Rotary Club of Regina

Club Meeting March 4, 2024

 

 

President George Carson welcomed everyone to the meeting and acknowledged that the meeting is being held on Treaty 4 territory. He reaffirmed our commitment and responsibility to improving relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local Metis and First Nation communities. As he reflected on the four-way test, he acknowledged that the relationship in the past has not always been “fair to all concerned”.

The first portion of the program was the induction of a new member, Chinedu Ibegbulem, formerly from the Rotary Club of Lekki Central in Lagos, Nigeria.  Chinedu, his wife and four children have relocated to Regina where he is currently looking for work as a business analyst. His passions include lawn tennis, music, and travelling. Chinedu was warmly welcomed into the club.

The chair then introduced guest speaker Randy Dove, chair of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM). Randy’s career history includes time with the Credit Union system, provincial government, and working as a consultant. Randy provided an overview of SSM, which was founded in 1990 as a member organization serving older adults (he doesn’t like the term “seniors”). Through its 18 member organizations and its affiliation with SUMA and SARM, SSM has the capacity to elevate the voices and advocate for over 100,000 older individuals in the province. A recent survey of its members indicated that the economic contribution of older adults in the province was a minimum of $950M per year. SSM advocates for positive aging with home supports as opposed to public policy that continues to invest in institutions, where the average cost is $6540/month.  Home supports provide better outcomes and cost less (estimated at a third of the cost of institutional care). Randy referred to a Queen’s University research paper entitled “Aging Well”, which shows the benefit of older adults remaining in their own homes. SSM is currently on a public awareness campaign. Individuals who are interested in supporting its work can sign on to their website at skseniorsmechanism.ca. In closing Randy talked about funding SSM has received from the provincial government for pilot support projects in smaller communities, as well as its work in advocating for the notion of “social prescribing” which is a broader concept of wellness using a holistic approach (moving away from one prescription after another).  

Birthdays: Mark Stefan—March 4^th; Bob Nell—March 12^th; Amanda Lanoway—March 17^th.

Anniversaries: John Good—41 years on March 1^st; Amanda Lanoway—6 years on March 8^th; and Osvaldo Compos Ruiz—4 years on March 26^th.

Social event: Mini-golf at Victoria Square Mall on Monday March 18^that 5:30 pm; $15.99/person and $10.99 for older adults. Dinner and fellowship at Lebowski’s Restaurant to follow. Contact George is you are planning to attend.

Work project: There is an opportunity for the club(s) to assist with serving a meal at Soul’s Harbour (1632 Angus Street). Approximately eight to 10 people are needed to serve between 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on the third Thursday of every month, starting in April. A show of hands at the meeting confirmed that there was enough interest.  

50/50 draw of $213.50 was won by Gilda Treleven-Graham, who donated the amount to Polio Plus. Thank you, Gilda, for your generous contribution.

President George and President Al Hoeft have started discussions about a potential amalgamation of the two clubs, as each has less than a critical mass. The two boards will meet in person and develop a proposal to bring back to the membership for discussion and decision.  The other two Regina clubs will also be invited to attend. Feedback from the members is encouraged.    

Thanks to those assisting with the meeting including Russ Hart, Carole Bryant, Mitch Zaba, Stewart Graham, Gilda Treleven-Graham, Ernie Richardson, Al Goudie, Katherine Bergman, and of course President George Carson.

 

Rotary Club of Eastview meeting—March 21, 2024 (Delta)

Rotary Club of Regina meeting—April 8, 2024, (Delta) (First Monday of April is Easter Monday so meeting is rescheduled)