Did you know that only 96 years ago women were legally excluded from being appointed to the Senate because they weren’t considered “qualified persons” under the British North America Act? It took five courageous women from Alberta—Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Irene Parlby—known now as the Famous Five – to reshape Canadian law by having the audacity to ask a question: What if women were persons? This question isn’t just about law; it is about legitimacy. Who gets to be seen and heard. Who belongs in the systems that govern our lives.
In today’s world, at least in Canada, the need to ask such a question seems unbelievable, but this was not the case at the time. The highest courts in Canada rejected their challenge. Fortunately, these women did not give up and appealed to the Privy Council in Britan where one judge, Lord Sankey, flipped the script with his simple reply ‘why should it not?’ and declared that excluding women from the privileges and responsibility of personhood and public office was a ‘relic of days more barbarous than ours’.
October 18 marks Persons Day in Canada—a day that celebrates this landmark moment in our nation’s history and the ongoing journey toward equality. This ruling in 1929 went far beyond politics. It opened doors for women in education, business, and leadership, and began the long process of dismantling systemic barriers that kept women from being recognized as equals. Nearly a century later, Persons Day reminds us that inclusion and equality are not static achievements—they require continual effort and vigilance. While we have made tremendous progress, the truth is that too many women still do the work but don’t get the credit, too many equity-deserving people are still made to prove their worth twice over, and too often, “belonging” is offered as a privilege, not treated as a right.
Rotary itself has walked a similar journey. For much of its early history, membership was limited to men. It wasn’t until 1987 that women were officially allowed to join Rotary clubs worldwide—a change that, in hindsight, seems as overdue as the Persons Case itself. Today, women are among Rotary’s most dynamic leaders, project organizers, and presidents. Their inclusion has not just diversified Rotary—it has strengthened it.
At our own club level, we see daily the difference that diverse perspectives make. The compassion, collaboration, and creativity that all individuals, regardless or gender or race, bring to service projects enrich the work we do and the communities we serve. Leadership, after all, is not defined by gender or race, but by empathy, initiative, and a willingness to make a difference—all qualities we celebrate through Rotary’s motto of Service Above Self.
As we reflect on Persons Day, let’s take a moment to honour the women who broke barriers before us—and to support those who continue to push boundaries today. Mentorship, fair representation, and inclusive decision-making are not just ideals; they’re responsibilities we each hold. Rotary’s continued growth and relevance depend on ensuring that every person—regardless of gender and race—has an equal voice in shaping our future.
On October 18, let’s celebrate the courage of those who made equality a legal reality, and let’s reaffirm our commitment to making it a lived reality in every corner of our community.
Yvonne Buys President 2025/26
Thought for the week.
‘Never retract, never explain, never apologize—get the thing done and let them howl.’ – Nellie McClung (one of the Famous Five)
This Week's Zoom Meeting Details:
Topic: Weekly Rotary Meeting Time: Aug 05, 2025 07:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81827939082 Meeting ID: 818 2793 9082 Passcode: rotary
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Last Week: Club Forum
Rotary meeting minutes October 7, 2025 Notes by: Lyn McGowan
President Yvonne called the meeting to order at 7:07, with 32 members present and two guests (prospective member John Hatch attending his second meeting, and guest speaker Lynn Gillingham.)
Yvonne gave a shout out to the 14 Wellington Rotarians who helped with the County Marathon on Sunday.
Guest Speaker:
Geoff introduced our speaker, Lynn Gillingham, whose topic today was the Wellington Rotary Community Garden. Lynn is a long-time resident of the County who worked with Barry from the inception of the Community Garden back in 2017. As original members of the community garden committee dropped away Lynn has inherited more and more roles. Now she is the de facto chair, treasurer, etc, with Esther from Wellington Willows acting as co-chair. There are 20 garden beds in total, with members owning their beds from April one year to April the next. Each year, Lynn puts an ad in the Times and posters in the village, inviting gardeners to apply for an unclaimed bed. The membership fee was originally $10, which went toward paying for water. Since that time, Lynn reached out to Maurice at the Wellington Fire Department, which now delivers water each year at no cost. The grass is cut by the County and there is a garden shed full of tools. Lynn has applied for and received grants from the County Foundation in some years, this year receiving $1,000 which will be put toward buying new soil and repairing the beds. The committee is in good financial shape, still having $4,500 of the original $5,000 seed money provided by our club. When Yvonne asked what else our club could do to help, Lynn indicated the water tanks sit on skids which she would like to see raised and made more secure. She could also use some help with the Community Garden’s Facebook page. Chris and Christine both suggested opportunities to engage students from CML Snider. Yvonne expressed willingness to have a Rotarian involved in the committee. Lynn was thanked by David S.
Club Business:
Yvonne noted that we have Rotary evening events on Tuesday, November 18th and Tuesday, December 16th and suggested that there be no morning meeting on those dates. There were no objections.
Invitations for the FOR event on November 18 went out last week and it became clear that the FOR list needs some cleanup. Response has been good however, with 14 signed up so far. Deadline for signup is October 30th.
Yvonne asked members who regularly partake of breakfast whether they want to continue with the Sprigwich breakfast for Forum. The vote was 9 to 5 in favour of doing it for the November Forum, for an additional $3. Christine will take orders.
Dinner/Dance/Auction update – Bill reported that 73 tickets have been reserved/sold, there are now 100 auction items with $14,000 stated value and we have $4,400 in bids to date. A community member pointed out that the link to the auction needs to be more accessible on our webpage. Mike undertook to look into that.
Next week, our guest speaker is Dorothey Spiers from Perfectly Preserved. Yvonne recommended that we bring some cash as they will have items for sale, with proceeds going to the hospital.
Electronic Recycling – Norm reported that we have a cheque coming from the County for $800, representing the money derived from the two County Recycling stations for the month of Aug.
Birthdays this week – Mary (today) and Lyn (Oct.9)
50/50 Draw – Michelle’s ticket was drawn but she did not pick the Ace of spades. Down to 9 cards now!
The meeting concluded at 8:17 with the Four Way Test.
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50/50 Draw This Week: $1704.50
Make sure you get your ticket(s) this week!
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Bottle Depot Volunteers Schedule for This Week
Wednesday September October 15, 2025
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: John Inwood, Ken Robertson, Pierre LeBrun
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Geoff Telling, Gregor Stuart, XXXX
Saturday October 18, 2025
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Geoff Telling, William Mulholland XXXX
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Michelle Kosoy, XXXX, XXXX
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays
Peter Campbell
(Oct 18)
Anniversaries
John & Robynne
(Oct 15)
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Rotary Grace
Oh Lord and giver of all good We thank thee for our daily food May Rotary friends and Rotary ways Help us to serve thee all our days.
