POINSETTIA PROMO!

FROM MARIE:

A list of potential business customers in Sidney was distributed at the last Rotary meeting. Four members have kindly offered to canvass selected areas. Another NINE canvassers are required. One does not have to actually up-sell the poinsettias and could just leave the green order form with the businesses and ask them to phone the canvasser with their order. A second visit back to inquire if they would like to place an order is crucial for sales and to advise of the delivery date.

We’ll be promoting the 6-inch/$10.00 plants as the larger ones will have to be a special order late on in the month (Marigold Nurseries are not producing the larger ones this year and will only be receiving them in late November).

Jinny and I will be handing out the necessary green order forms, maps and info sheets regarding plant care and delivery on Thursday, November 1st, and the following Thursday for those who have not stipulated their designated areas as yet.

Delivery will be Thursday, November 29th. Drivers with vans would be appreciated to help deliver the plants. They must be delivered in a closed unit as they are topical flowering plants and can not withstand cold or cold drafts for any length of time.Information regarding sales/designated areas/delivery can be made to Marie Rosko (656-2358/cell 858- 2241; mrosko@telus.net) or to Jinny (655-8823; jhambly@shaw.ca).

This time we'll KNOW who's coming to dinner!

The club will be holding a Social Event specifically for the purpose of raising what could be a thousand dollars or more to get us going on Rotary Foundation fundraising for projects. The money remains in our club, a budgeted line item & starts us on a road to be able to request matching funds for any international service project the club may wish to pursue.

What is the event:
A Rotary Social, an evening of Wine, Hors d’Oeuvre and Fellowship

When:
6.30 PM Friday 23 November

Where:
@ the Batemans

For Whom:
Rotarians, spouses, significant others

Cost $25.00 per person
Dress Casual

Rotarians will be asked to bring either their favorite dessert or appetizer. Wine and a non-alcoholic punch will be provided as will all other necessities such as glasses, plates etc.
We would hope to have at least 40 people and thus raise $1,000.00.

If you would like to participate, John Bardsley will be circulating a sign-up sheet. We could arrange rides to the Batemans thus enabling people to have an unconcerned very happy social evening.

Please respond indicating if your significant other will attend with you, which of the appetizer or dessert you will be bringing, and whether you want to participate in the taxi service. The $25 per person can be paid at any convenient time, preferably before the event.

BALLOT BOX BLUES

We may not be going to the polls in a federal election, but we had our own little referendum of sorts—on the matter of merging. Peter Bradley, sporting his best farmer-john-jeans-and-plaid-flannel-shirt sartorial splendour, this morning gave us the grand totals for the results of our semi-secret ballot.

• Question 1, on the topic of whether we agreed in principle with the concept of a merger between the SBS and Sidney clubs: 28 YES, 3 NO.
• Question 2, regarding whether we supported having two morning and two evening meetings a month: 15 YES, 15 NO, 1 NO ANSWER
• Question 3, asking whether we would attend those meetings: 13 YES, 16 NO, 2 NO ANSWER

The end result (which apparently was quite similar at the Sidney club) is that at this point, we're not ready for a merger, but we'll continue to examine the possibilities, and in the meantime we'll endeavour to work even more closely on projects with the Sidney club—an evolution that has been gradually taking place anyway.

AUTUMN DITCH DIVING

A little band of intrepid ditch-divers took to the edges of the Pat Bay Highway last Saturday, making our second round of keeping the "Beautiful" in "Beautiful BC" for 2007. The merry band included our fearless Ditch Director, Lloyd Kruger and a motley assortment of armed and dangerous Rotarians: Charlie Long, Meredith Reeve, Jinny Hambly, Pat Bonser, Peter Guerra, Lianne Macdonald, Hein Moes, and Bruce and Marg Burns.

We found car parts, bicycle wheels, car tires, kitchen chairs, realtor signs, lots of fast food detritus, coffee cups, pop bottles and beer cans (including one immense, economy-sized beer bottle, complete with rubber stopper), and Lianne's least favourite finds—snakes. Dead and alive. To quote Lianne:

"The first four were small and living and squirmy...YUK! The last one was actually dead but it was big and fat and by the time I came across that one I was ready to shed my own skin!"

See the fun you're missing??? Why not join us for the next outing...probably in the Spring. It'll be a great way to warm up to your summer tan — if the weather is as nice then as it was last Saturday.

REVERSE DRAW — THE FINAL WORD

I am sure most of SBS Rotarians know that the Reverse draw was a resounding success with little expense other than the prize money. We are looking at approximately $18,000.00 towards the water spray park. Patti Slegg of Slegg Lumber donated her winnings—$1000.00—back to the Club, as did Ron and Susan Gurney who each won $100.00. This brought our total gross to $31,200.00, with thanks to all of our fellow Rotarians who helped with ticket sales, producing the program, helping out that evening and decorating the hall. An excellent example of our Club working for a good cause with their time, energy, sales and fellowship. It was a great night! Lianne Macdonald is pulling her Service Club committee together to begin the job of organizing the construction of the water spray park. We are hoping for a early Spring start.

Marie Rosko and Ginny Hambley will be meeting this month to organize the annual Christmas Poinsettias sales. Please start to think of all those people who would love to have a beautiful Poinsettias either as a gift or to grace their home. Delivery will be at the end of November to allow everyone to relax and enjoy the Christmas December season.

— Marie

SAVING SMILES, CHANGING LIVES

Guest speaker Bev Hoag gave us an extraordinary presentation about her participation in the Rotaplast program. Rotaplast facilitates surgical missions to developing countries to treat, free of charge, children born with cleft lip/cleft palate anomalies—deformities that can lead to serious malnutrition, child abandonment and social shunning. Through her Powerpoint presentation, Bev shared with us the things that touched her most about working with these children as a non-medical team member—both the heart-warming and the heart-breaking moments.

District 5020 will once again be participating in a Rotaplast mission in 2008. If you're interested in being a non-medical volunteer, check out the most recent edition of the district newsletter for more information. You can also visit the Rotaplast website at http://www.rotaplast.org/ or Rotaplast Canada at http://www.rotaplastcanada.com/.

OCTOBER OMENS

The omens for October are indeed auspicious. We started it off by welcoming new member Len Mulholland. It seems like he's been coming to the club for ages; we're glad that he (and we) have finally made it official!

Below, it turns out it DOES pay to gamble....Dan Mercer from the Sidney Rotary Club hands over a cheque to Peter—our share of the proceeds from the games of chance booths at the Saanich Fall Fair. Thanks to all those Rotarians (and their assorted spouses, children and hangers-on) who put in all those hours, perfecting their best carnie barker skills.