Announcements – March 3, 2015
- Harold Bauer called the meeting to order.
- Invocation/Words of Inspiration: Chuck Bartling shared a quote from Luis Vicente Giay, President of Rotary International in 1996-97: “Action without vision is wasted, and vision without action is just a dream. Action with vision brings hope to the world.” (Address to the 1996 Rotary Convention, Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
- Gary Peterson announced that the International Service Committee would meet at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, at the RI Cafeteria.
- Steve Goranson thanked everyone for their clothing donations for the homeless. Steve will continue to accept donated items at his home until Friday. He will then take the items to the PETS seminar, where incoming club presidents will meet over the weekend.
- Marv Edelstein informed the club that Tuesday, March 3, is IHOP’s National Pancake Day. In exchange for a free short stack of pancakes, guests are asked to consider making a donation to designated charities such as the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
- Dick Moenning showed the club a copy of the March 2, Dupage edition, of the Daily Herald newspaper which featured a story on a Rotary fundraiser designed to feed kids on weekends.
- Brad Weiss offered up two tickets to the March 3 NU Men’s Basketball game against the University of Michigan, which incidentally, NU won.
New Members:
Harold Bauer presented red badges to the newest club members, Susan Wyatt and Joan Borg, with assistance from their sponsors, John and Ann Searles.
Sergeant at Arms: Boasts & Roasts
Sergeant Ken Green quizzed the membership on news items from the Wall Street Journal, after encouraging Roasts & Boasts:
- Don Crost-Fink boasted Bill Glader for his generous donation given at the Infant Welfare Society fundraiser at which Don served as auctioneer.
- Fran Caan boasted the ETHS Boys Mock Trial team for taking first place at the 19th Annual Northwest Suburban Bar Association’s Mock Trial Invitational on February 18. Among the team members were John Osterlund’s sons, Ben and Peter.
- Ken Green boasted his niece, who has helped with the club’s Golf Road Clean-up days and volunteered at the Hillside Food Pantry, for her participation in the statewide spelling bee.
- Elizabeth Newton boasted Allowance for Good for the recent interview in the local media (apologies to Elizabeth for the scribe’s incomplete information here. An update will be provided in the next edition of the Light.)
- Hye Sun Kim, NU Rotaract Club, announced that the bake sale netted over $400 to support the club’s spring break trip to Guatemala and thanked the club members for contributions to the effort.
- Hye Sun Kim also reminded the club members about the networking event that the club is holding on Tuesday, March 10, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at One Rotary Center.
Program: Chapin Coffee
Elizabeth Newton introduced Jennifer Alexander, Founder and Chief Brand Ambassador of Chapin Coffee. Jennifer received her BA in Economics from Northwestern University and her MBA from the University of Chicago. According to the company’s website, “After visiting Guatemala for the first time in 2007, Jennifer fell in love with the country - the beauty of the native culture, stunning landscape, and the hospitality of the people. She felt an inexplicably deep connection to the place and knew that it would play a significant part in her future. The opportunity to create Chapín arose several years later, and Jennifer jumped at the chance to collaborate on starting up this socially-conscious coffee company. She is the creative spirit behind the look and feel of Chapín Coffee, and is responsible for getting it out into the world and into the hands of coffee lovers who want to make a difference through the positive impact of their everyday purchases.
Chapin Coffee is a company which is committed to promoting the health, development and well-being of children in Guatemala. The company purchases Fair Trade Certified, organically grown Arabica coffee. The beans are then shipped to Minnesota for roasting and then on to Chicago where it is bagged and sold. Chapin Coffee’s Signature Roast coffee is wrapped in a handcrafted bag of Mayan designed fabric. The purchase of these bags adds to the economic sustainability of the enterprise.
Proceeds from the sale of roasted coffee are then directed to the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, Pueblo a Pueblo. For each bag of coffee sold, three meals are provided to a child living in the regions where Chapin Coffee is grown. Malnutrition among Guatemalan children is the result of the lack of agricultural biodiversity, due to the over reliance on cash crops such as rubber, coffee, and sugar cane. The Guatemalan diet relies heavily on carbohydrate-laden foods that are made primarily from corn. Fresh fruits and vegetables are destined for export markets and have not been set aside for local consumption, creating the dual dilemma of malnutrition and obesity.
Visitors and Milestones
Birthdays:
Don Crost-Fink
Lesley Peters
Club Anniversaries:
None
Visiting Rotarians:
Sarah Oliver, Wilmette Harbor
Guests:
Jasmine Tzeggai, NU Rotaract
Jeremy Le, NU Rotaract
Kathryn Kim, NU Rotaract
Hye Sun Kim, NU Rotaract
Linc Janus, Prospective member
Jennifer Alexander (speaker), Chapin Coffee
