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New Executives
Your executive members for next year should be reported on the District website. You may find this document helpful How do I carry over a current year executive? Do this in the district site first. If your club is integrated with RI, and most are, you can check later to see that the executive does show up there How to manage club officers.
Such a seemingly simple molecule composed of just three atoms – two hydrogen and one oxygen. But as with so many simple things, absolutely critical for life on Earth!
Humans can live for weeks without food, but only a few days without water. This is a fact that we tend to forget in a society where most of us can turn on a tap and obtain more than enough water to consume directly, to cook with, and to bathe and clean. But in many parts of the world, water is a commodity more precious than anything.
In many of these places, water is not easily accessible, or if accessible is not potable. These factors lead to acute and chronic health consequences, have negative impacts on educational opportunities, and limit agricultural and other socio-economic activities. This why water, together with sanitation and hygiene which depend on water, is one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus. Provision of water to those who do not have access to clean potable water is one way that we can help instill a sense of hope in those we seek to help, and by so doing help Create Hope in the World!
With this in mind, DGE Teresa Whitmore and I decided that we would introduce a D7040 Governors’ Initiative this year and support a Global Grant project to bring safe drinking water to an indigenous community in Amazonian Colombia. If you want to know more about this project, please contact your AG or me, and we can provide information as well as describe how you or your Club can make a commitment to the project. As many of you have heard me say during my Club visits, it does not take a lot for a Club or an individual to become involved in a Global Grant project, but our collective impact can be huge!
Who is attending the President Elect Training Seminar from your club?
RI has confirmed that this PETS training is essential and compulsory, even if the PE is serving a second term (since messaging and policies change from year to year). Rest assured that the District is covering the costs of the event - nothing additional is charged to your club.
As noted, PETS is happening in person in Cornwall at the Best Western Parkway on Apr. 6 (3:00 pm) - Apr. 7 (4:30 pm). You must register here for a meal count. You can find more information here. The Learning and Development team has worked hard on the program, and we are certain that you will find it valuable and interesting.
PE's need to call the hotel (613) 932-0451 to secure their room. Please mention that you are booking as part of the Rotary PETS event (there should not be a request for the personal credit card of the individual booking the room).
Each May, Rotarians around our District gather to raise funds for the Foundation’s Annual Fund – the ‘engine’ that drives all local and global grants which do good in the world.
We are pleased to invite you and members of your club along with family members and friends of Rotary to join in this year's Rotary Foundation Walk to raise funds for Rotary's Annual Fund. Our annual D7040 Rotary Foundation Walks to support the Annual Fund take place May 6 -11. For details go to https://www.rotary7040.com/sitepage/foundation-walk
Marches annuelle de la Fondation du district pour le Fonds annuel
Chaque mois de mai, les Rotariens de notre district se réunissent pour la collecte de fonds pour le Fonds annuel de la Fondation Rotary - le « moteur » qui aide toutes les subventions locales et mondiales qui font du bien dans le monde.
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter, vous et les membres de votre club, ainsi que les membres de votre famille et vos amis du Rotary, à vous joindre à la Marche de la Fondation Rotary de cette année afin de collecter des fonds pour le Fonds annuel du Rotary. Nos marches annuelles de la Fondation Rotary D7040 pour soutenir le Fonds annuel auront lieu du 6 au 11 mai... détails https://www.rotary7040.com/sitepage/foundation-walk
The House of Friendship in Clayton will be abuzz with projects, ideas, chats, activities, and goodies and making connections. You can even get your Rotary tattoo there.
We still have a few spots where your club can showcase and talk about a project, or passion or run a fundraiser.
Montreal is gearing up for a new literary event, the Montreal Mystery Book Festival, slated for May 24-25, 2024. This festival, the first of its kind in the city, will be held at la Grande Bibliothèque, located in the vibrant heart of Montreal. Top authors include Guillaume Morrissette and J. L. Blanchard presenting in French, and bestsellers Shari Lapena and Robyn Harding presenting in English, and popular Icelandic author Lilja Sigurðardóttir.
Over 20 distinguished authors from Quebec, Canada, and the United States will converge for this two-day festival, bringing with them a myriad of tales filled with intrigue, suspense, and mystery. Montreal Mystery is a bilingual event, accommodating both English and French speaking audiences.
At Rotary, our guiding principles—The Four-Way Test, Object of Rotary, and the Avenues of Service—form the bedrock of our commitment to service, fellowship, diversity, integrity, and leadership. These values inspire us to create a world where every person, regardless of their background, feels valued and belongs.
The District 7040 DEI committee Speakers Bureau showcases the rich tapestry of our community, from diverse age groups and ethnicities to different learning styles and beliefs. By sharing their unique stories, our speakers inspire, educate, and ignite change. Whether you're an individual looking to share your story or a club seeking to enhance your diversity journey, the Speakers Bureau is your gateway to growth and understanding. By engaging with our speakers, you'll gain fresh perspectives, challenge your assumptions, and discover the power of embracing differences.
Visit the DEI Speakers Bureau to learn more and get involved. Together, we can build a future where every person is celebrated, respected, and empowered to make a difference.
