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2016 - 2017 District Governor Neil Berg
 
District Governor Message
Is Rotary Growth Recruitment or Retention? Or Both.

Greetings from the road. 

 
My ‘DG visits’ to each and every one of the Clubs has been without exception, an invigorating and great experience.  I’ve met new friends, shared stories of successes and challenges, and learned so much about the great Rotarians and their Clubs in our District.  I’ve drank a lot of coffee and really not eaten that much chicken (just kidding).  For your hospitality again I say thankyouverymuch.
 
The mission to eradicate polio that Rotary began thirty-some years ago continues to be the number one world-wide corporate mission of Rotary.  The world is watching us on this and we cannot fail them.  We have invested too much time and too much energy in the last three decades to shrink from the task now.
 
Some updates: there have been only nineteen new cases of polio infection since the beginning of this year, all of those in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The caveat, the exception is the small number of new cases that have been discovered in Nigeria.  Nigeria was thought to be polio-free just a few months ago. 
 
The great thing is that polio cases have been reduced from 300,000 per year to the two dozen or so now.  The risk is that many people, especially in North America don’t recall and therefore have no fear of the scourge of polio.  The fact is that polio is only an airplane ride away from Calgary or Red Deer or Kindersley.
 
The Polio Plus fund has about two-thirds of what is estimated to be needed to finish this job.  Your contribution and support is just as important now as it was five or twenty-five years ago.  In support of this we are asking each and every Rotarian in our District to follow my lead (as I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wouldn’t do myself) and contribute at least C$26.50 to Polio Plus.  One of the criteria for recognition at the District Conference (Red Deer, May 5-7, 2017 you’ll recall) that was outlined in my letter to your Presidents and Foundation Chairs last week was for the Club that had 100% of its members contributing at least this rather nominal amount.
 
Check with your Club President or Foundation Chair for details.
 
Polio Day world-wide is October 24.  We’ve heard of some great initiatives around the District to raise awareness (and money), like the Polio Walk in some communities, discounted hockey tickets, etc.  What will be your Club’s contribution?
 
Neil Berg
Rotary Club of Red Deer East
Rotary International District 5360 Governor
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
(403) 302-1552
 
 
 

 
Read more...
Tribute to Dr. Marmie Hess

Rotarian, Humanitarian and Philanthropist

 

Most people only knew Dr. Marmie Hess through a single facet of her life. Some related to Marmie because of her passion for art or education or her involvement in Rotary, the Calgary Stampede, the Glenbow Museum or the world class Calgary Zoo. However you were connected to Marmie, I think it’s safe to say that prior to reading her obituary, none of us had a full appreciation for the depth and breadth of her reach into our community.

 

Click for the full article

 

Robyn T. Braley

Reporting on your Service
Logos - Use the new Gold Standard

We have a powerful story to tell

and it’s up to all of us to protect, promote, and deliver our message in all of our interactions. By speaking, writing, and designing in a unified voice and look, we ensure that our communications are unmistakably Rotary.

All advertising, business cards, posters, postcards, pamphlets, sponsor forms, etc. must contain the new gold standard logo going forward. All items requesting to appear in the newsletters are vetted to ensure the new Rotary logo is being used.
 
See the Rotary.org Brand Centre to access:
  • customise your club's logo
  • advertising templates
  • poster templates
  • membership materials
  • presentation templates
  • press release templates
Discover how branding/identity works best for everyone by visiting more useful resources at
Rotary.org - Branding Centre
 
 
Click each to download
The Big Day

What You Need to Know to Make Your Media Event the Best it can Be

 

This big day has arrived. We started our media series by helping you identify a great story.

 

It may be a famous speaker, the presentation of a cheque to a not-for-profit organization; the report from a team that has just returned from a developing nation where they delivered refurbished ambulances or the presentation of a Good Citizen Award to a community leader who may or may not be a member of your club.

 

There are hundreds of possible reasons (story angles) why the media may be coming to cover your event. What now? This is what you need to know.

