John Smale introduced us to the Mayors of the Week, a historic day indeed. This is one of John's favorite programs and is happy to introduce us to the new batch of students for Mayors of the Week. There is a constant from year to year and that is their shyness with each other on day one. By the end of the week they are best friends and joking back and forth like they've known each other for years. A little history on Mayors of the Week. Starting in 1969 the program gives local high school students a chance to see the operation of their municipal government up close. If there is one constant running through the program, it is the surprise that the participating students experience at the complexity of the work involved in running a city the size of Belleville. Key to the start up of the program were Rotarians Ken Wormald, Don Thrush and Dr. Russell Scott Mayor of Belleville in 1969.
Students who show civic leadership and an interest in helping their community are selected from each local high school. The students are provided with the opportunities to visit a variety of city officials and departments to learn how a municipality works. Rotarians accompany the students throughout the week visiting offices and facilities. The students are given tours or City facilities, meet with Senior staff and representatives from City departments, meet the Mayor and attend a City council meeting. At the end of their experience they attend a Rotary meeting just like today to report on their experiences. The students learn about the many projects and services where our tax dollars go and how departments work with each other. The Mayor's office and department heads have always been generous with their time. The students get a real sense of the transparency of local government, services and what it takes to run a city and keep the citizens safe. Students return to their schools with enhanced perspectives and increased knowledge. The Mayors of the Week program allows the Rotary Club of Belleville to assist in developing and rewarding our future leaders.
Here are your Mayors of the Week :
Matthew Foster - a grade 11 student at Quinte Christian High School. He learned a lot and thanked Rotary for the lunch today as well. Really enjoyed the waste and water treatment plant, which surprised him as he was not looking forward to it. Really liked public works as well and realized that it was good for people pursuing a career in the trades. Overall it was one of the greatest weeks of his life. He realized he knew only a fraction of what was done in the City and the impact that municipal Council has.
Brett Binney - grade 11 student at Centennial. He enjoyed the Quinte Sports and Wellness Center, a facility that is environmentally friendly with 2000 solar panels that generate savings of $400,000 by using hot air to heat up the rest of the building. Visited the Belleville Police Service and the Forensic Identification Unit, was fingerprinted and was able to examine his prints compared to others. A great experience overall that gave him an opportunity to meet other student leaders.
Jocelyn Carr - attends St. Theresa's High School in grade 12. She has been interested in municipal politics for some time due to her dad's (Paul Carr) influence. Wanted the opportunity to see what each department does. For her the library was a highlight and the art in the gallery. Jocelyn also enjoyed the Quinte Sports and Wellness Center and the efficient methods of saving energy. The opportunity to speak at the council meeting was a great experience, to have that say and share her ideas. Thanked Rotary again for a great week.
Megan Walton - grade 12 student at East Side High School. Thanked Rotary for the opportunity, a once in a life time chance to meet leaders who have impacted the City. Was interested in politics and was amazed by the work required into running the city. She now knows where the water is coming from and the process. Met with the Mayor and wants to go into political science. Learning about police and fire department was also very interesting.
Caitlin Longo - grade 12 student at Nicholson Catholic high school. Caitlin was in grade 10 when her friend (Anissa Bray) participated in the Mayors of the Week program. She could not stop talking about it and Caitlin realized she was a little jealous and went to her guidance counsellor to discuss plans for the future. After talking about it, they came up with the decision to pursue an undergraduate degree in political science and the teacher recommended the Mayors of the Week as an opportunity to see first hand how her city functions. The Mayor welcomed her and provided great information. Could not believe there are so many job opportunities in a small city. Would highly recommend this program to everyone. Thank you to Rotary.
Jasper Gilbert - a grade 11 student at Albert College. He was chosen by his politics teacher and admitted to being unenthusiastic about the program when looking at the itinerary. But he saw a rare opportunity to research the people who served in various City departments and changed his tune. He became excited and could not believe the amount of careers and opportunities, senior department leaders there are in such a small city. He is interested in studying business as a result of the program.
Tawnya Smith - When the Mayor of the week came across her desk she jumped at the chance to be involved once again. She is currently Co-Op Department Head at East Side Secondary. She has been involved for many years in this program and never wants to miss this day. The impact it has had on people is phenomenal. Thanks to the Mayor and his staff for the work put into the program. Thank you to the students as well. This has a huge impact on them. They are the leaders of the school in our area. These are the students who are catching up on what they are missing. These are your future leaders and they put in the work. She loves this day. Please keep her involved.