eNewsletter
May 2016

Wasn’t That A Party!

From the parade of flags led by our Inbound Exchange Students to the singing of ‘Let There be Peace on Earth’ the mood at the District Conference was magical. Close to 500 of us descended on the Chateau Whistler at the end of last month and by all accounts we had a good time. Rotarians and their families, Rotoractors, Interactors, Youth Exchange and Rotex students heard Ezra Teshome and Penny LeGate give an impassioned plea to keep up the fight until polio is eradicated from the face of the Earth. They listened to Peace Scholar Julia Smith explain how she has linked health and peace issues in her latest research and learned from Steve Mason how the work of the Agha Khan Foundation mirrors the work we do in Rotary. RI President’s Representative Julia Phelps and Danielle Lallement stressed the importance of gaining and retaining members if we are to continue our mission of ‘doing good in the world’. We joined in with our own Rotarians who gave workshops and participated in Showcase 5040, to celebrate the many strengths of our District.
 
Huge bouquets to Rick Lewall and the Conference Committee for an outstanding job! You promised us a good time and you delivered. Events like this do not just happen; they take a lot of work, skill and talent. RI Director, Julia Phelps was lavish in her praise for the conference and we thank you all for your participation.

Rotarians are Quick to Respond

As soon as the news of the Fort MacMurray fires hit the press, Rotarians in District 5040 were asking how they could help. Thanks to all the Clubs and individuals who have sent donations to the Rotary District 5370 Charitable Foundation’s “Fort McMurray Fire Relief Fund”. While the fires may be contained, the work of rebuilding the city has only just begun. I was so proud to be a Rotarian when I read the following note from ADG Liz Scott to the company that provided a truckload of toiletries for our Conference Legacy Project. Liz wrote:  ‘Thank you from the bottom of our Rotary hearts. The generosity of Hunter Amenities made our recent District Conference Service Project an overwhelming success, bringing members from all over our vast District together in the name of service, but more importantly, you helped to provide essential amenities to those in need. Through Hunter Amenities generosity, the project was such an overwhelming success that we were not only able to provide toiletry kits to those in need at the Women’s Centre, Homeless Centre, and Food Bank in the Sea to Sky Corridor (Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton/Mt. Currie) and the downtown eastside of Vancouver, but we were also able to send boxes of toiletries kits home with various Rotarians to deliver to their homeless shelters. Thank you again for Hunter’s generous community spirit.
 
Once again, with a simple email yesterday, you responded and have risen to the challenge to help those in need in Fort McMurray and within 12 hours your donation is en route. Your company certainly embraces the values of Rotary and we can’t thank you enough for that.’ It is important that we take time to thank our partners and our sponsors who are in such instances, ‘A Gift to the World”.

We Honor Our Finest

It was nice to see both out Club of the Year and our Rotarian of the Year Banners go north this year. Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Prince George, Nechako and President Dolly Hilton for winning the Club of the Year and to Ron Davis, Rotary Club of Prince George, Yellowhead who was named Rotarian of the Year.  Other district awards were presented to Jim Ling and Tanya Hall for their work with youth; to Tom Smith for his efforts on our behalf in membership and to John Charbonneau for using his many talents to support the District through Audio-Visual means.
 
RI Director, Julia Phelps presented two Rotary International awards at the Conference. District Foundation Chair, Art Erasmus from the Rotary Club of Terrace received Rotary’s Service Above Self Award for his many contributions to Rotary life over the years and Terry Umbach from the Sunshine Coast, Sechelt Club received the Rotary Foundation, Meritorious Service Award. In addition, I was pleased to present President Citations to those Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact Clubs who achieved the goals set out this year by RI President Ravi Ravindran.

Welcome to the Family

Last week, Claire and I had the privilege of attending the Charter Night for the first Rotary Community Corps Group in Western Canada. The club, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Burnaby is made up largely of young professionals who want to give back to their community. Their motto is ‘Service through Knowledge’ and they have already started to use their knowledge and talents to support non-profit organizations in Burnaby. While the RCC is new to us - this club is only the 4th in Canada - there are some 7500 clubs in 80 countries around the world. Members of the Rotary Club of Burnaby recently helped start an RCC made up of Deaf people in Bali, Indonesia. This concept is worth watching and it may be the answer to bringing young professionals into Rotary especially in our northern or rural areas. Talk to Azim Raghavji, President of the RC of Burnaby for more information.

So What’s Been Happening?

