Announcements
(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Eddie Murphy Perry)
Dave introduced the club to Carlos Jaurez and Jennifer Stroud. Carlos is this year’s recipient of CU Sunrise’s Rotary Scholarship Award. Carlos is currently a Central High School Student who will be attending Parkland College full-time this fall in auto mechanics. He will receive a $1,500.00 scholarship from our club. Carlos will graduate from Central this year, and while he is taking classes at Central High School he also is taking credit hours at Parkland and working part time at Illini Nissan. Jennifer Stroud is Central High School’s College & Career Counselor who worked with Dave to help make the scholarship selection.
Jen introduced Billy Stull as our newest club member. Billy is a certified public accountant and the president of Stephens & Stull Accounting firm located in downtown Champaign. He has experience in corporate tax, partnerships, estate, not-for-profit and individual taxation. He also provides estate planning, IRS representation, and other tax services. In his free time he enjoys music, travel, and volunteering for various groups.
Program
With April being designated as National Volunteer Recognition Month, Tod had the honor to introduce John Doll as the CU Sunrise Club Outstanding Citizen Award 2014 winner. John received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and spent more than 30 years as a Soil Scientist for the Natural Resources Conservation District. John’s volunteering award is based on his work with Empty Tomb and the Appalachian Service Projects over the last 18 years.
John gave a brief description of his volunteer service with the faith-based Empty Tomb’s Home Maintenance Program and the Appalachian Service Project. With the Home Maintenance Project program, John has volunteered 12 to 15 hours a week to repair homes for low income people and has helped repair over 100 homes in the Champaign-Urbana area. With the Appalachian Service Project, John again has donated his time and skills for home repair and mentoring with mission trips in Appalachia through the local First Methodist Church. He has also helped with mission trips in Bolivia.
John noted several reasons why he volunteers. The feeling and satisfaction he receives from helping so many lives, and letting people know that someone cares far outweighs his time and efforts. John noted that volunteering is about the lasting relationships he has formed.
Cecil Billingsley, Empty Tomb’s home maintenance coordinator, also spoke about Empty Tomb’s mission and what John has done to help and inspire the Christian-based organization. Empty Tomb provides its services at no cost to those in need.
—
| May 7th | May 14th | May 21st | May 28th | |
| Introductions | Ata Durukan | Bruce Hatfield | Mary Hodson | Phillip Holthaus |
| Invocation | Jan Merchen | Phyllis Mischo | Gary Olsen | Scott Paceley |
| Greeters | Ata Durukan | Bruce Hatfield | Mary Hodson | Phillip Holthaus |
| Ben Mast | John McDaniel | Jan Merchen | Phyllis Mischo | |
| Song Leader | Dave Krchak | Bob La Charite | BJ Lytle | Ben Mast |
| Notetaker | Penwell | Hodson | Lintner | Conforti |
| Rotary Minute | Mary Hodson | Phillip Holthaus | Andrew Kerins | Larry Johnson |
—
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
May 7th – Winnie Crowder, Executive Director of the Reading Group, and former CU Sunrise Rotarian
May 14th – George Vargas, Champaign County Public Defender’s Office
May 21st – Sam Banks, Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club
May 28th – Antonia Rivera, Rotary Youth Exchange
June 4th – Maria Bohri, Learning in Community (LINC), Engineering Education projects, UIUC
June 11th – Kathie Spegal, Coordinator, Illinois Radio Reader, and former CU Sunrise Rotarian
June 18th – Andy Leipold will discuss grand juries and Ferguson, MO
June 25 – TBD
July 2 – TBD
July 9 – TBD
July 16 – Jen Shelby will discuss the Cannes Film Festival
July 23rd – TBD
July 30th – TBD
August 6th – TBD
August 13th – TBD
August 20th – TBD
August 27th – Barry Pittendrigh, Department of Entomology, UIUC
