    Our Year Ahead Goals
     

    At our July 14th meeting, President Ed wasted no time in striving to live up to his "hitting-the-ground-running" reputation recently acquired from immediate Past-President Carlos.   He presented the annual goals that have been set for our club in consultation with our Board and District 5040 Governor Lorne Calder....along with his hopes, commitments and expectations for another year full of partnerships, friendship and fun!

     
    Among the key goals established for our 2021-22 Rotary year are:
    • growing the club's membership from 23 to 25 members (in keeping with Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta's challenge to grow Rotary by 10%)
    • holding 5 social (fellowship) activities during the year
    • having 6 club members attend the District 5040 conference in Prince George
    • sponsoring an elementary and a high school student through Project Amigo as our signature international service project
    • starting an EarlyAct Club at Strathcona Elementary School, and 
    • achieving member participation in 5 service projects, (including our signature local project, the annual Hoop-a-thon and Rotary-Strathcona Youth Leadership program).
    If this sounds like the kind of challenge that gets you excited, then you're in the right place with the right people at the right time!

    Food for Thought and Impact 

    Terra Paredes, Manager of Community Events and Engagement for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) gave us a fascinating virtual tour of the food bank's operations at our July 28th meeting.  Founded in 1983 to provide "temporary relief" to the hunger crisis, the mission of the GVFB is to provide healthy food to those in need, with a vision of healthy communities through fair and effective food systems.  Sadly, the need has grown over the years and today's statistics indicate that 16% of all BC residents and 19% of Vancouver residents are unable to access enough affordable, healthy food, including 20% of children and 21% of seniors. Clients are required to provide: government-issued photo ID for each adult member and child within their household; proof that they live within the catchment cities; and information about their source(s) of income. 
     
    Terra provided an overview of the scale and complexity of the food bank's operation, which has been built solely through donations from the public, industry partners, and applicable grants, with no ongoing government funding.  The GVFB currently operates four direct distribution locations (Vancouver, North Van, Burnaby and New Westminster) that support 8,500 people per month.  In FY2020, the food donations amounted to 7.2 million lbs.  Since opening Burnaby, their capacity for fresh and frozen has increased by 400%.  
     
    In addition, they work with 115 community agency partners that have food programs in place for their own clients, including housing agencies, shelters, seniors and school food programs.  GVFB supports those programs with food that ranges from grab-and-go items like fruit and granola bars to large-scale grocery orders that will turn into fully-cooked meals - for a total of over 16,000 visits per month.  The food bank has also built significant relationships with growers and industrial pre-consumer donors but are pulling away from post-consumer and food drive donations as they bring a very high level of waste and incur disposal costs. 
     
    Hopefully, we’ll be able to schedule a live visit to GVFB’s new Terminal Avenue operation in the fall.  In the meantime, for more information about the food bank or to donate to this critical need, please visit https://foodbank.bc.ca.
     
    A Brainstorming Forming and Norming Morning 
     
     
     
    We got down to work at our July 21st meeting with an early morning, coffee-infused brainstorming session. The purpose was to consider the merits and possibilities of expanding our club's future fundraising efforts. Drawing upon our members' experiences and creativity, we kicked off the discussion with three questions:
    1. What are some fundraising ideas?
    2. Who can we partner with for fundraising efforts?
    3. What are some pros and cons for having a fundraising committee?
    Some of the ideas and comments generated included:
    • A good starting point could be to consider adopting successful fundraising approaches from other clubs (such as used book sales, document collection and shredding, golf-related events, online or live auctions) and partnering with other clubs, (including Interact, Rotaract clubs, as well as our future Early Act club), or with vendors and businesses from our Rotarian networks.
    • If working with other groups, it’s critical to set the rules on who does what (roles and responsibilities) and how funds are split.
    • It’s important to be clear on the cause and report to the donors on the results (integrity, accountability and the 4-Way Test).
    Based on the ideas and interest expressed in this initial exchange, the club has since canvassed members for interest in signing up to be part of an initial or ad hoc fundraising committee. Stay tuned for an August update about the interest, potential mandate and role of this team.

    Pat Montani:  In Memoriam 

    We recently learned of the passing of fellow Rotarian Pat Montani following his short battle with pancreatic cancer.  Pat spoke to us in August 2020 about Bicycles for Humanity (B4H), a grassroots non-profit organization that he started in Kelowna with his wife, Brenda, in 2005 (the same year he joined Rotary).  B4H relies on volunteers to collect used bicycles and then ship them to African and other developing countries around the world.  By 2020, B4H had grown to 50 chapters worldwide and had shipped 325,000 bicycles overseas.  In addition, over 200 of the shipping containers have been converted into bike shops, aka Bicycle Empowerment Centres.  
     
    Pat worked tirelessly for the betterment of those in need.  His goal was to create economic opportunities and sustainable employment.  To this end, Pat helped to create self-sustaining local businesses:  bicycle repair shops throughout Africa, a touring company in Uganda and dental assistance programs in several countries.
     
    Pat and Brenda were awarded the Governor General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal  in September, 2016 for the creation of B4H.  Pat was also awarded the Citizen of the Year in Whistler in 2019, again for his work with B4H.  Pat was a past member of the Rotary Clubs of Kelowna, Whistler and, most recently, Pemberton.  A more fulsome summary of Pat’s incredible achievements and Rotary legacy can be found at:  Tribute to Pat Montani | Rotary Club of Pemberton (rotarypemberton.ca)
    Club Activities for July 2021 2021-07-31 07:00:00Z 0

    2021 Strathcona Hoopathon Presentation

    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:
     
     
     
    2021 Strathcona Hoopathon Presentation Carlos Obregon 2021-04-26 07:00:00Z 0
    Support Vancouver Young Professionals Rotaract Club's Shoebox Project - Check out their Online Auction! Diana 2020-12-02 08:00:00Z 0
    Rotary World Polio Day 2020 proclamation by Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart 2020-10-28 07:00:00Z 0
    Bono's Message to Rotary on the Fight to End Polio D 2020-10-27 07:00:00Z 0

    Succesful Hoopathon 2020 and Scholarship Presentations

     
    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!
    Succesful Hoopathon 2020 and Scholarship Presentations Diana Theman 2020-06-28 07:00:00Z 0
    Interactors Leading the Way for Vision 2020 Diana Theman 2020-01-05 08:00:00Z 0

    Week of October 16 2019

    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
     
    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
     
    Week of October 16 2019 2019-10-16 07:00:00Z 0

    August 8 2018

      
    This week we welcomed 12 members and Sheila's guest, Kathy Chou.
     
    Announcements:
     
    * Rotary Leadership Institute courses deadline is August 31. Rotary Leadership Institute is one of the ways our Rotarians can learn more about the world of Rotary and enjoy some fellowship along the way. These facilitated session are very interactive and enjoyable.  Register online:
     
    https://rotary5040.org/Stories/rotary-leadership-institute-1
     
    *Our Day of the Dead fiesta is confirmed for October 27th at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $75 per person.
     
    Rotary Moment
     
    August is Membership month and today Diana asked us to consider WHO our members are and who might be prospective members for our Club to meet Ron’s membership goal of growing to 30 members. As a breakfast club, we might appeal more to “morning people”, retirees, people who don’t have a lunch break or who have to get home right after work for child pick-up or evening commitments.
     
    But we shouldn’t rule out non-morning people either, who might be able to attend with a little peer support and encouragement for ride sharing or reminders. As a downtown club, we might appeal to people working in the area, maybe people coming to the rec centre on Wednesdays for child care or programs, using the Evo or other ride sharing in the rec centre parking, or businesses in the Coal Harbour area or the West End.
     
    Most of all we will appeal to people who value community service and have the time to commit to at least one of our projects and to the social activities. We will appeal to people who see us in action in the community at Strathcona or hear about our work with youth in Project Amigo, RYLA and King George Interact, which makes it important to show up and get the word out. 
     
    Business Meeting
     
    Our club Board met yesterday and here are a few highlights:
     
    Membership
     
    Everyone to invite guests and work on helping to engage good speakers please.
    Ron, Gary and Ted to set up meeting with Van City about a corporate membership to have local branch managers or other reps attend our club.
     
    Financial - Treasurer’s report
     
    Ted reported we are in good shape, ended 2017-2018 in a slight surplus position. Invoices for dues will be going out shortly - payment due within 30 days please.
     
    Projects
     
    Abigail, Emma and Matthew had a great time teaching swimming at Project Amigo. For many kids, it was their first time ever being in the water, other than local streams which can be dangerous during flooding. More details to follow at a future meeting we hope!
     
    Gary thanked everyone for their support with a successful Hoop-a-thon this year which increased our fundraising by 20% for a total of $23,429 thanks to our partnership with other clubs. Ron noted that the Strathcona kids raised an additional $10,000. Refer to Gary’s email for more details.
     
    Foundation:
     
    John declared his objective to increase the Rotary Sunrise Foundation fund by $25K-$30K in the next two years through member contributions with he and Marni kicking off the effort this year. The funds can be used to increase our scholarships which have not increased in amount since the fund was established 25 years ago, and to provide greater support to youth programs such as RYLA and other work we do. More to follow on this and our scholarship and bursary program funds with SFU which require our attention to ensure we are meeting our objectives through the university’s administration of the funding.
     
    2018-2019 Presidential Priorities:
     
    Please provide Ron with feedback on his proposed goals for 2018-2019 and he will formally present them at a September club meeting - see summary below:
     
    Great Vibrant Meetings:
    • Rotary Moment
    • Continue with a Great Speakers Program
    • Members invite friends and family to come to meetings
    • Have an amazing greeter
    • Sergeant at Arms/ Announcements
    • Birthday Celebrations

    Membership 30 Members by 2019:
    • each member in their vocation or network to actively recruit “Bring a Friend to Meeting Day”
    • a family membership fee thought about this at Changeover seeing all the spouses
    • Member/Friend/Family Get-together Events ie Day at the Races, Fireworks, Christmas
    • membership subsidies look at ways we can make being a Rotarian affordable the Member can payback by taking a more active role in Service
    • membership attendance provide opportunities for members who cannot make meetings to be active in committees and service instead
    • recruitment meeting with Downtown Business Association and other organizations
    • each member has a crew talk with their vocation as part of membership drive maybe can invite another club member to help
    • meet individually with each member for their thoughts and feedback about club find out what they are passionate about

    Fundraising for Club Activities:
    • Rotary Raffle
    • Pub Socials
    • Day at the Races
    • Grants Gaming
    • and Aviva
    Youth:
    • King George Interacts, Britannia Interacts, Langara Rotaract
    • Meet with Administration and School Sponsor
    • Club presence on recruitment Days club presence at meetings
    • Host our own Vancouver Interact Conference on a Pro-D Day
    • Fundraiser to support Youth programs 50/50 draw Project Amigo Raffle for RYLA
    Local Projects :
     
    • Hoopathon and Salvation Army Foot Program

    International Projects:
    • Project Amigo
    • Brands Across Canada
    Service Events:
    • At least one a month Recycling Solid Waste Disposal
    • Salvation Army Toy Mountain
    • Neighbourhood Cleanup
    • Pancake Breakfast.
    • Revisit West Ends Seniors Lunch 
    Promote Rotary:
    • Pride Parade Participation
    • Club Days at Schools and Post Secondary Institutions
    • Community Festivals/Rotary Tent/ Rotary Sign to have at all events
    • Bookmarks  
    • Buttons to hand out 
    • Service Events 
     

    Thought of the day:
     
     
    “To handle yourself use your head, to handle others use your heart. “Eleanor Roosevelt.
     
    Why Rotary? Read more here: https://www.rotary.org/en/why-rotary
     
    About Rotary: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 8 2018 2018-08-08 07:00:00Z 0

    January 3 2018

     
    4 Way Test:
     
    President Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. We had 11 members present today.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Our Rotary Moment today was about an experience Alfredo had this past Christmas. He received a Christmas card from a client and in the envelope, instead of a lump of coal he found a $150 donation to our club's foundation! Talk about an original and thoughtful present.
     
    Announcements:
     
    * In February 2018, the eyes of the Rotary World will be on Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Zones 24 and 25 will host the Presidential Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Peace. Our member Diana Theman will be attending. Read more about this conference on the official website: https://environmentandpeace.com/
     
    * This year we will be having another fundraiser for Project Amigo, more details coming in the month of March.
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Jackie Kloosterboer who is the Emergency Planning Coordinator & Emergency Social Services Director with the city of Vancouver. 
     
    Jackie has been leading the way in earthquake preparedness for over 18 years. She presents more than 100 Earthquake Preparedness sessions each year to groups, businesses and at conferences, taking people step by step through the process of how to prepare their family and pets for whatever disaster comes their way. Jackie is often interviewed by a variety of media outlets across Canada as she promotes Earthquake Preparedness.
     
    There were 3 recommendations that I feel are very important and easy to implement:
     
    1) Have an out of Province emergency contact. You may not be able to contact all your friends and family locally due to the communications services being unavailable or limited.
     
    2) Have an agreed on evacuation location where all your family members can meet in the event of an
    emergency.
     
    3) Budget 4 liters of water per person per day. 
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." - Oprah Winfrey 

    Next Speakers:
     
    Jan 10 - Business Meeting.
    Jan 17 - Advanced Education, High School Graduates' next move.
     
    Jan 24 - Robbie Burns Day
    January 3 2018 Carlos Obregon 2018-01-03 08:00:00Z 0

    December 20 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    President Elect Ron Suzuki led the group in the Four-Way Test. We had 13 members present today.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Our Rotary Moment today was about clean water. Clean water and sanitation is a human right. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, they lead healthier and more successful lives.

    We don’t just build wells and walk away. Rotary members integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene into education projects. When children learn about disease transmission and practice good hygiene, they miss less school. And they can take those lessons home to their families, expanding our impact.
     
    Announcements:
     
    * There will not be a meeting on December 27th, that is the only cancelled meeting this month.
     
    * The Yaletown and the Vancouver Rotary clubs have committed to the Hoopathon once again this year.
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Jonathan Evans from the Salvation Army. The Army was founded in 1865 in London by one-time Methodist circuit-preacher William Booth and his wife Catherine as the East London Christian Mission. In 1878 Booth reorganised the mission, becoming its first General and introducing the military structure which has been retained to the present day.
     
    The organization reports a worldwide membership of over 1.5 million. The Salvation Army offers a variety of services and programs throughout the province of British Columbia for members of the communities that we serve. These activities are motivated by a belief that each individual possesses an inherent worth and dignity. It is the goal of The Salvation Army to restore dignity and hope in the lives of those we serve through these programs as they experience times of need.
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

    Next Speakers:
     
    Jan 3    - Jackie Kloosterboer, Earthquake Preparedness.
    Jan 10 - Business Meeting.
    Jan 17 - Advanced Education, High School Graduates' next move
     
    December 20 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-12-20 08:00:00Z 0

    December 13 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    President Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. We had 16 members present and two visiting Rotarians from South Africa, Roger and Mariam Dymond.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Our Rotary Moment today was done by Michael Alty. In 2015, the Health Minister of Malawi, Africa, noted that the nation of more than 17 million people had only 10 active dentists practicing there. They faced a real problem of untreated dental health issues. So, the Rotary club of the capital, Lilongwe, sponsored a ve-day dental camp that treated more than 1,100 Malawians.
     
    The Rotarians held a golf tournament in advance to raise the money needed to pay for all the medications and dental hygiene products. They also hired 30 additional dentists needed to make the dental camp a success. There is still a need for more dentists in Malawi but the backlog of needed treatment has been addressed. 
     
    Announcements:
     
    * There will not be a meeting on December 27th, that is the only cancelled meeting this month.
     
    * The Yaletown and the Vancouver Rotary clubs have committed to the Hoopathon once again this year.
     
    * Our Christmas party was a success! Thank you very much, John and Marni, for hosting everyone, please check out the pics below:
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Today we had our Annual General Meeting for both our club and our foundation. Our finances are looking good, thanks in large part to our Treasurers and our board, thank you all for your hard work!
     
     
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Abraham Joshua Heschel — 'When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.'

    Next Speakers:
     
    Dec 20 - Salvation Army, Christmas theme.
    Jan 3    - Jackie Kloosterboer, Earthquake Preparedness.
     Jan 10 - Business Meeting.
     
    December 13 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-12-13 08:00:00Z 0

    December 6 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Ron Suzuki was the acting president today; he led the group in the Four-Way Test. We had 14 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Our Rotary Moment today was done by Michael Alty. The Rotary Foundation as of the 2015-2016 Financial Year had over $1 billion in assets invested. However, like many Rotary projects, the Rotary Foundation had a humble beginning. It was an initial contribution of $26.50 in 1917 which set in motion a powerful force that has transformed millions of lives around the globe!
     
    Announcements:
     
    * Our Christmas party will be this Saturday!
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Sing up here:
    https://www.crsadmin.com/EventPortal/registrations/publicfill/eventpublicfill.aspx?evtid=ee7c9d43-60d1-4b4b-9fee-faea5ff62f8d
     
    * There will not be a meeting on December 27th, that is the only canceled meeting this month.
     
    * The Yaletown and the Vancouver Rotary clubs have committed to the Hoopathon once again this year.
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was our member Tina Parbhakar, the topic of her presentation was "Uganda - child rights". 
     
    Tina is a practicing lawyer and an avid volunteer based in Vancouver, B.C. She is passionate about social justice issues in Canada and abroad. In 2012-2013, she worked in Kampala through the Aga Khan Foundation Canada as a Communications Specialist with the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme and has previously worked in Delhi with Participatory Research in Asia on issues related to violence against women. She is currently a member of Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada.
     
    As part of her presentation, she recommended that we watch the video linked below, it is called "The girl effect"
     
     
    Tina's presentation was very informative and we thank her for speaking to us today!
     
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein

    Next Speakers:
     
    Dec 13 - Business meeting. Club's AGM and Foundation.
    Dec 20 - Salvation Army, Christmas theme.
    Jan 3    - Jackie Kloosterboer, Earthquake Preparedness​​​​​​​
    December 6 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-12-06 08:00:00Z 0

    November 29 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Ron Suzuki was the acting president today; he led the group in the Four-Way Test. We had 13 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Our Rotary Moment today was done by John Haley, he brought a collection of crafts and jewelry that he acquired in his trip to Africa, we all got to admire the beauty and artistry displayed by the crafts.
     
    Announcements:
     
    * Our Christmas party will be on Dec 9th, RSVP by December 3rd!
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Sing up here:
    https://www.crsadmin.com/EventPortal/registrations/publicfill/eventpublicfill.aspx?evtid=ee7c9d43-60d1-4b4b-9fee-faea5ff62f8d
     
    * There will not be a meeting on December 27th, that is the only canceled meeting this month.
     
    * The Hoopathon will take place on April 28th, 2018, the first planning meeting took place this week.
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Laura Track. Laura is a lawyer in CLAS’s Human Rights Clinic. She advocates on behalf of people who have experienced discrimination and assists complainants to navigate BC’s human rights process. Laura also has a strong interest in making legal knowledge accessible, since the first step in defending our human rights is to know what they are.
     
    She delivers workshops and presentations to a wide variety of audiences to inform and empower people to exercise their human rights.
     

    Prior to joining CLAS, Laura worked with several other legal non-profits in Vancouver, learning much along the way about the law’s potential to advance equality and social justice. She is on the Advisory Committee of the Rise Women's Legal Centre and a volunteer yoga teacher and Board Chair of Yoga Outreach, a charity providing free yoga classes to disadvantaged communities.

    The topic of her presentation was "Marijuana legalization and human rights".
     
    Here are a few highlights of her presentation:
     
    * Bill C 45 will make Marijuana legal by July 2018.
     
    * Canadians 18 or older will be able to legally possess up to 30 grams and four plants of Marijuana for recreational use.
     
    * Employers will likely treat Marijuana use like alcohol, not allowed during work hours.
     
    * One of the challenges presented by the legalization is that there are no reliable tests for impairment due to marijuana use.
     
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Dr. Seuss — 'You are you. Now, isn't that pleasant?'

    Next Speakers:
     
    Dec 6    - Tina Parbhakar, Uganda - child rights
    Dec 13 - Business meeting. Club's AGM and Foundation.
    Dec 20 - Salvation Army, Christmas theme.

    November 29 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-11-29 08:00:00Z 0

    November 22 2017

     
    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 14 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Sonya told us about diversity in Rotary. The first Rotary Clubs in Asia were Manila in the Philippines and Shanghai in China, each in July 1919.
     
    Rotary's office in Illinois immediately began encouraging the Rotary Club of Shanghai to recruit Chinese members “believing that when a considerable number of the native business and professional men have been so honoured, the Shanghai Club will begin to realize its period of greatest success.” As part of considering the application of a Club to be chartered in Kolkata (then Calcutta), India in January 1920 and Tokyo, Japan in October 1920, Rotary formally considered the issue of racial restriction in membership and determined that the organization could not allow racial restrictions to the organization's growth.
     
    In Rotary's legislative deliberations in June 1921, it was formally determined that racial restrictions would not be permitted. Non-racialism was included in the terms of the standard constitution in 1922 and required to be adopted by all member Clubs.

    Rotary and other service clubs in the last decade of the 20th century became open to gay members. Other minorities, in the face of general changes in demographics and declining membership, are also encouraged to join.

     
    Announcements:
     
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Sing up here:
    https://www.crsadmin.com/EventPortal/registrations/publicfill/eventpublicfill.aspx?evtid=ee7c9d43-60d1-4b4b-9fee-faea5ff62f8d
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December 9th, make sure you save the date!
     
    * There will not be a meeting on December 27th, that is the only cancelled meeting this month.
     
    * The Hoopathon will take place on April 28th, 2018, mark your calendars!
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was member John Haley, telling us about his once in a lifetime adventure trip to Africa. 
     
    Here are a few of the many exciting highlights of his presentation:
     
    * He and Marni  went off the beaten path to meet with several very interesting tribes that live in remote areas in Africa.
     
    *  One of the tribes they had contact with were the Himba people, The Himba are indigenous peoples with an estimated population of about 50,000 people living in northern Namibia. They are semi-nomadic.
     
    * Himba women especially, as well as Himba men, are remarkably famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to water scarcity and protect themselves from the extremely hot and dry climate of the Kaokoland as well as against mosquito insect bites
     
    * Another tribe they met with were the Maasai. The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress.
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    “The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to.” Richard Mullin

    Next Speakers:
     
    Nov 29 - Laura Track, Marijuana Legalization
    Dec 6    - Tina Parbhakar, Uganda - child rights
    Dec 13 - Business meeting. Club's AGM and Foundation.
    November 22 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-11-22 08:00:00Z 0

    November 15 2017

     
    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 14 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame. As well as District Governor Don Evans and his wife Debbie and Davinder Grewal Assistant District Governor.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Diana Theman told our guests about our current catering company. Potluck catering is a non-profit social enterprise and registered charity, Potluck Café Society operates Potluck Café & Catering to help fund and support its community programs, including the creation of jobs for neighborhood residents with barriers to traditional employment. 
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Sing up here:
    https://www.crsadmin.com/EventPortal/registrations/publicfill/eventpublicfill.aspx?evtid=ee7c9d43-60d1-4b4b-9fee-faea5ff62f8d
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December 9th, make sure you save the date!
     
    Especial Announcement: Our member Ted MacCormack was awarded a Paul Harris medal for his contributions to the Rotary Foundation, congratulations!
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was our District Governor Don Evans. Don Evans has been active in Rotary for more than 30 years. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver (2002-2003) and has held many different positions with his club. He has been active with District 5040 Strategic Planning, a member of the District Foundation Committee and was a PETS Trainer. He was named Rotarian of the Year in 5040 in 2014.
     
    Here are a few of the many interesting highlights of his presentation:
     
    * Rotary Presidential Conference on Environmental Sustainability & Peace,  Vancouver, BC,  Friday to Sunday, February 9 – 11, 2018. More information here: https://environmentandpeace.com/
     
    *  Our District 5040 is now the top growing district in terms of membership in Canada! 5th in North America!
     
    * Rotary International now has over 500K Interactors and 250K Rotaractors.
     
    * RI wants all the clubs to start tracking members volunteer hours, make sure you log in your hours in the attendace sheet when you come to our meetings.
     
    * District 5040 has a new Rotarian business directory, make sure to register your business there: http://rotary5040.business/
     
    * Our district conference will take place on May 31 to June 3 2018 in Squamish, please check out the conference webpage to find out more and register: http://www.rotary5040.org/Page/2018-district-conference

    Thought of the day:
     
    Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein
     

    Next Speakers:
     
    Nov 22 - John Haley, African trip part 2
    Nov 29 - Laura Track, Marijuana Legalization
    Dec 6    - Tina Parbhakar, Uganda - child rights
    November 15 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-11-15 08:00:00Z 0

    November 8 2017

     
    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 13 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Ted MacCormac told us about a very interesting fundraising that a club he attends in Hawaii did one day. Members were invited to donate the spare change they were carrying. They ended up raising a considerable amount, but the most impressive part was that the venue's server was one of the largest donors!
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Contact Tom Smith to sign up.
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December 9th, make sure you save the date!
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Commander Chris Persson, Commander of the HMCS Discovery. HMCS Discovery is a Royal Canadian Navy Reserve division and shore facility based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Created during World War II from the Vancouver Half Company of the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve, Discovery was used for recruitment and training and provided almost 8,000 personnel during the war. Discovery continued in its training role following the war, and also serves as headquarters for several Reserve and Cadet units.
     
    Commander Chris Persson joined the Naval Reserve in Ottawa in 1978. For the first 8 years of his naval career he trained and worked as a cook, working in that capacity on and off on the west coast and in some of the nation’s smaller naval ships.
     
    In July 2011 he deployed on a six-month tour in Manama, Bahrain where he was a Future Operations planner for Counter Piracy and Counter Terrorism Naval Forces in the Indian Ocean and Somalia Regions. 
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Carl Gustav Jung — 'You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.'

    Next Speakers:
     
    Nov 15- Business Meeting with District Governor Don Evans.
    Nov 22 - John Haley, African trip part 2
    Nov 29 - Laura Track, Marijuana Legalization
     
    November 8 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-11-08 08:00:00Z 0

    November 1st 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 13 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Gary Shearer, our guest speaker, did the Rotary moment for us today. He told us about an experience he had during the training seminar for incoming Rotary district governors. This seminar took place in San Diego, just a few hundred meters from a military base. The moment that impacted him was when the Japanese and US flag came in together to the venue. The 2 former enemies united in Rotary.
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
    * On Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 AM to noon there will be a membership workshop entitled Priority #1 Plus. Contact Tom Smith to sign up.
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December 9th, make sure you save the date!
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Gary Shearer, District Foundation Chair.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation:
     
    * The Rotary Foundation disburses USD$200M each and every year on Rotary projects around the world.
     
    * The RF has 3 funds, Polio, annual fund and permanent fund.
     
    * The RF ranks among the best-managed charities in the world.
     
    * The RF has 6 areas of focus:
     
    • Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
    • Disease prevention and treatment.
    • Water and sanitation.
    • Maternal and child health.
    • Basic education and literacy.
    • Economic and community development.
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Carl Gustav Jung — 'You are what you do, not what you say you'll do.'

    Next Speakers:
     
    Nov 8  - Commander of HMCS Discovery
    Nov 15- Business Meeting with District Governor Don Evans.
    Nov 22 - John Haley, African trip part 2
     
    November 1st 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-11-01 07:00:00Z 0

    October 25 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 14 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame, who is considering joining our club!
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today we skipped it to have more time for our guest speaker.
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    *The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser was a success!
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December 9th, make sure you save the date!
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was our member Larry Belsito doing his classification talk.
     
    Some if the highlghts of his presentation:
     
    * He was born in Ontario, his father was Italian and his Mother Canadian.
     
    * He had 3 brothers.
     
    * He met Tania, his wife, in 1972. They have 5 grown children.
     
    * Some of the places he has lived and worked in: Dubai, Fiji, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Qatar.
     
    * He joined Rotary in 1979 and he is a charter member of our club. He has bee our club's president twice.
     
    * He actually danced with Tina Turner in 1983!
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    It's one of those days where even my coffee needs coffee!

    Next Speakers:
     
    Nov 1  - Garry Shearer, RI Foundation and Polio Plus
    Nov 8  - Mark Ferrari, Port of Vancouver
    Nov 15- Business Meeting with District Governor Don Evans.
     
    October 25 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-10-25 07:00:00Z 0

    October 18 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 17 members present and one guest, Adriana Adame, who is considering joining our club!
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    This month Larry Belsito will be doing the Rotary Moment. Today he told us 20 good reasons to join Rotary:
     
    1. Friendship: In an increasingly complex world, Rotary provides one of the most basic human needs: the need for friendship and fellowship. It is one of two reasons why Rotary began in 1905.
     
    2. Business Development: The second original reason for Rotary's beginning is business development. Everyone needs to network. Rotary consists of a cross section of every business community. Its members come from all walks of life. Rotarians help each other and collectively help others.
     
    3. Personal Growth and Development: Membership in Rotary continues one’s growth and education in human relations and personal development.
     
    4. Leadership Development: Rotary is an organization of leaders and successful people. Serving in Rotary positions is like a college education. Leadership: - learning how to motivate, influence, and lead leaders.
     
    5. Citizenship in the Community: Membership in a Rotary club makes one a better community citizen. The average Rotary club consists of the most active citizens of any community.
     
    6. Continuing Education: Each week at Rotary there is a program designed to keep one informed about what is going on in the community, nation, and world. Each meeting provides an opportunity to listen to different speakers and a variety of timely topics.
     
    7. Fun: Rotary is fun, a lot of fun. Each meeting is fun. The club projects are fun. Social activities are fun. The service is fun.
     
    8. Public Speaking Skills: Many individuals who joined Rotary were afraid to speak in public. Rotary develops confidence and skill in public communication and the opportunity to practice and perfect these skills.
     
    9. Citizenship in the World: Every Rotarian wears a pin that says “Rotary International.” There are few places on the globe that do not have a Rotary club. Every Rotarian is welcome – even encouraged – to attend any of the 29,000 clubs in 194 nations and geographical regions. This means instant friends in both one’s own community and in the world community.
     
    10. Assistance when Traveling: Because there are Rotary clubs everywhere, many a Rotarian in need of a doctor, lawyer, hotel, dentist, advice, etc., while traveling has found assistance through Rotary.
     
    11. Entertainment: Every Rotary club and district has parties and activities that provide diversion in one’s business life. Rotary holds conferences, conventions, assemblies, and institutes that provide entertainment in addition to Rotary information, education, and service.
     
    12. The Development of Social Skills: Every week and at various events and functions, Rotary develops one’s personality, social skills and people skills. Rotary is for people who like people.
     
    13. Family Programs: Rotary provides one of the world’s largest youth exchange programs; high school and college clubs for future Rotarians; opportunities for spouse involvement; and a host of activities designed to help family members in growth and the development of family values.
     
    14. Vocational Skills: Every Rotarian is expected to take part in the growth and development of his or her own profession or vocation; to serve on committees and to teach youth about one’s job or vocation. Rotary helps to make one a better doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc...
     
    15. The Development of Ethics: Rotarians practice a 4-Way Test that governs one’s ethical standards. Rotarians are expected to be ethical in business and personal relationships.
     
    16. Cultural Awareness: Around the world, practically every religion, country, culture, race, creed, political persuasion, language, color, and ethnic identity is found in Rotary. It is a cross section of the world’s most prominent citizens from every background. Rotarians become aware of their cultures and learn to love and work with people everywhere. They become better citizens of their countries in the process.
     
    17. Prestige: Rotary members are prominent people: leaders of business, the professions, art, government, sports, military, religion, and all disciplines. Rotary is the oldest and most prestigious service club in the world. Its ranks include executives, managers, professionals – people who make decisions and influence policy.
     
    18. Nice People: Rotarians above all are nice people - the nicest people on the face of the earth. They are important people who follow the policy of it is nice to be important but it is important to be nice.
     
    19. The Absence of an “Official Creed”: Rotary has no secret handshake, no secret policy, no official creed, no secret meeting or rituals. It is an open society of men and women who simply believe in helping others.
     
    20. The Opportunity to Serve: Rotary is a service club. Its business is mankind. Its product is service. Rotarians provide community service to both local and international communities. This is perhaps the best reason for becoming a Rotarian: the chance to do something for somebody else and to sense the self-fulfillment that comes in the process and return of that satisfaction to one’s own life. It is richly rewarding.

     
    Announcements:
     
     
    *The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
     
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
    * Our club's Christmas party will be at John Haley's house on December9th, make sure you save the date!
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Chris Loat from Shelterbox. ShelterBox is an international relief charity that provides immediate assistance to people affected by disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, flooding, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis, or conflict. With 18 international affiliates, ShelterBox provides shelter, lifesaving equipment, and educational materials to hard-hit communities worldwide. Since its founding in 2000, ShelterBox has responded to more than 200 natural disasters and humanitarian crises in almost 90 countries, providing vital aid for well over 1 million
    people. 
     
    Please visit their website: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    "When we serve others, we gain more than hope. We gain energy."
    — Margaret J. Wheatley in

    Next Speakers:
     
    Oct 25 - Larry Belsito, classification talk
    Nov 1  - Garry Shearer, RI Foundation and Polio Plus
    Nov 8  - Mark Ferrari, Port of Vancouver
     
     
    October 18 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-10-18 07:00:00Z 0

    October 4 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 15 members present.
     
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    This month Larry Belsito will be doing the Rotary Moment. Today he told about famous Rotarians, here is a list with a fe of them:
     
    • King Albert I of Belgium – Honorary (RC Brussels; RC San Francisco)
    • Dr. Forrest C. “Phog” Allen, college basketball coach and Basketball Hall of Fame member
    • Clinton P. Anderson, US Congressman; US secretary of agriculture; US Senator
    • Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, astronaut and second man to walk on the moon, USA
    • Neil Armstrong, astronaut and first man to walk on the moon, USA
    • Ásgeir Ásgeirson, president, Iceland, RC Reykjavik; past RI district governor
    • Eusebio Ayala, president, Paraguay
    • King Baudouin I of Belgium
    • Eduard Benes, president, Czechoslovakia
    • Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
    • Clarence Birdseye, developer of a process for quick freezing food, USA
    • Harry A. Blackmun, associate justice of the Supreme Court, USA
    • Frank Borman, astronaut, USA
    • Sir Donald Bradman, cricketer, Australia
    • Sir Norman Brearley, aviation pioneer, Australia
    • Frank Brennan past president Eureka Rotary and past district governor 1942 – 1943
    • William Jennings Bryan, statesman, and orator
    • George W. Bush, president, USA.

     
    Announcements:
     
    * Ron has been successful in having an Aviva Grant approved for voting.  Congratulations Ron!.  On October 10 the voting starts, so we need to vote and get the word out to vote.  The voting concludes on October 19.
     
    https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/voting/project/view/17-123
     
    *The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
     
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
     
    *The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Raymond Greenwood, also known as Mr. Fireworks. Mr. Fireworks has been making events "light up" for over 30 years. Alongside his son Matthew "Boom Boom" Greenwood they sell and organize fireworks displays, both indoor and outdoor.

    Leading up to Halloween they run a family fireworks store which includes all my Flashing Light Products, proudly brought to you by The King Of Bling
     
    He helped bring the fireworks to the city in 1990 and ran it for the next 11 years when it was sponsored by tobacco company Benson & Hedges and known as the "Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire."

    When the federal government clamped down on tobacco sponsorship in 2000, Benson & Hedges canceled its backing.

    HSBC Bank Canada, BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver chipped in to save the event. Each year since organizers have struggled to come up with the roughly $4-million in cash and donations required to produce the show.
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Life is like a firework. You gotta ignite the fuse and make it beautiful.

    Next Speakers:
     
    Oct 11 - Business Meeting
    Oct 18 - Chris Loat, ShelterBox
     
     
    October 4 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-10-04 07:00:00Z 0

    September 27 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 12 members present as well as four guests from the Strathcona Community Centre: Coach Mitra Tshan and players Devon Wong, Lucy Guan, Surprise Munie.
     
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today Ron Suzuki presented the RM. These are his words:
     
    "In honour of our guests today this is my Rotary Moment and the reason I joined this Club. Strathcona is a little Community Center that does big things serving our Countries oldest and poorest community.
     
    In 2003 I met Rotarian Robert French who invited me to speak at an upcoming Breakfast Meeting. My presentation included needed support for the Center's Downstairs Kitchen Renovation and our expanding Basketball Program.
     
    In 2004 the Rotary helped the Center raise 5,000.00 for a kitchen renovation in 2005 Rotary raised funds to purchase and install a  Basketball Score Clock  2006- we now have the Rotary Hoopathon which as of 2016 raised over $225,000.00 for Basketball and Youth Leadership Programs.
     
    When I retired I was told to surround myself with good people who do good things and this is why I joined the Rotary!"

     
    Announcements:
     
    • We have a very important AGM meeting next week. We need 2/3 of the members to be present. Please do your best to attend.
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
    • The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
    • Shail Mahanti invited us to the "Shredathon for Clean Oceans" organized by the Arbutus Rotary Club. This project aims to raise funds to clean up the beaches and shores of El Salvador. The event will be on September 30th from 10 am to 2 pm. The meeting place will be the Shell gas station on Broadway and Arbutus.
     
    Meeting:
     
    Today we presented the Strathcona Community Centre with a cheque for $11,500. These were funds raised on the Hoppathon.
     
     
     
    Our club was very proud to present Gary Chomyn with a Paul Harris for his hard work on making the Hoopathon a success!
     
     
     
    Guest Speaker:
     
    Our guest speaker today was our new member Natalya Lysova with her classification talk. Her talk was very interesting and helped us know more about her. Some of the highllights of her presentation were:
     
    • She was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in Australia in 1998
    • She holds 3 degrees, Psychology, Law and Business Management.
    • She currently works as an Executive Assistant and corporate development with a mining company.
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    How lucky Adam was. He knew when he said a good thing, nobody had said it before. Mark Twain
     

    Next Speakers:

    Oct 4 - Raymond Greenwood, Mr. Fireworks.
    Oct 11 - Business Meeting
    Oct 18 - Chris Loat, ShelterBox
     
    September 27 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-09-27 07:00:00Z 0

    September 20 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 13 members present as well as three visiting Rotarians, Harold McLeod from Florida, Shail Mahanti from the Arbutus club and Thora Thorasdottir from Iceland.
     
    Our meeting today took an unexpected turn since we were not able to access the community centre. As resourceful Rotarians, we quickly found an alternate meeting venue in Diana's party room of her building :)
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today Ron Suzuki presented the RM. These are his words:
     
    "Rotarians Celebrating Diversity Everyday. 
     
    It was very challenging for people of Color in the early part of the 20th Century. In 1914 the Komagata Maru a chartered ship of South Asian Immigrants was not allowed to land in Vancouver.1920 was the second coming of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States 1923 the Chinese Immigration Act banned Chinese from making Canada their home. 

    25,000.00 Japanese Canadians were interned in 1942.
     
    In 1921  when Racial Restriction was addressed in Rotary it was formally determined that racial restriction would not be permitted. Non-Racism was included in the Rotary terms of the standard constitution in 1922, required to be adopted by all member clubs. 
     
    Rotary and other service clubs in the last decade have encouraged the membership of the LGBQT community as well as other minorities. Peter and I marched in last months Pride Parade in front of 650,000 we both thought maybe next year getting all the Vancouver Rotary Clubs to participate as a community service entry."

    Announcements:
     
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
     
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
     
    • The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/
    • Shail Mahanti invited us to the "Shredathon for Clean Oceans" organized by the Arbutus Rotary Club. This project aims to raise funds to clean up the beaches and shores of El Salvador. The event will be on September 30th from 10 am to 2 pm. The meeting place will be the Shell gas station on Broadway and Arbutus.
    Meeting:
     
    Our meeting today was adapted from the original plan since we did not have AV in place. John Charbonneau was kind enough to offer to come back and give his presentation next week.
     
    This image shows what a group of locked-out Rotarians look like:
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. -Epictetus
     

    Next Speakers:

    September 27 - John Charbonneau, Reverse Mortgages.
    Krystal Brennan, Stream of Dreams Murals Society.
    Raymond Greenwood, Mr. Fireworks.
     
    September 20 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-09-20 07:00:00Z 0

    September 13 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four-Way Test. Today we had 16 members present as well as one guest,Jonathan Evans, from the Salvation Army and one visiting Rotarian from the Downtown Club, Franco Gallo.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today Ron Suzuki presented the RM. These are his words:
     
    "Rotaract  a contraction for Rotary in Motion originally began as a Rotary International Youth Program in 1968 in Charolette North Carolina. Rotaract is a Rotary Sponsored service,leadership,organization for young men and women 18-30.
     
    Presently there are now 9,522 clubs spread around the world which equals to 291,006. I will be speaking to the Trek Program at UBC today. Trek is a Student Service Program servicing the Downtown East-Side. I will be talking about the Rotaract Program today!"

    Announcements:
     
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
     
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
     
    • The Rotary Club of Vancouver Downtown invited us to the Rotary Foundation Dinner on November 18. More details in this link: http://richmondrotary.com/event/rotary-foundation-dinner/

    Meeting:
     
    Our meeting today was our monthly business meeting to discuss our current and future projects as well as membership recruitment and retention. Great work by our board and all members.
     
    The pictures below show Ron Suzuki handing out scholarships. You may recognize Lokton Au, president of the King George Interact, as one of the recipients.
     
     
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. - Mahatma Gandhi.

    Next Speakers:

    September 20 - John Charbonneau, Reverse Mortgages.
    Septermber 27 - Krystal Brennan, Stream of Dreams Murals Society.
    October 4 - Raymond Greenwood, Mr. Fireworks.
     
    September 13 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-09-13 07:00:00Z 0

    September 6 2017

    4 Way Test:
     
    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 16 members present as well as one guest, Jane Mitchell, a guest of Sheila Anderson and 2 visiting Rotarians from the Cambie club, Branden Yu and Kwahgo Son.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today Ron Suzuki presented the RM. These are his words:
     
    "My only regrets in retirement is my day to day contact with our youth.The first Interact Club for Senior Secondary Students was established by the Rotary Club of Melbourne Florida in the late 60s! The term Interact is derived from inter for international and act for action. Today there are over 15,875 Interact Clubs with more than 151,000 members in 88 countries.
     
    A major goal of Interact is to provide opportunities for young people to create greater understanding and goodwill with youth throughout the world. As a member of the Project Amigo Committee I will be meeting with our King George Secondary Interact Program about their engagement in this International Project!"

    Announcements:
     
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Hellenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page can be found here:
     
    https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/day-of-the-dead-party-for-project-amigo-tickets-36905247589
     
    • The Rotary Club of Vancouver Cambie invited us to their Korean Thanksgiving Fundraising dinner. It will take place on October 7th at 6 pm in the New Vista Society. For tickets please call Branden Yu at 778 862 9122.

    Meeting:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Bob Blacker, Past District Governor and Rotarian for the past 20 years. Bob is a Paul Harris Fellow and member of the District 5040 Paul Harris Society.
     
    Bob was born in Australia, moved to Canada in 1971. That same year Bob joined the New Westminster Police Department and retired from the department in 2000 with the rank of Inspector.
     
    Today he talked about the "Write to Read" program. Write to Read is a volunteer effort on the part of many individuals who have contributed their time and effort to create a library system for remote First Nations communities in BC.
     
    The Write to Read Project delivers books, libraries, computers, tablets & high speed Internet connections to remote First Nation communities in BC.
     
     In 1998, Bob became an Honorary Aide de Camp (HADC) to the Lt. Governor of British Columbia. In 2007 His Honour, Steven Point, and Bob started to work together to get books into isolated First Nations Communities in British Columbia. In 2012, after his term as Lt. Governor, HH Steven Point returned to the Bench as a Provincial Court Judge. As a result, Bob carried on as the Project Leader. Both men never dreamt that WRITE TO READ would be as successful as it is today.
     
    Learn more about this project on their website: https://www.writetoreadbc.com/
     

    Thought of the day:
     
    Education Is Not the Learning of Facts but the Training of the Mind to Think - Albert Einstein​​​​​​​

    Next Speakers:

    September 13 - Business Meeting.
    September 20 - John Charbonneau, Reverse Mortgages.​​​​​​​
    Septermber 27 - Krystal Brennan, Stream of Dreams Murals Society
    September 6 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-09-06 07:00:00Z 0

    August 30 2017

    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 15 members present as well as two guests, Emma Dyer, Abigail Turner's daughter and her friend Piper McIntire. 

    Rotary Moment:

    Today we learned about the power of Facebook as a tool to promote Rotary and our projects. To give you an idea of the reach that Facebook has, here are some impressive stats:
     

    It took 38 years for radio to reach 40 million listeners and television 12 years to reach that many viewers, but it took Facebook only nine months to register 100 million users. That’s right -- one hundred million users in nine months. Today Facebook has over 2 billion users!

    Our club's Facebook page has close to 3,500 "fans". These are people who want to receive our content as it gets posted in our page.

     
    Announcements:
     
    • Whistler Get-Together remember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Follow up with Abigail for details.
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Helenic Centre. Tickets will be $50 and the event page will go live shortly.
    • President Alfredo thanked Past President Cleopatra for serving our club for the past 2 years. She was presented with a Past President Rotarian pin.
    • Sheila Anderson inducted our newest member, Natalia Lysova. Natalia comes from a Rotarian family and she was also a Rotary exchange student.
    • Larry Belsito and Gary Chomyn were presented with Tom Harris awards for the incredible work they do for our club and the community.
    Meeting:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Tom Smith. He is a member of the Tsawwassen Rotary Club since 2002,  and past member of the Vancouver Rotary Club. Tom is a Past President of his club and former Assistant Governor.  Currently he is the District Membership Chair and Paul Harris Society District Chair.  He is the Social Chair in his own club. And recently appointed to the TRF Canada committee for helping manage the government grant of $1,200,000 per year for 5 years.
     

    Tom is a curler, bridge player and a cyclist.  He and his son, Steve, run a sales agency.  He is married to Stephanie and also has a daughter, Wendy, who is a teacher.  And last but definitely not least, a six year old grandson, Noah and a two year old granddaughter, Amelia.

     

    His presentation was on the crucial topic of Rotary membership. he provided our members with several very innovative ways of attracting and retaining members.

     

     

     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something doneask a woman." - Margaret Thatcher
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    September 6 - Bob Blacker, Education and Literacy.
    September 13 - Business Meeting.
    September 20 - John Charbonneau, Reverse Mortgages.
    ​​​​​​​
     
     

    August 30 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-08-30 07:00:00Z 0

    August 23 2017

    Posted on Aug 23, 2017

     

    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 14 members present as well as one visiting Rotarian, Mike Carter from the US.

    Rotary Moment:

    Today we learned about how one club in Philadelphia has created different types of membership to cater to members on different life stages and carreers. 
     
    The Rotary Club of Philadelphia offers different levels of membership, including full, a la carte with "pay as you go" lunches, and a Happy Hour Club. The Happy Hour Club meets once a month for a happy hour meeting and once a month for a service project during the day.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Whistler Get-Together remember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Followup with Abigail for details.
    • The Project Amigo Dia de Los Muertos dinner fundraiser will be on October 21st at the Helenic Centre. More details to follow.
    Meeting:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Paola Murillo, founder of Latincouver. In 2008 Paola Murillo and a group of friends felt there was a need for Latinos to feel more welcome in our City. A Latin plaza was in the works. The name “Latincouver” just sounded right, the perfect mix between Latinos and Vancouver.
     
    We were welcomed within the Latin American communities in 2009 with a huge launch Party. Latincouver ”The Virtual Plaza in BC” was officially born. We presented our 1st Carnaval del Sol in Vancouver at the Hellenic Community.
     
    They currently run 5 programs:
     
    The Carnaval del Sol had 120K visitors this summer. Latincouver received the proclamation for the “Latin American Week” from the Province of B.C. and work along with the City of Vancouver to promote a multicultural scene.
     
    Read more about this organization on their website: http://www.latincouver.ca/
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Roots are not in landscape or a country, or a people, they are inside you." - Isabel Allende
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    August 30 - Tom Smith, District Membership Chair.
    September 6 - Bob Blacker, Education and Literacy.
    Septermber 13 - Business Meeting.
     
    ​​​​​​​
     
     

    August 23 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-08-23 07:00:00Z 0

    August 16 2017

    Posted on Aug 16, 2017

    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 12 members present as well as 2 guests, Natalia Lysova and Bill Archer.

    Rotary Moment:

    Today we learned how Rotary International is governed:
     

    Rotary International is governed by a board of directors composed of the international president, the president-elect, the general secretary, and 17 zone directors.

    The chief operating officer of RI is the general secretary, who heads a staff of about 600 people working at the international headquarters in Evanston and in seven international offices around the world.

     
    Announcements:
     
    • Whistler Get-Together remember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Followup with Abigail for details.
    • From now on, the sign in sheet at the meetings will have a box where you can enter how many hours you have volunteered recently. This is a way to keep track of all the volunteering our members do and that may go unnoticed otherwise.
    • Don Kavanagh. Long time well-known Rotarian has passed away. There will be a Memorial next Wednesday at 1pm at Kearney Funeral Home. The address is 450 West 2nd Ave. in Vancouver.
    Meeting:
     
    Our guest speaker today was Bob de Wit, from the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association. The topic of his presentation was "Hot-button issues in the residential construction industry".
     
    Some of the points of view he shared were:
     
    • Metro Vancouver Real Estate prices will continue to rise.
    • Annual housing starts are rising from 19K to 30K, but supply is still running way behind demand.
    • Some of the reasons for increased demand are: 
      • Population growth, immigration.
      • NIMBYISM ( not in my back yard) run amok.
      • Municipal processing times have gworn excessive.
      • Government fees and charges have escalated
      • Tariffs. Such as the ones for drywall and rebar.
      • Lumber supply disruptions due to forest fires.
      • Lack of capacity.
     
    To learn more about what the Greater Vancouver Home Builders' Association does please visit: http://www.gvhba.org/
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights." - Smedley Butler
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    August 23 - Paola Murillo, Latincouver.
    August 30 - Tom Smith, District Membership Chair.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary Foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
    August 16 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-08-16 07:00:00Z 0

    August 9 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 17 members present.

    Rotary Moment:

     

    The topic today was led by Gary and the subject was the Hoop-a- Thon for 2017. Our Goal- We are shooting to make a difference for kids on and off of the court. Our goal this year was $22,000. Our achievement was $23,162. We received a Rotary grant of $2,333. Chris Gaillus had pledges of $302 for each basket, which took in $3,322. Rotary Club of Vancouver donated $1,000 from their foundation. The Yaletown club donated $450. $11,581 went to scholarships and bursaries and $11,581 went to the Basketball programs for equipment, coaches, and camps.
     
    Next year’s goal is $25,000. Congratulations to Gary and his team.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the RacesA reminder of the Hastings Race get-together on August 13. Sheila will contact those who have committed with the details before the date and will take any reservations from anyone who decides to come. Let Sheila know if you have not advised her that you are coming.
    •  Also Whistler Get-Together remember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Followup with Abigail for details.
     
     
    Meeting:
     
    We had a business meeting today.
     
    FINANCIALS- John is accumulating all info needed to reapply for the gaming grant. (Deadline is Nov. 30).
     
    For each speaker coming to our club, we will send a donation of $10.00 to the polio fund as a thank you.
     
    MEMBERSHIP- Each member had committed recently to try to bring at least one guest a year to our meetings ( as potential members). Also we should try to pass out the Welcome to Rotary brochures to as many people as possible.
     
    DIVERSITY- Our goal is to increase gender, professional and ethnic members.
     
    ENGAGEMENT- Seven people have volunteering to be monthly Rotary Moment presenters.We have four more openings for the year.
     
    On our Attendance Sheet, we should now enter the amount of time each week that was spent volunteering for Rotary, next to your name.
     
    YOUTH- Please read the outcomes sought and measures on our Strategic Plan for
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    August 16 - Bob de Wit, Building Codes and Affordable Housing.
    August 23 - Paola Murillo, Latincouver.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary Foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
    August 9 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-08-09 07:00:00Z 0

    August 2 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 16 members present, as well as Natalia Lysova, who will be a member soon!

    Rotary Moment:

    Gary Chomyn shared the final numbers for the Hoopathon:
     
    • 2017 goal: 22K dollars
    • Actual 2017: 22.5K dollars!!
    • 2018 Goal: 25K dollars
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the RacesA reminder of the Hastings Race get-together on August 13. Sheila will contact those who have committed with the details before the date and will take any reservations from anyone who decides to come. Let Sheila know if you have not advised her that you are coming.
    •  Also Whistler Get-Togetherremember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Followup with Abigail for details.
     
     
    Meeting:
     
    Our guest speakers today were Doreen Drysdale and Sheila Polard, from the Life Saving Society.
     
    The Lifesaving Society (formerly the Royal Lifesaving Society) is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to reduce water-related death and injury. The Society has been educating the public and training lifesavers and lifeguards in B.C. since 1911
     
    Promoting lifesaving and lifeguarding programs, and improving aquatic safety through youth education are just two ways the Lifesaving Society is able to serve the public. The Junior Lifeguard Club creates a focus for children aged seven years and up, preparing swimmers with valuable lifesaving skills. The Canadian Swim Patrol and Bronze Star are programs specifically designed for young swimmers.
     
    Find out more by visiting their website: http://www.lifesaving.bc.ca/
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    August 9 - Business meeting.
    August 16 - Bob de Wit, Building Codes and Affordable Housing.
    August 23 - Paola Murillo, Latincouver.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary Foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    August 2 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-08-02 07:00:00Z 0

    July 26 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    4 Way Test:

    Alfredo led the group in the Four Way Test. Today we had 19 members present, as well as our Assistant DG, Parvinder Grewal, our speaker Yahaira Moran and her companion, Meriely Arias, Director of Publicity and Promotions, Venezuelan Canadian Society of BC

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Our Rotary Moment was presented by Assistant DG, Parvinder Grewal.   She paid tremendous compliments to our club, for our camaraderie, enthusiasm and the fact that everyone participates personally. This is Parvinder’s last year in her term as Assistant DG. She focused on the new District Governor, Don Evans.
     
    Don is a strategic planner. He suggests that we visit the Rotaract and Interact clubs in our area at least once a quarter. Also very important is that the Website is always kept up to date. We should make sure that we occasionally attend a hands-on visit to local projects. The Squamish club has opened a bank account for donations to help those affected by the BC Fires. And we must work out a system for recording volunteer hours for all members.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the RacesA reminder of the Hastings Race get-together on August 13. Sheila will contact those who have committed with the details before the date and will take any reservations from anyone who decides to come. Let Sheila know if you have not advised her that you are coming.
    • Whistler Get-Together Also remember the date of September 3 for the day at Whistler, biking or not, with lunch and a BBQ at Abigail and Jason’s house. Followup with Abigail for details.
    • There is a Board Meeting next Tuesday at Lawrence’s office.
     
    Sargent at Arms:
     
     Due to time restraints, please remember your Happy Events from this week and let us know next week what they were.
     
     
    Meeting:
     
    Cleo introduced our speaker today, Yahaira Moran.Topic “We speak Spanish here” How to keep a second language. Yahaira is from Venezuela and after staying in Texas for several years, came to Vancouver in 2013.
     

