Club News
President's Night
President's Night 
President Karen was honoured to take to the podium to close the 105th year of the Rotary Club of Belleville.  While this was Karen's "Second Time Around" as President of the Club, she said many things have changed over the 21 years since she was last President.  As a Club, a lot gets done throughout the year.  The Club raises money and spends money, gathers for lunch and dinner, welcomes guest speakers and have a lot of fun.  Karen is enjoying a book entitled "My Road to Rotary", a Paul Harris biography that states early on that his reason for creating Rotary was for fellowship and to share business contacts.  We still do that 120 years later as Rotary Clubs here and around the world.
 
Karen thanked the awesome Board of Directors that came along for her year as President -- Past President Peter Malone, President-Elect Tracey Vandervoort, Vice-President Hazzem Koudsi, Treasurer Rose Ouellette, Secretary Jo-Anne Wheeler, Directors Tracy Bray, Heather Hall, Andrew Kole, Dr. Ruth Mathieson, Collin Myers, Carmela Ruberto, and Brenda Snider.  A standing round of applause was given by those in attendance.  There were others who Karen thanked, Coreen Reynolds for hosting the monthly Board meetings at the Belleville Club, Ryan Hilmi and staff at Capers who prepared lunches and served at the evening meetings as well.  Karen also thanked each and every Rotarian for joining the Club, for staying in Rotary, for donating their time, talents and resources to support all the projects, for attending events, for chairing committees, for sourcing sponsors and donations.  Every bit counts!  Karen was also grateful for the support of many during some health concerns that have pushed her into retirement with plans to relocate to Ottawa to be near her daughter.
 
Karen shared her report card (always an educator) for the Rotary Year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.  The Club welcomed 9 new members, almost replacing the 12 who had resigned over the past year.  We held 22 lunch meetings and 22 evening meetings.  We raised $174,000 on a number of fundraising events including RLK Golf and party, 50/50 draw, Clowns for Kids, Diners and Duffers, Rotary Winter Games, Bottle Drive, Waterfront Festival Parking, Happy Bucks.  Great work!  The Club spent $152,000 on International projects, Indigenous Peoples Partnerships initiatives, community grants, Rotary Foundation, Special Needs, YMCA Centre for Life, making the final proud installment of the Club's commitment to the YMCA on their new facility.  Karen recognized eleven Rotary Angels, people who Karen chose who have gone above and beyond in their Rotarian life, dedicating themselves to making the Club a great one.  Karen also handed out ten Paul Harris Fellows.  
 
Rotary has different meanings for everyone.  For some it is the opportunity to serve and help those in need.  For others it is the fellowship that the members of the Club offer. Whatever the reason, Karen hopes everyone was a Rotarian by action and not just association and hopes the memories of Rotary are of the things done to make a difference in the world and the friendships made.
President's Night
President's Night
WASN'T THAT A PARTY?!  June 13th was an evening to recognize Rotary President Peter Malone, surrounded by friends, colleagues, guests and of course, Suzanne, his spouse who has been there for him during his year as Rotary President, listening to his "outside the box" suggestions and offering wise counsel.  Sporting a tee-shirt of The Who in the spirit of the British Invasion theme, Peter had to explain to some of the younger generation who The Who were.   He proudly made cheque presentations to the Children's Foundation and the YMCA Centre for Life (see separate stories on these presentations).  Peter's first task was to oversee who would win the prize for the best British Invasion costume and without a doubt, Dr. Ruth Mathieson won hands down with second and third prize going to Shannon Neely and Kim McKinney.
 
Peter went on to present "awards" to those who have supported him and the Rotary Club this past year.  The Rosalie Cup of Tea award went to Vice-President Tracey Vandervoort for her laid back personality in focusing on what needed to be done, calmly.  The Queen and Country Award went to Collin Myers for getting involved early on in the Rotary Refresh project and having to part with the toast to the Queen.  The Queen's Plate will find a special spot in his home or office.  The Queen Mother Award went to Past President Tracy Bray for making sure everyone else was okay.  Her big heart was ever present.  Host and hostess with the mostes went to Shannon and Marida for all their hospitality in hosting the President's Night.  The Big Ben Award was given to Secretary Jo-Anne Wheeler who was always on time, organized and welcoming to everyone.  She kept the Board on track with Big Ben accuracy and played a pivotal role for the Club.  She also earned a Warrior Pin.
 
