President Mike Christie welcomed members to this second of three meetings in a row at the Medicine Hat Lodge. We had a full agenda, so after a bit of a false start with the bell, Mike began the meeting in earnest.
President Mike went around the room and had all of our guests and special friends introduced. We truly had a full house today.
Mike mentioned that Chad Hesson, the District 5360 Public Relations Chair was looking for Rotarians who would be actors/models for a "People of Action" video being prepared for the 2025 RI convention next summer. If you are interested, Mike has Chad's contact information.
Mike also mentioned that our original speaker for this meeting was unable to attend due to a family emergency, so we can expect her to be present at a future meeting. As her topic was Truth and Reconcilliation, our District had produced a short video about the subject for Rotarians. He played it for the meeting but if you wish to view it again or missed, here is the link.
District Grant Webinar: Saturday 19 October: online: 09:00 - 12:00. Essential that one member attends; preferably more. The District Grants Committee has made District Board approved changes that our Club needs to know about!
District Governor Christina Hassan: Members were told about DG Christina's Instagram posts, on her visits to different Rotary Clubs in our District, and were encouraged to follow her. She also posts on Facebook.
RI Convention in Calgary, 2025: Club Convention Champions are playing a vital role in communication (both ways) between the District 5360 Host Convention Committee and their Club. Our Convention Club Champion is PDG Sandy MacKay.
Also see in MINUTE reminders: Waterton-Glacier Peace Park Assembly
CLUB PROGRAM
Wednesday 25 September: Rotary evening bingo
Monday 30 September: A focus on ideas for Club Community Service
Monday 21 October: Visit to a Community Resource: CORE (thank you for organizing this, Club Program committee member, Terry Brekko!)
'WHY ROTARY' 2025
Past President Bruce Shepard said that a 'Why Rotary?' event is being planned for next year. The other Rotary Clubs in Medicine Hat will be contacted and invited to nominate two members to join the organizing committee, of which Stan Sakamoto will also be a member. More information will be shared as planning progresses.
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
See above notes
The RI Convention was last held in Calgary in 1996. It’s going to be back in Calgary again June 21 - 25, 2025.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Host Organizing Committee secretary, Luanne Whitmarsh (l.whitmarsh@shaw.ca)
PDG Sandy MacKay 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.
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.
The Rotary Club welcomed Beatriz Murari Souza to the meeting today, to tell us about herself and her participation in the New Generations Service Exchange program. She was introduced by Margie Booyens, who is the club NGSE leader.
She began by insisting that everyone call her Bia, a name she has known her whole life and she is used to. Bia is 23 years old, a teacher in Brazil and also a student at UFMG – Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in her hometown of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Belo Horizonte is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, with a population of 6 million. Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil's second-most populous state. It is the first planned modern city in Brazil.
Her community is in Rotary District 4760, and enjoys beautiful scenery, a vibrant economy based on mining and tourism and is known as the "Bar Capital of Brazil.
Bia spoke about her family, and some of the culinary delights of the area. The photos of the local meals were great.
Bia also spoke about her interests, she is a teacher with with three years of experience, and she teaches English to Portuguese speakers, Portuguese to foreigners, and Portuguese in regular schools. She is very interested in understanding how different educational systems work to develop and improving her practice. She loves spending time with kids and teens, and learning from them.
Bia was thanked by President Mike, and they exchanged gifts. Bia provided everyone with the recipe for the favourite cocktail in Belo Horizonte.
ATTENDANCE: It was hard to count all the guests and partners who were present today.
Our NGSE participant Beatriz (Bia) Murari Souza, who is our guest speaker
Brian Robinson, Saamis Rotary and the local YEX student Samara Esteves.
Joe and Susan Chacko, and Dan and Cheryl Kammerer.
Johann, Phylis and Almira
I counted 26 Rotarians in person and 5 on ZOOM...a busy meeting
CLUB DRAW: Almira Vujovic, Dale Stein and Brian Robinson all won gifts courtesy of Bia.
Please remember to contribute gifts for the weekly draw. If you are somewhere interesting, a small gift to the club is an easy fundraiser!
Makeups: None were mentioned.
Birthdays:
Milan Vujovic September 4th.
Dick Bide September 5th.
Joe Hrankowski September 15th.
Kevin Walcer September 24th.
Stan Sakamoto September 30th.
Rotary Anniversaries:
Bernie Scott 40 years. September 1, 1984.
Dieter Brand 30 years September. 1, 1994.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR SEPTEMBER 2024
Sandy MacKay
Minute Reminders:
FUNDRAISING AND FUN: BINGO
A few brave Rotarians went to Top Hat Bingo on Wednesday 18 September, with Medalta overseeing the evening. The purpose is for Rotarians to have a fun evening together, while learning how to actually play the game! Even better than that, a couple won some money. It was a great time.
The next Bingo session for which volunteers are being sought, is on Wednesday 25 September. Dave Panabaker needs only one floor worker at this point, so if you have the evening spare it would be a great time to help out. A club Board meeting is also scheduled for that evening, so if you aren't tied up with that meeting, come on out and help!
ITS NEVER TOO EARLY TO BE THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS
Margie Booyens advised that the "all club" Christmas Party has been scheduled for Sunday December 8th, at the Desert Blume Clubhouse. It was a great event last year and hopefully this year it will be bigger and better.
TEAM FREEWHEEL WORK OPPORTUNITY
Terry Cooper advised that he is at the Team Freewheel shop most afternoons right now, and welcomed everyone and anyone to stop by. He did say he'd like to see some folks there on Thursday afternoon, September 19th after 1:30 pm. A send out of repaired bikes is scheduled for that afternoon, so it would be a great time to have Rotary well represented.
DISTRICT GRANT QUALIFICATION WORKSHOP
The annual qualification workshop, held over ZOOM, will be Saturday October 19th, from 9:00 am until noon. Attendance by a member of the club is mandatory if we wish to apply for a District Grant in 24-25. Pre-registration is required on the District website, use the following link to sign up. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qzEpSy1pSDqFsH4xktaDew
CANADA HUMANITARIAN - now REALhumanitarian
The annual fundraiser dinner will be held on 25 October. Tickets are $100 pp. President Elect Milan Vujovic encouraged attendance, Rotarians perhaps even making up a table at this gala event.
FUNDRAISER FOR AGRICULTURE DISCOVERY CENTRE (ADC)
In December, the Monarch Theatre will be putting on a show to raise funds for the ADC located at the Irvine School. Watch this space for details in forthcoming issues.
FUNDRAISER FOR SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB
The event is November 6th at 7:00 at the Library. The speaker is a well known photographer/ tornado chaser. Tickets are $25 and will be available soon. The title of the presentation is Blown Away with the Tornado Hunter.
CLUB COMMITTEES
Two club committees are needing support from members. The Dinner Club needs a champion to take over from Dick Bide. Dave Stalwick needs two volunteers to join the Club Servicecommittee, to take care of the 'meeting venue' side of things. Dave mentioned that another meeting to focus on a preferred club meeting venue would be coming up.
In addition, members are also encouraged to consider joining the Club's Program Committee and Community Service committee, both of which are well populated but are open to new 'blood', new ideas, new ways of doing things and doing new things!
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.
