The answers to the questions from the assembly on Tuesday April 02 have been put into committee profiles and I will be going to each committee to discuss the results. I am aware of some anxiety around expectations within the various committees and I hope to minimize these feelings. Any idea or notion that the assembly was about getting together around tables and trying to find common ground does not get us the desired solution. Everyone has their own opinion and so, the assembly was only a process. What Rotary represents and why the assembly was initiated is, and all about, a belief system. Kathy Butler and others express this belief system as their “why”. Conversely, you cannot beat a belief system with a process. Getting together is just a process. You must know what you believe in and act upon this belief. I met with Mike Houston last Friday and he mentioned that his club in Alberta would recite the “four way” test to conclude their meeting. It can not hurt once and a while to re-articulate what Rotary stands for. Rotary was not unintentional; a belief system was created and has been defended by a series of generations. Sometimes I think we forget what it takes to defend this belief system and part of this defense is as simple as respecting conversation, respecting evidence, and holding on to intellectual honesty. This would include service above self before partisanship and then expanding this idea so that it works for everyone.
A shout out to Dennis Gerace for his thought invocation around the writings of our own Albert Baldeo.
We listened to a great presentation by Bruce Telford and the recipient of the Gorman Bros. and Rotary bursary. A practical nursing student was the recipient of the award this year and her story identified the phenomenal impact this bursary had on her life, on her family, and on the community.
Sarah Campbell from the small donations committee brought forward two motions for club approval. The recipients that where approved unanimously for funding where Coach and Her.
Bill Redmond gave us an update on the status of the Pro-Am and appealed to each member to reach out to the community for financial support.
This week we will be given an update from our Rotary Exchange Student Chiara.
Our feature presenter will be Kathy Butler, who will talk to us about her Rotary initiatives in Africa.
See you all Tuesday. The place to be in Kelowna at noon.