I know that this year will be an exciting one for us all.  We started off the Rotary year by hosting the Canada Day Festivities in our Community Park on July 1^st.  Later, in the year, there will be many visitors coming to our province for the Winter Olympics, and, hopefully, some of them will come and be guests at our club.  We will endeavour to make them welcome, and show off our beautiful city.

With the recent downturn in the economy, some are experiencing tough times, so our job as Rotary, to help, might be greater than before.  Some of the programs that have been started in previous years will still be needed, like the Breakfast at Ballenas, and the hampers at Christmas.  We will continue to support the Shelter Box Program, and the Mid-Island Rotary World Community Service Group.

We have an Out-Bound Exchange Student, Sam Ries, who is going to Thailand, and our In-Bound Student, Rolf Ostby, is coming to us from Norway.  These young men have life-changing years ahead of them. 

The Rotary International goal of eradicating Polio in conjunction with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is exciting.  We have a special challenge of donating $2000 to this cause, as well as our own club's goal of $3700.

We have a membership goal of 4 new members, which might be accomplished in the first few months, but the challenge is Retention!  We have to put new members to work, so that they feel involved.  Our meetings have to be interesting, so we accomplish another goal, to Have Fun!  The Rotary Theme for the year 2009-2010 is "The Future of Rotary is in Your Hands".

Yours in Rotary Service,

Judy Elliott

President

2009 - 2010