Stories

Grimsby Rotary at Noon has had a busy fall so far.  We have heard from three mayoral candidates at recent meetings.  We were also involved in a very successful Doors Open Grimsby.  Please check the information about the upcoming Buffalo Bash under the Events section.  Please plan to attend the meetings as we have more speakers coming in the following weeks -  Grimsby Conservation Club (www.grimsbyconservationclub.com) and Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers (www.rosecottagevolunteers.com).  As always, if you know of a group that would like to present to us, please invite them to speak.   Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Come out and meet our new exchange students!

Gabo Melgarejo Yugovich  (Paraguay)

And

Joanne Kuo (Taiwan)

When:   Thursday, September 25^TH at 6pm

Where:  Casablanca Winery Inn

Who:  Rotary Club of Grimsby and Grimsby at Noon members and their spouses.  Past exchange students to be invited as well. 

Appetizers will be served through the evening.  Cost is $22.00 pp.

Please RSVP to Jeanette Murphy (murphykj@cogeco.ca) by Sept. 20^th

I hope to see many of you in attendance!!!!

A nice article in the Welland Tribune covering the Rotary Youth Exchange.

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2014/08/13/teens-exchange-stories-from-abroad

On Thursday May 27th, we were thrilled to host a special event to honour Pat Jaskula with the Paul Harris award at Peninsula Ridge Winery.  We wanted to recognize and celebrate the passion and commitment Pat has made through recent years with the Walk for Guide Dogs and her golf tournament for service dogs.  Through the  contributions Pat and her husband Ron have made with the Guide Dogs projects as well as through their Canadian Tire sponsorships they have truly changed lives in our local community.  It was a thrill to have so many of their family in attendance, as well as their staff, local dignitaries, past Paul Harris recipients, Rotary and community leaders and guests.  Thank you all for making this evening so special for Pat!

More than just man’s best friend

Work with dog guides, myriad of other charities, nets Pat Jaskula the Paul Harris Award

Grimsby Lincoln News

Pat Jaskula, co-owner of the Canadian Tire in Grimsby, was named a Paul Harris award winner by Rotary at Noon. The award is given to community members who give back in a significant way to charity. Jaskula supports many worthy causes, among them the Purina Walk for Dog Guides, which is set to take place on May 25.

GRIMSBY – For Pat Jaskula it all started as a way to cope with the loss of her two pet dogs.

Five years ago the co-owner of the Grimsby Canadian Tire needed something to fill the void after her two pets died. And it was local resident Steve McDonnell who gave her the inspiration to get involved with dog guides.

“He’s just the most amazing man,” Jaskula said of McDonnell.

McDonnell, well known in the community for his work preparing dog guides, would often come into the Canadian Tire store in order to get the young dogs acclimated to people and the public.

“I thought, I have to put this energy someplace,” she said.

A short while later she had raised enough money, $20,000 with the help of the Jumpstart program, to have a dog trained to help an autistic child in Okatakes, Alb. Jaskula went to the dog’s graduation ceremony, when it was handed off to the mother of the autistic child.

“It’s heartwarming,” she said about the graduation. “When you see the people who are receiving the dogs, you know it’s important to do what you do.”

From there, Jaskula and a few committee volunteers, including McDonnell, helped revive the local walk for dog guides. The Lions club had previously organized the walk, but that fell by the wayside as the Lions members retired.

And it was that commitment to dog guides, as well as the litany of other groups and charities Jaskula supports, that netted her the Paul Harris Award from Rotary at Noon. Rotary clubs hand out the award to residents who give back to charities in a meaningful and substantial way.

Now, with preparations underway for the fourth annual walk since Jaskula and company revived it, organizers are looking to once again grow what is already an impressive event.

Last year the Grimsby walk finished 11th among the 202 that took place throughout the country, raising $12,000 locally. That placed them among cities like Kitchener-Waterloo, Oakville, and Calgary. This year the goal is $15,000.

“What they (the dogs) can do amazes me,” said Jaskula.

The dogs aren’t just for the visually impaired. People with hearing or visual impairments, special needs such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism or even diabetes can utilize dog guides.

Diabetes alert dogs are the latest advancement.

“They wake them (the patient) when the smell that their sugars are low,” she said.

The Grimsby walk takes place May 25. It starts outside the Canadian Tire plaza on Livingston Ave. with registration at 12 p.m. and the walk at 1 p.m. There’s a short circuit and a long circuit for walkers. Once they return there will be a barbecue, prizes and raffles.

To get involved, visit www.purinawalkfordogguides.com, and search for the Grimsby walk. You don’t have to participate to donate, and can also stop by the day of the walk to donate.

Despite her passion for dog guides, Jaskula supports a wide variety of groups. That includes Big Brother Big Sisters, the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Fire Department, YMCA, Grimsby Benevolent Fund, McNally House, local school fundraisers, sports teams and the list goes on.

ledwards@naigarathisweek.com

Awards handed out May 29

For those who want to help honour Jaskula for her Paul Harris Award win, or who just want to have a nice evening, can come out to the presentation on May 29.

The event takes place at Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery and gets underway at 7 p.m. It features wine and cheese and will take place in the coach house.

Tickets are $25 apiece and can be purchased by calling Carolyn Webb at 905-945-7039. Rotary at Noon also encourages all former Paul Harris Award winners to come out and share in the celebration.

Much is happening in the month of May!

Even though it is after a long weekend, try to come out on Tues May 20 to hear from Christina Weber, who the club sponsored for an international trip in March.  On May 27, we hope to hear from the youth we sponsored to attend Rotary's youth leadershp program, SLAPSHOT!

On April 15, we had Lisa Pare reporting from Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Niagara.  Mayor Bob Bentley was on hand for the club's presentation to BBBS and to provide a brief update from the Town of Grimsby.  On April 8, our guests were Chloe Sloan and Lily Mackenzie, 14 year old girls who have been selected from among applicants across the country for International Guiding programs this summer!

Be sure to come to our meetings -- where we have fellowship and plan activities to better our community!  Please let us know if you have ideas for future speakers - people who are contributing to the community or have started a new local initiative or business.  Hopefully you have bookmarked our club website so you can reference it easily!

A board meeting on May 21 The new Rotary year is starting soon and we are making plans.  Please let us know if you have any comments as we are updating our Member List this month.

