Woohoo Rotaract

Hello internet!

I'm not even sure who reads this, but for those of you who are, please let it be known that this is my first blog post. Ever. Exciting, right? (I should probably specify that this is Marie, the VP of the club this year). I've taken on the task to blog every once in a while, to keep you, well, I'm not sure really what I'm exactly trying to do. Entertain/inform/keep you coming back comes to mind...

So for my very first blog post of ever, I figured I'd talk more about what exactly Rotaract is. I don't know about you guys, but most people (myself included many years ago) usually give me a funny look when I mention "Rotaract", and usually guess that it has something to do with wheels when I mention "Rotary" (granted, most people I talk to are engineers).

Hmm I take it back. Today I'm going to tackle Rotary, since they're really where it all starts. Tomorrow, Rotaract!

So Rotary. It is huge. It is a 1.2 million member strong global organisation. The motto is "Service above self". And basically, Rotary takes this to mean many things. Rotarians take part in projects at the local, national and global levels, both volunteering and fundraising.

Rotary International also has many programs that it maintains, including Polio plus, the organisation for which we raised funds at our wine and cheese last week. They also promote international relations and placing people from different backgrounds with similar interests together. This happens through conferences (from national to international levels), as well as (this is applicable to students) exchanges and scholarships.

In short, this is what the official website has to say:
"Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world."

So here are some numbers:
>1.2 million members
>33,000 clubs
>200 countries
Started in 1905

And PROCRASTINATION SOURCE:
http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/Pages/ridefault.aspx
A video about Rotary that seems to be made by the same people that make those high school science tapes...but it's pretty interesting!

Random fact of the day: The North Pole is not considered a continent like the South Pole because the ice of the North Pole floats on the ocean, while the ice of the South Pole sits on actual ground – the continent of Antarctica.

And back to heat exchangers and pumps I go! TTFN!

PS I like comments.

Hey y'all, McGill Rotaract is hosting a wine and cheese event at our next meeting! With all the stress of midterms and papers, come relax with us, drink, and be merry. We'll also be speaking shortly about McGill Rotaract, Rotary International (McGill Rotaract's parent organization), and Rotary's PolioPlus program which seeks to eradicate polio across the world. There is a suggested donation of a few dollars that will go toward the PolioPlus program, but any donations are accepted.

So take a load off, have a few drinks and some tasty cheeses, and hear about a good cause. See you all on Thursday at room 302 of the SSMU Building. Also, check us out on facebook to learn about any possible changes to the event; just look up "McGill Rotaract" when you are logged in.

Welcome Back!

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a great summer, and are ready to start an exciting new year with McGill Rotaract! We will have a lot to get involved with, including some of our favourite activities ie/ Montclair Elderly Home visits, Volunteering at Dans la Rue, Tyndale- St. George Mentorship Program, Cocktail Party Fundraiser , and the Fundraising Blitz week in March.

We will keep this site updated, so keep an eye out for new posts! You can also check out our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2201242499&v=info#!/group.php?gid=2201242499&v=info

Our First Meeting dates will be September 9th and 23rd in room 433A of the SSMU building at 6:00 pm.

Hope to see you there!

Fundraising Blitz

Hi all!

Now that our Aqua Show fundraiser is over (and again, thank you to those who helped and attended!), our next big event for the semester is our annual fundraising blitz in late March. In the past, events during these two weeks have included bake sales, samosa sales, movie screenings, and of course our famous 24-Hour Twister. As usual, we are looking for other new, creative, ideas for fundraising events that we can do during the blitz. If you have any thoughts, please email us or post them here!

Rotaract's Water for People Fundraiser

Prepare for a night of music, art, alcohol, free food, and fun! McGill Rotaract presents The Aqua Show to benefit Water for People, a "charitable nonprofit international humanitarian organization dedicated to the development and delivery of clean, safe water and sanitation solutions in developing nations."

Free up your night and join us for an evening of excitement to help a worthy cause!

The lowdown is as follows:
The party is happening on January 16 from 7-11 PM at the Conseils des Arts de Montreal at 1200 Sherbooke Street East.
Closest metro is Sherbrooke on the orange line. Walk 4 blocks west towards Parc Lafontaine on Rue Cherrier or take the 24 bus from Metro Sherbrooke to Rue Du Parc-Lafontaine and then take a minute walk west on Rue Cherrier to the place.
It's a big, Romanesque building with columns, impossible to miss.
Tickets are going for $15 for students and $25 for adults and for what you get, it's a steal!

To get tickets, you can:
e-mail: mcgill.rotaract@gmail.com
phone: 514-618-0351
or you can buy tickets at the door.


If you got a minute, check out the great work Water for People is doing around the world:
http://www.waterforpeople.org

Holiday Gift Wrapping

Every December, the Montreal Children's Hospital organizes a gift wrapping in the mall. We usually have members who help out and they always have a ton of fun! Plus, it's a nice break from studying for finals. Don't worry if you're not an expert gift wrapper- it's good practice, and you'll have other people with you in the booth.

If you are interested in working a shift (or a few), MCH is looking for people for the whole month of December, the 3-18th and the 20-24th; they will be at 3 locations downtown so there are plenty of opportunities, but spaces fill up quickly so try and submit your shift requests as soon as possible!

Shifts are:
Monday through Friday: 10AM-2PM, 2PM-6PM, 6PM-9PM
Saturdays: 10AM-2PM, 2PM-5PM
Sundays: 12PM-2PM, 2PM-5PM

You can email rosemary_gallant@hotmail.com with the day(s) and time(s) that you would like to volunteer.

Potluck!

Our last meeting of the semester will be in two weeks, Thursday November 26th, and we thought it would be fun to have a small potluck. If you are coming and planning on bringing something, please leave a comment to let everyone else know what you're bringing!