MINUTES OF MEETING: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Editor: Tess Pierce with help from Camille Miquel-Farfan
Meeting Called to Order at 6:26 PM: Vice President Tess Pierce
Grace: Robbie L.
Toast to the KING: Bill C.
Land Acknowledgement: Vice President Tess Pierce
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: Dave A
Visiting Rotarians and Guests:
Bob Merry guest of Dale Duke
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Happy 121st to Rotary on Feb 23.
Larry Hurren, Feb 27, is having a birthday cruise!
A belated CHA CHA CHA to Ted M!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Tess: The reservations for weekly meetings are not being made on time. Dave had only 9 RSVPs by the Sunday deadline. Dave stepped into this role to help, and we owe him the courtesy of responding on time.
MAR 5 – District 7070 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION. 5:30 pm. Abilities Centre Whitby. All are welcome. Register HERE. Cost $15/person.
MAR 10 – EARLY START TIME. Dinner meeting starting at 5:30 pm, Oshawa Golf Club. Regular followed by a Hands -On Project - Sew so Girls Can Go To School with Janet Thorsteinson. Family and friends are encouraged to join us.
MAR 18: Weekly meeting is on WEDNESDAY. St Patrick’s Day celebration at Whiskey John’s, 843 King St W, Oshawa, ON L1J 2L4. Everyone Welcome.
Robbie: Will be sending around a sign-up sheet for St Pat’s. He needs a final count by March 10. Look for fun and games that night. We will all be ordering off the menu. Wear Green!
Dave A. Read this lovely thank you from Robert Kilpling.
To Fellow Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Oshawa Parkwood:
I want to send you a sincere thank you for the unexpected gift of a large potted “peace lily" plant, together with "get well" wishes. After two operations and six weeks in the hospital, I am finally back at home focusing on my recuperation. I look forward to seeing you again at Rotary meetings, hopefully sooner than later. Very best regards. Robert Kipling
SGT AT ARMS: Tess
ACE OF SPADES: Bob Koski had the winning ticket and drew the Queen of Diamonds. The ACE is still in the deck. There are only 29 cards left with a pot of over $400.
Happy Bucks!
- Ted: Finished with Physio. Now he’s exercising on his own and it is going very well.
- Dave A: Welcome to our old friend- Bob Merry.
- Bill C: Just back from Windsor (casino) with $1000 dollars more in his pocket.
- Bob Merry: Happy to be here and he is thinking about transferring to Parkwood!
- Bob K: Happy to be in a very welcoming club.
- Yvonne: Enjoyed good music on the radio coming in from a meeting.
- Tess was happy this is her last week pulling double duty.
Ted Morrison “Who Is A Rotarian?”
A few weeks ago, Ted challenged us to think about “What is Rotary?”. Tonight, he asked us “What is a Rotarian?”
Being a Rotarian, for Ted, means more than attending meetings or wearing a pin. It means choosing service over self and action over indifference. It means believing that small acts, when done together, can create lasting change. He reminded us that through Rotary we turn compassion into impact by supporting our communities, reaching across borders, and building friendships. Rotarians don’t ask who deserves help. We ask, “How can we help.” He gave each of us the following handout. Mine is hanging just about my computer at my desk in my office. Thank you, Ted, for another great Rotary moment.
SPEAKER: Craft Talk Neil Gonsalves
VP Tess introduced Neil.
Neil Gonsalves is an author, TEDx Speaker, and educator. With more than twenty-five years of experience across corporate leadership and public education, Neil is committed to championing a vision of belonging, collaboration, and shared humanity. He is proud to be a Certified Moral Courage Mentor and a member of Heterodox Academy Canada, two organizations dedicated to constructive and productive dialogue through creative problem-solving, open inquiry, and respect for divergent viewpoints.
“I’m not entirely sure I’m supposed to be here tonight.”
This simple sentence not only got our attention, but it also introduced us to the complexity of Neil’s life and how the life choices and mistakes he made helped shape him into the man we know today.
He said his “life seems like a series of detours that somehow worked out.” His family came to Canada in 1995, and he finally felt like he was home. Neil’s father was a man who believed in showing up and staying steady. From him, Neil learned to put family first. His father’s sense of duty, responsibility and purpose became Neil’s philosophy.
Those detours?
- He shared how a diagnosis of a degenerative eye disease turned into a gift when volunteer doctors helped him get his first corneal transplant just days before he went blind. This taught him not to take time for granted.
- As a young immigrant, after working an all-night shift unloading trucks, he kept his promise to take a friend to the airport. He fell asleep and had an accident on the 401. He woke up in Sunnybrook. For some reason, he decided to use his father’s larger car that night. When his father got to the hospital, Neil said how sorry he was for totalling the car. His father answered, “Cars are replaceable.” Lesson learned.
- His eyesight stopped him from becoming a police officer, but he got a job as a K-9 handler for a small security firm. When that small company was bought by the large corporation, Neil stayed on as Senior Manager.
- This led to a guest lecture at Durham College in the Police Foundations School. That led to his leap of faith to become a lecturer there. His 4-month term became a 20-year career.
He ended his talk with this beautiful sentiment.
“Today, I teach, I write, and soon I’ll launch a new talk show on a new streaming platform that aims to give a voice to populations who don’t traditionally get the same access. RIVO / The Lens with Neil Gonsalves. I’m not sure any of us fully plan the life we end up living. But we do get opportunities to shape what we do with it, and occasionally to make the path a little easier for the people who come behind us. For me, that’s camaraderie, that’s commitment, that’s community, that’s how I understand service above self. The value of that service makes it worthwhile to continue pretending to be an extrovert. It may even convince me I’m supposed to be here.”
Suzz Sandalwood, Neil’s Partner, thanked him tonight.
Before the final bell, Ted asked Camille to update us on the problems in Mexico. Camille explained how the cartels recruit and control. Her family is safe in Mexico City. Thanks, Camille, for this information.
Vice President Tess Pierce rang the bell to end the meeting at 7:40 PM.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, YOU CAN MAKE UP: Go online at www.rotary.org go to the club locator and find a club or clubs near your destination. Or you can add the free App Rotary Club Locator to your phone for instant look up of any club in the world. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Executive Secretary Dave Andrews or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.