Our Paul Harris Awards event on Thurs. May 29.  Tickets are on sale now, at $25 per person for this wine and cheese which starts at 7:00 pm at Peninsula Ridge winery.  We are honouring Pat Jaskula, local business owner and active community volunteer!  Please look under "News" on our bulletin or website and click on the title "More than just man's best friend" to see the coverage in the Grimsby Lincoln News.  Support our special evening by buying a ticket and planning to attend.

See you soon!

Engage Rotary - Change lives

Our club had a wonderful Annual Charity Gala on Feb. 22nd!  Thank you to all of those who contributed with selling or buying tickets, providing wine for the raffle, becoming a sponsor, or assisting with arrangements and setup!  We are so thankful to our club volunteers and community sponsors!  Thank you again to Village Studio for portraits of all who attended - please make sure you picked up yours!  We are happy to have raised funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters this year.  Please send me any photos you would like to share from our Gala!

Soon after our Gala, we were all saddened by the passing of Darsh Mongia, an honourary member who hardly ever missed a meeting, and a Paul Harris Fellow.  Because he quite often said the invocation to open our meetings, we plan to laminate his invocation for the club to use and remember him by.

Rotary of Grimsby @ Noon is also busy with other initiatives and will be sending youth (16-17) to SLAPSHOT leadership training this spring.  We are also accepting applications to the RYLA leadership training program for 18-24 year olds.  Please provide ideas that you may have for future speakers, meeting plans or events.   We continue to accomplish amazing things; a hard-working bunch who provide good fellowship and put service above self!

Rotary of Lincoln is offering a Nine Wine and Dine event on Mon. June 9th at Peninsula Lakes Golf Course for $99 with special guest, Walter Gretzky, father of #99.  If interested, email:  lincolnrotarygolf@gmail.com

Please mark your calendars for our next major event, the Paul Harris Awards Evening on May 29th -- details to come!

Our Grimsby@Noon Club is having a fantastic February!  

Today Grimsby Rotary @Noon donated $2,000 to the Grimsby Community Fund, which will last in perpetuity, providing funds to local causes. 

Next week, Feb. 11, we will be hosting a speaker from Urban Wildlife Rescue, and Tues Feb. 18 we will hear from Christina Weber and her plans for a trip to Guatamala with an organization called International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ)

We also have a Board meeting at 11 am, prior to the noon meeting on Feb. 18th.  

Many of our projects are funded through our flagship event, the Annual Mayor's Charity Gala, coming up on Sat. Feb. 22nd.  Get your tickets now by calling Carolyn at 905-945-1234.   How you can help:

- buy a ticket for the event and promote it to your circles

- contribute to the Silent Auction - your company will be credited in the program if you provide the item by Feb 6th

- consider sponsoring the event

- bring wine for our Huge Wine Raffle

We are moving forward with interviews this month to send two youth to SLAPSHOT Rotary youth leadership training. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone at a noon meeting or at our Gala!

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Niagara This Week has published a retrospective on the work our club accomplishes, both locally and globally!

Pictured is our 2013 cheque presentation of $5,000 to McNally House.

Pictured are (Left to Right):  Ross McCallum, Evonne Jack, Carolyn Webb, Jim Whitfield, Sharon Coxon, Paula Blackwood (McNally House), Jim Van Roon, Mayor Bob Bentley, Elaine Kelly, Darsh Mongia.

Rotary of Grimsby@Noon began with a bang, as Niagara This Week published a story about some of the amazing accomplishments of our club locally, and Rotary International.  

Many of our projects are funded through our flagship event, the Annual Mayor's Charity Gala, coming up on Sat. Feb. 22nd.  Get your tickets now by calling Carolyn at 905-945-1234.

How you can help:

- buy a ticket for the event and promote it to your circles

- contribute to the Silent Auction - your company will be credited in the program if you provide the item by Feb 1st.

- consider sponsoring the event

- bring wine for our Huge Wine Raffle

Board Members:  Today's board meeting is re-scheduled to next Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 11 at Judge and Jester.

Hope to see you at Rotary!

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Our Grimsby@Noon club has had a very busy time in November, with more to come in December!

November 19th, we had a large crowd attend to hear from Rob Merigold, a past Dunnville Rotarian who now lives in Stoney Creek.  He runs business consulting on IT issues and gave a talk on keeping your computer clean from viruses or other attacks.  We learned about the best passwords to use, and other ways of keeping your digital information secure.  He has offered to answer any quick questions for free, so feel free to find out more from him by phoning 905-963-8900 ext. 201 or by emailing:  rmerigold@infoglobe.net.

November 26, we hosted Lindsay Slavin, Manager of a new and exciting business in town, Niagara Companion Care & Ride.  This young business grew out of an unmet need in the area for seniors who need not only a ride to medical appointments, but a companion to help them get in to the meeting, to wait with them, and perhaps take them on outings to other places.  Co-ordinating both a ride and a companion can be difficult, and hiring their service for 2 hours can be a tremendous relief for adult children who work full time and cannot get enough time off work to provide all of this support themselves.  For info, go to their website at www.careandride.com, or email Lindsay at service@careandride.com or phone 905-941-8738.

Dec. 3, our guest speaker was our own member, Ross McCallum, speaking about The Rotary Foundation.  Rotary Foundation is a charitable organization which transforms your gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.  Rotary taps into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into priorities such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.  Strong financial oversight and a stellar charity rating mean that your contributions go further.  If you want to donate to a good cause, please consider The Rotary Foundation.  The ask is simply for $100 from "Every Rotarian Every Year".  You can give your tax deductible cheque payable to "The Rotary Foundation" to Ross.  For more info:

https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/rotary-foundation

Thank you to Keith for lining up additional speakers in December.  Please let us know if you know of someone who has recently opened a business or done something newsworthy that you would like to invite as a guest speaker.   Please check the calendar on our website or click the link on this newsletter. 

Our club is moving forward on many of the initiatives set out in our budget, including sending youth to Rotary Slapshot leadership weekend and conducting a Visioning Process which you will be hearing more about.  Meanwhile, if you have memories of past projects or accomplishments, please email them to Stephanie or Elaine.  Tickets and Sponsorship packages for the Grimsby @Noon Mayor's Charity Gala will be available this month.

We are pleased to welcome Garry Brown and Giant Tiger who have a new Corporate membership, as well as Geoff Willis, representing Stonehouse-Whitcomb Funeral Home. 

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Tomorrow we have a board meeting at 11 am at Judge and Jester, and a Club Assembly and fellowship lunch.

