Minutes of Meeting
August 20, 2025
Ray Finnie
Announcements
Brandon Flewwelling filled in for John Rose, who could not attend the meeting.
John Rose has sent an email to club members indicating that he had to resign as Club President due to his health. We all wish him a speedy recovery. Brandon indicated that the Board is working on plans to fill in for John during his absence. At the board meeting last night, Everton has agreed to Chair the Board meetings. More information will follow as the board fully develops a plan.
Art Gallery dinner is September 27, all welcome
The board approved 2 new members: Ingrid Peters and Paul Wright.
Everton delivered 209 back packs to the Anishinaabe charity, thanks and to John Anderson for helping us to get a steep discount to allow for more back packs to be purchased. Out goal was 100, so we exceeded the goal by a wide margin!!!
Guest: Paul Heidebrecht
50/50 pot: $90.00 Tickets drawn for Rebecca, Graham and Ray, no winner
Guest Speaker:
Paul Heidebrecht, Waterloo Region Peace Ecosystem
Paul spoke passionately about the peace organizations that are serving our community. Paul is a professor at WLU, Conred Grebel College and heads the Peace Ecosystem.
Paul spoke highly of the relationship with Rotary via the sponsorship of the ” Peace Scholarship” over the years. The Peace Ecosystem that integrates independent local organizations and individuals who are working on peace initiatives. The “Centre for Peace Advancement” has existed for 11 years and acts as a “Catalysing collabor” to 6 peace organizations.
Its priorities are:
- Curate a learning Community with respect to peace by arranging collaboration and sharing ideas, meeting space, resources, and concepts with the various groups.
- Grebel Peace Incubator: They have worked with thirty-four peace start ups to allow these new organizations to have a growing impact in our community and to grow leaders in the field of peace activity. An example is Deena Adara, a Syrian refugee that has created a platform to allow Syrians who have lost contact with friends and relatives to safely communicate with Syrian officials to help find the tens of thousands of refugees that have fled Syria.
- Care for Partners: To assist partners in many different ways for them to grow and succeed.
- Create Pathways: University and high school students are encouraged and mentored to create peace innovation projects via competitions to assist them in understanding how to understand the complex challenges facing peace activists.
Paul’s presentation was enlightening, and several questions came from members.
