Shuswap Rotary was fascinated with the program tonight by Rajula Gupta who is a tea taster. He told us about tea, how it's grown and marketed, and how to brew a perfect cup. Pre-heat the pot. 1 tsp of tea per cup, plus one for the pot, brew one minute, serve! (It gets bitter and acidic after that, and then you'll need sugar and milk for it to be palatable). If you've bought a brand of tea in one country, and thought the very same brand in another country didn't taste the same- you're right! Even the big companies blend for the local market. Rajula has the Foods of India store in downtown Salmon Arm, across from Askews and next to Acorn Music.
Current Assistant Governor Chris Davis visited Shuswap Rotary on March 19th to tell us about himself and show us his tie signed by incoming Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick which he purchased at President Elect Training in Seattle for a donation to the Rotary Foundation.
Past Assistant Governor Penny Brown honoured Shuswap Rotary member Rita Greggor with an individually sponsored Paul Harris Award for Rita's community volunteerism. Rita is active in many organizations besides Rotary where she is our Club Service chair. Rita shows up with enthusiasm and gets things done!
Debbie Cannon, President of the Salmon Arm BC 55+ Games committee brought a team to present to Shuswap Rotary this evening. The games are coming to Salmon Arm Sept 10-14, 2024 and they're going to need lots of volunteers and are looking for sponsors, as well. You can learn all about the opportunities to support this amazing event from their website.
February 27 Shuswap Rotary welcomed representatives of School District 83 to tell us about Pink Shirt Day and the district policies and practices to support anti-bullying and to promote kindness in the schools and community. Gillian Dawes-Taylor SD83 Director of Student Services explained the 9 focus areas to ERASE negatives and EMBRACE positives. e.g. erase cyberbullying, embrace online safety; erase bullying, embrase kindness; erase racism, embrace diversity.
Ariana Scholinger, Jackson Science and Student Leadership teacher spoke to the specific way the policies play out in the school and what leadership that's student led looks like. We have very inspiring young people in our schools!
Photo: Prez Jody, Gillian Dawes-Taylor, and Ariana Scholinger
Shuswap Rotary welcomed author Patti Shales Lefkos on Feb 20. Patti gave an inspiriting presentation about trekking 800 km of the Great Himalayan Trail with her husband Barry Hodgins last fall at the ages of 77 and 76. Patti has a charitable foundation that built a school in Nepal. They have sponsored students' education and building school libraries. Patti is the author of Nepal One Day at a Time and Grounded by Granite. She is currently writing an account of the 2023 trek to be entitled, Nepal: It's Never Too Late. Patti is a member of the Kalamalka Rotary Club of Vernon, BC.
Shuswap Rotary sponsored Salmon Arm Secondary Jackson and Sullivan campus wrestlers to attend the recent Chilliwack STORM Wrestling tournament. We were delighted with their thank you letter which celebrates that 12 of the 20 students who attended earned top 3 medals in their weight classes. Well done SAS wrestlers!
Shuswap Rotary welcomed Tim Gibson and Monica Kriese from the Shuswap Children's Association to tell us about the many programs they have that serve nearly 600 children from Enderby to Revelstoke. Visit their website to see how they're helping kids and their families thrive. President Jody presented Tim and Monica with coveted Shuswap Rotary mugs and will fund 20 children to be innoculated against polio in their honour.
The three local Rotary clubs are inviting the community to help us raise $150,000 to install a rubberized walking track in the arena. This surface is much safer for the folks of all ages who walk in the area, and will last for many years. Shuswap Rotary (the evening club), Salmon Arm Daybreak Rotary, and the Rotary Club of Salmon Arm (the lunch club) are working together on this iniative. Please contact rob_marshall @ shaw. ca if you'd like to contribute to this project!
Shuswap Rotary welcomed former member and Friend of Rotary Vahlleri Semeniuk to tell us about the Second Harvest in Salmon Arm, which each week helps ~300 folks facing food insecurity. Second Harvest has an interesting shopping model, where folks can choose items from the shelves that meet their specific needs. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Wednesday. You can find more information on the Shuswap Second Harvest website.
At our January 16, 2024 meeting, Shuswap Rotary was pleased to welcome Howard DeLong from Shuswap Theatre to hear about their renovations, and to provide a cheque to cover installation of much needed air conditioning for the Green Room. Presenting the cheque was Rotary Ralph Owens who, along with his late wife Norma, was a very active member of the Shuswap Theatre community in the 1970s and 80s.