    The objectives of this program are:   1. To Motivate the use of Spanish and increase vocabulary. 2.Teach about other Spanish speaking Countries and their cultures.  3.Workshops about resources in our community.  For more info, google www.vcsbc.ca , the website for Supporting the Venezuelan Community in BC. Sheila thanked the speaker in  Spanish.
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    Doreen Drysdale    Life Saving Society
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    July 26 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-07-26 07:00:00Z 0

    July 19 2017
     

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    4 Way Test:

    The meeting was held by a stand-in and a very knowledgeable person having been President for two years, Cleo Perez, who also led the club in the Four Way Test. We had 17 members present, Guest  Rotarian, Tom Smith and our speaker, Spencer Sproule

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Cleo also continued with chapter two of the History of the Four Way Test.  It has been with Rotary since 1943, having created created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert Taylor for his bankrupt company.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
    • Whistler Get-Together September 3 at Abigail and Jason House at 8369 Rainbow Drive,
      We will meet at the house and go for a bike ride ( for those who bike) and meet the rest at Lost Lake, Bring lunch/snacks. Start time will be at around 11ish.
      Dinner will be at 5 PM at the house. The hosts will do hamburgers, etc. It is an easy walk or
      drive to the Lake.  Abigail will provide more information and details closer to the date. Let them know who is coming.
    • The official tally is in for the Hoop-a-thon.   Chimp took in $16,971, cash donations $2,000 Others $2,333 Total Gross amount $22, 301, Net after expenses $21,800.  Next year’s goal will be $25,000. Huge success.  Congrats to Gary and his team.
     
    Sargent at Arms:
     
    Peter Fox did the honours today. Among many interesting stories shared by our members one stood out, Tina is going to be the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association - BC Branch's Equality and Diversity Committee.
     
     
    Meeting -    Our speaker today, Spencer Sproule was introduced by Ted.
     
    His subject was LNG, an interesting subject for the last few years. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is natural gas,  methane with some mixture of methane that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage and transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state. It is odorless, colorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive. Projected location of the plant would be in Prince Rupert or Port Edward. This was approved by five tribes of the Tsimshian First Nations.
     

    Employment is expected to be 1139, and contributions to the BC communities, about 156 million dollars.Total spent in BC since 2013 is 7.4 Billion. There are 190 conditions which were laid out before the decisions had been made. One was the formation of an Environment Monitoring Committee consisting of two First Nations tribes.      
     
       
    Speaker was thanked by Frances.
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    Show me someone who has never made a mistake and I show you someone who has never tried! - John Wooden Basketball Coach UCLA
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    Yajaira Moran- We Speak Spanish Here
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    July 19 2017  Carlos Obregon 2017-07-19 07:00:00Z 0

    July 12 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    4 Way Test:

    The meeting was led by stand-in Ron Suzuki, who also coached us through the Four Way Test. We had 12 members present as well as guest Scott McCormac, son of Ted, Natalia Lysova, second visit as a potential member, Gloria Staudt, from New Westminister morning club and guest speaker, Saad Karim.

    Rotary Moment:

    Cleo started a three chapter history of the Four Way Test. In the 1930’s, The Club Aluminum Products and its 250 employees were bankrupt. Herbert J Taylor decided that the company had to change its ethical philosophy to reflect high ethics and morals that God would have waned in business. In the 1940s, Taylor was a director of Rotary International.He offered it to Rotary and it was accepted. It has never changed and was copyrighted in 1954
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
    • Ted sent around a sheet last week regarding Every Rotarian, Every Year. Please send a reply to Ted.
    • Mosaic and Junior Achievement are looking for volunteers.
    Sargent at arms:
     
    Cleo took over the collection of donations to the Polio Fund.
     
    Meeting -   Gloria Staudt introduced our speaker, Saad Karim. Saad Karim from North Vancouver was sponsored by District 5040 as a Rotary PeaceFellow. On August 30, 2012, Saad graduated from the three-month peace program at Chulalongkorn University Bangkok.

    Saad has worked for the past ten years with a variety of humanitarian programs in Africa, most recently in Darfur, Sudan. He has accepted a new job working in Liberia.

    If your club is interested in nominating someone from your community to attend Rotary’s three-month peace program or one of the two-year graduate university programs please contact the District 5040 Peace Center Committee Chair Gloria Tom Wing

    For more information on the Rotary Peace Centers visit www.Rotary.org/RotaryCenters

    Saad Karim was selected by his fellow students as one of the two class spokesmen at their graduation. This is the graduation presentation speech can be found by googling “Saad Karim- Rotary Peace Fellow Vancouver, BC”

    Thank you to the speaker by Francis Kototyluk
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you will start having positive results. Willie Nelson
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    Spencer Sproule-Topic LNG
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    July 12 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-07-12 07:00:00Z 0

    July 5th 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 17 members present. We also had Natalia Lysova from Russia, who is currently looking to join a club.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Cleo told us some very interesting facts about how Rotary started in Latin America. The firs club was in Cuba in 1916, the second one in Uruguay in 1918.

     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
     
    Meeting -   Today we had our first business meeting in this Rotary year. President Alfredo led the meeting and we reviewed our plans and budgets for the year.
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
     
    Barack Obama
     
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    There will be no meeting on Wednesday, June 28.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    July 5th 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-07-05 07:00:00Z 0

    June 21 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 17 members present. Tania Belsito was our guest.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Today we skipped the Rotary moment so we could have more time for the Canada 150 presentation.

     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • 2017 Hoop-A-Thon: FINAL Call for donations!  If you have not made your donation, please do asap, so we can finalize this year’s totals and deliver on our commitment to Strathcona kids.  You can go on line and receive an instant tax receipt: http://chim.pn/238E2xX
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11 am. $35 per person.
    • Rotary Club of Vancouver Bike-A-Thon - July 9 - Seeking Volunteers.
     
    Meeting -   Today Larry Belsito put together a very fun presentation about Canada's 150th birthday. The presentation included videos and quizzes.
     
    The winners of the quizzes on Wednesday were:
     
    Ted was the winner of the best dressed in red and white- One lotto Max ticket

    Diana was the winner of the Canadian Inventions with 11 correct answers One Lotto Max ticket

    Cam was the winner of the Multiple choices with 9 correct answers  3 Gold Rush Scratchit tickets

    Cleo was second with 8 correct answers   2 Gold Rush scratchit tickets

    There was a tie for third place with 7 correct answers One Gold rush ticket each Michael, Carlos and Ted
     
    These are some Canadian inventions:
     
    1. Peanut butter
    2. Insulin
    3. Java programming language
    4. Canadarm
    5. Basketball
    6. Snowmobile
    7. Standard time
    8. Electric wheelchair
    9. Electron microscope
    10. Poutine of course!
    These are the videos we watched:
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    The beauty of the trees,
    the softness of the air,
    the fragrance of the grass,
    speaks to me.
    The summit of the mountain,
    the thunder of the sky,
    the rhythm of the sea,
    speaks to me.
    The faintness of the stars,
    the freshness of the morning,
    the dew drop on the flower,
    speaks to me.
    The strength of fire,
    the taste of salmon,
    the trail of the sun,
    And the life that never goes away,
    They speak to me.
    And my heart soars

    Chief Dan George
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    There will be no meeting on Wednesday, June 28.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    June 21 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-06-21 07:00:00Z 0

    June 14 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 12 members present. We had 2 visiting Rotarians, Blair Trenholme from the Vancouver club and John Robertson visiting from California.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Our Rotary moment today was to point out how Mateo Carrete, Alfredo's son, actually scored 10 hoops in the Hoppathon. He is only 5 years old, but he actually practiced for weeks leading up to the event. A true Rotarian in the making!

     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Next week’s meeting (June 21) will be presented by Larry Belsito.  It is a celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday.  THERE IS A DRESS CODE.  All those attending are expected to wear red and white (partially, at least).  RED AND WHITE
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11 am. $35 per person.
    • Rotary Club of Vancouver Bike-A-Thon - July 9 - Seeking Volunteers.
     
    Meeting -   Today we had a business meeting to discuss our club's plans, budgets, and other fun things.
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Helen Keller.
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    June 21 - Larry Belsito - Canada's 150th Birthday
    There will be no meeting on Wednesday, June 28.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    June 14 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-06-14 07:00:00Z 0

    June 7 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 13 members present. We had a visiting Rotarian from Romania, Dr. Cristian Falup-Pecurariu who is in town attending a congress about Parkinson's disease research. We also hosted the Interact Club of King George school.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     

    Larry Belsito told us some very interesting stats about Rotary in Canada:

    • There are 2 Canadians on the Rotary International Board.
    • Dean Rohrs, a former member of our club, is the incoming Vice President of Rotary International.
    • There are 24K Rotarians in Canada, 7,600 of them are women, 31.6% of the total.
    • Canada is the 13th country in the world in terms of Rotary members.
    • Canada is #6 in donations to the Rotary Foundation.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Rotary Day at the Races. This year the event will take place on Sunday, August 13. Sheila has tentatively booked the afternoon for us, including reserving the family area so that kids came come and enjoy the event and the buffet. Sheila needs to know who might attend. Please let her know as soon as possible so that we can confirm with the racecourse.
       
    • The Hoopathon was a success, the totals are still being tallied and will be available later this month.
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11 am. $35 per person.
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speakers were the RYLA attendees that our club sponsored.
     
    These are some highlights of their presentation:
     
    • There were over 100 attendees to RYLA this year
    • The activities included workshops on public speaking, a polar bear swim, goal setting workshops and more.
    • They all left RYLA with new friends!
     
     
    Pics from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art." - Stanislaw Jerzy
     
    Next Speakers:
     
    June 14 - Business Meeting
    June 21 - Larry Belsito - Canada's 150th Birthday
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    June 7 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-06-07 07:00:00Z 0

    May 31 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present. Our only guest was our speaker Bryan Yu who is the Deputy Chief Economist for Central 1 credit union.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     

    Sheila Anderson is doing the Rotary Moment this month. Today she read from Rotary Canada some of 20 things to know about Rotary.  Among things he read were – 4 R.I. Presidents were from Canada, Winnipeg was the first club outside the U.S.A., and the R.I. Convention has been held in Canada 7 times and it is scheduled for Toronto next year. 
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The Hoopathon is this Saturday. Please be there at 10 am and be ready to have fun!
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11 am. $35 per person.
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was Bryan Yu, from Central 1 Credit Union. His presentation was titled "Economic and Housing Outlook for Canada".
     
    His presentation was filled with very well researched and useful data. These are some highlights:
     
    • Currently, there is a positive outlook for the Global economy. Growth is around 3%
    • 2 more interest rate increases are expected in the US this year.
    • The Canadian economy is expected to have modest growth in the second half of this year.
    • The Bank of Canad is expected to hold rates for the rest of this year.
    • The Canadian dollar is expected to remain in the 74-75 cents exchange rate.
    • BC's outlook is positive, 2.8% growth expected this year.
    • BC's labour market is the strongest in Canada.
     
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people.
     
    Zig Ziglar
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
     
    June 7 - RYLA
    June 14 - Business Meeting
    June 21 - Larry Belsito - Canada's 150th Birthday
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
     
     
     
     
    May 31 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-05-31 07:00:00Z 0

    May 24 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as one guest, Anicia Miles.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Sheila Anderson is doing the Rotary Moment this month. Today she told us a story about a young woman's journey with Rotary. Sylvia Barton is our District’s first participant in the New Generations Exchange Program and this is the story of the journey she has embarked on with Rotary. Sylvie as she is known by those close to her, is a 3rd year student at SFU majoring in criminology with a minor in First Nations Studies. 
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Only 1 week to go until the Hoppathon! Don't forget to send out your emails.
    • Join Frances and her Blockwatch Team for the  “Bells for Bikes" event Sunday May 28th. The event will start at 11 a.m. on the Arbutus Corridor from 49th Avenue to 57th Avenue.
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11am. $35 per person.
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was John Haley, who showed us a slideshow of his trip to Africa.
     
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    “Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
     
    Ibn Battuta, The Travels of Ibn Battutah
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    May 31 - Brian Yu - Senior Economist - BC Central One
    June 7 - RYLA
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    May 24 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-05-24 07:00:00Z 0

    May 17 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as 2 guests, Nic Davies and visiting Rotarian Gina Neumann from the Cranbrook club.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Sheila Anderson is doing the Rotary Moment this month. Today she gave us a quiz about Rotary history:
     
    • When was Rotary formed? A: 1905
    • Why is it called Rotary? A: The members chose the name Rotary because initially they rotated subsequent weekly club meetings to each other's offices.
    • Where was the second club formed? A: San Francisco
    • Where was the first Canadian Rotary club? A: Winnipeg
    • Where was the first International Rotary club started? A: Dublin
    • When was the Rotary foundation started? A: 1917
    • When were women first admitted as members? A:1987
    • How many countries is Rotary present in? A: 200
    • When did the Polio Plus program start? A:1985
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Only 2 weeks to go until the Hoppathon! Don't forget to send out your emails.
    • Join Frances and her Blockwatch Team for the  “Bells for Bikes" event Sunday May 28th. The event will start at 11 a.m. on the Arbutus Corridor from 49th Avenue to 57th Avenue.
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th at Patron Tacos Cantina at 11am. $35 per person.
    • The district 5040 site has been upgraded to include a comprehensive section on Rotary Background Check procedures. It can be easily accessed without logging into Clubrunner so is available to volunteers as well as members. On the home page, click on the heading "Take Action" and then on the drop down menu, choose "Background Check". Please spend the time to read through the information and options available to ensure you have an up to date background check.
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speakers were Maria Poe and Lianne Stooshnoff from Mosaic BC. They spoke about the Work BC employment services centre. 
     
    MOSAIC is a registered charity serving immigrant, newcomer and refugee communities in Greater Vancouver for the past 40 years.
    Supported by a board of directors, the organization manages a $20 million plus budget annually with more than 300 staff, 450 volunteers and 300 contractors.  
     
    MOSAIC administers WorkBC Employment Services Centres in Vancouver Northeast of the BC Provincial Government. 
     
    WorkBC is the provincial government's access point to the world of work in British Columbia. It was created with one key goal – to help all British Columbians to successfully navigate B.C.’s labour market.

    WorkBC helps people find jobs, explore career options and improve their skills. We also help employers fill jobs, find the right talent and grow their businesses.

    Other people who regularly use WorkBC products and services include parents, teachers, career and employment counsellors, human resources professionals, researchers and decision-makers.
     
    Visit their website for more information: https://www.mosaicbc.org/services/employment/
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    Care is a state in which something does matter; it is the source of human tenderness.
     
    Rollo May
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    May 24 - John Haley - My African Vacation
    May 31 - Brian Yu - Senior Economist - BC Central One
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    May 17 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-05-17 07:00:00Z 0

    May 10 2107

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as 1 guest, Glenn Wilson.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Sheila Anderson is doing the Rotary Moment this month. Today she told us about the Rotary International convention for 1018, which will be in Toronto from June 23-27 2018. Check out the official website: http://www.rotary2018.org/
     
    Sam Owori is selected to be 2018-19 Rotary president. The 2016-17 Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International has unanimously nominated Samuel Frobisher Owori, of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, to be the president of Rotary International in 2018-19.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Don't forget to send out the email to your contacts to gather pledges for the Hoopathon!
    • Our changeover brunch will be June 25th. Date to be confirmed very soon.
     
    Meeting -   Today we had a business meeting. These meetings take place after the monthly board meetings. In these meetings, we discuss our club's operation as well as our ongoing and future projects.
     
    Last week, our guest speaker was our member Tina Parbhakar. The title of her presentation was "Child and Youth law in Uganda" and this is the recap of her presentation:
     
    Tina spoke to the club about her experiences in Uganda with children's rights and the law.

    In particular, she described her six month internship through the Canadian Bar Association on a project called Supporting Access to Justice for Children and Youth in East Africa. She worked within the Ugandan Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and described, for example, a monitoring visit to a remand centre that holds children who have come into conflict with the law and a media tour of Justice Centres Uganda, an innovative effort to ensure citizens outside of the most urban areas of Uganda have access to free legal services and advice.
     
    Tina will continue this presentation with specific examples of the Ugandan justice system in action and concluding remarks at a meeting in August. 
     
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "All great achievements require time." - Maya Angelou 
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    May 17 - Leanne Stooshnoff / Maria Po - Mosaic/Work BC
    May 24 - John Haley - My African Vacation
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    May 10 2107 Carlos Obregon 2017-05-10 07:00:00Z 0

    May 3 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present as well as 1 guest, Glenn Wilson.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Sheila Anderson is doing the Rotary Moment this month. Today she told us that the The Rotary Foundation has received the highest possible score from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.

    In the most recent ratings, released on 1 September, The Rotary Foundation earned the maximum 100 points for both demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only 1% of charities achive this recognition.

    The Foundation also received its ninth straight 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. "Attaining a 4-star rating verifies that The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in your area of work,"
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Stratchcona is celebrating its 45th anniversay this year.
    • Saori Ogura, our ambassadorial scholar, was published recently in the UBC Forestry magazine "Branchlines". Her article is titled "Indigenous agrobiodiversity and climate change".
    • Gary Chomyn sent all of us the first email that we must send out to our contacts to gather pledges for the hoopathon. Make sure you send it out.
    • We are sponsoring 3 Rotaractors to attend the district conference in Whistler.
    • Sophie Gloy invited us to the 54th International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary (IGFR). It will take place August 6-12. More info here: http://www.igfr2017.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was our member Tina Parbhakar. The title of her presentation was "Child and Youth law in Uganda"
     
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar 
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    May 10 - Business meeting
    May 17 - Leanne Stooshnoff / Maria Po - Mosaic/Work BC
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    May 3 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-05-03 07:00:00Z 0

    April 26 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 19 members present as well as 1 guest, Liliana Marlene Esparza, a guest of Alfredo.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Tina is doing the Rotary Moment this month. She will be talking about Rotarians she has met that have had an impact in her life. She told us about meeting Jim Sparling, a RC Saanich member who is a specialist in chest / respiratory medicine and ran the VIHA chest clinic for more than 10 years before retiring in 2010.  

    Jim has been volunteering in Uganda since 1994 on his own and in partnership with a number of Rotary Grants - created the Friends of Mengo Hospital Society. His focus is Tuberculosis. Current incidence in Canada for TB is ~5/100,000. In the 1700’s/1800’s in Europe when TB was at its worst, the incidence rate was ~35 – 40/100,000. In 1994 at a Montreal medical conference professionals were speculating the end of TB in the world by the turn of the century. Currently, in Uganda, the incidence rate is ~700/100,000 and in sub-Saharan Africa it climbs to 1000-2000/100,000 depending on the country. The game changer has been HIV. It suppresses the part of the immune system designed to resist TB.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • 3 of our members attended the Rotaract meeting at King George school. They were very impressed by the number of attendees and how enthusiastic and comitted they are!
    • Gary Chomyn sent all of us the first email that we must send out to our contacts to gather pledges for the hoopathon. Make sure you send it out.
    • We are sponsoring 3 Rotaractors to attend the district conference in Whistler.
    • Sophie Gloy invited us to the 54th International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary (IGFR). It will take place August 6-12. More info here: http://www.igfr2017.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was Daniel Rotman. Daniel has a background in all things mind related and an interest in all things sustainable.
    He studied Cognitive Science and went on to complete a Masters in Conflict Resolution. The conflict he sees as the most pressing today is with our relationship to waste.
     
    He currently volunteers with SPEC as Co-Chair of the Zero Waste Committee where he is developing a waste reduction education program.
     
    He spoke about the "circular economy". A circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.

    Looking beyond the current "take, make and dispose” extractive industrial model, the circular economy is restorative and regenerative by design. Relying on system-wide innovation, it aims to redefine products and services to design waste out, while minimising negative impacts. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural and social capital.
     
    Below are links to the resources I showed during the presentation as well as additional links to resources and other areas of interest.
     
    http://www.recyclingalternative.com/ > the organization I work for, we are a local, values based waste management company that embodies the notion of keeping materials at their highest value, and innovates to create and promote opportunities to foster a circular economy
     
    https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ > champions of the circular economy movement
     
    http://www.nzwc.ca/Pages/default.aspx > regional and national initiative helping to galvanize the zero waste movement in Canada
     
    http://www.masterrecyclervancouver.ca/ > the waste reduction education program I co-created and co-facilitate, be sure to check out the Talkin' Trash radio show for podcast style shows on a variety of topics that alumni of the program created just last year
     
    http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/waste-wizard.aspx > search tool for where to properly dispose of all your municipal waste
     
    http://rcbc.ca/ > local not for profit organization to help make recycling easier, they have a hotline you can call to ask questions about disposal of goods as well, and feel free to direct those kinds of questions to me as well as they often don't have good answers to difficult questions
     
    http://www.bcrecycles.ca/ > website that lists all the extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs in BC and where to find depots and drop off spots for hard to recycle items, like hazardous waste
     
    http://www.spec.bc.ca/waste > lastly, a plug for the organization I volunteer with, which also founded RCBC, and the Master Recycler Program
     
    Pic from our meeting today:
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    Andrew Carnegie — 'There is little success where there is little laughter.'
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    May 3 - Tina Parbhakar - Child and Youth law in Uganda
    May 10 - Business meeting
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    April 26 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-04-26 07:00:00Z 0

    April 19 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present as well as 2 guests, Maricarmen Obregon and visiting Rotarian: Carol Brock from Coral Galbes.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Tina is doing the Rotary Moment this month. She will be talking about Rotarians she has met that have had an impact in her life. She told us about meeting Stephen Mwanje. In 2010-11, Mwanje was governor of District 9200, which then included Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. As he was researching options to address Uganda’s lack of health care, he crossed paths with Marion Bunch, an American Rotarian who had founded Rotarians for Family Health & AIDS Prevention in 2004. Their collaboration resulted in the country’s first free health clinic, organized by Mwanje in 2011.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • We are sponsoring 3 Rotaractors to attend the district conference in Whistler.
    • Sophie Gloy invited us to the 54th International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary (IGFR). It will take place August 6-12. More info here: http://www.igfr2017.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today we had the kickoff meeting for our Hoopathon. Make sure you check out the new webpage: http://hoopathon.ca/
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    April 26 - Matthew Pattinson - Composting/Waste Prevention
    May 3 - Tina Parbhakar - Child and Youth law in Uganda
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    April 19 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-04-19 07:00:00Z 0

    April 12 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 21 members present as well as 3 visiting Rotarians: Sophie Gloy, Nic Davies both of them are looking for a club to join (wink, wink) and Carol Brock from Florida. We were also happy to have ADG Davinder Grewal as our guest.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Tina is doing the Rotary Moment this month. She will be talking about Rotarians she has met that have had an impact in her life. She told us about meeting Naz Rayani has been honoured for his philanthropic efforts many times over the years, including receiving the Order of Canada. 
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The Interact club of King George secondary has invited us to attend one of their meetings. The date is April 21st at noon. Please coordinate with Abigail for more details.
    • We are sponsoring 3 Rotaractors to attend the district conference in Whistler.
    • Sophie Gloy invited us to the 54th International Golfing Fellowship of Rotary (IGFR). It will take place August 6-12. More info here: http://www.igfr2017.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today we had our yearly hockey pool. Good luck to everyone with their teams!
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    'Live long and prosper' is an abbreviated version of a traditional Jewish religious blessing. It came to a wider public in the Star Trek TV series. It was used there by the character Mr. Spock
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    April 19 - Business Meeting.
    April 26 - Matthew Pattinson - Composting/Waste Prevention
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    April 12 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-04-12 07:00:00Z 0

    April 5 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 15 members present as well as our guest speaker, Dale Albertson.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Tina is doing the Rotary Moment this month. She will be talking about Rotarians she has met that have had an impact in her life. She told us about Connie M. Deford, whom she met at a seminar. Connie a  retired City Clerk of Bay City, Michigan. She was voted Michigan City Clerk of the Year and was the recipient of the prestigious Quill Award from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, the Bay County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, and the Michigan Municipal League Award of Merit.
     
    Currently, she serves as a Professional Registered Parliamentarian and meeting consultant. She is a Past President of both the Michigan State Association of Parliamentarians and the National Association of Parliamentarians. She serves clients throughout the United States.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The hoopathon committee has reached out to the Vancouver and Yaletown clubs, both of which have expressed interest in joining our project.
    • We are sponsoring 2 Rotaractors to attend the district conference in Whistler.
     
    Meeting -   Our guest speaker today was Dale Albertson, who is an International Development Expert. He is the executive director of ACCES. the African Canadian Continuing Education Society.
     
    For more nearly 20 years, ACCES has been helping young Kenyans obtain the skills and education needed to benefit themselves and their society through: post-secondary scholarships; secondary scholarships; primary schools; health, gender and HIV/AIDS awareness; and small business and agricultural training.
     
    Please visit their website to learn more: https://acceskenya.org/
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." - Willie Nelson
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    April 12 - Hockey Pool led by Paul Hamilton.
    April 19 - Business Meeting.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    April 5 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-04-05 07:00:00Z 0

    March 29 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 17 members present as well as visiting Rotarian Peter Roundhill, from the Lions Gate Rotary Club. We also had Jamey McDonald as our guest speaker.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    James Fox told us about an essay written by a Rotaractor, on this essay, the author highlights the incredible reach and capabilities of the Rotary organization. With 1.2 million members Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries. Interact, organized and sponsored by Rotary clubs for young adults aged 12-18. There are more than 12,300 Interact clubs in 133 countries. Rotaract: groups organized by Rotary clubs to promote leadership, professional development, and service among young adults aged 18-30. There are more than 8,000 Rotaract clubs in 167
    countries.
     
    As you can see, the impact of Rotary is huge!
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The hoopathon kickoff meeting will be at our club on April 19th.
    • Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise President and Foundation Chair would you please encourage your members to sign up for our District's most important annual event in support of The Rotary Foundation, especially as we celebrate its 100th Anniversary. Guests are welcome. Please email Ted for more information.
     
    Meeting -   Our guest speaker today was Jamey McDonald, from the New Hope Community Services Society.  New Hope welcomes and supports refugee claimants and immigrants through housing, employment, and community.
     
    They own and operate a 13-unit apartment building in Surrey. It is designed to provide housing for families as they transition to healthy living in Canada
     
    The primary need for refugees is safe, secure, reasonably priced housing. New Hope offers this to all categories of refugees. Once housing has been taken care of, refugees need help to settle into their Canadian life. Included in that are such things as:
     
    • Job Skill Acquisition
    • Medical/Dental Care
    • Transportation
    • Schooling for All
    • Culture Learning
    • Safe Living
    • Banking
    • Shopping
    • Recreation (and so much more)
    Check out their website for more information: http://newhopecs.org/
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Love does not need vocabulary"
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    April 5 - Dale Albertson    Fundraising for Charities
    April 12 - Hockey Pool led by Paul Hamilton.
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    March 29 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-03-29 07:00:00Z 0

    March 22 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as Joan Posivy from the Rotary club of Vancouver.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    James Fox jumped right into his club duties by providing us with a Rotary moment today. He told us about the Guatemala literacy project. The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is a partnership between Rotary International clubs and the non-profit organization Cooperative for Education (CoEd). This initiative provides badly-needed textbooks, computer labs, scholarships, literacy and training programs to underprivileged children in Guatemala.
     
    You can find more details on their website: http://www.coeduc.org/r_about.htm
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The hoopathon kickoff meeting will be at our club on April 19th.
    • Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise President and Foundation Chair would you please encourage your members to sign up for our District's most important annual event in support of The Rotary Foundation, especially as we celebrate its 100th Anniversary. Guests are welcome. Please email Ted for more information.
    • Volunteers needed.  The annual TELUS Walk to Cure Diabetes is taking place on June 11th. As one of their signature fundraising events, they rely on over 500 volunteers to help them execute the event. If any members are interested in volunteering they are welcome to review opportunities on the two websites below. They need volunteers in Stanley Park Vancouver as well as Mill Lake in Abbotsford.
       
      Vancouver: https://goo.gl/A6zV7S
       
      Fraser Valley: https://goo.gl/ksrBPu
       
      Any help would be most appreciated.
     
    Meeting -   During our meeting today we had Joan Posivy, from the Vancouver Rotary, tell us about the Global Youth Project. She founded this project in 2014
     
    One of her favourite speaking engagements — for the last 20 years, in fact — has been at the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) camp for young adults. I see an incredible amount of talent and potential in each one of them, and more importantly, I want to be sure they see this in themselves. 
     
    Check out her website here: http://globalyouthproject.org/
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    March 29 - Jamey McDonald    Better Lives Counselling/New Hope
    April 5 - Dale Albertson    Fundraising for Charities
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    March 22 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-03-22 07:00:00Z 0

    March 8 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 18 members present as well as 3 guests, Sophie Gloy from the Rotary club of Victoria and Nic Davies who belonged to the Whistler Rotary club. Both of them have recently moved to Vancouver and are looking for a new club, wink, wink :). We also had James Fox for the last time as a guest since he was inducted today!

    Today being International Women's day, we asked our lady Rotarians to recite the 4-way test.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    James Fox jumped right into his club duties by providing us with a Rotary moment today. He told us about a project done by Rotarians from Taipei.
     
    In January 2014, a report titled “Child Welfare League Foundation” noted a considerable gap between urban and rural areas. The lack of resources in remote areas led to poorer performance by children, many of who were aborigines. Since these children could never catch up, roughly a quarter of them consider dropping out of elementary school. Improving basic education seemed to be extremely crucial in helping eliminate poverty in these areas.
     
    To make the project sustainable, they support teachers specialized in this creative science approach not only to teach fourth through sixth graders, but also train the local teachers in order that they can carry on the training for future classes.
     
    In three years, they used Rotary Foundation funds to reach 20 schools. The program continues to grow today.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • The Gates foundation recently published their yearly public letter with updates on the work they do. This year they mention, and give credit, to Rotary for the fight to end polio.
    • Club members who are interested in visiting the upcoming RYLA can do so. You just need to let them know in advance, it will be on March 15th in Gibsons, BC. Contact info can be found in this link: http://ryla5040.org/contact/
     
    Meeting -   Our guest speaker today was Philip Burgess, from the Bottom Up Foundation. 
     
    From The Bottom Up Foundation is a registered non-profit providing diaper assistance to the families of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Diapers are expensive—they can cost $70 to $80 or more each month. As a result, parents with limited means often try to make do without them, try to stretch their supply by leaving babies in dirty diapers longer or re-use  disposable diapers. A diaper is a small thing, but can make an impact in a big way.
     
    The need is tremendous— healthy child will require an average of 50 diaper changes a week, translating approximately 2600 diaper changes a year.
     
    To find out more, visit their official website: https://www.bottomsupfoundation.com/
     
    And their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fromthebottomupfoundation/
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "Happiness doesn't depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude." - Dale Carnegie
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    March 15 - Business meeting
    March 22 - Dominic Rubino - Van Entrepren Assn - Global Student of the Year Award
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
    March 8 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-03-08 08:00:00Z 0

    March 1st 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 19 members present as well as 1 guest, James Fox who will become a member next week.

    We all recited the 4-way test.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Cleo told us that she is currently taking a training program based on the works of Dale Carnegie. She was impressed to find that there are multiple references to Rotary in his books!
     
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Our club will take part in the Club Day organized by the Vancouver Public Library on March 4, 2017. The event will take place March 4th at the Library Square from 11:00 to 3:00 pm.
    • Club members who are interested in visiting the upcoming RYLA can do so. You just need to let them know in advance, it will be on March 15th in Gibsons, BC. Contact info can be found in this link: http://ryla5040.org/contact/
     
    Meeting -   Our guest speaker today was our member Sheila Anderson. She told us about Project Amigo, in Mexico. This year this is our international project.
     
    Project Amigo was born when Rotarian Ted Rose first visited the state of Colima, back in 1984, he went to hike a volcano. But, instead, he took the wrong bus and found himself in a little poverty-stricken village.
     
    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 ever to break out of poverty.
     
    To achieve their goal, the project aims to remove the financial barriers to education through scholarships that include school fees, transportation, uniforms and school supplies, and a hot lunch.
     
    To date, there are over 60 university graduates from the project.
     
    To find out more, visit their official website: http://www.projectamigo.org/
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion." - Dale Carnegie
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
     
    March 8 - Philip Burgess - Bottoms Up Foundation
    March 15 - Business meeting
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
    March 1st 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-03-01 08:00:00Z 0

    February 15 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 15 members present as well as 2 visiting Rotarians from Brazil: Monica Wagner and Daladiana Lima. Both of them are here in Vancouver for a few months to learn English.

    We all recited the 4-way test.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Frances presented part III of the "Women in Rotary" topic. She told us about the "Inner Wheel Club" which is an international organisation closely linked to Rotary that was founded in 1924 by Margarette Golding, a nurse, business woman and the wife of a Manchester Rotarian, to unite wives and daughters of Rotarians.
     
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • RYLA. We are sponsoring 8 participants.
     
    Meeting -   Today we had our Valentines day auction. Some great items were donated and our club raised funds for our operation.
     
     
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "All you need is loveBut a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz 
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    Feb 22 - King George Interact Club
    March 1 - To be confirmed
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
    February 15 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-02-15 08:00:00Z 0

    February 8 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as 2 guests, James Fox, District chair of RYLA south and son of Peter Fox, and Brian Martin from the West Vancouver Sunrise club.

    We all recited the 4-way test.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Frances presented part II of the "Women in Rotary" topic. She told us how Rotary clubs in Sri Lanks and India wanted to include women as member. And this was 40 years before the US clubs finally allowed women as members.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Valentines day auction. Please input your auction item in the online spreadsheet we sent earlier this week.
    • Peace fellowships. Please consider putting forward nominees for this opportunities.
    • RYLA. Looks like we will be sponsoring 7 atendees.
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
    • The District 5040 Conference, May 4 – 7, in Whistler, provides a great opportunity for sponsorship to profile your company and support Rotary. Please review the sponsorship package and take one of the options, or join with others in a joint sponsorship. More information here: https://goo.gl/xJPtlP
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was Nate Toevs from the Neil Squire Society.
     
    The Neil Squire Society is a Canadian national not-for-profit organization that empowers Canadians with disabilities through advocacy, computer-based assistive technology, research and development, and various employment programs. It has five locations across Canada.
     
    The Neil Squire Society began as a result of Bill Cameron's efforts with his relative Neil Squire. When Neil was paralyzed from the neck down in a car accident in 1980, Bill created a “sip-and-puff” machine to allow Neil to communicate using Morse code. 
     
    Check out their website for more information: https://www.neilsquire.ca/ 
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the day:
     
    "If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." - H. G. Wells
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    Feb 15 - Business Meeting
    Feb 22 - King George Interact Club
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
    February 8 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-02-08 08:00:00Z 0

    February 1st 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present as well as one guest, James Fox, District chair of RYLA south and son of Peter Fox.

    We all recited the 4-way test.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    Frances will be doing The Rotary moment this month. Today she reminded us that women have only been allowed in Rotary for the past 30 years. It was not an easy transition from being a men-only organization. Clubs from Canada and California played a key role in this change.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Fellowship Feb 8th Frankie's Jazz Bar. 4-6pm. Please let Peter Fox know if you are coming.
    • Hoopathon 2017 - We are in the process of confirming the Global TV sponsorship. The event will take place on June 3rd. 
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
    • The District 5040 Conference, May 4 – 7, in Whistler, provides a great opportunity for sponsorship to profile your company and support Rotary. Please review the sponsorship package and take one of the options, or join with others in a joint sponsorship. More information here: https://goo.gl/xJPtlP
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was James Fox, chair of RYLA south. 
     
    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.
     
    Our club is sponsoring 8 attendees this year, 6 from King George and 2 from Strathcona. 
     
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    Feb 8 - Nate Toevs - Neil Squire Soc - Emp Outreach
    Feb 15 - Business Meeting
    Feb 22 - King George Interact Club
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
    February 1st 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-02-01 08:00:00Z 0

    January 25 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present as well as 2 visiting Rotarians: Ehud Falkovitz from Israel and Karin Egedekaderkova from Denmark.

    We all recited the Four Way Test.  We had 20 members in attendance and no guests today.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    The Rotary moment today was to celebrate Lawrence Bicknell who today received his Paul Harris plus 3 medal, congratulations!
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Hoopathon 2017 - We are in the process of confirming the Global TV sponsorship. The event will take place on June 3rd. 
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today we had our Annual Robbie Burns party, with haggis and scotch!
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    Feb 1 - Jason Bowman - BC Ferries
    Feb 8 - Nate Toevs - Neil Squire Soc - Emp Outreach
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
    January 25 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-01-25 08:00:00Z 0

    January 18th 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon
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    Today we celebrated our clubs 30th anniversary. We had a full house with many former members in attendance as well as guests such as: Davinder Grewal, our ADG. Ana Fernandez our financial guru, David Pasin from the West End community centre association. John Bathurst president of the Rotary club of Vancouver, our sponsor. Lokton Au, president of the King George Interact and many other guests.

     

    Since today we had a party, there is not a whole lot to report other than sharing some pics from the event:

     

    You can see all the pictures in this album: https://goo.gl/ka80IU

     

    The thought of the Day: 
     

    Rotary vision: Observance of the Golden Rule of service — Real Happiness Is Helping Others

    “The search for individual joy, satisfaction, and happiness is universal, and I strongly believe it is a goal that can best be fulfilled by helping others....Some of the most rewarding moments in our lives occur when we are helping, serving, and caring for others.”

    — A Chat with President Cliff, THE ROTARIAN, August 1992

     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    Jan 25 - Robbie Burns Day
    Feb 1 - Jason Bowman - BC Ferries
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    January 18th 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-01-18 08:00:00Z 0

    January 11 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jan 11, 2017
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we all recited the Four Way Test.  We had 20 members in attendance and no guests today.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    The Rotary moment today was about our guiding principles:
     
    The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideals of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster the following:
     
    FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

    SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

    THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

    FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Abigail was inducted as a Paul Harris Fellow, you become a PHF when $US1000 is contributed to The Rotary Foundation. Congratulations!
    • Hoopathon 2017 - The first meeting will be on January 17th at 5 pm. The event will take place on June 3rd. 
    • Our club will be celebrating our 30th anniversary this next January 18th. Make sure you attend the meeting!
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today we had our Annual General Meeting. 
     
     
    The thought of the Day: 
     
    “If we train our youth properly, we need not have any fear as to the future of the world.” — Inaugural Address, 1949 Rotary Convention, New York, New York, USA
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    18 - Jan - Club's 30th Anniversary
    25 Jan - Robbie Burns Day
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    January 11 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-01-11 08:00:00Z 0

    January 4 2017

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jan 04, 2017
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, Frances led us in the Four Way Test.  We had 14 members in attendance and no guests today.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    The Rotary moment today was a reminder about the importance of membership.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Hoopathon 2017 - The first meeting will be on January 17th at 5 pm. The event will take place on June 3rd. 
    • Our club will be celebrating our 30th anniversary this next January 18th. Make sure you attend the meeting!
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was Ron Suzuki giving us his classification talk.
     
    These are some of the highlights of his presentation about his fascinating and inspiring life:
     
    • His Grand Father arrived in Canada from Japan in 1905.
    • He was born in Delta, BC and had a 41-year career as a community centre operator. 16 of those years in the Strathcona community centre.
    • He was able to put himself through school by working full time and learning the 4 hours of sleep method.
    • He was an avid runner and he was the top Canadian running in the Seattle marathon in 1978.
    • In 1982 he became the national coach for the Cerebral Palsy Association.
    • He is a licensed Sushi instructor and was hired by Jim Pattison to teach at the World Fair.
    • He has taught sushi making to over 50K people.
     
     
    The thought of the Day: 
     
    “Man has affinity for his fellowman, 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.”

    — A Road I Have Travelled, THE ROTARIAN, February 1934
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    11 - Jan - Business meeting
    18 - Jan - Club's 30th Anniversary
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    January 4 2017 Carlos Obregon 2017-01-04 08:00:00Z 0

    December 21st 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Dec 21, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, Cleo led us in the Four Way Test.  We had 12 members in attendance, Rotarian Gordon Cormack from Calgary and our guest speaker, Nick Parker.

     

    Rotary Moment:

    “Rotary is Fellowship. Real Fellowship is frank, spontaneous, full of warmth, and if
    you want to gauge its depth you will find that it is the difference between “Mister”
    and “Bill” — “Reverend” and “Jack.”

    — Call Him “Bill,” THE ROTARIAN, May 1915
     
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • There is no meeting next week, December 28th. 
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
    • Sheila will be visiting Project Amigo in Mexico. She is requesting children and teens clothing donations. She leaves on January 6th, please make sure you bring your donations before that.
     
    Meeting -   Today our guest speaker was Rev. Nick Parker. He is currently the rector of St. Stephen's in West Vancouver. A former Canadian Naval Officer, he attended Royal Military College, Trent University, and Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. 

    Nick is a keen sailor, cyclist and boat builder with a love of the outdoors. His musical claim to fame is that he was once introduced by his Cathedral Organist as playing the bagpipes and the banjo.
     
    He spoke about the global network of Mission to Seafarers centres (www.missiontoseafarers.org). These places offer a warm and hospitable “home away from home,” for those who visit the worlds ports.  Vancouver and Roberts Bank are no exception, as the Chaplains, Staff and Volunteers offer their best to ensure that the needs of the seafarers are met.
     
    The thought of the Day: 
     
    "This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays!"
     
    D.M. Dellinger
     
    Pic from our meeting:
     
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
      4- Jan - Ron Suzuki Classification Talk
    11 - Jan - Business meeting
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    December 21st 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-12-21 08:00:00Z 0

    December 14 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Dec 14, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, Cleo led us in the Four Way Test.  We had no speaker today, no visitors today AND only 9 members today.  We have a speaker next week, so it would be good if we had better attendance for that meeting on Dec.21. NOTE-  There is no meeting planned for Dec 28.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    “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.” 
     
    — A Road I Have Travelled, THE ROTARIAN, February 1934—
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • WEST END SENIORS CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON- After 30 years of our involvement in the Seniors Christmas Lunch, the format has changed somewhat. It has been organized by the Seniors Board, but 8-9 volunteers from our club attended the luncheon at the Coast Hotel and helped serve the Egg Nog and drinks as well as help with the coat check room.
    • ANNUAL ROTARY DISTRICT 5040 CONFERENCE 2016
       Please make a point of opening the website for the District Conference which will take place in Whistler from May 4th to the 7th, 2017. There are discounts for the conference if you follow up sooner than later. The website is: http://celebraterotary.ca/
     
    Meeting -   Today was a Club Meeting. 

    Financials for the year 2015 -2016 were presented by Peter Fox.   Rather than summarize it here, Peter will make sure that a copy is sent to all members of our club. 

    Our President then reviewed that progression of our Action Plans for the remainder of the year. Again, Cleo will ensure that each member will receive a copy of the latest update (December 13, 2016) on the email. 

    The board mentioned that the EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) donation of 100 dollars US needed to be reviewed. If you are not sure how to arrange monthly, quarterly or annual payments, check with Peter or Sheila.
     
    Remember that we have a very special meeting on January 18 to celebrate our 30th anniversary of our inception into Rotary. We will be inviting as many of our past members as will be able to come to that meeting, to join us in our celebration. 
     
    MEMBERSHIP-   A while back, we all received a request from the membership committee (Vic) to list a few names of people who would be potential members for the future. Only a small number were turned in to Vic. Please try to get these in to Vic. If you need a copy of the memo, please let him  know.
     
    The 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.” 
     
    — A Road I Have Travelled, THE ROTARIAN, February 1934—
     
    Next 2 Speakers:
     
    21-Dec - Nick Parker "The holiday season"
    4- Jan - Ron Suzuki Classification Talk
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    December 14 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-12-14 08:00:00Z 0

    December 7 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Dec 07, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 15 members present. We had three guests, Alan Reynolds, who is a charter member of our club and Anthony Kupferschmidt, who is the Executive Director of the West End Seniors Network and our guest speaker Jordan Bateman, from the Canadian Taxpayer Federation.

    The 4-way test was read by all members in perfect sync ;)

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Matthew Lynam will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he told us about a program called Smile, from Amazon. With this program, you choose a charity of your choice, such as the Rotary Foundation, and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchases to that charity. For more details visit: https://smile.amazon.com/
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Lawrence and Bev hosted a wonderful Christmas party for all members. Those who attended report having had a blast and having enjoyed incredible food!
    • We will be providing Eggnog and punch for the west end seniors on Sunday at 10am at the Coast hotel on Comox Street.   1763 Comox St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1P5
    • Sheila will be travelling to Mexico next month to visit "Project Amigo". She requests that we donate children and young adult clothes that she can take there.
    • We are celebrating our clubs' 30th anniversary next month. Our celebration party will be on Wednesday January 18th 2017. Stay tuned for more details!
     
    Meeting -  Our guest speakers today was Jordan Bateman, from the BC chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. This is a citizens advocacy group dedicated to lower taxes, less waste and accountable government. They are a federally incorporated, non-profit organization that has 30,156 donors across the country and is governed by a five-person board of directors. 
     
    He spoke about the Teddy Awards. The "Teddies" are awarded to government entities and politicians wasteful spending or high taxes. Founded in 1999, The Teddies are named after Ted Weatherill, a former Chairman of the Canada Labour Relations Board who was terminated in 1998 for expenses incompatible with his position. The expenses included $150,000 in meals over eight years and over $700 for a lunch in Paris.
     
    This year the Federal Government Teddy went to Canada’s delegation to the 2014 conference numbered 69 people – but the new Trudeau government quadrupled that figure to 283 for the 2015 event. The total bill for taxpayers has yet to be tallied, but the costs from one Ministerial office alone ran to $282,000.
     
    The Provincial Government Teddy went to Prince Edward Island’s Department of Tourism and Culture. They printed 180,000 copies of their 2015 tourism guide. The cover features a man and a woman relaxing on a sandy PEI beach, with the woman reading a book and the man in shorts laying back and relaxing. Unfortunately, the department clearly failed to notice a significant “bulge” in his shorts that appears to be an erection.
     
    The Municipal Teddy went to The City of Calgary spent an extra $246,000 on a project to embed LED lights on its new Forest Lawn Lift Station that change colour depending on how fast the station is pumping waste water.
     
    The positive side of all of these awards is that they are almost never any repeat winners. Which would indicate that the wasteful entities actually change their ways after "winning" one of these awards.
     
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    The thought of the Day: 
     
    The best things in life are tax-free.
     
    Anonymous
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    14-Dec - Business Meeting
    21-Dec - Nick Parker "The holiday season"
    4- Jan - Ron Suzuki Classification Talk
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    December 7 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-12-07 08:00:00Z 0

    November 30 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Nov 30, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 14 members present and our guest speakers: Craig and William Veroni and Shelina Dilgir.

     

    The 4-way test was read by all members in perfect sync ;)

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Ron Suzuki will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he told us the story of the Rotary wheel logo:  The first design was made in 1905 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."
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Lawrence will be hosting our Christmas party. Make sure you email him if you plan to go.
    • We are participating in the West End Seniors Network Christmas lunch this year,  in a different capacity. This time we will be serving the punch and eggnog. The event is on December 11th. Please contact Matthew Lynam for details.
     
    Meeting -  Our guest speakers today talked about Type 1 diabetes and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). For over 40 years, JDRF has been a global leader in the search for an end to type 1 diabetes (T1D), through both research funding and advocacy.
     
    Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Without insulin, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. Your body produces glucose and also gets glucose from foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit.

    The cause of type 1 diabetes remains unknown. It is not caused by eating too much sugar, and is not preventable. The current thought is that type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the cells that make insulin.
     
    People with T1D have to test their blood sugar level up to 10 times a day, including nighttime. Families of children diagnosed with T1D receive support and guidance through JDRF.
     
    Please check out their website for more details: http://www.jdrf.ca/
     
     
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the Day: 
     
    Once you learn to read, you will be forever free
     
    Frederic Douglass
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    7-Dec - Jordan Bateman "Canadian Taxpayers Federation"
    14-Dec - Business Meeting
    21-Dec - Nick Parker "The holiday season".
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    November 30 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-11-30 08:00:00Z 0

    November 23 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Nov 23, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 13 members present and our 2 guest speakers: Manion Broadbent and Sally Boschung.

     

    The 4-way test was read by John Haley.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Ron Suzuki will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he told us the names of some celebrities who actively support and endorse Rotary:
     
    • Jackie Chan
    • Desmond Tutu
    • Archie Panjabi
    • Henry Winkler
    • Buzz Aldrin and many more.
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Lawrence will be hosting our Christmas party, but he has not received confirmation from most members on whether we are attending or not. Make sure you email him if you plan to go.
    • The district conference will be on May 4-7 2017 in Whistler. Please take the time to check out the video below:
     
    • We're confirmed for our Club Beer Night this Tuesday at the Red Truck Beer Company, 295 E 1st Ave in Vancouver. Please let Cam Scott know if you are coming.
     
     
    Meeting -  Our guest speakers today gave us a very interesting presentation about New Zealand's balanced literacy approach.
     
    • Reading Recovery is an effective early literacy intervention designed to significantly reduce the number of children with literacy difficulties in schools. Reading Recovery provides daily one to one teaching with a specially trained teacher for children making the slowest progress in literacy learning after a year at school. It is supplementary to classroom instruction.
    • Manion, Sally and other teachers went to New Zealand in 2014 to learn about how to implement this program in the Vancouver School Board.
    • They have since founded a non-profit to promote this program in the Lower Mainland.
    • They are looking for a Rotary partner club to apply for a matching grant from the Rotary Foundation.
     
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the Day: 
     
    Once you learn to read, you will be forever free
     
    Frederic Douglass
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    30-Nov - Mystery Speaker "Type 1 Diabetes"
    7-Dec - Jordan Bateman "Canadian Taxpayers Federation"
    14-Dec - Business Meeting
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
    November 23 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-11-23 08:00:00Z 0

    November 16 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Nov 09, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 15 members present and 1 visiting Rotarian, Terry Miller from the Vancouver Rotary.

     

    The 4-way test was read by Carlos.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Ron Suzuki will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he touched on a few interesting facts about RYLA:
     
    • When did it start? A:1959
    • Where did it start? A: Queensland, Australia
    • For more details check their website: http://ryla5050.org/
     
    Announcements:
     
    • Terry Miller from the Vancouver club stopped by our meeting to invite us to the Million Dollar Dinner for the Rotary foundation. It will take place on January 9th. District 5040 and 5040 will celebrate 100 Years of The Rotary Foundation doing good in the world on Monday, January 9, 2017. Keynote speaker is RI President John Germ. - See more at: http://rotary5040.org/event/million-dollar-dinner/
     
     
    Meeting -  Today we had a business meeting to discuss, plan and set goals for our club's future.
     
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Thought of the Day: 
     
    Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success. ~Author unknown
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    23-Nov - Marion Broadbent "New Zealand School Exchange"
    30-Nov - Mystery Speaker "Type 1 Diabetes"
    7-Dec - Jordan Bateman "Canadian Taxpayers Federation"
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
    November 16 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-11-09 08:00:00Z 0

    November 9th 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Nov 09, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 15 members present, 1 visiting Rotarian, Brian Kerr who was also our guest speaker. And 5 guests from the Strathcona community centre who visited us to receive the cheque for the funds raised in the Hoopathon: Sally Chang, Mitra Tan, Christina Hong, Harvey Eng and Stephanie Chow.

     

    The 4-way test was read by all.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Ron Suzuki will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he had a couple of quiz questions about the Hoopathon:
     
    • When did it start? A:2006
    • How much has it raised? A:$225K!!
     
    Announcements:
     
    Today we presented the Strathcona community centre with a cheque with the funds raised in this years Hoopathon:
     
     
     
    Meeting -  Our guest Speaker today was Brian J Kerr. He joined Rotary in 2005 and is currently a member of the West Vancouver Sunrise club, where he was president in 2011.
     
    His presentation was on Canada's achievements during the Great War. Canada's sacrifices and contributions to the Great War changed its history and enabled it to become more independent, while opening a deep rift between the French and English speaking populations.
     
    For the first time in Canadian military history, Canadian forces fought as a distinct unit, first under a British commander but ultimately under a Canadian-born commander. The highpoints of Canadian military achievement during the Great War came during the Somme, Vimy, and Passchendaele battles and what later became known as "Canada's Hundred Days". 
     
    Canada's total casualties stood at the end of the war at 67,000 killed and 250,000 wounded, out of an expeditionary force of 620,000 people mobilized (39% of mobilized were casualties).
     
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     

     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    16-Nov - Business Meeting
    23-Nov - Marion Broadbent "New Zealand School Exchange"
    30-Nov - King George Interact Club 
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
    November 9th 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-11-09 08:00:00Z 0

    November 2nd 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Nov 02, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present as well as 3 visiting Rotarians, 2 from Dallas, Texas. Matt Michel and David Heimer. And Don Evans, our guest speaker.

    The 4-way test was read by John Haley.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Ron Suzuki will be doing the Rotary moment this month. Today he commented on all the good things about Rotary. Among those:
     
    • The Rotary foundation
    • The social networking aspect of belonging to a club
    • Giving back
    • Supports peace
    • Youth programs such as Rotaract and RYLA.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) The “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.”  Was a huge success, 8 Rotarians attended and it was a very hands on and insightful course.
     
     
    Meeting -  Our guest Speaker today was Don Evans, has been a Rotarian for more than 29 years. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver (2002-2003) and has held many different positions with the club. He is also active with District 5040 as Strategic Planning Chair, a member of the District Foundation Committee and is a PETS Trainer.
     
    Don is also President Emeritus of the West Coast Railway Association, and has been active with the group for 40 years - it would be fair to say that railroading is one of don's passions .  Don also serves on the boards of both businesses and other non profits .He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for his active community involvement and was named 2005 Business Person of the Year by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce for his work with the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. 
     
    His presentation today was to tell us about the Rotary foundation's 100 years and some of the amazing achievements it has had in this time period. The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.

    The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of US$26.50 to more than US$1billion. It has one of the largest and most prestigious international fellowship programs in the world.
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
     
    Charles M. Schulz
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    9-Nov -   Brian Kerr "Remembrance Day"
    16-Nov - Business Meeting
    23-Nov - Marion Broadbent "New Zealand School Exchange"
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
    November 2nd 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-11-02 07:00:00Z 0

    October 26 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Oct 19, 2016
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    At this Wednesday's meeting, we had 16 members present as well as 3 guests, the Piñon family from Spain.

    The 4-way test was read by all the members in perfect unison.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     
    Peter Browne had some Rotary trivia questions for us today:
     
    1) How long did it take for Rotary to have 1,000 clubs? A: 11 years!
     
    2) What is the furthest distance that a Rotary banner has travelled? A: A Rotary banner was onboard the Apolo 8!
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Sheila gave us an update about our International project, there are multiple fund-raising ideas for the Project Amigo, she will keep us posted with the best options.
     
    Meeting -  Today we had a business meeting to discuss the goals for our club and how to achieve them. Exciting times ahead!
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
     
    Charles M. Schulz
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    2-Nov -   Don Evans "Foundation Month"
    9-Nov -   Brian Kerr "Remembrance Day"
    16-Nov - Business Meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

     
     
     
    October 26 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-10-19 07:00:00Z 0

    October 19 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Oct 19, 2016
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    The meeting took place at the Vancouver Food Bank, where we learned about how it is run, how it helps today and the plans for the future. As our special guest, we had Hanne Hoistra, our exchange student from 5 years ago.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Peter Browne had 3 Rotary trivia questions for us today:
     
    1) When was the first Rotary meeting? A: February 1905
     
    2) When was the first meeting outside of the US? A: Winnipeg!
     
    3) When was the first meeting outside North America? A: Dublin
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Sheila gave us an update about our International project, there are multiple fund-raising ideas for the Project Amigo, she will keep us posted with the best options.
     
    Meeting -  Our host at the Vancouver food bank was Aart Schuurman Hess, who is also a Rotarian. He gave us a presentation and a tour of the facilities.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
     
    • The food bank was founded in 1982
    • Initially, it served 200 individuals per month. This has grown to 26,500 per week!
    • It serves Vancouver, North and West Van and Burnaby.
    • 20% of the clients are children and 19% are seniors.
    • 56% of their clients have a household monthly income of $1,200
    • 46% of the food they distribute comes directly from farmers.
    • They have 13 distribution locations and the food gets distributed with the help of 100 community agencies.
    • Visit their website for more information: https://www.foodbank.bc.ca/
    Pics from our visit:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.
     
