Happenings in Rotary
An Evening with the Classics

There isn't anything quite like the sound of classical music played well on a piano in this author's opinion….well, stringed instruments also have a soft spot with me! In lieu of our usual noon hour meeting today, our club and interested friends and family were given a rare and special treat. The winner of this year's Rose Bowl, Diana Monet shared a medley of classical pieces by Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy. 

But then it got better! Dianna had a special guest - last year's Rose Bowl winner, her sisterMiriam! Miriam performed a delightful piece by Chopin, Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23 for the afficianados. 

And there was yet more! Dianna and Miriam played Spin from the Top from Jeux d'enfants by G. Bize. Each on their own were wonderful, but together was the Chef's kiss! Phenomenal! 

This writer had an opportunity to speak with Dianna and Miriam prior to the recital. Both young ladies are lifelong pianists - Dianna started playing at age 4 while Miriam the elder, began at age 7. Dianna has been playing for 10 years and Miriam for 14 and both are very talented musicians! When asked what role music and the piano would play in their future careers, both girls answered that they had their sites set on careers as physicians, which caught me a bit off guard as I thought at least one might be eyeing a career as a professional musician. Nonetheless, I'm sure that they will continue to share the gift of their music in the years to come. When not playing piano, both girls are avid fencers - I would suggest that future beaus will want to mind their manners and not anger a woman who knows how to use a sword! And they ride horses as well! A formidable pair!

Miriam is on the left with Dianna on the right.

Being presented with flowers from our very own Rose Bowl booster, Anne Carrier!

Congratulations Dianna on being named the recipient of this year's Rose Bowl. Thank you to Dianna and Miriam for sharing their gift with us this evening with a truly enjoyable recital.

A MEETING OF TWO ROTARY CLUBS

Our noon meeting on Monday 20 April brought together, via Zoom, members of our club with four members of a Club in Bosnia, the Rotary Club of Zenica.

 

 

It was a great experience, sharing information about some of our Club’s projects and hearing about the wonderful work being done by the 20 plus members of the RC of Zenica since its establishment just eight years ago.

Alain Guerard got the ball rolling by talking about our club’s involvement, with other Rotary Clubs in Alberta, in the Ukraine. Projects include the furnishing of a rehabilitation wing for a war damaged hospital in Kyvi-Rhi. A Rotary Global Grant, supported by 10 Alberta Rotary Clubs and private donors, created a centre for civilian and veteran amputees to access rehabilitation and therapeutic equipment. Before the establishment of this centre, amputees were sent home from hospital as soon as the wounds healed. There was no other help. This project was so successful that five similar projects are underway.

 

 

The Rotary Music Festival (RMF) was highlighted by Anne Carrier, who mentioned that the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat has been the major sponsor of this two-week classical music festival for 72 years. Illustrating the magnitude of the festival, Anne mentioned that about 900 performances take place by 4–28-year-old children and young people, during the fortnight, adjudicated by professional specialists in various disciplines. Several past participants have become professional musicians around the world.

Our club is proud of the Team Freewheel project, involving the refurbishing of used bikes for distribution to those in the community who need mobility to access education, employment, resources like shops, and recreation facilities. Terry Cooper, who is the driving force behind this project, explained how it had started in his back yard in the fall of 2020, with 20 bikes accessed from the police compound. In 2022, the project moved to rented premises. Club members and volunteers have refurbished and distributed just on 700 bikes since the inception of the project, to a range of not-for-profit organizations, schools, clubs, the college, and families.

The RC of Zenica President, Dino Omerspahic, had a PowerPoint which he used to share information about the impressive number of projects and activities undertaken by the 15-20 member club since it was chartered in September 2018.

 

 

Characteristic of this club is the friendship between the members and what they call a ‘relaxed’ attitude. Also, that ALL are welcome, irrespective of a long list of characteristics, including immigration status and socio-economic background.

The club has chartered a Rotaract Club and an Interact club.

The impressive list of big and small projects and activities undertaken by this dynamic club include the following:

BASIC EDUCATION AND LITERACY: A Global Grant for improving the reading literacy of students at 58 Primary Schools through the donation of 15,000 new books.

