Deb Ockenfels gave members a run down on Rotary International Foundation. November is Foundation Month and all our programs will be on some aspect of the Foundation.
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
Abigail Arens-- West High Interact
Addy Smith-- City High Interact
D Hillberry-- West High Interact
Ethan Seyler-- West High Interact
Callie Dains-- West High Interact
Announcements
Nancy Pacha and Carolyn Wanat introduced guests from the West and City High Interact clubs. They talked about the various activities that each club is now planning or recently completed. For example West High sold tickets to show a Halloween movie and raised $300 to use on one of the buffalo bikes and also on grants through Kiva. City High has completed a blood drive where there were 63 donors and are selling buttons to support One America Appeal for disaster relief. On the 15th of November City Interact will cook a meal at Ronald McDonald House.
Phil thanked the veterans in the group for their service.
Gary Haymond announced that he had been off recently for shoulder surgery.
Phil thanked Casey Cook, Hazel Seaba, Nancy Pacha and Tom Novak for their work in sorting cans on November 4 and Mark Patton and Karin Franklin for their work in assessing the condition of the playhouse for our grant project. Karin indicated that the old playhouse is no longer sound and so a new structure will be built. Karin will soon ask for volunteers.
Amanda McFadden attended the Zone meeting as an attendee of the Future Leaders Project. She found the intensive leadership study useful both from the standpoint of serving more effectively in Rotary and in business life.
Liz Nichols announced that in preparation for elections any member who wishes to be left off the list for either Board of Director member or President Elect should let her know within the next couple weeks. The initial balloting will take place before the end of the month and the actual election will take place within the first couple weeks of December.
Kate Sojka and Amanda McFadden are planning a Trivia Nite in January. DVIP and Table to Table will be co-sponsors and will share some of the profits as these two organizations were identified last fall by the Grants Committee as the next recipients of funds raised this year for our springtime community grants giving.
Save the evening of December 4 for the Chili Dinner/Month Opener at Peggy Doerge's house.
Vernette Knapp noted the flyers on the tables to support the District 6000 Ride to End Polio to be held November 12-19. Dick Huber and Brian Adamec have volunteered to ride and donations are suggested at $1 per mile or a minimum pledge of $20. The pledge form and payment are due to Vernette by November 21.
Program
Deb Ockenfels led off the month of programs about Foundation with some general facts and figures. This is the 100th year of Rotary Foundation. The mission is to enable Rotarians to help bring about world peace, provide clean water, promote maternal and child health, support education and literacy around the world, stimulate economic development in communities around the world, and fight disease. It is a 4 star charity according to Charity Navigator's evaluation system. It uses 91% of its funds directly on support of its programs.
There is a new logo for Polio Plus: "Let's Drop to Zero." The Gates Foundation is currently matching all contributions to the Polio Plus fund 2 to 1.
Deb indicated that there are several D6000 members and members within AM Rotary who are willing to help match Paul Harris points in order to bring other members up to Paul Harris Fellow status ($1000 or more contributed to Rotary Foundation). Members will need to provide some contribution first before points will be added to complete the PH Fellow recognition. Several members of the AM Club are members of the Paul Harris Society which is recognized when a member pledges at least $1000 per year for 10 years. A Benefactor is someone who has pledged in his/her will $1000 or more in a bequest to Rotary Foundation at the time of death. A Bequest Society member has pledged in their will $10,000 or more to TRF (the Rotary Foundation).
Learn more at the Rotary Foundation section of the Rotary website.