CLUB HISTORY |
... A Brief History The Charter Year 1984-85 The seeds for a third Rotary club in A successful Rotary Information Night was held in early April 1984, attended by both clubs and several prospective Rotarians. As some of those invited had expressed interest in a morning club and were unable to attend the dinner meeting, it was decided to try again in the fall at a breakfast meeting. Written invitations were sent out for the morning of Nov. 5, 1984 at Smitty By January 1985, it was evident that there was a good chance of the required twenty-five prospective members, and, to accommodate the preferences of the majority, changes of day and venue resulted in Tuesday morning meetings at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club. "The Boards of Directors of both established clubs, on request, approved the formation of a third club in Jay Abramsky introduced the new club to the delights of bingo on February 7, 1985 when Cataraqui members joined the Frontenac Club at the The Cataraqui Rotary Courier, "a weekly publication aimed at keeping you abreast of the development and growth of the Cataraqui Rotary Club at Many of the guests and some of the guest speakers in these early days were members of the two sponsoring clubs who gave encouragement and support and shared various aspects of conducting a Rotary club. The new club members themselves also gave their Classification Talks. Guests as prospective members were also a prominent part of the early meetings. Meeting attendance percentages during January and February were in the high 90s and 80s. One of the first fellowship events, a "Family Social", organized by Wally Donohue for Sunday, February 24 at Little Cataraqui Conservation Area, was "weathered out". However, undaunted, Wally organized a successful "Family Pancake Breakfast" at Little Cat on Sunday, March 24 - but missed it himself! The Club received its first club pennant/banner on April 16 from visiting Rotarians Howard Thomas and Howell Rees of the Rotary Club of Swansea St. Mary "Louis Joron, Governor-Nominee for 1986-87, as District Governor Roderick Giltz The Charter Night was held on Saturday, May 11 to coincide with the District Assembly which D.G. Rod Giltz had agreed to relocate to Other guests included the Scottish G.S.E. team who provided some of the evening The non-denominational Rotary Grace was introduced by President Porter on May 21 to be given by all members on a rotating basis. The Rotary Anns had an "initial meeting" on May 22 at the Ambassador Motor Hotel to which Club members and wives were invited. The club meeting Duty Roster with role descriptions was introduced and inserted in the Courier of June 11. Rotarians performing the duties of Grace and Toast, Speaker Introduction and Speaker Thanks were to sit at the Head Table. Rotary golf shirts were introduced to the Club by Al Fyke of the Kingston/Downtown Club on June 18. At the Club Assembly meeting of June 25, the Club was in good financial health. This was due in large part to the involvement in bingo. A start had been made on International Service through the co-hosting of a G.S.E. team. The Club Service Breakfast program and Bulletin were both successful and new member proposals were being presented regularly to the membership for approval. Since the Board of Directors and Executive had just been elected in early 1985, the decision was made that they would continue in their positions through the calendar year and into 1986. The first reference to elections appears to be on December 17, 1985, when "President Gary announced a slate of nominations for next year For the purposes of this chronology, the author has decided to use the Rotary Year periods from the beginning. Therefore, the 1985-86 Rotary Year will seamlessly follow with the same Board in place. Rotary Year 1985-86 “You are the Key”The second Rotary Year began with the same Board of Directors and Executive in place as had been agreed. Club name badges were ordered, "the design and format having been determined by the executive committee". Community and Vocational Service were combined initially and there was a request for the club to focus on the welfare of youth in our community. This year also began with three new member proposals. The 1st Annual Cataraqui Rotary Golf Tournament was held on July 4 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club. Green fees were $21.00! Classification Talks continued to be a prominent component of the meeting program as Charter Members shared their vocations and backgrounds with their fellow members. The Club inducted Darryl Herron on July 30 as its first new member since Charter Night. A fund raising Pancake Breakfast, in co-operation with A & W Restaurant, was held at the Cataraqui Town Centre on August 