November 25, 2008 Meeting Minutes

Rotaract General
Nov. 25, 2008

Attending: President Gabrielle, VP Darrell (acting as secretary), Treasurer Miranda, Membership co-director Dana – General members – Cheryl, Mark, Cedric, Dale, Becky, Spencer

Guest: Elizabeth (did not get last name, invited by Becky)

Approval of agenda: Motion by Cheryl, seconded Gabrielle - passed
Approval of past minutes: Motion by Dana, seconded Dale - passed

1. Welcome of new members

Official welcome to new members Mark (I finally paid, it’s official) Forman, David Crouse (unable to attend), Spencer Brownell. Congratulations all around and welcome to the new members.

2. Youth Emergency Shelter - Black and White dance

Event is this Saturday (November 29) for everyone who volunteered to help at the event. If you have volunteered contact Gabrielle to get information of a possible dress code and duties and time. Duties include security patrol and/or baby-sitting (actual babies, not the teenagers). Contact Gabrielle ASAP for more info if needed.

3. November social night

This past Saturday (Nov. 22) was the monthly Rotaract social event - gingerbread house making at Mark’s house. Event was fun for all who attended, copious amounts of rum in the icing made spreading it more challenging and Mark’s bathroom still smells like rum (thanks to Dale and Cheryl for hiding a house in there that took Mark two days to discover). The December social event is the Rotary Christmas Party – see details below.

4. Rotary Christmas party

Event is Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Grande Prairie Inn, cocktails at 6 p.m. dinner at 7 p.m. Is a city-wide Rotary event and generally a more classy affair. If planning to attend RSVP to Cheryl no later than Dec. 2. Register at the door when you arrive so the club can be invoiced at a later date.
Rotaract needs a reporting sergeant volunteer, basically a snitch, someone who will advise the master sergeant about events and people in our club that can be mocked properly in front of Rotary. Any volunteers? Contact Cheryl ASAP.
Also Cheryl is seeking donations for the silent auction. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Youth Emergency Shelter. Any questions about the event contact Cheryl ASAP.

5. Rotaract badges
Gabrielle to contact former member Bill Given to get any information available on getting new name badges for new members.

6. Duck Race
Committee has a target list of prizes and is now trying to contact potential sponsors to determine what we can get. Hope to have firm list of prizes by Dec. 16.
Committee always looking for help. Anyone willing or wanting information contact Darrell.

7. Club Secretary assistant

Due to a family illness Sarah might be as available she would like to be for meetings so club needs a volunteer to take minutes on nights Sarah is not there. Contact Sarah if you want to be the go-to person or contact Gabrielle.

8. Rotaract Charity Scavenger Hunt

There is no general meeting in December for Rotaract. The first meeting date, Dec. 9 is instead the Rotaract Charity Scavenger Hunt, in past years this has benefited the Food Bank, this year club is contacting Youth Emergency Shelter to see what items we might be able to raise to help them. Event involved Rotaract teams canvassing friends and family to raise certain donations in a one-night blitz. This year an invitation is being extended to Interact and the exchange students as well. If you plan to come and participate RSVP to Gabrielle as soon as possible to help with vehicle planning. More details on the event will be coming via e-mail so stay tuned.

November 11, 2008 Meeting Minutes

Members: Dana, Kathleen, Jeff, Cedrick, Darrell, Gabrielle, Mark, Kendra, Dale, Michelle
Guests: David, Spencer & Kimberly

1. Introductions

2. Approving the Minutes of the Last Meeting
(no one recalls getting the minutes ... let’s move on ... )

3. Approving the Agenda
(motioned by Darrell, seconded by Dana)

4. Presentation by former Rotaractor Someh Niengor – Executive Director of GP YESS

The Grande Prairie Youth Emergency Shelter Society operates Sunrise House Youth Emergency Shelter, a Street Outreach Program and school outreach programs which engage youth to tell THEIR stories to other youth & encourage positive change. Youth homelessness is notoriously poorly funded by government. Most non-profit agencies fundraise 20-50% of their budgets, while GPYESS fundraises almost 80%

The shelter serves children that run away from home due to fighting or abuse and need a place to stay for a few days until it blows over, runaways from the system, kids who are abandoned or neglected, those involved in sexual exploitation or drugs, and those lacking mental health or medical support trying to do whatever they can to survive.

There are a few GPYESS events coming up that they’d like Rotaract to help out with:
The Positive Choice Project – works to engage youth before they get into trouble by giving them something fun to do and give GPYESS support workers a chance to develop a relationship with them. The first initiative of the PC Project is a Black & White Much Music Video Dance Party, Saturday, November 29th 7:00pm-12:00am. Volunteers are needed to ‘chaperone’; directing people to the gym, monitoring the VIP section, ensuring no one gets into other areas of the school, keeping an eye out for intoxication, etc

Anyone interested in volunteering contact marsha@sunrisehouse.ca (cc Michelle so you get an attendance credit!!)

