District 5370 Peacebuilder Committee launches positive peace clubs initiative

At its core, Rotary is about peace.

“Peace has been part of Rotary’s history for 115 years,” says PDG Ingrid Neitsch. “Peace permeates every aspect of Rotary.”

Ingrid, who chairs the District 5370 Peacebuilder Committee, points to the six peace conferences Ian Riseley hosted worldwide during his year as Rotary International president.

Each conference focused on how peace and conflict prevention/resolution was supported by Rotary’s other areas of focus: disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development, and protecting the environment which has recently become a seventh area of focus.

The Peacebuilder Committee grew out of an initiative during 2018-2019, when Ingrid was District Governor and our District was able to achieve a two-year designation as a Peacebuilder District.

“The District Peacebuilder Committee was a natural progression,” Ingrid says. “I believe Rotary’s peacebuilding work is now more important than ever before. Our committee joins a growing movement of concerned citizens from around the world committed to the advancement of peace education.”

For the District to achieve Peacebuilder status clubs, individual Rotarians, the District and some non-Rotarians committed to providing financial support to Rotary Peace Centers  located at universities around the world. 

During 2018-2019, there were six peace centers at universities in the United States, Japan, England, Australia, Sweden and Thailand. Since then, another centre was established at Makerere University in Kampala and recently RI announced that another will open in the Middle East.

Rotary Peace Fellows attend these university to earn master’s degrees or professional development certificates in peace and conflict resolution/prevention.

For the next academic year, 117 fellowships were awarded to individuals from 63 countries. Rotary Peace Fellowships are fully funded by The Rotary Foundation.

In recent years, two students endorsed by our District—John Lamming and Menasha Nikhanj—completed professional development certificates at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

The peacebuilding committee includes both Rotaractors and Rotarians, including PDG Jackie Hobal and DGE Donna Barrett.

“There is a diversity of voices and experience that members bring to this committee,” Ingrid says. “We have a few young people who have a deep commitment to peace.”

In February, which RI has designed as Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month, the committee announced its positive peace clubs initiative.

The purpose of positive peace clubs is to fulfil Rotary’s mission to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace. These clubs will be expected to establish a peace committee to promote peace education, donate US$100 to US$1,000 to support Rotary’s peace centres and meet two of several other criteria set out on the Peacebuilder page of the District website.

A positive peace club application form, a sample positive peace club certificate and a list of peacebuilding resources are also available.

“We hope every club will be involved in at least one aspect of peacebuilding,” Ingrid says. “We would like to see clubs apply a peacebuilding lens when selecting projects.”

Ingrid says that what District 5370 is doing is attracting the attention of Rotarians elsewhere, including those in leadership positions.

Both RI President Holger Knaack and PRIP Barry Rassin have praised the video on which Ingrid and three Rotaractors from the committee—Yvone Joubert, Miles Dykes and Shannon Peacocke—announced the positive peace clubs initiative.

RI Director Valarie Wafer plans to highlight the committee’s work as trendsetting during her next Director Dialogue at 5:00 p.m. MST on Wednesday, March 10, which will feature RI president-elect Shekhar Mehta and Peace Fellow Marie-Paule Attema. 

Click here to register for this Director Dialogue.

Moving forward, the committee will continue to promote peace positive clubs and encourage peace education.

“We would love to see peace literacy or some kind of peace program in the curriculum to be taught as a skill,” Ingrid says. “For example, students could learn how to recognize and address aggressive behaviour in conversations.”

Rotaractors can receive up to $5,000 in education bursaries thanks to Rotaract Canada partnership with the federal government

Thanks to one-of-a-kind partnership between the federal government and Rotaract Canada and Rotary, Rotaractors across Canada can use their volunteer hours in the summer to help pay for their education in the fall.

The Canada Student Service Grant program (CSSG) will provide financial support for post-secondary students who volunteer in their communities, to reduce financial stress on students and help not-for-profit organizations maintain volunteers through the summer in the midst of the global pandemic. Participating students will be eligible to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 toward post-secondary education costs, based on the number of hours of volunteered.

“The innovative leadership demonstrated by Rotaract Canada and their Rotarian partners on this collaboration with the Canadian federal government is an inspiration to all of Rotary,” said Past Rotary International President Barry Rassin about the unique partnership. “They have truly elevated Rotaract by using their experience serving their communities and taking ownership of this exceptional program.” 

Rotaract Canada with Rotary is one of the select organizations leading the program, connecting student volunteers with valuable opportunities to serve the community while earning an education bursary. Participants can count the hours put into new and pre-existing Rotary initiatives.

“This one-of-a-kind partnership between government, Rotary, and Rotaract is being led by a team of innovators including Rotaract Canada leadership and Dean Rohrs, past Rotary International vice-president,” said Valarie Wafer, RI director for Zones 28 and 32. “Having just recently chartered as the newest Multi District Information Organization in our region, Rotaract Canada is already showing the value of national-level Rotaract organization and is setting new precedents for innovative partnerships for the benefit of Rotaractors and the communities they serve.”

Rotaractors and Rotarians can take advantage of newly announced Rotaract Canada positions to engage in meaningful work while counting their hours towards the bursary. They may also connect with Rotarians to interview and tell stories on behalf of seniors who have been isolated by COVID-19, celebrating their lives and achievements and sharing their wisdom and knowledge through the creation of an intergenerational capsule of community stories. Participants will have access to LinkedIn Learning for free and be able to apply training hours toward the bursary, as well. Non-Rotaractors can also take advantage of the grants by volunteering with local clubs through the Rotaract Canada Community Service Corps program.

To be eligible for CSSG, a Rotaractor or Rotarian must:

• be enrolled and attending post-secondary education during spring/summer 2020 and/or September 2020; or
• have graduated from post-secondary education no earlier than December 2019; and
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, registered Indian or have refugee status.
• All students, regardless of age, who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the CSSG.
• Canadian students who study abroad but are currently residing in Canada, and do their volunteer hours in Canada, are eligible. International students are not eligible.

To learn more and apply, visit rotaractcanada.org/cssg. For questions or support, email cssg@rotaractcanada.org.

Club visits, District conference go virtual for 2020-2021, says incoming District Governor

Reflecting on all that has changed over the past few months, it seems fitting that a member of a Rotary e-club is about to assume leadership of District 5370.

“One of the things I bring to this role is having met online,” says Jim Ferguson, a charter member of the Rotary E-club of Canada One and the first e-club member to ever head a Rotary District in Canada. “What we have experienced since March is traditional clubs having to change, and change their meeting styles and meet online because of COVID-19.

“I am really thinking, now that clubs have had to meet in different ways, there may be some fresh ideas about how clubs meet in the future. I think that the last couple of months have forced clubs to think about meeting structures and changes to clubs.” 

This is how most Rotarians will meet 2020-2021 District Governor Jim Ferguson – VIRTUALLY

Jim will become DG on July 1, but the District leadership will be officially passed from DG Tracey Vavrek to Jim at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, with an online event hosted by Tracey’s home club, Grande Prairie After Five.

Incoming area governor Devon Potter promises, “some great fellowship and well-wishes as we hear District Governor Tracey provide a year-in- review and welcome Jim Ferguson as the new District Governor.”

Register in advance to attend the changeover via Zoom.

In recent years, the changeover was held in Edmonton, but earlier this year it was decided to scale back the event and have home club of the outgoing DG host the event.

Because of the change, District awards that were handed out at the changeover in previous years will now be announced at a later date. The deadline for clubs to submit entries for the awards is August 1.

Vision 2020 Conference goes virtual … and free

The restrictions on gathering imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic mean that the Vision 2020 Conference, which was earlier described as a “terrestrial District Conference to be hosted by a virtual Rotary club” will now be an online event. 

Vision 2020, originally scheduled for September 17-19 at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Centre in Edmonton, will now be a one-day virtual event on Saturday, September 12.

“The event at the DoubleTree in Edmonton was for 400 people, but in April or May the gathering limits were set at 15 (people) until the end of August. That’s when our committee began to talk about switching to online,” Jim says. “We contacted the DoubleTree and they agreed with us that it would be impossible to put it on. The DoubleTree has been excellent to work with.”

 

Click here to register the Vision 2020 Virtual District Conference.

Refunds to those who had already registered for the Conference should appear on their next credit card statements.

