Rotary Club of Oak Bay Meeting 28 October, 2014

Reporter and photographer: David Sills 

Double Duty with Sandy Currie  

In addition to emceeing his last meeting, he also introduced the visiting Rotarians and guests. But first, he called on Perry Bamji to say grace. Perry responded with a Four Way Test blessing which reads in part: " …..as we walk along life’s pathway, whatever we may say ‘let it be the truth’, whatever steps we take in life, ‘let them be fair and let them build goodwill and fellowship’, and whatever goals we strive to accomplish, ‘let them be beneficial to all concerned’ ".

Visitors

Today’s guests as introduced by Sandy Currie:

     Eva Grant & Dorothy Hawes - our speakers

     Rex and Jasmeen Grant - parents of Eva Grant

     Krista Foster, District Scholarship Applicant - guest of Lorna Curtis

Announcements   

1)   Neil Rawnsley advised that Tom Croft will conduct the Club Foundation auction on November 18. He also announced that Brian Lamb has achieved a Foundation Fellowship plus Five.

2)   Lorna Curtis noted that a Zone 25/26 Rotary Institute Luncheon is set for November 15 at the Victoria Convention Centre: an opportunity to meet incoming RI President Ravi Ravindran.

3)  Mary Canty advised that ‘Guatamala scarves’ will be sold at a Japanese Society fundraiser on November 9 at the Fairfield Hall.

4)   Lori McLeod announced a fundraiser for the Eldercare Foundation – ‘Pamper With Purpose Ladies Only’ to be held November 2 at The Ocean Pointe Resort.

5)   Heather Aked is looking for volunteers on December 7 to assist with the Merrython.    

New Member Proposals

At their October meeting, the Board approved membership applications for two people:

Anne McIntyre, sponsored by Neil Rawnsley. Anne is the Executive Director for Disaster Aid, Canada. Her classification is Humanitarian Relief.

Naida Hyde, Sponsored by Barry Mutter. Anne is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. Her classification is Health Services.

Tom Croft  (our Sgt–at-Arms casts a wide net)

Miscreants beware; this S-at-A has his eye on you. With his efficient approach he should be encouraged to run for public office. In short order he fined Don O’Coffey as a ‘line barger, Lori for shameless promotion, Dallas as an early leaver, Barry for not promoting the Victoria Light Up event and numerous others members for Rotary pin and name badge violations.

Happy/sad dollars were paid by Heather for running late all morning and suffering much aggravation plus a minor car dent, David Philip for the cards of encouragement he received during his recent set-back, Joan Peggs for her lost and found pin at the Light-Up Ceremony, Perry to ask why the RI Luncheon leaflet omitted the incoming President’s District, and Steve to announce he has completed his final relocation move - # 24 in 44 years of marriage.    

Birthday congratulations were extended to Lori Mcleod and Rod Sim.

St. Michaels University School

Tom Croft (him again) introduced Dorothy Hawes as our guest speaker. Dorothy is a teacher of Senior School English at SMUS. She holds a BA, PDPP from the University of Victoria, an MA from Queen’s University and an AVCN from the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She has been teaching English at SMUS since 1992.

Dorothy considers public speaking to be an important part of the English course wherein she trains students to prepare and deliver a speech. She reflected on the work in this area by her mentor Colin Skinner, a former member of this Club, who was an English scholar as well as a fine actor on the Victoria stage. Accompanying Dorothy was Eva Grant, a SMUS student, whose persuasive speaking skills allowed her to represent B.C. at a recent gathering of 100 students at the United Nations. Eva also won an award at a recent Vancouver gathering for a speech she presented in French.

Eva was then introduced to the Club. Her talk today centered on the shooting in 2012 of Malala Yousafzai, a young student activist in Pakistan, and the need to bring some critical thinking about the extensive attention by the media and others to this tragic event.

Malala was born in 1997 in the Swat Valle, in northwest Pakistan, where her family ran a chain of schools. At the age of 12, she wrote a blog for the BBC describing her life under Taliban rule and her efforts to promote education for girls. The following year, a documentary about her life was produced by the New York Times and she began giving interviews and appearing on television. Desmond Tutu nominated her for an International Peace Prize. Taliban reaction was swift. In October 2012, she was shot at point blank range by a gunman who boarded her school bus. The assassination attempt sparked an international outpouring of support.

Malala has become an international star. To quote one reporter, she may be the most important teenager in the world. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate and has addressed the United Nations where she called for worldwide access to education.

Our speaker contends that Malala was used by the media and encouraged to speak out while still living in this oppressive society, thereby compromising her safety. Her welfare was ignored and her story used for public consumption. By publishing her beliefs, they ‘blew her cover’. Eva suggests that the media and even Malala’s father lost sight of the common goal of safety for all children.

Eva closed her speech with an apt quote from Ghandi:  "I believe in free speech for everyone except reporters and photographers."

The audience thanked Eva with a standing ovation (only the second time this year) and Sabrina Coraini presented her with the ever-present Oak Bay Rotary mug.

Jasmeen Grant, Eva Grant,
Dorothy Hawes and Rex Grant

And Now a Word from the President
Jim thanked Joan Peggs for her attendance at the fifth annual Light Up for World Polio Day held last Friday evening. A Rotary Wheel and “End Polio Now” were projected on the north wall of the MacPherson Theater. The event was followed by a fundraiser dinner at the Don Mee Restaurant.

He also presented Sandy with a Rotary pin for his efforts as MC for the month of October.

Postscript

A president’s work is never done. Here we see him consulting with two committee members on an important Club matter.