My second month as your Governor has been Rotary fun-filled. I have had a great reception by the 28 Rotary clubs and one Rotaract club, which I have visited virtually. I continue to be impressed by the ingenuity and innovative ways clubs continue to fundraise. Some clubs are starting to meet in person and all of the clubs I have visited, are meeting via the Zoom platform. Some are planning on a hybrid model, where members can attend in person and others via Zoom. If you have not yet booked a visit with me, please do at fadamson@vaxxine.com.
I am also impressed by all the work being done on your behalf by members of the Strategic Planning Committee lead by DGE Anne Birmingham and PDG Melisa Schrock. It will serve us well over the next 4-5 years. A Zoom session is planned for club presidents to share the survey results, which has helped to rejig the plan.
The Governor Chain has decided to invite club presidents to a monthly Zoom meeting with us to formulate two-way communications with the District leadership and club leaders. We will share timely happenings, issues, and ascertain how we can help you and your club to be the best that you can be.
I am encouraging all clubs without a strategic plan to develop one and to use this as the foundation for your yearly goals. The District has the talent and resources to help clubs to accomplish this.
Our District chairs for Public Image, Membership, Foundation, Service, RLI, Training, and Youth have been very busy behind the scenes in formulating their strategies to grow District resources and make it more relevant to our Rotarians and club leadership.
Finally, PDG Karen Oakes and her committee have worked tirelessly to incorporate District 7090 and are getting very close to finishing the job. Our current Manual of Policies and Procedures is being reworked in order to be included in the new bylaws for the incorporated District. Going forward we will be using our Manual of Policies which will streamline our operations substantially.
Proud to serve as your Governor - Building a Strong Future
Proud Member of Rotary Club of Fonthill, ON
Posted by Angela Carter
WHO'S UP FOR A CHALLENGE?
Hello fellow Rotarians!! I’m sending out virtual hugs to each of you as my Rotary family and hope you are all in great spirits and health as we venture into September. For those with children, I wish them all a healthy, smooth, and exciting transition back to school.
For the District team, we’ve been in “summer school” working hard to make sure we’re ready to support our clubs in the months to come. I think you’ll be excited to see all of what will be offered to members this year.
We are in a pivotal and critical time in Rotary within our District. DG Frank Adamson alerted us to the fact that our membership numbers have been declining consistently in the past 14 years and we will soon be reaching half our size if we don’t do something drastic today. While this is somber news it may be just what we need to spark some innovation in our clubs. Much like the goal for COVID, we need to flatten our District membership curve to survive as a District and we need the support of each and every club member in order to do that. We’re in this together and together we’ll come out of it with more vitality and growth!
So, who’s up for a challenge? Did I hear you say ME! Ah, that’s wonderful. Thank you. I knew you’d be there for me on this. So, here’s my challenge for the month:
Create a club innovation team. (This could be your entire club)
Look for ways to “gather and connect” as opposed to meeting.
Find out what new needs have emerged in your community, perhaps as a result of COVID-19. (e.g. anxiety, depression, inclusion, addictions, social isolation)
Look for ways you can help your local businesses, farmers, faith community, and essential workers.
Explore ways your members can bring joy to the world collectively while being at home (e.g. painting rocks with inspirational messages and leaving them on a trail, giving blood for a month, fill bags of hope for children returning to school, set up “phone pals” and connect with others, write letters/cards and drop them in the mail)
Brainstorm ideas on how you can be out safely and be noticed so that others will be inspired to join you. Wear your Rotary swag!! Step up your social media presence
Look for ways to be more relevant, more attractive to the next generation of Rotarians.
Have fun being creative, try something totally new and drastic, and see what happens. Be a Rotary Rebel and challenge our status quo. Put your GPS on and find a new route to the same destination. Talk to your members and ask them for 1 thing you can do differently to spark a little more vitality. Add to this list and let’s get this family of Rotary together to flatten our curve and maybe even shift it in the opposite direction!! We’re totally up for this challenge RIGHT? Did I hear you say YES!! Ah, that’s the spirit. Now that’s Rotary.
