Stories

For a positive life, have a positive mind. 

 

Don't forget Hamper Night is November 26 and Mora wants you to know that Richard Moran has been proposed for membership.

There were four community groups represented.

Dave Gravelle spoke about the Southern Georgian Bay Family Physician Recruitment program which focuses on family doctors - specialists are another matter.  Midland Rotary has just finished its third, of three, contributions of $10,000.00 to this program and they are asking for a new three year commitment.

Dave spoke about their successes and their new new tactics - instead of going to trade shows and etc. they are concentrating on encouraging students to do placements here and then show them the many attractions of the area.  Efforts like the Annual Rural Medicine Week, partnership with the North Ontario School of Medicine and the relationship with U of T have all helped.  Two new doctors will be moving here in January.  But what they are finding is that replacing doctors is more than a one for one effort now - doctors are looking for a better work/life balance these days and it is now almost a three for one replacement equation which makes Dave's job much harder.

Physician Recruitment has an active publicity program on all platforms and Rotary will be recognized as a major supporter as it has in the past.  The program costs about $100,000.00 a year and there are other major supporters - Glen Howard's golf tournament recently donated $30,000.00 and they are getting money from Tiny and Springwater as well.

Bob Bruer and Bob Sykes spoke for Out of the Cold.  Since March of 2012 the program has been run year round and since then they have welcomed over 400 new guests, 33% of whom were women.  149 people spent the night and 28,000 meals were served.  A lot of people come for socialization and food - they may have a place to sleep but that can be isolating.  500 volunteers make this all happen.

They've been doing their regular public relations and fund raising with the Mayors coming for dinner and a walkathon in Little Lake, among other efforts.  The County is changing the way it funds these services and there will be money from them.  They are embarking on a capital campaign, there is a new Board, they have rewritten the by laws and, though there are challenges with the proposed location they are still working on it.  There will be room for 18 in a space that will be divided for privacy and security for women or youth.  It will offer a first response unit, an opportunity for socialization and lounges 24/7.  Their AGM will be Nov. 18.

Bev Prost and Mike Hamelin are working on creating a haven for homeless youth called The Next Door.  They have been incorporated since 2012 and propose to give kids between 16 and 24 who lack social supports a safe place.  Youth face dangers adults don't and often deal with drug and alcohol problems and low self esteem leading to problems at school, dropping out, hanging out with the wrong crowd and losing hope.  This home promises to give them a secure and calm environment, to teach them life skills, to encourage them to stay in school.  They have a house on Colborne St. with 3 bedrooms and two porches where they will help out while going to school or working.  Bev and Mike have a list of partners from the community that have already committed to help and they are asking for $25,000.00 from Rotary because the need is there and the opportunity is now.

 

Anna introduced Christine Forsyth who is filling in at the GB Cancer Centre.  They are grateful for the iPads provided by Rotary last year.  They have allowed patients to keep in touch while they are in Toronto for treatments.  2 in 5 people will get cancer and there are 255 new cases in our area each year with 1,500 living with it now.  Cancer affects the patient's family and friends and the centre has a vision of regional support which has been provided since March 2011.  There is group support, exercise classes, activities, wigs and prosthesis, a soup for the soul program and education, all free and supplied without government support.  The Penetang Hospital is slated to close soon and the Centre will have to move so they don't have a specific ask at the moment but promise that when they are clearer on their plans they will be back.

Jamie and Phil talked about student exchange, encouraging all members to include Jose in activities and to consider playing host to this pleasant and willing young man.  Phil said they had had difficulty deciding on who to send outbound this year - it was a tie - but they did pick one and have discussed the matter with others in the District.  Hearst is prepared to host a student and send our second choice as their representative if our Club pays the expenses.

We had brief reports for those Chairs who were present - Mora said our number stands at 54 but there are 3 prospective members who are considering.  There will be a College of Knowledge in January.  Anyone who sponsors a new member through this year will be eligible for a prize.  Amanda said the PR committee could use a couple of new members as they try to educate the community and help information flow back to the Club.  Bill Richardson said the Int'l Committee will be sending $10,000.00 to Polio again this year, that they will be helping a nurse from Waypoint going to Nicaragua with $23,000.00 of dental equipment, that Mister Lister is suggesting the Club consider sending $5,000.00 to a school in Lesotho that he has taught at and spoken about before and there will be a vote on that soon.

There were suggestions from members about funding opportunities.  Jan. 14 Jim McMillan will be presenting speakers on the Huronia Land Conservancy, Bruce asked if we'd ever been approached about helping provide breakfasts in the schools.  There was some discussion on the Guest House and the asks in general.  The meeting adjourned.

Jason said the Auction Committee's been working hard and now it's time for everyone to join in.  The Auction has been a major part of the Club's activities for 25 years, in different formats but it's core has always been that we approach businesses for donations which we auction off while the donors get to contribute to a good cause and raise their company's profile.

Peak earnings have been about 40,000 but last time it was down to maybe 20 so the Committee is looking to get that higher this year.  They plan to do more marketing and they need lots of donated items.  Members used to have longer to get their contracts done but it seems we always waited till the last minute anyway so this year we have a month.  Go early to give yourself time to get to the decision maker and to go back a couple of times if the donor is slow to commit.  If a donor you've been dealing with for years is not on your list you can trade.  Check with Jason.  If a potential contract is listed twice it may be because there are two locations or because they gave two items last time so view the previous donation for details.  It doesn't hurt to view or print it anyway, so you can be accurate when talking to a donor.

While we waited for technology to catch up to us, Rob reminded the Club that these are unencumbered funds - not bound by the rules of Raffle licensing - and the Club can spend it on any cause which is useful when we're trying to meet our commitment to international projects.

Jason said that gift certificates usually yield the best return but physical items, especially big ticket items, lend themselves to promotion.  The Committee will be using social media as well as traditional media.

Everything's on line now so fill out the donor status page and give a clear and full description of the donation and a picture if possible.  Then print it to confirm details.  There is a suggested text to use when talking to potential donors.  Donations should have a value of at least $50.00 to justify the value of the advertising that will be produced.

Over the last couple of years the trauma centre has been the recipient of most of the funds raised but the Board makes the final decision.  If anyone has suggestions they can bring them up at the Fireside.

Jamie Hunter reminded us that World Polio Day is the 24th and he was pleased to report that over the years the Midland Club has donated about $150,000.00 to the cause.  We all know that we are 'this close' but there are circumstances that make bringing this disease to its end difficult.  Smallpox has been eliminated and there are other diseases that need attention but, as Britt reported, there have been setbacks.  Volunteers have been attacked and killed in Pakistan - 60 in the last two years - and Nigeria and Doctors Without Borders have had to leave Somalia due to risks to workers' safety.

Between 5 and 10% of those infected die and there are three countries that are still developing cases.  The cost of a dose of vaccine is only sixty cents but the cost of getting the volunteers safely to their destinations drives the total up.  10 billion has been spent since 1988.  Rotary started with 6 million kids in 1979 in the Phillipines and then pledged 120 million over three years but by the time the three years was up they had raised 247 million.  All countries except Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria have been declared free, which means twelve months without a case but it can spread back across, especially when refugees are moving.

Religious conflict and misunderstanding are the two major reasons why we're not done.  The CIA hunt for Bin Laden, which included a fake vaccination team, has contributed to the misunderstanding and distrust.  The numbers are still dropping and 95% of Pakistan was reached this year.  Bill Gates says Rotary is the heart and soul of the fight and has committed to doubling donations.  Midland has been the biggest contributor in our District for years.

 

Jose is from Ecuador and from Rotary District 4400.  His mom is an oncologist and his father teaches criminal law at the University.  He has two brothers, 17 and 9 and his main interest seems to be sports.  He plays them all but his real enthusiasm is soccer with a minor in tennis.  He thinks he'd like to follow his father into law but is trying to figure out how to make a living at soccer.

Ecuador is a small country with about 16 million people and is divided into distinct geographical regions - the Coast, the Hills and the Woods.  It celebrates its biodiversity - the most in the world - and its gastronomy.  The whole country shares Jose's enthusiasm for soccer.  It is divided into 25 Provinces and Portoviejo, his home town, is the local capital with about 300,000 people which makes it small enough to get around in and to get out of - there's a great beach only 15 minutes away.

Jose had pictures of his family, his town and country and some attractions of the area which gave us an idea of how he lives.  He finished up by presenting a banner from his home Club to Maureen.\

Colin Best has recently come back from Belgium with his coat of many attachments - must have bee fun getting through security.  He and the other outbounds first went to Ottawa for an orientation session which he found useful, plus he made a lot of friends.  Then it was off to Belgium which he found a challenge because he was still learning about the country and trying to master French.  His new home, Arlon, was in the south east of the Country which is about twice the size of Georgian Bay and is home to about 11 million people.

His host Club had 4 inbound students at once and Colin commented on the different formats of the meetings - no fines and lots of beer. They do a lot of celebrating there and it involves a lot of street parties.  They celebrate the four major food groups - fries, waffles, chocolate and fries.  Colin had lots of pictures of his host families, their homes, his unmade beds and the countries he visited.

He went everywhere.  Between the moderate climate and the rapid transit it was easy to visit other countries.  The Netherlands, Paris, the Alps, Portugal.  He felt a little uncomfortable because his predecessor, from the States, had arrived bringing straight A's and fluency but Colin found the transition to this new place to be smooth and enjoyable.  He graduated while he was there and the grad class visit was to Venice and Rotary took him on trips to Spain and Prague.  It was all great but kind of tiring.

When he came back they had a meeting in Sudbury and then a trip to the Conference.  The whole experience has bee incredible and wonderful and he is grateful for the opportunity.  He says it's a wonderful and important program and he hopes the Club carries on with it.  He grew and matured and learned a lot and will certainly explore becoming a Rotarian.

Dave Gravelle said he'd now had his Rotary moment - he'd been fined.  Recently he had requests for placements from the Family Medicine Rural Education program and two doctors in Midland agreed to accept the candidates but both doctors had already agreed to go to Nunavut for part of the time the students would be here.  After some scrambling and with the support of Rotary, it was agreed that Ethan and Tom would go too.

So Doctors Siedlecki and McGuire and students Tom Lu and Ethan Tumarkin left on a 3,000 km flight to a much colder place.  Tom likened it to a scene shot by a Mars Lander.  Nunavut is huge, over 2 million sq. km and home to only 36,000 people.  The airport was built in WW II but the runway was added on to so it could act as a secondary for the space shuttle.

Qikitani General Hospital serves the town of Iqualuit and surrounding areas.  There are no family doctors - people see nurses in clinics and then are medvac'd if it's serious.  The hospital has 35 beds and clinics during the day and 24/7 emergency service.

Tom and Ethan led us on a photographic tour of the hospital and the town and the local grocery with a focus on prices - $27.00 for a pound of bacon.  The trip was made possible by help from Rotary and the co-operation of the participating doctors and hospitals and both felt that it had been a great learning experience, especially for two people from large urban environments, that gave them a great appreciation of the different problems and concerns of different parts of the country.

Sue Cook who has served Rotary in a large number of capacities is currently working with Joyce on organizing a District 7010 Million Dollar Dinner.  They showed a video that talked about the Foundation and how it is there for emergencies like floods or earthquakes and for health issues like Polio or for education or clean water or maternal health.  It is better to light a single candle and if each Rotarian lights one, we can light up the world. A combinations of waves and wind blew thousands of starfish up on a beach and a woman walking her dog came across this scene of dying creatures.  She found one she could put back and was asked 'why bother, what difference does that make?' and she replied it made a big difference to that one.

The dinner is a $10,000.00 a plate event.  It can be paid for at once or over a few years or through donations of stock or by making a bequest in a will.  Calgary Rotarians held one and raised 2.3 million, Edmonton 4.5 and last week in Halifax they raised 1.6.  Gifts of $25,000.00 will become individual endowments named by the donors and pins that mark each level of giving.

The Foundation's program fund has a budget this year of $123 million, Polio will spend 5.5 billion over 5 years, the World Fund for Peace Scholarship Funds need a billion over several years and that still leaves the six areas of focus.  All of these things are making a difference.  Look to the Dinner - May 7 2015.

Dave introduced Eileen Shewin and Patrick Best who are Board members for the new Recovery High School that's being established outside Wyebridge in the old school on Hwy. 93.

Eileen said this will be the first school of its kind in Canada.  It is the result of inter Ministerial collaboration at both levels of government and builds on a model that is almost 30 years old in the States and has proven very successful.

Substance Abuse Disorder is a clinically defined mental health issue that occurs more often than we would like to think.  It is defined in the Mental Disorders of Psychiatry manual and affects 13% of the High School population in Ontario.  In the States the highest incidence is in Rhode Island at 13% so it is serious here.  Canada is number 2 in the world for prescription drug abuse.  175,000 kids in Ontario and 4,500 in Simcoe County suffer.

People call victims addicts and parents often enable the disorder by making excuses, saying the kid is going through a phase on is only smoking pot but this is a disease and it needs to be treated.  Unfortunately less than 1 in 10 sufferers get help and, of them, less than 1 in 10 get the long term support they need to stay sober.  Even after intensive treatment, only 10% show up at outpatient clinics.  The 28 day program may work but on release kids under 18 go back to their High School where peer pressure and availability encourage relapse.  The schools are not funded, mandated or trained to deal with these kids.

Eileen says the idea behind the new school is to change the culture from 'everybody is doing it' to 'nobody is doing it' and to develop a new peer pressure and mutual supports that hold kids accountable for their behaviour.  They will start with 40 and there will be teacher/student ratio of one to five.  It is a diploma granting institution that will continue to work with students that are clean as they move into society and look for work.  There is counseling available in house, group and individual, and there are student and teacher mentors.

Graduation rates in the US are over 92% and students report significant reductions in mental stress, depression, ADHD behaviours within the first year of attendance.  There are college level recovery schools in the States but Canada is far behind on this.

The program involves the community.  These kids are labelled and they need to redefine themselves and 'embrace their future'.  Teens have a relapse rate of between 10 - 15% but it is much higher in adults so reaching them while they're young is more effective.  Recovery, however, is a life long journey so the school tries to give them the tools to maintain throughout.  The kids sign off on their rights and submit to drug testing, locker inspections and a loss of privacy - they want to ensure sobriety there - but if there is a relapse they don't expel, they go back to treatment with them and start again.

These dependencies impose terrible social costs on society, it does not discriminate among its victims and social complacency is the greatest enabler.  325,00 hospital days a year to deal with drug related issues, millions of dollars in lost revenues and over 5 billion in enforcement.  The school is looking for local projects for the kids to work on in groups.

John Lister introduced Gus and Beth, both passionate about the cause of young adult homelessness.  We may not be aware of it as a problem but these two are familiar with it and are working to alleviate it.  Beth is a legal assistant with 4 daughters and Gus played professional hockey in France and Finland before becoming a Probation Officer with neurolinguistic training in suicide prevention.

Gus said he and Beth and the others they are working with have a vision of a transitional home for street kids that will be more than a shelter.  It will be a long term home for young people so they can gain a sense of belonging and work towards solutions to their problems and traumas.  Driving his daughter to school recently he told her she was a great kid which she agreed with but later he's talking to a street kid and asks him what his one wish would be if he had one and it was that 'he had never been born'.  These kids have no sense of being special and that's what's driving him on this project - the need to give these kids a sense of their identity, of their specialness.

They've been rejected all their lives so the vision is to build a community of kids who feel proud about themselves.  We, as a community, have a responsibility and and obligation and he says we cannot fail.  They can be reached.  He spoke with one young girl who was not on his client list and after a conversation of 45 minutes she wrote him a note that thanked him for being there to work on her problems.  He never saw her again, though.  She had left home at 14 to escape sexual abuse, had worked as a prostitute, was arrested but released into the care of an adult but she was a suicide at 18.  She was abused, scared and felt that being on the street was safer than being at home.

Gus said that his group is working on a detailed presentation which they will be presenting later, that they have an application in to Simcoe County for funding but that they need partners to work with them on this to prevent more of this kind of tragedy.

In response to a question he said that numbers were very difficult to come by because these youth are so traumatized and distrustful that they are very hard to contact.  They have had no positive experiences in terms of relationships and so have no sense of how to build one.  Most of them have drug and mental health issues and drugs become more dangerous every day - recently they found pot that had been handled with equipment used to cut oxy contin which made it extremely dangerous.

Beth distributed a letter from the principal at MSS confirming the need for such a facility.  She says the students come to school hungry, without proper clothing, with no sleep and they are at such a loss that they disengage altogether.

Dave said that since the start of physician recruitment there had been a tremendous relationship with the Midland Rotary Club - one of the founding funders and a supporter ever since.  The Rotary Club of Midland gets tops billing on all documentation.  Recruitment in Midland is forging other partnerships - notably with the U of T's Rural Medicine Week which sees students sent to smaller communities to engage them and encourage them to become our future doctors.  Shauna Comstock came under that program and then asked if she could come again for an internship.  She had a great visit and now is working on a 6 month residency which started on July 1.

The Northern School of Medicine has a comprehensive Community Clerkship program which sees two 3rd year students become members of the community during training.  This program puts and emphasis on a Social Community mandate that works to affect the community being served.  The students will work on a long term project which has yet to be determined.  Between these programs the span of a doctors education is covered and it all works to provide a longer term solution to physician shortages, instead of constantly scrambling to fill positions.

David announced that Shauna and her husband Colin have agreed to stay after their residencies.  They will settle here with their son.  As well Dr. Kevin Bryon is joining Chigamik and Dr. Emily Queenan will be moving here from Rochester in early summer next year.  The Glen Howard golf classic raised $30,000.00 for recruitment and Dave offered thanks to all who participated and sponsored the event.

Joyce said Bryne is a past DG and a Director for Zone 24.  He's a benefactor and the recipient of many awards including benefactor and the Service Above Self award.  He and his wife are pharmacists and have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.

Bryne said that when he'd been asked to visit a few clubs he had picked Midland and was glad to be back, renewing connections and making new ones.  He said he knew he'd been here recently but that was to talk about the Foundation.  Now, however, Gary Traill has had to step down as DG because of health problems, a very difficult thing for him to do, and the 3 immediate past DGs are sharing the duties, though one person's name has to be on the documentation and that'll be be Brian Menton's.  14 of the past DGs are helping with the Club visits..

Bryne never intended to be this involved when he joined, thinking that some lunches and fellowship would be nice addition to his week but joining is just the first step in a journey and Rotary sneaks up on you and you get more involved and realise you are part of something more than just a service club.  Rotary is one of the most powerful organizations in the world.

A past Rotary International President once told him that the best way to get a message across was through a story and Bryne says we all have our stories like Peter's, a man he met at a Rotary event in NY who told him he had left home at 15 because of abuse and lived in a trailer with other men and who knows what in terms of behaviours and substances.  But he took a job with a caterer and, as part of his work, helped with two weekly Club lunches where he met people who treated him with respect.  He made his choices and is now a member of his own club.  Though Bryne met him in NY, it turns out the Clubs he worked with were two of the Barrie clubs, including Bryne's.  We don't know what effect we have sometimes.

Bryne encouraged us to go to the Conference - the best value for the dollar ever.  You get fed, good speakers, excellent fellowship and entertainment over a whole weekend and you always learn something.  Next year it'll be in Sudbury.

This year's RI Pres. is urging us to :"Light up Rotary" by holding a day that highlights Rotary to the community and show what we do both locally and internationally.  They are also emphasizing membership  and encouraging retention by working to meet the members' needs with interesting meetings and activities.  The question we should ask is, would we join now?

Bryne also promotes the Foundation, a powerful and diverse organization in the world that works at the highest level.  International is hoping members each donate $195.00 this year.  He points out the Midland is always above the average with its donations.  Districts are hosting a million dollar dinner which can be attended with a commitment of $10,000.00 or more to be spread over several years.  7010 will be holding one in the spring and we'll be hearing about it.

We look at the world and all the serious problems and wonder what one person can do but as a group we make a major difference.  Confucious, the world's first Rotarian and our current President's favourite philosopher said it was better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness but if every member lit a candle we would Light up the World.  We all want the same things, food, shelter, clean water, education and we can help others towards those things.  Imagine the world without Rotary and share our experience with others.

Polio is the organization's #1 priority and membership the # 1 concern.  Think about why you joined and why you have stayed and make notes and share them with others.

Dave's from Montreal, a lawyer with Franklin and Franklin which deals with business and commercial law and debt recovery.  He has chaired several law conferences, lectures all over the place, writes articles and books and is a member of the Quebec, Canadian, and International Bar Associations.  He taught at the Molson school of business at Concordia, is a Rotarian and Charter President of the Old Montreal Club and, since 2001 he's been the Honourary Consul of Iceland in Montreal.

David brought greetings and a banner from District 7040 which includes parts of NY, ON, and PQ and reaches to Iqualuit.  His Club is centred in Montreal's Chinatown.  On a trip to Holland years ago he met people from Iceland and the relationship grew.  He's been there 24 times.

Iceland and Newfoundland have a lot in common - rocky, surrounded by the North Atlantic, dependent on fisheries and both visited and settled by Norse voyagers.  He's the Honourary Consul in Montreal where there might be 20 people actually from the country but in Manitoba there are maybe 250,000 descended from Icelanders. though most of them have never been there.  There are only 320,000 back home.  There are strong links between the two countries, though, including a free trade agreement.

Iceland is volcanic - remember the one that erupted and practically stopped transatlantic flights for a week.  The language is one of the more difficult in the world, basically old Norse going back 1,500 years and they make a real effort to keep invasive words, especially English ones, out.  They make up words for things the Norse never thought of - instead of 'TV' the word for that really means sheep vellum because they used to use that to draw stories.  The word for telephone actually means 'thread'.  The country's a little bigger than New Brunswick and the capital, Reykjavik, has about half the population.  There is a ring road around the island that's 1,800 kms long.

The flag is blue, for water - both ocean and glacial (glacial water is a huge export), white for the ice of glaciers which take up about 11% of the land mass but which are retreating at the moment, and red for the lava.  The cross, which is used on all Scandinavian flags is the one of Lutheranism.  The country uses the heat of the volcanoes in their houses and so there is little dependence on fossil fuels.  Also, though they are close to the Arctic Circle, the climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream and the mean temperature hovers around zero.  Summer highs reach 20.  No pollution means very clear air.

Dave showed us some slides of beautiful but spare countryside - few trees but lots of waterfalls.  In answer to a question he said that the banks did collapse - the government did not subsidize them - but the infrastructure was solid, tourism stayed strong (over 800,000 a year) and fishing and aluminum smelting (because of cheap power)  so the economy is rebounding well and unemployment is at about 4%.

Mora was thrilled to introduce Debra, a friend of 27 years.  Whenever Mora wonders who would make a good Rotarian, she always thinks of Debra and, up till now, whenever Mora asks her Debra has always put her off but now she's here.  Three things - Debra's a fantastic swimmer, a fantastic sewer and the best 'bite the bag' player ever.

Debra said she was born in Melbourne where her father worked as an exec with Mattel.  When she was 14 her father was transferred to Toronto and while she was going to Richmond Collegiate she met a boy who took her to visit his family's cottage on Georgian Bay.  Latter her father moved to LA but she stayed with the boy and the Bay.  She took a B. Comm in London and got a job there with Holiday Inn but Brian, the GB boy, was working in Midland at the radio station so she moved to the Highland and met Mora.  Then Brian moved to London and they spent a couple of years there. 

Her father, meanwhile, had decided he wanted to raise horses and he needed help with his new operation in Kentucky.  Thus began a three year immigration odyssey - she couldn't go to the US as an Australian and come back to Canada so she became a Canadian citizen and in 1999 they took over the Elk Hill farm - Debra doing the financials and admin and Brian doing the operations.  This was a huge learning curve for them both and is the source of incredible memories - new foals, the Kentucky Derby, driving 3 hours so their son could play hockey on the only team in the area.  But her father sold out and they moved to Cambridge where she worked in a medical facility and Brian took a job with a Larch station in Kitchener.  A job at the station in Midland opened up and after 18 years they are back by the Bay.

Debra joined the Physician's Support office to generate and organize the data they use to justify the dollars spent.  It's valuable work for a valuable institution and she enjoys it.

The family is close knit because of their moves.  Her daughter is 24 and engaged and taking HR at U of T.  Her son is 22 and is marine navigation and is wheelsman on a laker as we speak, gaining experience.  Brian is on the morning team at a local station and they've no been together for 26 years.  They love being back and getting out on the boat.  She thanked the Club for the invitation and the welcome to the Rotary Family.

Beca Deschamps said she'd been to RYLA in April and had a great time - she met new friends, learned many new skills including leadership techniques, had great meals, enjoyed music and games and gained self knowledge.  They fill out a questionnaire before going and are presented, upon arrival, with the results and with an analysis of their personality type and lessons on how to use that analysis to work with others.  It encouraged participants to look at themselves from the outside and to focus on their strengths.  This gave her more confidence in dealing with others.  She thanked the Club for the opportunity and Maureen thanked her for representing the Club.

Ralph said he'd met Liz Fowler when she opposed a severance application he was pursuing.  She was born in Maple, moved to Toronto to go to U of T in Psychology.  She married Michael in 2008 and they reconsidered their life style and decided to leave the city.  Now she has two on line Jewelry sales operations and loves the commute - zero miles.

Dave has known Jim MacMillan for 40 years through skiing and camp when they were kids and back here after he went to Guelph to take degrees in bio sciences and a BEd as well as qualifying as an outdoors experience educator.  He married Joan in 1982 and they have three children.  He loves the outdoors, is an excellent musician with his own recording studio and is recently retired from teaching.

Jamie Tripp welcomed them both to Rotary and said that joining was one of life's milestones and an avenue for giving back.  As members we each represent our vocation to Rotary and Rotary to the community at large.  Jamie suggested that there are stages to membership - the new member is eager to get involved, the more mature member looks to take a leadership role and direct activities and the older or longer serving member lends his or her experience to the Club.  All of these stages are enjoyable and each member can move through these stages as they feel best.  Rotary applies the 4 way test to all its members do for the Club and in their lives but finally what a person gets from Rotary depends on what they give.  Our newest members were presented with their regalia and the best selling history by a famous author.

Jessica Caplan has been with Community Reach for 9 years and is President of the Southern Georgian Bay Network of Community Groups.

She said it used to be called Community Link for 15 years and has recently gained charitable status.  It has 3 areas of interest - volunteerism, transfer of patients and housing.  Jessica is the Volunteer Co-ordinator and the Centre Co-ordinator and she works to locate and place volunteers in programs of interest to them and for events and program.

There are 23 other Community Reach volunteer centres in the Province and they have all been working on a program - 6 years now - called Change the World which tries to engage youth as volunteers.  It offers interested young people a 6 week introduction to programs through 57 events across the area.

Transportation includes the Accessible Transit service which is an extension of Midland Transit, and also driving, by volunteers, of North Simcoe People, especially lower income people, to hospitals and appointments as far away as Toronto.  This service is free and operates 24/7 because some equipment, like the MRI in Barrie, operates around the clock.  They also help some clients with shopping trips and have combined the volunteer aspect with that by providing assistance.  Wheelchair accessible vehicles are driven by trained personnel, is open to anyone who has limited accessibility and can't use regular transit.  It covers Midland and Penetang and operated Monday to Friday between 9 and 5.  There is a charge of $2.50 per ride.  They have 400 registered clients and run about 400 trips and month.

Housing is a growing need as costs increase and the economy stutters.  They offer emergency financial assistance, access to provincial housing, emergency shelter and they run a housing registry.  They can direct people to food help, they partner with Ontario Works to introduce people to financial literacy and also work with youth who are still in school but need help with shelter and life skills.

Now that they have their charitable status they are organizing some fund raising efforts, including a golf tournament and the Georgiam Bay Thunder ride was part of the events of Bike Week at Little Lake Park.

Terri said that Club Service had introduced the Thirsty Thursdays at the Best Western which was popular and that there will be a Civic Luncheon on June 11 at the BW.  The speaker has waived his fee and proceeds will go to the Foundation.  The Committee has been trying to organize a group trip to the theatre but scheduling is difficult.

Dave reports that Community Service started with $120,000.00 and has committed about $95,000.00 of that.  They are currently considering requests from Shelter Now and the Gymnastics Club.  They plan to work on signage on the trail system, especially sgns that recognize the efforts of Duncan and Ed in their creation.  The Committee is in talks with the Town about turning the Esso station lot on King St. into a park and an outdoor skating rink.  It is a brownfield site and building will not happen there for a long time.  If the company agrees to lend the site it will cost between $25 and 30,000.00.

Vocational Service has presented today's award and, Jamie Tripp said, will be welcoming a new inbound student from Ecuador in August.  Naomi has been keeping up with the Student of the Month awards and there will be an Adventure in Citizenship and in Technology program this spring.  Jamie says work on an Interact Club for the High Schools for next year will start soon.

Joyce reported that the Club's goal for the Foundation this year is $11,875.00 and we are at $11,794.00 which is $274.00 per capita.  The goal for Polio was $15,000.00 and $14,000.00 has been raised.  She encouraged members to consider becoming benefactors by making a donation in our wills.

International has $13,000.00 left from 50, said Bill.  10 went to the Philipines which suffered terribly and John Lahr managed to increase that by 4 with matching grants.  $5,000.00 is supporting the St. T's kids in Kenya and the Club contributed to HART IV.  Bill noted some of that mission's many achievements which he sent out last week under separate cover.  The Committee is exploring the possibility of another mission to either South America or Africa in 2015 and received a strong indication of interest from many members.

Mora said her goal had been to get membership to 50 and we stand at 51.  11 have joined and 3 have left the Club.  Including the honouraries our total is 64 - 67% of whom are male.

Ron Crane reminded the Club that we do have a charitable number and can issue receipts.  There are some new by laws affecting clubs coming which he will be reporting on soon.  President's Night is June 26 and there will be a disco theme.  It's at the BW and there will not be a lunch meeting that day.

Maureen is off to Australia for the Conference, she plans to reintroduce the speaker's board - each one bring one and we'll be done.  She's also going to ask each of us to discuss their individual Rotary Moment.  This year's theme is Light Up Rotary which expresses the intention to raise awareness of Rotary in the community.  The September conference will be in Val d'Or.

Hank distributed a report on the Club's bank balances and discussed billing practices briefly.

Britt thanked the Board for their work.

Jamie Tripp said that the Midland Club has been awarding this honour since Fred Hacker introduced it 1979 and over the 35 years has presented it to 43 deserving residents.  It's always difficult to pick just one person from the many who reflect the goals of Rotary by dignifying their classification, personifying ethical conduct and working to foster peace.  Dave spoke for himself and Michele who had nominated Betty Valentine by saying that she does things quietly.  She is retired from her position as Treasurer of Penetangquishene but continues to exemplify Service Above Self.  She's a friend to Rotary, she volunteers as a reader to the blind, she campaigns for Heart and Stroke, is the finance chair of St. Anne's church, is a lay minister and serves on the Parish Council and works with Youth Groups.  She's on the Board of Rosewood, works with Hospice Huronia and is the co-leader of the local Terry Fox run since 1984, helping to raise over $1,000,000.00.  Betty volunteers at the Penetang Library and has served on their Board, is the GBGH Finance Chair, was the Vice Chair of the Waypoint Board and will be Chair this year.  David thanked Betty for all her service and said it gave he and Michele great pleasure to present this well deserved award.  Betty thanked them both for the nomination and said she was very touched by it but noted that many other people are part of it all.  She says she is very aware that giving is important but that by giving you receive so much.  You grow, you meet people, you learn about other parts of the community and it has all been a wonderful experience.  This is a special award for her, she said, because she is such a big fan of Rotary and she thanked the Club for the recognition.

Bill Richardson said that the experience of trips like HART III typified the values of Rotary and that HART IV was in the DR now and that Midland Rotary had contributed $2,500.00 to support those workers.  Now 21 students from ST. T's are undertaking a similar trip - to Kenya - and he expected they will get as much out of it as they give.  On behalf of the International Committee and Midland Rotary he presented representatives with a cheque for $5,000.00.

David Gravelle told us a bit about the work of Physician Recruitment and the new doctors who have moved here.  He said the best results are coming from the U of T's rural placement program.  While Midland has been involved, all the doctors who have taken part have stayed, until this year.  But the two expressed their gratitude for the experience and the welcome they had received while here and spoke to the value of their time here.

Jim Shaw chaired the meeting of the 23rd, in Britt's absence.  He said the last time he had taken up the gavel was 45 years ago so we could relax - he won't be doing it again till 2059.  Jim was born on Hugel over near Dollartown and became a dentist working out of the building on Midland Ave. that was torn down so Bourgeois could park more cars till they moved up to Hwy. 12.  People said he wouldn't go far and they were right - only a few blocks, he said, and all downhill.

Jim lost his mother while he was in grade 7 and his father during grade 10.  His olders siblings had moved out and away but he had learned solid values and how to work from his parents so, with a very small inheritance of $10.00 a week and 20 hours a week at work and the help of neighbours who took him in as a boarder he managed to become one of the first graduating class at MSS and then go on to Guelph to the Agricultural College.  He actuallly signed up for an MA in bacteriology but quit that fairly quickly and moved into dentistry, graduating in 1964.  He had already met his wife - they were married in 1959 and are celebrating 55 years.

His father had been in the first war - fought and wounded at Vimy but patched up and sent back to the trenches.  During the second he joined the veterans' guard and worked at a prison camp in Gravenhurst.  Jim has visited Vimy twice.  Jim and his wife have a son who's the best social worker in Canada and a daughter who is Communications Director for Canadian Tire, nationally.

In 1965 they were invited to Dean's house along with Clare Armstrong and Johny Walker and the resulting enthusiasm led him to join Rotary.  He has enjoyed it - has been Secretary and President, been to 5 District Conferences, was Assistant DG, helped with Group Study Exchanges and 5 International Student Exchange visits.  He says he just tried to contribute and has been awared the Service Above Self Award.  He is thrilled to be able to come back to Rotary, to be welcomed so warmly and to enjoy the meetings.

He retired in 2002 but soon afterwards fell and broke his leg and multiple myeloma of the bone was discovered.  He says he has had excellent treatment, has had chemo, radiation, a transplant and back surgery which was successful but which left him paralyzed though through a lot of work he has moved from a chair to a walker and sometimes to a cane.  His cancer is in remission and he's going to rehab - all because we are fortunate enough to live in a generous society with medical.  His philosophy has been "You can say I can or I can't and either way you're right". so he just hopes to keep going.  Fred thanked Jim for chairing the meeting and for sharing his story.

 

On the 30th the Midland and Penetanguishene Clubs visited the new Waypoint Centre.  Maureen and Anita Dubeau welcomed us and introduced Carol Lambie who gave us an overview of this great new facility.  20% of Canadians have some mental health problems through their lives, over 4,000 a year commit suicide and, of those that do suffer as many as 90% are unemployed which means an impact of 50 billion dollars a year to the economy.

Waypoint's predecessor opened in the 1860's as a place for problem boys and became an asylum in 1904.  In 2008 it was divested from the Province and is now part of the Catholic Health Organization.  There are 1,200 employees, it has a budget of $110 million, 300 beds of which 150 are Provincial Forensic beds and the rest are Regional.  They admit over 850 people a year and discharge about the same number.  They are able to offer many special Mental Health and addiction programs to over 1,000 outpatients who are supported by the local hospitals and the Hero program.

It is the only Maximum Security Forensic Mental Health hospital in Ontario.  With the new facility they are embarking on a new program of research in co-operation with U of T and Lakehead.  The new building cost $471 million, is 350,000 sq. ft. and houses a pool, a gym, an auditorium and conference facilities and will house 200 of the residents.

We broke into smaller groups and were taken on a tour of this great new facility.  A big part of the redesign has been geared to increasing the connection between departments by getting them under the same roof, enhancing communications and atmosphere and improving recreation facilities.  It has been designed so there is flexibility - seperate entrances for patients and public which enhance security and accessibility to the recreational facilities.  There is a patient run store, a woodshop, an upholstery shop, a hairdressing salon, a kitchen and classrooms which have all moved out of the cold, dark and damp basement into spaces with windows.

New technologies enhance security while reducing the need for the bars and gates sense of a prison, the spaces for patients are pleasant, well lit and comfortable and the work areas are designed to provide sight lines and management from a central work station.  We were one of the last groups to move through the whole facility as patients began to move in on Monday.

John Lister introduced Karen as the CEO at GBGH and said it's an honour to have her join us.  It turned out, when he mentioned it to her, that she had already decided to join as part of joining the community.

Karen said she was born a Mahoney in St. John's Newfoundland.  Her parents were John and Carmel.  She was the first and an only for 7 years and found that adjusting to having a sister, Erin, was a shock.  Her mother and her aunts were known as The Galway Girls and were dancers and instructors so Karen and her sister had their Saturdays scheduled from the ages of 3 to 16.  Her paternal grandfather was Thomas and had lost a leg in WW I but he never talked about it - he went to the Legion instead.

After Erin her parents got into a rhythm and in short order there was Lynn, Tom, Dennis and John.  As an only child she had gone to private school but she was moved over to the Catholic system.  Her uncle had a Volkswagon dealership and that's what her parents drove - this crowd in a beetle to school - there's pictures to prove it.

She attended the Regional High School for girls - 1,200 of them - and was a debutante at the Lieutenant Governor's in 1970.  She graduated that year and went to Memorial.  Her dad was a Liberal in Smallwood's government so there was always politics at the table, along with smoking and rum, and she has been a keen observer of politics ever since.  Her father served as Attorney General.  She received a BSW in 1975 and continued working, having started at the Y at 16.  At 17 she met her future husband and they married in 1974.  Her wedding photo showed her in a dress that Margaret Trudeau later copied.

Tom was born in 1979 and Bob in 1981.  In 1989 Karen went back to school for an MBA and graduated in 1995 with the help and support of her family.  As the kids got older she and Bob went on cruises but he became ill and died in 2011 after 37 years of marriage.  Karen retired from Central Health in Newfoundland in January of 2013 and looked for a post retirement job.  She wanted to live in Ontario but not in the sprawl of Toronto so finds Midland a good location for a new adventure in life.  She has committed to 5 years and then - ?

Dave Mink introduced the Grahams, Frank Sr., Jr. and Chester who told us last year about their plan to cycle from Juno to Holland with some young people and who were back to tell us how it went.  Rotary did contribute some support to the program.

Chester thanked the Club for its support and said the first annual Liberation Tour had been a great success.  7 people from Midland, 14 from Chatham and 22 from Holland cycled 700 kms last April and May.  There were 10 support staff and a buss and a trailer along as well.

Starting at Juno Beach and visiting and laying wreaths at places like Dieppe, Vimy, Flanders, The Bridge Too Far and the National Liberty Museum they experienced many unforgettable events.  They were accompanied by members of the Chatham Pipe Band and had a Piper at each stop.  The Dutch have established monuments on a tour through their country and one will feature Frank.

A group of cyclists aged between 18 and 28 years will be coming from Holland from Aug. 9 to 15 this year for a visit and to experience some of our area with a trip to Algonquin and to Chatham.  Frank said they will be looking for help with billeting and in defraying some of their expenses and he would be providing more information on that later.  Then there will be a second Liberation Tour in 2015 that will go through parts of Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia.  The Grahams will be taking part in that too, including Frank Sr., which would make 11 trips for him since the end of the war.

Chester showed us a series of short videos highlighting various aspects of the tour and said there are more to watch on You Tube.  He thanked the Club again for its support. 

Britt was happy to introduce Kathy as an old friend and someone who had been thinking about joining and has now been with the Club for a year.  When she moved to the Midland branch of the wrong bank she felt more comfortable about joining.  Britt said that Kathy offers a lot to the Club - she's fun, cute, keen and really that nice.

Kathy broke her talk down to fun facts - after she showed us a real icebreaker.  Her father owned the Shell station in Penetang and she started working there at $0.50/hr. and she had to bike to work.  Her father kept her and her brother on different shifts to maintain a level of peace and managed to imbue them both with a strong work ethic.  Her brother runs the station now and has a wife and 2 boys who play triple A hockey and golf when the ice is out.  The whole family is competitive - Kathy has won a few long drive contests and hits over 210 yards.

Kathy and her husband, a contractor, have 3 boys, as shown by the picture of the contents of her bag - something for every occasion that might arise - including shopping.  She knows her credit card number.  By the way Scotia Bank is offering a card with points already attached.  They got married on Beausoleil in 2005 and the kids are 8, 6 and 3.  Her husband has a crew of 4 and always seems to have different priorities when it comes to repairs around the house.

Her kids started skiing at 2 and they boat in the summer and go to the cottage.  They have been building on a site in Palisade Bay for 6 years, enjoying the closeness of a 10 by 10 bunky in the meantime.  She hates snakes, gossip, Chinese foo, heights (her husband skydives) and, though a big fan of movies, doesn't like sci-fi ones.

She has taken up cross fit which has introduced her to new friends and has led to entering 'tough mudder' competitions - 18 ks of up and down with obstacles like having to jump in water with ice floating in it and climbing up to a platform only to jump off into mud.

She started with the bank as a co-op student 25 years ago and has since held 10 positions in 8 places.  Now that she's branch manager her she has the opportunity to volunteer, join Rotary, do gymnastics, play golf and go curling, and participate in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Terri Fox events.  Scotiabank has supported the MCC, the MPL and the hospital foundation among other causes.  She thanks Britt for encouraging for her friendship and invitation to the Club and also Phil and Bill for their encouragement.  She is enjoying Rotary and looks forward to learning more about it all.

In the meantime, in case you were wondering, she loves blue, daisies, a jeep she had once, skiing, golf, boating, photography, shopping and playing the piano, raw crossfit and Maui.  Scotia Bank also fits in there. 

Britt thanked her and declared the Club happy that Kathy has joined.

John De Carli introduced Wes Crown, a planner for 25 years in both public and private practice and His Worship Gord McKay who has worked at DND, the BMO, KPMG and, since moving to Midland has been a volunteer, a councillor and the Mayor.

Mayor McKay said the waterfront project is like Rotary in that it is an exercise in community building driven by vision.  As Rotary has done with polio, working as a team to a vision can change the world.  Change is often resisted as people only see what they will lose.  But if we can look to the long term we can see benefit for everyone.  The Mayor had recently visited Niagara on the Lake and Fort Erie, both towns at the mouth of the same river, both founded in the 1800's.  But Niagara on the Lake is constantly evolving, developing new visions and moving towards them and we all know about the attractions of that community.  Fort Erie, though, has not managed anything like that.

This opportunity - seeing these lands come up for sale - has generated a vision - make this area Midland's Front Porch on the Bay.  It can be our connection to the water and can bring new energy to the whole area.  It can go beyond layout and become transformative.

Wes Crown described the steps taken so far.  The action plan has been publicized and is posted on the website so that awareness has been spread across the Province.  Possible development partners have been approached.  Excitement is building.  The site has 3,300 ft. of shoreline and is 40 acres.  It is the most significant development site on the Bay.

