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MINUTES OF MEETING: Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Editor: Dave Andrews Meeting Called to Order at 6:30 PM: by President David Mankiewicz Grace: Kim Tan Toast to the KING: Camille Miquel Farfan Land Acknowledgement: President David Mankiewicz We respectfully acknowledge that the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood is meeting on the traditional territory of the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nations, within the jurisdiction of the Williams Treaties. We are committed to our responsibility of stewardship, in these relationships and for this land on which we learn, share and live. Toast to CANADA: Fahim Fikrat Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Yvonne Henry and Caroline Kipling Birthdays and Anniversaries Aug 26 – Happy Anniversary to Janet and Dale Duke Aug 28 – Happy Birthday to Madimba Tshibuabua Aug 29 – Happy Anniversary to Craig and Linda Porritt Aug 31 – Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha to Dave Andrews 
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Lennis Trotter announced–Please plan to join us for the KIDS SAFETY VILLAGE OF DURHAM REGION 30TH ANNIVERSARY - GLOW PARTY - SEPTEMBER 19 2025 | at 6:00 - 8:00 pm. 1129 ATHOL ST, WHITBY. WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE AND THANK OUR ENTIRE ROTARY CLUB FOR OUR SUPPORT TO THE KID'S SAFETY VILLAGE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INVITE YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND EMPLOYEES TO THIS EVENT. ALL CHILDREN WILL RECEIVE GLOW ACCESSORIES AT THE GATE. PLEASE R.S.V.P TO SAFETYVILLAGE@DRPS.CA BY SEPT 5, 2025. ENTERTAINMENT DONATED BY: REQUEST MUSIC DJ SERVICE. SEPTEMBER 19 2025 | at 6:00 - 8:00 pm. 1129 ATHOL ST, WHITBY Dave Andrews presented Past President Hilda Finnigan with the 2024-25 Rotary International Club Excellence Award. The Rotary Club Excellence Award recognizes clubs that achieve specific goals aligned with Rotary's action plan, promoting engagement, growth, and community impact. The Club Excellence Award is not just an honor for your club to receive, it is an important tool to help monitor the health and growth of your club. Taking action toward achieving 13 of 26 goals helps clubs engage their members, stay relevant in their communities, and run more efficiently. A welcoming and engaging club also reflects the values of Rotary. When clubs work to achieve these goals, they also contribute to the overall health and culture of Rotary for generations to come. We achieved all 18 out of 18 goals in 2024-25 that we said we would achieve and we received the Club Excellence Award from Rotary International. Our club has received this award since its inception in 1992.  
Past President Hilda thanked Shashi Bhatia and Fahim Fikrat for helping to set up the Sept 13 Club BBQ at Fahim’s home, 158 Taylorwood Court, Oshawa, Ontario. Hilda passed around a sign up sheet to attend with your family and to bring salads, desserts , etc. Be sure to tell Hilda as soon as possible. OSHAWA PARKWOOD PICNIC/BBQ/CORN ROAST:Saturday September 13 th 11am – 3pm Hosted by Fahim Fikrat, 158 Taylorwood Crt, Oshawa ON. PARKING at 12 Taylorwood Rd proceed via back yard Partners, Friends, Children – WELCOME. Please contribute Hors d’ ouvers, salads, desserts, etc. Please choose your entrée: Meat entrée Hamburger (Beef or Chicken) OR Hotdog; Cost: per couple $15.00/Children NO Charge PLEASE PAY BY September 9 th (cash if possible) (suggest if you require vegan entrée, please bring your own). Alcoholic/non Alcoholic Drinks; Coffee & Tea provided. BYO Drinks/Chairs/Place setting if you wish ONCA Compliant By-Laws: Thank you to Tess Pierce, Ted Morrison, Don Igbokwe and Leon Efraim for a complete rewrite of our ONCA compliant club bylaws. They will be reviewed by your Board of Directors at the Sept 2 Board meeting and the distributed to all club members for their review and approval at a special meeting at 8 pm on Sept 9 (right after the regular weekly meeting). After this review, the next step will be incorporating our Rotary Club. SEP 28 – ROTARY FOUNDATION WALK – 9 am to 2 pm – Welcome to the annual Rotary District 7070 Foundation Walk. Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy a great walk, fellowship with new and old friends and to raise money for the Rotary Foundation. The Walk will happen rain or shine. On September 28, 2025 from 9 AM to 1 PM at Nort Johnson District Park, 7800 Islington Avenue, Vaughn, ON L4L 2S7 . Please register today and start collecting pledges from your friends and Rotarians. Be sure to Register: https://rotary7070.org/Events/2025-district-7070-rotary-foundation-walk NOV 1 – Kids Against Hunger – 8:45 AM TO 2 PM – JUBILEE PAVILLION, OSHAWA with Oshawa, Whitby, Whitby-Sunrise , Bowmanville, Ajax and Courtice Rotary Clubs. We need 20 people from our club - can be family members and friends. We will pack over 30,000 meals that will go to the most needy in the world. Volunteers needed to set up at 7:30 am. See Ted Morrison to volunteer. the Rotary District 7070 Conference at Fern Resort is Oct 24-26. There is still time to register. For all of the details see the District website and Register today. Reminder: Bingo on Saturday August 30 at 11 am: Ted M, David P, Dave A, and Brady B Reminder; Sept 2 Board of Directors meeting starting at 5 PM Sharp. SGT AT ARMS: Al Finnigan ACE OF SPADES: David Penney won the draw and drew the 7 of Spades. The