Submitted by Will Arscott 26^th October 2016, 2016

 

October 24th MEETING RECAP - REGULAR MEETING AT THE BESSBOROUGH - Katie Bletsky short-term Rotary Exchange student to Spain.

 

The meeting was presided by President Jack

Greeter - Gary Kerr

Cashier - Wayne Palmer

Set-up - Al Morton

Visitors and Guests - Wayne McGillivray

 

O Canada - was sung prior to your tardy Rotateller scribe arriving at the meeting.

 

Grace - Al Morton produced a grace appropriate to World Polio Day that recognized Rotary’s commitment in this area and Al’s own experience of Rotary in Britain and by extension everywhere that polio has been experienced.

 

Visitors and Guests - Dave Sundby

 

- Rotary exchange student Katie Bletsky and her mother Laurie Bletsky.

Katie spoke later in the meeting.

- Visiting Rotarian Art Postle who was here to support Steve Wilson in his announcements concerning the Adventures In Technology (AIT) program.

- Tim Cholowski who is not really a visitor but was back after a six month absence in Italy.

 

 

Today is World Polio Day: This is the central project of Rotary’s international outreach. Al Morton had a display of our club’s commitment to this program in the display box at the front. Members are reminded that they received a message from the District 5550 Polio Plus chairman Rod Riopel.

 

Due to our work there has been a 99% decrease in the number of polio cases in the world since 1988. [the cases in 1988 were a small fraction of the cases when polio was still rampant in the 1950s and early 1960s]. Since 1988 the number of countries reporting Polio cases has decreased from 31 to just 3. This year there have been a total of 31 cases reported all in Nigeria (after several years clear), Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

Rotary’s work in this area has been important. To date Rotary has raised $1.5 billion towards eradicating Polio. In recent years we have been partnered by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 

The Joint Meeting held October 20^th at the North Club meeting at the Travelodge was a huge success. The RAP review was presented. Julie Jones the author did this work free of charge and received a Paul Harris Award as recognition. She appeared very pleased with this recognition. All seem to be agreed that a joint meeting should be held once a year if not more regularly.

 

Steve Wilson has been contacted about the Salvation Army Kettles. We have been asked to man kettles on December 3^rd and 10^th. These are both Saturdays. Please come out for a couple of hours. Sign-up sheets are to follow.

 

There will be a district grant webinar available for our members on November 22^nd. The webinar will run from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Saskatoon Club. The purpose is to train people as to the procedures necessary to apply for a district grant. If more people learn the system the same people will not be overworked by having to undertake each application. Let President Jack know if you can attend.

 

‘Rock for RAP’ will be held on Friday November 18^th featuring the Harrison James Band. It takes place on the fourth floor of the Avenue Bldg. The goal is to raise $50,000 for RAP. With this large a commitment by others we should also support the event. Canada Helps website has information on the event. Saskatoon Media Group is the media sponsor and Patrick Dubois will be the MC.

 

Members may be interested in a meeting/seminar sponsored by Saskatchewan Human Rights and Concentus. The topic is ‘Courageous Conversations.’ For more information see President Jack.

 

Grocery Cards: Gary Rusu is starting a new approach asking for member commitment to a purchase at the beginning of the month. Please see Gary when he is wearing his grocery card apron and place your order.

 

 

Our meeting on November 7^th is to consist of a lunch and tour of the new police station. We need to know numbers for lunch. Please sign up on the sheets on the table.

 

November 14^th is our Foundation dinner in the evening. It will be held at the Bessborough. Ten of our members are to be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. It would be good to have a large attendance to recognize these contributions.

 

In order to qualify for district grants we need to maintain a level of $100 per member per year to the Rotary Foundation. Please help if you have not already done so. We need a total club contribution of $4,700 and have raised $3,900 to date.

October 20^th there was a joint meeting with the North Club: Subject the strategic report on the RAP program.