Planning approvals are being sought.  There is an full awareness that the site has long been industrial.  In Jan. 2013 an Interim Control Bylaw was approved by Council that, though controversial, was necessary because it froze all and any development until a Master Plan could be developed to control development there and into the future.  There have been two public workshops, both well attended and, in comparison to other public meetings, the audience was huge.  The community's comments and vision have been included in the plan.  It is not to be a 40 acre park - it is intended to be a mixed community and a neighbourhood with 800,000 to over a million sq. ft.  A 6 - 7 acre civic square and amphitheatre will be the central focus and the entire shoreline will be in the public realm with an active trail system running through the area.

The site will have 27% green space where most subdivisions are required to only contribute 5%.  The purchase process includes an environmental study which is ongoing but the final decision should be made before the end of this year.  The plan defines the non-negotiables in that it tells the developers what will not be allowed but gives them freedom to exercise creativity within those bounds.  Intensity and height levels will decrease from W to E (4,5,6 stories down to 2 or 3) and commercial will transition into residential through the same zones.

Currently Mr. Crown's department is drafting planning reports, they hosted an open house on March 5 and there will be a public meeting of the Planning Committee on April 2.  They are aware that recent developments like Bayport have been halted and know that completion is a long way off but they are thinking long term.

Dwayne introduced Joe Roberts who used to push a shopping cart around Vancouver but since 1998 has shared his story with over 2,000 audiences. 

Joe said he was somewhat emotional as it's the first time he's been back to Midland in years.  And well dressed too, as he was when he was the defendant.  Joe has been on a journey.  His grandfather had a radio station in Midland and his mother had 4 brothers who were raised with lots of laughter.  But we all face challenges, experience changes in our lives, our health and in our families.  Humour does let us shift the context and lighten the load.

But, in 1989 Joe had all his possessions in a shopping cart and was sleeping under a viaduct in Vancouver experiencing the vicious cycle of addiction - hunt down recyclables, cash them in, score, get high.  This had lasted for years because he believed a lie about himself and, effectively, manipulated himself into the situation.

He was born into a typically middle class family and, to him, his dad was a hero.  He coached Joe's teams, he took the family camping, he worked, but in 1975 he died, leaving his wife with 3 kids and no income.  She struggled but ended up in a situation with a violent, alcoholic police officer who made the home dangerous.  At school Joe felt he didn't fit in.  By 15 he was out of the house, by 16 he had a police record and by 17 he was into drugs.  In the 80's he moved to Vancouver where he was homeless.  He couldn't tell his mother because the depravity and dereliction he was living with was in such conflict with his training that his shame held him back.

One day in 1989 he was cold and wet and going through withdrawal and in desperation for a fix he sold his boots.  Something about this, the added level of suffering, was the catalyst for change and he became willing to become different.  He prayed and he made deals with himself and reached out.  His mom got him back to Ontario, into a Salvation Army treatment centre in Belleville and, after 6 months sober he went back to school.  His perspective was a little different from most students - he'd been outside everything for years - and his first reaction on the campus was that there were lots of cans lying around.

He made connections with others.  The professors became mentors and he graduated with a 3.9 grade point average.  He was lucky there but mostly in his mother who never stopped loving him and was there for him when he was ready.  He is driven now by the knowledge that there are kids out there without that kind of support.

A brother had moved to Vancouver and invited him to start there but after a few weeks his sister-in-law started 'suggesting' he make a move and told him Minolta was hiring.  Homelessness had given him an off beat fashion sense so he showed up in wide wale cords, a herringbone jacket with one elbow patch and a plaid shirt.  The interviewer told him he had to have conviction and he figured he had lots of those.  He ended up cold calling stores for copiers.  He sold three in three months, realising more money than he had ever made legally.  Years later when Joe was being profiled in major magazines this interviewer was asked why Joe got hired.  He said it wasn't for the outfit but that you can't teach hungry.

After another year he moved to a different company as a sales manager and then to being the business development manager for a tech firm that rode the 90's boom and sold in time. 

He said we live in an amazing country - his health care and education were paid for and now he's in a position to pay back.  Success was not enough.  He's led seminars and street experience programs - taking CEO's panhandling and sleeping overnight - but now he wants to raise awareness.  He's going to push a shopping cart across the country, starting this spring.  He's already done a trial run, from Calgary to Vancouver to establish it can be done.  So we'll be hearing more about Joe pretty soon.

Fred introduced Kristin as a well behaved and punctual physiotherapist, a graduate of Wilfred Laurier post secondary High School and McMaster University and a proud climber who, 20 years after her accident, has achieved the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Kristin said that Outward Bound Canada was planning a climb and a place had been taken by her employer to be given to the person who submitted a video application that spoke to the challenge.  She showed the video she submitted which reported on the very serious accident she and her friend had suffered when another car T-boned them.  Her prognosis at the time was that recovery was doubtful and that she was probably looking at life in a wheelchair.  Instead she is married and the proud mother of two daughters.  She wanted to do the trip for herself - to establish that she could - and to be an inspiration for her daughters.

She had to raise $5,000.00 for the Outward Bound and train for the physical requirements, most specifically, for being at high altitudes.  Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.  The base camp they started from is at 5,900 ft. and the Huronia airport is at 700.  It is in a national park - the mountain, not the airport - and they had to register with the rangers. 

Their group of 20 had a support team of porters, cooks and guides of over 40.  Kristen wondered at first if this was representative of a spoiled group of westerners taking advantage but came to realize that it was a major source of employment for the area. Leaving the base camp and climbing over 3,000 feet they started to leave the rain forest.  The second day gained another 3,000 plus feet and the vegetation got thinner and the temperature dropped.  By day 3 they were in an alpine desert with moonlike terrain and lava rock formations.  On occasion they suffered heavy rain and hail.  Some started to feel the effects of mountain sickness.

Day 4 saw a major challenge and a long climb up a steep wall face that ended with them at the top but not very much higher but they were at 13,325 ft.  Because they didn't gain a lot of altitude it gave them a bit of a chance to acclimate themselves and to see the unique plants that grow only on these slopes.  Day 5 took them another 2,700 fit up and to the place they would use as the jumping off point for the summit.  As temperatures at the top were minus 15 to minus 20 they had to dress carefully - layers - and store snacks and cameras and water in a way that they wouldn't freeze but still be accessible.

To reach the top at sunrise they had to start at 11:00 pm the night before so day 6 started with a long climb in the dark, using head lights and following in the footsteps of the person before them.  One climber suffered hypothermia and nausea but with help was able to recover enough to carry on.  By 6 am they were at the top, above the clouds and witness to the sunrise.  They were tired and most didn't feel to well but they had all made it.  What took them 7 hours to climb took them 2 hours to retrace - mostly by sliding down a dirt trail.  They had gone up another 3,400 ft. and then dropped 6,800 so they were happy to be back where there was a bit more oxygen.

Kristen felt she had met her goals, raising the money and making the climb and that she had met the challenges that were presented and worked with the other members of the group as a team. 

Christine said we might remember Forrest from his days at Tom Smith when he lived on a crane for 48 hours for charity and for much other community work including support for the Villa Lodge, Big Brothers, and as a Volunteer fire fighter.  He is the founder of the Uncle Buck's chain of stores.  He suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2002 and has had to relearn walking, talking, reading and writing.  He now is a motivational speaker and leads sessions in human potential.

Forrest thanked the Club for the welcome and for all the work it does in the community.  He said an accident is the last thing on your mind until it is the only thing you can think about but he said that he hoped that his success in recovering would inspire others to work towards their dreams because it is all possible.  In 2002 he was a passenger in a car he was trying to sell to the guy who was driving while on the phone and he woke up several days later lost.  He had lost himself as a husband and father and friend and he had no memory of the accident. 

He said we all have a plan but what if we get punched in the face?  He recognized people but he couldn't remember their names and he couldn't speak.  He suffered 5 years of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and many surgeries and felt that there was no progress and he was suffering from depression, anxiety and pain and was on a mass of meds.  This kind of accident disrupts everyone's life and most families don't survive it - only about 5% of couples stay married.  It changes the victim and the family members. 

One morning buried in bed he heard Jack Canfield talk about his book on self improvement and decided he needed to read it.  This encouraged him to do better at learning to read and once he had studied the book and worked on the principles he came off his medication, went back to school - he had to smoke up a couple with the kids in the back to convince them he wasn't a narc - and went to university.  He worked with a psychologist, did exercise and wrote his own book.  Oprah ran a contest to make an inspirational video and, encouraged by his mother-in-law, who's the Oprah fan, he made one that won.  Now he says he's better than he used to be.

Sometimes, he says, you win and sometimes you learn.  It's important to realise that there is more to learn and that we need to have dreams, not complaints.  Complaints assume that someone somewhere is having something or doing something better.  It won't come to you - you have to make the change, to deal.  An Event plus the Response equals the outcome and we have the input on the response.  Thanks, he says, to the support he got, he got a good outcome.

We can't compare ourselves to others, we have to strive on our own.  Use humour - it's one of the five things that release endorphins that inspire us to feel better.  The others are sunshine, love, chocolate and exercise.  Work towards your goal but do things for others - it comes back 5 times.

He admitted that dealing with insurance companies was hard - they can make you a victim again.  The driver also suffered brain damage and has been divorced.  He said it is good that more people are dealing more openly with mental health issues and brain damage but that as awareness grows and acceptance for seeking help becomes wider spread the lack of psychiatric help is becoming problematic.

Britt thanked him for his inspiration and presented him with his donor plaque.

Kathy Watson introduced Cameron White who is now retired in Huntsville and has been in Rotary since 1999 and has served on several committees and as President.  He's the father of 3 and the grandfather of 8.  Cameron works with Junior Achievement of Peterborough, Lakeland, Muskoka and is manager of program development.

JA is an international organization that helps educate and inspire kids in economics and business, the value of free enterprise and to help improve their quality of life.  At the core of the program is the importance of financial literacy.  JA connects professionals, who volunteer, with students to share their professional knowledge and experience in a classroom setting.  All visits are by invitation of the teacher and are sponsored.

JA PLM will extend from Orillia to Collingwood soon but it has already been in the Midland area for 14 years and Jane Barnett has been the co-ordinator here for a while.  Local chapters work under the regional umbrella.  The first ones in Canada were in Windsor and Vancouver. 

There are 5 programs - to gr. 3, gr. 5, gr. 7, gr. 8 and one in second year HS.  The first program shows how money gets spent and where it goes.  In gr. 5 they run a small business by pricing components for a pen, deciding on assembly strategies, setting a selling price and marketing.  In gr. 7 the focus is on financial literacy and the kids open an account, work on saving and investing and talk about having money grow for education, etc.  In gr. 8 they talk about economics for success and are encouraged to do the best they can through HS so that when they come out they will be in a position to make choices - not just have to take the first job they can.  Cameron says that now people have 5 or more jobs through a career and kids have to take responsibility not only for their choices but for putting themselves into strong positions so they can make choices.  In gr. 10 they run a business on line.

A classroom typically divides into thirds - one that gets involved right away, one that can be prompted and one that has already signed off and needs help.  The program goes to schools to present the service and seeks an invitation to a class.  Then volunteers are recruited and sponsorship funds sought.  Each program costs about $600.00.  It is a vehicle for business professionals to give back to the community by using their experience to benefit kids.  The program is seeking both financial and volunteer assistance.  It is an 8 hour commitment, about.

In Midland there are 15 programs running but there is potential for many more.  Already the Royal Bank, the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Huronia Foundation are sponsors.  The money goes to paying for the kits the kids get, expenses and a staff person in Peterborough.

Bill introduced John who has been a Rotarian for 25 years, a Past President and Past District Governor, and his wife Cora, a member of the club in Cebu.  Bill thinks the two of them are doing terrific work in the Phillipines and invited John to tell us a bit about it.

John thanked the Midland Club for its support in the past saying that when they need help, they come to Midland.  The Club helped with typhoon relief after the local Clubs had been unable to because they'd spent their resources on earthquake relief.

This Club and many others are involved in several initiatives.  The Mobile Eye Clinic accommodates two opticians that travel to places that never see medical personnel.  The Gift of Life has provided instruments and funding for heart operations - 44 so far.  There is work being done on a vaccine to combat Dengue Fever which killed 100 in Cebu last year.  There is a fire truck for the volunteers now.  There is a dental van that takes 2 dentists out and the military provides the driver.  There's also an all terrain ambulance funded by the club in Whitehorse.

There is a skill training facility with 44 apprentice welders and they will soon be running housekeeping and construction courses.  The Midland Club is helping support the Back to School initiative, which John has talked to us about before, that tries to get kids off the dump and give them a chance - Literacy is the bridge from misery to hope.  256 kids went the first year and 19 other clubs are helping, including 3 from Michigan.  There are 5,000 street kids in Cebu and John and Cora have started a mentorship program that puts young college grads in touch with some of them to help them through school.

40% of students drop out by gr. 6 and they won't be taken back so there is now the Alternative Learning System that parallels the regular school and gets children a HS degree.  1,200 are enrolled and some have graduated and taken jobs at Lear Industries so they can be independent and support their families.  There is also a Computer Scholars program for non-skilled migrants from the country who need skills to get any kind of a job. 

John showed us the graduating class with a banner they had made that said "Thank You For Giving Us Hope".  The whole first class has a job and with that comes dignity and self esteem.  It only takes $50.00 a year to give a student schooling and nutrition so "keep it up".  www.backtoshcoolproject.org.

What you do for others will live on.

There were three delegations

Dave introduced Mike Hamelin abd Trent Simons of The Next Door.  They are working to establish a transitional housing facility for at risk youth, looking to emulate 'Youth Haven' which has been operating in Barrie since 1987.  While there are interim options, the Salvation Army and others, youth at risk have special needs - one of which is to not be included in facilities with adults who, often, are not the best role models.  There is a Board in place and they are incorporated and have a $5,000.00 donation from St. Mark's to get started.

Youth Haven took in over 700 young adults last year, including 15 from Midland.  It is not just a shelter - staff act as mentors.  The goal of The Next Door is to host 25 in the first year at hotels and to provide them with food and clothint while the staff evaluate need, help develop an individual life plan, assist with returning to school and generally provide support.  The long term goal is to have a facility.  They expect to need about $15,000.00 in the first year. 

They estimate there are between 50 and 75 homeless or at risk youth in North Simcoe - runaways, the kicked out, the escapees from abuse and many have mental health concerns and drug problems.  They need structure, counseling, support in making decisions, help with child care, addiction support.  A shelter bed costs $1,933.00 but putting them in jail costs $4,300.00, transient shelters over $6,000.00 and hospital over $10,000.00.

Elephant Thoughts, which had spoken at a regular lunch, was back to ask Midland to join several other Rotary Clubs in supporting their educational initiatives in the North.  First Nations youth have all the issues mentioned by the first presenters.  A lack of education makes it worse and trans generational.  An investment in early education is the best response.  Residential schools still cast a huge shadow over First Nations even though the last one was closed in 1996.  An entire generation carries the marks and has passed the effects on.

Education on reserves is a Federal responsibility and the gov't is too far removed from the reality to be effective.  Graduation rates are at 35% but in self governed reserves it can be as high as 80.  Elephant Thoughts assesses, encourages, inspires and equips schools to make education fun.  It works with schools and teachers to encourage interest, attendance, and mentoring to put students on a path to graduation and in touch with themselves.  60% are basicallly illiterate, 400,000 of them are unemployed and this represents a loss to the economy of over 10 billion dollars.

Collingwood has been supporting this for several years and now 5 clubs are involved. 

Gary Morehouse and Lu LaFrance spoke about Sistema Music in Schools.  This is a program that started in Venezuala and that uses music to inspire shildren to become better, to heal, to bond, through ensemble based co-operation which raises self esteem, teaches life skills and builds a foundation for life as an adult.

They plan to start with 15 randomly selected elementary students at Huron Park, hire a teacher, involve mentors and work with them 2 hours a day 4 days a week for 35 weeks.  They need to buy instruments - 9 violins, 4 cellos and2 violas.  The program has demonstrated success at encouraging academic improvement and attendance and at building bridges.

This is a new program and has no budget yet though they are putting on a dinner dance/silent auction and there will be a Blind Mary concert in the fall.  They do have several sponsors on board - Scotia Bank, LabX and Canadian Tire.  They anticipate expenditures of $36,630.00 this year for salary, nutrition, instruments and insurance.  They are getting assistance and advice from a similar group in Toronto.

There was a free ranging discussion on all three presentations.  There were questions about the need for a 'Next Door' and its potential effectiveness and its operatinal funding, not to mention capital requirements, and where the money would come from next year.  Essentially, the delegation did not have a business plan, there was no mention of other sponsors, other volunteers or what fund raising had already been done.

Sistema had an operations budget but no revenue projected - they expect to hold dances etc. but didn't say what they hoped to raise.  Questions about the need - MSS has a music program - and the time involved - it's a major commitment for kids and, again, where's the money coming from next year?

There was a question about how Elephant Thoughts would fit into the Club's existing priorities and whether it was a Community or an International project.  

The consensus was that the Board would review and there would be further discussions.

Mike Proulx has offered to co-ordinate Music in the Park again this summer.

Ralph reported work on POD - relations with the Town are good.  LCBO is being more stringent and Paul Hamelin has agreed to supervise security.  In the same way that HCL receives some of the proceeds because Lisa does so much on co-ordinating volunteers, the Boys and Girls Club will benefit from Paul's involvement.  Paul Larche is producing new posters and doing promotion on his stations to benefit Radio for Radiology as well.   

Ralph said that the last few years have topped out at about 2,900 tickets sold and revenue at about $70,000.00 so 15 can go to HCL, 10-15 to R for R and 5-8 for the B and G Club leaving the rest for GBGH.  The suggestion was made to develop a percentage or a tiered structure rather than tie the Club to specific amounts so the partners suffer if there's a bad weather day and receipts drop.

Steve Rastin agreed that all these were worthwhile but wondered what had happened to the signature project idea - we should be doing something that no one else is doing.  Rotary Trails are only there because of the Club.  What else can we own?  Britt agreed to bring that subject back for more discussion.

Ron Shulman talked a bit about the Auction.  He and his team have completely redesigned it using technologies and, as a result, have lots of info on demographics of bidders, what items make money and what don't and etc.  They are now in a position to bring the auction back but need more participation from the club.  This year they only made $22,000.00 and there's lots of potential for growth.  The shift of timing was a mistake - pre Christmas donors don't want to give and buyers are pre-occupied.  He suggests postponing the next to April 2015 to give lots of time for promotion, approaching donors and raising awareness.  There are actually very few bidders - between 100 and 200 doing it all.  Ron and the Committee will be back during the year with more info and ideas.

 

Fred said the MCC had been in operation for almost 18 months and, given Rotary's support of the project, he though we might enjoy an update.  Not only did Rotary give a significant donation, many Rotarians are active in the Centre's operations.  John Lister, Alison Durtanll and himself are on the Board and Phil Edmunds, Amanda Woodman and Jamie Hunter are all working on programming.

Fred introduced the several staff who were present - Eugene Rae, the GM, Theresa, the Events Manager, Jennifer Kerr, the Assistant Manager and liaison to the box office, the volunteers and all the program committees.  Carolyn Jones and Matt Poirier are the chefs who have been in charge for about 6 months.  And of course, Reinhart Weber, whose gift of over 10 million made it possible.  There is a management committee of which Fred is the Chair, Peggy Breckinridge the Secretary, Andrew Markle, Finance Chair, Alison, in charge of marketing, and Anne Hartmann the Volunteer Co-ordinator.  There is also a Board of Directors which has representatives from Quest and Huronia Players, several appointees with a business background and Carolyn Tripp, the Town CAO.

Traffic is the aim - bums in seats, in Freds felicitous phrase.  Awareness of the Centre and its programs and features is growing in the community but attendance is still slow.  There is a mailing list of 3,000 and growing.  Rotary Hall is the centre of activity but Huronia Players is doing very well and selling out their shows almost every time.  The theatre is so well equipped and designed that it's the envy of other theatre groups.  The Atrium is a hub for meetings, performances, meals and conversation.  The food at the cafe is always changing and its reputation is growing.  Quest has two huge galleries and reports 15,000 visitors since the opening.

Volunteers staff the box office, help serve and clear tables at meals, act as ushers and coat check and do a lot of the maintenance.  The MCC is still seeking financial self sufficienicy, a very rare business model.  Meaford has a smaller facility which they support with a budget of $750,000.00.  The aim is to continue to expand programming but also to apply for grants for which, up to now, they had not been eligible for, and to see more from their partner tenants such as a recent gift from the Players.  The Atrium and the Board Room are also available for rent.

Lister is working on funding, focusing on donations to support specific programs, especially those aimed at children.  But they already have a large list of activities - concerts by Brookside Music, which had sold 2,300 tickets, and others, volunteer driven ones like Phil's Wellness and Amanda's Destinations and the Folk Club and the HUB on Monday at 5:00.

Fred sees the Centre as central to the economy and says the cultural institutions spin off 9 jobs for every one they create which means residents moving in and the cultural IQ rising which is good for all.  There are challenges - traffic, financial sustainability and maintaining the volunteer roster - but progress is being made.

Mora introduced Paul Larche who was born in Timmins and started at the local station there at the age of 16.  By 24 he was General Manager and then promoted to Sudbury and then to Toronto.  In 1995 he became the GM of the 'Vacationland' stations and quickly took the opportunity to purchase the one in Midland, which meant Mora had a new boss.  He now owns 4 - Orillia, Sudbury, Orillia and Owen Sound and is launching a digital media outlet.  He has served as the President of the Association of Broadcasters and works with Georgian College.

Paul said that in 2008 they pledged to raise $500,000.00 for Radiology at the new cancer centre.  Their 5 year commitment was fulfilled in two and a half so they made a second one for Radiation, a CT simulator, and are already at $320,000.00 on that.  They have similar, very active, programs running in Sudbury and Owen Sound as well.  Paul says the company is committed to making a difference and enrich lives, just as Rotary does and, as their head office and their studios are in Midland they want to give back here.  The placement of their towers means they can effectively reach all of Simcoe County.

They have supported other organizations - $200,000.00 to the Salvation Army, $25,000.00 for beds at the GBGH and $30,000.00 plus tons of food for the food banks, among others, but their current focus is the Cancer Centre.  Since it opened it has experienced 25,000 new visits and is already near capacity.  The Simulator Suite pinpoints potential treatment sites for efficiency and economy and effectiveness.  It's the only one in Simcoe County.

The stations do a few different things like a Radiothon and benefit concerts, partnership programs and an online auction, on site fundraising and retail partners.  Working with Service Clubs, the stations will provide free promotion of special events, like the Party on the Dock, if a portion of the proceeds is donated to the R for R.  The benefits are held in partnership with Rama.  Groups that they have worked with include several local Lions Clubs, the Town of Georgian Bay's Mayor's Golf Tournament, the Port Severn Water Fest and Springwater Rotary.

Because this machine is here there has been a lot of traffic, 4,400 treatments in the first year.  By providing treatment locally patients have saved a million kilometres of driving and hundreds of hours on the road and money that would have been spent on hotels and meals.  3,000 Midland residents have been treated.

John Lister congratulated Paul on his vision and commitment to the community and credited the company values and the support of the staff for the success of the effort.

Maureen introduced Cassandra, the development officer at Shelter Now.  She's a graduate of the fund raising program, is a first aid instructor and volunteer with St. John's Ambulance, and Sonia who has been the community support worker since 2009 but is currently acting Executive Director.  She's a Midland natvie and the mother of two sons.

Sonia said we have an image of homelessness - bums on the street - but it is more complicated and pervasisve than that.  Many people are at risk of losing their homes or are inadequately housed.  Shelter Now has 20 units that offers a transition to people from Penetang, Midland, Tiny and Tay and Christian Island.  They get referrals from all over as well as walk ins.  They house men and women, families and single parents with children, whether men or women.  Many have mental health issues, some are just burned out.  Prospective residents have to be ready to work with the team - they have to be dry and sober and getting healthy because someone drunk can be a trigger for others.

Staff help clients identify their concerns, assist them with finding funding and dealing with mental health issues, work with families on their individual needs and developing their life skills and do case management.  They encourage clients to work on personal development, to be accountable for themselves, to work towards healthy living through opportunities at the Y.  They do outreach with people on the waiting list to try to get them settled before they have to move in - proactive - and do outreach to graduates to help them maintain their new status and stability.  They are trying to develop more community awareness - both by educating the community about their work and by introducing their clients to the bigger community and its opportunities.

Cassandra explained that the facility is very structured - there are rules that create a supportive environment.  Usually it takes more than 6 months to really get someone thinking differently - a client can stay for a year - but over the 5 years they have been there they have 'transitioned' 118 people into better circumstances, people who are now able to support themselves.  A few are asked to leave - only two so far this year - if they present a risk to others.

They do receive funding from a variety of sources but they do fundraising too.  This year will see the 2nd annual Bowl for Beds where school children participate in a session that informs them a bit about the problems some people face and then they decorate a clay bowl which is fired and sold filled with soup.  15 restaurants are participating by providing the soup on Sunday, April 27.  There will be a silent auction, live music and etc.  Their goal is $20,000.00.

A couple of years ago they bought the land next door for a Phase 2 but anticipated government funding fell through so they are still working on that.  They are already the largest such facility in Simcoe - they have 20 beds and the next one has only 8.  They would be glad to welcome visitors and if you phone ahead you can schedule a tour.  Meet the team and some of the two dozen or so residents on site.  Now's not the best time but the community garden, which Rotary contributed to and which Home Depot supports with plants and training, is well established and supplies a lot of food.  The hope to build a greenhouse, they have a park like sitting area and residents participate in gardening, shopping, planning and preparation of meals.

They thanked the Club for its support and encouraged members to visit.

Gary introduced Fred Segal who came from Pittsburgh to talk about his water filter and his work with other Clubs in Rotary.  Fred worked for 25 years in media and journalism and was National Sales Manager for WNEU TV.  He was educated at U of Pittsburgh in Art and Metallurgical Materials Engineering.  His filter is World Health Organization compliant and it stores water for future use.

Fred said that he started when he was talking to a Bishop who was promoting the drilling of wells in impoverished places and asked how the water would be cleaned.  He has since dedicated himself to this because he feels water and sanitation are the next Polio.  A UN Conference on Water 5 years ago reported that 2.9 billion people are without dependable supplies of clean water and now that number is closer to 5 billion.  Pollution now affects water down to over 600 metres and most places don't have the infrastructure to clean it.

Every 20 seconds a child dies from water borne disease.  He has sent his filters to 42 countries.  They are rated extreme protective class - they use no energy and no chemicals and they last 10 years between filters.  Each one maintains 18 liltres of water so clean water is available for cooking too.  Water that is delivered in places in Central and South America comes in trucks with no provenance and is scooped out with whatever is handy.  Water taken from rivers is full of bacteria.  The water that comes out of his filters is positively ionized which actually helps attack worms that are already ingested.  Water goes in and comes out 99.99% clean for a one time cost of $200.00.  The filter stops working when it needs cleaning every three to nine months, depending on water quality, and it is easy to clean.  The filter is made in the US and the active ingredient is a rare earth mined in Mississippi.  It is completely biodegradable.

Fred is working on obtaining a global grant which requires recruiting other clubs and he is asking for our help. 

Joyce introduced John as a Rotarian for 34 years, mostly in Bolton and now in Nipissing and all with perfect attendance.  He went on a study exchange to Africa in 1999, has been to 32 District Conferences and 8 Zone Conferences, has been a Zone Trainer, is a multi PH and a benefactor as well has a PDG.  In 2007 Joyce and John and his wife went to South Africa.  He's retired after 36 years teaching and serves as a volunteer firefighter, likes to travel, play golf, work with wood and drink scotch.

John said Rotary is central to his life and to that of many but if you ask people what Rotary is, who are Rotarians, you will get different answers.  The public perception is still that of a group of older, white, well off males.  He says we have to work on branding and is glad to see the signs marking Rotary contributions in Midland.  Another common perception is that of a group of 'sellers of ticktets' and again it's a matter of getting the word out on what the proceeds do locally and internationally.

He went to meetings for years and took part in all the activities but it was the trip to South Africa that made him a Rotaran.  Sometimes we need to get hit with a brick to wake us up to the need and to how well off we are.  He led an exchange of teachers to a small school that had no washrooms, no desks (they sat on the ground under a tree), teachers with no training and class sizes ov over 90.  He had just finished supervising the construction of a new school at home and dealing with complaints from teachers, one of whom was upset because all the chairs in the room were not the same colour.  The Africans had a love for teaching and for the kids but not much else.  He knew he and his teachers had too much.

Back at the Bolton Club his story inspired a different path and, with the help of Foundation matching grants and other efforts, when he went back 7 years later there was a structure and supplies.  Every Rotarian every year.

Another visit was made to an AIDS hospital which took kids abandoned by their parents, babies, into a palliative care type place though, of course, nothing like we have in NA.  These kids were just looking for human contact, for a hug.  He was trying to comfort and quiet a baby and thought he had been successful only to find that it had died, but at least it had died in someone's arms. 

What does one do with such experiences?  He turned to the team of Rotary.  He compared how the matching aspect of the Foundation turns local donations into multiples against the big lotteries for hospitals that, according to a recent news report, only return 27% of the proceeds to the facility.  50% goes back to the district, none of it goes to admin and it can be leveraged by as much as 5 times to go to help make the world a better place.

He asks, what is the moment in the experience of each of us that makes us a Rotarian?  Be engaged, be active, be proud and follow your dream.  Every little bit helps to make a difference and we want to make that difference so we can leave the world a bit better for the next generations.

Rotary projects are sustainable and they promote activity in the area - they prime the pump.  As a Club we should be proud of what we're doing and thanks to Joyce for her work on the Foundation.

Peter welcomed Rotary to the Community Room which they offer to groups like Wendat as a way to contribute to the community.  He said he wanted to give a bit of a behind the scenes view of what several agencies are doing to help those in need in ways that the general public may not be aware of. 

The Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness is composed of 6 chapters and in Midland it is at the Community Reach which hosts the Housing Registry and works with landlords and renters.  But it is only part of a 'housing continuum'.  15 years ago the idea of a shelter was introduced but it was soon apparent more was needed because the County only funds a bed for an individual for 28 days which isn't enough.  So Shelter Now was created and the Community Outreach, which is 2 guys working 20 hours a week.  These guys can identify those in need and steer them to the right place.  Shelter Now works to settle people, not just place them, and get them into permanent situations from which they can continue to improve their situation.  Because there is communication and a stream for people to follow there is little duplication and little competition for funding.

People often turn up at the food bank in need of other assistance and Peter would suggest they go to Community Reach but he never knew if they went and they didn't know to expect them so they developed an on line referral system or alert that tracked these people.  This is being reviewed by the County for wider implementation and may be introduced at the Provincial level.

Someone taken from the jail to a hearing at the Midland courthouse and released is immediately no longer a responsibility of Corrections which means they can't be put on the vehicle back to the jail.  They have to get there themselves to pick up their papers, meds and belongings.  So they would turn up at the Salvation Army.  Or they used to.  Through a local initiative that is now Provincial practice the individual is now given 'a day less served' which leaves them in the hands of corrections officers who are then allowed to take them back and release them properly.

Another problem like this was that a person out of jail had to re-register for services in Orillia but they had no way to get there.  Now, the papers are available at the local MPP's office.  Sue Skelton won a provincial award for this initiative.

It's difficult to put a number to local homelessness - people are always on the move.  But the numbers are hard.  Ontario Works gives a single person $612.00 and an average one bedroom costs about $700.00.  Even a rooming house is as much as 500.  Now they can go to the Guest House for meals and get help with moves and problems from the street team and get help gettin back on their feet.  The question Peter says he gets is "why can't they change?" and the answer, often, is cheap values.   Generations of poverty have predestined the next to different values than we accept as the norm.

There is a disconnect between our area's need for housing and the County's plan for building it.  Barrie, Collingwood, Bradford WG, Wasaga and Innisfil are getting most of the funding because they are growing the most but it is north Simcoe, with the jail and Waypoint that has the higher mental health population.

Ralph thanked Peter for his talk and for his support of Rotary - helping with the food drive and at the Party on the Dock.  He suggested Peter should join the Club. 

Joyce introduced Bryn, a member of the Barrie Huronia Club since 1986 where he served as President before moving on to Assistant Governor and District Governor, then Zone membership Foundation Chair, editor of Membership Matters and no one of 19 RI Directors.  He's also on the national Board of the Y.  He's married to Randy and they have two children and 5 grandchildren.  He and Randy are multiple PHs and beneficiaries.

Bryn offered his congratulations on the exchange and said he's visited the Club as it moved around Midland - the Brooklea, the BW and now Rotary Hall, a wonderful facility.  He brought greetings from President Ron in Evanston and offered an update.  He said the General Secretary (the CEO) of RI retired a couple of years ago and John Huckel took on the job and has been making changes to keep the organization up to date.  The big drive is still membership - from 1905 to the 1990s growth was steady but it topped out at 1.2 million and has stayed there despite the fact that 1.2 million new members have been inducted.  But other efforts include streamlining the organization and incorporating technology, combining the administration of RI and the Foundation, developing a new website and logo and rebranding.  This has created a lot of notice - if you want to get emails, change something, he says.

RI is concentrating on its strengths - its worldwide reach, its membership with its strong individual commitment and its partnerships.  It is trying to address its weaknesses - its lack of recognition and public image and the fact that the message is not consistent.  RI wants to join leaders in the community to strengthen partnerships, to exchange ideas and to take action.  RI is a major humanitarian force because of the work that's done at the Club level.  There is a relationship with the United Nations but it is the membership that makes that work. 

Bryn admitted that the Polio numbers look bad but in the endemic countries - Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria - the numbers are dropping and the outbreaks elsewhere can be tracked and controlled.  Bill and Melinda Gates have agreed to matche - 2 for 1 - our 35 million over the next two years.  There's still a way to go but it's close.

Next week we recognize the veterans - heroes who fought so we could have freedom of choice - but we are seeing new heroes - those who fight against mass killers of the most vulnerable.  Poor water and sanitation, illiteracy and poor education, poverty.  It's incomprehensible to us that 800 million live with no water that that people spend hundreds of hours a month finding it.  More people have cell phones that toilets.  Diarrhoea takes up 12% of health budgets in Africa.  Every 20 seconds a child dies because of poor sanitation.

800 million lack education opportunities and are illiterate.  If a mother is literate, the child has a 50% better chance of survival.  Rotary started helping a school in Jalalabad.  It had no buildings, took boys only.  Now 4,000 go, half of them girls, all funded by Canadian Rotary. 

Hunger connects it all.  1 in 8 go hungry, 1.5 million children a year.  The better educated and employed the woman in the family is, the better everybodies' chances.

We do have problems here in Canada and the Foundation does help there too.  It gives us the tools to work on the chinks in the armour of these killers and by focusing on successes we can help children grow up to work for peace and conflict resolution.  We can't turn our backs - it's not my child, it's not my community - it is our world and those who help fight these problems are heroes.  The Foundation can make these heroes more effective.  We have accomplished a lot but there is more to do.  We are seeing natural disasters here and we got help from around the world.  We have to put ourselves in their shoes - how would we react to being flooded out and loosing everything?  Our lives are fragile and any of us might need help.

Bryn thanked the Club for its many contributions.  

Bill Richardson was pleased to be able to introduce three amazing students from St. T's who will be part of a contingent of 21 seniors and 3 teachers going to Kenya next spring.  The cost to each student will be about $4,000.00 and they are doing fundraising for that by selling wreaths and other efforts.  But they are also raising funds to buy supplies for those they are going to be with while there - school, medical, sports supplies and more.

Emily, Colin and Grace played a brief video introducing the Club to the rural part of Kenya they plan to visit and featuring kids there who were asking for support while they work to improve their lives.  They are not looking for charity but for a hand up.  The three say they see this trip as an opportunity to help and to learn about another country and its culture.  They will be associated with the Free the Children organization and will study social justice, the effect of colonialism and human rights issues at school before they go.  They will be living with Masai in rural villages.  They are asking for $5,000.00 from the club to help purchase the supplies they want to take.  They leave May 4th.

Jamie explained that the exchange program is designed as a cultural and academic exchange  that gives participants the opportunity to learn the language and culture of another country.  They act as cultural ambassadors while experiencing personal development and learning leadership and independence. 

If we, as a Club, want to send a student abroad, we have to take one.  The locales are arranged at District - the Clubs don't select destinations.  As a host Club we look for three host families who take the student for 3 months each.

Phil said he was in the recruitment stage for the next outbound while the inbound would arrive, at the latest, by September.  Atte came in August.  At the start of the school year Phil goes to his contacts at the schools' guidance offices and gets help from current exchange students because their experiences, as told to others, helps sell the program.  Once a list of candidates is compiled, Ralph and his committee interview them, leading them through a long list of questions.  Alison is on the District Committee which reviews candidates for detail on their academic, medical and personal lives.

The Program includes some group activities, especially the Matawa weekend in Feb. when the kids are exposed to a wilderness experience - spending the day outdoors.  That can be a surprise for the South Americans or young ladies from Thailand.  They also have a weekend in May when they go to Ottawa and they are all together at least 4 times during the year.  The friendships and networks they make last a lifetime.

In May the inbound student information is sent to the host Club and a commitment is expected that the Club will find host families and keep the student safe.  Midland is now finding some host families from outside the Club which makes it easier but the students are placed with Club families first because the connection to Rotary is important.

Jamie congratulated Phil for his contributions on outside recruitment and changing the Counsel position a bit.  A good counsellor is important but the potential for conflict exists - if a student has a difficult time fitting in at a host's house and the host is a friend of the counsellor allegiances can be stretched, so Phil has recruited a counsellor from outside the Club this year.

The Club has had challenges getting host families some years but it's not hard to qualify and the rewards are huge for Club members and their families.  It's important for the student to know in advance that he will be taken care of.  As hosts it's not necessary to have kids - Samantha's first host was a widow and they went to the horse races together and her second was a family with two kids but they were off at university.  One of them had been an exchange student of the Tripp's 8 years ago.

Atte is looking to experience Canada through sports - leafs and raptors, fishing, visiting the CN Tower and Niagara Falls, maybe try golf and seeing a group called Macklemore.  But there are all sorts of things we could all think of that he might not so simply call him up and just go the Marsh or to dinner.  They will remember this year for the experiences and you will make a friend.  They need their own room, a friendly environment and a way to get to school but the buses cover most places.

Extras like special trips are usually planned in advance and the students real family will have made plans.  The host family receives a stipent of $300.00/month and the student gets an allowance of $125.00.  If you have an idea, discuss it with Phil or Jamie.  Remember the 4 D's, though - no Drinking, Driving, Dating or Drugs.

Joyce said George had worked in leasing and with Hertz but moved to Georgian College and travelled on their behalf for the International Centre.  He has helped with fund raising for the McLauchlen Gallery and the Y.  He has been a charter member of one Club in Barrie, the Charter President of another and a member of a third.  He has a PH from each of them.  He's been married to Sharon for 42 years and is now taking on the role of Assistant DG for region 6 of our District and is proud to wear a jacket with his jeans and happy to see that Lister has turned up somewher after being thrown out of Barrie.

Rotary works on three levels - RI deals with the global and the Foundation and he is happy that we have Bryn Styles representing us as an RI Director, on the District level and we, of course, are in 7010 which is huge going from Collingwood to Val d'Or in Quebec and Marilyn Hanson is our current President working with 44 Clubs and 15,500 members, and at the Club level and the Midland Club is in Area 6 of out District.  Being an Asst. DG is a three year assignement and involves helping Clubs achieve their goals and maintain their relationship with the District.  As of now all reporting is on line, which makes things easier and will make it possible, in years to come, to compare  activities year over year.

George said he has had different perspectives of Rotary.  As a charter member of the Huronia Club in 1976 at eh age of 28 he was young and enthusiastic and involved and he made friends .  Helping to start the Breakfast Rotary Club in 1996 when he was a little older made him realize that the energy and enthusiasm was passing to the next generation and we need to keep bringing in young people to keep moving forward. 

Rotary has stayed at the same membership for several years now, locked in at 1.2 million.  People are leaving as fast as they are joining.  We need to encourage people to stay, to engage with Rotary and to continue to change lives - both those of the less fortunate that we try to help and our own as we get out of Rotary what we put in.

His father was in Kiwanis but they never approached him, it was Rotary that did.  We have to make the approach, make sure the program works for them and, as we evolve, make changes to accommodate different groups and objectives.  We have to keep reviewing our practices, react to changes and the stresses of modern life.  Qualifications for membership have changed in the last several decades - the focus on business ownership is less, for example - and people who have maybe less flexible schedules may be interested in joining but have to be accommodated so they don't burn out.  We have to let them contribute what they can as they balance work, family and Rotary.  Every member invite someone to lunch every year and, even if they don't join, the word will spread.

Polio Plus is still dealing with challenges.  Bill and Melinda Gates have made a matching commitment of $2 for every $1 up to 35 million a year to 2018.  So far we've raised 5.5 billion and still need probably another 1.5.  Australia is considering a significant contribution. 

Rotary's grant structure has been revised and put on line.  Matching grants have been phased out to be replaced with District Grants, Global Grants and Package Grants.

Next September 18 will see the Conference in Val d'Or and George wants to see a bunch of people from Area 6 joining him to visit this part of the District. 

George said he'd attended a Board meeting and our lunch meeting and complimented the Club on its vibrancy and its hard work and encouraged the membership to keep it up.

I had the pleasure of introducing Sarah, the Director of the Marsh.  She was raised on a farm in Brechin and learned to love animals there so she studied zoology at Guelph graduating with a B.SC honours.  She completed an Ecosystem Management Technology Diploma from Sandford Fleming as well.  She volunteered at the Marsh, participating in banding efforts and taking on more responsibility, becoming an employee and now is Director.

Sarah said her family used to come from Brechin when she was young so her memories go back.  The Friends of the Marsh were formed in 1983 when the government reduced and eliminated funding.  The CWF own the buildings and lease it to the Marsh for $1.00 a year.  The not for profit Board took over the management in 1985.  They receive no government funds other than specific grants.  There are 7 FTEs working there maintaining 3,000 acres and welcoming 60,000 visitors.  Although she admits this number seems small in comparison with, say, the African Lion park that had half a million she thinks that as a National Wildlife Area, a Provincial Wetland and bird refuge and an area of significant National and Scientific interest that the Marsh is contributing to our ecology and our scientific understanding.  The NWA is only about 100 acres of the total, the rest falls under Provincial oversight.

Recently the Marsh has been able to construct a new bird porch, with help from Rotary, that provides daytime housing; it is working on a plan to rejuvenate the display hall; it is working on a new Strategic Plan; it is introducing a point of sale system with the help of a grant and it has recently been accredited by CAZA - Canada's Zoos and Aquariums.

