Club President Carmen Larsen (left)  and Jim Ferguson (right) had the pleasure of inducting Chelsea Kidd and Geoff Gibbons into the club as our newest members. Jim outlined the benefits and expectations of belonging to Kal Rotary.

Jim Popowich is in the center of this photo with Club President Carmen Larsen and Mike Nolan. Jim spoke to the club about the history of the Allan Brooks Nature Centre and their current projects.  He provided an interview about this that is posted on Facebook at  - https://www.facebook.com/kalrotary/videos/586106508589532/

There is more information about their projects and schedule on their website - https://abnc.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/kalrotary/videos/449683639154477/

• For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
• $50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
• $500 can launch an antibullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.

Murray Wilson is a woodlands manager with Tolko Industries. He spoke at a recent meeting about forest management and the 2017/18 wild fires in B.C. In British Columbia Tolko has a woodlands management team in the Cariboo and the southern interior area, covering a total area of about 3,000,000 hectares.  The Woodlands Teams are held to the highest standard in planning forest management. They develop comprehensive plans guided by our Sustainable Forest Initiatives (SFI) forest certification, along with Federal, Provincial and local principles. These plans are then subject to extensive review involving Indigenous peoples and stakeholders in our communities. This is the key to success in managing our forests.

The Tolko website will provide much more information about their business and  how they handle forest management - https://tolko.com/  

Murray talks about forest management and the wild fires at this Facebook site - https://www.facebook.com/kalrotary/videos/352996095413965/  

From the left, the photo shows Club President Ryan Fairburn, Murray and Rotary member Bob Sattler.

When 18-year-old Maria Eduarda Spartani Ancona, known as Duda, stepped on to an airplane for the first time in her home country of Brazil she was nervous with anticipation. “I wanted to learn about a new culture, to experience life in a different country. My brother Francis had been on a exchange to Belgium and I longed for the same opportunity.” So Duda’s mom, Rosana, approached a local Rotary club in San Paolo. Duda applied and was accepted. An exchange was arranged with Kalamalka Rotary Club of Vernon as the sponsor club.

The long term Rotary Exchange Program as we know it now had its origin at an international assembly of Rotary Governors, held at Lake Placid, New York in 1958. Harley Shaver, a past Rotary Governor of Nebraska asked those present to go home and consider a new idea. The proposed exchange would enable students to spend a year in a different country, in a new culture, while going to school. Joe Bradbury, an incoming Rotary Governor from Australia accepted the challenge. Work was done at the assembly to develop the framework of the new program.

The first exchange was held in 1959 when Joe Rogers, a 15-year old student from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, arrived in Myrtleford, Australia. At the same time two Australian students, Nick Rutherford and Norm Jordon, arrived in Scottsbluff and Grand Lake, Colorado.

Today 8,000 to 9,000 short and long-term exchanges occur each year, allowing the opportunity for students to develop international friendships and learn about and appreciate different cultures.

At Clarence Fulton Secondary Duda studied Geography, English and Foods in the first term, then Physical Education, Math and Spanish in her second term, as well as Biology via an online course. “We speak Portuguese at home. So Spanish is similar, but different. In PE we did skating, snowboarding and racquet sports. Badminton was fun and I was good at it. Snowboarding, not so much.”

Two Kalamalka Rotary families hosted Duda. She spent the first term with Cara and Graham Mann and their teenaged daughters Sarah and Emily and the second with Darcy and Denise Chorley. “I have loads of fun with their five-year-old twins Ava and Reiker.”

Duda has especially enjoyed trying new foods in Canada. “Poutine is pretty good, we had Beavertails at the Christmas light up at Silver Star and, of course, I love Tim Horton’s doughnuts. My favourite restaurant is The Curry Pot. I love Indian food. And, I love maple syrup. I tried a maple latte. So good. The best drink I had here.”

Local travel was also part of her year. “I loved going to Cara and Graham’s cabin in September, experiencing the clean, fresh water. At the Calgary Zoo I saw bears, wolves, bison, Musk Ox and moose.” During a mid-April excursion to Victoria she saw an otter, a seal and an array of spring flowers.

Closer to home she went ice fishing and attended a Vernon Vipers game. “Watching hockey for the first time felt like I was in a movie.” Perhaps surprisingly her favourite activities all have to do with snow. “It is so different for me. I loved cross country skiing at Sovereign Lake. But, the first time I tried to ski downhill at Silver Star I was so bad,” she says with a laugh. “The second time I actually did two full runs on Far Out.”

Duda regularly attends Thursday lunchtime Rotary meetings. “Kalamalka Rotary and its members have been a big, big part of my exchange. Without the club, the exchange wouldn’t be so good. They have taken me so many places and introduced me to so many new experiences.”

 What will Duda miss most when she returns to Brazil in July? “New friends, club members, my host families and the weather. I really like the definite seasons in Canada. It’s all one season in Brazil.”

Future goals for Duda include completion of her studies at Maria Petronial High School in San Paolo and an office job doing secretarial work to help pay for university courses in film making. “I’m also looking forward to seeing my family and friends and our two cats and two dogs.”

Kalamalka Rotary President Ryan Fairburn, a big fan of the program says, “The Rotary Exchange program is undoubtedly the most remarkable experience that can be given to augment a young person’s life; they leave a child from the local community and come back a citizen of the world, ready to share and give back tenfold.”

Robert Spraggs is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Rob Bauml. Robert spoke at a recent meeting about computer security and specifically how it affected small businesses. Every business needs to share data to operate, but this may open the door to outside access such as viruses or malware.  After the meeting, Robert did an interview that is now posted on our Facebook site - a link to that is https://www.facebook.com/kalrotary/videos/594873941013644/  

There is more information about Robert's business as well as contact numbers at his site - http://aegissystems.com/ 

From the left the Kal Rotary members in this photo are Bruce Shepherd, Carmen Larsen, Clark Brewer and Greg MacKinnon. Greg has presented the other three with a Paul Harris Fellow pin for their monetary support of the Rotary Foundation.  There is more information about the Rotary Foundation and the many services provided as the result of the funds provided by our members at this site - https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/rotary-foundation

Kelowna & District Safety Council is a non-profit organization with safety being their mission and passion. Starting in the early 80’s thousands of motorcycle riders and vehicle drivers have taken the lessons needed to learn how to get a license and the essential skills needed for life-long safety and enjoyment. Also, you will learn from the best, most experienced, and most committed instructors in the Okanagan region.

KDSC also offers a variety of programs promoting children’s safety skills – from babysitting to first aid, home-alone and bicycle safety, and more.  You can check out lesson schedules or look at what else is offered at the website https://kdsc.bc.ca/

John Grimes is a member of this safety council and recently gave our club members an overview of their programs. John is seen in this photo with Rotary Member Faith Wood.

Mark Jennings-Bates recently spoke to our club about the concept of flying cars.  He has a background in car racing and said that many years ago the idea of a flying car was mentioned to him and he has been involved in producing one since then.  It was initially thought that the best power for a flying car would be some form of a battery.  That has not worked out as it has become evident that no current battery has the power for take offs, significant flight time and landing.

He has been involved in making a flying car that resembles a helicopter with retractable wings and blades.  You can see how it works at this website - https://www.facebook.com/kalrotary/videos/228106631404422/

You can also see more information about Mark’s background and other involvements at his website - http://markjenningsbates.com/

Mark is with Rotary Member Faith Wood in this photo.

Holly Vanjoff is an Overdose Prevention Knowledge Coordinator with the Vernon Health Unit. She is on the left in this photo with Rotary Member Annette Sharkey. Holly spoke to the club about the opioid crisis in Canada and the excessive number of deaths over the past few years as a result of a drug overdose. She explained that an opioid overdose can be temporarily reversed by injecting a drug called naloxone.  A naloxone kit contains three doses of the drug and an injection needle.  These kits are now provided free to the public and have become a standard item with all first responders, such as ambulances, fire rescue vehicles and the police.

Holly demonstrated how the kit is used and offered to teach anyone interested in getting a kit after the meeting. She had mentioned during her presentation that due to the increase in people using drugs, anyone during a normal business day could encounter someone in distress. She was offering a kit to anyone who felt the need and wanted one.

The website for interior health offers information about pretty well anything you could ask, and is a link to available health services - https://www.interiorhealth.ca/Pages/default.aspx    

Rotary member Morgan Roney is thanking Gayle Voyer for her presentation to the club about the Canadian Blood Services. Gayle is the Territory Manager with his organization, and has explained the services provided at the blood donor clinics and the various ways to arrange an appointment to donate. She stressed how lives are being saved because of these blood donations and the need to have more people involved.

If you have questions about being eligible to donate due to a health situation or medication you take, there is an eligibility quiz you can take at https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/eligibility-quiz  and you can also book an appointment to donate at this same website.

