“Truth is, I’ll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candor.” ― Tom Hanks 
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Notes provided by Allan Penwell)
The Interact 5K run is on November 3rd, and we will need to have some volunteers. See Michelle.
 
Veterans One-on-One is on November 11th. See Ata for further information or visit the web page at http://veteransdayoneonone.com.
 
Robb announced the annual fruit sale has started. The goal is to have a profit of $7,000 of which half will go to Crisis Nursery and the balance to Sunrise Charitable Foundation. Oktay passed around sign-up sheets for members to visit other area clubs.
 
Keith announced the Holiday Party is to be at the Hawthorne Suites on December 15th. It will be a family event so bring your family members.
 
Bob noted there will be a Habitat for Humanity work party on December 13th. It will be inside work and more details later.
 
PROGRAM
The speakers on October 18th were introduced by Ed Perry. They were Abdul McWhorter and Kate Williams-McWhorter who are with the University of Illinois. They have written a book, New Philadelphia: Can America Be America Again?
New Philadelphia in Pike County, Illinois was founded by Free Frank McWhorter in 1836. Frank McWhorter was the son of a Scotch-Irish farmer in Kentucky and an African mother. His father, George McWhorter, actually owned him. Frank McWhorter was entrepreneurial and made enough money to purchase him out of slavery.
Frank moved to Pike County, Illinois and organized the town of New Philadelphia which does not exist today. It grew as a multi-racial town during an age which was filled with racial strife. As Frank sold lots he was able to make enough money to purchase other family members out of slavery.
Frank McWhorter made a contribution to freedom and organized the community to help freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad travel to Canada. The town grew to a population of 165, but when the railroad came through, it bypassed the town. There were no likely reasons the railroad went around the town except for racial bias. People gradually moved away in the late 1800s and the land reverted to agriculture and prairie.
Abdul McWhorter is the great-great grandson of Free Frank McWhorter.
 
—
 

  Oct 25th Nov 1st Nov 8th Nov 15th
Introductions Larry Johnson Bob La Charite Candy Loyd Ben Mast
Reflection David Henry Mary Hodson Darrell Hoemann Larry Johnson
Greeters Larry Johnson Bob La Charite Candy Loyd Ben Mast
Rod Roberts Tod Satterthwaite Angie Schoonover Jen Shelby
Song Leader Allan Penwell Ed Perry Rod Roberts Tod Satterthwaite
Notetaker Hodson Conforti Perry Penwell

—
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE (with program committee member responsible listed in parentheses)
October 25th – Chris Gleason, Executive Director, Rosecrance Central Illinois, will speak about the heroin/opioid crisis in central Illinois (Phyllis)
November 1st – Kim Bryan, Executive Director, Rattle the Stars (Diana)
November 8th – Dr. Angela Williams, Associate Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, UIUC (Bob)
November 15th – Bryan Medlin, Illinois Wrestling’s Regional Training Center (Charlie)
November 22nd – No Meeting – Thanksgiving
November 29th – Sue Grey, President / CEO United Way of Champaign County (David)
December 6th – Glenn Harbin, District 6490 Membership Chair, is going to tell us about a micro loan organization, Kiva (Mary)
December 13th – TBD (Phyllis)
December 20th – TBD (Tom)
December 27th – TBD (Bob)
January 3rd – TBD (Charlie)
January 10th – TBD (David)
January 17th – TBD (Mary)
January 24th – TBD (Phyllis)
January 31st – TBD (Tom)