ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes courteous of the erudite Mary Hodson)

Governor Bidner and AG Jon Rector welcomed Rotarians from the Arcola Sunrise, Champaign, CU Illini After 5, CU Sunrise, Champaign West, Mahomet, Monticello, Rantoul, Savoy and Urbana Rotary Clubs.

Urbana Rotarian Willie Summerville led us in song.

Proceeds from the Tin Cup Collection went to Big-Brothers Big-Sisters of Central Illinois.

Governor Bidner and Fay Rouseff-Baker, President of the Champaign Club, thanked Phyllis and Kyle Robeson for becoming Rotary Major Donors.

The President’s Council recognized members with 40 or more years of membership.

PROGRAM

The special guest speaker was Para Olympian medalist and Intelliwheels PR Director Josh George. Josh was disabled at age 4 when he fell from the 9th story window of his apartment building. He credits his parents for reinforcing the idea that there was nothing he couldn’t do. He just had to do things a little differently. Josh won a scholarship to attend the University of Illinois and play wheel chair basketball. He also competed for the University in wheel chair racing. He graduated with a Journalism degree in 2007. Josh explained that the trick in athletics and in life is to learn how to control one’s mental “feedback loops” and pointed out that the good that is done by Rotarians becomes a positive feedback loop.

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Upcoming Schedule

Feb 28 – Rev. James B. Ellison, Bereaved Parents of the USA

Mar 7 – Lana Sample, Senior Services through the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission

Mar 14 – John Alexander, Executive Director of the Danville YMCA.  Immediately following the meeting will be a special meeting for the WILL Community Conversation.  This special meeting will take 60-75 minutes.

Mar 21 – Kimberlie Kranich, Director of Community Content and Engagement, Illinois Public Media

Mar 28 – David and Dorothy Deem will discuss upholstering and furniture

Apr 4 – Chuck Reifsteck will discuss his recent experience with UFOs

April 11 –

April 18th – Karen Kane and Yvette Whitely, Daily Bread Soup Kitchen

Announcements
(notes courteous of the striped-tie-wearing Allan Penwell)

Our Interact club at Central High School is having its international affair on April 25^th from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.  They need help setting up and taking down.  Any volunteers?

Dave Krchak announced that WILL is having Community Conversations with different group to understand what is important to us.  They need 10- 15 people to be effective, and it will take about an hour after our morning meeting.  There was a show of hands that several are interested.

Mark your calendars all you bowlers because March 1^st is bowling night for Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Our goal is to raise $1,500.  There will be a practice session on February 28^th at Old Orchard Lanes, and you can guess what that is all about.

Lou announced that on February 9^th several of us helped distribute food for Eastern Illinois Food Bank in Bement.  Eighty-nine families were fed from ten different towns.

Wednesday, February 20^th, is the all-area Rotary meeting at noon at the Round Barn Center.

April 19th and 20^th is District Conference at the Hilton Garden.

State Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman will be our speaker on April 4^th.  This is a good opportunity to invite a prospective club member.

March 2nd from 10am to 1pm will be Read Across America at Lincoln Square Mall.  Please contact Barb Lintner if you are able and interested in helping read to the young whippersnappers.

Program

Our speaker last Thursday was Jan Simon who is the director of Community Education at Parkland College.  The mission of this department is to engage the community in learning, and it is done through a whole variety of courses from on-line instruction to Zumba classes.  There are classes for kids and for seniors, and they are outlined in the semi-annual catalog that is mailed to all households in the community

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Upcoming Schedule

Feb 21 – No regular meeting this day – instead, there will be a joint meeting at noon on Weds, 2/20/13, at Round Barn

Feb 28 – Rev. James B. Ellison, Bereaved Parents of the USA

Mar 7 – Lana Sample, Senior Services through the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission

Mar 14 – John Alexander, Executive Director of the Danville YMCA.  Immediately following the meeting will be a special meeting for the WILL Community Conversation.  This special meeting will take 60-75 minutes.

Mar 21 – Kimberlie Kranich, Director of Community Content and Engagement, Illinois Public Media

Mar 28 – David and Dorothy Deem will discuss upholstering and furniture

Announcements
(notes courteous of the distinguished gentleman from Conencticut, Ed Perry)

New Member orientation meeting will be February 18th, 7:00pm at ATA’s home.

The annual all area club Rotary meeting celebrating Rotary’s 108 years will be at Champaign West and take place February 20th. Our regular Thursday meeting will be canceled that week. Make plans to attend. Just the singing makes it worth it!

Bowlers need to be getting in shape for our club involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake Friday evening of March 1st. See Dave for more information.

Read across America will be taking place Saturday, March 2. See Barb for more information.

Savoy Rotary Club will be having their annual pancake and sausage breakfast Saturday morning, March 2, at the First Baptist Church in Savoy. Tickets are $5.

Cunningham Children’s Home’s annual Festival of Quilts will take place the weekend of April 12th. See BJ for more information and to purchase the $5 tickets.

