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A known way to retain the1-3 year members in our clubs is to Rotarize them. Rotarizing is showing them the world of Rotary beyond their own club. You do this by getting them to attend our district conference. The key is to travel together as a group, do things together, and in between events talk about how to fit your club into the district and the world of Rotary.
There have to be some 1,000 former Rotarians alive and well in our district. I frequently meet some of them. What a loss! How much easier it could be on us to run our fundraisers and projects, if they were still with us to lend a hand. How much stronger our clubs would be with their added fellowship.
Do come to our district conference - we are ready to have you come to our district conference at the Lethbridge Lodge, April 23 – 25th. Registration and what the conference is all about are posted on the website. And Bring The Kids to the most extensive children’s program ever offered. For $15 per child its incredible value, filled with meaningful fun. On Saturday night parents can enjoy the black tie banquet, knowing the youngsters are safe in the care of responsible Interactors and Rotaractors. It’s the best the Family of Rotary can provide, ask anyone who went to our family day at Kananaskis.
Governor Mike did a second visit to Calgary Sarcee, Calgary West, Calgary Crowchild, Calgary Chinook, the Sylvan Lake club and Ponoka club. There were three major committee meetings to attend and the District Development Society (WCS) committee meeting hosted by the Lacombe club.
WCS Committee meeting in Lacombe
Submitted by Karin Buhrmann (Rotary Club of Pincher Creek)
In January, past president Roselyn Jack, my husband Hans and I travelled to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Three years ago our club had started fundraising to build 100 low cost shelters with the help of our Rotary partners, Club Rotario Rio Guayas, Fort Macleod, Cardston, Taber and Raymond. Funds were then matched by the Wild Rose Foundation and The Rotary Foundation. We didn’t imagine progress would not go according to plan, nor how much patience is necessary to see a project through from beginning to end.
We were welcomed and treated royally by club president Gonzalo Mejia and his wife Aleida. The same night we attended a joint meeting of the Guayaquil and Rio Guayas clubs. Next day we were shown some tourist attractions, slums, and a medical clinic (the project of Rio Guayas and Calgary Olympic).
The new "comuna" is near the fishing village of San Pablo. The village had always been poor and is even poorer now with fisheries in decline. The beneficiaries, young couples with small children, had been chosen with the help of "Viviendas Hogar de Cristo", a Catholic organization. This organization’s function is also administrative and technical.
Many Rotarians came out to "sod
turning" at San Pablo, a 150 km drive. The whole "comuna" had
been surveyed with each lot staked out. Houses were in various stages of construction.
The steel frames of many were up and some cement floors had been poured. The
media was present and important officials had come to witness and speak at the
event. They asked me to say a few words as well. I started out in Spanish and
continued in English with Aleida, translating for me. I wanted to say more,
but I was so moved by the whole event that I could not say any more. I had never
expected that it would affect me that way.
We erected the first house by putting up the side walls. It was a wonderful and moving experience. Everybody was so happy! I photographed a young family on their building site. They were so proud and happy that this would be their new home. The beneficiaries will pour the cement and erect the houses themselves, while an engineer from Viviendas Hogar de Cristo will be supervising the project.
One month after our return 44 houses are up. Two families have already moved in. Though there is no water and electricity yet, they just couldn’t wait any more.
The beneficiaries smile more and are more sure of themselves. Every lot has space for a large garden. Since the growing season is all year round, they will be able to grow produce and fruit to supplement their income. They will buy some bricks with the extra money to reinforce the outside walls and thus make their home sturdier and more permanent. The Rio Guayas Club will keep a close eye on the new "Ciudadela Rotaria Rio Guayas" and lend a helping hand to make the new community a success.
Submitted by – Tanya Saratovskaya, former Intern of Banff Rotary Club Program
It was fantastic news for me when I found out that just in two years I’ll see again one of the most beautiful places in the world - Banff that I visited under the internship program of the Rotary Club of Banff in the summer of 2001. As it turned out, my five-week internship program became a very good background for my professional growth as a young specialist.
