Messages this week from our Club President, Tracey Curtis
It was lovely to see your lovely smiling faces online today.
Rick's surprise recording of O Canadathis week was a bright and entertaining one by the group "Walk Off The Earth". Well worth watching and listening again here.
Members in our special thoughts:
Brian McCulloch is still very ill and in the ICU at Guelph General Hospital. We're keeping Brian, Julia and Catherine in our thoughts.
Jean Truex should be getting out of hospital on Friday, January 22, and returning home! Paul Truex sends thanks for the many calls and emails he received this past week from caring Rotarians - he really appreciated them and says "it made his week".
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Many happy returns to:
Domingo Bernal - January 23
Heather Copland - January 26
Congratulations on these Rotary anniversaries:
Marguerite Campbell - January 24 - 1 year
Jim Anderson - January 25 - 30 years!
Here's a suggestion: everyone call Jim on January 25 to celebrate his 30 years of contribution to Rotary!
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Other Announcements:
Sparkles 2020:
Members asked what the final fundraising tally was. Rumour has it we did better than expected. However, we'll need to wait a little longer for the final number as the committee is still working out some details.
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Christmas Bag Fundraiser 2020:
This small committee met this past week to wrap-up and review this new fundraiser last Christmas, the brainchild of Eleni Bakopoulos. It raised just over $17,000! Great job, and thanks to everyone for supporting it with bag purchases and promoting it to others.
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Supporting Local Businesses:
A big success factor for our Christmas Bag campaign was supporting local businesses. Guelph's "Mapping Guy", Abhi Kantamneni, has produced this website to buy local. We recommend checking this website before ordering from Amazon or going to Big Box Stores.
At 6pm on Family Day 2021, registered participants can join a zoom call for a delightful hour or two with our resident artist, Ben McCarl, who will gently instruct how to paint this pretty winter scene. This time, the Paint Night is in cooperation with CMHA-WW. It's open to all, free to attend, with donations welcomed for the Integrated Youth Services Network. Here is the Paint Night registration link on EventBrite:
This Committee, chaired by Matt Webster, met last week for their second brainstorming and planning session. As mentioned previously, there will be no usual event in the park this year due to COVID, but some wonderful, alternative Canada Day ideas are in the pipeline and being investigated by the committee. Stay tuned!
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Lobsterfest Committee:
This Committee is feeling very motivated and discussing the possibility of running an extra event in the spring. Again, stay tuned!
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Foundation Qualification Training:
This week, our District 7080 ran a special training session to help educate and certify Rotary Club members to submit both District and Global Grants. 14 members from our club attended, showing a fantastic (and much appreciated) level of motivation! Thank you.
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Our monthly Board Meeting on January 19:
Andrew Johnson and Roger Garriock, from our Membership Committee, researched and presented a proposal for our club to offer Corporate Membership. The Board has approved moving forward with this.
A corporate membership allows Rotary clubs to involve a corporation — or any business, nonprofit, or government entity — in Rotary by offering an alternative membership package to some of its employees. Having corporate members increases the club's membership while expanding its network and visibility in the community.
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NEW - Rotary Golf Society for Guelph Wellington
"Rotary Fellowship On The Links" is on the cards for our Rotary Cluster, thanks to Tom Funk and other keen golfers in our midst. Details to follow.
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Electoral Committee:
Sean Yo pointed out that each club member should have received an email on January 22 with their own unique link to vote online for 3 candidates to join our board of directors from July 1, 2021. Please vote within the coming week. Any questions? Contact Sean. The club is extremely grateful to the 10 candidates willing to put their names forward for consideration. It's a sign of good "bench strength" in our club that so many are willing to serve. And because each and every candidate would be a great addition to our board, beware - it's tough choosing only 3! Thank you, Sean, for organizing this excellent voting procedure.
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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 topics to donate to.
Helmuth Slisarenko had two Happy Bucks. The first was gratitude for good health. Exactly two years ago, he injured his back during a Rotary Bonspiel in North Carolina, returning home in a wheelchair - a painful memory. But with excellent treatment here in Guelph plus a diligent, ongoing regimen of back exercises, he recovered and has stayed fit and healthy - and grateful. Secondly, he was pleased to learn that his daughter (who works in research) and her partner in Louisiana have both remained COVID-negative and both received their first COVID vaccine this week.
Jim Anderson is happy that we are Trumpless. (Ditto)
Ab Moore is happy that his modest pension from serving as a United Church minister for about 9 years is going up by $10 a month. Now, if only that 2% increase could also be applied to his university pension! We're with you, Ab.
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Program this week - January 22, 2021 - Pattie Lovett-Reid
As CTV News’ Chief Financial Commentator, Pattie Lovett-Reid coaches viewers on how to save money, stretch their income, and get the biggest bang for their hard-earned bucks. A sought-after speaker and commentator on wealth management, she took on the role of Senior Financial Commentator on CTV News Channel in early 2012, coming from TD Waterhouse Canada Inc., where she served as Senior Vice-President. Pattie is also an author of note.
So how did we manage to get such a prestigious speaker at our club's Friday meeting? In the usual way - simply by asking!
As a financial advisor herself, Tracey follows Pattie on radio and Twitter (@PattieCTV) and Instagram (@pattie-lovettried), and decided to contact Pattie with an invitation to speak to us. And here she was. Instead of making a formal presentation, Pattie was interviewed by Tracey in a warm and friendly exchange.
Topics ranged from the change of leadership in the US this week and its potential impact on Canada, to the challenges and silver linings of COVID-impact on our lives, including government financial aid programs and tax tips in the year of COVID. The main take-away was to Stay Balanced in every way, personally and financially.
Once again, thanks to our wonderful Program Committee for providing such excellent speakers at our meetings!
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Upcoming programs
Check our home page for upcoming speakers. Invite friends!
January 29 - Chef Pam Fanjoy, fostering joyful, healthy relationships with delicious, healthy food
February 5 - Rich Peverley, former NHL hockey player speaking on heart health (from a guy whose heart stopped for 2 minutes at one of his hockey games)
If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages 
