President Mike began the meeting right on time, and didn’t waste any time, as the agenda was packed.
He mentioned how amazing the Olympic opening ceremonies were and how all of us are saddened by the extraordinary damage to the beautiful community of Jasper.
Mike asked Past President Bruce Shepard to come to the front, to present him with the theme banner for his year. It is our clubs tradition that this banner is a souvenir of the Presidents year. Thanks for your service to the club Bruce.
Next Saamis Rotary Club member Brian Robinson was invited to the front; to introduce his guest, Outbound Exchange student Marinn Wiens, who leaves next week for a 10 month experience in Germany. Brian also mentioned that the inbound YEX student is coming from Brazil, her name is Samara and she will arrive on August 17th.
Marinn spoke about her exchange, to the small town of Oberpleis (pop 26,000), 30 minutes outside Cologne. She was attending the French Immersion program at CHHS and then The Hub. The Hub is an online program, which she really enjoyed.
She has several relatives who have gone through the exchange program, and she will do her Grade 10 year abroad. We enjoyed her Q/A session and we all wish her the best in the adventure she is undertaking.
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 President Mike Christie 403 878 3311.
Rotary Club Committee Membership Update:
Please continue to assist your 'team captains' (committee leads) and please also work in other areas of club activity, as you are able.
Please have a look on ClubRunner in the Committee section. You should find your name on one of the committee member lists, as per your choice(s). If not, please contact President Mike.
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
RI CONVENTION 2025 IN CALGARY
The RI Convention was last held in Calgary in 1996. It’s going to be back in Calgary again June 21 - 25, 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)
PDG Sandy McKay has volunteered to be the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat's representative on the RI Host Committee. Many more volunteers are needed and will be welcomed.
Rotarians in the District received a request from Marlene Doherty to keep Polio Plus in mind for donations to Rotary International. The eradication of polio is a long term promise of Rotarians worldwide, and you can donate at http://rotary.org
Ideas for Future Programs
The Rotary Club's Program Committee members are Jillian Koch (jkoch@jmhca.com), Margie Booyens (margiebooyens@gmail.com), Terry Brekko (terrybrekko@gmail.com) and Alain Guerard (aguerard@telus.net)
If you have ideas for future programs, please contact them.
One of the highlights on any Rotary meeting, or in fact any Rotary year, is the induction of new members into the Rotary family. Today we had the pleasure of inducting a new member, Sharon Haywood (sponsored by Margie Booyens) and welcoming back an former member in Nadia Deenan (whose stand-in sponsor was Terry Brekko)
Past President Bruce Shepard had the pleasure of reading the "charge" to new Rotarians and we welcome Nadia Deenan and Sharon Haywood to the club. Nadia is a member of the MH Hospital physiotherapy team, and was a member of our club for approximately 15 years. She was a senior member of the Youth Exchange team. Sharon is the Executive Director of the Medicine Hat YMCA, as well as an instructor in social work at the MH College.
Welcome to Rotary, we all are happy you have joined us and we look forward to your contributions to our club and the community.
Alain Guerard spoke to the club this morning, to update us all on the work that members of this District (and elsewhere) are doing to provide medical supplies to the Ukraine. Alain described the purpose of the group as "Our purpose is to acquire needed supplies and equipment based on well-defined requirements and priorities and to coordinate its delivery to locations in the Ukraine that fills the need". This project began as a request from Gary Derechuk of the Calgary club for assistance in funding a rehabilitation hospital once the war was over, and it has grown way beyond that.
The group has titled their group "LogOps", The LogOps is a command-and-control center that coordinates procurement and delivery of supplies and equipment to those in need. In our mission, we need to coordinate communications and physical logistics activities. The most important part of the process is securing material that someone needs, and will provide destination paperwork required by customs. This "destination requirements component" has been difficult to achieve, at least at the beginning.
The role of Log Ops is to coordinate acquisition of medical equipment as required by the organizations in Ukraine that have identified the need and priority. As a center of operations, the LogOps team will:
Donations of supplies and equipment.
Cash donations.
Procurement.
The LogOps team, over time, will develop into a streamlined logistics control operation to deliver medical supplies and equipment in dire need in Ukraine or elsewhere. In the hope that its effort will contribute to the rehabilitation of those affected by war and that it will support them in time of peace.
What an amazing project, the whole team deserves thanks and recognition for their hard work. Well done!
ATTENDANCE: It was a full house today, with guests and a good member turnout. If that many people keep showing up, we'll need to set up another table.
GUESTS:
Nadia Deenan, returning member
Sharon Haywood, inductee
Shirley Greenfield, guest of Lionel Brideson
Brian Robinson, Saamis Rotary Club
Marinn Wiens, Outbound YEX student
CLUB DRAW: Gwen Dirk won a package of golf stuff.
Please remember to contribute gifts for the weekly draw. The stock cupboard is looking a tad bare!
Makeups: None were mentioned.
Birthdays:
Susan Withers August 7th.
Gregg Martin August 25th.
Rotary Anniversaries:
Ken Zollner 41 years August 1, 1983.
Jillian Koch 8 years August 8, 2016.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR AUGUST 2024
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Minute Reminders:
FUNDRAISING: BINGO:
Dave Panabaker reported that our bingo on Monday 22 July was not well attend, so the pool didn't make any money, but Anne Carrier won the guess pot. We did receive checks for the June bingo, which added up to approx $1,500. The next bingo is Sunday evening, August 11th and sign-up invitations will go out this week.
FUNDRAISING: CASINO
The next Casinos to be 'manned' by our Club members will take place on Sunday August 4 and Monday 5 August. Ken Zollner is heading up the teams.
MEETING EVENT
Margie Booyens advised the club that a visit to the Irvine Schools - Agricultural Discovery Center is planned for Monday August 26th. The intention is to meet at the MH Lodge at approx 11:15 am, and carpool out to Irvine. We will be given a tour of the Center and then assembly at the local restaurant to have lunch, a visit to the museum is also a possibility and then back to MH.
A FUN (and learning) EVENT
Dave Panabaker advised that "learn to bingo" has been proposed, to help members understand the game we work at 18 times a year. The evening of Wednesday September 18th has been set for this "class", so put this in your daytime and come out to have some fun. The host club that evening is Medalta, so that cause is one our club has supported for a long time.
Family of Rotary
Please keep a Board Member informed about members health and/or any other 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. Our first meeting of every month is a ZOOM business meeting. Check the club calendar, which is usually up to date for our meeting locations and program.