HEALTH: A District Grant for the procurement of 120 sensors for non-contact measurement of blood sugar levels for children and youth with type 1 diabetes.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: A Global Grant for building ‘A bridge between the diversities’. Goals: to include people with disabilities in the community and make everyday life easier. Example: the club organized the first Rotary tournament in wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

SUPPORTING THE ENVIRONMENT: The club was the coordinating club for a District Grant targeting a flooding disaster in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

CELEBRATION OF ROTARY DAY ON 26 FEBRUARY 2026: Gifts to 7 babies born on that day and their mothers; a donation of 110 sets of bedding and nightgowns to a hospital; two medical inhalers donated to a Pediatric Dept. of a hospital.

Our meeting provided a wonderful time of sharing of the projects and impacts of the two clubs – both illustrating Rotary at Work, making a difference through Service Above Self.

Until we connect again, our respect and very best wishes to the Rotary Club of Zenica. May both clubs, operating in very different parts of the world, keep on growing in strength and impact. 

BUILDING FUTURE-READY SKILLS: STEM Learning in Medicine Hat Public Schools

We had two amazing guest speakers at the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat on Monday 30 March: Carla Carrier and Dave Van Leeuwen, both with the Medicine Hat Public School Division (MHPSD).

Carla is the Executive Director of LEARNING AND PARTNERSHIPS; Dave is the EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY COACH.

A key to understanding STEM learning experiences at MHPSD is this:

“We aim to use technology to provide transformative experiences to students. Not using technology for the sake of technology but instead using it to provide deep and enriching learning experiences available to all students. It’s about helping students see themselves as capable contributors to their community”.

Carla got the presentation rolling with a brief glimpse into her work at the Central office of the MHPSD. She mentioned how the parameters of her responsibilities have expanded since first joining the Division staff, from a focus on curriculum instruction, to include, inter alia, student services. Dave's presentation focused on three main STEM learning experiences, the aim of which is to shape confident, capable young people who see a future for themselves right here in the Medicine Hat community. 

Medicine Hat Future Builders: Minecraft Building Project

Those who know video games may well have heard of Minecraft, which is a game that functions as a 3-dimensional sandbox where students can build structures. This project is conducted in collaboration with Shawn Champagne, the superintendent of city planning at City Hall. Shawn chooses the building sites and judges the projects. In 2025, over 700 students participated in the Minecraft project. Criteria for judging? These include zoning requirements, overall design, and the contribution made to the community. This year, the project focuses on the Medicine Hat Mall. The challenge to the students is this: What will increase business at the Medicine Hat Mall while benefiting the community?

Coding Crates: STEM access for all schools

The MHPSD currently has nine coding crates, two more to be added shortly. What are these? Coding crates are robotics or electronics supplies that teachers can book for their classrooms. 

Trades Kits: Exploring Core Curriculum through Trades

Dave explained that, following the same philosophy as coding crates, trades kits provide classrooms with experiences that introduce students to skills and knowledge involved within the trades, while also exploring aspects of science. Conversely, instruction focuses on exploring concepts in the grade level curriculum for science, math and other subjects, while relating them to relevant trades. Available kits: Mitre Box, Wind Turbine, Measurement, Simple Machines, Fluid Properties. Key issue: Dave noted how some skills, such as computer coding, can and are being replaced by computer generated Artificial Intelligence (AI). The increasing use of AI makes the key skills the students learn in this STEM program of problem solving, persistence, and teamwork, even more relevant for their successful entry to the future workforce.

What an informative presentation, Carla and Dave! Thank you so much! You introduced us to an angle on learning in Medicine Hat Public Schools, that few of us knew much about. And you left us with a bunch of members saying they’d like to go back to school!! Thank you so much for spending an hour of your valuable time with us. So much appreciated! You have our respect and our gratitude for what you are contributing to our young people’s education.

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Medicine Hat

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412 3rd St SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0H1
Canada
Our first meeting of every month is a business meeting, but all meetings are both in person and available on ZOOM. Check the club calendar, which is usually up to date for our meeting locations and program.
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Rotary Club of Medicine Hat
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