Our Home Town 50-50 Draw - MAY 2024
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Our Home Town 50-50 Draw - FEB 2024
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Drive Fore the Pier Charity Golf Tournament |
Summerland Rotary Club provides assistance following Turkey, Syria earthquakeThe Rotary Club of Summerland today announced that we have made a significant donation to SHELTERBOX CANADA and its relief efforts in response to the urgent needs in Turkey and Syria following the disastrous earthquake. ShelterBox was originally founded by a Rotary club in the UK, and over many years has made a tangible difference to the lives of people around the world. What began as a local initiative is now a movement that provides emergency shelter to millions around the world. Rotary International and SHELTERBOX CANADA have partnered for many years in disaster relief around the globe and local Rotary club members endorse ShelterBox as a trusted and reputable group to support, and donations can be made at shelterboxcanada.org, or through the local Rotary club. ShelterBox states “We can’t replace what was lost, but we can help families rebuild their homes, and their lives.” ShelterBox is known for its unique approach in tailoring aid that meets the needs of a community, but mostly for the ShelterBoxes and ShelterKits. These sturdy green “boxes” contain family-sized tents specifically designed to withstand the elements and provide people with temporary shelter until they are able to start the process of rebuilding a home. The “Kits” and “Boxes” contain items that help transform shelter into a home – like cooking sets, solar lights and activity sets for children. ShelterBox is able to respond quickly and efficiently to disasters by transporting items from their positioned hubs around the world, and are mobilizing resources as available in coordination with other organizations to have maximum affect and influence in the current relief efforts in Turkey and Syria. Many individual and group donors choose to support ShelterBox to the value of a “Box”, about $1,200, but all donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable tax receipt. ShelterBox is a registered Canadian charity. The Rotary Club of Summerland is proud of its many local accomplishments, but also its commitment to the global goals of Rotary International which include working together to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, and in support of relief efforts during disasters such as the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.  If you need more information, contact a local member of the Rotary Club of Summerland, or go our website summerlandrotary.ca. |
Valentine's Dinner & Dance 2023 
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TEST Clubrunner Functions |
Guatemalan Student Walking the Path to a Brighter FutureEighth-grader Rosa is no stranger to hard work. She regularly helps her mother in the fields and tends to the family’s own crops and livestock. At the end of elementary school, she was on the all-too-common edge of dropping out, as the cost of going to school increased. She’d already come three years further than her mother, Leoncia, who only finished third grade. But thanks to the Thousand Girls Initiative, Rosa was selected to enter our Rise Youth Development Program. Her journey has been so inspiring that she was even recently featured by a superhero! (OK... a superhero actor.) |
Garry Hollingshead speaks about The Rotary Foundation Rotarians and guests had the pleasure of hearing from Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, at our Rotary meeting this past Tuesday. Garry spoke to the Club about The Rotary Foundation and how it's Mission is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. Now is the time for all of us to think about donations to The Rotary Foundation! With your help, we can make lives better in our own community and around the world. Help support the cause and consider donating through our website: Thank you! |
Welcome to Newest Summerland Rotarian, Carolyn Courtemanche! (L-R): Director of Membership, Wolfgang Muhs, Carolyn Courtemanche, and Carolyn's brother, Doug Carnegie, who is Treasurer/fellow Summerland Rotarian. Welcome to the newest member of the Rotary Club of Summerland, Carolyn Courtemanche, who was installed into our Club during our breakfast meeting on Tuesday, October 19th. We look forward to getting to know you beter over the coming Rotary year! |
Canadian Flags for SummerlandCELEBRATE CANADA Paint Summerland Red & White with Flags  Summerland Rotary Club will place a 54” X 27” Canadian flag in your yard to help celebrate Canada Day, BC Day and Labour Day. A flag pole anchored in a flag pole holder will be installed at your home or business for about 5 days on each occasion. Installation & removal will be by Summerland Rotarians. The flags are available for a $50.00 tax deductible donation to the Summerland Rotary Club (not pro-rated by holiday). The flags remain the property of the Rotary Club. Proceeds from the flag program will be used to support local Summerland area projects like Giants Head trails, West Summerland Station, school breakfast programs, high school and college bursaries, and more projects on the horizon. Please Register early, preferably by May 30th: Click on the link below donate via credit card Or Interac e-transfer $50 to donations@summerlandrotary.ca For More Information call Carol @ 250-494-4194   |
Our Local Project: West Summerland StationRotary is busy building the new West Summerland Station at Victoria Road South and Simpson Road! This is an exciting opportunity to preserve our local history and provide another great space for the community. Come and check out the progress in person or see pictures below: Don’t Miss the Grand Opening of the new KVR Summerland Station Coming This Spring...  |
Rotary Foundation Giving Tuesday Giving Tuesday is a global movement for charities and individuals to come together for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. On Tuesday December 3rd, join the community of donors that support Rotarian projects around the world by making an online gift to The Rotary Foundation. Online giving is a fast, secure way to help families and communities that need it most — no wrapping paper required! Words from from the heart  of Aart, proud Summerland Rotarian: The Rotary Foundation and Rotary members are the artery of Rotary. The mission of the Rotary Foundation (of Rotary International) is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The foundation has grown since start-up in 1917 from virtually nothing to a $1B support system to date. The funding comes from Rotarians like you and me, and friends of the foundation who share its vision. To put that in perspective … Rotary has some 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries with 1.2 million members that form a global network to build the Rotary Foundation and volunteer their time and talents to serve their communities and the world. So when you donate, you are helping all Rotary members, including yourself, make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world, at home and abroad.  |
Canadian Leadership Assistance Program in Bangladesh
Hi Aart and Rotary Club Members: Just to update you on our project in Bangladesh as Canadian Leadership Assistance Program (CLAP) continues to press on in the Tribal Hills. CLAP continues to serve our 200 children in 3 villages in the Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh. We are able to, sustain the supplies, equipment and teacher salary through our monthly donations program. Thanks to the Rotary Summerland, 21 young ladies and moms graduated from the sewing program and have either begun their own businesses or got hired in the clothing industry. Bangladesh is amongst the leading textile industry in the world so there is a lot of opportunity for these ladies to find jobs - either in the factory or at home for their own villages. When we were there in January I had the opportunity to meet a young man who's mother was finishing off the program and was already hired in her field. Just this one story changed the lives of this family as they were able to provide their children a better quality of life. CLAP was also able to purchase a rice harvest. There are over 100 varieties of rice grown in Bangladesh. We were able to see the field workers hard at work planting. When the time of harvest would come, this rice mill would provide for many villages food for their families. and also the ability to sell in the markets. Currently we are working toward building a high school and training center. We have 5 acres of land on which we will build a school, office, living quarters, and kitchen. The school will begin at high school level and also after post graduate education in sewing, carpentry, fisheries and agriculture. We are achieving these funds through fund raising endeavors (in April we had a hardware sale and raised $4500.00 and in May we had our annual garage sale and raised $7300). Also, at the end of September (29) we will be hosting our 3rd annual Dinner and Silent Auction (see attached poster). If you are interested in tickets let me know. We have broken down the building project into 3 phases - the first being teachers quarters and classrooms to begin the school as soon as possible. The second phase will include the living quarters and kitchen and the third phase will include the training center. It is quite the process, but we are slowly moving forward to provide better education, training and sustainable living for the tribal people of Bangladesh. Finally, I would truly thank the Summerland Rotary for all their support as a club and many individuals from the Club. Chantelle for providing a gift basket for the Silent Auction; to Leanne for setting aside the oodles of bottles from your campers during our bottle drives; to the lady who recently donated the proceeds from an auction your Rotary Club held; and to Aart for all his encouragement along the way. I feel so blessed to be part of such a supportive community. Thank you all and God bless. Carolyn CLAP President  |
10 Days to Register to be Entered to Win Your District 2020 Conference Fee - 10 Good Reasons to Register Now!! April 23rd to April 26th, 2020 Kelowna 10 Days to Register to be Entered to Win Your District 2020 Conference Fee 10 Good Reasons to Register Now!! 10. You will have a great time and you will be inspired! 9. Kelowna in April is spectacular, blooming with flowers and lots to do. Maybe visit a winery, golf, bike or take a walk in the hills or downtown. We have great additional events planned. 8. The Grand Okanagan Resort – a Delta Hotel managed by Marriott is a beautiful conference facility right on the lake in downtown Kelowna. And it has a spa! We have a special conference rate. 7. Our Hall of Friendship will welcome you and open your eyes to many great initiatives. 6. Our Welcome Event on Thursday, April 23rd will host you in the historic Laurel Packinghouse, a short walk from the conference hotel. This is always a highlight as we renew and make new friendships. 5. Local Rotarians open their homes on Friday, April 24th to host you for dinner and fellowship. Some of the best lasting memories of attending a conference are created here. Rotarians Connect the World in their own homes. Don’t miss it. 4. Our programs and breakouts offer something for every Rotarian. We have outstanding speakers. Join Michael Angelo Caruso on Friday morning, April 24th for his workshop “Present Like a Pro”. Working with Michael will break boundaries and send your presentation skills through the roof. After all, everything is a presentation. We are lucky to have this highly sought speaker and Rotarian speak twice at the conference. 3. Enjoy and learn from Evan Burrell. He inspires us to “Let's have fun in Rotary" as he passionately promotes Rotary's digital story via social media. Evan is a Digital Media Consultant for the regional Rotary Down Under magazine in Australia. He is going to lead the focus on engaging Youth on Friday afternoon. 2. Be inspired by Crystal Flaman and Jim Marggraff – both outstanding speakers and entrepreneurs with great stories. And there is still more news about more speakers coming your way. And #1 reason to register now? By registering before midnight June 30th, your name will be entered to win the prize of your registration fee of $325.00. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to have a great time in Kelowna, April 23rd to April 26th, 2020. Here is the link to register online https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50005 If you have already registered, thank you and good luck. Watch the conference video (you may recognize a Summerland face or two!): Follow conference updates on Facebook If you are interested in supporting the conference as a sponsor, please contact Kathy Butler, Conference 2020 Chair 250-859-3824 |
Rotarians of the Month for 2018/2019 Rotary Year.jpg) L-R: Roch Fortin, Michael Weis, Karl Seidel, Michael Zang, Chantelle Meriam, Lisa Jaager, Doug Carnegie and Bob Van Balkom. Missing: Vilas Prabhu, Aart Dronkers, Linda Van Alphen, and Ann Kemp. President, Mirjana Komljenovic, presented "Rotarian of the Month" honours to 12 Summerland Rotarians at our breakfast meeting last Tuesday, June 11th. Eight Rotarians were present to accept their awards. Congratulations to all! Lisa Jagger – her work with Ogopogo Bath tub Race, SADI Youth Club, Giants Head Grind and the best Rotary moment of the year Roch Fortin – In September he almost single handily hosted the Golf tournament that raised over $6000. Hosted the Great Christmas gift exchange, our collaborator Doug Carnegie – In October the budget not only is he our treasurer he is on the membership committee, the fundraising committee and attends all our events. Michael Weis – In November Michael convinced his team how important it is to donate funds to Miraj India Project, SADI Board member plus he pours wine. Michael Zang – organized the many socials of the year. Also rocked it on our geological tour. Chantelle Meriam – in the darkness of winter the social butterfly, attends every event and have you noticed, always has a smile. Is our unofficial Miss Sunshine. Bob "the traveler" Van Balkom – He is so young at heart and really thinks he’s a kid. Relates to all the youth. Has worn every scar with the kids. Vilas Prabhu – Brought our club from local to global. Put all his effort to making the global grant happen no matter what. Aart Dronkers - And in this Art is his brother – The ying to his yang. Linda Van Alphen – took on a task that has made our club shine as Sunday Market manager, and Youth Committee Chair Ann Kemp – Our God mother – the one full of Grace. Teaches only by example. Karl Seidel – not just because he has a convertible but because he is a man of integrity. He is kind and giving. His soul is true. |
Installation BBQJoin us for our final gathering of the 2018/2019 Rotary year by joining us for our Installation BBQ on Tuesday, June 25th at 6:00 pm at the home of home of Michael Weis and D'Ann Rochon. Join us as we have thank the outgoing executive, celebrate past presidents and install President, LeeAnna Binder, and the new executive for the 2019/2020 Rotary year.  2018/2019 Rotary Executive were installed at our Installation BBQ at the home of LeeAnna Binder in July 2018 Details as follows: WHEN:Tuesday, June 25th - Cocktails at 6 pm with dinner and ceremony to follow WHERE: 12640 Morrow Avenue, Summerland, BC COST: $20/person - which includes your meal of beef/chicken or vegetarian kabobs. Appetizers, sides, salads and dessert will also be served. GUESTS: Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more or becoming a member of our club, please contact Michael Weis at weism@shaw.ca to RSVP. We would love to have you join us! **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** Reservations are required to join us for this event. If you are able to attend, please RSVP your attendance no later than Friday, June 21st by completing the Online Registration on this page. Your RSVP attendance is very important as we will be purchasing all food items a few days prior to the event. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, June 25th! See you then! |
"Meet Lars' Family" Evening Gathering Social.png) Please join us for a social to welcome and say hello to Lars Silseth's family visiting us from Norway! Lar's Mother, Kamilla, Sister, Vilde, aunt, Unni, and grandparents, Mai-Lis and Asbjorn will be visiting! Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Lars Silseth, has his family visiting from Norway. Please join us at the home of Michael Zang to welcome them at a special social planned for Wednesday, June 26th, around the pool for drinks at 8:30 pm. Other details regarding the event can be found here. Hope to see you there! |
Summerland SolsticeJoin us for the first annual Summerland Solstice. This will be an amazing evening for friends and community including entertainment, delicious food/wine, and auction opportunities. Tickets are limited. .jpg) |
SADI's 9th Annual Dinner FundraiserThe Rotary Club of Summerland is excited to help invest in Summerland Youth and SADI Youth Club. Please join us! We always have a Rotary good time. .jpg) .jpg) |
A Fun Rotary Winter Walk Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday morning for our 3rd Annual Rotary Winter Walk. It turned out to be a wonderful get-together with 10+ individuals in attendance! The group met at the home of Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, at 10 am. Walkers then headed out for the hour walk, finishing back at Michael's home for some warm drinks at the end. Thank you to Rotarian, Michael Weis, for hosting the group. As well, thank you to Rotarian, Michael Zang, for once again organizing this fun gathering. We look forward to our next active fellowship event! |
Reminder: 3rd Annual Rotary Winter Walk taking place this Saturday! Just a friendly reminder - Another Rotary Fellowship get-together will be taking place this upcoming Saturday, January 5th, 2019.
This one is as little lower key than the big bash we had at the Gasthaus in Peachland but will be a chance to get out of the house and have an easy walk in the snow. I know that does not sound too exciting but there will be some goodies at the end! Please bring along your significant other, friends, families and friendly dogs! We will meet at the home of Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 5th. A map will be posted to this event page, showing the route that we will be following along on the walk. A test run shows the round trip will be 1 hour but the grade is very flat. Walkers will need good boots, poles if they have them and snow grippers are always a good idea if it is icy. I hope to see as many as possible the first weekend in January. Yours in Rotary, Michael Zang |
Another Year...Another Polar Bear Dip!  Past Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan Another year, another Polar Bear Dip! Past inbound Rotary Exchange student, David Wu, from Taiwan, took part in the Kinsmen's 34th annual Polar Bear Swim yesterday at Sun-Oka Beach in Summerland. Thanks to Summerland Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, for these pre and post-dip photos of David. Happy New Year!
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Please Consider a Donation to the Miraj High School Project in India
Dear Fellow Rotarians! As you know, our Rotary Club is embarking on a new and exciting project in India. The objective is to make the dilapidated Miraj High School safe and operational again and provide for sustainable clean water, sanitation and improved education. The Miraj School has about 1200 students and caters to the needs of the very poor in the community. The Rotary Club of Ichalkaranji Textile City in India will be our partner. We will need to raise about US$ 40,000 to make this project a reality. That is only US$ 35 per child. The project has been approved by the Summerland Rotary Club, subject to financing. .jpg) Whether you are an individual contributor, a Rotarian or an employee of another organization, please consider to donate. You will have a significant impact on many children, now and in the future. To contribute, please:  Alternatively, you can contact anyone of our International Team Members (Aart Dronkers, Garry Hollingshead, Vilas Prabhu, Nancy Wilson) or our Treasurer Doug Carnegie. You will have a significant impact on many children, now and in the future. Thank you in advance! For further interesting information about this project, please open and view the below documents:
Thank You! Aart Dronkers |
World's Greatest Meal: A Rotary Medieval Feast - A Success!This year's Rotary Medieval Feast was organized in support of World Polio Day and the World's Greatest Meal - a meal to help end Polio. Thanks to everyone who came out to support his important cause. A total of $90 was raised throughout the evening and a great time was had by all. Thank you to Rotarian, Michael Zang for organizing this year's event.   |
2019 Rotary District 5060 Conference Update from District Governor, Sherry Chamberlain   |
Update from Ann Kemp: Summerland Blossom Pageant Banner Presentation.jpg)
Welcome Verity Taylor who will represent the Summerland Rotary Club in this year's Summerland Blossom Pageant. Summerland Rotarian, Linda Van Alphen, and myself joined Verity at the banner presentations that took place on Tuesday, November 13th at the council chambers at City Hall. The event is short and sweet but the girls feel proud to receive their banners. Below are photos taken from the evening. You may notice a few other familiar faces. In the group photo are the Blossom Pageant candidates and in front of them are the Blossom Buds. The Blossom Buds shadow the older girls in some of the activities.
L-R: Our Candidate in this year's Blossom Pageant, Verity Taylor, along with Summerland Rotarians, Ann Kemp and Linda Van Alphen
2018/2019 Summerland Blossom Pageant candidates with their Blossom Buds in front of them |
World's Greatest Meal: A Rotary Medieval Feast!
Over 32 Rotarians, guests and friends joined us for our 2nd annual Rotary Medieval Feast last year in 2017 We wil be celebrating World Polio Day with the World's Greatest Meal - a meal to help end Polio. Details as follows: Mark your calendars for our second social gathering of the fall - a Rotary Medieval Feast! - which will be taking place on Friday, November 23rd at 6 pm at Gasthuas Pub in Peachland. Gasthaus on the Lake 5790 Beach Ave, Peachland Friday, November 23rd 6:00 pm Have a feast fit for a king this November! The Gasthaus’ legendary medieval dinners are a perfect way to make your dinner gathering even more memorable. Pewter plates, dripping wax candelabras, stuffed boar’s head, your waitress in costume and everyone taking on the role of a medieval diner are part of the fun but overshadowed by the impressive feast. We start with homemade bread hot out of the stone oven. Next we serve piping hot soup out of the castle-sized fireplace. The main event is the huge 150lb cast iron pan that two chefs bring to your table. Loaded with ribs, chicken, duck, schnitzel, pork hock, ham and much more. Lastly hot apple fritters are served with ice cream and whipped cream. Cost is $31.90 per person + tax and gratuity (with kids being half this price). More information about the medieval dinners can be found on the Gasthaus website located at http://www.gasthaus.ca/medieval-events. Guests, spouses, and friends are welcome to attend! Please note - in order to have our Rotary Medieval Feast a go, we will need a minimum of 10 individuals participate in the feast. If you plan on attending, please RSVP your attendance no later than Sunday, November 18th by clicking the link so we know how many to reserve for.  Guests, spouses and friends are all welcome to attend! We look forward to seeing you all on Friday, November 23rd! |
AGM/Evening Dinner Meeting - November 6, 2018 Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Evening Dinner and Annual General Meeting at Second Home Café and Grill on Tuesday, November 6th! More photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Rotary Halloween Social - October 30, 2018 Thanks to everyone who came out for our special "Rotary after 5" Halloween Social on Tuesday evening at Sumac Golf and Country Club Restaurant and Lounge. Congratulation to Paul Barber and Sophia Zang who walked away with the prize for best costumes! Thanks to Kim and her team at Sumac Golf and Country Club for hosting our group. It was a great time! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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World Polio Day Breakfast Meeting Over 20 Rotarians, guests and friends joined us for a special breakfast meeting on Tuesday, October 23rd, as we heard from special guest speakers Keith Dixon and Anita Perry as they spoke about Polio. Keith Dixon contracted Polio in 1949 when he was 15 years old. Anita interviews him as Polio damaged his larynx. He shared his emotional experience of acceptance.
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Morning Breakfast Meeting - October 16, 2018 Thanks to everyone who joined us for our breakfast meeting this past Tuesday morning at Second Home Restaurant. Over 20 Rotarians, friends and guests joined us as we heard from special guest speaker, David Hull, Executive Director at the Summerland Chamber of Commerce. It was a great morning. Thank you to everyone who came out!
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Jacob's UpdateJacob Achenson - outbound exchange student is having a great time in Italy October 8th - Today is marks my first 1 month in Italy!!! I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity and I am so excited for the coming months that remain!!!!  |
"Rotary after 5" Halloween Social - RSVP Now! Join us, if you dare. It's going to be spooktacular! In place of our regular morning breakfast meeting, please plan on joining us on Tuesday, October 30th for a special "Rotary after 5" Halloween Social taking place at 6pm at Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club Restaurant and Lounge. There will be prizes for best costumes. We'll enjoy good food from the spooktacular Sumac menu fun and friendship. Invite friends. They'll have a ghoulishly good time. GREETER: Linda Van Alphen 50/50: Marty Van Alphen Reservations required. Please register your attendance below no later than Sunday, October 21st, by registering your attendance online here. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, October 30th! See you then! |
Introducing New Miss Rotary - Verity Taylor! Miss Rotary, Verity Taylor Meet Miss Rotary, Verity Taylor, who will be representing the Rotary Club of Summerland in this year's Summerland Blossom Pageant! Verity is 15 years old and is a grade 11 student at Summerland Secondary School. She is a self taught musician on the piano, ukulele, and guitar and has a passion for all music. As well, Verity has been doing voice lessons with Tracy Fehr for eight years now! "I am so thankful to be apart of the Rotary Club this year and representing you all within the Summerland Blossom Pageant." We look forward to getting to know you over the coming year. Welcome, Verity! |
Evening Dinner Meeting - October 2, 2018 Thanks to everyone who came out for our evening dinner meeting at Second Home Restaurant on Tuesday. Over 20 Rotarians, guests and friends joined us for the first meeting of the new month. Director of Youth Services, Linda Van Alphen, introduced our new Miss Rotary to the Club. Welcome, Verity Taylor! We look forward to having you represent the Rotary Club of Summerland in this year's Summerland Blossom Pageant! Later on in the evening, we heard from special guest speakers, Hannah Hartman and Rich McLeod, joining us from UNISUS International School. Thanks to everyone who joined us for the evening!
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Adams Wildlife Sanctuary Cleanup Top Left - Garry Hollingshead speaks about the recent cleanup at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary Bottom Left - Summerland Rotarians, Paul Barber, Michael Zang and Garry Hollingshead hard at work Bottom Right - Summerland Rotarians, Garry Hollingshead, Les Brough and Brenda Hamilton stop to take a selfie Thank you to those Summerland Rotarians who came out to help clean you Adams Wildlife Sanctuary over the past few weeks. Your help was greatly appreciated!
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Cheque Donation: From Michael Weis and the Coffee Drinkers at the Summerland Research Station L-R: President, Mirjana Komljenovic, with Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis The Rotary Club of Summerland received a nice surprise at their morning breakfast meeting at Second Home Restaurant this past Tuesday. Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, provided the Club with another generous cheque donation of $1000. The donation was the result of the fundraising efforts at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. The Rotary Club of Summerland has been grateful to receive these donations over the past five years, with the donated funds being a great help in the support of many local and international projects including the Summerland Rotary Club's support of SADI (Summerland Asset Development Initiative), the pathway between Summerland and Penticton and the Rotary Club of Summerland's Rotoplast Mission to the Philippines. Thank you to Michael and all of the coffee drinkers up at the Summerland Research and Development Centre for this generous donation! |
Lars' Week in Review - September 25, 2018 Each week, we get to hear Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Lars Silseth, chat about his past week in review. Lars arrived in Canada at the end of August and will be staying in Summerland until June/July 2019. Read about Lars' past week in review here:
"Hi everyone! This weekend I have been on an inbound orientation! An inbound orientation is a meetup and a conference for all the exchange students in D5060. We are in total 23 students, who met on the Sandman hotel in Penticton. We went through all the rules we have, and learned a lot about the Canadian culture, as well as what we are going to do this year. I meet all the other students and they were great, everyone of them! I can already tell, its going to be hard to say good bye to everyone by the end of the year. On Sunday Ann’s wonderful neighbours took me out sailing so this weekend has been really great! Also, a biig thank you to everyone who put in some money for my season pass at Apex! I truly appreciate that!" |
E Div Golf TournamentROTARIANS AT GOLF TOURNAMENT     What fun had by all at The E Division Charity Golf Tournament. Several Rotarians helped one way or another at the tournament put together by Roch Fortin. Despite the cool temperatures, about eighty golfers enjoyed three days of golfing fun. On Thursday evening, guests enjoyed a catered meal at the Summerland Golf & Country Club.
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September 18th Meeting HighlightsThank you to everyone who came out for our morning breakfast meeting this morning at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland. Special thanks to our guest speaker, Angelique Wood, who joined us from the District of Summerland. Angelique is the Community Development Officer with the district and provided an interesting presentation about her role in the community. Linda Van Alphen shared her experience at RLI weekend in Vernon. She completed the Leadership Institute Training with a Certificate awarded at the end of the weekend. Well done Linda. .png) |
Morning Breakfast Meeting - September 18, 2018Thank you to everyone who came out for our morning breakfast meeting this morning at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland. Special thanks to our guest speaker, Angelique Wood, who joined us from the District of Summerland. Angelique is the Community Development Officer with the district and provided an interesting presentation about her role in the community. |
Fall Assembly 2018 - Register NOW Please! To: All Rotarians in District 5060 Please Register Soon!! Fall Assembly is in beautiful Lake Chelan, WA! Fri 26 & Sat 27 October, 2018 Campbell’s Resort, 104 W. Woodin Ave, Chelan Rotarians often wait until the last minute, but to finalize our plans we need to know that you are coming, so please register soon at the District Website:
Who should go??? ALL of you!
Why should you go??? The agenda has several features that you will like… it's all on the website, but repeated for you to have a look at the end of this message.
Hope to see you there! .jpg) Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna District 5060 Governor 2019-2020 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Welcome Back DavidRebound! Welcome Back David  David's host family, The Bloakes greeted David at Penticton Regional Airport along with a hand full of Rotarians  David was grateful to see some familiar faces.
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Lars Arrives |
Inbound Rotary Exchange Student Arriving Soon! Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Lars Silseth, from Norway Say hello to our soon-to-be arriving Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Lars Silseth, from Norway! Lars will be arriving this upcoming Monday, August 27th, and will be spending close to a year in Summerland. Read more about Lars here: "My name is Lars Silseth. Im 17 years old and comes frim Stavanger in Norway. Im attending grade 12, and are really looking forward to that! My interest are friends, skating and go to the gym. I did alot of Opti sailing before so i love everything that can link me to boat...s, water and especially sailing. I definitly look forward to meet alot of mew people and also attend your culture. Im so excited to see how the change from living in a big city, to moving to a really small one will go. And i cant wait to walk around in Summerland!" **NOTE** Lars will be arriving at the Penticton Regional Airport this upcoming Monday, August 27th at 9:15 pm. It would mean so much to him if there was a group to meet him upon his arrival. Hope to see you there! We are all looking forward to meeting you next week, Lars! |
Kamloops Sunrise VisitDID YOU KNOW?  Past President Chantelle Meriam visited Kamloops Sunrise Rotary Club at Hotel 540
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Cheque Presentation CLAP Carolyn Houston receiving a cheque from Aart Dronkers for The CLAP (Canadian Leadership Assistance Program)
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Welcome to Newest Summerland Rotarian, Jamie Shawyer! New Rotarian, Jamie Shawyer, with her sponsor, President-Elect, LeeAnna Jewell Welcome to our newest Rotarian, Jamie Shawyer, who was installed as a member of the Rotary Club of Summerland at our Installation BBQ last Tuesday. We look forward to getting to know you better over the coming Rotary year!
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Summerland Rotary assists with Granfondo Event.jpg)
Thank you to those volunteers from the Rotary Club of Summerland who provided traffic control at many intersections along the Granfondo route through District of Summerland on Sunday, July 8th. This action allowed 2600 cyclists to pass safely though the District without incident. Our two hours dedicated to this event is a significant contribution to the success of a major economical event in the South Okanagan. Thank you to everyone who helped out!  Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, presents President, Mirjana Komljenovic, with a cheque for $400 for the Rotary Club of Summerland's efforts in the 8th annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan bike ride |
Another Summerland Rotary Sunday Market Our wonderful Market volunteers for this past week including Market Manager, Laurel Burnham
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2018/2019 Rotary Installation BBQ - July 10, 2018 2018/2019 Rotary Board Close to 60 Rotarians, spouses, guests and friends joined us on Tuesday evening as we thanked the outgoing executive, celebrated past presidents and installed President, Mirjana Komljenovic, and the new executive of the 2018/2019 Rotary year.  Assistant Governor and Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise, Jean Jacobsen, joined us for this special event where she installed new member, Jamie Shawyer, into the Rotary Club of Summerland.  Thank you to Jayson and LeeAnna Jewell for hosting the event at their ranch, Roch Fortin for being emcee, to District Governor Elect, Peter Schultz, for installing the new executive, Michael Zang for taking care of the BBQ, and to Michael Weis for being bartender throughout the evening.  It was a wonderful installation BBQ. Thank you to everyone who joined us!  Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.  |
Fall Assembly Weekend in Chelan, Washington To: ALL Rotarians in District 5060Don’t Miss Out!! Fall Assembly is in beautiful Lake Chelan, WA! Fri 26 & Sat 27 October, 2018 Campbell’s Resort, 104 W. Woodin Ave, Chelan Book now, as the venue is limited to 150 participants and this event is not to be missed. We WILL run out of space! To book…
Who should go??? 
What will the agenda cover??? The agenda has several features that you will like…
Hope to see you there!   Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna District 5060 Governor 2019-2020 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Summerland Rotary Sunday Market Fun L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, Nick Babyn and Summerland Rotarian, Nancy Wilson, helped set up the Sunday Market this morning along with help from Mike Kosmack and Summerland Rotarians, Don Gemmell and Paul Baber It was another successful Summerland Rotary Sunday Market today! This is our fourth season of the market which started the weekend of June 10th. The market will continue on Main Street in beautiful downtown Summerland until September 3rd, 2018. Come by every Sunday from 9 am - 1 pm to find great food, shopping, wine and entertainment. There is something for everyone! We look forward to seeing everyone again next Sunday!
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David's Farewell A group of Summerland Rotarians and friends met David Wu at the Penticton Airport this evening to say farewell. David will start his journey back home to Taiwan tonight. It has been a great year getting to know you David and we will miss you. Until next time! Additional photos taken from the evening can be seen on our Facebook page here.
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Mark Your Calendars - District Conference 2019 in Kamloops! Registration is now open for the 2019 District 5060 Conference! Please join District Governor Sherry Chamberlain from May 2 - 5, 2019 in beautiful Kamloops, BC for a packed conference offering local tours of downtown, wineries & breweries, a hands-on project at the BC Wildlife Park, home hosting, fun, fellowship, guest speakers and much more! If you pre-registered while attending the District Conference in Prosser, you should expect to see an email confirmation soon. For more details and to see what tours and activities are being offered, visit us here https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50005/SitePage/district-conference-2019/welcome See you in Kamloops in 2019! |
"Farewell to David" at Just Delicious Bistro - July 3, 2018 Thank you to everyone who came out to say farewell to Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan yesterday evening. A group of Summerland Rotarians, guests and friends joined us at Just Delicious Bistro for David's last meeting with us before he leaves to go back home to Taiwan. David's host families were thanked with a gift certificate to Zia's Stonehouse Restaurant. David presented a PowerPoint about his year in review in Canada. LeeAnna Jewell surprised David with a special cowboy hat gift on behalf of the Rotary Club of Summerland. Then, at the end of the evening, Mirjana Komljenovic, presented David with a special farewell cake. We will all miss you David and look forward to seeing you again in the near future! Additional photos taken from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Next Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) taking place in September! The ALL-NEW 2-day Rotary Leadership Institute for District 5060 is NOW READY! The first session is in Vernon, Sat-Sun Sept 8-9 2018. This program is a fully re-organized curriculum, taking the best from the old 3-day RLI that we have enjoyed in this district for ~10 years now as well as the best from President-Elect Training in Seattle and a Rotary Leadership course. The program starts Sat morning at 8:00am, includes lunches, a social and dinner Saturday evening, continues Sunday and is fully complete by 3:00pm Sunday afternoon! Cost is $150, which is much less than the $255 cost of the previous 3-Saturday program. The course will be at the Okanagan College campus in Vernon, and it is expected to service Rotarians within ~1 hour who will not need accommodation, but if you do there are lots of good hotels in the Vernon area. To register go to the District website and look under events, or click here for fast link:  ***NOTE: The course will be capped to the first fully-paid 25 registrants, so DON'T DELAY! All the info including the no curriculum plan is available on the District website under "Training". If you are from the southern half of the district, watch for future notices: There will be a traditional 3-day RLI in Yakima this fall, and a 2-day RLI Weekend in Salmon Arm and Wenatchee next spring (all dates on the website). Regards, Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna District 5060 Governor 2019-2020 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Installation BBQ taking place next Tuesday, July 10th! 2017/2018 Rotary Executive were installed at our Installation BBQ at the home of Sue and Al Eden in June 2017 Join us for our final gathering of the 2017/2018 Rotary year by joining us for our Installation BBQ on Tuesday, July 10th at 6:00 pm at Jewell Ranch - the home of LeeAnna and Jayson Jewell. Join us as we have thank the outgoing executive, celebrate past presidents and install President, Mirjana Komljenvoic, and the new executive for the 2018/2019 Rotary year. Details as follows: WHEN:Tuesday, July 10th - Cocktails and Appetizers and 6 pm with dinner and ceremony to follow WHERE: Jewell Ranch, 20201 Princeton Summerland Road DIRECTIONS: Directions: GPS/google maps works or we are 7 min from downtown Summerland so head down prairie valley road, past SummerGate Winery, turn right after The Red Barn Ranch, towards the landfill/KVR station BUT don’t go straight, instead at the “Y” take the right at Princeton Summerland Rd towards Faulder. We will have a sign at the “Y”. We are 2km from there and you will see a playground/campsite on the left, a sign that says Jewell Ranch so head straight through the gates and follow the balloons to parking. DRESS: Rotarize It with Rotary clothing or blue or yellow and don’t forget to wear all your pins and badges!! We have prizes for the “best rotarized Rotarian!” so show your stuff!! COST: $15/person - which includes your meal choice of either steak, chicken or a vegetarian option. Appetizers, sides, salads and dessert will also be served. GUESTS: Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more or becoming a member of our club, please contact our Secretary, Don Gemmell, at don_gemmell@yahoo.com to RSVP. We would love to have you join us! **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** Reservations are required to join us for this event. If you have not already done so, please RSVP your attendance as soon as possible by completing the Online Registration here at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/839/Event/installation-bbq-of-2018-2019-executive. Please indicate in the comments field which meal option you would like for dinner - chicken, steak or vegetarian option - as we will be purchasing these items in advance of the event. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, July 10th! See you then! |
Rotarian of the Month - Mirjana Komljenovic L-R: President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, on being named Rotarian of the Month for June! Mirjana's efforts this past month (and year) have been tremendous. Whether helping to set up at our weekly meetings, chairing our Rotary $100 Challenge or leading and organizing the Rotary Youth Extravaganza night, Mirjana truly goes above and beyond. We can't thank you enough for everything that you do and we look forward to a great year with you as our President. Congratulations, Mirjana!
