Editor's note:  Siera is our Outbound Exchange Student, spending the school year in France.

Salute Rotarians!
So I didn't get to go shopping in Paris, the host family left without me. But I did get to watch the theatre of Angouleme! It was a little dry, I couldn't understand it because I am not yet at the level of French Shakespeare like language yet, but I did understand the plot :D the name of the play was Brittanicus. It portrayed the life of Royal people in the early 1800's I think... well that's what the costumes looked like anyways. So the king had three wives, the first wife had a baby boy early and the third most recent wife is the mother if Brittanicus. When the king died the roll of the next king didn't go to the nice older brother, it went to Brittanicus, but brittanicus was very factious and rude. Brittanicus had a lover named Judith and she was kidnapped by the elder brother in his attempt to bring the downfall of Brittanicus, the elder brother then fell in love with Judith but she despised him. Brittanicus had a councillor person named Narcisse (he was my favourite because he was actually fun) and Narcisse was lying to Brittanicus for the elder brother. There was some fighting and some loving and a few deaths then they took a bow and it was time to go to the neighbours for our traditional Friday night :)

bonjour mes amis!

I apologize for my long-delayed update. Although I have been fairly busy, I have not been doing anything of significance. I will begin this overdue letter from where I left off last. Upon my return home from the weekend in Royan, I decided to look into traveling alone in the month of February. (Long time away, but I hear there is a lot of paperwork.) My intended destinations are 1 Delbruck Germany for educational benefit and 2 Switzerland! Indeed to visit my favorite foreigner Noemi Klarer!  I did not get very far into making solid plans because I was rushed off to yet another family. I spent three days there; fortunately they have a girl my age that is fluent in FOUR languages! The following Tuesdays François took me home. It was relaxing, just me and him bonding. By bonding I mean struggling in the kitchen to prepare dinner, then sitting in front of the TV. Hallejulia there were subtitles :D.  

Congratulations! As a Rotarian you qualify to win a trip to Brazil, Rotary District 4530. Our District 5370 GSE requires a Rotarian Team Leader to lead and help prepare the team to go to Brazil in April 2010. Your immediate commitment will be to select team members, and participate in 3-4 orientation sessions. If you wish to avail yourself of this opportunity, please consult the RI website;  - familiarize yourself with the requirements for Team Leader, download and complete an application form and send it to Ihor Kruk, D5370 GSE Chair, by fax to 780.467.4835, or by e-mail to ihor.kruk@ata.ab.ca . The closing date for receipt of applications is 2009 10 21, any necessary interviews will be held shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your attention to this, and good luck to all!

Yours in Rotary,

Ihor Kruk

D5370 GSE Chair

Ihor Kruk Zone 24 - District 5370

Bonjour!

I wrote a whole story to tell you how my first few days are in france, and because of the confusing key board I erased it! so here goes again!

I made it safely... sort of. my plane in Amsterdam broke, so I sat there for an hour while it was being fixed beside a rather grumpy business man. But this grumpy business man made it all the better getting off the plane in bordeaux!

... there is more

Grande Prairie is once again hosting the incoming Exchange Students for the Harvest Weekend September 10-13. We are looking for volunteers to billet the 14 incoming students for three nights.

This is a great opportunity to interact with students from all over the world!!  If you have a spare bed or two that you're willing to provide please let me know.  I can be reached at 780-532-4002(w) or 780-538-4870(h).  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  Thanks!


Dave McRae
Rotary Club of Grande Prairie. RI Club #0965

Glen Keddie is presented with a ruby pin as an 8 time Paul Harris Fellow by Brian Hillaby. Congratulations Glen, and thank you for your continued commitment to the Rotary Foundation!

Our Outbound Exchange Student Spencer Merlo is in Brazil, and writes:  "This cheque worth $brl 8 345 (Brazilian Reais) was presented to the Rotary Club Of Unaí on the seventh of May, 2009. The club of Unaí would like to express their gratitude to the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie and they look forward to the doors this money will open to the city of Unaí"  . The money was a district simplified grant; (half from our club, the other half from District 5370) of 5000 Canadian dollars. It's going to help the local wheelchair bank that leases wheelchairs at no cost to people that need them but don't have the financial conditions to pay.  Spencer initiated the project and made it a reality!

