March 2016 Peace Arch Journal Page 2
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THETHE PeacePeace ArchArch JOURNALJOURNAL VOL 29 ISSUEISSUE 99 MARCH 2016 MARCHMARCH -- WaterWater andand && SanitationSanitation MonthMonth wife and I at Semiahmoo Bill’sBill’s from April 28th to May 1st for the annual District 5050 Conference. F r o m g o l f o n t h e BitBit Thursday (Separate sign up) to a BBQ on the beach o n Message from Friday evening we are planning a District Governor Bill Robson FUN weekend. We will, of course, be celebrating our success stories March is here, Spring is just from this year and will also have around the corner and we are some inspirational speakers. We celebrating Water and Sanitation have an Olympic rowing medalist, month. a former Premier of British I have just returned from PNW Columbia, the Right Honourable PETS where I had the singular Gordon Campbell who is currently Guess who had a date at the Giggle Dam for honour to act as the aide to the Canadian Ambassador to the the Anniversary Celebration of Rotary Club R.I.P.E. John Germ. U.K., and of course some Rotary. of Port Coquitlam Centennial. John was one of the several I implore my Canadian friends to inspirational speakers at this years look past the exchange rate and training event and I am confident come down for this one weekend. after speaking with several of the When I started to organize this Presidents Elect in attendance conference over two years ago the that they are going to be ready to exchange rate was 1.03:1 and no go on July 1st. one could have foreseen this 30% We wish them well and all the differential. successes they wish for their We have a contract with the resort YOUR ROTARY YEAR clubs. and we must adhere to that. STARTS HERE! I want to take this opportunity to I need your help Rotarians. District 5050 Governor-Elect Scott extend, once again, a personal Dudley and his wife Christine with invitation to you all to join my Bill Rotary International President-Elect John Germ and his wife Judy at the PNW President-Elects Seminar. FOR ALL GOLFERS AND WOULD BE GOLFERS who will be attending the District Conference at Semiamoo April 28-May 1 we have a wonderful golf tournament scheduled on the Loomis Trail Golf Course at Semiamoo. We have negotiated a great price of just $97 (US) which includes a round of golf with cart, box lunch, and door prizes! We welcome all Rotarians, spouses, and non-Rotarian friends of Rotary to participate. Feel free to create your own foursomes! Please join us for a wonderful day on the links! To register, please go to District 5050 ClubRunner and click on District Conference. Message from Rotary International President K. R. “Ravi” Ravindran MARCH 2016 The Some years ago, I was asked to speak at an Interact club in my home city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. I have always PEACE ARCH taken my interactions with Rotary youth very seriously, Journal so I prepared my remarks carefully and put the same effort into my presentation that I would for any other event. After the meeting, I VOL. 29 | ISSUE 9 | MARCH 2016 stayed to chat with a few of the Interactors, answering their questions and wishing them well. Bill Robson I came out of the classroom where we had met into the autumn afternoon. The District Governor bright sun was shining directly into my eyes, so I found a bit of shade behind a pillar where I could wait for my ride. This monthly publication is a service to As I stood there, hidden from view, I overheard a group of the very Interactors district club officers and members. It is who had just listened to my speech. Naturally I was curious: What would they be intended as a source of news and saying? What had they taken away from my presentation? I quickly realized that opinion from throughout the district. what they had taken away was not at all what I had intended. The mission of the Peace Arch They were not talking about what I had said, the stories I had told, or the lessons I J o u r n a l is to promote had come to their school to impart. To my astonishment, the major topic of communication, understanding, conversation was my tie! I listened with amusement as they chattered about my fellowship and fun beyond club Western clothes, my background, my business; every aspect of my appearance meetings, in a manner complementary and behavior was dissected and discussed. Just as they began to speculate about to shared efforts at placing Service what car I drove, my ride arrived and I stepped out into view. They were perhaps Above Self. a bit embarrassed, but I just smiled, got into the car, and drove off with a wave. Please send news, articles and Whatever they learned from me that day, I learned far more. I learned that the photographs