Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
Vancouver Arbutus

Service Above Self

We meet In Person & Online
Tuesdays at 12:14 p.m.
The Arbutus Club
2001 Nanton Ave
Vancouver, BC
Canada
In person meetings - 2nd Tuesday of each month. Visitors please use the calendar to select meeting registration and payment. All other Tuesday weekly meetings held on Zoom using the link below.
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Home Page Stories
March and April Highlights
 
22 Fire and Ice Wallpapers - Wallpaperboat
 
Polio Plus 'Fire & Ice' Fundraiser on March 26, 2024:

WHAT A NIGHT
 
At OSAKA TEPPANYAKI STEAK AND SEAFOOD HOUSE
103 – 1788 West Broadway  Vancouver     
 
What a night filled with fun fellowship, laughter, entertainment and fundraising for a good cause.  I heard a rumour that Michael Frost almost lost his bushy eyebrows. Joy brought her daughter Jennifer and Jessica her granddaughter, rounding out the "J" table was Jacob.  Then we had Nan (Nancy) Tam (Tammi) Sam and Pam.  What a great table. 
 
 
 
image
 
The Interact Conference was held on Sunday March 10th at Britannia Secondary School.  There were 90 students from High Schools on the lower mainland. What an extremely bright and talented group of young people, our world is in good hands. 
FEBRUARY 2024 BULLETIN & UPCOMING EVENTS
Club’s Social Day – February 27, 2024
We had an excellent turn-out of twenty-two members and friends visiting the Bloedel Conservatory on February 27th. It was a cold afternoon, but we were able to experience the warmth inside of the conservatory and see plants and birds from around the world. There was even a ‘Wishing Well’ to throw in a coin and make your wish hopefully come true! After our tour of the conservatory, those who attended enjoyed a delicious lunch and enjoyable conversation at Seasons in the Park.
image       image         image       
 
image         
NAYEN – North American Youth Exchange Program Annual Conference – March 7-9, 2024 - Vancouver, BC    
              
NAYEN is the premier regional association which includes 167 Districts in Canada, United States and Mexico involving youth exchange. The organization through this program provides students with life-changing experiences through cultural immersion programs. To foster personal growth, leadership development and global understanding.
 
The vision is to provide support to every Rotary District in North America. To empower the various districts to offer world-class Rotary youth exchange programs. This is done by fostering meaningful connections and promoting cultural exchange.
 
Our Youth Chair, Elena Murgoci will be attending this conference in early March right here in Vancouver.
 
 
R.Y.L.A. (ROTARY YOUTH  LEADERSHIP AWARD) Vancouver Arbutus is sending 9 students.
 
PLEASE NOTE:
The team at RYLA South will be hosting a Rotarian/Rotaractor visit day on Saturday, March 30th at YMCA Camp Elphinstone in Gibsons, BC and would like to invite members of the District to attend.
It's a great opportunity for members of the Rotary Family to learn more about one of the biggest Youth Programs in the District and connect with an amazing group of young leaders from across the province. To learn a bit more of RYLA in detail, please check out the video on the District 5040 Website.
 
22 Fire and Ice Wallpapers - Wallpaperboat
 
Polio Plus 'Fire & Ice' Fundraiser:
March 26, 2024 
6 PM – 9 PM
At   OSAKA TEPPANYAKI STEAK AND SEAFOOD HOUSE
103 – 1788 West Broadway  Vancouver     
 
Choice of one of THREE MENU CHOICES, STEAK, CHICKEN AND SHRIMP, VEGETARIAN
 
$70.00 PER PERSON WITH A TAX RECEIPT
$50.00 PER PERSON WITHOUT A TAX RECEIPT.
OPEN BAR – Drink are reasonably priced.  
REGISTER ONLINE OR CALL  YOONHI 
 
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS:     
No Meeting at noon on March 26, see you in the evening at the fundraiser.
 
Great Speaker on March 12th, in-person at The Arbutus Club.  Karen Massicotte VP Marketing & Sales for the P.N.E.  YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. 
 
FAREWELL TO OUR DEAR FRIEND AND LONG TIME ROTARIAN SHAIL MAHANTI.  A TRUE ROTARIAN IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.  REST IN PEACE DEAR FRIEND. 
Club business December, 2023
At our December 5th Annual General Meeting President Hans announced that all Board members have agreed to stay in their current positions for 2024-2025. The club is in a good state financially and we've keeping very active as you will see below.
Bill and Lexie put together some 30 bags of supplies for our winter season's Street Kits with items suggested by the staff at Christ Church Cathedral's Maudy Cafe. The church also put together more bags so there was enough for the expected lunch crowd.
 
Bill attended the lunch on on our behalf on December 7th. There was a team of volunteers serving food and many staff attended from the Food Bank, where much of the food comes from. As they finished their meal a gift bag was handed to each person along with a Happy Christmas greeting. Several people were well known to the volunteer staff as they come every week, some are street people and many live in local SROs. Approximately 100 gift bags were distributed and were well received. The church has sent us a nice thank you card.
On December 9th a large group of our members attended the Riverview storage facility where we loaded a second container of medical equipment for Ukraine. This container was funded in part by excess funds raised in June and was augmented by a District Grant. Congratulations to all who took part - well done!
December 12th was our Christmas lunch at the Arbutus Club. We were a group of 32 - our largest attendance this year. Thanks to Lexie, Lydia and Elena for their help with setup and entertainment! 
 
 
 
 
We worked Aunt Leah's Christmas tree lot on December 16th and sold about 40 trees. One of our customers was Trevor Linden! 
On December 22nd Hans, Michael, Moritz, Lydia, Ken, Sheila, Bishnu and D'Arcy spent the morning preparing our annual pancake breakfast at Sexsmith School. Always a fun event. We received a note from the school Principal saying "Thank you, Hans, and thank you to your whole team for such an incredible effort with the Sexsmith Breakfast with Santa event! Wow! The kids were so impressed of course with the pancakes, but I also think they realize how amazing it is for this annual tradition to include so many community members and former parents of the school. How special to have your team involved every year!"

