Today was an important date -- Les Mosher's birthday. So before the meeting started, there was a cake (with not nearly enough candles) and everyone sang him Happy Birthday. Congratulations Les.
Opening/Chair: Audrie-Jo was chair for the day and she asked Laurie to lead the group in the singing of O Canada which she followed with a Rotary grace.
Visitors/Guests: Lindsay Lamb was a guest for the last time today before her reinduction as an active member.
Speaker: Today's speaker was our own Lydia Sorflaten.
Lydia grew up on a small mixed farm in the Annapolis Valley. Following graduation from Acadia with a Foods and Nutrition major, she completed her Dietetic Internship at Toronto Western Hospital. She taught Family Studies for 33 years. She married an Agricultural graduate from University of Manitoba, Allan Sorflaten in 1968. Several years later, to her surprise, he wanted to move to Nova Scotia to farm. After 10 years back on the home farm in Clarence, they moved to Truro area where Allan worked for Agriculture Canada for 17 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.
Lydia took early retirement in 1998. Allan and she both joined the Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO) in 1999. Since then, they have completed 25 international assignments as CESO Volunteers in Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Cameroon, the Philippines and at FAO in Rome in areas of Conservation Farming, Nutrition, Entrepreneurial Development and Marketing. For her, Rotary has opened opportunities both at home and in her international work.
During February of this year, Allan and Lydia joined a tour of Canada Foodsgrain Project work in Ethiopia. With the help of a slide presentation Lydia described to the club the countryside they had travelled through, the people she had met and projects that she and her husband Allan had visited.
The Canada Foodgrains Bank was started in 1983 by 15 Canadian Churches in response to the famine that had struck Ethiopia that year. 1.3 M people had died during that time. She told us that there were many farmers who grew crops and donated the proceeds to provide aid for famine relief. There were, in fact, 6 projects in the immediate area that had grown grain last year through the Grow Hope project. After matching by the Canadian Government some $44,000 had been sent for famine relief.
Lydia told us that 60% of the Canada Foodgrains budget went to urgent famine relief while 35% went to projects intended to help farmers become more self sufficient. It was this area where she and Allan had worked in the past on projects.
She explained the projects and how they were helping the population of Ethiopia insure there would not be a repeat of the terrible famines of the past. From her slides and description there is much work to do.
Lydia was thanked by Rotarian Kevin Quinlan.
Member Health: No report.
Announcements and Reports:
Laurie reported on the RYLA event. A detailed story appears later in the bulletin. Thank you to all the team for helping out. Others congratulated Laurie on the success of the day. The video, the "Pale Blue Dot" that had been shown that day was recommended to everyone. https://youtu.be/GO5FwsblpT8
Matt updated the group on the progress of the yearbook. There have been 62 clients agreed and 11 confirmed declined. The following Rotarians already have visits recorded. Adam H, Adam W, Alana, Barbara, Chester, Esther, Grant, Jane, Jim Goit, Jim Gould, Joanna, Keith, Ken B, Ken MacDonald, Kevin, Larry, Laurie, Lech, Les, Lydia, Matt R, Mike D, Richard, Rod, Ted, Tom, and Wayne. Top "Prize" for most agreeds so far: Richard Bowness - 9. The Runner up Adam Wylie with 7 Agreeds. There are still 534 clients left to contact.
Jim Goit reported that he has posted a story about Brian Matthews and Jim Gould's attendance at the RI convention. (Later in the bulletin). Brian's report mentions "beer" 5 times. We can't wait until they get back so we can get the full story of their adventure.
President's Report:
President Ryan thanked Lydia for her presentation.
He mentioned that he had been at a meeting with the staff of the Community Workshop about the golf tournament. It will be in September and there will be some changes to revitalize it and make it even better.
Ryan thanked Laurie for her work on the RYLA event. It was a great day.
He reminded everyone that the Director's meeting for June would be held this Thursday (June 6) at 7:00 in the boardroom of the library at the NSCC Truro Campus.
He also reminded everyone that the club's semi-annual meeting would be held on June 24. Please come out to support the club.
