SHIRLEY-PAT CHAMBERLAIN
WHY ROTARY
DISTRICT 7910


Dubbed the ‘original champion sparkplug’ by His Honour, Steven L. Point, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Shirley-Pat Chamberlain (nèe Gale) is an energetic passionate literacy advocate with infectionious good cheer who is committed to service above self in the pursuit of Aristotelian real good. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and passion for changing the world around her, Shirley-Pat has been committed to social action literacy initiatives and community development innovation in rural and remote British Columbia in both indigenous and non-indigenous communities.

Shirley-Pat’s first experience with Rotary was at the age of 15 through a 4Way Test essay competition. She reconnected with Rotary through her mom, who is also a Rotarian, in 2008 and her Rotary story is one of truth telling, discovery, mentorship and adventure. It has led to using the Rotary International Project model in her own backyard to work and partner with indigenous people and communities through the Write2Read project (www.writetoreadproject.org). This has led to two amazing honours: she been formally adopted by Tl’esqox, the Toosey Indian Band, and has received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award in 2012 for outstanding volunteerism.

Shirley-Pat will share her Rotary story in the hope that it will encourage others to join, show up and do good with likeminded people - to become Rotarians. Shirley-Pat has an undergraduate degree in history and classical languages and literature and masters of education in leadership studies. She is currently doing a doctorate at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Canadian Studies exploring the role of civil society organizations in indigenous social citizenship in Canada.