Announcements

September 13 will be a Club Assembly.  The focus will be on Membership.  Please bring the names of two prospective members.

The 2012 – 2013 District 6490 Annual Membership/ Foundation/ New Generations Seminars are as follows:

*September 25 – Champaign-Urbana: Carle Forum (6:30pm) 611 W Park St, Urbana, IL 61801

*September 26 – Effingham: Lake Land College – Kluthe Center, 1204 Network Centre

Blvd., Effingham, IL 62401 Located off I-57 at Exit 162 (217) 540-3555 (6:00pm)

*September 27 – Bloomington-Normal: Heartland Community Center, 1500 W. Raab Road, Normal, Jon Astroth Education Building (6:00pm)

For more information and registration see the District Website, www.rotrary6490.org

Are you interested in being a book mentor?  Book mentoring entails reading and doing an activity with preschoolers once a month for about a half hour in October, November, December, February, March, and April at a Headstart or Early Childhood facility.  There will be a WILL Young Learners book mentor training for all new and old volunteers at several times and places the week of September 24th.  Please contact Molly Delaney at delaney1@illinois.edu if you have not yet signed up for a training session.  We will learn about the new format for our visits this year.

Gary Olsen reported that Shelter Box is in New Orleans aiding in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac and is also engaged in 8 other disaster relief efforts around the world.

President Jeff exchanged club flags with Meltem Onay from the Konak Rotary Club in Izmir, Turkey.  She is a visiting professor and will join us for a few months.

Program

Scott Burnsmeir, Assistant Governor for Area 6 of District 6490 and the Co-Director for New Generations presented a program on the four areas of youth outreach.  Rachel Miller and Susanna Storms from the Illini Rotaract Club accompanied him.  Also attending our meeting was Leah Matchett who belongs to Rotex, a group of former Rotary Exchange Students who assist the program.

Rotary sponsors 4 areas in which youth can become part of Rotary, a service organization which can change the face of the world.  First, Rotaract for youth 18-30 years of age is made up largely of college youth. There are about 300 clubs in the United States.  Illini Rotaract Club at the University of Illinois is one of those.  You can see what they are doing on their Facebook Page.  Club leaders Susanna and Rachel are interested in partnering with local clubs for service opportunities.

Second, Early Act is a club designed for 6 – 12 year olds in elementary schools.  It has been suggested by some reputable club members that Dave Krchak and his wide array of jokes would work wonders with this age group.  Go get ’em Dave!

Third, Interact is for youth from 13 to 17 years of age.  There are many Interact clubs in the district including the one CU Sunrise sponsors with Savoy at Central High School.  Scott helped start a club in Monticello seven years ago.  It started with 20-25 kids and in spite of ups and downs now has an active Rotarian at the helm, a school councilor, an involved administrator who is also a Rotarian, and 236 active members in a high school with 567 total students.

The fourth area is RYLA, a team building opportunity.  CU Sunrise and other District 6490 clubs select participants and sponsor RYLA financially at Allerton Park each year in April.

It takes partnership, the ability to believe in positive outcomes, outreach, and good communication to make all these projects work.  But the goal is worth it.  By becoming involved in New Generations as Rotary Clubs we can “pay it forward” to develop the next set of Rotary Leaders and change the face of the world.

Sept 13th Sept 20th Sept 27th Oct 4th
Introductions Gary Olsen Scott Paceley Robb Patton Allan Penwell
Invocation Neal Chamberlain Reuben Chambers Paul Conforti Ata Durukan
Greeters Gary Olsen Scott Paceley Robb Patton Allan Penwell
Curt Anderson Oktay Baran Alan Chalifoux Neal Chamberlain
Song Leader Lou Simpson Cary Woolard Kris Young Coletta Ackermann
Notetaker Conforti Chamberlain Perry Penwell


Upcoming Meetings

Sept 13th – Club Assembly on Membership

Sept 20 – Madeline Evans and Evan Fortier, Illinois State Archaeological Survey

Oct 18 – John Groce, Illinois Men’s Basketball Coach