Kevin’s Kaleidoscope – June 2007

 

On May 9th, Jen and I were guests of the three Burnaby clubs at the charter ceremony for a new Rotaract club in Burnaby.

 

Clearly, our young people are our future and the future of Rotary, and it was gratifying to witness the energy and enthusiasm for Rotaract and Rotary exhibited by the charter members. Rotaract is the fastest growing program in Rotary, with close to 200,000 Rotaractors worldwide.

 

We were delighted to visit the Rotary Club of Gibsons, and to participate in a tree planting by the Elphinstone High School Interact club.

 

That evening we heard from two wonderful people Wendy Bodt and Deirdre Pearson, both retired nurses from Gibsons who spend their own time and money to bring basic health care to the poor villages of Burma. The Gibsons club recognized their outstanding service by awarding them each a Paul Harris Fellowship.

 

Then, on Friday, May 11, we were treated to another youth event, the outbound orientation for the Rotary youth exchange students who will spend a year in other parts of the Rotary world. Once again, I was amazed at the enthusiasm of the students for what will be a memorable year for them. Many of our youth exchange students leave as children, and return as young adults with a broader understanding of the world and their place in it. Congratulations and bon voyage to the outbound students, and thank you to their parents for allowing them to participate in this Rotary program.

 

Congratulations and thank you, also, to the inbound students who have spent the greater part of a year with us in District 5040. You have inspired us, entertained us, and taught us something of your individual countries and customs. Thank you for your enthusiastic and entertaining participation in the conference. We wish you well in your careers and invite you to return to District 5040.

 

The big event during the month of May was the highly successful District conference at the Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna.

 

Opening Keynote speaker Craig Kielburger from Free The Children held the audience in awe as he related his experiences and his life journey which led and inspired him to reach out to suffering and abused children in many parts of the world. At the age of 24, Craig is acknowledged as a pre-eminent child rights activist, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and is a true friend and advocate for poor, exploited, illiterate, hungry, thirsty children anywhere. We thank Craig for speaking at our conference, and for the work that he and Free The Children continue to do.

 

And Tracy Thompson, who was a Rotary Exchange student to South Africa, brought tears to many an eye when she sang the song that she composed on her return from South Africa Touch The Sky. . . . .

 

“I came across the world to see what I could see

But I didn’t know the things that were waiting for me.

The friends that I would make, or the things that I’d explore –

These were the dreams that I never dreamt before.

 

Friends have always made me a part of their life.

They helped me with my problem, make a sacrifice.

They were always Emotions deep within my mind

But my friends helped me through them, time after time.

 

Chorus:

 

So there’s no reason to cry

Now I feel I can touch the sky

Because of you, you have pulled me through,

Because of you all have pulled me through

 

Everyday I see great people and I know when they walk by

How much I’m going to miss them and each of their smiles.

With the fun that they shared when they showed me that they cared –

I could never forget what they’ve done for me.

 

They taught me all the things that I needed to know.

I have to say I thank you for helping me grow.

But now the time has come – my year is nearly done

And now I know that I have to say goodbye.”

 

We were privileged to have Rob Whittle, President of DDB Canada, speak to us about the advertising industry, and trends in communications. DDB is one of the largest advertising agencies in North America, and Rob presented an interesting history of advertising from its early beginnings to present day sophistication. Many of his vignettes were highly entertaining and had the audience spellbound. We extend a sincere thank you to Rob for coming to Kelowna and speaking to us.

Howard Soon from Calona Wines presented an interesting history of the wine industry in British Columbia, from its humble and not very successful beginnings, to a world class industry which wins prizes and accolades for its products. Howard is a respected judge of wines, and we were honoured to have him share his knowledge and insight.

 

A tradition at the annual conference is a presentation by the inbound and outbound Group Study Exchange teams. Magdalen Leung and the District 5040 team (pic 1) outlined their experiences in Taiwan, and the value of the GSE experience for them as individuals and their careers. The inbound team, led by Rotarian Jason Teng (pic 2), have been a delight to have in District 5040. They have fulfilled their duties in an exemplary manner and participated in events and activities enthusiastically. Thank you to Jason, Sophie, Emerald, Celesta, and Josh for visiting District 5040, and for sharing your culture with us.

