Lots happening so please read on ... and check our club website for new stories that are added fairly regularly
QUICK RECAP OF MAY 2nd MEETING
The weekly Rotary Club of Guelph meeting, led by President Brian Martin, covered various announcements, including upcoming events, personal news, and committee updates. The club welcomed member Jeff Hoffman as our guest speaker for his "Up Close & Personal" introduction. Jeff is CEO of The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs, and shared his personal journey and career experiences in the charitable sector, emphasizing the importance of community involvement, family values, and personal growth. (More details below.)
ROTARY ANNIVERSARY OF NOTE
This month, one club member will celebrate 20 years or more in Rotary. Congratulations and many, many thanks to:
Rosemary Clark - 31 years - joined May 13, 1994
SIGN UP FOR "GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER"
Michelle Richardson reminded members to sign up for this year's fun event taking place on Saturday evening, May 10th at 6pm. It's a great opportunity for getting to know other members. Use the link emailed to you.
LAWN SIGN CAMPAIGN FOR "ERADICATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING"
Aidan Harris reported that this twice-annual awareness campaign through lawn signs is beginning again on May 5th for the whole month. Lawn signs are free, sponsored through a grant from our club. See our website for the story. Email the committee to get your sign.
CHILDREN & YOUTH/VOCATIONAL SERVICE COMMITTEE
Committee Chair Barb Holmes reported on two current activities:
Children's Books Distributed to worthy charities. Several months ago, a book store that was closing down asked for our help in distributing many hard cover books for kids. This distribution has now been completed, including Shelldale and the Adopt-A-Family program among recipients who were delighted to receive these books.
Career & Education Council. On May 2nd, the CEC was conducting another ICE For Good workshop for high school students, helped by a grant from our club. The students will apply their Initiative, Creativity and Entrepreneurship to helping the Guelph Food Bank enhance an upcoming food drive at Old Quebec Street Mall on May 24-25.
The C&Y/Voc Committee meets monthly, mostly online. The next meeting is Friday, May 9th at 9am. All members are welcome to attend a meeting to learn more about activities in this committee. Email Barb or email Terrie.
THANKS FOR REGISTERING FOR CLUB MEETINGS!
Matt Webster and Helmuth Slisarenko are pleased to report the notable improvement in members registering their attendance at Friday meetings, to inform the ICC in advance about meal requirements. Thank you, and keep it up!
CHARLIE WHITTAKER VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD AT SHELLDALE. Longer-standing members well remember our late member Charlie, Michelle Richardson's dad. (Newer members, read about Charlie here.) Michelle was delighted to recently present the annual "Charlie Whittaker Volunteer of the Year" award to a very worthy recipient at Shelldale.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY ... DONOR RECOGNITION OF OUR CLUB
Marguerite Campbell was pleased to share that our club is being recognized for our substantive annual support of the Adopt-A-Family program run by the Children's Foundation of Guelph and Wellington.
ROYAL CITY MASTERS CHESS TOURNAMENT
Mahmud Hassain reported that plans are progressing very well for Guelph's first ever major chess tournament to be held at the University of Guelph from August 1-6, 2025. Details can be found on the event wesite. Some high level Chess Masters from Canada and the USA have already confirmed their attendance. One new registrant is representing Botswana! Our club is providing some sponsorship funds for this event.
NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR HONOURARY PHF AWARDS
Club members are invited to nominate worthy individuals to receive an Honourary PHF from our club. The nomination form is available on our ClubRunner website. Go to:
Click on Documents, scroll down to the PHF folder and download the form, or email Tim Mau or Lawrie Jones for a copy.
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SPEAKER - JEFF HOFFMAN, UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
Hearing the life story of a newish member is always a favourite topic at our club. On May 2, 2025 it was the turn of Jeff Hoffman to share his story.
He was accompanied by his younger son, Cooper (14) and also three baseball bats, giving a fast insight to his family's sports passions! Not in attendance but affectionately mentioned were Jeff's beloved wife Deb, their older son, Rowan (17) and their two dogs.
Paul Dredge, one of the founding Rotarians on the "Integrated Youth Services Network" initiative that began in 2017 and ultimately led to the formation of The Grove Youth Wellness Centre Hubs of Wellington and Guelph, was highly complimentary about Jeff. Paul said that when Cyndy Dearden was moving on to another role, the Grove Board's recruitment committee received about 100 applications for the role of CEO, some from very notable candidates, but Jeff was soon on the shortlist of the top five, and then offered the role. And what a perfect choice it has proved to be!
In his presentation, Jeff shared that his career after university began at the Tim Hortons Children's Foundation where he began as a data entry clerk and worked his way up to managing fundraising campaigns. He was there for 15 years. At some point, his path crossed with Cyndy Dearden and she persistently persuaded him to join The Grove Hub in a communications and fundraising role. The rest is history. He has always worked in the non-profit sector.
Jeff warmly identified various family members, friends and mentors in his life who shaped him into who he is today. He identified life lessons and values learned along the way, including:
The importance of mental health, welcoming environments, hard work and kindness.
The importance of being present and supportive for people in your circle.
The value of listening to smart people ... like his wife, Deb, and his mentor Cyndy Dearden
The significance of setting personal goals and having a vision for one's future
Jeff explained the presence of three baseball bats sticking out of his backpack, explaining his passion for baseball and his role as a coach. Both sons are active in baseball and hockey. These days, Jeff says that he and Deb are somewhat like Uber drivers taking their kids to events, and as soon as the boys get driving licences, he figures their household will be more like a car rental company with their cars out on loan to their sons!
Brian Martin thanked Jeff for his highly engaging presentation and the awesome role he plays at The Grove Hub, making a difference in young lives.
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