Greetings & welcome to our guests – Ruth Howell, Suzanne Warrener, Gord Campbell, Heather Sarson, Owen Bateman, Jane Katzman, Bill Pachekowski (Paul Harris Fellow),  & our speaker, PDG Keith Koke 

Jim Steele is happy to have 26 dozen Roses orders
without poaching any of Blake’s customers.

Jim Nash offers congratulations to John Lawrence, honoured with the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year recognition! Jim’s also happy that he’s signed the agreement for the Saturday Night Headliner for Ribfest.

Audrey will be attending President Elect Training in Kalamazoo this weekend.
RI President will also be there.

Heather is excited for Chathamite Derek Whitson, playing for Men’s Hockey Gold in the Paralympics in Vancouver.

Greg K attended a 24 hr Hockey Fundraiser in Windsor. Funds raised during this team challenge go to help kids play house-league hockey.

John L just returned from a 10 day ski trip to Mt Tremblant. And expresses his thanks for our Club support for his Citizen Honour.

Kim is just back from Mexico, learning that she’s also won a free VIA ticket to Ottawa & an overnight in Toronto!
 

Keith Hindmarsh, Karen Vince.  

Roger Kniffen will have a One year Club Anniversary on March 13 & several Charter Members will celebrate 12 years with Rotary next week.

 50/50 Draw:

Owen pulled Heather’s ticket who grabbed a Queen for $10 – pot’s at $150!

Club Assembly:   

  • Board of Directors’ Mtg, Monday March 22, 4:30pm Comfort Inn.

  • Ribfest needs your help – there’s prepared Sponsorship kits for getting out into the community. We need your connections, your friend, family & colleagues. Please share your leads. See Blake or Suzanne. All help is now greatly needed.

  • Cheque Presentation from Paul Roy - Proceeds from the Rotary Sunrise Rose, which was developed in England in our name, is now available at 2 nurseries in Canada. We receive $1 for every rose plant sold.
Paul turned over a cheque for $679!

  • Bill Pachekowski is present for an Environment Committee Mtg to follow today. The Daffodil beds need help & this group will put a plan together. Daffodils are up, about 2-3” in places.

  • Suzanne has accepted a PT position with Canada Revenue agency in Windsor, beginning next week. She will finish her hours with us as obliged thru the Intern Development grant. She states that it has been an honour & a pleasure to work with & for us. She’s enjoyed the Rotary experience & looks forward to continuing her volunteering with us on the projects that she has begun. Thank you Suzanne, we have truly benefited from your time with us.

Past DG Keith Koke visited today with his Presentation for local Clubs about the Shelterbox organization. Through various clips of CNN & youtube.com, we saw the many boxes being prepared & shipped out of the warehouse in England. 12 minutes after Haiti was struck, in fact, the boxes had begun their way.   They offer warmth, comfort & dignity, & right now, homes for over 70,000 people in the world.  Places like Nepal, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Gaza, Kenya & Uganda have all received them after floods, earthquakes & typhoons.

The tents provide shelter for 10 people & things for survival like sleeping bags, water purification tablets, shovel & rope, Cooking utensils, water proof sacs & even a book for children. 

Shelterbox exists through donations & volunteers. It is the largest Global Rotary project in the world (that is separate from Rotary International).    Each box costs $1000.  It is tagged & able to be tracked by the Donor, as it makes its way around the world. 

So far, there are 2000 tents in Haiti & counting.   Keith’s goal for the 8 Clubs in Kent County is to raise $50,000 & 50 boxes.   We’re at #41 now 

There are so many ways to give – as an individual, a Club & as a business.

www.shelterbox.ca

Through unanimous support, today’s cheque from the Rose bush sales will be forwarded to Shelterbox. That puts our Club’s donations over 2 boxes.  

Steve P thanked Keith for sharing his passion today.  A book for the Literary Angels at the Library was signed.

In 1913 a tornado swept though Nebraska and destructive floods appeared in Ohio and Indiana. The Rotary Clubs in those States, supported by those throughout the nation, leaded into action, rescuing and feeding people and animals, and helping in the necessary rebuilding work. Rotary had met its first great test as a service organization.

                                                                                                           Paul Harris, “My Road to Rotary”

As all members are aware, BINGO's are one of our best fund raisers and we need members to help out. The fellowship is a wonderful added bonus.  Please do your part to help by volunteering yourself during one or more of the following time frames.

MARCH       30   - (Tuesday)        7:00 and 9:30pm   -   Steve Pickard, Bill Dielman
APRIL          14    - (Wednesday)  7:00pm                   -   Bonny Pigeon, Greg Kett, Ashley White, Nicole Gignac
MAY             19   - (Monday)        6:00pm                   -   
JUNE            16   - (Sunday)          6:00pm                   -   Linda Goldsmith

You need to be there one hour and fifteen minutes before the start time. Remember you are awarded 3 make-ups for a regular bingo and one midnight bingo equals 5 make-ups.

             Contact our Bingo Coordinator, Jackie Bray  at 354-0356 or email   jacalyn.bray@rbc.com 

  The Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise is pleased to have
  Suzanne Warrener, on board as the official "Events Coordinator". 
 

This position was made possible through a grant from the following agencies: