“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” – Serena Williams – Professional Tennis Player

“There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice.” – Michelle Obama – Former First Lady of the United States-Author-Attorney

“Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.”  – Virat Kohli – International Cricketer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gentleman from Connecticut, Edward Perry)

This Month’s Club Social will take place this Thursday, 3/31, beginning at 6pm at the Chez Veterans Center, 908 W. Nevada, Urbana. Light snacks and soft drinks will be served. We will have the opportunity to meet the student veterans and center leaders and tour the state-of-the-art facility. Spouses and potential new members are invited.  Free parking is available after 5 pm in the UI faculty-staff parking lot located immediately west of the center. 

The following upcoming volunteer projects were announced:

April 3, 8 to 10 am for the Chez Veterans 5K. See Joe if you are interested in volunteering to monitor various locations along the 5k route.

April 9, 8:30 to 11am or 11 to 1pm at Scott Park for the Boneyard Creek clean up. See Phyllis if you are interested in helping.

May 9, 6pm to 8pm for Books to Prisoners. See Larry for additional information.

May 14 through the 21 will be the Diaper Drive. All area Rotary Clubs have been asked to contribute and bring diapers to Lodgic.  We will pack the donated diapers into a special container for shipping.

Tom Hodson announced that ShelterBox has sent boxes to Poland to help with the Ukrainian immigration. Additional Boxes are being planned for future shipments to Ukraine. Tom passed around a donation box among the members.

PROGRAM

Mary introduced Fred Christensen as our morning’s speaker. Fred is a retired professor, a retired Army Reserve officer and has been a highly respected local OLLIE presenter for the past 13 years. His OLLIE presentations have covered historical events and activities here in the United States and around the world. This morning’s presentation was titled “What History Tells Us about the Ukraine- Russian War”. 

Fred began with the history of Eastern Europe focusing on the Slavic speaking nations.  He discussed the rise and fall of the USSR and its effect on the surrounding republics during communist rule as well as the 1991 breakup of the USSR and the resulting independent states and their move to nationalism.

Today, Ukraine is a nation of 50 million people and has played an important role throughout history. In 1991 with the breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, like other Soviet republics, became a nation state and formed a government of their own. Today’s current war centers on Russia’s attempt to bring Ukraine back under Russian rule.

Fred, using historical data, maps and information, covered many important historical facts and related issues about the region. With the limited time that our meetings allowed, Fred shared his outstanding presentation with us.

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UPCOMING SCHEDULE

(will be updated next week)

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” – Ella Fitzgerald – 1929-1995 – Singer

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” – BB King – 1925-2015 – Blues Singer-Songwriter-Musician

“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens – 1812-1870 – Writer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the distinguished gent from Connecticut, Edward Perry)

Our upcoming club volunteer projects:

-March 26, 10 to 1pm Read Across America at Lincoln Square. Michelle noted that the time slots were filled, and all were invited to the outdoor event.

-April 3, 8 to 10 am for the Chez Veterans 5K. Joe passed around a sign up sheet for those interested in volunteering to monitor various locations along the route.

-April 9, 8:30 to 11am or 11 to 1pm at Scott Park for the Boneyard Creek clean up. Phyllis passed around a signup sheet.

-April 30 for the Christie Clinic Race. See Mary Kay if you are interested in helping.

-May 9, 6pm to 8pm for volunteering for Books to Prisoners. See Larry for additional information.

This Month’s Club Social will take place at 6pm on March 31 at the Chez Veterans Center, 908 W. Nevada, Urbana. Light snacks and soft drinks will be served. We will have the opportunity to meet and greet student veterans and center leaders and tour the state-of-the-art facility with a goal of furthering C-U Sunrise Rotary’s relationship with and support of student veterans on campus. Spouses and potential new members are invited.  Free parking is available after 5 pm in the UI faculty-staff parking lot immediately west of the center. 