Last week we heard from Anne Haas, celebrating 45 years of The Dutch Shop in Grimsby and saw some amazing photos of local history.  We also recently hosted Becky Collens-vanMil of the Employment Help Centre.  If you would like to receive up to $7,200 to help you hire a young adult age 16-29, give them a call!  If you know of someone looking for work, make sure they register at the Employment Help Centre.

Thank you to Keith for lining up additional speakers in November.   Please check the calendar on our website or click the link on this newsletter. 

Thank you to Carolyn and Sharon who organized our Dinner -Theatre Murder Mystery evening on Sat. Oct. 26th and to those who contributed to the wine raffle.  We are excited to have raised money to send youth to Rotary Leadership programs this year. 

We are pleased to welcome Geoff Willis as a new Rotary member, representing Stonehouse-Whitcomb Funeral Home.  He has already shown great support for the club's activities.

I hope to see all of you soon!

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Our club has planned a fantastic Dinner -Theatre Murder Mystery evening on Sat. Oct. 26th.  The five-course meal is inter-mingled with professional actors for a wonderful program.  We ask each Rotarian to promote and sell tickets, as well as to provide one bottle of wine so that we can have a Wine Raffle.  Speak to Carolyn to reserve your tickets, which are $75 per person.   This program will raise funds to send youth to Rotary Leadership programs and we need to put in some extra effort on ticket sales in the next ten days to make it a success!

Please look over our club website and mark events on your calendar.  Please contact Keith or myself if you have speaker or program ideas.

Last week we received a presentation from Ward Kaiser about maps and how they affect our view of the world.  His website is www.newmapper.net

On Sept 24th, a large group of members and guests welcomed District Governor Kevin Crouse to our Noon Meeting.  How wonderful to share our plans with him and to hear news of other club and district events!  He shared with us a new Handshake to reinforce this year's RI theme - we will show it to you next time we see you. 

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Tomorrow we have District Governor Kevin Crouse attending our 12 noon meeting (with Board meeting at 11:00).  Acting Assistant DG Thomas Brock will also be attending.  We will be discussing the DG vision for the coming Rotary year, as well as our Club's vision and plans for this year.  I hope everyone can make an effort to attend!

Last week our guest speakers were from the Grimsby Conservation Club.  They have a fantastic idea to provide free fishing for families, school groups, and tourists.  Their goal is to build a fully accessible fish pond on the Grimsby lakefront and use it to educate youth about Lake Ontario fish and to build community.  If you are interested in helping to promote this initiative, in becoming a member or their club, or in making a tax deductible donation, you may contact Frank England at by email at wengland12@sympatico.ca or by phone 905-945-5328.

Our club has planned a fantastic Dinner -Theatre Murder Mystery evening on Sat. Oct. 26th.  The five-course meal is inter-mingled with professional actors for a wonderful program.  We ask each Rotarian to promote and sell a few tickets, as well as to provide one bottle of wine so that we can have a Wine Raffle.  Speak to Carolyn to reserve your tickets, which are $75 per person.   This program will raise funds to send youth to Rotary Leadership programs. 

Please look over our club website and mark events on your calendar.  Please contact Keith or myself if you have speaker or program ideas!

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

Hello Rotarians!

September programs have started back in full gear!  Next week, Sept. 17, come to our lunch meeting and hear from Frank England and the Grimsby Conservation Club about a new initiative for Grimsby.  Be sure to also attend Sept 24th, and hear from our District Governor Kevin Crouse.  There will be a Board Meeting at 11:00, just prior to our noon meeting.

We had a very successful Paul Harris event at Peninsula Ridge in June and year-end party at Malivoire Winery in July.   We have helped so many organizations in our community and can be proud of last year's contributions to McNally House and Second Stage Housing, to Habitat for Humanity volunteers and to Rotary Youth Exchange, Big Brothers, and other great causes.  Our club has co-sponsored Robin Kelly on the Rotary International Youth Exchange and she left a few days ago for Spain.

This fall, we have planned a fantastic Dinner -Theatre Murder Mystery evening on Sat. Oct. 26th.  The five-course meal is inter-mingled with professional actors for a wonderful program.  We also ask each Rotarian to provide one bottle of wine so that we can have a Wine Raffle.  Speak to Carolyn to reserve your tickets, which are $75 per person.  We have 90 tickets to sell to make this a success!  This program will raise funds to send youth to Rotary Leadership programs. 

Please look over our club website and mark events on your calendar.  Please contact Keith or myself if you have speaker or program ideas!

Engage Rotary - Change Lives!

We had a wonderful gathering at Malivoire Winery to celebrate then end of one Rotary year and the beginning of another!  Carolyn donated the group tour and tasting and our gracious host Eric showed us around and gave some enlightening stories of the vineyards and wines in Niagara.  I was honoured to receive a bouquet of flowers in thanks for being president of our local club.   It is the participation and volunteering of every member that has allowed our club to have such a major impact in fundraising and contributing to our community.  

We are in the process of confirming our pods and developing programs for the upcoming year.  At a recent board meeting, we sketched out activities and events to plan for this fall.  We look forward to more exciting times ahead!

Rotary of Grimsby @Noon was pleased to fete Garry Brown, owner of our local Giant Tiger!  A large group of family, friends, Rotarians, local dignitaries, and past Paul Harris Award recipients, gathered at Peninsula Ridge Winery on July 13th for the occasion.  Music was provided by an ensemple from Blessed Trinity Secondary School.  Garry and his wife Linda Brown have been quietly supporting and volunteering in a variety of local causes, consistently supporting the Grimsby Benevolent fund and the Rotary initiatives as well as local sports teams and other causes.  Congratulations!!

This week we had the privilege of presenting a cheque with Mayor Bob Bentley to Paula Blackwood for McNally House!  Watch the local newspaper!  

Next Tues, June 11, we have Christina Webber, a student from GSS coming to speak and show pictures regarding her recent trip to Vietnam with Habitat.  Please try to attend!

Our Paul Harris recognition event is coming up Thurs June 13 at 7:00 pm at Peninsula Ridge! Garry Brown, owner of our local Giant Tiger, has been quietly contributing to our community in a host of ways over the years, volunteering at Grimsby Benevolent Fund's Angel Tree, Back to School and Easter programs. He is also involved with the Chamber of Commerce and sponsors many sports teams and events including the Mayor's Charity Gala and the Grimsby Festival of Art.  Blessed Trinity will be providing music as we gather.  Tickets to attend this Wine and Cheese event are just $25 per person. Please contact Carolyn by emailing: davidcarolynwebb@aol.com if you would like tickets to attend or to sell to your associates to enjoy a night out and say congratulations to Garry and his wife Lynda.