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Morning Breakfast Meeting - June 26, 2018 Thank you to our friends from the Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise who joined us for our morning breakfast meeting this past Tuesday. There were over 30 Rotarians and guests in attendance for our regular morning meeting. Don Gemmell delivered the Rotary Moment. Brenda Hamilton announced the months birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. David Wu spoke about his week in review. Fellow inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Dori, from Hungary, spoke about her time in Penticton and plans to return home to Hungary in the coming week. Roch Fortin spoke about an upcoming fundraiser that the Summerland Rotary Club will be involved in - the E Division Charity Golf Tournament - taking place September 12-14th at the Summerland Golf and Country Club. President, Chantelle Meriam, presented President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, with the Rotarian of the Month award for June.  Later on in the morning, we heard from Barry Reid from the Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise about a project in Bangladesh their club took the lead on. The Rotary Clubs of Summerland, Sunnyside, Sonargaon Dhaka and the Rotary Foundation partnered together to make the project happen. More photos from the morning can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg - Registration is open NOW! Rotary Internatioanl Convention in Hamburg, Germany - June 1-5, 2019 The multi-facetted port city invites you to the Rotary International Convention from June 1st through June 5th, 2019. Use this opportunity to get to know Rotarians from around Germany, Europe and the world! Help shape the future of Rotary and become inspired during the conference. The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg has a long and rich Rotary tradition: the first German Rotary club was founded in Hamburg in 1927. The "Gateway to the World", tradition meets modernity, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall – all this is Hamburg. And so much more. Visit us in 2019 and we can explore this global city together. We look forward to seeing you! An update from 2018/2019 District Governor, Sherry Chamberlain: On behalf of Wayne Massing our District 5060 Convention Chair for 2018-2019 I send this rush email to you... TEAM DISTRICT 5060 TO HAMBURG. REGISTER NOW. HOTELS IN HAMBURG GERMANY are filling up already. BOOK TODAY if you know you are going for the best rates and location! We hope our district may wish to stay together so here is the hotel we have started to book at: Hotel Arcotel Onyx in Hamburg is 1.7 km (just over a mile) from the Convention centre, 15 minute walk or short subway ride. Your Governor team (Sherry, Peter & Richard) have all booked in the hotel for 31 May through 6 June 2019. Best rates are prepaid and non-refundable, but you can book for higher rates with cancellation options if required. Free Internet and breakfast available. Links are below! Hotel link for booking USD: Hotel link for booking CDN: AND: Registration opens 23 June. Our convenient online system makes registering easy for Rotary members, Rotaractors, and Rotary club and district employees. Special promotional rate: 23-27 JunePay $350 (includes value-added tax) when you register 23-27 June for the Hamburg convention! Payment must be received by 27 June, 23:59 Chicago time (UTC-5), to receive the promotional rate. (Rotaractors pay $100, including value-added tax) Sherry Chamberlain, District Governor 2018-2019 sherry@adobie.com Cell: 250-314-7999 www.clubrunner.ca/kamloopswest facebook.com/kamwestrotary twitter.com/KamloopsWRotary |
Sunday Night Dinner at Jewell Ranch with David Wu and his Parents from Taiwan L-R: Jacky Wu, Lisa Huang, David Wu, Jayson Jewell, Rylee Cameron, Nick Babyn and Chantelle Meriam Front: Dallas Gambell Thank you to LeeAnna and Jayson Jewell for hosting a traditional Canadian dinner for David and his parents, Jacky Wu and Lisa Huang, on Sunday evening. President, Chantelle Meriam, Nick Babyn, Rylee Cameron and Dallas Gambell were also in attendance for the wonderful meal consisting of moose meat, mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese sauce, garden sald, and Yorkshire puddings with gravy. It was a wonderful evening. Thanks very much for the invitation!
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Jacky Wu golfs with Summerland Rotarians L-R: Doug Carnegie, Jacky Wu, Don Gemmell, and Bob Van Balkom David's father, Jacky Wu, went out for a round of golf at Summerland Golf and Country Club this past Friday with Summerland Rotarians, Doug Carnegie, Don Gemmell and Bob Van Balkom.
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Summerland Rotarians at Rotary International Convention in Toronto L-R: Paul Barber, Charlotte Burley, Jos Dronkers and Aart Dronkers "We are registered and had a glimpse of all the things Rotary does. It's overwhelming!" ~ Charlotte Burley A group of Summerland Rotarians are in Toronto from June 23rd - 27th for the Rotary International Convention taking place in Toronto this year. Rotarians Paul Barber, Aart Dronkers and Michael Zang are taking part in the action, along with their spouses, Charlotte Burley, Jos Dronkers and Sophia Zang. Looks like everyone is having a wonderful time! Looking forward to hearing more about their adventures on their return.  |
David's Parents visit from Taiwan.png) A group of close to 30 Summerland Rotarians, friends and guests welcomed David Wu's parents, Jacky Wu and Lisa Huang, visiting from Taiwan, yesterday evening at the home of Don Gemmell. Thanks to everyone who came out. It was a wonderful evening!A message from David's parents: "Great thanks to all the Summerland Rotarians of what have done for David, Lisa and Jacky. especially Bob and al of David's host families. Everything in Summerland is so fabulous and Canada is such a great country. David hopes that everyone could support him to stay and study in Summerland. His family will miss him in Taiwan since he is fun to be around. He wants to pursue his dream and to help people he loves and loves him. Thank you!" ~ Jacky Wu and Lisa Huang Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here. .jpg) |
Honorary Members Inducted into Rotary Club of Summerland L-R: Margery Sutton, Ann Kemp and President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Margery Sutton and Ann Kemp who were designated as lifetime Honorary Members of the Rotary Club of Summerland on Tuesday evening. Margery and Ann were recognized for their many years of dedicated service to the Club, working alongside their late husbands and past Rotarians, George Sutton and John Kemp. Thank you for your considerable commitment of time and energy over the years, Margery and Ann. It is appreciated! |
Rotarian of the Month - Garry Hollingshead.jpg) L-R: Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, on being named Rotarian of the Month for May. Garry is a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Summerland. Whether it be rounding up members to help tidy up Adam's Bird Sanctuary, volunteering time at our Summerland Rotary Sunday Market or coordinating our clubs efforts at the Granfondo race each summer, Garry consistently proves Rotary's motto of "Service above Self". Garry is a great inspiration and leader within the Rotary Club of Summerland and we thank you for everything that you do! Congratulations, Garry!
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Model Railway Train Fun at Ann Kemps Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us for some model railway fun at Ann Kemp's place on Tuesday evening. Close to 40 Rotarians, spouses and friends joined us for the special social. A message from Ann: Several Rotarians have not seen John’s Model Railway and have asked if they could see it. Unfortunately John was not well enough during the last year or so to manage to run it and do all the intricate things that it requires to make it run. John's model railway layout is large and you will see it as John left it. A project like this is never finished and if it is, you have to find something to change!! John built it all himself and replicates an area in Wiltshire, England. His stand alone model of the Trout Creek bridge (on the end wall) was built after John had scrambled around taking about 100 photos from differtiny stuffes. Each tiny strut he cut by hand. I would never have that kind of patience. A friend of ours from the coast, Tony, will be at the social and will have a couple of trains running. ~ Ann
Thank you to Ann Kemp for hosting this special gathering and supplying the drinks. A great time was had by all! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page here. |
Summerland Rotary Sunday Market - 4th Season Starts Today! It's time to get ready for the 2018 Season of the Summerland Rotary Sunday Market, starting today! Come by the market anytime between 9 am - 1 pm on Main Street in beautiful downtown Summerland and see everything that the 2018 market season has to offer. Keep in the loop regarding market updates by visiting the Summerland Rotary Sunday Market Facebook page here. Hope to see you all downtown soon! |
Note from Devon O'TooleAn note from Devon O'Toole, Inbound Rotary Exchange Student Coordinator/Bus Trip Organizer with District 5060:
Greetings, I would like to spend a little time to write to you all and say a couple of words. I am writing you today regarding the recent past Youth Exchange Bus trip. On behalf of the 23 students, chaperones this grand adventure would not be possible with out the continues and generosity support of our clubs in our District 5060. The support you give to this program is tremendous. If it were arranging billets for the kids, to organizing a meal(s) or if you club helped pay for one of the activities on the trip the Inbounds of 2017-18 and the District Committee THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!!!! Once again this trip for the students was filled full of great memories, laughter and tears of joy. For some of them it was the last time they might see their exchange classmates before heading home in June and July. If it were not for your clubs help it would make it much more difficult to pull this trip off. Please share this with your clubs. With warm Regards, Devon O'Toole |
Rotary Youth Extravaganza/New Member Induction Night Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Rotary Youth Extravaganza and New Member Induction this past Tuesday, June 5th. Over 30 individuals joined us for the special evening. President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, was Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Rotarian, Megan McLeod, started the evening off with her Rotary Moment where she spoke about her recent experience with this year's Giant's Head Grind.  Rotarian, Doug Carnegie, lead the induction of the Rotary Club of Summerland's newest member - Linda Van Alphen - with Roch Fortin saying a few words about Linda as her sponsor. Welcome to the Rotary Club of Summerland, Linda! After a wonderful BBQ dinner, guests heard from inbound Rotary exchange student, David Wu, from Taiwan who spoke about the experiences he has had in Canada. Jacob Acheson then spoke about being selected as next year's outbound exchange student where he will be leaving to spend a year away outside of Milan, Italy, this August. Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, spoke about her experience in this year's Summerland Blossom Pageant, where she earned the title of Princess and Miss Congeniality. Well done, Jessica!  Later on in the evening, guests heard from two of the four $100 Challenge Teams as they presented their projects and outcomes of this years challenge. Congratulations to Team "Cookie Dough" who raised $295 for Kids Sport. Well done to Team "Heart" who fundraised $525 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Congrats to Team "Talent Show" who raised $1900 for Camp Joshua orphanage in Tanzania.Thanks to everyone who came out to support our youth and to welcome our newest member to the Rotary Club of Summerland. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page here.
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A Message from Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu
Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan recently arrived home from a week long bus trip with other exchange students from our District. Here's what David had to say about the trip: "First I want to say thank you district 5060 for selecting us to get together. Thank you all the Rotarians who took care of us. We just a one big family and I can't believe our bus trip is over, we had a great time in district 5060 also I feel really sad is that our last orientation is over. I would never forget all of the exchange students in 5060, we just like siblings and we take care of each other. This is part of life and yes I learned a lot in this year, but it's time to write my own journey again, thank you this district and thank you for all the exchange students. I love you all." ~ David Wu
David Wu (Centre) with other inbound Rotary Exchange Students within Rotary District 5060 |
$100 Challenge Team raises Funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic's, $100 Challenge team raised funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation this past Sunday at Windmill Garden Centre. With their combined efforts they raised over $500 for Heart & Stroke Foundation. Congratulations $100 Challenge team for your tremendous efforts!
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More Clean Up at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary L-R: Rotarians, Garry Hollingshead, Brenda Hamilton and Don Gemmell Thank you to those Rotarians and friends who have helped clean up Adams Wildlife Sanctuary in Summerland over these past few weeks.
Summerland Rotarians, Garry Hollingshead, Brenda Hamilton and Don Gemmell, came out the other evening to help out. Great job everyone! Thanks to everyone who has come to help out. Your assistance is appreciated! |
Meals on Wheels Appreciation EventThe Rotary Club of Summerland hosted it's annual Meals on Wheels Volunteer Appreciation Event at the Summerland Seniors Village on Tuesday, May 29th. Thank you to Rotarian, Sharon Lusch, and her team who organized this years wonderful event with sponsorship from Retirement Concepts/Summerland Seniors Village.  The objective of Meals on Wheels is to provide meals to those who are not able to provide meals for themselves. Clients may be the elderly or those convalescing following surgery. The meals are put together in the Seniors Centre in Summerland and then distributed to the Meals on Wheels clients. Charlotte Burley coordinates all volunteers and distribution. Nine volunteer drivers are involved each month, as well as a monthly coordinator that ensures that the meal boxes are ready for delivery.  For more information about the Meals on Wheels program, please contact coordinator, Charlotte Burley, at 250-494-1173. Thank you to all the Meals on Wheels volunteers! We appreciate everything that you do! Additional photos from the afternoon gathering can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Mark your Calendars: "Model Railway" Social and Fun at the Home of Ann KempIn place of our regular Tuesday morning meeting on June 12th, please mark your calendars for a special "Rotary after 5" gathering which will be taking place on Tuesday, June 12th at 6:00 pm at the home of Ann Kemp. A message from Ann:
Several Rotarians have not seen John’s Model Railway and have asked if they could see it. Unfortunately John was not well enough during the last year or so to manage to run it and do all the intricate things that it requires to make it run. John's model railway layout is large and you will see it as John left it. A project like this is never finished and if it is, you have to find something to change!! John built it all himself and replicates an area in Wiltshire, England. His stand alone model of the Trout Creek bridge (on the end wall) was built after John had scrambled around taking about 100 photos from differtiny stuffes. Each tiny strut he cut by hand. I would never have that kind of patience. A friend of ours from the coast, Tony, will be at the social and will have a couple of trains running. Please join us for a social night where Rotarians and spouses are welcome to attend. I will be supplying wine, beer, soft drinks, appies, etc. ~ Ann
GUESTS: Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more or becoming a member of our club, please contact our Secretary, Don Gemmell, at don_gemmell@yahoo.com to RSVP. We would love to have you join us. **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** If you are able to join us for this social, please RSVP your attendance no later than Friday, June 8th by registering your attendance using the Online Registration link on the event page. We look forward to seeing everyone at the home of Ann Kemp on Tuesday, June 12th! See you then! |
Rotarian of the Month - LeeAnna JewellCongratulations to Rotarian, LeeAnna Jewell, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of April! It is hard to believe LeeAnna became a member of our Club less than a year ago. In just eight months, she has established a great leadership presence in our Club. LeeAnna is involved with the Club's membership committee. As well, most recently, did a tremendous job taking the lead on the Rotary Club of Summerland's "Rotary NOW" event that took place in April. LeeAnna is known for her positive attitude and enthusiasm and we are all very grateful for everything that she does. Congratulations, LeeAnna!  L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, with LeeAnna Jewell
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Ellen Walker-Matthews receives "Changemaker" Award L-R: Ellen Walker-Matthews stands with President, Chantelle Meriam, and Bob Van Balkom Ellen Walker-Matthews was presented with Rotary District 5060's "Changemaker" Award at our morning breakfast meeting on May 22nd. The prestigious award is given to a Rotarian who has demonstrated the leadership and actions that have created significant change to improve their Rotary Club. Ellen was presented with the award for spearheading and managing the Giants Head Grind along with her husband, Tom Matthews. The pair have worked together with the Rotary Club of Summerland and a very committed group of local Summerland residents and sponsors to make this race happen for the past five years. The race up Giant's Head Mountain was created to honour the memory of Ellen and Tom's son, Christopher Walker, who lost his battle with colon cancer in 2013. Elle and Tom's goal is to showcase the beautiful Giant's Head Mountain and the community of Summerland, while raising funds for colon cancer detection, diagnostics and research. Proceeds of the race also provide funding for the upkeep and improvement of the trail system in Giant's Head Park with the support of the City of Summerland. Congratulations on receiving Rotary District 5060's "Changemaker" award, Ellen. Greatly deserved! |
Morning Breakfast Meeting - May 22, 2018 Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us for our Rotary breakfast meeting at Second Home Restaurant on Tuesday morning. Over 20 individuals joined us to listen to special guest speakers, Chandel Schmidt and Gail Harrison, who spoke to the group about JoeAnna's House.  President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic (R), presents guest speakers, Gail Harrison (L), and Chandel Schmidt (C) with the coveted Rotary Club of Summerland mugs Michael Zang provided the Rotary Moment, Ellen Walker-Matthews spoke about another successful Giant's Head Grind that took place over the weekend, and Bob Van Balkom shared the experiences he had at the District 5060 Conference in Prosser.
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Another Successful Giants Head Grind!.jpg)
Thank you for lacing up your sneakers this past Saturday May 19th , for the 5th Annual Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race, whether you walked, ran, biked, volunteered, sponsored or cheered from the sidelines, our entire family Walker- Matthews Family together with Summerland Rotary is so very grateful for your participation. Through the efforts of Summerland Rotary, the District of Summerland, a committed group of volunteers and spurred on by those of us that knew and loved our son Chris Walker, the Giants Head Grind was started in May of 2014 to elevate awareness of Colorectal Cancer. Now in its fifth year the event continues to attract over 400 individuals of all ages who walk, run and cycle their way from Peach Orchard Park on Lake Okanagan to the top of Giants Head Mountain. Together with dedicated volunteers and sponsors, who help to make the race a reality, we are literally doing the “Grind for the Health of Everyone’s Behind”… raising awareness and raising funds.  And they’re off for the fifth annual Giant’s Head Grind in Summerland in memory of Christopher Walker. Photo courtesy Kim Lawton. From the beginning we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support; from the individuals who take part; businesses and sponsors who have gotten behind the race, the District of Summerland including Parks and Recreation as well as the team at Public Works. Without all of you this event would not be possible.
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Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner - Tickets on Sale Now!.jpg) Back for it's second year - the Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner will be taking place on Sunday, June 10th! This is the Rotary Club of Summerland's major fundraiser for the year and an event you will not want to miss! Remember the fun we had last year at he very first Road Rally? Spend the day visiting fun destinations throughout Summerland with clues and an opportunity to gain points for the ultimate prize, claim to be the Rally Mater. After the Rally, feast on a delectable Lobster Dinner at Kettle Valley Steam Railway while being entertained by the enchanting sounds of Timbre Wolves. There will be prizes for costumes and most points. As well, raffle draws and a live auction! Tickets are on sale now. To purchase yours, please: See you on Sunday, June 10th! |
Rotary Youth Exchange Community Service Project On Friday, May 18th, the day before the Rotary District 5060 Conference, 23 district 5060 exchange students from all over the world spent several hours helping to clean and maintain the Prosser Kids Playground. They picked up garbage, stained wood railings, and shoveled and raked over 60 cubic meters of bark. Four of the students also helped moved boxes of books for the Friends of the Library. Great job everyone!!!
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Rotary District 5060 Exchange Students Present VideoRotary District 5060 Exchange Students from around the world shared this video at this year's Rotary District 5060 Conference in Prosser. What a fantastic group of young adults! They are ready to go out into the world and make a difference: |
Morning Breakfast Meeting - May 15, 2018.jpg)
Thanks to everyone that joined us at our morning breakfast meeting on Tuesday, May 15th. We had a special presentation via Skype. All the equipment worked well we were able to communicate with presenter Colin Thacker speaking about the Guatemala Literacy Program. Breakfast was served up by Alison at Summerland Second Home Restaurant. Don Gemmell presented the Rotary Moment. Roch Fortin not only announced birthdays and anniversaries and join dates he told a great joke.  We prepared to receive Colin 5496 kilometres away. Aart Dronkers introduced Colin and reminded members of the successful program we donated to. Our donations were matched 6 times. Love how technology had made out big world a little smaller. After the Skype presentation, David Wu, inbound youth exchange student talked about his past week. He spent some time in Alberta including West Edmonton Mall. Ellen Walker-Mathews talked about the upcoming Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race. Aart reminded members that volunteers are needed to help set up and take down at the Summerland Sunday Market.  |
$100 Challenge: Heart and Stroke Foundation FundraiserCheck out this great fundraiser from one of the groups in this year's $100 Challenge! Team member, Rachel Berekoff, writes more here: I am grade 11 student in the SSS Senior Leadership Class. We have teamed up with the Summerland Rotary Club for a project called the $100 Challenge! A small group of students are given $100 and challenged to come up with a fundraiser to raise money for a charity of their choice! Our group decide to do a BBQ and a Plant Sale at Windmill Garden Centre to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Please come out on June 3rd from 11-2 to support this important cause!
Details as follows:
When: Sunday, June 3rd from 11am - 2pm Where: Windmill Garden Centre, 9100 Jones Flat Road, Summerland Details: Join us for a BBQ and Plant Sale to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation
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Morning Breakfast Meeting - May 8, 2018 Thanks to everyone who joined us for our weekly breakfast meeting at Second Home Restaurant on Tuesday. We had 25 Rotarians and guests join us for the jam-packed morning. President Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, provided the Rotary Moment. Brenda Hamilton announced the weeks birthdays and anniversaries. David Wu from Taiwan provided the club with an update on his week in review. Busy times for our inbound Rotary Exchange Student! Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, visited the club and provided a recap of her weekend and the Summerland Blossom Pageant. Jessica was crowned a Summerland Princess and was also named Miss Congeniality. Well done, Jessica! Jessica's mentor, Ann Kemp, said a few words about Jessica and how hard she worked over these past eight months. Afterwards, Ann presented Jessica with a framed gift of photos taken over the weekend. Thank you for all of your support, Ann! Ellen Walker-Matthews spoke about the Giants Head Grind, taking place next Saturday, May 19th. There is still time to register but don't delay as registration ends soon! Visit www.giantsheadgrind.ca to sign up for this year's event!   Our main program of the morning included a special guest presentation by Kim English and Aaron McRann from Community Foundation of the South Okanagan | Similkameen. Kim and Aaron provided an informative presentation on the community foundation, discussing what it is and the various organizations and charities it has supported over the years. Thank you, Kim and Aaron, for the wonderful presentation! Our morning ended off with two Rotarians winning the "Who's Reading the Rotary Newsletter" prize. Keep reading our weekly bulletin everyone! This week's 50/50 winner was none other than President, Chantelle Meriam, herself. Chantelle walked away with $10 for winning the 50/50 then had the opportunity to win the "Chase the Ace" jackpot if able to draw the Ace of Spades from the deck of cards. And wouldn't you know it - she drew Ace of Spades and walked away with the jackpot of $190. What luck! Congratulations, Chantelle! More photos from the morning breakfast meeting can be found on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page here.
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Mark Your Calendars! Rotary Youth Extravaganza coming soon!
It is coming to the time of year we celebrate our youth. And there is so much to celebrate. Join us Tuesday, June 5th, for an amazing evening of accomplishment. The four $100 challenge teams will present their projects and outcomes. Inbound and outbound exchange students will share their thoughts, and Miss Rotary will charm us with her adventures. Mark your calendars and please RSVP your attendance to this event. Looking forward to seeing you all soon! .jpg) |
48th Annual Summerland Blossom Pageant Congratulations to the eight young women who participated in the 48th Annual Summerland Blossom program this year. The talent and public speaking competition were held this past Friday with the evening gown competition, impromptu questions, frugal fashion show, coronation and awards held on Saturday evening. Congratulations to Olivia Corps on being named Miss Summerland and to Tiana Ferlizza and our very own, Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, on being named Summerland Princesses. As well, congratulations to Jessica on being named Miss Congeniality! It was a wonderful Pageant weekend and we are so proud of all the young ladies' accomplishments! A special thank you to Ann Kemp who has been a wonderful mentor to Jessica over these past 8 months which Ann calls one of the nicest jobs she has ever had. Thank you for taking such great care of Miss Rotary, Ann. It is appreciated!
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Rotary District 5060 Spring Roundup! Thanks to everyone from Rotary District 5060 who joined us for our 2nd Annual Spring Roundup this past Saturday, May 5th, at Summerland Senior Secondary School. Over 20 Rotarians joined us for the collaborative discussions that followed the Open Space Technology format. District Governor Nominee, Peter Schultz, and District Governor Elect, Sherry Chamberlain, were facilitators. Summerland Rotarians, LeeAnna Jewell, Tina Gowing, Paul Barber, and President, Chantelle Meriam, were also in attendance. Many great ideas and best practices in Rotary were identified! After the sessions, participants enjoyed a social at Saxon Estate Winery. Thank you to Peachland Rotarian, Jayne Gradyon, and her husband, Paul, for hosting our group. As well, special thanks to our inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, for the wonderful BBQ'd burger lunch! The BBQ lunch was by donation with all proceeds raised going to the Heart and Stroke Foundation - as part of David and his teams Rotary $100 Challenge. Over $200 was raised towards the organization. Well done, David and team!
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Another Successful Adams Wildlife Sanctuary Work Party
Thank you to Michael Zang, Nancy Wilson, Mike Kosmack, Paul Barber, Doug Carnegie, Aart Donkers, Les Brough and Don Gemmell who gave up their Thursday evening last night to help clean up Adams Wildlife Sanctuary. No photos were taken of the work party as everyone disappeared into the darkness but it was a successful evening. I plan to spread gravel next Thursday evening. Thank you to everyone who came out. Great job!
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Evening Dinner Meeting - May 1, 2018 LEFT (L-R): New Rotarian, Dr. Vilas Prabhu with sponsor, Aart Dronkers RIGHT: Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, with new Rotarian, Tina Gowing Thank you to everyone who joined us for our evening dinner meeting last Tuesday. Over 35 Rotarians, spouses, friends and special guests joined us as we inducted two new members into the Rotary Club of Summerland. Welcome, Dr. Vilas Prabhu and Tina Gowing! Guests in attendance also saw a special Paul Harris Fellow presentation made to Summerland community member, Bob Campbell. Bob was recognized for his support of the Rotary Club of Summerland where his business, Dirty Laundry Vineyard, donated hundreds of beautifully cultured trees which were sold at Summerland Rotary Club's Christmas Tree Fundraiser last year. Congratulations on your Paul Harris Fellow recognition, Bob!  Top Left and Clockwise: Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan provides an update on his week in review; LeeAnna Jewell and her daughter, Halle, auction off a carrot cake with proceeds going to the Rotary Foundation; Roch Fortin, presents Bob Campbell with his wife, Trudy, the honour of Paul Harris Fellow; and Megan McLeod provides the weekly Rotary Moment.
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5th Annual Giants Head Grind - Happening Soon!.png)
The 5th year of the Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race is almost here! Join us for the Giants Head Grind on Saturday, May 19th. Visit Giants Head Grind to register today! .jpg) |
2nd Annual Rotary Road Rally and Lobster DinnerBack for it's second year - the Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner will be taking place on Sunday, June 10th! This is the Rotary Club of Summerland's major fundraiser for the year and an event you will not want to miss! Remember the fun we had last year at he very first Road Rally? Spend the day visiting fun destinations throughout Summerland with clues and an opportunity to gain points for the ultimate prize, claim to be the Rally Mater. After the Rally, feast on a delectable Lobster Dinner at Kettle Valley Steam Railway while being entertained by the enchanting sounds of Timbre Wolves. There will be prizes for costumes and most points. As well, raffle draws and a live auction! Tickets are on sale now. To purchase yours, please: .jpg) See you on Sunday, June 10th!
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District 5060 Spring RoundUp - Next Saturday!Just a friendly reminder that our District's 2nd Annual Spring RoundUp will be taking place next Saturday, May 5th! Everyone from our District is invited to attend and the event will again be held again right here in Summerland. Can't beat that! The event will be held on Saturday, May 5th from 10 am - 2 pm with a social BBQ at Saxon Estate Winery at 2:30 pm. I attended the RoundUp last year and walked away with so many great ideas. Plus, you have the opportunity tp meet so many wonderful Rotarians from our District! If you can, please register below in order to take part in this event. ALSO, please note - the cost of $35 will be covered by our Club. When registering, please indicate you will pay the registration fee by cheque and then provide the print out to our Treasurer, Doug Carnegie, so he can write one cheque on behalf of all of those attending. Looking forward to this fun event! Hope you can join us! Many thanks, Chantelle  What? Spring Roundup is an "Open Space" planning and action-item setting event that was started last year, and enjoyed by all that were there! Check out details of last year's event on the District website at: Spring Roundup 2017. Thanks to our local hosts the Rotary Club of Summerland for setting this up for us. When & Where? Saturday 5 May 2018 Meeting: 10:00am – 2:00pm Summerland Secondary School, 9518 Main St, Summerland BC Social: 2:30 ~ 5:00pm (by donation) BBQ at Saxon Winery, 9819 Lumsden Ave |
Rotary Club of Peachland Annual Gala Fundraiser Our friends at the Rotary Club of Peachland are hosting their annual Gala Fundraiser on Saturday, May 12th! Tickets are still available and our very, Doug Carnegie, has a table of tickets to sell! Please contact him directly at dlcarnegie@shaw.ca to purchase yours to sit with others from the Rotary Club of Summerland. Let's get together and support our friends in Peachland! |
Rotarian of the Month - Bob Van Balkom L-R: Rotarian, Bob Van Balkom, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Rotarian, Bob Van Balkom, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of March! While Bob is always willing to lend a helping hand, his time and efforts spent in the area of youth services has not gone unnoticed.. Whether he is attending a Miss Rotary function or is involved with our inbound and outbound exchange students, Bob is always available to support and assist our youth in any way that he can. As well, Bob has put through tremendous efforts on our District's Youth Exchange Committee. Bob has the large job of Event Coordinator on the committee and has taken on this position very well. Thank you for everything that you do, Bob. It is appreciated! |
Morning Breakfast Meeting - April 24, 2018Our first regular morning meeting for the month of April was held this morning. We had a fun-filled month of events in April that did not allow us to meet for our regular morning meeting until today. We had plenty of agenda items and two exciting speakers.  As always, each meeting starts with a tasty meal prepared by Second Home Restaurant. This morning we enjoyed eggs benedict and fruit. Rotarian, Roch Fortin, announced April's birthdays and anniversaries in less than two minutes. A new record.
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$100 Challenge Talent Show The $100 Challenge Talent Show, put together entirely by Summerland Secondary School $100 Challenge Team, took place on Wednesday, April 18th. What an amazing job the kids did making this happen . They really brought our community together. They worked tirelessly collecting donations to raffle, they directed, produced and managed every price of the production. So proud of them. |
SADI Zias Fundraiser
 On Tuesday, April 19th, instead of our regular meeting, the Rotary Club of Summerland participated in SADI Youth-Club's 8th Annual Dinner & Auction Fundraiser at Zias Stonehouse Restaurant.  The venue and exceptional meals were prepared and donated by Zias Stonehouse Restaurant so that all funds raised would go to support the work of SADI Youth-Club. Summerland Rotarian, Roch Fortin, was emcee for the evening. Martin Van Alphen was auctioneer for the live auction.  Later on in the evening, President, Chantelle Meriam, on behalf of the Rotary Club of Summerland, presented SADI Program Manager, Alyson Lindsay, with a cheque for $1000 over-and-above the funds raised throughout the evening. All in all, it was a wonderful night. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported SADI!
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~In Loving Memory~ John KempIt is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a beloved Summerland Rotarian, John Kemp, who passed away on April 9, 2018. John was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Golden then transferred his membership to the Rotary Club of Summerland in 1985 when him and Ann moved to Summerland. John loved to garden, spend time at his and Ann's cabin in the summer and enjoyed travelling and then returning home to the beauty of the Okanagan. John was a kind man and known for his witty sense of humour. Friends are invited to attend John's Service of Remembrance taking place on Thursday, May 10th at 2:00 pm at St. Stephen Anglican Church. Please see further details below. ~Rest in peace, John. You will be missed.  |
Rotary NOW - A success! Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first ever Rotary NOW event at Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa on Thursday, April 12th! Over 50 individuals joined us for the complimentary event to learn about Rotary and what we are all about today. Thank you to Summerland Estate Winery for providing the delicious wine; to the talented, Sophia Zang, for providing her face painting services; and to our friends at the Rotary Club of Peachland, Penticton and Penticton Sunrise for joining us for our event. Special thanks to the members of the Membership Committee who took on the organization of the Rotary NOW event! Great job, LeeAnna Jewell, Doug Carnegie, Garry Hollingshead and Paul Baber! As well, thank you to all of the Rotarians, spouses, guests and friends who also made the evening possible.  Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us for the event! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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District 5060 Outbound Student Orientation in Penticton Our Rotary District 5060 held it's annual Outbound Student Orientation this past weekend in Penticton. Current inbound Rotary Exchange Students, including our own, David Wu, from Taiwan, joined other inbounds from the District. Outbound Rotary Exchange students who will be heading out later on this summer also took part in the weekend event. Fun times were had by all...and not much sleep, I hear! Hope you enjoyed the weekend away, David :)  |
Rotary $100 Challenge - Talent Show!
Please plan on coming out and supporting those students from Summerland Senior Secondary who are taking part in this year's Rotary $100 Challenge! One of the groups, working with Summerland Rotarian, Karl Seidel, is putting on a Talent Show set to take place next Thursday, April 19th. Come out and support these students will all proceeds raised going towards Summerland Senior Secondary School's Tanzania Trip! More details regarding the event can be seen here:  |
Rotary NOW! This Thursday!.jpg) This week is the week! This Thursday, April 12th, from 5-7pm at Summerland Waterfront Resort - please join us for our first ever Rotary NOW event! This event will be in place of our regular Tuesday morning meeting and will be an opportunity for members of our community to come out and learn what Rotary is all about as we showcase the work we do in our community, in our country and around the world. This Rotary social is complimentary. Please invite your friends, family and other members of our community to join us for this exciting event! Enjoy wine from Summerland Estate Winery, delicious appies, face painting for the kids, door prizes and much more! We look forward to seeing you at the Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa this Thursday, April 12th! See you there! |
Summerland Rotary Dinner for SADI
The Annual Summerland Rotary Club and Zia's Stonehouse Fundraiser for SADI Youth Club is coming up quickly. The three-course dinner, with a silent and live auction will be taking place next Tuesday, April 17th. Please be reminded that we will not be having our regular Tuesday morning meeting this day. We hope you will be able to join us for this annual SADI Fundraiser instead. Tickets are available on our website: .jpg) This event always sells out! Do NOT wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets. See you there, Lisa |
2nd Annual Spring RoundUp!! Coming Soon!What? Spring Roundup is an "Open Space" planning and action-item setting event that was started last year, and enjoyed by all that were there! Check out details of last year's event on the District website at: Spring Roundup 2017. Thanks to our local hosts the Rotary Club of Summerland for setting this up for us. When & Where? Saturday 5 May 2018 Meeting: 10:00am – 2:00pm Summerland Secondary School, 9518 Main St, Summerland BC Social: 2:30 ~ 5:00pm (by donation) BBQ at Saxon Winery, 9819 Lumsden Ave Who should come??
How? Register (link-button below) and pay for the event ($35), and promote it to your club! Groups have no restrictions about what they talk about, so come ready to share (and learn) some great ideas! Best results will be achieved if 5-10 come from each club and cover several of the topic discussions.  Agenda 10:00-11:00 Group session - Facilitated The "Open Space" Conference technique will be briefly described, and we will decide on our breakout topics that relate to the "Big Question" for the day, which is: How do we improve Membership: Attraction - Retention - Engagement?? 11:00-1:00 Breakout – Discussion Leader This will be for whomever is in each group to discuss “best practices”. This is NOT TRAINING, rather this is collaborative development. What has worked for your club? What can be done better? A light lunch will be available during this time. 1:00-2:00 Group session – Facilitated "Shop the Room". This is where we get to explore all the action items that came out of the breakouts, and vote for our favorites. Conclude the meeting portion of the day with facilitated group discussion about next steps… “The Big Rocks” in the jar! 2:30-5:00 Social get-together – the Roundup! Our “host” Summerland Rotary Club will organize a BBQ “early dinner” gathering. Local youth will serve, donation-fundraiser. Cheers, .jpg){kind=small} Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna District 5060 Governor 2019-2020 Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Evening Dinner Meeting - April 3, 2018 Top (L-R): Aart Dronkers and Roch Fortin Bottom (L-R): Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan, and LeeAnna Binder Thanks to everyone who joined us for our evening dinner meeting on Tuesday, April 3th at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland. Over 20 Rotarians, spouses and other special guests joined us as we welcomed and heard from District 5060 Assistant Governor, Cheryle King. Cheryle is the Assistant District Governor for Area 7 which is made up of the Rotary Club of Summerland, Penticton Rotary, Penticton Sunrise, Princeton, Oliver and Osoyoos. This was Cheryle's last official visit to our club before she retires from her position of Assistant Governor in July 2018. Cheryle provided an update from Rotary International and spoke about some of the things on the horizon for Rotary. Thanks to everyone who joined us for evening!  Top Left and Clockwise: (1) Aart Dronkers; (2) Assistant Governor; Cheryle King, speaking to the Club; (3) President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, Cheryle King and President, Chantelle Meriam; (4) Cheryle King; and (5) Jim and Cheryle King |
Clean-Up Day at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary L-R: Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, Bob Van Balkom, Garry Hollingshead, Aart Dronkers, Paul Barber, Michael Zang and Tim Gray Thank you to those Rotarians and friends who gave up their Saturday this past Easter weekend to help clean up Adams Wildlife Sanctuary. Great job everyone!
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Rotary NOW! taking place next Thursday! Next Thursday, April 12th, from 5-7pm at Summerland Waterfront Resort - please join us for our first ever Rotary NOW event! This event will be in place of our regular Tuesday morning meeting next week and will be an opportunity for members of our community to come out and learn what Rotary is all about as we showcase the work we do in our community, in our country and around the world. This Rotary social is complimentary. Please invite your friends, family and other members of our community to join us for this exciting event! Enjoy wine from Summerland Estate Winery, delicious appies, face painting for the kids, door prizes and much more! We look forward to seeing you at the Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa on Thursday, April 12th! See you there!
