We were delighted to welcome Anna Wood as the newest member of the Rotary Club of Vancouver.  Anna continues a strong family Rotary Tradition through her father, longtime Rotarian and former district web-master Murray Wood, and we are excited to see her bring her energy and commitment to our club's motto Service Above Self.

This week’s program was a special Committee Showcase Panel, created to help members—especially our newest Rotarians—discover where they might like to get involved. 

Instead of formal presentations, the focus was on the people behind the projects: why they joined, what keeps them engaged, and the stories that capture the spirit of their committees. 

The format featured three quick rounds: introductions on why each representative joined, a personal or funny volunteer story, and a 20‑second closing pitch to complete the sentence, “In my committee, one thing is guaranteed…”, all kept moving with the occasional warning of “the bell” if anyone ran long.

Representatives from Community Service, Membership, One World, Ride for Hearing/Brighter Beginnings, Youth, and International Service each highlighted a different facet of our club’s work. 

Community Service emphasized making a tangible difference in Vancouver, Greater Vancouver, and beyond, with every project having real meaning for those served. 

Membership spoke about growing the club with active, high‑quality members (and shared some of the more amusing “excuses” people give for not joining), while One World focused on inclusion and belonging within the club, sharing how events like Oktoberfest helped clarify the committee’s identity and attract new participants. 

Ride for Hearing/Brighter Beginnings underlined over four decades of dedication to hearing‑related causes and the life‑changing impact of fundraising for projects such as cochlear implants, complete with the tradition of Swiss coffee and dessert at meetings.

The Youth Committee presented its work as a kind of “time travel,” helping members see and shape the future by supporting young people through initiatives such as Humathon and scholarships, where heartfelt thanks from recipients made the impact of Rotary very real. 

International Service showcased Rotary’s global reach with stories of projects in places like Mexico, Cambodia, Tanzania, and East Africa—ranging from discovering Tanzanian wine to navigating the bureaucracy required to release a container of hospital beds and then seeing them finally in use. 

Throughout the panel, there was plenty of good‑natured “bribery,” with offers of coffee, recipes, pretzels, beer, and Dutch snacks to entice potential volunteers.