Visitors today were: Peter Fitzsimons, Camilla McGill and Maggie Horn.

 

Maggie and Bill's recent trip to US was uneventful; they felt intimidated by Canadian Border Security on their return as they were lectured about quarantine for 2 weeks and the fines for non compliance. They ate at restaurants with Covid precautions.

 

Barb reported on the upcoming East Coast Kitchen Party (ECKP). See this link: https://trellis.org/rotaryclubofstthomas We are invited to order through our local caterer, the Roadhouse. Their special for this event is Fish and Chips. Barb hopes our revenue generated from this event that will go to the Foundation to be $5000.

 

Ron asked that Happy Finns be made virtual and spoke of his time with a Rotary club in Kenya. Nancy said that Lambeth does Happy Bucks virtually.

 

There will be a board meeting following the club meeting next Wed at 1:15 pm.

 

Camilla McGill and Peter Fitszimons have been working together since 2013 as members of the International Service Committee of the Rotary Club Sarnia Bluewaterland.

 

Peter was born and raised in Northern Ireland. He developed an interest in Rotary because his father was a Rotarian.Peter has been a Rotarian for 25 years and was President of Sarnia Bluewaterland in 2006-2007. He and his wife Sheila have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. Peter was CEO of the Community Care Access Centre in Sarnia-Lambton and retired to become a consultant. He now devotes his time to Rotary local and International projects.

 

Camilla joined the Rotary Club of Sarnia Bluewaterland in 2013 after moving back to Canada from the USA. Since becoming a Rotarian in 2005 she has concentrated on international

projects after learning about the fabulous grants given by The Rotary Foundation. Her employment has been varied, caused by the need to move often. She has been a medical technologist, a marketing manager, and an interculturalist. She is married to Pat McGill with whom she has three children.

Camilla and Peter speak to us about the Yombra, Kenya water project.

Christopher Romer came to community college in Sarnia to learn nursing skills he could take back to Kenya. He could not pay so the Rotary Club paid tuition and someone provided room and board. He wanted to pay back these expenses, but the club asked him to pay it forward; that was the start of the water project.

 

Currently, water is collected into cisterns from rain falling on roofs. The water from nearby Lake Victoria is too polluted because of the mining there. The project will be a modern bore hole water well. A Reverse Osmosis system will purify the water that would otherwise have too much Flourine etc. Residents will purchase water using their mobile phones; banks need not be involved. There is an assessment from residents of the community. The Safe Water Committee wants the project to be sustainable. They have raised $80000 but need another $28000.

 

Things happen differently in Kenya. In Canada we are task oriented, whereas in Kenya relationships must be proper before starting a task.

 

The Passport Club of London will donate proceeds from the ECKP to this project.

 

Please see slide show:

 

Ed Willson died peacefully at his home on Wednesday May 27, 2020.  He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Kathy Willson, three children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A proud Rotarian since 1990 (when he joined the same time as Ron Somerville), Ed worked on an extensive number of Rotary projects including Operation Eyesight Universal, the Christmas Tour of Homes, Rotary Youth Exchange, the Rotary Music Festival and the Pinafore Park splash pad to name a few. Ed generously shared his finish carpentry skills by building objects for the club.  A lectern and storage cupboard remain in use to this day. Ed and his Rotary buddies built a Food Trailer for fundraising at local events. Ed also served as Sergeant-At-Arms and on the Club Board of Directors for more than two decades, as President for the 1985-86 year and he had the distinguished honour of receiving five Paul Harris awards. Ed and Kathy thoroughly enjoyed attending two Rotary International Conventions in Nice, France and Calgary, Alberta.