 

Click Here For the Rest of the Story

 

Robyn T. Braley

HECD Program Phase IV to Develop SME Microfinancing
HECD Program Phase IV to Develop SME Microfinancing
 
 
The HECD Program
 
The multi-year Honduras Economic and Community Development program (HECD) has been supporting the development of microfinancing in Honduras since 2014. The District 5360 Microfinance Task Force (MTF) has continued to expand its mandate to address new areas of need for financing in Honduras. 
 
Phases I and II of the HECD program have been successfully completed and Phase III is now entering the implementation stage, having just received funding from The Rotary Foundation (TRF) via a Global Grant. The initial phases of HECD addressed the need for providing small loans to family-based businesses (Trust Groups) through our Honduran Non-Profit, Non-Government Organization (NGO) - Institute for Development in Honduras (IDH). The HECD program has leveraged its partnership with Opportunity International Canada (OIC) to transfer the loan portfolio funds to IDH. It enabled loans in the capital Tegucigalpa, and a new branch in Santa Barbara. While these loans led to local employment and improved the lives of thousands of families, a new opportunity has been identified through Phase IV of the HECD program to expand the scope of microfinancing to have an even greater positive impact on local economies and families.
 
What are the Needs and the Impacts?
 
Through OIC's contacts with IDH, they have identified a growing need for financing for Small to Medium Enterprises (SME).  These are companies that require larger loans and with longer term repayments than the short-term Trust type family-based enterprise loans, and yet fall below the minimum loan size offered by the existing banks. The prime objective of HECD Phase IV is to help develop IDH's capability and capacity to serve this gap in the microfinancing marketplace. This will include helping IDH to develop the SME loan officer expertise and educating prospective clients on SME financing. By providing loans to SME's for production equipment, expanded facilities, and operating capital to hire more staff, the positive impact on local employment will be even greater than the small Trust loans provided by IDH to date, which will also continue to be offered during Phase IV. 
 
The HECD Phase IV Objectives
 
Phase IV has several objectives aimed at meeting the immediate recognised local needs:
 
1. To provide loan portfolio funds to IDH by April 1, 2017, in the order of US$ 100-150,000
2. To assist IDH in developing their loan officer expertise in SME loans, and to educate prospective             
    clients in SME financing through an Encounter Day
3. To achieve measurable benefits from Phase IV by June 30, 2017.
 
Phase IV will maintain the momentum of the HECD program and will provide a foundation for future HECD phases. 
 
Funding Approach...
Read more...

District Foundation Gifting - Join our celebration at DISCON 2017

 

District Foundation Gifting - Join our celebration at DISCON 2017

 

As we gear up for Foundation month I am pleased to write in support of the District Foundation Gifting Committees initiatives that have been circulated to you all.

In support of these initiatives, these suggestions to clubs, I am pleased to announce that at DISCON 2017 we will hold an “Exclusive” recognition gathering for all members of those clubs in attendance that achieve specific Foundation goals.

If the word “Exclusive” suggests the goals are set high, then you are correct.

All members attending DISCON 2017 from each club that meets one of the following goals by March 31st 2017, will be invited to join the “Parade of Foundation Centennials” and attend a “Bubbly” celebration.

 

The goals are:

100% club member engagement as a:

Sustaining Member - US$100 per year

Paul Harris Fellow - donations of US$1,000+

Paul Harris Society member - US$1,000 per year

Major Donor - donation total US$10,000+

Benefactors or Bequest Society member

PolioPlus contributor at CDN$26.50 per individual member

or

One Arch Klump Society Member with donations totalling US$250,000

(or a commitment to do so over 3 consecutive years starting this Rotary year.)

 

These are lofty goals indeed, but I believe that every club has an opportunity to meet at least one of them.

I know that the District Foundation Gifting Chair will be happy to work with each club to discuss ways that help you join us at the “Bubbly” celebration.

Please contact Mike French at mikefrench.rotary@gmail.com and he will be happy to discuss ways that might help your club achieve one or more of these goals.

 

Thank you for your support of The Rotary Foundation and for all you do for those in need locally and around the world.

