Rotary Club NEWSLETTER
April 15, 2026
104 Years of Service Above Self
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Andrea Coronado officiated this week’s meeting.
If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter.
Patriotic Song: Howard Richards led us in God Bless America
4-Way Test: Ric Loyd
Invocation: Neil Bidwell
"You are the sum total of all you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot.....it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that, I try to make sure my experiences are positive." Maya Angelou
Calendar Winners Read Off By: Andrea Koch
Calendar Winners April 15, 2026
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Prize | Cal# | Calendar Winner | City | Sold By |
$50 | 1150 | Lori Cole | Franklin, KY | Cheboygan |
$50 | 2380 | Aliceson Smith | Green Valley, AZ | Petoskey |
$50 | 2367 | Don & Martha Rhudy | Petoskey | Petoskey |
Visiting Rotarians: Gary Voison, Cheboygan; Brandy Mulak, Both Secretaries Extraordinaire
Guests: John Dwyer from United Kingdom, Andrew Keiser, Grace Keiser; Erika Van Dam, Speaker
Life Events:
Birthdays:
Tim Dykstra
Nick White
Anniversaries:
Doug Buck – 9 Years
Ashley DeCarteret – 11 Years
Jay Neff – 21 Years
Singing/Song: Howard Richards led us in Happy Birthday and Smile.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Reg Smith recognized John Parker who is celebrating 65 years in Rotary
Save the Date – Upcoming Rotary Events
Thursday, April 30 – Rotary Spaghetti Dinner
Petoskey High School, 5:00–7:00 PM
Our annual Spaghetti Dinner is back. Join us for an evening of great food and fellowship while supporting Rotary’s community projects. Dine-in and carry-out will be available.
Sign up to Volunteer HERE
Member-Hosted Community Events
Saturday, August 15: Northmen Food Den – Adult Prom Masquerade
Hosted by Rotarian Liz McKenney
Join the Northmen Food Den for Adult Prom: Masquerade on Saturday, August 15 at the Grand Unity Event Center in Petoskey from 5:00 to 11:00 PM. This fun evening invites guests to relive the magic of prom with grown-up flair and includes signature cocktails, appetizers and a buffet dinner by Sweetwater Catering, a live auction, photo booth, and Prom King and Queen voting. Proceeds support the Northmen Den Youth Pantries.
Tickets and details HERE
Paul Harris Fellow Award: Joe Blachy recognized Elaine Kaiser as our newest Paul Harris Fellow, and told us how much her architecture skills have added to the community. Then, in a surprise to even Elaine, Joe presented Elaine’s daughter Grace with her own Paul Harris fellow, remembering her as a little girl researching the amber stone Joe had given her, and helping in her mom’s office.
Member Induction: None
PROGRAM: Erika Van Dam – Van Dam Custom Boats
Our speaker today was Erica Van Dam, co-owner and vice president of Van Dam Custom Boats in Boyne City. Erica highlighted the 49 year history of this company specializing in custom high end wooden boats. Her in-laws ran the company for 43 years and now Erica and her husband own it.
The founding values, still evident today are: honesty, integrity, hard work, and quality. The company also has 37 cultural fundamentals guiding their behavioral expectations.
They do everything by hand, and it’s all custom. From design to final build can take 35,000 hours, with 12-18 months in the design phase and 12-24 months to build. Each boat is unique and built to the owner’s desires. The hull lumber they use is from central Africa called Sipo wood, and one log can build 2-3 boats. Van Dam’s emphasis is on craftsmanship, and they employ 25 staff, many of them long-timers.
We are lucky to have such a unique and excellent company in our region.
Next Week’s Program: Cab Harvey Mental Health Services in Nursing Homes