Posted by Bev Harrington, District Governor
on Jun 01, 2022
Wasn’t it great to be TOGETHER AGAIN at Semiahmoo? From start to finish, we celebrated, were inspired, and had FUN! Who knew our Rotary International President Rep PDG John Smarge and his wife Cindy were Pickleball aficionados, or the sun would miraculously appear for the beach scavenger hunt on Friday afternoon? More than 100 Rotarians attended the District 5050 Foundation dinner…over half of them first timers. Listening to all the Clubs being recognized for their support of The Rotary Foundation and hearing from the incomparable Rotary Foundation Trustee Dean Rohrs, made it a very special evening.
Saturday morning we demonstrated how happy we all were to be together again, dancing and clapping to the music. The day was filled with connection as we responded to the We! Connect questions, were encouraged to take care of our internal customers (remember Each One, Keep One?), the magic that can happen by attending a make-up Rotary meeting while on vacation, having fun with Rotaractors, being challenged to be intergenerational changemakers by ensuring others feel seen, valued, and heard, having time to learn about Club projects in the International Bazaar and even wining prizes. All that and an evening of good food, special awards, and the Killer Keyz Dueling Pianos Show.
Some hearty souls rose early Sunday morning for the 5K Walk or Run. (I confess I did it for the one-of-a-kind water bottle sticker!) We started with a beautiful and meaningful tribute to the many members of our Rotary family who are no longer with us. Before departing to go back home, we were encouraged to listen, pay attention, supercharge our curiosity, and seek the wisdom of those we help by showing up with respect and love.
This very small unit of time gave us so much.
As this Rotary year is coming to a close, I am filled with gratitude for being so warmly welcomed at your Club meetings, learning about your impactful service projects, and gaining a deeper understanding of how much would be lacking in our communities if not for each of you who day after day put service above self. Please wear your Rotary pin every day with pride, for you are incredible!
DGND Dave Duskin, DGE Raj Rajagopal, DG Bev Harrington, DGN David Lukov
Despite 2-1/2 years of training—as District Governor Nominee Designate, District Governor Nominee, District Governor Elect—one quickly realizes it takes a whole lot of dedicated and caring Rotarians turning the wheel together to lead our District. Please take a look at the Organization Chart at our District website and send a note to someone who has made a difference for you this year.
During my DG visits, I quoted American author Sam Keen who said: “Nothing shapes our lives so much as the questions we ask, refuse to ask, or never dream of asking.” The power of questions is they unlock conversations and we feel connected. The chance that we feel like we belong goes way up, and when we feel like we belong, we stick around. All of you who were at our District Celebration received a box of We! Connect cards. Choose a question to ask someone in your family, at work, or at your Rotary meeting…one simple question to show the people in your life that they are valued.
Stay Connected…As we come to the end of our journey together, know that I am always interested in hearing how you are turning the wheel. Please email me or call to chat (360-421-0601). Now is our time, this is our moment, to dream big, be bold, and capture the magic!
This is the June 2022 edition of the Peace Arch Journal. Thank you to everyone who helped provide content for this issue. If you want your Club program, initiative, fundraiser and success story to be seen by the entire District (and our friends outside of the District), send us the information! With graphics or photos. And, please make sure you identify everyone in the photos.
Congratulations to Bev Harrington on a successful term as Governor! The District is strong and we persevered despite the challenges we faced a year ago. Thank you Bev for encouraging the members to Serve to Change Lives.
Who attended the District Celebration last month? If you weren't there you missed a great weekend. Read all about it in the articles below. And, save the dates of 5-7 May 2023 for next year's Conference in Surrey, BC. Photos of this year's Celebration are available by clicking this link. Enjoy!
The District has changed the District website address (aka URL) to rotarydistrict5050.org. Please clear your browser cache and bookmark the new address. Also, Club Website Administrators, update the District link on your Club's website to the new address.
For the first time in three years, we got together as a District and celebrated! Over 140 Rotarians, spouses and friends gathered at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA to learn more about Rotary and how we can impact the world around us. We also celebrated our support of The Rotary Foundation with a dinner the night before the Conference formally began. Many of the over 100 people that attended that dinner were first timers. See the article below for more about the various recognitions that were announced.