 

DG Neil Berg

 

Cochrane Provides Free Skating for 2nd Year

News Release  

Free Public Skating Sessions
for the Second Year

 
  • The Rotary Club of Cochrane sponsors free public skating, for the second year, for all in our community to enjoy
 
  • This year the program begins the weekend of Saturday October 1st and Sunday October 2nd and runs each weekend until the end of March 2017.
 
  • Free one hour & 15 minute Public Skating on Saturday and Sunday.  Check the Spray Lakes Sawmill Family Sports Centre website at www.slssportscentre.com for exact times each weekend
     
  • 2438 skaters enjoyed the free sessions the last year
  • free access to Public Skating benefits everyone; it removes the financial barrier for certain groups and
    promotes an active and healthy lifestyle
  • Come and enjoy free skating; if you don’t have skates there are loaner skates available at the rink
  • Come out and enjoy Public Skating at no charge
From Calgary, to Russia, Siberia and Back
 
In October 2000, I went to Barnaul, Siberia, for a period of two months to do English as a second language (ESL). I was not qualified to do ESL at the most basic level, only to help those who had had some English. My sponsorship was made possible under Rotary International’s Voluntary Program and by the fact that Rotary had been able to move into Russia, including Siberia, at the very end of the Communist regime, about 1989-1990. At that time it seemed incredible that Rotary could spread so rapidly throughout Russia, from western borders to the Far East.
 
RI’s program paid my way for two months. I was given hospitality by a Russian Rotarian, Oleg, a physicist at Altai State University, and his wife Ludmila, a high school physics teacher. They accommodated me in their seventh-floor two bedroom flat (Khruchev-style apartment block). People preferred these to the traditional cottages along the streets nearby. At least the apartments had heat and running water, an elevator and garbage disposal (one four-foot square shaft going down and up [supplemented by a staircase!], the other shaft intended for ‘down’ only!), serving four units ten stories high. Ludmila gave me good meals and Oleg had made the arrangements for me to help two different classes of adults who already had some elementary English. He also chauffeured me wherever I needed to go. When some of the Ruszlanddeutsche (Germans in Russia – formerly Lutheran, Catholic, and Mennonite) in Barnaul heard about my coming and that I was equally facile in German and was hoping to visit my birthplace about four hundred kilometres away to the west, this doubled the interest for all the people I met. As a result, my life was enriched by many experiences, encouraged as I was [during a school break] by the Barnaul Rotary Club to take advantage of these opportunities.
 
I was now in south-western Siberia, in the district of Altai, extending from Slavgorod in the west as the leading city for the Mennonite villages set in the vast Siberian Kulundasteppe, where I was born in 1925, to Gorno Altai 700 kms to the east, nestled in the foothills of the Altai Mountains. Barnaul, a city of 650,000 with its 45,000 to 60,000 students attending the various parts of the Altai State University (ASU), sits at the centre of this Region. It was only at the end of my two months that I managed to visit the science university named Akademgorodok, just south of Novosibirsk. I will leave that experience for later.
 
An excerpt from my memoir, Peter Penner, A Time to be Born, Friesen Press, Victoria, online.
Drumheller's Unsung Hero Award

 

5TH Generation Coal Miner Drumheller’s New Unsung Hero

Bob Moffatt is now officially a distinguished “Unsung Hero”. At the Rotary luncheon meeting on Monday, President John Shannon presented Moffatt with a plaque in recognition of his tireless hours of volunteer work in many capacities throughout the Valley.

In listing his contributions the nomination letter reads:

“Bob works tirelessly at the Atlas Coal Mine Museum conducting countless tours.  He is a TV star on the CTV national news and the Amazing Race.  Active on the executive of the Royal Canadian Legion and their many activities.  And a member of the Pioneer Centre choir. On top of this, he takes people to their medical appointments. All around Bob is a great person who is very deserving of this award. He is a great ambassador for the community”.

Periodically, the Rotary Club of Drumheller presents the distinguished “Unsung Hero” Award for outstanding volunteer contributions. The awards are the result of nominations from the general public. If you feel someone is deserving of such recognition, you’re asked to submit a nomination letter to the Rotary Club of Drumheller at Box 1331, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y0.

