The Four-Way Test

Of the things we think, say, and do:

1) Is it the TRUTH?

2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Introducing our New Club President

Our new club president, Lorna Cochrane, grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada, a rural area known for farms and energy industry -- ranging from potash and diamond mining to oil and gas production. Prairie life was simple and secure with big unobstructed skies and sunsets to inspire Lorna's dreams of travel and adventure.

Lorna is a life-long learner who started her career as a nurse and later earned psychology degrees. She has taught psychology and psychiatric nursing at the university level and worked as a director of a forensic rehabilitation facility. She is a Professional Assault Response Trainer, who did her master’s thesis on violence prevention. She earned a Ph.D. in Cognitive and Educational Psychology from McGill University in Montreal, which she earned while her children were young.

Lorna's career has focused on healthcare and education. She has worked at bedsides and in classrooms. She has been an administrator, worked in policy forums, and designed and implemented research. She also has worked on provincial healthcare boards and advised on making healthcare systems more efficient and effective.

Lornaco-owned AXDEV Group/Global, an international research and educational consulting group focused on change management for pharmaceutical, medical and state health organizations. As a principal of this U.S. based subsidiary and having strong educational credentials, Lorna first worked in this country on a green card. But, as a long-term resident of the United States, she couldn’t vote in Canada even though she owned a home there. Since she wasn’t an American citizen, she couldn’t vote in this country either. This situation helped motivate Lorna to apply for American citizenship and become an U.S. citizen in 2010. The judge during her U.S. citizenship ceremony emphasized the obligation of new citizens to give back to the country that offers so many benefits. Lorna took this mandate to heart by volunteering as a member of the Rotary Club of Norfolk, which she had joined in 2009. As part of our club she co-chaired Suds & Buds and also has served in various officer roles, including president of Norfolk Rotary Charities.

Lorna's consulting work took her away from home for long periods, so she sold her shares of AXDEV and started her own firm, Cochrane Connections. She continues to be involved in global violence research.

Lorna met her husband, Daniel St. Cyr, while on a vacation to Mexico. At the time, she was working in Canada running a long-term care facility. Daniel was in the Canadian military. They stayed in touch and eventually their paths crossed again while Lorna was in Montreal earning her doctorate and Daniel was stationed nearby.

Daniel’s job with the Canadian military brought him to Norfolk where he was associated with NATO and later worked with the state department. One of the people Lorna got to know was Captain Gary Hatton with the Canadian military, who was a member of our club and encouraged Lorna to also join.

Lorna, a three-time cancer survivor, loves to golf, run marathons and enjoys water sports. In Canada she served on the ski patrol. She also makes valor quilts for military personnel and veterans and plays bridge. She and Daniel enjoy traveling and look forward to a trip to Australia. One of her favorite trips was to India, and she also loves Istanbul, Turkey.

Lorna loves to paint. One of her paintings depicts an older woman in a rural scene complete with a fence that did not look like the standard fence in her home area. Years later, on an ancestral trip to Ireland, she was amazed to see the exact scene she had painted complete with the unusual fence.

Lorna has three children. All of them live in Canada -- a son in Saskatchewan and daughters in Calgary and Ottawa. She enjoys her three grandsons who come to Norfolk for an extended stay from Calgary in the summers.

Changing of the Guard

Pam Tubbs (left) and Lorna Cochrane share a moment after their standing ovations.

The Rotary Club of Norfolk's July 9 luncheon had double celebrations -- honoring outgoing club President Pam Tubbs and welcoming new President Lorna Cochrane during a special hail and farewell ceremony.

Pam highlighted the ways the 2018-19 Rotary theme of Be the Inspiration resonated with her. "Thank you for inspiring me," she said of our club members. Pam thanked the outgoing board, our club's two staff members and her husband for helping make the year a success. Among the accomplishments were:

Revising the club bylaws for the first time in nine years.
Adding 11 new members, which helped offset the loss of members who passed away or moved from the area.
Starting a Rotary 101 program for new members.
Exceeding goals for supporting the Rotary International Foundation and PolioPlus.
Supporting our new satellite club.
Holding four successful fundraisers.
Maintaining a full array of service projects and socials in addition to having speakers at luncheons.