 
We receive statistics from RI each month to let us know how we are doing on meeting out goals in membership and Foundation giving. The April 30th Membership Report states that worldwide, Rotary stands at 1,239,401 members. This means that we have increased by 29,910 members in this Rotary year. Our stats, while much more modest show that District 5040 has increased in membership by 47 members since July 1st and we now sit at 1,479 despite losing two clubs. Let’s keep working at it and try not to lose too many members at the end of June. It would be good to buck the trend and start the new Rotary year on a positive note in membership.
 
Our record is not so good in Foundation giving and I am hoping some of you have yet to transfer your funds to the Foundation. Remember, what we give to the Annual Fund comes back to support us in District and Global Grants. Please make sure your contributions are entered before the June 30th deadline. On a more positive note we are leading the Zone in our polio giving and way above our goals, thanks largely to two very generous donations.
 
Talking Polio, the Rotary Clubs of Burnaby, New Westminster and Vancouver, Cambie organized an excellent Polio Walk along the New Westminster Quay last week. It was estimated 185 people took part and over $3,500 was raised which of course will amount to $17,500 once the matching grants are applied. It was a lot of fun and we got to catch up with some great Rotarians working for a great cause.
 
Peace Scholar interviews took place this month under the leadership of Gloria Staudt of the New Westminster, Royal City Club. As usual the standard of applicants was very high and we were pleased to advance two worthy candidates to the next level. We wish them well and know that they will do us proud if granted a Rotary Peace Fellowship to study for the Certificate Program in Thailand.
 
Sue Godey of the Lionsgate, North Vancouver Club and her  hard working Youth Exchange Committee held an orientation weekend for Outbound students and their parents at Quest University in Squamish. Inbound and Rotex students were present to help demystify the youth exchange process and inform outbound students what to expect in this adventure of a lifetime. Parents had many questions about safety, travelling, visas and healthcare insurance, which were expertly handled by the experienced committee members. Thanks to all who give their time and knowledge to support this valuable program.
 
The three Rotary Clubs of Delta held the Delta Youth Awards to honor youth in their community. There are some amazing young people in our midst and we often overlook them. On this night awards were presented under the categories of Empathy, Inner Strength, Global and Helping Hand. What these award winners have achieved despite adversity would blow your mind - There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Thank you Leslie Abramson of the Tsawwassen Club and your three club committee for the great work you do.
 
Congratulations also to the Squamish Club on the opening of their Rotary Pavilion. This spectacular wood beam pavilion is situated in the new Squamish Legacy Sports Park and was funded by the club with the aid of a district grant from the Rotary Foundation and in partnership with the Sea to Sky Nordic Club. Dignitaries were out en masse for the opening. Thanks to President Anne Carney and Past President Brian Finley for their insightful leadership.
 
May 21st was the date set for the Rotaract Superhero Gala at Burnaby Mountain Golf Course.  DGE Lyn and I were there to install the various Rotaract presidents for the coming year and to honor the past presidents for their work. The Bill Richwa Award for Rotoractor of the Year went to Thomas Turniawan of the Burnaby Club and the Richmond Club took the Project of the Year Award.  Congratulations to all award winners and best wishes to the new leadership teams. Thanks Rotaractors for a fun night.
 
Jim Ling has sent Club Presidents and Interact Advisors notification of the mentorship afternoon we will be holding after Provincial exams are out of the way. This is an opportunity for Grade 12 students to meet up with a Rotarian in their chosen field of study. While this year’s event will be available primarily to Lower Mainland students, we see the model easily replicated in Northern and Coastal communities in the future.  Further details to follow!
 
We are nearing the end of the Rotary year, but there is still time to reach for your goals and make a difference in your community. I wish all Presidents the best as they tie up their year and get ready for the handover to the new Board. Remember, there’s still time to ‘Be a Gift To the World’!
 
Cheers, John

John l. Anderson
District Governor 2015-16
Rotary District 5040

Membership Matters

Have you been at an event where our District display booth has been front and centre.  It really works.  It is professional and eye catching.  It has already been at seven different events and we have four more already booked.  The latest was at the Richmond Sunset’s Skate for the World event on May 28th.  They even used the display case (which has its own graphics) as their podium for presenting their awards.
 
We can thank our transportation partner, Bandstra Transportation Systems, for offering to ship our display around the province FREE OF CHARGE.  The only areas where we can’t use them is on the Sunshine Coast and Sea-To-Sky corridor because they don’t operate in these areas.  If you are in one of these two areas we will figure out how to get you the booth economically. 
 
If you are going to use the booth make sure you have a supply of appropriate handouts.  We suggest the Connect for Good brochure.
 
