There’s a New Club in Town: Rotary Club of Cochrane EarlyAct

Posted by Martin Parnell (he/him), Rotary Club of Cochrane, 5360 DG
In my role as the D5360 District Governor, I’m always delighted to be able to welcome new members and the formation of new Rotary Clubs. This was especially so, when, on December 14th I attended our newest club, the Rotary Club of Cochrane EarlyAct club, at Glenbow Elementary School in Cochrane, Alberta. It is made up of students in Grade Four, who will decide on which projects to embark on and may then encourage all students from the school to take part in.
The club was formed in October of this year and has already completed their first project. This was to make Christmas cards for residents at both Bethany and Big Hill Lodge, situated in our community. Supported by staff at the school, the sixteen EarlyAct leaders and other students, produced 175 cards, in total. Instead of writing in them, the students had the wonderful idea of leaving them blank and putting them into bundles of five, wrapped in ribbon, so that the residents could then use them as they pleased.
I was there to accept the cards, which were beautifully hand-made from mostly recycled materials, and to present the students with their official Rotary pins. The EarlyAct club already has plans for projects in the coming year.
 
EarlyAct is Rotary pilot program for elementary-aged students. It provides them the opportunity for gaining an increased knowledge of their community and the wider world. It engages them in activities that promote the importance of respect, dignity and caring and the opportunity to develop leadership skills.
 
The staff and students are supported by a team of Rotarians, who attend their meetings on a monthly basis and can offer input on their projects. These projects are intended to offer help and support to those in communities locally, nationally, and internationally.
 
EarlyAct is part of our Rotary New Generations Committee, which also includes Interact for High School students. We have a club at Cochrane High School, all part of the family of Rotary. I can’t wait to see what these young people come up with in the future. This is a great addition, not only to our own Rotary Club of Cochrane, but to the community of Cochrane.