Minutes of September 25, 2019 Business Meeting

Jerry Zdril - President and Chairperson

Roberta Zdril

Peter Herz

Chip Bowness

Pat Hahn

Scott Phemister

Alan Benson

Jeff Richards

Rhonda Latreille

 

Ivan Scott

Lynda Simpson

 

 

Jerry called the meeting to order at 7:17, welcomed the members  and guests and Pat introduced Ivan Scott.  Scott led the singing of our national anthem and Chip offered the invocation.

 

Roberta encouraged everyone to attend one of the Rotaract presentations scheduled for October 2 or October 9 at 7 pm.  Rotary Field House.

Tickets are $5.00

 

 

Lynda, Peter, Carlos and Jerry cooked burgers, hot dogs and served food. 
Very well attended.
Board of Trade will hold their meeting there on Tuesday, October 1. at Unitl Semiahmoo House..15306 24 Avenue in Surrey .

Tour facility – Until suggested we tour while activities running.  Stated that Thursday is the best.
It would be a 9 am - 10:30 meeting...We’ll either change our business meeting to that date or make this tour a separate event.  Rhonda suggested we keep it as a tour and focus exclusively on their service. 
It appears that Unitl have plenty of financial support, and Scott stated that he is not sure how as a club there is any benefit for the tour (other than our awareness of their work) since we don’t write cheques.

 

2.  2 Grant proposals have been accepted.
Happy Home Orphanage accepted and smaller grant for Hospice. 
$17500 US$ Cambodia Orphanage and $10,000 US$ for Hospice. 
We have to generate half of this amount ($18,000-$19,000 Cdn.) in order for the funds to be released.

Chip will now go back to Bangkok club for them to get on board with support.

 

Scott asked for some detail on Hospice application – requested funding for new hospital beds.

 

Had to do a final report on previous grant and they District happy with that.

 

3.  Beer Garden Revenues
We expect to receive between $5,000-$6,000 net from the 2 beer gardens. Also expecting refund from pst, and first need to confirm # of drinks served to calculate pst owed and/or refund.

 

 

Pat to follow up on tickets...We can sell 150 so we each to sell 8-10 tickets.

As you promote — ask for gift cards and items.

Rhonda to collect donations for silent auction.

Jeff and Rhonda to check with Ritu about info going out to Board of Trade.

 

Real Canadian Superstore - Grandview Corners... 

Shredwise - will charge us $400 - 10 - 2.

This could be a real winner!!

Scott making all the arrangements, and Chip agreed to be point person the day of the event as Scott will be away.

 

Brochures out 2.5 weeks in advance and in Peace Arch News

 

Lynda, Jerry, Chip, Rhonda met with Noel Fundraiser Planning Committee. 

Any money we raise will go to our club - revenue will be from silent auction and donations/sponsorship.

WAG - 9th year.

Planning committee ask that we each sell 3 tickets and generate 2 silent auction items and donate 2 bottles of wine (minimum value of $25) for the ‘Wall of Wine’ raffle.

 

They have a chair already for each committee and are looking for support from us for:
Sponsorship committee participation

Public Relations

Donations - Dee on that committee with Judith - Rhonda to help while in town...

Logistics - day of event... Lynda Simpson

 

It was suggested that we have one person from our club assume responsibility of coordinating our volunteer contribution.  Lynda offered to assume this role – thank you Lynda!

 

We will keep our ‘Friends of Rotary’ (such as Todd and Janita) in the loop.

 

7.  Upcoming Speakers and Socials

 

October 9 – Tour and Breakfast at the White Rock South Surrey Hospice – Beth Kish

October 16 – Scotch Tasting at Rhonda and Herb Latreille’s home

October 23 – Business Meeting

 

Ivan and his group have started a petition and initiative to keep the RCMP as the police force in Surrey, BC.  They oppose the introduction of a municipal police force for Surrey.

 

Ivan stated this is group are community-based, apolitical and volunteer-based.

He believes that this movement toward a municipal forced lacked transparency and was not based on defensible facts. 

He shared that the RCMP is identified as one of the best police forces in the world.

Ivan stated that 54% currently oppose shifting from the RCMP. 

 

A lively discussion revealing a number of viewpoints followed Ivan’s presentation.

 

Chip - Amity Hall was the organization that formed in 1786 and ran NY city by taking over unions and police force.  It was initiated by the Irish Catholics – and Chip fears that this is a parallel - change the origins to local so that influence can be exerted locally. 
With a national force, there is less risk for inappropriate local influence in terms of private agendas and corruption.
Chip shared that he has lived in 8 countries - the way to control a city is to own the police force - recruited locally.  To run that risk, especially with such an international community that demands a viewpoint bigger than just local is wrong and the potential for corruption is immense.  We are not exempt from this happening here. 

 

Pat strongly agreed with Chip’s comments, stressing the risk and potential for corruption is far too great.

 

Scott presented a different viewpoint and believes that with the RCMP, the guys at the bottom of the class are sent to big cities so they have greater supervision - best people sent to worst/difficult locations because they can deal with challenging issues on their own.

With a national force, don’t have people stay in community long-term - don’t have community connection.  We will have a huge initial expense but ultimately it will cost less because of the elimination of duplication of function and cost.  Local forces know the community and stay in community.

 

Ivan disagreed and gave examples of some of the best being sent to larger centers, feeling part of the community and staying for longer periods of time.

Ivan and Pat cautioned that we border the largest country in the world and need the perspective, experience and strength of a national force. 

There are significant expenses to create another force (amateur force) and they need to be trained.

It would cost Surrey about $100 million more than RCMP - less police and inexperienced.

 

Peter - agrees with Scott, believing that large communities need to have their own police force.  No reason we should pay for bureaucrats in Ottawa to run our police force.  We need a police force that is local and responsive to wishes of local folks.

 

Pat said that our contribution to be able to access the experience and resources of an international police force is a small price relative to what we receive.

 

Oct 24 - Dec 3 Jerry and Roberta away.

November 8 - November 23 - Rhonda and Herb away.

Jerry adjourned the meeting at 8:49am.