ROTARY DISTRICT 9750 – GSE TEAM – BRIEF REPORT TO DISTRICT MEETING – 26 NOVEMBER 2010
The following is a summary of our visit from 20 October to 20 November 2010
The Team
Where we went and where were hosted:
Rotary Club of Belleville
District Conference Niagara Falls
Rotary Club of Willowdale
Rotary Club of Cobourg
Rotary Club of Richmond Hill
Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise
Farewells - Toronto - PDG Mike Cooksey, 68th Floor Bank of Montreal
Rotary Club of Whitby - hosted by District 7070 Team Leader Val Wafer and her husband Mark
The Team
Where we went and where were hosted:
Rotary Club of Belleville
District Conference Niagara Falls
Rotary Club of Willowdale
Rotary Club of Cobourg
Rotary Club of Richmond Hill
Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise
Farewells - Toronto - PDG Mike Cooksey, 68th Floor Bank of Montreal
Rotary Club of Whitby - hosted by District 7070 Team Leader Val Wafer and her husband Mark
§ A very diverse, rich vocational program with each of the five (5) host Rotary Clubs, their particular location and the program developed, complemented what had gone before. Each Club organiser had very carefully considered the interests and focus of each of our team, his/her specialisation, the type of work/service that he/she was providing in Australia and what he/she might gain from the experience, including Police and Schools and School Boards.
§ Visited the broadest range of Mental Health facilities, projects, met the most amazing passionate and committed people working in these organisations; the sense of community and working together, sharing their resources; the willingness to continue to make a difference, etc, this was so very special.
§ District 7070 VTT team, opportunities to meet, and hopefully to continue to work together.
§ Have identified at least 1 project for School Students and families which will complement our current Mental Health First Aid course
§ Fund-raising – all clubs raise at least $100K plus
§ Rotarians who are very generous, innovative, full on and so keen to continue to make a difference in their Service Above Self journey.
§ Almost every Rotarian has at least 1 PHF
§ District rich in RI engagement – PRIP Wilf Wilkinson and PRVP and current RI Chair Rotary Plus – Bob Scott;
§ Clubs Celebrating PRIP Wilf’s achievements through an annual fund-raiser District Walk, another short walk at the Whitby Library and other monuments.
§ Clubs meetings are very busy, keep to time, everybody engaged; lots of noise, laughter; a very diverse range of vocations represented in the membership
§ Only 1 club visited, the President wore a collar - Whitby Sunrise
§ Happy Bucks is more the norm than a fine session
§ Fine sessions happen but kept to a minimum
§ More Breakfast and lunch Clubs than Dinner Clubs
§ More Breakfast and lunch Clubs than Dinner Clubs
§ Rode in a Stretch Limousine x 2;
§ Fund raiser at a Theatre Restaurant owned by a Rotarian who has donated $250K through his business to Rotary and the Community in the last 12 months
§ Stayed in the most amazing host homes and the hospitality was second to none
§ Snow - saw it, drove and walked through as it was Snowing and after it had stopped.
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2 Clubs visited, number of members, age of club, and presentations made:
2.1 Personal and Professional - 6
Belleville – 135/90yrs
Willowdale – 50/58yrs
Cobourg – 155/89yrs
Richmond Hill – 50/56yrs – 27 cultures
Whitby – 40/75yrs
Whitby Sunrise – 68/22yrs
2.2 District Conference – approx 300 attended – Heath Trenmill - 1
2.3 Health Professionals – 2
Each presentation was tight and in most cases no time for questions
Total 9
3 Presentations – team developed 3:
§ Heath Temnall – case study of a young man’s journey from School to ongoing maintenance of his mental illness
§ Professional – for presentation to other health professionals
§ Personal and Professional – details about family, qualifications, role and sponsoring Club
4 Cultural and Vocational Programs, Hospitality, receptions, dinners, etc
Belleville
6 plus Mayoral visit and elections; Halloween Pumpkin Carving
Conference, Maid of the Mist, Tour of City, meeting Rotarians of the District; Hospitality Suites on the night before the Conference
At the District Conference - photographs Courtesy of District Conference Photographer
Willowdale
5 plus football game; visit to CN Tower; Museum, subway; Painting Aged Care Facility; Halloween Dinner
Cobourg
6 visits; 1 Mayoral reception; +3 receptions; Cottage by the lake, snow and Ice Hockey Game - $199 per ticket
Richmond Hill
10; +multi-cultural activities;
City Tour;
Pot Luck Farewell Dinner;
Remembrance Day Ceremony
Whitby Sunrise
9 – 2 evenings - welcome and home host;
Class Act Theatre – fund-raiser for DG’s Club
2 Farewells – lunch and dinner – both very memorable
Lunch – 68th floor of the 2nd highest building in Toronto – hosted by PDG Mike Cooksey, Vice President and Regional Director in the Bank
Dinner at the home of VTT Team Leader – Valarie Wafer
Total 34 visits
Dinners – so very carefully organised and too many to count
Farewells from clubs and District – again, each so very special and memorable - 8
Our last day...
View from the 68th Floor of the Bank of Montreal
DG Ted; VTT Chair Hilary and the 2 teams - Outbound and Inbound
Our last day...
View from the 68th Floor of the Bank of Montreal
6 Banners – presented to DG David
§ Belleville
§ Willowdale
§ Cobourg
§ Richmond Hill
§ Whitby
§ Whitby Sunrise – donation to Rotary Foundation – no banner due to loss in flooding of building.
7 Gifts to hosts
§ District and Club Banners
§ Australian Government Packs including CD, DVD, music, constitution, and flags
§ Australian Kangaroo Opal Pins for DG, DGE, DGN, AG’s, P’s
§ Sydney souvenir book – ditto and some site visits
§ Rotary Kangaroo Pins
§ Koalas
§ 500 Tourism Sydney brochures – marketing the 2014 Convention
§ Eden Gardens – placemats and coasters, featuring Australian Wildflowers
§ Australian wine – purchased locally in Canada
§ Pamphlets and business cards – 500
§ Team members had their own gifts for host families and various individual visits
8 Gifts for DG David and District Chair Suzanne
§ Australian Flag – autographed
§ Journal
§ Banners from Clubs
§ Pins/badges from Richmond Hill, Cobourg and Belleville
Other gifts we received:
§ Badges
§ Mugs
§ Details and pamphlets about each of the projects we visited
§ DVD’s on projects – AIDS, Youth Enterprise – Sweat Equity Trip
I thank our District Selection Team, each Club for their support, and the five (5) members of the team for making possible for me, this once in a lifetime, life-changing experience possible.
As a Rotarian, this is so very special and an opportunity I will always cherish. A themed program is so rich in opportunity and one I strongly commend for consideration in the future.
As a Rotarian, this is so very special and an opportunity I will always cherish. A themed program is so rich in opportunity and one I strongly commend for consideration in the future.
Thank you our Rotary Foundation and District 9750.
Dorothy (Dot) L Hennessy
GSE Team Leader
26 November 2010
Friday 26 November - District Combined Presidents' Meetng
Friday 26 November - District Combined Presidents' Meetng