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Great Reasons to Participate in this years Giants Head GrindHere are some great reasons to train for and participate in this years Giants Head Grind. Register at giantsheadgrind.ca  |
Rotary After 5: Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club Thanks to everyone who joined us for our "Rotary After 5" social at Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club on Thursday evening. We had one of our largest socials to date with over 40 Rotarians, spouses, friends and other special guests in attendance.  Thank you to our friends who came out from the Penticton Rotary and the Penticton Sunrise clubs. It was wonderful to see everyone and get together for some fellowship and fun! More photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.  |
Rotary after 5: Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club
Just a friendly reminder - In place of our regular Tuesday morning meeting this week, please plan on joining us for our second social gathering of the year which will be taking place this Thursday, March 29th at 6:00 pm at Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club - Restaurant and Lounge. Details are as follows:
Come by for some food and/or a drink and enjoy some Rotary fellowship fun. Rotarians, spouses, kids and guests are all welcome to attend! **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** If you are able to join us for this dinner/social, please RSVP your attendance no later than Sunday, March 25th by clicking on the registration link on our event page here. You are welcome to register guests, as well. Feel free to spread the word! ** If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Michael Zang at mzang@shaw.ca. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing everyone on the Thursday before the long weekend at Sumac Ridge Golf & Country Club! See you then! |
Rotarian of the Month - Michael Weis L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, with Rotarian, Michael Weis Congratulations to Rotarian, Michael Weis, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of February! While he is not keen on being in the limelight, Michael has always been a great "behind the scenes" supporter of our Club. Whether it be setting up wine/beer sales at our summer BBQs and other special events, establishing the coffee fund at the Summerland Research Station or donating a higher quality projector screen to the Club, Michael is always available to support and assist our Club in any way that he can. Congratulations on being named Rotarian of the Month, Michael. We appreciate everything that you do! |
Summerland Rotary supports Annual Wellness Retreat L-R: Kim Wise, Chantelle Meriam, and Jessica O'Gorman President of the Summerland Rotary Club, Chantelle Meriam, was pleased to present a cheque for $3000 to Summerland Secondary School, Counsellor, Kim Wise, and Summerland Senior Secondary Wellness Retreat Past Participant/Student Leader, Jessica O'Gorman, at our morning breakfast meeting on March 13th. The annual 1 1/2 day Wellness Retreat will be held this year on May 2-3rd at the Green Bay Camp in West Kelowna. The Wellness Retreat will promote mental health and wellness for everyone and will include keynote speakers, group wide games and activities, dance-offs, campfire, quiet time and reflection. The student-led workshops will focus on mindfulness, yoga, growth mindset, healthy eating/living, benefits of activity in nature, managing anxiety at school, body positivity and self esteem.  L-R: Rotarian, Michael Zang, presents Kim Wise and Jessica O'Gorman with the Rotary Club of Summerland mug after their presentation to the group The retreat is held off campus to give students an experience away from home and school. Participants will include a cross-section of students from grade 9 and 10 from both Summerland Senior Secondary and the Alternate School. Student leaders from grade 11 and 12 commit to training beforehand and lead a variety of student-led workshops. This will be the 15th year the retreat will be held in partnership with the Rotary Club of Summerland. |
SADI's Annual Dinner Fundraiser - Tickets on sale now!The Rotary Club of Summerland is excited to help invest in Summerland Youth and SADI Youth Club. Please join us! In place of our regular Tuesday morning meeting on Tuesday, April 17th, we hope Rotarians and other members of our community will join us for SADI Youth Club's 8th Annual Dinner Fundraiser. Details as follows: Tuesday, April 17th Zia's Stonehouse Restaurant 5:30 - 9:00 pm Tickets: $40/person Tickets are on sale now! Purchase yours today by clicking on the link below:  For more information, visit our event page here. |
Update from Rebound Rotary Exchange Student, Michaella Haidenger
The Rotary Club of Summerland was fortunate to have Rebound Rotary Exchange Student, Michaella Haidenger, join us for a breakfast meeting back in August last year before she headed off on her travels to Cambodia. Below is an update we recently received from Michaella: I hope you are all doing well, it looks like the club is going strong as I am always following you on Facebook. David is looks like he is having a ton of fun doing the play, I am glad he did as I remember in Taiwan he wasn't so interested. I am hoping to catch up with him when I had to the Rotex convention in August in Taiwan. I also have seen that Roch has tapped some Summerland maple trees and I wished the mail was reliable enough to mail some haha.  I have been doing well here! I am coming into my seventh month in Cambodia. It feels like time has gone so fast. We are coming into the hot season and the temperature has been 37 and higher and polluted in the mornings, but passes by around 10 am. Summer every day but in pants and long shirts. But the sun rays keep me very happy. It really is starting to feel like home here as I have joined ariel yoga, dodgeball, and cooking classes. Yesterday I even bought my first motorbike for 400USD which I will be taking to a wedding where I am a bridesmaid for a full week. Which will be a new experience for me and its quiet exciting. I have gotten a regular veggie lady, fruit man, and flower lady at the market which do a lovely job of filling my fridge completely for $10 a week of healthy food and spices. I have also come close with my cleaner which makes me happy and I have met her two daughters who play with me on the weekends. My life consists of six major things, work, wandering, "charity", studying, being sick and sleep. |
Rotary Senior Pioneer Tea - March 10, 2018 Thank you to everyone who came out for our annual Rotary Senior Pioneer Tea that took place this past Saturday! We had close to 60 pioneers join us at the Summerland Legion as we celebrated a spring/St. Patrick Day's theme. Thank you to Alyson Lindsay and the group from SADI Youth Club who did a tremendous job setting up, serving and cleaning up at the tea. Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan and soon-to-be Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Jacob Acheson, helped out as well. Thank you to Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, and Miss Zia's, Tianna Ferlizza, for greeting guests as they entered and for providing the afternoon entertainment. Jessica shared with the group her speech about Rotary that was presented at the Blossom Tea held in January. Tianna performed two songs. Thank you to Summerland Rotarian, Sharon Lusch, and her team at Retirement Concepts for providing the beautiful luncheon. Melissa in the kitchen at Summerland Seniors Village really outdone herself.  Thank you to the Summerland Museum for the photos provided on each table. Each year they contribute new photos to the Pioneer Tea as a way of bringing back those great memories. Thank you to Zia's Stonehouse Restaurant for providing prizes to our most senior male and female. Donald Nelson and Glenys Clark each walked away with a $25 Zia's gift card. Thank you to District of Summerland Councillor, Janet Peake, for making an appearance at the event. Thank you to those Rotarians and friends who assisted on the day setting up, serving tea and cleaning up at the end of day including Shawn Hume, Michael Zang, Preston Mott, Nancy Wilson, Mike Kosmack, Tina Gowing, Ann Kemp, Don Gemmell and Bob Van Balkom. As well, a special thanks to Lisa Jaager and Carol Van Balkom for doing a fabulous job organizing this year's Pioneer Tea. All in all, the Pioneer Tea was a wonderful event. Thank you to everyone who came out to make this year's Pioneer Tea another successful event! |
Evening Dinner Meeting - March 6, 2018 Thank you to everyone who joined us for our evening dinner meeting on Tuesday at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland. We had over 30 individuals Rotarians and guests join us for an exciting dinner meeting. At the beginning of the evening, President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, posed for a photo with Member of Parliament, Dan Albas. Mirjana recently received Citizen/Volunteer of the Year award at the 80th Annual Summerland Business and Community Excellence Awards.
Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, reminded the group of the monthly birthdays, anniversaries and other special dates. Michael Zang made several announcements regarding Rotary after 5, events in the community and the new projection screen that was donated to the Club by Rotarian, Michael Weis. Alison Schmidt at Second Home Restaurant provided a tasty dinner consisting of salads, chicken curry over rice and naan bread. Many in attendance has seconds. For dessert, guests enjoyed the popular lemon meringue pie and chocolate chip cookies.  After dinner, Rotarian and Director of International Service, Aart Dronkers, introduced our special guest speakers, Murli Pendharkar and Dr. Vilas Prabhu. Mr. Pendharkar spoke of the deplorable conditions of the only school in the region that serves 1000 students daily. An investment from the Rotary Club of Summerland could change outcomes on India. Dr. Prabhu conformed his commitment to the global project in India. At the conclusion of the presentation, Aart presented our speakers with the ever coveted Summerland Rotary mug. All in all, it was a wonderful evening meeting. Thank you to everyone who came out! |
Rotary $100 Challenge - It's Back!
It's a new year and that means another Rotary $100 Challenge. I have a feeling this year's $100 Challenge will be full of surprises. This year we have 4 teams that will be participating. Thank you to all of those who will be taking part in this year's challenge. Objective of Rotary's $100 Challenge: An opportunity for Summerland Secondary School students to financially support a cause/charity of their choice.  Description: Each of the student groups are expected to use the $100 donation from Rotary as seed money for a fundraising project to raise funds for their cause/charity of choice. Rotarians volunteer as group mentors and are encouraged to meet with their groups as often as is necessary. The Challenge ends in May with all proceeds flowing through the club to be distributed to the named causes/charities. Each group is invited to make a presentation at a pre-arranged Rotary meeting. This years teams include: Mirjana Komljenovic's Team Top Left: Sunveer Dhaliwal, Rachel Berekoff. Missing but still awesome - Haylee Rolston, Claire Kenzie and Jacob Acheson. Team Talent Show Bottom: Jillian Henrichsen, Sage Beddome, Kaitlyn Nightingale, Ethan Freistadt, Hannah Walton and Monique Maaske.  LeeAnna Binder's Team Top: Hanna Marsh-DeBoer, Zaria Jenkins, Hannah Mistal and Brooklyn Stern Bob Van Balkom's Team Bottom Left: Nikki Blair, Brook Ure and Chelsea Robinson  Rotary Contact: For more information about the $100 Challenge, please contact $100 Challenge Chair, Mirjana Komljenovic at mirjim222@gmail.com. |
SADI Youth Club's Annual Dinner FundraiserThe Rotary Club of Summerland is excited to help invest in Summerland Youth and SADI Youth Club. Please join us! We always have a Rotary good time.  |
Breakfast Rotary Meeting - February 27, 2018Thanks to everyone who joined us for our morning breakfast meeting on Tuesday, February 27th. The "Rotary Moment" was provided by Rotarian, Karl Seidel. Brenda Hamilton, let the group know about the week's birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, spoke about his week in review. Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, provided an update on participation in this year's Summerland Blossom Pageant. Rotarian, LeeAnna Binder, spoke to the Club about the new Rotary NOW event the she and the rest of the Membership Committee has been organizing to take place on Thursday, April 12th, from 5-7 pm at the Summerland Waterfront Resort. Stay tuned for more details on this shortly.  President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, spoke to the Club about her experience from the past weekend in Seattle. Mirjana attended the Pacific Northwest President-Elects Training Seminar (PETS) at the end of February, which is a joint effort of the nine Rotary districts in the Northwest area of North America (and eastern Russia). This large area includes the states of Alaska, Oregon, Washington, parts of Idaho and California, the Canadian province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Pacific Northwest PETS is managed, prepared and conducted by a PETS Operating Committee composed of the District Governor-elect and a Past District Governor representative from each participating District. Consisting of well known exceptional speakers, informative workshops, detailed district training sessions, fellowship and networking, the basic purpose of our PETS is to have the best prepared, most enthusiastic club presidents in the Rotary world. Annually, the over 550 Presidents-elect attending leave well prepared to carry out their Rotary duties.  Director of Youth Services, Bob Van Balkom, spoke about the upcoming Rotary District 5060 Youth Exchange Bus Trip. Ellen Walker-Matthews introduced our guest speaker Ann Jackson, Landscape Designer at BENCH Site Design from Kelowna. Ann provided the Club with an update regarding the Giants Head Trail Re-Development Plan. Later on in the morning, Ellen thanked Ann Jackson and Lori Mullin, Manager of Parks & Recreation at the District of Summerland, for attending our meeting and presented them with Rotary Club of Summerland mugs. Additional photos from our breakfast meeting can be found on our Facebook page here.
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Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell and Summerland Penny Lane Bursaries Awarded Chris Sewell presents Ericka Bidwell with the Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane BursaryBack in 2011, the Rotary Club of Summerland, the Sewell Family and Summerland Charity Shop Society established an endowment fund to be known as the Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane Bursary with the Okanagan College Foundation. The award was established to honour Art Sewell, an advocate for youth and education, who passed away in Summerland in 2010. Art was passionate about supporting youth and their connection within the community. He was a founding member of Summerland Penny Lane and served as Chairman for 8 years. As an active Rotarian for 35 years, Art strongly believed that business leaders have a responsibility to provide opportunities for skill development in youth that help them reach their full potential. Art's belief and vision are shared by his family members, Rotarians and members of the Summerland Penny Lane Society. The Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane Bursary is disbursed to recipients who meet the following criteria:
Congratulations to Spencer McIntosh and Ericka Bidwell who were selected to receive the Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane Bursary for the 2017/2018 academic year. Family member, Chris Sewell, presented the two bursaries at an Awards Ceremony in Penticton in November 2017. Congratulations to both of this years' award recipients!  Chris Sewell presents Chris McIntosh with the Summerland Rotary, Art Sewell, Summerland Penny Lane Bursary. Chris McIntosh, accepted the bursary award on behalf of her son, Spencer McIntosh, who was unable to attend the Awards Ceremony
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Presidents-Elect Training Seminar - February 22 - 25th, 2018 As President Elect, I attended Rotary Pacific Northwest PETS President Elect training weekend in Seattle WA. Over 800 President Elects, Assistant Governors, District Governors from 10 districts attend this dynamic, intense training weekend. I learned personal and professional development skills that I will take with me during my term as President and any endeavor. I am deeply grateful to Rotary International and my Rotary Club, Summerland for this tremendous opportunity. I made life long friends. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learned to my Rotary Club and the community. Above are a few photos of the weekend and a few shenanigans. Additional photos from the weekend can be found on our Facebook page here. ~ Mirjana Komljenovic, President Elect, Rotary Club of Summerland |
More Photos - David and Jacob's "Weekend in the Mountains".png) Our soon-to-be Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Jacob Acheson, along with our current Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan took part in District 5060's "Weekend in the Mountains" in Revelstoke last weekend. This was the first training event for the newly chosen Outbound students and the first time that all the Inbound students get together. While there was training involved, there it was a lot of fun for the students...just not much sleep! Rotarian, Don Gemmell, reported back to the Club that the drive up was pretty noisy as students were getting to know each other. The drive home was quiet with everyone asleep. Sounds like fun times were had by all :)  Jacob passed on his thanks to the Rotary Club of Summerland:"Hi bob and other rotarians, I just wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I had an amazing time at revelstoke and all your support is the reason I am getting this chance. Thank you so much for your support."
Jacob |
Upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute taking place in Kelowna! Past District Governor, Vern Nielsen, presents Rotarian, Chantelle Meriam, with a certiciate of recognition for successfully completing District 5060's Rotary Leadership Institute program in the fall of 2015. We're happy to announce that another Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) course will be taking place this spring (March 24, April 7, April 21). For those that don't know, RLI is a 3 day program designed to give participants more information about Rotary, how to create and carry out more effective community programs, and to build friendships across the clubs in our district. Though the curriculum is designed with the idea that participants will take days 1, 2 &3 in order, that's not 100% necessary, so if you're not able to make all 3 courses this spring, you can attend another RLI session in the future to graduate. RLI is often paid for by your club, so ask if you're not sure. When: March 24, April 7, April 21 Where: The Coast Capri Hotel (1171 Harvey Ave, Kelowna) Why: To build friendships and acquire knowledge about Rotary. Who: All Rotarians, no matter how long they've been in Rotary. How much: To help cover costs, RLI costs $85 per person per day. The district is currently covering half the fees, so 1 day is $42.50, 2 days are $85.00, and 3 days are $127.50. Payments can be made either by credit card or cheque** **SUMMERLAND ROTARY CLUB MEMBERS** Please note the cost of attending these sessions will be 100% covered by our Club. Please speak to Treasurer, Doug Carnegie, about payment for these courses. Thank you to those Rotarians who have already registered their spot at the upcoming RLI courses. Currently, from our Club, we have Megan McLeod who has registered her participation to attend all three courses. Haven't signed up yet but would like to? Don't worry - there are still spots available! Register your participation here! |
Breakfast Morning Meeting - February 20, 2018 Thanks to everyone who joined us for our morning breakfast meeting on Tuesday, February 20th. The "Rotary Moment" was provided by Rotarian, Michael Zang. Brenda Hamilton, let the group know about the week's birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Don Gemmell spoke to the group about his "Weekend in the Mountains" with David and Jacob and all the other inbound and outbound Rotary exchange students in our District. Later on in the morning, we heard from our guest speakers, Kay Treadgold and Stephanie Normandeau, from the Summerland Museum and Archives Society. We learned all about our local museum and the different events and services that it offers. President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, thanked Kay and Stephanie and presented them with Rotary Club of Summerland mugs.
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David and Jacob's Weekend in the Mountains! L-R: Jacob Acheson, with our current Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan Our soon-to-be Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Jacob Acheson, along with our current Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan stopped for a quick photo before getting picked up by the bus on their way to District 5060's "Weekend in the Mountains" in Revelstoke. This is the first training event for the newly chosen Outbound students and the first time that all the Inbound students get together. While there is training involved, there is a lot of fun for the students...but not much sleep! Typically the drive up will be very noisy as students get to know each other. The drive home is very quiet with everyone asleep :) We hope you have a great time away, Jacob and David! We look forward to hearing about your weekend upon your return! |
10 Reasons to Fall in Love with Rotary Each year on February 14th, many people exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “valentine.” The day of romance we call Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century. There are many reasons to fall in Love with Rotary. Make Valentine’s Day even more special when you fall in Love with Rotary. There are many reasons to Fall In Love with Rotary, we've put together a list of the top 10 reasons: 1. Friendship: In an increasingly complex world, Rotary provides one of the most basic human needs: the need for friendship and fellowship. It is one of two reasons why Rotary began in 1905. 2. Business Development: The second original reason for Rotary’s beginning is business development. Everyone needs to network. Rotary consists of a cross section of every business community. Its members come from all walks of life. Rotarians help each other and collectively help others. |
Rotarian of the Month - Brenda Hamilton L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, with Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton Congratulations to Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of January! Brenda has consistently volunteered her time and energy with a variety of projects and causes. Whether it be setting up for a summer BBQ, getting her hands dirty while helping to clean up at Agur Lake Camp or helping out Allison at Second Home Restaurant after one of our meetings, Brenda is always there to lend a helping hand. She is a dedicated, caring and thoughtful individual who truly puts "service above self". Congratulations on being named Rotarian of the Month, Brenda. Thank you for everything that you do! |
Morning Rotary Valentine's Meeting - February 13, 2018
Our weekly morning Rotary meeting was held at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland this past Tuesday, February 13th. A Valentine's Day themed meeting was planned around the holiday, with a sweet Valentine's Day treat for each Rotarian and guest in attendance. President, Chantelle Meriam, prepared the gift boxes which included one of the "10 Reasons to fall in Love with Rotary" in each.  The Rotary Moment was presented by Rotarian, Michael Weis. Michael shared information on Sadi Youth-Club's annual fundraiser at Zias Stonehouse Restaurant which will be taking place again in April this year. Inbound exchange student, David Wu, shared his last week's adventures. David is looking forward to attending our District's annual "Weekend in the Mountains" event where both Inbound and Outbound Rotary Exchange Students from our District 5060 get together for some training and fun in Revelstoke. Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, announced the weekly anniversaries and birthdays. President, Chantelle, presented Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, with the "Rotarian of the Month" award. Brenda regularly goes out of her way to help other Rotarians. Well deserved, Brenda! Rotarian, Roch Fortin, was excited to introduce our weekly guest speaker, Jayne Graydon, from Saxon Estate Winery. Speaker, Jayne Gradyon, shared her story about how her and husband, Paul, came to own and operate Saxon Winery. Proud hubby, Paul, shared a photo of Leeds Castle in the UK where Jayne worked as an Executive Secretary to the manor. We learned so much about Jayne and are grateful her and Paul have made Summerland their home. At the end of presentation, Roch presented Jayne with the sought after Summerland Rotary Mug.
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Rotary is Weird!On page 41 of the January Rotarian magazine, you will find a heart-felt article about Rotary written by Dominic Bonny, Secretary of Wenatchee North, one of the clubs within our Rotary District 5060. Below is a link to his excellent story as a 3-minute video: |
Thrilling Evening Rotary Meeting - February 6, 2018
Fun filled evening Rotary meeting with the Ace of Spades, the Queen of Turkey, coffee dreams and turkey dinner! A full house enjoyed our evening dinner meeting at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland on Tuesday evening. The crowd enjoyed a splendid turkey dinner and the most amazing desserts. We had to choose between lemon meringue pie, lemon squares, brownies, chocolate cake with mocha icing and spice cake.  After our delectable dinner and dessert, Rotarian, Roch Fortin, introduced our special speaker, Banu Tülümen, who was our featured speaker, sharing her Vocational Classification talk. Banu joined the Rotary Club of Summerland in the later part of 2017; however, she is no stranger to Rotary, having first joined the organization 20 years ago in Istanbul, Turkey. Banu graduated from interior decorating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium; worked as private secretary to the Prime Minister; published three children's books and did translations of 6 books for different companies. Banu also had two exhibitions of paintings. It was a very interesting evening presentation and wonderful to learn more about Banu!
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Breakfast Rotary Meeting - January 30, 2018.png) Our last Rotary meeting of January was held on Tuesday, January was held on Tuesday, January 30th at Second Home Restaurant in Summerland. Our meeting opened up with an inspirational up with an inspirational Rotary Moment presented by President Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic. Brenda Hamilton announced the week's birthdays and anniversaries. Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan spoke about his last week in review. Ellen Walker-Matthews spoke about the 5th Annual Giant's Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race. Registration is now open! Later on in the morning, Garry Hollingshead, spoke to the Club about January being Rotary Vocational Service month. Vocational Service is one of Rotary's Avenues of Service that focuses on:
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our morning breakfast meeting. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting - an evening dinner meeting - on Tuesday, February 6th! See you then!
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More Photos from the Summerland Blossom TeaThe Summerland Royalty Blossom Tea was held at the Summerland Waterfront Resort last weekend. Congratulations to all of the candidates, including our very own Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, for a job well done! Here are a few additional photos from the event:
Top - Jessica stops for a photo with her family after the event Bottom Left - Jessica and Ann Kemp / Bottom Right - Jessica
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Evening Rotary Meeting - January 23, 2018 An enthusiastic crowd enjoyed a tasty spaghetti dinner and dessert at Second Home Restaurant (formerly Santorini's) on Tuesday evening as we:
Thanks to everyone who joined us! |
Summerland Royalty Blossom Tea The Summerland Royalty Blossom Tea was held at the Summerland Waterfront Resort this afternoon. Congratulations to all of the candidates, including our very own Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, for a job well done! Each candidate served tea and treats to those in attendance then walked down the runway, modeling two different outfits - one outfit from the Suburban Princess and another that they chose to wear from their closet. Later on in the program, each candidate gave a 2-3 minute speech about their sponsor. Jessica did a wonderful job and we could not have been more proud of her. Congratulations on a job well done, Miss Rotary!
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Rotarian of the Month - Paul Barber L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, with Rotarian, Paul Barber Congratulations to Rotarian, Paul Barber, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of December! Paul has been a key member of our Club, taking on many major projects over the years. While Paul always seems to have so many things on the go, he is always willing to lend a helping hand. Paul is proactive in his role of Director of Membership Services. As well, Paul is always keen to encourage new members to take on a leadership role. You are a great asset to our Club, Paul. Thanks for everything that you do! |
Breakfast Meeting - January 16, 2018 We had a great morning breakfast meeting at Second Home Restaurant (formerly Santorini's) on Tuesday, January 16th, where we received various updates from a number of individuals:
Later on in the morning, Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, presented several Rotarians with Paul Harris Fellow pins.  First time Paul Harris Fellowship recipients, Les Brough, Aart Dronkers, and Chantelle Meriam, received their pin and certificate. The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Garry also presented Bob Van Balkom with his third sapphire pin. Treasurer, Doug Carnegie, received his fourth sapphire pin. Congratulations to all of those that received this honour!
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Update from Ann Kemp - Miss Rotary and the Blossom Pageant Tea.jpg)
The Pageant Tea is very soon – SUNDAY,21st JANUARY AT 1.30 pm at the Summerland Waterfront Resort. This will the first public speech that the Blossom Pageant candidates will be presenting. They each, in approximately 3 minutes, talk about their sponsoring organization. So come on out and hear how wonderful Rotary is from the perspective of a 16 year old young lady. This is a judged event, so is just one of several things that goes towards their final marks. Not only do you hear good speeches, you will have an excellent tea served to you by the candidates. They have a busy afternoon as they also put on a little fashion show in between the speeches.  Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman I hope some of you will be able to come and support your Miss Rotary, Jessica O’Gorman. TICKETS: $12 each.
Available from me, Ann Kemp at jandakemp@shaw.ca or 250-494-9667 or Jessica at jessriverecho@gmail.com or 250-494-1521. Tickets go quickly, so if you would like to come, please don’t delay. Happy New Year. Ann |
Evening Rotary Meeting - January 9, 2018 Top (L-R): LEFT: New Rotarian, Megan McLeod, with fiancé, Tim Gray, with President, Chantelle Meriam, and Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead / RIGHT: David Wu Bottom (L-R): LEFT: Lisa Jaager / RIGHT: Paul Barber, Megan McLeod, Tim Gray, and Garry Hollingshead Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us for our first Rotary meeting of the New Year on Tuesday, January 9th, at Second Home Restaurant (formerly Santorini's) in Summerland. .png) Top (L-R): LEFT: Roch Fortin with New Rotarian, Nancy Wilson, and her husband, Mike Kosmack / RIGHT: Carolyn Huston, President of CLAP Bottom (L-R): LEFT: President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic / RIGHT: Bob Van Balkom with David Wu We had over 35 Rotarians, spouses, and guests in attendance for an exciting dinner meeting where we: • Heard from Rotarian, Lisa Jaager, as she opened up the meeting with her Rotary Moment |
2nd Annual Rotary Winter Walk - January 6, 2018 Thanks to everyone who came out this morning for our 2nd Annual Rotary Winter Walk. It turned out to be a wonderful get-together with 8 individuals and four dogs on attendance!  The group met at the Summerland Rotary Grounds parking lot at 10 am then took the half hour walk east on the Trans Canada Trail to the gazebo where we all stopped for a rest and enjoyed some hot chocolate and mulled wine while overlooking Summerland. Thank you to Rotarian, Michael Zang, for once again organizing this fun gathering. We look forward to our next active fellowship event!
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Aart and Jos Dronkers enjoy Rotary Fellowship in the Barossa Valley in Australia
Aart and Jos Dronkers visited their Rotary friends Karin and Jim Mitchell during their trip in Australia from October 26 – December 4, 2017. Jim Mitchell was attending the districts conference in May 2016 in Yakima when Jim, Aart & Jos met during dinner and they connected well. It seemed like an excellent opportunity to enjoy time with Jim and his wife Karin while traveling in Australia and at the same time experience a real Australian sheep farm in the famous Barossa Valley. The Mitchells live in a truly unique setting. Firstly the Barossa Valley is beautiful and one of the prime wine regions in Australia. Some exclusive wines from St. Hugo and Double Barrel Jacob’s Creek come from this valley.  Rotarians, Jim and Aart, Karin and Jos exchanging Rotary memorabilia and enjoying the Jacob’s Creek Double Barrell! Some exclusive wines from St. Hugo and Double Barrel Jacob’s Creek come from this valley. Secondly it is prime sheep grazing territory. Jim and Karin Mitchell have a farm with no less than 4000 Merino sheep on 1730 acres of land.
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RSVP: January 9th Evening Rotary MeetingJoin us for first Rotary meeting of the New Year taking place on Tuesday, January 9th at 6:00 pm at Second Home Restaurant (formerly Santorini's Restaurant) in Summerland, where we will inducting two new members into the Rotary Club of Summerland:
We will also have the pleasure of hearing from special guest speaker, Carolyn Huston, who will present an overview of her Bangladesh Project to our Rotary Club.  Carolyn Huston Carolyn started the project in the Chittagong Hills Tracts to support the impoverished people there with literacy programs, proper sanitation, nutrition and practical skills. The Chittagong Hill Tracts are an area within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar. Although Bangladesh is independent since 1971 and a democracy, the Chittagong Hills is a high risk militarized zone in Bangladesh controlled by the government. It is a restricted access nation within a nation.
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David takes part in Summerland's Polar Bear Dip!
Summerland’s Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan, took part in Summerland Kinsmen’s Polar Bear Dip today at Sun-Oka Beach and braved the cold waters of Okanagan Lake! What a great start to the New Year! Way to go, David! Thanks to Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, for this photo. Additional photos of David and others at the Polar Bear Dip can be viewed on our Facebook page here. |
Rotarian of the Month - Les Brough Rotarian, Les Brough with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Les Brough on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of November!
Les' leadership with our recent Rotary Christmas Tree Fundraiser has been tremendous, stepping up and taking the lead on this project in late November. Besides our recent fundraiser, Les can be found lending a helping hand to support the Club in any way he can. As well, Les regularly assists the group with the set-up at our weekly Rotary meetings. Your energy and hard work is appreciated, Les! Thanks for everything that you do! |
Final Rotary Meeting of 2017 - December 19, 2017 Our final Rotary meeting of 2017 was held on Tuesday, December 19th with over 25 Rotarians, friends and guests in attendance. Highlights of our morning breakfast meeting included: • Having Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, lead the group through a Rotary Moment where she asked members about their Rotary highlight of 2017. So many great Rotary moments! • Listening to Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, as he spoke about his week in review • Presenting David with Christmas gifts as he looks forward to his first Christmas in Canada • Hearing an update from our Rotary Christmas Tree Fundraiser Chair, Les Brough, about the success we have had over the past month • Recognizing Les Brough with the honour of "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of November for stepping up and taking the lead on our Rotary Christmas Tree Fundraiser • Receiving a visit from Ann Kemp and our very own Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman • Having local Pharmacist, Dayton Sobool, from Summerland Guardian Pharmacy join us as our guest • Having Rebound Rotary Exchange Student, Emma Thomson, and her boyfriend, Joao, also a Rebound Rotary Exchange Student, join us for our meeting Thanks to everyone who came out. Happy holidays! We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Tuesday, January 9th at 6:00 pm!
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Fun Times at our Annual Rotary Holiday Party! Thank you to everyone who came out for our annual Rotary Holiday Party that took place on Tuesday, December 12th at the Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa. It was a wonderful evening full of friendship, fellowship and fun. Thank you to Lisa Jaager for organizing the event and to Ellen Walker-Matthews for leading the evening as our Master of Ceremonies. Some of the highlights of the evening included: • Hearing from our inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, about what Christmas is like back home in Taiwan • Participating in our annual "Recycled, Reclaimed or Regifted" holiday gift exchange • Listening to Sophia Zang and Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, lead the group through a beautiful rendition of Silent Night All in all, it was a fun-filled night that won't be forgotten! Thanks to everyone who came out!
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David enjoys a Weekend in the Snow! Our inbound, Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan, enjoyed a weekend in the snow with fellow inbound Rotary Exchange Students from Rotary District 5060. The group of students spent the December 8-10th weekend at Silver Star Resort in Vernon. Fun times were had by all!  |
Another successful weekend for Christmas Tree Sales!
Thanks to everyone who helped out with our Christmas Tree fundraiser this weekend! Rotarians, members of SADI and other friends/family of Rotary came together this weekend for two successful days of tree sales! Please see the update from Rotarian and Christmas Tree Fundraiser chair, Les Brough, below: Saturday Update Thanks to the Saturday Sales Team of Paul, Chantelle, Nick, Jacob, Ann and Michael for braving the cold and achieving the grand total of $1,715 in sales plus additional on-line and credit sales of $200. My previous reports had missed on-line sales and credit sales as I did not have access to those numbers. Including those sales we have exceeded our expectations and could achieve over $10,000 less expenses. We need a big day tomorrow. Don and Paul have volunteered to bring more trees down from the farm tomorrow morning and if anyone can lend a hand they will be starting at 10 a.m. Please get in touch with either of them or me for directions. Tomorrow, Sunday, we have a sales team of Paul, Don, Garry, Jacob and Doug C after 1 pm with myself but if you are available and would like to help, please, you are welcome to give others a chance for a break and getting warm (although we do have a fire pit). Thanks again to Orv, Bob Hamilton, Doug M, Mike Cosmack, Michael Z, Eric (LeeAnna's son-in-law) and guest Cassidi Wagner (The Chalk House) for hauling trees on Thursday in really poor conditions. Sunday Update Don and Paul were up on the hill early on Sunday morning and brought down what will be our last haul of trees: hard work so many thanks to both. The day was slower than expected but with the help of Paul, Michael W, Garry, Frances and Doug C we managed to achieve another $880 in sales. Currently we are about 10 trees short of obtaining a total of $10,000 before expenses. We still have about 50 trees left and we have decided to have our final sales next weekend with shorter hours: 1 pm to 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday. We need four volunteers each day. So, if you are available please let me know when: 250-490-8804 or lesbrough@gmail.com. |
Breakfast Meeting - December 5, 2017 Cassidi Wagner, Owner of The Chalk House The Rotary Club of Summerland had the pleasure of hearing from special guest speaker, Cassidi Wagner, owner of the new shop The Chalk House on Main Street at our morning breakfast meeting on December 5th. Members learned more about Cassidi and her story why she chose to open up shop in Summerland. It was pleasure meeting you Cassidi. Welcome to Summerland! |
Great weekend for Tree Sales!
Thanks to everyone who helped out with our Christmas Tree fundraiser this weekend! Rotarians, members of SADI and other friends/family of Rotary came together this weekend for two successful days of tree sales! Please see the update from Rotarian and Christmas Tree Fundraiser chair, Les Brough, below: Hi Saturday Sales Team, Thanks for the great effort today in “not the best weather”. Special thanks to Nick for promoting the Christmas Music which we will continue and to supplying the much needed fire pit, which we hope to use again. We did exceedingly well today and, if tomorrow goes anywhere near as well, it will be a very successful weekend. The weather will determine if we can collect more trees from the farm tomorrow (at 8:30 pm Saturday it’s still not looking good). In any case we will definitely need more trees for next weekend: we will plan for that later. Right now we are aiming for Thursday (so if you felixible please plan ahead).  Good evening Sunday’s Sales Team, What a great team effort and another outstanding day - we exceeded Saturday’s sales. It was impressive to see the effort that Don, Rock, Michael Z and Jacob put into bringing more trees down from the tree farm. We will be doing another cutting and collection of trees next Thursday as well as another weekend of selling on Saturday and Sunday. Stay posted for more opportunities to make more much-needed funds for our Rotary club! Again, thanks to a really good Rotary Team. Les **Additional photos from the weekend can be viewed on our Facebook page here** |
Guest Speaker - Alyson Lindsay and the Group from SADIThe Rotary Club of Summerland was pleased to hear from Alyson Lindsay, Program Manager at Summerland Asset Development Initiative (SADI), at our evening dinner meeting at Santorini's Restaurant on Tuesday. Alyson was joined by a group of five from the youth club who assisted Alyson with her presentation. Thank you to Antonio Hansen, Malaina Arab, Abbey Simmonds, Jordyn Birds and Kyle Walker for joining us for the evening. It was a pleasure learning more about you and hearing about your experiences with SADI.  Later on in the evening, President, Chantelle Meriam, and Rotarian and SADI Board Member, Michael Weis, presented Alyson and the group from SADI with a $3000 cheque donation.
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Invitation: Open House/Wine and Cheese!
This Friday, December 1st, you are cordially invited to my Open House/Wine and Cheese! Please see the details below for more information. Kindly RSVP to me directly by e-mail at don_gemmell@yahoo.com, text at 250-770-0216 or phone/message at 250-494-4928. Rotarians/spouses and guests are all welcome to attend. Hope to see you on Friday!  |
Summerland Rotary Annual Holiday Party!
The Rotary Club of Summerland cordially invites you to our Annual Holiday Party taking place on Tuesday, December 12th at 6:00 pm at the Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa. Details as follows:  **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** Please RSVP your attendance by Saturday, December 2nd, to Lisa Jaager at sales@summerlandresorthotel.com or call 250-494-8180 ext. 5.