Shuswap Rotary was delighted to welcome Ben Gartner, president of the Salmon Arm Horseshoe Club and present him with a donation to support the Horseshoe Club's preparations for the upcoming Seniors' Games. Image: Ben Gartner and Rotarian Doug Cole
International cooperation between The Dolly Parton Imagination Library
and LASS, the Shuswap partner. Shuswap Rotary presents a cheque to Terra Stephenson and Thomas Briginshaw. Rotarians are Ria Greggor, James Bowlby and the Chair of the Application Committee, Kathy Dunfield.
Local Program Partner The Literary Alliance SS promotes the program, finds and enrolls children, secures funding and pays a small community portion per child per month. Community-raised funds go 100% to serving children in this community. Shuswap Rotary is excited to donate over $7,000 to ensure children get books in November and December.
One of the Societies Shuswap Rotary Supports Is the Family Resource Centre.
Executive Director Of Shuswap Family Resource Centre, Patricia Thurston, receives three members of Shuswap Rotary, James Bowlby, Rita Greggor, and Kathy Dunfield, Chair of Applications.
Rev. Jenny Carter - for being an inspirational leader and bringing the United Church in Salmon Arm to the forefront of equality for all, helping those in need and supporting all aspects of the community. One of the highlights of her ministry has been a focus on The Future, “Sharing What We Have,” and always being aware of the Environment. As a chef, she has organized the ‘Catering Crew at First.” Hundreds of people attend and enjoy the free Wednesday lunch. She has also gained praise from two Rotary Clubs which enjoy meals at their meetings held at First.
A number of organizations have found a home on the second floor of the Community Hall: Voice of the Shuswap, LGBTQA2S+, The Metis Office, and others.
Steve Genn is pictured here with Fernando Castro, a former Exchange student in Salmon Arm a number of years ago. His visit was so good he came back.
This is a fitting photo as Steve is an activist of the Exchange program.
Steve Genn received the Paul Harris for being an awesome president by taking on the role and carrying our club through the year. Generous and supportive of the club and the community. Besides his personal generosity at Shuswap Rotary’s auction, Steve has been an incredible supporter of our Exchange student program, encouraging new students by visiting new and old exchange students in Europe this summer.
The Faithful Few attended the Opening of the Playground area that many Shuswap Rotarians worked on. Fred, John, Sherry, Rita and Janice celebrate the event.
The club over a 2 year period conceptualized, designed, crafted & installed the various elements of the outdoor portion of the Children’s Discovery Centre.
Shuswap Rotary members. Fred Goodman, Rita Greggor, James Bowlby and New President Jody Boudreau. are shown the new indoor out door space at the Family Resource centre by Patti Thurston who used a Shuswap Rotary Grant.
Always ready with a camera, Past President MJ Johnston with Patti Thurston.
The Three Salmon Arm Rotary Clubs worked together on an area Food Drive
Top Photo: Councillor Kevin Flynn, Director of Second Harvest, Vahlleri Semeniuk, Rotarians Fred Goodman and Mark Ellis. Bottom Vahlleri and Rich Smith.
Food is going to Chase, Second Harvest Salvation Army and Women's Shelter food Banks.
Our Rotary group is working with Salmon Arm Rotary to bring the RCMP Musical Ride to Salmon Arm.
James Bowlby Presented a Cheque to Kari Wilkinson to Be a Partner supporting Salmon Arm Rotary in bringing The RCMP Musical Ride Here and helping them celebrate their 150th Anniversary.
Salmon Arm will host the prestigious RCMP Musical Ride with one performance on July 1, Canada Day, at 1 PM and two performances on July 2 at 1PM and 5 PM
THEY'RE OFF! That is not a nice thing to say about musicians, but 47 students from SASS (Sullivan) are off on a tour of the Kootenays, a 3-day tour to perform at a middle school in Golden and at a farmers market in Cranbrook, Radium and perhaps more. more.
In the back is Mr. Zachary Power music teacher featured here with the Executive Committee which met during Lunch to accept a cheque from Shuswap Rotarey, presented by Public Relations Officer James.
The Shuswap Music Festival has grown to an 18 day festival from April 11-29, 2023
. Disciplines include Piano, Strings, Vocal, Choral and Band.
There are adjudicators of each area of the festival area.
Pictured are :
Jane Hein, music teacher and Festival Director; Kimberly Rees, Rotarian and Festival Director; Karen Mulka, Festival Treasurer.
Presenting Cheques are Kathy Dunfield and Sherry Gilroy. Sherry was the volunteer coordinator. Bic job!
Presenters are Kathy Dunfield and Sherry Gilroy, coordinator of all the Festival Volunteers.
