Rotary Weekly News - November 18, 2024 (Nov. 19, 2024)

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

It was great to be together again at the Lodge, over a delicious meal of fish and chips - much talking, sharing and camaraderie – so much so, that the meeting only started at 12:20!

President Mike welcomed all and invited tables to introduce guests.

The special guest was Beatriz (Bia) Murari Souza, our New Generations Exchange Program participant from Belo Horizonte in Brazil.

Rotarian Dan Kammerer, who, with his wife Cheryl, is currently hosting Bia, introduced Bia to the members.

Dan said what a pleasure it was having Bia in their home, saying this was her 10^th and last week in Medicine Hat, that she would be making a presentation at the Saamis Club the following morning at 07:00am, and would be leaving the Hat on Wednesday, to be in Calgary in good time for her flight back home on Thursday 21 November. Dan said that the hosting of this intelligent, warm and engaging young lady had been most enjoyable!

Bia made a great presentation, using PowerPoint to highlight the main sections of her presentation and at the end, treated members to her favourite song, 'Linger' by The Cranberries, strumming on a guitar borrowed from Saamis Immigration where she has been volunteering.

Please see the STORY section of this newsletter for more on Bia and her NGSE adventure.

President Mike thanked Bia and presented her with a little commemorative glass.

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: 21-25 JUNE

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)
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.
Registration for the 2025 Rotary International Convention is open - https://convention.rotary.org/en-us

District Governor Christina Hassan: DG Christina posts on Instagram, her visits to different Rotary Clubs in our District. All Rotarians are encouraged to follow her, to learn more about her experiences and about other clubs in our District. She also posts on Facebook.

District Learning Webinar:

Tuesday 19 November at 7:30pm: A district learning webinar entitled "You asked, we answered". Register on the District website. Rob Wolfson (District Learning and Development Committee Chair) explains that incoming Club Presidents were asked, last year, what about Rotary they would like to know more about. DGE Manon Mitchell recorded the questions and the purpose of the learning webinar will be to have them answered by subject gurus. This is a webinar NOT TO BE MISSED!

SUMMARY OF FORTHCOMING CLUB PROGRAM

Monday 25 November: Guest speaker: Jared Giesbrecht: An engaging talk on "The Battle of the Drones".

Monday 02 December: Online monthly Business Meeting.

Sunday 08 December: All Rotary Christmas Dinner at Desert Blume Golf Club House, starting at 5pm: $50pp. President Mike has tickets.

Monday 09 December: NO MEETING.

Thursday 12 December: Lunch at the Bistro in the Veiner Centre at noon, followed by stocking stuffing at the Centre in the afternoon.

Monday 16 December: Last meeting of 2024: The classification talks of Sharon Hayward and Kevin Walcer.

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)
If you have ideas for future programs, please contact them.

Bia from Brazil: a Breath of Fresh Air

Beatriz (Bia) Murari Souza arrived in Medicine Hat on a New Generations Service Exchange (NGSE) program on Friday 13 September. She flies back to her home city, Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerias in Brazil, on Thursday 21 November.

This 23-year old University student (majoring in Linguistics and Literature) and teacher of English, has impressed Rotarians and all with whom she has been in contact, during her 10 week NGSE program, with her maturity, her intelligence, her warmth, and her openness and motivation to learn about and experience, education in Canada, Rotary and Canadian culture – and to share about education and life in Brazil.

Over the weeks, Bia made five presentations on her unfolding NGSE program: to the Rotary Clubs of Medicine Hat (2x), Saamis, Sunrise and Brooks, doing a great job of marketing the NGSE program while sharing her different experiences within the three pillars of the NGSE.

PILLAR 1: On the VOCATIONAL front, Bia spent Tuesday to Friday mornings first at Herald Elementary School (Grades 1 and 2), then at Alexandra Middle School (Grades 7, 8 and 9), and lastly at Eagle Butte High School (Grades 10, 11 and 12) in Dunmore. This gave her a good overview of the education system and curriculum in Alberta, through which she was able to identify interesting similarities and differences between schooling here and in Brazil.

The Superintendent of Prairie Rose Public School Division, Rotarian Reagan Weeks, and Assistant Superintendent of the Medicine Hat Public School Division, Jason Peters, were wonderfully open to sanctioning and organizing Bia’s entry into these three schools – not to teach, but to shadow, observe, do some tutoring, attend staff meetings, have discussions with teachers and students, accompany students on field trips, and do selected activities geared to informing students to aspects of life in Brazil. Bia made a wrap-up presentation to the Superintendents and a few school staff members, on Friday 15 November.

PILLAR 2: HUMANITARIAN SERVICE. Thanks to Rotarian Mihaela Cruciun, Bia was invited to volunteer at Saamis Immigration Association for the day, every Monday. Bia was particularly interested in the Language Centre, and its approach to teaching English to newcomers. Bia assisted teachers in this Language Centre and wherever else her help was needed.

Bia also volunteered at the Redcliff Youth Centre on Thursday afternoons. She has high praise for the Centre, which operates as a second family to many teenagers living in Redcliff and beyond. She created and developed activities for the youth, taught crafts, helped at a practical level with e.g. snack preparation, and helped the teens with their projects.

PILLAR 3: CULTURE. Bia pointed out that she was in fact exposed to Canadian culture the moment she landed in Calgary and entered the terminal buildings! In her presentations, she expressed much appreciation to her five host families for all the exposure and experiences they gave her regarding food, traditions, sights, and entertainment, typical of this neck of the woods.

