Another container loaded for Kenya

OUR HEARTY WELCOME TO DANIEL!

Jeannie has been a long time resident of the Tri-Cities. In addition to being a business woman, she has always been extremely involved in her community organizing and working on many fundraisers and events. 

She is also a past VP at the Chamber of Commerce and a Rotarian. 
Part of her story is published in an inspirational book called "Change One Belief" inspirational stories of how changing one belief can transform your life.
At this time in her life she would like to help others by sharing her story.

An animated hologram of Rotary founder Paul Harris joined RI President K.R. Ravindran on stage. After telling Harris about Rotary’s progress, Ravindran greeted attendees and reflected on his term as Rotary president, including a recent decision by the Council on Legislation to grant clubs more flexibility and autonomy.

Join us for second in our Stories of Inspiration series.

John and his wife Judy, is pictured with RI President 2015-16 K. R. Ravindran and his wife Vanathy at the concluding ceremony of the Rotary International Convention in São Paulo, Brazil on 9th June 2015.

In 1965, after four years in the U.S. Air Force, Germ, an engineer, joined Campbell and Associates Inc., an engineering consulting firm. He now serves as the company's board chair and chief executive officer.

He also serves on the boards of several organizations including the Public Education Foundation, Orange Grove Center Inc., and the Blood Assurance Inc. He is the founder and treasurer of the Chattanooga State Technical Community College Foundation and is president of the Tennessee Jaycee Foundation.

In 1970 he was recognized as Tennessee Young Man of the Year, Engineer of the Year, and Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year in 1992.

A Rotary member since 1976, Germ has served Rotary as vice president, director, Foundation trustee and vice chair, chair of Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge, and RI president's aide. He is a recipient of Rotary's Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation's Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife, Judy, are members of the Arch Klumph Society.

"For Rotary to thrive, Germ says, "members must face current and future challenges and opportunities with "passion, enthusiasm, perseverance, and above all, integrity."

"I envision Rotary boldly and creatively engaging the success of polio eradication, membership and identity issues, strengthening clubs, work with youth – our future lifeblood, and the creation of critical, strategic partnerships," says Germ. "The 2016-17 Rotary year offers a tremendous opportunity for Rotary International and the Foundation partnership unified and thriving, on all levels, via the six areas of focus."

Rotary Club of Surrey-Guildford celebrated 25 years of Giving Light to the World, the project initiated by Canadian Eyesight Global, founded by Rotarian Anup Singh Jubbal.

District PR Chair and Editor of Peace Arch Journal Bob Knight, his wife Pat, Greg, Renee and Mohan at the event.

Shaheed Johnson, a youth member was inducted to the Club by District Governor Lyle Ryan on his official visit to the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial. Shaheed is an alumni of the RYLA and was very keen to join Rotary to be involved in the Club's service activities.  President Renee is is seen here welcoming Shaheed with an open arm, while Youth Services Chair Karly Simms looks on.

During his official visit to the Port Coquitlam Centennial, DG Lyle also presented “Paul Harris Fellow” to Chirayath Mohanan & Ron Goyette, in recognition of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people of the world.

DG Lyle Ryan honored Rotarian Barrie Seaton, the Charter President of Port Coquitlam Centennial by presentation of a Memento for “Outstanding and Dedicated Service”. Rotarian Barrie was also awarded the Honorary Membership of the Club.

Mr. Rick Duff, the President of the Stevenson Rotary in Richmond as well as the Director of Guest Experiences at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, put on a great presentation focusing on the rebranding of the Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam to what we now proudly refer to as, the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver. Mr. Duff, full of charisma and wit, explained in detail about how Coquitlam was able to land such a famous and reputable brand in Hard Rock and where the casino plans to go moving forward including being in the process of having a beautiful new Hard Rock Vancouver Hotel approved by the board and city. Further, he talked in great deal about how the casino is committed to not only giving back to the community and to the province of BC, but to also those who struggle everyday with a gaming addiction. From every indication, the Hard Rock Vancouver is full of fun, entertainment, amazing food, and overall a great experience for all Rotarians alike.

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial was honored to sponsor Talent Talks, a fabulous event put on by the Amnesty International Club of Port Moody Secondary.

Talent Talks took place on Wed 18, 2014 at the Inlet Theatre in Port Moody 

Amazing Student based Performances which centered around Human Rights issues showcased a variety of song, dance and poetry. Guest Speakers in attendance were UBC Professor André Elisa Maza and Mr. Don Wright from Amnesty International Vancouver.

The new PAJ editorial team of Bob Knigh as the Editor and Mohan Mohanan as the Associated Editor has been appointed by the District. Bob is a member of Snohomish Rotary and Mohan is with Port Coquitlam Centennial

Clubs are requested to submit their stories and pictures to editorPAJ@aol.com before 25th of each month for publication in the next month's issue.

Welcome your new team!

You are invited to the 2014-15 District Governor's Installation detailed below. To register for this event click on "Register Online" below. You can also book family and friends.

Join us for a fun evening of fellowship to welcome DG Lyle Ryan and his AG team. We will also have a chance to thank outgoing DG Denis for his great year. 

This will be a social event in which DG Ryan and his 12 Assistant Governors will be installed and kick off the 2014-15 Rotary Year. Join us!

Event:         District Governor's Installation
Date:           Jul 19, 2014 at 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Fee:            $50.00
Location:    Everett Golf and Country Club 1500 52nd St SE , Everett, WA 98203 View Map       

No Host Happy Hour 5:00pm Dinner 6:00pm Evening Concludes 8:00pm
$50.00 pre-registration/payment on line only please- Deadline to register is July 14.
Business attire is appropriate.
Local Hotel Accommodations can be made at Everett Holiday Inn or the Inn at Port Gardner.

