Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

March 18, 2020

Dear Fellow Rotarians:

Saturday Betsy and I were flying home from Florida where we spent two weeks enjoying sunshine, warmth and friendship. We flew home innocent not knowing what would soon occur. Who would have believed that all our lives would be upended by a virus that has the potential to spread like wildfire and harm so many? This will test us as a nation far more than anything we have faced in our lifetimes. It reminds me of the challenges my parents faced during the Great Depression and World War II. The effects of this crisis will be monumental as jobs will be lost, businesses will not survive, savings will be battered, and our leaders will be tested. All of us have faced challenges in our lifetimes and they probably helped us to become who we are today. As a person in recovery I have been personally challenged to do for others. I have been challenged to help others because I have needed help myself. I have been challenged to be humble because my life has been through turmoil of my own making. As a result, I got sober at the age of 20 which seems like a lifetime ago. In order to grow I had to go beyond recovery and become involved in something far greater than myself. That has been Rotary for the past 22 years.

This can be our finest hour. This is a time when our sacrifice will save lives. Today 147 of 195 countries have active cases of COVID-19. Within a matter of weeks there has been 218,383 confirmed cases which has killed 8,909 people and left 6,901 persons in serious condition. In the United States we went from 15 known cases in a couple of weeks to 8,827 people today and 140 deceased. In Michigan we went from a few cases last week to 110 today. Italy has reported 300 deaths per day for the past four days and it has gone up to 475 deaths in the last twenty-four hours. This is frightening and also reminds us that this disease is the great equalizer. It doesn’t care of our socioeconomic position, our politics, our race, gender or age. It is deadly and deserves our taking it seriously.

I understand the need to flatten the curve and give scientists time to come up with a vaccine which will take care of this virus. We need time to help ourselves and keep the vulnerable among us alive. Some of these are in our own club and the world would be a sadder place without them in it. So yes, this will challenge us. In the end I hope that it makes us stronger, kinder and more compassionate towards others and resilient as we can face anything. There are many in the club who are already thinking about ways in which we can help the community we live in and those who will be most affected by this challenge. I know that whatever is decided will be based on the Four Way Test and we will all continue to be proud of the work that we do to improve the community and the world we live in. I miss all of you and I hope we all weather this crisis in good health and good cheer. Yours in Rotary and service above self.  Terry Newton, Club Secretary 

Calendar Winners March 18, 2020
  
 
 
 
 
Prize
Cal#
Calendar Winner
City
Sold By
$50
264
Jim Waterston
Bay Harbor
Petoskey
$50
278
Herb Carlson
Petoskey
Petoskey
$50
685
Jim Linderman
Harbor Springs
Petoskey
$50
1937
Howard Berger
Petoskey
P. Sunrise
$50
2821  
Cameron Kellogg
Harrison
Harrison
$50
555
Ms. Hannah Hicklen
Cockeysville, MD
Petoskey
$50
3048
Tom Behan
Petoskey
Petoskey

Life Events: 

Birthdays:  

Jim Beno March 17

Justin Blohm March 22

Dave Thomas March 24

Matt Breed March 26

Stafford Smith March 29

Anniversaries:  

David Finley 1 Year March 27