December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month
As you know, every month is dedicated to one of the major themes of our Rotary lives; this month the theme is that which RI is perhaps best known for, at least among non-Rotarians.
The eradication of polio has of course been RI’s major worldwide, corporate effort since the early 1980’s. And remarkable progress has been made. The job is not finished however and you can rest assured that we will not, cannot, set this torch down until that job is finished.
It is estimated that it will still take more than one billion dollars to finish this fight but with your contribution and the efforts of Rotarians and others around the world, and with the Gates Foundation matching and here at home, the Government of Canada matching, significant progress can and will be made.
To qualify for the Foundation Centennial celebration at the District Conference (May 5-7 in Red Deer), your Rotary Club really has very achievable criteria for Club member Polio Plus contributions. Talk to your President to get the details.
Disease prevention and treatment is one of the Rotary Foundation Areas of Focus. And for good reason. The health and vitality of a person, a family and a community can be seriously impaired by what in many cases is a preventable disease. Disease prevention is really a keystone to progress in other areas as well because of the interplay with other areas of focus like Water and Sanitation and Maternal & Child Health.
We shouldn’t need to be prompted to show kindness to those we meet every day. However, it is easy to become so absorbed into the fast pace of life that we don’t see the needs of others, even when they are an arms-length away. And, as we celebrate Christmas in 2016 Alberta, there are people hurting all around us.
Our motto is Service Above Self. We demonstrate organised acts of kindness in our communities and around the world through the humanitarian work we do. What if our communities couldn’t stop talking about our organised and spontaneous Acts of Kindness? What a way to build the Rotary brand!
Bonus: Get Your Story Covered. Nine Posts to Help You Attract the Right Kind of Media Attention
The Rotary Club of Sylvan Lake, together with the H J Cody High School Interact Club, to raise $1625 for the Sylvan Lake Food Bank from collections received during the annual Sylvan Lake Santa Claus Parade.
On November 25, 2016, the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East (RCLE) partnering with the City of Lethbridge, Rotary District 5360 and the Province of Alberta opened the new Ravine Park aka Sugar Bowl playground.
In 1979 and again in 1989 the City of Lethbridge approached RCLE to finance and build the Ravine Park playground with the city providing the land and maintenance. Not only did RCLE members fundraise and purchase the playground equipment, but they also built them both times; some of those Rotarians were on hand for the plaque unveiling.
Recently the city approached RCLE a third time to contribute to a new playground. RCLE members cooperated raising $7500, matched by our Rotary District 5360; these combined funds were matched with a provincial CFEP grant for fitness equipment making a grand total of $30,000, which contributed toward the city’s build and landscaping of the expanded playground with fitness equipment.
While children, adults and some Rotarians played on the new equipment, the fitness equipment was demonstrated. This newly expanded facility is timely in view of the just released ParticipAction study indicating that Canadian children are some of the least fit in the developed world.
The Rotary Club of Raymond may be a bit small with only 13 members but the efforts of our club have had great impact on our Community and in Africa.
Not many people in Uganda even know where Alberta is but anyone involved in Dentistry knows about Raymond. In 2004 our club president, Steve Leavitt organised a book drive and collected 22,000 books for school kids in Uganda and Dr Drew Cahoon and Kelvin Kado put a dental chair donated by RC of Lethbridge E, on the container and installed it at a women’s hospital in Kampala. That was the beginning of a 12 year Dental service project in Uganda.
In 2006, we were able to secure a 3-H Grant and some help from individuals, churches, NGOs and with some government help we were able to complete a $1,200,000 renovation of the dental school by Aug 2006. They had 5 working chairs in 2006 with no X-ray equipment that worked legally and within 26 months we had 20 brand new chairs plus 15 working used chairs, 5 X-ray machines and one panoramic X-ray and a great deal of supportive equipment.
Dr Cahoon just completed his 25th dental mission to E Africa where he works with the Makerere University Dental School in Kampala, Rwanda University in Kigali and 19 Regional Referral Hospitals throughout Uganda and Rwanda.
In September and October 2015, the RC of Raymond with the help of a VTT Global Grant, hosted 8 dental professionals from Uganda who upgraded their training at U of Alberta and NAIT in Preventive and Restorative Dentistry and visited 6 dental clinics (5 were Rotarian’s) as well as visiting U of A and Medicine Hat Hospitals. Their visit was an amazing Educational exchange as 5 Dental Professionals from Alberta were able to visit Makerere University to complete some training and exchange ideas in Uganda as well as visit U of Rwanda and offer a wonderful two-day course.
