This week's sergeant-at-arms Bruce Yorga called the meeting to order and introduced the head table.
Michael Pierson led the singing of O Canada, while our greeter Bob Taylor delivered the invocation.
President Rick Erven thanked our meeting volunteers David Leslie, Jody Coenjarts and Bruce Millar.
Club secretary Jennifer Lavier Jankovic welcomed this week's visitors and guests, which included Rotarians from District 3180 Mangalore, India, who brought a banner to exchange with our club. Jennifer also acknowledged eight club members celebrating birthdays.
Did you know you can immerse yourself in Rotary’s work by visiting https://www.rotary.org/en/virtual-reality and downloading the Rotary virtual reality app? With this app you can view a 360-degree panorama of Rotary's VR films on your computer or smart phone. Try viewing the films using a virtual reality viewer and noise cancelling headphones for a truly immersive experience. Current VR films feature Patience Asiimwe and her fellow Rotaractors vaccinating children against polio in a remote region of Uganda.
Announcements:
Kurt Kowalchuk announced the board's decision to recognize Bob Ermter and Lawrence Bates with honorary memberships.
Rick Erven extended our thanks to Manon Mitchell and the rest of the (un)Gala committee for staging our second (un)Gala in support of the Calgary Community Hubs initiative.
Notice was given to all active members on September 11th, advising of the board's intention to propose a Special Resolution to amend our club by-laws at the October 8th regular meeting.
Motion:
That the by-laws of The Rotary Club of Calgary are amended as follows: The 2014 by-laws of the Rotary Club of Calgary are repealed and replaced with the combined by-laws of the Rotary Club of Calgary and the Rotary Club of Calgary – Community Service Fund, circulated to the Members of the Club on September 11, 2019
This motion was moved by Roy Boettger and seconded by Charles Pratt. The motion was carried following a unanimous vote by the club membership.
The period for nominations for the office of President for the Rotary year 2021-22 is open.
The nominating committee will choose a member to serve as Club President. Any eligible member of the Club who would like to be considered for the nomination may advise the committee of his or her interest.
The nominating committee for President will advise the Club of its nominee for President at the last regular meeting of the Club in October.
Any additional nominations from members of the Club may be made to the Secretary of the Club. Nominations shall close at 12:00 noon on the day of the second regular meeting of the Club in November.
The Foundations Committee is presenting a second planned giving workshop for members wishing to create a legacy. The objectives of this workshop are to
Provide important information for Rotary members who are planning to create or update a will.
Encourage members to consider a charitable gift in their estate plans, including the three ways by which this can be done.
Inspire attendees by focusing on the reasons for making a legacy gift and all the tax advantages that are currently available.
Encourage Rotarians to consider making a legacy gift.
Use the following link to register for this workshop, which will run from 6:15 to 8:30 pm.
The always popular and fun Dinner Club is happening again this year!
Participation in the Dinner Club requires a commitment to host one dinner for two or three other couples during the year, and to attend as a guest at the other dinners. Emphasis should be on meeting other fellow Rotarians and not on gourmet dining! It is vital to the success of this dinner club that everyone participates fully, including hosting and attending! Participants do get disappointed if they are not contacted or hosted. Please help to make it enjoyable for all.
This is NOT a gourmet club but a chance to meet and enjoy the fellowship of members. New members are particularly encouraged to participate. The suggested dates for the dinners are October/November 2019, February/March 2020 and April/May 2020.
Bruce Graham introduced Adam Legge, founding President of the Business Council of Alberta, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to building a better Alberta in a more dynamic Canada. The BCA was established in part to address the pessimism currently being felt across the province. He began his presentation by noting a recent survey found that only 17 per cent of Albertans feel better off than one year ago.
He also indicated that while trust in governments, universities, the media and corporations has fallen in recent years, trust in corporations remains higher than in the other institutions. The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that 79 per cent of Canadians say CEOs should take the lead on change (equal pay, inclusion and diversity) rather than wait for governments to impose it. Furthermore, 49 per cent of Albertans believe they do well when businesses are doing well.
Founded this year, the Business Council of Alberta was created to help restore public confidence in the ability of thriving businesses to improve the lives of Albertans. The BCA approach to strengthening businesses relies on adaptation, collaboration and preservation. While the first of these recognizes that the world is changing and that businesses need to keep up, preservation speaks to the ties that bind our past to our future.
Advocating and acting for the economic and social prosperity of Alberta, and by extension all Canadians, is at the core of the BCA's work.
The BCA is working to ensure Alberta business is focused on doing the right things, with a strong commitment to environment, social and governance (ESG) innovation and leadership, as a means of advancing our shared prosperity.
It is also working to establish a model business climate in Alberta that enables opportunity and innovation, creates jobs, and attracts people and investment. The BCA envisions an Alberta economy that is adaptive, resilient and thriving, and enables better lives for current and future generations.
Following a lively question and answer session, Bill Andrew thanked Mr. Legge for his informative presentation.
COG Staff - October 8th, 2019
Editor
Craig Henderson
Photography
Ralph Lundberg
Rotary Club of Calgary - Chartered April 1914 as Club #949
Suite 305, 105-12 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1A1
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