10th. Annual club dues at this time were $80. per member. Guests and Visiting Rotarians, especially from the The difficulty finding anyone to lead singing at club meetings was a challenge for Club Service from the beginning. International Service began investigating "Rotary scholarship students". Ways and Means was also investigating a potential association with Mr. Bingo at this time and the Club The first reported post-Charter visit by a District Governor occurred on September 17 when Doug Van Alstine was guest speaker. In his talk, "he encouraged all members to wear the Rotary pin with pride and make a concious commitment to the ideals of the Later in September, the Club had a small representation at the District Conference in Youth Exchange was introduced to the Club in October when it was announced that the Club would host a student from At the meeting of November 12, the guest speaker was Marie Schmeider, a Rotary Exchange Student from A Kids’ Santa Party was held on December 14 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club. The Rotary Foundation Scholars program was introduced to the Club. A slate of nominations for next Rotary Year In January, President Gary initiated a discussion on the objectives of the Club, particularly related to community service, resulting in "a very healthy and progressive interchange of ideas". Two directions emerged; to focus on a specific community cause related to youth, and the formation of a Rotaract Club. It was also announced that Rotary membership worldwide would reach one million during the week of February 17-23. The early beginnings of the Club At the Club Assembly of February 11, the need for an annual major fund raiser to supplement the fluctuations of bingo was recognized and suggestions included an antique car draw, a black tie evening and a casino night on the Island Queen. Club members,with the Downtown Club, supported the Annual Big Brothers A fellowship and curling night was held at the Kingston Curling Club in March. The Easter Seal Superthon was held on March 23 with the Club responsible for the 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. time slot. A Membership List as of March,1986, indicating 32 members, was presented and appears as Appendix C to this section. It was reported at this time that a recent international vote to admit women to Rotary had been defeated and that R.I.s theme for 1986-87 will be "Rotary Brings Hope". In the District Club Bulletin Awards, the Club received an honourable mention for the quality of its presentation. Polio banks, made locally by ARC Industries, were distributed to members for their loose change. Framed certificates, "Objects of Rotary", were presented to each member. Members who missed meetings but "made up " at another club, were to be recognized in future Couriers as Goodwill Ambassadors. In June, the introduction of Visiting Rotarians and Guests was formalized and the position of Official Greeter was introduced. Members with twelve consecutive months of perfect attendance were to be recognized with a Rotary Perfect Attendance pin. Induction of new members resulted in a total club membership of 40. This Rotary Year ended on June 30 with a joint meeting of all Rotary Year 1986-87 “Rotary Brings Hope”
The first highlight of this Rotary year was the selection of Vice President Wally Donohue as the Club The first Past President pin was presented to Gary Porter by President Bill Anderson. A Moonlight Cruise aboard the Island Queen, with dancing to a live band and a There were ten Exchange Students being hosted in District #704 during this year. Recognizing the emphasis R.I. was placing on Polio Plus, a separate committee was established and the Club was addressed on the topic by Kingston Club Past President and District Governor-Elect Alan Wale. Candidates for the Rotary Foundation Scholarship were selected and forwarded to the District "finals". The outbound Youth Exchange Student was supported for the Adventure in Citizenship program in Club membership surpassed that of the Frontenac Club at this time to become the second largest Rotary club in Club elections for the 1987-88 Rotary Year were held at the December 30th meeting with an "encouraging" slate of nominations that required an election for Vice President and Directors and contained only two Charter Members. Bingo teams with captains were organized to begin in January 1987 with the intent that each member was scheduled to be on duty only one night every three months. Mark McDonald reported on his experience as a participant in the G.S.E. to A rare Club membership vote did not support an RI proposal "that student exchanges to the A Valentines Dance was held on February 14 at Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute as a Polio Plus fund raiser with the Downtown Club. Big Band music was provided by the Vimy Band and drinks were $1.67, the cost of immunizing one child. Attendance during the last quarter of 1986 was reported at 78% to 85%. Courier Editor, John Avent, gave notice in March that as of July 1st and in view of his new duties as Vice President, he would be relinquishing the editorial role after about 2 1/2 years. A search had begun for a new Club Scribe to inject "new blood and new life" into the club bulletin. This writer has appreciated John The Club It was announced that the Club won the District Governor Community Service projects included trail and facility upgrades for the handicapped at Cataraqui Region Conservation Area and participation in the Salvation Army Membership dues for the next Rotary year,1987-88, were increased by the Board of Directors from $80. to $90. At the same meeting the cost of breakfast was raised by the members from $5. to $6. Military institutions continued to play a role in the Club The new Courier Editor, Randy Cleary, gave the bulletin a new look, choosing to use a legal-sized format on variously coloured paper and more point form and lists than prose. Membership stood at 42 and the Club The Club Service Committee introduced a meal ticket system costing $60. for ten breakfasts. A typical month of meeting programs was to include one Classification Talk, one Club Assembly and two guest speakers. Club banners from visiting Rotarians began to be hung around the meeting room. Club incorporation was in process. Marty Playford seems to be the Club The singing of "Happy Birthday" to club members by various and sundry groups of other Rotarians was reported at this time. A joint meeting of the five area clubs was held at the Ambassador on October 22 with the "Philippine ladies" ( G.S.E. Team ) in attendance. The Club got involved in the "Jail and Bail" fund raiser with the Cancer Society and continued to support the "Charity Bear" project. The cost of one polio immunization was now only 12 cents. The Club goal was to immunize 62,000 children at a cost of $10,000. A discussion was held on how to make the club meetings more lively, resulting in President Wally establishing a four member task force to investigate this and increasing membership. Darryl Herron met Mark MacDonald in the Labatt Major Curling final. Ways and Means got the Club involved in Winterfest at Money continued to be raised from members either refusing to have Happy Birthday sung to them or deferring the incumbent leadership opportunities, further reinforcing the developing characteristic of a non-singing club. The cost of breakfast at regular Club meetings rose from $4.75 to $5.00 but the current $6.00 fee remained unchanged. Bingo captains were appointed on a rotating basis. The Club agreed to bestow three Paul Harris Fellowships and Directors were asked to submit up to three nominations to President Wally. Vicki Keith and John Crawford were approved with Wally having a discretionary choice from among Club members as the third recipient. A guest speaker of note on April 5 was Lieutenant Colonel Hans Jochen Annuss, a member of the Nieweld-Reine Rotary Club in Several members canvassed door-to-door on May 2 for the Salvation Army At the inaugural Club Assembly, several objectives surfaced including a continuing focus on youth and smaller projects, working with the municipality on a major project and fellowship. Wally Donohue was appointed Social Director. A questionnaire and the annual Club Plans and Objectives were also to be developed. Current membership was 36 with a previous high of 43. Herb Weber was appointed Club Historian. Community Services "continued to examine opportunities for a larger, long term project that would commit the Club both financially and in terms of A pre-Christmas limerick mysteriously appeared on the Courier editor Rick See was elected Chairman of the 1989 Santa Claus Parade which had become a long-term, high-profile commitment for the Club. The Membership Committee under the direction of District Governor Coos DeVries was the guest speaker at the July 4 meeting at which he also helped induct two new members. Bingo continued to be the main source of revenue for the Club with 17 bingos generating $23,445 over the past year. Attendance on the Tuesday following a Monday holiday continued to be lower than usual and was becoming a peculiarity of the Club. The Devil The dubious distinction of receiving the most fines in a single meeting was earned by Mike Campbell but this has been challenged by various members ever since. Storage of Club paraphernalia at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club, which became a problem when several items went missing, was solved by the building of a storage