The key component of any successful Rotary Club is its members. Without energetic, innovative and committed members we will fail in our objective of contributing to our local and world communities, and to those who depend upon our activity. Last month we hear about membership development and retention from DG Wayne, and I can only hope that you are actively looking for potential good new members, and don't forget to see Gaie Orton for proposal forms.

Each of us is responsible to help keep members in the organization, and to introduce new members to Rotary. What characteristics makes a good Rotarian are as varied as those asked the question. Perhaps it is safe to say we can always use men and women who are energetic, bring new ideas and ways of doing things, and who want to help and who don't wait to be asked.

Speaking of new members, welcome to our newest member Mary MacInnis, please take a moment to introduce yourself to her.

Remember the District Conference will be hosted by our Club, this Month, and plan to attend.

At our last meeting we had a solid majority vote to support the Hole-in-One project, as outlined by Bob Sear. Bob and his committee are currently working on the details and will be reporting back to the Club as the plans are finalized. It promises to be good and healthy event. I hope that everyone who can, will do there bit.

At a meeting in the next few weeks seating will be by table numbers randomly draw on signing in, this is to mix everyone up a bit and give people an opportunity for a different fellowship group.

Rotary International District 7820

85th Annual Assembly and Conference
24 - 28 May, 2000

Delta Prince Edward Hotel

A unique program has been planned for the conference and there will be ample opportunity to mix, and exchange ideas with Rotarians from other Clubs in the District. Our Club is the host for this year's assembly and conference, as home club for this year's DG. As such we will be hosting one of the lunches, on May 26 (no meeting the previous or following Monday).

Day 1 (May 25) will focus on the PETS and SETS (President and Secretary training).
Day 2 (May 26) will include a District 7820 "Town Hall" and the annual business meeting.
Day 3 (May 27) will include a Plenary Session and the District Assembly.
Day 4 (May 28) will be a church service and change-over ceremony.

Single day registrations will be available for Day 2 and 3

Stay toned for more information in the months ahead. Please remember that you are welcome and encouraged to attend. Bob Moffat is chair for the organizing committee.

Home Hospitality

As part of this year's District Conference agenda, visiting Rotarians will take part in a Home Hospitality Evening hosted by PEI Rotarians. The evening is a chance for fellowship and for visiting Rotarians to experience some true Island hospitality. Island Rotarians are encouraged to team up with two other Rotarians and offer an evening of informal food and fun! If you are interested in participating please contact Jennifer Evans at 892-1066. We need your help to make this event a fun filled success!

A BENEFICIAL WEB SITE: For all of you who have access to the Internet, there is a rather interesting site for those concerned with world hunger. WWW.thehungersite.com Each time you visit the site approximately 1-2 cups of food is donate by the advertisers. You can donate once a day and it only takes a few seconds....well worth the time.

Calendar Watch

May - June..... 2000

May 1 Golf Strategies*
Speaker: Ron McNeil
Chair:Nelson Hagerman/Moe Rogerson

May 8 Atlantic Veterinary College*
Speaker: Dr. Tim Ogilvie
Chair: Dave Faulkner/Lloyd Palmer

May 15 "Entertainment" College of Piping
Speaker: Scott MacAulay
Chairperson: Ken Gillis

May 15 Board Meeting (Boardroom of Seaman's Beverage - 5:30 PM)
May 22 Victoria Day (statutory holiday - no meeting)
May 25-27 District Conference
May 26 FRIDAY >>>> during the Conference* Importance of Rotary and higher education in world development
Speaker: Wade MacLaughlin
Chair: Richard Martin

May 29 No meeting (moved to previous Friday as host club for District Conference)
June 5 Easter Seals "Wrap-up"*
Chairperson: Angus Orford

June 12 Ch'Town Aquatic Facility Speaker: Marya Carr
Chairperson: Ron Profit

June 19 TBA*

June 19 Board Meeting (President's home, incoming and outgoing board members)

June 26 Change over*
Chairperson: Richard Martin

July 3 Canada Day long weekend (no meeting)

* Regular lunch time Charlottetown Rotary Club meetings

Notable Celebrations

May 2000
Birthdays

May 2 Curtis Barlow May 3 Stu Drummond
May 4 Anco Hamming
May 6 Stan Mol
May 8 Ken MacKenzie
May 9 Peter Norton
May 15 Valerie Downe
May 23 Jim Macnutt
May 27 Michael Caveney
May 30 Don Hanrahan
May 31 Don Livingston
May 31 Dave Thompson

Many happy returns - remember the Foundation ($5 plus 0.10 per year) - and don't forget to renew your drivers licence.

Anniversaries

In case you ever wondered, according to our records August is the month with the most members celebrating wedding anniversaries (24) and March has the fewest (1)

May 4 Gerry and Martha Gabriel
May 6 Anco and Anne Hamming
May 6 Carl and Irene Bagnall
May 8 George and Sherrill Guimond
May 10 Jim and Barbara Macnutt
May 11 Bennett and Jean Carr
May 11 Richard and Joy Martin
May 16 Peter and Susan Norton
May 18 Ron and Donna Profit
May 18 Bill and Karen Flemming
May 20 Angus and Karen Orford
May 26 Kevin and Roberta MacRae
May 31 Doug and Charlotte MacKean

Congratulations and Best Wishes to all.

Rotary Service
(years of service as of this month)

Tom DeBlois (Sn) 46
Andy Likely 46
Bev Homer 16
John Scales 15
Umesh Gupta 11
David Faulkner 11
Bob Sear 10
Dale Murphy 8
Tom Cottreau 6
Doug MacKean 5
Judy McCann-Beranger 4

We recognize birthdays and anniversaries and once a year those with perfect attendance. However it is also important that we recognize the years of service that Rotarians have given to the Club and community. These Rotarians are recognized on this week's anniversary of their induction into our Club.

Greeters for the coming weeks

Please be early, and if you can't make it please find a replacement.

May 1 Ivan Morrison and Kevin O'Brien
May 8 Larry Saunders and Kim Griffin
May 15 James MacNutt and Jane Brewster
May 22 Victoria Day (No meeting)
May 26 Lloyd MacLeod and Lorne Moase (District Conference meeting)
May 29 No meeting (moved to conference May 26)
June 5 Mark Robertson and Jim Smith
June 12 Marilyn MacKinnon and John Broderick
June 19 Lloyd Palmer and Lloyd Patriquin June 29 Kathyrn Coll and Neil Buchannan

Makeups for Previous Month

to be reported in June Bulletin

Previous Meetings

April 3 - Classification Talks

Donna Lank began the presentations for the day, talking about her classification of Home Health Care Services. Donna described how she became involved in the home health care area. After university and involvement in several areas, including: the YMCA, 1991 Canada winter games, Project Dare and being general manager of recreation facilities at Slemon Park, Donna became part of a franchise called We Care Home Health Services.

Donna described the range of services that the home health care business provides for. These include helping those just out of surgery, seniors, people with physical and mental challenges, new mothers/babies, those injured at work, etc. The types of services range from assistance in home making and cleaning, personal care, companion and sitters, infant and child care, to special needs support such as palliative care, Alzheimer patient support, aids and those with brain injuries.

There are both public and private services offered in the home health care area. It is an expanding area with more people wanting to remain at home and who would prefer to be cared for at home if possible. Our aging population is going to put increased demands on the home health care industry, which is ever changing and ready to provide more services in home.

Our second speaker was Curtis Barlow executive director of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, who talked on his classification of Performing Arts Management. Curtis started as a lawyer and has spent the last 20-25 years in the field of arts, including time in the diplomatic arena in the US and England, for arts. Curtis described how the arts donates about $26M to the Island economy, 1.6% of Island employment (1994). The Centre of the Arts has a national mandate which is being reinforced but one which also services the local community. As a performing arts manager and in his role at the Centre, Curtis wants people to come to the Centre and feel welcome.

The Centre helps in the community with non-profit organizations such as band days, high school plays, science fair, and of course our own Easter Seals telethon. Attention is paid to the young people to get them involved in the Centre and in the Arts. Curtis went on to outline some of the challenges and directions the Centre is going this coming season, in both the performing and visual arts.

Curtis concluded by summarizing his role as one to bring joy into peoples lives, keep national and local boards happy, and to keep within budget.

April 10, Membership Development

District Governor Wayne Hambly was the guest speaker for today's meeting. Wayne talked about membership development and retention in Rotary. He noted that our Club has had a proven track record of bringing 4 new clubs into Rotary. The goal of the District is 2000 members in the year 2000, with 1850 starting the Rotary year. He did note that our Club is down slightly in numbers compared to the beginning of the year (ed. note: we have several waiting induction).

Wayne noted that we need to encourage younger members but that there is a lot for everyone in Rotary, regardless of age. We also need to continue to invite more women into Rotary. Wayne talked about some of the mechanics of increasing membership, noting a plan by the Club's membership committee (more on this in the next few months).

