News
We also post news to our Facebook group page. You don't need a Facebook account to view the group. If you want to post and participate, but haven't signed up with Facebook, you can follow these instructions to sign up.
Listed below are some of the projects worked on, activities participated in, and speakers appeared at the club throughout the year. We try and ensure that there is a good mix of great speakers, volunteer effort, fellowship and business networking by all members.
Experience China this fall with Saint City Rotary. Great price for all-inclusive 11 day trip, including viewing the Terra Cotta warriors.
Join Saint City Rotary in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Experience China and enjoy the Yangtze River Cruise.
A refreshing classification talk - with the help of Dr. Seuss. Our newest member, Kathleen Soltys, shared her classification talk with us this week, using quotes from Dr. Seuss as an anchor, and proved once again that these are indeed some of our most interesting programs. Thanks for a very interesting presentation, Kathleen and welcome to our club! Kathleen was thanked by club secretary Linda Perras (left).
Shelter Box - A Rotary Affiliated Program doing good in the world. Our guest speaker this week was Bernie Kreiner, who shared with us the Shelter Box story and encouraged us to continue making club and individual contributions to this highly effective and respected emergency disaster relief organization. Thanks for your excellent presentation, Bernie. To learn more about the program, click on this link:
https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/
A most interesting presentation at today's meeting by Michelle Veran, Executive Director of Sidekicks Mentorship. A St. Albert based and developed program, Sidekicks Mentoring matches community volunteers to school-aged children between the ages of 6 to 16 with the goal of providing these children with positive mentors and role models to be their friends. Sidekicks is a program of the St. Albert Community Information Centre and a great example of doing good in the world. Thanks for sharing this information with us, Michelle.
Shown presenting a certificate of appreciation to Michelle is club president Nonie Buski (on the left).
A fascinating program this week by our former member and club president Patrick Gibson. Patrick has taken up a new hobby, drone aerial photography. Patrick showed us some amazing photos and video footage shot by him. Thanks for sharing, Patrick. I think you may have whetted an interest in drone photography on the par
t of at least a couple of our members. Shown thanking Patrick is our community services director, Ross Algar (on the left).
t of at least a couple of our members. Shown thanking Patrick is our community services director, Ross Algar (on the left).Welcome to our newest member, Kathleen Soltys, who was inducted into our club at our March 26 Meeting. Kathleen's classification is nursing. Shown with Kathleen is her sponsor, Lydia Hodgson (on the left).
Jan Tworek and Carol Aucoin shared with us this evening the many program offerings by the St. Albert Seniors Association. Truly something for everyone. Shown thanking our speakers is Ross Algar, Saint City's Community Services Director.
Great presentation at our meeting this week by Jan Reimer, Executive Director of ACWS (Alberta Council of Women's Shelters). Among other things we learned that:
-10,390 women, children and seniors were sheltered in 2017-18;
- 16,722 women, children and seniors were turned away in 2017-18 due to lack of capacity;
- there were 58,117 crisis calls to shelters in the same period and;
- 8,879 junior and senior high school students were reached through the ACWS Leading Change Call to Action program.
Many thanks for speaking to us, Jan, and for this very important work you do!
Shown in the photo thanking Jan is Nick Algar, one of our club directors.
We were delighted to have Ray Pinco back with us this week to continue relating some of St. Albert's history. Shown thanking Ray is Club Administration Co-Director Lydia Hodgson.
We were delighted to have District 5370 Youth Services Chair (and the District's Rotarian of the Year for 2017-18), Tamara Larson, speak to us about the District's Youth Programs at today's meeting.. There are presently 52+ Interact clubs and 9 Rotaract clubs in our district, which surpasses in total the 57 Rotary clubs! Tamara provided us with an interesting update on RYLA, RYLE and RYPEN, as well as an exciting collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg. Thank you for sharing this with us, Tamara. In recognition of Tamara's participation, the Saint City Rotary Club will be making a donation to Rotary's PolioPlus program in her name. Shown presenting the thank you certificate to Tamara is Lydia Hodgson (left), the club's co-director of Club Administration.
