President Bruce Shepard welcomed all to the noon meeting at The Medicine Hat Lodge.
Guests were introduced – Terry Brekko’s younger brother, Todd Brekko, who lives on Vancouver Island, and guest speaker Deborah Northcott, accompanied by her husband, Rotarian Dr Richard (Dick) Northcott.
President Bruce intimated that the Club committees are on the go, highlighting that the ‘Bring-a-friend’ event planning is going well.
Milan Vujovic introduced Deborah Northcott, who spoke on Real Humanitarian (formerly known as Canadian Humanitarian), in particular their work with children and their families in Ethiopia over the past 30 years.
Deborah has spent her personal and professional years caring for and nurturing the development of children, who are her passion.
She has qualifications and experience in the fields of social work and child developmental psychology.
Since 2009, Deborah has been a full-time volunteer with Real Humanitarian.
In 2011, Deborah and Dick were the recipients of Honorary Applied Baccalaureate degrees from the Medicine Hat College, for their African Development Service.
Highlights from Deb’s presentation are in the STORY section of this Weekly News.
Deb started her presentation by thanking the Club for our support of the annual “Hues for Humanity”, the family color fundraiser run.
During the question, answer and discussion time after the presentation, Dick Northcott mentioned that there are nine Rotary Clubs in Addis Ababa. Attempts are made to create links between these clubs and Real Humanitarian, but often the longer-term commitment of Real Humanitarian to child development takes them out of the shorter time frame used by these clubs for service project involvement.
After thanking Deb, Milan encouraged members to buy tickets for the Real Humanitarian Gala on Friday 17 November 2023. This is the link: https://trellis.org/beyond-belief-2023
Rotary Club "What-z New":
A few more meeting helpers are required to run cameras and sound during our hybrid meetings. Anyone wishing to help should contact Mike Christie 403 878 3311.
Rotary Club Committee Membership Update:
Please continue to assist your' team captains' and assist in other areas of club activity, as you are able.
Rotary Club Information:
Housekeeping:
If you have a Meeting Minute, please phone, text or email the President and it will be included in the next Newsletter.
Board minutes can be found on ClubRunner, under Club Documents.
Rotary District 5360 and Rotary International News
We look forward to a visit by our RI District 5360 Governor, Kurt Kowalchuk, on Monday 25 September. DG Kurt will attend and address our noon meeting at the Lodge. Guests are welcome.
RI CONVENTION 2025 IN CALGARY
The RI Convention was held in Calgary in 1996. It’s going to be in Calgary again in 2025
DG Kurt Kowalchuk (email dated June 19) is calling for committee members, in particular but not exclusively, for the Sponsorship & Revenue committee, and the House of Friendship committee
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Host Organizing Committee secretary, Luanne Whitmarsh (l.whitmarsh@shaw.ca)
DG Kurt writes that this convention is going to be done in a way that will be transformational for Rotary in our District and he sets out many ways in which this may be achieved.
WATERTON GLACIER PEACE PARK
The annual celebration of the Waterton-Glacier Peace Park, a project of Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Idaho and Montana Rotary Districts in 1931. This year’s celebration will take place from September 21-24. It is a great opportunity to hear about the Park, its successes and challenges, and to celebrate cross-border Rotary efforts.
Home page for history and information: Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association/commitment to building peace (watertonglacierpeacepark.org).
The Rotary Club's Program Committee members are Jillian Koch (jkoch@jmhca.com), Dave Panabaker (d.panabaker@hotmail.com) and Margie Booyens (margiebooyens@gmail.com).
If you have ideas for future programs, please contact them.
CANADIAN HUMANITARIAN, now REAL HUMANITARIAN: REAL RESULTS, REAL DEDICATION, REAL PASSION
“Changing lives in a changing world”.
Development practitioners would revel in the story of Canadian Humanitarian, now Real Humanitarian. Why? Because this is not an organization that goes in for dependence-creating and maintaining handouts. It is a non-profit that believes in and does hands-up work.
Here’s a very brief summary of the story, as presented by Co-Executive Director Deborah Northcott.
Canadian Humanitarian was ‘born’ in September 1994, when Dick and Deborah Northcott adopted two Ethiopian children. Their thinking shifted from “Someone needs to do something” about the lives and living conditions of children in Ethiopia, to “What can I/we do?”.
Deborah described the dire living conditions of families, both urban and rural, as well as the under-resourced school contexts. Ethiopian education statistics reveal that 68.1% of students leave school before completing high school, 35% enter post-secondary studies, with a 8% graduation from tertiary education.
In 2003, Dick discussed with the Ethiopian ministries responsible for children, the kind of assistance what would be best to lift children and their families out of extreme poverty. There was consensus that moving children out of the workforce into school and helping them to complete their high school education – or at least some level of education - would likely have the most impact on their personal economic status, as well as the country’s future.
Deborah then presented the United Nations 2030 Social Development Goals to Club members, pointing out that the primary focus of Real Humanitarian, is Goal #4: Education, under which they address, inter alia, poverty, gender equality, health and well-being, and hunger.
Unpacking and outlining the services and support of Real Humanitarian in Ethiopia, Deborah described what is offered in the school context, the involvement and participation of the families of the children with whom they work, and the role of local government.
