For the week beginning September 14, 2026
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For the week beginning
September 14, 2026
Scroll down to enjoy the content!
Complete the form for a make-up!
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Greeter this week
Rotarian Tammy Waugh
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Message from Club President, Patrick
Rotary's goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. We support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
Rotary members make amazing things happen, like:
Opening schools: In Afghanistan, Rotary members opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance.
Teaching adults to read: Rotary members in the United States partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the local adult population was functionally illiterate.
New teaching methods: The SOUNS program in South Africa, Puerto Rico and the United States teaches educators how to improve literacy by teaching children to recognize letters by sounds instead of names.
Making schools healthy: Rotarians are providing clean, fresh water to every public school in Lebanon so students can be healthier and get a better education.
Enhancing educational systems: In Kenya, Rotary clubs are working with the Global Partnership for Education and local and national governments to advance life-long learning opportunities for poor and marginalized children.
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Inspirational moment
Canadiana
Montreal’s 1976 Olympics—Fifty Years Later
Fifty years ago, Montreal welcomed the world to Canada’s first Olympic Games. The 1976 Summer Olympics brought tremendous excitement and national pride—but they also left Montreal with a complicated legacy that is still being debated today.
Mayor Jean Drapeau had already helped establish Montreal as an international city through Expo 67. When Montreal was selected to host the Olympics, he envisioned another spectacular event that would confirm the city’s place on the world stage.
The original proposal called for an 80,000-seat stadium, an aquatic centre, a velodrome, an Olympic Village and an extension of Montreal’s Metro system. The estimated cost was $120 million.
However, Drapeau became captivated by French architect Roger Taillibert’s much more ambitious design for an integrated Olympic complex. Its centrepiece was an elliptical stadium with a retractable roof operated from a massive inclined tower. The Olympic Village was also transformed from a relatively modest housing project into two striking, pyramid-shaped towers.
The innovative designs were impressive—but enormously difficult to build. Plans were repeatedly revised, engineering and construction problems multiplied, and labour disputes caused lengthy delays. By late 1975, it was doubtful that the principal facilities would be ready in time.
The Quebec government intervened, took control of the Olympic Park and halted work on the tower and retractable roof so that essential construction could be completed before the Games began.
Despite the confusion and anxiety leading up to them, the Games themselves were a tremendous success. More than three million spectators attended the events, while an estimated 1.5 billion people watched on television. The athletes, ceremonies and competitions produced memorable moments and generated enormous Canadian pride.
The financial reckoning came afterward. A provincial inquiry determined that the cost of the Games had reached $1.33 billion by August 1976. Once the stadium and other unfinished projects were completed, the total was closer to $1.6 billion—more than thirteen times the original estimate. Montreal property owners paid a special Olympic tax, while Quebec imposed a special tobacco tax. The Olympic debt was not finally eliminated until 2006—thirty years after the Games.
Yet the legacy of the Montreal Olympics cannot be measured only in dollars. The Games increased interest and participation in amateur sport, encouraged greater government support for Canadian athletes and provided facilities that continue to serve athletes and the public. The extraordinary visual identity created for the Games also strengthened Montreal’s international reputation for graphic arts and design.
The controversies surrounding the Games had an impact as well. They strengthened calls for more accountable municipal government and helped galvanize organizations devoted to protecting Montreal’s historic buildings and neighbourhoods.
Olympic Stadium continued to experience costly structural and roofing problems, but it also became one of Montreal’s most recognizable landmarks. What was once regarded principally as an expensive monument to political ambition is now also recognized by many as a daring work of modern architecture and a Quebec icon.
The story of the 1976 Olympics is therefore not simply one of triumph—or one of financial disaster. It is a distinctly Canadian story of ambition, achievement, controversy and lasting change.
Read the complete article: “How the Olympics Impacted Montreal”
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OUR SOCIAL CORNER -
Input from our guests and members
Send us your news - what's happening that's important in your corner of the world?
- What has Rotary contributed to your life?
- What have YOU contributed to Rotary recently to make your community a better place?
- Is there a Rotary project or experience you'd like to share?
We look forward to your participation!
