Meeting Summary

Meeting Date: July 29, 2026

 

Attendance

• Club members in attendance
• Guest speaker: James Curtis, local Star Wars costuming volunteer and member of the Mandalorian Costume Club. 

Opening Remarks

• The meeting opened with welcomes and recognition of guests.
• Acknowledgement was made of Owen Lackenbauer's birthday and Alex Pavlov's 11th anniversary of moving to Canada from Bulgaria. 

Member Announcements

Backpack Campaign

• Everton reminded members of the annual backpack campaign, now in its seventh year.
• Donations of cash or school supplies are being accepted.
• Members were advised that contributions can be billed to their club accounts or sent by e-transfer.
• Collection deadline is August 17. 

Club Promotional Video

• Michelle announced that the club's new promotional video has been published on Facebook.
• Members were encouraged to share the video on Facebook and LinkedIn to increase community awareness. 

Scarlett Delgado Update

• Scarlett Delgado has advanced to the semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
• She has secured at least a bronze medal, with an opportunity to compete for gold. 

President's Announcements

District Conference

• Members were invited to attend the Rotary District Conference in Brampton on October 3.
• Theme: "Peace Begins With You."
• Carpooling may be organized based on interest. 

Rotary Youth Exchange

• Discussion began regarding the possibility of reintroducing the club's participation in the Rotary Youth Exchange program for 2027–2028.
• Interested members were encouraged to come forward and participate in planning. 

Rotary Areas of Focus

• A short video highlighting Rotary's seven areas of focus was presented.
• The President reviewed organizations that received club grant funding this year, including:
  • Pregnancy Centre
  • Marillac Place
  • The Working Centre
  • Concordia Choir
  • Diabetes programs
  • OneRoof Youth Services
  • Coldest Night of the Year
  • Margaret Avenue Public School
  • The Children's Museum
• The presentation emphasized the club's impact across multiple Rotary focus areas. 

Fundraising Recognition

• John Rose received the club's Fundraising Jedi Award for raising the highest amount through the club's fundraising activities. 

Guest Presentation

James Curtis – Mandalorian Costume Club

James Curtis shared his experiences as a member of the Mandalorian Costume Club, an officially recognized Star Wars costuming organization.

Highlights included:

• History and growth of the organization worldwide.
• Building and maintaining screen-accurate Star Wars costumes.
• Volunteer appearances at Comic-Cons, hospitals, libraries, schools, parades, and community events.
• Fundraising efforts supporting charities such as Make-A-Wish.
• Toronto Fan Expo fundraising totals exceeding $11,700 and Toronto Comic-Con fundraising of approximately $3,600.
• Explanation of costume construction, approval standards, and volunteer involvement.
• Discussion of local membership and opportunities for community organizations, including Rotary, to invite costumed volunteers to future events.
• An engaging question-and-answer session followed the presentation. 

Appreciation

• The club thanked James for his presentation.
• In lieu of a traditional speaker gift, the club made a donation to support cataract surgery in a developing country through Rotary's charitable initiatives. 

Adjournment

• Members were reminded about the upcoming Beer Garden event.
• The meeting was adjourned.

Rotarians On The Road