The primary focus is education through school programs, scout and guide badge programs and appealing to the general public with its canoe and kayak tours.  Funding comes from donations, membership sales and tourism.  The swans and other wildlife are a draw and the Boardwalk is a bonus for ease of access, etc.  Volunteers are a big part of what happens there.

The Board is responsible for the stewardship and is conducting a turtle research project with some tagging, the breeding program with the swans focusing on nest locations and migratory paths, the hummingbird tagging project (the opposite of tagging swans) and promoting and protecting a large variety of other fauna and a lot of flora.  There they are mostly involved in fighting invasive plants.

Rare occupants of the marsh include the Least Bittern, the Tall White Bog Orchard, the Snapping Turtle, the Blandings Turtle, the Eastern Milk Snake, the Eastern Hog Nose Snake which can play dead, the Map Turtle and the Stinkpot Turtle though that has not been seen for 30 years.  The Marsh is evolving - in 1971 Mud Lake was 310 acres and at the turn of the century it was down to 4.  Cattails are closing it in, which is natural evolution, but are doing it faster than expected due, maybe, to mitigating changes in evolution or climate.  Sarah and her team are trying to mitigate the rate of change and enhance and care for the marsh in a way that maintains or even improves it for future generations.  In 2010 they approved a stewardship plan but they have not yeat realized all the goals.  Some will be continued in the new plan being written now.

To raise funds they hold special events like Sweetwater, Christmas Santa and Marsh Monsters; they invite sponsorships to fund specific animals or programs; they have been very grateful for Bob Whittam's book and its success has been welcome - they are even thinking about having another print run. The 400 they have left they hope to sell for Christmas.

The MPAC assessment is being appealed and an exemption is being sought.  And the dam was actually a Ducks Unlimited project working on a 99 year lease and they do the maintenance on that.  Fred congratulated the Marsh on surviving for 30 years and Britt thanked Sarah for her presentation.

Dave introduced Tony Orecchio as a past member of Rotary - 4 years in Penetang, serving there as President and 3 in Lindsay - but new to our Club.  He grew up in Whitby, one of 7 children and may have played rugby against Jamie Tripp.  He went to Laurentian and then spent 17 years with TD, moving around a bit.  He took a break from banking and worked in real estate for a while but missed the Georgian Bay and joined the BMO and is now commercial account manager.  He and Nancy have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

Arnie declared this a joyous occasion, introducing his oldest son to the Rotary family.  John grew up here, went to St. Andrews and spent quite some time at Western but when he came back to Midland he had decided to start a construction company and though his father expressed reservations John said just watch and he did it on his own.  John is the third generation Rotarian - his grandfather was a member in Toronto and a President.  John is married to Natalie and they have one son.

Fred Hacker said it is a special occasion for John and Tony to be admitted to an effective association that promotes and exhibits the qualities of leadership in head and heart.  It is special for the rest of the Club as well as it gives us the opportunity to refresh our understanding of what it means and to renew our commitment to the organization and to our duty to encourage, support and inspire new members.  We extend the spirit of community to Tony and John.

Ours is not a political organization - it promotes citizenship.  It is not a charity - it assumes a responsibility to help others.  It is not religious - but it professes eternal principles and moral standards.  It is a group of business people uniting under the banner of service.  The life of the organization comes from its members and new life comes from the introduction of new members.

The motto of Service Above Self encourages and fosters the idea of service, it promotes ethical standards and it embraces the worthiness of all occupations as providing an opportunity to serve and to advance international understanding and world fellowship.  In all things we apply the 4 way test because members of Rotary are judged by their behaviour and members act as ambassadors of Rotary in the world with the 1.2 million other members of the 34,000 clubs in the 530 Districts around the world.  The Midland Club welcomes Tony and John to the fellowship of Rotary and encourages them to use their enthusiasm and abilities to help make the world a better place.  We invite them to join but it is each member who makes themselves a Rotarian.

The obligations of Rotary are to attend, to pay the dues and to take part by joining in projects and serving on Committees.  Only busy people are eligible and although there is much to give, much is received as we commit to make John and Tony feel welcome.  We know our principles are safe in the hands of these newest members of Rotary and we extend the hand of fellowship to Rotary's newest members.

John thanked his father and his Uncle Fred and said that his joining is not a revolutionary event, he feels he's been part of Rotary all his life and has observed the rewards of membershiop.  He felt the room  was full of large shadows - a room of success and commitment and charity and he hopes to get to know all the members better and to grow with the Club.  Tony said the welcome he'd received here was overwhelming and that meant a lot to him.  He suggested a good way to realize what a great community we have here is to live somewhere else for a while so he is glad to be here and to be a new part of Rotary and he looks forward to contributing.

Jamie Tripp was supposed to introduce Mike but got off on a tangent that I lost the thread of completely so - here's Mikey.

Mike was born in Powassan which is near North Bay.  He's married with a daughter working with Community Living and a son whose a Police Officer.  He started his career as an auxiliary in Listowel, moved to Kirkland Lake and came to Midland when the Chief there took over here.  He's been an instructor at Georgian College, a Training Sgt., a Det. Sgt. and the Inspector under Paul Hamelin.  He's been the Chief since 2009.  He continues to upgrade through studies at Guelph, Police Colleges and with the OPP and the RCMP.  Training is an important part of every officer's career.

Mike has been the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Queens Diamond Jubilee pin and is a Premier's Award Nominee at Georgian, among many other awards and titles.  He also belongs to all sorts of Associations and is currently the VP of OACP and Chair of OPTIC which is the infor and records management system for most Services.  He works with charities including serving on the Boards of Child Services and Minor Hockey and taste testing 32 butter tarts, working on the Torch Run, doing car washes and playing baseball with Community Living.

As Chief he is connected with and partnering with many community groups along with several of his officers so that the public gets to know the many faces of the force.  And there is an auxiliary group which makes for a great introduction to policing as a career in Midland or with other Services.  He says the Service works in partnership to help provide quality of life.

He emphasises prevention through proactive efforts like RIDE and by analysing and understanding socio economic forces that drive much crime.  He supports the victimised through efforts like Out of the Cold and the Outreach program which have, he says, contributed to a 20% drop in the crime rate.  A good community includes the police.  There will be a meeting co sponsored by the Service and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services on Oct. 10 at 7:00 pm at the Sports Centre and he invited everybody to come out to talk about what's good and what could be better.  They will talk about striking an advisory committee and he's open to volunteers.

Finally, he's a Bruins fan.  Don't these people get vetted before they're invited to join?

Jamie asked about graffiti and Mike said that education of the parents is important, then painting over before it becomes competitive.  Every victim wall has to be done - can't have one done and not the rest.  On making the case, the graffiti artists become victims of their own boasting as they can sometimes be tracked through their social media accounts.

Has the cost of policing gone up since Waypoint arrived?  Anecdotally it seems so but Mike says crime has been decreasing since 1991, though calls for the service are up.  It is the case that those released come here because we have the apartments so there is an impact and Midland has to be careful that the right supports are provided.  The Midland Service adopted a culture of tolerance under Paul and through training and long experience the force has only once had recourse to lethal force with someone who had a history of behaviours and, though he had been calmed before, it failed in this instance.  Mike thinks the force can claim a level of success due to this time spent on site and its familiarity with the community.

Britt thanked Mike for joining the Club and agreeing to take on a co-ordinating role with Bingo.

Britt had the final number from Ralph for this year's POD - $73,740.00.  Congratulations.

She asked Dave to start off with Community Services.  He says they've got a budget of $125,000.00 but $50,000.00 is already committed to the Trauma Centre and $25,000.00 for the Trials.  There is a $3,000.00 amount pre-approved a while ago for a dictionary give away but he wondered if that was still the way to go.  The Club is hosting the Tall Ships Captains' Dinner and a few Rotarians will be joining him to welcome the crews.  He is anticipating requests for help from the Guesthouse and from Wendat's new Seniors' Home, though they have been doing a great job of fundraising already.  His Committee is facing the problem of individual hardship requests.  They all sound like they need help but someone has to do due diligence and that's time consuming.  Penetang has stopped taking them and the Salvation Army no longer wants to operate under the grant system that was used for a few years.  They will review the problem.  They are also still looking at the idea of an Incubator Project that was suggested during the Signature Project discussions.

Bill R. is Chair of International - budget $50,000.00.  The Committee is looking at International's Areas of Focus - peace, disease, water, maternal, education and economic and community development so they are committing again to Polio Plus and to a follow up on the HART III trip.  Projects promoting self sufficiency in Africa, Aboriginal concerns, providing clean water, the Life 4 Kids orphanage and, perhaps, working towards another mission in 2015.

Jamie Tripp said one focus of Vocational will be starting Interact clubs at the schools while maintaining the Vocational projects and special trips.  He wants to see more vicational visits to local businesses and Group Study support.

Joyce is the new Foundation Chair and says this year will be a year of education with a goal of an annual program.  This Board will continue to donate $100.00 to Polio Plus in the name of our speakers.  She is encouraging people to become Bequestors - more than $10,000.00 left in the will - or Benefactors - up to 10.  As well she hopes to see every Rotarian every year with an average donation of $175.00.  Every new member will be asked to donate $10.00 to get them started in the tradition we hope they will continue in. 

Robim Wells is the Club Service Chair but was unfortunately absent.  Britt said there will be a boat in and she has since sent information on that out so that should be fun.

Mora is going to get all sorts of new members for us this year.  She says we've dropped for 50 to 44 since 2009 and she wants us back up to 50.  There will be a lot of PR, starting with the billboard and including radio, the new website and direct mail.  Each current member has to be involved, we are all ambassadors for the Club and we should be encouraging people to help us do some good.

Alison is leading PR with a budget of $5,000.00, 2 of which has gone to the billboard and the rest will be spent on media.  There will be more Press Releases and an emphasis on social media so check out the facebook page and like it, comment on it and share in on your wall.  It will all help to increase the Club's reach.

Britt thanked the Chairs, said it was a great Board, a motivated group and there's more to come.   

Jamie Tripp welcomed Darren Todd back to Midland - he grew up and went to school here.  Darren went on the the U of Waterloo and Queen's and then worked as an Assistant Curator at Ste. Marie, at the OPP Museum and as a teacher in Columbia, on Baffin Island and at the Delia School of Canada in Hong Kong where he also plays in the Pipe and Drum band. 

Darren brought greetings from District 3450 which covers 63 clubs from HK to Mongolia.  He's been a member of the Quarry Bay Club for 3 years and is still adjusting to different ways of doing things - it pays to sit and listen for a while.  The first Club in mainland China was recently chartered.  Hong Kong is a special administrative region which stll follows the British court and legislation systems introduced when it was a colony but Big Brother certainly exists and recent tensions have resulted in Chinese warships visiting - though the US fleet shows up too.  Chinese soldiers are stationed in HK.  Canada has strong ties there - it was mostly Canadian troops that were trapped there by the Japanese invasion and they are honoured during the HK Remembrance Day - and many residents have family in Canada.  Canadians make up the second largest group of expats - 100,000.

HK is a group of islands plus the New Territories which is on the mainland and acts as a hub for trade, shipping and finance.  There isn't much manufacturing but there are a lot of deals made.  There is growing competition from Vietnam and Singapore but the harbour and the new airport are excellent and encourage traffic.  7 million people live in 425 sq. miles.  In comparison, 6 million live in the GTA which encompases 7,125 sq. miles.  It's a community of villages, each with its own customs and traditions.  The Pipe and Drum band he's joined has only 2 expats - him and a lawyer from Edinburgh - and his Chinese colleagues encourage eating out a lot and joining in local festivals, especially the Harvest Festival which involves a 30 metre dragon covered in incense over 3 nights. 

His Rotary Club is the smallest in HK with only 9 members and they pride themselves on their hands on projects.  They are a diverse group but being small they can meet or email and come to a decision quickly.  Their long term project is to try to rehabilitate a centre for challenged adults.  They do most of the maintenance, buying the materials - lots and lots of paint - and supplying the labour.  As the school Darren teaches at works on the Ontario curriculum the students are also required to do 40 hours of volunteer work and he arranged to have many of them help the Club.  Over 120 students take part of the 8 months and they often find that they enjoy it.  Being the children of privilege many of them have never worked with their hands and have to start from scratch but it is a great experience for them.  They also meet the residents of the facility which is an education for them.

The other project is to support other Clubs in the District which have been helping a group of villages, 9 of them, in Szechuan which were constructed to house lepers and which have become leper ghettos.  Leprosy is now curable and it is not contagious and the incidence of the disease is declining so the focus of the Clubs now is encouraging good hygience, nutrition, sustainable trades and the provision of prosthetics.  They sell the food they grow to buy other necessities but leave themselves short and so they suffer from malnutrition.  Darren distributed examples of needlework the Clubs are trying to develop a market for.  He also presented the Club with a banner from Quarry Bay.

Next week is a Club Assembly.  There will be some assignments to Committees - consider if you'd like to join one. 

Ron introduced Eric Dean as an active member of Rotary who was on the executive of the Lindsay Club and served as President and was made a PH and is nowith a Barrie club and involved in Youth Exchange at the District level.  He's been the CEO of the RVH Foundation since 2010. Previously he served for 4 years at the Hospital Foundation in Ottawa where he led a 35 million capital campaign, 3 years at the Canadian Blood Service and several years at the Lindsay hospital.  He is a member of several professional associations.

Eric said they have been making a lot of progress at the hospital and he wanted to bring the Club, as major supporters, up to speed on what's happening.  The Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre is now receiving 3,000 new cases a year and the rate is expected to increase as the population ages and as diagnostics continue to improve.  Over 7 years the 13 Rotary Clubs in the area have contributed 1.5 million, 4 Chairs of the Board and 5 Chairs of the Foundation have been Rotarians and there has been ongoing Club and individual support.  Total cost was 430 million, including 69 million for equipment, all of which was funded locally.  The new facility has 101 more beds and has space shelled in for future expansions which will cut costs later.  Two new operating theatres will be operating by fall and with them will come more specialists.  The hospital has hired 600 new people and another 1,200 have moved into new positions.

Rotary House is functioning, linked to the hospital by a tunnel, and provides family medicine and there is a teaching unit and a clinic.  It houses mostly radiation patients that are receiving daily treatments and has accommodated patients from all over, though the most have come from Huntsville because it's the furthest away.  The building also houses administration functions so the more expensive hospital space can be used for hospital functions.  9 students a year take placements there and on average so far, about 5 of them stay.

Aug. 16 will be Rotary House's first anniversary and it has had 519 guests overnight, including two from Midland for 5 nights and they expect it will be busier in the winter when the driving becomes harder.  12 people from Huntsville have stayed a total of 222 nights.  The facility reduces stress in patients and family members by 90% which encourages healing.  As most treatments only last 15 minutes and the drive can take up to two hours, having a place to stay is obviously huge for people.

Eric took us on a photo tour which included a shot out the window of the Tim Horton's and Gilda's Club which Midland Rotary also supported.  Gilda's offers more group and psychological support.

The Cancer Centre itself has received over 72,000 visits which is more than anticipated but less than they can handle.  Having the Centre in Barrie has saved people 5,000 trips to Toronto for a million kilometres and 15,000 hours saved. 

Eric said it was great the Club has supported the RVH but went on to say that he knew it was a big help to GBGH as well and that that is very important.  The better equiped the local hospital is, the better care they can provide which reduces the burden on the Regional one and then a well equipped Regional hospital reduces the load on the City ones, so he encouraged us to continue to assist locally.

The RVH is working on establishing and Interventional Cardiology centre as well.  Heart patients now are sent to Newmarket.  And they would like to have a Child and Youth Mental Health service because Waypoint has no inpatient option for younger people and they have to go to Southlake but it is always full son they have to make trips to the city twice a week.  With an inpatient program they can recruit a psychologist and team to develop an outpatient service locally.  And a proposal is being pursued for a pan regional gynecological cancer surgery centre.  The space and equipment are in place.

Terri thanked Eric for coming and presented him with his polio plus certificate.

Ron introduced Lisa Farana, a member of the Collingwood Rotary Club, founder and director of Elephant Thoughts, 2008 YMCA Peace Medallion recipient and a camping, skiing and travel enthusiast.

Elephant Thoughts is a Global Development organization and First Nations Educational Foundation that started in 2001 with teachers promoting education in underprivileged areas that has grown from2 volunteers to 80 doing what they can to educate young children in a fair and equal way.  Currently they are working in India, Tanzania and in First Nations communities in Canada.  The first mission was in India, supported by Rotary, and tried to promote cultural understanding, the breaking down of barriers, the raising of standards of living and a sustainable environment.  As it grew older children started teaching the younger ones, mentoring and encouraging.

There are always difficulties.  In one location some land was donated for building a school but it was near a pig farm and many teachers didn't want to work there.  So should they move the pig farm?  In another community a rivalry between tribes complicated the project and ended up with competing programming.  But the reward for helping is massive - people are so appreciative.  In the Himalayas they are taking a Library up to the villages to promote reading and other programs and the enthusiasm is palpable.

In the First Nations most of the effort goes to building trust.  They lost control of their education under the residential school system and their schools are still underfunded in comparison with the rest of the country so even with AFN support it takes a while.  In 1920 the then Superintendent of Indian Affairs declared that it was the government's aim to eliminate all the Indians in the country.  That attitude lingers and the current population has to struggle against it.

Elephant Thoughts programs are now accepted in several communities and word of mouth assits the spread.  They sponsor science camps in the summer to maintain interest and are working to provide a presence year round. 

The First Nations population grew by 20% over the last census while the rest of the country increased by only 5.2%.  The vast majority of this young population is unemployed - about 400,000 people which translates to over 10 billion dollars in lost productivity.  We need to help these kids through High School and on.  In the areas they are working graduation rates have risen from zero to 30%.  The organization is recognized by the Martin Aboriginal Initiatives organization and the Conner Canadian Foundation.

Lorne Kenney said there are schools in our own area code that are in aging portables because the original building has been condemned.  Third world conditions.  As Chair of the District Aboriginal Committee he is encouraging District Clubs to join the ARCC (Aboriginal Rotary Community Circle).  Other Districts are considering joining and potentially supplying programs in Ontario, to start, and then spreading across Canada.  Matching grants can help make this even more effective.

Funding goes to service delivery, none of it is delivered to people on the ground, the organization is apolitical.

Joyce introduced Marilyn as a member of the Orillia Club who has held many positions there - Treasurer for 4 years, President in 2007-08, Membership Chair who brought in 10 new members a year over her several terms - and who has received many awards including a Paul Harris, an Avenue of Service and RI Recognition.  She was Assistant Governor for 3 years.  She is retired from her accounting business, sits on the Board of the Greenhaven Shelter for Women and trains and shows Border Collies.

Marilyn said she wanted to tell her Rotary story because it helped to illustrate aspects of the organization and its workings.  Back when she was manager of the Orillia Community Development she spoke to Rotary a couple of times but had no insight into what it was or what it represented - perhaps it was some kind of cult?  So her first experience indicates that a visitor to Rotary needs to be introduced to it.  But when she was working on a conference a Rotarian took on a paid position but turned around upon completion and had the money donated to the Foundation so she learned about what the Foundation was and what Polio Plus was trying to do.

She opened an Accounting Firm and was asked to join but she was too busy in her new career.  She was asked again later but was too busy expanding her company.  When she was asked the third time she was ready and she says the lesson is not to quit on a candidate - keep trying.  She is as concerned as everyone about recruiting new members but she pointed out that when she joined there were 1.2 million members.  Since then over one million new members have joined and the total membership is now 1.2 million.  She wants individual Clubs to recruit, of course, but she thinks we have a retention problem and she suggests striking a Retention Chair to keep members involved and committed.  She's going to post some graphs on the website to track progress.

In response to a survey most older people questioned said the first thing they thought of about Rotary was fellowship but younger people thought of doing something important and developing leadership skills.  We need to bring those young people in and get them involved.  Or, bring them in and let them go off in a new direction.  Don't try to make them fit our mould.

She worked on a Friendship exchange that brought people from Brazil to Orillia and she enjoyed it but it was when she went to Brazil that she became a Rotarian - when she saw what real poverty looked like and how much any donation can help and how much they appreciate the help.  She went to South Africa and had many more Rotary moments there.  Then to Ecuador on a wheelchair delivery and she is joining another to Jamaica in January.  These trips are emotional but the hands on aspect give you that Rotary feeling.

The District Conference will be at the Fern Resort on Oct. 26 and the Governor's Ball will be at Casino Rama so be sure to set that date aside.

Marilyn showed us the organization chart of the District and it's a lot more complicated than you'd think - 75 people and that's not all the Committee members so it's a big job and a big organization and maybe some members might like to help - the Youth Exchange Committee is a major commitment with several weekend trips and they could use some help.

She encourages us all to Engage Rotary - Change Lives.  The life you will change the most will be your own.

Ken Albrough is a retired business professional and currently works with the C of C and as Financial Director of the HFA, of which he is a founding member.  Linda Hillman is the office manager of the Foundation and Larry French, also retired from business and a musician is the President. 

Ken started by saying that the Foundation actually covers northern Huronia and southern Muskoka.  In 2006 Lucille Robitaille spearheaded efforts to form an Arts Council and held monthly meetings a peoples' houses but they were struggling till Gord McKay helped them lead a planning exercise that resulted in a newsletter, a web site and a commitment to sponsor a keynote event.  They incorporated in 2008 and successfully applied for $60,000.00 from Trillium over 3 years that paid for an office manager and etc.  They have applied again and are hopeful that a $73,000.00 grant will be announced soon to expand the Winterfest and Artwalk events and to retain Linda's services.

Larry said the Foundation is run mostly by a committed core of workers.  The Board is made up of artists and is a hub dedicated by and for artists from Elmvale over to Price's Corner and up to MacTier.  The organization showcases events through partnerships with the MCC and the NSSRC with site links to arts and culture in the area so it brings the arts to consumers.

They publish the Directory which is a definitive listing of artists and events.  They sponsor the Artwalk, which this year will be on Aug. 17 and whilch will include a classic car parade, several stages with live music and readings and many displays and food outlets.  It's on the Sat. of the Tug Fest weekend so they anticipate as many as 5,000 people will be in the downtown so they are partnering with the BIA and are advertising down to Toronto.

They are working on a gala which will be 'unlike any you have seen' and will be at the MCC in November - announcements will be made soon.  Winterfest will be growing again this year and they are looking to draw on the experience of Barrie for a local Arts Excellence program.  They are working on the Committee that's developing the Cultural Map of Midland and are hoping that will help define Midland and area as an arts destination.  They take part in Festivals all over the area - most recently the Festival du Loup and the Buttertart event.  Every Wed. this summer there is an art display at the dock during the afternoon and a music event in the evening. 

They are at 300 members now and are continuing to grow - $20.00 for seniors and $30.00 for the rest.  They sell advertising in the directory which is distributed through the newspaper and is in every hotel. 

 

Ron introduced Amanda, the General Manager of the Free Press and a Rotarian for 11 months.

Amanda said she wasn't fond of public speaking, as evidenced by the 11 month delay in presenting but that she has been very happy as part of Rotary, saying it is a fantastic experience and that she admires the club and its members.  She thanked yours truly for inviting her to her first few meetings and Bill R. for encouraging her to participate in HART III, a life changing experience.

She was born in Orillia 29 years ago and has a brother 8 years older.  She now lives in Port McNicoll with Jamie and Shadow, her boyfriend and dog, respectively.  She showed us some pictures and it appears she had a difficult time throught school - braces, glasses and scoliosis or curvature of the spine.  In gr. 9 she had an operation and then had to wear a back brace for 6 months which meant track suits everyday to cover it.  She got trapped by the brace in a school desk and had to be pried out.  On top of it all, or maybe because of it all, she scored poor marks and ended high school with no sense of what she wanted to do. 

Opening a book of careers shes stumbled on advertising, which need no prerequisite and she got accepted to Loyalist in Belleville and it turned out she is good at it and enjoys it.  She liked the teachers and won an award.  Having spent her last dime on clothes and parties she had to go home and look for an internship and she found one at the Packet and Times and on the last day of her placement someone quit and she got the job.

She worked there for 7 years doing everything - primarily a sales rep she covered other positions which was a terrific learning experience and when the boss took time off she covered that position too so when the position here opened up she was offered it and moved here 2 years ago.

The paper has an average circulation of 20,500 with 6 staff and two freelancers.  It's printed in Islington on the Sun's presses which lets them put colour on every page.  Distribution is the hardest part and she has led a shift from bagging the papers and throwing them in the general neighbourhood of a house to door delivery.  They have introduced a new web site that gets 30,000 visitors, many of them from Toronto keeping an eye on what's going on in cottage country.  She is primarily an administrator but she covers vacancies and has even helped out with deliveries.

She also has responsibility for Regional specials - the inserts that focus on some aspect of life in North Simcoe like the Parks and Rec guides or 100 Things to Do insert.  She assigns the stories, sells the ad space and decides the print run.  The paper is owned by Sun Media which has 42 dailies and 200 weeklies that distribute 15 million copies so she thinks newspapers are still vibrant.

Her off time is spent dicing with death.  Skydiving, surfing, cross fit training and who knows what else but she likes to challenge herself. 

She was asked about the demise of the beat reporter and said that she has 1 full time reporter who is trying to fill the web site and the paper on 40 hours a week and Doug Glynn who covers politics and some special events.  They can't cover everything and they certainly can't dedicate themselves to one subject.

Ron Crane complimented Amanda on the paper and on her many contributions to the Club and for surviving her recreational activities.

Ron took a moment to read thank you cards from the Gift of Grace Kitchen and the Coldwater Food Bank who were both very grateful for the large food donations, thanks to the drive.

He introduced Garfield, whose long history of public service started as a councillor in Coldwater and who has been everywhere all the time ever since.  Ron said he felt Garfield made a difference as our representative and he felt it was appreciated.

Garfield said one of the first things you learn at Queen's Park is to talk for quite a while without being familiar with the subject but he would try to keep it a little shorter.  It looks like the NDP will help pass the budget and there won't be an election this spring.  It would have been his 5th, he's been ther 14 years which have gone by so fast.  It takes a lot of effort - he figures he attends 1,000 events a year.  It's sort of a tradition that he and Bruce are carrying on - people know them and, if they appreciate your attendance one year they ask you back while other people are asking you to new events so it grows.

As a plumber in a former life he is one of three people there with a trades background and, as a result, it doesn't register with most as an issue, but Hudak asked him to take on the roll of Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship critic and he's enjoying the change from being critic for Public Safety.  He thinks we may be short 360,000 people in the trades soon - from hairdressers to plumbers.  First, people aren't taking the careers on and second, lots of people will be retiring over the next years.  And there are few efforts being made to replace them.  We have been relying on the temporary foreign worker program but the RBC mess put the clamps on it.  There are people in the pipeline but they can't get here now.  They want to come and they want to work.  He doesn't think the College of Trades is the solution.  Another level of management and bureaucracy when we already have the colleges and apprentice programs in place.

He's been travelling across Ontario meeting with the people involved and he thinks one of the biggest problems is that people, students and their parents, don't recognize the amazing opportunities available in these good paying jobs.  He's compiling suggestions and recommendations that he hopes will become a plank in the next election platform.  He's especially interested in private public partnerships and cited a welding class in Thunder Bay that's equipped completely by local enterprise who promptly hire all the graduates - 61 this year, 20 of whom are aboriginals.  He's been on a road construction site in Sudbury and he was told the only other politicians that showed up were only there to cut a ribbon.  As technology takes over, whether it's computers in cars that need maintenance or sophisticated road equipment, it's more important than ever that operators be trained.  But the schools have to keep up and they need their equipment replaced and their teachers re-invigorated.

20% of those under 24 are unemployed and, though we need the foreign workers, we should be training our own.  We have the facilities at the Colleges, the union training spaces but students don't know about the opportunities that would take them out of the mall and turn them into taxpayers.  Parents are the big hurdle - they think white collar is more prestigious.  He's hoping to create more awareness and move to more productivity.

Ron thanked Garfield and presented his certificate of donation to Polio Plus.

Bill R said that 42 people, Club members, some of their family members and some medical personnel, went to the DR to offer some relief to stateless Haitians there.  They collected thousands of items to distribute, some of which was donated locally but most of which was in the 83 50lb hockey bags they took with them.  800 hygiene packs, worth about $20,000.00 were distributed, 2 chicken coops were constructed, a basketball court was put up, domestic animals were purchased and donated and $15,000.00 was donated.

Bill said the the material things were valuable and needed but other values were brought to the table during the trip.  Friendship, trust, love and hope for them and for the visitors.  Emily Richardson had done a 90 minute presentation which she and Bill edited down to about 10 but it gave a good sense of the place and the team's accomplishments.  They visited 3 villages and a local dump where the poorest pick and compete with cows for food.  Stephanie felt this was the most eye opening - stepping off a bus into the heat, smells and flies and seeing people walking in flip flops or in bare feet who travelled an hour to be there.  She commented on the cheerful, orderly behaviour of the recipients of the hygiene packs and the fact that they could be grateful to god and cheerful in the face of deprivation.  We should be grateful for what we have and she feels they touched her life more than she contributed to theirs.

Bruce and Mike worked on the coops and felt that the, as it was the first such trip he had been on, he saw what people meant when they said life changing.  The people he met were grateful, proud but ignored and he felt that the trip had helped them.  Ralph worked with the dental staff and was amazed by the unbelievable condition of the teeth people had, from sucking on cane all the time.  He saw a 5 year old brought in by a 7 year old.  50 people a day were treated, most with STD's.  He commented that Steve ran the mission on schedule and at one point he and Phil were left when the bus went without them.  It was a lesson which was softened somewhat when Steve sent a vehicle back for them.  Aaron Ledlie said he'd heard the expression 'you can join Rotary but at some point you become a Rotarian' and he felt this experience was that point for him.  He was part of a distribution of food and chickens but the chickens were late because of 'island time' and there was some intensity on the part of those waiting.  Fred said he was asked if he felt safe and generally replied that he didn't even think about it but at one point he accompanied to young children who had arrived at the dental clinic, apparently without guardians, back to their homes and when he felt he had them back safely he realized he was lost in the maze of houses and roads and sewage channels.  Fortunately using his rare language skills he found his way back to the church and from there to the camp.  Roma assisted the dentist using a hand puppet which she spoke to in Spanish and when it obeyed the kids did too. 

Ron said the Club and the Community feel proud of the accomplishments of all the members of the team and he thanked them for their efforts.

Next week the meeting is at the MCC and we will be hearing about the Keewatin and the week after that we are going to visit it for a brown bag lunch.  May the 15 Ploy will present her story.

Mike has a long resume - he's served on the Police Services of Listowel, Elliott Lake and Midland where he was the Inspector of Operations for 8 years.  He's worked with the Criminal Investigations Branch and has trained frontline officers.  He's a member of the Chiefs of Police of Ontario and is the Director of Region 3 and he works with the Sicmoe County Police Authority.  He volunteers extensively and has been recognized with many awards for his achievements.

Mike recognizes that Midland has many challenges - it's a low income, low education area with a high proportion of the population suffering from mental and physical health problems due to our proximity to the jail and mental health centre.  The country as a whole is also experiencing a change in crime trends - the move to cyber crime and our population of seniors are a particular target.  Midland also has a high level of social housing.

Mike says the luck of a person's birth plays a huge role in their development - the better an individual's education, the better off a family is, the less likely they are to commit crimes.  The more literate, the more parental involvement, the better the role models, the better off a child will be throughout its life.

The Midland Service was founded in 1890 and it's aims are to hire caring officers, train the members to respect the public, partner with the community, understand its challenges and respons to concerns while showing pride in its work.  They are under constant pressure to adapt to change and incorporate new technologies.  He says people like the members of Rotary are part of their work.  It's not how many officers there are, it's about the number of people working towards a better community.  Efforts of service clubs, like Rotary and its Party on the Dock not only raise money, they help people change their perspective and fill their time.  Members of the service volunteer at the Party and feel it's an amazing project.

Prevention also plays a role - make an environment that discourages crime through security, alarms and cameras and environmental design, using landscape and lighting to assist oversight.  The Service continually tries to raise awareness through its Lock it or Lose it campaing, public speaking, training store staff and creating a prescription drop off centre to reduce the experimentation that occurs when out of date prescriptions are left lying around.  They recognize the Service has a role in developing youth and helping those with challenges and they are using technologies like social networkds and also a crime plotting software that was written in house by Bill Gordon and which is being adopted by other services.  It has resulted in a modified patrol schedule and offenses have dropped faster than the Provincial average.

The Budget for 2013 is still not finalized and will represent an increase this year but Mike pointed out that the average increase over five years has been 1.675%.

In answer to questions, Mike said that the Outreach program was initially supported by the Police and is very effective in offering insight to the the people on the street.  Rotary's help with supplying T-shirts for youth programs, reducing graffiti etc. is gratefully recognized.  He says there are drugs everywhere but we shouldn't forget that anyone can become addicted, especially to painkillers, and the Service has 2 officers on the problem full times and there is a Community Services officer working in the schools.

Naomi admits to confusing us - at the moment her name is part time Bell and part time Murray but she's moving to Murray.  She'll let us know.

Naomi's grandparents, who were Jefferies, were from Midland and though she lived with her family further away they always came here for summers so she's got a long history.  Her father was from NB and joined the RCMP out of school.  Her mother was a nursing student and was lifeguarding for the summer at Point Pelee when they met.  She and her sister Anita were born in Toronto but her father lobbied for a transfer to Orillia and they moved to the cottage when Naomi was 11.  She went to MSS and was a camp counsellor in the summers.

She went to the U of Guelph to take Criminal Justice and while she found that interesting she didn't see herself doing it as a career so she switched to Geography and after graduation came back here.  She worked for the Town as a counsellor and for the Early Years Centre and found she enjoyed the recreation aspect of those jobs so she dropped her intention to teach and joined the Y, first on a maternity contract and then moving into other areas.  In 2008 she took on the position of General Manager. 

She actually met Brad Murray 17 years ago but they became more serious over the last 5 years and were recently married.  He's a civilian at the OPP and a volunteer firefighter.  The are keen boaters and give a home to a dog and a cat.

The YMCA is an amazing organization with a long history.  Founded in 1844 in London by 12 men intent to improve the spiritual education of young men.  It grew through the UK and within 10 years was spreading to Europe and then NA and Australia.  The first one in Canada opened in Montreal in 1851 and by 1900 the Y was a presence across the country.  There are now 53 Associations in Canada but many more facilities - the Simcoe-Muskoka Assoc. has 8, with Gravenhurst being the newest.  Altogether it serves over 2 million people in a thousand towns.  Our branch opened in the late 1800's in a storefront at Queen and Dominion, moved to Hugel Ave. in 1900 and to Little Lake Park in 1967.

The Simco-Muskoka Assoc. offers a broad range of services across the district including camps and international services.  It is the largest provider of non-profit child care in the area, with 3,800 spaces.  There are 3 licensed operations in Midland run by the Y including the one at MSS.  The Midland branch offers employment services, one of three in the District to do so, along with Huntsville and Parry Sound.  Job search services, mentoring. placement and financial assistance are offered to potential employees and job creation and subsidies are offered to employers.  Youth Services for our area are run through outreach out of Barrie.  Youth Quest teaches employment skills, offers an internship program and helps youth start companies - 20 of which were created last summer.  The Y Marketplace helps them develop and sell a product and continues to support budding entrepreneurs over a longer term.  Newcomers services are also Barrie based but staff come here to offer language training and the courses are always full.

Camp Kitchi resonates with all long term residents.  It's been operating for 90 years and serves kids of all ages, working to develop spirit, mind and body.  Naomi is a third generation camper there.  There is also Geneva Park on Lake Couchiching.  150 acres with a long waterfront it is still evolving its services but currently focuses on youth leadership, family programs, conferences and staff training.

The Midland Y has formed a partnership with the one in Sierra Leone and is trying to help them recover from the Civil War that raged there for years by training workers, teaching about HIV and exchanging staff and youth to teach about the different cultures and needs.

Our Y has gone through many changes - it used to just hand out keys for people who wanted to start before the staff got there.  It's been renovated a couple of times, most recently in 2005 - 2007 and is now 40,000 sq. ft. and houses a gym, 5 change rooms, a pool, training equipment, a track, a racketball court and the child care spaces.  There are 3,300 members of which about 60% are adults.

The Strong Kids campaign  operates from the assumption that every kid deserves a chance and offers access and financial support to 850 families and individuals which Naomi feels is a very important contribution to the community.  As a high unemployment and low income area there is a lot of demand for this king of service.  Funding raising contributes about $40,000.00 to this program but the Y spends 5 times that on it.

Youth Leadership is run in partnership with the Weber Foundation and has given over 650 youth some amazing opportunities.  This program is run at all 8 facilities in the District and operates with kids from gr. 6 to 12 to build leadership, teach teamwork, help them manage conflict and develop management skills through exercises and training rather than lecturing.  It builds community and global awareness, gives the students travel opportunities in Canada and abroad and has sent young people to work as volunteers to projects in Germany, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Us and Sierra Leone.  Naomi says the kids feel the opportunities have a huge impact on their lives.  She learns as much from them as they take from the program and now that it has been in place for a while past graduates of the program are coming back to help, reaching out to the Y again to give back.

There is a fairly new CEO at the District and they have just finished a new Strategic Plan to run from 2012 - 2017.  The Y's are being seen as community hubs that work to alleviate youth health problems, poverty and unemployment and try to inspire people to reach their full potential.  Their new brand is MY Y and it Inspires Youth, is Strong, and Opens Doors.  They are working with others in partnership, they develop technologies to help connect, they teach leadership and build competencies and they work to develop a culture of teams.

Naomi thanked Roger for sponsoring her and said she is enjoying her membership in Rotary. 

Jamie Tripp asked what it would take to change the world and suggested that Rotary is doing that in large ways and small and suggested to our guests that they consider making the commitment to a better world through Service above Self.

Maureen introduced Randy Taylor who came from poverty and whose parents suffered from alcoholism - a combination which put him on the streets at 14 but he found himself on radio and grew through that experience and others into a career as a speaker and coach and author of The Winner Within and owner of Taylor Made Leadership.

Randy thanked Bill Richardson, who was away skiing, for the invitation.  He started by suggesting that we can always learn and especially from children.  His son asked him recently if they could build something and, of course, Randy said sure, what?  His son needed a box with dials that you could put a person in and take him out the same only nice.  Randy asked who the first customer would be to find out it was going to be himself.  What Randy took from that was that if you don't like something, you should change it.

Self employment starts with belief.  Children start out believing but as they learn more doubt gets introduced.  As a 14 year old street kid his prospects did not seem that great - staying alive and out of jail would be called success.  But as he left High School at 16 his guidance counsellor left him with a phrase he's never forgotten - "Where you are now has nothing to do with where you can go."  You can move down the path you deserve.

Most businesses suffer cycles of boom and bust and they feed themselves.  When things are going well a business person is confident and happy and his contacts and cold calls realize this and respond to it.  When they are not going so well the contacts and calls become stressed and even desperate which puts prospects off and can lead to more failure.  To stay on the top of the cycle you need to maintain consistency and be what he calls a productiv paranoid.  Just cause things are going well today doesn't mean they will tomorrow so focus on the horizon and don't relax.  Failure is a few errors in judgement made daily.  Success is a few exercises in disciplin done every day.  If you plan to make 10 calls a day and only make 5 that's an error and if you repeat it it becomes 20 calls missed, a hundred.

In a boss employee relationship there is structure and expectations.  The boss directs and the employee does the stuff - it can't be put off because the boss has a list and the items have to be checked off or there will be consequences.  If the list is completed successfully there may be a bonus but after taxes what does that amount to?  So you feel you can do it yourself and go out on your own.  But now you've lost the boss.  You have to do everything - find the clients, do the work, do the books, it becomes overwhelming.

You have to take on two jobs - be the boss, plan the next day, make the schedule, draw up the list for your employee then, - be the employee and check off the list.  As the boss you have to disregard your employee's preferences for long lunch hours and as the employee you have to respond to your boss's direction.  You have to prepare, do the homework and be ready.  He told the story of the radio announcer who never made an on air mistake.  When Randy got a chance to tour the guy's studio he found scripts with the time and the record title and the announcer's own name all written in.  These scripts were written while the record was playing and read, not ad libbed.

Amateurs wing it, for results, be a pro.

 

Gary introduced Ashley Matt, who grew up in Midland before going to College for Journalism and Public Relations.  She's worked as an entertainment photo editor in Los Angeles, Miami and Toronto and as a trascriber in Burbank.  She has assisted at the Toronto and Sundance festivals and as a production assistant on location in Athens.  She has also written miniseries and screeenplays.  With he was Nate Lacroix who is a graduate of Sheridan's film school and who has directed and edited short films and doucmentaries and has done music and special effects as well.  He filmed and edited the Acts of Kindness video.  They both have come back to Midland with their families and are embarked on a documentary project.

Ashley and Nate spoke (and showed slides and video) about their project - a full 90 minute documentary about the merits - economic, health, community awareness - of shopping locally.The movie, for which they already have a trailer, will be produced locally, will include interviews with business people, producers and shopper and will follow Nate and Ashley as they live locally.  It will be debuted at the MCC and then will be distributed internationally.

They have a budget of $50,000.00 for costs, living expenses and some staff salaries.  They have raised 10 so far.  They are well into pre-production which includes script development, research, recruiting participants and doing promotion and fund raising.  March through August they plan to shoot, market and do more fundraising.  For the month of July they will film themselves doing a 30 day live local challenge.  Ashley does the interviews, Nate does the filming and they both act as roadies.

The fall will be for post-production while they review footage and edit the final film which is scheduled to be shown at a gala screening on Dec. 7.  Then they will submit it to film festivals in the hopes of both making some money and of bringing Huronia to the world. 

For comparison, they mentioned that Supersize Me cost $65,000.00 and grossed 30 million.  Though they face budget challenges they think some resourcefulness and the economies of digital make the production possible and the increasing popularity of documentaries and documentary festivals make success likely.  They want to work to create change and inspire people while connecting the community, supporting local businesses and promoting the unique economy we have here.

Ron thanked the two for their presentation and their commitment to the community.

Ron said Gary has been a long time resident of Midland  Though he moved to Toronto for a while in the 80's he came back in 1988 and has been in business here since.

Gary wanted to clear something up right away - it's Boy tler, aka The Water Guy.  He is married to Sheryl and they have a daughter living in Toronto.  His parents were German but born in Poland and his father served in WWII, was wounded twice and was a POW of the Russians.  Four of his brothers were killed.  The large farm they grew up on was seized by the Russians and when Gary's father returned home he found his parents living in a small apartment so he fled to Germany and finally came to Canada.  Gary's mother's father fought in two wars and 3 countries and he led his family to flee the Russians and they also lost everything.  Both parents ended up in Windsor, where they both had relatives and where they met.

