The District Conference this past weekend was very inspiring, and busy. It's one of the reasons this bulletin is late.
Remember the Satellite meeting in Ottawa on October 4. Register in the column to the left.
Mark in your makeups as soon as you get this bulletin.
Quarterly dues should be paid as of October 1.
It is common practice to expect new Rotarians to give a talk to their members about themselves, their early life, their training and the job that they do. This is called a "Job Talk" by some and "Meet the Members" by others.
Later in Rotary life the Rotarian is often expected to fill the speaker diary by giving a talk which is NOT connected with his work. A hobby such as stamp collecting or model trains would be a good example.
Several members have already given what we called a classification talk. From now on we’ll use the Meet the Member heading. The article written will be posted in the member’s profile under “biography.” Here is one Meet the Member article written by Curry Wood, CA, CPA.
"In 2009 I retired from the National Capital Commission (NCC) after working there for 33 years. For those who might not be familiar with the NCC, it is a federal crown corporation whose current mandate is “…to ensure that Canada’s Capital is a dynamic and inspiring source of pride for all Canadians, and a legacy for generations to come”.
Planning the Capital from the Government of Canada perspective is a primary responsibility of the NCC. This role evolved over the years. In the early years, the Commission and its predecessors, was the principal planner in the Region. The most famous and influential plan for the |Capital was done by Jacques Greber. The Greber plan became the foundation master plan for the National Capital Region and resulted in the development of the Federal Parks and Parkway system, Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt.
The Commission is the largest landowner in the National Capital Region (NCR). The NCC owns approximately 125,000 acres of property much of which is located in Gatineau Park and The Greenbelt. Under the British North America act the Federal Government, including the NCC, does not have the power to zone land. Therefore, the NCC and its predecessors, the Ottawa Improvement Commission and the Federal District Commission, often were required to buy the property needed to implement the projects presented in the plans that were developed.
The Commission is responsible for the property management, renovation, and interior design and décor for Canada’s official residences. These include the Residence of the Governor General, the Prime Minister’s residence, the summer residence of the Prime Minister, the Residence of the Leader of the Official Opposition, the Speakers Residence (in Gatineau Park) and Canada’s Guest House. Canada’s Guest House is situated just south of the Front Gate at Rideau Hall. Visiting Heads of Government stay there when visiting Ottawa.
So what was my role at the NCC? As I said earlier, I had an amazing career at the Commission and I worked for and with amazing people. I started in 1976 as a financial analyst. When I retired I was Vice President, Capital Planning and Real Asset Management. My responsibilities included the Planning Branch, responsible for developing the Plans for the Capital, the Design and Construction Division, Property Development, Federal Land Use and Design Approval (on Federal land and federally owned buildings in the National Capital Region) and the administration of the Commission’s rental property portfolio.
I am a Chartered Professional Accountant by profession (CA, CPA). I graduated from Laurentian University in Sudbury and except for the period in Sudbury have lived and worked all my life in Ottawa. After obtaining my CA, I worked for 2 years for Beach Appliances International. Beach which was an Ottawa manufacturing company that made Beach Furnaces and home kitchen ranges under the Admiral, Sears and Eaton’s labels. I joined the NCC in 1976.
I was a member of the Ottawa Bytown Club and served twice as club president."