 
Club business November, 2023
 
Our District Grant toward our second Ukrainian container has been approved! Many thanks to Hans and Christine who worked tirelessly to make this happen. We'll be loading the new container on Saturday, December 9th.
 
 
We received a charming thank you letter from Margaret Carley.  Margaret was the chef for the Ukrainian fundraising dinner and moved delicious mountains to benefit the cause. We awarded her with a Paul Harris pin in October in recognition of her work. Marg tells us she is now inspired to join Rotary! Margaret's letter is here: documents/en-ca/b90e1584-f47f-4c52-aeb1-51e9d16bd0f9/1 
 
November 7th – Sriram Ananthan presented his personal history (classification) talk. We learned about his childhood in Chennai, India, his education (including an MBA and a PHD) and work history. Sriram, his wife Preethi and two daughters moved to Canada in 2018. Sriram is now a Canadian citizen. He is also a professor, investment advisor, author, keen badminton player and yogi. Welcome Sriram!
 
November 10th several of our members attended the fund raising musical Pier One at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. The performance was in support of Ukrainian families.
 
Tuesday, November 14th we met with Shirley-Pat Chamberlain, our District Governor, at the Arbutus Club. Shirley-Pat was accompanied by Mary Anne Velayho, our Assistant District Governor, and Nancy Eidsvek the District Executive Administrator. We presented reports from our President, our Fundraising and PR efforts (Ukraine, District Grant application, social network engagement) and reports by our Treasurer, our Foundation representative and Membership head. We presented information about our 1000x5 book project – some thank you cards created by the children of Hudson Hope School are shown above. Shirley-Pat was also able to present our Foundation Chair Sam Wong with his latest Paul Harris award. Last, but definitely not least, we were inspired by Shirley-Pat's presentation to the club. She's a great speaker.
Saturday, November 18th, 2023 was the Lower Mainland Foundation Event at the Continental Restaurant in Richmond. It was well attended, as you can see from the photos provided by our ceative director, Michael Cowhig.
 
November 19th  Michael Cowhig headed the crew (Hans and Bishnu) that decorated Abbeyfield House with all its Christmas finery.
 
 
 
November 21st – we met up for a Social at the White Spot on West Broadway at lunchtime. The Peppers are back in Vancouver!
 
November 28th – we had a classification talk by Donna Webb. Donna was born in Islington, Ontario, in the family home, while her siblings were out at a movie! She was a tomboy growing up and quit school early, after which she took student nurse training and then later became a teacher. She has travelled to Northern Ireland, Italy, Istanbul, Switzerland and more. Also, as a keen sailor, Donna has sailed the British Virgin Islands. Donna is an energetic volunteer and has been with Rotary for some years, often as a special events co-ordinator. She has also worked with the Violet Richardson Award. Thank you Donna and welcome!
 
The Board has approved using the Pasut family's donation in Teddie's memory to Polio Plus for $1,000. We intend to raise another $1,000. for Polio Plus in the New Year.
 
This month we lost our dear friend, Shail Mahanti, a Rotary member of more than 35 years. Shail was an electrical engineer in his work life. He was a loyal Rotary member and Paul Harris Fellow. He served as Club President (twice) and Secretary and never missed a meeting. If he wasn't in Vancouver he'd make up at another Rotary Club - wherever in the world he was. Shail lived his values and was known to all as a gentleman. He will be missed.
 
The Mahanti family will let us know when a Celebration of Life is arranged.
 
Club business October, 2023
At our October 3rd Zoom meeting we heard from Allison Lasocha of the City of Vancouver’s Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability Department. Allison has served on the Housing Policy Team and has also worked on the Vancouver Plan. Allison spoke about 'complete neighbourhoods' including small-scale shops and services in residential areas, missing middle housing and Vancouver's unified land use strategy.
 
 
On October 8th we were pleased to help serve Thanksgiving lunch at Salvation Army's Harbour Light. Thank you Tim, Jan, Juliet, Hans, John, Ruth and Yoonhi!
 
 
At our Arbutus Club lunch on October 10th Leigh Higginbotham inducted our two new members, Dr. Sriram Ananthan and Donna Webb. Welcome!
 
 
Our book drive got a boost from St Philips church during their terrific Fall Book Sale on October 14th.  So generous of them to offer to assist our 1000x5 project providing books to the Vancouver School District's Early Learning Program for needy families with children aged 0 - 5 years.
 
On October 17th we enjoyed a lively talk by Conner Da Silva, the Community and Education Program Coordinator for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Connor talked to us about the influence of the 331 cruise ships that bring over $3,000,000 into the city each year as well as the types of containers they handle. For instance Vancouver's port imports 100% of all Asian cars that arrive in Canada, they're in containers are referred to as 'roh rohs'. He also informed us that cruise ships now use city power when they're in port which reduces pollution and noise.
 
 
 
On October 24th a group us enjoyed a tour of the Hastings Mill Store & Museum (Vancouver’s oldest surviving building c 1868).
Also on the 24th of October we attended the Polio Walk! See the Proclamation and further information at World Polio Day Proclamation
 
Hans is pictured here with our District Governor, Shirley-Pat Chamberlain. And you'll also see the hardy group that faced the rainy weather and did us proud! (thanks to Michael Cowhig for the terrific photos)
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

At our Zoom meeting on October 31st we heard from our esteemed member, Leigh Higinbotham who urged us "To do good in the world". Leigh spoke about the need for strong support of the Rotary Foundation, took us to the donation site:
 
 
and urged us to do the needful. PolioPlus and the Annual Fund are particular areas of focus. Donations of a fixed sum or those made on a monthly basis are all welcome.
 
