Last Meeting February 12, 2019
President, Brian Street chaired the meeting and gave the invocation.
Don Evans accompanied us on the piano for the singing of O Canada.
John Hayto, acting Sergeant-at-Arms, introduced visitors and guests.
President's Announcements:
- The Bill Dauphinee curling team won last night! This team is a force to be reckoned with on the ice.
- Thrilled to let everyone know that Angus Campbell and his wife welcomed a beautiful baby girl to their family. Congratulations to Dad, Mom & baby!
Joan Posivy, provided the Secretary's announcements:
- reminders of upcoming events/meetings (see above)
- birthdays: Brady Carpenter Feb14
- member anniversaries: Hussein Samnani 5 years, Pam Stewart 20 years
- wedding anniversaries: none this week
Special announcement and member's moments:
- John Bathurst asked everyone who can to please attend the District 5040 Foundation Dinner. The cost is reasonable at $60 per person ($480 for a table of 8) if you register before the 25th of this month. The theme is celebrating the Many Cultures of Rotary. Guests are welcome to come dressed up. There will be a silent and live auctions, live entertainment and an Indian & Canadian buffet to enjoy. CLICK HERE to register.
- John Hayto provided an update of the ski weekend for those attending.
- Jill Pennefather & Parisa Adangi shared a successful business story. As a result of their Rotary relationship they were able to complete a real estate deal in less than an hour from start to finish. They both attribute this success for themselves and their clients to the trust they have developed with each other by getting to know each other through Rotary. They both recommended that everyone should work to develop professional connections with fellow Rotarians thereby supporting each other - a Rotary Avenue of Service, Vocational Service.
- Michael Woolnough spoke about his recent trip to Cambodia with Sustainable Cambodia. While Sustainable Cambodia is an independent nonprofit organization and is not formally affiliated with Rotary International or The Rotary Foundation, active Rotarians are key founders and make up a majority of Sustainable Cambodia’s Board of Directors. They work with the families of rural Cambodian villages to help them achieve sustainability and self-sufficiency through wells, irrigation systems, schools, training and empowerment.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to help the Cambodian villages in which we work become self-sustaining communities where people want to live, with healthy water and facilities, good food, health care and education for the residents, where there is environmental and social responsibility, and employment that allows them to sustain and continually improve their quality of life.
Vision Statement
Sustainable Cambodia's long-term vision is to create a model which is so successful in creating self-sufficiency and quality of life that the village residents in the program will assist Sustainable Cambodia in spreading the model to other communities throughout the country.
All Contributions Go To Cambodia
Our policy prohibits our hiring ANY paid administrative or executive staff other than native Cambodians. All non-Cambodians, including Board members and officers, are 100% volunteer, and pay 100% of their own travel or related expenses. This forces us to train and empower Cambodians to help Cambodians. And because of the huge salary differential compared with western nations, we are able to obtain tremendous leveraging of our financial resources, resulting in dramatic results on-the-ground in the villages in which we work.
If you are interested in visiting Cambodia and some of their wonderful temples, volunteering with Sustainable Cambodia is a very inexpensive way to do so. Highly recommended by Michael!
CLICK HERE for more information about Sustainable Cambodia.
Program:
Brian Street introduced Ada Lee, a renowned jazz & gospel singer and her accompani
Ada Lee has moved to Vancouver in 2014 after spending 50 years in Peterborough, Ontario. She is a 7-year Rotarian.
Originally from Springfield, Ohio, Ada was born into a family of musicians. Her father was a professional trumpeter and her mother played keyboards and was also a singer. She has 8 brothers and 4 sisters, all musically inclined.
Ada followed their path, and by the time she was in junior high school she was enrolled in professional training. By the time she was in high school she was performing and appearing on local radio programs.
Not long after she won a television talent show, which led to a scholarship to pursue musical studies at the university level. She then came to the attention of jazz notables such as Count Basie and Lionel Hampton and sang local dates with both bands.
By 1957 she was booked at the Apollo Theater in New York and her big break came in 1960 when she was booked for the Buffalo Jazz Festival and soon after became an atlantic Records recording artist, receiving a 4-star review from Billboard magazine.
Ada moved to Canada in the 1960s to be with her Canadian husband. They settled in Peterborough. As part of her Canadian legacy, her voice was featured in a film at the Man in the Community pavilion at Montreal's Expo 1967.
She has both a Governor General's award and a Queen's Jubilee award.
Not only is Ada a performer but she is an author also. She has written three books: From Behind the Ivories, Music Lee, She Cooks, and You Piss Me Off.
Over her 92 years she has met some very interesting people and been able to experience some incredible things. She seems to have had a very full life and continues to do so. She is so full of, well life. It's a joy to have had the opportunity to meet her and listen to her stories and her music.
Peterborough shall miss her. She has a plaque on the Peterborough and District Pathway of Fame at Del Crary Park. She was given the key to the city on February 1st of this year, recognizing Black History Month (
CLICK HERE for new article).
Meeting adjourned with a toast to a happy black history month.