closet by the Golf Club. The annual Christmas dinner was held at the Ramada Inn and the Christmas Caroling meeting was ably led by Joe Coley and the Salvation Army Brass Quartet. The new decade opened with Club elections on January 9. Thank you notes were received from Rotel for the Club’s contribution to their capital campaign and from CKLC for participation in their toy drive. On the cold and blustery morning of February 20, 1990, the members arriving to set-up were temporarily locked out resulting in the “disappearance” of Terry Wilson and a display of “true leadership” by President Rick Dobbs. The Club Assembly of February 27 reported recent donations made to Parents Against Drugs, Queens School of Urban and Regional Planning, Junior Achievement and a local student, Kerry Hoffman, accepted by Up With People. On this date also, The Courier displayed an interesting innovation when Temporary-temporary Bulletin Editor Joe Stewart introduced humourous definitions, cartoons and other graphics to the club newsletter. The Membership Committee introduced the “one-in-four” campaign to increase club membership by 25% by June 30. At a joint meeting at the Ambassador Hotel on April 12, the guest speaker was the French Ambassador to Eggs McReiner, as one of breakfast menu items, appeared in the Courier of May 8. The second annual Lobsterfest was successfully held at L.C.V.I. on May 11, raising about $3,500 for international projects. On May 22, President Rick Dobbs became the first club president ever to win the Mike Campbell “Early-for-Next-Week” Award, arriving just moments before Vice-President Mike adjourned a technology-delayed meeting. Meeting Set-up and Clean-up became Duty Roster assignments at this time, complete with checklists for both. Leftover Lobsterfest wine was sold at $7.00 a bottle in lieu of a tailgate party in the golf club parking lot as suggested. The year-end evening meeting and barbeque on June 26 at the Country Club ended the reign of The Dobber in grand style with a record attendance of 65 Rotarians, spouses and guests. Three new members were inducted, Charter Members, Past President and 100% Attendance Rotarians were recognized with the appropriate pins and Directors and spouses were given special tributes. Joe Stewart won the Rotarian of the Year Award. The gavel was then passed to Vice-President Mike Tierney who presented the Past President’s pin and introduced the 1990-91 Board of Directors. Other “Highlights from the Year and Reign of The Dobber”, as composed by Temporary-temporary Courier Editor Joe Stewart, are included at the end of this section as Appendix A. Rotary Year 1990-1991 “Preserve Planet Earth” The new Rotary year began with a fellowship event on July 4, the Annual Club Golf Tournament at Colonnade Golf and Country Club in Joyceville. Treasurer Diane Hess reported that membership fees would remain unchanged at $120. The Club sponsored a single mother and her children to a Salvation Army Summer Camp at At the Club Assembly meeting of September 4, it was announced that membership was currently 44, the Santa Claus Parade was to be held November 17, the Annual Christmas Dinner was planned for December 14, Lobsterfest tickets would be available in January and that Community Service projects would favour supporting local opportunities, especially the welfare of youth. A request for volunteers to help the Salvation Army with their Christmas Kettle campaign was made by Cliff Holman, a Rotarian in the Kingston Club and Public Relations Director for the Salvation Army. In an attempt to reduce the Club’s heavy reliance on bingo as a revenue source, the First Annual Cheese Drive was held as a pre-Christmas fund raiser and netted $1764 profit, most of which was used for international service in the purchase of books for On October 16, the Courier took on as new look with a revised masthead, courtesy of Editor John Avant and Bill Cribbes of Empire Life. At the same meeting, District Governor Nick Troisi addressed the Club during his official visit. A Club Squash Ladder/League, with 15 members participating, was organized by Steve Haslam. The Weekly Quickie Quiz was introduced by the Membership Committee “to educate club members in the policies and history of Rotary”. It also turned into a minor fund raiser as whole tables of members were fined because of their inability to answer the questions. In Club elections on December 4, the Vice-President and Secretary were acclaimed and three Directors were elected. The Christmas meeting of December 18 was attended by Dave Dean of The Bay and their famous “Christmas Bears”, of which the Club purchased 50, and the Salvation Army Band leading the annual carol sing. As both Christmas and New Year’s Days fell on Tuesdays, there were no meetings