RORATELLER

 

Submitted by Will Arscott

 

The meeting was held in the Main Dining Room at the Saskatoon Club.  Our MC for the meeting was Steven Wilson. Maureen Torr was greeter and spoke to every member on her arrival. We had three zoom attendees.  We were a smaller but enthusiastic group.  Cashier was Donna Gauthier. Paul Gauthier handled technology.  Paul’s patience came through as he solved issues around the audio on the speaker’s videos.

 

The meeting began with members singing ‘O’ Canada. The blessing was asked by Gary Rusu.  Gary spoke of the uncertainty in the world. He suggested the answer may lie in seeking to be of service to others.  He expertly wound in the Rotary Four Way Test.  

  

 

We had two guests.  The first was our guest speaker Daphne Van Den Hurk who was introduced later in the program.   We are also joined by Maureen Torr’s husband Wilson.  He has just come to Canada from Uganda.  Wilson had to wait five years to come to Canada and has only been here for two weeks.  Welcome Wilson and we are hoping you will adjust to the rapid change in weather we are expecting.

 

 

The passing of our long-term member Gordon Menuz was reported. Gord was the first member to take on technology as a part of the club.  In the beginning technology was very rudimentary but it all goes back to Gord who got the ball rolling. In later years strokes impaired Gord’s ability to speak. He will be remembered as one who made a large contribution to our club. Gord never served as president but took on many important roles in the club.

 

 

Donna Gauthier announced that grocery cards are available. So far only the cards from Scobey’s/Safeway/Fresh Express have arrived. I believe we also have Co-Op cards now. Please contact Donna for your cards.

 

  October 24 is World Polio Day. Rotary has taken an international lead in the eradication of polio.  Final eradication remains agonizingly close as it has for several years. Hopefully Rotary, through its members, will see this project to its end.

 

Our November 27 meeting will be a potluck in support of the Rotary Foundation. The location is still to be determined. One possibility is Mayfair United Church. We cannot have alcohol at this venue. Watch for an announcement following the executive meeting this Wednesday.

 

The club will have a social event at Persephone Theatre on Friday December 8.  We will see a play following a reception with drinks and food at the upper floor lounge. Watch for further information in the weeks to come.

 

We were to have a regular meeting on November 13, but it turns out the Saskatoon Club will be closed on that day for the Remembrance Day holiday. There was a discussion of moving the meeting to Tuesday when the club could accommodate us upstairs. It should be a good meeting with two Ryla students speaking and an update from Prem on the project in Nepal.

 

The tables at the craft fair are fully sold. This event will take place on Saturday November 11 at the Travelodge. Congratulations Linda your hard work is appreciated by the club. 

 

 

 

 

 

Daphne was introduced by Will Arscott. Will said he had asked Daphne for a very short biography and that she obviously knows the meaning of the words very and short. He said he became aware of the great work KidSport does when he served on the executive of Minor Hockey.

 

Daphne van den Hurk has been with Saskatchewan KidSport for five years, first as an administrator and now as Community Coordinator. She comes from Roblin, Manitoba. She has two daughters who keep her busy with their school activities and sports. Daphne enjoys sports and in high school played basketball. Today her activities include skiing and snowboarding.

 

KidSport is a national charity serving children ages five through eighteen. It has operated in Saskatchewan for twenty-five years. KidSport pays the registration for sports participation. The idea is that all children have a right to play. Low-income status creates problems in many areas of a child’s life. One of the problems is social isolation. When children are in sports, they meet other people they otherwise would not meet. It gives them connections outside of the school situation. Through sports children learn self-confidence, learn to get along with others and experience healthy competition.

 

KidSport will pay the registration fees associated with any sport recognized by Sask Sport. This includes some fifty sports. It does not include activities such as dance, art, or music. There is a parallel organization called Creative Kids that provides granting in these areas. 

 

Any family can apply to the program. Acceptance is based on income and the number of children in the household. As a rule, families who qualify for the Saskatchewan Income Supplement will qualify for help from KidSport. The level of income to qualify is a little higher than the official poverty line.  

 

The average grant is $250.00 per child per year. The maximum that can be granted is $5000 per child per year. This level will not cover the fees for competition level registrations. Sports such as hockey, gymnastics and figure skating can have very high fees. Families are still responsible for team fees and travel so sports can still be a large family expense.

 

In 2022 KidSport funded about 1,400 kids based on about 1,000 applications. Some applications will cover more than one child in a household. $261,000 was paid out in Saskatoon in 2022.   The program relies on donations. 100% of all donations go to help kids.

 

Income to KidSport comes from major donors and sports organizations such as the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Beyond this, KidSport runs a major corporate challenge fundraiser and a pancake breakfast.

 

There are also KidSport ambassadors. There are four U of S Huskie ambassadors of which two are male and two are female. They represent sports including weightlifting and volleyball.

 

 In the past KidSport has been largely associated with minor hockey but that is changing. Some families choose to spread their grant over a couple of activities such as swimming lessons and recreation level soccer.

 

Daphne took several questions which are incorporated into this summary.

 

Steve thanked our speaker; the usual donation will be made on her behalf to The Bethany Home.

 

Adjournment       

 

Next meeting is on October 30 and Clive Weighill will be presenting on the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Office.