Messages this week from our Club President, Tracey Curtis
Hello again, Rotarians. We made it through another week! As usual, there is a lot to report from our wonerful club, but first ...
This week's O Canadawas a stirring rendition played on the organ by a young girl called Elsie Honny. Watch and listen again here. Elsie loves to perform national anthems from all over the world.
________
Many happy returns to:
Ray Funnel - February 9
Ian Smith - February 9
Dianne Dance - February 10
Congratulations on these Rotary anniversaries:
No anniversaries this week.
________
Other Announcements:
Caring for one another
Life under lockdown is far from perfect, which is why we really need to look out for each other, and really check in with others. President Tracey showed off her new hoodie imprinted with the question, HOW ARE YOU, REALLY? This is what we should be asking each other.
Hoodies and t-shirts like this are being sold through a fundraising committee for mental health programs in Wellington County, with proceeds going to the amazing Integrated Youth Services Network that was started with the help of our club. @iysnwellingtonguelph
Please read our important website article here. There are several excellent events planned this month in Guelph that we are encouraged to attend - to listen, learn, increase our awareness and speak up.
Marva Wisdom eloquently explained the philosophy of UBUNTU that underscores the work of the Black Heritage Society and herself. Ubuntu is a Zulu word meaning "I am, because you are". It literally means that a person is a person through other people, with the idea that community is a building block of society. The ubuntu that a person possesses comes from being part of a greater whole, open and available to others, affirming of others, with a proper self-assurance. This is the spirit we all need to bring to Black Heritage Month and beyond.
________
Paint Night - Monday, February 15:
Our fourth and biggest Paint Night is fast approaching. Details are on our club website. Register in advance on EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/paint-night-tickets-137997892411
Participants will each paint their own version of this lovely winter scene, following Ben McCarl's gentle, step-by-step instructions, and using their own materials that can be purchased from many different stores. Or ... for $40, Ben will make up a complete painting "kit" and deliver the required materials ahead of Paint Night! Email Ben at ben.mccarl@gmail.com
________
Other Rotary events in our area
In the spirit of collaboration, please note and support these local Rotary events. More details are on our website.
It's that time of year again when we plan on holding "Fireside Chats" with small groups of club members to gather informally (virtually, this year!) and enjoy some fellowship while discussing the status of our club and its objectives. Watch for further details coming soon.
________
Our club's contributions to The Rotary Foundation (TRF)
The Rotary International Foundation is the financial engine that supports Rotary projects around the world, through matching grants. As such, all Rotary Clubs are encouraged to donate to TRF to help fund these global grants. Some members from our own club have recently indicated that there may be some confusion and concern about how our club supports donations to TRF. Our club leaders are are actively following up on this! Lines of communication are always open, so please reach out if you would like to share thoughts.
________
Awards Committee
As Chair of our club's Awards Committee, Mahmud Hassain invites written suggestions on club members that you think deserve recognition. Email Mahmud.
________
Supporting the ICC - our Rotary Club's home base
Consider ordering takeout / delivery from the ICC's Super Bowl menu this weekend, or for Valentine's Day the following week.
On November 27, 2020 our club member Domingo flew to his birth country of Guatemala on a 4-week mercy mission. Earlier that month, Guatemala had been struck by two powerful hurricanes - Iota and Eta - just two weeks apart, causing desperate devastation on top of existing hardships and COVID-19. Domingo described his fundraising efforts before departing, his work while in Guatemala, and his goals for future assistance to Guatemala.
Domingo is now chair of our club's World Service sub-committee for Latin America, and he has specific ideas on how Rotary can make a difference, in both Guatemala and Honduras. Watch this space.
Program this week - February 5, 2021 - Rich Peverley: Heart Health Awareness
Marva Wisdom briefly introduced Rich Peverley as our speaker, leaving it to Rich to tell his story.
Since playing eight seasons in the National Hockey League, there’s one particular thing that Rich Peverley always looks for when first walking into any building, and especially sports facilities.
“I look for an AED (Automated External Defibrillator),” the former Dallas Stars’ centre said. “It’s the first thing I do since going through my situation.”
His situation refers to March 10, 2014 – a Monday night match-up between the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets. During the game, Rich suffered a cardiac incident that led to his collapse on the bench. His heart stopped for two minutes and he was resuscitated with the help of medical staff and an AED that was luckily on hand at the arena before being rushed to hospital.
