Rotary Serving Humanity

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Westwind Weekly

Ron Riemann
Westwind Weekly News

The Raymond Rotary Club will be celebrating its 50th annual Dinner and Dance on Saturday, February 11th at 6:30 p.m. at the Raymond Cultural Hall.

Val Boehme, member and Past-President of the Club, said he is excited by the milestone, which will feature prime rib, a salad bar, the return of musical act Fast Times, and the talented members of the Raymond Playhouse Society.

The 78-year-old Raymond chapter’s mandate has always been to serve humanity and the community.
One of its first projects as a club was the development of the Raymond Public Library.
Years later, the commitment remains firm – beginning with the library’s early move from the Museum to its current location. Most recently, the club supplied a new photocopier a few years ago.

Community work extends beyond their local boundaries including a book donation program collaborated with the Kainai Public Library, a shipment of reading materials to be soon delivered to the Red Cross for communities in Nunavit and food donations from the past two Carol Festivals to the Standoff Food Bank.
A three-way development of a pavilion between the swimming pool and sunken basketball court was completed with the help of the Town, member Steve Leavitt, and the Rotary Club.
Other initiatives include two educational projects in Malawi, and an International Student exchange.

A former exchange student, Peter Stevens, donated funds to the High School Band in appreciation of the support he received when he lived in Raymond.
This summer, they will be bringing back their annual golf tournament held at the Raymond Golf Course.

At this moment, they are pursuing and securing sponsorship for the event. Boehme admits it is a hard sell but he is confident with the support of Town Council and the community, they can help keep costs down.

Interested individuals wishing to become a Rotarian is by invitation.

“We’re always happy to share with what we’re doing and what our philosophy is,” said Boehme. “Share a few meetings with us and explore the possibility.”

The Club meets every Wednesday morning at the Red Barn, but are exploring the option of meeting every second Wednesday.

“(The Ag Society) share that with us and we provide manpower when they need painting or other things to be done,” said Boehme.

The Raymond Rotary Club is encouraging citizens of Raymond and other communities to get their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

“This is the social event of the year as it has been the past fifty years,” said Boehme. “We have a good product and we welcome everyone to come out and as they support the local Rotary project, they are supporting service projects in this community, regionally and internationally.”

For ticket information, you can call Val Boehme at (403) 752-4281 or (403) 892-3064. His email is: vjboehme@gmail.com