over the two week holiday period. Early in January, “knife and forkers” were mentioned in reference to a certain guest Rotarian from the Downtown Club, who shall remain nameless, but who arrived late, ate fast and left early. Bingo continued to generate strong revenues as teams were re-organized to maximize efficiency while minimizing frequency. February 12 was designated as “Bring a Guest Day” by the Membership committee and five Rotarians brought six guests. During the Easter Seals Telethon on March 3, five of our members assisted with a phone blitz of corporate contributors and were successful in raising $8000 for crippled children in the area. The Club also sponsored Randy Cleary $2.00 per pin in the Big Brothers Bowl-a-thon. Club Assembly meetings were held on March 5 and 19 with highlights as follows; the cost of breakfast was raised to $7.00; Community Service reported a dispersal of almost $15,000 into the community, including $5,700 to purchase computers for the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston; a “Preserve Planet Earth Contest”, including $10,000 in prize money, to be offered to area secondary schools was initiated; membership had swelled from 42 to 47 during the Rotary year to date. Operation Eyesight was supported by the Club through matching the contributions of members. A donation of $3000 was made to Beechgrove Children’s Centre for their “Playground Replacement Project”. Through the efforts of Rotarian Herb Weber, the Club participated in a unique program over two meetings in April, a Citizen’s Forum on Canada’s Future. The third annual Lobsterfest successfully generated about a $3500 profit. Wayne Greenaway and Dr. Don Delahaye educated and updated club members on the “Almost Home” project. The Club’s Annual Golf Tournament was held on June 20 at Rivendell. The Club’s sixth year came to a close with an evening barbeque meeting at the Golf and Country Club. After President Mike Tierney had summarized the activities of the Club over the past year and announced Diane Hess as the Rotarian of the Year, he passed both the gavel and the President’s Roll of Honour to incoming President Joe Coley. As his first official duty, Joe presented the Past President’s pin and commemorative plaque to Mike. He also introduced his new Board of Directors and Club Officers, then rang the club bell to adjourn the meeting and begin his Presidency. Two new members were welcomed into the Club to begin the new Rotary year. President Joe also outlined some ideas and wishes that he had for his term of office and encouraged all members to “have fun and get involved”. The Membership Committee’s goal was 7 to 10 new members over the year for a Club total of 55. Way and Means initiated the sale of 200 “entertainment books” at $40 each as a fund raiser. Rick “Santa” See had about 12 helpers on November 15 and 16 get ready for this year’s version of The Christmas evening dinner meeting was held on December 3 at the ever-popular Ramada Inn. Club elections were held on December 10 with a full slate of candidates. The Club again participated in the A Club Assembly on February 25 reported a membership of 45. Also announced were the annual Lobsterfest in May, the sponsorships of a student to an international sports program in The Annual Year-end Barbeque meeting was held on June 30 where the presidential gong and gavel were passed from Joe Coley to Bob Dowling. The new Rotary year began with a re-designed, new look for the Courier and new Club letterhead, in Rotary Blue on white, courtesy of Don Sinkinson. Four new membership proposals were received at the Club Assembly of July 14. Another Club initiative this year was a Vocational Service Committee, assigned by President Bob Dowling to Director Ron Doll, “to actively promote vocational activities at the club level in addition to the traditional individual commitment.” The Club golf tournament was held September 17 at Colonade Golf Club. The regular meeting of September 22 was held at In November, twelve members toured the Almost Home facility in which the Club had become involved. This is a three storey Victorian-style house on A $1000 donation was sent to a Rotary club in Bosnia-Herzegovina to help through a very difficult winter. Members helped with the Club membership was reported at 44 with the goal still of 50, average attendance was 76%, and 40% of the members had 100% attendance records. A financial report indicated Club funds of $37,700. The Club’s first delegate to the Adventure in High Tech program, hosted by the A winter outdoor family fellowship event with sleigh rides, skating and cross-country skiing was held at Miles Acres in January. The meeting of January 26, convened at Canadian Forces Base Kingston, included a brief tour. The first Annual