    Charles M. Schulz
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    26-Oct - Business Meeting
    2-Nov - Don Evans "Foundation Month"
    9-Nov - Brian Kerr "Remembrance Day"
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

     
     
    October 19 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-10-19 07:00:00Z 0

    October 12 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Oct 12, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting, we had 18 Members one guest, Fabiola Sanchez and 2 Rotarian guests, our District Governor Lyn Stroshin and our Assistant District Governor Davinder Grewal . The 4-way test was read by Ron Suzuki.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Peter Browne told us that at the 1917 convention, outgoing Rotary President Arch Klumph proposed to set up an endowment “for the purpose of doing good in the world.” In 1928, it was renamed The Rotary Foundation, and it became a distinct entity within Rotary International.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    3) Lawrence asked us to express our support for the youth exchange program, we are in need of another family to host an exchange student for 2 months. We may have to partner with another club to be able to host a student. If you are able to host please get in touch with Lawrence.
     
    4) For our club's Christmas party we are planning to have it on December 4th and this year it may be a brunch rather than a dinner. Stay tuned for more on this later!
     
    5) Matthew Lynam was awarded a Paul Harris medal today for his huge contributions to our club, congrats!!
     
    Meeting -  Our guest speaker today was Lyn Stroshin who is the District 5040 Governor. She looks after 48 Rotary clubs. These are some of the highlights of her presentation:
     
    • Rotary is now focusing on youth as this is the future of Rotary
    • Business networking is being encouraged, this was a big part of how Rotary was founded and it remains a legitimate interest for our members.
    • The Rotary Foundation has received the highest possible score from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.
    • The Rotary Foundation today is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. From its humble beginnings of $26.50 the TRF now has a billion in assets which is an incredible testament to the generosity of Rotarians worldwide.
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
     
    Robert Louis Stevenson
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    19-Oct - Meeting at the food bank.
    26-Oct - Business Meeting
    2-Nov - Don Evans "Foundation Month"
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

     
    October 12 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-10-12 07:00:00Z 0

    October 5 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Oct 05, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and no guests. The 4 way test was read by Bill.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Today the Rotary moment was a trivia question: Do you know what Rotarian Bill Gates' largest holding is?
     
    CN Rail, believe it or not!
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on October 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    3) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    4) Membership. You should have received an email with a form that you need to fill out. Make sure you send it over to Ron and Vicente.
     
    Meeting -  We did not have a guest speaker today. We talked about people who have influenced us in a positive way.
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
     
    Robert Louis Stevenson
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    12-Oct - Business Meeting with Lyn Stroshin, District Governor.
    19-Oct - Meeting at the food bank.
    26-Oct - Business Meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     

    October 5 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-10-05 07:00:00Z 0

    September 28 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Sep 28, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 18 Members and no guests. The 4 way test was read by Carlos.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail gave us a quiz to test our Rotary knowledge with these 3 questions:
     
    1) Do you know which are the 6 areas of focus of the Rotary foundation? Here they are:
     
    • Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
    • Disease prevention and treatment.
    • Water and sanitation.
    • Maternal and child health.
    • Basic education and literacy.
    • Economic and community development.
    2) How many countries have Rotary clubs? 200!
     
    3) What is the Rotary Foundation's mission? The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on October 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    3) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    4) During the meeting we also reviewed our club's 3 year strategic plan.
     
    Guest Speaker -  Our guest speaker today was our member Peter Browne who gave us his classification talk.
     
    Some of the many interesting points he mentioned were:
     
    1) He was born in Vancouver, went to school here.
     
    2) He had an industrial insulation business.
     
    3) He has 2 boys
     
    4) His wife owns an art gallery in Deep Cove
     
    5) He enjoys fishing, wood working and traveling.
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.
     
    John Dewey
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
    12-Oct         Bus Mtg                  Lyn Stroshin District Governor
    19-Oct         Meeting at the food bank.
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 16 Members and a guest, Brian Silzer who is a friend of Bill Sheddy. The 4 way test was read by Cam Scott.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail tested our knowledge of Rotary's history with these 2 questions:
     
    1) What month was Rotary founded on? hint, 2nd month of the year
     
    2) What were the names and professions of the co-founders, other than Paul Harris? Gustavus Loehr (mining engineer), Silvester Schiele (coal dealer), and Hiram E. Shorey (merchant tailor).
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/kits-beach-cleanup-volunteer-bbq-free-tickets-20747851382
     
    2) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    3) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on october 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    4) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    Business Meeting -  Today we had our monthly business meeting to discuss our club's 3 year plan. Thank you to all board members for their hard work!
     
    We also saw a video about "Project Amigo" which is our International project. Please watch the video below:
     
     
    Click here to learn more about Project Amigo: http://www.projectamigo.org/
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "A plan without a goal is just a wish"
     
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
     
    21-Sept       Cheryl Borgmann     Junior Achievement
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and a guest, Nancy Lee. The 4 way test was read by Frances.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail reminded us that this Wednesday was the international day of peace. Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centres. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. 

    In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on October 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    3) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    4) Project Amigo is our chosen International Project to sponsor over the next 3 years. Project Amigo ( formerly Rotary Project Amigo)  has been in operation for 30 years helping the poor rural kids of the State of Colima, Mexico  to get an education and help themselves and their families out of systemic poverty. 
     
    It has been and continues to be a huge success and our contribution will help it to continue to grow and service the underprivileged children in the area. Please check out the website at: www.projectamigo.org.
     
    Guest Speaker -  Our guest speaker today was Sheryl Borgmann. She is the regional manager for the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley region for Junior Achievement of BC. 
     
    JA is the world’s largest NGO dedicated to educating young people about business. With over 120 member organizations worldwide, JA brings a global view of business to local communities.
     
    Since 1955, British Columbia schools have relied on JA to inspire and prepare youth to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. In 2016, over 38,000 BC students benefited from JABC programs delivered free of charge by volunteers from local business communities, who bring their real-life experience into the classroom. JABC programs focus on work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, giving students the confidence and skills they need to become the next generation of business and community leaders.
     
    Visit their website to learn more: http://jabc.ca/
     
     
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    'You give but little when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.'
     
    Kahlil Gibran
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
    12-Oct         Bus Mtg                  Lyn Stroshin District Governor
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and a guest, Nancy Lee. The 4 way test was read by Frances.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail reminded us that this Wednesday was the international day of peace. Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centres. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. 

    In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on October 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    3) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    4) Project Amigo is our chosen International Project to sponsor over the next 3 years. Project Amigo ( formerly Rotary Project Amigo)  has been in operation for 30 years helping the poor rural kids of the State of Colima, Mexico  to get an education and help themselves and their families out of systemic poverty. 
     
    It has been and continues to be a huge success and our contribution will help it to continue to grow and service the underprivileged children in the area. Please check out the website at: www.projectamigo.org.
     
    Guest Speaker -  Our guest speaker today was Sheryl Borgmann. She is the regional manager for the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley region for Junior Achievement of BC. 
     
    JA is the world’s largest NGO dedicated to educating young people about business. With over 120 member organizations worldwide, JA brings a global view of business to local communities.
     
    Since 1955, British Columbia schools have relied on JA to inspire and prepare youth to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. In 2016, over 38,000 BC students benefited from JABC programs delivered free of charge by volunteers from local business communities, who bring their real-life experience into the classroom. JABC programs focus on work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, giving students the confidence and skills they need to become the next generation of business and community leaders.
     
    Visit their website to learn more: http://jabc.ca/
     
     
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    'You give but little when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.'
     
    Kahlil Gibran
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
    12-Oct         Bus Mtg                  Lyn Stroshin District Governor
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    September 28 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-09-28 07:00:00Z 0

    September 21 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Sep 21, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and a guest, Nancy Lee. The 4 way test was read by Frances.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail reminded us that this Wednesday was the international day of peace. Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of our peace centres. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. 

    In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank.
     
    Announcements:
     
     
    1) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    2) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on October 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    3) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    4) Project Amigo is our chosen International Project to sponsor over the next 3 years. Project Amigo ( formerly Rotary Project Amigo)  has been in operation for 30 years helping the poor rural kids of the State of Colima, Mexico  to get an education and help themselves and their families out of systemic poverty. 
     
    It has been and continues to be a huge success and our contribution will help it to continue to grow and service the underprivileged children in the area. Please check out the website at: www.projectamigo.org.
     
    Guest Speaker -  Our guest speaker today was Sheryl Borgmann. She is the regional manager for the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley region for Junior Achievement of BC. 
     
    JA is the world’s largest NGO dedicated to educating young people about business. With over 120 member organizations worldwide, JA brings a global view of business to local communities.
     
    Since 1955, British Columbia schools have relied on JA to inspire and prepare youth to succeed in an ever-changing global economy. In 2016, over 38,000 BC students benefited from JABC programs delivered free of charge by volunteers from local business communities, who bring their real-life experience into the classroom. JABC programs focus on work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship, giving students the confidence and skills they need to become the next generation of business and community leaders.
     
    Visit their website to learn more: http://jabc.ca/
     
     
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    'You give but little when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.'
     
    Kahlil Gibran
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
    12-Oct         Bus Mtg                  Lyn Stroshin District Governor
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    September 21 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-09-21 07:00:00Z 0

    September 14 2016

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Sep 14, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 16 Members and a guest, Brian Silzer who is a friend of Bill Sheddy. The 4 way test was read by Cam Scott.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail tested our knowledge of Rotary's history with these 2 questions:
     
    1) What month was Rotary founded on? hint, 2nd month of the year
     
    2) What were the names and professions of the co-founders, other than Paul Harris? Gustavus Loehr (mining engineer), Silvester Schiele (coal dealer), and Hiram E. Shorey (merchant tailor).
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/kits-beach-cleanup-volunteer-bbq-free-tickets-20747851382
     
    2) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 29 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    3) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on october 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    4) Our meeting on October 19th will be at the Food Bank, make sure you make a note of this.
     
    Business Meeting -  Today we had our monthly business meeting to discuss our club's 3 year plan. Thank you to all board members for their hard work!
     
    We also saw a video about "Project Amigo" which is our International project. Please watch the video below:
     
     
    Click here to learn more about Project Amigo: http://www.projectamigo.org/
     
    Pics from our meeting:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "A plan without a goal is just a wish"
     
     
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
     
    21-Sept       Cheryl Borgmann     Junior Achievement
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
    5 - Oct         Denise Walker         Kindness
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    September 14 2016 Carlos Obregon 2016-09-14 07:00:00Z 0

    September 7th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Sep 07, 2016
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    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members 2 visiting Rotarians, Brad Reminek and Bill Jones. And our guest speaker John Chalkias. 

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Abigail gave us a very encouraging update about the fight to end Polio:
     
    Rotary has committed an additional $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio – donating a total of $70 million in 2016 alone. The announcement comes on the heels of significant strides made against the paralyzing disease, leaving just two polio-endemic countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan. If current progress continues, 2016 may mark the last case of wild poliovirus.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. More info here: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/778/Stories/cleaning-our-beaches
     
    2) Sunday September 11th is our annual outing to Hastings Park. Please note that this is an afternoon outing. Friends and Family are welcome. To find out the costs and info regarding the buffet go to : http://www.hastingsracecourse.com/silks/ Racing starts at 1.30 p.m.
     
    3) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 22 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    4) Our District Governor will be visiting our club on october 12th, make sure to attend that meeting.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was John Chalkias, founder of Seeds of Hope Children's Ministry™ started in 1995 after hearing about the plight of children orphaned because of AIDS. In 1996 Seeds of Hope Children's Ministry™ opened the first home for HIV/AIDS children in Thailand. Since that time, they have been involved in bringing aid to children in several countries. Our biggest projects are in Ndola, Zambia.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
     
    • 93% of all donations go directly to children, distributed through food, education, housing, and other programming.
    • Seeds of Hope receives no government funding
    • The Buseko Children's Home is the first and currently the only Home in Zambia specifically for HIV/AIDS affected or infected children.
    • Since 2005 they have been able to provide antiretroviral (ARV's) therapy for all our HIV positive children.
    • More info on their website: http://www.seedsofhopecm.com/
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."
     
    Sam Levenson
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    14-Sept       Business meeting
    21-Sept       Cheryl Borgmann     Junior Achievement
    28 -Sept      Peter Browne           Classification Talk
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    September 7th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-09-07 07:00:00Z 0

    August 31 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Aug 31, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and our guest speaker Tom Smith, Membership District Chair. The 4 Way Test was read by John Haley.

     

    Rotary Moment:
     
    Larry Belsito told us  some very interesting facts about Rotary:
     
    • There are more than 1.2 Million Rotarians all over the world in more than 33,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries in all geographic areas.
    • The Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships is the world’s largest, privately funded scholarship program.
    • Providing vitamin A supplements during polio National Immunization Days has averted an estimated 1.5 million childhood deaths since 1998 – testimony to the “plus” in PolioPlus.
    • The first service project of the first Rotary club of Chicago was installation of public toilets in the city.
    • The first Rotaract Club was formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
    • The first women joined Rotary in 1987. Today, more than 196,000 woman are members of Rotary International.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. More info here: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/778/Stories/cleaning-our-beaches
     
    2) Sunday September 11th is our annual outing to Hastings Park. Please note that this is an afternoon outing. Friends and Family are welcome. To find out the costs and info regarding the buffet go to : http://www.hastingsracecourse.com/silks/ Racing starts at 1.30 p.m.
     
    3) Ron Suzuki made an announcement about how 12 schools are facing closure in Vancouver due to not meeting the required number of students signed up. He is fighting to keep Britannia school open since it provides many social services to the community. 
     
    4) Ted is promoting the “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 15 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please get in touch with Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Tom Smith, our Membership Chair for District 5040. He presented us the latest ideas about how to sell Rotary to attract and retain members.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
     
    • There is now a lead generation program in the Rotary International website.
    • There will soon be a professionally produced video that we can all show to prospective members.
    • There are 4 areas where we need to work to find new members: ethnic diversity, women, baby boomers and young professionals.
    • When hosting fireside chats we need to cover the following topics: dues, attendance and mentoring.
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "Alone we can do little, together we can do much"
     
    Helen Keller
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    7-Sept         Brad Reminek          Solar Panels for an orphanage in Zambia
    14-Sept       Business meeting
    21-Sept       Cheryl Borgmann     Junior Achievement
     
    Pics from the meeting and from the recent trip to Whistler:
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 31 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-08-31 07:00:00Z 0

    August 24 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Aug 24, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and no guests today.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Vicente.
     
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Larry Belsito told us about the history of the Rotary Bell. Most clubs ring a bell to call the meeting to order and to adjournment. The use of a bell and gavel was taken from the Roberts Rules of Order. The use of the Rotary bell has never been mandated, but it has become a custom with most Rotary Clubs. The first bell was used in 1915 at a Ladies Night Meeting in Kansas City. A sign was on display which commanded all attendees to sit down when the bell was rang.

    On the 100th anniversary of Rotary, in 2003, Rotary celebrated with five bells. One travelled to the first 100 clubs to join Rotary International. The other four went to the first Rotary club formed in each country in the world.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
    2) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. More info here: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/778/Stories/cleaning-our-beaches
     
    3) Elena Agala has invited our club members to a dinner on Thursday September 1st at 5pm. The dinner is a recognition and celebration of what The Rotary Foundation has done for the Philippines – and the world – especially in the eradication of Polio. 
     
    4) Sunday September 11th is our annual outing to Hastings Park. Please note that this is an afternoon outing. Friends and Family are welcome. To find out the costs and info regarding the buffet go to : http://www.hastingsracecourse.com/silks/ Racing starts at 1.30 p.m.
     
    5) T Shirts are in. Invoices will be sent to each person. There were three types and three different prices.
     
    6) Ted will send an email regarding “ Rotarian save live-CPR/AED training and certification.” The session will be on October 15 near the Seabus terminal in North Vancouver. Please reply to Ted if you would be interested in attending.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Michael Alty, who presented the second part of his classification talk. Michael gave us a very comprehensive report on the history the Treaty Laws, beginning with the first treaty in 1763 as proclaimed by George 3rd in England. James Douglas in 1849, BC ‘s second governor, was the first person to buy land from the Aboriginals.

    There is a duty to consult and where appropriate, accommodate. The aboriginal groups which occupied land at the time of European Sovereignty, never ceded or lost their right to the land. If there is interest in reading more, please touch base with Michael for interesting books on the subject.
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    If there is to be reconciliation first, there must be truth. 
     
    Timothy Tyson
     
    Next 3 Speakers:

    31-Aug        Tom Smith              Membership
    7-Sept         Brad Reminek          Solar Panels for an orphanage in Zambia
    14-Sept       Business meeting
     
    Pics:
    A famous Rotarian, note the Rotary pin in his lapel
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 24 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-08-24 07:00:00Z 0

    August 17 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Aug 17, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 12 Members and 3 visiting Rotarians: Viktor Grinewitsehus from Germany and Chris and Tamara Stilwell from Australia.

    The 4 Way Test was read in German by Viktor.
     
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Larry Belsito told us about the large number of famous people and historical figures that have been Rotarians. The list includes: Churchill, Walt Disney, Prince Phillip, Thomas Edison, Ted Turner, George Bush, Hillary Clinton and many more. In case you are curious you can find a very long list here: http://www.rotaractorwiki.org/wiki/Famous_Rotarians
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
    2) On September 17 there is an invitation from the Arbutus club to our club for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. More info here: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/778/Stories/cleaning-our-beaches
     
    3) Elena Agala has invited our club members to a dinner on Thursday September 1st at 5pm. The dinner is a recognition and celebration of what The Rotary Foundation has done for the Philippines – and the world – especially in the eradication of Polio. 
     
    4) Sunday September 11th is our annual outing to Hastings Park. Please note that this is an afternoon outing. Friends and Family are welcome. To find out the costs and info regarding the buffet go to : http://www.hastingsracecourse.com/silks/ Racing starts at 1.30 p.m.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Lauryn Oates who spoke about an organization called Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Lauryn is a consultant in International Development specializing in Women's Rights Education and Literacy. In 1996 at the age of fourteen, she heard about Afghani Taliban regime's treatment of women and girls and was inspired to do something about their oppression. She founded Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, an all volunteer organization with 13 chapters in Canada.
     
    Some of the many highlights of her presentation:
     
    1) CW4WA has 2 main projects, and "out of school" literacy and life skills program and to strengthen and equip the public school system.
     
    2) 8,000 teachers have been trained since 2008
     
    3) There are now 8-10 million girls in school, up from near 0 under the Taliban regime.
     
    4) Part of their fundraising is done via potluck dinners, where guest pay $75 each. More info here: http://www.cw4wafghan.ca/support/breaking-bread
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world
     
    Malala Yousafzai 
     
    Next 3 Speakers:

    24-Aug        Michael Alty      Classification Part 2
    31-Aug        Tom Smith        Membership
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 17 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-08-17 07:00:00Z 0

    August 10 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Aug 10, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 16 Members. Our only guest was Millie Taing who used to be with our club.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Gary.
     
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Larry Belsito told us about how the Catholic church was initially suspicious of Rotary, considering it a secret society with dubious motives. But this has changes and even Pope Francis is an honorary Rotarian with a club in Buenos Aires!
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
    Business Meeting
     
    Today we had a brief business meeting. Where the board reported some impressive achievements. Our club is in good hands and in good shape financially as well as in terms of membership.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Millie Taing who spoke about artificial intelligence.
     
    Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence exhibited by machines. In computer science, an ideal "intelligent" machine is a flexible rational agent that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal.
     
    Millie's company is using AI for project management. AI helps process very large amounts of information, something that would be impossible for humans. The information is then processed via rules that determine what kind of decisions are made with the processed information.
     
    For more information check out their website: http://lili.ai/
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
     
    Eleanor Roosevelt
     
    Next 3 Speakers:

    17-Aug        Lauryn Oates    Teaching young girls in Afghanistan
    24-Aug        Michael Alty      Classification Part 2
    31-Aug        Tom Smith        Membership
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 10 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-08-10 07:00:00Z 0

    August 3rd 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Aug 03, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 17 Members. We had our Assistant District Governor, Davinder Grewal, visiting us as well as our guest speaker Michael Lowry.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Iozsef.
     
    Presentation by ADG Davinder Grewal
     
    Davinder talked about the 3 focus areas for this new Rotary year:
     
    Focus 1: Membership, we need to focus on attracting and retaining younger members. New legislation was passed to allow Rotaractors to also be Rotarians at the same time.
     
    Focus 2: Polio. This is a high priority, the goal for each club is to raise $2,650.
     
    Focus 3: Business networking. This will be encouraged again as this was part of the original Rotary clubs in the beginning.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Larry Belsito told us about how recent it was the women were accepted as Rotarians. Seattle was the first club to do so in 1986! Nowadays women represent 15% of the total membership worldwide.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
    2) Matthew will be placing the order for the "Rotarians at Work" T-shirts, make sure you let him know if you need yours.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Ron Suzuki introduced our guest speaker today, Michael Lowry represents Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC). It's mandate is to ensure there is a state of preparedness in place and to mitigate the impact when an oil spill occurs. This includes the protection of wildlife, economic and environmental sensitivities, and the safety of both the responders and the public.
     
    WCMRC is a private company certified as a Response Organization by Transport Canada – Marine Safety.  They work, train and exercise closely with a number of government departments including municipalities, port and harbour authorities, Canadian Coast Guard, Environment Canada, BC Ministry of Environment and Coastal First Nations.
     
    For more information check out their website: http://wcmrc.com/
     
    Next 3 Speakers:
     
    10-Aug        Business Mtg    Milie Taing    Artificial Intelligence
    17-Aug        Lauryn Oates    Teaching young girls in Afghanistan
    24-Aug        Michael Alty    Classification Part 2
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    August 3rd 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-08-03 07:00:00Z 0

    July 27th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jul 27, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members. We had one visiting Rotarian, our guest speaker Elena Agala from the Richmond sunrise club.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Gary.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Gary Chomyn asked us some trivia questions, such as Do you know how many countries in the world have Rotary clubs? The answer is over 200!!
     
    What are the areas of focus for the Rotary Foundation? 6:
     
    1. Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
    2. Disease prevention and treatment
    3. Water and sanitation
    4. Maternal and child health
    5. Basic education and literacy
    6. Economic and community development.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our new district governor, Lyn Stroshin, will be visiting our club on August 3rd. Please try to attend that meeting.
     
    2) We are going to be scanning all the club banners from Rotarians who have visited our club in the past several years. We will be creating a photo album that we will share with everyone.
     
    3) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Elena Agala, she spoke about Rotary World Help program. Elena graduated with a bachelors degree in Education, she owned her own business for 20 years and she joined Rotary in 2000.
     
    In 1997, a group of dedicated Rotarians from the Province of British Columbia, Canada established Rotary World Help (RWH), a non-profit, registered charitable organization that coordinates the shipment of used and donated educational, humanitarian and medical supplies to countries in need throughout the world. Elena is past director of RWH.
     
     
    Some of the highlights of her presentation were:
    • Each container shipped touches the lives of 30,000 people.
    • The average container value is $350,000
    • She was featured in the Notaries Public of BC magazine. The issue can be seen here: http://www.notaries.bc.ca/resources/scrivener/Summer2016/pdf/Scriv%20Summer16-online.pdf
    • The official website of the Rotary Help Network is: http://rotaryworldhelp.com/
     
     
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    July 27th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-07-27 07:00:00Z 0

    July 20th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jul 20, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members. As well as 1 guest, Mariella Begemann. Lawrence presided the meeting as Cleo is out of town.

    The 4 Way Test was read in fluent Spanish by Sheila Anderson.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Gary Chomyn asked us some trivia questions, such as Do you know how many Rotary clubs there are worldwide? The answer is 35,000!!
     
    Also, did you know that Buzz Aldrin the astronaut actually put a 4 way test pin on the moon?
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our new district governor, Lyn Stroshin, will be visiting our club on August 3rd. Please try to attend that meeting.
     
    2) Ted MacCormac told us the the guest speakers roster is fully booked until December.
     
    3) On August 27th we will have the trip to Abigail's chalet in Whistler, please make sure that you confirm with her is you will be going.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Kathy Nyoni, from the North Shore Disability Resource Centre. They run a program called STAGE, which stands for Supportive Transition Adult Group Education. 
     
    The program is is a weekday service for transitioning adults with disabilities who have completed high school. Participants can access educational, vocational and social recreational activities in the community or at the program site. 
     
    STAGE offers a varied schedule based on the goals of the participants:
     
        -Functional academics (Smart Readers, Math 2 Go, Money Skills )
        -Skill development (bus skills, office skills, basic computer skills)
        -Work skill training through community volunteering
        -Employment exploration through Informational interviews and tours with local businesses and services
     
     
    Some of the highlights of her presentation were:
    • They currently have 200 participants.
    • They build and sell some beautiful birdhouses with images from the city and places close by. They are sold for $45 at several locations.
    • Make sure you check out their website: http://www.nsdrc.org/programs/
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    There is no such thing as a failed experiment, only experiments with unexpected outcomes.
     
    R. Buckminster Fuller
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    July 20th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-07-20 07:00:00Z 0

    july 13th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jul 13, 2016

    At Wednesday’s meeting, our newest member, Peter Browne reactivated the position of official Greeter for the month of July. Sheila stood in as acting president for this meeting. The Four Way test carried out by Peter Fox. Sixteen members were present today.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Gary had a quiz prepared about Rotary.

    1. Our new International President- Answer- John
    Germ

    2. Where is he from- Answer Chattanooga, Tennessee

    3. The theme for 2016-2017- Answer-Rotary Serving
    Humanity

    4. Who old is Rotary Foundation- Answer- 100 years

    5. What was the first donation to Foundation-
    Answer- $26.50 made by the Rotary Club of Kansas
    City

    6. How cases of polio last year. Answer -74 cases

    A second Rotary moment from Bill was the launching of a sail-boat sponsored by our club for handicapped sailors. Sam Sullivan, mayor at that time, accepted to the Jericho Sailing Club.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1. T Shirts- “ Rotary At Work”- If you do not have one, contact Matthew with your size.

    2. Odlum– our foundation account now has a market value of $81,004.82.

    3. Luminosity- Diana and Gary discussed the events that we will hold this year. A summary will be forwarded to all members.
     
    Guest Speaker-  
    Cam introduced Ted MacCormac. Ted was one of original founders of our club in 1986, rejoining our club after some years in a North Vancouver club. Ted has been President twice in our club, and twice in other clubs. He has been a Rotarian earlier in the 70’s and 80’s in three other cities. We are so happy to have Ted back in the club. Ted introduced the thought for the day in our club.
     
    Pics:
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "We don’t grow when things are easy. We grow when
    we face challenges."
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    july 13th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-07-13 07:00:00Z 0

    July 6th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jul 06, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had the pleasure of welcoming not one but two new members!. Ted MacCormac and Peter Brown are our newest members, congrats!

    The 4 Way Test was read by Vicente.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    On Tuesday July 5, Diana and gary attended the City of Vancouver, Awards of Excellence Ceremony at Van Dusen Gardens… where Mayor Gregor Robertson, presented our fellow Rotarian Ron Suzuki, with a CIVIC Merit Award.  Ron was chosen after a unanimous decision by Vancouver City Council to receive the award, which is one of the highest honors bestowed on an individual in Vancouver. The Civic Merit Award was established by the City in 1942 to recognize individuals for outstanding performance in sports, science, arts or culture – or in recognition of a specific service.  Ron received the Civic Merit Award for his tireless work as an advocate for children in Vancouver’s low income communities and for strong leadership in developing a successful basketball program exclusively for girls and young women at Strathcona CC. 
    Ron’s work over the years - supports Rotary’s mandate of Service above Self.  Congrats Ron on receiving the City of Vancouver Civic Merit Awards.  You make all Rotarians proud!
     
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) These are the upcoming luminosity social events for our club:
     
    •  July: Historic walk, tbd.
    • August 27: Whistler trip to Abigail's cabin.
    • September: Day at the races.
    • October: Possible event at the food bank, details to come later.
    • November: Pub night
    New Members-   Today we welcomed Ted and Peter as new members, pics below:
     
     
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
     
    Mahatma Gandhi
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    July 6th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-07-06 07:00:00Z 0

    June 22nd 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jun 22, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 17 Members. As well as 1 visiting Rotarian, Ted MacCormac and 2 guests, Susanna Clarke and Jason Blank.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Ted.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Vicente told us that Europe has been polio free since 2002, but last year there were 2 cases in Ukraine and they also found polio viruses in the sewage system in Brazil. For this reason the polio plus program has 124 labs all over the world to monitor for polio virus.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) last reminder to collect any outstanding hoopathon pledges.
     
    2) No meeting next Wednesday.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Tim Readman, he is the executive director of the Stroke Recovery Association of BC. He graduated from the University of Northumbria, England, as an occupational therapist. Tim is also a professional musician, singer, producer and music journalist.
     
    The Stroke Recovery Association of BC (SRABC) is a non-profit organization. They have been offering information and programs for stroke survivors, after they leave hospital since 1979.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
    • They currently have 29 branches across BC.
    • There has been a spike in strokes for the 30 to 50 age group. Possibly due to a sedentary lifestyle.
    • Make sure you check out their website: http://strokerecoverybc.ca/
     
    Thought of the Day:
     
    It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
     
    Mahatma Gandhi
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    June 22nd 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-06-22 07:00:00Z 0

    June 15th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jun 15, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 13 Members. As well as 4 visiting Rotarians, Steve and Dawn Rutledge, Mike Storey from the Ladner Rotary club, Prakashchandra Shetty Chithur, president of the Kundapura Rotary club in India as well as Robert Ronald Fernandes from India as well.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Carlos.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Vicente told us that the Polio Plus foundation has donated 30M dollars to the Polio eradication efforts taking place in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Peter Fox is looking at an option for our outdoor exercise equipment project, stay tuned for more information in the next few weeks.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Steve Rutledge, he grew up in Georgetown Ontario and spent his career as co-owner of a mid sized computer company in Toronto. Since retirement he has narrowed his focus on community support locally and internationally. For the last several years he has been serving the rural villagers of Laos with the most basic needs including water for villages.
     
    His biggest accomplishment is the provision of water filtration for over 12,500 rural villagers, along with hygiene training for each family.
     
    Some of the highlights of his presentation were:
    • Each water filter is only CAD$110 and lasts for years.
    • You can donate a filter and have a label with the name of the donor, makes a great gift for a loved one.
    • Make sure you check out their website: https://adoptavillageinlaos.wordpress.com/
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    June 15th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-06-15 07:00:00Z 0

    June 8th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jun 08, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had a full house with 19 Members. We also had 2 guests, Peter Brown and our guest speaker. As well as 2 visiting Rotarians, Ted MacCormac who will soon join our club and Ranjana Mutsuddi from the Rotary Club of Kabitirtha, Calcutta in India.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Diana
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Vicente reminded us about Rotary fellowships, which are international, independently organized groups of Rotarians, Rotarian spouses, and Rotaractors who share a common vocation or recreational interest. Rotary Fellowships give their members the opportunity to have fun, make new friends around the world, and enhance their experience in Rotary.
     
    There are fellowships for yachting, wine collecting, and dozens of other interests. The full list can be found here: 
     
    https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/rotary-fellowships
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Hoop a Thon. Gary brought us some excellent news, not only did we meet the goal or raising $15K but we actually raised around $17,000!!!
     
    2) Don't forget to put our changeover dinner in your calendars, it will be this Sunday at 3pm.
     
    3) Peter Fox asked us to please pay our latest invoices. Our club needs the funds.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Tru Van Trieu, founder of Human Wellness, a company that helps individuals and employers to holistically address workplace stress and conflicts. 
     
    Some of the highlights of her presentation were:
    • She had us all count our breaths in a minute, and then showed us how to relax our minds and bodies by focusing on where we all felt tension in our bodies. Amazingly, the number of breaths we all took in a minute decreased dramatically!
    • She taught us how to breath focusing on the belly, watching it inflate and deflate with our breathing.
    • Her vision is to help build world peace, one person at a time, inside out.
    Thought of the day: 
     
    Raise your thoughts, not your fists
     
    Matshona Dhliwayo
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    June 8th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-06-08 07:00:00Z 0

    June 1st 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Jun 01, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members. We also had 2 guests, Jason Blank and a visiting Rotarian, Lindsay Lam from the Rotary E-Club in Edmonton.

    The 4 Way Test was read by Diana
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Vicente told us some great news about the Polio Plus program, Nigeria is no longer on the list of countries with Polio, only Pakistan and Afghanistan remain on that dreaded list.
     
    He also told us how back home in the Philippines he remembers how devastating Polio was for the children who became ill.
     
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Hoop a Thon. It is this Saturday, make sure you get all your pledges in.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    2) Don't forget to put our changeover dinner in your calendars, it will be on June 12th.
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was our member Michael Alty giving us his classification talk.
     
    Some of the points he mentioned were:
    • He is originally from Winnipeg
    • He was a Rotary exchange student in South Africa and he was also an ambassadorial scholar in New Zealand, talk about total Rotary immersion!
    • He specializes in corporate and aboriginal law.
    Thought of the day: 
     
    Tell me and I'll forget
    Show me and I'll remember
    Involve me and I'll understand
     
    Anonymous
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    June 1st 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-06-01 07:00:00Z 0

    May 25 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on May 25, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 13 Members. Our guest today was Ted McCormac.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Matthew told us a very inspiring quote:
     
    “Man has affinity for his fellowman, 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.”

    — A Road I Have Travelled, THE ROTARIAN, February 1934
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn urged us to send our the emails, we are seriously behind in our fund raising goals.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    2) Global TV created a TV spot promoting the Hoopathon, check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CSY9u0XehA
     
     
     
    3) Don't forget to put our changeover dinner in your calendars, it will be on June 12th.
     
    Guest Speakers -   Our guest speakers today were from Vector International Academy (http://www.vectorinternational.ca/). Mary Kato, the founder, brought 4 of her students to practice their public speaking English skills. They had a very interesting presentation about the differences in culture and language between Japan and Canada. 
     
    Some of the points they mentioned were:
     
    • Japanese has 5 times more onomatopoeia than English. Onomatopoeia is a word that phonetically imitates, resembles or suggests the source of the sound that it describes.
    • There are over 300 cat cafes in Japan. Since only 7% of buildings allow pets, Japanese people come to these cafes to pet and play with cats.
    • These cat cafes adopt cats from shelters.
    • There are not just cat cafes but also places where people can pet amphibians, goats and birds.
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    May 25 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-05-25 07:00:00Z 0

    May 18 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on May 18, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members. Our guests were William Chen and Ron Suzuki as a guest for the last time as he became the newest member of our club today!

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Alfredo told us about the latest cover in the "Rotarian" magazine, which features U2's guitarist "The Edge" and his father, who was a Rotarian for decades.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn urged us to send our the emails, we are seriously behind in our fund raising goals.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    2) The Vancouver Olive Oil Company donated $50 to the hoopathon.
     
    3) Don't forget to put our changeover dinner in your calendars, it will be on June 12th.
     
    Guest Speakers -   Today we did not have a guest speaker.
     
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    May 18 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-05-18 07:00:00Z 0

    May 11 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on May 11, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 16 Members, 2 guests: Ron Suzuki and Ted McCormac as well as a group of Rotaractors.

    Frances recited the 4 way test.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    The Rotary moment today was about the breakfast at the Strathcona community centre and what a great sense of community and solidarity it provides.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn already sent each of us the first pledge email, make sure you send it to your friends, coworkers, etc.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    2) Hoops & Hops - Practice shooting for Hoop-a-thon Basketball teams on Wed, May 18, 7:30 pm at Strathcona Community Centre followed by Beer at the Union Pub. Everyone welcome!
     
    Guest Speakers -   Today we had a group of Rotaractors who attended the RYLA program in the Sunshine Coast recently. 
     
    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.
     
    Those who are selected to attend RYLA will learn valuable leadership and career skills, build self-confidence, discuss current ethical and social issues and meet active community leaders – all while having a ton of fun!  
     
    Rotary International District 5040 (British Columbia, Canada) Rotary Youth Leadership Awards have become one of the most impactful and enriching programs of Rotary service for young people. Over 150 youth leaders from communities across the province attend the annual RYLA camps.
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    May 11 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-05-11 07:00:00Z 0

    May 4 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on May 04, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members and 2 guests: Ron Suzuki and Ted McCormac.

    Vicente recited the 4 way test.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    The Rotary moment today was about membership and the importance of including and involving the new members.
     
    Announcements:

    1) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting coming up on May 11th. There are still a few spots available, please contact Frances to book your spot.
     
    2) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn already sent each of us the first pledge email, make sure you send it to your friends, coworkers, etc.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    3) Hoops & Hops - Practice shooting for Hoop-a-thon Basketball teams on Wed, May 18, 7:30 pm at Strathcona Community Centre followed by Beer at the Union Pub. Everyone welcome!
     
    4) The Rotary Foundation will be having an online webinar on 12 May from 10:00-11:00 CST, join Rotary staff as they share volunteer tips for fundraising, helping your club to do more good around the world in the coming year. Register here: 
     
    https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5241320626464911105
     
    Guest Speaker -   Today we had a business meeting to discuss our club's plans and current and future projects.
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    May 4 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-05-04 07:00:00Z 0

    April 27th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Apr 27, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members and 1 guest: Ron Suzuki.

    Vicente recited the 4 way test.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    The Rotary moment today was a reminder to please share the hoopathon on your social media profiles, all you have to do is go to our Facebook page, linked at the bottom of this bulletin, and click "share".
     
    Announcements:

    1) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting coming up on May 11th. There are still a few spots available, please contact Frances to book your spot.
     
    2) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn already sent each of us the first pledge email, make sure you send it to your friends, coworkers, etc.  Click Hoopathon.ca to go to our page.
     
    3) On Friday May 6 we are invited for  breakfast at the Strathcona Community Centre. Please arrive by 8am. Coffee, tea and breakfast are available by donation.
     
    4) The Rotary Foundation will be having an online webinar on 12 May from 10:00-11:00 CST, join Rotary staff as they share volunteer tips for fundraising, helping your club to do more good around the world in the coming year. Register here: 
     
    https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5241320626464911105
     
    5) This weekend is the Rotary District 5040 conference. Several of our members are attending, have fun!
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Ramona Materi. She is the author of a book called "British Columbia's New North". Some of the points she mentioned were:
     
    • There are 3 main types of opportunities in BC's north: tourism, infrastructure projects and business opportunities.
    • Some of the high profile projects are: Site C dam, the Brucejack gold project and blue fuel energy.
    • Among the business opportunities she mentioned were: construction projects, retail, restaurant. 
    • There is even a website to encourage people to move to prince George. http://moveupprincegeorge.ca/
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    April 27th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-04-27 07:00:00Z 0

    April 20th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Apr 20, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 19 Members and 3 guests: Ron Suzuki, Jason Blank and Todd Talbot, a guest of Jim Clarke.

     

    Matthew recited the 4 way test.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Michael Alty told us about his experience as a Rotary exchange student when he lived in South Africa in 2003. He is still reaping benefits from that experience.
     
    Announcements:

    1) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting coming up on May 11th. There are still a few spots available, please contact Frances to book your spot.
     
    2) Hoop a Thon.  Gary Chomyn kick started our 6 week hoopathon fund raising campaign. He will be sending all of us 3 emails for us to just copy and paste and send to our contacts. The goal is to have 100% participation from our club, you can make a pledge, shoot hoops and gather pledges from friends and family.
    We now have a dedicated URL and webpage for the Hoopathon: Click Hoopathon.ca to go to view our page.
     
    Here is the video promoting the hoopathon:
     
    Here is the link if you would like to share it: https://youtu.be/tN95B72FAoY
     
    3) On Friday May 6 we are invited for  breakfast at the Strathcona Community Centre. Please arrive by 8am. Coffee, tea and breakfast are available by donation.
     
    4) The Rotary Foundation will be having an online webinar on 12 May from 10:00-11:00 CST, join Rotary staff as they share volunteer tips for fundraising, helping your club to do more good around the world in the coming year. Register here: 
     
    https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5241320626464911105
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker today was Ron Suzuki to help us kick off the hoopathon fundraising. Some of the points he mentioned were:
     
    • Since 2006, our club has raised over 225K for the basketball program.
    • the goal for this years' hoopathon is 15K, Strathcona is aiming to raise an additional 10K
    • The annual cost of the program is 75K
    • We have received a 2K Rotary District Grant which will be used for scholarships and bursaries.
     
    Pic from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    April 20th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-04-20 07:00:00Z 0

    April 13th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Apr 13, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 Members and no guests today.

     

    John Haley recited the 4 way test.

     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Michael Alty provided us with some very powerful and very interesting stats for the Rotary Foundation. Last year the foundation received 123M in donations. The Polio Plus fund raised 23M, which grew to 98M once matched by the Gates Foundation. 
     
    Announcements:

    1) Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting coming up on May 11th. Sounds like a great event!
     
    2) Hoop a Thon-  Gary Chomyn has organized a Hoopathon kickoff meeting for April 20th. Please make sure you attend our meeting next Wednesday.
     
    3) Another upcoming social event will be a breakfast at the Strathcona Community Centre. More information will be provided at a later date.
     
    4) Our changeover this year will be hosted by John Haley, the tentative date is June 12.
     
     
    Guest Speaker -   Today we had a business meeting to discuss internal club affairs.
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    April 13th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-04-13 07:00:00Z 0

    April 6th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Apr 06, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 14 Members and 3 Guests- Paul Hamilton, our  guest auctioneer,  Brian Silzer, guest of Bill Sheddy and Jason Blank, Cleo's guest.​

    Vicente Asuncion recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Michael Alty told us a story about a Rotary club in Pakistan that teamed up with Coca Cola to set up water filtration systems in a village. As the population came to fetch clean water they would offer to give the Polio vaccine to the children who came with their parents. What a great way to promote vaccination!
     
    Announcements:

    1) Seniors Christmas Luncheon. Matthew is still exploring options for the WESN Christmas Lunch.
     
    2) Hoop a Thon-  Gary Chomyn has organized a Hoopathon kickoff meeting for April 20th. Please make sure you attend our meeting that day.
     
    3) Peter Fox told us that the UBC Rotaractors are having a Fundraiser Dinner at the Regal Beagle Bar and Grill (2281 West Broadway, - $45 p.h.) in support of MOSAIC (Programs and Services to immigrants and refugees) on 9th April.
     
    Website as follows:
    http://www.rotaract5040.org/vanubc/
     
    Guest Speaker -   Today we had our hockey pool, all members present - and non present -  are now in the pool! keep an eye on those games!
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    April 6th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-04-06 07:00:00Z 0

    March 30th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 30, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 16 Members and 3 Guests- David J. Greer, our  guest speaker,  Mayor Ron Toyota from the Creston Valley Rotary and David Savage from the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary.

    Peter Fox recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    President Cleo told us about a moment of inspiration she had last weekend. She noted how the work that Rotary does can have far reaching positive consequences, such as the RYLA program helping young people find their calling and avoid falling for the empty promises of crime, violence and other negative life paths.
     
    Announcements:

    1) Seniors Christmas Luncheon. Matthew updated us on the status of the event. In a nutshell, we ned to find a way to raise 17K for the event. One of the options would be to sale water bottles at farmers markets during the summer.
     
    2) Hoop a Thon-  Gary invited each of us to contact 20 friends/acquaintances and start the pledging process now. 
     
    Guest Speaker -   Our guest speaker was Coach David J. Greer, a entrepreneurial coach.
     
    The title of his presentation was "Slow Down to Speed Up".
     
    Some of the highlights from the presentation were:
     
    • They are four daily vital actions: start, plan, connect and finish.
    • Four critical questions to ask yourself everyday:
      • Your intention today?
      • The #1 way you connect with other people?
      • What do you commit to change?
      • Who can help you?
    • Visit his website for more information: http://coachdjgreer.com/
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    March 30th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-03-30 07:00:00Z 0

    March 23rd 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 23, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 11 Members and 4 Guests- our 3 guest speakers and Jason Blank, a guest of Cleo. Our guest speakers were: Tanya Colledge, Elizabeth Edward and Peggy John.

    Lawrence recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Bill S. gave us a couple of ideas to change up our Sergeant at Arms program: defamation dollars, which will allow members to poke fun at other member for a fee and incremental dollars to allow the next member to announce something for an incremental fee. Sounds like fun!
     
    Announcements:

    1) Seniors Christmas Luncheon. Matthew is still looking for options for venues and to raise the necessary funds for this event.
     
    2) Guess Who is Coming for Dinner- It wa a success, Diana and Matthew report having had a great time at Abigail's. All other participants also reported having had a blast.
     
    3) Lawrence invited us to consider attending a container loading, keep an eye on your inbox for future opportunities.
     
    4) Hoop a Thon-  Gary announced that Global TV is onboard and will be participating in the event and giving it TV coverage! 
     
    Guest Speakers -   Our guest speakers were from the BC transplant society.
     
    It was a very interesting and a very moving presentation, one of our speakers, Elizabeth, is actually a heart transplant recipient. Some of the highlights from the presentation were:
     
    • They are part of the Provincial Health Services Authority.
    • They manage organ donations from end to end.
    • There are 3 transplant centres in BC. Saint Pauls, VGH and BC Childrens.
    • There are 2 donation formats: living and deceased.
    • There is no age limit to be a donor.
    • A heart can live outside the body for 6-8 hours.
    • To become a donor all you need it to have your personal health number and register here:
    http://www.transplant.bc.ca/
     
    Pics from the meeting:
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    March 23rd 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-03-23 07:00:00Z 0

    March 16th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 09, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 13 Members and Two Guests-Michael Alty for the last time as a guest and Jane Mitchell, a guest of Sheila Anderson.

    Can Scott recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment:
     
    Bill S. with reminisces from his former Club (Rotary Casino Nights). Michael Alty will present the Rotary moments in April.
     
    Announcements:

    1) Seniors Christmas Luncheon. Matt has checked out our present location and the West End Rec Centre, and they are not suitable. Alfredo has mentioned that the Round House Rec Centre in Yaletown might be an option. Further investigation will be done. We would be responsible for food for the event . ( probably about 200 seniors)
     
    2) Guess Who is Coming for Dinner- On this Saturday at the locations advised to each member attending. 6 PM    Have a great time.
     
    3) RYLA is taking place on March 26 in the Sunshine Coast. This event is open to Rotarians as well.
     
    4) Hoop a Thon-  Gary is finalizing an arrangement with a local TV network to be announced when it is final, for inclusive coverage, and media coverage of the Hoop-a-thon. More on this when the arrangements are finalized. There will be a meeting on March 22 at 5 PM at Strathcona who those interested in being there. 
     
    Induction to Our Club -   President Cleo presented our newest member, Michael Alty to the club. Everyone congratulated him personally on becoming a  part of our family. Welcome to Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise, Michael.  Start working on your classification talk to the club  to be presented at some stage in the near future. 
     
     
    Discussion on our meeting formats 

        Some of the Objectives: 
     
    • Hands on projects       - Team building
    • Learning, Education     -Mentoring
    • Good will                       -Fun
    • Peace                              -Retention
    • Service
    • Fundraising

         Some of the Activities

        - Interact-                                            -  Abigail
       - Pub Night                                           - Bill
       - Meeting at Strathcona Breakfast   - Diana
       - Fireside Chats                                    - Sheila
       - Bike Rides and Runs Seawall           - Cam
       - Container Loading ( World Help)  - Lawrence

    Other Suggestions- Movie nights,Day at the Races, Community Days, Popcorn sales,
                                       Theatre Under the Stars, Cleanup projects, Olive Oil Lecture, Scotch or Wine Tastings

    Next Week Speaker - Regarding Organ Transplants and a survival’s story
     
     
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    March 16th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-03-09 08:00:00Z 0

    March 9th 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 09, 2016

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 15 members and one guest, Michael Alty, who will become a member very soon.

    Vic recited the 4 way test.
     
    Announcements:

    1) Next week Michael Alty will be inducted as the newest member of our club.
     
    2) We are in discussions to evaluate and decide on the Seniors Christmas lunch. A committee headed by Matthew will be looking at all the options.
     
    3) RYLA is taking place on March 26 in the Sunshine Coast. This event is open to Rotarians as well.
     
    Guest Speaker
     

    Our session today was dedicated to do some brainstorming as to what social activities are of interest to the club. You may recall that we are changing from 4 weekly meetings a month to having 3 meetings and a social event.

    Pics from our meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    March 9th 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-03-09 08:00:00Z 0

    March 2nd 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 02, 2016

    Remember that our meetings are at the new location at Coal Harbour Community Centre.

     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 11 members and one guest, Michael Alty, who will become a member very soon.
    Vic recited the 4 way test.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our 2016 Hoop-A-Thon will be held on Saturday,  June 4, 2016. This year’s fund raising will again go towards the Strathcona Rotary Youth Leadership Program.
     
    2) If you have interest in attending Ron Suzuki’s retirement party, it will be on April 16 at the Pink Pearl Restaurant. Let Peter Fox know as he has arranged for a table. Tickets are 45 dollars etc.
     
    3) Guess who is coming to dinner will take place on march 19, please contact Abigail and let her know if you would like to host or attend this event.
     
    4) On May 13th the Steveston Rotary club will be hosting it's "Grapes, Hops and Bites" event, More info here: 
     
    http://portal.clubrunner.ca/772/Stories/grapes-hops-bites-2015-is-back
     
     
    Guest Speaker
     

    Today we had a business meeting.

    Pics from our meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    March 2nd 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-03-02 08:00:00Z 0

    February 24 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Feb 24, 2016

    Remember that our meetings will now be at the new location at Coal Harbour Community Centre.

     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 11 members and one guest, Michael Alty.
    Vic recited the 4 way test.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our 2016 Hoop-A-Thon will be held on Saturday,  June 4, 2016. This year’s fund raising will again go towards the Strathcona Rotary Youth Leadership Program.
     
    2) If you have interest in attending Ron Suzuki’s retirement party, it will be on April 16 at the Pink Pearl Restaurant. Let Peter Fox know as he has arranged for a table. Tickets are 45 dollars etc.
     
    3) Guess who is coming to dinner will take place on march 19, please contact Abigail and let her know if you would like to host or attend this event.
     
    4) Garry Shearer presented the club with a grant from the District of $2,000.00 to be used in conjunction with the Hoop-a-thon towards expenses and scholarships for the event taking place in June.
     
    5) On May 13th the Steveston Rotary club will be hosting it's "Grapes, Hops and Bites" event, More info here: 
     
    http://portal.clubrunner.ca/772/Stories/grapes-hops-bites-2015-is-back
     
    6) Garry also mentioned that there is a Japanese Student coming to Vancouver who is studying Forestry. Several members seemed keen on being involved with him during his stay. More details later.
     
    Guest Speaker
     

    Our Guest Speaker today was Francis Kolotyluk. She continued her very interesting classification talk from last week.

     
    Pics from our meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    February 24 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-02-24 08:00:00Z 0

    February 17 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Feb 17, 2016

    Remember our last meeting at the Law Courts Restaurant will be next week. A memo will be sent to everybody with the directions to our new location at Coal Harbour.

     

    At last Wednesday's meeting we had 11 members and four guests  Rotarian District 5040 Grants administrator Garry Shearer. Guest of Sheila- June Mitchell, return visit of potential member, Michael Alty and Katharina Wagner, Ambassadorial Student from Munich, Germany
    Lawrence recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment: 
     
    John H. had to do with the purpose of the Fireside Chats, especially with new members. We should reinstate these in the near future. The evening would promote fellowship and increase knowledge about Rotary Programs, including Rotary Foundation.   By the way, the 111th Anniversary is coming up on February 23. Tuesdays tend to be a good day to carry out these get-togethers.
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our 2016 Hoop-A-Thon will be held on Saturday,  June 4, 2016. This year’s fund raising will again go towards the Strathcona Rotary Youth Leadership Program.
     
    2) If you have interest in attending Ron Suzuki’s retirement party, it will be on April 16 at the Pink Pearl Restaurant. Let Peter Fox know as he has arranged for a table. Tickets are 45 dollars etc.
     
    3) Guess who is coming to dinner will take place on march 19, please contact Abigail and let her know if you would like to host or attend this event.
     
    4) Garry Shearer presented the club with a grant from the District of $2,000.00 to be used in conjunction with the Hoop-a-thon towards expenses and scholarships for the event taking place in June.
     
    5) On May 13th the Steveston Rotary club will be hosting it's "Grapes, Hops and Bites" event, More info here: 
     
    http://portal.clubrunner.ca/772/Stories/grapes-hops-bites-2015-is-back
     
    6) Garry also mentioned that there is a Japanese Student coming to Vancouver who is studying Forestry. Several members seemed keen on being involved with him during his stay. More details later.
     
    7) Katharina Wagner spoke on her vast experiences such as the Paris Volunteer camp, volunteering also in Australia, New Zealand and Samoa. While here at UBC, she is very active with the UBC Rotaract Club.
     
    Guest Speaker
     

    Our Guest Speaker today was Francis Kolotyluk. She was from a military family, living in Alberta. She also at 10 years of age, attended Grammar School in UK, where Drama was her passion. Back in Calgary, while in High School, she was one of five students selected to attend Adventures in Citizenship with Rotary. 17 and 18 were very active years for Francis, at that time , meeting her husband  amongst other highlights. Part Two of her classification talk will take place next week at the meeting   Don’t miss it. 

     
     
    Pics from our meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    February 17 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-02-17 08:00:00Z 0

    February 10 2016 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Feb 10, 2016
    At last Wednesday's meeting we had one guest: Millie Tang, former club member and a good friend of us. She is moving back to Paris to start her own company!
    Sheila recited the 4 way test.
     
    Rotary Moment: 
     
    We skipped this today to have our yearly Valentine's day auction. 
     
    Announcements:
     
    1) Our 2016 Hoop-A-Thon will be held on Saturday,  June 4, 2016. This year’s fund raising will again go towards the Strathcona Rotary Youth Leadership Program.
     
    2) Our yearly Valentine's day auction will take place on February 8th. If you can donate items towards this please get in touch with Abigail.
     
    3) Guess who is coming to dinner will take place on march 19, please contact Abigail and let her know if you would like to host or attend this event.
     
    4) Ron Suzuki is retiring and there is a party for him on April 16 at the Pink Pearl, which will be a fundraising function for the Strathcona community centre.
     
    5) On May 13th the Steveston Rotary club will be hosting it's "Grapes, Hops and Bites" event, More info here: 
     
    http://portal.clubrunner.ca/772/Stories/grapes-hops-bites-2015-is-back
     
     
    Today we had our Valentine's day auction.
     
     
     
    Pics from our meeting
     
     
    Important Links:
     
     
    Set up your Rotary foundation donation via credit card: Just click here
     
    We now have a proper website under our own domain name: rotaryvancouversunrise.ca
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    February 10 2016 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2016-02-10 08:00:00Z 0

    April 15 2015

    Hello Everyone,
     
    This week Nancy recited the 4 way test for us, we had Diana Lozano as a guest (she is interested in becoming a member). Our guest speakers were 3 very enthusiastic young adults from UNYA (Urban Native Youth Association).
     
    UNYA helps native young people via mentorships that can last for years, making a big difference in their lives.
     
    Announcements:
     
    Please don't forget to email Abigail if you would like to participate in the "Guess who is coming to dinner" event.
     
    Joszef brought us some ideas for international projects. His Father in law is a Rotarian en Peru and they are in need of a Rotary partner to provide children with anemia evaluations. 
     
    And now some images from our meeting:
     
     
    April 15 2015 2015-04-17 00:00:00Z 0

    April 8th 2015 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Apr 09, 2015
    This week we had 2 guests, Diana Lozano who was Alfredo's guest and former member Paul Hamilton, who helped us with the hockey pool auction.
     
    Announcements:
     
    Gary reminded us about the Hoopathon and Abigail reminded us about the "Guess who is coming to diner" event, make sure you email Abigail if you would like to host or be a guest for this social event.
     
