Lager with your scrambled eggs?
At the end of today’s meeting a co-scribe pressed a can of lager into my hand. “Here,” he said, “Booze for Breakfast, write it up.” And so it was, a can of lager at every place. I didn’t hear the fizzitt! of any being opened during proceedings but many went home to be enjoyed at a seemlier time of day. We’ll get to all of that later.
Past Pres’ Bryce took the helm. Guests were: Elaine Matthew, Kris Ostuland, and Nancy Sumaruk (all of RC Burlington), Ute Lindner (RCB Lakeshore), Craig MacPherson (RCB North) and Gino Tersigni from Wellington Brewery (generous dispenser of lager) And... importantly our guest speaker Rtn. Kevin Duguay from RC Peterborough.
Important announcements:
- Rod Collard needs help with the My Place soup kitchen on Wednesday (July 31) from about 10 – 11 (you’ll be finished by 12 anyway, and no dishes to do.)
- Mike Molloy will take over the Breakfast Programme management. Once a month volunteers will be helping get kids off to a good school-day start.
- Summer BBQ will be at Jamie’s on August 22. (Lake levels permitting?) Beer will be provided by Gino Tersigni from Wellington Brewery (see above). Appetisers and desserts will be courtesy of you & I, mains t.b.d.
- Lakeside a la Carte is SOLD OUT. 2 weeks to go and 550 tickets sold! If you missed it, it’s too late.
- New fund-raising idea. Courtesy of Joe Watson – he will be auctioning off golf for 4 and dinner for 2. Or was it the other way around, golf for 2 and dinner for 4? Or was it …? Anyway, he says it will be worth $500.
- Johanna asked/ pleaded for anyone/someone to host a Japanese exchange student for 6 days starting August 11th. (Lakeside Day). They will be in Burlington as part of the mundialization programme. Just 6 days.
And talking of Japanese exchange students, a small contingent took Mana to YYZ a week ago. And a sorrowful parting it became. She finally slipped through security at about 12.30 to face flight AC 1 for 15 hours. A flight that took her north and west over Alaska following the Aleutian Island chain, and then down along the Asian Pacific rim to home.
We have had some brilliant exchange students in past years and without detracting from any, others, Mana was a stand-out. Effervescent, irrepressible and what else? I’ll put in $10 to the SAA for the best 3-adjective-string describing Mana. Email to me at peterthoem@gmail.com.
Well, back to beer. RC Peterborough, RC Guelph and Wellington Brewery have launched a joint fund-raising project that capitalises on mankind’s endless thirst. It generates cash flow to participating Rotary Clubs.
On the surface it’s disarmingly simple, it goes like this.
Buy Rotary-branded beer at the Beer Store and for every can sold, 50 cents goes to Rotary (split: 20 cents to RCBC ((for example)), 20 cents to WASHRAG ((Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group)) and 10 cents each to RC Peterborough and RC Guelph). Quick math: 12 cans yields $2.40 to RCBC. A hot summer weekend yields what, $50?
Let’s peel back the layers a bit.
What kind of beer? Wellington Brewery’s Helle’s Lager in a Rotary can. (“Straight up, refreshing, and smooth, this classic lager is the perfect go-to beer. Inspired by traditional German light lagers, we brew with 100% Canadian barley and wheat malt and then lager to perfection. Helles yeah!”)
Why a Wellington Brewery brew? Because Wellington Brewery is community-minded and goes out of its way to help worthy causes. Wellington Brewery was founded in Guelph 35 years ago.
What’s in it for Wellington Brewery? Beer sales I suppose.
Where can I buy it? A bit of setup is needed first. If and when we’re on board as a participating beer-selling club, Gino Tersigni from Wellington Brewery will identify the optimum 2 or 3 Brewer’s Retail stores in Burlington and arrange to license sale of Rotary beer at those stores. Gino does the heavy lifting, we pay a set-up fee ($300 I think I heard).
And then? Beer sales and cash flow.
Last year RC Peterborough netted $11,000 from this programme – but then again, they’re also going to take 10 cents per can sold in Burlington – it adds up.
Cheers.
P. Scribe