PROGRAM

Mary introduced our Assistant Governor Michael Harris. Michael is a retired pharmacist from Monticello, Illinois, and has been involved in many Rotary activities from club level to various district committees. Recently, he served as chair for the district’s literacy program and spearheaded that successful project by receiving essay submissions from over 150 high school students. He has also visited many Rotary Clubs from around the world. Mary noted if something needed to be done Michael could do it. 

Today’s program was an informative, enjoyable and humorous presentation on the historical patent medicines that were sold for ‘just about everything that ails you.’

Monticello, Illinois, was a center for patent medicine running from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Many of the large historic homes in Monticello were built by the wealthy owners of these businesses.  Michael shared examples of various patent medicines sold in those days. Patent medicines are over the counter medicines that may use questionable ingredients. They were heavily advertised as being the cure for many things without regard to its actual effectiveness. Truth in advertising laws were yet to be made. 

Using examples from his collection of these early advertisements, Michael reviewed the actual ingredients along with its various remedy claims. Some of these medicines contained a mixture of vegetable compounds with alcohol, morphine, opium and cocaine. While some were effective, one had to be careful with the amount of medication that was taken. The golden age of patent medicines lasted from the mid-nineteenth century into the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Michael also gave examples of how doctor’s prescriptions were written in the 1930s and how pharmacists would mix up and disperse the drug for a specific patient.   

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

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – Evening social at the Chez Veteran’s Center (see notes in Announcements above)

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – Dr. Pat Vargas, Professor of Advertising, UIUC will discuss studies on advertising in the US and New Zealand and how this effects consumer decisions (Bob)

April 21st – Mayor Diane Marlin, City of Urbana (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – Scott Schwartz, Curator and Archivist for the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois Library (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)

May 26th – Jacque Kalipeni, representing the Kalipeni Foundation that helps communities in Malawi

June 2nd – TBD

June 9th – TBD

June 16th – TBD

“You build on failure. Use it as a stepping stone and close the door on the past. Don’t try to forget the mistakes, but don’t dwell on it.” – Johnny Cash – 1932-2003 – Singer-Songwriter-Musician-Actor

“You can’t knock on opportunity’s door and not be ready.”  – Bruno Mars – Singer-Songwriter-Producer-Musician

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” – Maya Angelou – 1928-2014 – Poet-Singer-Memoirist-Civil Rights Activist

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the erudite Mary Hodson)

Isabelle Hernandez’ dad, Alvaro, visited our meeting on March 9.  He is a member of the Champaign Rotary Club.

March 26 – Read Across America will be held at Lincoln Square from 10-1.

March 31 – Tour and Club Social at U of I Chez Center, starting at 6 PM.   Spouses welcome.

April 9 – Boneyard Clean Up Community Day at Scott Park on Springfield Ave.   Help with check in from 8:30 -11 or lunch 11-1.

PROGRAM

Mary introduced Marlin Livingston, member of Champaign West Rotary and CEO of Cunningham Children’s Home.    Marlin served 23 years in the Army National Guard and has over 30 years of experience in the field of child welfare.   He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Association and chairs their national accrediting body.   He and his wife have three sons and have been foster parents to over twenty foster children.

Cunningham Children’s Home has a staff of 400 and over $25 million in annual income, one fifth of which comes from fundraising.   A year ago, the US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) asked Cunningham to apply to house unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border with Mexico.   Most are from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rico and Venezuela.   Cunningham was one of two Illinois agencies chosen for their experience in dealing with young victims of trauma.   After submitting an 800-page application, Cunningham began receiving refugee children in April of last year.

The kids, aged 8-18, are fleeing gangs or prostitution and/or their parents have been murdered.  Typically, Cunningham will get 24 hours’ notice that they are to pick up 5-8 refugee children at O’Hare.  

