Did you know that November is Foundations month? Sid Mark introduced a varied presentation showcasing the many activities of our Foundations committee. First off, Sid called David "Brom" Bromwich to recognize Paul Harris Fellow and outstanding Rotarian, Michael Broadhurst. In accepting a PHF pin, Michael reminded us that participation in giving is more important than giving in large amounts. Michael indicated that he would like to see every member of our club make regular contributions to The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and the Calgary Rotary Clubs Foundation (CRCF). Both are worthy of your support, and your participation is paramount. Foundations Chair Sid described how our foundations contribute to the vibrancy of our club. He introduced the club members serving on the Foundations Committee: Brom (past-chair), Bill Redmond, Terry McMahon (past-chair), Bill Warren, Charles Pratt, Mark Starratt, Craig Henderson, Bruce Fenwick, Bruce Yorga, Lorne Larson and Tim Heaton. He also described how the Foundations Committee has worked with the family of Klaus Reichwald to recognize his many contributions to our foundations. Sid recognized the many volunteering and financial contributions of Bruce Williams to Rotary and our club and told us Bruce is the incoming chair of the Stampede Lotteries Committee. Bruce served for four years as the club's Community Service Director and was a key organizer of our barbecues. He was the head chef of our Fort Calgary barbecues for many years and has worked with the Small and Major donations committees and the stay-in-school programs. His wife Pat Williams is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Calgary Chinook, and our club has recognized her with an honorary Paul Harris Fellowship for her contributions to our club's barbecues. Notwithstanding these significant volunteer efforts, Sid focused his recognition on Bruce and Pat's membership in the Arch Klumph Society. In 2018 Bruce and Pat were admitted to the AKS Chair's Circle, which recognized cumulative donations to The Rotary Foundation above $500,000. The CRCF was established in 1972 to coordinate charitable giving to Calgary's Rotary clubs. The CRCF is a funding foundation that generates a capital distribution for each of the participating clubs for the next Rotary year. These distributions are calculated using the average of the previous five fiscal years' capital balances for each of the participating clubs. The weighted average of these five-year capital balances is then multiplied by 5 percent to come to the expected distribution for each of the participating clubs. CRCF advises incoming club presidents of what they can expect as distributions from CRCF in their year as president. Past-President Tim Heaton walked provided a brief overview of how easy it is to register to make scheduled donations to both the Rotary Foundation and the Calgary Rotary Clubs Foundation. By registering to make your donations automatically, your contributions build over time. Lorne Larson described his experience as a director on the board of the CRCF and talked about the elevator pitch Bruce Fenwick developed for that foundation. The critical point to remember is that your donations provide a continuing impact as distributions are paid only from dividends and interest earned on capital, which is never touched. Secondly, CRCF distributions ensure the participating Rotary clubs realize a steady and predictable stream that can be used to fund their projects. Finally, the administrative overhead of the CRCF is less that one percent each year of the funds under management. Sid followed up by describing how the club uses the distributions received. John Boyd heads up the Major Donations Committee that will make awards from a budget of $130,000 in 2020. This committee has assisted over 30 organizations since 2016. As well, our signature legacy projects receive funding from CRCF distributions. Michael Pierson chairs the Small Donations Committee, which awarded $27,000 last year and is working with a budget of $59,000 in the current Rotary year. The final part of the presentation an update on the Curly Galbraith Global Memorial delivered by Brom and Garth Toombs. The CGGM provides post-secondary education to AIDS orphans in Uganda. Thanks to a district grant sponsored by the Rotary Club of High River, a donation from the Rotary Club of Innisfail, and proceeds from events in memory of Frank Sparks, the CGGM can enroll eight additional students in post-secondary schooling or training. Following this inspiring program, Lisa Corrigan thanked everyone who brought our kick-off to Foundations Month to life. | 