In mid-June, we sent all the President Elects a survey to complete. To our great delight, 86% of the Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs responded to which we are very grateful. Here are a few of the highlights from the survey:
The three most important offerings from our District in the eyes of the clubs are 1) training such as Rotary Leadership Institute 2) advice from your Assistant Governor and 3) provision of youth services like Rotary Student Exchange.
When it comes to training, 73% would like to have online interactive webinars and 66% want someone from the District to come to your club as the speaker.
Only 27% of the responding clubs have been to the District website four or more times in the last year. It is not that there is not necessarily helpful information, some respondents noted that it was almost too much information. Others said that they did not know all that they can find on the District page that could help them.
86% of the respondents said that it is extremely or very true that their Assistant Governor (AG) is visible and available to our club. If you don’t know who your AG is - go to the District 7090 webpage and click on “District Contacts” right from the home page. They are our “A team of advisors” who help the clubs in your area be the best that they can be!
This input has greatly influenced our strategic plan for the District. There are many actions that are being taken but I wanted to share five that you can watch for in the coming month!
In September, we will be offering you a menu of short 15-minute interactive presentations that any club can have as part of their speaker portion of their meeting. There will be volunteers from the District happy to zoom in and lead these presentations at your club meetings.
We are bringing Rotary Web Talks back. As you have noted in the survey, you love to hear what other clubs are doing when it comes to such topics as innovative ideas to strengthen membership or online fundraising ideas. These will resume on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm after Labour Day. It will be a one-hour interactive webinar. A schedule of topics will be out shortly. All sessions are recorded so you can watch it later if you are not able to join us at that time.
Membership is on many club president’s minds. However, we know that there are many other tasks on each President’s mind as well. So we are working to ensure each club assigns one person to be part of “membership innovation” - one of the key strategies in our District strategic plan. This person should be willing to try new ideas and not be committed to the same way we have always done it. If you are willing to volunteer for this role for your club, contact Angela Carter - Director of Membership.
The Public Image Committee (chaired by Al Lutchin) is exploring what other districts are doing to make web pages more useful, accessible, and easier for you to find out what is there so you can access as needed. Their proposed plan of action is already drafted and we are working to resource their ideas.
Finally, we are hosting two zoom meetings in early September to review the club survey data in greater detail and get even more feedback about some of the other elements of our action plan. We want to be taking actions that help your club and all the other clubs in the district. An invite is going out shortly to each survey respondent but they are welcome to invite others to attend as well. So if you want to be invited - contact Pene Hutton and she will send you the zoom links.
It is with heavy hearts that the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Ontario announces the passing of two amazing, long time Rotarians, Ron Mergl and John Corfield.
Dr. Ron Mergl passed away on July 4, 2020, from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a very aggressive brain tumor. Ron has practiced as a veterinarian in the Niagara Region for over 35 years and contributed to and participated in several foundations, boards, charity events, volunteer clubs, and best of all was a dedicated family man.
Ron has been involved in the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls for over 33 years, where he was past president and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. He and his wife, June, dedicated much of their time to Rotary, and words cannot describe their hard work and generosity within the Niagara Region and beyond.
Ron and June participated in Rotary International Immunization Days against polio in India and Benin, Africa, spending a month at a time, while using their own money to do so. Ron influenced so many people within the community to join Rotary because of his remarkable personality and demeanor.
Rotarian John Corfield passed away on July 18th, 2020 at the age of 70. John was an active member of the Niagara community for over 45 years working as a Chartered Professional Accountant and was a member of various service clubs. He has served as Past-President and Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, and he was the recipient of multiple Paul Harris Fellows. John has been involved in Rotary for well over 30 years.
Unfortunately, he spent the past eleven years of his life fighting an aggressive form of prostate cancer. John believed strongly in participating in experimental treatments in the hopes of finding a cure for cancer so that his grandchildren would never have to endure the pain and suffering he experienced. John faced countless physical struggles and battles over the years, but he always greeted each day with a level of determination and strength that was unprecedented.
Over the years John has spent untold hours planning fundraisers and participating in Rotary meetings and events. John was well known for his comical jokes and vigorous singing at the weekly Rotary meetings.
Rotarian Ron Mergl and Rotarian John Corfield had such a passion for Rotary and helping others. Their generosity throughout the community was admirable. The unfortunate passing of these two Rotarians has been a tremendous loss, but the mark they have left behind in Rotary will continue to inspire others and never be forgotten.
