President’s Message for 2010 - 2011

 Welcome to the Club’s Website! I trust you will find the information about the Club interesting and perhaps it will encourage you to complete a “make up” at one of our regular Monday evening meetings.  The meetings are held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Elias Street, which is  close to the Town Hall, located on Queen Street on the west side of the Ganaraska River.   Social time is from 5:30 - 6:00 p.m.  The dinner meeting commences at 6:00 p.m.

Rotary’s international theme for this current year is “Building Communities – Bridging Continents”. The Port Hope Club has been very active in the first part of this theme. One of the Club’s early involvements in Port Hope in 1929 was with the erection of the iron foot bridge over the Ganaraska River south of the library.

Other projects were the participation in the furnishing of the Town’s new hospital back in the 1960. Another project was the completion of the sports facility on Caroline Street, providing our community with an outdoor hockey rink in the winter and tennis courts in the summer. 

A more recent major activity was the completion of the beautification of the west bank of the Ganaraska River opposite the Town Hall on Queen Street, with the providing of the benches, walkways and trees along with a gazebo.

Last year the Club was a major sponsor in the completion of a children’s’ play ground without barriers which was championed by Zac Andrus, a physically challenged teenager, who had a dream of such a facility for young people who suffered from challenges such as his.  Our club also sponsored the stone fireplace at the new Ganaraska Forest Centre.

One of the goals for the Club is to work towards the fulfillment of the second part of the theme, “Bridging Continents”. We will participate in the building of an education facility in a third world country to fulfill a dire need of such a facility.

Our Club was founded in 1922, and our members are dedicated to continue to foster the ideals of Rotary by putting “Service Above Self” both in our community and around the world.

John Mowat,

President