On Friday November 1 Neil Hetherington will be updating us about his interesting "vacation" last June. It was full of adventures! Join us at the Albany Club.
His crew
Ready to sail!
Club Assembly Monday November 4, 2019
5:30 pm at the National Club
Let Carol know if you are coming. This is your chance to have a voice in our club's future.
Peter Naylor's Legacy Project, November 15, 2019
In 2012 our International Service Committee donated to a project organized by the Rotary Club of Picton. Ths was to purchase equipment for the new Atorkor Vocational Training Institute in Ghana. Two years ago our member Peter Naylor offered to provide a full solar panel system for the school - at a cost of $250,000. Come join friends and family to hear the story of Rotary's involvement in the project and the work required to make it a reality.
Pictured are David Carter, solar power designer, Peta Hall, Picton Rotarian, Atorkor electrical instructor Enoch and Peter Naylor
Christmas is closer than you think!!
Sunday, December 1 - our famous Children's Christmas Party - a tradition for a century. Karl Kremer will be in touch seeking assistance. Cash donations would help us fill the gift bags for the children.
Friday, December 6, Seniors Christmas Lunch.
Take a Senior to Lunch - we will be collecting lunch tickets on November 22 and 29 or call Belli in the office to charge.
James Braithwaite is chair. Help is needed that day - contact Annelise Taylor or John Platts. There is lots to do.
Friday, December 13 - our special Christmas Buffet. This is an opportunity to bring a guest to see our great club. Donations of items to silent auction table would be appreciated. Contact Jackie Davies
World Polio Day October 24, 2019
The “End Polio Now” flag was raised at Toronto City Hall in the morning. It has been announced that both Type 2 and 3 viral strains have now been eliminated world-wide, leaving only Type 1, still in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Nigeria was just declared polio-free – Well done, Rotary.
An update with better numbers – Canada has now donated over $600,000 to PolioPlus.
ROBIN HOOD ARMY October 21, 2019
What a wonderful time we had cooking and serving dinner for the residents at Strachan House operated by Homes First Society. There was even a bit of innovation with a pasta salad created lovingly by Chialing. James kept us all in stitches and Daniel kept us in line. “Just let me do it”.
All thanks to our Community Services Committee (we will rock it this year) in collaboration with Robin Hood Army 🇨🇦.
Next event - Saturday November 30th. Contact Lori Brazier.
Boss Daniel
The team!
Chialing's salad
District Conference October 25-27
The weather was perfect, the leaves in full colour in the sun and the skies clear. Marriott Rosseau was a beautiful venue for over 350 Rotarians and guests.
Friday night's reception was an Oktoberfest theme with our own Michele Guy winning for best costume.
Saturday was a very serious time. The first speaker Amanda Lindhout talked to us about her 460 days as a ransom victim in Somalia, the brutal treatment she received and her ten year journey of recovery. She ran out of her books for signing - "A House in the Sky"
We then had a panel of three generals from Central Command talk about planning for forces and actions in the mid-east. Well, two, as the US general didn't make it. If they told us where he was they would have to kill us. But as you can see from the news things were busy over the weekend.
The afternoon afforded us several opportunities for education with panels spread over three time periods. I am sure we all learned a lot.
Sunday morning we learned about recovering from grief by Erin Davis. Four years ago her 24-year-old daughter didn't wake up, leaving an infant child behind. No medical explanation has been found. Erin and her husband moved to Vancouver Island and found a new family at the Rotary Club of Sydney.
We learned a lot, reconnected with many special friends and have returned home with new energy.
Next year Whitby Sunrise will be hosting the conference at the Prince Hotel in Toronto. Watch for early signups with reduced fees!
20 of our finest plus Global Scholar Daisuke Taniguchi
Let’s Get Personal: Timothy Lang, President & CEO YES – Youth Employment Services
YES – Youth Employment Services was founded in 1968 thanks to the Rotary Club of Toronto. YES trains and motivates over 12 thousand youth a year at one of our may offices, most of whom are disadvantaged youth or youth with mental health issues, and then places them into employment through our network with thousands of businesses, creating prosperity and safer stronger communities. With a 90% success rate, we truly change lives forever.
The return on investment is massive, as for every $1 dollar funding to YES, it returns $3 to the economy in terms of new tax revenues, millions in new wages, and a reduction on social services. The long term ROI is even more significant, as employment is a social determinant to health and employment creates a healthier society both physically and mentally. A job gives a person a sense of community, a sense of purpose, financial stability and a sense of worth and dignity. YES trains organizations across Canada and the world, so we indirectly help millions. YES has a major impact and I am proud to say that in my 4 years as President & CEO we have doubled the size of the organization and thus help thousands more youth annually.
