President Jackie Scroggie led the club through another successful year. The club hosted an incoming exchange student from Japan, Ruri Suga, and sent an outgoing exchange student, Hailey Fisker, to Argentina. The club revived the tradition of presenting the smile trophy to a member who brought cheer to the club and awarded the trophy to Stephen Stein. We initiated a review of our club constitution and established a club budget setting process.

We welcomed nine new members to our club: Pam Woods (Communications), Joseph Marquez, Stephen Bianco (Real Estate), Gordon Floyd (Exec Director of Children’s Mental Health Ontario), Tammy Ghajar (Real Estate), Robert Gooding (Travel), George Jatczak (Antiques), Alex MacFarlane, Ron Wilde (transfer from Edmonton Glenora Club).

We mourned the passing of long time member and former district governor, Tibor Gregor on February 2. We established an award for perfect attendance named the Tibor Gregor Award.

The program committee under the direction of Evelyn Murphy and John McIntosh found excellent speakers for our weekly lunch time meetings. Among them were the Hon Alan Rock, Senator David P. Smith, Adam Giambrone, Chairman TTC, Patricia Lovett-Reid, Snr VP TD Waterhouse, Canada.

Fundraising programs included Bingo, the weekly draw, member’s birthday donations, the Foundation Walk, “Oh My Gosh Auction”, happy bucks, which generated funds for many projects undertaken this year.

Two of our members were awarded the Paul Harris award for meritorious service:- Evelyn Murphy and Walter Psotka. Richard and Pamela Earle ( Shirley Farlinger’s daughter) were also given a Paul Harris award for their work in various community charities.

Under Youth programs, as well as student exchange, we continue our club’s involvement with RYLA, the Rotary Youth Leadership Program, ($1,700). We also contributed $5,000 toward a video for PACT/TOILS. We sent a number of inner city deaf children to summer camp with our contribution of $1000. We gave an award for Community service to a student at Northern Secondary School. Two students were given monetary help towards travel expenses to Tanzania to do service work with Cross-Cultural Solutions. Another will travel and serve with Unite for Sight team in Africa. We have funded a special science program for grade nine students attending Jarvis Collegiate called E=MC and supported special speaker Dwayne Morgan’s presentation to the student body. We are funding the Philpott Inner City Tennis program for children during the summer. Twice this year, students from local schools were invited to be our guests and attend lunch meeting where there were speakers of special interest to them.

Our international service projects included contributions to the rebuilding of the St. Benedict’s Day Nursery and Infant Hospital in St. Vincent, to Dignitas in Malawi, Canada Methare Education Trust in Kenya, San Juan Cosala school in Mexico, Selous Water Project in Tanzania, The Good Life of the Marginalized organization in Uganda, Dr Silverman’s project in Zambia, the Polio Plus Campaign. In addition, we supported two nurses obtaining their B.Sc degrees from the University in South Africa in co-operation with the Howard Hospital in Zimbabwe and Dr. Thistle. We also contributed toward the purchase of mosquito nets for Tanzania in partnership with other Canadian Rotary clubs. The club repositioned the McClure Foundation to encourage other clubs in the district to partner with us to support international projects.

Community service projects that the club undertook this year included Brushamania providing dental health and education for children, Kids-up-Front providing an opportunity for children to attend both educational and entertainment experiences, Brain Injury Society of Toronto providing access through web services to a wide variety of resources for children and adults with neuro-trauma, D.P. Inner City Childrens Tennis Fund. The club contributed $4000 to provide improved cooking ovens to prepare meals for homeless persons. We also provided warm winter clothing to the Out of the Cold program. We gave $2,500 to Delisle Youth Services art program for kids at risk. A further $2,500 went to send a young aboriginal student to Club Amick, a literacy summer camp. Five students were given a total of $5000 under Pathways to Education to assist them with secondary education expenses. The club donated money to James Bartelman, the Lieutenant Governor’s, literacy project so that a book was given to a First Nations child in the name of each week’s guest speaker. Also three aboriginal students who are studying to be midwives, received scholarships from the McClure Foundation Fund

Social events this year included a Chinese New Year’s Celebration, Christmas luncheon, bridge nights, home hospitality, a Sunset Harbour cruise with the Toronto Council of Rotary clubs, a Fellowship night at the Rectory café on Ward’s Island, a Robbie Burns lunch, Rotary day at the Blue Jays game and two Fireside chat events for new members.

President Jackie, we thank you for your leadership and all members for their enthusiastic participation.