Within 48 hours the kids have a zoom meeting in a Chicago immigration court and they must be given the opportunity to telephone their US contact, if they have one.   Within 72 hours, they must have a complete physical and vaccinations.   Cunningham then has 30 days to settle the kids with their US family or friends or a foster home.  Over 80% do have family or friends, documented or not, to go to, and Cunningham staff flies all over the US to deliver the kids to their US placements.   The sponsor families receive no government support.

If a child turns 18 while at Cunningham, an ICE Agent will be there immediately to pick him or her up.   If, however, the kid has already been placed with a sponsor, the immigration process has begun, and the kid can stay in the US the 5-8 years it takes for their case to be processed in the immigration court.   Cunningham staff do everything they can to expedite the placement of children who are approaching the age of 18.

The ORR contract required Cunningham to keep refugees separate from the American kids, so Cunningham spent $1 million of their own funds to refurbish their “old” campus, now called “Caminos National”.   They hired 55 new staff, half of whom were required to be bilingual.   Cunningham staff are required to maintain “line of sight” supervision at all times except when the children are in the bathroom or changing clothes.   In thirty days, Cunningham teachers are required to give the kids an orientation to the US government.  They learn the Pledge of Allegiance and the history of Illinois.  Marlin said the children pick up English very quickly.

When the news of the contract reached the paper, Cunningham received calls from members of the community who were fearful that the kids might carry COVID-19.   But for some reason, the refugee kids have had much less incidence of COVID than the American kids at Cuningham.

Marlin said that the kids are “wonderful”.   They love to cook, garden and play soccer.   Cunningham has tried to get them to play basketball and other American style games but they just want to play soccer all day.

When asked what Rotarians could do to help, Marlin said that Cunningham needs board members, particularly ones with experience in finance or accounting.

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

March 17th – AG Michael Harris will discuss visiting Rotary Clubs around the world (Mary)

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – Mayor Diane Marlin, City of Urbana (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – Scott Schwartz, Curator and Archivist for the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois Library (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)

May 26th – Jacque Kalipeni, representing the Kalipeni Foundation that helps communities in Malawi

June 2nd – TBD

June 9th – TBD

June 16th – TBD

“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” – Frida Kahlo – 1907-1954 – Mexican Painter

“Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” – Minor Myers Jr. – 1942-2003 – President of Illinois Wesleyan University

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be ignited.” – Plutarch – Greek Philosopher-Historian-Essayist

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(notes provided by the dinosaur gentleman from Connecticut, Edward Perry)

Read Across America will take place March 26. Readers are needed for 30 minute slots from 10 to 1 pm. Our club is a sponsor for the event.

Visit Champaign County has requested volunteers to help in the Kids Zone at the IHSA basketball tournament this weekend. To sign up, see this form here:  at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DA4A72CA5F58-ihsa

Volunteers are needed for the Chez Veterans Center 5k on April 3rd. Joe will put together a signup sheet for this event. 

A club social at the Chez Veterans Center is being considered for the evening of March 31.

Bucket money this month will be going to the local Reach Out and Read Program.

Mary reminded everyone about this year’s Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas from June 4-8. It is a wonderful opportunity for new and old members to attend many sessions and learn about the many activities and opportunities that make up Rotary International. 

PROGRAM

Today’s meeting consisted of a club assembly with the focus on Membership and Service.

MEMBERSHIP

Diana handed out new club membership flyers and suggested possible methods in getting new members and the need for new members. Inviting possible new members to a club service project was one of several ideas. 

Mary Hodson added that the six local Rotary Clubs are organizing a joint new membership gathering at Riggs Brewery where each local Rotary club will have a table to inform possible new members about their club. An open discussion followed with members highlighting the many positive attributes of our club.

SERVICE

Phillis updated the club and led a spirited discussion on upcoming service projects.  Projects discussed included:

-Partnering up with Lodgic on a “Diaper Drive” and including the help of the Interact Club at Central High School.

-Doing another “Feed Our Kids” project 

-Providing volunteers for a Sola Gratia gardens cleanup project

-Helping plant seeds for flowering plants for a Pollinator Garden as a help for the Bee Project.