(Special thanks to Jeff Hodgson for serving as our official photographer for this and many other photos in our posts).
.jpg)
Keep learning....stay connected. That was the message David Winfield brought to us at our meeting this week, when he spoke about ELLA (Edmonton Lifelong Learners Association). ELLA is once again offering a variety of courses during the 2019 Spring Session - April 29 to May 17. You can find out more at www.m-ella.com. Thank you for a most interesting presentation, David.
Shown thanking David (on the right) is PDG Julius Buski.
St. Albert - Alberta's First Non-Fortified Community has a rich history and many "firsts"..We were delighted to have Ray Pinco from the St. Albert Historical Society share some of these stories with us at our meeting this week. Thank you for a fascinating presentation, Ray! Shown thanking Ray for his presentation is our International Services Director, Nick Algar.
Saint City Rotary Club proudly supports DG Ingrid Neitsch's Rotary District Peacebuilder Initiative. At this evening's DG's visit, club president Nonie Buski presented Ingrid with the club's contribution of $675 towards this vital program.
Somewhat like Rotary, PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) appears often to be a well-kept secret. Established over 150 years ago, this women's organization provides scholarships, grants, awards and loans for women to continue their education. At our meeting this evening, Doris Vandersteen, from the St. Albert Chapter filled us in on the good work done by this organization. For details, check their website at www.peointernational.org
Shown thanking Doris is Saint City's Director
of Administration, Lydia Hodgson.
of Administration, Lydia Hodgson.Project Amigo is celebrating 33 years of transforming lives through education in Colima, Mexico. The project provides education funding for children as well as an on site hands-on opportunity for Rotarians to spend a week assisting the project in various ways. Saint City is proud to be sponsoring a child's education. We were delighted to have Edith Martin visit our club today and share some of the Project Amigo stories. Shown thanking Edith is club member Gennet Ghebremichael (on the left).
To learn more about the project, visit their website at: https://www.projectamigo.org/
Saint City Rotary celebrates small business week each year by inviting a representative of St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce to speak at our meeting that week. Today we were delighted to have Jodie McFadzen, Volunteer Chair of the Chamber as our program. Shown thanking Jodie is club secretary Linda Perras (left).
Our speaker this week was Denny May, son of the famed pilot Wop May. Denny shared with us many fascinating vignettes about Wop's life and career. Shown thanking Denny is Saint City Community Services Director Ross Algar (left).
Our club was treated to an inspiring presentation at our meeting today by Derek Jay, ,who told us about the wonderful humanitarian work being done in Africa by Mercy Ships. Thank you Derek, for your informative and touching presentation - and apologies for the fuzzy photo. Shown in the photo (left) with Derek is Chad Hierlmeier, Saint City's Director of Vocational Service.
Board games are still a popular pastime for many of us. At our meeting today, John Engel of Mission Fun and Games in St. Albert, told us about the forthcoming Gamealot Convention. Check it out at https://tabletop.events/conventions/game-a-lot-2018
Show thanking John for his presentation is Saint City member Diane Ellis-Mineault
"One Edmonton - Two Cities" was the title of a fascinating presentation at our meeting today by Dr. Michael Strembitsky, former superintendent of Edmonton Public Schools. Dr. Strembitsky sketched a historical perspective of the sociological and economical divide which has existed in Edmonton, on a diagonal northwest southeast line. A very gripping presentation. Thanks for sharing this analysis with us Mike! Nice to have a number of visiting Rotarian join us this evening as well.
Shown thanking Dr. Strembitsky is Saint City president Nonie Buski.
We were delighted to have Dr. Alan Murdock, President of the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival, visit us today and present Saint City president Nonie Buski with a certificate of appreciation for our support of the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival as a Scholarship and Award Donor.
We held our annual Charity Golf Classic August 16th, and it was a fabulous time. Hope to see you next year!
Here are photos of the event.
Upcoming Speakers
Past Speakers