Volume 93, Number 44 4,589th Meeting Friday, June 21, 2013
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 405, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5L3 — web: www.rotarynanaimo.org
Serving Our Community Since
May 1, 1920 - Charter Number 43
DIRECTORS Doug Cowling Brent Stetar Susie Walker
John Shillabeer Chris Pogson Susan Gerrand
President Rotary International Sakuji Tanaka, Rotary Club of Yashio, Japan
District Governor Assistant Governor Judy Byron, Sidney, BC Barry Sparkes, Lantzville, BC
Club Meeting Friday at 12:00 p.m.
at the Coast Bastion Inn
CLUB OFFICERS 2012-2013
President ....................................................... Joan Ryan
Vice President ............................................... Wahid Ali
Secretary ......................................................... Bob Janes
Treasurer .............................................. Gordon Hubley
President Elect .................................. Douglas Anderson
Immediate Past President ..................... Dave Hammond
Saturna Island looking west towards the San Juan Islands to Victoria and the Straight of Juan De Fuca, Puget Sound. To the right is Cowichan Bay, left to Sydney airport, etc. The ridge drops 1400 feet to sea level. —Photo by Barry Chappell
Meeting Notes from June 14th
By Charles Ramos
President Joan began today’s meet-
ing by leading us in a rousing anthem,
followed with an invocation by John
Heisterman.
Guenter Raedler asked for visiting
Rotarians and guests. There were nu-
merous visiting Rotarians and guests;
these being Susie Walker’s mother
Marilyn; Eric Solash and Hans Gran-
holm from the Edmonton/Strathcona
Club; two VIU students, Navjit Sangha
and Angali; Jeremy’s Hewitt’s father,
Ross White’s wife Pam, and our guest
from furthest afield, Samuel Obour,
who is past president of the Ghana Sun-
yani club and principal of Sunyani Poly-
technic, and who has now visited us
three times.
Birthdays and anniversaries were an-
nounced, and Yvan Gosselin welcomed
Jerry Corriveau back after a bit of an
absence.
Bob Fenty announced that he is
pleased to report the birth of Yvan and
Lucie Gosselin’s new grandson, who
arrived weighing in at 8 lbs, 8 ounces.
President Joan asked
her weekly trivia question,
this time about the origins
of her Newfoundland
hometown. Jane Currie
correctly answered that the
community was begun in
order to provide a news-
print source to England
during the war. Jane was ecstatic about
winning her second handcrafted keep-
sake.
Announcements:
Bob Fenty thanked all Rotarians who
are helping with tomorrow’s Rotary-
Salvation Army Food Drive, mentioning
that he could use one more volunteer.
He then made a Motion to donate
$2,000 to the Child Development Centre
to fund their telethon. The motion was
passed with no opposition.
President-Elect Douglas Anderson announced that our club will again work
with the VIEX at their entrance booths
this year, and that they have agreed to
allow us to use our Rotary tent at the
event for greater exposure. A Commu-
nity Project Committee meeting is also
scheduled directly following today’s
Rotary meeting.
Bruce Gordon announced that this is
the last chance to make changes to the
Roster before printing. Contact Ian
Williams if any photo changes are
needed. See either Bruce or Janeane
Coutu if you have changes to your list-
ing.
Sergeant at Arms:
Sgt-at-Arms Wahid Ali began by
fining Keith McFarlane for incorrectly
introducing visiting Rotarian Eric So-
lash, then claiming it was due to Mr.
Solash’s illegible handwriting.
Bob Fenty was fined for stealing
Yvan and Lucie’s thunder by pre-
empting their announcement of a new
grandson. Yvan mentioned he had been
planning to pay $10 happy dollars.
Doug Cowling penalized himself $5
for missing greeting duties today.
Happy/Sad bucks:
President Joan thanked all supporters
for helping to raise $1,600 for the Life-
line raffle, and also gave happy bucks
for her parents 67th wedding anniver-
sary.
Ross White gave happy bucks for the
Project Amigo speakers that are staying
with him and Pam. He also mentioned
he is recovering from his numerous
Pickleball injuries.
Frank Shoemaker gave happy bucks
that two members of our club and their
wives are attending the Rotary conven-
tion in Portugal, these being Dave and
Cindy Hammond and Egon and Ann
Holzwarth.
Jane Currie gave happy bucks for
her Newfoundland trivia bookmark
Samuel
Obour gave
happy bucks for
his third visit to
our city and
Rotary club
Bob Buchanan reported on club
member Bob Wilson’s bicycle trip
across the country. Bob (Wilson) is now
in Sault Ste Marie taking a well-
deserved break after 2,500 miles.
Bruce Samson gave relieved bucks
that his lady friend recently was ex-
empted from a large fine for driving
without insurance.
