Posted by Wayne Harper on Oct 26, 2017
 
 
   Thanks to Pam Harrison for the pictures.
 
Dianne Oulton was in the Chair today as we had a full house.  Today's meeting was on the 26th of the month, a date and number that had special meaning to Dianne.  It seems, most recently, that her grandson was born 4 years ago today and it was 26 years ago today that she and Frank had their first date.
Dianne also acknowledged the story in Tribune Post on Tom Lafford and his remarkable "touchdown" at last week's Titan football game.
 
  Guests today included two potential new members - Tammy Savoie and Alana Alcorn.  Justin and Makala Hunter were also guests (and Gold Mine winners) as was Speakers Laurie Richer and Brian Nielson.  There were no visiting members today.
 
Pam acknowledged a make up in Woodstock where she took her "Bell for Polio" campaign to raise funds for polio.  To date she has reached $1,270 and expects to meet her $1,500 target when she meets Rotarians in Moncton tomorrow.........  Dave and Susan F. were able to pass off the "Hot Potato" to Rotarians on Ottawa last week.  Our Club had the potato for 24 days and donated $240 to Polio...........There were no birthdays this week.
This week the 50-50 draw stood at $145 and   Louise had her ticket drawn.  Looking for the 8 of  , she pulled the 5 of  .  Happy dollars started with Bill being happy that he is going to Ottawa to see grandson #1.  It will be a whirl win trip as he is due to be the auctioneer next week........Gayle was happy and amazed that she can still sit out on her deck and drink coffee in the mornings............Josh was happy he took off Monday so he could go hunting.  While he didn't shoot a deer, his partner Christine's father did, meaning there will be meat for the winter for the second year in a row.........Ove had a novel idea.  Seems his car broke down in Edmunston and would be taking several days to be repaired.  Unable to rent a car to come home, he did the next best thing - he rented a U-Haul truck and drove it home.  Unfortunately wife Pat had the dog on her lap for the trip home............Edna was happy that she and Peter are leaving for England to visit the area that's home to the Boland clan.  Gayle will perform her duties while she is away.
 
Dave will be in the Chair next weeks as he heads up the annual Member Auction.  Bill will try to avoid any snowstorms in Ottawa as he is slated to be the auctioneer.............Upcoming meetings will see the Youth Services committee meet after this meeting, the Club Administration Committee will also meet after this meeting and the Board is scheduled to meet next Wednesday (November 1st).............In committee reports, Dave showed a short Rotary video.  Here Reverend Desmond Tutu conveys the theme of the video - "we are this close".  Several celebrities were shown echoing this theme.
  This weeks Gold Mine winner was Justin Guthro.  Justin is shown receiving his cheque for  $2,466 from Rotarian Edna Boland.
Also collecting their charity-of-the-week cheque was Brian Nielson from the Tantramar Family Resource Centre.  He is shown with Rotarian Edna Boland and the cheque for $617.
 
 
On President's Time, John read a letter from Adam Campbell of Ducks Unlimited to determine if we wanted to bartend at their upcoming dinner on November 25th.  This year they would like us to handle the whole bar from procurement and licensing to selling.  100% of the revenue would be ours.  Apparently Fundraising Chair Jamie is aware and has agreed.  Mary will follow through with Jamie.
Josh introduce our speakers today     - Brian Nielson and Laurie Richer from the Tantramar Family Resource Centre, one of our charities who benefit from the weekly Gold Mine draw.  The Tantramar Family Resource Centre grew out of Quality of Life meetings held in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2000. By 2005, a steering committee was formed, and by 2007, the TFRC became an incorporated entity with charitable status. 
    For the last 12 years, volunteers have driven the success of the Tantramar Family Resource Centre and a volunteer board of directors meets on a monthly basis to make decisions on funding applications, programming requests and fundraising ideas. 
The Tantramar Family Resource Centre works towards developing the Tantramar community as a safe, secure, and healthy community where all citizens have access to social services, where their basic needs are met, and where a reasonable quality of life is assured. They are a not-for-profit organization located in Sackville, NB.   They work in partnership with other local organizations (Rotary is but one), to put on free workshops and events to promote literacy, food security and family well-being. 
At one point Laurie demonstrated a programming initiative for kids that encourages kids to take up computer coding.  The software (Raspberry Pie) shows Bill playing a banana that made the sound of a digital piano.

Their programs include:

  • Story Tent (Saturdays in the summer)
  • Talk With Me Mother Goose & Baby Massage
  • Little Free Library (located outside of our office)
  • Mini Story Sacks
  • Family Literacy Day
  • Reading Is Pawsome! 
  • Art Hive workshops
  • Kids Have Stress Too! parenting program 
  • Pre and postnatal workshops
  • Car seat clinics
  • Wellness Week
  • Movie Nights @ Sackville Library
  • Midnight Madness
  • Parenting after Separation and Blended Families
  • Climate Change Week
  • Coat Drive
  • Raspberry Pi (coding for kids)
  Sandy thanked Brian and Laurie for speaking today by presenting them with a book to be sent to a local library acknowledging their participation today as well as a certificate and Rotary Pen.
 
Dianne adjourned the meeting with the 4-way-test.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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