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 October 16, 2020 Rotary Virtual Meeting
Guest Speaker: Sharon Avery, President and CEO - Toronto Foundation
Topic: Toronto Foundation Impact: Investing Program
Host: Randy Gunn, Rotarian
Time: 12:00 Noon to 1:30 PM
Sharon Avery is President & CEO of Toronto Foundation, one of Canada’s leading community foundations and a Toronto city-building institution.
Ms Avery has built a 19-year career as a high energy fundraiser and passionate communicator. Prior to joining the Foundation in September, 2016, she served for eight years as Chief Development Officer at UNICEF Canada where she more than doubled its investment in children, transforming the organization on the international stage. There, Sharon led a pivotal fundraising campaign recruiting women philanthropists across Canada to embark on a four-year educational journey on maternal, newborn and child health in the developing world. In just 13 months $12 million was raised to support 3.8 million women and children in Peru, Namibia, Ethiopia, Cambodia and Indonesia.
Prior to UNICEF Sharon Avery held senior roles at SickKids Foundation, Save the Children Canada and Tim Horton Children's Foundation.
Sharon is known for her entrepreneurial spirit, critical thinking and collaborative leadership. She is a dynamic public speaker on a mission to bring philanthropy to the task of building a more resilient Toronto.
About Toronto Foundation
Established in 1981, Toronto Foundation is one of 191 Community Foundations in Canada. We pool philanthropic dollars and facilitate charitable donations for maximum community impact. Our individual, family and organizational funds number more than 500 and we administer over $400 million in assets. Through the Vital Toronto Fund, we engage in city building, mobilizing
people and resources to increase the quality of life in Toronto.
Rotarian and Guests: RSVP to office@rotarytoronto.com
if using Google Meet to be admitted to the meeting.
Friday District 7070 Governor, Mark Chipman spoke at our club. Mark’s easy style and solid commitment to Rotary made for a great meeting. Mark outlined District and International goals, tools available to clubs to help grow, publicize and diversify. He updated us on various activities of clubs in the district and the positive responses to the challenges of Covid. check out his full message here. https://www.rotary7070.org/Stories/district-governor-s-october-2020-newsletter
He also acknowledged four members of The Rotary Club of Toronto with a Rotary Hero Award for their outstanding contribution to our club and to Rotary; Maureen Bird, Dawn-Marie King, Dauna Jones-Simmonds and Prince Kumar, four outstanding Rotarians who have worked tirelessly to keep our members engaged during our COVID restrictions.
What You Missed, WERM, October 7
We had so hoped that some members would be able to meet in person but with Toronto moving back to phase 2 we will have to move this to a later date.
Past President Bill Morari, also General Manager of the National Club, gave us a wonderful history of one of our favourite gathering places.
The original building was south of King, built in 1874. When it became too small they made the audacious decision to move far away north of King to the current location in a building completed in 1907. it started as a political club but quickly just a business and social club - for men only with a strong references needed and a blackball system for new members.
During prohibition members managed to get prescriptions for gin and carried on. In 1984 they refused to give up the land for the Scotia Tower but sold the air rights for $3.5m which allowed a massive refurbishment.
With the addition of the Roof Top Garden they have created some wonderful extra spaces and boast a 40,000 bottle cellar.
They were Club of the Year in 2014 among all the platinum clubs. Bill says they have survived everything and will come out of this stronger.
Thank you to Pat Neuman for arranging a Zoom Meet with members of the Rotary Club of San Antonio. Chartered on November 1, 1912 it is a few months older than us and boasts over 400 members. It was a fun meeting as many of us have been in San Antonio and we were able to talk about some of our great experiences.
Pat is working on setting up another meeting with a club from Scotland.
Let's Be Personal - Harold Hetherington
My Journey to Rotary
When I was much younger my father was a member of the local service club. I was delighted with this because his club gave wonderful Christmas parties for the members’ children. With the party came great gifts, presents my parents could never afford. Over the years I came to the conclusion that I too would some day become a member. The difficulty was that my father belonged to the local ‘Kiwanis Club’.
In the final year of high school our principal invited six of the boys from the grade 13 class to his Rotary club. On the appointed day, the selected few bicycled to the finest hotel in Windsor. It was the best lunch I ever had. I was convinced that as soon as I became a chartered accountant, I would join the Rotary club.
Following graduation as a CA, Heather and I purchased a house in Leaside. Before closing i had a call from the lawyer who was handling the work for the vendor. The lawyer let me know that his mother’s maiden name was also Hetherington. This lawyer was my father’s cousin, a long-term member of this club, Elgin Coutts. Elgin discovered that I was a chartered accountant. As gently as he could, he told me that the club did not admit more than one member of the same profession and this club already had a chartered accountant. My dream of membership came to a sudden stop. Fortunately, the rules changed and in 1997 I was able to become a member.
It has been my experience that membership has opened doors of service. One of the committees I have enjoyed working with is the Seniors Committee. Part of their work is to sponsor the Seniors Christmas dinner. For the past few years, i have been responsible for finding the entertainment. One year I invited our grandsons’ school choir. When the presentation was over our grandson said, ‘Nana and Papa, i was very happy to come and sing for the older people, but I did not know that you were so poor that you had to get your Christmas dinner from the Rotary Club’.
And that’s truth and that’s being personal.
World Polio Day October 24, 2020
The Rotaract Club of Toronto, in partnership with Sweet Maee Bakery is selling packages of purple pinky sugar cookies in support of Polio vaccinations.
Each package of delicious cookies sold will provide vaccination to a child around the world through the Rotary Foundation.
Pack of 6 cookies - $20
Orders will be available October 1-19, with pick up date being October 24.
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.
Virtual Cooking Class October 17, 4 to 6:30 pm. "A trip to France over Dinner"..cost $35.00 Contact Mardi Michels mardimichels@gmail.com
Euchre Tournament - Tuesday October 20 - 5 pm.
Contact Jay Llave in advance to get the program downloaded.
Hallowe'en Virtual Cocktails - NEW DATE - October 31..6 pm...Special guests invited...contact pat.neuman@rotarytoronto.com
RI and District Happenings
For the months of October and November each club can choose a week to do their own challenge. Get together and brainstorm for your own way to raise money for the Rotary Foundation. Share on Social Media and at the end of November we will choose the three winners and celebrate with everyone next spring when COVID is over and we can all be together again.
We will be hosting the official Foundation walk next spring (date TBD) to celebrate everyone's contribution. BBQ plus entertainment for all plus prizes for the:
highest amount collected per walker
most steps walked by club
most creative way to raise money for the Foundation
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
The Rotary Club of Toronto, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, H Level
