It has been a real pleasure to meet many of you over the last month as I continue with my club visits. In most cases, we have been able to feature you as the speaker (not me) as you share with others what your club is doing in the areas of increasing our impact, expanding our reach, increasing participant engagement and adapting and innovating.
Monarch Butterflies are not only beautiful as they flutter from flower to flower to drink the nectar, they are also a natural wonder. Every fall the Methuselah or Super Monarch as they are called will migrate south, some over 4500 km from their birth places in the meadows of northern USA and Canada to the Sierra Madre Mountains in central Mexico. Millions will arrive after a long and dangerous journey and cling to the Oyamel Fir trees to overwinter. In March with the sun getting warmer they will head back to northern Mexico and Texas to lay eggs on the essential Milkweed plants, then they will die, and a new generation of monarchs will be born. Their young ones will continue flying north to the Midwest, places like Arkansas, Indiana and Missouri and repeat the process. It is the third or fourth generation that arrives back in Canada to start the cycle once again.
District 7090 is committed to a welcoming, respectful, safe environment for all of our members, friends of Rotary and family members, as well as prospective members, and all those we engage with as Rotarians. Our district is creating a DEI committee (more news will be released shortly). I delighted with the commitment and direction from Rotary International’s Board of Directors, and the resources they have already made available to support discussions and awareness building.
Please check out the excerpt below that is directly from My Rotary. I encourage clubs to utilize the Ideas in the “Diversifying Your Club” document, and Rotarians check out the free self paced learning modules that are listed and available in The Learning Centre in My Rotary. Clubs may also want to feature a module as part of a club program.
”We are all Welcome in Rotary” - PLEASE CLICK ON READ MORE.
Congratulations to the following clubs who have set their goals to contribute to the Annual Fund and to Polio Plus in the RCC Goal Center (as of 8-28-2021):
Akron Newstead
Jamestown
Amherst
Le Roy
Ancaster A.M.
Lewiston/N-O-T-L
Brantford Sunrise
Lincoln
BNMC
Lockport
Buffalo Sunrise
Niagara Falls ON
Delhi
Niagara Falls Sunrise
Dundas Valley Sunrise
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Fonthill
Norfolk Sunrise
Fort Erie
St. Catharines
Grand Island
St. Catharines South
Hamilton
St. Catharines Lakeshore
Hamilton A.M.
Stoney Creek
Hamilton After Five
Welland
Not only is this the way we support the Rotary Foundation but also it is one of the criteria to qualify for District grants. If a club doesn’t set goals, then it cannot qualify.
If a club needs help in setting goals, they can contact Jim Ellison, Foundation Fundraising Chair, by email at jdellison@gmail.com.
Posted by Bob Artis
PARADING FOR ROTARY
Shown in photograph on the left is PDG Bob Artis (2019-20) representing Rotary District 7090 in this year's 19th Annual Puerto Rican Hispanic Day Parade. The parade and other festivities were upbeat with lots of funky Latino music!
Stay tuned, we're also developing an ongoing plan to start a Satellite Club in this community in the near future.
The Rotary Club of Batavia provided a grant to a local Hospice Care non profit called Crossroads House. They are busy opening a second care facility. The grant purchased and 8 club members installed on August 18th a chair lift for the stairway.
Pictured is Club President, Marlin Salmon, taking the initial ride up the stairs when the installation of the lift was complete and placed into service.
Recently, our founding Club President, Keith Flexman passed away – we miss him.
One of the very last things Flex did in this life, was to organize a car rally – to raise funds but more importantly to Keith, to have some Rotary fun. We have decided to continue with his initiative and organize ‘Discover Norfolk’ car rallies in his honour. So, … here’s your chance to discover our County and to socialize with your Norfolk friends.
For over 50 years, the Rotary Club of Lewiston, NY & Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON has been selling Hot Dogs at the Lewiston Art Festival to raise funds for worthy causes. For over 15 years, they have been raising funds to help provide necessary equipment for the Nursery and Maternal Units at Mt. St. Mary's Hospital including, in the past, an oxygen blender and a transport crib.
