Please join us at St. Paul's Anglican Church, corner of Montreal and Queen Streets, Kingston ON.
The Rotary Four Way Test
Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned
Rotary Reflection
For food in a world where many walk in hunger
For peace in a world where many walk in fear
For friends in a world where many walk alone
And for the opportunity to serve others through Rotary,
May we be truly thankful!
The Loyal Toast
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Queen of Canada!
Acknowledgement of Territory
We are gathered on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. we are grateful to be able to join together in Rotary Fellowship on these lands.
Guests of the Club: Maya Bergersen - exchange student; Bill Gray - Honourary Club Member; Guests of Ana Sutherland: Mara Shaw, Executive Director, Loving Spoonful - Friend of Rotary, Jackie Blakney; Guest of John Richards - Ann Richards.
Visiting Rotarians
None this week
Makeups
Greta Dubois, John Gale - Rotary Centennial Committee; John Richards - Kingston Club
Member Sharing
Fun Master - Ron Pols
After fining John Gale for humming the US National Anthem and fining those without pins or badges, Ron lightened or pockets with a quiz about all things March. Too many questions were being answered correctly, so Ron switched to fining for right/smart answers.
Happy/Sad Bucks
Heather K. for lunching with a film producer in the Kingston Canadian Film Festival – was a classmate of hers in Gr. 7/8 in Calgary
John Richards for Ann attending this morning’s meeting; return from good family visit in Denver: and action that got Mohammad out of the refugee camp.
Michel C-F for Maya coming to spend last months of her student stay with Rick and Michel – Maya moving in on Friday.
Bill Gray going to Kingston Film Fest; happy for upcoming talk on C.P.P. to the Club later this month and here to hear stories from the “survivors” of India RFE.
John Farrow – nephew family had their 1st baby, being able to drive himself to meetings now – 1st time in 4 months since fall and break, reading book on hunger in America and how corporate America benefits from hunger.
Greta DuBois for her move from apt. 904 to corner apt 903 with many more windows.
John Gale for a good trip to India and London; spring is coming and his boat is going to need work and looking forward to Maya helping him ( some Ha’s on that wish from some members of the Club). Keep us informed John on that endeavour.
Service Activites
Club Business
Unfortunately a representative from the Queen’s Rotoract club did not show up to take our pie orders.
Presentation to Bill Gray by Heather Kembel of a grab bag from India. He was missed by our hosts.
Heather models the hand block printed sari she purchased in India
Ana combines a little India, a little N'awlins for Fat Tuesday
Some of the gifts the RFE team returned with
MANY banners were exchanged.
Announcements
John Farrow - April 30th meeting working on getting a speaker from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board – bring investment-type friends.
We’re sponsoring a student for Adventures in Citizenship – great interviews!
Auction – We’re kicking it off on the 13th at Kingston Dodge. Please everyone come and let’s pack out that Boardroom! This is a $50,000 source of revenue for our Club!
If any Committee Chairs have meetings please email and let me know.
Please check out the Morning Show on CKWS segment on Easter Seals with our own Heather Kembel (being upstaged by a cute child!)
As noted at Rotary on Tuesday, Maya will be moving to her next host family, the Chatten-Fiedorecs, on March 8 (Friday).
Next week is March break, and students are often at loose ends over the break. Could you please post an appeal to members to consider any opportunities to engage our exchange student in any activities they might have planned?
They should copy Michelle and Rick with any invitations.
After returning from a hugely successful RFE trip to India, team co-leader Greta assembled a presentation for the club this morning.
As Greta explained, the focus of the trip, as organized by our hosts, was definitely on projects undertaken by the various Rotary Clubs from Chennai and others from the same District. Additional presentations on projects looking for international partnership that our club might be interested in. The team were guests of honour at the dedication of a water and sanitation project for the Rotary Clubs of Madras and Chennai Chola. The team also visited the Avarvind Eye Hospital in Chennai, and the MIOT Pediatric Cardiology Hospital in Chennai (for more on this wonderful hospital, visit https://www.miotinternational.com/centers-of-excellence/miot-institute-of-cardiac-care/childrens-cardiac-care/). Here they saw the cardiac intensive care unit, with the youngest patient being 6 days old.
Fellowship is of course a big part of RFE. Apart from being hosted by Rotarians, who kept them extremely well fed (judging by the pictures of a typical breakfast), the team attended many Club meetings and fellowship sessions, giving out all of the Club banners that we took with them. Our club was present and participated in the 90th anniversary celebration of the Madras Club, a wonderful and special event. The team also got to visit a textile factory, a "happy accident" as Michelle put it, because the originally scheduled activity was unavailable. Here they watched weavers using hand looms to wave beautiful fabrics for garments, some of which just happened to end up in the team suitcases for the trip home.
It wasn't all business though. An important part of RFE is the chance to see the sights and absorb the culture of the country. The team spent the last 4 days spent touring the countryside and going to the many different temples in the state. Tamil Nadu Province was one destination, especially interesting was Pondicherry, a French oasis in a country largely influenced by the British. Also visited was Trichy, the city of temples, named because it has so many..yes you guessed it.. gorgeous temples. Also on the agenda was a visit to host Ravi's farm, where the workers proudly showed the contribution of the farm to the good of the community. The team also got to visit a temple at night in the city of Thanjavur, a different experience.
Greta relied on all of the team members present to reflect on different aspects of the trip. John Gale spoke of how the Rotary Clubs in India think big when they talk about projects, a philosophy he would like to see here in Kingston. Ed reflected on the delicious food. Michelle showed of some of the beautiful textiles that were purchased and the factory visit. Heather reflected on the architecture of Pondicherry, and her disappointment in not being able to walk the streets more because of the condition of the sidewalks. President Rick reflected on the intensity of everything, the surprising lack of spoken English, and the rather novel ideas on building construction. Ana reflected on the graciousness of the hosts, and Greta spoke in her presentation about the crazy traffic, where your car horn is your best friend and no one ever wears out their turn signals.
All in all the trip was great. We can hardly wait for the return visit of friends from India. Let's show them some good Kingston hospitality!!
Thanks to Greta and Ana for acting as co-leaders. President Rick thanked Greta for putting the presentation together, but gifted the loaf of bread to Mara Shaw, who was back from Loving Spoonful today.
The happy team!
MOIT Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
One of many Rotary Club meetings
The famous Indian breakfast
Weaver in the textile shop
The ladies in their finery at the Rotary Club of Madras 90th Anniversary
It's been quite a while since I have sent an update, my apologies for that. I am coming up to the last stretch of my exchange already – time really does fly. I have just moved into my last host family's house. I was quite sad to say goodbye to my second family but I am looking forward to getting to know this family better. I have been incredibly lucky to live with these families, they are all so kind and helpful.
I have been attending Rotary meetings as much as possible and coming up is our Rotary Inspiration day. I will be singing with my new host brother for the gala in the evening.
School is going well, I will be travelling with my school's choir to Dresden, Germany for a week and then shortly after I will go with my class on a school trip to Barcelona! I am looking forward to seeing some sun while I am there -- Denmark is quite dark in the winter, although spring is coming and the sun is shining more.
Spring is on its way and hopefully the rain will stop soon but even with the bad weather, I have had an amazing time here! I have attached a few photos as I don't post much on Facebook. I hope things are going well back home and for everyone in Rotary.
Best wishes,
Karenna
Karenna's 18th birthday with the traditional Danish cake.
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