As a Club we must increase the quality of events and meetings, improve image, etc. We cannot stand still, if we do we will fail.

In retention we must do more to get members involved, provide information, good programs and fellowship. Every member should have something to do and we all must work to get people involved. We should also think about asking members who have left to come back, many leave for various reasons and as situations change they may wish to volunteer their time again. dian and the Journal Pioneer have played a role.

April 17, GMO's

Our guest speaker today was Bob MacGregor, a policy analyst with the PEI Department of Agriculture and Forestry, who gave an interesting presentation on GMO, or genetically modified organisms. He started by stating the biotechnology (from which GMO's come) is a tool which can be used or abused.

Biotechnology is currently linked to genetic engineering but in fact goes back centuries. The current debate is over genetic engineering which is the moving of genes for selected traits. Bob indicated that currently about 35% of canola, 25% of corn, 60% of soybeans and 75% of cotton in NA was derived from genetic engineering, last year.

Genetic engineered organisms or components are in may areas of our lives, including food and drugs (90% of insulin is from genetically engineered sources).

Conventional breeding can take 20 years to produce new cultivars, with newer techniques in biotechnology useful traits can be added at a faster rate. Useful traits possible include things such as pest resistance, reduced mycotoxin contamination, drought resistance, enhanced nutritional components, nutriceuticals, storage, biofuels, etc. An example of a nutriceutical would be a recently released rice which was modified to include Vitamin A genes, thus reducing Vitamin A deficiency for millions of people and in doing so prevent blindness in children.

Our speaker went on to describe some of the 'problems' with the technology from a consumer stand point. These include those individuals with fundamental ethical concerns that if nature doesn't do it why should we, that it is God's role. There is the social or cultural ideology, or an anti industry section, where the concern is that only big companies will be able to do the technology and they don't want big business controlling food. There is also the segment that feels that there might be adverse health effects. Our speaker noted that this is speculation but biologically possible. He outlined concerns that some people express on antibiotic resistance or effects on non-target organisms, and on what some refer to as gene pollution.

Bob posed the question of whether GMO technology is safe? He felt that each has to be evaluated but that it is only a tool. There are calls for longer testing and for environmental impact. He did note that conventional systems may be no safer. He also posed the question of where we go from here, noting that it is no longer just a scientific issue.

PROGRAMS 2000/2001

The Program Committee for the Rotary Year 2000/2001 (starting in July) will be Jennifer Evans and David Arsenault. If you have suggestions for meetings please get in touch with them.

Jennifer (B)892-1066, (H) 892-4070 or at evanspei@hotmail.com
David (B) 368-9810, (H) 892-9810 or at david.g.arsenault@ca.pwcgolbal.com

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Comprehending Engineers: An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like both." "Both?" "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other, and you can go to the plant and get some work done.

A man once counseled his son that if he wanted to live a long life, the secret was to sprinkle a little gunpowder on his cornflakes every morning. The son did this religiously, and he lived to the age of 93. When he died, he left 14 children, 28 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and a 15 foot hole in the wall of the crematorium.

Comprehending Engineers (2): A group of Q.A. inspectors were given the assignment to measure the height of a flagpole. So they go out to the flagpole with ladders and tape measures, and they're falling off the ladders, dropping the tape measures - the whole thing is just a mess.

An engineer comes along and sees what they're trying to do, walks over, pulls the flagpole out of the ground, lays it flat, measures it from end to end, gives the measurement to one of the inspectors and walks away.

After the engineer was gone, one inspector turns to the another and laughs. "Isn't that just like an engineer. We're looking for the height and he gives us the length."

A woman was leaving the corner convenience store with her morning coffee when she noticed a most unusual funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery. A long, black hearse was followed by a second long, black hearse about 50 feet behind. Behind the second hearse was a solitary woman walking a pit bull on a leash. Behind her were 200 women walking single file.

The woman couldn't stand the curiosity. She respectfully approached the woman walking the dog and said, "I am so sorry for your loss, and I know now is a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this.

"Whose funeral is it?" The woman replied, "Well, that first hearse is for my husband."
"What happened to him?"
The woman replied, "My dog attacked and killed him."
She inquired further, "Well, who is in the second hearse?"
The woman answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my husband when the dog turned on her."
A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passed between the two women. "Could I borrow that dog?"
"Get in line."

Diplomacy is the art of saying "good doggie" while looking for a bigger stick