“Change is the end result of all true learning.” – Leo Buscaglia – 1924-1998 – Author

 

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” –

Albert Einstein – 1879-1955 – Mathematician-Physicist-Nobel Prize Recipient

 

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” – Willie Nelson – Musician-Actor-Activist

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Reflection: Mary Hodson quoting Senator Ben Sasse on the US Senate floor Wednesday January 6,2021:

 

Look, there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future, I get it. There’s a lot that does need to be rebuilt. But if you’re angry, I want to beg you – don`t let the screamers who monetize hate have the final word. Don’t let nihilists become your drug dealers. There are some who want to burn it all down. We met some of them today. But they aren’t going to win. Don’t let them be your prophets. Instead, organize, persuade, but most importantly, love your neighbor. Visit the widower down the street who’s lonely and didn’t want to tell anybody that his wife died and he doesn’t have a lot of friends. Shovel somebody’s driveway. You can’t hate somebody who just shoveled your driveway. The heart of life is about community and neighborhood, and we’re supposed to be servant leaders. The constitutional system is still the greatest order for any government ever, and it’s our job to steward it and protect it.

 

Special Guest: Betsy Kakoma (guest of Larry)

Betsy is the wife of past club member Dr. Ibulaimu Kakoma. Ibulaimu was a Professor in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. The Kakomas are from Uganda, Africa. They have seven children; one daughter, Laura, gained international fame as the singer Somi. Ibulaimu died 10 years ago and during his time with our club he helped our club with a Rotary Global Grant to bring water to a small village in Uganda.  Betsy noted that help is needed with maintaining our original project in Uganda and the school needs support as well.

 

 

PROGRAM

 

Ondine Gross led this week’s Dream Day 2021 program.  She asked that members consider the following two questions:

 

First, imagine you have unlimited resources and could go anywhere and do anything: Describe your perfect activity. 

Second, as a CU Sunrise Rotarian, if you had unlimited resources, where would you like our group to go and what would you like our group to do.

Here are the members’ responses:

Mary Kay 

  1. With retirement around the corner, I want to find activity/work to stay active.
  2. Have our club continue to grow and make a difference

Bob

  1. See America on Amtrak
  2. Continue our club’s focus on local needs and partner with another club. Transportation is also an interest.

 

Eddie Bridges

  1. Visit Zambia with immediate family
  2. Take our club on a trip to Zambia. Build a school or medical clinic in Nicole’s village.

 

Darrell

  1. Continue to travel through the world with focus on Viking riverboat cruises.
  2. Take the entire club to an International Rotary Meeting

Mary Hodson

  1. Unlimited travel and visiting people met through travel, including in Europe.
  2. Travel to Rotary to Houston, Texas for the 2022 Rotary International Meeting and Rotary Heart of America Trip in November. Other interests: helping refugees, gun control.

 

Oktay

  1. Travel the world meeting new people and eating international meals.
  2. Helping people in Africa because there are poor roads and people do not have enough food.

Jarrod

  1. Visit any mountain and ocean
  2. Continue to support Navajos – Send a group there to listen and help. Another passion is for Illinois natural resources. Club could build a prairie flower park to watch the sunsets.

 

Ed Perry

  1. Bring family all together for annual gatherings throughout the US. Complete home project on Vieques, Puerto Rico property and help build a better medical facility on the island of Vieques. 
  2. Club to support the health and welfare of the community. Find where need is and help with basic human needs: medical, water, education. Build rotary building.

Diana

  1. Visit every National Park in America with family.
  2. Go somewhere as a club, such as the Rotary International meeting in Houston.

 

Keith

1.Travel with the organization, “Engineers without Borders” to build bridges to food and resources. (There is a chapter at U of I).

  1. Water Projects – getting water to communities across the world. Also, Habitat for Humanity projects in the USA.

 

Paul

  1. Travel throughout the USA with Amtrak Pass with stops at various stations. “You can’t hate someone when you know their story.”
  2. Club to start a movement that “Patriotism starts at Home.” True patriots help others.Charlie
  3. Create museum showcasing local area history and include old tools. And anything with wrestling.
  4. Club to help expand educational opportunities for kids who don’t have anything.

 

Robb
1. Participate in a PBS style “finding your roots.” Also, be part of a jam session with all my favorite musicians.

  1. Club to help every child attend early childhood learning and have clean water. Create the focus that world peace begins here at home.

Lou

  1. Better health
  2. Have everyone vaccinated for COVID and then have all members of the club take a trip and have fun. (Number 5 of the Four Way Test).

 

Scott

  1. Go out to lunch, walk with Cyndi on a beach with views of the water and blue sky, and create something good and lasting.
  2. Club to focus efforts – such as the environment (develop a park), literacy, or financial literacy. Focus efforts on one thing for lasting results.

 

Jerry

  1. As a history buff, learn Latin to read and translate documents from medieval times. 
  2. As a new member still learning about our club. Impressed at how group as persevered using zoom through pandemic.

 

Cary

1.Gather family together and travel to new areas and help others.

  1. Help children’s groups that teach children.

 

Larry

1.Continue to visit and stay in Hawaii (Kapalua Bay in Maui) with Judy

  1. Club goes to Botswana to help with a water project: digging well for a water reservoir.

 

Ondine

1.Travel anywhere with the focus on visiting nature. 

  1. March in the annual Pride parade and distribute pencils, books, and peace/conflict resolution fliers.

 

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  Jan 14th Jan 21st Jan 28th Feb 4th
         
Reflection Darrell Hoemann Larry Johnson Bob La Charite Phyllis Mischo
Notetaker Perry Hodson Conforti Perry

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

*All meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted*

 

January 14th – Professor Brant Houston, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting at the University of Illinois, will talk about QAnon  (Tom)

January 21st – AG Mike Hiirschi will talk about the Rotary Foundation (Bob)

January 28th – Rachel Rasmussen will give us a update on Books 2 Prisoners (Cary)

February 4th – Tom Hodson, Shelter Box (Charlie)

February 11th – TBD (Mary)

February 18th – TBD (Ondine)

February 25th – TBD (Tom)

March 4th – TBD (Bob)

March 11th – TBD (Cary)

March 18th – TBD (Charlie)

March 25th – TBD (Mary)