They were assigned to jobs, his dad as a baker and his mom in a factory but they worked hard and in 1954 they leased their own bakery and in 1959 they moved to Midland to buy their own.  We saw some pictures and it is clear that the hair gene is strong on the paternal side of the family.  Gary and his two brothers wearing suits, sometime in the 70's maybe? looked like something from a heavy metal band.  They all worked nights in the bakery and summers they put in 60 hours a week but they also played sports - Gary in tennis shorts and big hair.

Gary became a journeyman baker at Dominion and went to school at Georgian and then became Bakery Manager in Orillia for two years before becoming supervisor of 70 bakeries in Miracle Food Marts across Ontario.  This was before he turned 29, at which age he became director of Bakeries for the new Superstores Loblaws was building so he planned and supervised construction and staffing in these 125,000 sq. ft. facilities.  He called that his dream job.  His next move was to the opposite - a job from hell - VP for Dimpflmeier which was an out of date operation that was resistant to change so in 1989 he started Eurobuns in Midland.  It's primary customers were retail outlets and restaurants and summer camps and it did very well, expanding to 20 employees but it became harder to get trained staff and through 2006 - 2009 he was working 24/7/365 and he finally closed the store.

He had a fall back though.  In 2003 he had started the water store as a franchise but, unfortunately, the franchiser was a crook and went bankrupt so Gary and some other franchisees went independent, changed the name of their outlets and formed a Water Group Co-op that did group purchases, had a joint website, which Gary maintains, and produced educational videos. 

Gary thinks water treatment is important, especially in cottage country.  He is a Certified Water Specialist, one of only 70 in Canada, and a member of the Water Quality Association.  He constantly updates his training.  He can further purify tap water, either by supplying at the store in jugs to about 2,000 customers or by installing purification systems.  He will test the water, examine the plumbing, advise, prescribe and train on equipment he installs.  While taste is the prime driver for systems, saving can be realized on soap and appliance wear with purifiers.  Our local water is hard and it does cause efficiency problems in applicances and he can also reduce the taste of chlorine.  If you're on a well you also get hard water and can also have iron or the sulfur smell.  They also work with commercial operations which need good water for coffee or dishwashers, etc.

As an independent he can deal with suppliers he approves of and he mostly deals with Waterite.  He is also moving into air filtration products from Heaven Fresh.  He feels the future is good as people become more aware of the advantages of filtration.  He says, 'Buy a filter or be a filter, your choice.'

Gary is also a car nut and still has his uncle's 1965 chevy in all it's original splendor - which means he's too cheap to fix it up.  In 1980 he went to racing school for open wheel cars but stopped racing because of work.  In 2002 he came back to sports cars and no races a Boxter S.  His wife is active in the car club as well.

Ron suggested Gary was either a serial entrepreneur or he can't keep a job and he thanked him for his talk and presented him with the certificate of donation to Polio Plus. 

Ron introduced Warren Justice, the Chief Economist of Scotia Bank very briefly.

Warren started by saying that the Bank is established pretty well everywhere and he travels a lot and is constantly reminded that we are very fortunate to live here.  He thinks there's a lot going on in the world at the moment and much of it means that it is impossible to forecast anything.  He said he will explain a bit about why he can't forecast and then he will do so for a while.

Back when he was studying Economics 101 they taught that business moved in cycles which are familiar and so can be predictable - business drops off, production is cut back, people are laid off, stockpiles are depleted, demand starts up and production gets back to normal.  And there is some good news trickling out now - consumer spending is up and housing demand in the States is growing and there is some revitalization.  But this is not a regular cycle and we won't be going back to what we knew.  There will be a lot of change and an unfolding of a new, unfamiliar world around us.

Growth is happening in different places - two thirds fo global growth is happening in Asia and places like Brazil and they are growing twice as fast as the Western economies.  The demand will be for resources - minerals, grains, livestock - in a world that is short of them which is good news for Canada.  China is the biggest consumer of raw materials and we are holding a ten year old image of that country as one that produces cheap electronics because they have cheap labour.  The paradigm has changed. 

Americans are consuming more cars - they are replacing the ones they haven't replaced over the last 4 years - but they are not adding, they are replacing.  It's China that's buying new and the demand there is huge.  This will be good for Ontario's car plants but Asia is building their own too.  Simcoe Muskoka depends on tourism and the Americans are not coming here the way they used to - the dollar, the recession, passports.  But Japanese are willing to go to PEI.  With proper marketing we should be able to attract a different market here.  Chinese are now the number 1 spender on tourism, Russia is 8 and Brazil is 12.  We need to put posters up in new places.

China is also the number one market for luxury goods.  They do have a huge rich/poor split but the rich are really rich and there are a lot of them.  They have a massive population, strong growth, rising incomes and a growing demand for the stuff we have.

But it is not all ecomomics.  Many decisions are made by politicians and they take different factors into their decision making process.  From an economics point of view Keystone is a no brainer but the decision is being made at the White House.  Alberta and BC are looking at pipelines and, again, it would seem simple from an economist's point of view.  But BC will be having an election in May and, with the Liberals in trouble, the likelihood is that the NDP will win there and the leader hates pipellines.  As an investor these factors have to be taken into consideration but it's difficult to forecast.

Technology ruins forecasts.  10 years ago natural gas prices were rising and predictions were that they would continue up.  Then we got fracking and now we have surpluses and low prices.  This affects the producing Provinces and States but it also affects the national growth rate.  There are positives - cheap energy leads to growth in some areas like Sarnia where the chemical industry is coming back and manufacturing is being revitalized but it's dependent on energy and is skill based and value added. 

After all that Warren said there are things that can be predicted.  Europe is still bad news and will be for years.  The math doesn't work.  They have too much debt and weak banks - where they should be enabling growth they are pulling loans to improve their balance sheets and lower deficits but people get laid off and there is negative growth.  All the governments that tried serious austerity and that have gone to the people have fallen.  Austerity is politically impossible.  A well trained graduate in Spain - motivated and willling - faces 50% unemployment.  So why are we pushing a trade deal with them?  They are a large market but they are familiar.  We should be turning to the growth regions.

The US, however, continues to entertain Warren with its Perils of Pauline approach and the constant anticipation of what crisis will they face next?  He says it's even worse than it looks.  Then why are they still able to borrow?  Their private sector is strong.  It's the government that's the problem - there is no willingness to solve the problems.  They are selling money to themselves.  The idea was to get money into circulation so people would invest but people have taken the message to heart - they're paying down debt or putting it in the bank, which is where it came from.  It's starting to move now and that will lead to inflation, eventually, 2 or 3 years, maybe.

The new world rising will be important for Canada in general and Ontario, though it will probably grow slower than the rest of the country which had the resources.  Our average income has gone to about 10% above the national average to about 4% below and Ontario has a big deficit so is cutting back on healthcare, education and etc. which means layoffs.  But new jobs, different jobs, are being created in the private sector and that should help.  Our interest rates will mirror those of the US.  But we're still better off - our deficit is 1% of GDP, the States' is 8 and they are just kicking it down the road.  Our dollar will probably drop to maybe $0.96 and with the solid domestic base our banks enjoy they will contine to do well. 

They are expanding internationally and each is doing it differently.  Scotia is diversified across countries and industries but no bank can be all things to all people so each focuses on its own expertise.  As for some of the problems in China, empty cities etc., there is a slowdown and there is an imbalance but they are counterbalanced by liquidity - $3.2 billion and they are growing through local consumers and through select countries like Brazil, where they are heavily invested.  There is friction between the rich and poor and there is political unrest but they are large, diverse and rich and are the new market.

Ron thanked Warren for his insights.

Randy introduced Katy Austin who is a Board Member on Zero Waste, a retired teacher and a 4 time NDP candidate who enjoyse outdoor activities.

She said back in 2008 when they were all working against Site 41 McKay and Millar, now Mayors of Midland and Tiny respectively, invited several to a new zero waste organization with the aim of reducing the need for such sites by reducing waste.  She admits that it seems hopeless but if we remember back before smoking bylaws you couldn't go anywhere without breathing second hand and now look.  Change can come.  Reducing waste through education, legislation and financial incentive can work.

She had some slides showing the awful proliferation of garbage in the oceans and mentioned the effect it has on marine life - mostly killing it.  Canada, she says, produces more garbage per capita than any other country because we have a cradle to grave waste economy.  Natural resources are converted to material, creating waste, then turned into products that need to be packaged which is thrown away and eventually we throw away the product and buy new which requires unending new resources.

Landfills leak and pollute, incineration also pollutes and becomes dependent on the generation of garbage to make the investment in the facility pay.  Simcoe is sending some garbage to an incinerator in Southern Ontario.  Zero Waste is achievable - they are far ahead of us in Europe where stuff is reformatted for reuse - but it is off the radar of our politicians in this economy.  It needs to be promoted at the County and at the Province.

Reduce by products, package with material that can be reused or composted - like beer bottles; why can't we do that with pop cans?  There is resistance, of course.  Coke is suing in Australia which is trying to impose deposits but it is in place in AB, NS and Germany.  There is a carpet company in the States that will take your old carpet and reuse the fibres which makes their product cheaper and reduces waste.

The organization suggests individuals avoid where they can, reduce when the can't and reuse if possible.  The promote the concept of extended producer responsibility which means legislating responsibility for dealing with packaging and disposal of things like water bottles.  They go to dumps or the ocean and producers take no responsibility - they should be forced to use a deposit return system.  If it's made expensive enough they might move to glass, which lasts longer.  Some corporations are helping - Toyota has moved to reusable packaging for shipping - these boxes can be used up to 150 times.

She suggests we don't buy garbage packaging and, when we do, leave the packaging at the store.  Choose recyclable products, avoid single servings, use the green bins, use travel mugs, sugar bowls instead of packets, and give experiences and consumables instead of more stuff we don't need for presents.  Regift.

Check out sites - zerowastesimcoe.org, storyofstuff.org,  and freecycle.org (an exchange site).  Make it a better world for our children.

Ron offered the thanks of the Club and presented her with a certificate on recyclable paper.

 

 

We had guests Anna Hartland and Lana Lyons.

Bill Richardson had a report on HART III - input from previous participants is that the trip will be worthwhile and exciting and real.  They have been sorting donations - some of which is not suitable for the DR (like winter coats which have gone to the Salvation Army) - but have two truckloads of stuff.  They are looking for hygiene packs - specifics included in emails from him.  Bruce and Mike are up for 50 each which leaves them looking for another 900.  They need underwear and protein powder.

Bill also distributed an accounting for the Int'l Service Committee.  Budget $48,750.00.  Spent - Polio Plus, $10,000.00; donations on behalf of speakers to Polio Plus, $3,500.00; HART III, $15,000.00; DR school breakfast program, $800.00 and a Mobile Patient Monitoring Device for a Children's Hospital in Izmir, Turkey, $4,000.00.  Left - $15,450.00.

Joyce introduced Anna Hartman who was at CLH for many years and is now at the GB Cancer Support Centre.  She asked Lana Lyons, a volunteer and retired health care executive to speak about the Centre.  Lana said it fills a unique need, it is community based, not for profit, has charitable status and is independent.  It is located in the Penetanguishene hospital.  It's mission is Support and Education.  It is run by a Board and has, in Anna, a program co-ordinator.

Anna showed a brief video and had some testimonials about the help and information which is needed by patients.  The number diagnosed is growing but the number of deaths is declining which means that more people are living with cancer, longer.  There are physical and emotional impacts with the disease and the Centre provides a whole network of supports, from transport to meals to financial assistance and advice for all who need it.  When they started in 2011 they had 14 clients and now they have 85. 

When a patient goes to treatment in Toronto they often have a hard time keeping connected with people back home and they are asking the Club for $2,700.00 to buy 4 iPads that can travel with them to assist in keeping people in touch, to reduce the sense of isolation and to provide emotional support.  Anna and Lana left the meeting.

Joyce spoke for past DG Brian Menton who was stormbound at home.  The District has entered into a partnership with the Aboriginal Studies program at Georgian College to promote native language studies.  Only 2% of first nations people are speaking their original language, for a variety of reasons but especially because Residential schools broke the generational connection.  Graduates of the course become language activators and teachers.  This is the only such course in Ontario.  It is like a literacy program in our back yard and provides participants with a key to their identity and gives them access to a right - the right to language and to celebrate their customs and religion in their own language and to maintain their oral culture leading to empowerment, identity and a sense of their heritage.

Brian tried to connect via Skype, which was a mixed success, but he made the points that aboriginal schools have always been underfunded in Canada in comparison with other education systems and that he has seen the pride and sense of involvement that comes when peole are able to work in their own language.  The District is trying to raise $50,000.00 to help with daycare, scholarships and resource development and they are trying for matching grants.  The District has promised $5,000.00 and two Clubs have committed to helping and District 6330 is joining.  All the local chiefs are excited by the program.

The Club voted on a $5,000.00 donation by ballot and Mora asked for a second vote due to confusion of numbers of votes and on the second vote it was defeated by a small number.

Britt spoke about the Signature Project.  5 ideas have been narrowed down to two.  One is donating equipment to the new Trauma Centre and that has been supported by the Club so money will be earmarked.  Ideas on Economic Development and Community Development were somewhat similar and so have been identified has having the same goal and have been merged and a Committee has been working on ideas.  They met with McKay, Crown and Muntz and have focused on the concept of a Business Incubator.  All four communities have expressed support for the idea.

The intent would be to facilitate start ups and promote growth in companies that want to expand.  The goals would be a healthy economy, an increasing number of local businesses, increased employment, more opportunities to live and work in the community and an increased profile for Rotary.  It would be an incorporated, Board governed operation involving, mostly, Rotarians as Board members and mentors.  The Club would contribute $75,000.00 a year for a minimum of 3 years and another $75,000.00 per year would come from other donors and from rent.  It should become self sustaining.

To start the Club would oversee finding a suitable location - a building that could be rented in sections to start ups, funding, governance and the supervision of the salaried employee.  The North Simcoe Community Futures, the North Simcoe Economic Alliance, the Federal Development Bank, Trillium, the Municipalities and others would be asked to participate and for funding.

Britt asked, first, if the Club was interested in pursuing the idea.  She was asking for support at the meeting so the Committee could continue to refine the business plan for presentation in April and work on budgets over the summer for a final vote in September before work on incorporation and etc. could start.

Hank, as a member of the Committee, said it would not be political and the resources of the NSCF would be available but the Board would be the controlling entity.  In answer to the question, why not give the Community Fund the support to do it, he said they don't have the resources or space but are happy to provide support.  A question of liability was raised - whether it would be better to put it under the Fund or if an independent Board would be subject to it - but a clear answer was not arrived at.  Hank said the closest similar effort is one in Haliburton which supports mostly arts oriented projects with $50,000.00 a year.

Another discussion was held regarding conflict of interest.  Would Club members, mostly small business owners, be encouraging competition and would people asked to be mentors be faced with conflict?  Hank said he is President of the Georgian Angels which has given about 3 million to start ups over the past years and that organization has had the same concerns on occasion but often new companies need support to grow.  There would be business cases before support was given and needs and capacity would be identified.

The consensus was that there were still questions and that the attendance at the Fireside was relatively low so that it should be researched further and that the rest of the membership should have some information regarding this major commitment.  So this is it.  Review this, discuss with members of the Committee, consider.  There will be another Club discussion at a later date and a decision as to whether to proceed will be taken then.  Notice will be given. 

Mora introduced Doug Ironside as the Planning Chair for R.A.C.E. against Drugs and a nurse with the Simcoe Muskoda Health District.

Doug said the initials stand for Respect - Action - Courage - Excellence and he thanked the Club for its support and for the invitation to talk about the initiative.  He introduced David Hobson as the other co-chair.  It's a joint project with many local organizations and the police forces.  About 500 gr. 5 students from 20 schools from all the North Simcoe Boards participate each year.  Each group of students spends about half a day at the Gym at NSSRC but the event acutally lasts for two days.  Grade 5 seems to be a receptive age for this message.  Programs geared to older kids assume they have experience or at least knoweldge of drugs but this program hopes to give the young ones the tools to deal with exposre when it comes.  DARE is a follow up in gr. 6, a reinforcing program.

The program uses an auto racing theme to generate interest and includes a series of pit - or educational - stops that talk about things like the short and long term effects of drugs, refusal skills and resistance techniques.  David is the host and MC at the event.  Partners include the Midland and Provincial police, the School Boards, the Wellness agencies, the Y and etc.

Getting the students there by bus is the major cost and it has gone up dramatically over the last few years.  Students are charged a nominal amount for transportation but it still represents the largest part of their budget which averages about $2,000.00.

The pit stops are - Flyers Fitness, hockey players talking about active lifestyles; an OPP drug display on how to recognize drugs; a 'Gamble Scramble'; Brain Science which shows models of the effects of drugs on the brain; knowledge, a trivia test; Play Live Tobacco Free; Impairment; Think of Me where kids express themselves to drunk drives on the risks they represent; Story Tellilng Tipi; You Can Say No, a message relayed by MSS drama students who play out strategies; and the Kart Race which is the Mario Kart Wii which illustrates the need for concentration and control in cars and, by extrapolation, in life.

Doug says the program seems to make an impact that stays with the kids even into high school.  He has had discussions with students years later who feel it helped.  Aaron Ledlie remembers it and look how he turned out.

Mora presented Doug with a donation of $1,500.00 for the program and Sue thanked him for coming to speak and gave him the notice of the donation to help end polio.

Amanda introduced Robert Sykes who holds a Master of Social Work and who moved to Midland in 1994 to be the Executive Director of the Catholic Family Life Centre.  He has been active in the community, serving on the founding Board of Community Link and working with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.  He is now the Deputy Director of Out of the Cold and is leading the drive to establish the new shelter.

Robert said it was an accident that brought him to Midland.  He had been doing consulting work which required a lot of travel but he fell off a ladder when volunteering and had to take a desk job.

The Out of the Cold program is now 10 years old and is currently offering accommodation and meals from 5 - 8 pm 7 days a week.  430 trained volunteers prepare and serve 1,500 dinners, 650 breakfasts and supervise 425 overnight stays.  It is part of a number of programs and agencies, each of which help as they can.  Shelter Now, for instance, tries to transition clients into permanent housing and it provides a vital level of support but it can't respond on an emergency shelter basis.

There was a shelter in Midland but it closed in 1995.  It had 8 beds and received Provincial funding and drew guests from all of North Simcoe.  As it operated under the supervision of the Salvation Army the guests often helped out at the Thrift Store.  Housing is a Human Right and lack of housing leads to migration.  People move away from their support groups in hopes of finding something and end up worse off.  The Standard calls for one funded bed per 2,000 residents in the community.  Robert says Wal-Mart doesn't build unless there's a market of 65,000 people which means North Simcoe should have 33 beds and it only has 6 now.  One in every 40 people in a community will experience homelessness and if a person suffers from mental health issues their chances of being homeless at some point are 50/50.  With Waypoint in our area the need for beds goes up.

Many visitors to OotC are only looking to eat but many people still sleep outside or take refuge in unsafe environments.  There are as many as 2,000 students sleeping on couches in the County.  So support is strong for a permanent shelter.  A poll shows 86% support among the public and the politicians are supportive.  Total cost will approach a million dollars.  The OotC is fiscally responsible, is incorporated and has charitable status.

Robert showed a plan of the facility which will be on the second floor of the education wing of Knox Church.  It is a regional solution, is designed to be flexible, is accessible (the elevator is taking one third of the million), will be green with solar on the roof and will be safe for guests, staff and the community with surveillance and lighting.  It will be open 24/7/365 and will stay primarily volunteer.  There will be a core of paid staff and there is fund raising and grant applications going on.  There will be 25 beds in smaller rooms so a mix of men, women and youth can be accommodated or even families.  There will be showers, laundry, a commercial kitchen, a lounge with wi-fi (for job hunting) and the CLH will help with the cleaning.

The facility will also serve as a Community Service Centre and as a drop in centre and warming/cooling site.  The staff will be offering programs and education and will be doing research into homelessness in rural environments, in conjunction with Waypoint.  This is a subject that has not been studied.

Zoning is approved and tenders are in.  Offers of help in kind, such as donated solar panels, materials and beds have been received.  The congregation of Knox is supportive.  Orientation and training for new volunteers is ongoing.  It will be a resource for those most in need, Robert says and adds that 'Kindness inspires kindness'.

Alison said that when she sat down to write some notes she was thinking she'd been in Rotary for about 10 years but when she started counting she realized it was 17.  She recalls the number of members was about the same and noted 24 are still active.  The big difference, of course, is that she was the 3rd woman to join, after Terri, also still a member.  She harked back to the glory days of Dean Nicholls and 'women in Rotary'.

Alison has served on successive Boards for about half of those years - International, Vocational, Community Service and Pres. Elect, Pres. and Past Pres.  She really enjoyed the International and Youth Exchange programs and served on the District Committee for exchanges for 7 years, dealing with people in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, New Zealand and Germany.  She met so many great students who are now friends for life. 

In 1996 she had three children ages 7, 4, and 2 so she was already busy.  She had been working at NEBS for 10 years and was working on their transition to a new marketing plan based on data bases.  They compiled business records and analyzed the data to target potential.  They were among the first to join the air miles program and worked hard at developing partnerships and alliances. 

In 1999 she started on her MBA, which took two and a half years.  She'd get the kids in bed and do her homework.  In the early 2,000's there were acquisitions - Chiswick,McBee, Payweb, etc. and she worked on all the brands, doing the creative and the production of direct mail and overseeing about 30 people.  Then they were bought by Delux fro the States which began a slow integration of purchasing and HR and she joined senior management to develop North America wide marketing.  They created jobs, developed targets, drove the integration and then positions were eliminated as they all reported to the US.  She moved to developing strategic markets, developing webinar series, seminar series produced in 10 cities, doing road trips with trucks to hold displays for small businesses.  She was travelling all the time, which was stressful, and she was the only Canadian on the team, which could create a left out feeling.  When she was offered a package last August, she took it.

She says she misses the people but not the stress and now she's taking the opportunity to start her own business which aims to help small local businesses with marketing and developing business plans and enhancing their existing technologies.  Shes targeting businesses with 20 employees plus or minus and she's working from home.

Now her girls are 24, 21 and 18.  Alysha is in first year at Humber and a member of the Ontario fastball champion team and taking multi media.  Alana is in Niagara taking  acting in flim and TV and working as a waitress and Emily is married and living in London and taking a MBA and travelling.  She and Dave have been married 27 years - he's still at Elcan - and they are in Wyevale with an old dog, a new dog and a guinea pig.

Ron thanked her for the update and for her commitment to the Club and the Community.

Ron introduced Wes Crown who has 25 years experience in Planning with Tay and Midland and in the private sector.

Wes said planners try to think in the long term and, while the economy is undergoing one of its adjustments, he is positive about what's happening and he went on to describe some of the current activity.

Melchior is building 6,000 sq. ft. in front of Canadian Tire and already has tenants - Royal LePage and Desjardins.  The GBGH expansion has begun the first phase and all approvals are in.  They are waiting for word on funding from the Province before starting the second phase.  Marina Park is being rebuilt by Deneen Const. which is a reputable firm and who are talking about adding sustainable features to the building, including geo thermal heating.  The new Tim Horton's is built and operating but there is a strip along Bay Street to be built on - they are looking at 20,000 sq. ft. on three floors and the Town is encouraging a design that would fit in with downtown features like building to the sidewalk, using brick and using windows to make it attractive from the street.  The Pro-Oil outlet is almost done and redevelops a lot and the Midland Traditions Retirement Home on Pillsbury is under construction and will have 110 apartments to serve a growing seniors population.  The only residential project is the one on Young St. which is mostly towns and semis but that puts them at a different price point that might be more affordable.  Land is cleared for an retail mall across from Boston Pizza of 93,000 sq. ft. to be built in phases.  The builders have done a lot of similar things in Barrie and so have experience but haven't released any info on tenants.

Unimin is up for sale - 3,300 ft. on the water and 40 acres and an opportunity to define Midland as a waterfront community.  A study has been commissioned and is under way and the old plant is being demolished.  There will be public consultation on the 24th and more to follow as the plan is developed.

Wes feels this concentration on commercial is a good sign for the community as it represents not only investments for the community but makes Midland better able to attract visitors and, in the long run, residents.  Cultural developments like the MCC will also help attract both.

The Huronia Economic Alliance is in its early days but represents the strength of a group.  The website is up now and work is being done on developing an incubator concept.

Population forecasts for 2031 are 22,500 for Midland and 11,000 for Penetang.  For 2041 the numbers are 26,881 and 13,142.  Employment numbers are 13,800 and 6,000 for 2031 and 16,487 and 7,168 for 2041.  Again, as a long term effort the town has to have sewer and water systems in place.

In response to a question Wes said the recycling operation is now on track to buy some land on McDonald beside the Beamish pit and public consultation will come.  The tech plans are being reviewed by a third party to eliminate any sense of conflict as Town staff did help on making this application after the one on Highway 12 met with resistance.

Alison introuded Mike St. Amant who was our outbound student to Denmark 6 years ago and who is now going to college to take acting and who has been performing in productions in PEI and other places as well as working on a special project.

Mike said that after his exchange experience he spent two more years finishing High School and then started training to be a paramedic but on a whim did an audition and got the part.  It turns out he likes acting better so is now studying to become a "starving actor" at Sheraton and is in his third year.  He has signed with an agent and has had some work but he's also trying to start a festival in Midland - Shakespeare In The Park - for two weeks in July.

It won't start till 2014 because he wants to spend 2013 raising awareness and money and linking with the educational and community organizations here.  He feels such a Festival will promote the arts, local talent and local jobs.  He has support from actor friends so it will be affordable and accessible and will offer the opportunity to create educational programs.

Mike says there is not much outdoor theatre in Ontario but Shakespeare is popular and he's familiar to students because he's part of their curriculum.  Also his work is in the public domain which saves money.  Drayton doesn't do Shakespeare so there's no competition.  Such a Festival would be something new for this community and would act as an intro to other aspects of arts in the community and would bring professional actors to town as well as audiences.  He has an idea for an acting camp as well.

He's planning a launch party, a Canada Day event, a Boat Cruise and a Special Gala hosted at St. Marie to announce the first season.  Of course, he needs help with volunteers, sponsors and donors but he's still in the early stages and is testing the level of interest.  He figures the budget would be between 15 and 20 thousand the first year and he's making a submission to the Board and has talked to Huronia Players. 

 

Ralph introduced Sheree Noon, manager of Emergency and ICU since 2006 who has overseen a 40% reduction in wait times and Dr. David Bayfield, Chief of Emergency Medicine, winner of an emergency medicine research award, implementer of software for medical apps on handhelds and one of the planning team working on the new Emergency Dept.

Sheree presented a video tour introducing the See and Treat area which takes the 50% of emergency department patients that are mobile and moves them through quickly, the Sub Acute area that takes the severe pain and stroke patients etc. into the 6 bays that are equipped with cardiac monitors, the Communications Centre which is a very tight space for the up to 5 people that have to be there at different times, the Acute Care area which has 14 beds with cardiac monitors which is not enough and the Trauma Centre which has 2 bays and which is very crowded and short of the high end equipment it needs to deal with patients in crisis.

All these areas are essentially open or divided only by curtains which means there are privacy issues with people overhearing doctor patient conversations, isolation problems as there are no areas to close off to hinder the spread of pathogens and security issues as there is no way to keep people in or out.  The renovations are aiming to address all these issues as well as space requirements and traffic flow problems.  The plan is to expand into the space currently occupied by ambulance functions and then, eventually, enclose the ambulances so the transfer of patients will take place out of the weather.

David said that while he is proud of the people who work in emerg and proud of the job they do with the resources at hand he is excited by the prospects of doing better.  In 1997 emerg saw 25,000 visitors with 8 beds.  In 2000 there was an expansion but now the hospital sees 45,000 a year with only 17 beds.  The move to the See and Treat concept has helped and there have been some renovations and reorganization but a major renovation is needed to deal with the problems Sheree highlighted.  The overal cost of the project is $12.7 million but it has been divided into phases and the first phase will cost $5 million which the hospital already has.  There will be more fundraising and more help from the Province as they move into the next phases. 

The Hospital has been in the top 10 in the Province for wait times for facilities that serve over 35,000 since 2009 and is in top 10 in all measures which helps when applying to the government for funding.  He thanked Rotary for its ongoing support and the hard work and dedication that has gone into raising $170,000.00 over the last years.

Phase one will develop the most important spaces - triage, communications and decontamination as well as see the purchase of much needed equipment.  There has been a lot of work in the planning - incorporating all legislated requirements and grouping services to assist with ease of traffic flow and supervision.  He responded to Fred's question about getting infections in hospitals by saying there are guidelines which they must subscribe to and they are installing handwashing stations everywhere but the new space will have systems for reverse isolation air flow and hardwalls instead of curtains.

As a result of their meeting or exceeding standards they have been awarded new positions so now they have a pharmacist technician in emerg part time, a ward clerk has had hours expanded and more nurses and doctors hours have been approved.

Ron thanked them both for coming and making their presentation. 

Hank reported account balances - Bingo $89,000.00; POD $45,000.00; Auction so far $$29,000.00; and Club $10,000.00.  There are no remaining large commitments after paying off the MCC one.  He is still trying to work out how to email the invoices but there's a glitch in the technology.

Mora for Community Service distributed ballots for the vote on $5,000.00 for Children who have Witnessed Violence which carried with near unanimity.  Other projects have been submitted and are being considered.  One hardship request for equipment for a spinal chord victim was met with $500.00.  They are looking at upgrading the graphics on the Firehall sign.

Maureen from Vocational is passing the Student of the Month job on to Naomi.  They presented two Vocational Awards this year and the Youth Exchange outbound student has been accepted.  Alison is working on RYLA.  Adventures in High Tech has been held and the candidate will be speaking to the Club on his experience.  She encouraged members to remember the Mentorship program that is being driven by 7010.

Bill Richardson reported that the International budget this year - at 25% of the Club's budget - was $48,750.00 and so far they've presented $10,000.00 to Life4Kids, $5,000.00 for water filters.  Another $15,000.00 has been committed to pay for the supplies associated with the HART trip to Haiti.  21 participants have registered to travel there and help with projects, including building a house, but they will be paying their own way - the 15 is for supplies and equipment that will be used or left there to continue the work.  If you are interested let Bill know, he's starting a waiting list for a seond trip.  There is 20 thousand left in the budget and the Committee is considering some options but is open to suggestions.

Aaron Lavin is trying to schedule a bring a guest day for January and looking for a speaker that will involve the guests.  He hopes to have a marketing program in place soon. 

Aaron Ledlie has been sending the photos to the press and sometimes they get picked up but he's suggesting a group get together to work out a media campaign and has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 10 to brainstorm it.  He suggests linking to Aaron Lavin's idea and some people are already on board but others are welcome.  The location is not determined yet. 

Roger Gignac announced that next week, Tuesday, is Hamper Night.  The Salvation Army is being a big help with the logistics so bring the family and a pot luck and enjoy the evening.  Guy is bringing his PA and some music.  Each Rotarian contributes $50.00.  No charge for guests. 

There will not be a Wednesday meeting.

Chester Graham offered his thanks for the hospitality.  He said his father had been to 10 of the annual commemorations of the liberation of Holland which took place 67 years ago.  The latest trip, with his family, was for the 65th and Chester said he'd been overwhelmed by the level of love and respect the Dutch have for the Canadian vets.  He was touched every day he was there.  On the trips his father has taken he's always stayed with the same family and the two families are close - 5 came from Holland for Frank's 90th.

Members of that family are organizing an opportunity for 25 youth - 18 to 25 - from Canada and another 25 from Holland to cycle from Juno Beach 700 kms past several memorials and battle grounds marking events in the First and Second Wars to Holland in time for the next annual commemoration next May.  There will be 10 chaperones and they will stay in hostels or camp and they will be billeted in Holland.  The participants will travel at their own expense.  Chester's brother Lloyd is helping with recruitment and they have several committed to the trip already.  The trip has been named in Frank Graham's honour.

Chester had a slide show that highlighted some of Frank's visits to Holland and features of the cycle trip.  The hope is that the project will grow to include more participants every year and some pipe band members have expressed interest.  The bikes are being sponsored by a Dutch company and there is a website - www.cycleliberationtour.nl.  It is scheduled to run between the 22nd and the 29th of April which, Chester admits, is problematic for students due to course requirements but some have made accommodation. 

Frank's not riding.  The trip includes visits to Vimy, Dieppe and Niemagen.  Chester has made a request to the Board for support to help defray some of the participant's expenses and thanked the Club for its consideration.

Ron thanked Chester and the Veterans in attendance.

Phil introduced Jim, an author with 250,000 fiction and non fiction books sold and documentaries produced about him and his work.  His ancestors settled here and he and his wife, Elizabeth, a teacher and painter, split their time between here and Toronto.  They've been married since 1955 and now have two great grandchildren.

Jim congratulated Rotary on its work, especially its efforts towards world peace.  Jim claimed to have been saved by literature.  When caught reading after curfew at his boarding school and facing punishment the house master let him off cause he was reading War and Peace.  It captured him - the lives of all those Russians - and it introduced him to a new medium of understanding which he vowed to try himself.  The paradox he discovered is that writing requires ego and forces humility.  But Jack McClellan encouraged him to enter into the languages, the lives and the experiences beyond his own.

As a participant in WW II he felt that it had been justified but he discovered that some behaviours of the allies were no better than our enemies.  A million German prisoners died of maltreatment and starvation after the war's end and Jim has written about this atrocity.  The bombing campaigns obliterated cities, causing horrific suffering.  In 1986 he realized that Cologne, which looks old, is actually completely rebuilt.  His sister helped to plan the raids that targeted civilians and he used to think all the people that took part were heroes but he's changed his mind and he pities the suffering while he hates the crimes that started it.  In trying to explain he tried to combine in himself both novelist and historian in the production of his 'big book'.

There are two enemies in a war - we have to see ourselves and enemies of the other side and try to learn to stand with them without hatred.  He turned to Tolstoy again to try to remove the lense of perspective - our own - and to present each side as they believed themselves to be.  He feels the hatred poisons us still and we must leap the bounds of cultural stereotypes.  Certainly Hitler was a problem and it's still unclear whether he was deceitful or not about the peace treaties he offered.  He certainly broke some and laughed while doing it but Churchill had elements of racism and megalomania in his personality that may have driven him to reject overtures.  These are theories and we need to know what actually happened.  There was another offer of peace after the fall of Poland and it might have been possible to maintain the empire and let Stalin and Hitler fight it out rather than go to war to guarantee European borders.

Jim tries to look to individuals who make up the events.  Canadians who fought were almost all volunteers and he tries to discover what drove them.  There were 8 plots to kill Hitler over the 10 years he was in power and those plotters and the people who spied against their own country or who helped refugees escape are heroes too.  Almost always it is the hopeful and idealistic young who are destroyed by the men at the top.  Our history and our contributions are significant and fascinating and stand on their own, they don't need the myths and the concept of 'the enemy' that have been promulgated by writers on our side.  The winners write the history and Churchill made a contribution there as well that we need to understand.

Jim quoted Palmerston who said that Nations have no Friends, only Interests but Jim thinks it is in a nation's interest to have friends and that events today can be seen in that light - why drive the Iranians away, why not maintain contact and seek options? 

Robin is a professional arborist, of which there are only about 1,000 certified in Ontario.  He grew up on a farm south of Sherbrooke and went to elementary school in Lennoxville, with Ralph's wife, coincidentally.  A lot of people moved out of that Province and his family followed some friends to Barrie.  He met his wife in 1976 and they married in 1980 and have two sons and a daughter.  He and a partner started a company in 1992 and he went on his own in 2004.
Robin is currently studying for a Master's Arborist, a test with a 50% failure rate and a rank that's held by only 6 in Ontario.  His company does pruning, tree removal, valuations and reports on risk assessment.  They have a tool that shows the tree's rings and internal damage with affecting the tree.  It's the only one north of the GTA.
They will work with contractors to establish tree protection zones and to establish which trees to protect - hint - it's not always the biggest; it more likely will be the trees just coming to maturity that will have a longer life span and a smaller root area which is easier to protect.  This service is popular in the GTA but it should be done everywhere.
Robin's is the only company with an Air Spade north of the GTA.  This is a high pressure air hose that dislodges the soil around roots to disturb compacted soil or to allow the laying of cable or services without disturbing the roots.
Robin will also work on insect control - the Emeral Ash Borer is moving into our area.  The tree can be treated with an injection but if it isn't, the affected tree will die.  People are cutting their trees in the GTA and bringing the wood up to cottages for fires but bringing the borer with it.
They can to lightning protection of trees, though it's expensive.  Basically a copper wire is installed on the high points and grounded but it needs to be redone every year as the tree grows past the tip of the rod.
And they will install holiday lights, take them down and even store them.  This is more likely for larger scale displays but it does give the bucket trucks something to do in the off season.
Robin's company has always given to charity and at it's latest Board meeting it was agreed that 10% of profits would be dedicated to Rotary.
In answer to a question, Robin said the value of certification is growing as people recognize what the training contributes, though for many people, lowest cost is the only priority.  Toronto has a canopy protection program and it's material recommends a certified arborist so the word is spreading there.

Alex welcomed the Club to the facility.  He said he was a Field Manager in Insurance in 1970 when his wife thought they should buy a 21 bed operation on Yonge St.  It was 6,000 sq. ft. and had no elevator and while he kept his job in Toronto he also became bath attendant and elevator boy.  He couldn't keep up the two so moved to Midland.  In 1972 the Province started to take more oversight, trying to standardize fees and services and Alex did some organizing and lobbying.  They had been planning a new place but construction was put on hold till 76. 
They did start to build and planned to exceed standards.  They made the dining room big enough to serve all residents at once and provided activity areas.  They took over the Coldwater building, which was old and took a lot of work.  The Villa achieved accreditation.  They introduced respiet beds and a day care program.  In 1985 they opened the Villa/Lodge so a person who was still more independent could be near a spouse who needed more care. 
They took on facilities in Orangeville and Haileybury, bidding and winning against chain operations, and took on a place in Manitoulin which was only 60 beds.  A place that size has almost all the costs of one as large as 100 beds but, of course, less income, so they are difficult but many smaller places can't support larger homes and people want to be near families.
London and Chatham were next.  Alex was active in the OLTC Assoc. and served as President, which meant dealing with the government, always problematic because a change in government often meant changes in policies.  They recruited volunteers, engaged in lobbying, he wrote a book and in 2002 they took licenses in Leacock, Barrie, Orillia, Huntsville and North Hamilton and Jarlette became the biggest family owned chain.  They won the OLTC quality improvement award and Leacock won an Innovations award and will be competing at a national event.
Accreditation means they have met or exceeded standards on a checklist of over 400 - Barrie received only 13 recommendations and no orders.  They have constantly tried to optimize building efficiencies and involve residents in decisions and activities.
Alex said he had travelled extensively and, while providing care anywhere is difficult Canada always compares well against facilities in other countries he's seen.  He and his staff offered members of the Club a tour and the meeting adjourned.

Several members were not able to attend the Fireside and I had hoped to have a brief review of that meeting out sooner.  So, for the record, here's a short report and sorry for the delay.

The concept was for 6 working groups to develop a suggestion for a long term, sustainable project that could make a difference in our community.  It should involve partners, require commitments from members and could involve significant funding.

Dave Mink reported for the Community Improvement Committee.  He said they had many ideas but focused on the concept of promoting festivals and events in the area by hiriing an co-ordinator who would work with local groups to present events that they were already participating in, who would apply for grants and who would co-ordinate publicity.  Space would be needed for this person to work out of and links to the local municipalities would be vital.

Jamie Tripp, for the Education Committee said involving youth and encouraging participation was the key to the idea of starting an Interact Club and both High Schools.  The Y, the Boys and Girls Club, The Wye Marsh and the Library are trying to start a Youth Advisory Group and would be partners.  Support would have to come from the schools and Rotarians would be required to act as mentors.  Funding would be minimal.  Once started, the groups should be self sustaining and projects with MARC or other charities could be developed.  The challenge is to maintain enthusiasm as students graduate.

Aaron Ledlie proposed the Rotary Club form and fund an Economic Development Corporation that would co-ordinate efforts of municipalities in North Simcoe, market the Region as a whole, act as a business incubator, work to avoid politics and join with organizations like the North Simcoe Development Futures to promote and enhance and initiate job creation throughout the area.  He suggested a salary of at least $60,000.00 a year and office and other sundry costs for at least 3 years to get it started.

Fred Hacker said the Health Committee researched 6 separate projects but came down to helping the Trauma Unit at GBGH, which Ron spoke to.  He said the area is home to many types of emergencies and accidents.  Very busy roads in season but besides that we have boating and snowmobiling accidents, patients from Waypoint and the Jail, an aging demographic with its cardiac arrests etc.  Trauma incidents have increased by 50% over the last 10 years to approach numbers reported by hospitals like St. Mike's.  Certainly most patients are evacuated but they need to be stabilized first and that needs a large team with modern equipment in a large space.  Ron showed a picture of what the current space looks like and compared it to what it should look like.  He says patients here deserve better.  The Hospital will name it the Midland Rotary Trauma Centre, there is space available and it would cost about $300,000.00 for the equipment.

Tara said that Recreation improves health and spirits, reduces medical costs and adds to enjoyment of life.  She hopes to increase year round participation, promote sustainable employment, improve socioeconomic conditions and enhance the community's culture by creating an outdoor RecPlex that would include a splash pad and an outdoor rink that would be used for ball hockey during the summer.  It could be located near the soccer fields, on the waterfront or in Little Lake.  It would cost plus or minus $500,000.00 if built on Town owned land.

There was discussion on each of these ideas as they were brought forward which I have not reported.  There was a vote but I couldn't stay for the tabulations so I understand that it was suggested that the Education project go ahead anyway because of low costs while discussion on the Events and the Trauma ideas would continue. 

Joyce said that John had been born in Toronto but had been raised all over because his father was in the military.  John took a job sorting mail at CMHC and studied accounting, becoming chartered in 1977 and moving to Barrie.  In 1993 he was hired by the Y as a VP of Finance for a year but he only retired in 2011.  Over those years revenue increased from 750 thousand to 20 million.  He's been a Board member on many charities, especially those working with children.  He joined Rotary in 1986 and has held most of the offices available and has worked with the District on Youth Committees and Exchange Committees.  He led a GSE to Turkey and has served for 3 years as an ADG.  He is married  to Donna and both are multiple Paul Harris Fellows and benefactors.  When not involved in all these activities they curl and go to the cottage.

John thanked Joyce for the introduction and for her hard work with Rotary, most recently 3 years as an ADG.  He said he once was in the Y's Men but he found Rotary preferrable for its diversity, its commitment and its range of contributions both locally and internationally.  Since he's been involved there have been changes - the classification rule has been relaxed from one of each class per club to less than 10% of members in one class.  Women were invited to join in the late 80's and he's pleased to note that a woman he sponsored became the first female President of his Club.  Makeups can now be counted if they were taken within two weeks of the missed meeting instead of one and local Clubs are allowed to permit makeups for Board meetings, etc.  Attendance was once required to be 60% but now is only 50.  These changes have mostly been made to  increase membership and attendance but they haven't - it's still declining.  He has 26 years of perfect attendance which he has worked at because he feels he joined to be involved and he thinks the opportunities for fellowship and to work together are a major strength of the organization.  He hopes Clubs will grow through saying yes to challenges and opportunities and by working with others to benefit the community.
He says membership in our District has dropped from 1,800 to 1,600 over the last years and now he's looking for 240 new members across the District and for Midland that means 6.  This year's theme is Peace through Service and he's asking each Club to focus on an activity in the community that promotes Peace.  The District's mentorship program is working but he invites more members to help out.
There will be three international hands on trips this year - a wheelchair distribution in Jamaica, bicycles to Cambodia for students who couldn't get to school otherwise and the Domincan Republic trip.  He has asked each Club to organize an interclub visit to raise awareness and to share ideas and experiences.  Don't forget you can still get to the Conference in Ottawa for the 21st.  And the Rotary Leadership Institution is asking for stories of Rotary's impact on members or on others in the community to be collected and shared as he makes his visits.
He thanked the Club for its efforts on behalf of the Community and the World.

Ron introduced our MP, Bruce Stanton, as a local businessman and a hard worker with a strong reputation in the riding.
Bruce started by congratulating Emily on her work and sacrifice and commented that working to change the lives of others is one of Rotary's goals.  He said he valued his years in Rotary and had gone on a study exchange back in 1984.  He had to take an honourary status when he got elected but looks forward to returning.
He remarked that despite the large number of negatives around the world Canada has set a stage and the financial foundations that will stand it in good stead as the world works through these various crises.  We hear from outside commentators, like Moody's, that the Country has an economic resilience and diversity and that we are lucky to live in a country that stands 2nd on the Attractiveness index.  The US C of C notes that Canada has recovered faster than most other countries though we all understand that we are not out of the woods yet, primarily because Canada is a trading economy and we need healthy partners.
The world economy is more integrated and more complicated than ever but the G20 countries, which represent 90% of the world's GDP, have worked together to avoid the worst.  Unemployment hit 10.3% in Canada but that rate has been dropping and now stands at 7.6 in Huronia.  Businesses are gaining confidence and government is facilitating new jobs.  He understands that manufacturing is a major concern in this area but manufacturing is in decline all over and those jobs are being replaced by service jobs and construction. 
It's a new economy.  While, over the last 5 years 1 job in 7 has been lost, many of those have been replaced  due to technological advances which have enhanced productivity and to aging demographics which change demand to goods and services.  He says the government's focus is to create a strong economy and yes, the gov't promoted infrastructure spending but it is looking now to the private sector to create jobs.
Bruce, in answer to a question, said they support the prospect of a bridge to Christian Island as offering the best opportunities to the Band for self improvement but said the Council had to take the lead.  To another question he said health care decisions are a Provincial responsibility but that Health Canada is promoting awareness of good nutrition, of the hazards of smoking and the benefits of fitness.  Regarding the Arctic he said sovereignty will become more important as warming opens the sea ways and the gov't will have to work on economic development and environmental protection.
He thanked the Club for the work it does, for the special events and the individual efforts and received his certificate marking the donation in his name to Polio Plus.

Aaron Ledlie introduced Roland Monague, the Chief of the Band.  He's born and raised on Christian Island and has served two terms on Council and is in his second term as Chief. 

Chief Monague thanked the Club for the welcome, the meal and the opportunity to speak.  He said he was born in Midland, where the hospital was, and raised on the Island.  He said life there was a struggle and that he has faced challenges - the first was going to school not knowing any English - he grew up speaking Ojibway.  He went to school there through gr. 6 and then faced another challenge - going to school in Midland and boarding through the week.  This was quite a culture shock and, being billeted with strangers, he missed his large family.
He started HS at MSS but finished in Barrie because he had been recruited to play hockey with the Jr. B team there.  He feels that he was distracted a bit by the even bigger city and didn't put as much effort in as he could have but he still graduated in 1979 and went home but found there were no opportunities on the Island.  So he joined the military.
His first reaction to that life was that too many people were bossing him around so he worked as hard as he could and got promoted, first to Master Corporal and then, within 5 years, to Sergeant and he could tell some people what to do.  That was a challenge too, though, because he'd been promoted quite quickly and was in charge of people who had been in a lot longer.
He spent 5 years in Germany doing Cold War training and exercises and became a paratrooper.  He enjoyed travelling around Europe which he would not have been able to do otherwise.  Back at Petawawa an exercise went wrong - jumping in high winds caused equipment to crash, ammunition to go off and many troops to suffer broken bones.  He crushed two vertebrae and has experienced surgery and pain.  He stayed in for another 5 years but mustered out and joined the police on the Island.
The military gave him a lot of what he has to offer to the community and it helped him in his policing career - dealing with people he knew and earning their respect.  Eventually he ran for councillor and concentrated on water issues which has resulted in a high quality treatment plant being built.
Now, as Chief, he's facing other challenges.  Access to the Island is the biggest.  Many studies and reports have been produced and much consultation has been held with the feds.  A bridge would be the solution but it's way more expensive than another ferry and even another ferry is too expensive right now, apparently.  Funding is going to other priorities so they live with a 50 plus year old boat that's on its last legs and can't handle the pressures of summer traffic.
With guaranteed access they could develop a forestry industry, enhance their tourism and cottage traffic, explore their achealogical sites and build an economy.
Chief Minogue says he wants to make people more familiar with the Nation - many people still don't even know they're there but, he says, 'we're your neighbours, we spend money here for services we lack' and we should be talking more.
They are reaching out - to a Chinese firm for investment, for instance - but everything has to go through the feds which is a real obstacle.  They are concluding a land claims agreement for the land they gave up in Coldwater and will have cash to hand and will want to work with their neighbours to improve life for all on the Island.
The population there now is about 1,000 but it goes up by 3 times in the summer.  They have formed a Youth Council to work with the Band Council and to bring their ideas and concerns forward and they are working on a new strategic plan.
Ron offered the thanks of the Club to the Chief for his visit.

Ron introduced Joyce who moved from Boston in 1966 to Northern Ontario.  She is an economic developer and has worked in that field in Timmins and Midland though now she concentrates on designing and making jewellry.  She has three sons and 6 grandchildren.  Her involvement in Rotary started in 1998 and has been strong - serving as secretary, president, on committees, on wheelchair distributions and exchange visits.  She's a multiple PH Fellow, a Benefactor and has won the District Service Award.  She also serves as co-chair of the CLH campaign.

Joyce said the theme for this year's President - Sakuji Tanaka - is Peace through Service and he is sponsoring 3 Peace Forums in Berlin, Honolulu and Hiroshima through his year.  He is also working on a new strategic plan which will concentrate on strengthening the Clubs through more Public Relations, increased humanitarian service and emphasis on the core values.
The Foundation Chair is Wilfred Wilkinson who is concentrating on encouraging District projects, Polio eradication and recruiting Benefactors who support the Foundation through bequests, which Joyce encourages us to consider.
District Designated Grants, such as the one that helps us with our Hamper Nights, will continue but the Matching Grants program will be redesigned for July 2013.  Grants will be made available for PR projects.
The Focus of Rotary will be Peace, Disease, Water, Children's Health, Education and Literacy and Economic and Community Development.

John Gardner is our new District Governor and he is encouraging members to access the web site to review and update their own records and Clubs to promote their events and activities.  He is also promoting courses for members and working on plans and projects both short and long term.  Joyce repeated that it's important to maintain our information on Club Runner so the Club can maintain contact and can rely on the reports generated for planning purposes.  As she points out our Club actually has three genders - male, female and other - so check your account.

Joyce is also excited about a new District Project which involves partnering with Georgian College to teach indigenous people their languages.  Currently only about 2% of first nations people are fluent - the thread was broken by the residential schools - and a closer connection to their language, it is hoped, will strengthen their culture.  The Districit is looking for support for this from the Clubs and the ADG's are presenting the project to Clubs and their Boards.  Opportunities exist to endow a scholarship or support resource development (the recruitment and training of teachers).  Georgian will develop a Rotaract program in conjunction with this initiative.

The next Group Study Exchange will be to Taiwan from March 20 to April 20 and the leader will be chosen in August.  This program will be revised too, for 2014.  And don't forget the District Conference in Ottawa Sept. 20 to 23 and the International Conference in Lisbon June 23 to 26 next year.

Ron introduced Steve Wallace, the District Service Project Chair and Wasaga Beach Past President.  Steve said he has been involved in this project for a while and is now working to encourage other members and Clubs to join the effort.  As the Project Chair he co-ordinates the project with a single Club that acts as the core.  As core that Club provides financing and organizational efforts as well as recruiting its own members to participate.  But many people from other Clubs and many who are not Rotarians also help, especially medical professionals.
Steve explained that many Haitians moved over the border to the Dominican Republic over the years to work on cane fields but those fields have been shut down, the workers abandoned and their papers lost or taken.  So they are stateless and not wanted by either country.  Children born to these people are often stateless as well and the problem will only get worse.
There have been several trips made - Dave Young has gone on two - and last year the Innisfil Club, which is a very new Club, acted as the core of what they call a HEART mission.  Steve showed a video with highlights of that trip and interviews with people from the Innisfil Club who participated and you can see it is a worthwhile effort.  They are helping build concrete block residences and they contribute chickens and goats in an effort to make the people more self sustaining.  Doctors and Dentists have gone along with others who help them or who help with construction or distributing clothing etc.  Last year's trip took 70 hockey bags full of clothing and other basics as everything is needed.
Those on the video reported a sense of accomplishment and admiration for these people who maintain an enthusiasm for life in terrible conditions.
Steve said a trip will involve over 40 people and that much has been done but there's a lot more to do.  He offers his services as a planner and organizer to the Core Club to work on a trip which is already scheduled for the week of March 21 to 28.  He will be the face of it in the District, will help with fundraising, do the accounting and help with recruiting.  He already has a doctor, a couple of dentists and a nurse practitioner ready to go.  Benefits to the Club are the experience and the accomplishment of an international hands on service project.  It is not just writing cheques.
Costs to the participants is $1,300.00 for flights, food and lodging.  To the Club it's a minimum of $6,500.00 but with more more can be done.  That goes to buy chickens and goats, construction materials, tools and medical supplies (about $3,000.00).  Children can be accommodated.  The DR is safe, the lodging is comfortable, there are translators and most understand either french or spanish.
Ron thanked Steve for his work on this project and noted a donation to Polio Plus will be made in Steve's name.  He added that the Board will be discussing Steve's request.

Phil introduced Juliette, who will be going home soon, Stephanie, recently back from Switzerland, Samantha, home from New Zealand and Jacob who will be our outbound student in Germany this year.
Juliette has just returned from a two week trip to the East Coast which she found beautiful and very different from here.  Again she made many friends and found it hard to say goodbye.  She said that this was her last meeting with us and it seemed like only yesterday she was at her first.  She feels she has been lucky to be part of this programme and has enjoyed meeting everybody and she thanked the Club for the opportunity.  Jamie Tripp and Phil presented Juliette with a watch.

Jacob said he hadn't left yet and it was already stressful.  He arrives in Germany on Sept. 6 and will be in school the next day but he has already met other exchange students which has been helpful and is working on the language.  He feels it is an honour to be selected and he thanked the Club for their support.

Samantha had been sponsored by the Wasaga Beach Club and went to New Zealand.  She got back on Sunday and it all feels like a dream still.  While it is hard to describe the experience she says that meeting people and experiencing a different life has changed the way she looks at things and changed her thinking.  The scenery in NZ is beautiful and very varied and she had wonderful host families but she thought her school - with no boys - kind of sucked.  All the girls had been together for a long time and were all close friends so getting to know them was hard at first but it all was a wonderful experience.

Stephanie was gone almost exactly 11 months and it wasn't nearly enough - she would have been glad to stay.  She says you can't imagine the experience before you go and how much you'll miss it all when you come home.  Her language problem was compounded by having to speak high German in school and Swiss German among her fellow students and they are, apparently, quite different languages.  The stress was telling and she sometimes fell asleep - in class and once on the train which then took her to another country.

In response to a question about how they'd changed Juliette said she thought she was better at getting to know people, at accepting help and in learning to grow.  She says she is more aware of how much there is to do, how many places there are to go and how important it is to understand people from their perspective and to be less judgemental.  When asked what they would advise others to do Stephanie encouraged us to say yes to everything.  You'll be surprised at what opens up.

Ron offered the thanks of the Club and of Rotary for being such good representatives and wished them well. 
Another question

Phil introduced a young lady who needed no introduction, Juliette who will be going home soon.  Her name, which I didn't quite catch all of, has four because her mother's and father's are incorporated.  Her father manages coffee farms - 4 of them - and her mother sells fabrics.  She has two sisters who are both in university.

The flag of Brazil has 26 stars below the line for the States and one above for the federal district.  About 190,000,000 people live there.  The economy is based on agriculture and minerals though manufacturing is strong.  A highlight of life in Brazil are Carnival when people show up 'not so dressed' and which involves a year of preparation.

She comes from Patrochinio, which is in Minas Gerais State.  People went there first for minerals but now the area she's in is noted more for coffee production - the most in the world.  Her school has a fixed curriculum and all the classes are boring but she's already started university, having 6 months of law before she came here.  Getting into university requires passing a series of tests that act to filter out many but in the end students get state support.

Brazil has a wide variety of animals, scenery, food, sporting opportunities and soccer.  We saw pictures.

Juliette had not considered the exchange program and was already applying for university when she started exploring what it might mean for her.  Her parents were relulctant but finally agreed and again she went through a series of tests of general knowledge and Rotary knowledge, a test of English and a psychological test and an interview.  She placed second in the rankings and chose to come to Canada and it has become real to her, she has loved it and she is grateful to all who helped make it such a great experience.

She urged the Club to continue participating in the exchange program because it is such a rewarding experience for participants - what she's learned over one year is more than she's learned in the previous 15 - how to deal with people, how not to be afraid of stuff and how to take on challenges, about cultures and about making friends.  She said it's been an awesome year.

She thanked her host families for their hospitality and thanked the Club as a whole over and over. 

Phil said she will be leaving on a tour of the east coast but will be back for a final visit and farewell - in the meantime he presented her with a Canadian flag signed by all Rotarians present - if you weren't at the meeting there's still room on it - and congratulated her on her spirit and commitment.

We met at the Sports Centre with members of Askenonia and of the Midland Secondary School so our regular meeting schedule was much amended.  After words of welcome from Judy Contin and O Canada, a nod to Queen, Country and Rotary and  our prayer led by Ron the meeting was turned back to Judy.
The primary purpose of this joint lunch was to see a couple of examples of the work of MSS students who have been creating an oral history of Midland by interviewing some of our senior residents.  Midland Rotary has contributed to this work with some funding and individual Rotarians, specifically Dean Nicholls, have participated as subjects.
We saw an edited version of Dean's interview and, as usual, he was not at a loss for words.  His recollections of moving here as a young lad from a pristine countryside and encountering the smells, noise and activity of a large and busy town were interesting and his insights into the Town's development probably very helpful to the students.
Bill Jamieson, from Chrisitan Island, had served in the Canadian Forces as a communications specialist and had been posted to peace keeping missions in Israel, Egypt and the Congo.  He retired from that and worked in Ottawa with survivors of the residential schools before moving back to the Island where he has served as a counsellor and is working on establishing a memorial to those first nations people who have made the final sacrifice.
In comments after the screenings Bill encouraged more communication between the Island residents and those of us on the mainland, saying that we don't know much about each other.  He said he felt that oral history was dying due to inroads of TV and other media.  Dean encouraged us to support the war memorial.
John Faragher thanked the Club for its contributions to the project and the museum for its support, saying the students will continue to be involved and that it is a valuable exercise for them.
Brian, from the museum, mentioned that the longer versions of the interviews are available and will be posted, soon, on line.

Ron reminded us that Wasaga Beach is selling tickets on a Corvette again so get in touch with them about buying one.  And Bill Richardson wants to remind everyone that there will be a vote on June 26.  The International Committee is recommending $10,000.00 for Life4Kids and $5,000.00 for water filters.  The funds are available.

As the meeting departed a bit from its regular rhythm, so has this report but it was an interesting event for those of us there. 

Ralph said Jason had witheld information, presumably to include in his talk, so the introduction would be brief.  Jason moved to Midland a couple of years ago from Uxbridge.  His father had been a founding member of the Uxbridge Club and Jason was involved in Rotaract.  He approached the Midland Club and Ralph was glad to invite him to the meetings.  He is the President and co-founder of Home Cooked Solutions, a Web support company.

Jason said he'd been coming to the Georgian Bay since he was 3 months old, to a cottage in the Pointe Au Baril area.  The cottage is hardly luxurious - hard roof camping is what Jason calls it, no electricity, no running water, but he loves it there.  He grew up in Pickering but moved to Uxbridge in time for High School.  Throughout he was involved in Scouting and pursued his love of the outdoors and tried to help others appreciate it too.  He participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards program as well.  He went to U of T and joined the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.  While parties were certainly part of the agenda, this fraternity works to help others - their food drives are very successful and Jason served as Food Drive Chair and then as President of the Fraternity.

He's been building web sites since High School, thanks to a great teacher who was a great encouragement.  He did a site for the school with a friend and served as VP and then President of the Student Council.  His first summer job was working on the web site of Travel Cuts and found that more suited to his temperment and abilities than large class rooms and physics so he left university and took a full time job at Travel Cuts.  He did continue to take courses, finishing a web certification program at Ryerson.

He has been able to take a series of sabbaticals and spend time travelling in between jobs.  He worked at a start up that didn't, quite and then a web site development company.  He and his then girlfriend, now wife, Nicole, took off for 9 months around the world.  Partly for the experience, partly to see how they travelled together and they maintained a web page recounting their trips and looking for input.  They climbed to Everest base camp, snorkled in the Maldives and kayaked in Thailand.  In Slovenia he proposed to Nicole.

Nicole is a U of T graduate in Economics and has work experience in marketing.  She is the VP of their company, in charge of sales, marketing and graphics.  She is volunteering as Chair of the Communications Committee of the Huronia Communities Foundation and has updated all their communications - their letterhead, their web site etc.

Jaons said that between the two of them they are a full fledged web site management company, able to provide marketing, to develop strategies for individual companies and to work to raise site recognition in the Google search algorithm.  They have several clients in Toronto that they hardly ever see like Black and Decker, Adobe, and Kwick Kopy.  Local companies they have worked with include GI Jane and AWEeast which, with their help, has turned their not too active web site inot a major earner.

They both like winter too and snowboard in Quebec and Wyoming. 

Bruce Wilcox thanked Jason for his talk, saying that, as usual, hearing from one of out own is always most interesting.  He said we were glad he and his wife picked Midland and the Midland Rotary Club.

Fred Hacker said this project has become a passion for him as he's seen in grow.  He thinks there's a misunderstanding in the community about the facility and its mandate and operations and wants to help clear some of that up.  He noted the article in last week's Free Press which points out that Midland is poised to become a vibrant cultural community and that it now has a focus, a new centre that will encourage not only outside talent, it will mostly promote local people.
When those locals put on an art show or a play or some other performance it will all contribute to the economy by both developing their skills but also by drawing traffic to the downtown and to the community as a whole.  He added that it has started well with the play Our Town, which is terrific and he says everybody should see it.
As he was talking he showed some pictures of the facility.
The big question people have been asking is why build it at all and he thinks it will complement all that is already here - the recreational, educational and social initiatives that are in place.  The Foundation saw the opportunity to make a physical improvement by revitalizing a key property in the downtown and to stimulate the local economy (as reported in the article mentioned) by attracting new businesses, professionals and creative people.
Every community has to distinguish itself from all the others - branding - and, combined with our geography, health care and now this building, Midland is on its way to doing so.  The MCC will be a home and a focus for the arts, a home for the gallery and the theatre and will be a self sustaining and inspiring year round facility.
The objectives of the place are- to benefit artists and creative groups.
                                                       to be a facility for education and sharing of skills and knowledge and ideas (Quest is already a high quality teaching institution and the Huronia players will be puttin on theatre schools)
                                                       to develop an appreciation for the arts and culture in the region and encourage the vitality of the arts in the community
                                                       to be fiscally responsible - in comparison with Meaford, for instance, which spends 750 thousand on staffing for their facility, most of the operatives are to be volunteers.  It will host weddings and events, for a fee, and will look for local patrons, which all arts groups need.  The facility is paid for and is being given free to the community.
                                                       to operate as a complement to other cultural institutions and groups in the community.
                                                      
At the moment there are only two employees, the chef, Ivar, and the general manager, Kim.  The theatre is first class with good seating, acoustics and technologies.  Rotary Hall will sit about 300 people in an audience or 150 for dinner, the stage is removable and adjustable and there's a 7 foot piano.
As for operations - it's owned by the Town so it doesn't pay taxes and is leased to the MCC Inc. which is a non profit corporation with a Board made up of shareholders - members of the Town Council, Trustees of the Weber Foundation and members of the public and the arts community.  Space is sublet to the Huronia Players and Quest and there will be funding from rentals and donations.
Fred thanked Rotary for its donation and said he was gratified to know that the Club will be moving to its new home there.  He thinks that is a vote of confidence and as well as giving the Club a permanent home it will make Rotary a presence in the facility and in the downtown.  He said it couldn't have been done without all the wonderful volunteers, John Lister among them.
Tara asked about storage of Rotary archives but that is still being worked out.  Fred spoke to parking, saying that as most events would be in the evening all the lots would be accessible and relatively empty but that there are over 500 spaces within easy steps of the front door.
President's Night will be June 20 and will be held there and the first regular meeting on the 27th will start us off on the new year there.  But on June 13 go to Askennonia at the NSSRC.

Janice McLeod said she'd met Ernie years ago when they were both florists and she remembered him for his work on the FTD association and for Rotary.  Janice has been a member since 1991 and a member of the United Church since she was born.  Her grandfather was a minister and a Rotarian and she thinks the two institutions share missions and beliefs.  She said that though she'd worked on projects for her Club it was a trip to Nigeria that focused her efforts.
She remembers Bartlesman writing about residential schools and about first nations residents without running water and she thought about the natives joining the protest to protect the water at Site 41.  The United Church has an Aboriginal Ministry and Rotary is introducing an initiative to give our neighbours a greater voice.
This requires a change in thinking on our parts.  Rupert Ross, a Crown Attorney for first nations justice says they have to look beyond the crime and examine the forces behind it.  His grandfather taught the wisdom of the 5 waves that have to be evaluated as they come together around the point of land:  the winds - creating new waves; the past - waves left over from past winds; the currents - moving the water under the waves; the Gulf Stream; and the Rotation of the Earth - study them all and understand their effects before putting out in a boat.
Janice recognizes that many are disappointed by the image many natives project but there are many excellent ambassadors of that nation that we should pay attention to.  With Lakehead starting an Aboriginal Law school we can hope there will be more.  But the current winds and waves are still affected by the events that preceding generations have experienced.
She asks Clubs to become aware and seek out candidates for GSE's, for membership, for subscriptions to Rotarian and for speakers.  She suggests we try to to think of anyone as them and to ask ourselves what our response to 10 or 12 years of residential school abouse would have been - take a drink maybe?  She is encouraging building partnerships that will have an impact on Canada and our legacy.
Programs - self identifcation - have we members of first nations in our clubs?  Do we invite speakers to our Clubs?  Can we participate in programs with first nations like team building canoe trips?  Can we find first nations candidates for exchange experiences or Adventures in programs.
She says the first nations population is a young one - 50% of them are under 25 and almost 50% of them live in urban areas.  But while we build awareness we have to learn to fit in where we are needed, not push solutions on them that won't fit.

John Lister reiterrated that the Community Services is suggesting developing a project of our own, not supporting others but taking ownership.  It doesn't have to be physical, it could take form over several years and it should be big.  Partners would be welcome and it must make an impact in the community.  The Club must be involved as participants and as funders.  He said we want to take the time to plan this and make sure we are pursuing a goal that the Club agrees on and that is right for the community.  So we need to do some evaluation.
He suggested forming 6 Committees - Health, Education, Economic Development, Recreation, Community Improvement and Environment.  Each will solicit ideas and bring one of them forward to a meeting on July 4.  Each Committee will have a champion who will promote their idea to the Club then.
Two of the ideas will be selected for futher study and research and a final vote will be held at the Fireside of Sept. 12.
There may well be overlap - ideas that seem to fall in more than one area - but that's ok - just champion it and see what the Club thinks.
The champions for each Committee are
Health - Fred Hacker
Education - Bill Molesworth
Economic Development - Hank DeJong
Community Improvement - David Mink
Recreation - Tara Hunt
Environment - Rob Thompson/Sue Hrickovian

Sue said Gord had been born in Gander, Newfoundland and had worked for the Government, the Bank of Montreal and a sports supply company.  He and Kathy have been married 35 years and they moved here 11 years ago.  Since then he's been active on many Boards and Committees including Out of the Cold and Huronia Foundation for the Arts and has served as Councillor and for the last 18 months as Mayor.

Gord said he and Kathy came here 11 years ago and were struck by how attractice King St. was and the friendlly reception they received in the stores they visited.  He's known ever since that this is a place we do not want to change but, it can't stay the same and there are challenges.  The Town is not growing - only 225 new people in 15 years and development and real estate sales are slow.  The population is aging faster than the national average and the youth population is dropping which means fewer people are working and less money being spent.  The drop in the number of jobs in town has been going on for a while but the recession made it worse, thought there are bright spots.  Manufacturing has lost 300 jobs but health care has added 130.  While we can value the quality of life we have to focus on economic development.

The NSDFC has been working hard and has made a good and thorough analysis of our situation which has been the basis for the initiative the 4 mayors are pursuing - working together to develop a strategy and a vision that reaches beyond boundaries and around the shoreline, searching for a common bond and an economy that is knowledge based with manufacturing, year round tourism and a strong health care component.
In early 2012 the 4 Councils approved the strategy though their commitment was limited to $5,000.00 each.  With that a web site is being developed that will list opportunities and promote the region. 

A summit series has begun with the one in Feb. that focused on health care - what will the health care situation be in 20 years and what will we have to do to achieve that.  It was a first step in becoming proactive and starting to manage the economy rather than just reacting.  A prosperity summit will be held on Sept. 25 to which all stakeholders will be invited.  Tiny is working on an agricultural summit, Tay on tourism

But the private sector needs to be engaged.  The private and public sectors working together.  On May 29 an Economic Development Corporation will be struck and work will start on a long term platform for planning that will reduce the unintended effects of politics and the political cycle.  Midland is also trying to reduce red tape, a Renew Midland effort is being launched, similar to what was developed in Australia but perhaps the first in Canada.  Contacts are being made with Georgian College and a public consultation will be held on Unimen and the gaming opportunities.  A consultation on a signature event is being held, the marine operators have met a couple of times to pursue co-operative advertising and Parks and Rec are developing a Passport to Downtown for boaters visiting the docks.

It's not just growth Gord is pursuing; he says he's looking to maintain the quality of life we find here.  Rotary speaks to Community building and he's looking for help from the Club.

Myrosia is a Certified Image Specialist who works in areas of job development and closely with employers to find the right worker.  She suggests thinking about life changing events we have experienced.  Changing jobs, having a family, graduating university.  In her current situation she's a job developer - the contact between an employer and prospective employees.  She evalulates the position and the people available and develops a 'route to hiring'.  She creates a profile of the employer by doing a hiring needs analysis, then she creates the posting and a plan for the future.  She can help with job descriptions, post jobs on web sites, etc.  She processed 236 last year.  She collects resumers and can do a pre screening and job matching.
The Y can facilitate wage incentives and has made over $100,000.00 available to employers since 2007, which means money coming into the community but also, and more important, the creation of long term jobs and more employed people.
There is also an apprenticeship signing bonus program and job shadowing and placements.
The Y offers employer support through assistance in the hiring process and space for interviews, job fairs, opportunities through the C o C and workshops in recruiting and hiring practices.
Benefits to the employer are the savings of time and money and the greater resources of working with a team in a win win.  They can help develop job sharing plans and they provide bilingual services.

Myrosia has worked with Petra, who worked in HR for a midsized company in Toronto before coming her to take a position with NEBS as a generalist in HR.  Petra said her experiences with Myrosia have been positive, especially in her first days when she was trying to fill two jobs and found that Myrosia and the Y are community based with local contacts and knowledge which proved very helpful.  They are cost effective - free! and there is no sales pressure.  She has experience with employment agencies who care more about placing anyone than finding the right someone.  The staff at the Y are trained and professional with a real interest and understanding of what they are doing.  They offer a flexible and responsive variety of services.  The preselection process saves a lot of time.

The Y works under contract to Employment Ontario.

James is a graduate of UCC and Queen's.  He's a publisher and a writer - author of the controversial "Old Boy" that exposed abuse at the College.  Most recently he has published "What Disturbs Our Blood", winner of the Writer's Trust Prize in 2010 and nominated for the Giller and recognized as a memoir of power and candour.

Mr. Fitzgerald described the book as an adult murder mystery.  His father and grandfather were eminent Toronto doctors and at one time he lived with them and his mother - three generations in the house his grandfather built.  At that age he was unaware of his grandfather's international reputation.  His father became a professor at U of T and a doctor at Toronto General and moved his family to Forest Hill and a very pleasant lifestyle.  But in the 1960's his father had a nervous breakdown, suffered from depression and attempted suicide twice.  James thinks brutal psychiatric treatments made his condition worse.
At this point he started asking questions about his grandfather, who nobody discussed, and eventually discovered he had attempted suicide too.  His conclusion that his family were either crazy or dead and that success was something he had mixed feelings about.  All his life he has suffered powerful dreams, nightmares concerning the house and at 33 he sought help and eventually started to release 'generations of untapped grief' and gave himself permission to examine his inner life.
His grandfather had been the founder of Connaught Labs.  He was the youngest person on the U of T faculty and a colleague of Banting and Best.  100 years ago medicine in Toronto was third world quality.  The city was rife with disease, typhus etc. and mortality was 20%.  Diptheria killed thousands every year and though there were some drugs they came from the States, they were expensive and there was no guarantee of effectiveness.
His grandfather spent the years 1910 to 1913 travelling the world and studying and he learned to manufacture vaccines and he came back to Toronto and persuaded U of T to participate in producing these for free for the poor.  In 1914 there was huge demand for vaccines for the troops going to Europe and Gooderham contributed land and funds and during the war the Labs produced millions of doses.  In 1921 they started producing insulin.  He also worked to eliminate diptheria in Toronto and Hamilton and came to the attention of Rockefellor who helped him open the first school of public health in Canada - only the third in NA.  In one generation he had taken public health in Toronto from a backwater to a world leader.  By his 30's he was Dean of Medicine at U of T. and became a world traveller and lecturer but he died in 1940.
James knew nothing of this growing up and his research only gave him the public face - he knew nothing of his grandfather's inner life.
A visit to the old Lunatic Asylum at 999 Queen St. brought him to some letters, given to the institution a week before by the heir of the recipient, a past director of the Asylum.  These were written while he was in a US institution, suffering from depression and dying.  These gave James his first insight into the mind of his grandfather.
He recognized the voice of his father  in the 60's in the voice of these letters.  Two incredibly successful men who were suffering from loss of status, of work, of money.  And there was a third voice, his own.  Material here could not be invented - it was a story that needed to be told.  A final piece came from a doctor in his 80's living in BC that his mother sent him to see. But that part is in the book.

Sue thanked James for his visit and made a donation in his name to Polio Plus.

Britt was pleased to present a cheque to Kate Hunter for Shelter Now's Community Kitchen Programme.  85% of their clients have mental health issues and this program aims to help them develop skills and healthy eating habits.  The staff and clients have planted a garden and are planning meals.  The Club is contributing $2,500.00.  Kate expressed thanks on behalf of the Board and Staff and residents of Shelter Now and said the programme would be starting now.

Britt also asked for votes on $5,000.00 for a bed lift for CLH and a commitment of $10,000.00 a year for 3 years to Physician Recruitment.

Britt asked John Lister to discuss a concept from the Community Services Committee.
John reported that the Committee has been exploring the concept of a Signature Project, one that would be significant and would address a community need.  Generally, he said, the Club supports physical projects, like trails, bandshells, buildings, which are built and then left.  Sometimes the Club does virtual projects, like mentoring.  But what they are suggesting here is a multi year project with everyone involved - as much as a million dollars over time and engaging partners and matching grants and donations.

Rotary would drive it and make the approaches to the potential partners and supervise over the long term.  He suggests researching needs by asking the NSCFD, the Hospital etc. and find priorities that the Club can address.  Suggestions can be brought forward over the summer and final discussions can be held in the fall.

Fred Hacker noted that while this could be worthwhile such a project should not take away from the traditional areas of service and the various programs the Club has traditionally supported.  He also suggests that sufficient time be taken to establish the project's goals and objectives clearly.  Hank asked if there was anything in the Visioning exercise and Aaron Ledlie suggested members review that document.  Bruyce Wilcox reminded the Club that Rotary had been instrumental in the founding of both CLH and Rosewood, important organizations that are now self sustaining.  Steve noted that Barrie Clubs had built the Rotary House there.  Lister agreed that such projects can be done and that it could invigorate the Club.  He asked for ideas to be brought forward to the May 2nd meeting or given to Community Service Committee members.  Ron said it will be discussed by the combined Boards at their next meetings.

Jamie Tripp introduced John, who has been a Club President and a DG and is now with the Collingwood Club, a Paul Harris and a Benefactor.  Cora was a member of a Club in the Philippines but now belongs to the Collingwood Club as well.

John reminded us that he had seen the city dump outside Cebu in 2005 was watched the kids picking for food and celebrating the discovery of a load of hot dogs.  This changed his life - he felt someone had to go out into the rich world and talk about this.  Within a year they were feeding 4,000 kids a day.  Then they closed the dumps and the kids became street people and they started a back to school program because, as Kofi Annan said, the road from misery to hope is education.

First they find a sponsor, then a scholar willing to learn and then appoint a mentor to observe and assist.  $50.00 a year is all it takes and they have 1,000 in the program now.  But many have never been to school at all and don't know how to start.  So they started an alternative learning program that uses computer training remotely run by teachers in their spare time.  One group has seen 200 kids go far enough to be employed and they bring the money home and help educate their younger siblings.  The government helps by running the tests that certify graduation.  They are trying to expand this program beyond Cebu.  John feels that if they can stay where they are the migration to the city might be curbed a bit.  Rutal poverty to urban poverty isn't progress.

John feels that what we do for others will live on and you can see that he and Cora are leaving a legacy.

John also reported on two recent disasters they've suffered there - the floods that washed houses away with families sleeping in them.  Short term help arrived fairly quickly but long term is always problematic so they have raised funds from Clubs and through matching grants to organize over 10 40 ft. containers full of supplies that will be going soon.  And last week they had an earthquake that left severe destruction in its wake.  They are helping with surgery equipment and have arranged for a fire engine to be delivered.

Jamie thanked John for his presentation and his dedication and announced a donation to RI International has been made in his name.  Bill Richardson presented John and Cora with a cheque for $2,500.00 for disaster relief and John promised to double and triple it through matching grants and thanked the Club for its support.

Kathy said this was her second classification with this Club - back in 1002 when she was Kathy Warlow and only the fourth female to join.  She was born in Toronto in 1963 to parents who had emigrated from Hungary in 1957.  Her mother was a nurse from a city on the border of Austria and her father was from the country who trained as a botanist and an accountant.  He had been able to help make the family farm more profitable but after the Russians came it was all lost.

He stole a military truck and a uniform and, using fake papers and language skills, managed to drive across the border when he was 27.  Her mother's brother had gotten lost in the turmoil and her mother was sent to find him but she got swept up in the refugee movements and ended up walking into Austria.  They both lived in a refugee camp for a couple of years, which was where they met.  Leaving was a lottery.  Some countries were accepting refugees and when a boat arrived and if your number was drawn you were off to wherever.  Her father was selected but he wouldn't leave without her mother but they weren't married and it wasn't allowed.  Of course there were others in the same situation so in the end there was a wedding ceremony for 300 couples and when the next boat came it was off to Canada.

Her mother was sequestered in a TB sanitorium on arrival in Halifax and her father laboured but after a year 3 couples bought an old car and, with the windows open in winter to avoid the smoke from the engine they drove to Toronto.  They lived in the Bloor Bathurst area and her father worked maintenance at the Lord Simcoe Hotel and her mother worked in a nursing home.  Kathy's brother George was born in 59, Kathy in 63 and her other brother, Peter, in 70.  They did a lot of camping and came to this area a lot before buying land and building a cottage. 

Kathy moved her permanently in 84 and launched an unsuccessful business and went back to Toronto but realized how much she missed it so after becoming a massage therapist in 1990 she came back and started a business and did some teaching.  By now she was a single mother to Jason and James - Jason is in business and currently is in Vietnam.  James is in his second year at RMC.  He was a magician at 10 and worked through high school.  Even though he got great marks in school here he had to do a lot of catching up when he went to Kingston.  Kathy was critical of his education here.

She and Mark Kowalski were married in 2006 way up a slope in Banff.  They like adventure and scuba and climb when they travel, do cross fit training.  She showed a short film of her spa which is doing well and has a great staff. 

In answer to a question she told us her uncle ended up in England and her parents in Sweden.  She said she hadn't spent a lot of time on her business or on all the sorts of things she could of told us because she wanted us to know about her parents and what they had gone through and accomplished.

Jamie stepped up to fill a hole in the schedule, so thanks for that.  Back in the day, as they say, Port Hope had aspirations to supersede the upstart community of Toronto and felt that if it had access to the interior of Ontario and to the lakes above the falls it would succeed.  In those days every town wanted a railroad and plans were often drawn that never got built.  One such example was the Port Hope to Peterborough line.  But a line through to Lindsey did get finished in 1857.  A line from Cobourg went to Peterborough got built by using a trestle over Rice Lake but that failed too.  Eventually the Port Hope line struck a branch off to Peterborough.

Adolf Hugel, a Port Hope business man, bought this railway in 1871 for $250,000.00 with the vision of expanding it to a regional network but the recession of 1873 depressed commodity prices and construction slowed.  Hugel's Land Company, though, started surveying the Midland Town Plan in 1872 with Midland Ave., which ended at the site of the station, expected to be the main street.  The tracks finally arrived in 1879 but by then Hugel's health was failing and he passed the management on.

Railways didn't actually make a lot of money - the money came from developing the land and selling it, from shipping to the people that bought the land and from shipping frieght which, in those days, was raw materials.  Lumber - the Cook Mill was built in 1871, wheat - the first mill was proposed in 1880 and iron and coal all passed through Midland.  By 1876 the line owned 23 locomotives, 250 frieght cars and 50 passenger cars.

Hugel came from Alsace to the States in 1853 and then moved to Port Hope in 1863 and bought into the Railroad in 1872.  George Cox, who started as a telegraph operator, found his strength was selling, especially insurance and became the richest man in Ontario and one of the richest in the country.  He owned 14 different financial institutions in Toronto late in the century and died in 1907.  He invested in the Midland RR and became President, overseeing a rise in the stock price from $0.70 to $4.00.  Midland had a station that burned down and was rebuilt and then torn down to be replaced  and torn down again.  As it was at the end of a line it had a roundhouse for turning the trains around.

Jamie had a marvellous variety of photos showing views of the harbour, the docks, the industry and the town as well as a selection of shots of trains and train wrecks.  Eventually the Grand Trunk bought the line and that was incorporated in the CNR.  Of course the small lines have mostly disappeared but Midland can still point to the heritage of its rail history and now we can appreciate all the green space down by the water. 

Sue introduced Bill as a wildlife researcher and columnist with wide experience in the field.  He said it was an honour to be invited and that, though his grandfather had been a Rotarian for 50 years and was a double PH this was Bill's first experience of Rotary.

Bill has been researching wildlife for 25 years and has concentrated on wolves, as did his mentor R D Lawrence.  Although he has actually owned wolves, or hybrid wolves, he emphasized that they are not domestic animals.  Although some people might think they would be cool to have, it usually does not end well.

There are 7 distinct species of wolves, divided into another17 subspecies and they are all at risk.  The Eastern or Algonquin wolf is a reddy tawny colour, brighter than the Grey.  Range in Ontario runs from Manitoba to Quebec in an arch that reaches down below Parry Sound so though wolves may be spotted around here they are probably just visiting.  Animals in the southern part of the range are generally smaller than those further north and females are smaller than males.  Animals in Ontario might run as heavy as 90 or 95 pounds but some in Alaska might reach 140.  It's all dependent on environment and food.  They eat a variety - from large ungulates like moose, deer and elk, down to beaver, rabbits and mice.  They will cache a surplus.  The biggest difference between wolves and coyotes, apart from the fact that wolves are bigger, is that a wolf will carry its tail horizontally while a coyote carries his curved under.

Wolves can range over 200 to 500 sq. kms.  Alpha pairs mate for life.  Their eyes glow because their retinas reflect light which enhances night vision and they can exert a jaw pressure of between 600 and 1,500 lbs. per sq. inch, breaking up bones.  They can hear as far as 6 miles - about 30 times better than humans - and they can smell 100 times better.  A howl lasts about 10 seconds and is used to protect territory or a kill, to seek a mate, to call a pack together, to warn of intruders or simply out of happiness.  They start howling at about a month.

Natural threats include disease and injury but their biggest threat is from humans through hunting, poisoning, road kills etc.

Bill showed a selection of pictures of wolves he has studied or owned and expeditions he has been on. 

Jamie Hunter said there is a fascinating piece of Ojibway cultural history - a rock - out near the southern end of Awenda Park.  The Ojibway occupied the northern part of Georgian Bay, generally, for between 5 and 7,000 years while the Huron were in the southern.  Jamie showed some slide of Paul Kane paintings that were done around here that showed life when Europeans were first traveling though the area.

By the Treaty of Paris in 1763 all the land rights were vested in the first nations and transfers had to be negotiated.  The British surveyed and entered into treaties.  One involved a series of discussions regarding the purchase of the peninsula that is now Tiny and Penetanguishene between the British and the Chippeway, which is recorded by the carvings and glyphs on Council Rock made in 1793.

No one knows why this rock was selected though some suggest it might have seemed anthropomorphic.  It is on a high point so it might have been a focal point for the natives.  The names of the surveyors and the translators and the totems of the nation chiefs have been carved into it.  The area purchased, the Penetang purchase, covers all of what is now Tiny and Midland and went for 101 pounds.  It was the first surrender on Georgian Bay and the rock is a rare and permanent record of the transfer.

