Visiting Rotarians and Guests introduced by Lorna Curtis:

Burton Kennedy, Winnipeg West, S/A.;
Naz Rayani, Saanich, Pharmacy;
John Sansom, Harbourside, Engineering;
Troy Alexander, Royal Oak, Mortgage Broker;
Christopher Causton, Harbourside, Restarant Operator.

Eric Beever-Potts, Guest Speaker, was guest of the Club;
Lesley Cobus, Interact Club, was Lorna’s guest.

Announcements:
President Jack had an announcement:
There is a dance and benefit being held on February 16th at the Union Club. It has been sold out in the past and so our club has purchased 6 sets of tickets. Ask Jack for tickets. It promises to be a fantastic evening.

Lesley reported that the Oak Bay High School Interact Club is holding a Gala evening on Wednesday February 6th from 6pm - 9pm at the Oak Bay Rec Center. There will be dinner and a Silent Auction benefiting the “Malawi Girls on the Move”. Silent Auction items such as gift certificates to Tigh-na-mara, Moxies, Pags and Munroe’s have already been donated, however they are still seeking additional donations from the Club. Come bid on some great prizes: tickets for the Gala can be bought at the Oak Bay Rec Centre reception desk for $20. Jack commended the interact club for an amazing job and effort in organizing this event and encouraged members to attend.

Naz Rayani introduced himself as a member of the second best Rotary Club in Victoria: Saanich. He invited the Oak Bay Club (the first best club in Victoria) to attend a meeting
at the Victoria Conference Centre on Feb 4th. This meeting will benefit the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada and will be showcasing “Bridges that Unite” a coast to coast travelling exposition that will debut in Victoria. Naz also suggested that if you were looking for a make up meeting this would be a great opportunity.

John Snively reported on the health of Mark Bedford. Overall his health is good and he is in good spirits. Many cards have been received by him however this is a critical time and any encouraging well wishes would be well received. Jack will be organizing a special card with pictures of members, so follow up with him if you’d like to participate.

Guest Speaker
Speaker Eric Beever-Potts was introduced by Neil Rawnsley. He is a Power Smart Champion who is travelling the province to educate on how to become Power Smart. He would like to educate us, as Rotarians in particular, because we have the opportunity to share this information with many others. Most agree that global warming and climate change is an accepted concept. There is anticipated population growth in the province which will lead to a stronger demand on our resources. Clean low cost reliable energy is something that to date we have taken for granted. With the anticipated growth over the next 20 years we will be facing a 45% increase in the demand for energy. How do we address this gap? Eric discussed energy efficiency, energy conservation and Power Smart programs. It is anticipated that 50% of this energy needs to come from energy conservation. Eric went on to discuss energy efficient technologies including: light bulbs appliances and faucets. He then went on to discuss that another important factor for British Columbian’s will be to start changing habits including: the use of programmable thermostats and installing energy star windows. Other recommendations to conserve energy included: blanket insulating hot water tanks, using cold water when running appliances and turning off lighting and electronics when they are not in use. These habits can help us dramatically in conserving energy. Eric discussed that removing barriers to help promote change will be and are currently in place including: product incentive program - fridge buy-back programs. He discussed current Power Smart rebates such as ones issued for front loading washing machines. He then invited the Club to join Team Power Smart, with Steve Nash as Captain. Team Power Smart can be accessed online. You are able to track your energy savings and learn more about the topic that was discussed today. We were left with the thought “If you think you are too small to make a difference try sleeping in a room with a mosquito”. Eric answered many questions from Club members and was thanked by Ron Gaudet.

PROGRAMS FOR MEETINGS 2008

DUTY ROSTER January/February 2008

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