Toast to The King, Canada and Rotary: President Basil Dias
Land Acknowledgement: President Basil Dias
Attendance: 9 Members and 2 guests
President Basil asked all the Committee Members to present their to-date reports for the better understanding of all Rotary Members and Guests.
Rocko Colangelo – Club Service Group
The Club Service Committee is responsible for the running of the Club.
The group meets every 2nd Monday evening to plan Rotary functions such as Club Duties, weekly meetings, Speaker booking, club activities social events,
Weekly Rotary Club Meetings
Guest Speakers coordination
Contact Sick and Visiting
Advertising on Club Runner
Club activities and social events
Weekly Meeting Organization
The lunchtime meetings are organized through the POD system. Each month, one of the three group committees is responsible for managing the POD, with responsibility rotating to the next group the following month.
The director of the committee in charge assigns meeting duties to members of that group. The POD serves as the planning template for each meeting and identifies who will:
Serve as Sergeant-at-Arms;
Prepare the meeting agenda;
Collect meal fees at the registration desk;
Introduce the guest speaker;
Thank the speaker; and
Appoint the meeting reporter.
Alan Meredith is the club’s speaker coordinator. Members who would like to invite a guest speaker should contact Alan, who will confirm available dates and help coordinate the booking.
Frank Allison is the club’s contact for sick and visiting support. If you know of a club member who is ill, under the weather, or bereaved, please contact Frank so he can arrange for a card to be sent, where appropriate.
Advertising space is available on ClubRunner. For $200 per year, advertisers can have their website linked through ClubRunner. Members who know someone who may be interested should contact Rocco Colangelo for more information.
Gordon Brown coordinates the club’s activities and social events. While weekly Rotary meetings are normally held on Wednesdays, the third Wednesday of each month is set aside for an evening fellowship event, such as a pub night, Charter/President’s Party, or Christmas celebration.
Barry Smith – International Service Group
The International Services Committee is tasked with contributing to international health, education and peace and, by doing so, to forge and support international cooperation.
Our Club can be proud of all of the initiatives that we have taken to actively support international causes through cooperation with both local and overseas Rotary Clubs.
We have accomplished much over the years. This past year, we have supported various projects worldwide including Sneakers for Kids in the jungles of Mexico, supporting underprivileged people in Egypt through ROOTA, responding to worldwide disasters through Shelter Box and Global Medic, bringing schools to rural areas of India through EKAL Canada, as well as supporting long standing projects such as Operation Eyesight and Sleeping Children Around the World.
We sponsored Foundation Scholar, Shadi Pouryahya, so that she can study in the UK at Oxford in the area of disease prevention and treatment.
Whenever possible, we stretch our dollars by supporting projects that qualify for matching grants through R.I. or the District. Some projects that qualify for matching grants that we have recently supported include: a Global Grant Project to provide 3D-printed prosthetics to those injured in the war in Ukraine, Assistance to Turkiye to rebuild following the recent devastating earthquake, Steve Rutledge’s water and menstrual pad projects in southeast Asia, the van purchased for the Ukrainian Education Center in Poland that is now being used by a Polish orphanage.
We are hoping to support these and other worthwhile projects this coming year, but our club is facing a budget crunch.
The International Services Budget for last year was about $22,000. This year, we were asked to reduce it to $15,000, which we did. This reduced budget was, however, shelved by the Board of Directors until they are convinced that we have funds to cover this budget. Hopefully, when disasters occur this year, we will be able to respond.
Saira on behalf of Courtney Fisher – Community Service Group
Scarborough is home to a remarkable range of charities and non-profit organizations serving diverse communities and addressing a wide spectrum of social needs. The collective impact of these organizations is one of the many factors that contributes to making Scarborough a strong, caring and resilient community.
The services provided by these charities and non-profits run the gamut—from sport and recreation to housing and homelessness; health care and wellness; mental health and addiction; seniors’ services; education and lifelong learning; and many other essential areas.
Given this extensive range of needs, our committee was tasked with identifying priority areas of focus and directing our available resources toward organizations where our financial support could make a meaningful difference.
With an approved budget of $34,500 for F2025–2026, the Rotary Club of North Scarborough, through its Community Services Committee, provided support to the following organizations and social service priorities:
Social Service Area
Organization
Funding
Food Security
Rising Sun Food Drive Foundation
$3,000
Poverty and Community Services
Agincourt Community Services Association
$3,000
Social Services Access
East Scarborough Storefront
$1,000
Mental Health and Family Services
Community and Family Services Ontario
$3,000
Women’s Empowerment
Scarborough Women’s Centre
$2,000
Newcomer Settlement
Canadian Centre for Refugees
$2,000
Autism and Disability Support
Kerry’s Place Autism Services
$2,000
Community Wellness
PACT Urban Peace Program
$2,000
Cancer/Life-Threatening Illness Support
Shine Through Rain Foundation
$1,000
Supportive Housing
Seeds of Hope Foundation
$1,000
Domestic Violence Recovery
Dr. Roz’s Healing Place
$1,000
Child and Family Wellbeing
Native Child and Family Services
$2,000
Cancer Funding and Research
Ride for Cancer
$1,000
Winter Clothing
Warm Hands
$2,500
Dhaani Ramdeen – Treasurer
Dhanni presented a detailed Financial Report and Budget for the year 2026- 2027. Emphasized the need to focus on finding innovative ways to raise more funds for the club and sustainability
This Rotary year will be a different year. Our major financial contributor has retired from his job. We now must rely on the backs of our club members to seek out donations.
This is why it is extremely important that each and every member participate in our major fund-raising project, the Gala. In 2023-24 Rotary year, under the presidency of Avrum, our club partnered with SCRO(Scarboro Community Renewal organization) in our first 2024 Gala, we raised $ 12,855. In 2025 Gala, we raised $21,338.
This year, 2026, our goal is to raise $30K and above. We can achieve this, but each member must do his/her part through:
Attaining sponsorship.
Seek out donations
Invite friends
Seek out items for the live and silent auctions
Seek out items for the door prizes.
This is a transitional year and looking ahead at the projected forecast, I have proposed to the Board to reduce the budget distribution to programs and projects by 25% in the coming year until we see the outcome of donation received.
2025-2026 2026-2027
Community & Youth Services $33,000 $25,000
International Services 21,435 15,000
RI Foundation 7,0006,000
Total 61,43546,000
Suresh Agarwal - Rotary Foundation
No report was presented due to being away from Toronto for personal reasons. Suresh promised to present the report on August 26, 2026. Suresh Echoed Dhaani Ramdeen's thoughts on the need to raise funds.
President Basil
Basil presented his report, including the upcoming Foundation walk for September 27th, in Campbellford and new members from various area clubs, and the upcoming Rotary Annual Gala event for October 16th, 2026. Collective efforts are paying off as ticket sales auctions items are on the rise.
There was no Sargeant-at-arms this week
President Basil: With no additional business for the good of Rotary, the meeting was ended.
Rocko Colangelo – Club Service Group
Barry Smith – International Service Group
Saira on behalf of Courtney Fisher – Community Service Group
Dhaani Ramdeen – Treasurer
President Basil
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