Stories

Buy a duck, try your luck!  

PDG John Gilvesy introduced DG Mike Lawrie, a distinguished retired physician in Cambridge.

DG Mike spoke of Looking Back and Looking Ahead and of Rotary's 2021 Theme of "Rotary Opens Opportunity" with the graphic of 3 open doors.  He quoted Sir Winston Churchill "A Pessimist is someone who sees a problem in every opportunity. An Optimist is someone who sees an opportunity in every problem."  Opportunities can arise at any time.

RI President Holger Knaak (Germany) spoke of adaptability, new models of Rotary Clubs and of membership.  We need to grow Rotary sustainably.  Mike spoke of having an Annual Club Strategy Meeting and making use of the resources of the Rotary Learning Centre.  Rotary has created a "Shaping Rotary's Future Committee" to chart Rotary's direction.

The Rotary International budget for 2020-2021 is $123,481,000 USD and the Rotary Foundation budget is $93,000,000 USD.

The Covid Pandemic will be a watershed moment for everyone.  Mike assured us that the District is a resource for Clubs and is there to support the Clubs.

Mike's theme this year is "Taking Care of Self, Each Other and the Planet".  He reminded us that PolioPlus receives a 2:1 Match from the Gates Foundation.  Africa is now Polio Free (3 years without a new case) and only Afghanistan and Pakistan have polio cases.  The Rotary Foundation has added a 7th Area of Focus, the Environment.

Jennifer Jones of the RC of Windsor-Roseland is the RI President Nominee for 2022-2023.

Mike spoke of Rotary's inclusiveness and that there is no place for Racism in Rotary.  Rotary supports our Indigenous people and people of Color.  We support diversity, inclusion and equity.

He also addressed Areas of Opportunity:  Rotaract is now a type of Rotary membership.  Rotary has a partnership with Toast Masters and there is information on the Rotary Learning Center.

PDG John Gilvesy brought us up to date on the Honduras Micro-Finance Project.

We partnered with Opportunity International Canada and Implementing Partner Honduras (IDH) to provide small loans to local people who are unable to obtain financing from conventional sources.  This enables them to start their own small business and to support their families.  There is a 98% repayment rate by the local people and 50-60% of the loans are to women.  The size of the loans range from $200-5,000.  There are approximately 8,000 clients who receive training, help in setting goals, support for their businesses and guidance in reporting to their lenders.

Micro-finance fits well with the Rotary Foundation's 6 Areas of Focus.  Our District raised $73,500 and with Matching Funding from the Government of Canada, our District 7080 and the Rotary Foundation, this added up to a total of $320,000.  The Rotary Foundation requires regular reports to make sure the projects are proceeding properly and that there is adequate financial and operational accountability.

John reported on a recent presentation by IDH about the impact of the impact of the Covid Pandemic on their business.  The Honduras government mandated a repayment moratorium during the pandemic and this affected the liquidity of IDH.  They were able to obtain debt restructuring and lines of credit from their banks.  They also provided medical protection for customers and IDH staff.  In the period from March to May 2020, the loan activity and cash flow for IDH crashed.  IDH has worked to mitigate the impact on their staff and business.  They have reduced staff, provided food, face masks and hand sanitizer in their business sites.

Next week:  Jay Weiler will present a report on Communications for the Club.

10 local Rotarians and ADG Brenda Waugh met via Zoom for our Change of Officers Night.

We were joined by our spouses and it made for a very pleasant evening.

Please note that our meeting of July 1 is canceled.

President John thanked his Executive and the Club for their support this past year.  It was a team effort.

Some of our Service projects as outlined by John:

Memorial Park equipment and trees.

Youth Scholarships

Training for Youth and the Adventure in Understanding program.

Youth Exchange

We sponsor 2 Foster Children.

Honduras Micro-Finance program.

Clock Tower - perhaps we can sell more bricks.

Grade 3 Dictionaries.

Paul Harris Night and the Foundation.

Road Rally.

bowling and golfing.

Christmas Parade Float.

Book Fair and Turtle Fest.

Our new President, Mike Donnelly thanked now Past-President John for his leadership. 

The Officers for 2020-2021:

Treasurer - John Lohuis

Secretary - Brian Clark

President-Elect - Jay Weiler.

Membership - Tom Simmons.