 

Many would agree that the stars of the conference were Past District Governor John T. and Jane Capps, (pic 3) from District 7730 in North Carolina, at the conference as personal representatives of Rotary International President Bill and Lorna Boyd. What a delightful couple. John was a Rotary Youth Exchange student 50 years ago, and participated in the opening flag ceremony as a Rotex alumnus, carrying the flag of the United States. He had us in stitches of laughter one minute, and moved to tears the next, as his presentations inspired and motivated us to become better Rotarians. Jane stole the hearts of many delegates and their partners with her warm charm and grace. Thank you to John and Jane for traveling all the way from North Carolina to join us in Kelowna, and for participating so enthusiastically in conference events and activities.

 

Then there was the “Walk for Polio Because You Can”, (pic 4) when 93 walkers completed the five km walk, and helped to raise over $10,000 for PolioPlus.

 

Congratulations to all those who received special awards and recognition, to the clubs which received the Presidential Citation, and to the Rotary clubs of Vancouver Chinatown (second runner up), Quesnel (first runner up), and New Westminster-Royal City, the Outstanding Rotary Club of the Year. (pic 5)

 

A milestone at this year’s conference was the First Annual General Meeting of Rotary International District 5040 Inc.

 

Truly, this has been a noble Vintage Rotary District conference. We salute and thank the members of the committee who worked so hard for the past three years, and whose dedication, skills and enthusiasm produced such a successful conference.

Conference chair Karen Harrison,

Conference Treasurer Otto Rieve,

Conference Secretary/Treasurer Jacci McTavish,

Program chair Dave Hamilton,

Facilities chair Marni Fraser,

Extra-curricular Activities and Entertainment chair Vicki Haller,

Sponsorships chair Magdalen Leung,

Awards chair PDG Leo Nimsick,

Conference Registrars Pam and Robert Rickey,

Golf Coordinator Garry Shearer,

Marketing and Promotion co-chairs Lynda Rocha and Kathi Travers,

Operations and Protocol chair Angiola De Stefanis – you are amazing.

 

Thank you also to the partners of committee members who worked quietly and effectively behind the scenes to make it all happen as it should.

 

And so we approach the end of a wonderful Rotary year. Jen and I will be traveling to Salt Lake City to attend the Rotary International Convention and to celebrate Rotary with fellow Rotarians from around the world. We hope to see many Rotarians from District 5040 in Salt Lake City. It is still not too late to register for one of the great events of the Rotary year. Go to www.rotary.org and follow the links to the Convention pages.

 

We will have the pleasure and privilege of welcoming Rotary International President Wilf and Joan Wilkinson to District 5040 in August for one of only a few Presidential celebrations. Mark your calendars for August 10 – 11, and it’s not too early to register for the event and the dinner; go to www.rotaryevents.ca and follow the Registration link. This event, to be held in Richmond, promises to be sold out.

 

PAG Otto received a call from John T. Capps from his home in the USA and he said to say hello to the District 5040 Rotarians who attended the conference in Kelowna and invited us to visit anytime. 

John T and Jane both thought that we had an excellent conference in Kelowna and that they had a good time with us Canucks, eh! They are excellent representatives and contributed greatly to the tone and fun of our Conference even as we did a lot of Rotary work while enjoying the fellowship and friendships new and old.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE CONFERENCE – EDITOR’S CORNER

Minga - rotary is a global “Minga”, coming together to help each other. So next time when you need help from your fellow Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors, shout from the top of your lungs: “MINGA” !!!

DO WHAT I CAN - I am only one person, what difference can it make? “ In our lives, we cannot do great things, but we can do small things with GREAT LOVE.” - Mother Teresa.

TO INVEST IN OUR YOUTH - Connect to the young people, they are our future, find their gift and talent, give them responsibilities in their OWN terms, let them start their own initiative, teach them leadership skills so they can teach others.

HAVE FUN - Being a Rotarian doesn’t have to be all work, make it a party and have fun!

My heartfelt thank you for honouring me with a PHF at the District conference.