Fellow Rotarians, 

below is an invitation to join the Guatemalan Literacy Project in Guatemala for the Snapshot Tour in August of 2009 or the full delivery tour in February of 2010.  If you are looking for a "hands on" way to get involved in an International Project here is a great opportunity for you and the children of Guatemala.

Greg

When:  Saturday May 2

Where: Meet at the Rotary Campground for Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and return for a BBQ lunch around noon.

Who: City Rotary Clubs and area Grades 5 & 6 students clean up the green areas of Grande Prairie. 

For more information, contact Lorraine Ehlert.

Here's a great example of how the money we send to the Rotary Foundation comes back to help us at the Club Level.  Attached is part of a letter from Spencer Merlo regarding the upcoming presentation of funds to the Rotary Club in Unai Brazil that will be used to fix and replace the wheelchairs in their Wheelchair Bank.  The money that he will present is a combination of funds from our club and a matching Grant from District.  On a 3 year revolving basis, half of the funds sent by individual clubs in a district to the Foundation are returned to their District for Projects.  This is where the matching grant money comes from. So to all of you that contribute to the foundation... a BIG THANKS for helping make Spencer's Dream Real. 

Since we have switched from the calendar year to the Rotary year for contributions we find we are slightly behind in our total for this year.  This is mainly due to the normal annual contributors being a little later than usual.  We encourage members in this category to please look after this if you intend to contribute this year.

Quarterly contributions seem to be on schedule and we really appreciate the members that are on this plan.  Certainly  much easier for the committee to deal with.  Any member that wishes to go on the quarterly plan or change to it should contact a committee member prior to the end of July.  Present contributors are automatically carried forward without advice.

Paul Harris District Society members that committed to the Society last year can make their contribution directly through the club if they wish by making their cheque to the Rotary Foundation of Canada in the normal manner.  If you also happen to be a quarterly contributor please adjust the amount accordingly if you wish.  The exchange rate at present is $1.22. 

Questions please give me a shout.

Hugh Impey

Foundation Committee Chair

Editors note - members Doug Sloan,  Margo Roy, Denise Ouellette, Hugh Impey, Marilyn Cramer, Jim Munro, are in Bolivia on a Rotary project. Doug reports..

Hope this finds everyone well! I cant believe our visit for the week is over,it has gone very fast. I believe the visit has been  a great success.We have delivered all of the books for the teachers and students,backpacks,teaching aids,tables and chairs to the 13 schools.We split into 3 groups in order to complete this task.You might think-13 schools,no big deal.However,Thursday for example ,we left the Hotel at 5:15 A.M. and returned at approx. 10 P.M.That was the day for our team-we went to two schools that day.This was very similar for the other two teams as well.I have a different appreciation Jeff for Toyotas now ,as the Landrover(1991) we rode in had 475,000 kms on it and it just plugged on through streams,sand dune type of terrain,extremely rough terrain,dust etc.etc..Lots of pictures to bore you all with,that will give you a much better perspective on what type of condition these folks live in.Its hard to explain how basic,basic their existence is compared to what we have come to expect at home.the pictures will help.Water and sanitation are huge issues in the remote areas of Bolivia.This is the area that these people have asked for help from us in the future. The agency,Save The Children,is a major force in this area .Strong relations between Rotary and the communities here have been built because of their influence.

Dear Evelyne: M y name is Jose Zabalaga and I'm rotaryan from Rotary clob San Miguel de oruro.
I was with your club's team here in bolivia. if you follow the next link you will see some pictures on my facebook CLICK HERE

please say hello for me to Jim, Denisse, Margo, Dough, Hough and Marylin and let them know that we're missing them.  Sincerily:   Jose.  Forgive my bad english

The following email was received by Drew Lamont, President of the Swan City Rotary Club:

"My family and I went on February 11, 2009 to Mazatlan, Mexico.  We were taking our grandchildren to the Aquarium and we were so proud to be from Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada when we come across the bus that your organization donated.  

The employment placement steering committee is designed to place people into full, part or summer placement in a field that will provide them with meaningful and fulfilling work. We are seeking employers through rotary and our connections to find these individuals work. Marilyn Cramer, Jeff Johnston, Doug Montgomery, and Brooke Coulter are on the committee and can help with any assistance that you may need. There are also mentors for the employers to ensure that the placement and work environment is a "good fit" for all concerned. We have added the resumes of the people that are currently seeking work, please take a moment to see if you can help find these people the jobs that they are looking for.  These may be downloaded by clicking on the "Rotary Employment Partnership" Link in the Downloads section of the home page.

Many Rotarians are making an invaluable difference by helping people with developmental disabilities "get their foot in the door" of business and industry to have a chance for real jobs. In turn many Rotarians are learning about the contribution people with developmental disabilities can make from improving the bottom line (e.g. by reducing turnover) to increasing customer satisfaction.

As you are all aware of the Rotary Youth Exchange, I thank you for selecting me to represent your Rotary Club in a foreign country and to achieve my goals of learning a new language, adapting to a different environment and assimilating into a culture that is very different then I am accustomed to in Canada. You have all inquired upon my location for this exchange (and so have I for quite some time...) I am happy to inform you that I am priviledged to recieve my first choice! FRANCE! Can you believe it?! I attended a meeting with Tim and Sally Schilds in Dawson Creek February 1st; they bombarded me with a series of questions and scenarios that I had almost no idea how to answer!

Late October Rob Little and Barbera Campbell spoke at our Rotary Club.  Rob is employed by Talisman Energy in the area of community relations. Rob became involved with the Men at Risk Program to speak about his personal experience, surviving a loss by suicide and to encourage men to seek help.  Barbara is the Coordinator of the Men at Risk Program, which has been a part of the Suicide Prevention Resource Centre in Grande Prairie since 1999. They have since sent us an interesting article from the WCB regarding your employee's mental health and how you can help.  Click HERE to read more.

Gordon and Hazel Bloomfield were recently presented with the George Repka award for their service to the community of Grande Prairie. The City of Grande Prairie's highest honour is awarded annually to those who have given a hand in culture, recreation and social service. See http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1385317 for complete story.

We invite everyone from districts 5360 to join us for the annual Curling Bonspiel from February 19-22, 2009 hosted by the Rotary Club of Lacombe.

Register early for a discounted registration fee! For more details or to register, visit our website www.rotarycurling.ca

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?  A great way to meet and socialize with fellow rotarians.  You find out in the morning whose house you will be visiting to enjoy an evening of great food and fellowship.  The dates for this year are:  

Jan 24/09

Feb 21/09

Mar 21/09  

More...

You are invited to celebrate the chartering of Grande Prairie's first Interact Club.  (Interact is like Rotary, but for high school age, so we are mentoring future community leaders).  The event will be at the Golden Age Centre at 10222 101 Ave (East and behind of St. Paul's Church).  The event will be 7:30 to 9 with a dance afterwards till midnight. Refreshments, desserts and snacks served.  Tickets are $20, checks payable to "Peace Wapiti Academy".  Your contact is Chelsey Boyne, 780 830 6387.  chelsey_628@hotmail.com   The Interact Club is sponsored by the Wednesday Swan City Club, and is based at PeaceWapitiAcademy.

Merry Christmas everyone!  We were delighted for the chance to get together again this holiday season to share some fellowship and have some fun.  We were honored to have some special guests with us, namely Eileen Sweetnam, Irene Ness, Martha Head, Grace Taylor and daughter, Donna Schultz and Pat Schneider.

A whopping $8500 was raised for Sunrise house, thanks to both the generous silent auction donations and excellent bidding on those items. 

Some 240 people attended, with many staying late to dance the night away.

Please click the link for the main story to find the charming Twelve Days of Rotary that our Presidents graced us with!

Look forward to seeing you all next year!

FOUNDATION: For those members that contribute on an annual basis to the foundation and wish to get a 2008 tax receipt please bring you cheque this Friday or alternatively I will have credit card blanks available should you wish. BOLIVIA: Those of  you who have expressed an interest in going to Bolivia on our book/backpack/etc. delivery please let me or Karen know as soon as you can as there will be several things to work out.  We will arrange for a meeting early in the New Year.  It appears the time will be the second week in March/09.

"Far from any city, village, or real sign of civilization, we arrived at Saquillá School on the Guatemala Delivery Tour," recalls one of our Tour Veterans. Here is her account of that life-changing day:

Editor's note - this tribute to Les was in the Daily Herald,  I found it pretty interesting so pass on to you as well.

POTPOURRI - Grande Prairie's car czar - Les Longmate is the patriarch of city auto dealers

BY Bill Scott  Nov 21 2008

 It made sense if anyone had really thought about it, except no one did, or at least not many. And it wasn't exactly the case anyway.

But not anymore.

Now it's official: Les Longmate of Windsor Ford is the lone patriarch of Grande Prairie auto dealers, going back 50 years to what you could call the Downtown 7 - Ford-Monarch, Chev-Olds, Pontiac-Buick, Dodge-Chrysler, Plymouth, Mercury-Meteor, and Volkswagen.

(Editors' note - this was a media release Nov 7 2008)   Christmas 2009 will bring a special gift to Grande Prairie - a new community temporary housing facility.   The Honourable Mel Knight, Minister of Energy and MLA for Grande Prairie-Smoky, and Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Wayne Drysdale presented a cheque today for $7 million to Mayor Dwight Logan. A third-party agreement will see the City transfer the funds to the Wapiti Community Dorm Society, which is building Rotary House. Construction has begun and is due for completion next December.

More...

Please click on the article to see the full text!

(Editors Note. Mariana was our exchange student in 2007-2008 and is now back home in Mazatlan, she send this report)

Hi rotary club,

Sorry that I didn't send a email or nothing earlier. But don't think that I forget about all of you that will never happen.  I want to say thank you to the club for all the experiences that I lived in Grande Prairie , this last year was the best year of my life. I miss all of you, the meetings, and my rotary club and for sure the weather here is too hot, but is getting better.

Everything back home is really good; I had a really good welcome, for my friends are family.

Of course, the excellent cooking by the hog crew (and a darn fine grog recipe) made for a great night last Saturday.

Thank you Team Hog, for another great event!

Carol's GROG RECIPE (red sangria)
3/4 C Simple syrup (equal parts sugar to water)
2 bottles of red wine (does not need to be expensive to taste good)
3/4 C Brandy
1/2 C Triple Sec
3/4 C orange juice
2 oranges sliced into thin rounds
2 green apples /cored and sliced thin
2 lemons sliced into thin rounds
Boil water and pour over sugar to dissolve. Cool. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and refrigerate covered for 2 hrs or up to 2 days. Serve over ice.  

(Editors Note: As published in Daily Herald) Much of the global economy's downward spiral this fall can be attributed to a negative emotional response in the face of uncertain times. Many people, afraid of losing their homes and savings, are selling whatever assets they may have, planning to hoard the cash to tide them over until the crisis subsides.  As a result, stock markets such as Toronto's S&P/TSX index and Wall Street's Dow Jones Index plunged further on Friday, deepening fears of a global recession.  But in a 20-minute address Friday to the Grande Prairie Rotary Club, Alberta Treasury Branch senior economist Todd Hirsch told those in attendance the best course of action right now is to stay calm.

"The number one advice is don't panic," Hirsch told reporters after his presentation. "I mean, that's always the first rule whenever there's any kind of crisis at all. Don't panic; try to be as levelheaded about it as you can. Don't go out and liquidate all your assets, don't sell your home or put all your money under a mattress. That's entirely the wrong thing right now."

