As we recognize the service of so many to keep our world safe, we acknowledge those members who served to maintain peace.
Jack Robertson, Canadian Air Force
Jim Bell, Canadian Army
Saleem Kassum, British Air Force
Harry Figov, South African Army
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Barbara Dickson is a sought-after professionally-trained public speaker, local historian, and author in both fiction and non-fiction. She has been entertaining and educating audiences for over twenty years. She lives in Scarborough, Ontario.
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, Barbara re-discovered her love of writing and history when she retired from her career as an IT software analyst. Barb has spent many years researching local and Canadian history focusing her efforts on:
• Canadian history in the nineteenth century;
• Ireland’s Great Hunger;
• The invaluable contribution made by Canadian men and women engaged in war work during the Second World War.
Now an award-winning, best-selling, multi-published author and public speaker, Barb has been invited to appear before myriad organizations including remembrance celebrations, church groups, military gatherings, women’s organizations, business and local service clubs, and historical societies.
Topic Bomb Girls: Trading Aprons for Ammo is a comprehensive, historical record of Canada’s biggest WWII munitions plant (“GECO”) employing over 21,000 citizens, predominantly women, who courageously worked with high explosives around the clock over its four year history.
The book offers a unique, intimate, and extraordinary glimpse into the lives and hearts of these dedicated Canadians. In-person interviews with the women who risked their lives every time they stepped onto the “clean side” of the plant lend a personal, distinctive perspective to the book.
Their stories reveal tenacity, dedication, patriotism, and resolve in a time when the concept of women working outside the home was a cultural anomaly. Bomb Girls captures, in a dramatic way, the dangerous work these brave young women performed. It’s imperative to pass along their enduring legacy to the generations to come.
IMPACT REPORT
The Club and Foundation work together to have an impact. Here is a recent example from one of the organizations…
Good Shepherd Ministries
Good Shepherd Ministries has been serving the homeless and poor in Toronto since 1983 and is known for its meal program which is the largest in Toronto. It also has 97 shelter beds for homeless men with supportive housing help.
Before COVID-19, more than 1,000 meals served per day in Good Shepherd’s dining room In March 2020, meals-to-go program launched so homeless & at-risk people could still get meals. Since March 2020, more than 281,000 meals-to-go served to people who would otherwise have gone hungry.
We thank The Rotary Club of Toronto for its grant of $20,000. With a $3 cost of each hot meal you have provided 6,667 meals for people who would otherwise have gone hungry.
Save the Date!!
- for Your Club Assembly-
Tuesday November 9th, at the National Club
In-person @ 5:30pm
On-line @ 6:00pm - link to follow
Please RSVP with Carol if you want to attend in person as we are limited to 45 members. And yes, the rumour you heard is correct: the club will pick up the tab for your meal. There are fewer than 10 spots left!
We will have a guest speaker talk about the impact of Covid-19 on mental health as well as some fun and interactive activities.
The link to the virtual meeting will be sent next week.
INVITE 8-10 people or more to gather between November 20 and 28! Each party guest is asked to donate $40 to fund two hampers of food. All donations are welcome.
The Daily Bread Food Bank will provide the hampers… which will be packed by our club volunteers in early December.
Let's have some fun and provide support to some less fortunate people over the holiday season..
If you can't host but want to be a guest, contact emre.yurga@rotarytoronto.com, 416-841-4020. Emre will work to add you to a host's guest list.
Past Meetings
Last Week our How We Hobby Speaker was Jack Robertson who talked about his paintings - people, still life and landscapes. President Prince presented one more of our Rotary Minutes, Did Someone Say Dance?
Our speaker panel on Return to Travel was led by member Mary Lach. The full video will be available on our YouTube channel.
Our Members Only segments are in Google Drive/Shared Drives/All RCT Members/Member Exclusive Segments
Our Recent Sweat Equity Event!
Last weekend, October the 30th, 20 Rotarians and Rotaractors packed a total of 47 boxes containing 1,692 food packs to provide a total of 10,152 meals.
We finished in approximately 3 hours.
ROTARIANS AT WORK! All the meals will be sent to Haiti with Kids Against Hunger
These nutritious meals contain high-quality white rice, fortified vegetable protein, blend of dehydrated vegetables and 21 vitamins and minerals. Thank you for those who joined to make a difference!
NOVEMBER is ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH
The Rotary Foundation is an important part of Rotary International.
Funded by Clubs, members, grants and bequests, the Foundation has funded programs and projects valued at over US$4,000,000,000 in its 100 years of operation.
Most notably has been the decades long program to vaccinate the world's children and to eradicate polio forever.
The Foundation provides funding for eligible programs and projects through Rotary Districts. It also provides direct disaster relief and Global grants for projects that fall within the 7 focus areas of Rotary.
The graphic above shows Foundation spending on programs and projects in the last full year before Rotary adopted Supporting the Environment as its newest focus area.
