Look at all the people in the photograph, many of them wearing purple andmany of them wearing purple crocuses and holding up their little fingers with thenails painted purple. That’s the colour of the marker used on the left littlefingers of children who have been immunised against polio. Then look at the flag with the Rotary wheel in front: “End Polio Now.” Today is World Polio Day, an opportunity to increase public awareness of how close we are to eliminating the scourge of polio from the planet. If polio could indeed be ended, it would be only the second major disease (after smallpox) to be eradicated. Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) are working to make this a reality. The estimated funding gap to eradicate polio is US$1.5 billion. Information about what has been done to date in the fight against polio and what remains to be done was provided by District Polio Plus Co-Chair Joan Fisher at our Club meeting a short while later at the Wayside. More information can be found at the www.endpolio.org website and in the July 2016 The Rotarian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD NEWS.…In addition to guest speaker Joan Fisher (pictured at left), President Nancy welcomed guests Maggie Horn, wife of Bill, and Jennifer Babcock, a prospective new member, to the meeting. She was also very pleased to greet Gerry Janssen as a new Rotarian and a great addition to the Club….Next week (October 31), Community Safety Officer Constable Jeff DeLeeuw from the St. Thomas Police Service will be speaking on Internet security. On November 7, it`s the Club Foundation Annual General Meeting (followed by a Club Board meeting). And on November 14, it`s the Fall student Service Above Self awards.

 

The Tour of Homes, set for November 11-13, draws ever closer. Please continue to bring Trudy auction items for the Tour of Homes. Please include a business card from the business, a piece of paper or sticker with your name on it, and a rough estimate of the value. Only go to the locations on Trudy’s spreadsheet that have your name opposite them. Ed Willson noted that ticket sales haven’t picked up yet, but they will if Club members will sell, sell, sell. There is no Tour of Homes in London this year which could well benefit the Club’s Tour. Ron Somerville notes that Ed has done a tremendous amount of driving, taking tickets to various outlets and Music Festival syllabi to various schools and deserves the thanks of the Club (and the Club does appreciate Ed).

 

President Nancy was happy to report that Brenda Merrifield and Ron Somerville attended the Foundation Training Seminar in London on Saturday (October 22), thereby enabling the Club to be eligible to access Rotary Foundation grants. Brenda reported that there were many speakers. District Grants Chair Bob Thomas outlined the five-step application process (with associated deadlines) for Global and District Grants. The Rotary International Foundation has been given a 100% rating, one of only three foundations world-wide to be so recognized. A celebration is planned for April 22, 2017 in London to mark the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation….The Seminar is a good occasion for inter-club networking. Ron Somerville notes that the Rotary Club of London Hyde Park will be having a cocktail/theatre fundraising event on Friday, December 9 which will include a performance of The Scrooge Diary. Tickets are $40 and may be obtained from Kevin Webb at kjwebb1955@gmail.com Cocktails are at 7 p.m. and the performance at 8 p.m. It’s at the West Haven Golf & Country Club. Proceeds will aid Rotary Club of LHP and the Alzheimer Society of London-Middlesex.

 

By any reckoning, Trudy Kanellis is one busy Rotarian. In addition to assisting with today’s City Hall event, and with the Tour of Homes, there are two other projects to which she has a close connection. Tomorrow, she and Pat Martyn will be visiting another public school, this one in New Sarum, to deliver dictionaries to the Grade 3 class. Trudy is also Rotary liaison to the St. Thomas Interact Club. Last week, the Interactors gave blood; now they have their “Halloween for Hunger” canned goods drive underway. If you would like to help them out, please bring your contribution to next week’s Club meeting.

 

A final reminder that Fabiana Baltazar and Adrian Zamfir are to be married on Thursday, October 27 at 6 p.m. at Knox Presbyterian Church (55 Hincks Street), with the reception to follow at the CASO Station. Her gift registry is at the Bay. All Club members are invited as she numbers Rotarians among her friends in St. Thomas, but please contact Malcolm Rust if you wish to attend. Malcolm, Nancy, Adriana and Trudy (who is also catering) will be there. Fabiana plans to return to the Club after November 5.

 

Bill Horn was winner of today’s 50/50 draw. Dave Payler was Fine Master. He was delighted to find in the November issue of The Rotarian, an “illustrated history” in comic-book style of “The man who wouldn’t give up: Arch Klumph and his dream of the Rotary Foundation.” Dave encouraged everyone to read it and the other good articles to be found in the magazine, one of which is “Fighting for Flint,” which includes comment from Flint, Michigan Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Flint is in our District (6330).

 

HAPPY FINS- Donations of $5 to The Rotary Foundation - Annual Programs Fund - credited to the donor in celebration of something good in our lives. This practice was started in this club in 1985 to raise funds for polio eradication at the suggestion of Darwen Lowe, a member of the club.

 

Bill Horn (3) – For winning the 50/50; it was his great grandson’s birthday; for a very interesting talk today.
Maggie Horn (1) – To thank Club members for always making her feel welcome.
Pat Martyn (1) – For the events of today – both the gathering at St. Thomas City Hall and today’s meeting.
Trudy Kanellis (2) – For the celebration at City Hall and for our new member, Gerry Janssen.
Malcolm Rust (2) – To thank Trudy for contacting emergency services personnel and inviting them to this morning’s flag raising; to thank Joan for her talk at today’s meeting.
Dave Payler (2) – It is nice to be back at Rotary on a regular basis; for our speaker today.
Nancy Lovelock (3) – It was great to have Joan here today and to hear her presentation; to thank all the people who were at City Hall this morning; “It’s a great day!”
Ron Somerville (2) – For Joan’s presentation today (He came into Rotary in 1990 when the Polio campaign was just getting started and it is great to see the progress that has been made since then); for his poodle, nine years old on October 19.
Jennifer Babcock (2) – To celebrate her son’s 4th birthday and her husband’s birthday; for the passion of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas; she hopes that she may add to it.

 

 

 

 

	ASAA	Greeter	Fine Master
Monday, October 31	Ron Somerville	Trudy Kanellis	Brenda Merrifield
Monday, November 7	Davey Moffatt	Trish Shouldice	Mike Moore
Monday, November 14	Ron Somerville	Trudy Kanellis	Ken Ferguson
Monday, November 21	Stew Shouldice	Pat Baker	Adriana Balderas
Monday, November 28	Ron Somerville	Ken Ferguson	Suzanne Ferguson