Once a year, we, the members of the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat, are invited to have dinner and spend the evening with the Rotary Interact Club members at the Medicine Hat High School. It is always a feast of an occasion - literally and figuratively.
We were warmly welcomed by 2022-2023 Interact President, Bethany Klein (see below), Vice-President Mo Suberu, Social Media Coordinator Anna Thomas, four other Interact members. and two Teacher Advisors, Tammy Vaari and Tiffany Adams.
Sitting around tables, chatting and enjoying a delicious taco meal with brownies for dessert, we 24 Rotarians and guests, 7 Interactors, and two teachers spent two informative and inspiring hours together.
The MHHS Interactors are a group of Hat High students that come together to act in Rotary values. Leadership is promoted and interaction with the local and international communities enabled.
The Interactors took turns to present the many activities undertaken during by the Club during the past Rotary year, starting with a recruitment drive among Hat High students in September 2022. This Rotary year, they had 24 members, 14 of whom were active.
The Interactors bowled us over with their presentation on the many and varied activities, services and projects undertaken by MHHS Interact Club this Rotary year.
These included:
Positive message cards for Hat High students who needed a boost; a Poppy Project related to Remembrance Day; the selling of Candy Grams for friends and teachers; a Bake Sale which raised over $230.00; Operation Christmas Child, involving filling 20 boxes which were then dropped off at Hillcrest Church; Campus Clean-up, in partnership with Earth Club; and Youth in Philanthropy, a program which allows Interact members to have hands-on experience working on projects of local charitable organizations. This year they researched three organizations: The Women's Shelter, the SPCA, and Saamis Immigration. The Community Foundation heard their presentations on these three organizations and gave Interact a grant of $1,400, which Interact then donated to Saamis Immigration Services Society.
During the question and discussion part of the program, we were entertained and delighted to hear from each Interactor, what their Rotary-related highlight had been. President Bethany identified her attendance of the Zone 28/32 Interact Conference as the main highlight of her year, which had been a great opportunity for her to network with other Interactors and to learn.
CONGRATULATIONS, President Bethany and your executive and members! Your Interact Club's projects are great examples of 'Service Above Self', which have made a significant difference in the lives of others. We, the Rotary Club of Medicine Hat, salute you and are proud to support the MHHS Interact Club!
A fun part of the evening was a fund-raiser with a difference: an envelope lottery.
Luck was on the side of President Melany Harty and Assistant Governor Keith Walker, who were two of the winners of very interesting prizes!
Rotary Club of Medicine Hat Director of Vocational and Youth Service, Peter Mueller, was thanked for his support of the Interact Club over the past year.
The regrets and the warm congratulations of newly retired MHHS vice-principal and teacher advisor of Interact, Sue Withers, were conveyed.
Anne Carrier congratulated and thanked President Bethany and her Interactors on their achievements and on a very successful and enjoyable joint meeting.
The evening wrapped with the introduction of two young men from Brazil! - twins Gabriel and Tiago Oliva. These two are both ROTEX members, having been on Rotary Youth Exchanges in Canada and Germany respectively. They are currently students at the Medicine Hat College, studying Business Management. Rotarian Gail Halderman met them quite by chance at a bank in Medicine Hat, and invited them to attend the joint Interact/Rotary Club meeting.
They gave brief introductions of themselves, past, present and hoped-for future.
Gabriel and Tiago, we welcome you to our city, and to whatever Rotary connections you choose to make over the months and years ahead!
All in all, once again at this joint meeting, the incredible power of Rotary to empower young people, to connect people of all backgrounds and life stages in service to others, and to promote world understanding and peace, was evident. What a privilege it is, to be a Rotarian!