The meeting today was in person and no recording is available.
President Vince welcomed all to this our first meeting of the 2026-2027 Rotary Year.
Our program today was Our Year Ahead presented by newly installed President Vince. Here is the text of his presentation.
First off, I would like to thank Elena for the wonderful work she did this past year. She provided a steady hand and led us through a challenging environment with wisdom and vigour. I can only hope to continue the high standard she set.
A little background on me: my parents, Antonio and Emilia, were both born in southern Italy in the town of Atripalda, Provincial di Avellino - roughly 60 km inland from the Amalfi coast. After getting married in Italy they immigrated to Canada to start a new life and a new family. They had three boys and after having children of my own, I now understand why my aunts kept saying my mom is a saint - sure as heck didn’t seem that way as a child.
I'm the oldest of the three and we are first generation Canadians. I was born and raised in Toronto and with both parents working, our grandma was our primary caregiver. She spoke no English, so Italian was my first language. It was quite the culture shock attending kindergarten as everyone spoke a different language than I did.
After graduating from college in Toronto, I moved out of the center of the universe (Toronto) to Waterloo Region to begin my first career as a computer tech. While living in Kitchener I met my future wife, Deonne at the twist, and settled in Waterloo to start our family. We have two wonderful children, our oldest is Anthony and our daughter Amy.
When not busy with work or Rotary we enjoy traveling both locally in Southwestern Ontario and abroad, taking in sights from all over the world. I also enjoy playing squash on a regular basis and by far my most favorite activity is playing ball hockey year-round.
I started in the financial services industry in 1994, founded Cerullo Financial Services in 2017 and continue to work with our amazing clients to this day.
My rotary Journey started in 2023 because I wanted to give back to the community that helped me be successful. My father-in-law, Larry Culliton was a Rotarian in this very club for many years, so I had an idea of the wonderful work Rotary did and I decided I wanted to be a part of it.
I am honoured and excited to serve as president of the Rotary Club of Kitchener for the 2026-2027 term. I look forward to continuing with the excellent work our past presidents and club members have done and my aim is to build upon the community we have created and to give every member a voice.
This year, we are called to harness the change within ourselves, to look to the future, and to Create Lasting Impact.
From President Babalola: “The more you change your community and the world, the more you will change. Don’t just tell people about the projects you have run or the funds you have raised. Tell them how Rotary has shaped who you are. Those personal stories open doors, inspire new members, and remind all of us why we are here.”
From District Governor, Uche, “Welcome to a new Rotary year and to an exciting new chapter for District 7080!” This year, we embrace Rotary International's inspiring theme, “Create Lasting Impact”, while rallying around our District's call to action: “Roll Up Your Sleeves!”
“Creating lasting impact doesn't happen by chance - it happens when every Rotarian is willing to contribute, serve, and lead. It takes all of us. This year, I invite every club and every member to help elevate Rotary's public image. Let us consistently share our stories on social media, proudly represent Rotary at community and professional events, invite non-Rotarians to experience our service projects and meetings, and ensure that wherever we serve, people know that Rotary is making a difference.
“When we tell our story together, our impact grows. When we work together, our communities grow stronger. And when we all roll up our sleeves, we create a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
Our club has a great history of projects that do have a lasting Impact including:
- The establishment of Rotary African Women’s Education Fund (RAWEF) and the over 100 young women we have supported
- The funding of the Dave Martindale’s classroom in a school in Kenya
- Nogales project in Mexico since 2003!
- KidsAbility, originally founded in 1957 as the Rotary Children’s Centre, and supported since that time by local Rotarians!
- Better Tent City
- Don Cardillo Trail Clean-Up
- Ukraine Initiatives
- Rotary Student Exchanges
- Nutrition for Learning
- Nazareth Computer project (currently in process)
- Victoria Park Bandstand
- Duke Street Rotary Plaza
- Plus, many other projects
Truly a testament to lasting impact!
To continue our great legacy let’s roll up our sleeves this year and commit to:
- Strengthen and growing our club - aim to add 3-5 new members – this is a club-wide initiative and a goal we can all help achieve by spreading our message to friends and family.
- Raise funds to put towards our projects – currently our major club fundraiser is the online auction and through combined effort we should aim to surpass last years’ total by 10%.
- Get involved in one of our committees. We’ll reach out to everyone so that you can inform us of which committee are of interest to you.
We have a long and rich history to uphold - 104 years to be exact, and while things are quite different than in 1922, one thing we share with our forebears is that we are committed to service above self. How do we make a difference in our community? How do we “Create lasting impact?
Personally, I think it’s by getting involved. Contribute - Make your voice heard - Being in Rotary is not a spectator sport - it’s an active membership.
This is a service club that relies on the input and effort of members. We are a collection of like-minded individuals working together to unleash the power of Rotary.
It has been suggested that we limit our club commitments so we don’t overwork our members and we should be cognizant of this. However, I am of the opposite mind. Much like a muscle that does not get used, it will atrophy and wither. The less we do, the less we want to do as it becomes easy to opt out and let others take the reigns.
We are Kitchener Rotary. Let’s get out into our community and be visible. The best way to spread our message is to demonstrate it. When people see us in action, it can only lead to curiosity, perhaps enquiry, and hopefully lead to interest in joining in.
In year 104, let's do more. Flex our Rotary muscles, roll up our sleeves and get to work. Contribute in any way that you can, big or small - share your gifts with your club, your community, your world.
Don’t look for an excuse not to participate, find a reason to take part. All the incredible projects that Rotary has completed over the years and are currently in progress all over the world have one thing in common - a Rotarian like you had an idea of how to help and acted on it. Our logo is a gear, but it does not turn on its own. In the center is a keyhole and we are the key that makes it go.
So, to our new members, welcome – this is Rotary. We need your enthusiasm, your perspective and your fresh ideas. To our longer tenured members, welcome as well. We need your guiding hand, your experience and your proficiency. Together we are Rotary.
Let’s be sure to keep Rotary’s vision in mind:
Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our community and in ourselves.
My pledge as President is to foster an environment where we all use our talents and continue to make Kitchener Rotary the place where ideas get turned into action to help our community.
Kitchener Rotary e-Newsletter