Jody Mitchell is the owner of a 3D Printing business that she created about four years ago.  She recently spoke to the Kal Rotary members about how this business came from her need to become self sufficient for herself and her children. An internet search surfaced this idea that she worked on and turned it into a profitable business for herself.  She started with one small 3D printer that was partially held together with duct tape, and now she has many larger ones that she can program and let them work while she is busy with other things. The samples she brought showed they can make pretty well anything, but she uses them mainly to produce topographical reproductions.  She is also very committed to being eco friendly with her products.  Look at her website https://www.filaprint.ca to get a better idea of her products and how they may be of benefit to you or your business.

The photo shows Jody on the right with Rotarian Faith Wood.

R.C.M.P Superintendent Shawna Baher is in this photo with Rotarian Rob Bauml. Supt. Baher has become Vernon's new "top cop" as she is now officially in charge of the Vernon North Okanagan Regional RCMP. She recently spoke at a Rotary lunch and outlined some of the RCMP projects currently underway.  She is expecting an increase in the number of police officers working in this area and also talked about expectations of the police dealing with the new marijuana laws, particularly regarding driving issues.

Our speaker today was David Gouthro - a seasoned, creative and playful speaker whose personal passion is to help people discover their courage to learn and grow.

"To say we are living in a world of increasing complexity, faster pace of change and rampant unpredictability is about as useful as saying “there is gravity”. Both statements are true, yet neither provides any insight into how to grow personally and/or professionally.  

A critical determinant of whether or not a person will succeed in such a volatile environment is their mindset—which is basically the way they view their own skills, knowledge and talents. Today we briefly explored two particular mindsets (fixed and growth) with the objectives of (a) helping you become more aware of your own mindset and (b) offering a few suggestions on how to change your mindset--if you choose to do so!"

If you would like to see more of David's ideas on this, and a number of other topics, look at his website - https://www.davidgouthro.com   The photo shows David with Rotarian Faith Wood.

Dwayne Peace is a retired 25 year member of the Calgary Police Service who spent the last 7 years of his career in high schools. Dwayne has a special talent for working with youth, and a passion for helping to make a difference in their lives.

He developed sessions based on mistakes he saw youth making. His work has continued to evolve during his 15 years of retirement. Depression, suicide, and the digital world are huge issues with today's youth and then Canada decides we should legalize marijuana.

His book, "Parenting with Eyes Wide Open" has received rave reviews from educators, parents, and grandparents. It was developed as a reference guide that parents have requested over the years. He is presently working on his second book addressing the legalization of marijuana.

Dwayne is in the middle of this photo with Club President Ryan Fairburn and Rotary Member Faith Wood.

https://lifesynergy4youth.com/

Hayley Rakos is a 15 year old grade 10 student at Seaton Secondary in the French Immersion  program. She has played the Saxaphone one year in school and is into painting, horseback riding and BMX biking. After graduating Hayley plans to go to UBCO to study nursing. Along with enjoying school Hayley has a part time job at Vernon Teach and Learn. Hayley says she is eager to learn everything the Queen Silver Star Excellence Program has to offer.  Kal Rotary is thrilled to have her as our candidate ! 

The photo shows Hayley, in the middle, with club president Ryan Fairburn and Donna Koethler, our Rotary member who oversees this program.

From the left, this photo shows Club President Ryan Fairburn, Rotarian Rob Bauml, Dag Sharman and Zach O'Brien.  Dag and Zach are employed by B.C. Hydro and attended this meeting to discuss some of Hydro's recent projects in B.C.  A good part of the work being done now is to replace and upgrade outdated equipment.  An example was the idea many years ago of making cement hydro poles, expecting they would last much longer than the pine or cedar ones, however they found the cement would not hold up to weather conditions and are now being replaced.  They listed a number of local upgrade projects and where possible moving the lines underground.

Dag also showed photos of the new local Hydro building and explained how it had been planned as both a central work site for office staff and outside workers.  It also contains a bunker style work area that could control hydro through the entire province if needed.

The following site provided links to various areas in this province and the projects that are being completed in each, as well as links to other Hydro news and events - https://www.bchydro.com/energy-in-bc/projects.html  

Jeremy Vandekerkhove is a member of the Vernon Search & Rescue Helicopter Winch Program. He attended our meeting today to speak about the program, the funding provided for it, the training each member receives and the types of calls they respond to.  They currently have about 65 volunteer members that are on call 24 hours a day.  They are kept busy with an average of over 80 tasks annually, equivalent to an average of some 6,900 man-hours annually, excluding training or administration.  Their tasks include such things as searching for lost or missing persons, rescue operations, evidence searches, body recovery and emergency evacuations.  There is much more information about this program and the volunteers at their website - https://vernonsar.ca/article/who-we-are  

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The KGH Foundation has committed to raising $8 million to build and operate JoeAnna’s House, a home-away-from-home to keep families together when they need it most.  There is more information about this project at https://www.kghfoundation.com/joeannas-house  

The photo shows Natalie Durham with Rotarian Brian Reid.  Natalie is a Regional Employment Placement Specialist with the British Columbia Construction Association.  The British Columbia Construction Association’s Integrating Newcomers (BCCA-IN) is a program that helps newcomers to Canada enter the construction workforce in British Columbia.  Natalie explained the process and aid available to anyone coming to Canada wanting to work in the construction industry.  There is more information about this program at this website - https://www.bccassn.com/jobs-&-careers/bcca-integrating-newcomers/default  

Kalamalka Rotary honoured Starfish Pack Program Partners today.  The Program provides a weekend backpack of food to elementary and secondary school children in the Vernon area.  Since the Program was initiated two years ago, the number of backpacks provided has increased from 20 to 93!

At the meeting, Brad Thorlakson, President and CEO of Tolko, presented an $8,000 cheque to the Program.

Rotary member Morgan Rooney, on the right, is in this photo with Ken Finch. Ken has been a senior member of the Kal Tire management team for many years and recently spoke about the history of Kal Tire and the reasons for its success.  Part of that success was based in their motto "If we sell it, we guarantee it"  At the heart of Kal Tire is a culture steeped in values.  Seven guiding principles known as the AIMS provide a roadmap for the 5,000+ team members for how business will be conducted.  Included in those AIMS is a commitment to exceed customer expectations as well as a commitment to ensure the career of every Kal Tire team member is supported by quality leadership, training and opportunities for advancement.

There is more information about the Kal Tire history at this site - https://info.kaltire.com/about/our-history/  

Gord Leighton is on the right in this photo with President Elect Ryan Fairburn. Gord spoke to the club about his life in radio broadcasting and how the style of radio has changed over the years. He prefers more of a community based station with a wider variety of music, more spoken word programs and involvement from the local population.

Interact is a club for young people ages 12-18 who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care most about. Through Interact, you can:

• Carry out hands-on service projects
• Make international connections​
• Develop leadership skills​
• Have fun!

HOW DOES AN INTERACT CLUB CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE?
Every Interact club carries out two service projects a year: one that helps your school or community and one that promotes international understanding.

The photo shows some of the W.L. Seaton Interact Club members.  Left to right, they are Jack Cotter, Seth Martens, Kaila Smith, Cyan Ross, Sydney Gravatt and Avril Baldauf. Standing behind is Andy Erickson on the left and President Elect Ryan Fairburn.  Andy is the Kal Rotary member who assists the students.  This group of students recently attended one of our meetings and took over the President and Sergeant positions for that meeting.  They also provided an update on the programs they are currently doing to raise money.  Overall, they did an excellent job and showed us a well organized and mature group of students.

Prem K Khatry, member of The Rotary Club of Mount Everest, Paul Harris plus 3, made a presentation at Kalamalka Rotary on January 25. Prem, managing director of Ace the Himalaya, one of the top ten trekking agencies in Nepal, told us about his NGO Sambhav Nepal which had many projects on the go in the Gorkha region of Nepal, an area at the epicenter of the 2015 earthquake. Sambhav Nepal builds schools, homes, water projects, toilet blocks and coordinates teacher training programs to support the people of this subsistence farming area. Sambhav Nepal has formed partnerships with two rotary Clubs in Sydney, Australia. With the support of Kalamalka Rotary and local non-profit Nepal One Day at a Time, headed by Rotarian Patti Lefkos, Prem is facilitating the construction of Devi Jal Kumari School in Aprik Village, Gorkha.

Left to right, the photo shows Patti Lefkos, Prem Khatry, Mary Jackson and Club President Neil Perry.

Sofia has enjoyed her stay in Canada so far. Coming from South America she was most excited about experiencing snow for the first time. Her favorite memory so far has been the Silverstar weekend with the other Inbound Rotary students & skiing for the first time. She is looking forward to the weekend in the Mountains with both Inbound and Outbound students in Revelstoke in February. She is attending Seaton Secondary, Gr. 11 & likes the school & the friends she has made so far. She is looking forward to the last half of her stay here in Canada.   Sophia is seen in this photo with Rotarian Jacqueline Rivard.

