Whoop~Up Bulletin

Vol.86, No.17, November 17, 2003

 

Upcoming (Meeting days in black)

Bernie Presiding

Welcomecomecome Tooo Rotaryotaryotary

Welcome sentiments echoed around the Pemmican Lodge dining room.  Darrell Alexander came stumbling out of suite 308, hair in dis-array, but fully dressed and ready to join Rotarians. We enjoyed a view of the river valley, spacious floor design, delicious roast beef, spuds, salads and fresh dinner rolls, topped off with a delightful selection of desserts. 

 

Guests aplenty were introduced, but names were lost to the echoes of time. 

 

Rotary Carole Festival

Geri Hecker and Connie Lyon reminded us of the upcoming December 9 Carol Festival and provided opportunity to advertise in the program.  Geri also invites any Rotarian who wishes to host a cocktail party, to call her and book a date.  Geri, does your husband know about this?

 

Outgoing Rotary Exchange Student

Bill Glover thanks committee members who made this year's selection and edu-tained the parents during deliberations.  Jessica Marcotte, a grade 12 student from CCH, will represent us and has asked for an exchange somewhere in Northern Europe.  Jessica will be attending Rotary lunches after Christmas.

 

Seniors' Dinner

Sign-up sheets are filling up, so don't miss this grand opportunity to serve.  Edourd asks Rotarians to look in their Royal gifts cupboard for promo-gifts such as calendars, pens, etc.  He would be pleased with 60 to 120 gifts.  There will be 15 Interact students spread out among the tables to regale the seniors with stories and facts on Rotary.  Rotarians are also requested to come and enjoy a free meal and help spread the word of Rotary.

 

Jack Reynar's Poem to those Rotarians who forgot that Rotary met at Pemmican Lodge Today

 

My forgetter's getting better,
But my rememberer is broke
To you, that may seem funny
But, to me, that is no joke

For when I'm "here" I'm wondering
If I really should be "there"
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!

Oft times I walk into a room,
Say "what am I here for?"
I wrack my brain, but all in vain!
A zero, is my score.

At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but, Gee!
The person it is safest from
Is, generally, me!

When shopping I may see someone,
Say "Hi" and have a chat,
Then, when the person walks away
I ask myself, "who was that?"

Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
And that isn't any joke.

 

Rotary Foundation

Dale Merchant spoke of the $2300 donated by our club Rotarians to the foundation this year.  This is Foundation Month, and it is half done, so please consider making a donation.  You can become a Paul Harris sustaining member by donating an annual $100 USD through annual, quarterly, or monthly donations. 

 

On your form, you can designate funds to be directed to the Annual Program Fund or the Permanent Fund, or Polio Plus.  Dale's preference is the Annual Program Fund, in which your money is held, and invested for three years, then 60% is returned to our District.  The interest earned pays for administration, and all donated money is used for doing good.  The other 40% goes to the the World Fund which pays for programs like the Ambassadorial Scholarship which costs $25,000 per participant.  So, pull out your cheque book and see Jamie to make a donation to the program of your choice.

 

Isabel Report

Our exchange student told us a bit about her home town Trogen in Switzerland.  It has a population of 2000, was first noted in history about 1000 AD, and has lots of buildings that are 200 year old.  Until five years ago, the province still held annual democratic votes on government issues by show of hands at huge outdoor meetings.  There are only two provinces that still practice this form of vote.  When capital punishment was abolished in Switzerland, the sword used in the last beheading was mounted in the Parliament.  A village within the village of Trogen is open to children from war ravaged nations.  Isabel knew people from Tibet, Cambodia, Bosnia and Chernobyl.  You can see pictures of Trogen at http://www.trogen.ch  Invite Isabel for supper and she can translate the site for you.

 

New Member Induction

New father of twins, Ryan Miller, proposed by Karlen MacDonald received induction and welcome to Rotary.


Guest Speakers

Loralee introduced Desiree L'Heureux and Jim Varty who are Foster Care Workers in charge of community awareness. 

 

Jim told the story of the little boy who was pestering his father to come and play.  Papa was tired, trying to read the paper and not paying too much attention.  Finally, out of frustration, he took a page out of the paper which pictured a world map.  He cut it into pieces, and told the boy that it was a jig-saw puzzle, and when he (the boy) put it all together, he would spend play time with his son.  The lad was back in short order with the picture all taped together again.  "How did you do that so quickly?"

 

"That's easy said the boy, there was a picture on the other side of a family, and when I put the family back together, it took care of the world."

