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With May upon us and the Rotary theme of Youth Service, it seems so apt that the theme of our District conference this month is Generations Serving Humanity. That’s not just a slogan. All of us, Rotarians of all ages, learn so much from our youth as they emerge as leaders in our communities and throughout our world. At our conference May 4 to 7 we are also hosting the Youth Conference for Interactors. Read More...
 
 
Christina Hassan is speaking at our conference about how Rotary Youth Exchange is equipping students to change the world and how important it is for Rotary to continue investing in the younger generation. Rotary Peace Fellow Sara Eftekhar has created public service announcements about youth rights, contributed to a national advocacy agenda on youth priorities and has represented Canada at the World Youth Congress and at the first Global Forum on Youth Policies. Photographer and videographer, 17-year-old Interactor Kyle Gomes, is speaking about helping tell other people’s stories based on his journey through photography in his own community and in China, South Africa and the Philippines.
 
In Rotary, one of our key areas of focus is developing and supporting initiatives which help students and young professionals become strong leaders. We encourage clubs to expand opportunities for young people by forming relationships with other organizations and we coordinate among our clubs with Interact, Rotaract, Rotary Youth Leadership Award and 
Rotary Youth Exchange.
 
In the spirit of Service Above Self, young people already make a huge contribution to our communities and to our world through Rotary. They are busy as Interactors at high schools generating donations to food banks, collecting used eyeglasses for people in developing countries, ice skating to raise funds for polio eradication, travelling half way around the world to help rebuild a preschool and orphanage and so much more.  Interactors enjoy doing all that and they are motivated to give back.
 
As college and university students, and young professionals, Rotoractors in our District’s eight clubs are learning among themselves and from others. They are also contributing to causes such as KidSport to help children gain more access to sports and physical fitness, mentoring programs for kids and eradication of polio.
 
We Rotarians can and do learn so much from our youth, but we can also take satisfaction that we are providing them with community service opportunities which help these students become better members of society for which our young people in Rotary are so grateful for our leadership, mentorship, and friendship as they too learn from us.
 
Just catching up, Alex and I attended a wonderful Paul Harris and Major Donor dinner in North Vancouver in March where a new member was inducted. 
 
Alex and I flew to Calgary to attend the NAYEN conference. This is the North American Youth Exchange Network that includes all of Rotary’s exchange programs in Canada, USA and Mexico. Yours truly was voted in as the incoming NAYEN president for the years 2019-2021. 
 
During Rotaract week ( March 13 to 19th) I attended a Rotaract meeting on a Monday and on Wednesday I attended a meeting of all of the Rotaract presidents in the Lower Mainland. District Rotaract President Thomas kept to his agenda and presided over a concise, well run meeting in a beautiful downtown board room. I was impressed! These young professionals are doing great work and having fun while doing it! 

March 14th was the joint ski day for the Sea to Sky clubs ( Pemberton, Whistler, Whistler Millennium and Squamish) The Whistler club hosted a wonderful day of fellowship despite the moist snow that fell that day. March 16th was a busy day that started with a governor team meeting, then a planning meeting for the proposed Philippine club, then an interesting Global Awareness Dinner put on by the Squamish Howe sound Interact club and then onto a Go to Meeting concerning district awards. 
 
That weekend DGE Don Evans and his district trainer PDG Rebecca MacPherson put on an excellent well attended Assembly for the Lower Mainland. Sunday was the informative Grant Management Seminar produced by PDG Garry Shearer, the District Foundation Chair. Similar events happened all over the district .The District board meeting was held on Monday evening. 
 
On Thursday the 23rd there was a very successful meeting at the Philippine Consulate. Our D. 5040 team gave a 20 minute presentation to over 60 business people. The Philippine community is the biggest ethnic group in BC. We need to open our doors to these lovely people and welcome them into our clubs. 
 
March 24th was the inauguration of the new Rotaract Club of North Vancouver. What a joyous affair this was. The energy and keenness of this new club was exciting! Thanks to Elizabeth Chong for pursuing this venture. 
 
On the 25th I flew to Terrace and was driven to Prince Rupert by AG Brian Downie and PDG Art Erasmus. The drive was stunningly beautiful. The road winds along the Skeena river that was dotted with ice flows where thousands of birds were perched. It is the season of the ooligans and they attract the birds, the hundreds of Eagles and seals. The snow capped mountains rose from the shore. It felt like being in a National Geographic film! The Foundation Dinner of the RC of Prince Rupert was a huge success with great fellowship. Paul Harris’ were presented along with a major donor award as well as great fundraising for the Foundation. 
 
