The Rotary Club Of Festival City

President:  David Moore

Minutes of the meeting of Feb 28, 2012

Club email:  festivalcityrotary@gmail.com

Club web blog: www.festivalcityrotary.blogspot.com

ClubRunner site: www.festivalcityrotary.ca

 

Guests:  Rob Ritz is from the Stratford Rotary Club.  Brandi Gillett, Louise Spandler and Marjorie Shoemaker are potential new members. Geza Wordofa, and Cathy Lindsey-King were also in attendance.  Charlotte Coates is an outbound Rotary Exchange student to Norway. Rotary Exchange student Phanuwat Kongwattananon (Nu).

 

Draw Prize: Vince Hill donated the prize won by Gerry Ketchum.

 

Announcements:

  1. Bingo: The next Rotary bingo is Friday March 9 at 5 PM. Sign-up to volunteer on ClubRunner or contact Jack West.
  2. Spaghetti Dinner: Now is time to start selling tickets for this event. Tyler Canal has tickets. Posters are also available for display at work, churches, or other suitable places you may visit.  See the details of the event on the ClubRunner Homepage. Some changes to the dinner this year include elimination of reservation times. Table service is also gone because dinner will be buffet style.
  3. Cupcakes for the Spaghetti Dinner. Rotarians are being asked to bake cupcakes for the dessert being offered at the spaghetti dinner.  If you can bake some cupcakes please let Ken Hansen know. 
  4. Coffee Beans for Sale: Lynne Ternosky has coffee beans from El Salvador which are available for purchase.

 

Guest Speaker: Lynne Ternosky gave an interesting Powerpoint presentation of her recent trip to El Salvador.  Our Pathways to Literacy Project has been a 3 year project entering its final year.  Over the years we have raised $187 500 with matching grants from the Rotary Foundation and $150 000 from C.R.C.I.D. As of this year 310 students are able to attend school. The children have been provided with uniforms, medical tests, and school supplies.

Schools have been built with the help of various Rotary clubs.  Teachers have been hired and school playgrounds built. Some schools have had computer labs built and furnished with computer equipment.  40 schools have been provided with improved wood burning stoves so that students can be given hot meals at lunch time.  Jobs have been provided for local workers who manufacture house and school parts.

Doris, our first high school graduate, is now enrolled in university studying Business Administration. 

A water education program is informing people how to solar treat water to kill most of the bacteria in the water. A reverse osmosis water treatment plant is now operating to supply large quantities of water.

During Lynne’s trip major flooding occurred and 30 000 homes were destroyed. Part of her time was taken up assisting with collecting donations for those affected by the flooding.

Finally, Lynne read a lovely letter of thanks from a boy that our club has helped to get an education.