On Monday 17 March at noon, we, the members of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat, had the pleasure of visiting Saamis Immigration Services Association (SISA).
President Mike Christie got the visit underway with a warm welcome to all.
Margie Booyens had the pleasure of introducing the staff members who addressed us and took us on a tour of the new offices: the Executive Director, Kristijan Kopilovic, the chief Community Connections staff person, Aide Helsendeger, and the Financial Director, Marwa Abdelhamid. ED Kristijan has been in the hot seat since December 2024. The Chairman of the SISA Board, Dr Dick Northcott, a member of our Club, was also able to join in the visit.
After ED Kristijan gave a short introduction to SISA, the club members asked numerous questions, which generated a lively discussion. Right at the end, we were taken on a tour of the expansive offices. More detail can be found in the STORY section of this newsletter.
In closing the meeting, President Mike summarized a number of new ways in which our Club can possibly partner and support the services of SISA, all of which will be taken to the next meeting of the Club's Project and Program Committee, headed by Terry Cooper. President Mike extended a word of thanks to the SISA staff for the very interesting visit and reminded all that the meeting on Monday 24th of March would be held at CORE.
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
MONARCH 1911 SOCIETY
As many Rotarians will know, our club in cooperation with the Saamis Rotary Club and the Friends of the Monarch Society have been working on restoring both the structure and the programming at the historic Monarch movie theatre on 2nd St SE.
Our club will try to keep track of events on at the Monarch, to give members a heads-up that the opportunity to serve exists. If you are interested, please let Rotarian Janessa Anderson (403-952-1907) know and she can provide details of available shifts and responsibilities.
Volunteering at a show is a great way to connect with the community and support the historic local landmark.
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.
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.
The members of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat enjoy visiting key resources in the Medicine Hat community every six to eight weeks. This gets us out into the community to keep in touch with developments and to explore new ways of making a positive difference in our community.
On Monday 17 March, we visited Saamis Immigration Services Association (SISA).
Our Club has a long-standing relationship with SISA, which includes the ongoing provision of bicycles, restored by our Team FreeWheel, to newcomers, thereby giving them mobility (weather permitting!) and access to resources like work, shops, and leisure time pursuits.
Our visit was time very well spent! We were brought up to speed on the latest developments by the Executive Director, Kristijan Kopilovic, the Community Connections head, Aide Helsendeger, and the Financial Director, Marwa Abdelhamid, as well as Rotarian Dr Dick Northcott, who chairs the SISA Board. Responses to questions from Rotarians added to the overall picture gained of the organization.
So what is SISA all about?
“The mission of SISA is to assist in the integration, adjustment and resettlement of immigrants and refugees in the community of Medicine Hat, providing a support system that fosters individual’s needs in an environment of equality and dignity.”
SISA moved to their new premises on 1 August 2024. The benefits of the new location are that all the classrooms and offices are in one building – and there is more space. Our tour around the building took us from the large central meeting room where we started our visit, into a few classrooms, where different levels of English were being learnt, and past numerous offices and rooms in which staff and students can relax.
Despite a tight budget, SISA offers a range of services, all directed towards mission achievement. These include:
Settlement Support: One-on-one guidance on housing, healthcare, education, transportation, and navigating essential services and systems.
Community Connections, which is a volunteer-based program in which newcomers to Canada are matched with volunteers who, for example, help them to learn about Canadian values and traditions, and connect them with community resources. SISA also organizes events that foster cross-cultural understanding and community involvement, helping newcomers to feel at home in Medicine Hat. The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat has participated in a number of these events, including joining in a picnic at Echodale Park and a family movie evening in Redcliff.
A range of actions carried out in schools by Settlement Workers, assisting New Canadians with, for example, accessing school and community resources and services
Employment Assistance: Job readiness programs, resume building, interview preparation, and mentorship opportunities to connect newcomers with local employers
Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC): This is federally funded language training for adult permanent residents, at levels 1 to 4. At level 4, newcomers can apply for citizenship. Higher level courses (5-8) can be taken at the Medicine Hat College
We had the pleasure of entering a Level 1 class and hearing from each student, his/her name, country of origin, and year of arrival in Canada!
It was interesting to note that newcomers are randomly assigned to a city, although if they have family members in Canada, they can request to be settled in the same city. 140 new clients per year is SISA’s target number for Medicine Hat. Of these, about 5% are refugees, the remainder immigrants.
