Well, this was an interesting meeting for a number of reasons, not all of them good. Technical difficulties continue to plague us as we try to hold hybrid meetings. The attempts by Leon and Rudy to get everything hooked up and operating properly provided live entertainment for us at home. At first they could hear us but not themselves on the system, and I don’t think they could see us for awhile. While the wiring attempts were being made, I heard some discussion about the weather in California and in Australia, as well as cookies uneaten at the previous meeting being offered up as treats at Timms. Leon said part of the difficulty was he is a mouse guy working on a machine without a mouse.
Finally we had a version of O Canada on screen which those at Timms apparently could see but not hear. Yours truly sang faithfully through our anthem hoping that then at least they could hear the song as well. Oh, well, it sounded good at home.
Leon, Brendan and Rudy were joined by guests Vanessa Duthie and her father, and Cecelia Reekie, our guest speaker. Wayne, Nav, Stephen, Kadonah, Lana and Bob checked in from home, while regrets were received from Anthony and Nora. We heard about our president crawling around in the tunnels beneath the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. He emerged in time to attend our meeting to present Rudy with his PHF+1 pin – congratulations, Rudy!
Scholarships!
Vanessa Duthie, another scholarship winner, told us about herself and her aspirations. She told more details than those presented here, as well as sharing a Q&A with our members. Vanessa graduated from Langley Secondary School. Throughout her time in high school, she was a part of the volleyball team during grades 9-11, whilst serving as captain in grade 10. She was also an active member of the Langley Secondary School Environmental Club. In the club she took part in clean ups and schoolwide activism on the importance of recycling.
During high school she took a plethora of different courses to expand her knowledge including all three sciences, multiple social studies, and home economics courses. Additionally, she became a Teacher’s Assistant during her grade 12 year for a Science 10 class. In her spare time, she loves to read, and go camping with her family.
She will be continuing her studies at the University of British Columbia to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Conservation. At university she hopes to become involved in university life through volunteering and joining clubs. In the future she wants to help wildlife and protect our natural world. She is excited to begin this new chapter!"
Special guest - Cecelia Reekie
Next up was our special guest speaker, Cecelia Reekie, a member of the Haisla First Nation and the Rotary Club of Aldergrove. She spoke about residential schools and her father’s experience there, and about reconciliation and moving forward. We learned about the significance of having the boys’ hair cut short in the schools, and of the children’s daily, repetitious routines. Her father was moved 1000 km away from his family to a residential school in Alberni at age ten.
Cecelia was responsible for the reconciliation display of crosses at the arboretum and is working for a permanent display for people to visit. Wayne has numerous screenshots of her presentation to share (just ask him).
Then we ran into more problems as those at Timms could see us on screen, but all of us at home could not be heard in that room. That made for some interesting messages being flashed with cue cards and hand signals. Before that excitement, though, we pledged happy and sad dollars for our wonderful speakers.
by Olha Paliychuk, Rotary Club of Cherkasky, Ukraine, who spoke at the Rotary International Convention in Houston.
“I live and work in central Ukraine, not far from Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv. It was a long journey getting to convention: first by bus to the border of Poland, and then across the border and taking a long flight. But all the efforts are worth it. As we say in Ukraine, “To see a friend, no road is too long.”
In February, when the war against my country began ravaging our families and communities, you – my fellow Rotary members around the world sprang into action. You have not only donated and shipped medical supplies and other daily essentials to those of us inside Ukraine, but also provided shelter to those who have fled. Your help has saved lives, giving us hope and inspiring Ukrainians like me to stand up, to help our people, and protect our homeland.
My city of Cherkasy is located a few hundred miles south of where the Chernobyl nuclear accident happened in 1986. Nearly 40 years later, we still feel the terrible legacy of the nuclear disaster. Many children grew up with their bodies decimated by cancer and abnormalities. As a gynecologist oncologist, I work at a hospital where many young cancer patients come to receive treatment.
Over the past three months, those patients who are struggling for their very lives -are facing another type of danger – brutal Russian military attacks. Our work is constantly disrupted by the loud explosions of bombs and rockets. We treat our patients in an atmosphere of fear. When will the next bomb strike, we ask ourselves?
At the same time, hospitals across Ukraine such as mine now treat serious wounds, and bullet injuries, for both civilians and soldiers. When we do surgeries on women and children or treat newborn babies, we don’t even have access to the basic medical supplies and equipment such as patient monitors, operating tables, lamps, or mobile incubators.
My fellow Rotarians, along with my family members, are inspiring me to devote myself to helping others. One of the unique things about Rotary is that we have volunteers working on the frontline. I want to tell you proudly that our Rotary networks in Ukraine are doing an amazing job. Our district holds special online meetings twice daily to identify needs inside Ukraine and coordinate humanitarian aid with clubs in our neighboring countries.
As the international community of Rotary reaches out to help Ukraine, we are helping to build strong connections and friendships. As the war drags on, Ukraine will need your continued support. I hope to deepen our bonds and to plan for the future. With our shared efforts, peace will come.”
Other updates
Maybe next week we’ll have time to hear an update Wayne received from Alice in London. Our club has agreed to sponsor John Daly Compton to serve as a facilitator at YAIL this year. John lives in Langley and is a member of the Semiahmoo Rotaract Club. Expect a visit from him later this year. Reminder: We really need more volunteers for the 50/50 ticket sales, and our president should be commended for the hours he is contributing. Perhaps some of our members who are unable to get to the meetings could assist on the weekends?
We closed with a toast to Canada and wished each other a good evening. Remember, if you cannot attend the meeting in person, you are invited to join via zoom at https://zoom.us/j/413459127.