It is Spring, that wondrous time of year that nature wakes up. My east windows are full of seedlings (vegetables, herbs, and native flowers) waiting to be transplanted in the garden. The crocuses are blooming, and the tulips leaves promise a soon-to be wondrous display. It makes me happy.
I love fresh air, open windows, and doors. I love to hear the birds. Except there are fewer every year and I have no choice but to listen to an incessant suburban buzz! Not a bee buzz, but lawnmowers. Think about the noise and air pollution we cause when we mow, trim and blow. Emissions from (fossil-fuelled) mowers, blowers, and trimmers are an important source of toxic and carcinogenic exhaust and fine particulate matter (EPA). Toxic pesticides and fertilizers… we cannot keep on using these, knowing how much we harm the environment (and ourselves).
Our District- wide efforts to promote urban biodiversity (Less lawns and lights) is ramping up again.
You are invited to join our Annual Gananoque Rotary International Evening being held at the Gananoque Secondary School (GSS), 175 William St. Gananoque, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Please accept our invitation by return email as soon as possible. Our Guest speaker this year will be our Nepal, Queens University student, Hari Chandra Satyal and his wife Kavita Chapagain. They will talk about growing up in the village of Phulbari, Nepal and the support that Rotary Club has given them through the University in Kathmandu and also, now doing a Master’s Degree at Queens University in Kingston. Circle May 15, 5:30 p.m. on your calendar and plan to attend our annual Rotary International Night at GSS, 175 William St., Gananoque.
A Nepalese dinner will be provided by GSS Hospitality. Cora Beking, a travel team member from the Kemptville Rotary Club, will be baking many cakes for everyone to bid on, to either take home or have their cake served as their desert. A silent auction of gifts and crafts will be available in support of Rotary International Projects. Anyone wishing to support our International Projects can do so by cheque or debit card.
The Dinner cost is $30. Reply to Bruce Higgs before May 6 so the GSS Hospitality can prepare your Nepalese meal. Please advise if a special vegetable meal is required. You can make payment to any Rotarian or at the door if more convenient.
Contact Rotarian Bruce Higgs, Rotary Club of Gananoque
If you learn music, you’ll learn history. If you learn music, you’ll learn mathematics. If you learn music, you’ll learn most all there is to learn. — Edgar Cayce
The Campbell Oudeh McNamee (COM) Rotary scholarship was established in 2018 with the goal of providing opportunities to open doors to education and life for economically disadvantaged students living in rural communities in Jamaica. The aim of the scholarship is to make music a transformative force that break down barriers and makes it accessible for youth who would otherwise face economic hardship in attaining their educational pursuits.
The criteria to qualify for the scholarship includes outstanding academic achievement, community engagement, a well-rounded character, and a commitment to teaching music education in the rural areas of Jamaica post-graduation. Since the inception of the scholarship program, a total of $18,000 Canadian Dollars has been awarded to deserving students at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts.
How Do Global Grants Make Sustainable Change in the World?
One remarkable aspect of The Rotary Foundation is that opportunities for significant projects exist wherever there’s a need — in large countries and small ones, in metropolitan areas and rural ones.
Global grant projects are built on international partnerships, and those collaborations can take many forms. A district in Canada may be the international sponsor, with a U.S. district as the host sponsor. A club in France could sponsor a global grant project in Germany. The need, not the location, determines the project.
Here’s another example: Rotary clubs in Honduras and the U.S. worked together on a global grant project to provide eye care to people in Honduras. Members from both clubs provided vision services through local clinics. They evaluated more than 1,200 people and gave prescription eyeglasses to 600. A local nongovernmental organization will continue to provide glasses and medications to people who need them.
What does this mean for the community? Better eyesight can lead to better educational or occupational opportunities, which can mean a better quality of life for people.
The Rotary Club of West Ottawa along with its partners Rideauwood, Youth Services Bureau, Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario and the United Way Eastern Ontario have organized a half day forum on mental health to take place at Saint Paul University on April 27, 2024, from 8:30 am - 1 pm. The theme for the morning is Prepared & Positive.
The focus of the forum is on helping parents to identify behavioural changes in their children which may be indicators of mental health issues developing in their child and what tools and resources parents have available to them to help them address these issues. I have attached a Registration poster just FYI. Registration can be accessed directly at Prepared & Positive - How do I Recognize Mental Health Issues in MY Child? | Rotary Club of West Ottawa (rcwo.org)
The program for the morning will consist of two 75-minute sessions. Parents will have the choice to attend 1 option in each session. Session One will have speakers on bullying (Angela Lorusso), addictions (Rideauwood), and body image (Youth Services Bureau). Session Two will feature Dr. Ian Manion, Dr. Laura Armstrong - both Clinical Psychologists - and a presentation by Parents Lifeline of Eastern Ontario. Parents can attend one of these sessions. Between the two sessions will be an hour-long break where attendees can have coffee and a snack and visit numerous information tables set up by organizations that provide help to young people and their parents during mental health incidents.
The final session will feature Emily Balla of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board moderating a discussion with three young people who have successfully navigated the mental health system and achieved wellness.
Please share this information with parents of young children and youth in your various networks.