 

District Conference Moments can be viewed at www.rotary5040.org homepage story. My sincere thank you to Rotarian QUENTIN LI of Vancouver Centennial club for sharing his website knowledge from photoshow to video posting bringing our website alive.

 

2007 PRESIDENTIAL CITATION

The purpose of the Presidential Citation is to increase Rotary club involvement in service activities, while at the same time encouraging Rotarians' personal involvement in serving others and promoting a high standard of Rotary service in the community. The following are the clubs in our district that have met the requirements for the Presidential Citation.

 

Rotary Clubs and Club Presidents:

  • Gibsons - Don Stuart 
  • Kitimat - Gareen Ball 
  • Ladner - Bill Bramwell 
  • North Vancouver-Lionsgate - Sue Godey 
  • New Westminster-Royal City - Bob MacKerricher 
  • Pender Harbour - Rick Harmer 
  • Prince George Yellowhead - Dave Dyer 
  • Prince Rupert - Finn Conradsen 
  • Prince Rupert Hecate Strait - Ann Jackson 
  • Quesnel - Simon Turner 
  • Richmond Sunrise - Christina Pughe 
  • Smithers Alpine - Craig Lester/Carl Eddy 
  • Steveston - Jack Evans 
  • Tsawwassen - Graeme Peck 
  • Vancouver Arbutus - Bill Bourlet 
  • Vancouver Centennial - Wells Hsu 
  • Vancouver Chinatown - Rick De Guzman 
  • Vancouver Sunrise - John Haley 
  • Whistler - Ross Harlow 

 

Rotaract Clubs and the sponsoring Club Presidents:

  • New Westminster - David Neima 
  • Richmond - Keith Tsukishima

 

 

DISTRICT AWARDS AND RECONGITION

 

Membership Increase

 

1stKitimat – 60%

2ndVancouver Sunrise – 31.5%

3rdSmithers Alpine – 25%

 

Best Bulletin

 

  • 1stNew Westminster Royal City
  • 2ndRichmond
  • 3rdVancouver Centennial

 

Governor’s Award

 

·         Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise - Ward Clapham

  • Rotary Club of Kitimat - Lynda Rocha
  • Rotary Club of Prince Rupert Hecate Strait

 

Paul Harris Fellows Recongition

 

  • Lyn Stroshin on Youth Exchange
  • Becky Tsukishima on District Newsletter and Website

 

Recognition Clubs

 

·         Rotary Club of Vancouver - Stay in School Awards

  • Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown -  Literacy
  • Rotary Club of Vancouver - Foundation Dinner
  • Rotary Club of Burnaby - Foundation Dinner

Rotary Club of Vancouver Arbutus - Foundation Dinner

 

Rotarian Recognition

 

·         North Vancouver -John Ward, Neil Creighton & Peter Taylor

  • West Vancouver - Stan Whittle
  • New Westminster Royal City - Bill Panton
  • Vancouver Arbutus - Bill Bourlet
  • Vancouver Chinatown - Leon Yue
  • Richmond - Barbara Duggan, Gary Rudin, Bill Denham & Maureen Walkinshaw
  • Vancouver Centennial -Quentin Li
  • Ladner - Mike Storey & Lynn Cameron
  • Vancouver Fraserview - Ranbir Manj, Karnail Nagra, Dalip Sandhu & Manjit Aulakh

 

Rotaract

 

  • Bill Richwa Award of Excellence – Serena Siow

·         Rotarct Club of Terrace - Kelly Julseth

  • District Representative – Anastasia Radetski
  • Rotaract Club of RichmondGelati Ting
  • Rotaract Club of New Westminster – Courtney Eng
  • Rotaract Club of Vancouver – Tim Vanderheide

 

Check out  the newly revised “Award & Recognition” on the District website www.rotary5040.org for current and previous recipient listings and photos

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Who Should Attend? Rotarians who have the potential for Club Leadership. Clubs should nominate two Rotarians each year to begin RLI and support prior attendees continuation of the three RLI courses.

What is RLI? It’s a series of leadership courses offered in three full-day parts (Parts I, II, III). Those completing each part are eligible for the next part. The courses are designed to provide Rotary knowledge and to develop leadership skills for voluntary organizations. RLI is fun, interactive, participatory and uses skilled faculty and facilitation techniques to make the experience valuable and enjoyable.