    Hockey Pool Auction:
     
    As every year, the auction was a lot of fun and everyone participated (spent money) whether you were at the meeting or not!
     
    Please see the pics below to find out who bought which team:
     
     
    April 8th 2015 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2015-04-10 00:00:00Z 0

    March 25 2015 Meeting

    Posted by Carlos Obregon on Mar 29, 2015
    In our last meeting Cam Scott recited the 4 way test, the Rotary moment was provided by John. He mentioned that the Rotarian magazine was recently received an award with other magazines such as Time, The Atlantic and Harpers Bazaar.
     
    We had 2 guests: Maxime and Mark Pinnel, Maxime is an exchange student from Switzerland:
     
     
    Our Guest Speaker was Valerie A. Shapiro who is the Co-President of the Canadian International Council, Vancouver branch.
     
     
    Cam Scott thanked our speaker for a great presentation.
     

    Upcoming Events:

     
    April 25th: Guess who is coming to dinner. Make sure you email Abigail to sign up either as a host or guest.
     
    June: We will have our changeover dinner. More details will be available soon.
     
    June 6th: Hoopathon. 
     
    On a side note, I visited Larry at the hospital and he looked great, he was scheduled to go home last week and is very eager to come back to the club.
     
     
     
     
    March 25 2015 Meeting Carlos Obregon 2015-03-30 00:00:00Z 0

    Allison MacLean on Delta TV

    Posted by Cam Scott on Jan 26, 2015

    Filmmaker Allison MacLean gave an interview on Delta TV about her documentary Burkas to Bullets. She will be speaking in Whiterock on Feb. 18. 

    Allison MacLean on Delta TV Cam Scott 2015-01-27 00:00:00Z 0

    News of Allison MacLean

    Posted by Cam Scott on Jan 26, 2015
    story thumbnail

    Allison MacLean will speak in Whiterock on Feb. 18, 2015.  She gave an interview to Delta TV about her documentary Burkas to Bullets. 

    News of Allison MacLean Cam Scott 2015-01-27 00:00:00Z 0
    Rotary Meeting Locations and Times Matthew Lynam 2014-10-20 00:00:00Z 0
    New Meeting Venue October 8th 2014 Matthew Lynam 2014-10-03 00:00:00Z 0
    New Location for Meetings Whitespot Restaurant on Georgia Every Wednesdays at 7:15 till 8:30 am Matthew Lynam 2014-05-28 00:00:00Z 0

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE MEETING MAY 21, 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on May 20, 2014

    ATTENDANCE-

          Today we all chimed in with the Four Way Test.  We had 15 members present, as well as our two speakers and David Ayala and Luisa Godoy. Luisa keeps up with her busy life as an Exchange Student.  Convention coming up this week-end.

     

    ROTARY MOMENT-

          John reminded us that Rotary is not just working on eliminating Polio. It also is involved in providing safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene education. He mentioned that in Ethiopia, there are 56 million people who do not have safe water. Most people spend an average of 6 hours a day collecting water. Also 54,000 children die in Ethiopia each year of diarrhea. Alberta Rotaries are quite involved in projects in this regard, with 21 locations having solar powered pumps, benefiting 16,000 people. If you have not read the article yet, check out May edition of the Rotarian ( Page 12) for the article.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

       Hoop-a-thon-   Make of the teams will be published Thursday. Remember that at 430 on Thursday, there will be an hour and a half practice for all team members at Strathcona Gym. A birdie tells me that the group may find a happy hour somewhere after all that hard work.

       Also Larry will send out an email with the second follow-up for our contacts on Thursday. Donations are slowly coming in, but we need to remind our people of the program and the need for donations.

        

    Meeting location- The board is investigated our meeting site , whether it will be here at the Coast, or one of a couple of possibilities are being also looked into. More next week will be discussed on this.

     

    Sargent at Arms took the day of this week, but I am sure everything was happy.

     

    SPEAKERS-

        Dr Peter Wing , retired Spinal Surgeon and Claire Weeks, retired doctor and spinal therapist were our speakers.

    We want to tell you about our exciting project in Nepal, where spinal injury can spell disaster in the absence of the supports that we take for granted. Pain, poverty and despair can be relentless companions of spinal cord-injured Nepalese.

    But, with your financial help, we intend to alleviate their pain and turn their despair and poverty into hope and productivity.

    We (Drs. Peter Wing and Claire Weeks) are retired physicians who specialized, during our careers, in the surgical and rehabilitation treatment of spinal cord injuries. On a 2009 visit to Nepal, we witnessed the crushing obstacles faced by spinal cord patients and their caregivers, and decided to help. On our return to Canada we established a charitable group within the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Orthopaedics, an affiliation for which we are most grateful. We are known as the Nepalese Spinal Cord Injury Collaboration or Spine Nepal (SpiNepal).

    We have been working closely with colleagues at the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRC) near Kathmandu, Nepal’s first and only specialized spinal injury unit. Our main focus is to participate in training doctors in the care of spinal cord injury. We have made four trips to Nepal since 2009. To date we have been self-funded but, as our objectives and commitments have grown, we now need help with some aspects of the project. We invite you to join us in this endeavour.

    People with spinal cord injury (SCI) in Nepal have a much reduced life expectancy and, if they survive, SCI impacts every aspect of their lives.

     Ninety percent of Nepal’s population of about 27 million live in a rural environment several days’ walk from the nearest town. Most are subsistence farmers who toil from dawn to dark to earn a meagre existence.

    People generally transport cargo on their backs in baskets or on frames suspended from wide fabric forehead straps. Enormous burdens of firewood, rocks and stones, building supplies, and fodder for animals are constantly on the move. The effort required to plant and harvest crops on thin strips of terraced fields on steep hillsides is staggering. This type of work is simply not possible from a wheelchair.

    Transportation is slow and difficult even for able-bodied people. Buses have high floors with several steps up to the interior and are often overloaded with seating only on top of the bus. Small taxis are also impossible for people in chairs. The roads are rutted and pockmarked with potholes, usually full of garbage and without standard curbs to make access to shops easy. There are no curb cuts. Imagine trying to negotiate a wheelchair across a road, or trying to use public transportation to get to work, go to school, or visit your family.

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

     Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.    Margaret Mead 

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE MEETING MAY 21, 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-05-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Newsletter May 14th 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on May 13, 2014

    Hello fellow Rotarian and friends, this week I’m very late sending the Rotary Newsletter from last week. My apologies. Time really flies.

     

    This week we were 12 members and one visitor, Steve McGrandle.

     

    Rotary Moment

     

    Today John tested our knowledge about vending machines. He asked as a few difficult questions about vending machines and the different products they sella round the world. We learned that the first vending machine was designed by a Greek mathematician back in 215 B.C. Another interesting fact that we learned is that in 1926, cigarette vending machines were invented in the USA. There are some vending machines around Los Angeles that sell caviar. In Italy there are vending machines that make pizzas from scratch in about three minutes. There was a lot of fact about these machines that we were not aware of.

     

    Announcements

     

    Hoopathon! It is only a few weeks from now. Please save the date. June 14th. Have you signed-up? Please email your friends and your contacts and ask for pledges. Let’s make it happen. Together we can get to our goal.

     

    On May 28th, we will have a Hoopathon practice, from 4 to 6:30 pm at the Strathcona Community Centre. It will be fun!

     

    This year’s Change Over Dinner will be a day after the Hoopathon, on June 15th. More details to come in the next few days.

     

    The speakers for May 21st will be Rotarians Peter Wing and Claire Weeks ,  A training, spinal cord injury hospital in Katmandu, Nepal.

     

    Thought of the day

     

    Believe you can and you're halfway there.
    Theodore Roosevelt.

    Newsletter May 14th 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-05-14 00:00:00Z 0

    Newsletter May 7th 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on May 06, 2014

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

          NEWSLETTER OF MAY 7, 2014

     

    ATTENDANCE-

       Led by Valerie who has just returned from her trip, we heard the Four Way test in English, with the promise of the next time, being in French.

        We had 16 members present as well as our previous member David Ayala, who has indicated the wish to rejoin the club.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

         All contributors had happy dollars and no sad dollars. As a reward, Bill had a draw for twice prizes today. A box of Purdy Chocolates which was one by Sheila A. and a special lottery ticket called Cleopatra which was won by no less than Cleo P. We will see if Cleo has a happy dollar next week, stating she won that lottery.

     

    ROTARY MOMENT-

             Sad to see that it is now recognized that there is a new outbreak of polio this year.  Glad to see that in the Vancouver paper, Rotary was given credit with the Gates Foundation, but all other mentions did not recognize Rotary in their articles.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

         Remember June 14 is Hoop a Thon Day. Mark your calendars. The Rotary team captains are recruiting members ((Four to a team including the captain). All members will have pledge sheets to include donations for their shooting ability. Make sure that you have sent your emails out to your contacts.

     

    SPEAKER-

        Our speaker today was Zahed Lalani, Regional Campaign Manager for Vancouver and Victoria with the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada.  The Foundation is a non-denominational organization, investing in community driven sustainable solutions in the poorest countries of the world. The Foundation has developed two Aga Khan Universities in the world, covering three main academic programs, Economic Development, Social Development and Culture.

       Their International Fellowship Programs offer extraordinary training programs and an eight-month overseas placement for recent university graduates and young professionals who are 30 years of age or under.

       Tina P. spoke of her involvement in her placement in Uganda, and perhaps at some stage, we can ask her to elaborate on her experience in that program.

         There are three fellowship streams, a) International Development Management, b) International Microfinance and Microenterprise and C) Young Professionals in Media.

        In 2013, the Aga Khan received the annual award from the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada Award in recognition for it’s work in promoting Islamic Architecture, in Canada as well as the rest of the world.

        There are approximately 30 million Ismailis in the world today. The Foundation has also worked with many Rotary Clubs in international projects around the world.

        Their big event coming up- The World Partnership Walk, an annual event for 30 years which helps take steps to end world poverty. It will be on May 25 starting at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park. So far, 40,000 people participate annually in the walk and 82 million dollars has been raised. 100% of the donations go towards international development projects.

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

       You cannot judge the depth of the well by the length of the handle.   Quote from Gary Chomyn’s uncle.

     

    Newsletter May 7th 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-05-07 00:00:00Z 0

    Newsletter April 30 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Apr 29, 2014

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

            NEWSLETTER APRIL 30, 2014

     

    ATTENDANCE-

      Cleo recited a beautiful version of the Four Way Test in Spanish. It must of been perfect as no one offered any corrections.

       Today we had fourteen members present and almost as many guests. Steve McGrandle and Brandi England, John Bland and his wife , Shima Alavi. Our RYLA speakers today, Luisa, Justine, Maha and Cali. David Ng  from Strathcona came to represent Justine.

     

    ROTARY MOMENT-

      John Haley presented some stats from the May Rotary magazine which were presented by RI President Ron Burton. Countries with the largest membership gains, 2003-2013 1. India 2.Korea 3. Germany 4.Taiwan and 5. Brazil. Those with the greatest declines. 1. United States 2.Japan 3.England 4. Australia and 5. Canada. Rotary has allocated 3 Million dollars to create regional and support regional membership plans. The aim is to increase membership around the world. He suggested that we be sure to read the full article in the May issue.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

       Hoop-a thon- Important to get your emails out to your contacts. Larry will send a sample email with attachments as a sample to you by Friday.

        For the Rotary shoot outs, we are established four team captains. Matthew, Gary, Julie and Lawrence. We need one my captain. The five captains will line up their team of themselves and three more members. Captain number five, please contact Larry. First come, first served. Let Larry know who your teams are by next Monday or Tuesday. Start bribing the good ones to be sure that you have the best players.

       The one and only practice session will be on Wednesday May 28 5 PM at Strathcona and  the pub after.

        Be thinking about CORPORATE sponsors as well.

    The event is June 14 at 10 AM at Strathcona.

    Colombian Fundraiser- Sheila and Cleo will arrange a meeting soon to start planning for the event in late September or early October.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

         Sheila just back from Cayman Islands.

    Cleo off to San Francisco.

    Lawrence is off to London.

    Milie off to Kelowna.

    And I forgot who is off to San Diego.

    Lets make sure that everything who is not travelling will be here next week.

    John happy that tax time is virtually over.

    Diana lost keys, cards, wallet etc last week so will have a new identity soon.

    Tina very busy at work.

    Larry has laryngitis so half of ____ words _____missing.

    SPEAKERS

        Our four speakers were our four representatives at the RYLA Leadership Group last Weekend . There were 107 representatives at the camp. Great representations  from the girls, Luisa, Justine, Maha and Cali.. They learned that you are never too young to contribute to the community. They learned about the four types of leaders, Controller, Analyser, Promoter and Supporter. They closed with a Talent Show, and the four girls sang the theme song from the conference to our club. They learned all about Rotaract, Interact and other facets of Rotary. Sessions started at 8 AM and finished at 11 PM each day.

     

     NEXT WEEKS SPEAKER –

        ZAHED LALANI- AGA KHAN FOUNDATION OF CANADA

    Newsletter April 30 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-04-30 00:00:00Z 0

    Newsletter April 23rd 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Apr 22, 2014

     

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise         

    Newsletter April 23, 2014

     

    Attendance

     

    We had 14 members today and three guests. Brandi England, who did the Rotary moment, as she went to Brazil as a Rotary Exchange student when she was 17.  Rotarian  Luis Yanguas from Madrid Spain originally and who has visited us previously . And Luisa our Exchange student.  

     

    Rotary Moment

     

    Brandi England told us a very emotional story on how Rotary has changed her life. She spent a whole year in Brazil when she was 17 as a Rotary Exchange student.  Brandi played a very important role when she was volunteering at the Emergency Social Services desk in the PREOC (emergency operations centre) in Kamloops during the fires of 2003.  One night,  Brandi received a phone call about 9pm from a lady crying who had three kids, two of them with severe asthma and their house was on fire. In the beginning, Brandi had no idea how to help her, but her first reaction was to call  the Rotary Club of Abbotsford-Matsqui and ask for help. The president of that Rotary Club went all over, and him and some other fellow Rotarians drove all the way to Kamloops and help to coordinate with the firefighters the rescue of the lady and her 3 kids.  They all were safe after the rescued. This could not have been possible without Brandi and her excellent reaction and response.

    Announcements:

    A friendly reminder to send out emails to your contacts  about Hoop-A-Thon asking to consider a donation to this great cause.

     

    Business Meeting

     

    We had our business meeting, where different topics where discussed. Some of the focus areas that were discussed were Membership, meeting management, Strathcona Youth Leadership Program, Interact, among others.

      

    We will have two RYLA Students as speakers next week as they are having their RYLA Weekend this weekend. This includes Luisa, our Exchange student.

     

    See you next week!

    Newsletter April 23rd 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-04-23 00:00:00Z 0

    NEWSLETTER MEETING APRIL 16, 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Apr 15, 2014

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise         

    Newsletter April 16, 2014

     

    Attendance-

         A rousing four way test this morning, sounded a bit like 16 different versions but certainly an inspiration.

       We had 16 members in attendance today.  Our speaker, Dr Wasserman;  Guests were Jun Tallo all the way from Cebu City West in the Phillipines ( exchanged banners); Steve McGrandle; Jose Riga’s son, Frederic; Luisa , our Exchange student and three potential recruits to our club, Brandi England, Byran Dar Santos and John Bland.

     

    Announcements-

        Gary announced that Jack FM will be doing a major promotion of our Hoopathon. And also a practice for basketball will take place at Strathcona on May 28, a Wednesday at 430 (and refreshments after). We will be line up teams for the shoot-outs soon. A super meeting was held by the committee last night at Strathcona.

     

    Happy Dollars- Ably collected by Diana

        Bill wished Mr. Gillis of the Canucks , the best of luck, where ever he goes.

        Abigail took her motorcycle out of winter storage. 

        Sonya is finally getting away, New York this weekend.

        Cam mentioned that the playoffs start tonight. Being absent last week,  he got stuck with Montreal.  And guess what, the won their first game today.

     

    Speaker-

    Gary introduced our guest speaker, Dr, Wyeth Wasserman. He is Assistant Dean of research at UBC Faculty of medicine,, professor of Medical Genetics,  and Executor Director of the Child and Family Research Institute.  He specializes in the study of the human genome (DNA). He did his PhD in cancer research at the University of Wisconsin.  Then pursued advanced training in the new field of Bioinformatics. He developed computer software for identifying DNA on/off switches- the special pieces of DNA in chromosomes that control which genes are active.

               He is currently at the BC Children’s hospital and UBC, becoming    increasingly focused on finding mutations in DNA that cause childhood disorders.

        DNA contain 3 million differences of which 9 of 10 show up in unrelated people.  Recent work from his lab addresses emerging challenges for personalized medicine, including the creation of software for analyzing, interpreting and delivering DNA sequence data to clinicians to access and interpret patient genetic profiles.  He has published over 75 peer-reviewed papers but managed to make this difficult topic more understandable to us non- scientific types.  After many questions, Abigail thanked the Doctor.

     

    REMINDER-

      Next week’s meeting is at our regular Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, and we will have a business meeting.  On the 30th of April, we will have our RYLA  students review the RYLA sessions which they attended.

     

    Thought For The Day

    "when one door of happiness closes another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us" Helen Keller

     

       

    NEWSLETTER MEETING APRIL 16, 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-04-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Newsletter April 9 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Apr 08, 2014

     

    Our view for today’s meeting was amazing, from the floor 35th overlooking English bay and Kitsilano on a shinny and bright morning. We wish we could get more day like this.

     

    We had 17 members at the meeting and three guests.  Paul Hamilton, former club member and our Emcee for the hockey pool,

    Steve McGrandle ( Welcome back)  and Jose’s son, Frederico ( Who auctioned the Take A Hike items) and raised $80.00 for Take A Hike group.


    HOCKEY POOL

     

    Another great hockey pool - a total of $1,535 was raised - (a slight increase over last year of $15). Thanks to Paul Hamilton for being a great auctioneer and John H for his wealth of hockey facts.

     

    Lori and Cleo, the woman joined forces and it is Boston all the way (you are both in for $20 each).      

     

    Cam, Jim  and Iozsef, you were missed but certain members (will remain nameless) did have fun exercising your proxies.

       
    Attached is a list of the teams, members and amounts owing by each of you.  

    Thanks to those that paid this morning and good luck to all.

    Rotary Club - Vancouver Sunrise Hockey Pool - 2014. Total amount Raised: $1,536!

    1ST Place       2ND Place      GUMBY

    35% $ 537.60 15% $ 230.40 10% $ 153.60

     

     

    For some reason, we were not able to attach a table with all names, teams, and amount owing by member. We will send this information on a separate email.

     

     

    Please remember that this  week’s meeting (April 16th) will again be at the Coast Plaza Hotel at Comox and Denman.

     

    Speaker will be Dr Wyeth Wasserman, -Topic Sequencing your DNA to find lost ancestors.

    Newsletter April 9 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-04-09 00:00:00Z 0

    Strathcona Community Basketball Program June 14 2014 - Help Us Help the Kids

    Posted by Matthew Lynam on Apr 05, 2014

    The Group's Purpose

    To raise $15,000 at the Annual Hoop-A-Thon fundraising event in support of the Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program. Funds raised will go towards the costs for the youth to attend Camps (Summer and Winter), Equipment and Supplies and Scholarships 

    On June 14th, over 50 inner city youths (Aged 10-18), representing 500 other youth who participate in the program, will be joined by Rotarians, alumni, volunteers and local VIPs who have collected pledges from and business to shoot free throws. 

    Since 2006, the Hoop-A-Thon Event has raised over $165,000 supporting the Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program supporting teamwork, leadership skills, community involvement, education and respect for others. 

    The Strathcona Rotary Youth Development helps build future leaders with: 

    - Teamwork and Participation through basketball 
    - Citizenship and Caring through volunteering 
    - Education and career futures through scholarships 
    and bursaries 

    For more information, go to www.strathconabasketball.ca or call Ron Suzuki at Strathcona Community Center (604-713-1838).

    Charities this Group Supports:

    How to Help

    You can help the following ways: 

    1. Donate a lump sum pledge online - please indicate in the comment section name of the Rotarian you are sponsoring. 

    2. Team up with the Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise by contacting Gary Chomyn @ 604-805-1256. 

    3. Make a cash pledge or donation by contacting the following: 

    Gary Ghomyn - Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise 
    604-805-1256 

    Ron Suzuki - Strathcona Community Center 
    604-713-1838

    About the Organizers

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise has supported this program since 2006 because it provides a positive life experience and fosters the same leadership values as Rotary: be good citizens, respect and care about others and strive to be the best that you can be at school and in your community. 

    The Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise believes in service about self. There are over 1.2 million Rotarians who make a difference in the world everyday. 

    HELP US HELP OUR COMMUNITY

    Strathcona Community Basketball Program June 14 2014 - Help Us Help the Kids Matthew Lynam 2014-04-06 00:00:00Z 0
    Make Donations to our Hoop A Thon fundraiser for Strathcona Community Centre Matthew Lynam 2014-04-06 00:00:00Z 0
    Meeting Location April 9th and 16, 2014 Matthew Lynam 2014-04-06 00:00:00Z 0

    NEWSLETTER APRIL 2, 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Apr 01, 2014

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

           NEWSLETTER APRIL 2, 2014

     

    ATTENDANCE-

        Today we had fifteen members present, as well as our Exchange Student Luisa and our guest speaker, Tom Smith, our District Assistant Governor.

    John Haley regaled us with the Four Way Test.

     

    ROTARY MOMENT-

        John also presented a story of a part of Paul Harris’ life. The subject was trees.  In 1936, Paul Harris and his wife Jean travelled throughout Central and South America. Over the years, he shared his reflections of tree planting in Chile. He noted that he thought of tree planting as a symbol of good will, and hoped that the trees that he planted at home and abroad would stand for generations as expressions of international peace and good will. He planted trees in Peru, Columbia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. His first tree was planted in South Africa,  then everywhere that we visited , he planted friendship trees, Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and of course North America.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

        Gary gave a summary of the discussions held in the committee. On June 14, 50 inner city youths, representing their 500 teammates, will shoot “free throws” to raise money together with Rotarians, alumni players and celebrities. Since 2006, the hoop-a-thon has raised $165,000 supporting the Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program supporting teamwork, leadership skills, community involvement , education and respect for others. Last year, our club raised $15,700. Money raised will go towards summer and winter camps, equipment and supplies and scholarships. Last year, we had 100 % participation. Lets try again this year.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

                 Gary enjoyed a weekend in Washington.

                Bill mentioned that Marvin Gaye would have been 75 this week.

                Milie attended a “ Silent Retreat”  ( enough said).

                Jim just back from Whitehorse-Minus 40 at night and -20 in the day

                Cleo attended her first Ice Hockey game as a Canadian.

     

    GUEST SPEAKER- TOM SMITH – ON THE SUBJECT OF FOUNDATION

    -          Rotary International made up of 33,000 clubs and 1.2 million members

    -          Largest service organization

    -          He explains the difference between Global Grants and District Grants

    -          Sustainability of a project, is to make sure that the project can carry for the future.

    -          Rotary also partners with other charities on projects, ie Mercy Ship

    -          Paul Harris Awards are earned with $1,000 of donations

    -          Foundation Benefactor- leaving $1,000 minimum to Rotary in one’s will

    -          Points can be accumulated by the club to put towards P Harris awards  as well

    -          Paul Harris award- second pin includes a sapphire and after the fifth sapphire, the pin includes a Ruby.

    -          Rotary major project is the elimination of Polio,  when it started there were  350,000 cases and we are now down to 200 cases this year

    -           There were many more details on Foundation and we ask that you check the websites for Rotary for more explanations

     

     

               

    NEXT WEEK’S MEETING- THE HOCKEY POOL

    NEWSLETTER APRIL 2, 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-04-02 00:00:00Z 0

    NEWSLETTER MEETING MARCH 26, 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Mar 25, 2014

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

     

              NEWSLETTER MEETING  MARCH 26, 2014

     

    ATTENDANCE

    It was a cold and rainy day but we were 18 Rotary member, and this time, no visiting Rotarians.

        Our greeter for April is Gary Chomyn.
     
    ANNOUNCEMENTS
    Gary reminded us to mark to mark our calendars for this year Hoopathon 2014 that it is going to be better than ever. This year, it will be on June 15th at the Strathcona Community Centre. Once again, we are asking for 100 per cent participation to make this a big and successful event.
     
    Diana is taking bookings for Luisa, our exchange student, since she has some availability. Luisa is up for everything, she would like to go to UBC to The Anthropology Museum, the Aquarium, etc.
     
    Larry reminded us to sign-in every morning that we come to a regular meeting. Also if you visit another club, please do not forget to write it down as a make-up. Also, if you attend to a committee meeting, this also counts as an attendance. All makeups and meeting attendances must be to fill in absent  date either two weeks before or two weeks after.
     
    SPEAKER

    Jaydeen Williams, Executive Director of the Take a Hike program,  talked about this very special and unique program that is part of two schools here in British Columbia.
     
    The Take a Hike program is a unique program made possible by a partnership between the Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation and the Vancouver Board of Education.
     
    The Take a Hike Program is designed primarily for students who are between the ages of 15-19, grades 10-12 and who are at-risk of dropping out of school or who have already dropped out.
     
    The program is specifically designed to address the learning difficulties and social/emotional needs of youth who are not able to cope in regular high school classes.  The adventure-based component uses outdoor and adventure-based activities to enhance established academic and personal objectives.  Students will be guided through simple group and individual tasks to situations requiring more complex skills.  The adventure-based activities will include activities such as canoeing, hiking, backpacking, orienteering, camping, snow shoeing, rope courses and trust exercises. Group and individual counseling is used to provide students with opportunities to learn new coping skills.

     

    UPCOMING SPEAKERS FOR APRIL

    April 2-   Tom Smith , Assistant Governor, Rotary Foundation ( TRF) Education

    April 9-   Hockey Pool

    April 16-Dr Wyeth Wasserman UBC –Sequencing your DNA  (Ancestry)

    April 23- Business Meeting

    April 30- RYLA Student Speakers

     


     THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


    A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
           

    NEWSLETTER MEETING MARCH 26, 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-03-26 00:00:00Z 0

    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin - March 19th 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Mar 18, 2014

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

                                March 19,2014 Meeting

    Attendance-

       Tina started the meeting with the Four Way Test, and was applauded with great enthusiasm.  There were 18 members present as well as our Speaker, David Clark-Wilson and his assistant, Bram. Larry was the stand-in emcee today.

     

    Rotary Moment-

        Diana did a brief Rotary moment, actually maybe 50 seconds, talking about several celebrities and their involvement with Rotary.

     

    Announcements-

        We are sorry to announce that Ann-Shirley and Rob Goodell for personal reasons, have resigned from the Club. Our thanks go out to them for their Rotary service  (14 years in our club) and wish them well for the future.

          A reminder from Gary that the Hoopathon is scheduled for June 14, then a second reminder that it will be on June 14, and maybe even a third. Lost count.

     

    Sargent at Arms-

         Jose took on the chore of collecting mostly happy bucks today.

       Julie is nice and tanned from her trip to Mexico.

       Lawrence mentioned that the school confirmed that Luisa can attain her Grade 12 certificate here. Luisa has had a girlfriend from Brazil here for a week. Party time at the Bicknells.

        Milie unfortunately was hit on her bike by another bicyclist this morning, shaken up, but no injury to her or her bike.

        Diana mentioned that she has changed positions at Hydro. Her new role is leading the developing of an integrated Safety, Health and Environment Management System at BC Hydro.   Congratulations Diana from all of us.

         Abigail and family heading to Whistler for four days. Have FUN.

        Larry and Tania spent two days at the Bear Mountain Resort in outer Victoria . Great celebration of her birthday.

       Tina brought this message back to the club….

    Shanti Uganda is having a warehouse sale (50-75%) of handmade bags & jewelry in Chinatown this weekend. All proceeds go directly to improving maternal and child health and well-being, such as supporting the women who make these great items! See: http://shantiuganda.org/dont-miss-our-winter-warehouse-sale-with-fable-naturals-and-global-mothers/ for details.

     

    --------------------------------------------

    Speaker-

       David Clark-Wilson has been fascinated with energy for his entire life from the age of four. He is amazed that in the 50 years since, no one has developed affordable technology to store the sun’s heat and energy for efficient use. He was born in London England and has a B.Sc in Mathematics. In December 2011, David formed the company HighNet Energy Inc which stands for Human Ingenuity and Gaia in Harmony with New Energy Technology.

       Basically the Led Bright light bulb wins in all categories. It has the longest life, coolest bulb, most lumens per Watt, cheapest electricity, safest bulb and lowest wattage.

       His book, named Led Bright’s Mission to Save the Planet, The Light Bulb Games  was available to our group and he has plans for another 11 books in the series.

       It was a very Illuminating subject, presenting it so that all could understand.

     

     

    Thought for the Day

     

         Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.    Mahatma Gandhi

    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin - March 19th 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-03-19 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 12, 2014

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 11, 2014

    Hola!

    Image
    It was Colombia Day at our Rotary meeting today, with President Ann-Shirley Goodell and Past President Matthew Lynam each sporting a Sombrero Vueltiao, the traditional Colombian hat. The 18 members who were there this morning were joined by DG Garry Shearer, AG Tom Smith, YE student Luisa Godoy and Jim Clarke's guest Brian Wolfman. Representing Fundacion Estructurar in Colombia were Jorge Cortissoz (our speaker), and staff members Ana Leonor Vivas, Gloria Sanchez and Maria Lucia Cortissoz. Also with us was Lucy Cardona from San Diego, interpreter for the Spanish-speaking guests. And, Jairo Clopatofsky, the Consul General of Colombia, also joined us for part of the meeting. A full house!

    Paul Harris Fellow

    Governor Garry had the privilege of presenting a Paul Harris Fellow award to a surprised Ana Leonore Vivas. She has served as Executive Director of Fundacion Estructurar for 27 years, from the very beginning of the 2 schools in Bucaramanga which provide education for hundreds of refugee children in their part of Colombia. Ana Leonore, although a member of Kiwanis, has selflessly provided Rotary-style service to the most needy families in her community. She was recently honoured by her government with an award for outstanding service and is a shining example of "Service above Self." Accordingly, DG Garry was pleased to add Rotary and Canadian recognition through this PHF award, which was earned by club members' donations to The Rotary Foundation. 

    Today's program

    Jorge Cortissoz Cabrera was a banker 27 years ago and also President of his Rotary club and President of the local chamber of commerce. He, with a Catholic sister and a construction contractor, determined to do what they could to help the vulnerable refugee families in Bucaramanga who were at high social risk due to the guerrillas and the drug cartels that terrorized parts of Colombia at that time. Poverty is a big problem for these families, 77 percent of whom, even today, have incomes of less than 54 Canadian dollars a month. 

    Together these 3 gained support from various levels of Colombia governments, from banks and other corporations, from a number of Colombian universities, from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as American Field Service (AFS), from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Canada which furnished and equipped a science classroom.

    Now Fundacion Estructurar operates 2 technical schools for 350 students and needs to expand the schools to serve more children. In addition, they provide programs for disabled children, for pregnant women, for nutrition and well being, and for after-school care in 60 small communities nearby. Plus, they advocate to eliminate child labour and to encourage education. In all, some 15,265 people are helped by the work of this organization.

    Jorge expressed his appreciation to CESO, the organization supported by the Government of Canada which assigned Ann-Shirley to help them learn new and better ways to offer and finance their programs. And he is very grateful that Vancouver Sunrise is interested in joining the 2 Bucaramanga Rotary clubs in helping this group increase their community service even further.  He also thanked DG Garry for his role in hopefully securing matching District and Global Grants from RI in support of this project.

    Jorge closed his presentation by asking everyone to "Open your heart and be part of our Foundation." More information, including how to make personal contributions, can be found at www.fundacionestructurar.org.

    Consul General Clopatofsky thanked Jorge for the work he and his colleagues are doing in Colombia and urged all of us to visit his beautiful country.

     

    Adios, todo el mundo. Hasta el miercoles.

    Roberto

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 12, 2014 Rob Goodell 2014-03-12 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 5, 2014

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 04, 2014

    It was a cold and rainy morning in Vancouver, not at all like the sunny and warm beaches of Bali, making some of us wish we were there and not here. Chances are Sonya Orr is somewhere sunny, as usual, but Cam Scott is in Alaska. In March. What was he thinking?

    Meanwhile, the Rotary meeting came to order on Wednesday morning, with 17 members who braved the weather plus Luisa Godoy, our Exchange Student. She told us about the Rock 'n' Roll party she enjoyed over the weekend with some other young people. I spoke with the Principal of her school this week and he said she's doing very well at King George. 

    Rotary moment

    John Haley described an international service project in which a Gravenhurst, Ontario, club provided 1,231 sturdy bikes for kids in Cambodia to use to get to school. Interesting project.

    Business meeting

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell led a discussion of some items from yesterday's board meeting. The board is considering ways to strengthen the role of committees, possibly by implementing a project management process, as suggested by Milie Taing. This should create a smoother system for committees to obtain board approval for projects and other activities. Lawrence Bicknell proposed a system of regular (monthly?) updates on progress so the board can follow-up as needed.

    Sheila Anderson reports that the Projects Committee will develop a revised fundraising plan to benefit the Colombian schools project. 

    Milie has been discussing the possibility of an Interact Club for King George students. One of the school counselors is interested in being the internal coordinator at the school and she thinks there are several students who would want to join. If so, our club may sponsor some of them to attend our District Conference in Squamish in May, so they can learn more about Rotary and Interact. The next step is for Milie to review the Rotary literature on the subject to determine whether and how our club might want to proceed. She will seek board approval before committing the club to this venture. Milie's looking for a few members to help her on this, so let her know if you're interested.

    Next week

    Ann-Shirley advised that next week we will host 4 visitors from Colombia and their interpreters plus District Governor Garry Shearer and AG Tom Smith. Our speaker will be the president of the foundation that operates the two schools for refugee children in Bucaramanga. 

     

    And that's it for now. See you next Wednesday (unless I can find a way to return to the land of sunny beaches).

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 5, 2014 Rob Goodell 2014-03-05 00:00:00Z 0

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise February 26th 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Feb 25, 2014

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

    February 26, 2014

    Prepared by Larry Belsito

    ATTENDANCE-  Matthew graced us with his remarkable memory again with the Four Way Test, even though acting President Sheila removed the banner so he could not read it. I wonder how many of us could do that. Definitely not me after 25 years.  We had 14 members present today, and visiting Rotarian from Vancouver Centennial, Allen Lin. He joined in November and will be the incoming Secretary in July. Their club is bilingual, Mandarin and English, and is working on various projects involving Irrigation and Water Filters around the globe. Also present was our Exchange Student , Luisa who had a very busy week, including a dinner with Eduardo and his family, snowshoeing with Susan, a meeting with the Principal of her school, congratulating her on being accepted to RYLA. Also we heard that the school has approved an Interact Club.

    ROTARY MOMENT- John explained again about Foundation, and the pledge to be a sustainable member by donating $100 per year . In October, the Klump Society honoured Chris and Penny for their contributions amount to about 250,000 dollars.

    HAPPY DOLLARS-  

    -Gary back after 3 weeks in Palm Springs. Surprised on his birthday last month when his wife flew in their daughter to celebrate with them.

    -Cleo-  26 years ago ready to have the birth of her son.

    -John- expects to lose 5 pounds when he gets his hair cut today

    -Larry mentioned that Tania will soon move from the walker to the Nordic Poles. ( but not on the ski hills.)

    - Die Hard fans, Matthew and Naomi, and Cam were some of the ones up at 4 AM, but their cheering worked.

    -  A lot of happy members today.

    OUR SPEAKER - Valerie Saunier

    Valerie started in sharing her philosophy about living in the present moment because it is what we are doing now which is the most important !  She is a therapist in Cristotherapy to help people with various kinds of disease,  also people who are tired, stressed, feeling depressive or having a muscle dysfunction. She showed us a picture of her special machine which comes from Brazil. She has also a company with her husband to create a light ambiance and promote their company name at big events. She is also a Certified Yoga teacher.

    In the past, she grew up in Paris and studied in tourism and International Trade. Her parents had their own company so she learned a lot from them. She was an Air Hostess and worked for Air France at Roissy Airport and she left to go to the Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) where she lived with her husband for 8 years. There, she had two lovely daughters, Éléa and Célia and was also a French Teacher as a second language. In 2001, she moved to Montreal and stayed 11 years as a Yoga teacher before her coming to Vancouver in 2011. About the future, no one knows...

    She ended her presentation by emphasizing to listen to our heart and not our mind ! Her goal is "Be the Change you want to see in the World" from Gandhi.

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise February 26th 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-02-26 00:00:00Z 0

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise January 15th 2014

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle on Jan 14, 2014

    It was a cold morning, but it was cozy since we all gather in one of the small meeting rooms.  We had one visiting Rotarians: Roger Wong from Chinatown Club; Leanne Denis , guest of the speaker Daniel Goldwitz, and of our Exchange student Luisa de Godoy from Brazil.

     

    Luisa told us about her winter break and about her new homestay Family: Lawrence and Bev. They went to Victoria to spend the weekend, and sounds like they had a great time. Luisa was excited to tell us about their whale watching tour and all sort of activities they had while in Victoria.  They were lucky to see a killer whale. Next weekend Luis is going to Whistler to have an orientation with other exchange student. Good luck Luisa, it is going to be fun!

     

    Roger Wong, from the Chinatown Rotary Club told us about the Gala “Be My Valentine” dinner his club is organizing for February 14th.  This Gala is a unique Exhibition, Dinner and Show Event, is pure entertainment, with Chinese culture as background. It is going to be a feast of traditional 12 courses Chinese New Year cuisine, and a performance by UBC Chinese Music Ensemble and Singers in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Floata Chinese Seafood Restaurant, 3rd Flr , 180 Keefer Street Vancouver. Reception : 5:30 PM   Dinner 7 :00PM      ticket :   $80/each

     

    Rotary Moment:

     

    This time Milie gave us a Rotary Moment of her visit to La France, oh-la-la specifically to her visit to Paris for 2 weeks. She had the opportunity to visit one of the Rotary Clubs in Champs Elysees at one of the most expensive restaurants. Food must have been very good! The topic of that night was interesting: How to keep yourself healthy until you reach old age. A surgeon that did some of his studies in Vancouver presented the topic. Isn’t this a small world?

     

    Announcements:

     

    Abigail reminded us about our Valentines silent auction. For people that are not familiar with this auction, every member of the club brings an auction item to contribute to the club. It could be anything you like, such a picture, a scarf, a bottle of wine or anything that comes to your mind. Be creative.

     

    Today’s program:

     

    Cam introduced this week’s speaker: Dr. PhD Daniel Goldwitz.

     

    Dr. Goldwitz gave us a great presentation, titled “Insuring Better Brain”.

    “Dr. Goldowitz studies how genetic signals involved in the early development of the nervous system can cause neurodegenerative disease and brain disorders in children and adults. By understanding how the brain develops and is built, he will also be able understand how brain disorders develop.

    A major focus of his work is the application of molecular and bioinformatic technologies to study the entire gene regulatory network of the cerebellum, which is an area of the brain that is linked to autism, schizophrenia, mental retardation, and other brain disorders”

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise January 15th 2014 Eduardo De Santiago Lavalle 2014-01-15 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 8, 2014

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jan 07, 2014

    Happy New Year! We started 2014 with a bang, as 19 Vancouver Sunrise members survived Auld Lang Syne and turned up for eggs Benedict today. Also with us were 2 new-members-in-waiting (see below), plus Exchange Student Luisa Godoy, AG Tom Smith and PDG Hans Doge. And, Lori Pobuta brought a guest, Pablo Varhola, who is originally from Ecuador and now lives in Vancouver. Pablo is a kinesiologist who works with Zientte, a contemporary furniture provider in Gastown. Check out their interesting products (some from Colombia) at www.zienette.ca.

    So President Ann-Shirley Goodell presided over a full house. It may be different next week, as several of us are escaping to warmer climates and sunnier beaches. 

    Club and district news

    Our 2014 District Conference will be in Squamish the weekend of May 23-25. Only $290 for the opportunity to mix and mingle with other BC clubs and to find out what's going on in the bigger world of Rotary. For the best deals book early at rotary5040.org.

    The District's annual Foundation Dinner will be in North Vancouver on Saturday, February 1. This is always a good event. Make your reservation online at rotary5040.org.

    Bill Sheddy advises that everyone should be ready for a special meeting on January 22 when the club will celebrate Robbie Burns Day with bagpipes, haggis and, perhaps, a wee drappie o' the whisky.

    2 new members!

    Joshua Green is a financial advisor with Sun Life and Iozef Miskolczi is a geotechnical engineer with SRK Consulting. Both applied for membership and have been approved by the board. AG Tom officially inducted them into Rotary and we all welcomed them to the club, bringing our membership count to 26. Josh is single and brought his date Alix to the Christmas party. Iosef is married to Natalia and has a young daughter Emma. Welcome to Rotary!

    Annual General Meeting

    We elected officers and directors for 2014-2015 at our December 18 meeting, but today was the AGM. We had brief, but separate, annual meetings for the club and our Sunrise Foundation. Motions were passed to approve the minutes, confirm the elections, and approve the financial statements. Susan Neale reported that both the club and the foundation are in strong financial positions. 

    In the business meeting that followed, Larry Belsito urged each member to visit at least one other club during this year. 

    Sheila Anderson reported that Cleo Perez had hosted a committee meeting to organize our Colombian Fiesta for March 15. Each member should contribute at least one item for the auction, either personally or by persuading a local business to donate a product or service. More on the Fiesta below and on the club website.

    Abigail Turner and Milie Taing are looking for high-school candidates to attend RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) and the youth contingent at our District Conference. If you have someone to suggest, let Milie know in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

    Upcoming meetings

    Past President Julie Mantle will be running the show while Ann-Shirley and I are away. If anyone needs us, you'll have to send a carrier pigeon to search the beaches of Bali, the river boats of the Mekong, and among the temples of Angkor Wat. Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to do the bulletin when he can. We'll see you in early March.

    Rob

    _____________________________________________________________

    Colombian Fiesta!

    A gala Colombian Fiesta is planned for Saturday evening, March 15, 2014, at the Century Plaza Hotel on Burrard Street, in support of a new international service project of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise. Our goal is to raise $35,000 in the next two years for expansion of two privately-funded schools serving refugee children and their families in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

    The festivities on March 15 will include South American music, salsa dancing, a Colombian-style dinner and a silent auction. Four representatives of the non-profit Fundacion Estructurar, which operates the schools, will be in Vancouver for our Colombian Fiesta, including President of the Board Jorge Cabrera Cortissoz and senior staff members. We are also inviting representatives of the Consulate of Colombia to join us for this important evening.

    Here are some of the students with Ann-Shirley when she visited the schools in 2012.

    Image

    Please plan to join us for this fun-filled evening at the Century Plaza and support the education of refugee children in Colombia. Bring your friends and enjoy the Fiesta!

    For more information on the schools, the project and Bucaramanga, visit our club homepage. Just click on "Home" above.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 8, 2014 Rob Goodell 2014-01-08 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 18, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Dec 17, 2013
    ImageChristmas with the West End Seniors was a great day last Sunday, as it always is. Here you see Josh Green, Gary Chomyn, Patrick Cox and others persuading the 250 seniors to eat their veggies. Former member Robert French was again our MC and everything went smoothly, as it should after the club's 27 consecutive years of hosting this event. Thanks to Matthew Lynam for organizing the day.

    Today's regular breakfast meeting had a roomful of 21 members, plus visiting Rotarian Shail Mahanti from Vancouver Arbutus and 3 prospective new members: Steve McGrandle, Josh Green and Ioseph Miskolczi. Larry Belsito brought the good news that his wife Tania is home from hospital and getting around after her hip surgery. And, Cleo Perez passed her BCIT exam, so she's happy.

    Election of Officers and Directors

    Past President Julie Mantle, chair of the Nominating Committee, placed the following names in nomination. 

       President                               Lawrence Bicknell

       Past President                        Ann-Shirley Goodell

       President Elect                       Cleopatra Perez

       Secretary                               Milie Taing

       Treasurer                               Susan Neale

       Director, Club Administration   Larry Belsito

       Director, Service Projects        Cleopatra Perez

       Director, Membership             Jose Riga

       Director, Youth                       Abigail Turner

       Director, Foundations              John Haley

    There being no further nominations from the floor, these members were elected as officers and directors of the club and the Sunrise Foundation for the 2014-2015 Rotary year which begins next July 1. 

    Today's program

    ImageLuisa Godoy, our Exchange Student from Brazil, gave an excellent and informative presentation on her country and her hometown. With her YE blazer, all the pins she's collected, and her country's flag, she told us that Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world geographically, has 191 million population and 28 states. With Dilma Rousseff as its first woman president, Brazil has the 7th largest economy in the world with coffee, sugar and oranges as its principal exports. This multicultural country tends to be dry in winter and rainy in summer, the reverse of Vancouver. Rice and beans, served with meat, are the most popular meals and Starbuck's features orange juice and meat.

    Luisa showed us amazing photos of the regions of Brazil, from the Amazon rainforest of the north, to the new capital city of Brasilia, to the high waterfalls of the south and, of course the famous cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with its beaches and Carnaval celebrations. Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016.

    Lindoia, where her family lives, is a southeastern town of 6,700 and its main industry is mineral water. Several other towns are clustered nearby, including Aguas de Lindoia where her sponsoring Rotary Club is located and where thermal springs attract many tourists. Luisa's father is a dentist and her mother operates a bakery and was a Rotary Exchange student herself, spending a year in Yakima, Washington. Luisa's grandfather and uncle were both mayors of Lindoia. Luisa lives with her parents, a sister, grandparents and her great-grandmother who is 94. Hopefully, some of us will have a chance to visit Lindoia and meet them someday.

    Great job, Luisa. By the way, she will be moving on December 29 to live with Lawrence and Bev Bicknell in Port Moody.

    Next meeting

    The club will meet again on January 8, which will be our annual business meeting. The board will meet the prior day, Tuesday. Have a great Christmas and New Year! 

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 18, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-12-18 00:00:00Z 0

    Colombian Fiesta!

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Dec 15, 2013

    A gala Colombian Fiesta is planned for Saturday evening, March 15, 2014, at the Century Plaza Hotel on Burrard Street, in support of a new international service project of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise. Our goal is to raise $35,000 in the next two years for expansion of two privately-funded schools serving refugee children and their families in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

    The festivities on March 15 will include South American music, salsa dancing, a Colombian-style dinner and a silent auction. Four representatives of the non-profit Fundacion Estructurar, which operates the schools, will be in Vancouver for our Colombian Fiesta, including President of the Board Jorge Cabrera Cortissoz and senior staff members. We are also inviting representatives of the Consulate of Colombia to join us for this important evening.

    After years of guerilla fighting in parts of Colombia, many refugee families have moved to places like Bucaramanga, a city at 3,000 feet in the Andes with about the same population as Vancouver. Unfortunately, the Bucaramanga schools are inadequate to handle the numbers of refugee children. Several years ago, with support from the local Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce and a local contractor, a privately-funded school for 450 refugee students (nursery to grade 12) was built with a science lab funded by the Government of Canada. Later, the same group opened a second facility in another area of the city which now serves 72 nursery-school children. Both schools are scheduled for expansion, the first to 650 students and the second to 300. Here are some of the students with Ann-Shirley Goodell, our club president, when she visited the schools in 2012.

    Image

    Two Rotary clubs in Bucaramanga have been active supporters of the schools and are raising funds now to furnish and equip the new classrooms in the expanded schools. They envision that some $60,000 to $70,000 will be required, of which they and a club in the Netherlands have already raised $25,000. The Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise is working with them to raise the remaining $35,000 or more. The 2014 Colombian Fiesta is the start of our club’s fundraising for this project and we will be applying for grants from The Rotary Foundation and/or Rotary Districts to match the amounts we raise.

    Please join us for this fun-filled evening at the Century Plaza and support the education of refugee children in Colombia. Bring your friends and enjoy the Fiesta!

     

    Colombian Fiesta! Rob Goodell 2013-12-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Christmas with the West End Seniors

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Dec 14, 2013

    Image

    On Sunday, December 15, Vancouver Sunrise hosted about 250 seniors from Vancouver's West End neighbourhood for a festive Christmas dinner party at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver. 

    For over 25 years, ever since the club was formed, we have celebrated Christmas with this group of seniors, many of whom are nearly shut-ins and don't have many social opportunities. We work closely with the West End Seniors Network, who select the seniors to be invited and provide transportation to and from the hotel. The Bayshore generously provides the banquet hall and most of the food. Rotary coordinates the event, arranges for some of the food, and provides the entertainment for the event. Rotarians serve the food, while local high school students assist the seniors and lead the singing of Christmas carols. Matthew Lynam chaired the organizing committee for this year's gala event.

    A great way to celebrate Christmas with our older neighbours.

     

    Christmas with the West End Seniors Rob Goodell 2013-12-15 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 4, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Dec 03, 2013

    On a chilly December morning, 13 Sunrise members were at the Coast Coal Harbour for breakfast today, along with guests Josh Green and Iozsef Miskolczi. Sadly, Larry Belsito was not among this morning's attendees, as Tania had a bad fall during the night and is in hospital. We wish her a speedy recovery.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley outlined the 6 areas of focus for the international work of The Rotary Foundation. They are peace and conflict resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, basic education and literacy, maternal and child health, economic and community development. 

    Club news

    No breakfast meeting next Wednesday, December 11. Instead, we'll see everyone at the club Christmas party this Saturday. Today's the last day to RSVP to Abigail.

    Matthew Lynam has everything lined up for the Seniors' event on December 15 (see details below). Some Rotarians will be needed at 9:30 that day to help set up. The rest of us should arrive by 10:30 and the high school students begin singing at 11 o'clock.

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell reported that she has been in touch with the Rotary Club of Zaphorizhia, Ukraine, which our club co-sponsored as a new club a few years ago. They are doing well, in spite of the political struggles going on in that country. Their club's service projects are aimed at helping children, especially their current Coats for Kids campaign.

    Today's program

    Vera Sun works for a Chinese-language TV company and volunteers to help promote the Shen Yun performances of traditional Chinese music and dance. This colourful show will be coming to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on January 23-25 and will showcase the "Renaissance of Traditional Chinese Culture."

    The 5,000 years of Chinese culture date from 2698 BC and the rule of the Yellow Emperor who emphasized the cultivation of moral practices. Taoism (returning to one's true nature and following the course of heaven), Confusianism (with its 5 cardinal values) and Buddhism (emphasizing meditation) were all part of this tradition as it developed in China. 

    In 1949, everything changed with the rise of the Communist government which stressed materialism and suppressed traditional religions and culture, even destroying many cultural sites and traditional antiques during Mao's Cultural Revolution. In 1992 an organization known as Falun Gong started reconnecting some Chinese people to their traditions by teaching Chi-gong and its health-improving group exercises.

    Shen Yun began in New York in 2006 as a performing arts company dedicated to reviving the traditional Chinese arts and culture. Its spectacular show of music and dance now travels to many cities in North America, including Vancouver. More information at www.shenyunperformingarts.org/vancouver.

     

    Our next meeting, on December 18, will feature Luisa Godoy, our Exchange Student, who will share some photos and stories about Brazil, her home country. Also that day will be the Annual General Meeting and election of Officers and Directors for 2014-2015. Be there or you might be elected in absentia

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 4, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-12-04 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 27, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Nov 26, 2013

    Image

    It was a small but select group at this morning's Rotary breakfast, with 10 members and 2 guests in the room. Josh Green was with us again, as well as Iozsef Miskolczi (whose Hungarian name is a challenge so we call him Joseph).

    Other members were away at glamorous destinations around the world: Cam Scott in New Zealand, Sheila Anderson awaiting a grandchild in Victoria, John Haley visiting his mother in Spokane, Julie Mantle and Diana Theman goofing off at BC Hydro meetings, and Abigail Turner thinking about warm, sunny beaches from a courtroom in Prince George. No telling where Sonya Orr might be, or any of the several other travellers. 

    Rotary moment

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell says that Rotary was visible and helpful in feeding the hungry last Saturday at the Salvation Army, with the Quadra club leading the way and some of our members assisting. Quadra will be doing a shoe clinic, one of their ongoing projects in the downtown east side, on December 7. Volunteers will be welcome so check the Quadra website for details.

    Club news

    A month or more ago, we had a speaker who introduced us to the Saint James Music Academy, a charitable group providing music lessons for 150 at-risk kids in the Strathcona area. Some of us will be going to their Christmas concert on December 6 at 6:30 pm. Last year it was standing-room-only so be early if you want a seat. Our club has agreed to help this group find used musical instruments so they can avoid rental costs. If you have, or know people who have, unused instruments that could be donated, please contact Julie Mantle. 

    Members, families and friends are invited to the club Christmas party on Saturday, December 7, at 4 pm at our downtown condo. Bring a wrapped gift ($20 max) to exchange, a food item to share, and your choice of adult beverage. We will have juice and non-alcoholic eggnog for the kids and anyone else who would like them. RSVP to aturner@harpergrey.com by next Wednesday.

    Today's program

    Lisa Slakov spoke to us today about HUB and its role in promoting cycling in Vancouver. She's co-chair of HUB (a name which, surprisingly, is not an acronym and doesn't stand for anything in particular) and serves on the Active Transportation Policy Council, a citizen's advisory group that reports to Vancouver City Council. Lisa and these volunteer groups are working to make cycling in the city better for everyone. 

    In 1998, City Council was aware that our increasing population was creating more vehicle traffic than our downtown streets could accommodate and established transportation priorities, in this order of importance: 1. walking; 2. bicycling; 3. public transit; and 4. motor vehicles. Since then, the number of cars downtown on an average weekday has dropped by 20 percent, in spite of a huge population increase.

    HUB is working to encourage cycling with events such as Bike to Work Week and Bike to School Week. Research shows that about 40 percent of our population might be interested in cycling more but have some concerns, so HUB provides education (cycling skills, safety, bike maintenance) for adults and kids.  And HUB has encouraged bike access to all public transit including SkyTrain, downtown separated bike lanes and more.

    HUB invites employers to become Bike Friendly Businesses, with lunch-hour workshops to encourage employees to cycle to work. HUB will provide resources and tips on facility needs, employee incentives, and other issues. 

    More information is available online at bikehub.ca.

     

    After hearing about the benefits and the importance of cycling, we all jumped in our cars and sped off to our day's commitments. C'est la vie!

    Rob

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 27, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-11-27 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 20, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Nov 19, 2013
    Image

    Is that Sonya Orr, our most-travelled member, looking for a make-up meeting? The rest of us weren't on the moon, as suggested above, but at the Coast Coal Harbour for this week's Rotary breakfast. We were 16 members plus visiting Rotarian John Oxenford from an island in Australia, and 4 returning guests: Josh Green, Joseph Miskolzi, Barry Thorsness and Steve McGrandle.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley is celebrating Foundation Month with a series of moments on The Rotary Foundation. Its mission statement tells us the goals are to promote "world understanding, goodwill and peace" through a variety of programs and projects. More in future weeks.

    Upcoming club events

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell reminded everyone of the club Christmas party scheduled for Saturday, December 7, at 4 pm. Bring the family, and also bring a gift to exchange (maximum $20 value), your choice of beverage and a food item to share. Abigail Turner is coordinating the food, so contact her to make arrangements. Note that the party replaces our breakfast meeting for December 11.

    Milie Taing says there are still inexpensive tickets available for this Sunday's performance of "The Masked Ball" by Opera Pro Cantanti. Talk with Milie if you'd like to join the group.

    Business meeting

    Club administration - Larry Belsito circulated a list for volunteers to be greeters. We're very close to our goal of 100% of our members actively involved in one or more of our club activities and committees. If you're one of the few exceptions, now's your chance.