Pam is proud of how our club continued its decades-long support of bringing oysters back to the Lafayette River, helped improve Jaycox Elementary School and tutored its students, supported ForKids Inc. by volunteering at its Good Mojo thrift shop, read to children in the Horizons Hampton Roads program, volunteered with the Salvation Army and worked to enhance Norfolk Botanical Garden. One highlight was spearheading a multi-club Rotary District grant for $25,000 to create Project Nature Play at the Virginia Zoo.

Pam is excited about a service project started on her watch to refurbish the Hunton YMCA kitchen. Rather than give gifts to outgoing board members, she donated

dozens of books for preschoolers to start a Little Readers Library at the Hunton Y.

After a standing ovation for Pam, Lorna honored her predecessor for her leadership. Lorna was then installed by past club President Lisa Chandler and received her own standing ovation. Past District Governor John Padgett installed the new board members and officers: president-elect Jim Kitz, vice president of programs Michael Desplaines, directors Rachel Bellis, Jason Drane, Angela Kerns, Joey Rothery, Mark Shaw and Ed Ware, and parliamentarian Tom Ambler. John wrapped up the ceremony by honoring both Pam and Lorna and reminding everyone that without our 105-year-old Rotary Club, Hampton Roads would be a lot less vibrant.

Lorna then gave highlights of the Rotary International Convention she attended in June in Hamburg, Germany along with 27,000 Rotarians from around the globe. Being at the convention inspired her club goals for the year, which include growing membership and making the club a place where all types of members thrive. She wants to increase club visibility and enhance the satellite, Interact and Rotaract Clubs we sponsor. She looks forward to our club investing its energy into service projects.

Other Business

Guests included Martha Ambler, Stephanie Drane, Daniel St. Cyr and Ace Tubbs -- spouses of officers -- and Cynthia Carter-West, former member.

For the visitation report, Joe New reported that Bob Latimer is continuing to progress. He encourages Rotarians to call Bob and arrange for a visit.

During the meeting we celebrated 11 July birthdays, five wedding anniversaries of members and Rotary anniversaries of members ranging from 1 year to 42 years of membership.

Farewell to Jos

Rotarian Jos Hekking will return to his homeland of The Netherlands at the end of July after being part of our club since 2017. Jos, who works for NATO's CIMIC Centre of Excellence, specializes in providing innovative expertise related to developing new concepts and training. Jos, his wife and three children have all enjoyed living in Virginia Beach.

The Hekkings started their United States adventure in California in 2017 by buying a car and driving cross country. The two oldest children studied at Old Dominion University with one earning a bachelor's degree while the youngest attended Cape Henry Collegiate.

Jos joined the Rotary Arnhem Oost Club in The Netherlands in 2016 where he biked to meetings. In Norfolk, he quickly became an integral part of our club. He enjoyed meetings, socials and volunteering. His wife Rianne, a psychologist, spoke to the club last year about treating patients with innovative brain spotting techniques.

"I have appreciated Rotary Norfolk immensely," Jos says. "The singing, four-way test and happy bucks are traditions I was not familiar with. The way my fellow Rotarians have made me feel welcome has been heart-warming. I will treasure this!"

Once back home Jos, a lieutenant colonel in the Dutch Air Force, will prepare for his next military assignment. In January he will be stationed in the West Bank on a training and coaching mission for the Palestinians.

When asked what he will miss most about living in Virginia he says: "The answer to this question is always people. But if I exclude this, it will be the beach (we live two blocks from Chic's Beach), the blue sky and the sun which shines more often than in my home country."

Our Members Have Good Mojo

Club members gathered at Good Mojo, the thrift shop run by ForKids, and pulled those items which had not sold in a reasonable amount of time. Good Mojo supports families who are homeless. The vast majority of homeless children do not go on to the next grade as they are too worried about where they will spend the night and if there would be anything to eat. Children who are being helped by Good Mojo have a 95% chance of going on to the next grade.

Get Happy

To celebrate new happy hour laws in Virginia, a crew of Rotary Club of Norfolk members enjoyed a pop-up, after-work social recently at Jessy's Taco Bistro in Ghent. Look for more Rotary impromptu socials as the club works its way through The Virginian-Pilot's recent happy hour guide.