Diana Meckley, a 21 year-member of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, was named Rotarian of the Year by past-president Joni Blackman, at this year’s Recognition Dinner at the Doubletree Hotel. Mrs. Meckley was honored particularly for her extensive work leading the Literacy Committee during the past year.
Pictured is Diana Meckley receiving Rotarian of the Year award from Outgoing President, Joni Blackman, right, at the June Recognition Dinner of the Rotary Club of Jamestown.
On July 20th the Orchard Park Rotary Club was joined by Ava Savarino, this year's winner of the club’s $5,000 James Saville Scholarship. Ava will be attending John Carroll University in the fall and plans on majoring in Biochemistry
Pictured is Ava receiving the scholarship check from President Jon Petrie.
Recently, members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South got together for an evening social at Partridge Park in St. Catharines. It was a nice couple of hours, enjoying the weather, sitting, chatting and watching kids play on the jungle jim and an older group of guys playing basketball.
We had a surprise visit from Mrs. Partridge and her sweet dog. She thanked our Rotary club for placing the benches in the park and for presenting her late husband with a Paul Harris Fellow recognition a couple of years ago.
The Rotarians enjoyed a delicious take out meal purchased at a local restaurant named Cats.
On August 14th, the Angelina Macri Prokich Park in Lincoln, Ontario was officially opened. The Prokich family generously donated a portion of this parkland to the Town of Lincoln, and the park has been dedicated in honour of Mrs. Prokich for her commitment to and love of Lincoln. http://ow.ly/D5Xy50FR5Hc
As you’ll see in the attached photos, the park feature known as the Literacy Lounge includes the Rotary Club of Lincoln's Little Lending Library, a cement sculpted book bench, and a commemorative plaque bearing Angelina Macri Prokich’s brief biography.
The Rotary Club of Welland has decided to bring back its Bocce Social and Tournament after a ‘year off ‘due to COVID. The event will be held on Tuesday September 21st at Casa Dante Lodge in Welland. If you want some social interaction with fellow Rotarians, and a friendly game of Bocce, we welcome you. The cost is $30/person with 4 person teams. The Italian meal is buffet however it will be served by Casa Dante volunteers. COVID restrictions will be followed. We highly encourage attendees be fully vaccinated.
CHAUTAUQUA SUNRISE HOSTS ROTARY CLUB OF WESTFIELD MAYVILLE ON THE AIR
On July 17th, Dan Smith, President, and Mike Harrington, Vice President, joined Doc Hamels, Host/Producer on his local public access cable television show, Chautauqua Sunrise in Mayville, New York to talk Rotary!!! Clink link to watch the show: https://youtu.be/_I6mC-QKKGg
Pictured: Doc Hamels (Past AG/President), Mike Harrington (Past President) and Dan Smith (Encore President/VTT District Chairman)
Some may know that Grand Island sits just across the river from 100 years of heavy industry in Tonawanda, New York. At their August 25th evening meeting, Grand Island Rotarians got an update on a long-term Environmental Health Study for WNY, that UB (State University of New York at Buffalo) has been running, centered on possible ill effects from the Tonawanda Coke operations.
Working in partnership, the Rotary Club of Amherst and the Rotary Club of Williamsville held their Annual Car Show on Sunday August 15, 2021 at The Northtown Center at Amherst. Since 2001 they have conducted this event for the benefit of the Amherst Youth Foundation, other local charities and community groups. The event was open to the public admission free. At Noon the show started with a U.S Marine Corp Color Guard presentation of the American flag. This is a judged event, not a cruise show.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton hosted the 21st annual Rotary Summer Literacy Program. This year's program, much like last summer's, was changed to meet the COVID-19 safety requirements and to make sure the children, youth leaders and Rotarians all stay safe.
In response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, The Rotary Foundation has created a channel for members to contribute funds to support relief efforts.
A new report from the Institute for Economics and Peace highlights grave ecological threats around the world — and suggests ways advocates can nurture a more benign environmental future.
Rotary statement on wild polio case in MalawiAs a result of ongoing disease surveillance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has confirmed a case of type 1 wild poliovirus (WPV1) in a child suffering from paralysis