Opening Formalities

• Land acknowledgment — Ramji Khandelwal acknowledged the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, part of the Anishinaabe Nation, and gave thanks to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations for sharing their territory and for their enduring presence.
• O Canada — led by Ed Sweeney.
• Toast to King Charles III and Canada — Susan Sheppard.
• Invocation — Larry Rodrigue offered a prayer for members to be mindful of opportunities to serve their fellow citizens and community, to value life, and to strive to make a better world for future generations.

• Bill Leggitt, Burlington North Rotary Club — introduced by Michael Conway. Bill has been deeply involved in international projects and the Global Grant evaluation process, working with both local and district grants. He is an engineer and an invaluable resource when clubs need expertise (or, as Michael put it, “when he needs some money, he calls us — so it’s all good”).
• Chinua Ofulue — introduced by Lynn. Chinua attended the recent Food for Life dedication on behalf of Mayor Rob Burton and expressed interest in learning more about Rotary. Welcome!
• Peggy Dodds — wife of Bob Dodds, introduced by Bob.
• Bill Skinner, Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park — our guest speaker for the evening, introduced more formally by Michael Conway before his presentation.

• Karen Mayer — July 13
• Harry Levine — July 20
• Stephen Brown — July 22
• David Angas — July 24
• Mike Henry — July 29

• Mike is a long-time Rotarian and current Community Services Chair, celebrating his birthday on July 29th.
• The game: Two Truths and a Lie. Mike presented three statements:
  • “I was born in Germany, because my father was stationed there.”
  • “My first paying gig was as a paper boy, delivering the Winnipeg Tribune.”
  • “I play golf every week with a foursome that includes George Vincent and Bob Miskelly — and despite my youthful appearance, I am actually the oldest.”
• The lie: Mike was born in London, Ontario, not Germany.

• Susan announced the formation of a subcommittee to identify possible legacy projects recognizing George Farrow and his extraordinary contribution to the community and to Rotary.
• Example already in place: the RCO Foundation arranged for the therapy pool at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital to be dedicated to George Farrow.
• Mahendra Shah and Bob Dodds will lead the subcommittee. Anyone interested in getting involved is asked to speak with either of them.

• Bob presented a letter to President Susan on the sale of Centennial Towers.
• Sale closed on Wednesday, July 15^th.
• Bob recognized the TSH board members whose work made the sale possible: George Vincent (Chairman), George Farrow, Mark Dawber, Nick Nanos, and Carol Chen. He also thanked Wayne Snyder and Ray Townsend, who supported the process.
• Two obligations come with the sale:
  • TSH to forward all building related enquiries to the purchaser for 90 days from the date of sale.
  • The Rotary Club of Oakville shall have the right to use the common/party room in Centennial Towers up to 3 times per year to host, arrange and oversee events for tenants and their guests. Bob invited members to think about providing ongoing community service to residents — barbecues, parties, and similar events.
• Proceeds will be transferred from Gowlings (TSH legal counsel) to the TSH bank account and invested in short-term securities in the near term. TSH still has some outstanding conditional liabilities to resolve before a full accounting can be shared.
• Net proceeds after fees are expected to be approximately $8 million. The board will determine how much TSH needs to retain, and the balance will await direction from the club on where to direct the funds. Members are encouraged to start thinking about that.

The Community

• A small indigenous Maya community in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, at roughly 3,000 m elevation. The community numbers around 2,000 people.
• Bill has worked with this community since 2010. The project was triggered in 2021 when climate change began drying out the springs the community relied on.

Phase 1 — Completed

• Total budget: approximately US$130,000, funded by 16 Rotary clubs from Canada and the US, a private foundation, and a municipality contribution.
• A well had been drilled in 2009 by a previous NGO but was never connected to the community’s water tank — both sat unused from 2009 until this project. The core work was connecting them.
• The existing distribution system was too poorly designed to repair and was replaced in its entirety: a new main distribution line plus home connections serving 324 families (approximately 1,600–1,800 people).
• A chlorinator was added to the storage tank to ensure clean, safe water.
• The community water committee was trained to manage and maintain the new system. Homeowners were educated on managing their water resources.
• All digging and physical labor was done by hand by community members. Materials (including rebar and cement bags) were carried kilometers on foot up steep terrain to reach the tank site.
• Project took 5 years from concept to completion (completed early 2026). The community celebrated the arrival of water with balloons and festivities.

Benefits

• Consistent, clean water for the whole community.
• Fewer interruptions; better water quality means less disease and intestinal illness, and less time lost from work or school.
• Makes the community more self-sufficient and a more attractive place to stay — reducing emigration, which is a significant factor in Guatemalan communities.

