President-Elect: Prince Kumar Vice-President: Jayson Phelps
Treasurer: Rick Goldsmith
Executive Director: Carol Hutchinson
RI President
Holger Knaack, Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany
District Governor
Mark Chipman, Whitby Sunrise
Editor of the week: Maureen Bird
Friday November 13, 2020 Rotary Virtual Meeting via Google Meet and YouTube
Guest Speaker:
Dr. Renee Linklater, Director of Shkaabe Makwa at CAMH
Topic: the Impact of Covid-19 on Indigenous Communities
Invocation: Elder Audrey DeRoy
Host: Chair Steve Smith and the Indigenous Service Committee
Time: 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM
Please see detailed access instructions below
Renee Linklater, PhD is a member of Rainy River First Nations in Northwestern Ontario. She has over 25 years of experience working with Indigenous healing agencies and First Nation communities. Renee has worked across the health and education sectors as a frontline worker, program evaluator, curriculum developer, educator/trainer, and researcher. She is an international speaker on trauma and healing and is the author of Decolonizing trauma work: Indigenous stories and strategies. Renee is the Director of Shkaabe Makwa at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and is actively involved in several system level initiatives across the province.
Elder Audrey DeRoy
Accessing our Friday Meeting
Today we are piloting a new way of inviting additional visiting Rotarians and Guests only – YouTube Live! Please invite your guests to enjoy the meeting with us and watch live via this link:
Transition Talks: We are launching a brief 10 minute series of talks at the end of our virtual meetings to introduce our new Club structure. These talks will NOT be live streamed on YouTube, so if you end up joining us on YouTube Live link, please connect back on Google Meet after our Guest Speaker’s address here: https://meet.google.com/mwy-ggdz-tts
Transition Talks – Part 1: Prince Kumar – Transition Background and new Model schematic
What you Missed November 6 , 2020
by Robert O'Brien
Today’s Rotary meeting was one for the history books. It was the first time in our Club’s long history that we had a virtual Remembrance Day meeting. President John chaired today’s meeting directly from the National Club with the full grandeur of its long history as a backdrop while Club members joined in virtually.
Moving videos of the Governor General Horse Guards honouring the liberation of Holland and Shania Twain’s video “Has anyone seen my Soldier?” set the tone for the meeting. Trumpeter Paul Taylor pierced our hearts with his live rendition of the Last Post followed by two minutes of silence and Reveille broadcast live from his home.
Tribute was paid to members who have served: Jim Bell, Jack Robertson, Harry Figov and Saleem Kassum and to the outstanding list of the deceased heroic veterans of our Club who have left us. Past President Robert O’Brien delivered a powerpoint presentation describing his last visit to Ypres before COVID in November 2019, the horror of war and the inspiring story of John McCrae showing the locations of where he served, his military hospitals and memorials to him at Ypres.
Following that background, Sylvia Geist delivered a moving and inspiring reading of In Flanders Fields ending with the words “We shall not sleep though poppies grow in Flanders Fields”.
Alex Brown introduced Lieutenant Col James Stocker who delivered the fascinating story of Operation Laser. He told the story of how the military was assembled on April 6, 2020 at Camp Blackdown at CFB Borden initially expecting to assist in the evacuation of distressed communities, but instead mobilized to Long Term Care Facilities from April 28 to June 24 as a mission to stabilize these seniors homes struggling with emergency COVID outbreaks. Colonel Stocker’s story was moving, inspiring and a timely reminder that our military continues to serve and keep all Canadians safe.
Typhoon Relief - Phiippines
Last week The Rotary Club of Toronto and your Rotary Charitable Foundation approved a donation to ShelterBox Canada, for the Philippines Disaster relief in the amount of $10,000.
The Philippines have been hit with several of the most violent Typhoons ever.
Transition Plans for The Rotary Club of Toronto
We have started to receive information about the plans for reorganization of our many committees to be implemented July 1, 2021
Watch for your weekly newsletter.
Join us at our Friday lunches for Transition Talks:
1) November 13 – Prince Kumar (Background and Proposed Governance Model Schematic)
2) November 20 – Jayson Phelps (Philanthropic Committees, Guidelines for Philanthropic Requests and Club Assembly)
3) November 25 – Club Assembly (Philanthropic Part of the New Governance in Depth) - Wednesday evening
4) November 27 - Jeff Dobson (Service Committees)
5) December 4 - Richard White (Supporting Groups)
6) December 11 – Emre Yurga (New Mechanisms and Tools)
Fellowship & Entertainment Activities
Pat Neuman, Chair
We are here for the long term so please join in. All events are listed on our Google Calendar accessible through your @rotarytoronto.com account or find the emails sent out in advance. Contact Maureen Bird to set up your access. 416-804-3726.
Saturday's Virtual Cooking Class - we enjoyed risotto with roasted veggIes. Several of us paired it with pork chops. Next one - December 5th
Cheese 102 Workshop Saturday November 21, 2:00 pm - contact Neil
Euchre - Tuesday November 17 5:00 pm - contact Jay Llave for information to download the app.
Thursday, November 26, 2020 at 7 PM EST – 8:15 PM EST
Zhelevo is a majestic Red Oak located in a residential community near the Humber River in Toronto. It is well over 250 years old and was recognized as a Heritage Tree in 2009. This Red Oak has witnessed history unfolding as a lookout tree overseeing the First Nations’ Carrying-Place Trail. Every year it captures more than 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide and currently stores over 31 tonnes of carbon above ground.
Learn how you can help save a tree that is older than Canada at this short online information session (Zoom platform) featuring some passionate and knowledgeable speakers.
"Save a Tree with Rotary" will be hosted by CTV's Colin D' Mello with special guests: Mark Cullen, Mayor John Tory (invited), Carolyn King, Edith George, Sophia Maiolo, and Nilam Bedi.
*This event is hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Etobicoke, Toronto West, Toronto Eglinton, Toronto Sunrise & Whitby.
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
The Rotary Club of Toronto, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, H Level
