Eulogy for Robert O. Elstone

Today Rotarians have gathered with Lyla and her family and friends to say good bye to Bob Elstone, to celebrate his life, the life of one who has given so much to humanity and whom we love and appreciate.

I am the president of the Rotary Club of Burlington Central and I feel honoured that Lyla has asked me to speak on behalf of Rotarians. I have been a Rotarian for only 8 years so there are many of our Club who know Bob better than I and from that history could tell so much more. Some have told me the stories and I would like to share some of these stories about Bob.

Bob was a man of deep conviction and passion - he believed there was good in everyone and we were here to make

Burlington,

Ontario,

Canada,

the world, a better place.

Rotary was a part of Bob's being. Sometimes he was referred to as "Mr. Rotary". He believed, as our motto says, in "service above self". He was always thinking, "How can we help?" He believed that with a small group of committed individuals, mountains could be moved. He would say "aren't we so lucky to have so many good people so we can help people". He didn't want a lot of committee meetings or process rather "our club could do this, let's do it". Bob had many ideas, every week there was another idea and if you did not pick up on his idea, you could be certain that in another week or so, once again he would be promoting an idea that would result in help for people. With each new idea, he nudged others to join him in helping others; he insisted others join him.

Bob was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Burlington Central. He played a major role in getting the Club started and on a firm footing. In the second year was Club President. While a member of our Club, he initiated the 4^th club in our City, Burlington North; in fact, he initiated and facilitated the start-up of 9 Clubs - two of them in Egypt. Recently, I heard him say, "There is room for another Club in Burlington".

He wanted the family of Rotary to be together. He felt that it was important to have the 4 Clubs of Burlington meeting together, working together, helping each other, taking on larger projects and having fellowship and fun together. He invited Rotarians and their families to his home for barbecues, a swim in the pool and to play tennis. As a result, Rotarians felt a part of his farm.

When there was a drought in the Canadian West about 4 years ago, Rotarians went, at his request to the farm, to gather in bales of hay and to send them by freight to help the Western farmers. The younger Rotarians, who helped that day, went feeling that they were strong and up to the task of lifting the hay bales. By the end of the day, they had to admit, that Bob was more fit than they as they could not keep up to this farmer as he piled the bails.

The farm stories went on and on at Rotary. Often, many would razz Bob about sheep - often heckled him and often he was fined. Speaking of heckling, a story that Bob has never lived down - He returned from South Africa and came to a club meeting to give a presentation about his trip, complete with slides. The first slide came on and Bob started his presentation - so involved in his talk was he that he never advanced the slides - one slide for the half-hour talk. Lots of heckling during and after that. And a fine, as well.

The club raised money for Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital. To gain attention, they pushed stretchers around the streets and another time Rotarians were on scooters. Bob didn't think he wanted to be on a scooter, but brought a sheep in a pen and pulled it around the streets of Burlington. Always involved - never to be left out.

His work with youth stands out in my mind. Bob was passionate about youth, passionate in giving youth a chance even if that one had gone astray. He believed that there was good in every youth and never gave up on one. His interest in youth spread to his volunteer roles at the Y- He asked Rotarians, as recently as a week ago Saturday, to join him at the Y, to initiate a Saturday night sports program for teens.

Money was needed for the Rotary Youth Centre on Guelph Line - $3,500. Bob's answer was to ask Rotarians to go to work, (sweat equity we call it,) to come to his farm and erect a fence around the fields. Instead of paying a company to do this work, Bob would pay Rotary so that there was money for the Rotary Youth Centre. Bob was tolerant. because I heard the ending of this story: it seems that many Rotarians did not know how to do the job of erecting a fence. A large section of the fence was put in upside down and Bob had to re-do that section of the fence.

The Rotary Music Festival- Burlington is one of the more recent projects that Bob co-founded - along with our partner Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association. Annually, young musicians have the opportunity to perform and to be graded on their performance. But Bob's vision was for more - he envisioned this festival as an opportunity for students who found it difficult to find money for music studies to obtain bursaries. At November 2006, the Festival had grown to over 1000 student participants.

Rotary goes beyond Burlington to the world. In 1992, Bob travelled with Club members to see the project in Antigua that our Club had sponsored and then, February of this year he went to see our school project in Dominican Republic. He was proud of these projects - the school desks and supplies would help children with their studies and improve literacy. But he looked around, and returned with ideas of where help was needed - in the hospitals, for more schools and on and on the list went.

Every November, our Club pauses to remember. Bob keenly recognised that Canadians enjoy freedom. He had served in the Merchant Navy during WW2 and annually, with his planning, the four Burlington Clubs meet at our Club to hold a Service of Remembrance to honour veterans and to give thanks for and to celebrate our freedom.

Bob was proud to be a Canadian. In the past, he gave club members, a lesson on how to stand at attention during the singing of the National Anthem. On Thursday, 7 a.m. Bob came to Rotary. Cam Rothwell drove the car and then they picked up Joe Rosenkrantz. On the way, to these men, Bob was spilling out one more idea, a Music Festival in another community. As we rose to sing the anthem on Thursday, Bob could not stand and we called the ambulance. During our wait, Bob said to me "Imagine, me not standing for the anthem when we live in the best country in the world".

Today, I am wearing the blue and gold ribbon and medal of a Paul Harris Fellow. There are about one million Paul Harris Fellows in the world and Bob is one twice over. It is a form of an award for exceptional service and recognition of financial gifts to the Rotary Foundation.

Bob Elstone was dedicated to educational and humanitarian programs. He gave exceptional service. Bob believed

• in giving youth the best opportunities,
• in freedom,
• and in Canada - the best country in the world.

Rotary will miss Bob and will always remember his significant contributions.