Bia expressed appreciation for Remembrance Day celebrations, which she attended (not held in Brazil), said how she’d learnt to say -ay, enjoyed poutine fries, attended an ice hockey game (much more civilized than soccer games in Brazil, she said!), done pumpkin cutting for Halloween, and visited Banff, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone, Red Rock Coulee, Brooks, Lethbridge, as well as local highlights, like Police Point, Medalta, the Teepee, and Echodale.

At the end of each of her five presentations, Bia expressed gratitude to all who made her time in Medicine Hat as welcoming, rich and memorable as it had been.

Note from the District 5360 NGSE team: Firstly, Bia has been a wonderful participant. We hope she will choose to become a Rotaractor / Rotarian when the time is right for her. Secondly, we look forward to selecting future NGSE participants from around the world, to come to our District for educational exposure – or immersion in any other career direction. Thirdly, we look forward to identifying 18-30-year young adults in our Rotary District, who would like to experience this life-changing program, in a country of their choice.

PLEASE HELP US FIND SUITABLE APPLICANTS! Our NGSE website (including application form and contact details) is on the District 5360 website.

Meeting News

GUESTS: Dan Kammerer, Phyllis McLaughlin, Bia Murari Souza

ATTENDANCE: 22 members attended our meeting in person today; an additional five on Zoom; plus the above three guests.

CLUB DRAW: Dick Bide won a box of chocolate truffles.

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:

Dave Stalwick November 8

Rotary Anniversaries:

Sieg Kappler 38 years. November 1, 1986
Doug Fleming 41 years. November 7, 1983
Milan Vujovic. 17 years, November 26, 2007.

WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR NOVEMBER 2024

Dave Panabaker

Minute Reminders:

CLUB MEETING VENUE DISCUSSION (continued)

Dave Stalwick (Director, Club Service) shared information with the members about a renovated room in the basement of COPE Association, as a possible Club meeting venue. This room would be used only by the Club, would be under lock and key, offering space for flags etc to be stored, having new tables and chairs, food made at COPE delivered into and cleared from the room, a podium - and parking outside. The Board will look into the cost aspect.

Medalta is a second (and last?) possible meeting venue to be explored.

Many thanks to Dave for all the time and effort he is putting into weighing up the pros and cons of alternative meeting venues. The members will make the final decision, but Dave is gathering all the facts and figures for informed decision-making.

BYLAWS APPROVAL

President Mike said that the revised club bylaws will be put to members for approval at the next meeting, on Monday 25 November.

BINGO UPDATE

Dave Panabaker reminded members that the next bingo will be Thursday evening, November 28th from 5 to 9:30 pm. Invitations to participate have gone out. Two more floor workers are needed.

CHRISTMAS STOCKING EVENT

Sharon Hayward reminded members about an opportunity for the club to serve in the community doing stocking stuffing. The Veiner Center will be doing approximately 500 stockings for the vulnerable in the community and our club has agreed to both support it financially with $500.00 and to attend in the afternoon of Thursday December 12th to help prepare the stockings. There will not be a club meeting that Monday, it will transfer to the Thursday for lunch at the Bistro cafeteria in the Veiner Center, followed by some hand-on work. The Veiner Centre plans to give great exposure to Rotary via social media.

DINNER CLUB UPDATE

Members are reminded that Milan and Almira have taken over the organization of this year's "dinner club". A great way to introduce partners to fellow Rotarians, you give one dinner and get to go to three. It's a lot of fun, please sign up with Milan.

MONARCH 1911 SOCIETY AGM

Dave Panabaker reminded members that the first AGM of the MONARCH 1911 Society will be on Wednesday evening, November 20th, at 7:00 pm at the Monarch Theatre. All MH Rotarians are invited to participate and learn what's been happening "behind the scenes".

MEMBERSHIP FEE: $325.00. Treasurer Gail has sent an invoice to all members. Payment options are in the email.

THE ROTARY FOUNDATION ACKNOWLEDGMENT

President Mike Christie announced that our Club received a small banner from TRF, indicating that in 2023-2024 our club was No. 3 Club in the District in per capita Annual Fund giving to TRF of Rotary International.

ALL CLUBS CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY

The "All Clubs" in Medicine Hat Christmas Party has been scheduled for Sunday December 8th, at the Desert Blume Clubhouse. It was a great event last year and lots of fun. The cost is $50pp and payment beforehand would be appreciated.

TEAM FREEWHEEL WORK OPPORTUNITY

Terry Cooper and the Team Freewheel team are always looking for more volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help fix up bicycles, in the Knowles Electric Building on Fleming. Just on 600 bikes have already been fixed and distributed to those needing mobility to get to work, to the shops, for recreation opportunities etc.

NGSE participant Bia Murari Souza learnt more about this Club project through a visit to the workshop, organized by her host at the time, Peter Mueller. She was duly 'put to work'!

FAREWELL TO BIA

Bia's 10 week NGSE program in Medicine Hat wraps up this week. She motors through to Calgary on Wednesday 20 November and flies back to Brazil, via Montreal, on Thursday 21 November.

Bia enjoyed the hospitality of no less than five host families over the ten weeks, four of whom attended her surprise party at Peter Mueller and Gwen Dirk's house on Sunday 17 November.

SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS KETTLE SHIFTS

Anne Carrier reminded members that the shift work for our Saturday ringing the bells for the Salvation Army is Saturday December 7th. We have a total of 5 locations and 2 hour shifts from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.

Family of Rotary

Fran Wahl is back at the Medicine Hat Hospital, awaiting future accommodations.
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.