The Festival is huge, with and involvingFestival dates from April 11-29, 2023. Disciplines include Piano, Strings, Vocal, Choral and Band at two venues
LINDA KUNDERT, PIANO ADJUDICATORholds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California. She has an Associate Teacher’s Diploma from Mount Royal University and an ARCT Teacher’s Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (RCM)
George “Geordie” Roberts is a graduate of the School of Music UBC and the Vancouver Academy of Music where he was privileged to study under Phyllis Mailing. A member of the Vancouver Chamber Choir, he is a frequent soloist in concert and on recordings. He has adjudicated music festivals from Victoria to Winnipeg, and has facilitated choral workshops throughout BC.
MAR 7, Tracey Kutschker and Damen presented ways that the money granted by Shuswap Rotary helps with the Salmon Arm Pride Festival.
Salmon Arm Pride Project is an educational resource to provide information on identity diversity, being a good ally and creates awareness and support for our LGBTQ2S+ community members.
Early in March Dave Wooliams took his family to Kenya. They visited our partner club, Mombasa Central Rotary, our former partner, North Coast Mombasa. A primary reason for the trip was to take 28 computers to Barani School and to see the work done on two areas of the school: the computer lab, needing new glass windows, and secondly the kitchen being upgraded with stainless cookers or Jinkos,
Dear all,
I visited Barani on 21st February to inspect the installed windows by Muslih Glass. In presence of Barani school team; Teacher Tsuma, Didah and Betty the windows were properly done,
Dave
Some of the students of Birani School, 1500
Shuswap Rotary gives 20 Scholarships to Secondary students.
The new windows are important to keep dust out. Dust ruined previous computors.
At the February 7th Meeting, some Shuswap Rotary members gathered around the piano we purchased for the Shuswap Music Festival. This instrument means two students at the festival may be critiqued at once and when needed piano duets are possible.
Eight years ago Fernando Castro was an exchange student from Brazil to Salmon Arm. This month he came back for a visit. Many members of Shuswap Rotary remember him.
Fernando stayed with our President Steve Genn and his wife, Leah Shaw. Steve has been involved with Exchange students for many years.
Fernando presented us with a banner from his father's Rotary club near Sao Paulo.
On behalf of Shuswap Rotary M. J. Johnston and Rita Greggor present a cheque to Jane Harding Chair of the Board and
First Community Catering.
The Shuswap Rotary Club switched to First Community Green Space for meetings and is so glad they did. The three-course meals are always delicious and the servings are generous. the price is right! Thanks to Jane and Jenny and their team for making this a great experience at meeting.
Thank you everyone for making time on Christmas day to make this event successful. You were all part of a larger team of volunteers that prepared 600 turkey dinner meals to be distributed to the community.
Planning began over two months ago, food ordered, posters, and tickets printed.
Special thanks to Jeanne's Printing who did all the printing at no charge.
Assembly at the two churches started early Xmas morning with volunteers assembling and packaging the 300 meals each. Then it was up to you folks to get the meals delivered and passed out.
Of the 600 prepared meals you distributed, 495 meals to our community. The remaining 105 meals were picked up by 2nd Harvest Food Bank to be placed in their freezers for distribution to those in need. No food was wasted.
Thank you for your time and help with our Tri Club Xmas dinner even. I wish you a very Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year,
John Hansen
Volunteer Coordinator
The Cooks Debbie Hewitt, Dale Johnston, Nan dickie,
IMG_0217 2.jpeg
VOLUNTEERS: MJ Johnston, John Hansen and Elaine Hansen hand out a Christmas dinner.
AUCTION READY Shuswap Rotary is ready to go and ready to break records with 27 items in the live auction
November 12, 2022
We had an incredibly fun, and successful time at our Annual Shuswap Rotary Live Auction and Dinner Event on Saturday night!!
This year we had a tropical theme! Huge thanks go out to all of our generous donors, those who attended, volunteers, club members and anyone else who contributed!!
Together we raised a large amount of money to use towards making our community and the world a better place!!
If you weren't able to make it or didn't get a chance to get the winning bid on items please consider making a donation via Etransfer at shuswaprotary11@gmail.com or by contacting a Shuswap Rotary Club member or #shuswaprotary.org
JIM GRIEVES OUR AUCTIONEER! "Do I hear $100, 000?
Lynn Mc Kibbon with the first item and MC Rob McKibbon
Brain Bikes made possible by $3,750 Rotary Foundation Grant & $8,700 raised by Shuswap Rotary Club's Auction
The Shuswap Rotary Club recently purchased, assembled and delivered 9 Brain Bikes to 7 local schools in cooperation with School District 83.
There are now 110 Brain Bikes in 25 local schools. Some schools have funded the cost of bikes, and the remainder was funded by the Shuswap Rotary Club.