Phase 2

• A further 184 families in an adjacent part of the community were not reached in Phase 1 due to topographic and budget constraints. A tank for them has already been built.
• The diesel generator powering the well pump is being replaced with grid power (awaiting engineering sign-off and cost estimates). This will be cheaper and more reliable long-term.
• Bill is considering organizing a Rotarian trip to the community in February 2027 and will extend the invitation to contributing clubs. Previous trips have gone 4 times — highly recommended.

• Susan was delighted to welcome Dr. Liliana Chocarro as a new member of the Rotary Club of Oakville.
• Liliana was proposed by Lynn Childs, who served as her sponsor and placed her name badge.
• Liliana is already a Rotarian of about 7 years’ standing and brings experience as an Interact Champion and fundraiser. Welcome to RCO, Liliana!

Fundraising Committee — George Vincent

• George opened with his elevator pitch for Rotary: “Rotary is a bunch of diverse people who get together and have fun raising money, and then go and have fun giving that money away.”
• The club currently has just two active fundraisers: the Golf to Give Tournament and the Rotary Online Auction. Historically, the club has run a speaker series, an electric car lottery, and wines and lines — all of which created great fellowship as well as funds. (All assets from the electric car lottery, including the website, have been preserved.)
• George is looking for volunteers to join a revived fundraising committee to assess options and make recommendations. Note the three criteria, in order of priority: (1) raise Rotary’s profile, (2) engage as many members as possible, (3) make some money. Fellowship comes first; revenue is a bonus.

Golf to Give Tournament — Mike Henry (and Bob Miskelly)

• Monday, September 14, 2026, at Piper’s Heath Golf Club. Beneficiary: Halton Learning Foundation.
• Registrations: approximately 100 signed up, targeting 120–130 golfers. About 25 spots remaining.
• Sponsorships are the challenge: big sponsors are cutting back (last year’s $5,000 gold sponsor is now at $2,500). Volume of smaller sponsors is key.
• Mike secured 2 out of 3 contractors connected with a refrigerator truck donation to Kerr Street Mission as hole sponsors simply by making the call — proof that asking works.
• Mike is also pursuing: a local food charity (awaiting callback), Jennifer McNalley at Oakville Trafalgar Hospital Foundation (to direct supporters toward the tournament), and a range of local businesses. Members are encouraged to think about their own networks: dentists, financial advisors, banks, trades.
• A special presentation event for the refrigerated truck (a donation made by RCO earlier this year) is planned for August 26th at 11 a.m. — more details to follow.
• Bob Miskelly distributed a sponsorship sheet to every member. The sheet shows current sponsors to avoid duplication, and the back summarizes the current state of play.
• Challenge to everyone: find one sponsor. If you do, email Bob Miskelly and Mahendra Shah so they can arrange invoicing or online payment.

Rotary Online Auction — Bob Miskelly

• Taking place November 2026. Last year it helped raise over $40,000, alongside the Golf tournament — target is to match that this year.
• Prizes are needed for the auction. Gary has already secured and donated some event tickets. Anything you can source — experiences, event tickets, gifts — is welcome.

• James Montague: Won $200 at the Delta Bingo Hall last Thursday — and was one number away from $5,000. He thoroughly recommends it as a social outing.
• Bob Miskelly: Plays golf every week with Mike Henry, George Vincent, and Mike’s friend Chris. George recently scored a hole in one. Slight complication: Mike is awaiting cataract surgery and can barely see, and George only has one eye — so neither was entirely sure what had happened. Bob’s instinct: “George, you’re walking to the hole, not me.” Congratulations to George Vincent!
• Mark Dawber: Congratulated Bob Dodds on the TSH sale. The first offer came in a year ago; it took the full year to close. Bob’s persistence made it happen.
• Joe Joseph: Spent last Saturday volunteering at Global Medic, packing food parcels for distressed communities. A great experience and a reminder of the impact. Keep an eye out for volunteer emails from the President — Global Medic is well worth a few hours.
• Bill Skinner: Bill's sister started a year at Queen's University in 1969, left after one year, and spent 40 years in a teaching career. This year she went back and finished her degree — graduating as the oldest person in her class. The family attended in force. A wonderful moment.
• Rod Craig: Very happy that England came third in the World Cup, after beating France in what Rod called the best game of the tournament. Rod was philosophical about not making the final: “If we’d got there against Spain, Spain would have walloped us.”
• Susan Sheppard: Her grandchildren's other grandfather (Abu) is Spanish, so the whole family was cheering for Spain.

• The RCO Four-Way Test — recited by all club members:
  • Is it the Truth?
  • Is it Fair to all concerned?
  • Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
  • Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
  • Is it Fun? (RCO’s fifth question).
• Toast to Friends and Rotarians Around the World.
• Meeting adjourned.