Ron set up the four-way test banners today. (see above Zoom screenshot).

 

Our first guest, Mark Holmes lives in London and works in St Thomas as a publisher in advertising with the newspaper and has been there for 10 years. He has been in Rotary in Cobourg and Welland. Maggie was with us today. Bob Pate is the new manager of the Wayside Dining Lounge. Bob is from India and has been president of Rotary there. We hope to return to the Wayside again when we open up after COVID and will discuss the meeting day.

 

Rotary Learning and Information will have three Monday meetings in March and Catharine is going to attend. There is an opening for another member of this club to attend.

 

Trish is investigating costs for a tree and a plaque (and possible bench) in Aylmer to recognize the work of the Rotary Club while it was operational there. These will be placed at Rotary Park. 

 

Next week will be the District Zoom meeting and we will talk about environment day.

 

The incoming Rotary International president has chosen the motto  “Serve to Change Lives” - see logo below.

 

Rebecca Price sends the following:

We are one week away from our Rotaract Open House (February 10th at 7:00pm)! This open house is an opportunity to teach our community about Rotaract and invite people to join our wonderful club. 
We have created a Facebook event, please remember to share AND invite people. Here is a link to the event: https://fb.me/e/17ppSOMkB
People can also join us directly via zoom: 

Meeting ID: 839 8196 2580

Dial by your location

      +1 778 907 2071 
YIR
Rebecca and Jane 

 

Feb 24, Bob Jones will update us on the fundraising campaign for the Hospice.

 

Ron thinks he has been longer officially with Rotary than Bill and Bill thinks the same about himself. We’ll let them sort that out.

Ron’s first event at a Rotary meeting was the change of officers at Sandham after he was invited. He did not know the rules but just started going to meetings. He was involved in the Travelogue Series that was superseded by television. He recalled the Robby Burns nights. Ron's first horse show was a bad experience because there were a lot of flies around the food. He and Lee Smith got approval from the club to start a food trailer at a cost of $200 from Ferguson’s RV. It was refitted in 1992 with a fryer and attended six venues. They built a new trailer in 1983 which lasted for 18 years at which point it became not roadworthy. In 1981 he was involved with the

District Conference. In 1984, he and Ed Willson met with the members and their spouses and started the new fundraiser, the Christmas Tour of Homes. Helen Campbell started the gala dinner in 2005 as a Centennial celebration of Rotary International. That same year they started the Pinafore Park splash pad.

 

Ron attended the Rotary International Convention at Calgary in 1984. He was involved with the Fantasy of Lights at Pinafore Park when they built the crooked little house from barn boards. Ron also went to Chicago and Evanston IL to see the Rotary International headquarters. There he found Harris Bear from the London club and met the Rotary International President. The picture was sent to Wayne McKinnan by internet, then framed and presented to Ron when he returned at the Rotary meeting. At a District Conference in Michigan, there were 300 people singing “Let there be Peace on Earth”. That left such an impression on Ron, so the club bought a piano keyboard. The club sang for many years at meetings. Ron was five years as chair of the Rotary Music Festival. He has been secretary of all committees of the club at one time or another. He also took storage of many of the supplies for the Rotary Club activities at his son Cliff's property. Ron's final remark was: “My best decision was to join Rotary”.