Register Online  before July 14, 2014

VISIT OUR CALENDAR TO REGISTER

Being in Rotary is always a reason to celebrate. Contributing to the community and the world for nine successful years is more reason to celebrate!

Please save the date for our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast!
Tuesday April 8^th, at Golden Spike Pub from 8:30 -10:00 am

Breakfast will be served to all of our hard working volunteers in celebration of National Volunteer Appreciation week. More details to come soon.

In the meantime contact Cathy to confirm your attendance. 

The Rotary District 5050 has launched a Membership Survey and is expecting a +90% response from the Rotary Membership. All members are requested to complete this survey for the benefit of our District. It takes about 10 mins to complete.

This is a confidential survey hence does not require you to enter your personal information.

Once you have completed the Survey please inform Barrie that you have done so, preferably by e-mail.

I promise you, your views will be heard! 

Thank you all for your co-operation. 

At our meeting on December 12, we added one more corporate member to our membership. Pictured below are Corporate Member John Becker of John Becker & Company and his Associate Garrett Munroe with President Angela Andersen. 

At our meeting on December 12, President Angela recognized the contributions from Barrie, Renee and Ron during her absence in the month of November. President Angela is pictured with the members who were recognized for their special efforts.

The Rotary Open House held on Thursday, December 5, was a huge success. The event was attended by Past DG Sean Hogan, ADG Clive Evans and Rotarians from the lower mainland, together with community organizations in the Tri-Cities Area.

This is an event where Rotarians meet with similar minded individuals and organizations to renew our commitment to work together for the benefit of the community that we live in.

Community volunteer organizations from Tri-Cities Area also attended the event and were presented cheCques as Rotary’s contribution to their efforts.

It is an excellent forum for all of us to plan our activities for the following year so that we complement each other and make big things happen in our community with small efforts from each of us.

Whether you are a Rotarian, a friend of Rotary or just someone who has a real passion and commitment to make our community a better place to live, we are all making a difference to this world.

We are all in this together, and we achieve more together. The family of Rotary extends beyond the family of Rotarians, and the service that we provide do change the life of many in our community and the world.

Rotarians, families and volunteers got together last weekend (November 30th and December 1st) to solicit donation from shoppers at Save-on-Foods, Port Coquitlam.  We raised 3665 lbs of food and $619.00 in cash for the SHARE Food Bank. A job well done! We are at the top of the list... yet it take more effort to just stay there. 

Every year is a new record ...
...what we achieve each year is yet another step
in making Christmas a true festive occasion for many families.

You are invited to attend  our weekly meetings on any Thursday from 4:15 to 5:30 pm at Wilson Centre, Port Coquitlam

This is an opportunity for you to find about more about Rotary. You will also meet local business people in the community. What a fine opportunity to network, and grow through Rotary!

ATTEND ... INVOLVE ... CONTRIBUTE ... CHANGE LIVES!

TOGETHER WE CAN ACHIEVE MORE!

Sixty-seven million children worldwide have no access to education and more than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.

We have identified specific causes to target to maximize our local and global impact. At the same time, we understand that each community has its own unique needs and concerns. A Rotary Club always steps up to meet the needs of the community, especially the future of our community - the children.

The members of the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial thank Jackie for providing us the insight to go through an emergency, like an earthquake and yet survive the fury of nature, by following simple steps that anyone can follow.

The Members present at our club meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2013 were treated to an interesting speech by Ms. Vera Sun on the history of China and its culture. Vera took us on a trip through the history of China and its rich culture dating back to more than 5000 years. 

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial thanks Vera for a very thought provoking speech and helping we Rotarians learn about China in our efforts to grow towards better international understanding.

The Second "I am Someone Walk" will be held on 8th December, 2013.

With at least 1 in 3 adolescent students in Canada reporting being bullied recently, and 47% of Canadian parents reporting that their child has been a victim of bullying according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, we clearly have a lot of work to do. Please click through now to donate to the IAMSOMEONE foundation ... Make an online donation HERE. To see how this campaign is taken up across Canada - please visit www.iamsomeone.ca. 

The need is still there... and our efforts will continue!

Watch this short video about things to be aware of during your shift on the weekend for the Generous Hearts Food Drive.

Last year our Club raised the most donations for SHARE. The need is getting more. Let us get together to put our efforts to raise more donations this year. All members are expected to sign in for a 2-hour shift on each day or both. Your cooperation will be much appreciated.

At the meeting held on October 10, 2013, District Governor Denis Boyd presented this award to Renee Little (President Elect 2013-14) and Mohan Mohanan (Secretary 2013-14). President Angela Anderson is pictured here with Rene and Mohan. Ron Goyette (Vice President 2013) was not present at the meeting, so will be presented the award on a later date.

2013 Buried in Books, November Sat 9 & Sun 10 Rotary White Rock’s  book warehouse is bursting at the seams with great reading materials in all genres. Novels, Biographies, Arts, Music, Non-Fiction, Romance, Self-help, Women's Issues, Children's and Youth Literature, Gardening, Cookery, Military History... etc.. etc.. etc. To liquidate the surplus, we are having another weekend of sales at the Rotary Field House (148th St between 20th and 24th Ave.) Outdoor sale, weather permitting. If you would like to help out and volunteer for this event please contact: Jaqui Joys - jjoys@shaw.ca or 778-294-0303

An evening of "Swirl Sniff and Sip", 
with something to nibble on in between.

