Sue Kenney - Walking the Camino / Youth Committee Updates
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Sue Kenney is widely known as an keynote speaker, storyteller, author, life coach and workshop facilitator. She is best known for her walks on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Her book Sue Kenney’s My Camino has become a bestseller and is in development for a movie.
Sue Kenney began by describing her first walk on the Camino, alone in winter, with no knowledge of Spanish, knowing only that she should follow the prominent yellow arrows (that turned out to be not so prominent) that point the way on the 1000 year old route which leads pilgrims to Santiago. It is in Santiago where the remains of St. James the Apostle are to be found in the cathedral. Scallop shells, the symbol of the pilgrim, are also prominent along the way. The Camino is a place of peace and spiritual enlightenment of all faiths, where no one cares about possessions or problems and where there is an obligation to assist any pilgrim who appears to have stopped or to be in trouble. There are many albergue refugio along the route where pilgrims gather at night for fellowship and refreshment.
One of her reflections was of another pilgrim who told her the story of the stones: you pick up a stone and put your sorrow onto the stone, then you place the stone on the ground leaving your sorrow behind. Sue Kenney has been placing sorrows on the ground for many years now (for herself and people she knows) over her 20 pilgrimages on the Camino.
Sue has become a storyteller since her experiences on the Camino. Sue enthusiastically offered encouragement to anyone who wants to make a journey to the Camino trail. She also leads groups on the Camino several times a year. She can assist in making appropriate travel plans for any component of the walk or for any of the various routes and starting points. The principle life lesson of these pilgrimages is the importance of absolute compassion for anyone you encounter.
Practicalities of walking the Camino:
- there are several different routes than can be used starting in various countries around Spain;
- You are not required to walk the whole 1000 kilometres, only the last 100 kilometres before Santiago are required in order to obtain the pilgrim’s certificate;
- There is now a back pack service so you need not be burdened with carrying all your equipment.
- The walk can be done at any time of year.
Contact information: www.suekenney.ca or mycaminobook@gmail.com
Youth Committee Update
Mike H has been busy over the past week and offered a number of announcements on behalf of the Youth Committee.
- Over the weekend, the Toronto Lawn and Tennis Club (TLTC) hosted its Calcutta Tennis Tournament raising significant funds to support the Philpott tennis program. RTE also continues to support the Philpott program and this year has donated of $2000 towards tennis programs for underprivileged inner city youth.
- At the Volunteer/Community Partners Assembly last week, John Polanyi Collegiate Institute (JPCI) awarded Rotary Toronto Eglinton (RTE) the Community Heroes Award in recognition of RTE's support for their school and for its contributions to the community. At that meeting Mike met Emmanuel Aikbukor, this year's Lou Cooper Music Award winner, and discovered that Emmanuel has been accepted, with as a scholarship, at Laurentian University. He will be attending the music program and trying out for the soccer team. Jackie S, who also attended the Assembly, commented that JPCI is highly appreciative of the scholarship and graduating awards that RTE has given it.
- Mike also noted that we will be launching the capital SPARK program at the Shoreham Academy of sports and wellness next Wednesday. RTE is making a $15,000 contribution to this program. This program is designed to enhance the grade 5 graduate program and prepare them for middle school and life in general by SPARKing the unleashing of each student's potential using a three prong approach that:
1. Ensures affective brain development through regular daily aerobic exercise
2. Makes sure that each student starts each day with a nutritious breakfast building strong bodies and stabilizing blood sugar levels
3. Develops in each student a passion for a service through participation in Project Give Back
This project will be the main focus of the Youth Committee next year and is something we would like to introduce at the District level for other Clubs to emulate.
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