President Brad Weiss welcomed members to the meeting.   A Thought for the Day from Minor Myers, former Illinois Wesleyan University President, was offered by Bruce Baumberger: “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” 

 

Brad thanked all those who helped with the day’s meeting. 

 

Brad announced that Oct. 24 is World Polio Day.  The District website features a tool kit with many options for planning a Polio Day event.

 

Kathy Tate-Bradish announced a League of Women Voters of Evanston Non-Partisan Debate Watching Bingo Party. Scheduled for the evening of the Third Presidential Debate (if it happens!), on Wednesday, Oct. 19, the party will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn from 7:30 - 9:45 p.m.  This fun, free event will feature the debate on a large screen, plus topical bingo and other games.  All are welcome!

 

Joe Brownlee of the Noon Club thanked our club, and especially Charlotta Koppanyi, for supporting and participating in the recent Peace Fest.

 

Brad noted that a Rotary National Immunization Day in India has been scheduled for Jan. 29, 2017.  Volunteers are being sought for this special humanitarian effort. A number of club members (including John and Ann Searles and Steve Carlson) have participated and would be happy to share their experiences.

 

Brad directed members to the District website for an “ABC’s of Rotary” video.  Located in the Video Library, under the District Info tab, the video is perfect for new and seasoned members, explaining many Rotary basics and acronyms.

 

Elaine Clemens explained that October is Vocational Service Month.  Elaine has invited four Evanston Lighthouse Rotarians (one per week) to share ethical challenges -- and solutions -- they’ve faced in business.

 

Dale Bradley, of the Bradley Investment Center, began the effort.  Noting that ethics might not seem like the most natural topic for someone in the Financial Services sector, Dale relayed the experience of watching “The Big Short” with his 17-year old son.  Proud that ‘his’ firms (Edward Jones and Raymond James) were not part of the movie, Dale noted that most financial service professionals were/are trying to develop ‘sticky’ relationships with their clients.   Banks sell additional services (mortgages, bill pay options, investment advising) to existing accountholders in order to make it difficult for unhappy clients to sever their relationship in the future.  Dale explained that a new Dept. of Labor fiduciary rule goes into effect in April 2017 that will hold financial advisors to a stricter standard, expecting them to do the right thing for their clients.  The new rule will limit the ability of big firms to sell their own products to their clients and will encourage advisors to promote the least expensive option when making investment decisions.  Dale also noted that while the cheapest option may be an S&P Indexed fund, that may not be the optimum goal for all investors.   (After all, average is just average.  Don’t investors want to do better than that – with less volatility?)   Dale noted that he personally applauds the new rules and wisely added that “you can’t teach ethics.”

 

 

Marv Edelstein followed up on a Youth Mentoring email that he recently sent to the membership.  Members who are able to serve as mentors to Interact students at ETHS and Beacon Academy are encouraged to complete the non-binding sign-up sheets on the tables.  Please contact Marv for more information.

 

Carol Bild announced that the ELRC Holiday Party will be held on Sunday, Dec 18, from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.  The John Evans Alumni Center is unavailable, so the party will likely be at RI or an individual’s home. Please contact Carol if you’d like to host, or know of any alternate location. Carol is also forming a small party committee and would welcome help from interested members. 

 

Brad thanked the membership for set-up/take-down help and financially supporting the recent Dental Access Days effort in Evanston.  Brad himself worked on Friday when 65 patients were treated. Additional patients were treated on Saturday. The dental equipment was left with ‘local’ Bill McKinley so plans are in the works to serve more patients in February.

  

Joan Borg again pointed out the box of miscellaneous items from the HGI closet, including mugs & trail mix.  Please leave a small donation if you find something you’d like!   Joan also noted that a complete Duty Roster list through the end of December is located at the check in desk.  If you are not able to fulfill your duty roster obligation, please find a substitute.  It’s not necessary to let Joan know of any trades.

 

Kate Collinson thanked the members who participated in last Tuesday’s Finance Round Table.  Twenty-three members met at Koi to discuss fundraising, grant-making, etc.   It was decided that Community Service and International Service would each receive approximately 40% of our available funds. Youth Leaders and Vocational Service will receive roughly 10% and 5%, respectively. It was also decided that the Taste of Evanston Committee will determine the partner(s) and theme for the coming year, with approval by the Board. The ELRC and selected partners will share the proceeds of the TOE event. The TOE Committee understands the importance of raising funds for our club and will do its best to maximize returns for all involved.

 

Kate also noted that Mike Erickson will be visiting our club on Oct. 18 to talk about the Visioning process that our club will undertake this fall. Visioning is an important Rotary-led strategic planning exercise.

 

Brad thanked Kate for organizing the event and Sandy Chen of Koi for providing a comfortable space and buffet (for a very reasonable budget).

 

Bill Glader encouraged members to support and thank those restaurants who participated in our TOE event. Lists of participating restaurants are available on the tables, or directly from Bill.

