I was just lucky enough to spend a week traveling throughout Scotland and then London. Here's a little recap of my adventures.

June 8-12 Scotland:
I started my journey in Düsseldorf Weeze, quite possibly the smallest airport I've ever been in. Actually it was more of a security hut and an outdoor check in desk! I left at 2 pm and arrived in Edinburgh at 3! I had a few hours before my train to Aberdeen so I decided to explore the capital city a bit. I locked up my luggage and headed out. As soon as I left the train station I knew exactly where I was. The stereotypes we have of Scotland are so true. I heard bagpipes everywhere I went, I rode the famous double decker buses, I saw the castles and old streets and I saw many a scot man walking around in their traditional kilt. It was so beautiful! When I had grabbed a bite to eat I headed back towards the train station, hopped my train, and ended up waiting two hours because the engine was kaputt!! After what felt like days the train pulled out of the station and started its journey to Aberdeen. It was a two hour train ride full of fog, beautiful coastal views, a gorgeous Scottish sunset, and hundreds of different English accents. When I arrived in Aberdeen I was met by my Grandpa Dave's cousins son, David and his wife Donna. We immediately got to know each other which eased my mind quite a bit. We spent the next 3 days exploring castles, meeting family, sharing stories, laughing about almost everything, and best of all becoming a family. It was amazing how we went from being complete strangers to family in a matter of days. I am so thankful for everything the two of them did for me!! They became the first real family I have had in over 10 months and I couldn't have been happier or had a better time! I will never forget all they did. And I couldn't be more grateful to them! When the time came to leave I just wasn't ready. But nevertheless I hopped onto my train and headed out to London.

June 12-15 London:
I arrived in London late on the 12th and took a train from Kings Cross to Twyford where I picked up by Will (another exchange student) and his grandparents. We spent the night getting to know each other and playing Billiards. The next morning Will and I headed out to London. We spent the day exploring the city. Within the two days we had we saw Buckingham Palace, walked the Mall, went to Trafalgar Square, saw the changing of the guard, visited Notting Hill, ate Fish and chips in St. Stevens tavern, saw Big Ben, went to Westminster Abbey, ate a GBK burger, toured the Tower of London, and saw the Crown Jewels. We had a jam packed but memorable couple of days! It was a bittersweet goodbye because I wasn't ready to come home but boy oh boy was it nice to sleep in my own bed.

Overall the trip was amazing! I wish I had had longer but it just means I'll have to make a return trip in the near future! I now only have about a week left before I head home which means the next few days are filled to the brim with goodbyes, packing, and spending time with my family. I'm hoping in a week my feelings on going back to Canada will have changed drastically because right now I'm just not ready to say goodbye to my home! I will work hard to try and make one last blog before I head out!

ROTARY CLUB OF CRANBROOK SUNRISE

(Chartered March 21, 1997)

PO Box 765 , Cranbrook, BC  V1C 4J5

The Sunrise Rotary Cycle team has done it again! Following up on their ride last year to Tri-cities, the team, composed of Prez Daryl, Robyn & Frank Vanden Broek, Pat Vanhesteren, Glen Dobie, and Gerry Warner, joined by Sharon McGrane and Robbie Scott from Colville, pedaled their way to District Conference 2013 in a 3 day marathon that some saw them successfully take on the challenge of the Kootenay Pass and still arrive at their destination in relatively good shape.

Below are some pertinent entries from the Facebook page of team chronicler Robyn:

"Day 3 Metaline Falls to Colville Washington. We all agreed this year's ride was the hardest, both mentally and physically. Last year’s ride from Cranbrook to Tri-Cities was purely a mental challenge but this ride went beyond that. The hills that we encountered were beyond our expectations. That being said, we all made it in one piece relatively - Frank had a little mishap and lost some hide but he will live. We got away early this morning at 7:45 am and made it to Colville by 1:13pm. 85 km behind us and several, I mean several quick breaks. "Flat Daryl" was at it again with a blow0-out at about 42 km in. We were all looking at our tires once we heard the pop and then the air rushing out. The sun was playing peek-a-boo which was a bonus; I don’t think any of us needed any more sun. With the road always rising up I don’t think it balanced out with the downhills. The score: uphills plenty, downhills not enough. We were all looking forward to that last ride down the hill into Colville which was truly a godsend."

