Messages this week from our Club President, Tracey Curtis
Hello Rotarians. We are all feeling a bit out of things, missing our friends and families. That's why I am so grateful for this weekly opportunity for us to connect online, spend this Rotary hour together, and share a few laughs. Be strong, stay safe, and let's continue caring for each other!
Once again, there's a bunch of wonderful information to share this week, but first ...
This week's O Canadawas a beautiful a cappella performance by one singer performing all the harmonies on her own. Watch and listen again here. Thanks for the usual lovely surprise, Rick!
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Many happy returns to:
No birthdays this week!
Congratulations on these Rotary anniversaries:
Two super-special anniversaries this week:
Bob Ireland - February 13, 1981 - 40 years!
Jim Stevens - February 17, 1978 - 43 years!
Be sure to congratulate and thank both Bob and Jim.
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Other Announcements:
View and vote on Guelph's Rotary Forest video
Our talented and dedicated Carolyn Weatherson has created another marvelous video, and entered it in a Rotary International contest! The more votes our video gets, the better the chance of our club winning a prize. Read more details on our website here. There's a two-step process for viewing and voting. Please spread the word: vote vote vote!
Building a Social Media Team in our Club - looking for volunteers who'd like to learn something new
We are so lucky to have Crista Renner in our club. Amongst her many and varied talents she is an expert in Social Media (and actually teaches this to post-secondary students). Now she has offered to teach and coach Rotarians to support our club's important social media activities. It's a fantastic opportunity to learn or improve a skill set, and then help support our Rotary activities as part of a team. Sign up on our ClubRunner here or email Crista or Terrie.
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Some of us are a bit lonely and bored, so here's something fun. 10C Connecting Circlesare safe, free opportunities for older adults and seniors in Guelph and Wellington County to virtually connect with people in their community. These weekly zoom calls are meant to bring adults and seniors together, encourage intergenerational sharing and bring some joy into people's homes.These are relaxed discussions and workshops meant to provide everyone 50+ with a new way to reach out to members of their community in a fun and safe setting. Check it out.
Bottle Drive to help raise funds for Guatemala Project
Domingo Bernal, chair of the Latin America sub-committee in our club's World Community Services team, is raising funds through a Bottle Drive for the Guatemala project. Details are on our website here. You can drop off bottles to Domingo, or arrange pick-up by him, or even just donate to this project. Your help is appreciated! https://rotaryguelph.ca/Stories/bottle-drive-to-support-guatemala-projects
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February 15, 2021 has lots to enjoy
Our fourth VIRTUAL PAINT NIGHT led by Ben McCarl takes place from 6-8pm on February 15. So far, 62 people have signed up!
February 15 is also NATIONAL FLAG DAY in Canada. Read about it on our website here.
February 15, 2021 is also happens to be FAMILY DAY and a public holiday. Have a happy one, and reach out to family ... including your Rotary family!
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Awards Committee
As Chair of our club's Awards Committee, Mahmud Hassain has invited written nominations for District and Rotary International Awards, by March 2, 2021. Email Mahmud.
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The Rotaract Virtual Gala on March 5, 2021 at 7pm
Attending this online event is free, but you need to register in advance. Details are here. Food can be ordered in advance for pickup. Donations are invited for the Integrated Youth Services Network.
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The Rotary Grove at the Arboretum
If you joined our Rotary Club in the last ten years, you might not know about the Roy Hammond Rotary Tree Grove at the Arboretum. It was featured in the Arboretum's January 2021 newsletter where 'The Rotary Collection' item caught the eye of Kerry Johnson. Kerry well remembers how our club members used to visit the grove on an annual basis, with Jim Anderson taking the lead to organize active support in maintaining and cleaning the Rotary Grove. Kerry's alert prompted a story about the Rotary Grove on our website here. When you visit the Rotary Grove, be sure to check out the remarkable "Octopus Tree" and let us know how it is doing! https://rotaryguelph.ca/Stories/the-rotary-grove-at-guelph-s-arboretum
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Becoming Polio Free in Africa
Be sure to read this fantastic "How we did it" story in our February 2021 Rotary magazine, along with the many other wonderful stories, and tell others about Rotary's extraordinary impact.
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AED interest
Following our fascinating program with Rich Peverley last week, the topic of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) has arisen as a potential Rotary Cluster or Rotary District initiative. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, make it an automatic habit to note the location of AEDs in every building you visit!
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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 was happy about three things, two of which happen to involve curling. 💰 With Ontario's easing of the Covid lockdown starting February 16, the Guelph Curling Clubwill be opening, by appointment, for practice ice. 💰 The good news prompted Helmuth to call Jim Anderson and offer him a ride to the GCC, but Helmuth's offer was politely turned down because Jim is back to driving himself. So happy for you, Jim. 💰 Finally, Helmuth gave a shout-out to the ICC, our Rotary meeting place for so many years. Helmuth enjoyed their takeout meal for Superbowl Sunday, had a lovely chat with ICC manager Roxanne Johnson, and recommends the ICC curbside service to everyone. Here's the online link: https://italiancanadianclubguelph.ca/takeout-menu/
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Program this week - February 12, 2021 - Rotary Rewind with Dr. Lawrie Jones
"Rotary Rewinds" are a favourite event in our club, when we have the opportunity to hear an "Up close and personal" discussion with a long-standing Rotarian. The usual format is an interview led by Tom Funk, for a more relaxed and unrehearsed presentation.
