Meeting Date: On Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, after the usual wonderful meal prepared by the ACW, Ben started this meeting by thanking the ladies in the kitchen.
Correspondence:
1. The Salvation Army is requesting a donation to help them with their Christmas Assistance Campaign
- It was decided that the club would not contribute but several members do donate
Program: Bob introduced our guest speaker Tim Gillis
- Tim Gillies is well known for his WW1 trench
- His grandfather Bertram Bell enlisted for WW! in the 160th Bruce Battalion and later transferred to the 78th Winnipeg Grenadiers
- Tim’s middle name is Bertram, named after his grandfather
- When Tim was 7, his grandfather gave him a badge from his uniform and a cup that he had been given in Britain
- In 1996, Tim and others formed the Canadian Great War Society
- They have about $40000 in uniforms, kit and gear from the first world war
- The members of the society do a variety of projects such as going to the East Elgin Shooting range and carrying 40lbs of gear on their back, marching 5 km over fields, ditches and creeks and them doing a 30 round shoot on the rifle range.
- They have a horse section with off the track race horses. The owner uses these horses with the Society to de-sensitize them to crowds, gun shots and other loud noises
- Tim explained that their trench, similar to one from WW1, was constructed, partially dug by hand, and reinforced with corrugated tin and lumber since the earth were always trying to collapse
- He explained what it was like to be stationed in a trench which was only about 200 yards from the enemy
- The Society has a 1917 FWD Model B Truck, the first ever 4 wheel drive truck.
- These trucks were used in WW1 to pull the 6 inch howitzers by the British and Canadian artillery units.
- The British ordered about approximately 15000 of these from where they were made in the US by six different manufacturers. The British FWD trucks had wooden spoke wheels and the US FWD trucks ones having steel wheels
- There are about 30 of them left in the world in running condition
- The Society has many younger folks, who have become interested in WW1 history, joining them
- The group has worked with 4-5 independent film producers with their members have been extras and actors.
- It is interesting the members of the Society reuse U.P. saddles and refurbish them for their horses, which is a great deal of work
- The Society have undertaken 26 Hour Trenches at their Thamesville trench. The members carry out drills and duties as was done in WW1, which is not nearly as easy as it may appear to be
- Soldiers were expected to shave every day, so that their gas masks fit and seal while it also to combat lice
- The Ross rifles were used by the Canadians until 1916. Before WW1, Canada tried to license and manufacture the Lee Enfield but were refused by the British. After 1916, the Canadians switched to the Lee Enfield Mk. III.
- The Ross was a good rifle in shooting competitions, but not good in the trenches. They overheated during combat where they might be fired 100 times in an hour which could cause the rifle to jam and also got clogged with mud fairly easily
- Tim brought two tables worth on WW1 equipment, which Rotarians had a look at after the meeting
- His talk was extremely interesting, especially with his many photos he showed by PowerPoint
Business continued from the Last Meeting/New Business
1. Kees: Update Christmas party
- Dec.2. at the Parish Hall, starting at 5:30, dinner at 6:00
- An attendance sheet was passed around
- Glen Smith (guitar) and wife Cindy (singer and ukulele) are the program
- Everything is pretty much in place, with Ron going with wine only, Paul is doing a trivia contest and Joel will be the greeter
2. Kees: Update on the Joint project with the Chatham Rotary clubs regarding the Gambia water project
- Kees went to this meeting, which is about a water and new fire truck project
- Our District is sending one fire truck and folks to train them how to use it
- It may become an international project
3. Henny: Update on "The Pantry".
- Kim Scoyne will be given the $1000 for the food pantry at the Christmas party
- Members can also donate
4. Ron: New member orientation and networking project meeting
- Nov. 23, at the Parish Hall
- This is a district meeting with light breakfast included
- Starts at 9.30 am til 1.30 pm
- Open to all members since Rotary has changed a lot over the past 5 years or so
5. Paul/Kees: Update report "The Gift". November 30
- Some RDHS art class students are painting several signs to be put up around town
- Paul went into Chatham to The Gift warehouse and got a stack of post card to pass around to local locations and 4 large signs for the 4 entrances into Ridgetown
6. Ben: Finalizing "Donuts for polio day"
- An thank you article was written for the Independent
- Thank you cards and tax receipts will be given to the several large donors
7. Kees/Henny: Update on New Year’s skate at the arena
- Kees has looked after setting it all up
Committees: None
New Business
1. Guest Ken Corlett thanked the club for their work with the “Donuts for Polio”
- Chatham Downtown, Chatham Sunrise, Tilbury and Dresden generated funds through Pizza for Polio projects and Blenheim offered a donation in the name of Governor Sharna
- The six clubs generated $7045, which when the Gates Foundation 2:1 match is applied, gives $21135
- Four individuals contributed $1735, which after the Gates Foundation match, the amount becomes $5205, for a total of $26340 for the Polio cause
- Consider sending a few dollars to the RI Foundation’s Polio Plus account in recognition of Ken’s special birthday at the end of the month
Leader Ben asked if there was “Anything for the good of Rotary?”
Leader Ben closed the meeting at 8:10 pm.
The next meeting is on: Dec. 2, 2024 in the Parish Hall (See above for some details, plus we will get more information over the next week or to.
The theme for the 2024-25 Rotary year is “THE MAGIC OF ROTARY”.
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