Ho,Ho, Ho – but is isn’t all that funny. Rotarians getting stuck with a bad rap when all they did was write cheques.

October 29, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON.  The four Burlington Rotary organizations in Burlington got trashed by local media and people involved in the Santa Clause parade when all they did was advise the parade committee that they were changing their priorities.

Burlington’s four Rotary Clubs have put up $1250 each year for the past ten years to support the annual Santa Claus parade that is organized by a citizen’s committee chaired by Gunther Kaschuba.  The parade committee says they were blindsided – the Rotarians didn’t see it that way and will be dealing with the parade people in due course.

Rotary pays full freight for a float of their own in the parade plus putting a cheque for $5000 on the table each year.  In the past they have asked for some corporate recognition as Rotary moves forward with plans to enlarge their membership and re-focus their projects.

The Santa Claus parade has taken place for more than 45 years in Burlington. Organized by a citizens group that works out of the city’s Festivals and Events office it is the premier holiday event in the city. The elves have got a spot of trouble to manage with one of their benefactors this time around.

Like any organization, Rotary continually looks at its program and reviews the effectiveness of what they are doing.  They apparently came to the conclusion that the Santa Claus parade was no longer part of the way they wanted to interact with the community.  Rotary has yet to issue a statement.  Because there are four different groups in Burlington – it is not always easy to come up with a single voice but the message to the Santa people was that the end of their participation had arrived.

One might quibble that perhaps more time could have been given but the parade organization, which has never issued a financial statement that we are aware of, has in the past been somewhat high-handed with the way they manage the event.

Colorful to say the least.

For Rotarians right relationships are paramount and, after listening to a number of people, one gets the impression that there was more wrong than right with the way the Santa parade people managed one of their biggest benefactors.

The parade will take place Sunday, December 1^st beginning at 2:00 pm at the intersection of Prospect and Guelph Line.  Somehow the financial problems will get worked out.  Remembering to thank people for their contributions and not to take them for granted is one of the life lessons most of us get at our parents knee.