Another busy month and one that just flew by! I hope everyone has been enjoying this incredible summer, perhaps too hot for too long for some, but I know we will be having fond memories of the summer of 2017 when we start experiencing the -30C temperatures that are almost certain to come.
During August I managed to drop in to say hello at a couple of Rotary clubs, met with numerous District leaders one on one to discuss continuous improvement opportunities and got to host a “Welcome Reception” for the RI Site Inspection Team. Calgary has been short listed as one of the cities to host the International Convention in either 2023, 2024 or 2025. The other cities in the running are Singapore, Dubai, Warsaw and Gothenburg. A big thanks go out to PDG Mark Starratt (RC of Calgary Downtown) and Craig Stokke (RC of Calgary South) who have agreed to co-chair our Host Organizing Committee and who together with their team, worked with all of our city partners to put on a first class program for our RI visitors. It made me proud!
September is “Basic Education and Literacy” month. Did you know that more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate? That’s 17 per cent of the world’s adult population! Why should this be when we already know that basic education and literacy are essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development and promoting peace? Through scholarships, teacher training and adult literacy programs, Rotarians and Rotary clubs around the world are taking action to deal with this literacy gap. Our District is no exception.
September is also the beginning of my “official” visits to your Rotary clubs. Fourteen clubs in September, 18 in October, 10 in November and 4 in December. I’m really looking forward to meeting as many Rotarians as possible and learning what your clubs are most proud of, the stories that you feel we need to tell your local communities, what you see as your biggest issues and opportunities and how can the District Leadership Team do a better job of supporting your club. My DG predecessors have all told me that their club visits were the highlight of their Rotary year - I expect my experience will be no different.
I encourage all Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in our District to join us for the 85th Annual Waterton Glacier International Park Assembly in Waterton National Park town site on September 22-24th. This is the world’s first international peace park, one we should all be proud of as it’s right in our own back yard. The event kicks off Friday evening with a Pig roast followed by entertainment by the “Wardens”. On Saturday, informative speakers bring information about the two National Parks, the native peoples and their culture, the history of Waterton and its future and a look at the Crown of the Continent and the transboundary collaboration that occurs. On Sunday, we will celebrate the relationships we have formed during the weekend and over the years culminating with the “Hands Across the Border” pledge of Peace with our neighbours to the south.
It is also that time of the year again when, together, we have the important task of selecting a new Governor Nominee to take office as District Governor for the year 2020-2021. A Nominating Committee of past and future governors has been appointed by the District Board to make their recommendation for the 2020-2021 Governor to the membership at the District's 2017-18 Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held at the District Conference in Calgary in May 2018.
At this time the Nominating Committee is assembling a slate of candidates which will form the pool for their consideration. We are asking Clubs to determine whether or not they have a candidate in their midst and to consider putting this individual’s name forward to the Nominating Committee. The deadline for submission of the completed application is October 1, 2017. Please submit your club’s nomination by email to Garth Toombs.
Rotarians are “People of Action”, doing good in the world and making a difference. Thanks for all you do for your Rotary club, your community and your world. Have a great September!
Writing content for blogs or other online applications requires a different approach than writing content for essays, reports magazines or newspapers. Writing blog content that effectively tells your story requires thought and discipline. The message must be carefully crafted. Short is always good, but not at the expense of meaning.
This week members of the District Membership Committee, Chaired by Christine Rendell, and other District officials viewed a Rotary webinar called, ‘First Impressions Matter.’
It’s true. New members connect with Rotary through different portals. At some point in the process, quality club meetings will play a key role. Making a positive impression, or putting it in marketing lingo, providing a positive customer experience, opens the door to full engagement.
In 2015, I wrote this series which has easy-to-implement ideas to help improve weekly meetings. It includes some of the most read posts.
District 5360 Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University,
Bangkok, Thailand, July 7, 2017
Dear District 5360 Rotarians:
During our first month together, we have been focusing on topics such as conflict mapping and analysis, cultural identity, international and humanitarian law, and interfaith dialogue. In our work as lawyers, doctors, university professors, police, leaders of NGO’s, and representatives of the United Nations, each of 23 Fellows from 20 different countries are committed to peace building. Such diversity of perspectives has created a rich learning environment, with plenty of opportunities to practice intercultural communication and expanding the lenses through which we experience the world.
One of the things I’ve most appreciated so far has been deepening my skills in facilitating interest-based multi-stakeholder negotiations to resolve conflict. We have just returned from the field in Krabi province where our group had the opportunity to meet with a number of parties regarding a proposed coal plant to discuss existing tensions. While those involved may hold opposing perspectives, it has been inspiring to meet so many engaged community members who are powerful examples of taking a stand for what you believe in. The challenge is finding the willingness to come together and hear each other’s perspectives, rather than getting stuck in polarized positions on either side of the issue. When this occurs, it is possible to explore shared interests and build on common ground to create solutions that take the needs and priorities of each party into account.
Sincerely,
Meaghan
Meaghan published a longer blog post about her experience on the peace fellows website. Click here to access her post.
Meaghan Farquharson is a native Calgarian, and member of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Her recent community projects include facilitating recovery circles for families affected by the Southern Alberta floods, and partnering with an African NGO – Peace and Conflict Resolution – to provide trauma counselling training for women who have been affected by poverty and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has a private practice as a therapist, and her background includes work in hospital psychiatric wards, prisons, addictions treatment centres, homeless shelters, palliative care facilities, and the Victim Services Unit of the RCMP. Meaghan loves adventure and has also spent many nights out under the stars leading wilderness expeditions. She hopes that being a peace fellow will deepen her advocacy skills, strengthen her capacity to contribute to healing intergenerational trauma in our global community, and provide an opportunity to collaborate with other inspired change makers who are committed to creating a brighter future.
The Council on Legislation (COL) is the parliamentary body of Rotary which meets every three years to review and modify current policies and bylaws and to propose new ones. The last COL was in 2016 and the next one is in 2019 to which all clubs in District 5360 are able to provide their input. They do so through submitting proposed enactments.
Proposed Enactments seek to change Rotary’s constitutional documents (RI Constitutions, RI Bylaws and the Standard Rotary Club Constitution).
The last date for RI to receive any enactments for the 2019 COL is December 31, 2017. All submissions from the clubs (voted by a majority membership) have to be endorsed by the District Leadership before forwarding it to RI. Please note that this deadline is strictly enforced and any proposed legislation received after the deadline will not be entertained. It will be 2022 before we will once again have a chance to influence the rules and policies of Rotary International.
To help clubs to prepare their input to the Council on Legislation, RI has developed the new “How to Propose Legislation” course in Rotary’s Learning Center. The course can be found by going to My Rotary>Learning & Reference>Learning Center at http://learn.rotary.org/Pages/Catalog/coursecatalog.aspx?subject=172. Additional information and useful tools for the 2016 Council have been posted on the Council on Legislation section of the My Rotary website at www.rotary.org/col.
The website gives details on:
How to propose Legislation
2016 COL documents
2013 COL documents where you can review the types of legislations proposed, passed or rejected and
2010 COL documents
If a club feels strongly about a policy or legislation that was either approved or rejected at the 2016 COL, we can still propose or amend it.
Council on Resolutions:
The Council on Resolutions meets online every year to vote on proposed resolutions, which express opinions and make recommendations to the Board. They can be submitted to the Council by Clubs, Districts or the RI Board. The deadline to propose a resolution is June 30th each year. We have passed that deadline for the next review which is tentatively scheduled for October.
Since all club proposals are to be endorsed by the District Leadership, please send them to our Council on Legislation Representative, PDG Raju Paul (email below) by Dec 15, 2017 so that together with the District Leadership, we can review and consolidate them before sending to RI prior to the Dec 31, 2017 deadline.
Please call PDG Raju Paul (403-256-6474) or email rj.paul2@gmail.com if you need any assistance.
Thanks to the help and support of Rotary District 5360 and Clubs, over 50 newcomers (refugee) children were able to experience a typical Canadian tradition—a summer camp.
Organized and hosted by Canadian Youth for Kids, this second annual camp was volunteer-based and free to all refugee children.
The attendees enjoyed a week filled with fun activities, including a music, sports, a bouncy castle, and a three-day paint lesson from Raw Canvas Calgary.
Many of the children who attended would not have had the opportunity to partake in this camp due to their families’ circumstances including transportation, finances, etc.
We rented a van and transported almost all the children to and from the camp.
The children’s smile left every volunteer’s heart very full, and as they left, each child asked about when the camp would be held next year!
High River Rotarians’ Steak Fry a sizzling success
The Rotary Club of High River held its annual Steak Fry event at the home of Roy Simpson and Mona Oakley on June 22. Rotarians and other volunteers prepared the BBQ meal and enjoyed sharing it in the beautiful garden.
Rotarians John Andresen, Joanne van Donzel and Hank Leeferink received Paul Harris Fellow awards for their community service.
Incoming club President Mike Evans presented a bouquet of flowers to outgoing President Mary Ann Kyllo while her partner, Rotarian Harry Clark received a bottle of wine.
Mike introduced his Executive Committee members for 2017-18: Mary Ann Kyllo – Past President; Carol Lyall – Treasurer; Hank Leeferink – Secretary; Paul Tarrant – President Elect; Ev Doherty – Vice President, and Shelley Bannister – Director. Absent was Norm Denny – Director.
Recently I came across Club Historical Documents as gathered by DG Bernie Carriere during his tenure 2007-2008.
The information was so enjoyable and intriguing that immediately I thought others would like to have access to it as well, so I set about scanning it to PDF files and have made it available online through the District Website; www.Rotary5360.ca / About Rotary / Documents and Forms / District Documents - use your regular ClubRunner Username and Password to gain access.
Most surprising was to see how old some of the clubs were, figuring that some had not reached a substantial age yet: Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are both set to celebrate their Centenary in 2018! Swift Current will celebrate in 2020, Red Deer in 2023 and Banff, Stettler and Drumheller in 2024. The 1950s brought the next wave of clubs with 7 clubs starting up.
While the paperwork hasn't changed much over the years, the style of writing and the move to typewriters is interesting to see. The e-files will be stored in two places for archival purposes and the hard copies retained in storage as well. If this list is incomplete, and your Club's Charter information is missing, please send to my attention for inclusion.
The work party of Rotarians converged on the National Historic Site – Atlas Coal Mine Museum in August – to erect new Information Centres. This major undertaking was made possible through a joint District 5360 – Drumheller Rotary Club project.
BBB:
The Rotary Big Ball Bounce, held in early August, was a new club venture. Two-thousand lacrosse balls were released by a front-end loader, then raced down the street. Closest to the target won $5,000. That’s project Char Barb Campbell sitting with the balls ,but no, we didn’t send her down the street with the balls.
Greentree:
In another District 5360-Club venture, in July the area’s first all-inclusive playground was under construction. Just in time, club President Ian Cassels arrived to present the $10,767 check to purchase the Rollerslide, which arrived in mid-August.
Rotarian Anne Dale and I headed off to Uganda on June 24th to participate in the Rotary Club of Calgary’s Water is Life, Sanitation is Health Global Grant Project. Our objectives were to accomplish the goals related to Menstrual Health Management (MHM) training and the creation and distribution of washable sanitary pads under the Days for Girls banner.
Days for Girls International (DfG) is dedicated to creating a more free, dignified, and educated world, through providing lasting access to feminine hygiene solutions and health education.
Once in Kampala, we visited the Days for Girls centre and conducted quality control activities and assisted them in becoming more efficient.
We visited two Rotary Clubs and attended the Rotary Club of Kampala where we chatted with Sam Owori (RI President Elect). We were quite shocked and saddened to learn of his passing about 2 weeks later.
On July 1st, we took an interesting 4-hour drive and crossed the equator to the project site in the town of Kalisizo.
Each day Francis from RC Kalisizo would drive us over the bumpy dirt roads to the school and then back to our little retreat at the Nabisere hotel for dinner where we explored the different taste of the chef’s attempt at cooking North American foods.
Twenty participants included ten women who are Health Inspectors, our translator who was a midwife, and another ten women who are tailors. I facilitated a customized Facilitation course designed for the developing world and the DfG Ambassador of Women’s Health course. During the second week, Anne expertly taught the sewers how to make Days for Girls kits, as well, discussed how they could work together as a micro enterprise while the Health Workers conducted DfG distributions of kits to grade 7 girls.