Saturday, 12 October 2013 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Wilson Centre in Port Coquitlam, 2150 Wilson Avenue, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6J5
Tickets: $45 per person (Limited Tickets only)

10 wineries, over 30 wines, and 4 food suppliers. The focus will be on everyday wines; reds and whites, selling between $12 and $19. The whole works for $45 per person. And if you find something you like, you can order on the premises. For a full case of wine, all one or assorted, we can have it delivered to you. 

For your tickets, visit: http://poco-ultimate-wine-night-eac2.eventbrite.ca/

Members of the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial visited the Rotary Club of South Everett Mukilteo on July on Friday July 12, 2013 to pass on the Travelling Peace Arch

Thanks to all the members of the South Everett Mukileto Club for their warm welcome and good luck with the Travelling Peace Arch.

The Province of British Columbia declared the week of April 15 as the Rotary International Week. This proclamation recognizes the service rendered by Rotarians all over the world and also within the Province. The timely declaration coincides the 108th Anniversary of Rotary International and 100th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Vancouver. Indeed a proud moment for all Rotarians in BC and all over the world. 

Read more on District 5050 website  Click here to see more proclamations

The Interact Club of Hugh Boyd Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, is the grand-prize winner of the 2012 Interact video contest with its entry, Students Making a Difference.

Karly, Cathy and Ron - wheelchair pushers at the event on Sunday. Missing from the pic are Gaye and Greg who also pushed chairs and Russ and Barrie who did "roving registrations". 

The second largest parade in the Lower Mainland concludes in 89th year

There were about 100 parade entries and it lasted about 3 hours in downtown Port Coquitlam.  The streets were full of people, came out and watch the May Day Royal Party and community floats, marching bands, motorcycles, antique vehicles and much, much more.  Many of the community’s non- profit organizations were there as well. People from Tri-City area came out in full force to enjoy the sunny day and cheer-on the Terry Fox Foundation, the various local soccer clubs, the Girl Guides and do not forget the Boy Scouts of Canada.  Cheer on our future leaders.

We cannot think of any better way to belong to the community that we are so proud of.

At the 2011 year end meeting, members unanimously elected the following to the Board of the Club for the year 2012-13

President: Greg Archibald; President Elect: Angela Anderson; Vice-President: Renee Little; Secretary: Cathy O'Neill; Treasurer: Ron Goyette; Directors at Large : Russ McMurchie & Chirayath (Mohan) Mohanan 

Congratulations to all of them. Thank you all for your leadership.

The club has been awarded US$100 per capita - 100% Member Participation Award for the year 2010-11. All members can be proud of this Award, considering only a few clubs internationally participate in this per capita for the whole membership.

Terry Fox Hometown Run is Sunday, Sept. 18th

No Corporate Sponsorships are accepted. There are no mandatory fees for the run. No minimum donations are asked for or required of any runners. It was Terry's dream that everyone should participate and have fun. The Foundation essentially runs on voluntary help. There are only 32 paid staff throughout Canada. Over 87 cents on the dollar goes to cancer research. 3 cents are spent on administrative costs of the Foundation, and 10 cents goes to fund raising.

The Club attended VanCity's "Movie Nite" in the Open last night in Pitt Meadows. (August 4th). We had been offered the opportunity to represent Rotary at this function for local families by our DG Elect (2012-13) Sean Hogan and we jumped at it. Having a business partner like VanCity for the organization can only lead to good things.

The "Odyssey of the Mind" troupe gave a sparkling performance to the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam at their May 19^th meeting. The children are from Grade 2 to grade 5 and have put this program together themselves. The coach is not allowed to touch the costumes or the production. The kids did it themselves including a "mousemobile" powered by three Mouse traps that would be a challenge to any of us! Incredible!

May Day Parade another Sucess!

Generous Hearts Food drive Coming Up!

 Wilson Centre Seniors breakfast fast approaching!

 2011-2012 Club Executive Installation June 23rd!!

 Participants for Camp Jubilee being selected!

This summers Rotary Generous Hearts Food Drive was a great success thanks to POCO City Councilor's' Tweets and Facebook posts, Michelle from SHARE, SHARE Bear, our volunteers, and most especially, the generosity of the citizens of Port Coquitlam.

Together we raised 2886lbs of food and $921.24.

Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial as we celebrated the Induction for our Incoming President Greg Archibald and his new Board of Directors on Thursday June 21, 2012. This special evening featured Cocktails, Live entertainment through out the evening and Dinner ,followed by the Induction Ceremony.

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial recognizes the Mayor for his work with homeless. At its regular Club meeting on Thursday, June 30, Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial President Russ McMurchie and President Elect Dave Binder, presented Mayor Greg Moore with a Paul Harris Award in recognition of his continuing efforts to support the homeless in Port Coquitlam.

Club Installation of Executive for 2011 – 2012 - June 23^rd, 2011

Our new Executive group were sworn in at a gathering of members, friends and Rotary Brass!  Si Senior! Mexican was the theme for the night of fun and frivolous thoughts. Mexican décor & music topped off the fun evening. Dave Binder, our new El Presidente' was led into the room wearing a large sombrero, a huge mustache and a Mexican Poncho. Dave thanked all for the efforts to make the evening fun for all – and it was.

We were fortunate to have DGN Denis Boyd swear in the new executive:

A Visit with Linda Bradley PDG 7040

June 16, 2011 - We were honoured to have Linda Bradley, PDG 7040, spend an hour with us today. Linda is a dedicated Rotarian who has seen many facets of Rotary around the world in many capacities. Linda & her Rotarian husband James spent 30 years in BC from 1974, joining Rotary in 1996. She has held many Rotary positions from Committee member through President to involvement in District affairs

May 28 & 29th found Port Coquitlam Centennial Rotarians and volunteers at Safeway and Save-On Foods in Port Coquitlam collecting food from the public for the local Foodbank - Share - Our efforts were very successful thanks in part to volunteers Naila & Athira. We worked from Noon to 6PM both days.

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial is pleased to announce the bursary awards for 2011
Sophie Jung- Terry Fox Secondary
Ashely Dauke Riverside Secondary
Zane Goodin Riverside Secondary
Congratulations to all!!!! Each recipient will be awarded  $1000 toward their education

 BBC NEWS

The new funding will help buy vaccines and conduct immunisations

The club's Annual General meeting was held Dec. 16th. The meeting was well attended.The  Executive for 2011 - 2012 will be:

President:                         Dave Binder    

President Elect:                  Greg Archibald

Vice President:                   Carol Metz-Murray

Secretary:                        Cathy O'neill

Treasurer:                         Ron Goyette

Director at Large:               Gaye Simms

Director at Large:               Barrie Seaton

Past President:                  Russ McMurchie

Seargent at Arms:               TBA

Give your executive your full support and let's have a successful year.

A t our club meeting on October 14, 2010, Port Coquitlam Mayor, Greg Moore gave us a City Update.

In a range of issues, the Mayor discussed first off, the City's waste management program. The new "green box" program has been successful in diverting significant kitchen waste from the landfill. He stressed a need to keep recycling simple.

He went on to talk about the importance of supporting arts in the community and drew attention to murals being done in the underpass on Shaughnessy Street. Art makes the community more enjoyable.

Our guest speaker at our October 7, 2010 meeting was none other than Mr. Beans himself, Gene Vickers. Gene, who is also District Membership Extension Chair for our District, co-founded our club along with Barrie Seaton in 2005.

Gene came to speak about the importance of communications particularly to Rotarians. He described speaking as a process – everyone is capable of speaking well.

On September 23, 2010, Darrell Burnham proudly welcomed and introduced our District Governor, Wayne Wiebe, as our featured speaker, to our club. We had a great turnout for this event.

Stressing "Be The Best You Can Be" the message of Rotary International President, Roy Kinginsmith, Wayne started off by telling us about when he joined the Rotary Club in 1988 in Langley.

We need VOLUNTEERS to deliver dictionaries to local schools during the next two weeks.

There are 13 local Elementary Schools we will deliver dictionaries to fot their Grade 4 students. We need to do this NOW! Please select a school close to you - it's a lot of fun. Email Paul (strudwick@telus.net)   and arrange to pick up the dictionaries for the school you select. We will make sute the Principal has been notified of your arrival. The schools usually have us talk to the kids and hand out the books. This is best done in teams of two. If you need a partner, let us know.

At the Poco Inn and Suites on June 20^th, all the tables were adorned with mice and cheese platters.

The night was all about crowning our next most important person--Our BIG CHEESE-- RUSSELL MCMURCHIE. (The meaning of BIG Cheese as defined in a dictionary of the 19th century stands for anything good, first rate quality, genuine, pleasant or advantageous.)

Ron Goyette was the Master of Ceremonies. Ron was able to keep the crowd lively with his wit and jokes.

Rotary donation to the Tri-City Women's Resource Society to be used in "Violence Is Preventable: Healthy Relationships Program"

                                          RYLA

                             (PRONOUNCED "RYE LA"

District 5050 RYLA Program

We are proud to advise that our club, the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam, has again sponsored a RYLA candidate, Lucas Andersen, son of our treasurer, Angela Andersen. To attend this year's session: She writes:

Currently looking for candidates for membership.
Is there some humanitarian cause you like to be involved and help with? Do you want to give back to your community, to the world?
Would you like to meet more people in your community?
Our Club can help you be more involved in the community as well as contribute to international causes. Talk to us about membership. There may be a good fit.  Bob Frew, Membership

Yes, it was a great party. The food was good, the music was great, the people were wonderful, the silent auction items were amazing. It was a lot of fun. Mayor Greg Moore started the evning off with some uplifting words, and the fun began. The dinner was more than we could finish and then the music began. We danced  and laughed and had agreat time. The silent auction was truely fabulous . . . . .  The club will be able to help many others locally with the proceeds of the evening.

Nov. 11th - President Cheryl laid a wreath on behalf of the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam at the at the Civic ceremonies on Remembrance Day.

Nov. 13th meeting - Reg Neufeld from the "Kindness Foundation of Canada" talked to us about "Kind Acts" and "World Kindness Day". Reg hopes the thought will be contagious!

Nov. 13th - Board Meeting - Details are on the website for members.

Nov. 20th - Gene Vickers of the Port Moody club gave us a talk on following our "Passions". As usual, his talk was great!

Nov. 27 - The addition of Tyleen and Gracie Adoo to the club. WELCOME!

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial was proud to be involved in the Business Improvement Association's Car Show on Sunday August 17^th, Rotary provided the perimeter security volunteers needed for the show.. The show was a great success with 400 entries, one of the best local shows ever.

Pictured is Mitchell Marcus, Past President of The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial, standing beside one of the car show entries - a red 1979 Citroen 2CV-6, with a 2 cylinder, air cooled 25HP motor. The car gets 60 miles to the gallon and is owned by Arun Mistry, a veteran from the Canadian Forces. He joined shortly after his arrival from Kenya. Mr. Mistry was familiar with Rotary from his home country and the work Rotary has done there to improve the quality of Kenyan's lives. The car  has been produced since 1946 a nd has remained unchanged during that time.

