Rotary Club of Oak Bay Meeting 5 May 2015 - Carol Carman, Read Society

Reporter: John Edgell

Photos: Steve Sharlow

Joan Peggs acted as Master of Ceremonies

The meeting began with O Canada.

Joan P. mentioned that May will be labeled Community Service Month beginning in the 2015-2016 Rotary Year.  She cited two of our May Community events:

Rotary Water Park cleanup which was last Saturday. She showed some photos so everyone could appreciate the facility and underline the fun it provides families in our community.

Mardi Gras Dinner and Auction this coming Saturday May 9 at the Monterey Centre.  There were 18 tickets left. This is one event that raises funds which make a very tangible contribution to our community.

Will Carter provided a very “thankful” Grace.

Guests:

Dallas Chapple welcomed our Guests:

Eileen Lavigne guest of Steve Sharlow.

Jenny Hildebrand guest of Anne McIntyre

Madaline Larson guest of Lori McLeod

Announcements:

• Mary Canty was asked about health of the Club and as she had nothing to report she used her time to report that Guatemala Scarves were selling well at $20.  Wolf Schopper had taken the majority so Mary reported she will have more scarves available shortly. The money from these items goes to the Women’s Centre in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
• Joan Firkins highlighted the Mardi Gras event on Saturday.  She needs more volunteers for the event. Brian Lamb has the unsold tickets.  All Silent Auction items should be at the Monterey Centre.
• Steve Sharlow reported that Lance Shaver, Rotaractor, won the “Shoe Challenge” on the Rotary Facebook page.  If you have not done so, log onto Facebook and see the great gallery of photos that are available.
• The Rotary Club of Downtown Victoria is in the process of being chartered.  
• A group of Rotaractors and friends have decided to have a “young” Club.
• John Jordan is having a Plant Sale at his home on Saturday and Sunday May 9-10,2015. I believe proceeds will be applied to the Rwanda project that John favours.
• John Edgell commented on the difficulties in Jalisco State in Mexico and gave a short update on the Global Grant Project La Prepa in Las Varas ,Nayarit State.  Please take a moment to follow the link: here to read more.
• Joan Peggs brought up the Club Flag Program.  She reported that Dallas Chapple had posted the program in her Strata Newsletter and that it immediately produced a new subscription.

Our President, Jim Force, was Celebration Master.  He began by auctioning a book on the Winnipeg Falcons, who were Canada’s first Olympic hockey team in 1920.  Interestingly, the whole team were Icelanders.  Heather paid $15 for the privilege of getting Alexander this nice hockey memorabilia book.  There were 4 or 5 “early leavers” but they were rattled off so quickly your scribe missed the names.

The Mardi Gras Committee members were asked to stand and tables without one of these members were fined $2 while the lucky tables with members in attendance, only paid $1.

Happy and Sad:

Lynne reports her diabetes is causing further problems

Vicky Pitt reported how happy she is that our Global Scholarship candidate, Khristine Foster, is off to the University of Queensland, Australia, and that next year’s applicant, Katy DeRosa, is in the process of being approved. (Katy spoke at a recent meeting on the plight of asylum seekers.)

Steve Sharlow had the winning “draw” ticket but could not find the “black” marble.

Our Guest Speaker, Carol Carman is Co-Chair , Board of Directors,  Read Society

Carol has a passion for literacy, and brings her professional communication skills to the Society. She spent 16 years struggling in the Government environment, as well as additional time in the private sector. She knows, in depth, the terrible toll that unemployment, disability, poverty, homelessness and substance abuse have on our community, and indeed, the communities throughout the world.  Literacy is the vehicle through which everyone can improve their situation from the youngest in a family to the illiterate senior.

The Read Society is committed to literacy, both in reading and numeracy. The Society depends on private donations and grants to fund its work.  There is no Provincial or Federal money involved.

Several of Carol’s key points:

1. The Read Society uses the UNESCO Standards to measure literacy.  It is a 5 level grid: one (1) no ability to use the written word;. (3) Can handle complex text “barely” and; (5) highly capable…
2. BC has the highest literacy rank in Canada and Victoria the highest in BC.
3. There are “pockets” of extremely low literacy in our area which is at least partially due to the “resource extraction” industry legacy, and our First Nations, where literacy has not been “culturally” important until very recently.
4. It seems incredible that 40% of adults on Vancouver Island are not capable (low literacy skills) of completing a typical job application.  
5. Even more startling is the fact that 75% of our prison population is illiterate.
6. One of the key reading programs offered by Read Society is called “Noisy Kids Reading Club”. Offered after school at several “low income area” schools, it focuses on busy activities as much as reading skills, and is very popular.
7. The “Tuition Assistance” program allows the Society to partner with students in paying for courses.
8. The “Read is on the Road” program focuses on First Nations.  The program is run in Band Office facilities and utilizes First Nation youth to mentor the young students.  The stress of this program is to remain “culturally sensitive“ and provide specialty books to achieve this objective.
9. The Society is currently operating a literacy program at the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre on Wilkinson Road and is in need of teacher volunteers, as the demand is far more than the Society can provide.

In summary, Carol told us the Read Society goal is to make Vancouver Island "the most Literate and Numerate region in Canada”.

In question period, Jim Force noted that we were considering a “Joint Venture” between Rotary and  First Book Canada,  particularly aimed at low income families and schools, as well as First Nations people.  The need is to get new books to these families in June, before summer vacation, as it has been recognized that children lose their reading skills over the summer holidays if they do not read.

Brian thanked Carol and gave her the traditional Oak Bay Rotary coffee mug

We sang the Queen and everyone was encouraged to come out to Saturday night’s Mardi Gras fundraiser.