“A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.” – Eugene Ionesco
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)
There is no meeting on January 31^st. We will have a social starting at 5:30PM at Pour Brothers at 40 East University Avenue, Champaign.
 
Robb reports we netted $7,000 for the fruit sale. The primary beneficiary is Crisis Nursery.
 
PROGRAM
Phyllis introduced Viktor Gruev who is an Associate Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  His primary interest is in biomedical imaging, bioengineering, and acoustics – biosensors and bioelectronics.
This is the 10^th year your notetaker has been reporting for you, but I came up empty-handed in my notes at last Thursday’s meeting having been a little overwhelmed with scientific terms, etc. Consequently, here is what I have copied off Viktor’s website.
“We are working on developing a new class of sensors inspired from nature. The visual system of various animals, such as mantis shrimp or morpho butterflies, are able to detect spectral and polarization information with higher acuity compared to state of the art man-made imaging systems. Using a combination of CMOS technology and various nano-structures, we are developing a new class of bio-inspires spectral and polarization imaging sensors.
Our bio-inspired sensors have extreme sensitivity enabling many biomedical applications. These sensors are currently used for sentinel lymph node mapping in patients with breast cancer and blood flow evaluation in diabetic patients.
We are also currently working with a group of marine biologists to deploy our bio-inspired polarization sensors back in nature and understand why and how polarization information is exploited in nature. Our sensors are used for field studies from the Florida Keys to the Great Barrier Reef and the Mediterranean Sea. “
 
 
—
 

—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
January 31st – Club Social – 5:30PM at Pour Brothers in downtown Champaign
Rescheduled – William D O’Brien, Professor Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UIUC, will tell us about his current research in ultrasonic bioengineering (Mary)
February 7th – Tiffani Henry will discuss Rotary Youth Exchange (David)
February 14th – Mark Kessler will discuss Parkland’s Cobra Ventures program (Charlie)
February 21st – Dr. Bob Lawless, Max L. Rowe Professor of Law, UIUC, will discuss the elderly and bankruptcy (Tom)
February 28th – TBD (Ondine)
March 7th – Don Wuebbles, The Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and University of Illinois Presidential Fellow, will speak about climate change (Phyllis)
March 14th – TBD (Tom)
March 21st – TBD (Bob)
March 28th – TBD (Charlie)
April 4th – TBD (David)
April 11th – TBD (Mary)
April 18th – TBD (Ondine)
April 25th – TBD (Phyllis)
May 2nd – TBD

 
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Edwards Perry)
 
Cary reminded that any one that has not yet turned in their money from the fruit sale to do so immediately. This year’s fruit sale was a success, netting over $7,000.
 
Mary noted that our club’s “Books for Prisoners” book drive is still going on. Any book donations can be brought to our Thursday meetings.  
 
 
PROGRAM
 
Mary introduced Past District Governor Larry Howell who talked about the Rotary “Heart 2 Heart” projects in Mexico. PDG Larry continues to serve on various Rotary committees and explained that the “Heart 2 Heart” project in a cooperative Rotary project in which many districts in Rotary Zones 30 and 31 are active in these projects and has partnered with The Rotary Foundation.
 
Heart 2 Heart started in 2005 with a Rotary Group Study Project trip to central Mexico and seeing the need to help the local area. Over the last 14 years the projects have grown, and Larry has visited the area. Here’s a list of some of the projects. 
 
Rotary Foundation Matching Funds Grant money($2.5 Million so far) projects:
Water projects: providing 10,000 gallon water storage tanks for elementary schools
Up dating restroom facilities, drinking fountains and washing facilities
Sun Screens for school play grounds
Building additions to schools and building renovation projects   
Medical assistance projects for Kidney Transplants, Pacemakers, and Midwife Training
 
Non Grant Projects
Building low cost shelters for homes damaged by recent earthquakes
Providing computer labs, computer training, school equipment and science classrooms
Teaching advanced Spanish and math
Providing water pumps, solar panels and firewood ovens
Rebuilding wheel chairs and donating to those in need
Neurological Center
Cleft lip & palate surgery
Cancer medical equipment
 
With the support of Rotary International Global Grants, Rotaract and Interact, these projects have helped many people in need and additional projects are being planned. Mexico Rotary clubs are also active and do all the grant money paper work, but these projects need our help in raising money. We can help by starting a project using District Designated Funds, donate money from a club fundraiser and support The Rotary Foundation.
 
