Rotary Informer

Petoskey Rotary Noon Club NEWSLETTER

September 21, 2022

101 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Jeff Wynder 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:  Howard Richards led us in God Bless America

4-Way Test:  Jeff Bodette

Invocation:  Sarah Ulrich

Franciscan blessing

May God bless you with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that you may live
Deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that you may work for
Justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand
To comfort them and
To turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you
With enough foolishness
To believe that you can
Make a difference in the world,
So that you can do
What others claim cannot be done.

Amen.

Calendar Winners:  Read off by Walt Byers

Calendar Winners September 21, 2022

Visiting Rotarians:  Herb & Wendy Ernst, Oakwood Club, Dayton, Ohio

Guests:  Shane Horn, City Manager; Scott Davis, Speaker

Life Events:  None

Personal Updates: 

Birthdays:

None

Anniversaries:  

Elaine Keiser – 3 Years

Kristy Beyer – 21 Years

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards and our singing president led us in Smile and Beatles 1965 “I’ve Just Seen a Face”

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rotary Foundation Gala:  Registration is now open for the 2022 District 6290 Foundation Gala being held September 30! The planning committee is pulling out all the fun cards for this event. We have PDG, Jon Catlin as our master of ceremonies, Club Basket raffle, Wine Pull, 50/50 Mardi Gras Beads, and some surprises. To register for this event you can click on the following: Link

Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra:  Beginning their 2022-23 Concert Series on Saturday, October 1. Check out the lineup at glcorchestra.org. They are offering a Buy One Get One Free special for Rotary members – see Judy Zorn for more information.

Grudge Match with Kiwanis:  Save the Date for a rematch with Kiwanis! For bragging rights, we will be playing disc golf against the local Petoskey Kiwanis Club on Tuesday, October 11. Participants will be asked to donate a nominal amount and the winning team will decide which charity the funds collected will benefit.

A Night at the Library:  October 7, 2022 6:00 – 9:00 PM. Cost is $75.00 per person and proceeds benefit library programming and materials. To purchase tickets, go to Link

Polio Update:  A case of polio has been found in NY. Join our mission to eradicate Polio. Get vaccinated. Promote vaccinations.

Pedal for Polio will be October 30 this year. Expect the riders to have their hand out for donations very soon.

NCMC Lecture Series:  The North Central Michigan College Lunch & Learn lectures return September 23rd at 11:30 AM with John Van Etten.

Roadside Cleanup:  Everyone's favorite community service project returns for the fall! Join your fellow Rotarians for Roadside Cleanup on Saturday, September 24th at 8:30 AM. We need a minimum of 16 volunteers for the project. We need 12 more people for Roadside Clean-Up on Saturday, September 24 at 8:30 AM. Family and friends are welcome to join you! 

New Fundraiser?  We need your brilliant ideas! Reg Smith will be working on new ideas to enhance or replace calendar sales for next year. Put on your thinking caps and help us make this fundraising effort bigger and better! Stay tuned for more info.

Habitat for Humanity:  Join us on Thursday, September 22nd at the Noggin Room Pub for a Give Back Night! Live music starts at 6:30 and 10% of all sales will support the Foundations for our Future campaign to build 43 homes by 2025!

Fundraiser:  Join fellow Rotarian Amber Pettit for a fundraiser at the Spare Key Winery in Charlevoix on September 25th, 2:00 – 5:00 PM, where she will be raising funds for non-profit counseling for those in need. 

Mark Your Calendars:  October 15 will be our second Fall Festival. It is being planned out by Kendal Klingelsmith, Nikki Devitt, and Ashley Whitney. The goal is to raise at least $5,000 this year. The festival will feature a beer tent, live music and entertainment, the popular pumpkin roll, and new this year—yard and lawn games. Pumpkins will go on sale shortly. Committee members are needed, contact Nikki Devitt to sign up to help!

STRIVE Announcement:  STRIVE begins again this year, working with Sophomores. Consider becoming a mentor to students – see Georgia Abbott.

Red Cross:  The Red Cross has aided those affected by more than 200 natural disasters already this year—including the tornado in Gaylord. Please visit their website and see how you can help! 

PROGRAM  Scott Davis – Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch

The Straits of Mackinac in Michigan forms a unique convergence of land and water. The tapering shape of the lower peninsula concentrates migrating birds at its northern tip in the spring as they await appropriate conditions to cross the Straits. To a lesser extent, Lakes Michigan and Huron tend to funnel migrants to fly south over the Straits in the fall. Hawks and owls are of particular concern to conservationists because of their position at the top of the food web.

Raptor numbers and migration timing provide valuable insights into ecosystem conditions. The geography of the Straits makes it one of the best places in the country for studying raptors in both the spring and fall migration seasons. Because of this national significance and the region’s popularity with tourists, it is an ideal place to inspire and inform people about raptors, and about the ecological significance of the Straits of Mackinac.

Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch conducts scientific studies of hawks and owls migrating through this region of northern Michigan and educates the public about the birds and their migration. We count northward-bound hawks in the spring and southward-bound hawks in the fall, and survey owls both spring and fall, recording and reporting the data for free professional and public access.

www.mackinacraptorwatch.org

There is an app that you can put on your cell phone that helps you to identify birds. Merlin is designed to be a birding coach for bird watchers at every level. Merlin asks you the same questions that an expert birder would ask to help solve a mystery bird sighting. Notice that date and location are Merlin’s first and most important questions. Look for this app in your phone’s app store. Look up Merlin.

Next Week’s Program:  Vocational Team – Elaine Keiser & Nick White