Jamie thinks there are too many details for it to be a fake, though they are still researchin it.  It was discovered by a man studying the lichens which had covered it so it was obvious it had been undisturbed for many years.  There are many examples of rock art in our area but this is unique.  Following this purchase there was the Nottawasaga Purchase of 1818, which covered most of Simcoe County, the Williams treaty of 1923 which gave hunting and fishing rights to the Crown and the Coldwater negotiations which saw a payment of 408 million for properties that had never been ceded.  Currently all of Orillia - 110,000 acres - are under negotiation and have been since the 1950's though it seems a conclusion might be close to being ratified with a vote to follow. 

Darryl said it was an honour to come to the Club.  He has a passion for getting out to the community to inform and to change lives.  He thinks people enjoy different lifestyles and suffer from different issues but health is the most important - when it goes our world crashes.  Canada is fortunate, he says.  We are cutting down on smoking and drinking, spending on diet and exercise, have the best doctors and hospitals, are spending billions on research into cancer and heart disease, have access to drugs.  With all this we should be healthier than we are.  Cancer, diabetes, and heart disease rates are on the rise.  We rank 72 so what are we doing wrong?

Partly it's baby boomers entering a critical time.  Doctors are overloaded with tests slow and appointment and wait times long.  There are too many patients.  The number one killer is adverse reactions to drugs - both prescription and non-prescription.  Seniors are often taking too many pills - an average of 11.2 a day and an average 35 year old is taking 5-6.  Drugs are introduced to massive profits.  An arthritis drug, Viox, made 12.5 billion in profits before it was taken off the market for causing thousands of deaths.  The company paid out 6 billion and still made money.  Drug companies don't want you to get healthy.

He says he sees suffering all day every day and that chiropractors can help but that doctors don't know enough about it and that the PR should be better.  He says 80% of his patients are people who have come to him as a last resort - medical rejects.  He doesn't put things in or take things out and he thinks he can help these patients.  The brain controls everything and all messages to the rest of the body go through the spinal cord which is housed in the spine.  When the spine goes out of alignement it can wear down faster or put pressure on part of the cord resulting in pain.

The spine is curved and loosing the curve puts measurable pressure on the cord and any amount of pressure can cause damage.  The body has remarkable powers of healing but when it needs help - only maybe 10% of the time - he says taking the pressure off is better than drugs.  He admits that it seems simple, to simple to be true, but, he asks, do drugs address pressure?  He says there is always more to learn and there's a ways to go but the simplest thing to do when the lights go out is to go to the fuse box. 

Sue introduced Ron, one of our newest members who is proving to be, in Sue's term, enthusiastic.  Ron has volunteered to take on the Auction. 

Ron demurred, suggesting he was pushed.  He also expressed nervousness at the prospect of both talking about himself and about answering the questions 'who am I and why am I here?  However, once he got started....

Ron was born in Montreal and moved to Toronto at the age of 10.  When he was 12 he went to the Laurentians to visit friends and discovered boating - a 16 ft. lapstrake with a 25 horse that they spent every day in.  At 16 he and a friend went partners on an 18 ft. cruiser they docked at Waubeshene and Victoria Harbour, his first exposure to this area.  It had a Chrysler motor which broke down on a regular basis but when it ran they went everywhere - no maps, no plans.  They didn't get arrested or die so it was all good.  He sold his share to fund school and went to Waterloo.

His first summer job was as a labourer in a furniture factory and he observed a high rate of breakage on the line and suggested to the owner that things could be done better.  Apparently his approach was not welcomed but it set the stage for a life as a consultant.  He took an undergrad in psychology and was accepted into a doctorate program but decided it wasn't for him.  They let him out with a Masters in Social Psych and Research Methodology and he was looking for work though he really didn't know how to do anything.  He got a government job in Welland, joined a consultancy firm to work on reducing shrinkage, and after Concordia spent some time trying to determine if prospective employees were crazy.  But his worst job ever was with a bank developing a program to teach managers to manage.  He had a two week program and a first morning with 612 slides scheduled but arrived to find the student from Newfoundland had treated the class to screech the night before and by slide # 8 they were all asleep.  He taught that course every 2 weeks for 6 months.

Then he went to ManuLife as Director of Organization.  Then the company was wealthy, full of bright people and just entering into computerization.  His job was to study changes.  When they bought Dominion Life it was like, he says, putting killer whales in with seals but what Dominion offered ManuLife did not so they had to get the two groups to work together.  It was a great experience for a young person but he faced the risk of promotion and a transformation into an insurance person so he quit and started his own firm which ManuLife gave lots of business too through the mid 80's.

His craving for boats resurfaced and he and his dad bought one jointly - two obsessive compulsives.  It lasted a month so he bought the boat he still has, a 1968 wooden Chris Craft.  His wife wouldn't sleep on it though so they bought a cottage on Couchiching and then started a house in Midland.  His business grew - he was consulting with hospitals, which led to manufacturing and he travelled extensively but they came up here whenever they could and he felt he wanted to become a part of this community.  In 2005 he sold the controlling interest in his business though he continued to work for them for a while - a year and then they fired him - so he went back on his own but the travel and pressure was hard.

Ron Crane invited him to the Mary Muter lunch, which he thought was incredible and he was impressed by the people he met.  He wanted to join but Ron wouldn't let him but when he stopped working Ron relented.  He thinks it is important to put back into the community and he has watched this group and, as a tough critic, he has been impressed by the work the Club does and says he is terribly honoured to be a part of it.

Sue offered her thanks for Ron's talk and announced a donation in his name to Polio Plus.

 

Bill Richardson introduced Shirley, a graduate of MSS and St. Joseph's at McGill.  She has served for 35 years at Pen. General and at Huronia Hospital in the operating room and retired in 2000.  Finding that slow, she worked for 5 years with the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit.  She has volunteered on 11 missions abroad, on which she takes travel packs with sufficient medications for 1,500 prescriptions.  He latest visit was to the Yucatan.

Shirley reports the Yucatan is very hot.  The group she travelled with this time was relatively small - 5 from the US, 5 from Canada and 2 from Mexico.  There was a pharmacist who though valuable as a linquist and translator turned out to be a talker and a doctor who is retired from practice in the States and who spent as much or more time proselytizing as he did diagnosing.  

There was a physiotherapist, a physician's assistant which would be like a nurse practitioner here, an opthamolagist and a dental assistant.  As a regular nurse Shirley usually finds herself assigned to triage and to doing first aid, changing dressings and etc.  When the mission arrived they found the locals had not prepared and there were shortages and confusion at customs, especially over the travel pack full of drugs.  She finally just left them to it at midnight but the drugs did make it to them later.  They had to buy air mattresses because their hosts at the mission, a group of 7th Day Adventists, didn't have enough beds.  Their practice is a daily devotional and Shirley found them to be more evangelical than her regular worship.  When her turn came she discussed the value of a friend as a gift to self.

They visited a different village each day and again they suffered from poor advance planning but the President of the Yucatan and a local mayor had raised some funds and arranged for 3 service trailers to be made available, including one for opthamology.  She says that their diet is so poor they actuall are starting to have an obesity problem - tortillas and pop.  Soda is cheaper and cleaner than the local water so diabetes is spreading and there is a need for much better education.  But she always found the people to be grateful, which she says is not always the case here.

Shirley says there is still much to do and she thanked Rotary for help on her various journeys, saying that volunteers work with the grace of others.

Bill presented a cheque for $1,000.00 to help defray the expense of the travel pack and to help her daughter who is picking up Shirley's torch. 

Joyce introduced Brian and Dorothy as old friends, people she had met on a wheelchair exchange to St. Lucia.

Brian has an MA from Queen's and has spent his career in education in the North, including stints in Frobisher Bay and Yellowknife and in both places he was a member of Rotary.  He and Dorothy retired to a B & B in Haliburton and joined the Club there where he was involved in the 2002 GSE to Korea, scholarships and the Foundation, and in 2008 he became Assistant DG.  Dorothy has been Secretary of the Club and Foundation Director.  Both have been recipients of many Rotary recognitions.

Brian said he is trying to follow Jennifer Jones' suggestion that we tell our Rotary stories.  He and Dorothy were recently married when they went to Frobisher Bay to teach for 2 years.  27 years later they have spent their lives in small communities remote from the rest of the country.  The Clubs in the North are hundreds of miles apart and don't have the opportunities for joint events or even conferences.  But the two of them worked in the school systems and in the Rotary Clubs wherever they were and raised three sons.  Brian feels you can't just live in a community, you have to become part of its fabric.

Of course a strong family is a base on which to build but Rotary is a family too and both make the community better so he encourages everyone to get involved, engage in random acts of kindness and seek fullfilment.

When they moved south to the Rotary Club of Haliburton they got more involved in District issues.  The trip to Korea was life altering and brought awareness to global issues that can't be ignored.  Rotarians, he says, refuse to fall prey to indifference and he encourages continued support of the Foundation as it works to alleviate disease, provide clean water, improve maternal health, promote education and literacy, encourage peace and conflict resolution and enhance economic and community development.

He and Dorothy were asked to take on this role on short notice and, as Dorothy said, it is an enormous commitment that is having an effect on their children and grandchildren, not to mention their retirement plans.  But she says they believe in Rotary's goals and they made the choice to get involved.  Rotary has supported their family - she felt a tremendous level of support during family illnesses and deaths - and she feels that our lives in Rotary evolve through the many rewards and challenges we experience.  She encourages us all to reach out and make a difference in someone's life.

Brian suggested that Rotary has changed his life again by increasing his experience with new technologies.  He complimented the Midland Club of the tremendous amount of work it is doing and thanked it for its support to the Foundation.

Sue thanked them both for coming and said they exemplified partnerships - with each other and with Rotary.  

Jamie Hunter explained that, with funding from the Federal Government and Rotary, the museum is working with gr. 10 students from MSS and Askennonia to link students with a resident who has a story.  The students research the events, prepare questions and interview the subject while Brian video tapes it.

Brian said the first reaction of most who are approached is 'why me?'  But everyone has a story and when they start it always turns out to be interesting.  The students, who are often typed as lazy and disinterested, are keen and get involved and prove to be very capable.  Therefore this program highlights all ages and works to cross generational lines.  Brian showed selections from two of the films they have made.  

The first was with Lydia Ehmcke who is a German and whose family were in the path of the Russian troops.  She was working and had managed to get some sort of pass.  Her father came home from the front and told her to go at the first opportunity before returning to the front.  She and her mother and two of her younger siblings got on the last truck out of their town and made it to Danzig and she was the last person to board the last ship out of the port there.  There were thousands on the docks who didn't make it out.

The ship was torpedoed but the crew kept it afloat till they reached Copenhagen on the same day the Russians took Danzig.  She never saw her father or two of her brothers again.  In 1997 word came from the Red Cross, who had been given access to some Soviet era files, that her father had been sent to Siberia and had died in 1946.

The four of them spent two and a half years in camps in Denmark, first in a refugee camp and then at an air force base with barracks.  They were never alone, the food was poor - cabbage and bread - but she formed some friendships she keeps to this day.  

The other subject was Marie Jessup who is from Britain and whose father was fighting in Europe.  She was one of many children who were sent to Canada as 'guest children' to get them away from the bombing.  She arrived through Pier 21 and travelled to Toronto before being placed in a foster home.  Her foster father was quite conservative and she didn't get to go out much.  In 1944 she went back to Britain on a merchant ship - the trip took 16 days because they were evading submarines.  At that point in the war the Germans were using the V rockets - one type she called a doodlebug.  One time she managed to catch the train before the one she planned to take and she arrived safely while the one behind was blown up.  She spent some time in London and experienced clos calls with these rockets there as well.  U

Unfortunately Brian had to cut her segment short for time reasons but if any member knows of someone with a story to tell and a willingness to tell it to some inquiring young people, please get in touch with Jamie or Brian or Judy Contin at Askennonia.   

David Holman is a consultant who has worked widely in adult education and with people with disabilities.  He's been a college principle and worked with social services to promote self reliance in clients.

The Mentorship Program for People with Disabilities is a project being established by our District with funding from Employment Ontario.  David says the problem with most job creation programs is that they start with the Social Service Centres which, despite doing wonderful work, are faced with the problem of 'selling disability' - in other words they have clients they are trying to place.  This program starts with the businesses first.  Rotary is business and if the resource that is Rotary can be established as a resource for these people the matching can go the other way.

 1.85 million people are suffering from a disability in this country and their unemployment rate is way over the national average at 25% due, mostly, to attitudinal barriers.  But electronic adaptors have broken down many of these barriers.  Deaf people can communicate with email, etc., buildings are more accessible.  This program falls in the Clubs' Vocational service which is one that is sometimes hard to find a program for and it goes beyond fund raising to hands on.

The idea is to create a structured and trusting relationship between a Rotarian and someone seeking a job and to encourage an exchange of experience that will help the job seeker build confidence and gain insight.  Dave hopes to use Rotary's networks that reach District wide to seek matches.  He is now working to develop mentorship options that will work on-line, or in group sessions, or by matching individuals or through mentorship by a Club.  I asked him afterwards about funding and he says this is not about a Rotarian finding a person a job in their office - it's about a Rotarian, or a group of them, working with an individual as they pursue a job search and to help by suggesting extra training or experience, if required, or by suggesting networking opportunities or even helping with resumes, etc.  This is quite different from what we are usually asked to do, which is place somebody when we don't have a position or a budget.  Candidates must be in an active job search and will be screened by Dave and a committee at the District before they are placed with a Rotarian.  Dave asks anyone who might be interested in acting in this more advisory capacity to contact him at 416-573-4695 or at dholman@rogers.com.

Dave is researching partnerships with educational institutions and he is developing program guidelines which will be published and launched at the Conference.  He is offering a session on the program on the Thursday afternoon if you can make it.   

 

Sue introduced Dr. Brian Stephenson who has 'taken the helm' at the Orillia campus.  Before that he worked for the federal government, the University of Alberta and with the Organization of American States.  His BA and MA were taken at the University of Victoria and his Ph D at Queen's.  He's on the Board of the publication Foreign Affairs and also acts as a professor of Business Administration.

Dr. Stephenson declared that Lakehead is Simcoe County's university and he and the staff are working on 5 priorities.

Promotion of Excellence in teaching, research, student experience, and graduate programs.  To this end they have started but need to pursue  much needed infrastructure in both the physical structure of the University and the HR resources.

Maintaining financial sustainability through economization, efficiencies and developing other revenues.

Growth of the campus - from 100 students now to a projected 1,100 in five years.

Internationalization.  At U of A he saw the number of international students grow from 500 to 3,500 as well as growth in the English as a second language program.  Simcoe County is a very attractive location - the shield is iconic overseas - and will be a draw as the program grows.  The exchange goes two way - bring foreign students here but give locals exposure to the students  through exchange programs etc.  He proposes to recruit aggressively.

Community - first to promote economic development by, partly, just being here and pursuing construction and hiring faculty, etc and partly by spinning off research and developing start ups.  They held a conference last year and there are a series of round table discussions being organized that will seek input on how to pursue these ideas.  Second by outreach to the aboriginals - their population is growing and he hopes to harness their energy through special programs and scholarships.  At Lakehead in Thunder Bay over 1,000 of the 8,000 strong student body is aboriginal.

Dr. Stephenson said the Orillia campus is already a presence here and the campus is growing.  Higher education is a $30 billion enterpise nationally and a huge economic presence locally.  Graduates earn an aveage of 75% more than non-grads and that will continue as we move to the knowledge based economy.  Simcoe County has above the Ontario average of High School grads but is below the national average for university with only 12% compared to 23%.  By being here $25 million is already being injected into the local economy and when the school is up to a projected 7,000 students the average budget will be $200 million.  

Look to places like Kitchener-Waterloo where universities worked with the private sector and helped develop industry.  The University brings young people here - 38% of the students are from outside the County, and it helps keep young people in the area - they don't have to leave to get an education.  It provides and accessible and economical alternative to going away to school, helps to reverse the brain drain, develops business and the workforce and will generate higher incomes locally.

The school will pursue partnerships, will promote regional economic development and will create jobs through co-op placements.  The Innovation Management Office will develop companies and intellectual properties and will provide marketing.

His vision is to a long term commitment to educate them here and have jobs for them here.

Sue thanked Dr. Stephenson for his remarks and thanked him for his commitment to the community.  

Phil introduced Nina Phillips, the program director for Katimavik in Midland and a past Rotary exchange student from Charlottetown to Switzerland.

She said thanks for the welcome and that she has been here for a few weeks and is enjoying a new place.  She has travelled and volunteered in several places in Canada and abroad and enjoys new and formative experiences.  She is a recent U of T grad and was drawn to this job because she feels youth have a great capacity to make a positive change.  She feels that volunteering young makes people more mature and more willing to engage.

Katimavik is open to youth between the ages of 17 and 21 and they participate for 6 months, spending 3 months in each of two places.  The groups represent Canada's cultural and regional diversity and the aim is to strengthen the kids interpersonal skills, their environmental awareness, their physical wellbeing and their understanding of other parts of the country.  The household is made up of 12 people and they take care of themselves - cooking (from scratch), cleaning, budgeting etc.  

This is her first experience with Katimavik but the organiztion has been coming to Midland for 3 years now.  As they rotate through there will be 4 different groups staying in Midland during the year.  She works to manage the dynamics of the group and to ensure they are active by liaising with the community and finding them volunteer work.  They put in a 40 hour week and try to involve them in things that play to their strengths as well as things that will teach them skills as the emphasis is on learning.  She has them pretty well scheduled in activities around the area but is always looking for an event or project that could use up to 11 volunteers.  

The kids, as they work here, assess community needs and try to develop a project they can carry out that will enhance the community.  They are billeted on local families for a week or more as a futher introduction to the area.  Each group is welcomed with a party and this one will be held at Katimavik house, at 1034 Victoria St., on July 27.  The program is multifaceted and intensive.

The program is funded by the government but the organization is trying to diversify its sources.  She welcomes visitors to the house and asks that members consider what the participants might do while they are here.  

Phil introduced John as a previous member who had to resign from the Club for a while when he was working out of town.  He is active in the community, especially with the sailing club.

John said his Classification is Fund Raising which usually puts an end to conversations.  In fact it's so effective at putting people off he's down to no friends.  He grew up in Don Mills and spent all the time possible sailing on Toronto Island.  He was in a national championship twice and has sailed the South Pacific.  His hobby is refurbishing wooden boats and is now the proud possessor of 7 cause he can't bear to sell them.  In university he developed his own summer job running a sailing school with 18 employees and 36 boats.  He looks back now and realizes he had no idea of liability etc., but he had a good time and paid for school.  Now he's teaching at the Midland Sailing Club and they work with 150 kids a year as well as running the Enable Sail School.  

After school he went to IBM in 82 where he met Donna and they left the company in 84 to travel for a year which stretched into two and ended up costing a total of $15,000.00.  When they came back they were offered jobs at IBM again but they were looking to move and on the map Midland looked good cause it is surrounded by water so they moved here in 87 and have enjoyed it ever since.  Donna took a job in IT at TRW and he was working with the C of C and volunteering at the Wye Marsh when the Marsh lost its government funding.  He offered to help and a career was begun. 

He and Donna spent two years volunteering as teachers at a school in Uganda in the late 80's and when they came back he joined Rotary in 1991 and worked on the Youth Exchange for 13 years which was a magical experience getting to know the kids and making friends for life.  The ones sent overseas he didn't get to know as well but he often hears from them and knows the experience is an important part of their life.  Youth Exchange is a terrific way to promote understanding and internationalism.

John is proud to help raise money that will make things happen that wouldn't otherwise, through the kindness of others.  When he started there were no courses, as there are now and the professional organization was just getting started with about a hundred people.  Now it represents numbers in the thousands.  He worked with Bob Whittam who personfies integrity and heart and in 1993 he formed Lister and Assoc., though he had no associates, it just sounded better.  He had contracts with the Y and the McLaren Art Gallery, learning all the time.  The field is now in demand and more people are moving into it and he acts as a mentor to some.  Georgian College has 6 fundraisers on staff but he was brought in to lead them through a $17 million campaign which has now reached 30. 

The process requires developing an understanding of the client and the community and the golden rule is 'don't ask till you know the answer is yes'.  Nobody likes to be rejected and you have to think about bringing people to the point where they are ready to give.  Hold a meaningful discussion and establish that they care and that they understand the value of the project.  The most generous people are usually the less well off - they give a higher percentage of their income.  We feel comfortable going to corporations but they only give 7% of charitable dollars.  The rest comes from individuals and with them there is only one decision maker.

Fund Raising is becoming more sophisticated.  Currently money ismoving between generations and this is an opportunity for charities.  John recommends that people make giving a part of your life and your budget.  Select specific organizations to give to.  It makes us feel good.  We are privileged and we have not only an opportunity but an obligation to help and we can make a difference.  As Mr. Weber said of a gift to the Y - 'We can't spend the money any better way".  Find the joy in giving. 

Phil introduced his friend Abban who has been living in Canada for nearly a year and who is experiencing many new things - boat rides, soccer and now public speaking.

He said he came from a small village of 500 and the war started about 50 k's from where he lived when he was in his third year of High School.  He carried a message from his father who, when he heard his son would be speaking, said to say thanks to Canada for its support during that awful time.  Hundreds of thousands were displaced and many are now living in Canada and he is sure that without the NATO interventions the results would have been way worse.

They didn't know much about it at first but woke up one morning to see refugees fleeing through the village and tanks shelling them.  They were all displaced to the mountains for a couple of months and some started slowly to return to their homes to find them all burned out.  Most were brick though so the walls still stood.  There was a renewed offensive the next spring and over 300, 000 were displaced and many thousands were killed, including Albanians.  He and members of his family walked away, travelling at night in a frightened group but they were mostly lucky.  His immediate family survived, though several cousins died.  One 93 year old relative was doused in gasoline but somehow the bastards didn't light the match and he lived.

The area was liberated by NATO troops and rebuilding, with the help of international aid, began.  He volunteered at a local primary school and he was teaching the kids english while improving his own.  The economy is rural and dependent on the land and the animals so when these are destroyed growth comes slowly.

He moved to Canada to be with his wife.  He declared it an honour to be here in a country that respects differences.  He is grateful for the chance at a new life that has been given to him and the 6,000 or so from his home country that have been able to come here.  He wished us all a happy Canada Day. 

John expressed his thanks for the Midland Club's support of his project in the Phillipines.  He said there is always a need, there are always new clients and there is always the opportunity to expand programs.  He said he had talked last time about the people who lived off the dump.  To give us an idea of what the Phillipines can be like he gave a bit of a travelogue with slides - a beautiful place, beaches, swimming, fishing, Spanish Colonial buildings.  The people are strongly religious and generally very happy.  They are mostly poor but they know how to have parties.

50% of the population lives in poverty - less than $2.00 a day.  His organization is trying to get kids out of the circle of poverty.  They are still working at the dump where they scavenge in a pile that includes hospital waste.  He said after he saw that he has been speaking for them since.  But there are also kids working piecework, sleeping on the street or in pipes, prostituting themselves or being turned into child soldiers.  A little food and a few new clothes is all it takes.  82% of the kids are not in school and without education they have no hope.  Even those who get in have a hard time - out of 10, 2 drop out in the first year, 2 more by the end of elementary school and 3 more by the end of college.  Once they've left, they can't go back because they don't fit in any more.

He and others are trying to provide an alternative to formal schooling.  They are using computers to teach a quicker GED.  Literacy is the bridge between misery and hope, as Kofi Anaan says.  Supplies for these kids comes to about $60.00 a year and when they come out with a High School diploma they are employable.  Interest in the program is growing - they are now teaching in 3 jails and have been able to demonstrate a reduction in the rate of recidivism.  All the teachers are volunteers - only receiving travel expenses.  They had 256 students in the first year and are teaching 1,000 now plus the convicts.

A dozen clubs are contributing now but there is a growing need.  The program is being noticed internationally and John has visited Jakarta to provide advice and the Cardinal in Manila wants to help expand.   They are teaching in some schools remotely through satellite.  Success builds success and the need is great, the budget expandable.  

Phil thanked John for coming and for his work, calling him a world citizen. 

Phil introduced Bill by saying that Bill has already made a great contribution to the Club.  He graduated from McMaster in 1990 with a B ED,  and is currently working out of his own office with Investor's Group.

Bill thanked our friends from France for coming over for his presentation and started with some pictures including a classic from 1966 from which he earned the nickname, Mr. Big.  He said his mother is from Richmond Hill and his dad from Toronto but they moved to Midland in 1969 for the life style and his father provided it by driving to Toronto for 25 years.  He has two brothers and thanked his parents for always being there - sports events and all - even though, by photographic evidence, it was obvious they couldn't afford a Leaf's shirt.  Poor Mr. Big in a Habs jersey.

Bill was active in sports through school though the best thing that ever happened to him was meeting Suzanne in gr. 10.  She has a T shirt, again in the photo archives, that says will sell husband for wine so there's cause to wonder.  They have a new dog and two great kids, 14 and 12, Emily and Ryan.  Through Suzanne he met the Bourgeois family, a terrific group and then Dave Mink.  

At University he played football and Suzanne Volleyball and after he started teaching but found the cash flow ended up negative so he moved into financial planning after 3 years and has been at that for 17 and he loves it.  He and his team look at the entire financial planning picture, including tax planning, risk management, estate planning and etc.  They follow an 8 step wealth management plan that is spelled out in the information he made available and he has a great team to help his customers.  

He likes to travel and is able to go to conferences as well as travel with family.  He loves the cottage and the family times spent there and even commutes down from the island to work over the summer.  He thinks he is working towards a balance in health, fitness, work and leisure activities on the Bay and further afield.  He helps coach teams his kids are involved in and though he recognizes he is competitive, he hopes his teams understand that sport is for fun.

He is happy to be part of Rotary and to help Rotary give back.  He feels that he likes to rise to a challenge and that Rotary has already presented him with some, especially being co-chair of Party on the Dock, though he says he couldn't do it without the great foundation left by previous committees and the help of Hank.  It's what he enjoys about Rotary, a lot of people working to a common goal.  He has offered his cottage as the location for this summer's boat in so he looks forward to welcoming everybody soon.

  

Sue Bannon spoke on behalf of the Midland Area Reading Council.  She said literacy is a critical issue, especially in North Simcoe where over 40% of the population struggle - a number made worse by the recession.  MARC has been struggling to get sufficient funding from the Province for years but Sue reports that the most recent budget promises $44 million to literacy.  She expects they will benefit from this but doubts that they will ever be able to meet the needs of the area.

Even with extra funding the Council still needs support from the community - almost two thirds of their budget is raised locally.  Sue thanked Rotary for its support over the years, esp. with the youth literacy project of 2006-07, an especially successful effort to help prepare elementary school students for their move to High School.  Those participating saw their marks go up by 30%.  She proposed the Club fund an extension of that program at  a cost of $15,000.00.  Questions indicated that an actual budget was not fully complete and that a large part of that 15 would be for operating costs.

Paul Hamelin and Lindsey McNab spoke about the Boys and Girls Club, bringing more numbers and some clarity to a presentation from other representatives of the B & G made to Rotary a month or so previously.  They said Ron Shaw had brought the concept to the area and it had been started with a grant of $500,000.00 from the Town over 5 years.  That funding is winding down and though the Town is still supporting the Club, they will be looking for other sources of funding.

The Club assists youth in their transition to contributing adulthood.  Based on a scale of 40 attributes that contribute to success in that process, most of their young people score slightly less than 20.  The Club helps them enhance the assets they have and seek improvement in some of the attributes they need help with.  Lindsey reported that 236 kids are currently registered in the afterschool programs, that the Club has about 3,700 visits a month and that about 1,900 visits are recorded by teens.  They serve healthy snacks, organize summer camps, March break camps and weekend programmes that teach leadership.  They provide a safe, accessible and affordable place that is open to all.  They were not asking for money but said that if they were, it would be to help increase staffing so they could reduce their waiting list.

After some discussion the membership agreed that we needed more information from MARC and that we did not support operating expenses.

Sue Hrickovian spoke to the car raffle.  Mr. Weber's car, though only a year or so old, is considered a used car and so cannot be offered as a prize in a raffle.  He is willing to see hs car traded in for a new one but that means finding the difference ($20,000.00) up front.  Other costs proposed include printing, advertising, insurance and etc. for another $10,000.00.  They propose trailering the car to events all over North Simcoe to raise interest and to sell tickets.  Members would be asked to help but a part time promoter might be hired to take on some of this.  With a target of 6,000 tickets Sue is asking each member to sell 50.  They will cost $50.00 per or 3 for $100.00.  There will be some early bird prizes.

Sue asked if those present agreed that this was a reasonable approach to a very good opportunity for the Club and the consensus was very clear that it should be taken forward to the Board and then the final plan be presented to the Club.  

  

Jamie Hunter introduced Russell Nogonash, a member fo the First Nations Band of Georgian Bay and a sculptor and painter.  He entered foster care but left when he was in grade nine to work on construction and other jobs.  He was led to sculpture and now teaches in the 'Survival School' in Calgary. 

Russell said he was presenting a show with Peter Meyers in Barrie and was invited to speak to the Club by Rod, so thanks for the welcome.  He feels it is an honour to share his experiences.  He will be having a show at the Huronia Museum from Sept. 10 to Oct. 10.

He finds himself now reflecting on a new generation of artists.  Finding art was a struggle for him.  He did experience abuse in the foster home and ventured west in 1977 and art has been part of his healing process.  It helps him follow the teachings of his people.  The education he did receive was brutal and scary and he lost the ability to trust, but it was God's wish that he go back to his culture.  He did search for his parents but his father was killed and his mother died as an alcoholic.  He holds an eagle feather as he would a bible, as an assistance to his prayers for guidance. 

It all led to a meeting with Norval Morrisseau who taught him and others to accept events and to love the children.  He could be a stern teacher but he helped them see that life was changing and they needed to adapt to it.  His rock sculptures represent the transformation of these teachings.  By focusing on the traditional stories through his art he is following what the elders teach, which is that we are placed here, from above, to teach the next generation.  He sees the first nation children going out into the western society and some suffer but some come back stronger, following the drums that are the heartbeat of the earth.

He hopes to share the experiences of ceremony, that every day is a blessing and to express his gratitude to Norval and to the world.  Norval told them to take what you have home with you and that the world is better off for artists.  They show the past, the present and the future and help us look to the next generation.  He is also a dancer and travels widely performing.  He designs his own regalia.  He thinks the best thing that happened today was that he woke up, that we should always tell our dearest that we love them and that we should all give the gift of touching, healing, praying and laughter.

Ron offered the thanks of the Club to Russell for bringing his message and for the work that he is doing.

 

Neil Evenden said that the downtown community had concerns about street people and homelessness for several years and about 4 years ago the Town contracted with Simcoe Outreach Services to have two people work 35 hours a week interacting with these people and trying to help them work in the system and find alternatives.  Unfortunately costs increased and the Town finally withdrew its support.

Neil met with Jim Downer and Council and presented a proposal that reduced the number of hours and the cost - 24 hours a week and $40,000.00 - and two workers under the auspices of the Salvation Army started last June.  These two patrol in all weathers and meet all sorts of people.  The Town has again decided not to support the program further but the Army has enough money to maintain the service till the end of the year.  They are working on funding for 2012.

Denis Laurin said they meet people in their environment, people who are in crises situations, and they develop relationships with them, evaluate their situation and work to help them get into drug programs, transitional housing or whatever.  They've worked with people between the ages of 17 and 75 with a wide range of issues.  They also meet with store owners and visitors.

Many of the people they meet don't fit standard criteria so they help them navigate the system, which is hard enough at any time, and they follow up until they've exhausted all the possibilities.

Gord Davenport reported on one case they've been working on for 5 months.  She was getting support from another individual but he had his own issues and after several years felt he could not help her anymore so he called them from a card they'd posted on the telephone poles.  She was to be evicted in two hours when they first met her so they researched resources but in the short term had to place her in Out of the Cold.  She claimed to have another name and a fiance, she did have arthritis and diabetes and was on meds for mental health issues.  She'd never applied for drug benefits because she didn't know how, she doesn't qualify for a mental health review because her case is not serious enough.  They found temporary housing for her but had developed an infection and was hospitalized.

She gets checks but spends the money in days then claims to have been robbed.  She needs a trustee but she only trusts Gord and Denis so they are still pursuing alternatives.

They see up to 90 individuals a month and the average age is over 40.  Response from the downtown has been positive.

Rod asked if the Club could help.  At the moment Neil thinks lobbying Councillors would be most effective.  They have had some money from Rev. Pendlebury's memorial fund but they need significant support from the municipality.

Phil thanked them all for their efforts and their compassion.  

Paul Heinrich offered hs thanks for lunch, for the invitation to speak and for the Club's support over the years.  Planning for renovations and additions is even harder with he LHIN because they have to be consulted as well, even though the hospital has already complied with Ministry and code requirements.  He admits displaying a little impatience on occasion.  They have 2.6 million from theCounty and 2.1 from the community which they hope to leverage into another 8 million from the Province. 

The ED now is seeing over 40,000 patients a year which puts it in the top 40% in volume in the Province and the wait times lead in the Province in several metrics.  The are projecting traffic of 60,000 by 2030.  They plan to add 6,600 sq. ft. to the Department and are reaching out to the community for more partners.  The grand scheme adds 160,000 sq. ft., doubling the size of the hospital in Midland but that is a 200 million project and too much to submit all at once so the are breaking it into succssive, smaller projects.

They will be taking on the accute mental health beds - 20- - and will lead efforts on complex continuing care, both of which are awesome new responsibilities which are challenging and thrilling.

Lois is a director of the Foundation and a ER dept volunteer who thinks developments are exciting.  She said the Foundation is the fund raising arm for capital and staff training costs.  She expressed the Foundation's gratitude for Rotary's support - over 300,000 over 10 years.  She said the hospital had come close in the Pepsi Campaing - 8th ut of 90 - but they would have another chance in March to campaign for 20 more beds.  She gave examples of some costs - $78,000 for a bed, $11,000 for a defib or a centrifuge, 16,000 for an ECG nd 5,300 for a stretcher and on and on.  They are always trying to upgrade and replace equipment and have just finished a 1.5 million rebuild of a filing record system.  Their next fund raising event will be Curl With the Pros soon.

She thinks the high rate of ED use is partly because there are no real alternatives like walk in clinics, partly because many people don't have doctors and partly because we have so many seasonal visitors.  Good wait times even bring people from other areas.

The rebuild at Oak Ridge, at over a half billion, ils only for the forensic an criminal sections.  It won't affect the other departments.  Only Penetang still does short term addiction and accute mental health intake and they are trying to phase it out.  As many, such as suicide attempts, need medical help as well, it is felt they will be better served in a hospital and as they want to keep it local, because the need is here, they are taking it on.

Bill Richardson thanked Paul for taking the time and informing us of progress and Maureen thanked Lois, saying it is fortunate that the community as advocates like her to serve us. 

Thom Lackie commented that things had changed in Rotary since he was President in 1985.  Back then it was a well oiled machine - now, he thinks, not so much.  

He and Marie are on the Board and Marie is Chair of the Community Service Committee of the Boys and Girls Club.  This is a unique organization - an inclusive, accessible place to develop the potential of youth - "a good place to be".  Latchkey kids, kids from single parent homes, kids from families with lower incomes often become bored and turn to drugs, gain weight, get pregnant or get into trouble.  The Club offers place to go after school, provides transport or supervised walks, healthy snacks, activities such as arts an crafts, exercise, homework help.  The Club runs camps during Christmas and March breaks and over the summer.  Parents have been extremely grateful and the Club has received dozens of testimonials that demonstrate what it means to them and their children.

They are asking the community to join their dream for the children.  The Club is working to become self sustaining.  It was started by the Town but they are reducing their financial support levels over a period of years which means they have to replace that funding.  They are looking for sponsors of programs with costs that range from $1,000.00 to $12,000.00.

Currently they have 50 members who pay $20.00 to join.  This may not seem like much but it can be a lot to some families.  They charge to impress on their members that ther is a value to it and to encourage continued attendance.  The Board members are volunteers but the staff, 2 FT and several PT staff are paid.  The total budget s #256,000.00.  This includes $29,000.00 for rent.

The number of members increases during the school breaks when the Club runs its special camps.  The Club is open after school Tuesday through Friday and Saturday morning.  

Fred thanked Thom and Marie for their presentation and for their commitment to the Club, saying it is groups like this that make Midland a better place.   

Bob Main said he'd been to a Rotary meeting before, arriving in a blinding snowstorm in Rod's Vega.  That was one of the striking memories of his arrival in Midland.  The other was that soon after he got here the Fire Hall caught fire.

Bob quoted a Spanish proverb to the effect that a man dies twice - once at the end of his life and the second time when his name is spoken for the last time.  Geneology is a way to continue our stories.  It started as a way to sort out land claims and inheritences and as an identity - we know who we are by where, and who, we come from.  The Bible pays a lot of attention to ancestry with its begats and the Book of Ruth is basically a family history.  Everybody's ancestors are a part of history and every story is  sort of micro history, all of it joining into the whole story.

Bob's grandmother died comparatively young and his father's memory seemed uncertain so when Bob's questions were not answered his curiosity led to an interest in tracing his roots.  The internet is now a marvellous tool.  It saves trips and time.  DNA can now trace blood types.  His own shows traces of a type from Iran though his family had been Scottish for generations.  Did a Roman legionnaire contribute way back when?

Another source is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who are trying to reunite families in heaven and have transcribed and copies massive amounts of information - a huge library of records to which they allow anyone access.  They are very generous.  Church records, passenger manifests, military records - they are all on line.  Census records - those that are public - are also easy to access now.  Through a huge commitment of volunteer time all the Ellis Island records are now available.

People are always moving.  Away from hardship or turmoil or to a better life.  Canada's Loyalists were refugees from what was essentially America's first Civil War, the War of 1812.  This can lead to confusion.  Bob said there's a family of Waltenbury's who think their heritage is British because there's a town in England and because they came to Canada as Loyalists.  But originally they were Waltenburgs from Germany, loyal to the Hanoverian King George.  There's a large francophone population in New England descended from economic migrants who had to leave Quebec because the population outstripped the available farmland.  They went to the mills.  The Barnardo Children were orphans who were, with the best of intentions, sent to North American because they were a burden on the limited social safety net of the time in Britain.  Hundreds of thousands of them were sent and some were still coming as late as the Depression.  Many ended up in near slavery conditions.  But each is a story - find the names, find the stories.

Bob found a house in Quebec that belongs to a distant cousin and which has been in the same family for 250 years.  When he moved to Midland he thought he had no previous connection to it but finally discovered that he had 4 ancestors who had worked at Sainte Marie among the Hurons back when.

He invited us all to start.  Talk to him about the internet.  Interview members of our familes.  Get the artefacts and photos organized and put captions on them so you, as an ancestor, can leave your story for your descendants.

Bill thanked Bob for coming and for sharing his enthusiasm with the Club.   

Lisa Cameron thanked the Club for the invitation to speak.  As many members are small business owners she thought there would be interest in an organization that could help them promote themselves and thus help promote the local economy.  Shopcity is an umbrella organization tht encompasses 8,000 community shopping guides where consumers can check out information on stores and product.  They partner with the local C of C, the city and with media to promote and sell on line a business directory, to run promotions and to generate increased traffic on business web sites and in the brick and morter stores.

Shopping locally has a multiplier effect - big box stores' profits go to head office somewhere.  Local profits circulate locally and accrue to the benefit of the community.  So shopmidland.com encourages businesses to shop among themselves which increases wages and taxes locally.  

This site takes advantage of the tendency of people to research on line and to create a site that will show alternatives to the big box store - that will compete with the big stores, in effect.  They use google ranking to enhance the visibility of local stores over the national chains and they will eventually link their site to the social media, giving the local outlets even more exposure.  It's a good way to reach younger shoppers.

The shopmidland.com package includes complimentary profiles, an online store using PayPal, a coupon publisher and help building a site.  Visits can be tracked to measure effectiveness.

Rotary could have a page and collect testimonials, publish online newsletters and link to other websites or to RI.  1,000 visits a day to the home page. 

Ron Crane introduced Don Stewart, a member of the Rotary Club of Penetang who is back recently from a trip to Nigeria with a shipment of water filters.

Don expressed his gratitude for the pallet of filters paid for by the Midland Club.  He described them as large buckets filled almost to the top with sand and gravel and then topped with a biological layer that helps catch bacteria.  Many (nearly 30,000)have been delivered, with the help of himself and many others, to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and now Nigeria.

His team of two arrived in Lagos and were promptly sequestered in a secure motel as they were surrounded by over 13,000,000 people, some of whom might have presented a threat to two white men.  At 5 am they were loaded into a vehicle for a 7.5 hr. drive over the worst roads he'd ever seen at a constant bone jarring speed of 150 km/hr as they hung on for their lives.  They were welcomed, on their arrival, by the local Rotary Club which was opening its new building and inducting its new President.

He thoght he'd gone just to teach how to use these filters but his first day he was swarmed by officials from all over the country and they even had lunch with a local king.  The filters are desperately needed as over 1,500 children die in the area every month from bad water.  The poverty and pollution in the country are awful, the roads terrible and the government corrupt.  They had difficulties getting the filters in at first.  Everyone wants foreign currency because theirs is debased and heavily counterfeited so no one knows what they are getting.

Britt introduced Sharon and Nanette.  Sharon has lived for 35 years in Midland and Nanette is the new Executive Director of the Gallery.

Sharon started by thanking Rotary for its donation to the new Midland Cultural Centre.  She said the Quest Gallery had started in 1995 in Penetanguishene when a group of people wanted to learn more about watercolour painting without having to drive too far.  It is now a charitable organization whose volunteers contribute over 7,200 hours a year and which has a Board of 12 from the North Simcoe area.  The Gallery is open 6 days a week from 10 - 5.  Sharon expects the Gallery will be the heart of the new Centre.  The Gallery works to engage and enrich the community.

Nanette and her husband and child are the first family to move to Midland because of the Gallery.  A grant from Trillium is paying for a four year position.  She talked about the education component of Quest.  The Young Artist program is being revamped in anticipation of the new facility.  The philosophy is that everyone is creative and they just need to be encouraged and inspired.  They are working on programs that have youth working with youth and on exhibitions.  

They are planning family events.  So far Quest has taught over 1,500 children and now runs courses for beginners right up to advanced students.  Classes are kept small and all teachers are professionals.  The goal is to achieve accreditation and be recognized as a school for art teachers.  They are working to develop partnerships and have strong ties to other art schools and are working on developing  a course in conjunction with the Parole Board and for seniors' outreach.

Quest sponsors the Art in the Park in Penetang every year, participates in Winterama, runs the Steamroller Art Project, curates the Awenda Inspired show and runs field trips.  This year in Midland has seen membership double and with two galleries in the new facility they expect more interest and more membershps.  They are enhancing their shop with a small artisan craft selection that is doing very well and will be bigger in the MCC and they are selling art supplies so people don't have to go to Barrie.  They are bringing speakers here so, again, people don't have to travel.