Foundation - Keith Hodgkinson.

Fund Raising - Mike Donnelly.

Mike then touched on matters of interest due to the uncertainty of the Covid pandemic.  He spoke of the need to combine our fund raising with visibility in the community.  We need to increase our membership and possibly change our meeting format.  We should also be asking prospective members what kind of projects they want to do in Rotary.

Trivia Contest:

Jay and Shelley arranged a Trivia Contest relating to Tillsonburg history and Rotary Club history.  We all had fun and lots of laughs as memories were recalled of good times past.

13 local Rotarians and 4 Guests attended.  Our guests included PDG Don Watkins (RC of Peterborough-Kawartha), ADG Brenda Waugh, Gloria Aykroyd, and Rachel Parker.

Our speaker today was Rotarian Dr. Mohamed Abdalla, Chief of Intensive Care at TDMH.  Mohamed thanked everyone in the community for their support during the Covid-19 pandemic.  He advised us that there is now a Covid Screening Centre located at 17 Bear St. but by appointment only.  Anyone who is concerned about exposure and wants to be tested can call and arrange an appointment.  The Hospital is testing everyone who enters as a patient for Covid.

Re-opening the Hospital to normal care again will be a gradual process.  At present, the Outpatient Services are closed and he is seeing patients virtually.  The LHIN has addressed re-opening and if there is an increase in cases, then society will have to close again until the number of cases declines.  Social distancing has helped a lot but if only 55-65% of people comply with it, the number of cases will increase again.  So it is important to continue to keep our distance from one another.

Dr. Abdalla noted that as a result of the pandemic and isolation measures, the In Patient population dropped to 30% of normal and the Emergency Room was much less busy.  In some cases, patients who needed to seek hospital care had delayed attending because of fear of the Covid virus.  In some instances, this led to serious illnesses not being addressed as soon as they should have been.

The Hospital Staff had to develop protocols for working with patients to keep the Staff safe and yet provide necessary treatment.  They made plans to expand the ICU spaces and to re-train OR nurses to staff the ICU if needed.

Dr. Abdalla answered a number of questions.  He said that although no one knows for certain what long term sequellae may occur in recovered Covid patients, there may well be long lasting effects from the illness.  He also noted the effect on the healthcare workers from stress and mentioned psychological effects and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Work Party:  There is a work party at Memorial Park on Saturday morning in two groups of 5 each beginning at 8:30-9:30 and 10:00-11:00.  We will be cleaning up brush and watering our tree nursery.

Report from the Board of Directors Meeting:

The Club will donate $6500 to the Helping Hand Food Bank

First Prize         Great Canadian Trip:  The "New" New York.

#0024  Mike Cerna

Second Prize      $100     #0132    Roy Beechey

Third Prize        $75        #0102    Helen Johnson and Janet Weaver

Fourth Prize      $75        #0447    Peter Oliveira

Fifth Prize        $50        #0094    Brad Bennett

Sixth Prize        $50        #0403    Pat Carroll

Seventh Prize    $50        #0397    Brian Crompton

13 local Rotarians were joined by guests Ryo Matsumoto (our ROTEX from Kanazawa, Japan), Brenda Waugh (ADG of District 1020 Scotland), Sheila Welham (RC of Burlington Central and a member of the District Youth Exchange Committee) and Dean Rutty who is the Chair of District Youth Exchange.

Speaker:  Ryo spoke to the Club about her home in Japan and her time in Tillsonburg.  She returns home on May 8. 

Japan is a smaller country compared to Canada but has 126 million people.  Ryo showed us her various school uniforms as well as her cheer leading uniform.  She showed us the Kimono, the formal dress for women in Japan.  It is a traditional costume mainly used now for special events such as graduation or when people come of adult age at age 20.

Ryo's first Host Family was the Mann family.  With them, she visited Niagara Falls and Toronto in the Winter.  She saw the Eaton Centre and dined atop the CN Tower.  Ryo also enjoyed the Mississauga orientation session for Youth exchange Students and their Christmas Party.  She attended the Winter meeting at Camp Wanakita with the Outbound Students and they slept in Quinsys, did Cross Country Skiing and snow shoeing.  Ryo described a Dog Sledding weekend in Haliburton with students from District 7070.

Her second Host Family was the Layman family and she visited Niagara Falls with them.

