Dear Rotarians and Friends of our Club
Greetings to you at the start of this third week of our new way of living!
It is said that in a crisis situation, we show what we are ‘made of’.
Our Club Membership Committee has been in phone contact with all our members over the past week. We found that none of our members need immediate assistance with provisions or transport. All have a support network of some sort. The important thing is that all know that we are available to step up and assist, where and when necessary.
We elicited very valuable feedback on our current fundraisers, on Bingos and Casinos, as well as ideas for Mike Christie’s annual event thinking.
What also emerged was confirmation that Rotarians are good, kind, caring citizens, who are reaching out to fellow citizens in different ways, to help and support in these different, challenging times. Read for example about Dawn Barr in this edition.
Let us also be mindful of how our working members are making a difference in and through their work contexts – in particular those working in medical / health contexts and those in the financial world. The amount of emotional support they are having to extend in these uncertain times, is huge.
An exciting outcome of our phone calls was that there were offers of assistance with: future Bingo sessions; Mike Christie’s annual event Working Group; and the New Generations Service Exchange Program. Thank you for this!
We know how important communication is and we are attempting to facilitate a free flow of information in a number of ways, including our two Rotary Facebook pages and this weekly newsletter.
While our phone conversations elicited very positive feedback about the Weekly News, Dave Panabaker estimated that of the 115 people who received it last week, approximately 65% viewed it. So my request is this: Please help us make the Weekly News a resource that none of our members and Friends of Rotary will ever want to miss!
We are also keeping things moving through Zoom meetings – at Board level and at committee and working group levels – some of us learning new IT skills in the process!
The good news is that, as you will know, we are holding our first 40-minute Zoom Club meeting on Monday 6 April at noon. New member Igor Grujic will join us and give his classification talk.
On Monday April 20th, 2020 we will hold another meeting, but the speaker is yet to be confirmed.
On Monday April 27th, 2020 we will hold a virtual Monday meeting. PE Mark Sorenson will present to you, the Club Board Officials and Directors for the 2020/21 year that starts on 1 July 2020. This new slate needs your consideration and approval, so we will need a quorum tuned into that meeting.
Service above Self is a call to action.
I’m wondering whether those of you who are computer, IT and social media literate and confident, might consider linking with a Club member who is not as advanced as you are, in order to teach, support and guide a fellow member in a learning process?
The absence of these skills leads to some level of exclusion and isolation – which we do not want, now or ever. Up for this challenge? Once social distancing is a thing of the past, we can spring into action with this initiative, with those members who would like to participate.
In closing, let us keep an eye on Rotary International and Rotary District 5360’s response to COVID-19, via their websites, and consider how we might support initiatives at these broader levels.
Let us also be vigilant as to how, as things unfold here in Medicine Hat, we might find opportunities for our Club to demonstrate, once again, that we are indeed leaders who share ideas and take action.
Margie Booyens
President
