Last Friday's meeting, July 12th, began with a video tribute to Clay Switzer, a long-time member of our club who passed away on July 1st. Tom Funk, who has known Clay since 1971, gave a tribute. The full tribute can be found in the story below.
After the club's honouring of Clay, announcements were made. Marty Fairbairn made an announcement about Lobster Fest. Ticket sales are moving at a good pace! He reminded everyone that early bid sales end on July 17th, so buy your tickets now! More details can be found in the story below.
Aidan Harris made an announcement about the Eradicating Human Trafficking Committee's Flag Raising Day. The event will be held at City Hall, on July 23rd, at 9:00 AM. If you're available, come help us raise awareness! More details can be found below.
Marva Wisdom then made an announcement about Art Not Shame's cocktail fundraiser and new community art space!
Helmuth Slisarenko introduced our guests Anna Brown, granddaughter of Dianne Dance, and Jim Macklin, the new President of the Trillium Club!
After lunch, Noma Vales introduced our new President, Brian Martin, for his inaugural speech. The transcript of the speech can be found directly below. After his speech, Marva Wisdom thanked Brian and the meeting came to a close.
At Friday's meeting, President Martin gave his opening address to the club. A full copy of his speech can be found below.
Fellow Rotarians, honoured guests. I am both thrilled and humbled to stand before you as the 105th President of this club. I’d like to start by taking a moment to introduce your Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 Rotary year. Returning to the Board this year are Marty Fairbairn, Ian Smith and of course, Nanita Mohan in her role as Past-President. Joining the Board this year are Matt Webster, Dianne Dance, Lawrie Jones, Crista Renner, our 2nd Vice President, and
Marva Bailey-Wisdom our 1st vice-president. I’d also like to express my gratitude to the outgoing Director’s for their service to the club. Gisella Gazzola, Margaret Trainor, Tim Mau, Roger Garriock, Jasmine Urisk, Rosemary Clark, Andrew Johnson and Domingo Bernal have all completed their terms.
One of my favorite leadership thinkers, Simon Sinek encourages us to “Start With Why”, so I thought I would share with you my own Rotary why and how that shapes how I look at my role in the coming year and the club in general. As you all know by now, I am a practising martial artist. I have trained in the Japanese Goju Ryu style of Karate for over 21 years. My martial arts background influences how I think about the world around me. It has in part, lead me to a career in cybersecurity. It also profoundly influences my desire to serve.
The Japanese karate styles all trace their philosophical underpinnings back to the Samurai class in the EDO period of Japan, before the 1868 Meiji Restoration, when the Emperor was restored to the throne of Japan. The term Samurai derives from the word Saburau in Japanese, meaning to serve. In the dojo at which I train, service back to the dojo forms a part of the training. This took many forms, cleaning, assisting in and teaching classes, and hand delivering flyers to gain new members of the dojo. Some people who came through the doors of the dojo, would think that this was just a way for the dojo to increase its profitability by not paying for services, while others would find the experience of service rewarding in its own right. It was the former group that might stay a short while and then leave. The latter group became a permanent part of the dojo family. I always felt good after doing something for the dojo. My Sensei often talks about the power of serving something greater than yourself. It is easy for us to get caught up in our egoic minds and only decide to do something when we feel that it perfectly aligns with our views. Each of us in this room can look at any idea, issue or situation and interpret it through the lens of our own epistemology.
With so many different backgrounds, views and opinions, it would be easy for nothing to get done if we all chose to serve only our own interests or to refuse to support or participate in things that weren’t what we wanted. Yet the very motto of Rotary: “Service Above Self”, continuously reminds us to avoid this trap. The four-way test further guides us to consider the bigger picture and act in the interest of the many over the one. Serving the greater purpose of Rotary, of the people of the City of Guelph, and of the members of this club, is what motivates me every day as a Rotarian, and it is what will guide my actions as your President.
That explains why I am a Rotarian, but why am I President and why this particular year. It’s no secret that the last few years have been difficult and have taken a toll on the club. Our membership has declined by over 20% since July of 2022. Covid has had a lasting impact on all service organizations. People have become used to staying at home. There is a certain social exhaustion that has taken root. On top of this, the club has experienced some change in granting processes and to the committee structures and some people like the changes and some people do not. This has caused some division in the club. I am a problem solver by nature. I have spent more than 30 years running large technology platforms, figuring out how systems work and how to fix them when they break. I have spent a lot of time of the last year, contemplating what makes me a good troubleshooter and problem solver. I have concluded that my leadership superpower sits at the nexus of three things: Vision – the ability to see the big picture, Listening – the willingness to actively listen to other’s perspectives, and Curiosity – the desire to understand people, systems and processes. This set of characteristics enables me to see solutions to conflict by identifying common ground where others may miss it.
