Welcome and Welcome Back

A new member and a returning member spoke at our February 26^th meeting and told us about their background and what brought them to Kal Rotary.  The photo shows Club President Greg MacKinnon (left) with Patti Lefkos and Andy Betschler.

Patti was raised in Ontario and spent her teenage years in Europe.  She started teaching in an elementary school in Toronto, then moved to Vancouver where she spent about 20 years with the Vancouver School Board as a teacher and principal.  She also obtained her Masters Degree in Environmental Education and has now moved into the ‘Freelance Writing’ field.  She currently supplies articles for ladies magazines and both a local and a U.S. based newspaper. She had a connection to a Rotary Club when she was working in Vancouver, and saw how that club helped the youth in a vulnerable area.  She is now settled in the Okanagan and very happy to be a part of Kal Rotary.

Andy told us about growing up in Bavaria, mountain climbing, skiing, experiencing their unique style of clothing and apparently learning to yodel; something he says he will do, but only with the ‘right prompting.’  His family moved to the Fraser Valley area when he was a teenager, and he eventually went into the Hotel Management business. When business slowed, he moved to a financial management career that eventually brought him to work at a local Credit Union. He recently decided to try his own business and has now started a Business Accounting Firm. Earlier in his career, he worked in Vernon and at that time joined Kal Rotary.  Now living back in this area, he was looking forward to his return to the club. Perhaps at some future function he can tell us some “old stories” about the club members, and we can figure out what ‘prompting’ is needed to hear him yodel.