Sheila said she shows how art can change a life.  Growing up in Copper Cliff they never heard the word art - it didn't exist in the High School.  She became a teacher of French with two daughters and went to an art workshop and got hooked.   She has led art trips and worked on expedition cruise ships for 4 years where she became inspired by the arctic landscape.

Ron thanked them both for sharing art with the community and Britt presented a cheque for $2,500.00. 

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

He who angers you, controls you.

To make a long story short, don't tell it.

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

Peace starts with a smile.

Triumph is just "umph" added to "try"

You're unique. So is everyone else

The place to be happy is here

The time to be happy is now

Your kindness will be remembered long after your wisdom

There's no need to shout if the right words are used

If you can't have what you like, try liking what you have

Take time to laugh. It is the music of the soul.

Never ignore criticism when you're wrong

Never fear criticism when you're right

Vision without action is a day dream

Remember that hope is not a plan of action

Trials reveal more character than triumphs

We haven't learned to live until we learn to give.

A good example by oldsters is a good safeguard for youngsters

Don't ruin a day worrying about the next.

Cherish the Past, Dream the Future, Live for Today

2004 - Make it a special year.

Christmas - A time for reflection, love and sharing.

When you lose, do not lose the lesson.

Good judgement comes from bad experience.

If you are irreplaceable, you can't be promoted.

Never test the depth of water with both feet.

Trust in God, but remember to lock your car.

Smile when you answer the phone.

Do not judge others by their relatives.

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Never mock others' dreams.

Share knowledge. It is the way to live forever.

Never interrupt someone who flatters you.

Be kind or at least have the decency to be vague

How nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt

Soft tender words better if you have to eat them later

Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.

Once over the hill, you pick up speed.

Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

Birthdays are good: the more you have, the longer you live.

He who hesitates is probably right.

Often, believing is seeing.

Triathlon Weekend: Over 400 local and out of town participants.

Therapists are expensive friends.

Unhappiness is often caused by comparison.

Meet me halfway, you need the exercise.

You are the cause not the effect.

"Life is what's coming, not what was."

"Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."

"Good leaders are scarce, so I'm following me."

Bob introduced Steve Rothwell who has been to the Club before.  He is an energy manager and envelope consultant and an advisor to Natural Resources Canada.

Steve said that last time he'd talked about residential building but this time he wanted to look at commercial, as many members of the Club have facilities.    He suggested that an efficient use of energy could contribute to maximising profits and, while reducing costs, also reduce greenhouse gases.  He says he can do audits of varying depth and cost. 

A commercial/social audit establishes how much energy it takes to do a certain task, such as making widgets.  If you can reduce that amount of energy, you widget becomes cheaper.  The best time to make improvements is when a building needs work - if it needs a new roof, put the most efficient roof on you can.  But don't replace a fairly new roof - your payback period gets too long. 

A Benchmark audit involves more analysis and establishes a benchmark against which the owner can compare the performance of the building.  Type 1 is a basic walkthrough and identifies the 'low hanging fruit' - the easy fixes that provide the bigger return.  Type 2 involves testing, a cost/benefit analysis and a record analysis.  Type 3 goes into more detail, establishes a life cycle cost and a ROI.

It is all based on Heating Degree Days which is the difference between 18 degrees Centigrade and the outside temperature.  For example either 16 degrees or 20 degrees each equal 2 degree days, one heating and one cooling.

Sue Hrickovian, President Elect, announced that Yvonne Howell has been working on a Women's Night Out for  March.  She plans a spa event with food and drink at the Library Restaurant and is expecting some of the male Rotarians to be on hand to serve and to drive the ladies home.  Thanks to Yvonne for her initiative and effort.

Hamper Night is on track, thanks to Roger.  The Auction has been put back to March 3 and the contracts will be out after Christmas.

There are still some vacancies on next year's Board so, for an opportunity to help direct activities of the Club, let Sue know of your interest.

President Phil and Past President Ralph announced that Mr. Weber is donating a 2009 BMW Z4 as a prize in a raffle.  Proceeds will be split with the Georgian Bay Cancer Centre but the expectation is that they will help sell tickets.  The event will be held next summer and at no cost to the Club so all proceeds will be realized.  Jamie Tripp, Jamie Hunter, Mora, Roger, Bob and Bruce Wilcox volunteered to form a committee to plan the project.

Ron Crane, Chair of International, said the Committee had contributed to expenses for the Friendship Exchange, had about $5,000.00 from the Golf Tournament for RI, had sent $1,000.00 worth of filters to Nigeria, had $5,000.00 each for Polio Plus and Polio Partners, was working with a Club in South Africa to get $2,500.00 to a school there and another Club in El Salvador for another $2,500.00 towards Leukemia.  The Tblisi orphanage is doing so well with the vines the Club helped to plant that they now need a wine cellar which the Committee is considering and they have recommended a donation of $5,000.00 for the Kids4Life orphanage in Kenya.  Ron asked for a show of hands and the Club approved the donation.

 

Britt introduced Colonel Louis Meloche who joined the forces in 1977, became a Captain in 1987, a Major in 1993, and in 1999 a Lt. Colonel.  He has served in Bosnia, has a commendation for his work in East Timor and is a recipient of the Order of Military Merit.  In 2007 he was promoted to full Colonel and is currently the commander of Base Borden.

The Colonel said the Base was founded in 1916, comprises 21,000 acres, has 1,000 buildings, about 4,000 permanent staff - regular forces, reserve officers and civilians.  They train between 15 and 18,000 students a year plus host a summer cadet camp for about 2,400 teenagers.  The budget, outside salaries is over $100 million and there is $200 million worth of infrastructure improvements planned so it is save to say the Base is here to stay.  Everybody involved is proud to be part of the community and he is happy to come and talk about it because the public need to know what they are paying for.

Tomorrow, he said, we honour the vets - 110,000 men and women who died in the service of our country and who fought for freedom, peace in other lands, and a better world for our children.  With the passing of John Babcock at 109, the last living link between this country and the first World War has gone and is the end of an era.  During WW I 650,000 people, about one twelfth of the country's population, served and 66,000 of them died.  Marking November 11, the date of The Armistice, the end of 'the war to end all wars' recognizes the sacrifice of so many.  During World War II Canadians served in every theatre, one million volunteers and 42,000 dead.  7,600 of them died in the campaign to free the Netherlands, a fact never forgotten by the Dutch and marked by parades, the welcome shown to visitors like the students from Midland and by the tulips sent to the National Capital every year.

This year we also celebrate 100 years of the Royal Canadian Navy which protected the supply line to Britain during both wars.

27,000 served in Korea and 516 died.  The term Veteran refers to any person who has been honourably discharged from the forces and includes those who served on peacekeeping missions, those who went to Bosnia and those in Afghanistan.  The Forces are working with their partners to stabilize that country, are working in Haiti, supported the Olympics, worked at the G 8 and G 20 summits and the flood in Newfoundland.  The Forces of today are modern, flexible, and ready to respond while honouring a proud legacy and remembering the sacrifice of all those who have gone before.

Wear a poppy, engage with a vet, open your hearts and minds.

Jamie Tripp introduced Tim Jenkinson and Joe Faragher.  Today, he said, was for people who made a difference and these two are making a difference by bringing their students an awareness of the importance of Remembrance Day and what it stands for.  They do it on their own.

Joe said that since they were back the students had been going out into the community and reporting on their experience.  He and Tim had made several other appearances before coming to Rotary.  They expected to have about 1,000 students at the Cenotaph on the 11th and they hope to continue to be visible.  They were certainly visible overseas, especially in their jackets with the Rotary symbol.  He introduced Justin Rastin who said he had always been interested in history, had looked forward to visiting the sites and was honoured to be there.  The rows of crosses made him proud to be Canadian and made him realize how important it was to pay tribute.  He thanked Rotary for its contribution to the trip and said that the research he and the other students were doing would carry on.

Joe said 46 students had gone, taking with them 15 years worth of research and they found 30 sites of Midland soldiers' graves.  In the Netherlands on May 4th and 5th was a celebration filled with Canadian pride.  Dave Mink thanked all three for their efforts and the positive effect they were having, thanks for keeping the memory alive.

Terry said that Joyce had been born in Boston and moved to Canada in 1966.  She has three sons, 5 grandsons and one granddaughter.  She worked as Economic Development Officer, in Marketing and, most recently, at Rosewood.  She's been a member of Rotary since 1988, as been Secretary and served as President in 06-07.  She's been on wheelchair exchanges to St. Lucia and a Friendship Exchange to South Africa and she still keeps in contact with people there.  A polio survivor, she's passionate about Polio Plus and she's a multiple Paul Harris and a benefactor.  She is serving this year as Assistant District Governor.

Joyce said the ADG works with the DG in areas of administration, in helping work toward the theme and in maintaining the direction of the District.  Ray is the 100the President.  He studied on an Ambassadorial Scholarship in South Africa and has been in Rotary for 50 years.  His attitude is 'Bigger, Better, Bolder' and his logice is Cowboy Logic - dust yourself off and get back on again..  His theme is Building Communities, Bridging Continents and Joyce thinks this encapsulates Rotary. 

DG Dawn is dynamic, has traveled with GSE's, wheelchair exchanges, and is passionate about Rotary.  She works to 'keep it simple', encourages pride in our work and suggests we make it visible to our communities.  District is on the new leadership model and is promoting Fellowship, Integrity, Leadership, Service, Diversity and Values.  Dawn plans in her year to support the Clubs, to increase humanitarian service and to enhance public awareness.

Arnie Di Carli is our Foundation Chair.  The Foundation's aim is to foster world peace through understanding and, as the charitable arm of RI is the financial facilitator and overseer of the various ways it tries to achieve this aim.  It encourages us all to see the world not as it is but as it could be and to all play our part in influencing our community. 

This mission is pursued through three avenues - education, humanitarian programs and Polio Plus - and employs both money and volunteers.

Volunteers in Action sends members abroad to help using their vocations and all vocations are useful.  Ambassadorial scholarships have now been awared to over 30,000 people over the last 60 years with 1,000 being awarded last year at a cost of $27,000.00 each.  Rotary Centres for Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution have been created at 7 Universities around the world.  GSEs give young entrepreneurs an opportunity to see how their vocation is practiced in another country and to experience unique cultural exchanges.  The Foundation pays travel and host clubs provide accommodation and events.  Yvonne spoke to the importance a GSE experience had for her - the trip of two lifetimes which changed her life and who she is.  She became part of a real team and joined Rotary soon after.  She thinks the opportunity should be promoted to young professionals in our area.  Humanitarian grants fund projects that benefit communities.  RI tries to work with local clubs.  Joyce pointed out that our Club's support of the viticulture project in Tblisi has been so successful that now they need a wine cellar.  It's teaching people to fish, she says.  They are on the way to supporting themselves. 

Polio Plus is Rotary's most recognized program and now only 4 countries are reporting cases and even there the number of cases is dropping.  Polio Plus has received two grants from the Gates Foundation worth $250 million and Rotary is committed to matching $200 million and has already reached $146.7.

Support for the Foundation can be given in two ways to match the two needs it faces.  For today's projects and challenges there is the annual program - Every Rotarian Every Year and the minimum suggested is $100.00 which is eligible for Paul Harris recognition.  For the future challenges and for long term funding there is endowments and bequests which are held and invested and only the interest is spent.

Arnie encouraged the Club to consider the remarkable work done, the work that needs to be done and the need for us all to support the Foundation.

Phil thanks Arnie for his presentation.

When it became apparent that Phil was going to conduct the rest of the meeting a struggle broke out for Bob's scooter buttion.

Phil said he was looking for some discussion and feedback prior to the next day's Board meeting when the Budget for 2010-2011 would be discussed.

The Community Committee now has the go ahead to work on the inclusive play centre.  Other projects might be a hands on project with Penetang to connect the trails between the towns on a less arduous route, which met with the approval of those present.  A roof for the bandshell has been discussed but there would be costs as it would have to be engineered.  Alex wondered if the surface should be made bigger before a roof was designed.  A suggestion has been made to Reinhart Weber that the Club might help with the Cultural Centre and perhaps space could be made available, in return, for a display of Rotary memorabilia.

International spending will increase with the budget in line with the 25% rule.  Ron and his Committee are reviewing ways to help in Pakistan and are still looking for a major project.  Joyce has some suggestions from the Friendship Exchange group that is coming and added that our team will be going there in the winter and could review ideas on the ground.  There are now two shelter box suppliers and neither is recommended by RI. 

Sandie Blair is stepping down from the Club Chairmanship.  Phil will be looking for a replacement and had a suggestion for a Harbour cleanup and potluck picnic for a fall fellowship event.  Bruce said such a project had been successful before and wondered where and Peterson Park was suggested.

Membership reports two new members inducted in July but one resignation.  The goal is a net increase of 5.  Aaron is scheduling a College of Knowledge for the spring.  Bruce Wilcox said he'd heard Steve Wallace speak on a membership program started in Wasaga Beach that  has resulted in 13 new members.  Worth looking into.

Vocational Service is planning a vocational visit to the new Library and is looking a long and short term exchanges this year.  The GSE is apparently not coming to our part of the district this time, much to the disappointment of Moira who had put a lot of planning into the expected visit.

 

Fred met Titus Chapman last year at a week long spiritual retreat and they became such friends that Titus has now visited Midland twice, the first time by himself and this week with four friends.  All of them are professional musicians who work in various capacities in the business but they all are committed to their faith and also lend their talents to their vocations as praise leaders.  Dorem McGuire plays drums, Bill Fudge the guitar, Randy Weaver is saxaphone and Titus and Craig take turns on the keyboard and with the vocals.

Titus and Craig both shared a bit about the role Jesus plays in their lives and the importance of their faith.  Craig comes from a pastor's family and rebelled against the teachings but said that in the last few years the teachings he'd been exposed to in his youth, combined with the prayers of his mother and grandmother had reached his heart and that he has found what he was searching for when he had been pursuing his addictions. 

Titus gave us a version of Amazing Grace the way, he said, that his grandmother would have sung it - feeling the words and Craig sang a composition of his own called Bread of Life that came from his own experience.  The band helped out on these and two or three other songs. 

They will be at Knox on Saturday night and encourage everybody to come out. 

Joyce said she had travelled with Dawn a couple of times, especially to South Africa and she counts her a friend.  She lives in Keene outside Peterborough, is an RN and a professional administrator, having been the VP of a Hospice and serving on the Hospital Board there.  She's been in Rotary since 1991 and has held most offices including President in 98-99.  Her focus is on International and she has been on several wheelchair trips and a GSE co-ordinator.  She was ADG in 2005-2006, has won the Foundation District Service Award.  She has two sons and two stepdaughters.  She is looking forward to her year, to meeting and supporting all Rotarians and welcoming them to the Conference where the theme will be 'Catch the Rotary Dream'.

 

Ralph said he and Kathy had enjoyed the opportunity they had had to spend time with Anna, a wonderful young lady, and he invited her to tell the Club a bit about her year here. She said it is hard to believe the year is over already. She feels like she's been here forever and that she's grown so much. She will take this experience home with her and she knows it will help her in the future. This place is now a second home and she feels blessed to have spent time with people who took such good care of her so thanks to those who did.

Markus introduced his sister in law, Kate Hacker who has spent her entire life in and around boats. Her forefathers started building boats in the 1880's, she spent several summers as a Harbour attendant, was the dock manager at Doral, spent 3 summers during college with the Coast Guard and is now living in Midland and working at Skyline.

Bob, as Patricia's sponsor, said she had joined the Club a year ago and that he was prepared to take some credit for the addition she has been as an active member who volunteers and helps when she can. Patricia's father was manager of the arena in her home town of St. George and between helping him make the ice and watching her three brothers play she grew up with hockey and with the example of a strong work ethic.

As it was a Fireside there were no regular announcements but note must be taken of two matters for the members to decide on. Michelle DesRochers has been interviewed by the Membership Committee and by the Board for admission. A vote of the Club will be held. And a vote will be held on the adoption of the amended Constitution and Bylaws on the 21st of April. Fred has distributed the documents and he highlighted some of the changes so people can familiarize themselves with the changes. Adoption requires the assent of two thirds of those present.

Jamie Tripp, as Membership Chair, said that its the membership that informs the Club and that dictates what the Club does and how it affects us and others in the Community. Rotarians don't identify themselves by a secret handshake but they do have a special bond and Jamie hoped to illustrate that to our guests by inviting some members to speak. Dwayne Frans doesn't care for public speaking but works hard behind the scenes for the Club.

Roger Gignac introduced Marlene Kasper who has been working with people in the community to help them eat better and improve their fitness. He has been working with her and finds that she demands that people exercise and that she is a magnificent expression of co-ordination and enthusiasm. Marlene thanked Roger for working with her and for inviting her to lunch. She led the Club in an exercise routine before saying that she believed getting fit demanded a complete lifestyle commitment and the establishment of a true body, mind and spirit connection.

Neil introduced Shirley as an RN with the Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit which works on major projects like the Swine Flue innoculations. She also travels on medical missions supported by an International Committee and local funding. She's been to Jamaica, the Amazon, Fiji, Nepal, to the Dominican Republic 3 times and to Haiti. She always takes a Physician's Travel Pack when she goes.

Fred Hacker said that the Vocational Committee had scheduled a series of mini-classifications this year to introduce the newer members to some of the history of the Club and the achievements of some of its longer term members and to re-introduce the older members to colleagues who may have made changes in their life since their first classification speech. Terri Brophy said she has been in the travel industry for 29 years, is married to Brad Saunders, a retired educator and they have two granddaughters and a grandson. They enjoy golfing, hunting and travelling.

Hank introduced Sandie Robertson, a past VP of TD and TD Securities and, since 1999, the Managing Director of the Georgian Angel Investors Network. Sandie said Angels are high networth individuals who are willing to direct an equity investment in a new company. Several investors band together to make a network of deal facilitators. The idea has been around for a while but was resurrected in 1990 in California and the first network was established in Canada in 1999.

Ralph thanked the Board for its hard work during the year. In Alison's absence he read her report. Alison has arranged to have coverage of LG Onley's visit, the Party on the Dock donations, of Youth Exchange which resulted in increased interest and more candidates, the Gilda's Club donation, the article on the GSE, the Vocational Service Award, the Inbound weekend, an article on Anna and Thomas, Hamper Night and the full page coverage of Student of the Month in that day's Free Press.

Fred Hacker said that the Club has 16 Honourary Members, some of whom some of the new members may not even recognize and this series of talks is aimed at re introducing them. Dunc McLaren joined the Midland Club in 1982, served as President in 92-93 and has been a driving force throughout. Dunc said he'd joined the Town Staff in the 60's and that he enjoyed the hands on projects that Rotary was involved in, especially Rosewood. He worked on all aspects of that, from cutting the fuel tank in the basement up to painting. He was Treasurer for the cottage draw, the largest fund raiser the Club has been involved in. Going to District Conferences shows how Rotary does outside Midland. Rotary for Dunc has been an avenue for getting involved, for making lifelong friends and for building self confidence and satisfaction in the Club's accomplishments. He is now enjoying travelling and his three grandchildren.

Jamie said that many present would have had the experience of hosting and/or sending a student from the exchange program and would know how valuable it was. The purpose of the program is to afford an opportunity to the student to experience another culture, perhaps a new language, and to appreciate difference. It's about immersion so the student goes to school and to church, if possible.

Alison introduced Kaila Frostad who spent July and August in Argentina. Kaila said she was grateful for the opportunity to share the experience and to express her gratitude for the opportunity to learn about another culture and to meet so many new friends. She travelled 9,000 km and discovered a place that spoke Spanish and enjoys family, eating and dancing and that became a second home to her. The host family was terrific, welcoming and warm, and she lived on a working ranch. Their winter is warmer than ours - snowed only once - so she enjoyed the sun and the scenery.

Fred Hacker said that if we thought we were in for a trip to Israel with his slides, we were not alone. His expectation had been to present that very thing, especially after Ralph had reminded him last week, put in on his Board and then left town. However Bob and Greg were here to tell us about the Challenge - the boats and the event. He and Barb are grateful to the Challenge because their daughter, who had competed in the first event in Midland, suffered a serious car accident soon after and her physical fitness played a large role in her recovery.

Fred asked - What is unique about Rotary? Is it the fellowship, the work we do in the community, the interesting speakers, our International involvement? None of these things is unique to Rotary - many other Clubs and organizations do one or more of these things. Of the 4 Avenues, lots of organizations organize activities for the Club and serve their own members. Most organizations work to better their community one way or another and do very good work. Many more work to benefit others overseas. It is the Vocational aspect that is unique to Rotary but it receives the least attention because it is the most challenging and difficult and the least understood.

Ralph thanked Fred for taking on the Vocational Chair this year and for doing such a good job. Fred presented another of his annual quizes, the last of which was about 3 years ago. This one was on paper so we all could follow along. 100 questions and we all got all of them right. For the details, you'll have to get a copy from Fred. Phil thanked Fred for the work and for reminding us of the importance of the history of Rotary and all its accomplishments.

Fred Hacker, as part of Vocational Month, had asked 4 of the longer term members of the Club to talk about their experiences as Rotarians and its affect on their lives.  He introduced Cheryl as one of the first female members of the Midland Club.

Cheryl Webb thought she was maybe the third woman to join this Club.  14 years ago she was glad to be part of a Club that listed a who's who of Midland as its membership.  Her company is now 20 years old and enjoying outstanding productivity and she and her husband have now been joined by son Michael.  It is hard work to help people make the right decisions but there is satisfaction to it.  They now have 5 grandchildren that fill a gap they didn't know was there.

Cheryl has worked on the Community Services Committee, has done the bookkeeping and licensing for Bingo for years and is joining the Foundation Committee.  She finds the Wed. meeting a refreshing break in a busy week, providing a fresh perspective and advice.  Most members run small businesses which puts them at the top of their organization, the go to person.  This sometimes gets lonely and Rotary is a great place to go for understanding and help.

She suggested we think of what Rotary accomplishes - on Polio, with wheelchairs, the trail, the bandstand.  We can't go through town without seeing Rotary in action but its the people who are the best part of Rotary, people who see an opportunity and work to bring it to fruition, like the Party on the Dock which has grown into such a successful program, nothing short of amazing.

 

Fred Hacker reminded us that October is Vocational Services Month and Midland will be celebrating with special programs all month.  A GSE visit is a highlight of any Club's activities because it provides a unique cultural and vocational exchange betweent countries.  Though the Team Leader is a Rotarian, Team members must be between 25 and 40 years of age and not involved with Rotary.  Trips last between 4 - 6 weeks and participants experience the cultural, institutional and business life of the host country.  Fred thanked Hank de Jong for an amazing job with the logistics and connections he had managed to make the trip run smoothly.

Hank introduced the team.  The Team Leader,  Ajay Narain from New Delhi, District 3010, thanked the Club for their welcome and for being part of his team's visit.  

Fred Hacker reminded us that October is Vocational Services Month and it asks us to consider how we use our jobs to further the interests and the standards of integrity of Rotary.  Don't forget that on Wed. we're hosting a GSE visit and Fred thanked Hank de Jong for his efforts on this project. 

 

In 1959 Dean was asked if he played poker.  That was his introduction to the Midland Club.  50 years later he looks back on time gone by so fast to see that Rotary has been a central focus in his life and though he has thought about retiring, the patience of his fellows has got him to stay.  He suggests that we shouldn't measure our success as Rotarians so much by the big events but by the ongoing small ones - make each meeting an event in our Rotary lives.

Rotary will happen if you make it happen and it is a vehicle for change in our lives and in the life of our community - one event one day at a time.  During his working life, which was often stressful and even tragic, the opportunity to get away for an hour or so often gave him a chance to regain perspective and the fellowship gave him an escape.

The Club in Midland in the 50's and early 60's wasn't really Rotary - members ate and played poker.  During the war Midland was a rugged industrial town with shipbuilding, railways and a foundry owned by a company in Dayton.  Many of the executives were Rotarians and the closest club was in Orillia which was a difficult drive away so they took to taking the train to their makeups.

 

Ralph introduced Richard Levert, a Rotarian for 32 years, who joined the Timmins Club and then moved to Sudbury where he now resides. He's a PH Fellow, a Foundation Donor and father of two grown children. Richard thanked Ralph and Kathy for their hospitality, Dan for being a great Assistant DG and welcomed Jill from the Penetang Club. He asked why should we join Rotary? Because we are people that believe that, through numbers, we can make a difference. He felt that he had started as a member, for the lunches and the social aspect, but it was impressed upon him that Rotary is more than that and he felt he had become a Rotarian and that he took on the motto 'Service above Self' and that it has brought him to a wider world, an exposure to poverty and disease but also to the difference we can make.

Randy introduced Monica who is the Area Manager for Simcoe County of Osteoporisis Canada and had worked previously with CNIB and the ALS. She said they are implementing a strategy, the first Provincial one, aimed at reducing fractures and promoting bone health. A hip fracture can cost up to $50,000.00, not including home care so any reduction will be significant. As the first to implement such a strategy, it is being observed with interest in Canada and from abroad.

Ralph introduced Dean Nicholls who has a long history of promoting the Foundation at the Club and District Levels. Some of our newer members may not know much about what the Foundation is and what it does but Dean knows it all.

While I'm taking advantage of the efforts of others, here's Dean on the value of our monthly magazine.  Dean suspects, though it's hard to imagine, that not all of us read each issue cover to cover.  He hopes a precis might alter that behaviour.                                               

Aug ust Highlights

Your Rotarian Magazine for the month of August should have reached you, if not let Secretary Bill know. If we haven't had enough water this summer The Rotarian offers you more but this issue provides for the socially conscious Rotarian a fine example as to what Rotarians are doing to help those who do not have potable water.

Bob Morton, current Chair of the Hospital Board, remarked that our Hospital has recently been through some turbulent times but that is passed and it is time for us to embrace the idea that it is our hospital in our community and that we should take possession.  He introduced the new C.E.O., Paul Heinrich, who comes to the position from Chatham-Kent but is originally from the Muskoka area.

Roger Gignac introduced Jeanette Brunelle.  She said she wanted to introduce us to a rare disease.  The Scleroderma Society of Ontario became an independent charitable organization last year after working under the auspices of the Arthritis Society for 23 years.  It is managed entirely by volunteers who organize the efforts of 21 support groups across the Province which mentor those who are living with it.

Scleroderma is an Autoimmune Deficiency disease, like Lupus, which causes a hardening and thickening of the skin and organs such as the lungs.  Localized Scleroderma is a slower acting version but systemic moves very quickly.  Diagnosis is difficult because often overlapping conditions exist and tend to confuse.  There are limited treatments and no cure.  Women suffer it at a rate 4 times that of men.  A patient can go into remission but the symptoms will persist.

   The Midland and Penetanguishene Rotary Clubs hosted Lieutenant Governor Onley at a Civic Luncheon on July 7, the first meeting of the new Rotary year.  Fred Hacer introduced Mr. Onley, the 28th to hold the office and a champion of those with disabilities, an advisor to companies like Rogers and facilities like the Air Canada Center on accessibility issues and an avid supporter of the aboriginal youth literacy initiative of his predecessor as well as the recipient of many awards and honourary degrees.

Maureen introduced Jenna, who is the Penetang Club's outbound, going to Germany and Michelle, who needs no introduction.

Jenna told us where she's going but says the town's so small she couldn't even find it on a map.  She said it had been great having Michelle live with her for 3 months because it gave her a sister, she learned to share and Michelle helped her gain an insight into what she would be doing and going through over the next year.  She ran a slide show for the Club that illustrated some of the experience, saying goodbye to friends, meeting new friends, taking part in the introductory meetings and the trip to Ottawa and the skills training. 

There were some technical problems but most of us could see the pictures on the small screen and the sound track was clear.  Marge and Roland have been to the orphanage in 2005 and 08.  Tami is a community for the disabled and orphaned and those who live there are obviously very fortunate and are developing well in a good environment.  Tami means community and it's located in the Caucasus and run by Nicki who resigned his job, bought the place, remodelled it and has made it a home.

3 Village women bake and cook in primitive but efficient kitchens.  There is an electric range but they use the wood stove more cause the electricity is not dependable.  Other village volunteers and people from around the world help out and the residents contribute as they can, cleaning, farming and wood splitting.

Steve said Phil had called in sick so we would be having a spontaneous Assembly. 

Ralph asked members to consider buying blocks of tickets as a staff recognition and to volunteer to make it a success.  When asked, Pat said our financial situation was 'excellent', which is heartening though not too specific.  Neil and Steve have been discussing the fact that by not running the golf tournament last year we have on money dedicated for a donation to Polio Plus and they are suggesting to the Board, for later confirmation by the Club, that a donation of $100.00 per member be made out of funds.  If any member has questions or concerns, let the Board know.  There will be a vote soon.

Ron said his Committee had been receiving an increased number of requests for funding recently, most of which did not qualify and all of which are hard to judge as to merit and there is a feeling that they have been 'drifting' without standards to follow.  They have developed a draft of a Terms of Reference with which to guide the Committee in awarding grants.  The Committee can grant in amonts up to $2,500.00 and anything above that is brought to the Club with a recommendation to be voted on.

Fred Israel introduced his friend and lawn bowling colleague Don West.  Don suffered infantile paralysis, as it was known then, Polio now, as a child.  It is known that polio has been around since at least the early Egyptians, often spreading at epidemic rates.  In the 1950's thousands of Canadian children suffered from it but Salk's vaccine proved effective in eradicating it in North America and RI's Polio Plus program has all but eliminated it everywhere else.  It's hard to find people now who remember how awful it was for people then.

Don grew up to be a teacher and a publishers representative, married and raised a family and returned to Midland in retirement.  Now he's suffering from post polio syndrome and he was willing to share a bit about his experiences.

Jamie said he was thrilled to introduce his hero but thought most of us knew her so he would leave it to her.

Leslie said thanks for the opportunity to talk to the Club.  She spoke with friends about what direction to take and came to the conclusion that once someone is diagnosed, everything changes and one can only speak from the heart.  She said she knew she didn't look like she'd had cancer but insider her heart it was a different story.

5 years ago she found a lump and went for a mammogram which came back negative but she and her docter were still uncertain and she was referred and had a biopsy to dispell that and they found 4 grade 3 tumours that were at stage 2 on a 4 step grade.  It was not a big a surprise and she resolved to do what it took to get through it.  Surgery removed 11 nodes of which 6 were positive and they hoped they had it all.  Chemo, to kill the loose cells, took 6 months of weekly visits.  She tried to stay healthy throughout but it was unnerving to see the team that treated her was gowned to avoid contact with the poison they were putting in her.

She said it's like a flu that never goes away but it also takes the hair, the mental strength.  She got to the stage where she couldn't take association with anything related to the process - the ice and water she was supposed to take to relieve the sores in her mouth made her want to throw up.  The smell still makes her naseous. 

Phil introduced Ruth, a retired teacher and Bob, owner of the pharmacy at the Medical Center who have been visiting Africa and are trying to help.

Ruth said they started accidentally by agreeing to accompany a church trip their son Matt was going on to Benin.  They helped out at an orphanage, health clinic and school compound that had been started by a US church.  They've been back a couple of times, once with Matt and again on their own.  They solicit medications through Bob's contacts and other things like frisbees and ball caps that the kids like.

The whole area needs help and they have helped out on missions to street kids in urban areas as well as outreach to those in rural parts of the country.  They dispense meds and help as best they can.  Ruth speaks French which is useful.  They went in December and met with a contact there who showed them different needs.  The compound they went to first has grown with over 100 orphans and 400 students.  They visited another orphanage that's further in to the bush and managed to get covers on the mats the kids had on the floor but much more is needed there.

They'd like to see a facility established where a doctor or nurse could work.  Injuries are often not too serious but when not treated they can develop into serious problems.  A soccer scrape can quickly become infected. 

 

Terri introduced Dr. Marni Rice, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and employee of the Mental Healtlh Centre for 34 years and Director of Research for 14.  She's now part time and acting as an ethicist, a Prof. Psychiatry at the Universities of McMaster, Toronto, and Queen's and as an author with 140 publications and 6 books.  She's the recipient of multiple awards, and has been on radio and TV.  

Pauline is from Nova Scotia - a bluenoser.  She said growing up she had a strong sense of community and learned the importance of volunteering.  She had 5 brothers and her parents were a little unsure how to deal with a daughter and she spent some time at a convent school.  Though she didn't care for it much, the nuns there were also very service oriented.  She helped out at the Halifax Civic Hospital which has a long term care wing for those with psychological problems.  She became interested in their stories - how they came to be where they were.  The nuns also practised silent retreats through the year and that led her to meditation and zen.

When she went to university she started in psychology, turned to history and then journalism and became the first female editor of the school paper.  She worked as a journalist and then at the CBC doing documentaries.  Her husband to be was doing publicity for the Atlantic Symphony so their jobs brought them together and they've been married 35 years.

Her husband joined the federal government and they moved to Kingston.  She went back to university there and they started a goat farm for milk and angora wool.  Her studies moved back towards psychology and when she finished at Queen's she went to Antioch College in Ohio.  This college opened as a multi racial institution before the civil war and was still a hotbed of liberal thinking in a generally conservative midwest when she went there.  She graduated with a Masters in Clinical Psychology, studying fibromyalgia. 

Patrick said the Bingo Fund is doing well and the final few accounts on the Auction will be closed soon and this year we cleared over $30,000.00.  He plans to have the next bills out next week.

Neil said the International Committee will be bringing several suggestions for projects to the Club soon, including a well in South Africa and the donation of a wood burning oven to the Tblisi orphanage, and there will be votes on Polio and Polio Plus donations.  April is Polio Plus Awareness.

Sandie said the next function will be a College of Knowledge on April 30 and there will be a celebration of Michelle's year to follow.  Jamie, as Membership, is working on the College with Sandie and Joyce.

Yvonne introduced her friend Nancy Pilon, the Program Co-ordinator at the Diagnostic Centre.  She holds a BA from U of T, a B. Sc. in Nursing from Lakehead and a Masters in Health Administration from Phoenix.  She manages a staff of over 70 professionals, is on the Board of Directors of the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed and has been awarded numerous awards and honours.

Nancy said the purpose of their unit is to improve the lives of their patients.  Bayview is one of 4 special care complexes in the mental health centre and it deals with the complex mental health needs and challenging behaviours of both in and out patients.  The service is continual - intake analysis, therapy, follow up. 

In 2001 Bill 85 mandated a focus on reducing restraints when dealing with patients.  The unit developed measurable strategies but change required changes in philosophy, policy, environment and practice.  The Act controls who is in care and how they can be returned to society and it dictates the levels of restraint allowed with a physical or mechanical device.  These devices can range from a 6 point mechanical in which a patient is effectively rendered incapable of movement, through chemical restraints that deal with behaviours for the convenience of the care givers to environmental restraints such as a seclusion room.

John Van Lahr is a past DG who is now in the Collingwood Club.  Rotary is a great part of his life - he's a major donor and a benefactor.  His wife of 40 years died in 1998 and in 2002 he met Cora, the Past President of a Club in Cebu, the Philippines.  She's now in Collingwood too but they both are commited to helping the poor in Cora's home country.

John thanked the Club for the opportunity to speak and said he was impressed at the contributions of the Club - the money raised and the donations made.

He said the Philippines is a nation of 7,000 islands with one more at low tide.  He toured a variety of potential projects in the area and was struck most profoundly by the families that lived in shacks at the town dump scavenging for reclyclables and food, all while maintaining high spirits.  The kids have to scavenge for the family and have no time for school.  John decided then that someone had to go out into the rich world and tell people about it.

He and Cora have been working through matching grants - so far 6 Clubs and 3 individuals have been co-operating.  They were working to help the kids learn when the government closed the dump and, paradoxically, made things worse.  The families were relocated to a place where there was nothing for them.  So they had to start a feeding program.

 

George Boucher introduced Val Monague who is the Health Manager at Beausoleil First Nation.  Val said the Christian Island budget is about $20,000,000.00, most of which goes into the local economy and rarely do they go outside to ask for help.  But dental care is hard to get to from the island.  They have a small clinic, $80,000.00 worth of donated equipment and a dentist who will work one or two days a month.  The problem is how the dentists get paid but they are working on that.  Val has had the equipment installed at a cost of $7,500.00 and is asking for that amount to balance her books by year end.

Jane Barnett and Leslie Tripp have been visiting grade 8 classes to run a day long Junior Achievement program that starts to teach kids about budgeting, entrepreneurship and responsibility.  They figure grade 8 is the last year kids are still listening.  They use a package of information sheets, workbooks and manuals in each class and each package costs $500.00.  Teachers are supportive, the GB Native Friendship Centre is involved and demand is growing.  They are looking for volunteers as well.  They asked for $1,000.00 to fund two visits.

Tom Kayser spoke for Ken Woods who has been working for years to create, in Cuba with Cuban craftsmen, a model of the Santissima Trinidad, the most significant vessel ever launched in Cuba.  It is now built and installed in a new maritime museum housed in the oldest fortifications in the Western Hemisphere and it has engendered a new interest in their maritime history in Cuba.  They are hoping now to create a children's workshop in the fortress where kids could learn some skills and history.  It is supported by the governments of Cuba and Canada.  They are asking for $3,000.00.

Bruce Thompson was born in Lindsey in 1949 and lived in Omemee for a while but his father worked construction and they travelled across Canada so he learned to enjoy driving.  Even now he prefers driving to flying, despite Terri's disapproval.  He remembers his first years of schooling in a one room school house, which was fairly casual.  In 1959 they moved to Aurora where they stayed through his High School career where he enjoyed all sports, especially pool.

By the time he'd finished High School the possession of a car was more important than that of a degree so he started as a Loblaws trainee.  For a while he worked for Bell but he didn't like poles.  Then he was a loan collector for Citizen Financial - the whole day on the phone telling people they owed money.  The Bank of Nova Scotia gave him a chance to see it from the other side and he started there as a lending officer in Newmarket.

Back then, as he says, things were different.  People were required to list their furniture as collateral even though the law said it couldn't all be seized.  They could keep their beds but they lost their beer fridges.  He had achieved ownership of his prize possession by this point - a Mustang 2 + 2 fastback.  One Thursday his manager asked him if he had snow tires for it - on Monday he was to report in Timmins.

Alanna said she was born in North Vancouver but moved, very young, to the Sioux Saint Marie area, the city of the big loon, via Ottawa for a couple of years. Between that experience and school classes she was bilingual for a while.  Their village had about 600 people.  When she went to UWO there were 600 people in her residence.  She took courses in anatomy and exercise physiology, then a course in physiotherapy at Humber which resulted in co-op placements in Toronto and St. Catharine's rehabilitation centers.

She had volunteered at a Sports Injury Clinic at Western, which is where she met her husband who became an engineer and who worked in auto plants in St. Catharines till he was offered a position at Pillsbury here in Midland.  Alanna likes Midland because it's a little smaller and it's closer to her parents and her in-laws in Hunstville.  The first year here, unemployed, she did a lot of crafts, joined the rowing club and worked out.  She did take a contract position in a physio clinic in Orillia but was soon unemployed again and she'd made all the Christmas presents people could stand.

 

Steve spoke for Alison and said that Vocational had processed 3 applications for exchange students, had sent Tim King from Penetang to the Adventures in High Tech and he will be speaking to the Club soon, and Sue Hofmeister is continuing with the Student of the Month management.

Steve said Patrick was also absent but he is doing a great job keeping the books in order and getting the cheques out on time.  

Jamie Tripp said the Membership Committee is working on a Retention program and recruitment. 

Diane and Rosemary told us that a woman named Wendy Walters and her two daughters went to Ottawa's Byeward Market one day several years ago and were distressed to see homeless teenagers.  After some discussion they decided that a way to help would be to donate some necessities to make their lives a little easier and they put these in backpacks for ease of transportation.  An article in Canadian Living spread the idea and Mary Nason, of Midland, started making a few available for the Out of the Cold programme in 2006.

Mary is now in constant contact with the SOS staffers - an addiction counsellor and a nurse - who are working with the homeless in Midland thanks to Council funding and they let her know if there's a need.  Mary funded the start up herself and Diane and Rosemary joined her in helping to fill the packs.  They have distributed 76 so far, mostly to men but a few have gone to women and even some children.  They customize the packs for the recipient.

Council funding for the SOS programme expires in March, though there is hope for an extension and the Angels are working to raise awareness of what they have been doing.  They are not a registered charity and when they ask businesses or stores for help or bargains they sometimes need something that recognizes their status.  So far they have spent over $6,000.00 and have received donations of $2,000.00.

One MSS class did the shopping and packing as a sociological project for school.  Some churches have helped and the Penetang Rotary has donated.  But it's still the 6 women doing the shopping, warehousing, packing and distribution.

Tara thanked the Library Restaurant for opening for the Club on this occasion and for serving such a good lunch.  The Restaurant held a big fundraiser for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters recently as well.

Tara said she would like to explain how she got here.  She started by going back, 'though maybe not as far back as some', to when her sister first went to school and Tara waited for her chance.  When the opportunity finally came she ran and 'hasn't stopped running since'.  In her early teens she was a 5 time Georgian Bay Champion and a 7 time Ontario representative.  At 16, however, she had to move away from home and she had to grow up and learn about life.

She took factory jobs to finance school and then went west to the College of the Rockies, taking mountaineering, and then to California to study Yoga.  She eventually came back here and was working at the Mental Health Centre where she met her husband Ed.  She also worked as the Recreation Co-ordinator at the jail for a couple of years.

She and her husband totally refurbished the building on King Street and after two years the business is going well and they have two children.  They feel that our society faces a crises where personal health is concerned and that we are facing an obesity epidemic. There has been a 400% increase in the number of people identified as obese and what is now costing our economy about $7billion will, by 2027, be costing over $20 billion.

Bill introduced Keith Sherman, Director of the Severn Sound Environmental Association which has been charged by its funding communities to do a sustainability study of the watershed.  Sally Leppard is the founder and President of LUNA, the firm contracted to carry the study out.  Sally has worked on projects like this for the Hamilton Harbour and other senstivie areas.

Sally thanked the Club for the opportunity to speak which is part of an approach to 'collaborative facilitators of community knowledge'.  She said the study was just the start of what would be a 40 year process.

42 hot spots were identified by the Great Lakes Water Quality Remedial Plan in the 1980's and the Severn Sound watershed basin is one of only 3 that have been delisted as an area of concern in the interim.  The success of the 9 collaborating communities in this and in the Picture This initiative, which Rotary was a partner in, encouraged them to embark on a sustainabiltiy plan.

With so many jurisdictions the first step was to establish who's responsible for what.  The Province is responsible for drinking water, species at risk and roads.  The County takes care of Sewage, Natural Resources, some other roads and solid waste.  The municipalities oversee land use planning, drinking water quality and parks, etc.  Non Governmental Organizations contribute their assistance, money and participate in things like Land Conservancy.

