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Meeting Notes for Tuesday, April 12, 2016
President Steve Goranson called the meeting to order. The Thought for the Day was given by Nick Powers from Warren Buffett: “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
Announcements
Steve Goranson announced that the 6440 District Conference will be April 27 to May1; registration is free. He also announced that Mike Caruso will be presenting a leadership workshop in the morning on April 21 at Rotary International, members are encouraged to attend. Contact Steve if you are interested.
Ann Searles announced that the Aging Well Conference will be held on May 6, and she is looking for volunteers to help out. Club members volunteered last year and we were very helpful. Contact Ann if you are interested in volunteering.
Ken Green announced we will be serving lunch at a Soup Kitchen on August 1; details to follow.
Randy Usen reported that we received four applications for vocational service scholarships: two for the District 6440 Vocational Scholarship program, and two for the ETHS scholarship we support.
Marv Edelstein announced that we had another successful RYLA this past weekend, and that our RYLA is the largest in the United States.
Kristin Brown announced that RI is hosting an event, “From Learners to Leaders: Supporting Literacy as the Pathway to Success,” on April 27, 2016, from 5:15 pm to 7:30 pm. Registration is free.
Nancy Phillips reported that plans for our Taste of Evanston Fundraiser on June 12 at the RI plaza are well underway. Volunteer Sign-up sheets will be on the tables for the next several weeks. Please consider working a shift during this fundraiser. Those who work during the entire event will not be required to purchase a ticket. Linda Gerber announced that six restaurants have already signed up: Hearth, Koi, Hecky’s, La Principal, Mount Everest and Ten Mile House. Sponsorship opportunities are available to cover the fixed costs for the event. Tickets cost $80, and the committee wants every member to sell four tickets, with the hopes of doubling our attendance from last year. Steve Steiber also thanked Linda Gerber and her husband for hosting the last meeting of the committee and serving a delicious meal.
Sergeant/Roasts & Boasts
Ilana Seligman thanked everyone who helped with Secretary duties while she was away.
Kristin Brown boasted our Club for winning a Presidential Citation for the first time in her memory. President Ravi Ravindran changed the way these citations were awarded; now they are awarded based on data provided by the clubs and not through an application process.
Fran Caan boasted Yves Lassere for his work on the ETHS Foundation Board and for leading a strategic planning retreat last weekend.
Helen Oloroso boasted Ann Searles for her work as the Sunshine Lady and how nice it was to hear from her.
Yves boasted Kathy Tate-Bradish for hosting the International Service Committee evening meeting at her house where they ate delicious food. He also announced that the ISC will meet in the evening in the future.
Kate Collinson boasted Dick Moenning for helping us wrap up the Holiday Sale with his payment (our final collection of the Sale). Net proceeds from the Holiday Sale exceed $32,000, including the $5000 donation Ken Green solicited. She also boasted Dieneba Soma and her organization Future for Faso Children which builds schools and water wells in Burkina Faso. In 2013-2014, our club's International Service Committee granted funds toward a water well - and those funds were matched by the District. But because of West Africa's Ebola outbreak and political upheaval in Burkina Faso, drilling could not proceed. After many delays outside her control, Dieneba just learned that the contract drillers have successfully found water and the well will be operational soon.
Program
Aishwarya Pastapur: Northwestern Rotaract
Marv Edelstein introduced Aishwarya Pastapur, co-president of Northwestern’s Rotaract Club. She and co-president Kathryn Kim have led the group this past year.
Aishwarya explained that the presidents focused on three initiatives: group expansion, bonding of the group so that members will stay involved, and more interaction with our Rotary Club.
Their first effort was to increase campus engagement to expand the group and get freshmen involved. To that end, Rotaract participated in the Student Activities fair in the fall for the first time in several years. Fifty students signed up for the listserv at that event, leading to twenty students regularly attending the meetings which are held every couple of weeks.
The group also tried to get their name out in the NU community by partnering with several organizations. Rotaract co-hosted a talk about Ebola with the Red Cross, and also collaborated with Medlife.
Rotaract hosted a bonfire in the fall at a fire pit on the lakefront, which was a good bonding experience for the group. They also had a surprise birthday celebration for one of the members of the executive board.
Rotaract at NU is very interested in community service, and it is what draws most of its members to the group. Their favorite event was Rebuilding Together, and they plan to participate again this year. They regularly volunteer at Symphony of Evanston, a senior living center, where they go and play board games. They also deliver meals with Campus Kitchens, and would be happy to work with Ken Green to deliver meals with our club.
Last spring break members of the group participated in a service project in Antigua, Guatamala, and they hope to go back to Guatemala again this summer.
Rotaract hopes to continue to expand its membership next year, and now has ten members on the executive board. Jenny Yin and Melissa Kim, co-presidents of Rotaract next year, also attended our meeting. Of note is that all four of the current and future presidents of Rotaract are pre-med.
Jenny Yin, Melissa Kim, Aishwarya Pastapur and Steve Goranson
Guests and Milestones
Visiting Rotarians
Vera Mayer, District Chair for Youth Exchange, Northbrook RC
Other Guests
Aishwarya Pastapur, Northwestern U. Rotaract Club
Jenny Yin, Northwestern U. Rotaract Club
Melissa Kim, Northwestern U. Rotaract Club
Birthday
Ken Green - April 16
Jim McGuire – April 18
Steve Goranson - April 18
Fran Caan -April 18
Club Anniversary
Helen Oloroso - 7 years
Bill Vernon - 13 years
Next Week’s Assignments
Meeting set-up: Scott Kaplan and Mike Merdinger
Greeters: Marisa Naujokas and Joan Borg
Thought for the Day: Elizabeth Newton
Scribe: Yves Lassere
Breakdown: Don Gwinn and John Heimbaugh
Next Week’s Speakers: Our RYLA Participants
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