-Decker Garden spring work and also team up with CASA by setting Pinwheels in the Decker Garden.

-Continue our partnership with the Chez Veterans Center by joining in with their mentoring program.

-Help the Champaign County Humane Society with their newspaper needs. Members are asked to begin saving newspapers for the rolling get together in June.  More details and the exact dates will be set in the next few weeks.

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

March 10th – Ginger Mills and Marlin Livingston, Cunningham Children’s Home, will discuss housing refugee children from the border (Mary)

March 17th – AG Michael Harris will discuss visiting Rotary Clubs around the world (Mary)

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – TBD (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – TBD (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)

May 26th – Jacque Kalipeni, representing the Kalipeni Foundation that helps communities in Malawi

“Everything is scary if you look at it. So you just got to live it.” – Mary J. Blige – Singer-Songwriter-Actress

“Happiness is not something readymade, it comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

Teachers can open the door, but you must enter it yourself. – Chinese Proverb

ANNOUNCEMENTS
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)

We were joined this morning by two guests from the Chez Veteran Center at UIUC: Dustin Lange and Garret Anderson.

Phyllis recapped our successful service opportunity assisting Habitat for Humanity/ReStore unload a truck and sort merchandise at the ReStore warehouse in Urbana.

Upcoming Opportunity: Read Across America, Saturday March 26, 10-1pm, Lincoln Square

PROGRAM

Joe Rank introduced Tom Teper, Associate Dean of Libraries, Associate University Librarian for Collections, Coordinator and Project Planning for UIUC Library.  Tom discussed the Library Building Project – Envisioning the Library of the Future

Goal: The University of Illinois is continually ranked #1 in the country for its Library and Information Studies Program. Both the main and undergraduate libraries need to be modernized to maintain this ranking and to align this university’s library with other research libraries.

The library collection is one of the largest and most distinctive in the world and has been a constant for the vital research ecosystem at Illinois. By combining this collection with a hub of scholarly activities, they will propel the University forward.

The library’s rare and archival collections are an extraordinary University asset. These collections are scattered throughout our campus, and there is a pressing need for a dedicated home for the collections and the scholars who use them.

Bringing these extraordinary resources together in a single location will enable them to provide superior spaces to serve our students and faculty, to support instruction, to mount exhibits, and to house these valuable collections in a secure and climate-controlled environment. It will also improve their conservation and digitization support for these collections.

Phase 1: Undergraduate Library redevelopment including adding an enclosed loading dock. This is a massive phase in which the current undergraduate library will be converted into the collections library.

Phase 2: Demolition of stacks 1-5 at the main library replaced with a 5-story public services addition. The current stacks are made of cast iron which was a great construction in the 1930’s.  Over time, iron is not a great material to house valuable books. In addition, the stacks are inaccessible to a significant portion of the population.

Phase 3: Renovation of the 1924, 1926, 1927 and 1962 additions of the main library.

Phase 4: Enclosure of the upper and lower level of the courtyard and partial enclosures of the plaza level between the main and undergrad pavilions.

The approximate timeline for these renovations is five years.

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

March 3rd – TBD 

March 10th – Ginger Mills and Marlin Livingston, Cunningham Children’s Home, will discuss housing refugee children from the border (Mary)

March 17th – AG Michael Harris will discuss visiting Rotary Clubs around the world (Mary)

March 24th – Professor Fred Christensen, OLLIE presenter and president of the East Central Illinois Archeological Society will speak on “What history tells us about the Ukraine-Russian War” (Mary)

March 31st – TBD

April 7th – TBD

April 14th – TBD (Bob)

April 21st – TBD (Cary)

April 28th – Jordan Dziura, the Executive Director at Illini Media Co., will discuss the Daily Illini’s 110th anniversary, upcoming reunion for IMC alums, and the future of college media (Charlie)

May 5th – TBD

May 12th – TBD (Joe)

May 19th – Major General (ret) William L. Enyart (Mary)