 
 
 
 
Club Business September, 2023
 
Member picture
 
 
At our Zoom meeting on Tuesday, September 5th we were honoured to listen to Tim Koepke’s very impressive classification talk. What fascinating stories you told! We're proud to know you.
 
 
During our in person meeting on Tuesday, September 12 the Arbutus Club we heard from Lisa Dominato, City of Vancouver Councillor.
 
As well, we were thrilled to be able to present a Paul Harris award to Margaret Carley, lead food/event planner/cook for our Ukraine fundraiser dinner. We are so grateful to Margaret for her work.
 
Teddie Pasut's son Robert presented our club with a $1,000 donation on behalf of Teddie. A very touching donation and a wonderful tribute to Teddie. We miss her.
 
Our Tuesday Sept. 19th, social was a dim sum lunch at Golden Ocean Seafood.
 
At our Zoom meeting on September 26 we were given an update by Hugo Velazquez of MOSAIC. Hugo advised that there are currently well over 37,000 migrant workers in BC and more are on their way. They are construction workers, fruit pickers, delivery staff, caregivers, restaurant workers, and more. They do the work that Canadians often don't want to do and our economy depends on them.
 
Hugo reported on the $5,000 we donated last year. $1,000 went to a Filipina care worker who needed emergency dental surgery for her child, another $1,000 to a Turkish worker who quit a job because he was bulllied, harrassed and then evicted, some funds went to three workers who were unpaid, abused and laid off. Another sum went to three workers (El Salvadorian and Mexican) who were promised jobs in Canada. When they arrived the employer said there was no work for them. MOSAIC was able to fund their meals and hotel for three days, after which they went to a shelter.
 
We in Canada have been accused of modern slavery. Many of these workers are undocumented and Hugo estimates 30% are living below decent standards. And it will only get worse. 40% of Canadian farmers intend to retire within the next few years and, by and large, they have no succession plan.
 
We discussed volunteer opportunities such as English conversation, interpretation services, attending events where workers are informed about their rights, meeting with caregivers to listen to their stories, etc.
 
 
 
Our member Dianna Smith is recovering well. In fact she recently got her driving licence! Congratulations Dianna! We look forward to having you back soon.
Club business August, 2023
 
 
At our August 8 in-person meeting we heard from Wally Kerchum of North Shore Rescue, one of the teams’ senior members. Our guests on this occasion were Ségolène Michallet and Donna Killgallin Webb. Welcome!
 
 
 
 
We loaded the container of medical supplies for the benefit of Ukraine on August 12th. It was a super-fast loading, with lots of volunteers assisting. The container included several skids of medical supplies and mattresses and portable ventilators, with an estimated value of $600,000 to $700,000.00!
 
 
 
Connie Cheung of Salvation Army's Harbour Light spoke at our zoom meeting on August 15th. Harbour Light provides treatment and other services for those released from correctional institutions. Nine of our hardworking members served lunch there on August 22nd.
 
 
 
On August 29th we met at Carlos & Brian’s Pub for an evening event. We were joined by newcomers Dr. Sriram Ananthan, Ségolène Michallet and Donna Killgallin Webb and her partner.
 
In other news:
 
  • Our scholar Erica McFarlane has arrived, Hans and Elena picked her up at the airport on August 15th. Erica's topic is Maternal & Children’s Health and she's studying at UBC. Erica will be living with Elena at 49th and Cambie area.
  • This month we remembered Teddie Pasut and Lana Wong and reflected on the loss of these valuable members.
  • We received our Rotary Citation for last year.
  • Our Treasurer, Gaming Committee and Projects heads are hard at work. More to come.
  • John Moldon has agreed to stand as an assistant chair on the Foundation Committee and is already working with Sam Wong in this position. Thank you John.
 
 
 
 
Club business July, 2023
 
Our Assistant District Governor, Mary Anne Velayho, attended our first meeting of the Rotary year on July 11, 2023 at the Arbutus Club.
 
Your new Board is hard at work setting goals and planning our activities for the coming year. At our Club Assembly on July 21st we discussed a number of topics including changing our Zoom meetings from Fridays to Tuesdays so they're more in line with our in person meetings. We also discussed meeting start times. As well, we are preparing for our August 12th loading of our container of medical supplies for Ukraine and our work with Surfrider on their beach cleanup on the same date. Lastly, we were excited to hear the wonderful news that our student Erica McFarland has secured accommodation for her term at UBC - she will be hosted by our own Elena.
 
At our Zoom meeting on July 28th the members approved the change of the meeting day of the week for our Zoom meetings - we'll be meeting Tuesdays at 12:15 starting this month. We also discussed items to help complete our Strategic Plan. Various avenues of service, such as PolioPlus, disaster response, protecting the environment, supporting education/youth (our 1,000x5 project) and promoting peace by finding peace scholars who would be funded by Rotary International are being considered. We also talked about liasing more with other clubs so that we can work together, build results and enjoy fellowship. A great start to the Rotary year!
We all have received an email from Ron Davis, the District Youth Protection Officer, reminding us that it's time to review our Criminal Records Checks. Look at the section in your Club Runner profile and apply if your term is up or soon to be.
On a sadder note:
 
Our member Teddie Pasut has been in hospital for some time. Mary Stark has been visiting Teddie and passing on our good wishes. Regrettably we now have news from Teddie's family that she passed away on July 31st.  
 
Teddie was a well loved and respected member of our club and gave a lot to this organization. Among her many works, Teddie was the one who originally applied for Gaming Funds and she kept the club in good stead in that regard during her time with us. Her loss is a deep one and she will be remembered fondly.
 
