It was a very full meeting today, so President Milan kicked us off with O'Canada and for fun, reciting the 4 Way Test. Probably something we will do again in the future.
Several presentations were made today. President Milan was very happy to present Terry Brekko with a certificate from the Rotary Foundation, noting is faithful contributions to the Foundation. Terry took the opportunity to encourage all club members to consider "our" Foundation in their charitable giving plans. This money is returned to us in the form of District Grants, so we get back what we give. Congratulations Terry.
Also, President Milan recognized Rotarian Anne Carrier for her exceptional work on the 2026 Club 1000 raffle. She was awarded a fun certificate for being the largest ticket seller. As well, the winners of the 2026 raffle were announced and the club congratulates Keith Walker for his win of the big prize.
ROTARY AT DISTRICT LEVEL
Members were again encouraged to register for and attend the District 5360 conference, taking place in Red Deer from 1-3 May. Treasurer Gail suggested those attending book into the same hotel, so as to be able to socialize as a group. The Holiday Inn Express on 50th was proposed.
Kitt Brand mentioned that there would be a display of Rotary intervention (projects) connected to the Ukraine at DisCon.
President Milan highlighted the dueling piano performance on the first evening of DisCon and the value of spending 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.
See more in the MINUTES in the MEETING NEWS section of this newsletter.
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. Construction is currently focusing on the expansion of the stage, to allow larger music events to occur. The old marquee sign will also be updated over the coming months.
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.
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).
The Rotary Club was delighted to welcome representatives of the Organizing Committee for the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games event, which will take place in Medicine Hat from August 11 - 15, 2026. Our Rotary Club has sponsored the swimming event, taking place at Big Marble Go Center. Swimming has an important historical tie to our club.
Natalie Sauer is the Vice Chair and spoke about the setup of the games, how as a national event there was a great deal of protocol to deal with and about the sports. Natalie is a long standing board member of the Medicine Hat Alberta Games Society, which is responsible for the bidding and organizing of large scale games over the past two decades.
Natalie worked for the City of Medicine Hat for over 30 years, primarily in Parks & Recreation.
Jenna Chaykowski, is the Communication & Experience Coordinator, who works closely with our own Mike Christie, in his portfolio as Director of Protocol. As a national event, both official languages need to be considered and many rules specific to this game affect everything from food service, transportation, and accommodations.
Jenna spoke about the Health for Athletes program, which will be run at the MH College in conjunction with the 10 different sports.
Mike Christie also took the stage and spoke about his experience with the committee and the event.
Volunteers are being sought for most of the venues and for the sports. It will be an incredible event for our City and lets hope a memorable one for all the participants. Volunteers can begin the signup process at www.socmedhat2026.ca/volunteers.
ATTENDANCE: The Club welcomed XX Rotarians, 4 guests including our two speakers and one Rotarian online.
GUESTS:
Natalie Sauer, Vice Chair & Director of the MH Alberta Games Society.
Jenna Chaykowski, Communication & Experience Coordinator for the Games.
Kay McDonald, REDI Enterprises
Chris Pond, Toastmasters - Medicine Hat
MEETING DRAW:
Peter Mueller won a jar of jam.
MAKEUPS: None were mentioned.
BIRTHDAYS:
Mercer, Brenda - March 1
Panabaker, Dave - March 7
Vermee, Odessa - March 14
Cooper, Terry - March 25
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES:
Sakamoto, Stan 42 years Mar. 01 1984
Stalwick, Dave 24 years Mar. 04 2002
Christie, Mike 24 years Mar. 04 2002
Barr, Dawn 22 years Mar. 29 2004
Shepard, Robert 12 years Mar. 10 2014
Guerard, Alain 3 years Mar. 13 2023
Tuchscherer, Lesley 1 year Mar. 24 2025
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR MARCH 2026:
There is no Rose Runner for March.
NEW MINUTES AND REMINDERS:
CASINO DUTY: A reminder that our Club will be ‘staffing’ the casino on Tuesday September 22 and Wednesday September 23 . Ken Zollner will be recruiting volunteers beginning at next week's meeting. Please check your calendar to see if you are able to help out.
ROTARY MUSIC FESTIVAL:
The Medicine Hat Sunrise Rotary club is supporting RAYEC (Rotary Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp) with a raffle this spring. Please contact one of the local Sunrise Rotarians, or use the QR code below to purchase tickets.
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. Look who was our Door Person this week.
THE M-FACTOR. SHREDDING THE SILENCE ON MENOPAUSE: All members that the M-Factor documentary will be screened at The Monarch theatre on March 26 from 7-9 pm The screening will be followed by a panel discussion. Questions will be taken from the audience. Attendance is free but you must register. Here's the QR code:
PRAIRIE GLEANERS: A club working outing is scheduled for Saturday 11 April, from 08:30 to noon. We will be lending a hand at Prairie Gleaners, sorting, washing and cutting produce. Margie B will be send round an attendance list.
Nominate a Senior for the CFSEA 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.
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.
BINGO UPDATE:The next Rotary bingo is Saturday afternoon, March 28th. A total of 8 volunteers are required, so please check your schedule and help out if you can. The second signup email has gone out this week.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION: For those who like to venture a little further, the Rotary International Convention is in Taipei, Taiwan.
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.
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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