Ryo mentioned that she enjoyed attending our weekly Rotary meetings.

President John, Bob Marsden, Sheila Welham and Dean Rutty all thanked Ryo for her time with us and we will miss her.  She has been a great ROTEX!

Brenda Waugh also spoke to the Club about her experience in Tillsonburg 40 years ago.  She worked for Dr. Mary Wiltshire as a Nanny and also helped in the Veterinary Clinic.  Brenda joined Rotary in 2001 and has served as the District Communications Chair and is currently the ADG for District 1020.  When her term as ADG is completed, she will become the District Youth Chair.  In her vocation, she manages an Advisory Agency.  Brenda lives in Annan about 6 miles north of the border with England on the west coast of Scotland.

Kallista Chayil is our speaker today and her topic is "The Psychology of Estate Planning".

75% of estate plans fail.  What we give as an inheritance should be a blessing, not a burden.  People who inherit large sums may be unprepared to manage it responsibly either financially or psychologically.

Causes of Failure:

60% fail due to poor communication and mistrust.  Parents fail to disclose details to all of their children, leading to unpleasant surprises.  There may also be unresolved family conflicts (sibling mistrusts).

25% fail because the parents didn't prepare their heirs by communication and education of values and plans.

10% fail due to lack of a family vision statement that clearly communicates their sense of values and goals.

5% fail due to poor tactical money management.  The heirs may make inferior investments of have no advisors or incompetent advisors.  The heirs may not know how to manage the money.

Kallista told us that 75-95% of Canadians are financially illiterate and we have an inadequate relationship to money.  Money problems are the #1 stress and the most common conflict in marriages.  In many households, 40% of the income is spent servicing debt.  75% of households have less than $50,000 in investable assets.  When credit cards are used, spending increases 23%.

Money problems are symptomatic of bigger problems such as over spending, under spending (hoarding) and frivolous purchases.  75-95% of us have an inadequate relationship to money (eg) carrying bad debt, inadequate emergency funds, inappropriate investments, using money to dominate others, addiction to wealth (misers).  It is important to educate children about money and finances.

"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, elegant and wrong"  H.L. Mecken.

Estate Problems:

Too much emphasis on financials and too high a level of control while withholding information about values. 

When adults act like adults, everyone wins.  Share responsibility for the plan with family.  Have joint decision making and open discussion when making the plan.

Three Important Things:

Unpack the issues.

Communicate about managing money (beginning with young children).

Collaborate to reflect family values and the values of the heirs.

Kallista's contact information:

11 local Rotarians were joined on ZOOM by DG Lesley Barmania and her husband Aziz, PDG Doug Vincent, Peter Stam, Steve Zehr, and Anne and Don Soepboer.

President John Lohuis initiated the meeting with a Moment of Silence for the victims in Nova Scotia.

Speaker:  DG Lesley Barmania spoke about her experiences at the RI Convention in 2016 in Seoul, South Korea and how it relates to RI President Mark Maloney's theme of "Rotary Connects The World".  She spoke about how Rotary gives Hope and related their own experience in Seoul.  Her husband, Aziz suffered a medical emergency and was rushed to a hospital with internal hemorrhaging.  He was admitted to the ICU and underwent a number of diagnostic tests before the source of the bleed was identified.  He required emergency surgery and Lesley spoke of the wonderful support they  received from the local hotel, the hospital, the staff who helped translate for them, and the Rotary friends both Canadian and Korean who arranged to donate blood of Aziz's type (A neg).  The blood donations in  particular  were crucial to his survival.  Lesley showed us how Rotary is indeed one family worldwide and brings Hope not only to the communities we serve but in this case, desperately needed hope and help for one of our own Rotarians.

Our ROTEX, Ryo joined us today with her Host Mother.  Ryo will be returning to Japan on May 8 by way of a connecting flight from Vancouver to Tokyo.

Next Week:  Our speaker will be Kallista Chayil speaking on pitfalls with Wills and Estate Planning.

On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, President John Lohuis congratulates the following winners of the April Trip of the Month Draw.

