Events

January is Vocational Services Month.  Should Rotarians be held to a higher standard of ethics or integrity in their professions? Aaron Harnett will look at this from the perspective of the legal profession.

In this meeting Bill Dunk-Green will do a presentation on the TERC Club website, showings members how to navigate it efficiently and effectively to obtain information on the club, district and RI levels.

Joanne is the Executive Director of Opportunity For Advancement (OFA), an organization working with women who face exclusion from their communities. OFA works with women experiencing barriers to moving forward in their lives. These barriers include being a sole support parent, experiencing poverty, medical problems, legal and criminal issues, being a survivor of trauma and violence as well as homelessness, job loss, and minimal attachment to the work force.

OFA offers several programs such as the Shape Your Life Boxing Program, Women’s Wellness programs for youth and adults, and Women’s Employment Development Program.

Please check out OFA’s website for more information. 

Joanne joined OFA in 1998 and has been working in community development and individual client support while developing new programs aimed at new and creative ways of addressing issues such as generational and developmental trauma, gender-based violence and recovery. A musician, artist and filmmaker in her spare time, Joanne’s endeavours are focussed on improving the quality of life for vulnerable and at-risk women.

Joanne Green has been instrumental in establishing the Shape Your Life (SYL) Boxing program. This is a unique and free non-contact boxing program for self-identified women who have experienced violence. The program uses trauma and violence-informed approach to provide a safe space for participants to foster respect and empowerment through boxing lessons.

For more information, please check out the SYL’s website.

Luncheon cancelled. In it's place we'll be holding a Robbie Burns Supper to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation and End Polio Now TERC contributions. Details are on the website.

Benefiting The Rotary Foundation & The End Polio Now Campaign

Thursday January 24, 2019 | 6:30 p.m.

Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre, 4 Credit Union Drive

Traditional Scottish Fare including Haggis, Cock-a-Leekie Soup, Neeps & Tatties, Steak Pie and Tipsy Laird. Cash Bar featuring wine, ale and a variety of Scotch whiskies. The night's entertainment includes the songs of Robbie Burns performed by Trish O’Reilly Brennan, the Address to the Haggis, the Immortal Memory performed by Andrew McLelland and TERC Piper Alex Munroe.

DRESS: Cocktail Attire/Jacket & Tie. Scottish apparel is encouraged but not required, HOWEVER, some sign of Tartan is expected.

TICKETS: $75.00 per person BUY YOUR TICKETS AT EventBrite.ca.  More info at TorontoEastRotary.com.

Our speaker will be Dave McLennan, a retired police officer and founder of Boots On The Ground, a non-profit, volunteer organization providing safe and confidential peer support to First Responders – Police Officers, Firefighters, EMS and Corrections Officers - impacted by the exposure to trauma in their positions. This dedicated team will soon be providing confidential Peer Support 24/7 to First Responders across the Province. Full details of the organization can be found on their website -- www.bootsontheground.ca. 

Dave will speak about the development and implementation of the Boots On The Ground program.  He will outline the services presently being offered and their vision for the future of this organization.

Our newest TERC member, Bob Kitchen will give his classification talk.

Lindsay’s family comes from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She is German and Mohawk; Wolf Clan and her spirit name is Swooping Hawk. Lindsay has worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 20 years, most recently as the Executive Director of the Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy, where she led a full scale organizational re-development plan for programs in Ontario, which included notable revenue, partner and resource advancements. She has served in senior management roles both locally and provincially for both the OFIFC and NCFST and she started her community service work as a volunteer at Council Fire Native Cultural Centre as a teenager, 19 years ago. Her areas of expertise include; Indigenous social justice issues, and wellbeing, provincial and federal negotiations, program and training development, research and evaluation, policy and advocacy and capacity and partnership building.

