President Bruce Shepard welcomed all to the noon meeting, held once again at the Medicine Hat Lodge.
He introduced the three main foci of the meeting: An update on the Monarch 1911 Society & Friends, including an invitation; the results of the 2024 Club 1000 raffle; and the final wrap-up of the "Why Rotary?" event.
President Bruce was delighted to show the members another monthly article written by Kitt Brand and published in the Medicine Hat News.
The Monarch 1911 Society & Friends
Dave Panabaker brought the members up to speed with developments at the Monarch. Restoration of the front of the theatre and repair of the inside continue. The goal is to restore the 'face' of the theatre to its 1941 glory.
Brian Robinson and Frank Devine motored to Calgary recently to pick up the speakers from the old Imax theatre at Eau Clare - only to find that they were still mounted! Undeterred, these two Rotarians got them freed up and the Monarch will now have a sound system which will not only be suitable for movies but for live performances at the theatre. The first two rows of seating will be moved to upstairs, next to the old projection room, to make room for the expansion of the stage, for live performances.
Movies will be shown on a regular basis some way down the line. A company still has to be contracted to take this on, once the inside of the theatre is in good shape. The theatre will, however, be used for far more than just movies - as is in fact currently happening.
The invitation is to the first Annual General Meeting of the Monarch 1911 Society, due to be held in the theatre, on Monday 24 June at 7pm. The current Board comprises six members, one of whom is our member Jillian Koch, who serves as treasurer. Dave said that he is assisting with the amendment of the Bylaws, as there should preferably be an uneven number on the Board. He expressed the hope that another of our Club members would make themselves available to join the Board, at the AGM.
The Friends of the Monarch has charitable status for fundraising purposes. The Friends and the Monarch Society are two separate entities but work closely together. Serving on the Friends of the Monarch are President Bruce Shepard and Gail Halderman and his wife, Diane.
2024 Club 1000 Raffle: Results
A shoutout to Dave Panabaker, who, together with Glen Presley and Doug Fleming, took on responsibility for the 2024 Club 1000 Raffle.
Dave shared the original raffle plan, part of which was to sell 1000 tickets at $50 each, which would have raised $35,000 - the total amount needing to be donated to the Rotary Music Festival in 2024. Next year, the amount donated will decrease to $34,000, and in the fifth and final year of the funding agreement, 2026, it will be $32,000.
This year, 669 raffle tickets were sold by 36 Rotarians, raising $20,350.00 in profit - similar figures to in 2023. The balance of the 2024 contribution to the RMF - $13,500 - was made up by $2,150 from the Bingo account and the generous donation of two Rotary families: the Brands and the MacKays.
Areas needing attention next year: credit card sales and sales at the Cultural Centre.
Treasurer Gail Halderman is looking for a member to take over the lead of the 2025 raffle from Dave Panabaker. Brainstorming is also needed to think of creative and effective ways to raise Club funds, beyond the current methods.
We all say a very big thank you to Dave and his team for the countless hours (and kilometers!) spent on the raffle this year - with gratitude too, to all the members who sold tickets and to all who bought them.
"Why Rotary?" - a financial wrap-up
President Elect Mike Christie spoke about our Club's 2024 membership drive event, held on Wednesday 24 April in the Grandstand Ballroom and attended by 89.
$4045.00 was budgeted for the event. Thanks to the number who bought tickets and attended AND the generosity of different members, we came in just under budget.
Our Club will likely be welcoming about five into membership. The induction will be done by the incoming District Governor, Christina Hassan, at an evening meeting on Monday 8 July. A show of hands regarding attendance of this meeting, to which partners are warmly invited, pointed to the likelihood of hiring the Grandstand Ballroom for this event. Tickets will be $40 pp, with new members likely not having to pay. There will be a cash bar. Terry B generously indicated that he would be happy to sponsor Interact members interested in attending this event. What will be of particular interest during this meeting, is the bigger Rotary picture that will be sketched by DG Christina.
One of those due to be inducted on July 8, Odessa, said she had found the "Why Rotary" event interesting. She recommended that the financial side of membership be addressed in detail by those recruiting new members, as well as during the recruitment event. Another member reported that two prospective members that she had recruited, had enquired about where the $300 membership fee goes to, so this also needs to be explained from the get-go.
Please see a breakdown of where our annual $300 membership fee goes, provided by Secretary Doug Fleming, in the Meeting News section of this newsletter.
Mike said that a membership drive, similar to the "Why Rotary" event, would likely be held every year, the next time inviting the other Rotary Clubs in Medicine Hat to participate from the planning stage.
Rotary Club "What-z New":