WHY THE RCV

WHY THE RCV

Why Join the Rotary Club of Victoria 
Our Recent Accomplishments

 

By coming to this page you are showing an interest in becoming Rotarians and, in particular, by joining or re-joining the Rotary Club of Victoria. Read through the list of our recent accomplishments. As you identify the wide variety of places where we impact the community you can see where your efforts will have an impact. The Rotary Club of Victoria also has a history of contributing to international programs and this could be where you would like to direct your energy.
 
We are coming to the end of the 2022-23 Rotary year and are about to embark on the Rotary 2023-24 with renewed enthusiasm and vigour. We are excited to announce that the Rotary Club of Victoria and the Saanich Rotary Clubs will join forces to continue as the Rotary Club of Victoria on July 1, 2023. The Victoria Rotary Club was established in 1913 and sponsored the Saanich club in 1958. A major goal will be to add new members.
 
Both clubs have been active in the community in 2022-23. The Rotary Club of Victoria has distributed nearly $47,000 (plus another $10,000 recently) and the Saanich club about $10,000 to Victoria charities, youth programs and international projects.
 
Summarizing the grants in 2022-23:
  • The Threshold Housing Society received $10,000 grants in December and May to support the Rotary Educational Pursuits Program. The program helps youth complete their education and become productive participants in the workforce. We partner with the Oak Bay and Harbourside Clubs in this project.
  • A $15,000 grant was given to Esquimalt High School to support their Science and Arts programs. Among other items, their FIRST Robotics team, the AtomSmashers, was able to purchase a much-needed new portable computer.
  • The Human Nature Counselling Society received $2100 for the New Roots program to address the mental health and well-being of individuals and families. 
  • The Saanich club donated $4100 to local charities.
  • The two clubs donated about $3500 to the Ukraine Global Project to provide Medical Vans in Ukraine.
  • “1000 x 5”, a program to foster reading to children under 5 years, received $2000. 
  • $3000 goes to the annual Festival of Trees to raise funds for the BC Children’s Hospital. 
  • With the Esquimalt High School INTERACT club our two clubs collected items and raised funds for Anawim House at Christmas.
Rotary members are active in the community in other ways where our energy helps others:
  • Saanich continues the weekly distribution of food at Craigflower School.
  • Saanich members provided breakfasts at Craigflower School.
  • Victoria Rotarians have helped raise funds for the INTERACT club at Esquimalt High School to create a new Community Garden.
  • We organized a team for the Coldest Night of the Year walk. With Oak Bay Rotary the team raised $4600 for Our Place.
  • Each year Victoria club members have solicited funds and prizes for the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair. We also give the largest community donation to support the Science Fair.
  • Saanich, Victoria, INTERACT and Rotaract members will help disabled participants in the upcoming Operation TrackShoes on June 11.
The Victoria and Saanich Clubs have a history of support for a broad spectrum of Victoria organizations:
  • Aboriginal Coalition against Homelessness,
  • the Craigflower School breakfast program and food distribution,
  • the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association,
  • the Women’s Transition House,
  • Broadmead Veterans Memorial Lodge,
  • Mount St. Mary,
  • Sandy Merriman House,
  • the Cridge Centre
  • Anawim House,
  • Our Place,
  • Cool Aid Society,
  • Disaster Aid Canada
  • Soap for Hope.  
  • Mustard Seed Street Church
  • Rainbow Kitchen
This is not a complete list. We have been involved with many other organizations.
 
Both clubs have been heavily involved in reduction of food insecurity through the Mustard Seed Food Bank and more recently the creation of the Food Distribution Centre. 
 
Rotary has a strong focus on youth from ages 11 to 30. Rotary International promotes involvement with young adults locally and internationally through sponsorship of several programs:
  • INTERACT (high school students) at Esquimalt High School and Oak Bay High School
  • ROTARACT (University students)
  • RYLA Northwest - Rotary Youth Leadership Award - (grades 11-12)
  • RYLA Vancouver Island - Rotary Youth Leadership Award - (grades 8-10)
  • Long Term Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship - (ages 16 - 18). We send out 1-2 students each year and welcome one in-bound student.
  • Short Term Rotary Youth Exchange - (ages 16 - 18). These are few week to a month exchanges arranged mutual by the parents involved.
  • Adventures in Citizenship - (ages 16 - 18). Travel to Ottawa 
The Rotary Club of Victoria is actively engaged with INTERACT at Esquimalt High School and ROTARACT at UVIC. With the encouragement of local Rotarians, both youth groups undertake community projects and promote the value of good citizenship through “Service Above Self”, the Rotary motto.
 
The Rotary Club of Victoria has other continuing involvement with youth. Each year we have distributed $11,000 – a total of six Scholarships – for post-secondary education. The awards are open to all graduating students in the Victoria region.
  • Three awards are Victoria-wide,
  • Two awards are at Esquimalt High School,
  • The top Senior project winner in the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair receives a $2000 Scholarship
  • Bursaries in Nursing and Metal Fabrication awarded annually at Camosun College from a fund established by the Saanich Rotary Club.
We just received notice that the Rotary Club of Victoria will receive a BC Gaming Grant of $14,000 to be applied to our Youth Programs. This is great news for the 2023-24 year as it will allow us to expand the scholarship/bursary program and gives us much more flexibility in how we can support local charities.
 
Events on the horizon where new members can help:
  • Scholarship applications are due by June 30. The Scholarship Committee will be busy.
  • August 30 is the deadline for requests for funds. Applications need review.
  • We are about to start a Raffle (e-bike prizes) and 50/50. Proceeds are for charity. Fundraising needs more member participation in planning & promotion.
The merger of the Victoria and Saanich Rotary Clubs will bring an enhanced energy to the work of Rotary in Greater Victoria. We will have a larger number of members to focus on and perpetuate the established work of the individual clubs.  In welcoming new members to join the Rotary Club of Victoria we aim to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture that is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change. 
 
Rotary International is one of the world’s most trusted organizations represented in 200 countries with 1.4 million members in 33,000 clubs.  
More information may be found at www.rotaryvictoria.ca.
The current (2022-23) President of Rotary International is Canadian Jennifer Jones of Windsor, Ontario.  
 
 
Rotary Club of Victoria
1 June 2023