The Rotary Club of Buffalo will provide much-needed aid to two local organizations challenged to provide assistance to those in need of basic food supplies. The local service club has supported organizations throughout the region with both financial support and volunteering for over 100 years. In a recent decision, the 100-member club decided that immediate aid was needed due to unprecedented circumstances created by the coronavirus crisis. Gifts totaling $21,800 are being distributed equally to these two hard-working agencies to make food readily accessible.
Buffalo Rotary President, Nora Eberl stated, “One of our club’s primary roles is to provide resources to those in our community who need help. In this case, we want to provide relief to those who are hungry and need to feed their families, but also those working day and night on the front lines of this horrible disease. While we do our part by staying home, we also want to reach out to help and to thank others for the incredible work they do and the sacrifices they are making. We hope our actions inspire other Rotary clubs and service organizations to consider doing the same.”
FeedMore WNY exists to provide nutritious food and support to our hungry community members of all ages, backgrounds, and circumstances. During this difficult time, donations will help us keep up with the growing need for nourishing meals as school closings, reduced work hours and rising unemployment make more and more people vulnerable to hunger,” Tara A. Ellis, president and CEO of FeedMore WNY, said. “Last month, FeedMore WNY distributed 1.5 million pounds of food to our partner agencies and through community distributions in response to the COVID-19 crisis. We also distributed more than 27,600 meals each week to our homebound neighbors through our home-delivered meals program. We are grateful for the generosity of the Buffalo Rotary Club. This donation will allow us to distribute more food and provide more nutritious meals to our neighbors in need.”
WNY Feeds the Frontline strives to help feed healthcare workers in WNY by supporting local restaurants and keeping nutritious meals available for these medical professionals and volunteers who are risking their lives daily to save others. By supporting this effort, Rotarians see a chance to help both our struggling restaurant industry and feed those who may not be home with family, who work long hours and in very stressful situations. Every $10 donated delivers one meal to a medical worker on the frontlines. Donations to WNY Feeds the Frontline are managed by 501(c)(3) Buffalo Renaissance Foundation. The New Era Foundation and Paramax Corporation are generously donating the extra energy necessary to coordinate daily operations.
The City of Welland has recognized the Rotary Club of Welland’s 100th Anniversary with an impactful flower display at the corner of Prince Charles Drive South and Broadway. Welland Rotarians joined City Parks staff Peter Boyce, Dave Steven, and Craig Danys for a picture opportunity on August 12, 2020. Picture courtesy of Tony Gallaccio.
Rotary President Sandy Graham expressed her thanks to City staff and the City of Welland for their continued support of community organizations and for the beautiful floral displays throughout the City, especially in these times of constraint.
August 15th was a beautiful day to set up at Sav A Lot in LeRoy for our Backpack and Knights Closet collection day. Last year Past President Mary Young asked the board to come up with a project of community service. After giving it some thought, Rotarian Martha Bailey took the lead on the Backpack collection. Last year it was Backpack only, but this year Knights Closet was added as a beneficiary.
Within our own community, we have children that are hungry on the weekends. The LeRoy school system realized this and came up with the plan of children taking home backpacks full of non-perishable items in a backpack while understanding that there are more children at home that are also in need. The First Baptist Church and Wolcott Street School work together to supply and pack up the items. As a matter of course, ongoing donations are needed. This event provided the community with the opportunity to give to a worthwhile cause. At the same time, we collected for Knights Closet. This is in high school and allows students to take home personal care items that may not be available at home.
The local LeRoy Sav A Lot Store sold $3 and $5 “bags” in advance. This gave the event exposure and a head start on the collection of items. On Saturday, August 15th, we set our tent up in the parking lot, put out signage, and started collecting. People brought products or donated money. As money was donated, more items were purchased.
The day was a big success. The backpack program has a great head start for the school year. Their shelves were becoming bare and this boost was greatly needed.
As for Knights Closet, their products have also been restored. Any student is welcome to use Knights Closet. It is an indiscreet way for students to take care of their personal care needs without stigma.
