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Civitan of Oakville's 2011 Awards Night

The Civitan Club of Oakville (celebrating 51 years of service to our community) held its annual Awards Dinner celebrating Civitans and friends of Civitan who have gone the extra mile to support the Club and its charitable activities in Oakville.

Photo: James McCannell (left) receives the prestigious Peter Street President of the Year Award from District West Governor Owen Marchant

In recognition of Doug Guthrie’s extraordinary contribution to the Club and community, the On-Going Involvement Award was renamed the Doug Guthrie Ongoing Involvement Award, and he appropriately became its well-earned first recipient at the dinner. For over a dozen years, Doug has managed the Civitan Farmers Market at Hopedale Mall as well as the bi-weekly Civitan Bingo at Mayfair Bingo. He staffs the Market each Saturday from May through November, arriving well before sun-rise at 5:00 a.m. His project work directly accounts for two-thirds of the funds raised by the Club each year making possible most of the charitable donations made by Civitan to Oakville groups in need of assistance. The newly-designed Award is a large cup with past winners inscribed at its base. Doug celebrated by sharing a draught beer from the cup with his fellow Civitans.

James McCannell swept four awards for his impressive record of contributions, winning the Peter Street President of the Year Award, The Bob McLernan Fellowship Award (for promoting the spirit of goodwill and fun), the Distinguished President Award (issued by Civitan International for several achievements as President, including launching the new Junior Civitan Club of Oakville, which now boasts almost 40 student members in three high schools) and the Civitan District West Junior Advisor of the Year Award (for his mentoring the new Junior Civitan Club as their club advisor).

Incoming President Chris Smith was celebrated for his successful chairing of the fourth annual Civitan Charity Golf Tournament by being awarded Chairman of the Year Award. Other winners included:

Van Exan Trophy for District Involvement (in recognition of supporting Civitan District West)
Bob McCannell

Gord Hood Civitan of the Year
George Horhota (2010/11 President)

Special Thanks Award (Friends of Civitan who have volunteered)
Nina McCannell (for her contributions to the golf tournament)
Kevin Kisil (for volunteering at the Civitan Bingo)

Incoming Civitan International Director Val Marchant awarded the highly prestigious Club Honour Key (posthumously) to a great Oakville Civitan, Gord Hood, which was graciously accepted by his widow Rosemary.

District Past Governor Honour Keys were presented to:

• Norm Moffatt (joined Civitan in 1969 & the Oakville Club in 1975)
• Ralph Hogge (joined the club 51 years ago)
• Dick Pearsall (chartered the Oakville Club in 1960)

4th Annual Civitan Charity Golf Classic

The Civitan Club of Oakville (celebrating 51 years of service to our community) held its fourth annual Charity Golf Classic on a beautiful July 16th afternoon at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, home 25 RBC Canadian Opens. Almost 30 foursomes played in support of Civitan - enjoying the first rain-free game since the tournament's launch.

This year's event once again shared half of its total $20,000 in proceeds with the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital's Child & Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Services Unit. The other half will be used by the Club to support its annual donations to Oakville's charities and support groups. Over the past year, recipients included the Oakville Distress Centre, Family Adolescent Straight Talk (providing addictions counseling), Halton Women's Place, Community Living Oakville, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Halton, Halton Trauma Centre and others.

Golfers were treated to two hole-in-one competitions sponsored by Knar Jewellery ($11,000 Rolex watch) and Mercedes Benz of Oakville (three year Mercedes lease worth $40,000). They sampled on-course vodka martinis and beer at oasis holes generously provided by Oakville's own Slava Vodka and Cameron's Brewing Co.

The event was kicked off by Tournament Committee Chair Chris Smith (TD Bank). Foursomes competed for first prize selecting either a Stroke Play or Texas Scramble format. Defending Stroke Play champions Team Metroland (with North Oakville Publisher and Tournament Media Sponsor Lars Melander and Metroland executives Ian and Neil Oliver) showed their golfing talents to win once again - no doubt helped by Lars Melander's impressive 69 score - his Glen Abbey personal best.

After the tournament, spouses joined the golfers for dinner where they were entertained by Magic Matt's sleight of hand. Club President George Horhota introduced the Oakville Hospital Foundation's CEO Tina Triano who reviewed exciting plans for Oakville's new hospital (slated for ground-breaking this summer). She also announced that the hospital would direct its share of the tournament's proceeds to open a new seclusion room to create a safe and warm atmosphere for children/teens and their families arriving at the ER in the midst of a mental health crisis. George thanked Ms. Triano for the Foundation's leadership with this project that would provide the level of care and dignity that young patients deserved.

Furniture Donation to Community Living

Community Living Oakville welcomed Civitan Club of Oakville members, their spouses, clients and MPP Kevin Flynn to a special open house and dedication ceremony to thank the Club for its donation of workshop and lounge furniture.

Community Living Oakville was founded 55 years ago to support people with intellectual disability. The non-profit organization provides homes (10 for adults and one dedicated to children) as well as adult programs that teach pre- vocational and life skills. Support is also given to individuals with developmental disabilities in their job searches to maintain employment in the Oakville area.

Speers Place Industries is a vocational area at Community Living's principal Wyecroft Road location which helps their clients develop work skills that may lead to competitive employment in the community. The workshop provides light industrial work and assembly services to local companies including Ford Canada.

