THANKSGIVING

 

Just days before Thanksgiving, reports from directors gave Club members a very good understanding of the great work Rotary is doing both in the local community and in the wider world. It’s a great reason for giving thanks!

 

The project to place dictionaries in the hands of Grade 3 pupils in local area schools led by Youth Director Trudy Kanellis is gathering steam. Trudy would like some assistance in delivering the dictionaries to Locke’s School at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, October 6; Monsignor Morrison at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, October 11; and St. Thomas Christian School at 9 a.m. on Friday, September 13. Contact Trudy if you would like to lend a hand.

 

Past President Nancy Lovelock noted that work on the Tour of Homes which will occur November 10-12, is “going apace.” Tickets are just about ready and will no doubt be available at our next meeting. There are some exciting homes on the Tour this year. Don’t forget those auction items!

 

Chair Gerald Vreman enthused that the Rotary Music Festival is “going along swimmingly” with big, positive changes in the works. The Syllabus booklets will be out next Thursday (October 12), on the same day that a Committee meeting takes place at 10 a.m. at Centre Street Baptist Church.

 

Community Service Co-Director Jennifer Babcock stated that a donation would be made to the Moore Water Garden project. International Service Co-Director Adriana Balderas confirmed that the Club would be making a donation to Shelter Box to aid hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She also stated that the Interact Club’s car wash on Saturday had been a great success and that Interactors would be collecting canned goods for Halloween for Hunger. Ron Somerville drew the attention of members to the October issue of The Rotarian magazine in which polio eradication is discussed. Polio eradication. That would be cause for thanksgiving!

 

HAPPY FINS - Donations of $5 to The Rotary Foundation – Annual Programs Fund – credited to the donor in celebration of something good in our lives. This practice was started in this club in 1985 to raise funds for polio eradication at the suggestion of Darwen Lowe, a member of the club.

 

Maggie Horn (1) – For winning the 50/50.
Gerald Vreman (1) – Thanks to the Club for its financial help in permitting him to attend the Ontario Music Festivals Association meeting on Monday.
Stew Shouldice (2) – For getting back home from a great trip to Great Britain; he has been working on multimedia links on the Club website and on the “live” Facebook option permitting remote access to Club meetings.
Dave Payler (1) – It’s nice to be back at a Rotary meeting; 6600 kids, ages 14-16, attended camp in Huntsville. The train station there is being purchased by the Huntsville Rotary Club for use as a library in three years’ time. He was amazed on his drive north by all the community projects done by Rotary, especially in the Muskoka Lakes area.
Nancy Lovelock (2) – It’s nice to meet Shelley after corresponding by email; happy to have her daybook back after losing it (Pat Martyn found it).
Bill Horn (1) – He went on Facebook and found a live conversation between Stew and Trish – very amusing!
Paul Blower (1) – To thank Gerry Janssen for taking the Rotaserver for the next two meetings while he involves himself in Outside Mullingar at the Aylmer Community Theatre, October 19-28.
Ron Somerville (3) – The Club deserves thanks for arranging the installation of a Friendship Bench at Locke’s School; he saw Evita at the Grand Theatre and concurs with the rave reviews given it; he was happy to see that no one went down on one knee for the singing of “O Canada” at today’s meeting.
Trish Shouldice (1) – For a granddaughter’s birthday this week and a grandson’s next week – a perfect celebration around Thanksgiving.

 

Next week (October 11) there will be no meeting. The second annual All-Club Breakfast takes place on Wednesday, October 18 at 8 a.m. at the Wayside. Rotary friends and partners are invited. Price is $10. Please let Trudy know by October 13 if you are coming and if you are bringing guests.

 

October 24 is World Polio Day with a special flag raising ceremony at St. Thomas City Hall at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at Legends. Nancy Lovelock and Dave Moffatt descended upon City Hall and made a close inspection of the premises in an effort to find the Club’s missing World Polio Day flag but came up empty. The Board must now decide whether a second flag will have to be purchased. The meeting that would have taken place on October 25 is cancelled.

 

On November 1, District Governor Martin Ward will make his official visit to the Club, and on November 8, Kathy Knott from Therapeutic Paws will speak to the Club. There is no meeting on November 15.

 

A District Foundation Training Seminar takes place Saturday, November 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the BMO Centre in London. Each club must send at least two people to this seminar in order to be able to access District grants. President Trish will be attending, but one more person is needed. Contact President Trish if you would like to go.

 

 Helen Campbell, a member of the Railway City Rotary Club, will be guest speaker at an evening meeting of the Walkerton Rotary Club on Thursday, October 19. This is a “frugal meal” fundraiser for Polio Plus. Contact President Trish if you are interested in attending. Ron Somerville reported that the Grand Bend Rotary Club needs help loading cargo containers filled with school furniture and equipment destined for southern Africa on Saturday, October 14, beginning at 8 a.m. The containers are at the Exeter Co-op Warehouse in Exeter. He and Dave Moffatt will be going. Contact Ron ASAP if you would like to join them.

 

Guests today were Shelley Steffler, guest of Nancy Lovelock, and Maggie Horn, wife of Bill. Dave Payler and Jennifer Babcock were welcomed back after a few weeks’ absence. Welcome all!...Maggie was winner of the 50/50 draw. There was no actual Fine Master but that hardly mattered as the loonies were collected anyway….Happy Thanksgiving!