Remember the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun”? Well, I must have been having a ton of fun as I can’t believe what just happened with my first month as your District Governor. Where did it go?
It’s been a busy month, but a very rewarding one for me personally. I got to help charter a new club in our District and induct 30 new members! Congratulations and best wishes go out to the Rotary Club of Red Deer Urban Spirits. Thanks to Sara Smillie and BJ Tumanut for stepping up and acting as the club’s co-presidents in their first year of operation. Good luck in your journey.
I also managed to drop in and pay a visit to the Rotarians in nine clubs throughout the District. I felt so welcomed and appreciated for being there, even if it was just to say hello and for me to meet their members and for them to meet me. I’m really looking forward to my “official” club visits this fall.
July has also been a challenging month for the Rotary International family. The passing of RI President Elect Sam Owari was not only sudden but shocking. I think back to a very brief conversation I had with him at the conclusion of the Rotary Leadership Institute breakfast in Atlanta. I found him to be a warm, soft spoken, caring and genuine man who you just felt good to be around. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sam’s family. From what I’m seeing and hearing from Rotarians around the world, I know he will be truly missed. The 2017-2018 Nominating Committee has now been asked to not only select the 2019-2010 President Nominee, but also a replacement for President-Elect Sam Owari. They will meet later this month to consider the candidates and put forward their recommendations for Board consideration in September.
August is “Membership and New Club Development” month and membership is Rotary’s #1 internal priority! Like many Rotary Districts in North America, our numbers are down again, unfortunately. We all need to pull together and identify new and innovative ways to not only attract but to engage and retain our members. Our members’ survey tells us we want to do more good in the world, but we need to grow in order for this District to be able to give more of its time, talent and treasure to our local communities and around the world. I’m excited to hear that the District’s Member Attraction & Engagement Committee under DGN Christine Rendell’s leadership, will be conducting a number of regional workshops this fall to support our clubs with their membership goals.
In closing, as we think about our theme for this year, “Rotary: Making a Difference”, let’s also remember our Vision, “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
Thank you for taking action to create lasting change - you are a difference maker!
What better way to make a difference in people’s lives than by reducing poverty.
The “Enough for All” strategy is predicated on the assumption that there is already enough resources and people working on reducing poverty. What is required is building efficiencies to increase impact.
Where does poverty come from? Over the past year, the CPRI (Calgary Poverty Reduction Initiative) consulted with Calgarians about poverty and how it impacts their lives. Through an engagement process involving over 15,000 hours, citizens spoke about the real forces that lead to poverty and trap people within it.
These include:
- communities where people feel isolated and alone
- an inability to build up savings and assets
- services needed that are hard to find and access
- rules and systems that penalize people for trying to get ahead
- imposed decisions that don’t reflect community values
The approach to poverty reduction is to address these underlying forces by tackling the roots of poverty and building resilient communities.
Community Hubs…. “Poverty is most effectively reduced when people work together in their communities to develop actions that meet their real needs.”
Community Hubs are about building strong, supportive and inclusive communities and was one of four priorities for action of the Enough For All report.
On Wednesday June 28 2017, at the Village Square Leisure Centre, Neil Berg, Rotary International District 5360 Governor, Mayor Naheed Nenshi, The City of Calgary and Karen Young, President and CEO of the United Way announced our partnership in creating Community Hubs in Calgary designed to help counter the forces that lead to poverty.Six Hubs, serving more than 200,000 Calgarians, are being planned and activated over the next five years (2017-2021) in the communities of Bowness, Greater Forest Lawn, North of McKnight, Sunalta, Village Square and Vista Heights. Speaking to over 400 community residents, Neil Berg said “As a Founding Partner, Rotary will be able to follow its motto of “Service Above Self”. Our World Service work shows that we cannot solve problems, we can only enable solutions. Through partnering with the United Way and the City of Calgary, and adhering to the values of community consultation and resident leadership, we will play a significant role in creating a legacy for our city.”
Core to community hub development is residential leadership and the identification of real community needs. Hubs can bring services closer to people in their communities for ease of access and can provide a variety of programs including childcare, community gardens, mobile health services, civic services, justice services, library services, reception and arts programming, community kitchens, financial literacy, social services, youth and seniors programming, immigration services as well as be potential centres of community economic development activity.
So far, two community hubs are up and running, one at Village Square Leisure Centre and another at the Genesis Centre serving North McKnight.
As residents are a part of the planning, and services and amenities are built to reflect each community’s needs, “Listening to residents will inform the next phase of the project and ensure that we design something that meets the need of each community,” said Neil Berg, Rotary International District 5360 Governor.
While community hubs are being built in other cities, this partnership is the “first of its kind” in Canada to involve a service club according to Karen Young, president and CEO of United Way of Calgary and Area, but she said she hopes it sparks a trend in communities across Canada.
Media coverage of this event included:
CBC Radio, Eyeopener: Live 5 minute interview on June 28
Global News: City announces community hubs for 6 Calgary communities
Metro: Six community hubs set to open in Calgary
As well as good take up on social media
The Hubs Project Launch and Partnership announcement was accompanied by an outstanding Rotary BBQ, serving up enough food to feed 600.
A special thank you to our Rotary BQ volunteers for making this such a successful event!
There are lots of opportunities for Rotarians to be involved in this project. For those interested, please contact the Rotary Club of Calgary for more information.
Building the Rotary Brand (BTRB) blog posts are published for a single purpose; to increase the exposure and community engagement levels of your local club. Social media is a no brainer marketing tool to include in your club strategies. I’ve written several posts about getting started.