 
Calgary Olympic Falls 30 Storeys

I get a little nervous standing on a kitchen chair to reach a stored item,

and my legs quiver going up a twelve-foot ladder.  So, how would I do dangling from a rope 375 feet in the air? That was the big Question.
 
On September 1, 2016, two Rotary Club of Calgary Olympic members joined 47 others to rappel down the Calgary Sun Tower’s thirty floors (375 feet).  It was in support of Easter Seals. I was one of them.  Nichole Lavigne, an avid rock climber and adventurer- and the instigator and Team Captain of this stunt, was the other club member.
 
Easter Seals provides support for those with disabilities for all ages, but the Drop Zone places special emphasis on children with disabilities by sponsoring a camp.   They, too, get to rappel, regardless of disability!
 
Officially, Rotary Club of Calgary Olympic had the second largest team donation for the Calgary Drop. We did not come close to the largest single donor, though.  We raised $5,000 in a short time, but next year, our personal challenge is to double time or more.
 
Other cities, St John’s, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Prince Albert, Vancouver, also have a Drop Zone challenge, but Calgary has the farthest Drop.
 
So, here is the challenge.  Join us or challenge our club next year’s Drop!  
It’s not about conquering your fear of heights, because that is only about you.
 
It’s about the Four Way Test: 
 
Is it safe?    Yes.  That is the Truth.
Is it fair to all concerned?  Every one is equally safe
Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?  Media is out and tells listeners Rotary is involved and the roof top camaraderie is definitely there.
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  You get an adventure paid by others, the children get an adventure they would not have had, and Rotary’s name is out in the public eye showing we not only donate, but we participate.
 
For more information on how you or your Club can in some way participate in a great four Way Test event, contact nalavigne@gmail.com or phil.mcdowell@shaw.ca    
 
We will not leave you dangling!
Rotary Club of High River celebrates cancer centre opening
In May 2013, the Rotary Club of High River took a leap of faith by entering a partnership with the High River District Health Care Foundation to raise $1-million for renovations to the cancer centre at High River hospital. Despite the flood that devastated the town in June 2013, each group had exceeded its goal of $500,000 by July 2015. An anonymous donation of $250,000 was received by the Rotary club, bringing its financial contribution to $750,000.
 
High River Rotarian Frank Armstrong had the initial idea to expand and renovate the centre. Sadly, he died from cancer. Frank’s family has supported the fundraising efforts. His widow Hilda was among the Rotarians and guests who attended a special event at High River hospital to celebrate the opening of the renovated cancer centre on September 22, 2016. They were invited by the Foundation to tour the impressive new facility, and a reception followed for about 200 people.
 
“We’re here to celebrate an achievement,” said Michael Brown, Executive Director of the Foundation. “We’re here to say thank you to people who have contributed.”
 
Dr. Adam Vyse, a High River physician for the centre, said there is an amazing team with a vision to look ahead.
 
“You did it,” he said. “Thank you so much for trusting us. You come from the school of get it done and do it right.”
 
Rotarian Scott Forbes has helped to promote the Foundation’s Close to Home cancer-centre campaign. He has been receiving chemotherapy treatment for five years.
 
“We’re home,” he exclaimed on behalf of all the cancer patients. “It’s humbling. I’m so pleased to be here. It’s at times like this where the song ‘It’s a wonderful world’ comes to mind.”
 
At the end of this special event, Brown announced the 2016 recipient of the Clifford and Louise Lougheed Award for outstanding philanthropy:  The Rotary Club of High River!
 
President of the club, Mary Ann Kyllo said, “This has been a huge accomplishment…We said we could raise $500,000 and we did. This was a monstrous goal with support of the community.”
 
Brown added, “Rotarians are generous, compassionate people who make dreams come true.”
 
He then quoted the fourth question in Rotary’s Four-Way Test: “Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
 
Yes, it will!
 
