Announcements
(courtesy of the crafty and courageous Barb Lintner)

Jeff sent out an email with the RI information on making your
suggested $100 annual contribution to the Rotary International
Foundation Annual Fund online.  Here is the link.  Use the link to register or if you have already registered, log in.  Continue by clicking “Contribute to the Rotary Foundation” on the left side of the screen.  Click on the Annual Fund and then choose “Annual Fund Share”.  Finish by continuing and tell them how and when you want to pay.

Larry reminded us that all Eastern Illinois Foodbank volunteer
opportunities (as well as others) will be on the CU Sunrise website so that you can sign up.

Updates on Lou Simpson and Tom Ulen’s progress  were given.

Club Assembly Reports

Membership
Our goal this year is to increase membership by at least 5.  At
present we have 29 regular members , one associate member and 12
senior active members.  The committee would like to make us all aware of the Associate Membership program which allows 6 months with no dues, reduced attendance requirements leading up to full membership within 2 years.  There is no age limit but the target age is under 40 for this program.  The committee would like to sponsor a fun event where we can invite prospective members, possibly a tailgate or our 25th Anniversary party.

Foundation
We will be looking for a November speaker to talk about the
foundation, club obligations and returns from our contributuions, and possibly the new grant process which will take place in 2013.

Fundraising
We will have the Fruit Sale this year but are looking at some new
events to raise money for our local foundation.

Project Development
This year we will focus on 2 projects:  Times Center and the Eastern
Illinois Foodbank.  The goal of 500 hours of volunteer work is one we will try for again this year so we will participate in other projects as they come along.  Members are already signed up for the WILL Book Mentor visits in addition to EI Foodbank food repacks.  When you do participate in any club volunteer opportunities please remember to let Ed know what hours you worked so that they can be added into the total.

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Upcoming Meetings

August 2nd – Julie Melton, Director of Marketing and Development, Eastern Illinois Foodbank

August 9th – J. Gordon Bidner, District 6490 Governor (big cheese)

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes courteous of the erudite Mary Hodson)

Pat Kovar from Community Blood Services of Illinois, announced the 13th Annual Rotary Blood Drive.    It will run from July 16-29 a the Blood Center on University Avenue at Wright St.    The Blood Center is open from 7:30 AM to 4 PM on Mondays and Fridays, from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 7:30 AM to Noon on Saturdays.  Participation in the blood drive will be considered as a meeting make up.

Ed Perry thanked everyone who helped pick corn for the EI Food Bank on July 14.  Unfortunately, Neal was the only real Cornjerker in the group.

Molly Delaney needs volunteers to be Book Mentors for the Head Start sites.   Book Mentors are scheduled for 6 visits a year, October through April.    If interested, contact Molly at delaney1@illinois.edu.

President Jeff announced that the American Red Cross sent a thank you note for the $150 donation made by CU Sunrise members.

President Jeff also announced some upcoming important dates.   Club Assembly will be held on July 26.   Governor Bidner will visit our club on August 9.   Also on August 9, our RYE, Ida Simila, will arrive from Finland.   Please try to be at the airport to meet her plane at 1:40 PM.   The Chalifoux’s will be the first host family.

Watch for an email from President Jeff.   It contains information about how to register to make on-line donations to the Foundation.     Also, the club will make a $8 donation to the Foundation on behalf of each member who buys a Rotary T-Shirt for $15.

PROGRAM

Professor Rich Martin is the head of the Department of Journalism in the University of Illinois School of Media.   Rich was managing editor for the Roanoke Times from 1997 to 2004.   He is the author of Living Journalism, about the values and practices that constitute good journalism.

Professor Martin’s topic was The State of the News Media in 2012.

Increasingly, Americans are getting their news from the internet, especially smart phones, as newspaper circulation declines.   Over half of smart phone owners use their phones to get the news.

More and more news outlets are moving to digital subscriptions with pay walls.   In other words, a certain number of articles may be viewed free each day.  Additional access requires a paid subscription.