Saturday morning’s opening plenary session started with a presentation by Rebecca Murray. “Rotary Converts Changemakers” was the title and she helped us learn how communication is a key component of understanding. Through a series of activities, attendees got to know each other by asking questions from a set of We! Connect Cards. Each card had a question designed to get to know the person you’re asking the question of. For three rounds of this process, Rebecca had us Listen, then Affirm, then Build on what was shared. Participants partnered up with random people in the room and asked each other the question on the card. A key part of this activity was that once you asked the question of someone and heard their response, you then found someone else to start the process over again though because you swapped cards with the prior person, each interaction was new. This was a great way to get to know people from throughout our District. Thank you Rebecca for a great presentation.
Next we heard from Rotary International President’s Representative John Smarge. He talked about Paul Harris first service project. Many think it was arranging for setting up public toilets. (There’s a story behind this project, but that’s for another time.) Harris’ first service project was the purchase of a horse for a local doctor so he could visit his patients. Smarge also asked us “Why does a Rotary Club exist?” Many were surprised by the answer- “To meet the needs of its members.” I, for one, have been pondering this ever since. This, of course, makes sense. We each have a need to make our communities—whether that be locally, regionally or internationally—a better place through a variety of ways. One just need to look at the District 5050 Clubs section of each edition of this Journal to see how this is manifested: local road and park cleanups, contributing to programs that help youth (backpacks, books, scholarships, etc.) and boots on the ground delivering vaccines, clean water, disaster relief and so much more.
To close out the morning session, AG Allan Stjernegaard and AGE Glen Brown gave a presentation on the Belize Education, Literacy and Safety Project. This came about as a result of a Rotarian vacationing in Belize and attending a local Meeting for a makeup. Image if that vacation hadn’t occurred. (Also imagine if Peter Martin had never visited Honduras.) They shared how partnering with the Rotary Club of Belize multiplies the efforts here at home and the positive impact this is having on children in schools as well as prisoners in the country’s prison. Literacy has increased, the cycle of poverty is being disrupted meaning that there will be better outcomes for young people and children in Belize. Reduced crime is also a positive outcome of this project. They also told us that Belize Rotary Club is also taking care of every child born in Belize with a congenital heart defect. Meaning they provide funds for hospitalization and surgery for these children. They recognize the future of their country is in all children.
The afternoon plenary session began with District Rotaract Director Phoenix MacLaren and Co-Dsitrict Rotaract representative Lexie Wynne guiding us through Rylantics Fun. The three activities the attendees participated in are also done at RYLA trainings. They were super fun! The first was on “Following Instructions.” Everyone was given a piece of paper on it with a list of instructions on it. We were to follow them exactly. Did we? Well, let’s just say, some in the group were eager to get through the exercise and missed a key instruction. The second exercise was the ”Helium Stick.” This had table groups work together to lower a very skinny stick from about head height down to the floor by only allowing the stick to rest on top of the outstretched forefingers of each participant. This led to much hilarity. Lastly, Phoenix and Lexie had each table work together to write words with a pen that was attached to strings—one for each person at the table—and by each person pulling taut the sting to guide the pen to write words on paper that was stretched out on the table. That was a lot of fun.
Next, Jordan Jerome Harrison inspired us to have a “Golden Level Connection.” He talked about Blue Zones—people living in to their 100’s. Some common denominators are eating well, moderation in alcohol intake and having a sense of purpose. Next, he asked “Can you insist on Golden Connections? And wear them daily?” Then he noted three questions of belonging: “Belongingness is…Do I feel seen? Do I feel valued? Do I feel heard?” He wrapped up his presentation sharing a quote by C.S. Lewis: Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another: ‘What? you too! I thought I was the only one.’
The evening Gala was spectacular. We had a “visit” from the wife of one of the founders of Rotary. A delicious dinner was enjoyed by all and a raucous time was had when Killer Keyz Dueling Pianos performed to close out the evening. The Keyz helped raise more than $2,500 dollars that was distributed amongst the Clubs that had displays at the International Bazaar.
