Category Archives: Club Service

Guest Speakers – Nepisiguit Volunteer Travel Group

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GUEST SPEAKERS: Michel (Chico) Doucet and Emily Whalen, Nepisiquit Volunteer Travel Group

The Nepisiquit Volunteer Travel Group, under the umbrella of the Free the Children organization, is a group whose intent is to travel to underdeveloped countries to empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty through a holistic, sustainable international development model, Adopt a Village. The five pillars of education, clean water, health, food security and alternative income are applied as guidelines. Michel and Emily gave a brief presentation of their previous travels to Kenya, Ghana and Ecuador. Their next destination, in 2017, will be Tanzania. They hope to raise funds through the sale of lottery calendars to assist with travel expenses.

http://www.freethechildren.com/

In Photo: Rotarian Silvana Bosca with Emily Whalen and Michel Doucet

Guestspeakers – Election Candidates

CHAIRPERSON: Bernie Cormier

GUEST SPEAKERS: Political candidates for the 19 October 2015 Federal Election, riding of Acadie – Bathurst: Serge Cormier, Liberal Party; Jason Godin, New Democratic Party and Dominique Breau, Green Party.

All three candidates were each given five minutes to present their election platforms and five minutes to field questions.

Guests shown with Rotary President Gilles Deveaux, Bernie Cormier and Riba Riordon

Golf Game Scheduled

The Rotary Club will be having a social mixer/golf game on 1 October at the Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club. The intent of this event is for members to meet and mingle in a more relaxed and social setting that one hour lunch meetings do not permit. This is intended as a member and spouse event. For those interested in golfing, the format will be nine holes of four ball best ball (scramble) with tee times starting at approximately 3:30 pm. Cost of golf for non members is to be determined. The social mixer is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm. Finger foods will be provided and the Winsors have agreed to perform a few songs. There is no cost to members, $5 for spouses and $10 for guests. You can attend golf only, mixer only, or both.

Advise Paul at 430-0747 if you will or will not be attending please.

Guests Sylvain and Sean Couturier

Rotarian’s had the opportunity to meet and hear from Sylvain Couturier, former Junior and NHL Hockey Player, now General Manager of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. His son, Sean Couturier played Junior Hockey with the Acadie-Bathurst TItan and has just recently signed a 6-year extension to his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sean, a member of Team Canada; gold medal winners at the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, gave a brief talk of his experience. He also commented on his off season routine and his opinion that the Philadelphia Flyers will be in the playoffs this coming NHL season. Sylvain gave a brief synopsis of the Titan’s rebuilding process.

Father and Son Couturier shown with Bernie Cormier, Bathurst Rotary President-Elect

Bathurst Volunteer Center Update

GUEST SPEAKER: Al Cotton, President Bathurst Volunteer Centre Board of Directors

The Bathurst Volunteer Centre, a Bathurst Rotary Club sponsored organization, established in 1981, provides the basic needs and requirements of families within the Chaleur area. Services included are food bank, clothing bank, furniture, soup kitchen, meals on wheels, human services counselors, annual back to school campaign, Christmas food boxes and Fund drive. Al stated that the Centre works on an annual operating budget of $600,000, of which $60, 000 is funded by the provincial government and the majority of the remainder is provided by public donations. He said that, due to increased demand, the Centre is presently facing a monthly deficit of $3,000. The Centre started off by providing monthly food bags to 50 families in need, vetted through a screening process. That number has presently grown to include 450 families. The soup kitchen provides a hot meal to between 30 and 50 persons in need Mondays to Fridays. The link to their site is below.

http://www.bvc-cbb.ca/english.html

Shown in Photo: Al Cotton & Riba Riordon

Guest Speaker Josée-Anne Doucet

Josée-Anne Doucet with Al Cotton (Rotarian) and Chairperson

Josée-Anne Doucet, Coordinator, Chaleur Community Inclusion Network (CIN), created by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation (ESIC), a Province of New Brunswick Crown Corporation.

The ESIC was created to develop, oversee, coordinate and implement initiatives to reduce poverty and assist thousands of New Brunswickers to become more self-sufficient. Josée-Anne stated that the goal of the CIN is to reduce poverty in the Chaleur area. Present local priorities are transportation, community learning and wellness. Josée-Anne receives $100 K yearly for community projects. Examples of recently approved CIN projects are “Get Moving for my Health”, “Bathurst Literacy Bridge”, “Girls of Action Program” and “Business Succession”. Josée-Anne also requested that no longer used bicycles be dropped off to the Bathurst Youth Centre to aid in the Recycle My Bicycle program. The link to ESIC website is included.

http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/esic.html

Guest Speaker – Wendy Gionet-Landry – Atlantic Education International

Paul Lacroix with Wendy Gionet-Landry Guestspeaker

Wendy discussed the Atlantic Education International Homestay Family Program. International students, between the ages of 11 and 18, from countries such as China, Brazil, Mexico, amongst others, live with a host family, attend classes with New Brunswick students and participate in extra-curricular and community activities. Fully immersed in the English language, international students develop their language skills and create new and lasting friendships. Wendy commented on the various activities and lifestyle changes experienced by these students in the Bathurst area and shared their perspective having been involved for 8 years. Since 1998, over 2000 students have participated in Atlantic Education International’s study abroad programs in New Brunswick. For further info, their website link is included.

http://www.aei-inc.ca/nb-international-student-program/

Guest Speakers Megan and Maura Riordon – Golden Brigades

Megan and Maura Riordon

Megan and Maura, sponsored by Bathurst Rotary, shared their experiences with the Mount Allison University Global Brigades volunteer team. Global Brigades is the world’s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Since 2004, Global Brigades has mobilized thousands of university students and professionals through nine skill-based service programs to improve quality of life in under resourced communities in Honduras, Panama and Ghana. These student group leadership teams focus on Medical, Dental, Microfinance, Public Health, Infrastructure and Water projects in remote communities. Visit the Global Brigades website for more information.

https://www.globalbrigades.org/

Megan and Maura Riordon shown with Gilles Deveaux – President Bathurst Rotary

Guest Speaker Frank Kingston

Frank Kingston, Director of Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods, Public Safety Department, Province of New Brunswick

Frank spoke on the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Unit (SCAN), which operates under the auspices of the Department of Public Safety for the Province of New Brunswick. Under the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, the SCAN unit can help improve community safety by shutting down properties that are regularly used for illegal activities. Frank emphasized that New Brunswick residents can call SCAN and confidentially report problem residences and businesses that deal in illegal activities such as: producing, selling or using illegal drugs; prostitution; unlawful sale or manufacture of alcohol; use, sale or consumption of an intoxicating substance; unlawful activities linked to organized crime; child sexual abuse/exploitation; unlawful gaming activities; and, possession of illegal firearms or explosives. More detailed information can be found on their website:

http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/public_safety/safety_protection/content/crime_prevention/SaferCommunitiesAndNeighbourhoods-SCAN-Unit.html

Mr. Frank Kingston shown with Riba Riordon

Guest Speaker – Andrea Bouma-Legacy – Co-Chair Robertville Community Association

Andrea Bouma-Legacy shown in photo with Past President Carmel Hickey

Andrea spoke on the Robertville Community Association’s attempts to provide facilities for outdoor activities in the Robertville/Dunlop area. They are in the initial phases of a three stage plan. The first phase would be to provide a soccer field encircled by a walking trail. The second phase would be a community gazebo and the third phase would be a community garden. The Association sees these projects as focal points to community building with healthy lifestyle choices for all community members, whether they are children, adults or seniors.

Rotary Club of Bathurst

Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada