By Gopal Chandrasekaran 

Speaker: 07 Oct 2026: Dominique Royem - Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and Chorus

The Houston Chronicle has said that Dominique Royem “conducts with style and feeling” and that “her energy and passion are boundless.” She has been the Music Director of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra since 2014. During her tenure, she has radically diversified the organization's programming, increased the organization's reach by starting a chorus, instituted family and children’s programming, and commissioned new works for the ensemble. In 2015, the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra was recognized as a Finalist in the American Prize based in New York City. Through the programming done for FBSO, Dominique was a Semifinalist for The American Prize—Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming in the 2017-2018 season.

Visit https://www.fbso.org/ for more information.

• President's topics:

  • 

    
    Welcome to a new Rotary year!
    
    Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President. Building on the momentum of last year, our focus this year is From Energy to Impact. My hope is that every member finds their place to contribute, grows through Rotary, and helps create a lasting impact in our club and our community.
    
    I look forward to what we’ll accomplish together.
    
    Ziad Chbeir
    President, 2026–2027

• Volunteer Opportunities:
  •  
• Social Events:
  •  
• Monthly Social
• Promote Club Speakers
• Golf - Save the dates
• Rotary Supporting Toys for Tots Fort Bend County Bowling - 14 October 2026
• Rotary and Community Volunteer Event - 25 October 2026
• Community Awareness Night - 01 May 2027
• Service project - Clean-up of the historic cemetery at Richmond
• Future Programs
• Lunch Menu
• Wit and Wisdom
• Membership Moments
• Rotarian of the Month
• Thanks to Our Rotary Corporate Members
• Rotary Officers and Board of Directors
• Birthdays and Anniversaries
• History of Presidents
• Sugar Land Rotary Hall of Fame
• List of Rotarians of the Month
• List of Rookie of the Year
• List of Harris Griffin Awardees

To promote our upcoming speakers (we have some amazing ones coming up!) please click on the Facebook link below (see the round F logo on the bottom left), and to post their excitement/interest in having our new mayor present.  To open Calendar items, just go to our website, click on Calendar, then click on the person's name on 1/14.  You can already do this for each of the programs you listed - encourage everyone to do the same.

If you do not have Facebook, share this link to our Calendar with your friends by text or email: Sugar Land Rotary Club Calendar.

Below are the golf games currently scheduled for our Club this calendar year. Mark your calendars and prepare for a day on the green.

The name at the end is the leader of that day's golf. See you all on the green!

19 November, Thursday, Greatwood Golf Club - Daniel Boehm

Fort Bend County Toys for Tots invites you to participate in our 2026 Bowling Event for a Cause, an evening of friendly competition supporting children and families throughout Fort Bend County.

The event will be held:

Wednesday, October 14, 2026
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Main Event
12626 Fountain Lake Circle
Stafford, Texas 77477

There are several ways you or your organization can participate:

• Join us with a team of four to six bowlers.
• Sponsor a team from your organization.
• Sponsor a team of local first responders or another community group.
• Make a monetary donation in any amount.
• Select one of the following sponsorship opportunities:  

In 2025, our Fort Bend County campaign collected 23,722 toys and served 7,316 local children. With the continued generosity of our community, we hope to reach even more children this Christmas.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Whether you bowl, sponsor a team, select a sponsorship opportunity, make a donation, or simply help us spread the word, your participation will make a meaningful difference.

All proceeds from this event benefit children in Fort Bend County.

Space is limited, so please contact us to register or discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Thank you for helping us create stronger communities and brighter futures for local children.

You’re Invited to Make an Impact
Please mark your calendars for a wonderful community tradition in the making. Safari Texas Ranch is proud to host the inaugural Fort Bend First Responder “Family Picnic”, and we have been invited to help bring this special day to life with a team of 100 to 200 dedicated volunteers.
This is a wonderful opportunity to honor our local first responders while coming together as a community. Because this is a family-friendly event, volunteers of high school age and older are warmly welcomed—making it a fantastic chance for parents and students to serve side by side.
Whether you are part of an Interact Club, an ROTC group, a local Rotary club, or simply a friend, parent, or family member looking to pitch in, we would love to have your support (either part-time or full-time).
Event Essentials

• Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
• Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Location: The George Ranch (10215 FM 762 Rd, Richmond, TX 77469)
• Who Can Volunteer: High school students, adults, families, Rotarians, Interact clubs, ROTC groups and etc.

Next Steps
We're finalizing official sign-up links and additional details and will share them as soon as they are available. For now, please save the date on your calendar, and let us know if you or your group plan to join us!
Thanks, and talk again soon.

Put on your best Derby attire and join us for an evening of community, fellowship, and fun.
Come celebrate our community, connect with friends, and enjoy a night of Rotary fellowship.

By Joey Castillo

GARLIC SOY CHICKEN ADOBO

slowly braised bone-in chicken thigh

roasted garlic, scallions, soy sauce reduction

jasmine rice

steamed vegetables

Desert

Chef's Choice

"May the Force be with you' is charming, but it’s not important. What’s important is that you become the Force – for yourself and perhaps for other people." — Harrison Ford

October 2026 ROTM

Timothy Taite is a Christian, Veteran, Soldier for Life, Husband, Texan, Aggie, and Rotarian. Timothy presently serves as our Club’s Secretary,  Chairs our annual 5K run, and has served as our Club’s Vice President. Timothy is also a Registered Representative, with New York Life and New York Life Securities, LLC. Timothy gets the job done!                                 

This month’s Rotarian of the Month is Timothy Taite.

We are pleased that PCCPA has joined the Sugar Land Rotary Club as a Corporate Member. Their website is https://www.pccpa.org/ 

Member Anniversaries 

Rookie of the Year                               Year              President at the Time

1          Marty Clayton                          2007             Robert Walters

2        Susan Barnes                             2017             Rick Smith

3        Josh Griffin                                2018             Jim Munnell

4        David Skateland                        2019             Margie Connolly

5        Dean Clark                                 2020             Raleigh Bailes, Jr.

6        Natalie Lerner                            2021             Todd Breton

7        Anna Finberg                             2023             Marvin Marcell

8        Ramesh Lalwani                        2024             Natalie Lerner

9        Yvonne Miller-Jones                 2025             Mark Heuchert

10.     Mediline Tador.                        2026             Josh Griffin

Harris Griffin Award                        Year              President at the Time

1.     Ziad Chbeir                                2024             Natalie Lerner

2.     Mateo Salmeron                       2025             Mark Heuchert

3.     Robbie Bates                             2026             Josh Griffin 

List of 4-Way Test Award(Businessman of the Year)

4-Way Test Award                                 Year          President at the Time

1.      James Franklin McIngvale           2026          Josh Griffin