Fogo Island

Attendance: 14 (including 2 guests: Joan Masson, guest of Peter Masson, and PDG Ralph Jones, honourary member)

 

Acting Chair: Past President Gerd

Anthem: James Burchell

Grace: Arthur Retnakaran

 

Announcements:

 

Gord Brown announced that next week is the Christmas Luncheon and that he needs numbers, so please respond to his email invitation.

Donna S. presented the funds raised in honour of Jack Holman to one of Jack’s favourite charities, Mackenzie’s Hope Foundation. Joan and Peter Masson accepted a cheque in the amount of $1,250 for this very worthwhile project.

Jacqueline Smith is still looking for a RYLA candidate for this year. We need the name of a candidate in the next week.

Jacqueline also announced that over 300 families benefit from Christmas baskets from Ellesmere Community Centre. Volunteers are required to put the baskets together on December 22^nd starting at 7:00 to 7:30 am. Breakfast will be served.

Roland is collecting for the Christmas Card. Please see him to pay up.

Acting Chair Gerd reminded us that the Club’s Christmas Party is this Friday, Dec. 9^th at Scarborough Golf Club. He hopes to see us all there!

Gerd also announced that the White Elephant Sale will be at our January 4^th meeting, and Jim Boyko’s Predictions program will be on January 11^th.  Don’t miss those fun luncheon meetings.

Gerd further announced that the Toronto City Mission is holding their Christmas Dinner for children and families on Tuesday, December 13^th at St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, 3817 Lawrence Ave. East. Please contact Rotarian Jackie Davies at 416-704-0672 if you are able to attend.

 

Elections:

The executive slate for the 2017-18 Rotary year were nominated. Peter Masson moved that nominations be closed, which motion was seconded by Arthur R.  Gerd moved that a vote be taken, which motion was seconded by Barry Smith, and the following nominated members were unanimously approved:

·         Vice President/Incoming President:		Mike Mushet
·         Secretary:		Dave Hardy
·         Treasurers:		Doug Strype and Dhanni Ramdeen
·         Club Service Director:		Gordon Brown
Community, Vocational & Youth Director:		Donna Salamalay
·         International Service Director:		Gerd Wengler
·         Foundation Director:		Maddy Chandrasekaran
·         Directors at large:		Kevin Manuel (TV Auction & By-Laws),Peter Masson & Rocco Colangelo

 

Marbelous Draw was conducted by Mike Mushet and was drawn by Joan Masson and won, and lost, by Peter Masson.

 

Sgt-at-Arms Barry Smith levied a fine of $2 in absentia for each member who was not at the meeting, and then opened the floor to Happy Bucks:

Happy Bucks were donated by many members, some of whom were just happy, such as Jacqueline Smith, PDG Ralph Jones and Donna Salamalay.

Joan Masson was happy to return the $5 consolation prize that Peter won. Peter also tossed in 5 happy bucks in recognition of the donation made to Mackenzie’s Hope Foundation.

James B was happy about the amalgamation of the Scarborough hospitals.

Gord Brown was confident that the TFC would win the championship.

Gerd was happy that he had completed yet another trail walk.

 

Program:

Gerd was our speaker today, and his topic was his trip to Fogo Island.

Fogo Island is located in a remote area of Newfoundland, about 130 km northeast of Gander. Traditionally, the Fogo Islanders subsisted on fishing, but even this source of food dried up and the populace deserted the island. For years, it lay desolate and sparsely populated, until a former resident, Zita Cobb, changed the island’s fortunes  for the better.

Although born on Fogo Island, Cobb left the island to obtain an undergraduate business degree in Ottawa. Cobb took various jobs eventually rising to C.F.O. of the American company Uniphase. By 2000, she was the third highest paid female executive on an American payroll. In 2002, she cashed out for a staggering $65 Million payout. This made her one of the richest women in Canada. She spent several years sailing around the world, then returned to Fogo Island, one of Canada’s poorest communities.

Cobb set about to make Fogo Island work again as a community. She decided to support local arts and crafts, creating several art studios on the island. Then, at a cost of $25 Million she built the Fogo Island Inn, a spectacular building that has a Nordic design and sports 29 hotel rooms, a dining room and many other facilities, all furnished and decorated with locally made furniture, art and crafts.

Gerd showed several slides of the Inn and surrounding area. The Inn is frequented by the rich and famous. Gwyneth Paltrow stayed at the Inn just before Gerd and Dorothy arrived, and tweeted that it was the most beautiful place that she’d ever seen. Rich Americans fly in by helicopter to stay at this unique hotel. Gerd had to book a year and a half in advance since it is such a popular vacation destination. He and Dorothy stayed 3 days and 3 nights at a cost of $6,000 all inclusive, but Gerd says that it was worth every penny. The rooms start at $1,600 per night. The food at the Inn is outstanding, the Inn’s dining room being in the top 100 restaurants of the world.

Fogo Island also boasts the headquarters of the Flat Earth Society, being one corner of the flat Earth. LOL!

The population of Fogo Island is now about 2,000, the tourist dollars generated by the renewal campaign helping to support all sorts of local enterprises.

The story of the re-invention of Fogo Island by a highly successful native daughter of the island is truly remarkable.

 

Joan Masson thanked Gerd for a wonderful and inspiring presentation. Joan had given up another function in order to attend Gerd’s presentation, and she was very glad that she had done so.

 

The meeting was terminated