CHANGEOVER!
Guest Speakers: President 2019 2020, Kevin Power
Friday June 26, 2020 Rotary Virtual Meeting
Topic:  Final Presidential Address
12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM
RSVP to office@rotarytoronto.com
 
WHAT YOU MISSED!  KEVIN POWER'S CHANGEOVER SPEECH AND PREVIOUS MEETING!
 
Hello Rotarians and Guests,
 
President Kevin in his cool and composed manner has been stellar in leading us successfully as the Club adapted to virtual meetings.  These meetings have been getting 75 to 125 attendees joining in on Live Stream or Google Meet. 
 
Friday, June 26. 2020 was our Changeover Virtual Meeting for  Kevin's final Presidential remarks, his last virtual one presiding over as President - for those that were not able to connect on the day, please enjoy the recording of the meeting: 
 
 
 
 
Missed some of our previous virtual talks, or just want to see them again...
 
...Enjoy these recordings - click here for summary on Facebook
DateSpeaker / TopicFacebook videoGoogle Drive link
June 19
Alain Bartleman - National Indigenous People's DayClick hereGoogle - click here
June 12Dr. Michael Verbora - Is medical cannabis a cure all?Click hereGoogle - click here
June 5Amna Majeed, Angela Chen and Stacey Chikoto - Rotaract: Year in ReviewClick hereGoogle - click here
May 29Valarie Wafer - Rotary International at a Time of Covid-19Click hereGoogle - click here
May 22Brian Westlake & Paul Cusimano - Build me up !! Sweat EquityClick hereGoogle - click here
May 8Jennifer Lee - The Essence of Resilient LeadershipClick hereGoogle - click here
May 1Sandy Boucher - New business risks in the Covid-19 landscapeClick hereGoogle - click here
April 24Tess Widdifield - The impact of a global pandemic on the world's most vulnerableClick hereGoogle - click here
April 17Peter Ewins - Nature Works - restoring the things that run our world, one InTheZone garden at a timeClick hereGoogle - click here
April 3President Kevin Power - our first Virtual meeting - The Covid-19 PlanClick hereGoogle - click here
 
 

Thanks,

Prince.
 
 
More Power to You
 
We are reaching the end of another Rotary year.  What a year.  The end of a year is a time for us to reflect on our Club’s meetings, activities, successes and challenges this past year.  To recognize the efforts and contributions of our members and our impact on our community. There were a number of highlight meetings for me this past year. It may seem a long time ago that members were feeling hot, hot, hot in the Imperial Room up and dancing to the steel drums.  The sounds of Caribana with members and guests showing off their limbo skills on the patio at the National Club.  Enjoying the WERM’s at the National Club.  Celebrating with seniors at our Annual Senior’s Christmas luncheon.  Enjoying the entertainment and food at our Club’s Christmas luncheon.  Our special lunch meetings led by our various committees.   This year included International Services hosting a meeting in honour of Peter Naylor and his solar panel project in Ghana.  At our last in person meeting on March 6, we celebrated International Women’s Day led by the Women’s Initiative Committee with a full room at the National Club.  Our Environmental Committee hosted our Earth day luncheon with our very first virtual guest speaker.  The format of Youth Day could not be the same this year but our Youth and Children’s Committee arranged an update for us from our great Rotaract Clubs.  Once again, this year we had an impactful Indigenous People’s Day luncheon this past week.
Thank you to Bert Steenburgh and the program committee for another exemplary year of speakers.
 
We did have a busy year of activities in the club.  Highlights include the District Foundation walk in September, held in our backyard at Humber College Campus in Etobicoke, along the shores of Lake Ontario.  In October, we had a strong turnout of members at the District Conference in Muskoka.  The Veterans Forum led by Sylvia Geist and her team addressing release trauma in our vets. We held our 91st Annual Children’s Christmas Party. A morning snowfall did not slow down our Rotary volunteers or Mayor John Tory from attending.  Don Bell and his team led a very successful partnership with the Breakfast in support of Progress Place in March.  This year, we had a number of other first-time activities, out of necessity.  Members enjoyed their “quarantinis” at virtual cocktail parties.  Some of us (me at least) starting learning how to cook at our virtual dinner club meetings.  Virtual wine club, gardening club, book club and euchre as well.  A special thank you to Pat Neuman and the Fellowship and Entertainment Committee for all of your efforts this past year, especially during Covid-19.  For helping to keep us connected.
 
