Nine members met for a summer meeting at the Lions Club pavilion at the south end of Pinafore Park, St. Thomas.  President Mark Holmes presided over the informal meeting. See pics below:

Past President Barbara distributed yellow t-shirts.  The cost will be taken in part ($20 per shirt) from the Jackpot Time account the balance being taken from club funds.  Donations towards those costs can be made to the club treasurer, Mary Morin. 

Club members will be working at the Classic Car Show on Talbot St, St. Thomas on Saturday.  Arrangements were reviewed.  Tickets for the Rotary Discovery Tour ($35) will also be sold and the event promoted. RDT tickets – the target is to sell 150.  Invite people who have been other years.  A Presenting Sponsor ($2k) is still required. Tours will begin 10am -2pm from Ferguson RV World. The tour will end at Cobble Hills Golf Club with contests and food available. 

Board Meeting Monday 14 August at 6.30pm at The Wayside.  President Mark will send a copy of the agenda to all members (not just Directors).  Additional items for the agenda should be forwarded to President Mark in advance.  Any member may attend the Board meeting. 

Zoom access was discussed.  Stew Shouldice will be asked to ensure that the email address is in the club’s name and can be accessed by any club member. 

Samples of the Hawk Cliff flyer were distributed.  Distribution boxes will be placed at Hawk Cliff. The stock of 2,000 flyers will be kept by the St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club.  Malcolm will ensure that copies are placed in all local libraries, tourism offices etc. 

Happy Finns (donation of $5 in celebration of good things in our lives) and given to TRF – World Fund. 

Mark               Barbara’s 2 years of leadership + yellow Rotary shirts 

Barbara           Up north for a week with both daughters.  Cabin 

Malcolm          Hawk Cliff project achieved.  Progress with the RDTour. 

Maggie            8th Wedding Anniversary. Wedding of Son and daughter-in-law on 24 June. Bill Best man 

Bill               Leadership by both Barb and Mark.  Grandson’s birthday. Everyone together. 

Adriana         Collecting rocks and fossils when camping. Friend’s wedding. Good friends in Dorchester. 

                                Able to finalize legal transfer of family house in Brazil. 

Gerry           Sister-in-law to remarry 24 May 2024 Canada.  Family birthdays. 

Cindy            Great time at District Conference, Flint. Likes new set of shirts 

Pat                    Daughter’s 51st birthday. 

                                                   Malcolm 

Past DG Tanya Wolfe presented the banner for 100% Paul Harris Club. In attendance were Gerry and Catherine Janssen, Cindy Benning, and Barbara Warnock. see pic below:

From David Elliot and Foundation Newsletter: This year’s theme is Create Hope in the World.  The new Rotary International President is Gordon McInally from Scotland, see pic Below:

and the new District 6330 Governor is Sonja Glass from Meaford pic below. 

From Malcolm: 

1. Update about Gerald Vreman https://www.gofundme.com/f/gerald-vreman-needs-your-help?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-168857160276-366e94121b4a11ee&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_email%2B1137-update-supporters-v5b 

2- Both Eric and I were so happy to see such a wonderful brochure created to celebrate Hawk Cliff.  With the improvements that have been done there along with this very professional marketing brochure, I am sure now that this special place to view the hawk migration will finally take its rightful place as one of the premier places to visit to observe the annual fall migration. Please extend my thank you to the Rotary Club of St. Thomas for funding the printing of this brochure. 
All the best, Karen Auzins 

Link to District Newsletter; our own Gerry Janssen is featured there! Also notice that the District wants us to get a vision and plan for a few things. Select:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#label/Rotaserver/FMfcgzGtwDCNnPqGzdfNTwJVzDRCMtdL?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1 

From Past President Barbara: FYI.  The Ukranian family will be arriving in Toronto today.  They have had such a journey and I know we will make them most welcome when they arrive. Attached is a photo of the family once they were reunited in Prague.  See pic below:

DON'T SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH! From a prominent contributor to the music festival- We have always been grateful for the opportunity to participate in music festivals and a few years ago we started doing that online, which was awesome that we could do that. However, we are getting increasingly concerned about AI and wanting to keep our children's faces OFF the internet until and if they choose to become a public person. I am writing to you with a simple request: please delete (or make private) all the videos on your youtube channel that show up in Google Images for any of these search terms (family of person making request). In case you're interested in a compelling public service announcement, consider this link: adamnet.io/sharenting 

From: Erin Zorzi District 6330 Friendship Exchange Chair 519 832 7405 ezorzi@bmts.com  Once again there is a wonderful opportunity offered by two Rotarians in India who are travel agents providing a grand tour for Rotarians. The trip is for the last two weeks of January 2024.  Already there are 25 Rotary members and friends joining the Tour from Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the USA.  On the January 2023 Tour, there were four Rotary friends from Canada, and one was a Rotarian from our own district! If you are interested, don't delay!   Register soon. I would be happy to hear from you and help you through the process.  The attached document should give you many of details you need to get started! 

Rotary International President R. Gordon R. McInally (See pic above) is passionate about mental health and helping remove the stigma that sometimes prevents people from getting quality care. During this year, Gordon will focus on three initiatives that Create Hope in the World: prioritizing mental health, building peace through virtual exchanges, and empowering girls. 

• Prioritizing Mental Health. Rotary has long been involved in mental health and wellness initiatives. Our culture of Service Above Self builds community and promotes acts of kindness, two proven methods to build and maintain mental wellness. Gordon is asking clubs and districts to expand on our culture of care by erasing the stigma associated with emotional well-being, raising awareness of mental health needs, and improving access to quality preventive care and interventions. He also encourages members to work with the Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives, a global community with expertise in helping people improve their mental health. Other action groups specialize in related topics, such as addiction prevention. Watch a message from Gordon about prioritizing mental health. 

• Peacebuilding Through Virtual Exchanges. Rotary has a long history of working for peace through personal connections. Inspired by what we’ve learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gordon is encouraging districts to incorporate virtual components into more programs, events, and activities — especially Rotary Youth Exchanges and Rotary Friendship Exchanges. This will give people new ways to experience other cultures, make participation more accessible, and build understanding. 

• Empowering Girls. Gordon is continuing this initiative that focuses on elevating the voices and unlocking the power of girls and women around the world. He is encouraging members to keep finding ways to improve girls’ health, well-being, education, economic security, and self-determination. Empowered girls become empowered women who can change the world.