We are also planning ahead for a Year End Social on July 18th - watch for details!

Peace through Service

We have a full month of programs -- Be sure to attend Tuesday May 28 to hear from Big Brothers Big Sisters and to present our cheque to them.  Also, plan ahead to attend June 4th to present our cheque with Mayor Bob Bentley to McNally House.

Last week, Sharisse Sorman showed photos and told us about the Habitat-Honduras trip, which we helped to sponsor. 

Also this month, we heard about local area Cub and Scouts Camps, and got an update about the West Niagara Y from Kelli Wales, and received a report from Christina Weber, whom we had helped sponsor on her Habitat trip to Vietnam in March!

Our Paul Harris recognition event is comeing up Thurs June 13 at 7:00 pm at Peninsula Ridge!   Garry Brown, owner of our local Giant Tiger, has been quietly contributing to our community in a host of ways over the years, volunteering at Grimsby Benevolent Fund's Angel Tree, Back to School and Easter programs. He is also involved with the Chamber of Commerce and sponsors many sports teams and events including the Mayor's Charity Gala and the Grimsby Festival of Art.  Tickets to attend this Wine and Cheese event are just $25 per person. Please contact Carolyn by emailing:  davidcarolynwebb@aol.com  if you would like tickets to attend or to sell to your associates to enjoy a night out and say congratulations to Garry and his wife Lynda.

Our Membership committee is active and considering ideas for new initiatives.  All members are asked to indicate to Jim Van Roon by May 30th their plans to renew their membership for the 2013/14 year. 

Board members:  our next meeting will be Monday June 3 at 6:00 pm at the Syndicate Restaurant.

Peace through Service

We have a full month of programs -- check out the attached list of speakers over the next few weeks and consider bringing a friend! 

Last week we heard about the Rotary International Youth Exchange leadership program at Algonquin!

Consider attending our Rotary District meeting Sat. May 4th - speak to me if interested.

Get ready -- we are planning now for our Paul Harris awards event.  Please share your ideas if there are projects you would like to see our club involved in. 

Board Members: We will be meeting Mon. May 6 at 6:00 pm at J&J.

Peace through Service

We have a full month of programs -- check out the attached list of speakers over the next few weeks and consider bringing a friend!

Last week we heard about Urban Wildlife Care -- check out their work at www.urbanwildlifecare.com

Next week:  hear from Suy Sheppard, who was on the Nicaraguan Trip from St Andrews Church.

Consider attending our Rotary District meeting Sat. May 4th - speak to me if interested.

Get ready -- we are planning now for our Paul Harris awards event.

Board Members:  We will be meeting Mon. April 8th from 5:30 - 6:30 pm at J&J.

Peace through Service

March has been another busy month for Rotary of Grimsby @Noon!

We finished up February by de-briefing our Gala - what a successful event this was!

For our regular meetings, we've had an exciting line-up of presentations.  On Feb. 26, Jo'Anne D'Amico presented to us regarding Massage Theerapy, Holistic Health, and gave us a meditation CD. On March 12, we hosted Marishka Glynne, who looked at our hands and explained some of her experience and services as a psychic and intuitive advisor.  Come this week March 19th, and you will hear from Wayne Brown, of the Burlington Teen Tour Band!  Come on March 26, and get a report from Sharisse Sorman, whom we sponsored on her recent trip to Honduras with Habitat.

We also had a Club Assembly on March 5th, discussing the goals for the rest of this Rotary year, and next.   Thank you to those who have stepped up to serve on our Board in the 2013-14 year.  Next year's theme is:  Engage Rotary - Change Lives.  This spring, we hope to have a special meeting where we look at planning a special activity to which we may invite prospective members.  We will need to know by May if you do not plan to renew your membership, so that the club is not billed by RI.  We are also planning, likely in June, a special Paul Harris celebration to honour local unsung heroes. 

We look forward to continuing to leverage Rotary to strengthen our community!

Peace through service

We owe such a big thank you to our Gala Committee, who work hard all year to ensure we have a successful Gala.  Thank you to Carolyn (committee chair), Sharon, Stephanie and Brian for organizing the event and sponsorships.  Special thanks also to Bryan and to Village Studio for the portraits they took for everyone who attended.   This being our main and perhaps only fundraiser of the year, it is so important that it is successful so that our Club can continue to do its great service in our community.  We had a wonderful event on Sat. Feb. 23rd, and are pleased that we will be able to support McNally House this year.

This coming Tuesday, prepare for a mid-day relaxation exercise with Jo-Anne D'Amico.  Last Tuesday we heard about some very real local needs for shelter in our town, with an update from Bruce Wallace of th Grimsby Affordable Housing Partnership. 

March 2nd is your chance to meet or see Rotary International President Tanaka!  Please see the "Downloads" area and speak to Jim Van Roon if you are interested.

Our next Board meeting is Mon March 4 at 6 pm.

On Tuesday March 5, at our noon meeting, our club will be discussing member ideas and plans for spring and for next year.  We hope to run a Paul Harris event as well as social activities and great weekly programs. Please think of events you might like to invite your associates to so that we can introduce them to the benefits of being a Rotarian. Also please consider volunteering or making a nomination for a Board position for the next Rotary year, so that you can have an impact in the projects and activities and directions of our Club.

Our March Pod has lined up a month of great @Noon Programs!  The Pod responsible for April programs includes:  Carolyn, Brian G, Bryan M, Sharon, Stephanie, and Jim W.

Peace through Service

We had a wonderful time at Tuesday's meeting.  Our guest speaker, Rosa Ciccaglione told about their business, Advantage Waste Systems at 231 South Service Road, Grimsby.  They receive and will pick up all of your e-waste:  TV's, computers, printers and accessories, old stereos, cameras, telephones, cell phones, and radios.  They work closely with both Durwood Jones Barkwell and with the Grimsby Benevelent Fund.  Check out

www.advantagewastesystems.com

Next week, I hope you are all back from the Family Day holiday because on Feb. 19th we will hear from Bruce Wallace of the Grimsby Affordable Housing Partnership.  A week later, Feb 26, prepare for a mid-day relaxation excercise with Jo'Anne D'Amico.

March 2nd is your chance to meet or see Rotary International President Tanaka! The flyer is on the "Downloads" area of our website and on the link in this e-news.  If there are a few people interested, there could be a group to car pool together. Please contact Jim Van Roon if you are interested.