Homeless for a Night – raised $43,000 last year (close to twice what was raised in previous years. Rotaract has been involved from the beginning, cooking dinner for all participants.
Leisure Centre Luau – PC Project in January that they could require volunteers for.
Global Youth Day – PC Project modelled after Oprah’s Big Give where PC Project participants will get into groups & attempt to trade up from paperclips to secure the items non-profit groups in our community need. Local fundraisers will act as judges and eliminate one group each month, but they’ll need other volunteers.

GPYESS will recognize Rotaract for their support through posters, media coverage etc.

5. District Conference

The Rotary District Conference goes May 14-17 in Jasper.
Cedrick has booked two rooms for Rotaract (enough room for 4-8 people). Anyone planning to attend please let Cedrick know ASAP. Our club has been asked to make a presentation at the conference about what we’ve accomplished, what our current projects are, and how we work with our local Rotary clubs & Interact. Anyone interested in helping with the presentation contact Michelle.

6. Festival of Trees
Thursday November 13th – Volunteers Needed for set construction from 12:00-9:00
Bring your own drill/driver/saw

7. November Social

November 22 – Gingerbread House decorating at Mark’s House (30 Pinnacle Ave.) The gingerbread decorating starts at 7:00 ... feel free to bring your FAVOURITES: candy for the houses, snacks for our bellies, or drinks for our amusement.
Michelle will pickup 5 gingerbread kits & continue hating science

8. Duck Race

Ideal prize list is in development for 2009 ... if anyone have any suggestions let Darrell know.
The committee is working to develop an application system for potential partner groups, get final numbers for this year’s partners & get cheques into their hands asap.

Our portion of the proceeds from the 2008 race will go to pay the GP Rotary Club back for their loan of ‘seed money’, keep enough to fund our 2009 lottery, with any extra going to fulfil our commitment to The Community Village. DUCK RACE 2009 IS SCHEDULED FOR JULY 26, 2009 – anyone interested in helping is welcome at our regular Tuesday meetings ... contact Darrell for details of the next meeting.

9. Quad Club Christmas Party
Friday December 5th at the Grande Prairie Inn

Members of all three Rotary Clubs, Interact and Rotaract are invited to attend. Rotaract will cover the cost of any Rotaractors that want to attend, but anyone who wishes to bring a guest should be prepared to cover the cost of their ticket (apprx. $40 for their guest). Though again we have no records of ever being billed by Rotary for our Christmas Party tickets, so I guess you’re only on the hook IF we’re billed!

Our club is in-charge of decor ... if you’d like to help contact Cheryl
All proceeds from the evening will go to the Grande Prairie Youth Emergency Shelter Society

10. ONE LIFE Experience at People’s Church
November 20th at 11am
Rotaractors have been invited for a special sneak-peak at this interactive experience created through World Vision to help you step into the life of a child in an African village.

11. SCAVENGER HUNT
December 9th, 7:30pm
Meet at our regular meeting room at the Stanford Inn, break into teams, get our list of items to collect, and then hit the streets (and our friend’s houses) to collect as many as possible!
Gabrielle will contact GPYESS to see if we can collect the items they need on their behalf.

12. NO MEETING ON DECEMBER 23rd
Motioned by Gabrielle, Seconded by Dale

13. ROUNDTABLE

Mark’s been doing lots of travelling (to exotic places like Montreal and Fort St John). Mark confirmed his membership so he’s now officially a Rotaractor.

Spencer shared with us what he does at the Keg ... and how he & Kimberly put up their Christmas Tree, but gave up on the lights on their house. Spencer was introduced to the club through Keith Curtis at The Keg. Thanks Keith! And Thanks Spencer & Kimberly for visiting!

Kendra is learning how to drive in the snow (really learning for the first time ... not re-teaching herself like the rest of Grande Prairians do every ‘first snowfall’).

Dale has officially moved into the new place & is starting renovations now that their Nov. 1 STARS fundraiser is over ... They raised $46,000 through a dinner & dance in Dale’s hometown of Debolt!

Michelle will be spending Christmas in Grande Prairie for the first time ... spending the holidays with her new redneck family.

Dana will be in Lahaina Maui in just over a month with her family.

Kathleen just got paid back for a bike her brother Nathan borrowed & didn’t lock up 4 years ago.

David’s happy he won’t have to listen to Kathleen complain about the bike their brother Nathan borrowed & didn’t lock up 4 years ago. We’re also thrilled to welcome David as a new member!

Jeff has moved into a new position at Timbrr Mart and is working days (less evening & weekends) so he was able to join us tonight!

Darrell has gifts for people who donated their time at the Street Performers Festival and considered using them to bribe people to vote for Debi & Darrell’s proposal story at www.q99live.com, so they can win $4,000 in Tacori Wedding Bands!

Club President Gabrielle is recruiting people for pyramid schemes & alcoholism ... she pins down

Michelle & Dale, so look out for either of them or you could be next!!

14. MEETING ADJOURNED – 9:04pm