Community Paul Harris Celebration
 

President Shannon welcomed everyone to this special evening event.  November is Rotary Foundation month and what better way to celebrate the work and role of the Rotary Foundation than by giving out Paul Harris Fellow recognitions.  What is a Paul Harris Fellow?  Paul Percy Harris was a Chicago attorney best known for founding Rotary International in 1905, a service organization that currently has well over 1.1 million members worldwide.  The Rotary Club of Belleville has been in existence for 97 years, quite an impressive history of service above self.  In 1957 the Paul Harris Fellows program was established to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Rotary Foundation, in support of Ambassadorial Scholarships.  In 1979 at the Rotary International Assembly the RI President James Bomar challenged each Rotary Club to make one non-Rotarian a Paul Harris Fellow.  It took a while for that to catch on, but we have been doing it in Belleville as an annual event since 2008.  Tonight, we will be honouring four people from our community as Paul Harris Fellows.

 

Kelly McKinney as Past President and current Rotary Foundation Chair was honoured to have the opportunity to facilitate this evening's presentations.  Each year since 2008, the Rotary Club of Belleville has been giving out Paul Harris Fellowships to community members.  These are drawn from credits the Club has with Rotary International.  Each Paul Harris Fellowship is based on the donation of $1000 U.S. for which the Club receives a credit.  In November as Foundation Month, the club makes Paul Harris presentations to 3 individuals in the community, each having been nominated by a Rotarian and Club member for their outstanding contribution to the community and their demonstration of Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.  A Paul Harris Fellowship is one of the highest honours a Club can bestow on a member or an individual in the community.  Today's recipients are joining a rather exclusive circle which includes such world figures as Mother Theresa, U.S. President Jimmy Carter, UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar and so on.  Today's recipients will also be joining 78 members of this club and 19 past recipients in our community who are Paul Harris Fellows.  Some are able to be with us today -- Boyd Sullivan, June Rickard, Maurice Rollins, Robert Howell, Ingrid Moore, Peter Knudsen.

 

Rotarian and Secretary Doug Peterson introduced the first recipient, Golda Lafferty (pictured here is Golda via skype and Tom Lafferty and Doug Peterson) whose contributions are not just time and energy, but enhanced exponentially by the size of her heart and the spirit she brings to the tasks at hand.  Golda is extremely generous with her time and energy through several community initiatives.  For several years her primary focus has been the Children's Foundation, as a director on the Board of Directors.  She has been involved with the Guardian Angel Gala Committee since 2011.  This event raises thousands of dollars for children in need in our area.  Connie Reid, Executive Director of the Children's Foundation in her nominatin of Golda for this Paul Harris Award said "Golda is a champion our organization and works to ensure all children have equal opportunities.  Many local youth have been able to pursue their post-secondary dreams because of Golda".  Golda's contributions in the community are enhanced a hundred fold by the spirit with which she brings to these tasks.  Always happy, smiling and positive, she makes it easy to enjoy the work required.  Her natural effervescence brings people together as friends and the work becomes secondary.  We are honoured to call Golda a friend of Rotary and to recognize her as a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Belleville.

 

Have you heard the name Shelby McPherson?  That's okay if you haven't, but Connie Reid says Shelby is on her radar for helping with future events.  Nominated by Bob Clute, Shelby has raised money for the Oncology Unit at BGH for ten years by hosting an annual Hallowe'en bash in her County Bus Service yard.  She has re-sparked the annual Foxboro Christmas parade after being dormant for about 4 years and turned it into a fund raiser for Hospice Quinte.  Shelby took over the Foxboro Men's Club Pancake Breakfast and again raised money for Hospice Quinte, about $3,000 last year.  The culmination of her efforts is the Make-A-Wish Foundation where her efforts raised $7,000 along with a donor donation that took her over the $10,000 mark and she was able to grant a wish to a local child.  She is making a difference in the lives of children with cancer.  Shelby does what she does completely out of her sense of community responsibility and devotes her time to making a difference by giving her time to change lives.  A well deserved Paul Harris Fellow. (Shelby is in the back row, third from the left).

 

Dr. Ruth Mathieson and Amy Doyle nominated Dona Plumton (front row, second from the right) for a Community Paul Harris Fellow Award, a person who has truly spent her entire life caring for others.  Dona dedicated her 36 year long career to the nursing profession, 34 of those years at BGH, improving the lives of local patients and their families.  Always extremely professional and efficient in her work.  Since her retirement, Dona has served as a volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society for 22 years, as a volunteer with St. Mark's United Church and Camp Quin Mo Lac for over 25 years.  At the Canadian Cancer Society, Dona has held leadership roles and for years ran the volunteer driven Wheels of Hope cancer ride program for cancer patients living in the Quinte area.  A volunteer driver herself, Dona does all driver orientation for the local CCS office and comes to the office almost daily to assist with whatever needs done in the office.  She is a power house who in her own quiet hard working behind the scenes way, really drives the bus and gets things done.  Dona has truly lived a life of service above self for her entire life.  It is an honour to present her with this prestigious Community Paul Harris Fellow.

 

Kristin Crowe was very pleased to introduce Tom Lafferty as a Community Paul Harris Fellow.  Tom brought the Green Task Force concept to council and the Buy Locally Owned Group to Belleville to help support local businesses.  Although a store owner himself, Tom continuously supports and promotes all small businesses, including his direct competitors.  He is a current Police Services Board Member and has been an active volunteer for many years with the Children's Foundation Angel Gala.  In 2016 he co-chaired the event with his wife Golda.  Tom volunteers annually for "Tree Day" a local sweat equity project helping to plant trees and improve our community.  He supports various local sports teams and donates to many community associations and fundraisers.  The common theme about Tom is that he is a humble leader, always doing good and happily pointing out the good in others.  He will lend a hand however and whenever he can!  He is honest, fair and his actions are always for the benefit of all concerned.  Congratulations on being recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow.

 

(pictured left to right, Shelby McPherson, Dona Plumton and Tom Lafferty) President Shannon thanked Past President Kelly McKinney and other past presidents who took the time to consider all the nominations and to select this year's recipients.  And a thank you to Program Chair Tara Lyons for her work in organizing tonight's event.