Volume 48, Number 1                                                                                              July 8, 2004

 

Rotary Club of Toronto West

 

 

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

 

A Happy New Centennial Year

            President Jagjit, and your Board of Directors would  like to wish all our members a Happy New Centennial Year, and to welcome all our new members who have joined us from the Rotary Club of Etobicoke Sunrise.

            This is a very special year, not only in Rotary, but in all Service clubs, when we will be celebrating the birth of service clubs 100 years ago on February 23, 2005.

             

Last Meeting – June 24, 2004

            At our last meeting (Presidents Night) we had the pleasure of having our partners, families and friends with us, to share in the closing of yet another Rotary year. In spite of the solemnity of the occasion, President Paul wanted to go out on a happy note, so he started off by trying to draw fines from as many members as he could.

Keith Oman, Bryan Pett, and Terry Vango being the first to suffer.

            President Paul then asked us all to rise , and to drink a toast to our new combined club.

            Chis Ostrovski then spoke a few words on behalf of Danelle Smith-Jakeman, the president at that time of the Rotary Club of Etobicoke Sunrise, Chris apologized for her absence, which was due to the imminent expectation of her first addition to her family. I believe imminent was the operative word.. We do however wish her and her family the very best, and we all look forward to meeting her as soon as is possible.

            President Paul then read a letter that was being sent to Danelle welcoming her and the Etobicoke Sunrise club into the Rotary Club of Toronto West.

            As his last official act President Paul asked that everyone consider very carefully the plan that is being offered for each Rotarian to include $1,000.00 in their will to go to the Rotary Foundation.

            Incoming President Jagjit Kohli then took over and his first official function was to present President Paul with his gavel and past-presidents lapel pin. He went on to quote R.I.’s president Glenn E. Estess Sr. saying “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Jagjit said he would like to win, and that he would like the Rotary Club of Toronto West to win, and to be the leading club in the district for the Rotary Centennial year 2004-05.

           

Wine Draw:

            Once again Willis Rudy came out the lucky winner. A good way to finish up the old year Willis. Congratulations.

 

Visitors:

Chris Ostrovski, Rotary Club of Etobicoke Sunrise.

Many partners, friends, relations and other guests of our members.

 

This Week:

Will be giving over to our new president Jagjit Kohli and his Board of Directors, to give us an insight into the plans for the coming year.

 

Classifications:

Electric Power.    

Building Contractor.

 

Birthdays & Anniversaries:

            Wedding Anniv. – Dave & Heather McKee – June 25th.

            Wedding Anniv. – Bob & Evelyn Dodds – July 1st.

            Joined Rotary – Don Foster – July 3rd.

 

Members News:

            Apart from Danelle’s good news, we are still awaiting some good positive news from Cynthia Thompson. Let’s hope we see her back with us before long.

 

Wine Tour

            The wine tour previously scheduled for June will now take place on September 19th. Look to the Spoke for more details at a later date.

           

Silver Goblets

            Carrying on the tradition first started in 1975, when Rotarian Bill Lange first presented a set of silver goblets to the club, requesting that  each year, they be passed on to the incoming president, as a token of Rotary continuity, President Paul passed them onto President Jagjit, to hold in his safe keeping, for the coming year.

 

Next Week-  July 15, 2004

            The program is yet to be confirmed.

 

Spoke Joke:

            John told the mortician to spare no expense for his fathers funeral. So when a bill for $3,200.00 arrived after the funeral, John paid it. The next month, he received a bill for $85.00. He paid it, figuring that it had been left off the original tally.

            But a month later, after receiving another bill for $85.00. John called the funeral director.

            “You said you wanted the best funeral we could arrange,” the director told him. “So I buried him in a tuxedo. I had to rent it.

 

Founder Biographies

Paul P. Harris (1868-1947) was a Chicago attorney in 1905 when he had an idea for a club in which professionals could share “mutual cooperation and in-formal friendship such as all had once known in their villages.” Harris gathered three acquaintances to form a group that became the Rotary Club of Chicago, initiating the worlds first service organization.

Sylvester Schiele (1870-1945) was a coal dealer and a client of Paul Harris in 1905. Born in rural Indiana. Schiele became the first president of the Rotary Club of Chicago. On 23rd. February 1905 Harris invited him to dinner to develop his ideas of a fellowship and booster club. Schiele developed a lifelong friendship with Harris.

Gustavus H. “Gus” Loehr (!864-1918) was a Chicago mining engineer who lent his office for the first meeting of Rotary. At 127 Dearborn Street in Chicago for the first gathering of the founders of Rotary on February 23, 1905. Loehr invited Hiram Shorey to this meeting. His health later deteriorated and he left the club, but remained a supporter of Rotary until his death at the age of 53.

Hiram E. Shorey (1862-1944) was a merchant tailor in 1905. He remained a Rotarian for only a short time before moving back to his home state of Maine. Upon his later return to Chicago, he rejoined Rotary for a short time. Despite his brief membership, Shorey was always supportive of the Rotary Club of Chicago, and voiced pride at his early association with Rotary.