JULY 10, 2026

It's the start of a new Rotary year, and we have a new Club President! 

2026-2027 PRESIDENT CRISTA RENNER

We had an excellent turnout of club members and guests at our July 10th club meeting for the inauguration of our 107th club president, Crista.

Crista was warmly introduced by her dear friend, Tracey Curtis, our past president (2020-21). We are in awe of Crista's amazing history and her long list of activities delivering Service Above Self in numerous ways. Our club feels very lucky to have Crista as our new leader, and she is warmly supported by our past presidents Marva and Brian, as well as our president elect for 2027-28, Eleni Bakopoulos, plus a strong board of directors, committee chairs, and incredible members. Not many Rotary Clubs have the strong bench strength and succession plans that our club enjoys, and we are grateful for this.

Crista's inaugural presentation began with a sombre pause and reflection that the day, July 10th, marked exactly 29 years since her first-born had sadly passed away. She explained how she had turned her personal grief into action by supporting other parents losing a child, and discovering the healing power that came from Service Above Self, long before Rotary was in her life. She and Tracey had met a year or so later in a Baby Basics class when they were both new mums. They formed a special bond and friendship that has lasted and grown through the years, including many special activities and outings together. (There's a book waiting to be written about their fun adventures! - Ed.)

Crista paid warm tribute to her mom Colleen Renner and husband Rob Ramage, both of whom were present, and many other Rotarians by name and role. She laid the groundwork for mutual support and collaboration to strengthen our club. She highlighted plans to offer hybrid club meetings so that more members can attend online when they are not able to attend in person. She promoted strong mentorship and community outreach, including Rotary's collective support for Guelph's 200th birthday celebrations in 2027.  

We feel in good hands for a great Rotary year ahead! Thank you, Crista, for your willingness to serve as our club president.

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DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR

• Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 9am … Rotary flagraising at City Hall for Eradicating Human Trafficking. Speakers include Cam Guthrie, Dominique O'Rourke, Vicki Olutundun

• Friday, August 21, 2026 … visit to our club by this year's District 7080 Governor, Uche Okugo

• Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 6pm … Rotary Club of Guelph's 46th annual Lobsterfest at the Italian Canadian Club. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.  Please download and share this Lobsterfest 2026 Sponsorship Package to boost our event.

• Saturday, October 3, 2026 … All day Rotary District 7080 Conference held in Brampton. These meetings are really worth attending to learn, share best practices, and meet wonderful people. SAVE THE DATE! Perhaps a few of us can carpool to Brampton.

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SERGEANT-AT-ARMS ANNOUNCEMENT

Once again, Helmuth Slisarenko will be our club's Sergeant-At-Arms for the coming year, a role with a long club tradition. He will continue to welcome members and guests as they arrive, introduce visitors, and “fine” members for perceived infractions (all in jest!) with all fines going to the Rotary International Foundation fund. He fully intends to uphold the late Tom Funk's favourite line of recognizing someone for being “Too Good To Be True”, and adding good-natured fun to our meetings. Take note. Members are warmly encouraged to get ahead of the game by buying $50 worth of “fines” to cover the next six months. Naturally, Helmuth will gladly accept and record your “deposit” and ensure that your donation gets assigned to your personal account at RI. 

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  BOARD OF DIRECTORS - CHANGES

Brian Martin (past president 2024-2025) and Matt Webster have both completed their terms of office on the club's board of directors, and are replaced by Tracey Curtis and Patrick Grist. Our thanks to them all! Our Directors and Officers are always listed on our club's home page HERE. 

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CLUB BUSINESS:

 APPOINTMENT OF ACCOUNTANT FOR REVIEW ENGAGEMENT 

The last part of our club meeting on July 10th was for members to vote on a motion to appoint a particular firm of accountants to conduct the club's financial Review Engagement, as required by ONCA (the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act). This was deferred business from the club's last AGM held on November 28, 2025. The proposed motion was carried.  

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