Rotary District Conference will be April 19 and 20th. at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal, IL. See Bruce and Ed for information on entertainment establishments within walking distance of the Conference Center.

Jeff announced that “Women of Distinction” nominations are being taken by the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois. Jeff will send out an email with all the information.

Neal noted that Austin’s Place location and activities are currently in transition as they relocate. See Neal for more information.

Interact Update

The Charity Formal dance will be on March 1st at the Savoy Rec Center. The students are working on a theme and deciding which charity to donate to. We could use some help with possibly two chaperones and any snacks Rotarians would be willing to donate.

The International Fair will be on April 25th from 6:30 to 8:30. The students are super excited about this. I have attached a form if you are interested or possibly to be handed out at your meeting. We are looking for volunteers to run a table or demonstrate some culture. Of course, it would be great if people just came and attended! I am always so proud of these kids.

Program

If not for others, then who?  If not now, then when?

Mallory and Carly are fine examples of “Service above Self” and are a bright future for Rotary. Additional information can be found by contacting Carly McCory at docorataract@gmail.com.

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Upcoming Schedule

Feb 14 – Ms. Jan Simon, Director of Community Education, Parkland College

Feb 21 – No regular meeting this day – instead, there will be a joint meeting at noon on Weds, 2/20/13, at Round Barn

Feb 28 – Rev. James B. Ellison

Mar 7 – Lana Sample, Senior Services through the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission

Mar 14 – John Alexander, Executive Director of the Danville YMCA

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(courtesy of the venerable Neal Chamberlain)

President Jeff called the meeting with a welcome to members and guests, especially the return of Donna – we all missed you Donna and your movie reviews.

President Jeff presented membership certificate and pin to new member Eric Batsie.  Eric holds the position of Community Partnership Manager of Champaign County Big Brothers Big Sisters.  Eric comes to us from Russia where he was the National Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters.  He is a native of Champaign County.  He has 15 years of experience in the child welfare field.  We welcome you Eric, to CU Sunrise Rotary Club.

President Jeff the Paul Harris Fellow Award, certificate and pin, to Benny Lapid.  Congratulations Benny – you make us proud.

Jeff high lighted “One Hundred Years of History” in which the January, 1947 Chicago Tribune high lighted accomplishments of Paul Harris as he was a charter member of the original Rotary Club.  In the Tribune article it was noted that the number of Rotary clubs had grown to 5000.  Jeff commented that the number of clubs (world wide) has grown to approximately 30,000 clubs with approximately 2 million members.  Editorial note – Just because Rotary originated in Chicago does not mean you have to be a Cub fan to be a member in good standing!

Bucket Money Comments:

In a review that will surely turn heads around the nation, Donna Giertz expressed her dislike for the movie Les Miserables.  As the star reviewer put it, “The acting was good, but the singing was just terrible.  Did Anne Hathaway swallow a frog as a warm-up ritual?”

Ata thanked the club for expressions of sympathy in the death of his wife’s mother.

Jim noted that his wife, Tanya and son Peter, will be sleeping in a box tomorrow night, February 1^st, in downtown Champaign.  They are doing this in support of “C.U.  at Home” which is an organization providing shelter for the homeless of our community.

PROGRAM

Mary introduced our speaker Debby Rehn, Executive Director, Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation.  Debby was a member of a Rotary Group Study Exchange trip to Germany in May/June of 2012.

Debby Rehn told of their group’s trip to 10 German cities.  She emphasized that the thrust of their trips was visiting small communities and farms of various types.  She explained that German farm families (usually) live in small communities – not on the farm that they own or rent – they commute the short distance to their farm.

Debby noted their trip’s points of interest:

*The crops raised are Potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley, rapeseed.

*Many farmers have biomass plants where they produce electrical energy.

*The biomass plants cost approximately one million dollars – the plants have a breakeven pay back of approximately 15 years.

*Germany is very interested in renewable energy and energy conservation (many wind generators).

*Dairy farms tend to stay in the family – generation to generation – but are only passed down to a single child.

*The hog farm they visited was very clean – very modern – owned by a young couple.

*The German Farm Progress Show was similar to the show in U.S.

*Churches are beautiful but not well attended – many of their contacts said they attend 4 or 5 times per year.

*Food tended to be sit down meals – not so much fast on the go fast food.

*Went to the Border Museum which illustrated how the “iron curtain” wall would often go through a small village.

*Visited Buchenwald concentration camp where thousands of Jews were killed.

*The fellowship of each visit was frequently a barbeque.

The Rotary Group Study Exchange trip was great opportunity for fellowship and learning.  The next trip is to Italy – Debby encouraged us to encourage anyone we know that might have an interest to go.

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Upcoming Schedule

Feb 7 – Carly McRory and/or Mallory Davidson, Jamaica Dental Mission

Feb 14 – Ms. Jan Simon, Director of Community Education, Parkland College

Feb 21 – No regular meeting this day – instead, there will be a joint meeting at noon on Weds, 2/20/13, at Round Barn

Feb 28 – Rev. James B. Ellison