This past November Vice President Prince Kumar and his team of directors led a successful Club Assembly.  The assembly was in relation to the transition of our clubs’ committee structure.  Following the assembly, several working groups were established. This included a 10-person Transition Team that met once a week, sometimes twice, from January.  There have been healthy debates and discussions on how to change our committee structure.  The meetings continued virtually during Covid-19 and progress has been made and the transition team is working to finalize the structure and a process to roll out the new committee structure once we are meeting again in person.  I do want to say a special thank you to the members of the transition committee led by Vice President Prince Kumar, President Elect John Fortney, Past President’s Jeff Dobson, Pat Neuman and Richard White, Directors Anny Sandra Hamel and Dawn-Marie King and members Sylvia Geist and Emre Yurga.
 
One of the goals of Rotary International this year was to grow Rotary.  Membership remained a key issue for our club this past year.  A special thank you to Dawn-Marie King for all her efforts and initiatives in relation to membership this year. This was a very large task to take on, her efforts will greatly assist our club moving forward.  I am very pleased to welcome all of our new members this year and that we were able to virtually introduce two new members.
At my initial meeting as your Club President last July, I talked about how as a Club we would need to continue to adapt and change.  Looking back at this past year, I am very proud to see our Club adapt and change to the challenges we have faced, particularly with Covid-19.
 
Our Foundation stepped up and provided $300,000 for specific Covid-19 funding.  Our philanthropic committees reached out into our community to find needs arising from Covid-19.  Covid-19 disproportionately impacted the disadvantaged in our community.  Through our efforts, we made an impact on our community so that we could make an impact.  The Foundation under the leadership of Susan Howson remains a strength of our club.  Thank you to Susan Howson and the Foundation Board for your stewardship and leadership.
 
It was a year not like many other years.  The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is significant.  Public health measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 have been far reaching. We had to cancel in person lunches, and in person committee meetings.  At this time, we remain in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, this week moving to Stage 2 of the reopening.  The economic and social impact of Covid-19 has been significant.
Our club was in its infancy during the H1N1 virus, commonly known as the Spanish Flu outbreak between 1918 and 1920.  In 2003, our club was led by Past President John Andras through SARS.
 
While the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted all of us, it has also allowed us as a Club an opportunity to adapt and change.  The Rotary International theme this past year was Rotary Connects the World.  In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic we have, out of necessity, had to learn new ways to connect. We moved to virtual meetings.  I will, for the last time as President, once again be using the boardroom in my office to talk to you through my iPad.  I must say it is strange for me, but I do get to ring the Rotary bell to lead off our meetings.  The move to a virtual meeting was a challenge. It has been a learning process for us and for those involved in the meetings.  I am very thankful for the tremendous assistance of Vice President Prince Kumar, Carol Hutchinson and Maureen Bird with the production of the virtual meetings. As well as the assistance of our musicians Lorna Johnson, Brigitte Bogar and Glenn Davis.   For the involvement of all of our members introducing speakers, being virtual Let’s be Personal speakers and Geoffrey Johnson and Neil Phillips giving that was the week that was.  When the meetings are done, Vice President Prince Kumar edits and shares the meetings.  The virtual meetings are posted to our club Facebook page as well as to our website.  Talk about adapting.
 
I was excited to be welcoming into our board this year four amazing members bringing their experience and perspectives to our club board.  Unfortunately, Luzita Kennedy left the club this year.  We will also lose Lorna Johnson as a member as she and Cliff recently moved out to Victoria B.C.  I want to thank both Luzita and Lorna for their great contributions to our club.  I would also like to thank our outgoing directors Alex Brown, Mary Lach and Don Brooks for your service on the club board.  It was a pleasure to serve and work with each of you on the board.
Thank you to Maureen Bird and her Voice crew for all of their efforts this past year and for adapting to the changes of Covid-19.
Thank you to President Elect John Fortney for all of your support and assistance this past year.  Especially with our social media.  It has been a pleasure to serve and work with you.
 
With the Covid-19 pandemic we also closed the Rotary office.  I want to say a special thank you to Carol and Belli.  Carol has worked tirelessly through this pandemic and has been a tremendous assistance.  This included time for additional board, executive and committee meetings, as well as organizing and coordinating all of the materials for the Covid-19 ad hoc committees, and spending time on phone calls on a myriad of issues as we moved through Covid-19.  A special thank you to Belli for your additional work as well in our budgeting and accounting and co-ordinating the signing of cheques.
 
While we do have some challenges, I am confident that working together we will continue to take on and resolve these challenges.  We will continue to adopt and change as we move forward.  With John Fortney, Prince Kumar and Jayson Phelps, we have strong leadership moving forward, a great board of directors and dedicated club members.  Our future is bright. 
 
It was a pleasure and an honour to serve as President of this great Club.  I am most grateful to have this part in my Rotary journey and for this opportunity to serve.