“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.

 
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  Jan 17th Jan 24th Jan 31st Feb 7th
Introductions Rod Roberts Angie Schoonover Jen Shelby Lou Simpson
Reflection Robb Patton Allan Penwell Ed Perry Rod Roberts
Greeters Rod Roberts Angie Schoonover Jen Shelby Lou Simpson
Paul Conforti Diana Dummitt Ata Durukan David Henry
Song Leader Michelle Barbey Keith Brandau Ethan Chew Paul Conforti
Notetaker Perry Penwell Hodson Conforti

 
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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

[self-driving cars, cancer detection, ocean exploration]  of a bio-inspired camera (Phyllis)
January 31st – 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 – TBD (Charlie)
February 21st – TBD (Tom)
February 28th – TBD (Ondine)
March 7th – TBD (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