On Sunday morning, PDG Linda Murray and PRID Dean Rohrs led the Memorial Service honouring those Rotarians that we've lost in the past twelve months. Celeste Mergens, founder of Days for Girls, gave an update about the impact her organization is having on girls and young women in, primarily, third-world countries where feminine hygiene hasn't always been the norm. Because of the reusable, washable pad, girls are able to attend school without missing any lessons and women are able to always be participating in the activities and events of their families and community outside of their homes. PDG John Smarge and DG Bev Harrington gave closing remarks.
Thank you to all of the presenters at our District Celebration. Thank you to the Clubs that had displays at the Bazaar. Thank you to the organizing committee for delivering a great event. We are looking forward to getting together again at another District 5050 event. Visit this link for more photos from this year's District Celebration.
We are celebrating the fact our founding and current leader, Peter Martin, has received Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award for his work as founder and leader of the International Project Alliance (IPA) and the associated IPA Foundation. In presenting the award at the Fidalgo Island Rotary Club meeting, District Governor Bev Harrington shared “This prestigious award is given to only 150 of the many exceptional Rotary leaders around the world each year. Peter has devoted his entire being to service above self for the past seven years, bringing hope and assistance to the poorest of the poor in the Copan region of Honduras. He is a living example of the Power of One!”
At the conclusion of the meeting, in his humble way, Peter thanked Governor Harrington for the great honor and, with tongue in cheek, took the liberty of offering some suggestions:
His award should be renamed Service Above Spouse because the many contributions and endless sacrifices his wife Carolyn has also made on behalf of these Mayan communities
The award could have come in eleven pieces, one for each of the eleven Rotary Clubs in IPA because none of this would have happened without them.
AG Allan Asaph and DGN David Lukov received Goldfinch Most Valuable Rotarian Awards at the District Celebration from DG Bev Harrington.
This award was created in 2014 by PDG Denis Boyd in memory of Past Assistant Governor Ron Goldfinch. It recognizes extraordinary dedication to Rotary as a member of the district leadership team.
Even though Allan was just starting his third year as Assistant Governor for Area B supporting five Rotary and one Rotaract Club, he said YES to joining the District Board of Directors to represent the other 11 Assistant Governors. Every month he led a meeting of the AGs to share ideas and concerns, and freely gave support to those who support others. He also said YES to leading the District’s disaster relief efforts after the major floods last winter. “Thank you for saying YES, Allan. You are a most valuable Rotarian!”
DG Bev shared that she had an ambitious goal to form a district service committee to bring attention to the phenomenal acts of service District 5050 Rotarians are engaged in as well as to provide a venue for others to find new ideas. Even though he had much to do as District Governor Nominee, David Lukov said YES without hesitation to leading this effort, forming a committee, meeting monthly, developing the mission, and launching the DOGOODERY link on the district website. “Thank you for saying YES, David. You are a most valuable Rotarian!”
Also acknowledged were the previous recipients of this award:
2013-2014 Val Tibbetts & Maureen Boyd
2014-2015 Pat Bond, Julie Frauenholtz, & Ellen Middleton
A partnership between District 5050 and District 1020 (Scotland) has resulted in both Districts applying for and receiving USD $25,000 Disaster Response Grants from The Rotary Foundation. The funds will be combined to purchase a USD $50,000 Ladder Firetruck.
The firetruck was purchased in Latvia and will be delivered to the Ukrainian border. Representatives from District 2232 (Ukraine/Belarus) and the Ukrainian Fire Department will meet it and organize the passage of all border and custom formalities. The vehicle will be driven to the City of Chernihiv which has suffered badly from the Russian invaders.
Rotary Districts and the Rotary Foundation working together to do good in the world!
Posted by Malcolm Kennedy and James Monroe on Jun 01, 2022
2020-2021 Banners / Certificates Awarded
at the
District 5050 Foundation Dinner May 13, 2022
The keynote speaker at this year's Foundation Dinner was past Rotary International Director Dean Rohrs. She defined courage as "facing fear with innate bravery." During her presentation, Rohrs shared a quote by noted statesman Winston Churchill "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Congratulations to the Clubs that were recognized at the dinner. Will your Club be announced at the next Foundation Dinner?
Top Three Per Capita in Annual Fund Giving
For the three Clubs in the District that give the most, per capita, to the Annual Fund. Clubs that give at least $50 per capita are eligible.
