Stories

Rotary’s slogan, “Service above Self” has been a source of inspiration for Rotary members throughout the world for many years.  Rotary International is now promoting  a new and inspiring public image which depicts People of Action.  Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club is dedicated to carry out People of Action activities.  This concept is no more realized than with the continued restoration of the Alco FA diesel engine by focusing on its surrounding site.

Being people of action takes hard work and involves getting yourself down into the ground, so to speak. Being People of Action takes an effort. 

Minda Dentler was one of the keynote speakers at the 2019 Joint District Conference.  Minda is the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship.  

As an infant in India, Minda contracted polio, leaving her with paralysis in her legs and in the care of an orphanage. Luckily she was adopted by an American family from Spokane, Washington and underwent a series of surgeries on her hips, legs and back. This enabled her to walk with leg braces and crutches. Her determination resulted in her becoming an independent, educated woman with the drive to face and overcome obstacles throughout her life. 

She has become a champion and inspires people to look beyond their fears.  Minda's approach is to set a goal and achieve it through planning, positive mental attitude and perseverance.  Every goal, athletic or personal goals require hard work and training and as a polio survivor and advocate, a mom, and an athlete, Minda inspires people to strive for the impossible. She is that Champion in the fight to end Polio and is an inspiration to us all.

Rotary International and Water

Water, the most precious element on the planet, covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet comprises only 0.02 percent of the Earth’s body mass. Nevertheless, without this necessary element, life on the planet would likely cease to exist. We need water, not just in its present form; we need clean water.

One of the challenges we face as global citizens and members of Rotary International, along with our respective clubs, is to provide clean water to all of us. A statement from the Rotary International website reads: “Clean water and sanitation is a human right. When people, especially children, have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, they lead healthier and more successful lives.”

The executive voted on Dec 16th to admit for membership, Penny Coyle, who was proposed by Trent Taylor and Al Davis. She works at Taylor Adams as an accountant. This is to notify all club members that if no objections are heard within 7 days of the date of this e-mail then we shall proceed with her induction early in the new year

Yours in Rotary Service

Mark Pinnell 

Having travelled from Rome to Cranbrook for her year of International Youth Exchange, Alessia was introduced to the thrill of ice-fishing on a fine winter's day at Baynes Lake. And unlike Shauni, she got to enjoy the experience on a balmy day totally the opposite of the sub-zero temperature Shauni "enjoyed" last year. However, like Shauni she was introduced to the long-standing Sunrise Rotary tradition of kissing the first fish caught.

Guides and mentors on this expedition were Percy and Frank who provided food, hot drinks, a stove for warmth and of course the expertise that led to a fine catch of large, delicious Kootenay trout.

Our goal for the year for the Annual Program Fund is $4,200 and to date we have donated: $4,126. This was as of October 31, 2013.

For those who attended the Wade Davis presentation at Key City Theatre a few nights ago, the presentation by Percy Davis during our morning meeting seemed to be a continuation of similarily fascinating information about cultures far different from our 21st century western civilization. Although very few travelers are able to visit the remote tribes in the Indonesian half of New Guinea due to government restrictions and uneasy relations between government and the tribes, Percy managed just that and his slideshow and commentary gave us a glimpse into a totally different world.

While it is very difficult to summarize in a few words what the presentation told us about the people of Western New Guinea, the photo above gives some indication of what the travelers encountered. Also, in Percy's words, in the tribal culture of New Guinea,  "pigs rule" with a man's worth being based on the number of pigs owned. Despite the fact that they "rule", pigs also serve as the main menu item for those occasions requiring a celebratory feast. Among the many customs of the tribes is the chewing of betel and consequently the red stains of betel juice are widespread throughout villages and surroundings. Mentioned was also made in the presentation of some itchy nights due to cohabiting with fleas and lice.

Thanks Percy for an interesting and colourful presentation

A large group of Sunrise Rotary members, spouses, Youth Exchange students and other guests celebrated the Christmas season at a fun-filled event at St. Eugene Resort on Sunday, Dec. 15. The event, which was organized by Helen Boon and Lorinda Nelson, featured a fine meal, music and dancing, a soon-to-be-traditional reading of original poetry by President Mark, a necktie competition, and other miscellaneous happenings. Music and many toasts to the festive season were supplied by the East-West Connections band.

During the evening's activities, Arlene Schroh presented Youth Exchange student Shauni with a large quilt which was then passed around the room to be signed by the many friends that Shauni has made during her exchange year in Cranbrook.

Mid-way through the evening, a necktie competition among the many men decked out in their Christmas best, led to Jay Nelson taking the trophy based on the judgment of a panel of youthful experts. Some felt, though, that the panel was unduly influenced by the somewhat questionable addition of sound capabilities to the winning tie.

A great evening for all. Our thanks to the organizers and to all who attended.

I have been interested in microcredit since 1998. I initiated and support some 10 Matching Grant projects in the Philippines and Bolivia. I attended the microcredit conference of May 2011 in Calgary where Matt Flanagan, one of those wise young whippersnappers and co-founder of Kiva, told us about Kiva

I realize that working with Kiva is an excellent way to become aware of the reality in the world around us. For a Rotarian who is interested in that world this is a satisfactory experience.  For every Rotarian this is the chance to become involved: everybody likes to help others without spending money. By 28 October 2013 186 Rotarians from 28 clubs funded 8985 loans for a total $348, 215. Just imagine if we could reach 1.2 million Rotarians and convince a percentage of them to join us.  We would reach a level of millions and millions of dollars worth of sponsored projects.

It will be easy to follow such success story if all Kiva-Rotarians become member of a Kiva RAGM team. The world would have another example of what Rotary can do.

(Editor's note - for more information about Kiva follow the link http://www.kiva.org/)

On Saturday Nov. 30, we held our by now annual Minkha sweater sale when we sell sweaters, hand knitted by the Minkha women of Cochabamba in Bolivia and also hand woven scarves from Guatemala. The proceeds from the sweaters go straight back to Bolivia via Save the Children Canada and the profits from the scarves go back to Guatemala where they are used in community projects such as clean water or safe inexpensive cooking stoves.

This year I was very happy with the special help that we received from the Rotaracters especially Danica who brought all the members in shifts to the hall and not to forget Mark our president who proved to be extremely good in organizing the men's sweaters. During the sale several members of our club came by and purchased items. We made over $6000 and after all the bills are paid we can send away around $5500.

By the way all the sweaters have now gone to Edmonton where we have the biggest sales (it is Alberta after all) but I can always order a sweater for you; we have samples of the knitting, all the colours and all the different models and options. We always have a collection of scarves here at home.

Thanks again to all of you and Merry Christmas,

Anne

In February of this year, the Cranbrook Rotaract Club was formed by a group of college students eager to make a difference in the community and the world. After a few months off for the summer, the group kicked off the new Rotary year with a small handful of returning members fundraising and volunteering in the Cranbrook AIDS Walk.

Since September, the Cranbrook Rotaract Club has DOUBLED its membership! We have participated in a number of activities and events in the community, and have had three meetings so far. We made a fundraising team for the Cranbrook AIDS Walk and helped out with traffic control; we helped Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary and the Friends of the Library move boxes of books in for the Book Sale and we took shifts volunteering on the day of the sale. More recently we stuck Rotary labels inside the covers of the dictionaries the Cranbrook Rotary Club will be distributing to Grade 3 students across town, and we helped Anne and Antoine Beurskens with the Minkha Sweater Sale, as well as set-up and take-down of the event. Our first event in December was joining the army of volunteers from Cranbrook Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, the Fire Department, and a number of others, in filling and serving plates at the Seniors' Christmas Dinner at the Colombo Lodge!

