• For one Queen Margaret’s School student, exploring what it means to be Canadian and engaging in the political system from the heart of Ottawa is about to become a reality. Grade 11 student Arrington Bricker has been selected to represent the Cowichan Valley in the 2017 Rotary Adventure in Citizenship Program in Ontario.
Bricker’s adventure began in October 2016 when she learned about the national Rotary program.
“I was really interested in political science and this trip intrigued me. It seemed like an exciting way to learn more about, and engage with, our government,” explains Bricker.
She was informed shortly after applying that all positions had been filled, but then the eager student got a lucky break.
“A space opened up, so I was invited by the Rotary to a panel interview with other local students. The questions were really hard, and I felt I hadn’t performed well. So when I received the call saying I was selected, I was happily surprised.”
Nick Woywitka, program chair for the Rotary Club of Duncan, shares that he and his fellow panelists were impressed by Bricker’s essay on “What does being a Canadian citizen mean to you?” and her ability to answer the panel members’ questions.
“We assessed the candidates’ academic standing, leadership skills, and community service activities outside of school hours,” explains Woywitka. “Arrington came out on top in all of these categories.”
In partnership with Daybreak Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Duncan is sending Bricker to Ottawa April 30-May 3. She will attend the conference with 220 other students from across Canada for a unique opportunity to come together and gain a better understanding of the country. Through meetings with political leaders, senior officials and others, students will learn about the workings of Canadian democratic institutions. Through meeting one another in this type of event, participants learn to appreciate the diversity of Canada, as well as the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.
• Students from Queen Margaret’s School in North Cowichan won the Memory Project’s Grant McRae Commemorative Contest’s junior group category.
Elisabeth Ruiter’s Grade 7 class wrote letters to veterans thanking them for their service.
“Students are crucial to our process of remembrance,” said Anthony Wilson-Smith, president and CEO of Historica Canada. “They will carry the stories and thoughts of our Memory Project speakers with them into the future. The bond that develops when our speakers visit schools and meet with students is wonderful to see — and the best guarantee that their efforts won’t be forgotten.”
Winners of all categories were awarded iPads. Students from across Canada created visual art, letters, videos and even a sonnet to thank veterans for their service. The contest received a record number of entries — almost 500 — from inspired young Canadians who demonstrated what remembrance means to them. To view all winning entries, go to www.thememoryproject.com/educator-resources/commemorative-contest-winners.
The contest honours Grant McRae, a Second World War veteran who served overseas in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was taken as a prisoner of war in Stalag-Luft III in Poland. McRae was an inaugural member of The Memory Project Speakers Bureau, and died in 2013.
Through The Memory Project, a program of Historica Canada, veterans and active service members share their military experiences in classrooms and with community groups across Canada, reaching 1.5 million Canadians since 2001. For more information, visit thememoryproject.com.
Historica Canada is the country’s largest organization dedicated to enhancing awareness of Canada’s history and citizenship. For more information, visit historicacanada.ca
• The Mill Bay Plantaholics report that their plant sale last weekend was a huge success, bringing in $2,650. The money will be divided between Somenos Transition House and Malawi Girls on the Move, to help a young woman complete here secondary school education.
• The Vancouver Island Real Estate Board installed its 2017 board of directors at their annual general meeting on Feb. 27.
Among them were a couple of Cowichan Valley names. Don McClintock of RE/MAX of Duncan will serve as president-elect for 2017, and Lovina Miller of DFH Real Estate Ltd., Cowichan Bay joins him as a new director.
In other VIREB news, seven members were honoured at a Feb. 17 awards luncheon in Nanaimo, including Duncan’s Per Dahlstron of One Percent Realty. Those chosen were recognized for their volunteerism and community service. Each will have $500 donated to their charity of choice.