*** MESSAGE FOR SEPTEMBER - TRF Chair Make polio history
This month, I want to have some fun and do a little preplanning exercise for World Polio Day on 24 October. Are you with me? Each year, World Polio Day gives us a moment to pause, reflect, and recommit to the promise Rotary made to the world that no child, anywhere, will ever again suffer the devastating effects of polio. This year that moment feels especially powerful. That single act of generosity will do much more than you may realize. Thanks to the Gates Foundation’s 2-to-1 match, every dollar becomes three. Together, we can reach our annual goal of $50 million and finish the job Rotary began. Each step brings us closer to a world where polio exists only in history books. But numbers alone do not tell the whole story. Above all, polio eradication is a human endeavour – built on courage, compassion, and the belief that service can reshape the future. On World Polio Day, I will be spending time in a place that symbolizes exactly that. It is a location unlike any I have ever visited, and I look forward to revealing it in real time on social media. I will be having a creative (and fun) time while using this as an opportunity to shine light on those whose work embodies Rotary’s highest ideals – health workers, volunteers, and community leaders who stand on the front lines of disease prevention. Later this year, President Yinka and I will be traveling to Pakistan to meet with many of these leaders to express our personal gratitude. They are the reason we have come so far and must finish what we started. As you prepare for World Polio Day, I ask you to join me in spirit and in action. Host an event. Tell the story of Rotary’s leadership. Invite your community to participate. Make your club’s gift. And above all, help us build momentum that carries into the months ahead. And for all my puzzle-loving friends, here is a clue to my personal location on 24 October. “Polio with the _ E _ _ U _ _ S.” JENNIFER JONES - Foundation Trustee Chair, 2026-27 *** An interlude of smiles |
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Coping with conversations
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ROTARIAN CODE OF CONDUCT
As a Rotarian, I will:
***2. Deal fairly with others and treat them and their occupations with respect
3. Use my professional skills through Rotary to mentor young people, help those with special needs, and improve people’s quality of life in my community and in the world
4. Avoid behaviour that reflects adversely on Rotary or other Rotarians
5. Help maintain a harassment-free environment in Rotary meetings, events, and activities; report any suspected harassment; and help ensure non-retaliation to those individuals that report harassment
Rotary’s Code of Conduct provides a simple but powerful guide for ethical behaviour, emphasizing honesty, accountability, and respect for others. Along with the Four-Way Test, it encourages thoughtful reflection on how we live and interact, helping us become better citizens and better human beings.
Some important critical-thinking skills
And a wee test
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A critical thinker needs to be able to:
• Identify the real question or problem.
• Separate fact from opinion or interpretation.
• Recognize assumptions — including one's own.
• Evaluate the source of information.
• Look for missing information.
• Distinguish correlation from causation.
• Consider alternative explanations.
• Recognize bias and emotionally loaded language.
• Assess whether the evidence actually supports the conclusion.
• Change a conclusion when better evidence appears.
• Know when there isn't enough information to decide.
• Identify the real question or problem.
• Separate fact from opinion or interpretation.
• Recognize assumptions — including one's own.
• Evaluate the source of information.
• Look for missing information.
• Distinguish correlation from causation.
• Consider alternative explanations.
• Recognize bias and emotionally loaded language.
• Assess whether the evidence actually supports the conclusion.
• Change a conclusion when better evidence appears.
• Know when there isn't enough information to decide.
1. The Successful Program
A community organization introduces a new youth program. Six months later, it reports:
“The program has been a tremendous success. More than 400 young people participated.”
Question:
What would you need to know before deciding whether the program was actually successful?
A community organization introduces a new youth program. Six months later, it reports:
“The program has been a tremendous success. More than 400 young people participated.”
Question:
What would you need to know before deciding whether the program was actually successful?
2. The Facebook Warning
A friend shares a post saying:
“Doctors don't want you to know about this simple food that can prevent dementia.”
The post has been shared 87,000 times.
Question:
What should you do before accepting or sharing the claim?
A friend shares a post saying:
“Doctors don't want you to know about this simple food that can prevent dementia.”
The post has been shared 87,000 times.
Question:
What should you do before accepting or sharing the claim?
The answers are at the end of the meeting.
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Material Suggestions and Greeter Messages Always Needed!
Please feel free to forward an approx. 150 - 200 word message or any material suggestions in an e-mail, or in a Word document, along with a JPeg picture or two, to E-Club Administration Chair, Kitty Bucsko.
We'd love to hear from you!
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Just so you're aware -
Our Club's Ongoing Projects -
We provide ongoing support for the following projects:
Click the links below to find out more about each project!
And we're doing great!
Ask for more information if you'd like to be involved!
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...story below submitted by Rotarian Judy -
Brenda shares her incredible journey from arriving at Casa Hogar as a young child to becoming an orthodontist, a mother, and an spiration to many. Her story shows what happens when a child is given the opportunity to dream.
The length of the video is about 30 minutes. You may wish to return to the meeting at a later time to be able to view the video in its entirety.
The length of the video is about 30 minutes. You may wish to return to the meeting at a later time to be able to view the video in its entirety.
