The striking of the bell by President Doug Fleming got the noon meeting off to a start, followed by the reading of a land acknowledgement. A reminder was shared, that we are all party to the various treaties, a fact that sometimes gets overlooked.
Doug commented on how 2026 is flying past, what with us now heading into the last four months of the year.
Guest (and presenter) Diane Halderman was welcomed.
President Doug shared the good news that our club's application for a District Community Development Grant has been approved; that the award of $7,500 must be used for the restoration of the Monarch Theatre roof.
The focus then shifted onto Terry Brekko, Gail Halderman, Diane Halderman, and Margie Booyens, who made a presentation, with photographs, on the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei, followed by a snapshot into their post-convention tours.
A few highlights from the presentation: there were about 38,000 attendees from 140 countries at the convention, 25 or so from District 5360, four from our club. The opening and closing ceremonies were held in the Taipei Dome, which includes a 40,000 seat baseball arena and more than 200,000 sq. meters of themed retail stores, offices, apartments, a hotel, and MRT connections.
The opening and closing sessions mesmerized audiences with large-scale productions, combining traditional Taiwanese dance, drumming, and acrobatics with contemporary staging. Italian singers and musicians also captivated attendees with spectacular operatic areas and much loved classics, including 'Caruso'.
Margie shared background information about RI President Yinka Babalola and his wife Precy, including President Yinka's goal of increasing global membership of Rotary to 1.25m and increasing the number of Rotaractors to 125,000. President Yinka has a degree in engineering. His first experience with Rotary was through a decade of service in Rotaract. Yinka and Precy are Arch Klumph Society members.
There were a number of motivational and inspirational speakers at the convention, including Malala Yousefzai, youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, who is a leading advocate for girls' education.
Margie was on a panel who led a breakout session on the topic of "Rotary Rising: Engaging the Next Generation". The panel included Sanket (India), Penny (Thailand), Jany (Brazil) and Margie. Their presentation had three objectives: (1) New ways to connect Rotary with young adults, encouraging engagement and leadership growth within Rotary, communities and internationally. (2) Learning from global examples showing the impact of young adults in and through Rotary programs and initiatives. (3) Practical strategies to empower young adults as leaders, while strengthening Rotary Clubs and the communities they serve and fostering inter-district relationships globally. The session was well attended, with great questions posed at the end of their presentation.
The House of Friendship featured more than 200 exhibits from Rotary and Rotaract clubs, districts and vendors from around the world.
The four presenters were impressed by the efficient, clean train system in Taipei, the respectfulness shown in crowds, on escalators and elsewhere, the gardens on top of buildings, the parks, clean streets, the architecture of buildings - and of course the 101 story building, aptly called Taipei 101, with the 5.5m damper on the 88th floor, counteracting building sway during the many earthquakes experienced every year. There were many opportunities for attendees to have fun, both in the House of Friendship and in the city, including visits to the Night Markets.
After sharing slides and stories of their post-convention tours, the four wrapped their presentation with two quotes from RI President Yinka, both using the image of a relay race, to bring home important points about Rotary:
- 'I like the image of a relay race. No runner owns the race. The most important moment is not the running - it is the passing'.
- And 'Rotary is like a relay. We receive, We carry forward. We pass it on. And every generation of Rotarians must leave the organization stronger, kinder, and more hopeful for the generation that follows".
Overall message of the four presenters: Make a plan to attend a RI convention. It is inspiring, motivating, and illustrative of the immense power and reach of the Rotary family, globally. The next convention will be held in Barcelona, Spain in June 2027.
May we, as individual Rotarians and as a club, be guided by the 2026-2027 presidential message for Rotary International: CREATE LASTING IMPACT. Change is only the beginning. Impact is what endures.
Next week: Business meeting, with a focus on MEMBERSHIP.
ROTARY AT MEDICINE HAT LEVEL: MONARCH 1911 SOCIETY
