Getting our noon meeting off to a good start, President Doug Fleming welcomed all to the last meeting of July (11 months to go in the hot seat, he pointed out!) and read a land acknowledgement.
We had the pleasure of two delightful young guests: Aaron and David, sons of Rotarian Kenya Awudi. They were introduced by their mother in a very engaging way!
President Doug referred to the very hot weather we have been experiencing in Medicine Hat, as well as it having been Stampede Week, which wrapped on Saturday 25 July.
The guest speaker was unfortunately unable to attend the meeting, so a different program was planned, in haste. And it panned out well!
There were four components, all related to the revised program theme, namely The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
First, Dave Stalwick was awarded a new Paul Harris pin, sporting five blue stones. Congratulations, Dave!
The second and main component of our meeting, was a presentation by Terry Brekko.
“You can do it!” (see later)
Terry started off by kidding that he had not needed to worry about having to put a presentation together at the last moment – he had had 30 years of preparation, having been a Rotarian and supportive of The Rotary Foundation for so many decades!
Drawing a link to Dave Stalwick’s award, Terry pointed to the financial power of Rotary to do good locally and in the world, with over a million Rotarians making small and large contributions to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). Terry said he joined Rotary because of what it can do, through TRF and Rotarians.
The focus of Terry’s presentation was on the ANNUAL FUND, a ‘big bucket’, the members contributions to which ‘sit’ for three years, earning interest which covers most of the administration costs of the fund. These funds are then available via GLOBAL GRANTS and through DISTRICT DESIGNATED FUNDS.
Global Grants are allocated in the seven priority areas of concern of Rotary International: Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Maternal and Child Health; Basic Education and Literacy; Community Economic Development; and Supporting the Environment.
An example from the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat: being involved in Global Grant applications to benefit the people of the Ukraine.
Regarding District Designated Funds, we, at Club level, have a say in how they are allocated. An example: Our club joined with Saamis Rotary Club to apply for a grant for the Monarch Theatre. Terry drew attention to the leverage that is possible: our club put up $2500 towards the grant for the Monarch Theatre; $7500 was added from DDFs, totalling a grant to the Monarch of $10,000.
Monitoring and accountability are issues that many donors wonder and worry about. Terry pointed out that Rotary International is one of the most cost-effective organizations in the world. TRF funds are very well managed, with only about 5% going to operational costs. TRF has been rated a top performer by ‘Charity Navigators’ for over 10 years.
Regarding the amount Rotarians can donate to TRF, Terry said that while there were members around the world who donated $250,000 plus, making them Arch Klump members, any amount was welcome.
Donations can be made annually, once off, or monthly. A monthly contribution of CAD15, makes one a ‘sustaining’ member, after the first 12 months. Any amount of USD100 or more per year qualifies one as a ‘sustaining’ member.
Terry encouraged all our Club members to become sustaining members.
In closing, Terry encouraged members, when making donations of any amount, to remember that there are people locally and all over the world who need our help.
“YOU CAN DO IT!”, he said.
Terry submitted this graphic post-meeting. It is a great summary of his presentation.
TRF keeps a record of one’s contributions over the years. This information can be accessed via the MyRotary site, in one’s personal Rotary account.
The third component of our noon meeting, was a short video recorded by District 7780 in 2019, on TRF. It is well worth watching. Here’s the link:
https://youtu.be/gpD0tgweWzA
The fourth and final part of our noon meeting was a short input from Dave Panabaker. Dave encouraged all to have a MyRotary account (see your account number on the label of your mailed Rotarian) through which you can choose to make donations of different amounts, to the Annual Fund, or a number of other options (Polio Plus, Endowment, Tax-deductible, Rotary Peace Centres).
A very informative meeting, Doug, Terry, and Dave. Great reminders for members of longer standing, and vital info for our newer members. Thank you!!
Terry Brekko will be speaking in more depth and detail about TRF at our noon meeting on Monday 9 November – November being ‘The Rotary Foundation’ month