This is a worthwhile project of pure giving, with Rotary taking the lead to help the community get involved to help our children. No child should be hungry or ashamed. When these same children become adults, they will shape the future of our community. Any ray of hope or display of caring will go a long way in shaping these children’s lives.
On July 25 the Rotary Club of LeRoy presented their annual REAL (Rotary Excited About Literature) event. The Rotary tent was set up at the local Farmer’s Market in the Village of LeRoy and hundreds of books that had been donated to our Rotary club throughout the year were given away free to children, young adults, and adults. It was heartwarming to see young and old community members so excited about finding that special book for themselves or someone special in their life. A simple project can bring so much joy to others especially during these uncertain times. Rotary, giving back to our community and providing a great educational opportunity, is what it's all about!
Grand Island Rotary teamed with the Niagara Greenway Commission for their Paddles Up Solo 2020 event in July, encouraging families to get out and enjoy water sports while safely distancing. Rotary and their sponsors (Tops, Niagara Outfitters, Blue Water Marina) held a youth coloring contest gaining 25 entries. Our sponsors provided us with 9 awards to youth spanning 3 age groups.
Pictured - See the way the top winner embellished his entry with some extra features! The club received several favorable parent feedback comments.
Next year Paddles Up hopes to be back for in-person events at Beaver Island Park, so Rotary can aim for a snack selling fundraiser, in addition to another youth coloring contest, to increase Rotary presence to their parents!
On Aug. 12 two Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville members delivered a large supply of paper goods and meal containers that were no longer needed by this Rotary Club to the Westfield Community Kitchen for its use with serving free meals to the local community.
Pictured (left to right) are Past President Steve Stratton, Past President Patty Benton, and Westfield Community Kitchen volunteer Jean McCausland. Photo credit to Felicia Lawson.
At a recent dinner meeting at West Rose in Ellicottville, NY, Immediate Past President and current Area 15 Assistant Governor, John Weismantel, (second from right) swears in incoming Rotary Club of Olean co-Presidents Risa Michien and Sandy Sleggs and incoming President of the Rotary Club of Ellicottville James Salamone.
Rotary Club of Ellicottville releases stirring u-tube video of how it serves the local community to help in fundraising efforts that have been challenged with the on-going COVID-19 crisis. It is available on their web-page and social media.
Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise President-Elect Ken Tota recently was recently presented with his Paul Harris Fellow + 1 Pin and Paul Harris Society Chevron. The attached photo shows Ken being "pinned" by his Partner Sheila. The Paul Harris Society Chevron is presented to Rotarians who commit $1,000 US annually to The Rotary Foundation making them members of the Paul Harris Society.
BRANTFORD ROTARACT
The Brantford Rotaract Club is back up in strength with 10 active members and an additional six members willing to volunteer at events! Prior to the COVID-19 closures, they had finished a dinner for the homeless hosted through the Freedom House Church downtown Brantford and catered by the Sherwood Restaurant. More recently, they completed a peanut butter drive for the Why Not Youth Centre, raising a total of 103 jars and $180 in donations.
This event has evolved from the Tour du Lac event which involved three consecutive annual three-day cycling events to raise funds for the new home of the Wellspring Niagara Cancer Support Centre in Fonthill. Tour du Lac was organized by Rotary District 7090 2020-21 Governor Frank Adamson.
The events involved 24 riders each year with all riders placed into teams of six cyclists. The cyclists each completed a cycling distance of 105-110km per day on days one and two, and 65km on day three, as part of a six-person peloton distance of 285km during the three-day ride around Lake Ontario.
The events were successful in meeting the goal of raising a total of $250,000 for the Wellspring capital campaign. In addition, the Rotary Club of Fonthill contributed $25,000 sponsoring the construction of the front veranda.
This year DG Frank is launching Dr. Ron Mergl Memorial Pedal for Polio Plus event, which is featured on the home page of the District webpage. It consists of a bike ride from each side of the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, ON and Niagara Falls, NY to NOTL for the Canadians and to Youngstown for the Americans. The fundraising goal is $200,000 USD. The event culminates with this ride on Saturday, October 24, 2020, World Polio Day.
