For the second week in a row, the Rotary Club of St. Thomas received a fondly remembered visitor. This week it was Fabiana Estrela, a former (and returning) member of the Club, with her boyfriend, Adrian Zamfir, whom she met on board the cruise ship where both were working. And what more welcoming host and hostess for the return of summer meetings at members’ homes than Stew and Trish Shouldice. Delicious food, comfortable surroundings, and engaging company were all one could want.
Here is a picture taken at a meeting of the Club on December 15, 2014, and, what do you know, they’ve hardly changed a bit! From left, Stew and Trish Shouldice, Pat Baker & Fabiana Estrela, all of whom were chez Shouldice July 25.
Both Fabiana and Adrian have left cruise ship work behind them and now have hopes of finding work in the St. Thomas area. They are presently putting in long hours getting their Locust Street house in order; in a few weeks, they will be travelling to Europe, he to his brother’s wedding, and she as a passenger on a cruise ship from Athens to Barcelona, with stops in between, before they meet up again.
Fabiana says that while she enjoyed her time as Media Manager on the Carnival cruise line, visiting new places and meeting new people from different cultures, and while she enjoys visiting family in Brazil (her daughter is there), Canada is now her country. She will be starting the immigration process for Adrian, who is from Romania, so that they can begin their life together in earnest upon their return from Europe. Her plans for further education have been postponed to next year. Adrian was a photographer and, later, Entertainment Technical Director in a twelve-year career aboard ship; job prospects for him may lie in those areas.
Both Fabiana and Adrian fielded questions about their lives as members of an 1153-member crew tending to the needs of 3500 to 4000 passengers on a 12-storey cruise ship, the beautiful beaches they visited and the measures in place to ensure security on the ship. But now there is Rotary to look forward to!
THE ROTARY FOOD TRAILER AT THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE: PART TWO
THE ROTARY FOOD TRAILER made a second appearance at the Thomas the Tank Engine event last weekend, July 22, 23 and 24, adjacent to Memorial Arena on Wilson Avenue. President-Elect Trish Shouldice announced gross sales amounting to nearly $11,000, a sizeable sum considering that the number of train riders was less this year, particularly on Friday, than in other years. We won’t know just how much this venture has netted the Club until Trudy Kanellis returns from vacation on August 4. Trish praised all those who gave their time and talents to making the Rotary Food Trailer the success it was. The tremendous amount of work she and Stew contributed over the entire event is worthy of special mention.
PUFF, PUFF, PUFFING ALONG….In addition to Fabiana and Adrian, President-Elect Trish Shouldice was pleased to welcome as guests her mother, Kathy Willson; Faye Ferguson, wife of Ken; and Tony Stacpoole, partner of Pat Baker….Next week (August 1), there is no meeting as it is the Civic Holiday, but on August 8, the Club will meet at the Township of Southwold Fire Station No. 1 at Shedden, with lunch catered by the Wayside at 12 p.m., followed by a tour of the Station at 12:30 p.m. The Station is located on Union Road, just south of Talbot Line. Please contact Trudy to let her know you are coming. The Club Board will meet at the Wayside following the tour of the Station. On August 15, the Club will meet for its noon meeting at the home of Davey and Gwen Moffatt, 47376 Southdale Line, which is located in the neighbourhood of Hobson and Southdale, about a kilometer west of Springwater Conservation Park. The main course is provided, but desserts and salads are potluck. RSVP to let Davey and Gwen know if you are coming and which dessert or salad you are bringing (davidmoffatt@live.com; 519-773-8988, 519-282-8969). You will also need to bring a lawn chair. We return to the Wayside for a noon meeting on August 22 for the official visit of District Governor Diane Chantler.
Malcolm Rust noted that an inquiry had been made by someone from the Guelph Rotary Club about purchasing the Food Trailer. An email received by Malcolm indicated that the Board of the Guelph Club would discuss the matter in a week or two and get back to him….The Tour of Homes steering committee (Trudy Kanellis, Nancy Lovelock, Pat Martyn and Trish Shouldice) have met and have decided upon four homes (and four decorators) that, along with the CASO Station, will be the focus of this year’s Tour. Congratulations!...United for Refugees is conducting fundraising Charity BBQs at the Hepburn Parkette (next to the CIBC) on Talbot Street in St. Thomas from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday August 12 and 26….The winning 50-50 ticket was held by Ron Somerville. Ron, encouraged by Fabiana, took on the role of Fine Master and gave the two-minute “elevator speech” about Rotary, not forgetting the Four-Way Test….Figures in the August issue of The Rotarian magazine show that, as of March 31, there are 1,235,100 members of Rotary and 35,247 Rotary clubs worldwide; as of December 29, there are 441,278 members of Interact and 19,186 Interact 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 Darwin Lowe, a member of the club.
Stew Shouldice (1) – Happy to have made it through the Thomas the Tank Engine event, and looking forward to the debriefing to learn the financial results.
Ron Somerville (2) – He is happy to have Fabiana and Adrian with us tonight; his son has a progressive dinner party for his tenants twice a year, the latest ending with Karaoke.
Kathy Willson (2) – For a wonderful trip with Ed by train out west, finishing up in Vancouver and Victoria: it was just perfect; for our gracious host and hostess, Stew and Trish: a lovely time in their beautiful home.
Davey Moffatt (1) – For Stew and Trish’s efforts both at the Food Trailer and in putting together this evening’s fabulous dinner.
Pat Martyn (2) – Happy for the success of the Food Trailer (and happy that it’s now over!); for all of us being here tonight.
Adriana Balderas (2) – For Marco Jr.; for the Food Trailer (and also glad it’s over!). Note: Adriana and son Andrew did five shifts at the Trailer!
Malcolm Rust (4) – For being at the home of Trish and Stew tonight: it’s great to get back to the tradition of summer meetings at members’ homes; for having Fabiana and Adrian here: it’s interesting to hear from them; Malcolm was in Ottawa this past weekend for the second marriage of his son, Martin; he heard recently (and unexpectedly) from someone he communicated with six years ago regarding a family connection: it turns out that they have the same grandmother, but whether that makes them half cousins (or something else) is unclear.
Fabiana Estrela (2) – For her and Adrian’s passing safely through their various cruise voyages; happy that everyone in her family (herself included) is healthy.
Tony Stacpoole (2) – His 2 ½-year-old granddaughter had been diagnosed with liver cancer but is now cancer-free.
Trish Shouldice (2) – For all the hard work contributed by people working at the Food Trailer which made the Thomas the Tank Engine event a success for Rotary.
Monday, August 1 – No Meeting (Civic Holiday)
Monday August 8 – Meet at Township of Southwold Fire Station No. 1 (Shedden)
Lunch, 12 p.m.; Tour, 12:30 p.m.; Club Board to meet following tour at The Wayside
Please contact Trudy to let her know you are coming.