What people should be doing, Hirsch added, is getting their financial house in order.

Editors note: Robin Hood is a former member of our club, now in Lethbridge.  This story is from Scotland.

Canadian visitors at Rotary meeting

Sep 18 2008 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

AT the Rotary Club of Strathaven's meeting on Tuesday, September 9, President Maher Hadidi presided over a large turn-out of members, guests and visitors in the Strathaven Hotel.

Amongst the guests were Harry Marsh of the Bothwell and Uddingston Club who is the Group Study Exchange coordinator for District 1230, and Dr Robert Podboy of the Lions Club of Waynesburgh, USA, who was the guest of Past President John Miller.

The principal guests for the evening were the group of four young people from Alberta, Canada, who were on the first few days of their month-long exchange visit to Scotland.

Their team leader, Robin Hood, past president of two different Canadian Rotary Clubs and a retired banker, introduced the team who then gave an illustrated presentation.

Each of them spoke more than competently about themselves and their widely disparate vocational interests.

The vote of thanks was delivered by immediate Past President Nigel Thomson who, together with his team, has made the arrangements to host the Canadians and provide them with a very active four-day programme of cultural and vocation-related activities tailored to suit the needs and interests of each visitor.

Our new Bingo season starts on Oct 23rd. New captains and new teams have been formed and we look forward to another successful year. I would like to thank Randy Beairsto, Justin Munroe and Derek Hall for volunteering to be Bingo Captains. In the past Bingo was unpopular with some because of smoking and others because it was considered gambling. The good news is there is no more smoking at the bingo hall so that excuse is gone. Bingo is our second largest fund raiser behind the Dream Home Lottery and when I calculate the number of hours involved in each activity the return on Bingo is actually greater on a per hour basis than the dream home. Rotarians on each team will only be required to work 2 times per year now that is not a huge commitment. Team members please remember to show up ON TIME for your selected date and if you can't for any reason make it please get another Rotarian to replace you. That will save your captain a lot of time. Thanks for your all your outstanding support for the Bingo event.

Here are some details on the Camp out:     

Place: Saskatoon Lake Provincial Park - group area - 10 minutes west of town.

Date: weekend September 19, 2008  

Cost: camping - $20.00 + $6.00 (power) / night and $10.00/steak

                Day trip for Saturda   More...

JOIN US FOR THE 2008 HOG N' GROG!!

There's nothing like being outside on a crisp fall evening with the
aroma of sizzling pork on the BBQ!  This year'sHog n' Grog will be held
on Saturday, October 25 at Camp Tamarack (time to be announced).  We
encourage you to bring your whole family out to enjoy the fellowship of
Rotary.  Last year there were over 50 in attendance and kids especially
had a great time.  We'd love to see an even bigger turnout this year. 

If you have any questions please contact Carol Mclevin.

cardon@telusplanet.net

780-518-4586

Members of the Grande Prairie Rotary Clubs and the Rotaract and Interact clubs will be knocking on Grande Prairie and Sexsmith doors after 5:00 PM Tuesday, September 16 asking residents for food donations.   Rotarian Ken O'Shea is hoping for a successful drive.  "The media have been reporting the past few months the Food Bank is in dire straits so this year it's even more important for our community" Ken said.  "Every year we have a lot of families that are ready for us when we arrive. That is superb when we find it on the door step ready for us."  

Nigeria Group Study Exchange.  Team Leader and Participants needed!

Editor's note - in our club Harry Sandhu is also one you may discuss this with.