On the 31st the month was finished with a bang with the pleasure of inducting 3 new members into the RC of North Vancouver Lionsgate. Appropriately the speaker that day, Malcolm was explaining how water filters were saving countless lives in Guatemala. Indeed the theme of the month of March – Water and Sanitation. 
 
April started off with another trip to Terrace to participate in the tri club Foundation dinner which included the Rotary clubs of Terrace, Terrace Skeena Valley and Kitimat. It was a wonderful event with wine tasting, a delicious dinner and very successful live and silent auctions. It was so rewarding to see the three clubs working together! A lot of money was raised for the Foundation.
 
April 8th was the District Foundation Dinner and Dance – great evening to celebrate the Foundation’s Centennial. – wonderful food, venue and fabulous music to dance to! 
 
In mid April Alex and I flew to Evanston to attend the Arch Klumph Society Induction and activities  which included  a tour of Rotary International and presentations from the RI Chairs on Foundation, Membership and the 6 Areas of Focus. We were with 14 other Canadian couples  to partake in these celebrations to honour the 150th birthday of Canada as well as the Foundations Centennial.
 
April 15th was  the Rotarian Day at RYLA South in Sechelt. This event gives Rotarians firsthand knowledge of the wonders of RYLA. We participated in games and workshops with the Rylerians who obviously were loving every minute!
 
Alex and I attended the Rotary Club of Vancouver's joint luncheon with the Canadian club whose speaker was the former Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney. This was an excellent event for Rotary exposure. Mr. Mulroney gave an inspiring speech that made you feel very proud to be Canadian! I then jumped on the plane to Prince George where I visited the Rotary clubs of Mackenzie, Prince George Nechako and PG Yellowhead. I also attended a Presidents meeting, met with the newly formed community Rotaract club and attended an Adventures in Forestry meeting. I then went out to Camp Friendship to attend a fabulous  and lively Ryla North ( ages 18 to 29). The Prince George clubs have worked very hard to successfully keep Ryla North alive and well! Now it is time to enjoy the conference!  
 
The District Conference Committee has been working SO hard and has put the finishing touches on the Generations Serving Humanity program. Please have a look at the tremendous line up of speakers and events that are going to entertain and inform conference attendees: http://celebraterotary.ca/There will be inspiring speakers, lunch at the stunning Lil’wat Cultural Centre, the creation of a human peace wheel, discussions about Foundation projects, a night of fellowship with home hosted dinners. The Saturday night Gala will be a Mardi Gras theme. Bring your costumes or just wear a mask. We will have masks for sale or you can create your own at the conference. There also will be a Youth Conference . The poster room is back where you can showcase your club’s projects and fundraisers. A golf tournament is organized for Thursday afternoon.
 
Training Day at the Conference – Thursday, May 4th. The topics presented from 10:00 am to 12:30pm will be Reputation and Club Communications as well as an interesting  session on Membership. The afternoon sessions from 1:30pm to 4:00pm are Rotary Uncovered - What Have I Joined? This is a great session for all of your new members.
 
Photos! If you have any club photos, centennial celebration cake photos or photos of projects or any photo that captures the good that your club had done in Rotary from 2016/17 please share your photos in this private group, and they might be displayed at the District Conference: https://goo.gl/photos/8PwPx1hM9owMD75T9
 
World Immunization Week was on the 24th of April to the 30th. I hope each club will have aimed to reach $2,650 in total giving to PolioPlus in honor of The Rotary Foundation Centennial. 
 
I am extremely delighted to announce the Young Professionals Summit that will happen on Saturday, May 13th from 9:00am to 4:00pm. in Vancouver. The purpose of the day is to provide young professionals with leadership and professional development  skills that will prepare them to become the change makers in their lives, their companies and their communities. There will be break out sessions where the participants will tackle real world problems and explore in a team potential, workable solutions for their local and global communities. If you are a young professional or know of one who may be interested please direct them to the site. www.youngprofessionalssummit.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/vanypsummit/
 
The Rotary year is almost done yet clubs are still getting new members, doing great projects and having fun together. Thanks to all of you for your commitment to and celebration of our Foundation’s Centennial. I hope to see many of you at the district conference!
With warm Rotary regards,
 
With warm Rotary regards,
 
DG Lyn
 
Membership
 
“We Love Our Sponsors”

We are using the Tsawwassen Rotary Club for this pilot project.  They have mailed 52 invites to all their community and fund raising event sponsors.  They have purposely omitted any club members that have had their companies sponsor an event.  Why?  Because this is a membership initiative.  The invites are for a special breakfast meeting to honour the sponsors.  The speakers of the day will be the chairs of the events that these companies sponsored.  They will talk to these sponsors and let them know that our events wouldn’t have been a success without their sponsorship.  These sponsors will receive a package to take with them when they leave.  In the package will be a letter from the Tsawwassen Club President, a thank you certificate, the brochure – Impact Starts With You and an invite to come to any of the club’s future meetings.  The date of this special breakfast is April 6th.  In early May all the sponsor attendees will be contacted by the membership committee.  Oh, by the way, the Distirct is paying for all the sponsor meals.  If they get new members from this special breakfast I would like to hold a “We Love Our Sponsors” week and any club that wanted to try this initiative would have their guests funded by the Zone.
 
