Chartered November 22, 2002
Rotarian of theYear: David Robinet & Phyo Kyi www.wellingtonrotary.ca
Club Bulletin This Week
Club Forum
April 27, 2021 Club #60346 District 7070
President's Message
Weather demonstrated a lapse in good judgement this week by turning cold and snowing in the County, but it looks like it has seen the error of its way and returned to the more Spring-like climate we expect after a COVID restricted winter.
Congratulations to Marg Langford on receiving her Paul Harris award!
From the District:
To celebrate and recognize Earth Day there was a fantastic zoom presentation from Mark Fisher, CEO, Council of the Great Lakes, and Sam Demma, PickWaste on April 21. If your Club is interested in an environmental cause, the Council of Great Lakes is looking for Clubs to help sponsor a Seabin, a litter capture device able to collect up to 4 kilograms of debris a day in a waterway. The aim is to have a device in every major marina on the Great Lakes, creating a broad network for litter removal, science and public awareness. The capture technology, while easy to use, needs regular attention and emptying and local volunteers for the daily monitoring, as well as waste characterization occurring throughout the year. Contact mark@councilgreatlakesregion.org
Last Week:
Heather Lennie & Hugh Williams
((Free Reading Program)
The meeting opened with 34 present by Zoom including one of our guest speakers, Heather, joining from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Attendance also included William who continues to recover well.
Tim introduced the topic, the Free Reading Program and the presenters, Heather Lennie and Hugh Williams. Heather, a Rotarian from Scarborough, has had a long involvement with Rotary, including Rotoract and RYLA. She has a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and is currently living and teaching in Vietnam. She visited the Club in 2015 to first present about the Reading Program which the Club, with Karen’s involvement, strongly supported. Hugh, a Past President of the Etobicoke Club, is a Board member for several charitable organizations and is particularly passionate about promoting literacy.
Heather explained that the success of the Free Reading Program (35,000 users to date in 180 different countries) necessitated the establishment of an ‘umbrella’ organisation, “Be Reading” to maximise its potential and keep improving. Be Reading is currently a non-profit but applying for charitable status. Heather and Hugh gave clear insights into the way that the Free Reading Program works and how it appeals to both children and adults, to native speakers and second-language learners. It assesses reading comprehension as well as teaching the structural aspects of English. There has been a demand from educators for the Program to be adapted to classroom as well as on-line learning. The existing Program includes over 3,600 different activities for students within 250 learning units. It has been enthusiastically adopted in several overseas countries, including Thailand, for one. It meets all the American and Canadian curriculum standards for Language Arts and Literacy. Usage has been the equivalent of 3.4 million children’s books read. 35 schools are currently enrolled in the Program which aims to be entirely free from cultural, racial, gender etc biases. Heather and Hugh answered questions from members.
This Free Reading Program is accessed at absolutely no cost through the Wellington Rotary Club website where potential users can log in. Anyone needing more information can also find support or troubleshooting at “Be Reading”. The Program is funded by Clubs, individual members and fundraising activities (candles for sale).
Heather & Hugh were thanked by Michelle.
In Club business, Yvonne informed us that the maple syrup stock is almost depleted but there are still a few bottles left to be obtained from Lana (McDougall’s in Picton), Dave R, Nash Home Hardware or Yvonne herself. Dave gave an up-date on Duffers & Diners sales - about 50 books need to be sold or returned to Dave.
Notice was given of a Zoom presentation on PECMH on May 6th regarding fundraising achievements.
The Wellington Trash Bash and the Rotary Beach cleanup will be handled separately and differently this year because of Covid.
After wishing Karen a happy birthday, and the Four Way Test, the meeting closed at 8.14.
Sales of the second run of Wellington Rotary maple syrup have been going well. Only 60 bottles remain. So, if you would like some maple syrup contact Yvonne and she can arrange your purchase.
Although our Club had to re-schedule our planned Wellington Beach Cleanup event on April 24 due to pandemic restrictions, The PEC Trash Bash day went ahead as planned, whereby individuals were able to pick up garbage bags at the local Wellington Home Hardware and pick up trash in the area of their choice as volunteers. This event did not contravene any pandemic restrictions since it was individuals and not a group event. A few Rotarians volunteered and did their trash pickups. As for Trudy & I, instead of volunteering to pick up trash, we decided to go shovel the sand off the boardwalk at the beach. Unfortunately, it was tough slogging for not much gain, as there was lots of sand on the boardwalk. We will need to leave it for a rescheduled Beach Cleanup event, hopefully some time in May, when we can get a group together to make it a light work.
R-O-T-A-R-Y, that spells Rotary.
R-O-T-A-R-Y, is known on land and sea.
From north to south, and east to west,
They profit most who serve the best,
R-O-T-A-R-Y, that spells Rotary.
BOTTLE DEPOT IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO
COVID RESTRICTION PROTOCOLS