The Rotary Club of Fonthill has a team of five riders preparing to participate in this event. Frank is challenging other clubs to do the same. We may be limited to 2 riders per club on October 24 but the goal is for club riders to accumulate a total of 70 miles on the U.S. side and 90 kilometers on the Canadian side during the month. The key to achieving the fundraising goal is that each club raises $100US per member in pledges to the cyclists from their club.
Two exciting activities that Brock Niagara Rotaract’s executive team has been doing is having the first general meeting for the fall school term. Also, the executive members have launched the club’s first social media challenge: a photo contest. The general meeting was held on Zoom, as will the others be for the remainder of the fall term. The photo contest is for members and non-members to showcase positive things they have done for others/their community during quarantine; with a chance to win a gift card to any store of the winner’s choosing. This social media challenge is running from August 17th – August 24th and there will be a new challenge each month.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton has not canceled Rotary…it’s just different. During the pandemic, the shutdown Rotary Club of Hamilton conducted social meetings on Thursday evenings. Talk To Me Thursday provided an opportunity to connect and stay in touch. The fellowship of Rotary helped many get through the shutdown. Last month the Rotary Club of Hamilton Board of Directors approved the Rotary Re-Opens strategy.
The Rotary @ Noon Meetings will be held virtually on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at Noon. The meetings will include a guest speaker, Rotary announcements and Fines & Happy Dollars. In addition, a hands-on service project each month will be held to continue to support our community.
As many fundraisers had to be canceled, the Rotary Club of Hamilton launched a virtual fundraiser “Lunch For A Cause” encouraging members and Friends of Rotary to donate their lunch fees. The campaign has raised over $4,000 to date. In addition, the Rotary Fall Golf Classic set for September 17th will take place. The annual Golf & Networking event after work will change to an 18 hole golf event with a BBQ at the turn.
The Rotary Summer Literacy Program was altered to offer children literacy help and prepare them for back to school. The program, a signature program for the Rotary club celebrated the 20th year with a change, it took place outdoors in a park with lots of safety precautions. The program received a donation of $10,000 from a friend of Rotary that supports literacy. The donation allowed the opportunity to operate with additional safety precautions and cover all the additional costs for the safety requirements, tents, and PPE. The program was the hands-on service project as Rotarians volunteered as Rotarians of the Day. Every child who participated received a Rotary backpack with school supplies and 5 new books thanks to our friends at the Hamilton Public Library.
The Rotary Summer Literacy Program is celebrating the 20th Anniversary. It all started with a small group of children one summer at Robert Land School and moved to Cathy Wever School in the Wever CORE with hundreds of participants each summer from across our city! The 20th anniversary year program took place in two city parks with many COVID-19 precautions.
The Rotary Summer Literacy Program is a free program that focuses on literacy. It is designed to engage, enrich, educate, and excite, creating a truly special learning experience for one and all. Program Director Rob Blunsdon and his team make the Rotary Summer Literacy Program a wonderful experience each and every day!
The Rotary Summer Literacy is a signature program of the Rotary Club of Hamilton with the support of a number of partners, the program is offered each summer at no fee to families. This summer - increased costs and challenges around the COVID -19 pandemic almost saw the cancelation of the program. Thanks to an additional donation of $10,000 from a supporter of Rotary Literacy, the program took place with all the PPE and safety precautions included. In addition to the program, the Leaders In Action Program provides skill-based workforce readiness skills for youth (14-16 yrs) who become councilors at the Rotary Summer Literacy Program.
Members of the Rotary Club of Hamilton and Friends of Rotary volunteer to be Rotarians of the Day at the start of the Rotary Summer Literacy Program each day, including participating in the read-a-loud and morning community-sing-a-long. The Rotary Club of Hamilton is proud to offer children in Kindergarten to Grade 5 the Rotary Summer Literacy Program IN THE PARK. “To Celebrate our 20th Anniversary and to be able to offer free, safe programming during the COVID-19 Pandemic was an important project for our Rotary club,” said President Alex Moroz.
The Rotary Summer Literacy Program ran FIVE – 90-minute sessions each week. The program took place outdoors in the park and had all the fun learning elements to get participants ready for back to school! Our councilors engaged, guided participants with independent reading and writing activities, and had FUN! The Rotary Summer Literacy Program offered one week of camp at TB McQueston Park on Hamilton Mountain and at Woodlands Park in the inner city.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg presented college scholarships to three high school students in Hamburg Village Memorial Park with the clock donated by the club as both a picturesque backdrop and to allow appropriate social distancing due to the pandemic.
