Spinoff for February 1st as edited by Brian Langill

There was a tremendous energy in the room as we had 31 friends joining us for lunch. Our Membership Committee, led by Gaye Moffett, Joan Heyland and Hadi Mortada, organized an incredible program and you could feel it when you walked into the room. Of course you could also feel the warmth of firm handshakes and big smiles from Greeters Keith Fraser and Don Butler. 

Following the anthem and a nice Rotary Grace by Merv Letts, President Linda Flynn explained the purpose of this meeting which was to introduce prospective Rotarians to Rotary and our club in particular. Our members had invited people who they believed would make good additions to our club, and the Membership Committee did a fantastic job of preparing this special program.

It began with a 10-minute informational video from RI which introduced the organization and then it was up to us to sell our club. But first we enjoyed our meal and some lively conversation.

Then it was on to club business which started, as usual, with announcements: Warren Creighton told us that Jack Sawyer was feeling better in rehab and may be coming home soon; Bob Harrison reminded us to sign up for shifts at PCCYBER locations, where Jason Yuan has allowed us to set up a Shelter Box to raise money for the program. See Bob or Jason if interested; sign-up is also continuing for the Soc n’ Rec event on February 19^th at 10am – pancake breakfast and sleigh rides at Fulton’s Pancake House. Hadi Mortada is organizing this fun activity; and finally President Linda read a letter of thanks from Westboro Youth Centre for our generous donation, which will allow disadvantaged kids to participate in the centre’s activities.

Mark Sherboneau and Cletus Peters were the winners in Alan Bowles double PP Draw. Then it was time for Happy Dollars: Cletus and Mark both donated their $25 back to the club; Ed Balys told us that the Ottawa Choral Society is offering a Valentine’s Serenade service where for $60 a quartet will sing to your chosen Valentine; Stu Picozzi thanked his friend Frank for showing him how to play squash; Don Butler was happy he won the PP draw last week; Len Baird celebrated 50 years in Rotary, 50 years in the same house, and his 50-year old daughter joining the Midhurst Sunset Club near Barrie; Dave Morton had fun doing a 10k and a night-time snowshoe race in the same weekend; and George Chaiban was happy that son Emile is thriving at IBM and youngest son Alex won his hockey tournament on the weekend.

The Valentine’s Dance is this Friday the 11^th at Sala San Marco at 215 Preston, 6:30 for 7. See Ken Murray if you need more details.

Next, it was time to show our guests what Rotary is all about. President Linda Flynn started with a passionate presentation regarding her introduction to Rotary in the 1970’s as an Ambassadorial Scholar. She went to New Zealand where she formed a life-long bond with her host family. She told us about the friendships she made, the experiences and adventures that she had, and everyone in the room could tell that Rotary had truly changed her life for the better. Then she brought it full circle by telling us what Rotary means in her life today. As one prospective member was heard to say following Linda’s presentation, WOW! It was fantastic testimonial to the benefits of being a Rotarian.

Next up was Anna Strasser, the in-bound Youth Exchange student for the downtown club from Austria. This engaging 15-year-old gave a short but sweet presentation on what her year in Canada is doing for her life. The biggest lesson she is learning is the importance of helping other people and working together with other cultures to improve the world. Gaye Moffett told us how Anna ended up on our podium – they literally met on the street when Anna asked for help finding a bike shop, and since they discovered their mutual involvement in Rotary, they have struck up a real friendship which no doubt will last a long time. This was a powerful illustration of the value of Rotary connections.

Finally, we heard Susan Diening tell us about Rotary in Canada. Five years after Rotary was founded in Chicago, the first international club began in Winnipeg in 1910. Membership has grown to 26,000 and those members have donated more than $2 million to the polio eradication program. Susan told us more about the polio efforts, about our district and about our club and its many programs and initiatives. Then she recounted her personal experience of being a Group Study Exchange member in 1995 to England. She gave us a wonderful summary of her experiences there and she did a great job of showing our guests how Rotary can influence your life. It was clear that Rotary had a big effect on Susan’s life and she did a great job of communicating that to our guests.

Having done our best to entice our guests to join us in Rotary, Joan Heyland thanked our speakers and then President Linda wrapped up.

Here are the winners of the Rotary Cash Calendar draws for the week, January 25 – 31, 2011:

4477      $25     Janice Carmen, Winchester                    

0989      $25     Mr. John Brummell, Stittsville                   

3237      $50     Alyson Barlow, Ottawa                 

4026      $25     Jim Gillisee, Kemptville                

3246      $25     Lorraine Huska, Ottawa               

3103      $125   Suzanne Ouimet, Ottawa             

2079      $50     Ellen Mazzuca, Rockland             

Quote on Smiles, Friends or Family:
Laughter is the sun that drives the winter from the human face – Victor Hugo.