October 2012 Bulletin

EDITORIAL:                                                                                                                                                                                                                  October, 2012

Rotary Membership Rules:

Over the years Rotary has had membership rules that included men only; then women were included in projects not as members but as Rotary Ann’s; we had honorary members; then there came Friends of Rotary (which now is simply a term to indicate people who assist Rotary Clubs meet their goals such as Jim Shetler and Doug McIntosh and others who worked with Rod to help us to build the Stone Library); in recent years there have been ideas such as corporate memberships; remote memberships; on-line memberships and Rotary Social groups.  There were others and there will continue to be talk of finding ways to include more members in activities.  In fact, however, Rotary has just 2 classes of member – ACTIVE or INACTIVE (meaning was once but not any longer!).

The challenge with membership types has always been “how do we retain a member who does not want to pay dues for whatever reason?”  I, for one, think Rotary is on the right track with being either a member or not a member.  It doesn’t mean we have to lose touch with former members, it simply means that we currently belong or not.

I believe our club has found the answer.  With his concurrence I use Glenn Woods as an example of why member or non-member seems to me to be the best way to handle it.

Glenn has this snowbird disease that afflicts some members.  He attends and participates in Rotary when he is here at home and he participates in the Rotary club where he spends his winters.  It makes no sense to belong to two clubs and no member would want to pay two sets of dues; it makes even less sense to terminate his membership every winter and it is just as silly for the club to invoice him for the club dues and fees while he is away.  So, why not let him remain a full member by simply invoicing him for the basic RI & District dues?   The club needs nothing from him until he returns, (except, perhaps the portion of club dues that keeps him active on the “every Rotarian every Year” contribution program).  Meanwhile Glenn continues to be a Rotarian while at his “winter range” and in Williams Lake he is in full membership as always.  The benefit to Rotary and the simplicity it provides to the club secretaries and treasurers is obvious. This does away with trying to create special classes & permits the member to continue as he/she always has.  This idea of “active or  inactive member”  approach permits the club to maintain member continuity without passing along unnecessary financial burden to a generally active member and without the hassles of trying to creatively accommodate  special cases.

Glen

                          Rotary International – Recognition for Members  

Did you know that in addition to the Paul Harris Fellowship (an award to members who contribute $1000.00 or more to Rotary Foundation) either personally or by the club on the person’s behalf,  Rotary has other recognition awards for members.  We do not regularly recognize each other’s contributions however there are several members in our club who have individually donated several thousands of dollars to Rotary Foundation.  Sometime you might see a unique pin with coloured stones – that would indicate a multiple donor to Rotary and we try to recognize them if we become aware of their contribution.

We often neglect to regularly examine our club for award prospects.  There are, for example, Rotary recognition opportunities we can use for members who make outstanding efforts in Rotary’s Five Avenues of Service (Club, Vocational, New Generations, Community, International).  The Rotary Service Above Self Award (Rotary’s highest individual honour) recognizes members who have demonstrated exemplary Humanitarian Service in any form such as volunteer efforts. There are just 150 of these presented each year.  A Club Builders Award can be presented to individual Rotarians who have made significant impact in supporting and strengthening their club.  10 of these may be granted in each District annually. Reach One, Keep One Award is specifically aimed at those members who consistently bring new members into the club and help them remain active.  A Rotary Vocational Service Leadership award recognizes Rotarians who have made  a significant impact in advancing vocational service within their community.  There is opportunity for one per district per year.

Next time you see a members who is doing outstanding things for any avenue of service please make notes, enlist the opinions of others & get that information to the club President.

 BCTRA 2012 Golden Star Award Winners:

BC Retired Teachers Association has presented their 2012 award list.  The award was established to recognize and reward programs featuring interaction of students with seniors.  Of three winners announced this year one was from Williams Lake.  The grade 6/7 class at Cataline dubbed their project as “too cool for school academy” and spent their fall and spring in regular contact and interaction with members of the Retirement Concepts Seniors Village.  Some very strong bonds were created between the students and seniors.  The students learned to think critically in nutrition, mental illness and death as well as in listening and problem solving.  Best of all, they learned also that those seniors sometimes have fantastic stories to tell. 

Members of our club, YOU, through your donation, helped make it happen!!!

Yunesit’in Letter

September 11, 2012

Rotary Club

British Columbia

Dear Rotary Club Members of BC

  It is with our deepest gratitude we write this letter addressed to all the Rotary Club members in British Columbia and especially to the members of the Rotary Club of Williams Lake for making the Literacy project a reality.  The hard work and personal time and the many trips to our community to complete the construction have not gone unnoticed.During the project we have made new friends and we have strengthened our networks and look forward to future projects.We have many members who love to read and our own band operated school.  This building will be a great place for the members to relax, read and visit.Thank you for the beautiful new building to house our library and our culture center.

Sincerely,

Chief Russell Myers Ross                                              Councillor Gabe PukaczCouncillor

Rosalie Montgomery                                                      Councillor Darrell Meyers

Councillor Duane Hick

 Emily Ma’s blog on her life and studies in Germany - open to Rotarians:

http://emilyandcedricgotoeurope.weebly.com/index.html

 A VERY IMPORTANT THOUGHT FROM CORRY

The next holiday in November is Remembrance Day. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month,  Canadians are asked to pause in memory of the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives in military service. The association between the poppy and war dates back to the Napoleonic wars, when a writer saw a field of poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers.The first poppies were distributed in Canada in 1921.Today the volunteer donations from the distribution of millions of poppies is an important source of revenue for the Royal Canadian Legion.At public gatherings in Ottawa and around the country, Canadians pay tribute with two minutes of silence to the country’s fallen soldiers from the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and other peacekeeping missions. 

Please show your support by donating and wearing a poppy.     Corry