by Brenda Gibson
Henry Ford said it best when he remarked, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” What will you plunge into in 2016?
Jan. 1 dawned clear and bright – the perfect start to a brand new year. By noon, the temperature had risen to a still-brisk two degrees – just in time for a surge of locals to greet a new year by taking the plunge into the icy waters of Semiahmoo Bay.
The 46th annual White Rock Polar Bear Swim proved to be another resoundingly successful community event. Sponsored by the five Peninsula Rotary Clubs and the City of White Rock, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, Sources (South Surrey/White Rock Food Bank), Minuteman Press, White Rock Youth Ambassadors and St. John Ambulance also lent their vital support.
Hot dogs, coffee and hot chocolate were available for purchase throughout and after the event, and music and a giant polar bear mascot posed for photos, adding to the carnival-like atmosphere. What a wonderful example of how to charge into the new year with guts and enthusiasm!
Why not choose to be a gift to the world in 2016? When you join with Rotary, good things happen. You’ll make new friends and be a part of your community. Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million like-minded people, dedicated to providing humanitarian service and building goodwill and peace in the world. We give back to both our local community and the global community, each member contributing according to their abilities. We raise and donate money to various causes, and we have hands-on work projects, so that everyone can be involved.
All Rotary clubs embrace five different avenues of service, which are the foundation of club activity. They are: club service; vocational service; community service; international service; and youth service.
Why not follow the brave example of our local Polar Bear swimmers and take the plunge into Rotary this year? Not nearly as icy-cold, we’d love to have you join us. Everyone is welcome and with five clubs meeting on the Semiahmoo Peninsula – each on a different day and time, with different service projects and personalities – you’re sure to find a group that fits your schedule and gets you involved in something you care about.
Interested? Here’s when and where we meet:
Monday:
Peace Arch Rotary – noon, at Hazelmere Golf & Country Club, 18150 8 Ave. www.peacearchrotary.ca
Tuesday:
White Rock Rotary – noon, at Rotary Fieldhouse, 14600 Rotary Way (South Surrey Athletic Field 2197 148 St.) www.whiterockrotary.org
White Rock Peninsula Rotary – 6:30 p.m. dinner, at Pacific Inn, 1160 King George Blvd. http://www.wrpeninsula.com
Wednesday:
South Surrey Rotary – 7 a.m. breakfast, at The Pantry Restaurant, 101–1812 152 St. http://www.southsurreyrotary.com
Thursday:
Semiahmoo Rotary – 7 a.m. breakfast, at Rotary Fieldhouse, 14600 Rotary Way http://semiahmoorotary.org
Save your spot: Just in time for tax season, Semiahmoo Rotary presents De-Mystifying the TFSA in Retirement Planning. This free community information presentation will take place Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Rotary Fieldhouse, 14600 Rotary Way. A visiting industry expert will compare and contrast the TFSA and RRSP as two powerful retirement-funding tools. Space is limited – contact Linda to reserve your seat, lbw@venturesnorth.com or 604-542-2223.
Brenda Gibson writes monthly on behalf of the Semiahmoo Peninsula’s five Rotary Clubs – brenda_gibson@shaw.ca