The hospitals Dr Cahoon works with have moved from providing 95% of their services being extractions to near 40% of services being preventive and restorative. Each hospital is committed to providing Outreaches to provide oral hygiene instruction, dental screenings, Fluoride varnish, and place fillings without the need of electricity right in their classrooms.
As with any of our Rotary missions, the most important benefits come through knowing you have served effectively, built wonderful relationships and seen progress. We have installed 136 dental chairs in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, provided more than $1,550,000 worth of dental instruments and materials, provided 18 dental courses, taken more 60 dental professionals from N. America and opened Burundi’s first and only Dental School. The lives that have been changed and benefited, the educational opportunities that have been established and the friendships that have been nurtured are a testament to the commitment to “service above self.”
Dr Cahoon will be returning to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi for a 7-week mission beginning Jan 14. He will take with him 5 dentists, two dental assistants and a Dental Hygienist who will be training local dental staff at two universities and 5 regional hospitals. Drew is especially grateful for the service opportunities that the tiny Rotary Club of Raymond has given him!
Ms. Meaghan Farquharson is District 5360’s peace fellow for 2017.
From June to September, she will be at the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, where she will complete the certificate program.
Meaghan is a native Calgarian, and member of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Her recent community projects include facilitating recovery circles for families affected by the Southern Alberta floods, and partnering with an African NGO – Peace and Conflict Resolution – to provide trauma counselling training for women who have been affected by poverty and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She has a private practice as a therapist, and her background includes work in hospital psychiatric wards, prisons, addictions treatment centers, homeless shelters, palliative care facilities, and the Victim Services Unit of the RCMP. Meaghan loves adventure and has also spent many nights out under the stars leading wilderness expeditions. She hopes that being a peace fellow will deepen her advocacy skills, strengthen her capacity to contribute to healing intergenerational trauma in our global community and provide an opportunity to collaborate with other inspired change makers who are committed to creating a brighter future.
Congratulations, Meaghan! We look forward to hearing more about your studies.
For more information on the Peace Fellowship (and District 5360’s Global Grant Scholarship), visit http://www.rotary5360.ca/Page/peace-fellowship-global-scholarship.
17%of adults in Canada are non-readers or beginning readers (they read below grade 3 level)
The Rotary Club of Calgary Centennial Supports a New Adult Literacy Program at CanLearn Society
It is the wisdom widely accepted: to survive and prosper in our world of rapid change, we all need to continuously work at improving our knowledge and learning new skills. Expectations for what it means to be literate are rising. Literacy skills that were once expected of only post-secondary graduates are now needed in almost any workplace.
Low literacy negatively impacts their family, work, health and overall well-being. The stakes have never been higher for those with low skills and especially those who, for one reason or the other, have never learned to read! With this in mind, the CanLearn Society has a new adult literacy program Taking Charge. The program is uniquely designed to assist struggling adults improve their reading, develop their work and life skills and make positive in their lives by pursuing employment, training or further education.
Participants in the Taking Charge Program belong to diverse groups of people including younger adults who dropped out of school, middle-aged and older high-school graduates who can no longer keep up with the literacy demands of the job market as well as adults with learning disabilities that were not identified and addressed in school.
For too many adults in our province, limited literacy is a monkey on the back, perhaps not as obvious and visible as a physical disability or a health problem, but just as debilitating in the way that it can limit work and life opportunities.
The Taking Charge Program allows participants to discover their own path to success through flexible options including small-group workshops and one-on-one instruction. It enables them to build the foundation to find and keep decent jobs, become self-sufficient, support their children’s education and participate actively in their communities.
If you are curious to learn more about the Taking Charge Program, please visit the CanLearn website:
Greentree Elementary School, Drumheller Valley Secondary School and St. Anthony's School are all one step closer to help put an end to bullying and create friendships through students.
On November 17, the Drumheller Rotary Club placed 'Buddy Benches' at each school.
"The Buddy Bench was brought to our attention by one of our members, Sylvia Adams, and she thought it would be a good project for the Drumheller schools," stated previous Rotary President, Doug Stanford. "The Buddy Bench refers to the simple idea of eliminating loneliness and fostering friendships in playgrounds and schools."
"Basically there's lots of things involved with it. Some people think it's to do with bullying and there is a little bit where if someone gets bullied they can go to the bench. But it's mostly to meet new friends and if a newcomer comes to town, they can go to the bench and other children see him and go sit with them," outlined Stanford.
Greentree School has been looking into different programs to help the kids that attend their school.
"The Buddy Bench is one of those programs that really make a difference. When you have 450 kids running around out there and they don't know where to go, now they see the Buddy Bench. It's something they can sit on, meet some people and make some friends," expressed Principal of Greentree School, Erin Campbell-Bentley. "For us right now, the key thing is the meeting place. It's kind of a symbol to show this is where I need to be." Campbell-Bentley reported that their school has two more Buddy Benches on order.