Club business June, 2023
 
First off let's celebrate our successful "Evening in Ukraine Fundraiser" on June 10th. Thank you to all the volunteers, the organizers, the entertainers, the chef and cooks, the clean up crew, the members who attended and brought friends along and the members who travelled to Langley to help make perogies. All of your efforts gave us a brilliant success. Well done! Plans are afoot to ship a container of medical equipment to Ukraine - stay tuned for a call for volunteers to help load that up.
 
 
In the morning of June 10th our Moritz Hirche completed the Ride for Rescue, an event in support of North Shore Rescue and Rotary Humanitarian Causes. Well done Moritz!
 
 
 
Also on June 10 (a very busy day!) Joy took time off from her work on the Ukraine event to visit Surfriders and present our cheque for $2,000.00.
 
John Berry installed our new Board and Committee chairs at our in-person June 13 meeting. Lydia and Jean finished up a great year - our goals were completed and a citation will be awarded. Onward and upward!
 
Here are the new Board and Committee Chairs:
 
Board 
PresidentHans Doge
Past-PresidentLydia Marston-Blaauw
President ElectBishnu Chatterjee
SecretaryJean Gardner
TreasurerYoonhi Green
Project ChairD'Arcy Warner
  
Committee Chairs 
MembershipLydia Marston-Blaauw
FoundationSam Wong
Public RelationsChristine Mihailedes
FundraisingChristine Mihailedes
YouthElena Murgoci
Plus there will be leaders to advise about
gaming, training, filing regulatory documents and speakers
 
On the District level Mary Anne Velayho will continue as our Assistant District Governor for one more year, we have a new District Governor in Shirley-Pat Chamberlain and Gordon McInally will serve as President of Rotary International.
 
On reviewing our year end goals we couldn't help but note that, while we had exceeded our goal of donations to the Annual Fund, we were very low on contributions to PolioPlus. Let's do better next year.
 
June 14 Yoonhi and Lexie attended a 'thank you tea' at Sexsmith School. Yoonhi reports that cake and drinks were served and entertainment was provided by the talented and enthusiastic students. That cake looks delicious!
 
 
On June 21st Yoonhi presented our donation of $3,000 to the Vancouver Lifeguard Association. These funds will go toward supporting several candidates for training in their Beach Alert Program. The funds will assist those "without the financial resources or water safety experience to take part in these week long camps by partnerships with Immigrant Services support groups, Indigenous organizations and community groups that support families in financial need."
 
Our speaker on June 23rd was D'Arcy Warner. It was great to hear D'Arcy's work and Rotary history. Thank you D'Arcy! we're lucky to have you.
 
 
Hoopathon bursary cheques were presented on June 24th at MacLean Park. We awarded $2,000 each to two students and $1,000 to Girls Who LEAP.
 
A number of us attended the Kitsilano Showboat show on June 24th to provide that organization with a donation of $5,000. They're struggling to rebuild after a major fire at their site and were ecstatic to receive our donation.
We provided the MOSAIC organization with a $5,000 donation and received a very nice thank you letter saying, amongst other things,
 
"The Migrant Workers Emergency Fund is truly innovative – without wait times or red tape we can provide people the essentials for living when they need emergency help and have nowhere else to turn.

Thank you again for your donation to the Migrant Workers Emergency Fund. You are truly making a difference in people’s lives."
 
What more could we want?
Club business May, 2023
 
 
We began the month mulling on the informative District Conference. It was a great success and good fun. We are proud that we had 10 members attending and thank Hugo Velazquez, who spoke on behalf of our efforts with Migrant Workers.
Our Ukraine project fundraiser is well under way. In addition, the required training to allow us to apply for grant(s) has been completed by Hans, Elena and Bishnu. Well done!
 
Our 1,000x5 project is racing along. In May we received books from Henry Hudson and Carnarvon Schools.  We will also be obtaining some new books from the publisher. Labellers will be needed shortly.
Our President Lydia hosted a Fireside on May 5th. New members David, DB, Hugh, Jacob, Moritz and Mike Dirks took the opportunity to share some of their impressions and ideas. We look forward to hearing more.
Yoonhi went to Van Dusen Gardens this month and look what she found!
 
 
We've heard from the folks who organized Hoop-a-Thon. Their fundraising total is just over $52,000 so they beat their goal! They are considering 15 scholarship applications. 
Grant reports that our Rotary Club's Youth Committee (with the assistance of Hans, Yoonhi, Michael Cowhig and Moritz) have made the final decision to award eight students with our $1,000 Bursary.  The schools involved are John Oliver, Fraser Academy, Lord Byng and Eric Hamber. Congratulations to these ambitious young people.
We've received a reminder that Criminal Record Check applications must be provided. Please contact Jean or Hans if you're new to Rotary and not sure about this. Thank you.
Hans has been working hard on a Global Education Grant for Erica MacFarland of Texas, USA. The application, completed by the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch Texas, has been approved. Erica will be attending UBC and we will be her Host Counselors. We look forward to meeting Erica at one of our meetings this fall.
Mark your calendars - the next District Conference "Planting Seeds of Peace and Hope in Our Communities", is April 26/24 in Terrace. Registration is now open. https://rotary5040.org/page/2024-district-conference

Registration is limited to 200 and will be a sell out.

Contact Mike Storey mike@idealdoor.ca or Co-Registrar Joy Jones joyjones3131@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Home Page Stories
March and April Highlights
 
22 Fire and Ice Wallpapers - Wallpaperboat
 
Polio Plus 'Fire & Ice' Fundraiser on March 26, 2024:

WHAT A NIGHT
 
At OSAKA TEPPANYAKI STEAK AND SEAFOOD HOUSE
103 – 1788 West Broadway  Vancouver     
 
What a night filled with fun fellowship, laughter, entertainment and fundraising for a good cause.  I heard a rumour that Michael Frost almost lost his bushy eyebrows. Joy brought her daughter Jennifer and Jessica her granddaughter, rounding out the "J" table was Jacob.  Then we had Nan (Nancy) Tam (Tammi) Sam and Pam.  What a great table. 
 