The genesis of the Club’s project evolved from the University of British Columbia's study on ‘Early Development Indicators’ of children in SD83. A pilot program was developed in 2017 with the Club’s purchase of 3 Brain Bikes placed in an elementary school and analysis of this initiative affirmed increased educational outcomes for a broad spectrum of children.
A critical component is ensuring teachers receive instruction on the effective use of Brain Bikes in the classroom.
Brain Bikes, which are available for students to use in the classroom, provide significant benefits for
learning and health. Exercise raising the heart rate stimulates the brain in a way that improves
memory, concentration, and attention. Exercise also helps to put the ‘feel good’ brain chemicals into
balance, which benefits children who are hyperactive, sad, or otherwise not in a learning mood.
When children discover that exercise helps with learning, feeling good, and self-esteem, they will choose to make exercise, a lifetime habit.
Our Rotary club had a great day at the annual Haney Heritage Park spring clean-up event. This is something that our club does every year and has only missed the last two years due to Covid 19. The clean-up was well attended with over 76 volunteers showing up with rakes, shovels, wheelbarrows, chain saws, and Bobcat loader. Our volunteers included the Girl Guides, our Interact club plus many friends of Rotary and a large contingent of Haney volunteers. A pizza lunch was very kindly supplied by Steve Genn from Pro Air here in Salmon Arm. Tara and Susan at Haney Heritage were very happy that the park is now spic and span and ready for the season.
The people of Salmon Arm really came through to help our food banks.
The three Rotary Clubs in Salmon Arm worked together to coordinate the Food Drive. 75 members and friends were involved in delivering bags and then picking up full ones. The recipients are: The Salvation Army Food Bank, Second Harvest, The Safe society and the Sorrento Food Bank. They all benefitted from this drive. It is estimated that we collected over 12,000 lbs of food. This beats the previous food drive that collected 8500 lbs.
The three Rotary Clubs want to thank everyone for a very successful food drive.
This is a tri-club project to collect food for the Women's Shelter, Food Bank at the Salvation Army, the Second Harvest the food bank at Sorrento, & the food bank in Chase.
Our trip to the Makers' Place was great to see the newest, State of the Art equipment that Shuswap Rotary had donated through funds. Patrick Shea gave us a great tour, explaining lazer printing and other new machines in the workshop area.
Doug Leatherdale, Shuswap Rotary Membership and Youth Programs Director, presents a cheque to Howard Delong of Shuswap Theatre's Board for their newly renovated
Air Purification System; Making audiences and performers safer.
On the left is Janice Ross, treasurer of Shuswap Rotary, and on the right are James Bowlby, Shuswap Rotary P. R., and Heather Stefanek, Theatre Board Member.
FIRST MEETING IN PERSON NEW VENUE: GREEN SPACE AT FIRST ( 5TH at Okanagan.)
e spacious
Our first meeting in our new Venue with our new President Kathy Dunfield in the chair.
Beside her is our new treasurer, Janice Ross. On the far right is Past president John Hansen. The spacious hall of the newly renovated Green space at First, allows for room for new members.
Gene Tymkiw, Rotary International; Dave Woolliams, Past Treasurer; Andrée Maxwell, Past Secretary; James Bowlby, Public Image; Janice Ross, Treasurer;
Sherry Gilmore, Community Service; Doug Cole, Club Service; Doug Leatherdale, Membership & Youth; Kathy Dunfield, President Elect;
Fred Goodman, Rotary Foundation; John Hansen, Outgoing Past President; M.J. Berezan, Past President and Community Service; Mark Ellis, Past Fund Raising; Absent, Ralph Owens, Sergeant at Arms.
Shuswap Rotary held the Annual Induction on Tuesday, June 22 in the lovely yard of members Mike and Jody Boudreau. The event was catered by Chase Rotary who provided a delicious steak dinner. Richard De Rock, our District Governor, was on hand via Zoom, and Penny Brown, our Assistant District Governor was present in person. Speakers included both Richard and Penny, as well as outgoing president MJ Berezan and incoming president Kathy Dunfield. We are all looking forward to the next year, which we hope will bring meetings and socials at in-person gatherings, as well as fundraisers in-person to support the community in moving past the covid year.
Shuswap Rotarians love to get outdoors to work on a project. That is just what happened when the opportunity to beautify the Canoe Beach Park by planting 15 oak trees was presented to them. This project was made possible due to the gift of these trees by Maarten Albricht. Over 20 Rotarians and friends worked on Saturday April 24.Seen here are several groups of 4 working together to dig holes, plant young trees and water them. Shuswap Rotary consulted with The City of Salmon Arm in the location of these trees.