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Rotarian of the Month - Florida Town L-R: Rotarian, Florida Town, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Florida Town on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of October! Although having just joined Rotary at the end of August, Florida has already proven to be a wonderful addition to our Club. Thank you for being available and ready to assist the Club and its members in any way that you can. As well, a big thank you for your taking on of the organization of our World Polio Day campaign in Summerland on October 24th. Your efforts and fresh ideas do not go unnoticed. Thank you for everything that you do, Florida! |
Summerland Review Article: Rotary Club offers Christmas Trees Roch Fortin, a Summerland Rotary Club member, shows one of the cultured Douglas fir trees which will be available beginning Nov. 24 at the Summerland Festival of Lights. If you are looking for a real Douglas fir tree for Christmas this year, the Summerland Rotary Club has you covered. This opportunity was presented to Rotary by the Dirty Laundry Vineyard. They had purchased land west of Dale Meadows, which was also part tree farm. |
Guest Speakers - Darin and Rochelle Fair, Lone Tree Coffee Top and bottom left - Darin and Rochelle Fair tell their "lone tree coffee" story. Bottom Right - Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, presents Darin and Rochelle with the coveted Rotary Club of Summerland mugs Thank you to Darin and Rochelle Fair who were the guest speakers at our evening Rotary dinner at Santorini's yesterday. The couple told their "lone tree coffee" story which began back in 1996 when Darin and Rochelle Fair and their then young family, started in the coffee business in Summerland, with the opening of The Beanery Coffee Company. With the decision to sell the café in 2008, the Fairs chose to continue to follow their passion of roasting and marketing Specialty Coff...ee and found a new location for their coffee roaster. In 2013, lone tree coffee was founded to allow the Roastery, and still thriving Beanery Café become unique identities in the community. Today, Darin continues to oversee the roasting process and Rochelle manages the daily operations of the Roastery. |
Blossom Pageant Candidates Introduced The 2017-2018 Blossom Pageant candidates were introduced in last week's Summerland Review. There are eight candidates this year including our very own Miss Rotary, Jessica O'Gorman, as seen below.  The candidates will make their first public appearance next Friday, November 24th, at Summerland Festival of Lights. We are looking forward to seeing all the candidates soon! |
Fundraising for PolioRotary clubs from around the world, including the Rotary Club of Summerland, collected donations for World Polio Day on October 24th  President Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic Mirjana Komljenovic of the Summerland Rotary Club collected donations for World Polio Day on Oct. 24. The Summerland club raised more than $200, which will be double matched by the Bill Gates Foundation for a total of more than $600. |
Grant Received for Giant's Head Trail Redevelopment ProjectIncluded with this months utility invoice:  The Giant's Head Trail Redevelopment Project - a partnership between the District of Summerland and the Summerland Rotary Club - has received a $435,000 grant for trail improvements. |
Rotary after 5: Second Annual Rotary Medieval Feast! Our second annual Rotary Medieval Feast turned out to be another fantastic social, this year with over 32 Rotarians, guests and friends in attendance at the gathering held on Friday, November 3rd. The feast consisted of all-you-can-eat fresh homemade bread, tomato bean and bacon soup, a medieval pan full of a variety of medieval goodies and homemade apple fritters with ice cream for dessert. By the end of the evening, everyone was stuffed! It was a wonderful evening and a fun night all around.  Thanks to everyone who came out including our friends from the Rotary Club of Peachland and Penticton! Hope to see you all again next year! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page. |
Halloween Day Cheque Donation: From Michael Weis and the Coffee Drinkers at the Summerland Research Station L-R: President, Chantelle Meriam, with Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis The Rotary Club of Summerland received a nice surprise at their Halloween morning breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant this past Tuesday. Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, provided the Club with another generous cheque donation of $1000. The donation was the result of the fundraising efforts at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. The Rotary Club of Summerland has been grateful to receive these donations over the past five years, with the donated funds being a great help in the support of many local and international projects including the Summerland Rotary Club's support of SADI (Summerland Asset Development Initiative), the pathway between Summerland and Penticton and the Rotary Club of Summerland's Rotoplast Mission to the Phillipines. Thank you to Michael and all of the coffee drinkers up at the Summerland Research and Development Centre for this generous donation!
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Introducing our New Miss Rotary: Jessica O'GormanPlease welcome our new Miss Rotary - Jessica O'Gorman - who will be our candidate in this years Summerland Blossom Pageant! About Jessica "My name is Jessica O'Gorman and I am a grade 11 student at Summerland Secondary School. In addition to my classes, I am part of senior leadership and the wellness group. Outside of school, I am a competitive dancer. I dance 8 hours a week in the styles of ballet, pointe, contemporary, jazz, tap and musical theatre. I also take music lessons in West Kelowna. In the future, I would like to dance professionally for a ballet company and attend university for ocean sciences. I'm excited to be participating in this years Summerland Blossom Pageant. I think the program is an amazing way for girls to explore their full potential, learn public speaking and show creative individuality. I am thankful to represent Rotary during my time in the pageant. Rotary is such an amazing organization and I like the idea that it strives to do good in the world". We are excited to have you represent the Rotary Club of Summerland as Miss Rotary! We wish you all the best during this years program and look forward to getting to know you better over the course of the next year! .jpg) Many members of the Summerland Rotary Club know fellow Rotarian, John Kemp, and his wife, Ann; however, do you know Ann's role with our own Miss Rotary? "Some people have called me a mentor for Miss Rotary. Basically my position is to "take care" of Miss Rotary for the 8 months that they spend going through the program. It's the nicest job I have ever had! We meet on a regular basis either for tea at my house or occasionally in a café after school We talk about what Rotary does locals and in the world and other things that help me to get to know Miss Rotary better. I guess I am there to help with what ever crops up and bring her to meetings and to volunteer with things such as the Rotary Pioneer Tea. It's not something I can properly describe, but I enjoy it and give her support if and when needed." ~ Ann Kemp Ann Kemp Thanks for taking such great care of Miss Rotary, Ann! We look forward to hearing all about your participation in this years Summerland Blossom Pageant, Jessica! |
District Fall Assembly in Osoyoos - October 27-28th, 2017 L-R: Vice President, LeeAnna Binder, Director of Membership Services, Paul Barber, President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, Secretary, Don Gemmell, and President, Chantelle Meriam It was a great weekend away in Osoyoos this past Friday and Saturday for the Rotary Club of District 5060's 2017 Rotary Fall Assembly! Rotarians from our District comprising of 57 clubs from Central Washington and South Central BC gathered for this annual training weekend to learn and share ideas on how we, as Rotarians, can continue to make a difference both locally in our communities and internationally. Five members from the Rotary Club of Summerland attended the planned sessions at the Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos. Members from around the District learned new ideas as relating to community service, fundraising, international project ideas, social media and membership. It was a fun and informative weekend away and a wonderful way to connect with familiar faces and meet new friends!  |
October 24th Evening Dinner - Guest Speakers: Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand Summerland Rotarian, Aart Dronkers (Center), accepts a Letter of Appreciation on behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club from (L) Dr. David Omand and (R) Dr. Janice Routledge. The letter was from Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal as a thank you to the Summerland Rotary Club for our recent donation of medical equipment to the Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal. Members of the Rotary Club of Summerland heard from special guest speakers, Dr. David Omand and Dr. Janice Routledge, who spoke to the Club about their recent travels to Nepal and the Rotary Club of Summerland's donation of $2000 toward the supply of crucial medical equipment for medical students who are studying to become doctors in the 4 rural hospitals in Nepal. Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand volunteer in Nepal to teach medical students and prepare them for their future duties. |
Summerland Rotarians Raise Funds and Create Awareness on World Polio Day.png) L-R: Rotarian, Florida Town, and President-Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, stand outside in downtown Summerland, raising awareness of World Polio Day on October 24th World Polio Day was on Tuesday, October 24th. In support of the day, members of the Rotary Club of Summerland stood outside various locations in downtown Summerland to raise awareness and collect donations toward the eradication of polio. Thank you to our newest Rotarian, Florida Town, who stepped up and took on the organization of this event. You did a wonderful job, Florida. |
Summerland Rotary Participates in Polio Eradication Program One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio - Tuesday, October 24th Summerland Mayor, Peter Waterman, stands with President, Chantelle Meriam Polio is a terrifying disease. It can be fatal, leave victims crippled or paralyzed. There is no cure for it. Not too long ago, the warm months of summer were filled with terror. Parents could not let their children use community swimming pools or visit crowded sites such as local fairs or special events. Today, Canada is polio-free. The efforts of American researcher, Jonas Salk, led, in 1955, to the development of Salk vaccine – a method of prevention that saved thousands of lives. But the vaccine had to be injected, which limited its use. |
Update from Florida Town - World Polio Day - Tuesday, October 24th.jpg)
Greetings fellow Rotarians - You may not have had an opportunity to sign up for the October 24 Blitz to eradicate Polio. This is your chance to be included. Stations will be set up in the downtown area and, if we get enough volunteers, two persons will be at each station. Ideally, we will have four persons for each station, so each pair will put in one hour, between 11:30 and 1:30. Please meet me at the library parking lot at 11:30 am on Tuesday, October 24th.  Stations will be set up at the following locations:
I have collection buckets for you (plastic Hallowe'en pumpkins) and four ruby red footprints for each station. As well, you will have a large red poster for display purposes. I will pick up the posters, the pumpkins and the footsteps after our blitz ends. Who remembers Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz? Or rather, Judy Garland in the movie? She wore ruby red slippers, clicked her heels together, and her wish came true. I'm hoping our wish will come true and we can truly take that giant step forward to eradicate polio. Thank you for your support. Florida |
October 24th Evening Dinner Meeting Reminder - Guest Speakers: Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David OmandJoin us for weekly Rotary meeting taking place on Tuesday, October 24th at 6:00 pm at Santorini's Restaurant in Summerland where we will hear from special guest speakers Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand, Canadian doctors who spend their free time working in Nepal to train medical students for the 4 rural hospitals in Nepal. .jpg) L-R - Dr. David Omand, Summerland Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, Dr. Janice Routledge, and Jos Dronkers at the cheque hand-over in Kelowna on June 8, 2017. Recently, the Rotary Club of Summerland donated CAD2000 to a project in Nepal to supply crucial medical equipment for medical students who are studying to become doctors in the 4 rural hospitals in Nepal. Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand volunteer in Nepal to teach these medical students and prepare them for their future duties. This small project came out of the connections and network Aart Dronkers built in Nepal in 2015, as well as his friendship with Dr. Denis Brown (deceased), Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand. Aart did his Himalaya Trek in 2015 with Janice & David. The larger medical program is coordinated by the McMaster Medical University and Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand volunteer for this program. The program has been going on successfully for quite a while. COST: $20/person GUESTS: Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more about Rotary or becoming a member of our club, please contact our Secretary, Don Gemmell, at don_gemmell@yahoo.com to RSVP. We would love to have you join us us. Dinner will be on us :) We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, October 24th! See you then! |
RSVP REMINDER - Rotary Medieval Feast on November 3rd!Looking forward to seeing everyone at our Rotary after 5: Rotary Medieval Feast! - which will be taking place on Friday, November 3rd from 6-8pm at Gasthaus Pub in Pub in Peachland! For those of you that haven't had a chance to RSVP yet but plan on attending, please RSVP your attendance no later than this upcoming Sunday, October 29th by clicking on the link below! .jpg) Further details are as follows: Gasthaus Pub 5790 Beach Ave, Peachland Friday, November 3rd 6:00 pm  Members, spouses and guests of the Rotary Club of Summerland enjoyed our "Rotary after 5" Medieval Feast at Gasthaus' on the Lake last year  Have a feast fit for a king this November! The Gasthaus’ legendary medieval dinners are a perfect way to make your dinner gathering even more memorable. Pewter plates, dripping wax candelabras, stuffed boar’s head, your waitress in costume and everyone taking on the role of a medieval diner are part of the fun but overshadowed by the impressive feast. We start with homemade bread hot out of the stone oven. Next we serve piping hot soup out of the castle-sized fireplace. The main event is the huge 150lb cast iron pan that two chefs bring to your table. Loaded with ribs, chicken, duck, schnitzel, pork hock, ham and much more. Lastly hot apple fritters are served with ice cream and whipped cream. Cost is $31.90 per person + tax and gratuity. More information about the medieval dinners can be found on the Gasthaus website located at http://www.gasthaus.ca/medieval-events. Guest, spouses, and friends are welcome to attend! Please note - in order to have our Rotary Medieval Feast a go, we will need a minimum of 10 individuals participate in the feast. If you plan on attending, please RSVP your attendance by registering here no later than Sunday, October 29th, so we know how many to reserve for. I look forward to taking part in this wonderful event in November and I hope to see you all there! |
AGM: Election of Club Executives and Directors
The Rotary Club of Summerland held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, October 17th at Santorini's Restaurant, for the purpose of approving the Financial Statements for the current 2017/2018 Rotary year and electing Directors and Officers for the 2018/2019 Rotary Year commencing July 1, 2018. Nominations were presented by the Nomination Committee and were also accepted from the membership. Results of the election were as follows: President - Mirjana Komljenovic Past President - Chantelle Meriam President Elect - LeeAnna Binder Secretary - Donald Gemmell Treasurer - Doug Carnegie Director - Membership - Paul Barber Director - International Service - Aart Dronkers Director - Community Service - Michael Zang Director - Youth Services - Joyce Boye Director - At Large - Ellen Walker-Matthews Thank you to everyone that took part in our Annual General Meeting. Looking forward to a successful 2018/2019 Rotary year! |
Castanet Article - Giant Money for Trail ProjectThe following article appeared on Castanet over the weekend - https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/209110/Giant-money-for-trail-project#.WeImVtmYHyp.facebook. Great news on project funding for the Giant's Head Trail project. Very rewarding for Ellen Walker-Matthews, Roch Fortin and other Rotarians that have supported the Giant's Head Grind objectives. Please see the full article, as posted on Castanet, below: Giant Money for Trail Project .jpg) Photo: District of Summerland View from Giant's Head Mountain Park in Summerland The District of Summerland was approved for a sizeable grant from the provincial government on Friday. As part of $10.1 million in funding announced for rural projects, Summerland received a $435,000 rural dividend grant. Mayor Peter Waterman said the money will be used for the trail project in Giant's Head Mountain Park. "This will not only provide a better use of trails, but it will also bring in environmental aspects to make sure the mountain is properly preserved," he stated. A master plan had been drafted earlier this year, after a consultant came in and analyzed the environmental sensitivity of the mountain, as well as usage patterns by the public. "It's a tremendous opportunity for Summerland ... we become more of a destination," Waterman boasted when asked about what he thinks the grant will enable. He added the project will also include creating specialized features for users on the mountain, in accordance with the activities they are doing. "People that mountain bike, for example, will have an individual trail pattern that will be different from what they've been using in the past." Of the 90 local governments, First Nations groups and non-profit groups that were awarded funding from the provincial government, Summerland's grant was the second-largest handed out. "We certainly appreciate that the government has seen fit to put this in our direction," Waterman said. Only the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association ($500,000) received a larger grant. In the South Okanagan, the Town of Osoyoos earned a $100,000 grant and the Town of Oliver was awarded $49,660. |
Tree Planting at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary
Update from Garry Hollingshead - On behalf of the Club, thank you so very much for those Rotarians who gave up their Saturday this past weekend to help plant 25 trees in vicinity of late Rotarian,George Nagle's, memorial stone. Also, a big thank you to Helena and Athena for their assistance, as well. I think the consensus was that our combined effort over 4 hours resulted in a significant improvement to the Sanctuary. Thank you!  A photo of a few of the hard workers taking a well deserved coffee break! L-R: Garry Hollingshead, Michael Zang, Les Brough, Preston Mott and Paul Barber
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Evening/Spousal Meeting: October 10, 2017.png) Members and Guests of the Summerland Rotary Club had a wonderful time at the Evening/Spousal Meeting on Tuesday, October 10th at Santorini's Restaurant. Those in attendance heard from our Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan, who spoke to the Club about himself, his experience in Canada so far, as well as what it is like for him back at home. It was interesting and informative presentation. It is great to learn more about you, David!  Left: Garry Hollingshead speaks to the Club about a Rotary Tree planting gathering at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday Top Right: Bob Van Balkom takes advantage of his Rotary Moment to lead the group through the singing of Happy Birthday to President, Chantelle Meriam. Bottom Right: Visiting Rotarian and President of the Rotary Club of Penticton, Paul Varga, speaks to the Club about events and activities that his Rotary Club is involved with during the 2017/2018 Rotary year
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Rotarian of the Month - Aart Dronkers L-R: Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of September! Aart was one of the key organizers behind our Summerland Rotary Sunday Market this year. As well, as Director of International Services, Aart took on the organizing of our participation in the recent Guatemala Literacy Project which saw our Club donating $1000 USD to the cause and other members of the Club donating an additional $340 USD. With a total contribution of $1340 USD, are funds will be multiplied by 6.5 times through the various matching grants associated with the District, The Rotary Foundation and the Government of Canada. Thank you for your ongoing support and leadership with our Summerland Rotary Sunday Market. As well, many thanks for all of your efforts with the recent Guatemala Literacy Project. Your hard and enthusiasm is always appreciated. Thank you for being a positive and decided member of our Club, Aart! |
Deadline Extended! Seeking Applicants for Rotary Youth Exchange Program.jpg)
Update from Director of Youth Services, Bob Van Balkom - **DEADLINE EXTENDED to OCTOBER 20TH!** Seeking applicants for our Rotary Youth Exchange Program! Know of any Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 students? We are currently looking for applicants for next years' Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Please circulate the 2018/2019 Outbound Rotary Exchange Poster and the 2018-2019 Exchange Information Sheet to any acquaintances who have eligible persons amongst their family or friends. Interested parties can complete the Summerland Rotary Club Youth Exchange Application. The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is a wonderful experience and great learning opportunity!  |
Guest Speaker: Denise DeLeeuw, Summerland Wellness - World Reflexology Week Denise DeLeeuw, Owner of Summerland Wellness, speaks to the Club during our October 3rd meeting The Rotary Club of Summerland was pleased to have Denise DeLeeuw, Owner of Summerland Wellness, as the guest speaker at our October 3rd breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant. Denise spoke to the Club in honour of World Reflexology Week which took place the week prior. Those in attendance learned about the benefits of reflexology and saw firsthand Denise's passion and pleasure to be supporting individuals in wellness. Thank you for the informative talk, Denise!
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Seeking Applicants! Rotary Youth Exchange ProgramKnow of any Grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 students? We are currently looking for applicants for next years' Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Please circulate the 2018/2019 Outbound Rotary Exchange Poster and the 2018-2019 Exchange Information Sheet to any acquaintances who have eligible persons amongst their family or friends. Interested parties can complete the Summerland Rotary Club Youth Exchange Application. The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is a wonderful experience and great learning opportunity! Deadline for Application: October 10, 2017! |
Rotary Youth Exchange Testimonial from Bailey Johnson
My Rotary Exchange to Brazil! Hello future youth exchangers! My name is Bailey Johnson. I went to Sao Paulo, Brazil on exchange for the years of 2015/2016. I am a Summerland Secondary School graduate, I graduated in the Class of 2017, and I am currently writing this letter from the University of British Columbia where I am studying Nutritional Sciences! First things first; my exchange changed my life. I was only in Grade 10; 15 years old, andI made a huge life changing decision to apply for the Rotary Youth exchange. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! As I went through the interview process, and was chosen to represent the Summerland Rotary Club as an outbound exchange student, I started the long process of discovering myself. Even before I left for Brazil I was able to attend orientations and meet life long friends, and develop a larger group of friends that share a common mindset and motivation to change the world! |
RSVP Reminder: October 10th Evening/Spousal Dinner with Presentation by David Wu!
**RESERVATION REMINDER** Please RSVP your attendance by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd, at the latest. You are invited to our Rotary Evening/Spousal Dinner meeting taking place next Tuesday, October 10th at 6:00 pm at Santorini's Restaurant in Summerland. Join us as we hear from our Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan!  SPEAKER: Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan will be speaking about his experience in Canada since arriving at the end of August and will compare/contrast this to his hometown in Taiwan. COST: $20/person - includes dinner, dessert and coffee/tea. GUESTS: Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more or becoming a member of our club, please contact our Secretary, Don Gemmell, at don_gemmell@yahoo.com to RSVP. We would love to have you join us. Dinner will be on us :) **RESERVATIONS REQUIRED** Please RSVP your attendance by clicking on the link below to either attend or decline this invitation by the end of the day on Tuesday, October 3rd, at the latest. We look forward to seeing everyone at our second evening/spousal dinner of the fall on Tuesday, October 10th! See you then! |
Update from District Governor Nominee, Sherry Chamberlain - BOOK FALL ASSEMBLY Oct 27/28 NOW!
IF YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO GO TO OSOYOOS OCT 27/28, now is the time to book your room. Do not delay.
STEP 1: HOTEL Block for Rotary releases this Thursday ! Call: 1888-755-3480 and mention Group ID#2455 $127 per night. Reservations need to be made no later than: Thursday, September 28th, 2017. .jpg) STEP 2: REGISTER for the training: http://www.clubrunner.ca/5060 go to upcoming events on the home page and click on register, right column. The fee of $95 covers the Friday and Saturday meal costs, pay online or if you cannot, pay with cheque at Osoyoos. STEP 3: DATA. While you are logged into clubrunner, go to ADMIN and then your profile and update your personal information, add missing data, photo, phone numbers, email addresses, birthdates and other data additions are helpful for our analysis of club members. Sherry Chamberlain, District Governor 2018-2019 |
Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Josiah Baran, in Italy
Looks like Josiah, our Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, is making plenty of new friends in Italy. His post below: .jpg) This is the rotary inbound weekend. We stayed 1 night and learned about what it will be like our year in Italy. These are some of the friends I made they come from Alberta,Quebec, Brazil, Australia, US, Finland and Mexico.  |
Certificate of Appreciation presented to Summerland Research and Development Centre L-R: Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, President, Chantelle Meriam, Associate Director of Summerland Research and Development Centre, Kenna MacKenzie, and Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead President, Chantelle Meriam, and Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, were pleased to present a Certificate of Appreciation to the Summerland Research and Development Centre on Thursday afternoon. Associate Director of the Research Station, Kenna MacKenzie, and Summerland Rotarian (also a Manager of the Electron Microscopy and Imaging Labratory at the Research Station), accepted the certificate. The Certificate of Appreciation was presented to say thanks for numerous donations to the Rotary Club of Summerland over the past five years. The donations have been a great help in the support of many local and international projects over the years, including the Summerland Rotary Club's support of SADI (Summerland Asset Development Initiative), the pathway between Summerland and Penticton and the Rotary Club of Summerland's Rotoplast Mission to the Phillipines. Thank you to the Summerland Research and Development Centre for your support over the past five years!
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Rotarian of the Month - Lisa Jaager Rotarian, Lisa Jaager, with President, Chantelle Meriam Congratulations to Rotarian, Lisa Jaager, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of August! Lisa has been very involved with Rotary over the years - whether it be taking the lead on the Summerland Rotary Sandcastle Contest at the Great Ogopogo Bathtub Race, helping to organize the Rotary Senior Pioneer Tea, or leading the Club through a series of visioning sessions - Lisa has proven time and time again to be a valuable member of the Summerland Rotary Club. Thank you for being a dedicated member of our Club, Lisa! Your time and effort spent over the years have been greatly appreciated. Thank you! |
Breakfast Meeting: September 19, 2017 The Rotary Club of Summerland's first morning meeting of the season was an exciting meeting at Santorini's Restaurant in Summerland. Top Left - Paul barber presented his Rotary moment. He spoke about the incredible work our club did helping about 75 children in the Phillippines with cleft palettes. Bottom Right - Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, "David" Tawei Wu, shared the history of the Taiwan flag before - Bottom Left - presenting President, Chantelle Meriam, and the Summerland Rotary Club with a banner from his Club in Taiwan. Top Right - Our newest Rotarian, Florida Town, presented her classification speech to the club. She spoke about career as a journalist and an author.
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Rotary After 5: Rotary Medieval Feast! at Gasthaus Pub in PeachlandBack by popular demand!! Please mark your calendars for our first social gathering of the fall - a Rotary Medieval Feast! - which will be taking place on Friday, November 3rd from 6-8pm at Gasthuas Pub in Peachland. Details are as follow: Gasthaus Pub 5790 Beach Ave, Peachland Friday, November 3rd 6:00 pm Members, spouses and guests of the Rotary Club of Summerland enjoyed our "Rotary after 5" Medieval Feast at Gasthaus' on the Lake last year Have a feast fit for a king this November! The Gasthaus’ legendary medieval dinners are a perfect way to make your dinner gathering even more memorable. Pewter plates, dripping wax candelabras, stuffed boar’s head, your waitress in costume and everyone taking on the role of a medieval diner are part of the fun but overshadowed by the impressive feast. We start with homemade bread hot out of the stone oven. Next we serve piping hot soup out of the castle-sized fireplace. The main event is the huge 150lb cast iron pan that two chefs bring to your table. Loaded with ribs, chicken, duck, schnitzel, pork hock, ham and much more. Lastly hot apple fritters are served with ice cream and whipped cream. Cost is $31.90 per person + tax and gratuity. More information about the medieval dinners can be found on the Gasthaus website located at http://www.gasthaus.ca/medieval-events. Guest, spouses, and friends are welcome to attend! Please note - in order to have our Rotary Medieval Feast a go, we will need a minimum of 10 individuals participate in the feast. If you plan on attending, please RSVP your attendance by registering here no later than Sunday, October 29th, so we know how many to reserve for. I look forward to taking part in this wonderful event in November and I hope to see you all there! |
Cheque Donation: From Michael Weis and the Coffee Drinkers at the Summerland Research StationRotarian, Michael Weis, presented the Summerland Rotary Club with another $1000 cheque donation as a result of his fundraising efforts at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Michael presented the cheque to Chantelle Meriam at our joint District Governor "Cluster Meeting" dinner that took place at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on Tuesday, September 13th. Thank you to all of the coffee drinkers up at the Research Station and a big thanks to Michael for this generous donation!  L-R: Summerland Rotarian, Michael Weis, presents President, Chantelle Meriam, with a cheque donation to the Rotary Club of Summerland
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Spotlight: Meet new Summerland Rotarian, Florida Town!Meet our newest member of the Summerland Rotary Club, Florida Town! Florida was inducted in as a member of our Club at our last summer BBQ of the season on Tuesday, August 29th. Learn more about Florida below: .jpg) Florida Town I'm greatly enjoying meeting Rotary members and getting to know them a little better. About me? Hmmmm I love challenges - on land or sea  I seem to spend a lot of my time in, on or under the water. I race dragon boats and OC6's and do a lot of paddling (and some racing) in my OC1. I also compete in swim events - and, until recently, competed in skiing. All water related - although some of it was frozen. |
District Governor's Cluster Meeting Dinner in PentictonMembers of the Rotary Club of Summerland enjoyed an evening of friendship, fellowship and fun last night, visiting with fellow Rotarians from the other five Clubs in our area. Rotarians from Summerland, Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos, and Princeton gathered for a joint dinner to hear from District Governor, Bill Jenkin, from Prosser, Washington.  Members and spouses of the Summerland Rotary Club pose for a group photo L-R: Valerie Bonga, Nick Zaseybida, Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, Doug Carnegie, Linda Carnegie, John Kemp, Ann Kemp, President, Chantelle Meriam, Nick Babyn, Florida Town, District Governor, Bill Jenkin, Karl Seidel, Bob Van Balkom, Michael Weis and LeeAnna Binder. Later on in the evening, President, Chantelle Meriam, gathered with District Governor, Bill Jenkin, Assistant Governor, Cheryle King, and the other Club Presidents in our area. We look forward to joining Bill and all the other Rotarians in our District for our 2018 District Conference in Prosser in May!  L-R: Paul Varga (President - Penticton); Assistant Governor, Cheryle King; Lynda Bliss (President - Osoyoos); District Governor, Bill Jenkin (Prosser, WA); President, Chantelle Meriam (President - Summerland); President, Alex Bodden (President - Penticton Okanagan) Dale Cory (President - Oliver). Missing - Jeff Jakubec (President - Princeton)
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Spotlight: Meet David Wu from Taiwan! Meet new Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, David Wu, from Taiwan! My introduction: David Wu. Chinese name called Ta-Wei Wu. 16 years old. Study at Fu Dan high school in Taiwan. This school is famous in Taiwan. Will be study in grade 11 in Summerland. I was studying at international school when I was junior high. In senior high, I'm join the world youth summit. It let me learn a lot of things. So in the school's club I join the Modal United Nations. Want to practice my speech. I love do lots of things like cooking or making some interesting things. I love exercise, especially I love playing baseball. I'm a school team player in Taiwan. I love eating, too. We are looking forward to getting to you know better over the course of the next year, David. Welcome to our Club!
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District 5060 Development Weekend - Osoyoos, BC: October 27-28, 2017 Our annual district-wide training for club officers, club committee chairs, district committee chairs, Assistant Governors, Membership Area Reps... and all interested Rotarians is coming soon! It will be held on Friday & Saturday, October 27-28, at the beautiful Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos. We highly recommend officers from every club attend, and that the clubs at least pay for the registration costs. Registration is $95 CAD for the full weekend and easy to do (REGISTER HERE). You can always register for any district events by going to rotary5060.org and searching "Upcoming Events". |
Rotary Youth Exchange Inbound Orientation Weekend - Penticton: September 8-10th, 2017 Rotary Youth Exchange is the opportunity of a lifetime for the more than 8,000 students who participate each year. By sharing your own culture and embracing a new one, you help foster global understanding—and learn a great deal about yourself and your home country in the process. Hosting an exchange student can be an incredibly rewarding experience for your family, providing an international experience without leaving home. Host families provide room & board and share their lives with exchange students, involving them in the family, community, and cultural activities. Our NEW 2017-2018 District 5060 Rotary youth exchange inbound students, including our very own David Wu from Taiwan, were together this past weekend for orientation in Penticton. Looks like a good time was had by all. We are looking forward to hearing all about your experience from this past weekend, David! |
David conquers the Summerland Pinnacles! |
District Governor's Cluster Meeting in Penticton
District Governor, Bill Jenkin, and his wife, Lisa Jenkin, will be visiting the South Okanagan on Wednesday, September 13th, 2017, to meet with Rotarians from our area including Summerland, Princeton, Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos. This year, Rotary International has decided to have one District Governor visit per year. Therefore, this will be the only visit the District Governor will make to our area. Please join us for a fun joint meeting with the 5 other clubs in our area on Wednesday, September 13th at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre. Come out and meet fellow Rotarians in the South Okanagan who have the same commitment to Rotary that you do! Spouses are welcome to attend! |
Rotary Summer BBQ Wind-Up! Thank you to everyone that joined us for our final Rotary Summer BBQ on the season - our annual BBQ wind-up - on Tuesday, August 29th at the home of John and Ann Kemp. Over 40 Rotarians/guests/spouses/youth joined us as we:
Thank you to everyone that helped make the evening possible including John and Ann Kemp who hosted the event at their beautiful home! Additional photos from our final wind-up BBQ can be found on our Facebook page here.
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Michaella's Travels to Cambodia!
The Rotary Club of Summerland was fortunate to have Rebound Exchange Student, Michaella Haidenger, join us for a breakfast back on Tuesday, August 8th, before she headed off on her travels to Cambodia. Below is a letter Michaella wrote to the Club: Hello Summerland Rotary Team, If we have yet to meet I would like to say hello, and I am looking forward to meeting you in the future and I would like to introduce myself for a millionth time to the club. My name is Michaella Haidenger (mi-shay-la), I am a twenty-two year old student and self titled world explorer. I grew up in little old Summerland and I have somehow become an honorary Rotarian, which is a title I hold close to my heart. I got involved with the Summerland club through their sponsorship of the blossom pageant where, for my grade 11 year, I was proudly Miss Rotary. With a whole support group of Rotarians behind me. We were lucky enough to hold the district meeting that year as Gary was our outstanding district governor. Which led me to youth exchange after listening to the inbounds stories. I was privileged to be chosen as our outbound student of 2013/2014, where I spent that time in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Which I would love to answer any questions about.  For this coming year I will be a busy bee. As I write this I am sitting on my plane headed back to Taiwan to celebrate my host grandfathers life as he past away this past march. Him and I grew very close my time in his family. It is an experience I am excited to be apart of. I am tired from jet leg preparation but excited to finally be returning to my other home after so long away. |
Welcome, David Wu, from Taiwan!After 25+ hours of travelling, a missed connection and an overnight in an airport, David Wu from Taiwan is here! Members and friends of the Summerland Rotary Club were excited to greet David this morning at the airport.  L-R: Rylee, Carol Van Balkom, Rebound Exchange Student, Emma Thomson, Bob Van Balkom, David Wu, John Kemp, Charlotte Burley, Jos Dronkers, Ann Kemp, Paul Barber, Aart Dronkers and President, Chantelle Meriam Welcome, David! We are looking forward to getting to know you over the next year! Additional photos taken at the airport can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Update from Lisa Jaager - Summerland Rotary Sand Sculpting Contest.JPG)
On Saturday, August 19th, the Summerland Rotary Club was well represented by Florida Town, Lisa Jaager, Shawn Hume, and Brenda and Bob Hamilton at the Great Ogopogo Bathtub Race.  Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, with children at the event
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Annual Bocce Ball and Pizza Night Gathering!Fun times were had at our Annual Bocce Ball and Pizza Night Gathering that took place at Memorial Park in Summerland on Tuesday evening.  Thank you to President Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic, for organizing the logistics of the event, and all the other Rotarians that helped out that evening including Don Gemmell, Brenda and Bob Hamilton and Paul Barber.
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Rotary Summer BBQ - Bocce Ball and Pizza Night!Join us for our third Rotary Summer BBQ in the evening of Tuesday, August 15th! Members and spouses, join us for a fun evening of Bocce Ball and Pizza! Invite a guest that may be interested in the special work we do in our community and beyond. Bring a chair, cutlery, plates, and a side dish or dessert to share. Only $10. Check out the poster for more details.
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Presentation of 2017-2018 Rotary Theme Podium Banner Assistant Governor, Cheryle King, and President, Chantelle Meriam Assistant Governor, Cheryle King, presented President, Chantelle Meriam, with the 2017-2018 theme podium banner at a joint meeting with Club Presidents from Summerland, Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos tonight. The banner commemorates 2017-2018 World President Ian Riseley's theme of "Rotary: Making a Difference".
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Rotarian of the Month - Michael Zang President, Chantelle Meriam, with Rotarian, Michael Zang Congratulations to Rotarian, Michael Zang, on being named "Rotarian of the Month" for the month of July. Michael was the visionary behind our major fundraiser of the year - the Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner - spending countless hours preparing and organizing the event. As well, Michael is one that always steps up to the plate and assists that Club whenever he can. Thank you for being a dedicated member of our Club, Michael! Don't know what we would do without you! |
Rotary Summer BBQ/Potluck Social - July 25th, 2017Thanks to everyone who came out to our second BBQ meeting of the summer at the home of Rotarian, Don Gemmell. There were over 30 Rotarians, spouses, guests and other individuals in attendance as we heard from past outbound Rotary Exchange Students, Emma Thomson and Sylvia Mott, who recently arrived back home in Summerland after spending a year abroad.  Later on in the evening, Rotarian, Michael Weis, presented the Summerland Rotary Club with another $1000 cheque donation as a result of his fundraising efforts at the Summerland Research and Development Centre. Thank you to all of the coffee drinkers up at the Research Station and a big thanks to Michael for this generous donation!  Rotarian, Michael Weis, with President, Chantelle Meriam Additional photos taken at our July 25th BBQ can be viewed on our Facebook page here. |
2nd Rotary Potluck BBQ Meeting/SocialJoin us for our second Rotary Summer BBQ of the year - a Rotary Summer BBQ/Potluck Social - at the home of Rotarian, Don Gemmell, on Tuesday, July 25th at 6:00 pm. Details as follows:  GUEST SPEAKERS Join us as we hear from rebound Rotary Exchange Students, Emma Thomson and Sylvia Mott, who recently arrived home from a year living abroad in Hungary and Germany. Emma and Sylvia will be chatting about their experiences away from home over the past year. GUESTS Guests are always welcome to attend! If you are interested in learning more about Rotory or would like to become a member of our club, please contact our Secretary, Don Gemmell, at secretary@summerlandrotary.org to RSVP. We would love to have you join us! RERTVATIONS REQUIRED Please RSVP your attendance to Don Gemmell at secretary@summerlandrotary.org or don_gemmell@yahoo.com by Sunday, July 23rd. We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, July 25th!
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Sylvia arrives home after spending a year abroad in Germany
Outbound Exchange Student, Sylvia Mott, will be arriving back home in Summerland this Sunday after spending a year abroad in Germany. Sylvia took part in the Rotary's Youth Exchange Program where the Rotary Club of Osoyoos selected her to be their outbound exchange student for the 2016/2017 Rotary year which allowed her to live in another country for a year.  We hope you enjoyed your time away, Sylvia, and we look forward to hearing all about experiences over the coming months. Welcome home, Sylvia! |
1st Summer BBQ of the Season/Farewell to Josie.png) Our first BBQ of the year was a Rotary Summer BBQ/Potluck Meeting Social at Thornhaven Estates Winery on Tuesday, July 11th. Over 30 individuals joined us as we said farewell to our inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch, who leaves Canada to go back home to Germany on July 20th.  The BBQ was Josie's last meeting with us. Attending guests also had the pleasure of meeting Josie's father, Klaus, who was visiting from Germany. We will miss you, Josie, and wish you all the best in the future. We hope to see you another time soon!  In other Rotary business, newly installed President, Chantelle Meriam, and Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, accept a cheque for $400 on behalf of the Club's volunteer participation in the 7th annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan. Member, Bob Van Balkom spoke about the many benefits of hosting a youth exchange student in your home. Josie's host family received flowers and wine. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Update from Garry Hollingshead - Thank you to all of the Granfondo Volunteers!
Thank you to the 30 plus volunteers from Summerland Rotary and Summerland United Church who provided traffic control at many intersections along the Granfondo route through District of Summerland this past Sunday, July 9th. This action allowed 2400 cyclists to pass safely though the District without incident. Our two hours dedicated to this event is a significant contribution to the success of a major economical event in the South Okanagan. Thank you to everyone who helped out!  Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Summerland and the Summerland United Church before heading out to the various intersection points along the Granfondo route in Summerland for the 7th annual Prospera Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan  The first of the cyclists that climbed up Peach Orchard hill in Summerland
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Students Rise to the Rotary Challenge - Thank you from The One Person ProjectStudents Rise to the Rotary ChallengeThe following article was written by Denise Howie of The One Person Project on July 3, 2017. The article can also be viewed on her blog here. Young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they are effecting positive change right now! We are constantly impressed by the children and youth that support local causes, including The One Person Project.  Brenda Lowe thanks the students for raising funds and awareness for orphans in Kahama, Tanzania. The $100 Challenge is a Summerland Rotary Club initiative for Summerland Secondary School Leadership class students. Each group of students was given $100, and worked with a Rotary mentor to grow the funds and donate them to a charity of their choosing. Brenda and other organization recipients were invited to a thank you dinner that Summerland Rotary put on for the student groups. Each organization had the opportunity to outline their activities to the audience. |
Emma Arrives Home after a Year Away in Hungary! Photo taken from the last Rotary exchange student event of the year in Hungary. Included in the photo are Emma (in the red jacket) and the other exchange students who lived in Budapest this past year Outbound Exchange Student, Emma Thomson, arrived back home in Summerland this past Friday after spending a year abroad in Hungary. Emma took part in the Rotary's Youth Exchange Program where our Club sends one high school student from Summerland to another country for up to a year. At the same time, a student from another country is brought here. During her last week in the country, Emma's mom and younger brother came to visit her in Budapest. The three of them enjoyed a week touring the city Emma called home this past year and spent time with her two host families and other exchange students. Since arriving back in Summerland on June 30th she's jumped back into life here, already starting summer work Sunday morning. We were fortunate to have Emma represent Summerland and Canada this past year while on her exchange and look forward to hearing all about her experiences over the coming months. Welcome home, Emma! |
Outbound Rotary Exchange Student Graduates! Josiah Baran Congratulations to Josiah Baran who graduated from Summerland Senior Secondary today! Josiah is our outbound Rotary Exchange Student who spending a year in Milan, Italy - leaving at the end of this summer. Congratulations, Josiah! We are looking forward to hearing about all the great things in store for you this coming year!
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2017 Rotary Installation & Past Presidents Recognition BBQ Thank you to everyone who came out for our 2017 Rotary Installation & Past Presidents Recognition BBQ at the home of Sue and Al Eden last Tuesday. There were over 40 individuals in attendance who came out to recognize our past presidents and watch the installation of our 2017/2018 Rotary Board of Directions.  2017/2018 Board of Directors (L-R) Mirjana Komljenovic, Paul Barber, Preston Mott, Ellen Walker-Matthews, Michael Zang, Doug Carnegie, Bob Van Balkom, Chantelle Meriam and Don Gemmell. Missing: Garry Hollingshead and Aart Dronkers Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening happen, including:
 Additional photos taken from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here. We look forward to the 2017/2018 year following this year's theme - Rotary: Making a Difference!
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Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook Page gaining Popularity!
Thank you to everyone who has liked our Facebook page! The Rotary Club of Summerland now has over 800 followers. Thank you! Please continue to share our page with anyone who may be interested in learning more about our Club. We post regular updates on what our Club is up to including the various guest speakers we hear from, the different events we put on and updates on the various community projects we are involved with. So, keep liking on. We like to stay connected with our community! Feel free to visit our Facebook page at - https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfSummerland/ - see you on Facebook! |
Breakfast Meeting - Tuesday, June 20th We had a great breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant this past Tuesday! Thanks to everyone who came out in the morning. Top left - Doug Carnegie provides his Rotary Moment and speaks about the importance of Rotary's Youth Exchange Program. Top right - President, Preston Mott, reads a card to the club, thanking our group for our recent $2000 donation to purchase medical supplies in Nepal. Bottom - Lisa Jaager leads our club through another productive visioning session. Thanks for to everyone who came out in the morning and participated in our breakfast meeting. |
Annual Rotary Installation and Past President Recognition BBQ Photo taken at Past President BBQ Installation in June 2016 Join us for an evening of fellowship and best wishes to the incoming Executive for the 2017/2018 Rotary year. We'll toast to our Past Presidents and thank our current President, Preston Mott, for his dedication and service over the past year.
Special Guest - District Governor Designate, Peter Schultz, from the Rotary Club of Kelowna, will be joining us and inducting the 2017/2018 Executive. WHEN: Tuesday, June 27th, 2017 WHERE: The home of Sue and Al Eden* TIME: Happy hour will begin at 5:30 pm with dinner being at 6:30 pm. Dinner is $20/person and includes your choice of chicken, steak or a vegetation option. Side salads and dessert will also be served. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED* Please RSVP your attendance to secretary@summerlandrotary We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, June 27th! |
Update from Aart Dronkers - Medical Kits Purchased and headed to their Destination soon!
The Medical Kits have been purchased and will go to their destination soon! The 4 kits each have: an Ophthalmoscope, an Otoscope, O2 meter, a BP cuff, a Reflex hammer, a Glucometer and 100 strips, a Thermometer and a Bag with 🔐  Please see the photos of the hand-over of the medical kits that our Summerland Rotary Club paid for. In the picture L to R are : Dr Yagya, newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Alison, Dean. The staff and students are all very grateful for our support and ready to go! One kit will go to Hetauda with Alison and the other sites will receive them when the Canadian faculty arrives. The students will need instruction on their use. Thank you Summerland Rotary, another helping hand has improved the world some more! Aart Dronkers |
Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner a Success! Thanks to everyone who came out for our first ever Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner held this past Saturday, June 17th. We had 18 teams compete in the Road Rally and over 120 individuals in attendance for our Lobster Dinner at the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. The evening was a tremendous success and, with everyone's help, we raised funds that will be used for a variety of local community projects that will benefit many of our citizens in Summerland. Thank you! Please mark your calendars - we will be hosting the next Rotary Fundraiser at a similar time in 2018. We hope you will consider attending the event again and invite your friends to make next year's event even bigger and better! To view photos taken at the event, please visit our Facebook page and view the photo album there - https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfSummerland/. We look forward to having you join us again next year!
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Breakfast Meeting with Classification Presentation by Aart Dronkers - June 13th, 2017 Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, provides the Club with his Classification Presentation Our Club was pleased to have Summerland Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, be the speaker at the morning breakfast meeting on Tuesday, June 13th. Aart delivered to the club his "Classification Talk" where he shared more information about who he is and additional details on his background. It was certainly an entertaining presentation! Glad to have a member of our club, Aart! |
Update from Aart Dronkers - Rotary Club of Summerland supports small project for the Rural Hospitals in Nepal
The Rotary Club of Summerland has just donated CAD2000 to a project in Nepal to supply crucial medical equipment for medical students who are studying to become doctors in the 4 rural hospitals in Nepal. The photo shown is the cheque hand-over to Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand by Aart & Jos Dronkers in Kelowna on June 8, 2017. .jpg) From left to right are David, Aart, Janice and Jos This small project came out of the connections and network Aart Dronkers built in Nepal in 2015, as well as his close friendship with Dr. Denis Brown, Dr. Janice Routledge and Dr. David Omand. It is part of a medical program managed by the McMaster Medical University to train Nepalese medical students to become doctors in the 4 rural hospitals. A large part of the rural areas has been turned to rubble during the April 2015 earthquake. Janice Routledge and David Omand spent part of their free time training these medical students in Nepal. The program has been going on successfully for quite a while. There continues to be a strong need for just about everything in Nepal, but in particular medical services, infrastructure & equipment. The equipment that will be purchased from our Rotary Club $2000 donation are Medical Kits that consist of various treatment and teaching tools: Ophthalmoscope, otoscope, reflex hammer, measuring tape, syringe for Foreign Body removal, Blood Pressure cuff, Digital Thermometer, Flashlight, Peak flow meter, (Glucometer, Portable SPO2 machine are for future funding). One medical kit would stay at each site, and there is a new group of students each 6 months that live and work at each of those 4 sites. The Kits will be purchased on site in Kathmandu and donated to the PAHS (Patan Academy of Health Sciences), whose mandate is to train medical students to improve health care in the rural underserviced areas of Nepal. |
Rotary Youth Extravaganza a Success!At our Tuesday evening meeting, the Rotary Club of Summerland hosted an evening for the youth. Members and guests learned about $100 Challenge team projects and heard updates from Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, and past/current/future Rotary Exchange Students, Michaella Haidenger, Josie Mehrnusch and Josiah Baran. .png) Our emcee for the evening was our very own Summerland Rotarian, Mirjana Komljenovic. The meal was prepared by Canyonview Grill at Summerland Golf & Country Club. First up, Michaela talked about her experience at Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). Josie was her assistant while Michaela demonstrated different leadership styles with a fun project she learned while attending RYLA. Rotarian, Bob Van Balkan, introduced his team. Kursh and Sundeer explained their colour run project. They made $327 in one hour. Funds were donated to The Summerland Food Bank and Resource Centre. Katie Portman talked about her experience as a Blossom Pageant candidate representing Rotary as Miss Rotary, Rotarian, Dionne Bakalos, introduced her team. They are working to save our bees buy building and selling bee hotels. Jack Simpson explained the plight if our bees. The team will be selling their bee hotel that they made themselves, at this Sunday's Market on Main Street Summerland. Josie, inbound student and Josiah, outbound student thanked Rotary for their experience. Rotarian Roch Fortin introduced his team. His team donated their funds to 2 charities, Linnea Good music program for children and to Martin House helping youth coping with mental illness. The team worked hard at a car wash, preparing lunch for Rotary Spring Round Up and dinner as well, all in one day. The 2 charities will share $1433. Way to go! Rotarian Aart Donkers team made over $900 at a charity hockey game. They donated to Cancer Society of Canada. They shared their reason for choosing the charity is because a classmate's mother is currently going through cancer treatments. Mirjana's team donated funds from selling samosas to The One Person Project. Brenda Lowe from the organization explained the work one person project does in Africa and invited the kids to come to Africa. The group made $1447 for one person project. Great job boys! Thanks to everyone who came out to listen to and support our youth. The evening was a great success! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here. |
Greetings from next years Rotary Exchange Student, Tawei Wu, from Taiwan! Summerland Rotarian, Bob Van Balkom and his wife Carol, met next years Rotary Exchange Student, Tawei (David) Wu, and his father in their hometown of Taipei, Taiwan, this past week while vacationing. Tawei, who also goes by David, will be living in Summerland for one year, arriving in Summerland sometime at the end of August. We look forward to meeting you at the end of summer, David! |
June Evening Meeting: Rotary Youth Extravaganza |
Rotary Spring RoundUp a Success! Members of the Summerland Rotary Club along with other Rotarians from our Rotary 5060 District enjoyed a great Rotary Spring Roundup in Summerland yesterday. The training session that was held at Summerland Secondary School was followed by some fellowship and fun at Saxon Estate Winery and Dominion Cider Co. Thanks to everyone who helped organize this great event! Also - a special thanks to Past President, Roch Fortin, and his team of $100 Challenge Students from the Leadership Class at Summerland Senior Secondary - Ariana Planiden, Ethan Freistadt, Rachel Shanner and Aliya Van Bergeyk. The group of students prepared a homemade lunch for all of the attendees at the RoundUp on Saturday. Then, after the session, the group of four hosted Rotarians for a BBQ by donation at Saxon Estate Winery. The proceeds of their efforts are going to two charities of their choice. Well done!
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Summerland Rotary makes donation to RCMP Drug Safety Initiative L-R: Cst. Janice March and Summerland Rotarian, Don Gemmell Summerland Rotary Club member, Don Gemmell, presents Cst. Janice March of the Summerland RCMP Detachment a $500 donation toward the RCMP Community Safety Net, a family oriented drug safety initiative.
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Greetings from past Rotary Exchange Student, Ho Won Lee Summerland Rotarian, Bob Van Balkom and his wife Carol, visited with past Rotary Exchange Student, Ho Won Lee, in his hometown of Busan, South Korea while vacationing. Ho Won lived in Summerland during the 2014/2015 Rotary year. We miss you, Ho Won!  |
Update from Ellen Walker-Matthews - Giants Head Grind - Thank You!
So much gratitude and appreciation for everyone that took part in this years Giants Head Grind...whether sponsoring, walking, running, cycling, volunteering, coming out to cheer or coming out for the BBQ your participation is what makes this event possible. A very heartfelt thank you to each and every person no matter how big or small a part you played you helped make a difference and you helped make the Giants Head Grind!  |
Breakfast Meeting with Guest Speaker, Kyle Girgan, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC This morning, the Rotary Club of Summerland gathered for their regular morning meeting at Santorini's Family Restaurant Summerland. Rotarian, Ellen Walker-Matthews thanked Rotarians for their help and participation during the Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race. Guest speaker, Kyle Girgan, from Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC talked about his role at the Society and at Summerland Trout Hatchery. Ellen shared that the Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race is the largest colorectal cancer event in North America. Kyle Girgan shared the amazing work Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC had done in BC since becoming a non-profit society in 2003. Kyle also spoke about the Summerland Trout Hatchery being the oldest continually running hatchery in BC since 1928. Later on in the morning, Past President, Roch Fortin, thanked Kyle for attending our meeting and presented him with the sought after The Rotary Club of Summerland's coffee mug.
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$100 Challenge - Mirjana Komljenovic presents funds to another Group Mirjana Komljenovic with Rylan Van der Meuler Rotarian, Mirjana Komljenovic, presented Summerland Secondary School Leadership student, Rylan Van der Meuler, with $100 for his team's $100 Challenge project. They will be raising funds for a local charity by hosting a color run. Stay tuned for the results!
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Update from Ann Kemp - Summerland Blossom Pageant and our very own, Miss Rotary, Katie Portman.jpg)
I am sorry it has taken so long for me to get these photos to you. I had difficulty getting some good still photos as somebody always seemed to be in the way. By now everyone knows the results. All the candidates presented their speeches, talent etc. very well. This is what Katie wrote to me "Thank you so much for this weekend. I had such an amazing experience in this program and I was so honoured to be Miss Rotary. I will still love to come to Rotary meetings."  Top (L-R): Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, stands with her "Blossom Buddy" and photo of Katie Bottom (L-R): The design of the back of Katie's dress and photo of Katie with her father This year they had "Blossom Buds" who were much younger girls. They joined in some of the program, such as making crafts for gifts to some elderly people in care homes. At the Pageant final weekend they had to introduce themselves (in one of the photos) and they also took part in the Frugal fashion show with the candidate they were paired with. As you see I only managed to get a photo of Katie's beautiful dress from the back!! The last photo is Katie with her Dad. I told Katie that the Rotarians were happy to have her representing them and proud of what she had achieved by being in the program. She was disappointed not to have a crown, but she is thrilled to have had the opportunity to be part of the Summerland Blossom Pageant program. She is playing softball now and in the Winter she will be able to continue figure skating and being on the ski patrol at Apex. I am glad to have met and got to know another of the wonderful young people in our town. Thank you for your sponsorship of the Blossom Pageant program. Ann NOTE ~ Eleven young women took part in the 47th Annual Blossom Pageant this year. Chloe Knowles, Miss Avery Law Office, was chosen as Miss Congeniality by her peers and then was later on crowned Miss Summerland. Emma Fetterer, Miss Summerland Fire Department, and Trista Algar, Miss Kiwanis, were named as princesses. Congratulations to all the young women who took part in this year's Blossom Pageant! |
Summerland Rotary supports Summerland Secondary School's Annual Math Awards L-R: Don Gemmell and Duncan Millar Rotarian, Don Gemmell, presented a cheque for $500 to Duncan Millar, Math Department Head at Summerland Secondary School, on Friday morning. Summerland Secondary School (SSS) recognizes student achievement in mathematics at their awards night at each year and the Rotary Club of Summerland takes great pleasure in supporting this and other initiatives at SSS. The donation $500 donation covers the costs of the "Rotary Math Awards" which are given out to recipients so that they and their families can keep and mark their accomplishments in the area of mathematics. |
Summerland Telephone and Business Directory Cheque Presentation L-R: Paul Barber, President, Preston Mott, and Aart Dronkers Rotarians, Aart Dronkers and Paul Barber, present a cheque to President, Preston Mott, and the Summerland Rotary Club for funds raised in the editing and support distribution of the Summerland Telephone and Business Directory. The Summerland Telephone and Business Directory is the local “general purpose” telephone directory in Summerland. It is a joint project under taken with the Summerland Chamber of Commerce. Rotary’s main responsibilities are the annual updating of White Pages listings and arranging for the delivery of the directory to the approximately 5,000 addresses in Summerland. Thank you to Paul Barber, Aart Dronkers and their team for taking the lead on this project. Well done!
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Summerland Rotary supports annual Youth Wellness Retreat L-R: Kim Wise, Sarah Gottwald, Aleah Nesdoly and Chantelle Meriam President-Elect of the Summerland Rotary Club, Chantelle Meriam, was pleased to present a cheque of $3000 to Summerland Secondary School, Counsellor, Kim Wise, and two of her students who participated in this year's annual Youth Wellness Retreat. The retreat was a fantastic success with 49 participants attending the function at Green Bay Bible Camp in West Kelowna earlier this week.  A total of 49 students from Summerland Secondary School participated in the Youth Wellness Retreat This year's Wellness Retreat featured student led workshops on wellness and teambuilding; a discussion on the power of words and kindness; yoga, outdoor games and connections to nature; and the creation of safe spaces for youth at school and in the community. This was the fourteenth year the retreat has been held in partnership with the Rotary Club of Summerland.
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Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner - Tickets on sale now! Our major fundraiser of the year is fast approaching with our first annual Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner taking place next month on Saturday, June 17, 2017. The fundraising event will be used to promote local Summerland businesses with proceeds being used to support our community and international projects. Tickets for the Road Rally and Lobster Dinner are now on sale and going quickly! This is an event you will not want to miss. Click the button below to purchase your tickets today!  We look forward to seeing everyone at our Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner in June! |
Update from Peter Shultz - Spring RoundUp!! It's a "GO"! What? Spring Roundup is our first trial of a new way to improve our Rotary Clubs while having fun at the same time! Our “Preliminary” sign-up form generated enough interest that we are going to run the event this year! Thanks to our local hosts the Rotary Club of Summerland for setting this up for us. When & Where? Saturday 27 May Meeting: 10:00am – 2:00pm Summerland Secondary School, 9518 Main St, Summerland BC Social: 2:30 ~ 5:00pm Venue to-be-determined Who should come??
How? Register (link-button below) and pay for the event ($20), and promote it to your club! You will register in 1 of the 7 categories listed below, and that will determine which group you get together with for your “Breakout” session. Groups have no restrictions about what they talk about, so come ready to share (and learn) some great ideas! Best results will be achieved if 5-10 come from each club and cover several of the topic discussions. .jpg) Agenda 10:00-11:00 Group session - Facilitated Discussion of where our clubs are and how best to move them forward. Topics may include goals (and setting them on Rotary Club Central), action planning, membership growth, fellowship and how we can do better. 11:00-1:00 Breakout – Discussion Leader This will be for whomever is in each group to discuss “best practices”. This is NOT TRAINING, rather this is collaborative development. What has worked for your club? What can be done better? Explore ways to develop multi-club interactions. NOTE: Breakouts may be combined depending on registration interest, we will have a minimum of 6-10 in each group to ensure a good discussion. Casual Lunch will be available during this time. 1:00-2:00 Group session – Facilitated Each breakout will present a “report” (max 5 minutes). Conclude the meeting portion of the day with facilitated group discussion about next steps… “The Big Rocks” in the jar! 2:30-5:00 Social get-together – the Roundup! Details still being worked out, but our “host” Summerland Rotary Club will organize a venue for a BBQ “early dinner” gathering. Bring your families along and lets enjoy some multi-club Rotary fellowship with our friends from this portion of the District. Club Members from the same town can car-pool to Summerland for the 10:00am meeting, and family members can car-pool down to join us at 2:30. There will likely be a cost of ~20 per person, you will get details closer to the date. Breakout Session Topics
Cheers, .jpg){kind=small} ***NOTE: This first "Spring Roundup!" is a trial event for a session which may in the future run in 4 different venues all over the District. The events are all supposed to be an easy drive for combining a planning meeting with a multi-club social event, all on one day. Because this is the only event happening this year it is open to any Rotarian in D5060. Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna |
Evening Rotary Meeting - April 2, 2017 Thank you to everyone that came out for our May evening dinner on Tuesday, May 2nd. Club members and guests heard from our very own, Ellen Walker-Matthews (L), who noted a bit of history of the Giants Head Grind. Keith (top) presented a draft for the Giants Head master plan. Joanne Malar (R), Manager of Parks and Recreation, thanked the Rotary Club of Summerland for their efforts in the community.  L-R: President, Preston Mott, Manager of Parks and Recreation, Joanne Malar, Ellen Walker-Matthews, Past President, Roch Fortin Later on in the evening, Preston, Ellen and Roch presented Joanne with a cheque to the District of Summerland to support the continued upkeep and improvement of the trail system in Giants Head Park. The funds were raised through the annual Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race.
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Update from Ellen Walker-Matthews - Giants Head Grind
There are just a few short days left to register for this years Giants Head Grind. Whether you are running for Chris, for a friend, relative, parent, sybling or as a suvivor yourself, we hope you will take the time to take part in a great day. See you May 20th go to Giantsheadgrind.ca to register today....! .png) |
Summerland Rotary Sunday Market The Summerland Rotary Sunday Market is back! Join us Sunday, June 11th for our first Sunday Market of the season. For vendor information, please call Laurel at 250-460-0177. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon! |
District 5060 Conference in Kelowna - April 27th-30th, 2017 An exciting weekend was had in Kelowna this past weekend as hundreds of Rotarians/spouses/guests/exchange students gathered for District 5060's annual District Conference. It was a jam packed four days consisting of a welcome dinner at Laurel Packing House, a day of fun optional activities including golf, cycling, walking and wine tours, a day full of world class keynote speakers and breakout sessions, awards presentations, a formal banquet on the Saturday evening and a presentation by our Rotary Youth Exchange Program on the Sunday morning. Special thanks to all of the committee and volunteers who put the conference together. It was an amazing conference full of friendship, fellowship and fun. Additional photos from the weekend can be found on our Facebook page here. |
Update from Aart Dronkers - $100 Dollar Challenge Hockey Game
Rotary member, Aart Donkers, is a leader in the Rotary $100 challenge. Teams of students from Summerland Secondary School Leadership class are given $100. With the $100 teams are challenged to create a fundraiser for a charity of choice and turn that $100 into more funds to be donated to their charity. They have till May. The teams will be invited to speak to Rotary at one of their meetings about their project. Aart's Team Project The game was held on Thursday, April 6th, at the Summerland Arena. Tickets for the event were only $5.00 and featured a raffle table and 50/50 tickets with all proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.  Photos from the $100 Challenge Hockey Game - Peewees vs. All Stars 1) 100$ Team Members Jessica Michaud and Haylee Rolston selling raffle tickets to support the charity hockey game! 2) "Oh Canada", the teams are getting ready: the Peewees against the All Stars, a team composed of fathers and other enthusiasts, some of whom were good hockey players. The All Stars goalie was the father of Haylee Rolston, and her brother played in the Peewees 3) A scary situation for the Peewees, no score, a good defense 4) The Peewees score! 5) The spectators including Paul Barber Great job, everyone! |
Meals on Wheels "Appreciation Wine and Cheese" The Rotary Club of Summerland hosted a Meals on Wheels Volunteer "Appreciation Wine & Cheese" event at the Summerland Seniors Village on Tuesday, April 4th. Thank you to Rotarian, Sharon Lusch, who organized this years wonderful event with sponsorship from Retirement Concepts/Summerland Seniors Village. The objective of Meals on Wheels is to provide meals for those who are not able to provide meals for themselves. Clients may be the elderly or those convalescing following surgery. The meals are put together in the Seniors Centre in Summerland and then distributed to the Meals on Wheels clients. Charlotte Burley coordinates all volunteers and distribution. Nine volunteer drivers are involved each month, as well as a monthly coordinator who ensures that the meal boxes are ready for delivery. For more information on the Summerland Meals on Wheels program, please contact coordinator, Charlotte Burley, at 250-494-1173. Thank you to all of the Meals on Wheels volunteers! We appreciate everything that you do! For additional photos from the Wine and Cheese, please visit the Photo Album from the event here.
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Evening Rotary Meeting - April 4, 2017.png) Our Club normally meets on Tuesday mornings at 7 am; however, the first Tuesday of each month is reserved for an evening meeting instead where Rotarians, spouses and other guests are welcome to attend. Thank you to everyone who came out for our April evening meeting that was held at Santorini's Restaurant in Summerland. Our feature speakers included our Assistant Governor, Cheryle King, who joined us from Osoyoos and our own inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch, from Germany. Cheryle spoke to our Club about recent changes in Rotary that allows Clubs more flexibility with the intention of attracting new members to the Club. Josie spoke to our Club about her experiences in Canada so far and provided an interesting presentation on her home back in Germany. Thank you for the fun presentation, Josie! Additional photos from our April Evening Meeting can be viewed by looking at the Photo Album here.
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~In Loving Memory~ Enabelle Gorek.jpg) It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a beloved Summerland Rotarian, Ann Enabelle Gorek, who passed away on March 11, 2017. Members of the Summerland Rotary Club said goodbye to Enabelle at a Memorial Service that took place for her on Saturday, April 1, 2017, at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Penticton. Many current and past Rotarians shared fond memories of Enabelle: "I have very fond memories of Enabelle and the warmth she brought to every meeting." "Enabelle was an impressive woman. She had relentless energy and interest and until the end her mind was clear. I, for one, really enjoyed her company. We should all feel blessed that she was part of Rotary and gave so much of herself." "Enabelle was very sharp to the end. Less than a week prior to her move to Hospice House she was most concerned about moving 22 cartons of books she was donating to the Penticton-Okanagan Rotary Club book sale." "Enabelle was an example to all. When most people her age were just sitting, waiting for the end, Enabelle was living life to the fullest and giving back to her community." "I enjoyed her company at Rotary and at the many Rotary things that we were involved in. She was a dedicated Rotarian and always ready to pitch in. She was fortunate to have good health and a clear mind until so very recently. We will miss her." "We were so fortunate to have Enabelle in Rotary and in our town. She was so busy with her travels, her work on so many costumes for productions around the Valley, her swimming and her work with other service groups. I don't think she had much time to sit. In face, we last saw her at the Summerland Secondary School production of Cinderalla last month, so this has come as a shock. We will miss her". ~ Rest well, Enabelle. You will be missed. |
Breakfast Meeting: Preston Mott accepts Cheque Donation President, Preston Mott, accepts cheque from Rotarian, Michael Zang President, Preston Mott, accepted a cheque on behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club during this morning's breakfast meeting at Santorini's. The cheque/donation was the result of another tremendous fund raising effort from our wonderful barista/bartender and Rotarian, Michael Weis (not shown). Thanks, Michael!
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Breakfast Meeting: Guest Speaker, Mike Harris, from Dominion Cider Co. Thank you to Mike Harris from Dominion Cider Co. who was the guest speaker at our breakfast meeting at Santorini's this morning. Mike spoke about growing up in Summerland, his experience as a past outbound Rotary Exchange Student in Brazil and his and his partners' venture into the craft cider business with Dominion Cider Co. Thank you for the informative talk, Mike! Hope to have you join us again sometime soon!
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Update from Aart Dronkers - $100 Dollar Challenge
Rotary member, Aart Donkers, is a leader in the Rotary $100 challenge. Teams of students from Summerland Secondary School Leadership class are given $100. With the $100 teams are challenged to create a fundraiser for a charity of choice and turn that $100 into more funds to be donated to their charity. They have till May. The teams will be invited to speak to Rotary at one of their meetings about their project. Good luck to all the teams!
Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, sits with his team of students from Summerland Secondary School
This is Aart's Team Project Game will be April 6th starting at 6:00PM in the Summerland Arena, 8820 Jubilee Rd, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z5. Tickets are only CAD 5.00 and can be purchased at the door or through the PeeWees. All proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society. There will be a Raffle Table and 50/50 tickets, and ... maybe more!
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Rotary Senior Pioneer Tea - March 18, 2017
Thank you to everyone that came out for our Rotary Senior Pioneer Tea! We had over 60 pioneers join us at the Summerland Legion this afternoon to celebrate Canada's 150th and the past 150 years in Summerland. Thank you to Dr. David Gregory, who presented at the tea. As well, thank you to the Summerland Museum who provided the historical photos that were on display on the tables at the tea. Thank you to Alyson Lindsay and her group from SADI that did a tremendous job in helping with set up, serving and clean up. Thank you Antonio Hansen, Josiah Baran, Karter Wilms, Kyle Walker, Angus Hume, Sam Hume, Nikki Blair, Jordyn Birds, Ryan Burian, Tirel Yost and Elliott Birds. Thank you to Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, past Rotary Exchange Student, Bailey Johnson, and to Sam Fortin for warmly greeting all of our guests. Thank you to our mayor, Peter Waterman, MLA, Dan Ashton, and councillor, Janet Peake, for coming out to the event. Thank you to all the Rotarians that assisted throughout the day. Also - a special thanks to Retirement Concepts/Summerland Seniors Village for their sponsorship. Additional photos from the Pioneer Tea can be viewed here. |
Update from Ann Kemp: Blossom Pageant Judges' Tea
The following photos were taken at the "Judges' Tea". This is the first judged speech that the Blossom Pageant candidates make and also in front of an audience. The speeches are about their sponsoring business or organization. A fun fashion show is also included, though it is not judged. Not only do the candidates have to present a speech, but also set up the room ready for the Tea at the Waterfront Resort and serve the tea, coffee and goodies to the audience. Later it's clean up time. We were impressed with the content of the speeches and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. This is also a time for meeting family members of Miss Rotary. I took video of Katie delivering her very well prepared and delivered speech. Katie is enjoying and proud to be representing Rotary.  Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, with her Mum, Dad and sister .jpg) Katie her Mum and Dad and the little one is me  Katie with Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch. Josie was very happy that I invited her to come along with me. |
Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, takes part in Summerland Business & Community Excellence Awards Gala Our own, Miss Rotary Katie Portman (second from left) stands with the other 2017 Blossom Candidates at the Summerland Chamber of Commerce's 79th Annual Business and Community Excellence Awards at Centre Stage on Saturday, March 11th. The young women did a great job greeting guests as they arrived for an "Oscar style" gala evening. Katie and the other candidates then assisted guests with their coats by donation. Well done!
Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, shown here with incoming President Elect, Mirjana Komljenovic |
2017 Blossom Queen Candidates prepare for Frugal Fashion Week 2017 Blossom Queen candidates and their Buddies prepare for their Frugal Fashion Parade. Where else do you get Frugal Fashions except at the SHCA Thrift Shop? Our own Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, can be seen in the back row, third from the right.
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Evening Rotary Meeting - March 7, 2017t
 Our Club normally meets Tuesday mornings at 7 am; however, the first Tuesday of each month is reserved as an evening meeting instead where Rotarians, spouses and other guests are all welcomed to attend.
Thank you to everyone who came out for our March evening meeting, that was held at Santorini's Restaurant on Summerland tonight. Our feature speaker of the evening was our very own, Ellen Walker-Matthews, who spoke to the group about tourism in the Okanagan and her role as Experiences Development Specialist for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. Thanks for the informative presentation, Ellen!
More photos from the evening can be viewed on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page here.
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You're Invited! The Rotary Foundation Million Dollar Dinner
Personal Invitation!!! Everyone is invited to attend!!!
On behalf of District 5060 and The Rotary Foundation I would like to invite you to Kelowna on April 8th, to attend our Million Dollar Dinner.
We are sending out this special invitation to everyone in our district as we want to make this an event to celebrate the accomplishments of The Rotary Foundation in this Centennial year - a celebration of 100 years of Doing Good in the World.
Our keynote speaker is Kalyan Bannerjee - Past Rotary International President and current Trustee of The Rotary Foundation .
Registration is $100 per person for those wishing to attend. This cost is complimentary for those that have made a $10,000 USD contribution during the centennial year or commitment over the next three years or commitment to bequest new contributions of the same amount.
To register, please send an email to greg.mackinnon@sunlife.com or call 250-306-2291.
RSVP by March 15, 2017.
This event is sponsored by Sun Life Financial & Latitude Financial Services Inc.
Greg MacKinnon
"It's great to do business with a Rotarian"
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Presidents-Elect Training Seminar - February 23-26, 2017 Chantelle Meriam (far right) at the final dinner of the leadership seminar with Presidents-to-be from Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos, including our Area Assistant Governor, Cheryle King (second from right).
President-Elect, Chantelle Meriam, enjoyed a busy weekend away in Seattle last weekend for Rotary's annual Pacific Northwest Presidents-Elect Training Seminar (PETs). The premier leadership event had more than 700 Rotarians in attendance including incoming Club Presidents, District Governors and Assistant Governors.
The weekend included six Plenary Sessions featuring six keynote speakers:
• John Matthews, Rotary International Director-Elect - “Taking Care of Members…the Costco Way"
• Ann Lee Hussey - “Polio–Past, Present, Future” • Nancy Hughes - "Cooking Shouldn't Kill" • David Bobanick - “Rotary First Harvest- A Testament to the Power of One Rotarian to Change the World” • Rick King, Past Rotary International President - “The Uncommon Leader” • Dean Rohrs, Rotary International Director - “One Rotarian’s Story” After the Friday and Saturday evening Plenary Sessions, Rotarians from District 5060 gathered for some hospitality in our District's Suite.
 District 5060 is an international district of 57 clubs and approximately 2,760 Rotarians in central Washington, USA, and south central British Columbia, Canada. It covers a distance of 550 miles (890 km) from Clearwater, BC, in the north to Prosser, WA, in the south. Principal cities are Yakima and Wenatchee in Washington, and Kelowna and Kamloops in British Columbia.
All in all, the Presidents-Elect Training Seminar was a motivating and inspiring weekend full of friendship, fellowship and fun. See additional photos taken from the weekend training on Facebook here.
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Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner - coming June 17th, 2017!.jpeg) The Rotary Club of Summerland is hosting a charity Road Rally and Lobster Dinner which will be held in the District of Summerland on Saturday, June 17th, 2017. This fundraising event will be used to promote local Summerland businesses with the proceeds being used to support our community and international projects.
For more information, to become a sponsor, or to register for the rally and purchase dinner tickets, please click below: We look forward to seeing you at our Rotary Road Rally and Lobster Dinner in June! |
Giants Head Grind - Early Bird Draw! If you haven't signed up for this years Giants Head Grind, it is not too late to be entered into the early bird draw. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month and we have extended the deadline of this years early bird draw to March 30th! In addition to the opportunity to win 2 Nights at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler the Scandinave Spa in Whistler Village has also come on board and provided to Gift Certificates to their rejuvenating spa baths. Click on the photos above to sign up for this years event!
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Update from Peter Shultz - Conference 2017 News!
Well we are down to 2 months before District Conference 2017!! Registrations are already higher than any of the last 5 years, and for those of you on the list congratulations! This will be an outstanding celebration of our year, and here are some highlights (CLUB LEADERS note last two items please):
(1) Inspirational Presentations: Our District Governor Vern Nielsen has said "Any one of the 5 Plenary Keynote Speakers booked for this District Conference could be the Plenary Keynote at the International Assembly for incoming District Governors in San Diego!!" For more info click on the image:
 (2) Fun!!! A great time to re-acquaint yourself with some of your friends in the district, or make new friends. Home hosting dinner to meet and enjoy new friends Friday night! Welcome dinner Thursday at the historic Laurel Packing House. Golf, hiking, wine tours, cycling... and much more! To check it out click: FUN!
 (3) Rotary Leadership: Here is a GREAT idea! International Service Director Carol Eamer from the Rotary Club of Kelowna is inviting ALL INTERNATIONAL Club Directors to come and join her for a special meeting on Friday afternoon. See the attached invitation, and any other groups (Foundation? Membership? Service Projects?) that want to have a group meeting let me know, I'll find you a room!
(4) Recognition & Awards: Don't forget DG Vern's special award for "Friendship & Fellowship". Vern requested that EVERY Club submit a name of an active Rotarian in your club who has demonstrated through their actions that causes people to join and to stay in Rotary (see page 52 of the District Directory)! PLEASE REMIND your President and Board to select the recipient ASAP and submit the name to District Awards Chair PDG Jim Adamson: jncadamson@gmail.com
See you in Kelowna!
