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The Light for March 31, 2020 By Neil Gambow Photography by John Searles The second virtual meeting was called to order by President Helen Oloroso at 7:30 a.m. on the dot with the ringing of a bell which has been in her family for many years and she uses to call feral cats! Some 52 Rotarians joined the Zoom meeting. That was followed by reciting Why We Are Rotarians. Marv Edelstein held a training session on using Zoom. The thought for the day, a poem by Kitty O’Meara: And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed. Announcements Helen Oloroso: The District Presidents are meeting by Zoom and announced a District 6440 COVID-19 matching grant program. Our Board held an emergency meeting and applied for a matching $1,000 grant which was approved within 24 hours. The grant will go to the Evanston Community Foundation Rapid Response program through our Community Service Committee. The District is paying for a one-year subscription to Zoom to facilitate virtual meetings. John Osterland, former club president, is rejoining our club. Welcome back!!!! The next Board meeting will be on Monday, April 6, starting at 7 p.m., via Zoom. Ann Searles: The Lions Club says thank you again for our pill bottle collecting. They used the money, $500, which we gave them to ship them. Ann will continue to collect them so keep on saving them until we are back together in person. Polio Story is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Channel 11, WTTW,Tuesday. Sunshine Lady report: Sam Lovering is back (welcome!) and she talked to Ira Graham, who sends his best. Chris Joyce: Club Service meeting (virtual) is at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 1. RYLA is canceled for the rest of the year. Mary Bak (District 6440 Assistant Governor): The District is looking into a RYLA program for late summer. Susan Prout: The Community Service Committee will meet on Tuesday, April 14, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. via Zoom to discuss the input we have received for our grants. Bill Glader: The Taste of Evanston Committee is discussing new plans in light of the current OVID-19 situation. One idea is a virtual event. A survey letter is being sent to our restaurant partners to gauge their current status and mention ways we can help them. We can help by ordering out from those restaurants that are still open. Kathy Tate-Bradish, MaLu Simon, and Kate Collinson helped put this together. Randy Usen: To help our ToE restaurants and other local small businesses, Randy talked about the new SBA programs coming out in the next week to help small businesses weather this storm. These programs are part of the federal stimulus package signed last week. Byline Bank has information on its web site. This will be a huge help to them. Byline has extensive SBA experience and can be if immediate help. Linda Gerber: She and the ToE team are putting together a list of ToE restaurants that ore open and how to place carryout orders. Nakorn, a ToE partner, is preparing meals for Reba Place and House of Peace residents and needs volunteers to help distribute them. Volunteers are meeting at the House of Peace at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, to help. The address is 700 Custer Ave. in Evanston. Marv Edelstein : Guidelines for holding committee meetings via Zoom will be out shortly. Vivian Forsberg: As a new member, she will be contacting members by email to get their signatures. Roasts & Boasts Chris Joyce boasted Zbig Skiba for hosting a Saturday Morning coffee klatch via Zoom. This will be a recurring event each Saturday at 11a.m. Zbig will send out an invite. Linda Gerber boasted the Board for its quick action on the COVID-19 matching grant approval led by Bruce Baumberger. Mary Bak boasted people taking the risk of donating blood during the COVID-19 crisis. She also boasted the birth of her first grandchild, a girl. Steve Steiber boasted his oldest son, Jake, who has volunteered to join the Emergency Medicine Department at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia (our prayers are with him!!!) Helen Oloroso roasted herself for forgetting No. 5 on our 4-way test : Is it fun!! Program Topic: How are We Coping with COVID-19 Members were asked to tell how they were passing the time while coping with the coronavirus: Zbig Skiba: Attending internet meetings with other Rotary Clubs (a suggestion to all). Helen Oloroso: Watching out for “Zoom Bombing” by unwanted people joining a meeting, Zoom does have security issues. Steve Goranson: Collaborating with neighbors via Zoom. Susan Prout: Lots of walking. Chris Joyce : Walking and Zooming with family. Linda Gerber : Exercising (and eating) Kathy Tate-Bradish: Singing at the top of her lungs outside her grandchildren's’ house on South Boulevard. Harold Bauer: Attending Zoom cocktail parties with his friends at the Mather. Screenshot from Zoom of some of the meeting participants. Guests and Milestones Visiting Rotarians Mary Bak – District 6440 Assistant Governor Margaretta Gacheru – Rotary Club in Kenya (she will be joining our meetings until she can return to Kenya) Birthdays Dave Simmons, Helen Oloroso, Ann Weatherhead, Carol Bild Club Anniversaries Louis Allred – 29 years Bruce Baumberger – 34 years
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