THE PARKWOOD JOURNAL

OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF OSHAWA-PARKWOOD

P.O. BOX 54023, OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA  L1H 8T2

“ENGAGE ROTARY - CHANGE LIVES”

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT:   Ron Burton – Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma, USA

R.I. DISTRICT 7070 GOVERNOR:               Valarie Wafer -  Rotary Club of Whitby , Ontario, Canada

ASSISTANT DISTRICT 7070 GOVERNOR: Wayne Routly – Rotary Club of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada

MINUTES OF MEETING :  JUNE 17, 2014

Rotary Grace                                                                                                     

O Lord, The Giver of all good,                                      

We thank Thee for our daily food                                 

May Rotary friends and Rotary ways                            

Help us to serve Thee all our days.                                                                                                                                                                               

THE FOUR-WAY TEST                                    

1.  Is it the truth                                                           

2.  Is it fair to all concerned?                                        

3.  Will it build good will and better friendships?

4.  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

                      

OFFICERS & DIRECTORS 2013-2014                                       

President:  Alan Finnigan

Past President: Jodi Hewett

Vice President: Robbie Larocque

Treasurer: Devon Biddle

Secretary: Pat Dyck

Club Administration:  Shawn Kellam

All Service Projects: Robert Kipling

Membership: Lennis Trotter

The Rotary Foundation: Laura Carey / Ted Morrison

Public Relations: Eamon Doyle

Sgt-at-Arms: Andy Lyons  /Alan Nason / Bob Koski

.......................................................................................................................................................................................

Grace:                            Eamonn Doyle                                  

O Canada:                     Peter Dueck                

Toast To The Queen :  Carol Reading                                                                                      

 

 

GUESTS/VISITING ROTARIANS:

Visiting Rotarian: Steve Rutledge                         Club Name:  Whitby Sunrise

 

SGT AT ARMS REPORT: FROM PAST PRESIDENT ANDY LYONS

ACE OF SPADES  DRAW: 

Winner: Past Presdient Lennis Trotter          Card Drawn: 4 of Clubs  

On The Door Next Week:  Past President Dave Andrews and Past District Governor Ted Morrison

Bulletin Editor:  Past President Dave Andrews

 (Editor’s note: If you cannot be on the door , please find a replacement)

HAPPY BUCKS

1. Past President Marion Mills had an excellent time in Australia , Fiji and New Zealand and at the Rotary International Convention in Sydney and is glad to be home and adjusting back to Eastern Daylight Time in Canada
2. Carol Reading also had an wonderful vacation in Australia , Fiji and New Zealand and at the Rotary International Convention in Sydney and is glad to be home.
3. Past President Walt Stewart thanked Past President Hilda Finnigan for setting up a superb Rotary Fellowship evening a few weeks ago and the Il Divo Concert at the General Motors Centre.
4.  Past President Devon Biddle just very Happy tonight.
5. Sam Ruparelia – A happy and sad $10 – he is retiring after 39 years of practice in Oshawa and 48 years in medicine worldwide. Sad to say good bye to his patients and happy to have some time to himself
6. Eamonn Doyle – Happy memories of John Walker, Past president of the Oshawa Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, who passed away this week. It was Eamonn and His Honour Don Halakowski who hired John for the Officers Mess. We will all miss John.
7. Past President Lennis Trotter glad to have great turnouts at The Kids Saftey Village Meeting with the Ajax Optimist Club and also for the excellent Paul Harris Award Gala last week.
8. Past President Hilda Finnigan glad that the trailer in Peterborough is sold but even happier that the awning made its way down to Oshawa and to the back deck at their house.
9. Past President Larry Hurren has 2 Happy Bucks. One for his grandson’s first birthday , on the same day as past President Alan Nason. Larry hopes his grandson turns out as good as Alan. And the second for his golf practice and pointers with our incoming President Elect Mike McLaren at Grandview Driving range this week.
10. Past President Alan Nason very Happy for another birthday but sad that the numbers just keep adding up and getting higher and higher. With that Our Sergeant At Arms  and Past Prseident said that is is much better to be seen than it is to be viewed.
11. Robert Kipling sad that Brazil tied in World Cup Soccer today, but they are not our of it yet.
12. Whitby Sunrise Rotarian Steve Rutledge happy to be with us tonight and to be able to share an update with our club on the Laos Adopt A Village project.
13. Past President Dave Andrews very happy with the two golf tournaments that Rotary members played in during the month of June. Very happy to have tied with Past President Terry DeYoung  in the Officers Mess Golf Tournament with playing partners Donna Pyott and Jodi Hewett’s Mom. They tied with the team of President Allan Finnigan and Mike McLaren. A great day and lots of fun as usual. And also for the great day at the Hearth Place Golf Tournament with teammates Past Presidents Terry DeYoung and Andy Lyons and President Al Finnigan. And there are photos of the foursome on our Rotary Club website www.rotaryoshawa-parkwood.org in the photos tab. And for such a good cause – Hearthplace. Thanks to Bob Alexander, Charlie Morrison and the rest of the team at Hearthplace . Maybe next year, we can have two foursomes.
14. Past President Andy Lyons very happy to see so many Rotarians out tonight and hoped that we keep coming out, especially during the summer months to hear the great lineup of speakers.
15. President Allan Finnigan thanked Past District Governor Ted Morrison for organizing the First Annual Paul Harris Awards Gala evening.