"Well we are getting ready to head home from the District 5080 Rotary Conference in Colville Washington. The weather has been superb, the speakers inspirational , the food terrific and the opportunity to share ideas with unbelievable people phenomenal. SERVICE ABOVE SELF what a great message to pass along to the world. Come on people PAY IT FORWARD".

Also accompanying the team was support driver Colin Campbell and Cranbrook Rotarian Jim Chiu.

In the accompanying photo, the Youth Exchange students from District #5080 took a break in Field, B.C while touring the National Parks of Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay. 

The students spent their last week together touring the East Kootenays and while here, they toured the Fish Hatchery, visited Fort Steele and did two interpretive programs there, visited Radium Hot Springs, 3 national parks and Lake Louise, did some hiking and climbed the Rock Climbing Wall at the College of the Rockies.  They made a dream catcher in Invermere and attended the Invermere Rotary Club's noon meeting, before heading to Camp Lutherhaven to meet up with our new group of outbounds as well as 6 rebound students. 

On their last full day as a group, they went to Silverwood Theme Park.  Sunday they officially said their goodbyes to one another and will begin to return to their home countries near the end of June. 

Our new inbound, Alessia from Rome, will arrive in August, and Shauni will be busy doing summer things with her host families and Rotarians.  Our two outbounds will return home on June 29th (Mallory) and August 16th (Danica).  We are hoping to have an evening with the girls at the end of August (28th or 29th) to catch up on their year in Germany and Bolivia.

Warner, who volunteered with the sterilization unit, says it was an inspirational experience for everyone. “This is the Rotary movement at its best—service above self in the purest sense of the term.” Another Ethiopian eye camp will likely be held next year and volunteers are always wanted.

Cardsare available at  Cranbrook Chamber, Kimberley visitors center, EKCCU,EK Realty, Cranbrook Golf Club, Kimberley Golf Club, Wildstone, Waylyn,Bootleg, Guidance Planning Strategies and any Rotarian or by calling 250417-0033

Glen Dobie and Frank Vanden Broek presented the first annual Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo to the club.  
The Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo will be a first class cycling event showcasing the East Kootenay area and the Rails to Trails cycling path. 

The ride is taking place on September 8th, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. There will be 3 rides for cyclists to choose from: Piccolo ride - 52 kilometers, Medio Ride - 100 kilometers, Gran Fondo ride - 150 kilometers. The Gran Fondo website is up and running at www.krgf.ca and registration as well as indepth information on the rides is available.

Early Bird registration at a reduced rate is available until June 30th, 2013.

Anyone interested in volunteering for this event may do so through the website.

Frank and Robyn Vanden Broek model their Shalwar Kameez.   They are leaving for Lahore, Pakistan on February 4th  and will be returning February 19th.

They will be part of a 9 person District Friendship Exchange. The highlight of the trip will be taking part in a National Immunization Day for Polio.

Due to security precautions they will not be on Facebook during their trip but they will give a presentation to the club upon their return.

Hey y'all!

Sitting here in Starbucks and I thought hey! Why not blog twice in a month! Hmmm...

Well I guess I've actually had a pretty busy month! The last week of January I spent saying goodbye to all my oldies! Which was a bittersweet experience. On one hand now me and my fellow September comers are the oldies which means fewer 'rules' and less strict Rotarians but it also means a lot of responsibility with our newbies! I got to meet my newbie! He is an Aussie! So right away I liked him! We spent the entire weekend pulling pranks, getting in trouble, and laughing! I can't tell this one will be a life long friendship!

The first weekend in February Cheramy came down from Hamburg for a visit! It was great to see her! We spent Friday night at an exchange students birthday party and then Saturday we toured around the area, sat in Starbucks, and then headed to Dusseldorf where Paula, Cher, and I went out clubbing then came back to our oh so cozy single bed hotel room! I was so happy I got to see Cheramy before she headed back to Cranbrook! Who would have thought we would only see each other twice while we lived so close!