Quote from Sofia:   My exchange experience is one of the most incredible things that has happened in my life. I have been able to travel, become better at English, experience the Canadian culture, and be more independent. The biggest opportunity has been to build long lasting connections with really amazing people. The Rotarians are lovely and include me in different activities. My friendships with other exchange students are bonds for life. I am sad that already five months have passed, but I am excited for the adventures still to come.

I feel so good with the decision I make and I wouldn't it change it for the world. 

Brad Swanson (WHL grad-turned teacher) along with Paralympic athlete Josh Dueck  and pro skier and coach Mike Shaw, spoke to the club about their youth program, Test The Waters.

Test the Waters, is a multi-sport adventure/life skill building camp held during the summer. The multi-faceted camp includes paddle boarding Kalamalka Lake and learning bike skills and tactics before biking the picturesque Okanagan Rail Trail.

The camp provides features brain activation strategies, energy management, shifting perspectives, balance (both physically and cognitively) and accountability to yourself and others.

Brad Swanson runs Kala Star Academic and Outdoor School and states the three all passionately understand the importance of pre-adolescent teens building their own positive base. 

More information can be found at www.kalastar.ca. 

$40,000 from last years Dream Auction was used towards the construction of the triplex on East Hill that was built by Habitat for Humanity and on Saturday, the families officially took ownership.

But this was not just a hand out. The families had to put in 500 hours of 'sweat equity' and they will have a mortgage to carry.

Habitat has offered a no-down-payment, non-interest bearing mortgage at fair market value to the families who could not afford to get on the property ladder any other way. Families pay about one-third of their income toward the mortgage.

Glory Westwell, Habitat's North Okanagan chairperson, said many families applied for the homes, and each was thoroughly screened to determine the best candidates.

-Continuing to run recycling program at WL Seaton -New composting program just put in place this year -Catching Cans a Halloween Food Drive completion against Kalamalka Rotary Club with all donations going to the local food bank

-1250 dollar donation to Patti Lefkos’s Nepal Project to build a bathroom building in the Village of Aprik, Nepal -Running coat check for Kalamalka Rotary’s Dream Auction with tips going to relief in Puerto Rico  (possibly via a local Rotary Club in Puerto Rico or ConPRmetidos) -Windowsill gardens being created for WL Seaton Foods rooms -annual International Women's Day awareness campaign -Sonic Sound Fest charity concert in mid May

-more projects to come throughout the year 

In 2014 Mel Spooner and her husband opened Paradigm Naturopathic Medicine – a healthcare clinic dedicated to providing individual health care. Information about this clinic can be seen at  www.paradigmnaturopathic.com      Mel is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Rhona Parsons.  She recently spoke to the club about a number of health issues and how to obtain balance in your life to combat them.

She also spoke about how to provide an athlete with resources and answers to some of the questions that may arise when they venture into the world of endurance events.  There is more information about this on the website http://endurancehealthandfitness.com

Brian Symonds is the water stewardship manager with the provincial ministry of forests, lands and natural resources, which oversees the handling of water levels of the valley lake chain system that includes Wood, Kalamalka, Okanagan, Skaha, Vasieux and Osoyoos lakes.  He spoke to the club today about the 2017 floods and why they were so high.

He said they have dam releases on many of those lakes and have the ability to make lake level adjustments, but what they were seeing at the start of the flooding were inflow levels exceeding what their ability was to let water out of the larger lakes. They had to also consider the negative downstream impact from water releases.

The excessive input levels came from heavy spring rains in the valley and snow in the upper elevations, followed by a warm spell that melted the late snowpack, which added to the water already running in the creeks. The dams were releasing water downstream but the amount coming in was far more than they could release. This lead to historic levels in all of the lakes.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board website provides access to information about the water systems in the valley, both current and historic, and links to many water related issues - http://www.obwb.ca/

Brian is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Mike Nolan.

Brian Symonds is the water stewardship manager with the provincial ministry of forests, lands and natural resources, which oversees the handling of water levels of the valley lake chain system that includes Wood, Kalamalka, Okanagan, Skaha, Vasieux and Osoyoos lakes.  He spoke to the club today about the 2017 floods and why they were so high.

He said they have dam releases on many of those lakes and have the ability to make lake level adjustments, but what they were seeing at the start of the flooding were inflow levels exceeding what their ability was to let water out of the larger lakes. They had to also consider the negative downstream impact from water releases.

The excessive input levels came from heavy spring rains in the valley and snow in the upper elevations, followed by a warm spell that melted the late snowpack, which added to the water already running in the creeks. The dams were releasing water downstream but the amount coming in was far more than they could release. This lead to historic levels in all of the lakes.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board website provides access to information about the water systems in the valley, both current and historic, and links to many water related issues - http://www.obwb.ca/

Brian is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Mike Nolan.

Rotarian Sarah Yerhoff is on the left in this photo with Kate Fish, the Regional Harm Reduction Coordinator. Kate spoke to the club about the current fentanyl overdose situation and the deaths related to this crisis.  She provided the following statistics about these deaths in this province;

• There were 525 illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected from January through May 2017. This is a 109% increase over the number of deaths (251) occurring during the same period in 2016.

• From January to May 2017, fentanyl was detected in 78% of illicit drug overdose deaths (525 of 669).

• Approximately 31% of those dying from January to May 2017 were aged 30 to 39, with 73% between 30 and 59. Males accounted for 82% of deaths.

• Fraser Health Authority had the highest number (173) of illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected from January through May 2017, followed by Vancouver Coastal Health (160) and Vancouver Island Health Authority (89)

• The Health Service Delivery Areas with the most fentanyl-detected illicit drug overdose deaths from January through May 2017 were Vancouver HSDA (133), Fraser South HSDA (80), and Okanagan HSDA (58)

• Preliminary data for January through May 2017 suggest that the proportion of apparent illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected (alone or in combination with other drugs) is approximately 78%.  In 2012 it was 4%

She also spoke about the agencies and programs currently being used to combat this problem.  The following website provides more information about this issue and links to the most common questions about it, as well as contact links - https://knowyoursource.ca/questions-about-fentanyl/bc-faq/

Paul Williamson has a committee chair position with the BX/Swan Lake Community Association. He recently spoke to the club about issues concerning the remaining 166.9 acres of the original BX Ranch located on East Vernon Road. This land was purchased by the North Okanagan Regional District (NORD) in 2016 for 2.315 million dollars.

There is a process currently taking place to divide this land into two sections. One will become a public walking space, also called a Linear Park.  The other section, about 137.1 acres, may be offered for sale. The BX/Swan Lake Community Association has approached NORD about keeping the property in ‘public ownership’ and using it for an Agricultural Park.

This association has been reaching out to Vernon area residents for input on this proposal.  This can be seen at their Facebook site - https://www.facebook.com/search/str/bx%2Branch%2Bland%2Btask%2Bforce/stories-keyword/stories-public

or through the BX/Swan Lake Community Association blog site - http://bx-swanlake.blogspot.ca/

Paul is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Art Haycock.

Ken Derpak is Managing Director of Silver Star Mountain Resort.  Ken spoke to the Kal Rotary members about the future expansion plans at the resort.  Showing an aerial view of the mountain, he pointed out the areas where they want to do new ski runs, some on the back side of the mountain.  New lifts would need to be installed for these runs, and some of those could come from the area where they are installing a new gondola, designed to take passengers from the village to the summit.

Ken also talked about the idea of a restaurant at the summit, possibly an eighteen hole golf course and how they could accommodate the increase in visitors and traffic.  Any question you may have about the year round activities at the resort can be answered at their website - http://www.skisilverstar.com/?location=CA

Ken is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Stephen Russell.

Greg MacKinnon is seen in all of the following photos presenting Paul Harris Fellow awards to Kal Rotary members.  The donations these members have made to the Rotary Foundation will be used for a variety of programs - a list of these programs can be seen at this website - https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs  

The members in the photos, from top down, are: Donna Koethler, Andy Erickson, Carmen Larsen and Frank Anderson.

Previous District Governor Roger Perry (left) is presenting Art Clark with a Paul Harris Fellow award for his support of the Rotary Foundation.  Art has provided this support a number of times in the past.  The history of the Paul Harris Fellow recognition can be read at this site - https://www.rotary.org/en/history-paul-harris-fellow-recognition

From the left this photo shows: Club President Brian Reid, Roger Perry, Jerry Tellier, Andy Betschler, Mike Stamhuis, Mary Jackson, Carmen Larsen and Sarah Pruckl.