Guenter Raedler gave happy bucks
that Bill Horman has joined us today,
and Mike Herold gave congratulation
bucks to Art Vanidour on his 92nd
birthday.
Yvan
Gosselin gave
happy bucks
for the birth of
his grandson
Oliver, and
also that Lucie
has put up with him through 39 years of
marriage.
Chris Pogson gave happy bucks that
his co-worker is racing in the Van Isle
360 sailing race and doing well.
Lucie Gosselin gave congratulation
bucks for Egon and Ann Holzworth’s
upcoming 50th wedding anniversary.
Bill Horman gave happy
bucks to be
with the club
today and
sharing Rotary
fellowship with
two fine mem-
bers from Edmonton.
Charles Ramos gave happy bucks
that his wife, Sari, continues to run into
cougars during her fieldwork and all is
well.
Table Stakes were won by Guenter
Raedler. 50-50 Draw was won by John
Morris, but no card draw was held due
to a mysterious lack of cards.
Rotarians serving hot dogs and collecting non-perishable food items for the Salvation
Army—Rotary Food Drive on Saturday. Photo - Richard Finnegan
Project Amigo By Ross White
The guest speakers were Susan Hill
and Ted Rose of Project Amigo. Presi-
dent Joan noted that she
has not intro-
duced the
speaker of the
day and was
particularly
pleased do to
so considering
the long asso-
ciation of our
club with Pro-
ject Amigo.
She outlined
how Ted was
on a volcano search and stumbled into
the small community of Cofradia. He
lost his way and saw the poverty and
lack of assistance to youth. He and
Susan went back for a few years distrib-
uting Christmas gifts but then sold their
business in the USA, moved to Cofradia
and started Project Amigo. They are
now retired as Executive Directors but
still assisting with the promotion of Pro-
ject Amigo.
Susan started the presentation with a
story of how an illiterate child acciden-
tally gave an herbicide instead of medi-
cation to a sibling. Highlighting literacy,
a favorite slogan about reading around
Colima state is this one: “Leer es Po-
der” “Reading is power”.
In rural Mexico, only 60% of primary
school graduates go on to junior high
school. Of those who do, only 45% will
graduate from high school. Nationwide
in Mexico, only 20% of students who
finish high school go on to college.
Lack of education and poverty in Mex-
ico are related?
Cofradia, on the slope of Colima’s
Volcano of Fire is a little village, with a
population of about 2,000. Colima is a
small agricultural state. From its 13,000
foot active volcano down to its coast, its
principal products include coffee and
sugar cane, bananas and mangoes.
`Project Amigo’s goal is to raise the
level of education that children in
Colima achieve. The need is to motivate
kids to stay in school and complete their
primary level education. At PA, provid-
ing incentive programs and field trips to
the children who most need these stimu-
lating activities, and who are the least
likely to have access to them, does help
keep them enrolled in school. The in-
centive programs work. After these ex-
cursions there is a rush to join by others
as they don’t want to be left behind
again!
Children who enjoy learning, who
make excellent grades, who are good
citizens at school, and who demonstrate
the will to change their futures if given a
chance, can apply for Project Amigo’s
higher education scholarships. This
school year, 100 students received
scholarships: 29 junior high school stu-
dents, 33 high school students, and 38
students at the University of Colima.
Thirty-four students have graduated
from the University with professions
that include Law, Medicine, Nursing,
Teaching, Business Administration and
Engineering. They are employed, and
many of them are donating 3% of their
wages to the Project to help fund schol-
arships for other students.
Project Amigo’s scholarships pay
school registration fees, uniforms and
shoes, school supplies, transportation to
school and a hot meal. Project Amigo
runs a boarding home to help students
who live too far from the university.
PA has been actively promoting edu-
cation at a migrant labor camp for sugar
cane cutters’ families
since 1997. A school
has been built at the
camp, and PA pays the
salaries of three teach-
ers. This poorest seg-
ment of Colima’s popu-
lation is now seeing
more than 60% of its
children complete pri-
mary school. Fewer
families migrate out of
that camp each year –
as they are seeing the
benefits of their chil-
dren attending school.
Another
way that
PA is
working to
promote
education
throughout
the state is
to help
teachers in
the poor
rural
schools get the tools (e.g. books) they
need to inspire reading for fun and to
further ignite a desire to learn. One ac-
tivity distributes mini-libraries of 200
children’s books to rural schools; and
the other activity provides books that
the children get to keep for their very
own. Susan shared with the club the
features and highlights of a literacy
week.
