Rotary on the Buses

Rotary bus ads are rolling on the streets of Metro Vancouver.

The Bus ads were officially announced at the Rotary Foundation Dinner
( L to R) Terry Miller, Pres RC of Vancouver, Rhino Rohrs, Pres RC of Burnaby
RI Pres Ray Klinginsmith, DG Penny Offer

The Rotary clubs of Metro Vancouver are running a 4 week advertising campaign in October.

The campaign is funded with the support of a Rotary International public relations grant, a donation from each of 22 District 5040 clubs in Metro Vancouver (based on a formula of $5 per member) and a 50% reduction in the cost of space by Lamar Advertising and BC transit. Rotary ads will be displayed on the outside of 50 metro Vancouver buses for 4 weeks.

The ads will display the district web site and an e-mail address. Please let DG Penny Offer (pennyoffer@dccnet.com) if you spot a Rotary bus ad, even better send a photo.

Visit by RI President Ray Klinginsmith

Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith and Judie visited District 5040 as the keynote speaker for the Annual Foundation Dinner in the Vancouver area. Definitely a highlight of my Governor's year.

The visit started with a quick stop in Steveston to view the Rotary summer banners along the main street of the City. This was the Rotary Club of Steveston's plan to promote Rotary's continuing presence in the Community for the past 15 years. Accompanying President Ray were Club President Peter Mitchell, PDG Bob Blacker, Rtn Bob Jones, PP's Albert Wong and Wilbur Walrond, DG Penny and PDG Chris Offer.

Followed quickly with a visit to the Salvation Army Rotary Hospice House and a tour by Rotarian Major Margaret Evans. President Ray was accompanied by DG Penny Offer, PDG Chris Offer, Richmond Rotary Club President Mahase, and Richmond Rotarians Tony and Chuck.

The dinner brought 365 Rotarians and guests together from 4 districts to hear President Ray, celebrate our Rotary Foundation and recognize generous donors. DG Wayne Wiebe District 5050 presented President Ray with a soccer ball with donations of $107,000 to the Foundation.

Six Rotary couples were presented with Major Donor recognition by President Ray.

Two District 5040 Rotarians were recognized for their service to the Rotary Foundation - Magdalen Leung of the Richmond Sunset Club received the Rotary Foundation Meritorious Service Award and Jan Gisborne of the Powell River Club, the Service Award for a Polio-Free World. Congratulations to both award recipients.

A very special visit with President Ray and Judie who enjoyed meeting many Rotarians.

Pennies for Polio

Pennies for Polio. The Rotary clubs in District 5040 continue to support the Pennies for Polio challenge from the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra to collect PennyWeights to match the weight of DG Penny.

The Rotary Club of Richmond presented me with 129 pounds or 58.5 kg of coins and bills. The bills and loonies and toonies added up to $408 for the eradication of polio. We still have to count the majority of that weight of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters! Thank you to all the Rotarians for their wonderful response to the Polio challenge in District 5040.

Governor's Road Trip

How time flies in the life of a Rotary District Governor doing official club visits. In the last four weeks from Smithers to Vancouver to Pender Harbour and back to the Cariboo with visits to Quesnel Sunrise and 100 Mile House we have made 12 more of my official club visits. Each club is different but each demonstrates the efforts of Rotarians to Build Communities and Bridge Continents in 2010-11.

Rotarians in Smithers and Burns Lake showed us their local Rotary projects which help to build their communities including a new ski run right into the town of Smithers. In Burns Lake the community is well branded with the Rotary logo every where you look.

Rotarians in Vancouver, New Westminster, Richmond and North Vancouver continue to do the work of Rotary locally and Internationally. These clubs are actively engaged with varying degrees in the 5 Avenues of Service, raising funds and promoting Rotary in their local media. These clubs represent the ethnic diversity of the Vancouver area including a largely east Indian club and a Korean club.

Rotarians in Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast hosted a progressive diner for the DG visit - a great opportunity to get to know a group of enthusiastic Rotarians doing great work in their beautiful community. A picnic table service project has unexpectedly generated funds for the club for other projects with the sale of additional tables.

Back in the Cariboo- the forest fires no longer smoking out these communities- we enjoyed meeting the Rotarians and hearing about their work for Rotary. Both are small but active clubs. 100 Mile House had just finished the Rotary Fall Fair and Quesnel Sunrise was gearing up for the annual Terry For Run.

This completes half of the club visits in District 5040. We have travelled a total of 7847 km to the visits outside the lower mainland and spent 28 nights away from home since the beginning of August.

A weekend in the Bulkley Valley.

