WHAT A NIGHT!

The Reverse Draw was a resounding success. Thanks to everyone who pitched in before, during and after the evening's event. As always, Rotarians demonstrated their sense of teamwork and community spirit, and made this fund-raiser a success not just in a monetary sense but in ensuring the evening was a fun occasion for all.

Kenny and John (above and below) keep guests guessing what the REAL definition of an 'arms-length' of 50/50 tickets is.

Corinne Coell provided great music to calm the jitters of those waiting in anticipation of their ticket being drawn.

Karen, before and after her Gypsy Rose Lee performance. Actually, she just had to have short sleeves in order for her to be able to legally draw the tickets (although she did seem to enjoy the moment!).

Lloyd dips into the draw tank—without having to do a striptease!

Noel takes his turn in the Vanna White role.

Clive Tanner cleans up in the 50/50 draw (above) and puts the voodoo on Marie as the draw gets down to the final four (below).

Marie presents Fraser Smith with a special certificate of appreciation for his considerable support for the water spray park project.

Lianne verifies the last few numbers with Linda, as the tension mounts.

WILL YOU BE THE LUCKY ONE??

Got your ticket yet? Who will be the lucky person? It won't be you unless you've bought your ticket for the Reverse Draw on Saturday, September 29th! You'll still be able to buy tickets at the event, so if you haven't gotten yours yet (or you'd like to multiply your chances by buying another ticket or two), there's still time. But of course, the luckiest people of all will be the kids of Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula when the Water Spray Park becomes a reality.

See you there!

VOLUNTEERING IN AFGHANISTAN

Our guest speaker on September 27th was Dr. Peter Sherk, a local civilian doctor specializing in Internal Medicine who volunteered to work at the medical facility at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan for a month last spring (and who will be returning there for a second volunteer stint next year). His impressions of his time there—and the images that illustrated the things (large and small) that brought the contrasts between "there" and "here" so vividly to him—were at times disturbing and at times humorous. His candid opinions on the situation that Canada (and the world) face in striving to help Afghanistan and its people gave us much food for thought.

The medical facility at the airfield offers the services available at most hospitals. Overseen by Canadians, it is staffed by military doctors, nurses and medical technicians from several Coalition nations, and treats patients from all the Coalition forces, as well as Afghan nationals. In fact, Dr. Sherk indicated that by far the majority of the patients they treated were Afghans.

To learn more about Canada's mission in Afghanistan, visit http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/afghanistan/index_e.asp. The images below are from that website.

Speaking of Polio...

As a follow-up to Governor Norm Watts' comments about continuing Rotary's commitment to polio eradication, Don Bateman forwarded the following very relevant thoughts from Joan Firkins, Region 5020 Foundation Chair:

FOUNDATION TALK ABOUT POLIO
This week I would like to bring you up to date with information about the Rotary Foundation's #1 priority which is, of course, to eradicate the polio virus from the face of the earth. It is important that we keep this goal in mind, that we talk about it at our Rotary meetings and that we ensure our members know that it is realistic that we will eradicate polio.

As at August 28th,2007 there have been 420 cases of polio year to date ~355 cases in endemic countries and 65 in non-endemic. A reminder that the four endemic countries are Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. In the same period in 2006 there were 1,115 cases globally, 1,019 in endemic countries and 96 in non-endemic - 2007 therefore is showing a substantial decrease in polio cases being reported. The most amazing turnaround is in Nigeria ~ as at August 28th, there have been only 165 cases of polio vs. the same period in 2006 totalling 746 ! This is great news and we must keep up the fight! One of the problems at the moment is extreme flooding in Kano state in Nigeria which is hindering the immunization days.

So you can see that progress is being made in record numbers ~ I encourage you to have a club program on PolioPlus Partners and get a number of people involved in putting on the program. There is lots of information at polioeradication.org and there is an abundance of information on the rotary.org website. Invite your Interact or your Rotaract club to the meeting so that they can be informed about Rotary's involvement in polio; encourage your newer members to make a contribution to PolioPlus Partners so that they can be part of the success stories; most of all, be innovative in raising funds and along with everyone's continuing support we will achieve a polio free world!

Governor Norm Watts Visits

Governor Norm Watts and his wife Marion hauled themselves out of bed bright and early Thursday morning to make their official visit to our Sidney by the Sea Rotary Club. Norm joined Rotary in 1985. He immediately took on responsibilities in the Rotary Club of Wolfville, Nova Scotia and served as President in 1993-94. Within District 7820, Norm was involved as a conference organizer and as a district trainer. With a move to Vancouver Island he has became a member of the Rotary Club of Qualicum Beach, serving as a committee chair, as a director, and as President in 1998-99. In the year 2000 he was appointed Assistant Governor in District 5020. For twenty years Norm worked as a university teacher at Acadia University in Atlantic Canada and previous to that he taught at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia Norm's career focused on education; he has also taught within the public schools as well as worked as a curriculum consultant for the Nova Scotia Department of Education. He was raised on Montreal Lakeshore, Quebec. There he met his wife Marion and married in 1962. Marion, who is also a Rotarian, and Norm reside in Qualicum Beach.

Governor Norm Watts

Norm shared with us his enthusiasm for Rotary and the importance of continuing to bring new members into the fellowship of Rotary. He also touched on the need for vigiliance and staying the course in the long-term goals of Rotary and the Rotary Foundation, citing our organization's on-going commitment to polio eradication as compared to the resurgence of malaria once international funding for an eradication program was cut decades ago.

The boys get pinned: Stuart Lang, John Bruce, Governor Watts, Peter Guerra, Don Bateman, Peter Bradley. (Missing from the photo: John Bardsley — to whom Norm gave the pin off his own lapel!)

During the meeting, Norm presented several members with pins, recognizing their role in sponsoring new members. Pins were also presented to a few stalwart Rotarians who have already met Governor Norm's Challenge. To top off the morning's presentation, Governor Norm presented Hein Moes with his Paul Harris Fellowship.

Hein receives his Paul Harris Fellowship from Governor Watts.

Marion did not sit idly by: she had prepared a brochure that was distributed to members as well, highlighting "ROTARY'S GEMS". These are great Rotary programs, but perhaps ones that are less well known. Highlighted in the brochure were Friendship Exchanges, Rotary Scholarships, Rotary Fellowships and Action Groups, Rotarians for Hearing and Rotary Volunteers—along with contact information or website addresses of sources of further information.

SAANICH FALL FAIR

Thanks to all SBS Rotarians and our colleagues at the Sidney club — for taking time out of their last holiday weekend of the summer in order to help out at all the Rotary booths: the ice cream kiosk, the games of chance and the kids games. Another great joint effort. Thanks too, to all the family members who pitched in. Great job, everyone!