President Helen Oloroso opened the meeting with “Why We Are Rotarians.” She introduced visiting Rotarians Mary Bak, Evelyn Lee, and Lyle Staab, and welcomed our club members zooming in from their home countries, Patrick Mbullo who is currently in Kenya, and Viviene Forsberg, who is currently in Sweden.

 

 

Assistant Governor Mary Bak exhorted us to check out the District 6440 website and sign up for the Virtual Rotary International Convention, June 20–26.

 

She also recommends the exciting Speaker Series.The next topic will be the Shedd Aquarium and the Alliance for the Great Lakes on June 16.

 

President Helen explained that our $10,000 grant to the Evanston Community Foundation will go to five full-time early childhood centers that serve the most vulnerable families in Evanston. The $10,000 is made up of club cash plus DDF (District Designated Funds).

 

President-elect Chris Joyce announced that the installation of the new president and board will take place from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, in lieu of the regular morning meeting. It will involve a virtual happy hour. We are encouraged to order from one of our Taste Of Evanston partners.

 

Joan Borg is the new “keeper-of-the-spreadsheet” for tracking our orders from Taste partners. Six restaurants were supported by six people last week. Please let Joan know when you order from any Tastepartner, including how many people were served.

 

Kathy Tate-Bradish announced that this week’s highlighted restaurants are NaKorn and La Macchina Café. ELRC has been partnering with NaKorn to help deliver meals they are donating to Evanstonians living in affordable housing and other people in need. Their GoFundMe is listed on the spreadsheet on our website. Fun fact: Our club member

Karena Bierman’s husband started and was the first owner of the Café.

 

Linda Gerber announced that Rotarian (RC of Evanston) and chef-owner Elio Romero has re-opened his restaurant. Previously Chef’s Station, it is now The Alcove Evanston, open Sunday – Thursday 5 – 9 and Friday and Saturday 5 – 10. The patio experience is not to be missed!

 

District Governor-elect Lyle Staub explained that the District 6440 website has lots of information for clubs’ consideration of reopening. There are also links in the email we received Monday from DG Suzanne Gibson. Also look for roundtable discussions on Thursday with other clubs brainstorming about reopening.

 

Roasts & Boasts

 

Bryant Wallace boasted the excellent organizing and great turnout for the Evanston United Black Family Rally held at Fountain Square on Sunday. Overflow, socially-distanced crowds heard 15 inspirational speakers organized by the Chessmen of the North Shore, the NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi, Soul Connections, and Black Evanston Men.

 

Steve Steiber boasted Bryant, who came quickly to Charlotta Koppanyi’s rescue when her team of 14 needed computer training and certification.

 

John Searles boasted himself and Ann for celebrating their 31st Anniversary early by getting haircuts.

 

Helen boasted her ratcheted down expectations for their 50th anniversary, which is coming up. Now they are just hoping to be able to have family come over to celebrate in their back yard.

 

Chuck Bartling, your intrepid editor, boasted Bruce Baumberger for coming to his rescue when he temporarily lost the edited copy of the Light last week in the bowels of the Club Runner computers. That’s what we get when Myra Janus turns it in early! Bruce took over Chuck’s computer virtually and found it in a matter of minutes.

 

Our Assistant Governor Mary Bak made a bittersweet announcement. She is moving into larger District responsibilities, adding Global Grants and Global Grant scholarships to her portfolio. She said that ELRC is an A++++ club, and she learned from us. She will be followed by Evelyn Lee as our next AG.

 

Evelyn is the outgoing president of the Rotary Club of Evanston, and is eager to step into her role as AG. She has been to a number of our meetings and already knows many of our club members. Welcome, Evelyn!

 

 

District Governor Suzanne Gibson officially presented Bruce Baumberger with an award in appreciation of his outstanding leadership. He has been a calm, patient, helpful mentor. With the outbreak of COVID-19, he helped every level of Rotary develop Zoom accounts and capability. Our club is lucky to have him!

 

 

 

 

Sally Finn is a Rotarian who recently moved to Houston from Cincinnati. She is familiar with the GLP because the non-profit, Cooperative for Education, that the GLP is aligned with is headquartered in Cincinnati. Also, her niece works for Co-Ed. Sally has volunteered to make these virtual presentations on behalf of CoEd.

 

Sally opened with a story that exemplifies how Rotary Connects the World. She was visiting a Rotary Club in Ireland, and a Rotarian from Maine was also there. Because Sally is from Cincinnati, the other Rotarian asked whether she was familiar with Cooperative for Education. Sally said she was, and that her niece works there.

 

When she gave her niece’s name, the Maine Rotarian said that she knows her well,

had been to Guatemala with her many times, and talks to her all the time. Small Rotary world!

 

Sally brings a family Rotary background – her dad was a member of the Cleveland Ohio downtown Rotary Club, and talked about Rotary and its principles, in particular Service Above Self, around the dinner table. She joined in part to honor her dad, but loves Rotary and is so glad she did.

 

Because of COVID, GLP is using volunteers such as Sally to give these presentations.

The GLP is made up of individual Rotarians, Clubs, and Districts. They work in conjunction with theCooperative for Education, working to end the cycle of poverty in Guatemala through education.

 

Why Guatemala? It is one of the poorest and least educated countries in the western hemisphere. Four out of five indigenous Guatemalans live in poverty, and the average indigenous adult has less than a fifth grade education. Rotary + GLP + Co-Ed (the Guatemalan staff of teachers and experts) work together in one of the largest grassroots, multi-district, multi-club projects in Rotary. No one Rotarian can change the world, but our power comes from acting collectively.

 

GLP has four major focuses: textbooks, computers, reading, and high school, with a comprehensive K-12 approach.

The teachers receive extra training and observation, learning such techniques as turning the book that they are reading aloud around so the children can interact. In middle school 90% of the rural schools have no textbooks, and these are supplied thorough GLP. GLP sponsors (in non-COVID times) two trips a year to help with book distribution. An exciting part of the book program is that it is fully sustainable after the initial investment: children(s families) pay $1/year for the use of the $5 book, after five years the book is paid for and the money is used to purchase more books.

 

The computer project began in 2001. Some 95 percent of the middle school students who complete it either find employment or go on to high school. The Rise Youth Development program identifies students who are at risk of dropping out and gives them

job skills training, leadership training, and other enrichments. This keeps kids in school and ensures that they can pull their families, communities, and ultimately Guatemala out of poverty.

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Vernon, June 11

 

 

Paul Brown, Bob Teska, and Ira Graham, (charter members of the club), celebrate 35 years on June 13

 

Kathy Tate-Bradish, 5 years