There will be no charge to attend the virtual event due to support from sponsors and the District, and from the “Kiss Your Sweetheart Goodbye” raffle held earlier this year.

The raffle prize winners were:

Third prize (Sandra Coombe, Jasper): one-week Volunteer Vacation for two at Project Amigo, Colima, Mexico. Includes all meals and accommodation

Second prize (Betty Gordon, Sherwood Park): seven days in a one-bedroom condo in Lake Arenal Condos in Costa Rica.

First prize (Sandra Bayrock, Edmonton): 10 nights in a two-bedroom home on the island of Rhodes, Greece.

Information about the Vision 2020 virtual District Conference, including speakers and registration, will be released over the next few weeks.

Rotarian since 2012

Jim Ferguson first joined Rotary in June 2005, after a friend invited him to attend a breakfast meeting of the Rotary Club of Stony Plain, where Jim owned a pharmacy.

“When I attended the meeting, I knew quite a few people. It seemed natural for me going into the meeting,” he says. “It just evolved from there. You get to know people better. Friendships develop and you are there because you want to get involved in some volunteer work.”

In 2012, Jim was introduced to concept of an e-club.

“A good friend of mine, Past District Governor Elly Contreras (2003-2004),  knew that I was thinking I might have to leave Rotary because Jocelyne and I were doing so much travelling. I was missing meetings.

“Elly approached me and said she was working on this new concept, an e-club. ‘We meet online. You can meet from anywhere in the world.’ I thought that was an interesting concept, so I became a charter member of the E-club.”

A highlight of Jim’s Rotary experience was when he was able to join past and future District Governors for a volunteer week with Project Amigo in Mexico.

“That was an interesting time and lots of fun,” he says. “We did some service work and it was a great time to meet some of the past district governors. You see them at District events, but you don’t get to know them. This was a chance to get to know them as people.”

As a member of the E-club of Canada One, Jim served as service director and president.

Becoming District Governor

Jim was hesitant at first about applying to become District Governor when it was suggested “by a couple of Rotarians,” but eventually was convinced to put forward his name.

“There are some pretty persuasive people in our District.”

Becoming the District Governor Nominee was the beginning of his preparation for the role.

“It has been quite a journey. It’s been a lot of learning and there is more learning to come,” he says.

Part of the preparation for the role was attendance at the International Assembly, which brought District Governors-Elect together from around the world in January, in San Diego. It was during this event that RI President-Elect Holger Knaack, (RC of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany) introduced the 2020-2021 Rotary International theme—’Rotary Opens Opportunities.’

“There are three doors, in three different colours. The blue one is Rotary clubs, the pink is Rotaract and the yellow, Interact,” Jim says. “The doors are wide open this year because there is so much change going on. We have all been through it since February. It is a changing world. It will be interesting to see what this means in Rotary and in our personal lives.”

Jim is particularly interested in the changes behind the Rotaract door.

“I see a larger role for Rotaract. There have been a lot changes made by Rotary International. The future is very bright for Rotaract. 

“On July 1, there is no age limit from 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs can set their own age limits. They are eligible to serve alongside Rotarians on District and RI committees. They are going to gain more support from Rotary International, including access to tools on MyRotary.org. The trustees of The Rotary Foundation also plan to discuss whether Rotaract clubs can apply for Foundation grants. It’s wide open for them as well, when you open the door.

“This year, Tracey created the District 5370 Rotaract Council. We are looking at an assistant governor for Interact and Rotaract. We are hoping these organizations are more self-sufficient.”

How does an e-club hold a District Conference?

“My biggest question when I became District Governor: ‘How does an e-club put on a District Conference?’” Jim says. “It’s unique for us to actually have a District Governor from an e-club, when we have members from around the world — England, Germany, Ontario. We are spread all around the world.”

He approached PDG Elly to head up a committee drawn from the E-club and other clubs in the District.

Club visits will be virtual

Normally, during the first few months of their term, new DGs are required to visit every club in the District. 

“About a year ago, we had to plan out our club visits. It would have involved driving about 35,000 km and about 110 hotel nights,” Jim says. “Our District is so big. We were the third-largest Rotary district in the world and then we added in the Yukon.” 

Of course, due to restrictions on gatherings these visits are not going to occur as planned. 