 
 
image
 
The Interact Conference was held on Sunday March 10th at Britannia Secondary School.  There were 90 students from High Schools on the lower mainland. What an extremely bright and talented group of young people, our world is in good hands. 
FEBRUARY 2024 BULLETIN & UPCOMING EVENTS
Club’s Social Day – February 27, 2024
We had an excellent turn-out of twenty-two members and friends visiting the Bloedel Conservatory on February 27th. It was a cold afternoon, but we were able to experience the warmth inside of the conservatory and see plants and birds from around the world. There was even a ‘Wishing Well’ to throw in a coin and make your wish hopefully come true! After our tour of the conservatory, those who attended enjoyed a delicious lunch and enjoyable conversation at Seasons in the Park.
image       image         image       
 
image         
NAYEN – North American Youth Exchange Program Annual Conference – March 7-9, 2024 - Vancouver, BC    
              
NAYEN is the premier regional association which includes 167 Districts in Canada, United States and Mexico involving youth exchange. The organization through this program provides students with life-changing experiences through cultural immersion programs. To foster personal growth, leadership development and global understanding.
 
The vision is to provide support to every Rotary District in North America. To empower the various districts to offer world-class Rotary youth exchange programs. This is done by fostering meaningful connections and promoting cultural exchange.
 
Our Youth Chair, Elena Murgoci will be attending this conference in early March right here in Vancouver.
 
 
R.Y.L.A. (ROTARY YOUTH  LEADERSHIP AWARD) Vancouver Arbutus is sending 9 students.
 
PLEASE NOTE:
The team at RYLA South will be hosting a Rotarian/Rotaractor visit day on Saturday, March 30th at YMCA Camp Elphinstone in Gibsons, BC and would like to invite members of the District to attend.
It's a great opportunity for members of the Rotary Family to learn more about one of the biggest Youth Programs in the District and connect with an amazing group of young leaders from across the province. To learn a bit more of RYLA in detail, please check out the video on the District 5040 Website.
 
22 Fire and Ice Wallpapers - Wallpaperboat
 
Polio Plus 'Fire & Ice' Fundraiser:
March 26, 2024 
6 PM – 9 PM
At   OSAKA TEPPANYAKI STEAK AND SEAFOOD HOUSE
103 – 1788 West Broadway  Vancouver     
 
Choice of one of THREE MENU CHOICES, STEAK, CHICKEN AND SHRIMP, VEGETARIAN
 
$70.00 PER PERSON WITH A TAX RECEIPT
$50.00 PER PERSON WITHOUT A TAX RECEIPT.
OPEN BAR – Drink are reasonably priced.  
REGISTER ONLINE OR CALL  YOONHI 
 
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS:     
No Meeting at noon on March 26, see you in the evening at the fundraiser.
 
Great Speaker on March 12th, in-person at The Arbutus Club.  Karen Massicotte VP Marketing & Sales for the P.N.E.  YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. 
 
FAREWELL TO OUR DEAR FRIEND AND LONG TIME ROTARIAN SHAIL MAHANTI.  A TRUE ROTARIAN IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.  REST IN PEACE DEAR FRIEND. 
Club business December, 2023
At our December 5th Annual General Meeting President Hans announced that all Board members have agreed to stay in their current positions for 2024-2025. The club is in a good state financially and we've keeping very active as you will see below.
Bill and Lexie put together some 30 bags of supplies for our winter season's Street Kits with items suggested by the staff at Christ Church Cathedral's Maudy Cafe. The church also put together more bags so there was enough for the expected lunch crowd.
 
Bill attended the lunch on on our behalf on December 7th. There was a team of volunteers serving food and many staff attended from the Food Bank, where much of the food comes from. As they finished their meal a gift bag was handed to each person along with a Happy Christmas greeting. Several people were well known to the volunteer staff as they come every week, some are street people and many live in local SROs. Approximately 100 gift bags were distributed and were well received. The church has sent us a nice thank you card.
On December 9th a large group of our members attended the Riverview storage facility where we loaded a second container of medical equipment for Ukraine. This container was funded in part by excess funds raised in June and was augmented by a District Grant. Congratulations to all who took part - well done!
December 12th was our Christmas lunch at the Arbutus Club. We were a group of 32 - our largest attendance this year. Thanks to Lexie, Lydia and Elena for their help with setup and entertainment! 
 
 
 
 
We worked Aunt Leah's Christmas tree lot on December 16th and sold about 40 trees. One of our customers was Trevor Linden! 
On December 22nd Hans, Michael, Moritz, Lydia, Ken, Sheila, Bishnu and D'Arcy spent the morning preparing our annual pancake breakfast at Sexsmith School. Always a fun event. We received a note from the school Principal saying "Thank you, Hans, and thank you to your whole team for such an incredible effort with the Sexsmith Breakfast with Santa event! Wow! The kids were so impressed of course with the pancakes, but I also think they realize how amazing it is for this annual tradition to include so many community members and former parents of the school. How special to have your team involved every year!"

 
Club business November, 2023
 
Our District Grant toward our second Ukrainian container has been approved! Many thanks to Hans and Christine who worked tirelessly to make this happen. We'll be loading the new container on Saturday, December 9th.
 