Lindsay is passionate about Indigenous community wellbeing and she has a strong commitment to developing sustainable and measurable solutions for social change and lasting impact. Lindsay holds a Women’s Studies certificate from York University, an Advanced Diploma in Advertising, an Executive-Level Conflict Management and ADR certificate from University of Windsor Law School, and a Diversity Leadership certificate from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Lindsay was the recipient of the 2003 YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award and she has been featured in a variety of media for her commitment to social change and advocacy. Lindsay is the Current Executive Director of the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC).

International documentary photographer, Juris Kornets, was commissioned by a child-centred international development organization, to photograph children and document the issues they face living in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Paraguay and Nicaragua.  With free rein to photograph, his poignant images reveal how children are overcoming hardships such as human trafficking and child migration, child marriages and harmful tribal customs, let alone environmental hardships in order to thrive in school, dream fearlessly and realize their right to be heard and included. In the presentation he will showcase the images and talk about the associated stories.

Register by Feb 1, 2019 to be entered into the Early Bird Draw

Join us for the 4th ANNUAL TORONTO EAST ROTARY EUCHRE PARTY. A fun filled evening of great laughs, good food and a little friendly competition. Its a Euchre Party!

- Tournament style play, no partner required

- Quick tutorials/refreshers available

- Cash prize of $100 for overall winner; $50 cash prize for second place

- Many other opportunities for prizes! Surprise draws!

- One free drink and great food

There will also be a silent auction with a great selection of items, 50/50 draws, and much more.

There is plenty of parking at the back of the Royal Canadian Legion. Enter on the south end of the building of Coxwell. Enter from the Coxwell Street entrance.

PROCEEDS FROM THE EVENING WILL GO TO LOCAL COMMUNITY CHARITIES. GO TO WWW.TORONTOEASTROTARY.COM TO SEE SOME OF THE CHARITIES WE HAVE SUPPORTED IN THE PAST

Get Your Tickets Here!

Virginia O'Reilly is the Membership Chair for District 7070. She is a partner at Burak Jacobson Research Partners, a consulting firm in Toronto specializing in consumer insights through market research.  Virginia holds a Bachelor's Degree in Science with a Mathematics Major from St. Francis Xavier University and a Master of Business Administration from Queen's University. She has been a member of our club, Toronto East, since 1998.  She served as her club's first female President between 2001 and 2002.

Ron Denham will talk to our club today about the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG).  He was the founding chair of the WASRAG, A group of over 1800 Rotarians helping people in the developing world improve life and livelihood through the provision of safe water and sanitation. In that capacity he has fostered many water and sanitation projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, and in many states in India. 

Dr Denham received his education in England where he obtained a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

In 1961, after obtaining an MBA in Business Administration, he entered the management consulting profession, becoming Senior Partner and Vice Chairman of KPMG Management Consulting. In this capacity he directed the international consulting practice and played a major role in development projects in Peru, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Senegal and Cuba.

Throughout his busy career he has been active in the community and his profession.  He   was appointed Professor in the Faculty of Administrative Studies, York University, Toronto.  He was elected Trustee of the North York Board of Education, Chairman of the Ontario Region of the Engineering Institute of Canada and President of the Institute of Management Consultants of Ontario. 

A Rotarian for 62 years, he first joined the Welland club in 1957 and transferred to his present club—Toronto-Eglinton—in 1964.  He was elected President in 1973-74 and District Governor for the year 1993-94.  He was elected Paul Harris Fellow in 1988, is a Benefactor and Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation and a member of the Arch Klumph Society. In recognition of his contribution to Rotary, his vocation and to the world community he was presented with the “Service above Self” award in 2005 and the “Citation for Meritorious Service” by The Rotary Foundation..

He was a member of the R.I. Task Force on Community Concerns in 1994-95 and Zone Coordinator for Family and Community Concerns in 1995-96.  The following year he was Coordinator of the New Generations program.  He was Discussion Group Leader at the 1995 and 1996 International Assemblies for incoming District Governors. He was Rotary International Membership Coordinator Zone 22 (Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Alaska and Siberia) for the Rotary years 2001-04. He was also Canadian Chairman for the global Polio Eradication Private Sector Initiative.

