Bill Gosewitz--Kiwanis Club of Ottowa

"YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO DO."(THE CONCEPT OF - IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN ACHIEVE -was constantly told to me by my grandfather).

During University I worked

7-11 at revenue Canada (equivalent to IRS in the USA)

Midnight - 8 am at computel

And went to school during the day in order to pay for my schooling - because I was too proud to ask my father for the money he worked so hard to earn...

My work ethic was formed - If I worked hard - I could do almost anything..

I had

Dreams - which I turned into goals - many of which have become reality.

'THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY EXISTS IN YOUR MIND....'

How many people here dream of winning the lottery - put up your hands ?

How many people BELIEVE they will win the lottery - keep your hand up..there are a few of you..

How many people KNOW FOR A FACT they will win the lottery ?..I'm the only one with my hand up..why?.because I have set a clause in my will which sets funds aside to ensure my lottery numbers are funded in perpetuity until they win.then the money will go to an education fund to help students who need it. My dream - became a goal - and it will become reality (Maybe not in my lifetime.but it will happen - I am guaranteed to win the lottery..)

Lets talk a bit about - DREAMS _ GOALS _ REALITY

I'd like to briefly focus on these 3 issues.

Especially for the young people here today -

You will have dreams.

Some people will say "You are a dreamer - It cannot happen"

I say NEVER GIVE UP your dreams.

There are no unrealistic dreams or goals - ..only unrealistic time frames.

Just like my lottery plan - it may not happen in the timeframe I would like..but it will happen.

How many people here have written a list of goals ?- put up your hand.

There is a substantial number of you - that is probably why most of you are very successful.

You must WRITE down your goals

WRITE DOWN YOUR DREAMS - IF YOU DON'T WRITE THEM .YOU WONT ACHIEVE MOST OF THEM.

I CANT TELL YOU WHY IT WORKS...BUT IT DOES.

AS Sir Winston Churchill said - NEVER, NEVER NEVER GIVE UP..

SPEAKING OF CHURCHILL

Did you know - a poor Scottish farmer named Fleming -saved a lad from a bog.

Had he not come along the lad would have died a slow horrible death.

The next day a fancy carriage pulls up to the humble abode - the nobleman tries to offer the farmer money

For saving his son's life - the farmer refuses.

So the nobleman spying the farmer's son - says I will provide your son with the same education as my son - no doubt he will grow to be a man of whom we will both be proud.farmer flemings son graduated from

St mary's medical school in London and went on to become known as Sir Alexander Fleming - the discover of Penicillin.

Years later then nobleman's son was stricken with Pneumonia - what saved his life ?..PENICILLIN

The name of the nobleman - LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL

His son - SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL.

A random act of kindness definitely changed the world -

where would we be without Penicillin or Churchill ?

HOW ABOUT ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Two Marines in Iwo Jima - LEE and BOB

Lee was shot in the butt -won a navy cross for bravery.

The only reason he survived ? - was his sergeant saved his life with what - Lee called the greatest act of bravery he ever saw -

"the dumb bastard actually stood up to direct fire towards himself in order to allow his men to escape. (He apparently did it on more than one occasion)

When they dragged Lee to safety - Bob said - Where did they get you LEE ?

Lee replied - "if you get home before me - tell mom to sell the outhouse"

The Sergeants name - Bob Keeshan (we knew him as Captain Kangaroo)

Lee - was Lee Marvin

A random act of Bravery and kindness - changed the world for the better - but it goes deeper than that..

Bob's lifelong friend Fred was a decorated Vietnam navy seal - who was inspired by Bob. Fred always wore a sweater when he was on TV - to cover the tatoos on his arms.Fred's name Fred Rodgers (Mr Rodgers) - another individual who inspired generations of young people...but it goes deeper than that.Fred - gave a Puppeteer his start in TV - ERNIE .ERNIE had Casey and Finnigan..ERNIE was ERNIE COOMBS - Mr Dressup ...

Had Bob been killed on that field of duty - we may never had had generations of children learn from

Captain Kangaroo - Mr Rodgers - Mr. Dressup..

YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOUR ACTIONS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD.

Let me give you one more example - closer to Home

10 years ago the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa - founded the CPR Training program in local schools - WHICH EVENTUALLY SPREAD ACROSS CANADA...

A few weeks ago we were introduced to a young individual - whose life was saved because his teacher had

Taken the CPR Program - Paramedics said " if it were not for the teachers actions - they would have been dealing with a corpse - .. His mother said our program served to give her son back to her..."

Will he become Prime Minister - Find a Cure for Cancer - or Save the World.

Who knows - but the dream of putting CPR dummies in schools - lead to a goal - which lead to reality.

Those actions changed the world in at least one case we know of...how many have we not heard of ????

I BELIEVE THE QUESTION WE SHOULD ALL BE ASKING OURSELVES - IS

WHY ARE WE HERE ?

BOTH ON THIS EARTH AND HERE PHYSICALLY AT THE CHATEAU LAURIER - NOW

WHY HAVE KIWANIANS MET HERE FOR THE PAST 85+ YEARS ?

FELLOWSHIP ?

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ?

TO LEAVE A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE ?

TO CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER ?

