Our October meeting was a success and now it is time for the third meeting of the Fall season which will be the last for 2013. I have been informed that there will not be a meeting in December. Check here and in your emails for future meeting dates. Come out on November 21st and let us have some of your ideas about what the Chapter could do to satisfy a broad spectrum of the membership, and what it can do in and for the community at large. This community has the largest number of Seniors on a per-capita basis of any community in Ontario and possibly in Canada. There is much that can be done to improve life here without “breaking the bank” as the politicians do.
What’s happening?
At the October meeting a lady indicated that she would be happy to play some lively music on the Grand Piano so we are counting on her coming to the meeting, and she is counting on you attending. Let’s give her a warm CARP welcome. The business of the evening will be a presentation by a speaker from Community Care Peterborough about their services, and you will have the opportunity get answers to your questions. Some of their services are free and others have a nominal charge. As a principal caregiver, I have had experience with them and I can tell you they are there when you need them. Come and listen to what is available and pick up one of their brochures. You might even be so happy with what you learn that you will want to act as a CARP volunteer with them.
After the speaker is finished we will have a 50/50 draw to try to raise a little money for our yet-to-be-formed Social Committee to put on some light refreshments as the meetings conclude. Incidentally, Jay has offered to act as organizer of that committee and she needs three or four helpers to make it successful. Can you help her? Following the 50/50 draw there will be draws for two nice draw prizes that were donated by Kevin Tomlinson, the speaker at our October meeting. Kevin would be happy to assist you in regard to any questions that you might have regarding his October topic, and other matters. If you did not get his hand-out at that meeting, I will have some of them available for you. Thank you Kevin.
There will also be available information about the Ontario 211 help line, Central East Community and Access Centres (CECCAC), and applications for CARP membership. Those memberships make very worthwhile gifts for special occasions. Ask me how you can save five dollars on the membership fee. When joining or renewing ask them to note that you are a member of Chapter #16, and ask them to be sure that your name goes on the emailing list.
Progress report
Remember when Canadian General Electric used to say, “Progress is our most important product”? We are making some of that! Secretary, Treasurer, Social organizer, and now we have an organizer for our Agenda Committee but John will not be available until February. He could use three or four assistants to make our chapter “swing”. How about lending a hand? This chapter is starting to recover and it needs some people to stand up and say “Count me in! I want to help”.
Connecting with you
Over one half of our members have no email or computers. How do we connect with them? To do a single letter by “snail mail” would cost us over $600 and our treasury has a total balance of $24 with a liability of $2.85 so we have only one alternative: Telephone volunteers. We need a telephone “tree” set up with people who would be willing to phone a dozen or more numbers with a cheerful greeting and an invitation to attend our meetings. A telephone committee would have to set up the “tree” and provide the callers with information to be passed along to the called parties. I am trying to contact them through announcements on TV Cogeco channel 10 and with announcements in The Peterborough Examiner. The cooperation of both organizations is much appreciated. I am trying to get YOU involved by emails and with these web-postings. CHEX TV has been approached about doing a feature on CARP Peterborough Chapter #16 but a response has not yet been received.
See you November 21st at Applewood Retirement Residence, 1500 Lansdowne Street West in Peterborough. It is located just a little east of the intersection of Lansdowne and Kawartha Heights Blvd. See map here. Applewood management makes this facility available to us as a public service and we very much appreciate their kindness. Our Chair, Bob Geddes, is trying to negotiate a change of night for our meetings. The room is not available in daytime.
Finally, some people are not receiving the emails that are sent out to members. If you are not getting them let me know. There is a problem in the Toronto CARP head office with the email list and if you give me your name, email address, and phone number, I will try to get it corrected.