We are looking forward to helping out for a number of projects in the spring and summer with both Rotary clubs in town, including Rotary Way maintenance after the snow melts, cleaning up and yard work at J. Fred Scott Rotary Villa, the film festival, Rotary Way Day, the Paint the Train project, and the Gran Fondo. We are excited to work with the Cranbrook Rotary Club and the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club, providing young, strong volunteers and smiling faces for any events we can! In the spring and summer, we also anticipate the possibilities of participating in the PETS Conference and RYLA. We have had a great four months so far, and we look forward to the next several months of service!

On behalf of the Cranbrook Rotaract Club, I would like to thank both of our sponsoring Rotary clubs, as well as Mark Pinnell and Doreen Adams, for all their help, support, and mentorship, as well as providing us with volunteer opportunities and Rotary connections. Also, thank you for the club T-shirts!

Danica Jensen
Cranbrook Rotaract, Vice President

ShelterBox is aiming to help up to 4,000 families following Typhoon Haiyan and has launched an Emergency Appeal. With 504 tents en route now from Dubai to Manila, our ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members are already on the ground in the Philippines carrying out assessments. We are working around the clock to ensure that we do all we can to help the families who have been affected. Read more here - http://shelterbox.org/news_global.php?id=1201

For Canadian Clubs, the Federal Government is matching $1 for $1 your contributions to a recognized charity and Shelterbox Canada is one. Please encourage  members to help.

What are the connections between our club and a picture on P.10 of the February issue of The Rotarian. I issued this challenge on Feb. 25 of this year.

I don't believe there was a single correct answer:   There is a picture of Scott Niedermayer and it was made possible by efforts of a club member. It (and one of Rob) are part of the "WORLD'S BIGGEST COMMERCIAL" for END POLIO NOW.

Check it out at http://www.endpolio.org

Below left - MC Ursula on the job.  Below - The tutu-clad entertainers Sheldon Richardson & Marty Winkl. Right - Outgoing President Daryl gives his year-end Address.

Below - left: Mike dons a tutu and joins the act(ain't he cute!). Below - A ceremonial cake in recognition of 100 Years of Rotary is presented by Jenn Ternoway(Rotaract Secretary) & Barry Catsirelis(Rotaract President).

Installed during festivities at Cranbrook Golf Course were Ursula Brigl(Pres.-elect & Secretary), Daryl Richardson(Past-President), Lorinda Nelson(Public Relations), President Mark Pinnell, Helen Boon(Club Service), Colleen Bermel(Youth Exchange), Trent Taylor(Director-at-Large), and Mike Burnham(Treasurer). A few positions remain to be filled and will be announced at a later date.

In her presentation to the club, the current BC Ombudsperson, Kim Carter, outlined the goals of her office for the people of the province. In short, her office strives to see that people are treated fairly by provincial public authorities. Among the examples she used to illustrate the impact the ombudsperson can have was dealing with a complaint of unfair treatment by BC Hydro. Following investigation by the office of the Ombudsperson, the complainant received a $60 rebate from Hydro, and 580 other people who had also been affected received similar compensation.

Kim left a comprehensive information binder with President Mark for anyone wanting to follow-up on her presentation. Also, detailed information on the Office of the Ombudsperson Office can be found at http://www.bcombudsperson.ca

This post will be more of a thank you than a blog as I feel there are quite a few people I need to thank.

Thank you to both my home and host Rotary clubs. Without you this literally would not have been possible. I have had the time of my life this year and I have you to thank for that. I can't wait to one day become a member of Rotary and watch kids of the future walk the same path I have been lucky enough to walk. What your organization does for youth is absolutely outstanding. Know that all the hard work you put in is so beyond worth it for us exchange students. We are forever grateful to Rotary and all its wonderful individuals.

Thank you to my host families. Without you there would have been many more nights spent sleeping in train stations or on McDonald's benches. The selflessness you show is unreal.
To the Borners: Thank you for being my first home away from home. You took a naive, uncultured, scared girl and helped her become a confident, open, happy young woman. I cannot thank you enough for all the trips you took with me, our trips to meet grandparents, my city tour, ITALY, all the sightseeing, the fraternity events, everything. I am so grateful for everything you did.
To the Lennigers: thank you for being a great last impression of Germany. Thank you for letting me become a part of your family so quickly, and for being patient with me when all I seemed to do was make mistakes. I am so grateful for all the exciting things we did together and I promise I'll come visit by soon! Viel Spaß in Montreal Lukas und Felix!!!

Thank you to my friends. Without you this year would have been unbearable. Thank you for standing by my side through everything. Whether it was language struggles or homesickness I always knew you guys would have my back. I won't forget any of you no matter how long we go without seeing each other. I love you guys until the end of the world. Bis später!

Austauschschuler!!!!!!!!! Thank you thank you thank you. I couldn't involve you in the friend section of this thank you note because you're not friends, you're family. We fought, we cried, we laughed, we ate, we sang, we drank, we did everything exchange students are supposed to do but the best part about it was we always did them together. We stuck together through everything. The good and bad times couldn't touch us. We started in August not knowing a single thing about each other or where we were. And we have ended this year knowing every single last detail about everyone else and we have grown and learnt so much about our country. I hope that whenever you are in Kanada you send me a message because I will always be there to visit. I love you guys soo much and I will miss my home away from home more than anything.

Thank you to my family. I don't think I would have made it the year without you.
To my little sister: Thanks girl. We left each other just sisters. We fought and argued and couldn't seem to find anything we agreed on but spending a year away made me realize just how special you are to me and how lucky I am to have a sister like you to keep me going. Thanks for keeping me in the Cranbrook loop even when I was halfway across the world. I wish you nothing but the best on your exchange and I know that the next couple of months will fly by and I won't be ready to say goodbye in August but I also know that you'll have the time of your life while you are there. Be your own person, be open to new experiences, and don't forget to stand tall and be proud ;)
To my mummy and daddy: WE DID IT. Well you did it. You survived all year without me. Proud of you ;) no seriously, thank you. Thanks for the 3 am skypes when all I wanted to do was come home, thanks for constantly filling the cash tank, thanks for signing forms, and letting me vent, but most of all thank you for giving me this experience. I can never express to you how incredibly grateful I am that you allowed me this amazing adventure. I know the next year will be just as hard on you as this past year was but know that I am always here for both of you, and that I will always be your little girl. I'm just your little girl who likes to travel now ;)

Thank you. To everyone who made this experience possible. I will never forget the amazing things I did, learned, and saw. But more importantly ill never forget the people that were involved in making this the best year of my life. Thank you. Xoxoxo

Another successful Sam Steele Days weekend; another weekend of Sunrise involvement in a major community event. Thanks to the dedication and organizational skills of our longtime concession manager Dick Robinson and his wife Jeannie, and the involvement of Sunrisers who dedicated many hours to ensure an efficient and smooth operation of the Fieldhouse concession and satellite barbecue at the ball diamonds, the hungry were fed and the thirsty were supplied with cold and hot drinks.

On top of that, Dick informed us that the weekend's efforts also generated a profit to support our various projects and activities. Congrats to all!

