Announcements
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)
The Savoy Rotary Club Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser was held on Saturday, March 14th from 7am-11am. Tickets were $5 each, and the pancakes were good.
The Idea Store Gala will be on April 11 at the Hilton Garden Inn. A business may purchase a sponsorship to honor a teacher for $500.For more information on these events go to www.facebook.com/events/428282297320255 or talk to Molly.
All Rotary Event: Gifford Tree Planting
Saturday 3/28 (rain date is Saturday 4/11). Shifts begin at 7am through noon. You can participate in a number of tree planting activities. There will be 4 stages for each tree: dig, plant, mulch & stake. Teams will be made up for each stage. Meet downtown Gifford.
Larry, Oktay and the Awards Committee are looking for non-Rotarian nominations for “Outstanding Citizen of the Year” award. The winner will be awarded a $500 contribution to the charity of their choice. This award will be announced at our April 30 meeting. Nominees must be a resident of Champaign county and have shown community and or international humanitarian contributions either within the past year or cumulative over more than one year.
Illini Rotaract’s Alex Villanueva visited our club to announce 2 fund raising activities:
1) “End Polio Now” shot glasses were being sold for $5
2) Also for $5 any Rotarian can participate Illini Rotaract’s March Madness Bracket Pool. This is a 50/50 pool with proceeds going to Shelter Box USA. If you would like to join, do so prior to the start of the NCAA tournament this Thursday morning 3/19. Your contribution can be collected at our CU Sunrise meeting.
To enter go to yahoo.com. Under the “fantasy tab” click “Tourney Pick ’em.” Click “find a pool” and click “join a private pool.” Enter group ID# 17759 Password “rotaract.” Log in with your Yahoo account, or create a new account. Make a new bracket with the bracket name as your first and last name. Questions can be emailed to Alex at illinirotaract@gmail.com
Benny Lapid led us in song (yes he was here!). Benny translated then sang the Shalom song from our songbook. Then the club joined in for 2 rousing verses! Always good to see Benny. 🙂
Program
Brian Adams from the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS). Brian’s topic was “Dixie Comes to Champaign County.” The ISGS was asked to evaluate the ground in north Urbana as part of the Olympia Drive corridor project.
The State of Illinois contributed 259,000 soldiers to the American Civil War. Champaign County at the time had a population of 14,600. 25% of the men in the county served in the war, of which 220 did not return. Champaign County formed the 1st Militia as part of Company A of the 20th Illinois Volunteers. Training took place near the present fairgrounds under the command of Samuel Busey and Clark Robinson Griggs.
The ISGS uncovered a house foundation that stood from 1840-1890 and other artifacts. However one of the more unusual artifacts was a belt buckle marked “CSA” (Confederate States of America). It remains a mystery as to how the buckle got to Urbana. You can view several Civil War monuments at Urbana’s Woodlawn Cemetery. Of the Civil War era soldiers buried in various Champaign County cemeteries, 11 are veterans of the CSA.
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| Mar 19th | Mar 26th | Apr 2nd | Apr 9th | |
| Introductions | Oktay Baran | Keith Brandau | Alan Chalifoux | Neal Chamberlain |
| Invocation | Larry Johnson | Andrew Kerins | Dave Krchak | Bob La Charite |
| Greeters | Oktay Baran | Keith Brandau | Alan Chalifoux | Neal Chamberlain |
| Mary Hodson | Phillip Holthaus | Larry Johnson | Andrew Kerins | |
| Song Leader | Molly Delaney | Ata Durukan | Bruce Hatfield | Mary Hodson |
| Notetaker | Chamberlain | Perry | Penwell | Hodson |
| Rotary Minute | Alan Chalifoux | Neal Chamberlain | Reuben Chambers | Paul Conforti |
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE
March 19th – Valerie Hotchkiss, Andrew Turyn Endowed Professor & Director of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, UIUC
March 26th – Kevin Ullestad, Associate Athletic Director and State Farm Center Director, UIUC
April 2nd – Don Fournier will speak about “The Future of Coal as an Energy Source”
April 9th – Denise Martin will discuss Cradles to Careers
April 16th – TBD
April 23rd – Dr. Richard Fredrickson, Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, UIUC, will discuss services and research in veterinary medicine
April 30th – TBD
May 7th – TBD
May 14th – George Vargas, Champaign County Public Defender’s Office
May 21st – Sam Banks, Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club
May 28th – TBD
June 4th – Jen Shelby will discuss the Cannes Film Festival
June 11th – Kathie Spegal, Coordinator, Illinois Radio Reader, and former CU Sunrise Rotarian
June 18th – Andy Leipold will discuss grand juries and Ferguson, MO