View from our B & B

Looking towards Hudson Bay
Moutain from our B & B

A weekend in the Bulkley Valley. After visiting the northwest clubs last week we are looking forward to visits this next week in Smithers and Burns Lake on Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Prince George. We booked into a B&B in a log lodge outside of Smithers for the weekend. We are surrounded by mountains in this beautiful valley. We visited the 91st annual fall fair and talked to Rotarians flipping burgers and boiling corn to raise funds for their local and international projects. A very busy few days for the Smithers Rotarians. A few days for us to get some rest, catch up on emails, do a newsletter and enjoy this beautiful part of District 5040 before visiting two more clubs next week and then heading back home to Vancouver. We will drive about 3400 km on this two week trip visiting clubs before we get back home.

Pennies for Polio

Pennies for Penny for Polio. This challenge by the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra to all the clubs in District 5040 is generating some fun raising PennyWeights to support the $200M Challenge. A Penny Weight has been calculated as $250 - my weight in pennies! Rotarians from many clubs are bringing in their stashes of coins to support the cause.

A Single Malt box full of change
presented in Prince Rupert

Clubs are setting up Penny Pots to collect change each week. Some Rotarians are setting up Penny Pots in their places of business. Rotarian Ken from the challenging club has developed posters to advertize the campaign with a new poster each month. Thank you to everyone who is supporting the challenge. Send me your stories of Pennies for Penny for Polio.

North West Visit

Prince Rupert

Kitimat

August 21 to 26 club visits in the north west of District 5040. 1724 km from Vancouver to Prince Rupert, four club visits and three Rotary communities - Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Heat and smoke during the two days of driving to the north west, then clouds and rain and cooler temperatures. Beautiful country every where we go. And of course warm welcomes from Rotarians and opportunities to learn about the clubs, their projects and their challenges. Lots of issues still in this area with changing economic times, mills closed or closing, forestry in decline and new opportunities on the horizon but not yet a reality.

Rotarians continue to provide service to their local communities, host Youth exchange students and take pride in their work. In Prince Rupert the two clubs merged at the end of last Rotary year forming a larger and stronger presence for Rotary in their community. The small club in Kitimat hopes to grow this year. Membership is their key issue for the year ahead if they want to remain a viable club. They are an enthusiastic and welcoming group. In Terrace the two clubs are active and maintaining their membership size and are visible in their community. Thank you to AG Nancy and her husband Odd for their support attending these meetings with Chris and I.

August 16 to 20 2010

This week we have been back home – unpacking, catching up with Rotary emails and chores around the house and packing up to head out again on Saturday for another two weeks on the road to the far northwest corner of District 5040.
I have visited two clubs this week in the south part of District 5040 in the metropolitan area of Vancouver called the Lower Mainland where our home is located.

The Rotary Club of Steveston-Richmond, chartered 10 years ago this Rotary year is an active involved hands on club with many local and international projects. Some of their members leave soon for a dental mission in Zihuatanejo Mexico. Now 31 members strong, they are Rotarians who get it done.

The Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown gave Chris and I a warm welcome to their club. Their Membership Accountability focus making membership everyone’s responsibility is adding new members to their club. Their Rotary Coats for Kids program has provided over 5000 Burnaby children and teens with needed winter coats since 2004. Last year they provided over 1300 coats. Way to go Rotarains.

Club Visits August 9th to 12th

AG Gary Gurnsey, Pres Lisa Tomich,
DG Penny in Mackenzie 

We are back home after being away from home for 11 nights and travelling 2247 km visiting 7 clubs over the past two weeks. Last week we visited clubs in Prince George and Mackenzie British Columbia. Beautiful warm sunny weather and the wonderful hospitality of Rotarians greeted us as we travelled around this beautiful part of District 5040. The three clubs in Prince George hosted a tri city BBQ for my visit at the Rotary gazebo overlooking the city from the campus of UNBC. This was a great opportunity to meet many local Rotarians and their families. Thank you to the three presidents and each Rotarian who helped make our stay memorable.

Mackenzie, one of our smallest clubs and one of the most isolated is looking forward after some difficult years during the recession. President Lisa invited many guests to the club meeting where we inducted a new member. She hopes to get a couple of more members for Rotary in Mackenzie after this meeting.

Rotary Gazebo Prince George

Thanks to AG Gary for all his assistance during our visit to the “north” and all his support for the clubs in his area around Prince George.

A week end to catch up

Looking out the window of a cabin on Norton Ranch just west of Prince George BC, horses in the paddock beside the cabin and wide open spaces with few buildings and even fewer people! A wonderful quiet place to spend a couple of days on the weekend before starting club visits again next week. Some walks around the pastures, time to read, rest and of course catch up on emails and Rotary communications.