Dan Olson, the Executive Director of the POCO BIV enjoyed his day on his Sedgwick machine. He was heard to say that running on a Sedgwick is a thrill and makes one think they are young again, until the machine twirls and throws you off - then you remember your real age. A great time was had by all!

1. What Happened To July?  -   Well, its 6:15pm and I am at work waiting to go to a corporate dinner where they will attempt to woo myself and two other CSR MBAs into staying with the company.  The plus side of it is that I get a gourmet 4 course meal out of it, the down side is that I will have to engage in witty banter and avoid saying something silly such as how I liked Lego as a child and my dream was to go to legoland - this happened at the last meal.

I have managed to survive two months at ArcelorMittal and I am still going strong.  It has been an amazing experience and I have learned a ton - I have also learned that working 9-6 everyday does not allow much time to work on your thesis and consequently, I will also soon learn how to write a thesis in two weeks.

What Happened To July?  -   Well, its 6:15pm and I am at work waiting to go to a corporate dinner where they will attempt to woo myself and two other CSR MBAs into staying with the company.  The plus side of it is that I get a gourmet 4 course meal out of it, the down side is that I will have to engage in witty banter and avoid saying something silly such as how I liked Lego as a child and my dream was to go to legoland - this happened at the last meal.

I have managed to survive two months at ArcelorMittal and I am still going strong.  It has been an amazing experience and I have learned a ton - I have also learned that working 9-6 everyday does not allow much time to work on your thesis and consequently, I will also soon learn how to write a thesis in two weeks.

The club again hosted the Seniors Brunch on Saturday morning. 14 brave Rotarian souls were there to wave the Rotary Flag and serve the seniors their breakfast. About 150 seniors were served in record time with Glenn looking after details in the kitchen. Mitch, Gale, Cheryl and Cecilia were quick with coffee and fixings. Carol, Joan, Bob, Ryan, Russ and Angela served the breakfast of scambled eggs, sausage and pancakes. Seconds were provided as needed. It was great fun!

President Cheryl handed out the seniors awards which were many. A great time was had by all and the seniors all commented on the high quality of the food servers this year!

  For the first time in two weeks I feel clean, this is not because I cannot afford rent and am living in the janitors closet (I expect that to happen next month), but rather because I have just returned home from two weeks in India.
 It started on a whim, my brother (steffen) was traveling around and I had three weeks off for Easter and a mountain of work to complete.  Since I work best under pressure, I thought I could manage it all in a week (I'll let you know next week how that turns out).  We booked our flights and we were off to India and proceeded to travel like typical males (no plans, no advance bookings, just sheer instinct).  It almost ended horribly only two hours after landing.  I managed to stick next to an Indian who kept making me promise to visit the hugging saint and even offered to show me a picture of her - the picture turned out to be a doll (voodoo stlye) that just sat and stared at me the whole flight.  Steff arrived earlier that day and we had agreed to meet at a major landmark at 1230am.  My plane was 2 hours late and I rolled up at 230 am just catching a glimpse of a tall white guy walking away.  I yelled out of the taxi window, (whether it was actual taxi and whether it had windows were debatable) and our trip had officially begun. 

"If we can dream of a better land,

      Where we can walk hand in hand,

            Then why oh why, can't our dreams come true?"

Bill Boyd, President, Rotary International

Camp Jubilee is a summer camp for youths aged 7 to 18. There are 5 different programs catering to different age groups. Experience a wide variety of activities including canoeing, kayaking, archery, hiking, crafts, swimming, drama, low ropes course rock climbing and high ropes. Enjoy group activities such as evening camp wide games, campfires and skit nights.

Camp Jubilee has successfully operated on 128 ocean front acres on the shores of Indian Arm since 1936. It is located between Port Moody and North Vancouver The camp's top priority is the safety and security of all campers. They are accredited by the BC Camping Association and maintain comprehensive standards in all areas.

We were fortunate to have Gillian Yardley of the BC Heart & Stroke Foundation talk to us tonight. This is a volunteer organization with 250,000 members. They raise funds to further research and diseminate information about heart attacks and strokes. Heart attacks and Strokes is now the #1 killer of WOMEN in Canada! Surpassing all deaths from all forms of Cancer! Unfortunately, this is a little known fact.

 Hazel Postma Associate Vice President External Douglas College, visited us Jan. 17th and discussed the Douglas College Foundation and the expansion of the Nursing Educational Facitities at DC David Lam Campus.

Tri-Cities Rotary Clubs are funding a $10,000 matching funds grant to the College to set up bursaries for Psychiatric Nursing students.

An exceptional glimpse of life inside one of the world's most isolated regimes - North Korea - has been provided thanks to a disaster relief charity set up by a UK Rotary club.

ShelterBox specialises in providing emergency accommodation and other survival essentials to disaster victims. Aid is delivered in pre-packaged kits - 'ShelterBoxes' - each designed to help a family of 10 survive for at least six months.

The December 20 meeting is moved to December 18 at the Vancouver Golf Club on Austin Ave and will be hosted by the Coquitlam Club as the Annual Tri-Cities Rotary Christmas Party. Cost is $25 per person and of course side benefit is the Choir contest.

December 27 meeting is one of two that we are allowed to cancel every year.

Our next regular meeting will be Thursday January 3rd 2008.