How is RLI Organized? RLI is an unofficial affiliate of Rotary International, but not an official program of RI nor under its control. Clubs and districts looking to train Rotarians as leaders at local levels can now access online a wide array of resources developed by RLI. Established in 1994 to assist in improving the Rotary knowledge and leadership skills of the future leaders of clubs and districts. RLI is a multi-district program already functional in districts around the Rotary world. The institute offers a training program in three full-day sessions, followed by graduate seminars. Trainers

are selected from Rotarians with outstanding leadership abilities who conduct innovative and participatory course sessions.

Why Should My Club Send Candidates to RLI? Leadership skills in a voluntary organization are often different from business leadership skills. It is important that club leaders have every opportunity for education because the success or failure of our clubs depends in large part on the quality of their leaders. This is an outstanding opportunity for each club to improve the Rotary knowledge of its future leaders, who will also be exposed to new ideas of leadership. Just the interaction with other Rotarians makes the courses worthwhile.

What is the Cost? Each course is expected to cost $85 to $100 per day, includes breaks, meals and course materials.

When are RLI Courses? Depending on registration District 5040 RLI courses will be held:

Part I - October 20, 2007—Lower Mainland

Part I & II - January 26, 2008-Lower Mainland

Part I, II & III - May 15, 2008-Richmond (in conjunction with District Conference)

Registration details, location and cost will be posted on the district website, district newsletter and information sent to club trainers and club presidents. Additional courses will be scheduled if there is demand.

Where Will Courses be Held? RLI courses will be held at any location in D5040 where a minimum of 15 candidates are registered and there is appropriate facilities. Rotarians may also attend RLI courses in other districts with the approval of the host district.

For information contact AG Penny Offer, D5040 RLI Committee Chair Ph: 604-940-9365 Email:Pennyoffer@

telus.net

NEW SMALL CLUB MEMBERSHIP CERTIFICATION

To encourage smaller-club efforts, the RI Board of Directors recently established the Recognition of Smaller Club Membership Growth program, which honours the achievements of small clubs who make growth a priority and succeed.

The program will begin 1 July, recognizing clubs in the following categories that meet the Board-established membership goal by 15 May 2008.

If your club has fewer than 20 members, your DGE should be contacting you to begin establishing a membership action plan for 2007-08, or contact your DGE to participate. 

 If your district governor agrees that your club reached its membership goal by 15 May 2008, he or she may submit your club name to RI. All clubs nominated by their district governors by 30 June 2008 are eligible to receive a recognition certificate signed by the RI president.

 


CLUB CATEGORY

MEMBERSHIP GOAL

Fewer than 10 members

At least 10 members

10-14 members

At least 15 members

15-19 members

At least 20 members

 

DONATIONS AND PAYMENTS ADDRESS CHANGES

 

CREDIT CARD

DONATIONS

Donate on line at www.trfcanada.org

 

DONATIONS BY MAIL

The Rotary Foundation (Canada) Box B9322
P.O. Box 9100,
Postal Station F
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3A5

Make cheques and money orders payable to The Rotary Foundation (Canada)

 

 

Membership Dues

Rotary International Box B9330
P.O. Box 9100,
Postal Station F
Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3A5

This information is posted on the www.rotaryzone22.org

and www.trfcanada.org

 

Any questions, please contact David Prowse, TRF Canada Coordinator, (519) 473-3646 or by email:  trfcanada@crcid.org

 

 

Paul Harris Fellows

Related donations

Rotary Foundation (Canada)

Box B9322 P.O. Box 9100

Postal Station F

Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3A5

 

As of the new Rotary year, TRF Canada will begin issuing PHF recognition awards (Paul Harris Fellows, Benefactors, etc.) from the Canadian Office in London, Ontario. For follow up on PHF awards and recognitions, Contact: Wanda Versteegh, TRF Canada Fulfillment Coordinator Email:  TRFCanada.Fulfillment@rotary.org  

Phone:  (519) 473-3646 

 

JOIN ROTARY WORLD HELP NETWORK AND BENEFIT

 

The RWHN receives medical supplies from various hospitals and hospital suppliers. Nearly every Wednesday a group of mainly women, many who are retired nurses including Lois Stewart meet at the Riverview warehouse. They sort and pack the medical equipment and supplies in boxes. Each box is labeled and stored for shipping to overseas. Upon loading the containers, the labels are being scanned and automatically entered into the shipping manifest with box number and content description.

