September is Education and Literacy month in our Rotary World, and this is also one of the Rotary Foundation’s six areas of focus. We know that basic education and literacy are essential for reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, and promoting peace. In other words, education and literacy are essential for success in our other five areas of focus. 58 million children worldwide not in school, and even after four years of primary school an estimated 250 million children cannot read and write, while 781 million adults are illiterate. It is encouraging, however, that progress is being made around the world with education and literacy: a recent UN report indicated that literacy rates among adults and youths are on the rise and the gender gap in literacy is narrowing. We must keep at it!

 

Many of District 5040’s Rotary Clubs and Rotarians are involved in literacy projects around the world. But we also have literacy needs right here at home. A major effort in this regard for several years has been the Write2Read program which provides resources and facilities to rural First Nations communities in Western British Columbia. PDG Bob Blacker has led this project for many years, and developed a great partnership with Government House in this effort. Many of our Rotary Clubs and Rotarians participate through the Write2Read project. Write2Read was first intended to bring books to a small First Nation community, but a generous donation by a Rotarian provided a building for a library which opened in 2011. Now 14 learning centres have been opened throughout BC and another 10 are planned.

 

Write2Read reaches far beyond books and buildings. Through fellowship and mentorship in Rotary and beyond, Rotarians like Shirley-Pat Chamberlain of Williams Lake Daybreak have developed Write2Read into an avenue for multi-generational action to transform individuals and communities, including herself. Through fellowship and mentorship, values, ethics and experience are being passed down so that lessons can be built upon and not relearned.

 

District 5040 Rotary Clubs are also active in other ways in support of literacy, in some cases bringing breakfast programs and one on one reading to schools with needs, or supporting Literacy organizations such as Decoda Literacy Solutions. What does your club do to support literacy and education? There are so many ways you can get involved.

 

Here in BC most of us live in a society and a part of the world where we take education and literacy for granted. But it is not so in other places. As some examples, if all women completed primary education there would be 66% fewer maternal deaths, a child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five and, if all students in low-income countries left school with basic reading skills, 171 million people could be lifted out of poverty, which would be equivalent to a 12% cut in world poverty.

 

 

Apologies to Karen Bation – President of our new Rotary Club of Vancouver Mountainview – for my misspelling of her name last month.

 

 

Deb and I are continuing with our District Governor visits to Rotary Clubs throughout District 5040 and we are having a most productive and enjoyable time. We appreciate the warm welcomes that we receive everywhere we go, and we are excited to see the wonderful projects and Rotary work that each of the clubs are doing. As I write this, we have now visited nine clubs (only 40 to go!) and are about to head north again for Burns Lake, Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. By the end of November we will have visited all of District 5040’s 49 clubs; our schedule is posted on the District Calendar.

 

I hope that you will visit www.rotary5040.org/Page/don-s-diary and check out our blog – Don’s Diary – where you will find up to date stories and photos from each club visit. It is updated weekly as we make our travels.

 

 

One thing that has been most impactful as we travel around BC this summer is seeing firsthand some of the devastation and community impact from the wildfires that continue to burn. As we all know, this fire season has now eclipsed all others and is the worst in our Province’s history. We hope things settle down soon and that our communities are able to get to the task of recovery and rebuilding for their future.

 

The Rotary BC Wildfire Recovery Fund has been established to help with that recovery and rebuild period, and these funds will be channelled to Rotary club projects in the affected communities. There have been many commitments made to this fund, from Rotary Clubs, from individuals, and even from other Rotary Districts. Recently, the Rotary Club of Mackenzie held a bingo night in their community and raised $1,400 for the fund (well done by this small but very active Rotary Club!) and the Rotary Club of Vancouver has pledged $10,000 to the fund. District 5040 will also commit a contribution, so the fund is growing and will make a real difference in the good we are able to do as our communities rebuild from this disaster.

 

The Rotary BC Wildfire Recovery Fund continues to be open for contributions – details on how to contribute are on www.rotary5040.org.  Thanks to all who have already supported, and if you haven’t yet, please consider it.

 

 

Have you considered expanding your Rotary horizons by volunteering in a District Role? Being a part of the District 5040 leadership team offers a broad range of benefits, from the new friends you will make, to the increased training and exposure to the world of Rotary you will get by seeing Rotary at a multi club level. There are always positions available, and we are now working to fill in the succession plan for 2018 – 2019 and beyond. Some of the specific positions we are working to fill are:

 

District roles are typically three year terms and in the above cases, the incumbents are all completing their three year terms at the end of this current Rotary Year.

 

If anyone out there would like to learn more or has interest in these, or any other District positions, contact District Governor Elect Darcy Long at darcyrotary@outlook.com or myself at don_evans@telus.net

 

 

District 5040 Friendship Exchange Chair, PDG Sonia Baron, has announced that we will have a Friendship Exchange with Romania (District 2241) in this Rotary year. Here is an opportunity to visit another part of the world and learn and share each other’s cultures. There is room for 12 participants from District 5040 to participate. Dates for us to visit Romania are May 13 to 27, 2018 and the visitors from District 2241 will visit us June 4 to June 18, 2018. Find out more by connecting with Sonia at soniawol@shaw.ca

 

 

The Rotary International Nominating Committee has announced that the new President of Rotary International for the 2018 – 2019 Rotary year will be Barry Rassin, from the Rotary Club of East Nassau, Bahamas. Barry will come on board quickly, replacing Sam Owori who tragically passed away recently.

 

 

You can now register on line for Rotary Leadership Institute’s Fall 2017 sessions. The three levels of RLI will be held as follows:

Register at www.rotary5040.org