ANNOUNCEMENTS   

1. Past President Hilda (Finnigan) or as President Al announced Past President Hilda Gatchell : Flowers were sent in memory of John Walker, Past President of The Rotary Club of Oshawa.
2. Past President Hilda also announced that on July 8, we are having the Presidents’ Night at the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood as we say thank you to President Allan Finnigan and welcome President Robbie Larocque. The cost will be $36.00 per person. It will be a night to remember.  A sign up sheet will be going around. HOWEVER, iIf you can send Hilda  a  note to confirm YES or Now and HOW MANY  (you, your spouse or both)  will be coming would be most appreciated.

ROTARY MOMENT   : None tonight.

GUEST SPEAKER  :

Name of Speaker:   Steve Rutledge

Introducer:               Our Service Director Robert Kipling

Thanked By:            Past President Larry Hurren

Speaker’s Remarks:

Some Factsabout Laos:

Location: northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam
Independence: 1949 from France
Rainy Season: May-Nov
Terrain: mostly rugged mountains, some plains and plateaus
Natural Hazards: Floods, Droughts
Population: 6.99Million
POP Vientiane (Capital City): 600,000 (est)
Infant Mortality Rate: 76/1000
Age Structure:
0-14 yrs - 41.2%
15-64 yrs- 55.7%
65 & over-3.1%
Average Age: 19.08 (2005 est)
Currency: Lao KIP; 8200 KIP = $1 USD (varies daily)
Per Capita Income: $572 in 2006 (est)
Life Expectancy: 56.9

Bounded by Myanmar and China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, Laos is a small landlocked country in Southeast Asia. With a population of about 7 million, the rural villages rely predominantly on subsistence farming, what they can find in the jungle, and sometimes fish. Their income is subsidized by the sales of pigs and chickens. As Steve pointed out, Laos is one of the most impoverished countries in the world and the rural villages are even worse.

During the 1960’s Laos lost one-third of its population during the “Secret” war and became the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. Over a 9 year period (1964 – 1973), a bomb was dropped every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day. It is estimated that 30% of the 260 million bombs dropped (that’s 78 million) never exploded and remain scattered throughout the countryside.

Still recovering and with the help of Rotary Clubs just like us, as we did this year,  we are making a real difference in the lives of these rural villagers. With access to clean water, we can significantly reduce illness caused by water borne bacteria at a low cost.

Steve said that they were able to accomplish all that we set out to do, with the exception of constructing an office addition to a secondary school.

During the year, they were able to teach hygiene for students and families for a total of 525 distributed filters systems throughout many villages and schools, netting clean water for well over 3000 more villagers! We also completed two water projects, one of which included 2 dams from 2 different rivers, over 9 km of pipe and 50 taps throughout the village.

Thanks to YOU, The Rotary Club of Oshawa - Parkwood, we were able to complete Ban Na Lea Water Project too. This project got off to a late start due to factors beyond our control but I am pleased to report that there are a lot of very happy people in the village. For the first time, we have running water to areas of the village that sincerely thought it would never arrive, and with the construction of toilets and a new school that we also finished early in the season, they now have running water there too!

Also during the season, a school addition was constructed in Hat Kham along with a playground made with bamboo and inner tubes, featuring climbing bars, teeter-totters and swings – all this was done in just 6 weeks, with thanks for the help from many volunteers.

The above projects may seem like a lot but our work didn’t stop there. We also constructed 6 toilet banks for schools for a village. Plus, 21 additional village homes now have solar powered light, 19 children are enjoying primary and secondary school, along with a university student in his second year and a teacher for the first year of his apprenticeship. Many, many other things happened throughout the season on a smaller scale including a fence project, sport team sponsorships, urgent medical treatment for a child and distribution of lots of school supplies and hygiene products. What a year!

Steve will be going back in November 2014  and is busy fundraising now.

He has given a proposal to our Director of Service, Robert Kipling to review with his International Service Committee.

Adopt A Village in Laos is raising funds for two large water projects from Rotary Clubs and Districts. Meung Xuen Village is in desparate need of water for their village. The cost estimate for the project is $34,000. They have applied for matching District Grants and are asking many District 7070 Rotary Clubs to help with this undertaking. They need about $7,500 from Rotary Clubs since his own Club, Whitby Sunrise has committed $8,000.

