Rotary Rays for August 20, 2012
President Melissa opened the meeting & welcomed members & guests John Gilvesy, Assistant district Governor of Rotary and Rotary International District Governor Ian Ferguson.
A letter of thanks was received from Amanda Gregoria from St. Mary’s High School, thanking our club for the bursary she received from us.
Membership Dues - President Melissa mentioned that Rotary Memberships are NOW due. Monies or cheques are to be given to Don Fulkerson.
Skate Park Update: The Pres’ also told the membership that skate park naming has been officially confirmed, signage will be erected shortly naming the park as, The Woodstock Rotary Bike/Skate Park & the Rotary logo will be included.
Anniversaries - Lynn Beath 33 yr. anniversary, Olga & Peter 53 yr. anniversary, Dave & Deb Harris 20 yr. anniversary.
Membership Blitz - Rick Shaheen reported on the upcoming Membership Blitz. Members are asked to think about potential names of “good quality” candidates to join our club. Names & contact information can be passed to Rick, Robin Ferro or President Melissa Lowes. They will conduct an interview process.
Dragon Boat Races were a wonderful success! President Melissa gave congratulations to the entire Club for another excellent season. This continues to be our #1 fundraiser. Numbers will be presented at the next meeting.
Upcoming events - Dictionary Distribution, Rotary Roses, Ham Sales. Stay tuned for more information. J
Guest Speaker, Ian Ferguson, District Governor 7080
Richard Holmes introduced John Gilvesy, P. Eng. – Assistant District Governor. John is from the Tillsonburg Club.
John introduced Rotary International District Governor 2012-2013, Mr. Ian Ferguson. Mr. Ferguson spoke of how Rotary was a major part of his life. He was looking for friends when he moved from New Brunswick to Oakville, ON. He found his community in Rotary. District Governor Ferguson believes that the definition of Rotary begins and ends at the club level. The role of District is to create an environment in which the clubs can exist. He spoke about Rotary Internationals Strategic Plan & the 3 areas of address:
1. Public Relations – TV ads supporting Rotary will air Jan/Feb 2013
2. Brand Revitalization – awareness & understanding Rotary, inspiring & motivating members, supporting sustainable projects and a new process for Foundation spending.
3. Membership – today 1.2 million – retention, engagement, recruitment program, new clubs
District Governor, Mr. Ian Ferguson ended by commending Rotary for their work to eradicate Polio from the world, however he believes, PEACE may end up being Rotary’s biggest legacy. Member Holmes thanked our guests for coming & for sharing communication from Rotary International.
August 27th Meeting: We will hold the meeting and have lunch at the YMCA, Woodstock Branch. There will be tour of the new facilities.
Meeting adjourned.