Monday, December 26, 2005
Boxing Day Holiday
There was no meeting on this Monday
While stories of the origins of Boxing Day sometimes conflict, the holiday (which falls on the first weekday after Christmas - usually December 26 - and coincides with the Feast of Saint Stephen) is celebrated in Britain, Canada and several other countries.
Boxing Day
The day after Christmas, the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is better known as Boxing Day. The term may come from the opening of church poor boxes that day; maybe from the earthenware boxes with which boy apprentices collected money at the doors of their masters' clients.
Nowadays, we often see, in certain families, gifts (boxes) given to those who provide services throughout the year.
"Boxing Day" is listed in the Canada Labour Code as a holiday.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Christmas Dinner Meeting
and
Foundation Fund Annual General Meeting
We were entertained by
the salvation Army Band
This is the day when Santa recognized a few of the 1918 Rotarians who were especially good in 2005.
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
Monday, December 12, 2005
Community Foundation
Speaker: Gerald Freed
and
Annual General Meeting
Gerald L. Freed, C.M.
Member of the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is the country's highest honour for lifetime achievement.
A successful businessman and outstanding volunteer, Gerald Freed has been a major force in his community for over 40 years. As president of Freeds of Windsor, a leading retailer of men’s wear, he is well-known for his business acumen and integrity. Equally renowned for his selfless dedication to the service of others, he has generously given of his time and talents to serve in leadership roles with numerous organizations. Assumption University, the University of Windsor, the Greater Windsor Community Foundation and the Jewish Community Centre have all benefited from his support, commitment and fundraising abilities.
The club examined and approved the yearly financial statements.
Questions on the reports were accepted from the floor.
The election of officers for the new year was confirmed and
the work of club committees recognized by the respective directors for each avenue of service division.
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
The photographer this week was Rotarian Mike Serafimovski
Monday, December 5, 2005
Movement Disorders, Antipsychotic Medication and Schizophrenia
Speaker: Dr. Leonardo Cortese
Assoc. Professor, University of Western Ontario
and
Farewell Address from
Exchange Student Kiera Stallard
WINDSOR, ON, May 28, 2004 - Eli Lilly Canada announced that
Dr. Leonardo Cortese, psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia, would be
provided a research grant of $900,000 over three years for a new
study of treatment approaches for persons with schizophrenia in the Windsor, Ontario community. Windsor area hospitals are working with Dr. Cortese on the research.
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
The photographer this week was Rotarian Mike Serafimovski
Monday, November 28, 2005
Club Assembly
The Club Leadership Plan is the recommended administrative structure for Rotary clubs. It is based on the best practices of effective Rotary clubs. These best practices include:
- Developing long-range goals that address the elements of an effective club and annual goals to support them
- Convening regular club assemblies
- Involving all club members in the activities and fellowship of the club
- Maintaining open lines of communication
- Ensuring continuity in leadership
- Providing regular, consistent training
Monday, November 21, 2005
Andrew Ignatieff
Director of Programs
National Day of Save the Children Canada
Andrew challenged the audience to act as advocates on behalf of the world's children. He said that we as adults have an obligation to provide all children with a quality education, adequate health care and protection from exploitation in the workplace.
Save the Children Canada has been working for over 80 years both in Canada and overseas to bring immediate and lasting improvements to children's lives through the realization of their rights. Save the Children Canada is a non-political, non-religious organization committed to long-term development at the grassroots level through partnerships with local communities, government bodies and international organizations. Save the Children Canada is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance. With 27 member organizations and operational programs in over 100 countries, the Alliance is the world's largest global movement for children.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Larry Wright
Past District Governor
R. I. Foundation
The Rotary Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding peace through international humanitarian, educational, cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.
The Rotary Foundation started in 1917 when Rotary International's sixth
President Arch Klumph, proposed the creation of an "endowment fund" for
Rotary to do good in the world in the form of charitable, educational, and
other avenues of community service. It was not until after the passing of
Rotary Founder Paul P. Harris in 1947 that the Rotary Foundation would reach the world importance that it has today.
The Humanitarian Programs of the foundation help fuel international Rotary projects to improve the quality of life, providing health care, clean water, food, education, and other essential needs primarily in the developing world.
Rotary's most famous humanitarian program is Polio Plus, which seeks to
eradicate the polio virus worldwide. You can read about the Rotary
Foundation on ... the Rotary International website
November is Rotary Foundation Month
Rotary is an integrating force in a world where disintegrating forces are
far more numerous. It is Our Rotary Foundation programs that are helping us to achieve world understanding and peace.
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
Monday, November 7, 2005
Larry Costello
Director of Veterans Communications
Remembering our Veterans
Monday, October 31, 2005
"Journey to Australia"
Taras Rohatyn
and
Club Assembly
Monday, October 24, 2005
Rob Modestino
President, Ontario Pharmacists' Association
"Role of the Pharmacist in the Transforming health care system"
The Ontario Pharmacists' Association (OPA) advocates for the profession of pharmacy and for the quality care and well being of the people of Canada's largest province.
Pharmacists are experts in medication and disease management. We are dedicated to advancing patient care and improving medication use in Ontario.
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
Monday, October 17, 2005
Jamie McLaren
"Rotary sponsored trip to Zimbabwe"
24 August 2005, Report on the
Zimbabwe Famine
Due to the current political and economic crisis, the people of Zimbabwe are facing a severe famine. The World Food Programme estimates a third of the population faces food shortages. It is also estimated that a third of the 8 million people affected by the famine only have about four meals each week with many starving -
Jamie presented an emotional view of what it means to be a white Zimbabwe national under the leadership of a long term abusive and tyranical ruler who came to power under free elections in 1980. That leader has since developed a plan to "recover farm land and to see it given back to its rightful owners" and "Drive out the trash" who he believes robbed the country under foreign rule..