Members of the three Salmon Arm Rotary clubs, First United Church, Broadview Evangelical Free church and Second Harvest teamed up to provide more than 600 individual meals to those in need on Christmas. Some of the many volunteers, Dan McPherson, Ron Hooper, Vahlleri Semeniuk, Lloyd Nakagawa, Lis Leach, Norm Brown, Rob Hislop and Patrick Webb take time out at the Evangelical Free church, a meal pick-up point, for a photo on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. (Martha Wickett - Salmon Arm Observer)
More than 600 meals made their COVID-safe way to Salmon Arm residents in need on Christmas Day, thanks to an abundance of caring volunteers.
Salmon Arm’s three Rotary Clubs, as well as Second Harvest, the First United Church and Broadview Evangelical Free Church, donated funds to pay for the food, the meals were cooked and put together by the churches, and volunteers from all the groups pitched in to distribute the packages.
Norm Brown, president of the Rotary Club of Salmon Arm, said the idea was born when a Penticton Rotary Club used a similar system for a lobster dinner.
The work in the Shuswap, following pandemic protocols, started about a month and a half before Christmas, with everything coming together in just five weeks.
“All three clubs jumped on it. We had volunteers – we had to turn them away, we had more than enough,” said Brown.
A total of 620 Christmas dinners-to-go were produced.
Over the past four years the Shuswap Rotary Club has invested $530,000 in community and international programs. This was made possible largely from the generous support of local businesses and donors to the Club’s annual fundraising auctions.
Of the total contributions, $366,000 was dispensed within our community to: Youth Programs - $122,500; Seniors & People with Disabilities - $82,500; Food Banks & Families in Need - $72,500; Community Organizations - $75,000; and The Arts - $13,600.
The remaining $165,000 supported: Rotary International’s program to eradicate Polio; our Club’s Barani school project in Kenya providing student lunches, classroom computers/internet, and High School sponsorships; Health & Water initiatives in Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti & South Africa; as well as Rotary programs that promote world peace and understanding.
If you would like to know more about our Club or are interested in making a donation, feel free to contact us at www.shuswaprotary.org or on Facebook @ShuswapRotary.
OVER $530,000 TO COMMUNITY & INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS!
(L – R) Fred Goodman, Foundation Director; Cookie Langenfeld, Executive Director, Shuswap Hospice Society; MJ Berezan, President; Sherry Gilroy, Community Service Director
The Shuswap Rotary Club continued its support to Salmon Arm non-profit organizations with a $5000 donation to the Shuswap Hospice Society on October 21, 2020 with funds from a BC Gaming Grant. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Shuswap Hospice Society has experienced a significant increase in demand for its services. The Shuswap Rotary Club has long been a financial supporter of the Shuswap Hospice Society and its ‘Dancing with the Shuswap Stars’ fundraiser.
So far in this Rotary year, our Club focus has been on supporting Community Food Banks, the S.A.F.E. Society, Shuswap Family Center, Shuswap Hospice Society and our Club’s School Food Program.
SHUSWAP ROTARY CLUB DONATES $5000 TO SHUSWAP HOSPICE SOCIETY
Shuswap Rotary Club is extremely honoured to be able to use Adam Meikle’s painting of Salmon Arm’s wharf as a banner on our website. Mr. Meikle is the owner/operator with his wife Jenna of Meikle’s Social Art House on Lakeshore Drive. His talent as an artist is evident to anyone who has purchased one of his paintings or has visited his studio. Adam has been instrumental, with the vision of Bill Laird, in creating the following: the Giraffe at Westgate Market, the Monarch Butterflies on the Monarch Building, The Largest Treble Clef in the World, and the Osprey Mural on Hudson Street. Adam is a wonderful asset to Salmon Arm and has made a real impression in the few years he and his family have been here.
Shuswap Rotary presented five members of the club with Paul Harris Fellowship Awards at the induction meeting on June 23, 2020. Three more Paul Harris Fellowship Awards have been also awarded this summer.
Janice Ross Fred Goodman Dave Woolliams
Eddie Turner
Five of the awards were based on their personal contributions to the Rotary Foundation. Janice Ross received a 'Paul Harris Fellow +1' which means it was her second PHF recognition. Fred Goodman received a 'Paul Harris Fellow +7' which means it was his 8th recognition. Dave Woolliams received a 'Paul Harris Fellow + 6', Dr. Eddie Turner received a 'Paul Harris Fellow +2', and Ralph Owens (not pictured) received a 'Paul Harris Fellow +3.
The other three PHFs were identified by a committee based on their significant contributions to the club and Rotary. The club presented PHFs are for Rob McKibbon, Mark Ellis, and John Hansen.
