Woodstock Rotary Club Meeting August  26, 2025

Meeting Summary – Rotary Club Board Meeting
Date: 2025-08-26
  1. Administrative and Club Business
  • Meeting called to order; agenda approved (moved by Brenda; carried).
  • Minutes/approval for financials: Financial report presented to June 30 year-end; motion to accept moved by Dawn, seconded by Robin; carried.
  1. Milestones and Acknowledgments
  • Anniversaries noted:
    • Olga and her late husband would have celebrated 65 years on Aug 20.
    • Dawn and Michelle: 49 years on Aug 28.
    • Dave Harris, 33rd-year milestones
  • Missed recognition: Chris’s birthday on Aug 3 (39 years) was belatedly acknowledged.
  1. Financial Report (to June 30)
  • Year-end is June 30.
  • Current view reflects operations only to end of June; transfers from Dragon Boat to Service occurred in July and are not included.
  • Membership dues variance: down by approx. 12 members ($600 impact noted).
  • Expect clearer results with September financials (covering up to Aug 31).
  • Dragon Boat revenues/expenses straddle fiscal years; final P&L for the event will be provided by Dave after all outstanding items post.
  • Outstanding Dragon Boat expenses: sound system (~$800 last year), City of Woodstock fees (~$400+), signage invoice pending.
  • Observations:
    • More teams participated this year, but net may be lower due to added costs (no hotel sponsorship, rising flower costs, other unforeseen items).
    • Foundation funds were used last time to meet commitments, but that is a backstop, not a plan for regular operations.
  • Action: Pull updated financials in September. Dave to finalize Dragon Boat income/expense statement once remaining invoices are in.
  1. Dragon Boat Festival – Lessons and Needs
  • Priority to secure:
    • Hotel room sponsor for teams.
    • Floral sponsorship/donations to offset rising costs (approach local florists; note prior supplier status/retirement and the need to ask explicitly).
  • Confirm and settle outstanding vendor invoices (sound, city, signage).
  1. Scottish Rotary Curling Tour (November 2026)
  • Discussion on whether to retain the club’s hosting “spot.”
  • Consensus emerging to keep the spot for tradition/history, but capacity is limited (few active curlers).
  • Hosting obligation in 2026 likely includes billeting 4–6 visiting curlers.
  • Plan:
    • Email the local Rotary cluster to share hosting responsibilities and secure sufficient billets/curlers.
    • If adequate support is confirmed, commit; if not, consider relinquishing the spot.
    • Costs noted previously in the $700–$800 range, with add-ons increasing over time.
  1. District and Rotary Communications
  • District Conference at University of Guelph, Oct 4: informational; attendance optional due to timing/conflicts.
  • Ongoing value of district connection acknowledged; pragmatic approach to time/cost constraints noted.
  • ShelterBox appeal (Pakistan flooding) shared for awareness; no action committed given current priorities.
  1. Membership
  • New member: Mike (recently joined; active with speaker coordination).
  • Goal: grow from 15 to 19–20 members.
  • Outreach: continue personal asks (e.g., Lenny, Alan); leverage upcoming speaker meetings for prospects.
  • Mike’s update: he arranged a September speaker; personal note—absent due to birth of his child.
  1. Speakers and Programs
  • Next confirmed speaker: Transitional Housing team (OCCHC) on the second Tuesday of September.
  • First Tuesday speaker to be confirmed and circulated.
  1. Music Festival (Vocal Venue Request)
  • Old St. Paul’s requested hosting the vocal category only, citing superior acoustics.
  • Festival committee (Dawn and team) declined to avoid splitting the festival across multiple sites again.
  • Payments/Stripe/Corporate Records:
    • Stripe and Ontario corporate portal access remain unresolved due to missing documentation and ServiceOntario access issues (organization key).
    • Directors listing and corporate filings need updating; missing filing cabinet/documentation suspected to be at the clubhouse/back room.
  • Actions:
    • Contact Diane (accountant) regarding organization key/status (message sent; awaiting response).
    • Locate filing cabinet/keys at clubhouse; coordinate with Dave/Cliff for access; retrieve fireproof cabinet contents to restore records.
    • Re-establish proper corporate listings and annual filings once access and documents are secured.
  1. Wine & Cheese Fundraiser (October 15)
  • Planning resumed post-Dragon Boat/vacation period.
  • To finalize:
    • Product list and pricing (committee consensus required).
    • Ticketing to be via Eventbrite for better registration and contact capture.
    • Promotion: Friends of Rotary lists, Jerry’s distribution, other club/cluster channels.
  • Entertainment:
    • Musician booked; sister-in-law to donate a gift certificate to cover performance fee (coordinate timing confirmation so she can formalize donation).
  • Venue:
    • New bar area with indoor/outdoor flow (“happy tap” setup referenced).
  • Timeline:
    • Committee meeting next week to lock products/pricing and launch ticketing and comms.
  1. Food Rescue Hub
  • Presentation by Chris previously received.
  • Clarification: Ingersoll Rotary is not operating Food Rescue; they are providing warehouse space to some beneficiary organizations listed.
  • The hub aims to be countywide; overlapping groups include Cycles for Life (serving Tillsonburg, Ingersoll, Woodstock).
  • Ongoing coordination with both Rotary clubs noted; no specific funding decision recorded in this meeting.
Key Action Items
  • Finance:
    • September financials to Aug 31; Dave to finalize Dragon Boat P&L after all invoices arrive.
    • Settle outstanding Dragon Boat bills (sound, City of Woodstock, signage).
  • Curling Tour 2026:
    • Email Rotary cluster to solicit hosting/billeting support; commit if adequate response, else consider release.
  • Corporate/Compliance:
    • Follow up with Diane on organization, key and the ilings.
    • Locate clubhouse filing cabinet; retrieve records; update directors and corporate portal entries.
  • Wine & Cheese:
    • Finalize product list/pricing next week.
    • Set up Eventbrite; launch promotions via internal lists
    • Confirm musician date; coordinate donation certificate.
  • Membership/Speakers:
    • Continue targeted recruitment (Lenny, Alan, etc.).
    • Confirm and circulate September first-Tuesday speaker; OCCHC set for second Tuesday.
Next Checkpoints
  • Dragon Boat wrap-up meeting with numbers in September.
  • Wine & Cheese launch communications after committee finalization next week.
  • Response from cluster regarding Scottish Curling Tour by early September if possible.