Special THANK YOU to all of our Major Sponsors who have helped to make this outstanding event possible:
  Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Governor 2019-2020
Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Update from Michael Zang - RYLA Application for 2017
Dear Summerland Rotary Members,
Please find here the application form for the upcoming RYLA event to be held in Penticton from May 25 to 28, 2017. For more information on the event go to www.Rotary5060.org and look under the tap YOUTH. I had a couple of interested young people but they are not able to participate. Please check among your family and friends, or anyone else you feel would be appropriate for our club to sponsor for this excellent opportunity.
Please have the prospective applicant fill out the form and send it back to me as soon as possible.
Best regards,
Michael Zang
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Breakfast Meeting: Club Business from our February 21st Morning Meeting Happy Birthday to President, Preston Mott, who celebrates his Birthday today! Rotarian, Brenda Hamilton, with the help of Don Gemmell, were excited to present Preston with a "sweet" gift to celebrate the special occasion at our morning breakfast meeting on Tuesday. Hope you had a wonderful day, Preston! Thank you to Brenda Hamilton for organizing this fun surprise :)
 Top Left: Karl Seidel presents his "Rotary Moment" to the Club and speaks about his passion of doing good in the world on an international basis and the difference we, as Rotarians, can make.
Bottom Left: Michael Zang speaks to the Club about our upcoming Road Rally and Lobster Dinner that is planned as our major fundraiser for Saturday, June 17th.
Right: Our February Rotary Calendar - Secretary, Don Gemmell, spoke to the Club about the calendar of activities that we have planned for the rest of the 2016/2017 Rotary year. The plan is to update the document on a regular basis and have it as a guideline for future Rotary years. Great initiative, Don!
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Rotary after 5: Post Valentine's Get Away at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos - February 17, 2017 Our February "Rotary after 5" gathering was a "Rotary Post-Valentine's Get-Away" that took place on Friday, February 17th at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos. We had six members/guests from our Club take part in the February get-away, which was a joint gathering with our friends from the Rotary Club of Okanogan-Omak who have invited our club to join them for this event. Members from each club gathered for a little hospitality suite fun prior to a wonderful group dinner at Mica Restaurant. Thank you to Doug Sklar from the Rotary Club of Okanogan-Omak for organizing the event and thank you to all the club members that made us Summerlanders feel so welcome. We had a great time and look forward to future gatherings with your club!
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Breakfast Meeting: Club Business from our February 14th Morning Meeting Garry Hollingshead (R), presents Michael Weis (L) with a Paul Harris pin
Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, presented Rotarian, Michael Weis, with a Paul Harris Fellow Pin with five sapphires to recognize Michael's contributions to the Rotary Foundation. Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who have contributed, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels.
At this level, recognition consists of a pin with stones corresponding to the recipient’s recognition amount:
Thank you for your contribution, Michael!
Josie is now half way through her time here in Canada and is trying to make the most of every moment here. If you can help make some of these "Things to Do" or "Places to See" wish list items a reality for Josie, please let her know! She would very much like to get to know better the members of our Club. Please get in touch with Josie :)
President, Preston Mott, accepted a cheque on behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club during this morning's breakfast meeting at Santorini's. The cheque/donation was the result of another tremendous fund raising effort from our wonderful barista/bartender and Rotarian, Michael Weis. Thanks, Michael!
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Speaker: Principal, Craig Dunbar, Giant's Head Elementary School- Tuesday, February 14th Principal of Giant's Head Elementary School, Craig Dunbar, speaks to members of the Summerland Rotary Club
The Summerland Rotary Club was pleased to have Craig Dunbar, Principal of Giant's Head Elementary School, speak to its members during the morning breakfast meeting held on Tuesday, February 14th. Craig spoke about the Valentine's Day holiday - what it meant for himself as a child and what it means to kids today. Craig also provided an informative presentation on his role as principal and spoke about some of the challenges that our youth face today.
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Update from Peter Shultz - Celebrate Vern at his Conference! In this week that we are dealing with great loss, please remember this:
District Governor, Vern Nielsen, gave everything he could to Rotary District 5060 in his last year. At the International Convention in Seoul last June he shared his cancer diagnosis with (then) DG Greg and Jan Luring, and they encouraged him to drop Rotary and pursue his bucket list. Vern emphatically declared that "Rotary is my Bucket List!". In early January of this year, when Willy asked Vern what his "next" goal was he replied "My District Conference!" In the first 6 months of this Rotary year, Vern visited 40 of the 60 clubs (often at great sacrifice). I heard him say several times at those club visits that any one of the 5 keynote speakers confirmed for Conference this year would easily rank with keynote speakers at International Assembly (District Governor Training in San Diego, considered to be the pinnacle of Rotary training).
We will make sure this is one of the most outstanding events you have ever participated in, whether for Rotary or your business life. Your job is to get registered while there is still room at the venue and hotel (~50 rooms remain), and don't miss the celebration of a Rotary year never to be forgotten by District 5060!
District 5060 Conference 27-30 April 2017
Grand Okanagan Resort, Kelowna B.C.
  And now a message from one of the KEY players in the event: Our team of Rotary Exchange Students have a lot in store for you. Sunday morning they will run the show for a session that is almost always one of the most popular at the Annual District Conference... if you have not yet registered, get it done! If you have, then DON'T plan on leaving before 11:00am on Sunday morning!
See you there!
.jpg){kind=small} Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Governor 2019-2020
Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Update from Peter Shultz - Donations to Honour District Governor, Vern For Clubs and/or individuals who want to honour the memory of District Governor Vern with a donation to the Rotary Foundation, the "Vern Nielsen Fund" of the Rotary Club of Kelowna Foundation will collect donations until they reach a minimum of $25,000 USD. At this time a Permanent Named Fund will be set up with the Rotary International Foundation in Vern’s name, and the proceeds of this fund will be used to fund grants and projects throughout Vern’s Rotary District 5060 in perpetuity.
 This Donation through "Canada Helps" instantly issues a tax receipt.
Note that so far this fund is for Canadian dollar donations and Canadian tax receipts. We are working on a solution using one of our foundations in Washington, so stay tuned... we will let you know as soon as we have a solution.
.jpg){kind=small} Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Governor 2019-2020
Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Update from Peter Shultz - District Governor, Vern Nielsen.jpg) District Governor, Vern Nielsen, with wife, Willy Burgess
To all Rotarians in District 5060,
It is with great sadness that I must report that this morning District Governor Vern Nielsen finally succumbed to the cancer that he has been fighting since last April. He was surrounded in his final days by his family, and you must all know that he was fighting with everything he had left to make it to his District Conference and his Million Dollar dinner. He lived for you, he lived for Rotary. As our Rotary International Director Dean Rohrs has said, "Rotary and Rotarians were the wind under his wings".
He will be sorely missed.
There will be more information about contributions and/or recognitions in Vern's name, and as we know things we will let you know.
.jpg){kind=small} Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Governor 2019-2020
Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student - Emma Thomson - ház, új család = New house, new family.jpg)
On Sunday (January 29), I finished packing my many bags and left my first host family in the town of Erd to move to my second family in a very little town called Törökbálint.
 Törökbálint is in between Erd and Budaors (where my school is, and next to Budaors is Budapest) so not only am I a little bit closer to school but also the city, it means I can sleep in an extra 20 mins! In my new family I also have host siblings, a 17 year old brother and a sister who is in university in Budapest so she lives at home.
The process of moving this weekend made me realize something big, big as in the amount of things I own. You wouldn’t think you accumulate too much over 5 months, that is until you have to pack absolutely all of it into bags to move. I don’t know how exactly the process of moving back to Canada will be, but that’s 5 months away so no need to worry now. (Unless you think of not only this but another 5 months worth of things added on to this).
 But truly I think unpacking is much worse than packing when it comes to moving.  I’ll admit I was very nervous when it came to switching families. Packing and the thought of going through the awkward ‘I’m the odd one out in this house’ stage was overwhelming. Sunday during the drive over here my heart was racing more and more the closer we got to arriving. Luckily the nerves died away not long after. I have officially been living here now for 2 full days. And all I have to say are good things so far. My family seems very kind and helpful and I’m looking forward to getting to know them. I still get to see Sara because we still go to the same school, and when I moved out of her house, Leiko (my friend from Brazil) moved in! This move has also made the feeling of being half way over my time here more real. I celebrated my 5 months on January 20th (very exciting since I was home sick), but now this is a more concrete mark of the middle. 5 months there. 5 months here. Only 5 more months total. -Emma |
Update from Charlie Arvidson, District Annual Giving Chair - "Do Good" - Your Rotary Foundation
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Upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute taking place in PentictonDistrict Governor, Vern Nielsen, presents Rotarian, Chantelle Meriam, with a certificate of recognition for successfully completing District 5060's Rotary Leadership Institute Program in the fall of 2015
Thank you to those Rotarians who have registered their spot at the upcoming Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) courses that will be taking place in Penticton on Saturday, February 4th, February 18th and March 4th. Currently, we have four (4) Rotarians from our Club who have registered to date:
Haven't signed up yet but are interested to do? Don't worry - there are still spots available!
The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) program is a series of fast-paced, interactive, one-day courses offered to refine a Rotarian’s leadership skills and increase their base of knowledge in Rotary. Courses are fun, topical, interactive, and geared to busy business, professional and community leaders who want to be more effective leaders in their vocation and Rotary club, and more knowledgeable Rotarians.
Participants return to their clubs with enthusiasm, new contacts, fresh ideas, an increased understanding of their potential as Rotarians, and valuable skills impacting their potential leadership in the club. The full program has three parts. It is best to take the parts in sequence however that is not always possible. Please discuss with the Registrar or any member of the Faculty.
The Rotary Leadership Institute was introduced into District 5060 in 2008. It is a grassroots training program that has been growing and expanding since 1992. Its purpose is to help future club leaders (not necessarily club presidents) to prepare for their club and community leadership role through a quality training and educational experience. RLI has spread to over 350 districts in the Rotary world and has been translated into ten languages.
Hear what other Rotarians have been saying about the program:
 "Personally I found the Rotary Leadership courses to be very valuable (my courses were completed in 2008 and 2009). Having completed many management courses during my career in information technology, including the American Management Association’s flagship (at the time) Management Course for Presidents, I expected the leadership institute courses to be a bit of a refresher – but I gained a great deal more from them than I expected. My volunteer “career” with Rotary commenced with a couple of years responsibility for local programs followed by a number of years as club secretary. I don’t think I could have executed those responsibilities without the leadership courses nor could I have been as effective as I hope I was.For anyone joining Rotary I believe the leadership courses are of immense value – and more so if the attendee is just starting out in leadership. Rotary is quite a complex and wide-reaching organization and, for the local club and its members to gain the maximum benefit from the organization, its leaders need to know the
extent of it (Rotary) and how it works. Anyone taking the leadership courses though will benefit from them in many other ways: through listening to motivated and motivational speakers; through study of ethical behaviours; by practicing leadership; by learning about effective public relations; by learning how to gain support and build an organization; and learning how the philanthropic Rotary Foundation works.
My course material opens with the statement that: “Rotary cannot rise above the quality of its club leadership”. Truer words would be hard to find."
~ Rotary Club of Summerland, Honourary Member, John Bubb
.jpg) "The RLI training was nothing short of excellent. It was a great way to foster great relationships with so many members of other Clubs and significantly increase my knowledge and appreciation of Rotary. I learned so much more about Rotary and the fundamentals of Rotary than I did attending PETS. It was an experience that I would highly recommend for all Rotarian, both new and senior. Well worth the time commitment."~ Past President, Rotary Club of Summerland, Denese Espeut-Post
For more information about the program, feel free to contact any of the below-noted Summerland Rotarians who have graduated from Rotary Leadership Institute, including:
Hope to see your name on this list in the near future! Please register below!
REGISTRATION May be done online by visiting here - Don't delay - register today!! |
District 5060 Conference in Kelowna - Thank you to those who have Registered! This year's Conference will be held at the spectacular Delta Grand Hotel - 1310 Water Street in Kelowna!
Thank you to those Rotarians who have registered their spot at this year's "Friendship and Fellowship" Rotary District 5060 Conference which will be taking place in Kelowna April 27th-30th. Currently, we have 12 Rotarians/Past Rotarians and guests that have registered to date:
The main Saturday session and evening banquet will be held in the conference facilities at the Hotel.
The Thursday evening welcome BBQ is located across the street from the hotel just a 2 minute walk away. Ideally located on the shores of majestic Okanagan Lake, this destination resort and conference centre was recently ranked among the Top Waterfront Hotels in Canada by Canoe.ca.
 For RESERVATIONS Call 1-888-236-2427 or the Hotel directly at 250-763-4500.
A block of rooms at $175.00 CAD per night has been set up under “Rotary District 5060 Annual Conference”.
Click HERE to reserve rooms directly online. **SPECIAL BONUS: The Conference Centre parking rate as shown on the registration link is $20/night (self park). When you register for the Rotary Conference you will get the promotional rate of only $9/night.**
There are still spaces available to register for this year's District Conference. However, please do not delay - spaces are filling quickly with the Conference expected to sell out. Register today!! |
Breakfast Meeting: Club Business from our January 17th Morning Meeting Our Tuesday, January 17th, breakfast meeting also included presentations by Summerland Rotarians, Mirjana Komljenovic and Michael Zang. Mirjana spoke about the club's "$100 Challenge" which provides Summerland Secondary School students an opportunity to financially support a cause/charity of their choice. Each of the student groups that will be participating are expected to use a $100 donation from Rotary as seed money for a fundraising project to raise funds for their cause/...charity of choice. Rotarians volunteer as group mentors and are encouraged to meet with their groups as often as is necessary. The Challenge ends in May with all proceeds flowing through the club to be distributed to the named causes/charities. Each group is invited to make a presentation at a pre-arranged Rotary meeting. Mirjana is coordinator of this year's event and compiled a list of Rotarians who will be assisting as mentors to the students.  Michael Zang spoke to the Club about a new and exciting event that will be the major fundraiser for the Club. Stay tuned for the details!
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Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race - Registration is now Open! Registration for the 4th Annual Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race is now open! You won't want to miss this event!
The 4th Annual Giants Head Grind - Christopher Walker Memorial Race, returns to Summerland on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Runners, Walkers, Crawlers... and again this year Cyclists are invited To "Climb The Giant" in Summerland, BC from Peach Orchard Park to Giants Head Peak. The Summerland Rotary Club utilizes the funds raised for Colon Cancer detection, diagnostics and research as well as to support the continued upkeep and improvement of the trail system in Giants Head Park. Whether you have joined us since our first race four years ago or are joining us for the first time, we certainly hope to see you this May Long Weekend in Summerland, BC...there is no time like the present to take on The Giant!
For more information regarding the Giants Head Grind or to purchase tickets for this year's event, please visit their website at http://giantsheadgrind.ca/ See you there!
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Great Conversation at our recent Rotary Firesides L-R: Mirjana Komljenovic, Aart Dronkers, Paul Barber and Bob Van Balkom participating in a Rotary Fireside chat at Don Gemmel's place in Summerland
Thank you to all the Summerland Rotarians who participated in our recent Rotary Firesides on Tuesday evening. Firesides are meant to give a comfortable setting for smaller groups of Rotarians to discuss ongoing business and projects in the club. A social opportunity to critique where we are, what we are accomplishing and what we would like to accomplish. Thank you to the wonderful Rotarians who hosted the groups for the evening - John and Ann Kemp, Sue Eden and Don Gemmell. It was a great night!
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Speaker: Linda Carnegie of Recope - Tuesday, January 17th
The Rotary Club of Summerland was pleased to hear from guest speaker, Linda Carnegie, during our weekly breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant on Tuesday, January 17th. Linda, who is a volunteer Board of Director with Recope, spoke to our club about the non-profit organization and how they have been serving the District of Summerland since 1976. Recope provides medically designed and supervised therapeutic exercise programs for adults with medical challenges to help them... get moving, feel stronger, experience less pain and reclaim an active and independent life. This reduces their reliance on other, more expensive, facets of the health system and empowers them to maintain their health through fitness activities.
After Linda's presentation, Summerland Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, presented Recope with a cheque donation on behalf of the club. Thank you for joining us, Linda! For additional information regarding Recope, please visit the organization's website at www.recope.ca. |
Rotary Winter Walk - January 14, 2017 Thanks to everyone who came out this past Saturday for our Rotary Winter Walk. It turned out to be a wonderful get-together with 11 Rotarians and guests in attendance! The group met at the Summerland Rodeo Grounds parking lot at 2:00 pm then took the half hour walk east on the Trans Canada Trail to the gazebo where we all stopped for a rest and enjoyed some mulled wine and tea overlooking Summerland.
Thank you to Rotarian, Michael Zang, for organizing this fun gathering. We look forward to our next "active" fellowship event!
Additional photos from our afternoon walk can be viewed on our Facebook page or by viewing the photo album from the afternoon here.
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Evening Rotary Meeting: January 10, 2017
Our club wished John Bubb well as he attended his final meeting as a member of our club at our January 10th evening dinner at Santorini's Restaurant. Garry Hollingshead presented John with an Honorary Membership. Later on in the evening, Garry presented members of our club with the Paul Harris Fellow recognition which acknowledges individuals who have contributed, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships. Honorary Member, Ann Kiefer, received her first Paul Harris Fellow recognition, which consisted of a certificate and pin. Other members of our club received Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognition, which is extended at subsequent $1,000 levels. At this level, recognition consists of a pin with stones corresponding to the recipient’s recognition amount:
Congratulations to all of our Paul Harris Fellows! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page or by viewing the photo album from the evening here. |
Update from Peter Shultz: Time is Running Out!!.jpg) Summerland Rotary Club had 12 Rotarians and guests attend the Rotary District 5060 JUMP RIGHT IN! "Footprints, Fellowship & Fund" Conference in Yakima in May 2016
That's right!!! Time is running out. District Governor Vern Nielsen is hoping to see you all at Conference 2017, April 28-30 in Kelowna. Registration is already ~same as the average of the previous 4 years of Conferences, so we expect to SELL OUT! That is no surprise, since we have a line-up of fun, fellowship, and keynote speakers all of whom could be the feature at the International Assembly or (as many have) on TED-Talk stages!
As DG Vern has toured the district, the feedback from you all has indicated that a majority from every club would like to join us. Good choice, but note that currently the percentage of club members for each area that have registered is:
Area 1 - 9% Area 5 - 28% Area 9 - 5%
Area 2 - 5% Area 6 - 21% Area 10 - 2%
Area 3 - 6% Area 7 - 8% Area 11 - 4%
Area 4 - 7% Area 8 - 5% Area 12 - 4%
I know from the above that there are a lot of you planning to register who have not done it yet. Not only will the conference sell out, but the block of discounted rooms ($175 Cdn/night) at the Delta Grand Resort (by Marriott) will be gone within the next 2-3 weeks (if not sooner)! The Delta Grand has been named one of the "Top 5 Waterfront Resorts" in all of Canada, so you want to stay there with us.
  And now another teaser! A little on one more of our distinguished keynote speakers, Amanda Wirtz...
 Amanda Wirtz is a Chicago native who studied in Stockholm, Sweden, for a year as a Rotary Exchange Student. After that she graduated from the Center for Information Dominance, earning the highest recognition as top graduate before serving six years as a Cryptologic Analyst for Naval Intelligence. Amanda supported military, counter-narcotics and search and rescue operations in Florida, Spain, Canada, and Washington DC. In addition she served twice in combat in both Iraq and Yugoslavia. During the years that followed she faced seemingly insurmountable health challenges. Resolved to fight for her own future, she began building hope for herself and others. The countless community outreach projects that she has inspired both within the U.S. and abroad have resulted in her recognition including Rotary’s “Selfless Service Award”, and the California State Assembly Veteran of the Year for 2011. The founder and a charter member of the world’s first Facebook-based Rotary club, Amanda will be our Saturday evening banquet speaker and entertainer.
See you in April!!
Peter Schultz, PhD - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Governor 2019-2020
Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student - Sylvia Mott - Christmas in Germany
Seasons Greetings from Germany! Yes, as Christmas approaches, we are full swing into the holiday spirit. In fact, it seems like the entire month has been spent preparing for Christmas - as it should be, of course. This has provided me plenty of opportunity to discover new traditions as well as German variations on familiar and well-loved holiday activities.
 Tannenbaum in front of the Heiligenhaus town hall
Advent Calendars: On the first of December, Signe and Manfred surprised me with a lovely Ferrero Rocher Calendar, which I have since been enjoying immensely. Here, Advent calendar are very popular, and come in many more variations then in Canada. Emils and Marta each got one with a different part every day to build remote-controlled helicopters, Manfred got a Christmas joke calendar, Signe got one that consists of small boxes of material which come by post every few days, and Justus got two - one with chocolate, and one with a piece of lego every day to form an entire set. Apparently you can get calendars with cheese, salami, tea, make-up... and basically anything else you can dream up. Christmas Baking: I have now spent many a happy afternoon baking and decorating cookies with Marta and Manfred, often with the help of a flour-covered Justus. Schoko-Crossies (chocolate-cornflake clusters) are one of my favourite cookies so far. St. Nikolaus day: On December 5th, I joined Marta and Emils in schue-putzen (shoe-cleaning). It seems a strange tradition, but is very important - who wants to receive chocolates and sweets in a dirty boot? I guess we did a sufficient job, because St. Nikolaus deemed it fit to fill our boots during the night. Thank you, jolly old St. Nick! Christmas (okay, pre-Christmas) parties: The cocoon has split open and revealed a social butterfly! Or perhaps something more like a moth, but close enough. I have been hopping from party to party over the last few weeks - from extremely fancy (a Rotary club roasted goose feast) to casual but festive (such as a lovely Straßefest with our neighbours). Christmas Markets: At the center of every German town, city, and village, stands a cheerful collection of wooden stalls festooned with lights and greenery. It is a gathering place for neighbours and out-of-town friends to meet, drink mulled wine, and shop for the perfect christmas gift - not to mention eat! (For more details on the food, please read further - it deserves an entire category of its own.) I’ve been sure to hit up as many Christmas Markets as possible, near and far: in Dusseldorf, Velbert, Heiligenhaus, Aachen, Munster, and Ratingen. The biggest ones are impressive, jam-packed, and full of millions of exotic and traditional options for souvenir shoppers and snack seekers alike. On the other hand, the smaller ones are cozy and often feature school choirs and other local musical talent. A fun place to wander with friends! The Food: I have to include a list of new and exciting foods, and here it is:
Of course, this is only the beginning - I will report on my very first German Christmas and Sylvester (New Years) in a week or so. Until then, I wish you all the best of the season! Liebe Grüße, Sylvia ~NOTE: To read more about Sylvia and her adventures abroad, please visit her blog at http://smgermanyexchange.weebly.com/
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Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student - Emma Thomson - Boldog Karacsonyt: Christmas in Hungary
Christmas this year was a completely new experience for me. But one I did very much enjoy.
I took me quite a long time to really feel in a full Christmas mood this year, partly cause it wasn’t the same routine as what I’m used to in December. I watched Christmas movies but other than those (which I didn’t even watch as many as I do back in Canada) most things were all new for me.
 To start off with, Santa doesn’t come on Christmas eve, rather on December 6th, St. Nicholas day. He doesn’t bring toys either, he overflows your shoe/boot with chocolate and candy, so much that I’m actually still working through eating it all now! And of course he goes by a different name here, Mikulás.
When it comes to Christmas itself the biggest difference I found was the fact that the Christmas tree doesn’t get put up until the 24th. At the end of November/start of December though my host sister and I made an advent wreath which contains four candles, one to be burned every Sunday leading up until Christmas.
On the 24th we finally decorated the tree after breakfast. The 24th is the first day of three days of Christmas you could say. You spend this day with your direct family. After a nice little family dinner we opened the presents that got put under the tree after lunch.
 Before opening the presents you also sing and we made sure to always get photos taken. It was a really nice and relaxed day.
On the 25th we went to my host dad’s fathers house for a long family lunch, again we sang and opened presents, and of course ate a big meal.
On the 26th, later in the day, we went to another family members house for another family dinner with another part of the family.
Overall it was a really nice three days of the holidays. And since the tree didn’t go up until the 24th it will be up longer than I’m used to in Canada most likely. We didn’t get very much snow at all though, mainly frost and fog, there was a little on Christmas which was really nice but then the next morning I woke up and it was like early spring. The fog was gone, blue, sunny sky, and all the snow was melted! But this morning as I’m writing this post, the fog and frost are back, keeping the trees white.
I hope everyone had lovely holidays as well and a very happy new year! I can’t wait to see everything that comes from 2017.
-Emma
~NOTE: To read more about Emma and her adventures abroad, please visit her blog at https://etgoabroad.wordpress.com/
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Rotary Exchange students take part in Summerland's Polar Bear Swim Photo Credit: The Penticton Herald
Rotary Exchange students took part in Summerland Kinsmen's Polar Bear Dip on Sunday, January 1st, at Sun-Oka Beach and braved the cold waters of Okanagan Lake, which was measured at a chilly 1°C. From left to right - Lukas Krsek from the Czech Republic (Kamloops), Josie Mehrnusch of Germany (Summerland), Eeva Hemming from Finland (Lake Country), and Brazil's Bruna Lemberg (Penticton). What a great start to the New Year!
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Vocational/Classification Talk: New Member, Doug Mailey New Rotarian, Doug Mailey, delivers his vocational/classification talk to the Summerland Rotary Club
The Summerland Rotary Club was pleased to have new member, Doug Mailey, as the featured speaker at our breakfast meeting on Tuesday, December 20th, at Santorini's Restaurant. Doug shared some of his background with the club and provided an informative vocational-classification talk on his profession as a Pharmacist. Doug is owner of Summerland Medicine Centre and gave the club an overview of "a day in the life of a Pharmacist". Thank you for the wonderful presentation, Doug!
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Birthday Presentation to Miss Rotary, Katie Portman President, Preston Mott, Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, and Ann Kemp
Ann Kemp presented Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, with a gift in celebration of her recent Birthday at our breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant this morning. For the record - Katie turned 16 years old, not 18 - as was previously indicated :) We hope you enjoyed your day, Katie!
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Another Generous Donation from Doug Mailey.jpg) New Rotarian, Doug Mailey, owner of Summerland Medicine Centre
As previously mentioned, new Rotarian and owner of Summerland Medicine Centre, Doug Mailey, generously donated $1,000 to the Summerland Rotary Club back in November. As a result of Doug's donation, our club was recipient of a matching donation of another $1,000 from UMC Charity, on Doug's behalf. The Club received the following letter from UMC Charity (see below). Thank you for your generous donation of $2,000, Doug. It is appreciated!
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Thank you from Summerland Community Arts Council A thank you note from members of the Summerland Community Arts Council
The Rotary Club of Summerland received thanks from members of the Summerland Community Arts Council with their recent lending of extensions cords and other items required for the Arts Council's first ever Art Installation. A special thanks was given to Rotarian, Michael Zang, for his endless hours of hard work and participation in the project. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the art installation a success!
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Holiday Staff Appreciation Luncheon - A Success! Thank you to everyone who came out for the Summerland Rotary Holiday Staff Appreciation Luncheon that took place this past Thursday, December 16th, at St. Stephen Summerland Anglican Church. Our club hosted the luncheon as an opportunity for local businesses to show staff their appreciation by sending them to the festive event. The event included a hearty lunch of pasta, Caesar salad, garlic bread, desserts and coffee, tea or holiday punch. It turned out to be a wonderful morning and afternoon! Thank you to all the Rotarians that participated in this event from ticket sales, to setting up, to helping out on the day of the event itself. A special thank you to the organizers of the luncheon, Sue Eden and Sharon Lusch, as well as Rotarians who helped out at the event itself, Brenda Hamilton, Michael Zang, Roch Fortin and Mirjana Komljenovic. We look forward to hosting the event again next year!
More photos from the Holiday Staff Appreciation Luncheon can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Happy Birthday, Miss Rotary! Katie Portman with Ann Kemp
Happy Birthday to Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, who is 16 years old today! Hope you have a wonderful day, Katie!
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Club Meeting December 13, 2016 - Induction of New Member: Doug Mailey.jpg) L-R: Paul Barber, Doug Mailey and sponsoring Rotarian, Garry Hollingshead
Welcome to the newest member of the Summerland Rotary Club - Doug Mailey!
Paul Barber and Garry Hollingshead inducted Doug into our Club during our regular breakfast meeting at Santorini's this morning. Doug resides in West Kelowna with his wife, Allison, and two children, Ava (8) and Logan (6). Doug is owner/manager of Summerland Medicine Centre and holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from the University of British Columbia Vancouver. In his spare time, Doug enjoys skiing, curling, golfing, playing hockey and occasionally picking at the guitar. Welcome, Doug! Congratulations!
 Paul Barber inducts Doug Mailey as the newest member of the Summerland Rotary Club |
Annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign Top (L-R): Garry Hollingshead and Don Gemmell / Rylee
Bottom (L-R): Aart Dronkers / Chantelle Meriam, Nick Babyn and Rylee
Missing from the photos: Paul Barber
It has become a tradition for our Club to participate in the Annual Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign. Thank you to those Rotarians and friends that took a few hours out of their day this past Saturday to volunteer for the cause. It was a busy day bellringing outside of London Drugs in Penticton!
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Fun Times at our Rotary Holiday PartyThank you to everyone who came out last Tuesday, December 6th, for our annual Rotary Holiday Party that took place at the Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa. It was a wonderful evening full of holiday friendship, fellowship and fun. Thank you to Lisa Jaager for organizing the event, to Tom and Ellen Matthews for hosting our group at the Summerland Waterfront Resort, to Ellen Matthews for being our Master of Ceremonies for the evening and to Roch Fortin for assisting Ellen with the running of our "Recycled, Reclaimed or Regifted" holiday gift exchange. It was a fun-filled night that won't be forgotten!
 Rylee, enjoyed picking up some treats in support of Shelterbox!
Also, a special thanks to our inbound (Josie Mehrnusch), soon-to-be outbound (Josiah Baran) and rebound (Bailey Johnson and Michaella Haidenger) Rotary Exchange Students for joining us for our Holiday Party with the plates of treats! Six Rotary Exchange students from our area stayed up until 1 am, baking in support of Shelterbox! Plates of their baking were sold for $10-15/plate with all proceeds going to Shelterbox. Between all the Rotary functions attended, the students' hard work and baking resulted in $555 for the cause. Way to go everyone!
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Save the Date - Summerland Rotary Pioneer Tea Rotarians - please save for date for our Annual Summerland Rotary Pioneer Tea which is set for Saturday, March 18th, 2017. Lead organizer of the tea, Lucille Scheidl, wanted to ensure we had the date in our calendars as we will be looking for volunteers to assist on the day of the tea. Also, we are looking for suggestions as to a theme for our upcoming tea. If anyone has any suggestions, please contact Lucille Scheidl directly at lucillescheidl@gmail.com. Thanks for taking on this popular annual event, Lucille. We appreciate it!
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Rotary Foundation named World's Outstanding Foundation for 2016.jpg) Photo Credit: Rotary International/Alyce Henson
The Association of Fundraising Professionals has recognized The Rotary Foundation with its annual Award for Outstanding Foundation. The award honors organizations that show philanthropic commitment and leadership through financial support, innovation, encouragement of others, and involvement in public affairs. Some of the boldest names in American giving — Kellogg, Komen, and MacArthur, among others —are past honorees. “We are honored to receive this recognition from the AFP, which gives us even more reason to celebrate during our Foundation’s centennial year,” says Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee. “The continued strong support of Rotary members will help us keep our promise of a polio-free world for all children and enable the Foundation to carry out its mission of advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace. We look forward to another 100 years of Rotary members taking action to make communities better around the world.” The announcement came on 15 November, known to industry professionals since the 1980s as National Philanthropy Day. The award will be presented in early 2017 at the AFP’s annual conference in San Francisco. Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair-elect Paul Netzel is set to accept the award on Rotary’s behalf, and Eric Schmelling, director of fund development at Rotary, will speak at the conference. The event is expected to draw more than 3,400 senior-level fundraising professionals from 33 countries. “While almost everyone is familiar with Rotary, not everyone may realize just how much of an impact Rotary and The Rotary Foundation have had on countless people and communities across the globe,” says Jason Lee, AFP president and CEO. “On behalf of the entire charitable sector and people around the world, all of us at AFP are honored to be able to recognize The Rotary Foundation as our 2016 Outstanding Foundation.” AFP’s committee of judges cited Rotary’s comprehensive campaign to eradicate polio as a major driver of the selection. They also mentioned that Rotary applies a methodical, purposeful approach to support a wide variety of causes, from providing clean water to educating the next generation of peace professionals. |
AGM: Election of Club Executives and Directors
The Rotary Club of Summerland held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 22 at Santorini's Restaurant, for the purpose of approving the Financial Statements for the Rotary year 2015/2016 and for the purpose of the election of Directors and Offices for the Rotary Year 2017/2018 commencing July 1, 2017. Nominations were presented by the Nomination Committee and were also accepted from the membership. Results of the election were as follows:
President - Chantelle Meriam
Past President - Preston Mott
President Elect - Mirjana Komljenovic
Secretary - Donald Gemmell
Treasurer - Doug Carnegie
Director - Club Service and Membership - Paul Barber
Director - International Service - Aart Dronkers
Director - Community Service - Michael Zang
Director - Youth Services - Bob Van Balkom
Director - At Large - Ellen Walker-Matthews
Thank you to everyone that took part in our Annual General Meeting. Looking forward to a successful 2017/2018 Rotary year!
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Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student - Sylvia Mott - In Germany Sylvia Mott (L) eating currywurst with friends at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin, Germany
It has now been three months since I arrived in Germany - it’s hard to believe that I’m already a third of the way through my exchange! I have done so many things, and the truth of the saying “time flies when you’re having fun” is really coming home to roost with me. The realization of having only 2/3rds left is a little sobering, but a good reminder for me that I need to take advantage of all opportunities available to me. And what opportunities there are! Over the course of my stay, I have had the good fortune to take part in German festivals, go on school field trips, volunteer with my local Roteract club, go travelling with my host family, and more… Including, of course, an amazing 2-week tour of Germany with my Rotary district. Here is a photo of myself on the Germany tour, eating currywurst with friends at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. Wow, I've been to Berlin - pretty incredible!
It is lovely to read about your goings-on the newsletter, and I would love to hear from anyone who wants to email me with questions, suggestions of things to do in Germany, or an update on the Club. I wish you all success with your current projects and joy in the upcoming holiday season!
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Annual Holiday Party - Happening Tomorrow! Just a reminder - our Annual Rotary Holiday Party will be taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6th at the Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa. In addition to all the fun mentioned above, there will be baked goods for purchase from these great exchange students!
 Six Rotary Inbound Exchange students from our area (including our Josie!) stayed up until 1 am, baking in support of Shelterbox! Plates of their baking will be sold for $10-15/plate. Be sure to come to come out and support these great exchange students with all baking proceeds going to Shelterbox. Great job, Josie and friends!
Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at our Annual Holiday Party!
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Shelterbox Update from Past Rotary Outbound Exchange Student
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Holiday Staff Appreciation Luncheon The Summerland Rotary Club presents our annual "Holiday Staff Appreciation Luncheon" which will be taking place on Thursday, December 15, 2016.
