Submitted by Will Arscott

 

 

This week we were back at the Bessborough. The meeting was presided by President Mark Gryba

Greeter -

Cashier - Wayne Palmer

Set-up - Wayne McGillivray

Visitors and Guests - Gary Rusu

Grace - Clare Heagy

Sergeant - Dave Sundby (was ready had he been called)

 

O Canada was led by Wayne McGillivray as per usual

 

Grace - led by Clare Heagy was appropriate as always. Clare asked us to be thankful for our opportunities to serve others.

 

Visitors and Guests - Gary Rusu

Colin Faron or guest speaker and guest of the club

Jordan Podiatowki the engineer for the videos we watched.

Visiting Rotarians

David Chambers of Radcliffe Rotary in Manchester, UK.

Earle Newton Saskatoon North Rotary and frequent visitor to our club

 

 

- Next Meeting June 18 will be a Club Assembly. Please note it will be in the Kelsey Room where we met last week.

 

- President’s Dinner will be held on Monday June 25^th at the Saskatoon Club. Hopefully all members will make the effort to come and kick President Mark out of office. There will be an open mic so members will be welcome to honour Mark however they see fit. Please see Paul Gauthier for tickets. You need to at least contact Paul prior to the event as the Saskatoon Club needs to know numbers.

 

- Membership dues are due by June 15^th. This is Friday They will be unchanged and are reduced prior to June 15 that $260 for the year. After June 15^th they go to $285. Renewal forms are available at meeting and you can bring a cheque or enter your credit card to complete. Don’t forget you can make a donation towards your (next) Paul Harris Award at the time you pay your fees.

 

- World Community Service will be meeting Tuesday at 8:00 am at the Saskatoon Club.

 

- Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday at 7:00 am at the Saskatoon Club. This meeting is for both the old and incoming boards.

 

- Becas Committee with be meeting Wednesday evening at Jim Weber’s house. All are welcome to attend and enjoy some fellowship.

 

 

 

Earle Newton provided a short update on this program. He explained that the international grant application process is moving ahead. Progress is slow and it can be very frustrating. The distance between the project and Ugandan Rotary sponsor and the government agencies in the capital make every step an adventure. There is a great deal of time that has to be spent just running between these places and sometimes it is impossible to complete things as planned even with good intentions by all.

 

Earle hopes he can ask our club for the money we have committed by the end of the summer. The money cannot be placed until the grant process is complete. Earle finished by encouraging members to consider visiting the project and seeing it for themselves.

 

 

 

President Mark informed the club that Susan Blum was involved in a very serious cycling accident. Details are not available. She remains in ICU with serious injuries to both her hands. The good news is that she is alert and has no mental problems. The club is wishing Susan a speedy recovery and return.

 

Will Arscott reported on the passing of Rick Lee. Rick was a long-term member of our club who eventually transferred to the Nutana Club due to scheduling problems. Rick was in the travel business and was very involved in our travel lottery fund-raiser. He had a three year battle with cancer and leaves two adult daughters.

 

 

 

The sergeant was standing by and ready to go but was never called on. There is no need to review our meeting order with President Mark as, if he hasn’t learned it by now, there is no time left for him to learn it before the end of his term.

 

This editor is told that it was the sergeant’s intention to fine only the female members of the club this week. I am sure they would have been deeply offended had there been any present at the meeting.

 

 

Guest Speaker - Colin Faron from Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan Inc. (Previously Canadian Paraplegic Association)

 

Spinal Cord Injury Saskatchewan has offices in Saskatoon and Regina. Colin has been hired on a special grant to undertake outreach on behalf of the Association. He has now spoken to many service clubs including other Rotary clubs. He indicated he is quite impressed with the work Rotary clubs undertake. Colin has a high leg amputation and walks stiffly due to the lack of the flexible knee.

 

Working on behalf of people who have suffered injuries is the most obvious part of the mandate. However the mandate extends to working with paraplegics of all types. As part of their mandate the Association has produced a series of emails highlighting individuals managing their lives despite their disabilities. We were lucky to see three of these videos. They are very professionally produced and do a great job of letting you into peoples lives and making them regular people who just happen to be coping with physical limitations.

 

The first video featured Brian Fisen, a farmer from the Purdue area. Brian became a paraplegic as a result of a snowmobile accident. He has a limited ability to walk using braces but generally uses a chair. He is now farming on his own using a lift to reach the combine. He can get out to clear rocks etc. He has independence and is able to continue farming without aid.

 

Because Brian was not injured on the job he had very limited insurance coverage. There is some government help but it is very limited. A lightweight wheelchair can easily cost $10,000 and this can make it very difficult for people to get the aids they need. The tax system only offers a $1,000 per year tax credit. This does not go very far when aids such as car lifts are required.

 

There are about 4.4 million Canadians with physical disabilities. There are many types of disability. Disability may be temporary, permanent or chronic. About 16% of the workforce is disabled. The largest group within the disabled are those with mobility issues. It is estimated at 53% of Canadians are directly affected by a disability.

 

The second video featured an office worker named Dalynne Bortis. It addressed the question of why a business should hire a person with a disability. There is an idea that people with disabilities will not be regular workers requiring significant time off. Research does not support this. The biggest problem is usually just getting to and from work as transportation for disabled persons is limited and does not conform to individual work times. Jobs that can offer flexibility in work hours often work best for the disabled.

 

There are many barriers to employment of the disabled. Unfortunately up to 70% of disabled people are unemployed. This represents a huge loss to society. Attached is a one page hand-out on business and disabilities. Businesses can gain both by catering to the disabled and by employing them. Many disabled persons have money to spend in coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses. The disabled represent a large untapped labour force. Often they will work harder to prove themselves.

 

The third video featured Brandon Prevost who is pursuing a law degree at the University of Saskatchewan. Brandon is a more extreme paraplegic with limited control below his neck. He requires full-time help to eat, dress and bath. His first university degree was in computer science. He must have a special interface just to use the computer. He is now studying law.

 

Brandon requires an institutional setting. In Saskatoon there are no settings that are appropriate to his situation. Sherbrooke is innovating in this area but they cannot meet the demand. Obviously, Brandon does not suffer any mental disabilities but he has been housed in special care facilities with geriatric adults with dementia problems. He does not belong in such a place. There is a need for additional facilities in this province.

 

There was a short question period. Colin assured Drew Byers that their mandate includes helping people suffering from diseases such as MS as well as accident victims. He also spoke about work that is being done with the cities in Saskatchewan to make our cities fully accessible to the disabled. This includes additional parking issues such as vehicles with side lifts.

 

Colin was thanked by President Mark and told we will be making the regular donation to Bethany homes as a thank you for this presentation.

 

Adjournment