Some of the most enthusiastic Rotarians you’ll ever meet are the students and young professionals who are members of the Rotaract Club of Toronto. Today’s speakers are Lara Valles, former director and treasurer, and now president of the club and Raissa Nishimwe, past member of the Rotaract Club of Toronto.
On August 6th we had our first hybrid meeting with 20 guests at the National Club (following full covid protocols) and the rest of us joining virtually. Our Member Segment featured Marcy Berg with her How we Hobby segment on the graffiti-decorated back lanes of old Toronto. We also had Foundation President Rick Goldsmith on our Executive Moment section.
Our main meeting started with our Impact Report featuring the incoming president of the Rotary Club of St. Vincent, Mikasha Ramsaran updating us on the work being done to assist those affected by the volcano eruption. We were joined by many Rotary guests from the clubs that helped with donations of over $50,000.
Then we were on to the fun part, celebrating the Caribbean with some dancers from the Caribana group. The dance contest is well worth watching! John Fortney won the prize!
August 11th was our President's Cocktails featuring our Events Committee, led by Don Bell and Steve Smith. Covid has necessarily changed the way we look at fundraising, fun and fellowship and the meeting was very much a brainstorming session. All ideas are welcome.
The Members Exclusive Segments and some of our President’s Cocktails are on your Google Drive under the “All RCT members” shared drive.
Upcoming Events
Friday, August 27, 2021, noon
A Hybrid meeting again! Must book with Carol.
Dan Frankian
Falconry – playing with RTC Executive
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
President's Cocktails 5:30
Community Outreach Committee
Daniel Massicotte & Suzanne Boggild
IMPACT REPORT
The Club and Foundation work together to have an impact. Here is a recent example from one of the organizations…
St. Vincent Volcano Eruption
The Rotary Clubs of St. Vincent, St. Vincent South and Rotaract Kingstown
RCofS received its charter on August 5th, 1971 and in the beginning it was an all male club. About 15 yrs ago, they started accepting women into the Club and today the executive is comprised of all women for the first time - the IPP, Pres, VP, Secretary and Treasurer. Recently, we formed a Satellite CLub in the Grenadine island of Bequia and our membership now stands at 37.
Our Club started the Rotary Club of St. Vincent South and the Rotaract Club of Kingstown.
All Clubs operate at the southern end of the island in and around the capital, Kingstown.
The Eruption of April 2021
As you would know by now, the eruption began the morning of April 9th, 2021 about 15 hrs after the Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves issued the evacuation order for the Northern parts of the island. Because of this, no lives were lost. The last major eruption was on April 22nd and during the eruptive phase, there were over 30 events with over 20 of them being in the first few days. Volcanologists say this eruption was worse than the one in 1979 and having lived through both of them, I would agree.
The eruption destroyed the old dome in the crater and produced pyroclastic flows and lahars that have changed the landscape and altered the coastline, especially on the North Leeward side of the island. Unfortunately, the lahars brought down boulders which destroyed homes in the North Windward. Of course, there was significant ash fall that caused a lot of damage and affected people's respiratory systems and still continues to be problematic. On the other hand, the soil is now extremely fertile.
As a result of the eruption, there were over 13,000 evacuees registered with the Government and various NGOs, but it was believed that the true number is closer to 17,000. Half of these evacuees went to private homes and the other half Government shelters. Most of them have returned home now, but there are estimated to be over 2,000 permanently displaced peoples.
The alert level was reduced from red to orange about a month ago.
All of this happened against the backdrop of covid and there was a spread among evacuees. We were also directly hit by a category 1 hurricane in June, which exacerbated the situation in the North Windward - Sandy Bay and Owia.
Your Donation's Impact
We are very grateful to the members of the Rotary Club of Toronto and District 7070 and beyond for their immense generosity. Your funds are part of a pool of funds from donors across the globe who have donated specifically for Volcano relief efforts.
Immediate use of the funds were for basic necessities - water, food, clothing, toiletries, bedding and paying for workmen to assist in the warehouses to distribute and deliver to the evacuees.
Currently, we are distributing water, wheelbarrows and cleaning supplies.
At all times, masks were being distributed, not just to fight covid, but in the early days to minimize the inhalation of ash.
We are moving into the next phase of rehabilitation projects. One that is definitely being considered is a co-op organic farm for displaced people to provide them with a livelihood. There will also be infrastructure projects. The North Windward needs the most work, however, we have to be guided by the Government's recent announcement that they will be re-zoning the North Windward. This will impact where we do our projects and the kinds of projects we can undertake.
Mikasha Ramsaran
Incoming President
RC of St. Vincent
North Leeward Chateaubelair
waiting to get supplies
Sandy Bay - hardest hit area
Boulders which came down with the lahars (lava flows).
Rooms available at Courtyard by Marriott Oshawa, $129
12th Annual AIDS/Community Health Walk,
Open until August 31, 2021
This will be our second virtual event - we raised $25,000 last year
Maureen Bird has emailed you about how to participate or contribute. Funds raised will support the Stephen Lewis Foundation to honour Stephen Lewis for all the wonderful work he is still doing to assist those millions in Africa affected by HIV/AIDS.
Gordon R. McInally, of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, Lothian, Scotland, has been selected to become Rotary International President for 2023-24. Gordon McInally joined the Rotary Club of South Queensferry in 1984, was Club President in 1991-92, and served as District Governor for District 1020 in 1997-98.
He has served Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland as a committee member and chairman of most of its administrative and service committees and was R GB&I President in 2004-05. He has also served Rotary International in a number of differing capacities; as a committee member and Chairman and as a member of the RI Board from 2007-09.
He was Chairman of the 2013 Rotary Institute and will repeat the role in 2020. Gordon continues to serve Rotary in varying capacities and was Chairman of the 2018 Rotary International Convention.
Looking forward to discussing the Each One, Bring One initiative, and new ways to get involved with Rotary, in a live chat on 24 August, 2021. Join Rotary International President and the RI Board of Directors in the live chat!
