The Atlanta Host Organization Committee is offering some good old-fashioned Southern hospitality at the Rotary International Convention from 10 to 14 June. It has planned a wide range of activities featuring everything from good food and music to inspiring tours of local landmarks. If it’s your first convention, these events are chances to meet fellow Rotarians from around the world, and if you’re an experienced convention goer, you can catch up with old friends.
Hall of Fame baseball player Hank Aaron will host Rotarians for a “Strike Out Polio” night at the new SunTrust Park, where you’ll...
When Teguest Yilma helped found the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa Entoto in 2002, she thought polio had already been eradicated from most of the world. But while Ethiopia had been free of the disease, Yilma was shocked to learn that new cases had started cropping up in surrounding countries such as Somalia.
“I was thinking, it’s not possible, we can’t be free if the countries around us are not free,” she says. Yilma, the managing editor of Capital, Ethiopia’s largest English weekly newspaper, has brought a journalist’s skills to the fight against polio. She became vice chair of the Ethiopia...
Battling breast cancer in 2000, Kathryn Smith found comfort pursuing her lifelong interest in Franklin D. Roosevelt. The more she read, the more intrigued she became with the 32nd U.S. president’s private secretary, Marguerite Alice “Missy” LeHand. “I thought, what a fascinating life she had because she was by his side through the polio crisis, establishing the polio rehabilitation center in Warm Springs and then after his return to politics,” she says. Smith, a past president of the Rotary Club of Greater Anderson, S.C., and a longtime newspaper journalist, turned that curiosity into a book...
One of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s earliest memories is of fleeing with his family into the mountains during the Korean War, his village burning behind him. His father and grandfather had to forage for food in the woods; his mother gave birth to his siblings away from anything remotely resembling a health facility. “I have known hunger,” he says. “I have known war, and I have known what it means to be forced to flee conflict.”
The soldiers who came to their rescue were flying the blue flag of the United Nations. The UN provided them with food and their schools with books....
Like a lot of us, I spent much of my childhood riding bikes, but fell out of the habit for a while. Forty years. Then my wife and I moved to New York, where cyclists risk their necks in a daily Thunderdome of cabs, police cars, firetrucks, double-decker buses, messengers on motorbikes, and delivery trucks backing around corners at 20 miles an hour. Not for me! At least not until my 50th birthday, when my metabolic furnace flamed out. Calories started going directly from beer bottle to beer belly. It was time to start exercising. Either that or give up Samuel Adams, and I couldn’t do that to...
Our regular noon meeting at the German Club will convene at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, February 14th (in lieu of our regular meeting at the German Club)
Place: Otter Room, EdVenture Lodge, located in the entry plaza of the Edmonton Valley Zoo
Schedule: 11:30 -11:30 am Setup
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch and Club Meeting
12:30-12:45 Presentation Presentation by Stephanie Perilli, Director, Fund Development, can be entitled Nature’s Wild Backyard.
On the tour we will see the animals and learn the scale of the zoo’s next phase of revitalization.
12:45-2:00 pm Tour of the Zoo
Cost: $20.00 per person
Invite a guest or two!
Click on the link in "Upcoming Events" to register and pay online.
You may confirm your attendance at the club meeting of Jan. 31st or Feb. 7th, or by email to dianadan@telusplanet.net. Payment may be made on line or at the door. Please advise in advance of any dietary restrictions.
Deadline for registration is Friday, February 10th.
On Tuesday, we heard from Terry Duncan (pictured), CEO and speech pathologist with the Children’s Autism Services of Edmonton. She spoke to us about the programs that they run and how they bring hope in the lives of both children with autism, but also to their families. Their main facility is the Maier Center, located in north west Edmonton. It was built five years ago, and filled a large gap in the services for these children and their families. It was partially funded by government grants and partially by fundraising efforts and private donations.
Our Rotary club was one of the donor groups, and one of our members who made a private donation, has a room in the building with their name on it, the Granholm Family Room. At that time the opening of this facility wiped out the local waiting list for their services.
Now, five years later, they had another long waiting list and decided that it was time to open another facility, this time on the south side of Edmonton. A building has been found, purchased and renovated and has now opened, eliminating the current wait list. The cost of three point four million dollars has been mortgaged, and they are now looking to eliminate that mortgage with a government grant combined with private fundraising. The grant, which is still under consideration, would cover one million dollars, they have already raised four hundred thousand through private fundraising and are still looking to private donors for the reminder.
They currently employ 127 full time professional staff and have about twenty year-round volunteers that help from time to time. They provide services to hundreds of families and their children. Their day to day costs are covered by a variety of government funding sources as well as from parental fees for some specific services. They provide services such as speech therapy, teach strategies for understanding and coping with behaviour issues and provide the means for each child to find their strengths for success in the world. They also provide some services for teens and adults with autism and are hoping to expand these services in the future.
