Meeting Recording
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President's Comments
Our club received a letter from Wendi Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region which President Louise read. Here is the text of that letter.
Dear Louise,
What a year it has been!
The pandemic has affected us all in ways we couldn't have imagined. We did our best to adjust and adapt to make it through these trying times. There were some in our own community without the basic resources to support themselves or their loved ones, who struggled to cope with the uncertainties.
Fortunately, they had you.
You turned what could have been the worst year for some of our most vulnerable neighbours into a hopeful one. And we are grateful to you for that.
- When so many of our neighbours could not afford to stock up on food for days at a time, you ensured they had access to it when needed.
- When some of our key fundraising events got cancelled, you stepped up and helped us acquire and distribute food to our community programs and agency partners.
- When our food industry partners were struggling themselves, you filled the gaps in our inventory and made sure those in immediate need, did not go hungry.
In just 6 months, you helped us serve 333,703 meals at 36 shelters, services and outreach programs. Besides, you also donated hand sanitizers, homemade masks, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that we've shared with our community programs and agency partners.
Louise, you went above and beyond to help your neighbours in these unprecedented times.
We know the pandemic is far from over, but with you by our side we feel prepared to help others get through this challenging time.
Thanks for being there.
Wishing you a safe and happy holidays,
Visiting Rotarians
Elena Shpinel, Rotary Club of Moscow International
Guests
Cathie DeCoo, Guest of Adrian DeCoo
Kathy Fahel, Guest of Shawky Fahel
Graham Gardiner, Guest of Louise Gardiner
Judy Ginsler, Guest of Ernie Ginsler
Diana Jones, Guest of Martin Jones
Linda Kenny, Guest of Jim Brown
Fiona, Chetan and Isla Kumar, Guest of Rohit Kumar
Sue Parker, Guest of Gary Parker
Rosemary Pell, Guest of Howard Pell
Judy Proctor, Guest of Bill Proctor
Paula Rostrup, Guest of Paul Rostrup
Catharine Smith, Guest of Dave Smith
Donna Swayze, Guest of Neil Swayze
Martha Taylor, Guest of Ed Fowler
John Webster, Guest of the Club
Happy Jar
Mike Morrice was happy to announce that he will soon be starting his new job at WLU as the Social Entrepreneur in Residence, teaching classes and mentoring students.
Shawky Fahel is most pleased for our country and for all of us as the COVID-19 vaccines will soon be arriving and administered.
Special Recognitions / Presentations
As is our custom we also took this opportunity to recognize members who have recently reached a new level of Paul Harris Fellowship. Tonight’s honourees were:
Earned Through Donations:
Bill Krohn Level 1 (PHF) (Pin plus Certificate)
John Webster Level 2 (PHF+1)
Ross Newkirk Level 3 (PHF+2)
Tom Mennil Level 4 (PHF+3)
Shawky Fahel Level 5 (PHF+4)
William Proctor Level 9 (PHF+8)
Honourary Recognition as Past Presidents of the Club:
Candi Harrington Level 1 (PHF) (Pin plus Certificate)
Paul Rostrup Level 1 (PHF) (Pin plus Certificate)
Richard Bruckeder Level 1 (PHF) (Pin plus Certificate)
Catch the Ace
Over the holidays, Catch the Ace draws are scheduled for December 17, 24th and the 31st. Let your friends and family know as the Jackpot is now over $6,600.
Program Highlights
This meeting was our annual Holiday Social but President Louise did get it started by providing a very good overview of the first half of our Rotary Year. Highlighting our many accomplishments and successes.
During the Holiday Social there was much fun as we tried to “Guess the Rotarian” from photos of Christmases past, shared memories of Christmases past, talked about our favourite elements of Christmas and our funniest Christmas presents. A great time was had by all.
Closing Remarks & Reminders
Our next meeting will be on January 4th with guest speaker Jill Stoddard from Family and Children services speaking on the plight of many of our indigenous neighbours.
On January 11th we will be having a joint meeting with the Rotary Club of Moscow International. It is sure to be a very interesting event.