Submitted by Will Arscott 7^th June, 2016

 

June 6th MEETING RECAP - REGULAR MEETING AT THE BESSBOROUGH - Review of Becas Project - Jim Weber

 

The meeting was presided by President Bev Dubois

Greeter - Peter Zakreski

Cashier - Maureen Torr (great to see a rookie learning the job)

Set-up - Al Morton (with new banner rather than the flags)

Visitors and Guests - Adriana Van Duvendyk

 

O Canada - Led rather effectively by Adriana. When they are led our club are much better singers.

Grace - Adriana Van Duvendyk spun a Rotary Graced based on the Four Way Test of Rotary.

 

Jim Squire guest of Jim Weber

(The club sang the Hello song for our one guest who seemed to enjoy the attention.)

 

 

- regular board meeting next Wednesday June 15^th at the Saskatoon Media Boardroom at the regular time.

 

- FEES ARE DUE You only have a few days left to claim you discount on the fees for next year. By a show of hands about half the members present had arranged to pay their fees. Please get them in and make things easier for treasurer Wayne and the club secretary.

 

- Monday June 20^th there is no regular meeting but a hands on service opportunity at the FRIENDSHIP INN. Thanks to all that have signed up. Still need two people for the 11:30 shift to serve. Claire Heagy volunteered so now we only need one person. All the spots for the 1:30 clean-up are available. Four people were needed. Graham volunteered for himself and Darcelle. Two people are still needed. If you can help please contact Peter. The shifts last for two hours.

 

- The PRESIDENT'S DINNER is scheduled for Monday June 27^th at the Saskatoon Club. Again there will be no regular meeting that day. It will be an evening event to honour the hard work of President Bev and her executive and welcome the new executive under Incoming President Jack. It should be a good night so make every effort to try to attend. Jack has tickets at $60 each.

 

- The duty list was being passed around the tables. Please take a slot or two for July and August.

 

- There will only be two meeting in July. There will be a regular meeting on July 11^th at the Bessborough. There will be a BBQ at Jack Brodsky’s place on July 27^th. Note this is a Wednesday rather than a Monday. Details and directions will follow.

 

- There will be three club meetings in August. There will be a regular meeting on the 8^th. The District Governor will be visiting our club on the 22^nd and there will be a meeting on the 29th.

 

 

Sergeant at Arms: Vic Dubois (at the last minute)

 

- Fined President Bev for asking him to be Sergeant at last minute.

- Fined Adriana for having made us sing our Hello song for just one (1) guest. He said he enjoyed hearing it.

- Fine Paul G. for failing to pay something or other (sure to be a serious offence).

- Fined those who did not know that the Roughriders deficit for last season was 4.31 million smackeroos.

- Gave a personal happy dollar for the Saskatchewan Rush. The Rush won the final 11 to 10 “We are the Champions” Not often a new franchise in town wins the league.

 

 

 

- Claire Heagy happy for granddaughter’s wedding this past weekend and for the groom graduating his undergrad degree and being accepted into medicine.

- Joanne Fisher happy for the pleasure of having our student Sammi staying at her house. He has been away at many activities but when he is there her children just adore him.

- Gary Kerr happy for the fishing trip. Paul Gauthier happy for fishing trip happy for log that stuck in his propeller without doing damage but sad for tire blown on the road into Otter Lake but happy for gang of Rotarians who had him back mobile quickly. Jack Brodsky happy for fishing trip and happy for almost telling the truth to the Conservation officers. Sad for sitting on his cell phone while repairing the tire on Paul’s truck.

- Wayne Storozuk happy for 60^th birthday party with family.

- Maureen Torr for finding 43 sponsors for the 100 children that need sponsorship in the orphanage in Uganda. Hopefully more will fall in quickly.

- Jim Weber a sad dollar for the passing of Doug Cuthand’s father who had been a member of our club. A double sad for Rotary not being mentioned in the write-up in the paper.

 

Corn Project - No Report but it is being worked on.

 

Becas Update - Jim Weber

 

Jim provided the club with a history of the Becas project in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Project began somewhat informally ten years ago with the sponsorship of three students. Today the project sponsors some 105 students from junior high through to University. The project is making a difference.

 

Education up to grade six is provided in Mexico. However after grade six many students opt out. This is because education past the sixth grade is not free. It is also because poor families often require children to contribute to the family finances. The cost of education is, by our standards, quite modest. It costs about $275 from grade seven to ten and then it goes to $375.

 

Jim told a great story about a Rotarian who gave his parents a sponsorship of two students for their 60^th wedding anniversary. The intention is that students are individually sponsored and it is intended that sponsor will follow them through their schooling. This is not a requirement and the project holds a contingency fund to continue to sponsor students in situations where the first sponsor drops out. This has not been a big problem to date but sponsors can drop out for a variety of reasons.

 

An expectation has been created that University scholarships will be repaid as the student is able. Again, this is not a requirement but an expectation/hope. This is just being introduced now so it is unknown how many scholarships will be repaid. To date the initiative has been well received. At the present 48 of the 105 students are at the University level.

 

Questions:

 

Paul Gauthier wondered what the success rate is for students under the sponsorship completing their education. Jim indicated that it was essentially 100% particularly at the lower levels. Occasionally students are lost at the University level when more lucrative opportunities such as the tourism industry come calling.

 

It was asked whether this was pressure for the government to provide more schooling free of charge. Jim said this was a difficult thing because Mexico is a third world country and there are many calls on the government’s resources. There are also issues dealing with powerful and corrupt teacher’s unions. The whole political situation would require considerable explanation that was beyond the scope of his talk today.

 

Bev Dubois asked if other clubs are involved. While many outside our club have contributed sponsorships we are the only Rotary club (with the recipient club Puerto Vallarta South) directly involved with the Becas project. Other Rotary clubs have mounted similar programs and many have withdrawn leaving existing students without sponsorships. It is the intention of the current program not to do this. (Some of our 105 were sponsored by other programs and abandoned.) Jim would like our program to be based on a commitment that once a student is accepted for a sponsorship that this will continue through their schooling.

 

Jim pointed out that all of the money our club has provided to Becas has been raised by the Becas committee and that The Rotary Club of Saskatoon has not contributed to the project out of ot general revenues.

 

 

This program is in addition to the Becas education sponsorship program and is still in the start-up phase. The purpose is to make loans to people who would have no other ability to access credit. The purpose is to fund business and reduce dependency. There is no interest charged on the loan as the program does not want to be considered a bank under the stringent Mexican banking regulations. There is a small administration fee that must be repaid.

 

Peter Zakreski suggested that loans only be made to women as they are more credit worthy. Jim indicated that the program was well aware of this and that to date 94% of borrowers had been women. The current repayment rate is about 98%. Women are always better risks. Data indicates there is about a seven to one economic leverage on funds lent out in this manner.

 

Jim was thanked by President Bev.

 

 

 

 

 

Next Meeting:

 

June 13th: Regular Meeting at the Bessborough