In 2006 RWHN sent out 22 containers to 14 different countries and a membership of 38 Rotary Clubs. Since the operation of RWHN 10 years ago, we sent out 208 shipments to 46 different countries representing a replacement value of over $ 70 million Canadian.

Clubs can join the RWHN at a cost of $ 10 per member and participate in sending medical and educational equipment and supplies to developing countries. The cost to the club for sending out a container is $ 2500. This is a very good way for clubs to undertake an international service project at a reasonable cost and the benefits to the receiving country are very significant.

- RWHN Chair Terry McGauley

 

2006-2007 SERVICE PROJECTS

The project presentation is available in Powerpoint or PDF format, download from Service Project at www.rotary5040.org

 

PR-VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS ROTARY EFFORTS

Rotary Promotional Video: The Rotary Club of Portland, Oregon, USA created a 6 minute promotional video sharing Rotary as well as highlighting their local and global efforts. This video was uploaded to the Internet and posted on Google Video. Video has become a powerful media to reach your audience—including prospective members. Upload your video to your Web site or blog today. Follow the link to watch the Portland Club video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2558083269392460451&q=portland+rotary+club

 

WANT TO INCREASE ROTARY MEMBERSHIP, LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN

According to Rotarian Greg Krauska, growing clubs usually do either of 2 things (or both) well: they experiment until they find one simple idea that gets conversations going with new prospects. Or, they launch a short campaign.

 

He is a big believer in the campaign approach. Why? Most people join Rotary to network and to serve, not to enroll new members. Campaigns help clubs to focus their existing members’ effort without making membership a burden. Short campaigns also increase the chances that nearly every member will participate.

 

Here are some pointers on running a good campaign:

  • Make it fun.
  • Create a focal point.
  • Establish goals.
  • Communicate clearly.
  • Create momentum.
  • Celebrate the results.
  • Learn from the experience.

For complete article, visit his blog:

http://changeagentgroup.typepad.com/innovate_rotary/2007/04/want_to_increas.html

 

THE WISE INVEST IN PEOPLE, FOOLS INVEST IN WAR

Shavurov has seen both sides of that proverb in action many times. In 1990, at age 11, he and his family were forced to flee ethnic violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the city of Osh.

"I have always asked why once-close neighbors kill each other and what are the ways to avert such acts," he says.

A Rotary World Peace Fellowship helped provide some answers. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Shavurov studied at the Universidad del Salvador in Argentina, graduating with a master's degree in international studies in 2005.

"This fellowship helped me to acquire the tools for putting problems into perspective and dissecting them," he says. "Conflicts are everywhere: at home, at work, in society, in the government. So you become like a doctor, who is needed in many places to heal problems."

Shavurov is thankful for the opportunity to improve people's lives and help build peace.

"The peace fellowship has meaning to people who really want to change the world," Shavurov says. "One of the greatest lessons I learned in the program is that peace is about being patient. Everyone has a different understanding of peace and how to achieve it. It takes a lot of patience to bring together all of these understandings."

See interview of Umar at www.rotary.org

The focus of the Rotary World Peace Centers is not on ending wars but in preventing conflict from ever occurring.” - Dr. James L. Peacock, Kenan, co-director of the Duke/UNC Rotary Center.

 

I believe that through this Rotary Fellowship I could pursue change by changing the mindset of the military that is conditioned to think of rebels as enemies; but never as fellow countrymen.” – First year Fellows Crisostomo Bas, when asked about his motivation behind all this? He simply says:I just want to make a difference.”

 

INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF ROTARIAN CONVENTION GOERS

Attending the Rotary International Convention in Salt Lake City?

 

Check out the various Rotary Fellowships that will have a booth at the Salt Lake City convention. Visit the booth of the International Fellowship of Rotarian Convention Goers. Help promote the Internationality of Rotary by becoming a member. Share your convention experiences with the rest of the Rotary world. This Fellowship will co-sponsor two “First Time Convention Goers” workshops for first time convention attendees on Saturday, prior to the start of the convention.

