Rotary Club donates wheelchairs for those in need in 2008 honouring past distinguished Chapleau club members

Ever since the Rotary Club of Chapleau held its first meetings in the Fall of 1951, it has been doing good works in the community and the wider world including the purchase of wheelchairs for use by those in need of them in other countries.

I was prompted to look back at the good work of the Rotary Club in Chapleau upon reading the article in the January 10, 2019 edition of the Chapleau Express, "Rotary Club Helps Out Community Groups".

Although meetings were held in 1951, the club received its charter on January 26, 1952 at a meeting in the Town Hall basement. As an aside, I was there, first with my friends looking in through the windows, then going to the kitchen through the back door to see my grandmothers Lil Morris and Edith Hunt. I was ten years old.

While browsing the Chapleau Public Library history site, I came across a Chapleau Express article from 2008 about the club's purchase of five wheelchairs to be distributed to people in Africa and Mexico. What an amazing project!!

The article explained that each wheelchair the Chapleau club paid for was bought in the name of a member who had died and whose contribution was remembered. For this particular project, the members selected were Gene Bernier, Dick Lapp, Lorne Marsh, Yvon Martel and Andre Nadeau. Five wheelchairs had been bought to honour these past presidents of the Chapleau club.

At its Christmas meeting in 2008, the article noted that family members of four of the five members were present including Grace Bernier, Mike Bernier, Alan Marsh, Guy Martel, Elaine Smith and Janick Nadeau. A representative of the family of Dick Lapp was unable to be present. The photo was sent to his family.

Local club president David Laughland presented each family with a commemorative photo of the grateful recipient sitting in the wheelchair purchased in the name "of a late distinguished Rotarian."

Also, in November 2008, David and Joanne Laughland travelled to  El Salvador to take part in a distribution of 1,400 wheelchairs provided by Rotarians in Ontario and Northern Quebec.

The article says that both David and Joanne were touched and deeply impressed by the huge difference these wheelchairs meant to the quality of life of the recipients who ranged in age from very young to very old.

Rev E Roy Haddon

Flashback to 1951 and the beginnings of the club in Chapleau. Rev E. Roy Haddon the Rector of St. John's Anglican Church was the first president while Dr. G.E. 'Ted' Young was vice president; Newt Pellow, secretary; Bob Serre, treasurer and B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt, sergeant at arms.

I have also included a photo of the ladies of the Senior WA at St. John's Anglican Church from 1952. These ladies catered to the Rotary Club for many years. 

names below

My sincere congratulations to the Rotary Club of Chapleau on all its good works since 1951 in the community and far beyond. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

PHOTO NAMES

Senior WA of St John's Church in 1952 Mrs. Hands, Mrs. Saylors, Mrs. Haskins, Mrs. Swanson, Mrs. Machan - ? Mrs. Chappise, Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. McKnight, Mrs. Crichton, Mrs. H. Morris, (my grandmother) Mrs. Hunt, (my grandmother) Mrs. Angove, Mrs. F. Morris, Mrs. Edie McKnight, Mrs. Coulter, Mrs. Keays Mrs. Herbert, Mrs. Donna Westerman front row Mrs. Nixon, Mrs. Way-White, Mrs. Whybray, Mrs. Simpson, Mrs. Collings, Mrs. Haddon, Mrs. Block, Mrs. Card. What a great bunch of ladies.  Photo from late Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick collection)

Chapleau Rotary Club celebrates 60 years of service to Chapleau and wider world from E. Roy Haddon as first president to Dave Laughland in 2011-2012

Rev E Roy Haddon

It seems like only yesterday but 60 years have passed since a group of business and professional men met to establish the Chapleau Rotary Club sponsored by the Sudbury club and united by the 'Ideal of Service'.

During the past week, I have been receiving news clippings and photos about the Chapleau club as it enters into a year of celebrating its 60th anniversary in Chapleau. For me, who was only ten when Rotary came to Chapleau, it has been a journey into the mothballs of my memory, and I am delighted to share some of the history of the Chapleau Rotary Club. Obviously I am at least a couple of years older now.

The founders of the Chapleau club read like a who's who of Chapleau in 1951, and all of them were so very much involved in the life of Chapleau as the community experienced expansion and growth. At the time there were no women in the Rotary club.