He wished Les Mosher Happy Birthday.
Lindsay Lamb was formally inducted as an active member of the club. Her sponsor is Alana. Lindsay was a members of our club from 2007 to 2015 when she moved away from Truro. She has been a member of the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbourside until recently. She currently works for PriceWaterhouseCoopers as well at her own private CA practice. Welcome back Lindsay.
Happy Mug: There were a couple of happy Rotarians today:
Kirk was happy to have had a visit with santa last weekend and he was gearing up to take him on the road next fall.
Ed MacDonald was happy to have had a reunion with some Acadia alumni friends.
50/50: President Ryan has the winning ticket but despite his best efforts could not find the joker so left the $25 pot to build for another week.
The 2019 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) day was hosted by the Rotary Club of Truro on May 31st on the DalAC campus. There were 20 students from Tatamagouche Regional Academy, South Colchester Academy and Cobequid Education Centre (CEC). Three or four of the students were from the local Interactor clubs.
The theme for this year's RYLA event was Environment Stewardship. Rotarian Ed MacDonald participated in a panel presentation along with Kevin and Darlyne Proctor from the Colchester Balefill facility on the topic.
The last activity of the day saw the students painting individual posters of what they thought they could do, or what humanity needs to do, for the sustainability of our planet. The poster activity was led by Nuri Guerra, a local artist who owns Visual Voice, a studio in Truro, and the works will be on display at NSCC Truro Campus as the initial show. The aim is to have a show of the work at the local library as well.
In the photo is Shelby Thompson holding her environmental image.
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Students also presented their portfolios and were interviewed by a team of Rotarians.
Shelby Thompson (grade 12, CEC) Kathryn Nickerson (grade 12, CEC) each won a
$500 bursary for their efforts. The interview team was made up of Ken MacDonald (left)
Wayne Gillis and Rod Jones.
Students gave the conference a high rating. Feedback such as "wish it could have been longer" and "enjoyed making plans to help rebuild our natural resources" made the day very worthwhile.
Laurie Sandeson was in charge of the day. She was assisted by Ryan Beazley, Les Mosher, Derrick Higgins, Rod Jones, Wayne Gillis, Ed MacDonald, Ken MacDonald, Larry Beazley, Lech Krzywonos and non-Rotarian/Admin Support Jessie Patriquin from Sun Life. Thanks to the great team who came together to help pull this off!
Brian Matthews and Jim Gould are at the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg Germany and report they are having a good time. This quote from Brian:
" Jim and I are having a great time. All flights through Gatwick and then Hamburg were right on time . The only issue we had was when our subway train was delayed in getting to the air airbnb but everything worked out. Our accommodations are fine.
We made it back into town to go to a Fencing Fraternity where we were supplied with all the free beer we could drink and later had an exhibition of fencing. Not by drunken people by the way. Then we had a lovely dinner and caught up with old friends like Greg Trefry and Louisa Horne and Rob Christie. Even though we were late getting home last night on the subway it was uneventful.
This morning (Sunday) we attended the opening ceremonies at the Inspiration Lounge which was by invitation only and listen to our outgoing international president Barry Rassin and were entertained by a variety of marvellous performers. Then we took time to have a sausage for lunch accompanied by beer before going through the House of Friendship and seeing lots of interesting projects. Then tonight we attended another event which included beer call "Brews" which is a fellowship that I belong to - Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide . It was on a steamship riverboat in the Hamburg Harbour on the Elbe River. We had beer and sandwiches and met all kinds of wonderful people from all over the world.
Tomorrow we take in the first sessions of the convention and are looking forward to spending the afternoon doing some touring around. Here's a few pictures. ..........Brian"
Notice how often the word Beer appears in Brian's report. We look forward to hearing all about it when they get home.
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Today was an important date -- Les Mosher's birthday. So before the meeting started, there was a cake (with not nearly enough candles) and everyone sang him Happy Birthday. Congratulations Les.
Brian Matthews and Jim Gould are at the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg Germany and report they are having a good time. This quote from Brian: 
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