On February 2, President Ed and Board members provided an update on our club's progress towards our Strategic Plan by reviewing the club's annual goals.
Right out of the blocks we heard that we have already achieved or surpassed some of our goals, including these highlights:
Club membership growth - we've surpassed our target of 25 to reach 27 members!!
Service Participation - we've had great participation in the service project committees, service presentations, monthly Food on the Corner, and support for our youth clubs and projects.
We've enjoyed 3/5 planned social activities for annual fellowship - thank you to Abigail and Jason for hosting an amazing summer BBQ, members who attended the Dim Sum Social at Pink Pearl Restaurant in October, and to Carlos and Azita who hosted our wonderful Christmas Party Potluck.
We've already exceeded our $4000 CAD Rotary International Annual Fund Contribution by more than $1000 and we're on track to exceed our $1500 annual contribution to Polio Plus.
Received a District 5040 grant to support our Hoop-a-thon fund-raising that will allow us to sponsor the new Boys Who RISE (Respectable Individuals Striving Everyday) program that is piloting this year under the mentorship of Mitra Tshan who founded the Girls Who LEAP (Lead to Empower and Act with Purpose) program.
Areas for priority focus in the coming months include:
Completing our year's signature service projects, Hoop-a-thon (live again on April 23rd!!!) and Project Amigo sponsorship of children's schooling.
Participating in the District 5040 Conference May 20-22 - we have 4 members signed up, we're targeting for 6, so we need two more...
Supporting the District Foundation Dinner which is also scheduled for April 23rd and will be featuring fundraising that will also support.
Continuing our public image social media, bulletin and website updates as we launch our projects, including media coverage through Global BC TV's Hoop-a-thon sponsorship.
Great work and a big thank you to our amazing club members who make it all possible!
Thanks to the “words of encouragement” from our auctioneer and Past-President Matthew, as well as the generosity of our members in donating and bidding on items and experiences, our annual in-house Valentine’s Auction on February 9th was an incredible success!
Not only was it great fun, we raised a record $8,485 that will be put to good use, including:
- to pay for club operation costs (supporting our youth clubs and programs, club insurance, badges, banners, etc.); and
- to sponsor several children of migrant farm workers in Mexico to attend school through our work with Project Amigo. Check out:
While some participants were able to take home some sweet goodies, beverages and gift baskets, others will enjoy their choice of items with gift cards.
And for those successful bidders on lunches, dinners or other experiences and events, it appears your timing was excellent as Covid protocols ease dramatically.
Looking forward to next year’s event!
The Doctor is In - Learning About Ophthalmology
Dr. Briar Sexton joined us on February 16th to speak to us about the practice and profession of Ophthalmology. We learned that it is one of the "3 Os" of eye professionals who help us manage our eye care and vision needs.
An Optician (sometimes known as a "dispensing optician") is a trained vision care technician who specializes in fitting eyeglass lenses, frames, contact lenses, and other vision correction devices. In Canada, an optician is required to be licensed by an accredited ophthalmic institute, must be registered with a provincial regulatory agency, and must possess an ophthalmic dispensing licence.
An Optometrist is a primary eye care provider who can conduct eye exams, write prescriptions, and treat eye diseases. Canadian optometrists require seven to eight years of training at a post-secondary institution before obtaining their professional designation as a Doctor of Optometry (also known as an OD).
An Ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who is also licensed to assess vision and eye health, carry out surgical procedures, and pre- and post-operative eye care. In Canada, medical school graduates must complete a residency minimum of five-year residency and many will continue on for an additional one to two years to specialize in a particular vision component, such as the cornea, retina, or neuro-ophthalmology (how the eyes and brain work together). Many ophthalmologists are involved in scientific research on the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision disorders and also carry out the same examination and dispensing services as Optometrists and Opticians.
Dr. Briar completed 14 years of medical training before opening her practice in Kitsilano https://briarsexton.com. She treats an average of 45 patients a day in her busy clinic with the help of her team of three staff and also teaches twice a month in a hospital-based setting.
We also learned that demand is outpacing the availability of ophthalmologists across Canada with the aging population, diseases and accidents. Over 8 million Canadians are affected by cataracts, and other more serious disorders such as muscular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, as well as concussions and other health conditions.
Many thanks to Dr. Briar for sharing her story and enlightening us about this important area of health care and professional service.
Things You Should Know About Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers (MVCS)
Anissa Lau, an Outreach and Event Coordinator for MVCS, gave an excellent presentation on February 23rd to inform us about Crime Stoppers and its community safety work.
Crime Stoppers is a completely independent, not-for-profit organization that takes information from anonymous members of the public about crimes past, present and future. They offer cash rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to a charge or an arrest. Callers are given a code number which is used for case updates and rewards. Tipsters are never asked to testify (they are protected by the Supreme Court of Canada).
Crime Stoppers recognizes that the success of the program depends on the tipster’s anonymity. Therefore, they do not ask for the tipster’s name, phone number, caller ID nor do they trap IP addresses or use call display. THEY DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE; THEY JUST WANT YOUR INFORMATION.
Telephone: 1-800-222-8477 (live operator 24/7 with translation available in 115 languages)
Is it worth it? In 2021, MVCS received 4,741 tips, seized property and drugs valued at $2.29 million and charged 96 people. Since its inception, MVCS has received well over 100,000 tips, recovered over $500 million in property and drugs and made 8,200 arrests.
There are more than 1,800 Crime Stoppers program in 32 countries worldwide and more than 100 Crime Stoppers programs in Canada. Thank you to Anissa and to the MVCS for providing us with this valuable information.
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