Also, we are hoping our Club will put a team of 4 into the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake in Grimsby. The games are being played on Wii Bowl on Sat Feb. 23rd. Please also contact Jim Van Roon if you can play on the team.

Some of our group will be busy Feb 23 preparing the Casablanca hall for our Gala that evening, but we are still hoping to be visible in the community at the Bowl for Kids event. Please try to volunteer during the day at either the Gala set-up or the Bowl for Kids Sake.

Ticket sales are going well, but we are not yet sold out, so please contact Stephanie or Carolyn if you are able to sell a few more. We hope all of our Members will be there, as it is our only fundraiser this year.

Brian has given all of us a winery from which to buy wine for the big wine raffle, a major fundraiser, so please contact either Brian or Sharon if you have questions about the wine raffle.  Silent Auction donations are going well, but more will be accepted.

After our Gala, we will be looking for member ideas and planning for spring and for next year.  We hope to run a Paul Harris event as well as social activities and great weekly programs. Please think of associates you might invite to attend Rotary events so that we can introduce them to the benefits of being a Rotarian. Also please consider volunteering for a Board position for the next Rotary year, so that you can have an impact in the projects and activities and directions of our Club.

Peace through Service

March 2nd is your chance to meet or see Rotary International President Tanaka! The flyer is on the "Downloads" area of our website and on the link in this e-news.  If there are a few people interested, there could be a group to car pool together. Please contact Jim Van Roon if you are interested.

Also, we are hoping our Club will put a team of 4 into the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake in Grimsby. The games are being played on Wii Bowl on Sat Feb. 23rd. Please also contact Jim Van Roon if you can play on the team.

Some of our group will be busy Feb 23 preparing the Casablanca hall for our Gala that evening, but we are still hoping to be visible in the community at the Bowl for Kids event. Please try to volunteer during the day at either the Gala set-up or the Bowl for Kids Sake.

Ticket sales are going well, but we still have a number of tickets to the Gala that need to be sold in the next 10 days, so please contact Stephanie or Carolyn if you are able to sell a few more. We hope all of our Members will be there, as it is our only fundraiser this year.

Brian has given all of us a winery from which to buy wine for the big wine raffle, a major fundraiser, so please have this wine at the meeting next Tues, Feb. 12, or delivered to Clovelly Kennels by Feb 12. Silent Auction donations are going well, but more will be accepted.

Our pods have been busy lining up exciting programs for our Tues. Noon meetings! Last week, we heard from Vicki Baird, CEO of the WLMHospital, and Kurt Whitnell, Board Chair. On Tues Feb 12 we will hear from Rosa Ciccaglione from Advantage Waste Systems, and on Feb. 19th, from Bruce Wallace of the Grimsby Affordable Housing Partnership.

We have passed the half way mark in the Rotary year and are looking at plans now for spring and for next year. In the spring, we hope to run a Paul Harris event as well as social activities and great programs. Please think of associates you might invite to attend Rotary events so that we can introduce them to the benefits of beig a Rotarian. Also please consider volunteering for a Board position for the next Rotary year, so that you can have an impact in the projects and activities and directions of our Club.

Peace through Service,

Thank you to our Rotary volunteers for organizing some exciting meetings!  Check out the speaker list and you will see who has been busy inviting guest speakers!  You will not want to miss hearing from our guests - and you may be tempted to invite a friend to a meeting!

Rotary's 8th Annual Mayor's Charity Gala is coming soon: Sat. Feb. 23rd.... This year, the Gala will support McNally Hospice as well as other Rotary projects. The Gala is fast approaching and we are in need of volunteers to pick up silent auction donation items and recruit new businesses as sponsors. Please contact Stephanie and let her know if you are able to be a sponsor or have a contact who may become a sponsor for this event; also let her know if you would like her to let you know the names of businesses which require followup regarding sponsorship. There is also a need for volunteers to schedule time to assist with picking up sponsorship and silent auction items. Each Rotarian is also asked to contribute wine to our wine raffle, which is a great fundraiser. You may also consider donating a silent auction item or putting a business card ad in the newspaper to help pay for the Gala advertisement.  Volunteers will also be needed the day of the event.  This is a huge event, and without a lot of other club fundraising events, it is essential that we pull together to make it a success.

Rotary Ski Day 2011 is coming up Friday February 15th -- Everyone Welcome -- even those who are not (yet) Rotarians! 9:00 am - 4:30 pm at Holimont, Ellicottville, NY $60.00/Person Ski Pass & Lunch For Reservations contact Jack @ 716-945-2283 or jcluzier@gmail.com

Rotary District 7090 is conducting a Facebook advertising campaign for Rotary Clubs, using a PR Grant to promote awareness and find new members.  Please let Elaine know if you have a facebook account, and she may create a group for our club.

Thank you, all of you, for participating in Rotary and volunteering your time to make our events a success.

January News:  Just in time for Lots of Excitement at Rotary @Noon: 

Rotary's 8th Annual Mayor's Charity Gala is coming soon: Sat. Feb. 23rd....  This year, the Gala will support McNally Hospice as well as other Rotary projects.  The Gala is fast approaching and we are in need of volunteers to pick up silent auction donation items and recruit new businesses as sponsors.  Please contact Stephanie and let her know if you are able to be a sponsor or have a contact who may become a sponsor for this event; also let her know if you would like her to let you know the names of businesses which require followup regarding sponsorship.   There is also a need for volunteers to schedule time to assist with picking up sponsorship and silent auction items.   Each Rotarian is also asked to contribute wine to our wine raffle, which is a great fundraiser.   You may also consider donating a silent auction item or putting a business card ad in the newspaper to help pay for the Gala advertisement.  This is a huge event, and without a lot of other club fundraising events, it is essential that we pull together to make it a success. 

Please speak to Jim V. if you have not yet paid your dues which were due in July or if you would like to make a donation to the Rotary Foundation.  Our club forwards all of your dues to other levels of Rotary, and our club is invoiced based on those who state they want to be current members.

Our Pod to lead meetings in January is: Jim V, Heinz, Sean, Pam, Darsh, and Tim. Try to think of connections you have - in business, community, or charities - who may be interested in presenting at a noon meeting in January.

