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District 5080
Like all other districts in
the Rotary world, District 5080 has experienced numerous boundary
changes and renumbering since 1921, when the area was in District
No.1.
The District has always been
international. The clubs lobbied long and hard to maintain the
District’s international status at every proposed territory split.
As far as Rotarians are concerned, there is no border between the
Canadian and American clubs. Today, the District has 56 clubs, with
a combined membership of about 3,000. There are 17 clubs in
south-eastern British Columbia, 15 in northern Idaho, and 24 in
western Washington. The American clubs are in Zone 23, while the
Canadian clubs form part of Zone 22. Although there is no firm
policy governing the selection process for district governors, they
are usually elected one from Canada then in the two following years
from American clubs, reflecting the population distribution of the
District. This report will highlight activities and projects in the
Zone 22 clubs and joint international projects.
Club Service
One of the essential
components of club service is attendance and membership. District
5080 clubs have an admirable record in that respect. Before he
passed away in April 2003, Victor Brown a member of the Rotary Club
of Cranbrook B.C., had achieved 60 years of Rotary service. Erling
Johnson and Sparling East, charter members respectively of Rotary
Clubs of Nakusp B.C. and Fernie B.C., have acquired over 50 years
of service. The small club of Beaver Valley B.C., with a membership
of 18, has consistently rated No.1 club in the number of members
attending district conferences. At the Barcelona international
convention in 2002, the Rotary Club of Trail B.C. received
recognition as “top club” (for clubs with over 50 members) in Zone
22 for Rotary International President Richard King’s Global Quest
Membership drive.
Interesting club
projects enrich the District’s annual conferences and stimulate the
clubs to become involved in District affairs. In 1994-95, each club
was asked to take to the district conference a back-pack, decorated
with aspects of local significance, as gifts for exchange students
to take back to their home countries. In 1997-98 and 1998-99, clubs
were asked to bring bird houses, designed and decorated
imaginatively. At the end of the conference, the bird houses were
auctioned off with the proceeds going to The Rotary Foundation. In
2000-01 each club was asked to bring a railway car with a specific
dimension that could be used as a mailbox, a planter, flower pot or
other utility. The conference host club made the engine and next
years host club made the caboose. All the cars were auctioned off;
the proceeds went to The Rotary Foundation. In 2001-02 the clubs
took bridges to the conference for auction.
Community Service
The Rotary clubs in
Cranbrook, Nakusp, Nelson and Trail have participated in housing
projects for seniors in each of their communities. In 1998 the
Rotary club of Cranbrook started a long-term project in co-operation
with the city to build a cycle-walk trail through the city of
Cranbrook. The opening ceremony of phase 1 of the project was
conducted at the June district conference in 2001. The trail is
designed to benefit those who want to participate in physical
activities, especially seniors.
Between 1996 and 1998,
the 16 Canadian Rotary clubs in District 5080 joined with the 34
clubs in District 5060 and four in District 5040 to raise $1.2
million toward the $4.9 million Rotary Cancer Lodge in Kelowna B.C.
(For details about the project, see District 5060).
International Service
Rotary clubs in District
5080 – on both sides of the border - have always been enthusiastic
supporters of The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Club of Beaver
Valley B.C., of conference attendance fame (see above), has for
years achieved number one rank in the highest per capita giving to
The Rotary Foundation. At the 1994 international convention in
Taipei, District 5080 was one of 20 districts to receive an award of
recognition for achieving 75 or more benefactors.
In 2003, District
Governor Jon Brewer, a member of the Rotary Club of Pullman,
Washington, collected almost US$14,000 from Rotary clubs in the
District and personally delivered 330 wheelchairs to Dr. Jacob Roy’s
wheelchair project in District 3200 in India.
Service to Youth
The late Bill Conger
(1925-95), a member of the Rotary club of Spokane West, Washington,
served as Chair of the District Youth Exchange Committee from 1972
until his death in 1995. He expanded the youth exchange program from
five students a year to over 40. In honour of his work, a Bill
Conger memorial fund was established to aid students who want to
participate in the program but need financial assistance.
Thanks to Conger’s
efforts the youth exchange program in District 5080 has been
recognized in an article in the Rotarian magazine as one of the top
ten district programs in North America. The district committee now
works with 140 to 160 young people around the world each year. The
number of inbound and outbound students is about equal. In 2003, the
District participated in the “short term” or “summer” program, which
added another 20 or more students. In addition to recruiting and
preparing students for an exchange, the committee produced a “Club
Youth Exchange Manual” that has become a model for clubs world-wide.
The manual is presented to each club in the District in September at
the training weekend for club youth exchange officers.
Another popular
international youth program is Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA)
introduced to the District in 1983 by PDG William Mitchell-Banks, a
member of the Rotary club of Creston B.C. The camp of 50
participants takes place, annually, at Deer Lake north of Spokane,
Washington. Camp Director, Dave Douglas has over 20 years of service
to RYLA. |
