Our noon gathering started, as has become the custom, with a light lunch of soup, sandwiches and a little cake for dessert.
We were all warmly welcomed to our Monday meeting, attended by 21 members, five via Zoom and 16 in-person. Glen Presley was given a special welcome by President Bruce.
Stating the regrets of President Elect Mike Christie, who was due to be at the helm today, President Bruce guided the meeting through information sharing and a discussion about the club’s Membership Recruitment Event (24 April), and the logistics of the club’s contribution to the Winter Clothes Drive for the Medicine Hat Health Foundation.
Club Board members were reminded that they would be meeting on Tuesday 30 January at 7pm.
THE ‘WHY ROTARY?’ EVENT
On Wednesday 24 April, starting at 6:30, an exciting, relaxed, informative event, programmed along the lines of a typical Rotary meeting, will be held in the Stampede Grounds Grandstand Ballroom.
The purpose? As the theme suggests: to introduce specially invited guests to Rotary as a service organization, in the hope that they choose to become members of this global network of people who are fired to take action to make a lasting, positive difference, locally and internationally.
Who should be invited? Anyone who may be interested in joining Rotary – neighbours, family members, friends, work colleagues, past members…
It is not a fund-raiser. It is being designed to be a means through which to recruit new Rotarians, the inspiration for this event being the hugely successful gala that our Club organized a few years ago, held in the Beveridge Building, down town, Medicine Hat.
The costs of the event will be covered through the $30 p/p charge, with Rotarians paying for their guests.
All four Rotary Clubs in Medicine Hat will be present, each one making concise presentations on their key service projects, that will hopefully generate questions and that will all contribute to an understanding of ‘Why Rotary?’.
Various forms of Rotary and club information will be in the venue, including our Club history book (1918-2018), themed information tables, banners, Rotary Music Festival posters with the photos and testimonials of past RMF participants, membership application paper work etc.
President Bruce, President Elect Mike Christie, Stan Sakamoto, Peter Mueller and others are the members behind the careful planning of this event, which is only 12 weeks away!
All Rotarians in Medicine Hat are encouraged to give their full support to what promises to be a fun-filled evening of fellowship, showcasing Rotary and the benefits of membership of this great ‘Service above Self’ global organization.
MEDICINE HAT HEALTH FOUNDATION WINTER CLOTHES DRIVE
On behalf of the International and Community Service Committee, Margie Booyens thanked the many members who went through their wardrobes (and possibly those of their partners!) and found gently used winter clothing for the clothes drive of the Medicine Hat Health Foundation.
Family, friends and neighbours, it turned out, had also kindly contributed items.
The general consensus was that this was a time limited and once-off community service project, but nevertheless very worthwhile.
POST-MEETING NOTE
Ian McLachlan kindly brought his truck to the Lodge, to transport the mountain of boxed boots and neatly folded, laundered, some plastic covered and hangered, clothes, for men and for women.
A number of members helped to pack the goods into the truck, and Ian and Margie then had the pleasure of driving to the Regional Hospital and handing over the clothing to Executive Director Heather Bach and two of her colleagues.
Heather had the good idea to grab a wheelchair to help move the goods from the truck to her office!
Depending on need, this could certainly become a very practical annual contribution of our Club, to the Medicine Hat Health Foundation.
