A great meeting on September 5, 2025 at Rotary Cambridge Sunrise. Our new member Dave presented his Get to Know Me presentation, and we welcome our new inbound exchange student, Julie, from Carvin, France.
What a fantastic start to September! Our first meeting was a huge success.
Getting to Know our Rotarians
We enjoyed a 'Who Am I?" (aka Classification Talk) from Dave Chatson, who is new to Cambridge Rotary Sunrise, but definitely not new to Rotary!
Born in Trenton, Ontario, Dave is the youngest of 3 kids. His father had a career in policing, retiring as a Deputy Chief, and Dave's mom was a primary school teacher, often teaching second and sometimes third generations of students. Dave has two sons, and two wonderful grandchildren (ages 11 and 9).
Dave and his wife Tara were married in September 2025 with a unique and charming wedding - they rented out the Puslinch outdoor arena and had roller skating as part of the festivities, which also included their fur-baby dogs.
Dave and Tara are self-proclaimed contractors and are entering year-3 of their home renovations. They love to cheer on the Jays, ski, camp, fish, play softball and attend outdoor concerts.
Following high school, Dave attended Humber College to study funeral services. Following graduation, Dave successfully completed his funeral director's license and has worked in funeral homes in Trenton, Kingston, Belleville, Ottawa, Kingston, and now Breslau. Since 2012, Dave has been the funeral director at Memory Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery in Breslau, off of Hwy 7 Kitchener. Dave spoke to the evolution of funeral services, including the evolution of memorials & rememberings in both variety and personalization. Dave also noted an increase the percentage of cremations over traditional casket burials.
Dave first joined Rotary in 1994 when he became a Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Belleville, having relocated to Waterloo region in 2012, Dave joined the Kitchener Rotary Club. Once he and Tara settled in Galt, he chose to join Rotary Cambridge Sunrise. Throughout his 31 year tenure with Rotary, Dave has been club president three times (2006-2007, 2017-2018, and 2024-2025), he is a Paul Harris +4 Member, a Sustaining Member since 2009, and at some point has been chair of every possible committee! Dave was drawn to Rotary for the same reasons that keep him as a valued member, the friendships, community, and good work that we do.
President Dave Thomas thanked Dave C. for sharing his presentation, and his story. We're very glad to welcome Dave to Rotary Cambridge Sunrise, where he's already joined the fundraising committee.
International Youth Exchange
Jen was invited to update the membership on the club's youth exchange program, and there was lots of news to share!
Our 2025-2026 inbound student is Julie from Carvin, France (northern France, about 40 minutes from the Belgian border). Today marked Julie's first Rotary meeting in Canada. In honour of Julie, President Dave provided morning treats inspired by French cuisine, and we played the French national anthem as well as the Canadian national anthem. Youth exchange officer Jen presented Julie with an official name tag for Rotary Cambridge Sunrise.
The 2025-2026 outbound student Mac is thriving in Finland. She has a wonderful host family and is enjoying school. She takes 2 buses to get there each morning, and is especially loving art class. Recent class trips included a day trip to Helsinki, and a three-day trip on a Finnish island accessible only by ferry.
Recruitment for the 2026-2027 exchange year has begun. Eligible students must apply by October 15, 2025.