- Today's guest was Maggie Horn
- Announcements
- Barbara spoke of the Long Live Rotary meet and greet script from 1972 that she received from Suzanne. It was not politically correct by today's standards. The club was all-male then.
- We were sorry that Malcolm was unable to Zoom with us. Barbara sympathized with Malcolm because her daughter’s internet connection was disrupted by a garbage truck during an exam for Medical School. Fortunately, a neighbour was able to help.
- Rotary International Virtual Convention
- General sessions past Saturday and Sunday, breakout sessions daily until Friday at 9 am, 1 pm and 7 pm on a variety of topics: https://www.riconvention.org/en/honolulu/featured-breakouts
- Summer schedule: 2 meetings in the months of July and August July 8 and 22; August 12 and 26. Next July 8, let’s meet at the Wayside, we won’t be able to sit together as a group, but at least we will see and greet each other
- District changeover June 29 noon
- July 14 District zoom: Holger Knaack - incoming RI President
- August 25 District zoom; Past RI President Barry Rassin (Bahamas)
- A reminder that dues will be invoiced in the first part of July
- Club Board meeting was scheduled for July 8 after the regular meeting, move to next week, Gerry will send an email with suggested dates and times
- Attendance today was good; we were missing only 4 or 5 members.
- Proceeds from the East Coast Kitchen party ($658.45 will go to Treasurer of our Foundation; after which it will be dedicated to the VAWSEC (Violence Against Women Services Elgin County)
- Installation of new member, Catharine Janssen:
- Assistant District Governor for Area 10, Nancy Lovelock, to installed our newest member, President Gerry's significant other, Catharine Janssen
- Installation by Nancy: she presented a virtual Rotary pin to Catharine
- President Gerry: Thank you, Nancy, and welcome Catharine, we are thrilled to have you join us to do good in the world and in our community. I am sure there will be many areas where you can apply your enthusiasm, experience and talents to help us move this club forward. And as my loving spouse, I know I can count on your support as I start my second year as club president. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
- Review of the Rotary year presented by President Gerry:
- Little did we know when we gathered last year at Merriview, what would be in store for us, and what new challenges we would have to face. As you may remember, I talked about some of the areas I thought would be important for us as a club in the last year. And adaptability was one of those goals. We have certainly been able to adapt to a new reality: right from the beginning of the COVID 19 crisis, we switched to an online format of the meeting, which has enabled us to stay in touch with one another. We learned how to connect via Zoom to have our own meetings, joint meetings with the Railway City Rotary Club and with the interactors, attend a virtual East Coast Kitchen Party, district meetings, the district conference, and just this week the Rotary International Convention. We also continued to support the interactors, international projects, and our community groups, such as the food bank and the women’s shelter. Unfortunately, we had to drop our main fundraising projects for this year: the spring extravaganza and the tour of homes. So, the challenge we face now is to reinvent some of the ways in which our club operates: how do we make what we do as a club relevant in this new reality. How can we, as DG Tony would put it, do “do-goodery” in our community, and how can we raise funds to support all that we want to do? I am fortunate that I am supported by a strong and dynamic board of directors, and I want to thank you all for your dedication and support. Before I ask Nancy to install the new Board, I would like to take a moment to thank the outgoing secretary, Suzanne Ferguson, for her many years of dedicated service to this club. Suzanne was my first point of contact and sponsor when I joined some 4 years ago. Suzanne contributed her time and talents for the benefit of us all, was always frank and open in offering her advice and opinion on all things Rotary and has performed her duties diligently and efficiently through all these years. Please join me in a round of applause for Suzanne.
- President Gerry called on Assistant District Governor Nancy to install the 2020-2021 Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas.
- Installation of 2020-2021 Board:
- President: Gerry Janssen
- President-Elect: Vacant
- Past President and Club Service Director: Trish Shouldice
- Secretary: Stew Shouldice
- Treasurer: Mary Morin
- Sergeant-at-Arms: Ron Somerville
- Community Service Director: Connie Davidson
- Youth Service Director: Trudy Kanellis
- International Service Director: Adriana Balderas
- Director at large: Pat Martyn
- Gerry thanked Nancy for her service as ADG for area 10.