    Nominating - Diana Theman reported for the Nominating Committee that Milie has been selected and approved by the board to be Secretary, starting January 1 and through the coming Rotary year, replacing Lawrence Bicknell who will be busy as President Elect and President. 

    Membership - Lori Pobuta says our goal is to increase membership by 20% over time and to retain current members. So, no one is allowed to move out of town or take a new job that conflicts with Wednesday breakfast.

    Service projects - Sheila Anderson says all is organized for the Seniors' Christmas dinner on December 15. We should be there at 10:30 to help get ready and Matthew Lynam is arranging for an MC and the student helpers from King George and Strathcona. Planning is underway for the Colombian Fiesta on March 15. Cleo Perez is starting to collect auction items, so we all need to find suitable items and let her know about them. We're hoping to attract people to this event who aren't necessarily contributing to our Hoop-a-Thon project. Gary Chomyn reports that the Hoops committee is working on a budget for the June 2014 event.

    Foundation - John and his committee will be working on a plan for both The Rotary Foundation and our own Sunrise Foundation.

    Youth - Milie is looking for grade 10-12 students who might be good candidates for RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) in April. She needs names before January 1. Our Youth Exchange student is doing well and is open to invitations for interesting activities with Rotarians. Diana is coordinating the scheduling. Luisa Godoy will be our speaker on December 18, so don't miss it.

     

    And that's all the news for now. If you're going to the moon for any reason, say "hi" to Sonya for us.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 20, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-11-20 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 13, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Nov 12, 2013

    Image

    District Governor Garry Shearer was at our Rotary meeting this morning and had the pleasure of congratulating Cam Scott for his contributions to The Rotary Foundation. Garry pins him with a sapphire-studded Paul Harris Fellow pin and thanks Cam for contributing at least $2,000 to "our charity." Garry observed that Cam has been with Vancouver Sunrise since the club's beginning in 1987.

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell opened the meeting a few minutes early and kept it moving, to allow time for the DG's presentation and the board meeting with the DG which followed. We had another full house, with 18 members and 5 guests. AG Tom Smith was with us again, as was our Youth Exchange student Luisa Godoy, and Steve McGrandle. We also welcomed Barry Thorsness who was referred to us by a mutual Rotary friend in Kelowna. Barry is a Vancouver businessman and founder of a not-for-profit that funds schools and scholarships in Africa, particularly Malawi.

    Club news

    Milie Taing announced that the Opera Pro Cantini performance planned for November 24 has changed. Instead of "Rigoletto" we will see "A Masked Ball" (or whatever the Italian name is). It's a Sunday at 7 pm at 17th and Main. If you'd like to join us, just email Milie for details.

    Nominations are due by January 1 for RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) to be held in April in North Vancouver. This is a highly-successful weekend leadership training program for students in Grades 10-12. If you know of students who would be good candidates, get their names to Milie soon.

    At yesterday's board meeting, our board voted to send $1,000 from the club to ShelterBox for emergency relief after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

    Today's program 

    Governor Garry was introduced by Assistant Governor Tom, who told us that Garry was born in Edinburgh but has been here long enough to lose his accent. He retired from business in 2008 and was a charter member of the Tsawwassen club in 1992.

    Garry described what he called "a Rotary moment" from his training session in San Diego last January. In a jam-packed convention setting with 534 incoming DGs and hundreds of other RI dignitaries, the flags of all the Rotary countries (about 200 of them) processed through the hall. At the end came the flags of the then-current RI President from Japan and the incoming President from the USA. To see side-by-side the flags of those two nations, formerly adversaries in World War II who have become, in a single generation, friends and partners in many ways, was a strong testament to the peace which Rotary espouses. 

    Garry left us with 3 messages:

    1. Membership is important and this year's emphasis is on retention. If we can engage members in our service work, they are more likely to remain Rotarians.

    2. The Rotary Foundation does great work all over the world and relies on contributions from Rotarians and friends of Rotary like Bill Gates for its funds. 100 percent of the incoming DGs made contributions in January and Garry challenges us to also reach for 100 percent contributions by our members. 

    3. The District 5040 Conference will be May 23-25 in Squamish at the new Railway Museum complex. All Rotarians are encouraged to attend. In addition, there will be special programs for youth of high school and university ages at a bargain price of $175 including dorm accommodation and meals at the new Quest University.

    Garry closed his remarks with a song to urge us to "Get Aboard" (the train) for the conference in May. I understand he's now being drafted by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Earlier, however, he gave us a thought to guide us: "Rotary happens at the club level." 


    That's it for now. See you next Wednesday, which will be a business meeting.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 13, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-11-13 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 6, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Nov 05, 2013

    Always the epitome of discretion, the bulletin will disclose no names, but today's Rotary meeting witnessed an escalating can-you-top-this chorus of shopping exploits by our members. It started innocently enough, with talk of a recent trip to Bellingham. Not to be outdone, one prominent member opined that the shopping was way better on a recent trip to New Orleans. From across the room came the saga of a member who just returned from a cruise the highlight of which was serial shopping sprees in various ports of Mexico. Our reigning Queen-of-the-Shopping-Aisle-Especially-If-It-Involves-Shoes-or-Purses (we all know who that is!) is busy packing as we read this, en route to some even-more-exotic shopping locale. Meanwhile, the male members are stewing for weeks over whether or not to splurge and pay $1.49 for a new toothbrush. Hmmmmmm.

    Interrupting the shopping contest, President Ann-Shirley Goodell called the meeting to order. She was in a hurry to get to the Eggs Benedict and tried to skip the 4-Way Test but didn't get away with it. The reason the eggs were in short supply was that we had a full house: 18 members, 2 speakers and 5 guests. Assistant Governor Tom Smith from Tsawwassen was there, and Cecile Diaz (guest of Abigail Turner), and Ola Karpik (guest of Jim Clarke), and Joseph Miskclzi (repeat guest of Cam Scott). And, our Youth Exchange student from Brazil, Luisa Godoy, was with us again.

    Club news

    Luisa told us that she's been busy the last few weeks, including going up Grouse Mountain to see the bears and the fog covering the city below, and to a haunted-house Halloween party with the other inbound students. I spoke with the Assistant Principal at King George School last night and she said Luisa is doing well and is a great addition to the school.

    The Board will meet next Tuesday at 7:30 am. DG Garry Shearer will be our speaker the next day.

    Matthew Lynam reports that planning is well underway for the club's annual Christmas celebration with the West End Seniors. This will be at the Westin Bayshore Hotel on Sunday, December 15. Matthew would like members to arrive by 10:30 to help set up.

    Rotary moment

    Ann-Shirley let us know that the Paul Harris Society, which has been administered by the district, has now become a full program of RI. Society members are those who agree to contribute at least $1,000 a year to The Rotary Foundation. Anyone who has been doing that, or who would like to consider that possibility, should contact Ann-Shirley to ensure  that the Society list is current.

    Today's program

    Sonya Orr introduced our speakers who, like Sonya herself, work for TravelMasters to enable their international travel habits. Jan and Terry Umbach are Rotarians on the Sunshine Coast who started travelling to Kenya in 2007. The village of Ndandini is a 4-hour drive east of Nairobi, the capital, and is a remote, desert-like area where the people try to survive from subsistence farming. The Umbachs found that the only source of household water for this area was to dig in the dry riverbed to get brown-colored water that was often polluted.

    Jan and Terry started to raise funds to help. A Rotary Matching Grant was awarded by RI and used to drill a well and install a generator, pump and storage tanks in  2010. Two years later, more fund-raising and a Global Grant provided a tractor, water tank trailer, and 6 storage tanks at the schools in the area. This allowed every school student access to fresh water daily. Next, donations were raised for a community garden, with greenhouse and drip irrigation, to enable local residents to grow more and better produce. In addition, solar lighting and power systems were installed in the 6 schools. Most recently, small academic scholarships are being offered to help pay for some students' high school fees, uniforms and books. 

    To date, over $200,000 has been invested in these projects, with 50 Rotary clubs and 2 Rotary grants participating. Next, a grant application is being prepared to fund a Vocational Training Team to help this village develop needed skills like nursing, mechanical equipment maintenance, etc. Individuals and Rotary clubs are encouraged to support the efforts to improve the quality of life for the people of Ndandini and the area. 

    For more detailed information and lots of photos, go to www.Ndandini.blogspot.com or email Terry at terryumbach@hotmail.com.

     

    Time to go shopping. See you next Wednesday.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 6, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-11-06 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 23, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 22, 2013

    On a foggy day in Vancouver town, we were 15 members at our Rotary breakfast, plus 4 guests: Gene Vickers from the Coquitlam Sunrise club (last week's speaker), Josh Green (a financial planner and guest of Gene), Lindsey Curtis (an engineer and guest of Cam Scott) plus Steve McGrandle. President Ann-Shirley Goodell opened the meeting and Bill Sheddy recited the 4-Way Test, almost from memory.

    Rotary moment

    Tomorrow is World Polio Day, so Ann-Shirley reminded us of the latest stats. This year there have been 296 new cases of polio world-wide, up from 121 last year. Nearly all the increase was in Somalia, where political and economic conditions are very tough, with a few cases in several nearby African countries. Rotary's fight isn't over. The Gates Foundation is now matching all Rotary contributions 3 to 1, so we can contribute $100 online at www.rotary.org and Bill will send $300. We need to specify Polio Eradication if that's where we want our contributions to go.

    Club news

    Hanne Kooistra, our Youth Exchange student of 3 years ago, sent an email from the Netherlands that she's now in university and will have educational trips to Russia in November and to South Africa in February. She's well and sends greetings to the club.

    RWHN (Rotary World Help Network) will be loading a shipping container for Uganda this Saturday starting at 9 am. Larry Belsito is going to help and would like company. Contact him if you can go.

    The board will meet on Tuesday morning, November 12. The District Governor will be with us the next day.

    Today's program

    Doug Anderson was our speaker this morning, representing ToastMasters. Doug has been a member for 44 years and has served as governor for this area. This organization started in 1924 meeting at a YMCA in California. The club in Vancouver's Kitsilano area, where Doug and our member Milie Taing are members, was formed in 1936. Clubs have now been started in some 160 countries, including Russia and China.

    Doug says public speaking is most people's second biggest fear. (Is spousal disapproval the first? Or is that just me?) ToastMasters encourages members to take a risk and improve themselves. At their club meetings, each speech, in fact every activity, is timed and evaluated, in order to help people learn and do better the next time. He says preparation is key to public speaking, as is the need to engage everyone in the room.

    Doug closed his talk with a long quote he displays in his office which boiled down to "...Risk we must..."

     

    I'm going to work on the spousal disapproval thing. See you next Wednesday (if I survive).

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 23, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-10-23 00:00:00Z 0

    Guess Who's Coming For Dinner

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 20, 2013

    The doorbells rang on Saturday evening, just before dinnertime, and no one knew who would be on the other side of the door. Time for Guess Who's Coming For Dinner -- an annual social event of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise. At three member homes, the guests and hosts were all wondering who would be together for dinner that evening.

    In all, about 20 club members, spouses and guests participated on October 19. Everyone brought something to share as part of the meal, some wines were opened, and everyone enjoyed a relaxed dinner with interesting company. A great chance to get to know members and their families better. Here's what the scene looked like at new member Jose Riga's home.

      Image

    Valerie and Pascal Saunier and Bev and Lawrence Bicknell were the other hosts. The event was organized by Ann-Shirley Goodell and Abigail Turner. Always a popular favourite evening.

     

    Guess Who's Coming For Dinner Rob Goodell 2013-10-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Upcoming club events

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 18, 2013

    Club Christmas party at Goodells' Saturday, December 7

    Christmas with West End Seniors Sunday, December 15

    Colombian Fiesta party                           Saturday, March 15, 2014

    2014 Hoop-a-Thon fund-raiser              Saturday, June 7

    Upcoming club events Rob Goodell 2013-10-19 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 16, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 15, 2013

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell was at the podium today and we had 17 members at breakfast plus Steve McGrandle and our exchange student. A beautiful morning, with the promise of sunny skies today and forever.

    Sheila Anderson is back from Scotland and France, where she and Patrick cycled among the vineyards and enjoyed a stay at the vacation home of Abigail Turner's parents. France was great, she said, but we didn't hear much about the vineyards in Scotland. Jim Clarke is back from Maui where the weather was perfect, the surf was up and the tourists were gone. Lawrence Bicknell is back from England where his mother is having health challenges and he's not talking about the weather. Cam Scott, on the other hand, is MIA, allegedly in Whitehorse. Who knows about the weather there.

    Rotary moment

    Ann-Shirley gave us the story of the RWHN. The what?  Rotary World Help Network was started in 1991 by the Vancouver club, around the time they chartered a club in Kiev, the first Ukrainian club after the demise of the Soviet Union. To asist the new Kiev club with projects helping local hospitals and schools, Vancouver organized the shipment of surplus equipment from Canada to Ukraine. That grew over time into an ongoing warehouse full of surplus stuff, waiting to be loaded into 40-foot containers and shipped to developing countries, in support of many clubs' service projects. All this is done with volunteer labour plus cash contributions (memberships) by Rotary clubs. Our club pays $250 per year and is asked to provide volunteers to help load a container from time to time. The warehouse at the old Riverview Hospital site in Coquitlam is amazing. If you haven't done so lately, volunteer to go out there to help some Saturday and see for yourself.

    Club news

    Guess Who's Coming For Dinner is this Saturday. If you haven't received an email with where you go and what you bring, contact Ann-Shirley and get the info. Bon appetite, tout le monde!

    Luisa Godoy, our student from Brazil, told us she survived shopping in Bellingham with Cleo Perez (and a Venezuelan meal, too) and has been learning about Hallowe'en pumpkins with Patricia Hargreaves, her host mom, and about Thanksgiving dinner with the Bicknell family. Lots of Canadian things, all new to her.

    The Nominating Committee is accepting candidates for the 2014-2015 board. If you've always wanted a seat on the board, with all the prestige and privilege that entails, just give your name to Julie Mantle this week.

    Today's program

    Our speaker was Gene Vickers, a member of the Rotary Club of Coquitlam Centennial. After a 2-year hiatus, he's glad to be back in Rotary and talking about "Rotary: what's in it for me?"

    Gene praised the value of the 4-Way Test and the successes of youth programs like Youth Exchange and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards). He likes to sometimes use the humour of a clown nose to change attitudes, particularly during traffic jams that can cause road rage. And, he gave a personal experience when a random act of kindness set off a chain of similar actions by total strangers.

    Gene's overall theme was that Rotary gives each of us the opportunity to change lives. That's what's in it for us.

     

    Have fun at Guess Who and we'll see you next Wednesday for breakfast.

     Rob

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 16, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-10-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 9, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 08, 2013

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell was a no-show today, due to some dental surgery, so we dragged a disheveled drunk off the street to stand at the Rotary podium and look befuddled. Jose Rigas opened the meeting with the 4-Way Test en francais and we welcomed 12 members and 4 guests:  Carlos Aveloso (a Rotarian for only one month in Quito, Equador), Shail Mahanti from the Arbutus club, Svend Rowert (Milie Taing's guest) and Steve McGrandle.

    Club news

    Today is the last day to sign up for Guess Who's Coming For Dinner on October 19. If you're registered, you'll receive an email this week to let you know where you go and what to bring. Last-minute reservations can be made today by email to Ann-Shirley.

    Nominations are open for the position of District Governor until November 1. The only requirements are that candidates must have served as club president and must be nominated by their clubs. If you'd like to suggest anyone (including yourself), Ann-Shirley has the contact information.

    Susan Neale and Milie went to Opera Pro Cantanti on Sunday, as recommended by last week's speaker, and enjoyed the performance. Milie is organizing a group to see "Rigoletto" on Sunday, November 24.

    Abigail Turner circulated an email just received from Georgina Hargreaves, our outbound student in Falkenberg, Sweden. She's enjoying her host family, rapidly learning to speak Swedish, and bringing some Canadian influence to her school basketball team and the co-ed Scout program in Sweden. Meanwhile, Luisa Godoy, our inbound student, was seen shopping in Bellingham last weekend with Cleo Perez.

    The Hoop-a-Thon committee met with the Quadra club in hopes they will join us again in next June's fund-raising event.

    Today's program

    This morning's speaker was Dr. Michael Kobor, a UBC professor and researcher at BC Children's Hospital, whose topic was "Getting Under the Skin." Dr. Kobor specializes in epigenetics, the study of how human genes are influenced by factors other than DNA. He characterized the 25,000 human genes as acting like light bulbs which can be on or off or brighter or dimmer, all controlled by a kind of dimmer switch. Epigenomes act as the dimmer switches which control changes to the genes.

    Studies have shown that the nutrition and lifestyle of the mother during pregnancy can have major influences on the child. He cited smoking during pregnancy as an environmental factor that can affect the child. In addition, new research indicates that early-life social-economic status and parents' stress levels can affect childhood temperament and behaviour. For example, those who experience low social-economic status in early life have been shown to have twice the likelihood of heart disease later in life, compared to those who enjoy more affluent lifestyles in early life. Similarly, higher stress levels in the home in early life can lead to problems later in life.

    The good news is that all this can be somewhat offset by maternal warmth and love in the first years of a child's life. Infants, says one study, are most negatively affected by the mother's stress (or lack of it), while pre-school children, especially girls, are affected by the father.

    Dr. Kobor emphasized that this is a new field of research and much more is being learned as studies progress.

    That's it for now. Have a good Thanksgiving weekend and we'll see you next Wednesday.

    Rob

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 9, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-10-09 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 2, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 01, 2013

    In preparation for our club's 2014 project to benefit a school for refugee students in Colombia, we started this week's Rotary meeting with the 4-Way Test in Spanish. Today was Cleo Perez 's turn and no one knows who President Ann-Shirley Goodell will choose to do this in coming weeks. Apparently, "no habla espanol" isn't going to work.

    We were 13 members this morning plus soon-to-be-new-member Tina Parbhakar and guest Steve McGrandle. Lots of grumbling about the dark, cold, rainy weather which was made all the worse by the message received from Sheila Anderson that it's in the 30s C in southern Europe where she is.  Watch out, Sheila, you may have company.

    Club news

    Gary Chomyn reported that the Hoop-a-Thon committee has already started planning for the next Strathcona event which will be Saturday, June 7. The 2013 version raised over $60,000 of which $15,000 came from our club. Once again, 100 percent participation by members will be the plan for 2014.

    Cleo revealed that the gala dinner for the Colombian school project will be Saturday, March 15. It's not too early now to start gathering items for the silent auction and making a list of the 125 people we want to invite. Ann-Shirley tells us that we will have 4 representatives from the Bucaramanga school here for the dinner. Who else do we know who has a connection with South America and would love to be part of this event?

    Abigail Turner and Ann-Shirley are organizing our Guess Who's Coming for Dinner on October 19. This is always a great evening, so RSVP today to asgoodell@shaw.ca. We are short of hosts and hope you'll volunteer to do this if you can.

    Cleo attended the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) session last weekend and said it was excellent. One of the presenters was Marni Fraser, former member and past President of our club. Marni sends greetings to her friends at Vancouver Sunrise.

    New member

    Tina Parbhakar was welcomed as a new member of the club. As a former Rotarian, she knows the drill. President Ann-Shirley presented her Rotary pin and reminded us of the high standards expected of all Rotarians. Welcome, Tina.

     Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Richard Williams, a choral musician and voice teacher, who spoke about Opera Pro Cantanti, a repertory opera company in Vancouver.

    "Opera is dead!" proclaimed Richard, or at least it should be, after some 300 years. But yet it continues to hold audiences spellbound. Why? Richard believes that opera is an art which, unlike entertainment (Broadway shows, for example), is an acquired taste that gets better the more one studies it and becomes increasingly familiar with it. Richard says it's the sound of the singing that makes us believe the story and enjoy an opera. This is explained more fully in a book called "A Song of Love and Death" by Peter Conrad.

    As an example, Richard summarized the very complex storyline for the opera Rigoletto, which is about a nobleman who conspires to seduce an innocent young girl. The plot involves a deformed hunchback father, a murderer for hire who adheres to the honour of his trade, and a host of conspirators who promote all the wrong things. As a play, this story hasn't been performed in a very long time, as audiences found it unconvincing. But, as an opera, it is hugely popular and is performed regularly to enthusiastic audiences all over the world. It's all in the way the singers use their voices as instruments, says the voice teacher.

    To promote opera to new audiences at very affordable prices, Opera Pro Cantanti performs live opera most Sunday evenings at Cambrian Hall near Main and East 17th Avenue. Tickets are $18 ($12 for seniors and children) and Richard distributed some free tickets for those who were at the meeting.  Milie Taing will see if we can find a date that a number of club members might attend together this fall.

    Hunchbacks, murderers, lecherous noblemen -- sound like a Rotary club?

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 2, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-10-02 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 25, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 24, 2013

    Another sunny Wednesday morning in Vancouver, as 16 members gathered for our breakfast meeting. President Ann-Shirley Goodell welcomed our guests who were Luisa Godoy (our exchange student from Brazil), Blanca Tostado (Alfredo Carrete's mother-in-law from Mexico), Tina Parbhakar (former Rotarian and prospective club member) and Donald Cyr (guest of Milie Taing).

     Rotary moment

    Ann-Shirley reports that new cases of polio worldwide are 264 for this year to date, up from 145 at this time last year. The good news is that the 3 countries where polio is still endemic showed a drop of 44 percent. The bad news is that 185 new cases have emerged in countries that were polio-free for several years. Which shows us that we need to keep pursuing the goal to End Polio Now, as this dread disease can easily be spread to polio-free countries like Canada. The Rotary Foundation and Bill Gates are working hard on this and need our continuing financial support. The Rotary on Ice event this Friday will raise some funds for the RI polio campaign.

    Today's program -- business meeting

    Youth. Luisa told us about her weekend orientation session with the other inbound students, held at a remote camp near Williams Lake. She's now living in the West End and attending King George School, which she says is going well. She'll be exploring Grouse Mountain this weekend with Gary Chomyn (weather permitting) and will experience her first Canadian Thanksgiving with Lawrence Bicknell and his family.

    Membership.  Carlos Obregon has resigned and will be joining the Lion's Gate club which is closer to his home and work. He's been an active member and past President, so we'll miss him. Carlos will visit from time to time and will participate in some of our social activities. The board has accepted former Rotarian Tina Parbhakar as a new member and she will be inducted next week.

    Financials. Treasurer Susan Neale emailed the club's budget and financial results for July-August. Any questions should be directed to Susan.

    Foundation. In John Haley's absence, Rob Goodell reported that a committee is looking at ideas for our club's Sunrise Foundation, perhaps to increase its endowment to provide more scholarships for deserving downtown Vancouver students. If you have ideas, contact John, Susan, Lawrence or Rob.

    Nominating. A new Treasurer will be needed before Lawrence becomes President in July, so all the many volunteers should talk with Abigail Turner. First come, first served.

    Club Administration. Larry Belsito says that all our members except one have signed up to work on one or more committees. The one exception will be assigned to work on all the committees as punishment for being last. Programs and speakers have already been booked for the next several months, thanks to Cam Scott's work and the ideas submitted by members. Keep sending suggestions to him.

    Service projects. Sheila Anderson is away, but Ann-Shirley advised that the Colombian school project has been delayed due to the actions of local government in Bucaramanga. Cleo Perez and her committee will proceed with plans for our fund-raiser on March 15, so funds will be available when the school expansion goes ahead. Details of this project are shown below. The Hoop-a-Thon committee will meet tomorrow, September 26, to begin planning for next June's event. Matthew Lynam and his committee are organizing things for our annual Christmas Luncheon with the West End Seniors, scheduled for December 15.

    Social. Guess Who's Coming for Dinner will be on Saturday, October 19, at 6:30 pm. This is always a popular evening of relaxed fellowship, food and wine with other members and their guests. Send Ann-Shirley an email to let her know whether you will be a host or a guest, who your guest is, and what you'd like to bring to this potluck dinner. The club Christmas party will be on Saturday, December 7, at Goodells' downtown condo. More info is coming, but save the date.

    Pretty full agenda, I think, and we finished on time. Have a great week and we'll see you next Wednesday.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 25, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-09-25 00:00:00Z 0

    2013 Hoop-a-Thon sets a new record of $60,000 raised!

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 19, 2013

    Image

    A total of just over $60,000 was raised on June 15 to benefit the youth programs of Strathcona Community Centre in Vancouver's downtown eastside, including $15,000 from our club. Centrepiece of it all is the youth basketball program, which has grown since its launch in 1972 and now serves about 500 at-risk youth from this low-income neighbourhood. New this year is funding for a post-secondary school scholarship and several bursaries for high school youth in the area, which were awarded on Hoop-a-Thon day by Julie Mantle, President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise, and Past-President Diana Theman who chaired the selection committee. 

    It was an exciting day in the Strathcona gym, with hundreds of young participants plus Rotary teams, VIPs and other visitors all shooting free-throws to help raise funds...

    2013 Hoop-a-Thon sets a new record of $60,000 raised! Rob Goodell 2013-09-20 00:00:00Z 0

    Rotary Bulletin - September 18th 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Sep 17, 2013

    We started our meeting at 7.30am and Matthew did the 4 way test perfectly. Bravo Matthew!

     

    We had 16 members; Luisa De Godoy, our exchange student was present. We had one visiting Rotarian, Ron Toyota from Creston Valley Club and also Mayor of CV. Three guest visited us today as well: Steve McGrandle; Sven Rowaert, guest of Milie, and Tina Parbhakar.

     

    Announcements:

     

    Rotary on Ice: This will be a special event happening on September 27th .  Rotary on Ice is being presented for the 4th year as a Polio Fundraiser for all our clubs in the Lower Mainland. The Vancouver Giants have partnered with Rotary and are donating $5.00 for each ticket we sell.  Rotary will also have the opportunity to raise more money with a 50/50 draw at this event , which will go to youth programs in our District. This is a great opportunity to raise money and get our Rotary brand in front of 4,000  to 5,000 attendees. Please buy tickets and give them to friends, relatives and young people in your communities. It's going to be a great night for Rotary and for the eradication of Polio.

    Rotary Leadership Institute:  Part 1, 2 & 3 are being offered on Saturday, September 28 2013 at the Accent Inn in Burnaby, BC.

     

    Luisa De Godoy gave us an update of her first couple of days here in Vancouver as an exchange student. She had the opportunity to go camping last week and she had a great time, doing a variety of activities, like water tubing, fishing, hiking, etc. She is also adapting to the new school and making new friends everyday. This is a little bit different from what she was used in Brazil. Here, you can pick and choose your classes whereas in Brazil you have to take all the classes that are part of the academic program.

     

    Sargent-at-arms

     

    - Sheila is heading of to UK and France for 3 weeks.

    - Larry spent a nice weekend in Point Roberts.

    - Carlos gave a “awareness dollar” for the people in Mexico suffering the consequences after two hurricanes hit different parts of Mexico.

    - Milie caught a couple of fish in the Fraser River.

    - Valery is happy because she is going to see her daughter in Victoria.

     

    Guest Speaker

     

    Matthew introduces our speaker, Rick Gill.

     

    Rick grew up in North Delta, BC. He was a professional Basketball player and he had the opportunity to play in 3 different countries: Mexico, South Africa and Australia. This gave him the opportunity to meet great people and also this experience changed his view and perspective basically o everything.

     

    Gill is the Canadian volunteer director of Hoops 4 Hope, a charity that uses basketball to help youth in Africa and Canada. They use basketball to provide a safe environment where children can develop strong social skills, strong ethics and strong leadership.

     

    Through basketball, they empower children to become productive adults, engage in healthy life styles, manage life’s challenges, build self-steem, etcetera.

     

    The coaches teach through games, role-playing activities and discussions. This is very important so the kids learn different skills to be able to make their own decisions.

     

    Thought of the day

     

    In a gentle way, you can shake the world – Mahatma Gandhi.

     

     

     

     

    Rotary Bulletin - September 18th 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-09-18 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 11, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Sep 10, 2013

    On Wednesday, as every week we had a great meeting. No clouds in the sky, sun was shinning, good breakfast and a great speaker. What else can you ask for to start your day?

     

    We had 18 members at the meeting today and two guests Tina Parbhakar and Steve McGrandle.

     

    Rotary Moment:

     

    Eduardo shared his Rotary Moment. Eduardo’s brother who lives in Spain told him that he had a friend that wanted to spend the summer in Vancouver to study English. One day, this person from Spain phoned Eduardo to see if he could assist her or recommend an English school, where to live, what to do, etc. The conversation over the phone was between to strangers. At one point during the conversation, she mentioned that she was Rotarian.  Right after they both learned they were Rotarians, the conversation totally changed. It seemed they were not longer two stranger, but two close friends. Being a Rotarian, can bring people together from the other side of the world.

     

    Club announcements:

     

    - Thank you everybody for getting back to Larry with the committees you want to be participate in. That is great that we have everybody on a committee now. Larry will publish the committees and their members once the board looks at it.

     

    - Next Hoopathon meeting will be on Thursday 4.45pm at Strathcona’s Community Centre.

     

    - An email will be sent out either this or next week so we let the club know about our hobbies.

     


    Happy Dollars

     

    Best wishes for Larry on his birthday!

     

    Sonya was happy to be at the horse race track but sad to loose some dollars.

     

    Cleo was happy because she is going back to school.

     

    Sheila shared Luisa’s good luck! She won about 40 dollars at the horse races.

     

    Carlos surprised us today with a sad/happy dollar. Sad dollar because he is leaving this club, but happy because he is going to join another club closer to home.

     

    Diana was excited because she is leaving on Sunday for the World International Field Hockey in Hawaii! Enjoy the sun there!

     


    Speaker

     

    Our speaker this morning was Darcy Marquardt and her talk was entitled “Defining moments in an Olympic Journey”

     

    Darcy grew up in Richmond, and then went on to the University of Victoria where she learned how to row.

     

    Darcy is now a 3-time Olympic rower, a London 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist and 2006 World Champion. She has won over 16 international medals in rowing events around the world, in women’s fours, pairs, and eights. She has worked tirelessly in pursuit of these dreams over the course of her 14 year rowing career. She has learned that no matter what the obstacles, with perseverance and teamwork, you can achieve things you never thought possible. Darcy credits her parents and strong family values of integrity and commitment for creating the foundation from which her rowing career took off.

     

    Darcy’s greatest achievement, is not only the Silver medal performance in London, England at the 2012 Games but developing the ability to share her journey and inspire the next generation of leaders in people of all ages. Darcy was recently elected as a member of the BC Chapter of Olympians Canada, where she will serve in a leadership role to promote the Olympic Spirit nationwide, motivate and encourage youth, and celebrate and honour all those who have represented Canada at the Olympic Games.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 11, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-09-11 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 4, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Sep 03, 2013

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

                                               SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

     

    ATTENDANCE-   

    Today we had 18 members present, who all read or quoted from memory, the Four Way Test. Also present was our speaker Dr Patricia Porter and our guest, Steve McGrandle.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

    HOOP-A-THON    Final tally was over $60,000 of which $15,000 was raised by our club. The first meeting for the 2014 Hoop-a-thon will be at Strathcona Rec centre at 445 PM on September 26 for the committee and 530 for the combined meeting.

     

      RLI- Rotary Training training sessions will be held at the Accent Inn in Burnaby on September 28. Cost will be reimbursed by the club. Parts 1,2 and 3 are available.

     

    SENIORS CHRISTMAS PARTY – at the Bayshore, December 15, 2013.  We hope that most members will be in attendance. Check with Matthew if you can help in any way.

     

    CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY- December 7, 2013 at the home of the Goodells

    .

    GUESS WHO IS COMING TO DINNER-   Takes place on October 19, 2013. More later.

     

    TEXAS SCRAMBLE GOLF DAY- a suggestion was made by Gary that we have a golf day. Several members indicated their interest. Gary will follow up.

     

    DAY AT THE RACES-   If  you can not attend as stated, please advise Julie. Date is September 8.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

    Cam on a camping trip to Kelowna with his son.

    Lori attended a Bar Mitzah for a friend.

    Susan’s niece, ten years of age, rode 250 KMs to Hope for charity.

    Gary and Jane celebrated their 35th Anniversary.

    Unfortunately Matthew’s sister passed away.

    Lawrence used the Zip Line on Grouse.

    Sheila spent three days of camping (in the rain).

    Milie has moved to new accommodation.

    Jose was visiting his new grandson in New York.

    Diana was one of  200,000 people who attended the Superdogs show.

     

    GUEST SPEAKER- DR PATRICIA PORTER

    Resume- Classroom teacher for 35 years, especially with special needs children, came from UK 20 years ago, Finished her PH D at UBC after retirement, now on a mission to ensure all kids get the education that they need and deserve. She is a Rotarian ( Quadra Club)

       Why do bright kids struggle to learn….Kids can’t wait, anger, suicidal thoughts, boredom, just don’t get it.

        Patricia helps the parents. 25% in school are under-achieving. No one understands their leaving needs.

       What people see…laziness, unmotivated, unfocused, late developers, avoidance of work, doesn’t seem to be interested.

       Steps to learning…1. Understanding (road sense) 2.Information  and 3. Skills (How to get information ie Co-ordination).

       Mission is to provide strategies that had good success by…

    1.Diagnostics of children’s learning needs.

    2. Roadmaps for parents

    3. improvement of self confidence

     

    Check out her website- www.leading2learning, her email address is patrician@drpatriciaporter.com  Help her get the word out.

     

    THOUGHT OF THE DAY

       Energy of the mind is the essence of life. Aristotle

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 4, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-09-04 00:00:00Z 0

    What a great party it was!

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 25, 2013

    Vancouver Sunrise celebrated end of summer with a superb Friday evening barbecue extravaganza on August 23.  In true Rotary spirit, 33 club members, family and friends turned out to welcome exchange student Luisa Godoy to Canada. She arrived from Brazil on August 8 and has already visited Prince George, Burns Lake and Tweedsmuir Park with Rotarians there and other newly-arrived Youth Exchange students from around the world. Many of us have never been to Tweedsmuir Park, so how come she can go there her first week in Canada?

    The party featured fun, fellowship, lots of great food--all in the lush surroundings of Abigail Turner and Jason Dyer's garden on Mount Seymour. Jason manned the barbecue, Emma organized a contest, Matthew served drinks, and everyone had a great time. Many thanks to Abigail and Jason for their wonderful hospitality. We had a corner of the garden for French-speakers, one for Spanish-speakers, a few of us spoke English, and Luisa rattled on in Portuguese. Our own United Nations!

    After lots of tasty food, a birthday cake appeared and Luisa's 17th birthday became "official." Here she is opening her gifts.

    Image

     

    What a great party it was! Rob Goodell 2013-08-26 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 21, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 20, 2013

    Well, you never know. We've had some recent meetings with 19 or 20 attending, but today we were only 12 members plus guest Steve McGrandle. Everyone else is vacationing in exotic and expensive places, missing the perfect summer weather in Vancouver. President Ann-Shirley Goodell wondered out loud whether her email announcing that today's program would ask many of us to speak might have frightened some people away.

    Member news

    Larry Belsito reports that Tania is coming home from hospital today, after several tests confirm that she's healthy. We sure hope so.

    John Haley and Marni are away on their long RV trip, which has been revised due to John's mother entering hospital in Spokane. Our best to her and the family.

    Jose Riga is in New York to welcome the birth of a grandson. Congratulations to all concerned!

    Club announcements

    The club barbecue is this Friday, August 23, starting at 6 pm at Abigail Turner's home, 2695 Cactus Court, North Vancouver. If you need a reminder of what you agreed to bring, I have a list.

    Luisa Godoy arrived from Brazil last week and is now in Tweedsmuir Park, near Burns Lake, BC, with some other inbound students. We'd like her to have some time with each of our members over the next month or two, so we circulated a sign-up sheet to help with scheduling. Talk with Diana Theman to find out when Luisa's available to do something interesting with you.

    Julie Mantle has collected 18 names of those who will be at Rotary Day at the Racetrack on September 8. A good chance to strike it rich by betting your RRSP on the ponies. Julie guarantees that everyone will hold a winning ticket.

    No breakfast meeting next week. Board meeting on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:30 am.

    Today's program

    With no scheduled speaker this morning, we had a more leisurely time to visit over breakfast and then a time of talking about members' hobbies and outside activities.

    Larry, who wasn't there, sent in the information that he's keeping busy in his retirement tracing his family tree back to the time of King Henry VIII in England, he plays classical piano, and is planning to write a memoir about his adventures in the hotel industry.

    Steve let us know that he's just starting a new part-time job and is thinking about forming his own small business. Good luck, Steve.

    Bill Sheddy has a collection of fine art, which he'll share with us at a meeting soon.

    Cleo Prez is working on personal development, including a 3-month program with a group called Landmark which seeks to engage others in a worthwhile service project.

    Ann-Shirley sings in a classical chorus of 170 voices which gave a performance of Verdi's Requiem last weekend.

    Gary Chomyn likes to dance, bike, walk and play golf.

    Matthew Lynam is a photographer and is now working on videos and even a rap song through hitrecord.org.

    Sonya Orr's work and hobby are the same -- travel to interesting places.

    Lawrence Bicknell spends some of his free time walking with his dogs and gardening.

    Sheila Anderson likes to sing, ski and knit, and she's very active as president of a seniors' care home in Nanaimo. She'll give us a presentation on this project at a meeting soon.

     

    Aren't we a bunch of interesting people? Ann-Shirley closed the meeting with a Paul Harris quote on friendship. Very appropriate. See you Friday at the BBQ.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 21, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-08-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise - the rest of the story for August 14, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 16, 2013

    No one will be surprised to learn that I didn't get it right the first time. Here's the rest of Larry Belsito's bulletin notes from Wednesday's meeting. Thanks, Larry.

     

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

             Meeting August 14, 2013

     

    ATTENDANCE-

    We had 15 members present, and one guest, Tina Parbhakar, who was a member on the island and has now moved to Vancouver, and is looking for a club to join. Tina is a lawyer for the BC Government. We hope that she has enjoyed the visit to our club today.

    Cleopatra started off the meeting with the Four Way Test.

     

    ROTARY MOMENT-

    Carlos referred to the polio information that Ann Shirley sent out yesterday. The numbers are good for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria (67 cases left) but unfortunately, two new countries have appeared, Somalia with 100 cases and Kenya with 10. The Gates Foundation will match Two to One, up to $35 million per year, every dollar that Rotary commits to Polio Eradication until 2018.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

    Our Exchange Student Luisa has arrived and is off to Burns Lake with other Exchange Students. We will meet her on Thursday at Abigail’s House on the 23rd at 6 PM.  We are also celebrating her 17th birthday. Luisa’s mother was an Exchange Student 25 years ago.

        

    We received a nice letter from Fumihiro Ozawa and his wife Hiromi who visited us last week. He was an Ambassadorial Student who visited with us 15 years ago. They enjoyed meeting some of the members who were present at that time.

    Chinatown Club is doing a Walk for Kidney Foundation on the 25th between 10-12 Noon. Ann Shirley and Luisa are attended and would love more company. ( No cost)

    IMPORTANT-Remember that there will be no meeting on August 28 due to the barbecue.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

    Five members commented on the great New Members meeting hosted by Robert and Ann Shirley at their house.  Abigail was mentioned as one of the great lawyers in Vancouver on an awards list. Bill commiserated that his 34-year-old son was back at home but AWOL for a few days (a good sign).  Susan is off to the Okanagan for a change of scenery. 

    Don’t forget that Ann-Shirley is singing with another 175 singers at St Andrew- Wesley on August 17th at 7 PM doing the Verdi Requiem (Cost $15.00 if purchased from Ann Shirley, or $20.00 at the door)   Great concert.

     

    SPEAKER-  Jose Riga Part Two

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

    Rotary is the door to friendship. Let us throw it open to every people.  (Rotary Founder Paul Harris in The Rotarian, July 1922.)

     

    Sunrise - the rest of the story for August 14, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-08-17 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 14, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 15, 2013

    Brief bulletin this week, as I wasn't there. I was taking Luisa to meet the other students going to Burns Lake, BC, for a camp week in Tweedsmuir Park. Some say it doesn't matter whether I'm at the meeting or not, because the bulletin is more fiction than fact anyway. C'est la vie!

    Club news

    Next week, we meet for Wednesday breakfast as usual. But the following week, August 28, there will be no breakfast, as that meeting is rescheduled to the Friday night barbecue on August 23. We'll meet for dinner and such at 6 pm at Abigail Turner's home, 2695 Cactus Court in North Vancouver. It's half-way up Mount Seymour so be sure to check with Google or MapQuest before you set out. Bring your choice of beverage, the salad or appetiser you volunteered to bring, and a folding chair or 2 if you have them. Favourites from the BBQ and dessert, plus glasses, plates and cutlery, will be provided.

    We held a reception for 5 of our newer members on August 13 at our condo. In addition to background info on Rotary and the club, these members got some wine, cheese and a chance to be first to meet Luisa Godoy.

    This week's program

    I'm told that Jose Riga's classification talk, part deux, included a threat to hypnotize everyone at some future date, but not this week. Instead, he provided some background on hypnotherapy. Here, compliments of Jose and Larry Belsito, are some highlights:

    The history of the hypnosis is going back to the antiquity with The Ebers papyrus, over 3000 years old, which describes how an Egyptian soothsayer used hypnotic like procedures similar to those practiced today. For the first time in its history hypnosis became acceptable when The British Medical Association officially endorsed hypnosis in 1955 and the American Medical Association followed suit in 1958. Even though today many physicians still regard it with lifted eyebrow, Over the last few years, the use of hypnotherapy has gained enormous popularity as a tool that can be used in many ways to improve your life as one of the emerging techniques that can bring you to a new and exciting understanding of yourself and your relationship with others.

    In order to understand how hypnosis works, Jose explains briefly how your mind works.   You have basically three minds : you have the conscious mind, that part of you that you’re using right now, you have your unconscious mind that operates in the background to keep your body working correctly without you even being aware of it, and you have the subconscious mind that controls many important aspects of how well you operate in your environment, and how you relate to others and finally the Unconscious Mind that operates completely independently of the Conscious Mind.

    He also explained how hypnotherapy gives direct access to the subconscious mind by bypassing the critical factor allowing you to eventually modify your core beliefs  and other aspects at the roots of your fears, lack of self-esteem or self-confidence and some other behaviors.

    Finally Jose answered many questions from the members.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 14, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-08-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 7, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 06, 2013

    Some of you have commented on the accuracy of the reporting in this weekly epistle. I saw a statement recently which sums it all up: "I'm usually right 97 percent of the time, and the other 4 percent isn't important anyway." So there you have it.

    This morning's Rotary meeting was a standing-room-only event and, after the musical chairs, Matthew Lynam ended up without a seat. 19 members were there, along with 8 others. Fumihiro Ozawa and his wife are visiting from Tokyo where he's a Rotarian. Fumihiro was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar at UBC in 1998-1999 and our member Pierre Vorster was his counselor. Darren Stevens is a visiting Rotarian from Canberra, Australia. Jane LaPorte and Francois Daoust are new members of the Yaletown club. Collette Lamarie is a prospective Rotarian from Connecticut and is the sister of Valerie Saunier. Steve McGrandle was a guest once again. And, Tom Smith, our Assistant Governor and a member of the Tsawwassen club, was also there. A full house!

    Rotary moment

    John Haley highlighted a school project in Guatemala, where literacy is a real challenge and the school system is inadequate. Some Rotarians visited a small place there and did what they could to help. And, President Ann-Shirley Goodell reminded us of our own club's upcoming project to help a school in Colombia.

    Announcements

    Ann-Shirley warned everyone to volunteer for at least one club committee before the August 27 board meeting -- or else.

    On the same topic, AG Tom suggested that this year's RI theme of "Engage Rotary; Change Lives" is best accomplished if each member participates with one major committee, one smaller committee and one one-time event during the year. He also previewed some highlights of the District Conference scheduled for May 2014 in Squamish. More info at www.rotary5040.org.

    Luisa Fiori de Godoy, our Youth Exchange student this year, arrives from Brazil tomorrow. We'll all have a chance to meet her at the club social and barbecue on August 23 at Abigail Turner's home.

    Today's program

    Jose Riga, one of our newer members, gave his classification talk today. First he placed his brain on the table and, later on, opened it to show us what's inside. His presentation included a virtual PowerPoint, which involved no high-tech equipment but all of us closing our eyes to envision him as a toddler. It got easier when he admitted that he was a trouble-maker in school. That's the Jose we know.

    After service as a radar specialist in the Airborne (complete with non-uniform scarf), he worked in bio-electronics in Montreal, in satellite transmission in France and other technical roles. He married, had 3 children and was divorced. He worked in the Quebec Provincial Police for 7 years and then was a civil servant in commerce and industry in Quebec, which involved a lot of international travel.

    After choosing early retirement, Jose become a consultant specializing in advising inventors on some of the business aspects of their work. He married again and said it worked out well that his wives both had the same first name. He became interested in her work as a therapist, which took them to Holland, then France, and finally Vancouver. Sadly, his wife died of cancer. Today, Jose is a master therapist which includes hypnosis. After opening up the brain on the table and describing the fears, worries and other non-productive stuff in there, he closed with the thought that "Every difficulty in life can be a challenge, and a rewarding one." Or, something like that. See the 97 percent quote above.

    Thanks, Jose, for a fascinating tour of your many-sided life and work. And welcome again to our club.

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 7, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-08-07 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 31, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 30, 2013

    Another beautiful, perfect day in Vancouver! We had to finish today's Rotary meeting early so everyone could go to the beach. Don't we wish!

    President Ann-Shirley Goodell, just back from 10 days with the grandkids in California and needing a rest, welcomed 15 members this morning, plus Iain Campbell, a visiting Rotarian from Philadelphia, and frequent-guest Steve McGrandle. Surprisingly, perhaps, our two biggest travellers (that would be Sonya Orr and Cam Scott) were both in town today. No wonder the airlines are having trouble making a profit.

    Rotary moment

     Ann-Shirley reminded everyone to volunteer for the committee(s) you'd like to be on, or else...  Do it this week if you want to avoid being assigned to your least-favourite.

    Club news

    Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) will be offering a day of information and training on September 28 in Burnaby. A good idea for newer members. More info at www.rotary5040.org.

    Our Youth Exchange students are coming and going. Georgina Hargreaves flew to Sweden last weekend and commented on how many people she met en route who struck up conversations with her when they saw her Rotary blazer. Luisa Fiori de Godoy will arrive in Vancouver next Thursday from Brazil. 

    Rotary Day at the Races is planned for September 8 but sign-ups have been slow. Unless Julie Mantle hears from you this week, she may have to cancel.

    News, rumours and lies about our members

    Larry Belsito is just back from his hometown, Sault Ste. Marie, where he attended his brother's wedding. Ann-Shirley and Rob are just back from Lake Tahoe where the swimming, kayaking and water-skiing were great, except during a very dramatic thunder-and-lightning storm.

    All those who were missing in action today -- John Haley, Abigail Turner, Matthew Lynam, Carlos Obregon, and several others -- were reported to be at some beach somewhere sipping from glasses with little paper umbrellas. At breakfast time!

    Just look at the upcoming travel plans: Lawrence Bicknell goes to England, Diana Theman will go to some obscure place north of Clayquot Sound and then to Nova Scotia, Cam will soon be off to Zambia on a copper-mining excursion. Work, he says. Sure.

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Wendy Terriff and her talk was entitled "Step Into Power and Activate Your Wisdom." After 30 years as a teacher, she now calls herself a dream coach, working primarily with women in transition, especially Baby Boomers who face mid-life challenges. Wendy claims that humans are programmed to be caregivers, as our DNA gives us a need to be of service to others. She commented on how neatly our "Service Above Self" motto fits this concept.

    But, Wendy observes, our ability to be of service is often compromised by our inability to empower ourselves, which needs to be addressed first. She talked about "power drains" such as our fears and excuses, which can get in the way and cause us to be "stuck in a rut." She spoke of "power blockers" which can be our tendency to blame others or fall into abuse of alcohol, gambling or other addictions, instead of facing the problems and/or getting expert help. Finally, she urges people to tap what she calls "intrinsic power sources" for the power that comes from gratitude, forgiveness and choice.

    Wendy closed with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, who said we need to "remake ourselves."

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 31, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-07-31 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 17, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 16, 2013

    A battered-and-bruised President Ann-Shirley Goodell opened today’s Rotary meeting with an unclear and doubtful story about her recent mishap. She blames it all on the Yaletown club, but one wonders. Don’t ask, I’ve decided. What happens in Yaletown stays in Yaletown.

    On a warm summer day we had 18 members at the Coast Coal Harbour, plus frequent-guest Steve McGrandle and Major Michelle Cotton, a retired RCAF pilot from Trenton, Ontario. Mickey is a long-time friend and today was guest of Lori Pobuta. Mickey’s husband, a Lieutenant Colonel, is in the same Rotary club as Wilf Wilkinson, former RI President. Impressive.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley provided a quote from Ron Burton, the new RI President, who encourages us all to “Embrace Rotary, Change Lives.”

    Announcements

    It has been decided that, starting August 1, our meetings will open with the singing of all 4 verses of our favourite Rotary hymn, “She was only a whisky-maker, but he loved her still.”

    The next Board meeting will be on Tuesday, August 27. This is a change of dates, so please note.

    The summer BBQ at Abigail Turner’s home is scheduled for Friday, August 23. Be sure to RSVP for planning purposes. This will be a rescheduled meeting, with no breakfast meeting on August 28.

    A reception and information session for new and prospective members will be held in August. Those who received the invitation should send their availability dates so a common date can be scheduled.

    Sunrise Rotary Day at the Racetrack, a popular social event, will be at Hastings Park on September 8. We are limited to 20 attending, so get your reservation to Julie Mantle. As soon as she returns from her extended shopping trip to Cabo San Lucas.

    Most members have completed their police checks as required for the club’s participation in Youth Exchange. Some are just awaiting the responses, which should be given to Susan Neale as soon as they arrive. Bill Sheddy, Matthew Lynam and Milie Taing agreed to start theirs this week. That leaves only Jim Clarke and Adriana Lopez who still need to do this. Our student from Brazil arrives in 3 weeks.

    All members and clubs are being asked to consider contributing to help people in Alberta after the devastating floods there.  Do we want to send a donation, either individually or as a club?

    Business meeting

    Ann-Shirley opened the business meeting by announcing that the club intends to strengthen the committee system this year, to ensure that everything we’d like to do gets done and done well. In each area of activity, a Director will provide leadership and members will volunteer to help on one or more projects/activities/committees.  The goal is 100 percent involvement, so volunteers should contact the appropriate Director and sign up. Or… well, you know what happens next.

    Sheila Anderson spoke for the Service Projects area. Our Colombia Fiesta fundraiser next March will be chaired by Cleo Perez.  The 2014 Hoop-a-Thon to benefit the Strathcona community will be chaired again by Gary Chomyn. The Christmas party for West End Seniors this December will be chaired again by Matthew Lynam. Club fund-raisers (Valentine’s auction, hockey pool) are also part of the Service Projects area.

    Lori Pobuta summarized our Membership goals as 3 new members this year and emphasis on retention. The new member reception mentioned above is part of this.

    John Haley is Director of the Foundation area and explained that there are 2 foundations, our Sunrise Club Foundation and The Rotary Foundation of RI. The Sunrise Foundation funds the scholarships we award each June at graduation ceremonies for King George Secondary School. These go back 24 years and were endowed by the generous contributions of 4 members at that time. TRF of RI sponsors a host of service projects worldwide, with Polio Eradication being the largest and most visible. John asks that each member contribute annually to one or both of these foundations. In the case of TRF, contributions can be directed to either Annual Programs or Polio.

    The Director for Youth Programs is Abigail Turner.  This year, our club will be very active with Youth Exchange, sending a student to Sweden next week and welcoming a student from Brazil next month. In addition, this area is responsible for selecting the scholarship winners and for other activities with King George students. Finally, our club plans to sponsor one or more teens to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), a long-weekend leadership training experience in April.

    Club Administration is the final area and Larry Belsito is the Director. In his absence today, Carlos Obregon summarized the activities in this area: speakers and programs, communications (website, social media, bulletin, etc.), fellowship and social events, and assisting the Secretary with attendance. Ideas to be considered this year are a greeter program to be sure guests and visitors feel welcome at our meetings, celebration of birthdays and anniversaries, and encouraging members to visit other clubs.

    Ann-Shirley summarized by urging everyone to “be involved” and to contact a Director for your preferred assignment(s). Otherwise…

    The meeting closed with a quote from Paul Harris but I wasn’t quick enough to get it.

    We’ll be in California with the grandkids next week and will see you on our return.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 17, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-07-17 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 10, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 09, 2013

    .

    We were 20 members at this morning's Rotary meeting, a great turnout for the middle of summer, plus guest Steve McGrandle and soon-to-be-new-member Valerie Saunier. Gary Chomyn led a participatory version of the 4-Way Test as a prelude to our buffet breakfast.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley gave us a brief history of The Rotarian magazine, starting in 1911 with a different name. Sorry, John, but some of us are younger and don't recall things that happened in 1911, so it's good to have your first-hand memories. Now, the magazine is distributed in 20 languages. President Ann-Shirley Goodell encouraged us to read the current issue for an introduction to the new RI President, Ron Burton.

    New member!

    ImagePresident Ann-Shirley inducted Valerie Saunier as our newest member. She had been introduced to Rotary by Jose Rigas, was recommended by the Membership Committee and approved by the board. Valerie is a therapist and life coach with Divine Center, which offers meditation, yoga and chrystals healing. And, she adds to our growing French contingent in the club. Welcome to Rotary, Valerie

    Announcements

    The Nominating Committee has nominated Lawrence Bicknell as President-Elect and the board has approved this selection. Lawrence will start his term as Club President in July 2014. The next step is to select a volunteer to replace him as Secretary, starting early in 2014. There's only one opening, so be sure to volunteer early to improve your chances of selection. 

    Sheila Anderson reported that the board is embarked on a new project to help a school for refugees in Colombia. This fits with Rotary's emphasis on literacy and our club's goal is to raise $7,000 in a Fiesta evening next March. Volunteers are needed to organize this event, so let Sheila know of your interest in helping. More info on this project in the separate article, below.

    Our traditional "Rotary at the Racetrack" social event will be on September 8. Because it's a special day at Hastings Park, we are limited to 20 attending. Reservations are on a first-come basis.

    The BBQ social to welcome Luisa de Godoy to Vancouver is confirmed for Friday evening, August 23, at Abigail Turner's home in North Vancouver. Details to follow.

    Program

    Our speaker today was Georgina Hargreaves, our outbound Youth Exchange student, who leaves for a year in Sweden at the end of this month. Didn't she look great in her brand-new Canadian red blazer?

    Georgina told us about her interests and activities at King George Secondary School, in her West End neighbourhood and beyond.  In school she was part of the Technology Immersion Group in Grades 8 and 9, and plays on the basketball team. She's been active in Guides for 9 years, lately as a Ranger and counselor for younger girls. And she and some friends formed a band called "Bring Back the Kingdom" which performs at school and local events with her as singer. She works part-time with her mother, who is a costume designer for the movies.

    Georgina will be hosted in Falkenberg, a small city of about 20,000 population, on the southwest coast of Sweden. She's been in touch with her first host mother, who is an English teacher and a Scout leader (no Guides in Sweden). Her first host father is an administrator at the school she'll attend and she'll have several host brothers and sisters (which will be new for her as an only child).

    Abigail Turner will be Georgina's club counselor while she's in Sweden, so we'll hope to have frequent updates on how everything is going. Best of luck, Georgina, for a fabulous year and a memorable adventure. We all wish we could go with you!