In the photo above, Mark Pinnell poses with Masayuki (Masa) and Lucy Tsuzuki who were members of the Group Friendship Exchange attending the District 5080 Conference in Colville. Following the Conference, Masa and Lucy spent the weekend in Cranbrook with Mark and Lee, taking in the Sam Steele weekend activities and enjoying a guided tour of Cranbrook with their gracious hosts. The four new friends then journeyed to Banff so Masa and Lucy could rejoin the GFE team.

(from a report received from Danica who is on Youth Exchange in Bolivia)

Pink Panther”, “Mas Que Nada”, “Four”, “In The Mood”, “Tamarindo Seco”, “Moonlight Serenade”, “Mambo No. 5” – just some of the hits we played at Thursday, April 18th's "concierto" (concert).

Era un gran evento, muy elegante, en la Manzana Uno – completo con fuegos artificiales! It was a big elegant event held in the "Manzana Uno" (the plaza behind/beside "La Catedral" (The Cathedral)) - complete with a flying mime and fireworks!

I arrived with Adri (my 18-year-old sister and friend), not knowing what we would find, but expecting a group of musicians parked in a corner of the plaza with half a drum kit and a shared microphone for solos and introductions. Not even close! We were both surprised when we were stopped at the entrance by "un guardia" (a security guard) who would only allow entrance to those with a pass - or performers. Unfortunately, I didn't have "un instrumento en mano" (an instrument in hand) - because I am using/borrowing Sr. Boris' alto, and he keeps it at Kolping (where we rehearse), and brought it with him and his baritone sax "al concierto" (to the concert). Fortunately, the guard believed the tall, blonde gringa and her "hermana Boliviana" (Bolivian sister) when we explained that I was there to play in the Big Band. I was surprised again at what we saw just around the corner: tables and chairs dressed up with white table cloths, chair dresses, and coloured ribbons; a big stage with decorated chairs and lots of lights; one third of the plaza blocked off with rails and guards; and people running around setting up lights, mics, and cables. I found Sr. Boris and "el saxo" (the saxophone), got set up and warmed up, and waited for the show to start.

"A las siete y cuarto, comenzó el evento - el IX Festival Internacional de Teatro."
The event - the Ninth International Theatre Festival - began at seven fifteen.

We (the Big Band) played a one half-hour set, sat through a lot of speeches, watched some videos and dances on balcony behind us, and were entertained by clowns and mimes on stilts, as well as a ton of other fascinating characters milling about in the crowd. By the time our second set rolled around, all the seats in the audience were full, a large crowd had gathered on the outside of the fence, and one of the mimes had clipped herself onto the cables stretching across the plaza above "la gente" (the people/crowd). She had balloons in her hand and floated gracefully through the air as if she was walking or dancing. A recording of "Tamarindo Seco" (a local favourite) blasted from the speakers and "fuegos artificiales" (fireworks) boomed above until the mime finished her act and slowly let the balloons fly free - and in the same moment, the other actors in the audience released the rest of the balloons (that had been tied to the chairs with looooooong ribbons) into the clear night sky. It was beautiful. :)

Then it was our turn again. We started the set with "Tamarindo Seco" and all the actors on their feet. It was so much fun to perform again, after so many months "sin tocando" (without playing), but it was especially awesome to play with everyone dancing right up front like that. I had to force myself to focus on the music when we played "Pink Panther" and "Chameleon" because all the actors were just so "into it" - prowling around like cats, flailing their arms, and shaking their whole bodies during an EPIC and crazy-long drum solo! It was AWESOME! I tried to explain to my family afterwards how much fun it was and how that has always been Mr. Bueckert's dream - jazz band ripping it up, audience dancing away, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it all. :D

When we finished the set, "la gente" (the people) remaining started chanting, "OTRA MÁS! OTRA MÁS!" (“ONE MORE! ONE MORE!”) but Ricardo (one of the directors) said, "No. Vengan al otro concierto el proximo miercoles!" (“No. Come to our next concert on Wednesday!”) And with that, we started to pack up.

I hopped down from the stage to greet my excited fan club - mi Papi Fredy, mi Mami Denise, Adri, and Ale. They were all so proud of me and took a zillion "fotos" (photos) and videos throughout the whole show (Mi Papi and Adri even snuck up to the balcony to take pictures of me from behind!) - until both cameras died!

After I packed up "el saxo" and left it with Sr. Boris, I left the "Manzana Uno" with my family and free hands! There is one binder and one book of music for each "section" (Alto 1, Alto 2, Tenor 1, Tenor 2, etc.), so we aren't allowed to take them home, and I didn't have a saxophone to carry home or keep track of! It felt so strange to leave a concert like that! But it felt sooooo great to be leaving a concert where I had just performed. I have music in my life again, and life is good!! :)

 NPR (hyperlink – http://www.npr.org/search/index.php?searchinput=polio+eradication&dateId=30&programId=0 : One of the top challenges facing global polio eradication? Keeping people focused on the goal through 2018, says Rotary’s Deepak Kapur.

 MASHABLE (hyperlink – http://mashable.com/2013/04/23/psy-bill-gates-polio/ : To the average person, the connection between a South Korean pop star and a tech-guru-turned-philanthropist is not obvious. What links them? Their partnership with Rotary, and a dedication to polio eradication.

 VOICE OF AMERICA (hyperlink – http://www.voanews.com/content/rotary-international-recognized-for-its-fight-against-polio/1646640.html : In this profile piece, Rotarian polio-survivor Ann Lee Hussey emphasizes the importance of global polio eradication.

As all you who were present at this past week's meetings (morning and satellite) know, the main program was our involvement in the upcoming projects and events in the next 6 or so weeks. As some of us also know, this is the busy time of year for us with regard to our various commitments we have within our community. This morning I sent out the signup forms that each of you volunteered for. This message is primarily for the club members that were not in attendance for this open discussion.

Below I have indicated the projects still requiring volunteers and in some regards someone within the club to take on the leadership role of the project. For the past few years we have had certain individuals staying in the leadership role and now it is time that they would to step aside and let someone else take the reins. I mentioned that past knowledge and experience is not far away if someone new were to request it. Please have a look at the projects and dates and let me know if you would like to volunteer and better yet if you would like to lead a certain project.

Please don't wait for someone else to step forward. Do it now.

Project - Highway Cleanup - 14 members volunteered - Leader, Alex Ibbotson

Project - Rampart Cleanup - 8 members volunteered - Leader, Brent Jossy and the members of the Satellite meeting.

Project - Gran Fondo BBQ - 8 members volunteered - Leader required

Project - Sam Steele Concession - Dates, June 14, 15, 16 - 14 members volunteered, More volunteers required - Leader required

Last Saturday I was joined at our Rampart facility by Mel, Gerry, Shelly, Janice and Bob from 8:00 - 10:00 to list the recently donated equipment from the Cranbrook Regional Hospital. As some sorting of the equipment was needed and as the knowledge amongst us was limited, we seemed to shuffle through it with a few laughs and internet searches to determine what they were. In this equipment there was everything from a Mammography Unit to a ECG and even an Ultrasound System.

A total of 16 items were recorded and now the process is to list them on the internet to raise funds for the locomotive project and other requirements in the club. An approximate calculation would be in the area of $20K to 30K or even higher.

The April 30th meeting for Sunrise Rotary was held on a chilly morning at Fort Steele in conjunction with a visit by the Youth Exchange students who overnighted there as one stop on their tour of District 5080. The informal gathering over coffee, muffins, and fruit offered a chance for fellowship among Rotarians and exchange students while gaining an appreciation of life on the frontier.

Members of Cranbrook Sunrise and Cranbrook Rotary clubs along with District Exchange students gather to sing the anthem at the flagpole at Ft. Steele RCMP barracks.

