President Milan welcomed the attendees to this special evening meeting of our Rotary Club! As promised last week, this evening's meeting was a musical treat with performances by sisters, Dianna and Miriam Monet. Dianna is this year's Rotary Rose Bowl winner and you may recall that Miriam won last year.
They were accompanied by their parents, Drs. Meran Monet and Fatima Nia.
The festival has been a cornerstone of the local arts scene for seven decades, serving as the primary community project for the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat.
Origins and Early Years
The First Iteration (1930s): The roots of a music festival in the city date back to 1930. Sponsored by the local Rotary Club and led by chairman J.P. Marsh, an annual festival ran until 1939. It was paused during the war years and the period following.
The Modern Era (1955): The organization was re-established in 1955, with the first "modern" festival taking place in the spring of 1956.
Rotary Sponsorship: The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat (the city’s oldest service club, formed in 1918) has remained the primary sponsor for over 70 years.
The Rose Bowl Tradition
The Rose Bowl itself is not the name of the entire festival, but rather its "grand finale" and most coveted prize.
The Competition: Adjudicators from various disciplines (such as Piano, Vocal, Strings, Musical Theatre, and Speech) nominate one standout performer from their category to compete.
The Award: These finalists perform in a dedicated showcase—often held at the Medicine Hat College Eresman Theatre or local churches—to compete for the Rotary Rose Bowl Trophy and a major scholarship.
The Rotary Music Festival is an annual event featuring over 1000 contestants. It is truly an honor to support an event of this caliber in our community!
ROTARY AT DISTRICT LEVEL
Members were again reminded about the District 5360 conference, taking place in Red Deer from 1-3 May.
There will be a display of Rotary intervention (projects) connected to the Ukraine at DisCon.
The dueling piano performance on the first evening of DisCon should be fun. Those attending are encouraged to spend time in the House of Friendship in which there will be tables and booths on a range of projects and programs undertaken by Rotarians and Clubs in District 5360.
See how to register in the MINUTES in the MEETING NEWS section of this newsletter.
ROTARY AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
As we have been mentioning for some time now, the next RI Convention will be held in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, from 13-17 June 2026. Those attending should please let the Board know.
ROTARY AT MEDICINE HAT LEVEL: MONARCH 1911 SOCIETY
As many Rotarians will know, our club, in cooperation with the Saamis Rotary Club and the Friends of the Monarch Society, has been working on restoring both the structure and the programming at the historic Monarch movie theatre on 2nd St S.E, Medicine Hat.
The Monarch is having a promotion on a "book" of tickets, check it out it is a great deal
Our club will try to keep track of events on at the Monarch, and will give members a heads-up about opportunities to serve. If you are interested in volunteering at the Monarch, please let Rotarian Janessa Anderson know (403-952-1907) and she will provide details of available shifts and responsibilities.
Volunteering at a show is a great way to connect with the community and support our historic local landmark.
Also, the Friends of the Monarch Society is having their AGM on Tuesday May 5th. If you are interested in the restoration and recovery of the Monarch Theatre, a cause our club has supported over the past few years, please make a point of attending.
Ideas for Future Programs
The Rotary Club's Program Committee members are Jillian Koch (jkoch@jmhca.com), Margie Booyens (margiebooyens@gmail.com), Alain Guerard (aguerard@telus.net), Sharon Hayward (sharon.hayward@medicinehatymca.ca).
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.
ATTENDANCE: The recital was attended by approximately 60 family and friends.
GUESTS:
Special guests Diana and Miriam Monet.
MEETING DRAW:
There was no draw today
BIRTHDAYS:
Presley, Glen - April 3
Shanbhag, Manali - April 7
Scott, Bernie - April 9
Dressler, Lisa - April 23
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES:
Bide, Dick - 55 years - April 11, 1971
Brekko, Terry - 37 years - April 01, 1989
Hrankowski, Joe - 26 years - April 03, 2000
Panabaker, Dave - 22 years - April 01, 2004
Shave, Brad - 17 years - April 10, 2009
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR APRIL 2026:
The Rose Runner for April is Gail Halderman.
NEW MINUTES AND REMINDERS:
ROTARY CENTENNIAL DRIVE CLEANUP: The Litter Blitz along Rotary Centennial Drive, planned for Saturday April 18th, was postponed due to weather conditions. Organizer Dale Stein will revert with an alternative date in due course. However, two ‘eager beavers’ went ahead and did a clean-up, enjoying one another's company in the process!
BBQ SOCIAL: Kinette Kitchen, Kin Coulee. Members are asked to put Thursday 21 May from 5-8pm in their schedules. President Milan and the Club Program Committee are organizing a relaxed, fun time together on this date, in Kin Coulee, enjoying special food (the nature of which will be shared nearer the time!) not only with our Club members but with all Rotarians in Medicine Hat, plus family and friends!
CASINO DUTY: Ken Zollner announced that he had recruited two teams for the ‘staffing’ of the casino on Tuesday September 22 and Wednesday September 23. Many thanks to those who are volunteering and helping to raise club funds in this way.
ROTARY CLUB OF MEDICINE HAT DINNER CLUB: We are delighted to know that Odessa Vermee has taken over responsibility for organizing our Dinner Club!
TERRY FOX FOUNDATION: The Medicine Hat Sunrise Rotary Club has organized a fundraising event at the Public Library on May 6, 2026 beginning at 7 PM. It will feature a presentation by Greg Johnson, Tornado Hunter. He has entertained groups in the city before and puts on a great presentation. Definitely worth looking into for a good cause.
MEETING DOOR GREETERS NEEDED: Please talk to Dave Stalwick. Consider getting your name on the roster. Being a ‘meeting greeter’ is a great way to welcome and to get to know fellow members.
MEDALTA CLAY PRODUCTS DOCUMENTARY: Members of the Rotary Club (which was an early sponsor of the restoration work at Medalta are encouraged to attend the airing of Luke Fandrich's documentary on the history and restoration of the Medalta site. If you are not attending District Conference, it will be a great thing to do on April 30, May 1 or 2.
NOMINATE A SENIOR FOR THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TOP 7 OVER 70 AWARD
Eligible nominees are seniors aged 70+ who live in Medicine Hat, Redcliff, or surrounding counties and special areas. Nominees should be recognized for new achievements started after age 70, rather than lifetime accomplishments.
The award honours individuals who demonstrate excellence, creativity, innovation, or collaboration in areas such as agriculture, health and recreation, arts and culture, science, business, volunteerism, the environment, overcoming adversity, or making a difference.
For nomination forms and details, visit https://cfsea.ca/top-7-70. You can also talk to Margie Booyens, who is one of the ambassadors of this 2026 award.
Deadline for submission of nominations: June 30, 2026.
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION WORKSHOPS: The next fast-paced, informative session - ideal not only for new members but for any Rotarian who wants to learn more about Rotary - will be held on Thursday April 23 at 7:30pm EST. Registration is available on the District website.
WHY ROTARY? The 2026 Why Rotary event will be held on April 29 in the Stampede Ballroom from 05:30pm - an event for and with all Rotary clubs in Medicine Hat. Tickets will be $20 per person this year and will include appetizers, not a full meal. Mike Christie said that 20 April was the final date for numbers (needed for catering purposes).
BINGO UPDATE:Dave Stalwick reported that on April 19, a team of eight from our club had managed 88 players; that a profit of $641.75 had been made; and that a cheque for $4,200.00 had been received by our club in March. Great stuff!!
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.
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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