     

    Next week will be a business meeting, with committee chairs outlining their plans for the year ahead. Be thinking about which activities or committees you'd like to help.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 10, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-07-10 00:00:00Z 0

    A new international service project in Colombia for 2014

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 09, 2013

    Image

    These science students are in a special school in Bucaramanga, Colombia, South America, which was built in 1987 to provide basic education for the thousands of refugee families who had fled the violence of their home areas. Construction of the school was financed by the Rotary Club of Bucaramanga, the local Chamber of Commerce and a local developer, with equipment and supplies provided as foreign aid by the Government of Canada. A second school was built in a neighbouring community in 2011 by the Rotary Club of Bucaramanga Millenium to accommodate the overflow of refugee students. Now both schools are being enlarged to provide for still more elementary and high school students.

    Vancouver Sunrise is partnering with the two Bucaramanga clubs to provide furniture, equipment, books and teaching supplies for the new classrooms in the expanded schools. Each club has a goal of raising $7,000 CAD for this purpose. Sheila Anderson and Ann-Shirley Goodell are working with the Bucaramanga clubs to prepare grant applications for matching funds from the Rotary districts and The Rotary Foundation, with a hoped-for total budget of $40,500 CAD.

    As part of this project, Vancouver Sunrise is planning a Colombian Fiesta in Vancouver in March 2014. This gala fund-raiser will feature an evening of Colombian food, music, an auction...

    A new international service project in Colombia for 2014 Rob Goodell 2013-07-10 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 3, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 02, 2013

    Happy New Year, everyone! July 1 each year brings new leadership throughout Rotary and our club is no exception. Brand-new President Ann-Shirley Goodell started the new year right, with perfect summer weather in Vancouver. She's used her connections to guarantee that every Wednesday will be just like today's weather, all year long. Count on it.

    To start our new Rotary year, 17 members squeezed into the smallest meeting room at the Coast Coal Harbour today, along with guests Steve McGrandle and Valerie Saunier. Milie Taing opened the meeting with the 4-Way Test in German. Did she get it right? Who knows?

    Rotary moment

    Ann-Shirley advised that the RI theme for the new year is "Engage Rotary, Change Lives" which encourages every member to be fully involved in our club and the worldwide work of Rotary. She quoted Ron Burton from Oklahoma (the new RI President), Garry Shearer from Tsawwassen (our new District Governor) and Paul Harris (the 1905 founder of Rotary). All agreed that we have a great club and should keep up our good work.

    Club news

    We received a nice email this week from Luisa Fiori de Godoy, our inbound Youth Exchange student from Brazil, saying how much she's looking forward to being here with us. She's awaiting her Canadian visa so she can finalize her flights. The Youth Exchange Committee has proposed that we hold a potluck BBQ at Abigail Turner's home, to welcome Luisa and give her a chance to meet everyone. If this idea gets board approval the date will be Friday, August 23. Details will follow, once the board has spoken.

    Georgina Hargreaves, our outbound YE student, is making preparations to leave for Sweden in August. She will be our speaker next Wednesday, so we can wish her well for the exciting year ahead.

    The board will meet next Tuesday, July 9, at 7:30 am at President Ann-Shirley's downtown condo.

    Cam Scott still needs ideas for future club programs. If you know a speaker who might be interesting, please get the contact info to Cam. Meanwhile, he's heading to the Okanagan this weekend for a big Fondo bike event. Apparently didn't learn his lesson when he did the Whistler Fondo.

    Today's program

    Our topic this morning was Teck Resources Limited, a major corporation headquartered in downtown Vancouver. Edwin Shadeo, Manager of Investor Relations, began (as all Teck meetings do) with a safety message, urging everyone to drive carefully during this summer season. Then he presented a wide-ranging review of the company's businesses, the outlook for the major markets it serves, and some of the challenges it faces.

    Teck is Canada' largest diversified mining company and the number 1 producer of steelmaking coal in North America. Teck is the number 2 exporter of steelmaking coal in the world and the number 3 zinc miner in the world. Teck is also a top-10 producer of copper and is growing in the oil sands sector of the energy business. In the last 3 years, Teck has increased its annual coal production by 30 percent and copper by 21 percent. At the same time, costs have been reduced, largely by increasing the truck fleet and modernizing several plants. The facility in Trail, BC, is a high-margin smelting and refining complex for zinc and lead. Recently, steel production has been weak in traditional markets (which results in lower coal prices and reduced profits for Teck). But China is still growing, due to rapid urbanization of the Chinese population. Teck has 2 offices in China and sees great potential there.

    Edwin pointed out that Teck stock (symbol TCK.B on the Toronto exchange) pays a regular dividend, currently yielding 4.1 percent at today's price of about $22.  By the end of the meeting, we were all phoning our brokers to buy the stock.

     

    Enjoy the summer weather. See you next Wednesday at the Coast.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of July 3, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-07-03 00:00:00Z 0

    Rotary Bulletin - June 26th 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Jun 25, 2013

    We started by reading the Four Way Test.  We had 15 members in attendance today and four visitors. Jane Amdahl, Montana who exchanged banners,, Steve McGrandle, Mary French and Valerie Saunier.

     

    Today is Julie’s last meeting as a President. We want to thank you Julie for the excellent job you did during this Rotary year. You were an amazing President!

     

    Announcements:

     

    T-Shirts: There are a few shirts that people ordered, so if you haven’t picked it up, please do so.

     

    Hoopathon: We are waiting to get some final numbers from Strathcona and waiting to get some pledge dollars from members. You know who you are, so please clean that up as quickly as possible. We double the amount of member’s contribution this year compared to last year!! Thank you all that made this possible. It look we will equal or exceed our goal of $50,000 dollars. A big thank to everybody!

     

    Criminal Records Checks: If you haven’t done your criminal records, please get them ASAP. Once we get all criminal records, we will keep them on file for the next 4 years, so we do not need to get them again if we receive another Rotary student.

     

    Classification talk

     

    Our newest member, Milie Taing,  gave her classification talk this morning and, as often happens, we heard a very interesting and energetic presentation.

     

    Milie was born and raised in Paris. As she says, she is truly Asian, since her grandparents were from China, Vietnam and Cambodia. She comes from a family who is very oriented to education, business and languages, and we can clearly see this, since Milie speaks 5 languages (French, Cantonese, Mandarine, English, German). She is thinking of studyin Spanish as her 6th language! Muy bien hecho Milie, felicidades!

     

    When Milie was 18 year old, she was selected to go to very intensive program in Paris, called Classes Preparatoires aux grandes ecoles de commerce, commonly calles Prépas. It is called the Elite program as well. As Milie said, this training is considered as the Army, but in education. This consists of two very intensive years, which act as a preparatory course with the main goal of training undergraduate students for enrolment in one of the grandes écoles. The workload is very high.

     

    After finishing this very intensive program, Milie did a MBA program. She did the Global Rotational Program, where she was able to travel to different countries in different companies and different departments. She worked for Procter and Gamble in Germany; she also went to China and Luxemburg to work for different companies. 

     

    After this program, she decided to go back to Berlin because she was in love with that city. She contacted one of her professors while she was there, and the professor suggested Milie that she could be one of his PhD students, so she decided to stay in Berlin and get her PhD degree. Her degree was about Finance and the environment, and how they are very closely related.

     

    After many years of hard work and intensive study, Milie decided to go for a road trip and enjoy herself for about 6 months around the United States and Canada.. She only took her backpack with her and went to explore North America, From San Diego to New York, and everything in between.

     

    Milie decided to settled down for a while in Vancouver. As she mentioned, every city attracts a specific type of personality. Milie finds that people in Vancouver is balanced, who understand work is very important, but personal life is also very important.

     

    If all of the above was not sufficient to keep Milie busy, she is also the founder of Polyglots in Vancouver. The idea is that a group of people who want to practice different languages can practice a specific language in a fun environment. She is also part of the Project Management Institute here in Vancouver.

     

    Thank you Milie for this great Classification Talk.

    Rotary Bulletin - June 26th 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-06-26 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise newsletter for June 21, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jun 21, 2013

    Well, it was a gala evening on Friday, the first day of summer, when our rescheduled meeting gathered to witness the changeover of club presidents. Beyond Restaurant at the Century Plaza Hotel and Matthew Lynam's staff did a great job of providing an elegant evening of wining and dining, while 27 Rotarians and guests enjoyed the festive event. Assistant Governor Tom Smith presided over the swearing-in of new President Ann-Shirley Goodell and the new board. Outgoing President Julie Mantle reviewed the successes of the past year, highlighting especially last week's Hoop-a-Thon, and thanked the board and the club for their support. And, Larry Belsito was recognized as Rotarian of the Year for his many contributions to the club and the district.

    Now, we look forward to a new Rotary year starting July 1, with new programs, new projects...and some old favourites to be repeated. See you next Wednesday, and every Wednesday.

    Rob

    Sunrise newsletter for June 21, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-06-22 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 12, 2013

    Posted by Sheila Anderson on Jun 11, 2013

    24 of us squeezed into the smallest meeting room at the Coast today.  (Murphy’s Law again!) Bill Sheddy sported his umbrella hat leaving even less room at his table.

     

    There were 20 members, 1 visiting Rotarian Bill Irwin from San Diego, his wife Carol and perpetual visitor Steve McRandle as well as our speaker Brock Tully. 

    Bill Irwin recited the 4 way test before we all sat down to another delicious breakfast .

     

    John’s Rotary Moment reminded us of the work of Rotaplast, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in January.

     

    Announcements

     

    Gary asked everyone to get their hoop-a-thon pledges in NOW.

     

    Changeover dinner – 6.30p.m. Friday June 21. THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR MEETING NEXT WEEK.

     

    Student Exchange – Georgina now knows the town where she will spend her exchange year. We will invite her to come and talk to us before she goes in August.  Luisa will arrive from Brazil on August 9 – Rob needs to plan her home stays after December 1.

     

    Carlos – purchased that domain thing and whatever link now works.

     

    The Combined Board meeting will be at Ann-Shirley’s  home on June 18 at 5.p.m. to plan for the new Rotary year.

     

    Speaker

     

    Larry introduced Brock Tully who was asked by Larry to be our speaker at really short notice – last night. Larry and Brock have been friends for 43 years – guess that’s why he could ask with 12 hours notice!

     

    Brock talked to us about “Kindness”. As an unhappy student at UBC in the 70s he decided to pack up and leave on a solo cycling trip that was to him “a journey back to the heart”. His trip took him over 6 months and 10,000 miles across 33 states and the US and Mexico and inspire him to write a series of inspirational books called “Reflections” which have sold over 140,000 copies.

     

    In 2000 he made a second cycle trip “Cycling for Kindness” circling the USA and Canada and in 2009 at the age of 63 a third trip – just to show he could.

     

    Currently, through the “Kindness Foundation of Canada and “Kindness Rocks in Schools”  Brock aims to reduce youth aggression, prevent bullying and promote empathy. 

     

    Bill thanked the speaker and we were all reminded that THERE IS NO REGULAR WEDNESDAY MORNING MEETING NEXT WEEK. Instead there is the Changeover dinner on Friday June 21.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 12, 2013 Sheila Anderson 2013-06-12 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 5, 2013

    Posted by Sheila Anderson on Jun 04, 2013

     

    Today we had 17 members, 2 guests and our speaker in attendance -  an excellent turnout on a lovely sunny June morning.  The hotel even had us in the bigger room and served eggs benny again – perfect!

     

    Diana – just back from her European travels recited the 4 way test – almost impeccably.

     

    John – just back from his travel to England read from Wilf Wilkinson’s ( past RI President, current Foundation Chair and Canadian eh)  report on contributions to the RI Foundation as our Rotary Moment.

     

    Announcements

     

    Remember the changeover dinner – June 21 at The Century Plaza – register now

     

    Susan gave us the facts and figures of contributions to date to Strathcona and asked that everyone make a final pitch to get donations.

     

    Cam updated us on the Stanley Cup Hockey pool.  The “girls” are not looking so happy now with Philadelphia down 2 games to the Boston thugs (as of Wed night down 3 games L).

     

    Carlos mentioned a Rotary app and is buying us some domain or other – whatever that is?

     

    Happy dollars produced the usual short insights into the past weeks activities of the members – mostly visits to somewhere else:

     

    Larry visited Point Roberts for the first time; Gary spent the great weather on the golf course;  Susan was in Quesnel for a family birthday; Jim attended the university graduation of his 2nd kid – one more to go; Milie saw a real live bear for the first time; Diana recommended a 3 week holiday in Europe; Julie spent a great girls week at Whistler, Cam was in San Francisco and Cleopatra attended various graduations and told us that she loves graduations and is happy for all the graduates.

     

    Program

     

    Cleopatra introduced the speaker – Kathy Taberner , who along with her daughter

    Kirsten Siggins operates an interesting business of teaching others to communicate.   Kathy demonstrated the difference that can be made in 2 simple conversations with Matthew.  The first produced a decision but left Matthew feeling somewhat unheard, the second left a felling of satisfaction with the process.

     

    Kathy explained that at first everyone struggles with communication skills but, everyone wants to be seen, heard, and understood.  Kathy and Kirsten coach a culture of being collaborative, open minded, respectful of others, and innovative with results that benefit career relationships as well as personal ones.  Change your questions, change your life – but it takes practice. More information can be found on her website at:  www/mycoachingculture.com

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 5, 2013 Sheila Anderson 2013-06-05 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 22nd, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on May 21, 2013

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE

                             MAY 22, 2013

     

    ATTENDANCE-

    Unfortunately we had only 11 of our 25 members attending today. We contemplated boxing up the breakfast and freezing it for next week. But they took it away before we managed.

    The club recited the Four Way test. We now know why our club doesn’t sing the national anthem. But  as Larry couldn’t remember the name of our guest, the whole club chimed “ together” , Welcome Steve  ( McGrandle).

     ANNOUNCEMENTS-

    HOOP-A-THON  - only three weeks left. Hope everything has emailed all their contacts by now. So far, only 22 names contributed on Chimp ( amount $1,965) . A long way to go.

    Team practice is on Saturday at 530 at Strathcona with two coaches present. Lets see who can reach twenty baskets in the minute. So far, I ( Larry ) am up to two on a good day. Then grub and grog at the Union Bar after. Should be fun.

    CHANGEOVER DINNER- June 21 at the Century Plaza Hotel at 630 PM.  Matthew needs to know how many people are coming. Would be great if everyone in town that week could come. Send cheques to our Club. $46.00 per person.

    REMINDER-  MONEY , MONEY! Get your cheques into Alfredo also for the hockey and the golf and t shirts as soon as possible.

    AND- get your police reports in before our student comes from Brazil.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

    Cam attended his high school reunion.

    Julie attending or did attend a girls weekend out.

    Lori wasn’t here but we got the vibes that she attended the Rotary District conference in Quesnel. We look forward to hearing about the weekend.

    The rest of the gang were just happy.

     

    SPEAKER-   We were pleased to have as our speaker today , that world famous explorer, Cam Scott, just back from a trek for two weeks in Nepal. What a treat! The presentation may be brought back for the 14 members who were not here today. A great inspiration for those of us who have buckets for travel, but never leave Vancouver.  Do it now!

    Cam said that the average age of his group was 25-32, so taking his age out, most were 12-15. They had about 15 porters, Sherpas and one cook. What scenery.  6-7000 meters high. He was still on an oxygen tank today at the meeting this morning. Views of Everest.    Landing strip was only 450 feet long, then it dropped off a few thousand feet. They make sure the brakes are checked each flight. And guess what, there was a Starbucks available in the main town.  The luxury of it all. Be sure not to miss the second showing ( TBA).

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

    ‘Where there is no peril in the fight, there is no glory in the triumph’
    Pierre Corneille

     

    Thank you Larry for taking care of the bulletin this week!

          

        

    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 22nd, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-05-22 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 15th, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on May 14, 2013
    story thumbnail

    We started by reading the Four Way Test. 13 members joined, in today as well as our special guest Steve McGrandle and Milie Tiang.

    Our meeting was a special meeting and we are very happy to have a new member in our Club! Milie Tiang was introduced as our newest club member by President Julie.

    Here she is with Julie and Jose Riga who proposed her for membership.

    Before joining Rotary, she hear a lot of good thing about Rotary such as:

    ·         A place where you can get involved in many different projects who she can bring your skills and put them to work.

    ·         A place where if she need some help while she is traveling, a Rotarian will be there for helping her out.

    ·         A place where she will be part of a worldwide community who gives a lot to the world, people who share the same vision.

    Welcome to Rotary Milie, we are sure that you are going to be a great member in our club!

     

     Announcements:

     

    • Change Over Dinner: If you haven’t sing up and if you are still planning to go, please email Matthew ASAP.
    • Gary reminded us about the Hoopathon. By this time, we all should know this special date. June 15th at 10.00 am is when the Hoopathon will take place. Also mark May 25th , 5:30 pm in your calendars, because we will get together to practice our basketball skills. Before, during and after the practice we will enjoy some refreshing beverages. Please also remember to send out an email and talk to your friends about this fundraiser/pledges, and follow up, follow up, and follow up.
    • Abigail updated us about the scholarship. Typically every year we are invited to the graduation ceremony from the students at King George and this year is not the exception. We received the invitation, so if someone from the club is interested in going, please let Julie know. The ceremony is happening on  Friday June 14th at 3.30pm.

     

    Guest Speaker:

     

    Our speaker this week was Katherine Taylor, from Optimal Health Coaching. She is a certifies personal trainer from the Canadian Society of Excersise Physiologist and she has a bachelor of Science in Kinesiology.

     

    Katherine is very passionate about health and fitness education. She has run many marathon including two international races for team Diabetes. In 2010 she joined a group called Cyclebetes and participated in a ride from Halifax to Victoria and upon arrival in Vancouver, Katherine fell in love with the mountains and never left.  

     

    She is an experienced one on one health and fitness trainer. She enjoys helping her clients on achieving their fitness, health and wellness goals through a functional whole body approach that is based on building a strong flexible base in which to build strength on. Her experiences is very broad, but she focuses on Cardio Kickboxing, Step and sculpt, bootcamp, skip and sculpt, core and posture fit and muscle conditioning.

     

    Katheryne also teaches Physical and Health Education locally in Vancouver. She uses the BC curriculum and her knowledge of sport training from UWO, and Victoria University in Australia to provide fun, engaging, and educational lessons plans.

     

    Thought of the day:

     

    “How beautiful it is to excel, and the goodness of giving from your heart.”


    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 15th, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-05-15 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 8th, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on May 07, 2013

    This was a beautiful sunny morning where 16 members and 4 guests got together to enjoy a tasty breakfast and have our regular business meeting.  Our guest were Bernardo Gonzalez Arau, Steve McGrandle, Farid Ayoubzabeh and our new member to be, Milie Taing who is become a Rotarian on May 15th! It is great to have you in our club Milie!

     

    Announcements:

     

    Hoopathon:

     

    As you already know, Hoopathon is happening on June 15th at 10:00am at the Strathcona Community Center. I got a 100 per cent participation from members in our club.  Please continue asking your friends, family, and coworkers for sponsorships. If you are on a team, may 25th we will have our shooting practice. It is going to be lots of fun, after the practice we will meet for “refreshing” beverages.

     

    Today we had our business meeting, where the following topics where discussed:

     

    ·      Membership: Next year plan is to have 25 members and focus on members retention which is really important.

    ·      Service Projects: For next year our club is planning in supporting a school in Colombia. Currently we have 2 clubs in Bucaramanga and they are looking at the grant proposal. We may host a club fundraising event in March 2014 when members of the Colombia clubs are here.

    ·      Strathcona Youth Leadership Program:  Everything looks very promising for this event. We have 100 percent participation from our club. Rotary shirts are here. Everybody that comes to the Hoopathon that has one of this T-shirts, please make sure to wear it. This will give the club great presence.

    ·      Student Exchange: Georgina, our exchange student, is finishing her school year shortly, and we are excited to have her here in Vancouver soon. As part of this, every member of the club need to have the police record checks done. Please have them done as soon as possible.

    ·      Fellowship: We will have our change over dinner on June 21st.  19 people already confirmed, please hurry up to sing up to this nice event. If you are planning to come, please let Matthew know or use the online option through Clubrunner.

    ·      Budget and planning: On June 18th we will have a strategic planning session between the outgoing board and the incoming board to review the 2014 plan.

    ·      Rotary foundation: Every club is encouraged to have Every Rotarian Every Year and the goal is to have a $100.00 per member.

     

    Thought of the day:

    “What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.”

    Sunrise Bulletin for the week of May 8th, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-05-08 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 1, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 30, 2013

    May Day is celebrated in some European and other countries as a socialist workers' day. In North America, we celebrate the limerick we all learned at school:
              "Hooray, hooray, it's the first of May;
               Outdoor lovin' begins today!"
    No comment.

    Our announced agenda for today's Rotary meeting frightened 20 members into showing up, including Adriana Lopez who has been on leave of absence. Good to see you, Adriana. Also with us were prospective members Milie Taing and Steve McGrandle, plus Tom Smith, our Assistant Governor.

    Rotary moment

    AG Tom announced the start of a speakers' bureau which he will manage, to share good speakers among the 7 Vancouver clubs. He suggests that speakers promoting a cause (i.e., looking for funding) be vetted by our service projects committee before deciding whether or not to invite them.

    Club news

    Hoop-a-Thon planning is well underway, in anticipation of this important June 15 event. Time to get pledges, corporate sponsors and other donors lined up.

    President Julie Mantle announced that the June 19 breakfast meeting has been rescheduled to our changeover dinner on Friday, June 21, at Matthew Lynam's hotel. Let him know whether or not you will attend.

    Check the club website for bio information on Luisa Firori de Godoy, our inbound Youth Exchange student. Police record checks will be needed for all members and host families, so see your local police to get the paperwork underway. Larry Belsito says he was pleased to get a clean report, as his transgressions were committed overseas and escaped notice.

    Today's program

    Cam Scott and John Haley were our auctioneers for a fun-filled auction of the NHL hockey teams competing for this year's Stanley Cup. Bidding was fast and furious, as usual, with any ear-scratching or other random movement interpreted as a high bid. Some of the most aggressive bidders weren't even in the room. These included Abigail Turner (always an enthusiastic fan of all the teams), Eduardo de Santiago (who seemed to like all the teams with Spanish-sounding names), Lori Pobuto and Banu Tulumen (who both joined consortia of ladies with very deep pockets to overpower the men bidding against them). And former member Ted MacCormac was an active and aggressive absentee bidder, as he often is.

    When the smoke cleared, Larry calculated that the bids totaled $1,515. This will be distributed 35% for the Stanley Cup winning team, 15% for the runner-up and 10% for GUMBY teams (any team that loses 4 games in a row). The remaining 40% goes to the club for the president's shopping sprees and other operating expenses. Those who were successful bidders are asked to pay the Treasurer now, before we all forget.

     

    After the meeting, we held an informal auction of a red cell phone that someone left behind. The owner will get to buy the wine at the changeover dinner.

    Ann-Shirley and I will be cycling in France for the next month, so Eduardo has agreed to do the bulletins. Next Wednesday's club meeting will be held at the Hotel d'Orsay in Toulouse, France. See you there, oui?

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 1, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-05-01 00:00:00Z 0

    Our exchange student from Brazil

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 29, 2013

    ImageAs part of the student exchange described above, Vancouver Sunrise will welcome Luisa Fiori de Godoy, 16, a student from a small town in Brazil, in August. She will live with local families and attend school at King George.

    Luisa's father is a dentist in a Brazilian hospital and her mother has a bakery. Lindola, where the family lives, has a population of 7,000 and its principal industry is mineral water. Luisa lives with her parents, her 10-year-old sister plus her grandmother and great-grandmother. Luisa's mother was a Rotary exchange student when she was in school.

    Worldwide, more than 8,500 high school students from over 80 countries participate in these Rotary exchanges each year. All of them return home with exciting stories of their year abroad and the many friends they now have in foreign countries.

    Our exchange student from Brazil Rob Goodell 2013-04-30 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 24, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 23, 2013

    After our recent opportunity to order Rotary shirts, President Julie Mantle is promoting Rotary hats, shoes, handbags and accessories in a rainbow of colours. Unfortunately, the pink items are already sold out, so hurry to order your choice of fusia, magenta, celery, tangerine, lime or raspberry. Sounds like a garden to me.

    A full house packed into the small meeting room for this morning's Rotary meeting. We were 15 members, including one newly-inducted member, plus guests Steve McGrandle and Milie Taing, both of whom have visited in recent weeks. Also with us were our speaker and 3 others from his organization. A room full. Nice to see Cam Scott, who survived his big trek in Nepal.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley reviewed some interesting facts about Canada's role within the United Nations. As a founding UN member in 1945, Canada has been active in many peacekeeping operations over the years and currently there are 190 Canadians working overseas with UN programs.

    New member!

    Jose Riga was introduced as our newest club member by President Julie. Jose was formerly a Rotarian in France and has been living in Canada for several years, so it's good to welcome him back to Rotary. He adds a French component to our multinational membership which includes members born in Turkey, Mexico, Venezuela, Scotland, England, the US and probably other countries. Welcome, Jose.

    Announcements

    The 100 Years of Rotary in BC celebration went well over last weekend. Our club's participation featured our youth project in Strathcona, with a basketball hoop that allowed donors to shoot free-throws, raising over $100 toward our Hoop-a-Thon fundraiser on June 15. Gary Chomyn reminds us we only have 6 more weeks to gather pledges and donations for this project.

    The Board has set Friday, June 21, as the date of our changeover dinner, which will be held this year at the Century Plaza Hotel on Burrard Street. Tickets will be about $40 per person, including wine and dinner. RSVP with Matthew Lynam or online (if you're smart enought to figure out how to do that, which I'm not). Please let Matthew know, whether you're coming or not.

    Susan Neale had to leave before the meeting started, but left a message that we should all be completing our police checks in the next few weeks, in preparation for welcoming Luisa Fiori de Godoy from Brazil this summer. Unfortunately, RI requires a new police check for each of us, even if we've recently had one for another organization. The completed forms go to Susan ASAP.

    Today's program

    Our topic this morning was the Saint James Music Academy, which operates in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Vancouver's downtown eastside. Andrew Dawes (that's THE Andrew Dawes, first violinist of the Orford String Quartet and recent recipient of the 2013 Governor General's Performing Arts Award) gave some background to the SJMA, where he's a board member. This charitable organization started in 2006 and now serves hundreds of elementary and high school students, nearly all from low-income families. SJMA provides a healthy after-school meal, free instruments and free professional instruction in a variety of musical instruments plus choral music.  In addition, the children learn valuable life skills and have the opportunity to be part of a community of young people.  Maestro Bramwell Tovey of the Vancouver Symphony calls it "one of the greatest projects of its kind in Canada today."

    Kathryn Walker, Executive Director, actually was the founder of SJMA when her children's subsidized piano lessons in Strathcona were discontinued. She stressed her goal of "social change through music" and told us stories of how this music program transformed the lives of two of the students, including one who hopes to enroll at UBC next year. Christopher Loh showed us two brief videos highlighting the success of the program as demonstrated in the faces and voices of the kids. Tom Durrie, chair of the SJMA board, indicated that the organization funds itself through grants, donations and musical events. An upcoming concert on June 7 at 6:30 pm is an opportunity for us to experience the work of Saint James Music Academy first-hand. The concert will be at Saint James Anglican Church, Cordova and Gore Streets, Vancouver.

    More information is available online at www.sjma.ca.

    Next week's meeting

    The club's annual Stanley Cup Hockey Pool will be held on May 1. Each team will be auctioned off, with the winners being paid off after the Stanley Cup final game. If you're not there next Wednesday, it will be assumed that you want to bid big bucks on the teams that no one else wants. So........be there, or be very sorry.

    Rob

     

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 24, 2012 Rob Goodell 2013-04-24 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 17, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Apr 16, 2013

    President Julie Mantle gonged 15 members and five Guests: Steven McGrandle; Jose Riga who will become a member next week; Valerie Saunier, Therapist in yoga, meditation, Crystals Healing; Milie Taing , second visit; and Bernardo Gonzalez Arau, a friend of Alfredo.

    We are very happy that Jose will join our great, and fabulous club!

     

    Rotary Moment:

     

    John Haley put us to think with a Rotary quiz. Some of the questions were tough and some other questions were even tougher, but Cleo Perez was on-fire answering all the questions! Here are some of the questions that John challenged us with:

    a)   How many provinces and territories are in Canada?

    b)   Which 3 provinces account for 78 per cent of Rotary members in Canada?

    c)    What is the most westerly club in Canada?

    d)   Which province or territory has the highest per capita Rotary members in Canada?

     

    Announcements:

     

    On Saturday April 20th there will be the Showcase, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, to celebrate 100 years of Rotary Service in BC! This is an opportunity for all BC Rotary clubs and Rotary supporters to showcase their signature projects and the good work in their community and around the world.

     

    Hoopathon:

     

    Today was our first day of gathering pledges for this exciting project. Gary Chomyn sent an email that had an overview of the corporate sponsorships, please check your emails and if you haven’t received it, please let Gary know.

     

    Guest Speaker:

    Mathew introduced todays speaker, Cleopatra Perez, a member of our Rotary Club. Cleo gave her classification talk this morning and as always, we heard a very interesting and energetic presentation.

     

    Cleo presented her talk “My Journey to Supply Chain Management”. Her educational background in engineering, specifically, mechanical engineering, but her passion has always been Project and Supply Chain management.

     

    She was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in the mist of a civil war.

     

    Most of her professional experience was working for oil companies, such as PDVSA, British Petroleum. Cleo did a couple of business diplomas after graduating from engineering. When her she had her first baby, she decided to start her own business of electro mechanical construction and she did very well. That company is still running.

     

    Cleo also explained what brought her from Venezuela to Canada. When Venezuela was in a civil war, she decided that she didn’t want her kids to live that. She wanted a better future for her kids and grand kids. She started her paperwork back in 2003 to come to Canada, and finally on December 8th of 2005 she became a landed immigrant, she feels very proud to be Venezuelan and Canadian. During the 2 years that she waited in Venezuela to become a landed immigrant, she studied a MBA. Cleo represented her school in an international business school contest. She won a prize during her MBA for developing a Social Entrepreneur business model, for helping ex-convicts to go back to the working force in Venezuela.

     

    When she did her landing in Canada, landed in Montreal where she had to study French and also got another certificate in Logistics Management in McGill University. After completing her certificate, she went to work to Fork McMurray for 5 months, before deciding to come to Vancouver.

     

    When she arrived to Vancouver, Cleo knew that networking was going to be key, so she went to different networking groups, that’s where she met Matthew and he told Cleo about our Rotary Club. Cleo mentioned that our Rotary Club was a great emotional support for her. She said that she found in us kind people. She always had a kind word from our group. This is what Rotary is all about. Helping each other, networking, having fun. Service Above Self.

     

    Thought of the day:

     

    “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.” – Peter Drucker

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 17, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-04-17 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 10, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 09, 2013

    President Julie Mantle made a cameo appearance this morning, before running off to yet-another day of fun-filled recreation for Hydro and Powerex executives. Before she left for the beach, she modelled Rotary shirts for us, indicating that we can order either T-shirts or golf shirts screened with Rotary emblems, etc. If you weren't there for today's wet T-shirt session, let Julie know your size and whether you prefer the pink or purple version of the shirt.

    President-Elect Ann-Shirley Goodell stepped in for the rest of the meeting. She even took the presidential training wheels off, as she's done this before. We were a crowd in the small meeting room, with 15 members, 4 guests and 2 presenters. Our guests were visiting Rotarian Carol Block from Coral Gables, Florida; proposed member Jose Riga; former member Suzanna Clarke; and return visitor Steve McGrandle. Suzanna and Jim Clarke are sporting great tans after their time in Maui.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley described the International Fellowship of Cycling to Serve, a Rotary fellowship group first organized in Europe in 1984. They do bike rides for fun and to raise money for charity in many countries.

    Club news

    We just received word that our club's inbound Youth Exchange student is Luisa Fiori de Godoy, 16, from a small town in Brazil. She will arrive in August and will live with Rotary families during her year in Vancouver. In preparation, each club member and host family must complete a police record check this spring. Susan Neale is organizing this and will send an email with the forms and instructions. Please look after this in the next few weeks so we can notify RI that we are in compliance.

    Forms for Hoop-a-Thon pledges and donations will be available this week for all members to start gathering financial support for the Strathcona Youth Programs project.

    100 Years of Rotary in BC will be celebrated on Saturday, April 20, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Volunteers are needed to staff our club's display on our Strathcona service project. Contact Ann-Shirley to volunteer for a 2-hour shift.

    Today's program

    Our topic this morning was the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, presented by VP Howard Blank and assisted by Chuck Keeling. Started in BC in 1982, this company now has operations in several provinces, operating casinos, hotels, restaurants and entertainment centres. Hastings Racecourse, which our club has enjoyed numerous times, is part of their network, as is River Rock Resort in Richmond and several other locations around Greater Vancouver. 

    Prior to 1997, BC had a limited gaming system with charitable groups helping to run casino evenings that moved from location to location. With the formation of BC Lottery Corporation, the industry has become more professionally managed, although profits are still shared with communities and charities (including Rotary clubs).  Howard mentioned that about two-thirds of the profits go to support health care, education, social services and various charitable organizations.

    Great Canadian Gaming stresses the entertainment value of gaming rather than the prospect of winning. Problem gamblers are watched carefully, as the company wants its customers to have fun and not become addicted.

    Of course, Howard was asked how our Rotary club could get funding help for our projects from the gaming system. He suggested that we check the website for something called GPEB. So I did. It's the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch of the BC Government, which distributes gaming funds to non-profit organizations. Applications are limited to one per year, with most categories due February 1 to May 31 (and some categories later in the year). Who in our club would be willing to prepare an application and see if we qualify? The website is www.gaming.gov.bc.ca.

     

    Next week is Cleo Perez with her classification talk and lots of information on Venezuela. See you there.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 10, 2012 Rob Goodell 2013-04-10 00:00:00Z 0

    West End student going to Sweden

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 07, 2013

    ImageGeorgina Hargreaves, 15, was selected by the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise to be the club's outbound student in its Youth Exchange program, and is scheduled to go abroad for the school year that starts in August 2013. Georgina lives in Vancouver's West End neighbourhood with her mother, Patricia, and her grandmother.

    Georgina is currently a Grade 10 student at King George Secondary School, also in the West End. She will be going to Sweden for her year abroad, living with Rotary families, learning to speak Swedish, going to high school, and meeting many new friends. She will act as an ambassador for Canada, telling Rotary clubs, school friends and others about life in Vancouver. When she returns home in 2014, she will tell Rotary clubs here, plus her friends and others, all she has seen, heard and experienced in Sweden.

    West End student going to Sweden Rob Goodell 2013-04-08 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 3, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 02, 2013

    After a glorious Easter weekend and increasing daylight in the early mornings, we assembled 15 members for this week's Rotary meeting, plus Steve McGrandle and Jose Riga, both of whom have visited in recent weeks. President Julie Mantle gonged crowd to order and we stumbled through the 4-Way Test before breakfast.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley took us down Memory Lane, recalling the club's participation in a sailing program for disabled sailors during the 1990s. We understand the program continues at Jericho Sailing Centre and the modified boats sport the Rotary name in large, clear letters. More recently, several Canadian clubs organized a 2011 sailing regatta for the handicapped. Amazing what Rotary can do!

    Personal stuff

    It was great to have Banu Tulumen with us, after several weeks devoted to the complications of moving to a new condo.  And Lawrence Bicknell is back from his business travel to all the tropical islands he tells us about.

    Larry Belsito has been checking out his family tree to see if there were any bank robbers among his English ancestors. So far he hasn't been able to claim any of the reward money.

    Matthew Lynam reports that Simon Hauck, now 19, who was our club's most recent Youth Exchange student for a year in Italy, has been accepted for admission to Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Congratulations, Simon!

    Club news

    David Parsons has submitted his resignation from the club, as his new work assignment precludes regular attendance at our meetings. Hopefully, he'll rejoin as soon as he's able.

    For the June 15 Hoop-a-Thon, Gary Chomyn reports that club members' response to the 100% participation challenge is going very well. The planning committee will meet again on April 9 at 5:30 pm.

    Today's program -- business meeting

    President Julie reviewed the highlights of the updated Operational Plan, which had been emailed out in advance.

    Membership ideas were brought back from the recent district-led workshop on this topic. The emphasis this year is on retaining existing members, as well as looking for a few new faces. Our attractive and persuasive Corporate Membership brochure is available for businesses (or families) where one person could be the "official" Rotary member and someone else could be an associate member and attend when the primary person is unavailable. Who do we know who might be interested in this kind of participation?  Julie will get samples of shirts and hats we can wear on project days and other public events proclaiming "Rotarian at Work." For more membership ideas, check www.rotary5040.org and go to 20 Ways to Increase Membership. Also at www.greatideastoshare.com.

    Service project activity continues. The schools in Colombia are revising their application for matching grants from The Rotary Foundation and their district. Our Strathcona Youth project is focussed on the Hoop-a-Thon for June 15. And we continue to collect change to contribute to Polio Eradication.

    Social events, always a highlight for our club, will include a changeover dinner, perhaps in a different format, probably in June. The committee planning this event will meet this Thursday.

    The financial reports for March 31 were distributed earlier. John Haley summarized the financial situation by indicating that the club operational revenues are $5,000 over expenses year-to-date, although we have some expenses still to be paid. A fund of $6,000 has been set aside for next year's inbound Youth Exchange student expenses. John noted that we have some accounts receivable, which means that some members are behind in paying their dues, meal costs and/or commitments from the Valentine's Day auction. Pay up or else!

    100 Years of Rotary in BC will be celebrated April 20 with a Rotary showcase at the convention centre. Our club will have a booth highlighting our Strathcona Youth work, particularly the upcoming Hoop-a-Thon. Volunteers are needed to staff this effort, so talk with Julie before she volunteers you for the 3 am shift.

    The formal (is that a word that ever applies to this boistrous group?) meeting ended early so there was lots of time for members to use one of the laptops in the room to donate to The Rotary Foundation online and help meet the goal of Every Member Every Year. It's simple, although we did hear a few squawks about passwords, incorrect emails, and general confusion. I find it's easy to donate online from a home computer and the Canadian tax receipt arrives in the mail about 2 weeks later. Piece of cake!

     

    That's all the news that fits. See you next Wednesday.

    Rob

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 3, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-04-03 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 27, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 26, 2013

    Brief bulletin today, as I'm anxious to be sailing with my son and grandson. President Julie Mantle welcomed 15 members at this morning's meeting, plus 4 guests: Steve McGrandle and Jose Riga, both of whom have visited before, Bill Sheddy's guest Judy Whyte, and 9-year-old Miles Goodell, here for spring break from Wyoming.

    Gary Chomyn's back from his daughter's wedding in NYC, Cam Scott leaves tomorrow for Nepal, Sonya Orr is in Capetown. Are they looking for an excuse to avoid preparing their tax returns on time?

    Club news

    Gary updated us on the preparations for our Hoop-a-Thon fund-raiser for the Strathcona Youth Programs. We need 100% of our members to be working between now and the June 15 event if we are to achieve our $50,000 goal. Gary gives members a 3-way choice: join a club team to shoot free-throws, make a personal donation, or sign up sponsors and/or donors. Let him know your choice if you haven't already.

    The board has chosen to not pursue the idea of a Mexican dinner this spring and, instead, to concentrate energies on the Hoop-a-Thon and an outstanding changeover event in June.

    Ann-Shirley Goodell brought back from PETS a sample T-shirt that reads "Rotarian at Work" for us to wear during our project appearances. As the club's fashion advisor, Julie is considering whether the shirts should be pink and purple, or orange and lime, or puce and lilac (whatever that is). I'm sure the final result will be stunning!

    Susan Neale will be coordinating the club's compliance with Rotary rules for hosting a Youth Exchange student from another country. This requires that each member have a police record check completed, as well as the host families. Susan will advise us how to do this at a meeting in April.

    Today's program

    Former member Richard Rees was our speaker this morning, in his role as CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC. He spoke on two major topics:

    One was the upcoming consolidation of the several designations of Canadian accounting professionals into one. Currently CAs, CGAs, CMAs plus other designations in some provinces are represented by 40 different provincial and federal organizations. Now I know why I've been so confused. Mergers are underway in most or all provinces, with Quebec already having completed the process. The plan is for all professional accountants in Canada to be known as Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs), in keeping with Japan, Mexico, the US and several other countries with which Canada has extensive business relationships. The changeover will be complex, with a transition of up to 10 years, and a major focus will be new curricula in university commerce programs.

    Richard's other topic was what he calls the Institute's annual BC Check-up, which summarizes the latest economic statistics and offers recommendations to the Provincial Government for the budget and future legislation. He indicated that production is up in BC in recent years and our provincial debt is up but is lower in relation to GDP than other provinces. The Institute recommends that the province work to strengthen BC as a transportation hub, and to seek economic diversification as a remedy for our resource-based "boom or bust" problem. Businesses hope for streamlined regulations, continuing the reduction in the number of provincial regulations over the past few years. Richard noted that government "red tape" has a much higher cost-per-employee for small and medium-sized businesses, and is an impediment to the growth of smaller enterprises. Richard declined to be dragged into the "what if" game concerning the upcoming election.

    The question period addressed problems of pipelines, natural gas exports, and next week's demise of the HST in our part of the world.

     

    The breeze is freshening so I'm on my way. The key question is whether the boat is seaworthy yet. If I don't return, you'll know that it wasn't.

    Rob

     

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 27, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-03-27 00:00:00Z 0

    Hoop-a-Thon shoots for $50,000 to support Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program!

    Posted by Gary Chomyn on Mar 21, 2013

    Image On June 15, 2013 over 50 inner-city youths, representing their 500 teammates, will shoot "free throws" to raise money together with Rotarians, alumni players and celebrities for this year's Hoop-a-Thon at Strathcona Community Centre. Since 2006 the event has raised over $115,000 supporting inner-city youths at risk. This year's goal is $50,000. The Hoop-a-Thon is the major fund-raising event supporting the Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program, which helps these kids by promoting teamwork, leadership skills, community involvement, education and respect for others.

    The Hoop-a-Thon is held each year in June at Strathcona Community Centre located at 601 Keefer Street, Vancouver. Starting at 10 am, youths aged 10 to 18 will be joined by Rotarians, VIPs and others who have collected pledges from friends and busineses to shoot free throws earning money for the program. Last year's event raised over $35,000. Ron Suzuki, Recreation Programmer at the community centre, says "We have added teams from Rotary, local VIPs and celebrities, shooting for...our biggest goal ever (for) youth development programs, team uniforms, tournament fees, transportation and scholarships."

    Suzuki adds, "The basketball program and funds raised help a diverse cross-section of families in the downtown east side of Vancouver including immigrants, First Nations, refugee and lower-income families who have limited opportunity to advance their children's recreation interests and education needs. We also look forward to providing scholarship opportunities to young adults in our community."

    How can you help?

    Support is needed from local businesses, groups and individuals. You can pledge a lump sum to the Hoop-a-Thon or make a donation based on successful free throws. "Youth basketball goes beyond the court," says Suzuki. "It makes all these youths feel...

    Hoop-a-Thon shoots for $50,000 to support Strathcona Rotary Youth Development Program! Gary Chomyn 2013-03-22 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 20, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 19, 2013

    The calendar says that spring starts this week, but you sure wouldn't know it today. Cold, lots of rain, wind -- enough of this! But there are encouraging signs, too, in the jonquils in bloom and some early-bird trees starting to blossom. We can only hope.

    Abigail Turner says she's involved in a major court case in Victoria that will keep her away for some weeks. But, we note that there's a new bar/restaurant in Kitsilano called "Abigail's Party." One wonders...

    Meanwhile, back at the Coast Coal Harbour this morning, 14 members braved the spring(?) weather to gather for breakfast and Rotary in the big ballroom. President Julie Mantle needed a megaphone to be heard. We all had an opportunity to meet Georgina Hargreaves, the King George student who will be going to Sweden on Youth Exchange in August. Visiting Rotarian Shail Mahanti from the Vancouver Arbutus club was with us again. And, we welcomed first-time visitors Milie Taing from Paris and Jose Riga from Toulouse, France. Both have relocated to Vancouver. Jose was a Rotarian in France a few years ago. Milie starts work next month at SNC-Lavalin in Vancouver.

    Club news

    100 Years of Rotary in BC will be celebrated on Saturday, April 20, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Our club will have a booth to build enthusiasm for our Strathcona Youth Programs. Club members will be needed to staff this booth, so mark your calendars.

    The Hoop-a-Thon is scheduled for Saturday, June 15, and will benefit the Strathcona Community Centre's sports programs as well as funding scholarships for post-secondary education. Teams of club members and round-ball "ringers" are forming now. Every member needs to be involved as a team member, donor, sponsor-finder, or all of the above, if we are to reach our ambitious goal of $50,000. Start now to let your friends, coworkers, and others know about this very worthwhile effort.

    Cam Scott will be hiking in Nepal for the next few weeks, so we need members to help with finding speakers and programs for meetings starting April 10. Email your ideas to Cam this week, before he hits the trail. If you miss Cam, send them to President Julie.

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Barbara Kirby, a friend of Cleo Perez. Barbara was a stockbroker in Vancouver until she found it necessary to be a caregiver for her unwell father and, later, her mother. As a result of the problems she and her parents encounted in the seniors' care system, Barbara became an advocate for seniors, eventually starting a consulting business in this specialized area. Her business is called BJK Senior' Advocate and provides personal support, planning and advocacy for seniors and their families. She also works on contract with the BC Association of Community Response Networks as an outreach to service providers. CRN operations are being formed in a number of Vancouver neighbourhoods, as the needs of seniors and the services available vary from area to area. Education workshops and mentoring are some of the services offered to service providers.

    Through these organizations, Barbara works to prevent seniors' abuse (financial, physical, sexual, psychological), neglect and self-neglect -- all of which are too common among seniors these days. CRNs are bringing people together to raise awareness, educate, build relationships and work toward prevention. There's a rumour that some of US are going to get older, so we should be pleased that BarbaraKirby and others are working to improve the quality of life for older people.

     

    That's all for today. Next week's speaker is former member Richard Rees, who will give us the Institute of CAs' view of the provincial economy as we think about the provincial election in May.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 20, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-03-20 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 6, 2013

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 05, 2013

    President Julie Mantle is back from Puerta Vallerta; Ann-Shirley and Rob Goodell have returned from San Diego; Diana Theman hasn't left yet for Alberta; Sonya Orr doesn't go to Capetown until later this month; Alfredo Carrete will be off to Mexico soon; Cam Scott goes to Toronto next week; and Cleo Perez is busy packing to go to the Chavez funeral in Venezuela. So, at today's Rotary breakfast, we had a high attendance number of 18 members, plus Steve McGrandle, a frequent guest, and Laura Bicknell, member of Burnaby Rotaract (and Lawrence's daughter). It was almost standing-room only.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley did the math and determined that the eradication of polio will save $40 to 50 billion US dollars in health care costs over the next 20 years. More than I've made all week! Not to mention all the human suffering that will be avoided. "We are this close!" Isn't that a gread ad campaign? Carlos Obregon says we can each have our photo online as part of the campaign. Check the Foundation website.

    Club news

    Our outbound Youth Exchange student is Georgina Hargreaves, from King George Secondary School. She's going to Sweden in August and will be at our March 20 meeting so we can all get to know her.

    Gary Chomyn previewed plans for the Hoop-a-Thon on Saturday, June 15, which will benefit the Strathcona Community Centre youth programs. Our goal is $50,000 and needs 100% participation by members. Media people and VIPs will be there to shoot baskets, and our club will form 4 teams to throw basketballs as well. Join a team, make a contribution, get corporate sponsors, get involved! The next planning meeting is Monday, March 11, at Strathcona.

    Diana is organizing a sushi-making day on March 17, featuring Ron Suzuki from Strathcona as the sushi chef. Space is limited so talk with Diana.

    Present-elect Ann-Shirley went to PETS last month and survived. She has good things to say about our incoming District Governor, Garry Shearer from Tsawwassen.

    The board will meet on Tuesday morning, March 19, at Julie's office.

    Today's program

    New member Susan Neale gave her classification talk this morning and, as often happens, we heard a very interesting presentation. Susan grew up on a farm in Merritt, BC, came to Vancouver to attend BCIT, and received her CGA certification in 1994. She says the accounting bodies are contemplating significant changes and she may (or may not) wind up as a CPA instead. Who knows? Her partner Wally is a civil engineer.

    Susan's career has been in corporate financial management, starting in insurance and then moving to the mining industry. She became Chief Financial Officer of a gold mining company with mines in Canada, the US and Australia. She described for us some of the environmental, heritage and operational challenges that mining companies face, and the extensive world travel that her job required. Later, the company went through an ownership and financial change, ending up as a non-bank lender with Conrad Black among its clients. Most recently, Susan worked for a diamond mining company, which she says is a very different business than gold mining. To prove her point, she distributed free samples of both products. If you weren't there, you missed it.

    For the past 9 months, Susan has taken a break in her career to recharge her batteries and entertain new priorities. She's considering a return to mining. In the meantime, she enjoys travel, outdoor sports and book clubs. She's a volunteer with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra (a great bunch of young musicians), is a YWCA mentor with unemployed women, and leads Stanley Park bike tours for the Vancouver Hostel.

    Thanks, Susan, for an informative talk and congratulations on your many successes. Welcome to Rotary.

    And, that's all for this week. I'll think of you next Wednesday, from a chairlift at Whistler.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 6, 2013 Rob Goodell 2013-03-06 00:00:00Z 0

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
February 13th, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Feb 12, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

    Meeting – February 13, 2013

    ATTENDANCE –

       Since the unsynchronized reading of the Four Way Test last week, we all went home and practicing, and today we all read it again in a much improved unsynchronized way. It was the readers who had the problem.  Ah well….

       Sixteen members joined in today as well as our special guest Steve McGrandle.

    ROTARY MOMENT-  John Hayley

          Every November, the Rotary Club of Waterloo, Iowa sends Rotarians and other volunteers to impoverished areas of Nicaragua with two semi trucks full of donated Christmas gifts, collected by churches, school groups and Rotarians of Iowa and seven other states. Since 2001, they have shipped about 2,400 “shoe-boxes”- packages loaded with clothing, school supplies and toiletries for kids- along with 790 layette bags filled with supplies for new mothers, plus 100 bicycles and 12 tons of food.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

        RYLA—We are hoping to send out out-going exchange student, Georgina Hargreaves to RYLA.

        STRATCONA YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROJECT- Good meeting last night, Media Kits are just about ready for production. We are working with Strathcona on the Application Program for the event. Names of potential youth for these scholarships  will be ready by the end of this month.

          ROTARY CLUB OF CHINATOWN- Year of the Serpent event- Floata Restaurant- March 8 at 6 PM, Dinner, Dance, Orchestra, Auctions, Lion Dance at only $75.00 per person

        PAUL HARRIS AWARD-  Abigail did the honours today in presenting John Haley a Paul Harris Award. John is one of the founding members of our club, spent many years as our Treasurer and has always been there for us.

    VALENTINE’S AUCTION- Proceeds were just under $3,000.00

    1.    VSO Tickets- from Susan-  to ? 

    2.    Nitya Blouse 1- from Larry-to Abigail and Blouse Two to ?

    3.    Golf Package from Abigail- to Lawrence

    4.    Wine and Chocolates-from Julie –to  Lawrence

    5.    Two athlete shirts-from Abigail -to Lawrence and Diana

    6.    Presidents Choice $50.00 Cert. from Steve –to Bill

    7.    Business package and wine- from Abigail to  Matthew

    8.    Six cups and saucers- from Banu- to John

    9.    Mystery Dinner- from Matthew – to Sheila, Abigail and Diana

    10.Scarves- from Sheila one each to Abigail, Lawrence and Sonya

    11. El Patron Luncheon from Alfredo to Sheila

    12.Wine and Chocolates- from John H to Alfredo

    13.House in France for a week from Abigail to John H

    14.BC Liquor Store cert.$50.00 from Gary to Sonya

    15.Games night and snacks from Sheila to Sonya and Abigail

    16.Mexican Lunch- from Carlos to Abigail

    17.Mt Baker Cabin from John to Bill

    18.1/2 Lagulin Scotch from Bill to Cam

    19.Two Giants tickets- from Bill to Sheila

    20-Jazz Concert from Bill to Gary

    21.Ardbeg Scotch from Lawrence to Sonia

    22.Ourdy’s Yard of Choc and passport holder- from Sonia

     to Susan

    23. Electric Photo Frame from Club to Abigail

    24.Point Roberts Cabin from Cam to Sheila

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

    A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous’”  by Ingrid Bergman  
    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
February 13th, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-02-13 00:00:00Z 0

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
February 6th, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Feb 05, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
    February 6th, 2013

    ATTENDANCE

    This week's Rotary meeting was in the big ballroom of the Coast Hotel and we all started our meeting by reciting from memory the Four Way Test. Well, some of us, we had to read it… There were 16 members present and two on Skype, Rob and Ann Shirley Goodell, plus one guest Steve McGrandle.


    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Next week, on February 13th, our club will celebrate Valentine’s Day, with our annual Valentine’s Auctions and it is sure going to be fun! If you have any auction items please E-mail Abigail to let her know so the auctions items can be added before Wednesday. Auction items can be anything from chocolates, wine, lunch, dinner, or even a get-a-way weekend in a beautiful cabin south the border.


    STRATEGIC PLAN

    This week we had a full business meeting where we talked about different topics that are going to guide us in the next coming weeks and months. Diane, Julie, and Sheila led our strategic plan meeting.

    During the meeting we talked about different areas of our club, which we consider are the most important points:

    1.  Meeting and Rotary Management
    2.  Membership
    3.  Fellowship and Training
    4.  Projects
    5.  Youth 
    6.  Budget and Financial
    7.  Foundation
    8.  Public Relations

    A detailed document with the topics and notes discussed during the meeting will be emailed separately to members of our club.


    THOUGHT OF THE DAY

    Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others. - Danny Thomas

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
February 6th, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-02-06 00:00:00Z 0

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise January 30 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Jan 29, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

    January 30, 2013

    Today we had two visitors, Steve McGrandle, a potential member for our club, and Shail Mahanti  from the Arbutus Club.

    Happy Birthday to Diane, Alfredo and Cleopatra who celebrated their birthdays this week!

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    • We are going to be our annual Valentine’s Auction on February 13th. We invite you to bring any item you want for the auction. It could be a bottle of wine, flower, even a getaway weekend in a nice cabin down in the USA! Please email Abigail and let her know what you are planning what item are you planning to bring.
    • On Tuesday Jan 29th, we had a meeting in Strathcona Community Centre about the Hoopathon 2013. The committee is formed and this year we will need everybody’s support to make this even a big success. We are aiming to raise CAD$40,000 this year and a 100 per cent participation of our club members, to make this happen. The Hoppathon will be on June 15th at 10:00am. This is going to be a great event and lots of fun.
    • This year, Rotary Clubs in British Columbia are celebrating the 100th Anniversary, since the first Rotary club in British Columbia, The Rotary Club of Vancouver, was chartered on April 22, 1913. Tis celebration will take place on April 16th, 19th and 20th with a closing gala evening event with a world-renowned speaker.
    • This coming Wednesday February 6th, we are holding our club’s strategic planning meeting. The focus will be to go through the strategic and annual plan and to do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Your participation and ideas are very important, so please try to attend to this meeting. See email from Lawrence for more details.

     

    SPEAKER 

    Our speaker this week was Cam Scott who gave us a wonderful photo presentation of his last trip to South Africa (Kruger, Cape Town, Johannesburg). In his presentation we could see how beautiful this part of the world is. 

    Cam’s slides included great pictures of landscapes and the large variety of wild life, including elephants, monkeys, impalas, hippopotamus, buffalos, lions, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, hyenas, and even turtles having fun!

    There were many wonderful vistas.

