“That’s the thing I love most about snowboarding, honestly — getting to travel and explore different places and meet people. The plane rides suck but the destinations are sick.” – Chloe Kim

“Tolerance is giving to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself.” ― Robert Green Ingersoll 

NOTES

Last week’s regular meeting was canceled in favor of an evening gathering at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (KCPA).

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

March 1st – Micah Putnam, Superintendent of Grounds at Allerton Park (Bob)

March 8th – Mark Johnson, CEO, Stephens Family YMCA, will discuss the Y, his retirement plans, and wrestling (Charlie)

March 15th – Kevin Erickson, Associate Professor of Architecture at UIUC (Bob)

March 22nd – Stacey LeFeber, Girl Scouts (Jen)

March 29th – TBD – Club Social

April 5th – Dr. Marcia Pool will discuss the Cancer Scholars Program, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Phyllis)

April 12th – Jim Hack, El Salvador – Habitat for Humanity Build Projects (Ata)

April 19th – Darrell Hoemann, Cruising the Rhine and Germany’s Holiday Markets (Mary)

April 26th – Dennis Hesch, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Carle Foundation, will discuss  Carle’s expansion/development at the Curtis/I-57 interchange (Phyllis)

May 3rd – TBD (Charlie)

May 10th – Zayd Jawad, Business Buddies (Mary)

May 17th – Laura Bleill, Associate Director, Research Park, will provide an overview of Research Park and future development (Phyllis)

May 24th – TBD (Tod)

May 31st – TBD – Club Social

“The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back.” ― Abigail Van Buren 

“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing… not healing, not curing… that is a friend who cares.” ― Henri Nouwen 

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” ― Albert Einstein

PROGRAM

Dr. Kim Kidwell, Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at UIUC, gave a fascinating presentation about her background, her current work, and the way she things shaping up for the future.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

February 22nd – 5pm social at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

March 1st – Micah Putnam, Superintendent of Grounds at Allerton Park (Bob)

March 8th – Mark Johnson, CEO, Stephens Family YMCA, will discuss the Y, his retirement plans, and wrestling (Charlie)

March 15th – Kevin Erickson, Associate Professor of Architecture at UIUC (Bob)

March 22nd – Stacey LeFeber, Girl Scouts (Jen)

March 29th – TBD – Club Social

April 5th – Dr. Marcia Pool will discuss the Cancer Scholars Program, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Phyllis)

April 12th – TBD (Tod)

April 19th – Darrell Hoemann, Cruising the Rhine and Germany’s Holiday Markets (Mary)

April 26th – Dennis Hesch, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Carle Foundation, will discuss  Carle’s expansion/development at the Curtis/I-57 interchange (Phyllis)

May 3rd – TBD (Charlie)

May 10th – Zayd Jawad, Business Buddies (Mary)

May 17th – Laura Bleill, Associate Director, Research Park, will provide an overview of Research Park and future development (Phyllis)

May 24th – TBD (Tod)

May 31st – TBD – Club Social

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.” ― Marilyn Monroe 

Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” ― Nelson Mandela 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

Tod announced that last week he delivered 600 snacks and 140 drinks for the men’s homeless shelter that were paid from our January bucket money. Help Tod by signing up for volunteer work at the shelter.

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) is at Allerton from April 27 to April 29. This is for sophomore high school students who may not be the top leaders in a class but someone who needs a little push to the next level. If you know a student who fits, tell our club as we would like to send two students.

Tom Hodson is district chair for ShelterBox which provides emergency disaster relief all over the world. He is an ambassador for ShelterBox and is pleased to make a presentation to a club or group.

Think about bowling for the Girls and Boys Club in April.  More later.

Bucket money for February is for the Community Center for the Arts. It is in downtown Urbana and is a music school dedicated to bringing people together around high quality music. It serves area students.

PROGRAM

Bob introduced Navy Captain Anthony Corapi who heads up the Naval ROTC unit on campus. He was born in Brooklyn and graduated and commissioned at The Citadel. At The Citadel, he dated and eventually married the commanding officer’s daughter who was also a Navy captain. The University of Illinois is his last assignment after a 26 year career. He will live in Champaign where his children go to school and near his wife’s parents who live in Decatur.

Captain Corapi was a naval pilot and was both a squadron and wing commander of planes which had anti-submarine missions. He also served aboard the USS Carl Vinson as the assistant navigator.

Almost all of the 71 Navy cadets at UIUC are engineering students. Captain Corapi noted that he must have a certain proportion (66%?) of these students in STEM fields because the Navy mandates these backgrounds for most of their operational units. The specific example he gave was the need to have trained technicians to work on nuclear reactors on aircraft carriers and submarines. 

Cadets have weekly classes as part of their training as well serving on board a ship during the summer. After graduation, the new officers have four or six year obligations in either the Navy or the Marines.

