Messages this week from our Club President, Tracey Curtis
Hello Rotarians. We have another great line-up for today's meeting.
Rick's O Canadapick this week was by Anju Bedi, a sitar player performing at the start of the "Volunteers Are Stars" event in British Columbia in April 2021. We were all captivated by her beautiful smile and sheer joy!
Thank you for your service, Rotarians! We truly appreciate you.
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Member News & Club Announcements:
THREE NEW MEMBERS INDUCTED TODAY!
The Rotary Club of Guelph is delighted to welcome three new members:
Chidi Nwene, introduced today by Crista Renner and Jaya James. Read more here
Jacqueline Gray, introduced today by Tim Mau. Read more here.
Dave Iacocca was previously introduced by Dave Menegotto on May 14 but we somehow got sidetracked by technical difficulties that day and overlooked our usual formal welcome, so are glad Dave came back today to experience what Tracey describes as "our Rotary hug". Read more here
RECOGNIZING THREE PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS
Tracey visited these three Rotarians to deliver their new Paul Harris Fellow pins and certificates, and thank them for their support of the Rotary International Foundation through their donations. L-R: Michele Richardson, Bob Richardson (no relation), Andrew Johnson.
Luisa Del Rosariocelebrated a milestone birthday on May 21, 2021 and thinks it was one of her best birthdays ever with many warm greetings received from near and far, and being made to feel extra special. Above all was her joy at receiving a painting made by her granddaughter showing the house in which Luisa grew up in Italy. How special is that!
RESULT:"Oxygen For Life" Project for India.Our Rotary District 7080 raised almost $110,000 to help Rotary Clubs in India initiate this urgent Oxygen Bank Project. Wonderful!
The Rotary District 7080 Virtual Conference is on Saturday, May 29, 2021 from 9am to 12:30pm. Registration and details are here. The theme is "Take Care of Yourself, Each Other, & The Planet." Well worth attending! Cost is $20.
Committee Signups for our club. Please respond by the end of May so that we can start prepping our Members' Handbook for 2021-2022. Read committee details here.
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Rotary Events & Fundraisers:
Another Rotary Virtual Paint Night "Summer Sunrise" will be held on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 6pm. Ben McCarl will gently guide online participants in the step by step painting of this scene. The event is organized by Gisella Gazzola. Details and registration are on our club website here. Our Rotary Paint Nights are a big hit and this will be our club's 7th such event! Donations from this event will go to Food4Kids Guelph to help feed the 335 local children currently supported by this Rotary-inspired program. https://rotaryguelph.ca/Stories/another-rotary-paint-night-summer-sunrise
Duck Race Tickets are on sale now. Read more on our club home page here. Or go straight to GotDuck.cato purchase tickets. This year, the theme is around food. Watch the 60 second promo video here ... it was produced by Noah Van Dam, grandson of Martin Van Dam, Guelph Wellington club's president, and supported by Rotarian Dave Van Dam, Martin's son and Noah's dad ... a three generation family effort by the wonderful Van Dams!
Two more Early Bird Draws each offer $500 in vouchers to local restaurants - June 1 and June 15
The Grand Prize is $500 per month for a year of food from Zehr's - prize drawn on Canada Day (that's a total of $6,000!)
Net proceeds from the Duck Race will go to Food4Kids Guelph to help feed local children living in severely food-insecure families.
Hike For Hospice Wellington.Email Tracey to join our club's virtual team!
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. Also, help amazing Guelph South Rotarian Charlie Barnes (84) reach his fundraising target of $11,000 as he completes the 50km Tour de Guelph cycling event again this year - go hereto Charlie's sponsoring page.
The Mystery Car Rally for Sunrise Therapeutic Centre, being supported by the Rotary Club of Guelph South, has set a new date for this event: October 3, 2021. More details to follow.
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.
givesome.org/rotaryclubguelph/
Terrie Jarvis marvelled at the power of Rotary connecting people to make good things happen. Earlier this year, when our club hosted Master Chef Pam Fanjoy as our speaker (see Bulletin January 29, 2021), Terrie invited a guest ... an out-of-work chef who was amongst the majority of food staff let go by the University of Guelph when they closed to students after Covid struck. Chef Yasi was enthralled by what she heard at our meeting, made contact with Chef Pam and it now looks as though Chef Pam's extraordinary program and youth training will soon be offered in Guelph with the direct support of Chef Yasi.
Gisella Gazzola is delighted that her brother has returned to live in Guelph after living elsewhere for 36 years. This brings all her family into close proximity once more.
Mahmud Hassain, our president elect, had three celebrations today: his birthday, a getting-to-know-you walk in the park with new member Dave Iacocca, and the Winnipeg Jets' clean sweep of the playoffs beating the Edmonton Oilers.
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Program this week - May 28, 2021
John Wills:
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
Tom Funk was delighted to formally introduce John Wills for his talk today by saying, "John joined Rotary in late 2019 with the classification Portrait Photographer. He is not your ordinary photographer. On two occasions in 2014 and 2018 he was named Ontario Portrait Photographer of the Year! Not only is he technically sound, he is the most creative photographer you will ever meet."
Visit his website at John Wills Photography to see many examples of his work. https://johnwillsphotography.com
John began by saying he'd been somewhat dreading this talk today because as much as he loves life, loves talking to people and engaging in many activities, he does not relish 'formal public speaking' in the least and was grateful to be able to talk from home today and would rely heavily on his pictures to share his life.
After working for 22 years in Guelph at Wood's as a die setter until the company closed, he then turned his passionate hobby of photography into his fulltime career. It clearly allows him to bring all the loves of his life together, making him a person who simply loves life!
His exuberance and sense humour began with this photographer's in joke: "I shoot people and sometimes cut off their heads." For clarification, "I am primarily a Portrait Photographer, specializing in family and kids."
John shared his deep love of family, starting with his mom, dad and sister ("the good child"), and continuing to his own family today - beloved wife Kim Freeman, a teacher and school principal in the Waterloo Region District School Board, and their son Austin, now 10 ... who seems a lot like his lively dad with a lively sense of adventure and mischief!
Favourite activities include camping, fishing, hiking, bird watching, sports, and simply enjoying whatever they can do together. Having fun seems to be in their DNA. In fact, John wears his philosophy on his arm, literally: A negative mind will never give you a positive life.
As promised, John shared his life, work and family in pictures, each one an artwork.
Paul Taylor was called upon to thank John for his talk today, and remarked that John was proof of that wonderful saying, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life" and that he personally feels lucky to have John as a friend.
Actually, they so some photography work together. Do you recognize this splendid Santa?
We are ALL delighted to have John in our club!
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Upcoming programs
Check our home page for upcoming speakers. Invite guests!
Friday, June 4, 2021 at 12:15pm - Danny Williamson - Media Contact for WDG Public Health
Rick's 
Another Rotary Virtual Paint Night "Summer Sunrise" 
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If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages 
John Wills:
John began by saying he'd been somewhat dreading this talk today because as much as he loves life, loves talking to people and engaging in many activities, he does not relish 'formal public speaking' in the least and was grateful to be able to talk from home today and would rely heavily on his pictures to share his life.
Favourite activities include camping, fishing, hiking, bird watching, sports, and simply enjoying whatever they can do together. Having fun seems to be in their DNA. In fact, John wears his philosophy on his arm, literally: A negative mind will never give you a positive life.
Paul Taylor was called upon to thank John for his talk today, and remarked that John was proof of that wonderful saying, "If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life" and that he personally feels lucky to have John as a friend. 
