Celebrating 50 Years of Service!
Do you want to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Click on "Get Involved" to learn more.
Please join us this year for our 23th Annual Garden Tour
With the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria coupled with the ongoing war in Ukraine, The Rotary Club of Ladysmith will be holding a shredding fundraiser to support the ongoing relief efforts in these areas.
Using the money we raised at our November Guatemalan Fashion Show and other donations we have been able to purchase 44 refurbished Chromebooks. The first 8 were brought in luggage in January and the rest are coming through our friends in Texas. We are working with organizations in Guatemala that provide skill training that provide jobs for thousands of disenfranchised Guatemalans. These laptops and the money we raised will allow us to set up 6 rural and community schools with a computer lab and Digital Bibliotheca Education system called RACHEL from Mundo Posible.
Honouring the Fallen in the Age of Covid
The Rotary Club of Ladysmith paid tribute to the fallen from their homes on Remembrance Day due to requests to not attend in person. President Eileen Beltgens arrived at the Cenotaph at 11:15 after the minute of silence and placed a wreath for the Club.
Rotary Club of Ladysmith 50th Anniversary Meeting and Celebration!
Eileen BeltgensThursday, October 1st the Rotary Club of Ladysmith invited members, district leadership, Rotarians from District 5020 from Washington and BC, and community friends and leaders to our Zoom celebration of 50 years of fellowship and service in Ladysmith.
What fun it was to hear some of the stories, especially in a video from charter members Pat Bryan and Bob Bafaro. We recognize the depth of the legacy our current membership enjoys from the past, and look forward, inspired to re-invent our service for the future! We so appreciated those who took the time to attend and to support our efforts!
We heard Mayor Stone read the Proclamation to create Rotary Day and Rotary Club of Ladysmith Week; we welcomed guests – community members and Rotarians throughout the BC-Washington Rotary District; we revisited a list of projects completed over these 50 years and some stories about the past; we heard from the first woman and a two-time President who joined Ladysmith Rotary thirty years ago; student Interact leaders celebrated the past and the future; a fellow Rotarian and historian summed up the community building and support in his discussion about why Rotarians and members of other service organizations do what they do for their communities with passion and commitment. It was a great evening to be inspired and hopeful amid challenges in how we meet and work together.
Ladysmith Rotarians are a small club committed to working collaboratively with other organizations to build our community. It takes a community of people to build community.
Rotary Sponsor Recognition Day
By Joan Phillips
Covid-19 killed the Ladysmith Chemainus Golf Tournament, so Joan Phillips and Tom Andrew pivoted and saved the day!
Thank you to all the amazing supporters we have in our communities.
List of supporters available here Sponsor and Donor List
Celebrating 50 Years of Service - The Ladysmith Golf Course Story
Author: Ed Nicholson, Club Historian
Introduction: The Rotary Club of Ladysmith was formed in 1970 and received its Charter on September 31. It was and still is very active and took on some major projects in its first 10 years, but nothing as big as the commitment to build a community Golf Course. Ed Nicholson spent many hours in the archives researching this story with the help of Andy Bohay. Here is the story of the project that is still an important part of Ladysmith, even if it did nearly kill the Club. - Gerry Beltgens, Club Public Image
Forrest Field All Access Walking TrailIt was a smoky Saturday that members of the Ladysmith Rotary, Kinsmen, Eagles and the Soccer Clubs began preparing the ground and forming for new paving from the parking lot and around the soccer pitch. Part of the work will include widening the existing concrete sidewalk to allow wheelchairs and walkers to navigate around spectators during games.
The Clubs have raised close to $20,000.00 for the project through fundraisers, including an All Clubs Oktoberfest at Aggie Hall in 2018 (Lions, Kinsmen, Eagles, Soccer and Rotary) and an “Eggs Benefit” organized by the Oceanview Church of Ladysmith. Funds were also provided through a BC Gaming Grant application and a raffle by the Rotary club of Ladysmith. Island Savings Credit Union donated another $1,000.00 and the Lions Club donated $750.00. - Continued...
.png)