They give families hope. During the Fort McMurray fire crisis, they opened their doors to families with autistic children from Fort McMurray, as autistic children could not tolerate a crowded, noisy, evacuation center. One little boy had not eaten in three days as he would only eat Mac and Cheese prepared a certain way and served in a blue bowl. When they provided this to him, he dove in with both hands, he was so hungry.
Terry reminded us that they can not do what they do, without groups like us, who do what we do, and she thanked us from the bottom of her heart for our support.
Parking: -- The Strathcona Farmers Market parking lot on the east side of Gateway Blvd. (103 Street) is free for 'Ice on Whyte' patrons and volunteers. Go as far north as you can.
The Hut: -- It is adequately heated and comfortable. One chair is provided.
RCES brochure: -- place the new tri-fold brochure stand on the outside ledge. More brochures inside the large white envelope marked "Strathcona Rotary". Perhaps fold a few more in your spare time.
Every year, the Ice on Whyte Festival grabs Canadian winter by the snowballs and carves it into a wicked combo of ice and art. Just imagine, 155,000 pounds of ice is dumped just to prep for this week long party – on purpose! So, get your toque on and come down to the International Ice Carving Competition, ride a gigantic ice slide, or learn to carve ice just like a pro. One of the hottest shows is on the last night, where you’ll see fire melt an ice sculpture right back into H20. You’ll be right in your element. Get it?
In honour of Canada turning the big 150 in 2017, some historically iconic Canadian characters will be making a special appearance at the End of Steel Park during the festival. Don't just imagine what life was like for Canada’s ancestors, see for yourself! Listen to stories about Edmonton from fur trading pioneers like Richard Hardisty or hear from Margaret Martin about what life was like for women before they had the right to vote. Experience the stories of ordinary people that shaped our country in a unique and extraordinary way.
INQUIRY FOR INTEREST FOR A TRIP TO GREECE IN SEPTEMBER 2017
After the 2016 successful Tour of Greece there has been an interest in a repeat. If you or acquaintances of yours are interested in participating in an 8 to 10 days bus tour of Greece please send an e-mail to Dimitri Papanicolas at dpapanicolas@outlook.com in order to receive more information. The number of participants should not exceed 20, on first come first saved basis. We will also connect with a few Rotary Clubs during the trip and see if we can organize a visit. The tour is open to non-Rotarian too.
The tour will take place in the mainland visiting archeological sites, religious sites, overall site seeing (see map) and of course some local food, wine, ouzo and shopping. Island and cruise tours can be organized separately before or after the tour.
On Sunday January 22 the Edmonton Oil Kings scored big time at the new Rogers Place with the End Polio Now campaign. Unfortunately, they did not register a score on the scoreboard as they fell 2-0 to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The photos (by Carin van Vuuren) show the Oil Kings present a cheque in the amount of $5,200+ to our member and District Polio Plus Chair, Patrick Gibson. Well done Patrick. I believe we set another attendance record with close to 600 Rotarians, family and friends in the seats.
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a social program of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Strathcona. It is designed to provide an opportunity for Club members and spouses/companions to meet other Club members in an informal, social, small group setting.
Typically a Member would Host one month and be a Guest for two months. All Members are encouraged to participate - even if for only one month. The visitors should expect anything from spaghetti or pizza to steaks. The most important part of this program is the fellowship and the opportunity to get to know each other better.
Members are reminded about the District Volunteer Security Policy, DOWNLOAD HERE.
This policy was generated from the requirement of our insurance company providing liability coverage in case of issues arising from members and non-Rotarians working with youth and other vulnerable members of our society.
The policy provides that all involved Rotarians and non-Rotarians complete a vulnerable persons police check. See below or click 'Read more...'
Contact Hans Granholm, 780-466-5566 for more information.
District 5370 Police Record Check Process
The procedure applies to both Rotarians and non-Rotarians involved in any Rotary sponsored vulnerable person activity.
Have a vulnerable persons record check completed.
Submit your application with the Club’s letter of introduction (obtained by Hans Granholm) to the local police service.
After you receive the certificate, submit the original (photocopies are not accepted) (This procedure is to be updated) to the address in my signature below or alternately deliver to the District office.
Original is reviewed by Youth Protection Chair, Staff Sergeant Brian Scott.
Original and letter of certification are returned to volunteer directly. (To be updated)
Provide a photocopy to the club.
Certification lasts for a period of three years.
Police procedure:
RCMP
Certification is free of charge and sometimes they will complete the certification while you wait (if you have time to wait).
Edmonton Police Service (EPS)
EPS charges $15 for the certification and be aware that they accept cheque or money order ONLY. No cash or plastic. Cheque or money order should be made out to “City of Edmonton”.
The certificate will be mailed to you, usually within a week.
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