The Biannual Canada Scotland curling exchange resumed after a long Covid delay.  The rinks from Scotland attended a Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph and were thrilled to meet and chat with Fling officer Tom Hennessey, the 100 year old RAF veteran who walked 100 miles to raise funds for veterans.

 

Afterward curling luncheon and curling games were held at the London Curling Club.  Guests included Rotarians from London East, The London Club, St Thomas, Woodstock, Simcoe  and Ingersoll.  

 

One of the Scots team entertained with a recital of Bobbie Burns Tam O'Shanter. The outcome of the curling was a victory by the Canadians in the aggregate score.

 

Members of The Rotary Club of London South, The Passport Club and Friends of Rotary planted 1,000 Tulips bulbs at the Veterans Remembrance Garden near the Veterans Memorial Highway.  We are looking forward to seeing them bloom in the Spring.

 

Deidre O'Connor presented an overview of the Rock Steady Boxing program.  This program is designed to help individual with Parkinson's disease with a range of symptoms including balance, strength and vocal strength.  RSB started in Indianapolis with 6 participants and now has over 80,000 participants.

 

The London program operates from a space in Ilderton.  Participates work in a circuit training mode which focuses on functional movement and includes vocalization to mitigate voice changes.

 

Boxers train to work on: Hand-eye Coordination Flexibility Optimal Balance Core Strength Agility Rapid Muscle Fire Improve Mental Focus Improve mood/reduce stress Vocalizations Friendly Competition

 

 

On Oct 5th Anette hosted a welcome party for our new exchanges students, their hosting families, and club members.  Ting Ting (who prefers to be called Mariella) is sponsored by our Club and is from the Philippines and  Nanda who is sponsored by the London Club is. from Switzerland.

 

Patti Lake brought us up to date with the community fridge project.
A location for the community fridge has been obtained at St. John the Divine at 390 Baseline West.
The community fridge will be the first in London although many other communities in Ontario and Canada have these projects.

 

Jane Korvairkova described her experience as a foster child from starting in a stable home with her biological family that broke down to being placed in foster care.  As a ward of the province she was moved to several different homes.  At 16 she petitioned to be emancipated and started her remarkable journey by working, saving, and travelling to her current successful position.  Along the way she studied at the London School of Economics, enrolled at Western and is now pursuing a PhD.

Jane is currently a candiate for the provincial riding of London Fanshawe

Jane founded Child Welfare Policy Action Committee Canada (Child Welfare PAC), a group that fights for major systemic change in child welfare policy with hard numbers and cold facts. As policymakers come and go in the welfare system, the same ideas keep being tried and used and tried again, and the results remain the same.

The current system results in a 60% drop out rate from High school and a 1% rate of university graduation.  Many foster children age out and enter the adult world into poverty.

Child Welfare PAC focuses on policy research based in four areas:

 

 

We were honoured this week to hear about the work Michael Tesfay is doing in Rwanda.  Michael is the Global Grant Scholar we sponsored for his master’s degree studies in Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh.
Michael moved to Kigali after completing his studies at Edinburgh.  He joined the Rotary club of Kigali Virgnua and is working to setup a Tele-mental health line for Rwandans. 

Our meeting had and enthusiastic description of the support we can expect from our partners in the greenhouse project-Diabeat-it.  Diabeat-it is an NGO providing support for healthy living in Canada and Belize. Mystery Furtado,  a nurse who leads programs in Canada and Belize, to combating poor nutrition and diabetes support for people of colour.
 
In concert with the Food Bank the Rotary Club of London South and Diabeat-it secured a location at the Western Fair to erect a greenhouse which will provide fresh vegetables to participants and others in need.

Four new Heritage Ornaments are available online www.RotaryOrnaments.com.  These pewter collectibles feature prominent architectural sites in London, Ontario.  To shop in person, see locations below:   

 

 

Prof. Emeritus Gordon McBean discussed issues of climate change and how to build a climate resilient community.  He is a recognized expert in these issues.  Besides his work at Western in the Department of Geography and Environment, he was previously an Assistant Deputy Minister at Environment Canada and advised Ministers for the Kyoto Protocol.
Increases in greenhouse gases at highest level in 800,000 years led to Global surface temperatures to increase faster than any 50-year period in recent history, and artic sea ice area smaller than any time since 1850.  The Secretary General of the UN calls these climate conditions a “Code Red” for Humanity.
Canada, because of our location on the planet, has experienced the impact of these changes more than others located at lower latitudes.  We have recent experience with floods, wildfires, and extreme temperatures.
To reduce the risks of climate effects Canada, need to build more resilient communities.  We need government polices reducing construction in flood plains, different construction codes for buildings and infrastructure, disaster preparedness and a National Adaption Action Plan. 
Prof. McBean also outlined things cities and individuals can do including better urban forestry management, better water drainage design and management and personal preparedness.
 

Jennifer Raymer spoke to our club about her work providing humanitarian support to Cuban orphanages.  Jennifer travels to Cuba several times a year and provides medical and food support to children in two orphanages.  In the process she also helps the local economy by purchasing food stuff from local farmers.  This is a win for the children and for the local economy.