The Brooks Rotary Club held it’s 26th Annual Rotary Radio Day
On Saturday, November 27th was one of the Brooks Rotary Club’s major fundraisers for the year. The club makes money by auctioning off items donated from the business community and by selling radio ads to local business. Rotary Club members from Brooks take to the airwaves for 7 hours to read the ads and to take bids on the auction items. The Brooks Rotary Club’s Radio Auction also gives the club a chance to promote what it has done for the year, and to invite potential new members to join the Brooks club.
This year, $11,800 was raised in the annual action. Over the 26 years, Rotary Radio Day has helped raise around $260,000 for community and international projects.
In the pictures, Brooks Rotary Club members answering the phones during the auction. Also is a picture of the Brooks Rotary Club with a donation to the Brooks Music Festival. Pictured is Brooks Rotary Club President Leona Ferguson and past president Richard Getti making a cheque presentation to the Brooks Music Festival.
This month, the Brooks Rotary Club will be helping out with the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle program.
In partnership with the Rotary Club of Okotoks, the High River club launched its School Dictionary Project in the Fall of 2015.
Since then, it has donated 575 dictionaries to Grade 3 students in the Foothills District.
In centre of photo, a High River student reads out loud the meaning of the word "eradicate" after learning about Rotary's End Polio campaign. The students can keep their dictionaries for a lifetime.
The Rotary Mattamy Greenway is a pathway that encircles Calgary. It is a Rotary project sponsored by thirteen Rotary Clubs of Calgary, Rotary Club of Cochrane and Rotaract club in partnership with Mattamy Homes.
In the summer of 2016 a few Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park met once a week and walked the Greenway in ten-kilometre sections.
In doing so we improved our fitness and discovered areas of this beautiful city that we had never seen before. We discovered new parks and communities.
To date, we completed all of the south section east and west and part of the north-west. We plan to continue in the Spring of 2017 to complete walking the pathway.
We encountered some difficulties because the pathway is not clearly marked everywhere and there are incomplete sections.
After the walk, we often met for coffee and fellowship.
We would like all interested Rotarians to join us.
Rotary Tom Jackson’s Stay in School conceptualization was in the summer of 2010 in Calgary, Alberta.
The Rotary Club of Calgary, Rotary Club of Calgary East and Rotary Club of Calgary South were all engaged and customised their approach for Aboriginal children in urban and rural areas.
The Rotary Club of Calgary’s RTJSIS Mission: To positively impact urban Aboriginal children’s high school graduation rates through mentoring, tutoring and general support.
Milestones to Date
3 partner schools – West Dover, Ian Bazalgette and Valley View
13 students currently in the program
Fundraising support – Rotary Club of Calgary, Calgary Foundation and private donors. Art Talks has been an important and successful partnership.
United Way, Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, Duke of Edinburgh, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and many more community partnerships agree that the RTJSIS program is unique and needed in our community.
Boys & Girls Club has agreed to work together to promote the RTJSIS program as an official partner. A fundraising plan is being established for January, 2017
Rotary Club conferences have promoted the RTJSIS program and there is an increased amount of interest.
Results if the RTJSIS remains the same with existing partners
2 Art Talks fundraisers per year. Estimated raised is up to $20 k per fundraiser and currently matched by Calgary Foundation. Up to $40 k per fundraiser is possible to date, which allows for the acceptance of 4 more students per event, up to 8 more students per year
The Rotary Club of Calgary commitment of $15 k per year
Our Commitment
We never give up on them! The students and guardian/parent know…. that we may lose them for a while, however, they always know that the door remains open for when they are ready to connect again.
Co-Mentor teams are carefully matched, training is provided and direct support is available 7 days per week.
Many resources are available and the Co-Mentor team is empowered with the details of what is available in community to support the student and at times, their family too.
5 Year Goals and Opportunities for Growth
Minimum of 8 new students per year with a total of 40 added to existing 13/14 with current trajectory
Rotary Club of Calgary increase for more financial support from the annual Stay in School Golf Tournament
Community Partnership development with Enough for All, Calgary Foundation, YMCA, other Rotary Clubs and annual fundraiser with Tom Jackson and friends
Boys & Girls Club Partnership
Nationwide expansion
Attract additional funding through corporate and private partnerships
Provide access to more resources
Provide more Mentor training and support
Barrier Removal Fund to replace the current $1500 per student per year for 7 years
With the economic struggles we are facing, what could I possibly offer?