Years ago in a negotiating skills course, I was asked to be the moderator for an exercise where the class paired off and were given a scenario sheet where each individual was led to believe that they had to secure the entire supply of a commodity, a fictional vegetable. The kicker in the assignment was that there was no actual resource conflict because each party needed a different part of the vegetable, so both could be satisfied. What I observed however as I went around the room and listened to the negotiations, was that each person ignored what the other person was saying, and invested all their verbal energy in asserting why their need was paramount. This was a powerful lesson in listening to understand rather than listening to respond. I believe that what the club needs is someone who can listen to all sides and find the common ground and I believe that is why the Universe has put me here in this role at this time.
Incoming RI President Stephanie Urchick has declared the theme for Rotary 2024-2025 as:
The Magic of Rotary. It invites us to:
Innovate and Adapt:
Encourage your clubs to think creatively and embrace new ways of addressing community needs. Innovation is key to staying relevant and effective.
Foster Inclusivity and Diversity:
Make a concerted effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within your clubs. Diverse perspectives enrich our organization and enhance our ability to serve.
Strengthen Community Connections:
Build and nurture strong partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and community leaders. Collaborative efforts magnify our impact.
Engage and Inspire Members:
Focus on member engagement and retention by creating meaningful opportunities for involvement and leadership. Recognize and celebrate the contributions of every member.
Lead with Compassion and Integrity:
Exemplify Rotary’s values in all your actions. Lead with compassion, integrity, and a genuine desire to make a positive difference.
These areas fit beautifully with my goals for this year.
By the end of my term, I would like to have a fresh 5-year vision for the club developed. This will ideally be facilitated by the District and have participation from across the membership of the club. If we can’t get the District to help out, then Marva, Crista and myself will lead the process. The goal is to have a vision and plan that engages and inspires the membership to rediscover their why, engage deeply with Rotary and the membership, and build relationships that will sustain the club. At President Elect training we learned about the VPRM cycle of club vitality. VPRM stands for Vision, Relationships, Projects, and Management. The graphic they used, shows a parabola. In this cycle, a club starts out at the x,y axis with a Vision, next comes the Relationships that sustain the membership, and you keep climbing the curve. Then the Projects get going and finally the Management of the club. That is the peak of vitality when the Club has all four elements. Unfortunately, what then tends to happen is that you lose the vision and start on the downward slope of the curve. Eventually the relationships deteriorate, then the projects start to decline, until all you are left with is the management of the Club and you are back at the x-axis. As a martial artist I have learned to look to nature and natural law. We see that everything in nature is a circle. All that is necessary to turn that parabolic arc into a circle of renewal, is to re-establish the vision and start back up the slope.
I would like to create at least one innovative new fund-raiser for the club that is capable of raising $40-50K. Roger has chaired a team looking at some new fundraising options. I do not know yet what that will look like, and I don’t necessarily expect to execute it fully this year, but we need to engage the community and the club to raise money so that we can continue to have the impact in the community that we have come to expect.
We have created a branding committee, chaired by Noma Vales. Our goal is to build the brand of Rotary within Guelph, across all clubs. We want to develop a strategic plan that will involve targeted outreach to groups within the community that are under-represented in Rotary, that will leverage our membership in the Chamber of Commerce to continue to build on the theme that Rotary is Open for Business, and that will amplify our message consistently across social media. StatsCan data suggests that 8% of people in Canada belong to a service or fraternal organization. For a city the size of Guelph, that suggests that our total addressable market is more than 10,000 individuals. Our goal is to ensure that when people are ready to serve, they are aware of Rotary and that Rotary is accessible to them. My own journey to Rotary is instructive in this case. The history of Rotary being based in vocational representation with the need to be invited or proposed to membership made it somewhat exclusive. I had an interest in joining Rotary for probably 20 years before I did. I knew I wanted to join a service club and my research into the various options told me that Rotary was probably best suited, yet I did not know any Rotarians personally, and so I didn’t know how to get myself invited. It was my wife who suggested that I go down to Riverside Park on Canada Day and find myself a Rotarian. The first person I encountered collecting funds was Peter Vales. He directed me to Noma and she invited me to the next meeting. What this tells us is that there are probably hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people out there, who simply need a path to serve and we can provide it. They may not all join the club immediately, and they may not join this club, but it does not matter. Which club they choose to join is a matter of schedule for them.
I want to strengthen and streamline governance within the club to make it less daunting for someone to step into a leadership role within the club. We now have a Google Workspace for non-profits which will allow us to digitize our club and make it simple and straightforward to find information. By moving our organizational knowledge out of the heads of the members and into the cloud, we can make it easier for people to chair committees, understand the governance of the club and take on some of the more complex roles. We are extremely fortunate to have, and to have had in the past, long serving members fulfill roles like Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Secretary for 20+ years. This is incredibly beneficial for the club and especially for any President, yet it simply postpones the inevitable day when a transition must take place. Moving forward, if we can democratize the data by putting it in the cloud, we can make these transitions easier.