Scholarships were presented to Riley McGloin, of Frontier High School; Sienna Becker, of Hamburg High School; and Benjamin Egloff, of St. Francis High School.
Shown on left are Rotarians Earl Knauss, Jack Flint and Lisa Avery, with scholarship winner Riley McGloin and her parents, Jerry and Janet McGloin.
Pictured on the right are Rotarians Jack Flint and President John Nowak with scholarship winner Sienna Becker and her parents, Delia and Ken Becker.
Pictured below are Rotarians Maria Guizzotti, Jack Flint, and Lisa Avery with scholarship winner Benjamin Egloff and his parents, John and Rebecca Egloff.
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore recently held an internal member food drive focusing on pasta and pasta sauce to assist the Food4Kids program in the City of St. Catharines. Food4Kids ensures the community’s most impoverished children have access to healthy food each week, delivering food packages directly to the doors of the children in their program. Each package contains non-perishable food, fresh produce, and a gift card to purchase milk or other fresh items. The Lakeshore Drive was to address a need for pasta and sauce to include in these packages.
The value of the food drive was estimated at $1000.
Pictured on left: Food4Kids Committee Chair Marlene Mader packs up the donations. Pictured right: Rotarian Randi Dyck drops off a donation of pasta to Marlene.
Now, when you are at the end of the Akron/Newstead/Clarence bike path at Cedar Street in Akron you can fix your bicycle and/or get a refreshing drink thanks to the Rotary Club of Akron Newstead and WMS Sales in Clarence Center.
Made possible by the generosity of the Rotary club and WMS Sales of Clarence Center and its President Randy Schaefer, Rotary donated the bicycle repair unit and WMS Sales the state of the art fountain. WMS is a water management specialist company supporting the plumbing, heating, and municipal markets. Key to making the Repair and Refresh Station possible were Akron Newstead Rotarians Paul Muck and Herm Clouse and also the Village of Akron.
This project is a wonderful example of a Rotary club working closely with its community involving both the public and private sectors. Oh, and your pooch can also get a refreshing drink at the fountain too.
On August 8th, 2020, members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South along with family and friends met on the patio of Cat’s Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car in St. Catharines, Ontario to officially induct club president Lisa Raham and her new board.
The club also took this very special opportunity to induct two new members while participating in The Rotary Big Backyard event.
The event was sold-out despite being limited to 20 attendees due to COVID-19 regulations. The club was lucky enough to have Assistant Governor Milica Kovacevich chair the ceremony and the privilege of Governor Frank Adamson inducting the new president as well as the two new members, Jacqui Sedore and Jonas Martin.
RCNS members are part of a County-wide program to provide for food support during the pandemic. Here are Ross and Joyce Gowan (right) helping to organize the food gathering part of the program as well as Jim and Lynda Simpson assisting with the delivery of the food boxes around the County (left).
RCNS Recognizing Our Norfolk Community Leaders as Paul Harris Fellows
At the club's recent “Zoom” changeover meeting, the club recognized three local community leaders for their long-standing and noteworthy contributions to our community - new PH Fellows include Dr. Keith Kerr, Diane Luke, and our own Gail Catherwood. More details can be found at the club's webpage. Congratulations to all.
ReStarting Fundraising in a Pandemic
Over the years; the Rotary Club of Norfolk Sunrise has benefitted from quite a few very different types of fundraising schemes but most recently, has found great community value in a licensed, weekly draw game called ‘Catch the Ace’. In collaboration with Norfolk County and the Port Dover Royal Canadian Legion, and prior to the pandemic shutdown, it had successfully completed three licenses and had caused many tens of thousands of dollars to flow back to the players, the community, and community support organizations. The pandemic brought that progress to a halt in March. So it is that the club is eagerly looking forward to its scheduled restart of License#4, on 28 August. Wish Gail Catherwood and her CTA team luck as it continues to turn people's leisure activity into funding for great community support causes.
Members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines visited the site of the new YWCA build to present the organization with the club’s commitment of $75,000 to the project.