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*Robb Patton says he frequently skims this Newsletter, mostly paying attention to the quotes and then the duties list.  What are the chances he sees this comment?  Newsletter staff say the odds are 50-50.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

February 15th – Dr. Kim Kidwell, Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, UIUC

February 22nd – 5pm social at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

March 1st – Micah Putnam, Superintendent of Grounds at Allerton Park (Bob)

March 8th – TBD (Charlie)

March 15th – Kevin Erickson, Associate Professor of Architecture at UIUC (Bob)

March 22nd – Stacey LeFeber, Girl Scouts (Jen)

March 29th – TBD – Club Social

April 5th – Dr. Marcia Pool will discuss the Cancer Scholars Program, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Phyllis)

April 12th – TBD (Tod)

April 19th – Darrell Hoemann, Cruising the Rhine and Germany’s Holiday Markets (Mary)

April 26th – Dennis Hesch, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Carle Foundation, will discuss  Carle’s expansion/development at the Curtis/I-57 interchange (Phyllis)

May 3rd – TBD (Charlie)

May 10th – Zayd Jawad, Business Buddies (Mary)

May 17th – Laura Bleill, Associate Director, Research Park, will provide an overview of Research Park and future development (Phyllis)

May 24th – TBD (Tod)

May 31st – TBD – Club Social

“The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” ― Osho 

“Surround yourself with good people. People who are going to be honest with you and look out for your best interests.” ― Derek Jeter 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)

Tod announced that December bucket money provided 600 snacks and 140 drinks for the men’s homeless shelter. Tod and Ed helped the New Covenant shelter with clean-up. Other volunteers are needed.

Phyllis is looking for volunteers at the Salt & Light thrift store on February 24th from 9-11:00 a.m.

Rotary Leadership Institute is on February 10th. Mary Kay is going! See the District 6490 website for more details.

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) is at Allerton from April 27 to April 29. This is for sophomore high school students who may not be the top leaders in a class but someone who needs a little push to the next level. If you know a student who fits, tell our club as we would like to send two students.

Tom Hodson is the district chair for ShelterBox which provides emergency disaster relief all over the world. He is an ambassador for ShelterBox and is pleased to make a presentation to a club or group.

Robb announced the fruit sale netted $9,100 for our charitable foundation. This is 30% over our goal and was an outstanding job by Robb and his committee as well as all of the club members. Give yourselves a pat on the back!

Bucket money for February is for the Community Center for the Arts. It is in downtown Urbana and is a music school dedicated to bringing people together around high quality music. It serves area students.

PROGRAM

Our own Ed Perry was the program this week and presented a slide show and narrative about the effects and aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico. Shortly after the hurricane hit, Ed and his wife flew the 2,000 miles to San Juan and then hopped a 7-passenger plane to Vieques, a small island to the east of the mainland. His brother built a house on Vieques several years ago. The house was built to withstand hurricanes and was self-sustaining with solar power. Ed also owns property there.

Columbus landed in Puerto Rico in 1492 and staked the claim of Spain on the island. The Spanish were not kind to the local population, and the United States captured Puerto Rico and the Philippines during the Spanish-American War.

Vieques is 4 miles wide and 21 miles long. The eastern half was used by the U.S. Navy as a bombing range and to practice assault landings. Navy operations ceased in 2003, and the island is now being cleaned up and governed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The western side of the island was used by the Navy as an ammo dump, and it is also being cleaned up.

The population of Vieques is 9,000. It has beautiful beaches, but there are no resorts or fancy destination spots. Visitors stay in local homes and go to Vieques for the serenity and peace from our complex lives. Ed showed pictures of the damaged roads, trees, power system, and homes. He noted that cell phones did not work, but business was pretty good at the bars in the aftermath of the storm.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)

February 8th – Captain Anthony Corapi, Commanding Officer of US Navy ROTC at UIUC (Bob)

February 15th – Dr. Kim Kidwell, Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, UIUC

February 22nd – 5pm social at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

March 1st – Micah Putnam, Superintendent of Grounds at Allerton Park (Bob)

March 8th – TBD (Charlie)

March 15th – Kevin Erickson, Associate Professor of Architecture at UIUC (Bob)

March 22nd – Stacey LeFeber, Girl Scouts (Jen)

March 29th – TBD – Club Social

April 5th – Dr. Marcia Pool will discuss the Cancer Scholars Program, College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Phyllis)

April 12th – TBD (Tod)

April 19th – Darrell Hoemann, Cruising the Rhine and Germany’s Holiday Markets (Mary)

April 26th – Dennis Hesch, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Carle Foundation, will discuss  Carle’s expansion/development at the Curtis/I-57 interchange (Phyllis)

May 3rd – TBD (Charlie)

May 10th – Zayd Jawad, Business Buddies (Mary)

May 17th – TBD (Phyllis)

May 24th – TBD (Tod)

May 31st – TBD – Club Social