·Coquitlam Sunrise $ 1,196 per capita
·White Rock-Peace Arch $ 832 per capita
·Langley $ 405 per capita
100% Foundation Giving Club
For Clubs that achieve an average of $100 in per capita giving and 100 percent participation, with every dues-paying member contributing at least $25 to any or all of the following during the Rotary year: Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, approved global grants, or Endowment Fund.
· Langley
· Abbotsford-Sumas
· Mission
· Monroe
· Mount Baker
· South Surrey
· Whidbey-Westside
Every Rotarian, Every Year Club
For Clubs that achieve a minimum Annual Fund contribution of $100 per capita during the Rotary year, and every dues-paying member must personally contribute at least $25 to the Annual Fund during the year.
· Langley
· Abbotsford-Sumas
· Mission
· Monroe
· Mount Baker
· South Surrey
100% Paul Harris Fellow Club
For Clubs in which all dues-paying members are Paul Harris Fellows. This is a one-time recognition.
· White Rock-Peace Arch
End Polio Now Certificates of Appreciation
A certificate of appreciation for its financial support of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign. For Clubs that contributed at least US $1,500 to Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
Abbotsford
Langley
Abbotsford-Sumas
Langley Central
Arlington
Meadow Ridge
Bellingham
Mission
Burlington
North Delta
Chilliwack
Pacific Northwest Passport
Chilliwack After Hours
Semiahmoo (White Rock)
Chilliwack Fraser
South Everett Mukilteo
Coquitlam
Surrey
Everett
San Juan Islands
Fidalgo Island
Whidbey Westside
La Conner
White Rock
Lake Stevens
2021 GolFun Recognitions
For Clubs with combined donations that equal a contribution of $3,000 USD of more to the Annual Fund and/or PolioPlus Fund
Earlier this year, I shared with you an email about Nick and my plans to kick off the next Rotary year (July 1st) with an awareness tour across our home country. I am excited to formally announce the Imagine Rotary Canada Tour – a journey that is part of a global effort to elevate the profile of Rotary.
We are delighted to share with you the following “hub” event locations and dates:
June 17 & 18 – Dawson City, YT June 19 & 20 – Inuvik, NWT (with day trip to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT) June 21 & 22 – Whitehorse, YT June 26 – 28 – Windsor, ON June 29 – July 1 – Ottawa, ON July 2 & 3 – St. John`s, NL July 4 – Quebec City, PQ July 5 – Toronto, ON July 6 – Winnipeg, MB July 7 & 8 – Calgary, AB July 9 – Edmonton, AB July 10 – Vancouver, BC July 11 – Victoria, BC
…whew!
While we are dedicating several weeks to this tour, I hope you understand that that we will not be able to visit each Province or Territory and encourage you to consider participating in one of the hubs that is most convenient for you.
Please watch for more announcements on the Zone 28 & 32 website and Facebook pages – as well as postings on the event hub website – www.imaginerotary.ca.
Due to system limitations this email can only be sent to Rotary members (Rotarians and Rotaractors) in Canada. I kindly request that District Governors in our cross-border districts please extend a warm invitation to our friends and members on the US and France sides of your districts.
Hope to see you during the Imagine Rotary Canada Tour. Happy Spring!
The Rotary Club of Bellingham, in conjunction with volunteers from the City of Bellingham, cleaned their Memorial Park in Bellingham just in time for Memorial Day.
RCOB has several veterans in their Club and has been taking on this task for many years. The volunteers weed, clean the walkways and the memorials. Along the way, Rotarians and volunteers reflect on the names of those lost while serving, dating back to World War I. In fact, the park started its existence in 1889 as just Sunnyland Park, but after WWI, the Mothers of World War Veterans developed a portion of the park to memorialize Whatcom County’s fallen soldiers (and is known as Memorial Park in the Sunnyland neighborhood). The park now houses large granite memorials, labeled for specific wars with the names of soldiers lost during each memorialized. There are also 30 species of trees on the property, some of which are also dedicated to fallen soldiers.
The Rotary Club of Bellingham is honored to recognize veterans for their sacrifice and we are privileged to be part of this worthwhile annual project.