 

Take The Challenge, Become a Foster Family

Foster care is the full- or part-time care of a child in your home for a temporary period when the child cannot safely live with his/her family.  It is a challenging, sometimes difficult, but is also rewarding.  The foster parent works with a team of professionals to help the child and family resolve problems.  Southern Alberta Child and Family Services (formerly known as Sun Country ...) is given the authority through the Child Welfare Act to care for children if the family cannot.  A foster child can be placed in foster care at the request of the birth parent or through court appointment. 

 

A child can be deemed in need of protection because of domestic violence, family problems (stress, financial, health, or illness); alcohol and drug abuse, child abuse, neglect or abandonment. 

 

A successful foster family needs to be warm, accepting, flexible, patient, tolerant, assertive and have above average communication, problem solving, and learning skills.  Families are motivated to foster because of concern for welfare of children, previous experience and satisfaction, and your own children have gained independence.  Motivated foster parents often had challenging childhoods, were fostered themselves or have gained experience from another foster family.

 

Foster parents are responsible for daily care, observing and documenting progress, and working as a member of the child welfare team.  Children needing foster care are 0 to 17, often part of a sibling group, cross all racial and economic lines, may have been impacted by domestic violence, alcohol and drugs, and all have experienced neglect and/or abuse.  Some have special physical and or mental needs, emotional needs and have the potential risk of developing problems from previous experiences. 

 

Sun Country especially needs homes for older (8-17) children, aboriginal children, sibling groups.  The type of child you are asked to take will depend on your level of skills.  Foster parents always have the option of saying "no" to a match they feel is not appropriate.

 

Child care costs are provided for basic maintenance $15.00 to $25.00 per day plus skills fees of $4.75 to $23.00, plus initial clothing allowance, extraordinary mileage, treatment, education and occasional costs.  Foster parents receive support from foster care workers, consultations, literature, training, social worker, Foster Parent Association, Crisis support line and other professionals.

 

Learn More at the LCC information fair on Saturday, November 22, and ask for an application if you are interested.

 

SAA Report

Daniel is saving it for next week.

 

Addendum

In last week's Whoop~Up Bulletin, I reported the DG had climbed an unnamed mountain.  Rotarian Dale Merchant points us to the November issue of Westworld which writes of this "unnamed" Mountain and its Rotary Connection below:

 

Putting Mount Davidson On The Map

 
First ascent of peak named after AMA founding member

If a mountain has a name, but no one knows it, does it still exist? Like the proverbial tree falling in the forest with no one to hear the sound, that was the unfortunate state of Mount Davidson, a prominent Rocky Mountain peak located about 15 kilometres north of Lake Minnewanka (or nine km north of the landmark mountain known to locals for centuries as Devil’s Head). Sadly, very few Albertans, even the most avid AMA historians, know that the prominent 2,919-metre peak – one of the highest on the eastern slopes – does indeed have an official name. Or that it was named in honour of the great early Rotarian James Wheeler Davidson (1872-1933), the “Good Roads” pioneer who made the 1926 motion that merged the Calgary and Edmonton Auto Clubs into the Alberta Motor Association. In fact, the words “Mount Davidson” weren’t even on the map until 2002. Although it’s hard to hide a mountain, cartographers didn’t seem to know Mount Davidson existed until Robert Lampard, a Red Deer doctor, uncovered its existence while doing research for a biography on Davidson – one of the Red Deer Rotary Club’s Centenary 2005 projects.
That’s when the 67-year-old oversight came to light. Dr. Lampard realized that although the mountain’s name had been approved by the Canadian Geographic Names Board way back in 1935, it had never been announced or recorded on any maps due to a clerical error. Sixty-seven years is a long time to wait for recognition, but Dr. Lampard made up for Mount Davidson’s lost time fast. An avid mountaineer who has scaled peaks around the world, Dr. Lampard verified that there were no recorded ascents of the Mount Davidson summit and planned an expedition for summer 2003.
This past August 2, those plans turned into history as Dr. Lampard, along with an enthusiastic crew of 23 (including Davidson family members, friends and 15 Rotarians), successfully made it to the top. Among the climbers were two of Davidson’s great-grandsons as well as grandson Don Abraham, who unexpectedly was the first to reach the summit, despite suffering a severe hip fracture four months earlier. Grandpa James Wheeler Davidson, world traveller, explorer and the first to form 23 Rotary clubs in 12 countries (from Athens to Indonesia), would have been proud.