President Susan Sheppard welcomed members and guests.

Lynn led the land acknowledgement

Mahendra led O Canada

Frank gave the Invocation

Guests included District Governor Uche Okugo and representatives from CIVIX.

Guests: Ruth Matthew (CIVIX), Dan Allan (CIVIX), Ferdi Ollewagen (Karla's Guest), Sarah Perkin, Steve Sotnick (James's Guests). Welcome back Zaid Haba!

 

 

Steve got the room smiling and sharing. A few highlights:

• James celebrated Team Ontario’s participation in a major Special Olympics event in Medicine Hat, where hundreds of athletes competed across multiple sports including many from Ontario.

• Susan shared the excitement of her 17-year-old granddaughter and Team Ontario winning a Canadian national basketball championship.

• One guest was happy to be attending his first Rotary event and was also looking forward to his son’s wedding in North Bay later in the week.

So many people were happy and shared their good news, we are sure that our Treasurer was extremely happy too.

James Montague introduced District Governor Uche Okugo, whose Rotary journey began in Nigeria and has continued through extensive club and District leadership in Canada. Uche then shared both his personal Rotary story and his priorities for the year.

His message was energetic and practical: Rotary creates lasting impact, but Rotarians also need to tell the stories behind that impact. He challenged members to think about how Rotary has changed them personally and to use those stories to help others understand why Rotary matters.

 

A central theme was the shift from simply recruiting members to creating attraction, engagement and new club development. People are more likely to join when they already understand Rotary, and they are more likely to stay when they feel welcomed, known and engaged. Uche encouraged clubs to be deliberate about following up with guests and prospective members, and to make sure club information, goals and records are current.

He also encouraged Rotarians to “better your best”: look at what the club or an individual has achieved before — in membership, service, Foundation giving, volunteer hours or projects — and try to improve on it rather than reinventing everything.

His call to action was simple: tell one Rotary story every week, attract someone to Rotary, do something for Rotary, and continue supporting The Rotary Foundation. He also reminded members about the District Conference on October 3, 2026 in Brampton and the 2027 Rotary International Convention in Barcelona.

 

Amaka thanked Uche on behalf of the club, emphasizing that leadership is more than holding a title; it means having a vision, inspiring others, and turning that vision into meaningful service.

The club presented a $15,000 cheque to CIVIX in support of its Student Vote program. CIVIX is a national, non-partisan charity that helps educators bring democracy, citizenship and elections to life in the classroom.

Student Vote gives students in Grades 4–12 the experience of participating in a parallel election while the real election is taking place. Schools receive lesson plans and election materials, students learn about the issues and candidates, and then their school becomes a polling station where they cast ballots. The Rotary Club of Oakville funding will help produce and distribute those materials for the 2026 municipal elections.

CIVIX noted that one million Canadian students cast ballots during the 2025 federal Student Vote. In Oakville West alone, 37 schools participated and more than 7,000 student ballots were cast. CIVIX’s broader goal is to build the knowledge, confidence and habits young people need to participate as informed citizens — habits that can also influence conversations at home.

CIVIX also described several of its other initiatives, including Control F for digital media literacy, PoliTalks for constructive discussion of political issues, Rep Day, and the Youth Parliament of Canada. The cheque presentation was followed, naturally, by a photo opportunity.

• Golf to Give is sold out at 130 golfers. The committee is still looking for hole and other sponsorships, as well as prizes and auction items.

• The November online auction continues, but wine baskets are being retired this year. Members are encouraged to support the club’s two major fundraisers by golfing, sponsoring or contributing suitable auction items.

 

• Lynn reminded members to keep the Membership Committee informed when bringing prospective members. Guests can attend twice without a fee, and the committee follows up with informal coffee conversations so prospective members can ask questions and decide whether Rotary is the right fit for them — without pressure.

 

 

 

• GlobalMedic remains an important hands-on activity for the club. At the most recent food-packing session, roughly 19 volunteers packed just under 1,600 food packages for distribution through food banks and, when needed, disaster relief efforts.

• Ralf, who is particularly passionate about the project, recently heard GlobalMedic Executive Director Rahul Singh speak about the organization’s much broader international disaster-relief work. Ralf reminded the club that the food-packing work is only one part of GlobalMedic’s mission — and a very tangible way for Rotarians to roll up their sleeves together.

• Tuesday, August 25 at 11:00 am: Kerr Street Mission will officially launch the new truck funded by the Rotary Club of Oakville. Cogeco TV and other media are expected. As many Rotarians as possible are encouraged to attend — and come media-ready!

• August 31: Club Assembly — committee chairs will report on their work and plans for the year.

• September 14: Golf to Give tournament.

• September 21: Next regular club meeting.

Susan thanked District Governor Uche Okugo, CIVIX, the club’s guests and Rotarians, as well as the Oakville Golf Club staff for the evening. The meeting closed with a toast to Rotarians around the world and the Four-Way Test.