Leveraging your donations

District 5360 Clubs – Leveraging your donations

The District 5360 Grants SubCommittee wishes to inform Rotarians that their donations to The Annual Fund of The Rotary Foundation are being well used again this year.  Half of your donations are returned to the District to support grants.  The role of this SubCommittee is to ensure that funds generated by your donations are allocated to our clubs in a fair, open and transparent manner while giving opportunities to smaller clubs to “get into the game” and allowing clubs to collaborate on larger projects.  The following information is to keep all Rotarians informed on how these funds are allocated among applicants.
 
One-quarter of your donations have funded 52 District Grants to 31 clubs, worth a total of C$ 312,174.  These grants support club initiatives related to youth, scholarships, Vocational training teams, Community Development, Education, health and a number of others.  You can see the comprehensive list by going to Rotary5360.org and on the Documentation tab look for the Reports section where a link titled “District Grants…” will give you the details for several years.   All valid Priority #1 applications received an allocation.
 
Another quarter of your donations (called District Designated Funds or DDF) are being leveraged on a one to one basis by clubs participating in Global Grants.  This year The District Grants SubCommittee awarded US $169,500 in District Designated Funds to 9 Global Grants with collaboration from many  other clubs.  Note that the list below does not include clubs contributing only cash or Global Grants not including District Designated Funds.
 
This year for the first time, two clubs have taken advantage of Government of Canada Funds to further leverage the Club cash and the District Designated Funds.  Rotary Club of Calgary West organised collaboration with clubs, the District, The Government of Canada, The Rotary Foundation and Opportunity International Canada to fund an economic development project in Honduras for a total of C$600,000.  Stupendous!!!  Similarly, the Rotary Club of Calgary organised collaboration with clubs, the District, The Government of Canada, The Rotary Foundation to finance an education project in Cambodia for a total of US$ 309,000.  Well done!!!
 
Briefly District Designated Funds were allocated by the District Grants SubCommittee as follows:
Club
Role
Name
Country
DDF
Awarded
Calgary West
Lead
 Ec & Community Dev. - Phase III Micro Finance
Honduras
           15,000
Calgary
Collaborating
 Ec & Community Dev. - Phase III Micro Finance
Honduras
             5,000
Calgary Heritage Park
Collaborating
 Ec & Community Dev. - Phase III Micro Finance
Honduras
             5,000
Calgary Centennial
Lead
Maternity Hospital in Rural India Diagnostics
India
15,000
Calgary South
Lead
Safe Water for Rural Families - Sierra Nevada
Colombia
14,500
Calgary South
Lead
Fabrics of Hope - Medellin
Colombia
15,000
Calgary Chinook
Lead
Injongo Early Childhood Development
South Africa
15,000
Calgary
Lead
Childs Future - Education Project (Cambodia)
Cambodia
           15,000
Calgary Centennial
Collaborating
Child's Future - Education Project
Cambodia
             5,000
Calgary Chinook
Collaborating
Child's Future - Education Project
Cambodia
             5,000
Calgary Sarcee
Collaborating
Child's Future - Education Project
Cambodia
             5,000
Calgary South
Collaborating
Child's Future - Education Project
Cambodia
             5,000
Calgary West
Collaborating
Child's Future - Education Project (Cambodia)
Cambodia
             5,000
Calgary
Lead
Waterwells for La Guajira
Colombia
15,000
Calgary
Lead
Provision of Community Access to Potable Water
Philippines
15,000
Calgary North
Lead
Equipping Casa Hogar Angelitos
Mexico
15,000
 
With some adjustments to timelines, the District Grants SubCommittee is pleased to have satisfied all applicants with an award of DDF.  The goal is to minimise carry over from one year to the next while satisfying club demand.  The system after some minor adjustments seems to be working.   Next April we want to encourage participation from clubs outside of Calgary!  Start now to develop contacts and a scope of work so you are ready in April 2017 to apply for District Designated Funds.  Contact D5360GrantsHelpDesk@gmail.com if you need assistance.
 
Bob Wiens.
Rotary Moment - NID India
Kay (my wife) and I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be part of the National Immunization Days (NID) in India this past February. There were many ROTARY MOMENTS on this one trip.
 