 
We received a charming thank you letter from Margaret Carley.  Margaret was the chef for the Ukrainian fundraising dinner and moved delicious mountains to benefit the cause. We awarded her with a Paul Harris pin in October in recognition of her work. Marg tells us she is now inspired to join Rotary! Margaret's letter is here: documents/en-ca/b90e1584-f47f-4c52-aeb1-51e9d16bd0f9/1 
 
November 7th – Sriram Ananthan presented his personal history (classification) talk. We learned about his childhood in Chennai, India, his education (including an MBA and a PHD) and work history. Sriram, his wife Preethi and two daughters moved to Canada in 2018. Sriram is now a Canadian citizen. He is also a professor, investment advisor, author, keen badminton player and yogi. Welcome Sriram!
 
November 10th several of our members attended the fund raising musical Pier One at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral. The performance was in support of Ukrainian families.
 
Tuesday, November 14th we met with Shirley-Pat Chamberlain, our District Governor, at the Arbutus Club. Shirley-Pat was accompanied by Mary Anne Velayho, our Assistant District Governor, and Nancy Eidsvek the District Executive Administrator. We presented reports from our President, our Fundraising and PR efforts (Ukraine, District Grant application, social network engagement) and reports by our Treasurer, our Foundation representative and Membership head. We presented information about our 1000x5 book project – some thank you cards created by the children of Hudson Hope School are shown above. Shirley-Pat was also able to present our Foundation Chair Sam Wong with his latest Paul Harris award. Last, but definitely not least, we were inspired by Shirley-Pat's presentation to the club. She's a great speaker.
Saturday, November 18th, 2023 was the Lower Mainland Foundation Event at the Continental Restaurant in Richmond. It was well attended, as you can see from the photos provided by our ceative director, Michael Cowhig.
 
November 19th  Michael Cowhig headed the crew (Hans and Bishnu) that decorated Abbeyfield House with all its Christmas finery.
 
 
 
November 21st – we met up for a Social at the White Spot on West Broadway at lunchtime. The Peppers are back in Vancouver!
 
November 28th – we had a classification talk by Donna Webb. Donna was born in Islington, Ontario, in the family home, while her siblings were out at a movie! She was a tomboy growing up and quit school early, after which she took student nurse training and then later became a teacher. She has travelled to Northern Ireland, Italy, Istanbul, Switzerland and more. Also, as a keen sailor, Donna has sailed the British Virgin Islands. Donna is an energetic volunteer and has been with Rotary for some years, often as a special events co-ordinator. She has also worked with the Violet Richardson Award. Thank you Donna and welcome!
 
The Board has approved using the Pasut family's donation in Teddie's memory to Polio Plus for $1,000. We intend to raise another $1,000. for Polio Plus in the New Year.
 
This month we lost our dear friend, Shail Mahanti, a Rotary member of more than 35 years. Shail was an electrical engineer in his work life. He was a loyal Rotary member and Paul Harris Fellow. He served as Club President (twice) and Secretary and never missed a meeting. If he wasn't in Vancouver he'd make up at another Rotary Club - wherever in the world he was. Shail lived his values and was known to all as a gentleman. He will be missed.
 
The Mahanti family will let us know when a Celebration of Life is arranged.
 
Club business October, 2023
At our October 3rd Zoom meeting we heard from Allison Lasocha of the City of Vancouver’s Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability Department. Allison has served on the Housing Policy Team and has also worked on the Vancouver Plan. Allison spoke about 'complete neighbourhoods' including small-scale shops and services in residential areas, missing middle housing and Vancouver's unified land use strategy.
 
 
On October 8th we were pleased to help serve Thanksgiving lunch at Salvation Army's Harbour Light. Thank you Tim, Jan, Juliet, Hans, John, Ruth and Yoonhi!
 
 
At our Arbutus Club lunch on October 10th Leigh Higginbotham inducted our two new members, Dr. Sriram Ananthan and Donna Webb. Welcome!
 
 
Our book drive got a boost from St Philips church during their terrific Fall Book Sale on October 14th.  So generous of them to offer to assist our 1000x5 project providing books to the Vancouver School District's Early Learning Program for needy families with children aged 0 - 5 years.
 
On October 17th we enjoyed a lively talk by Conner Da Silva, the Community and Education Program Coordinator for Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. Connor talked to us about the influence of the 331 cruise ships that bring over $3,000,000 into the city each year as well as the types of containers they handle. For instance Vancouver's port imports 100% of all Asian cars that arrive in Canada, they're in containers are referred to as 'roh rohs'. He also informed us that cruise ships now use city power when they're in port which reduces pollution and noise.
 
 
 
On October 24th a group us enjoyed a tour of the Hastings Mill Store & Museum (Vancouver’s oldest surviving building c 1868).
Also on the 24th of October we attended the Polio Walk! See the Proclamation and further information at World Polio Day Proclamation
 
Hans is pictured here with our District Governor, Shirley-Pat Chamberlain. And you'll also see the hardy group that faced the rainy weather and did us proud! (thanks to Michael Cowhig for the terrific photos)
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 

At our Zoom meeting on October 31st we heard from our esteemed member, Leigh Higinbotham who urged us "To do good in the world". Leigh spoke about the need for strong support of the Rotary Foundation, took us to the donation site:
 
 
and urged us to do the needful. PolioPlus and the Annual Fund are particular areas of focus. Donations of a fixed sum or those made on a monthly basis are all welcome.
 
 
 
 
 
Club Business September, 2023
 
Member picture
 
 
At our Zoom meeting on Tuesday, September 5th we were honoured to listen to Tim Koepke’s very impressive classification talk. What fascinating stories you told! We're proud to know you.
 
 
During our in person meeting on Tuesday, September 12 the Arbutus Club we heard from Lisa Dominato, City of Vancouver Councillor.
 
As well, we were thrilled to be able to present a Paul Harris award to Margaret Carley, lead food/event planner/cook for our Ukraine fundraiser dinner. We are so grateful to Margaret for her work.
 
