Messages this week from our Club President, Tracey Curtis
Hello Rotarians. I'm thinking, "Where did the week go?" because I've been so busy. But while time seems to fly for me, I am mindful that it doesn't feel the same for everyone. In fact, our 11th session last Tuesday of "Finding the balance during Covid-19" heard about many Canadians feeling worried, bored, stressed, lonely and sad. Helen Fishburn from CHMA-WW reported on a critical level of mental health issues. Two great tips (among many more) from Helen were:
Get Real With How You Feel. "Name it, don't numb it."
And if you don't want to "bother" your friends or family with how you really feel, but feel the need to share your feelings with "Someone", you'll find a friendly, compassionate voice at CMHA-WW's 24x7 confidential phone service. Call any time of day or night 1-844-437-3247. Or visit their helpful website at HERE247.ca
Please continue to look out for others. Even a phone call and chat can make a big difference to someone else ... and benefit you, too.
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Member Birthdays & Anniversaries:
Many happy returns to:
Liz Cooney - May 8
Bob Richardson - May 10
Congratulations on these Rotary anniversaries:
Gissella Gazzola - 1 year (May 8, 2020)
Jolly Bedi - 1 year (May 8, 2020)
Andrew Johnson - 2 years with our Guelph club (May 10, 2019) plus 12 years with the Fergus club and 1 year 8 months with the Cambridge club, for almost 16 years in total
Rosemary Clark - 27 years! (May 13, 1994)
Ab Moore - 45 years! (May 14, 1976)
Thank you for your service, Rotarians! We truly appreciate you.
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Member News:
Paul Truex was in hospital for a few days this week but is back home again. Paul - we are thinking of you! We loved the beautiful article in Guelph Today this week about "Retirement didn't stop Mz. T from having an impact on students". Such a lovely picture of you both.
Our hearts go out to Ab and Alice Moore and their family. Their son Mark, a great Rotarian, has been diagnosed with stomach cancer and is receiving hospice care.
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Events & Fundraisers:
PRIMA FESTA REIMAGINED WAS GREAT! Our Prima Festa Reimagined event on Saturday, May 1, was a great success with delicious pickup dinners from the ICC. It ran smoothly thanks to immense pre-planning and attention to detail. Thank you to the whole team who helped, and especially to Rosemary Clark and Luisa Del Rosario who chaired this extra fundraiser. We are well aware that it takes hard work to make something like this look easy, and you did us proud. Thank you for your incredible service!
Duck Race Tickets are on sale. Go to GotDuck.ca. This year, the theme is around food.
Three early bird draws each offer $500 in vouchers to local restaurants.
The Grand Prize is $500 per month for a year in food from Zehr's.
Net proceeds from the Duck Race will go to Food4Kids Guelph to help feed children living in severely food-insecure families.
Annual Budget Request Meeting on May 15, 2021 from 9am to 12 noon. Get to hear about some new things planned for our club! For convenience, the zoom link will be added to our club calendar shortly before the meeting starts.
Rotary District 7080 Virtual Conference on May 29, 2021 from 9am to 12:30pm. Details are here. The theme is "Take Care of Yourself, Each Other, & The Planet." Well worth attending!
Tour de Guelph - have you registered to ride yet, or sponsored anyone in the important annual fundraiser for the Guelph General Hospital plus two of our Guelph Rotary clubs? Go here. Help amazing Guelph Rotarian Charlie Barnes (84) reach his fundraising target of $10,000 as he completes the 50km event - go here.
Rain Barrels can still be ordered through the Rotary Club of Guelph Trillium until May 13. Go here.
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If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages here. There are four different topics you can donate to:
Food4Kids, IYSN, Indigenous Water First project, or Polio Plus.
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Program this week - May 7, 2021
PROF. PETER STOKES - WHAT THE STUDY OF GENOCIDE TEACHES US
Professor Peter Stokes is Professor of Leadership and Professional Development at Leicester Castle Business School, De Montfort University (Leicester, UK). His broad career path spans four decades and many countries. Details can be read here. He zoomed in to our club meeting from England.
Peter was introduced to us by his friend and international colleague, our club member Dr. Felix Arndt (current John F Wood Chair in Entrepreneurship in the Department of Management, University of Guelph).
Peter's talk addressed the hard topic of genocide, a subject that most of the world prefers not to talk about. Peter has studied genocides and speaks about them openly, with an invitation for audiences to reflect and learn from extreme contexts such as a genocide and potentially apply lessons to our everyday lives.
After each genocide, recriminations and investigations follow with promises of 'Never Again' and yet the world has experienced at least 45 genocides and over 70 million killed this way since the UN was founded in 1945. Genocide is not a rare event.
There are also frequent disputes over the definition of genocide and what really constitutes a genocide. The perpetrators don't want it labelled as genocide, and much of the world stands by as it occurs.
Peter predicts that "Environmental/financial disasters, depletion of raw materials, land erosion/continuing movement and mixing of populations on an unprecedented scale make future genocides even more likely."
Peter has researched genocide to identify organizational and managerial processes that make it possible, and, second, to investigate the extent to which these processes apply to non-genocidal situations.
He provoked deep thought with discussions about "Othering" and how both victims and perpetrators create a wide range of subdivisions. He stressed how "Micro Moments" can build up or deplete our reputations and relationships. And finally, he pointedly addressed the difficult subject of "Choice" and that doing nothing about genocides or "Micro Moments" as they occur is a choice, too.
Our member Domingo Bernal expressed heartfelt thanks to Peter as he reflected on his own family's personal experience in fleeing from genocide in Guatemala. Domingo said he felt a deep sense of relief in genocide being acknowledged rather than ignored.
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Upcoming programs
Check our home page for upcoming speakers. Invite guests!
Friday, May 14, 2021 at 12:15pm - Fotini Iconomopoulos - Art of negotiations in everyday life
Friday, May 21, 20212 at 12:15pm - Eleni Bakopoulos - Up close and personal (introduction by a newish member)
If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages 
Our member Domingo Bernal expressed heartfelt thanks to Peter as he reflected on his own family's personal experience in fleeing from genocide in Guatemala. Domingo said he felt a deep sense of relief in genocide being acknowledged rather than ignored.