The 2016 NID Tour is a component of Rotarys’ End Polio Now efforts. The group included 38 Rotarians from across USA and Canada and the stay was from February 12 to February 23. Very very busy days – visiting a hospital, a prosthesis factory, Rotary Clubs, a Rotary sponsored school in the slums, and a parade to increase awareness of the upcoming immunisation days.
The highlight, of course, was to give the young children their polio drops. Attached please find a picture of Kay giving a child her drops.
 
Our efforts were token and a show of support. The Indian people through their own vast immunisation organisation immunised 170,000,000 children over a 4 day period. A copy of an email summarising the efforts that went into this campaign is attached.
 
Regards
   
Peter Visser
Past President
Rotary Club of Innisfail
ShelterBox Update – September 2016
ShelterBox Update – September 2016
ShelterBox is preparing to respond to one of the largest humanitarian crises of the year and we need your help.
 
In the next few weeks, the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, which has been under Islamic State rule for 2 years will be liberated. This final offensive will displace more than 1 million people. These people are extremely vulnerable already – they are the ones who have not been able to leave the city previously due to lack of money, sickness, old age etc. The majority of them will have nowhere to go.
 
ShelterBox and the humanitarian community are preparing now to ensure that there is enough aid to assist the people who will be displaced as a result of this crisis. ShelterBox is aiming to raise 1.7 million dollars to provide ShelterKits, tents and supplies to assist these families. With winter coming, the situation is desperate.
 
This situation puts ShelterBox and our supporters in a different position than we are used to. We always store aid ahead of time so we can react quickly when disasters happen, however, with this major disaster we already know how many people will need our help and where. Together with Rotary, we can ensure that none of these families are left without shelter. This is your opportunity to help us prepare in advance.
 
Rotary continuously supports ShelterBox so we are as prepared as possible when disasters strike around the world. By supporting ShelterBox Canada today, you can help us be ready to provide shelter the second it is needed by these families.
 
ShelterBox has been working in Iraq for the last 4 years helping displaced families as a result of conflict and we are doing everything we can to prepare for this next wave of displacement to ensure these families are not left without shelter.
 
ShelterBox already has a Response Team on the ground monitoring the situation and working closely with in-country partner oorganisationACTED. We must ensure that we are ready to act when the time comes.
 
We cannot fail these families who are already very vulnerable - we need to come together to ensure they have a safe place to sleep and the ability to recover. ShelterBox’s work would not be possible without the support of Rotary Clubs across Canada and around the world. Thank you for supporting families who have lost everything after a disaster. Your donations are changing lives.
 
 
 
   
ShelterBox Canada – 159 Jane St Office 2, Toronto, ON M6S 3Y8
 
Liz Audenart Induction

On September 13 Liz Audenart was inducted into the Rotary Club of Red Deer East.

Shown left to right is President Erik Anderson, District Governor Neil Berg, Liz Audenart and sponsoring Rotarians Lisa Berry and Neil Swensrude.
 
 

The Rotary Club of Red Deer East inducted Liz Audenart on September 13, 2016. Liz has been solidly connected to our Club, as spouse of the late Monty Audenart,  for close to 30 years. In that capacity, she has made many contributions with her time , talent and treasures to this Club , our District, the Zone, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

 

She has hosted a multitude of social functions at their home for our club.  She has attended about 20 District Conferences outside of our District ( Australia, Taiwan, Brazil, Philippines, England , US and Canada, and many, many more within our District.

 

Each year Rotary International holds an International Assembly, now in San Diego for District Governor Elects from around the world. An occasion where over 500 DG Elects are trained.   On 7 Occasions Liz has been the spousal trainer and facilitator for this Assembly. Liz has developed more enduring friendships in Rotary  than one can imagine as the consummate public relations icon.

 

FOOTNOTE:  For those who may not be aware, Liz's husband Monty was not only a Past District Governor, but also Rotary International Director, Trustee of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International , RI Vice-President but more than anything a Rotary Volunteer who travelled extensively around the globe performing dental work to those in need. He passed away 2015.