We have done a lot of good work with the grants process, but it has not been without challenges. The Grants portfolio is transitioning to Crista this year and I’d like to say a special thanks to Gisella who put in so much work getting it off the ground. I believe there are many positives to this process and we will continue to apply review and improvement as we go forward. A couple areas where I see opportunity for improvement are in determining how to accommodate large signature projects that can help to build the brand of Rotary. It is not clear to me how we would do another Rotary Forest or Grove Hub, or Food For Kids within the current granting process. I am interested in hearing from members on how we can ensure that we have the capability for these types of projects in the future. Another area where I believe that we need help is in reviving international service, which has been largely dormant since the unfortunate passing of two of our stalwart champions of international service, Ab Moore and Hal Jackson. I am looking for a Chair for the International Service committee. Someone with the passion to take up the mantle and carry us forward and to provide input on how to ensure that the granting process does not choke off our ability to partner in international projects.
Finally, I would like to see us grow the membership of this club back over 100 members in the next 3 years and to have us consistently seeing 40-50 people at lunch. I believe that the branding exercise can create the pipeline of new members, but that alone is not enough. We must have a successful onboarding process, mentorship in Rotary and member experience that engages members both new and old, builds and cements relationships and creates excitement about projects and fundraising. This creates what the VC’s in Silicon Valley refer to as a flywheel effect that keeps the club healthy and vital.
In closing, I encourage you all to reconnect with your why, commit to the magic of Rotary and join me in re-vitalizing this club. I am happy to answer any questions.
The Paul Harris Fellowship Award is one of the highest honours Rotary can bestow upon a person. Recipients are Rotarians and community professionals who are recognized for their outstanding contributions and for exemplifying the highest ideal in Rotary of placing “SERVICE ABOVE SELF.” Our club is proud to recognize Robert Milburn with this prestigious award.
Rotarian Helmuth Slisarenko both motivated this PHF award for Robert, and presented it to him with these beautiful words during the annual "Sunrise Celebration" fundraiser at the Sunrise Therapeutic and Riding Centre in Puslinch, on Sunday, June 23rd, 2024.
Good afternoon Sunrise Friends.
I'm here today on behalf of Rotary and specifically the Rotary Club of Guelph, which has been a longtime supporter and partner of Sunrise, helping to complete many significant projects over the years.
Various notable Rotarians, including The Ireland Family, Newt Clayton, and the Honourable William Winegard were donors and supporters of Sunrise.
Today, I have the honour to present a Paul Harris Fellow award on behalf of the Rotary Club of Guelph, and our sister club, the Rotary Club of Guelph South.
A Paul Harris Fellow is an award named after Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary in 1905. Rotary has grown to 34,000 clubs worldwide, with a membership of 1.4 million people, who in 2021 participated in volunteering 47 million hours of work, to fund $333 million in sustainable global service projects. The Paul Harris Fellow program was established in 1969 to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation, and in turn to recognize an individual for significant community, national, or international service; and who, as a dedicated and committed volunteer, has achieved one or more of the following:
Improved the lives of disadvantaged people
Given of their time and skills to improve the quality of life of others
Displayed outstanding generosity with their skills and resources
Today, the Rotary Club of Guelph, and the Rotary Club of Guelph South, are honouring such an individual.
This individual is Robert Milburn, who has given freely of his time and talents as an auctioneer, performing over 500 community auctions, helping to raise several million dollars in support of many organizations, including for example:
The Foundation of St. Joseph's Hospital, with the Taste of Guelph.
Guelph General Hospital, with Black Tie Bingo
The Rotary Club of Guelph, with Lobster Fest
And many more — including Sunrise!
Today, Robert Milburn will join the ranks of many notable figures who have been named Paul Harris Fellows, including US President Jimmy Carter, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and polio vaccine developer, Jonas Salk.
I have a pin for you, Robert, that you can proudly wear. And a certificate that would look spectacular in your showroom.
Please come to the podium and accept this honour.
Thank you, Robert, for demonstrating “Service Above Self.”
Robert was completely taken aback by this gesture and well-kept secret, and deeply gratified to accept this Rotary honour, especially for it be presented to him by his long-time friend, Helmuth.
Our Rotary friend Ann Caine (founder of Sunrise and herself a recipient of a PHF from our club) added that Sunrise was deeply honoured to be the host location for this well-deserved Rotary presentation to Robert Milburn, who has willingly stepped up to donate his phenomenal skills for Guelph community events, for so many years. This year, Robert Milburn took the Sunrise Celebration Live Auction to a new level and helped Sunrise raise $132,000 which will go directly to support the many year-round programs at the farm, for children and adults with disabilities.