pot continues to grow. HAPPY BUCKS: Shashi. Happy to be alive after her incident and happy to be here with her Rotary family.. Hilda. Had a wonderful trip to owns Sound and points west to visit Al’s brother Mike and friends . That you to Shashi and Fahim for organizing the Club BBQ. Thank you to Bill , Tess, Dave A and Al (and Hilda) for purging all of the old club files at Bill’s house last Saturday. Tess has a box of memorabilia, and bill still has current files. From 20 boxes down to just a few Lennis. Had a great Autofest Nationals at Elgin Park in Uxbridge for its 32nd annual event on the weekend, organized by Blair Trotter and Jeff Kellam. Over 1,000 classic cars on Saturday and over 1,300 cars on Sunday. His 1947 Olds won the GM trophy. Bob Koski. Happy to be the sous chef in the Koski household making the dinners and assisting Patti. On the weekend, they made 88 Peanut Butter cookies. (for their grand daughter who is going back to university in Guelph. Al. Happy to have survived their trip to Owen Sound last week with Greg’s dog in tow. And thank you to Hilda, Shashi and Fahim for organizing the club BBQ. SPEAKERS: CRAFT TALKS BY FAHIM FIKRAT AND AMAMDEEP SINGH  Fahim Fikrat talked about his job at TD in the mortgage division, having completed a 4 year degree at U of Toronto in economics and accounting. Before that, he graduated from Anderson High School in Whitby. Fahim’s wife is with RBC and they have an 18 month-old daughter that looks exactly like Fahim. His family: his Mom and Dad and 4 brothers and sisters . Fahim says that he has one university degree but his brothers and sister have 2 or 3 each. Education was always foremost in the family.
They came to Canada on Nov 7, 2003 escaping the Taliban in Afghanistan. After 9/11/2001, the family sought asylum with the Canadian Embassy. They finally got their papers, but by that time, USA had got into Afghanistan, and war broke out. So they walked across the mountains to Pakistan (where Asama Bin Laden was in hiding), got to Islamabad and the on to Canada. The airfare was paid by the Canada (they had 15 years to pay back the fare). They arrived in Canada not knowing the language or the culture, but they were happy to have a new life in Canada. Fahim remembers being brainwashed by the Taliban for 5 years, before they were able to get out. He joined Rotary because he can now give back to his community. Thank you to Shashi for making this possible. He sees that Rotary makes such a big difference to so many here, and throughout the world – such a powerful organization. He is a Canadian citizen but is still proud of where he came from. His family owns 2 Mr Subs (remembering that they came to Canada with $3 US in their pocket). He remembers getting toys at Christmas from service organizations when he was in his early teens. Amamdeep Singh decided to talk about the two very current events from the organizations where he currently works and where he previously worked. Amandeep is in Pharmaceutical research where he manages the scientists at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Whitby. Born in Punjab, he still has his father. His Mother has passed on. He plays cricket and so does his son. In 2016, they moved to Oshawa, having attend university in India. He remembers really liking the snow – something he was not used to in India, but that love of the snow soon passed over time. Before joining the pharmaceutical industry, he was a police officer for 2 years. Amamndeep talked about the development and approval of a new drug called Brinsupri ™ brensocatib) for the Treatment of Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis, that his company tested form the beginning starting in 2016, and just received FDA approval in 2025. It will be manufactured for Insmed. The drug when taken in pill form . is the only drug required to help fight NCFB) . one pill versus a number of medications that were required for people suffering from NCFB. 
In 2020, Amandeep graduated from the Police College in Aylmer. Amandeep also talked about the recent incident in Lindsay Ontario about the person who was charged while protecting his home and family from an intruder. He noted that the police do what the law says. He asked us to put ourselves in the shoes of the home owner. What would you do? The he asked What would you do if the intruder had a weapon? He told us about section 34 of the criminal Code that says we can defend ourselves anywhere, not just our homes but the force we used has to be “reasonable” force. If there is no weapon present, call 911 or leave to be safe - get out of harm’s way. If the use of force was imminent, you can use reasonable force to defend you and your family. In the Lindsay case, under section 34, the home owner was charged with using unreasonable force. But it is now in the court’s hands. Police have to follow the law, not their hearts. President David thanked both Fahim and Amandeep for excellent craft talks. 
President David Mankiewicz closed the meeting at 8:10 pm. IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, YOU CAN MAKE UP: Go online at www.rotary.org go to the club locator and find a club or clubs near your destination. Or you can add the free App Rotary Club Locator to your phone for instant look up of any club in the world. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Executive Secretary Dave Andrews or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.
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