Paul Harris Awards night on February 10, honoured three outstanding citizens for their selfless contribution to our community. Elspeth Baugh, Dr. Donald Delahaye and Katherine Manley each received a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Club. The evening was both a public relations and a financial success, netting a profit of $1250. Another fellowship curling event was held at the Cataraqui Curling Club on March 6. A Theatre Night fund raiser, including a pre-show Wine and Cheese, proved to be an easier sell than the Community Service continued to donate to such local organizations as Big Brothers, Easter Seals, Junior Achievement and the Salvation Army Single Mothers Summer Camp as well as supporting a student enrichment program in the schools. Workplace tours, as organized by the Vocational Service Committee, were successfully completed as scheduled. Internationally, the Ambassadorial Scholarship program and the Guatemala Well Project were active. Other fellowship events that were organized for members included a Poker Night and a Fishing Charter. Lobsterfest, with a changed format, continued to be successful. The Vocational Service Committee organized a panel discussion on Employer-Employee Relations as the program on May 18. Don Sinkinson, Rob Reid and Harry Ottenhof each brought an employee to assist with this innovative presentation. Another workplace meeting was held at the Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area Interpretive Centre, complete with an overview by the manager and a brief tour of the Centre. At the Year-end Barbeque meeting, Rick See was first roasted as outgoing Sergeant-at-Arms, then toasted as the Club’s newest Paul Harris Fellow. John Farrow was named Rotarian of the Year. Dave Bennett was inducted into membership. After the usual speeches and pin presentations, the gavel was passed from Bob Dowling to Doug Townsend who closed the meeting and the Rotary year. Rotary Year 1993-94 “Believe In What You Do – Do What You Believe In” Innes van Nostrand became the new Editor of The Courier, producing yet another new look in its history, “the weely newsletter”. Committee Directors outlined their goals and priorities at a Club Assembly early in July. In mid-summer, The Club helped to host a very successful National Conference for Families of Children with Cancer. It was reported that 70% of the members as well as numerous spouses and friends were involved in various aspects of this project. A Group Study Exchange team from Fresh fruit became a menu at the Club breakfasts, a healthy alternative to the usual high cholesterol fare, but received mixed reviews from some members. Six foursomes participated in the annual Golf Day in early September at the Colonnade Golf and Country Club. Community Service donations included support for the Festival of Trees, Almost Home and a continuation of an enrichment program in the schools. Internationally, the Club also took part in a school addition project in A resolution was passed by the Club to apply for incorporation under the name of Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston Incorporated. The Parent Awareness About Drugs organization was funded $5900 by the Club in support of its “Choices” project. Other donations were approved for Almost Home, Festival of Trees, the Santa Claus parade, St. Mary’s Hospital, Ernestown Secondary School, CAS Parent Support Group and KARKODA. The annual Christmas dinner meeting was held at the Prince George Hotel, complete with a visit, and presents for selected members, from the jolly old elf himself. District Governor John Murray visited the Club as guest speaker in December. A Salvation Army Band quartet, including Past President Joe Coley, led the traditional, enjoyable pre-Christmas Carol Sing. In January, the Olde Circle Bingo Hall changed its program and this was published in the Courier. In addition to the regular games, Bonanza, Share the Wealth and Jackpot, new and exciting opportunities to lose money were Early Bird Specials, Lightning and the Olde Circle Special. Attendance increased to 72% and Club membership reached 50. Queen’s Executive Decision Centre was used by the Ways and Means Committee to generate a list of future, possible fund raising events. International Service was in the process of selecting Ambassadorial Scholars. To date that Rotary year, Community Service had donated $16,830 to such local organizations and events as Almost Home, LCVI, Parents Against Drugs and the Santa Claus Parade. Another successful Paul Harris Fellowship Awards dinner was held at the Ambassador Hotel on February 23. Receiving Fellowships this year were Don McNamara, Don Neil and Janet Edgeworthy. Tha Rotary Rollers raised $800 in the annual Bowling for Big Brothers event. The Club was challenged by the Napanee club to a home-and-home hockey series. A team (and the term was used loosely) known both as the Cataraqui Rink Rats and Hartel’s Heros, met the challenge and a delagation from the Napanee club presented the long lost trophy to our club at a meeting in May. The neckties of gentlemen members became the targets of the current Sergeants-at-Arms resulting in on-going fines and even a “Tie of the Year” award. The Garth Allen Award was regularly presented with the accompanying fine to the tardy members. Club members again assisted with the annual Red Shield Appeal Blitz Night collecting $1,150 for the Salvation Army. A Club Service survey indicated that a majority of members favoured monthly Classification Talks by members. Also mentioned were quarterly Club Assemblies with more involvement of members through a forum format, debate/discussion of Club activities, brainstorming, roundtables, and Q and A time following brief Directors’ reports. Fellowship responses were wide-ranging both in frequency and activity. Quarterly events such as golf, skating and pub nights with spouses seemed to generate the most response. Community Service “Approved Funding” for the 1993-1994 Rotaryyear was published in the May 20 issue of The Courier and appears as an Appendix at the end of this section. Another successful Lobsterfest was held on May 27 netting about $5000. Club members assisted with a Street Hockey Tournament for the Child Life program at Rotary Year 1994-95 “Be a Friend” An innovation this year was the replacement of the weekly 50/50 draw with a “Promote Your Business” advertising draw sponsored each week by a member donating a gift or service representative of his or her workplace. Once again the Club was challenged by another Rotary club to an athletic endeavour. This time the Frontenac club wanted to take on Cataraqui in a baseball game later in the summer. An enjoyable Dinner and Theatre Night with spouses was held in Gananoque. Tim Mercer began his Bike Ride Across Canada for the Child Life Program with a rousing send-off from a Vancouver Rotary club. He ended his ride in The Membership Committee was aiming for sixty members this year. Community Services had a budget of $30,000 to distribute to local causes. The R.I. Youth Exchange Program was introduced to the Club by Peter Merkley of the Kingston Club. Friends of Child Life sent thanks for the Club’s participation in their 3-on-3 Street Life Basketball Tournament. Membership dues remained at $125. A visiting Rotarian from In September, there was a joint, evening dinner meeting with the Chamber of Commerce at the Ambassador Hotel and the Club Golf Tournament was held at Colonnade Country Club. The Club received a certificate of appreciation for efforts in this year’s Easter Seals campaign which raised a total of $101,000. The Kingston Whig Standard gave the Club some positive P.R. in October, when the $9000 pledge toward the purchase of a defibrillator for the Both hot and cold breakfast foods were offered on the buffet for the first time. President Steve explained the Presidential Citation for Community Concerns, recently introduced by RI, to the Club. To qualify, each club had to achieve three goals in each of the four Avenues of Service. Both Club and International Service had already completed three required activities toward the Citation. In addition to the pledge for the defibrillator, Community Service had approved donations to the Palliative Care Unit of St. Mary’s of the District Governor Jack Troughton visited and spoke to the Club in November. The Vocational Service sub-committee was reactivated and organized a number of previously successful activities. A successful Theatre Night at Fiddler on the Roof starred Rotarian Dave Bennett. In the new role of Merchandising Manager, Wendy Piper ordered pins, caps, shirts and other Rotary items for members. Volunteers were solicited to help with a Casino Night for Almost Home. The Christmas season was again celebrated in the Club with an “historic” dinner party at Hockey returned again as an opportunity for Club members when Friends of Child Life hosted a celebrity game against the Kingston Frontenacs in January. With a net gain of six members since June, the Club total had reached 57. The Economics of Staying in School program was briefly explained to the members by a representative of Junior Achievement. Needed also were volunteers to deliver the program to local grade nine students who were at risk of dropping out of school. Four members again Bowled for Big Brothers raising awareness and funds for this worthy organization. A Treasurer’s Report showing February 3, 1994 and 1995 comparatives and a list of Approved Grants of the Community Services Committee were presented at