Festival City Rotary Newsletter June 5, 2012
The Rotary Club Of Festival City
President: David Moore
Minutes of the meeting of June 5, 2012
Club email: festivalcityrotary@gmail.com
Club web blog: www.festivalcityrotary.blogspot.com
ClubRunner site: www.festivalcityrotary.ca
Guests: Marcia Matsui from Stratford Rotary. Phanuwat Kongwattananon (Nu) our Rotary Exchange Student from Thailand. Charlotte Coats outbound Exchange Student to Norway.
Draw Prize: Jean Aitcheson donated the prize won by Donna Hinz.
Announcements:
1. Presentation: Dianne Yundt presented the club with a 2011-12 District Literacy Award. The award is given by the District Governor Joe Reynolds.
2. New Board of Directors for the 2012-2013 Rotary Year:
President: Dianne Yundt
President-elect: Bill Helmuth
Vice President: Brian Rivers
Club Secretary: Carolyn Dingman
Board Secretary: Elizabeth Anderson
Treasurer: Etienne Leushuis
Rotary Foundation: Peter Moreton
Public Relations: Tyler Canal
Club Administration: Brandi Gillett
Membership: Deb Stacey-Rivers
Service: Jack West
3. Fundraising Chair Person: Dianne Yundt announced that Louise Spandler has volunteered to be the fundraising chair person for the next Rotary year.
4. Rotary Dues: Treasurer Etienne Leushuis announced that the dues for the next Rotary year will remain at $160. Cheques payable to “The Rotary Club of Festival City” can be given to Etienne before the end of the month. Cheques can be post-dated to July 1.
5. Bingo:”The Loonie Edition” On June 30 1987 the Royal Canadian Mint put the $1 coin into circulation. To celebrate this historic event we will be in charge of the Bingo on Saturday June 30 at 5 PM. Volunteers are needed. Sign up under Club Events in ClubRunner or contact Jack West. If you can work only the first couple of hours that would be helpful because more volunteers are needed at that time.
Club Assembly:
Treasurer Etienne Leushuis led a discussion of the Budget for 2012-2013. Under the heading of “community fundraising” there are two undesignated items for $2000 and $1000 that are potential fundraising projects. The board is open to suggestions for fundraising for these items. Also included in the budget is $12,500 for the Splash Pad project. This item came up for discussion.
Jack West expanded upon the Splash Pad project. Our club has expressed an interest in helping with it. The club will be receiving donations and doing the banking involved with the project.
In about three weeks at “Splash for Cash” campaign will begin to raise funds. This will be run by the Splash Pad committee and not our club. We want to be present when there are press releases so that the club gets recognition for our contribution if we pass a motion to donate up to $12500 in each of two years.
Although original estimates indicated that the pad would cost about $400 000 to build, recent information indicates it would likely cost much less. Listowel built one for about $150 000. A large donor would get naming rights but we would be recognized by a plaque at the site. If we vote to support the project then we would not be able to support other community projects for two years. We have about $9000 already available for community projects. Money earned from some of the current fundraising projects (such as Dinner of the Month) have to be spent on community projects. Our international projects are funded separately from the funds for community projects.
By being the lead donor at the beginning of the project will encourage other service clubs, companies, and individuals to donate. It is a project which will be accessible to everyone in the community and will fill a need.
The motion to donate $12500 to the Splash Pad Project in each of two years was voted on and passed with 16 voting in favour, 7 against and one abstention.
Jean Aitcheson gave a report on the distribution of funds raised at the Spaghetti Dinner. $6500 was split and donated in the following way. $2500 to the Literacy Project in El Salvador. $500 to the Tavistock Rotary Club for their Shoebox program in Mexico. Tavistock Rotary have been regular supporters of the spaghetti dinner and the Shoebox program is their only international program. $500 went to the Woodstock-Oxford Rotary Club to support their relief efforts in the Philippines flooding. $500 went to India for a de-fluoridation project. Very high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in water in some areas of India contributes to serious health problems. Polio-like symptoms affect the brain and limbs.
$500 to India for the construction of washrooms in girls schools. $1000 was donated to Dr Geza’s well project in Uganda which is being run by Knox Presbyterian Church. The remaining $1000 went to another international project.