Satellite Club of Langley CentralLilianne Fuller
The Satellite Rotary Club of Langley Central Sunset has completed its first legacy project. Club members were able to construct an outdoor classroom to benefit the students at Glenwood Elementary School. A ribbon cutting will be held later this spring.
EverettWalt Greenwood
58 Everett students will gain a college head start as the Rotary Club of Everett last month presented scholarships funded by Club members and donors worth an unprecedented $281,500. This is the largest amount the Club has ever donated to scholarships in one year! Individual grants range from $500 to $25,000.
The total includes a new scholarship for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) studies, funded by Fluke Corporation, and another in general studies funded by Leavitt Group Northwest.
“Members of the Everett Rotary Club and our community partners believe that education powers progress,” said Greg Lineberry, Club President. “In a world faced with so many challenges and uncertainties, our Club was humbled by the achievements and aspirations of our award recipients, and we are happy to support them as they advance their knowledge and skills.”
Rotarians in Everett work closely with school counselors to identify scholarship prospects. Those nominees are then interviewed by Rotary members, who make the final selection. In total, the Club has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships.
“What the Everett Rotary does every year for our students is incredible,” said Superintendent Ian Saltzman of the Everett School District. “These 58 students have worked hard throughout high school and are ready for their next educational opportunities. Having some financial assistance always makes the path a bit easier! My heartfelt gratitude to the Rotary for all their support.”
Supporting youth is a major focus for the Rotary Club of Everett. Club members share their business experiences with students participating in the school district’s AVID (Achievement Via Individual Determination) program. The Club also participates in student exchange programs by sending local students overseas and hosting students from other countries.
As we get closer to the end of the current Rotary year on June 30, club officers need to be thinking about recognizing their club and individual Rotarians for outstanding accomplishments. Dave Duskin, District Awards Chair, has released a list of awards that are available for the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Included is a new award entitled the “People of Action Award.”
To complement the Rookie of the Year Award, the People of Action Award is to honor up to five Rotarians in the District who has a longer term of service, and who has taken action to create lasting change in their communities and the world.
In addition to the Rookie of the Year and the People of Action Awards, a Club may be nominated for the following “Best of the District Awards” in the following categories:
Community Project
International Project
Multi-Club Service Project
Innovative Fundraising Project
Website
Bulletin/Newsletter
Use of Social Media
Telling the Rotary Story (Public Image)
Proactive and creative initiative in attracting and retaining members
Based on figures provided by Rotary International, Clubs will also be recognized in the following membership categories: Most New Members, Most New Women Members, Most New Members Under 40, and Highest Retention Percentage. All membership awards will be based on the percentage of a Club’s total membership.
Winners of all the awards will be announced on 17 July at the installation of the District’s officers and directors for 2022-2023 Rotary year. To give the selection committee time to review all the nominations, the nomination forms must be emailed and received by the Awards Chair no later than 30 June.
RYLA 2022 has been pushed a bit later this year to October 13-16th at Zajac Ranch in Mission, BC. We are asking Rotarians and Clubs in the District to contribute by sponsoring and recruiting participants. We are so excited to provide the "RYLA Magic" in person again!! Please note for your yearly budgets that we are still planning the following RYLA to be in spring 2023.
The
Peace Arch Journal
This monthly publication is a service to District Members and Friends. It is intended as a source of news and opinion from throughout the District.
The mission of the Peace Arch Journal is to promote communication, understanding, fellowship and fun beyond club meetings, in a manner complementary to shared efforts at placing Service Above Self.
Please send articles and news with or without pictures attached to emails. Photographs are always a plus! Note that the editor appreciates conservation of space in order to meet the sender’s needs and the editor’s time.
The deadline is the 23rd of the month.
Address any and all information to the Peace Arch Journal Editor.
First woman takes office as president of Rotary InternationalEVANSTON, Ill. (June 29, 2022) – Jennifer Jones, member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, will be the first woman to take office as
Rotary awards its highest recognition to HRH Prince Charles, Prince of WalesKIGALI, Rwanda (June 24, 2022) – Celebrate Community, a joint initiative of the four major volunteer service organizations, will launch this year
The nonprofit Music Mends Minds, launched by Rotary member Carol Rosenstein, provides people with memory loss an opportunity to reconnect through song.
