President Doug Fleming welcomed all to this second last meeting of October, and got the proceedings underway with the singing of O Canada.
Doug drew attention to the disaster at the army base in Wainwright, saying how those who had lost loved ones and those who had been injured, were in our thoughts and prayers.
Our President reminded all to VOTE if they had not already done so, indicating that some club members, like Dave Stalwick, were in fact helping out at voting stations, which unfortunately reduced the number present at the meeting.
Assistant Governor Sharon McDonnell was then asked to introduce District Governor Darcy Mykytyshyn, after which the 2026-2027 Rotary International podium banner was handed over to President Doug.
DG Darcy Mykytyshyn is the inaugural CEO of the Red Deer Homeless Foundation, championing Project Nexus, an integrated model designed to move people from crisis to stability with dignity and support. He is a seasoned executive and governance leader, having held senior roles in education and finances and chaired many boards. Darcy is a committed Rotarian who has served as President of the Rotary Club of Red Deer (three times!) and as treasurer. He was co-chair of Marketing and Communications for the Host Organizing Committee of the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary.
Darcy is known for bringing people together around complex challenges. He is driven by the belief that lasting solutions are built WITH the community, not for it.
In his downtime, Darcy skis, golfs, and spends time with his wife Loretta and two boys, Sam and Nate.
At the start of his presentation, DG Darcy jokingly told us that he had been ‘stalking’ us prior to his visit to Medicine Hat – having a good look at our website and other sources of information about our club! He highlighted numerous projects, programs and interventions our club has undertaken over the past 118 years, pointing to the willingness of our club to step forward when the community needs support or assistance of some sort. Case in point: The Canada Special Olympics Games recently held in Medicine Hat, with many Rotarians volunteering in different ways.
Core messages from DG Darcy:
- The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat has already created impact, locally and internationally. Where next?
- Good is the enemy of great. What would greatness of our club look like 3-5 years from now?
- Great organizations attract members, volunteers, partners, resources, and people who want to contribute something meaningful
To reflect on:
What do people experience when they walk into one of our meetings? Do they leave, feeling glad that they participated?
What does Medicine Hat and the broader community experience because of Rotary?
Darcy believes that Rotary is the best kept secret in communities. So one question that arises is:
Do our platforms (FaceBook, Website, Instagram) make the invitation to join Rotary clear?
A nugget that Darcy shared was his take on Rotary and leadership:
Rotary is the best LEADERSHIP LAB that exists. In Rotary, people are given permission to practice leadership. So Rotary membership is great for, inter alia, young people who have not secured a job because they lack experience, particularly in the realm of leadership skills. We want top leaders in our communities to be able to say that part of their success is due to the development of their leadership skills through their membership of Rotary.
So a related question for pondering:
How involved is our club with the Medicine Hat College? What opportunities are we creating for students, to better prepare them for the working world, through offering them opportunities to take on leadership roles and develop their leadership skills?
Darcy then went on to say that he is refocusing the District, helping clubs achieve the goals they have set for themselves. To this end, he is reinvesting in Assistant Governors, encouraging them to get clubs to share ideas.
He referred to the pink flamingo story told by Louisa during the 2026 District 5360 Convention in Red Deer… and the need, like the one flamingo in the group looking in the opposite direction to the whole group of flamingos, to ask questions like: Why do we do things this way? What different ways could we consider that would be more effective? He spoke about the Flamingo Files, involving idea sharing.
DG Darcy is asking Club Presidents to identify one goal for each of the four strategic priorities of the Rotary Action Plan:
- Increase our impact
- Expand our reach
- Enhance participant engagement
- Increase our ability to adapt
The goals set by each of the 46 Rotary and Rotaract Clubs in our District will be centrally recorded, making up a ‘living plan’.
Those present at our noon meeting were then put to work, individually writing down one response to each of four questions connected to the Action Plan strategic priorities. These will be collated and will feed into club discussions and goal setting.
DG Darcy shared the value and impact of writing things down, which promotes action.
He wrapped up by acknowledging President Doug Fleming for taking on the role of club President (for the second time!), Terry Cooper for leading the Team Freewheel bike project team and being selected as a Top 7 over 70 award winner, and Margie Booyens for her work with Rotary’s New Generation Service Exchange (NGSE) program and being selected as Country Representative of Canada for the NGSE.
Final challenge from our DG: Our club has already created impact at different levels over the decades of its 118-year life. What and where is next?
DG Darcy took pleasure handing over a certificate of appreciation for our 2025-2026 club contribution to EndPolio. The certificate was received by Terry Brekko, who is chairing The Rotary Foundation committee this Rotary year.
Thank you, DG Darcy, for coming to Medicine Hat, for attending our noon meeting, and for your inspirational presentation which I believe has injected insight, motivation, healthy challenges, and indeed excitement, into the thinking of our Club members. We will work together, with President Doug at the helm, to translate this into club action that creates lasting impact.
ROTARY AT MEDICINE HAT LEVEL: MONARCH 1911 SOCIETY