PHOTOS:
Helmuth awarding PHF to Robert Milburn
Robert with Helmuth and Shelley Adlington, Rotary Club of Guelph South president
Robert doing his thing as an auctioneer, and raising a ton of money for the charity
The annual theme of Rotary International's President for 2024-2025, Stephanie Urchick, is "The Magic of Rotary". She says members create that magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary. We agree. Bring a guest to a club meeting, or get in touch with our club here.
Our dear friend and Rotarian for Life, Clay Switzer, passed away on July 1st, 2024, just shy of his 95th birthday. He was an esteemed member of our club for 34 years, from 1989 until 2023. His remarkable life and legacy is captured in his obituary, here. Tom Funk's wonderful tribute to Clay is below. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, August 4, 2024, 2-5 pm in the Village Centre, at Village By The Arboretum, 221 Stone Rd. E., Guelph.
A TRIBUTE TO CLAY SWITZER
by Tom Funk
I am honoured to give a short eulogy for our fellow Rotarian and good friend, Clayton Red Switzer. The nickname Red, of course, is because of his bright red hair and freckled complexion.
I first met Clay on June 15th 1971 when I was in Guelph for a job interview at the Ontario Agricultural College. Clay was Associate Dean of Agriculture at the time responsible for hiring new faculty. The interview must have gone well because before I left his office I had a job offer which I accepted on the spot. That was the beginning of a long professional and personal relationship with Clay.
Clay was a larger than life person both physically and in personality. Clay was a tall, strong, athletic man. In his youth he was a legendary fastball pitcher. He threw the ball so fast hardly anyone could get a hit off him. This earned him a spot in the Guelph Athletic Hall of Fame. And somewhat later he was a competitive golfer who could hit the ball a mile straight down the fairway. I played many games of golf with him and it wasn’t until last year when he was 94 that I finally beat him!
His personality was also larger than life. I don’t think I ever saw him without a huge smile on his ruddy face. He charmed anyone who met him, and he was the centre of attention in any gathering. Not because he wanted to be, but because people wanted him to be. There is a difference between the two.
Clay was not a distinguished academic. That was not his strong suit. He was a very distinguished academic administrator. Under his leadership as Dean of the OAC for ten years, the college saw tremendous growth and solidified its rating as one of the top ten ag schools in the world. When his term as Dean was completed, he was asked to accept the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Ontario. He held this demanding job until his retirement from public service.
Clay was also a great Rotarian. He was proposed to Rotary in 1989 by Bill Stevens. For years he was Chair of our now defunct Rural Urban Committee, he was a member of the Canada- Scottish Rotary Curling team and volunteered his time and talents to many Rotary projects. A few years ago he was named a Rotarian for Life.
Clay’s list of awards and recognitions is long as you might expect. But the list of people he has interacted with who have the highest regard for him is enormous.
Of course its sad to say goodby to such a good friend, but we have all been enriched because we knew him.
We are proud to present the 43rd edition of an iconic local event: GUELPH LOBSTERFEST. It's on September 28, 2024 from 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Italian Canadian Club of Guelph. Early Bird tickets are on sale now at a reduced price until July 17th. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.
Ready for a proper good time?
We'll meet you at Lobsterfest 43, the Rotary Club of Guelph's Best Kept Secret, where we'll be servin' up the freshest lobster this side o' the Atlantic, alongside a seafood antipasto that'll make your tongue sing and BBQ ribs so smoky, you'll swear you can hear the seagulls callin'. All this while supporting a great cause – Rotary projects supporting our community! We're promising you Food, Fun and Fiddles!
What's on the menu, you ask?
Succulent lobster, fresh from the pot
Honey-smoked BBQ ribs that'll have you lickin' your fingers
A seafood antipasto that's a feast for the eyes and the belly
All the fixin's, from Caesar salad to baked beans, and a sweet treat to finish
But that's not all! We'll have a silent and live auction, with prizes like a wheelbarrow overflowing with fine wines, or a chance to soar like a seabird over Guelph in a Cessna. And once the biddin' is done, the Butter Sauce Band will strike up some fun, and we'll dance the night away!
So don your finest duds, grab your dancin' shoes, and come on down for a shindig for the whole family!
PS: There's still more treasures bein' added to the auction, so keep yer eyes peeled!
The Eradicating Human Trafficking Committee has its annual Flag Raising Day at Guelph City Hall! The event is designed to raise awareness about human trafficking in Guelph and the region of Centre-Wellington while showing our support for survivors.
The Eradicating Human Trafficking Committee has its annual Flag Raising Day at Guelph City Hall! The event is designed to raise awareness about human trafficking in Guelph and the region of Centre-Wellington while showing our support for survivors.
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