It was very rewarding to see our participants learn and increase their confidence levels. There were challenges such as translating everything and adapting to local cultural customs. Breakfast and lunch were brought in and always featured matoke with a ground nut sauce and more root vegetables. As you sweat in Alberta, we were nice and cool with temps hovering between 23 C and 28 C.
We visited other Rotary clubs and bought a goat at the RC Lukaya live auction fundraiser. We politely declined the offer to have a taste before we left! We also participated in the inauguration of the Manyama school and transfer of the facility from the RC Kalisizo to the community where the Minister of Micro Finance gave certificates to our participants.
It was an honour and a pleasure to work with RC Kalisizo and the women of that area. Anne and I look forward to creating another Global Grant project with a Vocational Training Team component. We would love to speak at your club and take you on an armchair Uganda journey!
Thank you, RC Calgary for offering us this opportunity to be Rotarians of action.
Have you or anyone you know ever stepped on a landmine? Probably not – aren’t we fortunate! If you live in Cambodia, Iraq or Syria, however, you may not have been so lucky. Rotarians have committed time and money to eliminate many ills that plague our world, including long-standing support of landmine eradication. We at the Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLMF) are asking Rotarians to renew their commitment to eliminating these hideous devices.
Landmine use is on the rise and funding has steadily declined over the past number of years. Overall funding for landmine relief is at its lowest point is 10 years. Yet many are still suffering. As many as 18 people, mostly children and women, lose their lives or limbs each day to the catastrophic effects of landmines. The conflicts that led to these landmines may have been over for decades, but the suffering continues. It is time for Rotarians to revisit their commitment to this worthwhile cause. In keeping with this year’s Rotary theme – it is time once again for Rotarians to make a difference.
We are asking clubs and Districts to strongly consider supporting our organization, which has substantial and active Rotary representation. How can you help?
Consider a donation to Canadian Landmine Foundation as part of your International service budget. For as little as US$200 you can fund landmine clearing for a day – that’s another 100 square meters that can be made safe to work, farm and play!
Combine fellowship and fundraising by holding a “Night of a Thousand Dinners.” Use this gathering to not only raise money for a worthwhile cause but also to build awareness and educate those in your community about the devastating effects of landmines.
Donations may be made online at www.canadianlandmine.org or by cheque mailed to: Canadian Landmine Foundation, c/o LCMSDS Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3C5
Wif Wilkenson
2007-2008 President of Rotary International
2009-2013 Rotary Foundation Trustee
Reprinted from:
Beyond Borders Newsletter of Zones 24 & 32/August 2017
This July, ShelterBox expanded its operations team to welcome Tim Hedges as the new Operations Rotary Liaison. This new role within ShelterBox works to strengthen the partnership between ShelterBox and Rotary International in the field as we work together as international project partners in disaster relief.
Having been involved with ShelterBox for some years I have recently joined the staff as Operations Rotary Liaison to build and maintain links with Rotary clubs in areas frequently affected by disasters. ShelterBox has a long connection with the Rotary organization through fundraising and our wonderful affiliate network, but the vast majority of our deployments feature input from local Rotarians. Their skills, contacts and sheer hard work is often invaluable in ensuring the success of a response and, whatever the scale or type of a disaster, the Rotary network is often best placed to assist our teams with local knowledge and support such as transport, accommodation and translation services.
Historically these contacts have often been made reactively – a team will arrive in the disaster affected area and seek out the local Rotary club, or a Rotarian may contact ShelterBox following a disaster to ask for our assistance. I aim to build these relationships proactively, before we are called upon to respond, in order to increase the efficiency with which we are able to help those who have lost everything.
By sharing information and training, I hope to enable Rotarians in disaster affected areas to interact even more effectively with our response teams and to support them in strengthening local capacity to deal with disasters. The affected community are, after all, the first people to respond after disaster strikes and are in the best position to help inform our decision making. By deepening our operational links with the Rotary network, we will continue to strengthen our partnership and, ultimately, help both organizations to reach more people in need.