The luncheon is great opportunity to show staff appreciation by sending or bringing them to this festive event - as well as a great opportunity to chat with other businesses, local services and their employees. This is our second luncheon which is a fundraiser to support local Rotary projects. It was a great event with a fabulous lunch last year. We hope you will be able to join us this year! LUNCH INCLUDES: Pasta, Caesar salad, garlic bread, dessert, and coffee, tea or holiday punch TIME: Lunch will be served between the hours of 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Feel free to co...me by for lunch at a time between these hours that works best for you! FUN: There will be door prizes and a 50/50 draw! COST: $15 per person RESERVATIONS: Registration forms are due on December 8, 2016. Please submit forms to Sue Eden at Royal LePage Parkside at 9925 Main Street. |
Update from Outbound Rotary Exchange Student - Emma Thomson - In Hungary Summerland Outbound Rotary Exchange Student, Emma Thomson (on the right), in Hungary
Dear Rotary Club of Summerland,I have been in Hungary now for just over two months, and how time flies! Here is a little overview of a bit of everything to do with that time period. I have an amazing first host family here who have taken me in very warmly. My host sister, Sara who is a year younger than I am, returned shortly before I arrived from her exchange in New York State, so not only does she understand what I’m going through but she is such a help with any language barriers I find myself in. I live in a little town named Érd, which is just outside the capital city of Budapest. My school though is in Budaors which is another little town in between Érd and Budapest. The transit system is really great here, though I need four different bus passes to get between these three locations that I spend my everyday life. In school I am in grade 11, though most of my classmates are turning 18 this year or have while I’ve been here. With my high school most students will be 19 when they graduate. I have just come to understand the school system, and don’t worry I’ll explain it all when I return this summer! At school I have joined the basketball team so I have practice twice a week after school. And other than my regular classes I have two different Hungarian classes. One every Tuesday in Budapest with the other Rotary exchange students in the area, and the other is through the school with the four other exchange students in the school, none of whom are with Rotary. My Rotary club here in Hungary is the Rotary club of Budapest-Sasad, there are many clubs within Budapest probably because of the size. My club is definitely the smallest, way less members than in Summerland! But even though they are small they take in and send two students a year. Because of the many clubs in Budapest, there are also many exchange students. Our little Budapest group of exchange students consists of 9 of us, though one cross bound did just fly home to Argentina this Friday. I have made many friendships with the other exchange students in the district since there are 42 of us total. Hungary being such a small country our district is the entire country too, so no matter where I go I’ll most likely know someone! But with the Budapest group we have definitely become close since we see each other a minimum of once a week for lessons. It’s really nice having people so close to make plans with. I have made friends with students at school but school is very academic and important in Hungary so there aren’t many opportunities to spend time with classmates outside of class or basketball practice. When it comes to travel so far I have visited other parts of my small but lovely country, as well been to Austria and Slovakia shortly. Back in September we had our first Rotary orientation as well language camp in a place named Zanka on Balaton Lake, it was a week long and an amazing experience since it was the first time to meet all of the exchange students together. In October the Austrian Rotary club invited us for a weekend in Vienna which was such a great experience, plus I was able to visit with another student who went on exchange from our 5060 district. Our next group meetup I planned for December when we will have a Christmas weekend! Did you know that (depending who you ask) Hungarian is the world’s 2nd/3rd hardest language to learn! I definitely agree with this statement! But I’m determined, and don’t worry I am getting it slowly but surely! Now I really hope this update wasn’t too long for all of you, must have been all that public speaking I’ve done but I could talk forever! Speaking of which my presentation to the rotary club here was a little too long even after I cut stuff out! Anyways I would like to thank all of you for this opportunity, I’m really enjoying myself here. Also if some of you don’t know I am keeping a blog (https://etgoabroad.wordpress.com) that you can get email updates from, I only post once or twice a month so far when something different from everyday life happens. Can’t wait to see you all in 8ish months! Love Emma |
Rotary Moment: John Bubb on The Rotary Foundation John Bubb
Rotarian, John Bubb, provided a humorous and enlightening "Rotary Moment" to the club on the Rotary Foundation at our Annual General Meeting this past Tuesday. John answered some of the key questions that Rotarians often have about our Foundation including information on the Paul Harris Fellowship and the meaning behind the saying "Every Rotarian Every Year". Thank you for the informative Rotary Moment, John!
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Treasurer's Report with Doug Carnegie Treasurer, Doug Carnegie
Treasurer, Doug Carnegie, presented the balance sheet and budget to our Club during our Annual General Meeting this past Tuesday at Santorini's Restaurant. Thank you for keeping our Club's finances in order, Doug. You do a great job!
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50/50 Winner and the Rotary Four-Way Test Congratulations to visiting Rotarian, LeeAnna Binder, from the Rotary Club of St. Albert, who was this week's 50/50 winner at our Tuesday morning breakfast meeting at Santorini's.
As a continuation on from last week, LeeAnna recited the Rotary "Four-Way Test" before collecting his winnings. The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings.
Of the things we think, say or do
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Update from Ann Kemp: Blossom Pageant Banner Presentation
Here are a couple of photos taken on Monday, November 14th, at the Banner presentation. The event is short and sweet, but the girls feel proud to receive their banners. The younger girl (a bit shorter than me!) is a Blossom Bud. This is something new that they are trying this year. My understanding is that they will do a few things with the Pageant girls, such as Christmas crafts. It's a work in progress, so we will see how it goes. Thank you for taking such great care of our Miss Rotary, Ann!
Miss Rotary - Our Candidate in this year's Blossom Pageant, Katie Portman
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Rotary after 5: A Rotary Medieval Feast! It was another fantastic social on Friday night with 20 Rotarians and guests in attendance for our Rotary Medieval Feast at the Gasthuas Pub in Peachland. The feast consisted of all-you-can-eat fresh homemade bread, potato ham cheddar soup, a medieval pan full of all sorts of traditional German goodies with homemade apple fritters with ice cream for dessert. By the end of the evening, everyone was stuffed! Another great turnout and fun times all around. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on the Rotary Club of Summerland Facebook page.
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Generous Donation from Doug Mailey President-Elect, Chantelle Meriam (L), and President, Preston Mott (R), graciously accept a cheque from meeting guest and owner of Summerland Medicine Centre, Doug Mailey, who attended our morning meeting at Santorini's on Tuesday. Thank you for your generous donation, Doug!
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50/50 Winner: Guest, Doug Mailey Guest, Doug Mailey, and Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead
Congratulations to meeting guest, Doug Mailey, who was this week's 50/50 winner at our Tuesday morning breakfast meeting this past week at Santorini's.
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November: Rotary Foundation Month Garry Hollingshead, speaks to the club about the Rotary Foundation
November is Rotary Foundation Month. To educate club members on the basics of The Rotary Foundation, we were fortunate to have Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead, speak to our club about the topic.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world. This support is essential to make possible projects, funded with Foundation grants, that bring sustainable improvement to communities in need. |
Update from Peter Schultz - Rotary Leadership Institute coming to Penticton!The Rotary Leadership Institute is a complete 3-day facilitated program intended to instruct Rotarian leaders on a broad range of topics from Rotary basics, to Public Relations, international projects, and leadership skills.
Time to get registered for the next session of the Rotary Leadership Institute! Just ask any recent graduate how great this program is, or see the video above for a brief promo-video. Two courses scheduled:
RLI-North: Penticton February 4, February 18 & March 4
 RLI-South: Ellensburg March 4, March 18 & April 1
 ***YES!! The District is STILL offering 50% off RLI for this year, so each session is only $42.50!!
***Note: Minimum registration required 1 month prior to start
***Faculty: If able to help on any of those dates please let me know!
Peter Schultz - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Administrative Assistant Governor Chair, Rotary Leadership Institute Chair, District Conference Chair 2017 Peter.Rotary5060@gmail.com - 250.470.9228 |
50/50 Winner and The Rotary Four-Way Test Michael Zang
Congratulations to Rotarian, Michael Zang, who was this week's 50/50 winner at our Tuesday morning breakfast meeting this past week at Santorini's.
As a continuation on from last week, Michael read out loud the Rotary "Four-Way Test" before collecting his winnings. The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings.
Of the things we think, say or do
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Speaker: Linda Tynan, CAO, District of Summerland Linda Tynan, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Summerland
The District of Summerland’s Chief Administrative Officer, Linda Tynan, was the guest speaker at our weekly breakfast meeting at Santorini's Restaurant on Tuesday morning. Having joined the District of Summerland in April 2015, Linda spoke to our Club about her new role as Chief Administrative Officer and touched on some of her past experience working for the Village of Nakusp, City of Nelson, as well as the Regional District of Central Kootenay. Linda gave an interesting talk to our Club, discussing some of the opportunities that her and her team have been working on over the past year and a half. We appreciate you taking the time to speak to our Club, Linda.
 Chief Administrative Officer, Linda Tynan, with Past President, Roch Fortin
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John and Ann Kemp visit Egehan Rotarian, John Kemp, with wife, Ann Kemp, and past inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, from Turkey
Update from Ann Kemp regarding her and John's meeting with Egehan and his family:
We were docked in the Port of Izmir for 24hours. Egehan’s parents met us off our ship at 9.30am and for the next 12 1/2hrs they showed as many of the sights as possible. Izmir is a beautiful city with a large harbour and a very long and wide promenade. From the top of a cable car ride we had a magnificent view of the city and the harbour. A few other things we visited included the Archeological Museum, a large vibrant outdoor market, with lots of walking and stops for Turkish tea, coffee, lunch and all accompanied by a variety of different foods. After 5pm we met up with Egehan when he finished school. It was nice to see him again and his English is still as good as when he left Summerland. Later in the evening we were taken out to a fish restaurant by the sea, where we had a delicious fish dinner. Egehan’s brother joined us there a little later when he finished his day at university. We found all the food to be very fresh and tasty. With no bus to take Egehan home we wondered how he would get home. No problem, the 6 of us snuggled up in the smallish Toyota and away we went! We were delivered back to our ship, fortunately before she sailed around 10.30pm. We were tired and happy having had an amazing day with a lovely family who certainly went out of their way to give us a wonderful day. A day to remember.
 Egehan with parents and brother in Izmir, Turkey At the meeting last week, I was remiss in not passing along a “hello” to everyone from Egehan. He misses you, but at the same time he is happy to be home but will never forget his wonderful year in Summerland. He hopes to come back for a visit one day. |
Introducing our new Miss Rotary: Katie Portman L-R: Miss Rotary, Katie Portman, and Ann Kemp
Please welcome our new Miss Rotary - Katie Portman - who will be our candidate in this years Summerland Blossom Pageant!
Name - Katie Portman
Grade/school - Grade 11 Summerland secondary school How long have you lived in Summerland for? I have lived in Summerland all of my life Siblings: I am the youngest of four children with two brothers and one sister Why did you decide to participate in the Blossom Pageant? - I think that going into the blossom pageant would be a wonderful learning opportunity to improve my public speaking and to be a young ambassador for Summerland Likes/interests/hobbies - most of my main extra curricular activities include playing softball, skiing and figure skating Many members of our Club know fellow Rotarian, John Kemp, and his wife, Ann Kemp, but do you know Ann's role with our own Miss Rotary?
"Some people have called me a mentor for Miss Rotary. Basically my position is to “take care” of Miss Rotary for the 8 months that they spend going through the program. It’s the nicest job I have ever had! We meet on a regular basis either for tea at my house or occasionally in a café after school. We talk about what Rotary does locally and in the world and other things that help me to get to know Miss Rotary better. I guess I am there to help with what ever crops up and bring her to meetings and to volunteer with things such as the Pioneer Tea. It’s not something I can properly describe, but I enjoy it and give her support if and when needed." - Ann Kemp Thanks for taking such great care of Miss Rotary, Ann! We look forward to hearing all about your participation in this years Summerland Blossom Pageant, Katie!
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Rotary After 5: Rotary Medieval Feast! at Gasthaus Pub in PeachlandPlease mark your calendars for our next social gathering of the fall - a Rotary Medieval Feast! - which will be taking place on Friday, November 18th from 6-8pm at Gasthuas Pub in Peachland. Details are as follow:
Gasthaus Pub
5790 Beach Ave, Peachland
Friday, November 18th
6:00 pm
Have a feast fit for a king this November! The Gasthaus’ legendary medieval dinners are a perfect way to make your dinner gathering even more memorable. Pewter plates, dripping wax candelabras, stuffed boar’s head, your waitress in costume and everyone taking on the role of a medieval diner are part of the fun but overshadowed by the impressive feast. We start with homemade bread hot out of the stone oven. Next we serve piping hot soup out of the castle-sized fireplace. The main event is the huge 150lb cast iron pan that two chefs bring to your table. Loaded with ribs, chicken, duck, schnitzel, pork hock, ham and much more. Lastly hot apple fritters are served with ice cream and whipped cream. Cost is $31.90 per person + tax and gratuity. More information about the medieval dinners can be found on the Gasthaus website located at http://www.gasthaus.ca/medieval-events. Guest, spouses, and friends are welcome to attend!
Please note - in order to have our Rotary Medieval Feast a go, we will need a minimum of 10 individuals participate in the feast. If you plan on attending, please RSVP your attendance by e-mailing chantelle.meriam@edwardjones.com no later than Sunday, November 13th so we know how many to reserve for.
I look forward to taking part in this wonderful event in a few short weeks and I hope to see you all there!
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50/50 Winner and The Rotary Four-Way Test Lisa Jaager
Congratulations to Rotarian, Lisa Jaager, who was the big 50/50 winner at our Tuesday evening dinner/spousal meeting at Santorini's this past week. As part of a new and fun initiative, the winner of the 50/50 draw will now read out loud the Rotary "Four-Way Test" before collecting their winnings. The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do is a test used by Rotarians world-wide as a moral code for personal and business relationships. The test can be applied to almost any aspect of life.
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Speaker: Peter Waterman, Mayor of Summerland Peter Waterman, Mayor of Summerland
Mayor Peter Waterman gave an interesting presentation to our club at our monthly evening dinner meeting this past Tuesday at Santorini's Restaurant. Peter, who worked for the Ministry of Agriculture & Food for 25 years until 1997, has also ran his own orchard from 1989-2005. Peter has been a resident of Summerland since 1978 and in 2005 and 2011 he served as a Summerland Councillor. Peter spoke to the Summerland Rotary Club about "moving our economy forward" and the initiatives council has undertaken over the last two years to build a substantial foundation on which to grow our economy and ensure community qualifies that enhance our lifestyle.
 L-R: President, Preston Mott, Mayor Peter Waterman, Past District Governor, Garry Hollingshead
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Message from President, Preston Mott: Notice of Annual General Meeting
As previously announced, our Annual General Meeting of the Rotary Club of Summerland will be held on Tuesday, November 22, 2016, at Santorini's Restaurant at 7:00 am for the purpose of approving the Financial Statements for the Rotary year 2015/2016 and for the purpose of the election of Directors and Officers for the Rotary Year 2017/2018 commencing July 1, 2017. The Nomination Committee will present its nominations for each office and nominations will be accepted from the membership. The results of the elections will be forwarded to the District Governors office on or before December 31, 2016 pursuant to the requirements of our Bylaws.
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District 5060 Rotary Development Weekend in Osoyoos Back (L-R): Garry Hollingshead and Nick Babyn; Front (L-R): Marion Hollingshead and Chantelle Meriam
Andrew Carnegie once said if you want to be successful at any business become a student of that business. Rotary is no different. To be a more effective Rotarian become a student and learn all you can about Rotary. This weekend was an opportunity to do just that. On October 28-29th of this past weekend, our Rotary 5060 district put on its annual training weekend at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos. The weekend combined the district leadership seminar, district team training, as well as the district assembly.
Friday evening included a wine tasting reception, followed by dinner with a keynote speaker, Sean Hogan, from the North Delta Rotary Club. Saturday included time on the agenda where our District Assistant Governors provided a brief report on some of the great things happening in each of their areas. The day also highlighted various club events, projects, and fundraisers happening throughout our district. It was a great weekend full of friendship, fellowship and fun! If you missed this years event, be sure to join us for our next District Training Weekend that will be taking place next fall. Details will be available closer to the event. Our annual District Development Weekend is an event you will not want to miss! |
Update from Peter Shultz: 6 Days Left!.jpg) To all Rotarians in D5060...***ONLY 6 Days left!***
Don't miss out!
Some clubs are pushing HARD for the $1000.00 prize... the club with the highest percentage registered (*see below) at District Conference by the end of 31 October 2016 will win $1000.00 (Cdn) to apply to the service project of your choice. Click here to register for District 5060 Conference in Kelowna. Click here to register for Delta Grand Conference Hotel.
See you there!
* Note: Registered means at least $100.00 paid towards the registration. ALL full registrations count, so if your partner is registered for the full event (Rotarian or not) that works! DG Vern's home club, the R/C of Kelowna is unfortunately not eligible!
Peter Schultz - Rotary Club of Kelowna
District 5060 Administrative Assistant Governor |
Meet Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch, from Germany.jpg) Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch, from Germany
Meet our very own inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student, Josie Mehrnusch, from Germany!
• Where in Germany are you from? Külz, Hunsrück, Rheinland-Pfalz
• When did you arrive in Canada? 28.8.2016
• Who are you staying with? Family Mott (John, April, Helena)
• What do your parents do? Mom: secretary, rehabilitation coach Dad: IT professional
• How old are you? 16
• What is your date of birth? 15.04.2000
• What grade are you in? 11
• What courses are you taking? First Semester: Communications, Drama, Foods and Nutrition, work experience Second Semester: English, maths, biology, I did not decided the last one yet
• Outside of school, what do you like doing? I love to read, meet my friends, cook/bake, do some sports. I am a scout in Germany since I am 6 years old
• Are you participating in any school sports/activities? Yes, play (Cinderella) and field Hockey I am going to participate in cheerleading after field hockey season, if there is the possibility and in spring I would like to join either Rugby or soccer
• What types of things have you been doing since arriving in Summerland? Stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, meeting and making new friends, cooking and eating a lot of new things I tried different new sports like field hockey and bellydancing I watched an ice hockey game I went to the Kangaroo farm I saw waterfalls in the middle of a forrest in Naramata.
We look forward to getting to know you better over the course of the next year, Josie!
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Rotary after 5: Zias Stonehouse Restaurant Another great "Rotary after 5" tonight! Thank you to all the Rotarians and other members of our community that came out for our monthly social at Zia's tonight. We had 18 individuals in attendance! Great food, fantastic people and always lots of fun. Looking forward to seeing everyone at our next gathering. Stay tuned for the details! More photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page here.
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Thank You from Breakfast Club for Learning Received this wonderful letter and thank you note from Valerie Wright, Program Coordinator of the Breakfast Club of Learning, thanking our club for its recent donation to their Breakfast for Learning Program. Thank you to Valerie and her volunteers for everything that they do. You are truly making a difference!
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Peachland Rotary Club Invitation: Charter Night Chris Scowen, member of the Rotary Club of Peachland
Chris Scowen, member of the Peachland Rotary Club, joined us as a guest at our Tuesday morning meeting at Santorini's. Chris invited members to the Peachland Club's annual birthday event - Charter Night in Black & White. It was 19 years ago in October that the Rotary Club of Summerland sponsored the Peachland Club to formally join the wider world of Rotary International. Chris is one the club’s twenty original or “charter members” and is one of three individuals that have maintained their club memberships. Thank you, Chris, for stopping by for breakfast on Tuesday!
Tickets are still available for the Peachland Club's “Charter Night in Black & White” which will be taking place this Saturday, October 22nd. Please see the ticket below for more information.
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Speaker: Summerland Fire Chief, Glenn Noble Glenn Noble, Fire Chief of the Summerland Fire Department
Glenn Noble, Fire Chief of the Summerland Fire Department, gave an interesting presentation to our club this past Tuesday at our weekly breakfast meeting at Santorini's. Glenn, who has been with the Summerland Fire Department for 26 years and has spent the last six years as Fire Chief, spoke about our local fire department and provided our club with some interesting facts about the Summerland Department. Who knew our local fire department responds to an average of 278 calls per year? Thank you, Glenn, for the informative talk!
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World Polio Day - Monday, October 24, 2016
OCTOBER 24, 2016 is WORLD POLIO DAY. For your information, the End Polio Now website (www.endpolio.org ) has just been updated with a focus on World Polio Day. Additional content will be added in the coming weeks. The theme is World Polio Day everywhere. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative website has also been revamped & has a fresh new look worth checking out: www.polioeradication.org
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Rotary After 5 - Boathouse Bar and Grill at the Summerland Yacht Club - 
Join us for our first "Rotary after 5" social of the fall next Friday, September 16th from 5-7 pm at the Boathouse Bar and Grill at the Summerland Yacht Club. Annette and her team at the Bar and Grill will have us set up outside on the patio - weather permitting - to enjoy an evening of fellowship and fun. Rotarians, spouses and guests are all welcome to attend. Hope to see you there!
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Summerland Sunday Market: Season Finale/Pie Bake Off  The end of our Sunday Market is near, with our Season Finale taking place on Sunday, September 11th from 9am - 1pm on Main Street. Please plan on joining us for our last Market and take part in our main event - a Pie Bake Off - in search for the Best Okanagan Fruit Pie! There will prizes to be award in two categories this year - over 18, as well as 18 and under. There will be over 65 vendors set up plus live music by Crazy Hearts. Should be a wonderful end to another great year of the Summerland Sunday Markets!
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Annual Bocce Ball & Potluck/Corn Roast Gathering Annual Bocce Ball & Potluck/Corn Roast Gathering - August 9, 2016
Fun times were had at our Annual Bocce Ball & Potluck/Corn Roast Gathering that took place at Spirit Square at Peach Orchard Beach Park. Thank you to Roch Fortin, for cooking the corn, President, Preston Mott, for ensuring that we had plenty of butter, salt and paper towels to go along with the corn, and to Enabelle Gorek, for being our Grande Bocce Master of our Bocce Tournament, ensuring we all proceeded with the proper rules. Congratulations to our Bocce Tournament Champions, Michael Zang and Doug Carnegie, who walked away with the first prize - gift certificates to The Beanery Care. Thanks to everyone who came out! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed on our Facebook page.
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Update from Peter Schultz - RLI Fall 2016 Registration Open.jpg)
Did you know that District 5060 has had the greatest membership growth in our combined zones 24 & 32 (that's 34 districts) for 2 years in a row now??!! In the 2015-2016 Rotary year we had 118 participants in 5 RLI sessions both north & south of the border, with 84 new graduates...
This is no coincidence. Training of Rotary Leaders is key to being engaged, having MORE fun, and being MORE productive in Rotary! Just ask any of our 269 current graduates.
So here is your chance: Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) courses will be offered North and South this fall:
RLI North: Vernon Sept 17, Oct 1 & Oct 15 - REGISTER HERE!
RLI South: Yakima Sept 24, Oct 8 & Oct 22 - REGISTER HERE!
We will take a maximum of 25 participants for each, so register early. Courses must be pre-paid, which you can do at registration or by sending a cheque. Full 3 days is $255 ($85 per day), and most clubs will cover a few members.
Don't miss it... we look forward to seeing you in the next graduating class!
Regards
Peter Schultz, PhD
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Update From Peter Schultz - 2017 District Conference Registration.jpg){kind=logo}
Time to get serious about registering for the District Conference in Kelowna this year. We have a tremendous program lined up for you, and we want you to help us make this one of the best conferences we have ever had! Click on the image upper-right to go to the Conference 2017 info pages at the district website. If you have already registered you will get a reminder soon to go back to your registration and select from the optional add-on programs that are now listed.
So here is a little teaser: Check out the image below. Yes, I know you recognize Bill Gates (2nd from the RHS). But who is that giving Bill the Rotary Award?? Well Dr. Bob is going to be one of our invited speakers, and for more information about the award see our district website at the following link: Bob Scott Award.
Bob is just one of the great keynote speakers we have lined up for you, so don't delay: Register today!
Thanks for your support of Rotary and all that you do.
Regards
Peter Schultz, PhD
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Rotary Quilt Raffle Have you purchased your tickets for our Rotary Quilt Raffle yet? Stop by Cherry Tree Quilts, Royal LePage Parkside Realty Office or see any Summerland Rotary Member to buy yours today! Draw will be held September 11th at the Summerland Sunday Market!
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Evening Dinner Meeting - August 2, 2016There was great food, fellowship and fun at our dinner meeting at Santorini's Family Restaurant tonight. Thanks to everyone that came out! Interested in learning what Rotary is all about? Join us for our next meeting. We would love to have you as our guest. Contact our club for more information!
Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here
 Carol and Bob Van Balkom
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Cheque Donation.jpg) President, Preston Mott, accepted a cheque on behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club during this morning's breakfast meeting at Santorini's. The cheque/donation was the result of another tremendous fund raising effort from our wonderful barista/bartender and Rotarian, Michael Weis. Thanks, Michael!
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Egehan's Trip to Revelstoke Inbound Rotary Exchange Student from Turkey, Egehan Solak, and Rotarian, Don Gemmell, enjoy some time at Halcyon Hot Springs on the way to a recent trip to Revelstoke July 7th and 8th. Don and Egehan visitied various sites along the way, including Shelter Bay (of Arrow Lakes Provincial Park), 3 Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town and the Revelstoke Musem.
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Past Presidents BBQ Dinner Our Past Presidents BBQ dinner was held Tuesday, June 28th, at the home of by Al and Sue Eden. An annual event to recognize those that have over the years have led the Summerland Rotary Club, the Past Presidents BBQ dinner is a tradition where our new Executive are sworn in and wine, food and fellowship are enjoyed by our membership. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here. Thank you to Al and Sue Eden for hosting the event, to Michael Zang, Jason and Mathias Bieber for doing the cart runs, to Michael Weiss for supplying all the wine, to John Topham and Shayn Moritz (from the Peachland Rotary Club) for taking care of the BBQ and to Barb Gillespie and Sharon Lusch for selling 50/50 tickets. What a great evening!
.jpg) Executive 2016 – 2017
President - Preston Mott Past President - Roch Fortin
President Elect - Chantelle Meriam Public Relations - Ellen Mathews Foundation - Garry Hollingshead Membership - Sue Eden International Chair - Lesley Vaisanen Fundraising Community Service - Dionne Bakalos Youth Services - Bob Van Balkom Secretary - Don Gemmell Treasurer - Doug Carnegie |
Pancake Breakfast at Summerland Sweets Egehan enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at Summerland Sweets on Saturday.
 Egehan, Chantelle Meriam, Rylee, and Nick Babyn stopped by the fine establishment for their 5th Annual Free Pancake Breakfast which featured pancakes, cinnamon buns, sausages and fruit, and included a variety of Summerland Sweets' famous fruit syrups.
 It was a wonderful morning!
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Marginal Arts Festival Barbara Thorburn and Margaret Holler spoke to our club earlier this month about the first annual Marginal Arts Festival which will be held at various venues throughout Summerland on the Labour Day weekend, September 1-4, 2016.
The Marginal Arts Festival is inspired by George Ryga, 1932-1987, who lived in Summerland, BC and created most of his work there. George Ryga is British Columbia’s greatest playwright. His ground-breaking drama, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (1967) awakened the country to the continuing tragedy of Indigenous Peoples. Two years later, the play opened the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The same year Grass and Wild Strawberries (with Chilliwack, then The Collectors), broke all attendance records at the Vancouver Playhouse. “More than any other writer,” said theatre director John Juliani, “George Ryga was responsible for first bringing the contemporary age to the Canadian stage.” The first annual Marginal Arts Festival is being held at venues throughout Summerland on the Labour Day weekend, September 1-4, 2016. For more information, please visit the Marginal Arts Festival website. |
Vocational Presentation: Mirjana Komljenovic Rotarian, Mirjana Komljenovic, giving her vocational presentation to the club during our breakfast meeting on Tuesday, June 21st.
Rotarian, Mirjana Komljenovic, gave a vocational presentation to the club yesterday morning, telling the club her story and discussing how she puts "the FUN in Fundraising". Mirjana joined the Summerland Rotary Club earlier this year and is experienced with non-profit organizations, including Agur Lake Camp and NeighbourLink Summerland. Mirjana currently acts as Community Coordinator for NeighbourLink Summerland.
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Egehan Celebrates a Birthday! Happy Birthday to our inbound Rotary Exchange Student from Turkey, Egehan Solak, who turned 17 years old today. Egahan's host and Rotarian, Barb Gillespie, surpised Egehan with a cake during our breakfast meeting this morning. Happy Birthday, Egehan!
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June 26th Sunday Market Entertainment: The Amazing Bob and Liz
The Amazing Bob & Liz
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Summerland Sunday Market Now Open for its Second Season Winner of the Summerland Chamber’s 2016 ‘Rising Star Award’, the Summerland Rotary Club kicked off the Summerland Sunday Market on Sunday, June 12. The Market runs from 9 am to 1 pm on Main Street in downtown Summerland until September 11th.
“In addition to last year’s selection of farmers, artisans, boutique vendors, wine and cider tastings, coffee bars, and food vendors,” outgoing Rotary Club President Roch Fortin states, “this second year includes more vendors, a great entertainment schedule, and some demonstrations .”
New to this Year’s Market—‘Trunk Sales’
What's a 'Trunk Sale'? A Trunk Sale is a form of a market in which private individuals come together to sell household goods out of the “trunks” of their vehicles. It’s like a big garage sale with households selling their gently used goods. It is a great opportunity for those that don’t have space for a garage sale to sell off their unwanted stuff. It’s also a great place to find tons of bargains!
How do I register to be a seller? Each seller receives one parking spot, enough space for your vehicle and for a table to display your items for sale. To register for a spot, please contact Laurel Burnham at laburnham@shaw.ca.
When and Where are they Scheduled? Sunday of each long weekend on Main Street in downtown Summerland, July 3, July 31st, & September 4th, from 9 am to 1 pm. Arrival time for sellers is from 8:00 am – 8:30 am ONLY. Take down is after 1 pm.
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Top Guns in Public Speaking Contest Top Guns in Public Speaking Contest
Seen above are the top participants in the recent 2016 School District #67/Rotary Public Speaking Contest from Penticton Secondary School, Princess Margaret Secondary School and Summerland Secondary School.
L-R: Dan Nixon (Summerland), Sylvia Mott (Summerland), Teagan Kew (Summerland) Aliya Van Bergeyk (Summerland), Victoria Ritchie (Penticton), Helena Mott (Summerland), Natalie Benoit (Summerland) and Grant Mansiere (Summerland). Missing from the photo is Jeff Swetlikoe (Princess Margaret).
School District 67/Rotary Public Speaking Competition was an enlightening event organized by SD#67 and the Summerland Rotary Club and Penticton Rotary Club on April 12, 2016. Emceeing this event were Summerland Blossom Pageant Candidates Miss Avery Law Office, Sarah Gottwald and Miss IGA, Khush Saran.
This competition showcased students of School District 67 and gave them an opportunity to present their public speaking skills enhancing their professional and personal development.
Speakers were critiqued by a panel of judges marking poise, gestures, eye contact, voice projection, fluency, control and overall performance. Judges were lawyer, Paul Varga; Summerland Municipal Councillor, Toni Boot; and past BC Debating Coach, Charlotte Burley.
Congratulations to all the contestants who participated in the success of this event and captivated our audience.
The top selected public speakers were: Grade 10 category, all from Summerland Secondary--Natalie Benoit (First Place), Grant Mansiere (Second Place) and Helena Mott (Third Place). Grade 11 category -- Victoria Ritchie (First Place) of Penticton Secondary, Aliya Van Bergeyk (Second Place) of Summerland Secondary and Jeff Swetlikoe (Third Place) of Princess Margaret Secondary. Grade 12 category--all from Summerland Secondary--Dan Nixon (First Place), Sylvia Mott (Second Place) and Teagen Kew (Third Place).
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Hail to Summerland’s budding Mathematicians
Rotarian, Chantelle Meriam, presented a cheque for $500 on behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club to Duncan Millar, Math Department Head at Summerland Secondary School. SSS recognizes student achievement in mathematics at their Awards Ceremony each year and the Rotary Club takes great pleasure in supporting this and other initiatives at SSS. |
Egehan and the Sasquatch Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, from Turkey saw Sasquatch up close and personal this pass weekend at Harrison Hot Springs. Egehan along with Rotarian, Bob Van Balkom, and his wife, Carol, stopped for lunch on their way to Langley for the weekend. Egehan will be leaving Canada at the end of July and is still keen on seeing as many sights as possible before he heads back home. Looking to spend some time with Egehan but not sure what to do? Take a look at Egehan's "Wish List" below for a list of things he wishes to do before he leaves:
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Rotary After 5 - June - Will Enns Art Studio in SummerlandThanks to everyone who came out for our May "Rotary after 5" social that took place on June 9th at Will Enns Art Studio & Gallery in Summerland. Hosts, Will and Jennifer Enns, opened their doors to the Summerland Rotary Club for our fifth social of the year. A total of 15 Rotarians and guests were in attendance. Guests had a great time mixing and mingling with fellow Rotarians, touring the Gallery, and sipping on wine and muching on tacos complimentary of Will and Jennifer. Thank you for a wonderful time! Will Enn's artwork can be viewed by taking a look at his website. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here.
 L-R: Charlotte Burley, Paul Barber, Artist/Host, Will Enns, and Sharon Lusch
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Summerland Sunday Market: 2016 Season
Summerland Sunday Market Welcomes You
The Main Street of Summerland provides a quaint backdrop for the Summerland Sunday Market. Farmers, Artists, Crafters and Food Vendors fill over 50 stalls with the bounty of Summerland and the Okanagan Valley BC.
Throughout the year, more than 200 different vendors come and go, selling their wares at the Summerland Sunday Market. During the height of the season, up to 2,000 visitors and locals alike shop here every Sunday. The live market entertainment paired with a lineup of great food vendors and wineries make this bustling market a special destination.
Additional photos from the Summerland Sunday Market can be viewed here.
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June 7th Evening Meeting: Youth Night
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Rotary after 5: This Thursday at Will Enns Art Studio & Gallery in Summerland Fine Art by Wills Enns
Just a reminder that our June Social will be taking place this Thursday, June 9th, at Will Enns Art Studio & Gallery.
Details are as follows:
Jennifer and Will Enns have opened their doors to the Summerland Rotary for our next Social Event.
We are excited to announce that Summerland Rotary is having their next Rotary social at Will Enns Art Studio & Gallery. Be prepared for a unique experience while you mix and mingle with fellow Rotarians as your tour the Gallery, sip on wine and munch on taco’s compliments of Jennifer and Will!
Date: Thursday, June 9th
Time: 5 - 7 pm
Location: 114 Jewell Place, Summerland, BC 250-404-0411
Socializing, tour of gallery, wine and taco bar and fabulous art draw prizes!
Please note - if you plan on attending this Thursday but have not yet confirmed your attendance, please email me today at chantelle.meriam@edwardjones.com so I can pass on an idea of numbers to Jennifer.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
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District 5060 Rotary Youth Leadership Award Participants District 5060 Rotary Youth Leadership Award Participants - May 29, 2016
(L-R) Back: Fred Legace, Josh Visser, Faith Stoneman, Jozsef Varga, Joshua, Fisher, Daniel Wassink, Sachin Sundhu, Gabriel Dix, Arthur Stegemann, Alysha Piva, John Knapp
(L-R) Middle: Keith Johnston, Jannat Sondhi, Teresa Mata-Cervantes, Cassandra Wilkinson, Ravi, Dhaliwal, Calvin Hoy, Finbar O’Sullivan
(L-R) Front: Shanice North, Dana Johnson, Carly Craik, Jennifer, Casorso, Konika Modh, Kathleen Heggie, Allison Brown, Genevieve Sellers, Rebecca Roth, Kaitlyn Richards
Over 4 days from May 26 to May 29, this fantastic group of 22 young adults from throughout the District joined the team of 7 veteran presenters in Penticton for a weekend of learning, self-exploration and fun. These young people are ready to head out and take on the world.
RYLA is program designed to teach leadership skills to young adults in a supportive learning environment. These people learn something on a wide variety of subjects such as:
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Guest Speaker: Reto Gebert, Rotary Vocational Training Team.jpg) President, Roch Fortin, and Guest Speaker, Reto Gebert, Viticulturist and member of the Rotary Vocational Training Team
Our club had the pleasure of having, Reto Gebert, Viticulturist and member of the Rotary Vocational Training Team, speak to our group about his recent Rotary Vocational Training Team (VTT) experience and the objectives of his trip to Australia.
Between March 17th and April 16th, a group of professionals from the District 5060 traveled “down under” to District 9500 for a Rotary Vocational Training Team. The group consisted of two Canadians and two Americans, Reto Gebert a viticulturist from Kelowna, Lynn Bremmer a winemaker from Oliver, Jim Blonde a U-pick farmer from Yakima, and the team leader John Cooper the President & CEO of Yakima Valley Tourism from Yakima.
A Rotary Vocational Training Team (VTT) is a group of professionals who travel abroad to share their knowledge and to learn more about their industries from other professionals. Our team will travel to Rotary District 9500, a large area that covers the state of South Australia and part of the Northern Territory. From the coastal city of Adelaide to the outback town of Alice Springs it’s a span of 1,531 kilometers or 951 miles.
On the trip, the team focused their studies on winemaking and marketing, agri-tourism, viticulture and agriculture practices. The team toured vineyards, wineries, orchards, croplands and production facilities plus local attractions. The Training Team shared best practices with colleagues while also learning from them. In addition, members of the group spoke to Rotary clubs about their professions and their communities. Then in May and June, a team with similar professional interests from Rotary District 9500 will come to our region to learn about our wine and agricultural industries.
More information about the trip can be found at:
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Tuesday Morning Guests: Chris Boyle and Louise Giguere from Peachland Rotary Club Chris Boyle, President of the Rotary Club of Peachland
Thank you to Chris Boyle and Louise Giguere from the Rotary Club of Peachland who stopped by for breakfast and joined us for our regular Tuesday morning meeting at Santorinis Restaurant in Summerland yesterday.
Chris promoted his club's major fundraiser of the year - a "British Invasion" dinner and dance - that will be taking place on Saturday, June 4th at the Peachland Community Centre. Tickets are $50 per person and includes music by Easy Fix and traditional British food including roast beef, Yorkshire Puddings, vegetables and trifle for dessert. Should be a great event!
For tickets, please contact 250-859-1798.
