Posted by DB Bath on Jul 06, 2018
Our nouveau President’s initial meeting
Our nouveau President’s initial meeting began with a long preamble, secular I am glad to report …but which then ended with an “amen”. Do not think this an unimportant moment, for those of you who assiduously study The Rotarian will have noticed that the issue is becoming a live one : “upon reading Mr. Shane’s letter regarding the tradition of beginning Rotary club meetings with a Christian invocation, I almost shouted out loud in my office! As a Rotarian in my 30s and an atheist, I, too, find this tradition to be uncomfortable and off-putting”. Your correspondent will note with interest how this debate will proceed … or die a natural death. Watch this space!

Dianna prefaced her review of the past and thoughts for the future by quoting President Rassin and asked us to be an inspiration: he wants us to be a nation of builders. She referred again to Polio eradication, but one distressingly notes in the news that another nation (Papua-New Guinea) has found new cases arising among its population: this, fresh upon last week’s similar news from Venezuela. From our club’s specific undertakings, she indicated that the cleansing of the Central American oceans, beginning in El Salvador, would be continued during her reign and that in support of the effort the club would be enjoying three fund-raising events. She left us in no doubt that she is fully aware of the magnitude of the task, but takes comfort in the fact that under the aegis of Past President Joyce sterling efforts were made in commencing work on the project.

We were also happy to welcome a visitor from Cebu in the Philippines, a small but densely populated country (at least when compared with our huge land mass) who gave us a pleasant homily reminding us how fortunate we are in Canada. It actually served to remind us that individually we can learn quite a lot merely by attending meetings of other clubs in other countries. Given that there seems to no longer be any need for make-ups (indeed, is there any mechanism in our club for recording these visitations?) the lesson is, it is suggested, one that we could usefully utilize to move our club into some new pastures.

We ended the meeting with an unusually vigorous striking of the bell.
 
Michael Frost