Rob McKibbon has just stepped down as RYE director after 6 years and after hosting a multitude of exchange students. Exchange students were very lucky to have Rob and Lynn as their host parents because they each got treated like a combination of family and royalty. He and his wife Lynn have been tireless supporters of Rotary and the youth exchange program since he joined Rotary in 2011. Rob served as president of the club in 2014-15 and he maintains our club Facebook page. He has also been a huge supporter of our fundraising auction acting as its MC the past few years. Rob has a valuable special ability to get generous auction supporters and donors to help make our auctions a huge success.
Mark Ellis has been highly involved in our Barani project in Kenya. He is passionate about helping the children who benefit from our Barani project. He travelled with 5 other club members in 2017 to visit Barani school and our sponsored students. He has also chaired the Barani committee. As fundraising chair he has overseen several very successful auctions which have enabled our club to be very generous in offering services locally and internationally. Mark has also served as president of the club.
John Hansen has served as our club president this year after helping out in a big way with this position in the previous two years. John has done an incredible job in transitioning and guiding us through this new world that we are now experiencing.John has served on the Barani committee and works tirelessly behind the scenes in many capacities as well as to help make our auctions a success, and gives our auctions some class by appearing in a tuxedo every year!
Congratulations and many thanks to all 8 Paul Harris Fellowship recipients for their contributions to Rotary.
Shuswap Rotary sponsors 20 Kenyan secondary students at various secondary schools. These students were sent home from their boarding schools at the start of the pandemic, and will miss the entire Term 2 before they can hopefully return to school September 1. These are students from poor families who would not go to school without help. They have sponsorship guidelines that must be met to ensure continued sponsorship. Shuswap Rotary decided to use the money we have set aside for Term 2 fees to support these students in this difficult time. We are providing maize flour and beans, two staples of the Kenyan diet. The photos show some of our students as they are receiving this assistance in May.
Update - we have also distributed food in June, photos of this are in the Photo Albums, located on the upper right side of this web page. Click on 2020 Barani Food Distribution.
Shuswap Rotary is presenting a cheque to S.A.F.E Society for help during the COVID-19 pandemic. The need has increased significantly and the funds were greatly appreciated. Shown in the photo, left to right are Paige Hilland and Jane Shirley (SAFE Society) and Sherry Gilroy (Shuswap Rotary).
As in person meetings have been cancelled, we are working on ways to include speakers on the website. For earlier speakers (before March 15, 2020) click on Read More below.
Our new exchange student, Guillermo Hernandez arrived safely Thursday night (August 23) from Alicanté, Spain. He is a charming boy and it’s been a pleasure getting to know him. 15 years old with a birthday on Dec 28th. He will be attending SASS in grade 11. His English is fairly good and he likes to eat anything. He plays the drums & piano. He rows back at home and likes soccer & basketball.
At Barani Primary School in Kenya 24 girls, aged 7 to 9, have been singing and dancing their way through various levels of school music festival competitions and winning each to reach the National finals in August 2018. As part of their school music program they learn to perform tribal based songs which include dancing and acting out traditional stories. These girls, who have never travelled farther than they can walk from their simple mud homes near the city of Mombasa, now find themselves travelling 700 km with 2 teachers to compete in the country’s top educational music festival.
In a country where most families and schools do not have funds to pay for travel and costumes, these girls received financial assistance from generous individual Rotarians and Friends of Rotary which made going to Regional finals and National finals possible. These young girls, through their winning performances, are gaining confidence, self respect and self esteem which are foundations for future leaders in Kenya, one of the aims of Shuswap Rotary through its Kenyan projects. Shuswap Rotary provides 550 lunches daily for needy students at Barani Primary School. It also sponsors 20 students to complete Grades 9 to 12 in a country where there is no government funding of secondary schools.
With deep sadness, Shuswap Rotary regrets the passing of Madame Alice Mugwe, teacher at Barani Primary School at Mtwapa, Kenya. She passed suddenly on Monday, May 7, 2018. Mme Alice will be remembered for her warm heart, her love for the students of Barani Primary, and for her amazing coordination of the Shuswap Rotary food program that fed 550 students daily.
"On April 21st, our Rotary Clubs collected 6000 lbs. of food on our 1st Annual Food Drive. More than 60 volunteers participated, including some from the food banks and churches, and also our three Interact students and two inbound Exchange Students.
Over 6600 pounds of food was collected. The food was distributed to the Salvation Army Food Bank, the 2nd Harvest Food Bank, and the Safe Society.
A big thank you to the people in the community who supported the Food Drive by leaving their bags of groceries outside for us to pick up."
For more photos and information, click "read more".
The Shuswap Rotary club is very pleased to welcome MJ Berezan as its newest member. MJ formerly the President of the Merritt Rotary Club came to our club after relocating to Enderby BC.
