- Petra Pfeiffer (Program Manager of Victim Services, Medicine Hat Police Service) and Colleen Bosch (volunteer in the Facility Dog Program)
Members and guests were given a warm welcome by Dave Stalwick and Tarek Williams.
- Igor Grujik was the lucky winner of a very special bottle of wine, kindly donated by Mike Christie.
BIRTHDAYS:
Vujovic, Milan - September 4
Bide, Dick - September 5
Walcer, Kevin - September 24
Sakamoto, Stan - September 30
Brand, Dieter - 32 years, Sep. 01 1994
Anjelic, Brian - 1 year, Sep. 15 2025
- NEXT BINGO - Dave Stalwick advised that our next bingo session will be on Sunday 20 September at 11:45, and volunteers are needed to make up a team of eight.
- ROTARY CLUB OF MEDICINE HAT DINNER CLUB: Odessa Vermee has taken over responsibility for organizing our Dinner Club. Thank you, Odessa! Please sign up with Odessa if you are interested in hosting a dinner in your home!
- ROTARY CASINO: Ken Zollner has received the necessary AGLC license for our casino on Sept 22-23, 2026. Dave Panabaker checked that a full team for that event has been assembled.
- THE 2026 TERRY FOX RUN: SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER: 10:30: 46 years ago, Terry Fox crossed Canada, running on an artificial leg, to raise money for cancer. The annual run is organized by Keith Walker and the Sunrise Rotary Club have, over the years, raised $70,000. So this year, the Terry Fox run is once again around the Rotary Sunrise Trail (Medicine Hat College campus), 3km, no hills, starting at 10:30am. Do join in! You don't have to run, you can walk! Form a team to participate and have fun! Please register: terryfox.org. You can donate on this website or at the start of the race.
- REACH THE SUMMIT WORKSHOP: On Tuesday September 29, Karen Blewett and Danielle Skogan will be leading a workshop for all Rotary clubs in Medicine Hat. Venue: Cypress Club. Time span: 6:00-8:30pm. The purpose of the workshop is to help Rotary Clubs create a strong vision for what they want to achieve this Rotary year and beyond, using the supportive framework of the Rotary Action Plan. It is hoped that at least 3-4 members per club would attend, preferably including the President.
- NEW GENERATIONS SERVICE EXCHANGE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT - Davi Pereira from Brazil is coming to Medicine Hat from 1 January until the end of February 2027. Terry Brekko, the Craciun family, and Peter Mueller and Gwen Dirk are hosting Davi, possibly also a member of Saamis Rotary Club. However, additional hosting of different sorts would be great. You could for example opt to have Davi for a weekend, for a meal and/or a day trip. Please contact Margie Booyens (403.952.7340) for more information. Davi is studying to become a school teacher. His English is very good!
CITIZENS WALK ABOUT: SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
Our Rotary Club donated $1,000 to support this year's Citizen Walk About, an event that aims to celebrate persons with disability in our community and to promote their inclusion in community life. President Doug Fleming was not able to attend, so Terry Brekko stood in for him and said a few words about Rotary's long involvement in the community, including the building of the city's first swimming pool in that park, which subsequently became known at Rotary Park. He said how proud our Club was to support an event of this nature and thanked the many agencies who supported and attended the event. Terry was presented with a thank you gift for our Club by Kate MacDonald of REDI Enterprises. In the image below, Kate, Terry and Mayor Linnsie Clark.
- YUELL FOUNDATION FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER: Dave Panabaker reported that our club had received a nice thank you letter note from the Yuell Family Foundation for lending them our Rotary canopy for their fall fundraising golf tournament. The canopy was used to shelter ‘hole in one’ spotters from the elements on the course. Three clubs supplied canopies, so Rotary was well represented!
MEETING WITH DG AT THE MONARCH:
Dave Panabaker contributed the following for inclusion in this week's Weekly News:
"Members of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat, joined the Saamis Rotary Club on Thursday September 10th for a meal and then a visit to the Monarch Theatre, with a presentation by 5360 District Governor Darcy Mykytyshyn. It was a great evening of learning about our new DG and celebrating a very unique project at the Monarch. DG Darcy gave a short talk and then ran an exercise about our Rotary Clubs, making us think and stretch our imaginations about what Rotary can be. A great time.”
- MEETING OF OUR CLUB WITH DG: DG Darcy will be attending our club meeting on Monday 19 October at noon.
- DISTRICT GRANT WEBINAR: Online, on Saturday 24 October, from 9-12. Our club needs at least one member to participant in order for the club to qualify for grant applications - but anyone interested in District grants is welcome to register.
- CLUB SHIRTS: Club t-shirts and golf shirts are available at $25 and $30 respectively. If you ordered, please pay and collect from Anne Carrier or Odessa Vermee!
- CLUB MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: Members are reminded that the club Membership Committee (Chair: Nadia Deenen) will be meeting on the third Monday of every month, at 7pm, in the CORE meeting room, downstairs. Next meeting: Monday 21 September.
- DISTRICT ACTION PLAN: Sunrise Rotary Club has created an opportunity for Rotarians in Medicine Hat to become familiar with the District Action Plan. Where: Cypress Club. When: Tuesday 29 September. Time: 6:30-8:30pm.
BRUCE SHEPARD:
Our community will be facing potentially significant change in the coming years. Several private concerns, as well as provincial and civic agencies, are busy promoting the economic development of our community and the area. While new industries, and the jobs and tax revenue they bring, will be welcome they represent a dual edge sword for heritage resources. Too often heritage resources, specifically historic buildings and archaeological sites, are
seen as barriers to be overcome rather than resources to be developed. To address this dilemma, the Historical Society of Medicine Hat and District will be encouraging community discussions to discuss and develop options. Other communities across the country have already dealt with such challenges and we can learn from their experiences. Members and partners of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat are cordially invited to attend two events where these important questions will be discussed:
1. “Pockets of the Past.” Well known podcaster Brian Konrad will be recording an interview with Malcolm Sissons and Sally Sehn, authors of a regular column
about the community’s heritage in the Medicine Hat News, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 beginning at 7:00 PM in the historic Monarch Theatre.- 2. “The Future of Our Past.” The regular meeting of the Historical Society of Medicine Hat and District will feature a panel discussion on how the community
wants to deal with the pending changes. Panel members will include Malcolm Sissons, Vice President of the Historical Society; Cathy Linowski, Board Member
of the South Eastern Alberta Archaeological Society; and Janessa Anderson, Manager of the Monarch Theatre and a members of the Saamis Rotary Club. The
Moderator will be City Councillor Chris Hellman. It will be held on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in the Studio Theatre of the Esplanade beginning at 7:00 PM.
- Glen Presley's wife, Carolyn, has passed away. Sincere condolences to Glen and the Presley family.
- Deb Panabaker, wife of Dave Panabaker, had surgery on Monday 24 August. She is recovering at home and doing well!
- Deb Best is home and on the mend.