News
Health of mothers and children – the focus of Rotary around the world in April
An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented. Women in the 20th century have achieved significant progress in the economically progressive areas of the world, but women and girls in non-developed countries have a much more difficult life and must accept their inferior social status and tend to fall into traditional roles. In April, Rotary worldwide has recognized this all so important bond of maternal and child health as one of our six areas of focus.
Read more...
Youth Conference May 5 - 7 to experience more of Rotary
The ever popular Rotary Youth Conference -- a chance to learn more about Rotary in a fun youthful environment -- is ready for registration. It runs from May 5 to 7, 2017 in conjunction with the Rotary District 5040 Conference in Whistler, BC.
Read more...
Nurse and Rotary Peace Fellow to share local and international service to humanity
Rotary Peace Fellow Sara Eftekhar to share her amazing, diverse career serving humanity as one of the most recent speakers confirmed for the District conference in Whistler May 4-7 .
Read more...
Give your used specs and books at conference
Already registered? If so, please consider bringing with you  to conference a donation of your, and your family's and friends', used eyeglasses and books for shipping overseas to those who need them.
Read more...
Personal care for those in need
Every Rotarian in our District has an opportunity to support those in our communities who have little to spend on themselves for personal care.
Read more...
The Water is Flowing at the Hosanna Children's Home 
This Global Grant project brings water security to the Hosanna Children’s Home for the Destitute in rural Kenya..
It is an International project by the Rotary Club of Squamish, the Rotary Club of Nairobi Industrial Area, and the Rotary Foundation.
Read more...
DG Lyn and Alex Stroshin inducted to Arch Klumph Society
As Rotary celebrates the 100th Anniversary of The Rotary Foundation, congratulations go to District 5040 Governor Lyn Stroshin and Alex Stroshin for their induction into The Rotary Foundation's Arch Klumph Society on April 12, 2017 at Rotary Headquarters in Evanston, IL. RI President John Germ (left)  and Trustee Chair & Past RI President Kalyan Banerjee (right) presented the prestigious recognition.
Read more...
Keeping India Polio Free
There hasn't been a new case of polio in India since January 13, 2011.  But a tremendous effort continues to keep the country polio free::- in less than a week, twice a year, India vaccinates approximately 167 million children under the age of 6.  Read how it is done......MORE..
Young Professionals Summit - May 13th
Young Professionals

District 5040 the Rotary Young Professionals Summit Committee is asking for your help in promoting the event. If each Rotary / Rotaract  club was able to refer 3 individuals within this demographic, we will have a very successful event !
We are very excited ----with just 30 days to go !!

Connect your brand to Vancouver's future change-makers

Develop your leadership & professional skills by being involved with workshops that make a difference in your community.

Saturday May 13th, 9AM - 4PM 
Additional  information available on the summit site or Facebook page
 
Read more...
New Members
 
Peter Babik
Pender Harbour
 
Christine Turenne
Pender Harbour
 
Carol Pashniak
Pender Harbour
 
Stacey Stewart
Pender Harbour
 
Richard Massullo
Pender Harbour
 
Upcoming Events
Workshops that Expand Yourd Rotary Knowledge
May 04, 2017
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
 
District Conference 2017
May 04, 2017 4:00 PM –
May 07, 2017 12:00 PM
 
District Conference 2017 Youth Registration
May 05, 2017 12:00 PM –
May 07, 2017 12:00 PM
 
Don Evans District Governor Installation
Jun 24, 2017
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
 
District Governor Installation
Jun 24, 2017 3:00 PM
 
Pender Harbour New Members
Interactor Kyle Gomes, District Conference Speaker
Anthony Yuen in France
RYLA South
RYLA South
RYLA South
RYLA South
RYLA South
RYLA South
North Shore Rotaract
North Shore Rotaract
North Shore Rotaract
North Shore Rotaract
North Shore Rotaract
North Shore Rotaract
RYLA North
RYLA North
RYLA North
RYLA North
New Westminster
Arch Klumph Society
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Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
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