SHELTERBOX

Early last week, Peter forwarded an update to members about where the ShelterBox that we purchased had been sent:

"...the ShelterBox donated by the RC of Sidney by the Sea has been sent to Karachi, Pakistan, to aid Cyclone Yemyn victims in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces. Your box was part of a shipment of 56 Canadian boxes sent to the area."

For those of you who didn't have an opportunity to follow the link to the Shelter Box website, here's a little bit more information:

July 23 — Another 200 ShelterBoxes should arrive in Pakistan tomorrow - bringing to 920 the total now dispatched to victims of Cyclone Yemyin. The aid sent has provided enough tents to house more than 10,000 people, plus other essential equipment such as water containers, mosquito nets, cooking equipment - and 500 of ShelterBox's new flatpack wood-burning stoves. Having set up the logistics for the distribution of aid to the most needy area, the charity's SRT members have now returned to the UK and the next consignment of boxes will be distributed by Pakistan's National Rural Support Programme, the agency with which ShelterBox has been working.

Local children help ShelterBox Response Team member carry a box.

GOVERNOR NORM'S CHALLENGE

At our July 26th meeting, President Peter introduced us to District Governor Norm's Challenge -- an avenue to increase member participation in club, district and Foundation activities.

Those who meet the challenge will be awarded a special "Rotary District 5020 Express" pin by Norm at or before the 2008 District Conference. As always, the Four Way Test applies. In order to receive your pin, you must have points tallied in each of the three activities: two in club, one in district and one in Foundation. A bonus may be added to give a score of 100.

Club Activities:

1. Do a makeup or a Friendship Exchange at another Rotary Club
2. Invite a student to a Rotary meeting or event
3. Serve as a club officer/director or chair of a club committee
4. Bring a new Rotary member into your club

District Activities:

1. Attend a Membership or Foundation seminar in the district
2. Attend the DLTA of 2007 or 2008 in Victoria
3. Register to attend the District Conference, May 30-June 1, 2008

Foundation Activities:

1. Become (or renew) a Rotary Foundation Sustaining Membership
2. Become a Rotary Foundation Benefactor this Rotary year
3. Make a contribution of $1000 or more to the Foundation this year.

Bonus:

• Attend DG Norm's official visit to our club on September 6th.

Peter handed out challenge forms at the meeting. If you weren't there, sidle up to Peter and ask for one next week.

Bits and Bytes from the RI Website

• The Rotary International Board of Directors has changed the tentative site of the 2009 RI Convention from Seoul to Birmingham, England. The event was provisionally scheduled in Seoul for 21-24 June 2009. The change was necessary because some segments of the planning for the convention were behind schedule. These delays and other associated issues hindered the ability of local Rotary clubs to organize and host such a large-scale, international meeting.

• President William B. Boyd and General Secretary Ed Futa presided over the election of the new RI officers (at the Salt Lake convention). The highlight came when the voting delegates cast their ballots for Dong Kurn Lee of the Rotary Club of Seoul-Hangang, Seoul, Korea, for president of RI in 2008-09. Lee will be RI’s first president from Korea. Mr. Lee is chairman of the Bubang Co. Ltd. and Bubang Techron Co. Ltd. manufacturing companies in Seoul and a former trustee of the Bank of Seoul. In 2005, Republic of Korea President Roh Moo-hyun appointed him as an international goodwill ambassador. Inspired by the volunteer work of his father, the late Won-gap Lee, Mr. Lee joined Rotary in 1971. He served as a director of Rotary International and a trustee of The Rotary Foundation, which is supported solely by voluntary contributions and works to improve health, support education and alleviate poverty. He has also volunteered for a variety of jobs around the world to oversee a follow-up project for Rotary International.Korea has the fourth-largest number of Rotarians after the United States, Japan, and India.

• Ray Klinginsmith, chair of the 2008 Convention Committee, invites Rotarians to join him next June in Los Angeles. More than 3,000 people have already registered.

• Bringing Clean Water and Hope for a Better Future: A recent RI Foundation Matching Grant allowed Rotarians in India to provide 36 hand wells to rural villages in Andhra Pradesh state where there is a severe shortage of water. Access to clean water will improve the quality of life for those living in these villages by helping to prevent disease and alleviate poverty. In partnership, the Rotary clubs of Vinukonda Central, India (D3150), and Castle Hill, Australia (D9680), have not only brought safe drinking water to these communities but improved health and hope for a better future as well. Every Rotarian, every project, and every contribution makes a difference every year.

OUR VERY SPECIAL GRAD!

We're all very proud of Ing Sirikulbordee — our Rotary International Youth Exchange student from Thailand. She graduated from Parkland Secondary School this June, a celebration shared by her family who came across the Pacific to cheer her on, and to meet some of the people who have shared this special year with her.

We all remember Ing's first visit to our club — she knew just a bit of English, but she wasn't shy about using it, and she made a great first impression on our members. When she began to attend some of our meetings in the final months of her stay, it was gratifying to see what changes just a few months had made, and how much she had become part of her temporary community. Ing is truly a model of what the Rotary International Youth Exchange program is all about.

We wish Ing the best of luck in the future — and we're sure whatever path she takes, she will be very successful.

TACOMA 5020 CONFERENCE REPORT

Peter Bradley shares his impressions from the District 5020 Conference recently held in Tacoma:

The district conference of Rotary District 5020 was held at the Sheraton in Tacoma, Washington. The function of District conferences is to bring clubs within the district up to speed on what is happening at the district level as well as to inform Rotary International of our District activities as well as apprising our District of the latest developments at Rotary international.

One of the problems of belonging to a large international organization such as Rotary is that a lot of communication becomes essential. At an individual level, this translates into the dreaded word meetings! It is impossible to attend everything at a district conference. Therefore, I made my focus international service.

I attended three presentations, one on drilling wells in Uganda, another on education for women and children in rural Mexico, and a third on feeding malnourished children in Bolivia. Part and parcel of some of these projects is the ongoing microcredit projects for which our own Project Unity is doing such an admirable job. There were presentations on Polio Plus, a project of which as Rotarians we can all be justly proud.

I spent an interesting couple hours at a presentation by Jerry Hall of Vice President of RI discussing how our organization at an international level interacts with clubs at the club and district level. In my opinion, attendance at a district conference is a valuable and informative experience for anyone involved in the Rotary movement.

PARADE PLAUDITS

A note from Noel, our fearless Chief Parade Marshall:

To All

James says that this parade went off just sweet!!

I say, 'Thanks to the Rotarians who did the marshalling'! (Twice! Both as an answer to James, and as my personal thanks to all of you for the excellent job you did.)

While clearing up at the end, going around picking up the stakes, etc., I was told by two (different) entrants that were themselves 'still packing up' that this was the best parade in years with respect to help and directions for finding their spots and getting smoothly through the lineup!

Once again, SBTS-Rotary rises to the occaision!

Noel