Volume 52, Number 39                                                                                         May 14, 2009

 

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 Week – May 7, 2009

            Our guest speaker Brian Rudy, B.E.S. B.Arch, OAA, MRAIC, Associate, Project Architect, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, was introduced to us by his Uncle Willis Rudy, saying that Brian was is dedicated team player who believes strongly in building team spirit and responsibility to the client and to the project. Brian was the project architect for the New Canadian War Museum. The years 2005 and 2006 were very important to him when he and his company were awarded a total of 11 National and International Awards.

            The subject of Brian’s talk was the construction and design of the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

            He augmented his talk with a slide show.

            The Museum is a major national museum of military history, covering Canada’s military past from the earliest times to the present day. The first floor gallery shows Canadian history. The Hall of Honour shows a personal approach to military history through the stories of 40 military heroes. The second floor gallery deals with the Second World War including a large-scale model of the Normandy D-Day landings. The Discovery Room gives hands-on experience for all ages where you can try on uniforms, identify unusual artefacts or handle a colonial musket.

            Brian dealt in detail with the design and construction of the building, saying that the concept of regeneration is shown in a building that appears immersed by the surrounding landscape of the Ottawa river, its gently sloping roof, covered with vegetation, is actually a pedestrian walkway that offers a hint of the museum’s multiple layers of meaning.

            Inside, angled walls sharply emerge. Concrete is raw, joints are rough. Floors are sometimes sloped, creating a sense of disequilibrium. Many walls and spaces are intentionally austere, without distractions. Emptiness has profound strength. The intended effect is to encourage the thoughts, memories, and emotions of visitors to shape the space in a way that is unique to each individual.

            President Nick thanked Brian for a very interesting and educational talk, saying that he was sure everyone present learned a lot from his talk.

 

50/50 Draw

            A first time winner, Willis Rudy,  but unfortunately no Joker. Better luck next time Willis.

 

Visitors

            Suzie Rudy, wife and guest of Willis Rudy. Bill Moffat and Micael Jones, guests of Brian Hicks.

 

This Week

            We are pleased to welcome Laurel Broten, MPP Etobicoke Lakeshore.

 

Classifications

1.         Labour Leader. (To help us get new members)

2.         Human Resources. (To help keep them, when we have got them)

 

RYIA

            Stephen Thiele, chairman of RYIA for 2010, spoke to us about what we should be concentrating on at this time such as getting sponsors, getting silent auction items and nominating those who will receive the awards.. Keep in touch with Stephen.

 

Etobicoke Centennial Choir

            On Saturday, May 30th. the ECC are presenting a concert featuring pieces from “Brahms to Broadway”.

Tickets can be purchased from Willis Rudy or at the door, $20.00 per person.

 

Birthdays & Anniversaries

            Birthday – Brian Hicks – May 14th.

 

Musical Night

            Make plans to attend our Musical Night in support of the Canadian Landmine Foundation. On Friday May 22nd. at 6:30 for dinner at 7:00 p.m.

            Tickets are $60.00 with a $20.00 tax receipt.

            Bring along all your relatives, friends and business associates.

 

Next Meeting May 28, 2009

            The meeting of May 21st. has been cancelled due to us having the Musical Night on the 22nd. On the 28th. our board will be reporting on our various committees, and a classification talk is also planned.

 

Spoke Joke

            A girl visiting a museum of prehistoric animals was admiring a dinosaur that was on display. She asked the attendant, “How old is this dinosaur?”

            The attendant replied, “Three million years and seven months old.”

            That’s amazing!” said the girl. “How can they calculate the age so accurately?”

            “Well,” explained the attendant, “when I came to work here, it was three million years old, and I’ve been here seven months.”

 

Today’s Quote

            People become what they expect themselves to become.

 

Seeking Members? Just Ask

            Sometimes, the simplest things get overlooked. Consider these findings from a survey taken in Japan. Asked, “Why they joined Rotary,” 72% of the respondents said they joined because they were invited. But when asked what they thought was the reason that others joined           Rotary, only 59% of those same respondents answered “Because they were invited.”

            It’s easy to forget that the most effective way to recruit new members is to let people know about Rotary, and ask them to join. Here are a couple of methods that Rotarians have used to get the word out about Rotary in order to boost club membership. 

            One club held a “Guest evening” to attract new members. The club identified 40 potential members in the community and invited them to an informal dinner. More than a third of those invited, attended the dinner. The effort netted eight new members.

            Members of another club tried to increase awareness of their club at a flower show by wearing T-shirts that read “Talk to me about Rotary.”

            The key is to remember that, just as many of today’s Rotarians were once waiting to be asked to join, plenty of others must surely be waiting for that invitation today.

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