Page 2 - Jan 27, 2026

MINUTES OF MEETING:  Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Editor: Tess Pierce

Meeting Called to Order at 6:30 PM: by President David Mankiewicz

Grace: Dave A.

Toast to the KING: Sashi B

Land Acknowledgement: President David Mankiewicz

We respectfully acknowledge that the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood is meeting on the traditional territory of the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nations, within the jurisdiction of the Williams Treaties.  We are committed to our responsibility of stewardship, in these relationships and for this land on which we learn, share and live.

Toast to CANADA: Ted M.

Visiting Rotarians and Guests:

  • Ingrid Janssen, Our Speaker

  • Mark Denee, City of Oshawa

  • Alison Babin, Native plant advocate

  • Erin Carter, RC of Oshawa

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Happy Birthday to Tim Dwyre on Jan 28 and Britannia Knight-Suecharan on Feb 1

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Ted M:  Don’t forget to start collecting items for the Reverse Draw Silent Auction.  Also, it’s Maple Syrup time. We always sell out, so get your orders secured now.

Dave A: Just a reminder, tickets for the Reverse Draw are available now.

Bob K: Updated us on Robert Kipling. He is recuperating in a rehab hospital in Toronto. Caroline says he is quite bored and would love a phone call from his Rotary friends. He has his cell phone with him.

Tess: Rotary Ladies lunch is Monday, Feb 1, at Kelsey’s at the mall. Contact Tess or Esther Trotter to reserve your spot.

Robbie: Our St Patrick’s Day party at Whiskey John’s is confirmed.  Remember it is on WEDNESDAY March 18, and there is NO MEETING on Tuesday, March 17.

President Dave: Community Care Durham reached out to us to see if anyone is interested in joining their Board of Directors. Please email Marcy Marchuk for more information.  Also, Participation House is having an Open House on Thursday, Feb 4, to celebrate their anniversary.

 

SGT AT ARMS: Bob Stewart (and his sidekick Larry Hurren) contributed some special prizes that made the Draw more interesting. Thanks!

ACE OF SPADES: Ted had the winning ticket but drew the 5 Diamonds. The pot is almost $400.

Other winners were Robbie, Bev, and our guest Mark Denee, who snagged the corkscrews. Tess won the sexy wine bottle stopper. That polka-dot stiletto matched her sweater!

 

 

Happy Bucks!

 

  • Linda P: Sad buck. Ulzaa’s father passed away & because of her traditions she will be absent from meetings for a while.

  • Bev: Just happy to be here.

  • Larry: The Robbie Burns lunch was fun, and food was great.

  • Dave A: Got a call from Al F. He was busy watering the grass while Hilda was away on a girl’s trip.

  • Bob K: SNOW! While waiting for his 90-year-old neighbor (with bad knees) to snow-blow the driveway, Bob hired 3 young lads to shovel it instead. When asked how much he paid the kids, he said $10. The group thought maybe he under paid his hired help!

  • Ted: Clear the snow? No way. Wilmot Creek does it for him.

  • Larry: Not to be outdone, he reminded us that when you live in a condo you never have to clear snow. In fact, he does not even own a shovel.

  • Dave M: Who cares about snow?  His plowing contractor has already come 11 times. Money well spent.

  • Shashi: Happy to be here and her Lakeridge event was a big success.

 

 

 

 

Ted Morrison

 

“Rotary’s Lasting Impact”

 

Ted updated us on messages from the International Assembly in Orlando. The theme for the next Rotary year will be “Create A Lasting Impact”. This inspired Ted to share just a few ways in which Rotarians have done so over the past 120 years.

  1. Polio eradication. The End Polio Now campaign is responsible for a global reduction of new polio cases. And it all started when, in 1979, the Philippines asked for help vaccinating its people. The lasting impact? The world is 99.9% polio free.

  2. Education. Across the globe, Rotary has opened the doors to millions by building schools, training teachers, and supporting literacy programs. “When a child learns to read, a community learns to hope.”

  3. Water and sanitation. Rotary has brought clean water and sanitation improvements to villages across the world. A well and a latrine are more than infrastructure improvements. They are acts of dignity that build healthier, stronger communities.

  4. Human Rights. In 1939, the Rotary convention in Havana wrote a letter to world leaders stating that if they did not treat their people with basic human rights, Rotary would not do business in that country. The result? That letter became the framework of the UN Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

  5. White Canes. In 1931, the West Ham London Rotary Club realized that, due to the increase in autos, pedestrians were getting hit. This was especially troublesome for visually impaired folks. This visionary club provided ‘white sticks’ to every blind person to help them safely navigate in traffic. This became a worldwide program and the White Cane initiative.

Rotary and Rotarians have changed the world. And the remarkable thing is, we are not done.