MINUTES OF MEETING: Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Editor: Dave Andrews
Meeting Called to Order at 6:30 PM: by President Hilda Finnigan
Grace: Janice Coupland
Toast to the KING : Sue MacKinnon
Land Acknowledgement:
We respectfully acknowledge that the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood is meeting on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nations, within the jurisdiction of the Williams Treaties. We are committed to our responsibility of stewardship, in these relationships and for this land on which we learn, share and live.
Toast to CANADA : Lennis Trotter
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Ulzaa Yanjmaa – guest of Linda Porritt
Rhonda Stewart – guest of Bob Stewart
Jennifer French – our guest speaker
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES:
Happy Birthday to Irina Roudenko on August 10
Happy Birthday to Launi Elliott on August 15
Happy Anniversary to Colleen and Mike McLaren on August 15
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Reminder: please see Linda Porritt to pay your dues
Rotary Oshawa Ribfest needs volunteers for Aug 16-18, 2024 - Contact Karen Dick
Bingo on August 15 – Robbie, Al Finnigan, Dave A, and Bill C
Our next social with spouses is on August 27. Please let Janice Coupland know if there is anything special or special place you would like to go.
Lennis Trotter called a meeting of our club’s Kids Safety Village committee for Aug 20 at 5 pm at the Oshawa Golf Club and then the complete Board and Kids Safety Village Committee meeting on Aug 26 at 2 pm at the Kids Safety Village.
Hilda said that Pat Dyck is in hospital with a broken leg. She would love to hear from you.
Hilda announced that Bob Elliott has been in hospital most of the summer (covid and heart). He is progressing and is coming home soon. Please give him a call or email. He too would love to hear from you.
We go back to the North Oshawa Farmers market on Saturday August 31 (the Labor Day Weekend) from 8:30 am to 2 pm. We may even have tulip bulbs by then. We will be selling Ploughman’s Choice and Bird Houses. Al and Hilda Finnigan will volunteer for the Aug 31. We need volunteers for the following Saturdays (Sept 7, 14, 21, 28 and Oct 5). Please get out your calendars and let Hilda know when you can help.
Sue MacKinnon announced that we are having another Big Yard Sale on September 14 from 9 am to 1 pm in the MAK Funeral Home (off Bond Street). Please start collecting you items for sale. We will have a trailer on site to put all of the item is soon. We will let you know when that will be. But start collecting today. We will need lots of volunteers that day too (at the Yard Sale and at the Farmer’s Market).
Ted Morrison reminded us that the number of wild polio virus cases this year is now 23 (9 in Afghanistan and 9 in Pakistan). Our funds are required more than ever. Ted encouraged us to donate to the Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus Fund and be sure to register for the Rotary Foundation Walk in Newmarket on October 6 from 8:30 am to 2 pm. https://rotary7070.org/events/copy-of-district-7070-rotary-foundation-walk-2024/ Bring your family and friends.
Ted reminded us that the Kids Against Hunger date will be Saturday November 2 from 8:30 am to 2 pm at the Jubilee Pavillion. We will need at least 20 Rotarians, spouses and family members from each of the 6 clubs participating.
Reminder: Committee Lists were mailed last week. Be sure to check which committee you are on and if you wish to sign up for more, please contact Hilda or Dave A.
Thank you to the helpers ( Robbie Larocque, Craig Porritt, Lennis, David Penney, Al Finnigan, and James Ilenikhena) that clean up at the yard on Tuesday (behind Meineke Muffler on King St E) where we store the Ploughman’s Choice this week. Dine is about 30 minutes
Dave A announced WORLD POLIO DAY LIVE FROM THE ROTARY GLOBAL CLASSROOM AT DURHAM COLLEGE – 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm (LIVE BROADCAST) – joint meeting of Durham Region Rotary Clubs and co-hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Oshawa and Oshawa-Parkwood, in the Rotary Global Classroom in the new Centre for Collaborative Education at Durham College where we will celebrate World Polio Day with leaders from around the world. This is one of District 7070’s premier events in the Rotary year : The Rotary Foundation's Polio Eradication Initiative to END POLIO NOW. Reception with light lunch and beverages being planned from 6 PM to 7 PM. Cost is $35 if you are coming to Durham College ($10 of which will be donated to the PolioPlus Fund in your name). Be sure to invite you spouse, relatives, business associates, and prospective members and all clubs in District 7070. We will see the live Rotary International livestream event and we will also broadcast our event live to Rotary Clubs and to Universities and colleges worldwide. All clubs in the District are invited. Proclamations from City and Region to our clubs. We will connect with PolioPlus Volunteers and special guests from around the world. Please register today: https://rotary7070.org/event/copy-of-world-polio-day-2023-live-from-durham-college/
SGT AT ARMS Don Igbokwe
ACE OFSPADES Kim Tan drew the 6 of Hearts and received a consolation prize of an all leather tote bag, courtesy of George Mc Cormack (Oshawa Rotary Club) … and the pot continues to grow
HAPPY BUCKS:
Al – Happy that Rhonda is here tonight. Al golfed this week with Keith Ratchford and Al won. Al needs your help as Sgt At Arms for September. Please let Al know as soon as possible.
