“A harmonized mind produces harmony in this world of seeming discord.” – Paramahansa Yogananda – 1893-1952 – First major Indian Teacher to settle in America

“Appreciation is the purest vibration that exists on the planet today.” – Esther Hicks – Inspirational Speaker-Author

“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” – Napoleon Hill – 1883-1970 -Author

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

November 4 – Interact 5K cancelled

November 5 – CU Special Rec 5K

November 9 – CU Sunrise Charter Anniversary and Veteran’s Day at City View

November 14 – 3-4:30 PM Assemble Winter Kits with the Home Visitors Consortium at United Way

December 2 – 9-11 AM Salt and Light

December 9 – Salvation Army Bell Ringing

December 16 – 8:30 AM to Noon, Crisis Nursery Children’s Shop

December 16 – CU Sunrise Holiday Party

President Charlie announced that Ata Durukan has agreed to run for president for the upcoming Rotary year.   Lisa Crane will run for the presidency for the following year.    Thank you, Ata and Lisa!

Robb announced that the fruit sale has begun.   Boxes will be $30 again this year.   

Guest John Calderon, co-chair of the District Disaster Committee, announced that there is a new module on DACDB where Rotarians can list their skills.

PROGRAM

Mary introduced John “Bob” Clark from Good Shepard Lutheran Church.  Bob grew up on a farm in Western Illinois.  After college and military service, Bob served a 42-year career with the USDA.   Upon completion of his government career, he worked as a consultant at Busey Bank’s commercial loan department.   In retirement, Bob has made three trips to El Salvador with Habitat for Humanity.   He is an officer of the board of Empty Tomb and leads the team that delivers food and furniture to needy families.

Bob also devotes time to a Lutheran Social Services program called Storybook that works with the Illinois Department of Corrections.   His team collects and takes children’s books to the State prison in Danville where they help prisoners select books, record them reading the book, and then mail the book and a recording to their children back home.

Prisoners without discipline issues are allowed to come to the chapel to record stories for their children.   They are also allowed to add a personal message.  

The average age of prisoners is 30-35, but there are also older men.   The recidivism rate is 78% unless prisoners are involved in educational programs.  For those involved in educational programs, the recidivism rate is about 28%.

Bob talks to groups like ours to solicit donations for the purchase of appropriate books and to recruit readers.   Volunteers need a criminal background check and TB test.   If interested in helping, Darrell can put you in touch with Bob.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

November 2^nd – Dr. Dan Simons, Professor, Psychology, UIUC, co-author of “The Invisible Gorilla” and “Nobody’s Fool” (Tom)

November 9^th – no morning meeting – Anniversary Dinner at CityView

November 16^th – Scott Paceley will discuss the joys of moving

November 23^rd – Turkey Day – no morning meeting

November 30^th – TBD (Lisa)

December 7^th – TBD (Mary)

December 14^th – TBD (Michael)

December 21^st – CUSR Holiday Party

December 28^th – TBD (Cary)

January 4^th – TBD (Joe)

January 11^th – TBD (Lisa)

January 18^th – TBD (Mary

January 25^th – TBD (Michael)

February 1^st – TBD

February 8^th – TBD (Tom)

February 15^th – TBD (Cary)

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

October 29 – Robb Patton

November 4 – Tom Ulen

“Once you face your fear, nothing is ever as hard as you think.” – Olivia Newton-John – 1948-2022 – Singer-Actress

“There is no reverse in life, only a future in which you can steer it.” – Eric Kizer – Author

“Don’t let others decide who you are.” – Dennis Rodman – American Basketball Player

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

October 24, 4:30 PM – World Polio Day Event at the Museum of the Grand Prairie in Mahomet

November 4 – Central Interact 5K

November 5 – CU Special Rec 5K

November 9 – CU Sunrise Anniversary and Veteran’s Day Event at City View

December 2 – Salt and Light

December 9 – Salvation Army Bell Ringing

December 21 – CU Sunrise Holiday Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange

Bucket $ for October – Polio Plus

Bucket $ for November – Chez Center

The Polio Plus goal is $25 per member.   Join the Polio Plus Society for $100.

PROGRAM

Tom Ulen introduced Brittany Millington, Director of the Champaign Library and member of Champaign West Rotary.

The Champaign Library has two sites: the Main Library and the Douglas Branch.   It has a four-star designation, achieved by just 4% of community libraries nationwide.

The library lends 1.5 million items per year and offers 120 programs per month.   Programs include “Tuesdays at Ten”, “Mother Goose on the Loose”, “Be Creative Summer Reading Program”, author talks and Friday night jam sessions at the Douglas Branch.

The library offers career services, technology workshops, money matters workshops, and crafting workshops.   It also serves as a universal voting location.

Our own Mary Kay manages The Friends Bookstore in the lower level.  It is open Wednesday – Saturday, 12-3 PM.