There is another planned trip to visit these projects in November 2019 and you can make the trip. The estimated “pilgrimage” cost is approximately $1,800.00.  Additional information can be found at www.heart2heartprojects.org.  
 
 
—
 

 
—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
January 24th – Viktor Gruev, Associate Professor, UI Electrical and Computer Engineering, will speak about his research applications

 
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
 
“The difference between a flower and a weed is a judgement.” – Unknown
 
“Friendship is a sheltering tree.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge
 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

President Cary introduced a new tradition (hopefully) in starting the meeting with audio/visual accompaniment of America the Beautiful and the Flag for the Pledge of Allegiance! We either sang much better or the speaker volume was up high, and either way it was great!

ADG Mike Hirschi told us about the 2019 edition of CU’s Got Talent to be held on February 2nd from 6-9pm at the Virginia Theater and sponsored by the Champaign West Rotary. Complete info at www.cugottalent.org/

Paul Conforti was a first time winner of the annual Foundation Bowl Football contest and donated $112 to our CU Sunrise Foundation.

Bob passed around a sign-up sheet for our next Habitat project, scheduled for January 19. 

February bucket money will go to Books 2 Prisoners.   Mary will also be collecting books you wish to donate.   The most requested include paperback dictionaries, Spanish-English dictionaries, other books in Spanish, books on business, writing and the trades, and mysteries by popular authors.

PROGRAM

Bob introduced Kim Gollings, Community Development Director of Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County. Kim played an excellent video titled Home Matters outlining what Habitat for Humanity does, especially here in Champaign County.

A home, as we all know is much more than a house. But for many families in our community a home offers a treasure of benefits others may take for granted. For a child  a home offers security, and for the family a home adds to community cohesiveness. Homes are worth the investment for just these impacts. Habitat for Humanity built five homes in 2018, and plans on the same amount for 2019.

The average house is four bedrooms plus a garage.  The total cost of these homes is around $110,000 with a monthly rent of $550 including tax.

Habitat’s ReStore is a great way to help support Habitat’s mission. Furniture (not mattresses), hardware, dishes and books are great donations. Working electronics are accepted. Clothing and toys are not. The ReStore has a truck to pick up larger donated items and it can be scheduled online at cuhabitat.org. Tuesday is the best day to shop at the ReStore.

 
—
 

 
—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
January 17th – PDG Larry Howell will discuss the Heart to Heart Zone trip to Mexico (Mary)
January 24th – Viktor Gruev, Associate Professor, UI Electrical and Computer Engineering, will speak about his research applications

 
“In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.” – Anne Frank
 
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” – Edward Abbey
 
“The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit.” – Joseph Wood Krutch
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes courteous of the erudite Mary Hodson)
 
Bob passed around a sign-up sheet for our next Habitat project, scheduled for January 19.   He also introduced his son, David.
 
February bucket money will go to Books 2 Prisoners.   Mary will  also be collecting books you wish to donate.   The most requested include paperback dictionaries, Spanish-English dictionaries, other books in Spanish, books on business, writing and the trades, and mysteries by popular authors.
 
PROGRAM
 
Charlie introduced Jori Orsini, Executive Director of LODGIC.   She explained that the fraternal order of the Moose is the parent organization of LODGIC.   With membership falling, they came up with a new concept for raising funds to support Mooseheart, their school for children in crisis in North Aurora, and Moosehaven, their retirement home in Florida.
 
Jori pointed out that millennials are not joining fraternal organizations but they do want to do good in their communities.   Many of them are free lancers and contractors.  The founders of LODGIC asked themselves, “How can we assist them?”    The Champaign property currently has four programs:
 
1)  LODGIC Kids Camp, flexible, on demand, pay by the hour child care, open from 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM.  They take children from 12 months to 12 years of age.   A membership costs $60 per year.
 
