A message from our new President

In his address he revealed the foundation of his theme by quoting Confusius, stating: “It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness” and related it to the work of Rotary.  There are many problems in the world and many people who need help.  At the same time, many people complain there is nothing they can do, so they do nothing and sit in the darkness.  This is not, however, the Rotary way. In Rotary, I light one candle, you light one candle and soon there are more than 1.2 million people lighting candles that can light up the world.  Rotary offers many avenues of service, so how you light your own candle is up to you.  You know your strengths, the needs of your community and how you can help.  We are the ones to say yes, there are people who care, who are capable and that no one should sit alone in the darkness.

Not surprisingly, 2104 priorities include membership, foundation, public relations, polio plus, and service projects, all with specific goals assigned to them.  Like any goals, these will be more easily achieved with a plan or a vision of what success will look like.  The importance of strategic planning is captured by Helen Keller, who was once asked if she could think of anything worse than being blind to which she replied “oh yes, having sight but no vision”.  With this in mind, your executive will be participating in a strategic planning session which is open to all Club members.  It is an important step in identifying Club goals for the upcoming year and how we will achieve them.  This is your opportunity to plan the direction of the Club in 2014 and into the future, so ensure you let the executive know what is important to you should you be unable to attend.

Membership, not only attracting new member but also retaining the ones we have is a challenge faced by all Clubs.  There is no single answer to what makes one Club more successful than another in growing their membership.  One commonality shared by successful Clubs, however, is the level of engagement by their members. My comment to you is to find what is important to you, what made you join Rotary and become involved in it. An engaged membership will attract others and growth will look after itself.

For me, my interest is the youth programs that Rotary supports.  Our Club is very active in this area, supporting not only the International Youth Exchange Program but also the various RYLA and Adventure programs.  Two years ago we rejuvenated the Adventures in Industry program that had previously run in Kitimat, as a means of bringing youth and industry together to promote future career opportunities.  The program should continue in 2015, having received significant support from industry and high marks from the students involved.  The benefits of the RYLA program is illustrated in the young leaders it has developed and the RYLA family that follows.  We have had instances where parents have sought out the program for their children based on the experience of a sibling or friend.  This in my mind speaks volumes about the value of the program.  We have also seen local youth grow as leaders and give back to Rotary and the community by serving as leaders themselves.

The International Youth Exchange Program is something we need to continue to support.  Globally, we need to become more tolerant of others and more accepting of different customs and cultures.  There are few better ways to achieve this then being involved in an exchange.  We have the opportunity to show a foreign student what it means to be a Canadian and have a local student learn the customs and culture of another country.  Both students return home changed people, they are more confident, have another language skill and more importantly a far greater appreciation and tolerance of others.  This is a positive step towards Rotary’s goal of world peace. Everyone can play a role in a student’s exchange as everyone brings a different experience or opportunity to the table.  I encourage you to complete the volunteer application and become more involved in this amazing experience.  We continue to need host families for our incoming exchange students. If you are not able to do it yourself, perhaps you know of someone in the community who would be interested.  Please let any member of the Executive know if you are able to assist.

The Write to Read project offers an opportunity for us to apply for Foundation funding through the District and deliver a needed service locally.  There are many isolated First nations communities who could benefit from the project so this is something we, as a Club, should pursue in the upcoming year.  The Projects Committee continues to do a great job, assessing funding requests ad supporting community projects such as the Park Avenue pullout sign, new playground equipment at the Raven Tot Lot and the Tennis court re-surfacing.  The other significant project we are involved in is the Rushbrooke Trail Project.  This has been ongoing for several years but significant progress has been made over the past year and we may see the Project come to fruition in 2014/15.  Special thanks go out to Bill Nicholls, who has been leading this project for several years and may finally be rewarded for his efforts.

Over the past year, we have also made great strides in sharing our stories with others and raising the profile of Rotary in our community. Marina and her team’s work on our website and Facebook page have been instrumental in making us more accessible to all.  It helps answer that question that I am sure everyone has been asked at least once, what is Rotary?  Everyone has their own answer but in the end it is connecting people, taking action and making a difference.

I look forward to working with you in the upcoming year.