Prince George, B.C., August 23, 2019 — The Rotary International District 5040 Governor representing 55 clubs and 1,384 Rotarians in B.C. is visiting Prince George and neighbouring northern B.C. communities this week in an effort to grow the volunteer service organization.
District Governor Bala Naidoo, a member of the Rotary Club of Burnaby – Metrotown is being hosted by Prince George’s four Rotary clubs (Rotary Club of Prince George, Rotary Club of Prince George – Yellowhead, the Rotary Club of Prince George – Nechako and the Prince George Rotaract Club).
“We are in a period of rapid change where an organization that started in 1905 needs to become relevant to our next generation,” says Naidoo. “We have accomplished a lot to integrate youth from high schools and 19 – 30 year-olds, university and young professionals to join us to ensure a succession plan for the organization."
From sponsoring water parks for children and their families, developing an outdoor fitness course, providing food for children of low income families, to running a bathtub race, cleaning up a street, opening First Nations learning centres, shipping medical equipment to communities in other countries or supplying clean water in Southeast Asia where there is need, the 50 Rotary clubs in Greater Vancouver up the coast to Prince Rupert generated more than 68,500 volunteer hours of service among their 1,500 members in the past year.
According to calculations in a special Value of Rotary Volunteering report by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Civil Society Studies, the monetary value of that time devoted to local, regional and international projects is $1,514,250 in 2017-18 (based on a conservative rate of US$18 per hour). The total time for the 50 clubs over the past five years has been 160,200 hours for an estimated value of $3,604,500.
An annual soapbox derby is just one of many community service projects sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen
At a gala "Bollywood Night" which attracted about 150 Rotarians, family and friends, former Vice President of Rotary International and Past District 5040 Governor Dean Rohrs installed Bala Naidoo as Rotary District 5040 Governor for 2019-20. Bala's family and many friends and colleagues were on hand to share in the festivities. It was a joyous occasion of ceremony, dining, entertainment and dancing. The evening program started with a memorial tribute to Past District Governor Don Evans who recently passed away. -- photographs by Past District Governor Ken Wilson
Meet and Greet our new 2019-20 Rotary International President Mark Maloney at a reception on Saturday, August 17, 2019, 4 to 6 pm, at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's Spruce building, 12666 72 Avenue in Surrey, BC. Rotarians and their families are encouraged to come and meet Mark. Tickets are CDN$25 and children under 12 are free. Register here.
Mark is in town to speak the following day at the 30th Anniversary Gala Dinner of Canadian Eyesight Global (see separate website post for more information)..
Rotary Club of Vancouver Hearing Foundation has committed to raise $6 million, and St. Paul’s Foundation another $6 million, to support a hearing and balance centre at Vancouver's new St. Paul’s Hosptial, expected to open in 2026. This funding will have a transformative impact on care for British Columbians with hearing loss and balance disorders. By fostering innovation and collaboration, and accelerating the development of permanent solutions for hearing loss, the new centre will offer the very best in care and hearing advancements in Canada.
With its international "Citation for Meritorious Service", The Rotary Foundation has recognized Gloria Staudt, of the Rotary Club of New Westminster Royal City, for her contribution to the cause of peace and conflict resolution as chair of the Rotary District 5040 Peace Fellow Selection Committee over the past nine years.
One way Rotary District 5040 makes a valuable contribution to peace and conflict resolution in our world -- one of Rotary's six primary areas of focus -- is through recommending candidates every year for Peace Fellowship scholarships in 50 Master's degree programs and 50 Certificate programs at six universities around the world. The annual funding for this US$9 million program comes from the international Rotary Foundation.
The Rotary Foundation is Rotary’s greatest partnership. It is only through the generosity of Rotarians around the world that we get to celebrate many of our known and unknown successes.
I have always liked Past Rotary International President’s John Germ’s analogy that the “The HEART of Rotary” is our Foundation! Our efforts to eradicate Polio, provide clean water, provide basic education and literacy, sponsor schools and orphanages, assist mothers and children, provide basic and advanced health care don't go unnoticed
They create jobs for many underdeveloped countries, provide peaceful solutions through our youth exchange, Peace Universities, Group Study Exchanges, Ambassadorial Scholarships, protect our planet and much, much more is only limited by our creative brain power and our ability give generously to The Rotary Foundation.
Last year RI approved more than 2,000 global grants totaling approximately $100 million. This is only possible if we all give to the Rotary Foundation!
Last year our District set a new per capita record of $250.09 finishing 2nd in Zone 28, but this was mostly because of 4 very generous donors who gave $100,000! Last year we had 46.5% of all Rotarians who gave at least $25 US and I believe that the other 53.5% is an opportunity.
I have challenged your President and Foundation Chair to work as a team and to encourage every Rotarian to consider the Rotary Foundation.
In 2019/2020, our Rotary Foundation granted more than $46 million in a variety of initiatives for Pandemic Relief Efforts. Recently we had 194 countries sign on to a Wellness and Healthy Rotary Action group initiative to eradicate Cervical Cancer and this year Rotary has pledged $2.0 million of a $6.0 million large scale project to reduce and eliminate Malaria in Mozambique.
These are remarkable life-saving projects that require us to commit to the Rotary Foundation to follow through on these large-scale commitments.
At the District level we have approved more than $75,000 for local and a few smaller internationally based projects. Eighteen projects have been selected to assist several communities in Coats for Kids, Dementia patients, youth hubs, story walk project/literacy programs, indigenous youth programs, clean water, orphanages, child development equipment and much, much more.
Each of these projects targeting one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus and leading to sustainable project funding into the future. To access the $75,000 in funding, Rotary Clubs are required to raise more than $150,000 increasing the impact of these projects even more. Many of these projects are collaboration efforts with other Rotary Clubs to make these projects a possibility.
We would like to do even more projects but need more donations being made to the Annual Program Fund Share program to do so. The world needs us even more than ever before and we can all make a difference with a donation to the Rotary Foundation.
With this in mind, I would like to challenge every Rotarian to please consider The Rotary Foundation in your charitable giving in 2021/2022.
I would love to see every Rotarian join the Paul Harris Society (PHS) and commit to a $1,000 US donation every year but if this is not affordable then what about $500 and with the District matching this donation with Foundation points achieve the next level of your Paul Harris Fellow. If $500 is too much, then what about $100 US to be a sustaining member or to join the Polio Society ($100 minimum commitment) or even giving $25 US to achieve Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) status can make a difference.
I challenge each of you to start a Rotary Direct pledge for as low as $2.50 per month (EREY) or $10.60 (Sustaining member) or $107 per month (Paul Harris Society- $1,000).
I would like to see the number of Paul Harris Society members increase from 90 to 128 members (10% of the District), I would like to see the EREY ratio increase from 46.5% to 60% (#1 in the Zone) and I would like to see the number of Rotarians making Rotary Direct donations increase from 156 to 200.
.png){kind=logo}
.png)
