Chair: Gordon Brown, Club president

Toast to the Queen, Canada & Rotary: Gordon Brown

 

Attending: (via ZOOM) 12 members including our newest member Trudy Tumusime and our usual guest of Basil Dias, his partner Dorothy.

President Gordon opened the meeting with his ding-a-ling bell.

 

 

 

 

 

Gordon then asked Basil Dias to begin the induction to the club of Trudy.

 

 

First off Director Rocco Colangelo recited the Rotary Four Way Test which she confirmed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was followed by Alan Meredith who then was asked to describe the Four Objects of Rotary. He pointed out that Trudy will be the first member inducted into the club “virtually”. 

But Trudy will receive her New Member Welcome to Rotary package as soon as it can be arranged.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to Trudy's presentation.  

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p3p61qq6aznwv03/shared_screen_with_speaker_view.mp4?dl=0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basil immediately proceeded to invite Gertrude (Trudy) Tumusime to introduce herself by giving a vocational talk but reminded her that Rotary first got started through vocational service and how the members of the club are always available to help, if they can, and he mentioned that Rotary has teamed up with Toastmasters who can help members with public speaking skills. Basil finished off by encouraging all “present” to give Trudy a warm North Scarborough welcome.

 

President Gordon then asked Trudy to tell all about herself (but she wanted to know whether she could use all of the remaining time?  As she said that because it was “her day” she wondered if she could have the rest of the day!).... “Just kidding ”she said.

 

Trudy started off by saying that she is 32 years old, the mother of two children Ginsi, a three year old son is here in Scarborough but her husband and one child are still in Uganda. Trudy was the oldest of 12 children that her father and mother raised but in 2004, her mother died in her 50's. Trudy and her younger sister were sent to a boarding school when she was 16 and she encountered a Rotarian who was her head master (principal). He became a proxy parent to all the kids at the school. She said he lived his Rotary service not just with his family but also with his students. She joined an Interact club so by 2004 she had memorized the Four Way Test and was able to recite it. She then went on to put that Test of work in her community as her parents had. She was asked by her club members to take a leadership role as MC because she is a very outgoing person. Together with another student she was asked to attend the International Rotary Conference in Africa in 2006 where she became aware of the universality of Rotary and its work around the world. One of the speakers was a Nobel laureate whose concern was as an environmental activist from Kenya. The next phase of Trudy’s life was to go to university but rather than be trained to be a lawyer as she once aspired to do, she chose to become a journalist.  In 2012 she graduated from the Makerere the largest university in Uganda. She got her first job before she graduated and then decided to become a television journalist rather than a print Journalist. On television she wanted to be a voice for the voiceless and one of her major assignments was to research the issues of albinism which is a congenital lack of melanin pigmentation in the skin, eyes and hair. Albinos in Africa are often ostracized and even killed because the are presumed to be cursed and bring bad luck. These were the “forgotten” people who needed to be reported on and their issues publicized through television reporting.

Trudy has found it hard to get going in her chosen vocation in Canada but wants to work in mainstream media. She came to Canada 3 years ago and now works as a reporter with New Canadians TV “ which was launched in 2015 as a TV and web based station to help newcomers and would be immigrants better understand and effectively prepare for their immigration and integration in Canada”.

Trudy is so happy to be part of our club and looks forward to being mentored by the older members as she plays her part in carrying out Service before Self.

[Please connect with the recording attached as she has had much more to say about herself than your scribe is able to transfer to paper.]

Barry Smith took over the microphone because Gordon’s was not working properly and took the opportunity to thank Trudy for sharing her experiences and her son Gesa and her future hopes with us today. All the club’s directors will be vying for Trudy to participate in their activities of International Service, Community, Vocational  and Youth Service or Club Service.

 

 

 

 

Peter reminded all concerned that we will meet outside the Baton Rouge Restaurant tomorrow at 11:00 AM to move all of our club’s boxes, flags, projection screens etc. to our warehouse space at 20 Carabob Court ...with masks on.  Thanks again to Gerd and Park Property Management for sheltering the homeless Rotary Clubs too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arthur polled all who were at the meeting looking for happy thoughts or exciting experiences.

 

Basil reported that he has had a flood in his home after the washing machine broke down.  He called an old friend who deals in appliances and $300 later and mopping up the flood he is back in business.

 

Dhanni was happy to see another female added to the club roster. And then had John on a scavenger hunt looking for empty bottles for the drive and boxes to put them in.