Our Pod to lead meetings in February is:  Ross, Peter, Maria, Lisa, Craig (minus Paul sadly)

PR/Membership

Rotary Ski Day 2011 is coming up Friday February 15th -- Everyone Welcome -- even those who are not (yet) Rotarians!   9:00 am - 4:30 pm at Holimont, Ellicottville, NY  $60.00/Person Ski Pass & Lunch   For Reservations contact Jack @ 716-945-2283 or jcluzier@gmail.com

Rotary District 7090 is conducting a Facebook advertising campaign for Rotary Clubs, using a PR Grant to promote awareness and find new members.  They will include our club at no charge if we are willing.  To participate, the club would need to have at least one person attend a FREE webinar to learn how the campaign works and our the club can benefit.  Here is the link to register for our upcoming webinar explaining our Facebook District 7090 advertising campaign for Rotary clubs:

https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/5885068165474347520

The first District 7090 RI PR Grant webinar (online seminar) takes place Thursday evening at 7:00 pm, January 24, 2013. This will last about an hour.  To participate, you must register in advance at the link shown above.  Let us know if you would like to form a Facebook group for Rotary of Grimsby @Noon.

NEW GENERATIONS

This year our Club's involvement with youth is coming back to youth programs organized by Rotary.  One of these programs is called Slapshot, a weekend leadership training program for youth age 15-18 in Ancaster Ontario in April.  There is also RYLA, a one week program for 18-24 year olds in the US.  Some clubs sponsor Interact clubs in their local high schools.

I want to personally thank our Club which made the decision this week to co-sponsor Robin Kelly as an out-bound Rotary Exchange student.  She has been very keen on this idea for over a year, and came and spoke to our members at last week's meeting.  The Fonthill club had recommended Robin for this exchange program and they are handling the in-bound exchange student, so our club's involvement is limited to a portion of the costs as well as providing a Club Counsellor. 

Thank you, all of you, for participating in Rotary and volunteering your time to make our events a success.

This coming Tuesday, Dec. 18th, the Judge and Jester is preparing us a special Turkey Dinner for us with all the trimmings!  Come and enjoy this special meal at our last gathering of 2012!

Last week we heard from David Hulley of the award-winning Vineland Estates Winery!  He spoke of the evolution of the Niagara wine industry, where we are today, and the current issues regarding distribution and promotion of Niagara wines.

Rotary's 8th Annual Mayor's Charity Gala is coming soon:   Sat. Feb. 23rd.... buy tickets today at the $125 early bird price... speak to Stephanie or Carolyn if you are able to sponsor or contact a potential sponsor for this event; also consider silent auction items.  This year, the Gala will support McNally Hospice as well as other Rotary projects. 

Our District Governor has informed us that United Airlines is running a "10 Million Charity Miles" contest. Rotary International is currently in first place to receive charity air miles from United Airlines - but we need the help of all Rotarians to ensure we get the miles. These miles will be used to transport our volunteer teams of Rotarians around the world so they can do the projects that Rotarians do so well.  You can vote daily from now until the 25 Dec. You can vote once a day from every device you have - computer, pad, phone.  What a great Christmas present for Rotary if we were to get those miles!  Go to:

10millioncharitymiles.com

Please speak to Ross or Jim if you would still like to make a personal contribution to Rotary Foundation or if you have not yet paid your dues which were due in July.

Our Pod to lead meetings in January is:  Jim V, Heinz, Sean, Pam, Darsh, and Tim.  Try to think of connections you have - in business, community, or charities - who may be interested in presenting at a noon meeting in January. 

We hope that in 2013 you will find it enjoyable to attend meetings and socials, and participate in Rotary service projects, committee or district meetings.   Let your voice be heard if you think your club should be doing anything differently.

May 2013 keep you healthy, wealthy, and wise!

Last week our speaker was Pat Jaskula, owner of Canadian Tire in Grimsby. Pat is involved with the Lions Club of Canada Guide dogs and introduced us to Steven and his 4 legged seeing eye dog.  These working dogs are invaluable to provide independance to individuals.  The main local fundraising for this program is a walk in late May and a golf tournament which Pat organizes.

Next Tuesday November 27th is our visit from our District Governor, Rick Sterne - don't miss it!

If you are planning to contribute to RI Foundation, please bring your cheque, payable to Rotary Foundation and these dontations will be presented to DG Rick Sterne during his visit. 

Dues were due in July and the club has submitted all dues to District, so the club's community service will be restricted if you have not paid your dues. Please contact our treasurer, Jim VanRoon.

RSVP to me as soon as possible (by Friday Nov 23) regarding your attendance at our club's Christmas dinner party at the Lakehouse Restaurant Friday Nov 30th.  Meals will be approx. $40 per person plus tax/tip.  Bring a surprise gift or Re-Gift of about $10 value.  Bring your spouse and let's have some fun together!

We hope you are putting together plans to sponsor our Feb 23 Annual Charity Gala or to buy a table of tickets!

Please check the links to our website for further speaker and event information.

In Rotary Service, Elaine

Come next Tuesday to hear about one of our new businesses in town - Grimsby Bio-Ped!

Mark your calendars now for Tuesday Nov. 27, when our District Governor attends our meeting at noon (Board meeting at 11 am).

Last Tuesday we got an update from Pamela Blackwood about our local hospice - McNally House!  Also we were pleased to announce that McNally has been selected as our beneficiary for the Feb 2013 Mayor's Charity Gala.

Through October, we continue to put a spotlight on Rotary Foundation.  Once you find out how your efforts can be multiplied by the strength of RI Foundation, you may want to consider being a sustaining member - which is simply $100 from Every Rotarian Every Year.  

Photos from our Tenth Anniversary celebration are no on our club's website - check them out!  Thank you to all who contributed to this event, as well as contributing ten years of service above self!  

This month we also sponsored an informative evening about bullying, with Laurie Flasko and the Education Foundation of Niagara.  

At District Conference in October I learned about RI Grants that may be available, New Generations initiatives that we could become involved in, and the growing use of social networking by Rotary Clubs.  Inspirational speakers included Darda Sales, Para Olympic Gold Medalist, and Analeise Carr, the 14 year old who swam across Lake Ontario this past August.  

We are very thankful that our Gala Committee has already begun its work and we are committed to making this a success on Feb.23rd Speak to them if you have thoughts about our charity to support this year, about sponsorships, raffle items, or ticket sales.

We will be having a year-end social for our club at the Lake House Restaurant on Friday November 30th. Meals will be approx. $40 per person plus tax and tip - please rsvp to Elaine by November 26th. Plan to attend and bring a spouse or friend. We will do a surprise gift exchange (you may Re-Gift or bring something with a $10 limit).

See you Tuesday @Noon!