Shashi – Very happy the Jennfier French is here tonight. Welcome Jennifer.
Ana – Her Mom has been sick with gum infection but is now on the mend. Ana is happy that September, she a Nazir will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.
Janice – has had great luck with Amazon. However she bought a microwave that had to be returned. In a huge box. Jan was getting the huge box out of her car when two young strangers stopped their car and helped her get in into the store. The store said the box is too big and she had to go to Staples. The young strangers even offered to drive there with her to get it out of her car again.
Ted – a bad experience with his computer. He lost all data and had the computer taken over by a scam artist. He has since had to change credit cards, bank accounts and everything. A lesson learned.
Hilda – happy that we have a full house again tonight.
Dave A – thank you to Jennifer French for her visit tonight. Whenever she is asked, she is there to help our Rotary club.
Peter – happy to be back from Mexico and very happy to see our members really care for each other and help each other out.
Kim – happy to be in our Rotary club.
SPEAKER: Jennifer French, Member of Provincial Parliament, Oshawa Riding
Dave Andrews introduced Jennifer who was first elected in June 2014, as our MPP representing Oshawa. She was again on July 18, 2018 , and then again elected for her third term in June 2022, to the 43rd Parliament of Ontario . She is a member of the loyal opposition, serves as the official opposition critic for Infrastructure, Transportation, and Highways. She is also proud to serve the Ontario Legislature as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. And she has sat as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, one day each week.
She has been a member of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) in Durham, and has been actively involved with the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Durham Region Labour Council. Jennifer works hard to ensure that people have access to good jobs, a strong publicly-funded education system, and a voice in their community. She is a strong advocate for the people of Oshawa and is committed to bringing meaningful change to her community.
Jennifer has been a strong supporter of our Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood. She has taken a personal interest in the Kids Safety Village and she was there at the sod turning ceremony of the renovation and expansion project.
She is also a strong supporter of our Reverse Draw and Silent Auction with door prizes and silent auction items every year. She has helped us , along with her husband Jon, during our cleanup days at Lakeview Park and again, last year, at the Second Marsh AND at our Kids Against Hunger, food packing events, both Jennifer and Jon helped us.
During the week of October 24, World Polio Day, in 2019, Jennifer rose in the Ontario legislature and congratulated our two Rotary Clubs here in Oshawa and Rotary clubs throughout Ontario, Canada, and world-wide, on our efforts to end polio. And for the last few years, she has already sent in her video that we will present on Oct 18 at Rotary’s World Polio Day LIVE from the Rotary Global Classroom.
And who can forget the Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Communities Awards that Jennifer presented, on behalf of the Province of Ontario, in 2019, to Carolina Rodriguez , the Past President of the Rotaract Club of Durham College – UOIT , AND to our very own Rotary Club member Kim Boatman. We thank you, Jennifer, for your service to our community and to our Rotary club.
Jennifer started her talk by thanking our Rotary club and its members for all that we do in the community and throughout the world .
Jennifer touched on many of the main issues affecting Ontarians today: the Ontario Science Centre, the Go train through Oshawa (and the fact that Durham Region will have to pick up the tab for the stations). She expressed frustration trying to get answers from various ministries at Queen’s Park. She talked about her committee and the renovations at Queens Park, the 401 widening through Oshawa, the new Harmony Road interchange, and her private members bills (15 and 199) concerning fairness to the victims of road accidents, and the EV homes act.
She also talked about health care and asked all of us that when we go to various doctors , be sure to ask :Is it covered by OHIP.
She has worked well with many members of the Ontario legislature, their ministries and their staffs, to get things done. She has recently assisted the back Door Mission to get some needed funding to continue many programs for the homeless. She also touched on the need for more not for profit long term care facilities as well.
She was very pleased when she heard that the planning money has been secured for the new hospital in Whitby.
She said that when an election is called, she would like to run again as candidate for MPP for the Oshawa riding.
She added that if any of us of anyone we know who needs help with government red tape, her staff in Oshawa will assist, even if it is sending them to the appropriate federal, regional or municipal office for help.
Jennifer was thanked by Peter Hernandez.
President Hilda then adjourned the meeting.
MORE INFORMATION IN THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS be sure to check this out!!
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, YOU CAN MAKE UP: Go online at www.rotary.org go to the club locator and find a club or clubs near your destination. Or you can add the free App Rotary Club Locator to your phone for instant look up of any club in the world. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Secretary Sue MacKinnon, or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.