President's Message 
The History of Women in Rotary
As President of our Rotary Club I support Rotary International and the many great works of this organization including efforts focusing on the key Areas of Focus which address global challenges and community needs. However one aspect of Rotary that admittedly causes me to pause and respectfully ask “Why?” relates to the history of women in Rotary. When Rotary International was founded in Chicago in 1905, membership was restricted to men. For decades, women contributed to Rotary through community service and auxiliary groups, but they were unable to become full members. As women increasingly entered professional and business leadership roles, the movement to open Rotary membership to women gradually gained momentum.
Early efforts to change Rotary’s membership rules began as far back as 1950, when proposals were introduced to remove restrictions on women. However, these initiatives faced considerable opposition. A turning point came in 1977, when the Rotary Club of Duarte, California, admitted women despite Rotary International’s membership rules. The club subsequently lost its charter and challenged the decision through the courts.
On May 4, 1987, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Rotary clubs could not exclude women on the basis of gender. This landmark decision paved the way for greater inclusion. In 1988, Rotary International recognized that clubs in Canada could also admit women. In 1989, Rotary’s Council on Legislation voted to remove the restriction worldwide, officially opening membership to women throughout the Rotary movement.
Progress continued as women assumed increasingly prominent leadership roles. In 1995, eight women became Rotary district governors for the first time. In 2008, Catherine Noyer-Riveau became the first woman elected to Rotary International’s Board of Directors. A historic milestone followed in 2022, when Canadian Jennifer Jones became the first woman to serve as president of Rotary International.
Today, women are integral to Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self. Their leadership, professional expertise, compassion and commitment to community service strengthen clubs around the world. The history of women in Rotary is a story of perseverance, progress and inclusion, demonstrating that Rotary is strongest when everyone has the opportunity to contribute and make a difference. I honestly could not envision our Rotary Club of Wellington without female members! When it comes to the history of women in Rotary I believe it is an example of ‘better late than never’.
Quote of the week:
“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
— Ronald Reagan
Bad Dad Joke of the week:
Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon? Great food but no atmosphere.
This Week's Zoom Meeting Details:
Topic: Weekly Rotary Meeting
Time: Oct 27, 2026 07:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 828 6879 3340
Passcode: rotary
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Notes from Club Forum on October 27, 2026
By Secretary Lyn McGowan
President Chris opened the meeting at 7:07 with 32 members present. He thanked this month’s Hospitality Team and the Breakfast Team, then displayed images from last weekend’s District 707 Conference which he, Yvonne and Gregor attended. Dave R thanked Roger for starting the Fellowship Dinners, which have been a great addition to the life of the Club.
Club Forum:
Secretary’s Report – Lyn detailed correspondence received and sent.
Treasurer’s Report - In Bill’s absence, Yvonne gave the financial report for the month of September. Mike moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report, seconded by Kim; motion carried.
Governance and Administration – Roger gave a brief report, indicating the updated bylaws are now final, the Foundation is in the process of aligning their bylaws where required, and the election of Officers in November will also include election of Officers of the Foundation.
Fundraising –
Major Projects Committee - Yvonne reported that Gregor will lead a Major Projects Committee which will consist of champions who will each put together a full proposition for an individual cause they think we should support, make a report and bring to the Club for consideration. A couple of members immediately volunteered to be champions: Colin for a new track at CML Snider and Bill H for a new location for the Storehouse Foodbank. Trudy also raised the PEC Memorial Hospital, in light of the current matching campaign. In her words, since we were there at the beginning do we also want to “put the cherry on the top?”
Maple Syrup – Yvonne reported that Gregor is planning for 2200 bottles next year, a 10% increase, which should allow us to keep the price the same.
50/50 Initiative – Margo distributed a handout reflecting the information learned from and about Rafflebox. This approach would address the concern about labour-intensity. Our work would consist of marketing and getting the word out, to drive traffic to the site. Shawn would love to get into marketing this. Chris suggested having another club experienced with the platform speak to our club. Margo requested a “temperature check” of the members to determine whether to continue to invest time in pursuing such an initiative. Dave M expressed his continued concern about the gambling addiction problem. By show of hands the majority of members are in favour of further work/investigation.
Past President Yvonne said we will be voting for Club Officers for 2027-28 at the Club Forum in November. All current board members (except Peter) have expressed their willingness to continue to serve (Treasurer Bill, Secretary Lyn, Governance Roger, Literacy and Youth Norm, Public Image Liz) with Chris moving to Past President, Gregor moving to President and Yvonne moving off the board. Margo has volunteered to stand for President Elect. We need a Membership Chair sooner than next year, as Peter will be moving in December. Tim said he might be interested. Thank you to Margo and Tim for stepping up! If anyone wants to put their name forward for one of the other positions, please speak to Yvonne. Roger also noted that we need a list of nominations for the Foundation Board.
Funding Request: Christine moved that the Foundation be directed to donate $2,500 to County Kids Read; seconded by Dave S; motion carried.
Other Business:
Shawn reported that everything is looking positive for Wake Up Wellington. In addition to the big top 3 prizes there are 27 other sponsored prizes valued at $50-$100. So far, social media has received over 71,000 views in the last 28 days and has a 5.3% engagement percentage – I don’t really understand what that means, but it sure sounds impressive.
Chris identified the “heavy lifters” at the Bottle Depot for the month of October – John I in 1st place with 4 shifts, and John Hatch, Phyo and Geoff all tied with 3 shifts each. Way to go, guys! Roger also wanted to recognize the “behind the scenes” work for the Bottle Depot, calling out Mike, Kim, Trudy and Bottle Billy.
Chris reported that going forward we will be celebrating a new metric each month at Forum (proposed by Lyn) – Rotary Years of Service. For the month of October, we have Liz with 20; Tudy and Phyo with 12; Chris, Yvonne and Bill P with 6; Mary with 3 and John Hatch with 1.
50/50 Draw – Norm’s ticket was drawn. In his absence, Colin picked a card but it wasn’t the Ace. Down to 6 tickets left!
Chris closed the meeting at 8:36 with the Four-Way Test.
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How to Host the 2026 Rotary Youth Exchange Student Yuna on an Excursion
