Past President's Message
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Ross Watt - Past-President
Established in 1999, the Barrie-Kempenfelt Rotary Club is celebrating it’s 17th anniversary. We continue to grow with over 65 active members who are dedicated to improving our community and the lives of it’s residents. In the past year, more than 40 Organizations received funding from this Club. In addition we are very proud of our “giving back” events – Kids Fishing Day, Barrie Food Bank Drive, Blood Bank Drive (Canadian Blood Services), Colt for a Day (Big Brothers/Sisters), Battle of the Bands (Maclaren Art Centre), Taste the World (Grove Park Seniors Residence).

Local institutions have also benefitted from our fund raising with significant contributions being provided to Georgian College, RVH, Gilda’s Club and Hospice Simcoe to name a few. The Club also has an international outlook as well. We currently sponsor a Micro-business incubator in Haiti and we provide ongoing operational funding for a school we built in Cambodia. Our commitment to Rotary’s International Foundation giving is strong as well. Rotary is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Foundation this year. A proud heritage of world giving.
This year’s Rotary International theme is “Rotary Serving Humanity”. Our Rotary International President, John Germ from Tennessee, is passionate about the power of Rotary. He explains: 
 
“Service to humanity has been the cornerstone of Rotary since it’s earliest days, and has been its main purpose ever since. I believe that there is no better path to meaningful service today than Rotary membership; and no organization is better placed to make a real and positive difference to our world. No other organization so effectively brings together committed, capable professionals in a wide variety of fields, and enables them to achieve ambitious goals. Through Rotary, we have the capacity, the network and the knowledge to change the world: the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves”. 
 
And change it we have! Rotary throughout the world is ready to celebrate the eradication of polio – a worldwide mission taken on by Rotary alone. So what’s next? The future is to be determined but you can bet the Rotary will continue to be a leader in world change.
 
I look forward to my term as President of the Barrie-Kempenfelt Rotary Club for the 2016-17 year. We are a motivated group of professionals who are dedicated to giving back to the community that has been so good to us. Rotary Serving Humanity, one community at a time.

Do you want to give back to your community and make the world a better place? Then why not join Rotary, the largest service organization in the world. Rotarians always combine fun and fellowship in everything we do, and the satisfaction of serving others is the finest reward of all.

Sound interesting? It is. Let’s get together and talk.

Ross Watt 
President 2016-17

 

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary is 1.2 million business, professional and community leaders in more than 200 countries providing humanitarian service while building goodwill and peace.

This year Rotary International’s theme is “Be a Gift to the World”.
Here is a quote from K.R. Ravindran, Rotary International President,
 
Every one of us has something to give — whoever
we are, whatever our place in life. We can give
our talent, our knowledge, our abilities, and our
effort; we can give our dedication and our devotion.
Through Rotary, we can take these gifts and make
a genuine difference in the lives of others and in
our world.
 

Belonging to Rotary gives men and women an enjoyable and organized way to make a contribution to their community.  Rotary members meet weekly to plan club, community and international service activities.  By using their skills and expertise, members also enhance their professional network, career development and cross-cultural understanding.

Every day Rotarians make a difference in peoples lives.

To learn more about Rotary visit www.rotary.org or contact us.

 

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