Don Beavis introduced our guests, Saskia Knight, Katherine Waslen, Baba Kunle, visiting from a club in Nigeria, Dawson Ganong, Lauren Knowles from Meals on Wheels, Guest speakers Simone Brown and Jennifer Topiwala from the McMan Family and Community Services.
We had a total of 38 attendees.
Don Edie led the group with O Canada.
Giving Back to Our Community
It was a generous morning for the club. Bob Pearson spoke positively about the club’s recent visit to Calgary Meals on Wheels. Next, with Terry Felton’s assistance, presented Lauren Knowles with a $7500.00 cheque to help replace their aging blast chillers — critical kitchen equipment that lets the organization safely cool food before it's distributed. With all three of their existing units out of service, this gift comes at a great time: Meals on Wheels prepares roughly 5,000 meals every day, and reliable equipment is essential to getting them out the door on schedule. Lauren thanked the club warmly for the support and partnership.
(See the story at the end of the Westerner about our recent Club Members tour of the Meals On Wheels facility)
Mel Warman presented Simone and Jennifer ofMcMan Family and Community Services with a $10,000 cheque from our Community Services and Grants Committee, along with a donation made in their name to ShelterBox, an organization that provides emergency shelter in crisis and disaster situations — our way of saying thanks for sharing their work with us.
Guest Speakers: McMan and Youth Mental Health
Our program featured Simone Brown and Jennifer Topiwala from McMan Family and Community Services, a non-profit founded over 50 years ago in Edmonton that now operates across Alberta, including 22+ programs here in Calgary focused on housing, mental health, family reunification, and life skills.
Simone, a registered social worker with 25 years at McMan, outlined the organization's "Building Connections" philosophy — the belief that lasting change happens through sustainable connection to family, friends, and community.
Jennifer, a clinician at McMan, gave an engaging and personable overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and why it's such a valuable tool for adolescents and young adults navigating today's pressures — academic demands, constant social connectivity, and identity development, among others. Key points from her talk:
DBT is a practical, skills-based approach (not traditional talk therapy) built around four pillars: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
A favourite tool she shared was "TIPP" — using Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Progressive muscle relaxation to quickly calm an overwhelmed nervous system.
McMan pairs youth DBT groups with parallel sessions for parents/caregivers, so families share the same language and tools at home.
Her core message: young people aren't lacking effort — they simply haven't been taught the skills to manage big emotions, and early intervention can change the trajectory of their lives.
Programs are accessible without a referral or diagnosis — participants can self-refer through McMan's website, and subsidies are available for those who need financial support.
It was a thoughtful, well-received presentation, and a reminder of how community partnership directly supports youth mental health in Calgary.
Click on the image below to view the McMan presentation slides.
Club News & Farewell
In a bittersweet moment, longtime member DanDoherty announced that after 43 years with Rotary Calgary West, he is stepping away to become a charter member of the new Rotary Club of Mohkinstsis Urban Indigenous— the first Indigenous Rotary club in North America. The charter event takes place July 3rd at 2:00 PM at the Haddon Road Legion, and our club has proudly served as sponsor. Dan was thanked for his decades of leadership, mentorship, and friendship.
Upcoming Events & Announcements
This Thursday, ~11:30 AM — Informal social at the Priddis Golf and Country Club. Let Anita know if you can attend so a reservation can be made.
June 29th — Next four meetings move to the Delta South (not our usual location). This is also our outgoing president's last official meeting, featuring two speakers on what Canada means to them.
July 6th — Incoming president Don Edie will be inaugurated. Please come out to support him.
July 1st–5th — Spruce Meadows event: volunteers needed to sell 50/50 tickets in support of Umoja Mosaic / Soccer Without Borders (contact Kim Mobach). There's also a volunteer barbecue this Saturday for the same cause.
August 23rd–24th — Our casino fundraiser, the club's biggest of the year, expected to bring in around $80,000. Volunteers will be needed — more details to come.
Membership dues — Treasurer David Wartman asked that members submit payment within the next few days, as the club will soon be billed by Rotary International and the district.
Three prospective new members are currently applying to join the club. Malcolm has suggested that we utilize our name tags at the Delta since we will be there for a month.
Food Bank volunteering on Wednesday June 24th.
Thanks to everyone who made it out this week — see you at Thursday's meetup at Priddis Greens, Coffee & Chat Blue Flame Friday June 26 at 10 am and/or at Delta South starting June 29th!
And a joke from President Chris – What do you call a can opener that doesn’t work? A can’t opener!!☹
Several members of the Rotary Club of Calgary West participated in a tour of Calgary Meals on Wheels on June 19. Members gained valuable insight into the organization's operations, learned how thousands of nutritious meals are prepared and delivered throughout the city, and asked numerous questions about programs, volunteers, and community impact. The tour highlighted the important role Calgary Meals on Wheels plays in improving food security and supporting vulnerable Calgarians.
The entertainer and philanthropist Dolly Parton died 25 August 2026. This Q&A was originally published in the March 2010 issue of The Rotarian (now Rotary) magazine. Later that year, she spoke at the Rotary International Convention in Montreal, Canada.