The YWCA Niagara Region provides shelter, food, and assistance to women and families in poverty. The club's contribution supported the building of a new family shelter combined with permanent housing apartments. This new building, located on Oakdale Avenue in St. Catharines, will deliver a proactive, cost-effective solution while allowing staff to provide a higher level of support, resources, and care. The new facility will encourage social interaction and a support network for families.
The community room at this site will be named the Rotary Community Room. This was only made possible with the help of St. Catharines Rotarians, volunteers, our community partners, and the people of St. Catharines.
Twelve years ago, a huge literacy dream was created by Rotary called Telling Tales. Together, local clubs banded together to bring to their community a literary festival that would be free and accessible to all. It was an instant hit and has grown steadily; last year’s 2-day event attracted over 7,000 people. Telling Tales is now widely recognized as Canada’s leading children’s literary festival and is proudly co-hosted by Rotary clubs of Burlington and Hamilton. United by the theme Stories Connect Us, Telling Tales is proud to bring the first virtual festival to Rotary clubs and story lovers around the world this year.
Young aspiring readers (both the reluctant and avid reader), parents, grandparents, and educators are in for a treat as we bring them together with Canada’s leading children’s authors, illustrators, musicians, and literary artists to celebrate stories of every kind in new ways.
Each session works like a mini-festival in itself; designed to inspire young readers to explore their own storytelling powers. The themed episodes are tailored to age groups. The themes covered include Kindness and Caring, Friends, Family and Neighbours, and Shocking Science. The festival concludes with four “Imagination Station” workshops on creative writing and illustrating. Live chats, book giveaways, contests, crafts, music, and a chance to feature one's art on the Telling Tales website through the Creativity Club keep it exciting and engaging. All schedules and episode descriptions can be found on the Telling Tales website www.tellingtales.org.
Join in the fun by sharing the news with members of your club.
While you’re waiting for the festival to begin, visit the Telling Tales website to see the 2020-21 Reading List and get a head start on your festival reading.
Telling Tales is a Canadian, Registered Charity committed to delivering outstanding literary programming for children and youth that raises awareness of the importance of literacy in our communities. Without the support Rotary, our government and community partners, this would not be possible. Thank you Rotary!!
"Rotary kindled the spark within me to look beyond myself and embrace humanity."
Shekhar Mehta
Rotary International President 2021-2022
My second month as your Governor has been Rotary fun-filled. I have had a great reception by the 28 Rotary clubs and one Rotaract club, which I have visited virtually. I continue to be impressed by the ingenuity and innovative ways clubs continue to fundraise. Some clubs are starting to meet in person and all of the clubs I have visited, are meeting via the Zoom platform. Some are planning on a hybrid model, where members can attend in person and others via Zoom. If you have not yet booked a visit with me, please do at 
Hello fellow Rotarians!! I’m sending out virtual hugs to each of you as my Rotary family and hope you are all in great spirits and health as we venture into September. For those with children, I wish them all a healthy, smooth, and exciting transition back to school. 
There will be volunteers from the District happy to zoom in and lead these presentations at your club meetings.
willing to volunteer for this role for your club, contact 
arts that the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Ontario announces the passing of two amazing, long time Rotarians, Ron Mergl and John Corfield.
Professional Accountant and was a member of various service clubs. He has served as Past-President and Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, and he was the recipient of multiple Paul Harris Fellows. John has been involved in Rotary for well over 30 years.
The City of Welland has recognized the Rotary Club of Welland’s 100th Anniversary with an impactful flower display at the corner of Prince Charles Drive South and Broadway. Welland Rotarians joined City Parks staff Peter Boyce, Dave Steven, and Craig Danys for a picture opportunity on August 12, 2020. Picture courtesy of Tony Gallaccio.
to come up with a project of community service. After giving it some thought, Rotarian Martha Bailey took the lead on the Backpack collection. Last year it was Backpack only, but this year Knights Closet was added as a beneficiary. 
On July 25 the Rotary Club of LeRoy presented their annual REAL (Rotary Excited About Literature) event. The Rotary tent was set up at the local Farmer’s Market in the Village of LeRoy and hundreds of books that had been donated to our Rotary club throughout the year were given away free to children, young adults, and adults. It was heartwarming to see young and old community members so excited about finding that special book for themselves or someone special in their life. A simple project can bring so much joy to others especially during these uncertain times. Rotary, giving back to our community and providing a great educational opportunity, is what it's all about!
