MINUTES OF MEETING: May 14 2024 Editor: Bob Stewart Meeting Called to Order: by President Linda Porritt ROTARY GRACE: Led by Robbie Larocque Oh Lord, The Giver of All Good, We thank Thee for our daily food, May Rotary friends and Rotary ways, Help us to serve Thee all our days TOAST TO THE KING: Led by John Kellam and we sang the Royal Anthem LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We respectfully acknowledge that we are hosting this Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood meeting from land within the jurisdiction of Williams Treaties and on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nations, the Anishnaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. This acknowledgement reminds us of our responsibilities to our relationships and the ancestral lands on which we learn, share and live. O CANADA: Singing led by David Penney Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Welcome to our guest speaker Michelle Brooks, Executive Director of Participation House Project (Durham) BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: Happy Anniversary to YOU !!! Bob and Patti Koski on May 14 Happy Birthday to YOU !!! Al Finnigan on May 20 Happy Anniversary to YOU !!! John and Willie Kellam on May 20 ANNOUNCEMENTS Ted - Thank you everyone for a very successful Reverse Draw. Our Heads or Tails game netted $1,100. Ted – June 4 is Paul Harris Awards Night. Spouses are invited. Hilda will be sending out a notice asking you and your spouse to sign up. President Linda Porritt’s Announcements: Linda – Thanked the reverse draw Committee and all of our volunteers fro a very successful Reverse draw, Dinner and Silent Auction on may 9 MAY 18 - is our second week at the Farmers Market on Harmony Road North selling our Ploughman’s Choice and the bird, butterfly and bat houses. Volunteers are always welcome to help out. We will be there as well on May 25 and June 1. MAY 21 – There will be NO MEETING at the Oshawa Golf Club. However we encourage everyone to register for the Learning Tuesdays which will be a zoom meeting. It will be an Interactive session with Louisa Horne, Rotary Zone 28 Club Innovative Club Advocate from Halifax NS. Lots of time to ask questions about how your club can become innovative and irrestible. Register Here: https://rotary7070.org/event/copy-of-learning-tuesday-membership-workshop-1/ or join the zoom meeting at 7 PM here: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86159816575 Meeting ID: 861 5981 6575 May 24 – 26 is Ajax Rotary Ribfest. Ted has already volunteered. Volunteer opportunities are still open. This event has been very successful in providing fun for adults and kids, providing a showcase for food and craft vendors, and raising money for the Rotary Club’s many community service grants. We need adult volunteers to help with all aspects of the event, especially the beer and wine sales, which are a big money raiser. Date and times: Thursday May 23, set up day; Friday May 24, open from 12 noon to 10 PM - Shifts available – 12 to 4, 4 to 7, 7 to 10; Saturday May 25, open from 11 AM to 10 PM - Shifts available – 11 to 3, 3 to 7, 7 to 10; Sunday May 26, open from 11 AM to 8 PM (and an hour from 8 to 9 PM to help with tear-down) - Shifts available – 11 to 3, 3 to 6, 6 to 9. Location: Ajax Casino parking lot, corner of Kingston Road and Alexander’s Crossing. Smart-Serve qualified volunteers are particularly needed. Please email me with the shift or shifts you are available for : Stephan Barg srbarg@hotmail.ca Volunteer Coordinator, Rotary Club of Ajax MAY 27 - Northumberland .Sunrise Annual Golf Tournament – at Ashbrook Golf Club, 7215 Dale Road Port Hope, ON. 11 am to 7:30 pm. $ 150 per person. This is a wonderful event for new and experienced golfers with the proceeds going to fund important Rotary Projects. Come at 11:00AM for practice on the range and putting green. Shotgun start at 1:00PM. This event includes prizes, a silent auction, closest to the hole and a hole-in-one prize. Book your group of 4 (or more) early. 11:00AM - Registration, driving range practice and silent auction opens; 11:30-12:00AM - Lunch, golfer's gifts and load carts; 1:00PM Shotgun Start; 6:00PM - Dinner and low gross awards; 6:30PM - Silent Auction closes and event wrap up; 7:30PM - Adjourn . Register here: https://sunriserotary.ca/event/rotary-golf-tournament-2024/ JUNE 1 – Rotary District 7070 Assembly – Centennial College Event Centre, 8th Floor, 937 Progress Rd, Scarborough. 8 AM to 2 PM. Registration Fee $50.00. Our club will pay. This is an excellent opportunity to get ready for next Rotary year – excellent for new members and for the incoming Board of Directors. Please Register today: see: https://rotary7070.org/event/district-assembly---hold-the-date/ Hilda , Dave A and Ted are signed up so far. JUNE 1 and 2 – Brooklyn Fair – we are selling Ploughman’s Choice. Volunteers are needed. Sign up with Hilda Finnigan. JUNE 8 -9 – Peony Festival – Oshawa Botanical Gardens - we are selling Ploughman’s Choice. Volunteers are needed. Sign up with Hilda Finnigan. Wind Reach Farm is excited to be hosting the RCMP Musical Ride and the SUPER Dogs show on Wednesday, June 12th. and Thursday, June 13th. They are expecting 3,000 people and are seeking volunteers to help with parking and other areas REMINDERS: It is RIBFEST Season. Be sure to volunteer your services and help the neighbouring Rotary Clubs at any one or more of the following Ribfests coming very soon: Ajax - May 24-26; Bowmanville - June 7-9; Pickering - June 14-16; Whitby-Sunrise - June 12-14; Oshawa Aug. 16-18. SGT AT ARMS: Al Finnigan David Penney won the Ace of Spades raffle and drew the Ace of Hearts. The pot grows. HAPPY TWOONIES: Ted M – Happy to have a very successful Reverse Draw Robbie L – noticed that our Smart Serve Licenses that we received many years ago, expired last August. Please let everyone know if you are volunteering at ribfests. Hilda – Thanked everyone for a very successful Reverse Draw Dave A – thanked everyone for a successful Reverse draw. It is the teamwork form all of the volunteers that makes this such a successful event. Linda – very happy with the success of our Reverse Darw Al F – happy that we sold 23 table tickets at the Draw Bob Stewart – tried, in vain to rescue a pigeon. Gave it water. Went to the store to get pigeon feed. Callled a friend who has carrier pigeons. He did everything he could. But alas, the pigeon did not make it. GUEST SPEAKER: Michelle Brooks – Executive Director of Participation House - Durham Dave Andrews introduced Michelle Brooks. Michelle Brooks has held the position of Executive Director at The Participation House Project (Durham Region) for the past 20+ years and draws on more than 35 years of experience within the Developmental Disability Sector. Michelle’s dedication to families, youth and adults with Developmental Disabilities has been a driving force at the Local, Regional and Provincial levels in Ontario and goes well beyond her role as Executive Director of Participation House Durham. Her appointment to the Ministers table and within key Provincial Roles has provided her with the opportunities to influence, design and lead strategic initiatives that have strengthened the quality-of-service provision across the Developmental Sector while raising awareness and advocacy for the needs. Michelle’s most recent and notable accomplishments have been as the chairperson for The Provincial Networks on Developmental Services and her collaboration with government on behalf of the Developmental Service Sector during the Pandemic and now through engagement to help lead efforts related to the Journey to Belonging. Through her leadership, industry experts are brought together to help ensure that the health and welfare of people with developmental disabilities and their families is always prioritized and that organizations are poised with information to respond. Michelle noted that next year, PH is 50 years old. Their office is now in Whitby at the Abilities Centre. There are over 40,000 people on the waiting list for assistance. There is a shift in funding. Families will now be given funds and the families can decide the level of care they required, and spend the funds accordingly. This is a huge shift. Government funding at all levels has been drastically reduced. Families will have to contribute even more. One are of PH is to gradually acquaint the clients with work experience to assist longer term employment for them, even if it is just a few hours per week. Here is a link to their annual reports and financial statements: https://www.phdurham.com/reports/ To learn more about Participation House Durham , go to : https://www.phdurham.com/ Michelle was thanked by our Community service Directors, Al Finnigan. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, 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.
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