We are in our second week and 897 km away from home. Last week I visited the Rotary Clubs of Williams Lake, Williams Lake Daybreak and Quesnel meeting with Rotarians at Board meetings, club meetings and social events. Tomorrow we head back into Prince George to visit the three clubs there and the club in Mackenzie before heading back home next Friday.

District 5040 has quite a large geographical area that will take us away from home for a total of about 6 weeks visiting clubs as District Governor in the next three months. It is inspiring to meet Rotarians and learn more about all their efforts to build Communities and Bridge Continents.

Pennies for Penny for Polio

The Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra challenges every club in District 5040 to collect Pennies for Polio.  DG Penny has thrown her weight behind this effort. Quadra asks that you throw your weight behind DG Penny and tip the scales in every child's favour. Raid the piggy bank, save your spare change, collect from friends. Show the world that we care by collecting thousands of Penny Weights - one Penny Weight is worth $250. Contact Ken Kolotyluk for more information kenk1666@telus.net.

Eight year old Lillian Beuschel daughter of RC of Quesnel Rotarian Rebecca Beuschel, raided her collection of pennies this week to support the campaign to eradicate Polio. Lillian presented 1.3 kilos of pennies - four dollars and thirty five cents to Governor Penny after hearing about the challenge from the RC of Vancouver Quadra to clubs to raise Penny Weights for Polio.

Thank You Lillian for your very special donation to save 8 children from getting Polio! Lillian has taken the lead - what can you and your club do?
Download the flyer with more information on the Pennies for Polio Campaign. Click HERE

August 3rd to 7th First week of Official DG Club Visits:

Forest fires everywhere and a heavy layer of smoke over the Cariboo did not dampen the welcome for DG Penny to Williams Lake and Quesnel in the Cariboo on her first club visits.

The two Williams Lake clubs held a joint club BBQ including a wagon ride around town. The two club presidents Ron Malmas and Bevan Koch are planning to bring the two clubs closer together starting with the BBQ for the DG. They are both planning to participate in the Government House Literacy project headed up by PDG Bob Blacker. Great to see the clubs working together to support the work of Rotary. The theme in Williams Lake this week was - On Fire for Rotary!

Second stop in the Cariboo was Quesnel with the wonderful hospitality of the RC of Quesnel Rotarians led by Club President John Havens. More smoke from the thousands of acres of forest on fire around this community. YE student Jordin had his long curly locks cut short to raise money for Polio. Over $2200 was raised to support his efforts. This club also planning to get involved in the Government House Literacy project with local First nations bands. DGN Rebecca MacPherson hosted a potluck BBQ social to end the DG visit in typical Quesnel style.

Two Rotarians received Building Community Bridging Continents recognition from DG Penny for their work supporting the RI Theme for 2010-11. John Stace-Smith from the Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club and Rebecca Beuschel from the RC of Quesnel are the honoured recipients.

Thanks to all the Cariboo Rotarians for their support and welcome.

Pennies for Polio

District 5040 Pennies for Polio Challenge to Collect "Penny Weights" - The RC of Vancouver Quadra has challenged every club in District 5040 to collect Pennies for Polio. DG Penny has thrown her weight behind this effort. Raid the piggybank, empty the change from your pocket, collect from friends, or write a cheque. DG Penny's weight in Pennies or One Penny Weight is worth $250.00. How many Penny Weights can your club gather? Download the flyer with more information on the Pennies for Polio Campaign. Click

Vancouver Chinatown

Yesterday I managed to attend my own club meeting. Vancouver Chinatown meets for lunch at the Floata Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver's Chinatown. If you like good Chinese food and are in Vancouver please visit the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown Wednesday at noon. President Rick orchestrated a program on Polio.

I gave some happy dollars for the club as they will not see Chris and I for 6 to 8 weeks! I start my official club visits on August 3rd in Williams Lake. In the first month of visits we will be away from home a total of 25 nights doing club visits in the Cariboo, Prince George, Terrace and Prince Rupert areas. Prince Rupert is a two day drive from where we live in Vancouver. But the weather is great, the scenery wonderful and we will meet many amazing Rotarians and learn about their projects and activities for Rotary.

The Other side of being DG.

I spent several hours last night on the administrative role of the District Governor. District Treasurer JoAnne Amos and I spent two hours reviewing district expenses and the administration of district funds. This is a critical part of the position of being governor. The stewardship of dues paid by Rotarians to our district is very important.