Recent Fondo developments:

Entertainment: If you have suggestions, contact Mark Pinnell .
Hospitality (Volunteer Appreciation Prizes & SWAG bag Inclusion ideas): Contact Helen Boon
And if you are available to Volunteer, please register on line (www.krgf.ca) by mid-May to assist us with planning.

Thanks
Glenn

New Members: Andrew Catabay, Tim (Timmy) Tetrecult, Owen Collins

President-elect Mark Pinnell presented a cheque on behalf of Sunrise Rotary to Rotaract President Barry Catsirelis (Left above)for $50.00 for seed money. This was matched by the Cranbrook Rotary Club. Tim Wheaton (Treasurer) is on the right above.

The club had its first “brainstorming” session. In this session we tried to identify our strengths and weaknesses and discussed some possible future projects. We also discussed the “snafu” with getting the club re-activated with Rotary International.

The next meeting date is not set yet.

(editor's note - The item below is for those of you who missed the announcement in the Feb.11 issue of  The SUNRISER.)

‘CONGRATULATIONS’  to Sunrise Rotary for becoming a Premier Club in the Ignite Membership initiative by obtaining the 420 points needed for our 42 member club. The points were obtained through meeting some of the criteria in the 18 listed in the Ignite Program. Some examples: Bring in a new member (25), Propose a new member (5), Develop an attractive website (10).

President-elect Mark took Shauni for a tour of the firehall this week. Obviously Shauni fit right in.

The upcoming Youth Exchange District Tour will begin in Cranbrook on Sunday, April 28th. The students will be visiting the Trout Hatchery, swimming, and doing a couple of programs at Fort Steele before moving on to Golden. The tour will culminate at Camp Lutherhaven in Coeur d'Alene with the upcoming group of outbounds on May 6th.

The Cranbrook Rotary Club is involved with the tour and will be supervising the inbounds on the first evening of the students' visit to Cranbrook, but I must have two volunteers, one male and one female, from our club to chaperone on Monday, April 29th at Fort Steele (from supper time until the next morning at breakfast--7a.m.). The club will be having their breakfast that morning at Fort Steele to allow members to visit with the inbounds. Please let me know as soon as possible if you are able to spend the night as a chaperone for these young people.

Dear Rotarian:

We are pleased to share that today, on Rotary’s 108th anniversary, it was announced at the Vancouver Peace Forum that Canadian Rotarians have raised over $1.6 million for the Pennies for Polio initiative. Thanks to you, we have exceeded our goal of $1 million. This is a true testament to the continued interest and commitment of Canadian Rotarians to Rotary’s priority program. Our funds, as you know, will also be further leveraged by matching funds from the Canadian government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. By doing this we have ensured vital financial support for global polio eradication activities and we have sent a clear message about the continued commitment of Canadian Rotarians to the goal of a polio free world.

Our government has heard and acknowledged this message. Yesterday, Minister for International Cooperation Julian Fantino and International PolioPlus Committee Chair Bob Scott issued a joint editorial article affirming commitment to the shared goal of a polio free world and today, Minister Fantino announced that the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will match all contributions received above the original $1 million ceiling by Rotarians through the 1 March 2013 deadline. The Gates Foundation has also agreed to continue their match of funds donated by Canadian Rotarians. Based on the $1.6 million in contributions are aware of to date, this already means a total of $4.8 million in additional funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

We have one week remaining where every dollar you contribute will be matched by an additional $2. We would encourage you to consider making an additional contribution to PolioPlus in honor of Rotary’s Anniversary prior to 1 March 2013. We are planning to announce a preliminary figure for funds raised by Rotarians through 1 March to Minister Fantino when he attends the Toronto Peace Symposium on 2 March 2013.

We thank you for so clearly demonstrating the unwavering commitment of Canadian Rotarians to global polio eradication and hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to leverage your investment in a polio free world. We also encourage you to express your appreciation for Canada’s continued collaboration with Rotary as highlighted by the extension of this match to your Member of Parliament.

Many thanks for your continued support and collaboration to END POLIO NOW!

Bryn Styles Richard Clarke
Member Chair
RI Board of Directors Pennies for Polio

Guests: Assistant District Governor Don Tarrant from Creston, Roger Brown from Cranbrook Rotary, and Brad Butler from Saskatchewan.

Anniversaries: Frank & Robyn Vanden Broek, 24 years, Feb. 24

Don Tarrant - Paul Harris Society Presentations -  Assistant District- Governor Don recognized Carl Casey, Harley Lee, Colin Campbell and Ursula Brigl as members of the Paul Harris Society.  Donors of US$1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate and a pin. Congratulations to all.

 Helen Boon-Mirafiber cloths: Helen reported that sales of Mirafiber cloths continues in response to members' requests for more cloths. To date, $2,000 has been raised, an amount beyond what was initially anticipated.

Mark Pinnell - Rotaract: Mark announced that a Rotaract meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 27th at the Credit Union.

Bob Bjorn -  Rampart: Volunteers will be needed to help inventory medical supplies at our Rampart storage facility during the week of Feb. 25- 28.

Glenn Dobie - Cycling to Conference 2013: For those club members planning on cycling to the District Conference in Colville in June, Spin Classes will be starting soon. Contact Glenn for more details.

Glenn Dobie - Kootenay Rockiies Gran Fondo: the launch of the Gran Fondo website is scheduled for Thursday, March 21st. Gran Fondo activity will no doubt ramp up once the bound-to-be-impressive site is up and running.

Mark Pinnell - President-elect Training Seminar(PETS): PE Mark reported on the PETS session held in Seattle on Feb. 15-17. He found it to be an informative and intense event for the 450 Presidents'-elect in attendance. It was suggested by Rotary officials that there are challenging years ahead for Rotary, particularly in the area of membership. The issue of declining membership is affecting all service clubs.

Over 300 participants from over 38 countries were in attendance to further the cause of Youth Exchange and I am extremely proud to represent our District 5080 here at the North American Youth Exchange Network meeting.

One other piece of news, at the Colville Ski Weekend Feb 11, an election was held and subject to the concurrence of the District Governor in the 2015-2016 Rotary year I will be the chair of the District Youth Exchange Committee. It's a wonderful program and after spending the weekend with so many like-minded volunteers who believe so strongly in supporting this program, I am honoured to continue my work in this area.

 from Facebook postings by Frank & Robyn Vanden Broek in Pakistan - The photos might not match the captions, but they do show another side of the trip to Pakistan.

(from Frank). Last day in Pakistan. Great day at a local rural village, old style sugar cane processing and a great picnic. Sad to leave Pakistan but happy to be heading home as well.

(from Robyn) Today I post with heavy heart. It is our final day here in Lahore Pakistan. A country proud of its heritage. A city full of love and hospitality. We have travelled far to a country where the media has not been kind, and the people have opened their hearts, their arms and their homes. We head home to our families, but there are members of our families that we will leave behind. — Pakistan Day 12

We are cranking up the engine project...heading for the finish line. As a result, we have placed the order for the manufacture of the enamelled Beaver Crest logo. In the next month or so, we will be calling a meeting with all our project contractors and laying out the timelines for this Spring. At some point, we will be needing a session or two for our ‘hands-on’ contributions, so get ready.

Marilyn Forbes, the president of the Friends of the Library, has received a message from the owners of the old Tembec gym that we can rent the gym for the sum of $400 for our book sale in October.

This is great good news and we are very grateful for the generosity of the Ktunaxa council.

Left - Dave Savage high-stepping it in the parade in support of the Womens' Resource Centre


Brianna Kennedy - Sam Steele Sweetheart 2012


                                 
                                                                                        

I would like to thank all those members who showed up for a shift(s) at our concession again this year. It was a fun filled weekend and relatively rainless so all those who were there had a grand time. I would like to thank several members for their support in this, Bill & Shirley for their painting, gathering of utensils and getting the place ready and working shifts. Also Bob Bjorn who came for the set up on Friday, stayed for the afternoon, worked a shift on Sat. and showed up for cleanup. Also Percy who showed up for several shifts and worked at the bbq he bought for the club.

I would have a tie for top honors to my wife Jeannie & Dennis. Jeannie was always two steps ahead of me and did a lot of behind the scenes work collecting food and cherry picking all the stores and worked several shifts. Dennis volunteered to load the shift schedule, apply for the Health Board Permit, showed up for set up and worked that afternoon until close at the Ball park. He opened Sat. morning and again worked the whole day/evening. He came back on Sunday morning and stayed the whole day and also stayed for clean up. Such dedication but muchly appreciated. I see why he got the Service above Self Award this year. Thanks so much Dennis.

From past years we know it takes about $3500 to stock the concession with buns/pop,meat, freezies, coffee etc. and hasn't changed much. Our Gross sales were around $5500. so our net sales were just under $2000. I overspend (on purpose) to get most of the food supplies needed for Canada Day so most of the money in that day will be profit. We were down about $2000 from 2 years ago. The weather was not the hottest (according to freezie sales) and that also touched on pop sales. There may also have been a lingering on factor from the people who ran the concession last year as many were not happy with him and his skeleton staff. We will be dropping chicken next year (if we get the nod to take it over again) as it is too hard to handle when the rush is on and too much of it is thrown away (overcooked) and it carries a high price tag.

One thing we may want to consider, so I will plant the seed now, is that we could take a long look at also taking over the concession at the Quads. We would have to work like the JCI's and work long shifts so at least two shifts per member as the sales there would be way more than at Moir. We thought Percy's ranger was great for running product back and forth but it is not as good as a golf cart for trying to sell extra product, although due to the weather not many were buying in the coolness. If anyone wants to see the total breakdown of costs, Jeannie did up a spread sheet which shows what we bought, what we paid and an accounting of all monies.

Also what was nice to see was all the younger crew we had show up for different shifts. Many of them former YE students and/or Sam Steele Sweethearts or candidates. Such as Joy Friesen, Amy Morrison, Jessica Bermel, Rachel Wright, Mallory Balfour, Jenny Byford and Emily. Thanks again to all of you for the support and all the laughs we had. This has to be one of the best Public Relations jobs we do in the community and the money is just a bonus to put towards all our fine projects.

Great job one and all. See you all after Ryla...

 Rotarian of The Year: was presented by President Frank Vanden Broek

The recipient of the Rotarian of the Year award is an individual who has demonstrated outstanding service.

President Frank presented the Rotarian of The Year award  to Daryl Richardson,
for his "help and support through out the year".

Sally Struthers attended our morning meeting and gave us an update from her perspective as the recently appointed General Manager of Fort Steele.  Sally began her time at Fort Steele on March 13, 2012.She appeared in period costume, and explained to the club that the ladies had to wear the long dresses, hats and gloves in public.  She was only able to take her hat and gloves off if visiting someone that she was very familiar with and in private

Sally gave us a bit of the history of Fort Steele:

Fort Steele was a gold rush boom town founded in 1864 by John Galbraith. The town was originally called "Galbraith's Ferry", named after the ferry set up by the city's founder over the Kootenay River. It was the only ferry within several hundred miles so Mr.Galbraith charged very high prices to get across.  He charged $5 per person and $10 per animal, which was very exorbitant at that time.

The town was renamed Fort Steele in 1888, after legendary Canadian lawman Superintendent Sam Steele of the North-West Mounted Police solved a dispute between a settler who had unjustly accused one of the local First Nations men with murder. This dispute had caused a great deal of tension between the town and the native people. Sam Steele, finding no real evidence against the accused natives, had the charges against them lifted. Both the town and the First Nations people were so grateful that they renamed the town Fort Steele. Much to Steele's dismay, the "Fort" part of the name comes from the NWMP setting up a station in the town, whereas the town itself was never a real fort.

In the late 1890s, Fort Steele was growing rapidly, becoming the heart of the East Kootenays. The Canadian Pacific railway showed interest in Fort Steele. It was decided that a station was to be built. But as the document stating the railway was to go though Fort Steele was on its way to be approved, a gentleman named Colonel James Baker had other ideas. Baker, a member of the British Columbia legislature, owned a small logging camp named Joseph's Prairie. Baker bribed and blackmailed his fellow Members and convinced them to bypass Fort Steele and bring the railway through Joseph's Prairie. This was final after the document stating the railway was to go through Fort Steele was "lost" in the mail. After the railway was completed, Baker renamed the town to Cranbrook. He later sold the people of Fort Steele land. Fort Steele's population quickly dropped as the population moved to the more appealing Cranbrook.

In 1961 it was declared a Provincial Heritage Site.

Many of the buildings are on their original sites.  Including the NWMP Officer's Barracks where school children stay and learn about the times around Fort Steele.  This summer they are expecting about 20,000 visitors in the month of August, and slightly less than that during July.

The annual operating budget for the Fort is $2 million.   There are 12 full time staff members, 100 seasonal and part time as well as the 300 invaluable volunteers.

This year they had  a foul born on May 3rd, and they purchased 6 more Clydesdale horses.   The Clydesdales are entered into competition at the Calgary Stampede (log pulling) as well they will be in the Sam Steele parade, and they will appear in the Heavy Horse Show at Sandpoint, Idaho the weekend of Sep 21st.

They have recently replaced all the water lines in the park.  They have recovered a great number of the seats in the Wild Horse Theatre, which seats 498.

Their special events such as Easter, Halloween, etc were very well attended this year due to the weather co-operating.

The park has about 350 memberships, which this year are priced at $150, which include several things that the previous memberships did not.

President Frank Vanden Broek thanked Ms Struthers for the update and presented her with the famous, 'From The Governor's Table', Rotary cook book.

By Macon Dunnagan Jr., a member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte-South, North Carolina, USA

President Frank, President elect Daryl and Robyn (the pace setter), were out for their usual 60 km practise, in preparation of their ride to Tri Cities, Washington for the District Conference. The cyclists have just less than a month to prepare for their roughly 580 km journey for polio.

This week our guest speaker was District Governor Nominee Bob Carroll.

Bob spoke to us with a passion about his Springdale, Washington Interact Club.

He described the Springdale community as a forest community of Spokane with very little purchasing power. The group would fundraise to support their causes, however, due to their economic situation, they would always fundraise in the more affluent areas around Spokane. Bob wished to take his interact group on an international mission, however, the club was not able to afford such an undertaking. Bob's son in law offered to donate $15,000 toward their trip in order to make it happen for the kids. 

They ended up taking 10 Interactors on a trip to Latacunga, Ecuador, (in the Andes at an altitude of over 2,700 meters), where they would assist in a rehab centre where people go through recovery, and they would be helping with a daycare. One of their goals was to take a photograph of each child for their family home.  The families are so poor that none of them have pictures of their children in their homes.

