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2016 - 2017 District Governor Neil Berg
 
 

District 5360 eBulletin

 
 
 
 
Published first Friday of each Month.           Submit entries by Wednesday prior.
 
     


 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner

EARLY REGISTRATION PRICES EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31 - SEE YOU IN RED DEER !

District Governor Message
January is Vocational Service Month
 

Vocational service is the very essence of Rotary.

It is what sets Rotary apart from other service organisations. The concept of vocational service is rooted in the second point of the Object of Rotary which calls on Rotarians to encourage and foster 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. Rotarians every day put these ideals into action by using their professional skills to serve their community, practising their profession with integrity and guiding others in their professional development.
 
Rotary was started in 1905 by Paul Harris and his business associates as a vehicle for business & personal connections, what we would now call ‘networking’.  The sharing of vocations and skills was a basic tenet of Rotary’s inception.  And I would offer that it certainly still is and should be.
 
Several have put forward the concept that Rotary should be run like a business; if so, like any business manager, we need then to consider our inputs and outputs.  Our inputs are our time, talent and treasure in the projects, fundraising and even our regular gatherings.  Our outputs are a better life and improved health for the recipients of our humanitarian work and more peace in the world.  For ourselves, we gain the support and friendship of our fellow Rotarians and the personal and professional growth that comes from our team-leading, public speaking and organisation efforts.
 
Stories abound of Rotarians who would say they got so much more out of their Rotary experiences than they put in – that is, their outputs exceeded their inputs.  Sounds like a good business model to me. An example of sharing our skills and talents is the Vocational Training Team.  The VTT this year in our District is a great example of sharing our skills and talents with others in the world; of Rotarians serving humanity.
 
When is the last time you presented your ‘Classification Talk’?  If you’re a realtor or dentist or roofer and there just happens to be a fellow-Rotarian or a guest wanting to buy a house or get her molars looked at or needing her roof re-shingled, I’m sure she would be interested in knowing that you could be of service to them.  Most Rotarians would rather do business with another Rotarian. 
 
And the sharing of that knowledge also leads to opportunities for mentoring the Rotaractor and the Rotarian newer in his career.
 
At our meetings, we sometimes see ‘advertising bucks’ or fines for professional publicity.  My position: we should not be embarrassed about sharing how we contribute to the economic life of our community and the world.  Yes, it’s usually done in fun but maybe we should consider how it looks to the visitor or new Rotarian.  We don’t need to give these people a reason to reconsider coming back.
 
As Rotarians, we are asked to share our time, treasure and talent.  So let’s use Vocational Service Month to celebrate and share our individual talents and skills in Rotary Serving Humanity.
Read more...
Reporting on your Service
Avenue of Trees Fundraiser, Okotoks

 

The Sheep River Health Trust has once again decked the halls at the Okotoks Recreation Centre

Christmas trees lined the halls as part of the group’s Avenue of Trees fundraiser. Trees were auctioned off to support local health programs and for needy families.  There were trees to match any taste, with styles ranging from traditional to modern to fun. Local businesses and non-profit groups donated 39 fully-decorated Christmas Trees for this fourth annual event.

The trees were judged in 10 different prizes. The winners auctioned off on Dec. 12 while the remaining trees were bought in a silent auction. Bids started at $500 all the way up to $1,300.  All proceeds support the Health Trust’s work supporting health services at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre and the Oilfields General Hospital in Black Diamond. Many of the bought trees were then donated to less fortunate families in the community.

The Rotary Club o0f Okotoks, as in the past years once again decorated a tree and were rewarded with the prize for  Christmas Nostalgia:  An Old World Christmas.

The lady who bought the tree shared this story….  She was delighted with the tree and it came at a good time for her family as her husband is in hospital with cancer and the thought of digging out ornaments and dealing with all of that was just too much.  

She loved the tree because they live in the country and the theme and colours were just what she wanted.  A friend helped her set it up and the Rotary club delivered the fresh baked goods and shopping gift certificates that went with the trees.

She said she was very appreciative of all that Rotary does.

Time to remember 50 years in Rotary

 

Don Tannas has been a member of the Rotary Club of High River since September 1966.

 
To mark his 50 years in Rotary, he was invited to be the speaker at the club’s meeting on Nov. 17.
 
Don was introduced by his friend of more than 50 years, Rotarian Courtney Rousseau.
 
“He’s a man of integrity,” said Courtney.

Long-time High River Rotarians Courtney Rousseau, Don Tannas and Tony Marshall enjoyed fellowship before Don talked about his 50 years in Rotary at their club's meeting on Nov. 17.

 
 
Noting Don was a fellow school principal and teacher, Courtney said Don has a continual quest for knowledge.
 
“He’s a great promoter for High River and Rotary,” Courtney said.
 
To begin his talk, Don quoted an Ian Tyson song: “The time has passed so quick. The years all run together now. Was it 50 years ago?”
 
Don said when he joined the Rotary Club of High River in 1966, for some time he was the youngest member.
 
He talked about the club’s various milestones over the past 50 years.
 