 

 

Sergeant at Arms: Wayne McGillivray

 

President Jack was fined for announcing World Polio Day ahead of the Sergeant. The sergeant asked whether anyone knows how much Bill and Melinda Gates had contributed to date. Steve W. Got it correct at $355 million. The sergeant had to fine all those who didn’t know which was everyone else.

 

The sergeant threatened to fine Wayne S. One dollar for something involving handling fine money but Wayne beat the Sergeant to it and fined himself five dollars.

 

The sergeant fined Tim Cholowski for being so happy about his trip. Tim said he would pay the fine if he were a member of the club. Tim get your membership paid there is work for you on the Badge Shield and Star Dinner.

 

The people who missed a great joint meeting were also fined.

 

 

S Gary R for the passing of Shirley Ryan

 

S Will A for the passing of Mary Lou Montgomery wife of deceased Nutana Rotarian John Montgomery.

 

H Will A five happy dollars for son’s marriage which united football rivals Raymore on the bride’s side and Gull Lake on the Arscott side. It was a great rural Saskatchewan wedding (though held in Regina) that brought out the best in everybody.

 

H Tim Cholowski for running into Otto Ulrich. We should all be so lucky to reach his age and still have all our marbles.

 

S Wayne McGillivray for the passing of Ron Loffard who was a great RCMP and later a great business person.

 

 

Steve reminded the club that we are to host Adventures in Technology for the next two years. Steve will be chairman assisted by Dave Sundby. This is a student program with twenty-six participants from all of Western Canada and even from Ontario.

 

Steve reminded us that we have lots of technology activity in Saskatoon. Some of the obvious examples are the Canadian Light Source, Fire Department, and the Agriculture and Bio-diversity companies at Innovation Place and the Toxicology Centre also at the University.

 

We need to rent two large vans and provide drivers. We also need drivers with cars and billets for the students. Meals are supplied as part of the program so the students would only be sleeping at the billets. This is important service work but the club also expects to make a profit of at least $2,000 on the project.

 

Watch for further notices of how you can participate.

 

 

Katie travelled to Spain as a Rotary short-term exchange student leaving on July 2^nd and returning with her host student on 7 August. She stayed in a town near Seville. The town was very friendly but everyone (about 40,000) was squeezed into a small space without greenery. It was hotter than Katie had ever experienced. Highs were as high as 45C and it was in the 30s at night. As a result people didn’t go to bed until early morning. Katie’s room was upstairs and was particularly hot. The family had some air conditioning on the main floor.

 

Loved her family. The older son was the town heartthrob and a musician with a band. Katie spent most of her time with the fifteen year old daughter Patricia.

 

She did several trips out from her town. On the first she visited Toledo, Cordoba and Madrid. Madrid was about four hours north of where she was staying. Madrid was much cooler than Seville. Perhaps that is why the monarchy is based there. Katie visited the royal palace in Madrid.

 

Katie spent a couple of weeks at El Puerto (the beach). Things were very relaxed there and Katie particularly enjoyed the ice cream which came in flavours unknown here but very good.. Finished with a trip to Seville where she visited the Plaza del Espana.

 

She seems to have enjoyed family life in Spain. She missed fresh fruit and vegetables which her hosts did not seem to eat to the extent that she did. Her host found eating raw carrots to be strange. Many meals were made in the Thermamix a kitchen appliance unknown in Canada. This machine can mix, heat, and cool all in one machine.

 

Katie had been a French immersion student and her french helped her to get a good grasp on Spanish in a short-time. Sometimes she found the speed of the language on TV or radio too difficult for her to follow. She ended by thanking Rotary: “Gracias Rotary para una experienca inolvidable.” Thank you Rotary for an unforgettable experience.

 

Katie was thanked by President Jack who said her enthusiasm was obvious.

 

 

Next Meeting: Monday Oct 31^st at the Bessborough

 

Steve Wilson (who is a very busy Rotarian) will be your guest Rotateller editor next week as Will is away.

 

Further meetings are covered earlier in the Rotateller and Club Website