Tracey had the honour of introducing today's Rewind guest, Dr. Lawrie Jones, "a gem of a human being" who had personally supported Tracey with orofacial pain management and tremendous empathy in her long and slow recovery from serious concussion following a motor accident.
We got to hear about Lawrie's background - being born in Quebec, moving to north Toronto where he went to school, and then choosing and settling in Guelph in 1967, after qualifying as a dentist. And he has been here ever since.
After completing an undergraduate arts degree in anthropology at the University of Toronto, Lawrie foresaw two potential career trajectories for himself: as a dentist (he had two uncles and a cousin who were dentists and encouraged this pathway), or in labour relations. A short stint working at GM in Ottawa convinced him that the confrontational world of labour relations was not for him, so dentistry studies became Plan A, with his view of it being a more cooperative environment. He also liked the idea of being his own boss, being accountable for his own success, and working hands-on in the health field. He also wanted to live the values ingrained in him by his mom and through Boy Scouts, that "Service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy on this earth."
After graduating as a dentist, his next decision was where to settle down and set up a practice. The community of Guelph in 1967 was about 58,000 people, it was a university town, an attractive place close to other cities and towns, and it was in need of dentists. Upon arrival, other overwhelmed dentists were glad to hand off waiting lists of patients, so Lawrie established a busy practice in Guelph very quickly. His very first patient in Guelph remains a memorable experience. It was a Sunday morning, and Lawrie was in his new premise still unpacking and setting up equipment when a fellow arrived from across the road in severe dental pain and begging for Lawrie's help. Somehow Lawrie managed with what he had on hand, and word quickly spread about the excellent new dentist in the building opposite the cenotaph. Lawrie stayed in that building for 10 years, but later moved his practice to Cork Street to be more central.
Lawrie recalls "Frontier Dentistry" being the norm in those early days, with the emphasis being on extractions and pain care. He has seen enormous advances over the years in technology and the move from reactive dentistry towards proactive, protective dentistry, helping people keep their teeth and avoid dental problems. At least one other longstanding member of our club credits Lawrie's talents with helping him still have his own teeth at age 90!
After being in Guelph for a few years, Lawrie wanted to get a bit more involved in community service. He turned to his good friend, dentist Dr. John Brady, much admired for his growing specialization in paediatric dentistry, but also an active member of the Rotary Club of Guelph. Lawrie's introduction to Rotary in 1972 (48+ years ago!) began a journey rich in community experience. Lawrie's telling of it is still so fresh and enthusiastic, it's clear that his Rotary story is still in the making. At the time he joined, Rotary still had strict "classification" limits where there was only supposed to be one representative in the club from each profession, but the club made room for Lawrie by adding a sub-classification to his title: Preventive Dentistry.
Almost half a century of Rotary history cannot be told in one short Rewind interview, but some of the highlights that Lawrie emphasized were:
Becoming the club secretary in his second year of Rotary, and learning so much from that experience by being involved in almost every aspect of the club (as our current club secretary, Kerry Johnson, can attest)
Serving as club president in 1983-84, and later as an Assistant District Governor
The challenge of the club being $50,000 in debt after the reconstruction of the Beechwood property to run services for children with disabilities ... and the club managing to raise those funds
Masquerading as the Gryphon mascot in the borrowed costume at a fundraiser, and his identity finally being guessed because his wife Carol appeared to be attending the event alone, but being quite attentive to the roving Gryphon
Collaborating with Charlie Whittaker back in 1991 to "stop circling the wagons" and introduce women members
Participating in his annual favourite Rotary activity - helping cook lobsters with the team behind the ICC building
The Rotary Forest project with Clare Rennie and others who have followed
And pride in so many more Rotary-inspired initiatives
In conclusion, Lawrie wants new and potential members to know that "Rotary is a gift" and that it keeps on giving based on our involvement. He reminds us of the "Turtle" analogy, that we only make progress when we are prepared to stick our necks out.
Lawrie's son Greg, a Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Guelph Trillium, was at this meeting and added a few heartfelt words of love, praise and gratitude for having such a great dad and mentor as Lawrie.
Paul Taylor thanked Lawrie for sharing his story with us. Everyone present felt uplifted by Lawrie's exemplary legacy and his undimmed enthusiasm for all the good that can be done by Rotarians working together.
(Note: If I wasn't already a Rotarian, I would be signing up after hearing Lawrie speak today. Thank you, Lawrie. - Editor)
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Upcoming programs
Check our home page for upcoming speakers. Invite friends!
February 19 - Neil Dunsmorewill share Life Lessons from a Crisis Negotiator. Neil also happens to be a Rotarian, from the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora.
February 22 - Dr. Liliana Chocarro - Rotary Club of Brampton mtg - The safety of the vaccines against Covid-19
February 26 - Marva Wisdom and Guests, a panel discussion on COLLECTING COURAGE: JOY, PAIN, FREEDOM, LOVE
We are so lucky to have 
The Rotaract Virtual Gala on March 5, 2021 at 7pm
If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages 
Program this week - February 12, 2021 - Rotary Rewind with Dr. Lawrie Jones
We got to hear about Lawrie's background - being born in Quebec, moving to north Toronto where he went to school, and then choosing and settling in Guelph in 1967, after qualifying as a dentist. And he has been here ever since.
Lawrie's son Greg, a Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Guelph Trillium, was at this meeting and added a few heartfelt words of love, praise and gratitude for having such a great dad and mentor as Lawrie. 