He is currently a member of the US AID/Rotary Steering Committee overseeing WASH programs in Ghana, Uganda and Madagascar and of the WAS*MGI (Water & Sanitation Major Gifts Initiative).

He was General Coordinator of the Water Resources Task Force from 2004 to 2008. More recently he was elected chair of the Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG). In this role he has supported a range of water and sanitation projects in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Peru and in many states in India.

His current mission is to encourage all 1.2 million Rotarians to become familiar with world  water issues and all clubs to commit to a WASH project.

TERC member Brian Smith talks about Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) and his personal relationship to this affliction. PMS is a rare genetic condition caused by a deletion or other structural change of the terminal end of chromosome 22.

 Red Door Family Shelter's Kirsten Cooney speaks about how TERC's donations are helping the women, children and families in our community.

Egale’s vision is a Canada, and ultimately a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias. Egale’s mission is to work to improve the lives of LGBTQI2S people in Canada and to enhance the global response to LGBTQI2S issues. Egale will achieve this by informing public policy, inspiring cultural change, and promoting human rights and inclusion through research, education and community engagement. 

Egale has seen the need to go beyond the human rights advocacy roll to provide services to LGBTQI2S youth who are seeking support and assistance. They are providing counselling, homelessness and suicide crisis services for youth up to age 29. They have LGBTIQ2S Support Workers to help with practical needs ranging from housing, food access, access health care, navigating government services, filling out forms, applying for ODSP and OW, employment, transition support, etc.

Currently they are working on a housing transition project that will help youth stabilize their lives until they gain permanent housing. This very needed resource is currently under development.

No speaker today.  We'll be discussion club issues.

As a teen Marvin fled the United States in search of a way out of poverty with criminal elements trying to pull him down.  Marvin will share the story of his journey from abuse and poverty to successful business owner.  Through strength, determination and iron will, he built a life for himself in Toronto against all odds.  Today Marvin is husband, father and the owner, operator and head instructor at Dragonz Martial Arts Studio and an active member of the East Toronto Community.

Our speaker is David Lockett, a member of the Rotary E-Club of Social Innovators D7090, co-founder of the award-winning charity, PACT (Participation, Acknowledgement, Commitment and Transformation) Urban Peace Program which was featured in the April 2019 editions of The Rotarian and Rotary Canada magazines. PACT works with young offenders and other at-risk youth who may benefit from its intensive life-coaching regimen. PACT pairs each participant with a life coach for 12-18 months where they can also learn practical skills and pursue creative interests. More than 25 Toronto area clubs support PACT financially and/or by volunteering as mentors.

Our speaker is Lindsay Oughtred, Executive Director of Kids Up Front which provides youth services/experiences for social service organizations and healthcare organizations throughout Toronto. They distribute tickets to arts, culture and sporting events to deserving kids and their families through its many programs such as “Can’t Use Your Ticket”, “Give A Kid A Game”, “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” as well as Access/Pass Programs at the AGO, ROM and Ontario Science Centre.

Our speaker today is Lindsay Kretschmer. She is Excutive Director of the Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council. Today Lindsay will talk about the unique considerations of Indigenous people in the context of Toronto with a brief historical reference and a contemporary focus.  She'll explain who are the Indigenous people of Toronto, what is Reconciliation and what does it mean for Torontonians.

Tonight TERC will be holding a special Paul Harris award dinner.  As a result, there will not be a luncheon today.

Jason Balgopal is founder of the Beaches/Danforth Mental Wellness Peer Support Group. What is a Mental Wellness Peer-to-peer support group?  … quite simply, it is a gathering of like-minded people, who come together in a safe, caring environment to share stories about how their lives are affected by their mental wellness challenge and to share what has worked for them in improving their lives.

It's that time of year where we reflect on the work of our President and we roast and toast all her efforts.  Please join us in this special evening to thank Karen Somerville for all her hard work and dedication as our 2018/2019 Toronto East Rotary Club President.