NAYEN 2017 Conference, March 9 – 11, 2017
 
Clubs who are involved in the District Youth Exchange program or clubs who are thinking about getting involved - Come to NAYEN 2017 and experience the excitement of hanging out with like-minded people who are passionate about the Rotary Youth Exchange program. NAYEN (North American Youth Exchange Network) and its member Districts and Multi-Districts are all about continuous improvement, sharing best practices, training, strengthening relationships with our exchange partners, meeting new friends and of course, fun and fellowship. For more information on NAYEN 2017, including how to register, please visit the website NAYEN 2017 Conference.
 
Many thanks
 
Rick
 
Rick Istead
Rotary Club of Calgary Fish Creek
District 5360 Governor Elect 2016-2017
1065 Deer River Circle SE
Calgary, AB   T2J 6Z6
Phone: (403) 271-0999
“Ordinary people working together can achieve extraordinary things”
Announcement of HECD Global Grant

Phase III Micro Finance

The D5360 Microcredit Task Force is pleased to announce the current phase of HECD will invest over $600,000 CDN in Microcredit. This came about with the approval of the Rotary Club of Calgary West, Honduras Economic and Community Development Global Grant, Phase III. We were notified of this exciting news by The Rotary Foundation (TRF) on August 9, 2016. The grant total from Rotary International is $99,990.00 USD. We also received another $98,872.00 USD from the Government of Canada.
 
At this time, we would like to recognise and thank Opportunity International Canada for their generous matching donation of $200,000 USD to add to the total project funding.  We also would like to thank and recognise all our Club donors from all across Canada, private donors, international Club donors, the Government of Alberta with CIP grants, our own District 5360 with District Designated Funding, TRF(Canada) and the Government of Canada funding and finally TRF with Global Grant funding.
 
Total funds raised will be just under $500,000 USD from all sources. The leverage ratio for each club is over 6:1, after accounting for all the matching we received. Truly amazing!!!
 
Each club that contributed makes up a huge part of this successful project, so we again would like to thank you and ask that you spread the word around your own club about this.  Celebrate this with your club members.
 
We could not have made it to this point without the hard work of the Phase III committee lead by Chris Ritter with members Steve Rickard, Duncan Stanners, Judy Cochran, Don Campbell, Tazim Asaria, and Judith Sinclair all from RCCW; Wally Gardiner from High River Club, Jim Louttit from Toronto Sunrise Club. On the International side Victor Gutierrez, Julio Rivera, Miguel Sanchez and Jose Rosales all from the Real de Minas Club in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. A special and warm thank you goes to Jannalee Anderson from OIC. She has a passion and a belief we can make a difference. Her knowledge and tireless work ethic is a valuable asset to the team.  Thanks too to Francisco Banegas and Victor Funes who work for our NGO in Honduras at the Institute of Development (IDH). Thousands in Honduras will now have the necessary funding and business tools to be able to raise themselves from poverty. They can provide a better way of life for themselves, their families, their communities, and their country in so many ways.  As Phase 3 gets underway, we look forward to keeping you apprised of the progress and impact. 
 
We look forward to working with many of the same committee members as we go into Phase IV with Ken Montgomery of RCCW taking the lead.   

 
Another noteworthy mention is we have signed a Strategic Alliance Memorandum of Understanding (SA MOU) with the Host District 4250, the International District 5360 and our Cooperating Partners OIC and IDH.  This is a first for our projects, beginning with Phase III, and will continue over the remaining six Phases. This adds to the consistency and impact of the program with each year building on the next. Kudos go to Steve Rickard, Jannalee Anderson and Bonaventure Fandohan for putting this document together. This allows for a different flow of funds which is beneficial to all stakeholders involved; increasing efficiency and effectiveness as well as the scope of the projects while at the same time decreasing financial risks to the Host Club all the while still ensuring Rotary engagement on all fronts. The monies will now flow from TRF directly to the International Club (RCCW), then to OIC and then to IDH. OIC will now be taking a major role in grant reporting. The partners’ roles and responsibilities are defined within the SA MOU. This will increase engagement at all levels, the International Project Committee being the prime example, and continue to increase the level of monitoring, reporting and governance.
 
