Meeting of April 14, 2015

 

GUESTS:

Ellen Boyce from the noon club was welcomed as a guest this morning along with Kevin Blain, Parks and Rec’s Supervisor from the City of Hamilton who has been very helpful to our club.

 

HAPPY DOLLARS
Today’s meeting got under way with an underwhelming number of Happy Dollars.  George had to work the crowd hard! Thanks however to Jessica for noting she had a wonderful time at the District education program on Saturday with Shirley and driver Bob M.. Ernie thanked Bob M for resuming his humorous emails noting it is a sure signal that Bob has returned from his winter vacation in Portugal. Bob then reported good news on the biopsy report on the tissue removed from his arm in March. Art gave to the pot to remind us of the Routes Scrap Metal and Electronics Drive this weekend 9-1 at the Westoby Arena on Olympic Drive

 

PROGRAM

We unanimously supported the new Rotary International Constitution at our vote this morning. President Bob noted that we will still be required to have our own By Laws .

 

Ellen Boyce and Bill Armstrong both spoke to the Lobsterfest event and the need for all member participation and sign up to assist in the varied roles: donating auction items, selling tickets, and bringing a bottle of good wine ( $15+ Please) for the raffle. As well securing donations for the auction from others, and/or sponsorships of the event. Please see Roger for more details on sponsorships which is an area of enhanced focus this year. FYI, thank you to our first Platinum level sponsor….Scotiabank! Besides signing up to help at the event there is also need for renewal of leadership which is shared with the noon club …..Art made an impassioned plea for younger members to take over the cooking job which he has been anchoring  for 19 years and Ellen made the request for Volunteer Recruitment leadership to also change hands. So……please sign up yourselves and family members who can help out at this great community event which does not run on thin air ( which was really the message to us all!) and consider stepping up into a leadership role that may interest you.

 

Ken Beel then spoke to us about our Fireworks event and its history since 2008 when we took it over from the City. Thanks to their on going support ( $29,500 this year) and the 5 year agreement we have with them which runs to 2019, we have a major ‘feel good” community activity to be proud of. As Ken noted we have made $60,000 since 2008 including approximately $15,000  each of the last 3 years as the event has grown and attracted upwards of 10-15 thousand people annually. As well local not for profit groups ( e.g. fellow Rotary clubs, St John’s Ambulance etc.) have benefitted by our ability to pay them for their services and assistance. Volunteers are again needed….40-50 of them. Please sign up your friends and relatives who help us make this a fun, family friendly, safe event! See Bill  Armstrong to volunteer for Security duties and Steve Roblin for Gate/Collection duties. No meetings attendance required