President-Elect: Prince Kumar Vice-President: Jayson Phelps
Treasurer: Kurt Kroesen
Executive Director: Carol Hutchinson
Editor of the week: Natali Soroka, Maureen Bird
Charitable Foundation President:
Rick Goldsmith
Foundation Vice-President: Barbara Thomson
RI President
Holger Knaack, Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany
District Governor
Mark Chipman, Whitby Sunrise
Friday, May 07, 2021 - Time: 12:00 Noon to 1:15 PM
Guest Speaker: Annamie Paul, The Leader of the Green Party
Topic: A Conversation with The Leader of The Green Party
Host: Darcy Higgins
Rotary Virtual Meeting via Google Meet ONLY
Rotarian and Guests: RSVP to office@rotarytoronto.com
if using Google Meet to be admitted to the meeting.
There is no YouTube link today.
Biography
I am the daughter of immigrants who arrived in Canada from the Caribbean in the 1960s. When my mother and grandmother arrived, they took jobs as live-in domestics - the main job Black women could get at that time. Like many immigrants, my mother worked hard to regain her profession as an elementary teacher and worked for more than 30 years in Toronto schools. My grandmother, who had been a nurse and a midwife, became a nurse’s aide.
My mother loves her adopted home and was determined that her family embrace everything Canada has to offer. Even though she had never seen snow before coming to Canada, and had been taught to stay out of the sea, she insisted we all learn to swim and to skate. And when the government announced it was launching a national French immersion program, my mom enrolled us. I was among the first group of students to graduate from the program in the late 1980s, in our hometown of Toronto.
As we end another month of virtual meetings, President John and his crew continue to provide us with stimulating speakers and gatherings.
Pauline Lyons continued the Diversity and Inclusion messages and new Member Takuya Sasayama gave us his Let's Be Personal chat. Thank you Don Bell for continuing this feature and bringing so many new members before us when we can't greet them in person.
President John urged us to get vaccinated, that our parents experienced depression and war and we must appreciate what we have.
He then introduced our guest speaker, Dan Carter, Mayor of the City of Oshawa, whom he had heard at at Presidents-Elect Training Session last year. Dan was inspiring.
Dan said that he will celebrate 30 years of sobriety on June 17th, after years on the streets. He has been tested and blessed.He was adopted at age two into a family that had cared for 22 foster children - he was the only adoption. But he was dyslexic in an era where support was not available and school was painful. He also said he was raped at age 7. With so many burdens he turned to alcohol at 13 and dropped out of school.
He was 31 when his sister rescued him and got him into rehab. His first AA meeting was painful when he was asked to read from the AA guide and had to admit he couldn't read. A counsellor took him under his wing.
From there he moved forward, now married with children and working in the radio business. For the last six years he has been the Mayor of the City of Oshawa, a job he serves with honour. He feels his background has put him as in the face of things, working with the opioid crisis and high needs area. He has been involved in the Hope Centre of Living and a Day of Hope and Leadership. We can Embrace and Find Strength Together.
My name is SASAYAMA Takuya, and I am the Consul-General of Japan in Toronto.
I am honoured to be a member of The Rotary Club of Toronto. My previous posting was Ottawa, where I worked as Minister in charge of Political Affairs at the Embassy of Japan. I was a Rotarian there as well.
My job as head of a Japanese diplomatic mission in Toronto is to oversee the relationship between Japan and Ontario. This includes: promoting mutual understanding between Japanese and Ontarians, strengthening economic ties, and assisting Japanese citizens living here.
I joined Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1988 and have had various international postings, including Washington, D.C. and Seoul, Korea. Since assuming my post last summer, I have worked to increase awareness of Japan among the people of Ontario. Last month I published an op-ed piece in the Toronto Star outlining the benefits Japan and Canada bring to one another.
I have also informed Japanese businesses of such opportunities as the advanced research being conducted at Ontario universities, and have made Canadian government officials aware of the potential advantages of working with Japanese corporations to develop local infrastructure.
My other areas of interest include various sports, and spending time outdoors observing local wildlife. Please visit our Consulate’s Facebook and Twitter to see my photo series named “Animal Ontario Fridays”. I also hope to engage with local communities through such vital organizations as the Rotary Club.
I look forward to getting to know all of you during my assignment in Toronto.
We are working with the St. Vincent Rotary Clubs to provide funds for needed items. All residents have been evacuated from the northern half of the island and are in shelters or homes in the southern half. Think Gander NFLD, but this will continue for 3-6 months.
The Philanthropic Fund is funding $10,000 and challenging clubs in District 7070 to contribute to match this. The Rotary clubs there have already given 6,000 hours of time to assist in monitoring and delivering supplies.
More information to follow! - contact the office or Maureen Bird for slide show.
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.
Gardening Club will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 4 pm...
Next date is May 18, 2021 4 pm.
To Join...
Contact Co-ordinator June Brown - june.brown554@gmail.com
Spring really is just around the corner. The shoots are showing!
Virtual Cooking Club, Saturday May 29th, 6:00 pm
This week we reminisce about our many years at Camp Scugog - We do expect to be back in 2022!
In the meantime, think about your favourite meal or favourite memory and come prepared to share. Cook if you want.
Contact Neil if you are not on his list.
nphillips@dgn-marketing.com
May is Youth Service (formerly called New Generations) Month when Rotary Clubs, around the world focus on youth services, Rotaract, Interact, RYLA, Youth Exchange.
Let's remember May 4, 1987, one of the most important days in the history of Rotary
In 1989, at its first meeting after the 1987 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Council on Legislation votes to eliminate the requirement in the RI Constitution that membership in Rotary clubs be limited to men. Women are welcomed into Rotary clubs around the world.
Cost to 11:00 pm May 7 is $45. After that cost is $65.
This year’s event will connect you, virtually, with members around the world. It will open new opportunities to learn and to engage with the family of Rotary, near and far. Together, we’ll inspire action, strengthen our commitments, work on our challenges, and celebrate our successes.
Visit the convention event page on Facebook to connect with other participants and share what you’re looking forward to experiencing with #Rotary21. The Virtual Convention is open to all Rotary members and participants, so invite a friend to join you or share the event with your community.
Before
After - a 40' wall of lava
