President Cathy Skene opened the meeting with the club's land acknowledgement and the singing of O'Canada led by Dave Morris.
Rotary Moment: President Cathy
“On Saturday morning the Winnipeg Rotary Presidents Council met. As I was driving away, listening to Marion Newman, who was hosting This is My Music on CBC radio, Marion shared that her first advanced music education was funded by a scholarship from the Sooke BC ROTARY Club. Rotary is everywhere.”
Chair Announcements:
Winnipeg Assiniboine Rotary Club is planning a ‘watch party’ for the virtual district conference on May 9 and 10. District conference this year coincides with Assiniboine’s annual fundraising dinner and Winnipeg West’s Chickenfest. To prevent missing out on anything, they have suggested:
May 9 - Watch party from 12 noon - 3:45 pm
Winnipeg Assiniboine’s dinner at 6. Tickets are $75 for the dinner. This is a great party and Cathy made sure to get her ticket early so she wouldn’t miss out.
May 10 - Watch party from 9 am - 4:30 pm. and Winnipeg Rotary Club West will arrange a chicken lunch delivered directly to the venue. As well as an exciting group of presenters, there will also be a virtual House of Friendship. The Charleswood club is working on a couple of entries to include in it. More information is available on the district 5550 website.
President Cathy polled how many would be interested in attending this event? It will be open to all Rotary Clubs in Winnipeg and surrounding areas. Assiniboine needs to get a rough estimate of numbers to choose a venue, etc. They expect the price to be no higher than the $50 you would pay to register individually for the virtual conference, not including the Friday evening dinner if you choose to do that.
Cathy got a show of hands from those who think that they would attend. If you are undecided, please call or email Cathy once you make up your mind. You can see the conference line-up on the district website. Government House Celebration
120th Anniversary of Rotary
As of this morning there are still a few openings for the Government House Celebration of the 120th anniversary of Rotary on Tuesday, April 15th. Sixteen members of our club have registered to attend. This event was spearheaded by Nancy Cosway. Frank Cosway had an idea too. He is looking at having TransCanada Brewing create a Rotary branded beer. We would have to commit to a full pallet. How many of you would consider buying?
Club Anniversary Dinner
Our anniversary dinner will be on April 28th. Guests are welcome. Let’s pack the room. Tickets will be $60, and will be available soon. Rod and Nick are hard at work on a slide and video reminiscence. Ask your family, friends and neighbours to save the date. This would be a great opportunity to introduce new people to our club. And while you are at it, mention Lobsterfest on June 13th, and the Golf Tournament on September 10th to them. Let’s break some sales records.
The board will meet tomorrow at 4:30 on Zoom, Tuesday March 11th. Invitations will be out tomorrow.
On Saturday, we officially finished cleaning up the Bridge of Hope Ukraine store, marking the end of the furniture drive. Now, we’re moving into the next phases of our efforts.
Ukrainian Family Social
Our next big event is the Ukrainian Family Social, and we already have over 200 people registered! Everyone is welcome—whether you’d like to volunteer or simply come and socialize. If you prefer to just attend and enjoy the event, you can register as a guest instead of a volunteer.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Caroline and Joyce have been working to bring in organizations to share information about available social programs, but participation has been lower than expected. As a backup plan, we’ll be gathering brochures and resources and setting up tables where our volunteers can distribute information. One example is the Winnipeg Leisure Guide—we’ll have copies available so families can learn about local programs they might not be aware of.
Our next event is the Volunteer Thank You Dinner, which will be free of charge for all volunteers who have supported Bridge of Hope. If you haven’t had a chance to volunteer but would still like to attend, you’re welcome to join for $30.
Special thanks to Enns Brothers in Oak Bluff, which has strong ties to farmers at Springstein Mennonite Church—they have generously donated $1,500 toward the dinner. Additionally, an anonymous donor contributed $1,000. These donations should fully cover the cost of the volunteers’ meals, while additional guests can attend for the $30 fee.
Bursary Program
We are now in the final phase—the bursary program. Mandy received feedback on the bursary application form and will be making updates based on that input.
Through the registration for the Ukrainian Family Social, we gathered important data about additional needs. Many families expressed a need for clothing, food, and education support. Remarkably, 67 or 68 individuals indicated that they want to go back to school.
We will be reaching out to those families with the bursary application to determine how many are interested, assess available funds, and finalize this initiative by distributing the bursary funds accordingly.
Final Reflections
It’s incredible to think about how far we’ve come. On her drive over today, Mandy reflected on how it wasn’t long ago that we held our banquet at Breezy to kickstart fundraising for Ukraine.
Mandy concluded with "I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all of you for your unwavering support. You believed in me—even when my ideas seemed bold or ambitious—and I’m so grateful for that. I always tell my family and friends that my Rotary Club is my greatest support system. Thank you all!"
Don joined the Winnipeg Downtown Rotary Club in 1985 and was a member for 25 years. He told us that at that time the downtown club met at the Marlborough Hotel and had 200 members. During his time in Rotary, Don witnessed the transformation into a more inclusive and flexible organization while serving on various committees. He found being Sergeant-at-Arms the most enjoyable while finding creative ways to fine members for the good of Rotary. He later became club president and by then the club had settled into the convention center.
Probus was founded in 1965 in England by two retired Rotarians. The goal was to create an organization for retired and semi-retired professionals, offering friendship, engagement, and access to interesting speakers. The name "Probus" comes from the first three letters of professional (PRO) and business (BUS). Since its inception, Probus has grown into a global organization with over 4,000 clubs worldwide.
The first Probus Club in Canada was started in 1987 by the Rotary Club of Cambridge, Ontario. Today, Canada has about 25 active Probus Clubs. The Probus Club of Winnipeg was established in 1997 by Don Putman, a retired member of the St. James Rotary Club. They have been meeting for over 25 years. Additionally, Probus is not a service or fundraising club, which clearly distinguishes it from Rotary.
How Probus Works
The club operates with a simple structure, including a president, vice president, and treasurer. They meet monthly, on the third Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., at the Unitarian Church on Wellington Crescent. Meetings typically include coffee and a guest speaker.
Over the years, they’ve welcomed a variety of speakers covering topics like:
Ducks Unlimited
The Senate of Canada
Darren Dunn from Assiniboia Downs
Scott Young from the Planetarium
Upcoming: Diane David from the Manitoba Horse Council (April) and Dr. Barry Campbell, Geriatric Psychiatrist (May)
They've also arranged field trips to locations like FortWhyte Centre, the Winnipeg Mint, and the Manitoba Legislature.
Final Thoughts
Currently, they have about 60 members, and always welcome new faces.
Don thanked us for having him speak to us today and asked if we had any questions.
Q: Do you have a website or something for Probus? Don: "Yes, we do have a website. You’ll need to be 55 or semi-retired or retired to join. The idea is to cater to those who are still active but not working full-time."
Q: Do you have female members? Don: "Yes, we do! When Probus first started, it was an all-male club, just like Rotary once was. But that’s changed. In fact, we’ve had a female president in the past. So yes, we do have female members now!"
Q: Was there ever a time when females weren’t allowed to be members? Don: "Oh yes, that was the case in the past. Females weren’t permitted to join at one point, but that’s no longer the case. Now, we have female members."
Q: Can you retire from Rotary and still be a member of Probus? Don: "Yes, that’s the idea! Probus is really meant for people who have retired or semi-retired but still want to stay active. You don’t have to quit Rotary to join Probus. Many members belong to both organizations."
Q: How many people attend a typical Probus meeting? Don: "Well, we have about 60 members. On average, around 35-40 attend a meeting. It’s a great turnout, but we do have some members who can't always make it"
Q: Do people have to register if they want to attend a meeting? Don: "No, you can just show up. There's no need to register beforehand. If you're interested in checking it out, feel free to drop by!"
President Cathy and Charleswood Rotary Club thank Don for taking the time to visit our club and give us all an understanding of how the Probus Club operates and its connection to Rotary.
Ian and I were chatting yesterday about how disturbing the news has been lately. After we sang the national anthem, someone—I'm not sure who—said, "Canada's not for sale." That really stuck with me. There’s so much happening, and like many of you, we've been thinking a lot about what we’re hearing.
A Chance to Take Action
During our conversation, Ian and I came across something that’s happening—an opportunity to take action. I’ve never really considered myself a protester in the past, but this feels like something I can do.
Protest at the US Consulate – March 24
On Monday, March 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., there is a call to protest outside the US consulate at 201 Portage Avenue. This is part of a nationwide effort, with similar gatherings planned in major cities like Vancouver and Calgary.
Standing Together
Ian and I feel strongly about showing up and being present. We started thinking—what if, instead of having a meeting that evening, we all went together? It could be a meaningful way to stand up for our country.
Not Just Politics, But Patriotism
This might seem political, but to me, it feels like something more. It’s about our country, about being part of something bigger. Even just standing in the crowd can make a difference.
Stay Tuned for More Information
We’ll keep you updated and share more details soon. For now, it’s just something to consider and discuss. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Sarge Mike introduced our guest, Don Ross, who is with Probus Winnipeg.
Happy Bucks, birthdays and anniversaries
Jim was happy he and Lorraine had a lovely vacation in Yuma and are happy to be home and also happy that when he gets up in the morning now and goes out the front door, he is not looking at a great big red Trump flag.
Ezekiel shared a heartwarming literacy-related story from last night. “After our family dinner, my five-year-old nephew and I sat down with a book. As we flipped through the pages, he read aloud to me. Near the end of the book, however, he suddenly stopped reading out loud. Curious, I asked him, "What's up? What are you doing?" He looked up and simply said, "Well, I'm just reading in my head. It's a lot easier and faster." It was a small but significant moment—proof of his growing reading skills and understanding of literacy.”
Jack has two pieces of great news to share. First, his wife received confirmation today that she will be getting her hip replacement on March 24. A long-awaited and much-needed procedure. Second, last week, they received the incredible news that Mur has the all-clear for cancer. Charleswood Rotary and its members send love and best wishes to Jack and Mur for this news.
Lyle has a light-hearted and happy story to share. A couple of weeks ago, he opened his email and saw a message that appeared to be from the Royal Bank. The email warned that if he didn’t send $132, there could be serious consequences. Immediately, he thought, "Holy smokes, this must be spam or phishing!" To be cautious, Lyle checked his banking app and found a feature to report suspicious emails. Wanting to be thorough, he decided to review his account activity, just in case. As he looked through his statements, he reached his credit card account and suddenly realized the truth… He had forgotten to make his minimum payment last month—exactly $132! Turns out, the email wasn’t a scam after all, just a well-timed reminder from reality!
Mandy is honoured to share some exciting news. This Friday, she will be recognized for her work with Bridge of Hope Ukraine. Dave Weibe, from Springstein Mennonite Church, nominated her as a community hero, and she has been selected for this special recognition. For those attending the Jets game on Friday, the announcement will take place sometime during the second period. Mandy admits she’s feeling a bit nervous, but more than anything, she sees this as a privilege—not just for herself, but as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on Bridge of Hope Ukraine and the important work being done.
Lyle’s story reminded Iain of a recent experience with credit card fraud. Over the weekend, he received a call from the Bank of Montreal while he was in a meeting. Initially, he brushed it off, saying, "I'm in a meeting, I'll call back later." But then the caller mentioned the fraud department, which immediately caught his attention. Curious, Iain asked what it was about. The representative informed him that there had been a $1,760 charge at Home Depot. He quickly ran through his mental checklist—Did I buy a washing machine? But then they mentioned another charge for $27, and he knew something wasn’t right. When he asked when these transactions had occurred, the answer was shocking—just five minutes ago. Without hesitation, he told them, "Cancel the card." A new one is now on its way. Crisis averted!
Ed recently had an unexpected banking issue. For years, he’s deposited checks made out to "Ed" rather than Edward, but this time, the ATM wouldn’t accept it. At the branch, they couldn’t resolve it either. Frustrated, he decided to go straight to the top. After some research, he found the name of TD Bank’s president, Raymond Chun, and sent him a letter. He even joked, "With a name like Ray, you might run into the same problem someday!" Surprisingly, it worked. Ed received two calls from the president’s secretary and now has a meeting with TD at Westdale on Wednesday. His takeaway? Sometimes, it pays to go straight to the top! He’ll share the outcome next week.
Alan recently returned from a wonderful trip out west, visiting various places and reconnecting with family and friends. He started in Nanaimo, where he stayed with friends for almost a week. Coincidentally, his arrival seemed to bring an early thaw, as all their snow disappeared. Something for which they thanked him profusely! The weather was delightful. Next, he crossed the channel to visit his brother for another week. During his stay, his brother began dialysis, a consequence of unmanaged Type 2 diabetes. Stubbornness seems to run in the family, as Allan noted his brother takes after their father in that regard. Despite this, the visit was filled with great moments. Allan had the chance to reconnect with his nieces and nephews, some of whom he hadn't seen in years, as well as their children, his great-nieces and great-nephews. Before heading home, he spent time at his daughter’s place in Canmore, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new grandchild. However, the baby hasn’t arrived yet, meaning another trip will be needed soon!
The draw was held and the winning ticket was drawn by Chuck and he did not draw the winning marble.
Lobster Committee will meet next week at 4:30 pm on Monday the 17th.
Next week’s speaker is not yet confirmed. Maybe St. Patrick? It is his day. Don’t worry: our Program Committee will come through. They always do.
President Cathy introduced our guest speaker, Don Ross, who is with Probus Winnipeg. (.png)