I AM REMINDED OF A QUOTE BY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

' YOU SEE THINGS AND YOU SAY WHY ?..BUT I DREAM THINGS THAT NEVER WERE AND I SAY WHY NOT ?..'

KIWANIS MOTTO IS SERVING THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD - BUT REALLY WE SERVE THE CHILDREN OF OUR COMMUNITY AND INDIRECTLY THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD BY VIRTUE OF THE NUMBER OF CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD.

WE ALL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE THE WORLD

BUT FIRST WE MUST DARE TO DREAM.

DARE TO SET GOALS.....DARE TO ACCOMPLISH THEM !

HOW MANY OF US CAN DONATE - TIME / MONEY / EFFORT - TO HELP OTHERS ?

HOW MANY OF US CAN BAND TOGETHER AS A GROUP - TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR A COMMON CAUSE - TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF OUR COMMUNITY - IE A GROUP OF 10-20 PUTTING TOGETHER A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM OR SOME OTHER WORTHWHILE CAUSE ?

PERHAPS OUR LEGACY COMMITTEE ..

WE ARE ALREADY CHANGING THE WORLD -THROUGH OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS

READ A THON (INSPIRING CHILDREN TO READ BOOKS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THEIR LIBRARIES)

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL (SPENDING TIME - READING TO YOUNG CHILREN)

SHAKEN BABY VIDEOS

SUCCESS BY 6 PROGRAMS

AIR CADETS / GOVERNOR GENERALS FOOTGUARDS

CIRCLE K CLUBS (UNIVERSITY -KIWANIS CLUBS)

KEY CLUBS (HIGH SCHOOL - KIWANIS CLUBS)

BUT WE CAN AND MUST DO MORE.....

I RECALL THAT READING ½ HOUR PER DAY FOR 2 YEARS CAN MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD - BUT YOU MUST FIRST LEARN TO READ - AND WE MUST ENSURE ALL CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN...

½ HOUR OF EXTRA WORK PER DAY = SUCCESS

15 YEARS AGO - MY EMPLOYER INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO SET UP A SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT BOTH OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITIES - HE THEN PROCEEDED INTO BANKRUPTCY AND

CAUSED GREAT TURMOIL IN THE LIVES OF THOSE OF US WHO WORKED WITH HIM.BUT I CAN REMEMBER THINKING...WHAT A GREAT IDEA..

WHEN I SAW THE MOVIE PAY IT FORWARD - I THOUGHT WHAT A FABULOUS CONCEPT

MY MIND BEGAN TO CHURN..

HOW COULD I POSSIBLY CHANGE THE WORLD - EVEN IN A SMALL WAY ?

WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO PROVIDE A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR OTTAWA UNIVERSITY-CIRCLE K - I TOOK THE INITIATIVE - BUT I WANTED IT TO BE SELF FUNDING.

HOW COULD I DO IT ?

I COULD WRITE A BIG CHEQUE (NOT MY FIRST OPTION)

THEN I REMEMBERED A MATCHING PROGRAM POSSIBILITY - UPON EXPLORATION- I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE A FUND IS BEING SET UP TO BE KNOWN AS

MAZEROLLE-GOSEWITZ-WOOD

CIRCLE K - KIWANIS CLUB OF OTTAWA ENDOWMENT FUND

IT IS IN HONOUR OF OUR PARENTS - WHO GAVE US EVERYTHING AND ASKED NOTHING IN RETURN.

MY ONLY CONDITION - IS THE RECIPIENT PAY IT FORWARD

HELP SOMEONE ELSE IN THE FUTURE - OR 3 PEOPLE - OR 5 - OR 10....

ONCE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

BE IT CASH - TIME AND EFFORT - OR ADVICE

YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOUR ACTIONS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

MY DREAM - BECAME A GOAL - BECAME REALITY

IN SUMMATION

THE FOLLOWING QUOTES AND WORDS OF THOUGHT

'WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET - BUT WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE ' (SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL)

MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE - 'GIVING IN ITS PUREST FORM - EXPECTS NOTHING IN RETURN'

IF YOU FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO CARE FOR SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU WILL HAVE SUCCEEDED (MAYA ANGELOU)

DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE DISCOURAGED OR EMBITTERED BY THE SMALLNESS OF THE SUCCESS YOU ARE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE IN TRYING TO MAKE LIFE BETTER.

YOU CERTAINLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE, IN A SINGLE GENERATION, TO CREATE AN EARTHLY PARADISE. WHO COULD EXPECT THAT ?

BUT, IF YOU MAKE LIFE EVER SO LITTLE BETTER, YOU WILL HAVE DONE SPLENDIDLY, AND

YOUR LIVES WILL HAVE BEEN WORTHWHILE.(ARNOTLD TOYNBEE)

I LEAVE YOU WITH AN ASSIGNMENT - OR SHALL I SAY CHALLENGE

FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.........

DARE TO DREAM

THINK OF SOME METHOD WHERE YOU CAN HELP TO POSSIBLY CHANGE THE WORLD

EVEN A LITTLE BIT.FOR THE BETTER

PAY IT FORWARD.......YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOUR ACTIONS MAY LEAD...

CLASS DISMISSED.