There are eight afterschool projects, established, run and maintained by Real Humanitarian. There is also a vocational training campus, and three scholarship programs. All these services are staffed by 92 Ethiopian staff.
Deborah showed photos and shared the phenomenal stories of a number of the alumni of the Real Humanitarian program.
Real Humanitarian aims to help the children with whom they work to:
Develop life skills
Live independent lives
Become active, contributing citizens and community members
Over the two decades of development work carried out in Ethiopia, raising over $11.8m, Real Humanitarian offers the following impressive statistics related to the children who have been involved in their programs:
Average number of years in school: 9
Depart from program: 10% (7% move away and 3% decide to leave education)
Pass grade annually: 92%
Go on to post-secondary education: 91%
Complete post-secondary education: 93%
Employed after graduation: 72%
Number of teen or unplanned pregnancies during education and child marriages: 0%
This is evidence of a meaningful impact on the lives of the children with whom Real Humanitarian works – a hand up and not a hand out.
We salute you, Deborah and Dick Northcott, and all the staff and volunteers involved in the life-changing development work done by Real Humanitarian.
Thank you for the significant contribution your organization is making to the achievement of the 2030 Social Development Goals of the United Nations.
Twenty three were present at the meeting at The Medicine Hat Lodge, plus five via Zoom.
GUESTS:
Todd Brekko
Deborah Northcott
Club Draw:
Mike Christie won a water bottle
Please remember to contribute items for the weekly draw as the stock cupboard is running VERY low!
Makeups:
Secretary Doug Fleming cited the previous Bingo team members.
Birthdays:
Milan Vujovic Sept 04.
Dick Bide Sept 05.
Edward Lipin Sept 06.
Joe Hrankowski Sept 15.
Stan Sakamoto Sept 30.
Rotary Anniversaries:
Dieter Brand 29 years Sept 01, 1994.
Bernie Scott 39 years Sept 01, 1984.
Wedding Anniversary Rose Runner for September 2023:
Dale Stein
Minutes: new information and a few reminders
Dave Panabaker had a number of meeting minutes:
Next Bingo session: Wednesday 4 October in the evening. Dave P will be the team leader
Rotary tent: Sunrise Rotary Club expressed thanks and appreciation for the loan of our club’s Rotary tent for the Terry Fox run on Sunday 17 September
Monarch theatre sale: Dave shared with members sections of a news release from the City of Medicine Hat, dated September 19, 2023 – the sale of the Monarch Theatre to The Monarch 1911 Society. This society is a nonprofit organization, directed by members of the Rotary Clubs of Medicine Hat. It will operate as a social enterprise. This means that once the Monarch is fully operational, the profits will be distributed back into the community annually. The operation and programming of the theatre is to be outsourced to Plugged in Media.
Dave Stalwick shared that about 105 had attended the previous Bingo session. Almost $1,700 had been made and Dick Bide had won the pool.
Treasurer Gail Halderman shared the happy news that the Club had been allocated $17,258.85 from the AGLC for our Casino evening last May.
Margie Booyens thanked Dan Kammerer for the visit to and tour of Prairie Gleaners on Saturday 16 September. There was a good turnout of members and partners, and it was great to have a demonstration of the automated vegetable washer that our Club's donation bought, together with 12 aluminum rolling racks (total donation: $11,050).
FREEWHEEL BIKE PROJECT: This project is powering away in the Knowles Electric Building on Kipling. Terry Cooper and team of bike repairers welcome visitors to see how they transform donated and abandoned bikes into donation-ready wheels. Anne Carrier showed members a business card sized Rotary Club of Medicine Hat thank you card which she had designed and printed – for members to give to bicycle donors. Thank YOU, Anne – a great idea!
TERRY FOX RUN: Sunday 17 September 2023
The Sunrise and Ignite Clubs organized the annual Terry Fox Run/Walk this year, taking over from the Kinette Club which ran it for almost 40 years.
The Run takes place every year in over 10,000 locations in Canada (communities and schools) and in 33 countries around the world. It is the largest event that supports cancer research in the name of one of Canada's great heroes, Terry Fox.
Over 275 people participated in the run in Medicine Hat this year, a substantial increase over the 35 participants in 2019!
The 3km Run/Walk raised more than $19,000 this year, far exceeding the goal of $7,000.
SAAMIS ROTARY CLUB: 21st ANNUAL RAFFLE
Tickets can be purchased on the Saamis Club website:http://www.winningticketlottery.ca The 50/50 pot is now in excess of $32,000 and the winner gets half! Draw date is September 30, 2023.
Family of Rotary.
Terry Brekko thanked members for their caring support around the loss of his beloved wife, Lyndell. He expressed appreciation to the many Rotarians who attended Lyndell’s Celebration of Life on Friday 15 September.
Dave Panabaker announced that ex-Rotarian Ray Kemp’s son, Cameron, had been given Life Membership by the local Kinsman club – the first to receive this honour.
Please keep a Board Member informed about members health changes, so that information can be provided to the club through the Weekly News.
The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat has returned to meeting in person. We have regular face-to-face meetings at least twice each month. A ZOOM link will still be available for those who are cautious, ill or are away on vacation.
