The Rotary Club of West Shore is getting ready to hold its fifth annual Chili Cook-Off.  This dynamite event, promising fiery competition and fun, will be held on June 13th between 10am - 2pm at the Eagle Ridge Recreation Centre in Langford's new City Centre Park. The Chili Cook-off was conceived in 2005 as a fun family event for the early summer in the West Shore and a fund raiser for the many projects that our West Shore Rotary Club envisaged. 

Want to Enter a Team or be a Sponsor?

How do you describe the organization called "Rotary"? There are so many characteristics of a Rotary club as well as the activities of a million Rotarians. There are the features of service, internationality, fellowship, classifi­cations of each vocation, development of goodwill and world understand­ing, the emphasis of high ethical standards, concern for other people and many more.

In 1976 the Rotary International Board of Directors was interested in creating a concise definition of the fundamental aspects of Rotary. They turned to the three men who were then serving on Rotary's Public Rela­tions Committee and requested that a one-sentence definition of Rotary he prepared. After numerous drafts, the committee presented this definition, which has been used ever since in various Rotary publications:

"Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world."

Those 31 words are worth remembering when someone asks, "What is a Rotary club?"

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded US$255 million to Rotary International in the global effort to eradicate polio, bringing the total committed by Rotary and the Gates Foundation to $555 million.

Shortly after meeting with incoming district governors from the four countries where the wild poliovirus is endemic -- Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan -- Bill Gates announced the new grant on Wednesday morning at the International Assembly in San Diego, California, <

This is the District motto for 2009-10. DLTA is a preparation to help you Fulfill Your Dreams!

The District Leadership Training Assembly will be February 21 - 22, 2009, in Victoria, BC at the Fairmont Empress Hotel .

There will be something for all Rotarians, from the newest member to incoming Presidents to long time members. We will have a hands-on computer class designed for club secretaries and others who want to use the District and RI websites. If you sign up for this class please bring your laptop computer. The building will provide free wireless internet access.

The calendar year 2008 was an eventful one for Rotary International.

RI President Dong Kurn Lee challenged Rotarians to Make Dreams Real for the world's children, while Past Foundation Trustee Chair Robert S. Scott outlined Rotary's US$100 Million Challenge to bolster the fight to eradicate polio. Meanwhile, Rotarians around the world brought immediate comfort and aid to victims of disasters.

As the new year dawns, we look back over some of the more memorable moments of 2008 for Rotary International with our Top 10 list of news events.

Memory Chazeza & Christie Johnson will be our guest speakers at the Nov 7th weekly meeting.  Please invite your friends and family to the meeting, there will be a special presentation to Memory & Christie from our club.

Memory will also be speaking on Nov 6th at 7pm at the Isabelle Reader Theatre, 1026 Goldstream Ave & Nov 13th at Oak Bay High School Auditorium.

You can also visit APU's website at www.malawigirlsonthemove.com

District Governor, Brian Beagle, will be making his official Club Visit to our Club on Nov 14th.  Please show your support by ensuring you attend the meeting.

About Brian & Barb.....

A Rotarian since 1980, Brian is a Past President of the Silverdale, WA Rotary Club. He also served as club Secretary, as well as club Rotary Foundation and PolioPlus chairs multiple times. At the District level he chaired the 2002 District Conference, served as Assistant Governor for Area 6 (Kitsap County) in 2003-05, and as the District Rotary Foundation Annual Funds Sub-Committee Chair 2005-07.

Brian was commissioned in the U. S. Navy in 1969 and served in both submarines and aviation support for nine years. His final active duty assignment brought him to the Pacific Northwest, where he continued service in the U. S. Navy Reserve, retiring as a Commander. As a civilian, Brian retired in 2005 after a 27-year career in the U. S. defence industry. Barbara also retired in 2005 following a 30-year career in contract and program management in the federal government.

In view of the tragedy in Myanmar (Burma), the Executive voted to donate $2400 for two Shelterboxes to be sent to the region. 

Coffee Sales for Project Unity Committee (World Community Service committee of 11 Victoria and area Rotary clubs)

Orders can be placed at www.cottagecoffee.ca ; choose Rotary/PUC - Purchase Coffee/Price List; in "comments" you can request that the coffee be ground and that your order be delivered to Vicky or Fran; cheques are payable to Rotary Clubs - Project Unity; in the mandatory fields, please insert Fran Crowhurst, 250-383-9142, fran@crowhurstlaw.com .

Most of the coffee is $15 per pound; Sumatran and Kenyan coffees are $17; $5 of every pound is donated to PUC for international projects.