This year's GSE is to Northern Nigeria, district 9120. The month is as yet unknown as I have not heard from Nigeria yet.  Deadline for team leader applications is September 30. Deadline for team member applications is October 19. Application forms can be downloaded from the Rotary website , (click on http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/260en.pdf ) and send to me as the GSE Chair- can be e-mailed to ihor.kruk@ata.ab.ca or faxed to 780.467.4835.   Or email if you have questions!  Ihor Kruk.  Rotary Club of Edmonton South    

We met at this years Project Fair in Costa Rica, and now it is with great pleasure that I invite you, your Club and all your Rotary friends to the 16th UNIENDO-AMERICA PROJECT FAIR in beautiful Belize.  THIS YEARS FAIR WILL BE HELD FROM JANUARY 29TH THROUGH JANUARY 31ST   IN BELIZE CITY AT THE RADISSON HOTEL BY THE SEA.  Aside from the important work that is done at the Project Fair there is also much enjoyment to be had by visiting and getting to know Beautiful Belize.  Included in our Website is a link to a Rotarians owned travel agency who is offering special discounts to Rotarians attending the years Project Fair.  Along with this invitation I have included some of my favorite images that begin to give an impression of the beauty and diversity of Belize. 

More information at www.belizerotaryprojectfair.com

Jakub Turanyi,of Slovakia - is now here. You are invited and encouraged to make Jakub (pronounced jay-cub)  part of your Rotary year.  Supper, lunch, movie,  a bike ride, a hockey game, museum whatever.  He is now residing at the Serge Martin household.  Email Serge  at smartin3@atb.com to arrange.  So far the Hilgers have taken him to Fairview (photo attached), Masons took him quadding, and Joel Park hosted him for supper.  This is a great experience for Jakub, and will no doubt be as positive for your and or your family as well.

Jakub will be 18 this fall,  has a 15 year old brother,  and is from Slovakia.  He is somewhat fluent in English and not bad at French and bit of Spanish.  Dad is an architect,  mom is  a banker he lives in a city of 90 000, Nitra. That's about 90 minutes from Vienna, Austria.  He enjoys sports including judo, and the arts.   

Congratulations to Brent Bibby, Rotarian of the year.  President Justin explained Brent's tireless work on the chartering of the Grande Cache Club was just one of the reason's Brent was honored at our Changeover meeting.  

Originally printed in the Daily Herald Tribune by Derek Logan.  Council for the City of Grande Prairie unanimously accepted a recommendation from the community development committee (CDC) to re-direct $7 million in funding from the UrbanVillage project to the Rotary House project during its Monday regular meeting.

Council also accepted the committee's recommendation to split $8.7 million in provincial funding reserved for affordable housing projects to finance the emergency housing project and combine the remaining $1.3 million with other funding for smaller housing projects within Grande Prairie.

Originally printed in District 5370 January 08 Newsletter, available in it's entirety HERE

I am writing from Kona Hawaii, and hope to do a make up this week. Hence, my thoughts. A fellow Rotarian in Grande Prairie attended a make-up meeting in Winnipeg and was surprised that not only did the club not announce him as a guest - they didn't even ask his name at sign in! It made me think how easy it is for all of us to slip into the habit of not making welcoming guests a priority in our clubs. How is your club doing?

Note - Originally printed in 5370 District Newsletter. Editor Kevin Hilgers, also on Board of Directors Rotary International District 5370

Good question.  Is it the membership chair?  The executive?  Is it seasoned long term Rotarians?  Before I answer - a fact.  In North America Rotary is on the decline.  In fact our current President Wilf Wilkinson said in Vancouver "Without new members, nothing else matters.  Without our youth and new members, it will only take a few decades for Rotary to disappear" .  Pretty dramatic words isn't it?  Here's what I like to mention to clubs when we discuss membership growth.     

*** Cheryl did a bang up job on a brochure for prospective new members.  It's printed and will be in the cupboard at Rotary - and explains in 2 pages about our club,  Rotary, and it's obligations and priveledges.   A great introduction for prospective members.  You can also DOWNLOAD it Watch for the link called   Prospective Member E-Club Brochure under DOWNLOADS o our web site at www.gprotary.com

The "New Member Proposal Form" is available on our web site  www.gprotary.com 
Look under downloads on our web site ---  or simply hit:  PROPOSAL FORM - and the form will open in your computer.  Try and fill out digitally, save in your computer and send via email. This makes everyone's job much easier.