This Rotor can also be found on the FRONT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE,
on the right side (where it used to be).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome to November - this is Rotary Foundsation Month in the world of Rotary and is the month when our focus is on the role the Foundation place in our activities at home and abroad;
Next Thursday, Nov.10 In-person noon meeting at the Delta with Guest Speaker, DG Fred Wright - he will review the Membership Survey Results and address the District Action Plan - please attend to learn and prepare ourselves to move forward together;
Nov 10 - 5:15 P.M. ZOOM Directors Meeting
District Retreat Nov 11 & 12 at the Atlas Hotel - Club still has funded spots available so this is a great opportunity to learn and lead - check with President Jeff;
President Jeff opened the meeting at 12:05, welcomed the 26 ZOOM ‘ed in members and visitors to November's first meeting. He reminded us that the meeting was being broadcast from Treaty 4 Territory and paid our respects to the First Nation and Metis ancestors of this land.
President Jeff called on Peter Peters to introduce our Guest Speaker PDG Chris Offer. Peter indicated that Chris is a member of the Rotary Club of Ladner, in District 5040 and served as the District's Governor in 1999-2000. A career policeman which began at the RCMP Depot in Regina, Chris transitioned to the Vancouver Police Service from which he retired after 31 years of service.
Chris has served Rotary on many District, Zone and Rotary International committees and task forces and has been a presenter and speaker at all those venues. He is currently on the Board of Directors of TRF Canada. Chris is a recipient of TRF's Citation of Meritorious Service, RI's Service Above Self Award and TRF's Service Award for a Polio Free World.
Chris and his PDG wife Penny, are major donors to the Rotary Foundation, charter members of the Bequest Society, members of the Paul Harris Society, and were inducted into the Rotary Arch C. Klumph Society.
In his presentation, Chris focused on the important role Rotary has historically played in peace. This became real in 1921 at the International Rotary Convention in Edinburgh when the 4th Object of Rotary "peace and world understanding" was adopted, an accomplishment credited in part to Canadian Donald MacRae. This achievement was followed by organizing UNESCO in 1942; the UN charter in 1949; the creation of the Rotary Peace Centers in 1999; the Partnership with the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) in 2017, which Chris referred to as a "watershed" moment; and finally, the new Peace Center in Uganda in 2021. Chris noted the Rotary magazine has, over the decades, shared Rotarian stories of Peace.
Chris addressed the question, "What is Positive Peace?" He defined, "Negative Peace", as the absence of direct violence/ the absence of fear and violence. On the other hand Positive Peace is "attitudes, institutions, and structures that sustain peace".
We learned from Chris that IEP approach provides optimal environment for human potential to flourish. This is strengthened by 8 interconnected pillars. Namely; well-functioning government, equitable distribution of resources, free flow of information, good relations with neighbours, sound business environment, low levels of corruption, acceptance of the rights of others, and, high levels of human capital. Chris drew a parallel between these and Rotary's 7 Areas of Focus, and encouraged Rotarians to explore and become more familiar with the Positive Peace concept.
So, what are the opportunities to get involved in peacebuilding?
Consider joining The Positive Peace Academy. This is a free training where you discover strategies and tools that can help individuals build and sustain peace(go to: www.PositivePeace.Acedemy/Rotary
Nominate candidates for Rotary Peace Fellowship
Review your clubs current projects and talk about the peace connection
Join Rotary Action Groups
Donate to Rotary Peace Centers
PDG Chris Offer
Chris concluded by speaking briefly about the important work that Peace Centre graduates, which number in excess of 1,500 are undertaking around the world including a young man who is in Saskatoon. Chris provided a packed 20 plus minutes of information on Positive Peace and how it has the potential to be an increasingly more important pillar on which Rotary can build.
Gail Bradley extended the attendees thanks to PDG Chris for his quality presentation.
The Smile Says It All
Thanks to Toshi Shinmura and Gail Bradley for arranging the World Polio Day portion of last week's meeting - and special thanks to all who donated in response to Ramesh Ferris presentation.
The following is an End Polio Facebook post shared by today’s Guest Speaker Chris Offer on the importance of Rotary’s PolioPlus leadership;
“What if #Rotary never accepted the challenge to #endpolio. Over 350,000 kids getting polio every year, missing out on the simple joys of childhood. That was the reality then–now there are only 2 countries remaining, let’s make it all so we can have a polio free world.”
The Family of Rotary
This week be were saddened to learn that long time and Honorary Member of Regina Eastview, Madhao passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 98. Madhao and his wife, Kusum, who passed away in February 2022, were an integral part of Regina Eastview from the time Madhao joined the Club. Madhao was welcomed into Eastview in 1985 right after he retired from medical practice the first time. He retired the 2nd time 10 years later, when he stepped back from serving as the Medical Officer for the RCMP at Depot Division and "F" Division. He continued to volunteer with a number of organizations such as Operation Eye Sight, the Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatchewan Division and the Canadian Cancer Society Saskatchewan Division.
The Thakre's were a loved and appreciated couple in Rotary and in the Regina Community - knowing them was to be enriched by their friendship.
Honorary Member Dr. Madhao Thakre
FELLOWSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
President Jeff's selected team of Philosopher and Sergeant-At-Arms, were not named but their roles were automatically filled by Volunteers - Allen Hillsden shared appropriate Winston Churchill Wisdom and Jeff jumped in as Sergeant;
No one took advantage of a virtual Rotobuck by admitting to have attending last week’s City Council Meeting to watch and hear his Regina Public conversation;
Only Doug Mortin admitted to having booked a winter vacation be for "the snow whitened our world" - he was able to determine what this was worth;
Happy dollars came from Allen Hillsden who is going to Winnipeg with his son to pick up his newly Crowned Engineer grandson, who has landed a job with Degelman Industries Ltd, Regina - always nice when the family comes home;
Al Hoeft told us of the COVID Isolation 40th Wedding Anniversary Celebration he and Karen shared - Congratulations for the 40 years of togetherness and handling the COVID touch;
Ann Grahame sifted through a quantity of plastic totes filled with Rotary files, selected some to be passed on to Allen Hillsden and shared the rest with Crown Shred - it emptied a corner of the garage;
Gary Carlson was looking fit and indicated he had just survived 5 days in hospital - nice;
President Jeff extended a big thank you to Richard Schwan and Jean-Marc Nadeau for residing over the last 2 meetings as he fulfilled his responsibility to the Regina Public Library;
Wishing you all a great week - see you in 7 days.
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“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
Today's guests
President Jeff was pleased to welcome our Guest Speaker PDG Chris Offer (RC of Ladner RI D 5040), along with Visiting Rotarians Bob Durston (Neepawa) and Doug Keam (Regina). Thank you, Gentlemen for being part of our Rotary day.
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