It has been a very busy few months. With the help of the Area Governors, I will have visited approximately 32 out of the 65 Rotary and 9 Rotaract Clubs within the District by this year’s conference. My plan is to continue my Official DG Club Visits with the goal of finishing the remaining clubs by the end of January. My last visit will be to the Iqaluit club sometime this Winter. Past District Governors have told me that the best part about being a District Governor is visiting and learning more about our clubs.
For me personally, I enjoy learning about the various fundraisers they conduct along with how they donate their funds. The fundraisers range from: Carleton Place bagging and delivering manure, Stittsville hosting/selling monthly Toronto Film Festival film subscriptions, Kingston’s massive Nut Drive, Massena’s Pancake Breakfast, Montreal’s Galas, Perth and others BBQ Fests, Brockville and others Golf Tournaments, Mums and Calendars project let by RC West Ottawa, and much more.
Kingston nut drive - Some of the nearly 400 Queen's Engineering FROSH waiting for their rides
Volunteer drivers receiving their final instructions at the staging area
Kingston Mayor, Bryan Patterson, and DGN Fay Campbell, loading up the volunteers cars with nuts and pens before they head out to pick up the FROSH
Rotarians and Queens Engineering students, including Nut Drive Chair Pete Burrell and Queen's students Val and Max, conducted Pre-Nut Drive publicity interviews on local Kingston TV and Radio StationsType caption here
Since 1965, the Rotary Nut Drive has brought together Rotarians and Queen’s University Engineering Frosh who, together, blitz the region to raise money. This year, over 130 Rotarians from six local Rotary clubs, plus Rotaractors, loaded nearly 400 engineering FROSH into their cars and drove them to over 100 pre-planned routes to canvass the entire city of Kingston and sell a combination of chocolate covered almonds and Rotary Branded pens. The Rotary Nut Drive is the longest running Orientation Week event at Queen’s, and area residents have come to expect the annual knock on their doors from purple‐ skinned students with funky hair. With over $35,000 in sales over this 3-hour event, the Nut Drive generates over $20,000 profit which is split between the participating clubs to fund projects such as:
Rotary Youth Exchange
Youth Adventure Programs
Rotaract and Interact Clubs
Helen Tufts Nursery School
Dictionaries for life
RKY Camp Camperships
Easter Seals
Boys & Girls Club of Kingston and Area
Loving Spoonfull
Pathways to Education and Many, Many More!
The Kingston Rotary Nut Drive is a great example of Rotarians partnering with local communities and institutions to make the world a better place.
November first and second are fast approaching, so register today for our District Conference.
We have Past RI Vice-President, Dean Rohrs, and her husband Rhino joining us for the entire weekend beginning with a Boat Tour and box lunch on Friday. If you'd like to join her, as well as our Past District Governors, register now as space is limited to the first 45 people. The cost is $15 per person and please note any food allergies. The Boat Tour should be glorious this time of year!
The boat leaves the Town dock at the shore of the hotel at Noon, so we are asking everyone to come on board no later than 11:30am.
Registration for the Full Conference is still open until October 30th via the link to the left, or click here.
If you would like a hotel room, please call the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel directly (315-686-1100) and let them know you are part of Rotary...see you there!
Celebrate World Interact Week during 4-10 November with nearly half a million Interact club members around the world! Interested in celebrating this special occasion but not sure where to start? Check out these concrete ideas you can use to join the party, and share your celebrations with #WorldInteractWeek! How will you share the power of Interact and celebrate this special occasion? Here are daily ideas you can use to join the party:
Again this year, D 7040 will be offering one (1) Global Grant Scholarship in the amount of $30,000 USD. This is a competitive scholarship for permanent residents of D 7040 who have recently completed an undergraduate degree, who are going into the first year of their first graduate studies program, and they will be studying outside of their home country. The purpose of the criteria is to give a boost to one of our talented young people as well as promote the Rotary theme of World Understanding and Peace.
To raise awareness of Rotary and to promote the 2020 Rotary Cash Calendar produced by the Rotary Club of West Ottawa (RCWO) as a major annual fundraising project, Rotarians joined with the WPBS Watertown TV station in its Fall 2019 Membership Drive. The Club offered up to 25 calendars to be used as pledge sponsorship gifts.
WPBS TV Watertown had designated September 7 as Rotary Night during the Public Broadcasting station's Fall 2019 membership event; RCWO and D7040 Passport Club Rotarians and spouse staffed the phones from 6-11pm to take membership pledges. During the event, RCWO banners and the draft mock-up of the 2020 calendar were displayed, and the WPBS on-air staff highlighted the calendar. The RCWO Club President was given the opportunity to speak on-air about the Club's fundraising activities, especially the Calendar, and about Rotary and the Club's community and international service activities.
A successful event, which the RCWO hopes will help strengthen relations between RCWO and WPBS, and lead to other collaborative opportunities in the future.
As we watched the news images and saw the horrific damage caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas, as we heard the stories of people who have lost much or all, Rotarians knew they had to do something!
The Rotary Club of West Ottawa (RCWO) decided that the first step was to raise funds to support relief and aid agencies that were on the ground, either providing immediate aid assistance or undertaking detailed needs assessments with local organizations including Rotary Clubs in the Bahamas. This is a necessary precursor to the rebuilding effort which will follow.
The Ottawa Rotary Home Foundation held a spectacular two-day Amazing Race themed fundraiser on August 23 – 25th. This weekend-long race with many mental and physical challenges was designed to test the racers strength, will and wit. It took place at various sites in the city of Ottawa. The racers were required to read maps and direct their volunteer drivers from one location to another – no cellphones allowed.
Their weekend event was extremely well organized. Even the weather was perfect for racing during the day and sleeping under the stars at night. Most of the volunteers were from Rotary clubs in Ottawa and area as well as few from Owen Sound and local Rotaractors too.
The Rotary Club of Ottawa first opened the respite home in 1982 with funds raised by club members as well as funds received from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. The Board of Directors who governs the organization is composed of deeply committed volunteers from various Rotary Clubs in the Ottawa. The Ottawa Rotary Home Foundations help improve the quality of life for caregivers and individuals with disabilities.
The racing teams raised $17,000 for the cause. The winning team were Rotaractors Jacob and Morgan. Their stamina and wit got them through the challenges quickly including the “escape room.” The Rotary’s only entry was Anna Van Adrichem-Rochon from Rotary Club of Kemptville and her sister Rozemary from Vancouver. In spite of their late entry they raised $2700 for the cause and managed to almost keep up with all the other teams that were, in some cases, younger than their own children.
Perhaps next year you might want to be part of the fun, as a racer or volunteer.