Professor Martin lamented the fact that the New Orleans Picayune will be reduced to printing three days a week.   Starting this fall, New Orleans will no longer have a daily newspaper.

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July 26th – Club Assembly

August 2nd – Gordy Hulten, Champaign County Clerk

August 9th – J. Gordon Bidner, District 6490 Governor

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes courteous of the venerable Neal Chamberlain)

The attendance was sparse – the special breakfast menu for the day (scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, biscuits-n-gravy) was outstandingly delicious. President Jeff called the meeting to order and announced that the long lost CUSR flags have been found (atta-boy Jack).

Mary announced that Champaign Rotary Club has extra tickets for the July 21st Cards/Cubs game. (It is possible, if the current bull-pen woes continue, a CUSR Rotarian might be called-on to pitch for the Cardinals). Cost is $100 which includes bus fare (with snacks & drinks) and good tickets to the game. If interested contact Mary.

Ed announced that we hadan opportunity to “pick” sweet corn for Eastern Illinois Food Bank (really it’s “jerk” corn, as in Hoopeston Corn Jerkers).  Alan C., Dave, Ed, Neal, Robb and Rod were the volunteering pickers for EIFB’s corn on Saturday, July 14th. In true Rotarian spirit, the crew was up at the break of dawn and hit the corn field like a swarm of hungry locusts. In fact, Neal may still be there. The corn’s stunted height due to lack of rain made the picking easier than past years and surprisingly there were plenty of ears to pick.

Rod announced that as Community Service Chair, he proposes a CUSR goal of 500 volunteer hours (6 volunteer events of 2 hours each per member).

President Jeff announced the following:
-Area Rotary club members are encouraged to donate blood to the Community Blood
Bank, starting July 21st (red blood from Cardinal fans & blue blood from Cub fans is accepted, Yankee fan blood is questionable).
-Club assembly will be on July 26th.
-Email addresses listed for CUSR members are to be used for Rotary purposes only.
-CUSR tee shirts, “We Volunteer Because it Matters”, are available – $15 per shirt.
-Mary led a discussion about becoming a “Star” club by contributing $100 per member (average) to Rotary Foundation. Mary stated that our club will never be considered for the “Club of the
Year” award if our contributions to Rotary Foundation does not average $100 per member.

PROGRAM

Paul introduced our speaker Melany Jackson, Executive Director, “C-U at Home”. Melanie told of experiences she had as a volunteer with various non profits groups, including a mission trip to Peru. Through these experiences she felt led to change careers, to pursue seminary training, which lead to her concern for the most vulnerable persons in our society. As a result of this concern for the vulnerable she was instrumental (with her board of directors) in creating the non profit organization “C-U at Home”.

Melanie described the most vulnerable homeless in our community as persons who have exhausted all means of attaining housing. These individuals, whose family and various agencies in the community (Time Center, Salvation Army) have rejected, usually because of substance abuse. She said that their group will work with these individuals until they are “dried out” and then they will help them find a place to live. She has witnessed how this process can help individuals “turn their life around”.

Melanie stated that the heart of “C-U at Home” is helping people who others have given up on.  In closing, Melanie encouraged us to become involved her group by attending the following; -Volunteer Orientation, Thursday, July 26, 6:30pm, Presbyterian Church, 302 W. Church. RSVP to volunteer@cuathome.us to reserve your spot for this meeting date.

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UPCOMING MEETINGS

July 19th – Rich Martin, U of I Department of Journalism

July 26th – Club Assembly

August 2nd – Gordy Hulten, Champaign County Clerk

August 9th – J. Gordon Bidner, District 6490 Governor

Upcoming Speakers

July 12th, 2012 – Melany Jackson, CU at Home

July 19th, 2012 – Rick Martin, Head  of U of I Department of Journalism

July 26th, 2012 – Club Assembly

August 2nd, 2012 – Gordy Helton, Champaign County Clerk