 

Visit www.conventiongoers.org/2007convention.htm for more information on how to join and how to register for this Fellowship’s Annual Fellowship Meeting. You can do this online.

If you have comments, questions or suggestions, please contact the Fellowship Secretary / Webmaster Harriett Schloer, Email: secretary@conventiongoers.org

 

For information about Rotary Fellowships & Action Groups: visit www.rotaryfellowships.org Are you already a member? Let’s hear about your experiences and adventures with Rotary Fellowships & Rotary Action Groups.

 Please submit articles for publication to: PDG Dave Kirk email: dbkirk@telus.net, District 5040 Fellowships Chair, Member, International Travel and Hosting Fellowship

Q: Why doesn’t Rotary offer postgraduate educational scholarship opportunities specifically designed for Rotarians? Nearly all educational opportunities prohibit Rotarians from participating. What is the philosophy behind this?

The primary reason for prohibiting Rotarians from applying for Rotary Foundation scholarships is to exemplify Rotary’s ideal of service. The Trustees agreed many years ago that the Foundation exists to benefit non-Rotarians. Selecting Rotarians to receive the awards wouldn’t be in harmony with The Four-Way Test. Given a pool of applicants from the community, selecting candidates who are Rotarians could be perceived as favoritism — that is, not fair or beneficial to all concerned — and would contradict Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self. A few other groups, such as Rotary International employees, are also excluded. (The others are mentioned in The Rotary Foundation Code of Policies, section 7.030.)

Legal concerns are another reason. A tax-exempt organization can’t be operated for the benefit of its members. If the Foundation awarded scholarships to Rotarians, it could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.

President Boyd would like to hear your questions. Please e-mail him, and he will try to respond in an upcoming edition of Interactive.

 

SOME NEWS BROADCAST FROM CLUBS IN D5040

 RICHMOND - An Hor D’ouvres and wine reception was held on May 23rd to introduce Rotary and Rotary Club of Richmond to 10 invited guests.

DGE Bob Blacker, Rotary Exchange Student Majela from Venezuela and Richmond Rotaractor Josephine took turn to speak of the value of Rotary from their perspectives. A short video including club projects and fellowship snapshots, club member interviews and RI Humanity in Motion wrapped up the evening and all guests were provided information kits and a lunch ticket for their next club visit. 

RICHMOND SUNRISE  - On Sat. May 5th, the club hosted it's 19th annual Spring Gala.  A sold out event of over 350 Rotarians and guests ate a wonderful meal, danced the night away and bid on auction prizes. Over $60,000 net was raised that will go back into the community through their projects.  The club would like to thank all sponsors and participants for helping them raise a new record total. 

On May 14th, the club spent the afternoon on the Big Bike in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  The club raised over $1,500 for the event.

The club recently sponsored a local youth group that is practicing for rowing events including the Alcan Rowing races later this summer.  The shirts look shape whether being modeled or in action.

On June 7th meeting  the club was fortunate to have our ADG (and DG Nominee Designate) Grodon Dalglish return from surgery just in time to present two Paul Harris Fellows - one to Belinda Boyd, Past President, her first and one to Jack Hutchinson, his fourth. 

VANCOUVER ARBUTUS - The club just celebrated their 30 wonderful years of Service Above Self. Past President Maureen Smith had the honour of cutting the Anniversary Cake, it was a great party and a great cake!

VANCOUVER CENTENNIAL - While vacationing in Taiwan, Quentin Li paid a visit to the Rotary Club of Taoyuan South, he was greeted by Jason Teng, GSE Taiwan Team Leader at the train station and accompanied him to the meeting. The President of Taoyuan South presented Quentin a citation to recognize Rotary Club of Vancouver Centennial’s effort on the “Delivering Knowledge to the Unreachable Land” project. The Taoyuan club is one of the clubs assisting in receiving and distributing the books in Taiwan.

Rotary Club of New Westminster is cancelling their regular luncheon meeting on Wed. June 20 and will be holding their Installation dinner on Wed. June 20.

2007 INTERNATIONAL RYLA SHAPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS

Congratulations to Lawrence Chew, he will serve as one of the counselors in the 2007 International RYLA on June 14-17 in Salt Lake City before the RI Convention.

Lawrence Chew and Bern Igoche are so passionate about the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards that after participating in the 2006 international event in Helsingborg, Sweden, they decided to attend again this June. But this time, they are Rotarians leading the way.

"Last year's program had 124 participants from 25 countries," says Chew, 27, the youngest member of the Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise, British Columbia, Canada. "That blew my mind. I'm excited about facilitating an event like that."

The four-day program, which is sponsored by RI, teaches an enthusiastic group of young people advanced leadership skills. Participants also explore current issues pertinent to leadership in a global society by interacting with one another, listening to guest speakers, and holding group discussions and training sessions. In the end, they not only come away with new skills but also leave with a network of international friends.

"The next time they see the Rotary logo or hear Rotary mentioned, they're likely to think, 'Hey, I went to a program run by that organization."- Lawrence Chew

- excerpt from RI Interactive Volume 8.

The 34th Annual Billy Barkers Days is a great family event from July 19-22. Rotary Club of Quesnel will be running a pancake breakfast on Sat. July 21 and Sun. July 22. They generally serve over 600 people over the two days. If you want to add a giggle for their club members, just mention that Club President Simon is banned from making coffee – they will know what that is about. Check out the event detail at http://www.quesnelbc.com/billybarkerdays/  Saturday is parade day.

YOUTH EXCHANGE HAD A FABRULOUS TIME AT THE CONFERENCE

Once again all of our youth exchange students had a wonderful time at the District Conference. The hospitality and programs were truly wonderful.

On behalf of all of the students, our thanks go out to the many, many Rotarians who made this event, and the Outbound Orientation session held the previous weekend in Langley, such an amazing success.  

In case you have any doubts as to how much the students enjoyed the conference, please take a look at the "News" www.d5040youthexchange.ca section of our District Youth Exchange website for some pictures of the students.

This is how we in Rotary work for international peace and understanding!

Neil McDonald, Youth Exchange Chair

BC ROUNDTRIP:A RESOUNDING SUCCESS IN MAKING THE WORLD A LITTLE SMALLER

Piedmont Roundtrip Inspiration:

In April 2006, in the tiny Italian city of Novara, Gelati Ting of the Richmond Rotaract Club and Katie Stewart of The Langara Rotaract Club were introduced for the very first time. Both girls had been chosen as the Canadian representatives for the Piedmont Roundtrip, a program initiated by Italian Rotaractors over a decade ago to promote international awareness and cultural exchange from a touristic standpoint.  During their 10 days together in Italy, the Canadian Rotaractors met with 7 other representatives from all over the world (Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Poland, Mexico and Serbia) and exchanged ideas and opinions about Rotaract projects, goals and future aspirations.  Gelati and Katie were so inspired by the experience they shared and the Rotaractors that they met, the two decided to re-invent the Piedmont Roundtrip---Canadian Style!!

BC  Roundtrip hosted 5 Guests:

Through the hard work and unfaltering dedication of Rotaract Clubs in District 5040 (Richmond, Langara, Burnaby, New West, South Delta, UBC and The Rotaract Club of Victoria) and the generous support from Rotary Clubs such as Vancouver Arbutus and Richmond, the dream of The BC  Roundtrip was realized.  From May 11 to 20th 2007, 5 guests, from Mexico, Croatia, Italy, Japan and The Philippines came to Vancouver for a 10-day Rotaract experience showcasing the beauty of BC. The Roundtrippers engaged in a daunting list of activities including 3 days in Whistler, 2 days in Victoria, and local visits to The Vancouver Aquarium, Stanley Park, The Capilano Suspension Bridge, The Vancouver Art Gallery, Wreck Beach, UBC, Granville Island, Burnaby Mountain, a Buddhist Temple and of course we can’t forget  Ice-skating,  Kayaking and Karaoke! 

Not only did The BC Roundtrip provide the chance for local Rotaractors to learn about other countries’ customs and traditions, but it also provided an excellent opportunity for Rotaractors within the same district to interact and get to know one another!  It is an amazing thing when you suddenly have friends in the many different corners of the world—and through Rotary the world suddenly becomes a little smaller and a little more inviting.