Peter thanked the Board of Directors for creating momentum that will build going forward.  To all the Committee Chairs who busily carry on, often behind the scenes, but an integral part of the overall running of the Club.  Michael Summers and his photography and technical support at every meeting and Paul Ferguson for his original and captivating emails, nudging the membership along.
 
The highlight of the evening may have been Rotarian Kim McKinney's jump in the pool, spontaneous for sure or at least based on the surprise on everyone's face, it was not planned except by Kim.  And Suzanne shared her part in the jokes that Peter has shared all year.  This time last year she was in Toronto and bought Peter a Book of Dad Jokes as a Father's Day gift.  Well, now you know the rest of the story.
Senators 50/50 Draw
Senators 50/50 Draw
It was another successful season for the Belleville Senators’ 50/50 program, with the BSens club announcing a total of $95,148.30 generated through the sale of 50/50 tickets at Belleville Sens home games or online at 5050bsens.com.
 
Thanks to Melanie Cressman for leading the Rotary Club of Belleville to another successful campaign that generated $10K for our community service programs aimed at supporting kids in need. This accomplishment would not have occurred without the incredible support of our clubs volunteers who went to many home games to sell 50/50 tickets. You know who you are! We sincerely thank you and look forward to another successful campaign in the 2025/26 BSens season.
Service Above Self Awards
Service Above Self Awards
The Rotary Club of Belleville honoured high school student graduates who have been chosen by their schools' bursary committees because of their kindness to others which naturally blends into the Rotary motto of Service Above Self.  Kindness can be large as the generosity of a rich foundation or small as in a smile or a meal, random as a hello to a stranger.  Kindness does not know age and has no limit.  Kindness describes the quality of the human heart.  Rotarian John Smale, Chair of the Student Bursary committee was pleased to introduce some of the recipients today.  After reading their transcripts, he was in awe at the breadth and depth of their acts of kindness in their volunteering, organizing, reaching out, teaching, mentoring and all without the want for recognition.  Previously presented at the student's high school graduation, it was decided this year to have the students attend a Rotary lunch, be introduced to the world of Rotary and hopefully to pursue membership in Rotary in their future.  John also introduced Rotarian Jill Vanderkooy, who will be taking over the Student Bursary program next year and thanked her for helping to pull together this new approach.  Jill is a strong supporter of youth and a valuable asset to continue and grow this long standing club program.  The students spoke in alphabetical order of their school name. Pictured here are students with proud parents, Rotarian John Smale, Rotarian Jill Vanderkooy and President Karen Baker.
 
Centennial Secondary School recipient Cameron Weaver spoke about his involvement with Tutor Crew, a program that allows students to access free tutoring from student volunteers.  Cameron is the president of the program and has had the privilege of seeing firsthand the difference that extra academic support can make in someone's education, making a real impact.  Prior to involvement in Tutor Crew, Cameron was part of Student Council where leadership and teamwork were part of the learning curve.  Cameron learned how to make change happen, even in small ways.  Cameron thanked the Rotary Club of Belleville for this Service Above Self award and recognition.
 
Eastside Secondary School recipient Addie Cater through the example of her mom, helping others has always been a part of who she is.  Addie estimates that she has done well over 300 hours of community service during her four years of high school from volunteering at her dance studio and working with the Girl Guides of Canada, to helping with grade nine orientation and Relay for Life initiative.  She is glad to have had the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, even if in a small way.  Thank you for that opportunity.  Addie promises to use this opportunity to pursue a career that will allow her to continue helping others.
 
Quinte Christian High School recipient Anna Woodrow was also recently a Mayor of the Week under the Rotary program and was pleased to be returning once again.  Anna feels a community can be built through connecting with a simple conversation.  A simple conversation can change and reveal so much about a person and with mental health being so important in today's world, a simple "how are you" can really make a difference.  Realizing the importance of these connections and checking in on people, Anna created a devotion group at her school.  Many topics are discussed and a casual safe space allowed students to make new friends and feeling more comfortable at school.
 
St. Theresa Secondary School recipient Lena Shannon sees service above self as much more than a motto, but a commitment to look beyond our own needs and step up when our neighbours and communities needs us the most.  Over the years, Lena has organized school fundraisers, mentored local youth and lent her time to community recycling efforts and through those, she has learned that service isn't always about grand gestures, but about showing up, consistently, quietly and with compassion.  Lena's third period class does recycling for the whole school every Thursday, learning that recycling isn't just about reducing waste, but about showing the school and her peers that every small action matters and that we all have a role in protecting the place we live in.  Lena's experience assisting in running Relay for Life was one of her most rewarding.  As well, Lena had the privilege of connecting with students through mentoring Grade 9 students as a senior at the school.  More often than not, Lena walks away with more than she gave, with incredible moments that will stay with her and deepen her love for this community.
 
