New Waterford Rotary Club welcomes new members
Hi, it’s Brian Stanford with another update on the activities of the New Waterford Rotary Club.
Over the last year or so, we had nine new members join our club, bringing our club numbers to 25 members. For years, our club had about 16 members, so this is a 50 per cent increase. This is great news for our club, providing new faces and new ideas for our meetings.
The new members are very welcome in our club and we are striving to get them involved in all aspects of the work of the Rotary club. We have introduced a buddy system, where existing members will buddy up with new members and introduce them to the various club activities and focuses. We are also starting a new practice at meetings, during which members can volunteer to take the mic for five minutes and provide some details and perhaps deep secrets of their background. Fellowship is an integral part of the Rotary movement (we gotta have fun). This is a great way to get to know our fellow Rotarians better which will result in a more cohesive and active group.
We recently had Kevin Armstrong, a Rotarian from the Sydney Sunrise Rotary Club speak at our club. He’s been involved in the Rotary Ribfest event since its inception and is currently co-chair of the annual Ribfest Committee. He gave a very interesting overview of the work behind the scenes to put on this massive project, along with the annual efforts to get sponsors for the event and volunteers for the three days of Ribfest.
The funds raised are distributed to various charitable groups and the Rotary clubs. Kevin also made the very interesting point that most Cape Breton Regional Municipality residents look forward to the Rotary Ribfest weekend every summer and regardless of the money raised, Rotary must continue to make it happen. Thus we encourage anyone and/or any business, to consider volunteering and/ or sponsoring this great community event.
Regarding the Toonie for Life Program, the Rotarians are very thankful and humbled by the continuing support from the residents of our communities and from friends near and away. The club is very happy to add another venue for our program. We thank the management of the Bargain Basket on King Street, who allowed us to install a toonie box in their store. This will provide more convenience for our supporters to drop a toonie in the box weekly.
The Rotary Meals on Wheels continues, with the help of volunteer drivers who daily deliver these meals each week. We are planning an event soon for the volunteer drivers to present them with certificates of appreciation and gifts. If anyone is interested in getting involved, as a volunteer, please contact Rose White or any Rotarian.
Several Rotarians have filled in for volunteer drivers and have experienced firsthand, how happy the people are to receive a visit and the meals from the drivers.
Rotary Club continues to provide funding to help with the costs of getting children to Halifax for doctor’s appointments/treatments/surgeries. This is provided to families that would find this expense a financial hardship. This program is handled by Rotarian Roger Guyaux Sr. (902862-3751) who deals with these matters in complete confidence. No other Rotary member is aware of who is receiving this assistance.
Our club meets three times per month at the New Waterford Pensioners Hall and are very appreciative that the ladies of Calvin UCW provide meals for two of these meetings. The Rotarian monthly dues cover the cost of these meals.
A bit of history. Records show The Calvin UCW ladies have been providing meals for weekly Rotary meetings from 1957 up to 2013, when the church hall was being sold. They resumed providing the meals somewhere around 2016, with the exception of the COVID years.
In February and March, the club sent out donations to groups that are annually supported by the N.W. Rotary. Also, a donation was made to the Breton Education Centre girls senior basketball team. Also, the club voted to continue annual contributions to the Polio “Plus,” which deals with the eradication of polio from the world. The “Plus” means that by getting rid of polio, Rotary, in conjunction with the World Health Organization leaves knowledge and infrastructure in the various countries to eliminate other childhood diseases.
We have applied for and received grants regarding Plummer Avenue revitalization and an active lifestyles program in town. A committee is working on this. Details to follow.
“Service above Self” is the motto for all Rotary clubs. Members are proud to be Rotarians, but it is not about us. It is not about how long we’ve been members. It is about the services the club provides to help our communities and internationally the world
Anyone wanting any further information regarding the New Waterford Rotary Club, can contact any Rotarian or look us up on Facebook or visit our website.