"Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves!"
The Rotary Club of Calgary comprises professional and community leaders brought together in fellowship to make a better future.
Birthdays
Yegana Alasgarova July 29
Nadia Maarouf August 1
Bertie Kawooya August 2
Mark Starratt August 2
David Mears August 3
Anniversaries
Lorne Larson 40 years
Rosemary Crawford 30 years
Ralph Lundberg 25 years
David Bromwich 20 years
Lou MacEachern Rotary Scholarships Awarded to Eight High School Students
Al McMillan
Small Donations Chair Michael Pierson attended the June 24 Year End Celebration for student participants in the YMCA Achievement Program (YMAP).
92 high school students were joined by YMAP team members, family and friends at the celebration to honour student achievements. Eight Grade 12 students were awarded the Lou MacEachern Rotary Scholarship to pursue post-secondary studies this Fall. These $2,250 Scholarships are paid from proceeds received by our Club each year from the Lou MacEachern Fund that Lou established in 2006 with initial funding of $1,000,000.
There was a good turnout for Bill Hamilton’s first official meeting as our 2025 – 2026 President. Bill had declared it would be casual – and he set the tone for that, for sure! (see picture). We sang O Canada and Jennifer Lavier-Jancovic provided a thoughtful Invocation.
The Front of House volunteers, Bertie Kawooya, Mag Radwan and Diane Aspe-Ayer were thanked, guests were introduced and a host of birthdays were celebrated. We all sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Steve Allan, Madeleine King, Gene Edworthy, Tim Heaton, Michael Pierson, Michelle DeCecco and Al McMillan.
Fellowship Director Dennis Tran let us know that Fellowship will play a larger role in the Club this year. He started by introducing us to Happy Bucks and asked that everyone in attendance let others at their table know of something that has made them happy in the past few days. Each table then chose the ‘Happiest’ moment for their table and reported to the room. A vote was taken and Michelle DeCecco won the prize for her recounting of receiving a lovely note from her daughter declaring her a wonderful, ‘Best Mom’ role model.
Our new President was then introduced by President-Elect Doug Webb. His witty remarks were accompanied by some terrific (historic!) photos, courtesy of Bill’s wife, Jen. We learned that Bill is great at balancing the budget – in fact, he can quote the entire tax bill! He is a hockey player, coach and hockey Dad to two boys. His early employment included stints at McDonalds, driving an ice-cream truck and he has appeared in a Stage West play! Who would have known?? Doug then completed the requisite Tie-Cutting ceremony after declaring that Bill’s tie on this particular day definitely needed the treatment he was about to apply to it! (See picture). On a serious note, Doug commented that Bill will always have your back and you definitely want him on your team. Welcome, Bill, and thank you in advance for all the hard work you will put in this year.
At our Club’s special meeting immediately following the Rotary International Convention, Dan Munyori from the Nairobi Karengata Club in Kenya presented President Joe with a banner from his Club. In turn, he was presented with a banner from our Club. The attached picture shows Dan presenting our banner to Winrose Mungai, who is the newly inducted President in Nairobi. These are meaningful connections, as Dan and his Club have worked with our World Community Service committee to complete several projects in the Nairobi area.
Rotary International Theme for August: Membership and New Club Development Month at RCCD
Ebenezer Mensa
August marks Membership and New Club Development Month for Rotary. At the Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown (RCCD), we’re excited to focus on expanding our Rotary family. This month is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of growing our club and strengthening our community through both recruitment and the development of new clubs.
Your memories of the RI 2025 Convention in Calgary don’t need to end with the Closing Ceremony. The HOC is offering the remainder of the Iron Lung Ale -- specially brewed by Fahr Brewing for the Convention – to Rotarians and friends.
Rotary Employment Partnership: Driving Inclusive Hiring at the Calgary Stampede
Al McMillan
The Rotary Employment Partnership, in collaboration with Inclusion Alberta, is transforming workplaces by creating inclusive job opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. A shining example is the recent partnership with the Calgary Stampede, sparked by Rotarian Vern Kimball’s introduction of Partnership Steering Committee Chair Mike Colborne to a senior executive of the Calgary Stampede.
Giving back is at the heart of Rotary—and the Calgary Rotary Clubs Foundation (CRCF) was created to help that generosity go even further.
The idea started with our own Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown in the early 1970s. Members saw the potential of building a shared endowment fund to strengthen Rotary’s long-term impact—and invited other Calgary clubs to join. CRCF was officially incorporated in 1972 and today manages more than $68 million in assets on behalf of 12 member clubs. A detailed history of the CRCF is available on our About Us page.