The district also receives funds from Rotary International to assist with some training events and to cover part of the governor’s expenses. In addition the district will receive funds from The Rotary Foundation as a future vision district. These funds are for District Grants and must be accounted for and reported separately.

Rotary faces challenges different than those faced by standard commercial companies. Our annual change of leadership means we need continuity and consistency from year to year. DGE Hans Doge participated in the meeting last night to ensure the ongoing stewardship of Rotary funds in District 5040.

The governor is accountable for how the funds entrusted to the district are used. It must be a priority. Our district finances are in very good order. The board of directors of District 5040 Inc and the district finance committee take their role seriously. It is a pleasure to work with our treasurer JoAnne who is very organized and efficient in managing Rotary funds.

Downtown Eastside Shoe Clinic

I attended a great Rotary service project in Vancouver’s downtown eastside on the weekend. The RC of Vancouver Quadra collect slightly used running shoes from a number of upscale sports stores. Runners buy new shoes frequently and are happy to leave their old shoes with the store when they are told it is for a good cause.

The club clean and sanitize the shoes and with the help of the Salvation Army give them with a pair of new socks to the homeless and street people. They run the shoe clinics three or four times a year and pass out 200 to 400 pairs of shoes at each clinic.

They also had two volunteer podiatrists on hand to diagnose and treat food problems. Services Above Self

Club Installations

 Since July 1st a number of clubs have held their annual events to celebrate the past year and look ahead as they welcome the new club president and board members. I have been honoured to attend the events held by the Rotary Clubs of Richmond, Burnaby Metrotown, Ladner and Vancouver Cambie. Each one has a distinctive flavour and each one is inspiring and holds promise for the upcoming year. Each club president and member of Penny's Posse has taken an oath of office to serve Rotary to the best of their ability in 2010-11. They have exciting goals for the coming year for membership and service. I look forward to working with all the clubs in District 5040.

The picture shows the new President Sukhi Dhaliwal and the Board of the Rotary Club of Burnaby Metrotown

District 5040 RYLA Lakelse July 5th to 8th 2010.

Last week I had the honour and privilege to attend the four day RYLA Lakelse camp held near Terrace BC with District RYLA Chair Angiola DeStefanis. Located by a beautiful lake surrounded by snow capped mountains, 40 teenagers aged 13 to 16 with nine staff members lead by RYLA Coordinator Rob Eby and Program Coordinator Casda Thomas and supported by local Rotarians from several Rotary Clubs in the area, enjoyed the glorious summer sun and an unforgettable experience.

The group bonds and friendships flourished over the four days as the RYLERIANS learned about leadership, goal setting, problem solving, communications and Rotary especially Rotary Youth Programs. They participated in the World Village exercise, building picnic tables to leave as a Rotary legacy to the Kin Kamp , and carrying 60 pound jugs of water to understand the shortage of water in many areas of the world and the impact this has on young children and families.

They worked and played hard and learned about the Power of One to make a difference in the world, about working as a team to achieve their goals and building friendships with others who may be different from ourselves. What a great bunch of kids – future leaders in their communities and in society and maybe in Rotary. What a great group of dedicated Rotarians and young adults giving of their time and energy to provide a Rotary experience these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

The future is in good hands as Rotarians work to Build Communities and Bridge Continents.

Canada Day in Steveston

July 1st - I spent with the Rotary Club of Steveston dressed as a pirate for their pirate ship float in the annual Canada Day parade and later at their annual BBQ. A wonderful start to the new Rotary year. Thousands watch the parade. This is great PR for Rotary.

The club displayed the new street banners that will be placed on street light poles in Steveston Village, one of the main tourist sites in Metro Vancouver - more great PR.

A New Rotary Year Starts

The waiting is over, the preparation complete, and it is July 1st - my first day as District Governor for District 5040. It is over two and a half years since I was nominated and now the year has started. I am honoured and humbled to lead our district in 2010-11. We are looking forward to an exciting year.

Last Saturday my club the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown held the Club Installation which included my Installation as DG. PDG Chris Offer did the DG Installation - a very special occasion for both of us. We were honoured to have Rotary friends from England, and the US, long standing non Rotarian friends and Rotarians from other clubs including past and future governors, and incoming club presidents join us for the celebration.

I have also been honoured to attend and participate in a number of club Installations over the last few weeks and several more to come as clubs celebrate the success of the past year and look forward to the new year. I also installed our DGE Hans Doge from the RC of Vancouver Quadra.

Best wishes for a successful Rotary year to all clubs and Districts and all Rotarians as we Build Communities and Bridge Continents.