Nicholson Catholic College recipient Catriona Currie was unable to attend today because she was representing her school at a Science Fair, but her speech was read by Rotarian Jill Vanderkooy.  Catriona first began volunteering with her local Sparks unit in Grade 5 and from there realized that she enjoyed working and volunteering with children.  She spent time with kindergarten children and did a co-op placement in a Grade 10 classroom.  Last year she want on a mission trip to Jamaica, what an amazing opportunity that was!  Last summer, Catriona began lifeguarding and teaching swimming lessons at the YMCA.  All of these opportunities have helped her recognize the importance of uplifting the voice of youth and assisting them for their own future.  
 
Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf recipient Vaylena Sauve was unable to attend, but Rotarian Jill was happy to read her cheerful speech. Vaylena feels she was very fortunate to have a deaf family and because of that, feels she was able to be more involved with the deaf community.  At a young age, Vaylena's mom started hosting events to bring hearing people in touch with deaf people to learn about their culture, their language and Vaylena is still very involved in this collaboration.  She is also involved planning school events that  requires much of her time and effort.  Service Above Self to Vaylena means making sure that everyone else is comfortable, having fun, being happy and creating good memories.  It also means putting others first, not always easy to do, but something that Vaylena focuses on as best she can.  A little kindness can go a long way.  
Mayors of the Week 2025
Mayors of the Week 2025
Past President Tracy Bray introduced today's speakers, Mayors of the Week and Tracy's favourite meeting of the year.  Five students took part in the program in November 2024 to tour City facilities, meet the staff, learn how everything operates and then to provide a follow-up report to the Rotary Club of Belleville.
 
Adele Chan is a Grade 11 student at Albert College and has been in Canada for two years from Hong Kong, a steep learning curve for someone at age 14 when they arrived.  Adele got to see first hand how government shapes our lives and was very impressed with the knowledge shared by staff in their roles.  Seeing health and safety practised first hand at the Wellness Center and then learning about emergency response at the Fire Department was exciting for her.  Of course, the water treatment plant was mentioned and Adele realized that careful planning for all City departments is a necessity.  Thank you to Rotary and City officials for the opportunity given to youth to learn more about how the City works.
 
Adanna Suresh is a student at Nicholson Catholic College and said it was a privilege to be part of the Mayors of the Week program.  She was able to visit many facilities and obtain a deeper understand of how things work, with a focus on the transportation department and how the bussing systems affect so many folks living here and attending school here.  This work requires a lot of effort and endless dedication and Adanna has a great appreciation for all that is required for smooth operations.  Thank you to the staff and Rotary.
 
Anna Woodrow attends Quinte Christian High School and was very pleased to have an opportunity to see how the community works.  Staff are amazing at their jobs.  Her favourite was the water treatment plant, inside and outside.  Before she only thought of it as water and how much can one know about it.  Well, now Anna knows it's much bigger than that.  Anna had an opportunity to speak to the Chief of Police and how mental health impacts the work done by police officers on a daily basis.  All in all a wonderful experience.
 
Max O'Bryn attends St. Theresa's and found the Mayors of the Week a unique opportunity.  Max grew up in Belleville so it was a great opportunity for him to shadow the mayor and meet staff in all the City departments.  He was careful to listen to all that was presented as he realizes that it will impact his future and decisions that he makes.
 
The students were thanked by Past President Peter Malone.  Their presentations were very inspirational and provided each of them ideas for the future.  Peter told them Rotary is a great resource for students and to remember that for the future.
Rotary Contribution to the YMCA Centre for Life
Rotary Contribution to the YMCA Centre for Life
Dave Allen, Rotarian and CEO of the YMCA Central Eastern Ontario updated the Rotary Club of Belleville on the Centre for Life project.  Currently in a $9 million fundraising campaign of which Rotary has donated $100,000, the largest donation the Club has done in a single donation in their 105-year history.  Mr. Allen advised that the building is coming along and once all due diligence has been done by the Municipality and a building permit issued, the construction team is ready to go.  Todate $6.7 million has been raised so the shovel goal of $6 million has been reached.  Dave walked the members through an on-screen tour of the building, including all the features, very impressive and welcoming with excitement building every day.  Thank you to the Rotary Club of Belleville for their generous support of this project.
 