YES is so grateful to Rotary and for its continued involvement and investment. We have or have had several Rotarians on the Board, including a past President and YES is one of the finest examples of how Rotary helps change so many lives each day.
What You Missed - October 25th
by James Braithwaite
The meeting started with an acapella vibe as we were joined by no musical accompaniment! The Rotarians' rendition of O Canada was both rousing and unconventional, a polished choral ensemble we are not :-)
Sylvia Geist updated us on her work as Chair of a Task Force of The Program Committee that called "Release Trauma" - Transitional Issues Faced by Former Military Personnel. This work is being supported by the Community Service Committee and The Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University.
Robert O’Brien introduced our speaker George Smitherman. He has led an interesting life to date. He has experienced some hard challenges in life including being a recovered addict. He was a successful politician but retired with no current plan to run for office again, although someday he may consider opportunities outside Toronto… He discussed his recently authored book of memoirs and signed & sold copies after the meeting.
He said the following about the recent election results: “As a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Liberal ‘through & through’, under the circumstances a minority government is not a bad thing. Ottawa [Read Mr. Trudeau and company] could perhaps do some legislating to satisfy a very divided country right now.” He had a very strong opinion that the ‘first past the post’ vote electoral system has got to go!
The Ace of Clubs draw was won by Joyce Westlake and she took home a great bottle of wine, leaving 16 cards left in the deck.
Beth started her career as a student and associate in the litigation department of Fasken Campbell Godfrey. She was called to the bar in 1994.
Beth is currently Senior Counsel at the Ministry of the Attorney General Civil Law Division, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care Branch. Beth has a broad-based litigation practice and has expertise in the areas of Coroner’s inquests, human rights, forensic and civil mental health, OHIP eligibility and long-term care home compliance. Beth has a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School in alternative dispute resolution.
Since January 2018 Beth has been a friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. Her story has been featured on television, radio, print media and billboards across the country.
Beth is a founding member of the Mental Health Illuminati which provides programming in the Ministry of the Attorney General and beyond on topics relating to mental health. The Illuminati liaises with senior management on issues affecting those living with mental illness.
Beth is also a founding member and captain of The Bipolar Express, a team that raises money for a youth mental health program operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Since its inception, the Bipolar Express has been the top fundraising team in the country in the CMHA’s annual fundraising event Ride Don’t Hide (also called Mental Health in Motion) in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Beth has made presentations to thousands of people, primarily lawyers in the public and private sectors. She has also made presentations to schools, corporations and at various levels of the Ontario government as well as the British Columbia Prosecution Service.
Beth is on a mission to help improve the lives of those living with mental illness as well those who care for them.
Guest Speaker: Susan Howson, Friday, February 21, 2020
Foundation Day Rotary Lunch
Location: Fairmont, Tudor Rooms 7 and 8
Topic: The Rotary Club of Toronto Foundation
Host: The Foundation Board
Susan Howson is a third-generation Rotarian. Growing up with parents who believed in giving back to their communities – preferably through Rotary – it was a natural step to join the Rotary Club of Toronto in 1991. Women had only recently been allowed to join Rotary and Susan was one of the first 10.
After graduating from Western University in 1976 with a BA in history, Susan joined Wood Gundy’s clerical staff. In the following nine years, she completed a range of security courses, enabling her to rise through departments that included Compliance, Foreign Exchange and Money Market. In 1985, she left Wood Gundy to spend the summer deciding what to do next.
After a discussion with George Beck (a member of the Rotary Club of Toronto and a close family friend) on the options available in the investment industry, George offered her the opportunity to join Andras Canavest Hetherington (now Mackie Research Capital Corporation, MRCC) to train with him and eventually take over his business. She joined the firm September 1985 as the firm’s sole woman investment advisor. Thirty years later, Susan is a portfolio manager and a director of MRCC, with $160 million of assets under management with additional responsibilities in maintaining MRCC’s portfolio system and guiding other portfolio managers.
Susan was President of The Rotary Club of Toronto in 2007/08 has been involved with several committees including Research and Appeals, Membership and Fundraising. She currently manages Rotary’s executive retreat/build-it-and-paint-it camp weekend. Susan is also the current President of the Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation.
Additionally, Susan is President of St David’s Tower, a non-profit apartment on Donlands Avenue. Susan is married to David Weatherston, whom she met in 1985. She has two children, Alison and Michael, and was a grandmother in March 2019.
His crew
Ready to sail!
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