Rotary Informer
 

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

June 1, 2022

1921 – 2021          100 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Ashley Whitney officiated the meeting. If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it from this newsletter.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.

We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.

Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.

We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.

In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.

Pledge/Anthem:  No Howard today so we recited the Pledge of Allegiance

4-Way Test:  Tim Dykstra

Invocation:  Chris Hammond

Rotary brings us all together from our diverse occupations - some making goods, others selling the goods that are made; some teaching the strong, others caring for the afflicted.  We each sing our own song. Thinking about that, and recognizing that today is the start of Gay Pride Month, it seems appropriate to share a few lines from Walt Whitman's poem; I Hear America Singing 

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong ...

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work ... 

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,...

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Chris Hammond

Calendar Winners June 1, 2022

Visiting Rotarians:  Tom Morrow, Chagrin Falls Cleveland, OH; Phil Lowman, Rochester, MI

Guests:  Bart English, Prospective Member

Life Events: 

Personal Updates:

With heavy hearts, Lisa and Frank Schneider have decided to resign from the club due to other pressing commitments. We are so sad to see them go, but wish them the very best. Thank you, Lisa, for your service to STRIVE, Teacher of the Year awards, the Board of Directors and so much more!! You will be sorely missed!

With Lisa's departure, Teri Donaldson has graciously agreed to step onto the Board and complete the term left vacant by Lisa. We do still need to find someone who would like to lead STRIVE. Please contact Ashley Whitney or Jeff Wynder if interested.

Birthdays: 

Bill Winslow

Dianne Litzenburger

John Emley

Roy Longworth

Anniversaries:  

Bill Topham – 38 Years

Mike Snyder – 50 Years

Singing/Song:  We had no Howard today or any song planned so we didn’t sing.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Save the Date - Exchange of Officers Dinner:  On Thursday, June 30 we will gather for dinner at the Perry to install our new Club President and board members. Details forthcoming! There will be NO regular Rotary meeting that week.

Seeking donations for July 4th fireworks and Parade:  We're again partnering with Sunrise Rotary to help with fireworks and the parade on Independence Day. Volunteers are currently looking for donations and sponsorships for the fireworks. Please contact Karen Ragland if interested. Also, you can check out the following: link

Last Week's Thirsty Thursday - Thank You:  Fellowship Committee member Doug Buck thanked all Rotarians (and their guests) who attended the Thirsty Thursday happy hour last week at the Backlot. Despite the chilly weather, there was a good turnout. Stay tuned for info on a June Thirsty Thursday.

Rotary 5k Aid Station -- Thank You:  Thank you to all Rotarians & friends who kicked off their Memorial Day weekends by volunteering to staff an aid station for 5k race runners in the Top of Michigan Festival of Races. With music, noisemakers, tasty treats and (for a little while) Christian Smith's adorable Bernese Mountain Dog puppy, our aid station was THE place to be!!

Spaghetti Dinner Recap:  Christian Smith shared a lovely recap of our recent Spaghetti Dinner. There were 1,010 meals served; 35 volunteers; approximately $13,448 in revenue and $2,306 in expenses (so $11,142 to support our charitable activities). Many tickets were donated to clients of Manna Food Project, Brother Dan's and other food pantries, Women's Resource Center as well as McLaren and Petoskey public safety staff. Congratulations and THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our 70th dinner a success!

Gaylord tornado update -- Here's a note from Rotarians in Gaylord:

I just wanted to keep you updated on the relief efforts here in Gaylord. They have been nothing short of amazing and impressive, as the outpour of support has been incredible. While it will be several weeks and months of repair and replacement occurring, the community is clearly on its way, thanks in no small part to over 1500 volunteers who, along with utility crews and first responders have Gaylord in better shape than most could have anticipated. The community pride here has been humbling and inspiring. By Monday, it almost felt as if it were business as usual, as schools were in session and power and internet service had been restored to the vast majority of the area. Of course, along with families who lost their homes, there will be businesses in a state of flux or transition as construction will no doubt begin in the coming days.

For those who may be unaware, Gaylord has a large gas and oil presence. The collective representing these various companies has stepped up to offer a match of funds up to $180,000 toward the Tornado Response Fund administered through the Otsego Community Foundation. At present, the fund is at $180,000 and growing. The goal is now $500,000. These funds have already provided grants to the Otsego County United Way, paving the way to purchase gas and gift cards, so that families can purchase groceries and fuel. Displaced families are now living in hotels or with family, as insurance teams make their way through hard hit areas. Below is a link that may be shared for any Rotarian or club wishing to donate to this fund. 

Tornado Response - Campaign (otsegofoundation.org) 

We anticipate a variety of projects to present themselves in the coming days and weeks, once FEMA and the State of Michigan have completed their assessment and the city and county administrators are able to prioritize the repair and replacement of damaged assets. The Rotary Club of Gaylord has offered our services in support, once projects are identified.  

Jump for Polio:  Grand Haven, Michigan June 25, 2022 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. All District 6290 Rotarians plus family and friends are welcome to come to Grand Haven on June 25 to skydive to raise money to fight polio worldwide.

Our very own Betsy Newton has volunteered to jump as skydiving has been on Betsy's 'bucket list' for a long time. Please support her with a donation! If you also wish to join her in jumping, as we can have two jumpers per club in District 6290, please see our club president. We are seeking to procure donations of at least $1,000 per jumper.

PROGRAM  

Today we were joined by Peter Sinclair via Zoom. Peter is a videographer based in Midland, MI. He spoke with our club about climate change back in January.

For today's presentation, he told us more about his travels to Greenland, sharing lots of photos and videos to help us experience the unique landscape.

Greenland is the second largest ice sheet on the planet. It is about 3x the size of Texas. While many assume it is nothing but ice, Greenland's coastal zones have many lakes, waterfalls and tundra vegetation.

Peter has traveled to Greenland several times to film scientists there, who are using Greenland's unique climate to study climate change.

Fun fact:  during the presentation we learned that our very own Rotarian Bill Hicklin lived in northern Greenland for 6 weeks in 1959, when he was an engineer doing work for the military!!!

Next Week’s Program:  Dr Meyerson from the Health Department