Past President of the Rotary Club of Belleville and Co-Chair of the Centre for Life project, Kristin Crowe passed on her thanks and that of the rest of the team to the Rotary Club for their significant contribution by the Club and by individuals.  Kristin acknowledged other Rotarians on the team of the project and recognized how the project will build good will and friendships in the community, always a goal of the Rotary Club.  An amazing opportunity to accept the Rotary Club's cheque recognizing their contribution over three years.
 
President Karen Baker recognized what a great job the YMCA does in empowering youth both physically, psychologically and intellectually.  They offer a lot of services, a lot of programs, a lot of initiatives that directly affect youth in the community.  The Rotary's name will appear in the waiting and reception area of the Community Services of Belleville and District space when the facility opens in 2026.
Quinte Rotary Music Festival 2025
Quinte Rotary Music Festival 2025

Quinte Rotary Music Festival - Celebrating 55 Years of Excellence

John Chisholm welcomed everyone to the Rotary Club of Belleville lunch meeting on March 13th to share the excitement about this year's Quinte Rotary Music Festival.  We are so blessed with the talent we have in our community. The purpose of the Music Festival is to help young people develop their musical talent, and offer the opportunity to perform publicly. Awards are offered to encourage participants to continue in musical studies and performances.

Special thanks go to the parents, teachers, family and friends who have continued to encourage and support them in their study of music.

In addition to providing each participant with individual feedback on their performance, the adjudicators may provide a mini - "workshop" with many of the participants throughout the different categories.

We hope you all return! It's a pleasure to see many of the same students competing year after year and to watch their progress as they become more confident and take on more complex pieces.

The dates for our 55th Music Festival have been set as: March 31-April 4, 2025, and the evening of April 4, will feature our Trophy competitions. On May 16th, awards will be presented at the Concert of Stars.

The students, music teachers, parents and volunteers are an integral part of a successful Festival. At the core is all the work done by the Music Festival Committee.  John shared what some of the committee members are responsible for.  When Michael Summers joined Rotary in 2009, he gravitated towards the Rotary Music Festival where children in the community would be able to participate and see their musical talents not only recognized, but enhanced.  With Michael's IT background and expertise, he looks after the program scheduling and collecting stats on the different music classes, the demographics of the participants and number of participants.  Michael is proud of the effect the Festival is having on the community and pleased to see that the numbers are starting to rebound following COVID.  Helping one person grow is worth it all!  Judy McKnight's involvement goes back a number of years when her late husband, Bob was part of the Music Festival Committee.  Judy is the organizer behind the scene, reaching out to adjudicators, preparing the syllabus, meeting with teachers to look at the music classes, getting the on-line registration ready to go, preparing site kits for the adjudicators and to be the person where inquiries are directed as well as gathering feedback and suggestions.  Mark Musca looks after named awards, in honour of someone.  He also looks after all the trophies.  This committee is a well oiled machine with three (3) Clubs working together with a sense of satisfaction for encouraging local talent.  Real happiness is in helping others. 

Jo-Anne Wheeler's position as Provincial Liaison for the Quinte Rotary Music Festival with the Ontario Music Festival takes local talent to the next level.  Provincial Festivals happen across most provinces in Canada with currently 45 music festivals who are members of the OMFA in Ontario, many of which are sponsored by Rotary, Kiwanis or Lions Clubs.  The OMFA shares the mutual objective of providing performance and competition opportunities for youg artists with professional adjudicators offering assessment, helpful critiques and workshops.  At every level in the festival movement, besides developing friendships, competitors also learn a great deal about music from each other.  This year, the OMFA Provincial finals will be held in the Kitchener-Waterloo region from June 9th to 14th.  Local participants who receive a mark of 85 or higher and adjudicated are recommended for the provincial competition.  Jo-Anne is very proud of the outstanding results obtained by local competitors including honourable mention, honourable mention with distinction, 1st places, 3rd places.  A little plug for the Quinte Rotary Music Festival -- anyone wishing to be a music sponsor can do so with a donation of $50 and their name of support will be included in the program.

John encouraged Rotarians to get involved in volunteering the week of the Festival here in Belleville, March 31st to April 4th.  All hands are needed on deck.  Peter Coy will be reaching out to everyone.  Please help where you can.  John also feels all Rotarians should attend the Concert of the Stars at Maranatha Church on May 16th.  See talent at its best.

 

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