The club's first president was Rev. E. Roy Haddon, rector of St. John's Anglican church, World War II veteran and padre to Branch No. 5 (Ontario) of the Royal Canadian Legion. Vice president was Dr. G.E. Young, who became the club's second president, while, Newt Pellow, a local businessman was secretary; J.R. Serre, the township clerk was treasurer and B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt, the reeve of Chapleau and owner of Chapleau Bakery was sergeant at arms.

The first directors were local businessmen E.E. 'Ernie' Collin ands Harold Cahill, Royal Bank manager G.F. Bailey and pharmacist J.R. 'Ross' Thornton.

Other founding members included Angelo Bucciarelli, Charles W. Collins, Dr. William Young, A.J. Grout, R. James, John McClellan, F.L. Moorey, Wilf Simpson, Earle Sootheran, C.A Smith   and J.M. Shoup.

When the Chapleau club was founded, Rotary had about 350,000 members worldwide while today Rotary International is made up of over a million men and women of all races and religions, found in all parts of the world who accept its  motto “Service above self”. As such, Rotarians do not allow politics or religious issues to interfere with striving to make this world a better place for all. Rotary was founded as a service club in 1905.

In Chapleau, as the club celebrates its 60th anniversary, the members include Jocelynne Bernier, Twyla Berry, Lucy Bignucolo, Lynn Bignucolo, Richard Bignucolo, George Evans, Dave Laughland, Joanne Laughland, Jim Shearer, Luc Tessier, and Natalie Tessier. Dave Laughland is the president for 2011-2012.

Once established the new club met weekly in Renison Hall of St. John's Anglican Church where the church ladies provided their meal for many years.

In 1952, the club held its first 'Ladies Night' where Mr. Haddon gave an address and Mr. Zufelt proposed the toast to the ladies, responded to by Mrs. C.A. Smith.Bob Serre provided entertainment on his accordion and Mr. and Mrs. W. Bernhardt gave a number of dances. Games and dancing followed --- and the usual close to reports of such gatherings, "a good time was enjoyed by all".

Jimmy Purich, Angelo Bucciarelli

To provide the necessary funds to carry out its good works, over the years, Rotary undertook many projects as fundraisers. In its early years in Chapleau was the annual car draw, and Pat (Purich) Russell and her brother Charlie kindly provided information about it. Their father, Jimmy Purich was very active in the Chapleau Rotary Club and it is fair to say, the car draw was one of his favourite projects.

Pat advised that Mr. Purich was Chairman "Ways and Means", and  organizer of fundraisers such as car raffle draws and bingos.

"For car draws he would set up  on the main street and had a little black book to keep the names of those requesting tickets and he would make sure those folks did get their tickets."

Charlie added: "Five Hundred tickets would be sold on e.g. a 1959 Pontiac. Tickets were ten dollars each and all were sold. Dad would love to stand outside of the Dominion's Store and sell them to passerbys, with Charlie Law's permission of course. (Mr. Law was manager of the Dominion store.)

"Once all tickets were sold, the big draw would take place at the scheduled bingo in the basement of the old Town Hall. Each and every ticket was drawn and each person's name was placed on a huge chalkboard, numbered 1 through 500. The ultimate winner would be the last name drawn. 

"On a number of occasions, when only two tickets remained, the Rotarians would check to see if both parties were in attendance. If they were, they were asked if they wanted to split the cash value or take a chance on the last name out. Back then the car would cost approximately $2500 thus yielding a profit of $2500 for an upcoming worthwhile causes".

 Pat also said that her father  would grow tall gladiolus and take bunches to Rotary meetings and auction them off to the highest bidder. "One year he took one of his prize pumpkins to have the Rotarians guess the weight of the pumpkin....original ideas adding to the coffers of Chapleau Rotary Club".

Names at bottom

Over the years, the fundraising projects may have changed but members still devote much time on them -- two more recent ones by the Chapleau club have been an annual curling bonspiel with profits split between the favourite charity of the winning team and Rotary, while another major one has been an annual Rotary Trade and Sports Show in the spring.

The Chapleau Rotary Club meets twice a month. Here are some of the things it does in the community, according to an information bulletin.

"We offer scholarships and awards to students in all the schools of Chapleau. We annually send a high school student for an “Adventure in Citizenship” offered by the Rotary Club of Ottawa. 

