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This past May myself and three other Rotarians from the Bowmanville Rotary Club flew to Thunder Bay to attend the Matawa Rotary Awards Banquet. This is the sixth year in which the Bowmanville Rotary Club has participated in a literacy partnership with Matawa First Nations with a yearly funding of $10,000.
All four of us had the opportunity to participate in their Matawa Rotary Award Banquet. This event along with the tour of their Education Centre was more than memorable what with their vision and initiatives for their peoples. All to prepare the younger people for job opportunities during the development of The Ring of Fire. This is a 150 year project and the current in ground dollar value of the exotic metals exceed the value of the current in ground dollar value of the Tar Sands development in Alberta. They currently are installing fibre optics into all their ten communities, including those accessed only by air, to enable all their peoples to access their Learning Centre.
There are five award categories. Grades K-4 with a $500 Class prize: Grades 5-8 with $500 Purchase Prizes for each 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place; a Youth Leadership Award for $500; a Personal Achievement Award for $500 and 2 Post Secondary awards of $1,000 each with one at the college level and one at the university level.
The criteria that they have to meet in their applications was developed by their Educational Center and are extremely creative and at the same time stringent. What we experienced and saw over the two days was nothing short of remarkable. It certainly reinforced our intent to strengthen this partnership.
The highlight of the time there was the Matawa Awards presentations at the Friday night banquet in which we made our presentations.
For all of us the Rotary Moment that we will never forget was the keynote speaker. Her name is Keri-Lynn- Cheecho who had a wonderful message. You could hear a pin drop and get this. She is a member of the Matawa First Nations, 35 years old, a mother of five, a grandmother of one and had just received her Masters Degree in English. She said she did it to be a role model for her children and her peoples. As we all said to her afterwards, you are not just a role model for your kids and your peoples. You are a role model for most Canadians. What a Rotary Moment.
As we flew back the next day we were still talking about our experience in Thunder Bay and being with our First Nations Partners. We repeatedly talked about the accomplishments of Keri-Lynn–Cheechoo. And, yes, it makes it all worthwhile. An experience you want to share with others be they Rotarians or otherwise.
AG Wayne