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Russell Hampton
ClubRunner
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COG Volume 37 - Number 06
August 13, 2019
 
The Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown is comprised of professional and community leaders brought together in fellowship to create a better future.
 
 
Birthdays for August 11th — August 17th
 
Ali Gursoy August 15
Gord Dixon August 17
Wing-Kee Chan August 17
 
Attendance for August 13th
 
80, including 6 visitors and guests
 
Highlights of the August 13, 2019 Meeting
 
President-Elect Eric Bennett
Welcomes Visitors and Guests
 
 
 
Robert Wolfson from the
Rotary Club of Calgary Chinook
 
 
 
Stay-in-School Students
and Mentor
 

 

Our sergeant-at-arms Lorne Larson called our sixth meeting of the Rotary year to order. Rick Erven introduced the head table, and Michael Pierson led us in singing O Canada. Our greeter Tom Hickerson delivered the invocation.
 
President Rick thanked our meeting volunteers Barbara Lutz, Doug Webb and Murray Young.
 
President-Elect Eric Bennett welcomed our guests and visiting Rotarians Hank Popoff (Rotary Club of Calgary Chinook) and Jim Shaner (Rotary Club of Okotoks), who are also honorary members of our club. We also welcomed Robert Wolfson, President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Calgary Chinook. He also acknowledged the three club members celebrating birthdays this week.
 
Did you know the Rotary Club of Calgary's first luncheon meetings were held in the basement of the Lougheed Building? The cost of attending a luncheon was 35 cents, while our club's annual dues were just ten dollars. This was a gentle reminder that our 2019-2020 club dues are now past due. All member dues must be fully paid for the Rotary Club of Calgary to be in good standing with Rotary International.
 
Eric reminded us that (un)Gala will be a "black and white" dress event. Tickets are still available at $125 each, or $900 for a table (eight people).
 
We are looking for volunteers to help with several upcoming barbecues.
  • Ian Bazalgette Stay-in-School Breakfast on August 23rd.
  • United Way Kickoff Lunch on September 5th.
  • Beat Beethoven Fundraising Dinner on September 12th.
  • West Canadian Fundraising Dinner on September 19th.
Robert Wolfson invited our club to attend or (better yet) volunteer at Ribfest, which will be held from September 6th to the 8th.
David Leslie issued an appeal for candidates the club can send to the upcoming Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment (RYPEN), which will be held during the second week of September. The club can send up to five young people between the ages of 13 to 18 to attend a four-day camp that is designed to support youth that have limited opportunities to attend other development programs.
 
Curly Galbraith Global Memorial
Greetings from the TRACC family and thank you for your continued care and support for our vulnerable children.
 
Allow me to inform you that three of our students who graduated in May have secured full time employment and one has temporary employment. The Ugandan TRACC Scholarship committee met on 25th July and passed the following resolutions.
  • A detailed report giving a full account of what has been done in the year will be submitted at the end of the academic year, that is around September–October of every year.
  • A financial report will be submitted at the end of every semester and we can also send a summarized report at the each of academic year.
  • Each club will constitute a sub-committee of 3-5 Rotarians for selecting students for the scholarship scheme. Priority will be given to students from the phased out TRACC mainstream but also in rare cases identified needy students with good academic performance will be considered. It will also be up to this committee in each club to ensure that every student is assigned a mentor.
  • The mentors will give continuous counseling, guidance and advice on how to choose a course, joining Rotaract clubs in their localities.
  • The graduates, after getting employment, will be advised to give back to Rotary by helping other needy children in their families and around them.
  • The students will be advised to visit their sponsoring clubs at least one every semester and will produce evidence from the club to the administrator for further support.
  • The committee will continue to pursue a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Education as requested.
Joseph Mutajjululwa
TRACC Administrator
 
 
Celebration of Our Stay in School Program
Posted on Aug 13, 2019
 
Stay in School Graduate
Sarah Dutton
 
 
 
Stay in School Alumna
Helen Dang-Vu
 
 
 
Stay in School Parent
Mary Anne Harrison
 
 
 
A Special Presentation to
Stay in School Founder
Carl Smith
 

 

Bob Taylor kicked off this week's presentation, which focused on our club's Stay in School program.
 
He began by welcoming back Ellice Wirsta, who is replacing Greg Hovdebo as the Stay in School program coordinator. He then invited Sean Baylis to provide a program overview, and to introduce us to three Stay in School stakeholders.
 
For those who are unfamiliar, the Stay in School program mentors youth in the community and empowers them to make positive life choices that enable them to maximize their personal potential through ongoing education and community service. The club is always looking for club members to become mentors and make a difference in the lives of young people.
 
Sean delivered an overview of the program that included the following key metrics.
  • 80 students are currently in the program.
  • 12 students graduated from high school in 2019.
  • 12 new students enrolled for the 2019-20 school year.
  • 40 students are currently in post-secondary studies.
  • 58 volunteers and mentors are active in the program.
  • 10 new mentors are joining the program for the 2019-20 school year.
  • 245 students have been mentored since the program began.
  • 66 students have completed post-secondary studies since inception.
Dan Adams and Bruce Fenwick have reviewed the findings of an external audit of the program and have produced several recommendations to assist in program planning and ongoing program development. As a result, the program is working to align its volunteer screening requirements with District 5360 youth protection requirements, ongoing communication with SIS students and their mentors, and ongoing training of mentors.
 
Additionally, the program is building connections to other Rotary programs such as RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), RYPEN, Interact clubs and the Rotary Youth Exchange. By partnering with other clubs, our Stay in School program can share best practices, and look for ways to make an even bigger impact.
 
Following his Stay in School program overview, Sean introduced us to three people who were able to share their perspectives on the program. Sarah Dutton is a recent graduate of the program, who also participated in a short-term youth exchange to Italy in the summer of 2018. Sarah completed high school this year and will begin her post-secondary studies in September.
 
Helen Dang-Vu is a Stay in School award recipient who completed her studies in 2006. Working closely with her mentor Steve Allan, she came to appreciate the value of a post-secondary education and completed a degree at Mount Royal University in 2012. After working at Shaw Communications for several years, she is now a recruiter with a boutique placement firm. She is now giving back to the Stay in School program through her own mentorship and is a key participant in the Stay in School Charity Golf Classic.
 
Finally, Sean introduced us to Mary Anne Harrison, the mother of a Stay in School student, who described the powerful impact the SIS program had on her family.
 
At the conclusion of these presentations, Carl Smith was presented with a very special award to recognize his founding of the club's Stay in School program, and his continuing contributions to the program's success. Carl received an album containing memories spanning the years from several of the program's participants.
 
COG Staff - August 13th, 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
Tel: (403) 398-9969 - Fax:  (403) 264-2392
www.rotaryclubofcalgary.org - admin@rotaryclubofcalgary.ca
President: Rick Erven - Vice-President: Manon Mitchell
RI President: Mark Maloney - District Governor: Christine Rendell