Some of these PHF were a result of a matching points program that the club offered to its members.  I was invited by club president (and Governor Nominee) Tracy and her board to join the club to celebrate these members.  That may not seem like a big deal, but I believe that it is important to share in these celebrations.  When we ask PHF’s WHY they contribute to The Rotary Foundation, the replies always make me stop to think.  Some contribute simply because they were told to or they trust the work of Rotary while others have lived personal experiences either locally or overseas and have seen the results of what The Foundation can do and how it impacts lives and CREATES HOPE.

The tiny community of Cle Elum has about 2250 residents but boasts a lively Rotary club of over 50 members! In the last week of April, they hosted their 2^nd Annual Paul Harris Community Awards in nearby Roslyn.  I was honoured to be invited and join in on the celebrations as the club recognized 5 community members (3 adults and 2 youth) each with a Paul Harris Fellow.  Honourees were nominated by Rotarians and/or community members and then highlighted at a community event.  President Sarah Day shared the accomplishments of each of the winners, who were then given the opportunity to address the crowd.  The club is community driven and the residents are community-minded.  Whether that meant working with the historical society, the equine community, the indigenous community or the historical society, these awards were very much appreciated. 

This reminded me of WHY I contribute to The Rotary Foundation – because it is important to serve those outside of my little bubble.  Because we want to make the world a better place without expecting anything in return.

Finally, I traveled to the Penticton Sunrise Club, who hosted a lovely evening called the Unsung Hero Citizen Award Evening.  The club recognized Jennifer Martison, the Director of the Ukraine Nightingale Project.  This organization supports newcomer Ukrainian families who have arrived in the South Okanagan.  Jennifer was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of her hard work and dedication. The club is now partnering with the Nightingale Project to help provide dental care for children of the Ukrainian families.  Though not a Rotarian, Jennifer is working hard to build relationships with various Rotary clubs in order to serve those who have suffered so much through no fault of their own.  Through that work, she is doing the work of Rotary and living the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”. As a guest at this event, I was able to share my own experience with Jennifer and reinforce not only how Rotary CREATES HOPE but how others do impactful work in our communities and also CREATE HOPE one family at a time. 

Think about those questions that were posed at the beginning of the story – “Why did you join Rotary” and “Why have you stayed in Rotary?”

I joined Rotary because I wanted to meet new people and do good work in the community and in the world.

I have stayed in Rotary because I’m not done yet.

 

 

 

 

Aren’t you glad you came?!?! We are so glad you were able to join us!

Bummed that you missed out on a great weekend?!? I’ll do my best to catch you up!

Within the District leadership team, we sometimes wonder what the true valley of holding a District Conference actually is. Well, that’s a complicated question. It really depends on what you, the Rotarian, are looking for.  This year, we focused on CREATING HOPE in various aspects of our lives with a priority on mental health. We drew inspiration from Rotary International President Gordan McInally’s theme of Create Hope in the World.

Patti Bevilacqua shared her own personal story of her life with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and and how she used her Mindset Shift (her new meaning of MS) to create a new life for herself.  As a physical education teacher (in fact, she was MY PE teacher in high school), Patti’s life did not go in the direction that she had hoped and dreamed for but she learned that she could still create an amazing life worth living. 

Please reach out to Patti for more information.

• Email - - patti@exceptionalteacherz.com
• LinkedIn - - https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-bevilacqua/
• Calendly - - https://calendly.com/patti-book-a-call/letstalk

Rosemary Thomson joined us for the lunch hour plenary session and also shared her personal story.  As the current musical director of Opera Kelowna, Rosemary inspired us to look inside ourselves as she described her journey of being diagnosed with adult ADHD and how she has adjusted in order to continue to thrive in her amazing career.

Alison MacLean is a Rotary Peace Scholar who was sponsored by neighbouring District 5050 but now resides in Kamloops BC.  Her incredible account of how she documented the Afghan War through the eyes of the women in the Afghan police and military showed that one person truly can Create Hope for others. 

• https://www.tomboyproductions.tv/
•  tomboy_productions@yahoo.ca
• Facebook-Tomboy Digital Productions
• Facebook-Alison MacLean Combat Camera
• LinkedIn-Alison MacLean

Finally, on Sunday morning we were joined by President of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Dan Price. Dan focused on mental health in the our professional lives and reminded us that help is available, often through our extended medical insurance (a resource that many may not consider).

Beyond the speakers, the 17 inbound youth exchange students quizzed Rotarians through an interactive online game called “Kahoot!”.  It’s was a really fun way to engage the crowd – perhaps your clubs might look into this app for your next gathering!

Major Donors and Bequest Society members were invited to a gratitude reception on Saturday and were generously hosted by Foundation Chair and Past Governor Pete Erickson (Moses Lake). In honour of The Rotary Foundation, District Mascot Archie M Klumph was also auctioned off and raised $500 for TRF – amazing!

Service projects have proven to be a successful way to engage Rotarians at their club meetings, and the District Conference was no exception! We chose to support The ShoeBox Project and even raised an additional $1250 through our bottle draw on Saturday night. 

Facilitator – Doreen Welsh (Kelowna Sunrise)

https://www.shoeboxproject.ca/home

The breakout sessions were very well attended, and many Rotarians would have liked even more time with the facilitators! An orientation of  DacDb was full of curious participants, Alison’s Peace breakout was very interactive, the Canva “how-to” left members inspired to create their own works of Rotarian Art, the Public Image and Marketing team answered all sorts of questions about branding and marketing tools, membership and creating new clubs was the talk of the town in another breakout, and District leaders hosted a facilitated discussion about various opportunities outside of the club level. 

