We have a great Club! As one member has stated: "We punch far above our weight category". I believe that is true, and recent participation reinforces the accuracy of that statement. For example, our volunteering at the Fall Fair last weekend was at a record high, with 10 shifts covered. Many thanks to all of the members who "stepped up": Susan, Don Polk, Elsabé, Trevor, M-C, Hari, and John MacIntyre (who split a shift with me). Another example is the number of cash calendars that I have so far distributed for sale, a total of 77!
Having said the above, I have recently had cause to reflect on our "club culture" and the need to develop a "Code of Conduct" that would encourage new member recruitment. We have been known as the "Fun Club", all well and good, and we should continue to have fun while we promote the important work that we do for Rotary. We should also be cognizant of any behaviour that would discourage new members from joining. I will be asking our Board of Directors to discuss the introduction of a "Code of Conduct" into our bylaws, which will then be put to the general membership for a vote.
At the September Board meeting, the subject of having a Land Acknowledgement was raised and a lively discussion ensued. While a wide range of tthoughts was expressed, the issue was tabled without making or voting on a resolution until hearing back after consulting with the District.
World Polio Day will occur on October 24th. Your Club will have a stall at Market Square with promotional materials, for a "Purple Pinkie" event, to raise awareness and solicit funds for Polio Plus. Elsabé has provided a beautifully crafted poster board, attached herein.
Cheers, and best regards to all of you!
Arja
John Scott Cowan
Marie-Anne Erki
for 9 years of Rotary service
(September 17)
2024-25 COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE
Director: Jennifer Patelli
Members: Elsabé Falkson Russ Phin
Don Polk Don Taylor
While some of the Community Service Committee's budget items will remain unchanged, an online Community Service Projects Grant application form will be implemented and used to determine which recipients will receive donations and in what amounts. This will allow the Committee to assure Club resources have a greater impact impact. Social media will be used to market the availability of those grants.
We look forward to working with other Rotary Clubs' Community Service Committees to avoid duplication of services and to fill gaps. This cooperative effort would also increase the impact and effectiveness of Rotary in the Kingston-area.
We are looking into a larger, longer-term project as well, that could utilize several of Kingston's resources such as the Engineering students at Queen's and Engineering Tech Students at St. Lawrence College.
Finally, our Committee is looking into opportunities for hands-on involvement, such as LCVI's open house, a Roots of Empathy school outreach and the Queen's Promenade.
Respectfully submitted
Jennifer Patelli
K-F ROTARY NIGHTS @ THE COMMUNITY GARDEN
For the last time this season, K-F Rotarians joined together with Rotaractors at the Robinson Community Garden under the guidance of the Kingston Club's Darlene Clement (r) to tend the vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, peppers, cabbage, onions, squash, tomatoes and corn.
Several types of veggies from the garden were recently judged "Best in Class" at this month's Kingston Fall Fair, including the Kennebec white potatoes (above), which will soon be harvested for donation to The Grace Centre in Sydenham.
Following service in the garden, the group capped off the evening with a potluck BBQ dinner in the Sugar Shack, featuring some fresh, just-picked veggies. Mmm!
Congratulations to Fred who was the first one to correctly answer the Rota-Teller Reader Quiz in the last edition.
ROTARYCLUB CORDEIRóPOLIS, BRAZIL
August 24/26, 2024
On a recent trip to Brazil, K-F Rotarian Don Polk visited Cordeirópolis to follow-up on the status of the collaborative Kingston-Frontenac / Cordeirópolis youth development project, now finishing 4 months in pilot phase.
He and his family met with the 10 students at their weekly Saturday morning English class, and spoke with parents, host Rotary Club members and other project stakeholders to thank them all for their support.
On Monday afternoon, Don toured the new facility being built by Patrulha Mirim specifically for after-school training of financially-disadvantaged students to better prepare them for entering the local job market.
Afterwards, Don attended the weekly Rotary Club dinner meeting and thanked them for their hospitality and collaborative spirit, not only for getting the youth development project off the ground successfully but also for their generous participation the Morningside Club's Blanket Drive in South Africa via the Kingston-Frontenac Club's international service project led by Greta Du Bois Cleynhens.
During the visit, the Cordeirópolis Club's newest member, AG Eduardo Nonato, who was inducted into the Club that same night, spoke of his interest in expanding the collaborative youth develoopment initiative by means of a Rotary Global Grant.
BINGO! FUNDRAISING
In the 2024-25 Bingo Year to date (for hours volunteered Apr-Aug), Kingston-Frontenac Club members have so far raised:
$14,427.36
($341.04 / hour volunteered)
to benefit our local community.
Only 10 volunteer shifts remain to be filled
in 2024-25 Bingo Year (ending March 2025).
Thanks to the K-F members who have volunteered for this valuable service.