     

    SPECIAL CELEBRATION

    We celebrated Robbie Burns, the most famous of all Scottish poets, day with a yummy (?) Haggis. The haggis was brought to the meeting room while a bagpiper played a short musical recital. Bill started by reading the Address to a Haggis, and then some of us who were brave enough, proceed to eat a piece of Haggis.


    THOUGHT OF THE DAY






    “We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.” - Rudyard Kipling.

    Bulletin Rotary Club Vancouver Sunrise January 30 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-01-30 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 23, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Jan 22, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

    Club Newsletter

    January 23, 2013

    ATTENDANCE-

         Carlos started the meeting, sort of reading the Four Way Test,  and admitting that he has forgotten how to do it in Espagnol.,

       We had 13 members in attendance as well as our Speaker, MP John Weston, and a guest of Cleo, Jan Westerdorp who designs books and one Rotarian , Michael Levitt, from the Grand Cayman Rotary Club, a club of 86 members and ten years of age( the club, that is). We exchanged banners. His passion is the young clubs, Rotaract and Interact, having started two in Grand Cayman.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

         The photograph book of the entries in our contest is now available from either Banu or Julie  ( $30.00 for members) and 35.00 for non members.

         The Rotary District Conference is being held in Quesnel this year in May. Check the District website for the details, ie buses from Vancouver, costs, etc.

         The next meeting of the Strathcona planning members is at the Rec Centre next Tuesday at 530 PM ( January 29, 2013)

        Next week we will be celebrating Robert Burns day ( a bit late, for all that, replete with bagpipes and haggis ( not the Wonton Haggis I saw advertised this week)

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

           Diana and Julie had to leave early today for a meeting.

           Sonya will be off on her weekly?trip next week.

           Banu is in the process of sorting out her Condo to get ready for the move to Coquitlam.  We will arrange a Skytrain to take her to our meetings.

           Dave apologized for missed meetings but he works from Vancouver and White Rock and often WR has Wednesday meetings.

           Cleo is off to see her daughter in Boston next week.

          Larry and Tania booked Mexico for Feb 27 for two weeks and Julie booked Mexico for Feb 20th.

    GUEST SPEAKER-

        Bill introduced our guest speaker, MP John Weston from West Vancouver, who has spoken previously to our club.

    He is reading a book worthwhile to have a look at, On China by Henry Kissinger.  John mentioned that he is a Canada- Mexico representative in his party and had attended the new President’s inauguration in Mexico.

       The club was asked what it was felt was the main issue of discussion these days politically. It wasn’t health or education, but rather Chinese Foreign Investment. They received 5500 emails in this regard, with worries as to how it helps Canada, are we losing our authority, how the mechanism works, and why so little intercommunication. The agreement is not yet being enforced, but it was mentioned that there are 24 different agreements from around the world with Canada at this stage. These agreements add about 4,000 dollars in revenue for a family of four at present. Local regulations still prevail. The opposition parties had four days in parliament to debate the latest transaction but they never did.

        Cam Scott thanked our speaker.

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

        If you have ten thousands regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.    Winston Churchill

          


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 23, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-01-23 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 16, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Jan 15, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise


    Attendance:

    -     Sonya initiated our meeting with the Four Way Test.

    We

     We were 15 memebers and 3 guests: Robert French, Laura Bicknell, Alex Pisan (a potential member); and our featured speaker Jaime Smithers.


    Rotary Moment

    Carlos mentioned about last week’s TIME magazine.  We were glad that Rotary International was mentioned on the article:

    “Thanks to aggressive global vaccination programs led by Rotary International, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and, most recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the year just beginning could be the disease’s last.”


    Announcements:

    Matthew mentioned about some possible changes/improvements for this year West End Senior’s Luncheon. We expect it is going to be as good or even better as 2012 luncheon!

    Gary gave us an update on last’s weeks Rotary Youth Development meeting. This year, the hoopathon it is going to be a bit different, and even better! We would like to see a 100% participation from our club this year. If you have ideas on how we can engage member in getting involved, please let us know.


    Speaker:

    Alfredo introduced Jayme Smither, Sr. Director - Transformation Office at SAP and member of Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation.

    Jayme talked about the work the that the Strachan Hartley Legacy foundation and the positive impact this foundation has in the society.

    The Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation was created in In memory of Dr. Strachan Hartley, (1976-2007) who lost battle with cancer in 2007 at age of 30. The foundation believes in the inherent power of sports to educate and develop young people in a positive manner – to teach crucial life skills that can make a difference between success and failure; perseverance and giving up; between potential fulfilled and potential wasted; between energy used for the benefit of society, and energy used against it.

    Since 2007, the foundation has raised over $750,000 across Canada. Fundraisers include annual local run, parties, bike and canoe across Canada, Kilimanjaro Climb.

    For more information about Strachan Hartley Legacy Foundation, please visit www.facebook.com/strachanhartley


    Thought of the day:

    “I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them.” ― Phyllis Dille


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 16, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-01-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 9, 2013

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Jan 08, 2013

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise

                  Newsletter – January 9, 2013

    ATTENDANCE-

          -Carlos initiated the meeting with the Four Way test.

     Along with 10 members, we had 7 visitors and our speaker, Assistant District Governor Tom Smith. Visitors included Steve McGrandle, a potential member for our club, who has been coming for over three months, John Charbonneau , accompanying our speaker, and Alex Pisan, owner of  La Bretagne Creperie who is also a potential member. As well we had Knut, oof the Haugesund Soer club and Kristin Rasmussen, both Rotarians in Norway in separate clubs and their two daughters, Anna , who attends UVic and Inger.  A great time was had by all.

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

    -      Hoop-a-Thon meeting will take place at Strathcona  Rec Centre on Monday January 14 at 530.  All interested parties are most welcome.

    -      The Compilation of Photographs has been printed into a book and is available for $30.00, cheques to be passed on to Julie.

    -      Kick-off event for the Rotary Club of Vancouver Mentor-Network is coming on January 16. While one goal is to increase the visibility of our own club and what we're doing out in the community, of course the real objective is to promote Rotary in general and to increase membership in all our clubs.
    The following link will take you to the Rotary Events Vancouver Meet up group, which has all the event information and where people can r.s.v.p. to get on the guest list.
     
    http://www.meetup.com/Rotary-Vancouver-Events/events/95188462/

    -      Leadership Meetings resume at the end of January. Watch for details. The Club does subsidize part of the cost.

    HAPPY DOLLARS-

    -      Cleo is now gainfully employed.

    - happy buck for the return of the Canucks, but most people couldn’t have care less

        

    SPEAKER-

             Matthew introduced our speaker.

              District Assistant Governor, Tom Smith was our speaker today.  He covered many items regarding Membership; Foundation; President Citations which are coming up soon; Leadership meetings coming up at the end of January; all speakers at Pets will be recorded next year and be available to show at meetings; more advertising and PR will take place next year; Delta and Richmond clubs on January 24 which celebrate a “End Polio Day”; Joint meeting in January  at the Quadra club regarding “Sexuality in the city”: Should be interesting; Rotary collaboration with CIDA, the government funding organization, to co-ordinate a common Rotary Grant ( could be 3.1 million) instead of dozens of smaller ones in Canada. Committee composed up CIDA Rep, Ecological Rep, Gender Equality Rep, a Secretary and the CEO; With Rotary Funds, this could reach $6 million dollars. Tom interspersed a deal of humour into his speech as well. Gary Chomyn thanked the speaker

    -      THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

          -How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
    Anne Frank   


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of January 9, 2013 Eduardo De Santiago 2013-01-09 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 19, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Dec 18, 2012

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise


    Attendance- 

    Today we had the bigger room, and wouldn’t you know it. Only 8 members and no guests showed up.

    Sheila wanting to stay in the limelight , not only was our featured speaker today, but fill in as acting President for Julie, who was snowed in at  SFU.

     

    Rotary Moment-John Haley

    There has been a pilot program extended to 200 clubs around the world regarding Meeting Frequency. It has been on since 2007 and ends next year.  Various formats have been tried, less frequency of meetings, meetings without meals, etc. Several clubs noted increased membership. More will be announced in 2013 when the test run is completed.

     

    Happy Dollars-

           -Sheila heading off to Columbia and Mexico for a total of five weeks.

           -Lawrence’s daughter is attending final year at university but ending his and Beverly’s status as empty nesters.

           -Larry cleaned out on of the boxes this morning and discovered a cache of Happy Dollars which obviously fell out of the chalice in the box.  So a record take considering only 8 people present.

    -John and Marnie were at the airport til 2 AM awaiting their sons return from Fiji where a hurricane occurred with major flooding. Happy to have them here for Xmas

    -Jim passed his tough exam in Washington to be eligible to work also in the USA in his line of work.

     

    Announcements-

        -REMEMBER -   NO MEETING NEXT WEEK, Dec 26 and the following week, JANUARY 2

         - Photo contest books- $30.00 each. Advise Julie as soon as possible if you wish a copy.

     

    Speaker Presentation – Sheila Anderson

         - Sheila presented an absolutely marvelous pictorial presentation of the trip in Peru that she and Pat enjoyed recently.  It was a shame that only 8 people saw it, so when she returns, we will ask her to re- present it to the club.

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 19, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-12-19 00:00:00Z 0

    Christmas with the West End Seniors

    Posted by Ann-Shirley Goodell on Dec 16, 2012

    Image 

    360 West End Seniors, many of them shut-ins, gathered for a wonderful Christmas lunch at the Westin Bayshore on December 1.  This was the 25th year that the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise has orchestrated this event with the help of a downtown hotel and a local grocery store.  This year our thanks go to the Westin Bayshore and IGA for their generosity in sponsoring this event.

    Students of King George Secondary and Strathcona High Schools were Santa’s elfs and entertained the seniors with charming holiday carols while helping the disabled to fill their plates.  These schools are recipients of the  Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise’s fund-raising energies that provide university scholarships for deserving students at King George and support the youth programs at Strathcona Community Centre.  The Westin Hotel provided most of the food, cooked, set up, took down, cleaned up and provided so much free labour it was incredible.  The Rotary Club expresses its sincere thank you to all at the Westin Bayshore on behalf of the Seniors.  For many of them, this is their only Christmas celebration.

    Christmas with the West End Seniors Ann-Shirley Goodell 2012-12-17 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 12, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Dec 11, 2012

    Attendance:

    Bill presented the Four Way Test today. We had almost a full house or at least seems like full house since we were in a small room today.  Steve McGrandle was our guest visitor today.

     
    Rotary Moment – John Haley

    Rotary Foundation and Rotary Clubs around the world have contributed to produce and distribute a type of artificial limbs. About 6,000 people in Haiti lost a limb in the 2010 earthquake or soon after. That year, Rotary Clubs and the Grove Church in Virginia contributed nearly $600,000 towards producing artificial limbs.

    The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 30 million people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America required prosthetic limbs.  According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 1 in every 631 people in Afghanistan has lost a limb. In Angola, the number is 1 in every 334.


    Announcements:

    Banu announced a nice surprise. The photobook of this year photo contest is ready and she did a great work! The book looks very professional. If you want a copy of this book, the cost is $27 and shipping is free if you pick it up at Black’s Photography, at Pacific Centre. Thank you Banu for putting it together. Contact Banu to place an order.

    Please note that our weekly meeting on December 26th and January 2nd will be cancelled.

    We held our 25th annual General Meeting today for the Club and for the Club Foundation. Ann Shirley will take the position of President, Lawrence as Secretary and Eduardo as Treasurer. Julie will be Past President but we still need a President Elect. Volunteers please !!!! 

    Our speaker for Wednesday  December 19th is Sheila, and she is going to talk about her fabulous trip to Peru!

     
    Classification talk – Gary Chomyn

    Gary grew up in Winnipeg  and he is the first son of three kids. His dad came over from Ukraine and his mom is also a daughter of a Ukrainian family. When he was in grade 8th, Gary got his first job at Dairy Queen (that would be every kid’s dream!) making milkshakes.

    He graduated from University of Manitoba in psychology, sociology and economics, and after Gary travelled around Europe. When he came back to Canada, he got an opportunity to work in Edmonton in the field of radio and television.

    After working in radio and television, Gary decided to move to sales. He is very determined and very driven, some key elements to make a perfect sales person.

    Gary received a job opportunity to work in Vancouver to work for the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group as a General Sales Manager but after 7 years working for this group, he decided to start his own marketing/sales/advertising/consulting business, which he has been running very successfully since 1999.

    Gary has two kids, Allene who is a professional musician with the Kitchener Symphony; and Andrew, who works for Sony as a rep for PlayStation in the lower mainland.

    Thought of the day: “Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves” James Barrie.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of December 12, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-12-12 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 28, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Nov 27, 2012

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
    November 28, 2012

     

    ATTENDANCE-

    Matthew started off the meeting for the second week in a row with the four way test. It does it so well.

    Today we had 15 members in attendance. Guess everyone remembered our change in venu to the Century Plaza, who did a fantastic job for us today. Thanks to Matthew. Also present was Susan Neale who is about to become a member of our club.


    ROTARY MOMENT-  John Haley

      The “Every Rotarian Every Year” program is a good program and at $100 per year may well be something that folks will feel is a comfortable amount to part with.  You can make a lump sum contribution or possibly set it up on a quarterly or monthly program.    I would like to have our Club return to our previous levels of almost 100% participation.
     There are also the Benefactor and Bequest programs.

    • Benefactor – $1,000 to $9,999 - donate via cash, life insurance or an amount left in your will/estate or use a combination of all three.
    • Bequest - $10,000 to well whatever - donate via cash, life insurance or an amount left in your will/estate or use a combination of all three.

    It is so easy to arrange quarterly payments of $25.00. If you need help, let John know.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS-

    Christmas party  will be at Lawrence and Beverley’s house. Remember your food item, your wine and a present for each of you attending. Time is at 4 PM.

    West End Seniors Christmas Luncheon, meet at the Bayshore at 10 AM, remember that there is a parking lot to the EAST of the Bayshore lot which is mucho cheapo. I might have said to the West previously. We have over 400  coming so we need all the help that we can get.

    Next meeting for the Stathcona Leadership program including Hoopathon, scholarships and community work will be Dec 10 at the rec centre at 530 PM. The program has expanded and we need a few more volunteers to attend some of the meetings.

      

    SARGENT-AT-ARMS- SHEILA

    Cam and Lubna heading off to Hawaii for a couple of weeks, ( was that a happy buck? ), Tania and Larry now grandparents to four boys after two more arrived on Monday.

     

    SPEAKER-CAROLINE MACGILLIVRAY ( introduced by Gary Chomyn)

    On December 15th, 2000 (12 years ago), the first Beauty Night was held at WISH Drop in Centre in Vancouver’s DTES. A local actress and writer, Caroline MacGillivray started volunteering at WISH in the summer of 2000. She was researching a role for an upcoming film. One night, a woman came in who had had a bad day. She did not want to eat, speak or assistance with housing, bad date sheet or shelter for the night – she wanted to “feel clean.” After having a shower, the woman picked up a curling iron that had been donated to the centre. She was unable to bring her arms up to curl her hair. Caroline offered to do this for her. With simple kindness, friendship was born. The woman left walking taller and seemed to have an extra bounce in her step. After repeated requests for makeovers from other women, Caroline proposed a “beauty night”.

    The organization has grown from it’s first Beauty Night (14 volunteers and served 73 women) to offer programs 4 nights a week (serving 200 each week). Thanks to 500+ volunteers, Beauty Night has given over 26, 000 makeovers in 12 years. The three streams of programming focus on wellness, life skills development and makeovers. The joy, friendship and laughter connects the community together.

    When MacGillivray asked the women how they would like to celebrate Beauty Night’s 12th anniversary, many said they would like to support the organization that has had a positive impact on their lives. They wanted to have a fashion show. When the Hive Vancouver contacted MacGillivray to support this cause, she was delighted. “The Hive Vancouver wanted to bring the community together by holding an event to support our cause. When the possibility of a fashion show was mentioned, I was thrilled. It seemed like a great fit.”

     We are also collecting goodies to fill the stockings in the next few weeks.  During the holiday season, Santa’s elves (Team Beauty Night members) sew stockings, decorate stockings, collect and fill stockings with self-care products, and deliver them to women in need throughout the shelters in the lower mainland. From the 12th to the 24th in addition to our regular programming we will be handing out stockings.

    PS  SUSAN NEALE HAS OFFERED TO COLLECT ITEMS FROM MEMBERS.

    We are collecting new items including:

    Socks

    Dental floss & tooth paste

    Soaps and Lotions from Hotels

    Gloves

    Journals & pens

    Samples sizes for body care, hair care, nail care, skin care products

    Jewelry (new – or current – bought in past 2 years)

     

    We are thrilled to be one of the 11 finalists for the BC Ideas competition and need your help to be one of the top three finalists. If we are chosen, $15, 000 would be invested in our cause. This would help us in our mission to build self esteem and change lives for women and youth living in poverty. In the past twelve years, we have given 26, 000 makeovers thanks to 500 volunteers. Just imagine what we could do with additional support,”

     

    THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

        What we see depends mainly on what we look for – John Lubbock (statesman)

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 28, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-11-28 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 21, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Nov 20, 2012
    story thumbnail

    We were very happy because we had “almost” perfect attendance this week! It’s has been a long time since we have a full house! Steve McGrandle was a guest today.
     
    Rotary Moment – John Haley

    John shared a story called “Taking big bites out of polio in the Big Apple” by Ramesh Ferris, polio survivor and member of the Rotary Club of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.
     
    In this story, Ramesh talks about how he is taking action and how his is sharing the urgency of polio eradication with world leaders. Ramesh has been a key player with Rotary to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication across Canada. To do this, he hand-cycled more that 7,000 kms across Canada. During this tough journey, he took every opportunity he could to talk about the disease to others.
     
    Ramesh was born in India and he contracted polio after 25-years after the world had a vaccine to prevent it. When he was 18 months old, his mother gave him up for adoption so he could have a chance at a better life.  He joined Rotary which has worked tirelessly to eradicate this disease since 1985.
     
    We all can make a difference. Canada agreed to match every single dollar raised by Canadian Rotarians, up to $1 million, to fight polio!
     
    Announcements:

    Abigail announced that this year’s Christmas dinner will be held at Lawrence and Bev’s place on December 1st at 4:00pm. If you want to join, please do not forget to email Abigail and let her know.
     
    Matthew announced that everything is almost ready for the West End senior’s lunch that is happening on December the 2nd. This is going to be for around 350 seniors. Feel free to join us to celebrate the 25th West End senior’s lunch anniversary. We need around 3 volunteers to serve lunch. Please join us at 10:00am.
     
    Guest speaker – District 5040 Governor, Rebecca MacPherson.

    It was an honor to have Rebecca as a speaker in our club.  She started mentioning this year’s RI theme: “Peace through Service”, but what is peace? On its simplest level, peace can be defined by what it is not: It is a state of no war, no violence, no fear. It means you are not in danger or hungry, you are not in prosecution or suffering. Peace can be also defined by what it really is:  Peace can mean freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of choice.  Peace can also mean inner happiness, sense of calm or serenity.
     
    No matter how we use or understand the word peace,  Rotary really can help bringing peace to other.  Rotary can help to meet the basic needs of others,  by providing health care, sanitation,  food and education when and where it is needed the most. Through Rotary programs and service, we know that we work together as Rotarians, we really can make a difference no matter how big the problem is. It doesn’t matter what our culture, what our background, where we live, what our social standing is, but as Rotarians we all have one thing in common: We want to make a difference in the lives of who have less than we do.
     
    For Rotary Clubs to continue to do the good that we do, we must bring in new member.  Lets make sure that our Club, is a club that others would like to join!
     
    Rebecca invited us to the 2013 Rotary International District 5040 Conference in Quesnel, BC on May 17 – 20, 2013.
     
    "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." Etienne de Grellet
     
    Thought of the day:

    “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go”  - TS Elliot

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 21, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-11-21 00:00:00Z 0

    2 Great Holiday Events Coming Up

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Nov 14, 2012

    Get an early start on your Christmas celebrations with these Vancouver Sunrise events:

    Saturday, December 1 - Our traditional club Christmas party, with a fabulous potluck dinner and wine, great Sunrise fellowship, and the hilarious gift exchange with frequent theft opportunities. Saturday evening at Bev and Lawrence Bicknell's home in Port Moody, BC. For info and to register, contact Abigail Turner.

    Sunday, December 2 - For 25+ years, Sunrise has been bringing holiday cheer to the shut-ins and other senior participants in the West End Seniors' Network. Some 300 seniors will gather in a hotel ballroom for eggnog, a buffet Christmas dinner with turkey and all the trimmings, carol singing, entertainment and even a visit from Santa. The Bayshore Hotel provides the venue and most of the food, Sunrise Rotary organizes the rest, and young people from Strathcona Community Centre and King George Secondary School lend a hand. A great way to share the holidays with seniors who really look forward to this annual event. Matthew Lynam is the key club member on this Rotary community service project, so be sure to ask him how you can help.

    2 Great Holiday Events Coming Up Rob Goodell 2012-11-15 00:00:00Z 0

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE NOVEMBER 14, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Nov 13, 2012

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE
    NOVEMBER 14, 2012

     

    Attendance

    Abigail presented the Four Way test today.  As last week, we all presented it,  we were all tired out and she did it alone.

    We had 13 members present today, as well as our speaker and our two  guests, Susan Neal and Steve McGrandle, both whom we hope will become members one day.

     

    Rotary Moments- John Haley

     Robert Kirk is a Rotary legend in Pennsylvania. He has 52 years of perfect attendance, has been to over 500 Rotary Club meetings outside of his home town, including meetings in 33 foreign countries and every US State. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and a recipient of the Hamilton Redfield Award for his service to Rotary, Community and Church.  Wow!

     John also read out the Object of Rotary as a reminder to all of us. Check it out on page 7 of October’s magazine.

     
    Announcements

    • Abigail will send out an email this week to confirm the Christmas party at Lawrence and Bev’s house on December 1 and to confirm the time and what to bring.  Reply to her email reference attendance etc.
    • We hope all will be able to attend the West Senior’s Christmas Lunch. Arrival time at the Bayshore is 10 AM on December 2.  By the way , to the east of the Bayshore parking lot, there is public parking under one of the apartments for about half the price. This year is our 25th anniversary of the luncheon
    •  The annual Foundation Dinner will be held on November 24th at La Perla Restaurant in New Westminster  Cost $ 60 per person includes a drink each, sumptuous dinner, music and entertainment.

    -VERY IMPORTANT- NEXT WEEK’S MEETING , OUR DISTRICT GOVERNOR REBECCA  MACPHERSON WILL BE AT OUR MEETING.

     

    Guest Speaker-  Lonely Town;- Increasing Social Connection in Metro Vancouver

    Paul Singh is a professional speaker in the area of health and well-being, has delivered over 300 presentations across North America, has 25 years in the area of clinical psychology, a Bachelor degree in Psychology ( Cornell), a masters from U of Chicago and a law degree from NY University of Law.

    In Rosetta Pennsylvania in 1960, a town of 1600 people,  all Italians who moved from one area in Southern Italy, it was discovered that not one had any heart disease, there were no suicides or murders or even crime and none were on welfare. It was not diet, but it developed that the interaction that townspeople had was the cause.  Everyone knew each other, would drop in to visit each other regularly, also help one another, bonds were strong and there was a true sense of community.

     A survey done later in other communities, 3 of 4 people would not socialize with neighbours and 1 in 3 found it difficult to make friends.

    Vancouver has been dubbed a Lonely City. We need to increase the possibility of interaction.

    Paul left us a list of 150 things that we can do to build social capital.  Larry will email this list to all members separate from the newsletter.

    Matthew thanked our speaker for a great conversation.

     
    Thought for the day

    "Eloquence is a painting of thoughts."   Blaise Pascal

    Special Thanks to Larry Belsito for putting this bulletin together.

     

    ROTARY CLUB OF VANCOUVER SUNRISE NOVEMBER 14, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-11-14 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 7, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Nov 06, 2012

    Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise
    November 7th 2012

     
    Attendance:

    It was a beautiful sunny morning in Vancouver where 9 members,  4 visitors and our speaker of the day , Alisa Chow Darcy, made it for this week’s Rotary meeting.
    Visitors Steven McGrandle for his third meeting.  Tita Odiardi from the Rotary Club of Coquitlam came to our club to talk about a project her Club is supporting in Nepopualco, a small town in the state of Morelos in Mexico.This is very inspirational and great job that a Vancouver  fellow Rotary Club is doing in Mexico. Please take a moment to look at this video and see what a group of  committed people can do together to make a community a better place.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUpa149xNEE 

    Also Kelsey Sheddy and her friend Noemie  spent the meeting with us.

    Club News:

     ·        “Whet your Appetite”. Adopt a Village, ending poverty one village at a time. This is a fund raiser that the Rotary Club of Vancouver-Arbutus is organizing on Saturday, November 17th  6:00pm at Whet kitchen-bar-patio (1517 Anderston St. Granville Island). For more info please call 604-880-7282 or e-mail bbourlet@shaw.com

    ·        On Wednesday  November 14th will be a joint meeting of all seven clubs. This meeting will take place at Seasons in the Park in Queen Elizabeth Park at 12:00pm. There are going to be two great speakers. Please let Julie Mantle know if you would like to attend.

    ·        Jennifer Yiu from the Strathcona BasketBall Program will be playing this Friday at 6:00pm and on Saturday at 5:00pm at UBC. Hope to see you there!

    ·        A quick reminder of the Foundation Dinner is happening on November 24th at the New Westminster Quay.

    ·        Our Christmas dinner will be at Lawrence and Bev’s place on December 1st. Thank you Lawrence and Bev!

    ·        And don’t forget to mark December 2 for the Seniors Christmas Luncheon at the Bayshore ( 10AM)

     

    Speaker of this week meeting:

    Cleopatra introduced  our speaker, Alisa Choi Darcy, President of QuoteEndQuote, cross-cultural strategy, to talk about a very interesting topic: Multicultural Marketing.

    We were very happy to have Alisa, since this was her first Rotarian club meeting.

    Her company specializes in helping small, medium and large organizations and their ad agencies build relevance with Canada’s Asian and South Asian communities so that they can create culturally-relevant brands and brand experiences.

    The team at QEQ share a special dream: to foster a sustainable environment where Canadian corporations and ALL their customers and stakeholders can enjoy nurturing business and social relationships based upon mutual trust, respect and understanding.

     

    Address

    Quote EndQuote Cross-Cultural Strategy

    Suite 302, 1062 Homer Street

    Vancouver, BC, CANADA V6B 2W9

    T: 778.371.3629

    E: connect[at]quoteendquote.ca

     

    Quote of the day:

    “Wisdom begins in wonder.”  - Socrates.

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of November 7, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-11-07 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 31, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 30, 2012

    Hallowe'en morning, with some costumes in evidence, and 11 members made it through the slightly damp weather for this week's Rotary meeting. Also with us again were Susan Neale and Steven McGrandle, both guests of Cleopatra Perez.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley (anyone remember him?) reviewed the new grant structure of The Rotary Foundation. There are only three types of grants: district, global and package. TRF has also developed six areas of focus for future grants. All this is described in the current issue of The Rotarian magazine.

    Club and district news

    Strathcona Community Centre's dinner is this weekend at the Pink Pearl restaurant. President Julie has more info.

    The district Foundation Dinner will be November 24 in New Westminister. Register at www.rotary5040.org.

    The District Governor's official visit with our club will be on November 21. DG Rebecca MacPherson will present two Paul Harris Fellow recognitions and will also meet with the board that day.

    Our board has decided that the club will again be part of the Rotary World Help Network, which sends shipping containers of supplies to developing countries. Our club's cost is $10 per member per year.

    Personal stuff 

    Good to see John returned from his wanderings. Since some of us saw him last, he's been to Chicago, Australia, Montana, Spokane and perhaps a few other places. He reports that his son in Australia is getting to know some of the Rotary Peace Scholars there.

    Larry Belsito says Tania is recovering nicely from the heart problems she encountered during their trip to Ontario. They're awaiting the arrival of twin grandchildren.

    Today's program

    Our speaker was our own member and President Elect Ann-Shirley Goodell, who recently returned from a 3-week volunteer consulting assignment in Bucaramanga, Colombia.  She says the new President of Colombia has effectively chased the worst of the drug cartels into other countries, making Colombia a pleasant and safe place to visit. The Colombian people and the architecture are traditional Spanish, as most of the native peoples were lost to smallpox epidemics. Bucaramanga (try saying that 3 times fast!) is a city at 9,000 feet in the Andes, with about the same population as Vancouver.

    Ann-Shirley's clients were two school administrations, one public and one privately-funded, and the chamber of commerce which supports them. In recent years, the government has declared much of the mountain tops to be parks, reducing the safe area for guerilla fighters (and also mining operations). This has prompted many refugees to move to cities like Bucaramanga, where the schools are inadequate to handle them. Ann-Shirley's assignment was to help both school groups learn how to raise funds from local sources, primarily businesses, as international aid is less available during the economic downturn.

    One of her client groups has responsibility for two privately-funded schools serving the refugee children and their families. Ten years ago this group, with substantial help from a local contractor, built a school for 450 students (nursery to grade 12), with a science lab funded by the Government of Canada. The same group opened a second facility in another area of the city a few months ago which now serves 72 nursery-school children. Ann-Shirley showed photos of these schools and the kids who are enjoying them. Both schools are scheduled for expansion, the first to 650 students and the second to 300. Some adult education classes are also contemplated.

    There's also a Rotary connection. Ann-Shirley met with the leaders of the original Bucaramanga club and the new, younger, Millenium club. These clubs have been active supporters of the schools and are raising funds now to furnish and equip the new classrooms in the expanded schools. They envision that some $60,000 to $70,000 will be required, of which they and a club in the Netherlands have already raised $25,000. They would love to have our club work with them to raise the remaining $35,000 or more, part of which might be in the form of grants from The Rotary Foundation and/or our district. The Bucaramanga clubs are now preparing grant applications for this purpose and Ann-Shirley will share this information with our board for consideration. Our club can then decide whether and how we might assist them.

    Next week

    Our November 7 meeting will look at the topic of intercultural marketing.

    Ann-Shirley and I will be away for the next few months, basking on the beaches of California. Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to look after the bulletin, but he may ask some of you for help. Adios.

    Rob 

     

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 31, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-10-31 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 24, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 23, 2012

    Guess Who's Coming for Dinner was held last weekend and was, from all reports, a big success again. Altogether, 17 members and guests gathered at two member homes for an evening of fellowship, food and wine. Thanks to Lori Pobuta and Ann-Shirley Goodell for hosting this year's edition. It was good to see Bev Bicknell out and about after her surgery, even though Lawrence was off chasing girls somewhere. Bill Sheddy's mystery date kept everyone laughing through the charades and beyond. Too bad the neighbours called the police or the party might have gone on all night.

    Nine members attended last Wednesday's lunch meeting with the Chinatown club and gave a pitch for nearby clubs to participate in our Strathcona youth project next spring. They heard an interesting program explaining the planned removal of the Dunsmuir and Georgia Street viaducts.

    At this morning's Sunrise meeting, President Julie Mantle welcomed 13 members and two guests, both invited by Cleopatra Perez. They are Susan Neale, who works in the mining industry (I think) and is a volunteer mentor for the YWCA, and Steven McGrandle, who is planning a career change after some years of evaluating hotels and restaurants for the American Auto Association. Nice to have you with us, Susan and Steven, and we hope to see you again at future meetings.

    Club and district events

    The Vancouver club is planning a Novemberfest on November 2. Check their website for more info.

    The district's annual dinner to honour and assist The Rotary Foundation will be at the New Westminister Quay on November 24. Tickets are $60 and are available at www.rotary5040.org.

    Our club's Christmas party will again be hostd by Bev and Lawrence on Saturday, December 1 (the night before our Seniors' event, see below).

    Today's program -- busines meeting

    Our Youth Exchange Committee has selected Georgina Hargreaves, a Grade 10 student at King George Secondary, as our outbound student who will go abroad next August. Diana Theman and Abigail Turner will be helping her prepare the paperwork required before her interview with the district YE committee, which will finalize her selection. In the spring, we'll invite Georgina to come to a meeting or two so we can all get to know her before she goes.

    Julie has emailed the latest version of the club's operational  plan for the year to everyone and today gave a brief summary of key items. The Christmas lunch with the West End Seniors will be December 2 at the Westin Bayshore and we will need members and King George students to help at the event. Planning is starting for the spring fundraiser to benefit the Strathcona Community Centre and its athletic and other programs for the youth of the downtown east side. This community youth project will be featured in our club's portion of an upcoming video on Rotary in Vancouver.

    Banu Tulumen asked for club input on the question of whether and how to prepare the book of photos from our photo contest in late 2011. Costs and photo quality are concerns, as we try to fulfill our commitment to publish this book. After discussion, it was agreed that Banu would prepare one copy of the book for the club's review before proceeding further.

    Julie asked club members to submit ideas for an international service project before the December board meeting, when the board will make its decision on this subject. So far, the ideas are buying sheep to help poor families in Mexico, working with Rotary clubs in Colombia to assist schools there, and an unspecified project in Mexico.

    Alfredo Carrete briefly summarized the latest financial statements, which have been emailed to members. We have a surplus of $3,100 over club expenses for the Rotary year to date. Our club foundation has about $85,000 in its investment and current accounts. A few members are late in paying dues and meal costs, so the Treasurer is hiring some heavily-armed tough guys as enforcers. Pay up or else!

    Next week

    No Hallowe'en costumes are required at the October 31 meeting, but trick or treating will definitely be going on.  And, Ann-Shirley will talk about her recent volunteer consulting experience in Colombia, South America. While there, she met with two local Rotary clubs who have an interesting service project that could use our help. See you there.

    Rob

     

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 24, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-10-24 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise helps in Afghanistan

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 09, 2012
    Image

    Alison MacLean, a Vancouver photojournalist who just returned from her fourth trip to Afghanistan, gave us an update on her adventures, the police women there, and the situation on the ground. She says she shot some great video footage for upcoming film projects and was able to distribute some protective gloves to women police cadets. The made-in-Canada gloves, purchased with part of the $8,000 raised by Sunrise and friends, were a hit and she will purchase many more, along with other protective items, to distribute on her next trip in late November.

    As we all know, the Middle East exploded with violent demonstrations shortly after...
    Sunrise helps in Afghanistan Rob Goodell 2012-10-10 00:00:00Z 0

    Bulletin editor fired for lying

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 09, 2012
    Looks like I failed the 4-Way Test. Turns out the women pictured in today's Sunrise bulletin are Afghan military women, not police. And, their gloves didn't come from us.

    So, fire me. Please. I still think my version made a better story. If you want accurate reporting, you'll just have to get a better editor.

    Mea culpa.

    Rob
    Bulletin editor fired for lying Rob Goodell 2012-10-10 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 3, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Oct 02, 2012
    There's a noticeable drop in the morning temperatures and the trees are starting to turn colour, especially the maples which are becoming bright crimson. Seems that summer might be almost over. Let's petition for a rerun.

    Season after season, our Rotary club meetings continue every week. Today, we were ten members at the Coast Coal Harbour plus our speaker and two visiting Rotarians. Dean Roussow from the North Vancouver club was with us to video our speaker for PR uses for her business. Annica Jansson, from a club in Finland, is in town to promote the islands where she lives as a tourist destination. President Julie Mantle welcomed both and exchanged banners with Annica, resisting the temptation to do it in Swedish, the language spoken on Annica's islands in Finland.

    Club and district news

    This is the last week to register for Guess Who's Coming for Dinner, which will be on October 20. If you want to be part of this event, send an email before Sunday to asgoodell@shaw.ca.

    The Government of Canada has agreed to match our donations to RI's Polio Eradication program, and the Gates Foundation will match, too. So, each person who donates $100 before next March, will cause a $300 increase in the funds available for polio innoculations. We are this close!

    Our project to help the Strathcona Community Centre youth programs will be discussed at the October 17 meeting of the Chinatown club. If you'd like to be there, it's at the Floata Restaurant on Keefer Street at 12:15. Lunch is $20.

    Lawrence and Bev Bicknell have again offered to host the club's Christmas party, to be held on Saturday, December 1 (the night before the West End Seniors event).

    Personal items

    Larry Belsito has advised the club that his wife, Tania, has had a heart attack during their visit in Ontario. Apparently, Tania is OK but their return to BC is delayed. Get well, Tania.

    Lawrence reports that Bev is walking for the first time since her foot surgery. It seems she's sporting a very stylish boot as the latest addition to her wardrobe.

    Abigail Turner tells us that Emma is participating in cross-country runnng at her elementary school. And Carlos Obregon's daughter just started in nursery school. Time flies, folks!

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Sieglinde Malmberg, a Rotary member in Abbotsford, who has a business called HR in Your Pocket. She counsels entrepreneurs and small businesses in the areas of personnel policies, hiring and training of employees and other human resources issues. She says a business can be like a jungle if the human side of the company isn't managed well. The cost of mistakes in this area can be very expensive for small companies. She advises her clients to assess the human side of their businesses as they would any other area of the company.

    One way to improve the human side is to start with better employment interviewing. Using us as guinea pigs, she compiled a collection of frequently-asked questions at job interviews and noted that most of them were opinion questions which don't identify whether or not the potential employee can or will do the job assigned. She prefers to ask behavioural questions that get at whether the person has had experiences similar to those that will be encountered in the new job. She urges employers to look for commitment and passion in new hires, rather than just personality traits.

    Another way to improve the human side of a business is to weed out policies and procedures that limit creativity and get rid of them before they get in the way. Interesting idea.

    Next week's meeting

    On October 10, we'll welcome Alison MacLean back from Afghanistan where she just delivered the equipment we donated for the police women cadets. If you've been following the news from that part of the world, you'll know that her trip was exciting, to say the least. See you on Wednesday.

    Rob


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of October 3, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-10-03 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 26, 2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Sep 25, 2012

    As every Wednesday morning at 7.30am we got together to talk about interesting topics and to have a nice breakfast. We were 11 members this day with no visiting Rotarians.

    This was a brief but productive meeting where Julie gave some announcements and talked about the Operational Plan.

    • Rotary on Ice: Please let Julie ASAP if you want to come to the Giants game on October 5th at 7.30pm at the Pacific Coliseum (PNE)   Tickets are $16 and $5 from every ticket will be donated in our clubs name to Polio Plus.  The goal is to try and sell at least 20 tickets from each club.
    • Memberships: Lori is working on a brochure for the corporate memberships. Stay tuned!
    • Sheila is working on a script for the 100-year anniversary Rotary video.
    • RI donation for “Every Rotarian Every Year”. Julie reminded us to donate on-line, it is fast and easy!
    • We are finalizing and we are close to publish the photo contest book.
    • Cam gave us a sneak peek of the speakers for the next couple of weeks and for sure they will present very interesting topics.

    See you on Wednesday!

    Cheers,

    Eduardo.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 26, 2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-09-26 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 19, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 18, 2012
    The news of street violence in the Middle East this week has been horrendous. The club's friend Alison MacLean is currently in Afghanistan delivering the protective gear we bought for the brave women police cadets there. Alison sent this report from Kabul a few days ago:

    "It has been intense in Kabul this week. I am off base and the situation in the streets is not good so I have been asked back to base and I accepted for this weekend. I just finished shooting the second-ever graduation class of women in the military. Good footage, lots of JPEG pictures. I am going to try to file a story today as ISAF asked me not to go out. If the Internet stays up then I will send a link when it is done. Otherwise, I have made contacts for the donations and I will be giving the gloves at a special ceremony in another city. I would like to focus our support on the rural areas. Kabul seems to have access to more funding than all the other provinces. The gloves are the best option as they do not have anything like them, and I can buy large quantities to outfit all the police women."

    Be safe, Alison. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the only issue in our streets is the ongoing debate over whether we have too many bicycle lanes or too few. Aren't we lucky to live where we do?

    This Wednesday's Rotary meeting included 13 members and no visitors. You can tell the summer tourist season is over. President Julie Mantle welcomed everyone to our non-secret meeting and we noted that several members held a private meeting last week at a pub that hasn't been identified to the rest of us.

    Club news

    The only remaining tasks for our photo contest are to publish the book of winning entries and to minimize the ongoing charges from the web-hosting provider. Banu Tulumen, Matthew Lynam and Lori Pobuto are working on these items. Then, it will be time to decide whether, when and how we might sponsor another contest.

    Jim Clarke reminds everyone of the party he's organizing for this Saturday, September 22, at 7:30 pm at Ironworks in Gastown (Alexander and Main Streets), featuring live music, food and beverages. Admission is by donation with proceeds to assist our special school project in Leon, Mexico. Invite your friends!

    Our Hoop-a-Thon is being broadened to include education and other programs in the downtown East Side, in addition to basketball. The new name may be Strathcona Youth Programs, which is descriptive but doesn't have much marketing sizzle. Any suggestions? Early planning to increase corporate sponsorships needs to start now, so a committee is being formed. Please volunteer.

    Today's program

    Our speaker was Josey Kitson, Executive Director for Canada of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), who is on a western tour from her Toronto office. WESP is a global organization, with 17 offices and working in 50 countries, but is not a shelter like SPCA. Rather, WSPA promotes "good animal welfare" including freedom from physical and mental pain, plus good environments for animals including farm animals. In Canada, WSPA works in many First Nations communites and in developing countries elsewhere.

    With a goal to "end animal cruelty," WSPA involves governments, veterinarians and education providers in several areas of concern:

    1. disaster management -- the effects on animals of earthquakes in Japan and Haiti, for example;
    2. humane and sustainable agriculture -- promoting free-range environments for chickens and other farm animals;
    3. companion animals -- fear of rabies among dogs is a problem in developing countries so vaccinations are promoted;
    4. oceans and wildlife -- especially inhumane treatment of captured bears;
    5. private trade in wildlife and animal parts.

    Josey left us some pamphlets describing a number of WSPA programs with headlines like "What's On Your Plate?", "No More Bullfights", and "Choose Cage-Free" eggs.

    Next week's meeting 

    I'll be on my annual Seniors' Bike Ride on Vancouver Island and will miss the club business meeting. I can promise, however, a much better bulletin, as Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to be guest editor. Cheers.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 19, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-09-19 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 12, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 11, 2012
    This week's meeting location was a well-kept secret. So well-kept that Jim Clarke, and perhaps others, spent the whole morning driving around downtown Vancouver asking at each corner, "Do you know where the Rotary meeting is?"We fooled them, didn't we?

    Now the secret can be told: this Wednesday's meeting was at a different Coast Hotel, the Stanley Park location on Denman Street. Only 11 members were smart enough to figure it out, plus our speaker and visiting Rotarian Ezat Ayoubzadeh from Mexico. He told us he's only been in Rotary about six months and decided to join because the aims of Rotary are so closely aligned with his Bahai Faith, which emphasizes the "spiritual unity of all humankind." Also at our meeting was his son, Farid, a second-year student at Simon Fraser University, who might like to be involved in some of the club's activities. Here they are, exchanging banners with President Julie Mantle.

    Image

    Rotary moment

    Diana Theman related how she first joined Rotary in Kingston, Ontario, which was slated to be the capital city at the time of the Canada Act joining Ontario and Quebec into a new political entity in 1840. But Queen Victoria and others conspired to create a new capital at a place called Ottawa. Diana produced a banner from her Kingston club, which she has carefully saved for five years, waiting for an opportunity like this.

    Club and district news

    Jim couldn't find the right hotel but he found someone's phone number and reported that the party he's organizing to add funding for our project in Leon, Mexico, is on for September 22. It will be at the Live Music Studio at Ironworks on Alexander Street in Gastown. Talk to Jim for more details.

    The club is looking for candidates for Youth Exchange for next year. Our outbound student must be 16 or 17 at departure time next August. Rotary family members and friends are eligible so if you know someone who qualifies and is interested, please let Rob Goodell know.

    Rotary Leadership Institute will offer a training session on Saturday, September 29, in Burnaby. More info at www.rotary5040.org.

    The new name for our outing to see a Vancouver Giants hockey game is "Rotary on Ice" which now involves a number of clubs and will benefit Polio Plus. The date is Friday, October 5.

    This week's program

    Trilby Jeeves presented an overview of her Buffoonery Workshops, which she calls "the cure for serious." She's an actor, director and costume designer for live theatre productions and has been offering these workshops for six years. Inspired by le bouffon, the French clown who mocks himself and laughs at himself, the workshops emphasize the importance of play and laughter. Benefits of the workshops include stress reduction, reminding us to play, morale boosting and confidence building. Trilby offers the workshops of three hours or more for groups of five to 25. Check her website at www.buffooneryworkshops.com.

    Next week, the secret location of our Wednesday meeting is the Coast Hotel Coal Harbour, between Hastings and Pender. See you there.

    Rob


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 12, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-09-12 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 5, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 04, 2012
    Thanks to Eduardo de Santiago for being guest bulletin editor for the past 2 weeks and to Larry Belsito who also helped. When they do the bulletin, there's a reasonable chance it's an accurate report of what happened at the meeting, unlike most weeks when the bulletin is 99 percent fiction.

    The last two meetings in a row, President Julie Mantle has inducted a new member. Last week it was Gary Chomyn and today it's Cleopatra Perez. Here she is with Matthew Lynam who proposed her for membership. Now we're up to 23 active members, not bad for the first months of the new Rotary year.

    Image

    Counting Cleopatra, we were 15 members and no guests at Wednesday's breakfast. Diana Theman is back from her week in PEI and Nova Scotia, and Ann-Shirley and I survived our week of hiking in the Alberta Rockies. We know that John Haley is in Australia. Larry will soon be on his way to Ontario for a month and Ann-Shirley leaves this weekend on a 3-week assignment in Colombia, South America.

    Today's program

    This morning's program was on the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club as presented by Jason Takefman, General Manager, and Jeff Hallway, Community Relations Manager. They explained how the team of a few years ago was not drawing many fans and the future of the ballpark was in doubt, until a new owner bought the team and negotiated a 25-year lease on the facility. Now, the stands are full (13 sold-out games this season and a total season attendance of 164,000). They've worked hard to make the games a fun, family activity, including corporate barbecues and varied entertainment on the field.

    The team is a minor league farm team for the Toronto Blue Jays and has had a good season. The Canadians won last night's game and are now in the league playoffs. Tickets start at $12.50.

    For more information on the Vancouver Canadians, go to www.canadiansbaseball.com.

    Club news

    The Vancouver Fraserview club has invited us to enter a team in their Annual Golf Tournament on Friday, September 21. This is a fundraiser for The Rotary Foundation and the Polio Eradication fund. Costs and details are available at www.vancouverfraserviewrotary.org. Send Julie an email if you want to play.

    President Julie introduced Ann-Shirley Goodell as our new President Elect. Watch out, folks, she's tough.

    Alison MacLean left yesterday for Afghanistan, taking with her the protective gear we provided for the women police cadets there. After her return, she'll be our speaker on October 10.

    Julie was busy today, passing out new Rotary vests. When is the fashion show?

    Next week

    Remember that our September 12 meeting is moved to the Coast Hotel Stanley Park on Denman Street at Comox. We'll be in the Gifford Room on the 3rd floor. If you forget and show up at the Coast Coal Harbour, you'll find it very lonely. But have a good time.

    See you next Wednesday at the Coast on Denman.

    Rob
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of September 5, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-09-05 00:00:00Z 0

    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 08/29/2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Aug 28, 2012
    ATTENDEES

    13 members, and Speaker Chris Lee, his partner, Vanessa Jang, Rotarian Gary Chomyn, Potential Rotarian Cleopatra Perez, and Jonathan Vollett

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Bill advised that the Horseracing event at Hastings Park will not be possible this year.

    But Bill advised that the night at the Giants Game will be on in late September or October. Date to be advised.

    Bill and ex member Ted MacCormac will be attending a preseason game with Giants in Ladner tonight.

    Cam needs some help by other members in our club to find speakers for our meetings. If any member would like to assistance in this activity, please advise Cam as soon as possible.

    Julie advised that Ann- Shirley has volunteered to be President- elect.  Our sincere thank you to Anne- Shirley. It is appreciated.

    Jonathan Vollett thanked the club for our assistance in partially sponsoring him on the mission to Columbia and Panama. It was a very success trip in fostering business for Vancouver, and also fostering better relations between BC and these two countries. He remains at University of Western Ontario. Travelling on the Panama Canal was a great experience, and a nine-hour delay at Bogota Airport will not soon be forgotten.

    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT- September 12 meeting will be at the Coast Stanley Park hotel at Comox and Denman, in the Gilford room on C Level.

    ANOTHER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT , IF ANYONE LIKED THE ROTARY VESTS, THEY ARE $35.00. Advise Julie if you would like one.

     

    NEW MEMBER

    Julie and Carlos had the great pleasure of introducing our newest member to the club, Gary Chomyn, who comes from the Ladner Club.  Gary and his wife Jane live on Nelson Street near Denman, his classification is Advertising and Marketing and he works for New Media Ad Group. He is already the recipient of two Paul Harris Awards. Welcome to the Club , Garry.

     

    HAPPY DOLLARS     

    David just back from a holiday, John H. just  back from Chicago but leaving tonight to Australia, for about 6 weeks.

    ADRIANA  IS BACK. Welcome back, Diana away, The Goodells are away, Cleopatra Perez just back from installing her youngest in Berkley University in California, and her son in Boston.

       

    GUEST SPEAKER - CHRIS LEE

    Hello everyone, my name is Chris Lee. I must say, I am greatly honored to be standing here, about to share some of my personal aspirations with you all.

    My first involvement with the Sunrise Rotary Club began in 2009, when I used to volunteer for the Christmas luncheon and the Sea-wall marathon in the spring. Throughout these events held by the Rotary Club, I came to realize how great of a community you guys really are. From supporting the inner- city sports programs to raising funds for a Special Education institute in Mexico, I believe the Vancouver Sunrise Club is definitely an inspiration to the community and beyond. I was also personally inspired by the Club, when I became the lucky recipient of the Vancouver Sunrise Rotary Scholarship in 2011.

    From the very beginning of my time in Canada, which was 2004, I was living in a low-income family with the only source of income being my mom, who worked day and night to support me and my older sister. Thus, the best way for me to help out my family was to concentrate on studying and getting into a reputable university. It wasn’t that my mother harped on me to study, as most of my peers complained. Instead, she quietly watched how I was doing at school and would praise me (with not much celebration) when I somewhat proudly brought home my report cards.

    Despite the fact that we were going through tough times, my mother would always remind me to help out in and around the community as much as possible, for there are people who would appreciate my help. So I volunteered for more events than I could count throughout all these years, starting with a summer camp at a church when I could barely speak English.

    Fast-forward 7 years, and I’m in grade 12, founding the very first humanitarian student group at my school. It began with just 3 members including myself, and by the end of the year, that number grew to around 20, thanks to some of our pronounced and unique fundraising events. Just to give you a sense of what we were up to: we did a raffle ticket draw during the parent-teacher conference, and with the profit, bought a goat for a family in Uganda, and we also raised more than 1300 food cans for the local FoodBank; considering that our entire school population was less than 500, this was an amazing turnout.

    After graduating with the Governor’s General Bronze medal award and a few scholarships including the Vancouver Sunrise Rotary Scholarship, I decided to study engineering at the University of British Columbia. Despite everyone’s warnings that first year university is going to be extremely difficult, I managed to do okay and I have recently been accepted to UBC’s one of the most rigorous academic program called “Engineering Physics.” Essentially, it is a program that provides the best possible broad-based engineering degree which emphasizes the fundamentals of physics and mathematics. Upon hearing this description, one might think that I must really love mathematics. In reality, my real passion lies in the field of neuroscience. One reason behind my passion for this growing field is the fact that there are still many mysteries surrounding the brain and how it carries out its functions. Another reason came from a scientific study I once read: According to the study, some people in vegetative states can think clearly; to the point at which when asked to imagine themselves playing tennis while inside an MRI machine, similar brain patterns that are activated in normal people when they think of playing tennis are shown also in people in vegetative states. The despair they might feel from being able to think well but not being able to communicate in any way is simply indescribable. So it is my own personal goal to create a device that can read brain activities by simply placing it on top of the head, and that decodes the brain wave patterns to produce speech, movement or images.

    We sometimes take for granted the fact that we are able to feel that joy of waking up on a Monday morning, to decide on what to wear, and to use our cognitive abilities to complete our daily tasks.Perhaps one can argue that the fundamental part of what makes us human is in fact our brain. So why choose the Engineering Physics program, you might ask. It is because I believe that our questions surrounding the brain requires a systematic approach in order to find the answer, and to take a look at the very basic components of the brain in its entirety; cells made of molecules made of atoms made of protons and electrons made of quarks produced from the famous Higgs Boson. It is because physics is such a fundamental aspect of all sciences that I chose to study this area further, and it is because engineering is a fundamental aspect of the modern life that I choose to work in this area. With the two combined, I wish to further my studies in an M.D. PhD program for a Cognitive Neuroscience degree. Surely, it will take a lot of time to get to where I wish to go; but with enough passion and dedication, what ISN’T possible?J

    Thank you very much for your attention.

     THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-

     "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see". MARK TWAIN

    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 08/29/2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-08-29 00:00:00Z 0

    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 08/22/2012

    Posted by Eduardo De Santiago on Aug 21, 2012

    12 members joined on Wednesday morning and our president Julie Matle started our meeting on time, as always, at 7.30am. Banu Tulumen read the Four Way Test and we proceeded to have a nice and hearty breakfast.

    Larry Belsito welcomed Gary who will nbe joining our Vancouver Sunrise club! Way to go Gary, and welcome to this great club! We are very happy to have you in club. Also, Larry welcomed another “stranger”, Banu, who looked very happy after her honey moon in Turkey, France, and many different places.  Welcome back, it is great to have you back.

    Rotary Moment:

    This time was Carlos Obregon to share his personal Rotary Moment. Carlos gave us some background on how he became a Rotarian. Everything started about 67 years ago, when his great uncle founded one of the clubs that he Carlos later joined. It seems Rotary runs on his blood. His grand father was a Rotarian, his dad and some of his uncles were also Rotarians. Carlos decided to join Rotary back in 1997 before he came to Canada, where he joined this club in 2005.  Great decision Carlos! Carlos has played an important role in inviting new members to join this club. He has invited a total of 5 people who has joined our club!

    Announcements:

    • A fund raiser event happening in December which is the Harlem Ambassadors show basketball team who perform different shows. There are a lot of thing going on at our club happening during that date, but we will see if we can do something to support this event.
    • Arbutus Clubs meets on Fridays at 12:15pm and they are inviting fellow Rotarians to participate in their meeting on September 7th, where Wally Oppal  (Canadian lawyer, former judge and provincial politician) is going to be the speaker. They need a rough count by late August and a final count at the latest on September 5th so tey can organize a bigger space.
    • Guess who is coming for dinner:  Please email Ann Shirley if you are planning to participate in this social event. Remember, this is happening on October 20th, it will be fun!

    Speaker:

    Our speaker was Bill Sheddy, who shared his “Experience in the Caribbean”

    After graduating from Law School, Bill wanted to explore new horizons. After thinking too much where to go, he decided to go to the Caribbean to one of the offshore law firms.  Once he landed to the airport, he immediately realized that going through customs there was a joke.  After a fun ride from the airport to the place he was going to stay while in the Caribbean, his landlady invited him to go on cruise for free, the Contiki, which is a glass bottom boat, and of course, being an explorer Bill said yes!  So next morning he was up and ready to go on this big adventure on the Contiki with another 30 german tourist who were all excited to explore  and dive in one of the best reef areas in the world.

    What it was suppose to be a very enjoyable cruise, ended up of being a gong show wenh Captain Jack took over piloting the boat. Captain Jake was a little bit tipsy, or maybe very drunk?

    The Contiki boat, or better known as the Can-Sinky, broke down before getting to the reef they were going.  All the tourists started to get anxious and frustrated with the situation, that some of them decided to start swimming to the eef they were originally going but it was still quite far where they anchored the boat.