to: lessons we teach with our examples are far more powerful than those we teach [email protected] with words. I realized that as a Rotary leader, and a prominent person in the by the 25th day of the month for community, I had, for better or worse, become a role model for these young people. possible inclusion in the next Their eyes were on me in a way that I had never before appreciated. If they chose issue. to emulate me, they would model themselves on what they saw, not what I told Long articles may be truncated and all them. articles submitted may be edited All of us in Rotary are leaders, in one way or another, in our communities. All of us before publication. Not all articles and bear the responsibility that comes with that. Our Rotary values, our Rotary ideals, photos submitted will be published. cannot be left within the confines of our Rotary clubs. They must be carried with us every day. Wherever we are, whoever we are with, whether we are involved in EDITOR / PUBLISHER Rotary work – we are always representing Rotary. We must conduct ourselves Mohan accordingly: in what we think, what we say, what we do, and how we do it. Our C. V. Mohanan (Judith) communities, and our children, deserve no less. Rotary Club of Port Coquitlam Centennial Don't miss a rare opportunity to 1882 Eureka Avenue, Port Coquitlam, BC, V3C 5C1. celebrate Rotary with Pope Francis. Res: 604-941-3053 JUBILEE OF ROTARIANS Cell: 604-618-5226 Email: [email protected] Special Mass to Rotarians in Vatican Rotary members worldwide are invited to join www.district5050.org President K.R. Ravindran in Rome on 30 April to celebrate the Jubilee of Rotarians, a special event hosted by District 2080 and the Vatican. His Holiness Pope Francis will celebrate a Jubilee mass in St. Peter's Square, where 8,000 seats will be reserved for Rotary members, friends,friends, andand family.family. This Jubilee, as established by Pope Francis, is a commitment to serve with joy and in peace across the world. More information is available on the Jubilee of Rotarians website.. TheThe registrationregistration deadline is 15 March.This is an unprecedented event and a tremendous honor that will raise Rotary’s status across so much of the world. Rotary International has reserved 8,000 seats. VOL. 29 | ISSUE 9 | MARCH 2016 PEACE ARCH JOURNAL PAGE 2 Water & Sanitation The Rotary Foundation and UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education are working together to tackle the world’s water and sanitation crisis and are offering up to 10 scholarships for graduate study at UNESCO-IHE's Delft campus in the Netherlands. The partnership aims to increase the number of trained professionals who can devise, plan, and implement water and sanitation solutions in developing areas. The scholarships also are designed to promote long-term productive relationships between Rotarians and skilled water and sanitation professionals in their communities. Scholars will receive a Master of Science degree in urban water and sanitation, water management, or water science and engineering. Graduates work with their Rotary club sponsors on a related project to benefit their local community. The application deadline is 15 June. For more information, review the application toolkit and scholarship terms and conditions. UNESCO-IHE is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world. CONNECT WITH KOREA ---- TOUCH THE WORLD EARLY REGISTRATION SAVINGS END 31 MARCH The countdown to the Rotary Convention is on! Join the more than 40,000 Rotarians who have already registered and experience the biggest event of the Rotary year, the convention in Korea, 28 May--1 June. Convention Committee Chair Ian H.S. Riseley has helped secure an outstanding group of speakers, including a world champion of public speaking, a famous spiritual guru from India, and the CEO of an organization that works to keep children out of institutional care and living with families. Watch the video to learn more about the convention program. Come to Korea to get inspired to do more good and Be a Gift to the World. Take advantage of early registration savings until 31 March. Register today! VOL. 29 | ISSUE 9 | MARCH 2016 PEACE ARCH JOURNAL PAGE 4 OUR 2016 ANNUAL LETTER Welcome to the Gates Foundation's newsletter. ONE GREAT READ delivers that one story we're all reading. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? By Bill and Melinda Gates | February 22, 2016 We were asked that question recently by some high school students in Kentucky. They also asked us about our favorite breakfast cereal (Bill: Cocoa Puffs; Melinda: Wheat Chex); what animal we would want to be (Bill: a bonobo; Melinda: a white leopard); and if we know how to dance the Whip and Nae Nae (one of us does).