Events

No meeting this morning. We will be at the Pathways to Education FAR Project celebration Wedenesday evening, October 9th.

Youth Diversion helps youth overcome challenges by: Providing prevention, intervention and educational services that divert youth from risk and support their ability to thrive. Join us as Shawn talks about the range of programs that Youth Diversion offers.

World Polio Eradication Day is October 23rd. Join us as we hear what Rotary's largest humnaitarian project is all about, and the progress we have made over the last year towards Polio eradication.

Join us a we hear a report from our student representatives to the Adventuer in High Tech. The program exposes students to the wide variety of technology opportunities and education facilities. The Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata his been hosting this program for 40 years.

There will be no morning meeting this week. See you at The Rotary Foundation Dinner with Rotary International Past-President and Foundation Trustee Jennifer Jones.

Suha Osman, currently Donor Services Officer with the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area, will speak about an initiative she started called "School Supplies for Sudan," which provides school-children with access to essential resources necessary for learning. She started the project after completing her graduate studies in International Public Policy in 2022. Utilizing her marketing and communications skills as well as personal connections at a local high school in Kingston and her alma mater in Waterloo, she was able to support an all-girls primary school in rural Khartoum, Sudan in the spring of 2023. Since then, she has facilitated two additional fundraisers to support displaced Sudanese students' access to quality education and to support displaced families in Sudan and Egypt. To date, the organization she founded has been able to raise over $35,000 USD, used to directly address barriers to education for Sudanese students.

Suha holds an Honours B.A. from Laurier in Global Studies and Political Science and a Masters in International Public Pollicy with a specialization in International Economic Relations, from Balsillie School of International Affairs.

There will be no morning meeting this week. Club social this week will by at the Newcomers Dinner on November 28th (see club calendar).

In this club  assembly, we will discuss all the gatherings that we attend as Rotarians: our regular club meetings, special events that we organize, and special events of our partners. What events are working well for us, and what events are not? What new sorts of events should we consider and why? For each type of event, we will consider:

• purpose: fellowship, club business, education, outreach, service, . . .
• timing, scheduling
• format: structure/agenda, meal, workbee, entertainment
• who we'll invite and why
• who will plan and run it
• any other matter we wish to raise that will help us develop

This meeting will include:

• Election of officers for 2025-26
• Club financial report
• Highlights of our service in 2024-25
• Foundation report
• Adoption of revisions to our bylaws

Please join us for a special holiday banquet at which we celebrate the work of Darkspark and its co-founders Melissa Larkin and D'Ari Lisle.

Date and time: Tuesday December 17, 2024, 5:30-8:30

Location: Upper Hall, The Spire, 82 Sydenham Street (accessible), Kingston

Program

Fellowship: cash bar (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)

Banquet: buffet holiday dinner with turkey, coffee and tea, dessert

Presentation of Paul Harris Fellowship to Melissa Larkin and D'Ari Lisle

Guest presentation: Melissa and D’Ari will share their story and music

Registration

Registration required by December 10: Cataraqui-Kingston Holiday Celebration

Payment: $45/person (e-transfer for autodeposit:  rotarydapontethomson@gmail.com OR cheque to Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston. For either payment method indicate "C-K Rotary December holiday celebration."

Background

Darkspark is an internationally recognized not-for-profit organization and culturally diverse network of recording artists, educators, music producers, and filmmakers who harness pop culture as an effective catalyst for social change. Darkspark develops the capability of youth to give voice to their concerns and aspirations through song, rap, and videostorytelling. Our club has provided support for Darkspark's work with youth since 2017, most recently for their year-long VERSIONS program. This celebration is an opportunity to hear the Darkspark story and inspire others to join us in continuing the collaboration.