Here are Bruce's swan song speech AND Phil's "the year that was" poem for your reading pleasure!
The Sun Sets on the Year of the Timms!
Our final meeting of 2020-2021 was also, we hope, our last Zoom only meeting! President Bruce -ended the year as he started - on Zoom- yet lead us all through the pandemic with style and aplomb.
For those who missed it, Bruce’s speech - and Phil's poem - are reproduced in their entirety below photo:
“It has been an interesting year, and seems to have just ZOOMED BY, 12 months of Zoom. I recall thinking in terms of six months, getting back to normal fellowship, with face to face meetings in January. But even that has proven to be optimistic.
This year’s RI Presidents Theme was “Rotary OPENS OPPORTUNITIES”. It became an opportunity to learn much more about on-line meetings, Facebook, Instagram, and Clubrunner
It also opened the opportunity to re- learn some fundamentals of public health: washing hands and covering your cough. Maintaining distancing, masking and all the pandemic protocols have been a challenge in practical terms. Twelve months later, Rotary by Zoom is still the deal and the club is doing well. I want to thank Past Pres Eric for his help and advice , Eric, I think we did ok with the your theme “If you are going to do it, Make it Fun “. Last night I thanked the Board for how well we are doing. Tonight I thank all the members of this club.
In my opening remarks to the club 12 months ago, I talked about “Building On-Line Rotary”. We certainly did that. Gary Chard and his team of Annette, Joy and Beth hosting on Zoom.
Sandi and Gary built a Rotary on-line Trivia team with Sandi, Gary Coral. Beth, Al and Matt.
Eric’s strong on-line communications team with Courtney and Beth on Facebook, Instagram, and our website. Many members took the opportunity to build their own on-line skills. Bob Birrell was able to “right the Ship” after a couple of upside down appearances. Gillian has mastered joining Sandi for Zoom buddy meetings. Coral and I mastered the distance between computers, like Gary and Sandi, with the upstairs/downstairs strategy.
We had an amazing attendance record. Despite the loss of dinner meetings, members were able to keep in touch and Marlene did wonderful work in membership. As in most years, we gained members and lost members, ending the year with 29 members, and a couple of prospects, and with a strong financial foundation.
Phil built our on-line international speaker program for our meetings. Randi. Bob Miller and Joy kept Fellowship going as best they could with the On-Line auction social while Janet made on-line etransfers possible for the auction, Bottle drive and happy dollars! Gary and Beth worked tirelessly on Hybrid Rotary meetings at Holiday Inn, not muted, camera on, camera off, kids and dogs, cats on the key board, and some just by old fashioned land line telephone.
We had an excellent year with Rotary Foundation including Sandi and Beth running the Pre Gala District event on-line - that was new and fun. We had six Paul Harris fellow pins awarded, another year of every Rotarian Every Year, A RI Presidents Rotary Citation Award for meeting our Goals, and we are very close to another Lighthouse Award.
Under the direction of Bob Birrell, our Community and World Affairs Committee has supported 13 different projects totalling $12,000 (including the last minute “stoves for central American homes “in cooperation with the Dunnville Rotary club), funded by our fundraising from last year. While it was tough to lose Clarice, last year, I was so pleased we were able to put together her Contemplative Garden project Thank you Eric for the tremendous effort you put in to bringing that project to the club and thank you to the entire club for the commitment to Clarice’s legacy.
On a personal level, I also want to thank those of the club who invited Coral to join the club. Coral’s membership has changed my Rotary experience for the better, especially helpful in my year as President. Special thanks to Coral for diving in with Rotary and now becoming a Board member with Courtney in her second year.
AG Milica kept us involved with the district and the other two St. Catharines clubs. It was great to have Milica and Sandi involved at the District level of Rotary International and Rotary Foundation. We took up The District Governors Challenges in the Blood donors program and the Ride for Polio, and hope to continue with the Waterfront Clean Up Challenge. And Milica, thanks for our new T-Shirts project with Zack and Gary Snider, and especially for the denim, button down collar, long sleeve Rotary branded shirt I have just received. I think I ended every T-Shirt conversation with - “yes but can we get a denim long sleeve button down collar shirt like “past pres. Kent had?”
There is a bright light at the end of this Pandemic tunnel with President Courtney and the prospect of face to face, real life, handshakes and hugs type meetings where we can restore our Rotary acquaintances. In conclusion, I like to go back to the fundamentals once in a while. The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and in particular, to encourage and foster the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. This club has met that challenge very well through Zoom. Hopefully there will be more ‘ FACE TO FACE type of “acquaintance as an opportunity for service” in Courtney/s year.
I have probably forgotten to thank someone for something, in a very strange but wonderful year as your president. So I thank you all for your help in support for a great year in Rotary for Coral and I. It has been an Honour and pleasure to Serve. It is my pleasure to turn over the virtual Gavel - the real Gavel is STILL in the Blue Box at the Holiday Inn - to President Courtney Usborne.”
Phil’s 2021 Wrap-up Poem: WHAT RHYMES WITH PANDEMIC?
When Randi asked me “what rhymes with pandemic”?
I thought I should go ask Past President Eric
He was the man at the front of the room
Before we made the transition to Zoom.
It was February/March of only last year
And word of the virus, it wasn’t that clear
It started in China………………..but soon it was here
Still most of us thought there was nothing to fear
Up until then, we all met in a room
Not many, “if any” had heard of Zoom
But soon it was clear that we had to take care
And follow the science & maybe a prayer
We had to pivot and do our best
And do everything virtual – it was really a test
The first few months with Jones at the helm
We experienced feelings of overwhelm
But we stayed the course and had to persist
But meeting in person is what we all missed
There were technical hitches
and then there were glitches
We battled the online space
But Eric kept us right on track…….the new normal we had to embrace
Eric concluded a successful year
One that was different but still we could cheer
We were not badly off compared to most
That the virus ravaged from coast to coast
There was no one in bars and no one in gyms
A new leader emerged by the name of Timms
We were still unsure how things would progress
Covid had made things a hell of a mess
Bruce knuckled down and formed a plan
Let’s do online Rotary “the best that we can”
No meetings, no golf, no Bingo, no Ribs
To eat in the park with our beer and our bibs
We had to maintain a positive light
And prepare for the future with all of our might
Marlene led the charge with collecting Sidekicks
That Food4Kids needed to put in their mix
Next it was tuna we dropped at her door
And I know she’ll keep going cause we know they’ll need more
Trivia online – who would have thought?
That it would bring in the funds that it brought
An online Auction was next on the slate
Boy, that auctioneer – he really was great !!!
Fellowship managed to keep us together
Regardless of all of the storms that we weather
Beth got things rolling with blood donation
Now it has grown to a large delegation
Speakers from all of the world we’ve been getting
Wouldn’t have occurred in our usual setting
Great new members too – with Coral and Zack
He hasn’t left yet and we want him back !!
So, Bruce we can say that you led a great team
In a challenging year that seems like a dream
It was more of a nightmare, I think we could say
But vaccines are here to save the day
A new Pres has arrived………..in all her glory
21/22 is the year of Courtney.