Connection February 7, 2021 (Feb 07, 2022)

District Governor February Message

February Message

Rotary Employment Partnership Program

and Inclusion Alberta

From Andre Charrois

Dear Rotarians,

Next Wednesday Feb 9th from 12:00PM - 12:45PM, Inclusion Alberta will be holding a lunch and learn specific to the Rotary Employment Partnership Project.

You will have to provide your own lunch but the learning is free. There will be a variety of speakers including representatives from Inclusion Alberta and your truly will be speaking about the positive impacts of employing someone with a developmental disability.

If you have heard the story before there will always be new things you can learn about this program. If you have not heard the story before perhaps you will have a chance why this organization is near and dear to my heart.

I really hope you can join us.

Zoom Link

Rotary Club of Edmonton West -

1.5 Degrees of Peace

Wednesday, February 9, 2022
6:30 pm MST (Edmonton)
VIA ZOOM

At 23 years old, Kasha Sequoia Slavner is the founder of The Global Sunrise Project and director/screenwriter of the multi-award-winning documentary, The Sunrise Storyteller.

Since it’s World Premiere at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2017, the film has screened at 60 film festivals internationally and won 30 awards to date, some of which include “Best Documentary” at Carmarthen Bay BAFTA Awards Qualifying Festival, “Rising Star Filmmaker ”at Colorado International Activism Film Festival, the “Golden Jury Prize, Youth Visions” at the Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle, "Spirit of Activism" at the Nevada Women's Film Festival, the “Ron Kovic Peace Prize”, and the “Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award”, My Hero Film Festival, Los Angeles.

Kasha has been a photographer, entrepreneur, and social justice advocate for over a decade, as well as a writer, public speaker and contributor to several publications, including National Geographic Learning.

Zoom Link

Future of Farming

Join us on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 12 noon for a joint meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Edmonton (Downtown) and Edmonton West. The meeting will be hosted by the Edmonton West Club at:

The University Club

11435 Saskatchewan Dr NW,

Edmonton, AB T6G 2G9

https://goo.gl/maps/fFZrd9fbuU72Xbqd7

or online over Zoom.

Please register for in-person or online attendance before Friday Feb 11, 2022.

In-person attendance will include lunch for $25 per person, payable in cash or by cheque at the door. Zoom attendance for those unable to attend in-person will be free. Note that attendance at events at the University Club requires proof of vaccination for Covid. Masks are required when attendees are not seated for lunch.

OUR GUEST SPEAKER

Our guest speaker will be Stan Blade, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Science. Dr. Blade will speak about “The Future of Farming” and the importance of adding value in the agricultural sector of Alberta’s economy. Click this link to learn more about Stan Blade:

https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/blade

PARKING

Parking for those attending the luncheon meeting in-person is available in Lot 5108, accessible off 116 Street, south of Saskatchewan Drive for $5.50 between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Remember your license plate number. You can pay for parking at the machines located at the southeast corner of the lot or in the lobby of the University Club, or using the Honk Mobile App. Note that fines for illegal parking at the U of A are substantial.

ONLINE ATTENDANCE

For those wishing to attend online, the Zoom link will be as follows:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82290083503?pwd=aHhXTyt4cDVhd1d6VjB0aTVLTVdndz09

Meeting ID: 822 9008 3503

Passcode: 851802

Rotary Club Edmonton (Downtown)

Rotary's Campaign - Vaccines for the World

We are pleased to inform you that the Rotary COVID Fundraising Campaign website that UNICEF Canada has developed for us is live!

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Jasper for launching this initiative. Our District goal is $150 000 and we need YOUR help!

Scientists and health experts around the world agree that more and more variants will keep coming unless we get as many people in the world vaccinated as quickly as possible.

So if you, members of your Rotary Club, Family and Friends of Rotary in your community want to either donate direct, or start a fundraising campaign of your own you can do so by going to the following website:

https://fundraise.unicef.ca/endcovidnow

So far 5 Clubs have signed up and are collecting donations as per the link below.

https://fundraise.unicef.ca/endcovidnow

Each Club has it's own site with it's own goal as per Nisku-Leduc's below.

https://fundraise.unicef.ca/endcovidnow/nisku-leduc-rotary--vaccines-for-the-world

So YOUR CLUB can set up their own page or can get their members and friends to donate direct to one of the other pages listed.