This was Brian's last meeting in the Presidential Role, and he wanted to recognize some club members who had put an extra effort into their club and committee work, making this a very good year for Kal Rotary.  These committees worked in areas like membership, club finances, advertising and the Dream Auction, which is the main event of the year.  This requires a considerable amount of effort from many people, from the initial planning to the actual event and the follow-up of providing funding for community programs.

Special recognition went to Carmen Larsen, who was chosen as 'Rotarian of the Year' for her work with the Starfish Pack Program that provides weekend meals to children in need. This program began in Abbotsford about 5 years ago and has been spreading across the province, thanks to Rotary Members like Carmen. If you are not familiar with the program, please look at the following website - http://starfishpack.com    

Gladys Fraser is ‘Director of Friends of the Games’ for the 55+ BC Games being held in Vernon, September 12-16, 2017.  Over 3500 athletes, officials & supporters, and over 1200 volunteers and fans will converge upon Vernon & Area for one of the largest community celebrations sport has seen in many years.  This annual event showcases the outstanding athleticism of BC competitors 55+ and promotes the benefits of leading an active, healthy lifestyle.

Gladys presented a video overview of the games, answered a number of questions about the types of events and encouraged anyone interested in this to become a volunteer.  She is seen in the attached photo with Rotarian Mike Stamhuis.

Leave a comment below to let us know you're volunteering!!

The following website has more details about the Games, an event schedule and contact information to be a volunteer or participant - http://www.55plusgames.ca

Rotarian Mary Jackson reported on the April 2017 trip to Aprik, Nepal with fellow Rotarian Patti Lefkos and her husband Barry Hodgins.  They were there to review the progress of the first phase of the new Devi Jal Kumari school which consists of a four classroom block.  This building is part of a larger project which will fully  replace the original school destroyed by the April 2015 earthquake.  The construction of the first phase, completed in June of 2017,  was funded by Kalamalka Rotary, Nepal One Day at a Time, among others, and coordinated by the non- profit organization, Sambhav Nepal, founded by Prem Khatry in 2007.

Limited tickets (25) are available at the cost of $85.00 which guarantees the purchaser a unique piece of art, completed by individuals with developmental disabilities who attend the ACT program.  Call 250-549-7387 or 250-549-2744 for tickets.

How the evening works:

1. Attendees pick a number.

2. All the art pieces are displayed for viewing with a number attached to them.

3. Attendees identify their choices in the order of preference.

4. Door ticket numbers (balls) are placed in a bingo/lottery style draw vessel and as your number is called you get to select an art piece of your choice. 

There are at least 8 additional pieces to the number of tickets sold, so there is always a choice.

Proceeds from the event pay for art supplies for the ACT program.  Examples of the art can be seen below.

Rhonda Catt is seen here with Rotarian Rob Bauml. Rhonda spoke to the club about the death of her husband, Peter.  He was a young, active and apparently healthy man who passed away from heart disease. She said there were many warning signs of this disease that they passed off to other causes, and especially in the last few months of his life when these signs became more obvious, they should have been enough to go to the doctor. But, like most young men, he was reluctant to talk about them with a doctor.  After his passing, she put his story in a video with the aim of warning men in his age range to be more aware of what their body is telling them.   This story can be seen at this link - http://petersstory.ca

Mary Jackson returned from Nepal and gifted President Brian with a Nepali hat and crafted wooden tie.  Mary and Patti Lefkos represented Kal Rotary at the Devi Jal Kumari school opening celebration held April 25 – the 2nd anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Nepal.

A presentation is planned for the club to provide highlights of Mary and Patti’s visit to Aprik.  Mary shared what a warm welcome they received and how grateful the community is for the club support in funding the school project.  She also brought regards from Prem Khatry, on behalf of our partner Sambav Nepal.

Club President Brian Reid is thanking Bernadette O’Donnell for her presentation on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  FASD is also called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and can be the result of a woman drinking alcohol while pregnant.  Bernadette spoke about many of the results of this syndrome and also the misconceptions that frequently go with it. She especially wanted to point out that often someone who is diagnosed with autism, attention deficit problems or a variety of problems that are similar, are actually victims of FASD, but the examination did not go far enough to identify it. 

She is hoping that the recent opening of a clinic in Vernon will help to identify this problem and provide aid to victims of the syndrome – more information about this clinic can be seen at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fasd-clinic-vernon-1.3921902   

This photo shows Andy Wylie (left) with Rotarian Rob Bauml. Andy attended today's meeting to speak about Vimy Ridge, the Canadian involvement and the 100th anniversary of that battle.  The details of that battle are very well explained at the Canadian War Museum site -  http://www.warmuseum.ca/the-battle-of-vimy-ridge

Greg MacKinnon (center) is a past president of the club and this month's Rotarian of the Month. He is with Kim Nasipayko and Club President Brian Reid in this photo. Greg has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Rotary Foundation and recently helped organize The Million Dollar Dinner.  Two dinners were arranged to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation. One was in Wenatchee on Friday, April 7, and the second the following night in Kelowna.  There are photos and more information about these dinners at   https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50005/Stories/million-dollar-dinner 

This photo of Helen O’Donnell and Rotarian Rob Bauml was taken shortly after Helen finished her presentation on how soil, if properly prepared and included in our diet, could help to boost our immune system.  She referred back to healthier days when we were young and thought nothing of taking something from the garden, wiping off most of the dirt and eating it raw. Her presentation included an explanation of the research done to support this theory, the process that the soil goes through from digging it up to packaging it for sale and all of the health benefits that can come from consuming it. This was a very detailed presentation with lots of informative slides.

There were many questions after she finished, and she provided very qualified answers to all of them. She had provided small samples on all of the tables and invited everyone to taste the sample and provide some feedback. Many did and most thought the sample tasted sweet. After she was finished, a reasonable sized package of the soil was put up for auction with the proceeds going to the club ‘coffee fund’.  There were a number of people interested and it sold for $30.

After she was done and answered all questions, Rob presented her with a “Thank You” Certificate from the club.  He then announced that special funding for her project would arrive on April 1^st, which would be appropriate since this whole presentation was an April 1^st joke – “gotcha all”

This was one of the best April 1^st pranks I have ever seen. Like many in the room, I would have bought the stuff if she was selling it afterward.  Well done!!

From the left, this photo shows Club President Brian Reid, Ashley Jager, Boyd Goble and Rotarian Vern Belsheim.  Ashley and Boyd are from the Herbal Health Centre and spoke to the club about the history of medical marijuana in Canada and the products that are now available. The Herbal Health Centre is a members only cannabis dispensary that is focused on alternative medicine. Many people arrive with a doctor’s prescription but have no idea what form of cannabis is right for them. They see their role in this medical process as working with a client to find the best product and dosage to suit their individual need.

You can view their website for more information about the products available and contact information - https://www.leafly.com/dispensary-info/the-herbal-health-centre

Peter Wise operates a wildlife/pest control business in the north Okanagan. He spoke to the club today about some of the local animal problems he has encountered, and gave some ideas on how to avoid them. Almost any animal you can picture living in the woods, can venture into an urban area and become a problem – the list of these includes small ones like mice, rats and racoons, up to larger cats like cougars and bobcats, as well as coyotes, wolves, bear and deer.

He discourages anyone from leaving food outside for their pets or for animals or birds they think of as ‘friendly’, because this can also bring animals into their yard that they do not want. Putting birdseed out can also attract mice, rats and racoons – cat & dog food may bring coyotes or large wild cats.

Peter had some very interesting stories about removing small pests and snakes from homes and school yards and setting traps for animals like marmots that had over-populated an area.  You can see some interesting photos & video on his Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pete.wise41

The photo shows Peter, on the left, with Rotarian John Hogarth

In 1999 The Rotary Foundation Trustees approved the adoption of a bequest recognition society, The Rotary Foundation Bequest Society. Becoming a member is a simple process. Couples or individuals who have made commitments of $10,000 or more in their estate plans, such as in a will, living trust, or through whole or universal life insurance, can become Bequest Society members.

From the left, this photo shows Jerry Tellier, Brian Reid, Greg MacKinnon, Darryl OBrian and Roger Perry.  Roger is a past District Governor and has just introduced these four Rotarians as Bequest Society members and presented them with their Bequest Society Crystals.

There is more information about Rotary Foundation donor formats at https://www.rotary.org/en/donate/recognition

Neil Perry, in the middle, is being congratulated by Kim Nasipayko and Club President Brian Reid for being selected as the Rotarian of the Month for March. Neil is very active behind the scenes with various committees and is President Elect for the club. He recently attended the President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) for the Pacific Northwest and came back very excited about new ideas and information he had heard from other Rotarians in this area who are also training to take over their Club President position. 

There is a very good website with information about this seminar at http://pnwpets.org

Kal Rotary member Ruby Sharma, on the left, is thanking Sam Samaddar for speaking to the club about the air services at Kelowna International Airport. Sam is the Airport Director and part of his job deals with the development strategy for the airport.