Volunteers (2 for each date) needed:
Saturday, Jan 4 @ 4:00pm**
Saturday Feb 1 @ 8:00pm**
Saturday Feb 1 @ 10:00pm**
Saturday Feb 15 @ 4:00pm
Saturday Mar 8 @ 4:00pm
Friday Mar 14 @ 6:00pm**
Saturday Mar 29 @ 4:00pm
** - only 1 volunteer needed
** ** **
ALL BINGO VOLUNTEERS - PLEASE NOTE:
Effective October 1, 2024,
evening BINGO hours have been adjusted:
WASNOW
06:15 - 08:15pm 06:00 - 08:00pm
08:15 - 10:15pm 08:00 - 10:00pm
10:15 - 11:59pm 10:00 - 11:30pm
The K-F Bingo Schedule, Calendar & Homepage Events listing
have all been adjusted (where applicable) and ARE CORRECT!
Autumnal Equinox 2024: Understanding the Equinox
The Autumnal Equinox, is a significant event with various implications in science and culture. It occurs when the Sun crosses the celestial equator from north to south around September 22 each year, marking a time when day and night are nearly equal worldwide.
The term “equinox” comes from Latin, meaning “equal night,” suggesting that day and night are nearly the same length. However, this isn’t completely accurate as the day of the equinox is slightly longer than 12 hours in most places.
The day when day and night are truly equal is called the “equilux,” which happens a few days before the spring equinox and a few days after the fall equinox in both hemispheres.
Wherever you are on Earth on the day of the equinox (and whether it's a spring or fall equinox, depending on which hemisphere you live in), the sun will rise as close to east and set as close to west as possible, making it a foolproof compass.
The two annual equinoxes also feature the fastest sunrise and sunset of the year, with the sun taking just a few seconds to appear and disappear. That's because this is the steepest angle at which the sun rises and sets during the year.
Culturally, the autumnal equinox is recognized as a time of harvest and thanksgiving, with many festivals like the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the Japanese Autumnal Equinox Day taking place. It also signals the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, a period of environmental changes and preparation for winter.
Additionally, it is a time for personal reflection and goal setting, reflecting the balance of day and night. In essence, the Autumnal Equinox is a time of balance, harvest, transformation, and introspection.
The autumnal equinox in Kingston is at 8:43 am on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
2024 Adventure in High Technology
The Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata will offer the 40th annual Adventure in High Technology program from October 20-23, 2024.
This year AiHT will once again offer an in- person experience in Ottawa. Students will visit various businesses, each of whom will describe the unique and different ways that they use technology in their day-to-day work. Students will also either visit or hear presentations from a few educational institutions who will describe some of the training programs they offer in the high technology field.
The Kingston-Frontenac Club hopes to sponsor 3 students from Kingston-area high schools to participate. Nominations are open and will close October 4.
2024 ADVENTURE IN UNDERSTANDING
Congratulations to Gray (Alex) Jackson,
a student at Bayridge Secondary School, who completed the Adventure in Understanding on the Trent Severn Waterway in Peterbororugh-Kawartha from August 25-30, 2024. She will be sharing her AiU experiences at Kingston-Frontenac Student Night, planned for Nov 13, 2024.
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2024 ADVENTURES IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Congratulations to Caidynce Jones,
a student at Bayridge Secondary School, who just completed the Adventures in the Environment in Cornwall from September 8-12, 2024. She will be attending Kingston-Frontenac Student Night on November 13, 2024 to share her AiE experiences working alongside scientists from the St. Lawrence River Institute.
STILL Seeking Host Families....
WE NEED YOU !
The Rotary Clubs in the Kingston area are requesting your assistance to host a high-school aged exchange student from another country for a three to four month period. This is an ongoing requirement, every year
The Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship is a year-round program in which our Club participates. In exchange for sending out one high school student to another country for a year, we agree to receive a student from an international destination who will also remain in our community for one year.
There is no monetary remuneration for hosting a student. The benefits to you and your family are numerous:
You will learn about another culture directly from someone who lives there.
You will have the satisfaction of showing a visitor the way a Canadian family lives, of showing them your community and your country's way of life.
You may learn to speak another language as you assist this young person to learn to speak English.
You will make a life-long friend in another country of the world.
If you would like to apply to be a host family or know of someone who might, please apply through the online Host Family Application form on our Rotary District 7040 Youth Exchange website at www.district7040ye.com (found under “Forms and Documents” and under “For Parents/Host Families”) or https://yehub.net/C04-hfapp.
If you would like more information about this very rewarding experience, please contact us.
YOUTH EXCHANGE PROMOTES WORLD PEACE, UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL!
WILL YOU HELP TO DO THAT?
Kingston-Area Rotary Clubs
62 /99
2024 Team Progress
Thanks!
to all those selfless donors
for the Gift of Life!
If you've made it this far and know which waterway the Adventurers in Understanding paddled, be the first one to send me the correct answer (at polkdj@hotmail.com) and win a $15 Tim's gift card.
K-F ROTARIANS LIVE AT THE SPIRE ! "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW
I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN"
(Saturday) September 21,2024
Join a Rotary Night Out this Fall !
K-F OCTOBER PUB & THEATRE NIGHT In Gananoque at the 1000 Islands Playhouse (Wednesday) October 16, 2024
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