By Margaret Franz:  Re: Attendance at:

1. Cartago Rotary Club Meeting, Costa Rica - November 8, 2007
2. Annual National Conference - Costa Rica Rotary Clubs - November 10, 2007

On my recent trip to Costa Rica, I attended the weekly meeting of the Cartago Rotary Club in Cartago, Costa Rica on at 8:15pm on November 10, 2007. Cartago is a small town, pop. aprx 141,000, which serves the surrounding agricultural community. Just outside Cartago is Mt. Irazu, which is an semi-active volcano.

I was introduced to the Cartago Rotary members and was greeted warmly, in Spanish, of course. The meeting proceeded with much animated discussion about upcoming events and projects they were planning. About half-way through the meeting there was discussion about the upcoming National Conference in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica the following Saturday. One of the members suggested that I be invited to that conference and that my registration fees be paid for by the Cartago club - everyone agreed to that. There followed some discussion about who was going to pick me up and take me to the Conference. All the details were decided upon. One of the members was fluent in English and translated the information for me.

The new sign at the Shaughnessy Bike Skills Park was donated by The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial. The sign went up Oct 13th.

MALAYSIAN NIGHT  -  Saturday Nov. 3rd, 2007

A great time was had by all at our special evening of Malaysian culture, cuisine and music. Tourism Malaysia had arranged a great evening for everyone including a visit from the Malaysian Consul General. FOOD - FUN - ENTERTAINMENT -  6:pm reception   7:30 Dinner    See the Photo Journal for pictures!

It was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial

• I took on management roles at the early age of 19 and managed a law office, feedlot and local government as well as starting and operating four businesses. I started my management consulting practise in 1995 after receiving fully one of life's lessons . I was selected to go to Russia and the Ukraine after the fall of the USSR to assist local goverments to build tax regimes

In the Yukon I learned the true meaning of "politics" and got to work with the world's colourful 5%     -         more . . . . . .

We were fortunate to have Assistant Governor Dennis Boyd visit with us today. He brought us up to date on work being dome by Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. He discussed the value of and what to expect at the Membership/PR seminar to happen on Oct. 13^th as well as other events. He advised all members to logo onto the District site so that their existence would become known to the District e-mail system.

We were then treated to our Club Assembly or Club Business (information) segment. All club directors gave us an update on their particular area's of responsibility. The area's are:

We were pleased to have Patricia Thorleifson, President of the Rotary Club of Coquitlam talk to us tonight. Patrica came to Canada from Mexico several decades ago to attend University and found her place in the sun and stayed. She joined Rotary shortly after women were allowed into Rotary. There were only 3 women in the club at that time. Over the years, she has learned much from her experiences with Rotary and told her audiance that the decision to join Rotary has changed her life. We were very honoured to have had her with us for a short time.

Christianne Wilhelmson of the Georgia Straight Alliance (A non-profit society dedicated to keeping Georgia Straight free of pollution) spoke to us setting out who the GSA is and what they are doing.

Darrell McLeod was born in Edmonton a few decades back. Growing up with 4 sisters and brother, he had a good homelife. He was active in curling, baseball and hockey. He currently fills his lesure time with river fishing and golf. His greatest love is hiking - all over the world but particularly in Scotland. Darrell met his wife Bev while curling and has now been married almost 3 decades with two adult children. The family has been living in Coquitlam for over 2 decades.

Darrell now has an internet marketing business. He helps small businesses use the internet to their advantage for communication with clients, prospects, staff and suppliers. He makes the web work for you!

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam together with the Coquitlam Club held a Senior's Breakfast this morning. 15 representatives for Port Coquitlam Centennial were on site to serve 220 Senior's their breakfast.

A great time was had by all.

Drake Stephens, representing the BC Conservation Foundation, gave an interesting discussion about the problem of Black Bears in human neigbourhoods. He first reminded us that we are the ones encroaching on the Bear's traditional hunting grounds. Bears are territorial and generally a female will operste within a 10 KM X 10KM area (100 sq. KM's) Bears natural diets consist of Berries, fruit, roots, green vegitation, insects, grubs and carrion. They do not normally attach humans as a food source.  Be sure to close up your garbage containers, keep them away from easy access by bears. Bears have an incredible sense of smell and can smell garbage and other potential food sources over agreat distance. Bears are very intelligent.

May 6th - Hike For Hospice - A Major Undertaking - Gale Acker Captain

May 11th, - GSE Team Visit - A Fabulous event - very time consuming - A Big deal!!                                 Barrie Seaton - Captain

May 12th - Rotary May Day Parade - Another fabulous event - Barrie Seaton Captain

May 12th - May Day Beer Gardens - Dave Binder Captain - A great Event!!!

April 5, 2007 - The club welcomed Dan Olson, the Executive Director of Port Coquitlam's Business Improvement Association. (BIA)  Dan explained the BIA, it's goals, future plans and dreams.

Business Improvement Associations are a collective of local businesses, making democratic decisions and working together to reach common goals.

The Crossroads Hospice Society hold a "Hike For Hospice" annually as a fund raiser.           Crossroads has a large hospice (residence) in Port Moody where individuals and family members can stay to be with & look after people no longer able to look after themselves when they have only a few weeks left. The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam is one of the co-sponsors of this event which raised over $9,300 for the hospice last year. The overall income for the three locations and the corporate donations was over $39,000. This year we raised 10,000 in Poco, 16,000 in Port Moody and 3,000 in Coquitlam Centre, a new location.

What is involved:

"Gwaii Haanas", the Haida Nation Indian name for the Queen Charlote's, Orland Lee, a Port Moody Rotarian, shared his trip around the Queen Charlote Islands with our club tonight. It was an exciting trip! Orland's son sent him on a 10 day trip as a tourist on a guide boat with 14 other people. They lived on a boat and travelled each day to new locations of historical importance. They started by flying to Skidgate where they visited a canoe carver's shack and were introduced to the skills involved in making large canoes out of single logs. . . .  The canoes were huge!

The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial was pleased to assist Riverside Secondary School in the schools various projects including their proposed visit to Brazil with selected Staff and students .

Feb. 15, 2007  Rob Thiessen - "Hope for Freedom Society"

We were honoured to have a passionate talk by Rob Thiessen about the "Hope for Freedom Society", a Tri-City Task Group "Trying to Make a Difference With Homeless People". Last October, there were an estimated 177 homeless people in the Tri-City area.  80% are close to Port Coquitlam because of it's location with the river two blocks from town centre.

February 22nd, 2007, Port Coquitlam Centennial Rotary Club celebrates its second anniversary and installs three new members. 87% of club members were present to celebrate the clubs second anniversary and to install three new members to the club roster. Our District Governor Rod Thompson was on hand to celebrate with us and to perform the induction ceremony for new members. DG Rod Thompson spoke of the Challenges and Opportunities of Rotary. He read a piece from the Rotary publication, "Adventure in Service" setting out some of the purposes of Rotary. We were very privileged to have him with us for this important meeting.

Carnoustie Golf Club was the site of the City of Poco staff Christmas party. Rotarians provided a safe ride home to those particpants needing a ride. The night was slightly foggy with freezing temperatures. Rotarians present were Barrie Seaton, Paul Gill, Bob Frew, Paul J , Wayne Radford, Gale Acker, Glen Kelloway, Greg Archiball, & Russ McMurchie, all under the direction of Cheryl McKeever.

Work has begun on pulling the details for the 2007 Rotary Port Coquitlam May Day Parade together. It's a big job. Barrie Seaton, our past president has taken the reins to bring all the details together to make the parade a success.  Last year, the POCO Rotary Club furnished voluntary help to help the city make the parade a success. This year, the Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam have taken charge of the parade in conjunction with the City of Port Coquitlam and will be primarily responsible for the event. More information is available at our website:  http:/www.rotarymaydayparade.ca  including a link to the participant application. All Rotary members will be needed to do the work that will be involved.  More information will be posted as it develops.

Feb. 27/07 - The Great Mail-Out!   Rotarians gathered at Paul Gills business location (Sign-A-Rama) to stuff 2600 envelopes with a letter and 3 other advertising pieces (for mail out) promoting the Rotary Club Of Port Coquitlam May Day Parade to be held May 12th. The job was finished in under an hour and a half. Great work by all! On to the next challenge!

Sean Hogan of Delta Rotary, told us about the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program.  RYLA began in Australia in '72. A Langley Rotary member was exposed to the program and brought it back to Canada. RYLA is an incredible program for the participants and the Rotary members.

This year, the program is being held June 7 to 10th at the ZAJAC RANCH at Stave Lake. Approximately 60 participants are involved including members & Youth Leaders. SEAN gave us a rundown on what happens at the site - used a Power Point presentaion with slides. The experience is one that teaches participants to trust themselves and the other members. They end their time knowing they can depend on themselves to whatever is necessary. They are well on their wat to becoming leaders.

Each club should select two entrants.  1 male & 1 female for this years camp.

Nov. 23/06 - Leigh Square - Community Arts Susan Hull Program Co-Ordinator of the Arts & Culture section, part of the Parks & Recreation Department of the City Port Coquitlam, visited with us and set out the plans for this new venture on behalf of the City of Port Coquitlam.   "The Gathering Place" will have several areas of interest.

"Living room"  A place for informal gatherings . . . . . .

"Production Studio"  A workroom for the preparation of exhibits to be displayed . . . .

"Community Room"  A more formal multi purpose room to be used by . . . . . .

"Change Rooms"  To support the use of the bandshell . . . . . . .

"Administration"  The Parks & recreation department has it's administration office on the second floor of this building.

See the website-    www.friendsofleighsquare.ca for more information . . . . .

Nov. 30^th - A visit by Ocean van Samang, BSW, a senior counsellor from THEO (BC) talked to us about the work that their organization does. They are in the job matching business for people with disabilities. Pre-screening candidates to find the skills and attitudes that work with different employers. Challenged applicants are placed in positions that match the candidates abilities. They are counselled and trained in areas they may need help, frequently on a one on one basis.

Theo has been operating successfully for 30 years and has supplied employees for various employers who constantly come back for more employees.

It seems that initial assumptions about challenged candidates are frequently incorrect. Theo, funded by the government, has several offices in the lower mainland. The presentation was excellent and was well received by Rotarians.

The Terry Fox Library is a member of the Fraser Valley Regional Library. Books and other materials flow through all the libraries in the Fraser Valley system giving the public a greater choice of material than they otherwise would have. What do they do?

For Children & their families:  Baby Links/Story Times/Book Clubs/ Library Tours/Summer Reading Club/Community Partnerships   -  A Reading Link Challange  - over 1100 kids in the Summer Reading Club!

For Adults:  Programs for Entertaining look at Books, Fine Foods, Hobbies, Travel, Adventure, Home Life, World Widw web & more!

