Meeting: February 19th, 2019

Ann Northwood

 

Visiting Rotarians:

Bart Daily from the Rotary Club of Calgary Chinook

 

Derek talked about his project to help promote Rotary and showed us what he did at the last convention.  He would like to take this to the district convention and further into the communities and possibly the schools.

 

Paul talked about the criminal record checks - he has sent the link in a recent email.

 

Don let us know that April 11th will be an all Rotary meeting with Pennye Nixon.

 

Larry talked about participating in the Silly Boat festival.  This would involve a $600 donation to the child development center.

 

Rob let us know that 5 young people from Nanaimo will be going to RYLA this year.

 

Q. What sits at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?

A. A nervous wreck.

 

 

     Derek introduced the program for the night.  Bob Blacker was one of the creators of the Write To Read program for aboriginal communities. He has been in Rotary for 23 years starting in New Westminster where he was a police officer.  He is also a past district 5040 Governor

      A one point in his career, Bob worked with the Lieutenant Governor of BC Steven Point and he was asked about the literacy programs that Rotary did around the world.  The next question was to ask about what they were doing locally. This was the start of the idea for the program.  Gradually, donations of modulars for libraries and donations of books to fill them allowed the creation of reading centres in some of the most remote communities.  It also served as a meeting place for some of those communities. 

     What’s happened since 2011

Developed Strategic partnerships with:

   There are currently 18 libraries and 9 learning centres

 

   Bob talked about the future and there are all sorts of great ideas that they are working on and considering. (to many to talk about here!)

 

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