MJ is jumping in to club activities, having recently participated in the Salmon Arm Tri-Club Food Drive and participating on our newly formed Social Committee.
Susan Washington, President of the Salmon Arm Community Market presented details to our club pertaining to the BC wide Nutrition Coupon Program in conjunction with the BC Farmers' Markets and the Family Resource Center. This program targets seniors, pregnant women and low income families through education "Healthy Foods and Food Preparation" is available from local Farmer's Markets.
$320.00/$15.00 per week per person in coupons are available to qualified individuals from May - Oct.
Currently 44 families participate in this program while another 60 are on a waiting list.
The Club requested a formal funding request be submitted to the club for consideration.
A long term member of our club, Linda Wilson, returning for a brief visit is joined by some of our club members for brunch on Good Friday morning. From left around the table Sherry Gilroy, Linda Wilson, Janice Ross, Veronica Pederson, Rita Greggor, Shawn Bird, Vahlleri Semeniuk and Jody Boudreau.
Last Tuesday, March 6, our speaker was Shirley Deglan from RCMP Victim Services, shown here with Acting President John Hansen. She works closely with RCMP and local agencies to assist victims or families of victims through traumatic, emotional and often heart breaking situations. Shirley and her highly trained volunteers provide a very important service in our community, assisting victims of crime. They serve as a referral source to get the victims the help they need. They assist with finding funding for services that have a cost. They support the victims right through the psychological, social, legal and cost issues.
Brain Bikes are child-sized exercise bikes. Very sturdy and amazingly quiet, they are used in classrooms, and managed by teachers so they are not a disruption. Their purpose is to give children a short brain break with exercise. This helps students develop the habit of using exercise as a means of self-regulation, an essential life skill.
Three Rotarians are shown with students from Ranchero Elementary who are demonstrating how brain bikes are used. Rotarians are Dave Woolliams, Fred Good man and John Hansen (left to right) Brain bikes are used by students for short exercise intervals that are improve learning and self-regulation. ALSO - see the Brain Bikes Photo Album in the right column of this webpage.
Shuswap Rotary members annually staff one of the Aid Stations at the Reino Keski-Salmi Loppet. This year, on Saturday, February 20, 2018, our volunteers were Mark Ellis, Vahlleri Semeniuk, Sherry Gilroy, Rita Greggor, Shiv Mehta, Gene Tymkiw and Janice Ross. (shown from left to right)
This week, Nan Dickie spoke to our Club about Mental Health. She focused on understanding how best to deal with those struggling with depression. Ann runs a column in the Shuswap Market News called "Opening our Eyes". She also facilitates supports groups for those experiencing mood disorders, for more info contact Nan at ndickie@telus.net
Nan Dickie (on the right) is shown with Rotarian Shawn Bird.
Cookie Langenfeld, the Executive Director of the Shuswap Hospice Society was at our meeting on Tuesday to accept a $1000 cheque from our club. The picture shows (L to R) Rotarian Dave Woolliams, Cookie Langenfeld, and Rotarians Carl Flatman and Fred Goodman. The funds will be used for patient and family support programs.
From Finland, Ilkka Nikmo and Auli Nikmo visited our meeting on Tuesday, June 27. (They are shown here with John Hansen, our president, in the middle.) This was special for Rotarian Shawn Bird who is also Finnish and speaks fluent Finnish. It was a nice reunion for them, as Ilkka and Auli visited our club in 2010, and were happy to come back for another visit.
The second annual Rotary Fundraising Garden Party will be held this year at the R.J Haney Heritage Park on a very sunny Sat afternoon this July 6th from 1: 00 pm until 5pm. The fundraiser is again to raise funds for our Ecuador Dental project and the Kenyan Barani School program. Last year we had a very successful party at the Granite Creek Winery and this year we are hoping to surpass that event with an even better one at the R.J. Heritage Park.
The Rotary Club of Salmon Arm (Shuswap) is seeking submissions of writing and photos for an anthology entitled "On the Shores of Shuswap Lake." Contributors need not live in the Shuswap, but their submission must be about Shuswap life. The anthology will include single page poems, 1000 word short stories or informative articles about local history, biology or geography, and black and white photos. Artists submit their work with a $10 entry fee that supports Shuswap Rotary's community and international projects There is no limit of entries each artist may submit to this project. Deadline for receipt of entries is July 31, 2012.
For more information and drop off location please see HandbillOntheShoresShuswapLake.pdf
Tanaka unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2012 International Assembly, a training event for incoming Rotary district governors.
"Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary," he said. "Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways."
Peace has different meanings for different people, Tanaka said.
