Rotary District 5550 Conference is Going Electronic

Keep your head up, because it will all change tomorrow. That pretty much captures our present situation in a nutshell.

We have been forced to grasp an opportunity. Our District Conference will be an online event. This will provide everyone in our District an opportunity to experience a District Conference, albeit not in person.

We will be entertained and challenged by our speakers including immediate past RI president Barry Rassin, Rotary International Director Jeffry Cadorette, Kevin Lamoureux and Kevin Chief.

There will be an opportunity to pose questions to Barry and Jeffry in an open forum. (We will likely have to get your questions ahead of time.)

We will receive updates from the Rotary Foundation, Ripple Effect, ShelterBox, District Literacy and World Peace Partners.

We will pass the torch from DG Fred to Gailmarie Anderson and from DGE Gailmarie to DGN Dan Sutton.

We will acknowledge the 100^th anniversary of the Rotary Clubs of Kenora, Prince Albert and Weyburn.

This is still a great time to be a Rotarian!

 Fred

Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, was the President of Rotary International for 2018-19

As president, Rassin aimed to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.

“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”

Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.

A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.

Rassin received Rotary’s highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.

Jeffry Cadorette retired from healthcare in 1999 after a 25-year career as a physical therapist. He had been President and CEO of Physical Therapy Associates of Delaware County in Pennsylvania until merging his practice with Riddle Memorial Hospital to form the Riddle Rehabilitation Institute and Riddle Sports

A Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Media, PA since 1977, Jeff served as Governor of District 7450 in 1998-1999.

In September of 2016 he was the selection of the Zones 24/32 Nominating Committee for Director to serve on the Rotary International Board of Directors in 2018-2020. 

He has represented the President of Rotary International at District Conferences across the country and in Canada and has been the keynote and motivational speaker at numerous district conferences, Rotary Foundation dinners, Rotary workshops, and seminars around North America.

He is a recipient of the Rotary International Service Above Self Award, Rotary International’s highest honor for individual Rotarians and a recipient of The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award, the Foundation’s highest distinction.

 

Kevin Lamoureux is a Faculty member at the University of Winnipeg and a well known public speaker. He has served as Associate Vice President for the University of Winnipeg, Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and as Scholar in Residence for several school divisions.

He is an award-winning scholar with an impressive publication and research grant record and has consulted for governments, organizations and institutions across Canada. His most recent book contribution, for Ensouling Our Schools with Dr Jennifer Katz, is being used by educators across Canada working to create inclusive spaces for all students. He has been seen on TV, in documentaries, in print, and in the media. More than anything, Lamoureux is committed to reconciliation and contributing to an even better Canada for all children to grow up in.

“The key is to look in the eyes of a child and see the potential and possibilities, instead of focusing on the challenges and barriers” – Kevin Chief.

Kevin Chief came to The University of Winnipeg on a basketball scholarship and quickly became a Wesmen Athletics all-star athlete before graduating in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Reaching out to Indigenous and inner-city youth to encourage and support them to stay in school became his passion.

The emphasis of his work has been to create, develop, and implement programs, initiatives, and opportunities for children, youth, and students to develop their potential, increase academic achievement, and acquire a desire to learn. Chief’s leadership style is collaborative and inclusive, and he is a role model, mentor, and inspiration to many young people.

Chief is a proud North Ender and was elected to the Manitoba Legislative Assembly in 2011. He was appointed Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities in 2012, where he continued developing programs to help youth overcome hardship and adversity.