TO: Club Presidents in 7090 and AGs (copy to secretaries)

Please discuss this message with your club. If you want to make a statement in support or opposition because you and your club feel strongly about a proposal. You can get the support of the District by submitting your statement by October 10, 2010 to richardearne@yahoo.com read on below.

As a club you are allowed to make statements of support or opposition to proposals for the Council on Legislation to be held April 21-26^th 2013

Why should you do it?

Many of the proposals pertain to your club here are some examples:

13-11 Proposed by the RI Board will do away with the attendance requirement as well as attendance reports

13-126 Will increase RI dues by $1./year for the next 3 years. This is similar to a proposal passed at the COL in 2010

13-127 if passed, will require clubs to pay minimum RI dues for 15 members even if you don’t have 15 members. Presently it is for a minimum of 10 members.

13-128 Eliminates the minimum dues requirement for clubs. For example if you have less than 10 members you pay for the number of members you have.

13-139 requires the COL be held every 4 years instead of the current 3 years.

13-70 Do away with annual themes and only use Service Above Self

13-168 Ask RI Board to make RLI either an official affiliate of Rotary or as a structured Rotary Program for example YE, Interact etc.

There are many more proposals both enactments, which change the three basic Rotary documents: Club Constitution, RI Constitution and by-laws and resolutions which are requests to the RI Board to consider. The enactments are broken down into 12 areas: Club Administration, Attendance, Club meetings, Membership, Corporate Governance of RI and several others.

Go to: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/col13_proposed_legislation_en.pdf

How to do it and by when

1. Review the proposals. HINT: Review table of contents Pgs i-xii, pick out Proposals interested in, If the proposal is long then read the Proposer’s statement of Purpose and Effect at the end of the proposal. It will give you a good idea of what the proposal deals with

2. See if there are any you want to support or oppose.

3. You have until February 10, 2013 to submit a one page statement. You can use the form on the District website www.rotary7090.org . See Council On Legislation in the menu on the left side of the home page. Then, in the menu on the Council On Legislation page, click on Statement of Support or Objection and a typable form will come up for you to use to submit your statement.

4. If you want the district to endorse your action then your club’s statement needs to passed by a majority of your club, signed by the Club Pres or secretary and emailed to richardearne@yahoo.com by OCT 10,2013 TO BE VOTED ON AT THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE GENERAL MEETING FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Call or e-mail Dick Earne with any questions 716-773-6346 richardearne@yahoo.com

Rotary of Grimsby@Noon was chartered Ten Years ago and has given many thousands of hours and money to our community.  Many of our members and spouses attended Thursday Oct 11 at 7:00 pm.   Thank you to Keith and Gail Penfold, our gracious hosts!  Keith selected and donated the wine and gave a talk on how to taste wine and pair it with appropriate cheese or other food. Sharon and Carolyn brought the hors d'ouvres - Only $10 per person!  Photos below.

Oct 9th Rotary @ Noon heard from Jennifer McKillop and Tom Elgersma from the FUN school of Music. Check out their lessons and their retail outlet - they have a powerful, portable dwarf speaker system for playing digital music. They have been in downtown Grimsby for six years now, and you can see their students in community festivals and presentations everywhere!

October we will shine a spotlight each week on Rotary Foundation - how they use the money, and what work they do. There are designated funds for "Polio Plus" and a "Permanent Fund" for endowments. The Foundation endouranges "Every Rotarian Every Year" to make a tax-deductible donation of $100 to the Foundation. Doing so makes you a "Sustaining Member" and puts you on the road to being in the Paul Harris Society and contributing to the amazing work that Rotary does around the world. Paul Ke will be doing a spotlight on the Foundation each week in October.

Hats off to our October pod who have lined up excellent programs and speakers for each Tuesday: Paul, Ross, Maria, Peter, Lisa and Craig.
 
Next week, Tuesday Oct 16, our speaker is Carole Fuhrer, Executive Director of Community Care of West Niagara.  Come and find out about the many changes happening in the organization and the many services they provide.

Board Members: Our Board meeting is at 11:00 next Tuesdeay Oct 16th, just before the club's regular meeting.  I plan to attend District Conference Oct 13th and report back to the Board.


We are very thankful that our Gala Committee has already begun its work and we are committed to making this a success on Feb.23rd Speak to them if you have thoughts about our charity to support this year, about sponsorships, raffle items, or ticket sales.


Our club, together with the Education Foundation of Niagara, is sponsoring a presentation by Laurie Flasko on Wed. October 17 from 7 - 9 pm at Grimsby Secondary School to achieve our Peace Through Service objective. Hope you can come!


We will be having a year-end social for our club at the Lake House Restaurant on Friday November 30th.  Meals will be approx. $50 per person including tax and tip - please rsvp to Elaine by November 26th.  Plan to attend and bring a spouse or friend. We will do a surprise gift exchange ($10 limit).

Looking forward to an exciting month of Rotary!

As a followup to our presentation from Laurie Flasko, our club has agreed to sponsor her presentation to the community in Grimsby. The Education Foundation of Niagara is organizing and promoting this presentation on Wed. October 17 from 7 - 9 pm at Grimsby Secondary School to achieve our Peace Through Service objective.  Hope you can come!

We will be having a year-end social for our club at the Lake House Restaurant on Friday November 30th.  Plan to attend and bring a spouse or friend.  We will do a surprise gift exchange ($10 limit).

Members are reminded that annual club dues were payable to our Treasurer in July.

Looking forward to an exciting month of Rotary!

October:  Keith has offered to do a wine-pairing event and if we combine this with raffle items, we could have a successful October fundraiser and social.  We would need several people working with Keith and we can discuss this at our Sept 25 noon meeting.

We are very thankful that our Gala Committee has already begun its work and we are committed to making this a success in Feb.

For our 4^th quarter social for our club, I have found out that the Grand Olympia Banquet Centre in Stoney Creek is hosting a corporate holiday banquet for small businesses and organizations.  It is Dec 14^th and should be an awesome dinner and dance and evening buffet.  There are tables of ten and the price is $40.  We will discuss this at the next few meetings to see if people are interested.  

Rotary of Grimsby @Noon is part of our District's Area 5 which includes our club and Hamilton East Wentworth, Stoney Creek, Grimsby-Evening. (Lincoln has been assigned to Area 6).  Our District Governor is looking for an Assistant Governor for our Area.  An Assistant Governor should be a Past president and a dedicated, enthusiastic Rotarian.  The primary role of the Assistant Governor is to provide communication between the Clubs and the District, as well as be a mentor our club.   Please pass your ideas to me for our District Governor.  District Assembly is coming up on October 12-13 so please let me know if you would like to attend.  

Thank you to Jim and Heinz and all of their pod for running the September meetings!  

The Pod in charge of October includes Ross, Paul, Peter, Maria, Lisa and Craig.  Please think about who you might like to have present to our group and try to confirm names by the end of Sept. so that I can promote them on our website calendar and newsletter.  

Looking forward to an exciting month of Rotary!

  

Please mark your calendar for the District Governor's Official visit Tues. Nov 27, with a Board meeting at 11 that day.

If you have not yet paid your Annual Dues, they are now past due since the new Rotary year started July 1st. Please submit a cheque payable to Grimsby Rotary @ Noon for $150 to our Treasurer Jim VanRoon.

Each Member is on a pod to contribute to the running of the weekly meetings including programs /speakers. This Pod schedule is on our website. If you have program or speaker ideas, please feed them to your pod leader to co-ordinate the times. We would like to announce speakers and programs as early as possible. Often if you know the program in advance, it is easier to invite a friend.  Jim VanRoon is pod leader co-ordinating the September programs, together with his pod, including Sean, Pam, Darsh, Heinz and Tim.  We are still looking for ideas for September 25th.  Ross is pod leader for October programs/speakers, so his group, including Paul, Peter, Maria, Lisa, and Craig, should feed their program ideas to Ross.  Check out our website for the upcoming speakers and meeting programs.

See you @Noon!

Elizabeth Frechette visited Grimsby Rotary at Noon to explain her work with Habitat in Vietnam.

News of the Grimsby Rotary @ Noon Mayor's charity Gala hit Niagara This Week newspaper.

A record 146 people attended the 6th annual Rotary @ Noon Mayor's Charity Gala!

Special Thanks to Bryan Macauley at Village Studio for taking complimentary formal portraits of all guests!

Guests enjoyed a champagne cocktail hour with live music and Hors d'oeuvres, a gourmet meal followed by speakers, auction, and dancing.  This year the Gala is supporting Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers, providing paliative car services and programs to people of all ages in West Niagara.

Platinum sponsors included:  Lincoln Park Retirement Community, Kacaba winery, Giant Tiger, GSS Security, Stonehouse Whitcomb funeral home, Queenston Chev on Centennial, Westbrook Floral, and McKeil. 

Gold sponsors included Merdian Credit Union, Casablanca Winery Inn, All-Ways Limousine Service, Matters of Life First Aid and CPR Instruction, Lancaster, Brooks & Welch law firm, CanWeb printing, Clovelly Kennels, Royal LePage Niagara, and Village Studio.

Silver sponsors included Monks, Bartlett & Main Dental, Arcon Picture, Canadian Tire, Special Effects custom framing, and Niagara Falls Golf Club. 

We also want to thank the many other sponsors who supported us in a variety of ways including donations to our Silent Auction. Thank you very much for your generosity

Save the Date!!   We have booked the Casablanca Inn for our next Gala:  Feb 18, 2012.

As a followup to our presentation from Laurie Flasko, our club has agreed to sponsor her presentation to the community in Grimsby.  The Education Foundation of Niagara is organizing and promoting this presentation on Wed. October 17 from 7 - 9 pm at Grimsby Secondary School to achieve our Peace Through Service objective. 

Rotary of Grimsby @Noon is part of our District's Area 5 and our District Governor is looking for an Assistant Governor for our Area.  The primary role of the Assistant Governor is to provide communication between the Clubs and the District and be a mentor to clubs.  Please pass your ideas to me for our District Governor.  District Assembly is coming up on October 12-13 so please let me know if you would like to attend.  

Our Rotary District is seeking Team Members and Team Leaders for the Rotary Group Study Exchange to the Philippines Feb. 15-March 15, 2013.  Please ask Elaine if you would like the details.   The Rotary International Convention is in Portugal, June 23-26, 2013.  

The Pod in charge of October includes Ross, Paul, Peter, Maria, Lisa and Craig.  Please think about who you might like to have present to our group and try to confirm names by the end of Sept. so that I can promote them on our website calendar and newsletter.  Also, Members are reminded that annual club dues were payable to our Treasurer in July.    

Looking forward to an exciting month of Rotary!

Hello, Grimsby Rotary @Noon Members and friends!

Last Tuesday, we had Jim Whitfield present - what an interesting road has led him here!  Through health issues he has changed jobs and achieved a better work/life balanced.   He is the Business Manager at Great Lakes Christian High School and recently transferred to our club from the Lincoln club.

Please attend next Tues Aug. 21 since we have a guest speaker, Laurie Flasko, and our District Governor Rick Sterne will be making a visit.  Laurie Flasko will be coming to speak about how her daughter was bullying, and the effect it had on their family. To outline the lessons learned on their journey, she has written a book: Bullying is Not a Game: A Parents' Survival Guide.  Check out her website:

http://laurieflasko.com/

We are having a Board Meeting Tues Aug. 28 at 11:00 am at Judge and Jester and will plan to put together the 2012/13 budget at that meeting.   Included in these discussions will be our sponsorship of the Rotary Park on Central Ave and potential other Rotary sponsorships or activities that we would like to support (eg. Grimsby Splashpad, Rotary RYLA, etc).  We are also looking for ideas and volunteers for a fall fundraising event - ideas that have been raised to date include outdoor movie night, trivia night, Octoberfest dance, garage sale, Christmas concert or reading.  Other ideas are welcome.

Please mark your calendar for the District Governor's Official visit Tues. Nov 27, with a Board meeting at 11 that day.  

If you have not yet paid your Annual Dues, they are now past due since the new Rotary year started July 1st. Please submit a cheque payable to Grimsby Rotary @ Noon for $150 to our Treasurer Jim VanRoon.

Each Member is on a pod to contribute to the running of the weekly meetings including programs /speakers.  This Pod schedule is on our website.   If you have program or speaker ideas, please feed them to your pod leader to co-ordinate the times. We would like to announce speakers and programs as early as possible.  Often if you know the program in advance, it is easier to invite a friend.

For easy reference:

July/Nov/March:

Elaine, Barb, Patty, Marshall, Thomas, Keith

Aug/Dec/April

Carolyn, Brian, Sharon, Stephanie, Bryan M., Jim W.

Sept/Jan/May

Jim V., Tim, Sean, Pam, Darsh, Heinz

Oct/Feb/June

Ross, Paul, Peter, Maria, Lisa, Craig.

See you @Noon!