May 2019

Youth Service

Together We Serve is the theme of this year’s District Conference, May 2 to 5 in Sun Peaks and Kamloops. That’s so fitting for the theme throughout Rotary in May is Youth Service, so let’s look at what we do in our District in that regard….

Rotary is committed in many ways to developing our next generation of leaders by helping our youth build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service. 

We are running eight different, amazing programs for youth in our District. EarlyAct, Interact, RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards), YEX (Youth Exchange Program), Short Term Exchange, New Generations Service Exchange, Adventure Programs and Rotaract. 

Although with the latest changes during the Council of Legislation in Chicago in April there will be some changes to the Rotaract Program. 

Over the past 50 years Rotaract has become an energetic, formidable force of over 250,000 members in 184 countries. As “partners in service” Rotaract is a dynamic example of how, in keeping with our District Conference, “Together We Serve.” 

The changes will allow our Rotaractors to be elevated within our organization and recognized as a valued and unique club type rather than just a Rotary program. 

I encourage you to look up these changes and familiarize your clubs, especially if you sponsor a Rotaract Club or are in the stages of starting a new one. We currently have nine of the 10,904 community-based or university-based Rotaract clubs worldwide. Members are between 18 to 30 and through their clubs they cultivate relationships and leadership skills through volunteering in their community and participating in local and International projects. 

Earlyact, is a school wide service club for elementary students from ages 5 to 13, teaching respect, empathy, tolerance, caring, citizenship, compassion, responsibility, leadership, perseverance, friendship and teamwork. The Rotary Club of Steveston, in Richmond, was the first in our District to implement this program at Lord Byng Elementary School.

We have 29 Interact Clubs, for young people ages 12-18, who participate in fun, meaningful service projects -both Local and International. Such as facilitating donations to food banks, collecting used eyeglasses for people in developing countries, raising funds for polio eradication; as they develop leadership skills, meet new friends and become even more motivated to give back in service above self.

Our District’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards have become one of the most impactful and enriching programs of Rotary service for young people. Over 150 youth leaders from communities across the province attend the annual RYLA camps.

Our three programs -- RYLA South (grade 10-12), RYLA North (ages 18-30), and RYLA Lakelse (grade 8-10), are intensive training programs for our community youth leaders. Those who are selected to attend RYLA learn valuable leadership and career skills, build self-confidence, discuss current ethical and social issues and meet active community leaders – all while having a ton of fun! 

At the District Conference we have a chance to get to know our Youth Exchange Students (YEX) from all over the world who are hosted by our clubs which enables the students to experience another way of life by living abroad for a year. There are approximately 650 students who participate in our Youth Exchange Program worldwide each year.

New Generations Service Exchange is a short-term, customizable program for university students and professionals up to age 30. Participants can design exchanges that combine their professional goals with a humanitarian project.
Our District 5040 clubs, and many across Canada, host and sponsor short term Adventure programs for youth so they can explore their fields of interest and also to experience Rotarians' hospitality: Adventures in Citizenship, Film, Forestry, Healthcare, Industry, Technology or Tourism.

Short Term Exchange Program is a reciprocal Family to Family exchange for young people between the ages of 15 to 19 years open to Rotarian families and families recommended by Rotary Clubs. 

As you read this our District Conference is either in full swing or just completed.

I am very confident that I can say it was a Grand Time!! Please check out the pictures on the website and FaceBook.

Wasn’t the Thursday night BBQ and Friday sessions and tours great? How many new Rotary friends did you make? District 5060 were great hosts and “live” right next door so we can keep the dialogue going and who knows…. maybe some project ideas or fellowship opportunities will evolve from here.

As always, the speakers at the Conference Inspire us and motivate us to do more. 

We learned about how we all as a District contributed to the Positive Peace Project in Colombia. 

We were moved at the ongoing passion Razia uses to improve the education and lives of girls in Afghanistan. 

We exchanged ideas about Fundraisers and heard about what some clubs are doing with their District Grant monies. Did you pick up any ideas on projects you can do in your area? 

How proud are we that the official launch of the next phase of the Commonwealth Women’s Mentoring Scheme happened at our Conference and that our very own Rotarian Shirley-Pat Chamberlain (also current District Membership Co-Chair) is heading up the Canadian Rotary Participants. If you are interested in this program please contact Shirley-Pat. Spcham13@gmail.com 

Winnie certainly showed us the results of the last phase of the mentoring Program and we were delighted to have her here from Nairobi, Kenya.