“All the club visits will be from my office at Skeleton Lake. Because the District is so big, it may make sense to visit it virtually, which is how we are going to have to do it this year,” Jim says. 

If the restrictions are relaxed later in the year and clubs are able to resume in-person meetings, Jim hopes to be able to participate in some club events in 2021.

As he continues his preparation for his new role, Jim recalls something said by a former RI president, which will guide him during his year as District Governor.

“Barry Rassin (2018-2019) said, ‘It’s Rotary clubs that do the work of Rotary. The District is here to support the clubs.’ 

“The actual clubs are down and dirty and doing the work on Rotary in their communities. We’re here as a District to support them, however we can,” Jim says.

 

 

Edmonton Rotarian marches in the Rose Parade

For some, watching the Rose Parade, hosted by Pasadena’s Tournament of Roses, is a New Year’s Day tradition. Carol Devereux, the president of the Rotary Club of Edmonton South, is one of those people.

“I love that parade,” she says. “I have watched it for years and years. It’s a New Year’s Day thing to do.”

But this year, Carol was unable to watch the parade because she was part of Rotary International’s entry in it.

While for most of us, Tuesday morning, January 1 was an opportunity to sleep in, Carol was meeting other Rotarians at 4:45 a.m., in the parking lot of a Pasadena, Calif., grocery store. From there, they were transported to the staging area for the 130^th Rose Parade, which was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.

“We had to get to the staging area before the streets were closed to traffic,” Carol says. 

Carol’s journey to Pasadena began at the 2017 Rotary International convention in Atlanta, where she met two Rotarians who were members of the RI float committee.

“I met with one of them again in Toronto (during the 2018 RI convention) and we talked about how I could get involved. I wanted to learn about what happens behind the scenes and get involved in decorating the float,” she says.

Not only was she able to help decorate the float, she was also invited to be an “out walker.” Those are the people who walk beside the float.

“Walking beside the float was so much fun, because people watching the parade were so engaged,” Carol says.

An estimated 750,000 watched the parade as it passed by the bleachers set up along the parade route.

Click here for a short video of the float in the parade.

There has been a RI float in the parade for nearly 40 years.

The float committee begins to prepare for the parade almost as soon as the previous year’s parade ends. Once the parade theme is established, the Rotarians look at how to combine that theme with the RI annual theme.

As Rotary International provides no financial support, the float committee must find donations to cover the cost, which for 2019 was approximately $150,000.

The theme for this year’s float was “Service Rocks.” Its design was based on Crocodile Rocks, a song by Elton John, which was reflected in the float and the costumes worn by the out walkers and people riding on the float.

Carol Devereux (right) waits with RI president Barry Raasin and his wife Esther for the parade to begin

As had his predecessors in previous years, RI President Barry Rassin (RC of East Nassau, Bahamas) and his wife, Esther, rode on the float. 

Others invited to ride on the float included the president of the Rotary Club of Paradise, Calif., who lost both his home and business in the Camp Wildfire, and the Rotarian who owns the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks, Calf., which was the scene of a mass shooting in November 2018.

Because they are considered an extension to the float, parade participants were required to be there in costume when the floats were judged on Monday, December 31.

The judging occurred in the large warehouse where several floats were being assembled, a process which began on Boxing Day. Interactors, Rotaractors and Rotarians worked in shifts to complete the float. 

Once the judging was complete, a driver and a spotter spent eight hours moving the float to the staging area.

When Carol and other Rotarians arrived at the staging area, the floats were lined up in the order in which they would travel over the five-mile parade route, which took about two hours to complete. 

The marching bands and equestrian groups gathered on side streets, prepared to take their place as the floats passed by. 

Back in Edmonton a few days later, Carol remained enthused about the experience.

“It was so much fun. It was just amazing to see behind the scenes of the construction of the floats and decorating them,” she says.

“It was great meeting a whole bunch of new people. Whenever you are around a group of Rotarians, there’s sure to be lots of laughter and fun.” 

Leadership Assembly will prepare leaders to “Be the Inspiration” for their clubs

In planning the District 5370 Leadership Assembly, Donna Barrett (RC of Edmonton Sunrise) and her learning and development team have woven the 2019-2019 Rotary International theme and priorities into all aspects of the event.