At the time, everyone was stunned. The referee stopped the game almost instantly. Rich was quickly carried into the locker room as the crowd and players looked at each other in shock and horror as rumours started flying.
No one knew why he collapsed until later on. It turns out that Rich had an irregular heartbeat - a condition that he had tried to correct with surgery earlier in the year. This irregular heartbeat was the cause of his collapse and luckily did not cost him his life.
Part of his follow-up treatment was to have an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) placed in his body.
By the next year, despite his efforts at recovery, the decision was made that he could not return to playing hockey at his former level, and the Dallas Stars offered him as position as their Player Development Coordinator, a role that he still holds. He is grateful to still be involved with hockey, and that he can also make good use of his economics degree that he obtained from St. Lawrence University where he attended on an NCAA hockey scholarship before going into the NHL.
Having grown up in Guelph, Rich and his wife Nathalie and their three children now live in Guelph once again. (In fact, two of his young children are friends of Rotarian children, several of whom were on the zoom call to see and hear Rich speak!) Rich and Nathalie feel compelled to use his lucky escape to 'give back' by working with the Heart & Stroke Foundation to promote the provision of accessible AEDs in buildings, plus training and awareness of CPR and AED use.
His mission is called Pevs Protects. Guelph Storm fans will know that there is always a special "Pevs Protects" night at a home game each year.
Our club members wanted to know how it felt to hold up the Stanely Cup as part of the winning Boston Bruins team in 2011.
"Awesome," he said, cracking a big smile. "Awesome."
Roger Garriock thanked Rich for sharing his remarkable story with us, and for his inspiring work in promoting heart health, CPR and AEDs.
(By the way, folks, the AED unit at the ICC is kept in the coat area of the front lobby. Make it a practice to start locating AEDs in all the buildings you visit!)
________
Upcoming programs
Check our home page for upcoming speakers. Invite friends!
February 12 - Dr. Lawrie Jones, a member of our club for 48 years, in a Rotary Rewind interview. Learn more about Lawrie and also some fascinating club history.
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.
________
Tracey's parting thought for the week
From Amanda Gorman's poem THE HILL WE CLIMB recited during President Joe Biden's inauguration:
Caring for one another
Marva Wisdom eloquently explained the philosophy of UBUNTU that underscores the work of the Black Heritage Society and herself. Ubuntu is a Zulu word meaning "I am, because you are". It literally means that a person is a person through other people, with the idea that community is a building block of society. The ubuntu that a person possesses comes from being part of a greater whole, open and available to others, affirming of others, with a proper self-assurance. This is the spirit we all need to bring to Black Heritage Month and beyond. 
Other Rotary events in our area
It's that time of year again when we plan on holding "Fireside Chats" with small groups of club members to gather informally (virtually, this year!) and enjoy some fellowship while discussing the status of our club and its objectives. Watch for further details coming soon. 
On November 27, 2020 our club member Domingo flew to his birth country of Guatemala on a 4-week mercy mission. Earlier that month, Guatemala had been struck by two powerful hurricanes - Iota and Eta - just two weeks apart, causing desperate devastation on top of existing hardships and COVID-19. Domingo described his fundraising efforts before departing, his work while in Guatemala, and his goals for future assistance to Guatemala. 
If you're happy and you know it, contribute your Happy Bucks on our club's GiveSome pages 
Since playing eight seasons in the National Hockey League, there’s one particular thing that Rich Peverley always looks for when first walking into any building, and especially sports facilities.
His situation refers to March 10, 2014 – a Monday night match-up between the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets. During the game, Rich suffered a cardiac incident that led to his collapse on the bench. His heart stopped for two minutes and he was resuscitated with the help of medical staff and an AED that was luckily on hand at the arena before being rushed to hospital.
By the next year, despite his efforts at recovery, the decision was made that he could not return to playing hockey at his former level, and the Dallas Stars offered him as position as their Player Development Coordinator, a role that he still holds. He is grateful to still be involved with hockey, and that he can also make good use of his economics degree that he obtained from St. Lawrence University where he attended on an NCAA hockey scholarship before going into the NHL.
His mission is called Pevs Protects. Guelph Storm fans will know that there is always a special "Pevs Protects" night at a home game each year. 
"FOR THERE IS ALWAYS LIGHT,
