The Spinner May 18 2023

President Jackie chaired the meeting.

Jackie has tickets for the Fundraising Concert on May 31^st or tickets can be purchased at the Rotary Arts box office.  

Items should be being collected for the Rotary auction on June 1 – 5. If you have any donated items let Kathleen have them as the items need to be collated, photographed by Neil, and inputted into the handbid site by Lesley. This all takes time.

Elaine announced that the Rotary Arts Centre in Corner Brook, NL is thrilled to have been nominated for the prestigious "Best Teamwork in a Soft Seat Theatre/Performing Arts Centre in Canada" award by the Canadian Live Music Association. This recognition highlights the Rotary Arts Centre commitment to excellence, collaboration, and the highest standards of performance in the live music industry.

One guest Dawn Taylor attended the meeting besides the guest speaker, Ernest Simms.

Elaine introduced the guest speaker Ernest Simms, a volunteer with “Quilts of Valour.” 

Ernest began by speaking of his years in the military and how he became a volunteer for Quilts of Valour.  He spoke of the difficulties many veterans have when they leave military service. Nine months ago, he joined a group visiting a friend who was a veteran proudly wearing his donated quilt. The donated quilt wrapped around this veteran showed thanks for the service to his country and to the community and gave great comfort to the veteran. After this experience Ernest became a volunteer with Quilts of Valour

He explained further the meaning behind Quilts of Valour. A Quilt of Valour represents a hug from a grateful nation and a tribute to an injured Canadian Armed Forces member, past or present.  Each quilt is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war.  The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”

To use the term Quilt of Valor, the quilt must be a specific size, must have a label with required information, it must be awarded as it is not a gift and it must be recorded. 

Ernest started this program in Western Newfoundland. Guidelines are provided for these quilts which can be made by individuals or quilting groups. Each quilt is different and when made will be presented to a service member or veteran. To finish his talk, he showed the quilt he had made to be presented to a veteran. Two Rotarians Lorraine and Elaine who are both quilting guild members, showed the quilts they had been part of making or had made. They spoke of the designs in each quilt   and how similar the quilts are but not the same. 

Ernest was thanked for his inspirational talk and the Quilts of Valour, he gives to service members and veterans who all have been touched by armed conflict.

The meeting was adjourned at 1.30pm.