Spinoff January 25, 2011, Edited by Don Buttler

 This January 25^th, members were welcomed by Warren Creighton and Doug Rowlands. Jack Troughton was on reception and Russ Hicks sold PP Draw tickets. Susan Diening pronounced a thoughtful grace.

In an early announcement, Ken Murray drew our attention to the folder circulating for the inter-club Rotary Dance, 11 February and asked us to signify ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ so that he could advise numbers to the organizers at the end of the meeting . Other folders circulating were for the outing to a sugar bush and sleigh ride, 19 February (Hadi Mortada) and for set-up and staffing a ShelterBox fundraiser next week (Bob Harrison and Jason Yuan).

Jack Troughton introduced Michel Massé, visiting from Rotary Old Montreal and, in preparation for next week, the Welcome Song words were projected on the screen (but none of us of course needed this help!). As it was Robbie Burns Day, we anticipated the presentation of the new RCWO website and some of the mid-year reports in a Dan Crone composition to the tune usually used for Burns’ “Comin’ Thro’ the Rye”.

Linas Pilypaitis reviewed the activities of the ABCs of Fraud Committee, noting the 10 presentations made, the demonstration presentation for seniors to be done next week by the Ottawa Police Service, Bud McGinnis’ work in getting coverage in the seniors’ publications. The training manual was being updated with the help of other Ottawa area RCs and an electronic version should be ready in the spring to send to RCs that had expressed interest at the Montreal Convention last summer. The Committee was reconnecting with previous clients but asked members to help find new prospects for presentations.

Bob Harrison commented on some of the World Community Service activities covered in the summary report we found on our tables. He noted the work of Suan Cross and Carol Waters in Nairobi. He told us Madre Cindy would hopefully visit in the spring and update us on the Working Boys Centre in Quito, Ecuador. He had found a Rotary partner club in Nepal to help with the WCS contribution to the Pabrita Orphans Centre in Kathmandu and he reminded us of the short presentation given us last week by Angie Olivier on her experience within Ethiopia to which we had contributed.

President Linda told us time was getting short and said the President’s Rose presentation, The Foundation Moment and the presentation of cheques to our Cash Calendar partners had been postponed to subsequent meetings. She also asked us to save our Happy $ anecdotes for next week. After swapping white badges for the pink ones of Jason Yuan and Mark Sherboneau, she called for announcements.

- Jason Yuan told us how the ShelterBox presentation would be set up at Hunt & Riverside branch of PCCyber and how the fundraising would be done. He said coverage would be given by radio stations “LIVE 88.5” and “Hot 89.9 “.

- Gaye Moffett told us we had 21 confirmed guests for Visitors Day.

- Alan Bowles updated us on the RCWO Team for the Stittsville RC Trivia competition, 25 Feb.

- Joe Wattie asked for help to input data.

- President Linda told us Jack Sawyer was healing well but still needed a bit more time for rehab in Toronto.

- Fred Christie asked for help putting his ABCs of Fraud e-mails on a stick to give them to Linas.

Russ Hicks had a head table member draw the Past President ticket and the winner was your Spinoff Editor.

President Linda then started the presentation of the new RCWO website. She, Hadi Mortada and Susan Diening had done a lot of work on the site which is powered by Club Runner and we have a three month trial period. The old site has been taken down and the new one can be reached both at www.rotaryclubwestottawa.ca/ and www.rcwo.org/   Hadi Mortada walked us through site showing us the public and members-only pages and reminded us he had sent us all an e-mail detailing instructions on using the site. There was discussion, i.g., on use of the site by committee chairs  to send messages to committee members, the cost ( Linda said set up was about $700 and then $500/year going forward ) and the degree to which a member could edit profile. Andrew Young commented that it was unfortunate that the font size could not be edited. He added as policy point that it was better to push important information than rely on readers to pull it by clicking on a URL.

President Linda’s announcements from her PowerPoint slides presentation:

Board Decisions

·         $3,400 approved for Pabrita Samaj Sewa Nepal Centre for sewing and feeding program

·         $2,500 approved for Port Antonio (Jamaica) Hospital Re-equipment (ventilator for anesthesia)

·         Noted $200 from WCS and Community Service budgets for Ryan Mahoney to promote maintenance of the water system in Honduras through Global Water Brigade

·         policy approved for management of advances up to 20% of WCS budget for DSG amounts to assist WCS work and their cash flow management.

·         Other discussion items were Rotary Home Board representative to replace Andrew Young who stepped down; RI Pilot project; Public relations proposal for Ottawa clubs; New Member committee

·         Other news – Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation and Raise a Reader grant approved for $1,250 to support the Dictionary4Life project

Remember RCWO Dates

·         February 1, Rotary Visitors Day

·         Sat. Feb. 19^th, Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride event

·         April 2, Music for Humanity

·         April 14^th, A Night at the Races

·         May 14, Presidents’ Walk (Foundation walk)

·         May 21, Ottawa Capital Race Weekend

·         September 16 – 19^th Australian Rotary Friendship Exchange

Presidents’ Council

·         Orleans – Alpha Centre Reception, information e-mailed to you

·         Stittsville – Trivia night, Feb. 25^th

·         Ottawa – monthly pub night for new members

·         Ottawa South – new Rotaract Club approved by RI, induction Fe/March

·         Hull – Rotary Community Corps Aylmer has 14 members; Beer and Cheese Event, TBA; Golf Tournament, Sept. 90^th Anniversary on Feb. 21^st

·         Nepean-Kanata – March 24^th dinner/silent auction fundraiser

·         Carleton Place & Miss. Mills – new playground initiative

·         Bytown – Masters Raffle draw on Jan. 25^th; each member has been requested to bring a new member under 50 yrs of age

·         Kindness Week, Feb. 18-25^th – 2 activities – Visit of the Community Housing Projects incl. Winthrop Court and Collecting Food at the Valentine’s Dance to be delivered and meals served at the Mission on Feb. 20^th.

·         Rideau Carleton Raceway event a possibility in next year or so

Joint Venture Council

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP TODAY for

·         Valentine’s Dance, Fri. Feb. 11^th, Salo San Marco, ~$70 pp – see Ken Murray

District Level

·         District Membership seminar, March 19

·         District WCS committee seminar, March 19

·         PETS, NAV Canada Centre Cornwall - April 9 -10, 2011.

·         District Assembly NAV Canada Centre – May 7, 2010

·         Presidents’ Walk, May 14th

·         RI Convention, May 21-25, New Orleans

·         District Membership seminar, May 28^th

·         District WCS committee meeting, May 28