2)  Workplace, offering a desk, printing and quiet call booths and accessible 24 hours a day.
 
3)  Clever Moose, a market cafe open at 6:30 AM
 
4)  Everyday Kitchen, offering craft food and drink, open for lunch and dinner.   They also have event space for social and corporate events.
 
Champaign was selected for the first LODGIC location because it is a college town with an urban mindset but which is underserved by national players.   The next installment will be in Madison, WI. They are also looking at Iowa City and Ann Arbor.
—
 

—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
January 10th – Kim Gollings from Habitat for Humanity (Bob)
January 17th – PDG Larry Howell will discuss the Heart to Heart Zone trip to Mexico (Mary)
January 24th – Viktor Gruev, Associate Professor, UI Electrical and Computer Engineering, will speak about his research applications

 
“Being brave means knowing that when you fail, you don’t fail forever.” – Lana Del Rey
 
“Wake up determined to go to bed satisfied.” – Dwayne Johnson
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)
Our meeting on January 3^rd will be at Lodgic. Meal cost is $10.00. See you there!
 
Fruit sale money is due to Billy. Looks like we had a good year.
 
Bucket money for February will be for Books for Prisoners. If you have books you would like to donate, contact Mary. Popular books are mysteries, paperback dictionaries, paperbacks, and books in Spanish.
 
During bucket money, Jen mentioned her company is getting in a new line of Vintage Cruisers. It’s part of the Gulfstream products and pretty cool. Check it out on line.
 
PROGRAM
Mary introduced her husband Tom who is chair of the District Scholarship Committee. Tom is also chair of the district’s committee for ShelterBox USA. Tom’s comments related to Global Grants which a few years ago replaced the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.
The following is a description from the RI website:  “Global grants are for graduate students studying abroad in one of Rotary’s six causes:  (1) promoting peace, (2) fighting disease, (3) providing clean water,   sanitation, and hygiene, (4) saving mothers and children, (5) supporting education, and (6) growing local economies.”
A Global Grant Scholarship must be used for a degree granting program.  However, it does not cover the entire cost of the program.  So far, our district has limited its funding to $15,000 of District Designated Funds, which, with the match from the The Rotary Foundation results can be $30,000.  Our most recent application also was funded $3,000 generously from the Chicago Rotary Club so the total scholarship was $33,000.
The Rotary Foundation fully funds all expenses for Peace Fellowships.  That is a different and more selective program for which no contribution is required from the District.
In the past year our District submitted one application for one Global Grant Scholarship, and that application has been funded.  We also sponsored an application for a Peace Fellowship, and that application was also successful.
The following is a description from the RI website:  “Global grants are for graduate students studying abroad in one of Rotary’s six causes:  (1) promoting peace, (2) fighting disease, (3) Providing clean water,   sanitation, and hygiene, (4) saving mothers and children, (5) supporting education, and (6) growing local economies.”
Scholarships last from one to four years and can include an entire degree program. Global grant scholarships are funded using cash or District Designated Funds matched by the World Fund. District grants can be used to sponsor secondary school, undergraduate, or graduate students studying any subject, either locally or abroad. The scholarship may cover any length of time, from a six-week language training program to a year or more of university study.
The district committee is looking for candidates that have a solid focus at the undergraduate level in a particular area that would relate to their project proposal for their scholarship. Another qualification is community or global service to demonstrate their interest in this funding for principally international service.  Our district approved two scholars in the last RI fiscal year for worthy projects.
 
 
—
 

 
—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
January 3rd -Jori Orsini, the Executive Director of Lodgic, will talk about the Lodgic Every Day Community, our new meeting place (Charlie)
January 10th – Kim Gollings from Habitat for Humanity (Bob)
January 17th – PDG Larry Howell will discuss the Heart to Heart Zone trip to Mexico (Mary)
January 24th – Viktor Gruev, Associate Professor, UI Electrical and Computer Engineering, will speak about his research applications