Home Page | Rotary Club of Guelph South

Proud to also serve Puslinch Township

Come together as strangers
Work together as friends

We meet Thursdays at 7:30 AM
Springfield Golf & Country Club

2054 Gordon Street
Guelph, ON N1L1G6
Canada

Email:

info@guelphsouthrotary.ca

District Site

Venue Map

Linda Main

It is a special honor and privilege to begin my term as the 2018-2019 Rotary Club President and to “Be the Inspiration” to our members. Our club of 24 members focuses on Fun, Fellowship, Friendship and Fundraising! Our exciting and dynamic club incorporate all four when putting together our successful events to raise funds for the community. Last year our club donated $60,000 to charities both locally and internationally through our events, “Taste of Italy” Pasta Dinner, Volunteer Appreciation Brunch and “Tour De Guelph” cycling event.

I cordially invite you to attend one our breakfast meetings on Thursdays at 7:30 am at Springfield Golf And Country Club. We are like minded individuals that want to make a difference in our community and globally. We “come together as strangers and work together as friends.” There is so much to learn and share when you join our family.

PRESIDENT CHANGEOVER

Posted on Jul 01, 2018

On June 19^th members and guests gathered to celebrate the end of another successful Rotary year. President Bruno Marziano’s term will end of June 30^th and he was thanked for his service to the club over the past year. Incoming President Linda Main presented him with an engraved award as thanks, and he expressed his thanks to the members for their involvement that made the year such a success. Everyone enjoyed barbecued steaks and ribs, along with various salads and accompaniments. Mother Nature cooperated and provided perfect weather for eating and fellowship outdoors.

SPECIAL VISITORS FROM INDIA!

Posted on Jun 20, 2018

Rotary Club of Guelph South Rotarian Pat Lewis, along with Rotary Club of Guelph Trillium Rotary President Norm Greensmith, today welcomed + exchanged banners with visiting Rotarians (President-Elect K.K. Chugh, President Hernant Shah) from @3201Rotary District, Rotary Club of Coimbatore Metropolis, India.

K.K. Chugh has a brother in Guelph, and they are staying with that brother while they attend the Rotary International Convention being held in Toronto. They had originally reached out to our Club, to attend our regular weekly meeting. However we had cancelled this week’s meeting due to the President Changeover event, and instead invited them to approach the Guelph-Trillium Club about attend their meeting. They spoke with Norm Greensmith who readily accommodated them, and our own Pat Lewis offered to attend as well to extend greetings on behalf of our Club and present them with our banner.

Their club’s signature project is “Hope After Fire – Reconstruction Surgery for Burn Deformities”. They will be providing us with information on it, and are looking forward to getting more information on our projects.

Just a couple more of the more than 1.2 million members of our “Rotary family” that we have the privilege of getting to know!

SHELTERBOX NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE!

Posted on May 21, 2018

In recognition of its humanitarian efforts in areas of extreme conflict. Rotary and ShelterBox have worked together for more than 15 years, providing emergency shelter after disasters in all parts of the world. The goal of ShelterBox is to keep families and communities together in crisis situations, providing emergency shelter and life-saving supplies to people forcibly displaced from their homes.

Our Rotary Club purchased and donated 2 Shelter Boxes which were dispatched to Port-Au-Prince Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there.

Good luck to ShelterBox as it is up for much-deserved recognition for the good it has done.

FOOD4KIDS

Posted on May 22, 2018

The pilot project for servicing the Guelph area is progressing well, with the school year soon coming to a close. The project team has been working through the logistics of this new program on a smaller scale with the intention of being able to incorporate more volunteers and increasing the number of students that can be serviced starting this fall.

We are grateful to the project team for all their work in getting this project started, and are looking forward to a full roll-out that more of us can be involved with. Stay tuned!