This strategy covers many topics dealing with the growth of the airport; including increasing service destinations and seat capacity and airport expansion to handle both an increase in the number of airlines using Kelowna Airport as well as the existing airlines flying to more cities. An example of this was WestJet expanding its schedule by adding weekly direct flights to Winnipeg this coming May. The main airlines in Kelowna are also looking at adding flights to more international hubs to improve and increase their business.

There is more information about the Kelowna Airport Leadership Team, the history of the airport and general ‘News & Events’ at the following site - https://ylw.kelowna.ca/about-ylw/ylw-leadership-team

The W.L. Seaton Rotary Interact Club again hosted the Kalamalka Rotary weekly meeting on Thursday, Feb. 16.  President Rowena Dunlop organized and hosted the activities, while fellow “Junior Rotarians” Annika, Lachlan, Aiden, and Lucas fulfilled various duties.  The PowerPoint presentation highlighted most of their fundraising activities (recycling, Sonic Music Fest, Dream Auction Coat Check) and projects (Breakfast Program, Nepal School, Starfish, Window Gardens, Food for Thought) 

They did a fantastic job of running the meeting, presenting a program, and generating “fine” money (via Sergeant at Arms Lachlan) for their club which consists of about 15 students.  The Club also conducts pizza sales to raise money, and gets involved in community endeavors such as making Christmas cards for seniors and caroling at a Senior’s Lodge.  The Kalamalka Rotary Club can be very proud of the high school Interact that they sponsor.

(Photo from left to right - Lachlan, Rowena, Rotarian Andy Erickson, Annika, Rotarian Jim Ferguson, Aiden and Lucas)

Kathy Butler (left) is seen here with her partner Teresa Kisilevish and Rotarian Morgan Roney. Kathy and Teresa spoke to the club members about Okanagan College and the new Vernon Trades Training Centre. This new centre is a $6.2 million dollar investment from both Federal and Provincial Governments. The announcement of this funding can be viewed at the following link - http://globalnews.ca/video/3080784/trades-training-centre-planned-for-vernon

Kathy also talked about the ‘Women in Trades Program’ that is currently being offered in Kelowna, and will be coming soon to the Vernon Campus. This was designed to get more women involved with trades training in this province – more information about this program can be seen at - http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Page19415.aspx

Kathy and Teresa noted that the Aircraft Maintenance Program continues to be available through the College. This program has been a mainstay of the college and continues to be popular.  See info at - http://webapps-5.okanagan.bc.ca/ok/Calendar/AircraftMaintenanceEngineerAMEMLicense

A new program called ‘Youth at Risk’ has recently been started in conjunction with School District #22. They were very enthusiastic about this program as it has already shown that it can have a positive effect in changing the life of youth who need the assistance.  More information about this can be seen at - http://www.sd22.bc.ca/Programs/career/Pages/default.aspx

Left to right, this photo shows Pat Loehndorf, Richard Kerton and James Mayne.  Pat and Richard are newer members to the club, and when they first joined they received their name tags with a red ribbon attached to it. The red ribbon is intended to identify them as new members, so the older ones can offer assistance learning club functions and duties.

The ribbon is removed after they have performed a few duties, such as learning about the Rotary history and our local activities, our website where they can access club and member information and also do a short talk to the club members about their backgrounds and reasons for joining Rotary.  James spoke about this process and has asked Pat & Richard to remove the ribbons as they have completed those requirements.

From the left, this photo shows Club President Brian Reid, Rose Anne Van Meirlo, Steve Ross, Cara Mann and James Mayne.  Rose Anne, Steve and Cara are new members to Kal Rotary, and are being introduced to the club members by Brian and James.  James as also explained the benefits and responsibilities of being a Rotarian.

Left to right, this photo shows Kal Rotary members Kim Nasipayko, Sarah Pruckl and Club President Brian Reid. Sarah is being recognized as Rotarian of the Month for her work on this year’s Dream Auction.

As Committee Chair she oversaw many aspects of a very successful auction, and contributed considerable hours to achieve this goal.

Steve Russell is a new member of Kal Rotary, and he is the owner of Roost Energy, a company that installs solar panels in the North Okanagan. 

Roost Energy was founded with the belief that technology can change the way we consume and produce power and contribute to a cleaner, better world.

Steve gave a short presentation today about how solar panels work, how they can be installed on a home or business and the potential cost savings in your hydro bill. 

The initial installation cost can be high, and they are looking at ways of stretching that out over time, but the long term savings can also be considerable, especially when you consider that the cost of buying hydro is probably going to keep going up. 

There is much more information about this, and the means of contacting Steve to answer questions or provide a quote, at his website - http://roostenergy.com   (the photo shows Club President Brian Reid, on the left, with Steve.

Interact Club Focussing on Environment

This year’s version of the Interact Club has decided to make efforts to improve the environment.  Attendance has been up from past years, with President Rowena Dunlop pleased that 5-6 boys show up to complement the 8-9 girls who regularly attend. 

This group is continuing with recycling as a minor fund raiser, but new projects also reflect their desire to “save the earth”.  After the chief cook from the Lunch Program did a presentation, the Club decided to purchase paper plates to replace the styrofoam ones presently in use. 

They were just given the go-ahead for a composting project.  The Industrial Arts class will do the construction, and the art class is going to decorate the compost containers which will sit outside the Cooking class. 

Other upcoming community projects include making Christmas cards for seniors this Friday, caroling at the Daybreak Senior’s Lodge over the holidays, and helping out at the Bairsto School sponsored soup kitchen on Jan. 28. 

The last meeting of 2016 for this very dynamic group will be next Wednesday, Dec. 14.  Looking forward to what the new year brings.

Club President Brian Reid is announcing that Mary Jackson has been chosen as the current Rotarian of the Month. 

Mary was Club President last year and has consistently been involved in most of the programs and events done by Kal Rotary.

She has been part of the Club Executive for many years, is a big supporter of all aspects of the Dream Auction and pretty well is ‘there’ any time help is needed.

She rarely misses a meeting and always comes in with a smile that truly says how happy she is to be there and be with friends.

Gina Watson (left) and Helen Armstrong are seen in this photo with Rotarian Mike Stamhuis.  Gina and Helen presented an update to the club members about NONA, which is the North Okanagan Neurological Association.

The role of this child development centre is to help families with their children’s development in areas such as speech, physiotherapy and autism. They also wanted to show the most recent developments in building the new Clubhouse.

Kal Rotary recently presented NONA with a cheque for $50,000 to be used for the construction of the Clubhouse. This was chosen as a major beneficiary of Dream Auction proceeds.

There is much more information on their website about the child development programs offered by NONA, their funding for the Clubhouse and the various ways to contact them for information or assistance.  This link will take you there - www.nona-cdc.com/  

Jerry Tellier is a Rotarian, the manager of the Vernon Restholm and this year's choice for the Kalamalka Rotary's 'Vocational Service Award'.  This annual award is given to someone who conducts their business and person life in a high ethical moral standard. Jerry won this year based on his service to the community through his occupation, his caring and his professionalism. Community service was also a factor, as he is a major part of the Kal Rotary Dream Auction, which has raised about $250,000 to $300,000 a year. Jerry was also instrumental in starting the North Okanagan Athletic Awards that recognize high school students for their academic and athletic achievements.

Jerry described the Restholm as a fantastic place that looks after low-income seniors. A place he is so proud of and proud of the staff that are working there that make it the special place that it is. He also commented that he is humbled and honoured that two of the greatest passions in his life -- Vernon Restholm and Rotary -- have garnered him this award.  (Jerry is in the center with Rotarians Mary Jackson and James Mayne)

Rotarian Roger Perry is seen here with Sila Kisoso and Abdi Yusuf, who gave an update to club members about projects in the Horn of Africa. Some of these have been funded partially from money raised through the yearly Kal Rotary Dream Auction.  

Partners in the Horn of Africa works in Ethiopia, the largest country in that area of Africa, focusing on the areas of greatest need. The projects address community needs for education, basic infrastructure, gender equality, food security and sustainable livelihoods. The theme is “Empowering Ethiopians in Partnership” There is more information about this and the specific projects at their website - http://partnersinthehorn.org/  

Left to right, this photo shows Rotary members Jim Ferguson, Club President Brian Reid and past president Greg MacKinnon.  Jim and Brian are being recognized for their contributions to the Rotary Foundation.  The Rotary Foundation is an endowment fund that was started in 1917. It is a non-profit program supporting Rotary International’s goal to achieve world understanding and peace, and is supported solely by voluntary contributions. You can read more about the Foundation and see links to many other Rotary sites at this website -  https://www.rghfhome.org/first100/foundation/

Kal Rotary member Dr. Carmen Larsen was recognized for her work with the local Starfish Pack Program, which is designed to provide food for a weekend to students in need. Some parents simply do not have the means to provide healthy meals every day for the entire family, and this was being seen by a number of teachers in the Abbotsford area who realized their students were coming to school Monday morning, having not eaten properly over the weekend. The local school board and Rotary Club looked at this problem and started the Starfish Pack Program to provide the students who needed it, a backpack loaded with food when they left school on Friday to get them through the weekend. This program has been successful and is spreading quickly through the province - there is a lot of information about this, and also a way to get involved, at the main website - www.starfishpack.com  or at the Vernon website - www.starfishpack.com/vernon    (Carmen is seen in the center of this photo with Rotarian Kim Nasipayko and Club President Brian Reid)

Kalamalka Rotary President, Brian Reid, guides Rotarian Morgan Rooney and RDNO Chairman, Rick Fairburn, as they prepare to install the sign on the new Picnic Pavilion in Paddlewheel Park. 