How were the students selected for the trip to Ecuador?  The 10 Interactors were chosen for the trip based on the fact that they were going into their senior year in high school, they have been involved with Interact for several years, and they have all attended a District Conference.  Eight of the students were from the student body and 2 were alumni who asked if they could pay their own way in order to go on the trip.

District Governor Nominee Bob Carroll gave the club some advice on running a successful Interact club.

1. Running an Interact is not an easy undertaking
2. Students do want interaction with adults in the business community
3. School administration must be very supportive
4. An internal advisor is required - a staff member
5. The external advisor must be a Rotarian
6. An Interact club cannot be self sustaining - a Rotarian MUST always be involved with the group.
7. There are 10 Interact Clubs in District 5080 and some of those are on life support.  Rotarians need to be at the school once or twice a week to establish the relationship and keep the group going.

Bob went to Mt Baker High School to speak with the Interact club.

Past District Governor Al Davis thanked Bob for attending our meeting to discuss Interact with us, as our Interact Club is starting up again at Mt Bake High School.

This year, members of our Club have decided to elevate our efforts and take our fundraising to a new level. Our goal is to raise enough money to vaccinate 25,000 children against Polio. The cost to do this will be about $8000. We have created a PEDAL FOR POLIO campaign during which we will bicycle 550 km over a 6 day period to raise awareness and dollars, in our effort to eradicate this disease. We will be leaving Cranbrook on June 2^nd and arriving at our Rotary District Conference in Kennewick, Washington on June 6^th. We will be meeting up with fellow Rotarians in Spokane and hope to have a large group by the time we finish our journey.


In photo, Team Sunrise gathers on Sunday, April 15th for a training run under the leadership of taskmaster Stu Deeks.

Brittany Blackmore, Aurangabad, Maharastra, India

Sunrise Rotary, District 5080 

               I have been on exchange in India for just over four months. It has been fantastic! It is absolutely incredible to be in a culture so different from my own. At times it can also be very challenging. 

               When I first arrived at the end of October I had some idea of what to expect but no amount of research and reading could have prepared me for landing in the huge city of Mumbai. Being from a small town I was immediately overwhelmed with the amount of people and noise, and it was 1 AM! My host mom who received me told me that I was lucky the streets were dead! 

               The next morning I arrived in my host city Aurangabad and was absolutely shocked by everything in site. First of all people drive on the opposite side of the road so every turn felt like a head on collision. Then everyone is honking out of ‘courtesy’ to the other drivers and there is no enforcement of traffic rules. For a westerner it is pretty shocking to see a motorcycle ride by with up to 4 passengers all not wearing helmets. Also there is a wide assortment of farm animals having full range of the streets; it’s not uncommon to see a herd of buffalo or goats being guided through the city. Combine that with fruit wallas, auto-rickshaws and crowds of people makes for a pretty harrowing first impression. 

In the first month of my stay here my family celebrated the Hindu festival called Diwali. Diwali is basically the Hindu equivalent of Christmas; all the family gets together, there is a huge feast, and gift giving. Because Diwali is the festival of lights I got to help my host mom light almost 80 candles every morning and night on the 5 days of Diwali and put them in auspicious places around the house. The whole entire interior and exterior of the house was completely decorated with flowers and fairy lights. On the actual Diwali day the friends and family of my host parents came to the house to celebrate bringing gifts of sweets and dried fruits. Then we all spent the evening dressed in traditional clothing ‘bursting crackers’ and enjoying the delicious Diwali feast. 

               Since I have arrived the Rotary has taken us on many trips all over India. We have been to the states Goa, Orissa, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu and have explored our own state of Maharastra. On each of our trips we visit many temples, palaces, beaches, and other spots of interest. My favourites have been the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Sun Temple in Konark. Both of these wonders of India are absolutely breathtaking! 

               Of all the trips we have been on I liked Rajasthan the best, it’s all the things we westerners imagine India to be. It is filled with the palace’s of late Maharaja’s, a pink city, a blue city, and forts from hundreds of years ago!  There are camels walking down the street and snake charmers sitting on the sidewalks. While we were there our group went on a camel safari in the desert after spending the day visiting a temple completely dedicated to rats! It was an absolutely amazing experience! 

               My first host family was very western and modern and my second is a lot more traditional! In this family we eat our dinner on the floor with our hands (there isn’t a table, chairs or eating utensils).  I also have learned to take a bath with a bucket and a scoop and do my laundry in the same bucket and hang it out on a line. There are many other things to get used to, like eating with only your right hand and washing your feet after using the washroom and when you come in the house. It’s also really hard to get used to the servants that are there for everything. Most middle class Indian families have one or more servants or “moushies”. There is one for washing the floor and the bathroom, one for washing the dishes, and one for preparing chapatti. 

               It is very strange to be a visible minority; I have almost gotten used to all the pointing and staring. More then once a day people will come with a cell phone or camera and ask for a photo. Occasionally they even hand me their baby and ask me to stand with their family. These things I can get used to but it gets frustrating when I get charged a “white fee” or a “foreign tax.” 

               My schooling has been really frustrating because it’s not compulsory for teachers to attend so it’s not rare for us to go an entire day with out instruction. That is the only trouble with the Rotary here, they think we don’t want to go to the school because we don’t want to learn or because we aren’t understanding.  All of the classes are in English and I have taken the subject matter 2 years ago, the problem is there is no one to teach us and no opportunity to learn anything new from the school. It is almost time for the summer holidays and I have started a yoga, naturopathy, massage and ayurveda course that is everyday for the remainder of my exchange. It is the perfect for my learning needs and is at the very respected Mahatma Ghandi Institute in my city. J 

               All in all I’m enjoying my exchange very much. The city I’m living in is just the right size to get a really Indian experience. I’m also really loving my Indian families and the Rotary family here. J J

I'm really sorry it took so long for me to write to you and the club about my adventures here in Indonesia but theres been a lot going on lately.

Undergraduate Scholarship Chair Leslie Prestwich has announced that Friday, July 15th is the deadline for submission of applications for the $1000 and $1500 scholarships awarded annually by our club. The scholarships are for Cranbrook students in their 3rd, 4th, and 5th years of undergrad studies. Applicants must have completed their high school graduation requirements in Cranbrook at Mount Baker Secondary, or through home schooling while a resident of Cranbrook, or at a private school in Cranbrook.

More scholarship information and the application form can be found by clicking on the Scholarship tab at the top of this page. 

Donations continue to pour in for the Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Club's ShelterBox campaign to aid Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims.

Gordon Terrace Elementary School is the latest donor to come aboard with a $1,000 donation to boost the grand total to $2,450, well over half way to the $3,000 total needed to pay for three of the life-sustaining boxes that have done so much to aid the victims recovering from the Japanese disaster.

Janet Levang, a Grade six teacher at the southside school, said Gordon Terrace students had already raised more than $1,000 for a day at Silverwood in May including $10 each for spending money at the amusement park. Now, instead of the spending money being used at Silverwood, the students decided to give it to the ShelterBox campaign and bring their own money to spend at Silverwood, Levang said.

"What they've decided to do is fantastic," said Levang. "They're great kids."

The application form for the 2011 RYLA Camp is now available under downloads on the right side of this website. The Sunrise Rotary contact is Dick Robinson who can be contacted at dickrobinson@shaw.ca

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary's leadership training program for young people. RYLA participants can be ages 14-30, but most clubs and districts choose to focus on a narrower age range, such as 14-18 or 19-30.

