“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it’s all the same day.” – Janis Joplin – 1943-1970 – American Singer-Songwriter

 

“Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.” – Virat Kohli – Indian Cricketer-Current Captain of the National Team of India

 

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” – Anne Frank – 1929-1945 – German-Dutch Diarist-Jewish Holocaust Victim

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Edward Perry)

 

Mary Kay noted that the “Feed Our Kids” service opportunity is this Saturday from 10am to noon at the Champaign Church of Christ, 1509 W. John St. Champaign. 

 

Ata passed around the signup sheet for volunteers to help with the setup of this year’s DSC’s Oktoberfest fundraiser. The setup work takes place September 25th from 10am to noon at The City Center, 505 S. Chestnut in Champaign. Volunteers get an Oktoberfest t-shirt and one general admission to the event.

 

This week’s meeting will also be broadcasted via Zoom. Future hybrid, in-person and Zoom meetings will depend on how many attend the meeting via Zoom.

 

Larry is arranging another Books2Prisoners volunteer opportunity for a meeting on a weekday in the evening. 

 

Keep saving your newspapers for our Humane Society volunteer project in October.  Ed ‘Bag Man’ Perry collects any and all newspapers that are brought to Thursday meetings.

 

Mary reminded everyone about our special speaker on September 9th. Dr. Ryan Burge will be joining us for a timely topic dealing with the “10 myths on Religion and Politics”. Dr. Burge is nationally known for his work on politics and religion.

 

PROGRAM

 

Mary Kay introduced our new member Joe Rank and his topic that dealt with the Richmond Family Welcome Gallery located in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center here at the University of Illinois.  The gallery is an extraordinary showcase which celebrates the history and traditions of the University of Illinois.

 

Joe has spent the last seven years on this project, and was a leading force in gathering the historical information that is used in the gallery. It is a $5 million project that uses the latest technology, interactive activities, and video presentations to enhance the Alumni Center and its additional new purpose as a “Welcome Center” for future students and their parents.

 

The gallery contains various  displays and spaces that include:

*A Memory Space: an interactive collection of exhibits of University of Illinois memories with a story booth where one can record their own personal record and university story. A wall that shows the Quad a hundred years ago and compares it to the Quad today.

*Hanging from the ceiling is a kinetic sculpture that has various diplomas from year’s past with a campus interactive trailhead map on display below. There is also a section showing the various Hangouts and Watering Holes, Discovery Boxes with artifacts, documents, and large artifacts in this museum quality presentation and many other displays that can be changed periodically.

 

Joe presented a 12-minute video that is in the Gallery and will be used for prospective new students and their parents as their first stop in their University of Illinois visit and tour.  

 

The center will have its official opening in the next few weeks.  There are plans underway for a CU Sunrise Rotary club social event in this special building and space.  For more detailed information on this amazing gallery, look up the Richmond Family Welcome Gallery.

 

—

	Aug 26th	Sept 2nd	Sept 9th	Septh 16th
Introductions	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton	Jerry Payonk	Allan Penwell
Reflection	Rod Roberts	Jarrod Scheunemann	Tod Satterthwaite	Jen Shelby
Greeters	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton	Jerry Payonk	Allan Penwell
	Lou Simpson	Charlie Smith	Mary Kay Smith	Cary Woolard
Song Leader
Notetaker	Hodson	Conforti	Perry	Hodson
Decker Weeding	Shelby	Hodson	Hodson

 

—

 

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

 

August 26th – Gabe Lewis, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (Ondine)

September 2nd – Club Assembly

September 9th – Dr. Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science, EIU will join us via Zoom to discuss  (Tom)

September 16th – TBD (Bob)

September 23rd – TBD (Cary)

September 30th – Club Social

October 7th – Club Assembly

October 14th – TBD

October 21st – Normal Rotarian Drake Zimmerman, co-founder and chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Malaria, will speak about Global Grants of Scale (Mary)

October 28th – TBD

“If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.” – Dolly Parton – American Singer-Songwriter-Actress-Author

 

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

 

Bucket Bucks for August will go to Books2Prisoners.