(Members of the Food4Kids project team)

CAMP ENTERPRISE STUDENTS

Posted on May 20, 2018

Rotary Club of Guelph South has, since 2007, sponsored senior students from Bishop Macdonell High School to attend the Golden Triangle Camp Enterprise 3-day residential business development program that is sponsored by 9 Rotary Clubs in the Guelph, Cambridge and K-W area. The program this year ran from May 1^st through 3^rd in Waterloo. This year we sponsored 4 students, and we were pleased to welcome 3 of them that were available to attend our May 17^th weekly meeting and give us their impressions of their participation. Nestor Rivera, Happy Tran and Zachary Taylor shared how they were part of a break-out group that developed a business plan for a new business with a mens’ hair care product. They also spoke about their visit to the Velocity Project and in particular how much food was made available to the participants!

(Rotarian Frank Oudesluys, Happy, Nestor, Rotary President Bruno Marziano, Zachary)

In particular, Nestor expressed a desire to pursue involvement in a Rotaract Club after having observed the presentations by the Rotaractors. While none of them had known about Rotary, or Rotaract, before taking part in Camp Enterprise, they now have a better idea of what both are and appreciated the opportunity to be part of the group that attended Camp Enterprise. We were gratified to get the following feedback from their business teacher at Bishop Mac, Kevin Da Costa: “I have spoken to the 4 students from BM who went and they all loved it! Extremely positive reviews and they were very grateful to have the chance to go.”

5th ANNUAL TOUR DE GUELPH - JUST OVER 4 WEEKS AWAY!

Posted on May 22, 2018

Time flies when you're having fun! We can hardly believe Tour de Guelph is now just over 4 weeks away! We've been having so much fun planning for this year's ride. It's going to be our biggest and best ride yet and we want you there with us!

The 5^th annual event has an ambitious goal of $125,000. We’re pleased to announce that there is already almost $50,000 raised – that’s 40% of the goal. You can go to the www.tourdeguelph.ca website and make a donation directly, or you can sponsor one of the many teams that have already registered. And – cool new feature for 2018 – when you make a donation online you have the opportunity of personalizing a Tour de Guelph e-card and sending it to up to 100 email addresses. And of course you get your tax receipt emailed to you right away as well. All proceeds of Tour de Guelph Five will help fund a new CT Scanner for Guelph General Hospital. Many other organizations will also benefit through the Rotary Clubs of Guelph South and Guelph Trillium.

New for 2018! Everyone must choose: Ride-for-the-Jersey OR Register as a Free-wheeler

Ride-for-the-Jersey: When you agree to raise a minimum of $300, you'll receive an exclusive Tour de Guelph Five cycling jersey valued at $75 for free! On the day after the event, if you have not met this minimum fundraising goal, your credit card will be charged for the balance. For example, if you raised $220, your card will be charged $80. Note that you can set a higher fundraising goal to try to win one of the amazing top fundraiser prizes with no obligation to meet your higher goal. As long as you reach the $300 minimum, you will not be charged. You also have the option of purchasing additional jerseys when you register.
Free-wheeler: As a Free-wheeler, you decide whether or not you wish to fundraise. If you choose to fundraise, you set your own goal with no requirement to meeting a minimum fundraising amount and no obligation to meet your goal. You may still qualify for top fundraiser prizes and you may purchase a jersey for $100.00 – you'll get the jersey and a $25 charitable tax receipt.

Distances & Pricing
Back by popular demand - the 75k route! Tour de Guelph Five offers six routes:

	Early Bird Price	Regular Price	Day-of Price
Route	May 12 - Jun 15	Jun 16 - 21	24-Jun
5k/10k loop	$12	$15	$15
25k Bremner Memorial	$30	$35	$40
50k	$50	$60	$70
75k	$55	$65	$75
100k	$60	$70	$80
160k century	$70	$80	$90

Note that distances are not exact, they may vary by a few kilometers. Detailed route maps will be available on our website in June.