Susan ended the presentation with the
stories of two young PA graduates that
came from illiterate families and gradu-
ated as lawyers, have been elected
mayor of Cofradia and continue to give
back to PA. She encouraged members to
be part of a work week. Ted then re-
sponded to questions from members and
ensured them that Cofradia is removed
from the drug violence we read about in
the news.
Our guests were thanked by Interna-
tional chair Frank Shoemaker who
presented the traditional pen plus a
cheque to assist Project Amigo with
literacy projects.
Frank Shoemaker, chair of the International Service Commit-tee, presents a cheque for $1,000 to Ted and Susan Hill from
Project Amigo in Mexico.
Susan Hill from Project Amigo in Mexico.
ATTENDANCE Report by Janeane Coutu
Attendance for June 14th was 61%.
We missed these Rotarians:
Wayne Anderson, Gerrand, Grice,
Hais, Hammond, Henderson, Hobbs,
Hubley, Janes, Knutsson, McIver,
Myden, Salem, Shillabeer, A. Smith,
K. Smith, J. Smith, Stetar, Valsangkar,
Welch, Wilson
Visiting Rotarians;
Eric Solash, Edmonton Strathcona
Hans Granholm, Edm. Strathcona
Erin Lee, Nanaimo Rotaract
Samuel Obour, Sunyani Central
Ted and Susan Rose, Colima Rotary
Guests:
Navjit Sangha, VIU
Anjali Gupta, VIU
Marilyn Earle, guest of Susie Walker
Peter Hewitt, guest of son Jeremy
Hewitt
Pam White, guest of hubby Ross
White
Birthdays:
Bob Peters on June 22nd
Spouse’s Birthday:
June Shoemaker (Frank) on June 23
Wedding Anniversaries:
Joyce Smith and Ron Willis, 16 yrs
on June 21st
Egon and Ann Holzwarth, 50 years
on June 22nd
Ian and Barb Williams, 47 years on
June 25th
Bob and Heather Buchanan, 42 years
on June 26th
Club Anniversaries:
Jeremy Hewitt, 1 year, June 22nd
Bill Horman, 58 years, June 24th
Susie Walker, 3 years, June 25th
Joan Ryan, 10 years on June 27th
PROGRAM
THANK SPEAKER
INTRODUCE SPEAKER
WEEKLY CLUB PROGRAMS
GREETERS
CASHIERS
SGT-AT-ARMS
INVOCATION
HEAD TABLE
INTRODUCE GUESTS
“COGS” is the official bulletin of the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, published each
Friday by the Bulletin Committee
Winner of District 5020 Best Bulletin
Awards
Bulletin Committee Chair — Lila Tanner Meeting Reporter: Lila Tanner / Program Reporter: Ross White / Photos: Ian Williams
Editing & Production: Bruce Gordon / Web Posting: Ian Williams
PRINTING COURTESY OF ISLAND OFFICE EQUIPMENT NANAIMO - BOB JANES
GREETERS
CASHIERS
SGT-AT-ARMS
INVOCATION
HEAD TABLE
INTRODUCE GUESTS
INTRODUCE SPEAKER
THANK SPEAKER
PROGRAM
Friday, June 21st
Jane Currie,
Eric Brand, Wahid Ali
Lila Tanner
Bob Fenty
Neil Valsangkar
Pres. Joan, Bruce Forward, Norm Myden, Bob Peters, Jane Currie, Eric
Brand, Wahid Ali, Dave Hammond
Charles Ramos
Dave Hammond
NEW MEMBER TALKS:
Bruce Forward & Norm Myden
Susan Gerrand
INTRODUCE SPEAKER
GREETERS
CASHIERS
SGT-AT-ARMS
INVOCATION
HEAD TABLE
INTRODUCE GUESTS
THANK SPEAKER
PROGRAM
Friday, July 5th
Friday, June 28th
Bob Fenty,
Bob Buchanan, Kevin Cantelon
Lila Tanner
John Heisterman
Art Vanidour
Pres. Joan, Wayne & Gail Anderson, Norm Myden, Mikel Knutsson,
Fenty, Buchanan, Cantelon
John Salem
Norm Myden
CHINA WITH OUR DAUGHTER:
Wayne & Gail Anderson
Al Smith
DATES TO REMEMBER July 5—Installation Night at the Coast Bastion Inn. No charge to members.
August 11—Rotary Picnic, Huddlestone Park in Lantzville.
Aug. 16, 17, 18—VIEX shifts at three admission booths. Volunteers
needed for all shifts.
Dec. 1st—Rotary Family Christmas Breakfast at Bowen Park Club House.
Dec. 19th—Rotary Christmas Dinner at new Nanaimo Golf Course club house.
INSTALLATION NIGHT
Coast Bastion Inn
Fellowship 6:00 pm
Dinner 7:00 pm
No Regular
Noon Meeting