All donations of $25.00 or more will receive a tax receipt direct from UNICEF Canada within minutes of their donation.

This Rotary COVID Fundraising Campaign in partnership with UNICEF Canada is particularly timely:

UNICEF, as a key partner of COVAX has an immense task of purchasing and delivering 3 billion vaccines to people in low- and middle income countries.

Our Rotary fundraising efforts can help them achieve their goal as well as making a difference in the lives of millions who still don't have access to COVID vaccines - Rotary Serving to Change Lives!!

More information about the Rotary COVID Fundraising Campaign is available on the fundraising website.

Additionally, my Foundation Chair and I would be more than willing to attend a meeting of your Club for a short presentation and to answer any questions that you might have.

If you are interested in us presenting at a Club meeting, feel free to contact me by email below.

Yours in Rotary,

Libby Weir

Co-President

Rotary Club of Jasper

Contact Libby Weir

Symbols of Peace

Rotary clubs throughout District 5370
encouraged to dedicate peace poles

A new initiative by Rotary District 5370 Peacebuilder Committee invites clubs to dedicate peace poles in their communities.

“Peace poles are a visible reminder of the importance of speaking, reflecting and acting in the spirit of harmony,” said Ingrid Neitsch, who is launching the campaign along with committee members to establish peace poles throughout the District’s 61 club communities.

As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of Rotary International’s mission. Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships for leaders from around the world to study at one of the peace centres located in universities in the U.S., Japan, the U.K., Australia, Sweden, Thailand and Uganda.

Peace poles are a tradition started in Japan as monuments of peace. Currently, approximately 250,000 peace poles exist worldwide. Rotary Districts and community agencies have planted peace poles in such prominent locations as government buildings, schools and parks and have planted multiple poles to create striking peace gardens.

The dedication ceremony and the poles themselves are a symbol of our contemplation of peace literacy and of our support for peace education.

Each world peace pole is constructed of weather-resistant vinyl engraved with the inclusive message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in several languages. *

The communities themselves choose the special place for the pole, plan the content of each dedication ceremony so that it is meaningful to them, and choose the languages inscribed on the pole. Peace poles are a great opportunity to partner with another district club including Rotaract and Interact Clubs.

Let’s populate our District with symbols of peace!

Peace is our gift to each other.

Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize 1986

For more information contact

Ingrid Neitsch: ilnrotary@gmail.com

Shannon Peacocke: speacocke@live.com

World Peace

Link to register:

https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50077/sitepage/foundation-celebration-2022

Check out this link for conference details and register YOUR club today!

https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50012/page/district-5370-conference

The Rotary Club of Edmonton Southeast invested $3,400.00 to purchase 60 sleeping bags, 60 pairs of winter socks for men and women, 60 pieces of touques and 200 pieces of Grabber handwarmers.

Four members of the club made the trip to Boyle Street and Bissell Center Sunday morning at 11:00am and give away the sleeping bags, pair of winter socks, toques and hand warmer to 60 homeless people.

The original costs of the items was $6,000 but because Victoria was able to haggle for a discount from 3 stores, namely Canadian Tire South Common, Marks and Sportcheck, it went down to $3,400.00 only. Working together with community partners make a difference. Thank you to all who worked together and contributed!

$10 Tim’s cards donated by a friend of the club were also distributed.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Edmonton Southeast and all of their work in Serving to Change Lives!

#RotaryResponds #ServeToChangeLives

Rotary Learning Center

New Course! Creating an Inclusive Club Culture

Each of us has something unique to contribute, and we should all have the opportunity to do so. Creating a club culture that is welcoming to everyone starts with having conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Discussing these topics takes time and isn’t always easy. This course will help your club hold these discussions, assess its policies and practices, and make changes to create a more inclusive culture. (MyRotary.org login required)

Creating an inclusive club

Engaging Online Meetings: in-person venue to virtual

When meeting in person isn’t feasible, clubs can still connect with members virtually. Remember that online meetings depend on two essentials: technology and content. Before you plan your next meeting, review the resources on our online meetings page, including expert advice on hosting online and hybrid meetings, tips from fellow members, and links to courses in the Learning Center.

(MyRotary.org log in required)

Engaging Online Meetings

Share YOUR club events, initiatives and

success stories!

Send us the following:

Short summary or story
Image (JPEG or PNG)
Web link

Submissions are due on Wednesday

Connections Submissions