Mary Kay noted the upcoming service opportunity: Feed Our Kids, Saturday August 28 from 10-noon at Champaign Church of Christ, 1509 W John St, Champaign.

Cary and Eddie will be our clubs’ main guessers this year.  Good luck them, good luck to all of us!

President Darrell said we clocked 192 service hours as a club in 2020. Our new goal is 10 hours per person or 300 hours as a club.

President Darrell announced that hybrid Zoom/Live meetings will start August 26.

Lou said our Club’s policy regarding memorials for deceased club members will be to plant a tree in any designated park in Champaign or Urbana. The tree will be marked with a plaque. Neal’s tree will be in Mattis Park near the Decker Garden. Lou has asked club members to each donate $5 to cover expenses.

Phyllis will try to schedule a Books2Prisoners volunteer event every six weeks.

Ed reminded us to bring our newspapers in every week. Bagging papers in Harvest Market type bags with handles would be especially helpful.

 

PROGRAM

 

Charlie introduced Mark Hanson, Curator for the Museum of the Grand Prairie at the Champaign County Forest Preserve District.  Mark previously was curator at the Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul.

The Museum of the Grand Prairie, which first opened in 1972, is located at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet. The museum offers dynamic exhibits, programs, and events rich in local history.

Over the past year the museum staff worked to mitigate the effects of the pandemic including improving the museum’s social media presence with Zoom and Facebook programs and developed Camp in a Bag that was sent to schools with projects designed to help children connect with the museum and local culture without actually being at the museum. Artifacts were also placed online; many exhibits were updated and the museum’s database was updated. A major upgrade was the construction of a new artifacts storage building which replaced a much smaller and very old building.

The museum reopened this past May. All COVID precautions are in place.

You can find out about current and upcoming exhibits and programs at their website: www.museumofthegrandprairie.org

 

—

	Aug 19th	Aug 26th	Sept 2nd	Sept 9th
Introductions	Phyllis Mischo	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton	Jerry Payonk
Reflection	Ed Perry	Rod Roberts	Tod Satterthwaite	Jarrod Scheunemann
Greeters	Phyllis Mischo	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton	Jerry Payonk
	Jen Shelby	Lou Simpson	Charlie Smith	Mary Kay Smith
Song Leader
Notetaker	Perry	Hodson	Conforti	Perry
Decker Weeding	Shelby	Shelby	Hodson	Hodson

 

—

 

 

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

 

August 19th – Rotarian Joe Rank will give a presentation about the Richmond Family Welcome Gallery at UIUC

August 26th – Gabe Lewis, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (Ondine)

September 2nd – Club Assembly

September 9th – Dr. Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science, EIU will join us via Zoom (Tom)

September 16th – TBD (Bob)

September 23rd – TBD (Cary)

September 30th – Club Social

October 7th – Club Assembly

October 14th – TBD

TBD – Normal Rotarian Drake Zimmerman, co-founder and chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Malaria, will speak about Global Grants of Scale (Mary)b

 

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall – English Primatologist

 

“Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it.” – Diane Sawyer – American Broadcast Journalist

 

“The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” – Benjamin Disraeli – 1804-1881 – Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

 

Mary Kay announced that we have a service opportunity with Feeding Our Kids on August 28.   We have available volunteer slots so family and friends are encouraged to participate.   Bring a friend and show them what we do!

 

Bucket Bucks for August will go to Books2Prisoners.

 

Nestor Ramirez announced that a Rotary blood drive will be held from August 9-14 at the Urbana blood bank.   You can make an appointment at 217-307-2202.

 

Phyllis announced that CU Sunrise has submitted a District Grant proposal to provide 450 hygiene kits for CU at Home.

 

After hearing our Rotary program on the Illinois Shakespeare company, Jerry, Mary Kay and Charlie all attended “Measure for Measure” at Ewing Manor.

 

Ed reminded us to bring our newspapers in every week.   Bagging them in the Harvest Market bags with handles would be especially helpful.

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Darrell introduced our Assistant Governor Michael Harris, a retired pharmacist from Monticello.   Mike then introduced this year’s District Governor Heather Stoa.