The second water project will be located in the highlands above Nong Khiaw, about one and a half day journey from their home base. The cost of this project is $18,000. This village Katang Xieng is among the poorest of villages Steve has seen in Laos. When the funds are raised, they will focus on this project.  Last year, our Rotary Club gave $1,000 towards a water project in Ban Na Lea. The villagers a very happy. The slides that Steve showed us, were proof of their happiness in having clean water for the first time in their lives.

There are many other options to support teachers and students alike. And they are always in need of more water filters and toilets.

Here are some more examples of how our Rotary Club can help with our financial contribution. If any Rotarian wants to come to visit us in Laos, just email us and you can see where your money is being spent.

- $75 buys a water filter system for a family of up to 8 ($65 before May 1, 2013. They have already distributed 1404 filter systems , that serve between 9,000 and 11,000 villagers.

It will also include your name on the water filter and a picture forwarded to you with the family and the filter unit

– $18,000 US buys a 3 room school for grades 1-5 (rural areas). $10,000 buys a room in a secondary school (includes a portion of the toilets too). Perhaps you would like to sponsor or assist us to sponsor a school.

– $70 US (approx) buys a school table and bench (for up to 4 students).

– $60 US buys education for one child for one year including school fees, 2 uniforms, shoes, backpack and school supplies. Note that this cost is approximate. He provided Robert with other opportunities to fund schooling for these young villagers. For example, 14 students need a sponsor for primary school.

- hygienic washroom facilities range depending on the number of stalls and start at about $3,200, but are critical to prevent more disease. This year, they will be working on two – banks of 20 toilets for schools and a village.

Steve noted that they  are indeed humbled by the generosity of so many donors and sponsors, allowing us to make a real difference in helping these rural villagers to lead longer, healthier, happier lives. With your support, we have helped over 2700 people last year with schools, clean, filtered water, hygienic toilets and student support.

Be sure to visit their website for all of the info at http://adoptavillageinlaos.wordpress.com/

If you would like to become involved and to help the people of rural Laos help themselves lead a more fulfilling life, please email us at AdoptaVillageinLaos@gmail.com.

 

THE OBJECT OF ROTARY is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

The “ideal of service” is the key. It is an attitude that does not change from one version to the next. It is an attitude we all have, as Rotarians.

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, MAKE UP : Pat Dyck, our Club Secretary has a Rotary International Directory of all Rotary Clubs in the world, when and where they meet. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Pat Dyck, or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.

HERE’S A LIST OF SOME ROTARY CLUBS CLOSE TO YOU:

MONDAY:

Belleville – Ramada Inn – 11 Bay Ridges at Hwy 2 - 12:00 noon

Oshawa – Oshawa Shrine Club, 1626 Simcoe St N.,  – 12:10

Markham-Unionville – Al Dente Ristorante, 39 Main St.N.,  - 6:30 pm

Port Hope – Knights of Columbus Hall, 1 Elias St.,  – 6:00  pm

Richmond Hill – Sheraton Parkway Hotel, 600 Hwy 7 East, – 6:00 pm

Trenton – Holiday Inn – 99 Glen Miller Rd. at 401 -  6:00 pm

 

TUESDAY:

Whitby  – Public Library, 405 Dundas St W - 7:00 am

Pickering – Chartwell Pickering Centre, 1801 Valley Farm Rd, – 7:15am

Bowmanville – Trinity Church Hall, 116 Church St. – 7:15 am

Picton – Royal Canadian Legion, 347 Main St.,  - 12:15 pm

Scarborough Bluffs – Loblaw’s Superstore (upstairs)  – 1775 Brimley at Progress – 7:15 am

Scarborough – Scarborough Golf Club – Golf Club Rd. – 12:30

Scarborough Twilight –  Stone Cottage – 1370 Kingston Rd. - 5:30 pm

WEDNESDAY:

Whitby-Sunrise – Sports Garden Café, Iroquois Park , 500 Victoria St W – 7:15am

Markham Sunrise – Delta Markham Hotel – 50 East Valhala Dr., Hwy 7 east of 404 – 7:00 am

Northumberland Sunrise – Dalewood Golf Club –  Dale Rd, Port Hope - 7:00 am

North Scarborough – Delta Toronto East – 2035 Kennedy Rs, Scarborough – 12:30 pm

Port Perry – Piano Rest., 217 Queen St.  – 6:15 pm

 

THURSDAY:

Ajax – Public Library, 55 Harwood Ave S., – 12:15

Agincourt – Radisson Hotel, 55 Hallcrown Place – 6:30 pm

Quinte Sunrise – Bay of  Quinte Golf Club, 1830 Old Hwy 2,  – 7:00 am

Uxbridge – Jersey’s, 104 Brock St W. – 7:15 am

 

FRIDAY:

Toronto – Royal York Hotel, 100 Front St, – 12:15

Cobourg – Best Western Cobourg Motor Inn, 930 Burnham Rd. at Hwy 2 – 12:15

Courtice – White Cliffe Terrace, 1460 Hwy 2 – 7:15 am