"No definition is right, and no definition is wrong," he said. "However we use the word, this is what peace means for us.
"No matter how we use, or understand the word, Rotary can help us to achieve it," he added.
Tanaka, a businessman from the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, shared how becoming a Rotarian broadened his understanding of the world. After joining the Rotary Club of Yashio, in 1975, he said, he began to realize that his life's purpose was not to make more money, but to be useful to other people.
"I realized that by helping others, even in the simplest of ways, I could help to build peace," Tanaka said.
He noted that the Japanese tradition of putting the needs of society above the needs of the individual helped his country rebuild after the tsunami and earthquake in March.
"This is a lesson that I think the whole world can learn from, in a positive way. When we see the needs of others as more important than our own needs -- when we focus our energies on a shared goal that is for the good of all -- this changes everything," he said. "It changes our priorities in a completely fundamental way. And it changes how we understand the idea of peace."
Tanaka will ask Rotarians to focus their energy on supporting the three priorities of the RI Strategic Plan , he said. He added that he will ask the incoming leaders to promote three Rotary peace forums, to be held in Hiroshima, Japan; Berlin; and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
“In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our business is peace,” he said. “Our reward is not financial, but the happiness and satisfaction of seeing a better, more peaceful world, one that we have achieved through our own efforts.”
RI President-elect Sakuji Tanaka will ask Rotarians to build Peace Through Service in 2012-13.
Fr.
Rocky was ordained a Salesian
priest by Pope Paul VI in 1970.Fr.
Rocky spent most of his priesthood managing schools and parishes, including
serving as the dean of Don Bosco College of Engineering.He holds a master’s in education and a
doctorate in development and planning.
This information was sent to me, at my
request, to help build the Rotary Update Page in the Market News (our local newspaper).I had to edit some of Candice’s testimonial
so the content would fit in the page.I
am submitting the entire testimonials of both Ambassadorial Scholars for your
reading pleasure, and their well-earned recognition.
RI President John Kenny: On 23 February, Rotary’s 105th anniversary, a Kick Polio Out of Africa campaign was launched with the symbolic kicking of a football.This ball was signed by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, a polio survivor.
The journey began in Cape Town, South Africa, one of the host cities for the 2010 World Cup.The ball travelled through 22 polio-affected countries en route to our convention here in Montreal.On the RI website, a virtual football was signed by Rotarians to support this effort.
I am pleased to announce the following roles by club members for the 2011 / 2012 year. Thanks to all for sharing your gifts and talents to ensure our club continues to thrive!
In this issue Haiti Earthquake - One Year On ShelterBox Founder reflects on Haiti ShelterBox stands ready to respond to Australian floods Latest Deployment - Flooding in Panama Rotary leader in Saint Lucia expresses support for Saint Lucia New Board of Directors from across Canada
Shuswap Rotary welcomed former member and Friend of Rotary Vahlleri Semeniuk to tell us about the Second Harvest in Salmon Arm, which each week helps ~300 folks facing food insecurity. Second Harvest has an interesting shopping model, where folks can choose items from the shelves that meet their specific needs. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Wednesday. You can find more information on the 
Doug Cole
Past President Steve Genn Pins Fred Goodman with his Paul Harris Award.
i 
Water buffalo Water buck (antelope) 
CHRISTMAS DINNERS 2022 
Huge thanks go out to all of our generous donors, those who attended, volunteers, club members and anyone else who contributed!! 
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Ross and Fiona Harris get set up for their presentation on October 12
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Rob McKibbon has just stepped down as RYE director after 6 years and after hosting a multitude of exchange students. Exchange students were very lucky to have Rob and Lynn as their host parents because they each got treated like a combination of family and royalty. He and his wife Lynn have been tireless supporters of Rotary and the youth exchange program since he joined Rotary in 2011. Rob served as president of the club in 2014-15 and he maintains our club Facebook page. He has also been a huge supporter of our fundraising auction acting as its MC the past few years. Rob has a valuable special ability to get generous auction supporters and donors to help make our auctions a huge success.
Mark Ellis has been highly involved in our Barani project in Kenya. He is passionate about helping the children who benefit from our Barani project. He travelled with 5 other club members in 2017 to visit Barani school and our sponsored students. He has also chaired the Barani committee. As fundraising chair he has overseen several very successful auctions which have enabled our club to be very generous in offering services locally and internationally. Mark has also served as president of the club. 
John Hansen has served as our club president this year after helping out in a big way with this position in the previous two years. John has done an incredible job in transitioning and guiding us through this new world that we are now experiencing.John has served on the Barani committee and works tirelessly behind the scenes in many capacities as well as to help make our auctions a success, and gives our auctions some class by appearing in a tuxedo every year!
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