August 17th Rotaract Meeting (Aug 14, 2017)

Rotaract Club of Stratford Meeting Minutes

Thursday, July 20, 2017 @ 6:30pm

University of Waterloo, Stratford

Present: Laurie Brown, Arakua Lamptey, Andrea Feltrin, Cate Freeman, Rebecca Price, Katelyn Culliton

Guests: Dianne Yundt, Rodrigo (New Generations Exchange Participant), April (third meeting attended)

Regrets: Lauren Gienow, Kelly Daum

Agenda Item	Action Required
Welcome & Introductions The Club welcomed guests Dianne Yundt, Assistant Governor for Area 3 (Grand Bend, Goderich, Mitchell, Stratford, St Marys, Festival City Rotary Club) and Rodrigo, a New Generations Exchange Participant visiting from Mexico
2. Guest Speaker Arakua Lamptey – Stratford Public Library (SPL) Arakua chairs the SPL’s fundraising campaign to raise funds to renovate the existing library space. The project budget is $300,000 and they have raised $212,000 so far. The third-floor auditorium space hasn’t been updated since 1974 and is in need of a facelift to bring it up to current standards and make it more accessible and welcoming. The goal is to create a “MakerSpace” room that is filled with interactive tools (e.g. 3D printers) that encourage youth and others to embrace new technology and use the space as a community meeting space. Construction started last week and they hope to launch the new space in 2018. They continue to seeking funding through lump-sum, recurring and in-kind donations (e.g. purchase chairs or a printer). The Club presented a cheque for $2,000 towards the MakerSpace project, which the Club raised from the annual volleyball tournament that took place in March 2017. This donation received Board approval in June 2017.
3. Previous Minutes Amendments to previous meeting minutes
4. New Business & Idea Sharing 6.1 New Member Inductions - none
5. Announcements Updates from committees Trivia – Raised $230 on July 12 for the Stratford-Perth Museum. John Kastner enjoyed the experience and volunteered to MC and contribute questions in the future. He has agreed to MC the August Trivial night. Future events Dragon Boat – September 16 – we need to commit 39 volunteers for three 3-hour shifts – 8 – 11 am, 11 am – 2 pm, 2 – 5 pm. Members are encouraged to sign-up on Club Runner and invite non-Rotaract friends and family members to help. Round table Laurie –Aquabox – fundraise? Participate in build? The Club is open to participating in a future build as a team-building event, which will have a greater impact than a cash donation (note the cost is $100 per Aquabox). The builds are scheduled by Rotary periodically and take place at the Stratford Festival warehouse. They can always use more volunteers. Laurie – Hospice – discussed whether to consider a larger, long-term commitment to the project. Naming rights requires $1M; however all Rotary Clubs’ contributions can be pooled to have a greater impact. The Rotary Club has pledged $400,000 over 10 years. Laurie – Membership Dues – reminder that annual dues are $20 which cover our annual Club Runner fee. Please bring your payment by the September 6, 2017 meeting. Jonathan Nesbitt, Treasurer, will be collecting and tracking dues. Raks encouraged everyone to check out Gallery Stratford’s exhibit – Steve Driscoll’s “Just a Sliver of the Room” - a unique experience where you’re surrounded by water and feel like you’re in nature. Admission is free and the show is open through September 24^th. Dianne – suggested we have a link on our webpage to the Rotary District website to keep up-to-date on regional events. She mentioned the Interact Club as a great resource to help with Dragon Boat. Rodrigo – is currently completing a work placement at Stratford Summer Music. He is interested in bringing some of our projects back to his Club, such as the Pub Crawl. Club Kudos – none noted Upcoming Speakers: August 2 – Club Social – The Club agreed to hold an Ice-Cream Social at Jenn & Larry’s Brittle ‘n Shakes at the usual 6:30 time. Note to anyone who has dairy sensitivities or is vegan – they offer several flavours of sorbet! August 17 – Lisa Wilde, Emily Murphy Centre September 6 – Tracy Van Kalsbeek, Stratford Perth Community Foundation	All – please sign up on Club Runner for one or two shifts and ask family/friends Laurie to reach out to Rotary to let us know when the next build is scheduled All – please bring $20 to the next meeting Please come out to the social and bring a friend or two!
6. Next Meeting and Location Wednesday, August 2^nd, 2017 @ 6:30 *ICE CREAM SOCIAL – at Jenn & Larry’s Brittle n’ Shakes (on York Street)* *(option to visit Boomers as well for food if there’s interest)*
7. Meeting Adjourned @ 7:10 p.m.