 

District Governor Heather, a member of the Decatur Rotary Club, is a retired educator and author.  Besides serving the Decatur club and community in a variety of positions, she has chaired both the District Grants and the District Global Grants Committees.   She says her greatest joy in Rotary has been working on international grants and projects for Amor y Vida Orphanage in Merida, Mexico, the Bihar Eye Hospital in Ranchi, India, water wells in eastern Kenya and a rural crafts economic development project in Duradahalli, India.  

 

DG Heather serves as an advisory committee member of the RI Zones 30-31 Heart 2 Heart Committee and is the District Chair for the 100 in 100 Club to Club initiative.  She is a member of several Rotary Action Groups.  Heather and her husband Terry are Master Gardeners and were recognized by the Decatur Historic and Architectural Sites Commission for their restoration of their 1840 home.

 

Heather’s theme as Governor is friendship.  She quoted Rotary founder Paul Harris in his belief that Rotary harnesses the great power of friendship to do the world’s work.  Through Rotary service, we interact with people outside of our usual everyday circle.   People on the periphery of our lives introduce us to new ideas and experiences.   Heather encouraged us to reach out and look for deeper friendships with people that we may not know well.   Tell them about Rotary and why you are a Rotarian.

 

The governor reminded us that each grant and service project begins with one Rotarian’s idea.  She gave the example of Normal Rotarian Alan Chapman who has a grandson that is disabled and dreamed of a playground for kids who are disabled.   His club took up Alan’s dream and created Harmony Park.  CU Sunrise’s projects and grants have impacted our community and increased Rotary’s visibility locally.

 

Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta has a special goal of working to empower girls.   Heather is currently working with the Girl Scouts to develop a Rotary Badge.

 

Heather talked about the Heart to Heart collaboration between Zones 30 and 31 and Rotary zones in Mexico.   She has gone on several Heart to Heart trips to visit clubs and projects in the Mexico City area.   This year’s Heart to Heart trip is scheduled for November 2-10 and costs around $2,000.   If interested, sign up by August 15 at the District 6490 website.  

 

The Casey, Decatur and Champaign Clubs have all adopted Heart to Heart projects.   Heather will link us with other small clubs if we would like to collaborate on a Heart to Heart grant project.  

  

DG Heather invited us to this year’s District Conference.   A one-day event, it will be held on September 25 at Richland College.  After a day of speakers, breakout sessions and fun, there will be a desert bar provided by the Beer Lovers Rotary Fellowship and the Wine Lovers Rotary Fellowship.   Sign up at the District 6490 website.

 

In conclusion Heather said, “In 23 years of Rotary, my life has been enriched.  Through Rotary, you can go anywhere in the world and connect with people with similar values.   Friendship has happened for me in Rotary and I hope it happens for you.”

 

—

 

	Aug 12th	Aug 19th	Aug 26th	Sept 2nd
Introductions	Bob La Charite	Phyllis Mischo	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton
Reflection	Allan Penwell	Ed Perry	Rod Roberts	Tod Satterthwaite
Greeters	Bob La Charite	Phyllis Mischo	Scott Paceley	Robb Patton
	Jarrod Scheunemann	Jen Shelby	Lou Simpson	Charlie Smith
Song Leader
Notetaker	Conforti	Perry	Hodson	Conforti
Decker Weeding	Perry	Shelby	Shelby	Hodson

 

—

 

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

 

August 12th – Mark Hanson, Curator for the Museum of the Grand Prairie, CCFPD will discuss the upcoming year, post-pandemic (Charlie)

August 19th – Rotarian Joe Rank will give a presentation about the Richmond Family Welcome Gallery at UIUC

August 26th – Gabe Lewis, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (Ondine)

September 2nd – Club Assembly

September 9th – Dr. Ryan Burge, Professor of Political Science, EIU will join us via Zoom to discuss  (Tom)

September 16th – TBD (Bob)

September 23rd – TBD (Cary)

September 30th – Club Social

October 7th – Club Assembly

October 14th – TBD

TBD – Normal Rotarian Drake Zimmerman, co-founder and chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Malaria, will speak about Global Grants of Scale (Mary)