The second weekend in February was the Karneval weekend with Rotary, where we officially met all the newbies and went over the rules again and then forgot all the rules as we partied the weekend away! I feel so unbelievably lucky to have had this experience in Germany. Without it I would have never met all the exchange students that I know call my family. These kids are truly the best of the best! Whenever you're down they know exactly what to do to cheer you up! Homesickness is not a thing when you are with them because, they are home. They have the ability to make friends with complete strangers in about 2 minutes flat. No one is EVER excluded. I honestly think that everyone in the world deserves a family like I have here. I will never forget a single one of them! They all have a place in my heart and a spot on my couch (thanks mum)
Karneval was incredible! It was everything people describe it as. There are people jam packed into the Altstadt (old street) so tightly that you think it will be impossible to move. And the costumes! Oh my god! I saw everything from cats to octopuses to John Deere tractors. I even saw the entire Rocky Horror Picture Show cast on one person! The most amazing part is there was no violence. There wasn't even a threat of violence because I didn't see a single police officer! All the American students found that incredible! The girls from New York State were in complete panic mode the entire time because they couldn't see the S.W.A.T. Team ready to attack the invisible violence! Even I, the peaceful Canadian, found it odd that you couldn't see the police, that they weren't there, that no one needed them, that the Vancouver riot could have look like a bar fight compared to this, but it didn't. Nothing happened because no one found it necessary!

As a new member this year, I asked around as to what exactly is the definition of Community Service. Well I received several interesting yet different explanations so I looked online at various communities to see what they did for Community Service. The list and possibilities is endless.

Our club has, in the past, contributed to improving the lives in our community by implementing diverse key projects and activities. As a new member I have been impressed by not only the number of projects but by the varying types, and most importantly by the enthusiasm expressed by members to join together to successfully complete them. It has been my goal to ensure this continues for this year. The plans in place currently, are to continue with ongoing projects and repeat recurring and annual projects that have shown great need to be continued. We will also be implementing and generating new service as times change and the community needs are recognized. I look to members to bring potential projects forward as the need is identified, and then the Community Service Committee along with the Board will decide if we are in a position to take on the project.

What is a Gran Fondo you ask - well Glenn Dobie and Frank Vanden Broek gave an excellent presentation explaining what this is.  Gran Fondo means long bike ride or of great endurance.'.  

They are  great cycling events across Canada, and the USA. Sharing the experiencewith hundreds of passionate riders in these spectacular settingsprovides memories that will last a lifetime.

Under the guidance of Glenn and Frank, a committee has been working at getting the Kootenay Rockies Gran Fondo up and running.  The date for this bike ride is September 8th, 2013.

An excellent presentation was given by Glenn and Frank, here outlining the overall route of the Gran Fondo.

On November 15th the final presentation of the Values & Ethics program was conducted at Mt Baker High School.

Presenting the program was Don Kawano of the Cranbrook Rotary Club (pictured above)

I would like to thank Glenn Dobie, Darryl Bishop and Don Kawano for being presenters during this program; your presentations were done very well.

Several Sunrise Rotarians, and Cranbrook Rotarians assisted in the program by facilitating the students.  Your involvement is also greatly appreciated.  We also had the services of some of the COTR Human Services Program students, which was very beneficial.

The next round of presentations will take place in the Spring of 2013, and once again we will be calling upon the services of both Rotary Clubs.  In the meantime debriefing meetings will be held in order to work at improving the program.

Interact clubs around the world are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the program. For World Interact Week

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting. 

Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools in the same community.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:

Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary as the sponsor of Sam Steele Sweetheart Brianna Kennedy, was very proud of the effort she put forth and  being crowned Sam Steele Sweetheart.

Brianna entertained the gathering with a presentation of her speech -

The Furry Glory 
It was an excellent presentation about moustaches,
Movember and prostate cancer.

Congratulations Brianna - a job very well done!

The SUNRISER, the weekly bulletin of Cranbrook Sunrise Rotary.