September 26, 2019: Loreena McKennit, “Reflections”, Elizabeth Gaffney will introduce, and Michael Fox will thank our speakers.
Head Table: Our President Brent Shackleton, invites Elizabeth Gaffney, R.L. Stephenson-Read, Debra Swan, Doug Thompson, Rheo Thompson, Chris Tomson and Gerry Thuss, to join him at the head table.
Today at Rotary: Rotaract President, Nick Priekschas, and President-Elect, Rebecca Price, were today’s speakers. The Stratford Rotaract Club has thirty members ranging in age from 18-35. The Club meets twice monthly – one meeting is business and a speaker, the other is business and Trivia Night (Molly Blooms). As a group of young professionals, they promote service, friendship and fundraising for good causes (for example, the proceeds from Trivia Night are donated to a different local charity each month). Because they are still developing careers, personal and leadership development are important so the Stratford Rotaract Club emphasizes speakers and District activities which enable learning. Laurie Brown, Rotaract past president, is now chair of the District’s Rotaract committee.
Program speakers this week were Rotaract President Nick Preikschas and incoming president Rebecca Price and attending past president Lori Brown. They spoke about the Rotaract club in general, their Mission Statement, their activities and how their expectations differed from ours and how the transition might work.
Nick and Rebecca outlined four particular challenges for Rotaracters transitioning to Rotary.
1. Meeting times (midday, 90 minutes – tough to juggle with work; also tough to attend morning meetings because of getting kids off to school and daycare)
2. Meeting costs – buying lunch or breakfast on a weekly basis is expensive for young professionals with mortgages
3. Meeting tone – worried about ‘breaking the rules’
4. Meeting diversity – not very comfortable with seniors.
Rebecca Price showing off Rotaract shirt and motto.
The Rotaract Club enjoys its small numbers and own relationships and members are reluctant to leave the group. Rotary also needs to demonstrate better what Rotaracters would gain by joining a Rotary club. Rotaracters want social media profile/exposure which could benefit them in their jobs. In closing, Nick and Rebecca encouraged Rotarians to attend Rotaract meetings so as to strengthen links between the two groups.
Nick and Rebecca were introduced by Brent Shackleton and thanked by Doug Thompson.
Scribe: Charlene Gordon
Care & Cheer: Roger Black reported that Bob Gulliford is ill with pneumonia.
Announcements:
- Walt Bathe announced an Aquabox build for late October, location TBA.
- The scheduled vote on the new Membership Categories was postponed due to concerns about voting vs non-voting memberships recently raised by Legislation Committee’s new legal counsel, Matt Orchard. More to follow.
Our youngest potential Interact, Rotaract and eventual Rotarian member “ Archie “ Katelyn Aitcheson’s newly born son.
Climate Momentum Day - Rotarians participating Sept 20, 2019
Guests: We welcomed, Laurie Brown, Colleen Frizzell, Archie Aitcheson.
Draw: Karel Hodgert was the winner of the draw prize (an Arden Park certificate) donated by Bob Lightfoot.
Make-ups: Nothing to report, if you do a make-up please send me an email at naroutzidis@naeng.com.
September’s Attendance Committee: John Hood Tidman (I/C), Ken Nesbitt, Berny Nymeyer, Gordon Sherwin, Harry Brightwell, Ian Fisher, John Fisher, Basil Hurst.
October’s Attendance Committee: George Schroeder (I/C), Doug Thompson, Angus MacDermid, Gary Wreford, Lynn McKone, Rob Ritz, Mike Nielsen, Bert Clifford, Peter Roach.
