Rota-Teller for January 29, 2014

Attendance:     19 including 1 guest

Anthem:          Carolyn NIcholson

Grace:             Jim Boyko

Toast to the Queen, Canada and Rotary:       President Rocco Colangelo

Guest:              Joe Peters

Announcements:

·         Gordon Brown announced that the next Group 1 meeting will be held on Monday February 3^rd at Basil Dias’ residence at 7:30 P.M.

The Pub Night is scheduled for Thursday January 30^th at Main’s Mansion, 144 Main Street in Markham. Pleas sign up if you haven’t already done so.

·         Carolyn announced that the Group 2/3 meeting will be resceduled from Monday night. Look out for an e-mail advising the date and place.

·         Joan Manuel has sent a get-well card to Arthur’s wife to wish her well.

The marbelous draw was conducted by Charles Whitney. The winning ticket was claimed by  Carolyn, but the mutant marble lives another day. There are only a few marbles left!

Sergeant-at-arms Joan Manuel did an excellent job, taxing all who hadn’t read the current Rotarian. Joan asked us what was in the 5,000 Rotary-blue backpacks distributed as part of the Kenya Smiles project to promote dental health in Kenya. The correct answer, which nobody knew? Try Toothbrushes, toothpaste and a collapsible stainless steel cup.  Many happy bucks were contributed, including from David Seemungal, who received breakfast and lunch from Dhanni, and Rocco, who sold Alan a TV.

Speaker:

Gordon Brown introduced today’s speaker, our very own Dave Hardy.

Dave gave an excellent presentation on a community renewal campaign, and Scarborough’s need for such a campaign.

1.      In other cities and communities, big business put serious money into improving their communities. They assume the leadership roles required to get things done.

2.      In Scarborough, the leadership is us as Rotarians. We are the business and community leaders. There is no longer a local Chamber of Commerce. If not us, then who?

3.      Dave has prepared an excellent arcticle for dissemination to the Scarborough Rotary Clubs, with the hope that we will all get on board.

4.      Statistics show that poverty in Scarborough is getting worse, not better. Shootings and gang violence continues to shock us.

5.      All of the key government agencies, such as Toronto Planning, appear to focus only on downtown. In other cities, lots of agencies work at community improvement.

6.      Scarborough is bigger in population than many other cities and towns, but lack the attention of Provincial and Municipal politicians.

7.      Scarborough is transit starved, poverty is moving east, and we have ended up with a divided city, where the midle class is hollowing out. Families which claim to be middle- class, are actually either rich or poor, but not middle class.We hear of stories where kids in Scarborough have to fake their address in job applications, in order to have a creditable chance at a job. Real estate prices are depressed, and our politicians appear to be asleep at the switch!

8.      Dave presented a vision of a vibrant, well educated, multicultural community, lifting people out of poverty.

9.      As Rotarians, we need to demonstate that we are relevant, to get involved in our community, and to reach out to the businesses which serve our multicultural community.

10.  We also need to engage our media partners (several were named) and our universities, colleges and high schools.

11.  The plan is to host provincial and mayoral election forums, business roundtables, and telephone townhall meetings.

12.  The goal is to obtain a university or college based Multicultural Centre of Excellence, and to change Scarborough a hub for the arts and music, perhaps with a tax-free zone.

13.  A first step would be to make the Scarborough Town Centre a major center, with some important provincial and municipal agencies located there, for example Metrolinx etc…  

A recording of Dave’s  presentation will not be sent separately.