Grand Island Rotary teamed with the Niagara Greenway Commission for their Paddles Up Solo 2020 event in July, encouraging families to get out and enjoy water sports while safely distancing. Rotary and their sponsors (Tops, Niagara Outfitters, Blue Water Marina) held a youth coloring contest gaining 25 entries. Our sponsors provided us with 9 awards to youth spanning 3 age groups.
At a recent dinner meeting at West Rose in Ellicottville, NY, Immediate Past President and current Area 15 Assistant Governor, John Weismantel, (second from right) swears in incoming Rotary Club of Olean co-Presidents Risa Michien and Sandy Sleggs and incoming President of the Rotary Club of Ellicottville James Salamone. 
PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY
This event has evolved from the Tour du Lac event which involved three consecutive annual three-day cycling events to raise funds for the new home of the Wellspring Niagara Cancer Support Centre in Fonthill. Tour du Lac was organized by Rotary District 7090 2020-21 Governor Frank Adamson.
ing activities that Brock Niagara Rotaract’s executive team has been doing is having the first general meeting for the fall school term. Also, the executive members have launched the club’s first social media challenge: a photo contest. The general meeting was held on Zoom, as will the others be for the remainder of the fall term. The photo contest is for members and non-members to showcase positive things they have done for others/their community during quarantine; with a chance to win a gift card to any store of the winner’s choosing. This social media challenge is running from August 17th – August 24th and there will be a new challenge each month.
The Rotary Club of Hamilton has not canceled Rotary…it’s just different. During the pandemic, the shutdown Rotary Club of Hamilton conducted social meetings on Thursday evenings. Talk To Me Thursday provided an opportunity to connect and stay in touch. The fellowship of Rotary helped many get through the shutdown. Last month the Rotary Club of Hamilton Board of Directors approved the Rotary Re-Opens strategy.
ry Summer Literacy Program is celebrating the 20th Anniversary. It all started with a small group of children one summer at Robert Land School and moved to Cathy Wever School in the Wever CORE with hundreds of participants each summer from across our city! The 20th anniversary year program took place in two city parks with many COVID-19 precautions.
offered each summer at no fee to families. This summer - increased costs and challenges around the COVID -19 pandemic almost saw the cancelation of the program. Thanks to an additional donation of $10,000 from a supporter of Rotary Literacy, the program took place with all the PPE and safety precautions included. In addition to the program, the Leaders In Action Program provides skill-based workforce readiness skills for youth (14-16 yrs) who become councilors at the Rotary Summer Literacy Program.
Shown on left are Rotarians Earl Knauss, Jack Flint and Lisa Avery, with scholarship winner Riley McGloin and her parents, Jerry and Janet McGloin. 
The Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore recently held an internal member food drive focusing on pasta and pasta s
auce to assist the Food4Kids program in the City of St. Catharines. Food4Kids ensures the community’s most impoverished children have access to healthy food each week, delivering food packages directly to the doors of the children in their program. Each package contains non-perishable food, fresh produce, and a gift card to purchase milk or other fresh items. The Lakeshore Drive was to address a need for pasta and sauce to include in these packages.
On August 8th, 2020, members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines South along with family and friends met on the patio of Cat’s Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car in St. Catharines, Ontario to officially induct club president Lisa Raham and her new board.
the to Feed the Needy
Members of the Rotary Club of St. Catharines visited the site of the new YWCA build to present the organization with the club’s commitment of $75,000 to the project.
Twelve years ago, a huge literacy dream was created by Rotary called Telling Tales. Together, local clubs banded together to bring to their community a literary festival that would be free and accessible to all. It was an instant hit and has grown steadily; last year’s 2-day event attracted over 7,000 people. Telling Tales is now widely recognized as Canada’s leading children’s literary festival and is proudly co-hosted by Rotary clubs of Burlington and Hamilton. United by the theme Stories Connect Us, Telling Tales is proud to bring the first virtual festival to Rotary clubs and story lovers around the world this year.
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