Darcy Mykytyshyn hosted the meeting and 

Laura Snape assumed the role of Sarge. As it was the first of June we were treated to a poem celebrating the joys of summer months.  Laura also challenged members to explore the wide variety of Fellowship groups that are offered- wine, beer, skiing, hiking, and hopefully, pickleball. 

As is customary, visiting Rotarians are awarded the honor of leading the singing of our national anthem. Today, we applaud Robert Ellis from Sacramento who led us very capably.  

 

Robert Ellis: Sacramento Rotary Club

 

50/50 was not won today but Merv Thurmeier gave a very confident recitation of the 4 Way Test.  

 

 

If you are attending the RI Convention in Calgary, please send Judith (judithmci27@gmail) your contact information for the purpose of establishing a WhatsAp group.  This will allow us to connect easily for possible fellowship activities, etc.  Make sure you download WhatsAp to your cell phone and accept the invitation to join the group.

 

Laura Snape: Enjoyed riding a burping camel in Morocco. Was able to watch Casablanca on an outdoor screen while in the desert- a perfect setting! Laura is also excited about her new solar panels. 

Diane McDonnell: Rode a camel in Egypt but didn't find it that comfortable!  Gave thanks to Judith for the help in getting their schedule organized for the upcoming RI Convention.

Ingrid Nossack: Announced that after 43 wonderful  years in Red Deer she will be moving to Kelowna.  She will look for a club to join there as she continues to value the connections that Rotary provides.  Ingrid also has some items for sale- talk to her!

Garth Olson: Watch for an email from Garth detailing how to order a Rotary Club of Red Deer shirt.  They should be here in time to wear for the Westerner Parade in July- Be part of the 'in crowd" by wearing our fashionable apparel!

Judith McIntyre:  Inquiring if anyone is headed to Lacombe's Lobster event this Friday!  Excited that the Belizeans are coming soon!

Donna Allard: Atlanta granddaughters received school year awards for excellence in academics and for RAD and Road Less Travelled. Bittersweet news from daughter that the father of a student who went missing was deported to Mexico and doing okay.

Steve Chow: Just returned from living on the seas during a 2 week cruise that took him from Japan to Alaska and then Vancouver.  25 cruises down- who knows how many more to come?

Leigh Sands: Celebrated her birthday early by checking out the very challenging Escape room in Sylvan Lake- a great activity to do with friends. She contributed $1 for each of her birthdays. 

Darcy Mykytyshyn: Joined Rotary the same year Sam, who just celebrated his  15th birthday, was born.  He remarked that tales of Sam's adventures are often shared at meetings and is informing us that Sam is now entering the beginner driver years!

Please check your emails for information regarding Rotarian of the Year and Rising Star.  Deadline to submit nominations is June 15.

 

We welcome back Dr. Maureen Bakken.  Maureen was a Rotarian for 20 years and has recently returned after spending 13 years focusing on family and her profession.  She currently has a medical practice focusing on medical dermatology along with acute care.  Her previous practice was focused on family medicine. She grew up in many small towns in Alberta and eventually settled near Red Deer as her husband was employed building the Joffre plant.  Their 3 grown children live in the central Alberta area. Maureen shared that she has a keen interest in archeology and has collected many interesting specimens in her travels.  At 52 she took up scuba diving and discovered that it was better to be under the water than above it  during a hurricane in Bora Bora.  Maureen also shared that she enjoys going to shooting ranges.   We are pleased to welcome Maureen back to Rotary and know that she will add a unique element to our club.  

Gerry shared that club contributions to the Foundation were down this year by 50%.  The Rotary Foundation  uses funds raised to directly fund programs that improve health, provide education, and alleviate poverty, ultimately making a positive impact on  communities both locally and internationally. They support initiatives such as Polio Plus, and grants that enable projects such our Literacy Alive project to continue.

Congratulations to Judith McIntyre on being awarded a Paul Harris+4.   

  

 

Rotary Branches Out- Dagmar Knutson. 

A very successful event was held with over 1650 saplings planted by the close to 100 participants.  How great to see over 60 youth in attendance.  Thanks are extended to the  Co-op's donation of pop, Boston Pizza for the  food, trees from Weyerhaeuser and the many who volunteered their time. This was truly an event in which "Rotary in Action" was very visible.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members of the Belize team will be the featured speakers at the Monday June 23 meeting.  They will share their stories of the impact the project has in Belize and are excited to meet our club members. Please see the linked newsletter https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:cd18fd12-c7ae-47cd-9066-eb1a9523f9c4 to learn more about Marion, and Miriam who will be travelling to Calgary to attend the upcoming RI Convention.  While they are in Red Deer, they will be visiting schools, libraries and exploring.  The Ponoka Stampede on June 26 is on their schedule and they hope to meet club members there and experience some of our western hospitality.  Darcy Mykytyshyn also shared that a BBQ will be held on Friday, June 27 for club members to attend and share in fellowship.  More details to come.

 

The Basic Early Literacy Rotary Action Group is sponsoring a symposium on Friday, June 20.  One of the sessions being offered focuses on our Belize Literacy Project and our Belizean team members will be in attendance.  Learn more about  why (and how) we must be literacy advocates, how to design successful long-term programs, working with refugee communities, effective technology in education and much more!  The day will include plenty of time for networking and sharing projects and ideas. Lunch and a continental breakfast are included. You can register for this event at https://belrag.org/stories/be-a-part-of-belrag- history-join-the-1st-annual-belrag-symposium 

 

 

 

Davidson was an enthusiastic member of the Rotary club in Calgary in 1914, and when Rotary wanted to extend its reach they called upon him. An experienced adventurer, James Wheeler Davidson was instrumental in expanding Rotary to other countries in the early years, embarking on journeys to distant lands that resulted in the chartering of 23 clubs in 12 countries from Greece to Thailand. In 2003, an intrepid group that included many current club members, climbed Mt. Davidson to commemorate his impact on Rotary.  This event is being sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Red Deer and Calgary Downtown. Register: