Gossip Sheet # 49 - June 17, 2004

Gossip Sheet # 49 - June 17, 2004
Editor: John Lehnen

Peggy Davidson introducing the guests

President Brian called our meeting to order today at 12:25 at The St. Catharines Golf & Country Club. Joining him at the head table were:

· Speaker Introducer: Art Wing
· Guest Speaker: Steve Novosedlik
· Sgt-at-Arms: Peter Lumsden
· New Member: Jaqueline Bradshaw
· Guest Introducer: Peggy Davidson

Guests

· Peggy Davidson introduced our guests including:
· Roger Sherwood – outgoing Youth exchange student (Amsterdam)
· Darlene Sherwood – Roger’s Mom
· Erik Derksen – Youth exchange student
· Ignacio Vera Loza – Youth exchange student
· Andrew Boles – former ambassadorial scholar
· Rick Mauro – past club member

Brian St. Hilaire and Juergen Knof

Birthdays
June 14 Juergen Knof
June 16 John Ermers

Announcements

President Brian thanked the Board of Directors for the club for their service over the past year.

The Board has awarded Excused attendance to Larry Ross.

The Board has accepted with regrets resignations from John Gleddie (not Doug Geddie!) and Jason Dilamarter.

Brian reminded us that Outgoing Chair Reports are now overdue! Please get them to Betty ASAP.

The Board approved major grants as follows:

Brock University - $5,000
The Children’s Discovery Centre - $5,000
Charles Ansell Park (Lakeshore Rotary) - $2,500
The YMCA Capital Campaign - $5,000
The 10-day notice was circulated within the club with respect to The Canadian Henley Rowing Corporation’s (CHRC) request for $12,500 to fund the cost of one Referee Boat. John Crossingham moved and Larry Iggulden seconded a motion to grant $12,500 to CHRC. Motion carried.

World Community Service will have a meeting today following the luncheon.

Peggy Davidson pointed out the Rib Fest Bronze and Friend sponsor sheet descriptions on the tables. She asked all club members to consider Rib Fest sponsorship and to think of business associates who might benefit from sponsorship. She asked us to get in touch with a member of the sponsor Committee (Rachel Delaney, Peggy Davidson, Jacquie Herman, Chris Bangham, John Lehnen, Peter Mahoney, John O’Connell, Rick Vanderkuip or Art Weaver) for action.

President Brian acknowledged a letter of thanks from The YMCA for our club support for the YMCA Youth Action Program this year.

Pat Rooney introduced Judith Barker who presented Roger Sherwood with our Charlie Complin Bursary for this year. He plays several musical instruments in several bands and maintained a 92.5% average last year. He will be our youth exchange student in Amsterdam for the next year.

Roger Sherwood, Judith Barker and Brian St. Hilaire

50/50 Draw
Bill Orr won the draw and picked the ace of spades for a pot of $268. Congratulations Bill.

Bill Orr and his lucky ace of spades

Happy Dollars

Larry Ross

Larry Ross collected happy $ today. He started with a story about an aged couple that shared one meal consisting of hamburger, fries and a cola at McDonalds but took turns eating because they shared everything - including the set of teeth!

Rick Vanderkuip was happy because his son has been accepted in RYLA and has obtained his Real Estate License.

Jim Denham is happy because his son has graduated and his wife is now 3 days overdue.

Glory Ressler is happy because today is her hubby’s birthday and she has just returned from Yellowknife NWT.

Pat Rooney was happy to have the Youth Exchange students and our former ambassadorial scholar present at today’s meeting.

Terry McDougall was happy to have Rick Mauro as her guest today.

Rick Mauro was happy to be working back in Niagara for CAA Niagara as Director of Marketing.

George Shepherd was happy to report that Chuck Coome is better and back at Anchor Pointe.

Doug Geddie was happy to report that the Ambassadorial committee has chosen this year’s scholar. Betsy Cooper will be attending school at Oxford University next year following a summer internship with Senator Hilary Clinton. Betsy has dual (Canada/US) citizenship.

John Crossingham was sad to hear of John Gleddie’s resignation but happy to report that his musician son, John, has received $3,000 from the North by Northwest jury.

Peggy Davidson is happy to see Chris Bangham back from South Africa.

President Brian is happy that John Gleddie wants to continue to canvass for the auction and attend Rotary when he can as a guest.

The Program
Classification Talk - Steve Novosedlik

Art Wing

Art Wing introduced our guest speaker Steve Novosedlik Executive Director for Contact Niagara. Steve has worked in social service for 25 years and hails from Sudbury. Art pointed out that Roger Allen used to say that only hockey players and hookers came from Sudbury. Once when Roger said this, the person he was speaking with responded that his wife was from Sudbury and that he took great exception to Roger’s remark. Roger replied, “What position did she play?”

Steve has been working on the Harris government’s “Making Services Work for People” initiative to create Contact Niagara since 1997. Contact Niagara was founded in 1999 and embraces:

· services that receive 100% funding directly from the Ministry of Community and Social Services and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services;
· services that support children with emotional and or behavioral challenges; and,
· services that support people of all ages who have developmental disabilities.

Some of the organizations that are covered by this umbrella include:

· Association for Community Living
· Niagara Support Services
· Niagara Training and Employment Centre
· Mainstream
· Christian Horizons
· Bethesda
· FACS and FCC but only Adult Protective Service Workers
· Hotel Dieu – Autism Consultation Service, Children’s Developmental Assessment Service and the Autism Early Intervention Program and,
· Niagara Child and Youth Services.
Services that are not directly involved are:
· services that are mandatory in nature (Child Protection and Young Offenders Services) and,
· services that receive funding from other sources (those with user fees or funded by Federal, other Provincial, Regional or Municipal departments).

Prior to the creation of Contact Niagara an individual would be faced with making multiple phone calls to multiple agencies, repeat their story, go through multiple intake processes, open many wrong doors and be subjected to multiple wait lists for inquiry services. They would not necessarily be aware of all the correct places to call and would probably miss some services. Once an adult, they would have to start this process over again to find the appropriate adult services. Today a person seeking services calls one number, Contact Niagara.

At Contact Niagara the process a client experiences is.

· Make the call.
· Describe the circumstances.
· Explore the options available.
· Develop the plan.

All of this happens within Contact Niagara. The services provided include coordinated information, community service planning, community development and new initiatives such as multi year plans, foundations and out-of-home respite. The benefits of this approach to the provision of service are many including:

· access for the full age continuum;
· access to the full range of services; and,
· better planning.

At this point in time, the information collection process changes have been completed. The visioning and goal setting process has been completed. The community consultation and priority setting process is complete. By the end of next month the completion report will be wound up. This is a $50,000,000. operation here in Niagara.

John Bird thanked Steve for his Classification Talk.
Next week: President Brian’s Farewell.

Art Wing, Steve Novosedlik and Brian St. Hilaire