President Iain Scott thanked Anya for ringing the bell, read the Land Acknowledgement and we all sang O'Canada.

President Iain asked Jim Forestell to provide a Lobsterfest update. Jim was pleased to advise that despite early signs of slower sales, we came very close to the total meals from last year. We actually sold more lobster tickets and fewer chicken meals. Thanks to all for the hard work.

Chair Announcements

On his weekend in London, Iain had the opportunity to meet a friend of the family who is heavily involved in Rotary in a small village in England. His club provides support to a school in Ghana along with local community projects such as cleaning up the primary school gardens and support for the homeless.

Like other Rotary clubs he saw that membership is an important topic to continue providing the support that Rotary does. Iain explained some of the projects we are involved in and he welcomed the sharing of ideas. The friend is now the proud owner of a couple of Forest bags which he will take back to his club.

On social media you find most of the Rotary clubs that exist. Iain has followed over 100 of them and would encourage all of us to like their pages as that way you get an insight into what is working with other clubs.

Lobsterfest

This Friday heralds our most important fundraiser — Lobsterfest. The weather looks great and ticket sales have been brisk.

Iain dropped off a poster at ADM storage and DiNardis.

Please check your times for volunteering and bring sunscreen and a hat as it will be warm.

Ukraine

While away, Iain received a call from a resident of 95 Paget. If you remember last year Iain picked up a bunch of leftovers from their garage sale. Well this year they called to say they had 35 boxes of household goods and wanted to donate it to the Ukrainians. They were going to go to the website and register and requires a pickup.

Nancy Hansen reminds us that Crea8ery in the exchange across the road from Canadian Footwear is looking for reusable bags. They will use them for pottery items etc that are too heavy for a paper bag. Nancy kindly donated their reusable bags which Iain will deliver to Crea8ery tomorrow. He also bought 20 at 33 cents each from Walmart which were dropped off today.

Mandy provided an update on the Bridge of Hope project.

Club Finances - Dave Morris

Dave announced that the Board has agreed to maintain the club fees ($240) for the upcoming Rotary year. Our finances are sound. The satellite club works slightly differently. Nancy Hansen, President will handle the collection of fees from the that club.

"Public speaking is a useful tool. Some people go through their whole life without that experience. Some make a determined effort by joining Toastmasters… I came by it naturally… I once worked at a bicycle factory and soon thereafter they made me a spokesperson."

This evening we are delighted to welcome our newest members Pedro Aleshe & Olga Hrutsinova to give us their new member talks. Please welcome Pedro and Olga.

Pedro:

"I was born on April 4, 1980, in Benin City, which is now part of Edo State. As the only son in a family of six, I cherish the close bonds we share. My beloved wife, Aderonke, and I are blessed with two wonderful boys, aged 7 and 5.

My educational journey began in Benin City, where I received my early childhood education. In 1997, I left Benin City to continue my secondary school education at Reverend Kuti Memorial Grammar School in Abeokuta, Ogun State. After completing secondary school, I gained admission to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta in 1998, where I pursued a two-year diploma program in Accountancy.

Graduating in the year 2000 with distinction, I earned the title of “The Most Outstanding Student” in Accountancy for the 2000 graduating class. In 2002, I embarked on another academic adventure, joining Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago Iwoye, Ogun State. There, I pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, graduating in 2006 with a Second Class Upper Degree. I was honored as the “3rd Most Outstanding Student in Economics.”

Following my undergraduate studies, I fulfilled the mandatory one-year National Youth Service in Umuahia, Abia State (Eastern Nigeria), serving diligently in the Ministry of Budget and Planning. In 2017, I furthered my education by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (Finance Major) from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.

My commitment to excellence led me to become an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 2011. Subsequently, in 2022, I achieved the esteemed status of Fellow (FCA) within the same institute.

My professional journey began immediately after my Youth Service in 2008 when I joined TrustBond Mortgage Bank Plc in Lagos as a Business Development & Loans Officer. In 2015, I transitioned to Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc (part of the Standard Bank Group) as a Commercial Banking Manager.

In January 2021, I took on the role of Senior Business Development Executive at Exponential Investment Limited. This position preceded my relocation to Canada with my wife, who pursued post-graduate studies at Red River College."

Olga:

Doesn't like to talk about Olga. Olga was born in the vibrant city of Kharkiv, often referred to as the “second capital” of Ukraine. She was born in the Soviet Union, Ukraine became independent much later in 1991.

Olga pursued her higher education with a relentless passion for learning. She completed her Master Degree and graduated from university with honors. Following her academic success, Olga was recruited by the largest agricultural company in Ukraine called “Myronivsky Hliboproduct” (MHP). She started at the entry level position and became the chief of the world's largest hatchery. After building a successful career, Olga met her husband. This significant life event led her to make a pivotal decision. Olga decided to give up her demanding career to move to Canada with her husband.

She joined the Canadian Military Wives Choir and performed at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 opening ceremony. For the first time in its 94-year history, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) sent a contingent to the United Kingdom to perform Public Duties for her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Over 120 members (from 14 Wings) of the RCAF from across Canada deployed as part of the contingent. Duties: Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Crown Jewels. In Canada, Olga sought a career that offered more flexibility while utilizing her extensive training and knowledge. Olga began to think about how to apply her extensive skill set. She considered various industries and job roles. The real estate sector caught her attention. It combined her skills in communication, negotiation, and client service.

"Thank you again to the Rotary Club members for allowing me to join the club. Thank you Cathy for being my sponsor." Olga joined the Rotary Club to further plant her roots to the community and to support meaningful and impactful projects.

President Iain thanked both for becoming Rotary members. We are fortunate to have you and thank you for sharing your life’s stories with us.

Happy Bucks

• Jim threw in $5 he was so happy about the surge in lobster sales.
• Ed Toews was very happy. He bought a fishing boat that was said to have a seized motor, but it wasn't so seized after all. His friend got it running.
• Chuck is happy to be back from spending a week in Brandon hospital with gallstones.
• Mike was happy to be back from his travels.
• Sharon took her creaky car in for repairs, expecting a bill in the $2,000 range. Instead, the issue was minor and the repair was free.
• Mandy put in $10 for a double anniversary. Mandy and Ryan celebrated their twenty-third wedding anniversary, and on the same day the third anniversary of meeting their children, Anya and Artem.
• Nancy put in $10 because this week she will be celebrating a birthday, upon which her age will be a number ending in zero.
• Cory added $2 for two days of good weather. Breezy is down 4,000 rounds from this date last year.
• Ed Thompson has deer in his yard, including two fawns. He sometimes complains about the deer, but admits that the fawns are very cute.

50/50 - The blue marble was not drawn.

Next week we do not have a speaker confirmed.

Before we go… "I read recently that trainers at the racetrack have been experimenting with breeding racing deer. Shockingly they have been accused of just trying to make a fast buck."