The first Vernon Silver Star Rotary Club meeting, in 1986. The club persists today.
In 1986, a group of 30 plus men got together for the inaugural meeting of the Vernon Silver Star Roster.
40 years later, the group persists and continues to evolve in its community service.
This year, the group is funding six $2,000 scholarships that will go to a student in each high school across the city, plus a trade technician.
“We invite the kids to come to the club and talk to us about their circumstances, and you certainly learn a lot about them and their circumstances,” said VSSR member Ken Kanester.
Rotary began earnestly in 1905, when a lawyer came to Chicago and thought that if he had the opportunity to learn about his fellow business community, they could refer business to one another. What began as a rotation of hosting meetings at one person’s place of business to another every week has grown to meetings at thousands of clubs across the world.
Members of the clubs can be anyone, as long as they abide by four core principles, called the Four-Way Test:
Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all involved?
“It’s a code of ethics that we expect of people,” said club president Gene Vickers. “If everybody operates off of these principles, then it’s amazing the things that will happen.”
Kanester remarked on the power simple meetings every week can have on himself and those around him.
“We hear a lot about mental health issues and that people spend way too much time on social media and not enough time physically,” said Kanestar, who added that VSSR has also evolved to represent both men and women, and individuals from all job types. “So we get together in-person to talk and do work in the community.”
Last year, VSSR put on several events, including the Father Daughter Ball and Harwood School BBQ.
“We also have some international projects,” said Vickers. “Members this year are going to Belize, and they are providing tablets and will teach literacy to students.”
VSSR meets weekly in the mornings, from 6:45 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the Heritage Hall adjacent to the Okanagan Science Centre. Each meeting features a guest speaker from around the Vernon area.
“We recently had a group of Scouts and Girl Guides who came,” said member Dave Weatherill. “Both those organizations are doing some wonderful stuff that you’d otherwise have no idea about, because they’re busy and active and doing things.”
The cost to join Rotary is $150 quarterly.
“I just don’t know if there’s a thing that is better than knowing that you’re making a positive and profound difference in the lives of others,” said Weatherill. “When you physically see that you are doing that, all of a sudden you get so excited about being part of an organization.”