The memories and the experience . .

“The 10 days may be over but all the memories, experiences and lessons I’ve gotten from the BC Roundtrip will not be forgotten…  - Francis Lacap , Philippines

“I enjoyed this Roundtrip very much. This was my first time in Canada and it was perfect. The multicultural aspects of The Roundtrip… the very gracious hosts, I want to thank you!” - Hussam Hussein, Italy

As members of the Rotary family, we must continue programs such as The BC Roundtrip as an avenue to promote Leadership through Friendship! Thank you for your Support!

If you are interested in more information about how you can help out with upcoming BC Roundtrips, please contact info@rotaractroundtrip.com or visit www.rotaractrondtrip.com

By Katie Stewart

BC Roundtrip Co-Chair

 

CONGRATULATION TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Serena Siow - Bill Richwa Rotaract Award of Excellence

The District is pleased to announce the first winner of this prestigious award to Serena Siow.  Serena was born in Edmonton, Alberta and grew up in Port Moody, BC. Her first involvement with Rotary programs was in 1998, through the Interact Club at Raffles Girls' Secondary School in Singapore. While a student at University of British Columbia, positive experiences with Interact inspired her involvement with the Rotaract Club of Vancouver UBC. After serving the club in capacities which include Vice President 2002-2004 and President 2004-2005, Serena served Rotaract at the district level as District Rotaract Representative 2005-2006.

Serena graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science - Life Sciences in May 2005 and has since been working in paediatric research at BC Childrens' & Womens' Hospital. She intends to pursue further studies in health services, administration, and research.

Gelati Ting - Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary Club of Richmond

Gelati Ting, President of the Richmond Rotaract Club for the past 1 1/2 years was the recipient of a Paul Harris Award for her hard work in organizing “Greenlympics” conference promoting environmental stewardship in the local high schools. Inspired by the Piedmont Roundtrip, Gelati and  Katie from Langara Club also initiated the BC Roundtrip this May.

The presentation was made by RTN Bill Denham Club Liaison with Michael Jacobson, Vancouver Rotaract Chair and District 5040 Rotaract Director who praised Gelati for her perseverance and dedication to Rotaract. Gelati recognized Past Liaisons Albert Wong and Raymond Chan and Rtn Bill Denham for their unstinting support to the Rotaract Club

Anastasia Radetski - Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary Club of New West-Royal City

A Rotaract Member for 6 years - Anastasia has taken the lead as President of New Westminster Rotaract - and also as the District Rotaract Representative.

Anastasia has taken many initiatives on behalf of Rotaract, including coordination of a speaker series at Douglas College and Simon Fraser University, promoting the work of Rotaract at SFU Clubs’ Days to attract new members, participating in District and Rotaract conferences, and most especially, she was instrumental in organizing an Interact Club in the local Secondary School last year.

She has attended RYLA, participated in worthy local projects such as arranging hampers for Monarch Place (a local shelter for abused women and children) and has helped with the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up.
Internationally, the New Westminster Rotaract club has been very active in many worthwhile projects abroad - in which Anastasia was most frequently an organizer and participant including: Wheelchairs to North Korea, Cataract surgery/eye care programs in various developing countries, prevention of Malaria project, and collecting and shipping computers to Kyambogo University in Uganda - to mention a few.

In 2003 - She received the Rotaractor of the Year award, and was recognized at the 2006 District Conference for her work on behalf of Rotary.

One year ago - in June 2006 - at the Royal City Rotary Club’s Installation dinner - Anastasia accepted a donation to New Westminster Rotaract. At that time she posed a question to the attendees - “Did any of you know at age 20 that you wanted to be a Rotarian? (No hands went up) Well, I do”

Anastasia displays the finest qualities of character that we would like to see in youth today. She has recently applied for admission to the UBC Medical school - and was accepted. So she will likely be very busy over the next few years as she trains to be a medical doctor. - but one thing we know for sure - not only will she be a doctor - but she will soon be a Rotarian.

The members of the Royal City Club are proud to know her and honour her with a Paul Harris Fellowship.