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Real-time meetings
Once a month - Fellowship Assembly. Each 3rd Thursday of the month is our Fellowship Assembly, and we often invite interesting speakers or Rotary Leaders for this entertaining, educational fun event. Plan to join us.
The time is 9:00 a.m. (Mountain Time) in lieu of the weekly Coffee Chat except for July and August when there are no FA’s. Here is the zoom link:
Everyone is welcome to attend and we encourage your participation.
Please click our Event Calendar for details and access Link.
For further inquiries or suggestions please contact: info@rotaryeclubcanada.ca
All our videos can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
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How do you support our club?
- The Paypal button on our ClubRunner Home Page
- The donation button on the attendance form, or
- Make an Interac transfer to rotaryeclubcanada1@gmail.com
- Send a cheque to:
The Rotary E-Club of Canada One
14008 101 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5N 0K3
(780) 267 4547
Environment
Humour
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Rotary minute
The Ripple Effect of Education
Drop a stone into a quiet pond.
The ripples spread farther than you ever imagined.
Education works the same way.
- Teach one child to read, and that child may help a younger sibling.
- Help one adult improve literacy skills, and an entire family benefits.
- Support one school, and generations can be changed.
A child who learns to read today may become the teacher, doctor, engineer, scientist, entrepreneur, or Rotarian who changes someone else's life tomorrow. Every lesson learned today becomes hope for tomorrow.
When we help someone learn, the lesson lasts a
lifetime—but the impact can last for generations.
Rotary Members' Inspiration
Why Rotary Supports Education
Education is not simply another Rotary project -
- It strengthens health.
- It reduces poverty.
- It creates economic opportunity.
- It promotes peace.
- It improves communities.
That's why Basic Education and Literacy remains one of Rotary's seven Areas of Focus.
And a closing thought – A Favourite Quote
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
— Nelson Mandela
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Rotary Jukebox
For a small donation, your favorite musician will be featured on one of our next e-meetings for everyone to enjoy.
Click Here to send your request.
THIS WEEK - Going Home
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The Four-way Test
To close the meeting, Rotarian Angel recites the Four-Way Test of the things that Rotarians think, say, or do.
The answers at the end of the meeting–
The critical thinker needs to know what we're testing:
In scenario one
• Recognizing that activity is not necessarily impact.
• How many participated tells us something, but not whether the program accomplished what it was intended to accomplish.
The critical thinker needs to know what we're testing:
In scenario two
Source evaluation, evidence, expertise, emotional or sensational language — and recognizing that popularity is not proof. There’s a lot to think about here.
The critical thinker needs to know what we're testing:
In scenario one
• Recognizing that activity is not necessarily impact.
• How many participated tells us something, but not whether the program accomplished what it was intended to accomplish.
The critical thinker needs to know what we're testing:
In scenario two
Source evaluation, evidence, expertise, emotional or sensational language — and recognizing that popularity is not proof. There’s a lot to think about here.
***
Thank you for joining us. We appreciate your feedback and hope you will return and invite a guest.
Please Click Here to leave us a comment or send a message..
Scroll down for Program Donations and Attendance links.
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Our Facebook page. Please remember to check out our posts on the Rotary E-Club’s Facebook page. We work hard to post something every second day, sometimes more often.
Invite friends to Like our page and enjoy our posts. Also, please take the time to Share our posts on your Facebook Page.
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Archived Meetings
All meetings are archived. Click here to see a list and choose what you wish to view.
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Attendance Links
Complete the attendance/donation form to have your attendance recognized.
- CLICK HERE to return to our ClubRunner Home Page.
- Visiting Rotarians and guests - Click HERE.
- Members of Rotary E-Club of Canada One - Click HERE.
- e-Satellite Attendance - Click HERE.
Please support our club!
Donate For the Meeting You Have Attended.
Please consider making a small donation in lieu of a meal
to help us help those in need.
As you have not had to buy lunch or travel to attend this program, please consider a donation of a minimum of $10.00 in appreciation for the experience you have enjoyed.
We thank you very much!
Program Donations
Our E-Club is a dynamic club comprised of ordinary working and retired people who acknowledge that Rotarians are people who are generous with their time and their resources.
Our club and the program you have just enjoyed, either as a member or a visitor, is funded only by donations.
We are developing ideas for fundraising with our members who are scattered across Canada, USA, Central America, and Europe, but we do need your help.
As you have not had to buy lunch or travel to attend this program, please make a donation of a minimum of $10.00, considering you're saving in time and cost in appreciation for the experience you have enjoyed.
Interested in providing Rotary Service? Unable to attend terra club meetings?
Contact our membership chair for information or
or HERE to learn about Associate Membership