Sincerely,

Norm Litchfield, Rotary Club Guelph Trillium, Tour de Guelph Co-Chair,

Brian Cowan, Rotary Club Guelph South, Tour de Guelph Co-Chair,

Suzanne Bone, CEO, The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital

MAY IS ROTARY’S "YOUTH SERVICE MONTH"

Posted on May 04, 2018

May is the month when we focus on all Rotary activities that support the development of young people up to the age of 30 including Rotaract, Interact and even Rota-Kids. Activities to support youth include Camp Enterprise, RYLA and Youth Exchange. Our club has sponsored students in both RYLA and Camp Enterprise since 2007.

Our Rotary Club, every year since 2007, has sponsored senior students from Guelph's Bishop Macdonell high school to attend the annual Golden Triangle “Camp Enterprise” a cooperative effort between multiple Rotary Clubs in the ‘Golden Triangle’ region surrounding Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Waterloo and Fergus. Selected students have the opportunity, at no cost, to attend a 3 day immersive camp at the University of Waterloo about business and entrepreneurship. Students will get to attend keynote speaker lectures and participate in collaborative activities culminating in a business plan presentation at the end of camp. Camp Enterprise is free for Students - local Rotary Clubs cover the cost of lodging, meals etc. It cost Rotary about $350 per student. Because Rotary is investing so much in the students we ask the students for their commitment to attending the full camp itinerary, and for them to make the most of the Camp Enterprise experience.

(L-R Nestor, Happy, Lukus and President-Elect Linda Main. Zachary was at an Air Cadet event)

This year’s camp ran from May 1^st through the 3^rd, and on May 17^th we’ll look forward to hearing from the students that we sponsored at our May 17th weekly meeting. The Camp Enterprise program is a great way for our Club to contribute to the vocational development of local high school students.

DONATION TO SUNRISE - April 26th 2018

Posted on Apr 30, 2018

Puslinch Mayor Dennis Lever presented our $5,000 donation to Lynne O'Brien, Executive Director of Sunrise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre. This donation is from proceeds of the 16th Annual "Taste of Italy" Pasta Dinner, an event held annually in Puslinch to benefit Sunrise.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BRUNCH

Posted on Apr 25, 2018

The 3^rd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Brunch was held on Sunday April 22^nd, having been delayed from the original date thanks to Mother Nature! Although a somewhat smaller crowd than originally anticipated, all 10 organizations being honoured were still represented and gratefully accepted their recognition and donation. We were also thankful to the dignitaries who attended and expressed their appreciation, both for the organizations and volunteers and for the Rotary Club of Guelph South for hosting the event.

Nice comments have been received and posted on social media, for example:

“On behalf of Onward Willow Neighbourhood Group, thank you so much for hosting such a lovely brunch! Unfortunately our turnout wasn't that high with the postponement and all, but we really appreciate it and had a great time! Susie Stauffer, Neighbourhood Support Worker”

Sandra Ellis, President - Family Counselling & Support Services along with
Puslinch Fire & Rescue Chief Fire Prevention Officer Michael Roess

Grateful to our sponsors - doesn't happen without their support!

Representatives of volunteer organizations plus (far right) Rotarians Ann Caine + Brian Cowan

COMFORT QUILTS

Posted on Apr 23, 2018

On April 19th we had past member Cheryl Cowan speaking on her involvement with the Royal City Quilters Guild and our partnership with them in the creation of 200 "Comfort Quilts" over the past year. Cheryl displayed some sample quilts and advised on the disposition of the 200 quilts. She has since written an article for the upcoming RCQG newsletter that she has shared with us:

We are pleased and proud of our involvement with this worthwhile project of RCQG.

APRIL IS ROTARY'S "MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH MONTH"

Posted on Apr 03, 2018

An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.

Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children so they can live longer and grow stronger. We expand access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease. The Rotary Foundation reaches mothers and children in need by giving communities the help and training they need to take control of their own maternal and infant health care.

Rotary makes amazing things happen, like:

Mobile prenatal clinics: Haiti has the highest maternal and infant mortality rate of any country in the western hemisphere. Rotary provided a fully equipped medical Jeep to volunteers and midwives to reach mothers and children in remote areas.

Cancer screening: Rotarians provided a mobile cancer screening unit and awareness trainings around Chennai, India, where there is a high mortality rate of women with breast and cervical cancer due to late diagnosis.