SISA is doing great work, within tight budget parameters. The assistance of volunteers is essential, working with staff to expand the range of services offered. We heard about many opportunities to volunteer, ranging from joining the Board, to assisting the language instructors in the classroom, being a conversation practice partner, accompanying newcomers to the grocery store, thrift store or bus to familiarize them with products and services, and being a community ambassador by, for example, introducing newcomers to community engagement opportunities. Donations of goods or funds are also welcomed.
After a visit of about one and a half hours, Rotarians left SISA, with up-to-date information about this important community resource, and with creative ideas, yet to be explored, of how the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat can continue to engage and partner with SISA over the months ahead.
Thank you, Kristijan, Aide, Marwa, and the rest of the SISA team for the work that you do! A big thanks too, to Rotarian Dr Dick Northcott, for steering the ship! May Medicine Hat continue to embrace and support this great resource for newcomers to our city.
Leslie Tuchscherer, guest of Gail Halderman; the SISA staff: Kristijan Kopilovic, Aide Helsendeger and Marwa Abdelhamid
ATTENDANCE: 19 members gathered at SISA, plus the above guests. There was no online connection.
CLUB DRAW: None
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:
Brenda Mercer. Mar 1st.
Dave Panabaker. Mar 7th.
Odessa Vermee. Mar 14th.
Terry Cooper. Mar 25th.
Rotary Anniversaries:
Stan Sakamoto 41 years, Mar 1, 1984.
Jack Snedden. 36 years, Mar 1, 1989.
Dave Stalwick. 23 years, Mar 4, 2002.
Mike Christie. 23 years, Mar 4, 2002.
John John. 22 years, Mar 10, 2003.
Bruce Shepard. 11 years, Mar 10, 2014.
Alain Guerard. 2 years, Mar 13, 2023.
Dawn Barr. 21 years, Mar 29, 2004.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ROSE RUNNER FOR APRIL 2025
Bruce Shepard (no wedding anniversaries in March)
Minute Reminders:
WHY ROTARY RECRUITING EVENT
Members are reminded that the 2nd "Why Rotary" event will be taking place on Wednesday April 30th, in the Stampede Ballroom. Tickets are $50.00 each, and will be available soon. This year there is a full buffet supper, and tickets will be allocated to each Rotary club in Medicine Hat, based on membership numbers. The doors open at 5:00 pm with supper scheduled for 6:00 pm.
THANK YOU NOTE FROM UNISOM
The Rotary Club received a nice "thank you" note from Unisom for the work done around the Christmas stocking project.
ROTARY CONVENTION INCENTIVE
Club Treasurer Gail Halderman reminded members that due to the proximity of the convention to our club, our 2024-2025 budget includes a sum of money to be shared between those members who are attending the event. Please sign up and share in this thoughtful idea.
Kitt Brand advised that their "small" table in the House of Friendship, to show support for Peace in the Ukraine has "exploded" into a great many projects going on in that area. Watch for them, if you are going to convention in Calgary.
BINGO UPDATES
The next bingo is Friday evening, March 28th. A signup email has been sent out, and 3 floorwalkers are still needed on this Friday evening. Please consider helping out if you are available.
70TH ANNIVERSARY ROTARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
The two great public Rotary Music Festival concerts took place this past weekend: The Rotary Rosebowl on Friday March 14th, at the MH College Theatre, and The Stars of the Festival on Sunday March 16th, at St Barnabas Anglican Church. Both were very well attended - and so well organized by Delynne Lorentzen and her team. Warmest congratulations to all who took part in the Festival this year, especially the Stars of the Festival, the winners of each section, and the 2025 Rosebowl winner, the wonderfully talented pianist, Miriam Monet.
ROTARY MUSIC FESTIVAL RAFFLE TICKET WINNERS
Terry Cooper is the lucky winner of the first prize of $7,500. For a list of all 11 winners, please see our Club's Facebook page.
THE MONARCH THEATRE - OPERATING CAPITAL DEBENTURES
Members are reminded about the Monarch 1911 Society's operating debentures. During this start-up period, while expenditures exceed revenue, they are setting up a series of Operating Debentures and are looking for Rotarians to invest. The debentures cost $5,000 and are flexible in the repayment methods. The debentures pay a 5% interest rate and if you are interested in supporting the Monarch Theatre project, Dave Panabaker can send you the document or you can contact Frank Devine at the Saamis Rotary Club for more information.
ROTARY DINNER CLUB
Members are reminded that everyone who has signed up for this year's dinner club can now book a date for the dinner in their home. If you have a particular date in mind, it's best to get it to Milan (or his spouse Almira) so that date can be fitted into the schedule. Please phone and book your dinner as soon as you can.
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.