Classification - Real Estate - Nov. 23/06

Our past President, Barrie Seaton, told us about his upbringing and successes in his early life in England. He was born in Luden, England during this last century. His father was off to war and his early life was difficult at best but adversity does build character. At an early stage, he was fortunate in taking an automotive course, a 5 years apprenticeship, that set his course for a major portion of his life. Barrie loved the automotive business and finished his apprenticeship. Working in several different environments, he learned business and became a partner in a business in due course.  During his early days, he met his wife to be while danicing at the Brighton. On March 8/67, Barrie took Joan out to dinner. They quickly connected and Barrie promptly left for Canada. After becoming the Service advisor of a dealership in Toronto, while living in the "Y", he had Joan over to see the new country. They were married two years later back in England. Barrie stayed in the automotive business until 1995 when he went into Real Estate in BC. He quickly became one of the top salesmen in this area and retains that position today. Barry is on the executive of the Chamber of Commerce as well as being our past President. Barrie's hobbies are "community Service through Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce, Golf, Nascar Racing and RV Camping" The club is very fortunate to have Barrie, the Charter President of our club, with us.

Welcome to Rotary International's center for online learning. This section has been developed for independent study of RI information. Rotary International is the association of Rotary clubs; therefore, all training aims to educate Rotarians who are members of effective clubs.

Effective clubs are able to:

• Sustain and increase membership.
• Implement successful service projects.
• Support The Rotary Foundation.
• Develop leaders beyond the club level.

For more information go to   Rotary E-Learning Center.

  Talk by Haresh Bhatt @ Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial

I started by thanking the club to give me such an opportunity to speak to them as I was given 45 minutes to prepare.

My family background - Father originated from Gujarat, West Indian and migrated to Malaysia. I was born in Malaysia. I grew up in a strict family with traditional Indian values and was trained in trading..family business from the age of 13.

I have 1 brother and 3 sisters. Brother in USA, 1sister in India and 2 in Malaysia. I married Hema 17 years ago and have 2 daughters Dharinee and Nikhita.

THE WHEEL CHAIR FOUNDATION                           Oct. 12, 2006

We were privileged to have Christina Flessner, the Canadian President of the Wheelchair Foundation, Craig Lenz, a Rotarian from Regina and a member of the WCF visit with us. They brought Chris Lewis, one of the originators of the program who works closely with Ken Behring, a philanthropist, closly associated with the program, to talk with Rotary members tonight. Rotary internationally, is a key component in their distribution network.

The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to create awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities, to promote the joy of giving, create global friendship, and to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom

The Wheelchair Foundation continues in its goal to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. While the need worldwide is overwhelming, the Wheelchair Foundation has made considerable headway in helping to provide mobility worldwide to those who cannot afford it. This great accomplishment of reaching one-half million wheelchairs marks a great success for the Wheelchair Foundation, and is only possible through generous donors.

Janet's talk was called "Waves of Opportunity".  Rotarian Janet Power is the Acting Manager of Residential Care, Cottages, at Hawthorne Care Centre in Port Coquitlam.  Janet was born and raised in Newfoundland. She considers her life to be divided into three main areas of "Family", "Sports", and "Education/Work".  

Terry Fox Hometown Run - Sept. 17, 2006

  Born - in Sask & moved to BC when 12. A country boy in the big city. Had various part time jobs at the Bay, Vancouver Sun while going to school and while working,. He joined the Home Ins. Co as a first Ins. job & rose from being the office boy to Special Agent status(an inspector).

Met his wife to be the year he started at the Home Ins. Co. Was married 5 years later & had three sons. Left the Home Ins. Co. after 7 years & joined the Queensland Ins. Co. as a fieldman . The Canadian Head Office of an Australian company. Also the positions of underwriter of property, inland marine risks (logging Equipment) and auto insurance. Enjoyed working with them for 14 years until ICBC came into being.

April 22, 2006 The Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial held "International Night"April 27, Port Coquitlam Fire Chief, Stephen Gamble, discussed the latest work of the POCO Fire Dept  May 4, Discussed RYLA Camp Candidate and Ambassadorial Scholarship  

Martin Cronin, Consulate General of The UK visited with us August 3rd, 2006. He had recently served in Amin, Jordon, and Bagdad. Many Middle East countries. The Diplomatic Service is part of the Foreign Service in the UK. They work for UK interests in the world, safeguarding UK interests. Martin told us the 10 Strategic Priorities the Consulate General is concerned with.  He detailed the relationship between the UK and Canada and set out the importance we have as trading partners. The UK is the 3rd largest export market to Canada after the USA and Japan. Martin was on his honeymoon when here so we were quite privelaged to see him. The UK has always been a strong friend to Canada and we were very pleased Martin was able to take time out of his busy schedule to be with us.

On Saturday July 22nd a District 5050 Rotary Matching Grants Seminar was held at the Skagit Resort and Casino (I-5 and Bow Hill Road) from 8:00 -2:30. This seminar was important for Rotary Clubs who plan to participate in a project either with another Club, or as a partner or Host Club on a project using Matching or Volunteer Service Grant funds through the Rotary Foundation.  Adam McCormack, Grant Coordinator from the Rotary Foundation lead the seminar. This seminar primarily focused on developing and writing matching grants and identifying other resources through partnering with other organizations. Every Club was encouraged to send at least one representative. Each participant received a book with resources that will be of assistance thoughout the grant process. Last year, the seminar sold out and we anticipate the same happened this year. There was an opportunity to meet individually with Adam and District Foundation committee members to discuss specific projects after the seminar.  There have been some changes to the grant programs available and those were  outlined.

Port Coquitlam Rotary May Day Parade:
This was the second year that  the Port Coquitlam Centennial Rotary has helped with the this Parade.
Now officially the Port Coquitlam Rotary May Day Parade
Link to Photos

Rotary Volunteer Event
Date: May 7, 2006
Results:  78 Hikers met at the Hyde Creek Centre at 9 AM on a rainy Sunday morning to take part in the Hike For Hospice Event,