MINUTES OF MEETING: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024
Editor: Linda Porritt
Meeting Called to Order at 6:30 PM: by President Hilda Finnigan
Grace: Kim Tan
Toast to the KING : Dale Duke
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 : Tina Robinson led us in the singing of O Canada.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Visiting Rotarians - Tina Robinson (Rotary Club of Brampton and past member of the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood); Joe Solway (Rotary Club of Bowmanville); Steve Rutledge (Whitby Sunrise Rotary Club); Shauna Moore (Assistant District Governor)
Ben Earle (Guest Speaker)
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES:
October 25th - Birthday - Jill Fisher, wife of past member Miles Fisher
November 5th - Anniversary - past members Chidinma & Stanley Igboanugo
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Emmy I. - The Oshawa Walk of Fame Gala Dinner and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Jubilee Pavilion at Lakeview Park on Thursday, November 7, starting at 5 pm. Tickets are $135.
Lennis T. - Hallowe’en at the Kids' Safety Village Thursday, Friday and Saturday October 25-27. Time is 3:30 pm to 8:00 pm.Thanks to all who have volunteered.
Ted M.- Bill Creamer was very happy to get the card from the club. He is scheduled for further surgery on Thursday. We wish him well.
Ted M. - Cakes and Hams.. The hams are $30 and the cakes are $25. Deadline for orders is November 12th.
Ted M. - 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.
Set up is at 7:30 pm. We will pack 50,000 meals. 8’ Tables are needed.
Hilda F. - The World Polio Day event at Durham College was a great success. Kudos to Dave Andrews. Proclamations for World Polio Day are being made by the City of Oshawa and the Region of Durham.
Hilda F. - Yesterday October 21st was our club’s 49th anniversary!
Larry H. - Faith United Church is holding a Christmas Bazaar on Nov 2nd at 9 am. 1778 Nash Road, Courtice.
Next Bingo is Saturday October 26th. Volunteers will be Peter, Robbie, Leon and a guest volunteer. (Possibly with last name Larocque!)
Rotary Club of Uxbridge is launching a Catch the Ace fundraiser to support their new hospital.
Hilda reminded members of upcoming District events :
There is a flag raising for World Polio Day at Toronto City Hall on October 24th at 9 am , 2nd floor.
District Conference Oct 25-27. There is now unbundled pricing if you only want to go for part of the weekend.
We host DG Virginia O’Reilly’s official club visit Tuesday Nov 26th at the Oshawa Golf Club.
Note from President Hilda: There is no meeting at the Oshawa Golf Club on Tuesday October 29th.
SGT AT ARMS David Penney
ACE OF SPADES David Andrews drew the Six of Clubs. The pot grows bigger. It is now over $600
HAPPY BUCKS
1. Robert Kipling His granddaughter is in the 3rd year of a Mechanical Engineering program. She will be going to Germany for her next co-op work term!
2. Emmy I. gave $5. Welcome to our guests from Feed the Need. Happy to announce that his baseball team won the championship.
3. Larry H. - $20 - Happy to be back after a summer at the cottage. Reconnecting now with Rotary and his friends at church.
4. Dave A. World Polio Day had a committee of 14. He wants to thank everyone involved. It was a great evening. Bob Scott said it was the best he had ever attended!
5. Tina R. It’s great to be back at Oshawa-Parkwood. She has been gone for 18 years, and glad to see many members that she knows in attendance. She joined the Rotary Club of Brampton after leaving Oshawa.
6. Al F. - had his first cataract surgery last Friday. Doing okay.
7. Shauna M. - gave $40 - Always happy to be at Oshawa-Parkwood meetings. She noted that Dave Andrews gets things done!
8. Hilda F. $5 - Their place in Florida is good after Hurricane Milton, but others in the park weren’t so lucky. They drain the water out and it just comes back. Grateful that Al is recovering - he’s mildly upset that she won’t put his eyedrops in.
9. Ted M. $5. - Congratulations to Dave Andrews for a great World Polio Day event. Ted is happy to see Larry and also happy to see Tina! On a sad note, his son’s house burnt to the ground. Unfortunately, one of the family dogs was lost but all others are okay. They now have a new place in Kirkfield. He is grateful for the cash donations received tonight from the club.
SPEAKERS Ben Erle from Feed the Need Durham and Joe Solway, Bowmanville Rotarian
Past President Dave Andrews introduced our speakers for the evening, Ben Earl from Feed the Need Durham and Joe Solway, Bowmanville Rotarian spearheading the annual Feed the Need Concert on December 8th.
Ben spoke about the growth in food insecurity in Durham and across Canada. About 18% of Durham’s population is experiencing food insecurity. Food insecurity may mean hunger or missing meals. It can also mean eating less per meal, or not having access to healthy foods.
Feed the Need has seen massive growth in the demand in Durham at food banks and community meal centres. Food bank visits in 2019-20 were 75,000. In 2023-24 this rose to 270,000.
The organization has exponentially increased the amount of food distributed. They have been able to keep up but the amount of food given out per person has dropped.
They have two initiatives that they are working on to help meet the needs of the community.
Firstly, they now have two locations where the recipients can do their own shopping rather than just take what is given to them in a standard basket. They have found that personal shopping actually reduces the amount of food given per person.
Secondly, they are partnering with Mighty Harvest to do 3,000 square feet of vertical farming, so that they can stock the food banks with fresh produce, year round, at a reduced cost.
Joe spoke about the Feed the Need Concert. He showed a video that showcased some of the performers. The tickets are $30 each. It is being held December 8th 2 pm at the Biltmore Theatre on King St E in Oshawa.
A donation cheque in the amount of $2,000 was presented to Feed the Need Durham by the Community Service Committee.
DONATION: Left to Right: Ben Earle of Feed The Need in Durham, , concert founder Bowmanville Rotarian Joe Solway and Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood President Hilda Finnigan. And the BIG ROTARY CHEQUE. Join us for the 7th Annual Concert to Feed the Need in Durham : At 2 pm on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2024, musicians from across the Durham Region will be gathering at The BILTMORE THEATRE 39 King St E, Oshawa, ON L1H 1B2 to help feed their neighbours in the 7th annual Concert to Feed the Need in Durham. As in past years, the event will showcase an award-winning line-up of performers from a cross-section of genres – pop, country, R&B, gospel, folk, classical and more. YOUR ARE INVITED. The event’s scope has grown over the years, becoming a Durham-wide Rotary event, with the Rotary clubs in the Region so far joining as co-presenters. All net proceeds from the show will go to Feed the Need in Durham – and the need has never been greater. The agency collects and distributes food and other essential items to more than 60 emergency food providers across Durham, including food banks, shelters, meal and snack programs and other social service agencies .
Allan Finnigan thanked Ben and Joe for coming to speak to us.
DONATION: $2,000 to Adopt A Village Laos:
The Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood was so pleased to make a $ 2,000 donation to Whitby-Sunrise Rotarian Steve Rutledge, founder of Adopt A Village Laos, at the club's weekly meeting.
In the photo L to R: Steve Rutledge, and David Penney our Rotary Club Director of International Service and Rotary President Hilda Finnigan the BIG ROTARY CHEQUE.
Adopt A Village provides clean water to villagers whose lives are dramatically be made healthier because of Steve, founder of Adopt A Village Laos (see : https://aavil.org ). You too can donate to this very worthy cause. Tax receipts to Canadian taxpayers are issued. (see: https://aavil.org/chalilac_campaigns/buy-a-water-filter/ )
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.