CURRENT DEPLOYMENT UPDATE
ShelterBox is currently assisting families in Niger, Cameroon and Chad due to the Lake Chad Basin crisis, Iraq and the Syrian Region due to ongoing conflict, Somaliland as a result of the ongoing drought and famine and Uganda due to ongoing conflict. ShelterBox is also monitoring Myanmar, China, Japan, Venezuela, Kenya, Sudan and Mexico to see if we can assist families.
ShelterBox Canada – 159 Jane Street, Office 2, Toronto, ON M6S 3Y8
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation
Ian H.S. Riseley
PRESIDENT 2017-18
ROTARY CLUB OF Sandringham
Victoria, Australia
TENNESSEE, USA
One of the best parts of any Rotary convention is the sheer diversity of the people you see there. Whether you're heading into a breakout session, exploring the House of Friendship, or sitting down for a bite to eat, you'll meet people from every corner of the world, in all kinds of national attire, speaking just about every language. It's a lot of fun, and it's a big part of what makes Rotary great: that we can be so different and still find ourselves so at home together.
That spirit of warm community that is so central to Rotary also defines Toronto, our host city for the 2018 Rotary International Convention. Toronto is one of my favorite cities. It's a place where half the population is from another country, where over 140 languages are spoken by 2.8 million residents, and where no one ever seems to be too busy to be helpful. In addition to being clean, safe, and friendly, Toronto is a wonderful place to visit, with its attractive Lake Ontario waterfront, great restaurants, one-of-a-kind museums, and interesting neighborhoods to explore.
The 2018 convention already promises to be one of our best ever. Our Convention Committee and Host Organization Committee are hard at work lining up inspiring speakers, great entertainment, fascinating breakout sessions, and a wide variety of activities across the city. There will be something for everyone in Toronto, and Juliet and I encourage you to do what we'll be doing – bring your families along for the fun. If you plan early, your convention experience will be even more affordable: The deadline for discounted early registration (there is an additional discount for registering online) is 15 December.
As much as Toronto offers to Rotarians, the true draw is, of course, the convention itself. It's a once-a-year opportunity to recharge your Rotary batteries, to see what the rest of the Rotary world is up to, and to find inspiration for the year ahead. Find out more at riconvention.org – and find Inspiration Around Every Corner at the 2018 Rotary Convention in Toronto.
Ian H.S. Riseley is a chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co., a firm he established in 1976. Prior to starting his own firm, he worked in the audit and management consulting divisions of large accounting firms and corporations. His firm specializes in income tax and management advice for individuals and small businesses. He has a master’s degree in taxation law and graduate diplomas in accounting and income tax.
Riseley has been a member of the boards of both a private and a public school, a member of the Community Advisory Group for the City of Sandringham, and involved in Sea Scouts and sporting groups, as well as honorary auditor or adviser for a number of charitable organizations.
Riseley’s honors include the AusAID Peacebuilder Award from the Australian government in recognition of his work in East Timor, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian community, the Distinguished Service Award and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World from The Rotary Foundation.
A Rotarian since 1978, Riseley has served as treasurer, director, Foundation trustee, and member and chair of numerous RI and Foundation committees.
He and his wife, Juliet, a past district governor, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members of The Rotary Foundation. They live on seven hectares at Moorooduc, where they practice their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living. They have two children and four grandchildren.
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The Council on Legislation (COL) is the parliamentary body of Rotary which meets every three years to review and modify current policies and bylaws and to propose new ones. The last COL was in 2016 and the next one is in 2019 to which all clubs in District 5360 are able to provide their input. They do so through submitting proposed enactments.
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Thanks to the help and support of Rotary District 5360 and Clubs, over 50 newcomers (refugee) children were able to experience a typical Canadian tradition—a summer camp.
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It was very rewarding to see our participants learn and increase their confidence levels. There were challenges such as translating everything and adapting to local cultural customs. Breakfast and lunch were brought in and always featured matoke with a ground nut sauce and more root vegetables. As you sweat in Alberta, we were nice and cool with temps hovering between 23 C and 28 C.
Rotarians Commit to Landmine Eradication
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