Several months ago, owing to this experience of international relations, I was appointed by the Irkutsk Region Government to represent the project on the ecotourism in Tofalaria, the mountainous area in the southwest of Irkutsk, during the Mission to Canada of the Siberian Federal District representatives this year. This Mission is initiated in the framework of the Canadian-Russian program on Sharing Canadian Best Practices in the governance of the northern territories populated by the Aboriginal people. Because of our geographical similarities, Canada and Russia have many common tasks - from developing our northern territories to creating new economic opportunities for our Aboriginal people. The Mission was organized by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development of Canada, which arranged meetings and consultations with top managers and highly-qualified specialists from DIAND, Parks Canada, Territorial Government of Yukon, First Nations Representatives. Russian participants were given an opportunity to learn Canadian knowledge and methods concerning the North development opportunities, relations of the federal and territorial governments and First Nations Councils, ecological and aboriginal tourism, and so on.
I was especially glad to find out that Banff National Park and Banff Town Administration can be directly involved in this program. Jillian Roulet, the Field Unit Superintendent, was my host mother and was very hospitable during my internship program two years ago. Nigel Paterson was my host father and coordinator of the internship program, and now his expertise as the Town Councilor can be of high interest to the Russian specialists regarding establishment and development of relations between a protected area and a municipal government.
Rotarians who are very open and responsive to interns create a high standard of relations with foreigners. Their hospitable attitude encourages young people to develop a global world outlook and a desire to cooperate.
Rotarian Internship programs create real opportunities for the students from developing countries like Argentina or Russia who want to take part in international projects or inculcate foreign best practices into their homelands.
I’m personally very grateful to Banff Rotarians who organized this kind of an internship program for me.
Tania’s current position is :
Leading Specialist, Department of Foreign Affairs, Irkutsk Region Government,
Attendance Statististics - February 2004
|
Club |
Members |
Attendance % |
|
Airdrie |
41 |
77 |
|
Banff |
* |
* |
|
Brooks |
34 |
63 |
|
Calgary |
287 |
56 |
|
Calgary Centennial |
* |
* |
|
Calgary Chinook |
* |
* |
|
Calgary Crowchild |
21 |
75 |
|
Calgary East |
36 |
106 |
|
Calgary Fish Creek |
19 |
83 |
|
Calgary Heritage Park |
45 |
77 |
|
Calgary Millennium |
* |
* |
|
Calgary North |
61 |
73 |
|
Calgary Olympic |
38 |
71 |
|
Calgary Sarcee |
27 |
57 |
|
Calgary South |
185 |
74 |
|
Calgary West |
* |
* |
|
Canmore |
85 |
67 |
|
Cardston |
36 |
75 |
|
Coaldale |
15 |
63 |
|
Cochrane |
44 |
62 |
|
Drumheller |
42 |
66 |
|
Fort Macleod |
* |
* |
|
High River |
* |
* |
|
Innisfail |
52 |
67 |
|
Kananaskis |
20 |
54 |
|
Kindersley |
19 |
64 |
|
Lacombe |
54 |
84 |
|
Lethbridge |
124 |
57 |
|
Lethbridge East |
30 |
13 |
|
Lethbridge Sunrise |
26 |
60 |
|
Maple Creek |
17 |
74 |
|
Medicine Hat |
107 |
70 |
|
Medicine Hat Saamis |
* |
* |
|
Medicine Hat Sunrise |
31 |
83 |
|
Okotoks |
47 |
40 |
|
Olds |
35 |
73 |
|
Pincher Creek |
* |
* |
|
Ponoka |
* |
* |
|
Raymond |
* |
* |
|
Red Deer |
131 |
59 |
|
Red Deer East |
47 |
92 |
|
Red Deer Sunrise |
* |
* |
|
Rocky Mountain House |
21 |
70 |
|
Stettler |
46 |
59 |
|
Swift Current |
25 |
72 |
|
Sylvan Lake |
27 |
78 |
|
Taber |
13 |
69 |
Russia.