RYLA emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth, and aims to:

   Demonstrate Rotary's respect and concern for youth

   Provide an effective training experience for selected youth and potential leaders

   Encourage leadership of youth by youth

   Recognize publicly young people who are rendering service to their communities

Over $1500 in savings

Bre’s Christmas House is all ready for this Christmas season.  Please call Bre at 489-8005 to set up a time to come and have a walk through beginning Monday, December 9 through and including Sunday, January 12, week day evenings and anytime on weekends and during the Christmas Break (December 23 to January 1).  If you get an answering machine, please leave your name and number and Bre will call you back to set up a time.  Bring along family and friends or whoever you want!  If you are not in the Christmas spirit yet, you definitely will be. 

This is Bre’s Christmas gift to one and all.  She wishes everyone peace, joy, and a very safe and happy holiday season!

During the last two meetings our Youth Exchange students Alessia and Shauni entertained us with presentations pertinent to their year-long exchanges. Alessia  gave us background on her home and family; Shauni outlined the highlights of her year in Cranbrook.

Alessia Cipollini lives in Rome in the neighbourhood of Casal Palocco on the Via Parmenides. She talked of the Italian custom of the family always eating dinner together to talk about the day and to enjoy great food including Pizza Napoletana - the best pizza there is! Near her home is a beach where she hangs out with friends at the pier. During her presentation she showed images of a few of the many tourist attractions for which her home city is famous - the Colosseum, the Vatican which gets the most tourists of any attraction in Rome and Trevi Fountain, the biggest fountain in Rome. As we have all seen in the movies, this is the fountain where flipping a coin backwards into the fountain will make a wish come true!

Shauni, who arrived last January, talked of the highlights of her year which began with ice-fishing on a frigid January day shortly after flying here from the warm summer weather of an Australian summer. Among the highlights she mentioned were a Metis Cultural camp, a Western Adventure bus trip with 74 other exchange students, summer visits to lakes and camping and, of course, skiing and skating. Shauni expressed her heartfelt thanks to her hosts who made her year so memorable. In recognition of her participation in club activities and her performance as an exchange student, Sunrise Rotary presented her with a Paul Harris Fellowship.

As there were no bulletins distributed in September, the item below from Scholarship Chairman Alex McLeod has probably not been circulated to club members. Our apologies for the delay.

The following is a summary of successful applicants for the 2013 Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary Undergraduate Scholarships:

Season’s Greetings:

Sunriser Christmas Party and Dinner
St Eugene Mission Golf Resort and Casino: Sunday, Dec 15, 2013

Cocktails - 5:00 p.m.; Dinner -  6:00 p.m.    BUFFET  $40 per person
sign up on line (http://www.clubrunner.ca/portal/Events/EVPEventDetails.aspx?accountid=926&eid=b64d42cd-f9a1-4806-99b6-5aac21180e98&tid=1) or at club meeting - reservations required

  Music before, during, after  - the rhythmic tunes of: 
East - West Connection
with Tom Bungay and Gene Anderson

Special room rate for overnighters:    $75 [party & be safe]  or
$89 [bed an breakfast]both with 3 pm checkout and $10 play voucher at the Casino.

Contact 250 420-2000 or email at reservations@steugene.ca  now to  book space, subject to availability and based on double occupancy. Just tell them you are with the Sunrise Rotary Club Christmas Party.

I received today the following message from Jim Chiu. We will require 2 or 3 volunteers for this so please read and let me know if you would be interested.

The incoming Friendship Exchange team from Minnesota/Wisconsin is scheduled to arrive Cranbrook on May 27. They will stay here for 3 nights, May 27 Monday, May 28 Tuesday, and May 29 Wednesday, then we will deliver them to the next host group, Post Falls.

I have met with a couple of our noon club members, John Armstrong and Dave Morley, to sketch out some itinerary:

Monday, May 27 pick up the team at meeting point arranged with Castlegar group......Creston may be?
lunch at winery? Visit wildlife sanctuary. Evening with host family.

Tuesday, May 28 attend Sunrise meeting (?) Visit Fort Steele and lunch there. Afternoon, visit fish hatchery. Evening at Bull River Guest Ranch

Wednesday, May 29 Breakfast with host family. Visit Kimberley, lunch attend Kimberley meeting. Afternoon, visit Kimberley Mining Museum. Evening, at St. Eugene Mission (inviting all 3 Rotary clubs)

Thursday, May 30 Breakfast with host family. Deliver team to meet Post Falls Rotary at arranged
meeting point (most likely Yahk)

What we are looking for from the Sunrise Club is your members' participation in the activities during this time as well as hosting the Tuesday breakfast. Any member wanting to participate in the planning will be more than welcome. The information I have is that we have 3 couples on this team. I have attached the brochure for your perusal.

Looking forward to working with you to make this a memorable exchange for our guests.

Jim Chiu

(from The Rotary Foundation)

This past year was one of major accomplishments for Rotary and your Rotary Foundation.

Extraordinary progress was made toward the eradication of polio. We made history when India was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries — leaving just Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. A difficult road lies ahead, but thanks to the commitment and generosity of Rotarians and friends, we are confident that Rotary will lead the way toward a polio-free world.

We also expanded Rotary’s reach in new and effective ways by entering into partnerships with Mercy Ships and UNESCO-IHE. And we built on our record of humanitarian service by continuing our strong relationships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, Aga Khan University, Oikocredit and the Rotary Peace Centers.

Over half a million young people worldwide participated in our New Generations programs. Their involvement in Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotaract and Interact clubs, and RYLA events helped them develop skills that they’ll need to become service-minded community and global leaders - and future Rotarians.

In 2012, The Rotary Foundation also earned top marks from several independent charity evaluators, including the American Institute of Philanthropy, Charity Navigator and the Wise Giving Alliance.

As we look ahead, we can be proud of all that Rotarians have accomplished. I am pleased to share the digital version of the 2011-12 Rotary International and Rotary Foundation Annual Report (click here), which offers a firsthand look at how Rotarians are working to improve the lives of people in need. I encourage you to review our annual report carefully, and to share it with others who may be interested in joining, partnering with, or donating to Rotary.

Thank you for helping Rotary achieve lasting change in your community and around the world.

Sincerely,

John Hewko
General Secretary
Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation
Twitter: @johnhewko

 From Angela’s Facebook page:

 Tim and I are over the moon to announce the arrival of Oliver David Robertson as the newest member of the Robertson family. Born at 17:43 on All Hallows Eve at a weight of 3.99kg and height of 53cm was to be somewhat expected; however a head size of 37cm was a bit of a surprise. Mum, Dad and 'Squeak' as some of the nurses nicknamed him are doing great and are happy to be home.

from the Rotary Peace Centre website at:(http://www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms/RotaryCentersForInternationalStudies/Pages/ridefault.aspx

Just one month into Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka’s Peace Through Service year, it has become apparent that 2012-2013 will be a watershed year for developing new peacebuilding initiatives and supporting current Fellowships, grants, projects and other peace-focused activities. Inspired by President Tanaka’s personal leadership in support of the Rotary Peace Fellowships and his Presidential Challenge to Rotary Clubs and Districts, peace forums and conferences are planned or being planned at all participation levels in Rotary. Many Rotary Peace Fellows, both current and alumni, are offering their expertise and time in support of these events and sustainable, community-based projects. It is time to fuel the fire!

