Battlefords Rotary Club welcomed its district governor to an evening meeting of the organization Oct. 16.
Betty Screpnek, from Sherwood Park, Alta., leads District 5370 for 2013-14. It is described as the third-largest district in Rotary International.
She has been a dedicated member of the Edmonton Glenora Rotary club for some 18 years. As district governor she leads some 60 Rotary clubs in the district, whose territory includes Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
In addition to meeting and speaking to Rotary members, Screpnek had an opportunity to help the local Battlefords Rotary Club induct four new members at the dinner held at the Northland Power Curling Centre.
Accompanying Screpnek on her visit to the Battlefords was her husband, George, as well as "Polio Gonzo," a stuffed creature that symbolizes the organization's fight to eradicate polio throughout the world.
"Polio Gonzo is my mascot and I take him around all over the place because I'm really passionate about us ending polio."
A number of "Polio Gonzos" were handed out to Rotary delegates at their district conference earlier in the month in Edmonton, a conference attended by local Rotary president Warren Williams and member Brett Payne. The conference, as well as its theme, "Imagine All the People," was a major theme of Screpnek's address to local Rotarians.
She touted the efforts of Rotary members to end polio, which is now seen in only three countries in the world - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Recently the affliction was completely eradicated in India, an achievement many thought impossible.
At the dinner, she encouraged local Rotarians to "continue to strut your stuff and let the community know what it is you're doing."
She encouraged Battlefords Rotarians to not only keep up their work as Rotarians but also to enjoy what they do as club members.
"Are you laughing? Are you having fun? What are you getting out of Rotary?" asked Screpnek.
If not, she urged members to "start imagining how you would make the changes because this is your club. So if you want it to be different and if you want to have the camaraderie and laughter and it isn't there, then you need to make it happen."