Facilitators

• Assistant Governor (AG) Barb Moses (Toppenish)
•  Public Image co-Chair Dana Koch (Kamloops West)
• Public Image co-Chair Kathleen McNalty (Wenatchee Sunrise)
•  Rotary Peace Scholar – Alison MacLean
• AG Gene Vickers (Vernon SilverStar)

Assistant Governors shared their Rotary Moments throughout the weekend, we honoured those Rotarians who have passed over the last four years with a touching video tribute on Sunday morning, we had a chance to gather in the House of Friendship for resources and Rotary swag shopping AND we had the chance to simply spend some time together.

Throw in the golf tournament, a grasslands walk on Munson Mountain, wine tours in Naramata and Osoyoos, a bike tour and a walking brewery tour, and you’ve got yourself a jam-packed weekend!

All in all, it truly was a wonderful conference.  A HUGE thank you to all who were involved – it truly takes a village, friends!

Do you have photos that you’d like to share? We’d LOVE to see them! Share photos to your personal social media or on your club’s pages and include the hashtag #discon5060 to each post so we can all see them!

Additional thank you’s to the following:

• AG Joyce Ericson (Penticton Sunrise)
• Governor Designate Jill Leonard (Wenatchee)
• Paul Mulvihill (Kelowna Sunrise)
• Andy Griffin (Kelowna Sunrise)
• Frank Clifton (Wenatchee)
• Wolfgang Muhs (Summerland)
• Kathy Butler (Osoyoos)
• Nancy Wilson (Summerland)
• AG James Kay (Kelowna)
• Tom Ritchie (Kelowna Sunrise)
• Craig Garries (Kelowna Sunrise)
• Kyle Rasmusson (Yakima Rotaract and Yakima Sunrise)
• Surbhi Spolia (Kamloops Rotaract)

                  ….and all those who volunteered!

 

 

 

 

Frank's District 5060 journey began when he transferred from the Mount Olive Rotary Club to the Wenatchee Rotary Club in March 2016. During his tenure at Mount Olive, Frank served with distinction as President for two years and Secretary for three years, demonstrating his strong leadership skills and devotion to Rotary's mission.

Since joining District 5060, Frank has been indispensable in various district activities and initiatives. His exceptional organizational abilities and willingness to take on responsibilities have made him an invaluable asset to our district. Frank's contributions include but are not limited to:

• District Committee Service: Frank served as the District Webmaster from 2017 to 2023, demonstrating his technical prowess and commitment to enhancing communication within the district.
• Leadership at Training Events: Frank has been instrumental in coordinating registration and promoting attendance at district training events such as Spring Training Assemblies, District Conferences, and Business Meetings.
• Rotary Program Presentations: Frank's expertise in ClubRunner and DACdb has made him a go-to resource for members of clubs in the district, showcasing his dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering learning among fellow Rotarians.
• District Project Leadership: As the creator and editor of the District Newsletter, Fifty Sixty News, from 2017 to 2021, Frank demonstrated his leadership qualities by effectively communicating district news and initiatives to members.
• Club Level Leadership: Frank has served as the Wenatchee Club Secretary and Appleseed Editor since 2016, and currently holds the position of Rotary Foundation Chair, exemplifying his commitment to serving his club and advancing Rotary's objectives at the club level.

Frank's tireless efforts, exemplary leadership, and selfless dedication embody the spirit of Rotary and exemplify the values upheld by the Harold R. Henderson Award. He is truly deserving of this honor, and I wholeheartedly endorse his nomination for this esteemed accolade.

Months of planning and procurement of supplies and equipment, invitations to over 50 nonprofits and businesses, and eight presentations, resulted in 108 individual volunteers (from middle schoolers to people in their 80's) and 459 hours of donated time staffing waste collection stations throughout the park. Volunteers representing 23 different organizations and businesses reported having fun and that the reception they received was overwhelmingly positive and appreciative.  Confluence Rotary coordinated the project, and was joined by members of the Wenatchee Downtown, Sunrise, and East Wenatchee clubs, as well as the Wenatchee High School Interact Club. Rotarians stepped up in a big way - providing half of the volunteers and shift hours to this project!

This second year of the Towards Zero Waste Apple Blossom project expanded by offering composting to individual food vendors in addition to cardboard recycling, collection of compost and mixed waste every day rather than just one, and for the first time the Apple Blossom All-Service Club Luncheon offered a plant-based/low carbon entree option. The Confluence club worked with Winton and Sustainable NCW to offer a "Green Vendor Award" for the first time also.  For photos of Rotarians in action click this link. You can also watch a NCW Life feature story, and read about it in the Wenatchee World.

Keynote speaker Patti Bevilacqua inspired us with her story of "owning" her multiple sclerosis diagnosis, becoming a fearless MS warrior.

At lunch, music director and Conductor of the Okanakan Symphony Orchestra Rosemary Thomson shared her story about her diagnosis of ADHD as an "older" adult and how that motivated her, providing a better understanding of herself and others.???????

The evening speaker, Alison MacLean, a Rotary peace fellow and documentary producer, told a story of heroism as she exposed her experiences as a combat camera person in Afghanistan.

During the day, we had time to meet new people and learn about DACdb, membership growth, peace building, the Shoebox Project, Rotary branding, Canva, and leadership journey through District roles.

On our final morning, Dan Price talked about how he identified and managed mental health issues in his work life. He provided tips for all of us as we face similar situations. 

And, of course, our brilliant Youth Exchange students were delightful. They challenged the audience to a game of "who knows the most about the world," with each student asking a question about something unique in their culture. We learn A LOT.

Mark your calendars for next year's conference, May 1-4, 2025 at the Yakima Convention Center.