Often in times of economic downturn employers are left with fewer people doing the work required to maintain the business. This means that current employees are often overwhelmed with added responsibilities and may be struggling to keep up with demands.
Ask your employees to list the things that are often left undone at the end of the day. Perhaps you are paying highly qualified staff to do tasks that someone with a developmental disability would love to do! Still not sure?
Call us
We will take the time to learn about your business needs and work culture to determine how the inclusion of an employee with a developmental disability can benefit your business!
High River Rotarian Hal Knox and his son Matthew received Paul Harris Fellow awards at the High River club’s meeting on Oct. 27.
Hal was recognised for supporting The Rotary Foundation. Matthew was recognised for his volunteer work with the Rotary District 5360 student-exchange program. Matthew went to Brazil as an exchange student several years ago. Also at this meeting were Hal’s wife Carol and his father Doug Knox.
In the photo with Hal and Matthew is Mary Ann Kyllo, President, Rotary Club of High River.
Do you have an interest in volunteering at the District level?
Do you see yourself as a leader, a mentor, a supporter and a team player? Do you like to work with like-minded people? And, do you believe in continuous improvement opportunities?
If your answers to the above questions are “yes” then the District Nominating Committee encourages you to put your name forward for any one of the following District positions that are currently available:
Community Service Chair
International Service Chair
Vocational Service Chair
Key Position Responsibilities
Coordinate District initiatives related to Service
Promote participation in service through networking with Club Service leaders
Promote Clubs’ successful service activities
Encourage Clubs to be innovative and use sustainable approaches to solving community and international needs
Share service related resources and best practices with Club service leaders
Assist Club Service committee chairs in carrying out their responsibilities
Your term as Chair will ideally begin prior to the end of December and will run for 3 years beginning on July 1, 2017. You get to work with the District Leadership team and together we will focus on strengthening and supporting our service efforts at both the District and Club level.
Please send me your expression of interest by Friday, November 12th. This should include a short summary of your Rotary experience at the Club and/or District level and why you feel you should be considered for the position. Like any position in Rotary, you and the area of service will get out of it what you put into it! Looking forward to hearing from you.
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.
Get all information on logo, colour, typeset, layouts for the new branding image of Rotary at the Rotary Branding Center. Sign in to access all the benefits.
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
To assist in your search for quality speakers at your meetings, please see below and submit suggestions.
As part of follow-up and sharing the great day of Make Dreams Real, you are invited to download a PDF summary
submitted by Stephen and Leslie Simms of Rotary Club of Cochrane. As stated by Stephen, "the event is very much worth attending.
The slides will give you an idea of the topics but without all the emotion in the room. If you want that you've got to show up on your own."
I joined Rotary as an engineer. There are almost as many classifications in the profession of engineering as there are in Rotary, but I happen to be a mechanical engineer. A mechanical engineer calculates the heating and cooling loads for a new building, makes sure the right lights are in the right places, and plans the plumbing so your hot water pipe doesn’t end in a drinking fountain.
Mechanical engineers don’t stand out in a crowd, and they don’t call attention to themselves with what they do. You probably haven’t thought much about the engineers who designed the buildings you use, the car you drive, or the traffic patterns you follow. But every time you get in an elevator, turn the key in your ignition, or cross the street when the light says go, you are entrusting your life to an engineer somewhere whom you’ve never met. You trust that your elevator will open at the floor you want it to. You trust that your car will start and stop as it should. You trust that the traffic light is going to turn red before the walk light goes on. Every day, you put your life in the hands of people whose names you do not know and whom you might never meet. You might not think about them at all – but they touch your lives every day.
I could draw the same parallel to any number of other vocations – ordinary occupations with the same kind of life-changing impact. In so many ways – some of which we see and some we don’t – our vocations allow us to help other people live better, safer, and healthier lives.
Just like the work we do in Rotary.
Through our vocations and in our clubs, in our communities, and across continents, we are touching the lives of people we don’t know and might never meet. And in every part of the world, every single day, whether they know it or not, people are living better, safer, and healthier lives because of the work of Rotary.
The people we help might not have met a single Rotarian. They might not even know that Rotary exists. But they are drinking clean water from a bore well that Rotary dug. They’re learning to read with books that Rotary gave them. They’re living lives that are better, happier, and healthier – because of Rotary Serving Humanity.
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The Brooks Rotary Club held it’s 26th Annual Rotary Radio Day.jpg)
Rotary Tom Jackson’s Stay in School conceptualization was in the summer of 2010 in Calgary, Alberta. 
High River Rotarian Hal Knox and his son Matthew received Paul Harris Fellow awards at the High River club’s meeting on Oct. 27.
We have a powerful story to tell
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