34 -- Friday, August 19, 2011 -- THE NEWS - www.mapleridgenews.com
THE NEWS/business Rotary open to youth Service club expanding its ways to give back to community by A s hley Bh a n contributor The Haney Rotary Club has announced a new division to their list of club services. New Generations, which was created specifically for youth development, will aid young people looking to become future rotarian members. The rotary now offers programs to the community under five categories including: Club Service, Vocational Service, Community Service, International Service and New Generations. The new division was created to acknowledge the positive changes implemented by youth and young adults who’re involved in leadership development ac-
tivities, community and international services and exchange programs that encourage cultural understanding and world peace. “We know the importance of youth and that category needs focus,” Keesha Rosario, rotary member and chair of New Generations, said. “Youth have so much more to give. They have great ideas, they’re involving and they’re leading edge when it comes to what’s going on socially.” “It’s incredible to bring them together in the fold so that we’re actually working with them and mentoring them,” she added. “What this service does is keep participants on track to become rotarians.” According to Rosario, the rotary club is undergoing a transformation to appeal to a younger demographic. In the past, the rotary was filled with older male mem-
“What this service does is keep participants on track to become rotarians.” Keesha Rosario New Generations bers but now more younger men and women are hopping on board and Rosario credits new rotary president Scott Charlton for that. “He’s been doing fantastic. Our club has diversified from a very senior demographic to recruiting members who are in many different age brackets,” she said. “I think Scott is a real breath of fresh air when it comes to linking the older generation and the younger generation.” “He’s bringing it all together to be more innovative. In the last
Section coordinator: Phil Melnychuk 604-467-1122 ext. 215 newsroom@mapleridgenews.com
month, he’s been trying to pull different things together and trying to bring us more in line to make us more innovative than in the past.” Although the two year rotary member, credits Charlton with diversifying the club she hasn’t forgotten about past president Brenda Exner’s efforts to attract younger rotarians. “She was fantastic. With her leadership, we actually had quite a few new rotarians, so we actually diversified a lot during Brenda’s reign too,” she said. For Rosario, the club has become a tight knit family of mentors, even though there are roughly 50 members. The club offers children and adults from all walks of life the chance to pull together for the greater good of the community it serves. For information on the Haney Rotary Club visit www.haneyrotary.org.
Realtor earns top Vancouver award Maple Ridge realtor Harvey Exner has received a nod of recognition from his peers, receiving the Professional Excellence Award earlier this year from the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. Exner, who manages Macdonal Realty in Maple Ridge and Coquit-
lam, was chosen from eight candidates. He started in the business in 1979 and served on the board’s task force in 1992 that developed a system that represented buyers’ rights – still in use today. He was manager of member services at the board between
1996 and 2005, where he wrote about professional ethics in a series called the eXner Files. He also helped develop the current system that provides realtor access to the MLS and served on the B.C. Real Estate Association’s standard forms committee.
He’s also been in an instructor for realtor education programs. “Harvey has dedicated himself to promoting the highest level of professionalism amongst his peers and within the real estate profession,” said Rosario Setticasi, real estate board president.
Colleen Flanagan/THE NEWS
Lunchtime concert Sayde Black, originally from Maple Ridge but now based in Vancouver, performs for the Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association’s Lunchtime Concert Series last week in Memorial Peace Park.
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