Okanagan Landing & District Community Association president, Ron Heuman and city councillor, Juliette Cunningham joined Landing residents and other dignitaries to celebrate the completion of a Picnic Pavilion in Paddlewheel Park. The open design is particularly useful in accommodating visitors from local senior’s residents who will need to accommodate wheelchairs in the facility. Situated in a shaded area of the park away from the more vigorous play areas ensures that all levels of activity can still be enjoyed by park visitors.  The success of this initiative by the Okanagan Landing Association was entirely due to the tremendous support given by the greater community.  The majority of the funds needed for the project came from the RDNO, the Kalamalka Rotary Club and the Community Foundation of the North Okanagan while the costs of  materials was offset by in kind donations made by Farrer Rentals, OK Ready Mix, Postill R.E. & Sons Ltd., Shepherds Home Hardware Building Centre, Home Building Centre and Central Hardware. Bourcet Engineering, Horizon Geotechnical and MQN Architects donated design and engineering services. This sturdy structure, designed to remind us of the original 1892 CPR baggage shelter which was once attached to the west end of the Stationhouse, is a clear representation of the strong collaborative spirit that has long been a part of our community.  “I am so proud to be a part of it”, said Val Heuman, project manager for the initiative.

Last year KPMG teamed up with the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce to recognize the top 20 local business talents that were under the age of 40. Three of those chosen are seen in this photo. Kim Nasipayko (center) is the owner/manager of Caulfield’s Engraving, and also a Kal Rotary member. She invited two others that were chosen to speak at a recent club meeting. On Ouchs is the owner of the Rice Box Restaurant &operates Social Lead Marketing, and Sue Solymosi is a mortgage broker & licensed assistant with White House Mortgages.  The stories behind these three and the others who were chosen can be seen at the following website - http://20under40vernon.ca/top-twenty-under-40.html   This site will also show a link to this year’s group of business leaders under the age of 40.

Rotarian Jacqueline Rivard (left) and Club President Brian Reid are introducing Louise Lagasse to the club members. Louise recently arrived from Belgium and is Kal Rotary’s inbound student this year. She will be staying with Neil & Rose Perry, whose daughter Kyla has gone to Belgium as our outbound student. Louise will be attending Kal Secondary School.

Peter Evans first joined Rotary in 1997 in Calgary.  He has stayed with Rotary since then and has served as a Club President. Now due to his retirement from business and move to the Vernon area, it was an obvious decision for him to continue with a local Rotary Club.  He chose Kal Rotary and recently spoke to his new club partners about his past. Peter was born in a military hospital overseas and has enjoyed travelling back and forth to Ireland several times for family matters. He ran a business in the Invermere area until 1999, and of course was a member of the local Rotary Club during that time. That area also allowed him to be involved with outdoor sports, especially skiing, which has become a passion for him. Now living in this area he has lots of opportunity to continue with two of the things he enjoys most; being involved with a Rotary Club and being outdoors on a hill with a set of skis.

Justin Sharma and Pat Loehndorf are not new to Rotary, but are new members of this club and both recently spoke about their backgrounds and what brought them to Kal Rotary.

Justin was raised in a Rotary family as his father, Ruby Sharma, has been a member of Kal Rotary for about 31 years.

Justin said that it was common when he was growing up for his father to bring visiting Rotary members home for dinner, and everyone in the family helped to entertain and make the visitor welcome. They also housed incoming Rotary exchange students, and later when Justin was in high school, he applied for the Rotary Exchange program and was soon heading to Austria to attend school.

Later, when he was married, he and his wife were frequently out of Canada because of their occupations.  During these times, he found that he frequently went back to his contacts through Rotary for assistance and advice. Now that he is back in Vernon, working with his father, he has returned to Kal Rotary with a desire to give back to the community and the many people in Rotary that have helped him in the past. (Justin is seen on the left in this photo with Rotary Member Morgan Roney)

Pat started by saying that some of his friends accuse him of ‘peaking early’ as he was chosen as the cutest baby in Surrey, in the year he was born.

Joking aside, Pat is very interested in community involvement through Rotary and through his job with Bannister Honda. He recently involved Bannister Honda with Papa Murphy’s Pizza and Sun FM to do a project called “Floating for a Cause”, which involved selling pizzas from a boat, to other boaters in our local lakes. This raised just over $2,000 for the Upper Room Mission.

He moved to Vernon about four years ago and joined Silver Star Rotary. About the same time, he became a manager at Bannister Honda and has been guiding that business to adapt some of the Rotary values in its daily operation.

He is very proud that during that time they have been acknowledged and received awards in customer service areas such as ‘Employer of the Year’, ‘Business of the Year’ and Auto Dealership awards for customer and community service.

Pat recently transferred to Kal Rotary as it is more suited to his business agenda, and has quickly become involved in some of our local projects. (The photo shows Pat, on the left, with Rotarian James Mayne)

About 2 ½  years ago Kal Rotary member Pippa Shaw (now Pippa Forster) told the club that her son, Mike Shaw, had been involved in a skiing accident that resulted in a broken neck and that he was paralyzed from the neck down.  Over the following months, and now years, she kept the club updated on his progress as he went through surgery and was learning to walk again.  At today’s meeting Mike walked in and showed a video biography of his accident and the physical & mental processes he went through to learn to walk and ski again. The video he showed us can be seen at http://www.redbull.tv/film/AP-1MSKNX6KN1W11/the-healing-agent     This is a fantastic story of what the human spirit can accomplish with a determination that doesn’t quit, a positive attitude and really hard work. (The photo shows, from left to right, past President Mary Jackson with Mike and Rotarian Faith Wood)

The photo shows Ravi Dhaliwal, on the left, with past Club President Greg MacKinnon. Ravi had recently attended ‘R.Y.L.A. – 2016’ and spoke to the club about his experience. “What is R.Y.L.A.?"  –  Rotary Clubs around the world are dedicated to helping youth develop their leadership skills to the fullest. The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a truly exciting opportunity for young adults, between 19 & 24, to participate in a four day leadership program with like-minded individuals where they will form lasting friendships, hear from professional speakers, develop as a leader, grow as a person and have fun.

Ravi mentioned that he was in the process of moving from a small town family run orchard to a very much larger college town, and he was finding it a bit uncomfortable. He felt that the RYLA experience really helped him cope with that situation. He really liked meeting new people with interests similar to his and found the lessons were aimed at learning to work together. He was also being taught that Leadership works best when it involves everyone, not one person in control. He noted that one of the best lessons he heard, came from Rotarian Calvin Hoy, who said “Never resist the temptation to shut up” – the message being, you can’t hear someone else if you talking.  There is more information about this event at the following site: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50005/SitePage/ryla/ryla-in-district-5060     

Two of the newer members to the club recently did their Classification Talk. This is their opportunity to tell the club members about their backgrounds and the reasons they joined Rotary.

Brenda Davis grew up in ‘small town’ Alberta and was eager to travel. She moved to Whitehorse when the Alaska Highway was just a gravel road, and worked there as a Notary and Commissioner of Marriages for three years. The next move was to the Vancouver area where she ran an accounting business for the next twenty years. During this time she met and married David, a member of the Vancouver Police Department. They loved to travel and used a 36 foot motor home for the next thirteen years to see Canada and the U.S.A., working and touring as they travelled. Their journey ended in Vernon a few years ago and sadly David passed, but Brenda chose to stay. Wanting to give back to the community she started a search that led her to Rotary, and this club specifically because of our diversity of goals and achievements.  (the photo shows Rotarian Kim Nasipayko, on the left, with Brenda)

Graham Mann was born in Burnaby, and he recalls as a youth that they moved around a lot because of his father’s job as a banker. They lived in Coldstream for the first six years of his life. He also knew growing up that his father was a Rotarian. This was something he didn’t really understand or appreciate until later in life when he became a businessman and family man himself. After a number of moves, his family ended up in Vernon for his high school years. Shortly after school he met and married Cara, and they now have three children. He initially worked in construction, but about five years ago joined a partnership with the A. & W. in Golden. Four years later he became an area manager and returned to Vernon. This return also brought him back to recall that his father was one of the founding members of this Rotary Club and was also the first club president. It was a natural fit for him to follow in his father’s footsteps. (the photo shows Graham, on the left, with Rotarian Mike Stamhuis)

Left to right, this photo shows Brian Sims, Faith Wood, Ayman Jalloul and James Mayne.  Brian, Faith and Ayman are newer members to the club.  When they first joined, they all received their name tags with a red ribbon attached to it. The red ribbon identifies them as new members, so that the older ones can offer assistance learning club functions and duties. The ribbon is removed after they have performed a few duties, such as learning about the Rotary history and our functions locally, our website where they can access information and learn how to do a make-up for missed meetings and do a short presentation to the club members about their backgrounds and reasons for joining Rotary.  James is now removing the ribbons as all three have completed those requirements.