Teddie Pasut's son Robert presented our club with a $1,000 donation on behalf of Teddie. A very touching donation and a wonderful tribute to Teddie. We miss her.
 
Our Tuesday Sept. 19th, social was a dim sum lunch at Golden Ocean Seafood.
 
At our Zoom meeting on September 26 we were given an update by Hugo Velazquez of MOSAIC. Hugo advised that there are currently well over 37,000 migrant workers in BC and more are on their way. They are construction workers, fruit pickers, delivery staff, caregivers, restaurant workers, and more. They do the work that Canadians often don't want to do and our economy depends on them.
 
Hugo reported on the $5,000 we donated last year. $1,000 went to a Filipina care worker who needed emergency dental surgery for her child, another $1,000 to a Turkish worker who quit a job because he was bulllied, harrassed and then evicted, some funds went to three workers who were unpaid, abused and laid off. Another sum went to three workers (El Salvadorian and Mexican) who were promised jobs in Canada. When they arrived the employer said there was no work for them. MOSAIC was able to fund their meals and hotel for three days, after which they went to a shelter.
 
We in Canada have been accused of modern slavery. Many of these workers are undocumented and Hugo estimates 30% are living below decent standards. And it will only get worse. 40% of Canadian farmers intend to retire within the next few years and, by and large, they have no succession plan.
 
We discussed volunteer opportunities such as English conversation, interpretation services, attending events where workers are informed about their rights, meeting with caregivers to listen to their stories, etc.
 
 
 
Our member Dianna Smith is recovering well. In fact she recently got her driving licence! Congratulations Dianna! We look forward to having you back soon.
Club business August, 2023
 
 
At our August 8 in-person meeting we heard from Wally Kerchum of North Shore Rescue, one of the teams’ senior members. Our guests on this occasion were Ségolène Michallet and Donna Killgallin Webb. Welcome!
 
 
 
 
We loaded the container of medical supplies for the benefit of Ukraine on August 12th. It was a super-fast loading, with lots of volunteers assisting. The container included several skids of medical supplies and mattresses and portable ventilators, with an estimated value of $600,000 to $700,000.00!
 
 
 
Connie Cheung of Salvation Army's Harbour Light spoke at our zoom meeting on August 15th. Harbour Light provides treatment and other services for those released from correctional institutions. Nine of our hardworking members served lunch there on August 22nd.
 
 
 
On August 29th we met at Carlos & Brian’s Pub for an evening event. We were joined by newcomers Dr. Sriram Ananthan, Ségolène Michallet and Donna Killgallin Webb and her partner.
 
In other news:
 
  • Our scholar Erica McFarlane has arrived, Hans and Elena picked her up at the airport on August 15th. Erica's topic is Maternal & Children’s Health and she's studying at UBC. Erica will be living with Elena at 49th and Cambie area.
  • This month we remembered Teddie Pasut and Lana Wong and reflected on the loss of these valuable members.
  • We received our Rotary Citation for last year.
  • Our Treasurer, Gaming Committee and Projects heads are hard at work. More to come.
  • John Moldon has agreed to stand as an assistant chair on the Foundation Committee and is already working with Sam Wong in this position. Thank you John.
 
 
 
 
Club business July, 2023
 
Our Assistant District Governor, Mary Anne Velayho, attended our first meeting of the Rotary year on July 11, 2023 at the Arbutus Club.
 
Your new Board is hard at work setting goals and planning our activities for the coming year. At our Club Assembly on July 21st we discussed a number of topics including changing our Zoom meetings from Fridays to Tuesdays so they're more in line with our in person meetings. We also discussed meeting start times. As well, we are preparing for our August 12th loading of our container of medical supplies for Ukraine and our work with Surfrider on their beach cleanup on the same date. Lastly, we were excited to hear the wonderful news that our student Erica McFarland has secured accommodation for her term at UBC - she will be hosted by our own Elena.
 
At our Zoom meeting on July 28th the members approved the change of the meeting day of the week for our Zoom meetings - we'll be meeting Tuesdays at 12:15 starting this month. We also discussed items to help complete our Strategic Plan. Various avenues of service, such as PolioPlus, disaster response, protecting the environment, supporting education/youth (our 1,000x5 project) and promoting peace by finding peace scholars who would be funded by Rotary International are being considered. We also talked about liasing more with other clubs so that we can work together, build results and enjoy fellowship. A great start to the Rotary year!
We all have received an email from Ron Davis, the District Youth Protection Officer, reminding us that it's time to review our Criminal Records Checks. Look at the section in your Club Runner profile and apply if your term is up or soon to be.
On a sadder note:
 
Our member Teddie Pasut has been in hospital for some time. Mary Stark has been visiting Teddie and passing on our good wishes. Regrettably we now have news from Teddie's family that she passed away on July 31st.  
 
Teddie was a well loved and respected member of our club and gave a lot to this organization. Among her many works, Teddie was the one who originally applied for Gaming Funds and she kept the club in good stead in that regard during her time with us. Her loss is a deep one and she will be remembered fondly.
 
Club business June, 2023
 
First off let's celebrate our successful "Evening in Ukraine Fundraiser" on June 10th. Thank you to all the volunteers, the organizers, the entertainers, the chef and cooks, the clean up crew, the members who attended and brought friends along and the members who travelled to Langley to help make perogies. All of your efforts gave us a brilliant success. Well done! Plans are afoot to ship a container of medical equipment to Ukraine - stay tuned for a call for volunteers to help load that up.
 
 
In the morning of June 10th our Moritz Hirche completed the Ride for Rescue, an event in support of North Shore Rescue and Rotary Humanitarian Causes. Well done Moritz!
 
