Raise the bid for Rotary!

Tags

Ecuador, Edmonton Northeast, end polio now, Rotary District 5370, Rotary District Governor, Rotary Foundation, Zaruma

We are neighbors, community leaders, and global citizens uniting for the common good.  With you, we can accomplish even more.

You know the feeling you get when you hear the dryer buzzer sound in the laundry room and you know the towels are done?  You have that moment of breathtaking anticipation as you rush in to fill your arms with those warm, plush towels.  Your whole being is enveloped in a cozy, comforting sense of tranquility.  That’s the same feeling we get when we attend a meeting with Rotary Club of Northeast Edmonton.  They just make us feel so welcome and cherished.  They also make us laugh!

Fun with Timmy’s double double challenge to End Polio Now.

This vibrant, fun filled club is home to three past District Governors, Dar Alfrey, Ross Tyson and Linda Robertson.  It is also the home club of Home Economist Donna Nicoll.  There are at least a hundred reasons why Linda Robertson invited Donna to be her aide-de-camp during her term as DG.  She is super organized, attends to every detail, and is someone you can depend on.  I want a Donna…everyone should be so lucky!  Donna went above and beyond to help us when we discovered that we had forgotten our portable speaker at Northlands Sky Paddock room. She was happy to help and it was comforting to know that we were being looked after.  It’s just who she is!

A highlight of our visit was my coronation by Queen Brenda.
 With much pomp and circumstance, I was bestowed with a beautiful crown and scepter in recognition of my reign as District Queen blogger!
If I had known this ceremony was going to take place, I would have worn my gown and pearls!

We had the opportunity to meet with the Board and learned about the many projects this club is supporting.  A few stood out for us…

At the club level, they are proactive at getting every member on a committee by hosting a Draft day. Before the draft, every member is sent out a survey to see what level of involvement they are willing to commit,chair a big project or give a little time.   Each committee then tailors each responsibility to attract the different levels of involvement.  For example, the youth committee may need an Inbound Youth Exchange counsellor, or someone to attend to a scholarship meeting at a high school. On the day of the draft, each committee is given a table to decorate and provide information on their avenue of service or project.  Then the fun begins.  As members make their way around the room, they are seduced by wine, candy, flowers, or games to encourage them to sign up on a committee at whatever level they are comfortable.  It is a fun, noisy, engaging way to inform members of what it takes to run a project or committee.

The Four Way Test is prevalent in their entire Avenues of Service planning and they are excited to take these ethical standards to the local area schools.  They are hoping to be able to put Four Way Test plaques in every school and to breathe life into the Four Way Test speech contest inviting high school students to compete for recognition and award.

This club knows how to engage in cultivating a culture of literacy.  They are supporting various nutrition programs at all levels to encourage children and their parents to participate in the education system. Snack in the Shack provides snacks to children at playgrounds during the summer, preparing two meals a year at Mustard Seed, and feeding families during the Literacy Night at Norwood School.

The support they are giving to Zaruma, Ecuador is gaining world wide recognition.

With astute money management and access to Government of Alberta Grants, Rotary Foundation Grants, they have turned their own club cash donations of $4000 – $6000 per year into an extensive multi-phase project.  The local Rotary club of Zaruma has played an active part in this enterprise and have created an outstanding partnership.

2007 – First phase  -$35,000 for the Latrine Project  ( close to 200 latrines so far)

2010 – Second phase – $$60,000 Sanitation and Irrigation (plastic reservoirs: the Ecuadorian government has taken an interest in this project and are installing more throughout the area)

2012 – third phase – $40,000 Irrigation and Weaving Project(looms and lessons)

2014 – Fourth phase  – $63,000 latrines and tunnel greenhouse structures

Danny Hooper continues to entertain! The only person I know who can make you laugh the money right out of your wallet!

Later that week we had a great time attending their major event Champion for Children.  

Thank you Edith and Darrel Martin for the invitation!  We laughed, dined, and enjoyed bidding on items at the silent auction.  I don’t think we “won” a single peroghy!