First Prize:  #0146  Scott Morris   Transat - Paradisus Princessa del Mar, Varadaro, Cuba

Second Prize: $100   #0040 Brian Graydon

Third Prize:  $75        #0381  Sandra Gilvesy

Fourth Prize:  $75     #0368   Carole Stephenson

Fifth Prize:   $50      #0016   John Shields

Sixth Prize:   $50     #0067   Melanie Fardella

Seventh Prize:  $50  #0980   Susan Seymour

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

9 local members and Monica Clare, Don and Anne Soepboer, and Paul Gagnon (LPRCA) joined a very successful ZOOM meeting.

Our speaker was Paul Gagnon from the Long Point Region Conservation Authority speaking on "Healthy Watersheds".

The Conservation Authorities were formed in 1946 by Provincial Legislation and there are 36 of them in Ontario.  Their mandate is conservation, restoration and the development of water resources.

The areas on which they focus include Flood Control, Water Quality, Erosion Control, Natural Resource Development, and Park and Recreation opportunities.  Paul noted that Lake Erie water levels have been very high through January-march 2020.

LPRCA monitors water levels and quality but also things like aquatic insect populations (as a marker for water quality), water temperature and quality.  They check Brook Trout populations because they are a sign of good water quality.  Paul said they monitor ground water levels in the Norfolk Sand Plain Aquifer which supplies water for agriculture and municipalities in the area.  You can view the watershed Report Card on their website:  http://www.lprca.on.ca/pages/1317825417/Healthy-Watersheds

Drinking Water is important and they protect water from the source to the tap to ensure it is safe and of good quality for drinking.

Restoration is another focus for tree planting, meadow and prairie grass establishment, buffer zones, sediment basins and wetland creation.  Forests trap and store water and release it slowly.  Buffer strips (riparian zones) between agricultural land and streams use grass and trees to control erosion and improve water quality but controlling nutrient runoff.

Erosion Control includes rock embankments, catch basins and grass along banks.  Clean Water Programs  control nutrient entry into streams from manure, cattle and fertilizers.  Sediment basins trap sediments, clay runoff and nutrients leading to cleaner water. 

LPRCA also engages in public education of school children.

Next week, Brian Bennett and Darell Parker have a program on Membership.  Brian is the District Membership Chair and Darell is our ADG.

Future programs include the Harvard Aircraft Association, and Kallista Chayil on Will and Estate Planning.

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the March Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: # 0402 – Jonathan Arnell

March Prize: Air Canada Vacations – Le Pavillion Hotel- New Orleans, Louisiana

2^nd Prize $100: # 0050 – Vanessa Aykroyd

3^rd Prize $75: # 0108 – Trudy & Dennis Vass

4^th Prize $75: # 0294 – Jay Luyt

5^th Prize $50: #0255 – Joe Haist

6^th Prize $50: #0136 – Laurel & Peter Beechey

7^th Prize $50: #0519 – Andrew Burns

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the February Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: # 0067 - Melanie Fardella

February Prize: Great Canadian – Chicago City Getaway

2^nd Prize $100: #0216 – Dr. Mohamed Abdalla

3^rd Prize $75: #0061 –Terry & Karen Boys

4^th Prize $75: #0437 – Ed Patenaude

5^th Prize $50: #0013 – Dean Symons

6^th Prize $50: #0267 – Carol Martis

7^th Prize $50: #0402 – Jonathan Arnel

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

11 Rotarians and 3 guests attended at Corner Perk.  Guest:  Rachel Parker, Ryo (ROTEX), and Nancy Shields.

Rotary International's slogan for 2020-2021 is "Rotary Opens Opportunities".

President John Lohuis gave a presentation on Communities in Bloom for whom he is a judge and their visit to Lexington, Kentucky last year.

This is the 25th year for Communities in Bloom and they have been acquired by the Canadian Landscape Association. 

Communities in Bloom fosters civic pride in communities around the world and enhances green spaces.

Their criteria include tidiness, environmental factors, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscapes and floral designs.

Lexington was founded in 1775 and now has a population of 330,000.  It is known as the Horse Capital of the World.

Until the 1840's, it had a large slavery commercial trade.  This continued for a while after that date despite regulations banning it.  John said the history of the Slave Trade in Lexington is mentioned but kept very muted.

The Rotary Club began there in 1915 and Rotary has been very active throughout the intervening years.  The Rotary Directory shows two clubs in Lexington today.

The city has pedestrian and bike paths, a historic clock (1830) on the street and decorative street lamps.  The streets have many (40) statues of horses located throughout the city.  John showed a photo of a street bench in the form of an open library book.  The first library was built in 1795 and in 1902, the Carnegie Library was constructed. 