This post is part of a 3 part series about blogging. I recommend creating FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn platforms, or perhaps a YouTube channel before you consider blogging.
Writing blog posts take more time and discipline than most other platforms. However, because of the amazing stories Rotary has to tell, blogging provides an excellent way to tell them. The challenge is to think editorially when planning for the long term.
This post provides practical tips for promoting each post after they’ve been published.
In the early morning on Thursday July 6th, a seismic tremor hit the Philippines. ShelterBox was ready and has operations staff in country working right now to assist communities in need. ShelterBox staff member Dave Ray was on a neighbouring island in Cebu when the earthquake struck. Buildings rumbled as power cut out, causing rolling blackouts and communication lines to fall silent across the island chain.
“Since the earthquake struck this morning, I’ve already been in contact with the Philippines Red Cross and local Rotary Clubs to discuss ways for ShelterBox to assist.” – Dave Ray, Operations Coordinator
Over the years, ShelterBox has developed significant expertise in working in the Philippines and we have aid prepositioned locally. While it is unlikely we will respond due to the type of damage, we have aid on standby and great local contacts including Rotary Clubs who stand ready to assist. Read more about our work in the Philippines and watch a video update from Dave at www.shelterboxcanada.org/philippines-earthquake
BC WILDFIRES: ShelterBox is closely monitoring
The ShelterBox operations team has been in contact with the ShelterBox Canada office, and they continue to monitor the wildfires in British Columbia and western United States, with our teams on standby if the ShelterBox solution is needed. Our thoughts are with the families in the affected regions and we hope that everyone remains safe during this difficult time. For the most up to date information about our monitoring efforts please visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/ShelterBoxCanada
CURRENT DEPLOYMENT UPDATE: ShelterBox is working in 10 countries
ShelterBox is currently assisting families in Colombia and Haiti after landslides, Afghanistan after flooding, Niger, Cameroon and Chad due to the Lake Chad Basin crisis, Somaliland and Uganda from the severe drought and Iraq and the Syrian Region due to ongoing conflict.
DISTRICT 5360 YOUTH EXCHANGE RAISE $40,328 FOR SHELTERBOX
Inbound and outbound youth exchange students combined to hold the 4th International Dinner. They raised $40,328 in donations from Rotarians, clubs and others. ShelterBox is so thankful for the hard work and generosity of all involved. Four different D5360 YEX classes have combined to raise $124,000.
SHELTERBOX WELCOMES NEW 5360 AMBASSADOR - WYNNE BJORGAN
Many in District 5360 will know Wynne Bjorgan. She has belonged to clubs in Calgary, but has now retired, moved and joined the Rotary Club of Red Deer East. In July she became a volunteer ShelterBox Ambassador and has already visited clubs and Rotary events. Welcome, Wynne!
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
The Rotary Mattamy Greenway project is nearing completion and planning for the Grand Opening event is underway!
All levels of donations of prizes and sponsorships will be gratefully received.
In order for the Parks Foundation to plan the event, clubs should make their contributions prior to May 15. However, donations and sponsorships will continue to be accepted right up to the event. Clubs, individuals, companies and groups are all welcome to donate and will receive recognition as outlined.
This is such an exciting project! All of you took a ‘leap of faith’ five years ago and created a world’s first for the citizens of Calgary and area.
There are as many reasons to come to Rotary as there are Rotarians – maybe even a few more. But each of us has stayed in Rotary because it adds something to our own lives. Through Rotary, we are Making a Difference in the world; and the more involved we become, the more of a difference Rotary makes to each of us. Rotary challenges us to become better people: to become ambitious in the ways that matter, to strive for higher goals, and to incorporate Service Above Self into our daily lives.
What kind of difference Rotary clubs and individual Rotarians make through their service will always be their own decision. As an organization, we are guided by the three strategic priorities our Board has set in our strategic plan: to support and strengthen our clubs, to focus and increase our humanitarian service, and to enhance Rotary's public image and awareness.
In the year ahead, our clubs will have the support of a greatly augmented array of online tools, including a refreshed Rotary.org, a simplified Rotary Foundation grant application process, an improved My Rotary experience, and a rebuilt Rotary Club Central. As we look to strengthen our clubs, two specific challenges stand out in our membership: our gender balance and our average age. To keep our clubs strong, we need to build a membership that reflects the communities we serve and that will continue to develop knowledgeable leaders for generations to come.
For many years, one idea has stood at the heart of all our service: sustainability. Sustainable service means our work continues to have a positive impact long after Rotary's direct involvement has ended. We don't dig wells and walk away; we make sure communities can maintain and repair those wells. If we build a clinic, we make sure that clinic has a way to keep running without ongoing support from us. And when it comes to polio, we aren't working to contain it; we're working to end it.
Eradicating polio is the ultimate in sustainable service. It is an investment that will yield not just a long-lasting but a permanent benefit, on a global scale. It is and must remain our No. 1 priority until the job is done.
For 112 years, Rotary has made a difference to more lives, in more ways, than we can ever count or will ever know. Today, each of us bears a torch, its flame lit by Paul Harris, that has been passed forward from generation to generation, in Rotary: Making a Difference.
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.
Six Hubs, serving more than 200,000 Calgarians, are being planned and activated over the next five years (2017-2021) in the communities of Bowness, Greater Forest Lawn, North of McKnight, Sunalta, Village Square and Vista Heights. Speaking to over 400 community residents, Neil Berg said “As a Founding Partner, Rotary will be able to follow its motto of “Service Above Self”. Our World Service work shows that we cannot solve problems, we can only enable solutions. Through partnering with the United Way and the City of Calgary, and adhering to the values of community consultation and resident leadership
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