Which is not too far away from where PDG John Anderson and our teachers with the Vocational Training Team spent their Spring Break working with the Kenyan teachers. Truly amazing to see the impact this project has on the teachers that went from BC. Hearing their stories and knowing that we have all helped to give them an experience that is truly life altering. Again, thank you to the clubs throughout the District for coming together and making this possible. Stay tuned as we are now organizing the second half of the project with our Kenyan teachers coming here at the end of November.

It was great to see PDG Bob Blacker and HH Steven Point be recognized on the 10th Anniversary of the Write 2 Read BC project. So many communities have be positively impacted and there’s more to come!!

Congratulations again to all the recipients of the various awards. Membership goals reached, People of Action recognized, Governor awards and of course the outstanding Club of the Year and Rotarian of the Year recipients!!

Thank you again to the Committee members and everyone else who contributed to making the Conference such a great event!! And most of all to those of you who attended, you made the experience what it was – Thank you!

Looking back to other events since the last newsletter I attended the Rotarian Day at RYLA South and not only did we get to spend some time with all the participants and share in a great lunch then we got to listen to HH Steven Point address the students! It was a great warm up to the Conference!

I then headed up to Terrace to attend several different club activities. First up was the Thank You luncheon for the corporate and community sponsors of the Terrace Skeena Valley Club’s Starfish Pack Program. These packs are given to worthy students on a Friday and they contain enough food for the family for the weekend. We heard feedback from some of the families and it just warms your heart to know that together with other community members the program is making a huge difference in the lives of many.  

Saturday I attended DGE Bala’s Our Year Ahead Session which saw attendees from all of the clubs in the area. Prince Rupert, Terrace, Kitimat and Smithers. That evening was the Tri Club Foundation Dinner event and it was amazing. Lots of great food, fellowship and funds raised for our Foundation.

Sunday I attended PDG Don’s look at Putting our Foundation to Work for you session. Again, members from all the area clubs were on hand to learn about the Foundation and how club’s can leverage funds to do bigger projects with bigger impact.

The following week saw me at Terrace Club for lunch Monday. Assistant Governor Bill Parmar escorted me to Kitimat on Tuesday where we had a great meeting with new and potential members sharing information and dinner. The Kitimat Club is growing and so is their focus. Look out for more great events and projects to come from this club!

Wednesday morning, I was up early to attend the Terrace Skeena Valley club and share some of the District happenings with the members. This is another lively club that knows how to get the day started right. 

I then headed to Prince Rupert with AG Bill and he and his wife, Anita hosted me for the night and treated me to a home cooked Indian meal. Mmmmm. Thank you for your hospitality!

Thursday was lunch with the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert. The topic was membership and President Chris used props to play his part in the presentation. It was again a great meeting. This club’s energy is awesome.

Easter Weekend was also the Rotary Act of Kindness days and I hope that you all recorded your acts on the Facebook page so that we can have a benchmark of participants and grow the event next year.

The Hoop a thon event was truly amazing. Such energy and so Inspiring to see clubs and community come together to raise funds that enable youth to achieve their goals and dreams. This event just gets bigger and better each year. 

Coming up on May 10th is the Rotaract Installation event. Please sign up and come help us celebrate with our partners. The Rotaractors appreciate our participation and it is a great opportunity to get to know our younger family members.

After a very successful trip of District 5040 Rotarians to the Philippines in March the Filipino Rotarians arrive to Vancouver on May 22nd. There are plenty of great activities set up and we hope that we can give them an amazing experience of our District to take home with them. We will also be hosting a documentary crew from Rotary International who want to film some of the exchange. Perhaps we will see some familiar faces on the next Friendship Exchange video on the Rotary.org website!

The Friendship Exchange committee is hard at work with the next exchange for the 2019-2020 year. Check out the website for your chance to join with fellow Rotarians in an exchange with Russia! 

As this month ends Doug and I will be off on May 29th for Hamburg and the Rotary International Convention. Always a wonderful time to reconnect with Rotary Family from all over the world. We are looking forward to seeing fellow District Governor Jeff Bamford and his wife Purity again. Jeff is from Kenya and they are our partner District with the Vocational Training Team. We have been able to connect with this couple on several occasions now as Rotary does Connect us.

Another stellar month of Service Above Self and getting together with inspiring Rotarians. Thank you all for what you do in Rotary as Together We Serve

BECAUSE, Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

Darcy and Doug