“Best of all, ladies in Rotary,” Don said. “Ladies play an important part in our club.”
 
When talking about the club’s programs, Don included support of Rotary’s international Polio Plus fundraising. As well, he mentioned youth programs, including Adventure in Citizenship. Don noted one of the local students chosen to go to Ottawa for this program was former Prime Minister Joe Clark, whose father and grandfather were in Rotary.
 
Don looked back fondly on the club’s outdoor “steak fry” meetings in summertime and its family Christmas parties. He said his father was in Rotary and took him to the Christmas parties as a child. In fact, four generations of the Tannas family have attended. Don added a fifth-generation child will likely follow in their footsteps.
 
“I am proud to be a member of this club,” Don said.
 
Rotarian Mike Evans thanked Don, saying he made us all proud to be Rotarians.
Road to Better Media Coverage

Nine Posts to Help Your Club Receive Better Media Coverage

 
The most important thing you need to know about getting media coverage is the need for a great story. After that, a well-crafted media release will help interest them in your story idea.
 
But there is more. Much more! This post groups links to 9 BTRB posts that will help you maximise coverage. 
 
 
 
 

Bonus. The most read BTRB post. How Do I Explain my Rotary Club’s Brand

 
 
 
 
Robyn T. Braley
Calgary West
Calgary West receives Harris Trophy
           

 Calgary West Rotary Club is the proud recipient of the Harris Trophy

Awarded to the top fundraising Club in the Indoor Ride to End Polio for the second year running, the trophy is proudly on display in Evanston.
 
Calgary West hosted the Ride to End Polio on November 12th, 2016. The ride was attended by over 30 enthusiastic Rotarians and friends and successfully raised $18,671 USD before matching. Rotary International and its partners in the polio eradication effort have cooperated to reduce the number of polio cases by more than 99% (from 350,000 cases per year in the 1980s to less than 60 cases this year). Today only three countries have endemic polio: Pakistan and Afghanistan, and recently Nigeria had a reoccurrence.
More importantly through the "End Polio Now: Make History Today" campaign, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation matched two-to-one every dollar making our contribution to polio eradication worth over $56,000 USD. In addition a matching grant by an anonymous donor was made to the Calgary Rotary Clubs Foundation bringing our total funds raised to $75,000 USD or almost $100,000 CDN.
 
 
A huge thanks goes out to all of the Rotarians, friends, and sponsors who truly made a difference.
Ride to End Polio
Ensure Promotional Materials meets the Gold Standard
 

The Gold standard of the Rotary Logo that is.

Include the new logo to ensure that the look and feel of Rotary International is consistent.
 
Download Logos, templates, customised Club logos, branding information, colour guides, presentation templates, membership materials, press releases
 
Ensure that your event uses the new 'gold standard' in Rotary logos as all material is vetted before appearing in the District newsletters.
 

 

                        

JOHN F. GERM

PRESIDENT 2016-17

ROTARY CLUB OF CHATTANOOGA

TENNESSEE, USA
     
 

I joined Rotary as an engineer. There are almost as many classifications in the profession of engineering as there are in Rotary, but I happen to be a mechanical engineer. A mechanical engineer calculates the heating and cooling loads for a new building, makes sure the right lights are in the right places, and plans the plumbing so your hot water pipe doesn’t end in a drinking fountain.

Mechanical engineers don’t stand out in a crowd, and they don’t call attention to themselves with what they do. You probably haven’t thought much about the engineers who designed the buildings you use, the car you drive, or the traffic patterns you follow. But every time you get in an elevator, turn the key in your ignition, or cross the street when the light says go, you are entrusting your life to an engineer somewhere whom you’ve never met. You trust that your elevator will open at the floor you want it to. You trust that your car will start and stop as it should. You trust that the traffic light is going to turn red before the walk light goes on. Every day, you put your life in the hands of people whose names you do not know and whom you might never meet. You might not think about them at all – but they touch your lives every day.

I could draw the same parallel to any number of other vocations – ordinary occupations with the same kind of life-changing impact. In so many ways – some of which we see and some we don’t – our vocations allow us to help other people live better, safer, and healthier lives.

Just like the work we do in Rotary.

Through our vocations and in our clubs, in our communities, and across continents, we are touching the lives of people we don’t know and might never meet. And in every part of the world, every single day, whether they know it or not, people are living better, safer, and healthier lives because of the work of Rotary.

The people we help might not have met a single Rotarian. They might not even know that Rotary exists. But they are drinking clean water from a bore well that Rotary dug. They’re learning to read with books that Rotary gave them. They’re living lives that are better, happier, and healthier – because of Rotary Serving Humanity.

 



 

eBulletin Editor: Charlene Bearden

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Rotary International District 5360

Monthly eBulletin

Published the first Friday of the month.

Submissions due the Wednesday prior.

 

   
     

 

You are receiving this email because you are a Rotarian in District 5360.
 
Rotary International District 5360 Inc.
201 - 4 Parkdale Crescent NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 3T8
Tel: (403) 670-2624
 
     RI President:  John F. Germ     -     District Governor: Neil Berg