a Club Assembly and are provided as Appendix “A” to this section. The third annual Paul Harris Fellowship Awards Dinner in February honoured Bill Darlington, Wayne Greenaway and Jackie St. Pierre for their contributions to the Four projects of the Vocational Services Committee were the donation of $600 to Junior Achievement, the distribution of framed copies of The Four-Way Test to local schools, the preparation of framed copies of the Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions for presentation to each member at the Anniversary Dinner and reciprocal workplace tours such as those held at Frontenac Animal Hospital and the Alumni Association of Queen’s University. Wally Donohue presented a ransom note for $5.00 per member to the Kingston Club for the safe return of their club banner, inadvertently appearing with Cataraqui’s paraphernalia following the Easter Seals campaign. However, he could not get a similar agreement from his own club in the event of retaliation. A later delegation of “Downtowners” contributed the fines from their last meeting, $20.75! Laurier Lapierre was the guest speaker at the Heritage Fair breakfast held at the Vimy Officers’ Mess on March 28, to launch the national Heritage Fairs. It was attended by 38 members and about 40 visiting Rotarians and other guests. The same venue hosted the 10th Anniversary Dinner/Dance in May. Invitation letters were sent out to as many Charter and former members for whom addresses were known. These letters and lists are found in Appendix “B” at the end of this section. A club photograph was taken and a presentation made to each member as noted above. The Club was again challenged by the Napanee Rotary Club to a game of shinny for undisputed title to the “Cup”. Since Napanee scored the last goal in a freewheeling, high-scoring contest, they were declared this year’s winner and challenged to a game of basketball later in the spring. The Dave Neely Systematic Selling Seminar, a new fundraiser planned for April, was later cancelled for lack of adequate registrations. Lobsterfest, however, held in May, was a sold-out success. There were currently 55 members in the Club. A change in the attendance policy to allow Rotarians 14 days to attend “make up meetings” instead of seven was announced. Internationally, books were being collected to be shipped and distributed to At the annual Year-end Barbecue, President Steve, after announcing his selection of Rick See as Rotarian of the Year, and highlighting some of the Club’s accomplishments during his year, presented the presidential pin and plaque to the incoming president, Ron Doll. Rotary Year 1995-96 “Act with Integrity, Serve with Love, Work for Peace” Wally Donohue received a belated ten-year Perfect Attendance pin early in the new Rotary year. Membership statistics by age, as of June 30 were; 1 under 30, 17 age 30-39, 22 age 40-49, 9 age 50-59, 4 age 60-69 and 1 age 70 and over. Thank you letters were received from the Ontario Secondary School Students Association, District Governor Edmond Lanthier addressed the Club during his official visit in August. President Ron Doll was absent on the first day of school as has been his tradition. The Club offered to assist the Christine Stewart, MP for Northumberland and Secretary of State, was guest speaker on the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. Broken windows and other damage to the Cataraqui Golf Club greeted members one meeting day in the wake of protests during a Mike Harris dinner. Ironically, guest speakers that morning were three members of the Kingston Police Force, and, Bob Eamer, the O.P.P. Chief Superintendent for On the national scene, The annual Christmas Dinner meeting was held at the Best Western Fireside Inn and included a reading from President Ron, the history of St. Nicholas by Bill Punt and a visit by Santa Claus with “personalized” presents. The spontaneous Turkey Project raised awareness, volunteers and $350 toward serving Christmas dinner to the less fortunate at Friend’s Place Restaurant on Christmas Day. Club elections and the Salvation Army Band Carol Sing continued the Club’s seasonal traditions. Letters of thanks were received from the Children’s Aid Society, Trillium Childhood Cancer Support Centre, Providence Continuing Care Foundation, KAIROS, North Kingston Basketball Camp and the Salvation Army for donations made. New Year’s Resolutions as proposed by President Ron included singing O’Canada once a month, seating mixers, spending time with guests and recruiting new members. Peter Milliken, MP for A series of informational letters educating new members about Rotary became a post-induction feature. A Club brochure was developed and membership totaled 55. The Heritage Fair involved nine cities this year and |