Fund raising bonspiel

"We built the Rotary Pavilion on Chapleau’s waterfront and we are continuing to beautify the area with planters and trees. We continue to make major contributions to the Chapleau General Hospital Foundation, and the Bignucolo Residence, including the Standing Garden in the latter’s courtyard, the chapel and, RED program for future development. We support the Chapleau branch of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and other specific projects for local groups..."

Next week, I will continue with more about the Chapleau Rotary Club, then and now! Congrats on the occasion of your 60th anniversary.

Sport and Trade Show

Thanks to all who contributed to this article: Joanne Laughland, George L. Evans, Pat (Purich) Russell, Charlie Purich, Anne (Zufelt) McGoldrick, Doug Greig. Any errors are mine.My email is mj.morris@live.ca

NAMES FOR COOKING PHOTO

Chapleau Rotarians in the 1960s cooking for community function. Front row l to r D.O.Payette, Jim Keddie, Bob Warren. L to r back row, not identified, Jim Lane, Gene Bernier, Ray Ouellette, not identified, Jim Purich, Ross Perrigard, Jack Shoup, not identified.

Remembering Rev. William Ivey: "Faith helped pioneers over rough spots and kept them going"

From the time of his arrival in Chapleau at Easter 1974 to become Rector of St. John's Anglican Church, William Ivey was involved in community life while also looking after his parish.

Somehow it seemed so appropriate that I received the news of William's sudden death on Monday from Tom Corston, a Chapleau boy who is now an archdeacon in the Anglican church and rector of Church of the Epiphany, Sudbury, Ontario. Tom posted the news that William had died suddenly on his Facebook page.

On June 30, 1974, at St. John's, shortly after Rev. Ivey's arrival, Tom was ordained deacon in a service conducted by Archbishop James A. Watton of the Diocese of Moosonee.

When Chapleau celebrated its 75th anniversary of incorporation as a municipality in 1976, during the time that I served as Reeve (mayor), William was greatly involved in the activities. He not only organized a Homecoming Service for St. John's but participated in the giant ecumenical service held in the circus tent by the Chapleau (Kebsquasheshing) River.

The tent service was truly a moment of Christian unity as all denominations came together along with their choirs and members to participate.

When St. John's celebrated its 90th anniversary a year earlier, Rev. Ivey wrote of the occasion: "...(it was) faith in the future of this great country that first brought men and women up here (to Chapleau). And I know that faith in God helped those pioneers over the rough spots and kept them going. Faith is still an important part of life in this community..."

In 1978, when Chapleau celebrated the opening of the new Chapleau Recreation Centre, Cedar Grove Lodge for Senior Citizens and the Chapleau Civic Centre in a flurry of ribbon cutting in three days in June, Rev. Ivey assisted at the openings. He was selected by the council to be part of the official welcoming committee to meet Her Honour Pauline McGibbon, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, who came to Chapleau to open the civic centre.

In 1982 when Chapleau High School celebrated its 60th anniversary, he organized another homecoming service attended by 225 people at St, John's. Along with Tom Corston and Canon Redfern Louttit, who had attended St. John's, Rev. Ivey participated in an ecumenical service at the Chapleau Recreation Centre.

He also served as Padre to Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Also in 1982, Rev. Ivey organized the re-enactment of the first Christian service held in Chapleau on the river bank by Rev. John Sanders. Canon Louttit portrayed John Sanders and the service was conducted in Cree, Ojibway and English. A year later Archdeacon E. Roy Haddon played the role of Archdeacon Gowan Gillmor in another historical re-enactment organized by Rev. Ivey.

On August 28, 1983, Bishop Frank Nock announced that Rev. Ivey was being transferred to Parry Sound.

At the Harvest Thanksgiving service the parish and community gathered at St. John's to say farewell to William, his wife Bonnie and their four children. There were 298 people at the service, the largest congregation recorded to that time in the history of the parish.

William and his family returned to Chapleau after a short absence and he continued to contribute to the community, but that is a story for another day. I wanted to provide a glimpse into his work in Chapleau between 1974 and 1983 where he truly practised the words from Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, "...if one member is honoured all rejoice together.." (I Corinthians 12:16)amongst all of us who knew him.

Rest in peace William.

Note: Taken in part from my 1984 history of St. John's Church, "Sons of Thunder ... Apostles of Love"

UPDATE RE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR WILLIAM

Funeral service for William will be held at the Chapleau Pentescotal Church on Friday March 26 at eleven am. Further information can be obtained from the Gilmartin Funeral Home in Wawa at 1 705 856 7340