 

 

Yves  boasted Ann Searles who came to his aid when his computer bag broke.  Ann offered Yves a replacement bag and even provided two alternatives. 

 

Linda Gerber boasted MaLu Simon and welcomed her back.  Linda also thanked MaLu for taking time on her recent mission trip to the Phillippines to visit Smile Train’s local partner hospital. Our club’s “boots on the ground,” MaLu met with those involved in the Smile Train project to train Filipino surgeons for cleft lip and palate surgeries. She recently presented to the International Service Committee and may repeat that presentation at an upcoming meeting. 

 

MaLu Simon boasted Zbig Skiba and Yves Lassere for their efforts in organizing the recent Rotary Means Business event. She was very impressed with the caliber of the meeting and joined Zbig in encouraging other Rotarians and associates to take advantage of this business networking opportunity.

 

 

Fran Caan introduced Alan Anderson, Executive Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations at Northwestern University since June 2015.  Previously, Anderson was the founding executive director of the Chicago branch of Year Up, a national organization that serves low-income adults between ages 18 and 24, providing six months of technical and professional skills training and a six-month internship at a major organization.  

 

Prior to Year Up, Anderson was the acting chief school design officer in the Chief Administrative Office for Chicago Public Schools. Anderson also served as the acting deputy CEO for Human Capital and as the executive director of the Office of School Turnaround and the deputy director of Research, Evaluation, and Accountability for Chicago Public Schools. Before joining Chicago Public Schools, Anderson worked at Motorola Inc. for nearly nine years, including serving as business manager for Motorola’s transmission group, responsible for the company’s $6.5 million transmission business for the Ford Motor Company.  

 

Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Anderson went on to earn two degrees from Northwestern: a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management. In his free time, Anderson enjoys running, playing basketball, and spending time with his growing family.

 

Anderson serves as the University’s primary liaison to the Evanston community. Reporting to the Executive Vice President and working in close partnership with the Special Assistant to the President for Government Relations, his role is to be a key strategic advisor to senior leadership and create opportunities for the University to build strong, supportive partnerships with residents, community organizations, schools, civic and business groups, and local government. 

 

Anderson began his presentation by asking about members’ longevity in the community. Like many of our members, NU has a long (and storied) history. When asked how to characterize the relationship between NU and the community, members responded with a number of words, most often negative, including tense, challenging, acrimonious, and taxes.  

 

Anderson asked our group to put those feelings aside and look forward. Great cities with great universities can work together as collaborators and partners! Seven years ago, the key players changed -- Dr. Morton Shapiro became NU President and Liz Tisdahl was elected Mayor of Evanston. Inextricably linked, the two felt adamantly that they could be partners. “We’re stronger together!.” 

 

While these are just words, actions have followed. In an early manifestation of partnership, NU purchased a fire truck for the Evanston community. Alan’s predecessor, Lucile Krasnow, did an excellent job, overseeing philanthropic donations to local non-profits, organizing volunteers, and fostering positive community relations. Alan’s charge is somewhat different. He is tasked with building a strategy, identifying mutually beneficial partnerships, and creating sustainable relationships. 

 

Under Alan’s leadership, NU has launched a Neighborhood and Community Relations framework with three distinct pillars – Education, Child and Youth Development, Economic and Community Development, and Health and Public Safety. Alan focused on one effective partnership in each area.

 

Education, Child and Youth Development. The partnership between NU and ETHS has grown and strengthened in recent years.  There are presently 85 different NU partnership opportunities at the high school. Never about a recruiting pipeline, NU’s efforts have focused on expanding meaningful prospects for individual students. An example of this is an elective course that will be taught in 2017 that is a collaboration between NU’s Design Institute and ETHS.

 

Economic and Community Development. In recent years, Northwestern has faced difficulties attracting young workers in the trades (painting, carpentry, etc.).  At the same time, the City of Evanston has struggled to find employment for young adults of color. The two parties developed a Skilled Trades Training program that was launched in April 2015. Six young men were selected to work within NU’s Facility Management Department, receiving practical experience, supportive mentorships, and soft skills training for one full year. At the end of the first year, four of six were hired as full time NU employees. The remaining two are employed full time within the community. A second cohort began in June, capitalizing on this mutually beneficial partnership. 

 

Health and Public Safety.  A collaboration between NU, Evanston Fire, Evanston Police, and NU Campus Police, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Training takes place every year. Not often considered until there’s an emergency, this training ensures that the Evanston community is prepared for disaster. 

 

While most NU employees are engaged in the community, their work goes largely unheralded. Anderson feels it is important to elevate the conversation regarding the types of partnerships that could be undertaken – and to create messaging about these efforts. To this end, NU has updated its website and created Our Neighborhood News, a quarterly publication about Evanstonians engaged in “meaningful moments."  NU has eliminated signage on campus that discouraged visitors and publishes a 30-page Monthly Calendar that details the many events and attractions (arts, athletics, lectures, continuing education) open to the Evanston community.