Preventing injuries and deaths: Rotary members launched a $3 million, five-year pilot to save lives of mothers and children during home deliveries in Nigeria. Since 2005, they’ve also repaired 1,500 obstetric fistulas — 500 more than their initial goal — restoring dignity and hope to vulnerable mothers.

“If mothers are empowered and healthy, so are their families, leading to an alleviation of poverty and hunger.” Robert Zinser, co-founder of the Rotarian Action Group for Population and Development and retired president for Asia at chemical giant BASF.

ROTARY CLUB OF CENTRE WELLINGTON "GRAND TASTE"

Posted on Apr 03, 2018

Come hungry! And support the Rotary Club of Centre Wellington at their annual “Grand Taste” event in support of Groves Hospital Foundation.

GREAT MARCH 2018 SPEAKERS!

Posted on Apr 03, 2018

We had some really interesting and diverse speakers during the month of March – thanks to the members for their assistance in organizing these weekly meeting programs.

Celia Clark thanking Canadian elite boxer/Olympic hopeful Sara Haghighat-joo

Jeff Merriman, Field Director for Water Ambassadors Canada

Michael House Executive Director Beth Harris

Karen Dowell thanks Gail Touchie, Regional Manager, West Central Ontario, Scientists in School

HISTORY OF THE ROTARY BELL

Posted on Apr 03, 2018

Ever wonder why every Rotary Club has one??

In 1922, U.S. Rotarians organized an attendance contest; the challenge was that the losing clubs would join in giving the winning club a prize. The Rotary Club of New York City was declared the winner and to them was awarded as a prize a bell from a popular patrol boat, which was placed on wood that came from HMS "Victory", Admiral Nelson's vessel at the battle of Trafalgar.

Since then, the bell used in Rotary meetings started to represent, as on the ships, order, discipline and the time to guide us through the weekly hour and a half meetings. The bell informs us with its sound the beginning of the Rotary meeting, at which time people present should stand, same as at the end, in order to salute the national and Rotary flags. The gavel symbolizes the authority invested in the Rotarian elected to the highest position in Rotary, and through him, reminds those present of his authority. When presidents transmit their positions to their successors at the end of their mandate, they give the bell their last hit turning the gavel over to their successor, symbolizing the transfer of authority.

(Note: each Club has its own traditions with respect to use of the Rotary bell – it is just a symbol, its use is not cast in stone)

CONGRATULATIONS U OF G ROTARACTORS

Posted on Mar 28, 2018

On Friday March 23^rd the University of Guelph Rotaractors hosted their annual Gala, this year to benefit the Start2Finish Running & Reading Program in Guelph. Everyone, including the Rotary Club of Guelph South members that attended the event, had a great time and very much enjoyed the dinner. Their Facebook page has some photos, including these:

SHELLDALE FAMILY GATEWAY at Sunrise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre
Sunrise Therapeutic Riding & Learning Centre

Jul 24, 2018
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
2018-19 Board of Directors Meeting - August 20th 2018
Jean Little Room - Village of Arbour Trails (Village by the Arboretum)

Aug 20, 2018
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
2018-19 Board of Directors Meeting - November 5th 2018
Jean Little Room - Village of Arbour Trails (Village by the Arboretum)

Nov 05, 2018
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

President

President-Elect

Past President

Secretary

Treasurer

Club Service Chair

Community Service Chair

Debbie Allen

International Service Chair

Debbie Allen

Vocational Service Chair

Youth Service Chair

Foundation Chair

Membership Chair

Public Relations Chair

Brian Cowan

Director

Hazel Dickie

July 2018
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
01	02	03	04	05	06	07
08	09	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31	01	02	03	04

BRIAN COWAN

Jul 19, 2018

Tour de Guelph Five Recap

Tour de Guelph Five Co-Chair Brian Cowan will provide a recap of the recently completed event, and solicit ideas and suggestions from the club members for the 2019 event.

View entire list...