On Wednesday morning several service organizations of St. Thomas and area gathered for a breakfast meeting at the Wayside Dining Lounge in Talbotville, to outline each group’s objectives and current projects, and to explore ways in which service organizations can work together. This initiative was started last year by then President of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas, Nancy Lovelock, who opened the meeting and welcomed everyone in attendance.

 

First up was the Golden K Kiwanis Club of St. Thomas, represented by Frank Exley. This club was founded in 1988, and currently has 76 members. They gather weekly to hear a speaker followed by a business meeting. The Kiwanis Club is not a fund raising club: they serve the community by volunteering and providing support to a wide variety of projects and events, such as Meals on Wheels, Caring Cupboard, Christmas Care, Salvation Army Kettle Campaign, the STEAM Centre, A Day Out With Thomas, and he Air Show.

 

Maria Cupples and Ruth Quenneville spoke on behalf of the Talbot Trail Optimist Club (women only), and the Talbotville Optimist Club (co-ed). Their clubs too are actively involved in the community, with projects such as highway clean-up, children’s festival (with St. Thomas Optimist Club), Eater egg hunt in the Talbotville Optimist Park, Race against Drugs, funding defibrillators for rural high schools, and donations to the St. Thomas Elevated Park and the St. Thomas Rotary Music Festival.

 

The St. Thomas Lions Club currently has 18 members and started in St. Thomas in 1930, according to Lion Evelyn Spiering. After Helen Keller spoke at their national convention in 1925, the Lions become involved in the guide dog program, initially just for the vision impaired, but now expanded to hearing, diabetes, autism, seizure, and service. The annual Father’s Day Car Show is their biggest local fundraiser. Other projects include the Lions Camp and Diabetes Camp, and funding for pools and defibrillators.

 

Grand Knight Harald Schraeder, accompanied by Tim McFadden and Roy Esbaugh, came on behalf of the Knights of Columbus. This fraternity of Catholic men of faith and charitable action has over 2 million members internationally, and locally approximately 240. Charity has been the first principle of the Knights since its founding in 1882. They seek to awaken men’s spirituality, and to demonstrate the Catholic faith though their actions. In St. Thomas, the Knights support the two local Catholic parishes, and provide services in 6 program areas: council, community, church, family, youth, and culture. Harald pointed out that they are very interested in partnership opportunities with others, and have a state-of-the-art club building available for rent to other groups.

 

Bob Ward appeared as representative of the Optimist Club of St. Thomas, in their 70th year in St. Thomas. Their activities centre around children, and recently also around families. Some of their undertakings include the annual Optimist Santa Claus Parade (this year on November 18), supporting local sports, the Talbot Teen Centre, Christmas Care, school supplies program, school breakfast program, and many others. The club meets every other Monday, and has a current membership of 59. A food trailer is available for any club that wants them to come out to their events.

 

Brenda Clark of the Canadian Federation of University Women or University Women’s Club, outlined some of their projects: scholarships for a deserving girl from each of the 6 secondary schools in Elgin county, welcome kits for the women that have a stay at the shelter for abused women and children. To fund these projects they hold a Christmas Concert and a Bridge and Euchre night.

 

Finally, Nancy Lovelock spoke on behalf of the Rotary Club of St. Thomas. Organization for the annual Tour of Homes (November 10, 11, and 12) is in full swing, as well as preparations for the 64th St. Thomas Rotary Music Festival, held in February. The club has an active youth group, Rotaractors, who up to this year have donated over $24,000 to the children’s hospital through fund raising activities, such as the famous Pony Poopin’ Bingo. Dictionaries are distributed to local grade 3 students. Nancy invited everyone to join them this Tuesday, October 24 at 11:30, on the steps of City Hall, for World Polio Day. It has been the main focus of Rotary International to achieve the total eradication of this disease in the very near future. Last year, 6 active Polio cases remained, and it is hoped that by next year polio will be gone for good, and we will be dancing on the steps of City Hall.

 

The final word
A common thread throughout the presentations was the fact that all clubs are actively engaged in the community and are supporting each other, whether financially (for example scholarships for the Rotary Music Festival), or helping out each other’s events (i.e., the Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign, Rotary Tour of Homes, etc.). Harald Schraeder agreed (with help) to take the lead on getting us together again, and would like to see the City more actively engaged in providing service to Service Clubs.

 

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 (again!), for being here today, and for hearing from all the clubs.
Malcolm Rust (2) – For all the clubs that joined us today, and for having visited his sister in England.
Ron Sommerville (2) – He went to Exeter with Davey Moffat to help load containers of school supplies for South Africa, and attended a Farm Town fundraising event in Port.
Davey Moffat (2) – For the container-loading event that he attended, and for Ron paying for gas for the car.
Nancy Lovelock (2) – To thank Nick and Trudy for opening their restaurant for this meeting, and for all the clubs attending.
Maggie Horn (1) – She and Bill went back to Ohio and Indiana and visited her 101-year old mother
Stew Shouldice (1) – For Nancy organizing this event.
Cathy Willson (1) – In celebration of her and Ed’s 66th wedding anniversary.
Jennifer Babcock (2) – For the many October birthdays in her family and for going to KW today to be with her colleagues.

 

October 24 is World Polio Day with a special flag raising ceremony at St. Thomas City Hall at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at Legends. The meeting that would have taken place on October 25 is cancelled.

 

On November 1, District Governor Martin Ward will make his official visit to the Club, and on November 8, Kathy Knott from Therapeutic Paws will speak to the Club. There is no meeting on November 15.

 

A District Foundation Training Seminar takes place Saturday, November 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the BMO Centre in London. Each club must send at least two people to this seminar in order to be able to access District grants. President Trish will be attending, but one more person is needed. Contact President Trish if you would like to go.

 

Guests today were all the service clubs in attendance, and Maggie Horn, wife of Bill, and Cathy Willson, wife of Ed. Bill Horn was winner of the 50/50 draw, and Fine Master Malcolm Rust entertained us with several corny one-liners.