Register for our club's Christmas lunch taking place on Friday, December 19th at the Guelph Country Club. Please register by Tuesday, December 16th, 2025 and bring guests! It's going to be fantastic, as always, with live music and carolling. Our thanks to Noma Vales and the Fellowship Committee for all the arranging.
THANK YOU, INES & JOHN!
Coming to a Rotary meeting at the ICC reminds us of that old TV show “Cheers” … the pub “Where everybody knows your name.” Our regular servers at the ICC, Ines and John, know most of us by name, and certainly know each person's dietary requirements and whether they prefer tea or coffee. Every week, they are amazing and welcoming, with no request being too much trouble for them. We therefore invited club members to contribute to a year-end thank-you gift for Ines and John and this was presented to them on December 13th by Marva. Thank you, Ines and John. We really appreciate you!
ROTARY ANNIVERSARIES OF NOTE … 10+ YEARS
Andrew Johnson: 32 years
Helmuth Slisarenko: 36 years
Carolyn Weatherson: 13 years
ROTARY'S GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO END POLIO
Lawrie Jones explained the tragic history of polio in the world, and Rotary's proactive role since 1985 in trying to eradicate it everywhere through vaccination programs. Lawrie explained the science behind viruses and how the Salk polio vaccine changed the world after its development in the mid 1950s. Up until that time, hundreds of thousands people around the world were struck down by polio each year, so the Salk vaccine was considered a miracle. Lawrie reflected that our club's efforts in our first 60 years or so were focused on CARING for those with physical afflictions (including from polio) but that the END POLIO global campaign launched by Rotary in 1985 marked a different effort to PREVENT illnesses by vaccinating against polio and other common illnesses. Since Rotary's efforts began, further boosted by the UN's World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, polio cases have been reduced by 99.9% but vaccinations must continue everywhere until the world is truly rid of any polio cases.
Lawrie made special mention of our dear club member, Margaret Trainor, who has championed polio awareness, eradication and fundraising for many years, and we were sorry she was not able to be present at our meeting to hear our deep gratitude for her work.
Last date for getting coffee before Christmas is December 21st, says Helmuth. Pick up from his home.
Remember - there will be NO CLUB MEETINGS on December 26th or January 2nd. Happy Christmas and New Year!
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR BILL STEVENS on Saturday, January 10, 2026. A celebration of life will be held at the UofG Arboretum Centre (off College Road) on Saturday, January 10th at 11am. Join us as we form a Rotary Honour Guard for Bill's family as they enter the hall, a little after 11am. Read about Bill here (a member of our club for 53 years): Remembering Bill Stevens
SPARKLES IN THE PARK is here and many volunteers are still needed.
Gate Collections, from December 13th to December 31st. Members who could perhaps help us with Shift Opening and Shift Closing should please email Janette Hogan.
New shift just added:Friday, January 9, 2026 - packing up the light strings dropped from the high trees by Skyjack. This shift will finish by 11am and members can still attend our Rotary meeting at the ICC at 12:15pm!
SHELTERBOX
FYI … we were very impressed with this Biolite Inflatable Solar Lantern shown to us at a recent ShelterBox presentation. It's great to learn that for each one purchased, Biolite donates one to a family or person in need. Read about this program on our home page.