The photo shows Sherry Lukey with Rotarian Dustin Stadnyk. Sherry spoke to the club about stress and weight issues in her past that were not being addressed or corrected through doctor visits and various medications. Her search for a better way to deal with these issues led her to the Emotional Freedom Technique, commonly called ‘Tapping’ – she provides an outline of this at her website: http://tappinginfinitepotential.com/about-me/

Tapping is an effective and simple technique somewhat connected to acupressure. It is easy to learn and it can provide instant relief for the stress issues in your life. A web search will surface a number of sites and videos explaining the method and showing how it is done – a good one to start with is http://www.tapping.com

At the start of a Rotary Year, the new Club President introduces the person chosen to be the Sergeant at Arms for the coming year.  Don Thompson was introduced to the club as the person assuming the Sergeant’s role and was presented with the honorary Sheriff’s Badge.

At the last meeting of this Rotary Year, Club President Mary Jackson spoke about the many things this club has achieved and presented a Presidential Certificate to three members for their contribution to the club. Left to right, Carmen Larsen for implementing the Starfish Pack Program, Greg MacKinnon for his Coast2Coast Walk and achieving the highest ever annual contribution to The Rotary Foundation and Jerry Tellier for his many contributions to the club with the Dream Auction and role as Treasurer. A Presidential Certificate was also presented previously to Neil Perry for chairing one of the club’s most successful Dream Auctions – Neil was not present for the photo.

Mary also completed the act of “Passing The Torch” to the next Club President, Brian Reid, by giving him the Presidential Pin.  Brian will start his year as Club President at the next meeting. Brian noted that it will be a real challenge to match how well Mary has handled this role for the past year.

Rotarian Ayman Jalloul is seen in this photo with Angie Clowry.  Angie spoke to our club about the process that leads to Lumby winning Kraft Hockeyville 2016. She started by noting that she has had a long connection to hockey and the Pat Duke Memorial Arena in Lumby. She started playing hockey at age 9 on the boy’s team and stayed with it until Graduation. The idea of submitting Lumby as a contestant in the Kraft Hockeyville competition started slowly as just a conversation, then began to gain speed as more people got involved. They were finding that the word being spread to have friends and family call in to vote for them was becoming huge. They saw a large increase in votes as more hockey families got involved and used all of the social media systems to get their friends and family, virtually worldwide, to log on and vote for Lumby.

The NHL game is set to be played on Sunday, Oct. 2^nd, but as yet a decision has not been announced if the game will be in Lumby, Vernon or Kelowna. A web link to the Hockeyville site is http://khv2016.ca/en/

Angie also wanted to mention that one of the other ladies involved with this process was Rhonda Catt. Rhonda’s husband Peter recently passed away as the result of a heart attack. Peter was a coach and both were very involved with hockey in Lumby. Rhonda has prepared a video about this and Angie asked that we provide a link to it – the video can be seen at www.petersstory.ca

On behalf of the club, Rotarian Tom Christensen is saying Goodbye to our exchange student Jeffery, who will return to Taiwan soon. Jeffery gave a very passionate speech to the club about his past year in school here. He started last year with limited English in a strange school, and found as he became more involved with the sports and activities in the school, he found new friends and his spoken English improved quickly. During this time he was hosted with three different families, who he now regards as ‘new parents and grandparents’, and in one case had the opportunity to be the ‘big brother’ in the family – at home he is the little brother, so he really enjoyed the time being the oldest. He listed many new activities that he had the opportunity to do, and some of the unique foods he tried. He was very much liked in the club and was sent off with a standing ovation.

July 1^st is the start of a new Rotary Year. During the month of June the current club president starts the process of ‘passing the torch’ to the president elect, who will assume that duty at the start of July. This photo shows Club President Mary Jackson giving President Elect Brian Reid a ‘special apron’ – the torch will come later.

Pauline came to our meeting to say Hi and visit old friends at the club as well as her previous host families.  Pauline was our inbound student four years ago. She is currently in her third year of medical school in France.

Bryan Burns recently spoke to our club about the Interior Provincial Exhibition & Stampede. Bryan has been the General Manager of the I.P.E. for many years and he explained how this fair runs in a ‘non-profit’ situation each year, as any money made goes back into developing the fair grounds and buildings. The first fair was a very small event in 1899. Last year it hosted about 158,000 people and has returned about 8.3 million to the community. This year’s fair runs from Aug. 31^st to Sept. 4^th – any question you have about the fair can be answered at their website http://www.armstrongipe.com/   (Bryan is on the left in this photo with Rotarian Mike Stamhuis)

Faith Wood is a new member of Kal Rotary and recently she spoke to the club members about her background. Going right back to the start, she was born about one hour before her twin sister. She said that growing up with a twin was great, but the bond really shows up when it is time to start going separate ways. She faced that when she was a teenager taking flying lessons as an air cadet away from home. She must have felt a need to serve the public as she trained to be a paramedic, and later became a peace officer in Alberta. She now lives in Vernon and can list her current career as ‘speaker, trainer, entertainer, coach, author and hypnotist’. If you are wondering about this list, go her website and browse - http://imind.ca/  

Peter Wise has been a search manager with Vernon Search and Rescue for many years. He spoke to the club about the people who belong to Search & Rescue and the types of calls they respond to. It was important to note that they are 100% operated by volunteers and donations. They currently have about 65 members and are available for calls 24 hours a day and every day of the year. They conduct ground and water searches, rescues, recoveries for the Coroner’s Service and assist the RCMP with evacuations for fire or flooding, and evidence searches. They do searches in all weather conditions, from the summer heat to the winter cold, in the rain, wind, fog and snow. There is much more information about this group and how you can support them or join their team at http://vernonsar.ca   (photo shows Peter on the left with Rotarian Bob Sattler)

On Thursday, May 5 Kalamalka Rotarians were treated to a delicious and exciting offsite lunch meeting in the Drill Hall at the Okanagan Science Centre. The menu by Rotarian Sarah Pruckl of Gumtree Catering included chicken enchiladas, Mexican salad, fresh salsa, guacamole with tortilla chips and assorted desserts.

Steve Russel, a member of the Okanagan Science Centre Board of Directors spoke to us about the various offerings of the centre, including several new exhibits in the galleries such as the Edna and Bert the iguanas and the climbing wall. He shared that 20,000 public had visited the Okanagan Science Centre, now in its 25^th year, in the past year. As well as 6,000 students had benefitted via field trips on on-site school visits. Big news, the dinosaurs will be back this summer.

Kevin Aschenmeier has been there since the beginning. Kevin entertained, terrified and surprised everyone with his physics demonstration (dropping whole eggs into water glasses atop toilet roll tubes). After blasting a flaming plastic pop bottle across the room he showed us how to make Elephant’s Toothpaste, a huge orange steaming tube rising and twisting out of a beaker. For his final demo, accompanied by much laughter and excitement, he taught us how to shoot film canisters at the ceiling and at a few unsuspecting lunch guests.

No Rotarians were harmed in the proceedings!!

Thanks to Morgan Rooney for his organization of the event.

A true international partnership has formed to rebuild Devi Jal Kumari School in earthquake ravaged Aprik Village in the Gorkha area of Nepal. The cornerstone was laid on April 25, 2016, the anniversary of last year’s earthquake, that destroyed all the homes and the already partially condemned Devi Jal Kumari Kindergarten to grade 8 school.

Across Nepal the earthquake took 9,000 lives, injured 25,000 people and destroyed 775,000 homes.

The project to rebuild Devi Jal Kumari Kindergarten to Grade 8 School is supported by Kalamalka Rotary, Vernon, BC; Nepal One Day at a Time Society founded by Kalamalka Rotarian Patti Shales Lefkos; Sambhav Nepal founded by Rotarian Prem K Khatry, Rotary Club of Mount Everest, Kathmandu; and John Palatine from Oswego, Illinois, who has recently trekked to Everest Base Camp and joined the fundraising team. Land for the new school has been purchased by Aprik community members.