- Gerry also thanked board members, for agreeing to serve for the upcoming Rotary year, and thanked us once again for supporting him as president.
- It is our tradition as a club to award Paul Harris Fellowships at the changeover meeting. Unfortunately, Rotary International is not shipping out any certificates and Paul Harris pins during COVID-19, so we will have to wait to do official presentations at a later date. However, it is my pleasure to announce the three recipients of a Paul Harris Fellowship for this year:
- Suzanne Ferguson, PHF+2, for her contributions to this club as secretary
- Mike Moore, PHF+1, for his many years of service as club treasurer, and
- Catharine Janssen, for her contributions to the club in general, and in particular for moving the St. Thomas Rotary Music Festival forward into the digital age.
- Gerry stated we have some challenges before us. If we continue to focus on Service Above Self, we can face and overcome these challenges and grow in the process.
Note from the editor: Gerry swore before Nancy Lovelock, Assistant governor that he would uphold the values of Rotary and conduct his position to the best of his ability. Then the Board members gave their pledge. It was a solemn occasion during a troublesome time in our history.
Happy Finns June 24, 2020
Connie 1 - Congratulations to Catharine on becoming the newest member of this Rotary Club
Maggie 1- Congratulations Catharine and welcome to the club
2- Son’s 56 birthday last Friday
3- Brother will be 77 tomorrow
Ron 1 thru 6 for the 6 decades of friendship with Ed and Kathy Willson
7- Son came home from Florida, had to isolate for 2 weeks
8- Welcome Catharine to the club
Trudy 1- Thank you, Catharine, for your work on the Music Festival and all you do
2- Gerry for being a great President and for being the President another year
3- Suzanne for all her work for many years as secretary and for continuing to be supportive (treats for the Interactor's year-end party)
4- Thank you to all Rotarians in our club and all you do for our community
5- Mom’s birthday on Sunday
Pat 1- George’s birthday was June 15th and all the family came home to celebrate
2- Had 3 grandchildren stay for a week, ages 5, 7, and 9. Very busy and taught them how to fish
3- Welcome Catharine as a new member
4- Suzanne, thank you for your long term as secretary
5- Thank you to Gerry for being a great President
Gerry 1- Catharine for being my spouse, a new member, and receiving a Paul Harris
2- Suzanne and Mike for all their support in years past
3- Support of the outgoing board and to the incoming board
4- All birthdays and special occasions missed during COVID 19
Adriana 1- Welcome Catharine as a new member
2- All of the Interactors and all they do
3- All the Rotarians in our club
4- Andrew, he graduates tomorrow. Then going to Engineering at U of Western Ont Congratulations
Barbara 1- Gerry and Catharine. For all, you continue to do for Rotary and Welcome Catherine
2- Bob will celebrate his birthday with all of Canada on July 1st
3- Ashley’s birthday in May
4- Julian’s birthday in June
5- In the same city as Emily on Monday but could not visit before Emily started her isolation
Trish 1- Welcome to Catharine as the newest member
2- Ed’s birthday coming up on June 28th, and several other birthdays in July to celebrate
Catharine 1- For all Paul Harris recipients
2- Ed Willson, will be missed greatly, he was a wonderful person
3- For Gerry being President again and the rest of this supportive group
4- For all the father’s who had to meet virtually or however they could this Father’s Day
Mary 1- Grandson, Aiden, 17 yesterday June 23rd
2- Sister, Pam celebrated her birthday on Sunday
3- All Rotarians in this club for all we have endured these past few months
Mary will collect Happy Finns to be forwarded to Foundation, at some time in the future.
Our next meeting will be 11:30 AM at the Wayside, 8 Jul 20. Trudy offered to make table reservations.