Jamie described the current Zimbabwean life resulting from political policies which she says have destroyed the economy.
Homes and schools are being torn down. The program described by the government as "Operation Restore Order" or "Operation Murambatsvina" is claimed to be a clean-up of illegal businesses and housing in Zimbabwe's towns and cities.
The large farms which provided most of the food for the country have been taken over and divided up and placed under the stewardship of people who have no understanding of the agriculture business.
Many of the most skilled nationals have left the country.
Starvation is now a way of life.
Fuel shortages cause long lines at filling stations.
Inflation has gone wild.
Jamie expressed her feelings of guilt in being able to carry on a personal normal life of advanced studies outside her country with the aid of groups such as Rotary.
She told us that she plans to dedicate her life to finding ways to help her country return to a more normal, hopeful future in which good government, education, medical assistance, housing, available work and ready and affordable sources of food are part of all Zimbabweans' everyday expectation.
- Embassy, July 20th, 2005, Part one of series on Zibbawbe
Canada's Foreign Policy Newsweekly
Zimbabwe's Tragedy Is Africa's - Up to 1.5 million people homeless, more than 300,000 homes destroyed, more than 46,000 people arrested, over 4 million people starving.
- Canada's Foreign Policy Newsweekly
Embassy, July 27th, 2005, Part two of series on Zibbawbe
- Canada's Foreign Policy Newsweekly
Embassy, August 3rd, 2005, Part three of series on Zibbawbe
- Zimbabwe FamineWorld Community Service site of Rotary International
- Rotary exchange to Africa By Montana State University travelers who viewed Zimbabwe's beauty and struggle before crisis
"It was one thing to hear about Africa, and it was another thing to see it," Rasmussen said.
They returned to Montana just days before Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe launched an "urban renewal" campaign, the mass destruction of all buildings the government said were temporary. As a result, at least 300,000 of Zimbabwe's poorest citizens are without housing or markets, further impacting the critical shortages of resources in the country.
- Rotary exchange to Africa
Somers businesswoman Michelle Ahern will never look at life in the United States in quite the same way again.
- Visit from a Doctor who practices in Africa
Dr. Thistle is associated with Zimbabwes Howard Hospital where he deals with the realities of existence in this small African country: HIV and TB comprise 70 percent of the cases he works with. Life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 37 years.
Howard Hospital’s three doctors and 30 nurses look after the 140 hospital beds on a yearly operating budget of only $40,000 U.S.
- ZWNews.com website
...... in 2000 through 2003, the Zimbabwean government initiated a land reform policy that involved forcibly taking over white-owned commercial farms, ostensibly to redistribute this property to landless blacks. The rationale for this policy was to redress the British seizure of fertile farmland in the late 1890s, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of blacks being pushed onto lower grade communal lands.
No compensation was paid to the commercial farmers, and hundreds of thousands of employed black farm workers were left without jobs. Despite a ruling from Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court that the action was illegal, the Mugabe-led government continued with the land takings. These land reforms marked an important turning point for Zimbabwe. It was the first time in its 20-year history that laws regarding property rights were no longer respected or defended. Property titles, which once served as a key insurance mechanism for guaranteeing bank lending, no longer were recognized by the Mugabe government. ---- THE LOSS OF PROPERTY RIGHTS AND THE COLLAPSE OF ZIMBABWE Craig J. Richardson
- Radio Africa
FROM ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
- Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwean
Web sites about Zimbabwean writers, playwrights, poets, reviews, criticism and theory.
- Zimbabwe Stories & Links
Click here for a photo gallery showing pictures from the meeting
Canadian families celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October with a special dinner for family and friends. Our Canadian Thanksgiving has nothing to do with the Pilgrims landing.
Thanksgiving provides an opportunity for us to look at pioneer life. It celebrates the importance of Canadian farmers for all Canadians.
Thanksgiving dinner traditionally consists of a roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
The History of the Canadian Thanksgiving is thought to have originated as follows: Around 1578 English navigator Martin Frobisher held a ceremony, in what is now called the province of Newfoundland to give thanks for surviving his journey there. Other settlers later arrived and continued these "thankful" ceremonies.
In 1879, our Parliament declared November 6th as a national holiday of Thanksgiving. Over the years this date has changed. On January 31, 1957, Parliament declared the second Monday in October of each year to be "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed".
Canada Info
History and Origin of Canadian Thanksgiving
Holiday Crossword puzzles
Annie's Thanksgiving Links Page
Monday, October 3, 2005
Hasu Naik
"Operation Outreach Mission for Vision in Nigeria"
Hasu reviewed his activities in support of vision treatment facilities in Nigeria and India. He described his successful efforts and frustrations as he pursued his fund raising goals.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on opthalmologists to reverse the rising trend of blindness in Nigeria.He said the statistics showing that 1.2 million Nigerians are blind should not double by 2020 as predicted by experts.
The Tide Online, Thursday, September 8, 2005
With a population of more than 130 million people, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa. It accounts for 47 percent of West Africa's population and 41 percent of the region's GDP. Nigeria’s population is made up of about 200 ethnic groups, 500 indigenous languages, and two major religions?Islam and Christianity. ........Since gaining its independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has been controlled for twenty-eight of the last forty-five years by a succession of military governments. But in May of 1999, the democratically elected government of President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed power, and was then re-elected to a second term in May 2003. ......... Nigeria's economy depends heavily on the oil sector, which contributes 95 percent of export revenues, 76 percent of government revenues, and about a third of gross domestic product (GDP).
Last Revised: January 2, 2006
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