Only 2 municipalities, Penetang and Midland, are completely within the watershed and that leaves 7 to decide if they want to implement recommendations in those areas within their boundaries that are not inside it.  Most have.  The area includes 1,000 square kilometres, hundreds of miles of shoreline, 110,000 permanent residents and 300,000 seasonal ones.

 

Sandie introduced Pauline Vaughan, a psychotherapist and clinical psychiatrist, a member of the Gestalt Institute of Upper Canada and a practitioner of Chinese Medicine.  She came to Penetanguishene 3 years ago after 22 years in Kingston.

Pauline said that periods of economic stress often led to individuals suffering emotional stress and in a period where GM stock is at its lowest point since MacKenzie King was Prime Minister, people are having to reassess their plans for the future.  She says it is clear that physical and emotional health are linked and that stress has an impact on the human body and mind.

Phase 1 of the response to stress is 'the alarm reaction'.  When people find themselves in a situation they can't control they experience physiological changes which include the secretion of gastric juices and adrenaline.  It has been shown that when dogs are put under stress some of the become aggressive and some retreat and become despondent, to the point where they don't even eat.  People, when they feel powerless, worry about the future and exhibit the same responses.  We have to pay attention to our responses - are we becoming angry or aggressive at home?  It is hard to acknowledge but we must. 

Fred Hacker said he often thought an induction is as much for the benefit of the Club as it is for the new member.  He suggested it gave us all an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the organization and a chance to review what it means to each of us to belong.

He told Patricia that she had been approved for membership because the Club believes her to be a leader in her vocation and that she would use her heart and her head to deliver the message of Rotary to those in her field and in the community at large.  She is now an ambassador to her trade group.

Membership brings rights and obligations.  Fred commented that our society often pursues its rights, that people seek what they feel they deserve.  It is harder, he said, to find people who are prepared to meet their obligations.  Rotary membership is a privilege reserved for those people and brings opportunities for fellowship, for personal growth, for the development of a sense of confidence, for enhanced organizational skills and for the opportunity to learn about the local community and the world through Rotary International.

Members represent the Rotary to their profession, they carry the ideals and principles of service and they get involved.  Fred felt that Patricia will carry out these obligations and be an ambassador for Rotary to the Community and he welcomed her to the Club.

Patricia wondered about joining a club which was taking her daughter away but said Thank You to the Membership for their welcome.

Jen introduced Sherry, the general manager at Bayfield House.  The two have been working together to get the operation open and operating and have had a wonderful working experience.

Sherry said this was her second Rotary meeting and she was again impressed by the camaraderie and humour.  Last time she got fined so she had her money ready this time.

She said there are different options for senior's housing and people should think about what they want before circumstances require them to act.  Often an event precipitates a move - failing health, the loss of a partner.  Choices include home care, long term care, or a retirement home.  People can suffer from social loneliness, trying to deal with too large a house, poor diet, lack of transportation, maybe just confusion dealing with multiple medications or they may be compromising the health of their caregiver. 

Home Care can be government funded or paid for privately.  The Community Care Access Centre staff visits and determines an individual's requirements. 

Long Term Care offers nursing care and physical security 24/7 and occupancy is based on need such as medical requirements or dementia.  These are funded by the governement.  There are 60,000 residents in LTC Homes in Ontario.  Some homes are privately owned and some are owned by the local municipality and some are run by charities like the Salvation Army.

Joyce introduced Kathy Willis, executive director at Transition House for 14 years.  In that time it has grown into a muti-site, multi-service operation.  She's a tireless advocate for those who need help and she's also taking a Masters in Human Resources at York.

Kathy said the goals of the House are to see a stop to all violence against women and children, to encourage community members to promote education and advocacy and to provide shelter.  The beliefs they work from are that: violence is an equity issue - there is a clear link between poverty and the lack of a stable, equal environment and; there are men that suffer violence but that it is preponderantly women who suffer - 95% - so the mandate is to help women first. 

They are now called Huronia Transition Homes.  La Maison Rosewood is the first resort for french speakers in the county.  Rosewood has had great support from Rotary from the start when members helped clean up the basement through to working on the shed last year.

Barry Bergey introduced Gabrielle Koopman who has been at Georgian College since 1990.  She has been the Program Manager, the Child Care Manager, the Associate and the Acting Dean and is now the Director.  She graduated in 91 in Adult Education from Brock.

Gabrielle thanked Rotary for the invitation and said it is part of what the College is trying to do - connect with the community and tell what Georgian's all about.  Anyone who wants to is welcome to drop in - they are running tours all the time.

The College system in Ontario graduates 45,000 students every year.  Georgian has 7 campuses; Barrie, Orillia, Owen Sound, Midland, Muskoka, Orangeville and Collingwood.  There is a small campus in Alliston now.  In these 7 there are 9,000 full time and over 30,000 part time students which represents a 10% increase this year.  In Midland there's a higher proportion of mature students because the mandate is skilled trades.  Many make a long commute to take the courses.  The demand is so great they are running the welding on 3 schedules.  Plumbing is being offered for the first time this year and there were 17 in the first class.  There were 255 electrical apprentices in 2008. 

There are a variety of pathways to learning.  Upgrading, Apprenticeship, Diploma, Post Secondary (for marine engines) Graduate Certificate and Certificate.  Provincial commitment is strong and there has been money for enhancements and upgrading - about $3,000,000.00. 

 

Dave Mink introduced Gary South who has enjoyed a long career in insurance - 10 years in adjusting, 17 in policing and another 10 with the Crime Prevention Bureau.

Gary defined Fraud as engaging in an act or omission with the intent to obtain a benefit illegaly.  All fraud cost the industry and the public at large.  A fraud convinces the victim to part with property willingly under fraudulent conditions as opposed to theft where property is taken with consent.

Fraud can be opportunistic, as when dishonesty is included in a legitimate claim through exageration, conspiracy with service providers or by including a previous injury.  It can be planned through fabricated claims, arson, staged accidents or phoney robberies.  Many people can be involved including the insured, third parties, insurance people, other professionals such as doctors and service suppliers.  In times of economic difficulties, rates of fraud increase.  The cost averages $3 billion and about 33% of claims include fraudulent elements.

Steve said he had the pleasure of serving on the Hospital Board for 8 years with Dr. Jileson and his knack of working with all the factions was primarily what kept things running smoothly over that period.  He has been in the area for 35 years and was Chief of Staff for 16.  He is recently retired.

Dr. Jileson said he knew we were all aware of the change of administration but that the Hospital was still hard at work, in fact busier than ever.  Inpatients are up 2.5%, emergency visits 4.5, outpatients 3, dialysis 8, physio 10 and lab test 6. 

The Capital Campaign was recently concluded successfully, accreditation will be coming again soon and the Penetang Palliative Care unit is recognized as one of the best in the Province.

There are many challenges.  Funding, area population growth, shortage of human resources with many people retiring, wait times and access to Community Care.  Nurse practitioners are coming on line and, as part of family health teams, are being helpful.  Most are working with a collaborating physician but some lack a doctor partner or associate with two or more.  They are independent and are paid by the Province. 

Resolutions are being found for the administration.  The two facilities are now, officially, one secular hospital.  A Board is being sought and when that is done they will be embarking on a search for a new CEO.

 

Bob Campbell introduced Steve Rothwell who has spent 27 years in the construction industry, starting out as a carpenter, moving into a semi custom buiding company and now with CEPHEUS, a building performance company.  He has worked on barrier free, R2000 homes and serves as an energy advisor.

Steve appreciated the opportunity to speak on a subject he is passionate about.  He says an efficient building improves peoples' comfort and health, reduces operating costs, extends the life of the components and enhances the integrity and durability of the building and decreases green house gas emissions.

A building is a puzzle of components assembled to function as a whole.  The envelope separates the conditioned air from the unconditioned and is comprised of the foundation, walls, window, doors and roof.  Air and water leakage are the most problematic.  In Canada especially cold air comes in the basement, warms, rises and leaks out gaps in the stories above.  The rate of flow can be tested and efforts can be made to reduce that rate, measured as the number of changeovers per hour.

John Gordon complimented the Club on its many achievements.  The Food Drive, Music in the Park, Student Exchange, Literacy, Student of the Month have all been mentioned at this meeting alone.  Midland can be proud they have set the bar so high but John challenged the Club to set it higher still.  There's work to be done on polio, wheelchairs, water, education, and job skills training.  There is still so much to do.

Terri introduced Barry Gagnon who has been a member of Reliable Life's senior management team since 2002 and who had 30 years with Sun Life before that.  Barry introduced Lynn Pinder as the one with the brains.

Barry proposed to take us through a little Truth vs. Fiction.  It is true, he said, that you need to be familiar with the terms of the contracts you sign.  You may not need to read all the fine print but you need to know what is covered and what is not, especially if it's a policy where you don't have to die to collect. 

No insurance covers everything but all insurance covers some investment you have made, whether it's belongings or your families security.  Your trip is an investment and trip insurance covers that whether it turns out you can't go or if something happens while you're away.  A heart attack in Floriday can cost as much as $250,000.00 and a $100.00 policy can protect you.  One client suffered a cerebral hemorhage and a fractured skull when he fell, which ended up costing $430,000.00. No insurance covers a pre-existing condition and it is important to check your coverages and inclusions.

Yours truly had the pleasure of introducing Victoria Evans, Park Naturalist.  Victoria is from Liverpool but grew up in the Toronto area and took her BA there.  Then she went back to Liverpool to take a Masters in Evolutionary Psychology.  She's been with the Park for 3 years and one part of her job is to promote awareness.

The Georgian Bay Park is the smallest one in the National Park system, though it spreads over a large area.  Comprised of 63 islands from Beausoleil almost up to Parry Sound it's actual land area is only 14 sq. km.

The mandate of the Parks is to protect and present nationally significant regions of the Country and to promote understanding and enjoyment.  Each Park typifies a type of topography and, put together, they would represent a puzzle of the original Canada.  The Parks try to promote visitor experience and education but also have to protect as much as they can.

They do outreach to marinas, schools, special events and groups.  Protection of this Park is especially difficult because it is hard to patron and maintain so they try to work with local groups and landowners to keep it beautiful.  Most people in this area are familiar with Beausoleil but many don't realize it actually represents two types of topography, the more southern part is forest while the northern is in the Shield.  The park is part of the island chain that makes up the largest freshwater archipelago in the world and that is in some of the cleanest water in the Great Lakes.

Fred said they'd taken part in a tour of this small, 300 by 50 km, country full of an incredibly diverse and productive people - world leader in computers and pharmaceuticals especially.  The 6 million citizens are surrounded by 40 million people who hate them and they have the West Bank actually within their borders full of more people who would rather Israel did not exist.  Obviously, security is a major issue.

Israel is the birthplace of many religions, not just Islam and Christianity.  They have Druze communities and the Ba'hai headquarters among others.  Jews themselves come in a wide variety including those from Ethiopia, from Russia, from South America and many gradations of belief.

Fred and Barb were the only Christians on this tour and saw, as a result, many centres of interest to their Jewish fellow travellers that might not have been included on a tour for Christians only.  Fred then presented a slide travelogue that presented a good overview of what the country looks like and the heritage it represents. 

Jamie welcomed Cassie back and said we had all been following her adventures through her emails.  She had obviously made the most out of her experience which is the key to success and enjoyment.

Cassie started with an introduction in Danish and then an introduction to Denmark - that part, fortunately, was in English.  She said Danish is the second hardest language to learn because there are few rules so it's mostly memorization and it has 3 more letters.  5.5 million live in Denmark and about 1 million of them are in Copenhagen, the capital, and it was recently declared the 'happiest country in the world'.  She went to their equivalent of gr. 10, but it's a little hard to tell because they only do 3 years in HS, not 4.  One class does everything all the way through which is good because they make very good friends but not so good cause you don't meet the kids in the other classes much.

The Danish Rotary Club that sponsored her really supported the exchange students but don't seem to spend as much time on community work as Clubs in Canada do.  She stayed with 3 families - in the first she was the youngest, in the second, the oldest and in the third she was the only child.

Trains there are easy, cheap and regular.  She used them almost exclusively and was able to book on the internet, which gave her a real freedom and meant she could go to meet friends without pestering her hosts for a drive.  The Town she was in was on the south side of one of the southernmost islands and was home to about 30,000.  It was only 40 minutes to Copenhagen on the express so she visited there regularly and saw the mermaid, the Tivoli at Christmas all lit up and lots of shopping.

 

John Lister said that although everyone knows Rotary does a lot he was glad the Club was able to come down and see the reality of one project it's supporting.  The Club started in the 60's and has grown to 150 boats and all along it has made every effort to encourage sailing.  The school started at a cottage with a boat that had washed up on the shore and last year had 149 students and 282 hours of Able Sail instruction.  The Club also offers training to Little Brothers and Sisters.

Midland Rotary contributed towards the Club's Able Sail boat which is built in Australia and can be steered with a joystick.  There are 8 on the School's Committee, including Steve Killing.  He discussed how the Club improved its facilities to enhance accessibility including a tent for shade, paved walkways and special low docks.  The stainless steel was donated as were the blocks, thanks Don, there was a Trillium grant and a lot of work by members.  Wenneker co-ordinated the dock construction and the Midland and Penetang Builders' Association did a lot of the work, with more members helping.

Michelle Campbell leaves on August 19 for Taipei, via Hong Kong and she spoke to the Club about her expectations.

She thanked the Club for the opportunity.  She has been talking to her first host family and is trying to work on the language which is very difficult as meaning depends not just on the words but on the tone as well.  She has heard that students there are very focused and attend from 7 - 5 and then study and eat dinner so she's a little nervous that she may not be able to socialize much and make friends.  She's going to be at a vocational school and there will be 3 other exchange students from the US so she hopes that will make it a little easier.

Others she has talked to say the first 3 months is hard and her experience in South Africa showed she was homesick but after a couple of weeks she started to enjoy it.  Once you start getting used to it, though, the rest of the year goes too fast.  What has surprised her is that she finds her friends don't share her excitment and their lack of enthusiasm for her is hard.  She has lots of support from her family and from Rotary and the trip to Ottawa and the sharing circle they held there where people talked about their reservations and fears was very helpful in showing her she was not alone.  She is looking forward to meeting new people and making new friends but she has found that only other exchange students really understand what she's going through.

 

Ralph introduced Cindy McQuirter who believes our future is our kids.  If supported, she said, they'll grow into positive, helpful and community minded individuals.  They need a positive role model and not enough of them get the attention they should.  The organization is always looking for more 1 on 1 adults, especially male.  Those on the waiting list take part in group activities like trips to Wonderland.  On the last trip one young lady told Cindy she'd never been outside of Midland.  Cindy introduced the organization's new Executive Director, France St. Amour, who is working to provide a positive life experience for everybody involved.

France thanked the Club for its hospitality and said she was pleased to be part of such a forward looking team.  Big Brothers/Sisters gets no government funding.  Their vision is to see that every child that needs a mentor gets one and that they are provided with a positive life experience with a caring adult.  These children will perform better throughout life.  There is a waiting list and it is growing.  Her priorities will be funding, more volunteers and developing partnerships. 

Ralph introduced Roy as Mr. MacDonald who has held a series of positions with the chain and who has lived in half a dozen countries working for them.  He and his wife moved here recently, though they still spend a lot of time in Vancouver.  Roy has jumped right into Rotary and is co-chair of Party on the Dock.

Roy started off with a happy 15 - 10 for being back from flying his float plane to Vancouver and back and 5 for a wonderful career.  He spent 30 years with MacDonald's, mostly with training and orientation.  He's lived in Canada, the US, UK and USSR, always with the terrific support of his wife.

How MacDonald's got into Russia.  The company owns a bus it lends to charities and it was carrying part of the Russian Olympic team around Montreal when George Cohan spotted it and invited himself on board - his bus after all.  One thing led to another and a partnership was born.  Roy took it on - thousands to hire and train, locations to find, no refrigeration and a currency that was not convertable to foreign currencies in a country that was experiencing hyperinflation and where few spoke english.

There were a few cultural differences too.  10% wastage was built into budgets to account for theft and integrity meant something a little different to them.  One vodka factory ended up with more product than the plan called for so they wrapped the bottles in cheescloth and broke them, rebottled the vodka and took it home and reported adherence to the plan.

Ron Crane introduced Ron Shaw, the President of the Boys and Girls Club of North Simcoe who thanked Rotary for its support in the purchase of their new van and introduced Kerri Court, the only paid employee of the Club.

Kerri thanked the Club for the opportunity to speak about the Boys and Girls Clubs.  The Midland Club is part of a global affiliation which has grown from its beginning as a Boys Club in Houston in 1860.  The first Canadian Club was in New Brunswick, founded in 1900.  There are now over 700 clubs around the world.

Rotary Club of Midland

Community Service Committee

Proposal for Personal Assistance Requests

 

The Committee has determined that it is not equipped to investigate, assess and monitor requests for personal assistance for such things as medical/dental treatment or devices not covered by OHIP, urgent shelter, personal care or related needs.

 

George Boucher said it was an honour to introduce Roger to the Club.  Roger had expressed an interest and had been introduced to Rod who became his sponsor.  Roger grew up on a farm in Lafontaine, part of a small family of 7 children who lived, for a while, in a log house and were close to the land.  He spent 30 years in Phsychiatric Nursing, retiring in 2001.  He started an involvement in Real Estate in 1993 and is now full time with Burns.

Rod thanked Roger for showing an interest and taking the initiative.  He said Rotary had been founded over 100 years ago to offer collective help to the community and has grown to include a fellowship that spans the world and includes 1.2 million members in over 30,000 Clubs.  The opportunities for service at home and abroad are focused on 4 areas and though the organization is devoted to service it is also an organization for enjoyment and fellowship.  He welcomed Roger and Kathleen to the world of Rotary.

Janice said the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards are desinged to promote and teach leadership, citizenship and individual growth, to encourage leadership of youth by youth and to recognize youth that are active in the community.  The idea was started in Australia and the program is now in over half the 521 Districts.  Participants tend to be in the 14-18 year range and last year the District sponsored 42 participants which increased this year to 60 including 8 who returned as leaders.

Janice introduced Jenny Long who works with the Students Against Impaired Driving, and Brett Sinkinson who is a cub leader, involved in public speaking and was Rotary's delegate to the last Adventures in Technology.

They thanked the Club for the opportunity, saying they learned a lot and that they enjoyed the excellent facility. 

Ralph said he was introducing the introducer but had to mention how effective this program had been for him and he encouraged everyone to remember this if ever affected with vertigo.

Phil said J R Nieuwland was born in Cincinnati but moved to Holland when he was 6.  He went to Florida for his training and met Kelly's sister so now he and J R are brothers in law.  He moved up here and opened a practice in Barrie.

J R defined dizziness as loss of balance which can be accompanied by anxiety, emotionalism, nausea and vertigo.  People suffering from it can withdraw and end up in isolation.  It's very common, accounting for 5 - 10% of all doctor visits and it's the number one reason seniors go to the doctor.  50% of all adults will be affected at some point.

With dizziness comes a high risk of falling which is even higher in seniors.  Over 50% of seniors fall and 50% of those can't go home.  People suffer over 2,000,000 falls a year.

Neil reported that at long last the Club is finished with the Tblisi project and the International Committee can now focus on finding a new project.  He said the Committee has been helping on small projects, like Shirley Trudeau's mission, and they are looking into helping with the school that was discussed last week.

Alison said the Board had found that organizing programs is too big a job for one or two people and has decided to make up a schedule whereby every member will be responsible for one day per year.  Each of us can present something ourselves or invite someone.  There will be a system of call to remind but there will be a printed schedule so we can keep track.  This will start in June.

Alison also reported that thanks to the Committees and the Membership the Club has met every qualification for a Presidential Citation again this year.  It is also close to qualifying for the District Governor Honour Roll except for donations to the Foundation.  The goal this year is not just $100.00 per member but 'every member/every year'.  So far about half have donated.  Alison asked members to call if they're bringing a guest so meals can be planned.

 

Bruce Wilcox introduced Ken Woods, a member of St. Paul's, a retired High School VP, an active part of the Atlantic Challenge, the Sleeping Children Bed Kits program, an advisor to the restoration of a war ship in Cuba, and part of the team sponsoring a refugee family from Thailand.

Ken was speaking on this day, though, as a representative of Dr. Peter Kugba Nyande and the outreach committee of St. Paul's.  Peter is from Bunumba in Sierra Leone, a country the size of New Brunswick with 6 million people and the highest infant mortality rate in the world and the lowest per capita income.  It's where Blood Diamonds was filmed.  He hopes to rebuild the school in his hometown.  Paul Delaney is not directly involved in this project but is a friend of Peter's and is helping as he can.

There are 344 students in temporary facilities there and they are working on a six room school with an office and a teachers' room.  They built a shelter to protect the bricks they're making and, with 9,000 bricks so far, have the walls up to the roof line.  They have the beams for the roof but not the metal sheeting and the rains are coming.

Peter has raised $22,000.00 of the 29 needed and has been going, on his own expense, to supervise.  $6,000.00 has been given anonymously to dig a well and install toilets and Peter has been loaned the money to buy the sheeting but he needs to pay that back.

Teachers there are paid by the government - there are 5 now which means each has 60 kids.  The curriculum is mandated by the government and education is free.  This doesn't mean they couldn't use supplies.

Ken said this Club extends itself and takes every opportunity to support the Community.  There are two Rotary Clubs in Sierra Leone.  Donations can be made to St. Paul's, marked 'school project' and receipts will be issued.  He thanked the Club for their time and attention.

Alison introduced Sandie as an enthusiast who jumps right in and who has the broken ankle to prove it.  She'd only been a member for a week before she took on the Chair of Club Service and the hosting of an exchange student.

Sandie said she'd been dreading this day and trying to put it off.  Her mother was a Blackfoot from Medicine Hat and her father was traveling on business - they met and were married in a week.  They had one daughter and another on the way (Sandie) by Dec. of 57 but times were tough so they decided to hitch to Toronto, which they did.  They stopped at a Loblaws in Toronto to get some supplies and Sandie decided to get born there.  (Somebody suggested she was President's Choice).  Anyway, she got her 15 minutes of fame and her first 15 minutes at the same time and was written up in the Star.  She ended up with 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

Her mother didn't like the City so they all moved to Honey Harbour where they had a mixed farm to grow up on.  Her father was a mechanic with DeHavilland and commuted to Downsview.  Sandie went to High School in Toronto while living with an aunt and became a customs broker, got married, had two children - one with a serious illness - and moved back here as a single parent, self employed.  She started teaching software programs and worked with David Whiteman on Satellite Image Mapping.

When her children were teenagers she met Tony and they bought Delux and Midland Bay and built Central Taxi and Transport.  Tony has 2 kids and they have created a united family.  Sabrina is 24 and at HBC, Christian is 23, Marla is 17 and Justin 13 and invested in sports.  There are 2 dogs, 3 cats, a parrot and a fish as well.

 

Allison introduced Bill Northcotte and Bill Smith, the co-authors of the new illustrated history of Midland

Bill Northcotte said they'd had a lot of help from Rotary and Rotarians Rod Ferguson, Myles who provided lots of pictures and Fred Hacker whose firm bought 75 copies.  They printed 2,000 and have recouped 25 thousand of the 40 thousand printing costs.

The cover picture is of a boat built at MSS, taken out through a window a being sailed at a competition in Denmark.  Bill said his first book had been about Thunder Beach and talked about the improvements in printing lately.  He showed a couple of pictures before and after they had been technically enhanced and the differences were marked.  The biggest problem with a project like this is what to leave out.

Hugel was the mayor of Port Hope before moving north and his biography has been researched by a latter mayor of that town.  We saw pictures of him, his house in Midland and his grave in Montreal.  Hugel's family was actually from Alsace-Lorraine and was more French than German.

Bill showed us a selection of shots from the book - pictures of the bay, the lumber yards, the smelter, and houses etc.  A shot of Hugel was obtained from London at a cost of $150.00 and Bill was glad to say the local museum was more reasonable.  He had a copy of a story about a rowing fair held here - printed in Orillia - which remarked on the tremendous amount of swearing, drinking and fighting the Midlanders embarked on.  And he thanked Clint specifically for his hours of work identifying people and cars and filling in the stories when he could.

Jamie Tripp introduced Martina Wall of the Employment Resource Centre.  Jamie is on the advisory board and says he is aware of the challenges faced by local employers and the opportunites available through the service and he thought it would be interesting for the employers in the Club to know more about it.

Martina said the office is part of the Employment and Commercial department of YMCA Muskoka and that there are similar offices in Barrie.  The Midland office has been at 324 King St. since January and is open to anyone who is eligible to work in Canada.  Clients can access services at several levels - some just come to use the computers or fax machines to update their resumes and send them out - some atten workshops that offer job search tools, assist with resume and cover letter writing and etc. and - some work with advisors on a 1 to 1 basis to discuss their search.

 

Phil introduced Bryan MacKell, Town Planner and Economic Development Officer.  Bryan started in Nepean and moved to Midland 28 years ago.  He took a break for 5 years to run a private planning company, providing urban and redevelopment services, before returning to Midland.  He's been instrumental in the King St. redevelopment, the work on the Dock area, the trails and the Planning and Zoning regulations.

Bryan said the area is growing with a focus on residential development.  He took us on a tour around the town.  The Aberdeen St. houses are to be augmented by two towers of condos this year and more single family construction.  Mundy's Harbour will be completed this year with a final 12 units.  From there to King St. is green space that is vested in the Town but over on the west side the work there is starting again after some financial details were worked out with occupancy expected in August.  Past Bayport there's 60 acres being developed by the Remington group with 550 dwellings, some on the water, some as town houses and then 3 apartments.  The Fuller Drummond property, which has been owned since the 80s by Europeans, will have 79 homes.  The trees there are second growth since the smelter closed and over 40% of that cover will be retained.

The Sunnyside and Harbourview intersection will be realigned and signalled and in a couple of years the curve onto Fuller will be made more gradual.

There will be infill houses on Young St. near Cornell and there are 100 single lots available near Woodland Dr.  The Town is also expecting some submissions regarding the 40 acres between St. T's and TRW but 8 acres has already be dedicated to parks and 3 soccer pitches.  From King St to the Old Penetang Rd. behind the WalMart there's room for 1,000 dwellings but, again, 86 acres has been reserved for wetland and storm water management.

Mike Thor said it was an honour to present the Vocational Service Award for the year 2007-08.  This Award marks recognition in one of the four avenues of Rotary service and is given to those who share their skill and expertise with the community while acting as an ambassador to the community for their profession.

The Award recognizes the promotion of the highest ethical standards to employees, to the public and to customers.  Mark and Carol Cruden exemplify these standards.

Both started with McDonalds as part time employees in their home communities and each worked their way through the ranks to become managers.  Carol went on to become a senior administrator responsible for 180 stores while Mark went in to business ownership.  Both were considering taking a franchise and when the opportunity to purchase in Midland arose, they jumped at it.  Midland appealed because of the quality of life, the Bay, the people and the atmosphere, all of which made it a great place to raise their children - Ashley, now 17, Michelle, 15 and Mark, 7.

Owners of the franchise since 2003, they have the main store on 93, the one in Wal-Mart and the one in Elmvale.  They have 'great customers and great employees'.  They maintian this by treating others fairly, promoting employee morale through events, scholarships and training.  In the community they promote the Terry Fox run and a wide range of ongoing and one time fund raising through collection boxes, discount coupons and donations from the sale of food.  $0.10 from every cup of coffee goes to the Huronia Hospital Foundation.  Community Living receives $2,500.00 a year from a similar arrangement.  United Way is supported through a 12 Days of Christmas promotion and the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign receives $1.00 from every sandwich sold on YMCA Day, while donation boxes raise another $3,200.00.

Ralph introduced Phil Edmunds by saying that Phil had been a member of the Club and had made many friends who encouraged him to return, and he is welcome back.  Phil went to Western and has been here building Huronia Physiotherapy for 20 years.  He's active in the community and has served on the Y Board and is currently on the Hospital Foundation.

Phil said he's glad to be back.  He tries to take an Australian expression to heart - you are your activities, not your career.  He was born the shortest of 5 in Winnipeg but in 1970 the family moved to Windsor where they took up sailing and from where they did a lot of traveling.  His major influences have been Kelly, her two boys and their two girls and Robbert Hartog who taught that you get back more than you give and who left a terrific legacy through his mentoring and teaching.

He and his family love the Bay and go boating as much as possible in the summer and then get out on it in the winter.  Last year they went to Beausoleil and built an igloo for an overnight.

To say Phil is active in athletics would be an understatement.  He's run the Boston marathon, the pinnacle of long distance running, where they bus 38,000 people out of town and let them run back.  He's also raced in Australia and Montreal and acted as team therapist.  Another jaunt was a 3 day exercise wherein team members develop their logistics and map a route and then, by running, canoeing, climbing and biking, arrive at their destination.  It's exhausting, he says, but it takes you to a place where you begin to know your limits and to push through them, all for a pat on the back and a slice of pizza.  As painful is the Ironman Triathalon - a 4 k swim, a 180 k bike ride and a 42 k run, all in eleven and a half hours - 'to see where I could go'.  Then there's the Canadian Ski Marathon which starts at 6 am at Gatineau and takes two days to do 160 k's.

Jamie Tripp said membership is the vital component of Rotary, like air is to life.  He mentioned, for those guests who might not know, that the 4 founders in 1905 Chicago were business and professional leaders who got together to establish what good works they could do for the community. 

The Rotary wheel has 6 spokes for the continents, 24 teeth for the time zones and a keyway for the force that turns the wheel.

Jamie Tripp introduced David Gravelle, a very busy man.  He worked in broadcast journalism in Kitchener, runs a local business called WOW, teaches curling in Canada and the US, is a past Councillor of Penetang and C of C President and is the area's part time Physicial Recruitment Officer.

David started off by reporting the success stories of 2007 - four physicians have moved to the area:  Dr. Louis Nel, a family physician and ER staffer; Dr. Osso Chabikuli, a family physician and ER staffer; Dr. Clara Chabikuli, a family physician and hospitalist; and Dr. Alan Hislop, a family physician.  Instrumental in the choice of each to move here was the lifestyle - boating, fishing, gardening and golfing.

 

Sue Hofmeister introduced Brett Sinkinson, the student who participated in last October's Adventure.  Brett is a student at MSS who's awareness of career opportunities has been expanded by this trip.

Brett said he wanted to thank the Club for the opportunity to go.  It was a fun and informative experience for him.  They took the train to Ottawa and were there for 5 days.  About 40 were on the trip and he made a lot of new friends.

They toured software companies where mostly he seemed to be pleased to learn that he might be able to get a job where he doesn't have to wear a tie.  But they also introduced the students to cutting edge software design and products.  At Carleton they looked a 3D remote sensing technology that was broadcast on 8ft screens.  Cognos software demonstrated new spreadsheet software and talked about student co-op placements.  At the Museum of Science and Technology they traced technical progress and got more understanding of how we arrived where we are.  Ottawa U is experimenting with a camera that ID's people and that can track events - like who put that knapsack by that pillar. 

In between tours they had speakers address them.  A rep from the business community talked about the rise of India and China and the influence they will have on the global economy through economic clout as well as outsourcing.

Brett said it was awesome to see what is being worked on before it is introduced to the public and that it was important to see that High Tech is still very active despite the collapse of Corel and Nortel.  So much is going on in smaller companies and he is now thinking about different career opportunities.

He thanked the Club again for the support.

Cornelius wanted to give the Club an idea of his life before traveling to Canada.  He said Germany would take up only 3% of Canada but has 3 times the population.  Germany has 240 people per sq. km. and Canada has 3.  He comes from Gutting in Lower Saxony, a town that is 1,330 years old.  It's a university town and all the grads have to kiss a statue of a young girl in the square - the most kissed girl in Germany.

He showed pictures of the market square at Christmas and his school building which is 420 years old and has about 1,000 students from gr. 5 - 12.

He has many activities - he's been skiing since he was 5 and the family goes to Austria or Switzerland every year.  He goes fishing and hunting with his family - he was the youngest person to get a hunting license in his state but he hasn't actually gone out as he came here first.  Everybody in his family plays field hockey and he was good enough to go from the town team to the state team at age 11.  He had to take a train to Hanover to practice but the team was shut down and he hasn't gone back to it yet.  He plays golf and has enjoyed playing with Jamie and Ralph and for the school team here.

He has two younger brothers and an older sister who went on an exchange to Houston two years ago.  His father had managed a state forest and they lived there for 5 years which was fun but a little isolated but now he is a forestry professor and they live in town.  His mother studied the law but currently works at home.

Every year they take a vacation in the Netherlands and he showed us pictures of the beaches there.

He is enjoying his trip here- enjoyed beating Jamie at golf and is looking forward to skiing - and has made lots of friends.

Ron Crane introduced Gord McKay as an ex Rotarian, a Councillor and a retired businessman who now expends a lot of effort and time volunteering and helping in the Community.  Among the many organizations he works with is 'Out of the Cold'.

Gord said thanks for the opportunity to speak to the Club and thanks to the Club for its gift of $500.00 which allowed them to purchase a dishwasher.                                   

Out of the Cold offers those who need it warm meal, a place to sleep and friendship.  Now in its 4th year it is operating from Dec. 1 to March 31 and serves about 12 to 15 people a night.  This translates to 1300 meals and 1,770 bed nights offered by 217 front line volunteers taking shifts.

Originally the operation shifted, over the 7 nights of each week, between 7 parishes in 2 communities, which was confusing to volunteers and clients alike.  In partnership with the OPP and the Midland Police who provide security and train the volunteers, with Wendat who helps with housing and the Hospital which does the laundry they did this last year for only $2,209.40.  A real bang for the buck.

The rotating schedule caused several problems and this year Knox Presbyterian offered a permanent space which, while gratefully accepted, did not come without problems.  Nicknamed 'the dungeon' it was not the most hospitable space and estimates ran to $47,000.00 to bring it up to standard. 

But, a few phone calls and one very generous donor later they were able to contract with Georgian Team Design and start work.

Alison was pleased to introduce Sandie Blair to the Club.  Sandie was born in Honey Harbour, went to U of T, worked for a time as a Customs Broker but left that to become self employed so she could spend more time with her children who are now 23 and 24.  She's been a foster parent and a volunteer at James Keating and at Children's Aid.  Central Taxi has grown under her management from 6 cars to 32 and they are installing a computer dispatch system to improve efficiency.  Sandie has already volunteered to host the dinner last Saturday and to take over from Yvonne Wismer as Club Service Chair.

Jamie Hunter said it was a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Sandie to the Club and he could tell she was already representing Rotary objectives.  He introduced her to the 4 Way Test and discussed Rotary International - founded in 1905 and now grown to include 1.2 million members in 32,000 Clubs, making it the largest and oldest service Club.  He said that while Rotary presents many advantages it also has obligations and the Club has appointed Alison as a mentor to assist Sandie in learning about Rotary and its ideals of friendship, community and peace.

Sandie thanked the Club for the welcome, said she had been privileged to host the party, that she felt comfortable in the company and she thanked the Club for including her.

Jamie Hunter also welcomed Phil Edmunds back to the Club after and absence.  He presented Phil with his badge and Phil said that he had been away a long time but it was great to be back working with the Club on community involvement.

Bob Campbell said the whole family is excited that Michelle was chosen for the upcoming long term exchange, though they don't know where she's going yet.  She had a great time on the short term one and if the next is half as good it should be terrific.

Michelle had a slide presentation that started with a map that showed how far she'd gone and, as she said, that sort of trip the first time traveling alone would be nerve wracking. 
The Short Term Exchange is for almost two months and the students travel during their summer vacations so Michelle was gone during July and August which is winter in South Africa.  She stayed south of Johanesburg with one host family.  The daughter of that family, Stephanie, will be in Midland soon and stay over part of the winter.  Our winter will be a little harsher than the ones she is used to in SA.
She got around quite a bit.  Her host family have a house on the Ball River and so there was boating.  They spent a week camping near Durban, went to Johanesburg, Cape Town and Kruger National Park.
She made great friends and had wonderful experiences, many of which she had photos of - especially the 4 of the big five she was able to see.  Elephant, Rhinos, Lions and Buffalo.  She didn't see a Leopard.
MIchelle took us through her trip with pictures that she commented on and it was obvious she was thrilled by the whole project.  She thanked Rotary for its commitment to the program.
Jamie offered his thanks for her talk and a welcome back and a congratulations on being able to take part in the Long Term program.

Dean attended the Foundation Seminar in Barrie last week and stepped in to a vacancy today to mark Foundation Month.
He said that there are a few members of the Club who will remember 1985 as being a difficult year for the Midland Rotary Club.  They bought land and built a cottage and auctioned it off and paid all their debts and were left with $85,000.00 to hand.  But they had no goal and there was a long period of debate and discord over what to do next.  It even cost the Club members.
You need a goal. 
That same year Rotary International partnered with UNICEF and WHO to eradicate Polio.  There was opposition from people who said it was to big an ambition.  Dean took on the role of District Chair (with encouragement from Elaine) and he says it changed his life.  That year there were 68,000 cases of Polio reported.  This year there were 635.  There are still problem spots, due mostly to war, but the borders are watched and refugees are checked and vaccinated.
Some people think polio has come to dominate Rotary and wonder 'how much longer' will this take?  At the Seminar Dean heard that Internation is committed to 2010.
He distributed a fact sheet that listed the requirements and logistics associated with a world immunization day.  He explained that the Foundation buys the serum and Polio Partners works on the Days, of which there are 4 or 5 a year.  He said one of our members has participated in such a Day and describes it as 'the most moving' thing he's done. 

Rod said the Membership Committee is working on a Prospective Member event and will be approaching those who expressed an interest in the Spring.  If anybody knows anyone else that might be interested, contact him.

Neil reported that the well in Tblisi is producing drinkable water but that the Russians have closed the border and some parts have been held up.  They may have to go to the black market or wait - either way, costs may rise.  And we can't get matching grants on any other project until this one is finalized.

Micahel St. Amant exhibited his facility with Danish, which sounded impressive to us.  He said he got off the plane there to find his luggage gone and everybody speaking Danish.  It was quite the intro.  It's a difficult language to learn but he did.
He told us a little about the country - the food took some getting used to.  At his first meal he could eat about 1 out of 10 things but there are lots of pastries.  The weather is more temperate than here but as it's farther north the winter days are even shorter.  He thought High School there was harder than here - somewhere between our High Schools and Universities.  People are reserved at first but after you get to know them they are very friendly and nice.

Janice introduced Bob as a boss who is extremely supportive, who gives people a lot of latitude in their work and who is an upstanding citizen and a great addition to the Club.

Bob said his first impulse through life has been to pursue fun and laughter.  He grew up in North York - a suburban mixture of Wayne's World and Cheech and Chong.  He played in a band - still does - but finds that what they played then and considered progressive rock has evolved now into back ground music for beer commercials.  He still plays at the odd charity event.
He got into community work unknowingly.  His first effort was when a bunch of buddies at a friend's cottage decided to clean up a park so they could play ball.  He tried cubs and scouts but noted a distinct lack of girls at the meetings and dropped out.

Steve Rastin introduced Dan Glassier, co-ordinator of the MARC Rotary Youth Literacy Program, as a retired teacher, and Jake Brideau, a volunteer peer tutor.
Dan said thanks for inviting him back.  18 months ago he spoke to the Club of the serious need in the schools for help in improving and maintaining literacy skills.  MARC had identified a large number of students about to enter High School who needed extra help to give them the abilities and the confidence to take on new challenges.
The Club listened and in the spirit of Paul Harris funded this new program's first year.  30 youth and their families in 4 schools are now better equipped to pursue their education. 
A supportive network across 3 Boards is preparing for another year of assistance.
Dan invited Jake to give the Club his perspective.  Jake said he'd signed up mostly to make up his community hours and went back to his own elementary school to work with students.  He noticed amazing growth in these kids, changing from shy and poorly performing to more confident and able youn adults.  He felt he was able to create a bond, which a busy teacher is not able to do, and that he became the resource for questions they couldn't take to the teacher.  But more important, he said, they learned to help themselves.

Fred Hacker said that though there had been good publicity in the press and though most already knew the Party had been a terrific success, the Club should be given a full report.  A year ago the report had been delivered at Council and they had their pictures taken and managed to suggest that they deserved the Credit.  They have now disqualified themselves from participation and the report will be delivered here, at no charge.
Fred said that a great crowd had attended - it was large and everybody had a great time.  He read a couple of e-mails complimenting the Committee on the event and thanking them for the Party.  There is no doubt that the hard work paid off and that it was a great event for the Town and the Rotary family.  The great weather helped, of course.
147 volunteers worked on this and they reported having a good time too, even though they were working throughout.
Fred thanked the Committee - Ralph Befort for his attention to detail; the logistics were organized to the last degree - Bryan MacKell for his help with layout and liaising with the Town - Ken King for donating staff time and food for the Bar-B-Q so if you're thinking of a hamburger, try Harvey's - Dave Mink and Mike Thor for taking care of the beverages - Kathy Elsdon-Befort for her role as Volunteer Co-ordinator or, in Fred's term, herding cats - Mike Proulx for the sound and electrical which was of much higher quality this year - Terri Brophy and Yvonne Hamelin for the lighting, decorations and atmosphere and Jen Barry for the half time show - Randy Post for the thankless job of looking after the money which took countless hours - Jamie Tripp for the flawless security - Bill Gorman; Mr. Fixit and promotions - Kate Hacker who managed the novelties sales - and Roy Ellis, the landlord at Scully's who got them involved and remitted the ticket price to the Club.

Rod Ferguson introduced Sue.  Originally from Mississauga she has travelled a bit in her banking career and now works with TD in Midland and has recently gotten married.

Sue said she was pleased to share something about herself.  She started in banking during High School and through College, working part time at the Bank of Montreal.  While in Vancouver she moved to Canada Trust, which always had a good reputation for customer service, which she enjoyed because she felt she was helping people manage their dreams.
Although she had planned to go into nursing, in the early 90's she was offered management training and her career was started.  She became a trainer, in turn, on sales, product knowledge and service.  She took a transfer to Orillia has an Assistant Manger because she knew and liked the area from her years at the family cottage at Washago.
During the run up to the merger between Canada Trust and the TD, Ed Clark, President, was advised that as the two banks had different cultures he would have to pick one and subsume the other but he thought the best of both could be combined and chose to try a fusion process.  Sue was put on the implementation team which was an awesome experience.  She travelled the country, meeting new people and developing a corporate culture. 
By the end of that her home base was in Penetang but the bank asked her to continue training in Kitchener.  They funded her travel and her accommodation during the week and she came back for the weekends.  It was a three week assignement that stretched out to a year and finally it became too much.  Besides, she thought they could hire local trainers for what they were paying her to travel, so she transferred to Barrie and then to Midland where she is now a Small Business Banker.