Volume 54, Number 1.                                                                   July 7, 2010

 

Rotary Club of Toronto West

 

Rotary Grace – O Lord we stand for every race, from every creed from every place; to give our thanks and say our grace for food, for health. May Peace embrace the world through Rotary.

 

Last Meeting – June 17, 2010

            As last week’s meeting was cancelled, this is the first meeting, not only of the New Rotary Year, but also for our change of venue. From now, until further notice we will be meeting at  Montgomery’s Inn, 4709 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M9A 1A8. On the South East corner of Dundas & Islington.

            The last meeting we held was held at Montgomery’s Inn, and our guest speaker was Randall Reid, Sr. Program Officer, Museums & Heritage Services. Randall gave us a personally guided tour of the Inn after giving us the history, not only of the Inn but of Montgomery himself.

            Thomas Montgomery (1790-1877), was a young man when he emigrated from County Fermanagh, Ireland, early in the 19th. century. He brought with him, however, a good sense for business, and built the large stone inn on the busy east-west Dundas Highway.

            Business prospered, and Thomas expanded, adding a new bar room and kitchen wings in 1838.

            Despite his prosperity, his family life, like many of his time, had its sadness. He and his wife, Margaret Dawson (1808-1855), had seven children, but only two sons survived to adulthood.

            Montgomery’s Inn is a historic home and Inn in the Islington neighbourhood of Etobicoke in the City of Toronto.

            Built in 1832 in a Georgian style with later additions, the inn has been restored to an 1847 period, and operates as a museum of the City of Toronto. Though most of its artefacts are not original to the building, they are period pieces, and a few belonged to the Montgomery family.

            The interior of the Inn is now restored to the period 1847-1850, when it served as a busy hostelry and as a centre for community activities. The furniture and accessories reflect the taste of a conservative country innkeeper of that time period. They are Canadian, American and English in origin. Many of the pieces are of an earlier period, as the Inn would have been furnished with both old and new furniture when it was built.

            Highlights of our guided tour included the Montgomery family private sitting room, a bar with its wooden cage, the Victorian Meeting Hall upstairs, and an open-hearth kitchen, which serves treats to visitors, made the old-fashioned way.

            On the second floor, the public bedrooms show the common practice of renting a space in a bed, rather than a room or even an entire bed to an individual.

            The second floor ballroom was most likely used for the Home District council meetings held in 1847 and 1849, as well as by the local Grand Orange Lodge.

            Montgomery’s Inn has been a landmark in Etobicoke for the past 173 years, and continues to serve the community. The appropriately named Community Room, with its 19th-century

decor, provides a venue for community groups, clubs and private parties.

           

50/50 Draw

            Once again Stephen Thiele had the chance to draw for the Joker. Better luck next time Stephen.

 

Visitors

            None last meeting

 

This Week

            In place of our usual Thursday morning meeting, we are holding our Presidents Night tonight, at the Lambton Golf & Country Club. There will not be a meeting in the morning.

           

Classifications

1.     Electric Power.

2.     The Clergy.

 

Members News

            We regret t5hat we have to say farewell to Don Foster for a few weeks as he has left to spend the summer at his cottage. We look forward to seeing him in the Fall. Don is also celebrating his 49th. year in Rotary.

 

Birthdays & Anniversaries

            Birthday – John Stevenson – June 12th         

            Joined Rotary – Terry Donohue – June 23rd.

.           Joined Rotary – Terry Vango – July 1st.                                          

 

Next Meeting July 15, 2010

            To be confirmed.

RYIA

            Stephen Thiele told us that things are full steam ahead for the RYIA. Betty Carr has confirmed that she will be our honorary chair once again. Stephen and Willis Rudy drove out to Ajax to meet  with Ms. Kim Phuc. and Don McLaughnan to discuss the project that they are partnering in Uganda.

 

A Look in the Mirror

            Rotary District 7070 Conference, October 22nd.to 24th. at the Sheraton Fallsview Hotel

 

Dates to Remember

            October 22nd. District 7070 Conference.

 

New Officers

            Please welcome to our Board of Directors:

Bryan Pett, Community Service.

Willis Rudy, Vocational Service.

            Our Sergeant-at-Arms for this year will be Dennis Good.

 

Welcome and a

Very Happy New Year

To our new President

Doug Williams

And his wife JoAnne

 

Spoke Joke

            The doctor was concluding his interview with his patient who had obviously been overeating. He advised him, “Just cut out all the starches and sweets and smoke one cigar a day.” At the end of two weeks, the patient was back, looking simply terrible. “Cutting out the starches and sweets, I could stand,” he reported, “but that one cigar a day nearly killed me. I had never smoked before in all my life.”

 

 

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