* come in person to celebrate your birthday with Purdy's chocolates!!
Let us know what you think about our last meeting. Scan the QR code below and fill out the short survey.
Joint Rotaract & Rotary Dinner, March 18, 2025
Join this annual event where our 3 clubs connect! THIS EVENT IS FOR MEMBERS AND ROTARACTS ONLY
NOT OPEN TO THE PUPLIC
Attention Rotary Club of Vancouver, Young Professionals Rotaract, and UBC Rotaract Members!
Reserve your spot today for the 2025 joint meeting where our three clubs come together for an evening of connection, collaboration, and impact. Together we’ll network, share ideas, and explore new ways to work together.
This once-a-year event is not to be missed!
There will be a buffet dinner served by Potluck Catering. Kindly note that Rotary members who are on a pay-as-you-go arrangement and guests will be charged $39.00 per person for the dinner, otherwise, your dinner costs are already covered. There are limited seats available, register as soon as possible to secure your place.
Let's begin to gather at 6:15 p.m. Registration will run to 6:30 p.m. Meeting will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. and we'll wrap up by 8:30 p.m.
The caterer, the Potluck Cafe Society, was founded in 2001 to help end the cycle of poverty in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside community and address the needs of it's more nutritionally vulnerable residents through solutions that promote employment and nutrition. Hiring them is a great way for Rotary to support a wonderful community organization! They consistently earn rave reviews.
NOTE FOR ROTARIANS: There will be no lunch meeting on March 18th.
A message from your fellow Rotarian Jason Boudreau
Immediate Past President &
President, Rotary Club of Vancouver Hearing Foundation
Dear fellow Rotarians,
I am reaching out as the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation has offered a unique experience for our club members to participate in.
On March 18th, from 9:00 - 11:00 am, the foundation is offering to host a small group (10-15 people) for a “mock rooms” tour at the new St. Paul’s campus, before these rooms are taken down at the end of March.
These mock rooms are the exact design and spec that will be in the new hospital and in fact, are being used by the development team and the hospital staff to ensure the finished rooms are exactly as the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff want them to be.
This is a unique and only opportunity for anyone in the club who is interested, to see and experience these state-of-the-art hospital rooms.
As we are getting closer to meeting our fundraising target for the new Hearing and Balance Centre project, I thought some of you may want to reconnect with St. Paul’s and get up-to-speed on what’s been happening on the ground there.
Please respond to Patricia at admin@rotaryvancouver.org with your interest right away, as this is on a limited and first-come, first-served basis and these blocks of time fill up VERY quickly.
Thank you all in advance for your consideration,
Jason
Congratulations!
The Britannia Bruins Senior Girls Basketball Team won the bronze on March 1 in the Provincials. Britannia, an Inner-City Vancouver Public School of 600 students drew the biggest crowd of fans in the entire tournament!
Thank you to the support of our Club, the team was able to travel to the provincials.
This very kind Thank-You letter was received from the team!
FREE ASL WORKSHOP
Free Beginner American Sign Language workshop for all Rotarian, Rotaracts and Interacts!
(Snacks provided)
When: Tuesday March 11th, 5:00-6:00 pm
Where: Buchanan D205, 1866 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Joining VYP Blood Donation Team –
Contacts, Instructions, and Details
Team Name and ID: Vancouver Young Professionals Rotaract Club (ID: VANC0122062)
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Instructions received from Canadian Blood Services:
Step 1: Sign in or register for an account here: https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/user/login Step 2: Click on this link to join your team: https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/join-team/VANC0122062
Step 3: Select “Yes” to have your name and email shared with champion. Then, link “Join”. Step 4: You will be taken to the “My Teams” page with your team’s name listed. Click on the green “View Team” button.
Step 5: To reserve an appointment slot, scroll down until you see “Team appointments”. Click on “Book”.
Step 6: Select a time that works for you.
Step 7: Confirm your appointment by clicking “Book now”:
Kindly note that each team member must select their own appointment. We use this information to ensure we are meeting hospital needs and track your team’s donations. All vacant appointments will be automatically released to the public on Saturday November 22nd if left unfilled.
Any questions? Please contact Behrad "Bob” Nassiri at behrad.nassiri@gmail.com
Last Meeting March 4, 2025
Paul Martin, President, chaired the meeting and gave the invocation.
Nadja Gehriger, replaced our Secretary Sam Shorter this week.
Tamlyn Mafika, Sergeant at Arms, introduced guests
Chair’s Announcements:
Welcome to our guests, new and returning, as well as our own members who have taken time out of busy schedules to attend. We are grateful to see new faces, remember guests are always welcome at our meetings. We had a total of 11 guests in the room this week!
Secretary's Announcements:
Reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
Birthdays, member club anniversaries, wedding anniversaries (see above)
Program:
We have had the pleasure to welcome the panelists below to discuss issues and latest tends all around Cyber Security.
The opening question to the panel was their top three things that they wished everyone would understand in the Cyber Security Landscape.
Strong Passwords & Authentication – Use complex, unique passwords for each account and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) whenever possible to add an extra layer of security.
Beware of Phishing & Scams – Cybercriminals often trick people into revealing sensitive information through fake emails, texts, or websites. Always verify links and sender details before clicking.
Keep Software & Systems Updated and Backed Up – Regularly updating and backing up your operating system, data, apps, and antivirus software helps patch security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.
It was discussed how to plan ahead and be prepared for a cyber attack or breach:
Planning for a cyber attack or breach involves a proactive approach that includes preparation, response, and recovery strategies, such as:
Risk Assessment – Identify and assess vulnerabilities in your systems, data, and processes.
Security Policies & Training – Implement cybersecurity policies and train employees to recognize threats like phishing and malware.
Incident Response Plan (IRP) – Develop a clear plan outlining roles, responsibilities, and actions to take during a breach.
Regular Backups – Maintain secure, encrypted backups of critical data to restore systems quickly after an attack.
Network Monitoring & Security Tools – Use firewalls, endpoint protection, and monitoring tools to detect suspicious activity early.
If you make "Think Before You Click" a habit, you’ll avoid most cyber threats before they even start.
Why? Most cyber attacks—like phishing, malware, and ransomware—start with a single bad click on a fake email, malicious link, or suspicious attachment.
How to build this Habit:
Check the Sender – Verify email addresses before clicking links or opening attachments.
Hover Over Links – Before clicking, hover over links to see the actual destination URL.
Beware of Urgency & Scare Tactics – Hackers often pressure you to act fast (e.g., "Your account will be locked!").
Verify Before Acting – If an email or message seems suspicious, contact the sender directly using a known number or website.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Even if credentials are stolen, MFA adds an extra layer of security.
Thank you again to all the panelists for contributing to an insightful and lively discussion.
The Rotary Club of Lions Gate North Vancouver is holding their 5th bi-annual SHRED-IT for charity event on Saturday, March 29 from 10:00am -2:00pm.
Dear fellow Rotarians,