The newest service is also in the lower level.  “The Studio” is a dedicated space that will provide after-school programing for teens.  It features computers, 3-D printers and sound booths.  The Studio will be open to adults on weekends.

The Library Foundation website is at www.librarylove.org.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

October 19^th – Dr.  Nestor Ramirez  will give a summary of his OLLI class on Polio

October 26^th – John Clark, who will discuss Storybook, a program that allows inmates to maintain a connection to children by recording stories for their children (Mary)

November 2^nd – Dr. Dan Simons, Professor, Psychology, UIUC, co-author of “The Invisible Gorilla” and “Nobody’s Fool” (Tom)

November 9^th – no morning meeting – Anniversary Dinner at CityView

November 16^th – TBD (Joe)

November 23^rd – Turkey Day – no morning meeting

November 30^th – TBD (Lisa)

December 7^th – TBD (Mary)

December 14^th – TBD (Michael)

December 21^st – CUSR Holiday Party

December 28^th – TBD (Cary)

January 4^th – TBD (Joe)

January 11^th – TBD (Lisa)

January 18^th – TBD (Mary

January 25^th – TBD (Michael)

February 1^st – TBD

February 8^th – TBD (Tom)

February 15^th – TBD (Cary)

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

October 23 – Jarrod Scheunemann

October 29 – Robb Patton

“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.” – Kahlil Gibran – 1883-1931 – Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”- Nelson Mandela – 1918-2013 – Political Leader – Philanthropist – Former President of South Africa

“I knew that I just didn’t have it in me to give up, even if I sometimes felt like a fool for continuing to believe.” – Misty Copeland – Ballet Dancer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Sir Edward Perrie)

Oct. 10 – 1-4pm – Gary Olsen Celebration of Life and Shelterbox fundraiser

Oct. 24 – World Polio Day at the Museum of the Grand Prairie in Mahomet

Nov. 11 – CU Sunrise Rotary Club Anniversary/Veterans Day Party at City View

The C-U Sunrise Rotary Newsletter historian was unable to verify the claim made in last week’s Newsletter regarding our football picking success.  Sadly, the review of many years of data showed that we are less than stellar when it comes to football picking.  But this year will be different!

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Oct. 14 – Rotary Booth at Lincoln Square, see times on sign-up sheet

Nov. 4 – Central Interact 5K Fundraiser – CU Sunrise is a sponsor 

Mar. 28 – National Car Wash Day – Jarrod invites everyone to his house to wash his vehicles

PROGRAM

Jarrod Scheunemann gave an informative presentation dealing with his recent trip tO to Bilisht, Albania. Jerrod was part of a mission trip with the Twin City Bible Church of Urbana and he also would be helping with the development of a recreational space in Bilisht. 

Jarrod started with a few greetings to the club in Albanian and added a few comments about trying to learn the language. Jarrod then told us about two important figures in Albania’s history. Gjergi Skanderbeg who battled the Ottoman Empire to gain independence in the 1400s, and later about Enver Hoxha, who after World War II became the Communist Prime Minister of Albania who ruled from 1944 until his death in 1985. Albania suffered under the Communist’s rule as their resources and work force were exploited. 

Today’s Albania can be described as a Democratic Socialist government and is part of the European Union. While dealing with poverty and immigration issues the country’s agricultural economy and its entrepreneurialism is thriving. Many new businesses are starting up and people are seeking new ways to make money and improve their lives.

Jarrod shared several interactions he had with the local people and governing bodies. The town of Bilisht does not have a park or an established outdoor recreational area. Jarrod showed us a vacant five acre plot of land in Bilisht that is currently used for pick-up soccer games. The city is currently considering transforming it into a recreational area.

He has begun working with the local people to help them find the best use of this vacant lot. Funding, labor force, equipment, and material shortages are some of the main issues that Albania faces today for many new projects.

Jarrod and the Twin City Bible Church in Urbana are helping through mission trips to Bilisht.  They are also considering possible vocational and Kids exchange programs as ways to help the city of Bilisht. Some of the exchange ideas they are working on include firefighting, social work, construction, government, technical skills and for children of special needs, after school and preschool programing.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee members listed in parentheses)

October 5^th – Club Assembly

October 12^th – Brittany Millington, Director, Champaign Public Library (Thom)

October 19^th – Dr.  Nestor Ramirez  will give a summary of his OLLI class on Polio

October 26^th –  John Clark, who will discuss Storybook, a program that allows inmates to maintain a connection to children by recording stories for their children (Mary)

November 2^nd – Dr. Dan Simons, Professor, Psychology, UIUC, co-author of “The Invisible Gorilla” and “Nobody’s Fool”

November 9^th – no morning meeting – Anniversary Dinner at CityView

November 16^th – TBD

November 23^rd – Turkey Day – no morning meeting

November 30^th – TBD

December 7^th – TBD

December 14^th – TBD

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

October 23 – Jarrod Scheunemann

October 29 – Robb Patton