“The 2018-2019 theme will be central to the keynotes and to how the breakout sessions are organized,” Donna says.

“[District Governor-elect Ingrid Neitsch] will be sharing the theme and the keynote speakers will help convey this message.”

Rotary International President-elect Barry Rassin (RC of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas) revealed the theme, “Be the Inspiration,” to incoming district governors during RI’s Assembly in San Diego, in January.

“I want you to inspire in your clubs, your Rotarians, that desire for something greater. The drive to do more, to be more, to create something that will live beyond each of us,” he told the district governors-elect.

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

He asked the incoming district governors to “inspire the club presidents and the Rotarians in your districts to want to change, to want to do more, to want to reach their own potential.”

Click here to watch the RI President-elect’s presentations at the Assembly in January.

Donna says the assembly will provide “incoming leaders with the tools they need to ‘Be the Inspiration’ for their clubs.”

The assembly will be held April 6 and 7 at the Chateau Louis Hotel and Conference Centre, 11727 Kingsway in Edmonton, and will offer something for every Rotarian.

“There is something in the assembly for current leaders, incoming leaders and other Rotarians who want to learn more about Rotary,” Donna says.

“The leadership assemblies are planned to provide motivation, current information, support, opportunities to learn, and to share ideas and strategies to prepare presidents-elect, other club officers and members to have a successful year,” DGE Ingrid says.

“The leadership assembly is also an opportunity to form friendships and networks that support and enhance our relationships. There exists a splendid synergy when like-minded leaders collaborate on making a difference in our communities.”

To encourage participation, the District is offering several attractive registration packages, which provide reduced fees when several Rotarians from a club register as a group. When five Rotarians from one club, including the president-elect, register together their cost will only be $450. If five Rotarians, not including the president-elect, register as a group, the fee is $600.

Individual registrations are $150.

There is a separate fee of $35 per person for Friday evening’s Mix and Mingle.

Click here for additional information and to register.

This spring’s program builds on the Leadership Assembly held in the fall, which received praise from participants.

“The feedback from participants at the fall learning assembly is that it was one of the best learning and development assemblies they had ever attended,” Donna says.

Rotary Peace Fellow will speak about the “Magic of our Foundation” Friday evening

The assembly will kick off at 6 p.m., Friday evening, with what Donna promises will be a mix of fun and information. Following a mix-and-mingle networking reception, which offers a light buffet supper, a no-host bar and entertainment, Rotarians will have the opportunity to hear from the first of two Rotary Peace Fellowship alumni scheduled to speak during the assembly.

Summer Lewis, who also spoke at the RI assembly in January, is currently the Rotary Institute for Peace Partnership Co-ordinator. The topic of her presentation is the Magic of our Foundation.

The Rotary Foundation supports Peace Fellows, paying all the participants’ expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation and internship/field study expenses.

Saturday morning, DGE Ingrid will share the RI theme and three priorities for 2018-2019:

• Support and strengthen clubs
• Focus and increase humanitarian service
• Enhance public image and awareness

Ingrid will be followed by keynote presentations from two co-ordinators for RI Zone 24.

Zone Co-ordiantors will focus on Membership and Public Image during Saturday morning keynotes

Assistant Co-ordinator (Membership) Denis Boyd will build on what happened at the fall assembly. He will share strategies to strengthen membership and look at the club culture. Public Image Co-ordinator Sean Hogan will focus on ways to enhance Rotary’s public image. He will suggest techniques that can be used to share what Rotary is doing.

Following the keynote sessions, there will be more breakout sessions than have ever been offered at a District 5370 assembly. Some will be specifically for presidents-elect, treasurers and secretaries.

In their session, Ingrid will ask presidents-elect to set one goal for each of RI’s three 2018-2019 priorities.

All the other sessions are open to all Rotarians. Topics include membership, the Rotary Foundation, youth, club culture/public image, liability, the Rotary Employment Partnership, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission and the Emmanuel Foundation, which partners with Rotary to arrange humanitarian shipments to other countries.

The day will conclude with a second Rotary Peace Fellowship presenter. John Lamming, who was working with the RCMP in Grande Prairie when he was selected as Peace Fellow, has entitled his presentation, Adventures in Peace.