Posted by Don Evans on Aug 01, 2017
Tuesday, August 1 - We have settled into Whistler for a week and plan to visit the Whistler, Pemberton and Whistler Millennium clubs during this time. Our energetic and hard working Assistant Governor Liz Scott meets us at each club. We are certainly well looked after - thanks Liz!
The Rotary Club of Whistler holds its meeting this week as an evening event (their other three meetings each month are breakfast meetings) and a very nice group of more than 30 are present. President Ken Martin leads this club and his team provides us a good overview of their work which has spanned many years in the community. Rotary is well represented in Whistler with numerous visible projects that range from the colourful Adirondack chairs at the Whistler Olympic Plaza to trail signage and much more. They also are very active with a project in Uganda. Top priorities for this club are getting membership back on a growing trend and renewing their club's strategic plan. The once a month evening format is a good example of a club using the new club flexibility and they include their partners in these meetings - thus expanding the reach of Rotary in a tangible way,
 
Wednesday, August 2 - We drive to Pemberton to spend some time with this small but exceptionally active Rotary club. President Dave den Duyf welcomes everyone to the morning meeting and we have a good interaction with all present. Past President Liz Scroggins is their international champion and works with the i empowerment education module in Lesthoto, South Africa and other locations. Rotary is evident at many locations in the community, but none more so than at One Mile Lake where Rotary has provided a fitness circuit along the trail way, and also built many sections of boardwalk and swimming floats. It is a great effort carried out over several years - and still continuing as Rotarian Steve Hitchen is out measuring today for a new expansion to the Dog Beach area of the Lake.
 
 
 
 
 
Thursday, August 3 sees us visit the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium at their regular lunch meeting. The club of our immediate Past District Governor, Lyn Stroshin, this is a young and majority female club that is very active and we have an engaging meeting with the Rotarians - including a great question period. President Jens Ronneberger is the club president this year, and we see how a young and engaged group operates. Their focus is on youth, and they work hard with Interact, youth exchange, and support RYLA. Their membership model is also unique as we have two youngsters along with their mom's at the meeting. Family involvement starts early here! They have just completed supporting the Ironman event in Whistler (operated Checkpoint 3 and received great coverage in the local paper) - and at the meeting we have a visiting Rotarian from Walkerton, Ontario who completed his fifth Ironman this past weekend!
 
Sunday, August 6 - We drive to Squamish and spend a busy day working with the Rotary Club of Squamish club members, exchange students and friends in serving up Beef on a Bun at the Club's famous Rotary Beef BBQ. This annual effort has been going now for over 50 years and has become an institution at the Squamish Loggers Sports weekend each year. President Judy McQuinn handles the cash window and sells the food as the long line moves quickly to enjoy fresh cut beef with all the trimmings. But you have to see this amazing machine in action to really understand what goes into this event.....The fire crew arrives before 5AM to get the fire going, then the huge slabs of beef roast for hours on a custom designed huge rotisserie. Next is the cutting station, where the slabs are carved into workable chunks for the slicer. The sliced beef is then mixed with gravy, and measured amounts of beef are placed onto the fresh buns. Each is individually wrapped and served across the counter. Fixings include fried onions, horseradish and other accompaniments. The lines are long but  move quickly as the customers receive their bounty and go away happy! At the end of the two day event they have served more than 2,550 sandwiches with 1,500 pounds of beef, 220 pounds of onions, over 100 litres of gravy and condiments. Congratulations to Rotarians Barry Wetter and Mark Goodwin who headed up the event this year.