A Macallan-Powered First Club Meeting

What a memorable regular club meeting for the Rotary Club of Marikina North on the very first day of the Rotary Year!  

All the ingredients for a successful meeting were in place: a jampacked venue (Boy & Nita Lilac restaurant), the presence of thirty (30) members and guests, a guest speaker who discussed the situation in the community, perfect attendance of all program participants, Good President Mark Macallan calling the meeting to order ON TIME, a productive “happy pot” session that raised more than fifteen thousand pesos in less than five minutes, a very engaging “RotaMinute” (Rotary Information) segment on why R.I. presidential themes are now a thing of the past (to avoid confusion on the part of the general public arising from different yearly themes and to focus solely on Rotary's masterbrand signature and motto of 'Service Above Self'), a very lively (and rowdy) and fun-filled Macallan-fueled atmosphere especially during the open forum, a Microsoft Teams option for those abroad or indisposed, food and drinks a-plenty, and, of course, the inaugural message of the club president complete with slides and reminders. Talk about a vibrant club experience!

Such a happy result did not happen by chance. It was the product of the conscious decision of president Mark Macallan and his team to prepare well for the club meeting in an organized manner, fully realizing its importance in reviving enthusiasm, energy, and excellence among the members. The meeting is the fuel for enjoyable Rotary fellowship, Club Service at its best - as exemplified by the club’s decades-long tagline of “Walang Kakalas, Walang Bibitiw! - akin to a jolt to the senses from a shot of Macallan 18 taken neat.

One had to avoid at all costs the mechanical “going through the motions” pattern of years past, try to be creative and mix-up the program, ensure the availability of speakers, and most important of all, have fun at all times. In the nostalgic re-telling by senior members of the club, they recall not wanting to miss the weekly meetings because they wanted to go home with a stomach ache from all the laughing and good-natured ribbing on a regular basis.

And true enough, the first club meeting turned out to be a successful one. The innate itch in each member to be happy in service in the company of like-minded volunteers was scratched, and word spread on how things were starting to be different now. Good President Mark Macallan, a man of action but of few words, simply says: “This will be the way it will be, the way it should be.”

RC Marikina North’s club president for Rotary Year 2025-2026 is Engr. Mark Macallan, a mechanical engineer by profession and occupation. His surname bears an uncanny resemblance to that single malt favored by many Rotarians. He will be succeeded by another Macallan - his wife Chemai - who is a Toyota Marikina senior sales supervisor. Yes, in a manner of speaking, the club figuratively ordered a Macallan, double, neat, and will truly be “Macallan-powered” in the next two years!