The booth has a TV to play focussed videos or a picture album or a PowerPoint presentation.  All you need is a USB stick for pictures and a laptop for videos.  There is also room for a customized poster.  Velcro taps are stored with the booth.
 
We also have a set of assembly and dismantling instructions complete with pictures.  When you open the booth there is a blue folder inside with everything you need to know. 
 
The booth consists of 2 large shipping crates and 2 banner stands strapped together.  The crates are locked with a four digit combination lock.  Can you guess the combination code?
 
If you have questions for Tom please contact him at tom@tascosales.ca.

Rotaract Impact

Our District's Rotaract Clubs held their annual spring Installation Dinner on May 21st at the Burnaby Mountain Clubhouse. The "Superhero Gala" evening was attended by 46 guests, among them were DG John and DGE Lyn. The upcoming year's Presidents and executives were formally installed.
 
Please welcome incoming Club Presidents: Eric Young (Burnaby), Melissa Goodman (New Westminster), Emily Welford (Prince George), Maryam Bawa (Richmond), Kailyn Pritchard and Lauren St. Clair (Squamish), Emma Peachey (Vancouver UBC), Kaief Spencer (Vancouver Yaletown), and Gabrielle Dickert (Vancouver Young Professionals).
 
District Rotaract awards were also given out:
  • Special District Recognition goes to Josh Willis (Burnaby), Miguel Rozo (Vancouver UBC), Majed El Saadi (Burnaby), and Gabrielle Dickert (Vancouver Young Professionals).
  • The annual Bill Richwa Award of Excellence for an outstanding Rotaractor goes to Thomas Turniawan (Burnaby).
  • The annual Club Project of the Year Award goes to the Rotaract Club of Richmond for their Salvation Army Clothing Drive & Christmas Dinner.
Congratulations to award recipients and current Club presidents for their hard work and dedication. Check out photos on our Rotaract District's Facebook.

 

News

Million Dollar Dinner

District 5040 and 5050 will host a Million Dollar Dinner to celebrate 100 Years of The Rotary Foundation “Doing Good in the World”. Rotary International President John Germ will be the keynote speaker. The event will be held on Monday, January 9, 2017. Watch the district website over the next few months for details and how you can participate in the Million Dollar Dinner.
 

Rotary Pavilion at the Squamish Legacy Sports Park

May 15. 2016 was the Official Opening of the Rotary Pavilion at the Squamish Legacy Sports Park. The project was funded by the Rotary Club of Squamish, a District 5040 grant from the Rotary Foundation, and the Sea to Sky Nordics Club. Thank you to our partners, volunteers, and donors who helped make the vision a reality.
 

RCC chartered in District 5040

Welcome to the newest member of the Rotary 5040 family. DG John Anderson on May 18, 2016 presented the charter to the Rotary Community Corps (RCC) of Burnaby, BC, District 5040. This is the 4th RCC club in Canada and the first in Western Canada. RCC clubs are not common in Canada and the USA. However, there are more than 7500 clubs in 80 countries. - Read more...

Rotary Peace Centers

In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs, the military, law enforcement, and international organizations like the United Nations and World Bank. Read more...

 

Fort McMurray Fire Relief Fund Established

The Rotary District 5370 Charitable Foundation has established the “Fort McMurray Fire Relief Fund” to assist in the rebuilding of that city following this tragic fire. The Charitable Foundation is now ready to accept donations, for which tax receipts will be issued. The Foundation will rely on an independent committee of Fort McMurray stakeholders (including the Rotary club and the municipality) for advice on disbursal of the funds. - Read more... Click to Donate
 

Conference Photos

The Conference 2016 photos are now online. General photos of the 2016 Rotary District 5040 Conference at - http://adobe.ly/1rreBXr. Photos of awards presentations at Conference 2016. This includes Rotary, Rotaract and Interact awards: http://adobe.ly/24ukEIW. Photo video https://vimeo.com/165075495

Featured Video

 

District Conference, Whistler BC

Conference Photos

Events

May 28 - 4th Rotary Skates for the World
Richmond Olympic Oval
Rotary Club of Richmond Sunset

June 1 - Whistler Interact: Dinner & a Movie!
Maury Young Arts Centre - Youth Centre

June 10 - Family Fun BBQ and Installation of Officers (Terrace-Skeena Valley)
Terrace Heritage Museum Park

June 18 - Linda Carney Rotary Cares Challenge
Brennan Park, Squamish

June 18 - RC Squamish Club Executive Installation & BBQ

June 25 - Rotary Club of Prince George Presidents Ball
Coast Inn of The North

July 8-10 - RYLA Lakelse

Photos

 

Photos of DG Visits

Photos of District & Club Events

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