Thank you again for your support.
 
Chris Ritter, Project Lead Phase III,
Honduras Economic & Community Development Program
Don't Keep Secrets !! Sat Oct 22, 2016

Why keep Rotary a Secret.

 
If you’re a new Rotarian, seasoned Rotary member, or Rotaractors you’d be amazed to know of all of the things our District accomplishes and makes happen every year. 
 
We shouldn’t keep these things a secret from ourselves. 
 
Make Dreams Real is our annual event to share and celebrate these accomplishments.  It’s about getting pumped and excited for the accomplishments we achieve together and igniting our passion as we move forward. 
 
Be part of this great day on October 22, 2016 in Calgary, Alberta.  Meet and connect with other Rotarians from across our District through interactive sessions and empowering stories.  Be part of helping our District continue to make dreams real.
 
With only days left to register, please confirm your attendance as soon as you can by registering here.
 
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Member Resources
 
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Speaker's Corner
 
To assist in your search for quality speakers at your meetings, please see below and submit suggestions.

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Host a Veteran or Active Member of the Canadian Forces at Your Next Meeting!
 
The Memory Project  Speakers Bureau connects veterans and active serving members of the Canadian Forces with volunteer speaking engagements in their community. Our volunteers include veterans from the Second World War, the Korean War, Peacekeeping initiatives, the conflict in Afghanistan, and more.
 
All our programming is completely free!
 
It’s never too early to book for Remembrance Day and Veterans Week, as we operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
To book a speaker, please fill out our online form here.  
If you have any questions, please contact Meaghan Dalby directly via phone (1-866-701-1867 ext. 392) or email
 

 
Speaker suggestions can be submitted anytime to Charlene Bearden, District Administrator.
 

                        

JOHN F. GERM

PRESIDENT 2016-17

ROTARY CLUB OF CHATTANOOGA

TENNESSEE, USA
     
 

In 1979, James Bomar Jr., the president of Rotary at the time, traveled to the Philippines as part of Rotary’s earliest work to immunize children against polio. After he had put drops of vaccine into one baby’s mouth, he felt a child’s hand tugging on his trouser leg to get his attention. Bomar looked down and saw the baby’s brother looking up at him, saying earnestly, “Thank you, thank you, Rotary.”

Before Rotary took on the task of polio eradication, 350,000 people – nearly all of them children – were paralyzed by polio every year. That child in the Philippines knew exactly what polio was and understood exactly what Rotary had just done for his baby brother. Today, 31 years after the launch of PolioPlus, the children of the Philippines – and of nearly every other country in the world – are growing up without that knowledge, and that fear, of polio. Instead of 1,000 new cases of polio every day, we are averaging less than one per week. But as the fear of polio wanes, so does awareness of the disease. Now more than ever, it is vitally important to keep that awareness high and to push polio eradication to the top of the public agenda and our governments’ priorities. We need to make sure the world knows that our work to eradicate polio isn’t over yet, but that Rotary is in it to end it.

On 24 October, Rotary will mark World Polio Day to help raise the awareness and the funding we need to reach full eradication. I ask all of you to take part by holding an event in your club, in your community, or online. Ideas and materials are available for download in all Rotary languages at endpolio.org/worldpolioday, and you can register your event with Rotary at the same link. You can also join me and tens of thousands of your fellow Rotarians for a live-streamed global status update at 6 p.m. Eastern time at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. I’ll be there along with CDC Director Tom Frieden, other experts, and inspirational presenters, sharing an inside look at the science, partnerships, and human stories of polio eradication.

It is an incredibly exciting time to be a Rotarian. We are gathering momentum for the final race to the finish: to the end of PolioPlus and the beginning of a polio-free world. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime chance to End Polio Now, through Rotary Serving Humanity.

 


 

Bulletin Editor
Charlene Bearden
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
You are receiving this email because you are a Rotarian in District 5360.
 
Rotary International District 5360 Inc.
201 - 4 Parkdale Crescent NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 3T8
Tel: (403) 670-2624
 
     RI President:  John F. Germ     -     District Governor: Neil Berg