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2016 Rotary District 5060 Conference - May 12-15th Yakima, WA What a great weekend it was this past weekend in Yakima, Washington. There was 12 Rotarians and guests from our club that made it to the JUMP RIGHT IN! "Footprints, Fellowship & Fun" District 5060 Conference! The number one and number two reasons why people join Rotary and stay in Rotary are for friendship and making a difference in their local community. This past weekend was a great opportunity to expand and deepen our network of friends. The keynote speakers and breakout sessions were focused on helping us to make a greater impact on our projects around the world. I think everyone that attended would agree - from the Brews and Brats welcome event on Thursday, wine touring/hiking/biking/beer touring options on the Friday, home hosting on the Friday evening, the Banquet on Saturday and to all the amazing keynote speakers throughout the event - the conference was a wonderful time! If you missed out on this event, please be sure to sign up for our next District 5060 Conference which will be taking place closer to home - April 28th-30th, 2017, in Kelowna. The Rotary Club of Kelowna has an excellent event planned for us so you won't want to miss their "Friendship and Fellowship" conference planned for next year! Important to note - For about a week, you can get an amazing early-bird discount - only $190 CDN until the end of May (going up to $225 afterwards). No extensions! If you were in Yakima, I'm pretty sure you won't want to miss this. If you were not in Yakima, don't miss another! For more information on next years conference and to register, please take a look at http://portal.clubrunner.ca/50005/SitePage/2017-district-conference-kelowna-bc.
Hope to see everyone there!
Additional photos from the 2016 Rotary District 5060 Conference in Yakima, WA can be viewed here.
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Greetings from our correspondent in Indonesia Summerland Rotarian Aart Dronkers (Centre) with members of the Bali Ubud Sunset Rotary Club. Aart joined the Ubud Club at one of their meetings in April, while visiting Indonesia with his wife, Jos. |
Rotary After 5 - April - Canyonview Bar & Grill Thanks to everyone who came out for our April "Rotary after 5" social that was held on April 22nd at Canyonview Bar & Grill. We had 23 Rotarians and friends join us for an evening of food, drink and Rotary fellowship fun. Thank you to Canyonview Bar & Grill at Summerland Golf and Country Club for hosting us! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here.
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Rotary Pioneer Tea Another successful Rotary sponsored Pioneer Tea was held on Saturday, April 16th at the Summerland Legion. Close to 70 pioneers attending the afternoon tea where sandwiches and treats. Thank you to Lucille Scheidl and her team of Rotary volunteers, Billy Boerboom of The Apple Barn for donating the flower centerpieces, the Summerland Museum for supplying the photos that were displayed on each of the tables, Summerland Seniors Village for donating six dozen wonderfully decorated cookies and to Alyson Lindsay and the SADI Youth-Club volunteers for all their help throughout the day. Thank you to everyone that came out! Additional photos from the day can be viewed here.
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Rotary After 5 March - Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge
Thanks to everyone who came out for our March "Rotary after 5" social that was held on March 16th at Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge. We had 21 Rotarians and friends join us for an evening of food, drink and Rotary fellowship fun. Thank you to Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge for hosting us! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here. |
Rotary at the Summerland Chamber Business after Business L-R: Rotarians, Lisa Jaager, Chantelle Meriam, and President, Roch Fortin
Had a great time at the Summerland Chamber of Commerce Business after Business at the Summerland Waterfront Resort on Tuesday evening. President, Roch Fortin, represented the Summerland Rotary Club and the Summerland Sunday Market while Lisa, Chantelle and the other attendees networked and enjoyed the evening learning more about fellow Summerland businesses and the various community attractions and events ar
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Spring Break at Apex Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, from Turkey and Summerland Rotarian, Michael Zang, spent one of the first few days of spring break up at Apex Mountain Resort in Penticton. Egehan and Michael were also joined by other Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Students - Eleanore from Belgium (orange coat) and Rebekka from Finland (purple jacket). Other photos from the day can be viewed here.
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Egehan Hikes Mt. McLellan L-R: Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, and Rotarian, Aart Dronkers
Egehan had a wonderful time hiking up Mt. McLellan in the White Lake Area with Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, his wife, Jos, and members from their hiking club on the weekend. More photos from the day can be viewed here.
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Rotary after 5: Wednesday, March 16th - Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge
Please mark your calendars for our third social gathering of the year which will be taking place next Wednesday, March 16th from 5-7pm at Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge. Details are as follow:
Come by for some food and/or a drink and enjoy some Rotary fellowship fun. Rotarians, spouses and guests are all welcome! I look forward to seeing everyone next Wednesday at Sumac Ridge Restaurant and Lounge! |
"Article Nostalgia" by Surama Shah Surama Shah - Rotary Youth Exchange Student from India, who spent one academic year in Summerland through the International Rotary Youth Exchange Programme from 1980-1981
Circa 1980-81
I was a 17 year old teenager from India, spending a year away from home, visiting North America for the first time. I spent one academic year, through the International Rotary Youth Exchange Programme from District 306, in Summerland B. C., attended Grade 12 in the Summerland Secondary School, lived with 5 Canadian Rotary families, and had the most memorable year of my life!! My year in Canada was a life changing experience! It was an opportunity for me to immerse into another culture, live as part of the Canadian families and the local community, connect / bond with peers from completely different backgrounds, be a regular student, represent my culture and country and all this, within the safety net of the Rotary! My host families, the Krauters, Seidels, Welshes, Smiths, & Paulsons….opened their homes and hearts to me, and carved an indelible place in my life which I could never replace or forget.
From 1981-2011
My life took many dips and turns….I completed my BA , MSW, (worked as a personal counselor), got married with a medical student Nikhil, (who now practices Neurosurgery), got my LIB degree, practiced law for 12 years, relocated to Nikhil’s hometown Dhule, in North Maharashtra, had a daughter, Niharica, ( now 23 years), did a refresher course in and went back to Psychological Counselling, also do Interior Designing, and am presently doing myMA(Psychology).
We travelled extensively through all this period…BUT, a trip to Summerland was # 1 on my bucket list !!!
Circa Summer2012….
Nikhil, Niharica and I decided to make a trip to Summerland !!!
Since Pat & Karl Seidel and the Krauters had kept in touch, and I had connected with school friends like Diana Troiano and others, there seemed to be reason enough, to spend a few days in Summerland…and so the trip was planned!! Summerland, Vancouver, Whistler and the Alaskan Cruise…. in that order of priority…. at least for me!
Where do I began to describe the joy I felt, on seeing the sign “Welcome to Summerland”, the Okanagan Lake (where I had participated in the Polar Bear Swim on Jan 1st, 1981) Giants Head, a bear cub, the beach, visiting and dining out with the Krauters.. my first home in S’land, meeting Pauline Paulson, (whose spana kopita I had never forgotten), which Pat made for me, visiting Main Street, seeing the old School, the deli, remembering old times…the long walks to school, the old unchanged phone numbers, connecting and coffee with old friends Joey Seidel, Laura Kane, Darlene…picking cherries, …meeting Rotarians and old school teachers at the Rotary Barbecue, missing my host parents who have passed on , the Smiths, the Welshes, George Paulson, Mr. Fishendon our Principal…endless memories…and through it all… Karl was there.. taking care of all 3 of us in the Seidel home, ready to take us shopping to Kelowna, visiting the Canada Day fair Penticton, wine tasting at the Dirty Laundry, ice-cream at Summerland Sweets…
I cannot describe the feeling of completion I feel, upon returning home, after our visit to Summerland… the ache of missing, the hole in the heart, for 30 odd years, finally healed!!!
With the same love and acceptance they had shown in 1980-81, the Seidels and Krauters, and the Rotary Club of Summerland, welcomed our family into their homes, notwithstanding their own age or health. Finally, Nikhil and Niharica could understand, why I had always said, that Summerland was more beautiful than Switzerland !! It’s the people who make the place beautiful. Since then, Karl Seidel, has visited us twice. Every moment of his trip is special….Thank you Rotary Club of Udhna for providing me this absolutely invaluable opportunity and experience.
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Notice of Evening Meeting: Tuesday, March 1, 2016Hello Summerland Rotary Club Members!
March 1 is the 1st Tuesday of the new month and we have Santorinis Restaurant booked for our evening 6:00 PM meeting. Spouses and family are very welcome to attend as well. Our main event will be of a Cultural Nature:
Alexandra Babbel, Artistic Director of Opera Kelowna would like to present a lecture and performance of opera to the Summerland Rotary Club. John Bubb, please remember your keyboard equipment.
Have you considered inviting a prospective member along as a Guest?
Here is the duty roster for March 1st as previously circulated by vacationing Les Brough:
Rotary Moment - Brenda Hamilton
Greeter #1 - John Bubb
Greeter #2 - Chantelle Meriam
If you have not already done so, could you please respond back to Club Secretary, Don Gemmell, at don_gemmell@yahoo.com with whether you will be able to attend and, if so, the number in your party. Thank you.
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Pink Shirt Day: Stop Bullying Now Rally at Summerland Seniors Village Rotarian and Marketing Manager at Retirement Concepts, Sharon Lusch, launched the February 24th "Stop Bullying Now" Rally at the Summerland Seniors Village on Wednesday, February 24th.
Pink Shirt Day - Over 100 people and two dogs in pink gathered for the pink lemonade and pink pastries to help put an end to bullying. The idea was to have as many individuals as possible in one photo wearing pink. "We want to let the world know Summerland is an inclusive community that is caring and giving".
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$100 Challenge Chair of the $100 Challenge, Denese Espeut-Post, and other Rotarian Mentors - John Bubb, Bob Van Balkom. Sharon Lusch, Sheila Kuhre, Toni Boot and Garry Hollingshead - met with the group of Summerland Secondary School students that will be participating in this years $100 Challenge.
Objective: An opportunity for Summerland Secondary School students to financially support a cause/charity of their choice.
Description: Each of the student groups are expected to use the $100 donation from Rotary as seed money for a fundraising project to raise funds for their cause/charity of choice. Rotarians volunteer as group mentors and are encouraged to meet with their groups as often as is necessary. The Challenge ends in May with all proceeds flowing through the club to be distributed to the named causes/charities. Each group is invited to make a presentation at a pre-arranged Rotary meeting.
Rotary Contact: For more information about the $100 Challenge, please contact Rotarians, Denese Espeut-Post or Sheila Kuhre.
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Rotary After 5 February - Local Lounge & Grille It was nice to see so many faces at our February Rotary After 5, yesterday evening at Local Lounge & Grille. We had another great turnout - with 17 individuals in attendance. Our second social gathering of the year coincided nicely with the launch of Local's first "Fried Chicken Friday". Many members took advantage of this winter dinner feature that included Local's delicious cornmeal crusted chicken back and leg, BBQ finger ribs, creamed corn mashed potatoes, cornbread and coleslaw. Thank you to Local Lounge & Grille for hosting us! Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here.
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Rotary District 5060 ConferenceRegistration is underway for the Rotary District 5060 Conference in Yakima on May 12-15, 2016. Registration includes home hosting on Friday night and all Saturday programs and meals including dinner. Highlights for Saturday include renowned speakers that will inform, inspire and entertain, our Youth Exchange students, and a dinner banquet full of fun and fellowship. Additional options are available for the Thursday night Brats & Brews meet and greet at the Museum, a variety of fun activities on Friday before home hosting (wine tour, golf, tennis, hiking, fishing and much more), and/or attending the Saturday day events or evening banquet only. Reduced rates for those options also expire at the end of December. Go to the conference website at www.conference2016.rotary5060.org, reserve your spot today, and join the other individuals who have already signed-up to attend! |
Rotary Good Will Shakespeare FestivalThe Summerland Rotary Club was pleased to have Megan Lindow, President of the Rotary Good Will Shakespeare Festival, speak to the club this past fall about the 15th Annual festival that took place in Summerland May 7th-9th, 2015. Bringing together over 300 students and teachers from across BC for a unique arts and theater experience, the Rotary Good Will Shakespeare Festival is a gem, formed in its foundation of being one of the only non-competitive festivals offered to students. The festival is dedicated to connecting students and professionals alike, creating opportunity and friendships, while focusing on spreading Good Will to all through the various arts.
Thank you to Tia Muller who put together the following video which does a wonderful job capturing the 15th Annual Rotary Good Will Shakespeare Festival that took place in Summerland last year.
The 16th Annual Rotary Good Will Shakespeare Festival is set to take place May 12-14th, 2016, in Summerland, BC. For more information on the festival, please take a look at the Rotary Good Will Sakespeare Festival website at http://goodwillshakespeare.ca/ or their Facebook page.
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Bus to Yakima - District ConferenceAfraid of driving or want to car pool??? Jump Right In to the fellowship bus to the District Conference in Yakima. The bus will be a party on wheels Departing from Kamloops and picking up Rotarians along the way in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton (if room we will pick up more along the way). First come first served! The cost of the bus is $125 Cdn round trip and will include fun beverages. A close hotel to the conference center is the Red Lion. If interested or you would like to book your seat, the sooner the better! Please contact: Devon O’Toole at dev_tool@homail.com at 250-318-6159.
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Weekend in the Mountains.jpg) Egehan Solak, our club's inbound exchange student from Turkey, teaches other Rotary Youth Exchange students a traditional Turkish dance in Revelstoke.
Weekend in the Mountains - February brought together all inbound and outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students within District 5060 for a "Weekend in the Mountains" sponsored by the Revelstoke Rotary Club. This was the first opportunity for the Inbound students to meet the new arrivals from Australia, as well as the newly selected Outbound students. Activities included inner-tube snow tobogganing, swimming and a student International Night.
 Emma Thompson - Summerland Rotary Club's Outbound student for next year
 Sylvia Mott - Another Outbound student for next year's Rotary Youth Exchange. Sylvia lives in Summerland but is being sponsored by the Osoyoos Rotary Club to take part in the exchange. She will be staying in Germany.
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Mary Poppins Production at Summerland Secondary School
Our Inbound Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, took part in the recent production of Mary Poppins, presented by Summerland Secondary School.
Our next year's Outbound Exchange Student, Emma Thompson, was also part of the performance, acting as the housekeeper - one of the main characters of the play. The performances ran from February 10-13th and 17th-20th at Centre Stage Theatre in Summerland. Way to go, Egehan and Emma! |
Rotary District Conference Fee Reduced to $195 CDN Dollars District Governor Greg & Jan Luring
A Message from our District Governor - Greg Luring: To all of our friends in Canada - During my visits to your clubs, I heard loud & clear your concern over the large difference in US & Canadian dollar exchange rates that has occurred within the last few months.There was a general fear that the exchange rates could deter some of you from attending the District Conference. I am happy to announce that your District Conference Committee listened. They have secured special underwriting & we are accepting registrations from you in Canadian dollars at par. Yes conference dues will be $195 Canadian for Canadians and $195 USD for US Rotarians until March 31 & then increase to $225 Canadian Dollars for Canadians & $225 USD for US Rotarians. For other optional activities, Canadian Rotarians will also pay in Canadian dollars and US Rotarians will pay in US dollars. Those of you who have already paid including those that received an early bird discount will be receiving a refund by credit card or a check for the difference soon. To register go to www.conference2016.rotary5060.org.
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Rotary after 5 January - Summerland Legion Thanks to everyone who came out for our first social gathering of 2016. We had 27 Rotarians and guests join us for our first "Rotary after 5" at the Summerland Legion on Friday night. Rotarians and guests alike enjoyed the Legion's weekly Baron of Beef dinner special, beverages and some Rotary fellowship fun. Thank you to everyone that came out. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here.
Our next monthly social will be held in February. Details regarding the date and location will be announced soon!
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Cheque Presentation: Brad Besler President, Roch Fortin, with Brad Besler
President, Roch Fortin, was pleased to present, Brad Besler, with a cheque for $250 to assist him with the costs of organizing a benefit concert in aid of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Brad is putting on the concert at Centre Stage Theatre on Saturday, March 12th and is currently looking for local talent to take part in this fundraiser. Brad can be contacted at bbesler@gmail.com or at 250-494-4177.
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Guest Speaker: Kim Wise, School Counsellor - Summerland Secondary School Kim Wise with Paul Barber
Our club was fortunate to have Kim Wise, School Counsellor from Summerland Secondary School, speak at our meeting this morning about a two-day Wellness Retreat that was created for Grade 9 and 10 students at Summerland Secondary School. The annual "Unity Retreat" features workshops on self-awareness, team building, cooperation and anti-bullying. Grade 11 and 12 students from the school assist with the workshops. This will be the thirteenth year the retreat has been held.
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Cheque Presentation: Lesley Vaisanen Rotarian, Lesley Vaisanen, with President, Roch Fortin
President, Roch Fortin, was pleased to present fellow Rotarian, Lesley Vaisanen, with a donation of $300 at our meeting this morning. Lesley will be leaving her home and business later on this month to spend six weeks helping refugees on the Greek Island of Lesbos. Lesley, who will be paying her own travel expenses, is raising funds to purchase much needed supplies for the refugees.
If you would like help or have any questions, please contact Lesley directly at (250) 462-1576 or email her at lesley@mychocolatecrush.com. Direct donations can be made by visiting www.gofundme.com/f4erhs8c.
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Rotary Club of Summerland - Traditional EventsThank you to Aart Dronkers and Paul Barber for creating the Rotary Club of Summerland's detailed listing of Traditional Events. The goal of this project was to provide members with a detailed description of “traditional” events and projects that the Rotary Club of Summerland has taken part of in the past.
A special thank you to Aart who had the vision to create this document – one that all members can refer to in order to gain a better understanding of past events the Rotary Club has been involved in, including the description and objective of the event, what the club set out to do and what the outcome was.
As Aart put it, “For a new member, such as myself, and future Rotary generations, this will become a valuable database over time”. That it will. Thanks, Aart!
To view the Rotary Club of Summerland's detailed listed of Traditional Events, please click here. |
31st Annual Polar Bear Dip |
Salvation Army Kettle Drive The Summerland Rotary Club was on location at Canadian Tire in Penticton on Saturday, November 21st, raising funds for the Salvation Army. Thank you to volunteers Aart Dronkers, Michael Zang, Preston Mott, Kerry Mott and Don Gemmell who were part of this year's Kettle Drive. A total of $942.00 was raised! Thank you to Hilma Labelle from the Penticton Salvation Army, who organized the event.
The Salvation Army's annual Christmas Kettle Campaign is underway and organizers are still looking for volunteers. Shifts are generally two hours long. If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail Hilma at hiabelle@me.com.
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Our Club HistoryThank you to George Sutton for compiling a short history of the Summerland Rotary Club's projects and activities. The document can be viewed here.
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Staff Appreciation LuncheonCalling all Summerland Businesses!
The Summerland Rotary Club would like you to send your staff to a wonderful pasta lunch. Details as follows:
Staff Appreciation Luncheon
Thursday, November 19, 2015
St. Stephen's Anglican Church
9311 Prairie Valley Road
Lunch served between 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
$15.00 for each staff member attending
Lunch includes: pasta, salad, garlic bread, dessert and your choice of coffee or tea
Door prizes and 50/50 draw
All proceeds going to support local initiatives including SADI and the Shakespeare Festival. Please plan on sending your staff and joining us for this fun lunch. The Registration Form can be downloaded here. Please submit your registration form and payment to Sue Eden at Royal LePage Parkside located at 9925 Main Street, no later than November 12th. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
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Clean Up Day at Agur Lake Camp
Thank you to Rotarians Karl Seidel and Michael Zang who got together for some fellowship and service this past Sunday, October 25th, at Agur Lake Camp. It was a busy day of brush thinning, clearing and burning. Thank you for all your help!
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Rotary Youth Exchange ProgramKnow of any Grade 10, 11 or 12 students? We are currently looking for applicants for next years Rotary Youth Exchange Program. Please circulate the 2015 Outbound Rotary Poster and the 2015-2016 Exchange Information Sheet to any acquaintances who have eligible persons amongst their family or friends. The Rotary Youth Exchange Program is a wonderful experience and great learning opportunity.
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Video: Season Finale of the Summerland Sunday MarketThanks again to Fred Spencer for another video of his taken at the Summerland Sunday Market. Please take a look at the video below for highlights from the Season Finale of the Summerland Sunday Market, taken this past Sunday, September 20th.
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Summerland Sunday Market: Season Finale/Pie Bake OffThank you to everyone who came out and stopped by for the Season Finale of the Sunday Market this past weekend in downtown Summerland. What a great day it was with live music by Crazy Hearts and the main event - a Pie Bake Off! Be sure to take a look at "Sunday Market 2015" under the Photo Albums heading to the right or click on the photo below to see other photos taken at the Market. Thanks again to Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, for submitting the photos.
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Sunday Market PhotosAnother great morning at the Summerland Sunday Market! Be sure to take a look at "Sunday Market 2015" under the Photo Albums heading to the right or click on the photo below to see other photos taken at the Market yesterday. Thank you to Rotarian, Aart Dronkers, for submitting the photos.
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Sunday Market VideoThank you to Fred Spencer for his video on the Summerland Sunday Market. A great overview of what the market is all about. View the video here:
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Sunday Market - Season Finale on September 20thThe end of our Sunday Market is near, with our Season Finale taking place on September 20th from 9am - 1pm on Main Street. Please plan on joining us for our last Market and take part in our main event - a Pie Bake Off - in search for the Best Okanagan Fruit Pie!
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Final Summer BBQThe Summerland Rotary Club had its final BBQ of the season - hosted by Preston and Kerry Mott - on Tuesday, August 25th. It was another perfect evening for fellowship and great food. Bob Van Balkom and Les Brough were on the grill with Doug Carnegie supervising. The inventory of wine was under the control of the master, Michael Weis.
.jpg) Egehan made his debut as our new Rotary Exchange Student
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The Great Ogopogo Bathtub RaceIt was a great day on the water for a great cause. Thanks to Jim Cavin and the Penticton Regional Hospital Foundation for putting on the 1st Annual Great Ogopogo Bathtub Race on Saturday, August 22nd. Also, many thanks to Lee Agur for driving the Summerland Rotary/Giants Head Grind boat.
 The local newspaper reported over 400 spectators. We look forward to next years event!
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Welcome, Egehan Solak from Turkey!The Summerland Rotary Club welcomed inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Egehan Solak, from Turkey on Friday, August 21st, at the Kelowna International Airport. We look forward to getting to know you better over the coming year!
 Back (L-R): Kathryn Kemp, Paul Barber, Chantelle Meriam, Bob Van Balkom, Egehan Solak, Tim Kemp
Front (L-R): Rylee and Preston Mott
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The Trail of the OkanagansSummerland Lakeshore Pathway: We are almost there. Not quite ready for use. Pavement is soft, Barriers are being laid down, shoulder is being compacted and hydro seeding slopes to follow. See The Trail of the Okanangans Facebook page to see photos of the progress made.
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District Governor arrives in time for Lobster/Steak BBQPresident Roch Fortin and his wife, Lisa Hale, hosted our summer BBQ on Tuesday, August 4th, where District Governor, Greg and Jan Luring, were our guests, accompanied by Assistant Governor, Cheryl King, and her husband, Jim. Although the storm delayed the lobster serving, we enjoyed our guests presence.
Greg gave a short speech and presentation with photos on the upcoming District 5060 Conference that they will be hosting May 12-15, 2016, in Yakima, WA. Additional photos from the evening can be viewed here.
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Annual Sunner Picnic and Bocce Ball TournamentThe Summerland Rotary Club hosted it's Annual Summer Picnic and Bocce Ball Tournament at Peach Orchard Park on Tuesday, July 28th.
.jpg) Congratulations to Les Brough and Frances Colussi on their first place finish!
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BBQ at the KempsOur second BBQ of the season was hosted on Tuesday, July 13th, at the home of John and Ann Kemp. It was another perfect evening for fellowship and great food. See additional photos taken from the evening here.
Bob Van Balkom and Les Brough on the grill
.jpg) Michael Weis guarding the wine
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Summerland Sunday Market - New Hours! **UPDATED - NEW HOURS**
In order to try to avoid some of the hot midday sun, the Sunday Market hours have been changed to be 9am - 1pm each week!
SUMMERLAND SUNDAY MARKET
Join in! Add the Market to your Sunday routine!
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2015 Axel Merckx Okanagan GranFondoIt was a great day for the 2015 Axel Merckx Okanagan GranFondo. Thanks to all the participants and volunteers.
 Exciting action at the Summerland GranFondo Aid Station. Honoraria for both Traffic Control and the Aid Station go to the Summerland Rotary Club.
 A big thank you to the enthusiastic group of Summerland Rotarians that came out to assist. Outstanding event!
 L-R: Michael, Kerry, Preston, Marilyn, Gary, Linda, John, Doug, Murray, Muriel, Bob and Bailey Missing: Karl, Ann, Enabelle, Garry, Marion, John and Cindy |
Summerland Sunday Market The Summerland Sunday Market - an initiative of the Summerland Rotary Club - will be taking place every Sunday from 9am - 2pm on Main Street beginning Sunday, June 21, 2015.
The market will take place along Main Street of Summerland, BC. Here, you will find great food, shopping, artisans, boutique vendors, trunk sales, entertainment, and more! Local wineries will be taking part as well, offering wine for tasting and sale. To participate, please contact Laurel by e-mail at laburnham@shaw.ca or by phone at 250-460-0177. For more information about the market, please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SummerlandSundayMarket/ or visit http://summerlandsundaymarket.ca/. We look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday!
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Summerland Rotary Outbound Exchange Student - 2015/16
Hi! My name is Bailey Johnson and I am being sent off as a Rotary exchange student for the 2015-2016 exchange year. I have always been interested in travelling and experiencing different cultures and religions, and learning a new language - which ultimately lead me to choose Brazil as my top choice country, I was very lucky to be chosen to represent Canada in my first choice country! I was born at the Penticton hospital and raised here in Summerland with my parents, my dog, and my 18 year old brother Jordan who is currently attending UVic. Here in Summerland I attend Summerland Secondary School in the 10th grade. At school, I enjoy playing field hockey; outside of school I am very involved in Ice hockey and have been for the last 10 years! I am very excited to start my journey as an exchange student! I would especially like to thank Rotary, not only for all the involvement with the exchange students, but for all the good they do worldwide and for our community. Rotary is a great organization and I can't thank them enough for all they do! This summer I am planning on working and brushing up on my Portuguese so that I can make the most of this great opportunity. |
Summerland Rotary Rotaplast Mission On behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club we are very pleased to provide you with a brief update on the outstanding Rotaplast Medical Mission that our club took part in this past October.
Thanks to the generous support of many Rotarians and Rotary Clubs in our District we were able to participate in sponsoring a Rotaplast Medical Mission to Cebu City in the Philippines where 75 young persons, ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years, received desperately needed surgery for cleft palates and lips.
Five of our own Rotary Club members and one Rotarian from a Club in Vernon donated their time, money and expertise to participate as part of the non-medical staff that joined doctors, nurses, and anesthesiologists forming a combined medical team of 21 persons. Through the generosity of these volunteers many young lives have been set on a new and hopeful course; they have been changed forever.
Currently there are over 250,000 persons in the Philippines waiting on surgery for cleft palates and lips and another 4,500 babies born annually with this condition. As a result of the deformity these children suffer from malnutrition, an inability to speak properly, they are ridiculed and shunned in their communities and in many cases a parent or parents have left them out of shame. All of this suffering can end with surgery that corrects the issues in less than 2 hours.
To date the Rotary Club of Summerland has donated $30,000 from our clubs funds and has raised a further $12,000 toward our total commitment for this mission of $58,000. We are very close to our goal but still in need of $16,000. If you have assisted us in our fund raising efforts, please accept our deep appreciation and gratitude on behalf of our club and the children of the Philippines. If your club or someone you know might consider adding to our fund raising efforts we ask that you make them aware of this program and of the outstanding work their contribution has already done.
Please don’t hesitate to contract us if you would like one of our Rotaplast team members to participate in your club meeting as a guest speaker in the days and weeks to come. They would be more than happy to come out and tell the story first hand.
We leave you with a link to a short video that captures some of the faces of the families that have touched our hearts so deeply.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1XLnhWS9I8&feature=youtu.be
Kind Regards,
Denese Espeut-Post President, Rotary Club of Summerland Rotary Club of Summerland |
Pioneers Tea 2015A super-successful Rotary Club of Summerland sponsored Pioneer Tea was held this afternoon at the Summerland Legion. A huge thank you to Lucille Scheidl and her team of Rotary volunteers including Miss Rotary, Emma Thompson, Don Gemmell from The Trail Of The Okanagans and to the Sadi Youth-Club volunteers. And, thank you to the Summerland Pioneers for attending.
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The Summerland Rotarian - March 2015Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - March 2015
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Rotaplast Letter To Rotary ClubsOn behalf of the Summerland Rotary Club we are very pleased to provide you with a brief update on the outstanding Rotaplast Medical Mission that our club took part in this past October. |
The Summerland Rotarian - January 2015Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - January 2015
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The Rotarian - December 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - December 2014
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The Rotarian - November 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - November 2014
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The Rotarian - September 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - September 2014
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The Rotarian - July 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - July 2014
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Summerland Minor Baseball Association Sends ThanksCorrespondence from Summerland Minor Baseball Association:
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Summerland Minor Baseball Association Sends Thanks
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Summerland Minor Baseball Association Sends ThanksCorrespondence from Summerland Minor Baseball Association: |
The Rotarian - May 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - May 2014
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The Rotarian - March 2014Summerland Rotary Club's Newsletter - March 2014
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Pioneer Tea 2013
The Pioneer Tea hosted by the Summerland Rotary Club was a huge success. With 75 attendees, of which the oldest was 97 years young, the afternoon was filled with great conversation and lots of tea, coffee, sandwiches and sweets. Our Miss Rotary was there to help serve and Preston was a great success as MC. Thanks to all the Rotarians and their spouses who helped to make this a very special day. View all the photos on our Facebook page and also in our Photo Albums section on the home page. |
Okanagan Lakeside Multi-Use Pathway Project
The South Okanagan already hes access to some tremendous cycling resources, like the KVR Trail, but groups are coming forward suggesting the possibility of a larger, continuous network. On March 18 at 6 p.m., Penticton City Council is holding a public hearing, part of the process to amend the new Trails and Cycling Network plan to the official community plan. It’s an extensive plan, which will eventually see the city crisscrossed by cycling routes, interconnecting with trails and major hubs. It will take years to complete, but others have an even bigger vision for the valley. Summerland resident Don Gemmell thinks it’s possible to create a cycle route through the Okanagan Valley that would connect communities from Kelowna to Osoyoos... For the rest of this article, click here. For more information, visit this page on Facebook and also view the video at this link. |
Four Miss Rotary's
The photo of the four Miss Rotary's who attended the Blossom Pageant Tea. From left to right - Tiana Savage 2005-2006, Katrina Sopow 2009-2010, Michaella Haidenger 2011-2012 and Natasha Sopow 2012-2013.
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Blossom Pageant Judges' Tea
A photo taken of Natasha and Nathalia at the Blossom Pageant Judges' Tea this afternoon. They both gave good speeches and had fun with the fashion show. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and we can be proud of these young ladies who work so hard to do well in the program.
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Pennies for Shade International Project in Barra de Navidad
Thanks to Rotary organization donations, the Centro de Atencion Mutiple (CAM) – a school for special needs children – in Barra de Navidad was able to show off its new therapy pool, playground and washrooms. Money raised from the local Costalegre Rotary Club was added to funds from the Summerland Rotary Club and multiplied by Rotary International. In the photo, Summerland Rotarian Karl Seidel shares some time with a CAM student. |
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipients
Rotarian John Bubb is seen in this photo holding the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal presented to him and also Orv Robson (not in photo). The accompanying letter signed by the Governor General reads in part “I thank you for your dedicated service to your peers, to your community and to Canada. The contributions you have made to our nation are most commendable and deserve our praise and admiration”. Summerland Rotarians take great pride in congratulating both John and Orv. |
Presentation to the OSNS Child Development Centre
Executive Director Judy Sentes was our guest speaker at our morning meeting on January 15th. Her engaging presentation was very informative about all that the OSNS Child Development Centre does, as well as her challenge to fund raise needed monies necessary to continue to meet their goals. Rotarian Denese Espeut-Post presented a cheque for $500 from the Summerland Rotary Club to help with her fundraising goal.
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Nathalia and Natasha
Nathalia, our exchange student, and Natasha, our Miss Rotary, on the evening of them receiving their banners. This took place on Light Up night in December. The elves went out around the town of Summerland helping out and giving out candy canes to the children.
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Light Up in Summerland
Light Up is a much anticipated event for Summerland. Rotarians were there to provide hamburgers, hot dogs and even hot chocolate. Fortunately the weather cooperated - not too cold or wet. See more photos from the evening in our Photo Album and even more on our Facebook page.
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Mozambique Visit by fellow Rotarian, John Topham
John, while in Mozambique, visited the Rotary club of Chimoio, in District 9201 and exchanged banners with them. He also instructed locals on wood working techniques using the lathe donated by our Summerland Club. Read the article "Beauty Out of Scraps" to see how he did this by clicking on the link on the upper left of the Home Page. Photos are included in the article. He is now off to Liberia. |
RI Certificate of Appreciation to Summerland Rotary Club
Summerland Rotary was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for its financial support of Rotary's US$200 Million Challenge to End Polio Now by District Governor Doug Everett on his visit to the Club on November 6th, 2012
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Rotary Club Promotes Polio Initiative - Summerland Review
This article was in the Summerland Review on November 1, 2012 with a photo and caption saying "Rotary members Nick Zaseybida and Bob Van Balkom were among the members of the Summerland Rotary Club holding signs for Rotary's polio campaign. |
Okanagan College Bursary Cheque Presentation
President Paul Barber presented a College bursary cheque in late October in the amount of $1,800. The recipient, Jesse, age 27, is a Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Technician student. He has just completed a 5 year stint with the Canadian Armed Forces. His last tour of duty was in Afganistan.
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Food Bank Cheque Presentation
Summerand members hosted a BBQ at the Summerland Mall with food donated by IGA and further food donatins at the new Dollar Store opening on October 3, 2012. A cheque in excess of $470 was raised from donations.
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Food Bank Cheque Presentation
Summerland Rotarians held a BBQ at the grand opening of `Your Dollar Store with More' on October 6, 2012. Food for the BBQ was supplied by Summerland IGA. A cheque for $470 was presented to the Summerland Community Food Bank. Photo L-R: Paul Barber (President of Summerland Rotary), Ingrid Wuensche (Summerland Community Food Bank), Roland Kraszna (Dollar Store)i and Colin Powell (Summerland IGA).
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Students Participate in Annual Leadership Retreat
Grade 9 and 10 students from Summerland Secondary School took part in a recent youth leadership retreat in Westbank. The retreat, sponsored by the Summerland Rotary Club, Penny Lane Bargain Outlet and Summerland Asset Development Initiative, was held at Green Bay Camp. |
Agur Lake Camp Society Cheque Presentation
On September 23rd, Summerland Rotarians presented a cheque from proceeds of the Swing for Kids Charity Golf Tournament to the Agur Lake Camp Society in the amount of $14,000.
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Cops for Kids Cheque Presentation
Paul Barber, President of Summerland Rotary, presented a cheque for $300 to the members of the Cops for Kids cycling team as they stopped in Summerland in September 2012.
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Cops for Kids Cheque Presentation
Paul Barber, President Summerland Rotary Club, presents a cheque to members of the Cops for Kids cycling team for $300 during a stop in Summerland.
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Swing for Kids 2013 |
$100 Challenge Recipients 2013
President Paul with recipients of the $100 Challenge at Summerland Secondary School. View more photos in the Photo Gallery as well as on FaceBook. |
Donation to Summerland Museum
Rotarian George Sutton presents a donation cheque from Summerland Rotary to Sharon Stone of the Summerland Museum.
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Cheque Presentation to Agur Lake Camp Society
On Sunday, September 23rd, Summerland Rotarians gathered at Agur Lake to present a cheque from the proceeds of the Swing For Kids Charity Golf Tournament in the amount of $14,000.
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Welcome Nathalia Dorado, Our Exchange Student from Bolivia
Nathalia has only just arrived from Bolivia but is fitting in well with life in Summerland. She finds high school a safe place for her where she feels welcomed by the other students. Field hockey is a new endeavour but a sport she is definitley enjoying. We are certain to get future updates of her experiences.
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Follow Us On Facebook Click on the logo to view all photos from our events as well as links to other Rotary sites.
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Exchange Student Anne Thielmann
Anne is now in Thailand and has set up a blog for everyone to keep in touch and follow her. Visit her blog here.
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World Polio Day inspires push to end the disease
Rotarians walked, ran, and sold everything from hot dogs to flower bulbs to celebrate World Polio Day, 24 October, in support of the global effort to eradicate the disease.
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Extended Care Pergola now a reality
Summerland Rotary Club donates $8,600.00 for sun shades on garden pergolas at the Summerland Extended Care Unit. |
September 10, 2019
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Inbound Rotary Exchange Student, Josie Mehrnusch, from Germany, speaks to the Club about her Wishlist of things that she would like to see and do while living in Canada
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Colleen Berry, takes a photo with her prize-winning Peach Berry Pie
L-R: Duncan Millar and Chantelle Meriam
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L-R: Karl Seidel and Michael Zang