In Peace and service to Rotary,

Brad Lauman
Manager, Rotary Peace Centers Department

President Frank and Robyn rode into the meeting assembly lead by District Governor Elect Michelle Lee.  They were sporting the banner for their ride - "Pedaling for Polio"

            Darryl, Antoine (Wannabe Sunriser), Helen, Anne, Colin and Colleen

                    Missing from the photo are Frank, Robyn, Gerry and Dennis

The group of Sunrisers had a very enjoyable time traveling to and from the Assembly, and attended some very interesting sessions, which  President Frank will expound upon at the next meeting.

The scribing is all done, the cards placed on the tree and quickly taken by generous people of our City of Cranbrook; gifts purchased and then wrapped by the Cranbrook Cancer Society at their table in the Tamarack Mall, then collected in a 'spare store space' where they were sorted by a team headed by Darryl Bishop ready for distribution on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before Christmas.

77 families and178 children were able to benefit from the  ANGEL TREE program this year...an average number for the last 5 years. Considering the worries about the economy, it is remarkable there weren't more. It's also remarkable how quickly the angel cards were snapped up and the number of 'extra' gifts we were given to dispense - a wonderful tribute to the generosity of our fellow citizens. People obviously see this as a worthy program - one worth supporting. Thank you to Janet Bishop for hosting the scribing party, to all my fellow Rotarians and the members of the Mt. Baker Rams football team who took shifts on the distribution days and drove on deliveries. For members of the committee, we appreciate the support and the chance to be of service in our community.

The program received a generous gift of $350 cash from Kootenay Insurance Services to assist with the program. THANK YOU...It is much appreciated and will be put to good use.

Sunrise Rotarians Allan Davis, Gerry Warner, and Anne Beurskens, Cranbrook Rotarian Antoine Beurskens, and Andre Bloemink from Fernie are pictured helping with a joint effort Shelterbox display at the Tamarack Mall on Saturday. Bloemink, from Fernie, recently undertook an extensive ShelterBox training program in England and is now certified to transport and set up ShelterBox emergency centres anywhere in the world. Mall shoppers showed great interest in the display.

David & Patty Stock and Michelle Sartorel pose with the Canadian Tire Dollar donation jar for the Friends of Nepal project.

Carl Casey is recognized as a Multiple Paul Harris winner by Colin Campbell. The pin for Multiple Paul Awards is adorned with a sapphire to signify a second Paul Harris Fellowship.

Congratulations and thanks were exchanged as Sunrise Rotary presented Mayor Manjak with a Paul Harris Fellowship and the mayor reciprocated by presenting the club with a plaque recognizing the club's contributions to the community. The mayor stated that, "Cranbrook would not be the same community without the many contributions of volunteer organizations such a Sunrise Rotary".

President Frank received the link below from Brian Clarkson to the blog for the Hungry for Life project in Haiti. It's well worth checking out.

http://blogs.hungryforlife.org/cbk-haiti-1011/.

 Sunrise Rotarians rallied to the call for volunteers to pick up highway litter along Highway 3 near Rampart on Sunday.  This was the second event of its kind this year, where once again we were able to fill approximately 25 bags of garbage within our 4 kilometer stretch.  The most prominent pieces of garbage were coffee cups and liquor containers.The weather was not promising, however, the rain held off until we were done.   The 8 Rotarians who braved the cool weather were Antoine, Anne, Percy, Darryl, Leslie, Ursula, Helen and Gerry. 

  At each clean up event we give recognition to the person who makes the weirdest discovery in the ditch.  This time the recognition goes to Percy as his find was very timely - or was he just celebrating Halloween early? Thank you to the 8 pickers - your help was greatly appreciated!!

Glenn Dobie formally joins Sunrise Rotary during a ceremony conducted by PDG Al Davis. Glenn's sponsor, Colleen Bermel, looks on as Al welcomes Glen and talks about the commitments that go with membership.

 Once again the Friends of the Library/Sunrise Rotary Book Sale was a huge success! Crowds of book-lovers browsed the tables from the opening on Wednesday until the very last minute on Sunday afternoon as Sunrisers began the clean-up process. The photo shows the action at the Tembec Gym during the sale.

 

Fundraising for the End Polio Now Campaign is ongoing at the Cranbrook Bottle Depot. In the accompanying photo,President Frank Vanden Broek is shown receiving a cheque from Jason of the Bottle Depot. Accompanying Frank are Mark Pinnell, Bob Bjorn, Al Davis, and Carl Casey. The cheque represents money raised by members and friends who indicate that money from bottles they have returned are to go to Sunrise Rotary. What a great way to contribute to the End Polio Campaign!

Since hosting the bbq for the Children's Development Centre it was felt there was a need for a club bbq. It was brought up at the last meeting and Frank suggested we think about it during the winter. Things quickly fell off the tracks and we became aware that the Crown Verity bbq owned and rented out by Home Hardware was for sale. It had been valued at over $4000, was in great condition and hardly used. Asking price was $1999. Frank asked that I send out a quick message to the executive for discussion as he was on the road. During this discussion, two members stepped forward and offered to purchase the bbq immediately as it was felt at that price the bbq would be sold.

Those members were Carl C. and Percy D. In the end it was decided to let Percy purchase the bbq and it was purchased for $1494 with taxes included. Percy turned around and then donated the bbq to the club. Martin Torgerson, onwer of HH immediately said we could have the bbq for the lower price for what we do for the community. Percy graciously said he owed it to the club for all the meetings he had missed. A true gesture of goodwill and generosity. Thanks also to Carl for being ready to also step up.

This bbq is the cadillac of bbq's with a grill of 4' long and 20" wide and has six burners which will easily accomodate many hamburgers/hot dogs or chicken. Also thrown in with the deal was a rotisserie which is very skookum and could be used for club functions. As Paul V. said during his coments about this episode, it really brings into focus what this club is all about. Just a great bunch of guys and gals. Many thanks to Percy. I would recommend he not be fined for awhile (at least a week).

Left to Right: Al Davis, Pat Ridler, Bob Bjorn, Iain Macleod, Howie Mason and Frank Vanden Broek took part in a cheque presentation at the old unit on the morning of August 25. Missing from photo Alec Rogers (who was taking a photo, too)

President Frank Vanden Broek is shown presenting a cheque for $1000 to Don Davidson of the Cranbrook Hospice Society. The funds will be used to purchase materials and cover expenses associated with the training of the society's volunteers. Last year the society provided hospice services in Cranbrook to 55 individuals. Volunteers visit clients in their homes or health care facility and while visiting they give family care-givers a much-needed break for a short period. The society recently started its first bereavement support program and will be providing that service in the future.

Bob Bjorn, Brent Jossy, and Daryl Richardson are pictured with the Shelterbox tent at Moir Park during Sam Steele Days activities.

Soccer and ball players and fans checked out the exhibit and made donations to the Shelterbox project.

In the Fall, fellow Rotarian Antoine, husband of club member Anne Beurskens, visited Kenya and sent this report.  After reading it and looking at the pictures [see photo journal listed at right on main page], I ask you - Do our projects mean anything?

Dear Fellow Rotarians of the Cranbrook Sunrise RC.
 
I just want to make sure that you have no doubts about the good objective of sending the books to Kenya.  The attached pictures of typical rural schools show what is needed. The shelves in the office of the principal show the books that are available in this elementary school.
 
We visited  a secondary school as well. There was a door with a "Library" sign: it was the lunchroom for the teachers, no books not even shelves. 
 
There is no electricity and even no water for any type of ablution. In the global water project that is undertaken by the Newport Priestriver RC water will be provided to these schools.  
 
In the discussion about our book project these are the schools where our books will end up!
 
Anne and Antoine

The SUNRISER, the weekly bulletin of Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary.