Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER
February 26, 2025
103 Years of Service Above Self
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Christian Smith officiated the meeting.
If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter.
Pledge/Anthem: Howard Richards led us in America the Beautiful
4-Way Test: Walt Byers
Invocation: Neil Bidwell
A quote by Mark Twain, " The secret to getting ahead is getting started."
Calendar Winners: Read off by Mike Snyder
Calendar Winners February 26, 2025
| | | | | |
Prize | Cal# | Calendar Winner | City | Sold By |
$50 | 2537 | Bob Stolzenfels | Grafton, WV | Petoskey |
$50 | 2532 | Carol Still | Petoskey | Petoskey |
$50 | 2218 | Amelia Shuman | Petoskey | Petoskey |
$50 | 1779 | Ken Woods | Petoskey | Petoskey |
$50 | 2461 | Amy Mallory | Harbor Springs | Petoskey |
Visiting Rotarians: We had the pleasure of welcoming three traveling Rotarians from Brazil this week. As part of the visit, we exchanged Rotary flags, strengthening our club’s international connections. Patricia Wimmer from Rochester, MN
Guests: Marco, Alenthea, and Manuela from Brazil, Kayla Kuzel guest of Georgia Abbott, Daniel DeWindt, Prospective member, Robin Rakoniewski, Speaker
Life Events: Terry Newton asked the club to keep Bill Collins in your thoughts and prayers. He was recently hospitalized in Florida for pneumonia and was placed on antibiotics which took away his hearing. He went to see his primary care physician and was told it could be 4-6 weeks.
Roger Winslow:
If you did not get a chance to go to Roger Winslow’s funeral you missed a wonderful presentation of a life well lived, a man well respected and loved within the community, a great husband, father, grandfather, and friend, and a person who is going to be missed by many for a long time into the future.
Birthdays:
Terry Newton
Anniversaries:
Terry Newton – 27 Years
Singing/Song: Howard Richards and Christian Smith led us in singing Happy Birthday to Terry Newton who is presently traveling to Florida for a couple of weeks of bicycling; also, Smile.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRCCI Grant Cycle: Liz Ahrens announced that the club’s grant cycle is now open, with applications being accepted through the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. The foundation is managing the application process, and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2025. grants@phsacf.org
Rotary Lunch Charge: Recently the Club announced an increased fee for Rotary lunches. However, that fee neglected to include sales tax. The correct fee for 2025 is $18.50 per lunch per week.
Spaghetti Dinner: Spaghetti Dinner tickets are now available for pick-up from Karen Ragland. Each member is responsible for selling or purchasing 10 tickets at $10 each. There are several ways to support the event beyond ticket sales, including sponsoring, donating an item to the silent auction, or contributing a bottle of wine or spirits for the Basket of Cheer. Bottles can be brought to any upcoming meeting and given to Samantha Fee, who will collect and package them for the auction. Volunteers are also need-ed for the event, so please consider lending a hand.
Upcoming Rotary Happy Hours: All Rotarians are invited to gather for drinks and fellowship at two upcoming happy hours: one on Friday, February 28 from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at Gabriel Farms, and another on Wednesday, March 26 from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at Elder Piper. See you there!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
This week’s member spotlight featured Lyle Peck, who shared his "life story in two minutes." He was named after Air Force pilot Lyle Peck, who passed away two days before his birth, and has always had a deep interest in aviation. Lyle has practiced law for more than 30 years, winning high-profile cases across the country. One of his victories landed him on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, helping to advance his career. In 2004, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by earning his pilot’s license. Today, he lives in Bay Harbor with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 18.
PROGRAM: Georgia Abbott, STRIVE
This week’s program featured Georgia Abbott, who gave an inspiring presentation on STRIVE, Rotary’s high school mentorship program. With the simple but powerful motto, "Just be someone who likes them," STRIVE has made a meaningful impact on students facing challenges such as academic struggles and truancy. Over the past 30 years, the program has served more than 200 students, with mentors committing approximately 40 hours per year. In total, volunteers have contributed more than 38,000 hours to STRIVE, and the program has awarded $30,000 in scholarships through North Central Michigan College. Georgia shared testimonials from both students and mentors, emphasizing the life-changing effects of the program and the importance of having a supportive presence in a young person’s life.
Next Week’s Program: Vocational Team, Bill Hicklen and John Emley