    Captian Jack left the boat to look for some help, so Mr. Jack let everybody on the boat until the owner of the Can-Sinky came to look for them after 6 hours. On the mean time, they were having lots of fun having some beer.  

    We bet this is a story that Bill will never forget.

     
    Thought for the week:

     “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. “
    Sir Winston Churchill



    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 08/22/2012 Eduardo De Santiago 2012-08-22 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 15, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 14, 2012
    A murder mystery dinner is dominating the headlines this week. But, you know what they say, "What happens in Pitt Meadows stays in Pitt Meadows." Here are the principal murder suspects:

    Image

    Several days after the police closed down the madness in Pitt Meadows, some (but not all) of the perpetrators showed up at our Rotary meeting on Wednesday. President Julie Mantle welcomed 14 members plus visiting Rotarian Gary Chomyn from Langley Sunrise. Gary has moved his business to Vancouver and may be looking for a new club. Also joining us was Lori Pobuto's guest, Alex Dubrowski, a PR specialist currently looking for employment.

    Rotary moment

    Larry Belsito described his Rotary odyssey, which started in 1986 when he joined the Vancouver Chinatown club. Soon after, his work moved him to manage hotels in places where there are no clubs. Upon returning to North America he joined a club in New Hampshire, USA, but again was driven out of town before long. Next was Mississauga, Ontario, and finally Vancouver Sunrise in 1996. Along the way, he's been club president several times and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. Not bad for a guy who never could hold a job.

    Club and district news

    The club has officially committed to participating in Youth Exchange in 2013-2014. This means we will select a local student this fall to go to another country a year from now and we will host a student from abroad starting just a year from this week. All this will be organized by the YE Committee of Abigail Turner, David Parsons, Diana Theman and Rob Goodell, with assistance from John Haley.

    Julie announced that the RI President will be in Vancouver for a lunch and afternoon presentation at the Westin Bayshore on Saturday, October 20. Tickets are $50 at www.rotary5040.org.

    Guess Who's Coming for Dinner is also on October 20, but it's in the evening so it's not a conflict. Send an email to asgoodell@shaw.ca if you'd like to join the fun and/or host a group for dinner. 

    Videojournalist Alison MacLean will be leaving for Afghanistan on September 4 after several delays for visas and other technicalities. She'll be taking the protective gear our club and others provided for the brave women police cadets there.

    Personal items

    Lawrence Bicknell reports that his wife Bev is recovering from foot surgery and is doing pretty well. She'll be avoiding any hikes over 20 km for several weeks.

    Bill Sheddy claims there was a wild time at Haley's cabin on Mount Baker over the weekend, but that the fire damage isn't too severe.

    With a majority of club members being in the Okanagan in the summer, the board is considering holding July and August meetings in a winery in Oliver. All in favour say "aye."

    Today's program

    Lori Pobuta brought us up to date with the plans being developed by the club's Membership Committee. Most importantly, she stressed that membership growth is the responsibility of every member, not just the committee or the board. She circulated a long list of vocational classifications and urged each of us to choose 2 or 3 that we can try to fill. She also explained the concept of corporate memberships, which is new to Rotary and will be a test for our club. To promote Rotary to corporate people, she previewed a PowerPoint presentation which outlines the program. With some input from club members, Lori will revise this presentation and email it to us. We should all be thinking of potential corporate members, perhaps small businesses in our area. In this regard, each of us should remember to wear our Rotary pins as much as wardrobe constraints allow, and to carry Rotary business cards and "What is Rotary?" wallet-sized cards. All good ideas which have been proven to work. All it needs is commitment from each of us.

    President Julie also has some thoughts on membership and will share those with us at the next business meeting.

    Julie had a thought for the day which was just great, but Carlos Obregon stole her thunder during the discussion of vocational classifications. When the topic of convicted felons came up, Carlos opined that "In this club, that classification is already full!" 

    I'll be away for the next 2 weeks, for dragon boat races and hiking the Rockies, but Eduardo de Santiago has agreed to see if he can put a bulletin together. No easy task, given the vagaries of ClubRunner, but we all wish him success. Thanks, Eduardo.

    Rob
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 15, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-08-15 00:00:00Z 0

    3 Rotarians stranded on uninhabited island

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 12, 2012
    Image

    These members of Vancouver Sunrise nearly perished from malnutrition on a remote island in Indian Arm last week. Fortunately, they were rescued by a passing kayaker named Marni Haley, who also took the photo. The moral of the story is: Be very careful what you bid on at the Sunrise Valentine's auction!
    3 Rotarians stranded on uninhabited island Rob Goodell 2012-08-13 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 8, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 07, 2012
    It was a dark and stormy night, the story goes, when Vancouver had one of its infrequent thunder and lightning shows on Tuesday evening. Wednesday dawned grey and drizzly but 12 members made it to the Coast Hotel for our weekly Rotary meeting. President Julie Mantle welcomed Matthew Lynam's guest, Cleopatra Perez, and two visiting Rotarians, Shail Mahanti from Vancouver Arbutus and Vincent Tan from Manila, Philippines. Vincent's business takes him back and forth between Vancouver and Manila, and he has visited our meetings a number of times in recent years. This time, he tells us his son has graduated from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and has had some early success in his career as an artist. Good to see you again, Vincent. Please come when you can.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley described an historic first in Rotary, when a number of clubs worked together to help out after the 1913 floods in Indiana and Ohio. This was the first time that Rotary provided disaster relief and was the beginning of a long history of Rotary helping disaster victims.

    Club news

    Julie modelled the new reversible Rotary vests and is taking orders at $30 each. Matching shoes and handbags are extra.

    The club received a remarkable letter of thanks from one of the King George students who won our club scholarship in June. She'll be studying pharmacy at UBC and wrote a very nice letter describing what the financial help means to her and her family. Let's hope we can get her to be a speaker at our meeting after she starts her studies.

    Ann-Shirley Goodell described the mechanics of Guess Who's Coming for Dinner which will be held October 20. Basically, it's a potluck dinner for members, spouses and guests -- with a twist. No one knows who is going to whose house for dinner. At the last minute, an address is provided and everyone is surprised when the doorbell rings. It's a popular event among members, so sign up early by emailing Ann-Shirley and letting her know if you prefer to host a dinner or be guests.

    Personal items

    Lawrence Bicknell is busy learning nursing skills, as Bev recently had extensive foot surgery and will be sidelined (in a wheelchair) for a number of weeks. Unfortunately, the hospital sent her home the same day, which turned out to be much too soon for the pain and discomfort she experienced. Please let us know, Lawrence, how club members can help.

    John and Marni are off to Chicago next week and then to Australia after that. Yesterday, they were forced to paddle kayaks up and down Indian Arm until they dropped from exhaustion. Fortunately, there was plenty of wine available to revive them.

    Abigail Turner and family are back from their holiday in Osoyoos where, as we all know, there is no wine available at all. But the kids had fun anyway. Sheila Anderson and Patrick were also in the Okanagan and claim they didn't consume any wine, either.

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Alexander Hoffmann, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Germany. He's a 26-year-old graduate of the University of Karlsruhe, now working on a Master's degree in Management Finance at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Having just finished his first year, he's using his summer holiday to see parts of North America, visiting with Rotary clubs and Rotaractors along the way.

    Alex narrated a 10-minute film he put together to showcase Rotary District 1930 where he lives in southwestern Germany. This area is home to the cuckoo clock, many small breweries, several outstanding universities, hundreds of castles and castle ruins, as well as many highly-regarded companies in the automobile, engineering, medical and technology industries. Ann-Shirley and I have bicycled in this area and can confirm that it's a beautiful and interesting place to visit.

    Alex also gave us his views on the current financial problems being experienced in Europe. He says the German economy is driven by exports and that the European Union has been very good for his home area. He believes that Germany feels some responsibility to help other countries, particularly since Germany received considerable assistance after the war. But, he says, "It's hard to understand why Germany has to pay" when other countries are not being fiscally responsible. In the end, he feels, "the EU will stick together" but the structure of the EU needs to be redefined to provide more political and fiscal union. He's optimistic that Spain is already on the right track but is concerned about Greece.

    It's obvious that Alexander is doing a great job of fulfilling his role as a Rotary ambassador. He's actively engaged in a cultural exchange between Germany and the places he visits in the US and Canada. It's encouraging to see a thoughtful graduate student doing his best to promote cultural understanding and world peace.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of August 8, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-08-08 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of August 1, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 31, 2012
    In the big convention room at the Coast Hotel this morning, our 13 Sunrise Rotary members and one guest had ample space to rattle around. But, of course, the fashion show runway took up a lot of room, as we oogled the newest hot apparel items from various Mediterranean ports. President Julie Mantle and the rest of us welcomed Matthew Lynam's guest, Cleopatra Perez, who moved to Vancouver a few weeks ago from Quebec and is originally from Venezuela. She's an engineer, project manager and business analyst. She and some of our Mexican members had a brief debate about which version of Spanish is better, but it was all Greek to me.

    Rotary moment

    In the new Rotarian magazine that just arrived, the new RI president suggests we each relate a personal "Rotary moment" to others to help expand the awareness and knowledge about what Rotary is. Naturally, Vancouver Sunrise is ahead of the curve, as we started last week doing exactly as he suggests. Today it was Bill Sheddy's turn and he told a shaggy dog story about the Rotary club executive meeting years ago in Drumheller, where the a large bottle of rye whisky was the major item on the agenda. Apparently, some RCMP members of the club became involved after the meeting and, if the story had a moral, I missed it.

    Personal items

    Our incumbent wardrobe consultant has decided that all members will wear Rotary-themed vests to meetings, your choice of lime green or hot pink. Be sure to coordinate with matching shoes and handbags. Julie is taking orders for the vests at $30 each.

    Sonya Orr is back from a trip to the Netherlands, where she and her family had a mini-reunion with Hanne Kooistra, our exchange student from two years ago, and her mother.

    John Haley is back from Montana after helping his mother get settled in a new seniors' residence.

    Sheila Anderson is back from a weekend in Point Roberts. I understand Cam Scott will need several trucks to haul away the empty wine bottles.

    Today's program - Business meeting

    Julie gave us some highlights from yesterday's board meeting. Here are the ones I can remember.

    A Rotary training session will be held on September 29 and the club will pay part or all of the cost (depending on how well coordinated your shoes and handbags have been). Register online at rotary5040.com.

    Guess Who's Coming for Dinner, a favourite club fellowship event, is scheduled for Saturday, October 20. Let Ann-Shirley Goodell know whether you and your spouse/guest prefer to be hosts or guests.

    Bill Sheddy is organizing a club day at Hastings Park racetrack for mid-September. Details to come.

    Our annual service project of hosting a Christmas luncheon for the West End Seniors group will be held on Sunday, December 2. If you can help with the planning, please contact Matthew.

    Sheila is writing a script for our club's portion of the video celebrating 100 years of Rotary in Vancouver. Our part will highlight our Hoop-a-Thon project with emphasis on the educational value of the basketball program and its "stay in school" message. 

    The board has approved a committee and budget for next year's Youth Exchange Program. Selection of a suitable outbound student will begin later this month.

    The club's two scholarship awards for King George School graduates will continue, with funding from our foundation's endowment.

    When Banu Tulumen returns from Turkey, we'll ask her for a summary of the club's photo contest project to raise funds for Rotary's Polio Eradication program.

    Eduardo de Santiago has "volunteered" to help with the bulletin when needed. Thanks, Eduardo.

    Alfredo Carrete discussed the Treasurer's report, which had been emailed to members after the board meeting. The club's financial status looks good and he was congratulated on getting this information out on such a timely basis. I hear the club's expenses will decline substantially, as soon as he finishes his payments on that new yacht.

    Julie concluded the meeting early, with a Thought of the Day that I completely missed. But I'm sure everyone else has memorized it. Maybe it ties in with Bill's Drumheller story. Who knows?

    Next week

    Our August 8 meeting will feature a Rotary scholar from Germany. See you there.

    Rob

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of August 1, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-08-01 00:00:00Z 0

    Afghan Police Women's project

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 24, 2012
    Image
    Alison MacLean is a Vancouver-based video-journalist who spoke to The Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise in 2010 about her assignment to film Canadian and US military personnel during their tour of duty in Afghanistan. The film she produced and showed to us, called "Outside the Wire,"  moved us all, as much of it was focused on women in uniform, many in combat roles, and how they felt about what they were doing.

    As part of her presentation, Alison talked about the Afghan women who have volunteered to be trained as police officers, in spite of the personal danger they will face by assuming roles traditionally reserved for Afghan men. These brave women police cadets weren't even provided the protective clothing and equipment they would need to enjoy a reasonable level of personal safety in their work. Alison began a campaign to help provide the items these women would need.

    Sunrise Rotary took up the challenge of helping these brave women and raised about $8,000 -- from local Rotarians, San Diego friends...
    Afghan Police Women's project Rob Goodell 2012-07-25 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of July 25, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 24, 2012
    The changeover of club officers and directors was accomplished on Sunday, July 22, with all the pomp and ceremony for which Vancouver Sunrise is famous. That means we had nearly 3 hours of good food and excellent fellowship in the party suite at Diana Theman's condo building in Coal Harbour, followed by a few minutes of organizational shuffling. Outgoing President Matthew Lynam thanked last year's executive for an excellent Rotary year, Secretary Lawrence Bicknell catalogued the club's recent accomplishments and introduced the new cast of characters. Julie Mantle, the new Character-in-Chief, having just returned from a frenzied shopping trip around the Mediterranean, outlined a few priorities for the coming year, and Matthew received a diamond-studded Past President's pin. All within a few minutes. And we even heard a brief spiel about district affairs from new Assistant Governor Tom Smith. Then, back to the food and fellowship.

    This morning's meeting opened with Julie fully in command, joined by 12 members and Luis Yanguas, a visiting Rotarian from Madrid, Spain. Luis plans to be a frequent visitor for a few months, until his wife's employment in Vancouver is made permanent, after which he may be a candidate to join our club. Welcome, Luis, and we look forward to getting to know you better.

    Rotary moment

    Sheila Anderson told us how she became a Rotarian in Nanaimo, which had to do with an arm-wrestling competition with the three male lawyers in her office. But, she showed them, as she went on to become the first female president of that club. Julie suggests that we have a different member share a brief statement of his or her peak Rotary experience, perhaps about once a month or when John Haley will be away. Bill Sheddy volunteered to do so next week.

    Personal stuff

    Our new Prez claims she bought no new shoes during her recent cruise in Europe, a statement which everyone is convinced fails the 4-Way Test. Several leather jackets, yes, but no shoes.

    It was announced today that Robert French has resigned from the club. He's been a big contributor to our club's success in recent years, and a good friend, and we'll miss him.

    David Parsons quoted a 7-year-old who had just visited his grandparents as deciding that, "When I grow up, I want to be RETIRED!"  Smart kid.

    Today's program: the President speaks

    Julie brouight up a number of future club opportunities for consideration. The Vancouver club is creating a video/film to celebrate 100 years of Rotary in Vancouver. Each club is asked to contribute $200 and provide a description of a recent project for inclusion in the video. Our club executive has chosen to highlight the Hoop-a-Thon for our portion of the video and Sheila will draft some text to describe this successful event.

    Our club's goal for the Annual Programs Fund of The Rotary Foundation is $100 per member this Rotary year, or $2,200 in total. We may have a computer available at breakfast some Wednesday so members can sign up to contribute as they wish.

    The Vancouver South club, with help from other nearby clubs, is embarked on a ambitious project to provide a new playground for an eastside elementary school. On Saturday, August 25, they will need 200 volunteers to help install the playground equipment. If you can help, please let Julie know.

    Bill advises that the August date chosen for the club's annual Rotary Day at Hastings Racetrack conflicts with the opening of the PNE, so a new date in September will be selected.

    Jim Clarke is arranging a party to raise funds for our special-ed school project in Leon, Mexico. The party will be Saturday, September 22, at the Iron Works on Main Street. See Jim for details.

    Ann-Shirley Goodell has learned that Alison MacLean will pack her video cameras and the protective gear our club provided, and leave for Afghanistan on August 12. In addition to delivering the equipment for the women police cadets, she will film these brave women at work for a video to be aired on TV in Canada, the US and Britain during International Women's Week next March.

    And, finally, Julie announced that the new board will meet on Tuesday, July 31. Please let her know whether or not you can attend.

    Future meetings

    On August 8, our speaker will be Alexander Hoffman, a current Rotary Scholar, who will give us his views on today's Germany. Sounds interesting.

    Have a good week, enjoy the sunshine, and we'll see you on Wednesday.

    Rob

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of July 25, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-07-25 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of July 4, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jul 03, 2012
    Have you heard the news? The European financial crisis is over! A sudden surge in retail sales has been reported in a number of port cities in Italy and Greece. In each city, the retail boom in ladies' fashions started just after a certain cruise ship docked. Reports are that stores are selling out all their inventories of matching handbags and shoes, with requests to deliver the merchandise to an address in Burnaby, BC. Amazing how the economies of those countries can turn around so quickly.

    With our brand-new club president away today, there were numerous past presidents just eager to seize control and bring back their glory days. Finally, the arm-wrestling match was won by Carlos Obregon who proceeded to run the meeting in his own style. There were 14 club members present, plus Ron Suzuki from Strathcona Community Centre and visiting Rotarians Lanis and Lynn Lenker from southern Illinois, USA. Lanis is the immediate past president of his small club and decided to celebrate the end of his term by leaving the country.

    Image                                                                 
    Ron Suzuki took a moment to thank the club for our support of the youth basketball program at Strathcona, particularly the 5th annual Hoop-a-Thon last month. He highlighted some of the success stories among his 500 young basketball players and distributed red Strathcona t-shirts to all club members.

    Club news

    The changeover event is planned for Sunday, July 22, at 1 pm. Finally, I have the venue information straight (I think). It's at Diana Theman's condo complex in Coal Harbour but not her building. The address is 555 Jervis Street, near Pender. There is meter parking on the street or you can phone Diana at 778-968-6466 and she'll help get you into her parking garage. The catered lunch is $25 per person, so let Diana know how many to order.

    Today's program

    It's always interesting and instructive to learn more about successful businesses in our community and today featured Whole Foods Market.  The speaker was Tereza Anderson, marketing specialist, with assistance by her boss, store manager Jorge Soso, both from the West Vancouver store in Park Royal. It's worth noting that Whole Foods is one of the corporate sponsors of our annual Christmas luncheon party for the West End seniors group, and we appreciate their help with that project.

    Whole Foods was started in 1980 in Texas and has grown to 324 stores throughout the US and Canada, including four in the Vancouver area (two of which were formerly Capers locations). Whole  Foods Market is planning to open stores in North Vancouver and Burnaby in the near future.

    Tereza described some of the Whole Foods programs that have been popular with their customers. The first features products from the ten percent of their vendors who are local farmers, butchers and fishermen. Another is their Whole Trade Guarantee, working with the Rain Forest Alliance to bring to market products that meet strict standards for environmental and labor issues. An example is coffee supplied by small growers in Nicaragua, where Jorge visited to learn how they grow and handle their products. The final program is called Health Starts Here, which provides customer education for healthy eating including products, recipes and information to promote good health.

    Next week

    The club program for July 11 will feature two Rotary couples visiting from New Zealand who are currently on a Friendship Exchange. Don't miss it!

    Rob

    Sunrise newsletter for the week of July 4, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-07-04 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 27, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jun 26, 2012
    Image

    The last Rotary meeting of the year opened this morning, with both the outgoing and incoming presidents, Matthew Lynam and Julie Mantle, among the 15 members and three guests in the room. John Chan was a guest of Lori Pobuto, Alison McLean was on hand to give us an update on the Afghan police women project, and Jonathon Vollett had a message for us, too.  We all admired Cam Scott's new suit and wondered if he had a job interview today or was just trying to keep up with the hotel managers among us.

    Alison will be going to Kabul in early August to distribute the protective outfits which our club and others contributed to help two divisions of Afghan police women in training. She has arranged for media coverage in Canada, the UK and the USA and is now looking for corporate contributions to help with travel and miscellaneous expenses.

    Jonathon lives in North Vancouver and is a student at Western Ontario University. He's been selected by a non-profit called Global Vision to be among 30 Canadian youth (age 16-24) for a trade mission to Panama and Colombia in July. The students will meet with business and government leaders, and perhaps Rotarians, to encourage cultural and business ties between countries. He's currently trying to raise funds to finance his trip.

    Club and personal items

    Diana Theman advises that the club's changeover event will be a catered lunch at her condo building in Coal Harbour at 1 pm on Sunday, July 22. Please let her or Julie know if you will attend. The $25 per person cost should go to Julie ASAP.

    Speaking of Julie, she's leaving for a two-week cruise in the Mediterranean, just in time to miss her first meetings as club president. Good planning! And, John Haley is going on a trip next week, but he has no clue where he's going. It's not a memory problem, as some might assume; it's his wife's surprise for his birthday. We'll be waiting to hear all about it. 

    Today's program

    Sheila Anderson gave us an update of Project Amigo which was started 20 years ago in a small impoverished village in Colima State, Mexico, near an active volcano. A Rotarian from California visited there and decided to do what he could to improve conditions for the 1,200 residents, starting with education. He and others raised funds to offer encouragement for kids in the village to stay in school, including parties and new clothing as inducements. It has now grown to include scholarships, a school bus, homework clubs, counselling, distribution of books, school improvements and other benefits in various locations throughout the state. Beyond education, 50 new houses were built for homeless families, medical clinics are available with volunteer doctors from other countries, and a number of Rotary clubs from California, BC and Alberta support these projects.

    Sheila's slideshow included lots of photos of healthy, happy kids in school and in their communities. She's been to Colima several times and says it's heartening to see the improvements in quality of life for the communities there. Thanks, Sheila, for an interesting presentation and for your work with this valuable project.


    That's all for now. Enjoy the start of summer and we'll see you next week.

    Rob


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 27, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-06-27 00:00:00Z 0

    A boutique hotel in Colombia

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jun 26, 2012
    At last week's meeting, Ann-Shirley Goodell told us about her volunteer consulting work in recent years in Eastern Europe and South America. She just received this photo from the boutique hotel where she stayed in Palmira, Colombia, last October. They're obviously proud of the Canadian flag she presented to them to thank them for their hospitality.


    Image


    A boutique hotel in Colombia Rob Goodell 2012-06-27 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 20, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jun 19, 2012
    Ahhh! The longest day of the year, the first day of summer AND a warm, bright, sunny Wednesday. Now I remember why we choose to live in Vancouver. Except for last Saturday, which was dreadful weather. Oh, well....

    Knowing what a draw our fabulous speaker would be, the hotel put this morning's Rotary meeting in the largest ballroom possible, with seating potential for 50 or more attendees. As it turned out, we were 16 members but no visiting Rotarians or other guests in the big room, as the meeting was brought to some semblance of order by soon-to-be-replaced President Matthew Lynam.  

    Rotary moment

    John Haley regaled us with the artistic history of the Rotary wheel, the symbol of RI everywhere. Turns out it wasn't a one-step design process, since the debates and proposed changes went on for years and years before the final design was adopted in 1924.

    Club news

    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Our changeover event has been postponed to Sunday, July 22, so don't show up at Diana's condo this Sunday. And, next Wednesday there will be a breakfast meeting with another outstanding speaker and program. Reprogram your daytimers now, or you're sure to show up in the wrong place on the wrong date. Please RSVP to Julie Mantle for the changeover and pay her the $25 per person for lunch.

    The board has approved a club contribution of $500 toward the upcoming conference for women police officers, as requested by our recent speakers from the Vancouver Police Department.

    The board is also working on a plan to provide a bursary for a deserving student as part of future Hoop-a-Thons.  Great idea!

    Bill Sheddy is working on scheduling our club's day at Hastings Park racetrack, hopefully a day when the PNE is not in full swing. It looks like August 11 might be a good date. Standby for more news on this.

    Today's program

    Our member Ann-Shirley Goodell was our speaker today, with a presentation that sounded vaguely familiar to me. I wonder why?

    Ann-Shirley was born in Trail, BC, where her parents had immigrated from Scotland as young adults. She told us of visiting Scotland at the outbreak of World War II, which complicatd her family's return to Canada by ship. After graduating from UBC in nursing, she went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the children's hospital was researching new ways to help children recover in hospital from serious illnesses like cancer. In the early 1960s, hospitals were discouraging parents from visiting their sick children to avoid upsetting them.  Ann-Shirley was part of the research team that introduced play therapy and parental involvement for very sick children. Also in Cincinnati she came to know Albert Sabin, the doctor who developed the first immunizations against polio.

    After working in nursing and hospital administration in hospitals in several US cities, Ann-Shirley was invited to come to Vancouver in 1983 as the first Vice President of Nursing for the (then) brand-new BC Children's Hospital. Later, she did doctoral studies at UBC in ethics, particularly women's issues and gender equality in business. After a few years of consulting and counselling work in Whistler, including management of several not-for-profit organizations, she retired when we moved back to Vancouver in 1999.

    Never one to sit around doing nothing, Ann-Shirley's "retirement" has included extensive volunteer consulting work with CESO, the Canadian Executive Services Organization, which sends volunteers to consult with struggling organizations in developing countries. This has taken her to Poland, then Russia, then seven assignments in various parts of Ukraine, and most recently to Colombia. She often helps non-profits and some private-sector organiations with fundraising, governance, and corporate social responsibility issues. Typical clients have been an orphanage, a hospice, a centre for parents of disabled children, and groups working to achieve gender equality in the workplace. Some members will recall that some of her clients from Zaporizhia, Ukraine, visited Vancouver a few years ago and that our club helped them start a new Rotary club in their city. That club is still thriving, from all reports.

    When the Government of Canada decided to curtail foreign aid to countries in Eastern Europe three years ago, the CESO focus shifted to Africa and South America, so Ann-Shirley went to Colombia in October 2011 and will be returning there this September. She reports that the new government there has made a major effort to clean up the country's drug-related problems, with significant success in reducing the crime rate. Apparently the drug cartels have found more welcoming surroundings in Venezuala and Mexico, leaving Colombia as a better place to be. 

    As always, it's interesting to learn more about what our members are doing with their time.



    REMEMBER, the changeover is rescheduled to July 22 and there WILL be a breakfast meeting next Wednesday. See you there.

    Rob


    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 20, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-06-20 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 13, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Jun 12, 2012
    President-Elect Julie Mantle is so anxious to be President, she just couldn't wait until July. So she grabbed the gavel this morning and proceeded to do business as if she'd been doing it for years. She did get some detailed instructions from Bill Sheddy on the correct protocol for wielding the gavel but we'll have to check with Robert's Rules of Order or something official from Buckingham Palace. Time will tell.

    We were 14 members at the Coast Hotel this morning, with no visiting Rotarians or other guests. John Haley was full of stories about his grizzly encounters, Ann-Shirley and I are just back from cycling in France, and Sonya Orr dropped in between her trips to exotic places. She's off again soon to the Netherlands and Julie is doing a Mediterranean cruise in a week or two. Too bad we're all such stay-at-homes.

    Rotary moment

    John regaled us with the long, involved Rotary tale of James Wheeler Davidson.  "Who's he?" you ask. John tells us he was a friend of Paul Harris and a pioneer in the early years of Rotary. Seems he travelled around the globe forming new clubs in many places. By one count, he was responsible for 23 new clubs in 12 countries. Be sure to memorize all this, as it will be on the final exam.

    Club news

    This year's Hoop-a-Thon is this Saturday, June 16. Members attending should be at Strathcona by 9:30 am. Pledges are still needed, urgently, since we are currently under prior years' amounts. The loss of our corporate sponsor means we need to generate more funds from personal contacts. Only a few days left!

    The club's changeover event, kicking out the old administration and welcoming our new leaders, will be Sunday, June 24, from 1 to 4 pm. Food is being catered, and the cost is $25 per person, payable to Julie. The venue is the party room in Diana Theman's condo building in Coal Harbour.

    Julie announced that the Board will be meeting on Tuesday, June 19, at 7:30.

    Sunrise Foundation

    Ana Fernandes from Odlum Brown, who are investment advisors for the club's charitable foundation, gave us an update on the status of our portfolio. The $70,000 (of the foundation's $80,000) that was invested through Odlum Brown two years ago in August, has grown to just over $76,000 -- a growth rate of 4.58 percent per year. Ana provided details of our investments, which are conservative in nature to minimize the risk of loss.The portfolio is currently invested 62 percent in bonds and GICs, 20 percent in dividend-paying preferred shares and 16 percent in dividend-paying common stocks and exchange-traded funds. The scholarships awarded for the past two years have been funded from the remaining portion of the foundation's funds, which are kept in a bank account for easy access when needed. It all looks like our foundation is in good financial shape.

    Today's program

    Hanne Kooistra was our speaker today, giving us an update on what's been happening in her life since her Youth Exchange year ended last summer. First, we saw the PowerPoint presentation she put together to show her sponsor Rotary club in the Netherlands what she did all year. Lots of good memories, for her and for us, in her many photos. If you missed it, or if you want to see it again, here's the link:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlndP7SOrY&feature=youtu.be

    Second, we talked with Hanne by Skype and learned that she's just finished her first year of university classes and will be taking final exams soon. She changed her education focus to economics and marketing and hopes to work in a retail or restaurant business this summer for the experience. It was fun to see her and interact with her and to note how mature and self-confident she has become.

    All of which proves, once again, what a great Rotary program Youth Exchange is -- for the exchange students and also for the many Rotarians who interact with them. Thanks to Hanne for bringing some Dutch sunshine into our lives. And, it doesn't have to end. Ann-Shirley and I enjoyed five days with Hanne in Bordeaux recently, and Sonya hopes to connect with her during her trip to the Netherlands this summer.

    And that's it for now. See you next Wednesday.

    Rob
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of June 13, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-06-13 00:00:00Z 0
    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 23/05/2012 Robert French 2012-05-23 00:00:00Z 0
    Vancouver Sunrise Bulletin 16/05/2012 Robert French 2012-05-16 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 9, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on May 08, 2012
    A bit breezy and cool early this morning, but a beautiful sunny day with not a cloud in sight. Of course, we know it's always like this in Vancouver. Right?

    Nearly a full house at Rotary today, with 16 members plus our two speakers and Rotarian Jane LaPorte, visiting from the Burnaby Deer Lake club. Do I hear rumours that Jane is considering moving her membership to a club closer to her Vancouver home? President Matthew Lynam opened our breakfast meeting on time and we stumbled through the 4-Way Test with minimal bloodshed. This being a family-friendly publication, we're going to skip right over the revelations of what Sheila Anderson and Carlos Obregon claim they've been doing on the floor in recent weeks. Shocking!

    Rotary moment

    John Haley reported a news item that said a Rotarian in Abbotsford will receive a kidney transplant soon, with the donor being a Rotarian from Oak Harbor, Washington.  The donor is a friend and business colleague of Jim Clarke. Small world!  John also summarized for us the growth of bicycle use around the world.  He says that 72 percent of the world's bikes are now made in China, followed by India at 10 percent. Portland, Oregon, wins the prize for the most bicycle communters in North America. But Vancouver may be catching up.

    Club and district news

    Lori Pobuta was recognized as the club's new Vice President and received a valuable pin indicating her new status. Matthew and the club also thanked her for the great job she did developing a PowerPoint presentation announcing our Corporate Membership program.

    There will be a board meeting next Tuesday at the Century Plaza hotel, sez the prez.

    Jane LaPorte, representing the district's Friendship Exchange committee, announced that a group of New Zealand Rotarians will be in our city in July. She's arranging home hosting for them, so anyone who can host a Rotary single or couple for 3 or 4 days the second week of July should contact her at laporte@telus.net or www.rotary5040.org.  Rotarians from our district will be hosted in New Zealand during February 2013, so anyone who's interested in going should let Jane know.

    The Rotary Club of Burnaby Deer Lake is holding a benefit concert to fund a project for the hearing impared community in Bali.  The concert will feature the Stradivari Ensemble of the Vancouver Academy of Music and will be held Saturday, May 26, at 6:15 pm at the Unitarian Church on 49th Avenue, Vancouver.  Tickets are $25 and can be reserved at www.rotaryburnabydeerlake.org.

    Today's program

    Our speakers this morning were Julie Birtch and Stephanie Willoughby, both Detective Constables with the Vancouver Police Department, and each the mother of two children.  One hundred years ago in 1912, the VPD hired the first female police officer in Canada and our speakers showed us photos of women in policing work over the years. 

    At first, the female police officers were restricted to clerical duties but now are fully integrated into all aspects of VPD responsibilities. The photos showed female officers in the mounted unit with their horses doing crowd control, women in the bike patrol, the marine unit, on motorcycles and in riot control roles. It was interesting to note the changes in uniforms as the decades passed.  There are now 307 women in the VPD, nearly 30 percent of the total force and the highest percentage among police organizations in Canada. The officers described how they use "verbal judo" to diffuse difficult situations, rather than brute strength.

    To commemorate the 100th anniversary, the Vancouver Police will be hosting a 3-day conference called "The Evolution of Policing" in September at River Rock Resort in Richmond.  Contributions are being solicited to help finance this important conference.

    Au revoir

    Attendance may slip a little in coming weeks, as Banu Tulumen and her new husband will be in Turkey for an extended visit, Lori Pobuto is going to Greece and France for a few weeks, and John and Marni Haley will soon be going grizzly bear hunting.  Ann-Shirley and I will be on our bikes in France for the next month, including several days with Hanne Kooistra, last year's Youth Exchange student. We'll see you in June.

    Rob
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 9, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-05-09 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 2, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on May 01, 2012
    This week's Rotary meeting was in the big ballroom of the Coast Hotel, with all its memories of our Mexican Fiesta evenings.  Carlos Obregon was among the members looking for the tequila tastings for which this room is well known, but it didn't happen.  We were 15 members today, plus visiting Rotarian Tom Smith from the Tsawwassen club.  Tom was our speaker today and also is my replacement as Assistant Governor starting July 1.  He has some very revealing stories about Julie Mantle and the other presidents-elect, who apparently enjoyed their PETS weekend more than is usual.  We're still waiting for more tantalizing news of the goings-on but details are only coming to light slowly. 

    After President Matthew Lynam opened the meeting, we heard more scandal, something about Sheila Anderson and John Haley going travelling together, but we're not to tell their spouses. I'm sure their secrets are safe with this group. Oh, yeah!  We also had a fashion lecture and demonstration with Julie urging everyone to coordinate shoes and handbags of the same colour and design.  Preferably wild colours with pink predominating.  Go for it, guys.

    Rotary moment

    John summarized the results of a 2010 survey conducted by RI in six countries.  It showed that Rotary has fairly high awareness in many places, but that most people dont have a clear picture of what we do. RI concludes that we need more consistency in our public utterings to make it more clear what we're about. 

    District and club news

    It's not too late to register for the District Conference to be held in Richmond on May 17-20.  Register at www.rotary5040.org.

    Robert French will be sending by email a suggested format for inviting sponsors to help with the Hoop-a-Thon.  Our goal for the 40th anniversary of the Strathcona sports program is $40,000 at our June 16 fundraiser.

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Tom Smith who, among his other Rotary responsibilities, chairs World Community Service in our district.  As such, he is our rep to the Canadian Rotary Collaboration for International Development (CRCID) which was his topic today.

    CRCID is described as a legal partnership between the Rotary districts in Canada and the Government of Canada to use funds from CIDA to match Canadian Rotary funds for selected projects and programs overseas.  The CIDA funds are part of Canada's foreign aid to developing countries.  This partnership was formed in 1986 and has its headquarters and staff in London, Ontario.

    For the 100th anniversary of Rotary in Canada,CRICD provided $800,000 (part from Rotary, part from CIDA) for construction of a school for 4,000 children, many of them girls, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. 

    CIDA funds are allocated in three-year cycles.  Currently CIDA has $3.1 million of funding, of which $1.3 million is overhead and the remaining $1.8 million is available for projects and programs.  Rotary funds for the same period total about $4 million.  CRCID limits its funding to health concerns, literacy and education in Africa and Central America.  Among the projects funded recently is our former member Dean Rohrs' ongoing support of children in South Africa (which started in our club some years ago).  Other recent CRCID projects are in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Guatamala.

    Tom described how $1 of club funds can become $6.30 after District Grant matches, Global Grant matches and CRCID support.  He stressed that Global Grant approval is required before CRCID will support a project.  He says the process is long and exacting (roughly three years!), far from easy, but there are CRCID people to help. Tom also emphasized that CRCID wants to fund sustainable programs rather than individual projects, as Rotary clubs have typically done.

    More information is available at www.CRCID.org.


    And that's it for now.  See you next Wednesday.

    Rob



    Sunrise bulletin for the week of May 2, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-05-02 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 25, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 24, 2012
    It's a sad week for the ladies of the club, who showed up today obviously in mourning.  Not only did their hockey team self-destruct, but several overconfident ladies had already spent their hoped-for winnings.  Now they're looking for second jobs to help cover their losses. The word "Gumby" was frequently heard this morning, but that only caused more sadness. Sonya Orr, on the other hand, is still upbeat as she has a bet on every team in the league.

    Amid all the tears, 14 members sat down to breakfast on Wednesday, after President Matthew Lynam rang the bell with great authority.  He's actually getting pretty good at that, so maybe he should have another year to perfect it.  President Elect Julie Mantle seconds the motion.  Our newest member, Eduardo de Santiago, read the 4-Way Test.  Let's see how long it takes him to memorize it.

    Matthew announced that today was a business meeting, with only 3 to go.  Julie had a heart attack when she thought he said 3 meetings to go and recovered somewhat when he explained that he meant 3 business meetings.  We called 911 anyway, and the paramedics pronounced her fit to serve as President.  She did have some hilarious stories of what happens in the elevators at PETS (President Elect Training Seminar) but fortunately the morals squad was not alerted to the goings-on.

    Announcements

    Matthew reminded us of the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) session on Thursday, May 17, at River Rock Resort in Richmond.  District Conference will be at the same location the following two days. Larry (and Tania) Belsito and Sheila Anderson are signed up to attend the conference and would welcome some company from among Sunrise members.  Register at rotory5040.org.

    Robert French advised that the Hoop-a-Thon committee will be meeting tomorrow, Thursday, at 5:30 at Strathcona Community Centre. 

    Ann-Shirley Goodell has learned that journalist Alison MacLean will be going to Afghanistan this summer and will be taking items of protective equipment for the brave women police candidates in Kabul.  Our club and others have raised $5,000 for this project, which will be partially matched by a District Grant, to purchase the needed equipment.

    Business meeting

    Treasurer Alfredo Carrete reported that our club finances are in good shape, with a current "profit" of some $7,300.  Pre-billed meals will now be $225 per quarter.  He has sent a cheque for $480 to TRF (The Rotary Foundation) for polio eradication, representing the proceeds of our piggy bank donations.  Another $700 to $800 will be sent to TRF for polio after the photo contest expenses are all paid.  The winners have already received their cash prizes, so publishing the book of winning photos is the last step.

    The Board has appointed Lori Pobuto to be Vice President of the club, replacing Banu Tulumen who will be away for significant periods of time.  Lori, with her Membership hat on, is planning to reinstitute fireside chats, which the club has successfully held for newer members in the past but not recently.  And, Lori is working on developing corporate memberships as a potential way to attract more members.

    The Hoop-a-Thon Committee has set a goal of $40,000 for this year's fundraising event, including corporate sponsors, to support the 40th anniversary of this basketball program for at-risk youth on Vancouver's downtown east side.

    It was agreed by consensus that our changeover dinner, transferring all the power and majesty of our club officers and directors to a new bunch of familiar faces, will be held on Sunday, June 24.  Diana Theman and Abigal Turner will identify the ideal location and let us know details.

    We had an inappropriate photo posted to the club's Facebook page.  It has been removed and members are urged to contact Matthew or Carlos Obregon if any others appear.

    Guess Who's Coming for Dinner, always a favourite club social event, will be scheduled in the fall.

    Just before Matthew rang the bell to liberate us, we had some discussion of member contributions to foundation programs.  It was agreed that a laptop will be brought to a meeting soon, to facilitate individual online donations to The Rotary Foundation, either for the Annual Programs Fund or for polio eradication ($100 per member per year is the recommended minimum).  Members are also encouraged to donate to our club's foundation at any time and get a tax receipt.  It was suggested that future invoices include reminders of these two voluntary opportunities.

    Next week's speaker will be Tom Smith of the Tsawwassen club and our incoming Assistant Governor.  He will describe the international service partnership between Rotary and the Government of Canada, which has been building schools in Afghanistan in recent years.  Should be interesting.  See you there.

    Rob

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 25, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-04-25 00:00:00Z 0

    Vancouver Sunrise funds new programs in Leon, Mexico

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 20, 2012
    At a March 2012 ceremony in Leon, Mexico, a cheque for 118,601 pesos ($10,000 Canadian dollars) from The Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise was presented to the Institute of Rehabilitation and Special Education.  The ceremonial dinner was held at The Rotary Club of Leon and was attended by 120 Rotarians and spouses. Vancouver Sunrise raised the funds for this project at two annual Mexican Fiesta evenings at the new Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver.

    The Institute, supported in part by the Leon club over the years, provides educational, vocational and social programs for young people with Down Syndrome in the Leon area.  The funds from Vancouver Sunrise Rotary will furnish and equip a new multi-use classroom at the Institute for training caregivers of people with Down Syndrome, particularly those who live too far away to access regular programs at the Institute's location.  A giant cheque was presented to the Institute by Carlos Obregon, Past President of the Vancouver Sunrise club.  
    Vancouver Sunrise funds new programs in Leon, Mexico Rob Goodell 2012-04-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 4, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Apr 03, 2012
    Back at the Coast Hotel after two meetings across the street, 17 members were joined on Wednesday morning by Barbara Taylor, a visiting Rotarian from Hanover, Pennsylvania, and Keaton Bast, a guest who works in commodities downtown and is curious about our club.  President Matthew Lynam called the meeting to order (not as easy as it sounds, given this bunch) and Bill Sheddy started us off with a nearly-perfect rendition of Rotary's Four-Way Test.  We missed you Banu, Sonya, Lori, David and Lawrence.

    The buzz this morning was everyone's plans to get away for the Easter weekend. With the perfect, warm and sunny weather we've been having here, I can't imagine why.  John will be driving to Montana through blizzard conditions, Robert French will be at the San Diego Zoo (where there's no blizzard planned) and Diana Theman is flying to Montreal (blizzards aren't predicted, but you never know).  Julie Mantle's just back from sunny Mexico.  Alfredo Carrete's family has deserted him so he's staying home alone and looking for trouble.

    Rotary moment

    John Haley biefly reviewed the history of The Rotary Foundation and its worldwide leadership in polio eradication since 1985.  An impressive story.  It was also mentioned that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has recently given another $50 million to TRF to help complete the job, bringing their total to some $305 million.  Wow!  Our personal and club contributions are still important, however, as the remaining three countries are difficult (read: expensive) to reach with the vaccines. 

    Announcements

    The Rotary World Help Network, the volunteer group that ships medical supplies and other items for local clubs doing service projects overseas, has asked who will be our club's contact person.  Matthew plans to work with them after his term as president is completed.  In the meantime, Carlos Obregon volunteered and Ann-Shirley Goodell will help as needed.

    Last evening, King George School was pleased to hear about Youth Exchange and our plans for 2013-2014, following their great year with Hanne Kooistra as a student.  Hanne will be staying with Ann-Shirley and me for a few days in France next month.  She has sent a 10-minute slide presentation on her year in Canada, which Cam Scott will schedule as a program sometime soon.  Hanne may be able to speak with the club on Skype at that meeting, too.  She's in university in the Netherlands now and says she's doing fine.

    Cam relayed a message from former member Paul Hamilton, who will MC next week's hockey team auction, that anyone who misses the meeting on April 11 will be sure to bid high on a team that has no chance of winning the Stanley Cup.  Be there or be at his mercy!

    Today's program

    Our speaker this morning was Chip Morgan, founder and CEO of The Africa Water Bank, who cited a UN report that forecasts a serious shortage of potable water for a growing world population.  Chip told of his recent visit to a village in Kenya, where he joined a group of girls and women on their 6-hour daily walk, about ten kilometres each way,  to the nearest spring so they could get 20 litres each of dirty water to carry home for their famlies for drinking, cooking and bathing.  When he offered to help carry the water, they told him, "In our country, men don't carry water."  Of course, the girls who do this work can't attend school.

    It's estimated that some 400 million Africans do not have access to clean water, so millions of children die each year from drinking contaminated water.  Rotary and other charitable groups have tried to help over the years, primarily by drilling about 390,000 borehole wells with pumps, of which 155,000 are now abandoned because no one locally can maintain and repair the equipment and because the villages feel no ownership or responsibility for this equipment.  Good intentions by many donors have resulted in no long-term benefits to the villages.  How sad.

    The Africa Water Bank follows a very different approach.  It offers a low-tech process of collecting ground rainwater, filtering it with sand and charcoal, and storing it in large tanks.  This system has no moving parts requiring maintenance and uses the heavy seasonal rains to help the village get through the dry seasons.  Each village must pay 15 percent of the installation cost, either in cash or in materials or in labour, so there is a sense of local ownership. The village charges users four cents per 20-litre container which pays for periodic cleaning and maintenance of the system. 

    Many of these ground rainwater systems have been installed in African villages, but there are currently 200 villages on a wait list.  The Africa Water Bank is looking for help, both financial and volunteer manpower, to allow these villages to have water systems of their own.  To find out how you can help, visit www.africawaterbank.org or on Facebook at AfricaWaterBank.

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of April 4, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-04-04 00:00:00Z 0

    Announcing the winners in our worldwide online photo contest

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 20, 2012

    ENDPOLIONOW_4p

    The Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise in Vancouver, Canada,  hosted a photo contest online as a fund-raiser to help in the fight against polio. 

    Starting October 24, 2011, and continuing to the end of 2011, photographers worldwide submitted photos with the theme "Facing Challenges."  This theme was interpreted in many ways and creativity was encouraged. 

    The contest concluded on December 31, 2011, and winners were announced in January 2012.  Here are the winners:

    FIRST PRIZE goes to David KAGAN of Edmonton, Canada, with 818 votes. His photo was number 24248.jpg.

    SECOND PRIZE to Juan Carlos VAZQUEZ of Vancouver, Canada, with 811 votes. Photo nujmber 24472.jpg.

    THIRD PRIZE was won by Peter WU of Vancouver, Canada, with 509 votes. Photo number 24495.jpg.

     

    Announcing the winners in our worldwide online photo contest Rob Goodell 2012-03-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 21, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 20, 2012
    Today is supposed to be the start of spring weather but it didn't feel like it on an early Wednesday morning.  Tomorrow's forecast is for more snow.  No wonder everyone's gone (or is going) to Palm Springs. 

    The 16 members who aren't in warmer climates gathered for Rotary at the Renaissance Hotel, across the street from the Coast which booted us out for bad behaviour.  Thanks to Larry Belsito for arranging such luxurious space for our two weeks in the penalty box.  Next week we'll be at the Renaissance again, this time on the top floor.

    Today, we learned that Simon Hauck, our last year's Youth Exchange student, is enjoying spring break in San Luis Obispo, California, with a former YE student who lives there.  Closer to home, Diana Theman and Julie Mantle had a "girls' night out" which may have been a little wild.  And, Abigail Turner is celebrating the news that her in-laws, recently relocated from the UK to BC, will move out of her basement in a few weeks into their own place nearby.  I hear they're starting a baby-sitting business.

    President Matthew Lynam led a business meeting highlighting some of the items considered by the board recently.  He distributed copies of the updated Operation Plan, which seems to have grown to four pages, indicating that the club has a lot going on.  Some of the discussion items were:

    Youth exchange.  After a very successful year exchanging Simon for Hanne Kooistra, the club is taking two years out but is tentatively scheduled to re-enter YE in 2013-2014.  Rob Goodell has been asked to speak to parents at King George school, where Hanne was a real hit, to see if there are potential YE candidates.  Today's discussion confirmed that the club expects to commit this August to participate in 2013-2014, with candidate interviews starting in September.  Three members indicated that they would consider being host families for this program.

    Afghan police women's project.  Ann-Shirley Goodell met with photo-journalist Alison McLean last week for an update on this effort, for which club members and others made contributions which have been matched by an RI District Grant to provide protective clothing and equipment for these brave police candidates.  Due to the recent military and political turmoil affecting everything in Afghanistan, Alison's trip to distribute these items has been delayed and is now planned for May or June. 

    President-elect.  Matthew announced that Banu Tulumen's upcoming marriage and travel plans will prevent her from serving as club president in 2013-2014 so the board will take steps to fill this position soon.   

    Corporate memberships.  Lori Pobuto is preparing a Power Point presentation to use with prospective firms.

    Programs.  Cam Scott announced that our annual Stanley Cup hockey pool will be at the April 4 meeting.  He has arranged programs/speakers through May 23 and thanks the members who sent him ideas.

    District events.  A district assembly and Future Vision training will be held in North Vancouver on April 14.  Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) training will be offered as part of the District Conference, May 17-19, in Richmond.

    Social events.  Bill Sheddy will look into a Rotary day at Hastings Park racetrack, preferably on a Saturday afternoon in spring.  Bill is also looking into the possibility of holding an event at the Jazz Cellar on West Broadway, perhaps as a fundraiser.

    Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.  Our student candidate had to cancel, so the $450 earmarked for RYLA is available for other uses.  Strathcona Community Centre suggests we support one of their girls' basketball players with a scholarship to help her with post-secondary education at Langara.  The club seemed to support this idea.

    Foundation giving.  Most of our members agree with the notion of donating at least $100 per year as part of the Every-Rotarian-Every-Year plan but actual contributions are down substantially since we stopped including this item on club dues invoices.  We discussed the options of restarting the dues invoice plan vs. letting members make their own contributions online or by cheque, with no real consensus reached.  We also talked about donating to the RI Annual Program Fund, or to the RI Polio Eradicaton program, or to our own Sunrise club foundation, or some combination of these.  Again, no consensus.  John Haley was asked to propose something here that will be workable, perhaps involving some level of follow-up with members who intend to contribute but procrastinate.  Ann-Shirley (and maybe others) will work with John on this.
     
    The discussion was lively, especially on the last item of business, but Matthew gonged the meeting to a conclusion so members could get to their offices.  He didn't even have time for his thought of the day, but here it is: 

    "Today's thought comes to us from Duke Ellington who, upon being asked what kinds of music he liked, said 'There are only two kinds of music -- good music and bad.'"

    Remember, don't go the the Coast Hotel next week unless you're prepared to pay for all the damage we caused.  Have a good week.

    Rob
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 21, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-03-21 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 7, 2012

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Mar 07, 2012
    This week's Rotary meeting started with the 4-Way Test done in stereo with a pronounced San Diego accent.  Guess where those 2 members have been.  It was noted by several that the following day would be the 101st International Women's Day but I'm not sure just what type of politically-correct celebration would be appropriate.  Maybe beer and bowling?  Anyway, we had 20 members in the room (is that a new record?) plus our frequent-visiting-Rotarian Shail Mahanti from the Vancouver Arbutus club.  It was good to see Alfredo Carrete feeling better after his back problems.  And it was congratulations all around over Banu Tulumen's upcoming wedding.  Was there some buzz about maybe a club party to celebrate with Banu?

    Rotary moment

    John Haley stumped us all with a Rotary history quiz.  Questions like Paul Harris's shoe size and the kind of wine he drank when he was inaugurated as the first president of RI.  Only John knew the answers, as he was there on that occasion.

    Club and RI news

    President-Elect Julie Mantle was busy sharpening pencils so she can take lots of notes this weekend at PETS (Presidents-Elect Training Seminar) in Seattle. 

    Also observed was last week's milestone announcement that India has not had a new case of polio in over a year, marking another success for RI's polio eradication program.  India won't be officially declared polio-free until 3 years after the last case but it's good news just the same.

    Today's program

    As usual, the club spared no expense to bring in a great speaker, this one with first-hand stories about Fiji, Dubai and Qatar.  And, as usual, one of our own members gave a particularly interesting presentation entitled "The Life and Times of Larry Belsito."

    Larry was born in Sault Ste. Marie, although his father was born in Italy.  Larry attended Carleton University but left before graduating and completed his degree some years later, during his 45-year career in the hotel industry.  His first job in the business was at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in 1964.  Then, if I followed his many moves correctly, he worked in hotels in Saskatoon, Jasper, Ottawa again, Toronto, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Vancouver again, Fiji, Dubai, Vancouver again, Qatar, Seattle, Nashua New Hampshire, Toronto again, and back to Vancouver to stay.  That's a total of 17 locations in 7 countries.  He showed photos of all the hotels in their varied settings, with Fiji and Dubai being the most spectacular, in my opinion.  Larry commented that he didn't seem to hold a job for very long, although he proudly told us he has never been fired.  

    Larry married Tania in 1972 and she's moved around with him for 40 years now.  She should get a medal or something.  Larry's 5 kids have also lived lots of places, including a son who went to a Brazilian school and learned fluent Portuguese.  

    Larry joined Rotary in the Vancouver Chinatown club and later was a member in Nashua, Mississauga, and then Vancouver Sunrise.  He's been club president several times and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.

    After living all over the world for all those years, Larry and Tania finally decided to settle in North Vancouver, where they had owned a house for years but never lived in it .  Larry retired in 2009 and has done part-time consulting with local hotels since then. 

    What an odyssey!  Thanks for the world tour, Larry, and we all hope you're enjoying your retirement.  Don't forget that Tania has a birthday this week.

     
    Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 7, 2012 Rob Goodell 2012-03-08 00:00:00Z 0

    Mexican Fiesta funds a new service project

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Sep 26, 2011
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     Mariachi band!  Salsa dancing!  Great Mexican food!

    On April 2, 2011, the Rotary Club of Vancouver Sunrise hosted 86 Rotarians and friends at a second annual Mexican Fiesta at the new Coast Hotel in CoalHarbour, downtown Vancouver. These events are fundraisers for a school in Mexico for impoverished children with Down Syndrome.

     The Fiesta evening also included a silent auction in which several hotel stays, crafts, vintage wines and premium tequila bottles were sold.  

    The funds raised in this year's Fiesta evening will help furnish a training facility for caregivers of Down Syndrome patients.  This facility will be the first of its kind in Central Mexico.

    In March 2010 the club raised $5,000 toward the project goal of $30,000 and in April 2011 raised another $5,000. The Rotary Club of Leon, Mexico, will also contribute funds.

    Mexican Fiesta funds a new service project Rob Goodell 2011-09-27 00:00:00Z 0

    Dutch student and her year in Vancouver

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 23, 2011
    Vancouver Sunrise hosted a Youth Exchange student from northern Holland for the 2010-2011 school year. She is Hanne Kooistra, 18, and her interests are field hockey, tennis and skiing. She attended King George school in Vancouver, graduating in June. Hanne lived with several Rotary families for the school year and returned to the Netherlands in August 2011.
    Dutch student and her year in Vancouver Rob Goodell 2011-08-24 00:00:00Z 0

    Sunrise Youth Exchange student is back from Italy

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Aug 23, 2011
    Simon Hauck, 16, our club's outbound Youth Exchang student, spent the past year attending high school on the island of Sardinia in Italy. He lived with Rotary families for a year, learning Italian and experiencing the culture of this beautiful Mediterranean island.  Simon returned home in late June 2011.
    Sunrise Youth Exchange student is back from Italy Rob Goodell 2011-08-24 00:00:00Z 0
    You Tube Video Matthew Lynam 2011-03-03 00:00:00Z 0

    What is Rotary?

    Posted by Rob Goodell on Feb 21, 2011
    Rotary International has developed this revised statment of our mission. Rotary is: "A worldwide network of inspired individuals who translate their passions into relevant social causes to change lives in communities."
    What is Rotary? Rob Goodell 2011-02-22 00:00:00Z 0
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