 
 
Also on June 10 (a very busy day!) Joy took time off from her work on the Ukraine event to visit Surfriders and present our cheque for $2,000.00.
 
John Berry installed our new Board and Committee chairs at our in-person June 13 meeting. Lydia and Jean finished up a great year - our goals were completed and a citation will be awarded. Onward and upward!
 
Here are the new Board and Committee Chairs:
 
Board 
PresidentHans Doge
Past-PresidentLydia Marston-Blaauw
President ElectBishnu Chatterjee
SecretaryJean Gardner
TreasurerYoonhi Green
Project ChairD'Arcy Warner
  
Committee Chairs 
MembershipLydia Marston-Blaauw
FoundationSam Wong
Public RelationsChristine Mihailedes
FundraisingChristine Mihailedes
YouthElena Murgoci
Plus there will be leaders to advise about
gaming, training, filing regulatory documents and speakers
 
On the District level Mary Anne Velayho will continue as our Assistant District Governor for one more year, we have a new District Governor in Shirley-Pat Chamberlain and Gordon McInally will serve as President of Rotary International.
 
On reviewing our year end goals we couldn't help but note that, while we had exceeded our goal of donations to the Annual Fund, we were very low on contributions to PolioPlus. Let's do better next year.
 
June 14 Yoonhi and Lexie attended a 'thank you tea' at Sexsmith School. Yoonhi reports that cake and drinks were served and entertainment was provided by the talented and enthusiastic students. That cake looks delicious!
 
 
On June 21st Yoonhi presented our donation of $3,000 to the Vancouver Lifeguard Association. These funds will go toward supporting several candidates for training in their Beach Alert Program. The funds will assist those "without the financial resources or water safety experience to take part in these week long camps by partnerships with Immigrant Services support groups, Indigenous organizations and community groups that support families in financial need."
 
Our speaker on June 23rd was D'Arcy Warner. It was great to hear D'Arcy's work and Rotary history. Thank you D'Arcy! we're lucky to have you.
 
 
Hoopathon bursary cheques were presented on June 24th at MacLean Park. We awarded $2,000 each to two students and $1,000 to Girls Who LEAP.
 
A number of us attended the Kitsilano Showboat show on June 24th to provide that organization with a donation of $5,000. They're struggling to rebuild after a major fire at their site and were ecstatic to receive our donation.
We provided the MOSAIC organization with a $5,000 donation and received a very nice thank you letter saying, amongst other things,
 
"The Migrant Workers Emergency Fund is truly innovative – without wait times or red tape we can provide people the essentials for living when they need emergency help and have nowhere else to turn.

Thank you again for your donation to the Migrant Workers Emergency Fund. You are truly making a difference in people’s lives."
 
What more could we want?
Club business May, 2023
 
 
We began the month mulling on the informative District Conference. It was a great success and good fun. We are proud that we had 10 members attending and thank Hugo Velazquez, who spoke on behalf of our efforts with Migrant Workers.
Our Ukraine project fundraiser is well under way. In addition, the required training to allow us to apply for grant(s) has been completed by Hans, Elena and Bishnu. Well done!
 
Our 1,000x5 project is racing along. In May we received books from Henry Hudson and Carnarvon Schools.  We will also be obtaining some new books from the publisher. Labellers will be needed shortly.
Our President Lydia hosted a Fireside on May 5th. New members David, DB, Hugh, Jacob, Moritz and Mike Dirks took the opportunity to share some of their impressions and ideas. We look forward to hearing more.
Yoonhi went to Van Dusen Gardens this month and look what she found!
 
 
We've heard from the folks who organized Hoop-a-Thon. Their fundraising total is just over $52,000 so they beat their goal! They are considering 15 scholarship applications. 
Grant reports that our Rotary Club's Youth Committee (with the assistance of Hans, Yoonhi, Michael Cowhig and Moritz) have made the final decision to award eight students with our $1,000 Bursary.  The schools involved are John Oliver, Fraser Academy, Lord Byng and Eric Hamber. Congratulations to these ambitious young people.
We've received a reminder that Criminal Record Check applications must be provided. Please contact Jean or Hans if you're new to Rotary and not sure about this. Thank you.
Hans has been working hard on a Global Education Grant for Erica MacFarland of Texas, USA. The application, completed by the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch Texas, has been approved. Erica will be attending UBC and we will be her Host Counselors. We look forward to meeting Erica at one of our meetings this fall.
Mark your calendars - the next District Conference "Planting Seeds of Peace and Hope in Our Communities", is April 26/24 in Terrace. Registration is now open. https://rotary5040.org/page/2024-district-conference

Registration is limited to 200 and will be a sell out.

Contact Mike Storey mike@idealdoor.ca or Co-Registrar Joy Jones joyjones3131@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Site Pages
Club Executives & Directors
President
Hans Doge
President Elect
Bishnu Chatterjee
Immediate Past Co-President
Lydia Marston-Blaauw
Immediate Past Co-President
Jean Gardner
Secretary
Jean Gardner
Treasurer
Yoonhi Green
Projects
D'Arcy Warner
Public Image
Christine Mihailedes
Club Administration
Jean Gardner
Membership
Lydia Marston-Blaauw
Fundraising
Christine Mihailedes
Gaming Accounts
Elena Murgoci
Trainer
Christine Mihailedes
Youth
Elena Murgoci
Foundation Director
Sam Wong
Executive Secretary/Director
Joyce (Joy) Johnston

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We acknowledge that we live, work and play on the unceded ancestral territories of the Coast Salish peoples,
including the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations.
Speakers
Bishnu Chatterjee and Hans Doge
Apr 30, 2024 12:15 PM
District Conference 2024
Erica McFarlane
Jun 11, 2024 12:15 PM
Her experience as a student of Maternal & Children’s Health
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