But its furniture had been inappropriate for the needs of its users; stacking chairs in use were ergonomically inadequate and lounge chairs in the break area were uncomfortable. Acquiring proper furniture had been on Community Living's unfilled 'wish list'. The Civitan Club of Oakville rose to the challenge and stepped up to fund 20 adjustable, resilient and ergonomically correct workshop chairs, 30 sturdy tables and six comfortable lounge chairs for a total cost of about $35,000.

After a tour of the workshop (where clients enthusiastically demonstrated their use of the new chairs), Club President James McCannell graciously accepted Community Living's thanks from acting director John Wilson and Speers Place Industries director Suzanne Aikman. "Civitan and Community Living have a symbiotic relationship that will continue well into the future. Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to assist you," James said. "The funds that made this chair donation possible were generated by four special projects that our Club sponsors and staffs here in Oakville. So we ask the community to support us by patronizing our annual Civitan Charity Golf Tournament at Glen Abbey (July 16th in 2011); the Hopedale Mall Farmers' Market each Saturday; the Mayfair Bingo - every second Thursday at 7:00 p.m.; and our Club's annual sale of Claxton Christmas Cakes."

Since its founding a half century ago, the Civitan Club of Oakville has been a consistent and significant supporter of Community Living Oakville. Past Club donations included a van to transport Community Living's residents with developmental disabilities and helping to retire the mortgage of one of its homes providing residential placement as well as sponsoring an annual Fishing Derby and picnic.

Chartering of Junior Civitan club

On May 13th 2010, the Civitan Club of Oakville proudly chartered the Oakville Junior Civitan Club! After about 2 months of work, spearheaded by President James McCannell, a group of 20 wonderful Oakville Students, and the club advisor, Civitan James McCannell formally chartered the Oakville Junior Civitan Club. The event was hosted by the club at the Oakville Public Library with former Mayor, Ann Mulvale, as a guest speaker. Mayor Mulvale recalled her fond memories of the Junior Club in Oakville, as both her sons were members when they were high school students. Many parents and siblings of the juniors as well as some Civitans attended the event, including our Governor Paul Scudds.

Going forward, the Junior Club is eager to start getting involved, and already planning their first event. They have also thrown their hat in the ring to be the next host of the Dance-A-Thon, a project that originated in Oakville. They have also bought the website name www.juniorcivitan.ca.

The Oakville Club would like to recognize the hard work of Civitan Anita Pereira and Junior Civitan Governor Aliyah Mohamed for all of their hard work and guidance in starting this club. Without their tireless efforts, this would have been an uphill battle.

50th Anniversary Serving Oakville - Over $2 Million Donated!

Saturday evening (Aug. 21st) the Harbour Banquet Centre hosted 100 guests to celebrate the Civitan Club of Oakville's 50 years of service to the community. The service club, founded in 1960, marked its golden anniversary by presenting the official charter to a new Junior Civitan Club of Oakville established earlier this year. Its 20 high school student members, attending four local schools, were represented by five Junior Civitans sitting at the head table. Canada's future 'builders of good citizenship' were proud to call themselves Jr. Civitans. In fact, 'Civitan', coined from the Latin word Civitas, means "citizenship."

Civitan Club President James McCannell, himself once a Jr. Civitan as a teenager, served as the event's Master of Ceremonies. He was surprised and delighted to receive the Club Builder Award from Jr. Civitan International's Anita Pereira for his leadership in guiding the establishment of the new Oakville Junior club. Also participating in the evening were Oakville residents Dick Pearsall (who attended the Club's chartering ceremony half a century ago and chaired the Anniversary Committee) and the Club's longest serving member, Ralph Hogge.

During the past five decades of service, the Club has donated over $2 million to local charities and service groups. Many recipient organizations sent representatives to mark the event including Community Living Oakville, the Oakville Hospital Foundation, Autism Society, Reach Out Centre For Kids and the Oakville Distress Centre.

Community Living's Executive Director John Wilson reviewed the 49-year history of support given by the Club to his organization including last year's donation of $30,000 in furniture for the workshop which teaches vocational skills to people with developmental disabilities.

The Club's 3rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Glen Abbey (held each July) raised over $24,000. President James McCannell and President-Elect George Horhota were proud to present a cheque for half of its proceeds ($12,141) to the Oakville Hospital Foundation's Child & Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Services Unit which provides in- hospital treatment to children and teens when they most need help. Program Head for the Hospital's Mental Health Division, Vivian Demian, enthusiastically accepted the donation and promised that the over-sized cheque would first be displayed in her Unit before going to the bank. Last year, the Club donated 10 desks and chairs to the Unit since hospitalized students were still attending school -- but until then had no proper place to study other than in their hospital beds.

Eight Ontario Civitan Clubs were represented at the dinner and Civitan District West Governor Paul Scudds congratulated the Club on its milestone. Halton Civitan Club President Marlyne Van Exan (whose own club was chartered in 1999 by the Oakville Club, in which her late husband Wayne was a very active member and officer) delivered the key note speech.

Marlyne recounted the Club's key 50-year milestones including initiating the first of 25 Dance-A-Thons, hosting two Special Olympics, purchasing three wheelchair vans and building wheelchair ramps and staffing an annual Fishing Derby for the residents of Oaklands and Community Living. Personally involved in the Club for 44 years, Marlyne concluded her remarks by observing that Oakville Civitans "...have given their best to make life a little better for the disadvantaged in our community."