The first phase of the school building is targeted for completion in Spring 2017 and will accommodate one third of the 225 students. The remainder will continue to study in classrooms made of aluminum roofing supported by bamboo poles until funding for the next two phases is secured.

From the left, this photo shows Annette Sharkey, Sila Kisoso, and Roger Perry. Annette and Roger are members of Kalamalka Rotary who travelled to Ethiopia in November 2014 to join a one week tour of ‘Partners in the Horn’ projects. They were particularly interested in viewing the projects that had received funding from Kal Rotary, and talking to the locals about future ideas that would also need funding.  The best way to understand what ‘Partners in the Horn’ actually means, is to watch this Facebook video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyaLmzTznbU  

Sila is from Ethiopia and is now living in Canada. She attended a recent club meeting to give us an update on a number of the community initiatives sponsored by Partners in the Horn. She also wanted to bring attention to the 12^th Annual Great BIG Run for Africa, being held on Sept. 24^th   There is more information about this and the Partners in the Horn of Africa on their website http://partnersinthehorn.org

Left to right, this photo shows Sherry Brown, Randy Dhaliwal and James Mayne. Sherry and Randy are new members to Kal Rotary and have just removed the red ribbons that come with the name tag they received when they first joined the club. The red ribbon identifies new members so the older ones can assist them with club functions and rules. Once the new members have become familiar with the club and its' members, and completed a few simple requirements; such as learning about the club structure, attending a neighbouring club meeting and speaking to the club about their background, they can remove the red ribbon. James has just announced that they have completed those tasks and assisted with the red ribbon removal.

Sophie Sullivan from Seaton and Cole Jenkinson from Kal Secondary spoke to the Club about the Adventures in Tourism that was recently hosted in Kelowna.  They spent almost a full week with Rotarian families, traveling throughout the Okanagan visiting various places that depend upon tourism.  Traveling as far as Osoyoos to see N'Kmip Winery, other trips included hotels, golf clubs, goat farms, orchards, theme parks, etc.  Both students were very impressed with the whole program, and insist that it will help to guide some of their decisions in the future.  A big thank you to the Kalamalka Rotary Club for sponsoring them for the Adventure. The photo shows Rotarian Jim Ferguson with Cole and Sophie.

Roland Peltier, seen here on the left with Rotarian Rob Bauml, attended a meeting to explain his involvement with aquaponics systems. A quote from his website best describes what he is doing: "Through Vortex Aquaponics, I am committed to bringing an ancient aboriginal way of thinking back into the mainstream.  Our kids want to reconnect with their food, and aquaponics is a fascinating example of how nature provides the symbiosis which allows us to grow our own organic food up to TWICE as fast as conventional gardening while using up to 90% less water. This is one way we can take back our food security and live sustainably."  Roland has attended schools at various grade levels to teach these systems, and has assisted them with setting up small ones as class projects. There is much more information about these system, photos of existing projects and contact information at this website - http://www.vortexaquaponics.ca/

There were two Paul Harris Fellow presentations at the September 17^th meeting. From left to right the photo above shows last year’s Club President Greg MacKinnon, President Elect Brian Reid with his certificate, District Governor Greg Luring and Roger Perry, who is a past District Governor.

The photo below, left to right, shows Roger Perry, Sarah Sharma Blundell, District Governor Greg Luring and Greg MacKinnon. Sarah is the daughter of Ruby Sharma, who has been a member of Kal Rotary for many years.

Red Ribbon Removal – The photo (L-R) shows Rotary Members Andy Betschler, Mathew Brown and James Mayne. James is overseeing the ceremony of removing the red ribbons from the name tags of Andy and Mathew. New members to the club receive their name tag at their induction to the club and the tag comes with a red ribbon attached to it. This helps identify them to older club members, who can assist them learning club functions, introduce them to other members and help guide them to being involved with one the club’s committees. New members are also asked to perform a few tasks, such as attending another club’s meeting, learn the make-up system of on-line videos and perform a classification talk to the club, where they can speak about their background and what brought them to join Rotary.

Scott Manjak spoke at our August 6^th meeting and gave us a glimpse into his background and what brought him to the Vernon area. Scott was raised in the Kootenay area but came to Vernon frequently to visit family. After high school he worked for CPR for a few years then went to work at a saw mill. While working there he continued his education and around the same time the mill closed he was completing his degree in Arts & Justice. Scott decided to take a chance at politics and ran for a councillor position in Cranbrook – he won and held the position for three terms.

Approaching the fourth term he moved up to running for Mayor and won that position. At the end of that term he had the opportunity to run again, but chose to leave the area as his wife, Raeleen, had an excellent job opportunity in Sparwood. He said that he enjoyed his time in politics and felt he had many accomplishments with the Cranbrook Council, but it was time for him to relax and move on to something else. Raeleen’s employment opportunities brought them to Vernon, where Scott thought he could enjoy some semi-retirement time playing golf, but instead saw a chance to work with the Family Resource Centre. While there, a fellow employee introduced him to Kal Rotary. He was very impressed with the friendship he found at the club and is looking forward to being involved with Kal Rotary projects.

John Guest and his wife Helen have returned to this area and John has re-joined Kal Rotary. John was a club member in the past but had to leave when he returned to Great Britain. John noted that over the years he has belonged to about six different Rotary Clubs due to his family moves, and on one occasion served as Club President. He is very happy to be back at Kal Rotary and looking forward to being here a long time as he is now a permanent resident. (L-R photo shows Mike Stamhuis, Helen Guest, Club President Mary Jackson, John Guest and James Mayne)

• The 2014-15 Presidential Citation Awarded to Kalamalka Rotary for actively working to 'Light up Rotary' from Gary C.K. Huang, President of Rotary International.
• District 5060 Award for the Highest Per-Capita Rotary International Foundation Increase for Large Clubs.
• District 5060 Exceptional Performance Award 2014-15 for having attained the RI Presidential Citation, Achieving Foundation and Membership Goals & Serving our community through leadership and significant contributions.

As well, today I presented Pippa Shaw with the "Rotarian of the Year" award for 2014-15 for her support in building membership in Kal Rotary. Pippa has brought in 6 new members this past year. Congratulations to Pippa! I am so proud of you!

• Don Thompson - PHF
• Pippa Shaw - PHF
• Sarah Sharma Bludell -PHF
• Darby MacKinnon - PHF
• Frank Anderson -PHF +2
• Ruby Sharma - PHF +3
• Art Haycock - PHF +4
• Jerry Tellier - PHF +6
• Bonnie Berry - PHF +8

Today, Mary Jackson received her official 2015-16 President's Pin and announced that Neil Perry would be our club president following Mary and Brian Reid. Neil's year will start in 2017-2018. As I have mentioned many times before - our club has a long history of strong presidents and I look forward to supporting all of these fine people in the coming years.

His Worship Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund joined us for lunch at our May 28^th meeting and fielded questions from the club members. Most of the current issues in Vernon were raised and Mayor Mund was open to anything asked of him. The By-Pass issue is still being considered, but difficult to satisfy everyone involved, Stickle Road is still a safety concern but has no clear solution yet, the future of Kin Race Track still has not been settled but there is a sense that the interest in horse racing is declining so there are still many questions where this will end, the Civic Arena is not being torn down as the building is still solid and could be used for something like a museum or art gallery and the idea that the tourist booth could house a bicycle rental business was raised – this would allow large motor homes to be easily parked and a more enjoyable means of visiting the city available to tourists. When asked about the ‘best & worst’ parts of the position, he said the worst is the amount of reading necessary to keep up with all of the issues and the best was meeting the people and dealing with their issues and concerns. This was a very interesting and informative meeting. (The photo shows Mayor Mund on the left with Rotarian Dustin Stadnyk)

Little did Sandy Treagus know when he came to Canada in 1985 as a Rotary exchange student thirty years ago that he would one day return to Canada and become CFO of the Mountain Equipment Coop, MEC. It is a rare day when he doesn’t think of life lessons and parenting advice learned during his year in Vernon sponsored by the Kalamalka Rotary Club.

Upon Return home to South Africa he studied Commerce and Law and later became a Chartered Accountant. Turbulent times followed in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was freed and became president, the apartheid system was over ruled and the gap between haves and have-nots widened. Fifteen years later, two life threatening experiences convinced him to marry his wife Jeanie and come to Canada.

As CFO of MEC he has brought the brand into the modern, more fashionable work, never sacrificing quality and durability of the goods.

His latest accomplishment, construction of the MEC Head office in North York, Ontario has achieved platinum status for energy efficiency. The multipurpose room featuring TRX work out stations, yoga and spin classes, cross fit and table tennis. Maybe that’s why he looks so fit!