There is lots of public art in the parks in Lexington.  John showed a photo of a downtown Off Leash Dog Park.  He also had photos of Keeneland Park, a large horse racing track and horse auction site.

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the December Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0259 – Colleen Szuba

December Prize: Transat – Ireland-Dublin, Galway & Kerry

2^nd Prize $100: #0059 – Yean Armstrong

3^rd Prize $75: #0202 – Kim Nethercott

4^th Prize $75: #0350- Sien Cox

5^th Prize $50: #0190 – Bob Sibley

6^th Prize $50: #0262 – Larry Scanlan

7^th Prize $50: #0141 – Dag Morris

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the December Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0259 – Colleen Szuba

December Prize: Transat – Ireland-Dublin, Galway & Kerry

2^nd Prize $100: #0059 – Yean Armstrong

3^rd Prize $75: #0202 – Kim Nethercott

4^th Prize $75: #0350- Sien Cox

5^th Prize $50: #0190 – Bob Sibley

6^th Prize $50: #0262 – Larry Scanlan

7^th Prize $50: #0141 – Dag Morris

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the December Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0259 – Colleen Szuba

December Prize: Transat – Ireland-Dublin, Galway & Kerry

2^nd Prize $100: #0059 – Yean Armstrong

3^rd Prize $75: #0202 – Kim Nethercott

4^th Prize $75: #0350- Sien Cox

5^th Prize $50: #0190 – Bob Sibley

6^th Prize $50: #0262 – Larry Scanlan

7^th Prize $50: #0141 – Dag Morris

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the November Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0115 Marianne Sandham

November Prize: West Jet Vacations- Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, Nevada

2^nd Prize $100: #0057 Ken & Olga Patterson

3^rd Prize $75: #0406 Lindsey & Paul McLeish

4^th Prize $75: #0282 Olga Patterson

5^th Prize $50: #0452 Carla Cameron

6^th Prize $50: #0552 Gail Mabee

7^th Prize $50: #0370 Mary Lohuis

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

Here are the winners for July - Trip to Air Canada Vacations, San Diego, California

        Trip - John Labelle    $100 Marion Morris    $ 75 Kim Triska    $ 75 Colleen Szuba    $50  Dave Clergy   $ 50 Lyle Reckier      $ 50   Roy Fontaine

Winners for October - Air Canada Vacations, The Fairmont Banff - Banff Springs, Alberta

        Trip - Randy DeClercq    $100  Brad & Sara Clark    $75 Cliff & Jacki McDowell    $75 Vanessa Aykroyd   $50  Bryan Drinkwater   $50 Ashley Andrews

                                               $50 Leslie Martin

The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the September Trip-of- the-Month Draw. On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0531 – Brad Hollister

September Prize: Great Canadian- Boston Sight Seeing Tour

2^nd Prize $100: #0074 Brad & Sara Clark

3^rd Prize $75: #0105 Marie Blake

4^th Prize $75: #0500 Patricia Phelps

5^th Prize $50: #0579 Wendy Phelps

6^th Prize $50: #0572 Bill Hodgkinson

7^th Prize $50: #0051 Linda & Dave Bertling

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

 The Tillsonburg Rotary Club announces the winners of the August Trip-of- the-Month Draw.

On behalf of the Rotary Club of Tillsonburg, JOHN LOHUIS, President of the Rotary Club, congratulates the following winners of the Trip-of-the-Month draw:

1^st Prize: #0398 Ann Schroder

July Prize: Hyatt Regency Montreal, Montreal, Quebec

2^nd Prize $100: #0339 Sylvia Bakos

3^rd Prize $75: #0282 Olga Patterson

4^th Prize $75: #0507 Chris Ort

5^th Prize $50: #0185 Laurie Beaver

6^th Prize $50: #0538 Joan Weston

7^th Prize $50: #0336 Pat & Kelly Luciani

Contact Information:

John Lohuis, President,

Rotary Club Tillsonburg

519-842-6780

ljohncanuck@hotmail.com

The most successful and sustainable Rotary service tends to fall within one of the following six areas:

Peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
Disease prevention and treatment.
Water and sanitation.
Maternal and child health.
Basic education and literacy.
Economic and community development.